This week on The Alienist, we learned some interesting habits or traits of the killer but even more importantly, we learn some interesting back story on our eponymous character and see deeper aspects of every one our core three Team Alienist Members.
The mystery deepens and we hope you are sticking along for the ride.
Our deep dive recap (beware of spoilers) of “Silver Smile” … after the jump!
Black Lightning “LaWanda: The Book of Burial”
January 30, 2018
Lots of forward momentum in tonight’s episode of Black Lightning, which is great. We finally have some back bone resolution from Jefferson while the sides of good and evil begin to square up against each other with some players, maybe, mired in the middle.
Separate from Jefferson, we get some good movement on Anissa’s character and some much needed realistic acceptance from Lynn. And on the bad guy front, we also get another layer of the evil onion pulled back.
Black Lightning is moving in the right direction and as long as it doesn’t get bogged down too much in the morality play, I think we’re all going to like the journey and the destination.
Read on for our deep dive recap of “LaWanda: The Book of Burial” … after the jump!
The Magicians “A Life in the Day”
February 7, 2018
For three seasons, The Magicians has been this little show that could; turning out great stories with interesting characters and whimsical plots but tonight, “A Life in the Day” pushes The Magicians into the pantheon of great television.
There is an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation called “Inner Light.” Its widely considered one of the best episodes TNG ever made and in it, the Enterprise’s captain, Jean Luc Picard, is knocked unconscious on the bridge and awakes on a planet. And, over the course of the episode, he lives a full life on that planet with a wife, children, grandchildren. He experiences highs and lows and all the pain and joy of living. And when he wakes back on the Enterprise, he retains all of those memories and it changes him ever after. Changes him in ways that are tangible and intangible.
“A Life in the Day” is The Magicians‘ “Inner Light” and we have all been changed … changed for the better.
The Alienist
“A Fruitful Partnership”
January 29, 2018
Change. That’s what The Alienist is about. It crystallized for me tonight. Seeing this team of outsiders and misfits assemble made me realize that change is the common thread they represent. I go into this below in my thoughts section and don’t want to discuss here before you have read about the episode but as you watch and as you read below, think about how change, in the ways it can happen, is the thing uniting what I am going to call for now, Team Alienist. Until I think of something more clever.
Early in this episode, I was ready to write of Moore as being too one note and annoying to like, to the point where it was almost taking me away from enjoying the show, but by the end, my thoughts have changed and I think John Moore may have the most important journey out of any character here. We’ll see. Anyway …
Make sure you have read our deep dive recap of last week before jumping into this week’s installment in the story. Our deep dive recap of The Alienist‘s episode, “A Fruitful Partnership” (lots of spoilers ahead — you have been warned) … after the jump!
If you have seen tonight’s episode, I think you can agree this was some of Arjun Gupta’s best work in this entire series and this is a Top 3 episode of The Magicians overall. The narrative device they use, alone, will make it a fan favorite.
Without giving away spoilers (that’s after the jump), most of the scenes tonight feature a device I described in my own head as a “Play within a Play” mechanic. We are watching someone watching others. And both layers are important to the story, specifically and generally. The device holds together really well throughout every transition and serves to connect all the characters’ threads into one storyline. The last few weeks, we have seen some connectivity between the different characters (e.g., Eliot and Q via Bunny Text) but overall, everyone has been off doing their own thing. Tonight, through Penny, everyone is connected in a coherent way that reminds you (if you even needed reminding), why you love this show … and that’s no small magic trick .
Read the recap for “Be the Penny” (spoilers!!!! You’ve been Warned) … after the jump!
The Brave
“Close to Home, Part 2”
January 29, 2018
And so, here we are. End of Season 1 of The Brave, arguably the best new show of this Fall Television Season, and while we are left with one, potentially soul crushing cliffhanger, most of our most pressing story lines are wrapped up. Which is a credit to show creator Dean Georgaris and his writers staff for not leaving us hanging in the wind … God forbid NBC does not grant a Season 2. But, let us not dwell on such negative thoughts for there is nothing we can do right now anyway.
No, dear The Brave family, let us instead relive the action and intensity, the highs and lows, the McG getting punched in the face and the Jaz in a leather vest, of last night’s explosive season finale, “Close To Home, Part 2.” First, Read Our Deep Dive Recap from Last Week’s Part 1 if you haven’t already … I’m going to assume in the recap below that you have!
Spoilers Ahead!! You’ve been warned. The recap … after the jump!
The Alienist
“The Boy on the Bridge”
January 22, 2018
The Alienist Season One Gallery
What a fun (and not a little weird) show The Alienist is. There is something particularly satisfying about a well done period piece TV show that enhances the “escapism” factor that so many turn to TV for; an hour of good drama to forget about your troubles and throw yourself into someone else’s plot. Add in the anachronistic time period and your feeling of being transported away is doubled, at a minimum.
The Alienist, based on the book of the same name by Caleb Carr, and starring Luke Evans (as John Moore), Dakota Fanning (as Sara Howard), and Daniel Brühl (as the eponymous “Alienist” whose real name is Dr. Laszlo Kreizler), does the time period transformation flawlessly and its very easy to feel like you are in 1896 NYC. As a general matter, TNT does drama and story telling well, with popular hits such as The Librarians, Last Ship and Major Crimes as just some of their more recent examples, and The Alienist is at home here with amazing attention to detail, engrossing story and interesting central characters that you are left wanting to know more about.
Enough preamble, prepare your best old-timey phrases, tighten up your corset and let’s hop into the way back machine. Spoilers Ahead – you’ve been warned. The recap of The Alienist pilot episode, “The Boy on the Bridge” … after the jump!
Black Lighting “LaWanda: The Book of Hope”
January 23, 2018
Tonight’s episode, “LaWanda: The Book of Hope”, moves us forward towards the meat of the season, Black Lightning versus Tobias. By the end of tonight, the pieces on the board are set and it’s time to start moving them around.
Which is good. Two episodes of preliminaries is enough, let’s get down to brass tacks and begin the battle of good versus evil.
Recap of “LaWanda: The Book of Hope” (spoilers warning!) … after the jump!
The Magicians “The Losses of Magic”
January 24, 2018
Episode 3 of this third Season continued moving the plot forward while throwing up new curves and questions. I talk about it below, but the character development we are seeing this season is fantastic and everyone is in on the action.
For sure, there were some real Feels this episode with some tough emotional beats but The Magicians delivers in making you feel everything, up and down, over the course of an hour and you can’t really ask for better TV than that.
Our recap (SPOILERS!) of “The Losses of Magic” … after the jump !
The Brave “Close to Home, Part 1”
January 22, 2018
I can’t believe we’re nearly at the end of the season; after tonight’s episode, there is only 1 hour left of The Brave …until Season 2 (renew the show already NBC dammit)!!
Tonight’s episode introduces a new villain that we’ll definitely see next week and I suspect will be a recurring creature in seasons to come (renew the show already NBC dammit). In addition, we got our first really in depth character backstory (via flashback and fantastic wigs) for Patricia for the new villain, you see, is a close figure from her past.
The Brave continues to deliver movie-quality episodes and remain predictably unpredictable; there was no real “mission of the week” this hour but rather we were given a revolving door of mind games and the kind of delicious exposition and backstory that serialization and continuity junkies crave!
On to the recap of “Close to Home, Part 1” … after the jump!
