Haven’t had a chance to watch “Charmed” yet, but I don’t want to double up on the other shows, so here we go…(SPOILERS INCLUDED)
SMALLVILLE–This entry was…well, it was kinda weird. A show that had running through it the theme of worrying about how people perceive you, we’ve got Clark dealing with not wanting to be seen as a football wimp, a young woman wanting to be seen as beautiful, and people melting down because they think they’ll be seen as ugly.
The supposed glue to hold this thing together is a whack-o Mom/scientist who has a brilliant medical procedure that apparently uses Kryptonite to make her daughter beautiful…except she keeps sucking people’s self-image out of them. As a result, they look in a mirror, see themselves as ugly, and freak.
I understand what they were going for in terms of a commentary with this nation’s obsession with self, but “Nip/Tuck” handles the beauty part better, and the overall A-plot came across like a warmed over combo of Season One “Smallville,” not to mention Season One “Buffy.” I’m a little fuzzy on what happened with the girl at the end, and worse, didn’t care all that much.
Of far greater interest is the subplot developing with Clark’s interest in football, and the notion that Lana’s shockingly dull boyfriend is now a coach at the school, taking their acceptable summer romance and transforming it into an unacceptable teacher/student relationship. Secrets such as these on soap opera-esque series never last and are invariably revealed one by one to shocked characters. Any bets on who’s going to find out first about Lana and the Professor? I’m thinking Lex, for some reason, although Clark seems the obvious way to go. They just better hope it ain’t Chloe.
LOST–How stone stupid do you have to be to use a gun toput someone out of their misery, and you don’t just blow their brains out. Instead, one of the many castaways whose name I haven’t learned yet decides he’s Van Helsing and endeavors to pop his victim in the heart.
Aside from that staggering lapse, the show continues to move forward and engage our interest in the many characters whose names I still don’t know, with a handful of exceptions. So I tend to use fake names–the Hobbit Guy, the Comic Book Guy–enabling me to communicate with Kathleen in the course of chatting about the show.
So the Korean man shows signs of actual compassion for his wife…probably because he’s unaware that she was 50% denuded earlier in the episode. We still don’t know much about the island, but that’s fine, because if we don’t care about the characters, then the island itself doesn’t matter. Plus I like the way they keep shifting the terrain on you: Creepy backgammon guy earns major points for finding the kid’s dog and pretending good ol’ dad did it…but in the final shot he looks more menacing then ever. What’s up with him?
PAD
• 
SMALLVILLE-horrible, average Freak of the Week episode. Best thing I can say is that it would have been a standard season 1 episode.
LOST-Am *so* loving this series. Backgammon guy (Locke) is probably the beat character, just because he’s so dámņ creepy. Did anyone else hear him growling near the end, or was it just the soundtrack? I’ve got my eye on the kid as well though…first the polar bear, then the rain stopping…could be coincidence but then again could be Bill Mumy in a Very Special Episode of the Twilight Zone.
RE: Facade(SMV)
Ugh. What an awful episode. After a total letdown of a two-part season opener that wasn
Any guesses on who Lana’s boring prettyboy boyfriend turns out to be? Psycho Pirate? The Sun Eater? Maybe Doomsday?
Caught that ep of “Lost” as well (my first) and found myself utterly indifferent to it, probably because the hype on it has been so overwhelming that nothing could possibly have lived up to my expectations. Still, compared to “Smallville,” it was bloody “Masterpiece Theatre.”
Still loving lost but this was the first episode that bugged me a bit. They toyed with us the entire episode that we would finally find out What She Did and the ways that they contrived to have every character be prevented from making the revelation finally got a bit too, um, contrived.
I saw the Doc’s “It doesn’t matter.” speech coming a mile away.
Anyway, the ending set things up nicely for what looks like some cool ugliness ahead.
SMALLVILLE – Did we ever learn what Lana’s boyfriend’s surprise was after he blindfolded her and left her in the house of mirrors?? Where did he go?? Home??
Jack’s speech to Kate pìššëd me off. It *does* matter what she did. If she were a murderer, or a violent criminal wouldn’t the others on the island have a right to know?
Only thing I found interesting in Smallville was the subplot of Clark and his father over him playing football issue. Yea sure it was visited in the first season but I think that aspect of him opposing his father just goes to show he’s becoming independent and can make the right judgments of it (not using his powers 100%). Anyways yea *yawn* another FOTW episode…and yet another usage of kryptonite on tonight’s but next week’s should be interesting so I have faith there’ll be better stories in the near future. As for Lost, I too am loving this show and heh that guy missing the heart just goes to show you he’s not as tough as people on that island think of him…I think. Anyways my tape got cut off at the ending so not sure whats happening tonight 🙁
“Jack’s speech to Kate pìššëd me off. It *does* matter what she did. If she were a murderer, or a violent criminal wouldn’t the others on the island have a right to know?”
Yes it matters. But Jack had just put a man to death. Someone he was trying desperately to save.
I had the sense he was dealing with that and realized that they had to put passed deeds behind. I’m sure we will find out more about Kate’s crime.
LOST
====
I assume Comic Book Guy is the fat guy? Hobbit guy has been, to me, “Merryorpippinicannotremember.” Creepy Backgammon guy is alternately “Peter Watts” or “Alias Guy.” The Oriental guy is “John Matheson” from B5:Crusade, the guy who did the shooting I’ve been calling “Viggo” and the Iraqi I’ve been calling “Pedro” after Martinez. The shrapnel guy has been “Agent Smith,” there is “Stupid girl” and “Stupid girl’s brother.” And, finally, of course, “The Pregnant one.”
— Londo
The main thing I’ve been looking forward to this season on Smallville is no more Chloe, especially with Lois to somewhat take over the role. And is it me or does Lois look too old to still be in college, let alone High School? As the series continues, it continues to make less and less sense…
LOST on the other hand, is an excellent example of episodic storytelling, the reveal enough to keep you interested and not too much so that you will be befuddled with an annoying infodump.
Matthew Fox will ALWAYS be Charlie and the guy who always has to take care of everyone.
Kate, who looks as great as Kate Beckinsale, continues to surprise.
The Hobbit dude will always be the Hobbit dude.
Annoying Brother/Sister, the brother will always be Smallville and actully turned up on a rerun of CSI the other night, still unshaven with unkempt hair.
Backgammon guy is, to me, Owen Wilson’s boss in OLD SCHOOL (don’t watch ALIAS)
Terry O’Quinn will always be “The psycho dad from THE STEPFATHER” in my mind. That’s where his reign of creepiness began.
This is what happens when the creators fail to name their characters. I know the dog’s name better than some of the major players.
RE: LOST
I have always been good with names so here ya go:
Jack – the doctor
Kate – the convict
Hurley – the fat guy
Jin – the Korean man
Sun – the Korean woman
Locke – the strange guy with the scar on his face
Shannon – the annoying girl
Boone – the annoying girl’s brother
Charlie – the faded rockstar and former Hobbit
Claire – the pregnant woman
Sayid – the Iraqi soldier
Michael – the father
Walt – the son
Sawyer – the big dumb cowboy
I’m wondering if any of the main cast will die or if only the “red shirts” on the island are going to be the expendable ones.
RE: SMALLVILLE
Another Freak of the Week ep but there were a few things that I liked. Clark defying Johnathan and joining the football team was a nice touch and should come in handy for the entire cash strapped Kent family since Clark is good enough to get a scholarship to college. I also liked the littel look on Chloe’s face at theend when she saw how well Lois and Clark were getting along, poor girl is still carrying that torch.
What I can do without is Lana and her new beau. At this point I find lana to be a complete buzzkill and don’t see any real purpose for her on the show. She should have stayed in France.
>>>>What I can do without is Lana and her new beau. At this point I find lana to be a complete buzzkill and don’t see any real purpose for her on the show. She should have stayed in France
What I can do without is CHLOE and her RETURN FROM THE DEAD. At this point, AND FOR MOST OF THE SERIES, I find CHLOE to be a complete buzzkill and don’t see any real purpose for her on the show, OTHER THAN TO ANNOY ME AND ANNOY HER FRIENDS. She should have stayed in DEAD!
Smallville: I thought it was pretty clear that Lex already knows about Lana and Boring Boyfriend. There was an obvious implied threat of “I know about you two, treat her right or I’ll make sure you go down hard” in the hospital scene with Lex and BB.
RE: LOST — It still rocks. I am hooked.
Regarding the gun, my thought was: How stupid could you be to waste your last bullet on a guy already dieing? The guy who did it knows (or should know) they may have to one day hunt for food (since he knows they can’t get a message out). The lady who gave him the gun knows there is a “monster” out there that killed the pilot. (Yes, something that big might not have been killed by a single bullet, but it is still better than a homemade spear!)
I could not have done it in the first place. But if I had no choice, finding a pillow or something to suffocate the guy with seems like the better solution. Not a good way to die, not as quick, but better than suffering for 12 hours.
RE: SMALLVILLE, or should I call it, Sexville?
Let me start by saying I realize I may be alone in my thoughts. But I am tired of the nudity and sex. For the moment, let’s set aside the broader issue of what is appropriate on TV (which I freely admit I am convervative in my opinions about). It is one thing for NYPD Blue, a clearly adult show at a later hour, to include strong sexual content. It is another when it is a “comic book” oriented show that undboubtedly attracts pre-teens as well as teens. (I know I would have been glued to this show as a 7 year old.)
What has been actually shown on Smallville would barely get it a PG at the theater and is not the same as what is on shows like NYPD Blue. But the themes and the implications (such as the shower scene this last week) bother me a lot. We have teens who are having, at the very least, sexual foreplay and possibly even sex in a public locker room at school. Even if you are ok with teen sex (which I believe is unwise at the very least), it is highly unlikely it would have been safe sex. And let’s not even get into the issue of how in real like this could have led to issues of sexual harrasment (or false claims of rape, or whatever).
Bottom line, I am quickly losing interest in Smallville. I don’t intend to turn this post into a debate on teen sex or what is appropriate to show on TV. I am simply stating why I am skipping tonight’s “Sex in Smallville” episode where the previews imply everyone is turned into sexual vampires (ok, slight exaggeration, but close enough).
There is a place for comics like Fallen Angel. I happen to not care for the content for this particular comic by PAD(I have read 3 issues), but I would not protest it. Let the readers decide.
If the comic “Superman” had the same sexual and moral content, I would protest. Superman is an icon for a far broader audience. An elementary age kid is going to look at as a hero Superman differently than he is “Lee” from Fallen Angel.
The same is true here. Smallville is part of the Superman mythology. I think a line has clearly been crossed that is inappropriate for the broad audience who watch. It is a line that does not have to be crossed. The sexual content is as gratuitous as it has been on the last season of Enterprise, and is for the same reason: to gain viewers. It may even work, but it is losing them this viewer.
Jim in Iowa
Lost:
Bet the Korean couple is an “arranged marriage” or “mail order bride” type of thing. Obviously she’s a bit frightened of him.
I agree about the gun thing. Stupid.
As for Kate and Charlie…dangit I wanted to know what she did….guess I’ll have to keep watching.
I’ll have to get over my distaste towards the pregnant chick simply because I used to watch “Roswell” ( the teenage/alien/ Soap Opera ). She was Tess the “love-to-hate” character on it. I still hate her.
Smallville: WB’s not on my satellite service…
Lost: Also unable to learn all their names, I stick with nicknames (I know Jack, Kate and Hurley):
Gavin (the lawyer Sun’s actor played on Angel)
Wheelchair guy (the father, was on Oz)
Stepfather
Pregnant lesbian (as I hope she turns out to be, especially after her exchange with the Hobbit on this episode).
the Hobbit
etc.
I too do agree that there’s way too much sexual innuendos in Smallville however I would like to see how Clark deals with wanting to have it (that is if he can)….and think they may touch upon that this season. Sure the show is based on a comic book icon thats as wholesome as apple pie, but I see Smallville as an esleworld thing..in other words, it is its own thing…
Best thing about Smalville: LOIS IN SILVER HOT PANTS!!!
Smallville Season 4: -Let’s review
Episode 1: 15 or so total minutes of Naked Clark Kent scattered throughout the episode, a few minutes of shirtless Lex, then a steamy scene of Lana in the shower, and toweling off in the end
Episode 2: Lois walks in while Clark is in the shower. Chloie finds herself all tied up.
Episode 3: Football jock hits on ugly-turned-sexy chick, and the two get topless as they make out in the showers under a spray of hot water. Lana kisses that same girl after being blindfolded by her boyfriend, who is now one of the teachers (well coaches) at her school. Lois gets stripped to her undies and strapped down to a bed. Clark ends up in a wet t-shirt
Episode 4: According to the preview of this weeks episode, kids drink Kryptonite laced KoolAid that makes them all insanely horny…
Hmm…. is there a pattern here?
Any guesses on who Lana’s boring prettyboy boyfriend turns out to be? Psycho Pirate? The Sun Eater? Maybe Doomsday?
It has been announced that Jane Seymour will play Jason’s mother. So I’m going to guess that Jason Teague is Jason Blood aka The Demon.
Or perhaps Mordred.
however I would like to see how Clark deals with wanting to have it
I agree that would be a worthwhile story line. Since, however, the logical conclusion (in my opinion) would be abstinence (because of not knowing how his DNA would react wtih a humans, and since there would be no guarantee that human birth control methods would work, and since if there was a pregnancy, it could reveal his secret), it is possible they might avoid it (since Hollywood tends to look at abstinence at being an unrealistic alternative to limiting or stopping teen sex and pregnancy).
Jim in Iowa
“What I can do without is CHLOE and her RETURN FROM THE DEAD. At this point, AND FOR MOST OF THE SERIES, I find CHLOE to be a complete buzzkill and don’t see any real purpose for her on the show, OTHER THAN TO ANNOY ME AND ANNOY HER FRIENDS. She should have stayed in DEAD!”
Did you down a sixpack of Red Bull right before postiung that?
Derek! – no, just search and replace.
Though I do have to admit, Lana can be as annoying as Chloe sometimes. Sometimes.
Props to PAD for using “denuded.” That is a great word.
Peace,
Doug
Unfortunately, I missed both “Lost” and “Smallville” last week, but I thought this article about “Lost” might be of interest.
http://www.freep.com/entertainment/tvandradio/duf13e_20041013.htm
Rick
Stupid girls brother is “guy who should have been Bruce Wayne.”
Stupid girls brother is “guy who should have been Bruce Wayne.”
I still campaign for Wil Freidle. Can you tell I’m an animated fan?
RE LOST:
“Jack’s speech to Kate pìššëd me off. It *does* matter what she did. If she were a murderer, or a violent criminal wouldn’t the others on the island have a right to know?”
Unless Jack did something equally terrible in his pre-LOST life. He grabbed a few extra bottles of vodka to help him forget about something.
Yeah, quoting the Comic Book Guy is old and lame, but so am I, okay. I think it’s amazing that this series started out great and then improved. The Colonel Locke ep really was incredible. And there’s no way they could have anticipated it, but this story about a wheelchair bound man regaining the ability to walk had so much more emotional resonance following so immediately on the passing of Christopher Reeve, who we all wanted to see do the same thing.
Since my real name’s Randall I’m loving the cliche that for some reason characters named “Randy” are always evil. Remember Randy the bully from Pee Wee’s Playhouse? Or Phil Hartman as Randy who kidnapped Harry on the Third Rock cliff-hanger? I don’t remember all the examples, but there have been more. Randys are always the bad guy, but hassling a wheelchair guy about his hopes and aspirations is a new low.
I’m not buying into the various skiffy theories. I don’t think an entire series will be built on a resolve that would barely make one good TOS or Twilight Zone ep. However, I read someone ask about how, if these survivors are dead, in purgatory and awaiting their final destination boarding, then what about the bodies in the plane, the ‘actual’ dead. Well, are you familiar with the “Left Behind” book series? (PAX is making it into a TV series for next year, so you will be.) The ‘actual dead’, the bodies… They went to Heaven. Everyone else… not. I don’t believe that’s where they’re going with this, it’s just an easy answer to that one question.
My simple question is this: how many survivors are left? We were told going in that there were “forty-eight”. Then we lost walk-into-the-jet guy, the pilot and Marshal Shrapnel guy. Was the “48” from the pre-show hype, meaning we’re now down to 45, or did someone in the pilot count 48, which would mean since they didn’t know about the pilot in the cockpit being alive, there were actually 49 and we’re now down to 46?
Also, DID Colonel Locke kill the boar? He was blood soaked when he dragged it in and met Jack, later Dad guy said “good job” and Locke shrugged it off. He didn’t take credit for the kill. Is it possible the Monster In The Woods (aka the thing that kills pilots and leaves their bodies hanging in trees) killed the boar?
Colonel Locke may well be a nut case, but he sure knows how to throw a knife. Unless, like Jack joked, he actually missed who he was aiming at. (Great joke, but still not as funny as “my babysitter joined the witness relocation program”.)
Lost
OK, so when will we see the alien ship which used its tractor beam on the plane?
Because, honestly, the basic physics of it has a plane going through severe enough turbulence at high enough altitude to have the pilot compartment torn away and land kilometers away from the rest of the plane, meaning the passenger section descended the rest of the way totally uncontrolled, yet dozens of people survived all that with minor injuries without outside help? Uh-huh ain’t happening.
Other things are easier to swallow, however. For example:
“If it’s been repeating for 16 years, then there’s got to be a source of electrical power that’s lasted that long. And any source of power that’s been going that long means civilization. At least it means that if you’re limited to present day technology…”
Nonsense. Satellites and space probes using SNAP generators and solar cells manage quite nicely for longer periods than that.
As for the Koreans, I can’t vouch for them actually being Korean, but there IS overlap in Korean and Japanese cuisine and that sure doesn’t sound like any Japanese I ever heard spoken in Japan.
Re: LOST
In regards to Colonel Locke killing the boar, The impression I got is that the boar was killed by the “monster”. As you hear the boar running through the brush you hear what I call it’s “death squeal”, and then silence.
The next few seconds I thought the Colonel was a dead man as it seemed that the monster moved towards him and was looking right at him and he was staring right back at it.
My wife and I have speculated that the monster represents the fear of the islanders. The colonel faced it head on and lived. (Kind of similar to the original Star Trek episode where on a alien planet the crew’s imagination’s would create the things around them). Either that or after killing the pig and seeing that the human did not run, the monster just walked away.
One thing I consider a minor flaw. The colonel is able to walk after being wheelchair bound for an assumed length of time. His leg muscles would not have been able to support him. Many years ago I was in the hospital on my back for 21 days straight (as a 13 year old) and I can tell you three weeks is enough to throw you out of wack as far as walking. It took me a good two weeks to get back to where I walked normally. There is no way I can imagine that a person wheelchair bound for any length of time could get right up and walk with what appears normal usage of their legs.
“As for the Koreans, I can’t vouch for them actually being Korean..”
They’re Korean, I understood what they were saying most of the time,and I couldn’t detect an accent.
As for the cross pollination of food, well Korea was a colony of Japan at one time. I know they eat similar foods, they just call it something else.
However you never know. Koreans have no love of Japanese and vice versa ( because of the colonization. Maybe a kidnapping…OH OH Maybe he’s North Korean kidnapping a Japanese to take her back to NK? That’s a possiblity in light of the fact they HAVE done that. OR She was recently reunited after being kidnapped?
Deh…guess we’ll find out.
who else thinks chloe from smallville is hot??? dámņ i love the ‘lost’ episode where she’s all tied up and gagged with duct tape..dámņ i wish that would me that had her like that. if i did i’d never untie her!!!
Dear Jim in Iowa,
You are certainly not the only one who feels that
smallville has gone way over the line in sexual content. I am, believe it or not, a mother of five,
and I used to enjoy smallville, but when modesty takes a
back seat, I don’t care what everybody is doing, I,
nor my children should see so much sex and undressing, and horrible behavior (besides the fact
that Tom Welling is married in real life) he should
not come so close to another woman, even if he is an
actor.It’s disgusting. Forget about the other
programs, like desperate housewives, the O.C., they are totally forbidden in my home. NOBODY
is permitted to watch them.
What can we do?