No More Breaks

Caution: THIS BLOG ENTRY IS NOT SPOILER FREE.

Prison Break was my favorite TV show. No matter how preposterous the plot had gotten, the non stop action and sudden twists and turns kept me glued to the screen. It was my favorite show--- until it returned last month after a very long mid season hiatus. I don't know why, but somehow, it did not feel the same. Somehow, I no longer found the episodes exciting. I no longer cared for the characters. In truth, during some episodes, i was already rooting for the villains. Maybe it's bad writing. I hated some of the decisions made by the protagonists. I hated the way they acted. Maybe the extended hiatus made me realize how extremely silly the whole season 4 plot was in hindsight. Maybe it made me realize how the show has deteriorated. Yes, season 4 was exciting and action packed, but looking back, the whole storyline seemed forced. All that excitement only served to distract the viewer from that fact. Obviously, the writers have been milking the series for all its worth, up until the point where they can hardly squeeze anything at all. They should have ended the series sooner, back when the whole story arc still made sense. In truth, I was only watching these last few episodes to see how it will all end. These characters have grown on me through the years, and it will be shameful to cop out as we're nearing the end.

As for the two part finale? There were so many twists and turns that it made the two hour finale very convoluted. It wasn't just convoluted, it was downright silly at times. Each scene jumped to another in a very brisk pace, it left very little time for the viewer to absorb just what happened. And whereas before the viewer is often astounded by the ways Scofield and co. maneuvered their ways around every problem they've encountered, the things they did in the finale was just--- blah. boring. routine. mechanical. And bringing back Kellerman at the very end just to provide an easy way out? Man, I've been impressed by the writers of this show since the excellent first season, and this is the first time they've really let me down. They couldn't think of anything else that would make sense? Kellerman was obviously dead, the same way that Sarah was obviously dead--- until they made up that not so believable story on how her death was faked when the contract disputes were already resolved. And as for the ending? I though it was both believable and fitting that Michael died in the end. No violent reactions from me. Sure, a lot of fans are clamoring for the predictable storybook ending, some have been ranting on how Michael deserved a happy ending after all he's been through, but c'mon. The series has never been about fairy tale endings. That's not even how things go in real life. Kudos to the writers for not going through the predictable path. The ending even gave the series a lasting emotional impact, as compared to an ending wherein everyone is riding happily towards the sunset. So yeah, season four a was great ride during the first half, but everything else pretty much sucked. But as a whole, Prison Break still remains as one of my favorite TV shows, thanks to the strengths of the incredible previous seasons.

As for the direct to DVD movie called The Final Break that's intended to tie up all loose ends? I ask--- what loose ends? Man, this is another attempt to cash in on a series that's on its dying breath! Fox is really milking the series for all it's worth. If they could really expound the storyline, then by all means go for it. But if it would only serve to make the ending even more convoluted, then they better leave it as it is.

Supernatural

It was easy to dismiss this show as a teeny bopper show that was just trying to be edgy. Heck, the casting of the two male leads was obviously to entice a female audience to watch this show. Plus, it's shown on the CW network--- the home of cheesefests such as Smallville, Charmed, Gilmore Girls, Gossip Girl, the newly unearthed 90210, plus a whole lot of others. Could you blame me for initially thinking that this show was like all those other shows?

Good thing I'm a sucker for any show dealing with demons, monsters, and the like. Good thing I'm a sucker for a good scare. Good thing I'm a sucker for any show that has a lot of blood and gore. And I have to admit, there's been a huge hole in my heart ever since Buffy The Vampire Slayer went off the air, and no TV show, no matter how gory or campy, could seem to fill it. So yeah, I began watching Supernatural on its 3rd season. And I liked what I've seen so much, that I had to buy the first two seasons immediately. Oh Yeah, there was THAT sense of urgency.

I admit, the first season seemed a bit teeny bopperish, but it had that edge that didn't feel pretentious at all. It really felt genuine. Case in point, that episode with the painting (episode 19) was genuinely scary. Unlike the other shows in the CW network, Supernatural sticks out like a sore thumb because the show was meant to be taken seriously even if it dealt with subjects matters that were more of within the realm of fantasy. And with each succeeding season, the special effects became better, the episodes became bloodier, and most importantly, the story arcs grew darker and more sinister--- you wouldn't care anymore even if their initial target audience consisted of shrieking females aged 13-20 who were looking for something to fill up that void left by Charmed. I thought the story arc in the protracted third season was great... but from what I've seen with the first few episodes this season... with the grand battle between good and evil looming... the direction in which the series is going seems to be nothing short of phenomenal. Angels walking among us- the grand coming of Lucifer kind of phenomenal... those are big words coming from someone who's agnostic. Supernatural is definitely one of the best shows this season, and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone--- fans of horror and fantasy, teeny boppers looking for a good scare, emo kids and goths looking for dark materials, peers looking for something to watch on DVD this Halloween...

like I said, anyone. :)

Fall Previews

Woo-hoo! The new season of my favorite TV Show--- Prison Break-- is about to start! But WTF?! Sarah is alive?! Didn't Lincoln see her head inside that box?! Or was he stupid enough to mistake someone else's head for Sarah's? And didn't LJ specifically say that he saw Sarah beheaded right in front of him? Does that mean that he's as stupid as his father? I wonder how they could pull off Sarah's return. This isn't sci-fi, they should make her return plausible enough.



On the other hand, another season of Heroes--- which used to be my favorite TV show, will also begin airing in about a month. Can the series redeem itself after the horrible second season, which was so bad it practically made me forget that Heroes used to be a great show? Based from the trailer below--- which seems to be bordering on the campy side... I'd say not very likely.

From Hero to Zero

We all know people who seem to be on top of the world. A famous politician, a pop superstar, or socialite who’s heir to millions. Isn’t it pitiful when all of a sudden they fall from grace. Just like that, with a sudden twist of fate, they lose everything.

That’s the same feeling I get while watching each episode of the TV show Heroes this season. How can such an excellent show during its first season fall to such depths? It isn’t your usual sophomore slump. It’s a complete disaster. Last season, every episode was compelling and exciting. This season, episodes are dull at best. I actually saw a glimmer of hope from episode 8, entitled Four Months Ago. That episode was interesting, it kept me hooked. Then again, with all the loopholes and question marks left by the previous seven episodes, any answers given would keep my interest. Then episode 9 came. It blew me away. That was the type of episode typical to Heroes a year ago. It’s funny that the Bennet family story arc AKA Heroes 90210, which was one of the most nauseating story arcs this season, became the most compelling. The ending was also a bit surprising.

Then this week’s episode came. Looks like I spoke too soon. Another episode that should’ve gone directly to the trash bin. Monica? Stupid. That Maya character? Really stupid. Suresh? For a scientist he is remarkably stupid. Peter? The character everyone used to cheer for has become stupid stupid stupid. Claire’s confrontation with Elle? What the fuck was that? Sloppily executed, that it looked so stupid. And Elle, who was such a feisty character in the previous episodes suddenly became meek… and downright stupid. Plus all the emotional impact that we could’ve gotten from the grieving Bennet family has been neutered by the revelation that Noah was still alive after all. And the cliffhanger ending, Hiro vs. Peter? It was so haphazardly executed that I just scratched my head when the words To Be Continued was shown. For a show to succeed, they need to have characters that the audience can relate to, characters that viewers would care about. With such stupid characters and plot lines, I just wish they’d kill off all these stupid characters and get it over with.

I find it impossible to believe this season’s story arcs came from the same group of writers responsible for the first season. If they did change their writers, they better fire all of the present ones and hire all of the previous ones back, before the show totally loses its audience.

They better show something remarkable on the finale of volume 2 next week, else I might not stick around for volume 3.

Maybe I spoke too soon...

That's Lee Pace, wondering whether or not his show would last a whole season.

Just kidding. :)

Maybe I spoke too soon when I said Pushing Daisies is the best new show this season--- I've only seen one episode when I said that, after all. The second episode was still good--- expectedly, it wasn't as good as the pilot, but still good. Everything was still well done. It's just that... it seemed a little too quirky, to the point of over saturation... and silly. Everything looked great, but some of the props and costumes were really weird. The dandelion car... the costume on Janine... I can't help but cringe at certain scenes... Janine crying while eating the pie behind the car... The sudden song number at the pie hole almost did it for me. Was that really necessary?! It seemed out of place! That song number almost lasted for 5 minutes i think. But then again, I'm not into musicals---- other people may have found that cover of "Hopelessly Devoted To You" amusing. My point is, i usually have a high tolerance for quirkiness. If i thought the show is beginning to be a little too quirky, what are mainstream audiences thinking by now? I'm predicting a huge drop in the ratings in the coming weeks. Many watched the pilot mainly out of curiosity. Ads were everywhere! a few people have said they won't be tuning in for the next episode, claiming it was not their type of show. I bet a lot more people were turned off by the second episode. They better ensure a large and loyal audience share first before they jam up the quirkiness.

There's also the issue of budget. The whole production seemed terribly expensive. Those dandelion cars were really running on their own! I doubt the producers can keep the shows quality up to par unless it posts higher ratings.

The whole investigating aspect seemed forced, and even contrived. The investigation seemed just like icing on the cake, garnishing to make the product more attractive. I mean, it's not as thrilling and exciting as watching the mystery unfold on CSI. And how long can the novelty of "touching dead people and bringing them to life" last? People may even grow tired of the whole "lovers not being able to touch" aspect of the show.

I was expecting that the the producers would find it difficult to extend the shows premise for an entire season, but I didn't expect to see signs of them losing steam this early on. Then again, it's just the second episode, things could still pick up. I just hope people won't be turned off in droves in each succeeding episodes so they could at least finish one season. Maybe the concept used in this show would've been better used in a movie, or a mini series at least. Once the novelty wears off, the show has nothing much to offer... except for the amazing chemistry between the two leads.

And that may not even last long.

This Show Deserves A Push

And when i say push, I mean that in a good way.

Pushing Daisies--- How could I not notice this show? Critics have been unanimously raving about it. Advertisements were everywhere. But at that time, I still wasn't interested... until I've read that it came from the mind of Brian Fuller, one of the writers on the first season of Heroes. That's when I thought I'd give this new show a shot. lol.

Usually, when a show is given this much hype, a viewers ends up being disappointed. It's natural to be overwhelmed with all of the hype, resulting to high expectations from viewers. Often, those expectations are hardly met. Not so in this case.

The story is pretty quirky. The main protagonist, Ned, discovers as a child that he has the ability to bring any living thing back to life with a touch. However, when he touches that living thing a second time, it dies again. If a minute has passed and he has not touched the living thing he brought back from the dead, something else within the proximity will die instead. This he first learned when he brought his dog back to life, and later on when he brought his mother back to life for a short while. The whole experience was apparently traumatic, so young Ned grew up to be some sort of an introvert. A detective discovers his ability and they end up being partners, using his power to solve crimes. Things get complicated when Ned uses his gift to bring Chuck, his first love, back to life. As expected, he couldn't possibly bring himself to touch her again... and to make things even more complicated, there's still attraction between them. How can romance bloom when they can't possibly touch each other?



Telling more would spoil the show (if I haven't already). There are so many minor details that I find amusing. The whole show seems fresh and innovative. Remember how watching Six Feet Under felt during its first season? It's like watching something really different. It's told in a fairy tale style, somewhat like the movie Big Fish in tone. But it is so much better than that. The cinematography is vibrant, the special effects top notch. The acting was great, lines were witty, and the whole premise that was introduced creates so many possibilities to explore. The first episode was close to perfect, in my opinion. And therein lies a problem. How can they possibly exceed such an excellent first episode? Also, can they really extend the premise for an entire season, without it becoming tired? The show may also find trouble finding a huge audience--- it may be too quirky for the average viewer. I just hope viewers would give this show a chance. There's too much trash on TV, brilliant shows like this deserve to be on the air for a long time. Kudos to ABC for giving this show a chance.

On a side note, the first two episodes of Heroes this season were nothing to rave about. Everything was just... blah. There's not much excitement going on, unlike the first season wherein every scene makes us wonder what's going to happen next, and the cliffhangers make us terribly excited for the next episode. It's not really awful, it's just that the show has been offering more and more of the same. I think the only reason why I keep watching is because I want to know what happens to the characters I've known from the first season. Having said that, if they don't pull off something spectacular and mind blowing in the next few episodes, Heroes definitely won't be gaining more viewers in the future. Some fans may even grow tired of all the familiarity eventually. From being cutting edge and willing to test the boundaries, the people behind the show seemed to have taken comfort in the familiar.

Heroes: Season 1

Pretending you're a critic--- one of the many ways to pass time when you have nothing else to do.

I've just finished watching the first season of Heroes, and my immediate thought was--- "that's it?!" It's still one of the best TV shows i've seen in recent years, almost up there with Alias and 24 when it comes to keeping my eyes glued to the screen, but the finale kept me wanting more. I can't help but feel that there was so much that could've been done. With the way the series was going, there was so much potential that was left untapped. The finale could have been phenomenal. Looking back, there weren't much action sequences. Most of the time there was suspense and drama. A little more action would've spiced things up a bit, plus showcase the powers of the characters. Heck, even one big action sequence at the finale would suffice. All that build up was just for that? Sylar died like that?! Just like that? There should've been one long battle between Peter and Sylar, instead we get almost nothing. The main villain died so suddenly. And then we have more drama between Peter and his big brother. MAybe I'm nitpicking, but all that drama made the show look like some soap opera with the main characters having superpowers to add variety. Overall, I'd still give the show 4 1/2 stars out of five. A so-so finale can't really spoil the whole season. I just hope the next season will be much better. More twists, more suspense... and much more action packed. I'm just not sure how they can go uphill. The premise of the first season was nothing short of spectacular... And the preview we got of season 2 wasn't that much exciting.

A Heroic Rip-Off?

Yeah, I know the TV series Heroes isn't exactly new... in fact, the first season is over. Forgive me for I never had time to watch TV shows on a regular basis since 2004 --- when my medical clerkship started. And to think prior to that, I stay glued to the television the minute I get home until the wee hours of the morning... even if there's an exam the following day. Lol. Anyway, I've been hearing praises about this show for months now, and I've managed to sneak peeks on several episodes sporadically, and I liked what I saw. I have high expectations for this show, primarily because it's written by Jeph Loeb, who also wrote two of my favorite Batman graphic novels--- The Long Halloween and Dark Victory. It's like watching one of those superhero movies that I loved, only on TV. It's like Mutant X, without the campy feeling! See, I'm a sucker for TV shows wherein the characters have super powers. If I've managed to watch all episodes of Mutant X without cringing, then Heroes would really be phenomenal in my point of view.

But I was a bit bothered by the episode entitled "O.O7%". With the way things are going, the whole plot seems like a rip-off of Watchmen. Yeah, I know there are differences, but anyone who has read Watchmen would suspect something fishy going on. It can't be a coincidence. Did the producers of this TV show think no one would notice since that graphic novel was released more than 20 years ago? Warner Brothers is planning to make a Watchmen movie. Would they take such a risk? The movie would definitely cost a lot, with all the special effects required to do justice to the novel... Is it worth the risk knowing that a lot of their would be viewers would think "this is just a big budgeted rip off of HEROES"?

I think the show is great... but ripping off an idea from another great piece of work--- if they indeed rip off the storyline of Watchmen... it leaves such a bad taste in the mouth.