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Some thoughts on recent TV
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rsadelle wanted me to post on the latest Sarah Connor Chronicles, though I don't really have a lot to say about it, so I'm combining it with some other things I've been watching lately.Sarah Connor Chronicles
I have to say, I was completely blown away by the Riley reveal. I hadn't guessed that at all, and it suddenly makes Riley about 100 times more interesting to me. I'm also glad we got to meet her foster family in this episode. I like her foster parents, and that made the scene where she exploded at them a lot more powerful for me. I'm kind of glad she voiced her sense of unreality, even if they couldn't possibly understand it, because I imagine that for everyone who's come back from the future--Riley and Derek and Jesse--the disconnect between life as they'd experienced it and the past must be terribly disorienting all the time.
I really don't trust Jesse's agenda, though (and I assume we as viewers aren't supposed to), so I'm a little worried that Derek revealed to her that he's John's uncle.
I'm not sure what to think of the Sarah plot. Was she really just mistaken? Or did she, in fact, avert a future where the military got their hands on more advanced computer tech, another step on the road to Skynet? While sometimes I love the fact that this show doesn't give us easy answers, and I think Derek's point about seeing symbolism everywhere when you start to look for it is true, I'm still wondering about whether this is going to make Sarah--or John--mistrust her judgment at some future time when it will have more consequences.
I loved that she got to kick so much ass in this episode, though. And I'm a complete sucker for episodes where she gets to dress up and go undercover.
I lost faith in Ellison last week when he turned the terminator over to Weaver--to me this seemed like a clear signal that he doesn't know he's being played--but I will say I am fascinated by this whole plotline with "John Henry." Is he just being set up as a replacement for the now-dead psychologist? Why does Weaver need him? She does seem fascinated by his sense of morality, though I don't know to what end.
Dexter
I finally had a chance to see the first couple episodes of Dexter this weekend, and while I can see that it is brilliant, it may actually be too creepy for me to watch. I do love the way they managed to make Dexter simultaneously completely alien and yet a likeable sociopath, but I can honestly say I've never been so creeped out by a show before in my life. I had to kind of only halfway watch while playing computer games to get through the first 2 episodes, so I don't know that I'm going to make it through the other two episodes on the disk I rented, much less a whole season. I guess we'll see.
Supernatural, Grey's and Heroes
Ok, did someone declare it was "set up obvious crossovers with Supernatural" week? First--much as I love Jeffrey Dean Morgan (and I really, really love JDM--so much so that I'm continuing to watch Grey's while he is guest starring, even though (a) I passionately hate the plotline he's in and (b)I kind of want to be boycotting Grey's because of what they did to Brooke Smith), his ghost REALLY NEEDS TO GO. The obvious solution is to have Papa Winchester reappear and salt and burn his ass. Or barring that, the Winchester boys can do it.
Though they may be too busy in Lawrence Kansas investigating some girl in their hometown who developed mysterious powers after an eclipse. Oh, Heroes. That was deliberate fanservice, wasn't it? (Though it still doesn't make up for your many many lame plotlines this season. And somehow I suspect that everyone's powers are going to return after the longest and most
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Tell me about it! I keep wanting to post about Grey's, but can't bring myself to do so because both of those things are just filling me with rage. Yet, it's Denny! I adore Denny! How can I not want Denny on my screen again! (Answer: like this, good god, like this.)
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Hee! His death wasn't real, it was somehow faked--don't ask me how given they're all doctors, it was some experimental government revival-type thing because he was actually secretly a spy and so he can come back but not stay, given the spy thing, and therefore he and Izzy can finally have sex, which Shonda clearly really needed to have happen, but then he can leave. THERE. A completely ridiculous soapy plotline that is STILL less ridiculous than the actual plotline that is taking place on the show.
Now I think it ought to be a contest: let's create a scenario in which JDM and/or the character of Denny comes back to the show that is LESS stupid and contrived than what Shonda is actually writing.
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My out loud "You bitch" in response to the reveal was directed at Jesse as much as it was at Riley. I suppose it makes Riley more interesting, but not more sympathetic (to me, anyway). I liked her foster parents too, and I thought her outburst was something that could possibly be written off as troubled teen but might also be a potential issue in terms of maintaining her cover.
I'm in general worried about how much Derek trusts Jesse. She seemed too upset to have made up last week's Charles Fischer story, but now I wonder if she did. Maybe she had an ulterior motive for killing Fischer - especially since she killed the older one instead of the younger one. (Who was Adam Busch! I thought he looked familiar, but it didn't click for me until I was browsing the episode casts on IMDb. All roads lead to Joss!)
The io9 discussion had some interesting points. I think what Motoki had to say was the most interesting bit:I like the idea that it's inevitable and you can only change the how. I'm unsure, though, about the idea that there's a robot teaching Skynet to value human life. I don't think Weaver does value human life, except in a they're interesting to study kind of way. I hope that Weaver hooking John Henry up to Cromartie makes Ellison take a good hard look at what he's doing with her. On the other hand, maybe Ellison's concerns will push her into making sure the AI learns or is taught some ethics or morals. I do like, though, that Motoki's picking up on the idea that Cameron's there teaching John to value robotic life.
I'm also of the opinion that Skynet or something like it is inevitable, and I'd love to see something that nudges humans and robots into a cohabitation/peace treaty direction. (Um. This is like wanting Sam and Dean to do their own thing and not what the angels or demons want them to do - I want Our Heroes to take the unexpected path.)
Also, for anyone else who might pop into this discussion but not be privy to our emails, let me repeat: I'm also totally suspicious of Riley's apparent mission to get John to talk, which is what Cameron's also trying to do. (If Jesse knows Cameron's metal, then did she tell Riley?) I have to admit here that I'm kind of a John/Cameron shipper, and the prospect of Riley and Cameron being in competition for John kind of gives me a thrill.
and:
I kind of loved Cameron and Sarah's outfits and hair, even as I was thinking, "What the hell are you wearing?"
Dexter: I watched the first episode and couldn't go any farther. That was more than enough for me.
SPN crossover setups: Hee! The Winchesters salting and burning Denny would be SO ANGSTY. You could probably play with the timeline and have Papa Winchester go do it and then have Izzie get all hung up on Papa Winchester.
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he seemed too upset to have made up last week's Charles Fischer story, but now I wonder if she did. Maybe she had an ulterior motive for killing Fischer - especially since she killed the older one instead of the younger one. (Who was Adam Busch! I thought he looked familiar, but it didn't click for me until I was browsing the episode casts on IMDb. All roads lead to Joss!)
I did recognize Adam Busch last week, and wondered if he was getting typecast as the geeky killer.
I don't think Jesse made up the Fischer story--older Fischer's own words and actions in the episode seem to confirm it--but I do doubt that she randomly stumbled upon him. I suspect he was somehow part of her larger mission, whatever it may be. (The little bit she's told Derek is I'm sure a small piece of it, but I suspect it's much bigger than just killing Cameron.)
I really want someone to write that Grey's/SPN crossover. It seems so obvious to me, especially if you play with the timeline. (I think I mentioned I've read a couple similar crossovers written a long time before this season of Grey's, and Izzie/John Winchester works for me not just because he looks like Denny for her, but she also looks a hell of a lot like young Mary for him.)
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It's like one of the John/Cameron stories I read today where John says something like, "So we're just trapped in a Cold War - every time they send someone back we send someone back." Everything they do just leads to the war. They have to find a different path.
Jesse just gives me the creeps the more I think about her.
Oh, man, Izzie/John would be so bad for her.
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I'm interested in finding out what Jesse's deal with, and I think Derek was totally an idiot for spilling the beans about John being his nephew. I think his telling Sarah that she got played is going to come back to bite him in the ass when Jesse turns on him. (Which I think is definitely going to happen.)
I was totally excited to see kick-ass Sarah too, especially after they mellowed her down quite a bit the past few episodes. And the girls were totally rocking the formal wear, weren't they? I love seeing them all dolled up, especially since we usually only get to see them in leather and boots and macho-wear, basically. :)
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ITA with you about Sarah and Cameron getting to dress up.
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I don't trust Jesse but I love her. I love Derek with her, but I do fear for Derek.
Ellison is, as far as I can see, a complete nitwit. I don't get why he's taken in by Weaver but the show insists that he is. John Henry was interesting though.
She does seem fascinated by his sense of morality, though I don't know to what end.
Does she want to build a stronger Skynet? one that is not so brittle, one that is more adaptable, more 'human' and therefore able to play humans at their own game, maybe?
I can honestly say I've never been so creeped out by a show before in my life. I had to kind of only halfway watch while playing computer games to get through the first 2 episodes
I felt *exactly* the same way. I had residual squick about it a lot over the first few days of watching it and I really wondered whether I'd go back. Deb is my hook in to the show, and I ended up loving it, but it took a while to get fully hooked and get past that revulsion thing. I found the plotting very good and that kept me going... but hey, it's not everybody's thing, that's for sure. Without Deb I could not watch it.
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I can see why you love Jesse in T:SCC. She's gorgeous and I love her relationship with Derek and the fact that we don't know what her game plan is. Seeing her give orders to Riley, and try to persuade her, also made her more interesting to me--she's an interesting commander. But like you, I really fear for Derek--especially because the version of Derek this Jesse knows is weaker, someone who spent months being tortured and then planning revenge. I suspect Jesse doesn't trust his judgment the way, perhaps, alternate future Jesse would have.
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she's an interesting commander
She is! And yes, it's fascinating that we now know that they are used to different versions of each other. I agree about this Jesse not trusting his judgement where another one might. I really need a Jesse/Derek icon!