I’m not going to be around next week, because I’ll be enjoying the sun (hopefully) in LBI. So, expect a substitute, or a week off. That’s for the higher ups to decide.
So MacFarlane is releasing Lost display figurines of Jack, Kate, Locke, Charlie, Hurley, and Shannon. Does something like seem like everything else here? Shannon? Hell, with an apparent Hatch playset, wouldn’t Boone even make more sense? Or, I don’t know, SAWYER??? Hell, even Sun in the garden or Sayid working with the radio would make more sense.
Speaking of Lost, sounds like they have some very interesting things planned for next season, including Kate finally making a choice in her love life. I’d like to see her choose Jack, because overall he’s a nicer guy, and because he’s immensely more likable as a character when he’s with her. Plus, no matter how hard they try to avoid it, Sawyer will be softened if he’s in a relationship with Kate. All of that said, I see her picking Sawyer, especially since a new female is being cast as a potential love interest for Jack.
WINDFALL:
So, a few people (even those who write for this site) want to know why I’m still watching this show. That’s a good question, actually. And last week’s episode gave people even more reason to wonder that. Well, as I said in last week’s column, it has a bit to do with the fact that I think the girl who plays Frankie is cute. I also like Luke Perry’s work, historically speaking. And, there’s not much on at 10:00 on Thursday nights. Alright, admittedly, that last point is moot, since I went out on Thursday night and TiVo’d the episode.
My comments on last week’s episode are basically the same as always: It seems like the show either has a desired end point and doesn’t know how to get there, or they’re taking it week by week with no idea of where they want to go. Things just seem so….disorganized. There’s nothing organic about the show, especially in terms of the relationship. The relationship between Peter and Nina one week seems so disconnected with their relationship the next week, which in turn seems so disconnected with their relationship the week after. The show lacks fluidity.
Criticisms aside, I do like that Kimberly was back, but at the same time wish that they would emphasize what she’s doing with her money. I also like the progression of Frankie’s mother, who has essentially become overcome with greed, deciding that money is more important to her than her own daughter. Very reminiscent of Flowers in the Attic.
Oh, and how in the world did Damien know which diner Frankie would be at? I’ll probably watch for the rest of the summer, but lets just say I won’t be crying when it’s not picked up for another season.
THE 4400:
A very interesting episode indeed. I’ve liked the whole Shawn/Isabelle story arc, but I also enjoyed that this episode took a step back from that. It’s also always fun getting a glimpse of what Shawn was like before this multimillion dollar lifestyle fell into his lap. And it was also refreshing to see somebody take advantage of Shawn’s abilities, and for him to ultimately reject a lifestyle he had always dreamed of because of it.
The stuff with Dr. Burkoff was very interesting, if only because of the ambiguous gray nature of his actions. It wasn’t made especially clear about whether his intentions were evil or not. I certainly hope that this is not the last time we see him. I did like the call back to his relationship with Tess, though. I am also curious about what implications this past episode will have on Diana’s health. I don’t recall them being clear about how often she was being injected.
I thought Richard was quite possibly the highlight of this episode. I truly enjoyed his ability to want to control his abilities, especially considering the (arguably) dark intentions he has with them. The relationship between him and Heather was touching and sweet as well. But man, between Lilly #1 (the grandmother), Lilly #2 (the 4400), and Heather….he sure does like the white women, huh?
Speaking of Richard, I wouldn’t mind seeing a bit more of his inner struggle regarding Isabelle. He clearly loves her. He’s stated such, and he has pictures of her all over the place. Not only that, but she’s also his final connection with Lilly. On the other hand, it’s also obvious that he knows she’s evil and must SOMEHOW be stopped. I wouldn’t mind if they put a bit more emphasis on what he’s going through.
THE DEAD ZONE:
I always enjoy the episodes where they try something new with Johnny’s abilities. One of the first episodes I ever saw, and truly the episode that got me hooked on the show, was the one which guest starred the actress who played Michelle on 24. The episode had Johnny have one vision after another, with each one ending with “Michelle” getting killed. Basically, he kept having visions until he figured out how to get her to survive the day. It was a very interesting episode.
Last night’s episode, which saw Johnny spend the entire episode in a vision, switching the perspective of three characters, was a lot of fun. I also really enjoyed how things tied together, from why they’re stuck in the vision together, to why Bruce kept reminding Johnny of his birthday, and everything else. Overall a very satisfying episode, with a fitting conclusion.
And much how I liked The 4400’s callback to an earlier episode, The Dead Zone deserves major props for referencing several episodes ago when Johnny had JJ clean his attic. Bravo.
Anyway, that’s it for this week. I’ll be back in a couple weeks, hopefully nice and tan and relaxed. Until next time, Case Closed!
