In “Bullock Returns to the Camp,” Deadwood seems to have found its fresh start. Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant) has let off some steam and Alma Garret (Molly Parker) is mostly recovered from addiction leading to marked changes in their demeanors (and chemistry). Meanwhile the doctor (Brad Dourif), Jane (Robin Weigert) and Reverend Smith (Ray McKinnon) seem to have […]
Hoopleheads: Episode 6 “Plague”
“Plague” foretells chaos in Deadwood. As small pox breaks out, local business leaders (and religious figures) step in to keep order. Meanwhile, Jane (Robin Weigert) reenters camp and looks into the girl she helped save. Alma (Molly Parker) continues to wrestle with addiction; Trixie (Paula Malcomson) offers support at risk to her own life. Out in the frontier, Bullock […]
Hoopleheads: Episode 5 “The Trial of Jack McCall”
After a brief hiatus, “Hoopleheads” is back! “The Trial of Jack McCall” is a heavy episode. It directly handles the consequences of the shocking events in “Here Was a Man” as it splits attention between four primary storylines. First, the trial itself: Jack McCall (Garret Dillahunt) has been caught and held prisoner as the camp decides his fate. Al […]
Hoopleheads: Episode 4 “Here Was A Man”
Keeping quiet about the events of “Here Was a Man” was an exercise in restraint for me. For weeks, Josh and I have discussed Wild Bill Hickok (Keith Carradine). We’ve explored his relationship with Charlie (Dayton Callie) and Jane (Robin Weigert) and wondered at whatever drove him to come to Deadwood. And now, with one capricious […]
Hoopleheads: Episode 3 “Reconnoitering the Rim”
Following the tight two-episode arc from last week, “Reconnoitering the Rim” introduces what feels like a broader glimpse at the plot of Season 1. Both “Deadwood” and “Deep Water” functioned as good character studies. We got a glimpse into the lengths that Al Swearengen (Ian McShane will go to defend his fiefdom and learned about […]
Hoopleheads: Episode 2 “Deep Water”
Davis Guggenheim takes the wheel this week in “Deep Water,” an episode that feels like a direct follow-up to the series pilot. Now we’ve got a better handle on the characters, from Al (Ian McShane) and Seth’s (Timothy Olyphant) fiery relationship to Jane (Robin Weigert) and the Doc’s (Brad Dourif) unlikely alliance. J points out that […]
Hoopleheads: Episode 1 “Deadwood”
After wrapping up “Stark Contrast” (our Game of Thrones podcast) for the year, J and I have decided to take a detour out West. We’re delving into Deadwood, David Milch’s off-kilter Western series set in the historical frontier town of the same name. I’m a big fan of the show; I own the full box set […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 20 “The Winds of Winter”
Game of Thrones comes to a satisfying conclusion with “The Winds of Winter” from director Miguel Sapochnik. Once again he puts focus on framing and makes stylistic choices we rarely if ever see in this show including locked-down shots and montages. This helps elevate an already quality set of narrative moments as Thrones moves into its final stretch. […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 19 “Battle of the Bastards”
Thank god for Miguel Sapochnik. Almost every week J and I tend to harp on the editing and camerawork in Game of Thrones. It’s been a bit better this season, but in general we’re both fairly underwhelmed with the technical side of the show. That’s why it feels like a breath of fresh air having […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 18 “No One”
“No One” continues an unfortunate lull in Game of Thrones, a character episode that has as many brilliant moments as it does head-scratching. The plot inches forward for characters like The Hound (Rory McCann) while going almost nowhere for the likes of Brienne (Gwendoline Christie), Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and the Blackfish (Clive Russell). Despite this, we […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 17 “The Broken Man”
This week J and I split on “The Broken Man.” It’s a great episode in many ways, but J lays out some of the same criticisms we discussed for “Blood of my Blood” — repetition, slow plots and hanging threads. I counter that it’s well-written and well-shot (thank cinematographer P.J. Dillon), much like the excellent […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 16 “Blood of My Blood”
The sixth episode of this season of Game of Thrones didn’t quite manage to top the highs of last week. Still, a healthy dose of reveals managed to keep “Blood of My Blood” afloat. My complaints about editing aside, this was hardly the worst episode of the season and maintains the much higher quality standard we’ve […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 15 “The Door”
“The Door” gets Game of Thrones back on track after last week’s slower, odder diversion. This week we saw stronger editing on action scenes and compelling reveals about the world of the show. But perhaps most importantly, “The Door” affirmed important character development that J and I have worried about for two or three seasons. This comes […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 14 “Book of the Stranger”
After the high of last week’s excellent Game of Thrones episode, we were bound for some disappointment. Fortunately it took the form of “Book of the Stranger,” a mediocre but hardly terrible episode that felt like treading (and retreading) water more than anything else. J and I delve into what makes this such a strange and […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 13 “Oathbreaker”
One of the biggest problems with Game of Thrones has always been its shackled approach to its source material. While the series has diverged from the books at points, it was never quite ready to shift around the narrative for the sake of better television. This was especially clear in earlier seasons which stuck to about one […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 12 “Home”
Game of Thrones has never been shy about its twists, but this week was particularly eventful. The second episode of Season Six continues the momentum of the premiere as it veers back and forth between leftover over plots about the Iron Islands to uncharted territory with Bran, Arya and the Night’s Watch. The good news is that […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 11 “The Red Woman”
Game of Thrones is back, which means so is our annual podcast, “Stark Contrast.” Remember the gimmick here: J has read the books, and I haven’t. This usually translates into him mocking me for not anticipating major deaths and events, but I savor the victories when the show goes in a wildly different direction that […]
The Best New TV Shows of 2015
The Golden Age of television doesn’t seem to be losing steam. In fact, the era of captivating TV has crossed over to streaming services which stepped up their presence in 2015; many of the year’s best shows were provided by sites like Netflix. These days their appeal doesn’t come solely from our ability to binge watch […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 10 “Mother’s Mercy”
Season 5 of Game of Thrones concludes with “Mother’s Mercy,” a crowded episode that delivers in some ways while squandering potential in others. In our discussion, J talks about how the television Game of Thrones universe seems to not only tolerate but reward evil. We then both commend and debate Cersei’s (Lena Headey/Rebecca Van Cleave) walk of shame. I […]
Hannibal Review: “Primavera”
If last week’s “Antipasto” was the appetizer for Season 3 of Hannibal, “Primavera” is the first course. The two episodes complement each other in many ways, the most obvious being that the first focused entirely on Hannibal (Mads Mikkelsen) while the second shifts its attention back to Will (Hugh Dancy). Hannibal’s melancholic longing for Will danced around […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 9 “The Dance of Dragons”
Game of Thrones follows up one of its best episodes with one of its strangest. Nothing in “The Dance of Dragons” is weird in and of itself, but this week offered a shift in characterization for Stannis and his co-cast members that didn’t seem congruous with the rest of Season 5. Meanwhile Arya’s tenure with the […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 8 “Hardhome”
If last week’s “The Gift” represented a shift in the right direction for Game of Thrones, “Hardhome” is the fullest realization of its potential. From clever use of narrative symmetry to payoffs in nearly every major storyline, this week was the show at its very best. J and I parse out each thread before culminating in […]
Hannibal: “Antipasto” Review
“You no longer have ethical concerns, Hannibal. You have aesthetic ones.” “Ethics become aesthetics.” For a show so determined to distance itself from reality, Hannibal got meta-textual with this brief exchange in its Season 3 premiere, “Antipasto.” Bedelia (Gillian Anderson), former therapist to Hannibal (Mads Mikkelsen) and his traveling companion as he hides out in […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 7 “The Gift”
Following last week’s ho-hum episode, Game of Thrones returns to form this week with “The Gift.” Sansa’s characterization resumes while Stannis is faced with a tough decision and Cersei’s machinations finally backfire on her. While not everything landed this week—romantic subplots faced something of a nosedive at The Wall and in Meereen—most of the stories managed […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 6 “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken”
Game of Thrones has made headlines again with “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken,” a rocky Season 5 episode that features some great moments and some of the worst the show has seen. A great start at the House of Black and White leads into terrible sequence in Dorne, followed by hamfisted social commentary in King’s Landing and a […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 5 “Kill the Boy”
After last week’s more transitional episode, “Kill The Boy” lives up to Game of Thrones‘ midseason tradition of breathtaking cliffhangers. In Meereen, Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) finally puts her foot down on the actions of the Sons of the Harpy and the old families. At The Wall, Jon (Kit Harington) tells the Night’s Watch that allying […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 4 “Sons of the Harpy”
In a slowdown before the second half of the season, “Sons of the Harpy” is light on plot and heavy on setup. Its explosive conclusion—Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson) and Ser Barristan’s (Ian McElhinney) showdown with their eponymous adversaries of the episode—is preceded by more conversation and character work than action. But is that such a bad […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 3 “High Sparrow”
“High Sparrow” picks up where “The House of Black and White” left off, giving us a much better look at The Faceless Men. This episode indicates we’re nearing the second-half spike that we usually see in Game of Thrones as Jon, Tyrion and Sansa’s storylines all leap forward at a healthy pace. J and I comment on the irony […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 2 “The House of Black and White”
Game of Thrones follows up its promising Season 5 debut with the faster-paced “The House of Black and White.” The episode finally picks up with Arya (Maisie Williams) following her voyage to Essos last season as she seeks out The Faceless Men. At The Wall, Jon Snow (Kit Harington) finds success for the first time in life. Meanwhile, […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 1 “The Wars to Come”
Welcome to the first [official] episode of Stark Contrast, the Game of Thrones-focused podcast series at Movie Fail. We started recording our thoughts on HBO’s fantasy series last year with Season 4, and now, armed with an official title, we’re ready to jump back in. This week we’re discussing the premiere of Season 5, “The Wars […]
Gotham: “Red Hood” Review
For better or worse, a successful episode of Gotham is contingent on its crime-of-the-week. In “Red Hood,” Gotham handles this task with grace, putting forward an uncommonly exceptional episode of television. Gotham has a serious problem with corruption. We’ve seen bits and pieces of how this affects its citizens—corrupt police, mob influences and rampant unchecked crime. This […]
Gotham: “The Blind Fortune Teller” Review
Circuses get a bad rap on television. They are associated with horrible misfortune and dark, disturbing secrets. Maybe it’s because many people are afraid of clowns, or because circuses were plagued with scandals for a very long time. Whatever the reason, it is rare to see a circus depicted in a wholesome light. Gotham is no exception. […]
Gotham: “The Scarecrow” Review
Gotham, at this point, feels like a bad CW show circa 2006. It is so full of melodrama, moody stares and juvenile exposition that I’m amazed the show got picked up for a full second season. I had so much hope back when previews for Gotham started, but each week, the show brings us new and exciting […]
Gotham: “The Fearsome Dr. Crane” Review
Fear is a powerful emotion. It renders some people unable to leave their house, while others jump out of planes and off bridges to confront fear head-on. On this week’s episode of Gotham, Dr. Jonathan Crane (Charlie Tahan) prefers that people deal with their fears in a more deadly manner. Dr. Crane spends his time targeting victims in support […]
Agent Carter: Premiere Review
Marvel had yet to release a major property headlined by a woman in its cinematic universe until Agent Carter premiered earlier this month. In fact, Marvel will have produced 10 movies starring blond white men named Chris by 2017. Black Panther (2017) will be the first MCU film to star a person of colour and Captain Marvel, which is […]
Gotham: “Welcome Back, Jim Gordon” Review
“Welcome Back, Jim Gordon” sounds like the title of an episode all about Jim Gordon’s return to the GCPD. And it is… sort of. Gordon is back as the do-good detective who wants to straighten Gotham up. But instead of the support of his fellow peers, he once again experiences the city’s internal corruption. So much for […]
Gotham: “What the Little Bird Told Him” Review
Gotham is frustratingly inconsistent. “What the Little Bird Told Him” is a decent episode, much better than last week’s, but still unsure in its footing. Gordon (Ben McKenzie) manages to get himself reinstated as detective by promising to catch the escaped Executioner (Christopher Heyerdahl), while Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett-Smith) finally makes her move against Falcone (John […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 18
In what may be the last Ember Island Airwaves podcast ever, Josh and I take some time to look back on The Legend of Korra as a series. We discuss Korra’s arc from a more brazen and hot-tempered to a more peaceful and diplomatic Avatar. That journey starts in Book One: Air amidst Korra’s conflict with Amon and […]
Gotham: “Rogues’ Gallery” Review
The holidays brought about rest, relaxation and new beginnings. This fresh start did not rejuvenate everything, however. As I was afraid would happen based on its fall finale, Gotham’s return episode, “Rogues’ Gallery,” perpetuates the series’ fractured structure and unclear overarching story. This episode is a perfect example of showrunner Bruno Heller’s inability to balance its crime-drama ambitions […]
Korra: “Day of the Colossus” / “The Last Stand” Review
That, dear reader, is how you end a series. “Day of the Colossus” offers quick relief by revealing that everyone survived the explosion at the end of last week’s episode. Tension ramps back up immediately. I felt a thrilling endgame pressure watching Team Avatar plan a course of attack to bring down the Colossus. As Josh and Søren […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 17
It seems like just yesterday scenes from the first episode of The Legend of Korra leaked all over Tumblr. Fast forward a couple of years and Korrasami is canon, Hiroshi Sato is a martyr and Zhu Li and Varrick have officially declared their mutual affection. Needless to say, things have changed a bit since we were “Welcome(d) to Republic […]
Korra: “Kuvira’s Gambit” Review
“Kuvira’s Gambit” is the kind of episode that makes me wish this series wasn’t about to end. The penultimate chapter of Book Four provides plenty for viewers to chew on as we look ahead to the impending finale. The largest of these elements is Kuvira’s newly revealed supermassive mecha suit. Nick revealed the titles for the two-finale […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 16
Wow – now that was an episode! Both J and I loved “Kuvira’s Gambit,” an easy highlight of both Book 4 and the rest of The Legend of Korra. Kuvira continues to build herself up (literally!) as a truly intimidating opponent for the Avatar and her allies. She arrives on the front steps of Republic City […]
Gotham: “Lovecraft” Review
When I saw the first previews for Gotham, I was interested to see how the villains and city of Batman’s world came to be. But week after week, the show has delivered little backstory for its protagonist, an underdeveloped Gotham and a largely unengaging supporting cast. Frustratingly, the character who receives the most attention each week is Bruce Wayne: the person we […]
Gracepoint: Episode Eight
After every tragedy there comes a time when we have to pick our lives back up once again. In its eighth episode, Gracepoint and its citizens attempt to do just that – even though Danny’s killer is still on the loose. This week the Millers get back what the Solanos did not: their son. Rev. Paul (Kevin Rankin) […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 15
The Legend of Korra maintains momentum with an exciting Beifong-centric episode. “Operation Beifong” doesn’t waste much time getting Bolin, Lin, Opal and Toph together as they seek to rescue Suyin from Kuvira’s clutches. Along the way, they find Zhu Li, whose allegiance to Kuvira may not be as firm as the show would have you believe. Meanwhile, […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 14
“Beyond the Wilds” marks a return to the main plot of Book 4: Balance after last week’s tangential clip show. Korra continues to work through her traumatic past with Zaheer. Meanwhile, the spirit vines in Republic City react violently to Kuvira’s assault on the swamp and the banyan grove tree. J and I begin our conversation speculating […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 13
Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino deliver a clip episode this week in the form of “Remembrances.” Next to nothing happens with regard to plot and we’re left reminiscing about the good and bad in The Legend of Korra. Nevertheless, the showrunners and their crew do what they can to make the episode fun and […]
Gotham: “Harvey Dent” Review
“Harvey Dent” is a decent episode. Both Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova) and Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) receive modest character development and crime-of-the-week continues on along the show’s theme of misunderstood villains. Where it falls short is in its portrayal of titular character Harvey Dent (Nicholas D’Agosto) and in its adherence to the mob wars that are inevitably […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 12
After a brief hiatus last week, Ember Island Airwaves is back with an all new episode covering the latest in The Legend of Korra. This week, J and I discuss both “The Battle of Zaofu” and “Reunion.” These episodes function as filler to some degree with Bolin and Varrick taking center stage. Concurrently, the Avatar […]
