True Blood, Falling Skies, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Alphas (August 7th)

Posted by The TV Critic on 7 August 2011 | 1 Comments

Tags: True Blood, Falling Skies, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Alphas

True Blood - 407 - Cold Grey Light of Dawn

I thought this one of the better episodes for a while. Though to be fair it had a clear distinct threat which affected most of the characters all at once which was likely to make for more focussed storytelling.

I like several things about the necromancy story. First is the way it has forced viewers to think a bit more about the role of vampires in this world. On the one hand the centuries of murder and rape are a strong incentive to cheer along as the vampires are all dragged out into the sunshine. But on the other poor Bill doesn't deserve to die and it seems to some extent that the royal authority does keep vampires in some sort of check. So if they were all blown away who would be left to stop less scrupulous vampires from retaliating on innocent humans? I like that Tara has been drawn in on the side of anti-vampiredom after all she has been through. Anything that keeps her away from being terrorised is an improvement.

It was good to learn who is possessing Lafayette and his story was connected to the creepy baby. At least now there might be a way for the baby to be purged of evil or whatever the case may be. I even felt a tiny bit of sympathy toward Tommy for once. On this occasion he hadn't planned on screwing Sam over and now needs his help more than ever. Pam decomposing is really gross but I give them credit for going all the way with that idea.

The only stupid moment I will comment on was when Hoyt came to see Jason. I can't imagine who writes in a script something like "Jason is relieved that Hoyt doesn't yet know about his feelings for Jessica. In fact he is relieved that all Hoyt wants to talk about is his potential devolution into a were-panther after being kidnapped, raped and tortured." It remains so ridiculous that Jason isn't more affected by what he has been through. Especially considering that his sexual desire for Jessica is a part of being fed on and not necessarily anything real.

Falling Skies - 109 + 110 - Mutiny/Eight Hours

I misunderstood the implications of Skitters having harnesses last week. Sadly, I feel, instead of implying that Skitters are a co-opted race themselves, it means that the children are being turned into Skitters. It's an altogether more straightforward, less intriguing story.

That's also how I felt about most of these two episodes. The characterisation of Weaver and Mason has been adequate but nothing special. The mutiny story felt weak as a result. It felt like an episode of Star Trek where everybody forgot about the pills, the bad decisions and the insubordination because they are all such good people deep down. Awww.

Similarly the predictable battle in the finale where the radio transmission drove the mechs away was fine but no more. The actual attack on Boston happened off-screen and felt particularly flimsy as Tom shows up to find only characters we know still alive after an attack by an alien ship. Tom, who has been a paradigm of caution throughout the season, then decides to take a pot shot at one of the ships. The ship crashes into the structure causing significant damage. It was an uncharacteristic moment with comically good results.

The final scene sees Tom heading off to have a pow wow with the aliens who are apparently impressed with this show of resistance. Sadly I don't think CGIing some aliens is going to make Season Two more enjoyable. Falling Skies is a fine old school drama show with no grit and no attempt to challenge the viewer. It's far less annoying than Heroes or Flashforward or V but it's nowhere near a show like Battlestar Galactica. I won't be writing about Season Two but I will keep an eye on it. I'm a sucker for aliens as much as the next guy.

Curb Your Enthusiasm - 805 - Vow of Silence

This was easily the best episode of the season. The plot strands all came together beautifully to create one of the best closing moments the show has ever contrived. It was a perfect double whammy with Larry stubbornly travelling to New York and thus irritating Susie. At the same time he now had to abandon his lunch date with Richard after the huge fuss he made over not needing to confirm his plans.

But it wasn't just that beautifully sculpted closing sequence that was good. I like it when Larry is right about things. Partly because it makes for more satisfying viewing when you can cheer him on but also because it makes the fights he pick seem vaguely worthwhile. So the chat'n'cut and the parking spot were good material for him. I also like when Larry is just Larry in a way that I don't personally find obnoxious. I am curious what a Vet earns compared to a doctor. I wouldn't blame someone for not wanting to share personal information but I like the fact that Larry is willing to just ask people about what he is interested in.

Although it mind sound like a contradiction I also like it when Larry is unrelentingly selfish. Again it creates a simple watchable dynamic. You know what he wants and the fun is in seeing him either get away with his lies or get caught. Larry and Jeff being selfish together is even better because I think their banter is believable and funny.

Alphas - 102 - Cause and Effect

I'm slowly catching up with Alphas. Obviously this episode aired long before the other episodes above.

This was a surprising episode, just as the pilot was. With the Alphas team set up and another Alpha escaping from custody this felt like the definition of episodic television. The gang would rally together and capture the escapee and learn a little about one another along the way.

While that statement is technically true the story that unfolded was anything but episodic. Instead we found out a lot more about Dr Rosen and how the authorities are treating Alphas that pose a threat to other people. This is what we learnt:

- Alphas who post a danger to others and themselves are sent to Binghampton Special Research Facility.
- Dr Rosen has power to decide which Alphas qualify for this dubious honour
- It seems that the Doctors at Binghampton are trying to eradicate the Alphas' abilities when traditional methods prove uneffective.
- Dr Rosen never intended to use his Alphas as a crime fighting team in the field.

All these revelations gave off a very X-Men vibe with Dr Rosen insisting that normal humans and Alphas must learn to live peacefully together. I don't mind the similarities though as it gives the show a solid overarching theme and makes Dr Rosen's work seem extremely important.

I also really enjoyed the pseudo-medical\psychological explanation for Marcus Ayers' powers. Marcus had the ability to see patterns and forces around him and manipulate them with great accuracy. However because he could see cause and effect so clearly he had trouble understanding that other people didn't plan the way he did. So he became paranoid, viewing people's behavior as cunning plans set against him rather than a series of unrelated incidents. It was a very clever idea and kept the show grounded in a relatable and interesting concept.

As much as I liked all of that though this did have problems. To some extent this felt like too big an info-dump for episode two of a new series. It might have been good to establish the Alphas solving a simpler problem before all the players behind the curtain began to be revealed. The actual details of the plot weren't especially interesting either. Marcus seemed to set up elaborate scenarios just to have a chat with Dr Rosen. Surely he could have just called him? The final scene was interesting though as Marcus tried to prove that Cley and the other agents wanted him dead by surrendering, only to be shot. It's not clear if he actually died though.

His argument to Dr Rosen was that only if Rosen took over control of all Alpha-related matters could the extermination of Alphas be prevented. Again that felt like a momentous suggestion to drop in episode two. If Rosen were to lead his team, Professor X style against the authorities then we could definitely be in for a fascinating ride. But I think we are getting ahead of ourselves. Let's just see if Alphas can continue its solid but basic characterization and do something with it.