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True Detective – Night Finds You – Advance Preview: “We Get the World We Deserve”
Previously on True Detective:
Season 2, Episode 2: "Night Finds You"
While the premiere episode drew mixed reactions from some viewers, I’ve been enjoying this season from the get-go – and the few reservations I had were quickly erased when I screened episode two. True Detective starts to hit its stride here, with a fantastic second instalment that ups the ante in nearly every way. Last week I mentioned how excited I was initially to see Vince Vaughn in the part of Frank Semyon, and I was slightly underwhelmed by his presence in the premiere. Here his character gets fleshed out a bit more, and Vaughn will silence any doubters with his performance.
The episode definitely ups the quota of weird and adds more layers to an already convoluted mystery. Murder, mutilation, fetishes, hookers and tons of shady dealings; Casper’s case quickly becomes exceedingly exciting, and with so many players involved there’s a certain depth and intricacy that wasn't present last season. Everyone has an angle, and you never really know who’s working who. Nic Pizzolatto’s writing is interesting, intense, and always has depth. This season reminds me a great deal of my favorite film noir ever, Chinatown. The parallels certainly aren’t lost in the second episode. Some parts of “Night Finds You” – most notably the direction – also reminded me of Drive, Nicolas Winding Refn’s dark, 2011 neo-noir action film.
Farrell continues to impress, giving an incredibly layered and haunting performance. By all means, Velcoro should be detested – but Farrell plays him totally human, so even as he appears to be his own worst enemy, I feel sympathetic. He’s got plenty of great scenes here, including a tense conversation with his ex-wife regarding what happened in the premiere with Velcoro and his sons bully (probably my favourite TV scene so far this season.) His dynamic with McAdams is great, and his scenes with Vaughn are always brutally tense. Farrell continues to shine as the MVP of this all-start cast, though the others certainly aren’t slouching.
McAdams again nails her part as hardened and dynamic Detective Bezzerides – we get bit more information on her upbringing and the religious work her father does, and McAdams is consistently fantastic. Kitsch also gains points here, deepening his character that is perhaps the biggest mystery of the bunch. He could be a hero or a villain; there are hints in episode two of a darker, perhaps less-sympathetic side to Woodrugh.
The final moments are chilling and will certainly leave fans begging for episode three – which I was lucky enough to screen in advance, and will preview for you next week. Until then, what are you most excited for this Sunday? Where are you expecting the stories to go now that you’ve seen the premiere? Hit the comments with your thoughts and feel free to follow me on Twitter for all my SpoilerTV work.
“Night Finds You” premieres this Sunday at 9pm EST on HBO.
USD POLL : Who is currently the most successful television producer?
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USD POLL : Which TV shows shouldn't have been cancelled during the 2014/2015 season?
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USD POLL : Which new Fall 2015 dramas are you most looking forward to?
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Killjoys premiered to “bang up” ratings with “Bangarang.” The first episode was written by series creator and showrunner Michelle Lovretto, who is best known up until now for Lost Girl. The episode is directed by Chris Grismer whose other credits include The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, Pretty Little Liars, Orphan Black, and Kyle XY. The series features some excellent action and special effects. The basic premise of bounty hunters working outside the political systems – though within the law – is intriguing and offers some real scope for great stories.
USD POLL : Which character would you like to see return on The Vampire Diaries or The Originals?
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After the fun twist at the end of the pilot, Dark Matter has a little trouble finding its focus this week. Yes, yes, Dark Matter, you’ve just woken up and are groggy with brain damage probably, we the audience understand, but this does not mean you can’t move forward with purpose. The crew’s history is fleshed out just a bit by the appearance of their current contractors, the shady Ferrous Corp, and the crew sent out as a contingency plan when the Raza went dark. We also get the bonus of a couple of big shoot-em-out battles, the second of which was particularly well done. In spite of this, the episode feels incredibly muddled, a bit like it’s throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. There are a lot of nice moments mixed with off-tone scenes and plot elements that don’t quite work.
Down on Planet Disenfranchised Miner, One struggles with his feelings on leaving the villagers to fend for themselves while simultaneously flirting vaguely with village cutie. The young woman is not given a name, or any real personality trait beyond the ability to pull off an excellent side fishtail in the face of battle. The planet of miners is a big part of what fails this episode. No one is very well defined or treated as much more than a problem for the crew to solve, a vehicle for their heroics (or villainy, should they decide to go that way). The options here are just so extreme -- let a nice planet of people live or die – that the moral quandary feels almost cartoonish. The more time we spend with miners, the more it feels like a slog.
Meanwhile, the commander of the Ferrous Corp ship boards the Raza to confront Two. She bluffs her way through the negotiation admirably, and from this conversation we get the useful information that Ferrous Corp is one of several multicorps vying for control over the universe, and boy do they want control of that mining planet; they have tons of soldiers at their disposal and won’t stop until it’s theirs. Two is offered a bonus to abandon the planet, her crew included, but she must hightail it out of there right away. Cut to the Marauder charging up for takeoff, and a baffled Six announcing the Raza is gone.
Before Six can get off the ground, he’s taken hostage by the formerly captive FCS soldier, freed by a couple of idiot miners hoping to trade their safety for the surrender of the rest of the mining colony. Waves of FCS soldiers land and the very cool battle begins. The reactor core is probably not ideal for anyone who wants to survive an actual gunfight, as the crew had pointed out, but it sure serves up some fine camera angles and multi-level action sequences. The gunfire halts and the battle shifts to a hostage negotiation, with the turncoat miners shuffling Six into the fray and ordering surrender. One, Three, and Four begrudgingly agree to go out in a blaze of glory and rush out hollering, weapons brandished, only to find Six alone- the FCS has retreated entirely thanks to Two’s off-screen gambit pitting one multicorp against another and securing a better deal for the mining colony.
Post Script:
“Who doesn’t love a good song?”
So the turncoat miner who was like “killing those soldiers wasn’t part of the plan!” Wait, what? Then what was the plan exactly?? Was he thinking dance battle? Poetry slam? I worry this man did not know what he was getting into.
“So… do either of you possess offspring?”
“Could you be more specific?”
“You don’t name your guns?” YOUR JAYNE COBB IS SHOWING
So there are obvious Firefly parallels to make here (see last quote, and Five is essentially a coherent River) but it’s very early in the series and I’d like to see if they can sufficiently break away from the mold in that respect. (The Serenity crew had defining character tropes to fall back on too, they just used them very, very well.)
Also, I laughed really hard at that blaze of glory mislead.
What did you think of the second episode? Digging the show, not for you, or somewhere in between? Join in the conversation below!
Another great, solid outing for The CW's Beauty and the Beast, this week, I would say. I really enjoyed this week's episode. There was action, adventure, lessons to be learned and new foes emerged. Heck, we even got an explosion. But of course there were a few things that left me with a squinty, questioning expression and softly whispering the word really, into the night. Hope this holds you over until Thursday!
USD POLL : Which cancelled TV show would you choose to get picked up by another channel?
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In its first season, TNT's The Last Ship was plagued by erratic pacing, a serious lack of character development and an over-reliance on apocalypse genre tropes. Although it had its strong points, the show's first year was largely uneven in terms of quality. Fortunately, the second season premiere rights many wrongs of the past. With this two-part episode, The Last Ship gives viewers everything they could want from an end-of-the-world drama series.
Here's What Happened:
The premiere picks up right where the first season left off. After being reunited with his children and father in Baltimore, Commander Tom Chandler finds himself on the run after learning that Avocet head Amy Granderson is not the benevolent leader she made herself out to be. Leaving his family with CMC Jeter in a safe house, Chandler (alongside LT Burke and LT Green) makes a move against Granderson by capturing the city's power plant. It is there, of course, that she is burning bodies to power the city. As such, this move on Chandler's part proves costly to her operation. While fighting his way through Granderson's forces, Chandler comes into contact with mysterious rebel leader Thorwald. Though initially hesitant to trust each other, the two agree to work together to take down Avocet.
Of course, Chandler doesn't get to have all the fun in this episode, as the crew of the U.S.S. Nathan James must contend with an attack on their ship by Granderson's lackeys, who are trying to seize the primordial strain of Dr. Scott's vaccine. In the midst of this conflict, Quincy makes a harrowing attempt to prevent the Avocet henchmen from learning where the strain is being kept. He allows himself to bleed out from the gunshot wound he received at the end of last season so that the secret location of the strain dies with him. Elsewhere on the ship, a group of crew members who manage to get free from the grasp of their foes raid the armory in an effort to take back the ship.
Unlike some of her Navy comrades, LT Kara Foster is unable to avoid capture by Granderson's henchmen. After their attempts to get Quincy to reveal the location of the primordial strain prove fruitless, a group of Avocet guards take Kara to their lab, where they plan to extract stem cells from her unborn child that will allow them to develop a strain of their own. Fortunately, Kara is quickly freed by Tex, who, learning of Avocet's misdeeds, returns to help the Nathan James crew after parting ways with them last season. In tow is Dr. Scott, whom Tex also frees after learning that Avocet is keeping her under their thumb.
In a needless D-plot, Chandler's family, along with CMC Jeter, must stay hidden from Avocet's forces while also trying to nurse Chandler's sick son back to health. When a group of Avocet henchmen get wind of their location, they must go on the run again.
Toward the end of the premiere, Chandler, Thorwald and the rebels stage a full-scale assault on Avocet headquarters, while the crew of the Nathan James makes a move to dispose of the people who have captured their ship. The climactic fight at Avocet HQ results in Thorwald's death and Alisha Granderson getting shot by one of her mother's guards. The elder Granderson attempts to escape Chandler and his forces. While waiting on the rooftop of the Avocet building for a helicopter to come take her away, Granderson is confronted by Chandler, who chews her out for valuing certain lives over others and killing people for her own nefarious purposes. Chandler demands that she surrender. At first, it seems as though she is ready to comply, but Granderson instead decides to take on a "they aren't taking me alive" philosophy. The cold and calculating villain injects herself with a serum that kills her, thus bringing the conflict between her forces and the Navy to a halt. The episode ends on a light note, as Chandler, reunited with his family once again aboard the Nathan James, looks out upon the city of Baltimore, ready to make his way back home to Norfolk after the hell his crew has been through.
Here's What Worked:
Although the first season of The Last Ship was somewhat tedious at times, this two-part premiere was anything but boring. These episodes had a cinematic quality to them, akin to films like Taken or Zero Dark Thirty. The pulse-pounding action never let up. Even during moments of levity (which were far and few in between), the threat of Avocet loomed, leaving you on the edge of your seat. As busy and action-packed as this episode was, though, the premiere never seemed to lose its way. The show's writers deftly juggled four separate story lines (Chandler and the Warlords; Tex, Kara and Dr. Scott on the run; Chandler's family in hiding; and the captured crew members).
As for the performances featured in this set of episodes, everyone in the cast put forth a great effort to make this premiere shine. As great as everyone was, though, Alfre Woodard was undoubtedly the premiere's unsung hero. Coming off her run on the short-lived NBC political drama State of Affairs, the Golden Globe winner returns to television with a vengeance. Throughout the two-part premiere, Woodard gives a stellar performance. She delivers each line with an intense and icy wickedness that trumps that of any other villain that has been ever been introduced on this show.
Here's What Didn't Work:
There was something about the story line that saw Chandler's family hiding out from Avocet that felt off to me. The action of this plot just felt so far removed from everything else that was going in the premiere. Another problem with this story line was that it lacked consistency, particularly where Sam Chandler's sickness was concerned. During part one of the premiere, everyone kept going on about how worried they were that Sam was going to die. By the end of part two, though, Sam is back on his feet with little to no explanation as to why he suddenly feels better. The premiere certainly would've benefited from opening up that aspect of this story line a little more by doing something as simple as dropping a line or two explaining his miraculous recovery.
The resolution to the Kara/stem cell extraction plot line also could have used a bit of work. They could have done so much with this plot, but it was resolved so quickly that it didn't even have the chance to come across the least bit consequential. Perhaps if this two-parter had aired over the course of two weeks instead of one night, the Kara-under-the-knife cliffhanger ending in part one and the subsequent resolution in part two could have packed more of a punch.
Although the show did a great job developing Granderson as a villain, I feel a mistake was made by killing this character off so soon. Woodard gave this role her all. With that ever-present look of disdain and her staccato line delivery, she was able to provide such depth to this already well-written character. She added something that was missing from this show: a worthy foe to Chandler and the rest of the Nathan James crew. Whether or not Woodard was even available to do more episodes beyond the premiere is not information to which I am privy. Regardless, getting rid of Granderson so soon seems like a grievous error.
Killing off Thorwald was another thing that didn't work in this episode's favor. Like Granderson, this character had so much potential. While viewing the brief scenes he shared with Chandler, it seemed clear that the underlying tension between these two characters could have produced some compelling story lines in future episodes. Why this tension was not mined further is beyond me.
Other Random Thoughts:
*Although Quincy was kind of a dummy, it was nice to see him redeem himself for his past crimes in the premiere.
*Too bad Titus Welliver and Maximiliano Hernández didn't get the chance to stage an Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. reunion. It would've been funny to see Agent Sitwell and Agent Blake together again.
*Now that Patrick Dempsey isn't charming the ladies of Grey/Sloan Memorial, now would be the perfect time to get McDreamy to come on and do a guest spot on this show. Wouldn't it be interesting to see Dempsey play the Lothario to Eric Dane's man of honor?
*Not only is the show's new credit sequence longer, it also does a much better job of letting viewers know what the show is about. Last year's sequence (which featured a Navy officer in a gas mask spray painting the screen red) felt a bit out of place. Although this year's sequence is simple (it features objects like a gas mask, a bible, a vial, and the American flag floating in the ocean), it is nicely animated and really ties in with the themes and happenings of the show.
*During the final battle between Chandler's crew and Avocet, there was a scene between Thorwald and a former police officer now working for Granderson. The scene was quick, but it was certainly a stand out. Most of the Navy officers featured on this show are honorable and unwavering heroes dedicated to the mission at hand. Rarely on this show do we get to see those characters succumb to the dark side so that they may survive in this brave new world. It is interesting to see the contrast between an officer continuing to fight for the greater good and one who has chosen to make a deal with the devil. Moving forward, I hope the writers continue to feature situations involving moral ambiguity that should be commonplace in settings such as this.
*Actress Faye Masterson, who portrays Andrea Garnett, chief engineer of the Nathan James, is deserving of recognition for her work in this episode. The character is stuck aboard the Nathan James alongside the rest of Chandler's captured crew. Despite the confining situation in which the character finds herself, Masterson's performance isn't pigeonholed because of the limited canvas with which she is able to work. She portrays Garnett as a true leader against Granderson's gun-toting henchmen. Garnett's role was rather limited in season one. She was merely a background character. Her role is still not as expansive as it could be, but this premiere did a pretty good job of letting her grow a little. Let's hope the show's writers continue to let this character flourish in season two. If this episode accomplished anything, it was to establish that Garnett (and, by extension, Masterson) is a force to be reckoned with.
*The episode's largely dialogue-less last scene was so well done. The music in that sequence did a wonderful job of illustrating the crew's ability to stand tall in the midst of all the adversity they have faced.
Overall Episode Grade: 9 Anchors Out of 10
The Good Stuff:
-Great pacing
-Edge-of-your-seat action
-Awesome performances by key cast members, particularly Alfre Woodard
The Not-So-Good Stuff:
-Decision to get rid of newer characters so soon
-Airing both parts of premiere in one night lessened the impact of the part one cliffhanger involving Kara
-Story line involving Chandler's family felt superfluous to the rest of the action of the show and wasn't resolved well
If you had any doubts about reenlisting with The Last Ship for season 2, let those doubts drift away. If this premiere was anything to go by, this season is going to be quite a ride! So, don't jump ship quite yet!
USD POLL : What was your most 'OMG' worthy moment on Person of Interest this season?
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So many great scenes from this week's episode of Beauty and the Beast but remember, you only get to vote for three. Hard as heck, I know.
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Hey there all you lovers of the The CW's Beauty and the Beast. Are you ready to discuss this week's episode? I know I sure am. There was a lot that I loved and a few things I wasn't so crazy about but overall there were more things to like than hate so it was definitely a solid line in the win column in my opinion. Wondering what I loved and what I loathed? Well, come on in and see for yourself.
USD POLL : Which ABC drama has the best original soundtrack?
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Defiance returned for season three with a two hour premiere. It certainly felt like one continuous episode to me, but it was actually two episodes back-to-back: “The World We Seize” and “The Last Unicorns.” Both episodes were directed by Michael Nankin, but the first was written by Kevin Murphy and the second by Kari Drake. This is only Drake’s second writing credit, and she is new to Defiance, which may explain the inconsistencies of the second episode. It was great to see the Tarrs back in action, and it seems there will be two new big bads. There were shocking developments and terrific performances to kick off the season.
It would seem that we will see little of Rath and Hamilton going forward as Pilar is on the run with Luke. Again, Rath was terrific as Alak wakes up to realize that he’s now lost his son. Having Tak take him prisoner may or may not separate him from a lot of the main action. I’m imagining that it will take some time to get back to chasing Pilar for the baby.
Defiance seems to be between a rock and a hard place as the season opener ends. The Omec are already there – what will they do when they are fully powered up? Will T’egvin wake the rest of the Omec for a midnight snack before continuing their journey? Meanwhile, Tak is determined to overrun Defiance and kill all the humans – and likely most of the Voltans.
Several elements of Defiance continue to be really satisfying. The special effects continue to be generally above average. The languages are still really fully realized. And Bear McCreary continues to deliver a terrific soundtrack. As with so many episodes, this one ends with a brilliantly re-imagined version of Queen’s “You’re My Best Friend.” The song begins as a lullaby song by Pillar to baby Luke – he’s now her reason for living and he justifies any action on her part (The song lyrics: Ohh, you make me live. Whatever this world can give to me, It's you, you're all I see). The song quickly moves from Hamilton singing – which is good because she is not a good singer – to a beautiful arrangement.
While I loved this closing sequence, this won't go down as my favorite season premiere for the show. I'm still disappointed that they killed off the entire McCawley family - except Pilar, who I could easily live without. The Omec introduce a new dynamic as does Tak. I'm not entirely convinced we needed both in the same season, or at least not introduced at exactly the same time. Yewll and the Tarrs continue to be the biggest draw for me for the show. What did you think of the premiere? Are the purple people eaters scary? Were you disappointed to lose the McCawleys? Will Datak and Stahma be able to defeat Tak? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
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