Who knew Abraham, Rosita, and Eugene could carry an entire episode? The Walking Dead continues its streak of competence and confidence by taking us along for the ride to the trip to Washington DC with Abraham, Rosita, Eugene, Glen, and Maggie. Last season, having the core characters split up into much smaller pairings and groups… Continue reading The Walking Dead – Episode 5.5 “Self Help”
I think I was way too concerned with how much of a role doppelgänger Tatia was going to play to really pay attention to this episode. Tatia’s presence wasn’t overwhelming per se, but I don’t think it added too much depth narrative-wise. Overall, it seemed like an overly forced attempt to integrate Nina Dobrev without laying… Continue reading The Originals – Episode 2.5 “Red Door”
As I predicted, as did everyone else I’m sure, Beth has found herself in a seriously fucked up situation. Although “Slabtown” solely focused Beth, I wasn’t disappointed. It’s hard to believe this is the same character who I was almost positive wasn’t going to be around for more than a few episodes. There were so many extra… Continue reading The Walking Dead – Episode 5.4 “Slabtown”
Unfortunately, I didn't have the opportunity to post my review of last week's episode because I was too caught up in putting together my Mary Poppins Halloween costume. Worst excuse ever. Fortunately, we have TWO episodes to review. It was not my original intention to review these episodes in tandem, but it's fortunate they work together… Continue reading The Originals – Episodes 2.3 “Every Mother’s Son” & 2.4 “Live and Let Die”
The Walking Dead hasn’t been this competent and confident in a long time, maybe ever. But with this week’s “Four Walls And A Roof,” we start to see a new type of storytelling. Most importantly, though, it’s the first time audiences get to see how pivotal a role the environment plays on our core group of survivors.… Continue reading The Walking Dead – 5.3 “Four Walls And A Roof”
No one can deny the inherent difficulty of making a television show centered on the zombie apocalypse, but The Walking Dead handles it with such aplomb. Granted, one could argue there is the source material to consistently fall back on, but successfully transitioning a printed work into a live-action visual medium is a heavy task… Continue reading The Walking Dead – Episode 5.2 “Strangers”
I always like to begin a review by looking at the title of the episode in question. Some programs put a lot of thought into episode titles (e.g., Hannibal), and some programs use titles as a type of summation (e.g., Friends). Freakshow’s second episode “Matinees & Massacres” appears relatively straightforward. And yet it isn’t. As far as… Continue reading AHS: Freakshow – Episode 4.2 “Matinees & Massacres”
Final seasons are tough. There is immense pressure to resolve plots, give characters a satisfying and thoughtful end to their arc, and present an effective end to a story audiences have dedicated years watching. That being said, Sons if having a tough go at the final season. It doesn’t even feel like a final season, but rather… Continue reading Sons of Anarchy – Episode 7.6 “Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em”
Indeed, everyone in this episode IS alive and kicking. The Originals succeeds in keeping audiences guessing in terms of allegiances and motivations, which consistently helps carry episodes forward in terms of pace and action. Even the Mikaelson family, having spent the past 1,000 years together (or, at the very least, being reminded of each other’s presence),… Continue reading The Originals – Episode 2.2 “Alive & Kicking”
Probably the best episode in the series thus far. “Rebirth” was the perfect season opener for The Originals because it brought so much of what makes this show great - action, emotion, wittiness, chemistry, pace - back to the forefront. But “Rebirth” isn’t just a clever name for the Season 2 premiere. It’s symbolically meaningful to… Continue reading The Originals – Episode 2.1 “Rebirth”
I Have Notes 