Super TV Review! (MAJOR SPOILERS!)
New TV season means a mess of TV reviews (just because). Reviewed are six episodes of Battlestar Galactica, three episodes of Doctor Who and the latest episodes of TMNT: Fast Forward, South Park, Legion of Superheroes, The Batman, Veronica Mars and Prison Break! Kalu Kalay!
Battlestar Galactica "Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down"
Are we at the point in this series where we have lame movie parody titles?
I didn't like this episode simply because Mrs. Tigh is SO unlikable. I couldn't stand a second of her anytime she was on-screen. I was SO hoping she'd be discovered to be a Cylon but Baltar is seriously losing it. Why hasn't he told anyone about Sharon? **1/2.
Battlestar Galactica "The Hand of God"
This was a pretty exciting episode. I like that the Galactica got in another decisive win even if a few pilots were killed. I REALLY want to know if Baltar's a good guy or a bad guy. I really like the idea that he and Roslin each think of themselves as the legendary leaders from the prophecy. My money's on Roslin at this point although a curveball wouldn't shock me. ****.
Battlestar Galactica "Colonial Day"
I have absolutely no clue where Tom Zarek got the votes he needed for a vice presidential nod but I trust him so little I actually am glad that Baltar won. Great cliffhanger with Helo discovering Sharon was a Cylon too. ****.
Battlestar Galactica "Kobol's Last Gleaming Part 1"
Lots of good stuff in this episode. Baltar's scene with Boomer was touching but I WAS kinda bummed she screwed up her suicide attempt. Starbuck still annoys me. Even though I think Roslin IS the one in the prophecy I still think what she tried to do was risky. Good episode. ****.
Battlestar Galactica "Kobol's Last Gleaming Part 2" What a cliffhanger! I should have seen Sharon shooting Adama coming but it was still a shock. I also love Lee standing up for Roslin because even if what she did WAS kind of foolish I hardly think she should have been arrested for it. I was wondering exactly what it was Six showed Baltar. Fantastic episode! *****.
Battlestar Galactica "Scattered"
The scenes with the cheif on Kobol fighting the Cylons were great. I am a little bit confused about Boomer though (the one who shot Adama). After she shot him she seemed confused and didn't know what happened but when Tigh interrogated her in the brig she was clearly acting like a Cylon. I want to know if she is fully over on the Cylons' side or is kind of brainwashed.
Speaking of Sharon I wonder what will happen if and when Helo and Starbuck find out that Boomer shot Adama and how that will effect Helo's view of his Sharon. I WANT to believe she betrayed the Cylons but a huge part of me thinks that Cylons are incapable of breaking from their programs.
As for the revelation of Baltar and Six's imaginary baby I was REALLY disappointed that this was all a dream. Kind of a rip-off if you ask me. Still, good episode. ****1/2.
Doctor Who "The Christmas Invasion"
I like David Tennant as the new Doctor but this season is REALLY confusing me about where the character's priorities are placed. The episode was tense from start to finish and I had no idea how they were going to get out of it. However after the Doctor negotiated peace I STILL completely understood why Harriet destroyed the alien ship. It might not have been what I would have done but it certainly wasn't unreasonable. The aliens had killed quite a few humans and had hijacked a third of the population (having the hypnotized being chosen by blood type was a brilliant idea) and could have come back with re-enforcements. Why then, does the Doctor act as if Harriet just slaughtered an orphanage? And why does he try to drive her insane? She was a good guy in her previous appearance and was on the right side all throughout the episode until the end. Why did the producer's decide to make her a villian?
Still, this was a REALLY fun episode and a great concept. ****.
Doctor Who "New Earth"
I find Cassandra VERY funny and I liked how she reformed at the end of the episode. I also really liked how her life came full circle in the end. I REALLY want to know what that dying alien's secret is. Hopefully we'll learn in his next appearance. Also nobody does infected zombies like this show. Creepy beyond belief. ****.
Doctor Who "Tooth and Claw"
The episode was okay and I like that they are setting up Torchwood but the entire episode was kind of bland. Werewolves are exciting but I was still kind of bored with this episode. And again, I didn't understand the character's motivation. Why on Earth did Queen Victoria declare the Doctor and Rose Persona Non Grata in England at the end of the episode after they saved her life? This seemed like another huge switch in a character's personality for little to no reason at all. ***.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fast Foward "Playtime's Over"
It's official. I was originally going to abstain my opinion on the subject until I saw more episodes but I officially don't like the new direction the show is headed in. The show used to have a good mythology and interesting characters and concepts that has been completely abandoned for doofus robots and Mary Sue kids. I wish they had just aired the fifth season this year and just cancelled the series after that. I really dislike this show now. **.
Legion of Superheros "Legacy"
Well, with a title like this I expected more but I AM intruiged about Alexis' origins. The whole "being friends with Superman and then losing all her hair" reminds me a LOT of Lex Luthor and I REALLY want to know who her ancestor's are. Man, this idea would have been SO great if this had been in DCAU continuity and Supergirl had been the one to go through this. But since I know NOTHING about THIS continuity's Lex Luthor it doesn't really matter.
Speaking of not really mattering they made a huge deal about Brainiac 5's wound but he just repaired it lickedy split in front of Superman. Oh well, that could have been really interesting.
This show STILL has potential. ***.
The Batman "Clayfaces"
I'll level with you. "Meltdown" is EASILY the most overrated episode of The Batman and possibly the most overrated episode of a DC Cartoon next to Teen Titans' "X". This episode featuring the redemption of Ethan Bennett's Clayface was a REALLY smart move and I am pretty sure that if I watch Meltdown again, I'll see it as part of the evolution of Ethan's character a la Rubberband Man on Static Shock rather than the ultimate reason for NOT having a good reason for a character turning into a villain. The Batman had been trying to make Clayface this series' Two-Face but Two-Face is both more tragic AND more believable because Harvey Dent was RIPE for going off the deep end whether had he had his accident or not. Bennett had been the victim of SO many cliched coincidences that his sudden switch to supervillaindom was just plain lame. I'm glad it looks like he'll be on the good side if and when he is released. The Bennett as a villain idea was NOT working at all so I'm glad they decided to mix it up.
Oh, and the new "evil" Clayface is lame although it almost seems as if he's supposed to be. Another lame motivation for being a villain on this show (see Man-Bat) but I'm glad Clayface 2 at least led to the possible redemption of Bennett. ***1/2.
South Park "Make Love, Not Warcraft"
Not the greatest episode in the world (seriously the South Park residents taking fiction WAAAAAYYY too seriously is old hat at this point) but the episode gets points from me for making the guy who was killing everybody's characters as vaguely disinterested in everything he was doing. Everyone was taking it so dang HARD so the idea that this guy didn't care one jot was funny.
I also like Luanne getting sprayed with Cartman's feces. And bonus points for figuring out a way to kill Kenny without actually killing him. I hate seeing Kenny killed. But this was fine by me. ***.
Veronica Mars "Welcome Wagon"
Entertainment Weekly took a unnessecarily harsh view of this episode in my opinion. Yes, the LAST show to make most of it's episodes self-contained to boost viewership was Alias and it did a crappy job at it. But for this episode it seemed more like Angel's fifth season than anything else. I liked how Veronica solved the "crime" at the beginning although I wondered why nobody else in the class had bothered to try that "method". And the new mystery is suitably creepy. I hope Veronica catches this rapist and SOON. I am SOOOO worried about Mac at this point as she is Veronica's only female friend at this point and sooner or later the writer's are gonna have to make this personal.
But what the heck kind of name is Piz anyways? And I'm still not crazy about Veronica finally hooking up with Logan either although their relationship seems to be heading for the rocks.
Speaking of rocks, Keith does. I'm bummed that Kendall was killed off (Charisma Carpenter is HOT!) but it looks as if Keith is going to be kicking as much butt as usual this year. Good start to the season. ****.
Prison Break "Buried"
I am SO bummed Tweener got killed (his going to his girlfriend's house instead of taking the deal was SO sweet). I'm also bummed that it looks like William Fichtner is a bad guy after all. That will at least make it easier to root for the cons though. I still want T-Bag dead and I'm a little bit alarmed by Sucre's sudden betrayel. I really hope Linc gets LJ back and that Micheal is able to get the money back soon. I think that at this point with Veronica dead there is absolutely NO way for Linc to clear his name at this point so his best chance is to leave the country. I'm also worried about Sarah although I'm intriuged that "Lance" is trying to protect her. He was one of the undisputed villians of the series so I want to see how this plays out. Good episode. ****.
Battlestar Galactica "Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down"
Are we at the point in this series where we have lame movie parody titles?
I didn't like this episode simply because Mrs. Tigh is SO unlikable. I couldn't stand a second of her anytime she was on-screen. I was SO hoping she'd be discovered to be a Cylon but Baltar is seriously losing it. Why hasn't he told anyone about Sharon? **1/2.
Battlestar Galactica "The Hand of God"
This was a pretty exciting episode. I like that the Galactica got in another decisive win even if a few pilots were killed. I REALLY want to know if Baltar's a good guy or a bad guy. I really like the idea that he and Roslin each think of themselves as the legendary leaders from the prophecy. My money's on Roslin at this point although a curveball wouldn't shock me. ****.
Battlestar Galactica "Colonial Day"
I have absolutely no clue where Tom Zarek got the votes he needed for a vice presidential nod but I trust him so little I actually am glad that Baltar won. Great cliffhanger with Helo discovering Sharon was a Cylon too. ****.
Battlestar Galactica "Kobol's Last Gleaming Part 1"
Lots of good stuff in this episode. Baltar's scene with Boomer was touching but I WAS kinda bummed she screwed up her suicide attempt. Starbuck still annoys me. Even though I think Roslin IS the one in the prophecy I still think what she tried to do was risky. Good episode. ****.
Battlestar Galactica "Kobol's Last Gleaming Part 2" What a cliffhanger! I should have seen Sharon shooting Adama coming but it was still a shock. I also love Lee standing up for Roslin because even if what she did WAS kind of foolish I hardly think she should have been arrested for it. I was wondering exactly what it was Six showed Baltar. Fantastic episode! *****.
Battlestar Galactica "Scattered"
The scenes with the cheif on Kobol fighting the Cylons were great. I am a little bit confused about Boomer though (the one who shot Adama). After she shot him she seemed confused and didn't know what happened but when Tigh interrogated her in the brig she was clearly acting like a Cylon. I want to know if she is fully over on the Cylons' side or is kind of brainwashed.
Speaking of Sharon I wonder what will happen if and when Helo and Starbuck find out that Boomer shot Adama and how that will effect Helo's view of his Sharon. I WANT to believe she betrayed the Cylons but a huge part of me thinks that Cylons are incapable of breaking from their programs.
As for the revelation of Baltar and Six's imaginary baby I was REALLY disappointed that this was all a dream. Kind of a rip-off if you ask me. Still, good episode. ****1/2.
Doctor Who "The Christmas Invasion"
I like David Tennant as the new Doctor but this season is REALLY confusing me about where the character's priorities are placed. The episode was tense from start to finish and I had no idea how they were going to get out of it. However after the Doctor negotiated peace I STILL completely understood why Harriet destroyed the alien ship. It might not have been what I would have done but it certainly wasn't unreasonable. The aliens had killed quite a few humans and had hijacked a third of the population (having the hypnotized being chosen by blood type was a brilliant idea) and could have come back with re-enforcements. Why then, does the Doctor act as if Harriet just slaughtered an orphanage? And why does he try to drive her insane? She was a good guy in her previous appearance and was on the right side all throughout the episode until the end. Why did the producer's decide to make her a villian?
Still, this was a REALLY fun episode and a great concept. ****.
Doctor Who "New Earth"
I find Cassandra VERY funny and I liked how she reformed at the end of the episode. I also really liked how her life came full circle in the end. I REALLY want to know what that dying alien's secret is. Hopefully we'll learn in his next appearance. Also nobody does infected zombies like this show. Creepy beyond belief. ****.
Doctor Who "Tooth and Claw"
The episode was okay and I like that they are setting up Torchwood but the entire episode was kind of bland. Werewolves are exciting but I was still kind of bored with this episode. And again, I didn't understand the character's motivation. Why on Earth did Queen Victoria declare the Doctor and Rose Persona Non Grata in England at the end of the episode after they saved her life? This seemed like another huge switch in a character's personality for little to no reason at all. ***.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fast Foward "Playtime's Over"
It's official. I was originally going to abstain my opinion on the subject until I saw more episodes but I officially don't like the new direction the show is headed in. The show used to have a good mythology and interesting characters and concepts that has been completely abandoned for doofus robots and Mary Sue kids. I wish they had just aired the fifth season this year and just cancelled the series after that. I really dislike this show now. **.
Legion of Superheros "Legacy"
Well, with a title like this I expected more but I AM intruiged about Alexis' origins. The whole "being friends with Superman and then losing all her hair" reminds me a LOT of Lex Luthor and I REALLY want to know who her ancestor's are. Man, this idea would have been SO great if this had been in DCAU continuity and Supergirl had been the one to go through this. But since I know NOTHING about THIS continuity's Lex Luthor it doesn't really matter.
Speaking of not really mattering they made a huge deal about Brainiac 5's wound but he just repaired it lickedy split in front of Superman. Oh well, that could have been really interesting.
This show STILL has potential. ***.
The Batman "Clayfaces"
I'll level with you. "Meltdown" is EASILY the most overrated episode of The Batman and possibly the most overrated episode of a DC Cartoon next to Teen Titans' "X". This episode featuring the redemption of Ethan Bennett's Clayface was a REALLY smart move and I am pretty sure that if I watch Meltdown again, I'll see it as part of the evolution of Ethan's character a la Rubberband Man on Static Shock rather than the ultimate reason for NOT having a good reason for a character turning into a villain. The Batman had been trying to make Clayface this series' Two-Face but Two-Face is both more tragic AND more believable because Harvey Dent was RIPE for going off the deep end whether had he had his accident or not. Bennett had been the victim of SO many cliched coincidences that his sudden switch to supervillaindom was just plain lame. I'm glad it looks like he'll be on the good side if and when he is released. The Bennett as a villain idea was NOT working at all so I'm glad they decided to mix it up.
Oh, and the new "evil" Clayface is lame although it almost seems as if he's supposed to be. Another lame motivation for being a villain on this show (see Man-Bat) but I'm glad Clayface 2 at least led to the possible redemption of Bennett. ***1/2.
South Park "Make Love, Not Warcraft"
Not the greatest episode in the world (seriously the South Park residents taking fiction WAAAAAYYY too seriously is old hat at this point) but the episode gets points from me for making the guy who was killing everybody's characters as vaguely disinterested in everything he was doing. Everyone was taking it so dang HARD so the idea that this guy didn't care one jot was funny.
I also like Luanne getting sprayed with Cartman's feces. And bonus points for figuring out a way to kill Kenny without actually killing him. I hate seeing Kenny killed. But this was fine by me. ***.
Veronica Mars "Welcome Wagon"
Entertainment Weekly took a unnessecarily harsh view of this episode in my opinion. Yes, the LAST show to make most of it's episodes self-contained to boost viewership was Alias and it did a crappy job at it. But for this episode it seemed more like Angel's fifth season than anything else. I liked how Veronica solved the "crime" at the beginning although I wondered why nobody else in the class had bothered to try that "method". And the new mystery is suitably creepy. I hope Veronica catches this rapist and SOON. I am SOOOO worried about Mac at this point as she is Veronica's only female friend at this point and sooner or later the writer's are gonna have to make this personal.
But what the heck kind of name is Piz anyways? And I'm still not crazy about Veronica finally hooking up with Logan either although their relationship seems to be heading for the rocks.
Speaking of rocks, Keith does. I'm bummed that Kendall was killed off (Charisma Carpenter is HOT!) but it looks as if Keith is going to be kicking as much butt as usual this year. Good start to the season. ****.
Prison Break "Buried"
I am SO bummed Tweener got killed (his going to his girlfriend's house instead of taking the deal was SO sweet). I'm also bummed that it looks like William Fichtner is a bad guy after all. That will at least make it easier to root for the cons though. I still want T-Bag dead and I'm a little bit alarmed by Sucre's sudden betrayel. I really hope Linc gets LJ back and that Micheal is able to get the money back soon. I think that at this point with Veronica dead there is absolutely NO way for Linc to clear his name at this point so his best chance is to leave the country. I'm also worried about Sarah although I'm intriuged that "Lance" is trying to protect her. He was one of the undisputed villians of the series so I want to see how this plays out. Good episode. ****.