The Positively Positive

There was a lot in this episode that I liked. First off, being a huge fan of Supernatural, I really couldn’t help but to giggle at all the references to the….well, supernatural. Every mention of demons, Lucifer, fallen angles, Uriel, etc, all had me cracking up. For a while there I was confused as to just exactly which show I was watching.

I liked some of the more humorous moments they scattered throughout it as well, from everyone referring to the body as “Hellboy” at first, to Hodgins accidentally knocking himself out with the nunchucks.

In the end, what I liked most about this episode was the fact that it brought everything back to faith and showed us how differently some characters dealt with it. Booth has faith in God and so does Vaziri, though they each call Him by another name. I was surprised to find that Bones has faith too and never would I have believed that I’d find math and science so beautiful. But to hear her describe how “two plus two equals four” and “the sun rises because the Earth moves” – I suddenly saw the beauty. And by doing so, I also understood her a little better than I did before.

Overall an episode that taught me a lot about faith and tolerance, while still being a lot of fun.

More Bones…
Bones, season 5, episode 1“Harbinger In A Fountain”
Bones, season 5, episode 9 “The Gamer In The Grease”
Bones, season 5, episode 13 “The Dentist in the Ditch”

Okay so after seeing three episodes of this show, I finally came to a decision about it last week.

I love it.

In some ways, I’m surprised by that. This show is kinda corny in some parts, overly dramatic in others and likes to put in a lot of one-liners. All of which should have put me off and truth be told, in the beginning, it kinda did.

When I first heard about Human Target, I had no idea it was based on a comic book. From the ads I saw it looked like it would be full of action and maybe some drama. So the overly dramatic music, one-liners and general corny-ness put me off. But the more I watched it, the more I liked it and once I found out it was based on a comic, it all made a lot more sense.

Also when I watch it, for some strange reason, I can’t help but to be reminded of that great 80’s ball of cheese that I adored – MacGyver. It’s got the handsome hero always trying to save the damsel (or dude) in distress. It’s got the older, crankier sidekick guy who works mostly in the background and handles all the mundane stuff. It’s got a wacky sidekick who’s full of mystery. Plus it’s got the music. Like I said, at first I didn’t like it, but now the music has totally grown on me and become one of my favorite parts of the show.

Plus, last night’s episode featured a fight in a gondola and featured one of the best Wilhelm Scream’s I’ve ever heard – what’s not to like?

Overall a fun tv show full of action, some comedy, damsels and dames in distress, a handsome hero and of course that really, really dramatic music.

Tahmoh Penikett and Eliza Dushku in the Dollhouse series finale “Epitaph Two: Return”

Well this was it, the final episode and I’m not afraid to admit that I pretty much cried my way through the last twenty minutes or so.

As I watched it, I realized that the reaction I had to this episode is exactly the sort of reaction I want to have to good art, whether it be a movie, a book, a tv show or even a song. No I’m not necessarily talking about crying, I’m just talking about the strong emotional response. That response could be laughter, cheering, jumping in fear or (as in this case) sobbing my heart out.

Joss Whedon has brought out this kind of strong emotional reaction in me many times before. From Buffy to Angel to Firefly, he’s made me feel a myriad of emotions while watching his creations. This episode was no different though I am fully aware that part of it was knowing that this was the end. It took me a while to get into this show but once I did, I was in love. Now that it’s over I’m going to miss it terribly, but at least there is some comfort in seeing the story wrapped up.

As I watched the opening scenes and saw all the names appear on screen, I got excited to see that Alpha was coming back. A part of me really hoped that somehow he would be a good guy, but I didn’t want to dare to let myself hope. So when it turned out that he had in fact “evolved”, I cheered.

This being a Whedon show, I did spend much of the time waiting to find out who was going to die. You’d think by now I’d be used to him killing off my favorite characters in shockingly cold ways. But I still was unprepared for Paul’s much too quick demise. Much as I did at the end of Firefly (after another one of my favorites perished in such a way) I kept hoping that somehow he wasn’t really dead. It wasn’t until Echo lost it that I finally knew it was true and I cried right there with her.

Topher and Adelle’s relationship was such a surprise. She took care of all of her people but Topher held a special place in her heart and their tearful goodbye brought on more tears.

I loved that Victor and Sierra had ended up together with their son, that was very sweet.

But it was the very last scene that made me lose control completely. Echo sits in the chair one final time and lets Paul inside of her in a way she never did when he was alive. Alpha gave her the greatest gift of all, downloading Paul from his own head so she could have him with her forever. The moment was even more bittersweet, knowing that Alpha loved Echo at one time himself.

Throughout it all, the song they played at the end fit the mood of those final moments. The song is “Everywhere I Go” by Lissie from the album “Why You Runnin’ “ and you can download it (like I did) from iTunes below.

I’ve already watched this episode twice and plan many more viewings. I also can’t wait for the entire series to be out on DVD so that I can watch the whole thing from beginning to end.

Overall a fantastic end to a show that I am so sorry to see leave my tv screen.

More Dollhouse….
Dollhouse, season 2, episode 3 “Belle Chose”
Dollhouse, season 2, episode 4 “Belonging”
Dollhouse, season 2, episode 8 “A Love Supreme”
Dollhouse, season 2, episode 12 “The Hollow Men”

Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz in Bones, season 5, episode 13 “The Dentist In The Ditch”.

This episode was interesting as it took a look at some stereotypes and blew them out of the water. While investigating the murder of a dentist, Booth and Bones think they are dealing with a possible hate crime as the man is gay. They come to find out that he played football and think it was a teammate, then an opposing team member. In the end it turned out that he was killed over some paving stones, and yet not, as their fight ultimately came down to hatred as well. I liked this storyline as it really kept me thinking and wondering exactly what would be at the bottom of the murder.

The secondary storyline focused on Booth and his brother. In this show, Booth follows his heart and gut through each episode while Bones sticks with the science. It works well on a case but Booth’s gut isn’t always right, as in the case of his brother’s new fiancé. I felt for Booth because I know he was just trying to look out for his brother by running a background check. But it was Bones’ unfailing logic (pointing out that it was Booth himself that made her reconcile with her own father) that finally showed him the error of his ways and come to accept the woman destined to become his sister in law.

Finally, I also loved the montage of Bones looking over the body, done to the tune of “Where Is The Middle” by The Bird and The Bee (song info thanks to heardontv.com). So many times these montages are done to sad songs, often showing sad activities, but this time it was really upbeat. It felt like we were on the hunt with Bones to figure out exactly what happened to the dentist.

Overall a great episode that kept me wondering where it would end up.

More Bones…
Bones, season 5, episode 1“Harbinger In A Fountain”
Bones, season 5, episode 9 “The Gamer In The Grease”

Miracle Laurie and Tahmoh Penikett in Dollhouse season 2, episode 12 “The Hollow Men”. Image from www.daemonstv.com

Positively Positive Review – Dollhouse: The Hollow Men

I often tell people that one of my biggest pet peeves is being able to predict what is going to happen next when watching tv or movies. It’s one of the reasons I’m a huge spoiler-phobe. I mean if I already know what’s going to happen, what is the point in watching, right?

When I watched this week’s episode of Dollhouse, I was so confused I barely knew what the heck was going on for most of it. Rather than being upset by this, I loved it. I just had to trust in Joss Whedon and let myself be taken along for the ride, and what a ride it was. Throughout the episode I had no idea who was in which body, who was pretending to be someone else and who was going to die.

Now THAT is some great television…..at least for me.

It breaks my heart to know that this show is coming to an end though I do feel a little responsible. After all, I didn’t immediately warm to the show and even missed some episodes from season 1. A problem I am remedying this week by renting it so that I can see them all before the finale. I almost didn’t even bother to write this review but after finishing the episode, I just had to sit down and talk about it. There is something about Joss’s shows that do that to me. From Buffy to Angel to Firefly, all of them made me think. Dollhouse is no different.

The other thing I just had to say after watching last night’s episode is that Enver Gjokaj is a freaking amazing, mind-blowingly awesome, acting genius. While all of the actors of this show have been fantastic, especially those playing dolls snapping in and out of different characters, Enver takes my breath away. Watching him become Topher again and nailing everything about the man, from his mannerisms to his absolute spot-on voice, I could barely tell his performance apart from Fran Kranz’ original.

Overall another episode that makes me nearly weep with the idea that this show is ending much too soon.

More Dollhouse….
Dollhouse, season 2, episode 3 “Belle Chose”
Dollhouse, season 2, episode 4 “Belonging”
Dollhouse, season 2, episode 8 “A Love Supreme”