Thursday, October 11, 2007

Last Weekend's TV in Review

Friday 05 & Sunday 07 October 2007
*** Spoiler Warning ***

Moonlight


[s1 ep02]: "Out of the Past"

A man convicted of murder decades ago is paroled when new evidence makes him look innocent. Mick knows the man really is guilty and nearly killed him back then. Mick faces a moral dilemma. Should he actually kill the guy this time to keep him from murdering more innocents?

This episode had several new developments and revelations. For instance, vampires may not be affected by garlic, but they are allergic to silver. Vampires cannot be photographed using regular film, but their image can be recorded using digital cameras. And, wooden stakes through the heart do not kill vampires, but it does temporarily incompacitate them.

Mick used to associate with a cop several decades ago. The cop is now an old man and is blind, so Mick occasionally visits him pretending to be Mick St. John *Jr.* Lastly, while she and her boyfriend help clear the name of a framed Mick, Beth Turner learns that Mick is a vampire.

This episode was pretty interesting. It pushed the story forward somewhat, it helped develop the characters a little further, and it contained a few more tidbits about the nature of vampires. I think this show has potential, but it my need to improve even more quickly to survive on Friday nights.

Stargate: Atlantis


[s4 ep02]: "Lifeline"

Using super-genius knowledge Rodney temporarily acquired sometime last year, Rodney and Zelenka modify a puddlejumper to be hyperspace-capable. Shepherd, Rodney, Ronin, and Wier go to the Asuran (Pegasus Galaxy Replicators) homeworld. While there, they use an extended anti-replicator field to infiltrate their complex and steal a ZPM power module.

While there, Rodney stumbles upon a one-time-only opportunity to change the Asuran programming to have them wage war against the Wraith rather than those from Atlantis. The plan works, but Wier must use her new replicator implants to facilitate the mission and gets captured in the process. Now under full power by the ZPM, the crew lands (not too gently) the city of Atlantis in the ocean of a new planet.

This was another complicated, fast-paced, action-packed episode. It bears the burden of wrapping up an extreme summer cliffhanger and transitioning Wier out and Samantha Carter in. It'll be nice to see the show get back to weekly adventures and also seeing Carter and the new doctor integrate themselves with the rest of the expedition.

Brothers & Sisters


[s2 ep02]: "An American Family"

Justin is alive, has an injured leg requiring a couple surgeries, and is coming home. Of course, Nora, Saul, and the siblings are all thrilled. On the way to see him in San Diego, Kitty, Kevin, and Nora call in to a radio show to angrily defend themselves against a shockjock's personal attacks against them.

Sarah attempts again to reconcile with Joe only to find out he already started to reconnect with his ex-wife even before he and Sarah had sex on the washing machine last week. Joe even stopped wearing his wedding band a month ago without Sarah noticing. Just when Rebecca and Sarah were getting along, Rebecca finally admits that, during her kiss with Joe a few months ago, she kissed him back and even led him on a little. Sarah instantly reverted back to anger at Rebecca and her mother Holly.

This was a good episode. It was well written and well acted. I knew that the clips of a funeral in the preview for the episode and the first few minutes were a red herring. I didn't think they'd kill off Justin. However, the character faces a *really* tough moral and medical dillema. His recover is guaranteed to be so painful, that he will pretty much have to take prescription narcotics to endure the agony, but Justin is also a recovering drug addict. So, does he take the drugs to take the pain, risking further addiction, or does he suffer like crazy to stay clean?



Weekend Winner: Stargate: Atlantis, [s4 ep02]: "Lifeline"

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