SURVIVORS 1.5

Spoilers. The best episode since the double-bill start, by a country mile. Adrian Hodges' script finally makes Survivors' group feel like a living, breathing, cohesive entity -- not just a rag-tag collection of archetypes and shallow characters.

Episode 5 focuses on John (Kieran O'Brien), bearded preacher to a religious group who have appointed him their spiritual leader in these dark times. Claiming he can converse with God, see mysterious patterns in his environment, and lead them to ultimate salvation, John's become a compelling beacon of light for his traumatized followers -- who include heavily-pregnant Linda (Claire Keelan). Najid (Chahak Patel) finds John giving a sermon in the woods, and takes them back to his own friend's house, where they can eat and find shelter.

Abby (Julie Graham), secular leader of her own merry band, isn't sure they can trust John's people, but a democratic vote sways the decision in their favour. The health of pregnant Linda is a particular concern, particularly when she goes into labour and forces Anya (Zoë Tapper) to admit to everyone she's a qualified doctor. Turns out Anya's traumatized over her inability to help the victims of the 'flu virus, especially when her friend/lover Jenny died in her arms. Yes, it transpires that Anya is a lesbian (or possibly bisexual), which draws out an ugly, homophobic reaction in Tom (Max Beesley).

Meanwhile, Al (Phillip Rhys) grows close one of John's "disciples", a young woman called Louis (Louise Dylan), before discovering she has a boyfriend and is using Al to get pregnant and repopulate the planet. Sarah (Robyn Addison) continues to sleepwalk through the whole episode; now sleeping with Tom, but jealous of his unspoken feelings for Anya. Addison's playing the role as written, but it's a shame Sarah's such an awfully bland and irritating personality. The justification for her becoming a regular after her introduction in episode 2 still isn't clear, such is her vapid uselessness.

While it's a cliché to stumble on a religious fanatic in post-apocalyptic times, it's a rich source for drama. Anya begins to suspect John is actually a paranoid schizophrenic, after he begins acting very strangely and suspecting people of wanting to steal or harm Linda's newborn baby. Kieran O'Brien is excellent in the role, and manages to make a rather jarring descent into full-on lunacy somehow work. Keelan (fresh from superhero sitcom No Heroics) also gives a good performance in a dramatic role, proving she's quite adept at both disciplines.

Greg (Paterson Joseph) almost sits this episode out, but it's made clear that his character has become invested in the group Abby helped create, and seems to symbolically act as the father figure, with Abby as his platonic other half. Tom has been one of the more interesting characters (if only by virtue of having an enjoyable dark side), and his selfish relationship with Sarah and bigoted views on Anya's lesbianism helped deepen him some more.

The real standout here was Tapper, whose character Anya has been pushed aside since episode 1. This episode capitalizes on Anya's only mentionable set-up (her secrecy over her doctorate), and Tapper manages to draw out some good, believable moments -- from her fear of getting involved with Linda's pregnancy, her suspicion that John is mentally unwell, and a standout clash with Beesley's Tom over her true sexuality. An actress on the precipice of big things (she co-stars in spooky drama Affinity this Christmas, and is the female lead in fantasy series Demons in January), this episode proves she's more than a diminutive, tomboy cutie.

Overall, episode 5 (why no titles?) put the emphasis on its characters and saw them open up to each other. It's this kind of human interaction that will keep us invested in Survivors, so I'd like to see more done with Greg, Najid and Al. Disappointingly, the mysterious scientist storyline (briefly returned to here) appears to be simple and straight-forward: they're after a 'flu vaccine so they can safely leave their facility. In the last scene, Sami (Ronny Jhutti) finds the video plea Abby made in episode 3, which mentions she survived the virus' full effects. As I predicted, Abby is who they've been looking for. Of course, there must be something more to their scheme, because I don't think Abby would have a problem helping scientists perfect a vaccine. Do you? I guess we'll find out what the full story is in next week's finale, when the survivors return to the big city…


16 December 2008
BBC1, 9pm

Writer: Adrian Hodges
Director: Iain B. MacDonald

Cast: Julie Graham (Abby), Max Beesley (Tom), Paterson Joseph (Greg), Zoe Tapper (Anya), Phillip Rhys (Al), Robyn Addison (Sarah), Kieran O'Brien (John), Claire Keelan (Linda), Nicholas Greaves (Whitaker), Ronny Jhutti (Sami), Chahak Patel (Najid), Andrew Grose (Mike), Louise Dylan (Louise), Bryony Afferson (Patricia Kelly), Heather Brady (Fiona Murray) & Robert Maxfield (William Arnott)

Being Human: Cast Photo

It's always worrying when a television show changes its cast, even one that's only aired a pilot. Fantasy comedy Being Human is back for a full series in the new year, but only Russell Tovey (above, middle) keeps his role as a geeky werewolf. BBC Three have released a cast photo of the new trio -- and, to be fair, I like the look of the new actors better. So, superficially, it's a thumbs up from me. Hopefully the performances of Aidan Turner and Lenora Crichlow will eclipse their one-off predecessors Guy Flanagan and Andrea Riseborough, too.

PRISON BREAK 4.15 - "Going Under"

Spoilers. How about that Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller), eh? He's such a genius that he cracks the whole Scylla mystery while having experimental brain surgery! Beyond that significant puzzle piece, I still think Prison Break's suffering a mid-season lull since Don (Michael Rapaport) turned traitor. Still, a few developments here might finally have realigned the series into its latest guise...

Linc (Dominic Purcell) has made a faustian pact with The General (Leon Russom); he'll reacquire Scylla from Don and Gretchen (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe), in return for the safe removal of his brother Michael's brain tumour, using The Company's cutting-edge resources. After interrogating T-Bag (Robert Knepper) by extracting a few teeth, Linc and Sucre (Amaury Nolasco) race to Arlington Pier, where the Scylla exchange is due to take place at 3pm.

In a rather humdrum subplot, Mahone (William Fichtner) is on his way to jail after being duped by Agent Lang (Barbara Eve Harris), but has a plan to escape from Agent Wheeler's (Jason Davis) charge -- which involves the clichéd request for a toilet break. Fortunately, Mahone knows the urination regulations for prisoners, and uses Wheeler's by-the-book character trait against him.

As Michael undergoes his brain op, conscious and with Sara (Sarah Wayne Callies) by his side for support, some of Prison Break's strangest moments occur, with Michael visualizing a darkened prison cell at Fox River, where long-dead inmate Charles Westmoreland (Muse Watson) acts as his "spirit guide", encouraging him to reconsider what Scylla actually is by perusing a mental wall-chart of knowledge. Far from being a simple "little black book" of Company personnel, Michael comes to realize Scylla must contain scientific data about how to create a futuristic power source equal to the Sun's solar output…

At the pier, Gretchen realizes the Company probably know where their deal is taking place, after receiving a phone call from her sister Rita (Heather McComb), who tells her their accomplice T-Bag was taken by Company agents. Fleeing the scene, just as Linc and Sucre arrive to bust them, the Scylla exchange is hastily rescheduled -- but Gretchen and Don are then left high-and-dry when their buyer (Titus Welliver) steals Scylla…

"Going Under" felt like an episode where all the thought had gone into creating a plausible new identity for Scylla. It's been inferred throughout season 4 that it was always more than a simple list of contacts (as Michael says, why would you protect something so easily deletable?), and the idea that Scylla contains advanced science data is a good move. It's not that people want to steal Scylla to expose and dismantle The Company; they actually want to become The Company. It's a twist that works well -- especially if Michael's brainwave that the chemical elements "B", "Ar", "Ga", "In" (BARGAIN) can indeed be used to create a new type of energy.

Away from that, it's interesting to see Linc working for The Company and discovering his mother worked for them before she died, although I think we're supposed to feel there's a possibility Linc will join them permanently. And, let's be honest, that's a ridiculous idea after all that's happened. Michael remains steadfast in his hatred of the Company, but now that he knows Scylla can't destroy the Company, what's the next move? Is it better the devil you know than the devil you don't? The continual evolution and switches of allegiance have kept Prison Break lively and entertaining, but it's beginning to grow tired. It's almost as if the writers run into dead-ends when they take a character in a new direction, so when an avenue exchausts itself they force them into shaky alliances to keep the stone rolling for a few more episodes.

Overall, "Going Under" wasn't too shabby, and it was nice to see Westmoreland again, but I'm not convinced the writers have a clear and concise plan. Scylla's true identity is definitely more interesting than the "little black book" idea, but it's at odds with previous episodes that mentioned The Company destabilizing the economy of Laos, etc. Prison Break's ability to think on its feet and creatively escape from narrative dead-ends has always been fun, but a few developments in "Going Under" stretched things a bit too far…

Sucre suddenly deciding to leave for a "normal life" -- forgetting that he's still a fugitive from justice? It's not the first time Sucre's said farwell to Linc before scurrying back, though -- and this would be a weak end for Nolasco, one of the show's original actors. How about Linc apparently forgetting Michael and their established principles, to work for The Company, with no intention to trick them? And he was pushed into that decision just because The General proved his mother was a Company employee, too? After all Linc's been through, is he really stupid enough to believe The Company will let them all live happily ever after once Scylla's back under lock-and-key? Well, yes. Stupid question.


16 December 2008
Sky1, 10pm

Writer: Zack Estrin
Director: Karen Gaviola

Cast: Wentworth Miller (Michael), Michael Rapaport (Don), William Fichtner (Mahone), Amaury Nolasco (Sucre), Robert Knepper (T-Bag), Dominic Purcell (Lincoln), Sarah Wayne Callies (Sara), Jodi Lyn O'Keefe (Gretchen), Barbara Eve Harris (Agent Felicia Lang), Leon Russom (General Krantz), Denise Crosby (Doctor), Heather McComb (Rita), Jason Davis (Agent Wheeler), Muse Watson (Charles Westmoreland) & Titus Welliver (The Representative)

Torchwood producer on season 3

Producer Peter Bennett discuses Torchwood's five-part third season, "Children Of Earth":

"Basically from a concept, we wanted to go down the children dilemma route. Because this storyline is a subject that's going to affect all the children of Earth, it was a natural title to come up with." -- read more at Digital Spy.

DEXTER 3.12 - "Do You Take Dexter Morgan?"

Spoilers. Dexter's third season finale is undoubtedly the weakest in the show's short but illustrious history, but it still contained a handful of great moments and some exciting sequences. What sustained it, beyond the typically excellent performance of Michael C. Hall, was a thirst to see everything resolve itself. And it does, in a slightly underwhelming fashion...

Miguel Prado (Jimmy Smits) is dead; garrotted and left sprawled in a park to be discovered by a jogger, with patches of missing skin leading police to believe The Skinner has struck again. Dexter assumes his frame-job has put events to bed, meaning he can concentrate on his wedding, but it appears that Miguel's brother Ramon (Jason Manuel Olazabal) suspects our blood-spatter analyst of foul play…

For Deb (Jennifer Carpenter), her recent successes on the Skinner case results in her finally being given her detective's badge, after Angel (David Zayas) recommends her promotion to Lt. Laguerta (Lauren Velez). Unfortunately, Deb's secret tryst with criminal informant Anton (David Ramsey) is revealed soon after, and looks likely to make Laguerta change her mind.

Secrets and lies are the backbone of this episode, really. Dexter's whole life and interactions are based on a lie, but it soon becomes clear how many other characters have secrets to keep: Deb's unprofessional relationship with a man involved in her case, Angel's low ebb search for a prostitute, Laguerta knowing venerated A.D.A Miguel was actually a murderer, Ramon keeping his brother's "darkness" in check behind-the-scenes, the fact Harry (James Remar) slept with Dex's biological mother Laura Moser (a secret Deb is close to discovering, next season most likely), and the unexpected news that Rita (Julie Benz) was briefly married in her teens (making Dex her "third charm" husband, not her second.)

Involving Ramon in this finale was one of its few surprises, as it became clear Miguel had asked his brother to protect him from Dexter. And, following Miguel's death, Ramon naturally assumed Dex was behind it (which he was) and causes a few shockwaves -- having Dex's apartment searched, before aiming a gun at Dex in a crowded restaurant. One of the finale's best scenes was a simple two-hander between Dex and the arrested Ramon in a prison interview room, with Dex managing to annul Ramon's threat in a non-violent way, by removing his emotional thorn.

The big event of "Do You Take Dexter Morgan?" was the inevitable return of The Skinner/Mr. King, whom Miguel had acquired the services of. Believing Dex knows the whereabouts of Freebo (the missing murder suspect of Oscar Prado, who stole money from King), Dex is captured and tied to a wooden table by scrawny rope. It's a table-turning moment fans have been waiting for, so it's a pity it was reduced to a mere ten minutes of screentime. Having Dex at the mercy of another serial-killer could have fuelled an entire episode or two, but this finale squandered that potential.

Still, it was a tense ten minutes. In a memorable and tender scene, the Jimminy Cricket-style Harry appeared to Dex as he lay helpless, more plausibly existing as a subsconscious figment of Dex's imagination. Here, despite feeling inordinately calm in this situation, Dex realizes he wants to fight to live (for his fiancé and fatherhood), and even sheds a tear -- albeit through the artifice of his paternal hallucination.

Acting on some forensic evidence, Deb and a police squad construe where The Skinner is hiding and race to the warehouse where Dex is being held. Concurrently, Dex puts his escape plan into action: rocking the wooden table over, to break his hand and allow him to slip free of his bonds. Once free, Dex manages to fake King's suicide by pushing him off a balcony into an oncoming police car, before making his escape and fleeing to his wedding.

Once the nuptials are over, surrounded by friends, a portentuous droplet of blood seeps from Dex's hand wound as he dances with Rita, staining Mrs. Morgan's pure white dress behind her back…

Overall, I enjoyed this episode a fair amount, but there was a noticeable lack of tension without Miguel around -- such was the brilliance of Jimmy Smits this year. The Skinner hasn't been a terribly effective villain (his alliance with Miguel still doesn't make much sense, either), and it was a shame there wasn't a thirteenth episode to sustain the tension of Dexter's capture. It would have been nice to have Deb rescue her brother, too (reversing the roles of season 1's finale), and for Rita to grow anxious over her fiance's lateness at the church -- but the plot took a more truncated, lacklustre route.

Fortunately, there was enough good to ensure this finale wasn't a total dud. The Ramon situation was unexpectedly good (I particularly liked the reveal that Miguel's abusive father anecdote was stolen from his brother's life, and how Dex helped Ramon find peace), and the Skinner/Dex situation was short-but-sweet. It was also easy to share in Deb's joy over getting her badge, as that's been one of season 3's stronger threads. It's a shame I can't say the same over Angel and Barbara's boring love-match -- or Quinn (Desmond Harrington), whose back-story was disappointingly tedious and limp.

Unlike season's past, there wasn't a final sting to get you excited about what the future could hold for Dex, but several plot-strands are left flapping in the breeze at pointers: Deb will likely join the dots over Harry and Laura, to realize Dex is her half-brother, not just an orphaned adoptee; Rita's first husband can't go unmentioned (is Rita a bigamist? Is her first husband the father of her kids?); the Angel/Barbara and Deb/Anton couplings look likely to continue; and, of course, Dex is about to become a father. So he'll have to juggle his killing with the demands of a family. Will Rita be less forgiving of his unexplained absences now he's made a real commitment to her? Where's he going to keep his box of blood slides?

Season 3 is my least favourite of Dexter's tryptch, but it certainly found form half-way through, and was unquestionably thicker with characters and incident. It just lacked the spark, vitality and darkness of season 1 and 2. Maybe the loss of exec-producer Daniel Cerone had an effect on story-breaking? Or maybe Dexter's premise will inevitably dilute as time marches on? Whatever the reason, I'm still excited about season 4 -- but I don't envy the writers having to think up a worthwhile story to sustain another dozen episodes.


14 December 2008
Showtime, 9/8c

Writer: Scott Buck
Director: Keith Gordon

Cast: Michael C. Hall (Dexter), Jennifer Carpenter (Deb), C.S. Lee (Masuka), Lauren Velez (LaGuerta), David Zayas (Angel), James Remar (Harry), Julie Benz (Rita), Desmond Harrington (Quinn), Jason Manuel Olazabal (Ramon), Christina Robinson (Astor), Preston Bailey (Cody), Tasia Sherel (Francis), Jeremy Overstreet (Deputy #1), Jane McLean (Tammy), Jimmy Smits (Miguel), Mary Alyce Kania (Karen) & James Moses Black (Sgt. Whitaker)

Primeval season 3 trailer; Merlin conjurs second series; Carlyle enters the Stargate

The trailer for season 3 of ITV1's Primeval has been released (embedded video above). Looks good; with a darker, edgier, crazier vibe. Or maybe using the theme from Saw just has that affect? Anyway, there are lots of creatures, some explosions, and a few new faces. Season 2 was markedly better then the dismally repetitive first season, so hopefully season 3 will continue that upward trend. The extended run of ten episodes start in January.

The BBC have confirmed that fantasy drama Merlin will be back for a second series. Despite very erratic scheduling, the 13-part series managed to keep a sizeable Saturday night audience since it started in September.

Julie Gardner, Head of Drama (BBC Wales):

"We are thrilled that audiences have entered into the magical world of Camelot and Merlin has been such a big hit on Saturday nights. It has performed outstandingly well. The cast have entertained and enchanted a whole new generation with this fresh and modern retelling of a classic British legend."

Johnny Capps & Julian Murphy, producers:

"We are absolutely delighted to be returning for a second series. All the principal characters are destined to experience more magical adventures next year. The story of Merlin is a much loved tale and it's so exciting that our updated version has captured the hearts of audiences and brought the magic and myth of Camelot alive."

Robert Carlyle (Trainspotting) has unexpectedly agreed to headline the latest Stargate spin-off TV series, Stargate: Universe. Carlyle will play Dr. David Rush, the leader of a group of soldiers, scientists and civilians aboard a spaceship containing a Stargate, who are lost in deep space. Star Trek: Voyager meets Stargate, then.

Brad Wright & Robert Cooper, creators:

"We are very excited about having an actor of this calibre, around which we can build a strong, character-based series. Robert Carlyle will engage a broad audience and we hope to deliver a show that demonstrates to new viewers that the loyalty of longtime fans of the Stargate franchise has been well-deserved."

The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor (2008)

1999's The Mummy (a remake of the classic Universal horror, CGI'd into an Indiana Jones-wannabe) was a very enjoyable popcorn adventure -- eclipsed by The Phantom Menace and The Matrix at the time. Its '01 sequel, The Mummy Returns, was a dreadful confusion of overblown filmmaking and numbing effects-work. Nobody was hankering for a third movie, but here it comes anyway -- with Rob Cohen (xXx) replacing Stephen Sommers behind the camera, and Rachel Weisz wisely refusing to sully her CV anymore...

The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor finds retired tomb raider Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser) married to studious Evie (Maria Bello). He spends his time fly-fishing on their Oxfordshire estate; she's authored two best-selling books about their Egyptian escapades. F course, they're both secretly bored to tears, awaiting another call to action. It arrives soon after their son Alex (Luke Ford) -- inexplicably narrowing the age-gap with his parents -- excavates the tomb of Emperor Han (Jet Li), an ancient Chinese tyrant whose thirst for immortality resulted in him being cursed by the witch Zi Yuan (Michelle Yeoh) after he betrayed her trust.

After travelling to Shanghai at the behest of the British government, to return the precious Eye of Shangri-La gemstone to the Chinese as a token of goodwill, a ruthless band of Han worshippers intercept the O'Connells and use the Eye to resurrect their Emperor -- who has been encased in terracotta for centuries. The O'Connells reunite with Jonathan (John Hannah), who now owns an Egyptian-themed nightclub called "Imhotep's" in the city, and together they go after Han to stop him gaining immortality by bathing in the water of Shangri-La.

There follows a Shanghai street chase with firework explosions (the first and best action sequence), an airplane ride with a vomiting Yak, a family of protective cat-like Yeti, an avalanche, a three-headed fire-breathing dragon, and a battle between the Terracotta Army and the skeletons of Han's enemies he buried beneath the Great Wall Of China. Plenty of bang and FX, but very little character, heart, or laughs. I marginally preferred this threequel to the awful Mummy Returns (faint praise), but the comedy and bubbly relationships are but a pale shadow of the '99 original.

Brendan Fraser looks faintly bored, and is stupidly overshadowed by screen-son Luke Ford (a bland newcomer, positioned to assume Fraser's mantle, considering he was stupid enough to sign for two more sequels); Maria Bello exhibits no Weisz-like chemistry with Fraser (as a lover or otherwise), is more English thistle than rose, and struggles to maintain a stilted English accent; John Hannah has plenty of bumbling energy, but no decent jokes to tether them to (you know you're in trouble when your funniest scene is being covered in Yak puke); Jet Li goes through the motions as the clichéd baddie (obscured by digital clay half the time), Isabella Leong is this instalment's Oded Fehr character, Lin; and Michelle Yeoh's role as an immortal witch is trite and predictable. For martial arts lovers, the prospect of a Li versus Yeoh fight might have been some consolation, but their scrap is poorly choreographed and barely lasts two minutes.

The thin script, by Smallville creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, is primarily concerned with shoehorning in Chinese icons -- the myths (immortality, Shangri-La), the supernatural (dragons, Yeti, the "five elements" -- an underused idea, incidentally), the history (the Great Wall, the Terracotta Army), and locations (Shanghai, the Himalayas). It all comes at the expense of a decent story that's just a clichéd, re-tread of the other films with a Far East face-life. There's even another reckless, crazy pilot!

The characters are all bone-dry, there's little sense of mounting tension or fear, Emperor Han's back-story lacks the sympathetic streak of Arnold Vosloo's bandaged-baddie, and memorable dialogue is limited to cutesy references to the earlier films ("you guys are like mummy magnets!") In terms of comedy, they actually stoop low enough to have a cheesy "record needle rip" interrupt a scene (not once, but twice!), and all the one-liners are blunt and unfunny.

The few positives lie exclusively in technical details: the costumes are excellent, the set-design is decent, and the CGI is more consistent than The Mummy Returns'. Indeed, the Ray Harryhausen-inspired battle between two armies of the undead is good fun (the film's funniest moment is a CGI skeleton accidentally knocking his comrade's head off), and there are several FX touches that I enjoyed elsewhere -- like the molten glow inside the cracks of terracotta horses, and a big avalanche (Cohen's second after xXx.) But, there's certainly not enough eye-candy to make you forget how dreadfully boring and awkward the story, characters and storyline is. This is one mummy that deserves to be buried and forgotten about, with no chance of resurrection.


Universal Pictures
Budget: $145 million
114 minutes
www.themummy3movie.co.uk/tomb

Director: Rob Cohen
Writers: Alfred Gough & Miles Millar

Cast: Brendan Fraser (Rick O'Connell), Maria Bello (Evelyn Carnahan-O'Connell), Jet Li (Emperor Han), John Hannah (Jonathan Carnahan), Luke Ford (Alex O'Connell), Isabella Leong (Lin), Anthony Wong Chau-Sang (General Yang), Russell Wong (General Ming Guo), Liam Cunningham (Mad Dog Maguire), David Calder (Professor Roger Wilson), & Michelle Yeoh (Zi Yuan)

DMD 2008: Feedback Wanted

2008 is nearly over and many TV shows are winding up (for the year, or just until after Christmas), in order to make room for festive specials and give its staff a break. Therefore, I have time to write more directly to the readers of this 'ere blog, before signing off myself at the weekend. And I thought it might be a good idea to ask for feedback on DMD.

What do you like? What don't you like? What could be improved? What would you like to see included? That sort of thing. Based on comments and page-hit stats I have a fair idea what's "popular", but these things only tell you so much. I mean, lots of people read my Dexter reviews, but hardly anyone comments on them. So are they "popular" in the sense that people read and enjoy them? Or do they just appear early in a Google search and attract a hit?

So, just to help me lay the groundwork for 2009, it would be nice to hear what people love, like, hate or feel indifferent about. Especially regarding: the box-office charts on Friday, Monday's TV Picks for the week, the monthly compilation of DVD/Blu-ray release dates, the occasional movie trailer reviews, and other more "specialized" elements of DMD.

Do you miss the voting poll? How's the loading time for DMD? Is the new template still ticking your boxes? Do you ever visit Newslite.tv for my capsule reviews every Sunday? Should I do more movie reviews? More box-set reviews? Should more British shows be reviewed, or is the US/UK balance about right? Would you like to see more stuff on podcasts, books, comics, or radio? How about more links to internet goodies?

All comments welcome, particularly from people who have never commented before. It's very easy, so don't be shy! I really do listen and will try to adjust DMD accordingly for 2009. Try not to be too harsh, though :-)

TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES 2.12 - "Alpine Fields"

Spoilers. This was the first episode of season 2 where my eyes glazed over and it became a real struggle to watch, or care about anything that was happening. Annoyingly, the core idea behind this episode (particularly the way it fractured the narrative into past, present and future storylines) was a cool idea, and should have provided epic, clever, dramatic sci-fi. On the contrary, this was a sluggish mess, primarily because of duff characterization.

In the present, Derek (Brian Austin Green) has been asked by Sarah (Lena Headey) to help a teenager called Lauren (Samantha Krutzfeldt) and her heavily-pregnant mother, following an attack by a T-888. Lauren is fine, but her mom is in labour and needs urgent medical attention if she's to deliver her baby…

Six months prior, Sarah and Cameron (Summer Glau) had arrived to protect Lauren's family from another Terminator, following a lead from the Connors' plot-device blood wall. Leaving Cameron to battle the marauding T-888 in the woods outside the family's cabin, Sarah tries to work out which of them Skynet has targeted -- mother, father David (Carlos Jacott) or teen daughter. Matters are complicated by the arrival of next-door neighbour Roger (Johnny Sneed), who it's revealed has been having an affair with Gail.

In the future of 2027 A.D, Skynet is deploying a new biological weapon against the human resistance, already killing 200 people stationed at one outpost. Future Derek volunteers to rescue the sole survivor, a young girl called Sydney (Haley Hudson), whose immunity can be used to develop a vaccine. Along the way, we're also treated to Derek's first meeting of future-girlfriend Jesse (Stephanie Jacobsen), who remains as prickly and intentionally dislikeable as ever.

Boiled down to quick summations, "Alpine Fields" doesn't sound half bad. Trouble is, the execution was awful. Two directors worked on this episode (Charles Beeson and Bryan Spicer), which can mean only one of two things: the episode was particularly demanding and required co-direction (perhaps because of time constraints?), or a second director was brought in to fix a mess at the last-minute.

Whatever the reason, John Enbom's script was actually the root cause of the problem. It had noble intentions and a few good ideas, but more drafts were clearly required. One problem was how, by virtue of seeing events in the present-day story, we knew Gail and Lauren would survive the cabin siege in the past. The mystery over who the T-888 wanted to terminate held mild interest -- but became obvious once Gail revealed her pregnancy. The ouroboros tail to the future (yep, immune Sydney was the baby born in the present-day story) was good, but the episode wasn't proficient enough to reveal that information in a surprising or clever way.

The numbing effect of the family melodrama in the cabin (a bored housewife, married to a banker involved in illegal work, gets knocked up by their neighbour while he's away on business) also chipped away at my tenacity to keep watching. T:TSCC struggles whenever it tries to show genuine human relationships, really -- handling emotionless robots and stoical heroes are about its limit. This was like a very, very bad soap. Even the cyborg scraps between the Triple-8 and Cameron were played out off-screen, which was disappointing. And what was John doing while all this was going on, hm? Over at Riley's? Ultimately, beyond seeing Derek meet Jesse, the latter of whom is given the episode's one good scene (talking about rabbits in Australia), this was a big waste of time.


8 December 2008
Fox, 9/8c

Writer: John Enbom
Directors: Charles Beeson & Bryan Spicer

Cast: Brian Austin Green (Derek), Summer Glau (Cameron), Lena Headey (Sarah), Stephanie Chaves-Jacobsen (Jesse), Fay Wolf (Lila), Jullian Dulce Vide (Cop), Rebecca Creskoff (Anne), Samantha Krutzfeldt (Lauren), Carlos Jacott (David), Yolanda Lloyd Delgado (Gail Silver), Oren Dayan (Mike), Johnny Sneed (Roger), Peter Mensah (General Perry) & Haley Hudson (Sydney)

Christmas TV Picks: 15-21 December 2008

Pick Of The Week: "Britain's Got An Extra Pop
Factor... And Then Some" (Fri, Channel 4, 9pm)

My pick of the week's best, new television shows airing in the UK this week:

MONDAY 15th

• Nothing yet. Don't blame me, it's all being stored up for the weekend's explosion of festive programming.
  

TUESDAY 16th

• Horizon: Where's My Robot? (BBC2, 9pm) Comedian Danny Wallace investigates the world's top laboratories involved in robotics.
• Sleepwalkers: Secrets Of The Night (Channel 4, 9pm) Documentary looking at various sleepwalkers with unusual nocturnal traits, including: a nine-year-old, a husband who pesters his wife for sex, a man draws pictures, and a woman who cooks meals!
  

WEDNESDAY 17th

• The Royal Variety Performance 2008 (BBC1, 7.30pm) 80th anniversary of the annual variety show from the London Palladium, with Take That, Leona Lewis, Duffy, The Pussycat Dolls, Zorro, The Lion King, Brian May, Peter Kay, Jimmy Carr, Michael McIntyre, and many more.
• Christmas At River Cottage (Channel 4, 8pm) Seasonal special with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.
  

THURSDAY 18th

• Jamie Cooks Christmas (Channel 4, 9pm) Festive special from the crusading chef.
• The Real Hustle Special: Best Ever Cons (BBC3, 10.30pm) The tricksters present an hour of their most memorable cons over six series.
  

FRIDAY 19th

• Britain's Got An Extra Pop Factor... And Then Some (Channel 4, 9pm) Follow-up special to Peter Kay's talent show spoof, following the winner Geraldine as she prepares to launch her Christmas single.
• Eddie Izzard: Circle (Channel 4, 10.35pm) Live stand-up with the comedian.
  

SATURDAY 20th

• Britannia High: Behind The Scenes (ITV1, 4.30pm) A peek into the making of the flop ITV musical.
• Britannia High - Live Finale (ITV1, 5.30pm) The flop ITV musical reaches a crescendo.
• All Star Mr & Mrs (ITV1, 7.55pm) Christmas edition of the classic gameshow hosted by Philip Schofield and Fern Britten; with Ronan Keating, Terry Venables and Tamzin Outhwaite.
• For One Night Only (ITV1, 8.55pm) A host of stars perform, such as Il Divo, Cerys Matthews, Tom Jones, Myleene Klass, Milton Jones & Will Smith.
  

SUNDAY 21st

• Noel's Christmas Presents (Sky1, 7pm) Noel Edmonds makes more festive dreams come true.
• After You've Gone Christmas Special (BBC1, 6.05pm) Festive episode of the sitcom about a man and his interfering mother-in-law.
• Alan Titchmarsh At Christmas (ITV1, 6.30pm) Guests include Will Young, Andrea Bocelli & Julie Walters
• Gladiators: The Legends Strike Back (Sky1, 7.30pm) The new gladiators compete against the original '90s gladiators.
• Lark Rise To Candleford (BBC1, 7.45pm) A Christmas special kicks off the first of a new, eleven-part series.
• All-Star Don't Forget The Lyrics (Sky1, 9pm) Shane Richie presents a celebrity special of the music gameshow.
• Clash Of The Santas (ITV1, 9pm) Bickering best friends Colin and Howie return from the City Lights series, travelling to Lithuania to take part in the World Santa Championships.
• The Sunday Night Christmas Project (Channel 4, 9pm) Simon Pegg guest-hosts this festive special.
• The Charlotte Church Nutcracking Christmas Special (Channel 4, 10pm) Guests include James Corden, Ronni Corbett, Ruth Jones, Jeremy Edwards, Rhydian & Jo Brand.