HBO renews Enlightened and cancels three returning shows

Today HBO renewed Enlightened for a second season, which is truly unexpected given the shows abysmal ratings. It may have something to do with Laura Dern's recent Golden Globe nomination for the show or that critics have suddenly started praising it, after trashing the first episodes. It's so clear to me that most major TV critics have very little objectivity, especially when it comes to new shows - even though they claim to only review quality shows. It's weird that whenever an atypical or truly ambitious show has premiered in the past two years, it always takes them a while to realise. But what makes this news stranger is that HBO axed three shows that do better than Enlightened. Bored to Death, Hung and How to Make it in America will not live to see another day. In my opinion none of these cancelled shows were creatively strong on any consistent level, which should never have been good enough for HBO. Hung was the worst and should have been cancelled after its first season, but for whatever reason, and despite critical panning and declining ratings it was renewed twice. Bored to Death and Hung made it to three seasons and How to Make it in American had two.

Any sadness I have about Bored to Death, which I often enjoyed, going off the air is nothing compared to the joy of Enlightened's renewal. It truly makes me believe again that HBO does care primarily about quality, after a few very shaky years for the network. Ever since John From Cincinnati and Tell Me You Love Me were cancelled, they've made and renewed some very mediocre and typical cable shows - the kind you might find on Showtime. With this news, Game of Thrones returning, Luck premiering, Aaron Sorkin's news show being picked up, as well as Veep from the writer of British show The Thick of It, Armando Iannucci. The future of HBO is definitely looking as bright as ever.

Enlightened - S01E02 - Now or Never

"There's a lot of other people here like you who we've had trouble placing"

Now or Never, again written by creator Mike White, who wrote the entire first season before shooting started. It opens on a voice-over with Amy declaring to make positive change at Abbadon (despite being sent down to data-entry), she then explains the visualisation technique and we see a fantasy scene of her work superiors embracing her ideas followed by Amy presenting her products to employees at store-level, receiving cheer and her name chanted. She hugs that little old lady from Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! before her human resources boss Judy invades her fantasy and she 'wakes up' in the boardroom. This sequence was a twist on the voice-overs from the pilot in that we're now more aware of the fact that Amy may not be very enlightened. The sequence makes Amy seem delusional and unrealistic - really, she should be glad to have attained another job at all with Abbadon. On top of that she wants to lead the company to become completely green - for no real reason other than she wants to. The show could also be named Entitled.

When Amy calls her ex-assistant and 'friend' from the bathroom of her new basement workplace she blames her old boss Damon for her placement and calls her new workmates circus freaks - out comes a nerdy-looking woman from one of the cubicles, who hurries out with her head drooped. Amy realises her mistake - but it mirrors the first scene of the pilot where her colleagues were bad-mouthing her and she overhears - it being the catalyst for her breakdown. She's arrogant for thinking she deserves so much more and that she's better than her new workmates. Not only that, she doesn't try to apologise to the girl she just insulted, who could be on the verge of her own mental breakdown - Amy quite often lacks empathy.

There are a few scenes that feel like 'second pilot' scenes (repetition/set-up) but they do this while also adding a great deal of texture to the characters. Amy's interaction with her mum further highlights Helen's rigid and repressed attitude. This time, instead of Amy trying to get acceptance and empathy from Helen, she encourages her to change her lifestyle a little bit - which apparently consists solely of gardening, looking after the dog and watching television. Helen maintains to her daughter that she's happy and it's the way she wants it. In this scene it's hard to take a side because Helen's old and a lot of the elderly have routines and spend little time among others - however, Amy just wants her mum to support and understand her, but Helen refuses to. This scene along with the last they shared in the pilot contain a lot of truth and resonance, as having our parents fail to understand and emotionally support us is something most children have to come to terms with throughout their entire lives. At the end of the scene Helen turns up the volume to The Rockford Files and Amy looks disappointed - it symbolises Helen not wanting to hear what her daughter has to say - if that really needed noting...

The next scene with Levi (Luke Wilson) is also a second-pilot scene but it feels connected to the last scene with Helen and similarly takes on more depth than most second-pilot scenes. Amy is reading her self-help book in her bedroom after talking to her mum, and notices her bookmark for a treatment center. She immediately goes over to Levi's to cook him a healthy dinner and propose that he goes to rehab for drug addiction. She's trying to help Helen and Levi in these scenes - it's still to do with her own happiness, but she's taken on the idea that helping others is the best way to find your own peace. Amy' s careful with her words to Levi and genuinely cares about him but he responds in a way typical to an addict - as well as mentioning an interesting detail, "I remember you wasted - bawling your eyes out - begging to blow me. I think you're hanging on by a very thin thread, with like one finger on the edge of the cliff". This strengthens the argument that Amy doesn't have her shit together at all - an extremely negative thing to say to somebody trying to better themselves, but still, it seems somewhat true. He finishes by saying eventually she'll crack - which Amy defiantly disagrees with - and that his door is always open because he doesn't judge - Levi's clearly rationalised his addiction quite strongly. It's sad that both Helen and Levi can't see or appreciate what Amy's trying to do for them, and that they also can't give Amy what she wants - support. The book Amy's reading in this episode is "Change - Now or Never", which the episode's title references. I imagine the author suggests that the reader unapologetically go after what they want from others - which Amy does so, in every aspect of her life. Perhaps in addition, Amy needs the advice that she has to develop her own self-worth and happiness and it not depend so heavily on others - as it leads to skewed expectations and ultimately disappointment, which Amy has experienced a lot of in the show so far.

Timm Sharp from Undeclared is excellent as Dougie, the kind of douchey and incompetent manager we've probably all dealt with at some stage. His story during lunch about the girl he was with who had tumors in her nose and died was hilarious because of the awful, self-absorbed and blatantly offensive way he told it. Also during lunch Amy sees her old assistant, Krista, there with people, among them her old boss. Amy is furious as she tried to make lunch plans with Krista who blew her off. She storms outside and surprisingly one of her workmates comes after her to see if she's okay. Amy bursts into a self-involved rant about Krista and her old boss, which alienates Connie completely, and she goes back inside with the same impression everybody else has of Amy. Amy was neither shocked or touched that somebody she barely knew would come after her to see if she's okay - she probably believes Connie is less than her and wasn't surprised she would try to make friends with her. Ew, this narcissistic subtext is making me feel dirty.

The next scene back at the basement between Amy and Tyler is brilliant. Tyler asks Amy what her book is about with a smirk on his face. She tells him it's about how the world is messed up, which changes his expression to confused, then as she continues he begins to look slightly bored and asks her "Is it boring?" - which shocks Amy. I found this exchange realistic as most nerds or geeks I've known are extremely detached from emotions and more specifically psychology in general. A lot of them have very little awareness (self or otherwise) in this area. I suppose ignorance can be bliss, however they never truly understand or learn to deal with problems they have, which must be more than a little frustrating and hopeless.

Amy researches some of the negative impacts he company is having and gives a folder of documents to Judy - hoping to fulfill her fantasy sequence from the start of the episode. Her heart is kind of in the right place for being pro-active, but to think this plan would actually land her a job is pretty absurd. She then sees Krista and finds her old office was given to her assistant. Amy explodes at her, confronting her about the lunch and about how people have a problem with her, and about Krista's general dishonesty towards her. Krista being the people-pleasing, narcissistic feeder, takes all of Amy's bullshit and tries to convince her they are still friends. It's a wonderfully written scene that seems to confront their relationship, but eventually doesn't change a thing.

Surprise, surprise - Amy receives a call from Judy telling her how inappropriate it was to give her those documents and how it could get them both fired. Amy is distraught and throws her book into the bin. Then something incredible happens - Tyler asks Amy if he can read it, to which she obliges. She looks around at her workmates as a voice-over begins. "Change will come. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow - but it will come. You have to believe. I close my eyes, and see a better world. People there are fearless and connected - they're my friends. I'm there, I'm free, and this earth itself is healed and where nothing suffers." Amy closes her eyes and we are transported to her place of healing, the nightly bonfire by the ocean, and all of the people in her life are there - happy. She smiles and we cut to white. I found this scene so hopeful and beautiful that's it's hard to be cynical, even when you know the world Amy lives in and what her and all of the people around her are like. I believe it's because, when it comes down to it, we all hope for this. Thank you, Mike White.

Enlightened - S01E01 - Pilot

Inspired by Enlightened's main character Amy, exuberantly played by Laura Dern, I'm going to try to drop some of my cynicism for this review. Sure, I could talk about how this is another in a long line of half-hour cable shows fronted by middle-aged women who also executive produce, and which attempt to walk the tightrope between comedy and drama. There are so many now that it seems like a cliche - however, that's not the real issue. The problem is that some of these shows (Nurse Jackie) are only concerned with treading water and being neither here nor there. Understandably, it can be hard to get excited about them anymore, especially since it's mostly what cable has to offer now after partially moving away from hour-long dramas. Just like the 70s New Hollywood film period ended, this golden age of television will come to an end, and I think we're getting closer to meeting it. End cynicism.

Amy Jellicoe is an executive at a big, soulless company named Abaddon (wink, wink...). The show opens to her emotional breakdown at work when her boss, Damon, with who she was having an affair, has her transferred out of her position and department. She overhears some co-workers bitching about her and works up the nerve to busy out of the cubicle and put them in their place. This becomes a catalyst for her storming through the office irate and crying while she tracks down her boss to confront him. He denies her allegations and closes the elevator on her. In a feat of strength that could only be fueled by a mental breakdown, Amy manages to open the fully-closed elevator while screaming a barrage of death threats at him. Laura Dern plays this sequence brilliantly as she immediately attains the vulnerability needed for the character and I empathised with her straight away. Seeing someone at their lowest point must do that.

What follows is a brilliantly directed sequence with Amy having retreated to Hawaii in order to heal. There's a calm voice-over delivered by Amy talking about change and positivity. The sequence doesn't make fun of New Age spirituality, it seems to embrace the cliche activities Amy takes part in. This ambiguity of whether or not the show is an indictment of New Age enlightenment or an embrace, and in turn the ambiguity of the main character is the driving force of the show, and probably it's strongest asset. These half-hour shows really need something intriguing and dramatic at their core, so they don't have to be so reliant on fluff. This is why United States of Tara worked so well. Sure, Nurse Jackie has drug-addiction at it's core, but it's too bogged down by other things and never wants to push the story or the character.

Luke Wilson plays Amy's ex, and seems to be a negative influence on her, and there's not much more I can really say at this point. I'm not sure he had enough screen time in the pilot to rate his performance.

Another of Enlightened's strong points is the mother/daughter dynamic. Amy's mother Helen, played by Laura's real-life mother Diane Ladde, is skeptical of her daughter's new found happiness in their first scene. During their second scene it becomes apparent that Helen doesn't want to fix their relationship, she just wants to avoid. It's a depressing scene, especially when Amy, reaching out, probably worked hard to write something truthful and even her mother won't support her. To make matters worse, Helen takes her dog outside in the middle of Amy's letter. She baby-talks to the dog, "Come on with Momma", and you wonder what kind of mother she really is - and what a mother's duty is. Her simple mothering of her dog is more attractive than being a real mother to her daughter. Subtle bits of dark comedy like this are found throughout this first episode and they feel distinctively Mike White - that stark and awkward realism intertwined with dark comedy. Without this the show would be far more generic, I hope viewers notice these little things and don't write the show off too soon. We'd hate to have another The Comeback on our hands, am I right? Now that I think about it, the two shows are quite similar.

I'm not going to discuss plot-points at this time, because we're dealing with a pilot some people might be on the fence about watching. So to close, Amy's heart is in the right place, she's relentlessly positive and wants to heal old wounds but nobody else in her world seems to want any of it and even act as an antithesis to her. The way she behaves is a little overboard and off-putting, and I'm sure we'll see more and more of a contrast between Amy and the society she is a part of, as fuel for cringe-comedy and also to see how much Amy really can change with all of these influences in her life. Enlightened deals with very big themes that haven't been explored much on television and for that, and its many subtle touches, it's a deserving show.

Knots Landing - The Complete First Season - DVD Review

David Jacobs, the creator of Dallas pitched a show about suburban couples in California, inspired by Ingmar Bergman's Scenes from a Marriage (anybody who knows me knows I'm a huge fan of Bergman). The network told him they wanted something bigger and he made Dallas. Clearly he never forgot his original premise, because the network wanted a spin-off, and he devised it with underachieving, alcoholic, middle brother Gary Ewing (Ted Shackelford) reuniting with his high school sweetheart and bride, Valene Ewing (Joan Van Ark), and moving to California to start anew. Midway through Dallas' third season the episode "Return Engagement" served as a pilot or prequel to Knots. So if you wanna watch Knots but not Dallas, then check out this episode as it adds a little depth to the backstory - and speaking of backstory, that's something Knots was particularly interested in and may have been key to it's fourteen season reign.

The Ewing's new Californian home, a second-marriage gift from Dallas matriarch and Gary's adoring mother, Miss Ellie Ewing, is located in a tight little cul-de-sac, Seaview Circle. The residents of this cul-de-sac make up the rest of the cast and the tight setting, as you would expect, makes the place a boiler room for conflict. Gary was apparently Miss Ellie's favourite son. But really, who could blame her after having to live in the same house as her ego-driven, maniac sons J.R. and Bobby for so long. Gary, the quiet failure seems pretty appealing in contrast.

Now let's meet the ridiculously friendly and inviting neighbours (if this were really a Bergmanesque character-drama then the families wouldn't be close - I love it - but it's complete fantasy. I don't know the names of any of my neighbours and I have been living in the same cul-de-sac for nearly eight years). Sid and Karen Fairgate (played by talented Don Murray and Michele Lee) are the idealistic and 'perfect' family. They have three teenage children, Diana (Claudia Lonow, who went on to become a successful sitcom writer), Eric (Steve Shaw) and Michael (Patrick Petersen). A slightly younger thirty-something couple, Richard (John Pleshette, who's character's as close to a villain as the first season has) and Laura Avery (Constance McCashin). Richard is a smarmy lawyer who treats his wife like a lower life-form but he is humanised over the course of the first season and even more so in the second - while still retaining his strong flaws. This gives the series a level of character-depth that may have partly been lost if Richard turned out to be a J.R. clone, which is an idea the writers toyed with for a little, but thankfully discarded. To round off the cast there's the twenty-somethings Kenny (James Houghton) and Ginger (Kim Lankford) Ward.

What surprised me most about this set is how much I enjoyed it. I was expecting very dated television, restrained by standalone episodes (Dallas, Dynasty and Falcon Crest also started with only standalone episodes - they all had very humble beginnings...) and while it is these things, it's also very enjoyable and often well-written. Knots' strength lies in its willingness to be a character-driven series and the episodes that succeed in this set are just that.

Arguably the strongest episode from the first season is "The Lie", in which Laura Avery acts out against her restrained lifestyle and domineering husband. The subject of rape is brought up and more specifically, the perception of rape. This episode also has one of the best endings for a show of its time. Similarly to The Sopranos or Mad Men, the symbolic final scene intelligently sums up the themes of the episode and asks the viewer to analyse what they've seen.

"Land of the Free" holds the honour of being the worst episode on the set. Entertaining in it's own right, the terrorising bikers episode attempts to be relevant (apparently this was a problem in California at the time) but comes off campy and exploitative. Basing an episode around something as strange as terrorising bikers will always be awkward, particularly because there's no subtext to the plot. Predictably, the cul-de-sac bands together against this external force, like they will again in variations on the episode later down the track. The essential and underlying misstep of the episode is that the premise of the show isn't about wild external forces, it's about complex, ordinary people dealing with themselves and the people who's lives intersect with their own. The second episode "Community Spirit", where J.R. from Dallas crosses over, suffers the same problem. As entertaining it was to see J.R. on Knots, he is far too cartoonish a character for the show and this highlights the very striking differences between Dallas and Knots

Apart from these two, the episodes range from decent standalone episodes - but perhaps too understated - to very moving and dense standalone episodes. It's about half and half - very admirable for a first season of a spin-off, and even more-so considering the show didn't find it's long-standing identity as a soap-opera/realistic drama meld until season 3 or 4.

This release is a five dual-layer disc set of 601 minutes. The artwork on the inside of the case has a list of the episodes on each disc with brief summaries on every episode. English and German subtitles and the same enhanced subtitles for the hearing impaired.

Video

The 1.33:1full-screen image is kept to preserve the original look of the show and while there are minor problems with the transfer, they may just be source problems due to the shows age. The show does look quite good considering - and keep in mind that some of the later Dallas and Dynasty seasons had sub-par DVD transfers.

Audio

Dolby Digital 2.0. I'm not sure how much effort was put into cleaning up the audio but it's adequate.

Extras

Special Features:

• Commentary on 2 key episodes by Joan Van Ark and Ted Shackelford

• Gary and Val: Together Again. The stars reminisce.

The commentaries are interesting because the show and the people clearly meant a lot to these two. The show was on the air for such a long time that there is a rich history to the behind-the-scenes of the show.

The reunion between Joan and Ted is good to watch (especially for fans of Gary and Val), but only if you've seen the entire show as there are clips from pivotal moments while the characters are discussed.

A surprisingly good first season, giving the longer second season a lot to build from. Starting season 2, Donna Mills moves into the cul-de-sac and many people credit her with spicing the show up as husband-stealing vixen, Abby Cunningham. I'm interested to see how and when the tonal and stylistic shifts in the show come about - bring on seasons 2 to 14.

Sons of Anarchy - S03E01 - So

Yes, I've been extremely lazy when it's come to episodic reviews this year. I've neglected both Louie and Mad Men, which if you weren't aware, had incredible seasons. With eight billion new and returning shows beginning their seasons over the next couple of months, I feel I should get back into weekly blogging mode. Without further ado, the visceral and emotional season opener of Sons of Anarchy season three.

Spoilers follow.

With a season opening montage reminiscent of the 'It Was A Very Good Year' montage from the start of the second season of The Sopranos, we see what the characters have on their minds. Jax is stewing in depression after the kidnapping of his son, Abel. Tara looks to her bloodstained floor where young Half-Sack was stabbed, protecting her. Gemma is getting antsy while held up in a flat on Clay's orders to keep her safe and out of sight. This directly clashes with her character, which is that of a fiercely loyal mother to the club, and a woman who can take care of herself.

This episode was surprisingly character-driven for the show, with the bulk of the episode being about and meditating on the characters circumstances - as opposed to throwing them into new plots. Gemma, however, starts a journey - after she convinces Tig to let her go, by letting him accompany her - by visiting her father (Hal Holbrook), whose mental health is declining. This new story is still an extension of Gemma's current situation. Now that she's without the club, who is she? What was her old life and how does it relate to her current one? I commend Sutter for taking this route - however it plays out, it was an organic plotting move.

Meanwhile, Jax pushes Tara away, in part due to his current depressive mindset and in part because he still thinks the life is too dangerous for her. There are a couple of very well written and acted scenes here as the couple fight and then have a moment of clarity. In my opinion, Tara's already too far into the club to leave now - despite what Jax wants to believe. No doubt Gemma is to thank for her more brash disposition.

The other side of the manipulator coin is Clay, who tries to push Jax out of his hollow misery by giving words to him several times throughout the episode. The thing is, we know Clay pretty well now, and yes, this is about getting Abel back, but Clay wants Jax to be the kind of leader he himself is, when he's too old to sustain the position. It's a subtle move from Clay, with a result that I doubt even he expected.

Jacob Hale Jr. is going to be another problem for the Sons this season as he runs for mayor against Oswald, who the Sons count on for support. The guy seems very dodgy, and I'm sure he will stop at nothing to get the support of the town.

I wonder how long these stories can sustain themselves - Do you think Gemma going to be away for the bulk of the season - to keep her in the dark about Abel's kidnapping? And what about Jax and the crew, will they spend the whole season looking for Abel? It's such an all-consuming plot, that if it's drawn out until the end of season there won't have been room for anything else - not that I'm necessarily against that - if done well, a whole season revenge story could be amazing. On this route, a nice mid-game plan would be to let Gemma in on it around episode six or seven and have her flip the lid. Because of the kidnapping, and because she wasn't told about it.

The most foretelling sequence in the episode was the last, which pushes the plot forward immensely. It was also one of the best scenes the show has done with skilled direction and editing. When Jacob walked partly off the scene before the van arrived, was that the writer's telegraph that he may have something to do with his brother's death - probably. Although the shock on his face when saw the caved-in head seemed genuine - it still doesn't excuse him yet.

Hunman delivered, in my opinion, his best performance as Jax in this episode. He really steps it up whenever he's called on for 'intense' and the final scene of him smashing a stray van shooter tells us he's finally found a different channel for his grief. I'm sure this makes Clay happy, and now we'll get to see more struggle about what kind of man Jax wants to be as he adapts angry, revenge mode. He'll have to do that while not playing into the hands of Clay. I know I'm being hard on Clay, but the MC will always be his first priority.

Was awesome seeing Kenny Johnson (The Shield) back as Kozik, and it sounds like he wants to stay in Charming. I wonder what Tig's beef with him is...

Paula Malcomson was another good casting choice and I'm intrigued as to what her role will pertain. She's doing an eight episode stint, so perhaps that's how long the 'finding Abel' story lasts, or maybe her role expands beyond that and Abel has many handlers over the season.

Cyderdelic - The Complete Series

Smash up the government, big style!

Relentlessly bold character-performer, Marc Wootton, makes his first mark on television comedy in 2002 with Cyderdelic, a little-known but fresh piece of comedy that has still yet to be released on DVD in Australia and the U.S. As stated by narrator John Peel in the show's opening titles, Cyderdelic are a direct-action group and dance collective within the growing anti-capitalist movement. Leader Su Long (Marc Wootton) is a new-age eco-warrior with an anarchic agenda. Lifelong friend and fellow activist Beetle Smith (Barry Castagnola) is a veteran of the south-west free party scene. Little is known about Frogger (Liam Woodman) who is named for his legendary traffic-dodging skills.

The show is a mockumentary in a similar style to that of Da Ali G Show. Wootton, Castagnola and Woodman portray fictional characters that interact with real-life folk unaware the characters aren't real people. However, the odd scene does seem scripted. The series, as well as Ali G, works best when it makes sly jokes at the expense of real-life interviewees through the characters. Cyderdelic makes the main characters the joke in the majority of scenes though. It's great, but another whole layer is added when you get a real-life person to expose a flaw in their thinking or push a question on them that they aren't comfortable answering. So lets say Cyderdelic is more a satirical look at new-age hippies. The hippies that rebel against the government by taking pills and listening to shitty techno music. To make comedy out of hippie culture the characters are quite exaggerated, but I'm sure there are many just like these guys. They have very little understanding of capitalism to be anti-capitalism, highlighted by their hilarious philosophy "overthrow capitalism and replace it with something nicer". I actually found a facebook group with that title - and it was completely straight-faced! These people must really exist. Beetle especially contradicts his so-called beliefs several times an episode. It really feels like he has no understanding or interest in politics and everything is an excuse to be loud and obnoxious. At least Su believes in the cause, he just has no idea what it really is.

Cyderdelic is very, very light on plot, sometimes to its detriment . Each episode revolves on a single event like a music/folk festival or an issue the group tackle; for example, the group protest outside a Burger King, are asked to leave by police, then open their own 'su-per veggie burgers' restaurant- which offers very little as an alternative to somewhere like Burger King. The place is dirty and unhygienic with terrible customer-service and to top it all off, there's a tiny fenced off area in the shop with farm animals in it. The subtle joke is that Cyderdelic are undertaking this as a reaction to animal cruelty, but keeping animals in a minuscule area for people to look is a form of animal cruelty. These kind of ironic jokes litter the whole series, as I previously said, the joke is usually always on Cyderdelic.

Unfortunately the episodes become quite repetitive if you watch more than one at a time, which is never usually an issue for me. Another criticism would be that the show has no real character or plot development. Any character conflict is neatly resolved in the same episode and there are no plot-threads that span more than one episode. I know what you're thinking; what is this guy bitching about, there are plenty of shows that work with only stand-alone episodes - and yeah, that's true... However, the characters really lend to internal conflict and there was huge potential to to tell a story over the seven episodes; alongside all the hilarious situations with the characters interacting with various members of the public.

Part of the reason the show isn't widely known can probably be attributed to a few incidents. The show got in some hot water for showing the cross covered in shit during an episode. Also, Marc Wootton was interviewed on Jonathan Ross and went as Shirley Ghostman, apparently offending a lot of people - stupid, stupid people, who obviously didn't get the joke. I hear Cyderdelic is never repeated on television either.

Amazon have a very affordable U.K. Region 2 DVD of Cyderdelic available to buy. Buy this or obtain it by other means. I think the show just needs more exposure and that there is a bigger audience for this show, they just don't know about it yet.

Cyderdelic is refreshingly original and those who love the mockumentary format should check it out. It is an important step in the movement and a precursor to other shows by Marc Wootton - in fact, it's his very first show. I will be reviewing each one of his shows in chronological order. Following from Cyderdelic are My New Best Friend, High Spirits with Shirley Ghostman, and his most recent, La La Land. I hope this review will let a few more people in on the series and eventually we can have a Region 1 and 4 DVD release. La La Land is being released on DVD everywhere in the coming months, so if it sells well, we'll see...

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.

Rescue Me - The Complete Second Season - DVD Review

After an odd yet compelling first season, FX returns with a second season of the testosterone-driven, post-911 firefighter drama. Though many agree this season is arguably stronger than the first, I was still left with the same strange aftertaste on the closing of nearly every episode. The writing was a little tighter but the show was still a big mess. My girlfriend told me that might be the point. Hey, maybe she's right.

Let's get the formalities out of the way. Tommy's actions catch up to him as his ex-wife skips town with the kids and his alcoholism lands him demoted to Staten Island after he puts a fellow firefighter in serious danger. He knocks up his dead cousin's wife. Oh, and he's hit the bottle again. Chief Reilly is still dealing with his wife's deteriorating mental state. It's another round of doom for the boys of Rescue Me - but again, with very little of the gloom. This leads me to my next topic.

The black comedy on Rescue Me is the main reason the show sometimes rubs me the wrong way. I'm all for it - and I love the stuff - but when the show goes from making laughs about something tragic to having the most overwrought dramatic moments and ending montages - I'm left a little confused. Let me assure you, this isn't my inability to 'get' the show or deal with a show of this nature - I'm extremely open-minded and can enjoy anything when I understand what the appeal is. It just feels so messy to me, like the show can't work out what it wants to be. Some of the comic situations and dialogue fall flat, while others work fantastically. Part of why all of this this may not work for me is we never get to the see the characters grounded, they are either in a firehouse lunchroom sitcom or an outlandish multi-episode plot. As I make these criticisms, I try to imagine what Tolan and Leary are going for. As per cable drama, all of the characters are hopelessly tortured and unfairly treated by the television gods - their one rule is that regular characters must be constantly punished. These tough men seem to be emasculated at every corner. If you look at nearly every plot-thread, you can see that it usually ends badly for the man, in general, and in the way his masculinity has been completely stripped. On a thematic level, Tolan and Leary could have this in mind. I have finally come to a more concrete criticism after all of this discussion. After every bleak conclusion to every plot and subplot, the character is basically left to hang in limbo until the next outlandish plot-thread begins. Perhaps I yearn for the show to be more delicate, restrained, and thoughtful with its characterisations, and in turn, that would allow me to feel the pain those ending montages so unforgivingly dish out.

On a more positive note, Chief Reilly's arc with his wife's deteriorating mental health was well-plotted and followed through to a satisfying conclusion. As was, to a lesser extent, the smaller plot dealing with him and his homosexual son. The comedic notes were pitch perfect, and the drama from Reilly's angst about his son's sexual preference was very well-played, the two arcs running alongside each other for some of the season was a smart plotting move, and allowed for a great deal of emotional resonance. Half the credit is due to Jack McGee who plays Chief Reilly - his naturalism and ability to slip right into the role must be commended. He delivered the best performance this season and the fact that he used to be a firefighter is just icing on the cake.

Video

1:78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen. No transfer issues I could see.

Audio

We were lucky enough to get this release in Dolby 5.1, which, when you think about how much dialogue comes from all over the place in this show, it was pretty much essential.

Extras

Special Features:

• Deleted scenes

• Blooper Reel

• 6 behind-the-scenes features on the making of the series cover shooting in New York, life on the set, a second season wrap, conversations with the real FDNY and more!

• Sneak peek at Season three

No audio commentary which is a bit of a bummer, and as with a lot of deleted scenes, you can see why they were cut. On the plus side the behind the scene features are very insightful and entertaining to watch. The sneak peek at Season three is a montage of scenes from season two - so as you can probably guess, it's completely worthless.

The season was frantic, crazy, weird, and occasionally moving. My problems with the show still remain, but if you're already a fan, then this is a slightly stronger outing than the first season. If your not, then go back and check the first as this is a heavily-serialized show. For me, the third season awaits, and I'm interested to see where this train wreck (I don't if I mean that in a good sense or bad) takes me. Will the show find its footing on solid ground or just keep leaping into oblivion?