White Collar 3.16 Review: "Judgment Day"
By John Keegan and Gregg Wright
As the final episode of season 3 begins, a question clearly comes to mind. Will Neal's sentence be commuted? Or will Neal be stuck with the anklet for another two years? It all seems pretty clear cut. Even with Kramer involved. Agent Kramer doesn't trust Neal, so presumably, he wants things to stay exactly as they are. The stakes don't seem particularly high. Either Neal sticks around and solves cases with Peter, or he sticks around and solves cases with Peter while wearing an anklet. Still, the season and mid-season finales pretty much always impress on "White Collar", so my expectations were fairly high.
As the final episode of season 3 begins, a question clearly comes to mind. Will Neal's sentence be commuted? Or will Neal be stuck with the anklet for another two years? It all seems pretty clear cut. Even with Kramer involved. Agent Kramer doesn't trust Neal, so presumably, he wants things to stay exactly as they are. The stakes don't seem particularly high. Either Neal sticks around and solves cases with Peter, or he sticks around and solves cases with Peter while wearing an anklet. Still, the season and mid-season finales pretty much always impress on "White Collar", so my expectations were fairly high.The River 1.5 Review: "Peaches"
By John Keegan and J.M. Graham
"The River" has been one of the more confounding viewing experiences so far this season. Despite some pretty subpar writing, mediocre acting and a dubious central conceit, it has somehow managed to be very entertaining and watchable. One might even say that the show has a certain magic to it, if one wanted to pluck the low hanging fruit. So on the heels of a decent episode that brought up some concerns about the urgency around the search for Emmet but still suffered from all of the foundational issues plaguing "The River", viewers are suddenly and without warning treated to an absolute knockout of an episode that for an hour manages to get almost everything right.
"The River" has been one of the more confounding viewing experiences so far this season. Despite some pretty subpar writing, mediocre acting and a dubious central conceit, it has somehow managed to be very entertaining and watchable. One might even say that the show has a certain magic to it, if one wanted to pluck the low hanging fruit. So on the heels of a decent episode that brought up some concerns about the urgency around the search for Emmet but still suffered from all of the foundational issues plaguing "The River", viewers are suddenly and without warning treated to an absolute knockout of an episode that for an hour manages to get almost everything right.Person of Interest 1.16 Review: "Risk"
By John Keegan and Edmund Boys
After shaking things up for a few episodes, “Person of Interest” was taking it easy this episode. Its players moved around the chess board, lulling observers with a pleasing, if conventional, mid-game. But then, the minor pieces move aside, and, like a discovered check, expose the attack of a much more powerful player. It was another 'Gotcha' moment, and one of Grand Master proportions.
After shaking things up for a few episodes, “Person of Interest” was taking it easy this episode. Its players moved around the chess board, lulling observers with a pleasing, if conventional, mid-game. But then, the minor pieces move aside, and, like a discovered check, expose the attack of a much more powerful player. It was another 'Gotcha' moment, and one of Grand Master proportions.Awake: Brilliant in Any Reality
By Jamie Ruby
Awake, which premieres tomorrow on NBC, stars Jason Isaacs as Detective Britten as he struggles with living two lives, not knowing which is real. Britten has been involved in a car accident, and in one reality his son Rex (Dylan Minnette) is alive, but his wife Hannah (Laura Allen) has died. In the other, his wife survived, but they lost their son. Britten has no idea when he is awake and when he is dreaming, and doesn't want to know. He refuses to live in only one reality and accept that someone he loves is gone. Whether Britten's mind is fractured by the emotional distress, or whether perhaps something completely different is going on, is not told to the audience.
It's hard to categorize a series that is so many things. The series to me had a slight science fiction vibe, yet it's not really sci-fi – anything can happen in your dreams. The show is somewhat hard to classify because it's outside the box – it's procedural – you can watch only one episode and understand what is going on. Each episode has a case (or two) which at least for the most part will be resolved. Yet the show definitely has an overall story arc that gets more complex as the story moves beyond the pilot. As much as it is drama, I do think science fiction fans like myself will enjoy it as I have. It is definitely a unique story and there's nothing like it on television, or has been in the past.
Awake, which premieres tomorrow on NBC, stars Jason Isaacs as Detective Britten as he struggles with living two lives, not knowing which is real. Britten has been involved in a car accident, and in one reality his son Rex (Dylan Minnette) is alive, but his wife Hannah (Laura Allen) has died. In the other, his wife survived, but they lost their son. Britten has no idea when he is awake and when he is dreaming, and doesn't want to know. He refuses to live in only one reality and accept that someone he loves is gone. Whether Britten's mind is fractured by the emotional distress, or whether perhaps something completely different is going on, is not told to the audience.It's hard to categorize a series that is so many things. The series to me had a slight science fiction vibe, yet it's not really sci-fi – anything can happen in your dreams. The show is somewhat hard to classify because it's outside the box – it's procedural – you can watch only one episode and understand what is going on. Each episode has a case (or two) which at least for the most part will be resolved. Yet the show definitely has an overall story arc that gets more complex as the story moves beyond the pilot. As much as it is drama, I do think science fiction fans like myself will enjoy it as I have. It is definitely a unique story and there's nothing like it on television, or has been in the past.
The Walking Dead 2.10 Review: "18 Miles Out"
By John Keegan and Gregg Wright
"18 Miles Out" is yet another episode containing a surprising amount of action and suspense, along with quite a few zombies. I find it hard to complain, given that the genre elements were the main reason I started watching. I do enjoy good drama, and so I've had to learn to appreciate "The Walking Dead" for what it has become. A certain amount of drama is necessary in virtually every genre. But on a more superficial level, I started watching "The Walking Dead" because I wanted to see people experiencing the suspense, dread, and horror of a zombie outbreak. So far, the second half of the season seems to be offering a good deal more of that than the first. So it's fair to say that it's aligning more closely with my core tastes as a consumer of entertainment.
"18 Miles Out" is yet another episode containing a surprising amount of action and suspense, along with quite a few zombies. I find it hard to complain, given that the genre elements were the main reason I started watching. I do enjoy good drama, and so I've had to learn to appreciate "The Walking Dead" for what it has become. A certain amount of drama is necessary in virtually every genre. But on a more superficial level, I started watching "The Walking Dead" because I wanted to see people experiencing the suspense, dread, and horror of a zombie outbreak. So far, the second half of the season seems to be offering a good deal more of that than the first. So it's fair to say that it's aligning more closely with my core tastes as a consumer of entertainment.
Welcome! This is a place for those inspired by the strange, fantastic, and unknown. It is dedicated to those who share their talents with us and shine, whether it be on our televisions or on the silver screen. Here you will find interviews with celebrities, reviews from multiple genres, and other pop culture news and multimedia. While we originally started with a love for science fiction and fantasy, this site is no longer just for any one genre.Something you want to see featured here? Have your own site you'd like to see here? Don't hesitate to let us know!
Welcome! This is a place for those inspired by the strange, fantastic, and unknown. It is dedicated to those who share their talents with us and shine, whether it be on our televisions or on the silver screen. Here you will find interviews with celebrities, reviews from multiple genres, and other pop culture news and multimedia. While we originally started with a love for science fiction and fantasy, this site is no longer just for any one genre.Something you want to see featured here? Have your own site you'd like to see here? Don't hesitate to let us know!
Welcome! This is a place for those inspired by the strange, fantastic, and unknown. It is dedicated to those who share their talents with us and shine, whether it be on our televisions or on the silver screen. Here you will find interviews with celebrities, reviews from multiple genres, and other pop culture news and multimedia. While we originally started with a love for science fiction and fantasy, this site is no longer just for any one genre.Something you want to see featured here? Have your own site you'd like to see here? Don't hesitate to let us know!
Welcome! This is a place for those inspired by the strange, fantastic, and unknown. It is dedicated to those who share their talents with us and shine, whether it be on our televisions or on the silver screen. Here you will find interviews with celebrities, reviews from multiple genres, and other pop culture news and multimedia. While we originally started with a love for science fiction and fantasy, this site is no longer just for any one genre.Something you want to see featured here? Have your own site you'd like to see here? Don't hesitate to let us know!
Welcome! This is a place for those inspired by the strange, fantastic, and unknown. It is dedicated to those who share their talents with us and shine, whether it be on our televisions or on the silver screen. Here you will find interviews with celebrities, reviews from multiple genres, and other pop culture news and multimedia. While we originally started with a love for science fiction and fantasy, this site is no longer just for any one genre.Something you want to see featured here? Have your own site you'd like to see here? Don't hesitate to let us know!