Who by Fire  ||  Turn S1 E2  ||  B If the most recent episode of AMC’s Turn is any indication, being a spy is not all it’s cracked up to be.  That is, at least in the case of Abraham Woodhull.  Last week’s series premiere saw him narrowly avoid imprisonment by agreeing to act as a spy for the Continental Militia, although the decision was more out of fear than a sense of patriotism.  So, as they say, it’s out of the frying pan and into the fire.  While Abe has moved beyond the passive state we first saw him in, he’s put himself at the mercy of two people who now have a great deal of control over what he does and does not do. What’s important though is that he’s becoming more polarized.  He’s not taking sides just yet, but the lines are beginning to be drawn.  As a result, this episode is a definite step up from the premiere.  Abe now has some motivation, something to move towards.  He needs to find out who burned down his storehouse, prove the innocence of his friend (and possibly illicit lover) Anna, and uncover Captain Joyce’s murderer.  In its own way, this is liberating for Abe.  At the same time, we see how confining it can be.  At every turn, he’s essentially owned by someone.  There’s Captain Talmadge on the side of the Continental Militia (although that may not be for long) and Major Roberts for the British.  And as Roberts tells Will towards the end of the show, a spy is “the lowest form of life there is.  Lower than a sodomite or a serpent’s belly.” In spite of this, much of the episode seemed overly contrived.  For example, why would Major Roberts ever want to have a drink with Abe and his father in the first place?  And why would Will Robeson kill his lover for almost no reason at all?  The show has hardly started and it is already going the way of The Walking Dead, where characters’ motivations are unclear or, worse, don’t make a drop of sense.  This is dangerous ground to be walking on, because it makes the characters very difficult to relate to.  There’s a lot more than that going on in this episode, but unfortunately not a lot I care about.  The show seems to be setting things up for later, but doesn’t give us very much indication of where it’s going.  I would wager that because of this, many people probably aren’t going to be sticking around. On a side note … Let’s be honest—the whole “gay lover played for shock value” thing is starting to become a cliché of its own.  I was more surprised when Anna declared the lover was a woman.  I understand these things were probably not as common during the whole Revolutionary period, but for a show aired in the 21st century, we as viewers know better.  You can come up with better twists than that.
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Who by Fire  ||  Turn S1 E2  ||  B

If the most recent episode of AMC’s Turn is any indication, being a spy is not all it’s cracked up to be.  That is, at least in the case of Abraham Woodhull.  Last week’s series premiere saw him narrowly avoid imprisonment by agreeing to act as a spy for the Continental Militia, although the decision was more out of fear than a sense of patriotism.  So, as they say, it’s out of the frying pan and into the fire.  While Abe has moved beyond the passive state we first saw him in, he’s put himself at the mercy of two people who now have a great deal of control over what he does and does not do.

What’s important though is that he’s becoming more polarized.  He’s not taking sides just yet, but the lines are beginning to be drawn.  As a result, this episode is a definite step up from the premiere.  Abe now has some motivation, something to move towards.  He needs to find out who burned down his storehouse, prove the innocence of his friend (and possibly illicit lover) Anna, and uncover Captain Joyce’s murderer.  In its own way, this is liberating for Abe.  At the same time, we see how confining it can be.  At every turn, he’s essentially owned by someone.  There’s Captain Talmadge on the side of the Continental Militia (although that may not be for long) and Major Roberts for the British.  And as Roberts tells Will towards the end of the show, a spy is “the lowest form of life there is.  Lower than a sodomite or a serpent’s belly.”

In spite of this, much of the episode seemed overly contrived.  For example, why would Major Roberts ever want to have a drink with Abe and his father in the first place?  And why would Will Robeson kill his lover for almost no reason at all?  The show has hardly started and it is already going the way of The Walking Dead, where characters’ motivations are unclear or, worse, don’t make a drop of sense.  This is dangerous ground to be walking on, because it makes the characters very difficult to relate to. 

There’s a lot more than that going on in this episode, but unfortunately not a lot I care about.  The show seems to be setting things up for later, but doesn’t give us very much indication of where it’s going.  I would wager that because of this, many people probably aren’t going to be sticking around.

On a side note …

  • Let’s be honest—the whole “gay lover played for shock value” thing is starting to become a cliché of its own.  I was more surprised when Anna declared the lover was a woman.  I understand these things were probably not as common during the whole Revolutionary period, but for a show aired in the 21st century, we as viewers know better.  You can come up with better twists than that.
The Crocodile’s Dilemma  ||  Fargo S1 E1  ||  B+ I have a confession to make.  Up until a few weeks ago, I had never seen the movie Fargo.  Granted, I was only two years old when it came out … but then again, I was also totally oblivious to its existence until seeing promos for the new series on FX.  So either way, I’m in the wrong.  I’m sorry.  And if you see fit to label me as that person, then so be it. While I may not venerate the film like some, I still had a great time watching it and got a kick out of its quirky sense of humor.  The new series, though it shares the same name and location as the 1996 film, retains the style and humor of the movie while building on an entirely new crime and set of characters.  Ultimately, however, the two are very different beasts. For example, the humor of the show is considerably less subtle than the movie.  The laughs are still very dark and tongue-in-cheek, but they are much more at the forefront than they were previously.  Just think—could you picture comedy duo Key and Peele making an appearance in the original film?  No?  I didn’t think so.  And yet the two are scheduled to appear in a grand total of three episodes later this season.  In that way, not only is the show’s humor less understated, but it is also updated and more current than its 90’s counterpart. Of course, the show still borrows heavily from the film.  There is still plenty of Midwestern dialogue filled with the usual ya’s and you betcha’s, funny sound effects put to gruesome acts of violence, and irony to the gills. To top it off, Martin Freeman begins the episode with his best William H. Macy impersonation, though he eventually evolves into a distinct character of his own.  Like Macy’s character Jerry Lundegaard, Martin plays a pushover salesman, although with a slightly different twist—instead of selling cars, he sells life insurance, describing to potential customers how they might die today or tomorrow or the next day.  As you can expect, this leads to some hilariously awkward moments. One thing that surprised me about this pilot was how quickly things get serious.  Freeman goes from the hapless, bumbling Mr. White to a somewhat less competent Heisenberg in the short space of 90 minutes.  He couldn’t do this without a little help, of course, and Billy Bob Thornton’s Lorne Malvo has every indication of being a great bad guy.  He almost has this creepy innocence to him, with his childlike haircut and the way he just likes to cause trouble for the sake of causing trouble.  He’s no Steve Buscemi, but he is still a lot of fun to watch.  Together, Freeman and Thornton wreak havoc on Fargo, Minnesota, as they ignore the rules and do as they please. And yet the show is also capable of serious amounts of pathos.  Who would’ve though the sight of two cans of paint could be so sad?  But for all of its strengths, the episode also comes with several weaknesses.  I personally found the repetitive humor to be a little excessive and annoying at times.  For example, Sam Hess’s sons were funny at first, but their trademark banter quickly got under my skin.  Also, I had to suspend believability a bit towards the end at how sloppily the characters left a particular crime scene.  It served its purpose as far as the story goes, but it was a bit of a stretch. Regardless, I had a great time watching this episode and didn’t really want it to end.  The show only has ten episodes planned before wrapping, but I would LOVE for Fargo to become an anthology along the lines of American Horror Story or True Detective.  With a fairly strong start to the series, I’m excited to see where this takes us. On a side note … Bob Odenkirk is more or less in the background right now, but I’m hoping that changes.  His character has a lot of potential as far as the humor goes. As expected, the landscape of the show is beautiful, with its seemingly endless fields of white and snowy atmosphere.  Love it!
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The Crocodile’s Dilemma  ||  Fargo S1 E1  ||  B+

I have a confession to make.  Up until a few weeks ago, I had never seen the movie Fargo.  Granted, I was only two years old when it came out … but then again, I was also totally oblivious to its existence until seeing promos for the new series on FX.  So either way, I’m in the wrong.  I’m sorry.  And if you see fit to label me as that person, then so be it.

While I may not venerate the film like some, I still had a great time watching it and got a kick out of its quirky sense of humor.  The new series, though it shares the same name and location as the 1996 film, retains the style and humor of the movie while building on an entirely new crime and set of characters.  Ultimately, however, the two are very different beasts.

For example, the humor of the show is considerably less subtle than the movie.  The laughs are still very dark and tongue-in-cheek, but they are much more at the forefront than they were previously.  Just think—could you picture comedy duo Key and Peele making an appearance in the original film?  No?  I didn’t think so.  And yet the two are scheduled to appear in a grand total of three episodes later this season.  In that way, not only is the show’s humor less understated, but it is also updated and more current than its 90’s counterpart.

Of course, the show still borrows heavily from the film.  There is still plenty of Midwestern dialogue filled with the usual ya’s and you betcha’s, funny sound effects put to gruesome acts of violence, and irony to the gills. To top it off, Martin Freeman begins the episode with his best William H. Macy impersonation, though he eventually evolves into a distinct character of his own.  Like Macy’s character Jerry Lundegaard, Martin plays a pushover salesman, although with a slightly different twist—instead of selling cars, he sells life insurance, describing to potential customers how they might die today or tomorrow or the next day.  As you can expect, this leads to some hilariously awkward moments.

One thing that surprised me about this pilot was how quickly things get serious.  Freeman goes from the hapless, bumbling Mr. White to a somewhat less competent Heisenberg in the short space of 90 minutes.  He couldn’t do this without a little help, of course, and Billy Bob Thornton’s Lorne Malvo has every indication of being a great bad guy.  He almost has this creepy innocence to him, with his childlike haircut and the way he just likes to cause trouble for the sake of causing trouble.  He’s no Steve Buscemi, but he is still a lot of fun to watch.  Together, Freeman and Thornton wreak havoc on Fargo, Minnesota, as they ignore the rules and do as they please.

And yet the show is also capable of serious amounts of pathos.  Who would’ve though the sight of two cans of paint could be so sad?  But for all of its strengths, the episode also comes with several weaknesses.  I personally found the repetitive humor to be a little excessive and annoying at times.  For example, Sam Hess’s sons were funny at first, but their trademark banter quickly got under my skin.  Also, I had to suspend believability a bit towards the end at how sloppily the characters left a particular crime scene.  It served its purpose as far as the story goes, but it was a bit of a stretch.

Regardless, I had a great time watching this episode and didn’t really want it to end.  The show only has ten episodes planned before wrapping, but I would LOVE for Fargo to become an anthology along the lines of American Horror Story or True Detective.  With a fairly strong start to the series, I’m excited to see where this takes us.

On a side note …

  • Bob Odenkirk is more or less in the background right now, but I’m hoping that changes.  His character has a lot of potential as far as the humor goes.
  • As expected, the landscape of the show is beautiful, with its seemingly endless fields of white and snowy atmosphere.  Love it!

The Grand Budapest Hotel  ||  Directed by Wes Anderson  ||  A Ever since the beginning of March, I’ve been begging friends to go see The Grand Budapest Hotel with me. None of them are Wes Anderson aficionados like myself, so I didn’t have the easiest time convincing them. Though I came close once or twice, the opportunity only presented itself when I was home for the summer and could go see it myself.  And let me tell you—they have no idea what they missed. Not only do I consider The Grand Budapest to be a step up for Anderson and the greatest in his body of work, but I would even go so far as to call it an all-time favorite.  The film is absolutely brilliant in every way.  As a result, it’s kind of hard to critique.  The dialogue is a total joy to listen to, the characters are about as lovable as can be, the cinematography is unbelievable, and the story had me captivated.  I found the movie a little hard to follow at first, with its fast-paced and layered exposition, but I quickly caught on and was able to understand where things were going.  This isn’t so much of a complaint, however, as it creates a more intricate narrative and gives the movie replay value.  In fact, I was tempted to stay for the next showing, but alas—a starving college student has to stick to a budget. As the movie takes place in three different time periods, Anderson uses three different aspect ratios (1.33, 1.85, 2.35:1) to tell the viewer where they are in the story.  I was a little concerned at first that the varying aspect ratios would interfere with the viewing experience, but the only time I really noticed them was when switching between the two.  And the small, square shots are no less beautiful than the full screen cinematic shots. Amidst all of this, the main thing that stood out about the movie was how hilarious it was.  I honestly cannot remember the last time I laughed at a movie as much as I laughed at this one.  Anderson’s usual lovable quirkiness was expected, but never would I have anticipated that I would burst out laughing during the film.  Yet there I was, the only person in the theatre on a Tuesday afternoon, taking full advantage of my right to laugh unrestraint at whatever I pleased.  I couldn’t have asked for a better viewing experience. In conclusion, I can’t recommend this movie enough.  Even if you’re not a fan of Anderson’s unusual style, I have no doubt that there will be at least something for you to enjoy.  As for me, I’m already looking forward to when I can see this movie again. On a side note … Perhaps my favorite line: “Let’s change the subject.  I’m leaving.” Don’t get me started on that soundtrack, either… Alexandre Desplat’s score is the icing on a Mendl’s cupcake. Seeing Voldemort with his nose back is always kind of unnerving, but this movie wouldn’t be half of what it is without Ralph Finnes.  The man is an incredible actor.
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The Grand Budapest Hotel  ||  Directed by Wes Anderson  ||  A

Ever since the beginning of March, I’ve been begging friends to go see The Grand Budapest Hotel with me. None of them are Wes Anderson aficionados like myself, so I didn’t have the easiest time convincing them. Though I came close once or twice, the opportunity only presented itself when I was home for the summer and could go see it myself.  And let me tell you—they have no idea what they missed.

Not only do I consider The Grand Budapest to be a step up for Anderson and the greatest in his body of work, but I would even go so far as to call it an all-time favorite.  The film is absolutely brilliant in every way.  As a result, it’s kind of hard to critique.  The dialogue is a total joy to listen to, the characters are about as lovable as can be, the cinematography is unbelievable, and the story had me captivated.  I found the movie a little hard to follow at first, with its fast-paced and layered exposition, but I quickly caught on and was able to understand where things were going.  This isn’t so much of a complaint, however, as it creates a more intricate narrative and gives the movie replay value.  In fact, I was tempted to stay for the next showing, but alas—a starving college student has to stick to a budget.

As the movie takes place in three different time periods, Anderson uses three different aspect ratios (1.33, 1.85, 2.35:1) to tell the viewer where they are in the story.  I was a little concerned at first that the varying aspect ratios would interfere with the viewing experience, but the only time I really noticed them was when switching between the two.  And the small, square shots are no less beautiful than the full screen cinematic shots.

Amidst all of this, the main thing that stood out about the movie was how hilarious it was.  I honestly cannot remember the last time I laughed at a movie as much as I laughed at this one.  Anderson’s usual lovable quirkiness was expected, but never would I have anticipated that I would burst out laughing during the film.  Yet there I was, the only person in the theatre on a Tuesday afternoon, taking full advantage of my right to laugh unrestraint at whatever I pleased.  I couldn’t have asked for a better viewing experience.

In conclusion, I can’t recommend this movie enough.  Even if you’re not a fan of Anderson’s unusual style, I have no doubt that there will be at least something for you to enjoy.  As for me, I’m already looking forward to when I can see this movie again.

On a side note …

  • Perhaps my favorite line: “Let’s change the subject.  I’m leaving.”
  • Don’t get me started on that soundtrack, either… Alexandre Desplat’s score is the icing on a Mendl’s cupcake.
  • Seeing Voldemort with his nose back is always kind of unnerving, but this movie wouldn’t be half of what it is without Ralph Finnes.  The man is an incredible actor.

Twenty One Pilots  ||  Trip For Concerts Spring 2014 Tour  ||  Wallingford, CT Last May, I had the opportunity to see Twenty One Pilots at a small venue not too far from my hometown in Connecticut.  Hot off the release of their Fueled by Ramen debut just a few months prior (my number one pick for album of the year in 2013), the show was one of the sweatiest and most uncomfortable I’ve ever been to. But it was worth it.  The duo was high-energy, the crowd was loud and impassioned, and the music was on point.  It was everything I could’ve asked for in a concert.  So when I found out the band would be returning this year to a bigger and better venue, I gladly paid the $20 extra from what I paid last time.  Only this show turned out to be memorable in a totally different way. Let me preface this by saying I’ve been to a number of shows where the crowd was less than amicable. Thanks to my heavy metal stage during middle school and early high school, I’ve witnessed massive circle pits with people coming out bloodied and beaten.  Granted, I’ve never willingly jumped in one out of a pretty understandable sense of self-preservation, but I know what those crowds are like.  And I can honestly say this crowd was right up there with them. I went to this concert with my sisters and a few of their friends.  Before the show, two girls in line attempted to ease their fears about the audience.  “There will definitely be some crowd surfers,” the girls said.  “Just make sure you put your hands up so you don’t get kicked in the head.  There definitely won’t be any mosh pits though. Don’t worry about any mosh pits.”  They were right about the crowd surfers.  They were wrong about the mosh pit. The mosh pit was the least of my worries, however.  We managed to get right up to the front, so my sisters and most of their friends were able to cling to the barrier at the foot of the stage.  I, on the other hand, was at the mercy of the crowd.  It probably didn’t help that we were closer to the side of the room with the bar, but people on every side of me were elbowing and kicking to get in front of me.  And even though I fought back, in the end I landed wherever the crowd wanted me.  Even then, the constant elbows in my side and people pushing me to move would not stop.  It made the concert a bit difficult to enjoy, but it was still an experience nonetheless. The first band, an LA-based group known as Hunter Hunted, opened with several songs from their self-titled EP.  The band even played a new song called “Ghost” from their upcoming debut, which they were in the middle of recording when they were unexpectedly offered a spot on the tour.  Their mainstream, radio friendly alt-pop made for a great way to warm up the crowd and was very easy to sing along to.  Apparently the members had been researching fun facts about each state they visited and then sharing these with the audience every night.  In Connecticut, the lead singer informed us between songs, it is against the law to cross the street on your hands.  Who would have thought, right?  Overall I was pretty impressed with their set, especially when you consider they haven’t been around for very long. Up next was a band from Sweden called NONONO, out on their first US tour ever.  While they started fairly strong, the lead singer experienced some technical difficulty with her earpiece immediately following their first song.  This delayed the show a good ten minutes or so and completely killed the mood set by Hunter Hunted for the rest of their performance.  To make matters worse, I had a great deal of difficulty making out the vocals. It would have been interested to see how they sounded under ideal conditions, but it just wasn’t working out that night. The crowd’s energy could not be killed by a few measly technical difficulties, however.  When Twenty One Pilots finally came out to “Guns for Hands,” everyone in attendance went totally berserk.  I remember thinking that if my ribcage could be squeezed any tighter from those around me, it would probably be crushed.  It was intense. The band had a much more elaborate setup from the last time I saw them—in fact, the production value of everything had gone up significantly.  There was still the usual drum set and upright piano, but they also had a whole bunch of new lighting and a rig that enabled the band’s vocalist, Tyler Joseph, to climb twenty feet above the crowd during “Car Radio.”  Everything was bigger and better, and the larger venue allowed the two to move around a whole lot more as well.  In addition, the performance was a whole lot darker and more theatrical than last year’s show.  The music was heavier with added samples for maximum creepiness, and there were several costume changes that occurred between songs.  To preface one such costume change, the duo enacted something akin to a skit where Joseph fired an imaginary handgun at drummer Josh Dunn before turning it on himself.  The lights went dark after the final gunshot, allowing the two to sneak off stage and slip on a new outfit in seemingly no time at all.  When I say I got my money’s worth for this show, I mean it. To top it off, the band experimented with their setlist a bit, switching up the order of the songs and even playing a few from their independent self-titled debut.  One of the night’s biggest highlights was their cover of “Mad World” by Tears for Fears.  Glowing from the black lights mounted on the piano, the two gave the song their very own Twenty One Pilots treatment in a sublimely eerie performance.  Towards the end, the two switched instruments, so that Joseph continued the beat and Dunn wrapped the song with an epic synth breakdown.  I could hardly believe my ears, it was so good.  The show included a number of other fun ways to switch things up, many of which centered around various stunts with drums. In their usual fashion, the band didn’t let us leave without making us think.  Before one of the last songs, Joseph talked briefly about how Wallingford made the decision tonight that this concert was worth staying alive for.  Joseph ended his speech by asking the audience, “Why are you still here?  Why aren’t you leaving?”  And he’s right.  There is something about such an experience that’s worth living for.  Something transcendent that goes beyond just a bunch of crazy people jumping around to music. And as all concerts are, this one felt like a conversation between the band and the audience.  For all the shortcomings of those around me, the crowd was immensely responsive.  In one instance, the crowd began singing along to “The Run and Go” as soon as the tune became discernable.  Joseph tried to rear everyone in, laughing as he launched into the doo doo doo’s to lead into the song.  And in the end, when the duo took a bow, two girls in the front row held up a sign with the words “thank you” written on it.  Joseph reached out and took the sign, turning it on the audience before walking off stage.   Dunn and Joseph always have such a refreshing attitude of gratefulness whenever I see them, and if there was one thing on my mind when the concert finally ended and I walked out the doors, it was this just a simple thank you.  It’s hard not to be grateful for people as passionate and entertaining as these two guys.  If they ever make their way back to our little state, I’ll find a way to be there. On a side note … It was pretty terrifying to see a masked Tyler Joseph pointing directly down at me from atop a speaker, with the lights behind him making him look like an extraterrestrial being or something.  Won’t be forgetting that one for a while. I’ve never seen glowing drumsticks before, but now I’m wondering why everyone doesn’t use them. I hereby nominate Tyler Joseph to play the next Spiderman, whenever they decide to reboot that again. Between the climbing and the jumping and the back flips, he wouldn’t even need a stunt double!
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Twenty One Pilots  ||  Trip For Concerts Spring 2014 Tour  ||  Wallingford, CT

Last May, I had the opportunity to see Twenty One Pilots at a small venue not too far from my hometown in Connecticut.  Hot off the release of their Fueled by Ramen debut just a few months prior (my number one pick for album of the year in 2013), the show was one of the sweatiest and most uncomfortable I’ve ever been to. But it was worth it.  The duo was high-energy, the crowd was loud and impassioned, and the music was on point.  It was everything I could’ve asked for in a concert.  So when I found out the band would be returning this year to a bigger and better venue, I gladly paid the $20 extra from what I paid last time.  Only this show turned out to be memorable in a totally different way.

Let me preface this by saying I’ve been to a number of shows where the crowd was less than amicable. Thanks to my heavy metal stage during middle school and early high school, I’ve witnessed massive circle pits with people coming out bloodied and beaten.  Granted, I’ve never willingly jumped in one out of a pretty understandable sense of self-preservation, but I know what those crowds are like.  And I can honestly say this crowd was right up there with them.

I went to this concert with my sisters and a few of their friends.  Before the show, two girls in line attempted to ease their fears about the audience.  “There will definitely be some crowd surfers,” the girls said.  “Just make sure you put your hands up so you don’t get kicked in the head.  There definitely won’t be any mosh pits though. Don’t worry about any mosh pits.”  They were right about the crowd surfers.  They were wrong about the mosh pit.

The mosh pit was the least of my worries, however.  We managed to get right up to the front, so my sisters and most of their friends were able to cling to the barrier at the foot of the stage.  I, on the other hand, was at the mercy of the crowd.  It probably didn’t help that we were closer to the side of the room with the bar, but people on every side of me were elbowing and kicking to get in front of me.  And even though I fought back, in the end I landed wherever the crowd wanted me.  Even then, the constant elbows in my side and people pushing me to move would not stop.  It made the concert a bit difficult to enjoy, but it was still an experience nonetheless.

The first band, an LA-based group known as Hunter Hunted, opened with several songs from their self-titled EP.  The band even played a new song called “Ghost” from their upcoming debut, which they were in the middle of recording when they were unexpectedly offered a spot on the tour.  Their mainstream, radio friendly alt-pop made for a great way to warm up the crowd and was very easy to sing along to.  Apparently the members had been researching fun facts about each state they visited and then sharing these with the audience every night.  In Connecticut, the lead singer informed us between songs, it is against the law to cross the street on your hands.  Who would have thought, right?  Overall I was pretty impressed with their set, especially when you consider they haven’t been around for very long.

Up next was a band from Sweden called NONONO, out on their first US tour ever.  While they started fairly strong, the lead singer experienced some technical difficulty with her earpiece immediately following their first song.  This delayed the show a good ten minutes or so and completely killed the mood set by Hunter Hunted for the rest of their performance.  To make matters worse, I had a great deal of difficulty making out the vocals. It would have been interested to see how they sounded under ideal conditions, but it just wasn’t working out that night.

The crowd’s energy could not be killed by a few measly technical difficulties, however.  When Twenty One Pilots finally came out to “Guns for Hands,” everyone in attendance went totally berserk.  I remember thinking that if my ribcage could be squeezed any tighter from those around me, it would probably be crushed.  It was intense.

The band had a much more elaborate setup from the last time I saw them—in fact, the production value of everything had gone up significantly.  There was still the usual drum set and upright piano, but they also had a whole bunch of new lighting and a rig that enabled the band’s vocalist, Tyler Joseph, to climb twenty feet above the crowd during “Car Radio.”  Everything was bigger and better, and the larger venue allowed the two to move around a whole lot more as well.  In addition, the performance was a whole lot darker and more theatrical than last year’s show.  The music was heavier with added samples for maximum creepiness, and there were several costume changes that occurred between songs.  To preface one such costume change, the duo enacted something akin to a skit where Joseph fired an imaginary handgun at drummer Josh Dunn before turning it on himself.  The lights went dark after the final gunshot, allowing the two to sneak off stage and slip on a new outfit in seemingly no time at all.  When I say I got my money’s worth for this show, I mean it.

To top it off, the band experimented with their setlist a bit, switching up the order of the songs and even playing a few from their independent self-titled debut.  One of the night’s biggest highlights was their cover of “Mad World” by Tears for Fears.  Glowing from the black lights mounted on the piano, the two gave the song their very own Twenty One Pilots treatment in a sublimely eerie performance.  Towards the end, the two switched instruments, so that Joseph continued the beat and Dunn wrapped the song with an epic synth breakdown.  I could hardly believe my ears, it was so good.  The show included a number of other fun ways to switch things up, many of which centered around various stunts with drums.

In their usual fashion, the band didn’t let us leave without making us think.  Before one of the last songs, Joseph talked briefly about how Wallingford made the decision tonight that this concert was worth staying alive for.  Joseph ended his speech by asking the audience, “Why are you still here?  Why aren’t you leaving?”  And he’s right.  There is something about such an experience that’s worth living for.  Something transcendent that goes beyond just a bunch of crazy people jumping around to music.

And as all concerts are, this one felt like a conversation between the band and the audience.  For all the shortcomings of those around me, the crowd was immensely responsive.  In one instance, the crowd began singing along to “The Run and Go” as soon as the tune became discernable.  Joseph tried to rear everyone in, laughing as he launched into the doo doo doo’s to lead into the song.  And in the end, when the duo took a bow, two girls in the front row held up a sign with the words “thank you” written on it.  Joseph reached out and took the sign, turning it on the audience before walking off stage.  

Dunn and Joseph always have such a refreshing attitude of gratefulness whenever I see them, and if there was one thing on my mind when the concert finally ended and I walked out the doors, it was this just a simple thank you.  It’s hard not to be grateful for people as passionate and entertaining as these two guys.  If they ever make their way back to our little state, I’ll find a way to be there.

On a side note …

  • It was pretty terrifying to see a masked Tyler Joseph pointing directly down at me from atop a speaker, with the lights behind him making him look like an extraterrestrial being or something.  Won’t be forgetting that one for a while.
  • I’ve never seen glowing drumsticks before, but now I’m wondering why everyone doesn’t use them.
  • I hereby nominate Tyler Joseph to play the next Spiderman, whenever they decide to reboot that again. Between the climbing and the jumping and the back flips, he wouldn’t even need a stunt double!

Time Zones  ||  Mad Men S7 E1  ||  A- I’ve always felt that Mad Men is the type of show that ought to be studied, like one of the short stories or novels in my American Lit class.  Whether it’s the characters or the symbolism or the historical and political context, there’s always so much that can be mined from each episode.  If Mad Men were a college course, however, I probably wouldn’t be one of those in the front of the class who raise their hand for every question and talk more than the professor does.  I’ve only been watching the show for about a year now, so I haven’t been living with these characters for years and years as most viewers have.  But neither would I be one of those in the back of the class who tune out and surf Facebook the whole time.  So where do I fall?  I’m not an expert, so anything I write here will inevitably only scratch the surface of the show’s seemingly endless depth.  Neither am I totally ignorant of the show’s genius.  All of this to say that, while I am very much familiar with the show, this post is nothing more than an honest attempt at putting my thoughts into words to share with my readers. With that disclaimer out of the way, this week’s premiere is a great way to jump back into the lives of Donald Draper and Co.  From the very first scene, the episode doesn’t waste a moment rewarding us for the wait between seasons.  In what is perhaps the most fun stylistically the show has ever had, Don Draper’s pitch to Peggy—via Freddy Rumsen, talking directly to the camera—grabs you from the beginning and doesn’t let up.  Similar moments, such as the slo-mo shot of Meagan greeting Don at the airport, were just downright fun to watch.  Underneath all the flash, however, is a constant reminder that paradise is still far out of reach for these characters. Roger is at the lowest point we’ve ever seen him, living in a filthy house where the bed is “open to all” and the floor is littered with cigarette butts and naked bodies.  To make matters worse, he has his daughter passive-aggressively “forgiving” him for every way he’s wronged her.  Maybe passive-aggressively is the wrong way to put it—even if she means well (which is dubious), it’s clear that she’s doing more damage than good.  Roger definitely has a hard time forgiving himself, and to hear his own daughter forgive him for his wrongdoing is a huge cut to his pride. Peggy—who you’d think would be the most well-off of anybody, judging by last season’s finale—actually isn’t doing too well either.  She clearly wanted Don’s position after he was forced out, and it’s a little weird that she didn’t get it.  In his place is Lou Avery, who is way worse at his job than Peggy and seriously limiting her potential at SC&P.  In addition, she still isn’t free of Ted, who returns from LA without a tan and eager to continue working.  Their encounter in the office is awkward to say the least, and it clearly takes a toll on Peggy.  “Buck up, chief,” says Stan in a moment of sensitivity.  In spite of his encouragement, Peggy later tears into him over something office-related.  As seen in the next to last scene, where she collapses on the floor in tears, she just can’t take it anymore.  The job, Ted, her annoying tenants—it’s all becoming too much.  It’s not a very happy start to the season for Penny. Other stories in this premiere such as Joan and Pete were not quite as interesting.  Joan is struggling with the same issue since season one—although she frequently takes responsibility and does her job well, she is constantly held back by the fact that she is a woman and therefore is not taken seriously.  And Pete … Pete seems to be the only character who’s happy where he is (aside from his complaints about the LA bagels, that is).  He dresses preppier than ever, rebuffs Don’s handshake in favor of a hug, and cheerfully orders an iced tea.  Whatever is going on with Pete, it can’t bode well for his character—it can only go downhill from here. And then there’s Don.  It’s almost ten minutes into the episode before we even see Don.  He doesn’t seem to be in the pit of despair that he found himself in last season, but things still aren’t perfect.  He and Meagan are still together and hanging in there—but just barely.  The long distance is definitely not helping their relationship, and Meagan seems to be doing everything she can to distance herself from Don.  There’s the obvious fact that she puts off having sex with him, and claims to be “nervous” when they finally get around to it.  But there are also more subtle things, like her statement, “My next house is gonna have a pool,” before correcting herself—“Our next house.”  Or when Don buys her a bigger TV and she gets upset.  Is it that she doesn’t want anything around the house that she associates with him?  Does she not want him to invest in her when she’s just going to cut off their relationship anyway?  Even worse is when she tells him, “You’re not here long enough for a fight,” which essentially translates to, “You’re not worth it to me anymore.”  Things are shaky, and it’s not clear if the two of them will last much longer. Despite this (or perhaps because of this?), Don decides against sleeping with the woman he meets on the plane.  Everything about their conversation screams a warning to Don concerning his destructive tendencies, and the woman’s story about her deceased husband seemed to be something of a wakeup call for him.  He doesn’t join her because he’s scared that will be him.  After all, that’s what happens to “all of them,” right?  If he keeps on this road, he’ll end up dead in a year—maybe even next year as in 2015, when the curtain falls on the show. To top it off, it’s no coincidence that Don is drinking on his couch in the final scene.  He has this sort of “what am I doing with myself?” moment before stepping out onto the balcony in the freezing cold.  He knows he’s staring down the barrel of a gun, and it’s almost as if he’s waking up to the cold reality of his situation.  The juxtaposition of New York with the dream-like LA is an obvious one, but it’s up to Don which one he’ll choose.  If past seasons are any indication, it’s going to be another rough one for Don. On a side note … From the way Pete described LA bagels, I will never not be grateful for my New England bagels. Don: “I keep wondering … have I broken the vessel?”  Woman on plane: “If you did, what can you do about it?  It’s done.” Don uses the excuse “I’ve got to get back to work” for both Meagan and the woman on the plane.  What work is he referring to? That quote from Nixon seems to sum up everything perfectly: “We find ourselves rich in goods, but ragged in spirit; reaching with magnificent precision for the moon, but failing into raucous discord on earth. We are caught in war, wanting peace. We are torn by division, wanting unity. We see around us empty lives, wanting fulfillment. We see tasks that need doing, waiting for hands to do them. To a crisis of the spirit, we need an answer of the spirit. And to find that answer, we need only look within ourselves.” Speaking of Mad Men being a college course though, I totally stumbled across this Slate article after writing that intro.  Isn’t that awesome?!  Now if only my school would offer classes like that … 
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Time Zones  ||  Mad Men S7 E1  ||  A-

I’ve always felt that Mad Men is the type of show that ought to be studied, like one of the short stories or novels in my American Lit class.  Whether it’s the characters or the symbolism or the historical and political context, there’s always so much that can be mined from each episode.  If Mad Men were a college course, however, I probably wouldn’t be one of those in the front of the class who raise their hand for every question and talk more than the professor does.  I’ve only been watching the show for about a year now, so I haven’t been living with these characters for years and years as most viewers have.  But neither would I be one of those in the back of the class who tune out and surf Facebook the whole time.  So where do I fall?  I’m not an expert, so anything I write here will inevitably only scratch the surface of the show’s seemingly endless depth.  Neither am I totally ignorant of the show’s genius.  All of this to say that, while I am very much familiar with the show, this post is nothing more than an honest attempt at putting my thoughts into words to share with my readers.

With that disclaimer out of the way, this week’s premiere is a great way to jump back into the lives of Donald Draper and Co.  From the very first scene, the episode doesn’t waste a moment rewarding us for the wait between seasons.  In what is perhaps the most fun stylistically the show has ever had, Don Draper’s pitch to Peggy—via Freddy Rumsen, talking directly to the camera—grabs you from the beginning and doesn’t let up.  Similar moments, such as the slo-mo shot of Meagan greeting Don at the airport, were just downright fun to watch.  Underneath all the flash, however, is a constant reminder that paradise is still far out of reach for these characters.

Roger is at the lowest point we’ve ever seen him, living in a filthy house where the bed is “open to all” and the floor is littered with cigarette butts and naked bodies.  To make matters worse, he has his daughter passive-aggressively “forgiving” him for every way he’s wronged her.  Maybe passive-aggressively is the wrong way to put it—even if she means well (which is dubious), it’s clear that she’s doing more damage than good.  Roger definitely has a hard time forgiving himself, and to hear his own daughter forgive him for his wrongdoing is a huge cut to his pride.

Peggy—who you’d think would be the most well-off of anybody, judging by last season’s finale—actually isn’t doing too well either.  She clearly wanted Don’s position after he was forced out, and it’s a little weird that she didn’t get it.  In his place is Lou Avery, who is way worse at his job than Peggy and seriously limiting her potential at SC&P.  In addition, she still isn’t free of Ted, who returns from LA without a tan and eager to continue working.  Their encounter in the office is awkward to say the least, and it clearly takes a toll on Peggy.  “Buck up, chief,” says Stan in a moment of sensitivity.  In spite of his encouragement, Peggy later tears into him over something office-related.  As seen in the next to last scene, where she collapses on the floor in tears, she just can’t take it anymore.  The job, Ted, her annoying tenants—it’s all becoming too much.  It’s not a very happy start to the season for Penny.

Other stories in this premiere such as Joan and Pete were not quite as interesting.  Joan is struggling with the same issue since season one—although she frequently takes responsibility and does her job well, she is constantly held back by the fact that she is a woman and therefore is not taken seriously.  And Pete … Pete seems to be the only character who’s happy where he is (aside from his complaints about the LA bagels, that is).  He dresses preppier than ever, rebuffs Don’s handshake in favor of a hug, and cheerfully orders an iced tea.  Whatever is going on with Pete, it can’t bode well for his character—it can only go downhill from here.

And then there’s Don.  It’s almost ten minutes into the episode before we even see Don.  He doesn’t seem to be in the pit of despair that he found himself in last season, but things still aren’t perfect.  He and Meagan are still together and hanging in there—but just barely.  The long distance is definitely not helping their relationship, and Meagan seems to be doing everything she can to distance herself from Don.  There’s the obvious fact that she puts off having sex with him, and claims to be “nervous” when they finally get around to it.  But there are also more subtle things, like her statement, “My next house is gonna have a pool,” before correcting herself—“Our next house.”  Or when Don buys her a bigger TV and she gets upset.  Is it that she doesn’t want anything around the house that she associates with him?  Does she not want him to invest in her when she’s just going to cut off their relationship anyway?  Even worse is when she tells him, “You’re not here long enough for a fight,” which essentially translates to, “You’re not worth it to me anymore.”  Things are shaky, and it’s not clear if the two of them will last much longer.

Despite this (or perhaps because of this?), Don decides against sleeping with the woman he meets on the plane.  Everything about their conversation screams a warning to Don concerning his destructive tendencies, and the woman’s story about her deceased husband seemed to be something of a wakeup call for him.  He doesn’t join her because he’s scared that will be him.  After all, that’s what happens to “all of them,” right?  If he keeps on this road, he’ll end up dead in a year—maybe even next year as in 2015, when the curtain falls on the show.

To top it off, it’s no coincidence that Don is drinking on his couch in the final scene.  He has this sort of “what am I doing with myself?” moment before stepping out onto the balcony in the freezing cold.  He knows he’s staring down the barrel of a gun, and it’s almost as if he’s waking up to the cold reality of his situation.  The juxtaposition of New York with the dream-like LA is an obvious one, but it’s up to Don which one he’ll choose.  If past seasons are any indication, it’s going to be another rough one for Don.

On a side note …

  • From the way Pete described LA bagels, I will never not be grateful for my New England bagels.
  • Don: “I keep wondering … have I broken the vessel?”  Woman on plane: “If you did, what can you do about it?  It’s done.”
  • Don uses the excuse “I’ve got to get back to work” for both Meagan and the woman on the plane.  What work is he referring to?
  • That quote from Nixon seems to sum up everything perfectly: “We find ourselves rich in goods, but ragged in spirit; reaching with magnificent precision for the moon, but failing into raucous discord on earth. We are caught in war, wanting peace. We are torn by division, wanting unity. We see around us empty lives, wanting fulfillment. We see tasks that need doing, waiting for hands to do them. To a crisis of the spirit, we need an answer of the spirit. And to find that answer, we need only look within ourselves.”
  • Speaking of Mad Men being a college course though, I totally stumbled across this Slate article after writing that intro.  Isn’t that awesome?!  Now if only my school would offer classes like that … 
Pilot  ||  Turn S1 E1  ||  B- AMC has found itself in a bit of a tough spot.  With two of its three biggest shows either finished or drawing to a close, the network is in desperate need of some new content.  And while the Walking Dead and Breaking Bad spinoffs will no doubt be fun, many are beginning to wonder—will the originality that has come to define the network slip away with the finale of Mad Men next year? It’s into this uncertainty that Turn arrives.  Set in the midst of young America’s fight for independence, the show centers on a farmer named Abraham Woodhull who is struggling to provide for his wife and infant son. Their Long Island home is swarming with British soldiers, though Abe himself makes a concerted effort to remain neutral in his political affiliations.  This is complicated somewhat by his father’s close ties with the British and venerated position as the local judge.  In spite of his hesitance, Abe’s loyalties quickly begin to shift when he is caught smuggling his goods by the Continental Militia.  Given the option between a lengthy prison sentence and the use of his smuggling abilities for more serious matters—namely, the smuggling of information for the Patriot cause—Abe chooses the latter.  Thus begins the story of America’s first spy ring. While such a premise might make for a great film or miniseries, I’m not confident Turn has what it takes to make a great TV show.  The show might be enjoyable for the first season or two … but then what?  Abe will go on spying, sneaking across enemy lines, decoding letters with hidden messages.  There will always be a mole in the ranks, and somebody will always end up stabbed in the back.  Along the way, the characters will run into historical figures we learned about in elementary school and face off against stereotypical British villains. Other than that, there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot to look forward to.  The show feels as if it’s backed into a corner before it even starts, and little if anything about it seems to indicate longevity.  And I know it’s a little unfair to compare Turn with anything else on AMC, but if you take a look at the pilots for Breaking Bad or Mad Men, those shows really could have gone anywhere.  Needless to say, I don’t get the same impression from Turn.  As far as pilots go, however, it was still an enjoyable watch.  If the show fails à la Low Winter Sun, it won’t be on account of poor casting.  The show’s main protagonist, played by Jaime Bell, is reminiscent of a young Andrew Lincoln (although way less crazy/prone to see his dead wife everywhere).  Kevin R. McNally, perhaps best known for his role as Gibbs in Pirates of the Caribbean, was born for another era, and fits perfectly in 18th century America.  And then there’s Burn Gorman, who, as always, is creepy in his own weird way.  In this aspect, the show comes across as competent, and there are no uncertainties about the quality of the acting. Despite this, the pilot still had its flaws.  I’m not sure how closely the story sticks to the source material (a book by Alexander Rose titled Washington’s Spies), but the show’s premise seemed to come together a little too quickly and a little too neatly.  And while it set the stage for what’s to come, there wasn’t a whole lot going on in the here and now.  So even though this first episode was enjoyable, the fact remains that Turn has a lot of growing to do if it ever hopes to last.  If it “turns” out that this series is actually going anywhere, though, I’ll be very interested to find out where it ends up. On a side note… Okay, I’m sorry about that last pun.  That was bad. There was no doubt a lot of blood spilled during the Revolutionary War, and AMC is definitely not the type of network to shy away from something like that.  I almost feel like Turn should have aired alongside The Walking Dead instead of Mad Men. I can’t decide whether the opening credits fit the show.  It feels a little steampunk-y to me.
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Pilot  ||  Turn S1 E1  ||  B-

AMC has found itself in a bit of a tough spot.  With two of its three biggest shows either finished or drawing to a close, the network is in desperate need of some new content.  And while the Walking Dead and Breaking Bad spinoffs will no doubt be fun, many are beginning to wonder—will the originality that has come to define the network slip away with the finale of Mad Men next year?

It’s into this uncertainty that Turn arrives.  Set in the midst of young America’s fight for independence, the show centers on a farmer named Abraham Woodhull who is struggling to provide for his wife and infant son. Their Long Island home is swarming with British soldiers, though Abe himself makes a concerted effort to remain neutral in his political affiliations.  This is complicated somewhat by his father’s close ties with the British and venerated position as the local judge.  In spite of his hesitance, Abe’s loyalties quickly begin to shift when he is caught smuggling his goods by the Continental Militia.  Given the option between a lengthy prison sentence and the use of his smuggling abilities for more serious matters—namely, the smuggling of information for the Patriot cause—Abe chooses the latter.  Thus begins the story of America’s first spy ring.

While such a premise might make for a great film or miniseries, I’m not confident Turn has what it takes to make a great TV show.  The show might be enjoyable for the first season or two … but then what?  Abe will go on spying, sneaking across enemy lines, decoding letters with hidden messages.  There will always be a mole in the ranks, and somebody will always end up stabbed in the back.  Along the way, the characters will run into historical figures we learned about in elementary school and face off against stereotypical British villains. Other than that, there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot to look forward to.  The show feels as if it’s backed into a corner before it even starts, and little if anything about it seems to indicate longevity.  And I know it’s a little unfair to compare Turn with anything else on AMC, but if you take a look at the pilots for Breaking Bad or Mad Men, those shows really could have gone anywhere.  Needless to say, I don’t get the same impression from Turn. 

As far as pilots go, however, it was still an enjoyable watch.  If the show fails à la Low Winter Sun, it won’t be on account of poor casting.  The show’s main protagonist, played by Jaime Bell, is reminiscent of a young Andrew Lincoln (although way less crazy/prone to see his dead wife everywhere).  Kevin R. McNally, perhaps best known for his role as Gibbs in Pirates of the Caribbean, was born for another era, and fits perfectly in 18th century America.  And then there’s Burn Gorman, who, as always, is creepy in his own weird way.  In this aspect, the show comes across as competent, and there are no uncertainties about the quality of the acting.

Despite this, the pilot still had its flaws.  I’m not sure how closely the story sticks to the source material (a book by Alexander Rose titled Washington’s Spies), but the show’s premise seemed to come together a little too quickly and a little too neatly.  And while it set the stage for what’s to come, there wasn’t a whole lot going on in the here and now.  So even though this first episode was enjoyable, the fact remains that Turn has a lot of growing to do if it ever hopes to last.  If it “turns” out that this series is actually going anywhere, though, I’ll be very interested to find out where it ends up.

On a side note…

  • Okay, I’m sorry about that last pun.  That was bad.
  • There was no doubt a lot of blood spilled during the Revolutionary War, and AMC is definitely not the type of network to shy away from something like that.  I almost feel like Turn should have aired alongside The Walking Dead instead of Mad Men.
  • I can’t decide whether the opening credits fit the show.  It feels a little steampunk-y to me.
Noah  ||  Directed by Darren Aronofsky  ||  C+ From the start, Darren Aronofsky’s Noah was pretty much guaranteed to stir up controversy.  The movie was hardly out before I had people telling me how much they hated it.  And it wasn’t like they just didn’t care for it—these people hated it.  It was somewhere around the fifth less-than-thrilled review that my mild interest reached its tipping point.  I was partway through hearing a rant about giant rock monsters and questionable heroes when I thought to myself, I need to see this movie.  Not only because it sounded controversial, but because it also sounded like a legitimately good movie. Like many of those I spoke with, I walked into the theater with a number of different preconceptions about the story and the characters.  However, I was not expecting an exact depiction of the biblical account we’re all familiar with.  Considering the story takes up two short chapters in Genesis, creative liberties were pretty much a given.  And while Aronofsky may have taken more liberties than some might feel comfortable with, I would argue that these liberties actually bring out a considerable amount of depth and meaning from the original tale. Yes, I realize that certain aspects of the story have been embellished far beyond what is remotely believable. But if there’s one thing to take away from the movie, it’s this—perhaps the Bible is much more nuanced and complicated and human than we might have previously thought.  This is not the simple, black and white story you might have been taught in Sunday school.  The people in this story are not two-dimensional and boring.  They were conflicted and imperfect and struggled with God and his calling for them.  By reading in between the lines a little, we’re able to see a much more beautiful and meaningful story. For example, often when we tell the story of Noah, everyone gets off the ark and sees a rainbow and lives happily ever after.  But according to Genesis, that’s not the end of the story.  Noah gets drunk—so drunk that he’s discovered by his sons lying naked in the open.  And it’s odd that we never ask why Noah felt the need to get drunk.  Is it possible that everything was not peaches and cream following the flood?  Did Noah have survivor’s guilt?  What other sort of shortcomings did Noah struggle with that led him there? While the story of the ark lends itself to some fairly serious questions (e.g., how a loving God could commit genocide against every living being and why Noah was the only one who saw favor), the film does not shy away from these questions or provide easy answers.  In fact, it embraces moral dilemmas head-on, multiplying them and watching as the characters struggle under their weight.  Noah grapples with questions about what it means to be “righteous” and how far he would go to do what is considered right.  It’s here that the movie shines.  In fact, I found myself wishing the movie had focused on this aspect more.  Sure the action was cool, but once the reality of the flood set in, that’s where it got real.  And ultimately, this messiness made room for an even more significant and beautiful ending than if it had been a safe, predictable ride the whole way through.   However, the questions and moral dilemmas really only come into play in the movie’s second half.  The first half, though no doubt unique and imaginative, ended up feeling like a means to get to movie’s more serious issues.  Looking at just the beginning hour or so, all we have is a Lord of the Rings-esque retelling of a story we already know.  This might sound cool—and in places it is undeniably entertaining—but overall it comes across as silly and a little campy.  Aronofsky plays with some stylistic elements that either succeed or fall completely flat, and the film’s environmentalist theme can feel a little heavy-handed at times. So all in all, what we have here is a fairly decent movie.  It’s not nearly as bad as some of the more vocal groups have made it out to be, but neither is it an especially outstanding movie.  Regardless, I think it is still worth seeing, if only for the wild arguments and conversations that will happen as a result.   On a side note … I kept thinking how awful it must have been to shoot the scene where it starts pouring.  Imagine being on set, drenched for hours and hours … and trying to act.  Blows my mind. I have to give Emma Watson credit for her insanely realistic crying skills.  That girl had me convinced. Friend: “But Noah wasn’t like that!”  Me: “How in the world do you know what Noah was like?!”  Repeat ad infinitum.
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Noah  ||  Directed by Darren Aronofsky  ||  C+

From the start, Darren Aronofsky’s Noah was pretty much guaranteed to stir up controversy.  The movie was hardly out before I had people telling me how much they hated it.  And it wasn’t like they just didn’t care for it—these people hated it.  It was somewhere around the fifth less-than-thrilled review that my mild interest reached its tipping point.  I was partway through hearing a rant about giant rock monsters and questionable heroes when I thought to myself, I need to see this movie.  Not only because it sounded controversial, but because it also sounded like a legitimately good movie.

Like many of those I spoke with, I walked into the theater with a number of different preconceptions about the story and the characters.  However, I was not expecting an exact depiction of the biblical account we’re all familiar with.  Considering the story takes up two short chapters in Genesis, creative liberties were pretty much a given.  And while Aronofsky may have taken more liberties than some might feel comfortable with, I would argue that these liberties actually bring out a considerable amount of depth and meaning from the original tale.

Yes, I realize that certain aspects of the story have been embellished far beyond what is remotely believable. But if there’s one thing to take away from the movie, it’s this—perhaps the Bible is much more nuanced and complicated and human than we might have previously thought.  This is not the simple, black and white story you might have been taught in Sunday school.  The people in this story are not two-dimensional and boring.  They were conflicted and imperfect and struggled with God and his calling for them.  By reading in between the lines a little, we’re able to see a much more beautiful and meaningful story.

For example, often when we tell the story of Noah, everyone gets off the ark and sees a rainbow and lives happily ever after.  But according to Genesis, that’s not the end of the story.  Noah gets drunk—so drunk that he’s discovered by his sons lying naked in the open.  And it’s odd that we never ask why Noah felt the need to get drunk.  Is it possible that everything was not peaches and cream following the flood?  Did Noah have survivor’s guilt?  What other sort of shortcomings did Noah struggle with that led him there?

While the story of the ark lends itself to some fairly serious questions (e.g., how a loving God could commit genocide against every living being and why Noah was the only one who saw favor), the film does not shy away from these questions or provide easy answers.  In fact, it embraces moral dilemmas head-on, multiplying them and watching as the characters struggle under their weight.  Noah grapples with questions about what it means to be “righteous” and how far he would go to do what is considered right.  It’s here that the movie shines.  In fact, I found myself wishing the movie had focused on this aspect more.  Sure the action was cool, but once the reality of the flood set in, that’s where it got real.  And ultimately, this messiness made room for an even more significant and beautiful ending than if it had been a safe, predictable ride the whole way through.  

However, the questions and moral dilemmas really only come into play in the movie’s second half.  The first half, though no doubt unique and imaginative, ended up feeling like a means to get to movie’s more serious issues.  Looking at just the beginning hour or so, all we have is a Lord of the Rings-esque retelling of a story we already know.  This might sound cool—and in places it is undeniably entertaining—but overall it comes across as silly and a little campy.  Aronofsky plays with some stylistic elements that either succeed or fall completely flat, and the film’s environmentalist theme can feel a little heavy-handed at times.

So all in all, what we have here is a fairly decent movie.  It’s not nearly as bad as some of the more vocal groups have made it out to be, but neither is it an especially outstanding movie.  Regardless, I think it is still worth seeing, if only for the wild arguments and conversations that will happen as a result.  

On a side note …

  • I kept thinking how awful it must have been to shoot the scene where it starts pouring.  Imagine being on set, drenched for hours and hours … and trying to act.  Blows my mind.
  • I have to give Emma Watson credit for her insanely realistic crying skills.  That girl had me convinced.
  • Friend: “But Noah wasn’t like that!”  Me: “How in the world do you know what Noah was like?!”  Repeat ad infinitum.
Best Albums of 2013 As we draw closer to the end of another year, you might be starting to wonder… do we really need another list?  I mean, we have lists for things that don’t even make sense.  Top ugly cries of the year list?  Check. Most flawless donuts of the year list?  Check.  Best lists of the year list?  Believe it or not, check.  See what I’m saying?  This is starting to get out of hand. But at the same time… could one more list really hurt?  No?  Maybe?  Regardless, here are my top five favorite albums from this past year.  Proceed at your own risk! 5. Woodkid  ||  The Golden Age If you were to take the most epic soundtrack you can imagine and add vocals, you would have the debut album from Woodkid.  Known to some as the director behind music videos for the likes of Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, and Lana Del Rey, and to others as someone they discovered while watching a vodka commercial, this French artist is one to keep an eye on.  With his easily distinguishable vocals and soaring instrumentation, The Golden Age is a welcome break from anything you might find on mainstream radio today.  The whole album has an enormous, uniquely haunting sound that sticks with the listener long after the last song ends.  As dark and melancholic as it may seem at times, this album is one extraordinarily beautiful work of art. Highlights: "The Golden Age," "I Love You," "The Ghost Lights," "Conquest of Spaces" 4. OneRepublic  ||  Native OneRepublic may never again reach the height of popularity they achieved with “Apologize,” but there’s no denying their expertise in crafting great pop music.  The band’s third album, Native, maintains that track record, providing listeners with some of their most soulful and addictive tunes yet.  While the music may be more heavily electronic than their past records, it isn’t overwhelmingly so.  This album sounds like summer—the kind of music for bright, warm days when you’re intent on living to the fullest.  I just can’t figure out why I haven’t heard more of it on the radio. Highlights: "Counting Stars," "If I Lose Myself," "I Lived," "Something I Need," "Preacher," "Life in Color" 3. Vampire Weekend  ||  Modern Vampires of the City At the risk of sounding somewhat pretentious and maybe a little annoying, Modern Vampires of the City is nothing short of fantastic.  If you hear a lot of people saying that, it’s because it’s true.  In all its weirdness, Vampire Weekend has crafted something of a masterpiece with this album, definitively cementing themselves as a cultural force to be reckoned with.  Equal parts class and wisdom, charm and intelligence, maturity and playfulness, Modern Vampires wrestles with the issues of mortality and faith in the most honest of ways.  There’s still plenty of fun to be had here, of course, but the days of “A-Punk” and “Holiday” seem far behind them in comparison.  If more artists could make music as honest and unique as this, we’d be far better off. Highlights: "Obvious Bicycle," "Step," "Diane Young," "Hannah Hunt," "Ya Hey" 2. Lorde  ||  Pure Heroine There’s a good chance most of us might loose our lunches if we hear “Royals” one more time, but it wasn’t always that way.  The fact that it got played so much actually came as a pleasant surprise—after all, “Royals” was no “Blurred Lines” or “Wrecking Ball.”  Even more impressive than its ubiquity is the personality behind it—who would’ve thought a 17-year-old could make such amazing music?  And it’s not just one song either.  From beginning to end, Lorde’s deubt, Pure Heroine, is legitimately good in every way possible.  Dark, moody, minimalist, and inventive, it came as perhaps the biggest and most pleasant surprise of 2013. Highlights: "Tennis Court," "400 Lux," "Royals," "Ribs," "Team" 1. Twenty One Pilots  ||  Vessel Whenever I discover a new album, I have a tendency of wearing it out to the max, listening to nothing else until I end up driving myself and everyone around me insane.  So when you consider the fact that I still listen to Twenty One Pilots’ Vessel with frequency—nearly twelve months after its release—you might get the idea that I really like it or something.  And you would be very, very right.  Although I was familiar with them previously, Twenty One Pilots caught my attention last year when I heard they had been signed to Fueled By Ramen.  After hearing their first single, “Holding onto You,” I was immediately hooked.  Their hip-hop infused indie rocktronica carries energy and depth unlike anything else I’ve heard this year, and their live show is even more impressive.  I couldn’t stress this enough—if there’s one band I wish everyone knew more about, it’s Twenty One Pilots. Highlights: "Ode to Sleep," "Holding onto You," "Migraine," "Car Radio," "Fake You Out," "Guns for Hands"
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Best Albums of 2013

As we draw closer to the end of another year, you might be starting to wonder… do we really need another list?  I mean, we have lists for things that don’t even make sense.  Top ugly cries of the year list?  Check. Most flawless donuts of the year list?  Check.  Best lists of the year list?  Believe it or not, check.  See what I’m saying?  This is starting to get out of hand.

But at the same time… could one more list really hurt?  No?  Maybe?  Regardless, here are my top five favorite albums from this past year.  Proceed at your own risk!

5. Woodkid  ||  The Golden Age

If you were to take the most epic soundtrack you can imagine and add vocals, you would have the debut album from Woodkid.  Known to some as the director behind music videos for the likes of Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, and Lana Del Rey, and to others as someone they discovered while watching a vodka commercial, this French artist is one to keep an eye on.  With his easily distinguishable vocals and soaring instrumentation, The Golden Age is a welcome break from anything you might find on mainstream radio today.  The whole album has an enormous, uniquely haunting sound that sticks with the listener long after the last song ends.  As dark and melancholic as it may seem at times, this album is one extraordinarily beautiful work of art.

Highlights: "The Golden Age," "I Love You," "The Ghost Lights," "Conquest of Spaces"

4. OneRepublic  ||  Native

OneRepublic may never again reach the height of popularity they achieved with “Apologize,” but there’s no denying their expertise in crafting great pop music.  The band’s third album, Native, maintains that track record, providing listeners with some of their most soulful and addictive tunes yet.  While the music may be more heavily electronic than their past records, it isn’t overwhelmingly so.  This album sounds like summer—the kind of music for bright, warm days when you’re intent on living to the fullest.  I just can’t figure out why I haven’t heard more of it on the radio.

Highlights: "Counting Stars," "If I Lose Myself," "I Lived," "Something I Need," "Preacher," "Life in Color"

3. Vampire Weekend  ||  Modern Vampires of the City

At the risk of sounding somewhat pretentious and maybe a little annoying, Modern Vampires of the City is nothing short of fantastic.  If you hear a lot of people saying that, it’s because it’s true.  In all its weirdness, Vampire Weekend has crafted something of a masterpiece with this album, definitively cementing themselves as a cultural force to be reckoned with.  Equal parts class and wisdom, charm and intelligence, maturity and playfulness, Modern Vampires wrestles with the issues of mortality and faith in the most honest of ways.  There’s still plenty of fun to be had here, of course, but the days of “A-Punk” and “Holiday” seem far behind them in comparison.  If more artists could make music as honest and unique as this, we’d be far better off.

Highlights: "Obvious Bicycle," "Step," "Diane Young," "Hannah Hunt," "Ya Hey"

2. Lorde  ||  Pure Heroine

There’s a good chance most of us might loose our lunches if we hear “Royals” one more time, but it wasn’t always that way.  The fact that it got played so much actually came as a pleasant surprise—after all, “Royals” was no “Blurred Lines” or “Wrecking Ball.”  Even more impressive than its ubiquity is the personality behind it—who would’ve thought a 17-year-old could make such amazing music?  And it’s not just one song either.  From beginning to end, Lorde’s deubt, Pure Heroine, is legitimately good in every way possible.  Dark, moody, minimalist, and inventive, it came as perhaps the biggest and most pleasant surprise of 2013.

Highlights: "Tennis Court," "400 Lux," "Royals," "Ribs," "Team"

1. Twenty One Pilots  ||  Vessel

Whenever I discover a new album, I have a tendency of wearing it out to the max, listening to nothing else until I end up driving myself and everyone around me insane.  So when you consider the fact that I still listen to Twenty One Pilots’ Vessel with frequency—nearly twelve months after its release—you might get the idea that I really like it or something.  And you would be very, very right.  Although I was familiar with them previously, Twenty One Pilots caught my attention last year when I heard they had been signed to Fueled By Ramen.  After hearing their first single, “Holding onto You,” I was immediately hooked.  Their hip-hop infused indie rocktronica carries energy and depth unlike anything else I’ve heard this year, and their live show is even more impressive.  I couldn’t stress this enough—if there’s one band I wish everyone knew more about, it’s Twenty One Pilots.

Highlights: "Ode to Sleep," "Holding onto You," "Migraine," "Car Radio," "Fake You Out," "Guns for Hands"

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire  ||  Directed by Francis Lawrence  ||  A I don’t remember being all that impressed after reading the first Hunger Games book.  I think a lot of this probably had to do with expectations—rather than jumping immediately into the games like one might think, the book took its time with things.  There were a lot of slow parts leading up to the event, and even then there were parts where the action essentially ground to a halt.  For a story where children are put into an arena and forced to kill each other, I was anticipating something much different. That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy it.  However, I don’t think I really understood the overall shape of the series—the “bigger picture,” if you will—until I read the second book.  That’s when I began to catch on to what these books were about.   And what I saw was brilliant. That said, Catching Fire was my favorite of the books by far.  With the Hunger Games out of the way (at least, for the time being), all of my expectations for what the series should look like were totally stripped away.  This allowed for Collins to more deeply explore her characters and the ramifications of their actions from the previous book without my impatient lust for action.  And when the Hunger Games were reintroduced—dragging Katniss and Peeta back into them—I cared that much more about the characters than I would have otherwise. Despite my love for the book, I was still skeptical about the movie.  The first in the series did well in my opinion, but it still had its flaws.  For example, the movie felt much more rushed than the book, as if it was trying to squeeze in every detail without sacrificing too much; the graphic nature of the story was significantly toned down to appeal to a wider, younger audience; and again, there was the issue of expectations.  (Who would’ve expected the people in the Capitol to look like that?) Like Catching Fire the book, expectations are not so much an issue in the movie.  The world-building has already been completed, which makes things much easier this time around.  And to top it off, the movie sticks surprisingly close to the book.  In all honesty, it might be one of the best adaptations I can recall seeing.  Granted, it’s been more than a year and a half since I’ve read the book, but either way, I was immensely satisfied with the result.  All of my favorite parts were portrayed expertly, and some parts translate even better on-screen than they did in the book—especially the last five to ten minutes. While much of the action is still impossible to make out (extremely quick shots of people being killed, etc.), the filmmakers did a good job of making the film considerably darker than its predecessor.  Thanks to new direction from Francis Lawrence, the film also has a little bit of a different, more polished feel in that aspect as well.  While there is still some room for improvement with the next installment, there is not a single way that Catching Fire is a step backward from its predecessor.  Although Mockingjay, the final book in the trilogy, was widely received with mixed reactions, there is hope yet if the franchise can continue in this direction. May the odds be ever in their favor. On a side note… For some reason I pictured Finnick as a big, burly guy with a beard… where did I get that from? Jennifer Lawrence is a great actress and everything, but does anyone else ever stop and wonder if she’s having one of these moments right before shooting a scene? Remember that scene in the first movie where the Muttations jumped out of nowhere scared the crap out of everybody?  Yeah.  Be prepared for more of those moments. I couldn’t believe how many people expressed their shock at the ending as I walked out of the theater.  Is reading still a thing?  Do people do that anymore?
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The Hunger Games: Catching Fire  ||  Directed by Francis Lawrence  ||  A

I don’t remember being all that impressed after reading the first Hunger Games book.  I think a lot of this probably had to do with expectations—rather than jumping immediately into the games like one might think, the book took its time with things.  There were a lot of slow parts leading up to the event, and even then there were parts where the action essentially ground to a halt.  For a story where children are put into an arena and forced to kill each other, I was anticipating something much different.

That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy it.  However, I don’t think I really understood the overall shape of the series—the “bigger picture,” if you will—until I read the second book.  That’s when I began to catch on to what these books were about.   And what I saw was brilliant.

That said, Catching Fire was my favorite of the books by far.  With the Hunger Games out of the way (at least, for the time being), all of my expectations for what the series should look like were totally stripped away.  This allowed for Collins to more deeply explore her characters and the ramifications of their actions from the previous book without my impatient lust for action.  And when the Hunger Games were reintroduced—dragging Katniss and Peeta back into them—I cared that much more about the characters than I would have otherwise.

Despite my love for the book, I was still skeptical about the movie.  The first in the series did well in my opinion, but it still had its flaws.  For example, the movie felt much more rushed than the book, as if it was trying to squeeze in every detail without sacrificing too much; the graphic nature of the story was significantly toned down to appeal to a wider, younger audience; and again, there was the issue of expectations.  (Who would’ve expected the people in the Capitol to look like that?)

Like Catching Fire the book, expectations are not so much an issue in the movie.  The world-building has already been completed, which makes things much easier this time around.  And to top it off, the movie sticks surprisingly close to the book.  In all honesty, it might be one of the best adaptations I can recall seeing.  Granted, it’s been more than a year and a half since I’ve read the book, but either way, I was immensely satisfied with the result.  All of my favorite parts were portrayed expertly, and some parts translate even better on-screen than they did in the book—especially the last five to ten minutes.

While much of the action is still impossible to make out (extremely quick shots of people being killed, etc.), the filmmakers did a good job of making the film considerably darker than its predecessor.  Thanks to new direction from Francis Lawrence, the film also has a little bit of a different, more polished feel in that aspect as well. 

While there is still some room for improvement with the next installment, there is not a single way that Catching Fire is a step backward from its predecessor.  Although Mockingjay, the final book in the trilogy, was widely received with mixed reactions, there is hope yet if the franchise can continue in this direction.

May the odds be ever in their favor.

On a side note…

  • For some reason I pictured Finnick as a big, burly guy with a beard… where did I get that from?
  • Jennifer Lawrence is a great actress and everything, but does anyone else ever stop and wonder if she’s having one of these moments right before shooting a scene?
  • Remember that scene in the first movie where the Muttations jumped out of nowhere scared the crap out of everybody?  Yeah.  Be prepared for more of those moments.
  • I couldn’t believe how many people expressed their shock at the ending as I walked out of the theater.  Is reading still a thing?  Do people do that anymore?
Isolation  ||  The Walking Dead - S4 E3  ||  B- Throughout the past three seasons of The Walking Dead, one thing that has repeatedly been emphasized is the inward threat facing its characters.  Although the walkers may present some serious complications, at the core of their problems is often their own humanity, as they struggle to adapt to and survive the apocalypse.  Season four maintains this concept, but at the same time provides an interesting twist in the form of a sickness—a totally different kind of threat from within.  Ever since we saw Patrick stumble from his cell in a feverish mess, a highly lethal flu strain has been spreading through the close quarters of the prison.  To make matters worse, someone has wrongly assumed that killing those exhibiting flu-like symptoms would keep it from spreading.  In the aftermath, Rick and the crew are left reeling, as the chaos they worked so hard to keep out has finally found its way back in. This is where we pick up, with Rick and several others standing over the bodies found by Tyreese in the last episode.  Tyreese demands that someone be brought to justice, inconsolably yelling at the others to act.  Rick tries to calm him down, but Tyreese isn’t having it.  Instead—for no clear reason whatsoever—he punches Rick in the face.  Before you can say “forced drama,” Rick is on his feet again and giving it right back to him.  He doesn’t just stop with a single punch, either—he proceeds to beat Tyreese senseless, stopping only when the others yell for him to.  Not one thing in the entire scene felt realistic, and I kept asking myself—why?  Maybe you could argue that they’re under a lot of stress… but even then.  How did Tyreese go from being such an overly sensitive guy in the last episode to this stupid, thoughtless hulk?  And how did Rick go from being such a pacifist (who, by the way, wouldn’t even look at his gun until a few minutes ago) to nearly bashing Tyreese’s face in?  None of it made any sense, and overall I just felt like it was pointless. Following this incident, Herschel informs everyone at a council meeting that the sickness has spread.  To protect the vulnerable, both the young and the old are quarantined away from everyone else.  Herschel, however, refuses to stay put.  The hero that he is, Herschel prepares a homemade flu remedy and goes about administering it to the sick.  As he tells Maggie, “You step outside, you risk your life.  You take a drink of water, you risk your life.  And nowadays you breathe, and you risk your life.  Every moment now.  You don’t have a choice.  The only thing you can choose is what you’re risking it for.”  And with that, all of us suddenly remembered why we came to love Herschel so much in the first place. Meanwhile, Bob, Daryl, Michonne, and Tyreese all head to a nearby veterinarian college to get antibiotics.  On the way, Daryl is fussing with the radio when all of a sudden he picks up a signal.  A voice cuts through the static-filled transmission, and although it doesn’t say much, I was able to pick out the word “survive.”  If you’ve seen the trailer for season four that came out over the summer, chances are you were a little disappointed.  In the trailer, the voice on the radio clearly mentions a sanctuary of sorts.  I think most people would’ve found this scene a little more exciting if they’d kept that, but hopefully it’ll come back into play soon. They aren’t able to listen for long before Daryl drives into a walker and slams on the brakes.  The group looks up to find that a horde of walkers lies before them, almost as far as they can see.  Daryl attempts to back up, but before they know it, they’re surrounded.  The four of them are forced to abandon the car and make a run for it, narrowly escaping with their lives. Back at the prison, we learn that Glenn has come down with the flu.  (Seriously?  Could there be a worse time for this to happen?  Just when he and Maggie were starting to be happy again!  I mean, come on.)  He goes into quarantine with the rest, and Maggie goes to tell Beth.  Ever since the premiere, Beth has been exhibiting an almost creepy aversion to any kind of grief or sadness.  The way she sees it, grief is a weakness that has no place in their walker-ridden lives.  She keeps saying things like, “We don’t get to be sad.”  Yet her façade begins to crack as she talks to Maggie, until tears begin to form in her eyes.  Beth has been through a lot, and deep down you can tell there’s a lot of hurting.  It’s a sweet moment between the two sisters, whose relationship seemed strangely absent last season. Outside the prison, Rick has been doing some investigating of Karen and David’s deaths.  As the episode reaches its end, he approaches Carol—who had a highly unusual breakdown after talking to Tyreese earlier—and asks if she’s responsible.  And what does she say in response?  A simple, cold, “Yes.”  Just as a reminder… this is Carol we’re talking about.  The lady who basically cried through all of season two.  Yes, her character has evolved significantly since then, but this is definitely a leap.  It was only last episode that she showed signs of taking things too far with her whole speech to Lizzie.  A twist like this just seems totally out of the blue. Overall, I was less than thrilled with this episode.  While the first two of the season came across as fairly strong, the forced drama and various inconsistencies with character and plot just made it seem lazy.  Hopefully we can expect better for next week. On a side note… Honestly, at this point I would rather face the walkers than be around this many sick people.  Does no one know how to cover their mouths? At one point, Herschel says that everyone who survived the attack in Cell Block D is now sick.  Wouldn’t this mean Rick and Daryl caught it too?  Herschel even mentions later that Daryl was exposed to it—why is he okay?  Does that even make sense? Carl did a fantastic job of annoying the crap out of me this episode.  Who does this kid think he is?  Although I did find it funny how his dad and Herschel were both like, “God, Carl, please don’t fire your gun.  Ever.  Just don’t.” I also thought it was funny how Rick’s “investigating” consisted of putting his hand up to a bloodstain on the door… and that was it.  That’s how he knew it was Carol.  Brilliant. Also funny: Bob having a cute little bro nickname for Tyreese when they’ve only had one (very awkward) interaction so far.
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Isolation  ||  The Walking Dead - S4 E3  ||  B-

Throughout the past three seasons of The Walking Dead, one thing that has repeatedly been emphasized is the inward threat facing its characters.  Although the walkers may present some serious complications, at the core of their problems is often their own humanity, as they struggle to adapt to and survive the apocalypse.  Season four maintains this concept, but at the same time provides an interesting twist in the form of a sickness—a totally different kind of threat from within.  Ever since we saw Patrick stumble from his cell in a feverish mess, a highly lethal flu strain has been spreading through the close quarters of the prison.  To make matters worse, someone has wrongly assumed that killing those exhibiting flu-like symptoms would keep it from spreading.  In the aftermath, Rick and the crew are left reeling, as the chaos they worked so hard to keep out has finally found its way back in.

This is where we pick up, with Rick and several others standing over the bodies found by Tyreese in the last episode.  Tyreese demands that someone be brought to justice, inconsolably yelling at the others to act.  Rick tries to calm him down, but Tyreese isn’t having it.  Instead—for no clear reason whatsoever—he punches Rick in the face.  Before you can say “forced drama,” Rick is on his feet again and giving it right back to him.  He doesn’t just stop with a single punch, either—he proceeds to beat Tyreese senseless, stopping only when the others yell for him to.  Not one thing in the entire scene felt realistic, and I kept asking myself—why?  Maybe you could argue that they’re under a lot of stress… but even then.  How did Tyreese go from being such an overly sensitive guy in the last episode to this stupid, thoughtless hulk?  And how did Rick go from being such a pacifist (who, by the way, wouldn’t even look at his gun until a few minutes ago) to nearly bashing Tyreese’s face in?  None of it made any sense, and overall I just felt like it was pointless.

Following this incident, Herschel informs everyone at a council meeting that the sickness has spread.  To protect the vulnerable, both the young and the old are quarantined away from everyone else.  Herschel, however, refuses to stay put.  The hero that he is, Herschel prepares a homemade flu remedy and goes about administering it to the sick.  As he tells Maggie, “You step outside, you risk your life.  You take a drink of water, you risk your life.  And nowadays you breathe, and you risk your life.  Every moment now.  You don’t have a choice.  The only thing you can choose is what you’re risking it for.”  And with that, all of us suddenly remembered why we came to love Herschel so much in the first place.

Meanwhile, Bob, Daryl, Michonne, and Tyreese all head to a nearby veterinarian college to get antibiotics.  On the way, Daryl is fussing with the radio when all of a sudden he picks up a signal.  A voice cuts through the static-filled transmission, and although it doesn’t say much, I was able to pick out the word “survive.”  If you’ve seen the trailer for season four that came out over the summer, chances are you were a little disappointed.  In the trailer, the voice on the radio clearly mentions a sanctuary of sorts.  I think most people would’ve found this scene a little more exciting if they’d kept that, but hopefully it’ll come back into play soon.

They aren’t able to listen for long before Daryl drives into a walker and slams on the brakes.  The group looks up to find that a horde of walkers lies before them, almost as far as they can see.  Daryl attempts to back up, but before they know it, they’re surrounded.  The four of them are forced to abandon the car and make a run for it, narrowly escaping with their lives.

Back at the prison, we learn that Glenn has come down with the flu.  (Seriously?  Could there be a worse time for this to happen?  Just when he and Maggie were starting to be happy again!  I mean, come on.)  He goes into quarantine with the rest, and Maggie goes to tell Beth.  Ever since the premiere, Beth has been exhibiting an almost creepy aversion to any kind of grief or sadness.  The way she sees it, grief is a weakness that has no place in their walker-ridden lives.  She keeps saying things like, “We don’t get to be sad.”  Yet her façade begins to crack as she talks to Maggie, until tears begin to form in her eyes.  Beth has been through a lot, and deep down you can tell there’s a lot of hurting.  It’s a sweet moment between the two sisters, whose relationship seemed strangely absent last season.

Outside the prison, Rick has been doing some investigating of Karen and David’s deaths.  As the episode reaches its end, he approaches Carol—who had a highly unusual breakdown after talking to Tyreese earlier—and asks if she’s responsible.  And what does she say in response?  A simple, cold, “Yes.”  Just as a reminder… this is Carol we’re talking about.  The lady who basically cried through all of season two.  Yes, her character has evolved significantly since then, but this is definitely a leap.  It was only last episode that she showed signs of taking things too far with her whole speech to Lizzie.  A twist like this just seems totally out of the blue.

Overall, I was less than thrilled with this episode.  While the first two of the season came across as fairly strong, the forced drama and various inconsistencies with character and plot just made it seem lazy.  Hopefully we can expect better for next week.

On a side note…

  • Honestly, at this point I would rather face the walkers than be around this many sick people.  Does no one know how to cover their mouths?
  • At one point, Herschel says that everyone who survived the attack in Cell Block D is now sick.  Wouldn’t this mean Rick and Daryl caught it too?  Herschel even mentions later that Daryl was exposed to it—why is he okay?  Does that even make sense?
  • Carl did a fantastic job of annoying the crap out of me this episode.  Who does this kid think he is?  Although I did find it funny how his dad and Herschel were both like, “God, Carl, please don’t fire your gun.  Ever.  Just don’t.”
  • I also thought it was funny how Rick’s “investigating” consisted of putting his hand up to a bloodstain on the door… and that was it.  That’s how he knew it was Carol.  Brilliant.
  • Also funny: Bob having a cute little bro nickname for Tyreese when they’ve only had one (very awkward) interaction so far.