Orphan Black 4x01/4x02 Review: "The Collapse of Nature" & "Transgressive Border Crossing" (Everything Old is New Again) [Contributor: Meredith]"

“The Collapse of Nature” & “Transgressive Border Crossing”

Original Airdates: April 14, 2016 and April 21, 2016

Orphan Black premiered exceptionally strong, with both episode one and episode two returning to a season one feel — and that’s a very, very, very good thing. After our in-depth look at who Beth Childs was in the premiere, the second episode brought us back to all of our favorite sestras, and set the ball rolling for an action-packed season.

BACK IN TIME

The entire premiere, save for the last 30 seconds or so, was actually a flashback to the days leading up to Beth Childs’ suicide (the very thing that set the entire series in motion). This was a welcome flashback for a number of reasons. Not only did it give us a chance to say hello again to Hot Paul (Dylan Bruce), but it allowed us to learn about another one of the clones without actually introducing a new clone — yet.

We never really did get to know Beth beyond what we learned while Sarah pretended to be her. On top of that, the link between what Beth was investigation before her death and what the big mystery for this season will be ties the whole series together really nicely, bringing the clone drama back to the forefront and letting the show and the characters do what they do best. Pre-series Beth was to the clone sestras what current Sarah is — the glue binding them, the leader guiding them, and the key to it all, it would seem. And we learn that, despite appearances, Beth was just as messed up as Sarah is, albeit in different ways.

Other pluses from this flashback episode: more Art! I love Art, and his dynamic with both Beth and Sarah is fantastic. The nuances Tatiana Maslany and Kevin Hanchard bring to these characters as they play opposite one another in each role are incredible, and it’s fascinating watching Art struggle with attempting not to transfer his feelings for Beth to Sarah. Additionally, we meet MK/Mika, another clone who is suspiciously in the know about neolutionists and everything going on behind the scenes. She was Beth’s informant, but she was — and continues to be — desperate to stay hidden and secret from the rest of the clones. She only sort of emerges to warn Sarah of impending danger right at the end of the episode, thrusting her into the present-day storyline.

Normally with most shows, flashback episodes bore me. They don’t really impact the current storyline, or there are plot holes that are impossible to ignore. Not so with the premiere of Orphan Black. It was a bit of a risk to begin the season with an old storyline, and not really any focus on the characters in present day that we know and love. But it paid off in spades, as not only was this flashback episode engaging and interesting, it absolutely tied to the present seamlessly, allowing this season’s adventure to kick off in a unique and exciting way.

NO DAY BUT TODAY

Of course, we can’t stay in the past forever, and the second episode picks up immediately where the premiere ended — with Sarah having just been warned by MK that her location has been compromised, forcing her to pack up Kira, Kendall, and S and hightail it out of Iceland with the bad guys hot on their heels. After quite the journey, they arrive back in Toronto. Kira is not happy to be separated from her dad, but Sarah is happy to be back home with her sisters.

This episode also let us catch up with the entire crew: Cosima is not doing well, both health-wise and mental health-wise in the wake of Delphine’s unknown dead or alive status; Alison is busy trying to be parent of the year while also caring for pregnant Helena, with the help of an ever more lovable Donnie; Felix is cold and distant from Sarah, and we later learn it’s because he feels like he doesn’t belong in her family anymore and has started a search for his own birth family.

Sarah and Art are working together to figure out what Beth knew, which leads Sarah to MK — though the two only speak on the phone again. When Sarah is attacked by neolutionists, it comes to light that she has that worm thing from the premiere implanted in her cheek, and the episode ends with her desperate and scared and determined to get to the bottom of it. Ah, just like old times.

This episode once again had a season one feel to it, though not quite so literally. But the fast-paced adventure, the dynamics between the sestras, the mystery to solve and the inclusion of Art, and the overarching sense of danger and immediacy to the drama brought me back to everything I love so much about this show.

A STRONG FOUNDATION

Orphan Black has never had a bad season. But, like any show, it has its strengths and its weaknesses. This reviewer considers season one the strongest outing, and in its callback to so many of the things that made the freshman season great, season four is off to a fantastic start. There just aren’t enough words to adequately express the brilliance of Maslany as she tackles every clone as a unique and separate entity. Everyone says it, but I’ll say it again: you forget you’re watching one actress. It’s absolutely incredible.

But the supporting cast is just as strong. The group of actors playing Felix, Donnie, Art, Mrs. S, even young Kira, bring so much to the table as well, allowing Maslany to shine while also building an entire cast of characters we care to watch. This show is a standout among today’s TV viewing options — it gives the viewer everything we could want: strong characterization, interesting relationships, properly-paced storytelling, mystery, suspense... what more could we ask for? I am excited to watch every week, and this season even more so than the last two.

Kudos to the entire Orphan Black team for continuing to grow while still recognizing what makes this show so spectacular. I’m on the edge of my seat as I watch this unfold, and the credit goes to the show’s writers as much as the actors. If you aren’t watching Orphan Black yet... what are you waiting for?

Odds and ends:

• Am I just not remembering something, or do we not know how Beth was able to afford a Jaguar? Her swanky condo was apparently paid for by Hot Paul, so was her car, too?
• I miss Cal. I know he’s busy being all swoonworthy on Game of Thrones, but poor Kira isn’t the only one missing her dad.
• Interesting to see Felix having a bit of an existential crisis. He’s always been a source of fun and humor and lightness on the show, and though that might be missed a bit, it will also allow Jordan Gavaris to really flex his acting chops.
• Of course, we always have Helena, Alison, and Donnie for those moments of humor. I’m loving this trio’s dynamic, and Donnie has really grown on me as a character. He’s arguably had the most character growth of anyone.
• So... Delphine’s dead or alive status is unknown? I was sure she was a goner, but maybe not? I’m actually not sure which option I’d prefer. I love Evelyne Brochu, and Cosima deserves happiness, but the storytelling options with her death are rich and deep. 
• I mean, really, how ridiculously amazing is Tatiana Maslany. Each new clone reminds me that this woman is in a league totally of her own, and if she doesn’t win ALL THE AWARDS this year, I may riot.

Read More

Game of Thrones 6x01 Review: “The Red Woman” (The Most Depressing Edition of ‘Where Are They Now?’) [Contributor: Melanie]

“The Red Woman”

Original Airdate: April 24, 2016

It’s back, kids! Get ready for a vibrant next ten weeks because it is the most wonderful time of the year. Game of Thrones premiere day is second only to Halloween on my list of most important holidays. And in spite of the fact that my own little GoT-themed shindig wasn’t among the lucky ones out in L.A. who got a surprise visit from Maisie Williams, sitting on a couch shouting “WTF??” at my TV was still pretty enjoyable. And I get to do it all again next week, because this year we’ve finally reached that unprecedented moment where book readers and show watchers are on the same page as we venture into unknown territory together.

RECAP 

The episode opened with Davos and some loyal men of the Night’s Watch finding Jon Snow dead in the snow and hiding away his body with help from Melisandre (fresh off her crushing defeat at Winterfell). Theon and Sansa make their escape from the Boltons but don’t get far, as the search party corners them. But just in the nick of time, Brienne and Podrick arrive and Sansa finally accepts Brienne’s oath of loyalty as her sworn sword and they make their way towards Castle Black. At Winterfell, Ramsay mourns (in his own strange way) the murder of his lover Myranda (who had been pushed off the battlements by Theon last season), and becomes increasingly more worried about the son his stepmother is carrying. In Meereen, Tyrion and Varys discuss the situation of the city and the knowledge that whoever controls the Sons of the Harpy is still out there. Cersei learns the tragic fate of her daughter, and Jaime vows revenge.

Down in Dorne, Tyene and Ellaria murder Prince Doran and his loyal guards before assuming control of Sunspear while the remaining Sand Snakes aboard Trystane’s ship kill him to ensure no indecisive man would again rule in Dorne. Across the sea, Daario and Jorah find evidence that Dany has been taken by the Dothraki and begin following the tracks while the queen in question is brought before Khal Moro who, upon realizing she is Drogo’s widow, vows to take her to the Dosh Khaleen in Vaes Dothrak to live out her life with the other widows. In Braavos, Arya is adapting to her blindness as a beggar on the street while the Waif arrives to challenge her to a fight with wooden staffs. She is miserably defeated and the Waif says she’ll be back tomorrow. At the Wall, Thorne admits to killing Snow to mixed response from the rest of the Night’s Watch, but takes his loyal men to where they are keeping Jon Snow’s body and offers Davos and the other men amnesty if they stand aside. The final sequence shows a defeated Melisandra disrobing in her chamber and, upon the removal of her scarlet necklace, becomes an old woman as she lies down to bed.

SECONDARY MATERIAL 

The books, as we know them thus far, don’t play a huge part in this — all things considered. But there’s still the literary side to all this we need to consider. First of all, Dany’s journey to Vaes Dothrak can be considered the first Winds of Winter spoiler. Dance of Dragons ended with Dany captured by the Dothraki and many speculated where she might be headed. Her return to Vaes Dothrak was a popular theory and helped to fulfill the prophecy of the Red Priestess Quaithe (the woman who told Jorah where the missing dragons were in season two) that for Dany, “to go forward, you must go back.” What she’ll find in Vaes Dothrak is more unknown, but we also have the first mention of the “until the sun rises in the west...” prophecy in quite some time (which was fulfilled in the book just before she was captured, but I won’t go into the convoluted details of it).

It seems the Dornish storyline is a closed book for now, ready to be reopened when the need arises. Originally, it was Arianne Martell — Doran’s daughter — who organized the minor rebellion in Dorne and intended to put Myrcella on the Iron Throne, because she is older than Tommen, as a puppet monarch. In that same storyline Quentyn, Doran’s oldest son, is sent to meet Dany and broker an alliance, but he ultimately ends up dead when he gets to close to a dragon (hence the sun finally rising in the west and setting in the east). All this was scrapped, and Myrcella is now dead.

The Meereenese storyline has also been tightly condensed (no one is complaining there). It seems Tyrion and Varys will be focused on the political state of Meereen and the lurking danger of the Sons of the Harpy and the Harpy themselves. However, Euron Greyjoy will appear this season (portrayed by Pilou Asbæk). In the books, Euron is named King of the Iron Islands and the North during a Kingsmoot and sends his younger brother with the dragon horn to Meereen to claim Dany’s dragons for themselves. This show version of Euron seems to be a composite of those two characters. But, by the end of Dance, he’s among those getting ready to sack a queen-less Meereen along with the Yunkai army. We seem to be omitting this battle for Meereen, but Euron still has a part to play.

As for Jon Snow, everything’s generally where it should be, and the second major spoiler for the forthcoming book may come if Melisandre revives him, as people have theorized since 2011. Speaking of Melisandre, the nature of her age (which had been hinted at by actress Carice von Houten for some time) was finally revealed to be well over 100 (von Houten at one time said she could be as old as 400, but was only recently told exactly how old she is). Dance With Dragons is the only book to feature a point-of-view chapter for her. She notes that she practiced magic for “years beyond count,” and the show makes reference to her vision of Jon Snow fighting a battle (though in the show, it was at Winterfell and in the book, it was against the White Walkers). As if the demon baby from season two wasn’t enough, this sequence proves the magic of Asshai to be real, and further evidence that the Lord of the Light is also, in some fashion, real.

THEORIES 

I can’t wait to come back to all these theories by the end of the season and just look at how dead wrong I am. But that’s the whole point of Game of Thrones, right? And this season finally gives everyone room to theorize. So, what’s cooking? Well the Battle of the Bastards is the biggest piece of gossip so far. Ramsay will likely chase Sansa up to Castle Black, where a somehow revived Jon Snow will face him in battle for control of the North. Evidence comes from not only next week’s preview of Ramsay suggesting they siege Castle Black to retrieve Sansa but filming snippets that showed Kit Harrington on set in a huge battle sequence, with Sophie Turner also present. Whether this will serve as the big battle sequence for the season is still up for debate.

Dany’s presence in Vaes Dothrak will likely lead to her amassing the Dothraki under her command. Many fans believe the Stallion Who Will Mount the World prophecy from the first book/season was actually referring to her — the prophecy of a person who will unite all the peoples of the world under one banner. Though getting her giant army and dragons across the Narrow Sea will be a tricky venture now that her ships have been burnt up in Meereen. But showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have mentioned several times the theme of this season is homecoming, and while that may refer to many characters, there is one in particular whose entire arc has been built upon the desire for that very thing. This season is very likely to be the one where Dany finally touches down in her home continent of Westeros.

I still think Melisandre, despite her clear disillusionment with herself, will likely revive Jon Snow since there are virtually no other feasible ways to bring him back (unless he comes back as the world’s nicest wight). The purpose of his revival will likely be because he is the only person proved capable of commanding both Night’s Watch and Wildlings, not to mention his status as a Targaryen bastard needs to finally be confirmed (Jon Snow’s true parents were in fact Ned’s sister Lyanna and Prince Rhaegar Targaryen). His status as a Targaryen — despite those heavily Starkish features — would give him command over one of our three dragons. With Dany taking flight on Drogon last season, she cemented their bond as dragon and dragonlord: one rider for one dragon and vice versa. So the other two need riders, and Jon is the most obvious choice.

As for the little theories so far: Arya will, no doubt, overcome her blindness and kick the Waif’s butt. Her sight will likely be restored to her, though it is doubtful she can truly become No One. Tommen’s going to get it, that’s just the way the cookie crumbles. In the book, Jaime abandoned Cersei due to her imprisonment so it’s possible we’ll see that this season if those two truly meet an impasse (but right now it doesn’t seem likely). Sansa will hopefully be reunited with her very-much-alive brother, Jon. And Bran, north of the Wall and in the company of the Three Eyed Raven will be learning... things? Stuff? Maybe we’ll actually care about his storyline soon.

Check back here every week for recaps, references, and predictions as we move through the sixth season of Game of Thrones!

Read More

Grimm 5x18 Review: “Good to the Bone” (Honor Thy Parents) [Contributor: Alisa Williams]

“Good to the Bone”

Original Airdate: April 22, 2016

“The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones.”

Are all the Grimm subplots finally coming to an end? Or are we just adding new ones? Let’s find out as we review this week’s Grimm!

THE CASE

A new Wesen is in town, and he’s removing the bones from his victims. Ouch. A drunk driver crashes his car and then wanders into a bad part of town, dazed and asking for help. He doesn’t find help, but he does find a guy who drags him out to the middle of the road, runs him over a few times, and then woges into a vulture-looking Wesen before sucking out his bones.

I have to hand it to this guy, because he’s certainly the most polite evil Wesen we’ve come across. He apologizes profusely before killing the victim — which is something, I guess. Turns out the killer’s name is Charlie, and he’s only killing to feed his parents. They are both house-bound and old and frail and need him to regurgitate the liquefied bones he’s sucking out of his victims and feed it to them. I’m all for taking care of your parents in their old age, but this is taking things a bit far.

When Hank and Nick investigate, they discover that these boneless bodies have been cropping up in several counties across Oregon. When another murder happens in Portland, this time it’s one of Hank’s snitches and they turn to Rosalee and Monroe for help. They explain that it’s most likely a Barbatus Ossifrage, a vulture Wesen that only kills people who are on the verge of dying already.

The team decides to lay a trap for the Barbatus Ossifrage. Rosalee explains that only a body that smells of imminent death will do. Fortunately, Rosalee can whip together a lovely perfume that does the trick. Monroe is voted to be the bait. Poor Monroe. He always gets stuck with the worst jobs.

The plan seems to work at first. They douse Monroe in the death perfume and stick him in the park near where the other bodies were taken. But just as Charlie the Barbatus Ossifrage approaches, he catches a whiff of someone else — Wu. Wu has just managed to trip and crack his skull (more on that later), and apparently he smells closer to death than Monroe’s perfume does. While Hank and Nick try to figure out what happened and where Charlie ran off to, Charlie is busy dragging Wu away to kill him.

Lucky for Wu, Charlie is having a crisis of conscious. As he drags Wu, he talks to himself, complaining about the burden his parents have put on him, and that they’re ruining his life. This angst-ridden monologue gives Hank and Nick enough time to reach them in time. Charlie tries to run away from them but manages to run right in front of a passing vehicle instead. That seems like fair justice for someone who repeatedly ran over his victims before sucking their bones out.

Nick and Hank track down Charlie’s parents and take them to the morgue to identify his body. They confirm it’s him and then as soon as Nick and Hank leave to give them a moment alone, they proceed to suck out Charlie’s bones and eat them. That’s family for you, eh? Did I mention this episode was really gross?

THE SUBPLOTS

If you were hoping this week might see the end of some subplots, then you’re going to be rather disappointed. Instead, Grimm decided the only proper thing to do would be to introduce a few more storylines into the mix. You remember Hank’s physical therapist, Zuri, whom he really liked? Yeah, I’d forgotten about her, too. Which means now must be a great time to re-introduce her! She runs into Hank at the grocery store and immediately asks him out. He’s less than thrilled at the prospect. After all, she did shoot him down before and told him a human-Wesen relationship wouldn’t work, even though it was clear they really liked each other and he had just helped save her brother’s life. Apparently she’s had a change of heart. Even though Hank is hesitant, she’s insistent and pretty and well, has Hank really dated anyone since Adalind (which was about three years ago)? Nope. So, he agrees to come over the next night and she’ll cook him dinner.

More signs of Wu’s imminent werewolf-ness are occurring. As he brushes his teeth in the morning, he begins choking and manages to cough up a chunk of hair and blood. Gross. Then, while he’s at work, his hand suddenly becomes hairy and clawed and he falls to the ground. Nick and Hank rush to his aid but his hand has already returned to normal and they don’t notice a thing. He shrugs off the fall as low blood sugar and waves them away. Later, they’re working the case and a stray dog tips over some trash cans next to Wu, then begins growling at him. Wu woges (!!!) and chases after the dog. Before he can catch it, he trips and falls, cracks his head, passes out, returns to normal, and is kidnapped by Charlie.

Adalind finally comes clean to Nick. ... About some things, anyway. She doesn’t tell him she’s a Hexenbiest again, but she does mention her meeting with Renard and her suspicions that he’s going to use Diana to blackmail her into something. Nick tells her about Renard’s ties to Black Claw and tells her to be careful and let him know if Renard approaches her again. She doesn’t have long to wait because he calls the next morning asking her to meet him that night. When she arrives at the designated spot, Renard’s men sneak up on her and drug her. Apparently this was necessary so he could take her to the location where Diana is. When she wakes up, Diana is there and they’re reunited — finally! Diana tells her how much she has missed her, but um, Diana was like, ten months old when she was taken, so... good memory?

I’m glad we’re making some sort of headway with these subplots, but adding the new-old love interest for Hank? Unless Zuri turns out to be one of the leaders of Black Claw, then can’t we just wait until next season to get Hank a girlfriend? Goodness knows he’s waited long enough — a few more episodes wouldn’t kill him.

Bonus Musings:

• “Well, this guy got boned.” Too easy, Nick. Way to go for the low-hanging fruit. 
• “This is not the first flat body on the books.” “That’s sort of depressing.”
• “When I saw you in the frozen foods section, I thought, ‘well, he needs someone to cook him a decent meal.’”

Read More

Series: This Week's TV MVPs - Week 36

It's another week of TV MVPs, you guys! And as Penny Hartz so accurately says, "TV rules!" And this week it's all about a mix between the silly, delightful comedy and intense drama as we celebrate some of the best performers. Joining me in this endeavor are:

• Marilyn
• Megan

Let's begin!

Read More

Scandal 5x18 Review: “Till Death Do Us Part” (A Wedding or a Funeral) [Contributor: Alisa Williams]

“Till Death Do Us Part”

Original Airdate: April 21, 2016

Olivia is hiding out at her father’s house this week after murdering the wheelchair-bound Andrew last week. But far from being guilt-ridden, traumatized, or at all acting like a human being who just murdered someone, Olivia is busy scheming it up behind Papa Pope’s back. Oh yeah, and we finally find out Jake’s backstory, so there’s that. Let’s talk Scandal!

MY NAME IS PETE HARRIS

It’s been five seasons coming, but Jake’s much-anticipated backstory is finally revealed. And it’s just as sad and tragic as we expected it would be: Jake’s father was an abusive alcoholic who beat Jake’s mother and sexually abused Jake’s sister. We see snippets throughout the episode of Jake’s upbringing and how Jake landed in Papa Pope’s employ.

Jake’s real name is Pete Harris and he left home and joined the Navy after his sister committed suicide. He’s constantly in trouble and is about to be dishonorably discharged and thrown in jail when Papa Pope steps in and offers him a spot in B613. He gets a new job, a new life, and a new identity as Jake Ballard.

We get to see Jake getting beat up and verbally abused by Papa Pope a lot. Papa Pope successfully breaks him, positioning himself as his savior and new, better father. Papa Pope is truly terrible and nightmarish, and it’s no wonder that Jake ends up brainwashed into being his lapdog for the rest of his life. It’s not at all hard to believe after everything Jake’s been through — and after everything Papa Pope subsequently puts him through — that Jake would do and say anything he’s told by this man who now claims to be his father and only family. The day Jake graduates from B613, he drives back to his father’s house, takes a gun, and shoots him. Then he comes back “home” to Papa Pope, where he’s been ever since.

THE SCHEMING

Meanwhile, in present day, Olivia showed up at her father’s door the night she murdered Andrew. Now weeks have passed, and she’s still here. Her hair’s a mess, she won’t eat, and she won’t get out of bed. From all appearances, she seems like a woman who has succumbed to the effects that I assume murdering another human being can have. But we find out very shortly that it’s all an act.

She gets out of bed to appease Jake and Papa Pope, and announces she’s going for a run. In reality, she’s using it as an excuse for a covert meeting with Quinn and Huck, who are helping her figure out what Jake and her father are really up to. Papa Pope moved up the date of Jake and Vanessa’s wedding, and OPA still hasn’t uncovered why these two are getting married in the first place.

While Quinn and Huck head back to the office to dig up dirt on this wedding, Olivia decides to exploit Jake’s one weakness: his feelings for her. She turns on the waterworks, pretending to have a nervous breakdown about how she can’t go to his engagement dinner because it’s at the White House and that’s where she murdered someone and she’s oh-so-sad and torn up about it. He falls for it and tells Vanessa he can’t attend their engagement party because Olivia needs him. Vanessa takes this as well as you’d expect a woman to take finding out she’s being stood up at the last minute by her fiancé at their engagement party because of another woman. Papa Pope steps in and demands that Jake goes to the party, and so of course he does.

But Olivia has another trick up her sleeve. When Jake gets home after the party, she pretends to be drunk and demands that Jake tell her why they can’t be together, why he’s marrying Vanessa. He falls for it again (for a super spy, he sure is easily fooled by someone who’s fake crying and fake drunk). He admits that marrying Vanessa is the perfect move politically, and will position him to be the Vice Presidential candidate on Edison Davis’ ticket. So, the truth comes out. With Edison and Jake in the White House, Papa Pope will rule the world.

Once he admits this, he realizes Olivia played him and he comes clean with a few more things, like the fact he’s still in love with Olivia, and he doesn’t want to be with anyone else. They sleep together (because of course), and she vows to help him get out from under her father’s thumb once and for all. He won’t have to marry Vanessa, he won’t have to be VP, and he and Olivia will get to be together forever and ever! Happiness and rainbows and puppies will be theirs in no time.

They craft what they think is the perfect scheme: he’ll stand Vanessa up at the altar. That way it will be so last minute Papa Pope won’t be able to persuade him or blackmail him to change his mind, and it will be so cruel and cold that there will be no coming back from it in the eyes of the American people. In other words, it’s just the political suicide they need for him.

It always astounds me when these characters underestimate Papa Pope time and time again. This man was the head of B613, the world’s most elite and deadly spy organization, for decades. He has people — men, women, children — killed just for being in his way. And yet they really think they can outsmart him?

Well, turns out they can’t. Papa Pope knows what they’re up to, and when the day of the wedding arrives, he sits down next to Olivia in the chapel and informs her that if she doesn’t tell Jake she’s changed her mind and ensure that he marries Vanessa, then he’ll kill Jake dead. And if Olivia isn’t completely convincing in her conversation with Jake, then he’ll still kill Jake. How this outcome didn’t occur to any of them to begin with is beyond me. OF COURSE Papa Pope will kill Jake if he doesn’t do what he wants. That’s his MO for everything! Lots and lots of killing. And then some more killing.

But Olivia is shocked that she wasn’t able to outwit her father again and she’s terrified of Jake dying, so she goes and tells him to marry Vanessa. She tells him that she doesn’t love him, could never love him, that she will always and forever love Fitz, and Jake is just a sorry runner-up to her love for Fitz. She musters every ounce of coldness and venom she can and Jake buys it. Does it really not occur to him for a second that Papa Pope is behind this complete 180 from Olivia? Apparently not. So Jake shows up, the wedding happens, and everyone says “I do.” And Olivia is very, very sad.

I just can’t even with the place Scandal is in right now. Olivia murdering someone and having no remorse over it, everyone underestimating Papa Pope for about the thousandth time, and just the general unbelievable place all the characters have gone to. The politics are the only interesting part of this show at this point, and all the political drama was completely left out of this episode.

Gladiator Gems:

• “You can’t take Command, Son.”
• “I have prepared you for this life, but I cannot make you want it.”
• “He is the talent in this family and I would rather he be dead than mediocre.” 
• “A wedding or a funeral? The choice is yours.”

Read More

Outlander 2x03 Review: “Useful Occupations and Deceptions” (Bouton the Wonder Dog) [Contributor: Rae Nudson]

“Useful Occupations and Deceptions”

Original Airdate: April 23, 2016

Claire wakes up alone in her bed. That image alone should have told me there was trouble between the couple who normally can’t stay away from each other in the bedroom. But Claire and Jamie are finding out that being spies is not as sexy as it sounds.

Jamie spends all day working at the winery and all night working his sources at a brothel. It seems like he hasn’t slept in days, and he’s been spinning his wheels with Prince Charles for so long that the prince is starting to notice his meeting with the finance minister keeps getting delayed.

Meanwhile, Claire is at home, running a household and… having tea. As I said last week, Claire has survived in the world by finding a place for her to work and making herself indispensable. So when she finds herself with nothing to do but spill tea with her new friends, it’s no wonder she is feeling adrift.

While telling her new young friend Mary about the birds and the bees, Claire finally remembers her family history and that, in an unsurprising reveal, Mary is Frank’s great, great, great (I’m not sure how many greats) grandmother. What is surprising is how the shy, seemingly insecure Mary will navigate her elderly fiancé, her flirtation with Alex Randall, and eventually marrying Alex’s brother Jack. Knowing how terrible Jack is, I am worried about little Mary’s future.

As Claire struggles with totally normal household problems, like the fact that her mortal enemy is alive and he needs to stay alive for a while longer so that her first husband can eventually be born, she gets a little moody and takes it out on her household staff. Which includes her lady’s maid, who is banging Murtagh.

Good for Murtagh for finding something good in France! After Claire admonishes him for stealing away the person who could mend her lace, Claire and Murtagh have a very sweet moment where Claire tells him that Black Jack is still alive. Murtagh says that Claire has to keep this a secret, and he’ll keep it a secret with her, or Jamie will run back to Scotland to really kill him dead, and likely get caught and hanged in the process.

This seems a little suspect to me. Do we really think Jamie, who knows he has a price on his head, would leave his pregnant wife to take a ship (which he hates) back to Scotland to face Jack Randall? It would maybe be his first instinct, but doesn’t it take weeks to get back to Scotland? He probably would cool off at some point and remember he has a baby on the way and a woman he loves. To me, this sounded like a stretch to get Claire to keep a secret and create some drama between her and Jamie.

But Claire and Jamie seem to have enough drama between them without having to create extra reasons that don’t totally make sense. When Claire goes to work at a charity hospital to feel useful again and use her healing skills to help people, Jamie is upset. And I get it. He’s been working day and night on a plan that she created. He hasn’t had a second to himself to feel useful or passionate about anything. In fact, he’s been feeling pretty useless because none of his plans are working in his favor. His meeting with the finance minister helped get Prince Charles financing faster, not stop the financing completely. Jamie can win at chess, but that’s about the only thing he’s mastered so far as a political operative.

So when Claire isn’t waiting for him when he comes home with yet another problem he has to solve, he gets mad. And, look, it’s not fair to expect Claire to do nothing but wait around for him – and I’m not thrilled with his dismissal of her healing as playing with potions. But to feel frustrated with their situation is very real and very human.

Claire, bold woman that she is, decides to keep helping at the hospital, even if Jamie doesn’t like it. Everything Claire does is bold, from the first week in France when they got a man’s ship burned to save the town from smallpox, to the very dresses she wears when she’s out and about. The jewel-toned purples and marigolds in Claire’s clothing set her apart from the pastels and natural colors the other women wear. She has always been an outsider, and in France she keeps working outside of conventional systems to get what she needs.

And it’s a good thing she did, or we wouldn’t have gotten to see BOUTON THE MAGICAL DOG. Bouton, the hospital’s pet dog, can smell patients to find their ailments. He is gentle and adorable and perfect, and why isn’t this entire series about Bouton?

Sorry, back to business: Jamie is stealing Prince Charles’ letters – or, rather, hiring a pickpocket to do it for him – and he needs some help to figure out the code the letters are written in. So Jamie turns to the German-speaking nun Claire works with who also happens to love music. She also is BFFs with the composer Bach. If all of this sounds a little convenient, that’s because it is. Just as convenient as everyone speaking English to Jamie and Claire, even though Jamie and Claire can speak perfect French. The rest of the episode is entertaining and beautiful, so these conveniences are less egregious than they would be in a lesser show, but hopefully the writers won’t rely on contrivances for much longer. Claire needs to stop keeping Black Jack a secret, like yesterday.

Un petit mot:

• Wait, seriously, how did Jamie figure out that code? Starting at the third letter of the end of a section? What?
• “His name’s Fergus. Actually its Claudelle, but we agreed that was not very manly.”
• I am loving Claire and Murtagh’s blossoming friendship. I’m so glad Murtagh stuck around this season.

Read More

Empire 2x14 Review: “Time Shall Unfold” (Family First) [Contributor: Rae Nudson]

“Time Shall Unfold”

Original Airdate: April 20, 2016

Empire continues to hit the reset button as it puts Lucious back on top as CEO. And, honestly, I am relieved. It was getting exhausting watching the show struggle to find reasons to keep talking to Lucious when he’s so horrible, but now he’s forced into their lives once again in a legitimate way. As I keep saying, focusing on the Lyons as a unit is when this show works the best.

HAKEEM’S OUT

The show tried to make Hakeem seem like a legitimate option for CEO, but he was never totally convincing. In every meeting he’s in, something goes wrong and he doesn’t have the answer to fix it. Of course, everything goes wrong because Lucious sabotages it, which I’m sure the board would not be happy to hear.

Real quick: How does Empire get anything done when its meetings are constantly being interrupted by everyone clearing the room? No wonder all the big initiatives are running behind schedule.

But even without Lucious’ tricks, Hakeem couldn’t have held it together for long. His MO is to self-destruct. In the past few episodes alone he’s cheated on his girlfriend, proposed to that same girlfriend, blackmailed an ex, harmed his relationship with his company’s star, and found out he is going to be a father with Anika, who is neither his ex nor his fiancée. And somehow his biggest mistake of all was not cutting Lucious’ mic the second he showed up in that shareholder meeting. So it’s no surprise, really, that the board votes him out and goes with the evil they know: Lucious.

I’m pleased Anika is being woven back into the Lyons’ lives and deeper into Empire’s story. Her scenes with Lucious are always fraught, and she has a history with this family that is needed to ground some of the crazier storylines.

But on the other hand, Anika, do you really want your baby to grow up with THIS family? You have got to be kidding. Your baby’s grandfather/your ex-fiance just threatened to somehow kill you in childbirth if you didn’t accept his offer to buy your baby for $10 million.

JAMAL TRIES TO MAKE MUSIC

First of all, bless any meeting that has Becky dancing. Second, Cookie is not being very subtle about hating Freda Gatz. Cookie claims Freda is dangerous because she could find out Lucious killed her father and take revenge, I guess? (I’m actually guessing; it’s unclear.)

Unfortunately for Cookie, Jamal has a real connection with Freda. They make a great musical team, and he wants to put her on two tracks of the Black and White album. In spite of this connection, Jamal is still led astray by the promise of working with Stacee Run Run, a super hot rapper who demands that she be the only female rapper on an album.

Surprisingly, Freda takes this news a lot better than when Lucious kicked her off his song. She understood where Jamal was coming from, that working with Stacee would be huge, and she packs up her things and leaves. When Jamal finally comes to his senses and begs Freda to keep working with him, she seems a little worn down at the back and forth with the Lyons. She’s not sure if she’ll come back to Jamal, but I hope she does, if only because they both seem so fun and enjoyable to watch when they are working on music together. As the only relationship on Empire based on mutual respect, Freda and Jamal’s friendship is refreshing!

ANDRE GOES BACK TO HIS ROOTS

Andre and Rhonda also hit the reset button and turn once again to scheming to get control of Empire. After the blow up at Lucious’ house last week, Rhonda can’t stand to go home to the house that he bought them. She and Andre are working on their marriage after all the trauma they’ve been through, and Rhonda says she was happiest when they were working as a team to take over the world. Andre’s world is, of course, Empire, so he joins forces with Lucious so he can get closer to Empire’s boardroom. This is exactly where they started in season one, and it would be nice to see them getting back into evil plotting, which is what the Lyons do best.

I’m glad to see Empire doing what it excelled at in season one: Evil plots focused on the control of Empire and control of each other. The show has now moved past so many storylines and is setting up the last few episodes of the season to be focused on our favorite backstabbing family, which possibly has a new living matriarch because (dun dun dunn) Lucious’ mother is alive!

Cookie Crumbs:

• How come no one on the board has thought to ask Cookie to be CEO? 
• The timelines on Empire are a little squishy. I have no idea how much time has lapsed since Lucious’ stint in jail, and Hakeem said he’s been too busy to release new music in the past few months? Also Anika isn’t showing yet, so how far along is she and when was the last time she was with Hakeem? 
• Cookie’s outfits were all on point this episode. That purple suit was especially great.
• The trouble with Anika’s storyline is that it does introduce a baby into the show again, and no baby storyline so far has every really had legs.
• I’m guessing that Anika probably pushing Rhonda down the stairs will come up later? Unless it’s just another story the writers are burying. 

Read More