“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.

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Topics: Mystery, Sci-Fi, TV Reviews
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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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Topics: Sci-Fi, TV Reviews
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“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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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.

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Topics: Fantasy, TV Reviews
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“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.

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Topics: Sci-Fi, TV Reviews
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“You hold onto friends by keeping your heart a little softer than your head.”

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.

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Topics: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, TV Reviews
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Overview

“Long Pig” is yet another example of why Crusoe just can’t drum up any legitimate drama. There are some compelling elements here, such as the return of a villain (as an ally this time) and a surprise connection between another guest star and one of our heroes. But everything else is so cartoonish and over-the-top that one has to wonder whether or not there was any real thought or care put into creating this series. That may be an unfair question, but considering how sloppy and careless the writing is, it’s no wonder that the integrity of the show is called into question.

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Topics: Adventure, Historical, TV Reviews
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Overview

“I Wanna Rock and Roll All Knight” is Knight Rider’s homage to the Bonnie and Clyde stories that seem to always saturate the entertainment world. There certainly is an understandably captivating element to the recklessly passionate lives that are romanticized in these stories and, for what it’s worth, this episode manages to capture some of that (though, admittedly, only on a surface level).

What really makes the episode even close to worthwhile, however, are the parallel stories of Michael and Sarah, and Zoe and Billy. In a way, the Bonnie and Clyde homage serves as a means to highlighting the relationships of the main cast. And in that sense, the episode works. Unfortunately, the overall writing is still highly suspect, and the fromage factor is still insufferably high. I’ll give credit where it’s due: the series certainly seems to be trying. The only question is whether or not it can get out of its own way.

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Topics: Action, TV Reviews
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Overview

“In Which We Meet Mr. Jones” establishes a much clearer sense of direction and purpose for the series. Indeed, there is a strongly focused storyline which manages to have implications both immediate and for the future. Ultimately, the episode succeeds in establishing a mystery and allowing the search for truth to lead to even bigger, more dangerous questions for the main characters. The only major blemishes include gratuitous gore and a contrived conflict to prolong the suspense of the episode’s conclusion – and some obvious lines from Walter. Aside from that, this is one of the best episodes of the series thus far.

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Topics: Mystery, Sci-Fi, TV Reviews
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“Duty” is the eighth and final Horatio Hornblower movie and is meant as a companion piece to “Loyalty.” Its production level is just as solid as its immediate predecessor, though the story itself isn’t quite as engaging (it gets close, though). As the title suggests, this is a movie about duty – to one’s country and loved ones. To that end, Horatio Hornblower is consistently challenged to do his duty and, perhaps unsurprisingly, he passes every test he faces. I will say this, though: there is much more of an edge to Horatio in this film – much more than in any previous film.

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Topics: Adventure, Historical, TV Reviews
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