Queer.Horror.Movies

The curated portfolio of film journalist Joe Lipsett

Homeland recap – 1×06: ‘The Good Soldier’

by

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…]

The Walking Dead recap – 2×04: ‘Cherokee Rose’

by

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…]

Fringe recap – 1×05: ‘Novation’

by

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.

[Read more…]

Quick Take: The Secret Circle – 1×08: ‘Beneath’

by

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.

[Read more…]

Revenge recap – 1×07: ‘Charade’

by

Courtesy of ABC

Emily, nee Amanda’s (Emily VanCamp) “roadmap to revenge” hits another stumbling block as ex-security  head Frank (Max Martini) digs up her criminal past, while Nolan engages on a solo take-down mission on Daniel Grayson’s (Joshua Bowman) mysterious friend, Tyler Barrol (Ashton Holmes). And we have our first official fatality of the season.

In our recent “He Said, She Said” tvangie suggested that Ringer should take a cue from Revenge. At the time I defended the Sarah Michelle Gellar vehicle because I felt that it had upped its game in recent episodes. And then I watched “Charade” and promptly ate the first crow that I could find. [Read more…]

Happy Endings recap – 2×06: ‘Lying Around’

by

Courtesy of ABC

So this week’s episode of our beloved Happy Endings was a fairly average episode. There were great parts, but on a whole it left me a little indifferent. Maybe it paled in comparison to the great episodes that the show has had the last few weeks, but this felt like more of a return to the uneven episodes of early season one. [Read more…]

He Said/She Said – Ringer – 1×07: Oh Gawd, There Are Two Of Them?

by

Courtesy of the CW

In the seventh episode of the freshmen series, the fall-out from Gemma Butler’s (Tara Summers) disappearance continues as our main characters are dragged in for questioning, forcing Bridget Kelly (Sarah Michelle Gellar) to reveal to both her husband, Andrew Martin (Ioan Gruffud) and her ex-lover, Henry Butler (Kristoffer Polaha) that she has a twin. Meanwhile, Bridget’s sponsor, Malcolm Ward (Mike Colter) finally escapes captivity.

The bitches break down their thoughts on the episode in the first ever “He Said, She Said.”

[Read more…]

Being Erica recap – 4×06: ‘If I Could Turn Back Time’

by

Courtesy of CBC

It was a hit and miss episode this week as we wind down to the series finale of the hit CBC show.

Re-living the events of your past in order to learn something about your present and better your future has been the crux of the entire series. This week’s episode was a bit clunky overall, but ultimately stayed true to its foundation making it an enjoyable one overall.

[Read more…]

Homeland recap- 1×05: Blind Spot

by

Courtesy of Showtime

Previously on Homeland:

  • Carrie (Claire Danes) had to take down the surveillance in Brody’s (Damian Lewis) home. Raquim Faisel was almost tailed back to his suburban house near the airport. Carrie followed Brody to a support group meeting and they had a meet-cute moment.

Family was a key factor in tonight’s episode. Even as we continue to wonder whether Brody has been turned, the show has done an admirable job of rounding out the supporting cast and making the rest of the show interesting and engaging. Blind Spot” did this well juggling the workings of the CIA as they took another step in unearthing a new terrorist plot, with the impact of Carrie, Brody, and Saul’s actions on their loved ones.

[Read more…]

And so it begins…

by

Hello world.

We’ve stolen the remote and we’re taking over the web to talk television. We watch TV – a lot of it. Every week we’ll recap some of our favourite shows using our signature blend of criticism, astute observations and occasional bitchiness.

Get ready for some fresh content and meaty conversations as we navigate the world of network and cable television. Visit often as we’ll also share our thoughts on other pop culture texts such as movies, books and music.

So who the heck are we? Right now we’re just a couple of media scholars who love watching and talking about television. Rather than email each other back and forth, we figured we should get more people involved – bring back the proverbial water cooler.

Love us? Hate us? Don’t be afraid to join the conversation – take back the remote and let us know what you think by leaving a comment or two. Got something else to say? Want to join us as a contributor?  Drop us a line at grabtheremote@gmail.com