The Sheild - The Complete Fifth Season - DVD Review

In what is widely regarded as The Shield's best season, the show now works at it's very peak, building on what came before and making good on the promise of repercussion. On that note, why I think The Shield tends to be so highly regarded relates back to how the actions of Vic and the Strike Team have ripple effects. The series does have a strong procedural element, which is fine, but many fans place it among The Sopranos and The Wire and I finally realise why - even though I'm not sure if I myself would place it that highly, so far, anyway. It's the really intense shit that just builds and builds until it finally breaks. I also feel like maybe I understand Sons of Anarchy a little more after my Shield revelation. The shows work in the same way, much like, to give you some perspective, The Sopranos and Mad Men or Thirtysomething and My So-Called Life. I could have used comparisons that share the very same auteur-vision, but these examples are more helpful as they're about writers who aren't the key creative vision on a show, but who later create a show of their own that shares not superficial traits, but ones relating to tone, aesthetic, theme and style, with that of their old show. Both shows work on the idea of a group of folks that find themselves under threat while also trying to find their way out of whatever clusterfuck they've got themselves into. I didn't get the problem/solution thing in the first season of Sons, but now I think I do. After that long-winded and semi-off-topic rant, I'd like to formally welcome you to my review of The Shield season five.

After Monica Rawling's (Glenn Close) effective, but let's face it, essentially fruitless stint as captain drew to a close and gang leader, Antwon Mitchell (Anthony Anderson) gets thrown in prison, things started to look up for Vic and the team - not great, but there was a stability that they've been a stranger to lately. That gets shaken up very quickly when Jon Kavanaugh (Forrest Whitaker) shows up as an Internal Affairs agent tasked with the job of finding out the truth behind Terry Crowley's murder. That's really all the exposition you need as this story is the driving force of the season.

I won't go too deeply into the plot of the season, because, like last season it builds to a climax that really needs to be experienced. That said, there are many twists and turns not unlike last season. I keep comparing this season to the last and I'll talk a little about that. For my money, seasons four and five are the best of the show so far (I have yet to see six and seven). Season four had killer guest stars and an intense plot that combined bits of past events with truly shocking and suspenseful plot-developments. It was the best season the show could have done at that point. After doing that, Shawn Ryan and his writers smartly re-evaluated the show, knowing that it was an excellent season and that trying to repeat it would be a backwards step. They looked back to the pilot and devised a five-act tragedy, ala Shakespeare, combining the inciting incident in the pilot, the money train, Shane getting into bed with Antwon, and what each member of the strike team represented to the team on a whole. This reinvigorated the show and determined the rest of the series.

Unlike earlier seasons, the sub-plots running along Kavanaugh vs Strike Team are much weaker than the main story. Julian dealing with new recruit Tina's incompetency was neither inspiring or compelling. Then she was shuffled over to Dutch where he assists her in a matter of sexual harassment in the workplace. There are a few good Dutch moments to be had, but overall the story just didn't click with me. I hope Tina has a more solid arc in season six so this wasn't all for nothing.

The rift between Dutch and Claudette was the most involving of the supporting plots, half due to the strong performances from Jay Karnes and CCH Pounder and half owed to the backbone that's been created over the course of the series, having these two characters together in the majority of the episodes. The execution left a little to be desired, as I retread an old criticism, because the plot wasn't given enough screen time. Last time I made the criticism I noted that a supporting plot lacked weight as well as screen time - well, now it's just screen time.

Anyway, this season is really about Kavanaugh and the past actions of Vic and the Strike Team, and this is where its strength lies. Whitaker turns an exceptional performance as Kavanaugh, and you can really see him enjoying his craft. He has this very jazzy acting style which is complimented by a large dose of vigorous intensity.

The set houses 4 single-sided, dual-layer discs and clocks in at 524 minutes. There are english subtitles as well as descriptive English captions for the hearing impaired.

Video

In keeping with the previous releases, the video is 1:78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen. I watched it up-scaled on my HD television and Blu-Ray player and the transfer looked fantastic. Obviously there are flaws, but they're from the source footage and not the transfer.

Audio

Dolby Digital 2.0. Lacks the complexity of 5.1, but perfectly fine nonetheless.

Extras

Special Features:

• Audio commentary on every episode

• Deleted scenes with optional commentary

• 'Delivering the Baby' - a special feature-length behind-the-scenes making of episode 65

• 5 additional behind-the-scenes featurettes
  

• 'Wins and Losses' - a 'promosode' prequel to season 6

These Shield releases have always stepped it up when it came to extras and this set is no exception - in fact, it might be the best. While some of the featurettes have a little too much of the obligatory wanking of the show and the actors, they are still very interesting and absolutely worth a watch. 'Delivering the Baby' in particular is occasionally moving and offers insight into how the actors feel about working on the show. There are also good interviews with key creative staff. The promosode/webisode is an excellent addition to the extras and bridges the gap between seasons five and six well. Obviously it's not required viewing, but if you're a fan then you'd be missing out.

I don't want to spoil any developments of the arc, but I assure you it's very satisfying. The re-watch value of this season is perhaps a little less than the previous ones - but its still probably the best season yet. If you're a fan of good television drama, then you owe it to yourself to check out this very engaging season of television. If you've never seen the show then catch the earlier seasons because it's worth it.

Caprica - S01E09 - End of Line

Although "Caprica" has had it's fair share of problems, I'm proud to announce that this episode along with the previous episode "Ghosts in the Machine", are in my opinion, two of the strongest episodes yet. That's not to say the show has completely found it's groove yet.

Spoilers ahead.

The flash forward teaser device used in "End of Line" was problematic for me. Firstly, Battlestar absolutely butchered it by featuring it in like... seventy-three of their teasers, usually just for adding an element of suspense and mystery to episodes that apparently didn't have enough. I just felt there was so much going on in this episode, that the convergence of a few of the plots into a huge cliffhanger would have been better without the Robot Zoe escaping flash forward. It just felt a little redundant. That's one of my only criticisms in a great episode.

The show seems to be finding itself by raising stakes and upping the emotional content of the show. The scattered plot-threads seem to be going somewhere now instead of just floating around. I had a much larger tolerance to this than a lot of other viewers. I can see what the show is trying to pull off, and I admire the writers for creating a highly ambitious show with a huge cast and an attempt at a filmic visual style. Some of the editing and visuals are shaky, like Zoe's life flashing before her eyes just before she pummels into a police road block. The memory flashes before that were emotional, but it just got silly at the end. Perhaps it was a good idea, but it just didn't look or feel right. Anyway, I feel like their vision is finally coming to fruition, and I love the idea that a sci-fi television show doesn't have to be formulaic or action-driven. I love that it can be a huge prime-time soap opera reminiscent of those from the 80's such as Dallas as well as a having deeply flawed characters and exploring larger themes. There is no pressure on the writers to have characters that are genuinely good and don't do bad things. Sister Clarice is an unlikeable character who does bad things and who seems to be featured a great deal in the series. Which says a lot, considering the massive cast. However, I still don't see her as a villain - nor any other of the characters. It's just a massive shade of grey.

Joseph Adama's quest actually seemed to be heading in the right direction this episode. However, the whole story was wasted by the absurd reveal of his secretary/assistant playing his guide in New Cap City. I didn't even mind the slow and paper-thin execution of the plot, but this mid-way 'twist' really pissed me off. Just when I thought the story was picking up steam... In a futuristic society a father loses his daughter and then tries to find her avatar in a highly immersive and technologically advanced MMORPG. Does this story really sounds like it needs an obsessed secretary in it? I wonder if the rest of this story will play out in V-World or the real world? Is this it for Joseph and Tamara? I really hope they sweep the secretary under the rug and fix this story about a father looking for his daughter. What would suck is if Tamara began to have scenes by herself in V-World. Part of what held my interest was the fact that we didn't see her very often. It helped us feel Joseph's confusion and loss and kept her true situation a mystery.

The writers sped up the pacing on the Amanda's erratic behaviour which has been evident since the pilot. This was presumably to to ramp up the stakes and drama for the mid-season finale. I just wish her arc leading up to this was planned out with more care. I appreciate that the story connected with Daniel's morally bankrupt business decision but I can't help but feel it may have hit harder if the plot progressed with the series, as opposed to the last two episodes. Amanda finding out about Daniel's involvement in theft and murder was only the thing that pushed her over the edge - understandably so, as her only friend, who is a religious, fundamentalist terrorist is just using her to access Daniel's technology, just happens to be going out of town when Amanda actually needs her. That, along with completely losing the emotional safety she believed she had with Daniel was the catalyst for her attempted suicide. Aside from losing her daughter she feels she barely knew, she has hallucinations of her deceased brother. Amanda was in the car with her brother when they were in a car crash, and that after he died, Amanda was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Her hallucinations consist of her brother appearing and then beckoning to her, before walking off. She tries to catch up to him but never does. This is a classic dream trope, however the scenes obviously aren't dreams, so I hope there isn't a supernatural explanation. I have a feeling it will be explained through some pseudo-scientific theory relating to Daniel's technology. That seems like a strong possibility at this point - unless Amanda is really insane. And it's an idea that could possibly tie-in to the rest of the show, so, we'll see... But I firmly believe Amanda isn't dead and that she will probably be admitted again and we'll see her at a very low-point as she comes to grips with her past and present.

One of the more shocking events in the episode was Robot Zoey killing Philomon while escaping from the lab. If I ever had reservations about the show being truly dark for sci-fi television, they are now gone. Philomon is a good character who genuinely feels out of place among the rest of the scumbag cast. This was purposeful so as to make his death seem that much more tragic. It's hammered home when Daniel's reaction to his close colleague's death in his own lab, caused by his own technology, is a mere "Poor kid". I love how "Caprica" doesn't attend to the television convention that all lead characters have to care about each other as much as they do about themselves.

Barnabas Greeley played by James Marsters (Spike from "Buffy" and "Angel") is the closest thing "Caprica" has to a real villain so far. He's a manipulative terrorist who plans to blow up Sister Clarice and tricks Lacy into helping him. Hopefully now she realises her naivety, even though, she's done the deed and is now well under Barnabas' thumb. Of course, his plan fails as fate would have it, when Clarice exits her car during a traffic jam because she can see Amanda standing on the edge of a huge bridge. The bomb goes off, and I suppose we assume Nestor is dead. I'm not sure why the character was killed off, as he didn't yet get a chance to do anything on the show. Which is a shame because Scott Porter turned an outstanding performance on "Friday Night Lights". Here's hoping Nestor makes it out alive but paralyzed, and in a wheel chair.

I like how the traffic jam was probably caused by Robot Zoe's escape and that Sister Clarice was saved due to Amanda's attempted suicide. The attempt to link these for a big operatic cliffhanger was somewhat effective. The fact that the show still doesn't really have a rhythm is problematic, but it's also part of it's charm. To have a huge cast with plenty of stories running parallel like an old school soap-opera is awesome, and then to attempt to converge them is even cooler. But I'm not quite sure it works yet, and I really hope it does because I know there's a very good show in "Caprica".

What did you guys think? Thoughts? Predictions?

Aqua Teen Hunger Force Volume One - DVD Review

Adult Swim takes a lot of crap from audiences and critics who label the network a stoner channel, or as having shows consisting entirely of randomness. One of Adult Swim's signature shows that premiered in 2000, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, pretty much backs up that notion. The idea of a stoner network or show isn't helpful for reviewing or analysing the show - but the idea of randomness is. The show is made completely from absurdity and every single aspect of the show highlights that fact. If it weren't for the adult content, then the show could easily be comparable to the 90's heyday of intelligent kids animation on Nickelodeon that were brimming with imaginative absurdity and surrealism. Of particular absurdity are the opening theme song's genre and lyrics (rap), and the fact that the main characters are fast food items and the plots that never follow-through and always go off on some unexpected tangent. The dialogue is underwritten and full of non sequiturs - I guess you could say the same for the plot. The real point of the show - if I try to put myself in the head of the writers - is the interaction between the main characters. We have an arrogant, self-centered and self-appointed leader named Master Shake, who is a milkshake. Frylock, a packet of french fries you would buy from McDonald's, and the brain of the group, can also shoot lightening bolts from his eyes. Then there's Meatwad, a kind of meatball who's childlike, dumb and probably the most likable of the group. He can also transform into different shapes due to the fact he's a meatball - not that it has any practical use whatsoever. Each episode starts with a cold open showing incompetent big bad Dr. Weird unleashing a monster-of-the-week to wreak havoc on the world. His plans are always ridiculous and never seem to cause any damage, even the equally incompetent trio of crime-fighters manage to stop them in some roundabout fashion. After a while, the writers shake the Dr. Weird 'formula' up. Though, it's hard to call it a formula, because it never informs the story whatsoever - so, you know, whatever. The cold opens just become platforms for absurd or non sequitur jokes - this makes the opening sequences even weirder and strangely pointless, like everything else in the show. But, I think the show becomes funnier when you think about the pointlessness or stupidity of it - I have a feeling that is the point.

Oh, yeah, and there's Carl. The angry, balding, over-weight and middle-aged neighbour of the group. The boys are constantly trespassing into his backyard to use his pool, and he often unwillingly finds a way into in the middle of whatever hair-brained adventure the food items have themselves in.

Episodes:

Rabbot
Escape from Leprauchpolis
Bus of the Undead
Mayhem of the Mooninites
Balloonenstein
Space Conflict from Beyond Pluto
Ol' Drippy
Revenge of the Mooninites
MC Pee Pants
Dumber Dolls
Bad Replicant
Circus
Love Mummy
Dumber Days
Interfection
PDA

As you might have guessed, these 'volume' releases tend to get a little messy as far as seasons are concerned. The first 16 episodes are on this set, with two episodes remaining in the first season that are found on the Volume Two release. The two disc set clocks in at 187 minutes and is practically identical in both Region 1 and Region 4 formats.

Video

1.33:1 Fullscreen. DVD can perfectly handle the lo-fi animation presented - no problems whatsoever.

Audio

The audio is Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo and sounds crisp. Apparently later releases are in 5.1 which is a bonus for fans. So many more popular shows only ever get 2.0 audio releases.

Extras

Special Features:

• The original cut of the first episode "Rabbot"

• Episode commentaries on the two episodes in bold
  

• Deleted scenes
  

It's as if the show is written from initial feeling and instinct rather than well-thought out draft after draft. That's not to say that I think the writers are geniuses, just that I suspect they take a laid back approach to writing the show. Aqua Teen definitely falls into the Sealab/Space Ghost side of Adult Swim, as opposed to the Tim & Eric and Xavier: Renegade Angel side. If you're unsure about the show and have seen any of those, then I hope it would give you an idea of what kind of comedy you're in for. However, like a lot of Adult Swim, the show has to be seen to be believed, and no review could really do it proper justice. I will note that a rule the show seems to abide by is that nothing will play out the way you expect it to - plot or joke. I think I've said all I really can without getting into stuff that just won't make sense to somebody who's never seen the show - except that I love the Mooninites. Perhaps my opinion will be stronger and more articular after I check out the next volume... Now all that's left for you to do is watch the show.