One Tree Hill: “For Tonight You’re Only Here to Know” Recap
Posted on February 28, 2008
I’m actually surprised it took this long for it to happen, but this week’s episode was the first time I felt a little out of the loop watching One Tree Hill, and remember that I started from Season 5. I’m sure longtime viewers loved that the episode focused quite a bit on that devastating day, but I never got to know Keith or Jimmy, despite perusing through the show’s Wikipedia page more than a few times (mini-tangent: it needs an awful lot of clean-up). So while all the Mouth scenes didn’t really grab me the same way it would have for a true and loyal fan, it may be surprising to read that I still found the episode decent on the whole.
The main reason for that was due to the Peyton/Lindsay scenes. It’s not exactly new ground where storytelling is concerned, but the concept of having the pair trapped in the library worked perfectly and gave the chance for them to bitch and eventually sort out their differences. I thought it was a little convenient that Lindsay’s father suffered a long illness – so bad that he couldn’t recognise his own daughter — before he died (and it’s certainly not the first time I’ve seen the plot device on television), but I’m grateful that both girls are on reasonable terms now. Peyton swallowing her pride and making amends with her ex’s fiancee has even made me warm up to her a little. Loving the hair, by the way, P. It suits you so much more than your usual curly hairdo. The same could be said to Lost’s Kate.
Before things went too far and escalated out of control, though, the insult-hurling was fun to watch, from the “bulimic bitches” to the “man-faces”, the “bony butts” to the “fat asses”. It was undoubtedly awkward for the Brookes, the Haleys, the Mias, and the Tims in the room, but what’s a good hatred for one another without harsh words? We also learned a lot more about Lindsay. For starters, her and Haley bonded when Lindsay was desperate to do the school shooting justice in the book to honour Keith, Jimmy, and Peyton. “Because that day deserves it.” Speaking of Peyton, she was also someone Lindsay looked up to. “I used to admire the Peyton in the book. She seemed so noble, kind. I wish you were here, Peyton, that version of you. What happened to her?” Just so you know, I’m still rooting for Lindsay.
So what happened in the rest of the episode? Carrie handed in her two weeks’ notice! Anyone with an IQ above fifty can guess that she won’t be going away that easily, but for now, we live in hope. Meanwhile, Lucas’ delivery of “You’re a dick!” gifts him with the best line of the week, responding to Nathan’s confession that he kissed her (though he corrected himself moments later that it was she who kissed him, not that things are much better given that he didn’t fire her sorry ass immediately afterwards), closely followed by Brooke’s relieved “My battery just died: it’s great!” at the fact that she doesn’t have to phone Owen and sound desperate. Nathan, I’m still waiting for you to come clean to Haley.
Other scenes, however, didn’t strike the right chords for me. Some of the humour, like Lindsay falling backwards lifting up the chair, provoked a few eyeball rolls at my household, as did the strange montage where the characters took turns singing over Mia’s voice. I’m not entirely sure what the writers were trying to achieve with that when the camera pans would have been so much more effective with just the song playing in the background to let us contemplate on the current situation. Unfortunately, as it stands, it felt more like filler. And while I can appreciate why fans loved the brief return of Tim, he was just “pizza delivery boy” to me. Actually, “perverted pizza delivery boy”. Yeah, I need to watch the past seasons.
I’m sure I’ve missed a few epic matches, too, over the years, so let’s close on Mouth’s coverage of the basketball game, whose angle was inspired by none other than Jimmy. One’s got to admit that it makes an absolutely lame sports story (we only find out the result of the game right at the end on a league table — the Ravens recovered from their deficit and beat their opponents), but he does leave quite a profound message. Some things are so much more important than the game. And the episode demonstrated its point. There was a lot of build-up going into the match, not just this week with the very manly and intimidating walk down the corridor — and yes, Jamie is as cute as ever, especially when he was copying Quentin’s taping of the hand – but also every scene since Lucas took over the team. This was what we were all waiting for. Yet, we didn’t see any of it. Not a single minute.
Lost: “Eggtown” Recap
Posted on February 24, 2008
Who says we don’t get answers? Not only do we learn why Kate didn’t appear to be on the run in the flash-forward at the end of Season 3, but the “he” she referred to then? Why, it’s no one other than Claire’s little Aaron. Now that’s a shocker.
One aspect of the episode that initially stumped me was its title, “Eggtown”. Nothing a little Lostpedia couldn’t fix, though, which told me that the term “egg-town” represents a deal with undesirable outcomes. The deal Kate struck with the prosecutor, for example, was an egg-town, as she can’t leave the state for ten years despite her escaping jail time. This also means she can’t return to the island without breaking the law, which may or may not explain her reluctance to listen to suicidal bearded Jack’s pleas. What’s interesting is that we’ve not seen any glimpses of any desire from her to find the island again like from Jack or Hurley.
The trial turned her way when her mother, Diane, admitted that she doesn’t want to testify against her anymore, but wants to see “her grandson” in return. Even with the fact that this child is Aaron, why would Kate forbid her from visiting him? Also, why is Jack avoiding Aaron, and why does Kate refuse to put him on the witness stand? And let’s not forget that we’re talking about Claire’s baby son here, so does that mean she doesn’t get off the island? The producers of Lost continue to tease us; with every answer, we get a bunch more questions. But the fact that we seem to be getting a lot of reveals lately makes it a far less frustrating ride than large chunks of the second and third seasons.
The “egg-town” theme recurs on the island, too. Kate agrees to let Miles speak with Ben for one minute in return for the “ghostbuster”, as Naomi puts it, telling everything he knows about her. The consequences for both Kate and Miles are far from super due in no small part to Locke’s “dictatorship”. First, he banishes Kate from the barracks (she also learns that unfortunately for her, she’s going to be such a recognisable face that she won’t be able to stay on the run back home), and then he cruelly stuffs a live grenade in Miles’ mouth and coldly saying, “Enjoy your breakfast.” Locke annoys me somewhat, but I have to admit, he makes a good antagonistic character.
Even though the real-time island scenes were a little slow-paced, there were plenty of interesting nuggets here and there that I’m sure has already sparked much speculation. The thing that caught my attention the most was Miles’ demand for a strangely specific 3.2 million pounds from Ben in exchange for him relaying back to his boss that Ben’s dead. Like Ben asked, why not 3.3 or 3.4 million? Then, there’s the whole cover story that Jack and seemingly every member of the Oceanic Six adheres to: only eight passengers survived the crash and made it to shore, not including the marshall (or Ana-Lucia it seems based on Hurley’s comment to her ex-partner in “The Beginning of the End”), but two died later before the rest were rescued. Which two people supposedly die on the island and not in the initial crash?
Meanwhile, back on the beach, Jack couldn’t get a hold of the chopper that’s carrying Sayid and Desmond to the freighter. Regina was just as confused as I was when she claimed she thought it was still with them back on the island, but I imagine there’s some sort of time distortion shenanigans involved. I was more intrigued with Daniel and Charlotte’s odd little experiment/game. At first glance, it appears that Daniel has difficulty remembering the faces of three cards, but given that we only caught the end of it all, I suspect there’s more than meets the eye.
Lastly, instead of talking briefly about how awesome I still think Jin is, I’m going to confidently call that Michael is Ben’s spy on the boat. Four episodes this season Harold Perrineau Jr. is credited, but still no appearance? Okay, so I’m probably the gazillionth person to predict this, but something tells me they’re saving him up for a shock cliffhanger reveal. And what would get us more excited than to see Sayid and Desmond finally arriving at the freighter next week and seeing Michael right there? Wait, don’t answer that.
Supernatural: “Jus in Bello” Recap
Posted on February 22, 2008
What an episode to go into a hiatus on! “Jus in Bello”, or “Justice in War” in plain old English, was freakin’ awesome from start to finish, and stands as my personal favourite of Season 3 thus far.
Part of the reason for that was because of how much I appreciated the return of Special Agent Henricksen. The way he teamed up with the Winchesters after being convinced that demons do exist and the way he held his own against their foes was a refreshing change from the usual FBI storylines, as well as being a natural progression for the character. Not only that, but his scenes with Dean were amongst some of the best in the episode — from the banter that we’ve come to expect from the pair to the pair strongly opposed to killing a virgin to Henriksen admitting that he wished he was making more of a difference in the world.
Which is why I’m upset that he was killed off right at the end at the hands of Lilith, the new big bad. Having Nancy and the deputy dying, while sad, should be enough to emphasize the Pyrrhic victory (if only that lone demon didn’t escape and report back to his boss so quickly) and how much power Lilith has, offing Henriksen on top of that quashes all the potential of him cropping up now and again as a new demon hunter in a recurring role. Given the exchanges he had with Dean earlier, you’d probably put your money on that happening.
Still, the demons’ full-on attack and Dean’s ingenious plan to perform a mass exorcism through a loudspeaker were great entertainment (on a second viewing, I realised that this was why Ruby didn’t stick around). Action has been pretty sparse as of late, but these scenes more than made up for it. Sam being able to exorcise by heart was a neat moment, too. Guess he learned from Dean’s mistake in “Sin City”.
Having Lilith to possess a little girl, though, with white eyes instead of the normal black no less, reminded me how bloody creepy Supernatural can make kids be. “The Kids Are Alright”, anyone? It’s a nice twist that raises the issue of how immoral it is to kill her with the Colt for the innocent child still inside the body. I doubt Sam will have any qualms after his initial willingness to go through with Ruby’s plan in addition to the events of “Mystery Spot” and what we saw in the aftermath of Dean’s “death” last week.
Finally, Kripke spared us with only one Bela scene this time around. A lot of people didn’t waste any time in jumping on the Bela-hating bandwagon, and while I’ve tried and tried to be patient with her, waiting for the moment she will inevitably do a one-eighty and help the Winchester boys for the greater good, saving the world at the same time, I’m getting awfully close to hopping in with everyone else. An irritating antagonist to say the least who really needs her comeuppance sooner than later.
But let’s not dwell on that. I don’t care what everyone else says: “Jus in Bello” was one of the best hours of television this season of any television show, and Supernatural’s reward — close to season-high ratings with 3.22 million viewers, notably without the Smallville lead-in — was richly, richly deserved. And yes, I’m a heterosexual dude.
One Tree Hill: “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want” Recap
Posted on February 21, 2008
Before I start with this recap, let me make it clear that I’m new to One Tree Hill and have only just started watching the series this year. I say this because after finding out what longtime fans of the show thought of the episode, it’s interesting to note that my feelings vary quite some bit in regards to some of the characters.
The most obvious example is Haley. A lot of people I’ve spoken to didn’t warm up at all to her (as they put it) “self-righteousness”. But I personally think she has every right to be pissed at Peyton. She’s one of Lucas’ best mates, and doesn’t want Peyton to sabotage his happiness, especially when Peyton had her chance and said “someday”, leaving him broken-hearted, instead of “yes” like Lindsay did. Unfortunately for Peyton, Lucas found love between then and the present, and she needs to move on (which she thankfully tries to do at the end of the episode). Since I’m new to the show, I’m currently trying to stop myself from rooting for one particular couple over the other, but I’ve got to admit, I’m leaning towards Lucas/Lindsay even if the signs (and everyone else) say Lucas/Peyton. So consider me on that side of the border for now.
At least we all seem to agree for the most part how Nathan’s a complete fool. Surely, he wasn’t naive enough to believe that Carrie’s flirtatious moves were just a one-off thing? Under normal circumstances, you could probably put that down to her (supposed) drunkenness, but not when you add the skinny-dipping into the equation. I find it incredibly hard to believe that he didn’t see the kiss coming at all, and he really needs to snap out of it and fire her ass. I did appreciate his “I wish you were home more” comment to Haley, though. And while we’re on the Scotts, I’d like to say how adorably cute Jamie is, not for the last time I’m sure. He’s been one of the better parts of this season and always makes me smile.
Mouth also brightened up the episode this week – the scene where he’s packing, unpacking, and repacking his things was amusing, as was his discovery that Alice slept with Rick. And Carlton. Even Jerry. Him eventually winning over Millicent was the cherry on top despite a couple of cringeworthy moments. And how great was it to see Skills back after last week’s absence with “So, who’s the lucky girl?” A perfectly valid question, given Lucas’ torn heart, yet hilarious at the same time. More of him, please, show!
More of Brooke and Owen would be nice, too. What refreshingly welcome scenes, given how increasingly fragile the A- and B-plot relationships are! Joe Manganiello is more familiar to my household as Brad, one of Marshall’s law buddies, in How I Met Your Mother, and while I do miss him on the CBS comedy, his appearances here are somewhat making up for it. His hard-to-get attitude has been great to watch up ’til now and has resulted in some genuinely enjoyable banter between the pair. His reward: a naked Brooke in his back car seat. I wouldn’t mind that, either. I’m pointing to the episode title as I close this recap.
Prison Break: “The Art of the Deal” Recap
Posted on February 20, 2008
Prison Break’s season finale was on the whole very well executed. It surprises me slightly, though, that this episode was initially supposed to just close the fall run; the way all the plots progressed seemed to mark the end of the latest chapter.
You only have to look at how far Michael Scofield has come to realise this. The thirteen-episode run has seen him trying to break out of Sona with Whistler and get LJ back safe and sound, but as we see in the final half of the hour, he’s now intent to avenge Sara’s death. The closing moments in the montage — him driving with a gun and an origami rose that he once made for the doctor — was rather touching and far away from the situation he was in at the start of the season.
Of course, he could have had his revenge right outside the museum. He had a clear shot, but didn’t take it. One could argue it was because of all the authorities at the scene, but the fact that he actually got the gun out and contemplated pulling the trigger shows that he wasn’t thinking rationally. And who would after what he has been through? For me, I don’t think he quite has the stones to commit murder just yet, and that’s probably where the back nine episodes were heading. Yes, he’s been in the morally grey when he let Sammy die under the dirt, but that was more self-defence and more that he was doing it for Lincoln and his son than anything else.
While this was all happening, poor Sucre was beaten to a bloody pulp and almost buried alive himself as Sona’s general and guards tried to find out where Michael was (when he smiled with relief after he found out LJ and everyone else was safe and when he smashed his phone to pieces to ensure Michael’s safety — that was a really sweet moment). It was slightly ironic, then, that they’ve now switched places. And what a completely different Sona Sucre finds himself in. T-Bag is clearly trying to make the most he can, taking fifty grand from Lechero before suffocating him, and using some of that to make himself popular with the convict crowd. Oh, and Bellick isn’t half-naked!
To some extent, I was disappointed that they offed Lechero so soon. Robert Wisdom has done a great job with the character. But, the writers didn’t exactly leave the drugpin with many loose ends after his failed escape. I honestly don’t have any idea what plans are in store for the Sona storyline, but as harsh as it may sound, I’m praying that Michael won’t come back and try to break Sucre or anyone else out. Another Sona breakout would be retreading the past season. (Sidebar — Yay for McGrady’s safety!)
One of my personal favourite bits of “The Art of the Deal”, though, was Marshall Allman’s LJ. I realise that he didn’t have an awful lot to do back when he was a series regular, but I really hope we’ll see much more of him in the future. Him giving “Uncle Mike” the origami rose that Sara was clinging onto was a particular highlight, and seeing him in safe hands was a huge relief.
And you’ve got to hand it to Sofia for calling Whistler and Gretchen out on the co-ordinates, even if the manner she did it in was slightly annoying. It looks like the co-ordinates were just a ploy to get Michael on Whistler’s side. Interestingly, does that mean there’s any significance to the “Birds” book that T-Bag now possesses? Do the numbers mean something else, something more sinister? With the camera’s eager intent to capture the book in T-Bag’s back pocket, maybe there’s more than meets the eye.
Sofia walking away from Whistler and getting shot paved way for Lincoln to show his true feelings. He deserves a little love after Veronica’s untimely demise, I guess. More noteworthy was Mahone accepting Whistler’s invitation back into the Company, agent to agent, and Mahone’s observation that Gretchen is the weak link, since he knows Michael won’t let Sara’s death subside.
But the question now isn’t whether Michael will find and kill Gretchen, nor whether Sucre, T-Bag, and Bellick are doomed to spend the rest of their (possibly very short) lives in Sona or whether Lincoln will settle down with Sofia. It’s whether Prison Break will get renewed for the 2008-09 season or not. Fingers crossed.
Lost: “The Economist” Recap
Posted on February 15, 2008
That was one heck of a curveball.
A big-ass anvil came smashing down so hard outside that the earth shook when Sayid told Ben that the day he trusts him is “the day I would have sold my soul”. Yet, I honestly didn’t see the twist at the end — that he was working for Ben all along as an assassin — coming at all. I didn’t even guess right like so many other people did when I heard Ben’s slightly deepened voice. I was, and still am, really shocked at this revelation. His post-island life doesn’t look so chummy after all, much like Jack’s and Hurley’s.
So, Sayid is set to go up a notch and turns from torturer to assassin. What does everyone make of that? He’s always been a little shady when it comes to morality, but then again, he does show sympathy and regret after he kills Elsa. Speaking of which, who is Elsa’s employer? Her bracelet seems to point to Abbadon, but I could be reading too much into it. And why is Ben eliminating the people on “the list”? One can assume that it’s related to the island, but how?
Continuing the long line of questions brought up in this episode (not that I’m complaining; we’ve been treated with a surprisingly distinct lack of filler this season so far), what’s up with the time on the island? Daniel’s neat experiment (I like his character, as I do all the new additions so far) clearly shows that time goes slower on the island than outside. Could this explain Walt’s sudden growth spurt? On the back of this, I find it interesting how Frank didn’t react to Jack’s “100 days” comment. And when Desmond inquires about whether him and Daniel know Penny, though they said no, their body language and brief look at each other seem to imply otherwise. What do these four people know exactly?
Finally, “The Economist” was guilty of having some cracking lines, with Hurley’s ”the ship sent us another Sawyer”, after Miles called him “Tubby”, taking the gold for me. Hee. Hurley setting up Sayid and company? Slightly surprising, character-wise, but certainly reveals a teensy bit more about why he apologised — or “will apologise” if we’re strictly following the timeline – to Jack in “The Beginning of the End”. I don’t know about you, but this season of Lost is quickly shaping up to be my favourite of the series.
Prison Break: “Hell or High Water” Recap
Posted on February 12, 2008
So much happened, so little time.
My favourite moment came before the credits were even up — Lechero, T-Bag, and Bellick double-crossed by Michael. I only wish we had more moments of ingenuity from Michael like this throughout the third season. That said, I was relieved when Michael, Whistler, Mahone, and McGrady got out unscathed.
Lincoln deserves a fair amount of credit, too. Swimming out into the ocean where the guards won’t find them (as my dad pointed out, not covering their footprints in the sand was an oversight on their part)? The abandoned shack and recorded gunshots acting as a neat decoy? “Steal that from Home Alone?” “You fell for it, bitch.”
Sucks, then, that I wasn’t on Linc’s side every time he was nasty to Mahone. I’ve warmed up to the ex-FBI a heck of a lot over the past three or four episodes, and I was actually hoping the writers wouldn’t kill him off (though it has to be said that I can’t really blame Linc for wanting to avenge his dad’s death). Mahone’s interactions with Michael in “Dirt Nap” and now his willingness to help out Whistler — helping him up in the water, finding a brace for his ankle — amongst other things are making me sympathise with the character.
And then Whistler makes a run for it in the final moments of the episode. Not unexpected, mind you, and completely understandable. Remember the three body bags Linc discovered ages back? I concur with Whistler than the Company isn’t likely to let everyone free alive, and I’m guessing he’s plotting something to save Sofia. Either that, or he’s in cahoots with Gretchen. Speaking of her, red much?
Back in Sona, you gotta feel for Bellick, always the punching bag. But let’s not forget that though he’s been portrayed in such a way that we start to sympathise with him, he’s likely to turn back to his old ways given the chance. What was all that “Delta Force” crap he was spoonfeeding his fellow convicts when he won the chicken foot fight? It wasn’t surprising that he spilled everything he knew about the escape so quickly. Typical Bellick. (By the way, Wade Williams does a superb job with the character.)
Oh, T-Bag. How I love and hate you at the same time. Your snarkiness never fails to amuse me. But dammit, why did you have to throw Sucre into the deep end? He deserves a bit of luck. Looks like he’s going right into Sona — but as much as I wish for Sucre’s wellbeing, I’m hoping the fourth season (if it does get renewed, that is) won’t see Michael revisiting the prison. One season there is enough. And let’s hope that McGrady turns into C-Note and not Tweener of this season. He deserves a happy ending.
With that, I’ll end by saying that I’m very much looking forward to what could possibly be the season finale. I’m glad the writers didn’t drag Sona on too much. Let’s hope the show can keep up its momentum and end on a high.