A body is found on the bridge between Mexico and the United States; an investigation begins, but the coroner finds that the body is in fact two bodies –an American and a Mexican citizen. The Bridge follows the detectives charged to investigate the crime: Sonya (Diane Kruger), an American detective with Aspergers, and Marco (Demian…
In the space of two of episodes, Under the Dome has transformed from a show with a lot of potential to an example of wasted potential. There’s time to turn things around, but this is certainly not the way to do it. Trapping your characters inside a dome should increase the stakes. There should be…
“Just think about it. We could have met every girl we’re ever going to meet.” The above quote – one of the few considering the consequences of imprisonment – pretty well sums up what Under the Dome is doing wrong. The show is quite happy to consider the question “What is the dome?” but is…
Under the Dome is a television series based on a Stephen King story. Many adaptations of King’s writing are a clear improvement (The Shining, The Shawshank Redemption, Stand by Me)… alongside a score of forgettable failures (Cujo, The Stand, etc). I think his writing lends itself well to re-interpretations, as King frequently conceives outstanding concepts…
Mad Men is one of my favourite shows, but I deliberately chose not to cover it for season six; its dense symbolism and layers of meaning are nigh-impossible to deconstruct in two hundred words, and, besides, I’ll never approach the quality of Zoller Seitz’s or Sepinwall’s analysis. Season six was ultimately a disappointment compared to…
Hannibal is a lean show, almost utterly devoid of connective tissue (well, unless you count the flayed bodies on display). This leanness worked in its benefit in its first season finale, particularly as Will Graham staggers around Dr Lecter’s office, trying to puzzle out if he could actually be responsible for the copycat murders. It’s…
It’s always a treat when a drama takes the time to pause and let its characters to engage with one another without the runaway narrative train pushing them forward. Hannibal takes a much-needed chance to breathe in the opening half of “Relevés.” There’s no killer-of-the-week: instead a more traditional investigative episode, as Will and Crawford…
“Fly” is one of my favourite episodes of Breaking Bad, yet many were disappointed by its simplicity. Admittedly, it’s not overly important to the show’s plot development, but as an insight into Walt’s obsessiveness and the bruised intimacy between Walt and Jesse, it carries spare, aching power. It wasn’t until a recent rewatch that the…
The Game of Thrones season three finale begins amidst a maelstrom of chaotic violence, Stark bannerman hacked to pieces surrounded by hellish flames. It’s a confronting opening even before the “young wolf” is brought forth, but it’s not representative of the episode as a whole, which takes the opportunity for reflection after the enormity of…
Apologies for the delay in posting (both this episode and on the blog in general); as a teacher, this is a busy time of year, filled with marking and little time for blog posts. Plus, much of my blogging energy went into TripleJae over the weekend. Perhaps my focus on marking means that I missed…
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