TV-update 2017/18, part 5
Sep. 23rd, 2018 05:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
brabbel123Killing Eve - season 1
Psychopath female killer meets insightful desk-jockey/obsessed/newly-minted agent Eve. What follows is a cat and mouse game, coupled with erotic innuendo, and little in terms of real plot such as who are the Twelve, what's their endgame etc. Still entertaining enough. I wonder, though how Villanelle survived the stabbing and who that elderly neighbour really is (I mean she must have seen wounded Villanelle leave, not to mention that baby-faced love succumb to poisoning in the hallway). And the last 2 or 3 episodes, after Villanelle's visit to Eve's home were a bit anticlimactic - what of the husband? I mean, that he isn't happy is one thing but there's still a story to tell. But maybe that's just left for season 2.
Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan - season 1
We have little CIA analyst Jack Ryan coming up with a trail to a renagade ISIS-terrorist... and from desk-jockey he goes to field agent and counsellor of the president. Admittedly, the series had a good flow and pacing, although the end was rushed and, again, anticlimactic. And let's not mention Jack's love interest who has only one facial expression, and of course, is the leading expert on Ebola... which turns out is (one of) the threats. But whereas Jack sees threats everywhere, the others just stumble from one faux-pas to the next: Or who didn't see consequences coming from the terrorist graciously granting the hostages medication? Did he somehow grow a golden heart all of a sudden? No. So, that was a bit ridiculous, and also poorly followed up on. I mean, tablet-given Ebola? Why didn't they infect anyone else in contact with them? Why the time-jump right then? And the church attack in Paris? I think they set up a bit more than they could swallow in mere 8 episodes. Anyway, still a good series, I'll tune in for season 2.
The Looming Tower
Now this shows the miscommunication in the intelligence services that ultimately led to 9/11. Of course, the FBI are the good guys, the CIA (or specifically a subsection that works with one male guru and a harem of either completely obedient lovers or easily threatened minions) the bad guys. But honestly, if things really happened that way... well...
The middle dragged a bit with only establishing O'Neil's relationships (irrelevant to the plot), and I'd have wished for the result of the actual senate hearing that frames the whole series, being mentionned in the voice-over at the end. But seeing the work-up from the various attacks on embassies, ships, the information about pilot trainees not interested in landing a plane being dismissed... let's just say, by the time the planes crash into the towers you're just shaking your head in disbelief and renewed shock. At least, that's how I felt. Good series.
Elementary - season 6
Thought this season was a step up to season 5 - Shimwell's arc didn't work for me at all, Michael's on the other hand was intriguing (at least until he was found out). But I really liked the friendship/family-angle of this season. What Sherlock wouldn't do for Joan...
What I didn't quite understand in the final episode:
There's a recording of Michael's phone call to William Bazemore where Michael calls out Joan's name... but why should he call William who he knows ODed? (which he told Joan while trying to kill her) Didn't anyone check whether that phone call was doctored (might be that it got sent later than he actually made the call etc)? Why didn't Joan or Sherlock bring up that inconsistency?
The FBI... her grudge would have been more relatable if she had appeared earlier (not just off-screen during Sherlock's Vermont hiatus). Because quite honestly, a serial killer's murder warrants a few more suspects than someone who just cracked 2 ribs.
And: Who made that previously on? Showing the murder of Gregson's daughter's friend screamed of who the actual murderer would turn out to be. And Gregson himself? Understandable, but would he really be able to live with himself?
I'm looking forward to the next season and how (and if) they're going to write themselves out of the London-angle.
Psychopath female killer meets insightful desk-jockey/obsessed/newly-minted agent Eve. What follows is a cat and mouse game, coupled with erotic innuendo, and little in terms of real plot such as who are the Twelve, what's their endgame etc. Still entertaining enough. I wonder, though how Villanelle survived the stabbing and who that elderly neighbour really is (I mean she must have seen wounded Villanelle leave, not to mention that baby-faced love succumb to poisoning in the hallway). And the last 2 or 3 episodes, after Villanelle's visit to Eve's home were a bit anticlimactic - what of the husband? I mean, that he isn't happy is one thing but there's still a story to tell. But maybe that's just left for season 2.
Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan - season 1
We have little CIA analyst Jack Ryan coming up with a trail to a renagade ISIS-terrorist... and from desk-jockey he goes to field agent and counsellor of the president. Admittedly, the series had a good flow and pacing, although the end was rushed and, again, anticlimactic. And let's not mention Jack's love interest who has only one facial expression, and of course, is the leading expert on Ebola... which turns out is (one of) the threats. But whereas Jack sees threats everywhere, the others just stumble from one faux-pas to the next: Or who didn't see consequences coming from the terrorist graciously granting the hostages medication? Did he somehow grow a golden heart all of a sudden? No. So, that was a bit ridiculous, and also poorly followed up on. I mean, tablet-given Ebola? Why didn't they infect anyone else in contact with them? Why the time-jump right then? And the church attack in Paris? I think they set up a bit more than they could swallow in mere 8 episodes. Anyway, still a good series, I'll tune in for season 2.
The Looming Tower
Now this shows the miscommunication in the intelligence services that ultimately led to 9/11. Of course, the FBI are the good guys, the CIA (or specifically a subsection that works with one male guru and a harem of either completely obedient lovers or easily threatened minions) the bad guys. But honestly, if things really happened that way... well...
The middle dragged a bit with only establishing O'Neil's relationships (irrelevant to the plot), and I'd have wished for the result of the actual senate hearing that frames the whole series, being mentionned in the voice-over at the end. But seeing the work-up from the various attacks on embassies, ships, the information about pilot trainees not interested in landing a plane being dismissed... let's just say, by the time the planes crash into the towers you're just shaking your head in disbelief and renewed shock. At least, that's how I felt. Good series.
Elementary - season 6
Thought this season was a step up to season 5 - Shimwell's arc didn't work for me at all, Michael's on the other hand was intriguing (at least until he was found out). But I really liked the friendship/family-angle of this season. What Sherlock wouldn't do for Joan...
What I didn't quite understand in the final episode:
There's a recording of Michael's phone call to William Bazemore where Michael calls out Joan's name... but why should he call William who he knows ODed? (which he told Joan while trying to kill her) Didn't anyone check whether that phone call was doctored (might be that it got sent later than he actually made the call etc)? Why didn't Joan or Sherlock bring up that inconsistency?
The FBI... her grudge would have been more relatable if she had appeared earlier (not just off-screen during Sherlock's Vermont hiatus). Because quite honestly, a serial killer's murder warrants a few more suspects than someone who just cracked 2 ribs.
And: Who made that previously on? Showing the murder of Gregson's daughter's friend screamed of who the actual murderer would turn out to be. And Gregson himself? Understandable, but would he really be able to live with himself?
I'm looking forward to the next season and how (and if) they're going to write themselves out of the London-angle.
