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Saturday, August 9th, 2008

Y2kk Update: Wow, do I ever feel lost and bored in the goddam summer...

At least back while I was at school, I would take the summer months to relax and unwind with traveling and driving and video games. But now that I'm actually working through June and July and August, I'm just too tired to do anything but sit by a computer desk and browse the fucking net. Now don't get me wrong, it's always nice to make money, and thankfully my company is still shelling out the decent dollars. But really, I only actually enjoy my fucking life when the paycheque combines with a) hope (false or not) of unrequited romance and b) goddam new television episodes to goddam watch...

Stargate Atlantis airs once a week, but it just isn't enough for me. When Fall returns, I'll have Chuck, Battlestar Galactica, Heroes, How I Met Your Mother, Sarah Connor Chronicles, Supernatural, and hell, even Smallville to look forward to. And if all those shitty ass television series are not enough, I'll at least have my CBC Hockey Night in Canada and all those Toronto Raptors games back that I've been craving for the past few months. I know I sound pathetic at times, being 26 years old yet bringing to life to the old single adage of "cats, chocolate and cathode ray tubes", but I really do miss my TV shows night after night right about now. I mean seriously, since I'm too damn tired in the summer to even go golfing except on the weekends, what the fuck do I do every single weeknight?...

Last year, I started watching anime out of sheer goddam curiousity and boredom. I certainly didn't like most of it I watched, but there were a few notable exceptions. Cowboy Bebop had some horrible episodic plotlines but great music and animation, same can be said for half of Samurai Champloo I suppose, Fullmetal Alchemist had some really strong episodes near the start when it came to family and the bonds of blood, Hellsing (both the series and the OVA) definitely caught my affection with badass Alucard fucking up wannabe vampires all over the place, and even Trigun somehow managed to keep my attention with its clever mix of comedy and banter. Sure, there were a ton of shitty ass anime shows that I watched in-between those few gems (Escaflowne, Noir, Gunbuster and Neon Genesis Evangelion, I'm looking at you...), but at least even those series gave me something to do when tired as fuck after a long day of work in the office...

So I decided to continue the tradition this year, so far with five different animes. The first I tried to watch was The Record of the Lodoss War, the 1997 version or some shit like that, with Parn and company going out on some adventure to slay some dragons. The series had its moments, but it was just so fucking slow and boring that I sadly gave up by the tenth episode or some shit like that. I could always try to pick it up again, I did enjoy a few of the animations dealing with magic and wizardry, but it was mostly an entirely formulaic and generic show that has nothing noteworthy to mention of ever again. Not a very good first start amongst choices for me in 2008, I'm afraid...

That's when I took up a lot of my friends' recommendations to try on Gurren Lagann, a relatively new anime that aired this past year in Japan. And I must say, while the last third of the series was much weaker than I had hoped, the first two thirds were some of the dumbest yet most riveting moments of anime I've watched so far. Sure, you had the emo kid ripped straight from Evangelion, but the writers more than made up for it with Kamino, one of the most badass and likable characters that I've seen animated to date. It's no wonder then that the Gurren Lagann AMV featuring "Be A Man" from Mulan has garnered such high praise, considering that Disney song fit in so perfectly with everything that the start of Gurren Lagann was all about. Like I said, the last third of the season definitely slowed down and dragged with some completely emo or ridiculous moments, but the first third of the series was some of the best anime I had ever watched. Overall, if you can manage stop yourself halfway through the season, I can't help but recommend Gurren Lagann enough. The last half just leaves a bit too much of a bitter taste in the mouth, that's all...

The next anime on my wish list was Witchblade, which I had picked up simply because I had heard it was actually based on the US comic book turned television series. I also decided to watch the show because I had heard it was the closest you could get to Hentai, and Witchblade definitely did deliver in that regard, considering the first half of the season consisted of the lead female character acting like a cat in heat as she licked off white bodily fluids from her legs after battle. At first, I couldn't help but be engrossed, but the cock-teasing act got old real fast. Surprisingly though, the series got stronger and much more mature as it wore on, with the final third actually having strong family values in terms of what a mother would do to protect her child. Witchblade wasn't a great anime by any stretch of the animation, even if her hair could elongate and grow harder to the point of feeling like a goddam Hentai. However, I enjoyed the action for what it was worth, and the finale of the series left a much better taste in my mouth (ha?) then the end of Gurren Lagann managed to provide...

Continuing on with the "hot bitches fight and get horny" routine, I next opted to check out Claymore, which I had heard was a popular manga turned into a relatively faithful anime series. Apparently, it was faithful all the way until the Northern Campaign, where apparently the show butchered whatever the comic book was meant to achieve at that point in time. Didn't matter to me, considering both the start of the series (which was true to the manga) and the end were all boring to me, consisting of nothing but blonde women with huge busts getting their mack on with giant, phallic swords. It all felt like generic drivel, much like a more fantasy-oriented version of Witchblade would turn out to be, except for one small section of the anime. I really did enjoy the parts of Claymore dealing with Clare's past, of her origins when it came to her time spent with Teresa. Because just like Witchblade, I guess it takes a good twist on Hentai to bring out true family values, as once again we had six or so episodes of a strong maternal bond between mother and adopted child. Of course, it also helps a bit when the blond women all elate in ectasy, "... it feels so good...", when they turn out so bad. It's really the little things in life you treasure, afterall...

The last anime that I watched in July couldn't match the high that Gurren Lagann reached in its eighth or so episode, or the climax (... ahem...) that Witchblade or Claymore had from time to time. Trinity Blood though was a very good anime overall, and unlike all the other Japanese cartoons that I had watched this year so far, never really had more than a single bad episode in a streak. I've always been a sucker for vampire stories, pun intended, although this one had a twist by having a creature who actually feeds on vampires instead. The grander story and vision though, dealt with concepts of world peace and coexistence with your mortal enemies, almost as if this story had been written about Japan and US relations after the nuclear bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. What can I say, I'm also a sucker for post-apocalyptic tales from the hood, and I really felt that aside from a few minor pointless characters, Trinity Blood had a really strong cast and plotline. It had its slow and emo moments, specifically those belonging to either the Pope or Ion Fortuna, but more than made up for it by Abel and Seth providing sweet bits of comedy mixed and matched in with unbridled massacres of death and decay. I didn't dive right into Trinity Blood nearly as fiercely or ferociously as I had lapped up Gurren Lagann, but unlike the latter, I never left with a feeling of bitter disappointment in the end...

Those are the animes that I watched in July. And if I had to put an order of preference or recommendation to them, I'd argue Trinity Blood was the best overall, followed by Gurren Lagann (which was flawed only by a ridiculous second half), Witchblade third thanks to some nice animation and some pleasurable (... ahem...) moments, Claymore fourth simply because it was Witchblade without most of the pleasure, and the bits and pieces I saw of The Record of the Lodoss War come in as a distant last. I still have a few other animes at my disposable to watch in August, with the big headliners being Baccano, Death Note, FLCL and Samurai X, but none of those have a plot synopsis appealing enough to actually get me off my seat and back onto it to watch. I'll see if I have another anime update at the end of August, but right now, I'm too lazy to even watch television on my goddam computer anymore. Who would've thunk?...

In the meantime, I'll be keeping an eye on the Olympics and whatever random reality shows find their way to TV. Surprisingly, I actually enjoyed the So You Can Think You Can Dance season finale. I actually found Katee to be cute as fuck at the beginning of the year, and her contemporary routines (especially the one with the door) to be goddam hypnotizing at times, so sue me...

Guess I have a bit of a soft spot for Oriental hotties, flexible enough for those twists in the Pas de Deux. Then again, who wouldn't?...

But until the series comes back to primetime? Guess I'll have to get my Katee fix from the anime equivalent instead, ahem...

... well, you know what I mean...

Sunday, August 3rd, 2008

Y2kk Update:           - Stargate Atlantis: The Daedalus Variations Review (Spoilers...) -

I normally hate the idea of parallel universes. But I guess, if there really are infinite possibilities, then there's always a chance I'd like an episode dealing with them...

The Daedalus Variations was a bottle episode, but probably the most expensive one that the Stargate producers have ever done. The sheer, raw amount of CG work that was planned and put into this hour of entertainment was rather mind-boggling, and almost none of it felt out of place. Whether we are talking about giant Red Suns that could scorch the hell out of Superman, or huge planetary asteroids of debris dancing like Wall-E in space, almost everything in The Daedalus Variations clicked and worked wonders together as a whole. I won't claim that this was the best episode of Stargate Atlantis ever done, far from it really. But it's right up there with one of the most fun, team-based showings that I think we've seen since the first season of the series...

Without a doubt, The Daedalus Variations was a filler episode, as I doubt we'll ever see that incarnation of the Daedalus jumping ship between parallel universes ever again. I doubt we'll care or even think of that dead, alternate SGA team ever again, although the sights and sounds of their bodies simply lying there was excellent work by the director and writers once again. However, all I do want from my weekly dose of Stargate Atlantis is a fun romp of an adventure where the core team of Sheppard, McKay, Teyla and I guess even Ronon, all work together to provide the same kind of wacky shit that SG-1 used to provide for me in spades. That's exactly what this episode was all about, the four of them finding a solution as a team, with hilarity and random explosions happening in between as a result. That's what made the first season of Atlantis so damn successful in my eyes, and while I doubt The Daedalus Variations will go down as one my favourite episodes of all time, you never really know in a multi-verse so full of infinite possibilities...

First of all, I must say that Dr. McKay is a brilliant scientist, no matter what universe he comes from. I love the fact that he actually invented a drive to travel between parallel dimensions, and I even more enjoyed his self-praise for his brilliance from another realm. There were a lot of little touches and McKay'isms that helped The Daedalus Variations feel like a truly old skool episode, whether it was the good doctor losing confidence in himself (after realizing that his alternate self failed at his current goal), or electrifying himself when sparks start showering from up above. McKay was prone to fear and failure, but always managed to pull through in the end, just like he always has...

It was also an interesting dynamic for him to be working with Teyla for once, who I must admit, still grates me as the new Jonas-uber-quick study of a science student on the team. I know the writers threw in an off-remark that Major Marks had taught her Tau'ri systems 101, but I seriously doubt she would've been able to help McKay considering the kind of "classical" education that she had as an Athosian. And McKay certainly doubted it too, but when he finally woke up and realized that she's a pretty helpful lab assistant (with 'pretty' being the key word here), he did his usual McKay thing of sucking in his own pride and working with her together as team. It was a simple scene, of just her and him trying to save the ship from the Red Giant using power from the shields, but all of McKay's very Shia-like "no, no, no, no"'s combined with Teyla looking all hot and bothered there, ready for some P90 action, definitely got me on the edge of my seat. Like I said, it was a simple scene, but it just somehow worked with the setting and the atmosphere and the sights of Ronon getting his ass handed to him by who knows what...

Ronon himself had several memorable moments all to himself, whether he was getting choked to death by the Wraith-Borg or whatever the hell that was, or pulling a Chewie against the Tie Fighter roaming about. Hell, he even tried to be a science whiz, lecturing Teyla about multi-universe theory, although what came out of his mouth certainly didn't sound very right in the end. Most of his interactions were with Sheppard, and that's where the actor's talents always seem to come out the best. I know he only basically got to play with big ass red button as he let the CG rail gun and sound effects fly, but Ronon's frustration and fear of failure was so apparent and clear in those scenes that I couldn't help but laugh at the Star Wars references and everything. I doubt Sheppard would've kept his giggles in too, if only he wasn't confronted by imminent death every single universal slide they made through...

How can I possibly hate on an episode that had cocky-ass, pilot Sheppard at his very best? And how can I possibly criticize an episode that had TWO cocky-ass, pilot Sheppard's being arrogant with blatant self-appraisal to boot? Even after multiple watchings, I still laugh every time I hear the Colonel complementing his alternate self on being a man of honour and undeniable skill. I loved the reactions on everyone's faces around him, and that's truly what defines a Stargate-based team episode, when the entire group at the end can simply roll their eyes in unison at Sheppard essentially Kirking with himself. Whether the man was playing around with green alien gunfire, toying with a white DS Lite, or chastising Major Lorne for the lack of taxi's in the general spatial area, Joe Flanigan was just his usual fun self that I have missed from the early days of season one of the series. Hell, I bet he would've even hit on the alternate Teyla if she wasn't already dead and cold in her heels...

And like I said earlier, The Daedalus Variations must've been the most expensive bottle episode ever, considering everything was filmed on the Daedalus sets (with not even a single sight of an actual Stargate) yet the writers went so far as to introduce a completely new enemy just for shits and giggles. I think it's a good chance we'll see them again, considering their CG effects and their actual logo were far too fleshed out to simply be a one-episode wonder of a hit, and I wouldn't mind the SGA team confronting them in our own universe, provided they don't start falling over from nail-clippers like every other enemy that the writers have come up with in the past. They're just too expensive and rowdy badass not to bring back now and again...

I absolutely loved the dog-fight at the end of the episode, as it was the best that any Stargate episode has provided since probably The Lost City back on SG-1. Now, why the hell no other race in the universe has ever used missiles against us when it's obvious our F-302's mop up every other fighter thanks to a few guided shots, I don't know. All I do know, is that if the CG battle and the sight of Ronon banging away at the console like it was a set of drums is any indication for the rest of the season? Then sign me up for the rest of the ride...

Really, have I stepped into an alternate dimension here? The first three or so episodes of Stargate Atlantis this season have been alright, but mostly boring and forgettable. And yet finally here, it's like the old SGA team from season one (minus Lt. Ford, of course) just slid back into our own universe out of nowhere (minus Arturo and Wade from the Sliders series, alas)?...

I never thought from the previews that Daedalus Variations would turn out to be so fun and enjoyable. I normally never enjoy episodes based on parallel universes, except if McKay goes golfing that is. But then again, I guess in a series full of infinite possibilities?...

... well then, I guess there just might be hope for this season of Stargate Atlantis yet...

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

Y2kk Update:           - Stargate Atlantis: Broken Ties Review (Spoilers...) -

Every single year, there's a Ronon-centric episode that actually turns out better than I thought it would be...

Turns out, Broken Ties was not that episode, not for this season at least. It was a decent hour of entertainment, but it can't compare to Runner or Sateda or even last year's showing when Tyre (or however you spell his name) first appeared...

Ronon himself almost did nothing in Broken Ties, except prove just how much of a pansy, weak-minded brute he really was. On first viewing, I thought he had actually been strong enough to resist the Wraith enzymes in his body, and was simply pretending to follow the Wraith who had repeatedly given him the gift of life. Hell, I even thought it was Ronon who had cut off that Wraith's hand before he could feed on Sheppard, when on second viewing it turned out to be all the work of Tyre instead. What were we supposed to find out about Ronon here in this episode then? That he grunts a lot, talks a big talk, but then completely succumbs to the same Wraith bullshit that got Lt. Ford a five second cameo earlier on in the season? Well, at least we got a decent sword-fight here, that alone was worth the price of admission to Broken Ties alone...

This episode was more about Tyre and his finale from the series more than anything else. I love his character's martial arts style on the show, even if he eventually always gets his ass kicked by Ronon in the end. Broken Ties was far more about Tyre's redemption and his friendship with Ronon more than anything else, and from that point of view, I enjoyed this hour on Sci-Fi television for what it was worth. We got a lot of pointless scenes of Tyre and Ronon writhing in agony, screaming like little girls, but I suppose it was all worth it to see a big ass sword fight in the end, a giant C4 explosion in the Wraith labs, and Dr. Keller bending over backwards to put a smile back on their faces and our own. There wasn't much substance to talk about in Broken Ties, but how can I really complain when the choreography for their final fight scene turned out to be just as good as it was last season?...

As for all the other main characters, Sheppard and McKay were there but really didn't have much to do. I completely forget their roles and comments at this point in time, so obviously neither really were memorable in their own rights. I guess that's alright, considering it was time for Teyla to get some limelight again. I've got to say, Rachel Luttrell looks amazing still, considering she just had a baby of her own. And she also displayed a very realistic and passionate, conflicted point of view over continuing her work at Atlantis or simply becoming a stay-at-home mother, almost as if the actress herself had considered the same sort of decision herself. There was no doubt in the end that Teyla would return to Sheppard's team, but I did enjoy the thought process that you could truly see in her eyes as she was deciding between her loyalties. Now granted, indecisiveness is not a character trait of hers that I really want to see continued on from week to week, but it definitely needed to be addressed early on here in the season at least, and I personally thought Rachel Luttrell and the writers did a pretty decent job...

It's disappointing that I couldn't remember any jokes or quips that Dr. McKay had in this episode, but it was more than made up for by Robert Picardo's Richard Woolsey already having more character development than I think Samantha Carter had all last year. Little moments, like the Atlantis doors not recognizing the Voyager holographic doctor to actually open up for, kind of makes me chuckle in remembrance of all the times the local Best Buy didn't recognize me as human either. And really, how the hell can I hate on a character who claims to be changing into something "more comfortable", and ends up sporting a full suit jacket and strung up tie to boot? That alone made Broken Ties memorable in my eyes as a decent standalone episode, and already Richard Woolsey is gaining my favour as Elizabeth Weir's true successor on the show...

Overall, there's nothing really great to mention about Broken Ties, but there's nothing to truly complain about either. It was a decent send-off for Tyre and I did appreciate how the show actually concentrated on a lengthy and meaningful ending, almost as if Broken Ties was the true finish to this season's premiere. There were a few jokes here and there, namely from Robert Picardo and probably from Ronon inadvertently with his screams and cries of joy. It was an entertaining package that I probably won't bother to watch again, but definitely wasn't a waste of time like so many Atlantis episodes from the past season felt the very day after being watched...

I'm still waiting for that one great Ronon episode that truly defines the season though...

... hopefully Teal'c will be back too to kick some Wraith ass, to boot...

Sunday, July 20th, 2008

Y2kk Update:           - Joss Whedon's Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog Review (Spoilers...) -

You two readers out there know that I only have the utmost respect for Joss Whedon...

No, wait, that's a lie. The old hack hasn't done a single decent thing since Angel last went off the airways. WTF?...

In fact, I'd actually go so far as to complain that the last decent show that Joss Whedon has ever put on was Smile Time during Angel's final season. Since then, what has he done? The shit-fest movie of Serenity, whose only saving grace was the Agent rather than any of the Firefly cast whatsoever (yes, not even cute as-a-button Jewel Staite)? Do I care about any of the comics he's done, even if I have tried to keep some sort of tabs on Buffy: Season 8 and Angel: After the Fall?...

He was already losing his skill and charm long before Angel was cancelled, although his defenders would claim that it was more of Marti Noxon screwing up Buffy seasons 6 and 7 than Joss Whedon simply losing his golden lustre of a touch. Either way, short story short, I loved Buffy seasons three through five, and Angel seasons 1, 2 and 5 were decent as well. Everything else he has done, and that includes every fucking FireFly episode but for Jaynestown, is the equivalent of Alien Resurrection as far as I've ever been concerned...

I do have some latent animosity against the guy, moreso for his cliche penchant of always trying to ruin a viewer's happiness, even if it goes against everything that his characters have stood for or developed towards in the past. However, I decided to give Joss Whedon another test of a trial, especially with his new series of Dollhouse needing all the positive word of mouth it can get. And so, essentially since it was free off of the internet, I gave Whedon another chance through Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. And truth be told, while I still have my reservations to this day, I came away rather surprised and impressed for the most part...

Joss Whedon was obviously trying to relive his greatest Buffy moment of Once More, With Feeling. Dr. Horrible is no Once More, With Feeling, but it definitely does bring back some good memories of that episode, especially with the LEGENDARY casting of Neil Patrick Harris as essentially the new Spike for this webisode series. I was shocked that he was not only the best singer of the group, but also managed to provide that trademark Whedonesque humour that Spike and Angel were always so well known for. Nathan Fillion was decent as well, providing a few classic lines such as "The Hammer is my Penis", and singing the tune of "A Man's Got to Do What a Man's Got to Do" with a true kind of male bravado that definitely deserves some applause...

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog was a great idea for a free webisode series. There were only three acts, but it was three acts of some of Joss Whedon's best musical moments, although the overall sum could not touch the best he had back in Buffy. Still, how can I really complain when it's free? Now sure, Act 1 suffered from too many soft-spoken tunes, aside from perhaps the big finish that led into the much improved Act 2. But to be honest, I really thought Act II was the height of Joss Whedon's creative genius since Angel's final season, as I definitely will be stealing his reference to layered pie at the very least. "I Cannot Believe My Eyes / On the Rise" (the opening duet) and "It's a Brand New Day" (the solo finisher), the two best songs I think I've ever heard him compose, not only brought back the fondest memories of Spike, but also fleshed out Dr. Horrible as a truly sympathetic character. Of course, as soon as that happens and a character connects with the audience, you know Joss Whedon is going to screw over his fans in the most predictable of ways...

Act III wasn't bad by any means, but it just demonstrates to me why Joss Whedon always leaves a sour taste in my mouth with his ideas, and it's not just because of certain character deaths. Dr. Horrible had a conscious, we've seen it throughout the series whenever he seems disgusted with the ideas of assassination and murder. Sure, he's a bit delusional in the sense that he wants to take over the world but doesn't want to harm a life in the process, but that's why the audience seemed to like him. He was a metaphor for the darkest moments of all our wannabe lives. He may have sung a whole diddy how Captain Hammer had shown him the way into being truly evil, but it's not like anyone in the crowd believed his words. He was angry, we all say we want to kill someone or some shit like that when we're angry and frustrated. But Joss Whedon seems to take things like that so literally, just like he couldn't stand how the fans essentially forced him to turn the "evil" Spike into a do-gooder in the Buffy series. As far as he's normally concerned, evil is evil beyond redemption, so to speak...

The third Act had a decent musical number with Nathan Fillion's "There's a Hero in Everyone", but was ultimately disappointing in the end. I enjoyed it for what it was worth, especially with the evil Thomas Jefferson impersonator on the Evil League of Evil council. But I couldn't help but roll my eyes when Felicia Day's character was killed off by simply a Wash of a random happenstance. I mean seriously, knowing this was a Joss Whedon script, it was obvious what was going to happen. Felicia had never developed as anything more but the cutest of Vi red-heads, looking absolutely adorable when dressed up like a Disney character while sucking down frozen yogurt. She never was realized as a real character, and instead grew into nothing more than a plot-device like Tara was for Willow back in Buffy Seasons 4, 5 and 6. Penny's fate was telegraphed so badly, although I do admit, I liked her enough to hope that Joss Whedon wouldn't do his trademark bullshit like he does in every show he's ever done. I guess I was hoping for something unpredictable for once from him, meh...

But character death issues aside, assuming at face value that it was the right thing for Penny to die, I still have problems with how the final third of the Third Act ended up. It felt to me like everything was far too rushed, almost as if this was Buffy season 6 all over again. We saw hesitation in Dr. Horrible's eyes when it came to killing Captain Hammer, and he tried to prevent the hero from using the busted Death Ray as well. Sure, they weren't necessarily signs of "good" in Dr. Horrible, but when combined with how he was in the second Act, it definitely felt that Neil Patrick Harris' Billy could have become somewhat redeemed...

When Penny was accidentally killed by his weapon, I understood that Dr. Horrible would have no choice but to become as evil and emotionless as possible to deal with the pain and guilt. However, while I accept that, it was done so rashly and forced in the span of less than a minute, that the series completely lost the heart and charm that made the second Act so enjoyable. Why not pad it out more, so that we get a few seconds of remorseful silence near the end after he admits he feels nothing? Instead, it really felt like he didn't care about Penny at all, which we all know wasn't the truth. He's a tragic hero (or villain), not a hardcore supervillain, you know? Or at least, I assume that's what Joss Whedon was aiming for. But his ending just made it seem like Billy was actually happier about Penny's death getting him into the ELE more than anything else. Really, was that intentional? If so, then it really was a bad ending that completely didn't jive with the Dr. Horrible character from Acts 1 and 2. A typical Joss Whedon finish to the story then, I mean...

Overall though, for a free webisode series, can I really complain all that much? Then again, it's only free until midnight tonight. As soon as it can only be bought off iTunes or DVD, it's fair game for all sorts of cynical, noname criticism. In which case, it was just Joss Whedon trying to elicit a reason from the crowd but only getting the usual rolling of the eyes from old fans of his like me...

Meh, still got to give him credit though. Act 1 was a decent introduction, Act 2 was simply some of his best work, and Act 3 wasn't overall as bad as I've painted it out to be. And I mean, Whedon did this all for free, Nathan Fillion was a nice heroic casting choice, Felicia Day was cute as hell (even without the old hat from Buffy season 7), the Asian groupie was horny as fuck, and he somehow got Neil Patrick Harris on board, which was absolutely, undeniably LEGENDARY...

Now, if only Joss Whedon could've helped himself when it came to the cliche, Whedonesque ending?...

... and if only Dr. Horrible got to truly suit up?...

... well then, maybe I'd be singing along with the praises too on my blog...

Saturday, July 19th, 2008

Y2kk Update:           - Stargate Atlantis: The Seed Review (Spoilers...) -

I should really look back at my old updates. Do I always end up enjoying the first bottle episode after a season premiere or what?...

You'd think low-budget filler shows like The Seed would be a bottleneck against Atlantis, yet they always provide the best sense of entertainment that I get from the series. This episode was basically meant to be a bad homage to Star Trek: Voyager, thanks to the introduction of Richard Woolsey as the new leader of Atlantis. Hell, the episode even featured a virus known as "The Phage", and if that ain't either a tribute or rip-off of the shittiest ass Voyager episodes ever made, then I don't know what is. And yet strangely enough, I enjoyed The Seed much more than any of those Dr. Horrible hours of Captain Janeway getting infected by lizard genes or any sort of crap. Who would've thunk?...

A large part of this episode exceeding expectations was simply because Richard Woolsey took charge of the base like a real bald man. You could almost say Robert Picardo put in a Picard-like performance, albeit with less god-like powers and omnipotent badassery, I suppose. The thing is, I felt the writers did an excellent job of integrating him into the rest of the cast and crew as the new man on the job that nobody else trusts. The talk around the new round table was interesting, not just because the new conference table was strange looking and out of place, but because they were actually associating Woolsey with that alternate timeline gone wrong. But in the end, Woolsey pulled an EMH and proved everyone wrong once again, that he can bend the rules and become more than what he seemed at first. He talked at the end with Sheppard about how if he can't trust the rules, then he can't do the job, but I personally thought he made every single right call when it came to the general rule of thumb, "leave no man behind". It was an interesting change of pace to have a character on the show who may not verbally agree with that ideal, but can't help following it when push comes to shove. Isn't that what heroes are made of? Or at least bald ones...

Of course, how could I have anything against The Seed after it brought back Dr. Carson Beckett all over again to the series? Now, do I still think it was dumbass as hell that the writers killed off his character, only to realize the mistake they made and then return him in cloned format? Absolutement. But the actor is just so good at winning over the hearts and minds of fans, that Beckett can even make us forgive the writers for his decapitation and denouement. And here in The Seed, with Dr. Keller being tentacle-raped up the ass (and looking cute and helpless while restrained), we finally had the true return of Dr. Beckett, large and in charge and providing the kind of warmth and heart that this series has been lacking for so very long. Whether it was his little friendship moments with McKay or his political and polite dealings with Woolsey of all people, Dr. Carson Beckett here proved once again why he deserves to not just be the lead medical officer of Atlantis but probably the Starship Enterprise as well. And to boot, he proved it all against probably the best damn doctor that any Star Trek series has ever had...

The Seed was a trademark bottle episode with a horrible plotline but a decent and endearing script. It was obvious from last season's finale that the writers would start pairing up McKay and Dr. Keller, and it seemed from the looks they gave each other early on in the episode that the 'shipping between the two would continue. It was kind of cute actually, how Dr. Keller was commenting at the start at just how sweet McKay can be, although Jewel Staite is always adorable, no matter whether she's reading the goddam phone book or not. And as for Dr. McKay, Rodney always wins me over whenever he's a) being his usual nervous self, especially with the sweaty palms, b) providing the best friendship chemistry on the show whenever it's between him and Beckett, and c) actually caring enough about Keller to risk his life for her, sweaty palms and all. The Seed definitely was a great character piece between all three of them, even if Jennifer was a dorky lazy ass who couldn't even get out of bed with two men watching her getting tentacle-raped then and there...

The rest of the characters took a back seat to the above three and Richard Woolsey, but The Seed provided pretty much everyone with a decent moment, even going far enough to give some extra props and credit to Colonel Samantha Carter stuck on the SG-1 base. It was strange seeing Teyla back up and about and not looking pregnant at all, but a month or two had pissed since the events of Search and Rescue, so I guess it does make sense she'd be kicking ass with a P90 all over again. Sheppard proved his loyalty to the base and team as expected, putting all his trust into Doctor Beckett and his cure of the "phage" or whatever sort of crap. Ronon tried to go all badass with his sword chopping ways, and at least he finally got what was coming to him, joining Dr. Keller in getting raped up his ass, a fitting end for him considering he stole that girl away from McKay and I long ago. Radek Zelenka got a taste of that medicine as well, trying to be a hero while the entire ship around him was turning into a goddam Hentai...

And how the hell can't I give props to an episode with such an obvious pun of "a case of the hives" versus a frickin' "Hive" ship growing inside of Keller, yet never once making that goddam connection in script? I really did enjoy The Seed, I just don't know why. Maybe the alien spores from Star Trek were infecting my judgment yet again, I just don't know what it is with me and bottle episodes. You'd think such a low-budget endeavour with the worst Voyager-style synopsis one has ever read would've turned into a shit-fest of an unintentional comedy. And yet, I know we're only two episodes into the new season, but I've already finally got that warm, fuzzy feeling of Stargate Atlantis back in the guts and groove all over again. Go figure...

Season five may very well be the last for Atlantis. If so, I want this season to count...

And as long as McKay is at the top of his game, and Dr. Beckett is right there with him?...

... and as long as Dr. Keller looks cute as hell while getting fucked up the ass?...

... well, then count me in...

Saturday, July 12th, 2008

Y2kk Update:           - Stargate Atlantis: Search and Rescue Review (Spoilers...) -

Stargate Atlantis has finally returned...

... it just wasn't the return that for months I had hoped for, that's all...

Normally, the series has a penchant for delivering decent season premieres. I absolutely loved the series premiere of Rising, and everything since then (The Siege, No Man's Land, even Adrift and Lifeline) were all good episodes overall worth watching once or twice or more.

This year though? This year, I'm not sure what the writers were thinking. Search and Rescue was handicapped and marred right from the get-go, simply from the so-called cliffhanger last season of a building collapsing on top of McKay and co. I mean seriously, who thought it would actually turn out alright to have half an episode of Ronon and Sheppard being stuck under a block of wood? It was almost like whoever wrote that shit at the end of last season just wanted to leave the series and screw over the next writer who took his or her place. Search and Rescue officially was the first ever Atlantis season premiere that I've ever found myself truly bored watching...

Now granted, there were some bright spots. Namely, it may suck that Amanda Tapping was forced to leave the show after just one season, but since that's what her expensive contract limited Atlantis to, it wasn't a bad send-off for one of the greatest characters Stargate ever had. Her one year tenure was no better or worse than Dr. Weir ever delivered on the show, but as a huge fan of SG-1, I had expected so much more. Here, at least she finally got to go off-world again, had a few interactions with Rodney for the first time in ages, and even got to remark that Captain Vega was seriously hot (with her aiming against the Wraith Dart, of course...). It was far too quick and forced how she was suddenly relieved of her duties as commander of Atlantis, but I agree that as a Colonel, she never really was deserving of such a prestigious position in the first place. She'll be back in the series now and again as the lead of the Phoenix battlecruiser or something, I'm sure of it. When that'll happen though, not so sure, but at least I can look forward to that. Guest spots suit her character in Atlantis better anyways, or so they have for the past four or so years...

Certainly, there were some bits of humour here and there in Search and Rescue, although it was certainly hard to find the comic relief. McKay was his usual self, pestering Lorne with pessimism the whole way through, which is always welcome after such a long hiatus. Dr. Keller was cute as always, which is always a nice bonus, and seemed rather in charge when leading the medical teams off-world in the rescue efforts. And how can I really fault an episode that much when it finally had a decent F-302 battle against Wraith Darts and a cruiser? Sure, it made little sense logistically speaking, when it came to lowering the shields and risking the lives of everyone onboard just to save two piddly nobodies on the planet with the transporter. But meh, there had to be some sort of challenge when it came to the Wraith Cruiser, and at least the CG effects were worth a mention or two...

And WTF was with the 10 second return of Lt. Ford? The writers brought the actor back for that? WTF? Well, like I said, comedy was there at its best, or at least sarcastic applause for ten fucking seconds...

But really, when everything else in the episode dragged, whether it was Ronon trapped under a pile of rocks or Sheppard complaining that he's too badass to be sitting in a medical bay, everything in the show pretty much felt by the books and completely cliche. I know it had to happen, but having Teyla's baby born on television is not what I expect from a season premiere. It would've been better if an entire character-based episode later on in the season was devoted to that, instead of McKay getting to be a hero for just five minutes on the show. Everything felt rushed as a result in Search and Rescue, even when it came to saving Kanaan and all the other hybrids (although Sheppard seemed to have no issue with allowing the Daedalus to blow them out of the spatial skies). Even Connor Trinneer as Michael felt flat and cookie-cutter, in the sense that he did nothing but whine and whip out generic villain lines about doing battle and being evil. WTF?...

Alright, so Teyla's baby was born, Michael escaped in a Puddle Jumper he shouldn't be able to steal, and Carter is now kicked off of the base in favour of old SG-1 movie ring tones. So basically, the series has resetted itself to exactly how it was by the end of Adrift or Lifeline last season. The only real change that I cared about was Richard Woolsey getting put in charge, if only because of how wussy he looked in sneakers and the uniform in last season's finale. I personally am looking forward to his more formal introduction to the people of the base, but considering Carter got an excellent introductory episode last season but didn't continue the momentum at all, I don't know how I feel about this personnel change. Atlantis didn't really feel like Atlantis with an SG-1 central character in charge last season, so I'm not sure if Richard Woolsey either can really fill the void that was left when Elizabeth Weir was airlocked from the goddam series...

Stargate Atlantis has finally returned, and don't get me wrong, I am looking forward to the rest of the season...

... but it certainly does feel like a bizarro universe, when the series can't even deliver a decent season premiere...

... I'm still searching for that warm return, I'm still hoping for a rescue from the boredom of the hiatus...

Sunday, June 15th, 2008

Y2kk Update:           - Battlestar Galactica: Revelations Review (Spoilers...) -

Finally, a Battlestar Galactica episode that was a bloody revelation...

... or parts of it, at least...

I'm not sure if this was the best episode of the fourth season of the show so far, but considering how bad the past ten or so episodes have been, I wouldn't be goddam surprised. I for one, enjoyed bits and pieces of Revelations, reminding me of the best the series could do since Exodus and Pegasus. Absolutely the best scene of the season so far, was when Colonel Tigh knew exactly what he was going to do. He marched straight into the Admiral's office, told him eye to single eye that he himself was a Cylon, and then all the director had to do was let Edward James Olmos go to work. Now, I could've done without the drizzle of spit going down Lee's arm in the following scene, but the acting overall by all parties in this goddam revelation was bloody hell revelatory. It was exactly what Battlestar Galactica has always been about...

Admiral Adama was at the top of his game in Revelations for the first time in ages, even when he was pussy-whipped enough to give Madame President the right to order people around. There was just something sweet and personal in the way Edward James Olmos acted here in this episode, both with Tigh when trying to convince him that he wasn't a Cylon, and when he was giving Laura Roslin hope for the future of humanity. You gotta love his saying of "rolling a hard six", as even I started to get excited at the finale of the show as soon as Adama poured his heart and soul and all the marbles into this one jump alone. This was absolutely the best we've seen the Admiral since at least Exodus, if not even Pegasus or the first season of the show. Even when balling like a little child in the corner with a bloody hand, Admiral Adama was still the fucking man...

This was also Colonel Tigh's finest moment since who knows when, maybe even since the first season of the show. It took true balls and guts to reveal to his best friend of thirty years that he was a skin job, but Saul did it for the sake of the fleet and the crew and all of humanity. Even when Lee was ready to push the button to airlock his ass out into space, Tigh never backed down from his decision. His resolve was clear, clearer than it ever could've been with two working eyes, and you've got to give him some credit for that. His path this season has been unnervingly annoying for the better part of the year, especially his frakkin' relationship with the Six they have chained up. But he made up for it all here when he proved to Admiral Adama his sense of loyalty, even after being stripped of command in the shortest stint in goddam history...

Even Lee felt poised and useful for the first time since he actually donned the commander uniform of the Pegasus. It was strange seeing him boss around his father, but it was also comforting and appropriate that he would be the one to console the Admiral in his greatest time of weakness. Lee also never backed down and never flinched when D'anna was ready to push his buttons, so to speak. While it was about time for the writers to finally give Lee a backbone and resolve of his own, I also have to give props to the actor. Jaimie Bamber hasn't done an excellent job on this series since Hand of God, as far as I'm concerned. He still hasn't matched his performance from then, but he definitely earned my respect again with his work here in Revelations...

I wasn't nearly as impressed with Laura Roslin as I was with any of the other central characters, but even she managed to provide a few moments or two. She was mostly silent in the background, still trying to boss Torri around as if she were her bitch, but I appreciated how she brought forth a bit of chemistry and comic relief for once, especially when Gaius Baltar thanked for her essentially not murdering him. I expected a better moment between the three of them when Torri revealed her Cylon nature, although Baltar insisting that he knew all along with exactly how I expected him to react. Still, all three characters had their share of minor moments of glory, which is exactly what you want from a potential season finale. Almost every character in the series got their fifteen seconds of fame in, whether it was Helo being a pansy-ass, Felix Gaeta with his cliche sob story, or Dualla being a cold as hell bitch, as nobody was left out of Revelations...

The only true flaws, besides an abrupt lack of Grace Park gratuitous shots, came with the plotline itself. Really, was Anders and Chief Tyrol receiving a signal that something was weird with Starbuck's brand new Viper, really the best the writers could come up with in their search for earth? The only decent moment that came out of the silent distress call was the smug look on Anders and Tyrol's faces when it was revealed to Kara that they were Cylons. Besides that, how does it make logical sense that Kara would come back from the dead with a brand new spankin' Viper, which magically turns out to be the only ship in the entire fleet to hear some ghost message from beyond the grave? I'm sure one day all these weird, magical happenings will be explained by what hopefully will be rational concepts. But for an episode entitled "Revelations", I for one couldn't help but be goddam disappointed. Especially considering Kara was her usual distant, bitchy self...

As for the discovery of "earth", that was not earth, or at least not the only earth they will find. It didn't show anything that concluded that this was the planet of their destination. They were no sights of Saturn or Jupiter or even our trademark moon. Ron Moore made sure that the camera view of the blue planet wouldn't reveal any tell-tale continents or islands or anything conclusive at all. Sure, the destroyed skyline with the busted bridge was far too reminiscent of a New York City, but they were plenty of locations like this back at the 12 colonies, where all of humanity wears modern-day fashion and drives modern day cars for some frakkin' reason. I would've cared a lot more for this destruction of earth, if only I even remotely believed that this was the true earth that they found. I did love the musical score at the end, or lack thereof, but the moment simply had no real impact on me without tons of naked Grace Parks running around in the nuclear-radiated sands...

At least it did wet my whetted appetite for the second half of the season to come. Problem is, how long of a frakkin' delay will we have to wait for this goddam hiatus to be over and done with? I've heard we won't get the follow-up to Revelations until 2009. How is that frakkin' fair? If they writers were going to leave us like this, why not at least explain what Kara is? Why not at least hint at the final Cylon, instead of just claiming it's a person no longer in the fleet (so Dualla and Helo seem to be off the list)? Why the frak would they put us through this torture, just when the fourth season of the show had the potential to be good? WTF?...

Well, at least Ron Moore delivered a couple of true revelations...

... that the SciFi channel is run by a bunch of fucking bitches...

... and that at least, BSG still has the knack for leaving me wanting more...

Sunday, June 8th, 2008

Y2kk Update:           - Battlestar Galactica: The Hub Review (Spoilers...) -

My frakkin' God, is the Admiral pussy-whipped now or what?...

He stays behind in a friggin' Raptor for who knows how long, reading the shitty ass book that the president apparently liked, all just so that he can mouth out at her with "about time" when she finally admits she loves him? To be honest, I guess it was a sweet and heart-warming moment, but did the writers really have to sacrifice everything that made Admiral Adama into a fucking legendary badass to pull this off? WTF?...

To be fair, The Hub was one of the better episodes of the season, not like that's saying much. It was interesting to see the ol' priest back, whatever that bitch's name was, although I found most of her scenes to be eye-rolling and grating even by Sci-Fi standards. So, the president had to learn to un-president herself and become a proper, loving woman like she was at the start of the series all over again? While I can relate to Adama's predicament of a woman you fall for who simply would not let herself fall for you (...), I just didn't feel like this one single episode of isolation was really enough for Roslin to open herself back up. It felt rushed really, even though technically the writers had been leading into it while she was rediscovering faith during cancer treatment and everything. The thing is though, while Admiral Adama had been opening up to her for the past few years, it just felt cheap how Roslin's been a pure bitch to him for God knows how long, then suddenly everything is fine and dandy after just a few jumps away. He deserves better than this, begging for her cold hand. Ha, doesn't he have any pride?...

Besides the whole Adama and Roslin affair, there were a few noteworthy scenes to this episode. A lot of them actually belonged to Gaius Baltar, but I really had no idea why he had suddenly reverted back to his old smarmy, slimy self. All of a sudden, instead of sermonizing and almost honestly believing his own bullshit, he was yelling at the Hybrid and trying to convince the Centurions or something to start a rebellion in the name of God? First of all, what was the purpose of all that, except perhaps to have an army of evil robots under his command. Either way, I had no clue what he was thinking or what his objectives were, but I still did enjoy the return of the old Gaius Baltar we used to know and loathe. I didn't mind his little morphine admittance of guilt near the end either, considering it felt like a proper bridge between his old and new personalities, not to mention the fact that letting him just die there on the table, really showed how much of a bitch Roslin had become...

And strangely enough, I really did feel like this episode was one of Helo's best performances of the entire series. I'm not sure what led me to believe that, considering all he did was infiltrate the Resurrection Hub and got his back massaged by the hottest Cylon in the goddam galaxy. Maybe I'm just a little extra partial to the Helo today, simply because I got a chuckle from the president's command that he was not married to the entire Eight line? Or maybe I just tolerated his prissy, pansy bullshit this week for once since that Grace Park by his side was even hotter than normal, sporting the best damn fashion sense I've ever seen an evil robot wear before. I'm not sure why I didn't mind Helo this week, especially after four fucking seasons of complaining about his pussy-whipped ass. Maybe I just appreciated how he was finally pimping himself out to all the Grace Parks out there? Or maybe my opinion of him changed simply because he didn't seem that fucking wussy compared to Adama holed up in a goddam Raptor? At this point, who frakkin' knows...

I can't really complain about an episode where there's actually the first decent space combat since Exodus of last season. The destruction of the Resurrection Hub was not just a thing of beauty from a CG point of view, but the music accompanying it all was decent as well. And of course there were cliche moments of clashes between the human and Cylon pilots before and during the battle, but it was still well done and toned down enough for me to simply enjoy the soundtrack and spectacular fireworks. How the hell can I really fault an episode for nuking a giant space station to frakkin' shreds, all the while showing tons of naked and doll-like Grace Parks in white goo, ready to be programmed to do whatever I pleased? Ha, maybe Helo not being married to the entire line gave me a ray of hope and chance...

Of course, the key to this episode was the resurrection of D'anna. Unfortunately, that part disappointed, except perhaps her fake-out of Roslin that also managed to pull a chuckle out of my ass. I was hoping for something more of a revelation than D'anna refusing to talk until she was safe (although how is being back with the fleet supposed to be safe?). But I guess we'll just have to wait until next week's Revelations to figure out how much Ron Moore is going to screw us over when it comes to the long hiatus of a goddam break...

I did enjoy The Hub for what it was worth, as it was a huge improvement over the past two episodes. We got a large scale battle filled with pretty light shows, and all the cutest Grace Parks and perks that a guy like me would ever ask for outside of a copy of my own...

If only Admiral Adama wasn't so fucking embarrassing to the point of actually making Helo look like a proper man, maybe I would be giving this episode two thumbs up. Or maybe if the rest of the season wasn't as goddam eye-rolling as President Roslin's I'm Lovin' It campaign, I wouldn't be demanding all this and so much more from an episode like The Hub...

I mean, sure it was a decent showing in the end. But quid pro quo, we fans were definitely owed one...

... or in the immortal words of the Helo-ized Admiral Adama?...

"... about time..."

[c. visitors too bored to return...]
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