Sanifus

The Wire

I'd like to use this space to salute David Simon for giving me the single greatest show I've ever watched. Thank you sir for such enjoyment, for showing that television can be intelligent, witty and deep without sacrificing quality and treating the viewer like they are unable to understand simple concepts.

I look forward to your next project and will follow it closely.

Category: TV
Posted by Sanifus, 03/13/2008 2:30pm 0 Comments

Breaking a silence - The Dead Zone

I normally don't bother blogging here, but I wanted somewhere to voice my frustration and putting it down in a forum just results in other people writing their own thoughts, opinions and the like. Quite often resulting in derailing. Also I have no desire to post about this in the TDZ Forum and read yet another post about how good it is that there is no Apocalypse storyline etc etc... Beating a skeletal horse there...

Frankly, I feel exceptionally let down and betrayed by NBC's actions with regards to the ending of The Dead Zone after a season has wrapped. Closing a show post season is one of the most despicable actions any network can take, it's a complete betrayal of the viewers trust and a fist in the eye for the people involved in making that show.

Some shows; Arrested Development for example, get warning that they are going to be cancelled during their season. While this still sucks for the regular viewer of a program, at least you know that the writers have been given warning and they can attempt to wrap things up and provide you with an ending that feels satisfactory. The Episode "Development Arrested" (From Arrested Development) and "The Devil's hands are Idle Playthings" (From Futurama) are good examples of endings that satisfy.

The Dead Zone has not been given this chance to wrap things up. Instead I'm left with a sour taste in my mouth because season six was a hard journey to watch. There were many episodes that were below par and much of what made the series brilliant (Johnny's relationships with his co-stars) was cut and dropped. If the season had continued like that it would have been an acceptable reason to drop it all. But the writers got through that rough patch and brought a fantastic ending that revealled the truth and set things up for a climatic ending. The viewer was brought on this rollercoaster ride that promised an amazing last run only to have it dumped with no hope of wrapping up outside of a mini series or TV movies.

Now I'm left looking at my DVD boxes of TDZ and thinking "What's the point in watching them now? It doesn't finish properly, I'll just end up feeling disatisfied, just like when I watch Carnivale." How can I recommend this show to others with any confidence now? "Well it's a really good show, but there is no ending" just doesn't cut it

I feel betrayed by NBC and I'm very tempted to turn my back on their shows. Networks need to consider their viewers a little more when they make decisions, while I understand it's a business. They should try to cater for more than just the average viewer, but more importantly they should at least respect their viewers enough to give us the endings to shows.

Category: TV
Posted by Sanifus, 01/22/2008 8:45am 0 Comments

My Recent Reviews

7.7 Good

The Mighty Boosh
Eels
Avg Score: 8.91 Total Ratings: 22 Total Reviews: 7
Users who disagree: 1

Oh, what to say?

The first episode of this series was supposed to be something both sureally brilliant and funny. And it was, for a while anyway. The front section of the episode had some classic lines and superb concepts. The return of Tony Harrison and Saboo (looking very well since Nanatoo killed him - but death is always optional in the world of The Mighty Boosh) was fantastic, providing some of the best lines and gags in the episode, you cleft! Howard and Vince continue to be as idiotic as ever, Vince has a certain degree of charm and idiot savant to him that protects him where as Howard is just a total loser. The dialog between them both is top stuff and provides much of the initial enjoyment in the episode.

The high point of the episode is Rich Fulcher's character Eleanor. He manages to look just the wrong side of 'bloke in a dress' without going too far and his/her obsession with Howard is delivered with such gusto that every line is hilarious.

But the episode takes a turn for the worse when the cockney hitcher turns up. He's a very tired and overused character for the Mighty Boosh guys. One who really needs to die again and stay dead. While he was hilarious in the first season and sheer genius in the second he just feels forced into this script because Noel Fielding likes dressing up as him. Unfortunately the sections with him on screen are not good until Eleanor turns up and shoots him.

Also, Howards inability to recognise the Hitcher from his previous encounters is perplexing and really a waste of some potentially great lines explaining why he's not dead.

All in all it wasn't the best episode, there was too much repeated old material garbled in with the new stuff. Julian? Noel? Running jokes aren't that funny...

At least next weeks episode was/is much better. :D

Report Abuse Posted Nov 19, 2007

9.2 Superb

The Dead Zone
Outcome
Avg Score: 8.49 Total Ratings: 58 Total Reviews: 3
Users who agree: 3

After last weeks rather weak offering (Numb) "Outcome" arrives as a breath of fresh air. It returns all of the things that make 'The Dead Zone' such a great show. A show that echoed much of the feelings and style of "Precipitate" (Season 2: Episode 4) - Just to note "Precipitate" in my opinion remains one of the finest episodes this show has ever produced, so the fact that "Outcome" brings back memories of that episode speaks volumes for the excellence in this episode.

We have Johnny back doing what he does best, solving a complex, multilayered situation where he's not sure exactly what the root cause is. Where every step he takes unveils a little more of the solution. Where he gets a chance to not just save the lives of the people he encounters but improve them as well.

Maxim Roy (as Elaine Dowd) was fantastic as a sidekick, providing the kind of support and insight that Bruce used to give Johnny. While it is unlikely she'll do much more than guest star it's exactly her kind of character that works so well alongside Johnny. Her emotional grounding speech that she gives towards the end of the episode was clearly something he needed to hear and was beautifully timed. While it seems quite likely that Sarah and Johnny will end up back together (something I still don't agree with) this episode has shown that the writers aren't willing to just shove them together wholesale and are instead working towards more organic relationship growth between them.

All in all this episode brought strong characters, intricate plotting, excellent dialog and a little something to think about afterwards. Making it one of the better episodes this season and showing that there is still plenty of life left in 'The Dead Zone'.

Report Abuse Posted Aug 6, 2007

7.1 Good

The Dead Zone
Numb
Avg Score: 8.25 Total Ratings: 66 Total Reviews: 4
Users who agree: 1 Users who disagree: 2

After last weeks excellent Johnny Smith centered offering "Switch" comes a decidedly pedestrian and average storyline with "Numb". After Johnny develops appendicitis and checks into a hospital where a Doctor is busy keeping people in comas in order to gain access to their savings and belongings. Johnny ends up in a coma and things seem bleak.

The episode is very Sarah based, with Nicole de Boer trying to fill the role that would previously have been performed by John L. Adams as Bruce. While she is adequate in this episode, she's not great as she fails to provide much gravitis or conviction. While Cara Buono as Sheriff Turner is solid and the other bit part/guest actors are decent, the entire thing fails to hold together with any kind of strength. Even after the slight 'twist' in the tale near the end.

Then of course, at the end of the Episode Johnny and Sarah kiss after revealing a little of how they feel. Honestly, this is a mistake, Nicole has always had better chemistry on screen with Chris Bruno (Walt) and equally Anthony as Johnny has better fitted with Kristen Dalton (Dana Bright), Sarah Wynter (Rebecca Caldwell) and Jennifer Finnigan (Alex Sinclair). As a consequence the show feels like it's taking a wrong turn, in addition it's also struggling due to a reduced cast and has no real driving impetus as Stillson/Armageddon storyline seems dead.

Maybe it's just a small roadbump in the way towards something spectacular, but "Numb" does indeed feel like a let down after the gripping storylines of the previous four episodes.

Report Abuse Posted Jul 30, 2007

7.4 Good

The Dead Zone
Numb
Avg Score: 8.25 Total Ratings: 66 Total Reviews: 4

After last weeks excellent Johnny Smith centered offering "Switch" comes a decidedly pedestrian and average storyline with "Numb". After Johnny develops appendicitis and checks into a hospital where a Doctor is busy keeping people in comas in order to gain access to their savings and belongings. Johnny ends up in a coma and things seem bleak.

The episode is very Sarah based, with Nicole de Boer trying to fill the role that would previously have been performed by John L. Adams as Bruce. While she is adequete in this episode, she's not great as she fails to provide much gravitis or conviction. While Cara Buono as Sheriff Turner is solid and the other bit part/guest actors are decent, the entire thing fails to hold together with any kind of strength. Even after the slight 'twist' in the tale near the end.

Then of course, at the end of the Episode Johnny and Sarah kiss after revealing a little of how they feel. Honestly, this is a mistake, Nicole has always had better chemistry on screen with Chris Bruno (Walt) and equally Anthony as Johnny has better fitted with Kristen Dalton (Dana Bright), Sarah Wynter (Rebecca Caldwell) and Jennifer Finnigan (Alex Sinclair). As a consequence the show feels like it's taking a wrong turn, in addition it's also struggling due to a reduced cast and has no real driving impetus as Stillson/Armageddon storyline seems dead.

Maybe it's just a small roadbump in the way towards something spectacular, but "Numb" does indeed feel like a let down after the gripping storylines of the previous four episodes.

Report Abuse Posted Jul 30, 2007

8.9 Great

The Wire
The Detail
Avg Score: 9.15 Total Ratings: 147 Total Reviews: 3
Users who agree: 2

With the witness who testified against D'Angelo in "The Target" found shot dead, McNulty and Bunk decide to shake him down a little and see if anything falls out. During the interview they pile on the pressure and three things of note happen. First of all D'Angelo shows his lack of experience and cracks under their guilting. He reveals that despite his 'streets'; despite the fact that he killed a man, he's still just a kid and that he's just a pusher and a murderer. But it also reveals how green he is, even though he knows his lawyer is on the way he allows them to cajoule them into writing a letter of apology. The third notable event is when D'Angelo's pager goes off in the middle of the interview. McNulty spots it as unusual, something that becomes more important in later episodes.

Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski (Jim True-Frost) joins the detail, bringing with him a reputation for incompetence that is quickly shown to be true in an amusing fashion. And later in the episode Prez shows just how rash he is (along with Herc and Carver) when the three of them decide to head over to one of the towers and "bust heads." A situation which rapidly spirals out of control after Prez pistol whips a young lad and sparks a small riot. Lt. Daniels is forced to provide them with a cover story in order to keep himself and his detail out of trouble with IAD. An action that later gives him cause for regret as it turns out Prez blinded the kid in the eye he cold cocked. "The Detail" shows that the PD have their fair share of problems and what happens when police officers let their temper rule reason. It also establishes Bubbles as a reliable CI and shows just how far Avon is willing to go in order to quash anyone who'd dare stand against him by siding with the law.

Plenty of excellent character development and some action to boot!

Report Abuse Posted Jul 27, 2007