Category Archives: Television Reviews

Television Reviews, TV Drama

House of Cards S04E03 Recap & Review

Caution: Spoilers from House of Cards season four, episode three ahead.

The third episode of the new season of House of Cards shows the continued efforts of Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) to salvage his struggling presidential campaign. Returning to his hometown of Gaffney, South Carolina, he speaks in a church. The scene is great, cross-cutting between the speech itself and Underwood preparing for the speech. The lighting contrast and his mumbling recitation show the reality of his feelings for the people that he is claiming to be working for, that they are merely votes that he desperately needs.

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On the other end of the political totem pole, Lucas Goodwin (Sebastian Arcelus), aka John Carlyle, is working on parole, cleaning cars. In order to secure a car, he engages in sexual favors with a co-worker. He uses this to Continue reading House of Cards S04E03 Recap & Review →

Television Reviews, TV Drama

House of Cards S04E02 Recap & Review

Caution: Spoilers for House of Cards season four, episode two ahead.

Episode two of House of Cards season four opens on a conversation between Claire Underwood’s mother Elizabeth (Ellen Burstyn) and a group of her perhaps monetarily influential friends. She encourages endorsement of Heather Dunbar (Elizabeth Marvel) for president so that her daughter may begin her own political rise once Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) is out of the oval office.

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The episode re-introduces Russian President Viktor Petrov (Lars Mikkelsen), where a man fleeing Russia seeks asylum in the U.S., fearing for his life when an attempt to unseat Petrov goes south. To President Underwood, this appears like Continue reading House of Cards S04E02 Recap & Review →

Drama, Television Reviews

House of Cards S04E01 Recap & Review

Caution: Spoilers for House of Cards season four, episode one (and perhaps any previous episode of the show) ahead.

Season four of House of Cards opens on a strange yet perversely poetic image: former Washington Herald senior journalist Lucas Goodwin (Sebastian Arcelus) glibly reciting erotica so his prison cellmate can get off on the bunk below him. Goodwin was previously framed by hacker Gavin Orsay (Jimmi Simpson) and Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) loyalist Doug Stamper (Michael Kelly) in order to prevent further suspicion over the death of Zoe Barnes (Kate Mara) at Underwood’s hands.

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The reason for Goodwin’s lewd helping hand becomes clear later on, when it is revealed that he Continue reading House of Cards S04E01 Recap & Review →

Long Reviews (>400 Words), Love It, Television Reviews, TV Drama

House of Cards (2015) S03E04 Recap/Review

Caution: major spoilers for this episode follow, as well as possible spoilers from episodes prior.

 

Episode four of this political drama opens on a Supreme Court hearing, the same hearing that the President was ignoring earlier in the season in his jumbled attempt to get his America Works project off the ground. The hearing surrounds a drone strike that apparently killed innocent civilians.

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While this is going on, Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) is attending the funeral of three soldiers. In the Supreme Court hearing, we hear that he has given authorization to the Solicitor General Heather Dunbar (Elizabeth Marvel) to effectively put full responsibility on the government for the attack that caused innocent deaths, arguing that the strike killed its criminal target and was legal and justified. The cross-cutting with the funeral tells us that Continue reading House of Cards (2015) S03E04 Recap/Review →

Like It, Long Reviews (>400 Words), Television Reviews, TV Drama

House of Cards (2015) S03E03 Recap/Review

House of Cards S03E03 Recap/Review

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The cold open of season three: episode three sets the stage for some topical commentary. Protesters on the Mall are chanting anti-Russian sentiment over the political mistreatment of the LGBT community. Apparently, Continue reading House of Cards (2015) S03E03 Recap/Review →

All Movie Reviews, Comedy, Drama, Indie Films, Like It, Long Reviews (>400 Words)

Hits (2015) Movie Review

“Get ready to laugh more than three times, but less than 10,” comedian David Cross says in the pay-what-you-want intro to his directorial debut Hits, warning the audience that what they are about to see is a dark comedy and, as such, not a laugh riot. This is a humble opinion of the film. Dark as it is, there are plenty of opportunities for deep belly laughs.

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The film, which Cross wrote and directed, follows a hapless dump worker Dave Stuben (Matt Walsh) and his daughter Katelyn (Meredith Hagner), who is determined to Continue reading Hits (2015) Movie Review →

Like It, Long Reviews (>400 Words), Television Reviews, TV Comedy, TV Drama

Better Call Saul Premiere (2015) Television Review

The black and white cold open to AMC’s Breaking Bad spinoff shows Bob Odenkirk’s seedy lawyer Saul Goodman sadly working the Cinnabon counter in a mall, sporting large glasses and a mean ‘stache. Saul is on edge, paranoid about an intimidating person in the store. At his home, he drinks scotch and anxiously looks out the window. Saul pulls out an old VHS tape and pops it in to the television. The tape is a series of ad spots from his old profession. He watches the tape glumly until it cuts away to the title card. And that’s it. The first scene Breaking Bad fans get after a year of withdrawal from the mythos they fell in love with. It is simple but all too gratifying.

Continue reading Better Call Saul Premiere (2015) Television Review →

Long Reviews (>400 Words), Love It, Television Reviews, TV Comedy

The Spoils of Babylon (2014) Miniseries Review

The Spoils of Babylon is an epic miniseries crafted by genius multi-hyphenate Eric Jonrosh. It tells the profound story of Devon Morehouse (Tobey Maguire) as he stumbles through the trials of war, corrupt big business, drug use, and love.

Well…not really. Continue reading The Spoils of Babylon (2014) Miniseries Review →