The curated portfolio of film journalist Joe Lipsett
Courtesy of The CW
Somehow mid-season finales are already upon us as The Secret Circle winds down the first half of its inaugural season. The episode, named after main character Cassie Blake’s (Britt Robertson) original ancestral line, was a prime example of what the show does well, as well as where it can stand to grow. [Read more…]
Courtesy of The CW
I’ve been a fan of Sarah Michelle Gellar since the second season of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. I thought Nestor Carbonell’s Richard Alpert was one of the strongest, most interesting characters on Lost. One of my favourite genres is Film Noir, and I have a sweet spot for Dallas thanks to its sheer excess and over-the-top storylines.
In short, Ringer should be a perfect show for me. And yet, each week I’m finding the show harder and harder to defend against naysayers. Last night was a frustrating breaking point as all of the show’s goodwill (however little there was) dissipated in one of the most stunningly non-dramatic episodes of television I’ve witnessed in some time. [Read more…]
Courtesy of Showtime
It’s been an interesting few weeks on Homeland as the show has become something different now that Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) and Nick Brody (Damian Lewis), the man she suspects of being a terrorist, are spending more time together. I particularly liked the contrast between last week’s episode that centered around the torture and questioning of Brody’s old interrogator, and this week’s episode (in the wake of the interrogator’s suicide) when our own crew were being questioned via polygraph. It again ties together the experiences of not only Brody and Carrie, but serves to reinforce the ambiguous grey line that separates the methodologies of the CIA and the terrorists they pursue. [Read more…]
Courtesy of AMCtv
Not unlike Fringe, there’s been chatter online about the past few episodes of The Walking Dead and whether or not they’re delivering the goods. Perhaps it’s the behind the scene drama (Parent company AMC slashed the budget by $250,000 per episode, prompting creator Frank Darabont to leave/be fired after Comic Con this summer), but fans are concerned about how the show will move forward and if the quality will suffer.
After four episodes in, I think it’s safe to say…the verdict is unclear. [Read more…]
Courtesy of Fox
TVangie is away this week on a well-deserved vacation, so I’m starting off our Fringe coverage in her absence. Look for her thoughts on the series starting next week.
After a three week absence (thanks World Series!), Fringe returns with its first new episode since Peter Bishop’s (Joshua Jackson) reappearance. So far this season we’ve been asked to reconstruct not only the world of Fringe, but also all of the relationships between our principle players in the aftermath of Peter using the machine to bridge the two worlds. ‘Novation’ continued to address some lingering questions while advancing the plot regarding the new human-hybrid shapeshifters, but considering this was the first time Peter has been physically present, the lack of interaction between Walter (John Noble), Olivia (Anna Torv) and Peter was disappointing.
Courtesy of The CW
As the first season of not-quite-Vampire-Diaries-level teen drama chugs along, we’re settling into a rhythm: random spookiness, investigation by the circle, followed by mildly threatening danger and a likely cliffhanger ending.
This week’s episode, featuring a road trip to Faye Chamberlain’s (Phoebe Tonkin) family cottage in search of Cassie Blake’s (Britt Robertson) missing grandmother, Jane (Ashley Crow), provided a few interesting narrative developments, but the forward momentum of the last few weeks took a backseat to a more traditional ghost story.