[TheZookie007]

I stumbled onto Syfy tonight and watched the first episode of the three-part miniseries Childhood's End (an adaptation of the Arthur C. Clarke novel). Now I'm watching the first episode of the new Syfy show The Expanse. I liked Childhood's End better, but both are good and worth watching.

And ABC's Quantico, because Priyanka Chopra and Yasmine Al Massri in a dual role as twins -- and in a swimming pool.

[Palomine]

Venture Brothers (season 6) is back on Cartoon Network and I'm happy to say that it's as well written and enjoyable as ever. The Venture family and the rest of Team Venture have moved to New York, where new adversaries come into play. Dr. Girlfriend's professional advancement creates tension in her relationship with The Monarch, who's also in the process of discovering some surprising things about his father. All in all, anyone who was worried that VB6 might finally be ready to jump the shark can relax... it's in top shape.

Adventure Time has had new episodes on Cartoon Network as well and I'm equally happy to report that in general, they're up to the series' usual high standards of quality entertainment. The recent group of episodes (eight of them) called "Stakes" which involve Marceline and other vampires was particularly enjoyable and demonstrates what great storytelling AT is capable of. Shame so many just dismiss it as a chi1dren's show ...they've no idea what they're missing.

I finally got around to watching all of season 2 of Fargo on FX and it was just as good as season 1, despite an all-new cast and story. It is not a retelling of the movie Fargo, but it has much the same flavor and is well above average in terms of plot and character.

In case I didn't mention it before, I did watch season 1 of The Man in the High Castle on Amazon, and I enjoyed it very much. Had I not read (and enjoyed) the Philip K. Dick book on which it's based I so think I'd have liked it just as much, so don't let not having read the book keep you from watching it if you have access to Amazon programming.

Also on Amazon, I've watched season 1 of Bosch, based on the novels by Michael Connelly. While not epic, Bosch is a nicely-done and engaging LA detective drama in the traditional sense rather than a procedural. Also worth a look if you've got Amazon.

One could be excused for imagining that AMC's The Walking Dead has peaked and is now coasting, but I'm pleased to report that's not yet the case. While there are ups and downs of course, as with most any long-running series, the show still manages to maintain its high level of character development and very competent production all around. Last night's episode "The New World" was directed by a woman who's previously directed a couple of the Fear of the Walking Dead episodes (the new LA-based spinoff show) and though I forget her name atm, I gotta say it was one of the best WD episodes in a while, even allowing for the fact that it was a "lighter" one w/o any living characters being killed or hurt. Part road movie and part buddy comedy, it was a great show and while there was human suffering, there was also human joy and determination, and even some romance. An intriguing new character also gets introduced in this episode, and the level of interest he generates bodes well for the rest of the current season.

I've also been watching the final season of Downton Abbey on PBS and while the feeling of having reached the end permeates, it's still very watchable drama, especially in light of having come to know the characters. I have started watching the new Masterpiece series "Mercy Street" on PBS also (some episodes are directed by Roxanne Dawson, who you probably know best as B'Elanna Torres on Star Trek: Voyager). A civil war drama set in a hospital, I gotta say I'm not wild about it so far, steeped in somewhat obvious and forced melodrama as it is... I'll probably try to stick it out a bit longer and see if it improves. I've also still been watching NBC's The Blacklist, but more out of habit than anything else as it really feels post-shark now.

I've been recording but haven't yet watched AMC's Better Call Saul, American Crime (ABC), Shades of Blue (NBC), Into the Badlands (AMC) and the X-Files six episode semi-reboot (Fox). I also recorded but haven't yet seen the one new episode of Sherlock on PBS, though I hear it wasn't up to the usual standard.

Looking forward to the following upcoming returns: The Americans (FX), Archer (FX), Fear the Walking Dead (AMC), etc...

Hmmm... I think that's about it for now.

[Palomine]

Venture Brothers (season 6) is back on Cartoon Network and I'm happy to say that it's as well written and enjoyable as ever. The Venture family and the rest of Team Venture have moved to New York, where new adversaries come into play. Dr. Girlfriend's professional advancement creates tension in her relationship with The Monarch, who's also in the process of discovering some surprising things about his father. All in all, anyone who was worried that VB6 might finally be ready to jump the shark can relax... it's in top shape.

Déclassé though it might be to quote oneself, last night's episode of The Venture Bros. entitled "A Party For Tarzan" (season 6, episode 7) makes my mention about the current season from a few weeks ago worth re-posting. Rather than bore you with my own analysis/review of the episode, allow me to copy/paste the excellent review of it from A.V. club by Zack Handlen, which is far better than anything I'd have come up with, so he deserves all due credit. Rather than link, I've included the review below to avoid any collateral violations, and omitted the mentions by name of underag3 characters (I don't think Dr. V's sons are quite 18 yet, though I could be mistaken... still, better safe than sorry). 

Rusty wears the wrong suit on The Venture Bros.
“It’s a good thwart!”

By Zack Handlen.



It’d be hard to come up with a more perfect **29** for Rusty Venture to idolize than Christopher Lambert. A mediocre film actor who starred in a handful of high profile ‘80s movies before moving settling into moderate obscurity, Lambert is hardly the epitome of Hollywood cool; yet his low-rent mystique is an ideal fit for the show’s loving adulation of misfits, oddities, and loose ends. The Highlander movies that provided the man with the closest he’d ever come to celluloid immortality are largely terrible—even the first is really just a certain kind of 12 year-old boy’s dream of what a movie should be. But that’s the point. While Lambert may not be a household name, he’s more successful and better loved than Rusty will ever be, and he’s achieved that success through same pop cultural detritus that has defined Rusty’s entire adult life.

“A Party For Tarzan” isn’t really about Christopher Lambert—I think I’d need another viewing or two before I could sort out a thematic throughline, if there even is one. The episode might be saying something meaningful about the systems people build around themselves to create meaning in their lives, and how those systems can ultimately defeat us. Or maybe it’s about how easy it is to get locked into goals without stopping to think of the cost of those goals, or of our larger place in the universe around us. Or maybe it’s really just an excuse to do some fun interlocking narration and slight-of-hand plotting, all of which may not necessarily add up to much, but is still a lot of fun to watch.

I’m tentatively leaning towards that last assessment right now, but I enjoyed the hell out of “A Party Of Tarzan” regardless of its intentions. We get some backstory about how Gary became one of the Monarch’s henchmen (got **70** as an over-sized eighth grader, never looked back), and learn about why all these complicated arching ratings were created in the first place. (Way back when, a nobody of a bad guy assaulted the Venture compound, and goaded Action Man into shooting him.) Gary narrates the former, the Monarch the latter, and while there’s no obvious reason as to why we need explanations for things that’ve been accepted parts of the show’s lore for a while, it works well enough. The half hour in general has a feeling of weight behind it, and that weight, even if obviously part of the gag, is enhanced by the voice over work.

It’s also enhanced by the cold open that has Dr. Mrs. the Monarch shooting Rusty with a sniper rifle. There was no real fear that Rusty would actually die, but a hook is a hook, and there was enough low level suspense running throughout the half-hour to keep things moving. The show has always had a genius for razor sharp pacing, and tonight’s episode was no exception. There’s an impressive amount of story crammed into these thirty minutes, and none of them really feel short-changed. We see the Monarch more or less triumphant, we see Rusty losing yet again (although not for the reasons he thinks), we see Gary struggling with his mission, and Dr. Mrs. taking a shot that ultimately has no real effect on anyone.

If there’s anything holding me back about this episode, it’s that last part. There’s a lot of build up here without much consequence (unless Gary actually did kill the Wandering Spider and didn’t just bury his mechanical legs in the woods, which I doubt), and it’s hard not to feel a little cheated that the show yet again teased at something meaningful before shrugging it off as a goof. It’s not that I wanted Rusty Venture dead, god forbid. But this series is capable of surprising depth and melancholy when it wants to be, and there hasn’t been a lot of that going around this season. I’m appreciating the plotting even more than I usually do, if only because it’s so clearly building towards something, but the longing behind the gags is largely gone.

Still, it made a few brief appearances tonight, and the more I think about it, the more I’m inclined to run the risk and rate this as one of the stand-outs of the season so far. It’s stylish, inventive, and neatly told, and if it may not add up to more than the sum of its parts, well, maybe that’s the point. Maybe all the nonsense and the aspirations don’t ever add up to much, and you’re better off enjoying the night sky, provided you’re wearing a bullet-proof suit.

Stray observations

One of the Monarch’s early plans: trying to make the name “Venture” illegal. I don’t think he knows how laws work.
So, the original Blue Morpho dressed up as Billie Jean King to seduce Dr. Z. They had a lot of very intimate sex. I’m not sure if this is going to go anywhere, but I’m hoping it’s just a weird one-off gag?
“Christopher Motherfucking Lambert.” -Rusty (I like how the show subtly acknowledges Lambert isn’t all that much. No truly famous person would accept a party invitation from a man in a speed suit.)
“Unless the name of the drink includes the ingredients, I can’t make it.” -[omitted]
Wanting to impress Christopher Lambert, Rusty returns to Enzo the tailor to get a new suit made. This is really so he can steal the Blue Morpho outfit when he realizes he can’t get the suit he wants overnight, but I’m intrigued by this “Patriarch.”
So, the Guild had Blue Morpho killed in 1976, and Blue Morpho was working with Jonas Venture behind the scenes, as previously established. I’m wondering if this ever going to tie back to the Monarch; I’m also wondering if this is somehow going to lead to an explanation for the Monarch’s hatred of Rusty. (I doubt that last one, actually. It’s funnier if he hates him just because.)

Mr. Handlen didn't mention how the whole episode had an almost-certainly intentional flavor of Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas, probably because it was so obvious. Be that as it may, I'll mention it here because unlike the endless torrent of referential gags (and fart/puke jokes) that have made Seth MacFarlane a millionaire many times over, what VB principals Christopher McCulloch, James Urbaniak, Michael Sinterniklaas have done is homage in the proper sense.

Flawless? No. But "A Party For Tarzan" was jam-packed full of VB goodness and entertaining as hell and that's more than enough for me most Sunday nights.

Personal trivia: as it happens, I actually worked with Christopher Lambert briefly years ago, and as I recall, he took himself as seriously as Rusty seems to. Talk about unwarranted ego. 

Tangential quote just because I can:

Lt. Col. Mitchell: Well, you've got to open big, catch people's attention, make them think the whole thing is going to be jam-packed.
Vala: Ooh, I love jam.
[Mitchell, Jackson and Carter look at her]
Vala: Oh, I get it. It's yet another playful twist on words in your "earth" language.
Vala: Well, it... certainly seems to be packed full of jam.

-Stargate "200" (season 10, episode 6)

[StrikezOne]

SPOILERS




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I cannot believe how they ended the Walking Dead this season. Anyone who reads the comics would agree (also those who dont) that the cliffhanger ending sucks the momentum out of that scene. The season long build up to Negan was left underwhelming. Not only that, we had that Glenn fake out death fiasco, the half a season wait for the walkers to finally get inside Alexandria, the mid season finale cliffhanger (that went completely unaddressed) and that Daryl semi cliffhanger.

IMO, now this makes it easy to guess who gets the Lucille beating in the s7 premiere. And that will be Aaron. If it was a major character (as it should be) like glenn or daryl, then they would have killed them off in the finale for a proper send off. But if either of those two characters get the bat in the first 5min of the premiere, then that would not do their characters justice. It is going to be Aaron. AMC and gimp wimped out and will give us this lackluster death and try to make up for it with a badass type episode.. It will be like, "yeah it was just Aaron, but hey look at this!" kind of thing. Damage control.

By the way, Im still holding out hope for JDM as Negan, but that 10 min speech, I wasnt really pulled in. It was not believeable for me that he was indeed the legendary Negan. I thought his best line was when he said "I simply cannot decide!" The whole thing was straight from the comics, maybe it was missing the F bombs, just like this post. Maybe he shouldve shaved. IDK. He didnt come across as physically intimidating or anything. but like i said, I am still holding out hope for JDM. I think when they let him loose, he will shine.

[TheZookie007]

Deadline: "‘Law & Order: SVU’ Continues To Rewrite TV History With 3-Year Renewal To Get To 24 Seasons On NBC"

Law & Order: SVU is making television history this season with its record-setting 21st season, making it TV’s longest-running primetime live-action series.  And Dick Wolf's venerable crime drama starring Mariska Hargitay is nowhere near done. NBC has given Law & Order: SVU a new three-year renewal for Seasons 22, 23 and 24, expanding the gap over the previous record mark of 20 seasons set by mothership series Law & Order (1990-2010) and Gunsmoke (1955-75). The massive renewal is part of a mega new deal for Wolf has signed with Law & Order: SVU studio Universal Television, that also includes a three-year renewal for the three Chicago dramas.

[TheZookie007]

Also:

Deadline: "‘Hawaii Five-0’ To End After 10 Seasons On CBS, Sets Two-Hour Series Finale"

[jmikeh]

Deadline: "‘Law & Order: SVU’ Continues To Rewrite TV History With 3-Year Renewal To Get To 24 Seasons On NBC"

Gunsmoke (1955-75).

But Gunsmoke total episodes 635. Epic.

[TheZookie007]

If Wikipedia is to be believed:

233 of those episodes are for Marshal Dillon, (a syndication retitling of half-hour episodes)
402 are of Gunsmoke per se
for a total of 635 TV episodes

Not including the 480 radio episodes of the show which aired from 1952 to 1961, over nine seasons.

[TheZookie007]

L&O:SVU has 474 episodes and counting...