The title of this post is simply "Hardhome" because it's now a word and an episode that will be the reference point for television as spectacle and payoff and worldbuilding.
And while Hardhome will be known for that part that's set at, well, Hardhome, the rest of the episode needs to get the credit it deserves.
After Hardhome, the payoff of Tyrion and Dany meeting is one we've all wanted for a long time. And somehow, without a single dragon scale, these scenes of the new Targaryen alliance give us everything we wanted. Tyrion reasons through all the different scenarios, and whether or not to keep his own head/exile Jorah being a case study and a sort of test for him to show Dany his worth.
One of the most memorable lines this season is from Dany - "I"m a queen, not a politician." It's not so much a statement of fact and the relationship between monarchs and the smallfolk as it is a naive statement by Dany showing the realpolitik she lacks, and Tyrion can provide.
If Tyrion worked in Washington, DC, he would be known as "former White House chief of staff" and for good measure, "former Treasury secretary." He would be much sought after. He could start his own firm, he would be paid millions of dollars for his advice. In Westeros, his dad tried to kill him.
Anyways, being former Hand to the King is an asset that Dany sorely lacks, as she operates on the assumption the smallfolk will rise in support of her. The War of Five Kings can work two ways. It can weaken the lords from being so battle worn that they are vulnerable (except the Valemen and the Dornishmen). But on the other side, the smallfolk are warworn as well, tired of the fighting...as Jorah said in season one
the common people pray for rain, healthy children and a summer that never ends. It is no matter to them the high lords play their game of thrones.
so they may have a "call me when you're done" sort of attitude. They've already, in their sorrow and defeat, sought out religion as an escape, giving rise to the new power in King's Landing, the High Sparrow.
The arrival of Winter adds another element, as food becomes scarce and battle becomes diffcult. Hard to say how this will play out until either Stannis THE MANNIS or Roose Bolton solidify the North.
Arya begins her training in earnest, further removing her from her identity. Of the remaning Starks, two are beyond the Wall and one is beyond the narrow sea, and all three are deeply ensconced in the magical/supernatural.
Sansa and Theon have a great scene. We get the reveal that Bran and Rickon are alive, a payoff that no one's known about since mid season two. It goes all the way back to Robb sending Theon as emissary to Balon for his "navy". The acting from both Sophie Turner and Alfie Allen is some of the best of the series.
Cersei is not yet completely broken, though her game has backfired horribly. We get some schadenfreude in her short scenes. Not only that but she already cast off her own lifeboat, having sent Jaime to Dorne, where is also captive.
Now, Hardhome.
The payoff between the the series' first scene and this is stupendous. We see the small girl from the first scene. We see the White Walker who sits ahorse and screeched at Sam at the end of Season Two. And we see the White Walker in Charge who converted Craster's baby into something inhuman.
It's not simply nonstop action for the sake of nonstop action, as was the Watchers on the Wall. It's about putting aside petty differences for the greater threat. It's the Wildlings trusting Thormund but not Jon, and that being good enough. It's the Thenns being a pain in the ass. It's those characters somehow raising the stakes even higher for us and making the ensuing battle mean something.
Plus you have the stuff that's simply cool. The giant. The White Walker walking through fire. Jon defeating one with Longclaw (one of two audible cheers this season from me. The other also involved Longclaw). The effects and the swordplay and the panic and the bravery.
The game of thrones has changed completely. It somehow doesn't matter what the high lords are doing in Kings Landing now.
The episode also speaks to something larger about the show in general. I've noted before it's difficult and silly to judge a show based on a single episode, but because shows (outside of Amazon and Netflix streaming shows) air on a weekly/episodic basis, it's the way we talk about them. But in speaking about the show at large, one cannot do anything but look at the whole picture of a season. In ten episodes, with many storylines, the season follows with Introductions (episodes 1-2) Rising action (3-7) Climax (8-9) Denouement and leading into the next season's storylines (10). So, to judge, for example, episode 4 as being slow compared to episode 8 is silly. Episode 4 does what episode 4 is supposed to do and episode 8 does what episode 8 is supposed to do. That of course doesn't mean it's not interesting, only that it's interesting in a different way.
So when speaking to teh qualify of a show, it's impossible to make a judgement until all the bets are in.
Monday, June 1, 2015
Monday, April 27, 2015
"High Sparrow" - Game of Thrones - 5-03
Oldest previously
Renley is stabbity stabbed by Shadow Stannis
Credits
Moat Cailin, Braavos
Still no Dorne.
I'm confused as to how Moat Caitlin fits in. I thought the Boltons were staged at and reconstructing Winterfell. That's certainly where they were when Sansa arrived.
Identity
A common thread this episode is identity. Specifically the Stark identity. The name STARK looms large still.
Margarey
This is the first time we've seen Margarey be a bit mean spirited to her enemies' faces. She is killing Cersei with kindness, through the conduit of Tommen, in trying to get her removed back to Casterly Rock.
When Tommen says hearing King Tommen sounds strange, and he asks Margarey if Queen Margarey sounds strange to here, there is a perfect beat where it's clear those two words are all she's thought about for the longest time.
Margarey is Cersei from twenty years ago. Ready to be married to the king or the heir apparent, as Tywin turned down quite a fair match from the Martells (as Oberyn told us last season) in favor of holding out for Rhagaer (in theory) and then Robert (in practice). Margarey's been queen one way or the other since the start of Season Two with Renley, Joffrey, and now Tommen.
In press, GRRM speaks of prophecy coming true, thought not int he way one expects. The obvious answer to the flashback prophecy is Margarey. But there's another younger, more beautiful Queen coming to take the throne (SOMEDAY) and her name is Dany (a queen, not a politician).
Religion
Between the pope, er, High Septon getting caught in the brothel and St. Francis, er, High Sparrow, leading his own movement, there is a lot of religious activity in Westeros, specifically Kings Landing. It stands to reason that after the land is war torn for years, and with winter coming (as Stannis noted at the Wall) the people shrink back from conflict (think isolationism after WWI) and seek solace in their guns and religion.
Relgiion is featured prominently in Braavos, as Arya learns of the one true got. And Tyrion encounters a red priestess preaching. Are they the same god?
Important Time Check!!!
Stannis the Mannis says two weeks until he leaves Castle Black, marching for....Winterfell.
The North Remembers
Maybe the most important dialoge this week. Does it signal a secret resistance movement, biding their time, like Sansa? Twice we're reminded of the North's loyalty to the Starks. Once when this is said to Sansa, and the other when Ramsey recounts the lord who wouldn't recognize any Warden of the North but a Stark.
Last week, Stannis (the Mannis) got a reply as well from Bear Island, "There is but one King of the North and his name is STARK
Silvers and Coppers
Renley is stabbity stabbed by Shadow Stannis
Credits
Moat Cailin, Braavos
Still no Dorne.
I'm confused as to how Moat Caitlin fits in. I thought the Boltons were staged at and reconstructing Winterfell. That's certainly where they were when Sansa arrived.
Identity
A common thread this episode is identity. Specifically the Stark identity. The name STARK looms large still.
- Jon considers becoming a true Stark
- Arya considers putting her Stark identity behind her
- Sansa considers how to best live up to the Stark name, move foward or bide time for vengeance.
Margarey
This is the first time we've seen Margarey be a bit mean spirited to her enemies' faces. She is killing Cersei with kindness, through the conduit of Tommen, in trying to get her removed back to Casterly Rock.
When Tommen says hearing King Tommen sounds strange, and he asks Margarey if Queen Margarey sounds strange to here, there is a perfect beat where it's clear those two words are all she's thought about for the longest time.
Margarey is Cersei from twenty years ago. Ready to be married to the king or the heir apparent, as Tywin turned down quite a fair match from the Martells (as Oberyn told us last season) in favor of holding out for Rhagaer (in theory) and then Robert (in practice). Margarey's been queen one way or the other since the start of Season Two with Renley, Joffrey, and now Tommen.
In press, GRRM speaks of prophecy coming true, thought not int he way one expects. The obvious answer to the flashback prophecy is Margarey. But there's another younger, more beautiful Queen coming to take the throne (SOMEDAY) and her name is Dany (a queen, not a politician).
Religion
Between the pope, er, High Septon getting caught in the brothel and St. Francis, er, High Sparrow, leading his own movement, there is a lot of religious activity in Westeros, specifically Kings Landing. It stands to reason that after the land is war torn for years, and with winter coming (as Stannis noted at the Wall) the people shrink back from conflict (think isolationism after WWI) and seek solace in their guns and religion.
Relgiion is featured prominently in Braavos, as Arya learns of the one true got. And Tyrion encounters a red priestess preaching. Are they the same god?
Important Time Check!!!
Stannis the Mannis says two weeks until he leaves Castle Black, marching for....Winterfell.
The North Remembers
Maybe the most important dialoge this week. Does it signal a secret resistance movement, biding their time, like Sansa? Twice we're reminded of the North's loyalty to the Starks. Once when this is said to Sansa, and the other when Ramsey recounts the lord who wouldn't recognize any Warden of the North but a Stark.
Last week, Stannis (the Mannis) got a reply as well from Bear Island, "There is but one King of the North and his name is STARK
Silvers and Coppers
- Making Thorne First Ranger. Brilliant or horrible. No in between.
- Jon's execution of Slynt was sweet, if not too fast. I thought he resembled Robb more than anything though.
- And Robb's execution of Karstark (rather than imprisonment), unbending like Stannis, is ultimately what did him in. Not breaking the marriage vows.
- Who wore it best?
- Sansa
- Speaking of, this storyline is incredibly interesting so long as translates into Sansa maintaining her own agency, rather be the torture toy of yet another sociopath
- Brienne is just as tiresome on the screen as she is on the page
- The more book departures the better. I love being surprised. I am very pro different roads to the same end point, much like Brienne and Pod are taking to Winterfell.
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Finales: Mad Men and others
A while back I wrote about the upcoming close to Mad Men
Here, part one
here, Part Two
and Here, part three
Overall, I expect it to be closer to a Sopranos ending than a Six Feet Under one.
Every show needs to end in the appropriate way for that show. So, let's go over a few finales and see how they are appropriate
The Sopranos - first in the "television as art" age of the late nineties through now, a show that integrated symbolism and ambiguity throughout its run ends on exactly those notes. It's the Mona Lisa and the finale is Mona Lisa's smile.
Six Feet Under - the much lauded, emotional finale that brought absolute and complete closure to every character via fast forwards as much as eight decades into the future. This works for SFU because the show was about mortality and the way we pass, so it only made sense to play this string completely our for our beloved Fischers (& Co.).
But the thing that really made the finale was not the Breath Me montage but the events leading up to it, ie Nate's death. A show born out of the death of a family member ends with the same. Nate's AVM hung over the series like a shroud for almost it's entire run. Each episode include the death of someone, and the reactions of that person's loved ones. So it only made sense to see the Fischers & Co. reacting to Nate's death.
Which brings up the idea of starting the finale early...
West Wing - had an incredibly underrated finale. Between the two campaigns, the current White House and the new occupants, not to mention relationships like CJ and Danny and Josh and Donna, the show had a lot to wrap up. Which is why they started doing it as early as "Transition", three episodes prior. It makes sense with a large ensemble. Thought it closes with a Bartlet and CJ centric episode. It makes sense as they occupied the WH for all eight years/seven seasons to follow them around as they turn out the lights. Especially Jed, our generation's collective grandfather, as the show that was never supposed to actually feature the president became his show, he gets the last word.
Justified - you can also go the bookend route. Call back a lot of images to the show's beginniing. Justified is a western, an Elmore Leonard, a novel, so it is going to be a little more closed off and clear than say, Sopranos. And it works. Like a novel, the questions raised in the first chapter are answered and called back to in the last chapter. It does so by continuing to do what it had done best for six seasons, beat our expectations every time.
The reactions this article below refers to are why I can't stand to read about television anymore. Expectations are out of whack and the only way a show can continue to be praised each year is to fly under the radar (like Justified). Game of Thrones is both everyone's favorite show and everyone's favorite show to complain about.
I read a great article discussing finales, within the context of Mad Men ending the crux of it is below:
That question is top of mind as we close in on the conclusion of Mad Men, the current program most directly linked to The Sopranos. This isn’t just about creator Matthew Weiner’s three seasons as a writer and producer for Chase, nor the charismatic antiheroes at the two shows’ centers; Mad Men has always been a show that just felt like The Sopranos, tonally and stylistically, a series where ambiguity and unease and narrative cul-de-sacs were not only present, but part of the modus operandi.
And that’s why it’s so infuriating to read clueless inventories of “loose ends we hope Mad Men wraps up” and “what needs to be resolved in the final season” (yes indeed, what needs to be resolved), as though this is a show that’s ever been about tidy conclusions and clean resolutions; that’s why complaints about recent episodes not going exactly where we think they “should” (from websites or fans or, worse, websites aggregating fans) are so headache-inducing — because Mad Men has never been about fan service. This fan, for one, doesn’t presume to know better than Weiner and company how this show should end, except that it shouldn’t end the way stupid people want it to: with someone falling out of a building, or Don parachuting out of an airplane with millions of dollars, or Bob Benson murdering him, or whatever.
The one thing that seems safe to assume is that Mad Men isn’t going to end in a nice clean package with a big, pretty bow on top, and that’s an assumption based on not only the show we’ve been watching for seven seasons now, but also Weiner’s own statements on the subject. “Resolution in itself is a mystery in this world,”
Oddly, the only change that's greeted with eagerness is the copy machine by the secretaries, even though that very copy machine spells their demise...and we get less and less secretaries each season.
So, anyways, I look at the show's finale episodes in that context. But maybe I'm wrong too.
Monday, April 13, 2015
"The Wars to Come" Game of Thrones 5-01
Oldest Previously:
Thought it was going to be Myrcella to Dorne, but we're going old school Two administrations ago with Lancel and Robert's wine.
Credits
The Eyrie may or may not have been there last year. All the old guys, plus Pentos, finally back. Winterfell is on the mend. No Dorne. No Bravos, but I expect we'll see them next week.
Flashback
I am wondering how obvious it was to people that it was a Cersei flashback, if you hadn't read anything about it. Maggie looks way better than expected
Confess your unpopular opinion
I do not care about R+L=J.
I find D = E completely fascinating though because it could change the game. I wonder if the recast of Daario had to do with casting someone who would fit an Iron Islander description better.
The real question is how does he get from Nashville to Mereen and back so quickly?
Chapter 1
Some shows are like reading a book. Spend two episodes setting the stage and showing us what conflict will propel our characters through the season. What obstacles they are facing. What sort of changes they will make, or try to make and fail. Here are some conflicts that look to play a major part:
The presence of Varys does several things.
Thought it was going to be Myrcella to Dorne, but we're going old school Two administrations ago with Lancel and Robert's wine.
Credits
The Eyrie may or may not have been there last year. All the old guys, plus Pentos, finally back. Winterfell is on the mend. No Dorne. No Bravos, but I expect we'll see them next week.
Flashback
I am wondering how obvious it was to people that it was a Cersei flashback, if you hadn't read anything about it. Maggie looks way better than expected
Confess your unpopular opinion
I do not care about R+L=J.
I find D = E completely fascinating though because it could change the game. I wonder if the recast of Daario had to do with casting someone who would fit an Iron Islander description better.
The real question is how does he get from Nashville to Mereen and back so quickly?
Chapter 1
Some shows are like reading a book. Spend two episodes setting the stage and showing us what conflict will propel our characters through the season. What obstacles they are facing. What sort of changes they will make, or try to make and fail. Here are some conflicts that look to play a major part:
- Deeper division between Cersei and Jaime
- Night's Watch election
- Jon Snow's over-sympathy to Wildlings is a divisive issue
- Stannis marching south to the North
- As they said, Stannis is like iron...unbendable. And he can't bring himself to be lenient with Mance, even if it would help him immensely. While Stannis is doing the work of the King in Westeros, he can't be so dogmatic.
- Dany can't control her dragons
- Dany's army/police force is facing an insurgency
- Surge!
- Tyrion to Dany?
- Margarey aiming high
- A younger, more beautiful queen
- Getting in with Tommen
- "Perhaps......Perhaps." probably the best line of dialouge in the episode. If this show does one thing well, it is economy of words and scene. They convey so much information so succinctly.
- Sexposition
- Now, with dudes
- Birth mark looks like Dorne
The presence of Varys does several things.
- Much of Tyrion's action and conflict occurs inside of his head at this point in the series. That doesn't play on television. So he needs someone to speak to. That person has to have an investment in his and the kingdom's future. And he has to be an intellectual equal of Tyrion.
- It allows Tyrion and Varys to continue their already established rapport. Always good not not add more characters to a cast of hunrdeds if you can avoid it
- You also save time that would be needed to establish a new character
- They are in the East now. Varys is Eastern. They are going to seek an Eastern solution to the problems of Westeros.
- A POV shot worthy of Breaking Bad, Tyrion looking out from his box
- Uncle Kevan made an appearance
- Dorne dorne dorne dorne. Let's get to it.
- Alisair's alive? Did not expect that. But again, using an established character at this point is always better than creating a host of new ones.
- I wonder if Robert got a proper funeral, like Tywin did, with all the hubbub going on when Ned Stark tried a coup.
- The image of tearing down a statue transcends any culture or medium
- Do a storyline where Robin gets bullied
- Small shout out to Oberyn when Oliver refers to his ex.
Friday, March 27, 2015
"Trust" - Justified - 6-10
The mark of a truly well thought out and established character is when the character is able to surprise us in a convincing way. That's Ava Crowder in "Trust".
Ava was introduced to us six years ago as the woman who blew her abusive husband away as he sat at the dinner table eating his favorite meal which she prepared for him, calculating that that would give her the best chance to put a whole bunch of shot into his chest.
When Raylan gives away that Vasquez is putting her behind bars regardless of what she does, she knows she can't get anything out of cooperating. Her backs against a wall, living an inescapable life, much like the one where she lives in a broken down town with an abusive husband. So she shoots her way out. It's not what we expected, but it makes sense, especially considering Boyd's short temper with her lately. She has to recognize those signs, even if there's a good chance Boyd won't become Beaumon, she's going to make sure.
We're so caught up in the Raylan vs Boyd, where Raylan realizes Boyd is not going to fall for their trap at the same time Boyd is realizing Raylan wouldn't allow the money to be moved in the way he expects, that we forget about Ava.
I've expected Ava to bite it for almost two entire seasons now. This is the final season and nearly every episode has echoed "never leave Harlan alive" in one form or another. The suspense builds to where you're constantly worried about these characters while also fully expected them to bite it by the end.
Ava was introduced to us six years ago as the woman who blew her abusive husband away as he sat at the dinner table eating his favorite meal which she prepared for him, calculating that that would give her the best chance to put a whole bunch of shot into his chest.
When Raylan gives away that Vasquez is putting her behind bars regardless of what she does, she knows she can't get anything out of cooperating. Her backs against a wall, living an inescapable life, much like the one where she lives in a broken down town with an abusive husband. So she shoots her way out. It's not what we expected, but it makes sense, especially considering Boyd's short temper with her lately. She has to recognize those signs, even if there's a good chance Boyd won't become Beaumon, she's going to make sure.
We're so caught up in the Raylan vs Boyd, where Raylan realizes Boyd is not going to fall for their trap at the same time Boyd is realizing Raylan wouldn't allow the money to be moved in the way he expects, that we forget about Ava.
I've expected Ava to bite it for almost two entire seasons now. This is the final season and nearly every episode has echoed "never leave Harlan alive" in one form or another. The suspense builds to where you're constantly worried about these characters while also fully expected them to bite it by the end.
- Dewey's necklace appears again, but it doesn't have the effect I expected, unless we aren't done with it yet
- Boon is a creep man. Just as the whole series is able to create tension on a macro level about whether Raylan, Boyd or Ava are going to survive, he's able to do it on a micro level, with two characters we've never seen before. Just when I thought we were out of ways to make a henchman unique, we have this guy. Then again, should I have been surprised? Elmore Leonard wrote about 100 novels.
- Speaking of Mr. Leonard, we get a call back to Raylan enjoying vanilla ice cream. Originally an item from the books, Justified dropped it in a few early episodes, namely when Raylan stops in a conveinence store in 'Riverbrook" and when he orders it when meeting Pinter in "Fixer".
Thursday, March 26, 2015
"Burned" - Justified - 6-09
Things that got burned:
In television, if a party is being thrown, it has the the benefit of bringing together a bunch of characters who normally wouldn't be in the same place. In this case we have Markum's pizza party. RSVP-ing yes to this we have Raylan, Markkum, Katherine, Loretta, Boyd, Ava and Boon. We've seen smaller groups of this cast but never together.
Boon brings to mind The Gunfighter from early Season Three who fought with an ice pick until Raylann hilariously defeated him.
Anyways, it seemed like there would be a big event at the party as the second act of the season draws to a close. Something that sets things in motion for the series' final four episodes.
It may have been as simple as the Boyd-Loretta alliance. When Loretta got up to speak, ending with approval from her fellow Harlanians (?) one had to think of Mags standing up to the coal company in Season Two. She made a dramatic speech to Rebecca Creskoff's character, only to take the money herself later on.
Something tells me Loretta would stay more true to the "Keep Harlan Weird" mantra that she spouted.
- Ava as an informant
- Wynn Duffy as a long ago rate
- Avery's pizza kitchen
- Zachariah's element of surprise
- The number of people getting killed in these hotel rooms is getting out of control.
- Best use of a rock hammer since Shawshank
- Unsure why Zachariah had to throw that other guy down the shaft to get his shot at Boyd
In television, if a party is being thrown, it has the the benefit of bringing together a bunch of characters who normally wouldn't be in the same place. In this case we have Markum's pizza party. RSVP-ing yes to this we have Raylan, Markkum, Katherine, Loretta, Boyd, Ava and Boon. We've seen smaller groups of this cast but never together.
Boon brings to mind The Gunfighter from early Season Three who fought with an ice pick until Raylann hilariously defeated him.
Anyways, it seemed like there would be a big event at the party as the second act of the season draws to a close. Something that sets things in motion for the series' final four episodes.
It may have been as simple as the Boyd-Loretta alliance. When Loretta got up to speak, ending with approval from her fellow Harlanians (?) one had to think of Mags standing up to the coal company in Season Two. She made a dramatic speech to Rebecca Creskoff's character, only to take the money herself later on.
Something tells me Loretta would stay more true to the "Keep Harlan Weird" mantra that she spouted.
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Community's back!
Dart: Personally, I don't own a tv.
Abed: You're the first person to say that I didn't immediately delete from my brain.
Abed: You're the first person to say that I didn't immediately delete from my brain.
Friday, March 6, 2015
"The Hunt" - Justified - 6-07
In true Justified fashion, it's all gone pear shaped for the intruders. Markum is invoking his loyalty scheme, which mainly involves paying big bonuses to his men to sell out the others/not abandon him. They write off Walker as lost, but with him running loose in an ambulance, he's most assuredly not done yet with our story. Walker wouldn't have gone to all that trouble stitching himself back together just to die immediately.
You have to admire the ingenuity of calling 9-1-1. He needs help and can't go to a hospital. So he commandeers the ambulance. Giving his credit cards away was smart. His '1212 Main Street' address is only surpassed by '123 Fake Street.'
This episode made us doubt a lot of things. When Boyd reloads the gun, we don't know for sure what he was thinking when questioning Ava, and we really don't know what he's thinking now with a loaded gun.
We don't know if Markum did snitch on his partner. Or who killed the U.S. Attorney. It doesn't make sense for either Markum or Hale to have done both, the actions are at odds with each other. Unless they thought they could snitch, get themselves free so they can mitigate their snitching, having planned it all in advance.
Raylan is walking a weird line with the baby where he does not seem entirely invested, taking the baby to the office and lying about it to Winona (and getting caught immediately) and not helping with the manhut. He's there but he's not helping. Rachel's contempt for Raylan is at an all time high, she seems to grit her teeth every time she talks to him. Her question of if he asked Tim if he wanted to hold the baby made me think back to that season one or two line where Rachel asked Raylan what he thought would happen if she was the one showing up to work in a cowboy hat.
You have to admire the ingenuity of calling 9-1-1. He needs help and can't go to a hospital. So he commandeers the ambulance. Giving his credit cards away was smart. His '1212 Main Street' address is only surpassed by '123 Fake Street.'
This episode made us doubt a lot of things. When Boyd reloads the gun, we don't know for sure what he was thinking when questioning Ava, and we really don't know what he's thinking now with a loaded gun.
We don't know if Markum did snitch on his partner. Or who killed the U.S. Attorney. It doesn't make sense for either Markum or Hale to have done both, the actions are at odds with each other. Unless they thought they could snitch, get themselves free so they can mitigate their snitching, having planned it all in advance.
Raylan is walking a weird line with the baby where he does not seem entirely invested, taking the baby to the office and lying about it to Winona (and getting caught immediately) and not helping with the manhut. He's there but he's not helping. Rachel's contempt for Raylan is at an all time high, she seems to grit her teeth every time she talks to him. Her question of if he asked Tim if he wanted to hold the baby made me think back to that season one or two line where Rachel asked Raylan what he thought would happen if she was the one showing up to work in a cowboy hat.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
"Alive Day" - Justified - 6-06
"They know killing, but they don't know crime."
Just as Quarles, Miami thugs, Nicky Augustine, and the Crowes found out before them, the Tigerhawk team discoveres things aren't as easy as they expect. After all, if it was so easy, wouldn't Harlan have already been taken over by someone else by now? It is the Afghanistan of America. No one can get in or out. It's difficult to take over and impossible to hold. One may have thought these guys from the sandbox may have learned that lesson.
More callbacks to the pilot with Boyd and Raylan reminiscing about the last time they were all there for Ava's chicken. They both posit that it would end differently, Raylan no doubt referring to killing, rather than wounding, Boyd. And Boyd thinking he'll get the drop on Raylan this time. Between that, Art's warning, and Boyd's callback to knowing that Raylan's on his way to Florida make us sit uneasily.
The thing is, the Boyd-Raylan high noon showdown is completely expected at this point. And the thing Justified does best is subvert expectations. Something needs to happen like where Quarles got his arm hacked off. A good example in "Alive Day" was where, oh of course Choo Choo (chooooo chooooo!) is going to get smushed by the train. It plays with our expectations when the train stops short. Then again when Choo Choo does not get arrested but dies of his wounds.
Speaking of his wounds, the mercs are probably the best matchup Tim and Raylan have had when the numbers are close to even. A lot of missed shots, which was not expected, but the marshals did take down a red shirt and, eventually, Choo Choo.
Today's drink: Black Saddle Bourbon Whiskey
Just as Quarles, Miami thugs, Nicky Augustine, and the Crowes found out before them, the Tigerhawk team discoveres things aren't as easy as they expect. After all, if it was so easy, wouldn't Harlan have already been taken over by someone else by now? It is the Afghanistan of America. No one can get in or out. It's difficult to take over and impossible to hold. One may have thought these guys from the sandbox may have learned that lesson.
More callbacks to the pilot with Boyd and Raylan reminiscing about the last time they were all there for Ava's chicken. They both posit that it would end differently, Raylan no doubt referring to killing, rather than wounding, Boyd. And Boyd thinking he'll get the drop on Raylan this time. Between that, Art's warning, and Boyd's callback to knowing that Raylan's on his way to Florida make us sit uneasily.
The thing is, the Boyd-Raylan high noon showdown is completely expected at this point. And the thing Justified does best is subvert expectations. Something needs to happen like where Quarles got his arm hacked off. A good example in "Alive Day" was where, oh of course Choo Choo (chooooo chooooo!) is going to get smushed by the train. It plays with our expectations when the train stops short. Then again when Choo Choo does not get arrested but dies of his wounds.
Speaking of his wounds, the mercs are probably the best matchup Tim and Raylan have had when the numbers are close to even. A lot of missed shots, which was not expected, but the marshals did take down a red shirt and, eventually, Choo Choo.
- Alive Day was the name of James Gandolfini's HBO special where he interviewed troops wou'd been wounded. It refers to the day they sustained their near death injuries
- Eva and Katniss. Neither their dads came back fromt he mine
- Raylan's asking about Dewey. What episode does he see Dewey's necklace at Boyd's? I'll say nine.
- Caprice, in this scenario, is a prettier, smarter Ellen May
- Carl's in the house. Not sure how this is going to end.
- According to Rachel, the Hale case was made on the wire. Are Katherine and Avery chasing each other when in fact it's neither of them?
- I'm reading Riding the Rap and it's clear they based the episode "Fixer" (1-03) on it, so I rewatched it. Much more in season one was pulled from the source material in the one-off episodes. It was far from a 1:1 remake though, moreso inspiration that was repurposed into completely new scenarios for the show.
- Side note. Raylan is probably the least fleshed out character of the main cast in the books. It seems most of the time is spent with the criminals. I mention it because this episode had a huge stretch with no Raylan. It's an observation, not a criticism.
Today's drink: Black Saddle Bourbon Whiskey
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
"Sounding" - Justified - 6-05
"I got balls like Death Stars"
In some ways Raylan is a great marshal, and in some ways he is a terrible marshal. He's an excellent marksman and quick on the draw (Do we need to explain?). He has natural investigative abilities (Drew Thompson). And he's able to talk to most anyone, fromt he worst crook (bail jumper) to white collar protectees (Coal Company Lady). On the flip side, he antagonizes and escalates situations (Tommy Bucks). He literally lost a prisoner he was transporting. He inserts himself where he need not be and jeopardizes cases (Ava shooting Boyd). Raylan walks and crosses a fine line between legal and extralegal, from drinking on duty, smacking around undesirables, working off the clock and under the table (bounty hunting) to straight out setting up a hit (Nicky Augustine).
So while he's not the best marshal in the world, the show has made a point to make Raylan an excellent lawman. No coincidence that was the original title of the show. I think the difference is that at the end of the day, Raylan stands clearly on the side of the good and the side of law and order. He has a palpable disgust for career criminals, both the masterminds and the two bit hustlers which no doubt is born from his hatred toward Arlo. The deputy marshal sometimes uses questionable means to justify an end. Tommy Bucks was a bad guy. Nicky Augustine was a bad guy. In no scenario is the world worse without them. On the other hand, Raylan keeps running into these situations and as Justified once said "if you keep running into assholes all day, you're the asshole."
Another important note, besides Raylan clearly picking his side, is that he does not do the things he does for personal gain or advancement. The closest he comes to that is working side jobs for the specific goal of saving for the baby. If he were really trying to cash in, he'd probably live somewhere besides a (possible free?) room in a bar. He tries to set a counterfeit bill back into evidence to cover for Winona, not himself. His set up of Augustine is in direct response to serious, immediate threats on his family where he has no other practical options. But it is not unreasonable to say that Raylan is possibly the last person in the world who would take a bribe.
Possibly Raylan's best asset that allows him so much success in the areas he does excel at is his ability to not take things personally, and his empathy for those who did not get to go the path he did. Criminals commit crimes. That's what they do. Lawmen catch criminals. That's what they do. If the Flintstone whistle went off in these professions, I think Raylan could have a drink with anyone on either side. Growing up as Arlo's son, in poverty, and digging coal for a bit gives him a perspective on where these people come from. He doesn't sympathize (he got out, after all), but he does empathize (understand and can talk to these idiots).
Raylan somehow manages to understand that each time these crooks break the law, it is not a personal affront to him. The relationship between him and the criminal can change as he encounters them, gets to know them, runs into them time and again because then a face is put on the law breaking/criminal catching transaction. Most likely, Raylan states matter of factly to the criminal that they are breaking teh law or that he is going to put them away for breaking the law, and the criminal gets worked up and upset at Raylan. Raylan stays calm and is able to separate his role as law enforcer/obstacle to the criminal from his life as Raylan Givens.
The Episode
This weeks drink: Bacon Bourbon, straight. It is "homemade" meaning I bought bourbon and added the bacon aspect of it. Starting with Jim Beam and adding a whole bunch of bacon fat. The letting it sit in cold and room temperature areas before straining it through cheese cloth a whole bunch of times to make sure there's no solid fat floating around. It leaves a bacon-y taste. Stored in this jar and drank out of the mason jar in honor of the Loretta and Mags last week.
Behind that is a just finished copy of Road Dogs by Elmore Leonard
In some ways Raylan is a great marshal, and in some ways he is a terrible marshal. He's an excellent marksman and quick on the draw (Do we need to explain?). He has natural investigative abilities (Drew Thompson). And he's able to talk to most anyone, fromt he worst crook (bail jumper) to white collar protectees (Coal Company Lady). On the flip side, he antagonizes and escalates situations (Tommy Bucks). He literally lost a prisoner he was transporting. He inserts himself where he need not be and jeopardizes cases (Ava shooting Boyd). Raylan walks and crosses a fine line between legal and extralegal, from drinking on duty, smacking around undesirables, working off the clock and under the table (bounty hunting) to straight out setting up a hit (Nicky Augustine).
So while he's not the best marshal in the world, the show has made a point to make Raylan an excellent lawman. No coincidence that was the original title of the show. I think the difference is that at the end of the day, Raylan stands clearly on the side of the good and the side of law and order. He has a palpable disgust for career criminals, both the masterminds and the two bit hustlers which no doubt is born from his hatred toward Arlo. The deputy marshal sometimes uses questionable means to justify an end. Tommy Bucks was a bad guy. Nicky Augustine was a bad guy. In no scenario is the world worse without them. On the other hand, Raylan keeps running into these situations and as Justified once said "if you keep running into assholes all day, you're the asshole."
Another important note, besides Raylan clearly picking his side, is that he does not do the things he does for personal gain or advancement. The closest he comes to that is working side jobs for the specific goal of saving for the baby. If he were really trying to cash in, he'd probably live somewhere besides a (possible free?) room in a bar. He tries to set a counterfeit bill back into evidence to cover for Winona, not himself. His set up of Augustine is in direct response to serious, immediate threats on his family where he has no other practical options. But it is not unreasonable to say that Raylan is possibly the last person in the world who would take a bribe.
Possibly Raylan's best asset that allows him so much success in the areas he does excel at is his ability to not take things personally, and his empathy for those who did not get to go the path he did. Criminals commit crimes. That's what they do. Lawmen catch criminals. That's what they do. If the Flintstone whistle went off in these professions, I think Raylan could have a drink with anyone on either side. Growing up as Arlo's son, in poverty, and digging coal for a bit gives him a perspective on where these people come from. He doesn't sympathize (he got out, after all), but he does empathize (understand and can talk to these idiots).
Raylan somehow manages to understand that each time these crooks break the law, it is not a personal affront to him. The relationship between him and the criminal can change as he encounters them, gets to know them, runs into them time and again because then a face is put on the law breaking/criminal catching transaction. Most likely, Raylan states matter of factly to the criminal that they are breaking teh law or that he is going to put them away for breaking the law, and the criminal gets worked up and upset at Raylan. Raylan stays calm and is able to separate his role as law enforcer/obstacle to the criminal from his life as Raylan Givens.
The Episode
- Jeff Fahey, another Lost alumn, whose character doesn't strike me as someone who has a bank account
- Lost people, blowing up hatches. Hmmm.
- Parading out the old gang who are still surviving, we get Limehouse (and Errol for that matter) and Constable Bob, and none of it feels forced
- Mike's hardward has been featured a lot in the past, from Johnny threatening Ava to Raylan trying to catch the kids who took the bag from Arlo's
- Albert Fekus is a perfect name for a little shit. But as Tim said, he did take his medicine standing up, figuratively
- RIP Buddy Garrity
- Markham does not want your input
- Special circumstances here, but my fear of exploding manhole covers still is agitated here
- As indicated above, Raylan doesn't take things personally. His investigative mind helps him find Ava quickly and bring the matter to a close, rather than escalate it, land her back in prison and blow their case against Boyd.
- Scrabble on both The Americans and Justified
- Bob's piece of paper is brilliant. it says "feed hanna" which I assume is a rodent or a reptile and not a cat or dog
- Again, just like in the premiere and other spots this year, we are circling back to the pilot. Mentions of Beaumon, Ava's cooking and "what you and me started" between Raylan and Ava
- Is there any other ending than a standoff between Boyd and Raylan? Maybe even back at the dinner table?
This weeks drink: Bacon Bourbon, straight. It is "homemade" meaning I bought bourbon and added the bacon aspect of it. Starting with Jim Beam and adding a whole bunch of bacon fat. The letting it sit in cold and room temperature areas before straining it through cheese cloth a whole bunch of times to make sure there's no solid fat floating around. It leaves a bacon-y taste. Stored in this jar and drank out of the mason jar in honor of the Loretta and Mags last week.
Behind that is a just finished copy of Road Dogs by Elmore Leonard
Thursday, February 12, 2015
"The Trash and the Snake" - Justified - 6-04
The Homestead Act
The modern day Western is in full effect this season, much like it was in Season Four. Taking the concept of homesteaders being run off their land and updating it for the 21st century is a perfect way to end the show. Meanwhile, the "Black Hat" going after the homesteaders is about to get it from the law, ambitious but lower ranked criminals, and the woman he's sleeping with. It's also a good way to get Boyd and Raylan on the same side, not necessarily by having the same goal but by having a common enemy.
Avery Markum
Markum may or may not be aware of Katherine Hale's angle. He's shown a deep understanding of the landscape in Harlan despite his hiatus to Denver. He's familiar enough with Mags to make Loretta test the apple pie, not to mention he knows the connection between Mags and Loretta. He's probably informed Walker of this before he goes to Loretta's house, as he doesn't drink the apple pie. Markum also intimates unsubtly he's familiar with Raylan's shoot on sight exercise with Tommy Bucks, even after he plays a bit like he doesn't know the Givens name. Which may of course mean he's playing Katherine Hale as well in a labyrinth of mirrors.
Come Back Shane
Oh, the places you'll go...with Wikipedia.
Trying to recall a movie, and I know there are several, where homesteaders are intimidated off their land brings me to Shane. Which brings me to Pale Rider, which borrows from Shane. Which brings me to Revelations, where the Pale Horse is ridden by Death, which brings to mind the Pale Mare, or the plague in A Dance of Dragons....which brings Death! Jeez.
Lawman
We already know Raylan will take any excuse to avoid Florida. There will always be something going on for the marshals. He is infinitely more lawman than family man. And if he can use Markum, thorugh pretty solid reasoning, as a way to dig around Kentucky some more, he will absolutely use it. His rationale is similar to Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan when he has his squad assault the German machine guns, rather than go around them. The argument is they can still locate Ryan without the risk of taking on the guns, but Hanks refuses to leave them for the next guys.
Ditch Story
Katherine Hale tells Ava about the Clintons seeing a gas station attendant in Arkansas. Jed Bartlet tells a similar story in "Dead Irish Writers" when he's contemplating a toast for Abby's birthday.
Hollers and Hills
This week's drink: Buffalo Trace Bourbon, in honor of Walker's preference at Boyd's bar
The modern day Western is in full effect this season, much like it was in Season Four. Taking the concept of homesteaders being run off their land and updating it for the 21st century is a perfect way to end the show. Meanwhile, the "Black Hat" going after the homesteaders is about to get it from the law, ambitious but lower ranked criminals, and the woman he's sleeping with. It's also a good way to get Boyd and Raylan on the same side, not necessarily by having the same goal but by having a common enemy.
Avery Markum
Markum may or may not be aware of Katherine Hale's angle. He's shown a deep understanding of the landscape in Harlan despite his hiatus to Denver. He's familiar enough with Mags to make Loretta test the apple pie, not to mention he knows the connection between Mags and Loretta. He's probably informed Walker of this before he goes to Loretta's house, as he doesn't drink the apple pie. Markum also intimates unsubtly he's familiar with Raylan's shoot on sight exercise with Tommy Bucks, even after he plays a bit like he doesn't know the Givens name. Which may of course mean he's playing Katherine Hale as well in a labyrinth of mirrors.
Come Back Shane
Oh, the places you'll go...with Wikipedia.
Trying to recall a movie, and I know there are several, where homesteaders are intimidated off their land brings me to Shane. Which brings me to Pale Rider, which borrows from Shane. Which brings me to Revelations, where the Pale Horse is ridden by Death, which brings to mind the Pale Mare, or the plague in A Dance of Dragons....which brings Death! Jeez.
Lawman
We already know Raylan will take any excuse to avoid Florida. There will always be something going on for the marshals. He is infinitely more lawman than family man. And if he can use Markum, thorugh pretty solid reasoning, as a way to dig around Kentucky some more, he will absolutely use it. His rationale is similar to Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan when he has his squad assault the German machine guns, rather than go around them. The argument is they can still locate Ryan without the risk of taking on the guns, but Hanks refuses to leave them for the next guys.
Ditch Story
Katherine Hale tells Ava about the Clintons seeing a gas station attendant in Arkansas. Jed Bartlet tells a similar story in "Dead Irish Writers" when he's contemplating a toast for Abby's birthday.
Hollers and Hills
- Always good to see Dickie Bennet. Specifically, him and Raylan spitting hate at each other
- More colorful tertiary characters, RIP Wiz Fieri
- Duffy's from Hawaii? Explains the tanning bed?
- I appreciate the girl's snake so much more because it went completley unremarked upon.
- Boyd changes his mind again about leaving Harlan. Ava is struggling being away for one day. Granted, she has extenuating circumstances, but still.
- After Luther takes the fall for his son, we see Raylan giving fatherly advice to Loretta. Even though he didn't know her father, which she points out. But Raylan is speaking as a father, taking an educated guess as to what another father might think. Despite Raylan stomping on copperheads, he does have a pull to Florida still.
- Many simiilarities between Walker here and Wolcott in Deadwood. Number twos, advance men for the big boss, acquiring land for the big man's purpose, whether it be gold or weed.
This week's drink: Buffalo Trace Bourbon, in honor of Walker's preference at Boyd's bar
Sunday, February 8, 2015
"Noblesse Oblige" - Justified - 6-03
"I'm gonna shoot your dick off."
Season Five saw a lot of death. Mostly anyone who wasn't Boyd or Raylan bit it and bit it hard. From Sammy to Johnny to Picker, it was like they were clearing brush to give enough room to the two leads for their final showdown. But the person stealing the spotlight this season is Ava who is living in limbo between Boyd and Raylan, jail and freedom, Harlan and getting out alive. All that and she manages to bring the funny in her still drunk/badly hungover state with the marshals and AUSA Vasquez.
This week's episode was a master class in folksy, flowery, roundabout dialouge. It could have easily been penned by David Milch. When someone states their business is "none more lofty than to apprise you of the situation you find yourself" as a way of getting straight to business, you have to appreciate their loquaciousness. The scene in the bar, a bar Boyd and Co badly need to remember to lock the front door to, is the early frontrunner in 2015 for best scene. Boyd's exasperation at being bothered while the day is so early and while he is so hungover is examplified only in his tone but not his word choice or count. Walker responds in kind, and suddently Boyd is transported to 1870s Deadwood.
Justified is the funniest drama on television. Breaking Bad and Mad Men both punctuated their shows with occasional hilarity, but Justified brings it at a high level every week. This was one of the best, as Boyd's crew retorts to the Buffalo Trace drinking Walker, "You best get walking...Mr.....Walker. You and your beard." The delivery, the dialouge and the overall low IQ of Boyd's henchmen all play into the hilarity here, as does Walker's reaction.
Another of the series' strenghts is the ability to play with your expectations. When the two masked geniuses are going to rob their dynamite depot, it looks like it's going to end it tragedy for a decent guy. Our expectations of the criminals being stupid and of what television tells us is supposed to happen make us brace for the nice man's unfortunate death. It takes an immediate left turn when Raylan and Rachel are there waiting for these idiots. It's hilarious because of course it makes sense.
This week's drink: Wigle Rye Whiskey from Pittsburgh. Named for one of the fomentors of the Whiskey Rebellion. I feel like Boyd would like this.
Season Five saw a lot of death. Mostly anyone who wasn't Boyd or Raylan bit it and bit it hard. From Sammy to Johnny to Picker, it was like they were clearing brush to give enough room to the two leads for their final showdown. But the person stealing the spotlight this season is Ava who is living in limbo between Boyd and Raylan, jail and freedom, Harlan and getting out alive. All that and she manages to bring the funny in her still drunk/badly hungover state with the marshals and AUSA Vasquez.
This week's episode was a master class in folksy, flowery, roundabout dialouge. It could have easily been penned by David Milch. When someone states their business is "none more lofty than to apprise you of the situation you find yourself" as a way of getting straight to business, you have to appreciate their loquaciousness. The scene in the bar, a bar Boyd and Co badly need to remember to lock the front door to, is the early frontrunner in 2015 for best scene. Boyd's exasperation at being bothered while the day is so early and while he is so hungover is examplified only in his tone but not his word choice or count. Walker responds in kind, and suddently Boyd is transported to 1870s Deadwood.
Justified is the funniest drama on television. Breaking Bad and Mad Men both punctuated their shows with occasional hilarity, but Justified brings it at a high level every week. This was one of the best, as Boyd's crew retorts to the Buffalo Trace drinking Walker, "You best get walking...Mr.....Walker. You and your beard." The delivery, the dialouge and the overall low IQ of Boyd's henchmen all play into the hilarity here, as does Walker's reaction.
Another of the series' strenghts is the ability to play with your expectations. When the two masked geniuses are going to rob their dynamite depot, it looks like it's going to end it tragedy for a decent guy. Our expectations of the criminals being stupid and of what television tells us is supposed to happen make us brace for the nice man's unfortunate death. It takes an immediate left turn when Raylan and Rachel are there waiting for these idiots. It's hilarious because of course it makes sense.
This week's drink: Wigle Rye Whiskey from Pittsburgh. Named for one of the fomentors of the Whiskey Rebellion. I feel like Boyd would like this.
Thursday, February 5, 2015
"Cash Game" - Justified - 6-02
Boyd is robbing banks at the behest of Katharine Hale. While I thought the ledgers were actually the draw at the deposit box, it turns out everyone is upset to have that rather than cash, about $3 million. Katharine does raise a good point that there's little to keep Boyd from holding out on her, especially if he's looking to get out of Harlan.
The target, Calhoun, is being approached from all angles. There's the Tigerhawk team trying to buy up land (for whoever they report to) and the attempted robbery by Hale/Boyd/Avery/Duffy. Meanwhile, Raylan is investigating the guy because he didn't seem too interested in the fact that he was robbed. Poor guy, there's no way he makes it out of the season alive.
The pizza vault, and Eva's role in it, show us that Eva's not quite as under the thumb of Raylan and the marshals as we may have suspected. I suppose the deed was being held by Calhoun on behalf of Ty, though it now belongs to Boyd. The vault can't actually have anything it though at this point, can it?
Curious to see how this band of thieves makes out from their pizza vault. You have Rocky and Mugsy (Choo Choo and Seabass) doing most of the heavy lifting it seems. Choo Choo is another great tertiary character we get to laugh at. The entire exchange with Raylan "I'm not following you" and then his rationale for not killing the marshal are going to rank right up there with the rest of the dumb criminal exchanges from the series.
Tonight's Bourbon: Bullet Bourbon, again. 1 Giant Cube.
The target, Calhoun, is being approached from all angles. There's the Tigerhawk team trying to buy up land (for whoever they report to) and the attempted robbery by Hale/Boyd/Avery/Duffy. Meanwhile, Raylan is investigating the guy because he didn't seem too interested in the fact that he was robbed. Poor guy, there's no way he makes it out of the season alive.
The pizza vault, and Eva's role in it, show us that Eva's not quite as under the thumb of Raylan and the marshals as we may have suspected. I suppose the deed was being held by Calhoun on behalf of Ty, though it now belongs to Boyd. The vault can't actually have anything it though at this point, can it?
Curious to see how this band of thieves makes out from their pizza vault. You have Rocky and Mugsy (Choo Choo and Seabass) doing most of the heavy lifting it seems. Choo Choo is another great tertiary character we get to laugh at. The entire exchange with Raylan "I'm not following you" and then his rationale for not killing the marshal are going to rank right up there with the rest of the dumb criminal exchanges from the series.
- Raylan sharing his Florida plans with Boyd is unsettling
- Yes, go to Iceland
- Eva got some swagger back.
- Expect Dewey's necklace to come back into play, maybe as a clue to Raylan as to how to ultimately get Boyd
- Tigerhawk strikes me as both extralegal and extremely profitable
- People trying to buy land like that makes me think there's gas under there.
- Walker seemed disproportinally upset at the obstacles he encountered
Tonight's Bourbon: Bullet Bourbon, again. 1 Giant Cube.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Bests of 2014: Characters
No order or ranking. Just my favorites.
Gil John - Alpha House
The incredibly likeable but lazy senator from the great state of North Carolina suddenly got some presidential buzz after almost single single handedly passing a bipartisan bill, appearing on a reailty show, shutting down the party's wing nut standard bearer and winning a strong challenge to his seat. Alpha House has a lot of things going for it, but John Goodman is probably the best among them.
Oberyn Martell - Game of Thrones
Duh. No one delivered more against higher expectations or a bigger backlash of casting. Maybe the only person out there who can both politic and fight, besides Tywin. Again, there are high expectations of certain Storm of Swards scenes,done expertly, as well as scenes created out of whole cloth, like handing it to some Lannister guards in the brothel.
Dufresne - Black Sails
One of the background characters brought to the forefront to pump up the drama on Black Sails, Dufresne became best combination of a well acted, well executed, dynamic character on the biggest surprise show of 2014. Dufresne becomes the de facto star of the shows best episode ("V.") in a way that brings to mind Band of Brothers' rotating focus on different characters. Sadly, the actor portraying Dufresne had to bow out of the second season due to his bout with brain cancer.
Flashback Nucky - Boardwalk Empire
Much more than a Steve Buscemi impression, both actors conveyed with dexterity both Nucky's and Buscemi's mannerisms, as well as the events and motivations that made him the man he is, implicitly brought up again by his interactions with Joe Kennedy.
Helen - The Affair
The easy way to portray the wife of a cheating husband his to make her a harping shrew. The other way is basically anything else, and to get Maura Tierney to do it.
Rust Cohle - True Detective
This being easy and obvious doesn't make it wrong. The laconic detective. The undercover in too deep. The drunk. The redemption seeking. The conspiracy theorist. The commando. The guy who's usually right.
Hannibal - Hannibal
We KNOW what's going to happen. Both from the season premiere flash forward and from our own knowledge of the movies and books. Then Hannibal throws us. All season long. He's portrayed as a brilliant man being pursued by other brilliant people, which is also a complement to the show and the full cast. It's easy to make a character seem like a genius by making everyone else seem stupid, but Hannibal (both the show and the character) are done the right way.
Honorable Mentions:
Allison - The Affair
Grief stricken and lonely despite being surrounded by people. There's clearly a lot going on with her in the early episodes and it doesn't feel winky or overdone.
Louse - Bob's Burgers
Single funniest character on television.
Jamal - Tyrant
Barry thinks he's so smart, doesn't he?
Stephen Colbert - The Colbert Report
Swan Song for the character, new verse for the man
Sherlock and Watson - Elementary
Watson's growth and Sherlock's non cliched addiction struggles coupled with fun investigating make this one of my most looked forward to shows each week, year round.
Nora Durst - The Leftovers
Like Dufrense, star of a great episode - Band of Brothers style. Intriguing and dynamic
Roger Sterling - Mad Men
Finally coming into his own as a leader
Abby & Illana - Broad City
Funniest Girls on tv.
Gil John - Alpha House
The incredibly likeable but lazy senator from the great state of North Carolina suddenly got some presidential buzz after almost single single handedly passing a bipartisan bill, appearing on a reailty show, shutting down the party's wing nut standard bearer and winning a strong challenge to his seat. Alpha House has a lot of things going for it, but John Goodman is probably the best among them.
Oberyn Martell - Game of Thrones
Duh. No one delivered more against higher expectations or a bigger backlash of casting. Maybe the only person out there who can both politic and fight, besides Tywin. Again, there are high expectations of certain Storm of Swards scenes,done expertly, as well as scenes created out of whole cloth, like handing it to some Lannister guards in the brothel.
Dufresne - Black Sails
One of the background characters brought to the forefront to pump up the drama on Black Sails, Dufresne became best combination of a well acted, well executed, dynamic character on the biggest surprise show of 2014. Dufresne becomes the de facto star of the shows best episode ("V.") in a way that brings to mind Band of Brothers' rotating focus on different characters. Sadly, the actor portraying Dufresne had to bow out of the second season due to his bout with brain cancer.
Flashback Nucky - Boardwalk Empire
Much more than a Steve Buscemi impression, both actors conveyed with dexterity both Nucky's and Buscemi's mannerisms, as well as the events and motivations that made him the man he is, implicitly brought up again by his interactions with Joe Kennedy.
Helen - The Affair
The easy way to portray the wife of a cheating husband his to make her a harping shrew. The other way is basically anything else, and to get Maura Tierney to do it.
Rust Cohle - True Detective
This being easy and obvious doesn't make it wrong. The laconic detective. The undercover in too deep. The drunk. The redemption seeking. The conspiracy theorist. The commando. The guy who's usually right.
Hannibal - Hannibal
We KNOW what's going to happen. Both from the season premiere flash forward and from our own knowledge of the movies and books. Then Hannibal throws us. All season long. He's portrayed as a brilliant man being pursued by other brilliant people, which is also a complement to the show and the full cast. It's easy to make a character seem like a genius by making everyone else seem stupid, but Hannibal (both the show and the character) are done the right way.
Honorable Mentions:
Allison - The Affair
Grief stricken and lonely despite being surrounded by people. There's clearly a lot going on with her in the early episodes and it doesn't feel winky or overdone.
Louse - Bob's Burgers
Single funniest character on television.
Jamal - Tyrant
Barry thinks he's so smart, doesn't he?
Stephen Colbert - The Colbert Report
Swan Song for the character, new verse for the man
Sherlock and Watson - Elementary
Watson's growth and Sherlock's non cliched addiction struggles coupled with fun investigating make this one of my most looked forward to shows each week, year round.
Nora Durst - The Leftovers
Like Dufrense, star of a great episode - Band of Brothers style. Intriguing and dynamic
Roger Sterling - Mad Men
Finally coming into his own as a leader
Abby & Illana - Broad City
Funniest Girls on tv.
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
"Fate's Right Hand" - Justified - 6-01
Lots of "holler"ing back to the
pilot in the sixth season Justified premiere. Like a good novel, things
are coming back together from how they were laid out at the start.
Justified does this better than anyone on a scene, episode, season and series
level.
Dewey pined for simpler times when he and the gang hung out with Boyd in the abandoned church as part of Crowder's commandos, as they did in the pilot. Then Raylan came to town and since they everything's gone pear shaped.
Dewey wasn't the only one rehashing the old times. Boyd executed a suspected rat, as he did on the bridge in the pilot. And Raylan and Eva walked through her shooting Beaumon, which had taken place just prior to Raylan's homecoming in the pilot, and what she did to deceive him in the days leading up to it.
But perhaps the most important conversation was between Raylan and Art, which only tacitly brought to mind the pilot. Raylan can easily see a showdown where he shoots Boyd and heads off to Florida to see his baby girl...even if we know he's probably not going to live up to fatherly responsibilities based on the way he dodged any chance to see his daughter last season (and Winona's doctor appointments before that).
Art offered that Boyd could also shoot Raylan, but that doesn't seem likely to the White Hat. He almost finds it comical that Boyd could draw faster than him. So our minds automatically go to that other dinner at the Crowder house that ended in a shooting, when Raylan shot Boyd.
So I supposed we can expect the story to come back around and culminate in one of the standoffs that Justified has been so good at.
You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive is the refrain that's ended most seasons, and an idea that many of the characters have tried to attain. Even in "Fate's Right Hand" we see Boyd try to get Eva to pack up and leave if, part left unsaid, he can rob enough banks to set them up for life in Costa Rica. Each attempt to get out of Harlan has failed because it is some sort of purgatory and they haven't carried out their sentences yet. The question remains is if Raylan's shooting of Tommy Bucks in the first scene of the first episode, the sin that placed him there, is cardinal or venial.
Look-see
Dewey pined for simpler times when he and the gang hung out with Boyd in the abandoned church as part of Crowder's commandos, as they did in the pilot. Then Raylan came to town and since they everything's gone pear shaped.
Dewey wasn't the only one rehashing the old times. Boyd executed a suspected rat, as he did on the bridge in the pilot. And Raylan and Eva walked through her shooting Beaumon, which had taken place just prior to Raylan's homecoming in the pilot, and what she did to deceive him in the days leading up to it.
But perhaps the most important conversation was between Raylan and Art, which only tacitly brought to mind the pilot. Raylan can easily see a showdown where he shoots Boyd and heads off to Florida to see his baby girl...even if we know he's probably not going to live up to fatherly responsibilities based on the way he dodged any chance to see his daughter last season (and Winona's doctor appointments before that).
Art offered that Boyd could also shoot Raylan, but that doesn't seem likely to the White Hat. He almost finds it comical that Boyd could draw faster than him. So our minds automatically go to that other dinner at the Crowder house that ended in a shooting, when Raylan shot Boyd.
So I supposed we can expect the story to come back around and culminate in one of the standoffs that Justified has been so good at.
You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive is the refrain that's ended most seasons, and an idea that many of the characters have tried to attain. Even in "Fate's Right Hand" we see Boyd try to get Eva to pack up and leave if, part left unsaid, he can rob enough banks to set them up for life in Costa Rica. Each attempt to get out of Harlan has failed because it is some sort of purgatory and they haven't carried out their sentences yet. The question remains is if Raylan's shooting of Tommy Bucks in the first scene of the first episode, the sin that placed him there, is cardinal or venial.
Look-see
- Garret Dillahunt played two different characters in Deadwood, sharing the show with TO and many other Justified personalities. His face was oh so punchable. And kickable. And pistol whip-able
- Boyd's tattoo is there to remind us he's a bad guy after all
- "Stupid looking" They nailed it
- I don't even know how to type the phonetic versions of Dewey's "negligence" and "maleficence"
- Boyd mentions that Harlan was a boomtown. Boomtown was another Graham Yost creation that featured Quarles, from Detroit, and Limehouse, from Noble's Holler
- "What's in the box?!" Paperwork. The best season of Justified started with another seemingly innocuous find. In a wall no less. Though there were no drawers in that wall.
- Was Raylan saying the Dewey Crowe was a waterskiing Goofy at Disney World? Orlando makes sense, but the rest? Just plain hilarious.
- Miller's Creek is between Lexington and Harlan.
Tonight's drink: Bulleit Bourbon - Lawrenceburg, KY with one giant ice cube
