'Say The Word' - The Walking Dead, Season Three

The Walking Dead

Season Three

Episode Five

'Say The Word' - 6.0

Could this be the least attractive view of Laurie Holden ever?

The Walking Dead has always prided itself on its thorough and unabashed portrayal of humanity at its end - and rightfully so, fuck the haters - but tonight I just felt that the chance for some real drama was squandered in favour of an over-the-top revenge massacre that sees Andrew Lincoln working in complete silence as he tears through some unlucky walkers. 

Yes, the silence is a good move. Buffy's 'The Body' showed how much more powerful a silent glance or an action is than someone bursting into tears and screaming 'WHY ARE THEY GONE :( :( :(!!!', and 'Say the Word' clearly decided to show Rick's regression to animalistic fury non-verbally. The title itself is a tad ironic to that regard, though in retrospect the silence itself was largely unnoticeable and a tad pointless. In fact, I think the rampage itself was pointless, and it wasted time that could be spent getting the character somewhere; preferably that isn't the bloody plate of leftovers that used to be his wife's corpse.

Did I fail to mention that? Perhaps it was because Sarah Wayne Callies was unavailable to play a body, but when Rick finally runs out of zombies to unreanimate, he discovers that his wife has already been devoured, and all that remains are odd bits of clothing and ICKY THINGS, as well as one walker who has gorged himself to the point of immobility. I felt kind of sorry for the bulbous thing, especially considering it doesn't even have the ability to try and defend itself against a vengeful Rick, who gorily eviscerates the satiated creature in a fervour of stabs and slashes. 

I understand that Rick needs to have sunk as far as possible, and that for the coming battle with the Governor we need to believe that he might lose, but simply sitting in sullen silence would have accomplished that. Hell, he could have just killed a couple of walkers, then walked back to the group with Glenn. The whole thing seemed to last an entire night, and it was a bit much. 

Speaking of the Governor, Woodbury is becoming a stranger and stranger place. To be perfectly honest it had not yet clicked in my mind that no one was actually allowed to leave the town, although it kind of turned out that they are. See you later, Michonne. If I know my tropes though, soon enough a whole squadron of the Governor's men are gonna come down on our mysterious, katana-wielding brooder. 

Michonne finally gets a little more fleshing out tonight, after so long was spent watching her brood. She is clearly a bit put down when Andrea opts to stay in the town rather than leave with her, likewise Andrea is a tad sad to see her off. I'm pretty sure that Michonne won't get bumped off anytime soon, because I can only imagine the fan backlash that would cause - even if at the moment her character still sinks a little. Still, she's getting better, with 'Say the Word' showcasing her biggest leap forward so far. 

Daryl and Maggie's trek out into the world-beyond-the-prison-fence demonstrated that this show has pulled off one of its goals; last episode's carnage has reasserted the feeling that anyone can die at anytime. I just kept getting sense that something horrible was going to happen to one of the two, who both would rank among my top five Walking Dead characters of all time. Who are the others? Rick, Andrea and Lori. Yes, I liked Lori. Wanna fight about it? 

Anyway, back to the suspense! Sure, the opossum trick was a bit cliché and manipulative, but it did the job to freaky effects. I was more worried about Maggie than Daryl, as the latter is just awesome and difficult to kill. Nonetheless, one must also remember that this is television and whoever the writers want to kill WILL DIE. Doesn't matter how terrific they are at zombie-killing, when it is their time it is over for them. Sadly, plot-brought abilities don't count for much in fiction.

I know many people who watch this show but are certain that Daryl can't be killed. This isn't real life, people, everyone's in danger! Especially if they are popular! I wouldn't say Rick is on the outs, nor Michonne, but I think anyone else could die just as easy next episode as make it out of the season. People have to die in the war with the Governor, and the writers will often pick whoever will bring about the biggest emotional impact. It's almost needless to say to everyone, but we have to prepare for carnage, and I just love that I have to say that. 

I am still having issues with the coldness of this season, but the scenes at Woodbury are interesting me, even if the whole zombie-ring-of-death was a bit insane for my tastes. I want the Governor to get on with the evil though, and stop beating around the fucking bush. KILL EVERYONE!!!

'Wildfire' - The Walking Dead, Season One

The Walking Dead

Season One

Episode Five

'Wildfire' - 9.5

Best day to be an extra ever. 

The Walking Dead doesn't have main plots or subplots, instead it really is just documentary-like A-B storytelling. That is reductive, of course, because it is a complex show underneath, with some of the best characters on screen at the moment. What I find is best about them is that they aren't just likable or not, they have personalities with negative and positive attributes. Rick has detractors, and Daryl has benefits, for example.

After the horrors that drew 'Vatos' to a thrilling and distressing end, 'Wildfire' opens with a slow, reflective tone as the survivors deal with the zombie attack on the camp. Of course the most poignant of the characters right now is Andrea, who is mourning the death of Amy, who died of her bites in her sister's arms. As the episode begins, morning has broken on the camp and Andrea has knelt over the corpse for the entire night, without doing anything to prevent her from rising again. Lori, Rick and Dale all attempt to comfort the grieving woman, but the former two don't get any edgeways. Lori is entirely ignored as she tries to convince her to let Amy be disabled, while Rick gets a gun pointed at him before he could finish a sentence. Dale has more luck, relaying the sad tale of his wife's gradual passing to cancer, and he and Andrea have a sweetly written and very true - if a little trite - conversation about whether either is to blame for their respective loved one's deaths.

Something we learnt in the second episode 'Guts' was that Amy's birthday was coming up, and if you can remember Andrea took a small mermaid necklace as a present. Well of course, this very day is the poor girl's birthday, and Andrea chooses to be uber depressing by solemnly draping the pretty thing over her sister's blood-stained neck. It is touching, but I'm a bit tired of shows making sad events more tragic and cruel by ruining happy days.

Other characters get a little screen time to deal with the previous night's disaster as well. Carol says goodbye to her abusive husband the nicest way she can; by desecrating his remains repeatedly with a pickaxe. The onscreen destruction of the man's skull - a man we kind of met, no less - was incredibly gross, and even I have my limits. Sure, we aren't supposed to like this guy, but it is just plain disrespectful to anyone to show their brains exploding again and again all over the camera. DEAR GOD NOW IT WON'T GO OUT OF MY HEAD.

Things don't look good for our deranged psychic Jim either, who is discovered to have been bitten by some zombie in the attack. He seems OK at first, but it doesn't take him long to deteriorate, the effects of which are shown through sweat, retching and frightening Exorcist-like flashes of disturbing images. I don't know why this is, but flashes make scary scenes infinitely more frightening; i.e. the slow exploration of the abandoned space ship in the sci-fi Sunshine. And they were just flashes of pictures featuring the ship's original crew! Anyway, Jim's condition is a catalyst for Rick's idea to take the camp and go to the CDC, which is apparently near Atlanta. This sparks a debate amongst the entire group, with Shane and Rick both wanting to go completely separate ways from one another, but it is poor Lori who winds up in the middle of the alpha-dog humping match. Of course she ends up siding with her husband, but that isn't without a good talking-to for Rick. To be honest I don't really like Lori much, she seems a bit moralistic and pushy.

Rick and Shane's disagreement comes to a subtle head as they go to scour the woods for any lost zombies. With Rick up ahead, Shane spends a brief moment with his sights set literally on his former friend and colleague, and it is kind of tense for a second. While I never expected Rick to end up dead at this point, I wasn't sure if Shane would try or not, and it was pretty touch and go for second there. In the end Shane does come to his senses and lower the gun, but not before being spied by a very confused and concerned Dale, who doesn't really make a big deal or anything, but it does hint towards problems for Shane down the line. This short lapse of judgment is the first clear and explicit depiction of his growing anger towards Rick, and it looks like this is only going to get worse as things go on.

In my favourite scene of the show so far, Amy does finally rise from death. It is quiet, without music and scored only by the soft sounds of her body reanimating. I was infinitely impressed by the show's ability to turn such an iconic zombie-film trope into a scene of true cinematic beauty, and the shot of Amy's eyes slowly opening to reveal the pale, dead stare of a walker is absolutely stunning. This single event is what the episode had led up to, with most of the sequences involving Andrea keeping her dead sister just in frame, if only to make us tense while we wait for her to leap up and eat somebody, but her real rise from the dead is so anticlimactic, it's almost sweet. Laurie Holden is perfect, like really perfect, as she says goodbye to what her sister has become, before putting the gun to the side of Amy's head and pulling the trigger. I wish the zombie-genre did more amazing scenes like these, because it is a disturbing but oddly heartwarming  depiction of human emotion and love.

As the group finally agrees to head to the CDC (well, most do), we flash to the very place in question, where scientist Dr. Jenner gives a video diary about the spread and status of the disease. I don't know if he actually named it 'Wildfire', but 'Wildfire' was declared 194 days prior, but that would be like saying 'Cholera was just declared'. Do they say that? Anyway, what really interested me was that whatever-it's-called went global sixty-three days ago, which means it was contained for what, 131 days? You couldn't kill all the zombies in like four months? Seriously?

Jenner is a clearly disheartened individual, obviously stumped by the disease and unable to find a cure, or a reason to keep searching. His last specimens are destroyed when the lab goes into 'full contamination' and he is also left without a way of researching it further, and in presumably his last webcast he describes his desire to end his own life, maybe.

Meanwhile, Jim finds himself unable to take the voyage, and asks to be left on the side of the road to die. If there is one thing to love about this show, it's its characters. We only really met Jim last episode, but in just this one scene he makes his farewell from the group a memorable one, if not for shocks or twists, but for the emotion of it all. Most members of the group say a final, heartfelt goodbye to their friend and leave him under the shade of a tree as they drive into the distance. I did remember for a second that Jim was psychic last episode? Maybe he knows what's waiting for them at the CDC? I don't know.

Something that seems to prevail this episode is guilt. Rick is clearly guilty over his late arrival to the camp the night before, and he asks many other characters whether he did the right thing or not, and you could argue that guilt is fueling his need to try and save Jim. Jim himself notices Rick's tendency to blame himself for everything that goes wrong, and in a sweet piece of dialogue attempts to absolve him, explaining that he is being left behind according to his own wishes. Andrea is also incredibly guilty, describing to Dale how she had never been there when her sister needed her, and as Amy rises again all she says 'I'm here now' repeatedly before putting her down. Even Jenner seems a bit of a slave to guilt, and there are implications - not that he caused the disease, mind you - but that he at least feels like he could have done more to slow the spread of the pandemic. I don't normally like themes, unless they are as seamlessly integrated as they are in 'Wildfire'. Buffy the Vampire Slayer was always good at burying its themes and messages deep enough so that you could ignore them if you wish, and 'Wildfire' manages that type of thematic content immaculately, and it ends up adding to the story rather than detracting from it.

In the final scene Rick and the survivors arrive at the CDC, which is pretty dead. There is a brilliant performance from Andrew Lincoln, as Rick bangs on the doors of the building as a horde of walkers begins to move in while darkness begins to fall. Jenner watches from his security cameras, but for whatever reason is reluctant to allow them in. It is very tense, and for a while it begins to look like there might be another massacre on the cards, but we wouldn't have met Jenner unless he was going to be a little important. In the end he opens the doors for the screaming Rick and the crew, bathing them in a brilliant and poetic white light as the episode draws to a close.

I think a two and a half page review indicates my feelings towards this fantastic, touching episode that manages to mix action, emotion, a great script and some perfect performances effortlessly and subtlety. My  only concern is small, in that I found the pick-axe brain fuck of Ed by his wife very cathartic, but also entirely too long and disgusting. It was important for Carol, but the extent of the violence was too much, and rids 'Wildfire' of the perfect ten the episode should deserve. 

'The Killer' - The Vampire Diaries, Season Four

The Vampire Diaries

Season Four

Episode Five

'The Killer' - 4.0

I think 'The Killer' was the worst thing to Google image search for since 'Two Girls, One Cup'

Tyler, Damon, Jeremy, April, Hayley, Matt, Elena, Stefan, Klaus and now even Caroline. With every passing episode, more and more characters stop being interesting or likeable, and after almost no development in so long it's getting tiresome. I wouldn't bat an eyelid if they died. So much could be done better, there could be some real movement, instead of these constant circles.

I'll admit that Elena's arc so far this season has been pretty enjoyable, but she's still the loathsome, moral creature she's always been, and this new vampirism is doing little to change her. 'The Killer' that this episode refers to is actually our female protagonist, as she ends up being the one who finally takes down Connor, the vampire slayer. The moment when she snaps his neck in the cave was quite epic, and there is this degree of wonderful irony and tragedy that underpins the move. I hope that she finds out. It's great that the writers gave Damon and Stefan enough tact to not just blurt out her dumb-girl-play when they come across her digging a grave for her first victim, but she does have to find out sometime. They will no doubt give her some unrealistic, over-the-top 'OH GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE?' realisation, because her sombre reflection and regret period was pretty fucking cliché. This is The Vampire Diaries though. I can't expect anything groundbreaking.

There is a lot of pretentious and cynical musings coming from me right now, but I get like that when I am really, really tired of the shit. Bonnie's meeting with the college professor for example; utter bullshit. Boring, over-long, badly written and badly edited. We never once see Bonnie actually hypnotised, it is all just '(talking,talking,talking) by the way you've just done something and forgotten about it TA-FUCKING-DAH'. It didn't help that I had mostly forgotten (or blocked out) that she was having ANOTHER magical crisis and couldn't do spells. Maybe one day she can stop putting a cork in her power every time she could be of some level of usefulness. We're all sick of it Bonnie, just learn to be a bloody witch for once.

I had issues with Damon, as normal. He just proves to be a difficult ass when it comes to rescuing Jeremy, Matt and April from the Mystic Grill. Why does Stefan wanting to send hybrids in show he's working with Klaus? All it shows is that Stefan has enough brains to know that something part-werewolf can't be killed by the werewolf venom Connor may or may not have, and the fact that he had to vervain Damon just shows that he can remember all the times that his brother has fucked things up in the past. Remember when he fed Elena his blood? Or when he killed coach Tanner? Or when he killed Jeremy? Or all the times he egged the Originals on? Yeah, I think we can all agree that everyone in Mystic Falls would live a lot longer if he wasn't around. 

In regards to the Mystic Grill hostage situation: what the fuck was that? Admittedly the violent end for so-far-unseen hybrid lackey No.76 was wonderful, but the capture and rescue of the three main humans was unremarkable. They came so close to killing off Jeremy but wussed out at the last second. COME ON!!! You could have had an amazing goodbye, with poor Elena saying farewell to her beloved brother as the glass and nails stick out of him like a porcupine's quills. Also, is anyone going to point out that it was Elena's fault that Connor shot Jeremy? She pumped the hunter and made him miss Stefan, so why did Elena barely even flinch? Similarly, where was Elena when the pressure switch went off? Why wasn't she hit? So many questions, so little motivation to rewatch the episode and figure out the answers. 

Did anyone else hope that at least ONE of the goddamn humans would die? Matt seemed entirely unphased by the events once they were over, while Jeremy was more concerned about the fact he was compelled than the fact he was kidnapped and shot. April had the entire thing compelled away, meaning that the ordeal ended up having almost no bearing on the characters or the plot, other than indirectly causing Connor's death. Whatever, I don't see the point if it isn't going to have repercussions.

Jeremy becoming the new hunter? Called it. Predicted it. Feel somewhat patronised that it played out exactly as I expected, even if it was all a little faster than I thought it would be.

I had issues with Nina Dobrev throughout the episode, but her graveside breakdown was pretty well done. The wait for her to become a more interesting character is getting horrid, but I am pretty sure she's moving towards something better. Her outburst at Damon when he tries to prevent her from helping out was a good omen. In a perfect world she'll kill him eventually, then Jeremy. God I hate them so much. 

OK, 'The Killer' was stupid and pointless. I like that Elena FINALLY killed someone, even though she's killed vampires and stuff. It was an important moment for the series and for the character nonetheless, so I can only hope that the writers will actually do something with this development and not just have her mull over the guilt for a few episodes. Preferably, I'd like to see her switch off her humanity. 

'An Origin Story' - Fringe, Season Five

Fringe

Season Five

Episode Five

'An Origin Story' - 6.5

Anna Torv is my world right now. 

I think I've decided what this season needs: an enemy. No, not The Observers in general, I mean a singular, ultimate antagonist who we can picture and who can represent exactly who our heroes need to defeat. I am aware that there is that one Observer who seems to be the leader, but I don't remember his name and he has to say something vaguely authoritarian before I realise who he is. We desperately need someone different, someone who stands out as the ultimate bad guy, who will be defeated in the series finale and take his entire race down with him.

I'm not saying 'An Origin Story' was bad. In fact, in terms of acting, originality, direction and story this season of Fringe has been universally (except 'The Recordist) well done, except there is a notable lack of heart and an almost isolating shift from the tone of the first four seasons. The death of Etta had the potential to put that sense of character back into the show, and bring us back to the ultimate success: it's characters. And yeah, in that sense we get a good going, with Olivia, Peter and Walter all handling the loss in their own ways.

Walter is quick to remind his son and daughter-in-law (I think?) that he has actually suffered through the death of a child before, and though he handles the death fairly well, he is the one who throws himself into preserving her memory. This is demonstrated early on as our heroes clean out Etta's apartment, as he takes a bottle of her perfume because his sense of smell is what best feeds his memory, while Olivia and Peter take photos and guns, respectively. Later on his presents Olivia with a videotape showing one of Etta's birthdays (they totally used videotape on home cameras into the mid-2010s), and suggests she give it a proper look in order to embrace the pain, since it is 'proof that she was here'.

Olivia and Peter are the real focuses though, with both taking a big hit from the death. Olivia mostly holds her dignity, apart from a brief moment in the opening scene, until Walter presents her with the tape, which prompts her to warn him that she's 'holding on by a thread'. Of the parents, I have to say I appreciated Anna Torv's portrayal more, as the few moments of anguished grief she did have managed to remain understated yet powerful. 'An Origin Story' doesn't choose to present displaced or over-the-top emotion, rather we get the views of two people who were somewhat prepared for this eventuality, and who had essentially been through it before. I don't think either really expected to be fighting the battle with their daughter anyhow, and it was largely icing on an unsavoury cake, or maybe even a brick or something.

Olivia's best scene was when she did finally decide to give the tape a go, breaking into Olivia-tears and pretty much drunk-dialling Peter to tell him how much she loves him. It was depressing, but like the rest of the episode it was also believable. On a deeper level, they aren't surprised, which does explain why the two at times are functioning better than most TV parents would. 

Peter is having just a few issues though, with the biggest one being rage. All he wants is to stick it to the Observers and watch them suffer, and he does get to engage in some eerie Observer-torture tonight. After a delivery from the future arrives, bringing new components for the CO2 generators, the resistance comes up with a plan to try and destroy the wormhole allowing these time travelling freights to come through. It involves deciphering both a strange wormhole-opening box and a book, which had come from a captured Observer.

Peter gets down to business trying to pull information from the unnamed enemy, who spends the entire episode strapped to a bed. He takes obvious pleasure in his treatment of his subject, clearly hell bent on avenging the loss of his daughter, using 'tells' to try and get him to inadvertently reveal how to utilise the device.

In the end though, the Observer reveals that Peter had put meaning in things that do not have meaning, and had misread the tells, meaning that when the group tries to use the device to destroy the wormhole it doesn't work. In revenge, Peter decides to steal the technology that makes a human into one of these Observers and implant it into itself. We don't get the implications of this tonight, but it was worth it just to see the Observer in its death throes as Peter cut into his back. Gross and violent, but so rewarding.

There are a couple of ways this could go: Peter is granted the powers of an Observer, including super speed and such, but also is given the dependence on CO2, the loss of hair, all that shit meaning that once they defeat them he will die. The tech could react badly to him as he is kind of an anomaly, resulting in him either dying or forcing Walter to remove it from him, which might also kill him. Maybe. Conversely, it could react strangely but give him even more intense powers, allowing him to easily overcome the other Observers, with no adverse side effects. This last one could also lead to a different, more interesting tangent: if he became an all-powerful Observer, perhaps the tech will also cause him to sway to their side, becoming the recognisable and distinctive face of the enemy for the final showdown. Of course, only one or two of these doesn't result in the death of Peter, but it is the final season so who cares about death?

'Q&A' - Homeland, Season Two

Homeland

Season Two

Episode Five

'Q & A' - 9.5

I had so much trouble locating an interesting image from this episode, so endure a photo of Morena Baccarin. 

Like 'The Weekend', 'Q & A' shows Homeland doing what it does best: showcasing its uber talented cast and crew, with the writers and actors being at the forefronts of their respective fields. Claire Danes and Damien Lewis have been almost consistently fantastic, so it would be almost redundant to heap praise on them like dirt on a fresh grave, but they truly, truly deserve it, especially considering that most of their scenes tonight are spent in one location, having one extended dialogue.

Oh, and what a dialogue it was. When Carrie walks into her home once it's all said and done, then takes out a bottle of wine and pours herself a glass it was possibly the most deserved drink of all time. That was some prime delivery of some amazing writing, it is possibly impossible to pick which one of the two actors was stronger. I can imagine how tough that would have been to film. Well, I can't really, but it sure as hell didn't look easy. 

I actually stopped taking notes during the interrogation because it was all in the eyes, and looking down at a page I was just missing out on the awesome. Just the sheer emotion, weariness and desperation that was contained in both pairs was astounding, and I was happy to see the tears took forever to come out. Tears are the easiest emotion to fake, in my book. I can fake cry and I've never had a single acting class outside of compulsory school drama. Luckily 'Q & A' waited until the tension and drama reached an absolute peak before bringing out the water works in both Carrie and Brody. 

It was highly pleasing to see Brody give in and admit to it all. Sure, it leaves us wondering where we can go from here, but I have been wondering where we're going since about the third episode. One ultimately negative aspect about this series is the finite premise, which will one day be forced to retire or fade into dragging, convoluted nonsense that people will eventually give up on. Looking at the speed of the major arc, especially over the last few episodes, Homeland may only last one or two more seasons before it will have to gracefully bow out of the ring. Heaven forbid they try to shift the focus to another major plotline - Maybe Jess has been a terrorist this whole time! - *shudder*. 

I have to wonder the feasibility of allowing Brody back out into the world. It makes sense from an audience perspective, I mean they aren't just gonna shove off one of the two major players just as his story hits its high, but in reality I don't know if a confirmed and confessed would-be terrorist would be granted the ability to walk freely amongst the non-Jihadists. And no, I'm not saying all terrorists are Jihadists, just this one. Of course, I guess he hasn't actually committed any acts of terrorism yet. And he is a direct (ish) link to Abu Nazir, and their first man on the inside. I can definitely see the advantages in letting him go about his business, but what about the risk of him being a triple agent and just going in and telling Nazir that he's a part of the CIA now?

In terms of plot, I wasn't sure how I felt about Dana and the Vice President's son getting into some potentially life changing shit, as Finn Walder accidentally runs down a pedestrian before not-so-accidentally driving away from the scene, against the initial protests of his young date. This focus on young love - perhaps squandered now - is a tad bizarre to me, and feels largely out of place in this tale of terrorism and political intrigue. I'm happy for there to be little references to it or the odd line of dialogue, but really I don't care. Dana's pretty annoying as well, and Finn's kind of an ass. Hopefully he'll be put in jail and never heard from again.

Obviously the focus of 'Q & A' was the interchange between the down-and-out Brody and the high-horse-hoisted Carrie, and I'd say two thirds of the episode was devoted to them in some way. My favourite bit was when Carrie began talking about monsters, and how Brody's decision to not blow himself up demonstrated that unlike Nazir, he isn't one. Nazir on the other hand kills civilians, or as she puts it 'Danas and Chrises and Jessicas'. Carrie then goes on to warn him about the weight of lying, and decides to demonstrate the power of honesty by telling him the flat truth: she wants him to leave his wife and children and be with her. 

Dialogue and performances meld together so soundly it's immaculate, and unfairly intense. You aren't gripping the armrests in agonising discomfort, but you're unable to avert your gaze as these two amazing people and amazing actors manage to create something truly spectacular, and you can just tell that Danes and Lewis will no doubt take the Emmy's again next time. Fuck, they are so awesome. I wish I was one of them.

It seems that's why we watch Homeland, not for the Brody family drama, not for Abu Nazir's winding staircase of a terrorist plot and not for Carrie's insanity. We watch it to see Claire Danes and Damien Lewis deal with the Brody's, Abu Nazir and their failing psyches, because what would this show be without the two best lead actors on television? 

'Blind Spot' - Homeland, Season One

Homeland

Season One

Episode Five

‘Blind Spot’ – 9.5

Claire Danes giving her best pedobear impersonation. 

In just one episode, Homeland turned from an OK television show with a great pilot to an all round fantastic series. ‘Blind Spot’ brings back the sense of suspense and mystery that had been allowed to fall to way side in the last few weeks, interrogating a terrorist and one of Brody’s captors in some tremendous scenes.

The first thing we see in ‘Blind Spot’ is the apprehending of Afzal Hamid in Islamabad, Pakistan, the last known survivor of the compound from which Sergeant Brody was rescued from. Hamid’s capture interrupts the personal lives of two of our major characters; Carrie’s malicious visit to her father is cut short, even though she had really only gone to try and pilfer some of his meds, while Saul is called in while trying to drive his wife Mira home, who has just arrived at the airport from India. 

Something that Homeland strives at is creating realistic and well-rounded characters, every single person in the show could easily be someone we know, will all of them having both beneficial and negative character attributes. For example, Saul is nurturing and wise, but he is also patronising and distant. Jessica Brody is loving and patient, but she is also judgemental and difficult to please. The ability to not only write such detailed characters, but also to depict them easily and accessibly is a true gift, something as a writer I would love to have. It is refreshing to see a show with both a gripping storyline and enthralling characters, as a lot of shows have either one or the other.

Tonight, however, the dialogue and atmosphere are on display, because ‘Blind Spot’ is all about the interrogation of Hamid, which Carrie and Saul are tasked with. For a second it looks like we are going to finally get some answers, as the two characters who suspect that Brody may not be who he says he is will be able to question someone who would know the truth, but it doesn’t work out that way for two reasons; Estes is watching the entire thing by feed, and worse, he’s put Brody on the job as well. He believes – quite logically, really – that Brody will be able to provide detailed information about Hamid, things that they can use in the interrogation. Carrie is obviously pissed by this development and she worries Brody will compromise the subject, while Saul sees it as an opportunity, since they will be putting him under a high pressure environment that they essentially control.

Everyone meets up at a secure location, which is interestingly not at Langley. When Brody arrives Carrie pretends that the two of them have not meet or interacted outside of the briefing in the first episode, an act that throws Brody off just a little bit. Damien Lewis does an especially good job, especially once he gets a look at Hamid, who turns out to be none other than his own guard, who at times peed on him and beat him with a stick wrapped in barb wire. Lewis appears legitimately angry, but there is that level of doubt that we are afforded; is he genuine? Frightened by him? Frightened he might be found out? Angry about the eight years of torture? Angry about Hamid actually getting captured? We don’t know, and that’s the whole point.

When the actual interrogation happens, it is a thing of beauty, even if Brody isn’t actually in the room. Saul is the one who asks the questions, with each one being answered by Brody through a headset while Hamid gives little but silence. The idea is that the information gives Hamid the idea that his questioners already have all the answers, they just need him to admit to them. It was impressive how quickly Mandy Patinkin went from being the father-figure to being this intimidating authority who has all the answers. He was the CIA Wizard of Oz or something. Despite Patinkin’s magical abilities, Hamid does not budge, and Saul calls it for the night leaving Carrie to take the night shift watching for any flinches.

The filming of Hamid’s torture was amazing. It isn’t brutal or foggy like Brody’s torture, rather it was modern and clean, but nonetheless cruel. I don’t know if this is what the CIA actually does to people, but Hamid had to sit in a room all night in his underwear with the air-conditioning on full, while the lights flicked on and off slowly and booming heavy metal music is played intermittently. Impossible conditions to get comfortable in, let alone sleep, and it is the next morning before the poor guy makes a move. The blaring noises and the ever changing conditions in the room are presented to us like we are there as well, a clear anti-torture message that comes through like the screaming of the musician Hamid is forced to listen to. 

The team manages to get eight names from the guy, all written with the crayon he was given to prevent him from killing himself with a pen or pencil. Saul says it isn’t enough, explaining in no uncertain terms that they will need more, or Hamid’s family will not be protected from the inevitable wrath of Abu Nazir. Hamid caves, providing an email address that leads – eventually – to one place; the department of Raqim Faisel at Bryden University, the man Carrie cased out the last episode. They all jump on this revelation, with Carrie sending Virgil into his office to try and find his house, discovering that it is where they had driven past while tailing Faisel only days before. Virgil, Carrie and that other guy all sit in their little van outside the house waiting for signs of life, but hearing none.

While Raqim Faisel is tracked down, Brody tries to organise one-on-one time with Hamid. He tells Estes that all he requires is to look the guy in the eye and prove that he won, which is fair enough I guess, but what’s weird is that Estes LETS HIM IN. WHAT?!! The morning after Hamid’s night of undesirable noises, the guy he freaking tortured saunters in with a smug grin on his face. Yeah, that was worth it for Brody, but is there not a serious potential security breach lurking under the surface here? Whether or not Brody is an evil terrorist bent on bringing the American government to its knees – again – someone without training as an interrogator shouldn’t be allowed to visit with the prisoners. I know he was a soldier, but wasn’t he a sniper? That doesn’t scream liaison or anything.

Sure enough, fighting ensues. Brody says some things and takes away Hamid’s dinner/breakfast/I-don’t-know-what-the-time-is, getting a nice big loogey in the face and entirely beating on his former captor. Hilarious yo! It seems that’s all Brody wanted though, and he cheerfully exits the room after the fight’s been broken up. Sadly though, it’s shown Brody chose to punch his tormentor in the face rather than watch his kid get a new belt in karate, though I’m sure this is only relevant because Matt went instead.

Not too long after, Carrie receives a worried call from Saul, who has gone back to Hamid’s compound to find him dead on the floor of the interrogation room, a tiny fragment of a razor blade used to slice his arms open. Gross people. Carrie uses this bad news to get authorisation from Saul to storm Faisel’s house, worried that whoever slipped Hamid the blade could have warned him. As it turns out, that may have been the exact case, since the house is completely abandoned.

Saul and Carrie have a lovely, emotional confrontation in Saul’s home regarding Estes’ decision to let Brody in to see Hamid. It doesn’t help that it happens immediately after – well, kind of during – a soft-spoken semi-break up between Saul and Mira, who wants to take a job in India because of her husband’s long, arduous and never-ending hours at the CIA. Anyway, Carrie essentially tells Saul she is going to take the investigation into Brody higher up, informing Estes, which he believes would jeopardise both their careers. The two get in a heated argument that shows Claire Danes and Patinkin at their respective bests, with both characters damaging a relationship with someone they trust dearly, as well as threatening the jobs that mean everything to them.

Following the argument, Carrie turns up at her sister’s in the middle of a breakdown, worried that she has effectively quit her job and ruined her and Saul’s rapport forever. It is really hard to describe just how good Danes is as the so-obviously mentally ill CIA agent, it’s just one of those performances that hits you with a tonne of bricks and forces you to pay attention. In the final few sequences of the night, Carrie decides to stay the night at Maggie’s, receiving a warm and excited welcome from her two nieces. Watching Carrie be jovial and caring with her family is like watching butter slay a butter knife, it just doesn’t seem right, yet Danes is able to make it look like a realistic facet of her character’s personality, and that’s really it with this show. Yes, the story is amazing, the intrigue is strong and the characters are fascinating, but for those who tuned in for any of that stayed just for Claire Danes and Carrie. This is her show, rather than Lewis’ or Brody’s, and it’s becoming more and more apparent.

'You're Undead To Me' - The Vampire Diaries, Season One

The Vampire Diaries

Season One

Episode Five

'You're Undead to Me' - 5.0

I don't think I've used Sara Canning yet.

I've got to give The Vampire Diaries its props - they managed to have the main character realise the big truth at about the time I thought they should. Many shows have a habit of forcing their protagonist to come to a million incorrect conclusions before finally seeing what is right in front of them. Not TVD, which chose to have Elena make a revelation I thought would take a lot longer than five episodes. Kudos, because that was a pleasant surprise.

Ok, I hope I haven't got ahead of myself. She seemed pretty sure, but she hasn't really confronted Stefan about any of it yet - though if he can give a believable explanation that isn't 'I'm a vampire' then I'll be incredibly impressed; although hella annoyed.

This episode was about coming to terms with irrationality I guess. Poor Caroline may not have fully grasped what happened to her on account of Damon, but she made some decisions that will definitely impact on the two of them in the times to come. Bonnie decided to approach her Grams about her growing abilities after causing hilarious chaos at the sexy car-wash, which in my opinion was strange. These kids are supposed to be jail bait, like the ages of sixteen or seventeen, yet they are doing a bikini fundraiser. Is that normal in America? God, I sure hope not.

Regardless of what could be child porn, this episode on a whole was... alright. It wasn't boring, but until the end nothing really happened. Damon moaned around in his prison, killed Zach (oh, no. that is sad. i don't think i'll ever be happy again.) then went and seemingly killed Vicki - that was more shocking, and will have definitely cause some repercussions. Yay! A mildly important character is dead! Conflict shall arise!

I was a little annoyed by the manipulation of Caroline, though I can't really fault it. The idea kind of makes sense, though I thought Damon would be too weak to pull tricks like that.

Bonnie managed some tricks though, first taking some water revenge on a mean bitch, then setting fire to a car because she didn't want to clean the pavement. After the initial magical prank, I was impressed to see that Bonnie almost relished her power at that point. For a second there it looked like we were heading slowly towards a Willow Rosenberg scenario, however after the small bout of pyrokinesis our resident witch went crying to her Grams. I never get this in television shows with magic - what teenager would not love to be powerful like that? Seriously, tell me! I mean, who didn't feel a little disappointed when they turned twelve and hadn’t yet received a letter from Hogwarts? I sure did, but maybe I'm weird.

You know what else I don't understand? Jeremy. First few episodes he's all 'buy my narcotics' and 'I'm so high, dude' and 'you don't understand my pain' (not real quotes) but now he's complaining about having too many drugs, and talking about spending sober-time with girlfriend Vicki. Next he's all uptight about stealing Elena's medication. To me, this is lazy characterisation, and is really just the writers attempting to make an unlikable character less of a dick. It's not working. Just stop. There was probably more potential in a drug-storyline anyhow. Maybe Jeremy can do some interesting things now Vicki's kicked the bucket.

On a final, Vampire Diaries-you-have-issues note, what is with the family ties? Has every Fell been a journalist in Mystic Falls? Is that the only occupation they can have? The Forbes clan too, what is with the bloody sheriff's department? I'm pretty sure sheriffs are elected, so it doesn't really make sense that a Forbes was always a sheriff. I hope they have some sort of reason for this, and not just the whole 'brought-up to do one thing' nonsense. This show is dumb.

'A Crowd of Demons' - 666 Park Avenue, Episode Five

666 Park Avenue

Season One

Episode Five

'A Crowd of Demons' - 8.0

Admit it Jane: You loved being chased by an axe murderer just as much as we loved watching it.

Can anyone else agree when I say that that episode was a hilariously fun instalment of this drama? Hell, I could probably bare to call it a horror drama after that, since we got kidnappings, black outs, axe murders, slasher-flick-style pursuits and even a dumbwaiter escape! Was I the only one who got vibes of 'Halloween: H20' during the latter sequence? I was groaning during that bit; I thought Jane might get her leg torn off like that unfortunate victim of Michael Myers.

But we aren't here to talk about the Halloween series, or any films series for that matter. We're here to talk about 'A Crowd of Demons', the fifth episode of 666 Park Avenue and their inarguably best offering yet. To be simple about it, the reason it topped the others was that it had one basic component they lacked; fear. 

It is of course the Halloween episode, and the Drake celebrates in typical fashion by holding an extravagant costumed bonanza ripe for the guests’ worst horrors to come true. Even Gavin gets preyed upon by the gods of horror tropes, and it was good to see the Terry O'Quinn character cowering in his boots as some gas masked kidnapper stole from him and abducted his dear wife. 

Before we get to the great let's get to the low standard; Brian and Louise. I get that Alexis is evil and such, but Robert Buckley has still failed to provide either an interesting or relatable character, which actually makes me root for the vixen to work her slutty magic. Instead of just killing people - though I did wonder if she was in some sort of cahoots with the power cutting, Olivia-kidnapping baddie who was terrorising Gavin - Alexis opts to attempt some convoluted plot to get her STD-ridden fingers into her boss' husband. It involves Louise and a man she may-or-may-not be fucking being given the chance to be alone while she rigs up their phones with incriminating – but misleading – evidence of an adulterous affair. Brian being the stupid playwright that he is, chooses to not trust his own wife while falling into Alexis' less-than-cunning rouse. Is she even supernatural, or is just tacked on to... to... Ok, what the hell is the purpose of this? Seriously!

It's Jane's terrified - and terrifying - run through the Drake that steals the show tonight, as she is unendingly chased through dark corridors and abandoned storeys by an axe-wielding murderer from over eighty years ago. Turns out the little girl and the man-that-is-smoke are daughter and father, and that the said father murdered the mother in 1929 - on Halloween, of course - and has come to finish off his family. I  think? Anyway, the little girl's necklace turned out to be Jane's grandmother's, which perhaps indicates that Jane has more ties to the Drake than she thought she did. They always do.

There were many moments of anticipating silence as Jane walks backwards through dark doorways after hearing the creaks of an approaching serial killer, as well as the many 'THERE HE IS!!!' moments as he appears out of the black, his axe held high above his head. Hell, he actually claims a victim during the chase when an unfortunate good Samaritan stands between him and his target, with the poor guy getting a fast axe to the back before being left to bleed out on the carpet. Damn, I'd hate to be the cleaner in this building.

I'm hard pressed to decide what was more scary; Jane's tense evasion, or the initial, cold-open murder. In the latter, we see the 1929 incident in which our present killer drew an axe and took a nice shot at his wife, who is able to stumble bloodily into her daughter's room and present her with the plot-device necklace. For a second it looked like it was going to be epically violent, as from the daughter’s under-the-bed-perspective we can only see the dying mother's feet at first, as they get dripped upon by her blood. I was actually disappointed when she bent down, showing only a healthy coating of fake blood instead of intestines or only half a face. Oh well, maybe next time.

For that reason alone I'd probably have to go for Jane as the receiver for tonight's coveted Scariest Scene award, namely for the dumbwaiter moment. The clear horror-movie-virgin runs loudly and clumsily through a darkened and abandoned corridor somewhere in the Drake, knowingly on the run from her would-be killer, finding the only method of escape being a dumbwaiter. She hops in hopefully, pulling herself up with the rope inside as the bad guy starts trying every door around. Eventually he goes quiet enough to hear Jane's very audible grunting as she struggles with lifting her own weight. He proceeds to wham the axe's blade through the rope and bring the little box down to him again, but thankfully our heroine's escaped just in time to avoid both spontaneous leg amputation and falling into the killer’s trap. 

It's not over yet though, as he follows her into the very apartment in which he committed the acts so many decades prior, lunging at her with his axe only to imbed it in the wall instead. I was immensely elated to see that the crazy birds from 'Murmurations' were appearing again, as the big hole in the wall heralds the arrival of hundreds of the devils, who all embrace our psychopath in a sea of black wings and pecking beaks while Jane runs away. 

With the action over, the building eats the evidence of the attacks, absorbing both the axe and the body of the killer's unintended victim. This will surely lead to some definite questionable sanity scenes over the coming episodes for young Jane, and this entire show has been based on the horrors of old so we can't go without the sane/insane exploration. Halloween, the Birds, where else can we go? Hopefully the Exorcist will be soon. And hell, this whole thing is leading towards the Shining. 

While I didn't quite grasp the significance of the subplot, Gavin is confronted by a mystery individual who wants to prove to him that he isn't 'invincible' or something. Anyway, it may have just been an excuse to kill a flock of birds with one convoluted stone, as the stranger cuts the power in the Drake which plants Louise with her supposed lover and puts Jane square in the middle of several horror-movie-dark sets, while also showing that the Drake's doorman can survive being hanged (though an oddly small amount of attention was given to this) and allowing an enigmatic box of Gavin's to be stolen from his hidden safe. Intriguing... But - as surely the writers and producers want us to ask - what is in the box?

We end this stellar - for this show - episode with a rock-infused reflection on the chaos that just happened, and Jane's effective loss of innocence. Before now she's been an observer of the horrors, but now they not only surround her but involve her, and she can no longer brush them off to nothing. She recognised her attacker from a photo in an article about the original murders, as well as showing a hint of recognition at the name. Jane is entirely aware that something is off here, and unless the writers suck major ass she'll hopefully confront the evil head on. 

Also, despite Nona's absence from the entire proceedings, don't discount her involvement. If I remember correctly, she'd foretold Jane's death by axe-attack whilst she was wearing her brilliant red dress, meaning something has changed that allowed our female protagonist to go on kicking. But what changed? Or will it still happen in some way? 

For once, the acting was never grating. Rachel Taylor was even good playing the near-slasher victim, and though she runs screaming through a building in a pretty dress she never actually loses that sense of strength and ability that Jane often emits. This is hopefully the beginning of my appreciation for the character, and not a simple one-off 'Oh she's alright' moment. It depends on how well she can handle the coming episodes of jeopardised sanity. Let's be honest; dying by axe is an easy emotion to portray. I can do it too. I just really want to like her though;  she is an Aussie after all.

With the box stolen and an enemy for our enemy, 666 Park Avenue appears to have forsaken it's very temporary monster-of-the-week format to embrace the serialised manner of a real horror series, as well as the actual scares of a real horror too. For the first time I am excited, like really excited, to sit down next Monday night for the sixth instalment and find out how Jane handles what she's just experienced, as well as how Gavin deals with his new nemesis. Of course, what is in the box is important too, and whether tonight's killer will make a reappearance, but for now, and god-willing until the show calls it a day, I care more about the characters.