Tiffany Vogt

Archive for December, 2009

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The Best of Sci-Fi Television From 2009

In TV Watchtower on December 16, 2009 at 5:31 pm

Remembering the sci-fi episodes which had us on the edge of our seats, rolling with laughter and weeping with joy

At the end of each year, it is popular to be inundated with top ten lists of just about everything: the best television shows, the best actors, the best quotes, and just the best of the best.  So rather than just compile a list of ten shows or episodes that stood out from the pack in this past year, I instead opted to select one episode from each sci-fi television show that stood out and deserves special recognition from 2009.

No matter how anyone felt about it, “Battlestar Galactica – Daybreak: Part 2” was a work of art.  It was the epic episode everyone had been waiting for: where Galactica and its crew mounted one last stand in order to rescue the child Hera from the clutches of the Cylons.  The showdown was tense, nail-biting, painful and never more bittersweet than when the survivors found themselves face to face with the long sought after Earth.  The ensuing good-byes as each parted ways towards their final destiny was even more heart-breaking.  But like those conflicting feelings of each character, those feelings were mirrored by the fans around the globe saying their good-byes to one of the most controversial and lauded shows on television.  Our hearts may grieve, but we were lucky to enjoy such an astounding journey.

The name Joss Whedon has been associated with ground-breaking, cult television for over a decade.  Thus, it was with surprise that when Joss unveiled his latest creation “Dollhouse” —  which left the viewers were stunned by its complacency.  While titillating and thought-provoking, something was clearly missing:  it had no heart.  It was not until the episode  “Belonging” that we felt the chill of recognition.  This was the classic Joss Whedon we all knew and loved.  The episode was the darkest to date as it recounted how Sierra was taken captive and enslaved in the Dollhouse.  But with the least likely of champions at her back, Adelle and Topher, it was a tale of vengeance and awakening conscience.  The show had taken long enough, but once it found its true path, the fans rejoiced.  Another bittersweet moment since it came on the heels of the news of the show’s cancellation.  Another reminder at how fleeting success is in this volatile industry.  Enjoy it while it lasts.

Having now established itself as the popcorn king of summer television, “Eureka” returned this past summer with a delicious confection in the episode “Welcome Back Carter.”  The introduction of Sheriff Andy, a robot in a box, as Carter’s replacement was a clever and humorous look at the pro’s and con’s of having a robot try to take the place of a human being.  Using the Wizard of Oz mythology as a framework, this episode brought back the charm and innocence that has made “Eureka” such a pleasure to watch over the years.

After dazzling everyone with its flash of brilliance in its pilot episode, “FlashForward” raised the ante on itself in the episode “The Gift.”  While investigating the Blue Hand Club (a sly nod to the blue-handed men of Joss Whedon’s long-gone but not forgotten “Firefly” series), Agent Al Gough took matters into his own hands to prove to everyone that their fates were not predetermined as he took his own life.  With the simple act of stepping off a building, his sacrifice was mesmerizing and mind-boggling.  He gave them all back their free-will.  It was powerful and riveting.

Still reeling from the revelation that William Bell had been hiding in an alternate dimension at the end of its first season, “Fringe” embraced its walk on the wild side and gave us the episode, “A New Day in an Old Town” where everything was not as it seemed to be.  Plus, with Olivia suffering from not only her auto accident injuries, but also a fractured psyche, the balance of power shifted as Peter took up the reins of the Fringe Division.  We were also introduced to shape-shifter Charlie, who hid in plain sight just waiting to strike.  With all these surprises, the show rose to a new level of excitement and suspense.

Continue reading article at:

http://airlockalpha.com/feature/6987/tv-watchtower-my-sci-fi-favorites-from-2009.html

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Spotlight on Archie Panjabi

In NiceGirlsTV, TV Watchtower on December 14, 2009 at 7:21 pm

An actress you are seeing more and more of and who you may not be able to easily place, Archie Panjabi is racing up the star-o-meter with her electrifying performance on the hit CBS series “The Good Wife.”  An English actress, who started her career on a little known film “Bideshi,” Archie has been busily working for the past decade in a variety of English film and television roles.  Her big break came from the comedy film “East is East,” in which she played a teenager obsessed with soccer. 

This was ironic, as she was then cast in the romantic comedy “Bend It Like Beckham,” where she played the marriage-obsessed sister of a girl obsessed with soccer.   However, it was Archie’s scene-stealing performance as Pinky Bharma, sister of Parminder Nagra’s character that many remember.  As Pinky, Archie was delightfully vivacious and tenacious in her desire to marry for love.  Then, while Parminder Nagra went onto to join “ER,” Kiera Knightley joined “Pirates of the Caribbean,” and Jonathan Rhys Meyers went onto helm “The Tudors,” Archie continued her celluloid journey by criss-crossing between film and television roles, landing in the series “Grease Monkeys” playing Rita Dhillon, and then moving onto the critically acclaimed films “Yasmin,” “The Constant Gardner” (starring Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz), “A Good Year” (starring Russell Crowe), “A Mighty Heart” (starring Angelina Jolie and Dan Futterman), and
“Traitor” (starring Don Cheadle and Guy Pearce).  She also made appearances on the hit British series “Life on Mars” and “Personal Affairs.”

Then seemingly out of nowhere, Archie made the leap to American television landing the role of Kalinda Sharma, the in-house private investigator in “The Good Wife.”  It was a surprising, but wise choice with “The Good Wife” being an immediate break-out hit of the Fall season. It is all perhaps due to Ridley Scott that Archie scored the pivotal role in “The Good Wife,” for he had previously cast her in “The Good Year” as Russell Crowe’s mischievous assistant.  Scott said that Archie is “smart and sensitive enough as an actress to make anything fly, comedy or drama, an unusual talent.  It was a real pleasure to work with someone so enthusiastic.”  Clearly, he is a fan and one of her strongest advocates.

Continue reading article at:

http://nicegirlstv.com/2009/12/15/spotlight-on-archie-panjabi/