AWESOME ENGINE

Pop Blitz - Catching up on one armed days.

February 13th, 2008 by Brack

Psych - “Dis-Lodged”

This was an improvement on the previous episode, the How was detectable from the clues, the Who less so. The sudden drop in of ongoing sub-plots that have gone unmentioned for episodes, was a little jarring but it all worked. There definitely is a slacking off of the fake psychic schtick happening, Shawn and Gus could almost just be ordinary consulting detectives now. That’s possibly a mistake, one that can be avoided possibly by having more cases where they are hired by a private citizen rather than the cops.

Psych - “Black and Tan: A Crime of Fashion”

That slacking off the psychic schtick was particularly evident here, where Shawn and Gus go undercover as fashion models. However, the actual whodunnit was particularly strong. Clear suspects and clues were presented, as opposed the relatively anonymous nature of the culprits in the previous two episodes. Also the sub-plot with Henry hopefully has an ongoing effect on the series. They seem to be foreshadowing something involving Shawn’s mother, as over the last two series they’ve slowly drip fed us information about her status.

The Rockford Files

I’m a big fan of the Rockford Files and recently they’ve been running on ITV3 over here, in particular showing a lot of episodes from the last season where David Chase was doing a lot of the writing. And turning the show into a proto-Sopranos on occasion. These episodes are fairly jarring and somewhat mawkish. They tend to force the show out of it’s Malibu setting and into something involving New Jersey in someway, and guest starring a future Sopranos actor. They are fine for what they are, but what they are doesn’t feel like The Rockford Files.

On the other hand I also caught the second Lance White episode, which was absolute gold. It’s a really great send up of bad television detective behaviour, and I really want to catch the first one now.

Oh! Edo Rocket

I’m halfway through this now, and I’ll write more when I’m done, but I have to say the opening half of episode 12 was some of the best and possibly meanest digs at the anime industry I’ve seen. Some of it was intimation, but some was just the outright insulting of other productions by name. I also liked the FMA voice actor gag later on.

Your Sunday Onslaught of Pop Culture

January 27th, 2008 by Brack

HARRY HILL’S TV BURP

Now on it’s 7th (!) series, it’s still slightly weird to me that Harry Hill is now the face of mainstream comedy, alongside Al Murray. Anyway, the series continues in the same vein it always has, it’s “comic look at the week’s TV” modus operandi is still surreal and affectionate in an Iron Fist in Velvet Glove sort of way. The way he’ll say incredibly cruel things about people in a clip and then have them come out and do a skit or song with him is impressive.

MONK - “MR MONK AND THE THREE JULIES”

This week’s episode was a high point in the latest season of Monk. Less reliance on a guest star, an actual mystery, no wringing of pathos and/or tragedy from Monk’s condition, Randy wasn’t a total goof, and lots of stuff for all the characters to do rather than another Tony Shaloub twitch-a-thon.

PSYCH - “LIGHTS! CAMERA! HOMICIDIO!”

Conversely this was a low point for Psych. While the clues in the mystery were fair, the culprit wasn’t ever on the radar as a suspect. And so the normally strong mystery structure was gone, meaning it had to coast on it’s ample charms. Not sure if this was due to some sort of writer’s strike lack of rewrites, or a meta-textual conceit to do with the setting of Spanish language soap opera that the mystery took place in. Still perfectly watchable and rewatchable due to the comedic performances of the ensemble cast.

DETECTIVE CONAN - “CLASH OF RED AND BLACK - THE BEGINNING”

Episode 491 marks the beginning of the end game in the mystery of Eisuke Hondou, the clumsy student who appears to have connections to the Black Organisation. As Conan tries to find the link between him and Rena Mizunashi, the news reporter detained due to her involvement with BO, it leads them to a case that has nothing to with that at all…

In fact the case resembles those times in soaps where they crowbar in a socially relevant message with no subtlety whatsoever. However, the case is completely fair to the home viewer as this series tends to be.

Nonetheless I look forward to see how this overall arc progresses, as the series excels when it drags Conan and the supporting cast from Poirot-style external investigators into the chaos of the case itself.

Bookmark to: