'The only sound I hear, the only sound in the entire world is my heart beating'.
The missing reviews from earlier this week might yet pop up tomorrow. Or they might not. Depends on my muse.
'Dexter' 1x07 - 'Circle of Friends'
An another win. I wasn't as wildly delighted as last week, but, it was still a very good piece of television. It's quite clear now that the show keeps a steady course and I'll be actually surprised if it ever dishes me substandard goods.
Worth mentioning:
- Dexter doing a murder reenactment with quite a relish and Doakes' 'I swear to God, Morgan, after this case I'm submitting your ass for a psychiatric evaluation'.
- Masuka rocks. I love this little loony. Here we learn that he's a fan of stuffed animal-bizarros and the reaction? Deb: 'Can I have permission to run Masuka's prints as the Ice Truck Killer?', Masuka: 'No need for that. I'll give you some warm DNA right now', Deb: 'Oh god. You're gross. I didn't hear that', Masuka: *half-demented giggle*. Priceless.
- Deb visibly miffed at Dexter that he keeps torpedoing her work and then her understandable smugness when it appears that it's her who might turn out to be a victor this time.
- Dexter's denial that his serial-killer mentor might just be some crazy, pathetic, attention-seeking, trailer-inhabiting loser (who btw is no one else but Crashdown of the BSG fame, just creepified beyond all limits), and then his growing disappointment that it really seems to be the case.
- I like the way they play Deb and Doakes together. THese two have a lovely chemistry going on between them. I know there's this doctor guy in the picture now, but I doubt anything constuctive is going to come out of it. Besides he gives away some pretty alarming vibes, so I suspect this thing will end up downright ugly. And Doakes is still going to be there.
- Both scenes with Dexter and Jeremy. Powerfully intense. The first one in the park, when Jeremy takes Dexter for a regular trick, Dexter looks ominous as hell in that hoodie and, then, he only narrowly escapes when Doakes' team suddenly snags Jeremy; and the second in the interrogation room, when it's the first time we see Dexter that earnest and that open with anyone other than his father, because with Jeremy he doesn't have to pretend. And that moment when he suddenly smacks at the table made me flinch with its sheer awesomeness.
- Dexter's confrontation with Rita's ex-husband, where the ex tries to bully his way into Rita's house and Dexter coolly blows him off.
- The captain screwing Laguerta over and brazenly stealing her thunder. I'm happy he's going to pay for that, though, when it comes clear that the thunder was a fake.
- Dexter's slow, satisfied smile that his dreams wouldn't get shattered after all and the greatest adventure of his life is still far from being over.
'Supernatural' 2x08 - 'Crossroad Blues'
I was cautious before that one. The promos didn't bode well. They featured Angst. Dean Angst specifically, though that's no surprise, because that about the only kind we've been getting lately. And the capital A is not accidental, and it was just that capital A that made me nervous. I love this show to pieces, but I'm aware of its many faults and the major one is that, when it comes to character drama, subtlety isn't its strongest suit. So, yeah, I awaited 'Crossroad Blues' with uneasiness, rather than excited anticipation (unlike the next episode, which I'm positively psyched about).
Thus my surprise when, after actually watching it, I'm considering calling it the best episode of season 2 so far. There was angst, sure, quite a hefty doze, but it was done beautifully. I tell you, people, beautifully.
Dean still tries to cope with the fact that his father not only died but very likely forfeited his soul to save him. He's still raw about it, and probably always will be. The burden, the responsibility weighs heavily on him, and he genuinely believes that giving his own life so that his fathers will be returned would be a fair deal, if only it didn't involved demon involvement and bargaining with a creature, whose kind he despises the most.
He didn't make the deal with the Demon Lady, no matter how badly he wanted to have his father back. Partly because he thinks it's wrong in the very principle, partly because he knows, and he tells so to the man they were trying to save, that it would be selfish, that he would be doing it only for himself, because it hurts to live without someone he loved so much and he wants the pain to stop.
The squee-moments:
- The opening sequence with Robert Johnson playing his nifty blues tunes in some bar and, later, him striking a bargain with the Demon Lady - two beautifully arranged scenes.
- I'll say that's a mightily good mug-shot Saint Louis police got of Dean. He looks wildly hot there.
- Dean claiming that Sam is jealous because it was just Dean who made it to the Feds' database and, then, 'What have you got on the case there, you innocent harmless young man, you?'
- Ok, I don't love Dean's 'black dog leg-humping' type of jokes, but I totally love it that he's the kind of guy who makes them.
- 'Myspace. What the hell is that? Seriously, is that like, some sort of porn site?' Dean might be an expert on mullet rock classics and obscure B-movies, but he has no idea what MySpace is. And of course he thinks it might be porn-related, it's on the Internet and I'm sure he thinks Internet consists purely of on-line local papers and porn. So fitting. So hilarious.
- Dean's geeky excitement over Robert Johnson and visible distaste that Sam blithely has no idea what he's raving about.
- The whole kicking-down-doors extravaganza Dean flaunts here, and Sam's 'stop with the action-hero dramatics already' approach, where he catches Dean mid-swing and goes for the door-handle the standard way.
The, perhaps not squee-inducing, but still damn good bits:
- The artist, resigned to his fate and ready to pay the price for what he did all those years ago. Also, how he wasted his deal by asking for talent, not for fame. And I think his paintings were neat.
- Dean bargaining with the Demon Lady (who was very cool, actually) - very tightly written and magnificently played by Jensen Ackles. It was so good, that I really didn't care that Dean's scheme was visible from a mile away (also, I suspect that, with this level of transparency, Kripke didn't care either).
The only things that I could possibly grumble about (but I won't, really, because I'm way too happy right now to do that) is that Sam didn't have that much to do in the second part of the episode, and that there really wasn't any reason for the demon to pull that swarm-escape move at the end - it would be way cooler if she just walked way and disappeared in the distance.
Oh, and the twisty-faces scenes? Freaky. That's not a complaint, it sure worked on me, I just hate seeing them onscreen because they do bad things to my brain.
Now I'm all eager for 'Croatan' next week. The promo was mind-blowing.
'Grey's Anatomy' 3x08 - 'Staring at the Sun'
It really wasn't a bad episode. It was just completely unertertaining. There wasn't any storyline there that could be considered fun. And there was no quotable snark. I expect better.
George's family rocked in the Thanksgiving episode last year, but here they were pretty blah. And Callie getting An O'Malley Woman Seal of Approval was a very clichéd twist.
I somehow missed the moment where George discovers for sure that Callie slept with Sloane (btw, I don't know if I already mentioned it somewhere or not, but, even if I did, it bears repeating: Calliope is a kick-ass name). Or perhaps he just took Alex seriously? Stranger things happened.
So Alex still wants to get into plastics? I already made him an ob-gyn in my mind. And I liked this image.
I don't want Alex/Izzie. I protest. They look pretty together, I admit that, but no, I don't like Izzie enough to grant her Alex. He's too good for her.
The best plotline there - mind you, it was good, not fun - was the Cristina/Burke/George drama, especially Cristina denying and denying and still trying to somehow cover up Burke's situation, even though it gets harder with every moment. She knows she already dug both herself and Burke in too deep, but she keeps going because she just isn't ready for any other option.
The only scene that somewhat approached a glee-moment was the 'Addison and Callie bonding, take 2' part, this time with Bailey thrown into the mix. I really wish we will get plenty other takes in the future. These two (three) are just great together.
'Shark' 1x08 - 'Love Triangle'
The story was good and the twists interesting (I really didn't see the one with the victim and the suspected killer being lesbians together coming). I just had trouble buying the fact that all this drama was happening to sixteen-year-olds. I really don't remember the high-school years being like that. I didn't have any significant crushes till I was 19 and even that was a half-hearted one, with no grand emotions included. Which might be a reason why I never had any patience for teen melodramas.
The ex-detective Isaac is one fine man, and, while his flirting with Reina is pretty obvious and a very unsurprising choice, I think they look good together so I'm not going to complain too much. And I liked Madeline probing Reina about him and Reina's first reaction (quite understandably, actually) being the assumption that Madeline wants to get her claws into him herself. And, Reina: 'Do you plan to sleep with everyone in the office before Christmas?', Madeline: 'Is that an invitation?'. Hee. But no, Madeline, you just do on sleeping with Casey. I'm rooting for you two.
Thomas Dekker seems to be ubiquitous lately. In the span of a year he popped up in three of my tv shows. He's like a younger Jeffrey Dean Morgan, only much less hot and much less awesome.
Julie really gets on my nerves. I do realize that Stark having a daughter adds some interesting layers to his character, so, yes, her being on the show actually makes sense. It doesn't stop her from being annoying, though. Pity.
.
'Dexter' 1x07 - 'Circle of Friends'
An another win. I wasn't as wildly delighted as last week, but, it was still a very good piece of television. It's quite clear now that the show keeps a steady course and I'll be actually surprised if it ever dishes me substandard goods.
Worth mentioning:
- Dexter doing a murder reenactment with quite a relish and Doakes' 'I swear to God, Morgan, after this case I'm submitting your ass for a psychiatric evaluation'.
- Masuka rocks. I love this little loony. Here we learn that he's a fan of stuffed animal-bizarros and the reaction? Deb: 'Can I have permission to run Masuka's prints as the Ice Truck Killer?', Masuka: 'No need for that. I'll give you some warm DNA right now', Deb: 'Oh god. You're gross. I didn't hear that', Masuka: *half-demented giggle*. Priceless.
- Deb visibly miffed at Dexter that he keeps torpedoing her work and then her understandable smugness when it appears that it's her who might turn out to be a victor this time.
- Dexter's denial that his serial-killer mentor might just be some crazy, pathetic, attention-seeking, trailer-inhabiting loser (who btw is no one else but Crashdown of the BSG fame, just creepified beyond all limits), and then his growing disappointment that it really seems to be the case.
- I like the way they play Deb and Doakes together. THese two have a lovely chemistry going on between them. I know there's this doctor guy in the picture now, but I doubt anything constuctive is going to come out of it. Besides he gives away some pretty alarming vibes, so I suspect this thing will end up downright ugly. And Doakes is still going to be there.
- Both scenes with Dexter and Jeremy. Powerfully intense. The first one in the park, when Jeremy takes Dexter for a regular trick, Dexter looks ominous as hell in that hoodie and, then, he only narrowly escapes when Doakes' team suddenly snags Jeremy; and the second in the interrogation room, when it's the first time we see Dexter that earnest and that open with anyone other than his father, because with Jeremy he doesn't have to pretend. And that moment when he suddenly smacks at the table made me flinch with its sheer awesomeness.
- Dexter's confrontation with Rita's ex-husband, where the ex tries to bully his way into Rita's house and Dexter coolly blows him off.
- The captain screwing Laguerta over and brazenly stealing her thunder. I'm happy he's going to pay for that, though, when it comes clear that the thunder was a fake.
- Dexter's slow, satisfied smile that his dreams wouldn't get shattered after all and the greatest adventure of his life is still far from being over.
'Supernatural' 2x08 - 'Crossroad Blues'
I was cautious before that one. The promos didn't bode well. They featured Angst. Dean Angst specifically, though that's no surprise, because that about the only kind we've been getting lately. And the capital A is not accidental, and it was just that capital A that made me nervous. I love this show to pieces, but I'm aware of its many faults and the major one is that, when it comes to character drama, subtlety isn't its strongest suit. So, yeah, I awaited 'Crossroad Blues' with uneasiness, rather than excited anticipation (unlike the next episode, which I'm positively psyched about).
Thus my surprise when, after actually watching it, I'm considering calling it the best episode of season 2 so far. There was angst, sure, quite a hefty doze, but it was done beautifully. I tell you, people, beautifully.
Dean still tries to cope with the fact that his father not only died but very likely forfeited his soul to save him. He's still raw about it, and probably always will be. The burden, the responsibility weighs heavily on him, and he genuinely believes that giving his own life so that his fathers will be returned would be a fair deal, if only it didn't involved demon involvement and bargaining with a creature, whose kind he despises the most.
He didn't make the deal with the Demon Lady, no matter how badly he wanted to have his father back. Partly because he thinks it's wrong in the very principle, partly because he knows, and he tells so to the man they were trying to save, that it would be selfish, that he would be doing it only for himself, because it hurts to live without someone he loved so much and he wants the pain to stop.
The squee-moments:
- The opening sequence with Robert Johnson playing his nifty blues tunes in some bar and, later, him striking a bargain with the Demon Lady - two beautifully arranged scenes.
- I'll say that's a mightily good mug-shot Saint Louis police got of Dean. He looks wildly hot there.
- Dean claiming that Sam is jealous because it was just Dean who made it to the Feds' database and, then, 'What have you got on the case there, you innocent harmless young man, you?'
- Ok, I don't love Dean's 'black dog leg-humping' type of jokes, but I totally love it that he's the kind of guy who makes them.
- 'Myspace. What the hell is that? Seriously, is that like, some sort of porn site?' Dean might be an expert on mullet rock classics and obscure B-movies, but he has no idea what MySpace is. And of course he thinks it might be porn-related, it's on the Internet and I'm sure he thinks Internet consists purely of on-line local papers and porn. So fitting. So hilarious.
- Dean's geeky excitement over Robert Johnson and visible distaste that Sam blithely has no idea what he's raving about.
- The whole kicking-down-doors extravaganza Dean flaunts here, and Sam's 'stop with the action-hero dramatics already' approach, where he catches Dean mid-swing and goes for the door-handle the standard way.
The, perhaps not squee-inducing, but still damn good bits:
- The artist, resigned to his fate and ready to pay the price for what he did all those years ago. Also, how he wasted his deal by asking for talent, not for fame. And I think his paintings were neat.
- Dean bargaining with the Demon Lady (who was very cool, actually) - very tightly written and magnificently played by Jensen Ackles. It was so good, that I really didn't care that Dean's scheme was visible from a mile away (also, I suspect that, with this level of transparency, Kripke didn't care either).
The only things that I could possibly grumble about (but I won't, really, because I'm way too happy right now to do that) is that Sam didn't have that much to do in the second part of the episode, and that there really wasn't any reason for the demon to pull that swarm-escape move at the end - it would be way cooler if she just walked way and disappeared in the distance.
Oh, and the twisty-faces scenes? Freaky. That's not a complaint, it sure worked on me, I just hate seeing them onscreen because they do bad things to my brain.
Now I'm all eager for 'Croatan' next week. The promo was mind-blowing.
'Grey's Anatomy' 3x08 - 'Staring at the Sun'
It really wasn't a bad episode. It was just completely unertertaining. There wasn't any storyline there that could be considered fun. And there was no quotable snark. I expect better.
George's family rocked in the Thanksgiving episode last year, but here they were pretty blah. And Callie getting An O'Malley Woman Seal of Approval was a very clichéd twist.
I somehow missed the moment where George discovers for sure that Callie slept with Sloane (btw, I don't know if I already mentioned it somewhere or not, but, even if I did, it bears repeating: Calliope is a kick-ass name). Or perhaps he just took Alex seriously? Stranger things happened.
So Alex still wants to get into plastics? I already made him an ob-gyn in my mind. And I liked this image.
I don't want Alex/Izzie. I protest. They look pretty together, I admit that, but no, I don't like Izzie enough to grant her Alex. He's too good for her.
The best plotline there - mind you, it was good, not fun - was the Cristina/Burke/George drama, especially Cristina denying and denying and still trying to somehow cover up Burke's situation, even though it gets harder with every moment. She knows she already dug both herself and Burke in too deep, but she keeps going because she just isn't ready for any other option.
The only scene that somewhat approached a glee-moment was the 'Addison and Callie bonding, take 2' part, this time with Bailey thrown into the mix. I really wish we will get plenty other takes in the future. These two (three) are just great together.
'Shark' 1x08 - 'Love Triangle'
The story was good and the twists interesting (I really didn't see the one with the victim and the suspected killer being lesbians together coming). I just had trouble buying the fact that all this drama was happening to sixteen-year-olds. I really don't remember the high-school years being like that. I didn't have any significant crushes till I was 19 and even that was a half-hearted one, with no grand emotions included. Which might be a reason why I never had any patience for teen melodramas.
The ex-detective Isaac is one fine man, and, while his flirting with Reina is pretty obvious and a very unsurprising choice, I think they look good together so I'm not going to complain too much. And I liked Madeline probing Reina about him and Reina's first reaction (quite understandably, actually) being the assumption that Madeline wants to get her claws into him herself. And, Reina: 'Do you plan to sleep with everyone in the office before Christmas?', Madeline: 'Is that an invitation?'. Hee. But no, Madeline, you just do on sleeping with Casey. I'm rooting for you two.
Thomas Dekker seems to be ubiquitous lately. In the span of a year he popped up in three of my tv shows. He's like a younger Jeffrey Dean Morgan, only much less hot and much less awesome.
Julie really gets on my nerves. I do realize that Stark having a daughter adds some interesting layers to his character, so, yes, her being on the show actually makes sense. It doesn't stop her from being annoying, though. Pity.
.