DVD, Stargate SG-1 S4 (The Other Side)
Better than the season opener, this one gives us a proper moral story for the team, though not an original one: that of trading for superior technology with someone that may not use their gains to the right ends. The series gained a reputation as a dumping ground for 'Star Trek' actors that had left their series, and that tradition continues with Rene Auberjonois, better known as Odo on 'DS9', coming a couple of years after that series ended. Without his mask and Odo persona I've always felt the actor to be naturally prone to evil characters. Perhaps it's the cultured voice, so often an association with the suave villain, or perhaps the intense blue eyes and mannerisms he often plays with. Whatever the reason I didn't ever quite feel comfortable with him and his war. Although we aren't shown anything beyond what he tells us, the idea of only hearing one person's side of the story, added to the title of the episode, flagged up something fishy.
A first for the series is that some descendants of Earth are calling home, but the Stargate team are at first put on the back foot thanks to three people trying to reach Earth and dying when hitting the protective Iris. This didn't put them in an objective mood, at least Carter felt guilty and O'Neill was too concerned about the advanced technology to see the signs that all might not be well. The conflict between the military side of the team and Daniel's scientific or moral viewpoint, taken apart from strategic goals, was quite strong in the early episodes, but had been softened quite a bit as the friendships developed between all four characters. So it's slightly shocking to see Daniel and Jack so vehemently against each other again, but adds a bit of drama to what might have been a staid 'alien planet' episode without it. Alars' uncaring attitude to a mentally deficient pilot who damaged his brain thanks to overuse of the remote control fighter pilot technology is the first sign that these people may not be the noble afflicted they claimed to be.
'The Matrix' appears to be an influence, both visually, as we see thousands of people held in stasis pods, and narratively, as the planet's atmosphere was deliberately destroyed. The virtual reality simulation that actually transmits a drone fighter's view and control to a passive user is also very 'Matrix'. These flight sequences looked really good, as did the extensive sets, either corridors filled with detritus, or the campaign room with the fighter control units, or the meeting hall with its chandelier and lavish table. The episode really earns its stripes towards the end as Jack begins to smell a rat at Alar's wish that Teal'c doesn't return to his planet because the Jaffa is different.
O'Neill goes from only caring about the technology that would bring such advantage to Earth (General Hammond getting in a reference to Apophis being alive for those that can't remember what's going on with the Goa'uld), silencing Daniel, to giving him full permission to find out what's really going on, and discovering the Aryan-race kind of thinking that has meant anyone physically different to those in control are the enemy. It's not very original, but it's the kind of stories 'Star Trek' so often handled, and one of the aspects that always has elevated it above most other science fiction. 'Stargate' has toyed with such concerns before, but I'm all for them doing more of it, beyond mere action adventure, especially when costume, CGI, and guest actors combine as well as they do in this episode.
***
Monday, 14 March 2011
Fragile
DVD, Smallville S5 (Fragile)
About once a season Clark gets to show how good he is with children, and this is that time again. Somehow the children always know he's not like the other adults they've met, and he's always full of cheer and fun, the kind of big brother you'd like to have, always a kind word or full of ideas for things to do. This little girl is at first portrayed as a nasty little creature, the teaser very much in the mould of Season 1 - a freak-of-the-week who doesn't like what she's told and then bad things happen to the teller, in this case her foster Mum experiencing all the glass in the room exploding at her. So what does she do? The natural thing would be to run from the house screaming for help, but she prefers to walk over to the only bit of glass that hasn't yet exploded into shards, namely the mirror, and open her mouth to scream. No wonder she didn't last long.
Only Clark, once he learns of little girl Maddie's power, takes her side, standing up for the weak in that Superman way that shows his credentials to be the man in red and blue without yet wearing the suit. The teaser, with horror music and tone helped us think Maddie was one of those evil children that we've seen so many times before, even her look helping to reinforce initial impressions, but this time Clark's trust is proved correct, it's the Father, newly released from a ward, that caused the major damage, Maddie only responsible for breaking a few jugs or glasses. There's a positive tone to the story from then on and as soon as you see the Grandmother who never knew she had a granddaughter, you can see how things will come together. The episode seems to end early with Maddie rescued and the Father caught, only for him to escape from a lift that reminded me of the killer's escape from similar circumstances in the film 'The Untouchables' only with a bit less blood. Then it's all up for a showdown in the Kent barn, but instead of Clark having to prove himself, it becomes a lesson for Maddie as she realises she mustn't kill her Father, even though he's done what he's done, meaning she can go on to have a life with other people, perhaps a message about Clark as much as her.
I was surprised to see the episode was directed by none other than Tom Welling, possibly his first time as Director! It must have been a tough assignment as he's in it quite a lot, and as well as having to act and direct, he was working with children and animals! I can't say I noticed anything much to signify a style or signature camera move, but I liked the way the camera swept around when Clark first gives Maddie a tour of the barn. Her presence adds a new dimension to the old meteor freak plot, since it reveals she is a second generation 'mutant' having inherited her power from her Father. Perhaps further revelations will be forthcoming about meteor-infected people?
I so wanted the episode to end in the sunshine as Maddie is driven away to her new life while Martha, Clark and Shelby the dog wave her off. But such an idyllic ending was not to be - the sub-plot of Lana and Lex having fallen/falling/about to fall for each other, and Chloe's concern on the matter, almost dragged the episode down into the dumps, but thankfully those scenes were fleeting and didn't interfere too much. The other plots are also tapped into briefly, with mentions (and definite AOL product placement!) of Milton Fine being seen in different places at once, and the fact that Clark hasn't yet disclosed his fears about Lionel knowing his secret to Martha, who still considers the man a friend, foolishly. There's still no sign of the new Sheriff, though another deputy is offed, and the confrontation in the barn recalled Season 1's 'Crush' which featured another meteor freak who had the power to move sharp objects around at will. I would say on this occasion the uppers outweighed the downers, for there was enough happiness and problem resolution to be enjoyed for the most part. I wonder how much detail goes into these stories though - was that picture, which cunningly (read: obviously) contained the stolen diamonds, always in the Talon, or a recent addition? If it was always there then that level of attention to detail is to be applauded!
***
About once a season Clark gets to show how good he is with children, and this is that time again. Somehow the children always know he's not like the other adults they've met, and he's always full of cheer and fun, the kind of big brother you'd like to have, always a kind word or full of ideas for things to do. This little girl is at first portrayed as a nasty little creature, the teaser very much in the mould of Season 1 - a freak-of-the-week who doesn't like what she's told and then bad things happen to the teller, in this case her foster Mum experiencing all the glass in the room exploding at her. So what does she do? The natural thing would be to run from the house screaming for help, but she prefers to walk over to the only bit of glass that hasn't yet exploded into shards, namely the mirror, and open her mouth to scream. No wonder she didn't last long.
Only Clark, once he learns of little girl Maddie's power, takes her side, standing up for the weak in that Superman way that shows his credentials to be the man in red and blue without yet wearing the suit. The teaser, with horror music and tone helped us think Maddie was one of those evil children that we've seen so many times before, even her look helping to reinforce initial impressions, but this time Clark's trust is proved correct, it's the Father, newly released from a ward, that caused the major damage, Maddie only responsible for breaking a few jugs or glasses. There's a positive tone to the story from then on and as soon as you see the Grandmother who never knew she had a granddaughter, you can see how things will come together. The episode seems to end early with Maddie rescued and the Father caught, only for him to escape from a lift that reminded me of the killer's escape from similar circumstances in the film 'The Untouchables' only with a bit less blood. Then it's all up for a showdown in the Kent barn, but instead of Clark having to prove himself, it becomes a lesson for Maddie as she realises she mustn't kill her Father, even though he's done what he's done, meaning she can go on to have a life with other people, perhaps a message about Clark as much as her.
I was surprised to see the episode was directed by none other than Tom Welling, possibly his first time as Director! It must have been a tough assignment as he's in it quite a lot, and as well as having to act and direct, he was working with children and animals! I can't say I noticed anything much to signify a style or signature camera move, but I liked the way the camera swept around when Clark first gives Maddie a tour of the barn. Her presence adds a new dimension to the old meteor freak plot, since it reveals she is a second generation 'mutant' having inherited her power from her Father. Perhaps further revelations will be forthcoming about meteor-infected people?
I so wanted the episode to end in the sunshine as Maddie is driven away to her new life while Martha, Clark and Shelby the dog wave her off. But such an idyllic ending was not to be - the sub-plot of Lana and Lex having fallen/falling/about to fall for each other, and Chloe's concern on the matter, almost dragged the episode down into the dumps, but thankfully those scenes were fleeting and didn't interfere too much. The other plots are also tapped into briefly, with mentions (and definite AOL product placement!) of Milton Fine being seen in different places at once, and the fact that Clark hasn't yet disclosed his fears about Lionel knowing his secret to Martha, who still considers the man a friend, foolishly. There's still no sign of the new Sheriff, though another deputy is offed, and the confrontation in the barn recalled Season 1's 'Crush' which featured another meteor freak who had the power to move sharp objects around at will. I would say on this occasion the uppers outweighed the downers, for there was enough happiness and problem resolution to be enjoyed for the most part. I wonder how much detail goes into these stories though - was that picture, which cunningly (read: obviously) contained the stolen diamonds, always in the Talon, or a recent addition? If it was always there then that level of attention to detail is to be applauded!
***
Small Victories
DVD, Stargate SG-1 S4 (Small Victories)
As expected this season opener was a bit limp. The Replicators have never really threatened the Goa'uld as being a good replacement villain. For one thing they don't have a leader or a face, they're just little robotic spiders with a sub-Borg ethic of consuming everything. Season 3 ended fairly excitingly with the Asgaard ship plummeting to Earth and Colonel Jack O'Neill, Major Carter and Teal'c trapped aboard, but this turn of events is quickly resolved without explaining how much time has actually elapsed when they suddenly appear through the Stargate. Carter says it took them a week to dial home, but was that the full time they were gone? If so how come she had time to grow her hair (let alone style it!), and for Teal'c to develop a tiny blonde beard, if such a small strip of hair could be granted such a title. Daniel, left behind back at base is once again relegated to watching events unfold on monitors without any real input, but I can't deny it's good to see them all back at this business again.
The titles have reverted to the close-up view of a pharoah's sarcophagus or death mask or whatever, which are the titles I most remember from when I watched it regularly, so this may be the season I began seeing each week (though I certainly hadn't seen this one before). I think that title sequence, without clips of previous episodes, probably works better, as it isn't as cheesy, but I wonder if the motivation was to save money rather than put together a new sequence for the new season as it had been used once or twice before.
The CGI is mostly quite good, the close-ups of the replicators, all CG, looking particularly realistic, though the designers' vision may have exceeded their resources as the ships and Asgaard city didn't have the same weight to them. Using an actual submarine is always a good move in terms of making an episode look more real, but it doesn't really work too well as a place to run around in the dark with guns, since there isn't much room to run, it's more about climbing up and down ladders than anything pacy. Still, the idea of a mother-bug was good, but the finding of a couple of pieces from the Asgaard ship's crash seemed like it might be setting up for a sequel if only a few more bits were to end up getting collected and stored together.
Many of the recurring characters get to show their faces, such as Dr. Fraiser, Sergeant Siler and the guy with glasses who operates the Stargate. I don't know why a season-opener should be so underwhelming, but I can see the cause - there's too much discussing, talking, working out, on the one hand, and on the other, the action scenes never quite worked up the threat level. I never believed O'Neill and Teal'c were truly threatened and there was little to no horror in the replicants taking over the Russian sub - the one moment when one of them claws the face of the Russian sailor was about it, and there should have been a real foreboding about going down into the depths of the lair of these creatures, when the escape route could be cut off at any moment, but it didn't ever seem that difficult. Hopefully things will pick up and we can get back to deserts and forests and maybe some good sci-fi stories.
**
As expected this season opener was a bit limp. The Replicators have never really threatened the Goa'uld as being a good replacement villain. For one thing they don't have a leader or a face, they're just little robotic spiders with a sub-Borg ethic of consuming everything. Season 3 ended fairly excitingly with the Asgaard ship plummeting to Earth and Colonel Jack O'Neill, Major Carter and Teal'c trapped aboard, but this turn of events is quickly resolved without explaining how much time has actually elapsed when they suddenly appear through the Stargate. Carter says it took them a week to dial home, but was that the full time they were gone? If so how come she had time to grow her hair (let alone style it!), and for Teal'c to develop a tiny blonde beard, if such a small strip of hair could be granted such a title. Daniel, left behind back at base is once again relegated to watching events unfold on monitors without any real input, but I can't deny it's good to see them all back at this business again.
The titles have reverted to the close-up view of a pharoah's sarcophagus or death mask or whatever, which are the titles I most remember from when I watched it regularly, so this may be the season I began seeing each week (though I certainly hadn't seen this one before). I think that title sequence, without clips of previous episodes, probably works better, as it isn't as cheesy, but I wonder if the motivation was to save money rather than put together a new sequence for the new season as it had been used once or twice before.
The CGI is mostly quite good, the close-ups of the replicators, all CG, looking particularly realistic, though the designers' vision may have exceeded their resources as the ships and Asgaard city didn't have the same weight to them. Using an actual submarine is always a good move in terms of making an episode look more real, but it doesn't really work too well as a place to run around in the dark with guns, since there isn't much room to run, it's more about climbing up and down ladders than anything pacy. Still, the idea of a mother-bug was good, but the finding of a couple of pieces from the Asgaard ship's crash seemed like it might be setting up for a sequel if only a few more bits were to end up getting collected and stored together.
Many of the recurring characters get to show their faces, such as Dr. Fraiser, Sergeant Siler and the guy with glasses who operates the Stargate. I don't know why a season-opener should be so underwhelming, but I can see the cause - there's too much discussing, talking, working out, on the one hand, and on the other, the action scenes never quite worked up the threat level. I never believed O'Neill and Teal'c were truly threatened and there was little to no horror in the replicants taking over the Russian sub - the one moment when one of them claws the face of the Russian sailor was about it, and there should have been a real foreboding about going down into the depths of the lair of these creatures, when the escape route could be cut off at any moment, but it didn't ever seem that difficult. Hopefully things will pick up and we can get back to deserts and forests and maybe some good sci-fi stories.
**
The Seventh
DVD, Enterprise S2 (The Seventh)
Not as strong an episode as I remembered, but it has its moments. It certainly has high production values (a sign they were blowing the budget too early in the season, or simply the improving general standards of TV?), with a nice snow-bound landing pad reminiscent of the one in 'Broken Bow'. The stylised yellow flashbacks were also extremely well done and the mystery added a different kind of slant to the episode, as did T'Pol's trust in and dependence on Archer, marking another step forward for their friendship. Travis Mayweather wasn't as well used, only there as a make-weight, his piloting skills not shown off and getting ordered around throughout. The other characters also suffered from the focus on T'Pol and Archer, the troubles Trip has as acting Captain not explored in great enough detail - it's set up to be quite a humourous B-story, but is over before it got anywhere, Trip easily able to convince the Vulcan Captain he was Archer. They should either have cut back on the humour completely and concentrated on ramping up the tension with T'Pol's repressed memories, or gone the whole hog and really put Trip through the wringer, for example if he had to pretend to be Captain with a visit from the Vulcans or to their ship.
There were plenty of aliens, a whole roomful of shady characters, a bit like the Cantina bar in 'Star Wars', but the place seemed very small, and the aliens didn't give the strangers any trouble or take much interest in them, so opportunity for more danger or difficulty was lost. The story itself had a bit of a 'so what?' element to it, as the descent of T'Pol into the memories doesn't go very far. Menos merely trots out the sympathetic family hologram, makes a plea for innocence and T'Pol develops a crisis of confidence in her judgement. This isn't very Vulcan-like behaviour (and don't get me started on how un-Vulcan-like Menos was - sure he's an undercover operative, but he must still repress his emotions?).
The V'Lara must be a potent ritual for T'Pol to be reacting so strongly against it. At first it seems to be a dark moment in Vulcan ways, covering up the retrieval of the agents, but it's dismissed by T'Pol, and Menos is shown to be guilty anyway, so there's no great moral quandary! T'Pol even hesitates to shoot the guy in the back, but he's only going to be stunned - I know it's about whether she can let him go or take him to the Vulcans where he'll be incarcerated, but you don't get much tension from holding up a safe weapon like a phaser. If she'd been forced to kill him or forced into a real moral quagmire then the episode could have gone somewhere, but it remains a 'close to good' type of show without making the most of what it had.
The aliens in the meeting hall were a bit useless, as the place gets set on fire (cleanly, too cleanly!) and they all hightail it out of there when all it needed was a couple of buckets of water! It can't help but feeling like an artificial stage when such things happen, the only 'real' people being Menos and his captors. If the aliens seen weren't up to much (except in the excellent makeup), there were plenty of pleasing references to peoples and places: the seventeen years younger T'Pol seen in flashback chases Menos on Risa, Andoria is mentioned, as are Tellarites, and we even get one of those fish-faced lumpy blokes commonly seen on 'DS9' (do they have a name?). I think there may have been other inconsistencies and lack of ambition for the story, but I still liked it in its way. A mystery thriller is shown to work with these characters, but next time it needs to be taken to a deeper level. Other minutiae: called 'The Seventh', this was also the seventh episode of the season; and Bruce Davison also appeared in 'Remember' a Season 3 episode of 'Voyager'.
**
Not as strong an episode as I remembered, but it has its moments. It certainly has high production values (a sign they were blowing the budget too early in the season, or simply the improving general standards of TV?), with a nice snow-bound landing pad reminiscent of the one in 'Broken Bow'. The stylised yellow flashbacks were also extremely well done and the mystery added a different kind of slant to the episode, as did T'Pol's trust in and dependence on Archer, marking another step forward for their friendship. Travis Mayweather wasn't as well used, only there as a make-weight, his piloting skills not shown off and getting ordered around throughout. The other characters also suffered from the focus on T'Pol and Archer, the troubles Trip has as acting Captain not explored in great enough detail - it's set up to be quite a humourous B-story, but is over before it got anywhere, Trip easily able to convince the Vulcan Captain he was Archer. They should either have cut back on the humour completely and concentrated on ramping up the tension with T'Pol's repressed memories, or gone the whole hog and really put Trip through the wringer, for example if he had to pretend to be Captain with a visit from the Vulcans or to their ship.
There were plenty of aliens, a whole roomful of shady characters, a bit like the Cantina bar in 'Star Wars', but the place seemed very small, and the aliens didn't give the strangers any trouble or take much interest in them, so opportunity for more danger or difficulty was lost. The story itself had a bit of a 'so what?' element to it, as the descent of T'Pol into the memories doesn't go very far. Menos merely trots out the sympathetic family hologram, makes a plea for innocence and T'Pol develops a crisis of confidence in her judgement. This isn't very Vulcan-like behaviour (and don't get me started on how un-Vulcan-like Menos was - sure he's an undercover operative, but he must still repress his emotions?).
The V'Lara must be a potent ritual for T'Pol to be reacting so strongly against it. At first it seems to be a dark moment in Vulcan ways, covering up the retrieval of the agents, but it's dismissed by T'Pol, and Menos is shown to be guilty anyway, so there's no great moral quandary! T'Pol even hesitates to shoot the guy in the back, but he's only going to be stunned - I know it's about whether she can let him go or take him to the Vulcans where he'll be incarcerated, but you don't get much tension from holding up a safe weapon like a phaser. If she'd been forced to kill him or forced into a real moral quagmire then the episode could have gone somewhere, but it remains a 'close to good' type of show without making the most of what it had.
The aliens in the meeting hall were a bit useless, as the place gets set on fire (cleanly, too cleanly!) and they all hightail it out of there when all it needed was a couple of buckets of water! It can't help but feeling like an artificial stage when such things happen, the only 'real' people being Menos and his captors. If the aliens seen weren't up to much (except in the excellent makeup), there were plenty of pleasing references to peoples and places: the seventeen years younger T'Pol seen in flashback chases Menos on Risa, Andoria is mentioned, as are Tellarites, and we even get one of those fish-faced lumpy blokes commonly seen on 'DS9' (do they have a name?). I think there may have been other inconsistencies and lack of ambition for the story, but I still liked it in its way. A mystery thriller is shown to work with these characters, but next time it needs to be taken to a deeper level. Other minutiae: called 'The Seventh', this was also the seventh episode of the season; and Bruce Davison also appeared in 'Remember' a Season 3 episode of 'Voyager'.
**
Monday, 28 February 2011
Void
DVD, Smallville S5 (Void)
This one is about Lana's ethereal nature. It appears that her lightness of presence throughout the series isn't simply a character trait, but that she's feeling, and has felt, alone for a long time. Whether she's referring to her parents when she says that, or she's just missing something (or maybe it's to do with the bizarre life she's experienced in recent years - going to Paris, getting a new boyfriend and then it turning out to be an arranged meeting in order for his Mum to uncover her inner witch, blah, blah, blah? Then making up and breaking up with Clark more times than I can remember...). Regardless, she's ended up a junkie, but not for drugs, this is for the meteorite-induced near-death experience from a serum created by a mad student. Sorry, I meant a med student. Of course things get worse as people realise her condition, and we're pretty much just waiting for the next character to get injected to see what this supposedly 'real' experience will be for each of them. Unlike previous episodes such as the 'deepest fears' one, or the 'seeing the future' one, the individual experiences aren't that interesting. Lana apparently meets her parents in a glowing, sunlit room; Lex meets his Mother again, only for her to tell him he's going down a very bad path; and Clark...
Well, we didn't expect Clark to be able to have a crack at it as the serum has to be injected into the bloodstream, and we all know what happens with Kal-el and needles - the needles always come off second best. Aah, but this time the needle has Kryptonite juice dripping from it, so it does indeed penetrate his rock-hard skin, and we get the most interesting scene of the episode, with a surprise visit from Jonathan Kent, raising the episode up a level. It seems to be the real JK who takes the opportunity to say how proud he is, and warn Clark that Lionel knows his secret and that it's his destiny to protect the whole world! Big plot reveal there then, at least for Clark, but not for us. It's really nice to see Jonathan, even if it could all be some hallucination (useful all the same!), but how did Clark revive? The antidote has to be injected, but this time it's not a needle with Kryptonite so it won't work. Actually they thought of everything, and it transpires that when Clark expires the Kryptonite is neutralised, so 'no perspire'!
With such a title I had hopes this would be a jaunt into the Phantom Zone where the Kryptonians from earlier in the series were incarcerated with old Zod, but this void has nothing to do with that place, though no doubt we'll be seeing more of the Zone if Milton Fine has his way. One question? Why didn't he at least change his name when he moved to Honduras as even a little local boy knows of him, so Clark doesn't have any trouble tracking down where the black ship has been. We can ignore the fact that Clark manages to find the exact village location where Fine is working thanks to the good visual of his superfast journey from North America to South America. The camera zooms out as he does his familiar dash, but keeps on going until we see the globe, then pulls in, rolling towards the southern continent, then zooms in again. Nice. I suggest it might not be wise for Clark to be wandering around without a disguise in Honduras as he was going to stick out and his description would quickly tip off anyone interested.
Talking of those interested in Clark, Lionel continues to be really pleasant to Martha, but this time she puts her foot down to a certain extent, letting him know they are friends, and that is all, forever. But now Clark knows Lionel knows, and by the way Lionel shut the door and said "goodbye 'Clark'" when taking Martha off to some function, you wonder if he knows that Clark knows that he knows. Well he can't know, unless he happened to be dead at the same time Clark apparently was, but even then, why would people go to the same place for their near-death ride? For that matter why doesn't Clark meet all the Kryptonians that died in his world's destruction? Instead he ends up at the barn. Maybe they ran out of money for Kryptonian architecture?
Another episode that hasn't really achieved anything with the characters; the baddie 'meats' a grisly end - he who lives by the circular saw, will... you know the rest; Lana gets ever-friendlier with Lex; and it ends in a strange way. At least Clark can talk to her again, but then he did try and save her life (again). All he wants is for her to be happy, she replies that she will be, and then it ends in silence as if they forgot to add the musical outro. At least it wasn't a messy, emotional ending, or one of the characters calls back to make up, and is rejected and goes away sadly, or one leaves with tears in their eyes. It's gone past all that by a long way, and now all they can do is stare robotically, the circle has been travelled that many times. So not that good, but Mr. Kent gave us something to enjoy, and the series looks as visually varied as ever, I can't really say anything better than that. I won't make any jokes about the episode being null and void. I'll 'avoid' that.
**
This one is about Lana's ethereal nature. It appears that her lightness of presence throughout the series isn't simply a character trait, but that she's feeling, and has felt, alone for a long time. Whether she's referring to her parents when she says that, or she's just missing something (or maybe it's to do with the bizarre life she's experienced in recent years - going to Paris, getting a new boyfriend and then it turning out to be an arranged meeting in order for his Mum to uncover her inner witch, blah, blah, blah? Then making up and breaking up with Clark more times than I can remember...). Regardless, she's ended up a junkie, but not for drugs, this is for the meteorite-induced near-death experience from a serum created by a mad student. Sorry, I meant a med student. Of course things get worse as people realise her condition, and we're pretty much just waiting for the next character to get injected to see what this supposedly 'real' experience will be for each of them. Unlike previous episodes such as the 'deepest fears' one, or the 'seeing the future' one, the individual experiences aren't that interesting. Lana apparently meets her parents in a glowing, sunlit room; Lex meets his Mother again, only for her to tell him he's going down a very bad path; and Clark...
Well, we didn't expect Clark to be able to have a crack at it as the serum has to be injected into the bloodstream, and we all know what happens with Kal-el and needles - the needles always come off second best. Aah, but this time the needle has Kryptonite juice dripping from it, so it does indeed penetrate his rock-hard skin, and we get the most interesting scene of the episode, with a surprise visit from Jonathan Kent, raising the episode up a level. It seems to be the real JK who takes the opportunity to say how proud he is, and warn Clark that Lionel knows his secret and that it's his destiny to protect the whole world! Big plot reveal there then, at least for Clark, but not for us. It's really nice to see Jonathan, even if it could all be some hallucination (useful all the same!), but how did Clark revive? The antidote has to be injected, but this time it's not a needle with Kryptonite so it won't work. Actually they thought of everything, and it transpires that when Clark expires the Kryptonite is neutralised, so 'no perspire'!
With such a title I had hopes this would be a jaunt into the Phantom Zone where the Kryptonians from earlier in the series were incarcerated with old Zod, but this void has nothing to do with that place, though no doubt we'll be seeing more of the Zone if Milton Fine has his way. One question? Why didn't he at least change his name when he moved to Honduras as even a little local boy knows of him, so Clark doesn't have any trouble tracking down where the black ship has been. We can ignore the fact that Clark manages to find the exact village location where Fine is working thanks to the good visual of his superfast journey from North America to South America. The camera zooms out as he does his familiar dash, but keeps on going until we see the globe, then pulls in, rolling towards the southern continent, then zooms in again. Nice. I suggest it might not be wise for Clark to be wandering around without a disguise in Honduras as he was going to stick out and his description would quickly tip off anyone interested.
Talking of those interested in Clark, Lionel continues to be really pleasant to Martha, but this time she puts her foot down to a certain extent, letting him know they are friends, and that is all, forever. But now Clark knows Lionel knows, and by the way Lionel shut the door and said "goodbye 'Clark'" when taking Martha off to some function, you wonder if he knows that Clark knows that he knows. Well he can't know, unless he happened to be dead at the same time Clark apparently was, but even then, why would people go to the same place for their near-death ride? For that matter why doesn't Clark meet all the Kryptonians that died in his world's destruction? Instead he ends up at the barn. Maybe they ran out of money for Kryptonian architecture?
Another episode that hasn't really achieved anything with the characters; the baddie 'meats' a grisly end - he who lives by the circular saw, will... you know the rest; Lana gets ever-friendlier with Lex; and it ends in a strange way. At least Clark can talk to her again, but then he did try and save her life (again). All he wants is for her to be happy, she replies that she will be, and then it ends in silence as if they forgot to add the musical outro. At least it wasn't a messy, emotional ending, or one of the characters calls back to make up, and is rejected and goes away sadly, or one leaves with tears in their eyes. It's gone past all that by a long way, and now all they can do is stare robotically, the circle has been travelled that many times. So not that good, but Mr. Kent gave us something to enjoy, and the series looks as visually varied as ever, I can't really say anything better than that. I won't make any jokes about the episode being null and void. I'll 'avoid' that.
**
Marauders
DVD, Enterprise S2 (Marauders)
"It's only 'The Magnificent Seven' again". You can say that, but the story of people coming in and helping others to fend off bullies is a compelling template to work from and one with which you can't go far wrong. Add to the mix some rebellious Klingons (still not showing the honour their race is supposed to embody) and you have a fun and pretty exciting episode. The enjoyment comes from the knowledge these bullies will be showing up again, and that we know Archer and his crew aren't going to stand by and let these workers be picked on, even if they don't initially want help.
If you put this episode alongside something from the early years of 'The Next Generation' with their polystyrene rocks and basic, set-based planet environments, sometimes not much more realistic than 'The Original Series' attempts back in the late sixties, you see how much a modern budget and production sensibility can achieve. Not to forget that some of the better 'TOS' episodes were the ones that actually went on location, and 'Enterprise' apes this winning formula in all its widescreen glory. It isn't just the landscape that looks good this time; every character has a moment to exude cool, except for perhaps Travis (who can't hit T'Pol with a baseball bat) and Phlox (who only has a brief conversation with one of the colonists visiting sickbay). T'Pol gets the coolest moments, teaching the workers some simple Vulcan martial arts manoeuvres and then getting to show how great Vulcans really are, (but almost never get to demonstrate) by taking on and downing a Klingon warrior with some nifty moves! I like to see the qualities of the race come through after so many examples which have concentrated on negative elements of their personalities - they're stronger, more agile, with better timing and the ability for quick thinking, so show it more, please!
Trip gets to make friends with a young lad, Archer is of course behind the whole operation and Reed is in his element, planning tactics and giving advice. Even Hoshi shows off her weapon skills in a nod back to last season. That isn't the only link, as the crew's previous encounters with the Klingons are brought up, and with the bony-headed ones comes reference to Bat'leths, Mek'leths and even Targ - I thought such terms would never be used again after 'DS9' ended, so it's great to see the continuity kept to in a simple and effective way without knocking the audience over the head with it or making people feel lost in the jargon - if only this had been explained to the makers of 'Star Trek XI'.
The scenes as the colony pulls together under Archer's guidance, moving camp and laying plans, is well done, the encampment looking equally impressive in the bright sunlight as at night with the pumps lit up - they really went to town on creating this place and making it look real. We also get the desert uniforms seen last season, and T'Pol gets a chance to wear a more stylish, white outfit, the kind that would be more familiar in later seasons. The only negative of the episode is that some of the new characters we meet don't get much development. We know the boy lost his Dad, but such details could have been worked in better for a punchier impact. And the female colonist played by Bari Hochwald (who previously played Dr. Bashir's visiting classmate Dr. Elizabeth Lense in Season 3 of 'DS9') is particularly underused. I can't help thinking that if this had been one of the 24th Century series' they would have taken the time to get to know some of the people better, such as in 'DS9' episode 'The Siege of AR-558'. Not that I'm comparing this to the best episodes of Trek, far from it, but it's certainly a visually appealing, simple, yet satisfying tale that works the Klingons in without losing credibility and utilises the expertise of each main character well. The best episode of the season so far and one I always look forward to seeing.
***
"It's only 'The Magnificent Seven' again". You can say that, but the story of people coming in and helping others to fend off bullies is a compelling template to work from and one with which you can't go far wrong. Add to the mix some rebellious Klingons (still not showing the honour their race is supposed to embody) and you have a fun and pretty exciting episode. The enjoyment comes from the knowledge these bullies will be showing up again, and that we know Archer and his crew aren't going to stand by and let these workers be picked on, even if they don't initially want help.
If you put this episode alongside something from the early years of 'The Next Generation' with their polystyrene rocks and basic, set-based planet environments, sometimes not much more realistic than 'The Original Series' attempts back in the late sixties, you see how much a modern budget and production sensibility can achieve. Not to forget that some of the better 'TOS' episodes were the ones that actually went on location, and 'Enterprise' apes this winning formula in all its widescreen glory. It isn't just the landscape that looks good this time; every character has a moment to exude cool, except for perhaps Travis (who can't hit T'Pol with a baseball bat) and Phlox (who only has a brief conversation with one of the colonists visiting sickbay). T'Pol gets the coolest moments, teaching the workers some simple Vulcan martial arts manoeuvres and then getting to show how great Vulcans really are, (but almost never get to demonstrate) by taking on and downing a Klingon warrior with some nifty moves! I like to see the qualities of the race come through after so many examples which have concentrated on negative elements of their personalities - they're stronger, more agile, with better timing and the ability for quick thinking, so show it more, please!
Trip gets to make friends with a young lad, Archer is of course behind the whole operation and Reed is in his element, planning tactics and giving advice. Even Hoshi shows off her weapon skills in a nod back to last season. That isn't the only link, as the crew's previous encounters with the Klingons are brought up, and with the bony-headed ones comes reference to Bat'leths, Mek'leths and even Targ - I thought such terms would never be used again after 'DS9' ended, so it's great to see the continuity kept to in a simple and effective way without knocking the audience over the head with it or making people feel lost in the jargon - if only this had been explained to the makers of 'Star Trek XI'.
The scenes as the colony pulls together under Archer's guidance, moving camp and laying plans, is well done, the encampment looking equally impressive in the bright sunlight as at night with the pumps lit up - they really went to town on creating this place and making it look real. We also get the desert uniforms seen last season, and T'Pol gets a chance to wear a more stylish, white outfit, the kind that would be more familiar in later seasons. The only negative of the episode is that some of the new characters we meet don't get much development. We know the boy lost his Dad, but such details could have been worked in better for a punchier impact. And the female colonist played by Bari Hochwald (who previously played Dr. Bashir's visiting classmate Dr. Elizabeth Lense in Season 3 of 'DS9') is particularly underused. I can't help thinking that if this had been one of the 24th Century series' they would have taken the time to get to know some of the people better, such as in 'DS9' episode 'The Siege of AR-558'. Not that I'm comparing this to the best episodes of Trek, far from it, but it's certainly a visually appealing, simple, yet satisfying tale that works the Klingons in without losing credibility and utilises the expertise of each main character well. The best episode of the season so far and one I always look forward to seeing.
***
The Big Country
DVD, The Big Country (1958) film
This is not your traditional Western. Oh yes, it starts with an immediately exciting theme as good as any of the genre, or even of any film: stirring and soaring, rumbling and emboldened, a suitably triumphant opening, though it disguises a completely mundane beginning without threat or danger, it's simply a man riding fast across the land, which is, as the characters are fond of saying, big. This way of subverting audience expectation could well be the theme of the whole film. At first, it seems to be the usual kind of story - no-good scoundrels make an appearance before long and show Jim McKay, the man from back east, to be someone who isn't willing to put up a fight, seemingly. You begin to wonder why Gregory Peck wanted to play a character that seems so weak and wishy-washy, but even at this early stage a positive aspect of his character shines through in the way he doesn't get upset about the bullying and rough handling he receives. He bears no grudge and even expects to be treated like that since he's a greenhorn new to the ways of the west. This is the first indication the film isn't necessarily going to follow the cliches of the genre.
The pace is relatively slow, but this only serves to emphasise the regular intervals when something does happen - a fight, an argument, a personal triumph or some important plot point. The director isn't shy of lingering on an image, waiting for something to happen: the scene where McKay rides away from Julie's house then in the background three horses appear over the hill. Or when Julie is lying asleep on a bed in the Hennessey house and the door eventually opens behind her. Or when the Major rides into a canyon, grimly determined and alone, and gradually, in dribs and drabs, horsemen follow him. Such moments hold a greater tension than if the scene had cut to different views, and emphasises the danger of the situation or the resolve of the characters without need for words. The subtlety of the film strengthens it, my favourite example being Jim's look to Steve Leech at the end. We know they're both remembering back to another moment in the film, and we don't need any other explanation for the way they both feel at that moment.
Spread out over its almost 'The Lord of The Rings' length (and it might have been as long if there had been as many credits at the end), is an unfolding tale of hatred between two men. This is not what appears to be the case at first. It seems to be a simple case of the goodies and the baddies, and of course the family McKay is marrying into are the goodies. But it doesn't pan out that simple, as the true colours of each person are slowly revealed: Pat the fiance seems like the person to teach Jim the ways out west, but she learns more from him. (I felt she needed someone like Steve to knock her into shape and keep her fiery spirit in check - I imagine they would have bounced off each other better than she and McKay, though Steve was a bit of an over-presumptive sort). She was reeled in by the 'exotic' nature of this eastern man, but once out west he showed he wasn't quite the man she wanted or expected. Julie the schoolmarm, on the other hand, just a friend of Pat's, becomes the touchpaper of the powder keg between the two warring families. Pat's Father, the Major, at first a wise and tough old soldier, is shown up as a man that bears a grudge above all else, his personal vendetta against Hennessey fuelling a feud between communities. He's the 'goodie' who was only looking out for law and order when McKay first met him, but is a stubborn mule driven by hate, as bad as, if not worse than his enemy.
Hennessey appears to be a lying scaremonger, but we discover he's someone who sticks to his ideals rigidly to the last road, even when they hurt him, or when he does something against his own flesh and blood because he believes in fair play. Burl Ives won the 1958 Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his excellent performance, holding anger, hatred, and violence with right upbringing and truth, a conflicted character, and a tragic one too. His own son Buck is the leader of the drunken rabble that assault McKay on his first visit, but his toughness is shown to be cowardice of the lowest kind, spat on by his own Father. His opposite is Steve Leech, raised by Major Turrel - a tough that'll do any deed if it comes from the Major, he learns what kind of a man McKay really is, and is shamed enough to speak out for him (not exactly for him, but he tries to dissuade the Major from a rash course of action, thanks to McKay's actions). He seems like trouble himself, but he does it for his master, who has some blame for the way he brought him up.
The most obvious character to change is Jim McKay - a greenhorn, like a reed in the wind, who is actually tougher than anyone could know. He doesn't really change, it's just our understanding of him that does. Everything he does is for his own self image, not anyone else's view of him. It turns out he's far stronger than we could have guessed because he truly doesn't care about other's opinions, only how he sees himself. McKay shows himself to be patient, persevering, merciful and modest, honest to himself and others, and not vengeful. Far from the coward others guess him to be before they know him, which is a good moral on judging people too soon.
From a technical point of view, the 2004 vanilla DVD release, which I was watching, was flawed - it made me wonder sometimes if the film would have been better in black and white as the colours are a bit washed out and there were occasional marks on the film. I imagine a restored and fully remastered edition would be useful for showing everything in better quality with a greater vibrancy, but it isn't a big complaint as the vistas are as wide and impressive as you could hope for, with the full widescreen ratio really used to great effect in a way that films of this time don't always make the most of.
The film ends abruptly, I was expecting a few minutes of that excellent theme to close out the picture, so it doesn't quite give you enough time to take in all that has happened. Then again, with such a long running time you have plenty of space to take it in as you go along! As I said, it's not the traditional western because the rules are turned on their head. McKay gets away with not doing the expected things until his choosing, their aren't goodies and baddies as such, but three-dimensional people that live by strong ideals, sadly driven by deep hatred at the centre between the two leaders. That the soft-spoken and unmoved outsider should be able to come between them is a mastery of storytelling, believable, and a slowly revealed joy of satisfaction. The bad are punished, the good win out. Perhaps it is a traditional western after all?
***
This is not your traditional Western. Oh yes, it starts with an immediately exciting theme as good as any of the genre, or even of any film: stirring and soaring, rumbling and emboldened, a suitably triumphant opening, though it disguises a completely mundane beginning without threat or danger, it's simply a man riding fast across the land, which is, as the characters are fond of saying, big. This way of subverting audience expectation could well be the theme of the whole film. At first, it seems to be the usual kind of story - no-good scoundrels make an appearance before long and show Jim McKay, the man from back east, to be someone who isn't willing to put up a fight, seemingly. You begin to wonder why Gregory Peck wanted to play a character that seems so weak and wishy-washy, but even at this early stage a positive aspect of his character shines through in the way he doesn't get upset about the bullying and rough handling he receives. He bears no grudge and even expects to be treated like that since he's a greenhorn new to the ways of the west. This is the first indication the film isn't necessarily going to follow the cliches of the genre.
The pace is relatively slow, but this only serves to emphasise the regular intervals when something does happen - a fight, an argument, a personal triumph or some important plot point. The director isn't shy of lingering on an image, waiting for something to happen: the scene where McKay rides away from Julie's house then in the background three horses appear over the hill. Or when Julie is lying asleep on a bed in the Hennessey house and the door eventually opens behind her. Or when the Major rides into a canyon, grimly determined and alone, and gradually, in dribs and drabs, horsemen follow him. Such moments hold a greater tension than if the scene had cut to different views, and emphasises the danger of the situation or the resolve of the characters without need for words. The subtlety of the film strengthens it, my favourite example being Jim's look to Steve Leech at the end. We know they're both remembering back to another moment in the film, and we don't need any other explanation for the way they both feel at that moment.
Spread out over its almost 'The Lord of The Rings' length (and it might have been as long if there had been as many credits at the end), is an unfolding tale of hatred between two men. This is not what appears to be the case at first. It seems to be a simple case of the goodies and the baddies, and of course the family McKay is marrying into are the goodies. But it doesn't pan out that simple, as the true colours of each person are slowly revealed: Pat the fiance seems like the person to teach Jim the ways out west, but she learns more from him. (I felt she needed someone like Steve to knock her into shape and keep her fiery spirit in check - I imagine they would have bounced off each other better than she and McKay, though Steve was a bit of an over-presumptive sort). She was reeled in by the 'exotic' nature of this eastern man, but once out west he showed he wasn't quite the man she wanted or expected. Julie the schoolmarm, on the other hand, just a friend of Pat's, becomes the touchpaper of the powder keg between the two warring families. Pat's Father, the Major, at first a wise and tough old soldier, is shown up as a man that bears a grudge above all else, his personal vendetta against Hennessey fuelling a feud between communities. He's the 'goodie' who was only looking out for law and order when McKay first met him, but is a stubborn mule driven by hate, as bad as, if not worse than his enemy.
Hennessey appears to be a lying scaremonger, but we discover he's someone who sticks to his ideals rigidly to the last road, even when they hurt him, or when he does something against his own flesh and blood because he believes in fair play. Burl Ives won the 1958 Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his excellent performance, holding anger, hatred, and violence with right upbringing and truth, a conflicted character, and a tragic one too. His own son Buck is the leader of the drunken rabble that assault McKay on his first visit, but his toughness is shown to be cowardice of the lowest kind, spat on by his own Father. His opposite is Steve Leech, raised by Major Turrel - a tough that'll do any deed if it comes from the Major, he learns what kind of a man McKay really is, and is shamed enough to speak out for him (not exactly for him, but he tries to dissuade the Major from a rash course of action, thanks to McKay's actions). He seems like trouble himself, but he does it for his master, who has some blame for the way he brought him up.
The most obvious character to change is Jim McKay - a greenhorn, like a reed in the wind, who is actually tougher than anyone could know. He doesn't really change, it's just our understanding of him that does. Everything he does is for his own self image, not anyone else's view of him. It turns out he's far stronger than we could have guessed because he truly doesn't care about other's opinions, only how he sees himself. McKay shows himself to be patient, persevering, merciful and modest, honest to himself and others, and not vengeful. Far from the coward others guess him to be before they know him, which is a good moral on judging people too soon.
From a technical point of view, the 2004 vanilla DVD release, which I was watching, was flawed - it made me wonder sometimes if the film would have been better in black and white as the colours are a bit washed out and there were occasional marks on the film. I imagine a restored and fully remastered edition would be useful for showing everything in better quality with a greater vibrancy, but it isn't a big complaint as the vistas are as wide and impressive as you could hope for, with the full widescreen ratio really used to great effect in a way that films of this time don't always make the most of.
The film ends abruptly, I was expecting a few minutes of that excellent theme to close out the picture, so it doesn't quite give you enough time to take in all that has happened. Then again, with such a long running time you have plenty of space to take it in as you go along! As I said, it's not the traditional western because the rules are turned on their head. McKay gets away with not doing the expected things until his choosing, their aren't goodies and baddies as such, but three-dimensional people that live by strong ideals, sadly driven by deep hatred at the centre between the two leaders. That the soft-spoken and unmoved outsider should be able to come between them is a mastery of storytelling, believable, and a slowly revealed joy of satisfaction. The bad are punished, the good win out. Perhaps it is a traditional western after all?
***
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