Month: December 2010

December 17, 2010

Out of the Fire/Last Stand

USA

Burn Notice
Season 4, Episode 17/18

After a fairly problematic season, Burn Notice caps off its fourth year with a bang, delivering a one-two punch of episodes that are the series’ best since last season (maybe even extending beyond that). I had no intention of reviewing the show when I started this blog because, while I still love all the spy stuff and the chemistry between the leads, it fell into a pattern that was already stale by the time the season began. The season finale breaks free of said pattern by focusing entirely on the larger story arc that the show had been slowly building (excruciatingly so) towards, forgoing a case of the week altogether, and by bringing back the show’s two best villains for Michael to deal with at the same time. Continue Reading

December 13, 2010

False Positive

CBS

How I Met Your Mother
Season 6, Episode 12

“False Positive” felt a little light on comedy, but what it lacked in laughs it made up for in character. The use of shifting perspectives, while done before, was effective, with the subplots feeling more connected than usual thanks to the characters’ re-examination of their lives in light of Marshall and Lily’s big announcement. Continue Reading

December 12, 2010

All the Way

The CW

Nikita
Season 1, Episode 11

The CW’s new take on Nikita, yet another version of Luc Besson’s French action film (after the American film remake Point of No Return and the USA TV series La Femme Nikita), is the most pleasant surprise of the season. There have really only been a handful of good shows that premiered this past fall and Nikita is near the top of the heap. It’s not easy to make a good series in the action spy genre, especially one that’s been re-imagined or remade several times already. Yet the people behind this new iteration have found a way to make the premise feel fresh, branching off in a different direction than the one that’s been established and building its own mythology. With crafty plotting, solid stunt work and the charismatic (and incredibly sexy) Maggie Q in the title role, the show has remained consistently compelling since it premiered in September, and the final episode of 2010, titled “All the Way,” is the best episode yet. I don’t want to spoil too much for those who haven’t had a chance to check out the show, so I have just a few thoughts on the episode and the season in general. Continue Reading

December 11, 2010

Swerve

DirecTV/NBC

Friday Night Lights
Season 5, Episode 6

We’re about halfway through the final season of FNL, and things are starting to go bad. What happened to Julie while she was at college has affected her more than I thought, and once he finds out, it starts to take a toll on Eric (and his coaching duties) as well. Luke finds out the real reason TMU has been talking to him, and Kennard returns to collect on the money Vince owes him. Continue Reading

December 11, 2010

Marionette

FOX

Fringe
Season 3, Episode 9

Fringe‘s hot streak continued this week with “Marionette,” an episode that was less action-packed than last week’s “Entrada” but emotionally stronger. The case of the week was solid if unremarkable, but the truly stellar part was the episode’s focus on Olivia, who has to deal with the fallout from Fauxlivia’s time in the prime universe. Continue Reading

December 10, 2010

Classy Christmas

NBC

The Office
Season 7, Episode 11+12

There was a lot happening on The Office this week. It was a double-sized episode, a Christmas episode, and it marked the return of Holly. The expanded runtime has never really worked for me in the past, as a lot of the B, C, D, etc. stories that tend to make up these episodes rarely add up to anything more than filler. In the case of “Classy Christmas,” however, the writers were more successful than not, making for what is probably the best episode in a long time. Hopefully this marks the beginning of a return to form for the show, which has been really struggling in its current season. Continue Reading

December 10, 2010

Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas

NBC

Community
Season 2, Episode 11

It took some repeated viewings but now I’m firmly of the opinion that “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas” is one of the finest holiday themed episodes of TV ever made. In terms of its message, the episode really does belong up there with the old school stop motion animated shows that air around the clock during this time of year. In fact, it’s probably more sophisticated than that. What sends it over the top, for any fan of this show, is how that message is incorporated into a story that so distinctly revolves around this cast of characters, their personalities, and their relationships with each other. It’s animated, yes. It’s a Christmas episode, yes. But it’s also undeniably Community. Continue Reading

December 9, 2010

Dance Dance Revelation

ABC

Modern Family
Season 2, Episode 10

When it comes to Modern Family, it doesn’t take much to satisfy me. Most of the time, an average, run-of-the-mill episode (like this week’s was) will do just fine because I like these characters so much. I would leave it at that if I had another episode to look forward to next week, but because this was the last new episode until next year, I have to say it was pretty disappointing. Continue Reading

December 8, 2010

A Very Glee Christmas

FOX

Glee
Season 2, Episode 10

It would take a pretty cynical person to attack the aspirations of this particular episode of Glee. As cheesy as they can be I tend to like holiday episodes, and while there were a few elements that didn’t quite work, this is the first episode in several weeks where I felt like no one acted out of character, and the various subplots were refreshingly lacking in the excessive histrionics the show is known for. Continue Reading

December 6, 2010

The Mermaid Theory

CBS

How I Met Your Mother
Season 6, Episode 11

There are still weak spots every now and then, but so far this season of How I Met Your Mother has been an improvement over last season. It feels like the writers have gone back to being continuity-conscious and focusing more on larger story arcs instead of simple one-episode plots. “The Mermaid Theory,” while not LOL funny, structurally felt like vintage HIMYM. Continue Reading