The Event, Chase, Glee, Sons of Anarchy, and more SV Thoughts
I'm not sure how to do that mutiple cuts thingie for each show (one day, I might not be a LJ moron anymore). So, I'm just going to put all my thoughts under a cut. Starting off with something I wrote about the SV ep Lazarus, with references to last seasons finale, Salvation. Just to elaborate on a big issue I had with the episode.
OK, lets start off with more Smallville thoughts. I wrote this post (slightly modified here) on K-Site in a thread that was talking about whether Clark has actually shown too much pride and vanity, and whether his actions in Salvation were rightly condemned by Asswipe Jor-El.
Here's what I said...
But, I think whats being lost here is why Clark made the choices he made last season. Its not as if leading the Kandorians to another world, or taking a knife to the gut were his first choices. Its not even like the latter was something he could plan at all. Clark was doing the very best he could with the circumstances at hand. The reality was that Clark needed to find a way to get the Kandorians to someplace else. And the BoR only worked one way, or so he was told (I'm sure there will be a whole list of things Clark wasn't told about the BoR, and somehow, that will be his fault too). What were the other options here? Trying to fight them all? If he had, wasn't there a good chance of dying that way too? And if he had died in the battle, what would be the circumstances that Earth would be left in then?
I absolutely HATE when this show creates a scenario where there is no perfect answer, and Clark does the very best he can do in the situation, and somehow something shows up to slap him in the head and tell him how wrong and stupid he was. I don't understand how thats good writing, or storytelling, or even entertaining. I really don't. 9 years of this stuff, and I find it exhausting and defeating and downright depressing. Its this writing, more then anything else, that explains why I have lost faith in this show overall.
As for taking the knife in the gut, well, again, this was a desperate measure. Clark did not have time to plan for the Blue K knife contingency. He knew he might not win that fight with Zod. He was injured and pushed to the edge of a building. Zod was making it clear, in detail, what he would do if he stayed on Earth. Clark did the HEROIC thing. And Jor-El can just bite my ass in his attempts to make it something other then that.
Clark didn't set out to martyr himself. He was trying to do the best he could to save Earth. If he could do that and stick around, I'm sure that would've been his FIRST choice. It is what he wanted. But when it came right down to it, and with time being of the essence, he made the very best choice he could in the time frame he had, with the information he had, and with Earths best interests in his heart.
I resent the heck out of the writers for this show, via Jor-El, insinuating otherwise. It bums me out that they took such a wonderful and heroic episode for Clark and decided to spit on it one episode later.
OK, now onto The Event
I think the show is decent, but those time shifts are going to have to go. They are confusing, distracting, and sort of dumb. I do like that the show came right out and told us that we have aliens among us, and all. Also, I think the way you build successful shows like this is to build characters who are successful. I appreciate them wanting to get right into the action, but if we don't care about the characters, and their relationships, then it doesn't really matter what the action is. I am very on the fence with this show right now. Its got 1 or 2 more episodes to really prove to me its worth sticking with.
Chase
I know this show isn't going to survive, and its too bad, because I enjoy it. Its certainly not the best show, and the writing is not great. But I think watching the good guys chase a fugitive for an hour is sort of fun, high action entertainment. And I really like the actors involved in this, and unlike The Event, I find I'm already starting to care about them as individuals. And its a shame the show won't live long enough to expore it, but show lead, Kelly Giddish, and Cole Hauser (who plays her long time partner and friend) have some pretty smouldering chemistry there. I think it could be a great, developing relationship if the show lived that long.
And note to TV critics at large....the more you tried to shove Lone Star down peoples throats, the more I think people just didn't bother. You really can't try to sell a show by telling people they were stupid if they didn't watch it.
Glee
This episode started out GREAT! Heather Morris was on fire, and DAMN! that girl can bust a move. The glee club wanting to do Brittny, and Mr Shue being resistant also started off as cute, and an interesting clash of the generations. The Brittney/Santana duet was smoking hot, and just proved once again what a terrific voice Naya Rivera has. John Stamos was very fun, and I think he'll be a very welcome, recurring character (and who can blame Emma for choosing him? I would too!). Then the episode just fell apart.
Once again, we had to make sure we shoved Rachel/Lea Michele into the spotlight (totally unnecessary since she was going to be getting another show ending big solo). How much more interesting would it have been if the "One More Time" solo had gone to Mercedes, or Tina, or Quinn? And what is with Rachel suddenly dressing as a naughty schoolgirl, and the whole male population falling at her feet? I thought Rachel's unpopularity was based on far more then just her odd dressing habits. Again, that whole thing just feels like this show is a vanity project for Lea Michele. I don't mind the realistic conflicts in the Rachel/Finn relationship. I just don't believe it was blended into this episode well at all. And to make matters worse, Mr Shue was just acting like an asshole. Him performing a sexually charged number with the glee club was just....disturbing. Sue had some great lines, but she just seemed a bit insane in this episode. And while it was great to see Artie get a solo, that whole scene just felt very flat. Not to mention the unbelievable stupidity of Artie on the football team (and why would Tina care about that again!). And Quinn continues to be more a interesting character with only 1 scene of note then Rachel is with whole episodes devoted to her. Could I picture Rachel doing what Quinn did in this episode, and putting herself out there for rejection just to reassure someone she didn't even like? No, I really couldn't. And thats why Quinn interests me more then Rachel. Sadly, I think Dianna Agron is always going to get pushed off to the side.
The writing for this show continues to be a huge liability. And aside from the Brittany and Santana numbers, I thought the use of Brittny Spears just felt really gratuitous.
Sons of Anarchy
Ah, I can't understand what the Irish people are saying. And Titus Welliver, who I LOVE, does not do a great Irish accent. It sounds a bit like the Lucky Charms elf. As for the storyline, I'm hanging in, but the overall storyline for this season is just a bit of a task for me. I guess I would prefer the show concentrate on the goings on in Charming. As it is now, the show is all over the place, and feels like there is a lack of cohesion. The stuff with Gemma and her father was very heartwrenching, and it finally felt like they used Hal Holbrook to his potential. I loved the fight between Jax and Tara, as I think the deepseated resentment Jax is feeling towards Tara is starting to manifest. I also think that the Tara that Jax fell in love with was the Tara that wasn't such a part of his world. Personally, I think Tara has morphed into a very unrecognizable character. And BTW, is Maggie Siff pregnant? Because she really looks pregnant. The side story with the drug lady felt a bit random. And Tig gets the line of the night with "You two are killing me."
So, I'm in it for the duration, but this season isn't going to rate as highly for me as the last 2.: