Breaking Bad: Season 1, Episode 2: Cat's in the Bag...

The next episode in this AMC critical-darling began exactly where the first ended, with Walter and Sklyer being all naked and stuff in bed. From there, we're taken on an episode that is essentially a clean-up, a clean-up of the disaster that occurred in the first episode. Jesse and Walter have two glaring problems, a dead body (Emilio) and a not-so dead body (Krazy-8). Naturally, the problem solving Walter decides they should flip a coin to decide who deals with what. Jesse "takes care" of his situation by throwing Emilio and the guns in a bathtub of acid. Of course, the whole time you're cursing him for being an idiot, and what do you know, at the end of the episode, that situation only gets messier. Walter spends the whole episode trying to build up to killing Krazy-8, but he can't do it, and instead ends up giving him essentials he'll need to live in the basement.  These scenes were truly gut-wrenching, and though sometimes you feel horrible and conflicted watching Dexter, the killing is less emotional with Dex, because he's so practiced and doesn't really care. In Breaking Bad, you feel more attached because you can see it weighing on Walter.

There was other stuff that is worth mentioning. Walter went another episode without telling his wife he has terminal lung cancer, and because Sklyer went all sleuth on him and found out about Jesse, Walter told her Pinkman is his pot dealer. I really think it would've been easier just to say he was a former student that was trying to blackmail Walter or scam him or he simply wanted a reference letter! But, if Walter hadn't said he was his dealer, we wouldn

't have got the scene where Sklyer yo, lets Pinkman know what's what, yo. Finally, three more thoughts on this episode. We saw very little of Walter Jr, though we didn't really need to; we saw little of Hank, which is unfortunate because there is a lot to explore there, but he wasn't really needed this episode. And, we were given a lead-in to next episode, when some little girl finds one of their gas masks on the ground. After all that happened in the episode, it didn't feel very "cliff-hangery" or give you the "oh no!" feeling. 

All in all it was once again a very well-executed, well-acted episode; an episode of resolution, where nothing was resolved and even some regression took place. 

Breaking Bad: Season 1, Episode 1: Pilot

Allow me to introduce you to Walter White, the two-job genius man, a man with a chronic cough a pregnant wife and a witty son. Walter White is the anti-vivacious, a man so trodden on and depressed that to pity him is only natural. And so, his steps toward becoming a meth-maker (?) are very believable, with the steps culminating in him finding out he has terminal lung cancer. You've probably heard of Breaking Bad, as every critic from here to Bangkok has written about it. Spoilers (and the review of the first episode) are down below, so I'll make my point and try to get a show, that is seemingly underwatched so much it should be a crime, some new viewers. Bryan Cranston, a fantastic actor who did a stand-out job as the father on Malcolm in the Middle plays Walter White, and does a (you guessed it) fantastic job. White's life is tough, and Cranston makes you feel his pain. It's a very intriguing show that's acted well by varying characters, and introduces some interesting moral questions.

Convinced?

-REVIEW-

The first episode begins with a very intriguing scene of chaos and mayhem as White is fleeing in an RV from police, somewhere in the desert outside Albuquerque. There are two dead guys in the back, and White and an unconscious guy next to him are wearing gas masks. White crashes, he gets out, dons a green shirt that he apparently dried by hanging up on the rearview mirror (not a bad idea as long as it stays on) and films a little video for his family. He addresses law-enforcement officials, saying it isn't an admission of guilt, then professes his love for his family. It's heart-breaking, and the frenetic pace is excellent. The scene ends with the pudgy (those clothes are so unflattering) White wearing no pants and holding a gun in the middle of the road. Naturally, it flashes back 3 weeks, and we get to see everything that led up to that point. I figured more than one episode would lead up to that scene, as that seemed like an arc or even season-ending season, but by episode's end I was proved wrong. The episode does a good job of introducing the players in the show, White, a contributor to some Nobel Prize effort, his pregnant wife, his handicapped son (who was hilarious in the veggie bacon scene, I hope that wasn't a one- time deal) his naggy sister-in-law and her husband Hank, a DEA agent. 

Of course the Hank conflict seems like it'll be a lot of fun to play out, as he's the cocky doucher and Walter will inevitably be dodging him as the show goes on. However, in this episode, Walter is examining the option of making a meth lab, so Hank comes in handy so Walter can see what a meth lab is like. At the lab, Walter sees his old (and failed) student fleeing the neighbour's house, and it's revealed that the student is Jesse Pinkman, a well-known meth dealer. Anyways, they team up and make a batch of meth. Of course, because Walter is a wiz chemist (the scene in his class revealing his love of chemistry was very well-done and nice to watch) the meth is great, and when they go to sell it, it attracts attention. Negative attention, ultimately. The kind of attention that gets two guys threatening Jesse and Walter with guns. The kind of attention where Walter has to do super agent-chemistry to kill the guys.

The pilot was very, very good and I'd been looking forwarding to starting this series for a while. The aforementioned realization of lung cancer has made Walter quite a bit bolder, as evidenced by his outburst at his second job at the car wash place, and when he attacked the kids that were teasing his son. And I guess the fact that his clock is ticking and he's one bad ass mofo means he gives good sex. The characterization is this episode worked very well, and I'm damned excited to watch the next episode. Which, in fact, this write-up is stopping me from doing. Look for my review tomorrow. In the meantime, it's time to plunk down on the couch and watch some quality TV. It's in short-supply these days.

Sidenote: The credits incorporating the chemical formula names is a cool touch, and a fun game to see if I can quickly and correctly identify the chemicals.

20-Plus Random TV Thoughts

Well...I stopped posting. You stopped reading (does it count if you never started) I stopped caring over the hiatus, and it all culminated in me missing an episode last Monday. Missing. An. Episode. I guess that says something about my commitment.

Anyways, I've decided to branch out, because I'm a rabid fan of all sorts of TV, so I'm going to broaden my focus on this blog. Everyone says the more specific the blog the more readers you get, but I don't care. Expect more articles about a variety of TV things, including my favourites among current TV shows and a breakdown of every channel's current schedule. But, to tip-off this new era, I bring you 20-plus random TV thoughts...

1.) Cable TV > Network TV.

2.) NBC is a mess.

3.) Heroes sucks.

4.) Neil Patrick Harris is the man. 

5.) A few procedurals are okay, but when every show's title is preceded by CSI, something is wrong.

6.) Lost is a phenomenal show, as is Dexter.

7.) Squirming and blushing at embarrassing situations every Thursday night has become so routine it was weird enduring it on Super Bowl Sunday.

8.) I'm convinced I could make the CW awesome. As opposed to bogged down with teeny garbage. But I guess that's the demographic they're targeting.

9.) If I could see a list of Canadian TV ratings my life would be so much better.

10.) I wanna watch BSG, Breaking Bad and the Shield.

11.) Eastbound & Down needs to be watched if only to see if Will and Danny McBride can do what they do on the big screen, on the small screen.

12.) I'm excited for the Cleveland Show.

13.) I got tired of reality TV around the time the millionth Survivor season and the 20th Fear Factor season were on.

14.) The first War at home episode was awesome. They should have stopped there.

15.) House's formulaic episode plot is so annoying. Though it must be easy to write:

[Shoot a really dramatic scene where some man/woman has something really weird   happen to them.]

[Show intro.]

[Have helper doctors suggest medical conditions that are Latin swear words.]

[House broods.]

[Settle on a diagnosis that means goat testicles, do tests, nearly kill patient, doctors yell,   lots of beeping.]

[Throw in scenes where the patients house/apartment is broken into so people think  our show about rich people who went to school for a really long time are hip and                              dangerous.]

[Throw in sex banter between House and hot Cuddy wearing tight clothes.]

[Eureka! House figures it out! Apparently he knew all along!]

[Collect Emmys.]

16.) Jeremy Piven gives Samuel L. Jackson competition for best on-screen swearing ability.

17.) I'm convinced Pride and Glory would make a good TV show.

18.) Someone should adapt the Zits comic into a goofy TV show.

19.) Has there ever been a hilarious show about teachers? Considering everyone has a bazillion funny stories about teachers, wouldn't this be the easiest show to write, and ridiculously relatable for people?

20.) No commercials. No cliffhangers. No waiting. Bonus features. Watching TV on DVD is grrreat.

21.) So is British TV.

22.) And Maclean's magazine TV articles. Their blog of them should focus less on old stuff and more on current stuff.

23.) Gotham Central needs to be a TV show. ASAP. Honestly I can't see why they didn't go through with it in 2003. 6 years later the idea seems even more appealing. Marrying everyone's two favourite things, procedurals and Batman? Can you say CASH COW?

                

Heroes News

Well Heroes generates lots of news, so I've decided to put together a list of updates/spoilers to know about as the hiatus approaches and the end of "Villains".

A quick side note, there are two episodes coming up before the hiatus, the first is called "Our Father" and the second one's title is all over the place. I've seen it called Duel, Duality and War. To avoid confusion, I've used the date of when the episode will air as its title.

The biggest update, which I've only touched on in my previous blog, is the return of Bryan Fuller after the cancellation of Pushing Daisies. He's apparently signed a seven-figure deal with NBC Universal to work on Heroes and produce his own original series. Fuller will return to Heroes for Episode 20, which will happen sometime in mid-February. That's a long time to wait for the writer that brought us the fantastic episode "Company Man". It was a first season episode that did a great job of focusing on one character, but still incorporating other heroes and moving the story forward. It hasn't been revealed what position Fuller will fill on the show, and it's been said that he may only stick around until the end of season 3. Hopefully that changes, and he helps Heroes into season 4 (if it isn't cancelled by then).

Casting Updates:

First off, Zeljko Ivanek has been cast as the Hunter. He is set to appear in episode 14, and hang around for ten episodes and will very likely be hunting the "Fugitives" for who the new volume is named.

When does the next volume start on Heroes? Because "Villains" is turning the show into Heroezzz. (No offense, Tim Kring.) — Charles
Mickey: I hear you, Charles. At this point, I don't even care who is good and who is evil and/or how they got there; I'm just ready to move on. The next volume, titled "Fugitives" and said to be inspired by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, begins in January. It centers on a character called The Hunter (Damages Emmy winner Zeljko Ivanek) and, by all accounts, represents a reboot of the series. I, for one, will welcome it with a freakin' Fifth Avenue parade.

That quote is taken from here. That is interesting for a few reasons. Ivanek is an Emmy-winner, and a fantastic actor. The idea of someone hunting the Heroes, maybe for the government, could be well done. And most importantly, upcoming episode summaries have said that Ivanek will load a bunch of the Heroes on a transport plane, which will crash, killing many of them. Hopefully that will do away with many of the storylines that have developed into burdens. It has been said that Angela won't be on the plane, but Matt might be.

Dan Byrd, from Aliens in America, has been cast as "a dark and twisted kid who tells lies easily and has a cruel streak. Word is he'll be a possible apprentice to Sylar". Apparently he's on for three episodes. This could be an interesting addition, especially if taking someone under his wing will return Sylar to his previous form. He'll arrive in the "Fugitives" arc, and that fairly smart dude, Michael Ausiello over at EW.com, thinks that Byrd may be the Hunter's first quarry. We'll have to wait and see, I suppose.

Justin Baldoni, from Everwood, will take over the role of a SoCal surfer who works at a comic book store. Not really sure if we need another surfer, but I guess we'll have to see how that plays out.

Also, Monica Dawson, the muscle mimic (which is an awesome power) is said to be returning for the December 15th episode. I count that as a good thing, because we'll hopefully get an explanation as to why she's been gone for so long. However, I'm thinking she's back to die.

Upcoming Episodes:

Apparently Kring plans on keeping us sane over the hiatus:

And then, on the big finale on Dec. 15, we'll get a Heroes present to warm us up over the holidays. "If you stick with it, you will be rewarded, because you're not going to get put into a situation where answers never come," Kring promised. "There's a finite number of episodes here, and you know it going in. We've announced that 'Villains' will be 13 episodes long, and so you know by the end of episode 13 you're going to have seen the beginning, middle and end, ... like reading a novel. These same characters are in another novel that starts six weeks later."

Season 3, Episode 12 (December 8th)

HEROES BAND TOGETHER IN AN ATTEMPT TO PUT A STOP TO ARTHUR PETRELLI

Hoping to find a way to stop Arthur (guest star Robert Forster), Hiro (Masi Oka) and Claire (Hayden Panettiere) band together and travel back in time 16 years to when Kaito (guest star George Takei) gave baby Claire to H.R.G. (Jack Coleman). Meanwhile, Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) and the Haitian (guest star Jimmy Jean-Louis) team up to finish off Arthur Petrelli for good but are interrupted by Sylar (Zachary Quinto). Elsewhere, in the lab, Suresh (Sendhil Ramamurthy) has a major breakthrough with the formula that will likely change everything.

Jessalyn Gilsig, Ashley Crow, Tamlyn Tomita and Chad Faust guest stars.

Season 3, Episode 13 (December 15th)

THE HEROES FIND THEMSELVES TEAMING UP AGAINST ONE ANOTHER AND THE GOOD, OR BAD, IN ALL OF THEM COMES TO THE SURFACE – ROBERT FORSTER, GEORGE TAKEI, BREA GRANT, Jessalyn Gilsig, JAMIE HECTOR AND BLAKE SHIELDS GUEST STAR - In the aftermath of the showdown against Arthur Petrelli, the Petrelli brothers (Adrian Pasdar and Milo Ventimiglia) find themselves battling against one another and Nathan makes a move that will have global repercussions. Meanwhile, Sylar (Zachary Quinto) holds Claire (Hayden Panettiere), H.R.G. (Jack Coleman), Meredith (guest star Jessalyn Gilsig) and Angela (Cristine Rose) hostage at Primatech and a face-off ensues. Elsewhere, Ando (James Kyson Lee), Matt (Greg Grunberg) and Daphne (guest star Brea Grant) continue their attempts rescue Hiro (Masi Oka) -- and Dr. Suresh (Sendhil Ramamurthy) may be their only hope. Ali Larter also stars. Ntare Mwine, David H. Lawrence XVII and Chad Faust also guest star.

Now those two summaries (coupled with the fact that Arthur doesn't appear in IMDB's casting list for the December 15th episode) definitely point to Arthur dying tomorrow. That a little strange to say the least, because he hasn't exactly done something huge yet. However, I don't really like him, so whatever. What really gets me is the major breakthrough with the formula and the global repercussions. All of that seemingly points to Nathan turning some (hopefully not too many) normal people into heroes. The fact that Chad Faust will appear in the next episode, and the two after that adds to that conclusion, and the addition of Dan Byrd and Justin Baldoni.

The upcoming showdown with Peter and Nathan hopefully means Peter gets his powers back. I think would be seriously awesome would be if Peter got his powers back and Sylar cut open Arthur's head and got his powers. That would be like an all-you-can-eat buffet for Sylar.

As a random aside, here's information on the guest stars listed. Tomita will be Ishi Nakamura (Hiro's sister), Chad Faust will be Scott (hopefully some kid who gets a power from Suresh's formula) and Gilsig and Crow will reprise their roles as Meredith and Sandra, respectively. David H. Lawrence XVII will be Eric Doyle (the creepy puppeteer guy) again, which is interesting for two reasons. One, there's been a lot of David Lawrence's, and two, his power and character were very interesting. He isn't listed for anymore episodes after that on IMDB, so it sounds like he's going to get murked. And Ntare Mwine is back as the African painter, Usutu. Either it's a flashback, or he's still alive.

Anyways, thanks to my first commenter, and anyone who has looked at the blog. I'm pretty sure something like only two people have looked at this blog, which is unfortunate. But, it's been fun to write, and hopefully viewers will start trickling in. Anyways, please comment (or heck, become a follower) on my blog and spread the word!

I'll see you tomorrow, when I review the next episode, "Our Father".

Dear Tim Kring

Dear Tim Kring,

I am writing you to thank you for stepping down and allowing me the opportunity to be become Heroes' show runner. I am very excited to do this, and I'm more than prepared to pour my heart and soul into this project that I believe can once again reach its peak. Thank you, and I'll say again that you are an inspiration to all of us, and a tremendous talent!

All the Best,

A View From My Couch!

(Below is an email I'd like you to forward to the creative staff involved in the show. Please do so without reading the following, as it is lengthy and would only bore you!)
______________________________________________________________________

When the champagne dries from the celebration party, the work will begin! Tim Kring's reign is over! The man who didn't know who Magneto was when he set out is mercifully gone! To all you involved in Heroes, hello! Your salvation has arrived! Not only will I return this show to its season-one-let's-do-a-spinoff-everyone-talk-about-this-show glory, I will exceed it! Though it is very probable Mr. Bryan Fuller will be joining us, Eclipse Part 2 has just aired to lukewarm reception and word is Fuller will not be able to join us for quite some time. My plan is to gain momentum going into the hiatus, then follow up with a fantastic finish when we return. It's a mid-season "reboot" without actually rebooting.

This success will be done by following my "insta-fixes", a list of solutions/guide-lines the show will follow until danger has passed.

1. Character Trimming. -

• Fixing of Hayden Panettiere situation. She has to be removed from the show (which could be difficult considering her abilities). I want to suggest her storyline needs fixing, because the viewers need their Heroes hotty, but she has gone past the point of no return. Your attempts to turn her into some badass has been an epic failure, and the scenes that are meant to be touching between Noah and her are fallen very short. This is unfortunate, considering Noah and Sandra are very good characters, and her disappearance would likely have to make Noah into a vengeful man and reduce Sandra to the weeping mum. This is a tricky situation that must be handled delicately, but this brief outline will hopefully help.
• Meredith's death. For serious. She doesn't do much for the show, and though that little escapade with the puppeteer was enjoyable, it isn't enough to keep her around. Alright, my writing friends? Get rid of her, pronto. (Flint, too. I don't think that needs an explanation)
  
• Matt and Daphne, gone. I don't know what you writers were thinking (and quite frankly your jobs could be in jeopardy). This is a relationship that has been developed even less than the preposterous Elle and Sylar bogus. Though we finally got an answer as to how Arthur could threaten her with "returning her to how she was" the rest of it was weak. What was meant to be an emotional scene when she hugged her dead was useless, because we're not emotionally attached, at all. Daphne has really restricted Matt, and unless he can be worked in (a new sort of Matt who uses those powers he came into in the end of the second season, a lot) in a positive way, he needs to get the boot as well.
• Assuming Arthur is dunzo by the end of this volume (fill me in with your reply) he definitely needs to go, as does Angela. I'm thinking maybe she kills Daphne, then Matt kills her with crazy mind powers? I'm just spitballing. Point is, she's gone.
• In a final act of trimming, the beautiful Maya must go. Mohinder abused her and tormented her, and she's still interested? Not a chance. Get rid of her. Just don't tell her I said to...because she's fairly attractive.
• Further removals. To make room for the new characters coming in with the Fugitives story arc, Tracy's tale with the doctor needs to be concluded quickly, and she needs to be killed or in some way removed. Monica (I hope the writers remember her?) has been cast for Duality, an upcoming episode, and her power and character are fairly interesting. I don't want her trimmed, but if she returns, it should be in small segments, and put her with Micah (unless he's off doing something important, I could see him making one or two jaunts of importance).
  
• That, by my count, would leave us with Nathan, Peter, the Haitian, Hiro, Ando, Noah, Mohinder and Sylar as main characters. This is excluding the Hunter and other characters that will enter during the Fugitives story arc. And, unless Mohinder can be quickly cured of his problems, he probably needs to go to. (I've just noticed that my condensed character list is lacking in females. Noah, Mohinder and the Haitian's futures don't look like they extend an awful distance. They could be replaced down the road by female-types.)

2. Ando and Hiro. First off, Ando needs his powers, and soon. James Kyson Lee has had to be on a show where everyone has powers, except for him, for too long. On top of adding to one of the better characters on the show, this would make the Ando and Hiro team-up much more excellent (the ten-year old thing has to be shedded, by the way). And it's time to start giving these two serious plot lines, instead of a silly "nemesis" like Daphne. Keep it comic (no pun intended) but give them something important to work with.

3. Upgrading the Haitian. This character's potential has barely been scratched. His powers are very intriguing, and by removing Angela, it'll give this character some much needed breathing space. Though I'm not asking you to make him a front and center character, he needs to be in the show more, and be made more important.

4. The Nathan and Peter showdown. I know it's coming. We've all seen it in the future episode synopses and that little scene in the jungle. It's the practical Senator versus the emotional hero. There's a lot of potential there, and I'm excited to see how that plays out. It's right in here that I could see Claire sticking around, if you guys wouldn't mind giving her good lines. She could slowly become the badass you desperately want her to be, and join Nathan's side against Peter. (I don't know how much of the rivalry we can take though. Every time I've gone to write Nathan's name in this Section 4, I've almost written Arthur. The similarites are there. Don't stretch this one out.)

5. The better and more anticipated Sylar versus Peter. This needs to come. In the upcoming episodes, Sylar needs to get more powers, the old fashioned way (forget his empathic mimcry thing, people are used to him cutting open heads) and perhaps up the pyscho factor with him. As well, Petey and Sylar need a legit battle. I'm talking an epic battle that people are discussing around the water cooler.

6. Acting. Or bad acting. The latter is something this show is plagued with. I'm instituing a rule, it shall be called Law E.M.M.Y. No actor will be cast if their acting abilities are equal to or less than that of a cardboard box.

7. Character flip-flopping. Enough of it. A character's character will henceforth not change in a matter of minutes. That is ludicrous, and has bogged down the great character that is Sylar.

8. Shortening seasons, a la Lost. They did it with that dynamite show over on ABC, it's time for us to shorten the seasons to ensure every episode is worth something.

9. Ted Sprague Effect. Simply put, moral situations like Ted's need to be done a few more times. That was a brilliant idea, with great implications. So many conflicts there, something of this nature (but not so blindingly obvious that everyone from Japan to Ottawa is saying "hey...they've done something like this before) must be done again.

For know, those are the resolutions I'm putting in place. With the shortened cast, Bryan Fuller (who made that exceptional "Company Man" episode, which focused in on one character, and was very action-packed) should be able to do wonders. And if you other writers can't, I'll be handing out pink slips. Another bonus of the condensed cast will be bringing in interesting characters for short periods of time (see #9).

Well that's all for now! I believe with these ideas in mind, this show will be back to top gear in no time!

Get to work!

A View From My Couch

Life of Sylar

Of characters on TV these days, there are few unforgettables. These are characters so outlandish, so believable, so downright awesome, that it is unlikely we will forget them. Barney, from How I Met Your Mother is one of these characters, as is Dwight Schrute. And up there with them, is every ones favourite villain from heroes, Sylar Gray. Sylar and Dwight are possibly the two finest personalities on television right now.

But the hold Sylar got on us in the great and bold first season and the muddled and shortened second season of Heroes is slowly being eroded. For the twelve people still watching Heroes (which is a feat in itself) the writers have continuously treated us like ignorant children with the constant, and unexplainable character changes our heroes have had to undergo. Sylar's character seems to change with each episode, and they've all got progressively less believable, until just last episode when Sylar killed Elle (or at least that's what we're meant to believe).

These changes have been ridiculously frustrating, and even more so because so much effort was put into making Sylar a downright badass, capable of causing fear, anger and admiration among viewers. He was shrouded in mystery for large parts of the first season, and then, more and more was revealed to us. Flashbacks showed his desire to be special, and how his early life sculpted him into the maniac he became. The scenes where Sylar began his hunting and collecting of powers were incredibly enjoyable, as we got to watch the progression of the finest character on Heroes. And who can forget the absolutely fabulous scene in season two, when Sylar taunted Maya's brother (Alejandro) in English, in terrifically gruesome fashion.

This third season has been littered with bad decisions made by poor writers, trying to have us believe that Elle created Sylar, and other nonsense like that. His sudden love of Elle was badly done as well, as it was never seen in the show prior to it being revealed to us. Also, the family connections were poorly done, if not somewhat promising. It is believable that he would desire those connections, but too little has been done to develop those connections. On top of these constant personality changes was Sylar learning the power of empathic mimicry. I refuse to have Sylar not be cutting head's open!

For all the negatives, there have been some positives. The flashforward to Costa Verde, where Sylar had become a loving father and had learned to control his hunger was an interesting twist, as was the incredibly creepy stalking of Claire, and the subsequent brain-examination. The writers have to be praised for the "Claire, that's disgusting," line. With these positives in mind, and the fact that Sylar apparently opened up Elle's head (...to get a power he already has?) Sylar's future is definitely bright and tinged with sadistic madness.

Well, that's my inaugural blog, feel free to leave comments (if you can...) and tell your friends. I've got much more Heroes content, including updates, my list of how to fix the show, fearless predictions, reviews, and tons of other interesting crap on the way. Stay tuned!