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…
(Extended Cut posts are articles where I’ll exceed my usual 200-word limit to allow for more detailed discussion) Well, that happened. With one deft swoop, Game of Thrones sealed its title as the least fan-friendly show on television. The show has carefully spent three seasons developing the Starks as well-meaning, sentimental types, a rare beacon…
Hannibal’s early episodes demonstrated an affinity for horror, realised in thick brushstrokes of sumptuous gothic tableaux and direct references to horror classics like The Shining. That horror focus has diminished, but not disappeared, as the season has continued, fleshing out both its characterisation and serialisation. “Buffet Froid” serves as a return to elegant, unnerving horror;…
“Trou Normand” opens on a majestic and terrible spectacle, a totem of twisted corpses reaching to the sky. It’s grand and imposing, but belies the subtlety of an episode populated with little moments like Abigail’s look of recognition as she tastes the meat that Hannibal has served; or, amidst a gripping confrontation between Will and…
(Extended Cut posts are articles where I’ll exceed my usual 200-word limit to allow for more detailed discussion) Game of Thrones has always had sex as a major selling point, and it hasn’t always been particularly thoughtful about its use of sex and nudity. Of course, this isn’t necessarily a problem! As a fan of…
ccpopculture 