Person of Interest season 1 episode 1 : Pilot

Summary : Smashing Caviezel, complementary team mates, conventional but twisted story, welcomed guest, promising Big Brother concept, geek candy, giggling humor

Score : 8/10

As a geek and self-proclaimed multibrokenaire I was instantly driven to the show because of its concept and protagonist. At least before watching the pilot I thought Michael Emerson would play this role but as the enigmatic Mr. Finch his character is minor compared to James Caviezel's one. The last plays a former special agent John Reese, how original, who is hired by Finch. So at the beginning as I was expecting that it would be mostly about the software engineer Emerson portrays I was slightly disappointed. Indeed the actor marked TV forever considering how much his performance as Benjamin Linus was both dazzling and puzzling on Lost. However when I had never seen Caviezel before his charm and bold performance quickly made Reese grow on me. I also appreciate the fact that he has strong moral values, if shooting bad guys in the leg can be considered one. I worried about the inevitable procedural approach of the show, a crime to prevent per episodes, but the pilot was such a great surprise that I have instantly signed up for a second session.

Beside the convincing acting, and the fact that you can't help smiling when Finch calls his partner John (Locke), it's really the story that impressed me the most. Indeed like in Asimov's Foundation the Machine built by Finch can't predict everything so all he's left with are numeric breadcrumbs. At first what tasted like an old recipe and cold meal quickly became exciting and captivating. The lines are blurred, twisted and wicked ! In the upcoming episodes it should make the crimes even less predictable because the characters aren't just black and white. Here the guest was Natalie Zea and as her performance on Hung was bittersweet she definitely contributed to make the pilot a success even we could have used extra minutes featuring her character. The eternal battle of time management. An other element that will even appeal the demanding viewer are the cultural references. From Big Brother to 9/11 the way fiction is connected to reality is quite interesting. Still I'm not sure about the whole surveillance camera approach because it's far too limited considering the device isn't plugged everywhere in the world. So I hope they'll soon inject some irrational elements to make it fascinating or at least more believable. Otherwise as the end was reminiscent of The X-Files I'm almost certain they have plenty of strange ideas to fuel the season.

That's for the substance. In its entertainment department the series has some delightful elements. First even if they definitely abused the camera mosaics and surveillance footages it made the editing smoother and more dynamic. Second Caviezel makes a believable action man with a brain. The action scenes count is decent and well balance the investigation. Third don't expect a Minory Report occuring in 2011 but he used a few interesting gadgets like one to quickly break a window and an other to listen cellphone conversations. He's not Angus MacGyver but him and the lame leg Mr. Finch (A reference to The Usual Suspects ?) makes a team to root for. Last but not least between two shots or serious dialogs there're a few humorous scenes that can only make you laugh considering how well they're subtly mixed with the main story. I even spotted a running gag and already anticipate how much fun it's going to be in the next episode !

True Blood season 4 episode 11 : Soul of Fire

Summary : Strange Writing Case of Dr Dumb and Mr Witty

Score : 7/10

Spoilers

I don't know how the writing team behind the show works but there's clearly a weak link that prevented this episode from rocketing. The baby arc ? The messy cemetary part ? I suspect they all came from the same brain because I can't help noticing how much they jar with the overall good quality of season 4. It becomes even more obvious when you compare some parts side by side.

Round I : On the left we have the moronic Billeric, sorry I couldn't help, and on the right Lafayette & his boyfriend sneaking in the bathroom. Bill & Eric ready to kill each other for Sookie didn't make any sense because the first should know better than trusting the evil Marnie. They're hundreds years old but at times they're as clever as a zombie in luv. And while Sookie was crying like a fairy who just lost her virginity to a farting ogre Lafayette's boyfriend managed to play Marnie and turned into a demon. I'm really starting to like him and mixing Spanish with wicked magic was really exciting.

Round II : Eric² versus Sookie "the crying b* that should have been put down". How are viewers supposed to endure the endless magic fire circle sequence featuring the worst visual effects ever seen on the show ? It never felt a single second that she was in danger and about to burn her fairy bu… dust. However it was so ridiculous, specially Anna Paquin's acting, that I couldn't help laughing. Moreover it didn't prevent me from clapping my hands when Eric killed Marnie's annoying sidekick in a snap by clawing out his heart and then drinking its blood using an artery as a straw. It was both shocking and entertaining. Instantly cult and definitely a 2011 topplistå contestant !

I could also point out some minor flaws but they were shadowed by far too many entertaining elements. First I slightly changed my mind about Lafayette because his medium gift was well used, as it allowed him to see Marnie battling Antonia, and what's coming could be thrilling because season 4 would have been nothing without Fiona Shaw ! Second crazy Pam waking up everyone in town by firing a rocket was fangtastic. She's really a weapon of mass seduction ! She could have killed Sookie… A blessing ? At least it would have opened the eyes of Billeric ! I can't believe his second half, Eric if you're not following my miserable joke, dared to threaten her when she was the one who actually saved the day. As for Jason he did what all real men would do in such a dangerous situation, he almost died. The perfect excuse to drink Jessica's super blood and get closer to the woman he loves. Deborah Ann Woll couldn't have been more charming while she was talking to him. A hotpink vampire lost in Daisyworld ! The only thing missing was Hoyt so I really hope Jim Parrack will be back next time because the show needs his talent. In fact I really hope he'll have a more important role in the next season.

To go back to my enumeration the third element I enjoyed was Andy's unexpected encounter with a ravishing fairy. Lucky guy ! He deserves it after what he has gone through but I can't help thinking that the worst is yet to come. Did she turn him into some sort of alien bulb ? A.B. : The Extra-Terrestrial ! I knew Steven Spielberg was pulling strings in reality. As for the best duo since The Dukes of Hazzard, Sam & Alcide, the fight was dynamic and its ending couldn't have been more brutal ! Last but not least Fiona Shaw lunatic acting was impressive, and freaky Sookie would say, and Marnie's vengeance interesting because the bully and the victim is a sad but real tale. Some people rejected her, she became an outcast and when she was strong enough to reclaim her place in society as her true enemies were nowhere to be found she just decided to unleash her fury upon vampires, who deserved it in a way, and innocent individuals close to her. May Antonia's soul rest in peace because in the end she proved her heart was good.

True Blood season 4 episode 7 : Cold Grey Light of Dawn

Summary : How to succeed in the popcorn industry (Foreword by Ms. Pam-pam, the Rotten Queen of the Damned) plus a free cinematographic wondårwful journey featuring the Fangtastic Four Sins

Score : 8/10

The past two episodes featured some funny and exciting scenes but you know it's time to give up on a show when you don't dream about it nor await its next installment. It's actually the True Blood: Vampires Are Our New American Heroes story on TV.com that convinced me to give it one last chance because Lily Sparks passionate words and witty analysis made the episode just irresistible.

This se7enth episode finally delivered what I always wanted True Blood to be, a production that is both entertaining and profound enough. It can make you laugh or surprise you in the most disturbing ways but when it came to harvesting the power of our wicked neurons the show was weak most of the time. Indeed Cold Grey Light of Dawn proved that it's possible to merge the best of both worlds, guilty pleasure and emotional intelligence. What I enjoyed the most were the eternal dialogs. Those were delightful moments of empathic character development and good acting. That's probably why the drunken editing didn't frustrate me as much as usual. Moreover these long and timeless sequences were plunged in a boiling cauldron full of hilarious and soul reaving ingredients.

Lección I : You can't be wrong when mixing English, Español and Français in the same episode !

Leçon II : Jason is one hell of a naughty boy. Girls you have to see him wearing boxing gloves while working out ! As always Ryan Kwanten performance felt like dancing in the rain and the psychedelic flashes featuring Jessica were as arousing as the title sequence sexy babes.

Unterrichtsstunde III (Don't ask) : Kristin Bauer van Straten aka Pam was back to finish what she started with Tara-Toni and her girlfriend. One zombie joke to rule them all ! And they even found room to point out how some people become passive rotten potatoes when they trade their brains for cellphones. As for the screaming blonde on the coffin she tasted like the following refreshing cocktail : ½ Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally…, ½ Clint Eastwood as Blondie in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. The only thing missing was a cowgirl hat ! Last but not least Kristin atrocious make-up deserves an award because the artists pushed the horrific barrier even further this time. They definitely succeeded in turning her ravishing beauty into a monstrous pile of stinky melting Roquefort ! And please stop by her official website for some close-up shoots.

Otherwise beneath its tasty surface they're still plenty of elements that keep preventing True Blood from reaching the hell of cult TV shows. First something was revealed about Lafayette and I couldn't care less. Seriously what's going on with all these miraculous developments ? It would be so much more captivating if the writers had carefully left breadcrumbs behind them to surprise us. Instead our only choice is to play dumb and believe they planned it all from the very start. And the most disappointing is that the novels probably cover all these missing pieces in great details ! An other weakness would be the multiple anecdotic arcs. From the cop who is a drug addict to Sam the shapeshifter they should just get rid of them or better, elegantly intertwine them with the other stories. Sam could join the different werewolf-panther clubs in town for instance ! The third con would be the way silver chains were used. I'm not asking to trap Jessica into some shibarynthic web but all along I had a giant question mark – you know like ?! - raised right above my elephantic head. The last undead worm in that shiny, beautiful and juicy red apple would be the fairy. Or should I say, the non-fairy. I mean the only event related to the pilot was the killing of Sookie's godmother four weeks ago.

But in the end once you have washed over all these minor issues this episode was the best and most refreshing of the season. Sookie & Eric's arc was nothing strange compared to the third installment but their relationship definitely has potential. Fiona Shaw also gave a convincing performance as Antonia and I also quite enjoyed how Tara was involved in her vendetta. In general the aftermath could be even more dazzling than the time jump between seasons 3 & 4. Like if it wasn't already enough the chat between Maker Bill and Baby Jessica was almost philosophical and should wow you if you're fascinated by vampires and specially what separate them from humans. Last but not least the ending couldn't have been more cinematographic. From the dual pace, both slow and furious, to the distorted vision effect my only complain would be that 48 intriguing hours separate me from the next feast. All in all a bittersweet fruit you'll definitely want to bite a second time !

Falling Skies season 1 episode 10 : Eight Hours

Summary : A few rare good minutes saved this episode from exploding in the deep blue sky

Score : 5/10

It's actually a story praising the finale, and even mentioning Lost, that convinced me to give Falling Skies an other chance. Now that I have seen its finale second part it's not that I regret it but sadly it didn't live up to my expectations and the inevitable jaw dropping effect I was awaiting never happened. It's obvious the production budget is limited but I just don't get the biped robots. The premiere intrigued us about these metal creatures but when they reminded me of RoboCop's ED-209 series their CG rendering is just too cheap and watching them walking in bright daylight is almost ridiculous. Moreover their masters have super advanced technologies that allowed them to blast the Earth and travel through space but their robots fire ammos and rockets. So it was weak in the action department but also when it came to the substance. I get the creators good intentions of teaching a few things to the audience about moral values and history but Tom's speech was misplaced, Noah Wyle played his part like a machine, and the flag metaphora was poor. Worst the characters behavior is questionable. One minute they're scared like chickens, the next they laugh and joke about what just happened. What would be wrong with frightening our children a little ? Hopefully the arcs involving the mutant and the captain were good. I think the teenager has done a decent job so far and looks spooky enough to make us believe that he's turning into something inhuman. Tom and Anne's relationship also developed further and even if it was nothing surprising it should make these characters grow on you even more. However I still consider Moon Bloodgood's talent deserves more than such a cliché role. As for the cliffhanger its concept was good but its execution was flawed. From the flimsy visual effects to the hasty development its quality wasn't worthy of a finale. In fact my biggest reproach would be the general lack of spirit. Falling Skies doesn't feel at all like a Steven Spielberg production. Where is E.T. : The Extra-Terrestrial poetry and magic ? What about Close Encounters of the Third Kind epicness ? Otherwise I can only admit that it was at least interesting and made me curious about what could happen in season 2.

True Blood season 4 episode 2 : You Smell Like Dinner

Summary : Vicious and addicting feast slightly spoiled by some rotten ingredients

Score : 8/10

Eric is such a romantic. It's what I thought after watching the premiere. Buying the house of the woman you care about so she becomes yours was the sweetest thing. Still with all its flaws, specially the epileptic editing, I hadn't much hope for this second episode but surprisingly it turned out pretty well and in fact it convinced me to sign for the whole season ! What went right ? First the shapeshifters and witches arcs quickly became exciting and the second was definitely this installment ruby. The ending was mind blowing and augurs the best for the upcoming episodes. Second Eric trying to own Sookie, now he has bought her house, was delightful and delivered the sexual tension and comic relief a great horror story requires. Third I really worried for Jason after the creepy kids tied him up to a bed and following his little big adventure was both enlightening, because season 3 less that I am I had no idea who they were, and of course it was also entertaining because when it comes to it Ryan Kwanten is the man ! And I'm sure the girls love him as a super cop. Fourth Bill has a sexy assistant who knows how to spy and serve her king. Seriously his arc could have been done better but learning more about his past and how he became the new king for Fangland was interesting. Again my complain would be about the zombie editing. His few flashbacks were awkwardly thrown in the mix with hope that things would shape by themselves but they didn't. Masterful productions like Lost have accustomed with creative transitions and twisted stories so these sharp cuts between scenes are unacceptable, specially when they're so numerous. However it was less painful than in She's Not There so let's just forget about it until next heresy. To sum things up You Smell Like Dinner should convince reluctant viewers to ask for their weekly dose of True Blood. Lafayette's gay relationship is puritan, Jessica is a poisonous freckle but her behavior felt like déjà vu and the evil baby conspiracy is just dead boring but beside these few cons this episode had enough wicked twists to enchaint the soul.

True Blood season 4 episode 1 : She's Not There

Summary : Exciting, intriguing and well produced Sookie driven story ruined by Razzie-award editing and a flood of rotten arcs

Score : 6/10

Spoilers

One year has passed since the last time I watched True Blood. Bad Blood, the season 3 premiere, didn't convince me to stick around but I thought checking out She's Not There should at least be entertaining. I was right but there're things that will never change and it seems the show keeps carrying the issues that have prevented some of us from becoming fans.

The recap was enlightening and I'll never get tired of the wicked title sequence. However the inexistant editing is annoying and definitely turned me off. One minute it's about humans and vampires, the next you see horses running in the woods. What's the point of covering so many anecdotic arcs ? Of course they'll inevitably collide but compared to shows like Game of Thrones I can't help thinking that the novels adaptation is hasty and mostly focus on the superficial elements instead of serving us some warm substance to satisfy our needs. From the baby, who has nothing in common with Dexter's one, to Lafayette you could axe half the contents and it wouldn't change anything. Yes because all we really care about are charismatic characters like Eric and Jessica. Last season she nearly convinced me to watch the second episode, Beautifully Broken. But apparently nothing much happened on her side and sadly her arc seems quite predictable. In fact it's also the case for some others.

Now that we have crucified the dead editor, spoiler alert - killed in my previous review, it's time to report what went right about the premiere. Let's start with… the beginning ! Sookie a fairy ? Now that ruined my entire theory of her being the stereotyped character of the pretty blonde next door. I supposed it was revealed in the finale, Evil is Going On, and I can imagine how the cliffhanger must have been jaw dropping for the long time fans. The twisted development of her arc was fantastic and served by a vivid production full of black light and exciting surprises ! If only the others were in the same vein, at least as long and not butchered by you know who. To sum things up Sookie is the only excuse you need to glimpse Anna Paquin's freshness. It's a dead bird ? It's a witch flying on a broom ? No it's #@%*& Sookie ! Paquin is okay but it's really Deborah Ann Woll who should make you KO. K like Kiss of Eternal Life™ ! O like in "Oh mistress Jessica please drink me hardly and fill me with immortality" ! It was also bittersweet to have Pam back and it's always a guilty pleasure to peep through Fangtasia's door. I also noticed a hot geek who should really intrigue you, specially considering the ending, but the sapphic interracial – add your list of forbidden fruits – sequence seemed misplaced and as a huge fan of Archer I can only complain about it.

So my opinion is mixed but even if it surprises me I think this fourth season has some potential. Despite all its flaws I still enjoyed the premiere. The entertaining and interesting scenes were too short and not numerous but they're the ones you will viciously dream about. Even Bill did his part this time and learning about his real mission regarding poor Sookie was almost shocking. As for Jason be prepared for the impossible ! Moreover now I realize how well edited the Bill speech and Eric interview sequences were. Great job my dead friend but you'll have to step up your game before we decide to disnail you from up there ! Ready for the upcoming installment, You Smell Like Dinner ? I am and I bet you will !

Caprica season 1 episode 7 : The Imperfections of Memory

Summary : Decent Amanda Graystone driven story, relieving converging arcs, fascinating computing and scientific topics, puzzling MCP revelation, intriguing Joseph Adama quest and cliffhanger

Score : 8/10 

The story focused more on Amanda Graystone and her troubled past. Paula Malcomson's acting is quite good considering the emotional character she has to play. It was enlightening to learn more about her but I worry that she's not strong enough to defend herself against Sister Clarice's manipulation. As for the other arcs it seems that they're finally converging. The relationship between the geek and the beast, Daniel's young assistant and Cylon Zoe, finally made sense for example. If you dig fields like programming (Genetic), computer graphics (Procedural generation) and artificial intelligence then you should be fascinated by one of their dialog in the virtual world. I wasn't convinced by the visual effects but the contents was accurate and interesting. We also learned a major information about the MCP and it seems Daniel and his collegue were as puzzled as I was. Joseph Adama continued searching for her daughter and I really wonder what will happen once he finds her and how it will influence the other arcs. Lacy was also featured but her few scenes were far too anecdotic.

To sum things up in my opinion it was probably the first good installment since the excellent Rebirth. It's like if the arcs were closing in on themselves to give birth to a story that could definitely be captivating on the long term. Moreover it ended on a cliffhanger, clumsy but intriguing, so you better be ready for an other round because it seems Caprica is back !