“The Equation” is an episode which has a decent mystery, but is presented by way of a by-the-numbers plot that ultimately saps away much of its suspense.  The episode also makes an attempt to connect its story into the larger “Pattern” arc that is being developed by the series.  And on that front it succeeds fairly well.  But the further attempt at creating some lingering drama over the ultimate fate of Walter pushes things just a bit too much toward the melodramatic.

In this episode, a child musical prodigy is abducted from his father by a woman who makes use of flashing red and green lights to hypnotize the father and make good on the abduction.  The mystery that develops not only focuses on how to save the boy, but also on how his musical talent can be applied to something much more ominous.  The two storylines ought to have made for a fairly strong episode — and indeed, they allow the episode cover a lot of ground — but the problem is one of execution, not premise.

The boy is one of a series of abductions, all of which relate to a specific equation — an equation which allows a man to put his hand through the outside of a metal box and retrieve an apple from within.  It’s a cool concept, to be sure, but the buildup loses ground because the mysteries are unraveled in such a predictable fashion.

Once we learn that another victim is currently residing in St. Claire’s Hospital — Walter’s old asylum — we can already expect that Walter will go back.  And based on the character of the Warden, it can easily be predicted that Walter will be forced to spend more time in the hospital, and while there get the information he needs from a former acquaintance.  This predictability plays out exactly as one might expect.  And there is little by way of inherent drama to these circumstances because they feel so completely contrived.

The same goes for the boy and the woman’s method of “interrogation” — we ought to know right away that the reappearance of the boy’s mother is an illusion.  Ditto for the climactic scene in the basement of a building, lit with red and green lights — we ought to know that the woman will escape by using the lights to hypnotize Agent Dunham.  It’s obvious setups such as these that lower the overall quality of an episode whose basic premise — that a musical composition helps solve a mathematical equation — is quite interesting.

Overall Grade: C

“The Equation” doesn’t feature any terrible mistakes or missteps beyond the warden threatening to try and get Walter readmitted to St. Claire’s (a plotline with too much soapy melodrama).  Unfortunately, the episode just isn’t able to generate any suspense around its central mysteries.  Furthermore, there’s no real deeper subtext here, either — nothing to make the episode about anything more than science.

Tucked into the abomination that is “Plato’s Stepchildren” are a few worthwhile themes and ideas. But they are presented so embarrassingly that the episode is almost entirely worthless. The reality is that, while there are some worthwhile commentaries being made, the presentation obliterates any sense of respectability. It’s a bit like the President of the United States giving a State of the Union speech in his pajamas and slippers. No matter what the content of the speech may be, there’s no way you could take him (or her) seriously.

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Location: Weddel Sea

“Icebreaker” is the fiftieth episode in the Gemini Division series.  It’s the conclusion to season one.  And it leaves us with one hell of a cliffhanger.

In this episode:

• Anna tells Gemini Division, “Go to hell.”
• “Nothing is entirely true to you people.”
• Amasso reached his termination date.
• He said, “I wanted to die a soldier.”
• Anna tells Amasso, “You’re a leader.  A hero.”
• Anna: “Every minute alive is a privilege.  And you live that with no regrets.”
• Anna: “Amasso, you showed more love than most humans ever do.”
• Amasso’s courage inspired his men.
• Anna built a funeral pyre for Amasso
• Anna has a retro virus that is rewriting her DNA
• The retro virus might have been due to her childhood illness
• Gemini offers to have Nick by her side.
• Gemini is trying to “dig Nick back up.”
• Anna asks, “Do I want Nick back? Would it be Nick, or would it be some xerox copy.”
• Anna receives some of Nick’s decoded core from Hera (M&M).
• Nick says, “The happiest people I’ve seen — it’s a mother and father with a baby.”
• Anna says, “Nick wouldn’t want to come back.  And I’m going to honor it … The future of the SIMs depends on me now.  I’m the future of the SIMs.”
• “I love you Tommy.”
• Anna tosses her phone into the sea …

For all the bluster of the SIM v. Gemini Division war, the episode manages to find the real heart of the story within the characters — and not within some explosive shootout.  In a sense, it reminds me of the Foundation series in which (almost) all of the epic space battles took place, essentially, “offscreen” and the real human drama is what was told to the readers.  It’s a sign of the confidence in the story.  And here, it works exceptionally well.

This story brings Anna to a kind of closure on her quest to come to terms with her relationship with Nick.  The timely video feed of Nick’s final memories, which do a good job of detailing his passion for living in the moment, allow Anna to accept Nick’s passing.  I find the narrative decision to have Anna actually choose to forego Nick’s resurrection to be very, very compelling.  And plausible.  The setup was perfectly handled by way of Amasso and my only criticism is more philosophical than it is with anything to do with how the episode was crafted.

First, Amasso.

Amasso’s swan song is an exceptional bookend to his previous speech in “Linnaea.”  It was touching, tragic, and demonstrated Amasso’s own journey.  Through his passing, Anna’s discussions on love, the nature of love, and what it means to act with love are simply beautiful.  And the inherent philosophy of carpe diem fits perfectly within the discussion.

But I do have to question the stated “no regrets” mantra.  To be fair, the episode does provide a rebuttal to it, through Amasso’s own statement.  But even with a passion for life, even with an acceptance to live in the moment, the reality is that there are consequences for our actions.  And to live completely without regret is to ignore any sort of personal accountability.  I honestly do not believe the series is taking a position here, but I would love to see a further exploration of this mantra somewhere down the road.  That doesn’t mean that Anna has to, suddenly, want Nick to return to her.  But I think that Anna’s own personal journey will, necessarily, have to confront her own regrets.

But of course, the series has proved especially adept at portraying moral questions in ways that demonstrate deep complexities of such explorations.  And “Icebreaker” is a perfect example of that.  So while the issue of “no regrets” may be left a bit more open ended than, say, the capacity for SIMs to show love, that doesn’t mean the episode itself has somehow made a mistake.  Rather, it has the potential to inspire a serious debate — and that is a very good thing.

The conclusion to season one, with Anna tossing her phone into the sea, feels like a legitimate cliffhanger.  Tossing the phone aside will also allow the series to take a brand new direction in the future (should it decide to do so).  Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the performances — particularly from Rosario Dawson.  Truly inspired.

And finally, I plan to writeup a more comprehensive reflection on season one, as well as an overall grade.  But something to consider:  this series has demonstrated the ability for a powerful story to be told with compelling visuals, acting and production.  If anything, it has proven that nothing needs to be lost when it comes to creating a web series.  I look forward to seeing more …

Pixar animation studios has had a tremendous run of movies from Toy Story to Monsters Inc., to Finding Nemo. It’s safe to say that The Incredibles had a big reputation to live up to — and it succeeds masterfully. The Incredibles is an adventure movie in every sense of the word. And while it doesn’t quite match the magic of Finding Nemo, the animation, storyline and particularly the music are all top-notch.

The Incredibles tells a story about a family of superheroes forced to live a “normal” life. Mr. Incredible, stuck in the kind of job most of us dread, yearns for the glory days of saving the world and being, well, a hero. So when opportunity presents itself for Mr. Incredible to get back in the game, who can blame him for jumping at the chance — even if it does seem a bit shady. Before you know it, the world is in danger and as you could have guessed, only the superheroes can save the day.

As silly as it may sound, what is particularly enjoyable about The Incredibles is its humanity. We can identify with the characters, even the villain, and aside from their super powers, Mr. Incredible and his family really are no different from the rest of us. As expected the animation is amazing, and since this flick is rated PG there’s plenty of bang for your movie-going dollar. Perhaps the most charming aspect of the movie is the musical score. Lifted right from the pages of classic James Bond and Mission Impossible, the jazzy soundtrack jives perfectly with the story and the action.

Overall Grade: B

Enjoy this one folks. It’s pure entertainment.

Location: Antarctica

The Gemini Division is keeping things pretty close to the vest with “Kill-Switch” — the series’ penultimate episode to season one.  True, there is an all-out battle between the SIMs and Gemini Division.  But the final revelations of the series remain cloaked in mystery, misdirection and foreshadowing.

In this episode:

• Anna says, “You always said it was going to end like this.”
• Amasso gives a speech: “Tonight, my brothers, we take our final stand against Gemini … this fight is for our future, Anna Diaz.
• “If she dies, our lives will mean nothing.”
• Anna says, “This is my fight too”
• Anna uses a recorded Gemini Division satellite video to review the battle
• Gemini launched a full-scale assault on the SIMs
• Gemini sent SIMs 1.0 to kill Amasso and the rest of the SIMs
• Amasso says, “I cannot kill my own race.”
• Anna says of “He was becoming a great human.  One I was actually starting to like.  At exactly the wrong time.”
• Anna learns that Gemini Division’s SIMs would be controlled from a single mobile control facility
• Anna takes over the mobile base, but is confronted by the Cleaner 2.0
• Anna succeeds in flipping the kill switch
• All the Gemini teams are wiped out
• I SIM tells Anna, “Amasso needs you.”
• Anna responds, “I’m not alone.”

For starters, the narrative choice of “Kill-Switch” to tell the story of the battle by way of an overhead satellite video feed was quite entertaining.  It’s a bit like watching a game of Warcraft or Command & Conquer play out.  Amasso’s growing humanity is certainly notable — demonstrating that life is indeed finding a way toward the promise of hope.  But it is the reappearance of the Cleaner (aka Van Gogh) which just might foreshadow the ultimate resurrection of Nick and, potentially, any other SIMs whose cores have survived.  What’s remarkable, though, is how open the story still is at this point.

“The Tholian Web” is an example of classic Trek. Indeed, this is an episode in which Trekkies ought to find many memorable and compelling moments. It certainly is entertaining and briskly paced, with an approach not often seen in the series – namely a distinct lack of focus on Captain Kirk – and a mood, inspired by tales of ghost ships on the high seas, that is thoroughly captivating. But in spite of all its strengths, there just isn’t enough to this episode to elevate it into something truly exceptional.

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With the completion of reviews for the fourth season of Lost, and with the impending completion of the Gemini Division series, I thought that now would be a good opportunity to take some time to update readers on the current plans for the site.

Because I work several weeks in advance, there are already a great number of reviews (nearly three dozen, to be precise) just waiting to be posted on the site. The only exceptions to this are, of course, first run shows which are typically posted within 24-48 hours of their air dates. Current first-run shows include Fringe, Knight Rider, Legend of the Seeker, and Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Once Lost and Battlestar Galactica resume this January, reviews for these episodes will also be included.

In terms of reviews that have already been written, I’m happy to say that reviews for the entire run of the original Star Trek series – including the movies – are complete. Reviews for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine have already begun. My expectation is that we will see all of the original Star Trek reviews to be posted sometime around the new year. Deep Space Nine reviews will begin immediately afterward.

Additionally, there are several new Young Indiana Jones Chronicles reviews which have been written. The remainder of Young Indy’s Vol. 2 DVD set should be completed very shortly. There are also a handful of miscellaneous reviews (including movies, soundtracks and video games) which are set to be posted in the next few weeks.

Oh, and be on the lookout for a trip through Middle Earth …

In terms of upcoming projects, after a long hiatus, I plan to resume Heroes Season 1. Also, with the conclusion of Gemini Division, I plan to review Afterworld – the first web series created by Gemini Division’s production company, Electric Farm Entertainment. On a long-term (and less consistent) basis, the X-Files and Twin Peaks are likely to be continued.

But the truth is, over the next few months, the time and energy with which reviews have been completed will be transferred to articles that will feature more in depth analyses. This has always been the plan and considering that there are relatively few series left which I have an interest in reviewing, now is a good time to begin transitioning to the next stage of site development.

And finally, I have two technical notes. The first is a bit of bad news. Due to technical difficulties, the image galleries for all reviews that have currently been written (but are not yet posted) are no longer available. I’m hopeful they can be restored (and if not, I’ll simply redo them all), but it may be a couple of months before this process is completed. I offer my apologies to those readers who have come to rely on the image galleries of the site and my pledge that, sooner or later, all will be as it should be. To slightly offset these losses, I plan to have the avatar galleries completed in the very near future.

On a more positive note, I’ve been slowly improving the site’s graphic and navigational features. Astute readers will have noticed specific themes for a host of series, including Fringe, Heroes, Young Indiana Jones, The Clone Wars and so forth. Additionally, each section is slowly being revised to include more factual information such as overviews, release dates, cast members and the like.

And with that, it’s time to return to the reviews and analyses. I want to thank each and every one of my readers – those who loyally return to the site and those just passing by – for visiting. Your presence and your feedback make the whole enterprise worthwhile.

Thank you!

In “Brennidon,” Richard comes face to face with the wreckage left behind by Darken Rahl’s mad quest to stop the prophecy from coming true. Indeed, this episode does a solid job of walking the line between telling a story in the present and providing more pieces to the overall puzzle of the series. On those levels, the episode succeeds fairly well. However, there is still an awkward feel to the storytelling – the episode doesn’t exactly unfold intuitively or at a natural pace. There aren’t any gross mistakes, but this still feels like a series that is finding its footing.

In this episode, Richard stumbles upon his birthplace, the town of Brennidon. This setup is the episode’s primary weakness, considering that it relies on all of the main characters being less-than-intelligent for it to happen. Zedd warns Richard not to go off on his own – but he lets Richard do so with nary a protest. And so Richard heads off on a hunt, gets sidetracked, and ends up in Brennidon meeting a woman who claims to be his mother.

Of course, Brennidon is also the location in which several dozen women saw their firstborn children murdered. And since then, the D’Haran have been in town, controlling their lives and waiting to make sure that should the Seeker ever return, they could finish the task. This certainly gives rise to a number of sequences in which Richard inspires the townspeople to fight for their freedom and in which he learns just how important his role can be.

Running alongside this more serious storyline is a subplot involving Zedd and a former intimate acquaintance of his – who happens to claim that Zedd left behind a son. It’s a comical series of scenes – including Zedd’s protestations that he used “magical” protection – and Kahlan is eventually brought in to mediate the dispute. The resolution, however, has far-reaching consequences as Zedd is forced to confess that he is, in fact, Richard’s grandfather (knowing fantasy cliché, I’ll give you three guesses who Richard’s father is likely to be).

All of these stories culminate with Richard putting his trust in his would-be brother, by turning himself in so that the pair can rescue Richard’s “mother.” This act inspires the town to rise up against their oppressors and Richard learns how valuable he is as The Seeker – both as a symbol and as an agent for change. It’s an important character lesson and he resolves to take his training all the more seriously.

And he also learns that the woman was not his mother, but rather his mother’s midwife. But with one finally bit of information, Richard learns that his mother is indeed still alive.

Overall Grade: C+

“Brennidon” gets high marks for how it ultimately integrates its two storylines. Additionally, the revelations about the bigger picture for the series are enjoyable to see. Unfortunately, it just isn’t as solid of an episode as its predecessors in terms of pacing and plausibility. They aren’t critical errors, but they are enough to diminish the overall impact of the episode.

Oh, and someone really needs to tell the show’s creators that they’ve got. to. stop. the. slow. motion. action. scenes. Absolutely maddening.

“There’s No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3” are absolutely thrilling to watch. That isn’t to say that they’re perfect, or that I don’t have deep reservations about the direction the story (and series) is headed. But there’s no question that the finale to Season Four of Lost is epic, powerful, and shocking. For fans of Lost, there’s quite a bit here to both provide answers and generate new mysteries and questions. The sci-fi angle is, once again, ratcheted up a notch – as is the melodrama. But in an event episode like this one, both elements work quite well.

If there’s an overall focus or theme to the sprawling narrative of the episode, it is this: How best to protect the Island, and those living on it. This is the motivation behind the actions of Locke and Ben – and later, Jack and the rest of the Oceanic Six. In that sense, the series is beginning to morph into a story not just about survival, but about the Island itself, and the power play between Ben and Widmore for control over it. It’s the latter notion that I find most perplexing for the series, reducing the story to simply a world-sized pissing contest between two very powerful, influential, and wealthy men who use everyone else as pawns in their power struggles.

But in this episode, the influence works to provide a great deal of action, suspense, intrigue, plot twists, and wrenchingly emotional moments.

For instance, with Ben and Locke intent on moving the Island, they must first distract and disarm Keamy and the mercenaries. This leads to a frenetically paced sequence in which the mercenaries are cut down by the Others, with help from Kate and Sayid. And you have to give the episode credit for manipulating events to the point where viewers are cheering for the Others and their deviously efficient methods for capturing (or killing) people. And it certainly makes for intriguing television to see Sayid and Kate openly working with the Others.

The conversation between Ben and Locke, inside the Orchid, is highly revealing about the more “supernatural” qualities of the Island. It is revealed that the Orchid can actually send organic matter through time – partially explaining all of the temporal anomalies experienced in and around the Island. Ben also reveals that moving the Island will have dire consequences for the one who commits the act. He realizes it is Jacob’s will that he move the Island, so that Locke can ascend to become the Leader of the Others. It’s quite a powerful scene, in terms of character, watching Ben tear up with the knowledge that saving the Island means his own exile from it. (Don’t get too sentimental about Ben, though. When he killed Keamy, he did so knowing that Keamy’s death would detonate the explosives on the freighter, killing everyone on board.) And, too, seeing Locke accepted as the Others’ leader is the next step in a character arc that began way back at the beginning of the series.

Incidentally, the scene in which the Island moves is surprisingly effective. Let’s face it, moving an Island is a preposterous idea. And yet it’s handled almost perfectly by the episode, right down to the visuals and subsequent reactions of those who witness the Island suddenly disappearing.

The other storylines focus on the attempts by Desmond, Michael and Jin to disarm the bomb on the freighter, as well as save those on it in the process. Michael’s ingenuity in using nitrogen to freeze the detonator allows Desmond, Sun and many others to escape almost certain death. But in one of the most shocking moments of the episode – and the series – it looks like Jin is killed in the explosion. It’s an outcome which cements Sun’s utter hatred of Jack and has far-reaching consequences in the future. As for Michael, his sacrifice would seem to be an atonement for the murders of Ana Lucia and Libby.

After the Island is moved, we focus entirely on the Oceanic Six and the outcomes of their escape from the Island. One of the most emotionally powerful moments in the episode comes from when Desmond and Penelope finally meet, as the life raft in which he and the others were traveling is located by her searching ship. After all the pair had gone through, their reunion was genuine and compelling. And beautifully portrayed.

Once back home, we see how the events on the Island have influenced the Oceanic Six. Perhaps nothing is more shocking, though, than the final revelation of the episode – whose funeral it is that Jack attends in the future. After being confronted by Ben in the funeral home, it is revealed that the dead person is none other than … Locke.

Overall Grade: A-

“There’s No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3” is an event. And the events certainly live up to the expectations of being shocking, compelling, and, well, eventful. But the series is also taking some big risks here. And, really, whether or not the risks will pay off will depend entirely on how well the series is able to return to a focus on character.

Overview

Brilliant.

“Duel of the Droids” is a rousing, triumphant episode. It’s filled with plenty of action, thrills and character moments to make a worthy installment. But considering that it is the conclusion to the story begun in the previous episode, that it features a compelling theme, and the fact that it contains a wonderfully amusing homage, this episode is simply one of the best of the series thus far. Just about everything in this episode works exceptionally well. Put simply, this is Star Wars the way it was always meant to be: fun, action-packed, with a bit of something deeper and more meaningful.

Review & Analysis

This episode tells the story of how Anakin and Ahsoka finally track down both the location of R2-D2 and the Separatist listening post. Once there, the pair of Jedi lead their clone troopers to rescue their droid comrade and destroy the station. Along the way, we’re treated to numerous battles, lightsaber action, and climactic duel between R2-D2 and R3-S6, the golden droid who replaced R2 and who is revealed to be double agent, working for General Grievous (as if the previous episode didn’t telegraph this fact).

The real strength of the episode lies in its execution. The Anakin-Ahsoka banter has long been a drag on the series. But here, it’s natural and well-placed. It’s also toned down enough to make it fit seamlessly into the episode. As the episode unfolds, Anakin and Ahsoka separate and head off on two separate missions. Anakin hunts down R2 (who is dismantled by General Grievous) and Ahsoka leads the clonetroopers on a demolition mission to take out the listening station.

Anakin’s mission is fairly straightforward, featuring some thrilling lightsaber action against Grievous’ goons. But Ahsoka’s mission is much more interesting. She is forced to confront Grievous on her own – and to deal firsthand with R3’s treachery. The fight between Ahsoka and Grievous is handled quite plausibly, with Ahsoka barely holding her own. But the fact is, seeing Ahsoka in action, on her own, is definitely entertaining to see. And important for the series. Ahsoka needs to be more than just Anakin’s sidekick and in this episode she begins to step out of that role.

But the real highlight of the episode comes toward the end, after R3 does his best to sabotage the mission by trapping Anakin, Ahsoka and the clones within the listening post. R2 heads off to release the blast doors that will allow our heroes to escape and he is ultimately confronted by R3. The scene is meant to evoke the climactic duel between Anakin and Obi-Wan Kenobi from Revenge of the Sith. And everything, from the gantry, to the crescendo of the music, to the clash of droids matches in such a way as to provoke intentional hilarity and excitement. As an homage, it’s executed to perfection and is easily the highlight of the episode.

That Anakin goes back and rescues R2 is just the icing on the cake.

Overall Grade: A-

“Duel of the Droids” embodies the adventurous excitement of the Star Wars franchise. The underlying theme of doing whatever it takes to save your friends is a nice touch. But the real entertainment comes from how well the episode portrays its story. About the only detriment to the episode is its music which is much less distinct than what we’ve heard in the first half-dozen episodes.