jdjc001 Reviews

Peaky Blinders: Black Day (2022) Season 6, Episode 1

9.4? Really?

[6/10 · 6 March 2022]

Don't really use this site anymore but just had to comment on this. Yes, the tribute to Helen McCrory/Aunt Pol was very touching, Cillian Murphy is on top form as always, but there is no way that this episode is even close to the series' best. It's 60 minutes of exposition that very haphazardly dumps on the audience that it was the IRA who is responsible for sabotaging Tommy's assassination plans. Like that's it? Now we're just going to skip along to the next thing and forget about Mosley?

Also, although I don't think she's a bad actor by any means, Anya Taylor-Joy feels a bit like a fish out of water as Gina this season. Compared to the other actors it felt like she was really chewing the scenery sometimes (almost every time she curses it's like watching a kid who just discovered dirty words), but to be honest it can't all be blamed on Taylor-Joy herself when a lot of the dialogue she's given tries way too hard to seem badass. I fear that her recent success as an actress is unfortunately going to overshadow the character itself and that she will be restricted to being walking fan service. In a similar vein, the random needle drops are becoming somewhat tiresome. I don't need to hear guitars to know that something is cool.

This episode wasn't bad at all (I know I must sound overtly critical and bitter) but it does puzzle me that this season premiere is rated so much higher than the others for this series. I'm still excited to see where the story goes after the news about Tommy's daughter and I'm hoping that Uncle Jack will not disappoint in a series with some truly classic villains.

Futurama: Ghost in the Machines (2011) Season 8, Episode 3

Good but has quite a major continuity blip

[13 April 2021]

This episode was pretty funny but didn't we establish just last season that Bender was mortal due to being built without a backup in the cloud or whatever?

The Sopranos: Nobody Knows Anything (1999) Season 1, Episode 11

The Sopranos rewatch - "Nobody Knows Anything" (contains spoilers for series as a whole)

[9/10 · 24 March 2021]

'Nobody Knows Anything' is a great return to form after a bit of a lull in quality. As the title suggests, this episode is full of secrecy and false fronts, specifically with regard to Detective Makazian and Pussy Bonpensiero, whose storylines overlap and interlock in a cleverly written and satisfying way. With Tony losing two dear friends by the end of this episode (albeit in different ways), his paranoia of course begins to spiral as he realises the control and power that we have seen him crave so desperately is slipping through his fingers, leading directly to the events of the following episode, 'Isabella'. Of course, he does manage to figure Jimmy Altieri as being the rat, although the joy that comes from this realisation as well as the relief that is was not Pussy (well, as far as he knows at this point...) of course does not take away from the fact that one of his best friends and top workers has disappeared with no trace whatsoever. The two-faced characters of The Sopranos are of course not just limited to the damaged men in and around mafia dealings - as we see more so than ever before in this episode, Livia is more than capable of spinning a few tales, even is Carmela is somewhat able to see through her. Having already seen her massive impact on Junior's judgement, we know for sure that Livia's claim of being nothing more than a shut-in with no power is completely false, despite the fact she really looks and acts the part. When Carmela tells her that Tony would "rather die than see (her) hurt", one could undeniably imagine this statement as being something of a catalyst for her infanticidal obsessions that reach a head in 'Isabella'.

With his best friend inexplicably gone and Junior gearing up for his murder, we know that Tony is in for a rough ride as the series prepares to deliver its climax. James Gandolfini's performance in this episode (particularly in the magnificent scene in Satriale's where Tony reveals that Jimmy is the informant) adds so much to this feeling of impending doom as you can almost see his blood boiling through every scene. It is certainly no coincidence that the final line of the episode, "It's brewin'", is delivered directly before a cross fade to Tony standing by the bridge where Makazian jumped. Now that's poetic.

The Sopranos: A Hit Is a Hit (1999) Season 1, Episode 10

The Sopranos rewatch - 'A Hit Is A Hit' (contains vague spoilers for series as whole)

[7/10 · 22 March 2021]

'A Hit Is A Hit' is another undeniable low point of season 1, although like other low points of this season, it is not without its evident redeeming qualities. As such, this episode is the first major storyline for the character of Adriana, and it is a great one too. We get a stark glimpse into Adriana's self-assertive yet naïve personality that permeates her existence in the show and it is also interesting to reevaluate her relationship with Christopher at this early stage given how horribly things turn out for the both of them. What I particularly appreciated about this storyline was its interconnectivity with Carmela's storyline, as the two begin to strive for financial independence, however Adriana of course dreams too big and it is Carmela who predictably comes out on top with her investments. Additionally, I honestly enjoy the comic presence of Visiting Day ('Erase Myself' is not THAT bad if you ask me), although sadly they come bundled with Massive Genius, who brought down this episode quite a lot. Just as we saw in 'Boca' with Ally and the coach, Massive Genius exists purely as a stereotypical emblem rather than an actual character, and it really felt as though the writers were way out of their depth in trying to build this fictional world of African-American crime alongside the Italian background that they are obviously more comfortable with. Not only that, but 'A Hit Is A Hit' slows down the main premise of the season even MORE than 'Boca', with no mention of Junior or Livia whatsoever. All that being said, this episode comes with another good plotline that, while being less prominent within the grand scheme of the episode, is just as memorable. Similar to 'The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti', the theme of Italian-American identity is wholly apparent throughout Tony's storyline with Dr. Cusamano and his friends. While in 'Tennessee' we saw civilian Italian-Americans actively rejecting the stereotypical portrayal of their culture in media, in this episode we see the exact opposite. Even on rewatching this episode, I still cannot help but cringe during the barbecue and golf sequences as Cusamano and co. desperately attempt to relate to Tony through artificial machismo and unmitigated sycophancy. It should go without saying that this storyline was very well written, providing another emotionally revealing therapy session for Tony as well as a cracking ending. Overall, 'A Hit Is A Hit' is another episode that could've been great had it not been for one ostensible flaw.

The Sopranos: Boca (1999) Season 1, Episode 9

The Sopranos rewatch - "Boca" (contains spoilers for this episode only)

[7/10 · 21 March 2021]

After two pretty lengthy analyses I think I'll try and keep this one a bit shorter. 'Boca' is an episode that I remember greatly enjoying as soon as I watched it for the first time, before my opinion gradually soured. It's not a bad episode by any means, but the coach storyline (despite its good intentions) is undeniably cliché and feels like a bit of a grinding halt within the season's fast-flowing narrative. Even the far superior Junior/Bobbi storyline is not without some questionable moments, namely Carmela's uncharacteristic outbursts during dinner. All that being said, there is still some very good stuff going on here. There is a clear focus on masculinity and, in a broader sense, gender roles. When we see the despicable way that Junior treats Bobbi after finding out she leaked his secret as well as the disgusting language used by Silvio regarding Ally's situation along with Tony's vehement denial of what has happened, it acts partially as a commentary for the many experiences within the world (see the amount of women who eventually spoke up after years of silence during #MeToo) where women have had to take the fall for the sake of men's fragile masculinity. Bobbi's line "What's so terrible about pleasing a woman?" additionally reflects that toxic masculinity tends to invalidate the needs of women entirely. This is revealed in Tony's misguided vigilantism, as Artie rightly points out to him that whacking the coach will only serve as instant gratification for himself with no consideration of coach's daughter and wife. Indeed, Tony has no interest is being a hero, but rather is interested in being a winner, whether it be through staunchly supporting his daughter's soccer team or outwardly flaunting leverage over Junior. In this way, it literally becomes a fatal flaw, as Junior suggests whacking Tony later on in the episode. However, Tony appears to already have made significant progress by the end of the episode, as he defies all odds by deciding to call the police on the coach. There is an undeniable childlike quality about his gleeful final line "I didn't hurt nobody", as if this is the first time in his life where he has actually been forced to sacrifice his own pride for the greater good. These elements of toxic masculinity are of course not just exclusive to Tony - despite rejecting a tantalising offer to make money from Tony and eventually rationalising the situation with Ally thanks to his wife's input, Artie continues to feel a prevalent sense of emasculation among the mafia types he grew up with that will only continue to escalate as seasons go by.

Again, I did like this episode and would give it a 7.5/10 if I could, but I do feel as though the subject matter is quite hamfisted. Two last things I want to say: the final scene between Junior and Bobbi is outstandingly done and as someone who loves wordplay I really appreciate the various connotations of this episode's title.

The Sopranos: The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti (1999) Season 1, Episode 8

The Sopranos rewatch - "The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti" (contains major spoilers for series as a whole)

[10/10 · 18 March 2021]

Whereas the previous episode, "Down Neck", is about coming to terms with the negative effects that family can have on life and how one can break the cycle, "The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti" is about the pressure we feel to conform to certain standards from our heritage and upbringing. The title of this episode is not just a witty reference of Adriana's reaction to Christopher's screenplay, as Tennessee Williams himself felt at odds with the rigid and hyper-masculine nature of his father and yearned to delve into the arts. Whereas the eponymous playwright was able to break free of these pressures, Christopher's predicament is much more entrapping and while the movie will eventually be made, he will of course never be able to leave behind the mob life and it is no coincidence that his death comes soon after fulfilling his dream. His fate appears already to be set in stone from the opening scene at the beginning; we see Christopher in the opening shot among the pigs painted on the wall of Satriale's, before he moves (notably without walking) to the front of store. As he comes face to face with death in the form of his first kill, Emil, who drags him forcefully and orders that he "WILL have (their) sausages". In addition, he sees his girlfriend, Adriana, seductively chewing on these sausages, before she transforms into Carmela. From this, it is clear that Christopher subconsciously realises that the mafia itself is literally a slaughterhouse (hence the pork imagery) that force feeds violence and death, while also realising that he and Adriana are on a dangerous ride that they can no longer get off. This explains why Christopher later explains his feelings to Tony as being a physical change; one that he describes to be cancerous. Predictably, Christopher misinterprets the dream as stemming entirely from his guilt in killing Emil, as he goes through various mental exercises in the episode to silence his real thoughts, even though they are already beginning to spill out in his script.

The undeniable Shakespearean influence in the first season of 'The Sopranos', specifically the influence of 'Hamlet', permeates this episode in particular. While it is usually Tony that draws comparison to Hamlet (with Junior and Livia being Claudius and Gertrude respectively), Christopher is the one who actively displays one of Hamlet's most unfortunate traits in this episode - avoidance of the inevitable. This is shown primarily through two events - digging up and moving Emil's body (reflecting 'Alas poor, yorick!'), and the impulsive outburst of violence at the bakery (reflecting Hamlet's killing of Polonius). This is not only evidence of Christopher very clearly displacing his emotions, but is something that plays into another one of Christopher's fantasies - martyrdom (or as Tony calls it, 'cowboyitis'). Given how Brendan Filone is portrayed on the news, it is easy to understand why Christopher would believe that a substantial death could elevate someone's existence, but what Christopher doesn't realise is that this "fame" is fleeting - the real change that comes with death is shown in the decay of Emil's body when it is dug up later on. Whereas most of the other men in the crew with are concerned only with the here and now, Christopher desperately craves for existence to have meaning (think "to be or not to be"). Tony calling this "cowboyitis" is not just a throwaway line in this respect - as we learn from the episode, Christopher has a deep passion for American films and pop culture, so to him the ultimate goal is to have as cinematic of a life as possible. Of course, Christopher is so deeply embroiled in this cinematic world that he entirely forgets that linear arcs and resolutions are absolutely not guaranteed in life.

With such a concept in place, it makes sense that the somewhat unavoidable Italian-American stereotype conversation came in this episode, as David Chase preempted the complaints that would follow given the subject matter of 'The Sopranos'. It would have been easy for Chase to have taken a one-sided approach and to ignore criticisms entirely, however what we are given is a fairly equal argument that almost plays like an internal conflict within Chase's head. In this way, Dr. Melfi and her ex-husband, Richard, act as the two opposing sides. The argument is presented in a rather jarring way that clashes with the usual subtlety of the show's writing, however I think it was necessary for Chase to explicitly spell out his beliefs. That being said, Melfi's storyline is not without its allusions to Christopher's storyline (and vice versa), with the aforementioned themes of choice and individuality. When Melfi laments the fact that Richard wants to sell the property that she once hoped they could live in together, we see that Melfi too has built something of an arc for her life and her disillusionment with the treatment of Italian-Americans in the media (unlike her ex-husband) shows a sense of individualism that will supposedly give her life meaning beyond others, something which Christopher yearns to have. Indeed, Christopher appears actually to play INTO Italian-American stereotypes rather than establishing his own personality. This is seen particularly in the bakery scene, which plays out very similarly to the scene in Goodfellas where Tommy shoots Spider in the foot, with there being the added irony of Spider being played by Michael Imperioli. In addition, there is a direct connection made between the episode's two main storylines when Christopher uses the word 'guinea' to describe himself, a word which Melfi said would drive Tony ballistic earlier on in the episode. Nevertheless, once Melfi's ex-husband insists that Tony is evil, Melfi's hypocrisy begins to reveal itself - her deliberate provocation of Tony during their therapy is a display of unprofessionalism comparatively similar to Christopher's 'cowboyitis'. As a matter of fact, both Christopher and Melfi will precariously juggle with Tony's psyche as the series goes on, albeit to differing degrees.

What this episode really boils down to is that people do not fit within categories. It is no coincidence that a dolly shot showing both sides of Tony is present right before the scene where we see Tony be both a selfish manipulator and a sympathetic father figure within the space of two minutes. The same can be said of the inclusion of the song 'Frank Sinatra' by Cake, with Sinatra's legacy continuing to be divisive to this day. Overall, 'The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti' is indubitably another one of the most significant episodes of the entire series and one of my personal favourites of the season.

The Sopranos: Down Neck (1999) Season 1, Episode 7

The Sopranos rewatch - "Down Neck" (contains major spoilers for series as a whole)

[9/10 · 16 March 2021]

To what extent can somebody's actions be blamed on their heritage and upbringing? In "Down Neck", one of the most important episodes of the series, this question is debated but not entirely answered. Given that much of this episode focuses on Tony's horrific upbringing, one could easily come away from the episode assuming that Tony's behaviours and life choices were set in stone by his upbringing. As such, we see A.J. blossoming into a restless and disobedient teenager just as Tony had been, with Tony becoming increasingly defensive of his son during the episode. We may see the final scene of father and son enjoying ice cream together as a sign that Tony is wanting to instill good memories into is son, thus breaking the cycle of torment in the Soprano family. This is misleading optimistic however - when 'White Rabbit' is used once again during this final scene after first being used during Tony's first flashback to his childhood, it appears to signify that nothing has really changed. Indeed, bonding over food is not exactly a healthy behaviour to have, given that the two are already overweight. Just as the narrator of 'White Rabbit' spirals through the temporarily transformative effects of psychedelic drugs, A.J. too will eventually spiral as the illusions of safety he has been fed for all of his life will be shattered, one by one.

Of course, Tony DID have a choice in his life. As Dr. Melfi tells him, not everything that happens is predestined. While the idea of there being a "rotten, putrid Soprano gene" (to quote Tony in 'Army of One') is a tempting justification, this is nullified by the fact that one of Tony's own sisters, Barbara, managed never to get caught up in the mafia world. Tony undoubtedly perpetuates the idea that everything is preordained in order to escape any accountability for his actions. This is not only seen in the way he talks about A.J., but in his conversation with Livia as well. While Livia denying Johnny the opportunity to move to Nevada is one that undoubtedly affected the life of their children, Tony blaming Livia's decision for the trajectory of his and Johnny's lives is oversimplified and also hypocritical, as we see from Tony's own refusal of the opportunity to flee in the final episode of season one. When Livia remarks that Tony's therapy is a way for him to "blame somebody for his life", it is actually not far from the truth at all. This is of course evident by the end of the show, as Dr. Melfi concludes Tony's therapy following the belated realisation that she is only enabling his actions.

Again, this was another terrific episode of a show that is only just beginning. To be honest, the only significant thing keeping me from rating this a 10/10 is the fact that it is rather poorly edited, what with its distracting flash fade transitions and some laughably obvious dubbing.

The Sopranos: Pax Soprana (1999) Season 1, Episode 6

The Sopranos rewatch - "Pax Soprana" (vague spoilers for this episode only)

[9/10 · 15 March 2021]

Not much to say about this episode except that it is a very solid one. While Tony's family appear to be more peaceful than ever in this episode (as alluded to in the title), we are reminded from the foreboding final scene that Junior's contentment is one that will come with a price, as will Carmela's continued passivity. As well as this, we see the escalation of Tony's feelings for Dr. Melfi, although by the end of the episode it appears as though they have been nipped in the bud for the time being. In summary, "Pax Soprana" is really an expository building point for future episodes to come, while having some neat little moments of its own. Was considering giving this episode an 8/10 but decided to bump it up slightly just because the writing and camerawork are so intelligently yet subtly executed and I thought the final scene in particular was excellently composed. One other thing; Tony telling Carmela that she is his "life" has to be one of the most blatant lies he has ever told on the show.

The Sopranos: College (1999) Season 1, Episode 5

The Sopranos rewatch - "College"

[10/10 · 14 March 2021]

There's not much I can say about this episode that hasn't already been said better by someone else. Every aspect of the episode - acting, writing, camerawork, scenery - come together in a perfect concoction. If "Denial, Anger, Acceptance" ascended the show into greatness territory, then "College" ascends the show into masterpiece territory. Even if this had been the one amazing episode that they had ever made for the show, it still would go down in television history. In fact, this episode COULD potentially stand alone as an excellent short film noir-as-character study. The impact of this episode has been somewhat diminished over time as we are spoiled by villainous antiheroes on television nowadays, but one must realise that back in 1999, to make your protagonist kill a man in cold blood was a tremendous leap of faith within the rather conservative television standards of the time.

If you're not hooked on The Sopranos after watching this episode, then this show is probably just not for you.

The Sopranos: Meadowlands (1999) Season 1, Episode 4

The Sopranos rewatch - 'Meadowlands' (spoilers for this episode only)

[7/10 · 14 March 2021]

After last week's stellar episode, 'Meadowlands' (to me at least) feels like a bit of a comedown. Don't get me wrong, it's still good, but I found some of the writing in this episode to be a tad clunkier than usual. That being said, this episode has some significant milestones for the series. The hypnotic dream sequence at the beginning is the first of many to come, and this episode is also the first to really put an emphasis on A.J. over Meadow. With regard to the dream sequence, there's a lot of good stuff going on (the Melfi and Livia comparison, A.J. peeping through the door, Jackie's foreboding speech), but I've never understood why the newspaper that Paulie is reading is in Japanese. It's not the only event in the episode that felt without purpose - Tony beating up Mikey Palmice is such an uncharacteristically blunt move that could have landed him a LOT of trouble and is a moment that seems to exist only to fill up a violence quota - this is supposed to be a mob show, after all(!)

This episode is quite an important one for Dr. Melfi, whose involvement with Tony begins to intervene with her personal life as he demands to know more about her. This intrusion comes in the form of the stereotypical bent cop, Detective Vin Makazian, as he beats up Dr. Melfi's date for little to no reason. Despite Melfi seeming to be on the ball at this point with regard to Tony's psychology, the two fairly obvious Freudian slips he makes as she explains the situation appear to go over her head.

Of course, this is not Melfi's only major purpose in this episode - she inadvertedly gives Tony some very strategic advice, leading Tony to reconsider quitting therapy. Of course, I am referring to Melfi telling Tony to give controlling elderly people the illusion of control, which he puts firmly into action by giving Junior the position of acting boss. This is definitely my favourite part of the episode and for me it is one of the defining moments in the season. Other moments I really liked include all of the scenes featuring Christopher and Adriana, Livia's never ending pessimism during her conversation with Tony, and Jackie's bittersweet funeral.

One final (rather petty) point: I can forgive the clichés of A.J.'s storyline here for the sake of important exposition and some great scenes for his character towards the end of the episode, but what I CANNOT forgive is how sloppily the Mario Kart scene was executed. I mean, the least they could've done was told James Gandolfini how to hold the controller properly!

The Sopranos: Denial, Anger, Acceptance (1999) Season 1, Episode 3

The Sopranos rewatch - 'Denial, Anger, Acceptance' (spoilers for the episode only)

[9/10 · 14 March 2021]

This is the first episode where I think that 'The Sopranos' really starts to come into its own as something that is not just a good television show, but a great one. Death and decay are omnipresent throughout this episode, as Tony moves through the stages of grief as mentioned in the episode's title (mostly anger) as he comes to terms with the partially catalysed demise of his dear friend, Jackie Aprile. We also see direct parallels between the likes of Tony and the likes of Christopher, who desperately pleads for his life a few scenes after Tony tells Dr. Melfi that he does not fear death after appearing to come to terms with Jackie's situation. Of course, the episode then ends with the iconic scene of the Brendan being shot, a scene which deliberately does not linger for too long as the audience can gauge the fragility of order and command in the mafia.

Demise and decay do not just come in the literal form; after being continually patronised by Carmela throughout the episode, Charmaine Bucco deals the first visible blow to Tony and Carmela's marriage, which has seemed somewhat stable up to this point (apart from the heated conversation outside of the MRI machine, of course).

Another thing that was great about this episode was the scene where Junior asks Livia for advice on the situation with Christopher and Brendan. It is the only scene to feature Livia in the episode, yet her presence is felt tremendously during the final scenes with Christopher and Brendan as the audience begins to realise just how much of an influence this supposedly frail and passive woman has on mafia surroundings. Her alliance with Junior shown here is, of course, just the beginning of a tumultuous relationship that will lead to this season's ultimate climax.

Overall, 'Denial, Anger, Acceptance' was a real step forward for its nuanced character writing, and despite the gratuitous and darkly comic violence that prevails at this point in the time, this episode definitely signifies that The Sopranos has a hell of a lot more to offer than standard mob scenarios with a little bit of psychological drama on the side.

One thing I forgot to point out while writing earlier: that sequence of Christopher's mock execution intertwined with Meadow's tweaked-out singing is perfectly poignant.

The Sopranos: 46 Long (1999) Season 1, Episode 2

The Sopranos rewatch - '46 Long' (contains vague spoilers for later seasons)

[8/10 · 14 March 2021]

When I reviewed the pilot, I mentioned that the first episode of a show can be the most difficult in a show's run. What I probably should've mentioned is that the problems that can be encountered while making a pilot will almost definitely run over into the next few episodes as well, even if the foundation has already been established. '46 Long' certainly feels like the show is still finding its footing, what with the cold open scene, corny music during Tony's panic attack at Livia's house, and an overwhelming focus on black humour. This is not to say that all of these features are inherently misguided - I do really enjoy some of the humour in this episode - but it is obvious that the balance of the various elements of genre in this show have yet to be refined.

The reason for my high score comes predominantly because the scenes with Livia are just fantastic, both in how they are written and the excellent performance of Nancy Marchand. She provides an excellent comparison to the other world that Tony deals with (that being the gruesome world of the mafia) and her presence in the show is definitely integral to the character development of Tony Soprano. The scenes between Tony and Dr. Melfi are just as good, as we can see a determined Melfi cautiously trying to weave her way around Tony's lifestyle while attempting to be as direct as possible. I had almost forgotten how significant Melfi was as a character on her own before she became little more than an expository device in the later seasons.

The other parts of the episode (the stolen car and the truck hijacking) were still entertaining, but I think that the emphasis on comedic value was a slightly undermining factor in both scenarios, particularly with regard to the very stereotypical gay couple who stole the car. However, I did like how the episode had a central theme - generational conflict - with the interview shown during the cold open having many elements of foreshadowing to it.

The Sopranos: Pilot (1999) Season 1, Episode 1

The Sopranos rewatch - Pilot (includes minor spoilers for season 1 as a whole)

[8/10 · 13 March 2021]

The pilot episode must be the hardest hurdle to overcome in the production of a television series as a whole. Not only are you having to firmly establish your characters and setting, but you're having to keep your audience engaged with budding plotlines that will keep them watching while not giving the game away too soon. In a time when television was still seen as a subpar form of media, The Sopranos had a lot of work to do to prove that it was going to be something that people would care about. Indeed, the pilot for this show is not exactly perfect, but it functions in a way that a pilot definitely should and has certainly acted as a blueprint for television series that have come afterwards. In this way, I can appreciate the pilot episode, even if it feels slightly incongruous to the show as a whole.

I think what the pilot episode does flawlessly is that it subtly convinces us to go along with Tony Soprano, who, after all, is a ruthless criminal. A lot of this comes through James Gandolfini's excellent acting, but the premise of the ducks is just such a good yet simple way to convey that Tony has actual depth and empathy, even if it is shoved down the audience's throat a LITTLE too much. Not only that, but the glimpses we get into the horrible and narcissistic people who surround him (namely Junior and Livia) are so well written that even if you hadn't come around to the character of Tony, you would still almost certainly have an incentive to watch.

As I mentioned, the pilot for The Sopranos, while good, is far from perfect. When I mentioned that this episode felt incongruous, I meant that mostly in a stylistic sense. While the pilot is not entirely devoid of unique charm (the dynamic between Tony and Dr. Melfi is established remarkably in this episode), a lot of the episode feels very cinematic in a kitschy kind of way. Due to the omnipresent narration from Tony, cannot help but make comparisons to Goodfellas, a film which is actually directly referenced at one point during the episode. Of course, the narration itself is not particularly a problem, but one almost cannot help comparing the rather cartoonish portrayal of the mafia world (especially with regard to violence) very unfavourably with that from Goodfellas. Nevertheless, the show would soon define its own path within the canon of mafia media, and because the character writing and plot development are so intriguing that I don't find this to be too much of a detractor in the first place.

This episode does have other distractions that are only really noticeable on rewatching the show, such as Tony supposedly being the boss of New Jersey when the boss is actually Jackie Aprile from episode 2 onwards. As well as this, the misguided scene where Tony and Christopher beat up the gambler is made even more distracting upon rewatch by the fact that it feels totally out of place for Tony's character. Other than that, I did really enjoy this episode and still consider it to be a strong first episode. One final point; that opening shot has got to be one the most striking and foreboding of any television series ever made.

Twin Peaks: Part 10 (2017) Season 1, Episode 10

Just when I thought things were taking a turn for the better...

[4/10 · 24 January 2021]

Gratuitous to a completely unnecessary extent. This show has a generally shallow depiction of women which is shocking considering this is the brainchild of the same guy who made Mulholland Drive. Don't even get me started on the stuff with Richard Horne.

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992)

Not quite what I was hoping for....

[4/10 · 7 November 2020]

A couple of months ago, I watched the Twin Peaks series in full for the first time and, for the most part, enjoyed it. It was charming yet mysterious, and for a while it kept your eyes glued to the screen. Sadly, after Laura's killer was revealed, it went completely off the tracks and even the acclaimed ending of the second season deeply disappointed and bewildered me, but I was willing to chalk it up to the fact that David Lynch was attempting to undo the damage made during his absence. With all that in mind, I had high hopes for this film, as Lynch would once again be able to take control of his story and provide a new insight into the chilling story of Laura Palmer. Unfortunately, it really missed the mark for me.

10 minutes into the movie, I was already feeling deeply disappointed. The Teresa Banks story is clearly very unfinished and holds no bearing to the grand scheme of the film. Further still, Chris Isaak is no Kyle MacLachlan, but even MacLachlan's parts seemed largely pointless, and I have no idea what the hell that David Bowie cameo was for. Granted, these are things that I believe are discussed in The Return, however at the time it would've been totally baffling. Furthermore, I'm sure people would've felt ripped off in these first 10 minutes as I did considering the film is supposed to be chronicling the final days of Laura Palmer as advertised. Nevertheless, the problems don't end there.

The Laura Palmer story, while made engaging by Sheryl Lee, is simply a live-action retelling of almost everything we already know from the series. I don't have a big problem with this per se, but I was really hoping for more of a new insight into her story. This does come in the form of the scenes with Leland/BOB which are all very good, however time which should've been spent there was instead wasted with Bobby, James and Donna. Don't get me wrong, they are all important characters when discussing Laura's story, but having Donna attend One Eyed Jack's and having Bobby kill someone were pointless and (especially in the case of Bobby) nonsensical additions. Having James around was also pointless because despite allegedly caring about her so much he does absolutely nothing to try and stop her from running away.

On top of all this, there's the lacklustre Black Lodge stuff. I'm perfectly fine with absurdity (I really love how it's done in Mulholland Drive) but here it just feels really forced with the weird costumes and random dialogue. It would be better if we were at least given some context, but instead it's just kind of...there. I understand once again that this kind of content is discussed further in The Return but as a stand alone film it feels like it was something that either should've been expanded upon or simply scrapped. I can certainly see why audiences at the time felt bewildered.

Overall, while the movie did have some redeeming qualities, I can't help but feel like it just fell flat on its face. I think the fact that Lynch made this movie because 'he couldn't leave the world of Twin Peaks' is quite telling as this movie is clearly made primarily for him and his most die-hard fans who think everything he does is the deepest artwork ever created. Perhaps I'd have to see The Return to fully appreciate parts of this, but even without the Black Lodge/lore stuff this movie still undeniably has a lot of flaws in my opinion.

The Wire: React Quotes (2008) Season 5, Episode 5

Starting to lose its way....

[5/10 · 26 October 2020]

Every episode that goes by this serial killer storyline gets more ridiculous, whether it be through its lack of logic (bite marks? Seriously?) or the character assassination of McNulty and particularly Freamon who has historically been the show's most morally upright character. I was originally open to the journalism storyline too however the character of Scott Templeton is utterly pointless and the whole time he's on screen I'm wondering why he bothered becoming a journalist in the first place when he can't even do basic investigative work. Overall the writing is just not at the same standard of subtlety and intelligence anymore; even the gunfight scene with Omar felt like something out of a boring action movie and it was very uncharacteristic of Omar to go in all guns blazing knowing that the Stanfield crew were waiting for his every move. All that being said, I do still find Marlo and his crew interesting and enjoy the presence of other characters like Clay Davis but I hope that we get to some action soon since we are only 5 episodes away from the finale...

Fargo: Waiting for Dutch (2015) Season 2, Episode 1

Mixed feelings (again)

[5/10 · 26 September 2020]

While this episode did have its moments, I found it to be a bit messy overall. In comparison to the first season, the characters and direction (as others have already mentioned) feel quite a bit flatter thus far and what appears to be this season's focal point (the murder of Rye Gerhardt) is not nearly as interesting as the descent of Lester Nygaard. The editing is the worst it's ever been, with unnecessary split screens and pointless flashbacks to events that happened in THE SAME EPISODE, but even with all that, I think my least favourite part of the episode was the diner scene, which tries to make a murder of 3 innocent people comedic with very over-the-top acting and cringeworthy dialogue. I don't get the deal with that Reagan thing at the beginning of the episode either, but maybe that's just because it's something that has yet to be fully developed.

The best parts of the episode were the subtle things, such as the differences highlighted between the behaviour of Dodd Gerhardt and Ed Blumquist at their respective dinner tables but having then having Ed become just as dastardly as Dodd by the end of the episode, and also the story about the girl in the polka-dot dress reflecting how Floyd as well as Peggy are underestimated when it comes to their immorality simply because they are women. which still gives me a glimmer of hope that this season will improve and reach the heights of the first, however judging by this first episode I'm not so sure.

Fargo: Buridan's Ass (2014) Season 1, Episode 6

A very eventful and thrilling episode dampened by a distinct lack of realism

[6/10 · 19 September 2020]

There's no doubt that 'Buridan's Ass' changes the game for the first season of Fargo, however the over-reliance on contrivances and coincidence makes this episode somewhat bittersweet. I'm not going to list the things that I thought fell in this category since other reviewers have done so already but I will say that there were clearly some very creative writers in the room for this season and it's a shame it sort of missed the mark. Definitely not a 9.4/10 in my eyes but still enjoyable nevertheless.

The Wire: Straight and True (2004) Season 3, Episode 5

Very good, but...

[8/10 · 7 September 2020]

All of the scenes with Tommy Carcetti are very dull and add practically nothing to the show's dynamic. It doesn't help that Aidan Gillen gives a wooden performance and has a pretty unconvincing American accent.

High Score: This is War (2020) Season 1, Episode 4

Pretty good

[7/10 · 30 August 2020]

Was another interesting episode although despite stating that it was about the console wars the episode really only spent time discussing the uprise of Sega and missed out Nintendo's point of view (including the release of the SNES) entirely.

High Score: Comeback Kid (2020) Season 1, Episode 2

An improvement over the previous episode

[8/10 · 29 August 2020]

I think that having a more focused episode topic definitely works better for this series, even though there were a few things (such as how exactly the NES was marketed in the US) that were never made clear. I also think it painted a one dimensional view of Nintendo in the late 80's, looking only at their successes, and the episode's structure was even more disjointed than the last. Despite all that however, the interviews were all very intriguing and the episode was generally more cohesive than the last.

High Score: Boom & Bust (2020) Season 1, Episode 1

A mixed bag

[6/10 · 29 August 2020]

There were some really strong parts to this episode, namely the interviews with the creators of Space Invaders, PAC-MAN, and E.T., however this summation of the first years of the video game industry left quite a lot to be desired.

Instead of actually starting at the beginning of video game history, we start in the late 70s. In turn, crucial elements of the video game industry's foundation such as Pong was only mentioned in passing and the Odyssey and the even earlier revelations such as Tennis for Two were completely skipped over.

What also doesn't work this series' favour is its tendency to jump around rather than tell a fluid story. Suddenly jumping to the (brief) history of Atari midway through an interview when it could've been mentioned earlier and randomly going back to Heinemann and her tournament after already having moving past Space Invaders were both clumsy moves in my opinion that broke up the flow of the documentary.

Other than that, I thought it was a bit of a weird move to not even mention Donkey Kong, although looking at next episode's synopsis I can see that we will probably learn more there. I'm honestly not as phased by the mass amount of graphics and visuals as others seem to be and did find the story of the marginalised Jerry Lawson to be fairly intriguing, even if (as another reviewer points out) he may not be as revolutionary as the documentary paints him out to be. Overall, it was fairly interesting and even with its flaws I look forward to what rest of the series has in store.

The Wire: Duck and Cover (2003) Season 2, Episode 8

Another very good episode

[9/10 · 24 August 2020]

Some key development to the docks case in this episode as well as some very well written humour. The one detractor from this episode for me is the somewhat rushed McNulty storyline although it did give Dominic West a chance to show off his acting chops. I really thought I wasn't going to enjoy this season as much as the first after a bit of a slow beginning but I have to admit the last couple of episodes have been excellent!

Lost: The Moth (2004) Season 1, Episode 7

A bit of a dud

[5/10 · 8 August 2020]

Until now, I'd been mostly enjoying the show, especially Locke's episode. However, parts of this episode were just so contrived and cliché that I was starting to switch off. Charlie's storyline is the most cliché of the bunch with its very cringeworthy dialogue and somewhat shallow portrayal of topics that really do require depth (drug addiction and fame, namely). Then, there was the trapped-cave storyline which was also a big cliché and just didn't really lead anywhere plotwise (I mean, they were obviously not going to kill off the main character this soon). Sayid's plan and the dialogue between Kate and Sawyer were by far the most entertaining parts of the episode.

Six Feet Under: Coming and Going (2004) Season 4, Episode 8

Going off the rails a bit

[6/10 · 29 July 2020]

Sadly what was once peak drama appears to be turning into a mixture of rushed clichés and uninteresting exposition...

Claire and Keith's storylines are both extremely vapid portrayals of sexuality (well, at least they seem to be in my opinion), with Keith's being especially frustrating given that he just gives himself up to Celeste easily knowing what David's going through and after rejecting the advances of his male co-worker previously.

The on-and-off relationship with Brenda and Nate is no longer shocking anymore but I did think the showdown with Joe and Brenda was pretty great.

Rico's storyline is quite honestly hard to care about given the character's track record and feels like something straight out of a soap opera with its big dramatic outbursts and whatnot. Justina Machado's performance as Vanessa is pretty much the highlight here.

I guess that Ruth and George's storyline is the strongest here, but I can't help but feel that George is pretty much a 'jumping the shark' kind of character. The multiple showdowns between George and Ruth were definitely my favourite parts of the episode even if the dialogue was a bit heavy handed.

I really hope that the series can regain its former glory soon before I lose interest because up until now I've been really enjoying it. There's just one more thing I want to point out - why the hell did they put piano music on Joe's music stand? Was it really that hard to find sheet music for horn? I know it's just an insignificant blunder but it is pretty noticeable as a musician myself.