It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: "Charlie and Dee Find Love" Review

Warning: Full spoilers for the episode follow...

"I know what this is. This is a les liaisons dangereuses."

"Oh s***!"

The Always Sunny Gang rebounded big time this week with "Charlie and Dee Find Love." A laugh riot through and through, this was Season 8's best episode so far, revolving around Charlie and Dee getting pulled into the life of the wealthy Taft family via beautiful siblings and heirs Trevor (Josh Casaubon) and Ruby (Alexandra Daddario).

Initially, Dennis, Mac and Frank see this an an opportunity to mooch off the rich, but then become flabbergasted when Trevor and Ruby aren't completely and utterly repulsed by Charlie and Dee during a fancy double dinner date. Man, just watching Charlie squeal when the cheese tray rolled up and then resisting for about ten seconds before just shoving his face into the entire thing like a hog was incredible. "Can the girl not smell Charlie? Can the guy not see Dee?" Dennis was totally confused, until he realized that the entire thing was an elaborate 1% "Dinner for Schmucks"-style mind game designed to humiliate the poor and revolting.

Meanwhile, Mary Elizabeth Ellis returned as "The Waitress," still never revealing her name even though she called Dennis directly in order to reach Charlie. It was a pretty funny gag, hearing only Dennis' side of the conversation, with him not being able to recognize her by whatever name she was saying. "Just say waitress next time," Dennis demanded.

Anyhow, Dennis and Mac decided to split up in order to discover Trevor and Ruby's ultimate scheme, leading to vagina punching, some shampoo laced with rat poison and Dee doing a horrifically un-sexy lap dance to "Bad Company" by Bad Company. "Let's hump!" she drunkenly commanded. One of the most gratifying things about this episode, aside from the fact that it had many hilarious exchanges, was that not everyone in The Gang was a complete moron. Sure, they were freaks, but Dennis was actually right about Dee being used by Trevor to show his frat buddies that he could find the biggest loser. Yeah, he was wrong about Charlie's situation, but Charlie still "won"; having a secret plan of his own to use Ruby in order to make The Waitress jealous.

Of course, in Charlie's mind, winning means merely going back to the way things were; with him doing insane and random stuff that he thinks helps keep The Waitress safe...from a court-imposed distance. "I guess Charlie had the cruelest intentions of all," said Dennis, halfway impressed. It isn't often that The Gang gets a win, even a tainted one, so for Dennis to actually be able to ruin Taft's big public offering announcement with his "Mac/Trevor Definitely Not Gay Sex" video was a lot of fun.

Frank didn't have much to do in this one, but I did laugh heartily when, after being discovered by The Waitress in her apartment, he said, from behind a wall, "I'm your neighbor" before jumping out and screaming at her until she ran out the front door. So yes, these are the kinds of episodes I relish. Always Sunny might not hit it out of the park each and every week, but episodes like this prove that there's still gas in the tank. To mix up my sports and car metaphors.

Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and on IGN at mattfowler. No other choice you will ever make will be as easy and render such a great reward.

Source : ign[dot]com

Nikita: The 10 Coolest Moments

Warning: Spoilers for the first two seasons of Nikita follow.

With Nikita back this Friday, October 19th, for Season 3, we thought it would be a good time to relive some of the show’s coolest moments. Nikita is one cool show, so narrowing it down wasn’t easy, but here’s what we came up with…

10

Michael Eats Explosions for Breakfast ("Knightfall")

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Knowing that a missile is headed toward the house where Michael is trapped, Nikita has raced into harm’s way in a desperate attempt to rescue him. The house explodes just as she gets there, and she stumbles around the debris, her grief growing with every second. Suddenly, Michael strides out of the smoke like something out of an 80’s music video and Nikita leaps into his arms. On this show, even the mushy stuff is really cool.

9

Killing Spree = Promotion ("The Recruit")

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Robbie (played by Bug Hall - Alfalfa from The Little Rascals movie!) was a recruit who dreamed of seeing the world once he became a field agent. Those dreams were squashed when he was made a Division security guard instead and that disappointment eventually led to him snapping and going on a shooting spree inside Division. Alex and the rest of the recruits are told that Robbie has been terminated, but in the episode’s last scene, Amanda tells a bound and beaten Robbie that she underestimated him, and that he is a prime candidate for the group’s super creepy “cleaner” program--a chilling reminder of just how twisted Division is.

8

Nerd Kisses Niki ("Crossbow")

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The deepening of the friendship between Nikita and hacker extraordinaire Birkhoff was a pleasantly surprising subplot during Season 2. Nevertheless, they had their share of conflict as well, not the least of which was Birkhoff’s vehement opposition to Nikita’s Hail Mary plan to infiltrate Division. After challenging her sanity, Birkhoff made nice in a most unexpected way: he gave her a big kiss (right in front of her studly boyfriend), then added sincerely, “May the Force be with you.” Way to go, Nerd!

7

The Truth About Alex's Father ("Betrayals")

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Nikita had told Alex the truth about who killed her parents... From a certain point of view. Yes, it was a Division strike team sent by Percy but she left out one critical bit of information. And in a moment as shocking for fans as it was for Alex, Percy reveals to her that Nikita was not only a member of that strike team, she was the one who murdered her father.

6

Nikita Embraces Her Dark Side ("Wrath")

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Nikita has been captured and tortured by a man she maimed back when she worked for Division. He thinks he’s broken her when she says she’s sorry—but wait! That’s not what she’s apologizing for. With a downright evil smile on her face, Nikita regrets not gouging out his other eye, nor cutting out his tongue. Then she laughs in his face. And it isn’t an act. In this incredible moment, we see the part of Nikita that she fears the most. The woman that did evil things once upon a time—and liked it.

Source : ign[dot]com

The Walking Dead: "Rick's Word is Law"

Warning: Full spoilers follow for The Walking Dead Season 3 premiere episode, "Seed," and minor spoilers for Robert Kirkman's Walking Dead comic book series.

So how about that for a Walking Dead season premiere, huh? Pretty exciting and gruesome stuff. And, as tradition here at IGN, we got to talk to comic series creator and show EP/writer Robert Kirkman about what we just saw. Months have passed, Rick's fully in command, Carl's now clearing houses with the likes of Daryl and T-Dog, there's a walker-filled prison that needs cleansing, Lori's not giving Rick any disapproving looks or pushback and Andrea and Michonne are still off on their own. There's just so much happening.

The Walking Dead: Season 3 Premiere Review

IGN: Well, we're finally here. We're at the prison now. What's it like to finally be tackling a big set piece and storyline that the comic fans have been anticipating ever since the show started?

Robert Kirkman: My experience in having the Walking Dead comic turned into a TV show has been indescribable. It's not something that I've ever heard of anyone really experiencing. It really is quite bizarre. I've gone from seeing comic book characters that I've written for nearly a decade come to be represented by flesh and blood human beings who you can have conversations with. Which is really awkward. But now I'm actually seeing an entire world built up that I can walk around in. I can go into cells inside the prison. I can walk the prison yard. I can play basketball on the basketball court. I can go up into the guard tower. It's really strange to see it all come to life and I think AMC's done a really good job in working with very talented people who really dedicate themselves into making this show the best that it can be. I know a lot of time and effort went into making this prison and it looks absolutely remarkable on screen. In person though, it's overwhelming for me to be there.

IGN: A lot of things have changed within the group since the last time we saw them. Exactly how much time has passed?

Kirkman: Well, we don't really like to nail things down too tightly, but we were getting into winter pretty much by the end of Season 2. The leaves were starting to fall off and it was getting pretty cold and so we were definitely approaching winter when we last left off. Season 3 picks up now with the end of spring and the beginning of summer. So we skipped through a little bit of fall, winter and a little bit of spring.

IGN: What was behind the decision to have Rick be so fully in charge? I think the term that was coined was "Ricktatorship."

Kirkman: I think it was very important, after the last scene in Season 2, to show that Rick's decision to not take any advice from his people and to make it his way or the highway has really made it so that they've all survived the winter, despite not being able to find a solid place to live in for any real length of time. I think we really wanted to show that Rick is a capable leader and that he does know what he's doing. And I think the first two episodes of the season will show everyone that this is a different guy; much more harsh, much more deadly and way more serious. A hardened leader.

IGN: He really has no opposition, at this point, from anyone. And they're a head-strong group.

Kirkman: For better or for worse, Rick's word is law right now. And that's something that has kept them alive. But we'll see, as the season progresses, sometimes he makes mistakes and sometimes bad things happen. But for now, at least, Rick's in charge and we're seeing a very different person. This is a guy who was a small town cop who was just kind of feeling his way through this world. And to a certain extent, he was scared out of his mind. Over the course of the first two seasons, he's become this guy that we have now who is running head first into a prison yard and taking walkers out. And doing whatever he has to do to keep these people around him safe.

IGN: Another big change, and more evidence that Rick's word is law, is how much Carl has changed. Rick would have gotten an earful if he'd tried to have Carl shoot walkers last year.

Kirkman: Carl has really evolved into a child soldier over the course of the winter. He's now there in the mix with Rick and Daryl when they're cleaning out that house in the beginning. He knows how to clear a room now. He knows how to run through a house that could be infested with zombies. And, as you can see, this is something he's done before. This is Carl growing up. Having that time jump in between the seasons has really facilitated turning Carl into a different character. A much more capable character. Someone who doesn't have to hide in the house while all the cool stuff happens. He's out there shooting guns, taking out Walkers and being a little badass.

IGN: What can you tell us about Rick and Lori's relationship? It seems pretty cold at this point. He's providing for her, but little more.

Kirkman: It's definitely damaged. Despite all the other changes that happened over the winter that we didn't get to see, they really haven't reconciled. For the most part, they're not really speaking. Lori has done something that Rick hasn't forgiven her for yet. And Rick did something that Lori wasn't too happy about, as we saw at the end of the second season. So they're really distant and struggling through the fact that they have to live together. She is carrying a child. Could be his child, could be Shane's. Nobody really knows. It is definitely a big sense of source of tension within the group this year.

IGN: Now this is close to the time, in the comic series, that Michonne would become a part of the group, but you've chose not to do that here. She's off with Andrea, which is a pairing we never saw in the comics. What was behind that decision?

Kirkman: I think as the season progresses, and we see our entry point into Woodbury and meeting The Governor, it will become pretty clear this pairing was a really cool change that came with a lot of great story in it. That's really the key to making changes to the comic book. Asking ourselves "what does it add?" or "how could this enhance the story?" And I think this enhances the story in a big way. Having these two warrior women out on the road, surviving together, is kind of a cool thing. And we've seen that they've bonded quite a bit over the winter. One thing that I really like about this season is that if you notice and do the math about how long Rick and the group were with Andrea, she's been with Michonne longer than she was with the rest of the survivors. So their bond has grown very strong over time. If these groups were to meet, if Andrea and Michonne were to encounter Rick and the others, her new bond might add some conflict to the reunion. ...Were it to take place this season.

IGN: Keeping things with the comics here... poor Hershel. We saw his leg get hacked off, but in the comics it wasn't him. It was a different character.

Kirkman: It's a pivotal moment in the comic series, but it happens to Allen, a character that hasn't been introduced on the television show. So we decided to do it to Hershel. And having that moment that comic book fans remember adapted for the show -- in a cool way that calls back to the comic series and the stories that were told there, but also done in a way that comic fans can still be surprised when it happens -- really is the meat and potatoes of the show. I want the comic fans to still go "Oh my god!" That's the really cool stuff, when people don't know what to expect. Even though it's still familiar.

Source : ign[dot]com

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: "Pop-Pop: The Final Solution" Review

Warning: Full spoilers for the episode follow...

"You see free soup, you make a decision to eat it!"

Ugh, what were Mac and Charlie eating anyhow?  It looked like old, cold French Onion soup without the cheese.  At least that's the horrible taste I imagined when they were slurping it.

Yes, the Always Sunny gang is back for Season 8 (wow!) and kicking things off with a good old fashioned Nazi treasure hunt. Specifically, Adolph Hitler's priceless, hokey painting of a German Shepherd. A dog that Hitler must of of lost, mourned, and, according to Charlie, used an an excuse to exact vengeance upon the entire world. "Pop-Pop: The Final Solution" wasn't always killer, but it was still a decent enough way to open up the season given that we're now eight years deep into the rancid exploits of the wonderfully filthy and stupid denizens of Paddy's Pub.

The highlight of this one, for me, was Dennis and Sweet Dee discovering that they went to a racist Nazi youth camp when they were young, clearly not remembering the details of what the irate counselor was screaming at them in his speeches. But what caused them to take a trip down Aryan memory lane? Well, their dearly beloved, and currently rotting, Pop-Pop is being kept alive in a death-soaked, soup-filled hospital room by tubes and they have to decide whether or not to pull the plug on the old bastard.

Shorter cable seasons, and the ability to say just about everything except "f***" on FX, have helped preserve this show, keeping it mostly fresh a long while. But we're still years and years deep into Always Sunny and it's become harder to shock us with the gang's outrageous antics. I still expect to get two or three gems out of Season 8, like Season 7's "The Gang Goes to the Jersey Shore" and "Chardee MacDennis: The Game of Games," but I'm afraid this premiere wasn't the treasure I was hoping for. But it did show, like the Jersey Shore episode, that there's still comedy to be mined from Dennis and Dee misremembering their clearly effed-up formative years.

While Dennis and Dee went back and forth on whether or not to kill their creepy, corpse-like Pop-Pop, who was lying in a room that felt like something out of the movie Seven, Mac and Charlie were on the hunt! In a story that's sure to be adapted later into a big-budgeted "Ryan Gosling as Indiana Jones" Da Vinci Code-style thriller. It's always fun to watch these two spiral into insanity only to revisit their entire idea at the end and discover that one of them was just lying the whole time. This time it's Charlie, who was just pretending to think the dog painting was worth millions to get Mac to help him look for his favorite painting. Except, of course, Charlie had good reason to actually believe the picture could have been worth something. He just chose not to think that.

So throw in a few tasteless jokes about gassing, dog executions and a slight nod to dental torture and you've got yourself an Always Sunny stew goin'! All so that Frank, Mac and Charlie could get their hands on an "original Hitler." "It belongs in a museum!" Mac screamed, channeling his inner-Indiana. Brian Unger appeared, once again, as the gang's beleaguered attorney, providing us with one normal "real life" character to sync up with amidst the craziness. David Hornsby was also back as Cricket, with a wicked new scar on this face and a new job cleaning up giant Mastiff diarrhea at the local pound.

Not a total riot, but when placed side-by-side next to all the new, horrible network comedies that popped up this Fall,"Pop-Pop: The Final Solution" was a masterpiece. By Always Sunny standards though, it was okay.

Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and on IGN at mattfowler. No other choice you will ever make will be as easy and render such a great reward.

Source : ign[dot]com

New Girl: "Fluffer" Review

Warning: Full spoilers from the episode to follow.

This week on New Girl was all about fluffers, Romneys and loft trolls -- normally an odd combination, but not so outside the realm of possibility for Jess and the guys. More specifically, though, "Fluffer" acted as an emotional outlet this week, as each of the roomies dug a little deeper than normal to solve their respective problems.

For Jess, it was using Nick to justify her sexual urges with her new boy toy Sam. This, of course, started out innocent enough as Nick joined Jess for a platonic date at a fancy restaurant. This scene probably had some of the best bits, including Nick's out-of-place hesitation to stick around ("I don't know which fork to kill myself with.") and Jess's thermos full of white wine ("You unexpected genius!"). Unfortunately, the fun didn't last long after Nick learned that he was merely an emotional patsy -- a "fluffer," if you will -- for Jess.

By the end, however, this was a sweet story for Nick and Jess, if not a bit of a redundant one; at this point, we've pretty much gotten the all clear that they're both into each other. Still, Nick's dresser dilemma ("It's like high-stakes LEGOs.") was a pleasant arc for all involved. I particularly enjoyed Nick's few scenes with Winston, a one-on-one pair-up that I feel doesn't happen nearly as often as it should. It was also a plus to learn for sure that Nick and Jess had both "thought about it;" Jess's flashback with Nick and the peanuts was especially hilarious.

Meanwhile, Schmidt's recurring Romney gag provided a few good laughs, as well as some intriguing insight into his past. On the surface, the Tugg Romney stuff perhaps felt a little over-the-top -- after all, he looked a bad guy from an '80s movie -- but it did its job in leading Schmidt to the real heart of his character arc this week, namely his unresolved father issues. And while the Romney stuff was all well and good for awhile, it was Schmidt's final scene with Cece that let us see a side of him we hadn't really before. I suppose that can be chalked up to his sage-like advice from Cece, who, being brown, has "the wisdom of a thousand white women."

Another big win this week was Winston's storyline with Shelby and his mental cheating. Not only was it hilarious to see his creeptacular arousal face -- which, by the way, is now in the running for best facial expression alongside Nick's turtle face -- but we also saw his clear struggle to make ends meet emotionally with Shelby. This paired with his mom's career remark from last week, and it seems as though Winston is going to have his own struggles to work out. While he still hasn't really taken center stage this season, it was nice to see him land some of his own scenes here as well.

It's true, New Girl is usually at its finest when they can somehow keep all the major players together in one overarching event. In this case, though, it was fun watching the characters veer off into their own stories. Every character had their moment this week, and in a half-hour comedy, an impressive all feat by itself. On the other hand, the stories themselves weren't incredibly engaging this week. At the end of the day, we're pretty much where we were at when the episode started. Still, a little personal character development goes a long way, too, and it was very much appreciated to see a few more of those seeds sewn.

Max Nicholson is a writer for IGN, and he desperately seeks your approval. Show him some love on Twitter and IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

New Girl: "Fluffer" Review

Warning: Full spoilers from the episode to follow.

This week on New Girl was all about fluffers, Romneys and loft trolls -- normally an odd combination, but not so outside the realm of possibility for Jess and the guys. More specifically, though, "Fluffer" acted as an emotional outlet this week, as each of the roomies dug a little deeper than normal to solve their respective problems.

For Jess, it was using Nick to justify her sexual urges with her new boy toy Sam. This, of course, started out innocent enough as Nick joined Jess for a platonic date at a fancy restaurant. This scene probably had some of the best bits, including Nick's out-of-place hesitation to stick around ("I don't know which fork to kill myself with.") and Jess's thermos full of white wine ("You unexpected genius!"). Unfortunately, the fun didn't last long after Nick learned that he was merely an emotional patsy -- a "fluffer," if you will -- for Jess.

By the end, however, this was a sweet story for Nick and Jess, if not a bit of a redundant one; at this point, we've pretty much gotten the all clear that they're both into each other. Still, Nick's dresser dilemma ("It's like high-stakes LEGOs.") was a pleasant arc for all involved. I particularly enjoyed Nick's few scenes with Winston, a one-on-one pair-up that I feel doesn't happen nearly as often as it should. It was also a plus to learn for sure that Nick and Jess had both "thought about it;" Jess's flashback with Nick and the peanuts was especially hilarious.

Meanwhile, Schmidt's recurring Romney gag provided a few good laughs, as well as some intriguing insight into his past. On the surface, the Tugg Romney stuff perhaps felt a little over-the-top -- after all, he looked a bad guy from an '80s movie -- but it did its job in leading Schmidt to the real heart of his character arc this week, namely his unresolved father issues. And while the Romney stuff was all well and good for awhile, it was Schmidt's final scene with Cece that let us see a side of him we hadn't really before. I suppose that can be chalked up to his sage-like advice from Cece, who, being brown, has "the wisdom of a thousand white women."

Another big win this week was Winston's storyline with Shelby and his mental cheating. Not only was it hilarious to see his creeptacular arousal face -- which, by the way, is now in the running for best facial expression alongside Nick's turtle face -- but we also saw his clear struggle to make ends meet emotionally with Shelby. This paired with his mom's career remark from last week, and it seems as though Winston is going to have his own struggles to work out. While he still hasn't really taken center stage this season, it was nice to see him land some of his own scenes here as well.

It's true, New Girl is usually at its finest when they can somehow keep all the major players together in one overarching event. In this case, though, it was fun watching the characters veer off into their own stories. Every character had their moment this week, and in a half-hour comedy, an impressive all feat by itself. On the other hand, the stories themselves weren't incredibly engaging this week. At the end of the day, we're pretty much where we were at when the episode started. Still, a little personal character development goes a long way, too, and it was very much appreciated to see a few more of those seeds sewn.

Max Nicholson is a writer for IGN, and he desperately seeks your approval. Show him some love on Twitter and IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Boardwalk Empire: "Bone for Tuna" Review

Warning: Full spoilers for the episode follow...

So after three episodes, this has really become Bobby Cannavale's season. And let's face it, in "Bone for Tuna," we all knew there was no way Rosetti was leaving Atlantic City, for the second time, as anything other than bitter and angry. No matter how much Nucky tried to repair their working relationship. As Nucky put it so well, Rosetti could find an "insult in a bouquet of roses." And Cannavale is just crushing it. The way Rosetti not only gets offended when tells him something he doesn't know, but also when people who state the obvious is terrifying. And it was fun to see the fat corrupt cop get incinerated at the end since we all probably had him marked for death when he spoke out of turn in the diner at the top of the episode. Well, as fun as seeing someone burned alive can be. "You think you have friends. They're all dogs with bones."

"Everyone's a person though, right? How else are they supposed to take it?" Rosetti has a point, although taken to a psychotic extreme. Nucky's finding out the hard way that you can't remain cold and detached from a business that takes people's lives. Killing is personal, and now Nucky's repressed anxiety is manifesting itself in dreams. Now, I'm not a huge fan of dream sequences. Often they're a cheap way to show us what a character is thinking. In fact, I usually just deem most of them to be time fillers. And your enjoyment of this season will have a lot to do with how invested you are in Nucky's loneliness. Which is not an easy thing to care about when we're presented with people of great power. Nucky's obsession with Billie Kent is helping us empathize a little here since he's mistakenly fallen for a woman who simply can't give him what he needs. So he's actually making things worse for himself.

I do enjoy how much Nucky has Rosetti pegged though. "Are we starting with this now?," Nucky says right at the moment when Rosetti might be spiraling into one of his fits over a monkey comment...that Nucky actually said to diffuse a possible misunderstanding. So for Nucky nothing's personal and for Rosetti everything's a slight. And I have a feeling that, when all is said and done, Nucky's going to start to creep down to Rosetti's level, possibly even entering a state of rage. Of course, knowing how Rosetti is, Nucky should have known that him not being there to see Rosetti off would cause trouble. But, like I mentioned, he's distracted these days. Nucky's numbers might not come close to Harrow's "63," but he's still feeling the ill effects of an increased body count.

Harrow's scene with Nucky was great; telling Nucky that he blew out Manny's left eye for Angie, not Jimmy the soldier. I was also reminded of Eli's "How the f*** are you still alive?" from last week concerning Micky's hair-brained idea to start spreading the rumor that he killed Manny. Over in Chicago, Van Alden was having a harder time than usual bonding with the "Brotherhood of Bulls*** and Blarney." It was easy to tell that a raid was going to go down, as soon as the other salesbullies mentioned the speak easy, but I thought Van Alden was actually going to be the one to call it in, as payback on them for the ink prank. But no, he got caught in the raid himself. Actually taking more offense to the corrupt booze officer who asked for a bribe to let him scram. It's funny to watch for when and where Van Alden's "morality" rears up. Especially considering that he's now living a fake life and taken a new bride in Sigrid.

I don't particularly like not liking Margaret, so I was happy to see that she didn't make a giant scene in front of the Bishop regarding prenatal care. I expected a haughty lecture in front of unappreciative bores, but instead she actually acted a bit devious and played Dr. Landau for a fool. In the end, she just needed to present her case in front of someone who outranks Landau, and give the credit to Landau so no one thinks they're being upstaged by a woman. So I was happy to be able to leave this episode without being frustrated with her. Plus, she and Nucky were able to act nice and be civil with one another during the award ceremony. With even a slight undercurrent of caring.

On the less interesting side of "Bone for Tuna," Lucky and Lansky are still beefing with Joe Masseria. Not a lot of time was given to this story, and when you add to that the fact that viewers will have to remember back to last season in order to place the lesser Masseria storyline, it doesn't add up to anything interesting. On a more intriguing note, having to do with Rosetti naturally, Rosetti's infatuation with Gillian was nice touch. As gentle as he is around her though, I don't see this ending well. I just don't think anything can end well when Gyp wants something. Because that just means there's a possibility he can't have it. And then watch out!

Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and IGN. WARNING: No Nudity!

Source : ign[dot]com

Green Lantern: The Animated Series -"The New Guy" Review

Warning: full episode spoilers follow.

The thing about being a superhero with a secret identity is that life tends to pass you by while you're off saving the world or the universe or whatever. How many times has Peter Parker webbed up Green Goblin, only to come home and get yelled at by Aunt May for not being around to stir her soup and give her her heart medication? That's pretty much the theme of Hal Jordan's life as Season 2 of Green Lantern opens. Hal just got done saving the universe from an invasion by Atrocitus' Red Lanterns. And what does he get in return? Carol fired him from Ferris Aircraft. The Guardians replaced him as Green Lantern of Sector 2814. No respect at all.

Luckily, Hal's bout of "Parker luck" made for an entertaining season premiere. Much of this was thanks to the titular "new guy,"Guy Gardner. Some fans might have preferred that the show introduce Kyle Rayner or John Stewart before bringing Guy in, but his overconfident swagger was really what the episode needed to offset Hal's grim intensity. This is a character whose was initially best known for getting punched in the face by Batman. He manages to tick off just about everybody, and his running conflict with Hal drove the episode forward. Every time it seemed the two rival Lanterns had finally made peace, Guy would do something to set Hal off again and the fists and Lantern constructs resumed flying.

To their credit, the writers avoided painting Guy as too much of an obnoxious jerk, which is often a problem in the comics. He's got a bit of a Dudebro aura going (complete with a love of fist bumping), but he's likable enough regardless. It's a shame that the show doesn't appear to be maneuvering the two for a regular partnership, as Guy would make an entertaining foil for Hal as the latter adjusts to his new promotion.

Though her role was relatively minor, the newscaster character was a bit annoying throughout the episode. She was pretty much the apotheosis of every cartoon damsel in distress, right down to her willingness to fly right into harm's way for the perfect scoop. It was pretty bizarre to see her chopper just happen to show up in the middle of the mountains right as the Manhunters were attacking. Maybe I'm just nitpicking, but her presence was garting and generally felt felt unnecessary.

On the bright side, this episode laid the groundwork for an interesting new conspiracy dating back to the origins of the Green Lanterns. We have the mysterious, hugely powerful new villain (The Anti-Monitor?) who seems capable of controlling the Manhunters. I'll be interested to see how deeply into Green Lantern and general DC lore the writers delve in the coming episodes.

The new status quo for Hal also holds plenty of potential. As an Honor Guard, he's now pretty much free to travel wherever in the universe he chooses. That offers the show ample freedom going forward, but also leaves the danger of the series becoming meandering and unfocused. Let's hope that isn't the case.

Jesse is a writer for various IGN channels. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following Jesse on Twitter, or on IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

The Big Bang Theory: "The Date Night Variable" Review

Warning: full episode spoilers follow.

The Big Bang Theory ended the somewhat uneven Season 5 on a high note, with Wolowitz and Bernadette finally tying the know and Wolowitz subsequently blasting off to an uncertain fate aboard the International Space Station. The newfound momentum carried over into the Season 6 premiere, "The Date Night Variable." Here we learned that being trapped in the cold depths of space might be the least of Wolowitz's concerns, as there's apparently nowhere his mother's shrill, disembodied voice can't find him.

Given that the majority of the scenes in Big Bang Theory unfold on the same few sets, there was a certain amount of novelty in seeing Wolowitz floating in a zero-G environment with electronics crammed into every alcove and snarky Russian cosmonauts lurking around every bend. His fear of going to the space station clearly evaporated once he arrived, bringing that little subplot to a close. Instead, his fear of rebelling against his domineering mother went to war against his desire to please his new wife, leaving poor Wolowitz in quite the pickle. The back-and-forth was pretty amusing, particularly with Dimitri poking his head in to further take the wind out of Wolowitz's sails now and again. Melissa Rauch delivered a memorable performance despite only appearing as a talking head on a choppy video screen. Bernadette's bubbly exterior is clearly starting to crack thanks to Mrs. Wolowitz's nagging influence. Can you blame her?

Back on terra firma, the rest of the gang dealt with their own relationship crises. The final couple episodes of Season 5 seemed intent on pushing the various romantic relationships in a more purposeful direction again, and that trend continues here. Sheldon and Amy faced the prospect of their second anniversary and the contractually-obligated date that accompanied it. It's always been interesting to watch Sheldon deal with being in an actual relationship. This is a character who doesn't really comprehend romance, nor does he have any particular desire to learn. On one hand you have to admire him for sticking to his guns all this time, but on the other you have to feel a little bad for Amy when Sheldon exploits a loophole in their contract by bringing Raj along.

The uninvited dinner guest might be one of the oldest sitcom tropes in the book, but it worked well here. Raj's continual third wheel status kept the two date nights uncomfortable in a good way. It was also immensely satisfying to see him deliver the stern lecture about cutting the crap and embracing love that Leonard and Penny really needed to hear. Raj may be pathologically shy around women, but it seems even he knows a thing or two about matters of the heart. The episode took a funny swerve near the end when Raj and the perpetually lonely comic shop owner Stuart had a little male bonding moment over some "sad-tinis" and bossa nova music. Raj is in need of a new bromance now that Wolowitz is otherwise occupied. It'll be interesting to see how far the writers run with this pairing. The show has never allowed Raj much in the way of lasting romantic relationships. Maybe it's time he tried his luck with the other gender.

The only problem with this episode is the lack of resolution to some of these romantic conflicts. Sheldon at least provided Amy with the dose of affection she craved (with ample assistance from Spider-Man, of course). But the Leonard and Penny subplot was pretty much abandoned once they kicked Raj out of the apartment. Is it too much to hope they'll actually take Raj's advice to heart? Nor did Wolowitz do anything to quell the threat growing from the two women in his life. Clearly these relationship woes will continue to play out over the early part of Season 6. Again, it was nice to see a greater sense of purpose and direction with the characters late last season, and I'd hate for the show to start meandering with some of this material.

Still, "The Date Night Variable" provided a solid amount of laughs and some quality character moments, which is all anyone can really ask of this series. Now to grab my Chewbacca mug and get a refill on that sad-tini.

Jesse is a writer for various IGN channels. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following Jesse on Twitter, or on IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Channel Surfing Podcast, Episode 181

Welcome back to Channel Surfing, where I'm joined by guest host Jenna Mullins from E! this week.

First though a warning: We've got… audio issues this week! Yay! And unlike the infamous recent Skype-cast with Matt, I don't even have a good explanation for this one. Jenna and I were sitting in IGN's LA office, recording on the same equipment we always use, but something went wonky and while you can hear us, we sound oddly distant. And not just emotionally. Let's see if the Podcast lords are kinder next week, but my apologies. Channel Surfing: Always the top of the line in audio!

But let's get onto our topics this week, shall we? Jenna and I discuss this past weekend's Emmy awards and what we thought of the winners, including Homeland dominating and Mad Men being shut out. On the news front, we discuss J.J. Abrams and Alfonso Cuar¿n teaming at NBC, Ron Moore guiding A Knight's Tale to ABC and FX developing Fargo and The Strain as a TV shows. And we also chat about TV ratings from the past week and why CBS had a lower than expected Monday, while NBC Thursdays are looking dire.

We also discuss many of the season and series premieres airing this week, including How I Met Your Mother, New Girl, The Mindy Project, Ben and Kate, Last Resort and Vegas.

Lastly, reader email brings us queries about Attack of the Show and Glee.

Hey, why not follow us on Twitter?

Eric Goldman: @EricIGN

Jenna Mullins: @JBomb11

IGN.Com's official Twitter feed: @IGN

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New Girl: "Re-Launch" Review

Warning: Full spoilers from the episode to follow.

It didn't take long for New Girl to get back in the swing of things for Season 2. In a matter of minutes, I felt right back at home as Jess and Nick shared some quippy bathroom banter and Schmidt begged Winston to scratch the inside of his crotch cast. ("And before you ask, yes, I have been able to reach completion with some very precise and vigorous nipple play.") But after a long and seemingly uneventful summer, it was time to kick things back into high gear with Schmidt's DANGER-themed "rebranding" party, at which Jess, recently laid off from her job, volunteered to be one of the shot girls.

I must admit, I actually really like the idea of Jess's unemployment as an overarching plot device. Much in the same way that she had to cope with losing her boyfriend in the pilot, here we got to see how she handles another loss, this time with her teaching position. It was also fun to see the hilariously awkward support from the guys once they got the news (a la Nick's winking and Schmidt's disoriented sense of direction).

Jess's turn as a cocktail waitress was also pretty classic and -- what's that word again? -- "adorkable." Parker Posey's guest spot as Jess's "26-year-old" competition made it all the sweeter, too; her appearance was definitely one of the highlights. It's almost a shame we didn't get to see more of her, but then again, that almost made it funnier. Nick's comments comparing Jess to other shot girls were also pretty great. ("You're the nurse that I want to wake up to after I've had my stomach pumped. Different kind of hot -- but still hot!") And reintroducing the tiny silver hat from the lost and found was a nice touch.

We also learned that, not only are Schmidt and Cece are still broken up, but Cece now has a new boyfriend, Robbie (played by Franklin Nelson). Of course, that left the door open for Schmidt to continue his usual parade of shenanigans. His spinning flails of fire -- "the most dangerous element of all the elements!" -- was perhaps the most delightfully ridiculous, although I also enjoyed Robbie's nonchalant responses to Schmidt's interrogation. ("I don't like music. 'What's up with me,' you know?")

True to form, this episode also had a couple of really sweet moments, too. Schmidt and Cece's final conversation seemed to hint at a future reunion at some point, which would be preferable. Meanwhile, Nick and Jess's heart-to-heart outside was exactly what the episode needed to round things out. Indeed, "Re-Launch had just about all the makings of an exceptional episode of New Girl. Unfortunately -- as always, it seems -- Winston got the short end of the stick here. He never can seem to find his place, even when he's loosely attached to another character's storyline. While his drunken schtick was certainly not without its laughs, it felt like his character was kind of on the outskirts this time around. Having said that, Jess's storyline was the real draw this week, and it should be interesting to see how her unemployment pans out in future episodes.

Max Nicholson is a writer for IGN, and he desperately seeks your approval. Show him some love on Twitter and IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

New Girl: "Re-Launch" Review

Warning: Full spoilers from the episode to follow.

It didn't take long for New Girl to get back in the swing of things for Season 2. In a matter of minutes, I felt right back at home as Jess and Nick shared some quippy bathroom banter and Schmidt begged Winston to scratch the inside of his crotch cast. ("And before you ask, yes, I have been able to reach completion with some very precise and vigorous nipple play.") But after a long and seemingly uneventful summer, it was time to kick things back into high gear with Schmidt's DANGER-themed "rebranding" party, at which Jess, recently laid off from her job, volunteered to be one of the shot girls.

I must admit, I actually really like the idea of Jess's unemployment as an overarching plot device. Much in the same way that she had to cope with losing her boyfriend in the pilot, here we got to see how she handles another loss, this time with her teaching position. It was also fun to see the hilariously awkward support from the guys once they got the news (a la Nick's winking and Schmidt's disoriented sense of direction).

Jess's turn as a cocktail waitress was also pretty classic and -- what's that word again? -- "adorkable." Parker Posey's guest spot as Jess's "26-year-old" competition made it all the sweeter, too; her appearance was definitely one of the highlights. It's almost a shame we didn't get to see more of her, but then again, that almost made it funnier. Nick's comments comparing Jess to other shot girls were also pretty great. ("You're the nurse that I want to wake up to after I've had my stomach pumped. Different kind of hot -- but still hot!") And reintroducing the tiny silver hat from the lost and found was a nice touch.

We also learned that, not only are Schmidt and Cece are still broken up, but Cece now has a new boyfriend, Robbie (played by Franklin Nelson). Of course, that left the door open for Schmidt to continue his usual parade of shenanigans. His spinning flails of fire -- "the most dangerous element of all the elements!" -- was perhaps the most delightfully ridiculous, although I also enjoyed Robbie's nonchalant responses to Schmidt's interrogation. ("I don't like music. 'What's up with me,' you know?")

True to form, this episode also had a couple of really sweet moments, too. Schmidt and Cece's final conversation seemed to hint at a future reunion at some point, which would be preferable. Meanwhile, Nick and Jess's heart-to-heart outside was exactly what the episode needed to round things out. Indeed, "Re-Launch had just about all the makings of an exceptional episode of New Girl. Unfortunately -- as always, it seems -- Winston got the short end of the stick here. He never can seem to find his place, even when he's loosely attached to another character's storyline. While his drunken schtick was certainly not without its laughs, it felt like his character was kind of on the outskirts this time around. Having said that, Jess's storyline was the real draw this week, and it should be interesting to see how her unemployment pans out in future episodes.

Max Nicholson is a writer for IGN, and he desperately seeks your approval. Show him some love on Twitter and IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

How I Met Your Mother: "Farhampton" Review

Warning: Full spoilers from the episode to follow.

It's been a long time coming -- a looooong time coming -- but with this season of How I Met Your Mother possibly acting as its last, it's clear after watching "Farhampton" that the show definitely has its sights set on the end. This, of course, was mainly due to the fact that we got the closest we ever have to seeing the mother, and for once, it almost feels like the end of our tale is within reach. Unfortunately, that fleeting exhilaration of that final moment was more or less undercut by the 21 humdrum minutes preceding it.

Once again, Barney and Robin were back on the long road to reuniting -- did I mention? -- again. In what is possibly the most roundabout way of writing someone off a show, it's borderline infuriating that we'll soon be forced to witness the train wreck that will eventually become Barney and Quinn's inevitable breakup. More than anything, I almost just feel sorry for Becki Newton, whose presence on the show now only serves as a constant reminder that she's leaving. We already know how the story ends, must we spell out how it all happens? At this point, I think we can put the pieces together. It's kind of like watching The Sixth Sense and knowing the whole time that (spoilers?) Bruce Willis is a ghost. It's simply not as interesting to watch.

How I Met Your Mother Creators on Crafting the (Probable) Final Seaosn

However, Lily and Marshall's storyline was easily the laziest of the bunch. Not only have we seen the "sleep deprived parents" bit in countless other sitcoms, but it seemed like there were some mixed metaphors going on between the initial zombie references and the bizarre recurring fish tank gag. Hopefully their season arc will improve, as theirs is currently the only one without a predetermined destination. It's a shame they got the shaft this week, as their hackneyed B-story could have easily been reworked into a stronger social rules bit. Admittedly, though, I did chuckle when Quinn explained why she had overheard the dazed couple's conversation, "'Hey, Quinn. Let's all hang out in Marvin's room!'"

Meanwhile, we also got a followup from Ted and Victoria, who, last we saw, had driven off into the sunset together. But as someone well versed in the etiquette of being left at the altar, Ted was appalled to learn that Victoria had not left a note for her fiancee Klaus. After all, "it's common courtesy!" Honestly, this arc -- while ultimately about as meaningless as Barney/Robin/Quinn's -- was perhaps the most entertaining. Ted's not so stealthy attempts at leaving the note were among some of the better sequences, particularly Barney's remote distraction of Andrea the Giant. ("Quinn's on board!")

However, it was Thomas Lennon's portrayal of Klaus that truly elevated this story. His conversation with Ted at the train station definitely added a bit of much needed weight to the episode. Although Band of Horses' "Funeral" wasn't exactly the most appropriate underscore for the montage, Klaus's speech was still a rather well-written summation of the presumed events to come, and provided a nice lead-in to the aforementioned mother sequence.

"Farhampton" was not without its occasional redeeming qualities, but as far as HIMYM episodes go, this one was certainly not a standout. In fact, the only substantial joke was Barney's one-minute recap of the entire series thus far, which seemed oddly fitting for HIMYM's potentially final premiere. Likewise, Robin's bridal cold feet at the top of the episode also provided an additional nugget of intrigue (although this obviously won't be addressed until later on). Aside from that, the episode was pretty lacking in both laughs and dramatic content. While it's a plus that Season 8 is heading somewhere assuredly interesting, I only hope the road ahead is a little more scenic.

Max Nicholson is a writer for IGN, and he desperately seeks your approval. Show him some love on Twitter and IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Alphas: "The Devil Will Drag You Under" Review

Warning: Full spoilers for the episode follow...

Whatever the cost is right. Unfortunately, the cost of finding Dani, from the push that Nina gave to Hicks, was Dani herself.

"The Devil Will Drag You Under" was a thrilling and poignant "dark before the dawn" episode that helped elevate Dani up the ranks to become a character whose death we care about possibly even more, at this point, than some of Rosen's actual team members. It also both redeemed her character and gave our villain, Parish, a more savage edge. Now I'm sure none of us thought Parish would actually spare Dani at the end, no matter how conflicted he might have been. He's a man who's lived way too long and seen far too much "sacrifice" to ever get trapped inside sentiment. But does anyone else think that he'll actually emerge from this angrier and more determined than ever as well?

Rosen and Hicks will be devastated, naturally. But it also seems like Parish will now carry around a deep resentment for Rosen and his ideals for turning Dani against him and forcing his hand. Which brings me to another great aspect of this episode - Parish's plan to kill all of Manhattan as a way of "culling the herd." Yes, from the playbook of "That Escalated Quickly," it turns out that the soft-spoken Parish isn't interested in baby steps. Nope. No gassing a subway car or taking out a bunch of people at a sporting event. He's skipping over a bunch of villainous rungs and going right for the genocidal maniac mantle. And yes, Rosen sending Dani back into Parish's clutches, as an obvious double agent, wasn't going to turn out well for her. That's writing 101. But if he hadn't, they'd also never have discovered Parish's plot.

In fact, it was purely because Parish revealed his master plan to Dani that Rosen and Hicks had to go in and rescue her. Because it caused her to noticeably freak out in Parish's eyes. Causing him to detain her. Causing her to miss her meet-ups with Rosen. And just when I thought Nina was going to be confined to doing her Nina-rounds (trying to comfort the distraught members of the team), she was revealed to be an instrumental component in Rosen's plan to send Hicks in after Dani.

In fact, there was quite a bit of mind manipulation in this episode. Kandyse McClure (BSG's Dualla) stopped by as a mind-vetter named Agnes. Who suffers the Rogue-esque curse of never being able to touch someone with her skin. Which then causes her to admire the true love that Hicks feels for Dani. Also, creepy Kimi was back, creepily whispering into Hicks ear, trying to get him to blow his brains out. Come to think of it, Hicks' mind was kind of like a boxing speed ball in this episode. But no matter how powerful these mind Alphas can be, they can't bring someone back from the brink of death.

Save for Rosen, everyone around Dani's fallen body had powers. But no one could heal her. Not even Nina's last ditch effort to push her with "DO NOT DIE!" It was a tragic, well-crafted scene that will hopefully push our heroes into the final stretch of Season 2 with an inspired fury.

Ashes for paradise.

Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and IGN. WARNING: No Nudity!

Source : ign[dot]com

Alphas: "The Devil Will Drag You Under" Review

Warning: Full spoilers for the episode follow...

Whatever the cost is right. Unfortunately, the cost of finding Dani, from the push that Nina gave to Hicks, was Dani herself.

"The Devil Will Drag You Under" was a thrilling and poignant "dark before the dawn" episode that helped elevate Dani up the ranks to become a character whose death we care about possibly even more, at this point, than some of Rosen's actual team members. It also both redeemed her character and gave our villain, Parish, a more savage edge. Now I'm sure none of us thought Parish would actually spare Dani at the end, no matter how conflicted he might have been. He's a man who's lived way too long and seen far too much "sacrifice" to ever get trapped inside sentiment. But does anyone else think that he'll actually emerge from this angrier and more determined than ever as well?

Rosen and Hicks will be devastated, naturally. But it also seems like Parish will now carry around a deep resentment for Rosen and his ideals for turning Dani against him and forcing his hand. Which brings me to another great aspect of this episode - Parish's plan to kill all of Manhattan as a way of "culling the herd." Yes, from the playbook of "That Escalated Quickly," it turns out that the soft-spoken Parish isn't interested in baby steps. Nope. No gassing a subway car or taking out a bunch of people at a sporting event. He's skipping over a bunch of villainous rungs and going right for the genocidal maniac mantle. And yes, Rosen sending Dani back into Parish's clutches, as an obvious double agent, wasn't going to turn out well for her. That's writing 101. But if he hadn't, they'd also never have discovered Parish's plot.

In fact, it was purely because Parish revealed his master plan to Dani that Rosen and Hicks had to go in and rescue her. Because it caused her to noticeably freak out in Parish's eyes. Causing him to detain her. Causing her to miss her meet-ups with Rosen. And just when I thought Nina was going to be confined to doing her Nina-rounds (trying to comfort the distraught members of the team), she was revealed to be an instrumental component in Rosen's plan to send Hicks in after Dani.

In fact, there was quite a bit of mind manipulation in this episode. Kandyse McClure (BSG's Dualla) stopped by as a mind-vetter named Agnes. Who suffers the Rogue-esque curse of never being able to touch someone with her skin. Which then causes her to admire the true love that Hicks feels for Dani. Also, creepy Kimi was back, creepily whispering into Hicks ear, trying to get him to blow his brains out. Come to think of it, Hicks' mind was kind of like a boxing speed ball in this episode. But no matter how powerful these mind Alphas can be, they can't bring someone back from the brink of death.

Save for Rosen, everyone around Dani's fallen body had powers. But no one could heal her. Not even Nina's last ditch effort to push her with "DO NOT DIE!" It was a tragic, well-crafted scene that will hopefully push our heroes into the final stretch of Season 2 with an inspired fury.

Ashes for paradise.

Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and IGN. WARNING: No Nudity!

Source : ign[dot]com

The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes - "Code Red" Review

Warning: full episode spoilers follow.

This week's episode of Earth's Mightiest Heroes was nothing if not ambitious. "Code Red" was a loose adaptation of the comic book storyline of the same name (penned by Geoff Johns in a rare foray into the Marvel Universe). But it also brought Red Hulk back into the forefront as well as exploring the mystery of Winter Soldier and his connection to Captain America. Needless to say, the script bit off a bit more than it could feasibly chew in the span of 22 minutes, but "Code Red" was entertaining nonetheless.

The episode got off to a strong, slightly creepy start as Red Skull's virus spread and morphed all it touched into sickly, red-skinned, almost zombie-like creatures. This was some unusually creepy imagery for an animated superhero series, and it lent a nice darker edge to the episode. Unfortunately, the scope of Red Skull's attack was very limited compared to the original story. Rather than being a global pandemic, the Code Red virus only impacted the Avengers and the Manhattan civilians in the immediate vicinity. Ideally, this conflict could have been spread across multiple episodes, with one devoted to the Avengers battling against and ultimately succumbing to the virus, and the second shifting focus to Secretary of State Dell Rusk and his gang of superhuman enforcers.

It was strange seeing Doc Samson, Red Hulk, and Falcon relegated to what essentially qualified as hired muscle. The writers seemed inspired by Jeph Loeb's Hulk work in both the brawl between Red Hulk and Thor and the fact that Red Hulk was a member of a team comprised solely of characters who wear red costumes. Luckily, all three contributed to some memorable action scenes. The highlight was easily the Red Hulk/Thor battle, which was fierce enough to literally rock the Statue of Liberty on its foundations. Falcon showed his bad-ass side as well in the fight with Hawkeye, which should help win him some new fans in advance of his starring role in the upcoming Avengers Assemble series. Lance Reddick's vocal work certainly didn't hurt. Reddick, Fred Tatasciore (Red Hulk), and Steve Blum (Red Skull) all delivered memorable performances this week.

But again, the script was juggling more material than it could really handle, and the final minutes were really weighed down by the rush to the finish line. Winter Soldier's transition from loyal minion to Cap's savior was abrupt, to say the least. There wasn't even much indication as to what turned him against Skull. Red Hulk quietly vanished, while Samson's recent misdeeds were quickly explained away as a product of brainwashing. In the final moments, the Avengers discuss the downfall of Dell Rusk's political career and the resulting swell of public support for the Avengers, but this is all material that might have worked better if it were shown rather than told to viewers. Ultimately, Code Red either required more running time or a more narrow focus on Cap, Winter Soldier, and Red Skull.

Luckily, this isn't the end for these particular plot threads. Next week's episode will delve deeper into the Winter Soldier mystery, while the following installment (whenever Disney XD chooses to actually air it) will finally bring Hulk back into the fold and reveal Red Hulk's secrets. We're entering the final stretch for this series, and it looks to be an eventful time for Avengers fans.

Jesse is a writer for IGN Comics and IGN Movies. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following Jesse on Twitter, or on IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com

Boardwalk Empire: "Spaghetti & Coffee" Review

Warning: Full spoilers for the episode follow...

"Tell Nucky, Old Pop Collingsworth says hello!"

The violent hair-trigger temperament of Gyp Rosetti that was established last week in the Season 3 premiere helped a great deal in carrying us through "Spaghetti & Coffee," adding a extra layer of tension to every single scene he was in. From his dealings with the young man at the gas station to the scene in the diner, you just could never tell what might set Rosetti off. And honestly, it made for some very great, nerve-racking scenes. But the Rosetti we saw in this episode was a much more restrained, plotting gangster, with enough smarts not to just fly off the handle and kill innocent people in public. And with enough intelligence to actually figure out a plan to thwart a giant booze shipment headed to Rothstein. I'll tell you this though: The next time Rosetti is actually alone, with no witnesses, with a guy who's pissed him off, the crimson's gonna flow!

But even though Gyp stepped up a few notches on the crime boss evolutionary ladder by actually hatching a devious idea, "Spaghetti & Coffee" was a quieter episode than last week's. And it was also the first time that I specifically missed Jimmy. Perhaps it was because Harrow and Gillian took this week off, or maybe it was because one of the side stories involved Eli returning home, prison-gaunt, to his family. There is sympathy to be found in Eli, but not too much. He backed the wrong horse and was complicit in the plot to murder his own brother. Seeing him humbled seems like a natural progression, but Boardwalk needs to be wary of not overloading itself with "fallen" characters. We've also got Van Alden over in Chicago, trying to make his way through life by looking into mirrors and self-motivating himself through psychotherapy.

"How the f*** are you still alive?" Eli says to Mickey, as his new life now involves answering to Nucky's oft-inept gigglepuss. But work is work and Eli's ready, eventually, to lend a hand to Nucky's transport operation. The most interesting thing that developed here though was, at the end, when Owen trusted Eli's advice over Mickey's when confronted by Rosetti's "everybody got guns" battalion of thugs. So it looks like it takes about, oh, one episode for a disgraced character to climb back a few rungs and become useful again. I say this assuming that Van Alden will also take O'Banion up on his job offer.

Although there sadly was no Harrow this week, we did get a peek back inside Chalky White's world and got introduced to Stephen Root's cryptic Special Investigator, Gaston Means. Means, the money-drop go-between for Smith and Daugherty, already fits in well on this show, being both someone who's direct and puzzling at the same time. Chalky, however, is having a bit of trouble at home when he discovers that his daughter, Maybelle, doesn't want to marry the extremely do-right future-doctor, Sam. Even after Chalky vetted him ("How bout you doctor me?"). No, being Chalky's daughter has given her a penchant, and attraction, to a more secretive, gangster life. Even though she doesn't fully know the gruesome details of his work and legacy. "Am I interesting now?" Chalky asks her after Sam's face gets slashed at a juke joint, which then leads to the assailer's face getting stomped in by Dunn Purnsley. Chalky's story didn't have anything to do with Nucky, or the bootlegging biz, but it's always awesome to visit his world. And it's touching to know how much he wants his daughter to elevate her position in life. He could easily succumb to pride, thinking that the paid-for-in-blood life that he's provided her is plenty good enough. But he's done the things he's done so that she never has to.

Margaret, meanwhile, is still on Dr. Mason about prenatal care education. It's a good story, but I have a little trouble latching onto giant, historical issues like this when I know that there're so many more years of research and work and protesting involved in evoking eventual change than this series can dare to encompass. It's a lofty undertaking, which at this point seems like a bit of a burden for a character that many are still straining to appreciate. And Nucky? Well, Nucky's off and under the spell of follies-performer, Billie Kent. His very own White Rock Girl, as he references. But Billie is anything but something that reflects the crystalline purity of White Rock beverages. She's a good-natured, but flighty, actress. And Nucky mistakenly thinks he can curb her flirty, secretive ways. And for a guy who's so direct, and expects honesty in return, it's a bit foolish of him to get wrapped up in her allure. But from their time together we were able to learn that all Nucky wants, more than anything, is for "everything to run all by itself." Which is close to the life he could have had with Margaret if she hadn't thrown all his money at the pediatric hospital.

I do miss Jimmy, and I still haven't found a "not-Nucky" story that can match up with Jimmy's former side of the Boardwalk Empire coin. Eli's not going to cut it, and while Chalky and Harrow are fascinating to watch, they're still mostly "the frosting on top." Rosetti, and the tension he brings, is already a great addition, but stretching him out over a whole season could be a tricky endeavor. This episode felt a bit shallow, but perhaps that's because Nucky was busy dipping his feet in the shallow end, hoping his hummingbird wouldn't fly too far away.

Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and IGN. WARNING: No Nudity!

Source : ign[dot]com

Alphas: "Alphaville" Review

Warning: Full spoilers for the episode follow...

"Alphaville" might have had its fair share of exciting moments (I'm looking directly at you "Cameron shoots that stealth Alpha right in his stupid toe shoe!"), but it didn't quite leave me feeling all-together satisfied. By the end, with regards to Stanton Parish's mysterious hospital tech, we only discovered what we already knew. That the light oscillations cause an amplification of Alpha abilities. And then Dr. Rosen inadvertently burned down a bunch of peaceful Alphas homes and we were done.

Still, it was great to see Summer Glau back on the show as Skylar Adams, the super-genius Forge-style mutant who knows her tech. This time around, Skylar's struggling as a mom to a hyper-active Alpha kid. And while that storyline might have fallen a bit flat - as well as Nina tagging along and doing nothing - the most interesting thing to come out of it was Parish's proposition to Skylar at the end. And seeing as how Skylar's doing everything in her life for Zoe right now, no matter how miserable it makes her, she might actually join up with Parish's camp.

I liked watching Dr. Rosen come face to face with a bunch of Alphas who weren't too crazy about him blabbing their secret out to the world - but all he got was scolded. Right before he made all their lives even worse. Claude, the bee-whisperer, could have been more (and had a better power), but instead he was just too much of a peace-loving nature-protector to do anything more than lecture Rosen. Which, I suppose, was a good thing for Rosen. But nothing ever came of their mini-confrontations, and in the end all Claude could do was say "Haven't you done enough?" as Rosen tried to help the residents of the tucked-away summer camp evacuate their land due to a Scipio-caused forest fire. And at no time (and perhaps this might even be one of the best things about Rosen) did Rosen ever retro-doubt his decision to go public. No, with him it's ever-forward, with hardly ever a chink in his ideological armor.

There were some fun character moments here, namely from Gary, who went from forest-hater to a guy who could spend his time "listening to the sun." Gary's at his best when he's semi-cranky, but at his worst when the stubbornness brought upon by his mental condition causes him to make dumb decisions that put him and team in danger. But, for the most part, Gary's venture into his first ever signal "dead zone" was a hoot. Rachel, who became an unwitting test subject for Parish's device, found herself overwhelmed when all of her senses went haywire. But in the end, it helped "cure" her of the over-reactions she was having when she was set on "normal." It felt like a teensy bit of a cheat, but I'll allow it. Season 2 seems to be about figuring out solutions to the character-specific hurdles from Season 1.

It's also fun to watch how certain Alphas can have the same, or similar, powers to others. The stealth Alpha reminded me a bit of Rebecca Mader's "Griffin" character in "Blind Spot." And Cameron found himself battling Trisha - a chick with crazy-ass agility like his own. As for the rest of the episode? Well, the inevitable reveal (to the team) that Dani is the mole could be good. But we've known her for such a short while, and we were just hit with the fact that she and Cameron were a couple. I just don't think it will wind up having the impact something like that should. I'm wondering if this all should have been kept a secret from us too, instead of playing out in a dramatically ironic fashion. Too late for that though. No sense in retrofitting.

Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and IGN. WARNING: No Nudity!

Source : ign[dot]com

True Blood: "Save Yourself" Review

Warning: Full spoilers for the episode follow...

Hey, I remember that old Stabbing Westward song! "I can not save you..." Sorry guys, my '90s are showing.

Okay, so big things were poppin' in the True Blood season finale. And I don't mean that metaphorically. Fangers were 'splodin' all over the joint. And Sam (as much as it still hurts my brain to accept that shifters can turn into flies) flying into Chancellor Harris' mouth and then bursting out of her as a human was pretty freakin' rad. As was the final 10 minutes of "Save Yourself," in fact. But before I get into the whole naked, bloody "Billith" reveal - which actually seems to be borrowing from Deacon Frost's plan to become the Blood God from the movie Blade - I need to talk about the quick, unceremonious death of Russell and some of the things that were lacking in this season ender.

True Blood has always been an oddly paced show. Often, the finales dispatch with the "big bad" within the first half hour, leaving the rest of the episode to act as set up for the next season. One gets the sense that the writers know when they want to have big moments happen, but filling in all the moments in-between, or leading up to them, is treated as a stagnant chore. So we either get episodes of filler leading up to exciting bloody carnage, or we get random crazy side-stories that go nowhere and leave a handful of characters with nothing to do at the end but drink Cajun Margaritas. And witness the beauty of the orgasmic fairy birthing process. "I have no idea what's happening" says the drunken Mrs. Boathouse in Merlotte's, in that True Blood meta-way that tries to excuse the crazy bulls*** by having the characters call out how crazy their lives are. "Who the f*** does?" Lafayette replies.

So, while one story in this finale had "life or death" stakes, the other had Maurella telling everyone "My light broke" and leaving Andy with four newborn baby girls. The worst part of which is that we'll now have to see Andy comically deal with four newborn babies in Season 6. And as for Russell? The driving force for most of Season 3 and the man who we all cliff-hanged on last week? He got splattered by Eric within the first two minutes; before the opening credits. Now, since I figured that this season couldn't end without Sookie actually meeting and seeing "Evil Bill," I knew the Russell situation would get handled quickly. But not that fast. I mean, I'm glad Eric was the one who got to kill him, but the hastiness of the whole thing made it feel very unsatisfying. I would have much rather watched things play out in the field a bit longer than, say, watch "constantly seeing things" Jason constantly see visions of his vampire-hating parents.

But, like I mentioned already, the final act of this episode was pretty damn fun. And guys...skinwalking paid off! It was used to actually do something useful! And, I have to say that I didn't even know it was Luna acting as Steve at first. I thought it was just Steve being protective of his pet. We'd even seen him tell Luna not to shift into a human before. Also, Tara kissing Pam and Jess screaming "I knew it!" was awesome.

And I'm glad they decided to keep Evil Bill around for Season 6. Though, I'm not sure what his plan will be now that almost every vamp in the Authority HQ has been staked by Jason, Eric and Nora. His army seems to be gone. But who knows what Bill's mind is even going to be like after fully transforming into that blood demon thing? Will he even be in charge of anyone? Season 5 did a good job of expanding its vampire story out across the U.S. I mean, I still didn't believe Jess when she said that the Bill and the Authority were just crazy enough to take over the world, but it was a step in the right direction.

But now the world knows that Steve Newlin "eviscerated" 22 frat boys. And they know that shifters exist too, thanks to Luna. So there's definitely some interesting possibilities taking shape. The trouble is, it makes me care even less about the smaller characters at Merlotte's. This finale ended with a single cliff-hanger and not several character-specific cliff-hangers like last year. Which makes me really only want to follow this one story even more.

Oh, and Alcide's pack-master story was fine too. Robert Patrick's always a kick to watch, although Alcide now seems even more detached from the core characters than usual.

At this point, given the final scene, I can see no way back for Bill. Of course, we all thought that at one point when Angel turned into Angelus back in '97, so I suppose there's always a way. And this is where series creator Alan Ball leaves us, as he wrote this finale and now heads off to focus on his new Cinemax series, Banshee. He leaves us (thought probably not entirely) with our former hero flipping his crippling guilt upside-down and using it as an excuse for divine madness. It's funny too, to think about how every new Authority character that was introduced this year, aside from Nora, is now paste. No one from that now overly-familiar set was meant to survive the religious purge; with ever-devious Salome being the last to bite the dust. And now that Bill is Billith, will we ever know what Lilith's game was? I mean, she wanted one of them to drink all of her blood. So now what? Stay tuned...

Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and IGN. WARNING: No Nudity!

Source : ign[dot]com

Wilfred: "Honesty" Review

Warning: Full spoilers from the episode to follow.

Getting back to the roots of the show, this week's "Honesty" was a nice reminder of where exactly we left off with Ryan and Jenna's relationship. It had been a while since we'd seen the twosome in any extended one-on-one scenes together, and it was probably about time their unresolved tension was addressed.

Central to this story, though, was Wilfred's cat kidnappings, which really drove this episode to its unexpectedly gripping climax. At this point, Wilfred's rivalry with other animals -- felines, "dobies," or otherwise -- has been a thoroughly established recurring theme throughout the series, and while his incessant torturing to the missing kitties did provide some decent humor, the general bit has gotten a little stale over the course of the season. Luckily, Ryan's obligation to get involved as the rumored "cat killer" did a put a nice spin on what could have easily been a humdrum b-story for Wilfred.

The whole video production schtick was probably the highlight of this episode, comedically speaking. Wilfred's role as a hot-tempered director was indeed hilarious, as was Ryan's amped up performance as the sadistic cat-killing psychopath. But the best part was Wilfred's subsequent tirade, which never seemed to end -- in a good way. Just when you thought he was done, he would come back to yell some more, driving his frustration home. His passive-agressive backseat editing in the next scene was a nice way to top things off before Ryan eventually realized that Wilfred had re-cut the whole thing himself after the fact.

The missing cat arc also served as a clever outlet for Ryan to reveal the truth behind the "squishy tits" incident from Season 1. I wasn't really expecting Ryan to lay it all out on the table like that, but given the episode's title, I suppose it should have been obvious. But more surprising than Ryan's spiel was Jenna's confession to Ryan, not only about using him, but taking advantage of the fact that she knew he had a crush on her. Fortunately, this confrontation ended amicably -- maybe even too amicably. It will be interesting to see where the friendship goes from here, as Ryan seemed to be pretty level-headed about Jenna's blunt admission of guilt. Perhaps now they're just on even playing fields again, and that might be a fitting way to end their story for now, at least for this season. In any case, both characters now have a lot to think about, particularly Jenna.

Despite these mild revelations, this episode definitely felt like a back-to-basics kind of story, which, after all that's happened this season, was kind of comforting to see. Ryan and Wilfred had some good moments together, and Ryan and Jenna had some great ones. Even though the story felt pretty safe in the long run, it was still rather sharply written. For now, it seems, the principal trio has been relatively straightened out. What still remains, of course, is Ryan's ever more inexorable meeting with his father.

Max Nicholson is a writer for IGN, and he desperately seeks your approval. Show him some love on Twitter and IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com