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Reviews
Sanctuary: Pavor Nocturnus (2009)
Like it but not the placement
I really liked this episode but I feel it either should have come before Hero or else much later in the season. I really love Hero and rate it highly but the tone felt off, showing up immediately after Eulogy, where Magnus finally was mourning Ashley. It felt strange for there to be a humorous episode the very next week, where Ashley wasn't even mentioned and Magnus' seemed cheery. Then right after that, we get the events of this episode, where we're told Helen had spent weeks (months?) looking for a way to shorten her own life out of grief. But perhaps the order of episodes was more of a network decision and this one should have come after Eulogy?
Knowing Stargate SG1 (and sci-fi in general), where they did so much with alternate dimensions and time travel, I don't see this episode as having only been a dream. I do think the entity Magnus encountered did allow her into an alternate timeline as a warning. She mentioned a couple times that the ancient tv Mayans (not actual Mayans) were messing around with time before their empire ended, which sees like a big clue. But it is never set in stone, so one could interpret it their own way.
I thought young Nicole Muñoz, later to be in another favorite show of mine, Defiance, did a great job as a feral survivor. I liked the hint that in another lifetime Will and Kate could be together. And that Druitt was willing to sacrifice himself out of grief after the Helen in that world died. I like that the show's CGI sets allow the audience to experience such a total change in their environment. If I watch the series again, I have to remember to change up the sequence of the episodes to gauge the emotional impact.
Sanctuary: End of Nights: Part 2 (2009)
Sanctuary 2.0
I have a slightly different view of Ashley after watching the series yet again after a few years. I know there's a lot of talk online about why she was written out, mainly speculation that maybe her character was disliked, or else that specifically Amanda Tapping did not get along with the actress (like it can only be women who don't get along with each other, never men having an issue). But why does it have to be that someone didn't get along with others at all? Her loss was definitely shocking the first time I watched. But now I see her departure differently. On the one hand, if you have an action/adventure type show where none of the main characters are ever in danger, a great deal of suspense is lost. Characters have to get hurt or even die from time to time for viewers to feel the risk. I also see how Ashley's character was probably specifically planned to have this fate from the very beginning of the show - as they said, she was the only child of two people who took in the source blood. Her fate was always to be taken by the Cabal and experimented on. No backstage drama ever required. Yes, it's sad to lose a character many loved but it's part of the drama of the show.
As for the rest of the episode, I'm a fan of Lynda Boyd and she was extra badass and evil in this one. Though I'm not quite clear how the Cabal had such instant and thorough access to the Sanctuary's security cameras during attacks. LOL. I love how the audience has now been introduced to the whole, world-wide Sanctuary network this season. For a show with a small budget, they expertly manage to give it an expansive universe. I'm also a fan of the character of Kate. The actress definitely has a tough act to follow and certainly some fans will always have something against her for replacing Ashley, but that's their issue. Tesla is super enjoyable as always and any episode he is in is a favorite. Also by my own metric of good acting, Amanda Tapping's scene at the end where she pleads with Ashley made me tear up, while I felt little when Clara died. Altogether, a sad but exciting and interesting start to the new season!
Sanctuary: Instinct (2008)
The fully formed team
Solid, fast moving, suspenseful monster of the week episode. Yes, the premise has become a bit of a cliche: a pastiche of the tv show Cops (which is different from the found footage trope). Probably the first version of this was an awesome episode of X Files. It was also used on a super emotional, impactful set of episodes of Stargate. There was a whole show named Death Valley that was based on Cops with supernatural creatures. So it's not original. But once you digest that, and get past the loathsome reporter character, this is an entertaining episode. They sprinkle in a bit more info on what the Cabal is up to. We see the Sanctuary team fully formed now at the end of the season. Everything has built to this. Will has been fully integrated. Henry is now out in the field. Everyone shows their own strength and specialty working together as a team. And the ending hints at how people we come to care about can be killed in an instant.
Sanctuary: Edward (2008)
Watch the whole episode before you judge
I wasn't going to write a review of this episode, because I don't find it meaty enough to analyze. But I have to address the accusation that the show is "offensive" and depicts people on the spectrum as savants with magical powers. Now perhaps that person didn't watch the entire episode, but I thought it rather clear that Edward's abilities don't come from autism. That's merely what Magnus and Will (and the audience) assumes at the start of the episode, along with assuming the dad was horribly abusive and didn't actually commit suicide. But we eventually learn Edward is an abnormal, from a family of abnormals, who happened to also be born with autism. In the end, we realize both his father and brother have at least a version of the same abilities while also being neurotypical.
My issue is that I just never cared much about Edward or any member of his family, nor did I find their brand of abnormal compelling. Also their happy ending seems like it will be short-lived. We're to believe it was The Cabal who swooped in with the power to end the police investigation and take the dad's body. Why should we think if the boys just go home, The Cabal won't just make them disappear as well? Why should we think suddenly the boys will be able to control their powers while their dad never could? Magnus doesn't seem like she's planning to give them any instruction or follow up visits. Frankly the mom, who came off like a borderline neglectful space case, doesn't seem like the best guardian to go home to either. All this is why the ending left me feeling dissatisfied. A rather bland filler episode.
Sanctuary: The Five (2008)
Tesla!
Finally! I feel like the show is really starting now. We needed all the episodes up until now to get introduced to most characters and find out a bit of how the world works, but the show really gets going with this episode. And we finally meet Tesla! He's such a good character and I love the joy and energy the actor brings to him. I didn't remember him showing up so early but I'm so glad he does. Plus we now know much more about who everyone is, how they are related, and we're introduced to The Five and more of the show's mythology. Druitt is such a great character also. The casting for this show was amazing. I wish the show could have gotten 200 episodes!
Sanctuary: Nubbins (2008)
Still early days of the show
I wish this episode focused solely on the nubbins plot and was much faster paced and funnier. The B plot about Sophie and her grandfather had much too different a tone and really dragged down the episode. But on the positive side, we finally get much more Henry. Up until now he was more of a minor character. I like the show much more when he's a full member of the team. This is also the first episode where Ashley is mildly likeable and shows personality. (I know I'm in the extreme minority not liking her character) Her interactions with Henry especially were some of the best parts of the episode. Well, she was likeable up until she allowed the one nubbins to escape then argues too much against rounding them up. Sadly, the writers never developed what happened when Will found her with the nubbin and what caused her to lose time. Obviously it had been influencing her but the script never followed up on that. If so much time hadn't been wasted on Sophie's storyline and the overall slow pace, this could have been a much better, more entertaining episode. In the end, Sophie's ESP felt unnecessary for saving the day and the overall ending was flat. A strangely mediocre entry from director Peter Deluise, who can usually create create side splitting comedy as well as suspenseful action. I wonder what went wrong?
Sanctuary: Kush (2008)
Not a favorite
I love this series and I've seen it a few times, but this episode probably ranks towards the bottom for me, although bad Sanctuary is still very good relatively speaking. Maybe it's issues are due to the series was still figuring itself out? We do learn slightly more about Helen's past with Druitt, and we see the trust developing between her and Will. It's too bad we say goodbye so soon to Sylvio because I liked his character. I'm also a fan of Sarah Strange so it's good to see her here even though she doesn't have much to do. She's also yet another Stargate actor who carried over to this show. My big issue is that the actions of the creature of the week make no sense. Why is it killing when it could have just stayed with the group and left the mountains? Or else why not just escape to freedom wants to stay? It's not killing to eat. Why not kill everyone right away when it had the chance? Why does it create all the dreams and hallucinations? It makes sense to appear as someone trustworthy to get close to its prey. In that respect, it reminds me a lot of the Himalayan Rakshasa from an episode of Kolchack, which was loosely based on a real creature from Asian mythology. But what was the point of Helen's dreams, besides an excuse for backstory exposition? Why have Helen seen the wounds on that body one way and Will see them differently? There's just way too many unanswered questions. By the time it ends, I am left feeling too frustrated and unsatisfied to have enjoyed the mystery. Oh well, there's always a rough episode or two when a series is first starting.
Stargate SG-1: Frozen (2002)
Relates to the series mythology but meh
I find myself agreeing with the reviewers both giving this episode a high rating and those panning it. I agree maybe this storyline had too much going on to tackle in one episode, yet they wasted way too much time on issues such as debating who Ayiana might be. They already knew the Ancients existed and built the Stargates. Why did it seem to take half the episode to say "she might be one of the Ancients!" That was excruciating. I also agree the decision to make her 30-50 million years old was bad. And what a coincidence she was white! (Buffy had already introduced The First two years before this and they had the sense to make her African) That all added to the really poor science throughout this episode, most egregiously, the complete lack of protective gear when exposed to Ayiana beyond simply calling her location "the quarantine room". But then if they had followed even basic scientific techniques, the plot couldn't happen. Often on this show, you can ignore small inaccuracies but this episode made it impossible to ignore them. Add to that how, yes, she is way too similar to Lelu in The Fifth Element down to copying Milla Jovovitch's performance and hair. Not to mention also copying The Thing. Nevertheless, this episode does serve the greater mythic arc of the show. We learn slightly more about the Ancients. Ayiana does later do a cameo at the start of Stargate Atlantis. And O'Neill will briefly become a Tok'ra, which we know will have permanent effects. So I understand many impacts of this episode are important. I just wish the writers did a better job getting from point A to B.
Halloween with the New Addams Family (1977)
Special Guest Star
To get it out of the way, I see some people complaining that Carolyn Jones was listed as a guest star. Now I'm not in the actor's union so I don't know details, but I've heard about this before, that being listed as a guest star allows an actor to be paid at a higher rate. I'm guessing the rest of the cast was getting what's usually referred to as scale or a regular day rate or similar. But Jones probably would not participate unless she got a lot more money. But to do that their union requires actors to be listed as a guest star. It's weird when you see the credits but it wasn't because the producers considered her to be less important to the cast. Anyway, as for the show itself, it's pretty mediocre. I'm glad I watched it as a big Addams Family fan, but I don't know how many times I'd ever watch again. The writing is dire. The idea for the plot is decent enough that it was reused, in part, for the 1991 movie - imposters pretend to be family to get access to the house in order to find a certain safe to rob. Even the part about the kids playing in the graveyard with their dead ancestors was recycled into the movie. But the movie had great writing and that made all the difference. Even the direction makes things here awkward and humorless. I find it hard to believe this was a pilot for a reboot since so there seems to be so little effort into making this something you want to keep watching each week. For me the biggest positive was seeing the old cast in color. I know many don't like it but to me it somehow makes the characters and home more real or maybe modern, although it also highlights how cheap some of the costumes were. Also, considering this was made for kids, I like the idea that they were waiting for a Great Pumpkin-like character and sang a Halloween carol at the end. It's too bad most of the rest of the plot was such boring nonsense.
Corner Gas: Cousin Carl (2004)
Carl is Brent!
I've seen this a few times but suddenly realized Cousin Carl is a Bizarro version of the real Brent. We know Corner Gas is the real Brent imagining what his life would be like if he never became a comic and left his small town. In this episode, Carl is also Brent, in his own self-deprecating way, imagining what people in his hometown think of him whenever he visits. Brent travels the world, meets famous people, and works out of Vancouver - just like Carl. Though we all know his friends and family don't actually think he's a pompous loud mouth! Though my favorite part of the show is maybe Oscar yelling "I'm a senior!" and scamming $1.20 out of everyone in town.
Newhart: New Faces of 1951 (1984)
Mediocre finale
Sort of a bland season ending that almost seems like it was a leftover script from the beginning of the season. Kirk's wife has vanished, actually she's been gone for a bit, along with all references to her. Should we believe even she was too busy for the party? Kirk's also back to being his worst, season one self. His character improved so much over season two, it's a shame this is how his last show went. Add to that, Michael and Stephanie dating has been dropped. And then the writers forgot George has been in at least two clubs who he was written as hanging out with regularly and having a great time. I think there were some town committees as well. Now he is a sad sack with no friends? Heck, where's Larry, Daryl, and Daryl? I agree with the reviewer who said this just wasn't too funny. The writing and characters improved so much over the course of the season, only to all be left out. I was never a huge Kirk fan, but like I said, it's a shame this was how we last see him. Apparently this script is the very first thing the writer of this episode ever did, and it shows. He also only went on to be credited on a handful of other things, the biggest was two episodes of Charles in Charge.
The Phoenix: A Presence of Evil (1982)
Horse farm bandits
The episode starts when Bennu is hitching a ride to a family's horse farm. He tells the female driver who picked him up that he's "looking for Indians". At a pitstop, he fights off some bikers, something that has nothing to do with the plot. No idea why it was included. It felt like the bikers should have showed up later but they don't. But afterwards, the driver does blow thru a stop sign and gets stopped by a cop. This is import but it's skipped over and not shown. Why? It's such a bizarre choice by the director. Apparently, what we don't see is that the cop recognized Bennu and notified Preminger. Maybe they didn't show the interaction because it wouldn't make sense for Bennu to not read the cop's mind and know he was spotted?
Anyway, Bennu arrives at the ranch and asks for a job. I guess he was planning to stay a while? His timing is terrible because the man of the house just happened to get involved with some thieves. The thieves immediately double cross him and illogically escalate the situation, seeing as that is how they eventually get caught. As so often on tv, if the crooks had played it cool, they likely would have gotten away with it.
Oblivious, Bennu takes a horse ride into the hills with the family's young son. He finds a cave and has another encounter with the mysterious male alien creature and he shows off his powers a bunch. Meanwhile, Preminger's bosses hook him up with a paranormal researcher with access to psychics. Then he gets the call about the recent Bennu sighting and pretty much immediately tracks him down. Bennu, of course, gets away and no one apparently tries to follow him. Within about 60 seconds, he saves the day and is off again on his travels. In regards to the over arching plot, this felt a bit like a filler episode, as Bennu really didn't learn anything and seemed to easily give up on trying to stay in the area to discover more. The violence felt pretty gratuitous and a little intense for the type of show this was and on family tv. I wonder if this is partly why audiences didn't want to watch this when it first aired? I know the Fugitive-like premise wasn't original but the alien with powers plot twist makes it interesting enough. I can't find anything on why this show failed.
The Phoenix: One of Them (1982)
Credits are wrong
I wrote this because the credits given here in IMDb are very obviously wrong. The Sheila Frazier listed as playing Mira is not the woman in this episode as the woman in the show is a white woman with possibly hazel eyes and the woman linked here is Black. Perhaps the show spelled the actress' name wrong or she changed it soon after. I've noticed that was pretty common in the seventies for those doing small rolls to not have their names listed correctly. Perhaps the woman was not primarily an actress but was a model, like Shelley Smith in the pilot. She definitely had the look. Anyway, it's super annoying and listed the same way in Wikipedia. Also the little girl at the end of the episode, who was not credited, is not Shannon Doherty. Shannon had already done other credited roles prior to this and was about to become a regular on Little House On the Prairie a few months after this aired. If you look at photos of her on that show, she clearly looks different than the actress who appeared in this episode. And the one photo currently linked here is very obviously not from this show. Anyway, my review is this this episode was better than the previous one. I'm surprised Bennu managed to find some answers so quickly. I thought this show might just be another Fugitive/Kung Fu/Incredible Hulk/Highway to Heaven with Bennu wandering aimlessly week after week and getting nowhere, just helping people. Glad to see it's not. However the story of the crazed boyfriend didn't make any logical sense as a realistic character, And I'm already tired of Preminger being so close behind yet always missing Bennu. Two episodes left.
Newhart: It Happened One Afternoon: Part 2 (1983)
Part 2 is so much better!
Wow! Was part one a stinker episode or what! This one was 100% better. I feel like the show is back on track. I really blame the director for part one, even though, at least on paper, the same guy also did part two. It was awkward and slow, with no laughs. The trivia listed here that says part one was a reshoot seems very believable. Perhaps they ran out of time and just did the best they could. Despite the polite excuse supposedly given for her dropping out, I suspect Elke Sommer was just not the right type of comic actress for this show. Stella Stevens was perfect. I can't imagine Elke being capable of giving a similar performance. Now part two actually had laughs and moved quickly. Also in part one, Joanna seems like a different person - cold and patronizing. And I hated how she suddenly couldn't make a move without calling Dick. In this episode she's back to her own warm, easy going, confident self. And I'm so glad Stephanie has finally arrived! I was gritting my teeth getting through the first season with Leslie. I'm sure that actress is a perfectly nice person but boy was her character a snooze and she lacked charisma. The writing was the main problem. Leslie only existed to prop up the plots of other characters, especially Kirk. She was an Olympic skier who never trained or went skiing, except that one time when it suited Dick. She was a college student who never studied or had tests or her own friends. She was a maid who did no work around the inn. It's like the writers had no interest in her, which made her boring to us. But now we get Stephanie who is given much more to do. And now I just have to make it through this one more season with the unfunny and grating Kirk. I loved this show originally and now realize part of that involved the much larger, funnier cast of regulars to come, of course that includes much more Larry, Daryl, and Daryl plus the other townspeople, such as Dick's golf buddies from the season one finale. I'm so glad to get going on season two. Watching this much improved episode finally makes a great start.
Shardlake (2024)
Wanted to like it more
Let me start by saying I did really like this a lot but I wanted it to blow me away and it didn't. I have read most of the books and absolutely love the character of Matthew and Sansom's writing in general. I'm very sad to find out Sansom passed and still while relatively young. That said, the book this series was based on is my least favorite of them all and I did read it several years ago. So my opinion of the show is going to be different than someone who has not read them.
I loved everyone's acting and the casting of Matthew and Jack. I found the writing to be good but a little lacking. I'm so so tired of blue filters used in historical dramas and "gritty" mysteries in general. It's really clichéd and distracting. I was also super distracted by what looked like a bad hairpiece on Sean Bean, but overall I liked the costuming. The depiction of the tail end of life in a Medieval monetary was weak. For instance, I don't think any character had a tonsure and there was no praying at the canonical hours or accompanying bells. At one point a brother says the gates opened at 6 am, when he should have said something like "just before Prime", though I get the audience wouldn't have understood that so it could be excused. Speaking of inaccuracies at one Alice quotes Shakespeare, yet he had not been born yet by this period. But in general, I wanted much more character development and realism from the suspects. I first thought the show would have to be longer to do so, but I've seen better writers do much more with even less time. I also really didn't like the way Matthew talked to himself and saw things. It almost makes him seem insane. Surely there were better ways to give the audience exposition than that. And towards the end there is an extremely cheap sequence that turns out to be a dream that I absolutely hated. It pulled me out of the story. I'm ok with Matthew having a dream on that subject to show his fears, but not ok with faking out the audience just to add excitement and drama. Additionally, I never felt it was made clear why Matthew was being delayed. If I remember correctly, a promise had been made to King Henry to deliver evidence on a certain date or else Cromwell would lose favor and his position of power. So Cromwell was very nervous about getting a positive outcome. I don't think that was depicted well enough in the series.
I strongly disagree with the racists that a diverse cast is bad. I noticed one reviewer who claimed to have read the books even had an issue with Guy. Guy is Moorish in the books and it very much affects his character and how he is treated throughout the series. He is from Spain, which had been controlled by Moors for centuries up until just before the time of the story. I find it revealing many of those claiming inaccuracy call him Asian, so I'm guess they do not know Spanish history. This was also a time when England had entered the Renaissance and beginning to explore the world and there absolutely is a great deal of proof the population had diversity. However I was distracted by the Abbot being Black. Society then was very racist, as it still can be as show by the some reviews here, so I do not believe a Black man would have such a position of power, and that it is never commented on. However I am open to evidence of such examples, though I still say it would have been commented on by other characters and effected how he was treated. Sansom made a point of describing inequality in Tudor society in all the Shardlake books. But then again, that goes back to the lack of character development for the supporting cast in general.
All in all, I hope there are more seasons and I can't wait for them. Just get rid of the blue filter and hire a more skilled writer.
Veritas: The Quest (2003)
Terrible
I gave up on the series in the middle of episode 3. It's a shame because it's a great premise for a show - after all there are many others in this genre that were successful and short lived cult favs. It's a genre I really love and even do repeat viewing of many similar series. Sadly, this is one of the worst in memory. The majority of the problem is that the writing is hacky, chichéd, and predictable to a fault. Usually, if a show is not super original, it can still be super fun to watch though, because you like and enjoy the characters, the dialog, the settings. Even though this originally aired on ABC, the budget seems tiny. I think I did watch one or two episodes when it originally aired. I don't remember if it hated it then also or if it just got lost in the schedule so I couldn't keep watching. I do know it was pulled from the schedule completely after 4 episodes. For once, I agree with the executives. Another downfall is casting Ryan Merriman as the lead. He's extremely whiny and unlikeable, and it's not just due to the writing. Every line he says or close up of his pouty, spoiled face, is like nails on a blackboard. It's a shame because most of the rest of the cast is great. I've enjoyed watching them in many other shows and they've had careers with staying power. I've especially been a fan of Eric Balfour and Arnold Vosloo. There were even good guest stars. Take episode 3, which I gave up on, they had Liz Vassey who played Wendy from CSI, who I enjoyed watching for years. For the most part, the casting was great. I would have enjoyed watching the rest of the cast in a show of this type had it been good. But I just can't with Merriman. Putting him aside, there is not a single plot development that is inspired or interesting. How do you mess up a story of this type so badly? There were other similar small budget similar shows like Adventure Inc or Relic Hunter that I loved. There were even similar shows with teens such as Unnatural History that did a better version of this genre. But they had better writers and likely also better directors. The entire writing staff for Veritas needed to be replaced. Whoever was showrunner made a lot of poor decisions. What a shame.
Veritas: The Quest: Antarctica (2003)
Nope
Is the rest of the series like this? If so, I can see why it got cancelled. Niko is such an unlikable brat and the plot line is so clichéd. I'll give it one more episode and if it doesn't improve, I'm done. As all stories of this type go, the show opens with Niko not having the skills and maturity to succeed on a test. Then he spends half the show acting like a spoiled toddler. Sadly, his tantrum gets him his way. His smile really returns when he basically says to Calvin "ew, you probably paid attention in class and got good grades, yuck". I guess the writers thought this was a sick burn? Once he has gotten his way, he's back on top of the world. You could switch off the show at this point. We all know exactly what happens next because it's been done a thousand times. The team goes off to get in trouble and it's up to Niko to save the day. He even gets to be hero with Calvin. See audience, you don't need education or skills, as long as you have street smarts and heart, you get the be the main character, superior to all others. The discovery and how it all turns out is so silly and so unoriginal, it comes of like it was written by a 13 year old.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: For Gedda (2008)
Season finale
I watched this episode when it first aired and I believe it was pretty well known Warrick wasn't coming back, or at least it was a high likelihood. So as the episode went on you don't want something bad to happen to him, but you weren't exactly shocked either. They do make you think for a bit at the end "well maybe he is going to stay!" Then they pull the rug out under you. They left the door wide open for Sarah to return, but Warrick is definitely gone.
I do agree with some reviews about there being a lot of plot holes, although I think Warrick not having his blood tested was more of a clue than anything. Why did the person running the investigation not get labs? To hide evidence, of course. Although why wasn't Warrick himself yelling to get his blood drawn asap? That didn't make sense. I also have watched enough tv to believe his union rep should have been there to protect him and get him a lawyer immediately. And as a probable final plot hole, the undersheriff left his fingerprints all over Warrick's car. He only wiped off the gun before he walked away. So...
I do agree as well with another reviewer that the opening scene was gratuitous, if not racist. How does it make sense to hide a corpse in the coffin of a very large man so it was bound to break? Why not keep pursing the funeral home director as an accomplice? Why did our gang stand around the grave making really obnoxious comments and jokes about the dead person - with his family standing right there?!? And finally, why make the crowd decide to fight the CSI's for no reason other than "Black people are just like that?"
In the end though, it just gets old hearing people complain when a show changes. Long running shows either change or get cancelled. If you don't like it, stop watching. As it is, we are left with a bit of a cliffhanger about what will happen the next season. I can't remember if they ever answer Warrick's question about why was Gedda himself killed. Is there someone even higher up who needed the whole mess cleaned up? Or is it going to be dropped? As of now though, a character we watched and liked for 8 years is gone.
Edited to add that I love that the redhead Nick was eyeing at the end is played by the same actress who was Jessica on True Blood. One of my favorite characters. He has good taste!
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Two and a Half Deaths (2008)
Better as comedy than a mystery
Between the dueling trivia items about whether this show is partly based on Roseanne or Cybil Shepherd, I vote Roseanne. 100%. On the one hand you have a rando claim that Chuck Lorre had "issues" with Cybil. On the other hand, you've got a star who was supposed to be (at one time) America's lovable sweetheart, who was really a nightmare behind the scenes (believe it or not, there actually was a time when most fans saw Roseanne that way) and who went on to have a whole lot of plastic surgery and abuse a lot of substances. She started dating a guy a from Iowa (just like in this episode) who had a massive coke problem who then she made a producer and writer. There's also the infamous writers room on Roseanne which was like a revolving door, especially in the early years when Lorre worked there. There was even a quick joke about how spiritual Roseanne/Annabelle liked to portray herself in the media. There's way too many parallels to claim this is supposed to be Cybil Shepherd instead. I'm sure Lorre, like any writer, pulled from his lifetime of experience in Hollywood, plus his imagination, to add to the characters, but come on. Though I will say I don't know what issues Roseanne may have had with her female costars, especially Laurie Metcalf who won multiple Emmys for playing Jackie, and who Lorre later cast as Sheldon Cooper's mom. But Cybill did notoriously had an issue with Christine Baranski being considered funnier than her and getting accolades on her show as well.
There are so many other jokes in this make it really fun - like when Diedrich Bader told Grissom to be careful with the Emmy. "Is that what this is?" Petersen was nominated 3 times, as producer, but never won. Or the quick cameo of Lorre's Two and a Half men cast. Or Annabelle making Natasha feel her up. But what made me most happy is that it never turned out that Annabelle and Natasha ended up switched. I think on so many other shows, it would have turned out that Annabelle killed Natasha, then made it look like she herself was dead then she left town, only to have someone else knock her off later. It's such a cliche and I'm glad this episode didn't do that.
The ending though was a bit of a letdown. I mean it is also a cliche for detectives to confront a suspect with just a theory and little evidence, only for the killer to immediately confess to everything. But Rachel Harris' speech about Uncle Guiseppe went too far to be funny. Hanging a lantern on the lack of details or motivation didn't make up for the lack of details and motivation. Maybe Harris just wasn't funny enough in the part? Because the scene was somewhat saved when Stephen Tobolowsky showed up and then Brass said his line about Burbank. Can't win them all in the end.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Drops' Out (2008)
I like Drops
I find it hard to imagine people aren't charmed by Drops in this episode and really feel for him by the end. I do wonder if those who look refuse to sympathize with him and his associates in this episode also idolize movies like Dirty Harry or anything by Scorsese and Tarantino. I wonder what the difference is?
Anyway, the set up is a little far fetched, but I enjoyed how each new clue led the team from one point to another. They started with nothing and figured out the whole story, which is what CSI did so well, each character doing their part.
I can see why the producers liked working with Method Man so much in his episode that they brought him back and gave him his own story. He can play menacing, quick thinking, and sneaky all while emitting warmth, depth, and humor. And yay for the unexpected Octavia Spencer cameo!
Curious Caterer: Grilling Season (2023)
A little slower than the 1st movie
Overall I enjoyed this movie however I did find it a little slower moving than the first one. I kept getting distracted by my phone. Probably because I kept looking away, I had trouble keeping straight some of the characters and their jobs and relationships. It was super obvious right in the beginning who did it and how, although I was caught up in the back story of some red herrings along the way.
I have not read the books and I can see why some might be put off with so many major changes. A movie is never going to be just like a book. I get why they need to do things like combine characters. And of course Hallmark is not where I look for some gritty drama about a former abused wife with an angsty, troubled teen or realistic police work. I can see, with a limited cast and future movies possibly planned, how it helps to have Goldy have a good relationship with Richard as opposed to him being awful. I'm fine that Marla and Richard never dated/were married as it seems they did in the books. Kind of yuck for Goldy to have married her best friend's ex or whatever timeline the book had them all together. Very glad they made that change.
Do I love that most actors on Hallmark, male and female, look like they haven't even seen a carb this century? No. Nor do I love the overuse of face injectibles, dated beachy waves, false lashes, men's facial scruff, etc etc. No, but that's Hallmark. Take it or leave it it seems. Funny enough, I'm working my way through the Whitstable Pearl books after watching the tv show. They did the opposite where the book characters look like models and the actors look like real people - I actually prefer the tv characters, but many reviews complained about that change. You just can't please everyone.
I was a little thrown off as to why Goldy wears long winter coats in almost every scene, including indoors. I thought the actress might have been pregnant but Wikipedia doesn't list any new kids. Was it that cold on the set? Anyway, looking forward to the next installment.
Murder, She Wrote: School for Scandal (1985)
Half developed script
I have to have seen this episode more than once but I absolutely didn't remember any of it when watching again. It's just not very memorable. Without some lovable, talented cast members doing their very best to make their characters lively and interesting, this episode would be at best mediocre. As a bonus though we get Jessica both jogging and bike riding. Usually it's one or the other. And she looked amazing in her college robes.
Unfortunately, the script was more like an outline. I get what the writers likely intended, but it felt like half was missing. The story and the number of characters would be perfect for something like a two hour Midsomer Murder. After all, we've got an older, uptight college professor whose daughter appears to be a party animal. But secretly she writes trashy novels and has affairs with multiple men? Great idea! But instead nothing got developed. I could barely keep everyone's roles straight because they each got so little screen time. In two hours, there could have been many more scenes with Dean Werner and his ditzy wife, who turns out to be not so ditzy. Bland professor Ron and his nondescript wife could have had actual personalities. After all he was one of Dr Laird's harem of men.
Many of clues were super IN YOUR FACE more than usual. The detective of the week was ridiculously inept and I laughed out loud when he basically said "Aw geez, Miss Fletcher. I don't know nothin about being a cop. Won't you stay with me every step of the way and show me how?"
All this and yet that insane scene at the train station went on way too long, though that actor certainly milked it for every second. It was like the director had to fill time because the script was too short. Mystifying. I really want this plot to be recycled on Midsomer Murders now though.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Who and What (2007)
Not into it
I seem to agree with most here that this episode was a bit too convoluted, coincidental, cliched, and far fetched to really get into. Also I agree that Dennis O'Hare was the high point.
I've never watched Without A Trace before, though I usually like Anthony LaPaglia. I'm wondering if his character is usually such a jerk? And not a charming jerk, such as Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock. A cold fish jerk. He definitely didn't tempt me to watching more of his series, which presumably is one of the goals of crossovers. In fact, the others were uncharacteristically jerky here also, such as Grissom and Doc being strangely snarky at each other. It was uncomfortable. Was this the influence of the writers of that other show?
The way Jack (was that his name?) treated Hodges was terrible. Imagine if you are at work and some toady-like, complete stranger asked about a job at your company. You give him an address or number and get out of there. What normal person aggressively just calls him an a-hole? That's psycho behavior. This is what the writers felt was a great first impression for the CSI audience? It's mental.
Nevertheless, there were a few mildly funny moments between Grissom being neuroatypical and Jack being obviously way too typical, which came off a bit demeaning of Grissom. Then it totally paid off with Jack super dramatically climbing thru the train at the end, only to find Grissom already standing there. As he said, only *sometimes* do you have to go slow to go fast. Other times, you just go fast.
I wish Without A Trace was streaming anywhere to watch part two. I feel like if a crossover episode is made with another series, the follow up episode should be included with streaming of the first series or on the dvd. Maybe it is on this particular dvd set. I have no idea. I guess we can assume the bad guy is caught in a very dramatic way and then Jack stoically helicoptered away into the night.
EDITED: while looking for part 2 in streaming, I discovered there's a 1983 movie called Without A Trace based on the kidnapping of a 6 year old boy from NYC. The father was initially a suspect. Coincidence?
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: The Case of the Cross-Dressing Carp (2007)
P. Cyden
I really wanted to write a review because I just figured out Paul Cyden's name abbreviates into being Poseidon. LOL.
Anyway, yes, the episode hasn't aged well. Lots of things don't. To claim it can never be shown in reruns because it "spreads misinformation" is ridiculous on more than one level. You have to watch with a historian's eye and acknowledge the past with context. That's like saying you can't learn about any bad time in history (which is most of it), because it teaches impure ideas or something.
Also, just because a character in a show says something, that was the writer's choice for that character. It does not mean the entire staff of the show endorses that point of view. You'll notice in this episode, Nick says what is now an offensive term. That's the type of guy the writers felt Nick was. You'll notice Grissom has a different point of view, and so does Doc Robbins. So are they endorsing every competing point of view at once? The writers may have had a completely different view from all of them. People have no sense of context.
Also, the CSI team did not "ignore a crime just because a woman did it", like one reviewer says. You'll notice they did take the case to the DA. As Grissom always says, they don't judge. They just collect the evidence. It was the DA's office who decided they'd never get a jury to convict. Which is something completely different.
Anyway, Poseidon!
The X Files: Schizogeny (1998)
Maybe it's the simplest answer
I finished this episode trying to figure out what the heck actually happened. It creepy, atmospheric, suspenseful. Great aesthetics, fun to watch, and hints at occult forces, but in the end makes no sense - kind of like this entire series. I was trying to come up with some deep meaning and came here to see what others said. "Heh, this guy thinks the trees were alive!" I thought. But then "Wait. Maybe the trees were just alive?"
It makes the most sense. There's a grove of sentient trees that bleed red fluid and they have a mysterious caretaker. A young girl with psychic powers happens to live next to it and she develops some sort of controlling link with the trees. They get sick due to the girl being abused and due to her intense anger. One night she snaps and forces the trees to kill her father. Years later, she never moved away and became a therapist. Unfortunately her mental illness worsens and it kicks off the events of the show, including making the trees sick again. The trees even bring her the corpse of her father hoping she can accept he's gone and let go of her anger. But she only gets worse. When the caretaker kills her, he wants to sever her connection with his trees so they can be well.
This makes the most sense. It's just that the writers left out 2-3 crucial scenes. LOL.