Tiffany Vogt

Archive for November, 2009

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Spotlight on Elizabeth Mitchell

In NiceGirlsTV, TV Watchtower on November 24, 2009 at 4:48 pm

First gracing the television screen in 1993 on the television series Dangerous Curves, Elizabeth Mitchell quickly began an ascent that has taken her to starring in two of the most buzzed about series currently on television: V and Lost.

While few watched her debut into the television arena, she has proven over the years to be an actress who naturally stands-out and makes her presence felt. Not content with a mere wallflower role, she began getting noticed for her steely resistance and stunning good looks. Then, in 1998, she was cast in a ground-breaking role as the lover of Angelina Jolie in  Gia. That was quickly followed by a role in the short-lived TV series Significant Others, in which she co-starred with Jennifer Garner (Alias) and Michael Weatherly (NCIS).

Fortunately, her next project was a feature film Frequency, a sci-fi film starring Dennis Quaid and Jim Caviezel. Alas, being cast as Dennis Quaid’s wife was not enough to keep her on the big screen and Elizabeth was soon back on television appearing in another short-lived series Time of Your Life, which coincidentally co-starred Jennifer Garner, Pauley Perrette (NCIS), and Jennifer Love Hewitt (Ghost Whisperer).

Still not finding a secure niche, Elizabeth tackled the role of Dr. Kim Legaspi, the lover of Dr. Kerry Weaver in the hit drama ER. It was during this time period that she fine-tuned her comedic skills by co-starring in the films The Santa Clause, The Santa Clause 2 and The Santa Clause 3 with comedian Tim Allen. She also balanced her comedic forays by working in the short-lived legal drama The Lyon’s Den which starred Rob Lowe. Bouncing between serious, comedic and earnest 20-something roles, Elizabeth built a fine resume of solid work experience showing off not only her versatility, but her strong work ethic and willingness to step-outside the box to portray strong yet vulnerable women.

It was that more than anything that perhaps brought her to the attention of Lost, where she scored the role of a lifetime, playing the ambiguous, resilient and astoundingly lethal Juliet Burke – and, for the first time, stole the limelight from a popular co-star and claimed the heart of the bad-boy with a heart of gold, James “Sawyer” Ford. Over the course of four seasons, Elizabeth not only stole scenes and attention, she carved out a fanatic fan-base and managed to become the heart and hero of the show. So much so that in May 2009, she literally ended the season with a bang and created one of the biggest cliff-hangers of the series.

Continue reading article at:

http://nicegirlstv.com/2009/11/24/spotlight-on-elizabeth-mitchell/

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Review of ‘The Vampire Diaries’ – The Turning Point

In Rabid Doll, TV Watchtower on November 24, 2009 at 12:50 am

What’s more exciting than vampires? A rogue vampire and a rogue vampire hunter!

Living up to the episode’s name “The Turning Point,” this was the kitchen-sink episode. It had a little bit of everything for everyone. We had a person returning from the dead and dying all over again, Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon (Ian Somerhalder) actually getting along and working together (gasp!), a star-crossed love affair, mesmerism, a rogue demon hunter and a surprise accident. It was an adrenaline rush from one scene to the next.

 This was indeed the turning point for everyone. It was no longer a show about the discovery of vampires. This is now a story about how virtually everyone knows there are vampires and how they interact with them. For clearly, Elena (Nina Dobrev) and Bonnie (Katrina Graham) both now know. The council, which includes the Sheriff and the Mayor and a host of others know about the vampires. And Alaric Salzman (Matthew Davis) knows a lot more about vampires than he has let on. While Jenna (Sara Canning), Caroline (Candice Accola), Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen), Matt (Zach Roerig) and Tyler (Michael Trevino) are perhaps the few that do not consciously know, they certainly have had their fair share of vampire encounters and some of them have taken turns at being victims of vampire mesmerism (Caroline, Tyler and Jeremy). Additionally, Jenna and Matt are closely associated to vampires through their connections to Logan (Chris J. Johnson) and Vicki (Kayla Ewell).

 Jenna also nearly became dinner for the newly-turned Logan, but was wise enough to not invite him into the house. Unfortunately, this did not bode so well for the woman jogging down the road. Logan was the loose-cannon throughout the episode. While not as emotionally unstable and erratic as Vicki was – especially since Logan had the sense to acquire a gun and filled it with wooden bullets to take down Damon when he came calling — Logan was stupid enough to leave the body of the jogger behind out in the open. It was pure stupidity that he left it behind thinking that he was just too tired to drag the body of the jogger back to his lair to hide it along with the others he had been accumulating. It was exactly that kind of sloppiness that put him on everyone’s radar: Damon and Stefan who wanted to keep their presence invisible to the local vampire-posse; the town’s founding father’s group who were on the look-out for vampires, and a newly arrived self-appointed vampire hunter. With so many enemies out to stop him, Logan never had a chance.

 So, just as Stefan and Damon were debating where they should go after leaving Mystic Falls, the Sheriff (Marguerite MacIntyre) stopped by bearing bad news that there had been another attack. Damon then stated the obvious, “There’s another vampire in town.” To which Stefan quickly replied, “That’s impossible” knowing Damon had staked the only other vampire who had been in town – Lexie. But Damon simply retorted, “Obviously not.” Despite their plans to the contrary, it was clear that they were not going anywhere with a rogue vampire on the loose.

 Pulling from his bag of tricks, Damon “recruited” Caroline to aid in using the pocket watch to locate the new vampire – especially since if he tried to use it, it wouldn’t work as his presence interfered with the signal. What was not so clever was rushing head-long into the warehouse just to be shot by Logan, with wooden bullets no less. Ingenious, though it seems a bit crazy for a vampire to feel the need to protect himself from other vampires.

 Despite Damon’s protests, “I killed you. I didn’t turn you,” Logan was not too sure and was furious to have been turned, abandoned and left to fend for himself. With a stash of dead bodies piling up, he just could not get a handle on this vampire-thing. And the one thing he really needed to know was why he couldn’t walk in the sun like Stefan and Damon. If he was going to be stuck being a vampire for eternity, that was the one skill he really wanted.

But after being shot with nearly a dozen wooden bullets, Damon was not feeling so helpful. Instead, he was incredibly pissed off and feeling a bit vengeful – particularly after Logan kidnapped Damon’s tasty-treat, Caroline. So once Damon and Stefan had Logan cornered, Damon evilly grinned and said, “Payback is a bitch, isn’t it?” after shooting Logan. But just as Damon was about to deliver the death blow, Logan quickly said, “You think you’re the only one who wants to get into that tomb under that old church?” It was this little crumb that enticed Damon into granting Logan a temporary reprieve. However, Alaric Salzman, rogue vampire hunter, had another plan in mind and promptly staked Logan the first chance he got.

 So with a whopping cliff-hanger in the balance, namely Elena pinned under her car after fleeing from Stefan after discovering a photo of Katherine and a shadowy figure approaching ominously, we also were left with the image of the Sheriff believing that Damon was the hero of the day (again) when she told him, “This town owes you so much. So do I.” Watch out Damon, hero-worship can be a dangerous thing.

Continue reading article at:

http://rabiddoll.com/node/1028

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“Chuck” – A Safe Word for Chuck This Season?

In TV Watchtower on November 20, 2009 at 12:41 am

When asked about whether his character Casey would be programming Chuck with a safe word so that Chuck could be turned off if he poses a threat to others with his newly-programmed abilities, actor Adam Baldwin exclaimed, ““Now that’s a great idea!  Where’s a producer so I can have them write that in?!”

As producers Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak emphasized, Chuck will not only be a potential danger to his handlers, Sarah and Casey, he could be a threat to the entire world.  Josh Schwartz stated that, “it has always been Sarah’s mission to protect Chuck from the world, now she will have to protect the world from Chuck.”  Especially as Chuck now has access to these amazing abilities, but does not know how to use or control them, Schwartz exclaimed, “he could potentially blow up the world!”

The new skills that Chuck has been programmed with are not without glitches and side-effects — particularly as the physical combat skills were designed for an agent more like Chuck’s frenemy Bryce Larkin, than for the average guy like Chuck.  Thus, Chuck could experience computer-glitches from the new and improved version of the Intersect that he downloaded into his brain last season.  For as Schwartz explained, “Chuck’s physical powers don’t necessarily last. The new Intersect was designed for Bryce Larkin, super spy. Unfortunately they got into Chuck Bartowski, an emotional guy with a lot of issues.”  There also could be a cost or a side-effect, such as unexpected drowsiness, which as Zachary Levi noted, Chuck “can’t know Chuck-Fu all the time. It would make Chuck’s handlers obsolete and we can’t have that. So our very talented and wise creators have structured it so that the Chuck-Fu and any of the other physical powers that I may have, have a window – a shelf life.” Fedak further explained that Sarah and Casey were not going anywhere as they “will be serving as [Chuck’s] Senseis.”

Another wrinkle that will manifest early in the season is changes in the characters’ relationships.  For Chuck and Sarah, there will be an unresolved expectation that will not be met that will drive a wedge between them.  As Schwartz put it, “Something very emotional and traumatic is going to happen between Chuck and Sarah” and before the fans could react in outrage, he hastened to add, “but it’s going to be really good!”

Additionally, now that Ellie and Devon are married, they have moved out of the apartment and into their own place.  Schwartz also revealed that “now that Devon [aka: Captain Awesome] knows Chuck’s secret, you will start to see him submerge into the spy world.”  To which McPartlin gleefully added, “Much to Josh Gomez’s chagrin! I’m really excited to be in the spy world, I can’t wait!”

The other major change is that Chuck and Morgan are now roommates, which is certain to ensure that the bromance high-jinks will continue.  As for what is going to be happening at the Buy More, all Schwartz and Fedak would confirm was that the Buy More would continue to be featured in each episode.  As Fedak succinctly put it, “it’s our most expensive set; we’re definitely going to use it.”  Fedak also assured the fans that the Buy More will still be apart of the show. “No matter how much action we put on, the show is never going to lose its sense of humor.”

Which was clearly demonstrated last summer at Comic-Con, when they nearly brought-down-the-house with a live performance by Jeffster, featuring vocals by Vik Sahay and Scott Krinsky, to the tune of Queen’s “Flat Bottomed Girls.”  (Per Schwartz, look for more of the musical talents of Jeffster to be featured on the “Chuck Me Out” website.)

“Chuck” will return on Sunday, January 10, 2010 for a 2 hour special at 8 p.m. on NBC.  Then returns to its regular time slot starting Monday, January 11, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. on NBC.

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You Had Me at Halo: “Defying Gravity”

In Airlock Alpha, TV Watchtower on November 18, 2009 at 5:03 pm

The good, the bad and the ugly on how a sci-fi show was launched and killed in eight episodes

I may be the sole voice wailing in the darkness.  But news of cancellation of the television series “Defying Gravity” struck me with a blow.  It was ominous enough when the show was unceremoniously yanked off the broadcast schedule in September to make room for the return of “Brothers & Sisters.”  However, from the beginning, “Defying Gravity” was never intended to be a full season show.  It was a venture between the BBC, Fox, Omni Film, CTV, SPACE and ProSiebien for international broadcast.  Yet, after some soul-searching and head-scratching, ABC thought maybe it should pluck it from obscurity, re-branded it as “Grey’s Anatomy in space” and then selected August 2nd as its premiere date, with little to no promotional campaign.  (Hey, I was at Comic-Con and there was absolutely NO mention of it at all – over 100,000 sci-fi buffs and geeks attending the largest sci-fi convention of the year just days before the premier and no one thought to promote it there?!)

 It also had no branding behind it. I mean ask anyone if they have seen “Defying Gravity” and you’ll get a host of mixed reactions, mostly confusion.  “Defying Gravity” is a phrase better associated with the hit song from the play “Wicked” and which was recently featured on the Fox show “Glee.”  Additionally, many people think it is the same show as Fox’s “Virtuality,” which actually never made it to series, but they opted to broadcast the pilot anyway, after some heavy mass-marketing and promotion.  It was unreal to see such a push for name recognition and viewers for a show that was ultimately passed on!  But that is another story.  So you may have heard of “Virtuality.”

 But prior to August 1st, 2009, had you ever heard of “Defying Gravity”?  I hadn’t until one of my editors asked me if I had heard anything about it.  Curious, I tuned in and was pleasantly surprised. 

 While the title alone was not gripping enough to get my attention, the premise was intriguing.  It was a show about 8 astronauts on a 6 year mission to 7 planets – and, after just one episode, I was hooked.  With the solid and appealing casting of Ron Livingston, Laura Harris and Christina Cox, and a host of fresh new faces, the show was both interesting and fun to watch.  It was also intriguing and thought-provoking as it took the time to address the small stuff, like food, hair, plumbing, gardening, no sex, cross-training for medical emergencies, or even how spilt blood and vomit can clog air filters.  Yet no amount of fun casting, cool characters and attention to detail can save a show that is not treated with a little respect.

 These days, television audiences are not simply going to turn on the TV and watch whatever is there.  No, in today’s television landscape there are over 100 regular TV channels to choose from and each of them caters to a specific niche audience.  Unfortunately, ABC is not known as a sci-fi network.  (“Lost” doesn’t count because most people don’t even think of it as a sci-fi show.)  ABC is known as the chick’s network.  That’s where you go to watch “Desperate Housewives,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Brothers & Sisters” and “Dancing with the Stars.”  No self-respecting sci-fi aficionado would be caught dead watching ABC – though I suspect a few are closet “Lost” fans and sneak over there just to watch it when it’s on.

 Also, as a regular TV viewer, even I was caught by surprise by the launch date.  Typically, summer run series are launched in June or July – not August – and with only 13 episodes filmed initially, “Defying Gravity” was never intended to be a Fall season show.  So it was doomed from the start:  no promotion, wrong network, bad launch date and the ultimate kiss-of-death, it was described as “Grey’s Anatomy” in space. 

 To prove my point, it took a solid week of nagging my dad and begging him to give “Defying Gravity” a chance before he would deign to watch it.  Like many other internet-savvy consumers, my dad believes that everything should be researched thoroughly before ordering or viewing.  A simple internet search brought up the phrase “Grey’s Anatomy in space” and he was bound and determined that it was not a show he would ever be caught dead watching.  Fortunately, a daughter’s wheedling can be very persuasive.

 And so without much fanfare or celebration, “Defying Gravity” launched on Sunday, August 2nd to a total of 3.83 viewers in the United States.  (That’s not good – you could practically hear the crickets in that deafening silence.) Then over the course of the next seven episodes ratings fell even further to an unspectacular low of 2.53 viewers for its last U.S.-aired episode “Love, Honor, Obey,” which aired on September 13, 2009.  Labeled as both a “season finale” or “series finale” depending on which website you read it at, this was the end as we knew it.  Eight episodes and “Defying Gravity’s” run was cut short.  Sickening as it was that the show vanished so quickly, it also had the gall to leave the viewers with a cliff-hanger!  Just when the Antares crew went to see who or what Beta was — all we saw was them standing their awestruck.  I mean, seriously?!  Not even a peek for the viewers?  Sheez.

 Okay, returning to my original premise, how does one exactly kill a sci-fi show in eight episodes?  I have come up with a few creative ideas here:

 Continue reading article at:

http://www.airlockalpha.com/node/6898

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“Friday Night Lights – East of Dillon, After the Fall and In the Skin of a Lion”

In NiceGirlsTV, TV Watchtower on November 16, 2009 at 12:42 am

Proving that the motto “clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose” is not just for the West Dillon Panthers, the East Dillon Lions are capturing our hearts and laying claim to a legacy

Entering its fourth season, “Friday Night Lights” is proving yet again why it holds the critics’ claim of being the best show on television.  It is not just a show about football.  It’s about the people that make up this extraordinary town.  It could be any town in America.  It just happens to be Dillon, Texas where football can make or break any young athlete’s chances at a life outside of Dillon.  Football may not be the end all, be all of dreams come true, but it  can provide a way to make a career beyond high school.  It also provides the life lessons most kids need in order to succeed in adult life.  They may not all go on to be football stars, but it does give them good habits for life — to work hard, strive hard and push hard for your dreams.  It teaches kids to not only dream, but it also instills the drive to achieve those dreams.  Life is hard.  So it is crucial to gain the skills to survive.  High school only lasts four years.  Then what?  If you live in Dillon, Texas, then you are lucky enough that Coach Eric Taylor and Tami Taylor are going to do everything within their power to make sure you get a chance to attend college and make your dreams a reality.

Having successfully shepherded Jason Street, Smash Williams, Lila Garrity and Tyra Collette on to college and forward in their lives, the fourth season follows the continuing journey of Tim Riggins (who ditched college), Matt Saracen (who is pursuing his art dream), Landry Clarke (who is now playing football at East Dillon), Julie Taylor (also attending East Dillon High) and J.D. McCoy (now star of the West Dillon Panthers).  Joining them on this journey are newcomers Vince Howard (rebellious running back at East Dillon), Jurnee Smollette (Landry’s new friend), and Becky Sproles (Tim’s landlady’s daughter).  Last, but not least, are Coach Eric Taylor (new football coach at East Dillon High), Tami Taylor (West Dillon High’s principal), Buddy Garrity (staunch football supporter), and Joe McCoy (arch nemesis of Eric and Tami Taylor). 

Continue reading article at:

http://nicegirlstv.com/2009/11/18/friday-night-lights-east-of-dillon-after-the-fall-and-in-the-skin-of-a-lion/

FNL 2

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Review of “Fringe – Of Human Action”

In Airlock Alpha, TV Watchtower on November 15, 2009 at 5:43 am
Shudder with fear if a teenager were ever to get their hands on mind control drugs, for we would be but puppets for them to play with
 
 Just when you thought the world might be a better place with corporations conducting genetic and pharmacological research, you see the dark side of what they could really be doing. They say they are looking for ways to cure diseases and overcome global warming, but what if that were just a cover for their more notorious experiments. In this episode, we got to see the darker side of Massive Dynamic and it was just as disturbing as feared all along.Just like in the kidnapping scenario, it was not the two big scary men that were the culprits, it was the young innocent looking boy.

Mind-control. The phrase alone sends shudders up and down one’s spine. To strip a person of their free-will and force them to act as a puppet to dance for a sociopathic master is diabolical.

The entire episode was one big shell-game. Nina Sharp (Blair Brown) and Dr. Carson (Andrew Airlie) knew all along that Tyler (Cameron Monaghan) had been fed brain-wave enhancing drugs. It should have been therefore no surprise that the kid would one day make use of his special abilities and act out. Lying to him about the death of his mother only fueled his rage and sparked the out-of-control killing spree that he ultimately engaged in. How many times have we told scientists that they cannot play “god,” but they refuse to listen and we all suffer at the hands of their arrogance?

All in all, it was a highly disturbing episode: both watching Tyler strip each person of their free-will and force them to commit heinous acts of violence to others and themselves, and watching how easy it was for Massive Dynamic to sit back and simply observe it all. Do they have no conscience? No sense of accountability and responsibility?

It was horrific to play witness to this callous disregard for human life. May God forgive them all for attempting to take his job.

Continue reading article at:

 

http://www.airlockalpha.com/node/6883

DC 2009 008

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Is This End of Sci-Fi on Television?

In Airlock Alpha, TV Watchtower on November 14, 2009 at 2:19 am

Now I Lay Thee Down To Sleep:  Are We at the Dawn of the Downfall of Sci-Fi Television?

 With the recent cancellations of Joss Whedon’s “The Dollhouse” and ABC’s “Defying Gravity,” we are reminded yet again that television is not a gentle mistress for sci-fi television shows.

 In fact, this is a bad time to be a sci-fi show on television.  Television audiences just aren’t as forgiving and patient as they used to be.  They don’t want to wait for storylines to be slowly developed and then unpeeled layer after layer.  They just want to have the onion cracked right open and to see what’s inside.  Alas, the only thing inside is but a nugget of what the real story is about.  Just like a human life is not just about how a person died, a sci-fi story is not just about the last 15 minutes.  A life is a journey.  And that’s what makes a story interesting – getting there is not just half the fun, it is the fun. 

So when I hear people say that they couldn’t follow “Lost” or just want to know all the answers to the questions posed, I just want to smack them.  What good is it to list a set of answers to questions if it is not given some kind of framework to illustrate the importance or significance of the questions and the answers to each?  One of the biggest and best questions from “Lost” has been:  what is the monster?  One day they just may tell us and we’re going to be disappointed. 

 It’s like pulling back the curtain in the “Wizard of Oz” and finding there’s only an old man pulling all the levers.   The story was much more exciting when Dorothy thought there was this magnificent Wizard of Oz who was the most powerful and magical being in the realm.  And one day we will finally find out if Sylar is a good guy or bad guy on “Heroes” and we will feel just as unsatisfied with that answer as well.  For it has been a roller-coaster of a ride wondering what the hell Sylar would do next.  Was he going to help them or kill them in the end? 

 And one day Lex Luthor will rise up and be the notorious villain of comic-book lore.  But watching the past 9 seasons of “Smallville,” I am grateful for the chance to see how Lex and Clark may have once been friends and how that disintegrated as Lex became more and more greedy and suspicious of what Clark may be hiding.

 No, in sci-fi, it is the journey that is the most fascinating aspect of the story.  One cannot simply read a book’s introduction and the last two pages, and in television, one cannot just have the opening credits and the closing scene.  Nothing would make sense.  We would not have the privilege and joy of discovering each character, their backstory and their path of self-discovery and see the importance of how they relate to one another.  Life is not just about beginnings and endings.  It is all the stuff in between that counts. 

 Yet more and more, television audiences are refusing to be satisfied with anything more than just the beginning and end.  It is as if they were corrupted by the MTV-era and anything longer that 7 minutes is just too long and their inherent ADD demands that they turn the channel or move on to the next pretty, shiny toy.  However, seven minutes just isn’t enough to tell a story properly. 

 If you look back at any great television series (whether sci-fi or not), it was not just the first episode that was great or even the last episode.  Somewhere in between there were these moments of greatness that no one ever saw coming.  For “Heroes,” it was “Company Man.”  For “Lost” it was “Through the Looking Glass.”  For “BSG” it was “33.”  And for virtually every show there is, you could name the one stand-out episode that was somewhere in the middle of that show’s journey. 

 But that one episode would have been nothing but for the episodes leading up to it.  Each had carefully laid the foundation of the characters and how they related to one another that made those episodes all that much more climatic and amazing.  No, the art of storytelling, is laying the foundation.  Just like a house cannot exist with just a hanging chandelier; for it must have a solid foundation, sturdy walls, a weatherproof roof and a few glistening windows.  In sci-fi, a clever story has all the same elements.  It has a strong foundation (the initial premise of the show), sturdy walls (the bare bones or turning points of the story), a weatherproof roof (an overall arcing story of where it is going), glistening windows (an array of interesting characters) and a whole lot of nails, boards, drywall, and paint.  All these ingredients are necessary to build a home and all are just as equally necessary to build a sci-fi television series.  If you leave one out or skimp on the quality, all you have then is a shoddy home, or no home at all if the building inspectors deem it unfit for habitation.

 Continue reading article at:

http://www.airlockalpha.com/node/6960

dreamstimefree_1352602

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Review of ‘The Vampire Diaries’ – History Repeating

In Rabid Doll, TV Watchtower on November 13, 2009 at 11:07 pm

Living forever does seem like much fun if you’re trapped in a tomb

As the series continues with its break-neck pace and with each episode revealing yet one more major surprise, this week’s episode was no less a roller-coaster ride with major reveals regarding Damon’s (Ian Somerhalder) master plan, Katherine’s ultimate fate, the story behind the crystal and a surprise visit. To their credit, no one died in this episode which was a nice break from all the tear-jerker episodes of late.

 Returning to the classic noir story-telling technique of having one of the primary characters dream they are in peril, only to awake and find that reality is perhaps stranger than fiction, Bonnie (Katerina Graham) dreamed she was in school and haunted by her long-lost ancestor Emily – only to awaken in the woods and, worse yet, to find out that Emily could haunt her while she’s awake. With the cryptic message, “This is where it started. This is where it has to end,” Emily warned that something bad loomed on the horizon.

 Later when Damon confronted Bonnie in order to convince her to willingly relinquish the crystal, he warned her, “so the next time [Emily] comes out to play, you tell her a deal is a deal.” However, Bonnie, anxious to get rid of the crystal and not be prey to any further visits from Emily or Damon, tried to get rid of the necklace. But it kept coming back like a bad penny – or, in this case, an enchanted amulet. Emily’s magic was clearly strong and the crystal followed Bonnie around until Emily could successfully take possession of Bonnie and destroy the crystal once and for all.

 While Bonnie struggled with Emily and the crystal, Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon were engaged in another kind of psychological tug-of-war. Sensing that Stefan had less than pure motives in inviting him on a night out, Damon called him on it and said, “I’m impressed, Stefan. Fun with booze and darts, sentimental football and now a starry night. What do you want?” To which Stefan replied, “What do you want with Katherine’s crystal?” Damon calmly said, “I am going to bring her back.” And with that startling revelation, Damon’s plan was revealed. He had struck a dastardly bargain with Emily: in exchange for protection of her lineage, Emily agreed to seal Katherine in a tomb beneath the church using a protection spell.

 However, in the past 150 years, Emily had a change of heart and vowed to not let Damon use the crystal to release Katherine. It was only after Stefan rescued him from where Emily had staked him to a tree that Damon admitted his darkest secret, “To save her, I had to save them. . . with one comes all.” Stefan was clearly shocked and said with disbelief, “This isn’t about love. This is about revenge. . . 27 vampires. You can’t just bring them back!” But in the end it was not their decision, Emily destroyed the crystal. However, Emily’s actions came at a price: Damon attacked Bonnie and shattered her world forever. As if it wasn’t disillusioning enough to find out that she was a witch, she was now confronted with the reality that vampires exist too. Made for a hell of a nasty day — though perhaps not as bad as Damon’s as he had lost the love of his life yet again to a cruel twist of fate.

 Then not content to let the sun fade with our two vampires wallowing in guilt and despair, the doorbell rang and there was Logan (Chris J. Johnson) standing there saying, “Hello, Jenna. Aren’t you going to invite me in?” This also bodes badly for the future since the last time we saw Logan, he had been killed by Damon.

Continue reading article at:

http://rabiddoll.com/node/1014

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“Dawson’s Creek: A Look Back”

In NiceGirlsTV, TV Watchtower on November 10, 2009 at 5:05 pm

Attending the special presentation “Dawson’s Creek: A Look Back” at the Paley Center on November 4, 2009 was a momentous occasion.  It was not only to mark the release date of the collector’s set of the entire six seasons on DVD, but it was also a chance to celebrate one of the most renowned teenage dramas on the WB Television Network.  If you were a teenager or simply a viewer with good taste, you undoubtedly watched “Dawson’s Creek” when it debuted in January of 1998.  It was much-hyped, critically-acclaimed and made a magnificent splash across the ratings board when it did, averaging 6.6 million viewers in its first season – and remains one of the all time highest rated shows on the WB.

In attendance for this special evening at the Paley Center were: James Van Der Beek (who played Dawson Leery), Meredith Monroe (who played Andie McPhee), Busy Philipps (who played Audrey Liddell), Kevin Williamson (creator and producer), and Paul Stupin (producer).  Also making a surprise visit was Monica Keena (who played Abby Morgan).

To commemorate the DVD release, Marc Rashba, Sony Home Entertainment Vice President of Marketing, welcomed the audience and stated how glad he was that they were finally able to get all six seasons cleared for a box set release, which he credited to the passion of the fans who acted as the driving force behind it.

Then, after a quick introduction by the evening’s moderator, Will Keck of TV Guide, everyone was treated to a special screening of the pilot episode of “Dawson’s Creek.”  It was the episode that started it all and launched the careers of several talented young actors:  James Van Der Beek, Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, Michelle Williams, Kerr Smith, Meredith Monroe and Busy Philipps.

Later during the Q&A, when asked about how difficult it was to find an actor to play the lead character Dawson, Kevin Williamson and Paul Stupin admitted that it had been a grueling process and that Dawson ended up being the very last part cast.  In fact, it was two days before filming was supposed to start when they finally selected James Van Der Beek.  It was a close call, but as the subsequent six seasons proved, it was worth waiting for the right actor to bring the show to life – particularly as “Dawson’s Creek” was credited with putting the WB network on the television map, similar as to what “The Vampire Diaries” is currently doing for the CW.  (Though Kevin downplayed his role in creating both shows and the success they have brought to each network.)

Continue reading article at:

http://nicegirlstv.com/2009/11/10/dawsons-creek-a-look-back/

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Review of “Fringe – Earthling”

In Airlock Alpha, TV Watchtower on November 9, 2009 at 1:19 am
Alternate dimensions are one thing, but what do we do when we discover we are not alone in the universe?
 
The opening sequence alone was enough to make your hair stand on end. A man was planning a romantic rendezvous with his wife for their anniversary. But, as he set out the vase of roses and a card, a shadow walked by. Sensing there was something there, he turned and proceeded to search the apartment, flipping on light switches to find out if anyone was there. When one of the lights went out, he turned it back on to discover a shadow figure. Backing away slowly, it was clear he would not survive. Then when his wife arrived, she found him sitting in a chair and, as she reached out to touch him, he crumbled into dust. It was ashes to ashes.
 
What kind of being can turn a person literally to dust? And not just a pile of dust, but sucking the entire life right out of a person so that a shell looking just like them is all that is left — until it is touched and falls into a million particles.
 
 Unlike a radioactive blast which evaporates a human body so all that is left is the shadow of a person’s presence, in this case something was draining bodies of their natural radioactive energy and leaving brittle shells — a mere copy of the person that used to be.For Agent Broyles (Lance Reddick) this case brought back memories of a long time ago. He recognized the handiwork of a serial killer he had been tracking four years earlier. In that case, the killer had contacted him and sought his help in preventing any further killings. The killer’s one condition was, “This wont stop until you solve the formula.” It was a formula that he had given to Broyles — but the FBI had been unable to crack it at that time. So with Walter (John Noble) busily trying to decipher the formula, the team set out to find the killer.

Unfortunately, their search soon revealed that the killer was sought after by the CIA and Russians as well. He was a man who had kidnapped his own brother, a Russian cosmonaut, and who was believed to have stolen Russian technology that allowed a person to be rendered invisible. Which, as Peter (Joshua Jackson) wryly noted, “Russian fringe-science, there’s a pleasant thought.” However, after receiving word that the case was now under the exclusive jurisdiction of the CIA, Broyles refused to give up. This was the case that had cost him his marriage, so he was bound and determined to see it through.

 

Continue reading article at:

http://www.airlockalpha.com/node/6859

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Review of “Vampire Diaries – 162 Candles”

In Rabid Doll, TV Watchtower on November 8, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Be careful what you wish for on a vampire’s birthday, someone else’s wish may be granted instead
 
 Stefan’s (Paul Wesley) birthday started off well enough, but then fell into a complete abyss. With his old vampire chum Lexie (Arielle Kebbel) visiting it should have been a night of meaningless fun; instead it turned out to be a night to remember for all the wrong reasons.
 
With the haunting words, “For over a century I have lived in secret—until now. I know the risk, but I have to know her” ringing in our ears, we are reminded of Stefan’s inexplicable attraction to Elena (Nina Dobrev). She seems to be the one compulsion he cannot resist. But before Stefan can figure out how to convince Elena to let him back into her life, a figure from his past arrives: his 350 year old best friend Lexie, who chooses to live the un-dead life to the fullest — and it is her ambition to make sure that Stefan gets out to enjoy a bit of his after-life as well. Alas, Damon (Ian Somerhalder) has other plans.
 
When Lexie suspiciously asked Damon what was he doing in Mystic Falls, Damon mysteriously replied, “I have a diabolical plan.” Which prompted her to ask, “What is it?” and Damon merely smiled and said, “Now if I told you, it wouldn’t be very diabolical, would it?” As we later saw, Damon’s plan was truly diabolical indeed.
 
So while Damon was busy cozying up to the town Sheriff (Marguerite MacIntyre) with a supply of Vervain, Lexie also tried to fathom what had drawn Stefan back to Mystic Falls. But, after getting a good look at Elena, Lexie visibly taken aback demanded, “Are you out of your mind? I just met Elena. You have some serious explaining to do.” Caught red-handed Stefan sheepishly explained that, unlike Katherine, “Elena is warm, kind and selfless – and it’s real and honest. When I am around here, I completely forget where I am.” Lexie finally catching on, said with surprise, “Oh my god, you’re in love with her!” Stefan then admitted, “Yes, I am.” Stefan may be 162 years old, but falling in love for the first time in his life, he was rather shy about being caught exhibiting such tender human emotions.
So with Stefan in love and not sure what to do about it and Elena still reeling from the revelation that vampires exist and all the harsh realities that entails, it was up to Lexis to act as match-maker. Despite being cast in such an unlikely role, Lexie rose to the occasion gave it her best fairy-godmother effort in order to make Stefan’s birthday wish come true. So Lexie befriended Elena so she could impart some of her 350 years of lessons in love. She reminded Elena that, “The first step was him telling you. The rest comes with time.” Then, after revealing that she too had a one true love, Lexie shared, “At the end of the day, love really did conquer all.” Elena softly replied, “I’m scared.” To which Lexie smiled and said, “But you’re here ‘cause you’re crazy about him. I get it. What’s not to love? Take it from someone who’s been around a long time: when it’s real, you can’t walk away.” And with those words of wisdom, Lexie managed to woo Elena back to Stefan — the the greatest gift a friend can give.

Continue reading article at:

 

http://rabiddoll.com/node/1003

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Review of “FlashForward – Scary Monsters and Super Creeps”

In SciFiTVZone, TV Watchtower on November 5, 2009 at 11:50 pm

It was a Halloween to remember with kangaroos and blue-handed bodies

In “Scary Monsters and Super Creeps,” the show attempted to answer the question:  “What caused the flashforwards?”   Alas, the answer was perhaps more confounding than the question.  For as Simon (Dominic Monaghan) attempted to explain quantum mechanics in simple terms to the blonde on the train, we were all left scratching our heads over how Schrodinger’s Cat Theory actually worked.  In Simon’s example, you have to imagine that in your hand you are holding a tiny cat and a poisoned sardine, and if you fold your hand closed, the cat is given two choices: either the cat eats the poisoned sardine and dies, or it doesn’t and lives.  You will not know until you open your hand which option the cat chose. Thus, it is up to the cat to decide if it wants to live or die.  It is only after you (the observer) open your hand that you will discover the cat’s fate — and quantum physics says that until you open your hand both eventualities occur at the same time.  But, according to Schrodinger’s Cat Theory, the miracle of quantum mechanics is that the observer gets to decide.

 This is a mind-bender.  Are there two parallel realities?  Is it up to each of us to decide which reality will exist?  However, applying Schrodinger’s Cat Theory, as the woman noted, “The cat had already made up its mind.”

 Also following this vein, the series seems to be focusing on whether each character will choose to eat the poisoned sardine or not.  Does each move forward to make their visions a reality or move away and resist their visions to become a reality?  Mark (Joseph Fiennes) and Olivia (Sonya Walger) are pushing against allowing their visions from coming true.  Mark does not want to return to his dark days of alcoholism and a failed marriage, and Olivia does not want to abandon her marriage and find love with another man she does not know.  Additionally, Demetri (John Cho) does not want his vision to come true either, for he does not want to be murdered.

Continue reading article at:

http://scifitvzone.com/2009/11/08/flashforward-scary-monsters-and-super-creeps/ 

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Review of “Vampire Diaries – Haunted”

In Rabid Doll, TV Watchtower on November 1, 2009 at 10:55 pm
All Hallows Eve is even scarier with real monsters lurking in the darkness waiting to pounce and devour

With ample foreshadowing in a series that has already killed off several key characters, it was not totally unexpected that another one bit the dust. And Halloween was Vicki’s night. Newly born into her new vampire life, Vicki (Kayla Ewell) was but a babe in the vampire world. Starving and not sure why, she promptly cornered her ex-boyfriend, Tyler (Michael Trevino). It was only after the swift intervention of Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon (Ian Somerhalder) that Vicki was hustled off to the mansion for some much needed tutoring. Stefan explained to Vicki, “It’s wrong to prey on innocent people.” To which Damon unhelpfully added, “You don’t have to kill to feed. Just find someone really tasty and erase their memory afterwards. It’s so easy. . . snatch, eat, erase.” After giving Damon an exasperated look, Stefan elaborated, “We choose our own path. Our values and our actions — they define who we are.”
 
 So as Stefan tried to lay down the ground rules with Vicki, Damon suspiciously noted that there was no mention of Logan’s (Chris J. Johnson) death in the newspaper which meant, “We should all be worried.” Someone clearly knew there were vampires back in Mystic Falls and was covering it up. Damon then went to investigate to find out who was behind all the secrecy.

 

Not able to stay away, Elena (Nina Dobrev) came to assist Stefan with Vicki and her assimilation into the vampire-lifestyle, but after Elena tried to warn Vicki to stay away from Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen), Vicki merely tossed that suggestion aside. Vicki was invincible in her mind and chose to believe the world is hers for the taking. No one was going to stop her. As Stefan tried to explain to Elena, “It’s hard to resist certain people. It’s difficult to separate your feelings. Love, lust, anger, desire can all blur into one urge — hunger. She may not be able to resist him and could hurt him.” Elena was incredulous that because Vicki was a vampire with issues that Stefan could do nothing to stop or control her. But not having fed on human blood in quite a while, Stefan knew there was not much he could do to stop Vicki — and Vicki loose in the night on Halloween was an absolute nightmare.
 
 Earlier when Vicki had asked Damon, “Why did you do it?” — why did he turn her into a vampire — Damon simply replied, “I was bored.” Vicki was indignant, “You did this to me out of boredom?!” Damon flippantly responded, “It’s one of the pitfalls of eternity.” However, hoping to pacify her, he said, “Your life was pathetic. Your afterlife does not have to be.” But in the end, Damon was wrong. Vicki would have given anything to not have had this happen to her. And if Damon looked deep enough, he would admit the same thing. They were not given a choice. Life as a vampire was thrust upon them. And their afterlives are not all it is cracked up to be. To always be wishing they were human — to live human lives. They are only living half-lives.

Continue reading article at:

http://rabiddoll.com/node/992

VD Halloween

 

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Review of “Stargate Universe – Light”

In SciFiTVZone, TV Watchtower on November 1, 2009 at 9:13 pm
In the end, the credo “every man for himself” feels like a lonely way to live

From the very first episode, we heard Dr. Rush’s (Robert Carlyle) edicts echoing in our ears: “This ship could be the single most important discovery since the Stargate itself” and “this ship simply doesn’t have the capability to dial Earth.” These pronouncements set up the dilemma of (1) Rush is fascinated by the ship; and (2) what if because of his fascination he does not want to return to Earth and is only saying the Stargate aboard the ship cannot dial Earth. So with these conflicting interests in mind, in “Light” the survivors aboard the alien vessel, Destiny, were confronted with yet another imminent challenge: the ship had failing power reserves and was on a collision course with a giant star.

Faced with death just hours away, the survivors had to act quickly with what little time and resources they had remaining. It was time to decide who was going to live and who was going to die. After gathering everyone together, Col. Young (Louis Ferreira) shared their dire predicament and laid out the rules for a survival lottery. He would select two crew members to pilot the shuttle and another 15 people would be selected through a lottery to join in a last-ditch run for one of the three nearby planets in hope that they could survive. It was a bleak prospect anyway they looked at it. Yet in the end, they were all desperate for that one last chance to get away.

 As the rules of survival were explained, it was noted, “We are having another bad day.” But in the mere days since they escaped attack on Icarus, they have had virtually no calm days. They have been cursed with attempting to survive in an alien craft with little or no resources. Their lives have been reduced to one “bad day” after another. It may have been a heady adrenaline rush initially, but it left a nasty downhill kick as that began to ebb away. This was that day. It was time to face their mortality.

Not wanting to leave their fate up to a lottery, some vied to be one of the two selected claiming to be the right person necessary for the shuttle trip. Finally Col. Young yelled in frustration, “We’re all the wrong people!” For none of them had actually been selected to be there. They were only aboard the Destiny out of a trick of fate. They were the survivors of an attack, not people selected to go on a deep space exploration. Finding it odd that Rush opted out of the lottery, Col. Young asked Rush why. Rush merely replied, “This ship – coming here – is my destiny. My life’s work is to be here – not trying to survive on some rock with a bunch of strangers.”

In the meantime, with imminent death staring them in the face, Eli’s (David Blue) “message in a bottle” Keno became even more popular. For as Eli said, “Let’s do something. Let’s leave something of ourselves behind.” So Chloe (Elyse Levesque) left a touching tribute to her father’s sacrifice, “I just wanted to say that my father gave his life so we could survive another day – and we did.” Camille (Ming-Na) left a heart-felt message to her lover, “Tell Sharon my last thoughts were of her.” And Col. Young tried to say good-bye to his wife, “Hi Emily, I just wanted to say – well you know. You know. . . ” But it was Greer (Jamil Walker Smith) who said it best with, “I can’t think of a better way to move from this world to the next, or whatever comes, than to fly into the most powerful thing in all of creation – a star – out in a blaze of glory. I like that. That’s beautiful.”

 So as Eli and Chloe sat awaiting their certain death as the ship moved closer to the burning sun, Chloe put her head on Eli’s shoulder and held his hand. For if this was to be their last moments, they could only seek solace in the fact that they were not alone. Others recited the Lord’s Prayer; some played cards like it was just another day; some listened to music in remembrance; and some sought solitude. Everyone faced death in their own way.

Then unexpectedly, Rush abandoned his solitude and came running out to find Eli who was bewildered by Rush’s jubilation and said, “What are we so happy about?” To which Rush unabashedly replied, “We’re going to live! I am never more pleased to be wrong in my whole life!” For he had simply assumed that there had not been enough power left for Destiny’s shields to protect them, but it did. That is exactly why there was no apparent power, it was because Destiny had taken all of it to power the shields during its traverse through the star. Destiny needed every bit of it in order to protect itself while simultaneously using the solar energy gleaned from the star to refuel. That is the trick that Destiny employed: it replenishes its reserves by relying on solar power which it can only obtain by traveling through a sun. And then as Eli caught on, he said in awe and amazement, “Guys, we’re in the star. . . “

Later after the shuttle and the lottery winners rejoined Destiny, everyone was triumphant at their survival. Yet when Col. Young invited him to celebrate with everyone else, Rush merely shrugged and said, “Celebrate what? That we’re back where we started?” Col. Young then explained to him, “You actually made a sacrifice — unless you knew Destiny was going to make it all along . . .”

And that is the crux of that matter. Did Rush in fact know all along that Destiny would survive the encounter with the star and then chose to let them all believe otherwise?

What Worked

Surely everyone must have felt like cheering when Eli made the proclamation, “Math Boy!” to Rush when Rush questioned his equation results. That follow-up with Eli’s quick-witted announcement, “why am I watching this on TV?!” before he rushed back to the observation deck was priceless.

It was also cool that Eli remembered to use one of the Keno to be aboard the shuttle as it moved away from Destiny so that those behind could see for the first time what the ship looks like from the outside. Rush was awestruck and grateful as he said, “Thank you, Eli. I never thought I’d see the ship from the outside.” He also thoughtfully told Eli, “I’m sorry I got you involved with this.” To which Eli smiled and said, “Actually, I’m not.” Rush just looked at him and quietly replied, “Yet.”

What Didn’t Work

It was heartbreaking and unnecessary to have a scene where Eli had to witness Chloe and Scott (Brian J. Smith) leaving for one last moment of passion. It felt like a slap in the face and made it harder to believe that he would continue to be Chloe’s shoulder-to-cry-upon even in their last moments of life.

Additionally, it was like kicking a man when he is already down to have Eli dream about his mother nagging him to do laundry and reminding him that he does not have any skills. For when she asked him to do the laundry, Eli had flippantly responded, “Not in my skill set” and she quietly said, “Nothing is.” Eli is supposed to be the “everyman” and it is hard to think that the average TV viewer would allow all the women in their lives to treat them in such a deplorable manner.

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

‘Light’ was written by Brad Wright and directed by Peter DeLuise. ‘Stargate Universe’ stars Robert Carlyle, David Blue, Brian J. Smith, Alaina Huffman, Ming-Na, Lou D. Phillips, Jamil Walker Smith, Elyse Levesque, Louis Ferreira. ‘Stargate Universe’ airs Fridays at 9 p.m. on Syfy.

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