The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Complete First Season Review (Spoilers)
Also reviews for the latest episodes of Smallville, TMNT: Back to the Sewer, The Simpsons, Family Guy, American Dad, King of the Hill and Heroes. I've decided I won't be reviewing episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars on my journal anymore just because the show is so boring I don't really have anything interesting to say about it anymore. Just be rest assured that I am keeping up with it and am still unimpressed.
The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Complete First Season
I find it highly amusing that The Sarah Jane Adventures kicks the tail feathers off it's higher profile fellow Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood. It reminds me of how great the early episodes of Krypto the Superdog were while The Batman was still sucking.
Elisabeth Sladen is HOT. I have NEVER seen an actress age quite so well as her (well maybe Florence Henderson but Sladen is WAY cooler). It's hard to believe she was the Doctor's adult Companion during the early seventies. She looks fantastic and has an infectious energy that makes the show a lot of fun.
I love how the show manages to sneak in taboo cameos from the OTHER best Doctor Companion, K-9 just to thrill the audience. The set-up of the show is quite clever and I LOVE Mr. Smith and Sarah Jane's sonic lipstick. Maria is an appealing young herione and if I'm not quite so fond of Sarah's adopted son Luke, at least he isn't obnoxious and fits in well with the rest of the cast.
By the way, if you've only seen these shows over the air in the U.S., buy the DVDs because they actually have the teasers in them (which the Sci-Fi Channel cut out). This is the first time I've seen these episodes whole and it was cool seeing how they set up stuff in the episode that oftentimes just seemed random when the episode aired on Sci-Fi. For instance actually SEEING Sarah Jane taking that picture with Maria and Alan and the Gang hits the point home better for the audience of what exactly Sarah Jane meant to this group of people in Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?.
Best episodes of the first season are the two parters that ended the season, Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane? and The Lost Boy. Worst episodes are the somewhat weak premiere Invasion of the Bane (which is STILL great compared to most of the first two seasons of Torchwood) and the two parter that wasn't that interesting to me, Warriors of Kudlak. Season overall: ****.
Invasion of the Bane: This premiere does a lot of things right including a reassuring K-9 cameo and introducing Maria and her family and the strange Luke. However Bubbleshock is kind of an annoying concept. Of course it's nowhere NEAR as annoying as Kelsey who I believe was originally supposed to be a regular on this show. I cringed every time this shrewish teenager was on-screen and like a LOT of obnoxious Who-niverse characters grinds the action to a screeching halt every time they completely interrupt the story to completely belittle the main characters. We ALREADY like Sarah Jane. What good does it do the show to have a new character we've never even heard of completely insult her and say she's crazy? VERY serious miscalculation on the show's part for the first episode but at least the producers were smart enough to replace her with the much more appealing Clyde for the remainder of the season. ***.
Revenge of the Slitheen: Part 1: I love the Slitheen. I love their farting human costumes and just how ridiculous they looked unmasked. They were the perfert villains for the first time the show delved into the Doctor's stable of rogues and seem to fit in much better with this show's sensibilities. I also really like Clyde. I just wish the episode itself had been better put together. ***1/2.
Revenge of the Slitheen: Part 2: The conclusion is basically the cast running around chased by people in rubber suits. So, if it's not exactly the most rewarding episode ever at least it's a pleasant call-back to the Doctor Who of the seventies. ***1/2.
Eye of the Gorgon: Part 1: I love the idea of evil nuns and the abby where this episode takes place is gorgeous. Great cliffhanger too. ***1/2.
Eye of the Gorgon: Part 2: I LOVED Maria throwing a tantrum at Sarah Jane after Alan was turned to stone. Very realistic and heart-breaking. Clyde and Luke got some cool scenes too. ***1/2.
Warriors of Kudlak: Part 1: The concept of this episode struck me as too similar to the Bubbleshock one. Besides, I thought Laser Tag was the big craze during the eighties unless it's made a huge come-back overseas that I'm not aware of. **1/2.
Warriors of Kudlak: Part 2: Better than Part One because the end is kind of a cool "Star Trek" twist that you don't see coming. ***.
Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?: Part 1: Best. Episode. EVER! And we haven't even gotten to the awesome conclusion. Wild and wonderful. *****.
Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?: Part 2: Smart idea to throw Alan into the mix. I especially like that the Trickster threatened to mess up THE DOCTOR because that hit Sarah Jane where she lived. Perfect. *****.
The Lost Boy: Part 1: This is really cool and it was a great idea to bust apart the "Smith" family just when it was starting to gel. I love that the Slitheen return and that Mr. Smith was the Big Bad all along. Excellent. ****1/2.
The Lost Boy: Part 2: Even better than Part One. The look on Sarah Jane's face when she realizes Mr. Smith has betrayed her is devastatinng. I also loved the unpredictable twists of the gang joining forces with the Slitheen and K-9 saving the day. I love this show. *****.
Audio Adventures Extracts:
The Thirteenth Stone: This was pretty good but I liked the second one better. I need to check these out somehow. ***1/2.
The Glittering Storm: Mr Smith is such a fuss-budget. I wish I could hear the whole thing. ****.
Trailers:
CBBC Trailer #1: I liked this. Very fast paced. ****.
CBBC Trailer #2: This was cool. I love it when previews and trailers actually have the actors in character. ****1/2.
Smallville "Instinct"
Not too crazy about this show's version of Maxima. Was she a Poison Ivy style villain in the comics? About the only positive thing I can say about this episode is that Clark FINALLY got to read the love letter Chloe wrote him in season. I have been waiting FOREVER for that to happen and I'm only disappointed that it's pretty much too late. ***.
Smallville "Committed"
Smallville does torture porn.
Not bad but the only reason this Saw rip-off exists is to get Lois to admit she loves Clark. WAAAYYY too early in the Superman mythology for that. I liked the Chloe/ Jimmy stuff though. ***1/2.
The Simpsons "Double, Double, Boy in Trouble"
I would have enjoyed this episode MUCH more had Bart not been behaving like a total jackass for the first act. It's hard to sympathize with him when he basically screws over the entire town. When his life is endangered you think he has it coming. I like the Prince and the Pauper concept but they completely put it in the wrong context for Bart's behavior. **1/2.
King of the Hill "Sqaure Footed Monster"
Bob and Ray's Bob Elliot! I had completely lost track of the elder Elliot after son Chris's sitcom Get a Life went off the air in the early nineties. Good to see he's still alive and kicking. Fun episode too. I love how he solves the problem, creates a bigger one, and just as easily solves that. Awesome. ****.
Family Guy "Road to Germany"
It thought it was kind of clever that they melded a Back to the Future homage with a Brian and Stewie road trip story but it WAS kind of, umm... Well, a LOT of the jokes were in extremely bad taste. This is the first "funny" WWII Nazi story I've seen since Life Is Beautiful and any offensiveness THAT movie had was unintentional. I don't know how to put this but... I think Seth MacFarlane may be going to Hell (unsure how I feel about that). **1/2.
American Dad "One Little Word"
This episode was pretty average with Francine as usual being rightfully upset at Stan for the amount of butt-kissing he does for Bullock until the very end when it COMPLETELY subverted the sitcom conclusion to these types of stories with Stan leaving Bullock bleeding to death after getting shot. I know they didn't kill him off but I laughed because usually at the end the wife LETS the husband do this ONE last thing because it IS important but Stan just stopped caring. Perfect. ***1/2.
TMNT: Back to the Sewer "Hacking Stockman"
Excellent episode. Stockman is easily my favorite villain on this show and I love it when he teams up with the Turtles especially since he treats them with equal measures of disdain and respect. The only thing I DIDN'T like about the episode was that Donny didn't actually manage to get those five bits of Splinter but I think that was kind of the point. *****.
Heroes "Chapter Four: Heroes and Monsters"
I like that Peter was taken out of the action for a bit. It's become a chore to watch him at times.
I loved HRG's gambit with Black Hole guy and his attempt to kill Sylar. I was shocked that Claire actually "forgave" him for this but she DID look kinda shell-shocked.
If they don't retcon Hiro killing Ando in the next episode I'm going to stop watching this show.
I'm worried about Matt now and, yes, the Nightnare Man is back. ***.
The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Complete First Season
I find it highly amusing that The Sarah Jane Adventures kicks the tail feathers off it's higher profile fellow Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood. It reminds me of how great the early episodes of Krypto the Superdog were while The Batman was still sucking.
Elisabeth Sladen is HOT. I have NEVER seen an actress age quite so well as her (well maybe Florence Henderson but Sladen is WAY cooler). It's hard to believe she was the Doctor's adult Companion during the early seventies. She looks fantastic and has an infectious energy that makes the show a lot of fun.
I love how the show manages to sneak in taboo cameos from the OTHER best Doctor Companion, K-9 just to thrill the audience. The set-up of the show is quite clever and I LOVE Mr. Smith and Sarah Jane's sonic lipstick. Maria is an appealing young herione and if I'm not quite so fond of Sarah's adopted son Luke, at least he isn't obnoxious and fits in well with the rest of the cast.
By the way, if you've only seen these shows over the air in the U.S., buy the DVDs because they actually have the teasers in them (which the Sci-Fi Channel cut out). This is the first time I've seen these episodes whole and it was cool seeing how they set up stuff in the episode that oftentimes just seemed random when the episode aired on Sci-Fi. For instance actually SEEING Sarah Jane taking that picture with Maria and Alan and the Gang hits the point home better for the audience of what exactly Sarah Jane meant to this group of people in Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?.
Best episodes of the first season are the two parters that ended the season, Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane? and The Lost Boy. Worst episodes are the somewhat weak premiere Invasion of the Bane (which is STILL great compared to most of the first two seasons of Torchwood) and the two parter that wasn't that interesting to me, Warriors of Kudlak. Season overall: ****.
Invasion of the Bane: This premiere does a lot of things right including a reassuring K-9 cameo and introducing Maria and her family and the strange Luke. However Bubbleshock is kind of an annoying concept. Of course it's nowhere NEAR as annoying as Kelsey who I believe was originally supposed to be a regular on this show. I cringed every time this shrewish teenager was on-screen and like a LOT of obnoxious Who-niverse characters grinds the action to a screeching halt every time they completely interrupt the story to completely belittle the main characters. We ALREADY like Sarah Jane. What good does it do the show to have a new character we've never even heard of completely insult her and say she's crazy? VERY serious miscalculation on the show's part for the first episode but at least the producers were smart enough to replace her with the much more appealing Clyde for the remainder of the season. ***.
Revenge of the Slitheen: Part 1: I love the Slitheen. I love their farting human costumes and just how ridiculous they looked unmasked. They were the perfert villains for the first time the show delved into the Doctor's stable of rogues and seem to fit in much better with this show's sensibilities. I also really like Clyde. I just wish the episode itself had been better put together. ***1/2.
Revenge of the Slitheen: Part 2: The conclusion is basically the cast running around chased by people in rubber suits. So, if it's not exactly the most rewarding episode ever at least it's a pleasant call-back to the Doctor Who of the seventies. ***1/2.
Eye of the Gorgon: Part 1: I love the idea of evil nuns and the abby where this episode takes place is gorgeous. Great cliffhanger too. ***1/2.
Eye of the Gorgon: Part 2: I LOVED Maria throwing a tantrum at Sarah Jane after Alan was turned to stone. Very realistic and heart-breaking. Clyde and Luke got some cool scenes too. ***1/2.
Warriors of Kudlak: Part 1: The concept of this episode struck me as too similar to the Bubbleshock one. Besides, I thought Laser Tag was the big craze during the eighties unless it's made a huge come-back overseas that I'm not aware of. **1/2.
Warriors of Kudlak: Part 2: Better than Part One because the end is kind of a cool "Star Trek" twist that you don't see coming. ***.
Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?: Part 1: Best. Episode. EVER! And we haven't even gotten to the awesome conclusion. Wild and wonderful. *****.
Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?: Part 2: Smart idea to throw Alan into the mix. I especially like that the Trickster threatened to mess up THE DOCTOR because that hit Sarah Jane where she lived. Perfect. *****.
The Lost Boy: Part 1: This is really cool and it was a great idea to bust apart the "Smith" family just when it was starting to gel. I love that the Slitheen return and that Mr. Smith was the Big Bad all along. Excellent. ****1/2.
The Lost Boy: Part 2: Even better than Part One. The look on Sarah Jane's face when she realizes Mr. Smith has betrayed her is devastatinng. I also loved the unpredictable twists of the gang joining forces with the Slitheen and K-9 saving the day. I love this show. *****.
Audio Adventures Extracts:
The Thirteenth Stone: This was pretty good but I liked the second one better. I need to check these out somehow. ***1/2.
The Glittering Storm: Mr Smith is such a fuss-budget. I wish I could hear the whole thing. ****.
Trailers:
CBBC Trailer #1: I liked this. Very fast paced. ****.
CBBC Trailer #2: This was cool. I love it when previews and trailers actually have the actors in character. ****1/2.
Smallville "Instinct"
Not too crazy about this show's version of Maxima. Was she a Poison Ivy style villain in the comics? About the only positive thing I can say about this episode is that Clark FINALLY got to read the love letter Chloe wrote him in season. I have been waiting FOREVER for that to happen and I'm only disappointed that it's pretty much too late. ***.
Smallville "Committed"
Smallville does torture porn.
Not bad but the only reason this Saw rip-off exists is to get Lois to admit she loves Clark. WAAAYYY too early in the Superman mythology for that. I liked the Chloe/ Jimmy stuff though. ***1/2.
The Simpsons "Double, Double, Boy in Trouble"
I would have enjoyed this episode MUCH more had Bart not been behaving like a total jackass for the first act. It's hard to sympathize with him when he basically screws over the entire town. When his life is endangered you think he has it coming. I like the Prince and the Pauper concept but they completely put it in the wrong context for Bart's behavior. **1/2.
King of the Hill "Sqaure Footed Monster"
Bob and Ray's Bob Elliot! I had completely lost track of the elder Elliot after son Chris's sitcom Get a Life went off the air in the early nineties. Good to see he's still alive and kicking. Fun episode too. I love how he solves the problem, creates a bigger one, and just as easily solves that. Awesome. ****.
Family Guy "Road to Germany"
It thought it was kind of clever that they melded a Back to the Future homage with a Brian and Stewie road trip story but it WAS kind of, umm... Well, a LOT of the jokes were in extremely bad taste. This is the first "funny" WWII Nazi story I've seen since Life Is Beautiful and any offensiveness THAT movie had was unintentional. I don't know how to put this but... I think Seth MacFarlane may be going to Hell (unsure how I feel about that). **1/2.
American Dad "One Little Word"
This episode was pretty average with Francine as usual being rightfully upset at Stan for the amount of butt-kissing he does for Bullock until the very end when it COMPLETELY subverted the sitcom conclusion to these types of stories with Stan leaving Bullock bleeding to death after getting shot. I know they didn't kill him off but I laughed because usually at the end the wife LETS the husband do this ONE last thing because it IS important but Stan just stopped caring. Perfect. ***1/2.
TMNT: Back to the Sewer "Hacking Stockman"
Excellent episode. Stockman is easily my favorite villain on this show and I love it when he teams up with the Turtles especially since he treats them with equal measures of disdain and respect. The only thing I DIDN'T like about the episode was that Donny didn't actually manage to get those five bits of Splinter but I think that was kind of the point. *****.
Heroes "Chapter Four: Heroes and Monsters"
I like that Peter was taken out of the action for a bit. It's become a chore to watch him at times.
I loved HRG's gambit with Black Hole guy and his attempt to kill Sylar. I was shocked that Claire actually "forgave" him for this but she DID look kinda shell-shocked.
If they don't retcon Hiro killing Ando in the next episode I'm going to stop watching this show.
I'm worried about Matt now and, yes, the Nightnare Man is back. ***.