What I’m Watching: Dark Matter

Dark Matter: Season 1, Episode 4 “Episode Four” (B+)

I wished for more contact with the outside world, which is what this episode brought, and it’s clear that the crew of the Raza is in much more danger when they interact with others than when they’re isolated on their ship. Things couldn’t really have gone any worse, with One and Three getting captured and nearly killed, Six getting flagged at the doctor because of his most wanted status, and Two and Five nearly getting imprisoned or worse because of their card counting in the casino. I liked seeing them out of their confined space, particularly Two and Five, who both have their charms but also possess some uncanny abilities when it comes to perception and gambling. The most important revelation of the hour is that the man who saw who looked an awful lot like One at the end of last week’s episode wasn’t in fact the One we know in the past, but the real Jace Corso who was pretty pissed to discover a doppelganger who had boarded the Raza instead of him. Six seeing the advertisement for a cloning program that allows you to be hibernated and have a clone experience memories to be transferred to you at the end of the trip can’t be a coincidence, and it begs the question of whether all six of these people are clones and where the other five originals really are. I’m eager to find out, and committed to sticking with this show to figure out just what’s going on and where it all goes once they figure it out.

What I’m Watching: Episodes

Episodes: Season 3, Episode 4 (B+)

This episode started with people waking up in bed with each other, and it turns out that the romances begun at the end of last week’s episode may not be ill-fated after all. There is something so different about Carol’s relationship with Helen than her previous subservient office trysts, mainly that her latest boss wants to spend time with her outside of work and seems to enjoy her company while they’re not having sex. Helen joining Carol and Beverly for their morning walk was great, and I especially enjoyed the enthusiasm they displayed about sharing the same water bottle. I also love that Andy and Myra immediately knew that something was going on between them while Myra’s mystery pregnancy still remains entirely unexplained. There’s something about the way that Matt says “It’s so great to sleep with your wife” that just makes the line on paper infinitely funnier as spoken aloud. His naïve reaction to Sean’s belief that he was talking about Beverly was terrific, and I love that it’s something that’s occasionally discussed in truly awkward fashion on the show. I don’t see Matt and Diane working out, especially once she finds out about his financial hole, but it is sweet to see them both happy together for now. I’m hopeful that Sean’s old partner who so desperately seeks to get in on the ground floor of their new show proves a promising and positive new addition to the dynamic and not just another reason for Sean and Beverly to hate America and everything Los Angeles symbolizes.

What I’m Watching: Babylon

Babylon: Season 1, Episode 4 (B+)

This show has taken a darker turn in the wake of Richard’s suicide, but that hasn’t weakened it in any way. Liz went from being at the top of everything with her new internal press system looking like a sure thing to essentially being dismissed by Finn. Of course, the way that he and Charlie handled things wasn’t so smooth, and having to track down a bomber while doing damage control for the late commissioner’s promiscuousness wasn’t easy. A black teenager being shot and killed by armed police made things considerably more intense and dramatic in a way that hits close to home, and turned things from comical, with Robbie insulting gay people without knowing that one of his fellow officers is gay, to much more serious. Liz’s argument that he wasn’t black did seem somewhat manipulative, but I think she was just trying to make sure the situation didn’t get even worse without her there to keep it all in check. I love that she decided that the only thing to do was to go on television and take an interview in which she reasserted her position in the administration of the department while simultaneously cleaning up every mess Finn had caused in her short absence. I’m guessing that Charlie is going to be happy to have her back even if she did circumvent him to ensure the stability of her position, and Finn should really get in line soon. The officers in the field could sure use her help too.

What I’m Watching: Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey: Season 5, Episode 4 (B+)

When something gets stirred up on this show, it just keeps on building until it boils over and explodes. We’re still talking about Edith’s aggressive godmotherhood, Mary’s impending engagement to any one of her suitors, Violet is spending more time with her Russian would-be beau, Mrs. Patmore is upset about her nephew not being honored in the war memorial, the death of the rapist valet isn’t going away, and Tom’s dear friend is all about angering Robert as much as she possibly can. More news on what may have happened to Michael isn’t promising, and Edith is going to spiral downwards with nothing positive to hold on to in her life. Mary is getting annoying again, weighing her options so publicly with each of the men who want her and seemingly intent on never deciding. It’s unfortunate to see Carson and Mrs. Hughes get such delight from tormenting Mosley by insisting upon treating him as the first footman, and it’s a good thing that he’s the one being given all the works since Thomas is obviously working out some more severe personal problems. Anna being seen in London does not bode well, even if Bates didn’t have anything to do with the murder. Mrs. Hughes and Anna should really come clean with Carson since, though he wouldn’t want to tell a lie, he would be a good ally for them. Robert calling up Daisy and Mrs. Patmore to discuss her teacher’s negative influences was embarrassing, and Violet’s delight at the whole thing was extremely amusing. I like the fact that Isobel got an unexpectedly romantic proposal, since she is probably the show’s purest character and it’s good to see her earn some deserving attention and affection from someone else.

What I’m Watching: The Affair

The Affair: Season 1, Episode 4 (B)

There’s something about a more contained, isolated universe that gives this show both the potential to be more dramatic and intense and also less full as a result. I wasn’t entirely enthused about that in this hour because of the latter effect, which made Noah and Alison’s affair seem too stark since there was no one else around to interact with them to make what they were doing seem amoral. It’s interesting to see just how unsubtly they parade around clearly affectionate for each other with no concern paid to what it might rightly look like to the average observer. What I did like a lot about this episode is that it reshaped the format of having half the episode be from Noah’s perspective and the other half from Alison’s by maintaining that schedule but not making it a repeat of the same events. Instead, it was a chronological segue into Alison’s version of events, one that didn’t feel all that different from Noah’s. Now their relationship is starting to make more sense since they’re clearly both in over their heads but also held back by a number of factors. Being told by the other that they’re more open to the relationship makes them angry, and that creates a fascinating dichotomy which, once we get back to the real world where the rest of the people are should prove useful in helping to mold them into even more developed characters. For now, kudos to Dominic West and Ruth Wilson for turning in extremely strong and nuanced performances.

Round Two: Doll and Em

Doll and Em: Season 1, Episode 3 and 4 (B+)

Technically, this is actually round three and four, but, because of how HBO is airing the installments of this British series, I’m looking at these two together as one whole. I was pleasantly surprised to find some sense of continuity in between episodes, namely that the injury Doll sustained as a result of her awful attempt to justify her handicapped parking spot lasted into the next episode. Doll starring in the funeral scene with Em definitely made things much more awkward than they needed to be, namely because she happened to be amazing at crying while it was not one of Em’s strong suits. Em was understandably upset with Doll milking her success and stealing some of the spotlight, and Doll didn’t help matters by calling up MasterCard pretending to be Em and describing her abilities in a less than complimentary manner. Doll going in first to see Em’s casting agent was immensely uncomfortable, and Em having to be Doll’s chauffeur was also unfortunate. Doll has absolutely no self-awareness, and Em much more often has to be the outwardly vindictive one, letting Doll know that she has to treat him with a sort of respect that she isn’t necessarily expected to show to her. We got to see much more of the filming process than ever before, showcasing Em’s actual skills while she parodies herself and her hatred of her hat and inability to cry. In a subtle and far from memorable guest spot, we had John Cusack, who was much more interested in socializing with Doll than with Em. I did enjoy the writer’s dislike of the comparisons to “The Godfather” that everyone kept making.

What I’m Watching: Episodes

Episodes: Season 3, Episode 4 (B)

This episode wasn’t particularly bad, but it also wasn’t the strongest showing the series has delivered. Castor got to go into entirely new territory in this episode, bordering on completely despicable behavior when the news broadcast about the earthquake in Peru got him all too excited, and then ultimately using Merc’s insults as a way to relieve his most recent stressor. His end-of-episode hug and additional unexpected gift to Carol will surely foreshadow something that she doesn’t seem to dread at all. Merc’s return was lackluster in many ways, though the best part of his being there was who he was meeting with. Seeing Carol, Andy, and Myra all rebuke him in different, distinctive manners was great, and Myra was particularly hilarious with her telling groans. We got to see a bit of Stoke being truly airheaded, particularly when he asked to confirm that he didn’t actually have to give any money, and a moment of bonding between Morning and Matt that led to another humorous reference to the fact that she’s much, much older than she looks, something we haven’t heard about in a long time. Matt’s gig on Jay Leno and the funnyman’s guest spot didn’t do too much, though it was another important dramatic reminder that sometimes Matt’s life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Beverly’s obsession with the gift bag and her subsequent disappointment was an unusual opportunity for her to be materialistic and to get away from work to do something just as irritating in many ways.

What I’m Watching: Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey: Season 4, Episode 4 (B+)

It didn’t take long for Bates to find out what happened to Anna, but let’s just be glad that Mrs. Hughes was sensible enough to tell him it was a stranger, not the man that he very much suspects it to be. It would be nice if things could go back to normal now, though I imagine that the trauma endured by Anna and Bates’ overzealous response will make that impossible. It seems like a neverending battle between Mary and Tom and Robert in terms of the proper way to do business, and this latest development suggests that maybe Mary might be able to have the upper hand on occasion. Thomas never misses the opportunity to seize on a new connection to success at Downton, and befriending the talented seamstress that most seem to like is definitely a smart move. Alfred going for his cooking class was exciting, but that dream fizzled out awfully quickly, which is a shame because everyone seemed so thrilled for him, and it would have been good to see the big lug find his true passion. Having him back at Downton won’t be a problem, of course, since he’s plenty humble, but it does mean bad news for the eternal punching bag that is Molesley, who is already down in the dumps and had to go beneath himself to accept a job that now isn’t even available. Violet hiring Isobel’s recommendation was an amusing storyline, and it’s always great to see those two esteemed ladies interact.

What I’m Watching: Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey: Season 3, Episode 4 (B+)

With Matthew’s investment funneled into Downton, it’s great to see things back in swing at the estate. It does seem that Matthew has encountered something suspicious in the books, and I like that he turned to Violet to ask how to handle it. She had some sincerely excellent one-liners in this episode, cracking jokes every time something serious was being discussed. Mrs. O’Brien has found herself a new nemesis in James, who would rather be known as Jimmy, since Thomas seems determined to help him get ahead of Alfred. It’s reassuring that Carson isn’t so easily brainwashed, instead opting to quiz Alfred on which spoons are which to help him learn. After rebuffing William for Thomas so many years ago, Daisy once again finds herself in the middle of a love triangle, about to confess her affection for Alfred just as the new kitchen maid arrives to steal his glances away. Branson’s revolutionary activities are just never going to set well in the Crawley household, and though Sybil isn’t bothered by her husband’s complicity, everyone else certainly was. Having him at Downton may be worse than getting arrested in Ireland, since he’ll now be seen as even more of a pariah than he previously was. Mrs. Hughes and Isobel were diligent and kind in their assistance to Ethel, something which has little impact on the overall show but still serves to reinforce the characters of two of the show’s purest personalities. I’m glad to see Edith finally win a small victory, getting printed and earning praise only from Matthew for her article about women’s suffrage. Bates and Anna seem destined to a life of misery apart, but their joy at reading all of each other’s letters was quite sweet.

What I’m Watching: Episodes

Episodes: Season 2, Episode 4 (B+)

Fading ratings definitely weren’t a good thing, but, prior to this, it didn’t mean radically changing the show even more than it’s already been transformed from Sean and Beverly’s original concept. Because we’ve already spent a season and a half getting to know Sean, Beverly, and Matt, the notion of Matt being essentially written out of the show is considerably more miserable. His assertion that he’s the only one on the show that anyone’s ever heard of is correct, and I enjoyed seeing Sean and Beverly try to conjure up the name of a project in which Morning had starred. Running into a no-name young guy whose career was doing marvelously was not a positive step for this particular trio, and the scene ended perfectly, with Matt saying that he was going to hit him. Carol coming over to Beverly’s home is becoming one of my favorite traditions, and among its best moments in this hour were Carol’s matter-of-fact statement of “Who says I don’t have a problem?” and her too-early interruption of Beverly’s venting to chime in with her own story about Merc. Morning giving the YCOMT pen to Sean was an interesting gift, and it’s a good thing that Beverly didn’t find out about that. Facebook was well-incorporated into the episode, and the ending was sweet and inspiring, as Beverly and Sean got touchy-feely while skating together after Matt rented out the rink for everyone. Maybe the British couple does have a fighting chance in the USA after all.

What I’m Watching: Life’s Too Short

Life’s Too Short: Season 1, Episode 4 (B+)

Warwick is continuing to simply make a fool of himself in so many situations, and therefore it’s almost a relief to see Ricky be the one that steps in it for a change. Sadly, Ricky’s string of negative comments about Steve Carell, uttered while he was still on Skype, were hardly the most awkward and embarrassing moments of the episode. Warwick was initially clueless but seems to have caught on to the fact that his soon-to-be-ex-wife is sleeping with her lawyer, and the display of height was not a positive experience for Warwick. Hiring his accountant, who is terrible enough at his actual job, to be his lawyer was not smart either, and that look of horror on Warwick’s face when he leads with them splitting everything fifty-fifty said it all. Warwick has to start realizing that Cheryl is an awful assistant, and though she didn’t directly contradict him and mess everything up in this installment, she did misinterpret most of his cleverly-plotted phrases. Mangling the “small arms and deep pockets” line and asking if the microwave was radioactive were among the high points, and trapping Warwick in the bathroom with a handle he couldn’t reach was particularly unfortunate. Warwick’s quest for power within the Society of People of Small Stature didn’t go well, and bringing in performers to rally votes was not a good idea. It’s no wonder a random woman is stopping Warwick on the street because she thinks it’s funny that he’s carrying a box instead of being a fan.

What I’m Watching: Luck

Luck: Season 1, Episode 4 (B+)

This show is beginning to take shape, and some of its segments are becoming truly dazzling. There’s one sequence in particular that stuck with me, which utilized Max Richter’s beautiful “On the Nature of Daylight” from “Shutter Island” to score the horse racing. This show derives its most meaningful moments from its spectacles, and from seeing the emotion on the faces of its players. I was thrilled to see Kerry Condon, one of the standout performers from “The Last Station,” as Rosie, who’s both quite religious and got quite the personality when she’s not behaving with decorum. Jerry continues to be headed down a dark, dangerous road, and Leo is proving to be a vicious enemy for him. Playing at his restaurant was not a good idea, and it’s a good thing that his buddies came to check on him. Lonnie and Renzo are an entertaining duo, and their inability to figure out whether Marcus was talking about himself or Jerry being sick was hilarious. Joey is spiraling out of control, and Richard Kind is delivering a compelling and engaging performance. What continues to be the most interesting, of course, is Ace’s business with Nathan. Mocking his 8th grade notebook and asking him what he’s done since they last spoke was predictably harsh, and I was proud of Nathan for calling Ace out on answering a question with a question. Gus telling Ace what he would have done for a million dollars at his age was also interesting, and I’m glad to be getting to know these characters.

What I’m Watching: Outcasts

Outcasts: Season 1, Episode 4 (B+)

It’s impressive that this show is able to devote the core of each episode to a specific plotline with such a small season order. The character of Elijah was immensely interesting, and his interactions with the various humans with whom he did come into contact were much more complex than those already intriguing meetings between the likes of Rudi and Fleur. Elijah’s conversation with Cass was perhaps the episode’s most simultaneously entertaining and heartwarming moment, as they both bonded over the fact that the women they love essentially have no idea of their feelings towards them. Cass’ betrayal of Fleur is sure to sting for a while, though his response that he’ll always be there for her was touching. Jack has to learn to control that trigger finger of his since, for all the good will that Mitchell had created with the ACs, he’s really serving to worsen every situation and make all those at Forthaven look more and more like an enemy. Julius preaching to the injured woman about needing to stop the violent animals was one thing, but calling her stupid after she disagreed with him demonstrates once again that he truly does have villainous intentions. He can’t even make friends with the similarly-minded Jack, and seems determined to push back against Tate and Stella in nearly every situation. Tate seeing his children at the end of the episode was decently spooky, and his words were both reassuring and discomforting at the same time, indicative of a knowing descent towards insanity: “I know you’re not real, but I don’t want you to leave.”

What I’m Watching: Secret Diary of a Call Girl

Secret Diary of a Call Girl: Season 4, Episode 4 (C+)

It’s so painful watching this show now that it has been so hopelessly transformed. Fortunately, there are only four episodes left in its run, so it can’t go much farther downhill, and the only character I’m following with any interest now is Poppy. It was somewhat worthwhile and interesting to see Poppy come face-to-face with Stephanie and bring Belle along with her. Following it up with that sequence of Belle walking back through the bushes, however, was yet another instance of the bizarre, off-putting style this show has mysteriously chosen to adopt this season. I can’t quite understand its appeal, and it’s even more apparent in every scene in which the detestable Charlotte appears, preparing her food while Belle is with her client. The number one thing that didn’t track with Belle’s former personality in this episode is her reaction to seeing him in his diaper. The old Belle dealt with plenty of weird stuff, and never acted remotely annoyed about any of it. I remember in particular a shot that I used in a montage I made of her getting pied in the face, looking so genuinely excited. Sure, Charlotte is cold and manipulative as anything to her, but she underwent this peculiar intra-season transformation before that. The use of music towards the end of the episode when Belle and Ben just weren’t doing well reminded me immediately and only of the underrated Sofia Coppola film “Somewhere,” in which the same music was used to much greater effect. Let’s hope for better in the back half of this season.

What I’m Watching: Episodes

Episodes: Season 1, Episode 4 “Episode Four” (B)

We’re now officially past the halfway mark for this show’s debut season, which seems strange, mostly because the season is an unusually short seven episodes. This installment is without question the series’ weakest so far, though that’s hardly a condemnation. I think that setting almost the entire episode out of the studio might be too much of a risk, and even if it’s good to get a glimpse of Matt’s personal life as he wallows in (somewhat understandable) self-pity, it’s still just not quite as well-rounded an episode, mostly due to the lack of Carol and the other show-involved personalities. What I did like quite a bit about the episode was seeing the mutual dislike between Beverly (a.k.a. Betsy) and Matt truly manifest itself in outright conversations and interactions. I loved Matt’s reaction to seeing Beverly appear with Sean at the bar, and his delivery of “Why’d you bring her?” was spot-on. Of course, the best line, not to mention execution, of the episode was Matt’s rather crude remark to his ex-wife, “Just this once, don’t be a …” I enjoyed the fact that Beverly actually had to say to Sean that he should never, under any circumstances, try to use that line on her in the middle of an argument. I liked that the heartfelt bonding scene resulted in Matt actually throwing up on Beverly’s shoulder. I was surprised to see Brit Rachel Shelley from “The L Word” as Matt’s morning guest, and was mostly distracted by her American accent since she didn’t have all that much else to do.

What I’m Watching: Secret Diary of a Call Girl

Secret Diary of a Call Girl: Season 3, Episode 4 “Series 3, Episode 4” (B+)

Well, this episode just continues the trend of this show being incredibly stunning this season. It was always good, but it feels like it’s getting even better now. All of that sploshing stuff with the food was pretty crazy, and to see even Belle turned off by the idea was intense. It was reassuring that the guy who was into all of the weird stuff was actually incredibly nice and didn’t get angry with her when he realized she wasn’t into it. Fortunately, the equally funny and disturbing ending shot of an excited-looking Belle plopping down with the guy into whatever cake that was leaves us with the notion that Belle is trying to be happy in the midst of her relationships with everyone around her. I was going to mention how consistently impeccable the music choices were about halfway through the episode, and then on came the heartbreaking “Breathe Me” by Sia, used in the final moments of the unforgettable “Six Feet Under” series finale. And then there was “The Scarlet Tide” from “Cold Mountain,” not as great a song but just as effective. The montage with Bambi moments was marvelous, and I love how this show functions so well as both a comedy and a drama. Belle’s comment “who needs boys” was amusing, and having Bambi’s new boyfriend show up only seconds later with a tremendous show of affection for his belle worked very well to alienate Belle, forcing her back into her investigation of kinkiness to find some companionship and release. What magnificent characters there are on this show, including the two males with questionable ties to two ladies in a certain family.