Skip to main content

Posts

The Nature of Sacrifice: Shots Ring Out on Big Love

"The age of false prophets is over." As we near the end of Big Love 's run next week, the notion of sacrifice hovers over the action, with each of the characters being forced to come to terms with their own personal divinity as they weigh the outcome of their actions. For every mother who strives to give their child a better life at the expense of their own happiness, there's another who puts their own insecurities and shame onto their offspring. It seems as though we truly can't even outrun out pasts, much less escape them. There's always a way that the past--whether it be a crazed gunman out for bloody vengeance, a corrugated iron washtub, or our formative experiences in childhood--manages to catch up with us. On this week's tension-laden episode of Big Love ("Exorcism"), written by Roberto Aquirre-Sacasa and directed by Adam Davidson, the past didn't so much as sidle up to the Henricksons as it did throw a bucket of acid in their faces, f

VIDEO: Doctor Who Opening Credits, Buffy Style

Buffy the Vampire Slayer might be long gone (sadly) and Doctor Who doesn't return for a few more weeks (darn!), but that doesn't mean that you can't smush the two together into something as fun as a jaunty bow-tie. In this case, this means mashing the familiar opening credit sequence of Buffy with the visuals of the Matt Smith-era Doctor and his companion Amy Pond (Karen Gillan), with a special appearance by Alex Kingston as River Song, of course. You can watch this lovingly crafted homage to both Buffy and Doctor Who below. Season Six of Doctor Who kicks off on April 23rd on BBC America.

The Daily Beast: "Fringe Under Fire" (And 8 Burning Questions Answered!)

It's Friday, which means a brand-new episode of FOX's Fringe is heading to your screens tonight. Over at The Daily Beast, you can read my latest feature, " Fringe Under Fire," in which I talk to executive producers Jeff Pinkner and Joel Wyman about Fringe , its renewal prospects, why science fiction dramas have proven tricky at the broadcast networks of late, lessons learned from Lost and Alias , and the show's innate philosophical leanings (something I've written a great deal about at this site). Also, Pinkner and Wyman answer eight burning questions about Fringe --from Olivia's powers and stepfather to the Observers, Sam Weiss, and Peter's doomsday device, and more--in the gallery-based sidebar . Fringe airs tonight at 9 pm ET/PT on FOX.

Game of Thrones Poster Revealed: You Win or You Die

HBO has today unveiled the official poster for its upcoming launch of Game of Thrones , kicking off Sunday, April 17th at 9 pm ET/PT. Depicting Ned Stark (Sean Bean) on the Iron Throne, it's a stark (heh) use of imagery that highlights the violent nature of the show's plot and the war that threatens to overtake the land of Westeros. When men play at the game of thrones, who will win and who will pay the heaviest price? The poster's tagline? "You Win Or You Die." Fitting, no? You can check out a larger version of the poster below... Game of Thrones premieres Sunday, April 17th on HBO.

PaleyFest 2011: Details From NBC's Parks and Recreation Panel

Welcome to the home of the world famous Julia Roberts... lawsuit. To the Paris of Indiana. Welcome to Pawnee. It was clear, as the cast and crew of NBC's painfully funny and wickedly sweet Parks and Recreation gathered on stage last night as part of the 2011 edition of the Paley Festival, that there's as much love for the series coming from the actors than there is coming from the audience. "I think this is the beginning of us being around for a long time," said Amy Poehler about Parks and Recreation reaching its stride. The numbers have climbed during the long-delayed third season, which made the move to the plum post- Office timeslot in January. Though Poehler was quick to poke fun at moderator Michael Ausiello of TVLine for issuing a backhanded compliment about the underrated first season of this winning comedy series. "It's a bit like saying that your baby used to be ugly and is now cute," said Poehler on reactions to Season One, which she termed

White Collar Season Finale: There's Nothing Sadder Than a Con Man Conning Himself

Just when it seemed as though the Vincent Adler/Kate/Nazi treasure storyline had all but wrapped up, last night's season finale of White Collar ("Under the Radar") threw us for another loop with that cliffhanger ending. Throughout the series' run over the last two seasons, the relationship between Neal Caffrey and Peter Burke has grown into something resembling an actual partnership based on mutual trust, respect, and, well, friendship. Which is why the innate tension and suspicion of the "prove it" scene at the very end of this week's installment threatens to alter the delicate balance that has existed between the two for some time now. Neal has proven himself a staunch ally to the White Collar Crime Division of the FBI, willing to lend his expertise to catching some crooks, but he's always had his feet in two worlds: the criminality that he's sworn to give up and the path of redemption that Peter has put him on. Is it possible to remain within

Are You Still Watching The Event?

Last night marked the return (and revamp) of NBC's troubled sci-fi drama The Event , which viewers seemed to be fleeing in droves last fall. While we await the overnight ratings for the return of The Event , I'm curious to know (A) whether you stuck around throughout the fall episodes, (B) if you tuned in last night for the series' return to the airwaves, (C) what you thought, and (D) whether you'll keep watching. For the record, in case you were wondering, I gave up after the two-episode screener NBC sent out before the show launched, so I have no vested interest in The Event whatsoever. I would, however, love to know just what viewers thought of last night's relaunch and whether it was enough--along with Virginia Madsen--to pique your interest enough to keep tuning in for the rest of the season. Honesty is always the best policy, so let me know just what you thought about The Event . Talk back here.