Comments by WatchesTooMuch

1. Doctor Who Review: A Song in Trenzalore

   5/19/2013 4:45 PM
   
   1. The Doctor has known how and when River would die ever since he first encountered her. She's always been dead as far as he's concerned. But he's always been dead, too. He knows he's going to die, and he even knows where he's going to end up. None of this changes anything from his perspective, even if we are affected by how we see it unfolding.
   
   2. Intellectually, I would say that Clara's fate is tragic. Emotionally, it's ... whatever. She's not much more than a plot device, and that's a shame because she showed a lot of promise initially.
   
   3. I was initially skeptical that John Hurt is the next Doctor, and I see on the net that my skepticism is shared. Since the current Doctor knew who he was, he's very likely to be a past Doctor.

2. Doctor Who Review: Space Brats

   5/13/2013 5:34 AM
   
   BTW, Orphan Black continues to be very good: intense, funny, and unpredictable. It's a thoughtful, high-quality show, and it's a shame TV Fanatic isn't reviewing it.

3. Doctor Who Review: Space Brats

   5/11/2013 10:52 PM
   
   I agree that Warwick Davis (star of "Willow" and Professor Flitwick in the "Harry Potter" movies) was very good as "Porridge", and it would be a pleasure to see him again.
   
   Yes, the kids were annoying, and that's pretty much what kids are for on most TV shows.
   
   I did not like the way the Cyberplanner was written and played. He sounded way too much like Matt Smith's Doctor. Why was he happy and goofy? He's a Cyberman! Cybermen have no emotions, and they may be clumsy and inflexible, but they're not goofy. I suppose the Cyberplanner is like the Borg Queen in Star Trek -- an ill-advised way to humanize an inhuman enemy.
   
   I also agree that Clara remains too incurious about her place in the universe. Of course, all will be revealed in time, so why bother pushing? This is a TV show, after all.

4. Warehouse 13 Review: Facing our Mistakes

   5/8/2013 7:07 PM
   
   @Dreamrose: I did notice that. He's still a regent, isn't he? His star has really risen since BSG. He does a lot of voiceover work on ads and sci-fi shows.

5. Doctor Who Review: But Clara's NOT Dead...

   5/5/2013 1:37 PM
   
   @tristan: "I think the Doctor wanted to see what would happen if the 2 Clara's were together; see if he can solve the mystery that is Clara."
   
   You could be right. If so, he was off not only in space but also in time since the Victorian Clara was already dead.

6. Doctor Who Review: But Clara's NOT Dead...

   5/5/2013 5:37 AM
   
   Filler? That was Doctor Who, not filler! It was the best episode since "Snowmen," and it's no coincidence that it involved the same primary cast. Too bad that Clara didn't have much of anything to do other than look more clever than the Doctor in a couple of scenes. It was completely silly, but it was silly in exactly the right way for Matt Smith's Doctor.
   
   It also, at the very end, created a pretty lame excuse for bringing Clara's wards along on the next adventure. I have a bad feeling about this coming episode -- and I don't mean that I'm worried about what will happen to the characters.

7. Warehouse 13 Review: Saving The World

   5/4/2013 12:13 PM
   
   @fortyseven: " I suspected that the professor was Sainte-Germaine from the beginning."
   
   But he's not. Charlotte Dupres, speaking to herself, said Sutton was her (ex?)husband and that Sainte-Germaine was dead.

8. Doctor Who Review: So that's Who...

   5/2/2013 4:07 AM
   
   I was thrilled with Clara in her first two episodes (Asylum of the Daleks, The Snowmen), but have liked her less and less with each subsequent episode. If it's true that Matt Smith is departs at the end of this season, I hope he takes Clara with him.
   
   BTW, WTF does "Lancashire SASS" mean?

9. The Following Season Finale Review: Finishing the Story

   5/1/2013 3:32 PM
   
   Two more thoughts:
   
   1. The best line in the episode was when Joe said to Ryan (I'm paraphrasing from memory): "I've been stabbed with a knife and a fork; I don't think I'm up for another struggle."
   
   2. Joe is going to find a new literary hero in season 2 to "keep things interesting." We're already Poe'd out. I suspect it will be the Marquis de Sade.

10. Defiance Review: Bugged By Visions

    5/1/2013 6:24 AM
    
    Best episode yet, though that's not saying a lot.
    
    Good: Conflict between townies and Irathients. Mayor committing to work with the Irathients; acknowledging that they've been abused in the past. Irisa bonding with the Irathients but retaining independence. The big, bad Irathient leader is actually thoughtful and smart. Learning that some Irathients have psychic powers. Seeing culture clashes ... and attempts to overcome them.
    
    Bad: Lame hellbugs, clearly borrowing heavily from the "Alien" franchise. Castithans plotting to gain power through marriage; who cares? Is that Fred Armisen playing Alak? Butterflies signalling Irisa's visions? Psychic powers?
    
    @Jim: "After last week’s more cultural and religious centered Defiance episode, I was glad"The Devil in the Dark" took us down the familiar path of a murder mystery mixed with some action and a splash of humor."
    
    What show are you watching? This episode was significantly more infused with alien culture and religion than the previous one.

11. The Following Season Finale Review: Finishing the Story

    5/1/2013 4:08 AM
    
    (Continued)
    5. By the start of the final segment, it was obvious that Molly would drop by, but I expected her just to go after Claire. She evidently did not know that Claire would still be alive, which means she is not in contact with Joe.
    6. Why isn't Ryan in jail? He murdered that guy in the woods.
    7. I agree with all of Sean's criticisms, but almost none of his words of praise for the show.
    8. It's a bad show, and it really doesn't deserve to come back for another season. It might not have stretched a single story arc out over two seasons like The Killing, but I was just as anxious for The Following to wrap things up, and my misgivings about the shows are nearly equal. That said, I look forward to season 3 of The Killing a lot more than I do to season 2 of The Following.

12. The Following Season Finale Review: Finishing the Story

    5/1/2013 4:02 AM
    
    1. Very disappointing wrap-up to a disappointing season. Unlikely that I'll be "following" the show next season.
    2. After Parker's death, why would Ryan have thought that playing Joe's game would be a good idea. Why not take the obvious hint and at least involve Mike if not the whole team in resolving things? And once Ryan met up with Emma, why didn't he shoot her (to disable) and force her at gunpoint to tell him where to go?
    3. Did anybody else laugh out loud when Joe attacked Ryan for mocking Poe and belittling his novel? Joe's obsession with his novel was pretty lame, but this was worse.
    4. Joe isn't dead. According to the TV news, he had written a fiery death into his novel, making it 100% certain that he staged the event. In this context, Joe losing it over some petty insults makes more sense. That is, he was acting.
    5. By the start of the final segment, it was obvious that Molly would drop by, but I expected her just to go after Claire. She evidently did not know that Claire would still be alive, which means she is not in contact with Joe.
    6. Why isn't Ryan in jail? He murdered that guy in the woods.

13. The Following Review: The Chase is On

    4/24/2013 3:06 PM
    
    @Ken: Parker is Annie Parisse. She was a lawyer in Law and Order, semi-evil in Rubicon, blah in Unforgettable, and evil in Person of Interest. With that track record, I kept thinking she would be a bad guy here.
    
    @Su: Burying Parker alive is the first thing Joe's folks have done that truly reflects a Poe story. Shows you how dedicated the writers are (not) to this idea that Joe has created a cult of Poe.
    
    @Ken: Serial killers/mass killers are not necessarily "deranged." I'm surprised that you'd criticize Roderick, given your concerns. Managing a bunch of killers, many of whom are imbalanced in some way, should be tougher than herding cats. Roderick was hard to control. He joined what he thought would be a killer support group and wound up in a literary-focused cult. Of course he was unhappy!

14. Defiance Review: What Do You Believe In?

    4/23/2013 7:35 PM
    
    Jim, yo soy Estadounidense, and I find it very difficult to understand why you would think anybody in the US of the past fifty years -- especially anybody who would be watching a sci-fi show -- would be offended by a band of aliens worshiping their own god. If the show had directly challenged Christianity or one of the other major human religions in a significant way, that could piss off some people, but come on!
    
    BTW, you might want to look at "So Tell Us Honestly, Is There Too Much Religion In Sci-Fi?" (http://www.airlockalpha.com/node/7952/so-tell-us-honestly-is-there-too-much-religion-in-sci-fi.html)

15. Defiance Review: What Do You Believe In?

    4/23/2013 3:32 PM
    
    @Jim: Thanks for the response. "Bullish" as in "Meryl Lynch is bullish on America"; that is, "strongly optimistic about" and "endorsing enthusiastically."
    
    Sorry, I still don't see anything daring here. If you want to be daring, show us a rite of passage that culminates in the rape of a child ... or do something equally shocking and repulsive to human (or at least Western) sensibilities.
    
    Torture? That's semi-official US government policy now. Torture of a deserter? Forget it.

16. Defiance Review: What Do You Believe In?

    4/23/2013 6:25 AM
    
    "It's pretty clear that the Castithans have strong beliefs toward cowardice."
    
    Like punishing/killing deserters is unheard of on earth? This tells us little about Castithans.
    
    Question: Was the "purification ritual" going to be fatal? If not, the town authorities got this guy killed by trying to circumvent Datak's authority.

17. Defiance Review: What Do You Believe In?

    4/23/2013 6:24 AM
    
    Picture Babylon 5 without its five year plan or its visionary producer. That's Defiance.
    
    This episode was not as terrible as I feared, but most of it was still cookie-cutter TV drama stuff. Bad guy runs off, good guys chase, bad guy dies while managing to not give away the game.
    
    @Jim Garner says: 'it’s a rare show indeed that’s willing to step out of the safety zone by starting with the question, "who or what do they worship?"'
    
    I'm not sure who's paying Jim to be so bullish on this show, but why exactly would it have been daring to ask "who or what" these aliens worship? Why would Jim even bring it up, given that (a) this episode is about cultural practices, not religious beliefs, and (b) alien gods and beliefs frequently come up in sci-fi. Like, say, the awful Doctor Who episode from three weeks ago where aliens people bow down to a giant sun-pumpkin thing. Or in B5.
    
    "It's pretty clear that the Castithans have strong beliefs toward cowardice."
    
    Like punishing/killing deserters is unheard of on earth?
    
    Question: Was the "purification ritual" going to be fatal? If not, the town authorities got this guy killed by trying to circumvent Datak's authority.

18. The Following Review: The Chase is On

    4/23/2013 5:59 AM
    
    (continued) But will there be anything big and surprising enough in this episode to justify the season-long build-up? I doubt it.
    
    @jamieschan: "This show is shameful."
    
    No. Shameless. There's a difference.

19. The Following Review: The Chase is On

    4/23/2013 5:58 AM
    
    Not a terrible episode, but less explosive than I had expected from the previews. Too much talk, not enough action.
    
    The "red death" is a handful of people hacking away with ice picks? Wouldn't the hinted-at bio-weapon have been a bit more ... grand? These guys had paramilitary training. I would they could have come up with something more spectacular.
    
    Joe said that the world would be learning about their story. I thought he meant that the "red death" would be this revelation. Now I think he's just talking about his hallowed novel. If murder is such a wonderful, amazing thing, should he be out doing it rather than writing about it and obsessing over Hardy?
    
    I'm wondering whether the the producers will be able to keep the finale from being a disappointing anti-climax. Yes, Joe will try to make Hardy choose between Claire and Debra. Yes, Joe is going to bite it, leaving Emma (perhaps) to carry Joe's psycho message to the world. But will there be anything big and surprising enough in this episode to justify the season-long build-up? I doubt it.
    
    @jamieschan: "This show is shameful."
    
    No. Shameless. There's a difference.

20. Lost Girl Review: The Wanderer

    4/23/2013 2:35 AM
    
    Not a bad episode by LG standards. Messy, but effective. Wraps up the human-weirdo-killing-fae thread, answers the question of whether humans can become fae ("yes"), resolves the will-Tamsin-betray-Bo? thread (ultimately "no"). Also sends Bo off with her mysterious dad and resurrects mom, setting up a family reunion that one hopes will come no later than the middle of next season. Leaves open Bo's romantic status vis-a-vis Lauren, Dyson, Tamsin, and Gowron (Chancellor of the Klingon High Council) ... not to mention leaving open the question of whether Dyson and Tamsin still exist. It also leaves open such questions as whether Ms. M's war on humans will proceed, who will replace Hale and Ms. M, whether Kenzi will do her make-me-a-fae deal, and whether Lauren will return.
    
    Also: Sad to see that LG will not return until 2014.

21. Lost Girl Review: The Wanderer

    4/23/2013 2:20 AM
    
    Brrrraaapmmhheeeppp111aahhbbrrrwwhhaaaaa!??!?!! Ahem. OK. Questions Carla missed:
    
    If Hex is delivering the non-divine Ms. M. to Hale, why is Hale abdicating and why is Trick fleeing to a love nest in Scotland?
    
    If Dad could have blown in and smoked his daughter away at any time, why didn't he do so before? Why did he need Tamsin? Why did he chop off Acacia's branch?
    
    Why doesn't Bo think to give mom some chi juice instead of leaving the poor little cabbit to get sucked dry?
    
    Why does Bruce love Kenzi?

22. Defiance Premiere Draws Huge Ratings for Syfy

    4/21/2013 5:13 AM
    
    That anybody thinks "Defiance" is a good show is a testament to how little decent sci-fi programming there has been on any network as well as to the low quality of SyFy's original series aside from BSG and SGU.

23. Doctor Who Review: Always

    4/21/2013 5:06 AM
    
    Orphan Black is getting a bit wobbly as the number of clones climbs and more of them begin impersonating others. Still, it's nice to see the story advancing, and it looks like the next episode will be a really big leap forward. It's great to watch a show that has a lot of cool secrets but doesn't take forever to let you in on them.

24. Doctor Who Review: Always

    4/21/2013 5:02 AM
    
    @Carissa: "I loved Clara's reaction to witnessing the birth and the death of earth before eyes within the TARDIS."
    
    Her reaction was rubbish. It didn't follow from the action. Maybe if we had seen a time lapse of humanity and life flowering and then fading away as in the 1960s version of "The Time Machine," it would make sense. Here, it was just an excuse to get the doctor to tell her that she's the only mystery worth solving. And although Clara heard the Doctor to be saying that humanity was the only mystery worth solving, we know he really means her, and while that's totally consistent with what we learned in "The Snowmen," it's still kinda creepy.
    
    That said, this was the best episode since "The Snowmen." The guest stars were excellent, and the story and its rhythm were much more solid than the last couple of weeks. There's plenty to quibble about, but I'm happy to see an improvement.

25. Defiance Review: New Beginnings

    4/16/2013 8:42 PM
    
    Doc Yewll? I wonder if that's a reference to Dune's Doctor Yuie, the man who betrayed Duke Atreides because his wife was being held captive by the evil Baron.