Review -- WHITE COLLAR 4.07: 'Compromising Positions'

I regretfully announce to all those who watched 'Compromising Positions' that this was not the worst episode of 'White Collar' this season. Just seven episodes into Season 4, this clunker should represent the low-point of the early going.

But sadly that is not the case, because what happened in last week's installment wasn't a horrible nightmare -- it actually happened. 


To be fair, this episode wasn't all that horrendous. It did give us a few goodies: the return of Sarah and the crazy-awkward-amusing-humorous fake sex scene with Peter, Neal up to his usual shenanigans behind Peter's back and Neal enjoying himself as a witness in a trial.

After last week's debacle, I was at least hoping for a good case-of-the-week. While it was a bit different and entertaining at times, it ultimately failed. This chick, the fixer, knows everyone and everything about everybody, but didn't know about the existence of Neal Caffrey? Not buying it. While she didn't fall for the compromising pictures trick, she did fall for Peter/Mozzie's plan which she seemed way too smart for. Another thing that enraged me: the defendant at trial reacting to Neal being an FBI informant. He was looking nervous and talking loudly to his attorney, basically admitting his guilt to the jury. Totally ridiculous. All bad guys know to sit still and not react -- that jury is watching your every move.

And how many damn times do we need to see a new character introduced warn Peter about Neal eventually getting Peter into trouble with his antics?

The key the upcoming episodes, and essentially the rest of this season, is where the season-long arc goes. Who killed Ellen? can we trust Sam? What are we going to discover about Neal's father and who can and can't we trust within the FBI? I dont know how this will all play out, but all this crap reminds me of the 'Castle' arcs. It's just cliche to have corrupt cops/FBI agents and conspiracies involved in a show like this.

I would say this show can do better, but Season 4 so far has given me no reason to think it can.

I'm worried.


QUOTES OF NOTE:

--NEAL (to Mozzie): "Before you go assassinating apples in Aruba, I need you to help me."

--PETER: "Which gives us creative license to make those photos real."
--ELIZABETH: "What?"
--PETER: "No, I mean, not real. Look real. Real-looking. And you can completely be there."
--ELIZABETH: "In the photos?"
--PETER: "No, No, I mean you can watch."
--SARAH: "Yeah, because that won't be awkward."

--NEAL: "Romance-novel cover right there."

--NEAL: "OK, I think we got it. That's a wrap."

PETER (to Mozzie): "Where did you come from?"
MOZZIE (to Peter): "Forty-five years ago, an enigma gave a paradox a very special hug."


RANDOM RAMBLINGS:

--I'm surprised it took this long for the show to put Neal into a courtroom again. It was fun seeing him as a witness.

--Question: Do people want to see Neal and Sarah back together? Or do we want to see him involved with different chicks on a regular basis, a la 'Seinfeld'? I most enjoy when he's single and often gets linked to the guest stars in the episode.

--This week's installment of 'Eli is a creep': I would love to see him with Alex, who will be returning to the show soon. Not only is she stunningly breathtaking, but her character is fun, they have lots of history and she is basically the female version of him. Fun all-around.

THE SCORE: 57 out of 100

The case was iffy and we didn't learn anything new whatsoever. The only thing giving it this high of a score is that scene with Peter and Sarah.

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Guest Review - BREAKING BAD 5.07: 'Say My Name'

I thought Shawn Mahone had died when he didn't send in his review yesterday but apparently he was on some fake Euro "holiday." So here is another review about the guys who knock. As always, I don't proofread his work so if he says something stupid, I am sure I can get his address so you can firebomb his house. --HGF

RIP Mike, RI Fucking P Mike! I knew deep down that Mike's fate was doomed from the season premier...Breaking Bad had to kill someone and they would never kill Jesse or Hank and I knew with every passing episode and the hints that pointed to Mike's eventual demise that he would go sooner or later. It could have been the legacy costs or the pointing of his gun to Walter so many times or just Walt saying in 5.03 that Mike was flying to close to the sun but I just knew it was coming but knowing and seeing are two different things altogether and watching Mike die hurt. It was beautifully shot and executed and his death was quiet and serene and perfect but it still fucking hurt!

Watching the making of the episode on the AMC website you can tell that this hit the cast and crew hard and Jonathan Banks who plays Mike is a big softy and he got emotional too, we are nearing end times story wise and I can only see more and more deaths occurring over the remaining 9 episodes of this show, so there is a lot more pain and heartbreak left and tension and drama and just shit hits the fan awesomeness!

So was Mike's death contrived? yes! I have to believe (although I have not read any comments online) that some fans will accept that Mike would not want to get Jesse caught and could not risk Saul but Walter White! He would accept the help from Walter fucking White? I suppose maybe Mike did get too close to the sun but still Mike was a pro and one who made very few mistakes and I just do not know if this was a fitting end for him. I am not saying that the way the show allowed for him to have a quiet and respectful death (I was waiting for Walt to shoot him again so kudos for Walt for letting him go without plugging him with another bullet) was not beautiful and incredibly poignant I just felt the machinations of it all and the plot logic and character logic seemed faulty. I mean simply put why not just have Jesse not in Saul's office when he calls? Urgh....

Walt, Walter, Heisenberg....what is there left to say for a man who has sunk so low and knows that he is going to hell and gleefully accepts it? The opening of the episode was pure macho bullshit ("Say my name!") but I loved it because that is some serious ass payoff to watching this character devolve. Basically the Phoenix crew is now his bitch and now he is going to up production to 100 lbs every cook and he is going to attempt to take over the drug world in the south. Good luck with that! But will he do it with Jesse or not? Jesse is now fully onto the bullshit that is Walter White, that there is no end, that Walt does not give a shit about the kids that die or the people they hurt or the wife who hates him or the fact that he has lost his kids or that he is just a ticking time bomb who is pure evil at this point. Jesse finally sees it, he finally sees the truth and confronts Walt and actually gives up his money...if it means his way out of Walt's life then so be it but we shall see because I think these two have a few makeup's and breakups before the series end. I have a feeling that they will band together over these 9 guys issue or something I am not sure about. I mean will Jesse stop Walt from having them killed? he has to right? I mean after all his epiphanies lately about Walt would he let him just kill another 9 guys for his own selfish needs? is Jesse finally going to say no we do not do this we take the rap for the bullshit we have pulled...is this the moment where Jesse finally teams up with Skyler and tries to take Walt out? hmmmmm.

Hank got in shit for having a hard on for Mike...I wonder if all that confiscated 5 million dollars will shut his boss up...they talk about funding and cash and budgets and man hours and all that shit well now they have a ton of fat stacks to put away from a big score and Hank was proven right so we shall see how that pans out.

A great episode that had wonderful moments and was wonderfully shot, I do not think Walt turned up to meet Mike to kill him, I think he took his gun to threaten him but not kill him. I think his pride and ego killed Mike and you could tell the look on his face when he shit mike and the looks on his face when Mike died. They were regretful and sad and he knows that he has fucked up and that this is another secret that Jesse and him will have between them. Mike had to go sadly and so does Skyler and I just do not know where this all goes but I am looking forward to the finale where Walt goes to Lydia and tries to off Mike's guys via Todd's uncles prison connections? I think.

Todd learning the process.....yeah that is going to fuck up sooner or later. Saul!!!!! I so needed your comic relief buddy! He was right though about the other lawyer...as Jesse said in season 2, in this business you do not want a criminal lawyer you want a criminal lawyer yo! I hope Saul makes it to the end, I think he will.

Episode rating 98 out of 100

See you guys for the finale I look forward to it and hope they can pull it together even through all these seasonal bumpy plot points that have been rushed or not well executed. I think they have done ok but more time would have helped smoothed stuff out but that is all cool....we are getting 16 more episodes more that the ratings deserve so I hold hope.

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Furycast 38 - Such a Pussy Riot

In this podcast, Jess and Magnus discuss many topics. View the list below for the information and time.

Be aware that there are some SPOILERS in those topics (noted).

00:00 - 00:29 Musical Inro - Bloc Party, Kettling
00:30 - 01:04 Intro to the Intro
01:05 - 01:29 Musical Intro Continued - Bloc Party, Kettling
01:30 - 02:22 Podcast Opening
02:23 - 06:17 UK show SURVIVORS; mostly talk WALKING DEAD (season 2 spoilers)
06:18 - 06:42 TRUE BLOOD (I guess you could call this spoilery, kind of)
06:43 - 07:10 WALKING DEAD again with season 2 cliffhanger spoiler
07:11 - 13:34 GAME OF THRONES mostly book talk with some spoilers
13:35 - 15:28 UK show LUTHER
15:29 - 16:37 UK show SHERLOCK and Benedict Cumberbatch's new show PARADE'S END
16:38 - 18:15 HBO, critics, our hate for BOARDWALK EMPIRE, and NEWSROOM
18:16 - 19:04 Olivia Munn (the problem with... and when she works)
19:05 - 19:52 Danica McKellar
19:53 - 27:51 UK show THE INBETWEENERS vs. US version (spoilers discussed)
27:52 - 28:53 MISFITS and THE OFFICE US remake discussion
28:54 - 31:54 OUT OF THE WILD - VENEZUELA discussed with some spoilers
31:55 - 33:18 LILLYHAMMER
33:19 - 33:54 ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT on Netflix
33:55 - 37:58 ALPHAS
37:59 - 38:36 The blue eyes of the LOST cast
38:37 - 41:51 The BBC America show COPPER
41:52 - 46:03 FOX pilot episodes for THE MINDY PROJECT and BEN AND KATE
46:04 - 49:14 Jarring cut into a COMMUNITY season 4 discussion
49:15 - 51:49 General babble about people's TV and political choices.
51:50 - 53:12 Pussy Riot goodbye.



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Click this link to subscribe to our podcast via iTunes.

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Review - SUITS 2.10: 'High Noon'

Who says USA is afraid to go away from the status quo? After just three minutes of the mid-season finale of 'Suits', they made a SHOCKING (!) move and removed Jessica from control of the firm -- changing everything we've come to know and love about this show.

I mean, it was intense! Harvey tried to convince Jessica to quit the firm and take a year off of being a lawyer. That would have REALLY shook things up on this show. Instead, Jessica convinced him to relax for a bit, wait and not make any major life decisions when he was angry. Then, he decided to piss in Hardman's office.

And then, after a brief stoned period, Mike and Harvey figured out (in about 10 minutes or so) how to return 'Suits' back to what it was during the first three minutes of 'High Noon' and every other previous episode. Congratulations, USA, you've done it again. You should be proud.

Another thing to be proud of: The CRAZY twist at the end that had Rachel knock on Mike's door, only to find that he had another woman in his bed. And to think, I totally thought the knock on the door was going to be the pizza guy. Boy, am I dumb. I thought Mike and Rachel were going to be together forever without any more distractions/interruptions/obstacles/break-ups or significant others.

Crazy twist #3: Louis begins the episode totally against Harvey and ends the episode on his side. That's a storyline and avenue they just haven't explored yet on this show. Once again, original writing at its finest.

The only good part of the episode was the revelation that it was Hardman that planted that document. It was one of those "Oh, shit" moments that we love so much about TV. We are surprised and delighted at those developments and simultaneously question why didn't see that coming because they dropped subtle clues (like Hardman finding the dirt on Tanner himself) on us. That was a cool way of further paying off those good episodes earlier in the season regarding the Tanner-Specter storyline.

But that's not enough to save this episode. Going into the mid-season finale, we KNEW that there would be a Rachel-Mike cliffhanger, we KNEW that Pearson was going to re-gain control of the firm and force Hardman out and we KNEW that Louis would switch his allegiances. So how great can the episode be if it plays out exactly the way anyone with a brain knew it was going to?

Exactly.


QUOTES OF NOTE:

--JESSICA (to Harvey): "You don't make major life decisions when dealing with a loss." (Cut to Mike buying weed ... oh come on, that's not a major life decision!)

--TESS (to Mike): "I'm married." (Hey-oh!)

--LOUIS (to himself): "If you were a narcissist with great hair, what would your password be?"

--MIKE (to Rachel): "You think not kissing is gonna make that any better?"


RANDOM RAMBLINGS:

--A generally decent guy, acting like a tough-guy douchebag and treating women like shit because he suffered a loss and is just being vulnerable and doesn't want to admit it ... that never happens on TV!

An emotional guy, acting like a tough-guy dick when dealing with a death in the family? That never happens on TV

--OK, seriously, Tess looks like she's Donna's younger sister. They HAVE to be related. I don't care if Donna's real name is Sarah Rafferty and Tess is played by Elizabeth Hower.

--Every time they tease the can opener thing I get excited we're finally gonna learn about it. But then I realize, they will drag THE SHIT out of this like they do Mike/Rachel and Mike/his secret being found out. Curse you, USA.

--Shaquille O'Bryant. Haha.

THE SCORE: 56 out of 100

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