Burn Notice "Old Friends" (2007)

While this episode continued to follow the pattern of narrative plot laid down in the pilot we did get to see the two previously separate story lines begin to converge in the form of an assassin stalking Michael while he is trying to complete this week's assignment. Michael's barriers are starting to break down. He takes calls from his mother instead of ignoring them, agrees to work with his deadbeat brother, Nate (Seth Petersen), who is mother had to beg him to call previously, he's flirty with Fiona and he's not being dragged into his assignments kicking and screaming. The subtle changes in the nuances of the character wouldn't be as apparent if the episodes did not follow a similar structure so I am grateful for that. By setting down a clear framework for the stories we can see the progression Michael makes from being someone who loathes being back home to someone who is beginning to acclimate to his situation and even enjoying himself every once and a while.

We're starting to see a deeper connection between Michael and Sam and Fiona. Now he easily could have been trying to play Michael, but Sam seemed genuinely hurt that Michael would not confide in him about he and Fiona's side mission in this episode. Even though he has justified his informing on Michael to the FBI, there is still a fragile trust that exists between the two characters. Michael tries to go the professional route and claim that his keeping Sam in the dark gives him deniability however even though Sam is a fellow spy and should understand that he can only see the situation as his friend not being able to trust him. The scene between them in the bar following this has a humorous feel with Michael joking he will euthanize Sam before he becomes invalid, but it works on another level as two buddies reaffirming their friendship. On the other hand with Fiona, she wants anything but to be friends as her playful demeanour with Michael in the hotel as he is changing demonstrates. Michael doesn't seem as reluctant to engage in such activities with Fiona as he has in previous episodes, it's just her timing that he would prefer should be better.

The assassin plot is able to accentuates how much danger Michael is in at any particular moment. Up until now he has been to pursue his activities in Miami unhindered, and in fact greatly aided, by his past life. However a blacklisted spy confined to one area, once the word gets out where he is, would be forced to constantly fend off attacks from people in his past. Having an assassin stalking your every move while you're trying to solve a case is the perfect method to demonstrate this danger and I hope we continue to see the ramifications and investigations of Michael's burn notice outside of the teasers and tag scenes of episodes. Having the two plots in each episode converge would be a great way to break out of the narrative rut the show has put itself in while still holding true to the original appeal of the series. The scene where Michael rushes to save his brother while being shot at by the assassin was both tense and compelling and hopefully is the start of more situations in Michael's future.

Favorite moment: Sam and Fiona's staged car accident again highlights the chemistry and hilarious dynamic between these characters. Their bickering in the car before hijacking the villains' car and kidnapping their mark contrasts sharply with how they should be preparing for their mission. Sam's impromptu plan of getting hit by the car and milking them for money to keep from having the insurance agents and police involved was both a ingenious method of delay while still being in style of the character as he'll be running to the bar with that money as soon as the bad guys depart. Fiona's shrugging off his arm afterwards also is a smile-worthy moment. More Sam/Fiona missions, please.

Wanted (2008) *½

The premise for Wanted is an intriguing one. Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) has always felt that he was a nobody cruising through life with no prospect of anything better ever coming along. Then he finds out he has a unique ability which makes him an ideal candidate for a secret fraternity of assassins. Obviously many people can relate to the fact that their lives are meaningless and are awaiting the day they find out they are unique in a particular way which will allow them to overcome the dreariness of their lives. However with this film, the premise is so poorly executed and the characters are so shallow and unsympathetic that it takes what could have been a personal, enthralling story and dashes all hopes of it reaching its potential, much like Wesley before he is recruited.

There are many powerful dramatic devices and tragic circumstances in this film which would normally provide for engaging drama. The awakening of a man who thought he was a perpetual loser, overcoming the ethical implications of murdering someone in cold blood because of faith that you are doing the right thing and most importantly being set up to kill your own father and the betrayal that comes with trusting these people to help and then they have you commit your worst fear. All these premises are glossed over through the course of the film and are replaced with action sequences, which is normally befitting of a summer blockbuster. Obviously a film cannot survive on these action set pieces alone and this film most certainly proves that. Wanted does get out to a rousing start with Wesley at the supermarket and meeting Fox (Angelina Jolie) for the first time. A gun fight immediately ensues with Cross (Thomas Kretschmann), the man blamed for the murder of Wesley's father. An exciting and adventurous car chase follows with Fox leaning out the car's windshield to shoot back at the pursuing assassin. We are then introduced to the Fraternity, full of anonymous thugs aside from the leader, Sloan (Morgan Freeman).

The rest of the film plays out with the revelation that Wesley has been lied to from the beginning and the remaining action sequences of the film: his confrontation with Cross and his take down of the Fraternity no where reach the same exciting levels as the opening sequences. The last ten minutes mainly consists of a bunch of slow motion shots of Wesley killing people left and right. If the story had taken any time to develop the characters and we could see the change Wesley makes from normal office lackey to maniac killing machine, the audience could care more about his character by witnessing the struggles and dilemmas he must confront on his journey. Fox is given the same treatment and her final motivation to kill the remaining Fraternity members and take her own life is not apparent. Is she doing this for the bond she supposedly developed with Wesley over the course of the film or because she does believe in the loom of destiny and that all its assignments are gospel? The film barely scratches the surface of any character and at the end we are left with Wesley who was finally able to avenge his father. Where to go next? I'm not sure I care all that much.

Favorite moment: Wesley's first empowering step into his new life involves his direct confrontation with his overbearing and bitchy boss. Being an office employee myself, it is easy to imagine the day when you call tell that person what to go do with themselves and how good it must feel to retaliate after so much abuse. Gibson takes extreme delight initially but then ends the scene with a softer and more hurtful explanation of how the office really views her as a person. The subtlety and finesse shown here will not be seen again and even the hilarious button of smashing his keyboard into his best friend's face all constitute a scene that shows that the film as a whole had high potential

WALL·E (2008) ***½

This ninth film from the impeccable Pixar Animation Studios proves once again that when it comes to computer- generated imagery feature films, there is no substitute for the striking visuals and heartfelt stories that Pixar provides. WALL·E is set on a grander scale than previous films as we get a glimpse of Earth in the future, overrun with pollution and waste with a sole robot still charged with the task of cleaning the planet. WALL·E (Ben Burtt), assumed to be left on when the Earth was abandoned or simply the only still functioning unit, diligently continues to follow his directive with only a sprightly cockroach as company. Much of the humor in the first half of the film is derived from WALL·E's discovery of interesting trinkets in the mounds of refuse he must sort through. At night he watches the same film, Hello, Dolly!, and dreams of a companion to love, symbolized through the holding of hands. Once he meets EVE (Elissa Knight) the narrative is set in motion for a love story on a galactic scale.

Until we meet humans again on the Axiom, a large part of the film contains no dialogue and the only communication the audience gets with its characters is the mechanical sounds coming from the robots. It is a testament to the sound mixers and the vocalization of Burtt and Knight that so much can be conveyed only through the pair's saying of each other's names. How do you show love blossom between two characters who do not speak? The key is that it is shown and they don't speak about their feelings. Through their actions and gestures to one another you believe in the growing romance between the two leads and you begin to believe in them as actual characters and not digital images. Emotions are a universal language that easily surpasses language barriers and are a more effective tool to convey character depth than dialogue will ever be. You grow to care for these characters and I must say that I was particularly upset when WALL·E was damaged by AUTO and it looked like his personality was lost after his repair by EVE.

The film is for audiences both young and old and prove that the two are not mutually exclusive. The children will love the cute robots and the well done comedy. It works here because this is not the comedy that is plentiful is so many big blockbusters. The comedy is derived from WALL·E's mistakes and goofs that reveal a human nature inside this metallic creature. Older audiences will appreciate the adult themes of the story with its critique of environmentalism and dependency on technology. But this is not a "message film" as this critique is apart of the background texture and is subtle in application. It serves as the driving force for the second half of the film and is never preachy and heavy-handed. This film is about the characters and the love story between WALL·E and EVE and it is marvelously and beautifully executed.

Favorite moment: The scenes of WALL·E clinging to the probe ship as it returns to the Axiom highlight the digital beauty of Pixar's animation skill. In similar regard the dance that occurs between WALL·E and EVE outside the ship is the epitome of how actions can convey so much more than words and is a touching moment in the relationship of the characters and highlight the childlike wonder and delight of the robots that makes them two of the most human of the entire cast of characters. It's in direct parallel to the humans who sit in the gravity chairs and see everything off a screen. This scene brought a smile to my face and cemented this film as the second best of the year thus far in my opinion.

Fear Itself "In Sickness and in Health" (2008)

I'm not going to say much about this episode as I thoroughly detested it. After two so-so episodes and one that had great potential but still performed only adequately this episode was quite literally the straw that broke the camel's back. The writing was awful as the twist is quite obvious simply based on the preview of the episode. Under scrutiny however the twist that the note was delivered to the wrong person would make no logistical sense. Yet that is exactly what happens in the story. Taking this into account none of the character motivations stand to reason and even if it had been some other twist they still would not have been able to rectify how the other characters behaved. The characters in the story act in a certain way as directed by the script and not one of them has an ounce of sense. Why would this woman be so threatened that she is marrying a serial killer if she herself is one? Does it never occur to her until the very end that the note is about her? Why would her soon-to-be husband act in such a hostile manner when he sees something is seriously bothering the love of his life? He loses all self control and chases after her in a homicidal rage just to talk to her?

The rest of the episode built up around this twist also does nothing to engage the audience. Multiple red herrings are dropped into the audience's lap just to take their minds of the predictability of the ending. From the opening shots of the church with a crucified Jesus status in the middle of the hallway, you know that this place is anything but romantic and no normal wedding party would ever happen here. There is no suspense or thrills as the characters are not worthy of the audience's sympathy. The woman is obviously the one the audience is supposed to connect with as she has just been told she's marrying a serial killer. You should be frightened for her as her new husband slowly loses control and then be utterly shocked when you find out it is her who is the killer as she is the one you sympathize with. All the other characters are written to direct you in the manner, but that fact that there is not a normal person in the entire cast do you ever believe their motivations. This show is being officially dropped. Burn Notice season two is more worthy of my time and everyone else's.

Favorite moment: The casting of The X-Files' William B. Davis (The Cigarette-Smoking Man) as a near deaf fatherly priest. It was nice to see Davis on television again and he is the one character you could probably like in this disaster of an episode. He also is hard of hearing which I'm sure the audience was quite envious of throughout the episode.

Live and Let Die (1973) **½

I'm going to borrow a line from Seinfeld (which I will do often). Live and Let Die is a solid 2.5, right in that meaty part of the curve of the Bond canon, not showing off, not falling behind. With Sean Connery's second departure from the role, the producers decided on Roger Moore, who had previously been a serious contender for both Dr. No and On Her Majesty's Secret Service, to take on the James Bond character. With Moore's ascension to the role, the Bond persona is altered to be more in tune with Moore's own personality. This coincides with the addition of more overt humor introduced into the plot of Diamonds are Forever. While trying to avoid some of the trappings of the Bond franchise in order to bring a fresh approach to the eighth film in the series, the film also disregards the established motifs that the audience have come to love.

Bond is no longer a globe-hopping secret agent who visits exotic locales but travels to two United States cities, New York and New Orleans, and a return trip to Jamaica (previously seen in Dr. No) standing in as the fictional island of San Monique. Moore's introduction is played very low-key and we are introduced to our new Bond as he sleeps in bed. He's not even featured in the teaser and its obvious the producers, by understating his introduction, are attempting to show that nothing has changed. I think they should have embraced their new Bond and shown that he is different than Connery and will bring his own approach to the role. We are then greeted with M and Moneypenny stopping by Bond's house to bring him his new assignment. Why his superior would stop by unannounced is bad enough, but then the situation plays out over a juvenile scheme to hide Bond's girl from his boss. The Bond/Moneypenny banter is also missing and it is a shame seeing as how Lois Maxwell and Roger Moore are good friends in real life with a long history. Q is also missing as it was decided to put a limit on the gadgetry and Desmond Llewelyn was off promoting the previous film. I'm still confused as to why the British Secret Service was investigating a Caribbean dictator who was involved with an American gangster and the villain's scheme seems unworthy of Bond's attention. It was decided to make the film topical and focus on the themes of blaxploitation films that were popular at the time and drug smuggling appeared to be the best fit.

The film does have its positive aspects however as the music score is infectious and enthralling. The first Bond film to be scored without any input from John Barry, George Martin was able to deliver the first James Bond theme song to be Oscar nominated. Music is used sparingly throughout the film but when it is utilized it complements the action on screen and excites the audience to see what happens next. A perfect example would be the climax of the boat chase where no music had been heard aside from the very beginning when Bond escapes the crocodile farm. The audience is not distracted from the action taking place on screen but when the music does pick up it piques the audience's anxiety as they know something is about to happen. The whole boat chase is well executed and edited and even Sheriff J.W. Pepper's (Clifton James) comedic subplot of his pursuit of Bond is a welcome addition as the character is played grandiose without going over the top. See how this will be the opposite in the next film. Going back to Bond's escape from the crocodile farm highlights one of the film's best stunts as Bond is forced to rely on his own wits and physicality to escape his predicament as his gadget fails to provide an escape. Once again the scene is done without music as the crocodiles continue to surround Bond and only once he makes his escape do we hear Martin's score which enriches the audience's own fears of relief and elation.

The film also sports a standout supporting cast with particular regards to villain's henchmen. Tee-Hee (Julius W. Harris) is both charming and exudes an air of quiet menace without ever displaying true aggression until his final battle with Bond on the train. Baron Samedi is mysteriously and joyfully played by Geoffrey Holder who the producers strongly considered to bring back for a future appearance. David Hedison portrays Felix Leiter #5 and brings a congeniality and warmth to the role that had been lacking in the previous film. Hedison would return in Licence to Kill and be the only actor (so far) to play the role of Leiter more than once. Yaphet Kotto turns in a solid performance as the chief villain however an unforgettable plot and more captivating underlings overshadow his portrayal as one of Bond's memorable nemeses. His laughable and in poor taste demise also serves to undermine the character. Finally we come to Jane Seymour, who was only 21 at the time of filming, in her first major international role as Bond's leading lady, Solitaire. Seymour is both breathtaking while still exuding a virginal quality necessary for the role. Her character does not get to do much aside from the usual damsel in distress routine, but Seymour plays the role with a sincerity that captures the audience's sympathy from the beginning.

Favorite moment: The finale of the boat chase as previously mentioned begins with the return of Martin's brilliant score and again has Bond relying on his own intelligence in order to escape his pursuer. It could have ended with a spectacular explosion, yet we get to also witness Sheriff Pepper's attempt to arrest Bond after his hopeless pursuit through the bayous of Louisiana. It's comedy that works and would have left a more fond remembrance of the character had that been his last appearance before he surfaces again in The Man with the Golden Gun.

Pepper: What are you? Some kinda doomsday machine boy? Well we got a cage strong enough to hold an animal like you here!
Leiter: Captain, would you enlighten the Sheriff please?
Trooper: Yes sir. J.W., let me have a word with ya. J.W., now this fellow's from London, England. He's a Englishman working in cooperation with our boys, a sorta secret agent.
Pepper: Secret agent? On whose side?

Doctor Who "Forest of the Dead" (2008)

I cannot wait for season five. The conclusion to last week's episode proves again that Steven Moffat is the best man to take the helm once Russell T. Davies steps down. Aside from some qualms with the beginning ( I was never a fan of last week's cliffhanger ending) and the very end this episode was both gripping and entertaining throughout and plants some more seeds towards the season finale and the Doctor's future. Both regulars were at the top of their game (after sidelining Donna last week) and the two main guest stars complement them perfectly. While there were overtones of The Matrix in the plot, it was both original and thought-provoking and proves how adeptly Moffat can weave a storyline and make us care about the characters. Alex Kingston continued to shine as the Doctor's future mystery lady and I sincerely hope we get to see more of her in the future. With Moffat returning next season as the head writer and her being his character, there is a strong chance that we will see Professor Song again. I also hope that Moffat will get to write more episodes as head write as Russell T. Davies has done. The future for Who is looking bright indeed.

I won't reiterate my feelings regarding the cliffhanger and walking corpses as I covered that last week so therefore we'll skip over the cliffhanger resolution. I do wish to discuss my issue with the ending. I think having Professor Song survive, even as consciousness in the computer data core, takes the emotional weight off of her death. To make the audience go through the torment of watching this woman, who will eventually grow so close to the Doctor that she will learn his name, sacrifice herself to save the life of the man she loved, only to revive her through some miracle science is a bit of a cheat. I am torn though because imagine the Doctor's relationship with this woman. Throughout their courtship and experiences together he knows exactly how and when it will end, and that has to carry a cloud of depression around no matter how happy they are together. The new series has constantly highlighted the Doctor as a lonely and tragic figure as opposed to one who enjoys the wonders of the universe with a childlike delight and necessary heroism when needed. The Doctor now still maintains some of those qualities but he has become an old and solitary soul following the Time War and it takes something out of the essence of the character. But even if I was okay with Professor's Song's survival, the fact that everyone was saved through this neural link and that no one in fact died takes the suspense out of the story and will hurt it on repeat viewings. There is a precedent for this ending however in that the last two-parter Moffat wrote (The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances) the Doctor is able to save everyone as well but the deus ex machina was a bit more believable and the Ninth Doctor's pure delight in being able to save everyone won the audience's doubts over. I'm sorry to say I didn't feel the same here.

Don't think that I disliked the episode however as it has been the best of the season so far and has pushed the audience into that last batch of episodes with apprehension and excitement. I was so pleased with Donna's story as her romp into the virtual world has given Catherine Tate a chance to show her acting skills and prove that she can tackle drama with the same versatility as she can comedy. Interesting to note the way her life takes shape in the computer. It can be assumed that the world acts on her desires as it does on her actions and that this is the ideal life she has chosen for herself. She wants a family with children that she can care for and settle down with. This dream is completely contradictory to her previous statement that she is going to travel with the Doctor forever and the fact that there is an impending sense of doom hanging over her future with the Doctor, she may start to reevaluate her priorities and cut short her partnership with the Time Lord. I also loved the scene with them as they are watching people transport out of the library. She tries to get the Doctor to talk about his loss but understands enough not to push him. When she says that he's using Time Lord speak to communicate that he is all right when in fact not and uses the same expression to describe herself, she shows the Doctor that she is there if he wants to confide in her but she will not push him. Another demonstration of how close these two opposites have become over the course of the season.

Favorite moment: Professor Song decking the Doctor and handcuffing him to prevent him from risking his life to save the people trapped in the computer core. Kingston displays genuine fear when he states what he intends to do and her love for him that has been apparent since their first scene together drives her to sacrifice her life to save his. Her past/future experiences with the Doctor has granted her the courage to stand up to him as people tend to back down when the Doctor tells them to and has made this character a memorable one and one we hope to see again very soon.

Swingtown "Cabin Fever" (2008)

I was a little disappointed with this episode. First off I expected it to be steamier than it actually was. The episode description had the Millers, Deckers and Thompsons enjoying a little quality time at a cabin, Laurie invites her teacher over for dinner in the parent-less house and BJ, Rick and Samantha sneaks into the Deckers' pool while they are away. Now I know last week I said that the show if not just about swinging but the outcomes of embracing such a lifestyle but I still expected a little more than what actually happened. Only one of the three stories made any headway as the two focusing on the Miller children continue to tread water since last week. The trio who break into the pool results in Rick getting drunk and passing out and BJ and Samantha spending more time together and falling asleep in pool chairs. Laurie on the other hand gets her teacher to spend more alone time with her watching Double Indemnity and after the kiss she plants on his last week, ends this week holding his hand and telling him "this works". I guess this guy has an attraction to her or he would never have gone to the house for her dinner invitation. Hopefully we'll either see him embrace this relationship or cut her off soon and not this continuing middle ground where they hang out and at the episode realize "oh right, she likes me" and have an awkward scene.

The only story that does seem to push ahead is the parents in the cabin although this is also starting to take on a repetitive nature. Just as the Millers and Deckers look like they are about to reenact their first night together, the Thompsons show up and everything blows up. Trina and Janet continue to bicker and put Susan in the middle to sort things out. It is refreshing to see take-charge Susan again after she debuted at the housewarming party last week. Tired of Janet and Trina's incessant fighting and discovering that Bruce has outed their experimentation to Roger, Susan tells both of the women to lighten up and stop pushing buttons respectively and demands that Roger speak to her outside. I was resentful of Roger this week and his judgmental attitude towards Susan which he blamed on the fact that he was worried he and Janet wouldn't fit into her and Bruce's new lifestyle. His attitude had less to do with his worry over the loss of a friend and more to do with petty jealousy as he is obviously harboring feelings for his best friend's wife. Susan's rush to comfort him and assure him that they were still friends had me sighing in disgust as he was just obviously trying to play her. He should take a page from Bruce and Susan's new honesty pact.

Is it just me or is everything with the Deckers so sexually charged? It constantly appears as if these two couples are only moments away from jumping into bed together again. Are there no platonic activities these friends can participate in? The romantic entanglements continue to grow however as we see Janet begin to lust after Tom and Bruce is obviously attracted to Trina. With the Thompsons starting to open up to the Deckers and Tom being forced to spend more time away from home these attractions are only going to continue to grow and it'll be interesting to see the pairs start to split off instead of being together all the time. I think this is both a natural progression of the storyline and a necessity as I stated before the couples drama is becoming repetitive. It would be refreshing to see these characters start to grow closer away from their spouses instead of following the same groundwork laid since the premiere.

Favorite moment: The scene with Bruce and Tom fishing and Trina and Susan sunbathing shows that the couples can hang out without the constant appeal/threat of sex looming over the bunch. It was good to see them interacting in this manner and it's evidence that the couples have a growing friendship and they're both not simply attracting to the prospect of having another swinging session. Of course it ends with a proposed shower sharing session and just as the two couples are about to get going the Thompsons show up and ruin all the fun. Still a good scene despite the inevitable way it was going to end.

Burn Notice "Fight or Flight" (2007)

Only three episodes in and Burn Notice is starting to show signs of repetition. While still an enjoyable show, I hope that it is able to break out of the mold of the format is appears to be laying down. The stories are all following a similar pattern: the episodes start off with Michael looking into his burn notice, he is forced to take a job to obtain assets/information to aide in his search, he performs his assignment successfully growing a bit closer to his marks than perhaps he would like and finally another small step towards discovering why he was blacklisted. I wouldn't mind so much if the format wasn't exactly the same for the last three episode. It is possible that the show is simply establishing its premise for those that may be tuning in a bit late (present company included) and will start to evolve soon seeing as how we are already one-fourth through the season. The characters more than make up for the mildly repetitive storytelling and this episode was certainly worth the time for this reason.

We explore more of Michael's fear of commitment as Fiona concludes that she should have a key to his apartment. She also points out the fact that a car, which he obviously needs, requires a commitment and further displays his innate fear of it. Interestingly enough when asked why I haven't bought a car as I have been commuting to work by bus, I point out the fact that a car would put more a dent into my savings that I plan on using for my move out of the state of Florida. A car would in effect tie me down, in part, to this state when I have no intention of making a home here. It's amazing how similar my life is to this blacklisted spy. Fiona pushes Michael to get a car which requires more quality time with Mom as he needs to ask for his father's old car. Mom works her manipulative charm and has Michael promise to visit his father's grave. It's hard to be resentful of Sharon Gless, as is able to downplay this aggressive side of her character through the obvious love she has for her son. The two-pronged approached to have Michael open up continues.

I was sad to say I could see where the plot line of the daughter of the client was going the moment she started to complain about the conditions of the safe house but the climax more than makes up for it. It was a bit forced but Michael's telling of how he was separated from Fiona when he got close to her on assignment only to meet up with her again later shows that he does still have feeling for his ex-girlfriend. It was also notable that the girl's summation of his story, if they're meant to be together they will be, brought out an uneasiness in Michael. It could be he doesn't choose to believe that he and Fiona are soul mates or the fact that he is afraid of the closeness inherent in having a soul mate and only time will tell which is the correct. I choose to go for the former as I simply can't get enough of Fiona and Anwar's performance of her predilection for violent behavioral responses continue to fit with how we were introduced to the character. It's also sweet to see that Michael does have genuine concern for her safety and I absolutely loved the penultimate scene where he playfully hangs onto the key before giving it to her and then her brushing up against him as they walk down the street. These two have simmering passion for each other and I cannot wait for it to ignite.

Favorite moment: Fiona's total bad ass tactic against the hit squad. From calm exterior to finding out trouble is on the way to the casual way she asks where the liquor cabinet is and topping off with her cheesy action hero line: "Last call, boys." it was truly the attack with as much fanfare as possible, per Michael's narration and it was made all the more enjoyable because Fiona was loving every second of it.

The Office (UK) "Work Experience" (2001)

This second episode mainly focuses on David and Gareth as they investigate a pornographic photo that has been e-mailed around the office featuring David's head on a woman's body. David finds this photo at the worst possible time: he is showing Donna (Sally Bretton), a new employee around the office. She is the daughter of some friends of his and he has hired her in spite of the fact that he should be looking for ways to cut costs around his branch. David is quite understandably upset regarding the photograph but tries to play it off as his resentment for pornographic photos that degrade women so his employees won't think that he can't take a joke. He sets Gareth out to discover who made and distributed the illicit photograph and the sycophant begins a systematic but grossly inept investigation which turns out to finger the incorrect party. Jennifer returns to the office to find out what measures David has made to prepare for the merger of the two branches and the rest of the office spends most of the day goofing off while David assures his boss that his branch is the more efficient of the two and shouldn't be downsized.

We see that David is completely incapable of doing the dirty part of his job in managing the office. He doesn't want to do anything that may anger his employees (outside of his usual offending behavior) for fear they will take their anger out on them and won't like him for it. He spends almost the entire episode trying to keep his employees happy while also lying to his boss about the cutbacks he has made. He tells his employees that there will be no layoffs and that everyone's job is secure. He then lies to Jennifer and says that he is planning on layoffs and has fired a warehouse worker already. His frantic attempts to appease both sides ends in utter disaster as Gareth's investigation names Tim as the culprit and after a dressing down from Jennifer about how he is not man enough to do his job decides to make an example out of him by firing him first. The whole affair blows up in his face since his best friend Chris Finch was the responsible party and he has done the complete opposite of what he set out to do at the beginning of the episode. His employees, who rally around Tim as David blames him for the e-mail, end up angry with him anyway, and still don't know about the potential layoffs, and Jennifer has seen how inadequate of a manager he is of his employees. It's hard not to sympathize with David as he does have to walk a very fine line and there is a great amount of unpleasantness in his job. This is compounded by his personality and just serves to make him exact opposite of what he truly wants to be: a good friend/boss (in that order).

Gareth takes on the more comical storyline as he allows the tiny bit of power that David has given him go straight to his head. He turns the meeting room into his personal office and spends more time assuring people of his authority rather than doing any actual investigative work. The poor bastard can't even convince Donna that he is her supervisor and is constantly shot down in any attempt at a power play that he makes. He also allows this need for power to cross over to his flirting with Donna and ends up repulsing her and dashing any hope for a relationship. He is so annoying in this regard that we don't take pity on him for the pranks that Dawn and Tim play on him. The running gag of Tim calling his portable phone, which is a gun-like shoulder holster, just to tell him that he is a cock, serves as a constant reminder that no one takes him seriously and that he just invites more and more disrespect from his co-workers by acting even more like a jerk. It's sort of a endless feedback loop.

I hope to see more scenes with the other cast members as we were mainly treated to David and Gareth in this episode. The Dawn/Tim storyline was barely touched other than a scene where Tim does Dawn's hair and another where Dawn shoots a glance over to where Tim and Donna are chatting. The mutual attraction is much more subtle in this version of the series and it comes off as more realistic as you wouldn't make a display to the camera that you are infatuated with someone. Don't get me wrong. I'm not knocking the US version. I am continually impressed with John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer's non-verbal acting talents which largely account for why it does work there. But I also admire the UK version for taking a more subtle and real approach to the characters.

Favorite moment: Dawn and Tim's double interrogation which just serves as utter humiliation for Gareth. The whole exchange is hilarious with both Dawn and Tim proving they both can successfully get under his skin:

Gareth: Was it one of you two?
Dawn: Yes. Christ, you're good.
Gareth: Was it?
Dawn: No.

Gareth: In this room I have special-
Tim: Needs?
Gareth: No, I am a special-
Tim Needs child?
Gareth: No, and that's not even funny. All right, I won't have you fired because-
Tim: You couldn't.
Gareth: Right, that's all.

Burn Notice "Identity" (2007)

Well after an excellent start I was looking forward to spending more time with our friends in Miami. You know I wish there really were cool people like this Florida. With these guys and the characters from Dexter, you would really have something. Maybe I should go to Miami more often. It is only a half hour away. While the pilot effectively set up the new characters we would be seeing over the course of the series, this episode delved deeper into the relationships between them. We get to see a little more detail about the troubled rift between Michael and his mother and we learn that Sam and Fiona have a history of their own. Of course the two relationships vary from the dramatic to the comedic respectively but both are highly entertaining and make this episode a superb follow-up to the premiere.

In an effort to discover who left the large amount of surveillance photos in his loft, Michael traces the camera angles projected from the pictures outside his mother's home. After a while he heads inside and tries, in vain, to question his mother about any suspicious folks in the neighborhood recently looking for info on him. But Mom would rather talk about her neighbor Laura (Elayne Wilks) who was recently robbed and assaulted by a small group of con artists. I was questioning the motives of the manipulative Madeline with her offer of his assistance with Laura's situation for her assistance with his investigation. I'm not saying she doesn't care about her friend, but I suspect she had a slight ulterior motive as it would give her a chance to see more of her son. Michael reluctantly agrees and he seems visibly shaken when he meets with Laura to discuss what happened. Whatever went on in Michael's life before he became a spy, obviously cost him his desire to be close to people. He seems uncomfortable around Laura, almost afraid to be too sympathetic and view her as an actual person rather than just a job. In the next scene he briefly snaps at Sam when he picks on Michael for helping out little old ladies. Obviously Sam knows when not to push Michael the wrong way and immediately offers to help.When he does finally get the better of the con artists, he returns all the money to all the elderly women who had fallen victim to this scheme. A minor point, but everything we have seen regarding Michael's professionalism is that he sticks to the job at hand and doesn't get distracted, at least until he returned to Miami. He doesn't have to help all these other women who will never know he was responsible for returning their life savings but he does it anyway without the benefit of any kind of reward. He is forced to spend more time with Mom and appears troubled when he finds out she told the men investigating him that he always put family first above all else. Her blunt statement that these lies were better than the truth seems to strike a chord in his otherwise calm veneer and make these family drama scenes, which could easily seem shoehorned into the plot, flow seamlessly with the narrative of the story and provide another dimension into the psyche of our main character.

On the comedic side of the plot, we discover than Sam once burned a deal of Fiona's costing her quite a bit of money. Fiona quickly invites herself to help out Michael in his current assignment once she realizes Sam in also involved and finds herself partnered with him while Michael goes undercover with the con artist. The scenes of the two throwing insults at one another while carrying out their assignments highlights that while both are pros at their jobs (aside from a few slip ups along the way) they are real people who are not as detached as one could expect from people in their trade. Through the course of the episode they grow into an efficient team and learn to have a certain respect for the other's skills. Their good cop/bad cop routine illustrates the true chemistry that these two actors have with one another while throwing in a pop culture in-joke: their aliases as Detective Cagney and Lacey are the main characters of a show co-star Sharon Gless was on in the late 1980s). I look forward to more pairings between these two and hope that just because they have found a way to work together that won't stop them from expressing their true feelings for one another: outright contempt.

Favorite moment: Almost being caught planting bugs on the yacht of the con-artists, Cagney and Lacey pretend to be in a tryst in the master bedroom. A ruse which has Sam being the dog and convincing Fiona that they yacht was his. Her slaps across his face and the silent rage Sam displays at being forced to take the abuse so as not to give themselves up is hysterical. Not to let Fiona take full advantage of the situation, Sam throws her over his shoulder in order to make a faster getaway and largely to prevent her from hitting him again. Michael better be careful or these two will certainly steal the show while he is off helping the next little guy he can't avoid getting involved with.

The Last Man on Earth (1964) **½

In an attempt to atone for the sin of seeing I am Legend while never having seen this film or The Omega Man in its entirety begins here. I had previously stated that I always try to catch an original before a remake, reboot, etc. but this was one of the few times that I was at fault. This film was an Italian production dubbed into English and was apparently a source of inspiration for George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead. The film is essentially broken into three acts and that it the method with which I will discuss the film.

The first third of the film begins quite effectively with some shots of a skyline of a major city with the semblance of normalcy. We then move to street level and the feeling that something is amiss begins to creep into the mind as they are deserted. There is not a single person in sight in this major city and then we discover where the people are. The haunting shots of the empty streets are replaced with the bone chilling shots of corpses littering the roads and sidewalks. We then meet our main character, Dr. Robert Morgan (Vincent Price) who awakens and begin his monotonous routine that he has followed for the past three years. His internal thoughts are projected to the audience through a voice over and this is quite effective. With only one character there has to be some method of communication and a narration would appear to be the best fit. But the voice over is not narrating the story, they are Morgan's own thoughts and feelings. He doesn't tell us right away what happened because he already knows and would not narrate the story to himself in his mind. We get snippets of the plot as he thinks to himself while going through the routine of his daily errands. Price works effectively in these scenes, his casual disregard and immolation of the dead bodies into the burning pit shows no emotion or moral dilemma as he has been doing this for quite some time. He even states his motivation is pure survval, either him or them, and he's not willing to submit to death despite the hell that his life has become. When night comes, he retreats to his boarded up house with his jazz as vampires try to break into his home. He awakens the next morning to the same surroundings and routine however he decides to stop at his late wife's grave to pay his respects. This scene is the first where Morgan actually speaks, our first voice actually came from the lead vampire, Ben Cortman (Giacomo Rossi-Stuart), blandly stating that they were going to kill Morgan. Our hero's first words are "I miss you, Virg" and he mourns over her grave.

The second act commences with his discovery that he lost track of time and must fight off the vampires to return to his sanctuary. We see the vampires are slow moving and easily fought off when there are only a few to contend with. Once he makes it safely inside his house, he begins to flashback to the events that had led up to his current situation. These scenes work the least I believe most strongly due to the wooden dubbing that was done for English audiences. The actors sound like they are just reading their lines from the script and are not putting any kind of emotion into their performances. Not as noticeable in the first act, since Price is our only source of speech and it looks as though Price, when we do see him speak, is actually speaking English. We meet the Morgan family, his wife Virgina (Emma Danieli) and daughter Kathy (Christi Courtland), and also discover that Ben is a close family friend. Kathy refers to him as "Uncle Ben". We learn that a fatal disease is spreading across Europe and eventually makes its way to America. His wife and daughter succumb while he works to find a cure at the research center. Ben who was also employed there, warning him that some of the population were turning into vampires, decides to lock himself away due to his fears. After losing his daughter's body to the pit, the pit he now uses for his own victims, he decides to give his wife a proper burial only for her to return to the house that night. We cut back to Morgan in the present having just barely returned from his wife's grave. These scenes should work to both answer the lingering questions from the first act and lead into the final act but due to the acting and plotting of these scenes, and the length of the flashback, it served to uproot the audience from the story and ruin the momentum established by the first act. Some of the most emotional scenes are completely glossed over: the fact that he has to murder his wife who has returned to life as a vampire, what happened to Ben between the time he locked himself away and now being the leader of the pack assaulting Morgan's home every night and Morgan's first days dealing with his loneliness and how he must force himself to kill the creatures in the day that hunt him at night.

The third act begins the next day where Morgan again begins his normal routine to see a dog running up to his house, only to run away when Morgan calls to him. The utter joy on his face in seeing another normal creature still alive and his desperate chase of the animal across the city would have been better portrayed not coming directly off the poor second act but do serve to pick up the momentum that was lost. He discovers that there are others who must be alive as he comes across speared bodies of vampires that were not killed by him. The dog returns that night, injured, and Morgan discovers that it is infected from its injury. Previous to his discovery he was making plans about all the happy times the two would share and the tragic realization that he would have to kill the animal should be traumatizing to him but due to his experiences he can only laugh at the irony of the situation. While burying the dog, who has a stake in its heart, he meets Ruth Collins (Franca Bettoia) who that night informs him there are others still alive that are battling the infection with a vaccine that prevents them from turning into vampires. She makes the shocking revelation that her people fear and despise Morgan because of his cold-blooded murder of the vampires, and even some of their group, and their confusion as to his survival. Despite his ability to cure Ruth, her companions arrive and after easily killing off the vampires attacking the house, go after Morgan before Ruth can relate that he has found a cure to them human again.

Favorite moment: The ending is great in that Morgan, being hunted because as a normal human, he is too different from the pseudo-vampires to have a place in their new society, allows them to kill him rather than reveal he has a cure that can make them human again. The irony that his method of survival through the killing of the vampires while they rested led to him being hunting for his savage practices is shocking and his demise at the hands of the pseudo-vampires is chilling as he has taken the cure with him to his grave. His unwillingness to die at the hands of the vampires is mooted through his desire not to cure the "freaks" who wish to start civilization again. Ruth's cold consolation to a crying baby that everything will be all right now is frightening in that she must not conceal the fact that she is the last woman on earth or risk the same fate as Robert Morgan.

Burn Notice "Pilot" (2007)

My best friend and I have started a new tradition. Each summer we each get to pick a show for the other to watch to catch up before the next season. I picked Reaper for him and he picked Burn Notice for me. I must say I really glad we made this new arrangement because I am loving this show from the start. The premise is pretty straightforward a spy, Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) is given a burn notice while on assignment in Nigeria which blacklists him and exiles him to Miami, his hometown that he has spent his entire life trying to get away from. The lead character is suavely and glibly (a good combination) portrayed but what makes the show really gel is the excellent supporting cast which his character must now turn to after being cut off from all his professional ties. Bruce Campbell plays former spy Sam Axe with smarmy world-weariness who now bilks sugar mommas for money to feed his need for alcohol. Fiona Glenanne (Gabrielle Anwar) is his sexy and feral IRA ex-girlfriend who travels to Miami as she is still listed as Michael's emergency contact. With smouldering sensuality she is more than capable in handling herself in a physical fight and is also a professional when it comes to espionage. Rounding out the regular cast is Michael's nagging and manipulative mother Madeline (Sharon Gless) who couldn't be happier that her son is now back in Miami and wastes no time in trying to reconnect.

We're introduced to the main premise of the show where Micheal, who has had all his assets frozen, must resort to taking odd jobs around Miami to finance his investigation of his burn notice while dealing with the friends and family he was more comfortable having an ocean between previously. He takes a studio apartment over a nightclub which is owned by a former Russian intelligence officer and sets out to discover how he can get back into field work. His first case is a home robbery where over $20 million of artwork has been stolen. His client, the caretaker who is looking like the prime suspect, is desperate to clear his name so that he will not end up in jail and leave his son all alone. Michael tries to maintain a professional distance, as he has had with mostly everyone is his life, but finds himself becoming increasingly involved with his client and protecting them from the man who set him up. There is a nice quiet scene where he teaches the caretaker's son some fighting moves to use against the bullies picking on him at school. Later while watching the boy use the moves against his tormentors, Michael lets a smile of pride slide across his face. Looks like he won't be able to keep himself detached from everyone.

We get a sense that Michael's home life while growing up was less than ideal and he has no interest in reestablishing contact with his mother, but thanks to Fiona he is forced to drive her to a doctor's appointment. Gless shines as the sympathetic mother tyring to reach out to her son that she has not seen in so long and the scene where she pleads with him to contact his brother so they can all spend Christmas together is heartbreaking. It even affects Michael who has still not found a way to overcome his mother crying. He also discovers that he may not be able to trust his friends when he discovers that Sam is informing on him to the FBI agents assigned to keep tabs on him. Sam assures Michael that he would never sell him out to the feds, but the episode ends a little uneasily about how much Michael can exactly trust Sam. Michael even has his hands full with Fiona who's looking to re-establish her own ties with Michael after dinner containing a bit of sake. Michael avoids spending the night with her but his reaction after she storms off is ambiguous in we're not sure what the exact reasons for his decision were. Is he just not interested in Fiona anymore (is he crazy?) or is he trying to keep everyone at arm's length as usual?

Favorite moment: Hearing that Michael when he was six, in his determination to see Star Wars and being forbidden by his father, climbed out through the hearing vent. While obviously highlighting his natural skills as a spy at such an early age, I also admire his determination in seeing Star Wars. I'm also a huge fan but I don't think I would even go to those lengths to see it. Although when I was forced to take my sister to see The Phantom Menace I did make her sit all the way at the other end of the row away from me. We Star Wars fans are an unusual bunch.

The Office "The Coup" (2006)

This might be my favorite episode so far into this season. Hey, look at that, episode three of season three, coincidence? I thought both the Scranton and Stamford stories were both hysterical and significant with regards to interpersonal relationships of the characters and although it's a running problem, even though I know how everything ends up next season, I am thoroughly enjoying the journey to get there. That is a testament to how well written and acted the show is, you can still enjoy it even though you know how it ends. Bravo, Office.

Kicking things off with the Scranton branch, Movie Monday was the brainchild of Michael in order to combat the Monday blues. I personally would love to watch movies at work, actually I just started doing that on my lunch break, so I'm not going to bad-mouth Michael on this decision although it seems everyone, well maybe not Kevin as he got to do the recap, detested the practice and saw it as a general waste of time. Of course Jan decides to pop in for a visit and catches everyone in the act. Angela, in pure Lady Macbeth mode, urges Dwight to make a power play for Michael's job as he is in a vulnerable position with her now that he has rejected her in favor of Carol. Dwight put his informative knowledge of Jan's fashion sense and his hard-line office politics on the table in an effort to secure the regional manager position. I honestly thought Jan was seriously considering giving it to him but unfortunately for Dwight (but to the comical relief of the audience) Jan outs him to Michael hinting that maybe she does still has feelings for him despite her coldness to him in the last episode.

Skipping over to the Stamford Branch, we discover their office is big on Call of Duty and spend what looks like a good portion of the day playing. Despite being one of the popular members of the Scranton office, Jim is unable to get down the basics of the game which results in him killing Andy (who along with Karen was sadly MIA last episode) who happens to be on his team. When Josh calls Andy and Jim into his office for a reprimand of Jim's battle tactics, Jim is at a loss for words and in his talking head reminisces about the PB & J practical jokes on Dwight. I can sympathize with Jim in that I was horrible when I first started playing Call of Duty. I had originally played Halo exclusively (although Jim's problem seems to be that he doesn't really play any video games) and the gaming styles are slightly different. I also loved that his in-game character was "Jim Halpert" which shows that even though he's not that into the game, it is a way to bond with his new office mates and he and Karen are certainly starting to hit it off. Her critique of his game play: "He's so cute and he's trying to shoot with a smoke grenade" followed by her execution of his soldier is an amusing little scene and ends with some longing glances at Jim once he turns around. The image on Karen's computer screen of Jim's soldier in the corner jumping up and down was a definite laugh-out loud moment.

Back over to Scranton, Michael decides to put one over on Dwight and convinces him that Jan has decided to switch their roles in the office. I usually tend to find Michael/Dwight plots annoying. I think they work much better interacting with the other characters but this entire second half of the namesake coup was hilarious from start to finish. Dwight immediately lets the power go to his head and starts to treat his former boss with much less revere and more condescension. I must say that Steve Carrell is brilliant in these scenes and his Jim-like glances to the camera with regards to how Dwight is acting are both hilarious and ironic since everyone else makes those same exact faces about him. His announcement to the office brings about much confusion and protest. Stanley has the best line of the night with his query of Dwight's qualifications.

Stanley: Why Dwight?
Michael: Because Dwight never lies.
Stanley: And how does that qualify him to manage a branch?
Michael: That's all it takes.

Dwight's ultimate undoing comes when he insults Michael's car and he drops the bomb that he made the whole thing up. Dwight immediately falls to the floor in tears and begs for forgiveness. After a few minutes of bawling Michael tells him to get up and hug it out. Now this is interesting coming off the last episode where Michael made the revelation that sometimes people are content with a few select good friends. I think his willing to forgive and forget so quickly stems from this and he realizes that even though Dwight allowed his ambition to get the better of him, Dwight is one of those select few and it serves no purpose to drive him away for making a mistake. I don't know if I could have been so forgiving of someone trying to push me out of my job but I admire Michael's maturity. Of course he makes Dwight stand on a chair with a LIAR sign hanging around his neck but it is Michael and he obviously had to dole out some ridiculous punishment

Favorite moment: This changes throughout the episode but I finally decided on Jim's fake grenade throw at the end of the episode and Karen's tossing of the paper clips to simulate the detonation. It shows a connection between these two characters and it looks like Jim is ready to move on in the dating world as well after hearing that Pam has done the same in the previous episode. I look forward to more Scranton and Stamford double fun because I know it won't last for too much longer.

The Office "The Convention" (2006)

It's time for the Annual Northeastern Mid-Market Office Supply Convention where management from Dunder-Mifflin Scranton and Stamford meet up and attempt to drum up some business for the company. The episode also sees Jim seeing Michael and Dwight for the first time since he left Scranton. I thought this episode might have been better a little further in the season. In the premiere we see Jim at Stamford not sure the employees even know his name and he doesn't seem to be interacting with anyone. This episode where he meets up with some of his Scranton co-workers would have served as a catalyst for him to try something different at Stamford other than replicating the path he took in Scranton. We already see in the next episode he's starting to integrate a bit more possibly because of the events of this episode but I guess I'm reading more into the first batch of episodes than is necessary.

At the convention we start to see Michael's true feelings regarding Jim's transfer as he sees himself in direct competition with Josh (Charles Esten)for Jim's friendship. Now Michael already has an inherent need to get people to like him, but I think this depression he feels over the loss of Jim to Josh shows that he considers himself closer to Jim than most others. He seems truly sad when he notices how much Josh and Jim get along and tries to re-insert himself with Jim as he honestly believes that Josh has taken his place. The fact is heightened when no one comes to his kick ass hotel room Scranton party but he brightens once Jim shows up. It's a testament to his salesman skills when he is able to convince a company to end their exclusive contract with Staples all the while bemoaning the fact that Jim has defected over to Stamford. Steve Carrell was superb this week balancing the usual awkwardness of Michael while showing that more human side which we always get fleeting glances of. Of course on the other side Jim was hysterical seeing Dwight again and trying to antagonize him as in the good old days. His plan to get Dwight's room key slightly backfired when he walked in with Angela waiting on the bed but his extreme glee at the thought that Dwight got a hooker was very amusing only slightly tainted by the fact he was unsure of who to communicate this fact to.

Back at Scranton Pam has decided to start dating once again and agrees to go on a double date with Ryan, Kelly and Kelly's neighbor, a local cartoonist. The audience must feel like Jim in these scenes: She rejects Jim because she plans to go through with her wedding, then ends her engagement and is now back on the dating scene. John Krasinski performs those facial expressions of anguish masterfully and it works to see up the new plot thread in the following episode. It's frustrating to see that obviously there are still unresolved feelings between PB & J but for whatever reasons refuse to communicate them to one another(either with Michael as an intermediary or in front of the cameras). It was nice to see that a stronger Pam wanted to move on past her engagement and is working to find that next special someone.

Favorite scene: The fact that the last time Jim confided in Michael about his feelings for Pam he went on to share it with the entire office must not weigh too heavily against comforting his former boss when he is obviously hurting. His decision to tell Michael that he didn't leave Scranton because of him but because his twice rejection from Pam is a touching moment between the two. When he tells Michael that he's a great boss there is nothing but sincerity in his voice and we get the sense that Jim is also pretty lonely up in Connecticut despite what it might look like to the contrary. Michael returns to his usual self following Jim's revelation and offers to talk to Pam for him, giving Jim a chance to once again convey to the camera his fright of confiding in Michael.

American Gladiators "Episode 206" (2008)

American Gladiators is the only unscripted (or reality) show that I watch. I was a huge fan of the original growing up so I had to give this new series a try. My best friend and I actually both watch so there's an added incentive. It's mindless fun but this season has me growing increasingly more frustrated with these gimmick episodes. People just want to see the contenders go up against the Gladiators. We don't care if they're partners, siblings or married (as in this week's episode). The format is fine the way it is. I didn't mind the Hulk theme so much as that's background color. But these contender gimmicks just give these uninteresting people more of a chance to go on and on in front of the camera. Hopefully you're still awake when we do get to see an event. I guess the producers felt that the show needed a more human interest angle to keep fans engaged. I'm going to plainly state, you are making a show which is supposed to be just action boring. We don't care if next month the two female contenders are competing alongside the two male contenders who are possibly their babies' fathers with special guest host Maury Povich. We want to see out Gladiators take out these contenders for daring to challenge them in their events.

As this is an unscripted show there's not much for me to critique per se so I'll just go over what I liked and didn't like. The men started off poorly in Joust. They both were knocked off in under five seconds and they were bad losses. I commented that one looks like that scene from Mortal Combat where Johnny Cage is doing an action scene for his new movie and the stunt guy forgets to go down. Titan hits the guy, he pauses for a second at the edge and then falls off the podium. Way to impress your wives guys. The Pyramid saw the first male contender ever to win but he won because his uniform ripped when Justice grabbed him. Not the best way to get into the Gladiator history books. At least we got some Wolf action who is my favorite male Gladiator. The men were the first to compete in Sideswipe and we are waiting with bated breath for the time when one of the Gladiators just swings by and kicks one of them in the face.

The women kicked it off with Powerball which I am convinced has to be the Gladiators favorite event. It's just tackling the contenders with a raw fury. Kendra (Blue) gets nailed right at the buzzer and she goes down hard. From the initial angle it look like Steel clotheslined her which made for a great laugh-out loud moment. The third event for the ladies saw them go up against Crush (hands down, favorite Gladiator and the hottest). After taking down Ally (Red) pretty quickly, Crush faced off against Blue whose husband say he would like to see Crush get wet at least once . . . moving on. Blue was able to hang off after dangling over the water for most of the clock however if Crush had performed her stomp move as she had last season, Blue never would have survived.

Not much else except for noticing that the Blue couple were getting a little more frisky each time we were shown them getting ready in the locker room. Not sure what was going on there that the camera didn't reveal. And next week we get to look forward to "American Gladiators: The Biggest Loser Edition". I'll give you a spoiler: it's us. Favorite moment: Going to have to go with the lookalike clothesline in Powerball. Brings back those MXC memories.

Doctor Who "Doctor Who and the Silurians - Episode 7" (1970)

We come to conclusion of the serial and I'm sorry to say it was a bit of a disappointment aside from the ending after the build-up we've seen over the course of the previous episodes. The cliffhanger is immediately resolved with Liz discovering the Doctor's formula and relaying it so it can be mass-produced. The fact that the plague had already begun to appear outside of Great Britain in the last episode is never addressed and the fact remains that it can continue to spread faster than the cure be distributed. The plot line seems to have served its purpose and is then dropped. The Silurians move onto their plan B, making Earth uninhabitable for humans but a perfect environment for reptiles. The Doctor agrees to help as it is his best chance to find a way of stopping the Silurians. When they wish to kill the Brigadier and Liz, he threatens to not aide them with the deployment of their weapon if there is any more killing. He tells the Silurians he needs to build up power in the nuclear reactor while secretly plotting with Liz to overload the reactor instead. Liz being a scientist is well aware of the danger of this plan however her trust in the Doctor is superior to her doubts and she follows his plan without hesitation. The Brigadier also goes along and makes no trouble as he also has faith that the Doctor will not allow the Silurians to succeed in their plan. He is successful in overloading the reactor and after the Silurians have fled to their base to return to hibernation he is able to cross some wires and prevent an overload.

The Silurians decide to set the hibernation units to awaken them after the radiation has dispersed however one must remain behind to set the units and will meet most certain death. The Young Silurian accepts the responsibility of the role he has taken and offers to sacrifice his life for the sake of the survival of his people. After catching the Doctor in the base and realizing they have been tricked he is gunned down by the Brigadier while attempting to attack the Doctor. Thanking the Brigadier for saving his life, the Doctor announces his intention to slowly revive the Silurians one at a time so he can reason with them and fulfill the pact he had previously made with the Old Silurian. The Doctor firmly believes that peace is still possible between the two races and given time it will become a reality. The Brigadier however is visibly shaken by the Doctor's intention and the rest is described below.

Overall this serial was both adventurous and thought-provoking, The dynamics of the three regulars are still in flux as they continue to learn more about one another but have nevertheless formed an efficient team. The Doctor and Liz continue to grow close as friends while the Doctor and the Brigadier's working relationship is being continually challenged by their conflicting methods despite the fact they have known one another longer. The conflict provides the writers with the opportunity to highlight two justified sides to an argument and provide more captivating storytelling. How boring would it be if everyone simply got along? Despite the length of the serial it is never plodding and no episodes serve as overt filler. Aside from some quick fixes in the finale, it was a satisfying experience marked with high production values and an impressive guest cast (particular note goes again to Fulton Mackay, Geoffrey Palmer and Peter Miles). The Pertwee era has a solid start and bright future indeed.

Favorite moment: Even with the issues regarding some of the elements, the ending of this serial more than makes up for those inadequacies. After the Doctor and Liz have departed the power station to return to UNIT headquarters, the Brigadier has the Silurian caves sealed with explosive charges. The Doctor's assertion that this was murder and that as a civilized race they had an equal claim to survival is a tragic one in light of the fact that humans did not want to take the chance of the Silurians once again threatening humanity. It is a controversial move on the part of the Brigadier and even though his concerns were justified it looks like we'll be seeing a bit more conflict in that working relationship for some time. The Doctor may believe that ideally there could have been peaceful coexistence in the long run, but the truth of the matter remains that the relationship between the two species was irreparably damaged through the fault of parties on both sides.

Doctor Who "Doctor Who and the Silurians - Episode 6" (1970)

This episode focuses of the Doctor and UNIT's desperate attempts to contain the plague which the Young Silurian has unleashed upon the humans through Major Baker. When the plague itself is a subplot created for the sole purpose of filling the seven episode time frame and can be considered extraneous, it is a natural evolution of the story of the Silurian and human struggle for the planet and is marked by highly effective location footage in London. The Doctor and the Brigadier have locked down the hospital where Baker was taken and the power station and begin to inoculate the staff with antibiotics in hopes of staving off a spread of the plague. However Masters has left the station before the quarantine can take effect and heads back to his Ministry in London. Even with the location footage a great deal of the episode is spent with the Brigadier and Liz on the phones providing updates on the success of containment as well as the Silurians who have begun an attack on the UNIT troops in the caves and the Doctor working diligently in the lab to discover a cure. While these scenes are set apart from the main action which is only described by the characters, the actors bring an urgent and anguish feel to their performances that captivates the audience and allows them to forget that most of the action is being described to them and not actually seen.

As stated before the location footage of the progressive number of commuters at the train station who succumb to the fatal effects of the bacteria and grotesque make-up combine to give a microcosm of what could happen to the world if the Doctor is not able to derive the cure in time. He is ably assisted by Liz until the Brigadier drafts her to man the phones. While viewing this as work not befitting a scientist of her caliber, the Doctor reminds her that the plague will continue to cause more and more deaths unless everyone buckles down and does the necessary work. This is a great companion piece to the scene in episode 1 where Liz is able to convince the Doctor to follow the Brigadier's summons by engaging his curiosity. It shows how well the characters know one another that they can easily convince them of reversing their prejudices. Pertwee himself is able to convey a dense of despondency in his fear that the cure may not be found, or even if found, not in enough time to stave off global disaster. His claim that he is starting to lose hope for the first time in his life to Liz further illustrates the bond these two characters have as the Doctor is usually more reserved with regards to his personal feelings and maintains a brave front for the sake of those around him.

The Doctor and the Brigadier are somewhat at odds due to the Doctor's actions in the last episode however they are able to put their differences aside and work together towards a common goal. The fact that the Brigadier allows the Doctor to hustle him out of the lab while he is working and not even protest shows the great respect he has for the Doctor's intellect and his belief that if anyone could save them, it can only be the Doctor. He cannot fathom the fact that the Doctor still believes peace is possible with the Silurians after their infection of the population but he wisely chooses to sideline the argument and allow the Doctor to focus on the task at hand. Obviously we have not seen the end of this argument as the Doctor still believes that reasoning with the Silurians is possible while the Brigadier is only concerned with the continuing and escalating threat they have posed to the human race.

Favorite moment: The final scene of Dr. Lawrence as he succumbs to the bacterial infection after his refusal of treatment is heartbreaking and unsettling. His reserved demeanor has slowly melted over the course of the last few episodes as he has grown more and more frustrated with UNIT and his own inability to save his reputation. He loses total control in his final confrontation with the Brigadier and his savage attack on Lethbridge-Stewart is his last conscious act before dying as a result of the infection. Peter Miles was a true delight in this serial and his portrayal of what could have been a one-dimensional character has a tragic end that reverberates with the audience due largely to the depth he was able to bring to the role.

Doctor Who "Doctor Who and the Silurians - Episode 5" (1970)

This episode strains the hope of peaceful relations between the humans and Silurians to the breaking point. The Doctor is under attack by the Young Silurian (Nigel Johns), who was also responsible for trapping the UNIT troops when the Old Silurian (Dave Carter), who is also the Leader, intervenes stating the Young Silurian has exceeded his authority. The Doctor makes another plea for the Silurians to listen to him as a full scale war with the humans will leave them devastated which Major Baker sees as an act of treason. The Doctor manages to convince the Old Silurian to hear him out and he is taken to the control center of the Silurian base. Pertwee shines as the Doctor in these scenes as he adamantly works to gain the trust of the Old Silurian, who appears reasonable and does not want to see undue harm come to his own people. We see that the Old Silurian is much like the Doctor, he is pragmatic and even though his people have a rightful claim to the planet as they populated the Earth long before humans had even evolved, he is sensible enough to understand that the humans have formed their own civilized society now and a war could lead to the extinction of one, if not both, species. Meanwhile the Young Silurian who allows his hate for the "apes" who have taken over their world coupled with his own ambition hatches a plan to introduce a bacteria to the general population through Major Baker which will gradually begin to kill off the humans.

With regards to the Silurians themselves, as we begin to see more and more of the costumes it becomes quite apparent that they are in fact costumes. While the first three episodes were quite effective in only showing parts of the Silurians, fulls figures shrouded in darkness and point-of-view shots, the full view of the costumes that become more common as the serial moves forward unfortunately begins to diminish the presence of the Silurians as a whole. On the upside the voices of the Silurians are done quite well due to the fact that a professional actor (Peter Halliday) was hired to do the voice overs. The lip sync between his voices and the mouths of the headpieces are also rather well done and when the shot is limited to just the head dressing, the Silurians are more believable and effective.

The parallel between the human and Silurian attitudes is also interesting. On both sides there are advocates for both peace and violent action and all of the characters are entirely justified in their point of views. Miss Dawson is of particular interest, simply by the fact that even though she is not sure of the Silurian intentions, the fact that they killed Dr. Quinn, who it is hinted she cared about a great deal, blinds her objectivity and leads her to call for hostile action. Dr. Lawrence continues to fret over his own career and standing refusing to believe the reports of these monsters in the caves. This has little to do with his own ignorance and more with his personality traits. As a practical man he cannot comprehend concepts outside the normal scope of human knowledge and the fact that his personal self-esteem is tied to his career fuels his increasing obstinacy in the face of more and more evidence. On the Silurian side, the Young Silurian feels that their planet has been taken from them by essentially animals and it understandable that he would go to great lengths to ensure his species' survival. His murder of the Old Silurian when he discovers he released the Doctor with a sample of the bacteria to find a cure is shocking but he views the former Leader much like Baker viewed the Doctor, a traitor to the respective species who must be stopped at all costs. The plague begins at the cliffhanger with the death of Major Baker and the Doctor assures us this is only the first.

Favorite moment: While the Doctor is negotiating with the Old Silurian, Baker calls out from his cage branding the Doctor a traitor and warning him to think before he continues to aide those who would wish to destroy the human race. Pertwee does a little twitch upon hearing Baker's calls and it speaks volumes with regards to the Doctor's conscience. While he believes he is doing the right thing, he has had to deceive his colleagues and place his friends in great danger if the Silurians do decide to turn on humanity. The fact that the Doctor has this struggle with his conscience shows that at his hearts he realizes he is capable of making mistakes and the consequences of those mistakes can be disastrous.

Doctor Who "Doctor Who and the Silurians - Episode 4" (1970)

The last episode ended with our first full glimpse of a Silurian as it crept up behind the Doctor in Quinn's cabin. The Doctor immediately extends his hand in friendship and speaks with the Silurian. Before making any progress however, the Silurian is frightened by noise outside and flees. The Doctor had been attempting to insert himself as the intermediary between the humans and Silurians and is worried that if they do make their intentions clear the humans will get the wrong idea and make a preemptive strike on their base. Once he returns to the power station he withholds the fact that Quinn has been killed and confides only in Liz of his intentions to broker a peaceful accord between the two races. He swears Liz to secrecy but only if she is allowed to come with him, to which he agrees. At first hesitant before she threatens to go right to the Brigadier, after agreeing the Doctor appears quite content to have her along. They discover Baker in the a holding cell in the middle of the Silurian base after his forceful escape from the infirmary and solo expedition into the caves to gather intelligence. After being told that the Silurians are interrogating him regarding human strength and weaknesses, the Doctor realizes that if he does not act soon there may be no hope of peaceful relations.

While Liz and the Doctor infiltrate the Silurian base, the Permanent Under-Secretary Edward Masters (Geoffrey Palmer) has arrived on the scene after being called in by Dr. Lawrence. Played with understated charm, Masters serves as the voice of reason as he attempts to piece together the strange happenings at the power station with the vague reports he has received from the Brigadier. He also serves as a catalyst for Lawrence to show more depth of character. Previous to this episodes we would get snippets of Lawrence demanding to know why the Brigadier was causing more harm than providing aide. We get to see the character's motivations in his discussion with Masters. His career is directly tied to the success for the power station and if he cannot get it back online soon his career will be finished. We also get a hint of the friendship between Masters and Lawrence and it's fascinating to see such a lengthy dialogue scene between two guest characters. It goes to show how the multi-part serial format can work in the writer's favor as there can be lulls in the action so long as it is well written dialogue spoken by interesting characters.

Once the Doctor and Liz return the surface, his fears continue to grow as Masters is being urged more and more by the Brigadier to take more men into the caves. Miss Dawson (Thomasine Heiner) has also discovered Dr. Quinn's body and advocates a hard-line approach to dealing with the Silurians as she believes they killed Dr. Quinn in cold blood and cannot be trusted. While Masters decides to hold off in calling more troops, the Brigadier plans to take the men he has into the caves and the Doctor is put into a precarious position. He decides to head into the caves ahead of the soldiers and warn the Silurians in the continuing hope for peace. The Doctor's courage is admirable and Pertwee is able to convey the weight of his decision as it means he must continue to deceive the Brigadier. However once in the caves, the Silurians place him into a cage with Major Baker and use the knowledge of the soldiers' presence to set a trap for the Brigadier and his men.

Favorite moment: Despite the increasing tension as the Doctor tries to prevent a full break-out of hostilities between the humans and the Silurians there is a lighthearted comedic scene between Dr. Lawrence and Travis (Ian Talbot) in the control room regarding yet another power drain and the inability to contact any of the other key personnel. Travis in effect acts as the audience poking fun at Dr. Lawrence as he grows increasingly more frustrated. Travis actually manages to suppress a smile during the scene when he snatches the phone away from Dr. Lawrence. Whether this was a character break or a conscious decision on the part of the actor is unknown, but it fits perfectly into the interaction and provides a relaxing break to the escalating tension which only continues to grow in the next episode.

In Plain Sight "Trojan Horst" (2008)

I have to say I am thoroughly enjoying this series. Despite the quirkiness and eccentricities of the characters the show has remained humorous and engaging without going over the top. However I have to say I was at first a little disappointed with this episode. The preview for the episode sets the premise up well and I was looking forward to it. An assassin's assistant, Horst Vanderhoff (a hilarious Dave Foley) agrees to deliver his boss in exchange for witness protection and Mary and Marshall are sent to drive him back to Albuquerque when the assassin strikes and Marshall is shot. An exciting premise to be sure until we get the actual beginning of the episode: Mary discovers a letter on Marshall's desk where he has been offered a job at a private security firm. Despite the fact that I loved how the rift between Goren and Eames was handled in a frosty but still professional manner in L&O: CI, the petty sniping and immaturity I would have despised for them, more befits these characters and it absolutely spot-on as with Mary, upset Marshall is planning to leave without telling her and Marshall, upset Mary discovered this fact by reading his mail. If I was Horst I would be a little scared as well that my protection has been charged with these two who are going at it like an old married couple.

The problem is knowing where the episode is headed(Marshall's injury and life-threatening condition) makes all the lead-up seem extraneous. It seems like a common TV plot that just as the two argue, one of them is almost killed and they work to resolve their issues. I think the episode would have worked much better with just one of these plot threads, but not both together. However, once the assassins do strike and Marshall is left injured, the arguing ceases and it becomes a matter of holding out until back-up can arrive. Horst's character could have been an annoying aside to the relationship drama of M&M (yeah I made that up) however he provides a satisfying comedic element which has become a staple of the series. The fact that he in fact turns out to be the high-priced contract killer is an interesting twist and Dave Foley pulls off the mini-transformation at the end to his true persona effectively by allowing the comedic overtones of his character to continue to seep through.

This episode is all about the future of M&M's partnership and I was worried that after the kiss between them in the barn last week we were heading for some lovesick partnership drama in the episodes following this. However the reasons for Marshall's decision to consider leaving the U.S. Marshall's is an interesting one. His whole life has become about protecting Mary from the world and vice versa and we get the sense he has no room for anything else. There are still suggestions of a deeper bond between the two, but the fact that it's not explicitly stated is much more interesting in terms of dynamics between the two. When Mary kisses his cheek after telling him he cannot quit his job as her keeper, he immediately acquiesces and agrees to stay. While poignant it does highlight his fear of discussing the job offer with Mary. He originally states that she has a tendency to make up his mind for him inferring she is extremely bossy (as we have seen), however the exchange plays out with a completely different overtone in that it appears that Marshall simply cannot tell her "no" and it's a defining moment in their friendship.

Forgive me for bypassing the whole Jinx/Brandi subplot as these characters are becoming a bit too grating and if they were a bit more interesting they would be worth the screen time. However since they both come off as lazy and co-dependent ingrates it just makes you wish the scene would end as soon as possible and return the M&M storyline. This fact completely deflates the epiphany Jinx has regarding her life and Brandi's proud smile upon seeing her mother take a step towards ending her self-destructive behavior.

Favorite moment: Mary's realization that Horst is actually the assassin is a superb example of excellent storytelling. I have to say I myself never considered this possibility and when Mary starts to list the evidence in support of her theory the clues that did appear innocuous when first heard make more sense the second time around. Horst's adamant denial is starkly contrasted with his serious "Just do it" when Mary proposes the deal to escape with Marshall for the return of Horst. The character switch does not seem at all out of context and must be attributed to Foley's portrayal that we can easily believe he is a fussy assistant one minute and a cold-blooded killer the next.

Law & Order: Criminal Intent "Betrayed" (2008)

We didn't get much of an interesting case last night however we did get to see some serious advancement in the relationships of the characters of the Major Case Squad. Eames and Goren are still at odds after Goren's undercover operation which almost ended with Eames taking down her suspended partner. There is a distinct frostiness between them but they do not let it interfere with their investigation of the case of a missing husband, whose wife is a close friend (and former flame) of Captain Ross's. I'm glad we don't get petty sniping and immature behavior from these two as they try to work out their issues. These are two hardened NY cops and although the rift between them is a deep one, they are both still professionals who put the job first. This could easily have been melodramatically overdone but I'm glad the distance between them was shown in this manner. Despite Eames's anger at Goren, she still backs him up with the Captain in his assertion that he is growing too personally involved in the case and towards Janet (Brenda Strong) who is looking more and more like a suspect.

That brings us to Captain Ross who assigns the case to his unit because of his previous relationship with Janet. It turns out she is actually using their history to elicit information regarding the investigation in order to better cover her tracks as she is the one who killed her husband and his lover. Eric Bogosian looks positively crushed when he discovers he's been duped and feels the shame all the more as his detectives have been eying her as the suspect for awhile. It was distressing to see the captain who has to be the eye of the storm of Major Case with both Goren and Logan under his command be ignorant of the fact that he is being played and actually gets defensive with his detectives when they try to point that out. Goren of course goes about it with his own direct and tactless method by challenging the captain's objectivity and we see the effects of the Eames/Goren conflict as she lets it slide and says they should move on. They need to address their differences soon as it affecting their team dynamic. She should have backed up Goren sooner with regards to the Captain's bias. Luckily she comes to her senses soon enough and the second time the issue is brought up, again instigated by Goren ("What about your blinders?") Eames is able to convince the captain that there is something amiss with regards to her actions and statements to the police.

Poor Goren spends the episode alienating the captain and trying to bridge the divide between him and Eames. When he asks Eames if they should bring new evidence to the Captain's attention and Eames replies they should wait to confirm, his reply of "You're right" sounds patronizing and completely insincere. Unfortunately he in no way meant it in this manner. It obviously hurts him for Eames to be so angry at him but it looks like he is going to take a few wrong turns before he is able to make it right.

Favorite moment: The Captain telling Janet to "go to hell" when she tries to badger him into aiding her again. At that moment, even though the Captain was certain of her guilt already, he received the ultimate closure in that she was still trying to manipulate him while being handcuffed and hauled away. His moving away and staring out over the river illustrates his shame in how he let his loneliness and affection for her almost seriously compromise the case. Goren calls out to him (maybe another attempt at consolation) only to be shot down with the Captain's curt "Not one word, detective". Things are looking grim for Team A (Eames/Goren) indeed with so much tension between the regulars. Let's see how Team B (Logan/Wheeler) does next week.