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Pop Culture Peanut Butter Cup
November 30, 2008 – 5:58 pm
“Fringe” Recap: Episode 1.9
November 25, 2008 – 11:23 pm
So what does an extra-long episode of Fringe look like? Well, sort of like a regular episode, although bloated. Only fitting to show such an episode just before Thanksgiving, really. This week’s outing could be compared to your Uncle Ted about an hour after ingesting his body weight in cranberry sauce: not exactly the shining example of “the more, the merrier.” While individual elements were interesting, tonight’s episode showed that sometimes less is indeed more.
“Heroes” Recap: Episode 3.10
November 24, 2008 – 11:13 pm
Many great works of art have dealt with the question, “What does it mean to be human?” I wouldn’t exactly put Heroes in the upper echelon of art, but I give it props for at least trying to apply the question to its own universe. The result? As with almost everything Heroes, a mixed bag. Furthermore, tonight’s episode was little more than a long setup for next week’s payoffs, so those looking for answers were left in the cold. Those looking to explore age-old questions? Well, they found quite a bit to chew on.
“Fringe” Recap: Episode 1.8
November 18, 2008 – 11:36 pm
Let’s just call this episode of Fringe what it was: “The John Noble Hour!” And folks, that’s a mighty fine way to spend an hour, let me tell you. This week’s episode didn’t balance the personal and mythological as well as last week’s entry in the series, but the personal side was so damn good that I really couldn’t care less. Am I interested in the Pattern? Absolutely. But if the show wants to spend a few weeks making us care more about those investigating it, you’ll scant hear a complaint from me.
“Heroes” Recap: Episode 3.9
November 18, 2008 – 12:04 am
In many ways, tonight’s episode title told you all you needed to know about narrative progression in this week’s edition of Heroes. The ultimate purpose of “It’s Coming” was to set the table for the final run of this hit-and-miss volume of the once can’t-miss show. Emphasis lay in character, not action. It wasn’t exactly a placeholder, but you still felt the show holding back as it maneuvered all the pieces into place. As “Villains” comes to a close, the volume still has a long way to go to approach the epic, Must See TV Season One. Every time something in the show thrills, something else comes along to sending it hurtling back to earth.
“Fringe” Recap: Episode 1.7
November 11, 2008 – 11:12 pm
Chalk it up to Lucky Number Seven. Tonight, after a lengthy hiatus, we all got the first truly great episode of Fringe. It’s been fits and starts up until now as the show struggled to find its feet…its voice…its pattern (pun intended). But this edition provided some insight as to where the show could actually go, wisely tying this week’s mystery into both the larger mythology of Fringe and the personal lives of its central characters.
“Heroes” Recap: Episode 3.8
November 10, 2008 – 10:39 pm
When Heroes goes back in time, good things usually happen. Season 1’s “Six Months Ago” was a marvel of storytelling, weaving in backstory in a way that made audiences gasp. Tonight’s episode “Villains” didn’t quite reach those heights, but nevertheless made for an intriguing episode. Besides the stunning “Dying of the Light,” this was the best episode of Season 3. Talk about damning it with faint praise, but there you have it.
The nominal point of tonight’s episode was to provide Hiro with enough clues to take down the villains behind this season’s requisite end-of-the-world plot. His time in the past took him to three vignettes: the soap opera enacted by the Petrellis , the social experiment conducted by HRG, and the moral tightrope walked by Meredith Gordon. Let’s look at each in turn. Read More
State of the Show: Heroes, Smallville, and Chuck, Oh My!
November 3, 2008 – 9:13 pm
Well, fellow television geeks, we’re heading into that glorious time of the television schedule: Fall sweeps! Sure, given the fragmented nature of television viewing, this period means a little less that it used to, but nonetheless shows strive to pull out all the stops in order to maximize their most important asset: creativity. And by “creativity” I mean “advertising revenue.”
Luckily for us, the viewers, this time also yields some pretty intense episodes, in which romances are struck, lives are lost, and things go kaboom a lot more than usual. As we’re on the precipice of what hopefully will be an exciting month of television, let’s look at the “State of the Show” for five of the more geektastic of television’s fare.
“Heroes” Recap: Episode 3.7
October 27, 2008 – 9:37 pm
I understand how it’s possible to get narrative continuity wrong in a show like Heroes. Really, it’s quite simple. By this point, they’ve shown us about five different timelines, so trying to keep track of who does what when can be tricky. But when it comes to character continuity: Jesus H. Petrelli, guys: get with the program!