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Merlin: The Diamond of the Day: Part Two (2012)
Disappointing 5yrs of waiting
So this is the ending that has been planned for 5 years, according to the producers. Arthur coming to terms with Merlin's magic in the last day as he's dying, not even mentioning his wife, his kingdom or any of the problems those'll need to face. He's obviously just as obsessed with Merlin as he had been with him. "Hold me, Merlin" he says, "just hold me" and draws his last breath.
Very melodramatic and unfortunately Bradley James can't pull it off as well as Colin Morgan. Bradley was great in the battle scenes though, I hasten to point out, and it's not easy to play a dying king with awful lines for about half the length of the episode.
Again, all these great sorcerers and sorceresses are capable of is pushing people back with their magical powers (although Merlin did produce a cute little dragon out of the flames for Arthur) and they still haven't learnt that it does not kill the opponent. In fact, the opponent will be up very quickly and turn against you. As it happened, the long awaited facing of Morgana and Merlin was over in a stupid 5 seconds with a hard-to-watch death scene.
The ending, with Merlin in the modern Avalon as his old himself, Gwen being crowned as the ruler of Camelot was more confusing than anything with more false promises in the air. "Arthur will be back ONE DAY as Kilgarrah said, Gwen will be the head of Camelot we'd all been waiting for" etc. Without any foreshadowing in the 5 years, I didn't believe it for a second.
"Merlin" had a great setup, excellent actors and the stories were interesting enough in the first 2 years. But the phrases often heard in the series "one day Arthur will become the worthy king", "one day magic will be back to Camelot", had never been delivered. I hoped until the last 5 minutes that something will change, that we'll get a glimpse of all these promises fulfilled but instead we only got a pathetic attempt from Kilgarrah to explain why these never happened. I loved the chemistry between the actors and I'm truly disappointed that they (and we, viewers) have been let down like this.
Once Upon a Time: Into the Deep (2012)
Women-show
We had better episodes but this one wasn't so bad either. Cora cements herself into the position of the main villain, while Regina tries to get Henry's affection and Gold shares a hamburger with Belle. There are quite many visits to the fire room where people who had been under sleeping spells can go. First it's Henry and Aurora but when the former gets burns and the latter gets kidnapped by Aurora's zombies (there's a new element in the fairy-tale world for ya) Charming and Snow take their places instead. Charming counts on Snow's true love kiss to be awaken from the curse but Neverland unfortunately seems to lack the actual bodies so they can't touch each other. This makes Snow furious and more determined than ever to get back and save her prince again. Unknown to them Aurora's heart is taken by Hook and controlled by Cora now so there's a secret enemy behind their lines as they set out to stop Cora and get the ashes of the magic wardrobe from her.
The Vampire Diaries: Our Town (2012)
Another boring one :(
I really loved TVD from the third of the first season all through the second but this third one so far is a great disappointment. Nina used to be really good in the crying scenes but the part where she was with Stefan in the car and right after was straight annoying. I kinda like how Paul portrays a bad guy but I hate how Stefan is now the old Damon and vice versa. It doesn't make the story any more interesting, on the contrary.
It was good to see Bonnie telling Elena how bad it was for her to take away Jeremy's free will in the last episode - unfortunately she took it all back at the end of this episode, I was disappointed.
I wish Damon would stop obsessing about Elena and got himself a proper girlfriend but it's probably not gonna happen. It's just sad to see him this pathetic, truth to be told.
I liked the gentle side of Klaus, he really seems genuinely lonely - although I doubt his intentions are honourable.
I worry about Alaric, he seems to choose bad women to hang out with (with good old Jenna being the exception) Dr. Fell seems to be really bad news.
The show has slowed down significantly after the last season's admirable tempo, I hope it'll pick up soon!
The Vampire Diaries: The New Deal (2012)
Repeating
I'm sorry to say but nothing new has happened in this episode: the witches saved the day (or at least help Stefan), the brothers argue, Damon is still obsessed with a girl he can't (shouldn't) have, Stefan still doesn't know what he wants but stays away from Elena in any case - how else would she have a chance to guiltlessly play along with Damon just like Katherine has? Unlike Katherine though, Elena is unable to make a good deal: she gives Rebecca back to Klaus but still asks Damon to compel Jeremy to leave town - showing again very little trust in Jeremy's capabilities. By the way, what's the point of revain if Damon can compel him anyway?? All in all, season 3 is getting worse and worse so far. The series is lucky that it has its faithful fans. If it was the quality level of the first season, it would've gotten cancelled.
Dear John (2010)
Great performances, poor story
The first half of the movie is a cute love story - young love, deep devotion, remarkable commitment to each other. I really enjoyed the banter between the two main characters. The relationship between John and his father is very tenderly displayed, kudos to both actors for their performance, never thought Channing Tatum can act so well.
Unfortunately the sudden change in direction around the middle of the movie totally ruined the second half - it was never explained just excused as to why happened what happened and the desperate attempt to make every character flawless in the events failed completely.
I haven't read the book so I don't know how it was handled there but I wish it had discussed this change deeper and focused less on the reunion.
Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)
Quite good
I didn't want to like this movie because I'm not a Stewart-fan but I was pleasantly surprised with the overall result.
Stewart's performance varied a lot throughout the movie but she had couple of high points, especially when faced with the Queen. The story was good enough and even though it's a very familiar story, it was able to bring along twists I didn't expect. But the very best thing about the movie was the world design. So many different people, in many different and original environments and they were all beautifully created and outstandingly shot.
It would've been much better with some character development but let's face it, Grimm's original isn't about character development either.
Pretty Little Liars (2010)
Fail
This is the worst thing I've seen on TV recently. I could hardly finish watching the first episode. It's a great setup and I was intrigued by the plot but then the girls arrived on screen and they screwed up everything for me. It was soon revealed how simplistic all of them are: one kisses a guy a couple minutes after they meet (at the age of 16), the other kisses a girl a couple hours after they meet, the third steals her sister's boyfriends and the fourth steals from the mall. I mean what is this all about?? The writing isn't much better either. The dialogs are flat, the only suspense is about A and the subplots were revealed too soon. How on earth did it get sold, I'll never understand.
Bones: A Night at the Bones Museum (2009)
A very good episode!!
This episode was full of sweet moments, interesting developments and an unprecedented bonding of Brennan and Daisy!
The opening scene was very nicely done - the body on the electric fence and the terrified guard, nice touch. Then a total out of the blue - Brennan being asked out by "Both's boss's boss". I don't remember seeing him before. First she says yes and tells Booth that he's got nothing to worry, they won't be speaking about him as she wouldn't be thinking of him "for a second". Which of course turns out to be totally false. When Booth confronts her, he says: "what goes on between us is ours" and not to share with anyone else - totally sweet. The line comes back in the last scene when Brennan takes Booth down to the opening of an Egyptian exhibition, and the two share a lovely, and very romantic moment - interrupted by the rest of the gang, as usual.
Apart from this, of course there's a murder to solve! :) And Brennan solves not only the recent one, but one from 3000 years before as well, getting giddy about it with none other but Daisy, who uses Sweets' breathing exercises to become less annoying. Which she succeeds to. Very nice acting from Carla Gallo.
I really enjoyed this episode. I think Carla Kettner is one of the writers who can create good moments for B&B.
Bones: The Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2009)
Parker in the spotlight
It's one of those "the suburbs are the devil" episode that's so fashionable to condemn in television. Can't say if it's a factual attitude as I've never lived in the American suburbs but it's a cliché nonetheless.
There's this guy who puts up a windmill in his garden, which others don't approve. It's ugly, it's loud, it's tall. Motiv to murder? You'll see. He also sleeps around quite much, which his wife is obviously not happy about. And he has an online sex toy business with one of his neighbours. That probably was a good addition to the otherwise all-too-familiar setting.
The side-stories were a lot better and made the episode more enjoyable. Parker is ever so cute, trying to find a girlfriend to his daddy - but not just any girlfriend, he's got specific requirements. The last scene with Booth, Brennan and Parker is just adorable.
The Muslim intern accidentally reveals its secret which actually was very thought-provoking: do you have to be pretend these days if you're religious? Isn't it just as bad as that era when one had to fake religion? All in all, the case was worse than usual but the personal stories made up for it.
Bones: The Plain in the Prodigy (2009)
Everybody's afraid of the unknown
Amish culture is so hidden, so different that people expect the worst of it - in this episode the first 2 suspects were Amish. But the ending was very refreshing, being in the wrong place, at the wrong time, just when our Amish boy has made a life-changing decision.
It was a very good episode. Sad, but very good. It also showed the regular cast in a new light a little bit: Brennan comforting someone with a touch, Booth as the protective father, Cam as not her most confident because she needs to deal with some teenage sex-problems in her own family, Sweets playing air-piano etc. It managed to jump between funny and dramatic smoothly and allowed some pretty brilliant supporting acts get the main light instead of the main characters. The Amish brother, played by Brian Letscher in particular was great.
Bones: The Bond in the Boot (2009)
Back to the basics
It's a nice little episode, going back to the basics of why we love Bones: the chemistry, the team spirit, and the genuine love between the characters. Not just Brennan and Booth, but the whole team.
I find it really interesting how series about FBI regard the CIA as pompous, arrogant men who don't understand the importance of anyone else. This happens here as well, an episode with a lot of reference to James Bond, even to the cost of logical story lines. Booth only tries to find out the truth and the CIA doesn't want to help. To his luck, he meets a simple woman in the CIA, who was in love and tells him what she knows. Apart from the tiny little detail that she planted a bug into her lovers skin so that she can find out whether he's cheating on her. Professional side-effect, most likely.
We never get to know what exactly the guy was protecting but we do get to know that he was "the bravest man" his inquisitor has ever seen. Even though he was an analyst working behind the desk, he turned out to be quite the field agent. A dead one, mind you, but all is worth when you get your little star on the wall of CIA heroes. I was surprised Hodgins didn't get more lines about all the government policies.
On the whole, much better than the last couple episodes but still worse than the first 3 seasons.
Bones: Harbingers in a Fountain (2009)
This storyline has just got worse
Even after the awful space-filling episode at the end of the last season, the first episode was truly a huge disappointment.
Booth is not in a coma any more, but he's not quite himself. Bones did not visit him in the hospital like you'd expect but went away to Guatemala to deal with bones instead. These two things as such, are very much in character but the consequence of a really bad idea, the brain tumor. As a medical fiction, it should stick much closer to facts about brain damage and operations etc.
So Booth thinks he's in love with Brennan and wants to tell her - Cam and Sweets have the common sense to remind him that if the feeling's not real, it'll break Brennan forever. They meet a psychic (through Angela) who leads them to a mass grave and a rather interesting story about a determined sociopath, wanting to get rich at any price. Cyndi Lauper is rather good although her facial expressions are somewhat limited - but that's what you get when you don't want wrinkles.
What I liked in the episode that they couldn't prove the murder - they charged the guy with a number of other crimes that will put him to jail "for a 100 years". Otherwise, one of the worst episodes, the writers seem to really struggle as how to bring these two together and didn't come up with any good ideas.
Bones: The Double Death of the Dearly Departed (2009)
The best comic Bones episode
The episode is mainly set on the wake and the funeral of a nameless colleague of the Jeffersonian Institute.
I love Bones because of the interaction between the main characters but this one had an excellent comic strike in it that I haven't seen in the series before. It focused on the relationships and situations instead of fancy examinations and experiments and it did it outstandingly. One of the best examples is when Hodgins spots Brennan and Booth stealing the body as he makes a speech in respect of the deceased colleague.
Both the main staff and the supporting actors and actresses were brilliant, the dialogues were spot on and I really enjoyed watching it. The highlight was when through a misunderstanding Sweets, the "educated" psychologist tells a guy who accidentally stabbed the victim that he's got nothing to feel guilty about.
Sure hope for more episodes like this, well done Mr Silverstein!