Reviews

Let me be up front and Frank about this. This episode was trash. Unbearable, reprehensible, borderline unwatchable trash. I hated practically every second of it, and it's a further argument towards Sunny's vast and sharp decline in quality over the last couple of years, but particularly this season.

The episode revolves around the McPoyles suing the Ponderosas for spiking the milk bowl at their wedding with bath salts or some crap like that. Really, it's just an excuse for wacky characters to be in the same room and do wacky things. And by wacky, I mean terribly unfunny things.

The episode starts, and immediately hits a dead end. Uncle Jack is now wearing gigantic plastic hands because he's insecure about his tiny limbs. It's a dumb joke. At one point, the hand flies off into the crowd, and he screams to everyone about not looking as he hides his real hand to retrieve his fake one. Hilarious stuff.

But what gets me is how absolutely insane and outlandish Sunny has become. The episode features Maureen dressed and acting like a cat, complete with freaky contacts and long nails. She proceeds to actually rub her face on the judge's stand and chases a laser beam around the room. Are you kidding me?

Oh, Benicio Del Toro shows up with a bird in his hat and orders it to attack the prosecuting lawyer, where it proceeds to tear his eye out (or something. Either way he had a bandage).

Sunny has always gone to some far out places, but this is something else entirely. This is not a show where humans turn into cats, lawyers wear insanely large fake hands, and birds attack people. That's the stuff you'd find in a cartoon, and despite Sunny occasionally venturing into absurd territory, this is full blown bizarre, and it doesn't work.

The episode had a few occasional chuckles. Charlie's constant berating of Jack was funny, and Dee's public outrage about the lawyer being Jewish was particularly hurtful and offensive, which is always a plus.

It's painfully obvious that the core three behind the show (Howerton, Day, McElhenney) have lost interest and/or time. Their names only appear once in the writing credits for the entire season (the premiere, and even then, Howerton is absent), and their roles have been painfully diminished. Instead of the brilliant writing and back and forth between the characters, they've been sidelined, and we're left with preposterous and untrue eccentricities, and that is not something that I tune in to Sunny for.

Grade: F

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I love Stephen King's work, and I particularly enjoyed 11/22/63, but I'll be the first to admit that his novels don't always translate well to screen. In fact, I'd say that a large majority of them get lost in translation. 11.22.63's premiere isn't an entire failure, but it doesn't exactly spring to mind when I think of the great King adaptations, either.

The story follows Jake Epping (James Franco) as he travels back in time through a portal in his friend Al's (Chris Cooper) diner's closet (it's Stephen King, just roll with it) and is tasked with preventing the assassination of JFK, thereby, hopefully, making a better present world. It's a fun story concept, but it worked much better in the novel.

For one thing, I couldn't help feeling that this episode was far too rushed for its own good. Bridget Carpenter's script isn't electrifying, and it speeds through wholly necessary developments and ideas. Jake is whisked away, before we even really get to know him (we know he's divorced and that he teaches), and the time travel plot line is established in a matter of maybe ten minutes. I realize that Stephen King loves to keep things moving, but it doesn't translate well to the screen. This show needed to find more time to breathe. We needed to live in the present for a little longer, we needed to learn more about Jake, and we needed to learn more about the time travel.

The acting in the present day scenes was also a little stiff. Franco was serviceable in the role, but not great by any means. Chris Cooper (who seems to be in everything) wasn't particularly engaging, as he just sort of grunted his way through his awkward King-like lines. This wooden acting and mediocre script didn't make for a great pairing, but once Jake stepped through that door, everything changed.

And it's when Jake is back in 1960 that the show really shines. The sets and costumes are a miraculous achievement, and it's evident that a lot of care and attention (not to mention money) went into these scenes of the past. There's no denying that this is where the show's heart truly lies, and it's also where it finds its greatest strength. It's at it's best when Jake is simply walking around town and observing the culture, the buildings, the people. It's in the past that the show finally finds time to indulge in itself a little bit, and works for the best.

Jake needs to find money in the past, so he bets on a boxing match, which infuriates the bookies. This stuff a little tired. But what isn't tired is the past's insistence on remaining unchanged. Jake encounters many obstacles when trying to alter or interact with the past, including a car running down the payphone he was using to call his dad, nearly being crushed by a falling chandelier, and having his Bed and Breakfast room burn down, which effectively ruins all of his detailed notes. It's exciting stuff, and the visual effects used in these scenes are especially good.

The episode ends with Jake forgoing his objective, as he realizes that he's in way over his head. Before he goes back to Maine, he makes one last stop in Kentucky to stop the murder of one of his classmates' family. We'll have to see where this storyline goes (if Jake can go through with it) and how it alters the present. Maybe when he returns, he'll find that Sad Story Man is nowhere to be found, as he's found solace elsewhere.

Overall, it was a very functional episode. I just wish that, in the future, the show will stop to smell the roses, so to speak. Oh, and a little more enthusiasm from Franco wouldn't hurt, either.

B-

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"Better Call Saul" finally returned this week with a personal, more introspective episode than I would have otherwise guessed, but that doesn't make it any less mesmerizing.

Season premieres are usually full of action and drama, as it aims to hook an audience for the remainder of the season. As such, they typically introduce new characters, new plot lines, and exciting new possibilities. Very little of that was present in this premiere, as the episode instead focused on a more personal level, spending much of its time with Jimmy and Kim.

The episode begins immediately where the last one left off (aside from the depressing Cinnabon opening – Saul is literally trapped with the garbage!), as Jimmy renounces the world of law in order to focus more on freewheeling his life, doing what he wants to do, no matter who it upsets along the way. He boldly drinks the cucumber water that he was told explicitly was for customers only, and he rips his pathetic paper sign off his door, inviting new possibilities to both the show and for Jimmy.

As such, he spends his time lounging in a pool, eating salsa and chips, drinking some delicious looking red drink, and just generally not giving a hoot. Kim comes by to basically call him an idiot, and they share a drink. The writing is pure brilliance in this scene. The show lets us know, in a quick, off-hand way, that the restaurant hosts a very expensive shot of tequila. It seems like a throwaway line, but it's not until Kim and Jimmy have dinner and foot an annoying bondsmen with an enormous bill that the joke, and the line, pays off. The attention to detail here is stellar, and it proves that the show can remain captivating even when it's taking it's sweet time. A lesser show would have dove right in and be done with the scene, but "Better Call Saul" lets its characters and situations breathe, and the writing (and payoffs) are much more natural and engaging because of it.

This applies to the overall style of the show itself. It's not in a rush to be anywhere. "Breaking Bad" was a very fast-paced, cliffhanger-based show, but it still found its time to establish beautiful locations and shots, and always let its characters motivations be clear through detailed dialogue. BCS retains this glorious aspect of BB, including its original and engaging shots (the overhead one of Saul drinking the water, the overhead pool shot, the waiter's tray shot). It's a visually attractive show, and its helped by its slow, melodic pace. Some may be turned off by the slow burn nature of the show (a lot apparently – it has a fraction of BB's Season 5 viewers), but the slow burn allows the show to be what it is, and it allows us to live within the world that it has created.

Saul eventually realizes that perhaps the lounging game isn't especially for him, so he takes the job at the law firm and is gifted an amazing office (complete with its own fireplace!) and a host of perks, including a company car, personal artwork, and his own personalized desk. But still, Jimmy wants to be free, and he still can't quite help himself from pulling the tape off the light switch (where the episode gets its name), and flicking it off. Jimmy still doesn't want to be tied down by traditionalism, even though he's in a very traditional environment, at least at the moment. Who knows what the future holds, but I'm looking forward to it.

Grade: A-

Some other thoughts:

• The B-story this week involves Mike's drug guy getting complacent, allowing Taco to steal his home address and seemingly rob him of his precious baseball cards. It's a neat little story, but I need to see the bigger picture in order to make full sense of it.

• That guy's shoes! Terrible!

• Mike doesn't get a lot to do in this episode, aside from growl and tell Drug Guy not to do what he ends up doing. We need more Mike!

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I was watching "The Gang Solves the Gas Crisis" the other night, and I laughed at virtually every single scene due to the rapid-fire jokes, brilliant writing, and assured performances. Then I watched "Being Frank" and wondered what went wrong over the years.

"Being Frank" followswell, Frank, as he goes about his day. He forgets names, never listens to who's talking to him, and winds up in the trunk of a car after interfering with a Pondarosa predicament. It's all very scattershot and mean-spirited, and none of it works.

While I can admit that the style of the episode is highly original and welcome, it didn't do the episode any favours, and did not end up saving it. "Being Frank" was filled with so much despicable behaviour and unfunny jokes that I was left questioning how this episode even made it to air. I notice that the main three writers (McElhenney, Howerton, and Day) are almost entirely absent this season in the writing department. McElhenney and Day co-wrote the season premiere, but the rest of the season is left to other veteran and newcomer-writers alike. This episode was penned by longtime contributor Scott Marder, but you certainly wouldn't think so. It's filled with so many misfires that it actually becomes insulting.

Frank is absolutely deplorable in this episode, and while I understand that the Sunny crew isn't exactly beacons of upstanding citizenry, there is a limit. This episode featured Frank watching his landlord choke to death while calling him an asshole, be a racist, upend a buffet table and steal a rug, and randomly pop a child's balloon for no discernible reason. The darker humour works for the show when it's in the service of the outlandish plot or its characters, but the mean-spirited attitude of this episode didn't land, and it seemed like a new writer feeling out the "edgy" humour of Sunny and writing as many mean things as he can for the character. It destroyed Frank, and it destroyed the episode.

Also bewildering is the personalization of Frank himself. Frank has never seemed like an idiot. In fact, he's easily the smartest member of the group, as he ran a successful business and often one-ups and outsmarts the gang in their shenanigans. Here, he's portrayed as a bumbling idiot, drifting off when others are talking to him, forgetting names, and just generally acting like a fool who is lost in the world. It's a blatant reversal of Frank's character, and only seemed to service what this particular story needed rather than uphold previously established personality traits.

Overall, a bewildering, tiring, exhausting, completely unfunny episode that couldn't be saved by its own originality. Seriously, bury this trash, forget it existed, and lets move on with this series.

Glenn, Charlie, Rob. I'm begging you. Come back to this show. It desperately needs you.

Grade: F.

While I found it to be slightly funnier than the season premiere "Chardee Macdennis 2: Electric Boogaloo," "Frank Falls Out the Window" was still a mediocre episode of "Sunny," and one that made me harken back to the earlier, better days.

The episodes premise is fairly simple. Frank falls out of his apartment window because Charlie was making him sit on the sill so his farts would go outside instead of stinking up the apartment. Wacky hijinks ensue, like Charlie believing that Frank fell through a portal into 2006, and Dennis and Dee treating him like crap because they're taking advantage of his lost memory.

The episode was not without its fine moments. The reveal of Frank's gigantic gash was both shocking and uproarious, and Dennis and Dee pretending to have invented smartphones was particularly good. That whole dinner scene stuck with me, as I noticed that the writing (the script penned by veteran David Hornsby) was much sharper than last week's episode. The characters were more themselves, and the jokes came more organically and were more realistic (not to mention actually funny). Glenn Howerton's acting was hilariously on point (as it always is), especially in the kitchen conversation scene with Dee. It also showed us again how flawed these characters are, and that's always a good thing in my eyes. Dennis has dreams of being a vet (for the skins, but still), and Dee has failed aspirations of being a Broadway star. The kitchen scene was not only great for its funny moments, but also for bringing attention to how flawed, and ultimately human, these characters are, even when the show as a whole would suggest otherwise.

But I can't help but feel like "Sunny" is running out of ideas, and we're slowly watching the degradation of the show, its jokes, and its characters. There were many callbacks in this episode, like Frank's rum ham, and the show even introduced blatant flashbacks as Frank remembered past events from past episodes. It reminds me of "Thundergun Express," and not in a good way. In that episode, the show made room for a two minute Frank speech about the best moments of the show, and the flashbacks in this episode only served to remind me of funnier, better moments, not to mention better episodes. It's like in "Rocky IV" when Rocky was driving and remembering events from the first film. It only made me want to watch that instead of what I actually was.

Dennis and Dee rehash the same crack storyline they did way back in Season 2, including going to same welfare office (the welfare store, thanks Mac), talking to the same people, and even using the same jokes (Dee's helmet), and even Mac and Charlie showed up to do the same thing they did last time. While I understand that this is in line with the episode's idea, especially with Charlie believing it to be 2006 (Dennis and Dee Go On Welfare aired in July 2006), but that doesn't excuse the show from reusing plot lines, scenes, and jokes.

"Sunny" has now aired two episodes, back to back, with strong ties and influences to earlier episodes. I just wish that they would let the past go, as Dennis seems to suggest to Dee, and begin focusing on new, fresh, and ultimately funny material again.

6/10 (D)

Man, this show just keeps getting better and better.

In the third installment, now almost one third of the way through the story, Avery's ship is sinking even faster, as his nephew testifies against him, stating that he and Avery both murdered Theresa by slitting her throat, choking her, and dumping her in a pit where they shot her in the chest and head, finally killing her.

But did that really happen? Probably not. Avery's nephew was questioned earlier (off screen) stating that he had no idea what happened to Theresa and that Avery wasn't behind it. It wasn't until two detectives pulled the slow-learner out of school and planted ideas in his head in a truly infuriating moment. One detective keeps saying, "What about the head?" as the nephew continues to be baffled, until finally planting the seed (that she was shot in the head) needed to convict Avery and make sure that he is never released.

It's a truly heartbreaking scenario. Not only are these detectives pulling apart this family (the phone call between Avery and his sister was particularly painful to listen to), but they're now putting a (seemingly) innocent 16 year old boy behind bars for 20 years in exchange for his testifying against Avery. It's absolutely unbelievable that the local law enforcement would go to such harrowing extremes in order to get Avery behind bars where they believe he belongs, where their jobs and reputations are not in danger. Although, according to this show, nothing is as it seems, so I'm curious to see how this all plays out down the road. If it's true, if the detectives are actually doing this, than that is unforgivable, deplorable behaviour.

The episode's other heartbreaking scenes include Avery telling his family that he can't take it anymore (suicide?) and imploring his fiancé to tell him that she loves him and believes in him. I can't imagine the situation that Avery finds himself in, but to watch it unfold is a thing of dramatic beauty and harrowing reality.

I can't wait to see how it all turns out.

9/10

There's no denying the massive shoes that "Sherlock" has to fill. The last episode, "His Last Vow," aired on January 14, 2014, almost two years ago, and Season 3 amassed an average of almost 12 million viewers. "The Abominable Bride" was released to cinemas, making this a cultural event, so did it live up the massive hype that it set itself? Well, yes and no.

The story jumps back to the 19th century, satisfying fans' curiosities of seeing the "real" Sherlock in his proper time period. To say that this worked would be an understatement. Costumes were elegant and impressive, the sets decorated with attention to detail, and the dialogue matched the time period, with quips of "Jolly good" and other time-specific pieces (OK, they never actually said that, but you know what I mean). The cinematography by Suzie Lavelle was as perfect as ever, with one shot, the scene in the club with the sunshine coming in beams into the room, being particularly gorgeous.

Therefore, with the period set dramatically and everything else working accordingly (the performances are as good as ever), "The Abominable Bride" was set to be a "Sherlock" classic. The story follows a murderous bride, Emilia Ricoletti (a creepy Natasha O'Keefe) as she kills men who are abusive to women. Or does she? The story of the bride twists and turns, and it takes us to some unexpected places, with a conclusion that couldn't help but raise a few eyebrows. As it turns out, a group of feminists, including the hilarious Molly Hooper (Louise Brealey) were posing as the bride after her death in order to strike fear in men that abuse women in order to give a voice and a cause to the feminist movement. It was a bold move, but one that worked with mixed results. Here is a man (Sherlock) giving an explanation and a voice to a quiet group of women, written by men (showrunners Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat), explaining the plight of women. It's a noble pursuit, but one that kind of negates the power and theme of its own story.

This was in turn ruined even further by the reveal that this is only happening in Sherlock's mind palace, as he tries to deduce how Moriarty could be alive after blatantly shooting himself in the head. As it turns out, Sherlock uses this real case of the bride as a metaphor for his own case; he concludes that, like the women taking over the plight of the bride, someone else is taking over for Moriarty. It's an interesting idea, but one whose execution was spotty.

In the middle of a confrontation with the creepy Moriarty (an always wonderful Andrew Scott), including Moriarty licking dust off his hand as he talks about dust being human remains, the story suddenly shifts to Sherlock on the jet, minutes after we last saw him in "His Last Vow." It's a jarring shift, and one I'm not so sure worked as effectively as the writers had hoped. Instead of keeping the story contained in Victorian England and creating a fun, one-off special, they found it necessary to tie the story in to the over-arching story of the series, and it's a bold move that shouldn't have happened.

The story before the shift was fun. We had Gothic castles, creepy fog, a genuinely frightening villain, and an interesting case. To make this all moot when we discover that none of it is real dramatically lessens any stake we had in the narrative. If they HAD to shift back to present day, they should have stayed there, as any other scene afterwards in the 19th century suddenly lost any intrigue that it would have otherwise had.

The episode also featured some truly baffling scenes. The Reichenbach Falls scene should have worked in theory, and while it looked wonderful, it was terribly out of place. Moriarty being kicked off the cliff with a dramatic scream made me laugh, and I don't think it meant to. Furthermore, the scene of Sherlock falling beside the Falls looked horrendous, and while I understand that the budget maybe limited what they could have done, they should have simply cut after Sherlock jumped rather than show us the actual fall. It made an otherwise dramatic scene terribly corny.

The conclusion itself also left much to be desired. Again, if they were going to cut to the present, they need to give us more than what they did. Sherlock stating that he has solved the case doesn't exactly get my hopes up. I know he was going to solve it. This is "Sherlock," not some dramatic series where the hero is beaten into submission. HOW did he solve it? What did we, the viewers, not understand? It's a question left for Season 4 to answer, but for a whole episode to work up to that anticlimactic conclusion left me feeling empty.

What otherwise was an excellent and intriguing episode turned instead to frustration and confusion. If it stayed in the 19th century and left us with a creepy, intriguing mystery to be solved, the episode would have worked much better than it actually did. However, "Sherlock's" ambition got the better of it, and by trying to be smart, it in turn left me feeling so much worse.

7/10.

First off, let me begin my review by stating that the episode itself was fantastic. It employed all the brutality, humour, and quirkiness that has come to define the show in its first two seasons. The massacre at Sioux Falls was everything that the show promised, as it was exciting, brutal, and the bodies piled high.

However, I feel that I should discuss the obvious elephant in the room that has come to split the viewers: the UFO.

My personal opinion is that it had no place in the episode. While it's true that the show has maintained a supernatural, UFO motif throughout the season, that is no excuse for the blatant detour into science fiction territory that this episode took. In episode one, Rye is distracted by a UFO, but that instance could easily be chalked up to a hallucination, a reflection, or even if it just remained a mystery. Then Hanzee saw lights in the sky, and an hour passed. Again, I, and many other fans, were completely find with that. It provided an intriguing mystery that perhaps the show would never answer.

But then a literal UFO dropped into the parking lot of the Motor Motel, dripped fluid onto the characters, shone bright green beams onto them, and distracted Bear so Lou could kill him. Aside from the obvious problem of the UFO being a blatant deus ex machina, it also becomes far too far- fetched for a show generally grounded in bleak reality. Perhaps it could have been executed better, like distant flashing lights, or a sound that distracted Bear. But to have a clear UFO change the course of events during an otherwise realistic, intense, and plot-changing scene is far too much to ask for for certain viewers.

While it was still a masterpiece of television, Fargo would benefit from less "weird" and just stick to what it does best: providing us an intense hour of television that we can relate to and be shocked by. None of this UFO crap.

This week's Sons of Anarchy was a certain improvement over the last three episodes, and it finally shows a direction and intensity that was missing from the previous episodes.

For starters, this week's episode, "Poor Little Lambs," provided some great excitement, and also some deep and depressing drama. I'm specifically talking about the last ten minutes of the episode or so, when not only does the ice cream store get blown up in a grenade attack (more on that later), but when the escorts are all brutally murdered by Lin's men. This scene reminded me of something out of a great mafia film, ala The Godfather, seeing the aftermath of some extraordinary scene of violence, with bodies littering the floor and blood and bullet holes on the wall. The scene was extraordinary, and I thought the up-tempo music playing over the scene added some sort of ironic twist to the scene which somehow made it that much more depressing and impacting. The scene gave me chills, what with Hunnam's performance, the blood, and the dark, visceral images of the innocent bodies littering the floor. When a scene gives me chills, I have to give it due credit and respect, no matter the content or execution. I can't help but think what the scene would look like without the montage music, or for that fact, what it would look like actually SHOWING the massacre. I can only think that FX refused to show the violence, as it would be too graphic.

The grenade scene also provided some much needed excitement, although on a more silly and tongue-in-cheek way. I can't tell if the scene was supposed to be portrayed as being serious, but I couldn't help but think how insane and unrealistic it all was. First of all, there is no way anyone would be walking out of that store without some sort of major injury. It's a grenade, which shoots out shrapnel, and it was in an enclosed area, providing more deflection and various pieces of flying glass and furniture to further injure the gang. I can take this scene with a grain of salt, and this show has never been the most realistic, but this scene took my imagination a little too far and created an exciting but very silly scene.

The episode was not at all excitement and greatness, though. Gemma and Juice's monologues seemed very awkward and unneeded. It is no secret that this show was greatly influenced by Shakespeare's tragedies, specifically Hamlet, but while Shakespeare's soliloquies come across as natural and poetic, the soliloquies in these scenes only came across as confusing and very funny. I can't take Juice seriously when he's sitting on the bed talking to himself while the shower is running. It was supposed to be "deep" and "philosophical," but it only came across as very silly and unintentionally funny.

Another awkward scene (for me) was Tig's kiss with Venus. It's an interesting approach to Tig's character, and it was somewhat sweet, in a very warped way, but it didn't really come across as natural to me. Tig has always been a psychopathic ladies' man who loves porn, not a sweet man interested in a relationship. It's supposed to add nuance and depth to Tig's character, but I didn't like it. But, again, that's just my opinion; I've heard mixed things about that scene.

Things are definitely taking a turn in the right direction. Last week I criticized the show for treading water, but my concerns have been shot down in this episode. We are finally achieving some sort of forward direction, what with the massacre at the restaurant, Lin's knowledge of the Sons' involvement, and Juice's relocation to Gemma's father's cabin (which will most likely not have a good result, what with both of them packing guns). It was also interesting to see Chibbs make a move on Jarry, as it gives him something to do other than be the moral compass to Jax's destruction.

We're one quarter done the final season, and at this point, things are finally heating up and bubbling over. I can't wait to see where we're going next, and who's going to live to see the final credits roll.

+ Final ten minutes

+ I like the Chibbs development

+ Good use of music in the final scene

+ Performances

+ Good direction for the series

– Silly grenade scene

– Tig and Venus's kiss

8.5/10 A

COULDN'T HAVE DONE WITHOUT: That final scene. Obviously plot wise we couldn't have done without it, but it definitely sealed the episode as a classic for me. It was dark, it was violent, it was twisted, it was perfect.

COULD HAVE DONE WITHOUT: The monologues of Gemma and Juice. They were simply unnecessary and quite goofy.

Well, it finally came. The Simpsons and Family Guy finally crossed paths to create an hour long special, but was it worth it?

The plot involved Peter writing misogynistic cartoons for the local paper, which causes an uproar in Quahog, forcing him and his family to hightail it out of Quahog and hit the road. At a gas station, their car is stolen, forcing them to locate the nearest town and call for help. The nearest town, of course, being The Simpsons' Springfield.

The jokes come fast and hard, especially in regards to meta humour. Characters joke about themselves and their own shows, showing a vast self-awareness that was always funny to watch and analyze. The most meta joke of the hour (arguably) involves Homer (during a very lengthy and very funny fight against Peter) throwing Emmy Awards at Peter, only for him to yell, "Hey, that's not fair! I ain't got none of them!" Either that, or the whole subplot involving Pawtucket Ale blatantly ripping off Duff beer. It was a good hour for self-aware and self-deprecating humour for Family Guy, and I think they pulled off those jokes nicely.

The animation was very fluid and tight, including the aforementioned chicken fight, which includes Peter and Homer turning radioactive and taking to space (where they hit the alien's spaceship from The Simpsons), and also neat little tricks like Homer emerging from the shadows at the Kwik-E-Mart, and the slow motion car wash that Peter and Homer give in the hopes of luring Peter's car thief. Overall, it was a very well produced and well animated hour.

That said, there were some negative gripes of mine. I personally found the Simpsons to be underused. Yes, it is technically a Family Guy episode, but apart from Homer, none of the Simpsons really got a chance to shine. Marge paired with Lois in a very weak subplot. Lisa was paired with Meg, highlighting how inferior Meg is to Lisa in every way, and while funny, only continued the well-trodden trope of Meg bashing humour, something which seems to be very hit or miss. Stewie and Bart had a fun subplot which involved Bart showing Stewie his ways of pranking, only for Stewie to take it one step too far and become a little sociopathic. It was a fun way to highlight the difference in these two characters' ideologies regarding bullying and violence, but Bart had very little to do and very little chance to be funny, being upstaged by Stewie. Finally, Brian and Chris paired with Santa's Helper, which involved him running away and Brian trying to cover it. It's a well-worn storyline, and the jokes fell a little flat.

Every performer did a good job, the meta humour was tight and on- point, and the animation was fantastic. I just wish there was a little more Simpsons in this "Simpsons Guy."

+ Animation

+ Very funny meta humour

+ Voice acting was good, and it was interesting to hear them in the same conversation

– The Simpsons family didn't get to do enough

*** out of *****

CHARACTER MVP I have to give this one to Stewie. I think his and Bart's storyline was my favourite, and it was good to see evil Stewie back again. I'm always reminded of just how funny and evil he can be when the show uses him to his fullest potential.

MVS (MOST VALUABLE SCENE) I loved the fight between Peter and Homer, however long it may have been.

COULD HAVE DONE WITHOUT: The Brian/Chris/Santa subplot. It never went anywhere, the jokes didn't land, and it only ate up valuable time that could have been spent with more Simpsons.

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Wow! What an episode that was, filled with humour, tension, and some surprising moments that left me with my mouth open.

I've been finding Fargo a little slow recently, but I suppose that can be attributed simply to the show laying the foundation for the story, setting up the characters and where they need to be, and creating the overall tone of the show. But now, we are over halfway through the story, and quite simply, it's time to get dirty and for the chips to start falling into place.

At the moment, I'm finding Lester my personal favourite character, as he knows what he wants and isn't afraid to obtain that. I've always loved Martin Freeman, and his performance as Lester is one of the shows' top ones. I feel sympathy for Lester, but I also want him to suffer for some of the horrible crimes he has committed, specifically killing his wife and recently framing his brother and nephew for said murder. That said, I find his development strangely enthralling – he has gone from his small, defenseless man-child and grown into a man who knows what he wants and is ruthless to obtain it. He is slowly devolving into a Walter White style character; he is scheming, conniving, and a generally brilliant layer of lies and deceit.

The other two characters whom I'm not so particularly fond of, Gus and Molly, had the most impactful scene of the episode. I'm not a huge fan of these two, as they seem relatively boring to me. Molly is your typical good girl cop with no moral ambiguity or conundrums, and Gus is simply far too childish and naive in his approach to his police work, and it makes him come across very childlike and innocent in a world that punishes innocence and favours the bold. That said, this was a great episode for them. I loved the small touches in their performances, such as Molly fixing her hair after Gus leaves to get changed. The outcome of the snow shootout was rather predictable, as the second Molly left Gus to chase the deaf man, I knew one of them was toast. Once Gus fired into the snow blindly and Molly was not responding/saying anything, I knew it was her that caught the bullet. This is a rather predictable cliffhanger, and it makes the show come across a little network-y in its approach to endings, but it was still effective. That said, I don't think Molly is dead. The show could not continue at this point without her. Maybe if this was episode 8 or 9, but at only episode 6, I don't think they would kill off the only character many viewers are left rooting for.

And that brings me to Lorne Malvo. I'm not a huge fan of this character, as he simply comes across as robotic and simply too diabolical, but this is also weirdly fascinating at the same time. It's the same effect that Chigurgh had on me – the character is simple, but menacing, and this malevolence makes them become weirdly effecting. The scene where Malvo leaves Dom to die by being shot up by the police was gut wrenching. I didn't know that I could feel so much sympathy for a character I didn't even get to know that well, but it was simply the way the scene was handled and shot, mixed with Glenn Howerton's great performance, that gave it its edge. It was a beautiful and haunting scene, as was the whiteout shootout, and having these two scenes right next to each other led to the most exciting batch of scenes Fargo has done yet, but it also led to the most ambitious moves the show has pulled so far, and for that, I commend it.

+ Beautiful and exciting scenes

+ Bold steps in the plot

+ Great performances by Freeman and Howerton

• Molly's cliffhanger "death" is a little too cliché

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This week's Game of Thrones was a step-up in quality for me from last week, which is surprising because many reviews I have read regarding this episode didn't like it as much and called it "slow" or "meandering." I have to disagree with this, simply because the episode laid some great new plot developments with some amazing sequences.

The episode started with Daenerys saving the slaves Meereen by starting a revolution against the slave masters. Those who read my reviews know that I am not a Daenerys or Emilia Clarke fan, but these sequences of the episode were arguably the best scenes in the episode. I loved Michelle MacLaren's directing, with the fast cuts of the masters being crucified and the bird's-eye-view shot of the slaves stabbing that one master. The scene concluded with Daenerys looking over her revolution with pride and confidence, the camera zooming out to show her on top of a great pyramid, akin of a great queen looking over the vast empire she has claimed. It was a great scene, filmed magnificently, and it provided the episode with some of its greatest scenes, despite its little plot development.

We also had a huge development in Jaime's story. He has given Brienne the titular Oathkeeper, and makes her promise to find and protect Sansa. It's a great plot development (but knowing this show, it'll be three seasons before Brienne actually makes it to Sansa). As great as the plot was, it provided some questionable motives regarding Jaime. After last week's internet uproar about Jaime's "rape" of Cersei, it was weird to see him resort back to his character progression, going against the Lannisters and helping out Tyrion and sending Brienne to rescue a Stark. I love Jaime's development and the path his character is progressing in, but it was conflicting to see him so different than he was depicted last week.

We also received the answer to who killed Joffrey! I admittedly spoiled this for myself, reading the novel synopsis on Wikipedia, but it was surprising and exciting for first-time viewers to have it revealed that both Littlefinger and Olenna were behind Joffrey's death. It's great to see these two characters behind it, as I've always loved Littlefinger and his duplicitous nature.

The last huge plot development was Bran's. I've never liked Bran, and I've hated his story since the end of Season 2 when he rode away from the burnt Winterfell. His story has been very plodding, meandering, and arguably pointless, but it was exciting to see his story take an exciting and dramatic turn by being captured at Craster's Keep. It's even more exciting to know that Jon is on his way, so it's possible that he meets Bran again, but knowing this show, that won't happen. I'm excited to see where this story at Craster's Keep goes, but one thing is for sure: it's not going to end in peace. The people at Craster's Keep are despicable people, raping women to death and sacrificing babies to the White Walkers, and I'll be glad to see them get their comeuppance at the hands of Snow.

And that led to this week's haunting and exciting ending with the White Walker. It was intense seeing him ride away with the baby, as we didn't know where he was going and what he was going to do. I think I figured it out when he lifted him up and went to touch his forehead, and my prediction was confirmed when the baby's eyes turned blue, revealing how White Walker's are made and the growing Walker army that is enlarging, one baby at a time. It was an exciting and haunting ending to a similarly exciting and very plot-heavy episode that progressed the story in new and exciting ways.

+ Great new plot progressions

+ Exciting sequences – Daenerys and the White Walker

+ Great cinematography and editing

• Some weird and conflicting character work with Jaime

Overall: A

This week's episode of Fargo, titled "The Rooster Prince," was a slower episode than last week, and certainly less exciting, but that's not to say that it was a particularly bad episode. Part of what makes these cable shows so great is the slow build and the character development, and this seems to be "The Rooster Prince"'s primary concern – to set up the story, and to develop the characters to get them where they need to be for the big, showstopping moments.

We started out this episode with two new, magnificent characters: Mr. Numbers and Mr. Wrench, with a great performance by Adam Goldberg. These two characters seem connected to Sam Hess in some mafioso-like connection, and they are now investigating the death of Hess. I love these two new characters, as they seem both funny and menacing, and this accentuated by the fact that they communicate through sign language. It's a neat twist on the typical hit men-like characters, and it makes them appear more human and warm/comforting than their actions indicate. I'm excited to see how these two new characters will eventually reach Malvo, and how their resulting interaction will play out.

The episode also bolstered some great performances, especially between Martin Freeman and Allison Tolman. I'm not sure how I feel about Tolman's character, Molly. I understand that she's the moral center of the show, and I understand that she's simply doing her job and trying to apprehend the clearly guilty Lester, but she seems a little annoying to me. I can't quite articulate why I think this way – maybe it's her persistent attitude or her childish personality, but I'm not quite liking her enough to warrant my emotional attachment for eight more episodes. That said, the scene in the drug store between Molly and Lester was both terrifically tense and very well-acted. It got even more so when Lester was being interrogated in his own car, clearly desperate and wanting out of the situation. Martin Freeman's performance was amazing, as you could clearly see the fright and the escalating terror of Lester's situation.

The episode was also well done in its cinematic scope and some great writing. I remember vividly the scene between Malvo and the mailman. This scene portrayed a very No Country for Old Men vibe to me, reminiscent of Chigurh's interrogation of the gas station man in the film. It was a terrifically tense scene, well acted by both Thornton and the old man, and it had some great lighting.

Overall, it was a little slow, and it has certainly laid back since the pilot episode, but that is a price I am willing to pay for some good character building and plot foundation-laying. I'm excited to see what this show has in store for the coming weeks.

+ Great new characters

+ Terrific performances

+ Cinematic scope, with great writing and cinematography

• Molly is pretty annoying

• A slower episode

Overall: B+

Breaker of Chains was certainly a slower episode than the previous three, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. After Joffrey's death, a shocking event reminiscent of a season finale, it's evident that these next couple of episodes will be a little slower, building more plot and character to fill-in the kingship and give everyone time to move their chess pieces a little more.

There were many focuses in the episode – Sansa being rescued by Littlefinger, Cersei mourning Joffrey and being raped by Jaime, Tyrion being locked in the basement, Oberyn and Tywin discussing their history, Sam and Gilly's protection storyline, Stannis and Davos, The Hound and Arya, and finally, finishing the episode, Daenerys and her slaves.

So, while the show encompasses many of the world's characters and advances their story, the downside of focusing on so many characters is that some of the story lines are bound to fall flat. Cersei mourning and subsequently being raped by Jaime was a silly scene. Tywin's "What Makes a Good King" speech was amazing, with a great performance by Charles Dance, but Cersei had little to do but stare at her son with those silly pieces of wood with painted eyes on them. After Tywin and company leave, Jamie comes in, they have an awkward conversation, and Jamie subsequently rapes Cersei. It seems to be an unnecessary scene, and we'll see the outcome of it in future episodes, but the scene itself seemed silly and melodramatic. Why is Jaime raping Cersei? It was disappointing to see, as Jaime has developed so much as a character throughout Season 3 that I've come to like him, but then he goes and rapes Cersei, and as much as I hate her as character, it was too mean and sadistic to watch. It completely devolved Jaime's character and development. I was excited to see where his character was going, as he seemed to be disowning the Lannisters and growing into his own isolated character, but now he's back to loving Cersei and having sex with her. It's possible he was trying to hurt her, but raping your sister while laying next to your dead son's corpse was a new low for not only Jaime, but maybe even the show in general.

Another scene worth discussing is Tyrion's imprisonment in King's Landing. Tyrion, now sporting a five o'clock shadow and forced to wallow in his own poop, he has reached a new low. What is always amazing to me is how noble Tyrion is and how brave he is in regards to how other's perceive him. His scene with Podrick was a touching one, especially at the end when he tries to protect Podrick by making him leave King's Landing due to his fear of Podrick's death. Podrick is his one true ally at this time (Bronn is in questioning, too), and he allows Podrick to disappear for the safety of his own life rather than use him as a pawn in his testifying against killing Joffrey. Podrick was arguably his only remaining move for his defence, and now that he's gone, it shows not only that Tyrion is in deep trouble, but also that he's noble and selfless enough to forego his own life in exchange for a younger, more ambitious one, and I love him even more now for it.

The final scene worth discussing (this would be too long if I discussed all of them) is Daenerys'. This was another scene I was not particularly fond of. Emilia Clarke has never been the greatest actress, and her "Queen" Daenerys" scenes have always come across as kind of awkward and non-threatening. Daenerys is supposed to be young but intimidating, but Emilia Clarke's performance has never portrayed this correctly. Instead, it seems far too forced, and it makes Daenerys appear more questioning or not as confident as she should be. Another detractor from the scene is that we have seen this scene about five times in the show now. Daenerys' storyline needs to start getting a move on, and soon. Yes, her takeover of Astapor was badass and a highlight of Season 3, but now we've seen her intimidating cities two more times, and it's getting quite old. I don't need to see Daenerys building her army of slaves (sorry, free men) any more; I get it, she has a large army and she's powerful and fearful. While it may have worked in the novels, it is coming across as boring, meandering, and even repetitive in the show. What was supposed to be a badass ending to the episode instead left me yawning and wanting some more development for her story.

Many of the scenes this episode were great. Arya and The Hound had funny moments, but they're back to be antagonists again, continuing the theme that we seem to be going in circles. Sam and Gilly's storyline was also a little boring, and Sam's argument about her protection from the Night's Watch was ridiculous. In my opinion, she would actually be much safer with them, and at least there Sam could keep an eye on her personally. Stannis and Davos' scenes added nothing to discuss.

The best scene of the episode was easily Littlefinger and Sansa. It added great intrigue to the episode, it gave us a potential killer of Joffrey in the duplicitous Littlefinger, the dialogue was fantastic and dramatic, and the cinematography of the scene was spectacular, with the fog adding a sense of dread to the already near-pitch black darkness of the ship.

Overall, it was a good episode, if a little meandering and boring. I realize that now that Joffrey is dead, the show needs to lay some more groundwork for its upcoming episodes, and that's fine. I just wish it could have been done a little more entertainingly.

Now that is how you make a television pilot.

I admit, I had my doubts concerning the new series "Fargo," as the original film remains one of my favourites. I didn't know if they could pull off the humour, the tone, the atmosphere, or the darkly comedic violence of the original, but to my great astonishment, it seems that they have succeeded on all counts.

THE HUMOUR

OK, so it wasn't quite as funny as the film, but give it time. There were some funny moments, such as when Lester hit his head on the window, or Lorne's deliciously creepy visit to Sam's car shop.

THE TONE/ATMOSPHERE

I think Fargo hit the nail right on the head in regards to this aspect. It's tricky to hit the right tone of the movie, as it needs the niceties and the friendly nature of Minnesota to be darkly contrasted with the sadistic violence, but I think they did this nicely. The final twenty minutes of the episode really cemented this for me, as it contrasted the beauty of Minnesota with the brutal murder of Lester's wife. I loved how these final minutes were shot – the yellow tint of the house gave it a warm, comfortable feeling, like walking into it on a cold night and basking in its warmth and the smells of dinner. But then you go downstairs and see the corpse of a woman, her head caved in by numerous smashes of a hammer. This is why Fargo (movie and series) works so well – its juxtaposition with comfort and familiarity, and the brutal, realistic violence perpetuated by its sadistic characters.

DARK HUMOUR

Again, I think Fargo nailed this nicely. Lester continuously apologizes to his wife, even as he bludgeons her head in with a hammer, spraying the walls with her blood. A cop sees the corpse, turns around, and walks back upstairs to throw up. Lester paces around the basement, avoiding the corpse of his wife, and runs head-first into a cement wall. It is is moments like this that make me feel bad for laughing, but you can't help it. That is the beauty of Fargo – it makes you laugh even in the face of brutal and sadistic violence.

The show was very well done in general. Martin Freeman's performance as Lester Nygaard was both humorous and dark and brooding. I thought he brought a deep intensity to an otherwise very nice man, and when he hit his wife over the head with a hammer, I felt scared around his character. He's a complex character – he's nice and he doesn't fight, but when he's pushed that extra inch too far, he goes full-out and hits his wife over the head with a hammer and continuously smashes her face in with it. It reminds me of a school bully victim – he can only take so much before he starts fighting back, and viciously so.

The episode also brought many surprises. When Lester hit his wife over the head with the hammer, my jaw dropped to the floor. Same as when the Chief of police took two shotgun blasts to the chest. I would have never thought that we would get so much development in the first episode, both in terms of character deaths and character development. I thought we would gradually see Lester's descent into madness, but we get it in the very first episode. I can't wait to see what else they have in store if this was what we got in the first episode alone.

Yes, there were flaws. The two sons who repeated each other got on my nerves, and while I get that they were going for humour, it didn't work. Also, some of the situations seemed clunky, such as when Lester is being bullied by Sam. I realize this sets up the events for the series, but seeing two 40 year old men act like they're in high school seems awkward. Also, while I mentioned the Chief's death as surprising, it seemed a little melodramatic considering the development we got with his character. His scenes at home with his pregnant wife regarding the nursery colour were nice in idea, but it only served to make his death that much more artificially emotional.

Overall, it was a fantastic start to the series, full of twists and unexpected developments. If this is what we get in the first episode, I can't wait to see what's in store for the other nine.

I have to say, I enjoyed the new Game of Thrones episode immensely!

The episode could be considered a little slow and none-too-eventful by some, but I found it to be a good balance of violence and character development, not to mention that it has to lay the groundwork for the rest of the season to come. I found many of the story lines this week to be of interest, particularly Jamie's and Arya's.

I've always been a fan of Jamie Lannister, even from the beginning of the series. The incest storyline has always interested me, and his development throughout Season 3 was one of that season's strong points for me. I loved the way his character progressed, and I loved the relationship he built, and currently has, with Brienne. It's interesting to see Cersei giving him the shoulder and Joffrey blatantly disrespecting him, calling him out on his absence from King's Landing and his missing hand. If anything, that showed not only Joffrey's wickedness, but also Jack Gleeson's sadistic acting abilities.

The second storyline I'm finding significantly interesting is Arya's. Arya has not consistently intrigued me as much as Jamie and other characters have, but last season, Arya definitely became a highlight. Her storyline was my favourite this week, with a great blend of amazing writing, brutal violence, and great character work. The writing in that pub scene felt like something out of a Tarantino movie – a slow build up to a violent conclusion. The sense of dread and violence was palpable in that scene, and it came as no surprise when things went south. The scene was exciting, and the violence gruesome, especially when the Hound slammed that man's head on the sword multiple times. If anything, this show is consistent in its gruesome, realistic depictions of violence. I could watch The Walking Dead and its violence all day and never be phased, but Game of Thrones has always surprised me with how I react to its violence – it is always twisted, gruesome, and painfully realistic.

I also love what the writers seem to be doing with Arya. The ending of this episode was fantastic, with Arya riding off on her new pony, smile on her face, when only minutes ago she stabbed a man through the throat, gleefully happy as she was doing it. Arya seems to be falling down a dangerous path, one of psychopathy. I am greatly looking forward to seeing how the writers play with this character and what becomes of her sanity.

I generally enjoyed this episode. Aside from the pointless flashbacks and rushed ending, it was good.

Let me address the concept of Rick and his questionable actions. I love the direction that the writers seem to be taking Rick, as he is now more in-tune with his comic counterpart. In the comics, Rick has always been an antihero, a questionable protagonist who does some very questionable things. Some of his actions have us asking, "Was that necessary? Could there have been a different way to do that?" and I'm glad that the show seems to be continuing along this path. When Rick bit the man in the neck, it was grotesque, but necessary in the situation, as he had no other means of stopping them from raping Carl. He did what he needed to do, but it calls in question how far is too far?

I would argue that Rick was not out of line by biting the man and killing the other, but what WAS was the needless gruesome and drawn out killing of that one man. Yes, he was right in killing him, but it seemed as if he was a little too psychotic in his punishment, as if he was enjoying torturing this man. Yes, he attempted to rape Carl, but does that justify his actions? Is Rick still to be considered a good man, or has he grown too psychotic? They're great questions, and they're ambiguous for a reason. The Walking Dead has always been about questionable decisions and what to do in the face of an apocalypse. Obviously the apocalypse will call morality into question, and that is what the comic has long been addressing: this idea that morality is not needed in this world, and that we must do what we have to to survive.

So, does that mean Rick is a bad man for torturing another man and biting the neck of another? Maybe. He did what he had to, but was there any way in bringing it about differently? He could have killed the one man and be done with it, but he killed him slowly and seemingly with glee.

I love The Walking Dead when it asks hard questions like this. Are we watching a bad man perform terrible deeds? Is Rick justified in his actions? Is Rick no longer the hero, but a villain? These are questions the comic has been grappling with for a long time now, and I'm glad that the show is now, finally, addressing these ambiguous questions and giving its audience something to discuss.

I admit, I was going into Pompeii not expecting too much. I read some reviews that were lukewarm at best, and I am a big fan of the real tragedy at Pompeii, so I thought that there would be no chance of this film being any good. Well, in short, it wasn't. But that's not to say it didn't have any lasting impact on me as a viewer, or as an enthusiast of ancient history.

When I look at pictures and articles of Pompeii, I think of it simply as a tragedy, an event that happened in the past, frozen in time for historiographers, archaeologists, and anyone with an interest to admire and study. That's not to say that I never felt a degree of sadness or disturbance, but like any historical moment, it was simply (for me) something of the past, something that happened not in my lifetime that I can simply view and/or study for my own personal amusement and education. I looked at the pictures of the cast plaster bodies, I viewed the ancient remains of the city, and while I felt, I always admired from a distance. After viewing Pompeii, I can safely say that my perspective on the tragedy has changed and I now see it as a personal and affecting moment in history.

If this film did something right, it was placing us within the ancient city and making us feel it. Yes, the characters were pretty terrible and poorly acted, but that's not important to me. What was important was how engrossing the film is. The cinematography was excellent, the costumes grand, and the set pieces magnificent; if anything, it was a great movie for a production perspective. Perhaps it was also because I saw the film in 3D and was therefore more immersed into the city, but I felt like the film itself did a good enough job of situating the viewer within the city and making us feel it, transporting us back nearly 2,000 years ago into the ancient city itself. One of the greatest shots of the film is when Vesuvius first erupts, spewing a huge cloud of volcanic ash into the air while everyone stares in curiosity, amazement, and even fear at the giant cloud. No one knows what is happening, but everyone knows it is bad. You could feel the fear in the air because you felt as if you were there yourself. When the volcano erupts and everyone panics, the film does a great job of portraying how fearful the people of Pompeii must have felt at the time, and through this feeling of fear that I as a viewer felt, it changed my perspective on the tragedy.

Once the stones start raining down hell-fire onto the city, things go from bad to worse. You feel the chaos of the moment as people are knocked dead by falling debris, trampled by the large crowds, drowned in a giant tidal wave, and crushed by falling buildings. It was a haunting and beautiful final half hour of the film, and if anything, the film can be proud of its technical and emotional achievement of the last half. I felt as if I was a citizen of Pompeii; I was there watching everyone die and fearing for my life as the unknown rain of fire fell down on the city.

Yes, the acting, writing, characters, etc. were all pretty terrible. As an engrossing film, it failed in pretty much every aspects. In other words, don't go into this film expecting an Oscar winning experience. But that's not what is important to me. What my experience was is far more personal. It changed my perspective on a historical event. This film made me realize the true extent of the horror of that day, and it made it more personal for me. When before I looked at pictures of cast bodies, I saw plaster…now I see people.

6/10

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This The Walking Dead, titled "Claimed," was a slower paced episode compared to previous ones, especially last week's zombie-filled episode, but it was still a good character-driven episode filled with some tense moments, but also some awkward dialogue and situations.

This episode was split into three separate stories: Rick and the house invaders, Michonne and Carl scavenging for supplies and bonding over the past, and Glenn and Tara's new group, including promising newcomers Abraham, Eugene, and Rosetta. In my opinion, the strongest story this week was Rick's. It was a great, tense situation Rick found himself in, constantly hiding in doorways and under the bed in order to evade the group that has invaded the house. It was a new situation for the show, and a welcome addition. The best part of the show is when humans fight other humans, showing the true danger of the zombie-filled world, and this situation again highlighted how Rick has come to fear humans more than zombies. I loved the situation; it was tense and exciting. However, some things did not work. Some of the situations Rick found himself in was construed and used simply for the purposes of excitement. For example, the first man in the room simply walked around, apparently pondering the wallpaper and the bed. Why was he standing in front of the bed for twenty seconds? Was he admiring it? It was slightly silly and took me out of the situation a little bit, but it was still exciting enough to be involving. My second criticism concerns the man in the bathroom. Why was he just sitting there staring at Rick when Rick came into the bathroom? I suppose it could have been because he was in shock seeing Rick, but he probably stared at him for a good five seconds. It was another silly instance, and the ensuing fight did not help matters. No one heard the commotion in the bathroom? We knew Rick was going to win the fight anyways, so the lack of excitement and implausible aspect of no one hearing the right took me slightly out of the scene. Overall, his scenes were exciting and tense, a welcome addition to the episode and easily the greatest part.

Second best was Abraham's story. I actually enjoy the new characters a lot, minus Rosetta. Abraham seems like a tough and out of control man, but also one who is smart enough to know the situation he is and acts accordingly. Eugene also seems like a welcome addition, and who knew a scientist could be so redneck looking!? It's not how I picture them, anyway. Their new situation seems exciting, regarding the prospect of Washington and answers regarding the zombie outbreak. I seriously doubt we will get said answers for long time (if at all), but it is a welcoming new storyline and one I am excited to see play out. The only criticism I would have regarding this storyline is Rosetta. How cartoon-looking is that woman!? She looks like a female army figurine, complete with short shorts, boots, and hat. She looks ridiculous, and I am having a very hard time taking them seriously.

Finally, and my personal least favourite, was Michonne and Carl reminiscing and bonding over their past traumas. It was nice to see Michonne and Carl bonding, and they have a good chemistry between them, but some of their dialogue and situations were near awful. "I was laughing…on the inside," was groan-worthy, as was Carl's whole speech in the child's bedroom. Chandler Riggs cannot pull off the emotional scenes. Some of Michonne's actions were also awkward, including filling her mouth with cheese spray and acting like a monster around Carl. I know it was supposed to be awkward for Michonne, but it was still weird as hell. Luckily, theirs and Rick's ending was also eventful, as they seem to be heading towards the same safe zone that Tyreese and Carol are heading towards. What comes of their reunion will remain to be seen, but I am more hopeful for the future of this show than I have been for a long time.

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8/10

Ah, this is better.

After last week's laughably bad and little sense-making episode, this week's "Inmates" proved to be a return to form, although it still wasn't without its faults.

First, the positives. This seemed to be a return to form for The Walking Dead, filled with real tense moments (contrast to the stupid Carl- falling-every-ten-seconds, Rick might be dead gimmicks from last episode) and some good drama from the characters, including Maggie's heartfelt search for Glenn. The acting was quite solid, the action scenes good (the bus, the brutal killing of zombies in the last scene), and it gave characters room to develop in meaningful ways and grow connections. Tyreese got some good character moments in trying to juggle two little children (one psychotic) and a baby (more on that later), and we felt Maggie and Glenn's relationship strengthening as both wanted strongly to find each other. The gore effects were great, especially the ending when Tara bashed in the zombie's head and it gradually squished piece by piece. It was a good character building episode, filled with some good development and some interesting plot developments and questions, including the distant Terminus and the new characters in Abraham and his group.

Which transitions to the negative aspects of the episode. Firstly, what was with Abraham and his group's stupid pose? I know they were trying to recreate the comic book's cover, but it transitioned horrifically and hilariously to visual form. Why were they posing? To look cool? It was unnatural and it was laughable. I assume the comic fans were getting all gooey over it, but realistically, it looked terrible.

Secondly, some scenes were unnecessary. Beth and Daryl's scenes were quite pointless as seeing them walking through the woods does not prove an engaging viewing experience. Beth's dramatic voice over, providing an ironic twist for the viewer and the characters regarding their situation, seemed pointless and overly-dramatic.

Carol's return was also done quite poorly. Not only am I not a fan of Carol as a character and therefore was quite upset at her return, her return was done poorly, making the show's knowledge of itself as a show known. She suddenly appears behind Tyreese, and the viewers are left to gasp in surprise at her return. It was wholly unnecessary and did not provide much in the way of dramatics. Also, JUDITH'S NOT DEAD! Honestly, show? I lost quite a bit of respect for the show when I saw Tyreese holding her. I KNEW the show would not have the balls to kill her off, and it really cemented the show as safer and more conventional than the comic. Where the comic takes BOLD steps regarding deaths and themes, the show, due to its mainstream appeal, became too cowardly to kill off a baby in fear of upsetting its viewers. I KNEW the show would not have the guts to kill off a baby, and because of its lack of risk-taking abilities, I lost a huge amount of respect for the writers and this episode in general.

So, it was a good episode with some good character moments and some good gory effects, but filled with some sloppy dramatics, had some unnecessary scenes, and did not take risks, and because of that, I deduct a few points.

7/10

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