Mad Men - S03E08 - Souvenir

Another fantastic episode. Pete acting childish, and Don and Betty taking a break from the domestic space to remember just how terrible everyday life is. Sopranos director of photography turned director Phil Abraham turns in another controlled and beautiful episode.

I find Pete absolutely fascinating, especially when we see him outside the office. Pete is at home during the summer while Trudy is away. The mother/son Trudy and Pete have has always been evident to me, especially in the way she treats him like a child, and obviously in the way he has consistently acted like a child. However, in this episode it occurred to me just how much of a willing doormat Trudy is to Pete, and how much he needs her. I had never really thought of it like that before. Pete was clearly bored and didn't know what to do with himself while Trudy was away. When he ran into the German nanny I don't think he was trying to blackmail her into having sex with him. I believe, to begin with, he was genuinely trying to help her. That, and trying to fulfill a strong manly role that he usually doesn't - probably because it was easy to solve this time. Of course, what eventuated was absolutely wrong and Pete is horrible for doing it. I think that is quite characteristic of Pete, to not have a calculated and thought-out manipulation. It just sort of occurs to him and he chooses to proceed in an unsavory way. When Trudy returned and Pete was guilty, eventuating in him crying, we are led to believe she knows what happened while she was away. They pretend it didn't happen on the surface, but come to a resolution by the end of the episode. Pete doesn't want to be left alone and Trudy is fine with the role she plays - their relationship has actually strengthened. However, Pete still dealt with it in an extremely childish way. He never vocally admits what he did and then sort of makes it Trudy's fault by telling her she shouldn't have left him alone. He is a child and Trudy seems okay with that.

But on the other side of the episode, Don and Betty's relationship falls deeper into marital decay. Don takes a brief trip to Rome on Hilton business and Betty joins him. We see another side to Betty, as a sophisticated and cool Italian speaking woman. Out of the domestic space, we can see her potential and just what her life is doing to her character. I mean, a holiday is always a holiday - everyday life will never compare - but still, it highlights to Betty just how unhappy she is. We see this become clear when she rejects a souvenir Don gives her from Rome. It was great to see them happy for a little while, but nothing positive eventuated from it. Nothing was solved and Don doesn't seem to want to do anything about it.

Supernatural - The Complete First Season - DVD Review

Initially I passed this off as a attempt to create a WB version of The X-Files - which it actually kind of is, but it's a little better than that. However, as it often does, my telephilia drew me to a place I didn't think I would go.

Pilot-machine David Nutter directs the first episode with impressive skill, creating an awesome visual style that was the first thing that stuck out to me and still does. I would wonder why he hasn't stuck around for any more with the exception of the second episode - but the man is a pilot-machine and there will always be pilot's to make. He generally directs the first couple of a series and then moves on - with the exception of directing one of the best episodes of The Sopranos late in its run. The visual style matches that of The X-Files, with the dark wash that gives all light a white look. This really helps the issue with shooting with digital - it still has a filmic look due to its style.

Supernatural is about two brothers road tripping around America hunting evil. They stay alive with credit-card fraud and gambling, oh and also a car boot full of varying weaponry. Urban legends such as Bloody Mary and Hookman make up a lot of the episodes - and the show plays with these myths and legends to freshen them. Creator Eric Kripe, from such terribleness as Boogeyman gets lucky with a series pickup, and a second chance at a good career. One thing I must congratulate him on is the pace of the first season. Usually the first has to be comprised of entirely stand-alone episodes, bar the last one or two - due to the wish of the network, I should add. However, this wasn't too evident for me while watching this first season. The long-running story was well incorporated into the many episodes of the season - and I was never all that bored - not hoping that please God do not make me sit through yet another monster-of-the-week episode. Some of them were pretty effective, some were rip-offs of X-Files episodes, and some were kinda scary. Veteran X-Files director Kim Manners directed some of the best episodes of the season and drew some great performances, as he often does.

The one thing that did weaken the mythology aspect of Supernatural was this Meg character. She was straight outta Charmed and it really did not work for me - I know it's The WB but I didn't think Supernatural would go down that path. Anyway, not a huge deal as Buffy did the same and that show reaches staggering heights of goodness.

Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles play the leads Sam and Dean Winchester. Unexpectedly, they often outshine the guest stars on most of these episodes - considering one was from Gilmore Girls and the other from Smallville they are doing a really good job this early on. This further highlights my initial comment that this show is very much a WB take on The X-Files, but better. Jeffrey Dean Morgan plays John Winchester, the boys father who is absent while trying to find the demon who killed his wife when Sam was a baby. The brothers come together in the pilot to search for him. There is a fair share of family angst on the show which I predict will just escalate in the second season. This stuff is very intriguing to watch and gives a strong emotional edge that the show needs.

The cliffhanger in the season finale was very odd, but I still can't wait to see what happens in the second season. I Recommend Supernatural to anyone who really misses The X-Files or horror on television, or anybody who misses Buffy, as this show has the potential to go in that direction in the future.