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Sunday, October 5th, 2008

Y2kk Update:           - Smallville: Toxic small Smallville Week in Review (Spoilers...) -

Oh, have mercy...

I may not be a fan of Tess Mercer, or Mercy Graves, or whatever her name may be. But hot damn, was she ever hot in them Vancouver jungles...

And why?... well?...

... wait for it...

... ahem...

"Oliver Queen got both Lois Lane AND Tess Mercer? Talk about a Mercer Report, hot fucking damn. I need to become a billionaire. WTF?"...

From the previews last week of this being an Oliver Queen origins story, I had high hopes for Toxic. And when it came to Tess Mercer with her tossed up hair, definitely some things did soar high. But when it came to Oliver Queen though, the story just wasn't as strong as I was hoping it would have been. Granted, there's not much a show with Smallville's budget could've done to tell the beginnings of an archer in green tights who got stranded on a jungle island for months or years. But really, couldn't they have shown a bit more than just the guy talking to slugs and shooting a bunch of arrows, as if I could learn to survive on a desert island with no food but hot women without any real effort whatsoever?...

Plus, a lot of the other parts of the episode just felt cheap, and I'm not just talking about the David bloom-lighting jungle set. I mean seriously, Crashdown was bragging about adrenaline as "modern medicine" when it came to curing some random poison? What the fuck does he think the cure for cancer is then, a warm blanket and cup of chicken soup? No wonder he failed at Caprica first aid. WTF?...

As an "origins" episode for Tess Mercer too (and I put that lightly, since we really don't know when or how this island scenario factored into her whole joining Lex Luthor thing), I was disappointed in everything but how sweaty and sweet her tight top was. What did we really learn about her, besides that she obviously gets the hots for billionaire men who have slugs sucking away at his man-nipples? In the present day, she merely killed a man that nobody gave a shit about, then drove away with absolutely the most cheesy license plate I've ever seen. At least from Oliver, we learned that her character most likely is based on Mercy Graves from the cartoon (or Miss Tessmacher, the Amazonian comic equivalent). But besides that, and the fact that she got Oliver Queen pretty pissed off at Clark Kent for that whole Lionel Luthor loyalty debacle, we still don't know anything about Tess, and unfortunately I am starting to lose my patience with novelty. Except if she continues to look as hot as she did in the jungles of BC, that is...

Toxic turned out alright from the other usual suspects, namely Chloe and Lois Lane whenever they dragged along Clark Kent for the ride. Unfortunately, they were just a small part of the episode, with Chloe flirting away with David Bloome while Jimmy was nowhere in sight, and Lois Lane was getting the emotional support from her new work partner while getting to stare at the suddenly slug-less pecks of her old lover. Really, what else can I comment about the three? Chloe's story got moved a bit when she revealed her newfound powers to Clark, with dumb old Kent suddenly jealous that he couldn't read nearly as fast (I'm surprised that dumbass is literate at all). Besides that though, this episode was built on the idea that Oliver Queen's backstory could keep it afloat on the island, but except for his confrontation with Clark at the end about fear and justice, Toxic seemed more like poison than a goddam gift to me...

Of course, I personally wouldn't mind if Tess Mercer and Evangeline from Lost got stuck on an island together, with only each other for warmth during the fiery, harsh and stormy nights. But since that's not what we got, as what we saw instead were gratuitous shots of Oliver Queen trying to replace Tom Welling if push comes to Michael Rosenbaum shove next year?...

Yeah, sorry. Some teeny-boppers may be happy, but it was all rather toxic to me. Hopefully the next episode will get back on track. Otherwise, shoot me up with some goddam adrenaline already...

... ah, yes, the wonders of modern medicine and mercy...

Monday, September 29th, 2008

Y2kk Update:           - Stargate Atlantis: First Contact Review (Spoilers...) -

Why, why does this have to be Stargate Atlantis' final season? This year has so far been one of the best the series has ever produced, and First Contact was definitely no exception. Hell, I'd even argue that it was the best mid-season finale that Atlantis has written since the Genii were a threat in The Storm. Why must cancellations always turn out so ironic, that they wipe out television when it's at its very best? WTF?...

I haven't really talked about the cancellation of Stargate Atlantis yet, simply because there's not much to say. The second season of the show was shit, and the fourth season was barely any better. The quality of the show has been so hit and miss over the years that I don't blame Sci-Fi for canning the series in favour of a hipper, more trendy piece of shit that will probably try to be closer to the new Battlestar Galactica. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not necessarily ones of those old-timers who think SGU will turn out as brutally embarrassing as the "youth" clip in SG-1's 200th episode was (partially because I sadly thought that part was cool). And if by copying Battlestar Galactica, the Stargate writers mean to bring Grace Park back into the fold, then sign me the fuck up for Universe...

It's just that, I'm still reeling over the loss of SG-1, and now we're losing Atlantis when it's finally refinding its groove? I know it's mainly the Sheppard and McKay show (with guest apperances by Carson Beckett), with random other useless characters having decent episodes sprinkled here and there, but SGA is still one of the best Sci-Fi sources of entertainment that I have ever enjoyed. I don't want it to end, not when episodes like First Contact introduce new badass enemies along with some familiar old faces back into the mix...

The new villains in First Contact may not really be bad guys for all we know, but they certainly acted like it the way they tore through Atlantis as if the base were paper. Judging from their ship being able to pass through the city shield, either these aliens were using a giant Ancient Puddle Jumper or were once very close allies with the Lantians, enough so to have shared technology. Then again, I don't think we've ever seen any commando-type aliens of this kind of badass nature before at least, except for those annoying Kull Warriors back in SG-1 that were far too invulnerable at the start and then became one hit kill wonders by the end. To be honest, does anyone else get a hint of Norse Viking-ness from the helmets those guys were wearing? Then again, I don't know of any vikings who would hell-jump out of an air-ship, crash land into a city-ship, then show some absolute badassery shield technology to prove that humanity does have a match out there for infantry combat. I for one am extremely excited to find out who these guys are when the Lost Tribe airs in a couple of weeks. Although judging from the name of the title, I can already infer a few guesses as to whom they are (giant fuzzy Furlings from 200, please... k thx bye)...

First Contact was also a special episode thanks to the return of Michael Shanks as Daniel Jackson. The only problem was, he really didn't act like Daniel Jackson. To be honest, I don't really know who he was or what he was trying to be, though thank God he didn't turn out to emulate his 24 shitfest of a spy counterpart. Danny-boy here was far too giddy at the start, but not in the sweet-speaking, quick-talking sort of manner that we've become accustomed to over ten or more years. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed his return to the Stargate small screen, especially considering it came along with that old SG-1 music that I'm still so nostalgic for, even though Continuum came out not long ago. Daniel definitely had his fair share of great moments in First Contact, whether he was playing the comic relief in claiming he does what he does for money, or whether he was trying to play the hopeless diplomat yet again by reasoning with the Borg in blue. And yet, the Daniel we got here was simply not the Daniel that we had back in SG-1 and the latest Stargate films. How or why that is, I'm not sure, although I did see a nice glimmer of his true self when he fell through the secret wall and onto his glasses in pain. Somehow, that scene had an old-skool SG-1 musical vibe to it that I really did enjoy. Maybe Daniel just doesn't feel like Daniel unless he dies?...

McKay was the other half of the dynamic duo in this episode, although in part he was reverted back to his old self from SG-1. There was no need for him to be so jealous over Daniel Jackson coming to Atlantis to correct him on his work, but that is how the old Rodney McKay would've acted if this were an episode of SG-1. Still, Meredith managed to earn his fair share of starlite moments, whether he was getting a little revenge on Daniel Jackson when it came to the puzzle of the missing wall, or whether he was widening his eyes at the end game machine that Janus had created all those millennia ago. Daniel may not have been the Daniel Jackson we knew, and Rodney McKay may have felt a little off too (except when he was getting shot by the Kull Warrior wannabes, that is). But the two actors together still put on a great show that made First Contact into probably the best mid-season finale that Stargate Atlantis has ever done. I'm just happy and feeling lucky that we don't have to wait months for the conclusion, otherwise I'd have to go back to the SG-1 archives for my future fix between the both of them...

The rest of the cast didn't have nearly as much to do, although everyone contributed in some manner or another. Teyla was simply there, but she got to look like a badass MILF when trying to gun down the intruders with the god-powerful P90. Sheppard was bored most of the time running the base while resting his eyes, but when it came to the invasion from a race that apparently can open hyperspace windows in atmospheres, he was back on the top of his game with a badass G36 locked and loaded in his hands. The two of them provided one of the coolest ground battle scenes that Atlantis has produced in the entire series, and that says a lot when you compare to such gems like Sateda or Midway or even Teyla's stick fighting way back in season one. If only Ronan wasn't stuck doing nothing on the Daedalus, besides apparently making the smooth moves on Keller while Rodney was stuck babysitting back on base, then the entire main cast and crew really could've felt like they contributed to the whole. The only real flaw of First Contact was that there wasn't really the feeling of the team...

On the Daedalus, we got a bit of comic relief with Woolsey playing the emergency holographic speech writer, looking like a goof of a politician in the process. I'm not sure if I particularly liked this direction the writers are going for, essentially turning Robert Picardo from a stern and respectable leader into a goofy sort of laugh on the side, but meh, his scenes still made me smile. Dr. Keller was simply there, I forget what she attributed except for perhaps eye candy as Michael Shanks pretended not to notice the uber-cute Jewel Staite in the hallways. She did have a few decent interactions with Todd though, specifically when it came to the future of his race. I think Todd said it best as to why they were afraid of change, of changing who they are. "What would we do, what would we be?", he asked. He wasn't nearly as dominant of a figure or as charming of a personality as he was back in The Queen, but the simple fact that he showed up to honour his side of the deal from that episode was enough to continue his legacy as the best villain that SGA has to date. Besides the goddam Sci-Fi big-wigs cancelling the show, I mean...

We finally have Todd as a true face that the fans can loathe yet sympathize and relate to unlike any other Atlantis villain to date. With the introduction of these new battle armoured bad guys, we finally have a new villain that is mysterious and powerful and interesting enough to make me watch intently for several seasons more. Dammit, the Sheppard and McKay dynamic duo of Batman and Robin lore (in almost all aspects, according to some parts of the internet...) is probably the best in the Stargate universe next to the original O'Neill and Daniel Jackson pairing, and both of the actors are still in their primes. So why the hell is the show being cancelled now of all years? WTF?...

Well, at least, Stargate Atlantis is really going out on top, with hopefully a movie or two afterwards to wrap things up. It just won't be the same though, alas. Ark of Truth was shit, while Continuum was a nice overall diversion but still not the real thing...

I will miss Stargate Atlantis as much as I do SG-1. Unless that is, Universe gives me a copy of Grace Park as due compensation, of course...

So here's to fuzzy Furling baddies along with awesome cell phone service on at least 200 other planets...

And here's to Stargate Atlantis, as we cherish the last half of its final season for as long as we can...

Sunday, September 28th, 2008

Y2kk Update:           - Smallville: Plastique small Smallville Week in Review (Spoilers...) -

It was only a matter of time until Smallville would revert back to its Freak of the Week formula...

Surprisingly though, as tiresome as the same old plotline may be, Plastique managed to stay a decent episode...

And why?... well?...

... wait for it...

... ahem...

"Clark Kent actually tried to be a hero for once? He actually tried to save people's lives? WTF is this, an actual Superman show? WTF?"...

Last week, I already expressed how shocked yet pleasantly surprised I was, that Smallville as a series seemed to be growing up. It was a huge loss that Michael Rosenbaum decided to leave the show, but apparently it was an even bigger gain when Kristen Kreuk was finally kicked off the goddam series. Smallville this season, albeit only a couple episodes in, has so far found a newfound sense of maturity and respect for the Superman mythos that I don't think we've really seen before. Hell, even little touches like Clark Kent changing clothes in a phone book gave me more of a genuine Superman smirk than almost any episode previously written by the writers over seven goddam years. And I guess, it also helps that Jimmy the Bimmy was nowhere to be seen...

I don't know if I'm a happy camper with where they're taking Allison Mack this season, although I am happy that Chloe is getting more screen time than she did for most of season seven. It seems that Brainiac has done something to her brain, leading her along a darker path, perhaps even towards villainy for all we know. And now she seems to have the hots for everyone's favourite Crashdown, who apparently couldn't take the pressures of the Cylon War and decided to come down to earth as a naked medical man. I don't mind Sam Witwer as an actor, and to be honest, he probably has more chemistry with Allison Mack then Jimmy has had for the past two or three years combined. I'll admit here that thanks to WB's official previews for the season, I already know where this whole David Bloome angle will go in the Smallville universe. I definitely had my reservations when I first heard the news, and I definitely still have the same concerns two episodes in. But considering the best remaining actor on the series, Allison Mack, will be helping poor Crashdown into the fold, I suppose I can let a few things slide for another episode or two...

The other new villain is Tess Mercer, who seems to be based on Mercy Graves (a Harley Quinn type of character made up for the Superman cartoon a few years back). The jury's still out on her, although I do admit that besides being some decent eye-candy, she definitely is played by a decent actress. The only problem is, Michael Rosenbaum helped provide the best scenes in the entire series when dragging the acting carcass of Tom Welling along. So far, I haven't felt that same sort of chemistry between him and this Tess Mercer character. We've been told she's evil and I have no doubt that she will be (probably with some sort of meteor power, like superstrength or speed), but all we've seen of her so far is a short little recruitment speech to little ol' Plastique Freak of the Week. I'm hoping the character of Tess is furthered developed in the weeks to come, but so far I haven't seen much of anything to write home about...

The real reason why I enjoyed Plastique though, was Clark Kent and Lois Lane and the growing dynamic between the both of them. I've already mentioned how the series has seemed to grow up and grow closer to the real Superman comic mythos, such as the introduction of the phone booth and of Clark Kent trying to be the hero that saves the day. But the real mystique that I've felt from Plastique, was the sense that there really is chemistry between the farm boy and Lois Lane, the kind of which hasn't been there since they first introduced her character back in high school. Erica Durance plays banter wonderfully with Tom Welling, and the show has been writing their stuff well enough that I've completely forgotten that a) it should've been impossible for Clark Kent to get a job at the Daily Planet, and b) it should've been impossible a long time ago for this Lois Lane to have done the same either. The only better chemistry on the cast currently so far would probably be if Lois Lane and Tess Mercer hooked up for a night to reminisce about Oliver Queen or some shit like that. Now that, I would love to see...

Plastique wasn't a great episode by any stretch of the imagination. But for a run of the mill Freak of the Week episode, it was surprisingly both fresh and dynamic enough to keep my attention for the first time in years...

That's probably the death knell for Smallville though. Whenever the WB / CW get wind of a show actually written well, that's when they finally axe it. And a couple episodes ago, I would've agreed with their assessment. Michael Rosenbaum was gone, Lionel Luthor was dead...

But now, my opinion has changed. In a heartbeat, in a John Wilkes phone booth...

Saturday, September 20th, 2008

Y2kk Update:           - Stargate Atlantis: Tracker Review (Spoilers...) -

Wow, seriously, what is it with odd-numbered Atlantis seasons? It's like every piece of shit turns to gold...

There was never really a pattern when it came to SG-1. The first season had its moments, I loved the second year more than anything else, the third season was almost as good, and I enjoyed the fourth, seventh and ninth seasons for the most part, for what they were worth. Yet when it comes to SGA though, every single odd-numbered season full and through has been exceptional. The first year of Atlantis completely overshadowed the eighth season of SG-1 at the time, I loved everything in the third year of SGA until Dr. Beckett bit the proverbial bullet, and now the fifth season is producing one of the best runs of decent to good episodes that I've watched from a Sci-Fi show to date. Whether we're talking about Daedalus Variations or The Queen or even this week's Tracker, it's like the writers have put something in them Canadian waters and forests to suddenly turn every script that seems like crap into some sort of pot of luck...

On paper, Tracker seems like just another run of the mill filler episode, taking place in the Vancouver forests between two galaxies. Really, it was such a low-budget and cliche episode in terms of synopsis, with Keller being kidnapped by a rogue Runner who turns out to have a heart of gold through some noble sacrifice in the end. We've all seen this song and dance of a diddy before, who knows how many times in Stargate alone. But somehow, it all just worked well here in Tracker, even without the full extent of the team. Sheppard only got in a few wise cracks and weirded out looks at the sight of that alternate 'shipper timeline coming to reality, Woolsey was completely missing in action yet again, and Teyla wasn't even mentioned whatsoever. And yet, none of that really mattered when we got the joy of McKay shooting Wraith on one leg and talking about the badass industrialness of beavers on the other. He truly is a man's man...

I wish Ronon had more memorable moments in Tracker, aside from him just spouting out the usual Teal'c'isms when spotting foot prints and everything. Though as cheap-looking as the producers made all the traps seem, it still at least helped to pass the time to watch Wraith get stuck on spikes like scarecrows. What I was hoping more for was decent fight choreography, something to rival what we got in the first Runner episode or when he had to fight his fellow Satedans last season. His final bout against Kiryk was alright, but it should've been longer and more intense than just a few lacklustre punches. I did enjoy Ronon for what he was worth though, especially in the ending scene worthy of rolling eyes. If he actually was serious about having "intentions" for Keller, even after nothing has happened between the both of them since last year's make out session? Then yeah, my eyes will continue to roll at this Lost-in-Atlantis kind of immature love triangle. But if he was simply ribbing on McKay because he knows how he feels about Jennifer? Then yeah, I couldn't help but smile too, provided that his intention is to actually have no intentions...

I already mentioned McKay's best moments in fighting off beavers in the Vancouver woods that suspiciously look identical to every other forest out there in two galaxies. I wish that he had more skill with that 9mm pistol after five years of being on the frontlines though, it's strange how the writers often seem to revert him back to his season one self. What I most liked about Rodney this episode though was how sorrowful he looked every single time he saw Ronon stealing his thunder in Keller's eyes. Whether it was fighting off Wraith hand to hand or being gentle with a little girl's doll, the big lug certainly got a big smile out of the doctor. Slightly off topic, I know I have no relationship experience myself, but I've certainly been in McKay's spot before as the third wheel of a night out, so to speak. I was too emotional and sadly desperate to control how disappointed I was feeling, and things certainly didn't go as planned for me from that point on. I'm still sorry that that's the way it turned out, I should've known better. I guess because of my own nerdiness misforgivings, I can't help but root for the underdog here. Every time I saw McKay look away discouraged, I couldn't help but relate. Who wouldn't want the uber-cute and smart doctor to by your side? Rodney certainly has a thing for them it seems, first with Carson as his best friend (or according to 'slashers, something more...), and now here with the ever adorable as a button, Dr. Jennifer Keller...

Wait, since when did she learn to fight? WTF? She defended herself better against a Wraith than Teyla did back in the first season. Wasupwidat? Part of me didn't like how Jennifer here has been force fed down the audience's throats, now as some Samantha Carter supergirl who can pretty much handle every situation by herself. Then again, how can I possibly hate on such a pretty girl? How can anyone hate on Kaylee, the cutest and brightest engineer of them all until she helped get Firefly kicked off the air? Now sure, she has unfortunately brought the Firefly cancellation curse over to Atlantis, the same shit that Morena Baccarin brought to SG-1 (only Adam Baldwin seems to be immune from it, at least from SG-1 season seven and now Chuck so far). But still, how can anyone hate on her, even though it's somehow her fault that the show is ending? Ha, the actress even apologized for the series' end long before the cancellation happened. Who couldn't forgive her for that?...

Jewel Staite did a nice job here in Tracker, one of the best performances she's done as one of the leads of an episode at least. You could tell she was nervous, as much so as she appeared in The Queen when talking to Todd. But just like back then, she kept in control of herself, she never panicked, and she even went to save McKay with a giant stick when all was said and done. She was caring and cute and could even run her ass off before getting stunned in the head again, how could you not like that? Like I've mentioned before, it's almost as if the writers have been trying too hard to get the audience to endear themselves to her, turning her into some jack-of-all-trades when it comes to her skills. I may not be a fan of that, but I certainly am more of a fan of her now compared to Missing last shitty ass season. I don't like how the writers are forcing the Keller and Rodney romance so much, but I do admit that I can't help but dream that I can be as lucky as McKay one day, to get a girl like her somehow. Ha, funny thing is, Sheppard already knows those two have hooked up and fell in love in a different timeline, and yet all he does here is make weird faces instead of helping out with his best friend's "intentions". Guess he knows when to let nature take its course...

And for an episode that takes place almost entirely in the forests of my damn backyard? I've got to admit, I was impressed and I was mostly entertained. It helped that Kiryk, cliche as he was for Stargate, was a likable character that most of us viewers wouldn't mind seeing again. All he wanted was to save a little girl, going so far as to risk his life twice just to get her to the gate. It also helped that the portable transporter he had on his arm was a very nifty device, reminding me of some of Nightcrawler's best moments in X2. It seemed to only be able to go places that he could see, but if only the SGC could reverse engineer a device like that and combine it with the Sodan / Ancient cloaks of SG-1? Well, the writers never seem to give these kinds of amazing capabilities to their ground teams, not like they need them considering the P90 has become officially the most powerful weapon in the entire universe. But hey, a McKay-fanboy of a nerd like me can still dream, now can't he?...

So really, what do they put in the forestry waters over there in Vancouver of the Pegasus Galaxy? Because seriously, we had basically a repeat of every bounty hunter or runner episode of the past here in Tracker, the kind of shit that I would hate beyond all doubt in seasons 2 and 4...

Yet here, in season five? I end up enjoying this episode as one of the most fun hourly adventures of the entire goddam season. WTF?...

It's a shame that Stargate Atlantis is ending this year. But at least, it's truly going out on top...

... because I certainly wouldn't trust a sixth season of the show...

... not with the current running track record, I mean...

Friday, September 19th, 2008

Y2kk Update:           - Smallville: Odyssey small Smallville Week in Review (Spoilers...) -

I didn't mind Arctic last year, it wasn't a horrible way to end the year. But I so wasn't looking forward to Odyssey, the season premiere for goddam Smallville...

And why?... well?...

... wait for it...

... ahem...

"Michael Rosenbaum has left the series? Say what? Why the fuck didn't they beg him to stay? Why didn't they end the show? WTF?"...

Let me say it loud and clear, Michael Rosenbaum was perhaps the only true reason to watch Smallville. Now sure, Allison Mack is always easy on the eyes, but her character has often been ignored, while Lex Luthor was so well developed. Michael Rosenbaum and his television father, Lionel Luthor, absolutely were the best reasons to watch this show. Pretty much almost every memorable episode in the past, save for perhaps Run, has dealt directly with Lex and either his ambitions or his family past. But then last year, the writers killed off John Glover, for reasons I cannot even begin to fathom except that the actor wanted to get the fuck off of the series. And now, after the huge climax at the end of Arctic, the writers couldn't beg for Michael Rosenbaum to even show up for one goddam episode in the new season of Smallville? He was the only reason to watch and now he's gone. Why is the show still running then, really? He was the ONLY person I routinely complimented in my small Smallville weeks in review. Now what?...

Well, at least there's some balance in the universe. While the best actor on the series is gone, so is the most annoying character of them all on television. I know that Kristen Kreuk will be back for a few episodes as a guest star this season, but hopefully that much of her I can stand and ignore. Keeping her as a season regular after the first words popped out of her bitch of a mouth was the dumbest decision ever made by the Smallville staff, and it apparently took them seven years to finally realize their mistake. Michael Rosenbaum was always the person I complimented in my reviews, but Kristen Kreuk was always the person I loathed and criticized and demonized the most. Now that both the prodigal son and the queen bitch of the series are gone, is there even a reason to write my small Smallville weeks in review anymore? WTF?...

Apparently, there is a reason. I wasn't looking forward to Odyssey, I was almost dreading it to some extent. But somehow, the Smallville writers managed to surprise me. There was a sense of honesty, grit, perhaps a bit of darkness, and an almost superhero-ish feel to the whole episode. Having the Justice League there certainly helped, but having Clark Kent mature and realize his destiny in life? I know I wasn't the only one who thought, "finally the writers get it"...

Or do they? There were definitely some spotty parts to this episode. For one, Jimmy the Bimmy made his return, and I was so completely not a fan. Second, I'm not sure if I like having Tess as the main villainous. She may have a decently pretty face, but she has none of the natural charisma or charm or beguiling nature that Michael Rosenbaum used to have. Stepping behind that desk that belongs to Lex, she has some huge shoes to fill, and I just didn't get the kind of impression or aura from the actress that she was ready or capable of such a role. Hopefully I'll be proven wrong in due time, but then again, I once thought Jimmy had potential on the show. That's probably a lie, but still...

I do like how Oliver Queen was added to the main cast. He was one of the best parts of the sixth season of the show (or was he in the fifth? I already forget), and it's great that he made his return here in Odyssey. It remains to be seen though how well he'll integrate back into the Smallville storylines, especially considering his main rival of Lex is out of the picture. His role here in this episode wasn't very different from what the actor is used to, but I'm hoping there's a lot of new potential for storylines between him and Clark as heroes of Metropolis later on in the season. It seems he has some history with Tess as well, so I'll give the writers a free pass for now, considering I know how badass of a character they made Oliver Queen in seasons past...

Chloe was back and cute as ever, even showing some of her newfound fighting skills in hitting the poor Geek Squad nerd in the face. Now, how the hell she developed supercomputer kinds of processing abilities, whether Brainiac pulled them out of her or she always had them latent except when demonstrating her hacking skills, I don't know. Personally, I feel like this should've been her power in the first place, and perhaps the writers realize that too, considering she wasn't able to use her healing ability (unless that was simply because Clark was not human). All I care about now though, is that I get my Allison Mack fix back every single week. She seemed so happy when she saw Lois and Clark there to rescue her, how could I not be overjoyed as well? Now sure, her sitting in a chair in some secret laboratory, forced to do things against her will thanks to a secret serum, was perhaps far too much of X2 rip-off and far too close to my own fantasies for comfort. But how can I really complain, when it's Chloe back and cute as ever? Except when she accepted the goddam marriage proposal from Jimmy. Yeah, like that's going to end well...

Finally it seems that the writers are giving some sort of justice to Lois, outside of shacking up with the head of the Justice League at least. Last season, except for the parallel universe one where Clark never existed, Lois Lane was ignored for the most part with bit parts and pathetic roles. Already here, she has proven herself more than the past two or three seasons combined, with simply a new hair style and a sassy smirk of a smile at the farm boy we know she'll fall in love with. Now, how the hell Clark got that kind of job without any college education or even a goddam friend up high vouching for him at the Daily Planet, I will never know. But hey, at least it creates some sort of interesting dynamic between Lois and Clark, the kind of which should have been there right from the start. They've lived together, they went to high school together, they fought bad guys side by side, and only now do the writers start to get it? WTF?...

The both of them together, Lois and Clark, show a lot of promise. But we've all seen this kind of potential before, and it's always been wasted on the show, so I still have my reservations. At least though, it gives me a lot of hope to see a Clark Kent here that took more steps in one episode into becoming not just a superhero but a man, than I think he accomplished in the past two or three seasons combined. Really, his father passed away, and yet he stood still. His mother moved away and Lionel Luthor was murdered, and yet Clark still just sat around his farm, brooding over Lana Lang. It was great seeing his parents again in his flashbacks, and it was nice to know that finally Clark Kent was spurred to get off his ass and do something for the world. But haven't we been down this road before, and the writers always pulled back to the same old formula of high school, teen angst? Well, at least we'll get more moments between him and Lois Lane, and far less of those between him and Lana fucking Lang. That alone, is worth the price of admission to the new season of Smallville...

Odyssey wasn't a great episode by any means, but at least it didn't suck. It had Russians with bizarro accents, beating on helpless Clark Kent for shits and giggles, how the hell can I side against that?...

I felt some potential in this season premiere. I felt a newfound sense of maturity to the series that I hope continues from this point on...

But goddammit, Michael Rosenbaum is gone. Say what? WTF? Then again, so is Kristen Kreuk...

... pure good and pure evil I guess, cancel each other out...

Sunday, September 14th, 2008

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

Over the past five seasons, how many Teyla-centric episodes have I actually liked? I can probably count them on one hand...

Well, at least now I can add one more. The previews for The Queen made it seem like a low budget episode that didn't even feature the team together as a saving grace. Rachel Luttrell always impressed me when it came to her fighting spirit and choreography, but in terms of acting, I honestly can't even remember a single memorable episode dedicated to her in the past. At least, not until The Queen this week...

First of all, after episodes like Submergence, when Teyla needed the help of her unborn son or something to ward off the mental attacks of a Wraith Queen, I certainly had my doubts for an episode where Teyla actually plays the role of one. It also almost felt like such a forced farce, for the writers to transform the actress into a Wraith Queen but not even throw in one line to tell the viewers how they did it. I doubt plastic surgery alone would've convinced the Wraith that she was one of them, let alone the Queen of the entire alliance. And the way Teyla was looking at her hand there at the end of the episode, after two or more weeks of being fed liquid food? Obviously, something more was done to the character than just the usual make-up chair bit. It would've made The Queen into a far more significant episode if Teyla was forced to feed on a human at one point as part of her ruse, and even worse, enjoyed the sensation. The writers never dared go down that dark path, however...

What I did like though was that Teyla really did do a pretty good job of holding her own at the top of the food chain. She was still the Teyla we knew, and some have complained that she didn't do enough hissing and scowling to really seem like the Queen's of the past. However, she was decisive and in charge and I personally thought the actress did a great job at showing how scared yet poised she was under this kind of pressure. Essentially, Teyla had been thrust into literally her worst nightmare, but she still did everything she could for the future of her son and the Pegasus Galaxy, even risking her own life in order to battle a Wraith Hive ship that was culling a planet. That was probably one of the best moments of this season so far, when Todd looked over and realized Teyla was now abusing the power that he had given her, using her control as Queen to kill as many Wraith as possible with suicide tactics. But she never once flinched or second guessed her decision, until she was by herself and staring at her hand, at least. That's what a real queen should do, to never show fear or doubt in front of her subjects, and I gained a lot of respect for the character for the first time in years...

It certainly helped that Todd was probably the best second in command that we as an audience could ever ask for. How many of us didn't at least snicker when he hoped the fruit he supplied was 'as tasty as the farmers that grew them'? A lot of comparisons have been made between Todd of Atlantis and Ba'al of SG-1, that they're both villains with shades of gray and interesting senses of humour, allowing the audience to actually relate to them and almost root for the bad guys at times. Todd is the only real multi-faceted and dimensional Wraith we've gotten on the series so far, he really is the only villain the show has ever had that has made Wraith politics into something interesting for the audience...

Even though we've seen it before in so many Star Trek warrior societies, it still caught me off guard when Todd stabbed the lead Queen in the neck, simply so that Teyla and himself could attain power. What are Todd's true motives, really? Will he honour his agreement with Atlantis? Todd has told Sheppard that he was his brother in arms in the past, but what does that really mean when the two sides are still at war? The thing that makes Todd great, besides his sick sense of Wraith humour and levity, is that he understands the usefulness of honour and dignity. Whether he's only using these principles to get what he wants, or whether he truly believes in them like the Atlantis team does, guess we'll find out in a couple weeks or so...

There was a lot of chemistry between him and Teyla, strangely enough so that I even got my own 'shippiness vibe from the both of them. There were even times that Todd stared at Teyla, half terrified of what his new Queen would do next, and half impressed at how much he was starting to admire her. It was a shame that Teyla couldn't defend herself enough against that bald Wraith who confronted her at the end, but at least we got a scene where Todd genuinely seemed to want to save Teyla, not just for his own power but out of respect for her skills and accomplishments as well. I loved the look in his eyes when they had their final goodbyes, when she threatened him to make her own return should he ever step out of line. It was an empty threat, most likely a bluff considering the kind of arduous transformation it takes to become a Wraith Queen, but Todd seemed to believe it anyways. He really did seem to gain the same kind of respect for Teyla as he had for Sheppard the first time they met. Todd really is the most human Wraith we've ever met, even going so far as to thank the team for taking out Michael. If only this wasn't the last season of Stargate Atlantis, I'd be hoping that we'd see a lot more of him and Teyla together down the road...

The rest of the team unfortunately was kind of useless in The Queen, although they each had their moments. Ronon got to play the big brother when threatening Todd in Atlantis, McKay got to comment about adapting Asgard transporter beams to Puddle Jumper systems (although for now, he should just concentrate on getting the mini-hyperspace generators working on the PJ's and F-302's), Keller got to play doctor and pretend like she was the next Carson Beckett when it comes to Wraith retroviruses, and Sheppard got to show off again as the reckless but lucky fool yet again in his strafing run against the Wraith Hive ship. Now, it would've made a lot more sense for the 'team' to have played the scene this way: Ronon comes up with the crazy idea, McKay pinpoints the optimal locations to target, and Sheppard does his piloting thing to avoid all Wraith Darts that could fire on their position. The only real flaw of The Queen was that there was no real 'team' in the episode whatsoever, but at least we got some spectacular CG fireworks with the Wraith Hive ship getting blown to pieces by just a few well placed shots from a Puddle Jumper. Now, why the hell they didn't try that back in The Siege or any previous episode, who knows?...

I went into The Queen with rolled eyes, honestly believing this would be yet another routine filler episode starring Teyla. In the end though, I was just as impressed with Rachel Luttrell as Todd was with his new queen...

Now sure, I still can't remember how many Teyla-centric episodes I have ever enjoyed in the past. But at least now, I know one thing...

... because when it comes to this final season at least?...

... she has made her mark...

Sunday, September 7th, 2008

Y2kk Update:           - Stargate Atlantis: Whispers Review (Spoilers...) -

It's no damn secret. No need to whisper.

This episode goddam sucked...

I hate it whenever Stargate tries to do a horror episode. What on earth possesses them to create zombie types of scenarios anyways? The Wraith themselves, in the first season at least, were creepy enough as space vampires at times. Why not build on that, instead of giving us Vengeance Part Deux here, without even the sole benefit of Connor Trinneer that that old episode had long ago? WTF?...

Okay, first of all, Whispers just didn't feel like a proper Atlantis episode, simply because most of the Atlantis team wasn't there. Rodney McKay only got a bit part at the start and finish. In fact, I sadly had even forgotten that he existed at all by the time he returned for the final minute or so. That's how much Whispers numbed my brain and put me to sleep. Was that one of the zombie hybrid's powers, to hypnotize me and hate the goddam show? WTF?...

It didn't help that we got four nobodies on the all-Amazon, all-female team that apparently John Sheppard as military leader of Atlantis had never heard about. Why were the writers hyping up Captain Vega played by whats-her-name, when after shooting down a Wraith Dart in the season premiere, was killed off in pure horror-hottie cliche fashion here in Whispers? Did the producers find out that she was a complete bitch to work with after she was given a secure role? Maybe it would've been safer to keep her as Dr. Esposito from Tao of Rodney, when she was cute as absolute fuck and didn't seem like a pretty girl playing soldier. And really, was I supposed to care about the other two soldiers of the team? I can't even remember their names. I just recall being annoyed as hell at the bubble gum chewing one, and wondering to myself how that Teldy leader didn't die (considering the actress has already been offed as many times as Daniel Jackson back on SG-1)...

At least we got the return of Nicole deBoer to Sci-Fi, because you two readers out there might remember how deep of a connection she and I used to have (...). She had quickly won over all our hearts with just one season of Star Trek: Deep Space 9, and I've always wondered what it would be like if she returned to the space genre. She did an alright job for the most part here, except she suffered from a lot of bad horror movie cliches, like running out into The Fog and getting lost for no apparent reason whatsoever. It's just that, while the actress herself was still adorable and lovable as ever, the lines and role she was given were not. I'm sorry, but as much as I hated that soldier gal playing babysitter, I've got to agree with her that everything happening between Dr. Allison Porter and Dr. Carson Beckett was "so obvious", but definitely not funny or entertaining at all. I wish I could've left the shack myself. It was like this show was written by the guys behind some high school musical, maybe even Hamlet 2. I mean, if SGA wanted to invoke the feeling of goddam Smallville with a character named "Allison", why not just get goddam Chloe Sullivan to mack on the clone doctor? I would've preferred that, no offence to Nicole deBoer of course...

Carson Beckett has, what, only five episodes in the season to work with, and this was his second? Was it really worth it to waste his appearance then in Whispers? If there is any saving grace to this episode, it was that the ol' Scotsman was still his old self whenever he was with Rodney or by himself. But I'm sorry, I seem to have developed a migraine this morning, probably from listening to the god-awful dialogue he was given with Dr. Porter just a few days ago. The actor did a decent job of keeping the mood and atmosphere of the episode, as the scene where he's getting stalked like prey in The Fog was probably the only memorable moment that I think I can conjure up. However, the writers and producers even managed to fuck that up, by deciding to make The Mist a byproduct of the hybrid zombie gills. How the fuck they can exhume enough exhaust to fill a whole goddam village and forest up, I have no fucking clue. How the fuck can their second hand smoke shit screw around with flashlight batteries but not laptop equipment, who the fuck knows? Not only that, but worst of all, it looked absolutely ridiculous seeing some Spiderman 3 copy next to the Carson clone, messing up the whole mood of the scene. WTF were they thinking?...

Even John Sheppard didn't feel like himself in Whispers, and that deserves a WTF of its own. He's always had an open mind, except to perhaps Rodney for obvious reasons, yet here he simply shuts down the concerns of the female SGA team without even listening to them at all. He was an absolute idiot when it came to the big plan at the end as well, not knowing where he would go or what to do, until the last moments when Carson had to arrive out of the blue to rescue him. The only parts of the episode I did appreciate were when it was just them two alone in the scene, away from all the fake and forced comments of the female team they were trying to work with and save. Unfortunately, those moments did not come nearly often enough, leaving me with a goddam headache from that bitch of a soldier who claims to have come to the Pegasus Galaxy since she didn't have enough Ori to kill back home anymore, only to be dumb enough to blow bubble gum blasts at zombie predators that hunt through goddam sound. Again, I ask, WTF?...

I know the writers were trying to go for as many horror movie cliches as possible for fun, but really, I ask of them, WHY? If I wanted to have my brains eaten out by the dumbest entertainment I could find on television, I would've rented See No Evil or House of Wax or rewatched Smallville or some shit like that. Hell, I even preferred the launch of 9021-fucking-0 this week over this SGA shit. WTF?...

Well, maybe it's just me though. Maybe because I just lost my grandfather, I wasn't in the mood for an episode where the atmosphere is pervaded by suspense, suffering and death. Maybe, most likely, that's the reason I didn't give Whispers a true fighting chance...

No, wait. I've got a better reason, and I might as well yell it for all to hear...

This episode sucked.

Sunday, August 31st, 2008

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

The Shrine was a very good episode. It was perhaps just a bit too difficult for me to watch, that's all...

My grandfather, he passed away the day before The Shrine. I've already written about it all on my download site, about how much I loved my grandpa and how hard it was to watch him suffer for three days straight until he was gone. I never cried though, I was never able to shed a tear for my grandpa, although there were definitely times when I swore I felt a feeling tug away at the corner of my eye. I guess it's a testament to The Shrine, that watching it was one of those few times that I did almost burst into tears...

By far, the strongest scene was when Jeannie went into the room to talk to her brother. Rodney could barely recognize her anymore, although naturally he could still understand the femininity of his first name. The scene was just so emotional for me, with the way Jeannie tried her hardest to be there for her brother but simply could not take seeing him the way he was. And Rodney, despite his condition, cared more for the feelings of his sister than he did for his own illness. That moment nearly brought me to tears after everything that I had been through those past few days. Being by my grandfather's side for three days straight until he passed away, I knew exactly how Jeannie felt at that point in time. I felt so horrible, the moment between her and her brother brought up so many bad and recent memories, that I almost shut off the episode then and there myself. I guess though, that's when Ronon Dex stepped in for the both of us. Well, you two readers know what I mean...

With the recent cancellation of Stargate Atlantis, David Hewlett has said on record that he will miss the character of Dr. Rodney McKay (or 'Mr. Rodney McKay', for this particular episode at least). I don't blame him at all, considering it's been Meredith that has by far stolen the show for the entire series. Mr. and Mrs. Miller, the Tao of Rodney and now The Shrine are all some of the most well acted and enjoyable hours of Sci-Fi that I ever witnessed in my life. I don't know how either David Hewlett or his sister will ever be able to get roles again as meaningful and memorable as the McKay siblings were in Atlantis. From the very moment he first appeared on screen in The Shrine, Rodney McKay brought to life a script that had so much feeling and honesty put into it. Every single recording he did before the camera was unforgettable, to say the least. Even the little things, like shaking his head in embarrassment and fear when he couldn't even remember the name of the Pegasus Galaxy, has personally made The Shrine into one of the best episodes of Stargate Atlantis I have ever watched in my life...

Every cast member was important, whether it was Ronon insisting that memories of his final day with his grandfather were real, or whether it was Teyla helping McKay past the waterfall when he was too tired to move on. To be honest, after everything with my grandfather, I couldn't help but empathize with Robert Picardo as well. He's been an amazing addition to the cast this year, and it's such a shame that he will only get one season to shine. When he told his story, of how his own father with Alzheimer's had one moment of clarity before he was gone for good, it reminded me so much of my own grandfather's final moments on his deathbed, putting all his strength into saying goodbye one last time. It was a moment I will never forget in my own life, and the way Robert Picardo brought to reality that very similar moment of his, I could swear to God the actor has experienced it too. Every little touch in this episode, like Woolsey asking Sheppard to say goodbye for him, all worked so flawlessly together as a whole. The episode, simply put, had heart. It felt real...

The Shrine was a Jennifer Keller episode as much as it was for Rodney and Jeannie McKay, and considering how cute as a button Jewel Staite always is, I guess I personally can't complain. There have been a lot of complaints about her character though in this episode, how she was too selfish in not allowing Rodney McKay to go to the Shrine of Talos that Ronon was mentioning. Especially after all she had been through in the Pegasus Galaxy, surely she would believe that some 'magical' Ancient artifact out there could cure Rodney of his sickness. Instead of insisting that Ronon's memories were flawed and false, it would've made more sense if the writers had made her concentrate on the "one day" aspect of it all, how sending him to the shrine would have meant giving up on a cure, giving everything up except for his last day. She felt stubborn and naive as a result, emotionally driven and lost from her feelings for Meredith McKay that had been surfacing over the past few weeks...

Still, aside from her overall stupidity, I do admire how the actress handled herself well throughout the episode. Some have argued that McKay admitting his 'love' for Keller was unnecessary, but I thought it brought good closure to the episode. Jennifer loved him back in some sense, and you could see those feelings in the actress' eyes every moment that the two were together. I loved the scene where they shared the fruit cup, personally. I sure as hell wish I could share in Keller's cups as well. And Jewel Staite did an amazing job in showing the pressures of surgery without the equipment she wants or needs, yet demonstrating enough poise to save the life of the man who loves her yet may not even remember the fact...

Of course, 'shippers are quick to point out that it wasn't Keller's name that Rodney was screaming for in the middle of the night. While we all may question John Sheppard after witnessing him in that panda shirt, I've got to admit that seeing him and Rodney together out on the pier was probably the strongest and most poignant brotherly scene in all of Stargate Atlantis. It's just like Sheppard to refuse to give in, to refuse to say his goodbyes, and he made sure of the fact by stubbornly telling McKay that he was stuck with him even still. Maybe I was just overly vulnerable at the time, but I too cracked up when McKay made his joke and called him "Arthur" at the end. It's the little touches in episodes that I remember best, and I can't help but remember the two of them sipping beers out on the pier. It was a beautiful scene on a beautiful night out in Atlantis. It's just unfortunate that the 'slashers now have even more material to work with in their fan-fiction, that's all...

If there was one flaw in this episode, it was with how predictable the ending was. Jennifer Keller may not have believed in magical shrines, but most certainly every single viewer out there does after so many years of Ancient devices on Stargate. The episode dragged at parts simply because we knew the heroes would find a cure miraculously at the last second, and it almost felt too easy that the parasite actually crawled out of McKay's brain instead of putting up a fight...

Still, that doesn't change the fact that I nearly cried when Jeannie was being held in Ronon's arms. It doesn't change the fact that I actually felt something real when McKay was so flustered and frustrated with his memory loss on Day 6, that he even admitted his love for Keller on tape for everyone to hear. It doesn't change the fact that I actually felt horrible for Rodney when he suddenly reverted back to his old self in the shrine, only to realize that he wasn't cured, and that living out his final day would be torture for him. There were just so many special moments in The Shrine that I cannot even begin to mention them all. It was arguably David Hewlett's best performance on the series so far, and that's saying so much, considering he and Sheppard have both been the heart and soul of the expedition for the past five years now...

The Shrine, it was a very good and powerful episode. Too powerful perhaps, considering how difficult it was for me to watch. My friend said it best, that perhaps The Shrine followed too closely to the events of my real life to be just a coincidence. It hit far too close to home for comfort, though I guess I do have to thank the writers, for providing me with some sense of closure...

Watching it a second time, it was a beautiful episode with wonderful acting. When McKay was saying his goodbyes to everyone for the final time, I almost broke down in tears...

Maybe I was just vulnerable, maybe I just wanted a shoulder to cry on...

... but The Shrine, it felt real...

... for me, it had meaning...

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