“I will ruin you.” (Nucky)
Allow me to start this review with a sexist statement: the first thing I noticed about this episode that it was directed by a woman: Susanna White. Immediately, my mind started racing: what could a female touch mean for a male-oriented series like Boardwalk Empire? One sub-plot later, I found out the answer.
“No one wants to kiss a girl in black.” (Violet)
I’m always hesitant to try a period piece. While they might be nice to look at, there’s usually an overflow of dialogue and not nearly enough action to keep things going. I don’t mean I want to see explosions – I just want the damn actors to move around now and again. At a first glance, itv’s upstairs-downstairs-based period drama Downton Abbey might pull that off. One reason: telling an upstairs-downstairs story usually involves taking stairs.
“An idea I got from the fight scene in the Matrix.” (Walter)
What a weird episode. I’m not entirely sure whether I’m happy about it or not. We’ve got treated to another Cortexikid (or whatever I should call it), but in the end it was all a big hoax to set up a cliffhanger. A delightful cliffhanger, sure, but a thirty minute-long red herring? Meh. Colour me unimpressed.
“Look around, big brother. What do you got?” (Eli)
What a bad-ass follower to the stunning season 2 premiere. A bit more action, a bit more plot and a little faster narrative tempo was all it needed, apparently. It gives us the impression more things are going on in one episode – even if they’re really not. In fact, this episode completely ignored one thing constantly criticized about the series: the uneven focus on its main characters. Which I gladly care nothing about.
“They just can’t get my nose right! ” (Flynn Rider)
Disney’s been in a rut lately. It’s not an eighties-type rut, as they seem to be doing okay money-wise, but creative they just have been dropping the ball so much it’s getting harder and harder to take them seriously. The Princess and the Frog, an absolutely stellar movie, showed us that Disney is at best when it doesn’t try to reinvent itself. Movies like Tangled, however, show they haven’t given up on trying. And when you try too hard, you tend to make things even worse.
“Do you want to talk about it?” (Lincoln Lee)
The two previous episodes established the new world in which Fringe’s fourth season enrolls perfectly. We got a grip on the characters – how Peter’s removal from existence changed them versus what essentially stayed the same. The only character I could not quite grasp was Walter. Had Saint Claire’s made him even crazier? Was it really that simple? Turns out it wasn’t: in Alone in the World, Fringe dives into an old man’s broken heart.
“You’ll be judged by what you succeed at, boy, not by what you attempt.” (Commodore)
Boardwalk Empire returns after what felt like an eternal hiatus. Over the course of the years, the series got very polarizing reviews. A lot of people, especially critics, felt is was the best thing since sliced bread (or Deadwood); others, however, criticized the show’s slow pace and focus on certain characters exaggerated. Those people just wanted to see more Chalky White. And they got their wish.
“At first you were afraid you’d die, then you were afraid you wouldn’t. That’s what Wireman says.” (Edgar Freemantle)
I’d had Duma Key in my hands more than once before buying it. There was always something about it that seemed to put me off. It was set in Florida. The setting didn’t really interest me. The cover said something about missing girls – meh. And most of all: it was written in first person. That’s something I’d never seen with King at that point. It reminded me a bit too much of Lovecraft, so I always put it away.
And then, once, I actually brought it home and read it. Completely by coincidence, I guess. Good thing I did.
“Stop acting like you care.” (Jimmy)
Boy, what a spectacular end to the first season. Characters that didn’t interact during the entire season suddenly stood face to face once more to blow up bridges that ultimately built new ones that will come into play in the second season. Let’s dig in, shall we?
“I’ve always thought there were people who leave an indelible mark on your soul. An imprint that can never be erased.” (Broyle)
Exciting things are happening on the Fringe front. Seriously: who has the guts to temporarily remove a lead character from a series like this? Sure, you can start waving the Charlie Sheen flag all you want, but Two and a half men didn’t start a new timeline/dimension/universe/whatever to remove him from the show. What Fringe did is more radical: it removed him in a way that he was never there. But once you take that ballsy step, where do you? What do you tell?