championbc-99-5005 Reviews

Murdoch Mysteries: A Midnight Train to Kingston (2013) Season 7, Episode 9

Not Worthy of the "Murdoch" Name

[1/10 · 31 August 2016]

What can I say that has not been said already? This show has the potential to be the best thing on TV -- British, American, or Canadian. I find it usually brilliant and refreshing.

But suddenly, for the last four (count 'em 4) episodes, we have had a blatantly homosexual emphasis forced on us. I expect these things in 21st century shows, but I have a problem believing that everyone was openly gay in the late 19th and early 20th century.

A mouth-to-mouth kiss? Really? And as others have noted, the usually ingenious Murdoch and Crabtree are suddenly the Keystone cops.

This show had an agenda that was only hinted at in the last three, but blatant in this one: we will write a bad episode just so we can make you watch something you really don't want to see.

When these shows are about Murdoch and George and their delightful co-workers, they are as good as it gets. When somebody is allowed to distort them like this episode did, we all feel as violated as Murdoch was in the last scene.

Madam Secretary: Standoff (2015) Season 1, Episode 12

Stunning Lack of Creativity

[6/10 · 24 August 2016]

I wish that someone who writes in Hollywood would actually go to Texas before pretending to know anything about this state.

I don't think Texas has had a governor who even remotely resembled Caleb Lockwood since the 1930s, and his nickname was "Pappy." Texas governors wear nice tailored suits, have college educations, and understand the law and diplomacy.

We have had Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives, in office for my whole lifetime, and none of them would have done what this one did, even the most conservative of the lot. We do not believe in crossing international borders and stealing prisoners, and if some vigilante group (looks more like Idaho to me) were to steal a prisoner from Mexico and bring him here, our governor would not set up carnival booths and exploit this thing in the media.

Most likely, the governor -- any governor from the past 50 years -- would have personally called the secretary of state and asked for help in resolving this international incident.

This series is fabulous! The writing is (usually) excellent. I love this entire series, and I know that even the best of them have a "rotten" one here and there, but really? Who is the unimaginative, lazy person who actually thinks that Texans elect fat "Boss Hawg" types of politicians to parade around in street clothes, using exaggerated accents, and talk like they are on "Smokey and the Bandit?" I still gave the episode a "6." Most of them, in my opinion, are worth a 9 or a 10, but they need to can the persons who wrote this caricature in, and while they are at it, get rid of whoever it was that cast the actor for the governor. We have not had an overweight governor in my entire lifetime, and they all have dressed the part, even the ones I didn't particularly like, such as the one right before the man we have now.

The West Wing: Game On (2002) Season 4, Episode 6

The Beginning of the End

[9/10 · 18 August 2016]

Up to now, the show has been majestic! Oh, there are a few characters that come and go that are not that appealing to me (nor important to mention at this time), but most of the "occasionals" are great, too.

Well-written and compelling, this particular episode as the usual great 40-some-odd minutes of more than entertainment, but I always watch it with a little sadness.

This is the beginning of the "writing out" of Sam Seaborn. Yes, I know that Rob Lowe was ready to leave, and I think Aaron Sorkin invents a great way of doing it, but I also know that the show's decay begins as Lowe leaves. Maybe not because he leaves, but it also tells us that Sorkin's powerful influence on the show is leaving as well.

The first three seasons have been delightful. My personal favorite is season 2. But now, in season 4, we begin the dismantling of the most engaging, most powerful series on TV. There will still be a "West Wing" for three more seasons, but not like the one we have loved until now.

This one introduces Joshua Malina, which does a masterful job of making us immediately like Will Bailey, who is brilliant and full of integrity. He will continue to be until, for some reason, he jumps ship and begins to campaign for a lesser candidate who is not worthy of either that integrity or brilliance.

We know that the End is Near. I usually quit somewhere in season 5 and start over at the beginning, because watching season five and forward is like eating ribs: you get some meat here and there, but it's harder to find and a lot less satisfying.

I know a president can't serve more than two terms, that actors and writers and producers must move on as well, so I understand that. But when Sam goes to California to try to quash the campaign of a dead man, you know that great things won't last much longer.

This episode, by itself, is magnificent. But it's hard for a veteran "The West Wing" fan to watch it, because I know what's coming.

Murdoch Mysteries: Winston's Lost Night (2013) Season 6, Episode 2

Like a Bad Penny, She Keeps Turning Up

[15 July 2016]

This episode, like most episodes of "Murdoch," is delightfully well-written, interesting, and enjoyable to watch. My wife and I are watching them in order on streaming TV, and look forward to each one.

There is only one thing that I don't like about this show, and that is the anachronistic, constantly-self-centered, always condescending Dr. Julia Ogden. Her very presence poisons the show.

She tarnishes the character of William Murdoch, causing him to do things we know he wouldn't do. It must be her way or the highway. Season 5 was my favorite of all the seasons so far, because, for the most part, she was kept comfortably in the background, out of the way. It gave us an opportunity to see greater character development in George Crabtree, as well as the refreshing return of the genuine Detective Murdoch.

The show would be so much better if she could simply be written out, but I have "looked ahead" at IMDb episodes and realize that we are stuck with her during each season. She adds nothing to the show, and twists and warps both the time period and the show itself.

In this episode, she has the audacity to "damn" God Himself, in front of William Murdoch, a man of deep faith and devotion, and somehow, his response seems to be, "If I have to choose between God and you, I guess I will choose you." This is not the Murdoch we know and love.

I will continue to enjoy this otherwise excellent series, and I will just hold my nose every time she has to be inserted into the show, and wait until her "exit stage right" so we can get on with the entertainment.

Frozen Planet (2011–2012)

As Good as it Gets!

[10/10 · 23 April 2016]

As a rule, I don't enjoy programs or documentaries that are filled with superlatives and hyperbole, and usually rate them lower. Having said that, this series is filled with superlatives and hyperbole, and every one of them is justified. For example, when he speaks of the Taiga, a forest that goes all the way around the world and contains 1/3 of all the world's trees, it is done majestically. When we are told that all the spotted eider ducks in the world are contained in that one spot at that one moment in the Bering Sea, it adds to the wonder of it all.

I learned so much during this series. Then I watched it again. Both my wife and I sat in wonder as we went through the series on Netflix.

My only question is about the "seven" episodes. There are only six on our streaming server. If the seventh appears, we will snap it up quickly.

The narration was engaging and professional, the music was majestic, and the painstaking camera work was incredible. I shook my head in wonder many times how they had attained such amazing footage.

This series was one of the best TV experiences I have ever had.

The Book of Esther (2013)

Very Poorly Done

[1/10 · 9 December 2015]

First, I have to say that I am a conservative Christian and that I enjoy watching what Pureflix usually has to offer. But this one was totally disappointing. Of course, they warn us at the beginning that they have removed some of the biblical elements, and added other fictitious events to this movie. Then, they encourage us to read the actual book of Esther in the Bible. I will say that this encouragement is the best part of the whole movie.

The actual story of Esther is full of action, adventure, intrigue, romance, irony, humor, and edge-of-your-seat suspense. I am amazed at the ability of these writers to rob this story of all that.

I have no idea why they felt the need to add scriptures, prayers, and the mention of the name of God to this movie. Esther is unique in the whole Bible as the only book that does not specifically mention God. Rather, He is seen behind the scenes, as in real life, as the Master Weaver of history. Having Him actually speak Esther's Jewish name to her is totally out of character.

I do not understand why the writers felt it necessary to take what was probably fifteen years or more of history, and make it appear to have happened within a few months' time.

Jen Lilly is no doubt a beautiful young lady, as I am sure Esther was, but instead of appearing to compete for the title of queen of Persia, I thought she looked more like a candidate for Miss Alabama.

Mordecai was a much better actor when he played the aged Daniel in the movie of the same name. Here, he seems to have stumbled over several lines, and everyone seems to have forgotten the lines he uttered at the first of the movie about Esther keeping her identity secret, as well as her relationship to him.

The very idea of Mordecai presenting Esther in a contest for "Miss Persia" is preposterous, and the movie's presumption that there were no available fair virgins in surrounding lands that could wed a king is ridiculous. Harems were full of them, and there were always many more ladies-in-waiting. It was the way diplomacy was done in those days.

Thao Penglis, whom I remember most from the second TV try of "Mission Impossible" thinks this is a Shakespearian production, and in some of his scenes with his wife, I think they do a pretty good impersonation of Lord and Lady MacBeth. Unfortunately, this is not medieval Scotland.

In fact, as I think about it, this entire movie seems to go in search of an identity, sometimes thinking it is "Cinderella," and other times, "MacBeth." It fails in both. They had a great story, and the movie could have been great; it wasn't. It was disappointing.

I suppose the writers thought to make the story more interesting with their omissions and embellishments, but what they have done is the crime of taking one of the most inspiring stories of the Bible and actually making it boring, predictable, and preposterous.

NCIS: Bait (2006) Season 3, Episode 18

Tony Finally Grows Up

[10/10 · 28 August 2015]

My wife and I are currently "binge-watching" this series on streaming TV, and have loved watching its development. However, neither one of us can stand Tony.

His constant puerile comments, his predictability, his self-centered attitude are all overdone and boring. There has been nothing to like.

I have seen glimpses of his character show through when the water hits the wheel, but it is always plowed back under by another stupid comment or selfish action. He reminds me of kids I went to high school with, but they all out-grew it.

Friends who love this show have told us to give Tony time, that he will become a better character, and this show seems to back that up. He is given responsibility, and he shines. This is Tony at his best, and he does the job with style.

I hope this continues. I don't mind him being a comic character, but the Tony tonight was making the tough decisions, keeping together under pressure, and making the right calls. His humor was germane to the situation, entertaining, and enjoyable.

Tony has been the only reason I have not completely like this show, but it appears that the writers are going to let him be something more now than a two-dimensional stand-up cardboard character.

This actor has talent, and I am glad they seem to finally be letting him use it.

Oh, and this show was really good, with a satisfying ending.

Criminal Minds: Zugzwang (2013) Season 8, Episode 12

Why?

[1/10 · 19 July 2015]

SPOILER -- SPOILER -- SPOILER -- YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

The BAU is always the cavalry to the rescue. They always get there in time. If someone is alive with ten minutes to go in the show, that person is going to live.

Spencer's love interest is likable, intelligent, and perfect for him. Spencer is the best character in the show, the sympathetic character, and deserving of something good finally happening in his life.

I was moved when Hotch's ex-wife was killed, and it was well-incorporated. I was not moved by this. I have hurt seeing Spencer cry in grief before, and he did not deserve for this to happen.

How you can have a whole room full of FBI agents, guns trained on the unsub, and still let her kill herself and Spencer's love interest with one bullet -- how it can violate the formula of the show and kill someone in the last ten seconds -- this show was just bad, bad, bad.

I really have no desire to ever watch it again at this moment.

Criminal Minds: The Lesson (2012) Season 8, Episode 10

Just Because It Needs to Be Said Again...

[1/10 · 18 July 2015]

This may be the worst one I have seen yet. I love this series, especially because I love (most of) the characters.

But this one is too dark, too violent, and shows too much of the actual gratuitous violence.

It is also in that category I call "art for art's sake." That is when theater people do theater for themselves, and do things that only interest their own weird preferences for theater.

Also, while it was interesting at first, the show is now beginning to do too many of those plots where you find out that some person/people in the show are only in the unsub's imagination. It was an interesting trick once or twice, but now it's getting old.

There is a back story developing, but right now, it's not too interesting.

This one was just too ugly, too meaninglessly graphic, and dwelt too much on innocent people in horrendous pain.

Criminal Minds: The Fight (2010) Season 5, Episode 18

BAU Meets the A-Team

[1/10 · 30 June 2015]

So, for those who feel that the current BAU team seems a little too cerebral, and longs for the days of Hannibal, Mr T, and all the old gang, complete with helicopters, snipers, former prisoners, and foreign agents, we present to you a new, more 70s-style team.

The whole purpose of this episode is to serve as the pilot for a spin-off that did not last a whole season. Of course, we know they are the good guys because Hotch gives Sam Cooper a big ol' hug and lets us know that they have a long history of trust and mutual confidence. This was the technique also used to graft Rossi into the story, and it worked great with him; not so much this time.

Just in case you're not sure about the whole "A-Team" thing, the episode is called "The Fight," and using an old empty swimming pool, you have a fight-to-the-death arena where guys can beat other guys to death with their bare hands.

This episode had too little Spencer, a sparing use of Penelope, and did not feature the brilliant work that we are spoiled and accustomed to with this series.

On its own, "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior" might have been good. Haven't seen it, but noticed it didn't last long. I actually like Cooper and some of the cast, though I really can't say that about all of them.

Well, we got this out of the way, and I am hoping that we can return now to the good shows. But get ready for some shoot-em-up rock 'em sock 'em action with a little "Face" charm thrown in.

If you skip this one, you will not miss any of the back story or current character development going on, so if you are short of time, this is 43 minutes you won't lose if you skip it.

Blue Bloods: Open Secrets (2014) Season 4, Episode 15

A Good Show but with Hollywood Idiocy Added

[7/10 · 31 May 2015]

See? I still gave it a "7" and it is still my favorite show to watch, but somebody let a Hollywood bonehead put his/her/its own philosophy into the script.

We all know about the tension between Erin and Nicky, and most of the time, Grandpa has to step in and get Nicky back on track.

But today, we see Erin coming home, and Nicky, who lives in mom's house, eats mom's food, and who will be getting mom's college money, steps out of the bedroom, obviously stunned to be found out.

Then, out comes the high school stud (I say that because he came over to "study," and we go ahead and have him for dinner.

But later, in all the wisdom of her sixteen years, Nicky sets her mom straight. "Yes, we are talking about having sex, and no, it is not any of your business. I have no idea what love is, nor if he means anything to me, but we might just have sex anyway because I am a stupid teen-aged kid, and no one in this show is giving me any advice at all because they are all afraid to." Come on! This show was made popular because it is a strong Catholic family with strong family values, yet mom does not have the guts to try to teach Nicky anything. And Nicky actually thinks she is smart enough, mature enough, and experienced enough to figure this one out.

And then Erin goes ahead and all but confesses that she was sexually active at Nicky's age, and that she's not standing in the way. "Just don't do it in my house," she implies, which, of course, opens it up to anywhere else in the world.

The problem is, some sixteen-year-old is going to think that all parents are that buffoonish, and that sex is some type of no-consequence play toy that teens have at their disposal that will have no long-term effects on their lives, careers, and families.

This is my favorite show. But someone with the morals of a tomcat (apologies to all tomcats here) decided to insert this damaging piece of Hollywood propaganda here.

Outside of that, a pretty good show, as usual.

Dragnet 1967: Public Affairs: DR-07 (1968) Season 3, Episode 1

After the Season Two Cliff-Hanger, Season Three Soars

[10/10 · 6 May 2015]

As we left season two, Friday and Gannon were taking the responsibility of community relations, trying to ease the hotbed of racial and political unrest that had come from alleged police brutality.

In order to do that, they bravely begin the third season by walking into the den of lions of a highly biased TV talk show that openly hates cops. Among the people there ready to accuse them is none other than WKRP's Johnny Fever, under another name, of course (the character as well as the actor). I'm not sure if this takes place before the infamous incident where he said "bugar" on the air and lost his job, but his bitterness against the establishment here seems to say this was after the fact.

The episode had no mention of Gannon's apparently secretive "project" that he seems to be working on surreptitiously, deep inside LAPD; however, the episode opens with a noticeably nervous Gannon working hard to keep Friday out of the room where he has been, even stepping into the hall and telling him there's no reason for them to go in. Instead, they are being sent to the TV studio.

In the last episode, Friday had warned the police not to address any "negro" civilians as "boy," in order to defuse the situation, but in this encounter at the TV station, one of the black leaders does refer to Friday as a "honky," which he tactfully shrugs off. I think it may have stung, however, as he later addresses a young white weed-advocate as "boy," and you can feel the anger in his voice.

Gannon and Friday manage to calm the overall situation, it appears, and the show ends with the lights going out in the TV studio. As this season premiere closes, we get an inkling of the new direction of the series. The name has been changed (to protect the innocent?) to "Dragnet 1969," and the opening music is noticeably longer, with more opening credits. The LA chief of police, who closed the last season with an impassioned plea, is nowhere to be found, and we wonder if he is still in the mix.

The stage has been set. The easy-going law-and-order scenario of the first season in long gone, and we feel the tension "in the trenches." Even Gannon seems a little concerned about his own home life, and hints at some tension at home between him and his wife.

I am curious as to how this season will unfold, and if Friday and Gannon will be able to pour oil on troubled waters. I detect some pessimism in Friday's own voice that even he may not be aware of. He opens season three with a lackluster, "This is the city; I work here," type of monologue, instead of his usually colorful commentary.

Is the grind getting to him? Will a rift grow between him and Gannon? Will we ever learn what the secret project is, what Gannon is obviously hiding from Friday, so much so that he actually blocks a door to keep him from coming into a room? Season 3 looks to be the best yet. Stay tuned.

Dragnet 1967: The Big Problem (1968) Season 2, Episode 28

Season 2 Finale!

[10/10 · 6 May 2015]

I came to this knowing that there would be a lot "left in the air" since season finales always have cliffhangers. I was certainly not disappointed. A few are most subtle. What is that "presentation" that Gannon is working on? It's only mentioned in passing, but it left a nagging question in my mind. I can only hope that Season 3 will clear it up in the first few episodes.

I could taste the tension in the opening scene as Friday and Gannon worked in community relations to try to ease some of the pressure of police brutality. I knew we would see the one character, Billy Jones, again. Though he came to the meeting all decked out in a suit and tie, he vowed that he would not submit to "white man's" customs and laws. He tried to incite a riot right there, and left angrily when no one would follow him. He appeared again at the end of the show, and seems to have made his peace with the police. I am thinking that Billy (Georg Sanford Brown) is even thinking about police work now, and it would not surprise me if he is soon a rookie cop himself.

The other couple, the Ericksons (they were not Swedish, by the way), apologize to the officers for the young man's outburst. But only a few hours later, they are also angry. They have been stopped in a suspicious Mustang with a color TV in their back seat. I held my breath for them, and breathed a sigh of relief as they were cleared of any wrong doing by an understanding Gannon.

The two officers who pulled them over frightened me a little, and Friday had to get a little rough with one, even singling him out at roll call the next day. I am afraid that we have not yet seen the end of this, and expect at least one episode devoted to this next season.

What will become of this area of LA where crime and brutality are running rampant? Why did Chief Tom Reddin of the real LAPD have to make a sudden appearance at the end of the show? Why did the officers ask Friday about money at the end of roll call? Are their lives in danger? And what about that secret presentation Gannon is working on? I'm so glad this is on streaming TV and I don't have to wait until next fall to find the answers. Hold on to your seats for season 3!

The Maze Runner (2014)

I am glad I saw it for free

[1/10 · 9 April 2015]

Redbox gave me a free movie code, so I picked this one up. I got just what I paid for. I am so glad I didn't pay theater prices for this lame excuse for a movie. This is one of the stupidest things I have ever had to endure.

Try to imagine "Matrix," "Hunger Games," and a little bit of "Lord of the Flies" all wrapped together, using the worst of all those movies. Now, throw it all together, and pretend that it has some real meaning, and that, in the course of the movie, we will figure it out.

Then, introduce clues to the puzzle, and make sure none of them add up. Make deaths as sensitive and illogical as you can, and be sure that any real message about hope, endurance, integrity, friendship, or courage does NOT come through.

Try your best to discourage any viewer who has come to this movie with any expectation whatsoever.

Be sure to kill as many people as you can, and after some of them have used effort and sacrifice to pass through an impassible maze, be sure to, at the end, let the biggest coward suddenly show up, somehow, with them, and kill someone else before he himself is killed.

Then, have some old battleaxe in a lab coat pretend to say something that is supposed to have meaning, and leave it cryptically hanging there as the closing credits roll.

I think it was supposed to be "bait" to suck me in to an interminable parade of sequels.

Yeah, right. I've already seen one too many in this pathetic series.

Hawaii Five-0: Olelo Pa'a (2013) Season 3, Episode 20

North Korea is the new "catch-all" enemy.

[5/10 · 20 March 2015]

We have to be politically correct, you know. We can't offend the Arab and Muslim nations any longer, so no more invading of their borders. Then, there are those in South America. Can't bother the Colombians. The "bad guys" we could all be sure to beat up in Hollywood without raising any ire had boiled down to white supremacists and neo-Nazis. Just look at how they changed Tom Clancy's books (I'm mainly thinking "The Sum of All Fears") so as not to offend anyone on Hollywood's protected list.

But those head-shaved religious fanatics who stockpile guns in Idaho have been so over-used that it was getting stale, so Hollywood said, "Okay, we will give you a new one: North Korea." So Five-0 has had a field day with them. If the DMZ ever goes down, McGarrett can do tours. He knows the place really well now. And of course, it's okay to shoot all those North Koreans, so go for it.

And I have to give a special award to McGarrett's favorite squeeze, Catherine Rollins. Oh, I know, she's good at beating people up, survival, shooting people, finding a needle in a haystack with a satellite, and being ever patient with a most un-romantic boyfriend.

But what gets the award is the way this tough female Rambo keeps that "just out of the beauty salon" look. Cross a few muddy jungle patches, dodge a few bullets, beat up a bad guy, survive a car wreck, and that beautiful hair still looks like she just brushed it 100 strokes after rinse and conditioner. And those perfectly penciled eyebrows; lipstick that never disappears, and those beautiful eye lashes.

I don't know what kind of mascara she uses, but I wish it had been around back when Tammy Faye was crying for funds on the PTL Club. It never runs, never looks over- or under-done.

This woman stays immaculately beautiful, whether she's at the console of the battle deck of the USS Enterprise, or beating the snot out of three big guys with guns. That's why she gets the award. Sure Farrah could swim across a river with the other Angels, and her hair still looked great, but she can't hold a candle to Catherine.

If you read this and think I don't love this series, you are wrong. My wife and I are binge-watching them on a streaming service, and enjoying them. There are some great episodes, but these things tend to bother us a little.

But I still give it 5 stars for all the action, followed by some heart-warming sticky sentimentality, both in the heat of battle, and at the very end. Jack Lord didn't cry until season 9 when Chen died. This Steve cries in Season 3. He's just a tender type of guy.

Hawaii Five-0: Ha'awe Make Loa (2012) Season 3, Episode 9

A Twenty Minute Commercial Embedded in an Episode

[5/10 · 16 March 2015]

Everybody likes to make a little extra money, so the people in charge must have made a lot from "Victoria's Secret." Oh, yes, I forgot, there was also this other plot about a bank robbery and tracking some guy down...

But we see the "Victoria's Secret" product placement everywhere, and we get to hear their stories, and see how great the guys in charge are, and how important all of this is. We even get a little excitement as there is some action and danger among the models, a cheesy threatening note, and a very, very, all-too-easy resolution to the commercial that took up over half of this episode.

Oh, and I loved the scene where the guy who is dying from cancer, suffering from chemo, is able to outrun Steve in a Parkour (free running) match. As someone who has gone through chemo, let me tell you that it did not turn me into Reggie Bush like it did this guy.

So, the good guys and Victoria's Secret all win, and that's no spoiler, because you know they always do. This was one of the worst episodes in an otherwise excellent series.

So why do I give it five stars? Because Max saves the day. His role in this is delightful, Max gets cooler with every episode, and it is worth slogging through the twenty minutes of Victoria's Secret ads and the other twenty minutes of traditional commercials and the fifteen minutes of chasing down some kind of bank robbers (oh, and a naked drug addict to boot), in order to catch the five minutes that has Max in it. Max is great. Watch it for Max. I would tell you more, but it would be a spoiler, and I wouldn't want to do that!

Hawaii Five-0: Ua Hala (Death in the Family) (2012) Season 2, Episode 23

Please Disregard the Other Review

[10/10 · 12 March 2015]

Whoever wrote the other review is actually reviewing Episode 21, not this one, and it makes me doubt his ability to review anything if he can't remember which episode he is reviewing.

All I really want to say is that this episode is definitely worth your time. Being a "season finale," it will have cliff-hangers. There will be several irons in the fire, and fortunately for us who live in 2015, instead of having to wonder and anticipate for several months, we can just move on to the next streamed episode.

Just so you know, a "semi-regular" is killed to open the episode (nobody who gets top billing in the opening sequence, so don't worry), but that sets them on their end. One bad guy gets released from jail over something complicated, there is a vengeful cop-killer on the loose, and lots of our regulars in definite danger.

We get to see Joe White again, and his ever-teasing promise of revealing who "Shelbourne" is. Will he? Sorry, no NCIS in this one. Forget the other review. It has absolutely nothing to do with this episode. In fact, it had little to do with episode 21 either...

Hawaii Five-0: Ka Iwi Kapu (Sacred Bones) (2011) Season 2, Episode 7

Dumbest One Yet

[1/10 · 9 March 2015]

I am really enjoying this series, and I guess every series, even the great ones, have to have a "stinker" somewhere. This is the "Spock's Brain" of "Hawaii Five-0" so far.

I know, I know; it's Halloween, and this was aired on Halloween night. That's no excuse. In addition to really solving nothing, there is no connection to the "back story" that has been building since last season, which was the only reason I sat through all of this dreadful episode instead of turning it off. I thought maybe we might get some crumb of information about McGarrett's dad, Wo Fat, or what Joe White is investigating -- just a few seconds or something.

I'm sorry. There is nothing good to say. This one was just silly, and not deserving of the acclaim this series is getting otherwise.

Avoid it. You will miss nothing.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Criminal Stories (2014) Season 15, Episode 18

Jabba the Hutt Gets His Shot

[7/10 · 20 February 2015]

I think this series needs to remove the disclaimer that sometimes bookends this show. It is obvious that this story is taken from real life, and that it represents real people (it has Katie Couric as herself). We even hear Tawana Brawley's name used (that is a real person). We see the return of Reverend Scott, SVU's own "Al Sharpton," and the new antagonist in this is Jimmy Breslin, though we give him a new last name here, "MacArthur." At first, I was bothered that somebody was paying Alec Baldwin food money again, but I realized later what good casting this was. They needed a vain, arrogant, self-deceived, obnoxious, overweight jerk to take the role, and for that, Baldwin does not even need to act. It's hard to believe this is the same guy who once played Jack Ryan and "The Shadow." I take it back; he had to act a little, because there are a couple of places where human decency "almost" shines through.

A lot of the characters in this episode, mostly the victim's family, are very unrealistic, doing things and making changes that do not reflect real life, and we never do get to see the real villains, the people inside NYPD who seem to have a private line to Breslin, I mean, MacArthur.

The really bad guys are, of course, the filthy rich 1% dudes who, for no other reason than having a good time, decide they want to rape a Muslim virgin from India. We don't know if they've ever done anything like this before, or why this night was special, but we have to make sure again to let everyone know that most of the "real" crime in New York comes from these evil rich people who have the courts, the police, and the press in their hip pockets.

In spite of all this, the episode held my attention, and there were some satisfying twists in the episode. Once again, Tutuola is the real knight in shining armor. He continues to be the only one left in the squad who has not turned in papers or is in desperate need of psychiatric help. Special victims of New York, pray for Tutuola; he's the only one who has all his oars in the water right now.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Gambler's Fallacy (2014) Season 15, Episode 17

Something Different, For a Change

[10/10 · 20 February 2015]

I'm surprised that no one has reviewed this one. For a change, I don't have to feel sorry for poor girls who worship some guy, get drunk, go to his room, beg for sex,climb on his bed, and then cry "rape" when things get rough. We don't have to see Barba get his head handed to him when the "surprise video" turns up to ruin his case, and we all shake our heads as another guilty defendant walks away. That has seemed to be the theme of this season so far.

In this one, we don't even have to see Reverend Scott, SVU's own Al Sharpton, misinterpret what happened and step in as a representative.

No, I would have to be a "spoiler" to say more. I just want to note that this one will go where you don't expect it to go, and at the danger of saying too much, please note that Kelli Giddish is still on the list of future shows, but by the middle of this episode, you are wondering if she will get her own spin-off, "Cop in Jail." This is one of the best this year so far. What we've learned this year is that it is next to impossible to indict an obvious brutal criminal, that SVU is in a crisis. They can't win a case; they have lost two veterans, and of the remaining detectives, one has been taken off the streets and put in an office, two others have lives so messed up that you wonder how they keep their jobs. I never thought I would see the day that the most stable cop in the whole unit is being played by Ice-T, the rapper who at one time was most famous for his "kill a cop" albums. But Tutuola is now the last bastion of stability.

In the middle of all of that, you get what, at this juncture, is the best episode of the year so far. As some suspect might say, "I have said too much." So I'm walking out of here now, unless you are going to read me my rights, in which case, I'm getting a lawyer.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Legitimate Rape (2013) Season 14, Episode 18

A Shameful Story, Shameful Writing

[4/10 · 3 February 2015]

Every episode of "SVU" starts with the disclaimer that the story is fictional, that it represents no real event or person. Then this one has the title "Legitimate Rape," taken directly from the statement by Missouri Senate Candidate Todd Akin that "legitimate rapes rarely result in pregnancy." While the statement is foolish and poorly worded, it as immediately picked up by the media.

So, the rapist gets off in this one, mainly because the Akins clone this time as a doctor-become-congressman who managed to convince one juror that this as a "legitimate rape." That opened the door to the rapist being found not guilty and being able to go to court for custody rights.

Evidently, in New York, lawyers don't cross-examine jurors. They just pick the first twelve, and so no one even brought this up. I have heard that "he who represents himself in court has a fool for a client," but a law school graduate who never took the bar exam, who is now a cameraman for a sports network, not to mention a lawyer and a rapist, who probably lives in his mother's basement, manages to win this trial, then win two hours of weekly visitation of the child of his "non-rape." I love to watch SVU, and I accept the fact that, because it is a major network production, it is going to always be to the left of center, but this episode was conjured to take a shot at one candidate for an office, and pretend that conservative America is behind this.

This was beneath you, SVU. I've seen you do so much better. You've even softened some of my own conservative stances by showing a compassionate quality of the issue from the other side.

But not this time. This was too strongly targeted. The least you could have done was to run this one without the disclaimer.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Vanity's Bonfire (2012) Season 14, Episode 7

Tie up the loose ends!

[7/10 · 23 January 2015]

This one had potential; in fact, it had my full attention until the closing credits, which came, in my opinion, about five minutes too early. NOTE: I CHECKED THE SPOILER WARNING. HERE THEY COME. The baby seems to have been kidnapped by some wannabe mother, as happens often. It turns out that it is the biological mother who has kidnapped her baby. Then we find that the adoptive parents had used the services of a surrogate mother, or at least they thought they had. The surrogate mother turns out to be a scam. The abducted child (which SVU found very quickly) has neither the DNA of the so-called surrogate mom or the supposed sperm donor father. We will find out soon that it is a prominent judge on the fast track to the Supreme Court (played by Scott Bakula -- with class) who is the actual father, that the birth mother was his mistress since his own wife is dying, and he or his father (not sure which) contrived this whole thing using a personal injury lawyer to set up the phony paperwork, a lawyer who has since died, ironically, of medical malpractice (and I wondered if that was actually an accident).

The child's adoptive parents, who had no idea of the setup, watch in horror as the judge gives their child of 3-1/2 years to foster care. The toddler cries for mom as she is taken away, and the parents are devastated. Then, the birth mom is killed by, we find out later, the daughter of the philandering judge.

We weren't sure who killed her, and the judge's wife, who is already dying of a tumor, confesses to the crime, even though we all know she was physically incapable of doing it. She begs Olivia to keep it quiet so her daughter is not sent to prison, and Olivia decides to clam up. She tells Cragen that mom did it, while Amaro silently stares at both. And then the credits...

Two things. First, this is totally out of character for Benson. Sympathy or no, she plays by the book, and would not just let a murderer walk away.

Secondly, we have no idea who got the toddler. I was hoping there would at least be a passing reference, maybe Benson herself telling the grieving adoptive parents that they may have a chance at getting their child back, now that mom is dead, dad is washed up, the lawyer is dead, and the whole thing was a crock. But nothing...

Gunsmoke: The Hidecutters (1968) Season 14, Episode 2

Did TV Land Destroy a Good Episode?

[7/10 · 20 January 2015]

I thought this was a good episode, but without jumping to an ending and spoilers, I just want to say that I also felt like a huge chunk was missing here.

I am actually watching these episodes on "You Tube" in order, and the early ones were either DVD episodes, or taken from a western channel. After color started, TV Land seemed to own most of them. When it was not TV Land, they episodes were 48 minutes long. The TV Land episodes always hack away six minutes so they can show more commercials. Usually it's a piece here, a piece there, with just a blip that lets you know that somebody had to sell some life insurance or a walker or something.

But this one does take a huge jump. I think it was the cable channel.

Nevertheless, it was a good episode with some people who went on to better things. One thing my wife and I wonder about, though. The "Chunk" character is credited to an actor name Cliff Osmond. We were sure it was Roger Carmel, who played "Harry Mudd" in the "Star Trek" series. Has anyone else noticed this?

Gunsmoke: Zavala (1968) Season 14, Episode 3

As Good As It Gets

[10/10 · 20 January 2015]

I was disappointed with season 13; lots of episodes that went nowhere. So far, season 14 has been a breath of fresh air, and "Zavala" is a prime example.

I don't need to say a lot about the episode itself. There are already two really good reviews here that give you a taste of it without any spoilers.

This was the first time, I think, that the "Gunsmoke" theme music was re-edited and turned into some sentimental background music during two special scenes. I really like that.

Matt is seen as a hero and a good man, who can be a gentleman with an abused woman, and a real father figure with a young boy.

This episode is the reason I like to watch "Gunsmoke." If I wanted to get someone else interested in this series, "Zavala" would be what I recommended them to watch.

Gunsmoke: Wonder (1967) Season 13, Episode 14

Strange Rewrite

[3/10 · 10 January 2015]

For some reason I guess we'll never know, the writers took an episode from Season 8 (episode 28)and tried to do it again. They used a completely different actor for Jud (Ron Hayes originally) and Wonder (Edmund Vargas originally), and assumed we would all remember them.

It even confused the IMDb writer of the synopsis; that synopsis is actually the plot of the 1963 episode, so even the people reviewing this one don't know it's another episode.

It would be hard to spoil this episode, as you would probably go to sleep reading it. Just suffice to say that the first go-round, "I Call Him Wonder," was much better; actually heart-warming. It happened back when Chester was still with the show, and Leonard Nimoy was a bad guy in the original episode.

Go watch it. There's more to it, even if it is in black and white. This was just a poorly done recycle that never went anywhere.