The Complete Series of Lost, as well as the Season 6 box set, arrived on DVD and Blu-ray today. And while everything on the set has obviously been seen before, the Season 6 collection adds one extra special feature: a 12-minute epilogue that takes place after the on-island events of "The End". So, despite "The End" being... the end, this is truly the last Lost 'episode'.
Epilogue: "The New Man in Charge"
Zach says: The 12 minutes let us see a few glimpses of what Ben and Hurley are up to, although there is nothing TRULY revolationary (if that's not a word, it should be). We get a couple of answers to questions that weren't really important, or that we really already knew the answer to. "Why are there polar bears and where did they come from!?!?!?" Well, obviously the Dharma Initiative brought them to the island for research... you really couldn't figure that one out on your own?
The more important thing we see though, is Walt, and we see what things COULD possibly happen in Lost's near future, assuming there is one for the series, which isn't likely. So, it's kind of weird that they show us these things, which they aren't planning to elaborate on in any form of media. It's not that it's a bad 12 minutes of footage, but it would have been fine if they left it alone, as these don't really add anything to the mythos. But, it's still more Lost, and it's a bit tongue-in-cheek, and fun to see, but overall, it's pretty meh
Zach's Score: 7/10
JDW says: Well, I really loved "The End" and found it to be a really fitting ending to such a wonderful, smart, and mysterious series. But, not everyone was a fan of it, and I can understand that, especially with all those 'unanswered questions'. So what "The New Man in Charge" does is serves the purpose of pleasing those fans that want answers, but also rubs it in their faces.
Most the short is taken up by a lost Dharma video with Dr. Chang that talks about the origin of the polar bears on the island as well as the background behind Room 23 at the Hydra Station. At the same time Ben visits the Dharma food supply HQ, and gives the two workers there a chance to ask one question each, and when one worker asks "How does the island move?" Ben smirks and tells him he only gets one. Which was an amusing nod to those people that complained about not getting enough answers.
However, the best part of this was getting to finally see Walt again. Sure, we still don't know why he's so special, and the ending to this was so vague that really this could go anywhere, but it was great to see his character getting some sort of closure after a long absence. But seriously, all this was was a major tease. "The End" gave the series a great ending and closure, but all this short epilogue did was leave me want more. So really, is this 'the end'?
JDW's Score: 7.5/10
Overall Score: 7.3/10
While we've reviewed this 'episode' by itself, we don't have any immediate plans to review the complete series or Season 6 box sets as a whole. It's not that it wouldn't be worth your time, but it's just a lot to go through on our limited schedules, and this epilogue is the real attraction of the sets for a lot of people.
Showing posts with label ABC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ABC. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
This Week in FlashForward - Series Recap
And, for one last time, here is This Week in FlashForward. Though not as much time was invested into it as Lost, it's time we give this series its own recap. I will be writing in black, and JDW will be in red.
Favorite Episode(s)
Zach says: I think the second episode and finale were my favorites. The second episode, and perhaps some of the third, let on that this mysterious blackout wasn't just some act of nature, but was actually caused by some shadowy organization, so it opened up the series to lots of intrigue and mystery. I also liked the finale as it showed how people's lives actually ended up as, and it showed a bunch of images of the possible future, which could have led to some interesting stories.
JDW says: It's funny, I was looking at all of out past reviews for the show, and it's interesting to see how the show (and the scores) start of decent, and then just plummet, lift up once (after the hiatus) and then crash back down again until the finale. So for me, the best the show had to offer is the first two episodes, the return from hiatus episode, "Revelation Zero," and then the finale. Everything inbetween these episodes just needed a lot of organization and focus...
What We Liked
I liked almost the entire plot with the FBI and trying to solve the mystery behind the blackout and who caused it and why. I always found it interesting to see what they were investigating and learn about these different groups and how these people were reacting to their visions.
If you asked me after the third episode, I could probably tell you a lot here. But being that you're asking after the series has ended changes my mind completely. Because by the time 3/4 of the show was done I was already getting sick of it. So, if there's anything I liked about the series it was the concept; for a post-Lost TV series, it seemed really ambitious and super-intriguing. But in the end it really just was too ambitious and the execution wasn't really there.
What We Disliked
Unfortunately, the show didn't always focus on this main plot. Instead, it chose to look at the lives of other people going about their own business, the worst of which was Bryce, Nicole, and Keiko. I didn't care too much about their love triangle, nor was it in anyway important to the rest of the plot. Almost the same can be said with Aaron and his daughter Tracy, but it seemed at least that that plot, after the ENTIRE season, was finally going some place, as Jericho seemed to be working with this group that caused the blackout. Some of the other scenarios, acting, and things didn't really make sense at times, which made the show less believable, but if it could have cut some of those extraneous plot points, I think it could have survived.
Hah, where do I start? If Lost treated it's viewers like they were smart, and was willing to
gives you clues and hints to really detailed mysteries, then FlashForward is the ultimate foil to Lost. Instead of being a mystery, FF constantly spoon fed the audience every detail about what was happening and how everything works and come five episodes into the series, there was no longer any mystery. To the people that complained that Lost's finale didn't give them any answer, watch FlashForward, because surely you shouldn't be allowed to watch good TV. And seriously, Bryce, Nicole, Keiko, Aaron and Tracy were the most useless characters and got way too much screen time.
What's Next? If anything.
As for where the show is heading, probably no where. It was, sadly, not renewed, and thus, we may never see another season of FlashForward. It's a bit disappointing, as the writers obviously had plenty of stuff to talk about and arcs to explore, but due to poor ratings, we'll never see them. If we DO get another season, they will obviously discuss how the FBI will rebuild, in more ways than one, and what happened to Mark. They will continue to investigate that shadowy organization, as well as figure out how to stop the blackouts from happening again. Then there is everyone's NEW flash forward, which I'm sure will lead to many interesting revelations and scenarios.
Well, obviously when a series is canceled, especially after one season of poor ratings, it's safe t say there's not much left to hope for. However, that's not to say a continuation is impossible. Joss Whedon's Firefly was canceled by Fox after just one 14-episode season, and returned years later with the film, Serenity, produced by Universal. So, if there was a big enough fan push, and the actors/writers agreed to reprise their roles, I'm sure some sort of epilogue could be made for these characters and their stories, whether it was a made-for-TV, direct to DVD, or (doubtfully) theatrical thing. The other consideration is that FlashForward started as a book, and books always have multiple interpretations and adaptations, so who knows, maybe in a few years someone else will take a crack at this concept and hopefully do a much better job. Only the future will tell us.
Averaged Overall Score for Season One/The Series: 7.3/10
And there goes another This Week In feature. Seriously, any suggestions you have for us would be greatly appreciated!
Favorite Episode(s)
Zach says: I think the second episode and finale were my favorites. The second episode, and perhaps some of the third, let on that this mysterious blackout wasn't just some act of nature, but was actually caused by some shadowy organization, so it opened up the series to lots of intrigue and mystery. I also liked the finale as it showed how people's lives actually ended up as, and it showed a bunch of images of the possible future, which could have led to some interesting stories.
JDW says: It's funny, I was looking at all of out past reviews for the show, and it's interesting to see how the show (and the scores) start of decent, and then just plummet, lift up once (after the hiatus) and then crash back down again until the finale. So for me, the best the show had to offer is the first two episodes, the return from hiatus episode, "Revelation Zero," and then the finale. Everything inbetween these episodes just needed a lot of organization and focus...
What We Liked
I liked almost the entire plot with the FBI and trying to solve the mystery behind the blackout and who caused it and why. I always found it interesting to see what they were investigating and learn about these different groups and how these people were reacting to their visions.
If you asked me after the third episode, I could probably tell you a lot here. But being that you're asking after the series has ended changes my mind completely. Because by the time 3/4 of the show was done I was already getting sick of it. So, if there's anything I liked about the series it was the concept; for a post-Lost TV series, it seemed really ambitious and super-intriguing. But in the end it really just was too ambitious and the execution wasn't really there.
What We Disliked
Unfortunately, the show didn't always focus on this main plot. Instead, it chose to look at the lives of other people going about their own business, the worst of which was Bryce, Nicole, and Keiko. I didn't care too much about their love triangle, nor was it in anyway important to the rest of the plot. Almost the same can be said with Aaron and his daughter Tracy, but it seemed at least that that plot, after the ENTIRE season, was finally going some place, as Jericho seemed to be working with this group that caused the blackout. Some of the other scenarios, acting, and things didn't really make sense at times, which made the show less believable, but if it could have cut some of those extraneous plot points, I think it could have survived.
Hah, where do I start? If Lost treated it's viewers like they were smart, and was willing to
gives you clues and hints to really detailed mysteries, then FlashForward is the ultimate foil to Lost. Instead of being a mystery, FF constantly spoon fed the audience every detail about what was happening and how everything works and come five episodes into the series, there was no longer any mystery. To the people that complained that Lost's finale didn't give them any answer, watch FlashForward, because surely you shouldn't be allowed to watch good TV. And seriously, Bryce, Nicole, Keiko, Aaron and Tracy were the most useless characters and got way too much screen time.
What's Next? If anything.
As for where the show is heading, probably no where. It was, sadly, not renewed, and thus, we may never see another season of FlashForward. It's a bit disappointing, as the writers obviously had plenty of stuff to talk about and arcs to explore, but due to poor ratings, we'll never see them. If we DO get another season, they will obviously discuss how the FBI will rebuild, in more ways than one, and what happened to Mark. They will continue to investigate that shadowy organization, as well as figure out how to stop the blackouts from happening again. Then there is everyone's NEW flash forward, which I'm sure will lead to many interesting revelations and scenarios.
Well, obviously when a series is canceled, especially after one season of poor ratings, it's safe t say there's not much left to hope for. However, that's not to say a continuation is impossible. Joss Whedon's Firefly was canceled by Fox after just one 14-episode season, and returned years later with the film, Serenity, produced by Universal. So, if there was a big enough fan push, and the actors/writers agreed to reprise their roles, I'm sure some sort of epilogue could be made for these characters and their stories, whether it was a made-for-TV, direct to DVD, or (doubtfully) theatrical thing. The other consideration is that FlashForward started as a book, and books always have multiple interpretations and adaptations, so who knows, maybe in a few years someone else will take a crack at this concept and hopefully do a much better job. Only the future will tell us.
Averaged Overall Score for Season One/The Series: 7.3/10
And there goes another This Week In feature. Seriously, any suggestions you have for us would be greatly appreciated!
Tags:
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Review,
Science Fiction,
Television,
This Week In
Friday, May 28, 2010
This Week in FlashForward - 5/27/10
This week's episode was both the season finale, as well as the series finale, with FlashForward wrapping up its one-season run, due to poor ratings. This is slightly unfortunate, as the finale left open a ton of room for expansion, and with the help of some better writing, FlashForward could have become a decent show. Oh well.
Series Finale: Episode 22 - "Future Shock"
Zach says: This episode is all about April 29th, and going through everyone's flash forward. Most of them did end up happening as they were seen, however, a few were a bit different, namely, with Olivia and Lloyd and how they weren't being intimate, although Lloyd did sweet talk his way into Olivia's house. It turns out, little Dillon wrote the formula on the mirror, and now he wants cookies for his work, because you know, it's his house too. Simon, while working to crack the database mainframe crap over at NLAP, texts Lloyd like he's "supposed to" which causes Lloyd to solve the equation.
The equation is actually for a wave, which determines when the next optimal time is for another black out, which just so happens to be within the next two days. However, Mark happens to narrow that window down a bit with the help of Gabriel's notebook and sketch of the Mosaic board, with the red threads pointing to specific letters, which form the words 10:14 pm, April 29th, which is in like, FIFTEEN MINUTES!!!! Oh, and the FBI building is also rigged to blow, and those masked villains are running about. Fortunately, being the bad ass that he is, Mark dispatches all of them, blowing each away one by one with a shotgun.
Then, the black out occurs. We see lots of interesting images, from who knows what person, but the most important one features Charlie, who has grown up quite a bit, and utters the words "They found him!" Then, the FBI building blows up and the episode ends.
So, there's a lot going on here for real at the end, and if the series truly is dead, then we might never know what will happen, unless they release some super DVD set with bonus features, etc. Bryce and Keiko DO meet up, which is nice; Janis is actually having a boy, but during the black out, Lita wheels her off someplace; and we don't really know what happens to Mark. I would assume he is the person Charlie is talking about in her flash forward, but that can't be said. I don't know how they could lose him, unless an agent with one of those QEDs takes him away, however, I don't even see how it's plausible he survived. He was running out of the FBI building, set to jump out a window onto a helicopter. He was on like, the 4th floor I think, and that floor totally exploded. So, if he didn't get out, yeah, he burned up, but if he did, he landed in the helicopter, which would have went down during the black out, so basically, there ain't no way he LOGICALLY survived, although I'm sure he did.....Also, total BS about Tracy still being alive...pft.
Overall, I thought the finale was pretty decent, and it's obvious they planned to have a bigger series, with more seasons, which would have addressed later story arcs, such as Jericho and Tracy, etc. It's unfortunate we will probably never get to see these, but it is what it is.
Zach's Score: 8/10
JDW says: I'll be honest, and I'm sure my recent FlashForward reviews will reflect this, I really stopped caring for this show in the last month or so. When it returned from its much needed hiatus, I was actually hopeful that things would turn out better, but after a decent return, everything fell flat quite quickly. So, knowing this was the SERIES finale, and no longer the season finale, I felt distanced from these characters, knowing that whatever happens, really won't matter because it's not a show I've invested as much time in as say, Lost.
But, the finale surprised me. Not only was it actually decent, but not everything played out 'exactly' as perceived in the original flash-forwards, there was some variation to all the events, so thankfully it didn't fully feel like we've seen everything in the first episode and already knew where it would go. And Mark, one vs twenty, with just a shotgun, was pretty hilarious and awesome despite it surely trying to be a serious sequence. But the final moments, with the second blackout and what we could kind of see were really intriguing, although didn't make much sense. Like, it said New Years 2015, and showed Charlie looking out the window saying, "They found him!" but she clearly looked 20 and not five years older than her current age.
It seems, like ABC's version of Life On Mars before it, the most interesting part of the series is the all too soon first season/series finale. At least in Life On Mars' case, there was no where else to go with a finale like they had, despite it's odd take that completely drifted from the UK original. But in FlashForward's case, the super-intriguing ending hints that there was so much more to come, and I would've actually been interested to see how they handled all of that. However, if that meant sitting through more awful writing like I did in this first season, then I'm glad the show ended where it did, on a semi-high note.
JDW's Score: 8.5/10
Overall Score: 8.3/10
Missed the episode? Catch it on Hulu
Series Finale: Episode 22 - "Future Shock"
Zach says: This episode is all about April 29th, and going through everyone's flash forward. Most of them did end up happening as they were seen, however, a few were a bit different, namely, with Olivia and Lloyd and how they weren't being intimate, although Lloyd did sweet talk his way into Olivia's house. It turns out, little Dillon wrote the formula on the mirror, and now he wants cookies for his work, because you know, it's his house too. Simon, while working to crack the database mainframe crap over at NLAP, texts Lloyd like he's "supposed to" which causes Lloyd to solve the equation.
The equation is actually for a wave, which determines when the next optimal time is for another black out, which just so happens to be within the next two days. However, Mark happens to narrow that window down a bit with the help of Gabriel's notebook and sketch of the Mosaic board, with the red threads pointing to specific letters, which form the words 10:14 pm, April 29th, which is in like, FIFTEEN MINUTES!!!! Oh, and the FBI building is also rigged to blow, and those masked villains are running about. Fortunately, being the bad ass that he is, Mark dispatches all of them, blowing each away one by one with a shotgun.
Then, the black out occurs. We see lots of interesting images, from who knows what person, but the most important one features Charlie, who has grown up quite a bit, and utters the words "They found him!" Then, the FBI building blows up and the episode ends.
So, there's a lot going on here for real at the end, and if the series truly is dead, then we might never know what will happen, unless they release some super DVD set with bonus features, etc. Bryce and Keiko DO meet up, which is nice; Janis is actually having a boy, but during the black out, Lita wheels her off someplace; and we don't really know what happens to Mark. I would assume he is the person Charlie is talking about in her flash forward, but that can't be said. I don't know how they could lose him, unless an agent with one of those QEDs takes him away, however, I don't even see how it's plausible he survived. He was running out of the FBI building, set to jump out a window onto a helicopter. He was on like, the 4th floor I think, and that floor totally exploded. So, if he didn't get out, yeah, he burned up, but if he did, he landed in the helicopter, which would have went down during the black out, so basically, there ain't no way he LOGICALLY survived, although I'm sure he did.....Also, total BS about Tracy still being alive...pft.
Overall, I thought the finale was pretty decent, and it's obvious they planned to have a bigger series, with more seasons, which would have addressed later story arcs, such as Jericho and Tracy, etc. It's unfortunate we will probably never get to see these, but it is what it is.
Zach's Score: 8/10
JDW says: I'll be honest, and I'm sure my recent FlashForward reviews will reflect this, I really stopped caring for this show in the last month or so. When it returned from its much needed hiatus, I was actually hopeful that things would turn out better, but after a decent return, everything fell flat quite quickly. So, knowing this was the SERIES finale, and no longer the season finale, I felt distanced from these characters, knowing that whatever happens, really won't matter because it's not a show I've invested as much time in as say, Lost.
But, the finale surprised me. Not only was it actually decent, but not everything played out 'exactly' as perceived in the original flash-forwards, there was some variation to all the events, so thankfully it didn't fully feel like we've seen everything in the first episode and already knew where it would go. And Mark, one vs twenty, with just a shotgun, was pretty hilarious and awesome despite it surely trying to be a serious sequence. But the final moments, with the second blackout and what we could kind of see were really intriguing, although didn't make much sense. Like, it said New Years 2015, and showed Charlie looking out the window saying, "They found him!" but she clearly looked 20 and not five years older than her current age.
It seems, like ABC's version of Life On Mars before it, the most interesting part of the series is the all too soon first season/series finale. At least in Life On Mars' case, there was no where else to go with a finale like they had, despite it's odd take that completely drifted from the UK original. But in FlashForward's case, the super-intriguing ending hints that there was so much more to come, and I would've actually been interested to see how they handled all of that. However, if that meant sitting through more awful writing like I did in this first season, then I'm glad the show ended where it did, on a semi-high note.
JDW's Score: 8.5/10
Overall Score: 8.3/10
Missed the episode? Catch it on Hulu
Tags:
ABC,
FlashForward,
Review,
Science Fiction,
Television,
This Week In
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
This Week in Lost - Series Recap
For the foreseeable future, this will be our last ever post about Lost, and obviously, the last iteration of This Week in Lost, putting an end to our first show-based This Week In feature. Like the Season 5 Recap, we'll go through a series of questions. While this is a series recap, the focus will be split between Season 6 and the series as a whole. To make things easier, my posts will be in black while JDW's will be in red. Enjoy, and feel free to comment with your thoughts on the series!
Favorite Episode(s) of Season 6
Zach says: I would probably have to say the finale was my favorite. This is for two reasons: Firstly, it was really good and wrapped up the series well, and secondly, I have a bad memory. There were a ton of great moments in the season that revealed a lot about the characters and mysteries of the island and its inhabitants throughout every episode, so I think overall, this was one of the better seasons, and it held up to all of the expectations I had, more or less.
JDW says: I have to agree with Zach, when everything is said and done, "The End," really is, and should be, the stand-out episode of the season. It did a really great job of bringing all the pieces and people together, even if some faces were missing, and was a really nice culmination to the series and the season. But I also found "Dr. Linus" and "Ab Aeterno" to be really great episodes for giving us a deeper look at characters that have always been mysterious. "Across the Sea" tried that too, but fell a bit flat.
Favorite Episode(s) of the Series
Like I said, I have a really bad memory. I seriously doubt the series finale was my overall favorite episode ever. There were plenty of others that provided great drama and intrigue that I find preferable. Figuring out such an episode though, I cannot do. It might would be a season finale, as those are usually pretty awesome and end on ridiculous cliff hangers that are almost too “omga” for tv.
Unlike Zach, I used the power of the internet to remind me what episodes were awesome. So if I had to pick one episode per season, I'd say: "Walkabout," because when you learn that Locke had been paralyzed it was a big "omg" moment, and really made you feel for the character; for Season 2 it's a tie between the premiere, "Man of Science, Man of Faith" and the finale "Live Together, Die Alone" because Desmond is the best; nothing in Season 3 stood out for me... But in Season 4 we had "The Constant," and who can argue with Desmond and Faraday being in one awesome episode? As for last season, according to what I wrote then I was tied between three episodes, but "The Variable" was definitely my favorite when I think back.
What We Liked
I liked the build-up of the entire season, and putting the pieces together of why they were there and what was the alternate universe, although that final reveal was a bit lame. I liked finally getting some answers as to who Jacob and MiB were and who the candidates were and things like that, although it took more emphasis off previous seasons and the true importance of past events, in terms of island mythology.
Regarding the season, I liked the mystery of the flash-sideways (now ... flash-afterlife I guess) and how there was gradually more and more clues as to what was going on, and will certainly make rewatching this season more interesting know what we know now. I liked getting a deeper look into the island's past, even if a lot of it wasn't really necessary or just made more questions than we needed at that point in the show. I like that despite the lack of full answers, the show can still live on through discussion, and in a sense, will never truly go away.
What We Disliked
I didn’t like not getting ALL of the answers I wanted. I could do without some, but others I wish were a little more explained. While I liked the alternate universe overall, when I got the reveal that they were all dead the whole time, it kind of made some of it not make any sense. Why does Jack have a son? Why are they living their lives completely over again? What the eff is the real point? Why is Desmond trying to kill everyone? It just made some things seem inconsistent.
However, in agreement with Zach, there were answers I would have liked to have gotten, but didn't. Like why was Walt so special, yet completely gone by Season 4? What exactly was the deal with Egyptian mythology, and why would there be hieroglyphics in the Swan Station? What did Eloise Hawking know that we couldn't? And I mean that in both the real world and the afterlife. How were people brought to the island? And if no one could find the Heart of the Island, than who's skeleton was that near the cork thing? What was that cork thing? Obviously I'll never find out, but if I had to complain about anything else, it was not seeing Michael, Walt, and Eko in the finale, and I guess Nikki and Paulo as well; I'm just saying, they were on 815 too, so why not in the church?
What's Next?
Well, I seriously doubt they will do any sort of spin off for Lost or any sort of thing, as that has a huge chance of ruining the series. But, let’s assume they do do SOMETHING extra for the show. There are two main options: do something with the established characters, or do something with new characters. If they are doing established characters, then they would pretty much have to cover the time line from when the series left off, with Ben and Hurley on the island, up until when everyone dies. You could explore Ben and Hurley’s antics, as well as the lives of Kate, Claire, Richard, Sawyer, and Miles. And I guess Lapidus too. Or, you could talk about NEW characters, which would probably set the show BEFORE the Oceanic crew. They could delve more into the lives of Jacob and MiB, but I doubt they would do that, so the show would then be about stuff that happened before those two characters. They could talk about the origins of the island, and the obvious Egyptian-like presence that was possibly the first group to settle there.
While I thing the series as a whole should be left alone for awhile, I'm not unaware that the company that funds Lost is Disney, and will obviously find some way to exploit the franchise in years to come. The best route, I think, is the Star Trek, Star Wars, and every other sci-fi franchise route: literature. By continuing the story, or just filling the gaps, with books and comics you can please (and displease) the truly hardcore fans that would actually buy such things, and the fans that are just about the show itself can ignore such items. I don't know where a Lost feature film would even go at this point, so I don't suggest it, and I have no idea how anyone could consider rebooting the show (like most movies and shows now) in the future because it's just too complex. I think Lost should stay as is, but I know expanding the property is inevitable, and if whatever that may be stays true to the franchise and is interesting, I'll at least take a look.
Averaged Overall Score for Season 6: 8.3/10
We hope you've enjoyed all of our Lost coverage and reviews from the last two years or so. With Fringe and Doctor Who being the only shows running in the next year or so, we'd love to get some feedback on what to review next in this two-person format. Thanks for reading!
Favorite Episode(s) of Season 6
Zach says: I would probably have to say the finale was my favorite. This is for two reasons: Firstly, it was really good and wrapped up the series well, and secondly, I have a bad memory. There were a ton of great moments in the season that revealed a lot about the characters and mysteries of the island and its inhabitants throughout every episode, so I think overall, this was one of the better seasons, and it held up to all of the expectations I had, more or less.
JDW says: I have to agree with Zach, when everything is said and done, "The End," really is, and should be, the stand-out episode of the season. It did a really great job of bringing all the pieces and people together, even if some faces were missing, and was a really nice culmination to the series and the season. But I also found "Dr. Linus" and "Ab Aeterno" to be really great episodes for giving us a deeper look at characters that have always been mysterious. "Across the Sea" tried that too, but fell a bit flat.
Favorite Episode(s) of the Series
Like I said, I have a really bad memory. I seriously doubt the series finale was my overall favorite episode ever. There were plenty of others that provided great drama and intrigue that I find preferable. Figuring out such an episode though, I cannot do. It might would be a season finale, as those are usually pretty awesome and end on ridiculous cliff hangers that are almost too “omga” for tv.
Unlike Zach, I used the power of the internet to remind me what episodes were awesome. So if I had to pick one episode per season, I'd say: "Walkabout," because when you learn that Locke had been paralyzed it was a big "omg" moment, and really made you feel for the character; for Season 2 it's a tie between the premiere, "Man of Science, Man of Faith" and the finale "Live Together, Die Alone" because Desmond is the best; nothing in Season 3 stood out for me... But in Season 4 we had "The Constant," and who can argue with Desmond and Faraday being in one awesome episode? As for last season, according to what I wrote then I was tied between three episodes, but "The Variable" was definitely my favorite when I think back.
What We Liked
I liked the build-up of the entire season, and putting the pieces together of why they were there and what was the alternate universe, although that final reveal was a bit lame. I liked finally getting some answers as to who Jacob and MiB were and who the candidates were and things like that, although it took more emphasis off previous seasons and the true importance of past events, in terms of island mythology.
Regarding the season, I liked the mystery of the flash-sideways (now ... flash-afterlife I guess) and how there was gradually more and more clues as to what was going on, and will certainly make rewatching this season more interesting know what we know now. I liked getting a deeper look into the island's past, even if a lot of it wasn't really necessary or just made more questions than we needed at that point in the show. I like that despite the lack of full answers, the show can still live on through discussion, and in a sense, will never truly go away.
What We Disliked
I didn’t like not getting ALL of the answers I wanted. I could do without some, but others I wish were a little more explained. While I liked the alternate universe overall, when I got the reveal that they were all dead the whole time, it kind of made some of it not make any sense. Why does Jack have a son? Why are they living their lives completely over again? What the eff is the real point? Why is Desmond trying to kill everyone? It just made some things seem inconsistent.
However, in agreement with Zach, there were answers I would have liked to have gotten, but didn't. Like why was Walt so special, yet completely gone by Season 4? What exactly was the deal with Egyptian mythology, and why would there be hieroglyphics in the Swan Station? What did Eloise Hawking know that we couldn't? And I mean that in both the real world and the afterlife. How were people brought to the island? And if no one could find the Heart of the Island, than who's skeleton was that near the cork thing? What was that cork thing? Obviously I'll never find out, but if I had to complain about anything else, it was not seeing Michael, Walt, and Eko in the finale, and I guess Nikki and Paulo as well; I'm just saying, they were on 815 too, so why not in the church?
What's Next?
Well, I seriously doubt they will do any sort of spin off for Lost or any sort of thing, as that has a huge chance of ruining the series. But, let’s assume they do do SOMETHING extra for the show. There are two main options: do something with the established characters, or do something with new characters. If they are doing established characters, then they would pretty much have to cover the time line from when the series left off, with Ben and Hurley on the island, up until when everyone dies. You could explore Ben and Hurley’s antics, as well as the lives of Kate, Claire, Richard, Sawyer, and Miles. And I guess Lapidus too. Or, you could talk about NEW characters, which would probably set the show BEFORE the Oceanic crew. They could delve more into the lives of Jacob and MiB, but I doubt they would do that, so the show would then be about stuff that happened before those two characters. They could talk about the origins of the island, and the obvious Egyptian-like presence that was possibly the first group to settle there.
While I thing the series as a whole should be left alone for awhile, I'm not unaware that the company that funds Lost is Disney, and will obviously find some way to exploit the franchise in years to come. The best route, I think, is the Star Trek, Star Wars, and every other sci-fi franchise route: literature. By continuing the story, or just filling the gaps, with books and comics you can please (and displease) the truly hardcore fans that would actually buy such things, and the fans that are just about the show itself can ignore such items. I don't know where a Lost feature film would even go at this point, so I don't suggest it, and I have no idea how anyone could consider rebooting the show (like most movies and shows now) in the future because it's just too complex. I think Lost should stay as is, but I know expanding the property is inevitable, and if whatever that may be stays true to the franchise and is interesting, I'll at least take a look.
Averaged Overall Score for Season 6: 8.3/10
We hope you've enjoyed all of our Lost coverage and reviews from the last two years or so. With Fringe and Doctor Who being the only shows running in the next year or so, we'd love to get some feedback on what to review next in this two-person format. Thanks for reading!
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Monday, May 24, 2010
This Week in Lost - 5/23/10
It's here, it's The End.
Series Finale: Episodes 17/18 - "The End"
Zach says: It's over. Like usual, I could talk about everything that happened in this episode, but I don't feel it's necessary. And, I won't even give too many details as to the ending, because you've either already seen it, or you don't want me spoiling it for you. But, I may talk about some details/spoilers a bit into my discussion.
Personally, I think this finale was by far one of the best episodes of the series. It didn't answer too many of those lingering questions about the island and what it's all about, which, while thinking back about the finale and the series as a whole, can be a little disappointing, but looking at it in a vacuum, just the finale, it was amazing on so many levels.
Every character in the alternate universe "wakes up" at some point this episode, and each and every one of these moments is truly touching. We see flash backs from previous seasons, as well as the characters seeing each other in the present time and it clicks, and the emotion is so strong you can't help but feel something, as you've invested in these peoples' stories and feelings. You were with them through six years and can't help but feel connected to them and understand all that they have gone through. It's great seeing them remember and embrace one another. It was also great to see long neglected characters like Rose and Bernard, as well as Juliet. They may not have played the biggest roles, but it was definitely nice to see them again.
There is plenty to discuss and debate and be upset about. It's hard to fully understand what the alternate reality REALLY is and what its true relevance is. The same is true with the island itself, and what events happen after that of the finale? We will most definitely never get answers to these questions, but I guess they aren't necessary.
You may go into the finale with the desire to get all these answers, about WHAT the island is and WHY everyone is there, but once you get into the episode, you begin to really just care about the characters and getting their own resolution and seeing everyone's story wrap up, and I think this is done very well. I'm going to leave it at that.
Zach's Score: 10/10
JDW says: "The End" was the first (and last) episode of Lost I ever watched with a group of people; hell, I even took off of work just to spend five and a half hours of my life in front of the television. Point being, this was a show that a lot of people have invested so much time in, both with and away from the TV set, and in it's most important moment, it was something that needed multiple reactions, and I think we were all floored.
Years of speculation, theory, and just pure time dedicated to this show, and it was embraced beautifully in a two and a half hour epic. Sure, there's already plenty of people that hated this episode because it didn't answer every single question. But, to be honest, the more I think about some of those trivial things, the more I could care less, because "The End" showed us what was really important: life, and the people you share it with. It was great to see all these familiar faces together, happy at last; sure some were absent, but for the most part their absence was explained.
But seriously, do really need to know how the black smoke monster works? Or how exactly the island can disappear? Or why exactly did Jacob need to bring people to the island? No, not really. And I think if everything was explain, peole would still be pissed off because it get's into "midi-chlorian" territory, and takes away all the mystery that made the show so interesting a discussable to begin with. If the show just always blatantly explained how everything works, we would have never made it passed the first season. That's why FlashForward is so awful.
What the "The End" really was, was a beautifully crafted piece of fan-service for the people that weren't watching with a checklist of unanswered questions. Not only from the actors performances, but from the directing by Jack Bender, and Michael Giacchino's moving score, all the pieces came together really really beautifully, and if you didn't feel anything after spending so much time with these characters, then really, you're soulless. You may not have gotten all the answers you wanted, but I find it ridiculous that people have not gotten some sort of closure or gratification from "The End," because I know I found this ending to be oh so fitting for a show I've invested so much time in, and everyone else I watched it with seemed to be in agreement.
JDW's Score: 10/10
Overall Score: 10/10
I don't think it would be fair to have a review with two 10/10 scores and not give it the VFH Seal of Approval, that just wouldn't make sense. And for an episode of a show that will most definitely be part of every television discussion for the next century, it would be impossible for us to not give this episode some much deserved, extra credit. If we could give this two awards we would. And to those who didn't dedicate six years of thei life to this show, do yourself a favor and get Seasons 1 through 6 when they release in a set on August 24th, you will not be disappointed, especially once you've reached this wonderful, beautiful, and just plain fantastic episode.
Missed the episode? (What is wrong with you?) Watch all 2.5 hours of it on Hulu.
Series Finale: Episodes 17/18 - "The End"
Zach says: It's over. Like usual, I could talk about everything that happened in this episode, but I don't feel it's necessary. And, I won't even give too many details as to the ending, because you've either already seen it, or you don't want me spoiling it for you. But, I may talk about some details/spoilers a bit into my discussion.
Personally, I think this finale was by far one of the best episodes of the series. It didn't answer too many of those lingering questions about the island and what it's all about, which, while thinking back about the finale and the series as a whole, can be a little disappointing, but looking at it in a vacuum, just the finale, it was amazing on so many levels.
Every character in the alternate universe "wakes up" at some point this episode, and each and every one of these moments is truly touching. We see flash backs from previous seasons, as well as the characters seeing each other in the present time and it clicks, and the emotion is so strong you can't help but feel something, as you've invested in these peoples' stories and feelings. You were with them through six years and can't help but feel connected to them and understand all that they have gone through. It's great seeing them remember and embrace one another. It was also great to see long neglected characters like Rose and Bernard, as well as Juliet. They may not have played the biggest roles, but it was definitely nice to see them again.
There is plenty to discuss and debate and be upset about. It's hard to fully understand what the alternate reality REALLY is and what its true relevance is. The same is true with the island itself, and what events happen after that of the finale? We will most definitely never get answers to these questions, but I guess they aren't necessary.
You may go into the finale with the desire to get all these answers, about WHAT the island is and WHY everyone is there, but once you get into the episode, you begin to really just care about the characters and getting their own resolution and seeing everyone's story wrap up, and I think this is done very well. I'm going to leave it at that.
Zach's Score: 10/10
JDW says: "The End" was the first (and last) episode of Lost I ever watched with a group of people; hell, I even took off of work just to spend five and a half hours of my life in front of the television. Point being, this was a show that a lot of people have invested so much time in, both with and away from the TV set, and in it's most important moment, it was something that needed multiple reactions, and I think we were all floored.
Years of speculation, theory, and just pure time dedicated to this show, and it was embraced beautifully in a two and a half hour epic. Sure, there's already plenty of people that hated this episode because it didn't answer every single question. But, to be honest, the more I think about some of those trivial things, the more I could care less, because "The End" showed us what was really important: life, and the people you share it with. It was great to see all these familiar faces together, happy at last; sure some were absent, but for the most part their absence was explained.
But seriously, do really need to know how the black smoke monster works? Or how exactly the island can disappear? Or why exactly did Jacob need to bring people to the island? No, not really. And I think if everything was explain, peole would still be pissed off because it get's into "midi-chlorian" territory, and takes away all the mystery that made the show so interesting a discussable to begin with. If the show just always blatantly explained how everything works, we would have never made it passed the first season. That's why FlashForward is so awful.
What the "The End" really was, was a beautifully crafted piece of fan-service for the people that weren't watching with a checklist of unanswered questions. Not only from the actors performances, but from the directing by Jack Bender, and Michael Giacchino's moving score, all the pieces came together really really beautifully, and if you didn't feel anything after spending so much time with these characters, then really, you're soulless. You may not have gotten all the answers you wanted, but I find it ridiculous that people have not gotten some sort of closure or gratification from "The End," because I know I found this ending to be oh so fitting for a show I've invested so much time in, and everyone else I watched it with seemed to be in agreement.
JDW's Score: 10/10
Overall Score: 10/10
I don't think it would be fair to have a review with two 10/10 scores and not give it the VFH Seal of Approval, that just wouldn't make sense. And for an episode of a show that will most definitely be part of every television discussion for the next century, it would be impossible for us to not give this episode some much deserved, extra credit. If we could give this two awards we would. And to those who didn't dedicate six years of thei life to this show, do yourself a favor and get Seasons 1 through 6 when they release in a set on August 24th, you will not be disappointed, especially once you've reached this wonderful, beautiful, and just plain fantastic episode.Missed the episode? (What is wrong with you?) Watch all 2.5 hours of it on Hulu.
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Friday, May 21, 2010
This Week in FlashForward - 5/20/10
Another series is about to end, as this is FlashForward's last episode before the finale, and as it wasn't renewed, it shall be the last episode of not just the season, but the series as well.
Episode 21 - "Countdown"
Zach says: This week's episode is most definitely rounding up everyone's story. From least to most important, we see Bryce and Nicole in a decent relationship, with Bryce not wanting much to do with Keiko, thinking she will never really show up. However, Nicole has known about her, and is feeling very guilty, so she finally comes clean, to which Bryce gets pretty upset.
Demetri is still alive, however, before leaving with his fiance to Hawaii, he tells her about Janice and her pregnancy, to which she understandably gets upset, and tells him NOT to come to Hawaii with them. Demetri then heads to Janice's, where he finds Simon, and decides to go along and take him to the lab to do some investigating.
Aaron does have Tracy in a safe place, and we learn that Jericho didn't murder all those villagers, but instead, was doing one of those experiments on them, to test for the global black out, and were chasing Tracy because she didn't blackout for some reason. However, Aaron's flash forward isn't going according to plan, as it would seem Tracy dies after her heart stops beating.
After talking with Hellinger, the main bad boss man who got captured last episode, Mark gets extremely upset and beats the crap out of him, leading him to get tossed out of the FBI building. He then walks the streets, meets a random dude who hands him that flask, and then for some strange reason, decides to start drinking. I know Mark is feeling pretty lousy about himself, but I don't know why he would start drinking when he KNOWS it won't lead to anything good. I just don't think he would have started now of all times. Anyways, he gets into a drunken brawl and winds up in jail.
Lloyd gives Olivia a call, because he wants to "hang out", but she isn't having any of it, and instead, is driving away with her daughter to get away from everything. Lloyd is acting a little strange, and it seems that he is using Olivia at this point to try to solve his equation. If he can get her in the room, then he can write down that equation, etc. Kinda douchy.
So thus far, nobody's flash forward is really coming true, and it is THAT day. However, the day is not out, and it would seem, from the preview for the finale, that people start winding up where they "should" be.
It's a little upsetting to know that the major plot point of "when is there going to be the next blackout" probably won't get addressed, as the finale is the end of it all, but hopefully we'll get some answers as to WHY the people caused the blackout, and get some decent closure with the characters.
Zach's Score: 8/10
JDW says: I'm going to be honest, as soon as Bryce showed up on screen I stopped watching, because it just went to show that even in the face of canceled this show still fails to focus on the right things. As for what I saw Zach write about Mark drinking, despite knowing what's going to happen, reminded me a lot of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, in which despite being told that he will one day kill his father and marry his mother, Oedipus still kills a man and marries. I mean, if you know something like that is going to happen, then why would you even consider killing or marrying? It's retarded. As for next week's series finale, I'll watch it, but with the knowledge that the show is coming to an end already, I can't say I'll be very attached to it.
JDW's Score: ?/10
Overall Score: 8/10
Missed the episode? Catch it on Hulu
Episode 21 - "Countdown"
Zach says: This week's episode is most definitely rounding up everyone's story. From least to most important, we see Bryce and Nicole in a decent relationship, with Bryce not wanting much to do with Keiko, thinking she will never really show up. However, Nicole has known about her, and is feeling very guilty, so she finally comes clean, to which Bryce gets pretty upset.
Demetri is still alive, however, before leaving with his fiance to Hawaii, he tells her about Janice and her pregnancy, to which she understandably gets upset, and tells him NOT to come to Hawaii with them. Demetri then heads to Janice's, where he finds Simon, and decides to go along and take him to the lab to do some investigating.
Aaron does have Tracy in a safe place, and we learn that Jericho didn't murder all those villagers, but instead, was doing one of those experiments on them, to test for the global black out, and were chasing Tracy because she didn't blackout for some reason. However, Aaron's flash forward isn't going according to plan, as it would seem Tracy dies after her heart stops beating.
After talking with Hellinger, the main bad boss man who got captured last episode, Mark gets extremely upset and beats the crap out of him, leading him to get tossed out of the FBI building. He then walks the streets, meets a random dude who hands him that flask, and then for some strange reason, decides to start drinking. I know Mark is feeling pretty lousy about himself, but I don't know why he would start drinking when he KNOWS it won't lead to anything good. I just don't think he would have started now of all times. Anyways, he gets into a drunken brawl and winds up in jail.
Lloyd gives Olivia a call, because he wants to "hang out", but she isn't having any of it, and instead, is driving away with her daughter to get away from everything. Lloyd is acting a little strange, and it seems that he is using Olivia at this point to try to solve his equation. If he can get her in the room, then he can write down that equation, etc. Kinda douchy.
So thus far, nobody's flash forward is really coming true, and it is THAT day. However, the day is not out, and it would seem, from the preview for the finale, that people start winding up where they "should" be.
It's a little upsetting to know that the major plot point of "when is there going to be the next blackout" probably won't get addressed, as the finale is the end of it all, but hopefully we'll get some answers as to WHY the people caused the blackout, and get some decent closure with the characters.
Zach's Score: 8/10
JDW says: I'm going to be honest, as soon as Bryce showed up on screen I stopped watching, because it just went to show that even in the face of canceled this show still fails to focus on the right things. As for what I saw Zach write about Mark drinking, despite knowing what's going to happen, reminded me a lot of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, in which despite being told that he will one day kill his father and marry his mother, Oedipus still kills a man and marries. I mean, if you know something like that is going to happen, then why would you even consider killing or marrying? It's retarded. As for next week's series finale, I'll watch it, but with the knowledge that the show is coming to an end already, I can't say I'll be very attached to it.
JDW's Score: ?/10
Overall Score: 8/10
Missed the episode? Catch it on Hulu
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Tuesday, May 18, 2010
This Week in Lost - 5/18/10
The final episode before the two and a half hour series finale. This Sunday, it all comes to end, and this episode sets it all up. I mean, do I even have to tell you that there's SPOILERS?
Episode 16 - "What They Died For"
Zach says: Let's go to the alternate universe first. The episode opens with Jack, and that odd scar on his neck, which happens to be bleeding. No big deal though, aside from again pointing to its importance. Jack leaves the bathroom and sits to eat breakfast with his son, and Claire. It's good to see Jack having a good relationship with his son, and then with his sister, which never happened in the regular universe. It's interesting though, as in this life, everything seems to be going well for Jack, as opposed to the real universe, where things weren't so good. I'm going to guess that these two different Jacks will come into conflict with one another in the finale.
Desmond shows up at the school again, but this time, Ben catches him, however, but can't withhold him. Instead, Desmond beats the crap out of Ben, which happens to jog Ben's memory of the time when Desmond beat him up after trying to kill Penny. Desmond told Ben that he was trying to help Locke, and get him to "let go", which Ben then tells Locke. This causes Locke to go back to Jack, saying everything is happening for a reason, and that he is ready to get out of that chair. Jack seems happy and willing to help still, but doesn't believe in fate. Sounds familiar, although you would think that Jack would believe as Locke does, after trying so hard to track his father down and finding out that everyone was on that flight...
Desmond isn't done yet though. He then turns himself in for running over Locke and beating up Ben, and gets locked up in jail with Sayid and Kate. He's a man with a plan for sure, and ends up bribing a cop, Ana Lucia, and all three escape, with the help of Hurley. Hurley is most definitely down with Desmond's plan, and even recognizes Ana Lucia, from the island, which is somewhat interesting. How much more does he "remember", and to what point in time? Anyways, Desmond says they are going to a concert.
Now back to the island. Everyone pretty pissed about what Locke did, and agree that he needs to die. Sawyer feels pretty guilty about the bomb, and feels it's his fault, but Jack tries to reassure him. On their way to get Desmond out of the well, Hugo sees child Jacob, who asks for the ashes back and then runs off. Hugo gives chase, to find adult Jacob, who tells him to gather the crew. Something interesting is going on here, as Hugo was the only one who could see child Jacob, but everyone could see adult Jacob. I'm thinking there is something with these ashes, like a phoenix. Anyways, the ashes were thrown in a fire, and once the fire goes out, Jacob will be gone forever, so someone has to step up and become the next protector of the island.
Jacob tells them he brought them there because they didn't have a happy existence where they were. They were alone, and looking for something, so he didn't feel guilty for taking them out of their lives. He also explains that he crossed out Kate's name because she became a mother, and I guess meant she had something to live for, but she could still have the job. This happens to be a bit of a moot point, because Jack steps up to take the job of protector. He says he is SUPPOSED to do it.
So, Jacob leads Jack to a stream, asks for a cup, and fills it with water, which is used like the wine with Jacob and his mother from last episode, to pass the torch. Jack seems slightly hesitant at first, asking how long he'll have to do this job, but drinks willingly. Jacob and Jack also bring up a point, that basically says that only special people can reach that cave with the light, and that you normally can't get there, which is interesting. How exactly is it hidden and protected, and if it is, why do they need an actual person protecting it?
On the other end of the island, we finally catch up with Miles, Ben, and Richard, who are going to Ben's house to pick up some C4 to blow that plane to hell. Well, not sure they're going to make it, as Widmore shows up at the house as well. And soon, so does Locke. Everyone goes crazy, with Widmore and his lady hiding in the closet, Ben going out to meet his fate, Richard going out to try to get Locke to leave, and Miles running the hell out of there into the forest, I believe, with the C4. Well, Richard instantly gets smacked by the smoke monster, and we don't see him again. He could be alive, but he could also be dead. Ben has a bit more luck, but turns to his douche self. It seemed that Ben had truly repented for his wrongs, but now, he is a dick again. Locke talks to him, and says he needs some help killing some people, to which Ben asks why he should help. Locke says once everyone is dead, Ben can have the island all to himself.
So, Ben tells him Widmore is hiding out in the closet, Locke almost instantly kills the female, and asks Widmore to tell him why he is on the island, lest he kill Penny. Widmore says, and is later confirmed, that he brought Desmond to the island as a failsafe, to stop Locke from getting off the island if all of the candidates were killed. Widmore didn't want Ben knowing this for some reason, but it doesn't really matter, as Ben shoots Widmore multiple times. I guess that rivalry is over. It's a bit disappointing to just see Widmore die, but I guess he played his part in getting Desmond on the island.
Ben and Locke then take a stroll to Desmond's well, however, Desmond was apparently helped out via a rope. It's hard to say who let him out, but it couldn't have been Sayid, or he wouldn't have told Jack about him. So, Locke plans to find Desmond and get him to destroy the island. End episode. So, it seems that not only does Locke want to "get off the island", but he really wants to destroy it. It's a little odd that Locke would tell this to Ben, as he already promised Ben the island, so we'll see if Ben continues to cooperate, which wouldn't make ANY friggin' sense. I mean, Locke already tricked Ben into killing Jacob, which obviously didn't turn out to well, yet he still trusts him? He better not during the finale, or he better have a plan or something.
And where is Claire? Last we saw, she was pretty appalled about the sub getting blown up, so I'm guessing she's not really on Locke's side anymore. She's bound to turn up eventually. Just five days until the conclusion. Holy crap.
Zach's Score: 8.5/10
JDW says: As usual, Zach leaves nothing left for me to say... I liked this episode, to say the least. I mean, it definitely had some answer and finalizing moments, as it should being that this was the last regular episode before this Sunday's two and a half hour series finale. Some of this whole island protection/heart of the island/keep it safe crap is still very vague, but at least Jack stepped up as Jacob's replacement, and I mean... who didn't see that coming? ... Oh, you all knew? Woops.
The flash-sideways universe, however, is still a bit of a mystery. It's one episode away from the finale and it still kind of looks like a "what if" world and not so much connected to the island events other than the Final Destination-like shimmers of island memories. Like, as nice as it was to see Ben get some resolution with Rousseau and Alex, it kind of doesn't really matter if that universe is believed to not be real. And why are they so shifty about revealing Jack's son's mother? We know it's Juliette (I mean, really, it just has to be) so why are they taking their time not telling us? I feel weird saying this, but, one episode to go... it better be the best most answer-making one ever.
JDW's score: 9/10
Overall Score: 8.8/10
Missed the episode? Watch it on Hulu
Episode 16 - "What They Died For"
Zach says: Let's go to the alternate universe first. The episode opens with Jack, and that odd scar on his neck, which happens to be bleeding. No big deal though, aside from again pointing to its importance. Jack leaves the bathroom and sits to eat breakfast with his son, and Claire. It's good to see Jack having a good relationship with his son, and then with his sister, which never happened in the regular universe. It's interesting though, as in this life, everything seems to be going well for Jack, as opposed to the real universe, where things weren't so good. I'm going to guess that these two different Jacks will come into conflict with one another in the finale.
Desmond shows up at the school again, but this time, Ben catches him, however, but can't withhold him. Instead, Desmond beats the crap out of Ben, which happens to jog Ben's memory of the time when Desmond beat him up after trying to kill Penny. Desmond told Ben that he was trying to help Locke, and get him to "let go", which Ben then tells Locke. This causes Locke to go back to Jack, saying everything is happening for a reason, and that he is ready to get out of that chair. Jack seems happy and willing to help still, but doesn't believe in fate. Sounds familiar, although you would think that Jack would believe as Locke does, after trying so hard to track his father down and finding out that everyone was on that flight...
Desmond isn't done yet though. He then turns himself in for running over Locke and beating up Ben, and gets locked up in jail with Sayid and Kate. He's a man with a plan for sure, and ends up bribing a cop, Ana Lucia, and all three escape, with the help of Hurley. Hurley is most definitely down with Desmond's plan, and even recognizes Ana Lucia, from the island, which is somewhat interesting. How much more does he "remember", and to what point in time? Anyways, Desmond says they are going to a concert.
Now back to the island. Everyone pretty pissed about what Locke did, and agree that he needs to die. Sawyer feels pretty guilty about the bomb, and feels it's his fault, but Jack tries to reassure him. On their way to get Desmond out of the well, Hugo sees child Jacob, who asks for the ashes back and then runs off. Hugo gives chase, to find adult Jacob, who tells him to gather the crew. Something interesting is going on here, as Hugo was the only one who could see child Jacob, but everyone could see adult Jacob. I'm thinking there is something with these ashes, like a phoenix. Anyways, the ashes were thrown in a fire, and once the fire goes out, Jacob will be gone forever, so someone has to step up and become the next protector of the island.
Jacob tells them he brought them there because they didn't have a happy existence where they were. They were alone, and looking for something, so he didn't feel guilty for taking them out of their lives. He also explains that he crossed out Kate's name because she became a mother, and I guess meant she had something to live for, but she could still have the job. This happens to be a bit of a moot point, because Jack steps up to take the job of protector. He says he is SUPPOSED to do it.
So, Jacob leads Jack to a stream, asks for a cup, and fills it with water, which is used like the wine with Jacob and his mother from last episode, to pass the torch. Jack seems slightly hesitant at first, asking how long he'll have to do this job, but drinks willingly. Jacob and Jack also bring up a point, that basically says that only special people can reach that cave with the light, and that you normally can't get there, which is interesting. How exactly is it hidden and protected, and if it is, why do they need an actual person protecting it?
On the other end of the island, we finally catch up with Miles, Ben, and Richard, who are going to Ben's house to pick up some C4 to blow that plane to hell. Well, not sure they're going to make it, as Widmore shows up at the house as well. And soon, so does Locke. Everyone goes crazy, with Widmore and his lady hiding in the closet, Ben going out to meet his fate, Richard going out to try to get Locke to leave, and Miles running the hell out of there into the forest, I believe, with the C4. Well, Richard instantly gets smacked by the smoke monster, and we don't see him again. He could be alive, but he could also be dead. Ben has a bit more luck, but turns to his douche self. It seemed that Ben had truly repented for his wrongs, but now, he is a dick again. Locke talks to him, and says he needs some help killing some people, to which Ben asks why he should help. Locke says once everyone is dead, Ben can have the island all to himself.
So, Ben tells him Widmore is hiding out in the closet, Locke almost instantly kills the female, and asks Widmore to tell him why he is on the island, lest he kill Penny. Widmore says, and is later confirmed, that he brought Desmond to the island as a failsafe, to stop Locke from getting off the island if all of the candidates were killed. Widmore didn't want Ben knowing this for some reason, but it doesn't really matter, as Ben shoots Widmore multiple times. I guess that rivalry is over. It's a bit disappointing to just see Widmore die, but I guess he played his part in getting Desmond on the island.
Ben and Locke then take a stroll to Desmond's well, however, Desmond was apparently helped out via a rope. It's hard to say who let him out, but it couldn't have been Sayid, or he wouldn't have told Jack about him. So, Locke plans to find Desmond and get him to destroy the island. End episode. So, it seems that not only does Locke want to "get off the island", but he really wants to destroy it. It's a little odd that Locke would tell this to Ben, as he already promised Ben the island, so we'll see if Ben continues to cooperate, which wouldn't make ANY friggin' sense. I mean, Locke already tricked Ben into killing Jacob, which obviously didn't turn out to well, yet he still trusts him? He better not during the finale, or he better have a plan or something.
And where is Claire? Last we saw, she was pretty appalled about the sub getting blown up, so I'm guessing she's not really on Locke's side anymore. She's bound to turn up eventually. Just five days until the conclusion. Holy crap.
Zach's Score: 8.5/10
JDW says: As usual, Zach leaves nothing left for me to say... I liked this episode, to say the least. I mean, it definitely had some answer and finalizing moments, as it should being that this was the last regular episode before this Sunday's two and a half hour series finale. Some of this whole island protection/heart of the island/keep it safe crap is still very vague, but at least Jack stepped up as Jacob's replacement, and I mean... who didn't see that coming? ... Oh, you all knew? Woops.
The flash-sideways universe, however, is still a bit of a mystery. It's one episode away from the finale and it still kind of looks like a "what if" world and not so much connected to the island events other than the Final Destination-like shimmers of island memories. Like, as nice as it was to see Ben get some resolution with Rousseau and Alex, it kind of doesn't really matter if that universe is believed to not be real. And why are they so shifty about revealing Jack's son's mother? We know it's Juliette (I mean, really, it just has to be) so why are they taking their time not telling us? I feel weird saying this, but, one episode to go... it better be the best most answer-making one ever.
JDW's score: 9/10
Overall Score: 8.8/10
Missed the episode? Watch it on Hulu
Tags:
ABC,
Lost,
Review,
Science Fiction,
Television,
This Week In
Saturday, May 15, 2010
FlashForward gets canned
So much for trying something new for This Week In, the show that everyone hoped and/or thought would be the new Lost, FlashForward, failed to live up to the hype and judging by our own reviews for the show, just got gradually worse. Turns out we weren't alone.
After numerous scheduling delays, writer changes, and an abridged first season, ABC has completely pulled the plug on the show, which will complete its first and only season in two weeks. Despite this, Zach and I will still review the remaining two episodes and possibly even do a series recap to see where things went wrong. But yeah, we tried at least.
As for what's next for This Week In, after Lost finishes, and FlashForward obviously, there's not much left. There's one more episode of Fringe's second season, but at least that is coming back in the fall. And there's still Doctor Who, but like Fringe, that's just me reviewing, not Zach and I, so we're going to look into something that we can both review come the fall. But as it stands right now, with all the TV cancellations and doubtful new series coming to network television, it's hard to say what's next for This Week In.
However, if you have suggestions, feel free to e-mail us or comment!
After numerous scheduling delays, writer changes, and an abridged first season, ABC has completely pulled the plug on the show, which will complete its first and only season in two weeks. Despite this, Zach and I will still review the remaining two episodes and possibly even do a series recap to see where things went wrong. But yeah, we tried at least.
As for what's next for This Week In, after Lost finishes, and FlashForward obviously, there's not much left. There's one more episode of Fringe's second season, but at least that is coming back in the fall. And there's still Doctor Who, but like Fringe, that's just me reviewing, not Zach and I, so we're going to look into something that we can both review come the fall. But as it stands right now, with all the TV cancellations and doubtful new series coming to network television, it's hard to say what's next for This Week In.
However, if you have suggestions, feel free to e-mail us or comment!
Tags:
ABC,
FlashForward,
Science Fiction,
Television,
This Week In
Friday, May 14, 2010
This Week in FlashForward - 5/13/10
This week brings us one step closer to the fated April 29th, but it seems we won't actually see that day until the season finale. Will Mark and crew be able to bring down this shadowy organization or is it too late? Well, they are definitely getting to the bottom of it.
Episode 20 - "The Negotiation"
Zach says: Today's episode opens with another media blurb, this time, about that Suspect Zero footage. How did they know to refer to him as Suspect Zero? Who knows, but they do have some of the footage, from a different angle, and given to them from that shadowy organization for some reason.
We then catch up with Simon, who has a fancy new passport, and trying to go by the name of David Walker. However, before he can escape, or do whatever it is he planned to, he runs into Lita, that woman who turned Janis into a double agent. She lures Simon away, and gets him a meeting with the head honcho of the organization, referred to as "Big Guy", by Gabriel. You see, Gabriel apparently knows everything, having seen all of those visions, so he is the go-to guy for information. So naturally, this organization wants to kidnap/kill Gabriel, but we'll get to that later.
Anyway, in normal badassery, Simon talks shit to this main boss man, saying they NEED him, and can't do their work without him. Then he just walks away. So, it's apparent he doesn't really want to help these guys out, but it's hard to say what his REAL motive or plans are for anything. Lots of stuff be going down with the FBI, as they take care of Gabriel, Janis is cracking under the stress, but we know she is good, Demetri thinks he could die any second and wants to be the father of Janis' baby, and Assistant Director Stan blackmails the president.
We also see a little of Aaron is Afghanistan, which just seems pointless a bit. He does find his daughter and gets her to safety, which reinforces his flash forward, but it seems so distanced from everything else in the show, which makes it seem unnecessary, although it does give Wittick something to blackmail the president with, which may make him resign, but I would think they could have found a better way to put it together.
The FBI catch a pretty big break when pretending to move Gabriel to a safe house. Janis alerts her evil people of the move, and so Mark lays out a sting operation. They hijack the hijackers and make them take them to the Big Guy's HQ, where they apprehend both him and lots of other people. So, it seems that they have the major players in custody, so it'll be interesting to see where it goes from here. Perhaps THAT is the real reason those people attacked the FBI building in Mark's flash forward; to get the main guy out of prison...hmmm. Anyways, that's about it for this week's episode, aside from the ending, where Simon holds Janis at gun point and asks for her help. We'll see where that goes.
Zach's Score: 7.3/10
JDW says: This week's episode was definitely better than the last few weeks of visual crap we've been served. For once, a bulk of the episode focused on a core storyline, but there was still that completely useless story of Aaron in Afghanistan which just seems like wasted screen-time at this point. But hey, at least that bitchy Bryce and his life/love struggles wasn't around, and who can't be thankful for that?
Also, Mark as Gabriel made me laugh, am I a terrible person? Probably..
JDW's Score: 7/10
Overall Score: 7.2/10
Missed the episode? Catch it on Hulu
Episode 20 - "The Negotiation"
Zach says: Today's episode opens with another media blurb, this time, about that Suspect Zero footage. How did they know to refer to him as Suspect Zero? Who knows, but they do have some of the footage, from a different angle, and given to them from that shadowy organization for some reason.
We then catch up with Simon, who has a fancy new passport, and trying to go by the name of David Walker. However, before he can escape, or do whatever it is he planned to, he runs into Lita, that woman who turned Janis into a double agent. She lures Simon away, and gets him a meeting with the head honcho of the organization, referred to as "Big Guy", by Gabriel. You see, Gabriel apparently knows everything, having seen all of those visions, so he is the go-to guy for information. So naturally, this organization wants to kidnap/kill Gabriel, but we'll get to that later.
Anyway, in normal badassery, Simon talks shit to this main boss man, saying they NEED him, and can't do their work without him. Then he just walks away. So, it's apparent he doesn't really want to help these guys out, but it's hard to say what his REAL motive or plans are for anything. Lots of stuff be going down with the FBI, as they take care of Gabriel, Janis is cracking under the stress, but we know she is good, Demetri thinks he could die any second and wants to be the father of Janis' baby, and Assistant Director Stan blackmails the president.
We also see a little of Aaron is Afghanistan, which just seems pointless a bit. He does find his daughter and gets her to safety, which reinforces his flash forward, but it seems so distanced from everything else in the show, which makes it seem unnecessary, although it does give Wittick something to blackmail the president with, which may make him resign, but I would think they could have found a better way to put it together.
The FBI catch a pretty big break when pretending to move Gabriel to a safe house. Janis alerts her evil people of the move, and so Mark lays out a sting operation. They hijack the hijackers and make them take them to the Big Guy's HQ, where they apprehend both him and lots of other people. So, it seems that they have the major players in custody, so it'll be interesting to see where it goes from here. Perhaps THAT is the real reason those people attacked the FBI building in Mark's flash forward; to get the main guy out of prison...hmmm. Anyways, that's about it for this week's episode, aside from the ending, where Simon holds Janis at gun point and asks for her help. We'll see where that goes.
Zach's Score: 7.3/10
JDW says: This week's episode was definitely better than the last few weeks of visual crap we've been served. For once, a bulk of the episode focused on a core storyline, but there was still that completely useless story of Aaron in Afghanistan which just seems like wasted screen-time at this point. But hey, at least that bitchy Bryce and his life/love struggles wasn't around, and who can't be thankful for that?
Also, Mark as Gabriel made me laugh, am I a terrible person? Probably..
JDW's Score: 7/10
Overall Score: 7.2/10
Missed the episode? Catch it on Hulu
Tags:
ABC,
FlashForward,
Review,
Science Fiction,
Television,
This Week In
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
This Week in Lost - 5/11/10
This week's episode is all about the origins of Jacob and the Man in Black. And by all, I mean entirely, as the Oceanic troupe, or any other regular character, are completely devoid of appearance in this episode, except for in the last 45 seconds, where we see a scene from the first season (Episode 6, "House of the Rising Son"). What gems can we learn from this episode? Well....a couple I guess, but not as many as I would have hoped for. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Episode 15 - "Across the Sea"
Zach says: The episode opens with a woman at sea, shipwrecked, who happens upon the island. She made it just in time, because shortly after finding her way to land, she is helped by some other woman, and then gives birth. Her name is Claudia, and she seems to be of Spanish descent. Anyhoo, she gives birth to twins, one of which happens to be named Jacob. The other....well....she wasn't expecting twins, so she didn't have a second name picked out. And, as it would seem, nobody else did, because that crafty Man in Black remains nameless throughout the episode....bogus.
Right after giving birth, the mysterious island woman, who I'll call 'Mother', murders Claudia, and takes the role of mother to these two children. She tells them that they are the only ones on the island, and that the island is the only thing in the world. She knows this not to be the truth, obviously, but lies anyways.
Throughout life, it would seem that MiB is the more rebellious child, while Jacob is the momma's boy. Jacob "doesn't know how to lie", while the MiB "is special". In their early teens, the boys happen upon a group of men. They are frightened and the mother uses the line that all men are the same, and "they come, destroy, corrupt," etc. This is when she shows the boys a mysterious cave, with a bright light emanating from it. This is the "heart of the island," and what they must protect. But she cannot do it forever, so one of them must.
Well, later on, MiB is with Jacob, and MiB sees Claudia, but Jacob doesn't see her. MiB follows Claudia to the men's camp, who are the same people from Claudia's ship wreck. Ghost Claudia also tells MiB she is his mother. This leads the MiB to want to live with these people, and leave the island, as he doesn't feel he belongs there. Jacob refuses to follow, even though he feels, rightly so, that 'Mother' doesn't even love him as much as MiB.
Thirty years later, MiB still living with men, and thinks they are rotten, but a means of getting off the island. In fact, he thinks he found a way. They are the ones who dug the wells, and they found the light, and for some reason, plan to put that big donkey wheel in place to channel the light and water and get off the island. Well, the mother finds out, and doesn't like this, so she knocks out MiB, kills everyone, and fills in the well.
MiB doesn't take too kindly, and kills the mother later. Well, Jacob doesn't take too kindly, and tosses MiB in the light cave they saw as children. Guess what effect that has? Well, not quite sure, but the result is that the smoke monster comes out of the well! Holy balls. The MiB though? Well, Jacob finds his, or someone's body who looks like the MiB, down river. So, Jacob carries his body back to camp, and makes a memorial with him and 'Mother'. Guess what? These are Adam and Eve, those two skeletons from way back in Season One, episode 6, "House of the Rising Sun".
Well, that's the end of the episode, and while it answers a few questions, it raises a hell of a lot more.
QUESTIONS ANSWERED: Who are Jacob and MiB; who are Adam and Eve; where did the smoke monster come from; what's with the donkey wheel?
QUESTIONS UNANSWERED: How long have Jacob and MiB been on the island; what is the smoke monster; what is the island; what is MiB's name; why all that Egyptian stuff?
QUESTIONS PRESENTED: WTF, is MiB dead, I'm so confused; why would Jacob bring people to the island if he's trying to protect it; why does MiB want to kill Jacob; what is this light; who was that crazy 'Mother' woman and how did she fill that well herself; what's with that wine?
So, basically, this episode brings more questions than answers, and with only one episode and the finale left, you would think there would be some more answers. We all wanted to know about the origins of Jacob and MiB, but I kind of feel this episode was like Richard's. Sure, we want to know about their pasts, but what REAL answers did we get from these episodes? Not a whole lot, and this one in particular, just left me with a heck of a lot of questions and wild theories that I'm not sure will be answered. I wish they could have gotten to the point sooner, but I only feel this way because I'm not sure they can tie it ALL together with the time they have left.
They have to talk about what is going on with dead MiB, and who is MiB now; why are Jacob and MiB pissed at each other and why is MiB considered evil if he just wants off the island; AND THEN REGULAR QUESTIONS, like stuff with the Oceanic crew; what's going to happen with Jin and Sun's baby, and Aaron; what's with Ben and Widmore; what happened with Richard, Ben, and Miles, etc, etc. Oh, and how the heck are they gonna tie the alternate universe together?!?!? I don't see how they can really answer all this crap, and mostly because most of the questions sprout from this very episode.
Anyways, random things of note in this week's episode, aside from previously mentioned quotes: Jacob and MiB are always themed in white and black, even from birth; 'Mother' speaking Latin it seems at the beginning; 'Mother' says the children will never have to worry about what "dead" is; 'Mother' made it so the boys can't hurt each other; MiB can see dead people, but Jacob can't; MiB is somehow special; MiB has that dagger; the light is "the source; life, death, rebirth". And yeah. And one other thing, is that before 'Mother' died, she said "Thank you," to MiB. Why? Did she WANT to die, but couldn't kill herself, so had to get someone else to do it? Something's going on....
Zach's Score: 7.5/10
JDW says: Zach and I discussed this episode a lot before he made his write up, so a lot of what we both had to say was covered already. But, if anything I'm conflicted by this episode. I've always been a fan of the episodes that look deeper into the mythology of the island and it's inhabitants. I love seeing parts of the island in the past knowing what I know ahead of time, and there's a wonderful sense of discovery. "Across the Sea" definitely has that, but at the same time, it was kind of "so what?" in the sense that I don't think enough was answered, and with just one episode and the series finale left, I think the focus has to be shifted to the "now what" of the current island dwellers, and not so much the past.
And seriously, unless the names of 'Mother' and The Man in Black are actually Claire and Aaron and there's some crazy explanation for their changed appearence, I see absolutely no reason why we can't get an actually name for the Man in Black already. As so as the second baby was born (I was actually expecting Claudia to birth smoke, which would've been awesome/horrifying) I got all excited for her to finally say a name, and then they went the BS route of saying, "I only thought of one name..." c'mon, JUST TELL ME!!!
JDW's Score: 8.5/10
Overall Score: 8/10
Missed the episode? Watch it on Hulu
Episode 15 - "Across the Sea"
Zach says: The episode opens with a woman at sea, shipwrecked, who happens upon the island. She made it just in time, because shortly after finding her way to land, she is helped by some other woman, and then gives birth. Her name is Claudia, and she seems to be of Spanish descent. Anyhoo, she gives birth to twins, one of which happens to be named Jacob. The other....well....she wasn't expecting twins, so she didn't have a second name picked out. And, as it would seem, nobody else did, because that crafty Man in Black remains nameless throughout the episode....bogus.
Right after giving birth, the mysterious island woman, who I'll call 'Mother', murders Claudia, and takes the role of mother to these two children. She tells them that they are the only ones on the island, and that the island is the only thing in the world. She knows this not to be the truth, obviously, but lies anyways.
Throughout life, it would seem that MiB is the more rebellious child, while Jacob is the momma's boy. Jacob "doesn't know how to lie", while the MiB "is special". In their early teens, the boys happen upon a group of men. They are frightened and the mother uses the line that all men are the same, and "they come, destroy, corrupt," etc. This is when she shows the boys a mysterious cave, with a bright light emanating from it. This is the "heart of the island," and what they must protect. But she cannot do it forever, so one of them must.
Well, later on, MiB is with Jacob, and MiB sees Claudia, but Jacob doesn't see her. MiB follows Claudia to the men's camp, who are the same people from Claudia's ship wreck. Ghost Claudia also tells MiB she is his mother. This leads the MiB to want to live with these people, and leave the island, as he doesn't feel he belongs there. Jacob refuses to follow, even though he feels, rightly so, that 'Mother' doesn't even love him as much as MiB.
Thirty years later, MiB still living with men, and thinks they are rotten, but a means of getting off the island. In fact, he thinks he found a way. They are the ones who dug the wells, and they found the light, and for some reason, plan to put that big donkey wheel in place to channel the light and water and get off the island. Well, the mother finds out, and doesn't like this, so she knocks out MiB, kills everyone, and fills in the well.
MiB doesn't take too kindly, and kills the mother later. Well, Jacob doesn't take too kindly, and tosses MiB in the light cave they saw as children. Guess what effect that has? Well, not quite sure, but the result is that the smoke monster comes out of the well! Holy balls. The MiB though? Well, Jacob finds his, or someone's body who looks like the MiB, down river. So, Jacob carries his body back to camp, and makes a memorial with him and 'Mother'. Guess what? These are Adam and Eve, those two skeletons from way back in Season One, episode 6, "House of the Rising Sun".
Well, that's the end of the episode, and while it answers a few questions, it raises a hell of a lot more.
QUESTIONS ANSWERED: Who are Jacob and MiB; who are Adam and Eve; where did the smoke monster come from; what's with the donkey wheel?
QUESTIONS UNANSWERED: How long have Jacob and MiB been on the island; what is the smoke monster; what is the island; what is MiB's name; why all that Egyptian stuff?
QUESTIONS PRESENTED: WTF, is MiB dead, I'm so confused; why would Jacob bring people to the island if he's trying to protect it; why does MiB want to kill Jacob; what is this light; who was that crazy 'Mother' woman and how did she fill that well herself; what's with that wine?
So, basically, this episode brings more questions than answers, and with only one episode and the finale left, you would think there would be some more answers. We all wanted to know about the origins of Jacob and MiB, but I kind of feel this episode was like Richard's. Sure, we want to know about their pasts, but what REAL answers did we get from these episodes? Not a whole lot, and this one in particular, just left me with a heck of a lot of questions and wild theories that I'm not sure will be answered. I wish they could have gotten to the point sooner, but I only feel this way because I'm not sure they can tie it ALL together with the time they have left.
They have to talk about what is going on with dead MiB, and who is MiB now; why are Jacob and MiB pissed at each other and why is MiB considered evil if he just wants off the island; AND THEN REGULAR QUESTIONS, like stuff with the Oceanic crew; what's going to happen with Jin and Sun's baby, and Aaron; what's with Ben and Widmore; what happened with Richard, Ben, and Miles, etc, etc. Oh, and how the heck are they gonna tie the alternate universe together?!?!? I don't see how they can really answer all this crap, and mostly because most of the questions sprout from this very episode.
Anyways, random things of note in this week's episode, aside from previously mentioned quotes: Jacob and MiB are always themed in white and black, even from birth; 'Mother' speaking Latin it seems at the beginning; 'Mother' says the children will never have to worry about what "dead" is; 'Mother' made it so the boys can't hurt each other; MiB can see dead people, but Jacob can't; MiB is somehow special; MiB has that dagger; the light is "the source; life, death, rebirth". And yeah. And one other thing, is that before 'Mother' died, she said "Thank you," to MiB. Why? Did she WANT to die, but couldn't kill herself, so had to get someone else to do it? Something's going on....
Zach's Score: 7.5/10
JDW says: Zach and I discussed this episode a lot before he made his write up, so a lot of what we both had to say was covered already. But, if anything I'm conflicted by this episode. I've always been a fan of the episodes that look deeper into the mythology of the island and it's inhabitants. I love seeing parts of the island in the past knowing what I know ahead of time, and there's a wonderful sense of discovery. "Across the Sea" definitely has that, but at the same time, it was kind of "so what?" in the sense that I don't think enough was answered, and with just one episode and the series finale left, I think the focus has to be shifted to the "now what" of the current island dwellers, and not so much the past.
And seriously, unless the names of 'Mother' and The Man in Black are actually Claire and Aaron and there's some crazy explanation for their changed appearence, I see absolutely no reason why we can't get an actually name for the Man in Black already. As so as the second baby was born (I was actually expecting Claudia to birth smoke, which would've been awesome/horrifying) I got all excited for her to finally say a name, and then they went the BS route of saying, "I only thought of one name..." c'mon, JUST TELL ME!!!
JDW's Score: 8.5/10
Overall Score: 8/10
Missed the episode? Watch it on Hulu
Tags:
ABC,
Lost,
Review,
Science Fiction,
Television,
This Week In
Sunday, May 9, 2010
This Week in FlashForward - 5/6/10
This week's episode brings a lot of old issues back; stuff that I wasn't even aware happened, like how Simon's sister Anabel had been kidnapped. When did this happen exactly? I'm gonna go and blame that stupid hiatus.
Episode 19 - "Course Correction"
Zach says: Anyways, the main focus of this episode is on Anabel's kidnapping and that pesky Blue Hand group, with those people who didn't have a flash forward. Well, as it turns out, the main leader dude is out killing ex-members, saying how the universe has to balance itself out and course correct. This happens to come true, or seemingly will, for that woman who Al Gough was supposed to hit with a car, but instead, killed himself. Well, in an attempt to kill that crazy killer, that M16 chick hits the woman instead. Oops.
It would therefore seem that both Al died for absolutely nothing, and that perhaps, things that were meant to happen will, although perhaps in a slightly different way. The biggest concern of course that this brings up is that perhaps Demetri hasn't truly escaped his death. It could come about some other way, so I'm sure his panic and fear will manifest in some way.
The other main arc of this episode is with Anabel, who Simon randomly, very conveniently, sees on the street while driving, so he stops to talk to her. She lets him know that the people want the ring back, in 12 hours, or she dies. So, now Simon has to deal with all of this. By the end of the episode, Mark rescues Anabel, and Simon is gone, as is the ring. Oops. Luckily though, Mark is very suspicious of Simon, and believes him to be Suspect Zero, which he indeed is.
And, in case you were wondering, Bryce's cancer is in remission, and he kisses Nicole and is all, I can't waste the precious time I have, because life is short. Well, Nicole knows about the whereabouts of Keiko, and was GOING to tell Bryce, but now, who knows. I guess it might be interesting to see what happens with this?... And there's only one week left until the 29th; the day of the peoples' visions.
Zach's Score: 7/10
JDW says: This show is awful. Like, I can't stress it enough, the presentation and writing on this show has just dropped phenomenally from all the hype and the somewhat actually good, but information filled, first episode. Like, why are we going back to off-mentioned and seemingly unimportant characters like Anabel? Why does the character of Bryce and his whole missing love/I have cancer storyline even exist? And why are the Blue Hand guys back? I thought we got through all this!
There's just three episodes left of this series, and I say series because at this point I don't think I can sit through another season, and that seems to be the general consensus with everyone else.
JDW's Score: 6/10
Overall Score: 6.5/10
Missed the episode? Catch it on Hulu
Episode 19 - "Course Correction"
Zach says: Anyways, the main focus of this episode is on Anabel's kidnapping and that pesky Blue Hand group, with those people who didn't have a flash forward. Well, as it turns out, the main leader dude is out killing ex-members, saying how the universe has to balance itself out and course correct. This happens to come true, or seemingly will, for that woman who Al Gough was supposed to hit with a car, but instead, killed himself. Well, in an attempt to kill that crazy killer, that M16 chick hits the woman instead. Oops.
It would therefore seem that both Al died for absolutely nothing, and that perhaps, things that were meant to happen will, although perhaps in a slightly different way. The biggest concern of course that this brings up is that perhaps Demetri hasn't truly escaped his death. It could come about some other way, so I'm sure his panic and fear will manifest in some way.
The other main arc of this episode is with Anabel, who Simon randomly, very conveniently, sees on the street while driving, so he stops to talk to her. She lets him know that the people want the ring back, in 12 hours, or she dies. So, now Simon has to deal with all of this. By the end of the episode, Mark rescues Anabel, and Simon is gone, as is the ring. Oops. Luckily though, Mark is very suspicious of Simon, and believes him to be Suspect Zero, which he indeed is.
And, in case you were wondering, Bryce's cancer is in remission, and he kisses Nicole and is all, I can't waste the precious time I have, because life is short. Well, Nicole knows about the whereabouts of Keiko, and was GOING to tell Bryce, but now, who knows. I guess it might be interesting to see what happens with this?... And there's only one week left until the 29th; the day of the peoples' visions.
Zach's Score: 7/10
JDW says: This show is awful. Like, I can't stress it enough, the presentation and writing on this show has just dropped phenomenally from all the hype and the somewhat actually good, but information filled, first episode. Like, why are we going back to off-mentioned and seemingly unimportant characters like Anabel? Why does the character of Bryce and his whole missing love/I have cancer storyline even exist? And why are the Blue Hand guys back? I thought we got through all this!
There's just three episodes left of this series, and I say series because at this point I don't think I can sit through another season, and that seems to be the general consensus with everyone else.
JDW's Score: 6/10
Overall Score: 6.5/10
Missed the episode? Catch it on Hulu
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Wednesday, May 5, 2010
This Week in Lost - 5/4/10
We are literally so f'ing close to the end, it's ridiculous. The tone is tense and trying to wrap everything up is going to be crazy, so with each episode comes great anxiety. What is going to happen in the end?!!?!??!?! So many spoilers ahead in my long post.
Episode 14 - "The Candidate"
Zach says: This week's episode starts with the alternate universe, with Locke waking up in the hospital. Jack immediately lets him know that he is "a candidate" for a new surgical procedure that could allow him to walk again. Locke refuses. This leads to the rest of the alternate universe having Jack figure out why Locke is opposed to the surgery, which is kind of creepy. Damn that obsessive Jack and his desire to fix people.
So, nobody will tell Jack how Locke got injured, so he does some random investigating, which leads him to a dentist, Bernard. Bernard can't tell Jack much, due to privacy stuff, but gives him Anthony Cooper's name, and the fact that he himself was on that flight 815; odd.
Later, Claire says SHE was also on 815. Zomga, all of these coincidences are aligning, and people are starting to wonder some things. Christian also wanted Claire to have a music box in his will, for some reason. I checked, and it most definitely isn't the same box that Rousseau had on the island, but it is very similar. So, either this is some crazy connection, but different prop, or there is no connection at all, other than it has SOME significance.
Anyways, Jack finds Anthony Cooper, who is a vegetable, basically. Locke finally reveals at the end that it was his fault, in that he forced his father to fly in a plane with him, which he crashed. So, John doesn't want to have the surgery because he feels responsible, which leads Jack to say that they both lost fathers and that they need to let go. Jack also utters the line, "I wish you'd believe me," which goes back to something John said on the island, so perhaps something clicked then.
So, some important like stuff going on in the alternate reality, and connections are starting to be made with the people. On the island, however, things are going a bit differently. Nothing too important, until the whole gang makes their way to the plane, finally. FYI, Jack, with the help of Locke, free everyone from Widmore. Locke finds some C4 rigged to blow on the plane, however, so that idea is out. Instead, they decide to take the sub. Sawyer, still not trusting Locke, gets everyone on the sub, including Jack, but throws Locke in the water. They escape...or do they?
Turns out, Locke planted some C4, and Jack has an epiphany. He says that Locke wants them all dead, but can't kill them himself, and has to get everyone to kill each other. So, if Sawyer messes with the bomb, they all die, if nobody touches it, they'll be fine. Well, Sawyer doesn't like Jack, so he touches it. Not too smart.
For some crazy reason, Sayid suddenly turns human again, and tells Jack that Desmond is still alive, and "it's going to be you". It's definitely good to see Sayid snap out of it, but it seems a bit out of character at the same time. Oh well, he sacrifices himself to save everyone.....almost. And what does Sayid mean exactly? "It's going to be you"? For now, we can obviously assume that Jack is supposed to be the next Jacob.
Unfortunately, not everyone makes it out of the sub alive. After finally being reunited, Sun is trapped, and Jin will not leave her side. It's quite the touching moment, but overall unfortunate. Doesn't seem right. Oh, and Lapidus dies too, I guess. He was never really important or a candidate, so I wasn't too surprised.
Everyone who got off, Jack, Sawyer, Hurley, and Kate, are obviously very upset about Sun and Jin, and now know of Locke's true intent, so it'll be interesting to see how they react exactly. And at the very end, Locke says he has to finish what he started, with killing everyone. So, does this mean he KNOWS Jack and the others are still alive, or is he talking about another group of people, and if so, whom? Widmore would be an obvious target, but he isn't a candidate, so who exactly is he going after?
Zach's Score: 8.5
JDW says: Seriously, there's honestly nothing I can say anymore... But I liked this episode, because Flocke was such a badass, shooting people at point blank range, while LA Locke was all sad with his vegetable father... Oh, and I honestly cheered when Kate got shot, but was annoyed to see her still alive afterwards.
But the ending of Sun and Jin was pretty sad, as was the fake crying by Jack and Hurley which I couldn't feel at all.As for Sayid, THERE IS NO SAYID, and I want everyone to know that that was single-handedly the greatest line ever.
JDW's Score: 8.5/10
Overall Score: 8.5/10
Missed the episode? Watch it on Hulu
Episode 14 - "The Candidate"
Zach says: This week's episode starts with the alternate universe, with Locke waking up in the hospital. Jack immediately lets him know that he is "a candidate" for a new surgical procedure that could allow him to walk again. Locke refuses. This leads to the rest of the alternate universe having Jack figure out why Locke is opposed to the surgery, which is kind of creepy. Damn that obsessive Jack and his desire to fix people.
So, nobody will tell Jack how Locke got injured, so he does some random investigating, which leads him to a dentist, Bernard. Bernard can't tell Jack much, due to privacy stuff, but gives him Anthony Cooper's name, and the fact that he himself was on that flight 815; odd.
Later, Claire says SHE was also on 815. Zomga, all of these coincidences are aligning, and people are starting to wonder some things. Christian also wanted Claire to have a music box in his will, for some reason. I checked, and it most definitely isn't the same box that Rousseau had on the island, but it is very similar. So, either this is some crazy connection, but different prop, or there is no connection at all, other than it has SOME significance.
Anyways, Jack finds Anthony Cooper, who is a vegetable, basically. Locke finally reveals at the end that it was his fault, in that he forced his father to fly in a plane with him, which he crashed. So, John doesn't want to have the surgery because he feels responsible, which leads Jack to say that they both lost fathers and that they need to let go. Jack also utters the line, "I wish you'd believe me," which goes back to something John said on the island, so perhaps something clicked then.
So, some important like stuff going on in the alternate reality, and connections are starting to be made with the people. On the island, however, things are going a bit differently. Nothing too important, until the whole gang makes their way to the plane, finally. FYI, Jack, with the help of Locke, free everyone from Widmore. Locke finds some C4 rigged to blow on the plane, however, so that idea is out. Instead, they decide to take the sub. Sawyer, still not trusting Locke, gets everyone on the sub, including Jack, but throws Locke in the water. They escape...or do they?
Turns out, Locke planted some C4, and Jack has an epiphany. He says that Locke wants them all dead, but can't kill them himself, and has to get everyone to kill each other. So, if Sawyer messes with the bomb, they all die, if nobody touches it, they'll be fine. Well, Sawyer doesn't like Jack, so he touches it. Not too smart.
For some crazy reason, Sayid suddenly turns human again, and tells Jack that Desmond is still alive, and "it's going to be you". It's definitely good to see Sayid snap out of it, but it seems a bit out of character at the same time. Oh well, he sacrifices himself to save everyone.....almost. And what does Sayid mean exactly? "It's going to be you"? For now, we can obviously assume that Jack is supposed to be the next Jacob.
Unfortunately, not everyone makes it out of the sub alive. After finally being reunited, Sun is trapped, and Jin will not leave her side. It's quite the touching moment, but overall unfortunate. Doesn't seem right. Oh, and Lapidus dies too, I guess. He was never really important or a candidate, so I wasn't too surprised.
Everyone who got off, Jack, Sawyer, Hurley, and Kate, are obviously very upset about Sun and Jin, and now know of Locke's true intent, so it'll be interesting to see how they react exactly. And at the very end, Locke says he has to finish what he started, with killing everyone. So, does this mean he KNOWS Jack and the others are still alive, or is he talking about another group of people, and if so, whom? Widmore would be an obvious target, but he isn't a candidate, so who exactly is he going after?
Zach's Score: 8.5
JDW says: Seriously, there's honestly nothing I can say anymore... But I liked this episode, because Flocke was such a badass, shooting people at point blank range, while LA Locke was all sad with his vegetable father... Oh, and I honestly cheered when Kate got shot, but was annoyed to see her still alive afterwards.
But the ending of Sun and Jin was pretty sad, as was the fake crying by Jack and Hurley which I couldn't feel at all.As for Sayid, THERE IS NO SAYID, and I want everyone to know that that was single-handedly the greatest line ever.
JDW's Score: 8.5/10
Overall Score: 8.5/10
Missed the episode? Watch it on Hulu
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Saturday, May 1, 2010
This Week in FlashForward - 4/29/10
This week's episode gets back to just about everyone's story, minus those nurses.
Episode 18 - "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"
Zach says: The main topic of focus, it would seem, is that of Janis, her baby, and if and how she became a mole. We see some flash backs, from two years previous, of when she became an agent and how her lesbionic tendencies made her vulnerable to succumbing to outside influences, i.e. moleing. She has indeed been giving information to some crazy red-head who owns a pet store, namely fish, herein referred to as "the fish lady". She didn't appear to feel much remorse for selling her country out, until the black out hit, but, it would seem, as it always does, that she can't just get out of this ploy and stop sharing information, as she would wind up dead. So, she must continue ratting everyone out.
She does continue to do this, as we see in the present, when Fish Lady tells her to get back the blueprints that were found off Frost's body. This blue prints apparently detail how to build some calculator, which calculates dates, the first of which was the day of the black out. She kinda fails, but tries real good, and Mark seems to be on to her, although she talked her way out of any immediate trouble. However, at the end of the episode, we see that Vogel, that CIA dude, approached as well two years ago, and told her that she was basically under investigation, and SHOULD become a double agent. So, everything she has been doing could have a reasonable explanation and she could still be on the good side.
I reckon Janis' true allegiances will be tested, when Fish Lady gave her an order to get the ring back and kill Mark. Dun dun dunnnnnnnnn. I'm sure this will tie in with why Vogel was talking to someone, saying "Mark Benford is dead," so we'll see. Aside from Janis' exploits, we also see that Aaron has safely arrived in Afghanistan, was attacked, but found the doctor from his vision, who will hopefully lead him to his daughter.
We don't see too much from Mark, but he figures out what Frost was saying, with "In the end, you'll be saved by the lady you see everyday." This could have multiple meanings, but in this instance, it meant that special ring, which was inside the white queen the FBI picked off of that exploded doll shop way back when. Ok.
And apparently, Dyson Frost has been everywhere and done everything. Those photos he had had some soil residue, from soil only found in Afghanistan, and he was a doctor at Raven River, some mental hospital where they did those flashforward experiments on patients. One of those patients, who we saw last episode, Gabriel McDowell, broke into Olivia's house, told her some crap, freaking her out. This led to her, for some reason, going with and FBI agent to the facility, where Gabriel shows up again. Apparently, Gabriel has seen all of these visions, and has followed Olivia for a very, very long time, and he says that marrying Mark was a mistake, and that she was supposed to be with Lloyd.
Anyways, Olivia is apparently very important and will help to solve the super puzzle that lays ahead. The whole Mark/Lloyd thing is a bit strange, and I guess could be important somehow, but I don't see how this romance thing is truly relevant. And that Gabriel guy? What a creeper. Dyson Frost, although dead, is still playing quite the role, so I'm sure we'll see all sorts of crazy stuff he was up to in the past, in the future.
Zach's Score: 7.5/10
JDW says: I'm late again, due to my computer issues, but not as late as last week! Anyways, this episode, as usual, was really a mess to me. At first you think it's actually going to focus on Janis, but then there's a pointless story of Aaron in Afghanistan, and then there's the Fringe-esque story with Olivia (no, not the Dunham one, it's not THAT Fringe-esque) whose stalker seems to have seen her in both the past and future thanks to Frost's lab testings.
The lab aspect is interesting, but the stalker character just seems way to off the wall for a show that already has terrible structure issues... at least this show's almost over.
JDW's Score: 6.5/10
Overall Score: 7/10
Missed the episode? Catch it on Hulu
Episode 18 - "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"
Zach says: The main topic of focus, it would seem, is that of Janis, her baby, and if and how she became a mole. We see some flash backs, from two years previous, of when she became an agent and how her lesbionic tendencies made her vulnerable to succumbing to outside influences, i.e. moleing. She has indeed been giving information to some crazy red-head who owns a pet store, namely fish, herein referred to as "the fish lady". She didn't appear to feel much remorse for selling her country out, until the black out hit, but, it would seem, as it always does, that she can't just get out of this ploy and stop sharing information, as she would wind up dead. So, she must continue ratting everyone out.
She does continue to do this, as we see in the present, when Fish Lady tells her to get back the blueprints that were found off Frost's body. This blue prints apparently detail how to build some calculator, which calculates dates, the first of which was the day of the black out. She kinda fails, but tries real good, and Mark seems to be on to her, although she talked her way out of any immediate trouble. However, at the end of the episode, we see that Vogel, that CIA dude, approached as well two years ago, and told her that she was basically under investigation, and SHOULD become a double agent. So, everything she has been doing could have a reasonable explanation and she could still be on the good side.
I reckon Janis' true allegiances will be tested, when Fish Lady gave her an order to get the ring back and kill Mark. Dun dun dunnnnnnnnn. I'm sure this will tie in with why Vogel was talking to someone, saying "Mark Benford is dead," so we'll see. Aside from Janis' exploits, we also see that Aaron has safely arrived in Afghanistan, was attacked, but found the doctor from his vision, who will hopefully lead him to his daughter.
We don't see too much from Mark, but he figures out what Frost was saying, with "In the end, you'll be saved by the lady you see everyday." This could have multiple meanings, but in this instance, it meant that special ring, which was inside the white queen the FBI picked off of that exploded doll shop way back when. Ok.
And apparently, Dyson Frost has been everywhere and done everything. Those photos he had had some soil residue, from soil only found in Afghanistan, and he was a doctor at Raven River, some mental hospital where they did those flashforward experiments on patients. One of those patients, who we saw last episode, Gabriel McDowell, broke into Olivia's house, told her some crap, freaking her out. This led to her, for some reason, going with and FBI agent to the facility, where Gabriel shows up again. Apparently, Gabriel has seen all of these visions, and has followed Olivia for a very, very long time, and he says that marrying Mark was a mistake, and that she was supposed to be with Lloyd.
Anyways, Olivia is apparently very important and will help to solve the super puzzle that lays ahead. The whole Mark/Lloyd thing is a bit strange, and I guess could be important somehow, but I don't see how this romance thing is truly relevant. And that Gabriel guy? What a creeper. Dyson Frost, although dead, is still playing quite the role, so I'm sure we'll see all sorts of crazy stuff he was up to in the past, in the future.
Zach's Score: 7.5/10
JDW says: I'm late again, due to my computer issues, but not as late as last week! Anyways, this episode, as usual, was really a mess to me. At first you think it's actually going to focus on Janis, but then there's a pointless story of Aaron in Afghanistan, and then there's the Fringe-esque story with Olivia (no, not the Dunham one, it's not THAT Fringe-esque) whose stalker seems to have seen her in both the past and future thanks to Frost's lab testings.
The lab aspect is interesting, but the stalker character just seems way to off the wall for a show that already has terrible structure issues... at least this show's almost over.
JDW's Score: 6.5/10
Overall Score: 7/10
Missed the episode? Catch it on Hulu
Tags:
ABC,
FlashForward,
Review,
Science Fiction,
Television,
This Week In
This Week in FlashForward - 4/22/10
This week's episode takes place during March 15th, the day of Demetri's murder. Does it occur as foretold, or can Mark find a way to change fate?
Episode 17 - "The Garden of Forking Paths"
Zach says: Dyson Frost is all about playing games, and after kidnapping Demetri and talking with Charlie, he certainly set some events in motion. Seeing a dozen moves ahead of his opponents doesn't hurt, but things don't always go according to plan. After leaving clues and guiding Mark to a private meeting on a deserted hill, they talk a bit. Mark is only concerned with finding Demetri, but Frost tries to talk about saving the world, and is obviously worried about himself getting killed. Unfortunately for everyone involved, Alda happened to escape from prison, leaping out of a window after her hearing, and snipes Frost, killing him.
When Mark originally over powers Frost, he says it wasn't supposed to happen like that, so there are obvious variables and outcomes that he did not foresee, which could have many implications.
With the help of Frost's clues and GPS, as well as a tip from Alda, Mark happens to find Demetri moments before the mechanized gun is set to go off. Through some ingenuity, Mark moves the gun so Demetri can escape unharmed. This scene was a bit illogical, as he raises the gun to Demetri's head, and yet Demetri doesn't even attempt to move his head out of the path of the gun, just in case. I don't know, but it seems it could have been done a bit safer.
Anyways, after the gun is disarmed, Demetri gets off the chair, which triggers sprinklers to erase the "Garden of Forking Paths". This is a large road map of all of the possible paths and futures that could have occurred. This could have been very helpful to the FBI, and Frost obviously wanted to help Mark, so why would he erase it? I guess to stop it from getting in the wrong hands, but still...a little odd.
Luckily, Mark remembers one important event on the map, which is the last one, titled "The End", and occurs on December 12th, 2016. Frost was definitely trying to change the future in some way, so this end could be the end of the world, or civilization, or something else. Maybe this is when he was supposed to die, or something minor, like when Mark saves the world for the last time. Well, I don't think we'll find out this season, and if this is the last season for FlashForward, I don't think we'll ever know.
Zach's Score: 8/10
JDW says: This is two weeks late due to my shoddy computer issues, so, quite frankly I have nothing to say here and I'm sorry you all had to wait for this.
JDW's Score: ?/10
Overall Score: 8/10
Missed the episode? Catch it on Hulu
Episode 17 - "The Garden of Forking Paths"
Zach says: Dyson Frost is all about playing games, and after kidnapping Demetri and talking with Charlie, he certainly set some events in motion. Seeing a dozen moves ahead of his opponents doesn't hurt, but things don't always go according to plan. After leaving clues and guiding Mark to a private meeting on a deserted hill, they talk a bit. Mark is only concerned with finding Demetri, but Frost tries to talk about saving the world, and is obviously worried about himself getting killed. Unfortunately for everyone involved, Alda happened to escape from prison, leaping out of a window after her hearing, and snipes Frost, killing him.
When Mark originally over powers Frost, he says it wasn't supposed to happen like that, so there are obvious variables and outcomes that he did not foresee, which could have many implications.
With the help of Frost's clues and GPS, as well as a tip from Alda, Mark happens to find Demetri moments before the mechanized gun is set to go off. Through some ingenuity, Mark moves the gun so Demetri can escape unharmed. This scene was a bit illogical, as he raises the gun to Demetri's head, and yet Demetri doesn't even attempt to move his head out of the path of the gun, just in case. I don't know, but it seems it could have been done a bit safer.
Anyways, after the gun is disarmed, Demetri gets off the chair, which triggers sprinklers to erase the "Garden of Forking Paths". This is a large road map of all of the possible paths and futures that could have occurred. This could have been very helpful to the FBI, and Frost obviously wanted to help Mark, so why would he erase it? I guess to stop it from getting in the wrong hands, but still...a little odd.
Luckily, Mark remembers one important event on the map, which is the last one, titled "The End", and occurs on December 12th, 2016. Frost was definitely trying to change the future in some way, so this end could be the end of the world, or civilization, or something else. Maybe this is when he was supposed to die, or something minor, like when Mark saves the world for the last time. Well, I don't think we'll find out this season, and if this is the last season for FlashForward, I don't think we'll ever know.
Zach's Score: 8/10
JDW says: This is two weeks late due to my shoddy computer issues, so, quite frankly I have nothing to say here and I'm sorry you all had to wait for this.
JDW's Score: ?/10
Overall Score: 8/10
Missed the episode? Catch it on Hulu
Tags:
ABC,
FlashForward,
Review,
Science Fiction,
Television,
This Week In
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
This Week in Lost - 4/20/10
This week's episode didn't focus on any one character in particular, but more so tying together some loose ends, as well as showing the start of "the war". SPOILERS ABOUND
Episode 13 - "The Last Recruit"
Zach says: Lot's of little things happened this episode, so I'll just start with the alternate universe. We see Sayid try to run away after killing those bad dudes, but he was caught by Sawyer and Miles. Sawyer, as you recall, also caught Kate, and they talk, but nothing special happens. Neither "awaken".
Sun was shot in the Sayid incident, and she arrives safely at the hospital, at the same time as Locke, and she is pretty frightened. Obviously, she remembers something about him, and it would seem that it would be of the CURRENT island happenings. Before, everyone have had memories of previous seasons' events, but not about current stuff, so that's a bit interesting. And finally, Sun and Jin reunite on the island, which triggers Sun's ability to speak English again; go figure. A happy moment though, indeed.
However, Desmond's work isn't done yet, as his focus is now on Claire, who he convinces to talk to a lawyer, at the same time Jack shows up to hear his father's will reading. Hey, they're related, and by god, Jack has a moment. It could be that Jack is just stunned that he had a sister he never knew about, but it's more likely that he is remembering. We also see the reunion on the island of the two, which was happy and sad, as Jack swiftly leaves her.
This wasn't the end of Jack though, as he has to operate on Locke. Will he fix him and give him the ability to walk again, or will he try to kill him like he did with Ben? We'll see.
It's also very interesting to see Jack talk about faith, and the island not being done with the Oceanic group. We've seen Jack recently talk about faith, and thinking Jacob brought them there for a reason, but with more connections to Locke, it's just interesting how Jack has made a complete 180 from when he arrived at the island originally.
Widmore's gal sent to deliver a message to Locke, to get Desmond back. He doesn't take too kindly to this, and sends Sayid to kill Desmond, as he can't do it himself I guess, because Desmond is a candidate? Anyways, we don't see him get killed, so he could be alive, or not. I would like to think he's still alive and will be a player in the finale, but we shall see. It would make sense if Jack is the ultimate successor to Jacob, but perhaps it could be Desmond? I mean, he IS doing Jacob's work in the alternate universe after all.....
Aside from all of the above happenings this episode, it appears that the fight is starting. Jack is with Locke, and Widmore captured the rest of the crew and started bombing Locke. I'm interested to see how Locke responds exactly, and to see what Widmore's ultimate goal is. He didn't take too kindly to Sawyer and the rest of the candidates, so what exactly is he trying to do?
Zach's Score: 8/10
JDW says: Well, what's left for me to say? Seriously though, this episode kind of bothered me... It was great to get some gratification and final answers, sure. Jin and Sun are finally back together, Jack and Claire get to confront each other as brother and sister in both universes, and Jack finally tells Sawyer how he feels regarding Juliette's death (Sawyer seemingly forgot all about it?).
But what bothered me was that this episode went against my primary complaint regarding FlashForward, focus. What I love about Lost is that each episode in centric to just one or two characters, and the experience is usually quite intimate. When you don't have that kind of focus, in a show with an ensemble cast, everything just feels too spread out, distant, and... for lack of a better word: lost. Sure, the episode was still better than all of FlashForward, thanks to the writing and actually interesting plot/characters, but I just hope in it's last season, we don't get an unfocused episode like this again.
JDW's Score: 7.5/10
Overall Score: 7.7/10
Also, no This Week in Lost next week. For whatever reason, they're taking a week off... which blows.
Missed the episode? Watch it on Hulu
Episode 13 - "The Last Recruit"
Zach says: Lot's of little things happened this episode, so I'll just start with the alternate universe. We see Sayid try to run away after killing those bad dudes, but he was caught by Sawyer and Miles. Sawyer, as you recall, also caught Kate, and they talk, but nothing special happens. Neither "awaken".
Sun was shot in the Sayid incident, and she arrives safely at the hospital, at the same time as Locke, and she is pretty frightened. Obviously, she remembers something about him, and it would seem that it would be of the CURRENT island happenings. Before, everyone have had memories of previous seasons' events, but not about current stuff, so that's a bit interesting. And finally, Sun and Jin reunite on the island, which triggers Sun's ability to speak English again; go figure. A happy moment though, indeed.
However, Desmond's work isn't done yet, as his focus is now on Claire, who he convinces to talk to a lawyer, at the same time Jack shows up to hear his father's will reading. Hey, they're related, and by god, Jack has a moment. It could be that Jack is just stunned that he had a sister he never knew about, but it's more likely that he is remembering. We also see the reunion on the island of the two, which was happy and sad, as Jack swiftly leaves her.
This wasn't the end of Jack though, as he has to operate on Locke. Will he fix him and give him the ability to walk again, or will he try to kill him like he did with Ben? We'll see.
It's also very interesting to see Jack talk about faith, and the island not being done with the Oceanic group. We've seen Jack recently talk about faith, and thinking Jacob brought them there for a reason, but with more connections to Locke, it's just interesting how Jack has made a complete 180 from when he arrived at the island originally.
Widmore's gal sent to deliver a message to Locke, to get Desmond back. He doesn't take too kindly to this, and sends Sayid to kill Desmond, as he can't do it himself I guess, because Desmond is a candidate? Anyways, we don't see him get killed, so he could be alive, or not. I would like to think he's still alive and will be a player in the finale, but we shall see. It would make sense if Jack is the ultimate successor to Jacob, but perhaps it could be Desmond? I mean, he IS doing Jacob's work in the alternate universe after all.....
Aside from all of the above happenings this episode, it appears that the fight is starting. Jack is with Locke, and Widmore captured the rest of the crew and started bombing Locke. I'm interested to see how Locke responds exactly, and to see what Widmore's ultimate goal is. He didn't take too kindly to Sawyer and the rest of the candidates, so what exactly is he trying to do?
Zach's Score: 8/10
JDW says: Well, what's left for me to say? Seriously though, this episode kind of bothered me... It was great to get some gratification and final answers, sure. Jin and Sun are finally back together, Jack and Claire get to confront each other as brother and sister in both universes, and Jack finally tells Sawyer how he feels regarding Juliette's death (Sawyer seemingly forgot all about it?).
But what bothered me was that this episode went against my primary complaint regarding FlashForward, focus. What I love about Lost is that each episode in centric to just one or two characters, and the experience is usually quite intimate. When you don't have that kind of focus, in a show with an ensemble cast, everything just feels too spread out, distant, and... for lack of a better word: lost. Sure, the episode was still better than all of FlashForward, thanks to the writing and actually interesting plot/characters, but I just hope in it's last season, we don't get an unfocused episode like this again.
JDW's Score: 7.5/10
Overall Score: 7.7/10
Also, no This Week in Lost next week. For whatever reason, they're taking a week off... which blows.
Missed the episode? Watch it on Hulu
Tags:
ABC,
Lost,
Review,
Science Fiction,
Television,
This Week In
Thursday, April 15, 2010
This Week in FlashForward - 4/15/10
This week's episode is all over the place. A lot of events seem to be culminating, like Demetri's murder, in three days, and Olivia and Simco's relationship. SPOILERS
Episode 16 - ""Let No Man Put Asunder"
Zach says: Demetri is understandably obsessed with finding his murderer, which he is still unsuccessful at doing, so, after Mark gives him some advice, he decides to run away and get married. Unfortunately, right before that happens, Dyson Frost kidnaps him. WTF you might be asking? Well, yeah, pretty much.
And guess where Frost shows up next? At little Charlie's school carnival. WTF x2? You bet ya. Oh, and Olivia is pretty much a skank, who goes to Simco's house to make out with him. I was pretty upset about that personally. I know she threw out Mark and everything, but why is she so attracted to Simco? Not cool.
Aaron's story gets a little time too, as the new vice president of the US thinks Jericho has something to do with her becoming the next president, so she is very interested in them, and for some reason, gets FBI assistant director Stan to help out doing something. Stan then talks to Mark to learn about Aaron, and searches him out to help him get to Afghanistan to his daughter, for the supposed reason of getting the scoop on Jericho and bringing them down. Seems a bit odd, but ok. So, the episode was alright, and next week should be interesting, as we'll see more of Frost and what his deal is.
Zach's Score: 7/10
JDW says: With the reveal of the mole(s) the show is starting to get semi-interesting, but the character development feels really sudden, and the actors really don't look like they're playing the role the started with, with many of the lines just being announcements of emotion and/or sounding like words off a sheet. But that's a run-on sentance, and quite frankly I don't care.
Too put it short, watching this show bothers my brain, but this episode didn't bother it quite as bad as recently.
JDW's Score: 7/10
Overall Score: 7/10
Missed the episode? Catch it on Hulu
Episode 16 - ""Let No Man Put Asunder"
Zach says: Demetri is understandably obsessed with finding his murderer, which he is still unsuccessful at doing, so, after Mark gives him some advice, he decides to run away and get married. Unfortunately, right before that happens, Dyson Frost kidnaps him. WTF you might be asking? Well, yeah, pretty much.
And guess where Frost shows up next? At little Charlie's school carnival. WTF x2? You bet ya. Oh, and Olivia is pretty much a skank, who goes to Simco's house to make out with him. I was pretty upset about that personally. I know she threw out Mark and everything, but why is she so attracted to Simco? Not cool.
Aaron's story gets a little time too, as the new vice president of the US thinks Jericho has something to do with her becoming the next president, so she is very interested in them, and for some reason, gets FBI assistant director Stan to help out doing something. Stan then talks to Mark to learn about Aaron, and searches him out to help him get to Afghanistan to his daughter, for the supposed reason of getting the scoop on Jericho and bringing them down. Seems a bit odd, but ok. So, the episode was alright, and next week should be interesting, as we'll see more of Frost and what his deal is.
Zach's Score: 7/10
JDW says: With the reveal of the mole(s) the show is starting to get semi-interesting, but the character development feels really sudden, and the actors really don't look like they're playing the role the started with, with many of the lines just being announcements of emotion and/or sounding like words off a sheet. But that's a run-on sentance, and quite frankly I don't care.
Too put it short, watching this show bothers my brain, but this episode didn't bother it quite as bad as recently.
JDW's Score: 7/10
Overall Score: 7/10
Missed the episode? Catch it on Hulu
Tags:
ABC,
FlashForward,
Review,
Science Fiction,
Television,
This Week In
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
This Week in Lost - 4/13/10
Hurley's week, and everyone loves Hurley! Or that's what they would have you believe... at least you believe that SPOILERS ARE BELOW!
Episode 12 - "Everybody Loves Hugo"
Zach says: Until he disagrees with Richard, who just wants to blow up the plane. I'm sure Hurley would agree, until he sees an old friend, Michael Dawson, who tells him to stay away from that plane.
I'm hoping we can trust Michael, but theoretically, it could have been that man in black, as the last time we saw Michael, he was getting exploded after talking with Christian Shepherd, who I'm personally fairly certain is MiB. And MiB can take the form of dead people, so there's that. By the end of the episode, the entire gang, with Hurley, Sun, and Jack, are at Locke's camp; just what Locke wants and needs....curious.
Some random things where when Illana blew up...oops. And when that kid ran into Locke, and Locke wasn't too happy to see him. It could have been the same kid he talked to before, who told him he couldn't kill Sawyer. So, either it's a young Jacob, or maybe it's himself? Either way, that kid is important. Locke also didn't like the fact that Desmond wasn't scared at all. Doesn't show too much, other than that Locke doesn't like to not be in control, and who didn't see that poor Desmond would go down that well. Poop.
In the alternate universe, Hugo runs into Libby, who is in a mental institution for having "memories" of Hugo and the island. After some talking, they finally go on their long overdue picnic on the beach, kiss, and Hugo remembers, much to the delight of Desmond, which is a bit creepy.
Then we see Desmond run over Locke...wtf? We know he wants to make things more like the island life, but how exactly does this tie in? Maybe that's why evil Locke tossed him down the well? Anyways, the season is winding up, and it's about to go down. Excitement.
Zach's Score: 8/10
JDW says: First off, I don't know what Zach's talking about, so I crossed his part out (don't hate), because I think it's been made very clear on the show that the Man in Black can no longer change into anyone else other than Locke, for whatever reason, and that Hurley could already talk to the dead both on and off the island. Anyways...
I liked the episode... to an extent. Hurley is one of the best characters of the show, and it was great to see him, as well as old faces like Michael and Libby, but despite it supposedly being a Hurley-centric episode, it really felt like it was about everyone else. Like, come the final third of the episode he was barely even there, as the flash-sideways went to Desmond/Ben/Locke. But hey, at least they seem to be running with concept that love can't be found in the alt-world without unlocking visions of the island world... but I dunno, I wanted to like this episode more, but I wasn't fully feeling it. And seriously, Illana just blew up, what the heck?!
JDW's Score: 7.8/10
Overall Score: 7.9/10
Missed the episode? Watch it on Hulu
Episode 12 - "Everybody Loves Hugo"
Zach says: Until he disagrees with Richard, who just wants to blow up the plane. I'm sure Hurley would agree, until he sees an old friend, Michael Dawson, who tells him to stay away from that plane.
Some random things where when Illana blew up...oops. And when that kid ran into Locke, and Locke wasn't too happy to see him. It could have been the same kid he talked to before, who told him he couldn't kill Sawyer. So, either it's a young Jacob, or maybe it's himself? Either way, that kid is important. Locke also didn't like the fact that Desmond wasn't scared at all. Doesn't show too much, other than that Locke doesn't like to not be in control, and who didn't see that poor Desmond would go down that well. Poop.
In the alternate universe, Hugo runs into Libby, who is in a mental institution for having "memories" of Hugo and the island. After some talking, they finally go on their long overdue picnic on the beach, kiss, and Hugo remembers, much to the delight of Desmond, which is a bit creepy.
Then we see Desmond run over Locke...wtf? We know he wants to make things more like the island life, but how exactly does this tie in? Maybe that's why evil Locke tossed him down the well? Anyways, the season is winding up, and it's about to go down. Excitement.
Zach's Score: 8/10
JDW says: First off, I don't know what Zach's talking about, so I crossed his part out (don't hate), because I think it's been made very clear on the show that the Man in Black can no longer change into anyone else other than Locke, for whatever reason, and that Hurley could already talk to the dead both on and off the island. Anyways...
I liked the episode... to an extent. Hurley is one of the best characters of the show, and it was great to see him, as well as old faces like Michael and Libby, but despite it supposedly being a Hurley-centric episode, it really felt like it was about everyone else. Like, come the final third of the episode he was barely even there, as the flash-sideways went to Desmond/Ben/Locke. But hey, at least they seem to be running with concept that love can't be found in the alt-world without unlocking visions of the island world... but I dunno, I wanted to like this episode more, but I wasn't fully feeling it. And seriously, Illana just blew up, what the heck?!
JDW's Score: 7.8/10
Overall Score: 7.9/10
Missed the episode? Watch it on Hulu
Tags:
ABC,
Lost,
Review,
Science Fiction,
Television,
This Week In
Thursday, April 8, 2010
This Week in FlashForward - 4/8/10
This week deals with finding the mole in the FBI office, which turns out successful! Or does it? Dun dun dunnnnn!!!!!!!
Episode 15 - "Queen Sacrifice"
Zach says: Anyways, not a whole lot really happens this episode now that I think about it. Bryce and what's her name go out and kiss, who didn't see that coming, but she seemed a bit turned off. What does this mean for Keiko (he girl from Bryce's vision)? Well, she's all well and fine in America, and gets a job working hydrolics for cars, until the government shuts'em down for employing illegals. Yeah, I don't know...How exactly is this relevant?
As far as the investigation goes, Dyson Frost, aka D. Gibbons, has had hundreds of flash forwards and has seen all kinds of futures. He has even left clues for Mark in the past, which he somehow finds....ok. They finally find the mole, who shoots a bunch of people dead, but ultimately captured. But is there another mole?!?!?!! Zomga, we'll see. Overall, the episode was about on par with the rest of the season, but nothing special. I'm interested to see how Frost and Mark's meeting goes and what that will bring about.
Zach's Score: 6.5/10
JDW says: I honestly have nothing to say here. The show continues to disappoint because of its lack of focus and quite frankly I'm just getting tired of it. The finding of the mole in the FBI office was interesting, but it's resolved way to fast. But, hey, at least Seth Macfarlane got shot! You may remember him randomly appearing in the first episode of the show, and for whatever reason he returned, I just hope he's dead for good.
And seriously, the Keiko story, had no reason to even be included here. It was completely irrelevant not only to the episode, but Bryce and his entire story seems to be completely useless to this series. Can't say I think next week will be any better, but, we'll see.
JDW's Score: 6.5/10
Overall Score: 6.5/10
Missed the episode? Catch it on Hulu
Episode 15 - "Queen Sacrifice"
Zach says: Anyways, not a whole lot really happens this episode now that I think about it. Bryce and what's her name go out and kiss, who didn't see that coming, but she seemed a bit turned off. What does this mean for Keiko (he girl from Bryce's vision)? Well, she's all well and fine in America, and gets a job working hydrolics for cars, until the government shuts'em down for employing illegals. Yeah, I don't know...How exactly is this relevant?
As far as the investigation goes, Dyson Frost, aka D. Gibbons, has had hundreds of flash forwards and has seen all kinds of futures. He has even left clues for Mark in the past, which he somehow finds....ok. They finally find the mole, who shoots a bunch of people dead, but ultimately captured. But is there another mole?!?!?!! Zomga, we'll see. Overall, the episode was about on par with the rest of the season, but nothing special. I'm interested to see how Frost and Mark's meeting goes and what that will bring about.
Zach's Score: 6.5/10
JDW says: I honestly have nothing to say here. The show continues to disappoint because of its lack of focus and quite frankly I'm just getting tired of it. The finding of the mole in the FBI office was interesting, but it's resolved way to fast. But, hey, at least Seth Macfarlane got shot! You may remember him randomly appearing in the first episode of the show, and for whatever reason he returned, I just hope he's dead for good.
And seriously, the Keiko story, had no reason to even be included here. It was completely irrelevant not only to the episode, but Bryce and his entire story seems to be completely useless to this series. Can't say I think next week will be any better, but, we'll see.
JDW's Score: 6.5/10
Overall Score: 6.5/10
Missed the episode? Catch it on Hulu
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
This Week in Lost - 4/6/10
Hot dang, this week's episode was definitely one of the better ones in the season, not that the others have been bad, except for Kate's, gah. Spoilers ahoy!
Episode 11 - "Happily Ever After"
Zach says: This week focuses on Desmond, who has always been a fan favorite and an interesting character, and this week shows us again how he is so special and important to the series. I'll let Jared throw in all the details he wants to about Desmond and his past, as well as the possible future, but let me say a few things about the episode itself.
Firstly, we see Desmond on the island, which Widmore forced him to come to for some vital reason. After being subjected to a deadly electromagnetic force, we see him in his flash sideways, which the remainder of the episodes takes place in. Here we see a few differences from his "real" life, where he works for Widmore and is actually his go-to guy. Widmore instructs him to take care of Charlie, and from there, the tale unfolds.
After an underwater adventure, Desmond starts remembering things, from the island, and as it would turn out, various other characters are having visions and remembering things from their other lives as well. It's pretty cool to see all of this unfold, and it would seem that that wise Eloise Hawking, or should I say Eloise Widmore, knows a lot about what is going on, and with the help of her son, Daniel, aka Daniel Faraday, some serious shit is about to go down.
Near the very end of the episode, Desmond comes to on the island, and through his vision, agrees to go along with Widmore's plans, although Sayid comes to "rescue" him, so we'll see how all of that turns out. Only 5 episodes remain, and the plot is surely thickening. I'm excited.
Zach's Score: 9.5/10
JDW says: Like most people, I love Desmond-centric episodes, and to be upfront, while this episode was still great, I don't think it carried the same weight and emotion as previous Desmond episodes. But, even if the emotion wasn't there, this episode is extremely important to this season, as it's the first to finally address the purpose of these flash-sideways. As it would seem, the sideways version of Faraday (now Daniel Widmore) is very much aware that everything in Los Angeles is not as it should be, and thinks that a strong energy blast may have caused it, one by his own hands.
Now this isn't the first time that Desmond has traveled into an alternate world where he is very much aware of his life on the island. You may remember the Season 3 episode, "Flashes Before Your Eyes," where Desmond travels back to 1996 in his mind and the Season 4 episode, "The Constant," where he contacts Faraday in the past because of what he sees in the future. In both these cases, especially the former, Desmond always sees and hears constant signs that remind him of the island. This episode's interactions with Charlie were no different, so it was great to see Desmond, still being Desmond.
But, I also felt the episode was really predictable despite being great. Like, as soon as Widmore was acting nice to Desmond and then mentioned his son, and not daughter, I pretty much knew where the episode was going; heck, I even said it to Zach before the events happened and I was all right. Regardless, I'm just glad these flash-sideways seem to be going somewhere.
JDW's Score: 9/10
Overall Score: 9.3/10
Missed the episode? Watch it on Hulu
Episode 11 - "Happily Ever After"
Zach says: This week focuses on Desmond, who has always been a fan favorite and an interesting character, and this week shows us again how he is so special and important to the series. I'll let Jared throw in all the details he wants to about Desmond and his past, as well as the possible future, but let me say a few things about the episode itself.
Firstly, we see Desmond on the island, which Widmore forced him to come to for some vital reason. After being subjected to a deadly electromagnetic force, we see him in his flash sideways, which the remainder of the episodes takes place in. Here we see a few differences from his "real" life, where he works for Widmore and is actually his go-to guy. Widmore instructs him to take care of Charlie, and from there, the tale unfolds.
After an underwater adventure, Desmond starts remembering things, from the island, and as it would turn out, various other characters are having visions and remembering things from their other lives as well. It's pretty cool to see all of this unfold, and it would seem that that wise Eloise Hawking, or should I say Eloise Widmore, knows a lot about what is going on, and with the help of her son, Daniel, aka Daniel Faraday, some serious shit is about to go down.
Near the very end of the episode, Desmond comes to on the island, and through his vision, agrees to go along with Widmore's plans, although Sayid comes to "rescue" him, so we'll see how all of that turns out. Only 5 episodes remain, and the plot is surely thickening. I'm excited.
Zach's Score: 9.5/10
JDW says: Like most people, I love Desmond-centric episodes, and to be upfront, while this episode was still great, I don't think it carried the same weight and emotion as previous Desmond episodes. But, even if the emotion wasn't there, this episode is extremely important to this season, as it's the first to finally address the purpose of these flash-sideways. As it would seem, the sideways version of Faraday (now Daniel Widmore) is very much aware that everything in Los Angeles is not as it should be, and thinks that a strong energy blast may have caused it, one by his own hands.
Now this isn't the first time that Desmond has traveled into an alternate world where he is very much aware of his life on the island. You may remember the Season 3 episode, "Flashes Before Your Eyes," where Desmond travels back to 1996 in his mind and the Season 4 episode, "The Constant," where he contacts Faraday in the past because of what he sees in the future. In both these cases, especially the former, Desmond always sees and hears constant signs that remind him of the island. This episode's interactions with Charlie were no different, so it was great to see Desmond, still being Desmond.
But, I also felt the episode was really predictable despite being great. Like, as soon as Widmore was acting nice to Desmond and then mentioned his son, and not daughter, I pretty much knew where the episode was going; heck, I even said it to Zach before the events happened and I was all right. Regardless, I'm just glad these flash-sideways seem to be going somewhere.
JDW's Score: 9/10
Overall Score: 9.3/10
Missed the episode? Watch it on Hulu
Tags:
ABC,
Lost,
Review,
Science Fiction,
Television,
This Week In
Thursday, April 1, 2010
This Week in FlashForward - 4/1/10
This week's episode was crazy, so I'm just gonna get right into it. Mark and Demetri shot each other because of their suspicions, and another black out occurred that caused a nuclear weapon to go off in the US. APRIL FOOOOLSSSS. Spoilers ahead:
Episode 14 - "Better Angels"
Zach says: So let's get into it for real. This week's episode focuses on three different stories, with Mark and his wife, Bryce and Nicole, and the agents who went to Somalia. In order of awesomeness, we have Somalia, then nothing, then nothing, then Mark, then Bryce and Nicole. The show is trying to give you some excitement, but then some drama, and the drama just seems a bit forced and completely divergent from that of the real story.
Mark is basically having the same issues as Demetri, where he knows he is going to die, basically, and his loved one wants to escape it all, but he is still reluctant to leave. It's getting a little old hearing this same story week after week, so I wish it didn't have such a focus, but here we are. We also finally see what Charlie's flash forward was, where an unseen person says "Mark Benford is dead." This would be a bit mysterious, except we see who says it later in the episode, which took me by surprise, as it sounded like the Jericho dude, but wasn't.
The Somalia action was much more interesting. Here, the FBI peeps, plus that CIA guy, head to Somalia to investigate the tower. They are quickly intercepted by natives who take them hostage. The main guy is all talking about purpose and prophesies, but his doesn't look like it will come true, as he is later shot in the back.
The end is the most interesting, as we find out that D. Gibbons, or Dyson Frost, was apparently the main scientist working at this tower back in the day, and he left a message for Demetri. So, it would seem that Gibbons has quite the understanding of what these black outs are, and how to use them to his advantage, to see the future. This could easily be how he stole Simon's design for the tower in the first place, which he hadn't created until after the tower was built.
So, all in all, the drama is old, and has been for some time, but the action is still good and the REAL story points are interesting. I'm am more and more interested in this D. Gibbons fellow each episode, so I want to see what he is really up to.
Zach's Score: 8/10
JDW says: This week's episode suffers from the same thing I mentioned last week, lack of focus. The parts in Somalia were great, they answered questions like, "What the @&%!? was going on in that first black out?, Why did that one kid survive? Who is he? etc etc" all good, interesting stuff and led to even more mysteries.
But then when he to see Bryce, and his constant complaining about life and being doctor etc etc. And then we're in Somalia for two seconds, and now Mark is screwing up his life and upsetting his daughter and wife, and then its back to Somalia. It's like, I understand that this show is probabbly going to be canceled so you want to get through stuff before you leave an angry unsatisfied audience, or what's left of it. But seriously, if the people not in Somalia have nothing to do with what's going on there, don't show them. The seemingly time-traveling D. Gibbons, now that's an interesting plot, next time, please just show this an nothing else. Thanks!
JDW's Score: 7.5/10
Overall Score: 7.7/10
Missed the episode? Catch it on Hulu
Episode 14 - "Better Angels"
Zach says: So let's get into it for real. This week's episode focuses on three different stories, with Mark and his wife, Bryce and Nicole, and the agents who went to Somalia. In order of awesomeness, we have Somalia, then nothing, then nothing, then Mark, then Bryce and Nicole. The show is trying to give you some excitement, but then some drama, and the drama just seems a bit forced and completely divergent from that of the real story.
Mark is basically having the same issues as Demetri, where he knows he is going to die, basically, and his loved one wants to escape it all, but he is still reluctant to leave. It's getting a little old hearing this same story week after week, so I wish it didn't have such a focus, but here we are. We also finally see what Charlie's flash forward was, where an unseen person says "Mark Benford is dead." This would be a bit mysterious, except we see who says it later in the episode, which took me by surprise, as it sounded like the Jericho dude, but wasn't.
The Somalia action was much more interesting. Here, the FBI peeps, plus that CIA guy, head to Somalia to investigate the tower. They are quickly intercepted by natives who take them hostage. The main guy is all talking about purpose and prophesies, but his doesn't look like it will come true, as he is later shot in the back.
The end is the most interesting, as we find out that D. Gibbons, or Dyson Frost, was apparently the main scientist working at this tower back in the day, and he left a message for Demetri. So, it would seem that Gibbons has quite the understanding of what these black outs are, and how to use them to his advantage, to see the future. This could easily be how he stole Simon's design for the tower in the first place, which he hadn't created until after the tower was built.
So, all in all, the drama is old, and has been for some time, but the action is still good and the REAL story points are interesting. I'm am more and more interested in this D. Gibbons fellow each episode, so I want to see what he is really up to.
Zach's Score: 8/10
JDW says: This week's episode suffers from the same thing I mentioned last week, lack of focus. The parts in Somalia were great, they answered questions like, "What the @&%!? was going on in that first black out?, Why did that one kid survive? Who is he? etc etc" all good, interesting stuff and led to even more mysteries.
But then when he to see Bryce, and his constant complaining about life and being doctor etc etc. And then we're in Somalia for two seconds, and now Mark is screwing up his life and upsetting his daughter and wife, and then its back to Somalia. It's like, I understand that this show is probabbly going to be canceled so you want to get through stuff before you leave an angry unsatisfied audience, or what's left of it. But seriously, if the people not in Somalia have nothing to do with what's going on there, don't show them. The seemingly time-traveling D. Gibbons, now that's an interesting plot, next time, please just show this an nothing else. Thanks!
JDW's Score: 7.5/10
Overall Score: 7.7/10
Missed the episode? Catch it on Hulu
Tags:
ABC,
FlashForward,
Review,
Science Fiction,
Television,
This Week In
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