Round Two: Dark Matter

Dark Matter: Season 1, Episode 2 “Episode Two” (B)

I’m forming much more of an attachment to this show than I expected to, and I’m very pleasantly surprised about that. I really like the central notion of the premise, which is that these people know that they’re bad but have the choice now to redefine themselves as something else and something better. That doesn’t necessarily make them terrific people, as Three still has quite the mean streak in him that doesn’t always put innocent people above his well-being, but they are free to make choices about who they are. I like also that their lack of knowledge of their identities gives them a certain confidence to lie and pretend, as Two managed to do expertly in manipulating those around her to both protect their reputation and ensure that her enemies wouldn’t be a problem. Their pasts will surely catch up with them sooner or later, but for now it’s clear that they’re on a different path, and I’m eager to see where it takes them as they discover more about the world they live in and inadvertently also more about themselves. I like the Android’s minimal personality, asking emotionless guards if they have offspring, and I think she’s a strong character. Five is definitely the biggest mystery, and it seems that she knows more than the rest of them do about their true intentions, even if she too can’t figure out exactly what she knows and why it is that she knows it. I’m eager to learn more, but also content in the knowledge that it may take a while for it all to be revealed.

What I’m Watching: Episodes

Episodes: Season 4, Episode 2 (B+)

Things certainly have changed. Matt is going to have to scale back his lifestyle, Sean and Beverly are going to make another show for the network, and Carol is working for a boss who may actually be both brilliant and sane. Matt is hilariously stubborn about what he doesn’t want to give up, and hearing his ridiculous enthusiasm for his plane and for his dinosaur is entertaining, as is the fact that he drank the $126,000 bottle of wine when he was drunk. Dismissing the gardener who sweeps his each was fully preposterous, particularly because he kept making requests for last-minute work before the man left his job of eighteen years. Sean and Beverly going to see their former employee went particularly poorly, but at least they were able to leave with the knowledge that what their other script is attracting quite a bit of attention. The first two executives’ desire to cut out the creative elements of the show was wonderfully contrasted by Helen Bash’s openness about doing whatever they wanted, and it means a rare and unprecedented time of possibility for the network. I love that Carol confessed to her breaking up Helen’s marriage and ultimately ended up asking for sympathy from Helen, who seems nothing more than mildly surprised to learn that this had happened. I’m not sure why, but the sight of Sean and Beverly both wearing checkered shirts and the look they gave each other was one of the highlights of the episode for me.

Round Two: Babylon

Babylon: Season 1, Episode 2 (B+)

In its second outing, this show does well. While it may not be as hilarious as the notion of stuffing guards with cheese and eating them, there’s still plenty of humor to be found, but also some serious content which prompts some true and unchecked anger from this show’s two most volatile personalities, Liz and Richard. Liz’s no-nonsense attitude does make it hard for her to make friends, as evidenced by an overheard call in a bathroom stall, and therefore it’s no wonder that she would jump at the chance to appease the one friend she does have by compromising her values and doing drugs. Her internal press network idea was clearly conceived in a moment of high function, and I think she let it get to her a bit and oversold it in her mind. That said, when Richard told her no she got truly angry and railed at him about her ideas not being taken seriously. She’s doing a pretty terrific job otherwise, smartly advising the deputy mayor on how to best spin his son being arrested and booked for drug possession (reminiscent of a lighter version of what happened on “Boss”). The idea of the public tasing was pretty entertaining, and that seems like a productive concept that couldn’t possibly have gone well. It took me a while, but I finally recognized Paterson Joseph, who plays Charles, as Holy Wayne from “The Leftovers.” This role includes a different kind of over-the-top behavior that isn’t as serious as changing people’s lives with a mere embrace.

What I’m Watching: Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey: Season 5, Episode 2 (B+)

Rose seems to be singlehandedly modernizing this show, eagerly begging Robert to get a radio, resulting in his playing the king’s speech for everyone and then deciding that maybe he should just keep the wireless since they went to the trouble of setting it up in the first place. Robert does seem awfully grumpy lately, judging James and dismissing him at the end of last week’s episode and now groaning about how obnoxious he finds Sarah. He did score one victory, of course, and that was over Carson when they talked to the mother of a soldier killed in the war who made a compelling case for why the memorial should be in the center of town rather than far away from it. Carson did say that he wanted to agree with Robert, which made it not that hard to convince him, and it’s endearing to hear him talk about how his discord with Mrs. Hughes upsets him since he prefers that they see eye to eye. Daisy’s new education is off to a great start with Sarah popping in to give her lessons, though she’s likely either to run off with Tom or be dismissed by Robert before any major progress truly occurs. Everything involving Edith’s godmother role is awkward and she and her co-conspirator are coming on way too strong, and I worry that she’ll soon be exposed for a secret which can’t stay secret for long. Violet and Isobel’s interactions are infinitely entertaining, and though Maggie Smith is a perennial nominee for so many awards, she really is terrific. After his hair dye antics last week, it’s good to see Mosley cast in a more dramatic light with his disappointment about Baxter’s past, and even Thomas is starting to become sympathetic. I guess Anna was just feeling charitable after her uncomfortable and hilarious visit to pick up a contraceptive for Mary in town. Hopefully her dalliance with Tony, which seems quite ambitious, will prove productive in only appropriate ways.

Round Two: The Affair

The Affair: Season 1, Episode 2 (B+)

This show was definitely appealing in its second hour, maintaining its format of showing half the episode from Noah’s perspective and the other from Alison’s and also continuing to position its events relative to someone’s murder in the present day resulting in the interrogation of both parties. What’s interesting is just how different their recollected experiences are, particularly in Noah saying that he spent $12 at her stand and Alison remembering him buying one of everything for a grand total of $40. Noah describing Alison as disaster was intriguing, and his inability to remember his wife’s birth year was also noteworthy. I’m ready to see where this relationship goes, and happy to see that Helen and Cole are still substantial characters, not relegated to just the role of discarded spouse. Helen fixing Alison’s outfit was a particularly impactful moment, and Noah wasn’t shy about his distaste for his father-in-law after he spoke negatively about Alison. Even the kids get to play a big part in the overarching saga of this forbidden romance, which makes things all the more engaging. Martin jumped at the chance to work on the ranch, and this show has woven quite an interconnected web by making Cole his new mentor. Whitney was not shy about saying hello to the boys, and we got to see that Cole didn’t go for the flirtation, which makes his and Helen’s inevitable discovery of Noah and Alison’s affair all the more likely to truly sting and do lasting damage to both marriage.

What I’m Watching: Episodes

Episodes: Season 3, Episode 2 (B+)

It’s such a relief to me that, after an episode filled with unfortunate memories about infidelity, mostly on Beverly’s part, the happy couple managed to reunite successfully, thanks very much to Matt’s most appropriate gift ever: a new mattress. I love the history of this show, and the fact that both Beverly and Matt forgot that they had slept with each other when Sean was talking to them about what happened in the past. This show has never been overtly sexual, and the incorporation of the affairs is very subtly and comically done. It was also nice to see Matt have a positive interaction with Diane, cooking with her and then finding out that she’s actually going to get married. She’s never been a real romantic interest for him during the timeframe of the show, but it still represents a definitive moving on that’s sure to have an effect on him. Carol’s introduction to her new boss couldn’t have been better, and I’m extremely excited by how Chris Diamantopoulos’ character has been written. Caster Sotto is a truly determined and maniacal man, and he’s going to do truly interesting things to and with Carol. Merc was eccentric in many ways, but Caster has a commitment to his job and to doing good, impactful things that’s going to make for some intriguing developments. The brief session with his therapist was telling enough, and I’m thrilled to see what he’s going to bring to the network as the new man in charge.

What I’m Watching: Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey: Season 4, Episode 2 (B+)

I made the mistake last week of only watching part of the premiere, and so this review will tackle the second hour or so of episode one and the entirety of episode two (they air differently in England, which makes it confusing). As things progress, it’s becoming clearer and clearer that Mary, mistress of riding side-saddle, is going to make a name for herself and not let her father keep her down, with the hearty encouragement of Tom and Violet at every turn. Robert seems increasingly irritable, not eager to entertain a visiting opera singer and content to shut down the hopes and dreams of both of his living daughters by demeaning their opinions and avoiding getting to know their new men, respectively. Gregson managed to win the hour by gifting his winnings back to their original owners, and maybe that means Edith could actually have happiness for once after all. Rose made a major misstep by going into town and getting to know a member of the help who then sought her out at Downton, but that appears to be rectified for the moment. Anna, on the other hand, suffered a truly miserable and heinous fate, a dark occurrence which hasn’t yet been felt on this show. I trust Mrs. Hughes to be diligent in taking care of Anna and helping her to hide the truth from Bates, but that should prove difficult, especially since Bates got so angry about Anna playing around with her future assailant. It’s about time Mrs. Patmore suffered a heart attack, and I’m glad to see that she appears to be okay, with a prescription for a less stress as her medicine going forward. Edna is proving to be nothing but trouble, and let’s hope Tom doesn’t self-destruct his new status by engaging in an all-too-public affair with her. Molesley is a great source of comic relief, and it’s good to see him popping up a lot lately, even if it is for jobs that seem horribly embarrassing, at least according to his and Carson’s standards. The funniest moment of the episode was Violet calling Mary out for trying to use her as an excuse not to dance, a wonderful reminder that, however small her role may be, Maggie Smith knocks every scene she has out of the park.

What I’m Watching: Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey: Season 3, Episode 2 (B+)

Things certainly aren’t going well at Downton Abbey with money problems on everyone’s mind, illnesses coming out of nowhere, and deliberate vileness and betrayal among the staff. Violet encouraging Mary to ask her other grandmother for money was perhaps the best plotline, mainly since Violet couldn’t resist making fun of Americans while she was trying to suck up to her son’s mother-in-law. It looked like the problem might have been resolved, but that would have been too easy, so if Matthew can’t come around to the idea of saving the estate with his inheritance, some interesting cutbacks will have to be made. It couldn’t come at a worse time, of course, with Mrs. Hughes discovering that she might have cancer and Carson nearly bursting with the many mishaps disrupting nightly activities. It was sweet – and highly entertaining – to see Mrs. Patmore go along with Mrs. Hughes to visit the doctor, and, though it was only to make up for his previous behavior, it’s nice to see Carson check in on Mrs. Hughes at the end of the episode. Thomas purposely misleading Alfred to get him into trouble was horrible, and Mrs. O’Brien’s revenge was perfect, especially since Thomas made himself look worse by telling Robert that he had been set up. Alfred doesn’t deserve the treatment he gets, and it’s good that he’s accrued some American affection, which should last if Daisy doesn’t accidentally blab the news to Thomas. Edith fighting for her right to be with Sir Anthony was a brave move that’s been a long time coming, and I hope that it works out without any unhappy endings for her. In prison, the always-levelheaded Bates let his mean streak out, and it wouldn’t be good if he let that side get the best of him. On a lighter note, Violet mistaking Robert for a waiter because he wasn’t dressed properly was probably the episode’s most hilarious moment.

What I’m Watching: Episodes

Episodes: Season 2, Episode 2 (B+)

After a strong pilot episode, the show-within-a-show really saw its ratings tank. It’s a fun echoing of reality that’s extremely well-executed here, though it’s sad that Sean and Beverly are so oblivious to what’s happening. The return of Andy Button made for lots of laughs since Merc couldn’t stop using one particularly damaging expression and Carol was the one who had to be the go-between for the two of them. Merc’s comments about his name were perhaps the most amusing of that plotline, though I also liked the pitch session that ended in his question about what other animals can talk. Sean trying to brag about having sex with Morning was hopelessly awkward, and fortunately it hasn’t yet become immensely problematic with Beverly, though it may now that Matt knows. I enjoyed seeing Matt get so excited about Sean sort of listening to him, especially since he had developments to report about Merc’s wife and some activity in his dressing room. His gift of fancy cars to both Sean and Beverly took the entire episode to fully take effect, but it makes sense that he would try to rectify the situation with a financial solution, something which Beverly was surprisingly quick to accept. We haven’t seen all that much of Head of Comedy Myra Licht lately, and therefore it was a real treat to get to see Beverly and Sean dismayed to have a table read with her that was both incredibly funny and incredibly awkward, something this show does extremely well.

Round Two: Life’s Too Short

Life’s Too Short: Season 1, Episode 2 (B+)

This show is firmly establishing what it’s going to be, and that’s just about the most awkward, uncomfortable series out there at the moment, combining the array of faux pas practiced by Larry David, David Brent, and Michael Scott to create a hapless man with no hope of escaping the most devastatingly embarrassing situations. To be fair, some of it does happen through no fault of his own, but this whole business with being the best man and needing to deliver a toast at the wedding really didn’t help his case. Refusing to give away his autograph to the kid with a tumor backfired predictably, as it infuriated the mother and then resulted in every other person claiming to have a tumor or AIDS, a claim which Warwick rather cleverly deduced to be impossible. It’s also no surprise that he’d have to come dressed as an Ewok to the wedding, and I can sense a theme that’s sure to be present throughout the show of his only being known to fanatics. The TV interview was particularly hilarious and demeaning, though I’d argue that his assistant’s suggestions for other lines of work were quite funny as well, the highlight of which involved him not actually sweeping chimneys. Johnny Depp’s celebrity guest appearance was appropriately muted, and I love how Ricky Gervais’ Golden Globes skewering of Depp was worked into the plot. The insults Depp hurled at Gervais were quite cruel, and it’s not often that someone can manage to be more egregious than Gervais.

Round Two: Luck

Luck: Season 1, Episode 2 (B-)

After airing its pilot nearly two months ago, this show returns with its second original episode. I’m still not terribly drawn in by its complicated web of characters, and I haven’t surpassed the point where, in my notes, I refer to all of the characters as other characters played by the same actor on previous shows. I realized that I’ve been thinking of Jason Gedrick for his role on “Boomtown,” but perhaps the short-lived NBC series “Windfall” is a better comparison, since he then also found himself suddenly in possession of a lot of money and unsure of what to do with it. His ultimate victory with three kings doesn’t excuse his reckless playing before that, and Kevin Dunn’s Marcus is going to blow a gasket if he sees or hears of one more instance of unsubtlety. Ian Hart’s Lonnie got quite the beating from those prostitutes, and I have a feeling he won’t be walking straight anytime soon. I was pleased to see Ted Levine from “Monk” and the “Hell on Wheels” pilot as a potential investor, and it would be great to see him again. Dustin Hoffman’s Ace is definitely a compelling character, as is Dennis Farina’s Gus. I’m willing to give this show a few more episodes, though it would be nice if the pace was picked up and its strengths didn’t lie only in its horse racing scenes. Perhaps not unsurprisingly, HBO has already put faith in this show by renewing it for second season last week.

Round Two: Outcasts

Outcasts: Season 1, Episode 2 (B+)

While this second installment isn’t quite as spectacular as last week’s pilot, it’s still a more than able follow-up. I had thought last week that Julius Berger seemed to me to resemble Gaius Baltar from “Battlestar Galactica” in many ways, and the first episode in which he actually appears only validates that claim even more. Unlike Gaius, Julius seems to be full of bad intentions, rather than being forced to lie based on his circumstances. Eric Mabius isn’t always the strongest actor, but I think he’s a good choice for this party because he’s not capable of being truly terrifying but can still do disconcerting quite well. The prisoner swap in this episode was definitely tense, as Jack proves himself to be quite a hothead and Lily not the darling baby angel that her mother had hoped she would be. All this business about cloning and reproduction is truly intriguing, and I like the idea that Stella and Tate are, in theory, the bad guys, while Rudi is positioned as some sort of revolutionary hero. Fleur’s role in this conflict will also surely become truly complicated. Tate is extremely skilled, it seems, at giving motivational speeches, getting Stella back on track by reminding her that it’s always been about staying alive. As for the paper moving all by itself in his office, that’s something that’s going to require some explanation at some point soon. For now, I remain fully and sincerely hooked, and eager for the next six episodes of this series.

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

Secret Diary of a Call Girl: Season 4, Episode 2 (C+)

There comes a point in the run of some shows where suddenly things just don’t feel like they used to anymore. I often wonder whether the show actually used to be that much better or if I simply remembered it more fondly for whatever reason. I do think that there has been a noticeable shift in how this show operates, and it saddens me. What seems to be the problem is an inflation of ego. This show was surprisingly unassuming when it first started, and part of what made it appealing was the fact that Belle really is very sweet and likeable. She now seems completely self-centered and it’s as if Billie Piper is playing an entirely different character. It’s a huge disappointment because she used to be so great, and now I find her character off-putting, and not in an intriguing way. Her session with the virgin is a particularly strong example for an unexplained personality shift since she used to always be supportive of her clients, no matter what they did or didn’t want to do. I don’t like her new associates, and one of them is particularly prickly and unfriendly. I want to see more of Stephanie’s daughter and have her get involved with everything, because I think she’s an intriguing character, and may be the last best thing on this show that could make this final season, so far removed already from what came before, worth watching. I would hate for this show to go out on a negative note.

Round Two: Episodes

Episodes: Season 1, Episode 2 “Episode Two” (B+)

After being pleasantly surprised with this show’s pilot last week, I’m happy to report that episode two is just as refreshing and good. It’s patently uncomfortable for a majority of the time, yet there’s something bearable about it thanks to how entertaining it manages to be. For instance, the constant inability of security guard Wallace to recognize the Lincolns as they pull in to their gated community is a great running joke, and it was fun to experience Beverly letting out all of the fury building in her to deliver an expletive-filled tirade unbecoming of the usually prim and proper character. I liked the pairings at the party of Carol and Sean and Beverly and Matt. Carol is a great character, and the way she speaks is entirely entertaining. She and Sean work exceptionally well together in a scene. The same goes for Beverly and Matt, though they’re far less on the same page, and it was enthralling to see Beverly go from being pleasantly surprised by Matt’s apparent intelligence to unable to contain her disgust at his immature feelings about Tourette’s syndrome. Kudos to Matt LeBlanc, barely seen last week, for creating a fine parody of himself, one that’s unexpectedly serious and also quite unlikeable. The chain of events related to the Lincolns’ beloved British show are rather painful, but this show wisely focuses on entertaining its audience with smart writing and plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor (thanks, Carol) than wallowing in self-pity. Bring on episode three! I’m eager to see what this new, hopelessly warped show will look like.

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

Secret Diary of a Call Girl: Season 3, Episode 2 “Series 3, Episode 2” (B+)

I love these introductions with spectacular music choices that really get into the unique tone this show has managed to set. The lyrics “come with me and you’ll be in a world of your imagination” coupled with the old-fashioned clothing and scenery were magnificent. The club Belle took her sister to was pretty crazy, even by this show’s standards. The best part was seeing Belle’s face as Stephanie was about to meet that drill of sorts since even she seemed to find it a bit off-putting, and that’s saying something. This was a wonderful episode for Bambi, and it makes me so glad that Ashley Madekwe didn’t get stranded on the CW’s “The Beautiful Life,” which aired a grand total of two episodes this past fall. Her outburst at Stephanie’s inflammatory comments was fantastic, and it was fun to see her get so mad at a very confused and preoccupied Belle. The scene with Jackie picking up and putting down the book while struggling with whether or not she should start engaging in another activity was hilarious and amazingly choreographed, and Ben’s arrival was classic. He’s really having a great season. Belle asking viewers not to take notes because she hasn’t had the chance to prepare adequately for her perfect night was terrific. The end scene with the conversation between Belle and Duncan was great, and it’s very nice to see them forming a relationship. This show managed with only a couple of characters before now, but having it expanded to six featured cast members now is doing it a wondrous favor.