Queer.Horror.Movies

The curated portfolio of film journalist Joe Lipsett

Revenge recap – 1×08: ‘Treachery’

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Courtesy of ABC

It’s becoming increasingly difficult to recap ABC’s Revenge the day after The CW’s Ringer. The two shows share a number of similarities: both feature main characters pretending to be someone they’re not (Emily VanCamp’s Emily and Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Bridget), both feature the tortured lives of the impossibly rich, and both feature all sorts of narrative twists and turns. The problem, however, is not that they are similar, but that Revenge is so damned good at what it does. So even when Ringer seems to be making progress (as I felt it did with this week’s episode), along comes Revenge to remind me of everything that Ringer is missing.

Everyone’s favourite anti-heroine returned this week, but the seams in Emily Thorne’s plan are beginning to unravel as unplanned players begin making power moves. Let’s break it down… [Read more…]

Ringer recap – 1×09: ‘Shut Up and Eat Your Bologna’

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Courtesy of The CW

Ringer is the television equivalent of a dysfunctional relationship: one week they’re taking you to the opera in your pretty red gown, the next they’re vandalizing your giant narcissistic glamour shot with the word ‘Bitch.’ Last week was a televisual crapfest that made me question everything I knew and loved; this week the show was back in top form. It’s just about enough whiplash to make you forget all the pseudonyms on the show, but I much prefer this Ringer.

Let’s break it down. Readers Beware: Redheads ahoy. [Read more…]

Being Erica recap – 4×08 – ‘Please, Please Tell Me Know’

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Courtesy of CBC

With just a few more episodes left in the series, Being Erica finally addressed some sticky issues regarding time travel and hinted at some of the rules of what the whole “doctor” process entails.

Despite addressing the larger mythology questions of the series, this episode had some major missteps. Being Erica has been one of my favourite shows of all time, but I feel this current season has been struggling to live up to the kind of quality I’ve seen in previous seasons in terms of character motivation and narrative cohesion.

[Read more…]

Homeland Recap – 1×07: ‘The Weekend’

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Courtesy of Showtime

What a difference of a week makes: in the space of a single episode, Homeland once again completely changes directions. Although this week’s episode ‘The Weekend’ was less taunt than previous weeks when we focused on interrogations and polygraphs, there was a ridiculous amount of progress made for the conspiracy fans, in addition to an obscene amount of character development. Characters were making moves – both sexual and emotional – and the results were incredibly engrossing.

Let’s break it down…(Major spoilers ahead) [Read more…]

He Said/She Said – The Walking Dead recap – 2×05: ‘Chupacabra’

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Courtesy of AMC

Last week a talky episode brought out the naysayers who claimed that this second season of The Walking Dead has been heavy on soliloquies and light on action. ‘Chupacabra’ should help to satiate those feelings as the episode focused on a fan favourite and delivered a few key pieces of information that will dramatically alter the fabric of the show as it heads into the latter half of the second season.

He Said/She Said returns to discuss what worked and what didn’t in ‘Chupacabra’… [Read more…]

Fringe recap – 4×06: ‘And Those We Left Behind’

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Courtesy of Fox

Peter’s (Joshua Jackson) back and in full force this week as the team investigates time space anomalies popping up all around town.

This week’s episode, although does little to advance the more immediate questions regarding where the heck Peter has been all this time and why none of his buddies even know who he is, is still an entertaining installment of the season.

After last week’s episode was a bit of a let down in terms of the return of Peter, I pretty much expected we’d get a slow burn for most of the season before anything really juicy happens. If you’re able to put the anticipation aside and enjoy this episode as a standalone, it really is a pretty solid one.

[Read more…]

Quick Take: The Secret Circle – 1×09: ‘Balcoin’

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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…]

Ringer recap – 1×08: ‘Maybe We Can Get A Dog Instead’

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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…]

Being Erica recap – 4×07: ‘Being Ethan’

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Courtesy of CBC via tvrage.com

Judging by Being Erica’s latest episode, it looks like the show is falling into a very similar routine week after week this season. I’m disappointed seeing as these are the last few episodes of one of my favourite Canadian television shows.  We’re over the half way mark in the show’s final season and some burning issues still remain.

Nevertheless, it was great to see a reunion of sorts as this week’s episode focused on Erica’s (Erin Karpluk) adorable ex-boyfriend and former best friend, Ethan Wakefield (Tyron Leitso).

[Read more…]

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

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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…]