RICK & MORTY: SEASON 4 Blu-ray Review

 Article first published as RICK AND MORTY: SEASON 4 BLU-RAY REVIEW on Seat42F.

RICK AND MORTY: SEASON 4 has arrived! On Blu-ray and digital, that is, having aired a split season this past November/December and May. All ten episodes are part of the set, as well as roughly forty minutes of bonus features. Blu-ray purchases come with a digital code, and will be available on September 22nd.

The fourth season, which marks the start of a seven-season pick-up, gets weird, and that’s saying something for a show known to be weird. The writers have gotten very comfortable with pushing their bounds, and so now the weird seems more purposeful and thought out. Though it’s still extremely weird.

Perhaps the best example of that is the snake planet in “Rattlesnake Ricklactica.” There’s a time travel component, as well as parallel Earth history, as a world made up entirely of sentient snakes ventures out into the galaxy for the first time, and Morty (Justin Roiland) nearly ruins their evolutionary course. Then his grandfather and traveling companion, Rick (also Roiland), does ruin it for real in a delightful story that is part classic Star Trek, part Terminator, part a lot of other things, and gifts the world the musical stylings Snake Jazz.

The episode is far from alone in RICK AND MORTY: SEASON 4. Morty learns lessons about consequences and knowing the future. He also learns the follies of owning a dragon (Liam Cunningham, Game of Thrones). Rick has to fight to keep his personal toilet safe from an alien named Tony (Jeffrey Wright, Westworld). A story train plays with continuity and anthology, while a heist adventure gets meta times meta plus a bit more meta in a convoluted story knot that somehow kind of makes sense. “The Vat of Acid Episode” plays on an 80s trope, and so much more. Morty’s sister, Summer (Spencer Grammar), becomes ruler of a society. Morty’s father, Jerry (Chris Parnell), does, too, with predictably disastrous results. And matriarch Beth (Sarah Chalke) has to face what her father would like her to be.

That last hints just how much into the family drama and emotional heft RICKY AND MORTY: SEASON 4 can get. It’s a silly comedy, to be sure, but as the various personalities become more well-developed, more and more of the stories are driven by the relationships between characters. This is welcome and shows an appreciated maturation.

Other guest stars this year include Sherri Shepherd (30 Rock), Kathleen Turner (Body Heat), Sam Neill (Jurassic Park), Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok), Pamela Adlon (Better Things), Matthew Broderick (The Producers), Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise), Paul Giamatti (Sideways), Justin Theroux (The Leftovers), Christopher Meloni (Law & Order: SVU), Keegan-Michael Key (Key & Peele), and even inventor Elon Musk, among others. It’s an eclectic group, and one wonders why anyone would ever turn down a chance to be part of the show.

The special features are light and varied. The best one is probably the longest, a nearly-ten-minute look behind-the-scenes of the show as the crew finishes season 4 and begins season 5 simultaneously. It’s very easy, in a show as action-packed and fast-moving as RICK AND MORTY: SEASON 4, to just focus on the main threads and ignore the background. That feature, along with shorter focuses on a few individuals and parts of the process, help remind audiences just how much work goes into each episode. The sheer number of backgrounds and extra characters is mind-boggling, something other animated series don’t even come close to achieving, and will give greater understanding of what it takes to make a show this complex and good. Short bits on each episode are interesting, though not particularly eye-opening.

RICK AND MORTY is a solid show, and SEASON 4 continues this proud tradition. I look forward very much to at least six more years of a series, especially if it keeps building upon what it has done so far. Which is a lot.

WESTWORLD Expands Its Borders

Article first published as TV Review: WESTWORLD Season 3 on Seat42F.

WARNING: This review contains spoilers for the first two episodes.

HBO’s WESTWORLD returned last week after a very long hiatus. Season three likely has multiple timelines, so it’s hard to say how long it’s been in the world of the story, though at least one plot thread is a mere few months later. Then narrative seems more fragmented than ever, with fewer characters returning than did for season two, but with a lot of possibility, new faces, and futuristic worlds to explore. What is real and what is just a simulation? Who knows, but we’re definitely in for it in the eight-episode third season.

Delores Abernathy (Evan Rachel Wood) is arguably the lead, and she is now loose in the real world. After securing herself funding, she snuggles up to Liam Dempsey (John Gallagher Jr., The Newsroom), a rich man that controls a supercomputer that tracks everyone. But when things with Liam don’t go how Delores expects, she’s soon hanging out with Caleb Nichols (Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad), who has quite the different background. Caleb struggles just to make ends meet, and takes criminal activities on the side, though draws the line at murder and kidnapping. How might he be of assistance? Plus, Delores still has Charlotte Hale (Tessa Thompson) in her pocket, but who is now inhabiting Hale’s body?

In the meantime, we also catch up with Bernard Lowe (Jeffrey Wright), who has been blamed for the murders in the park. He’s in hiding, likely in an earlier time period than the Delores story, and trying to ride things out. When that proves impossible, he returns to the island to secure help, and finds Ashley Stubbs (Luke Hemsworth), who is, just as we all thought, a host.

And then there’s Maeve Millay (Thandie Newton), who is back in the games, this time in War World. At least she has Hector (Rodrigo Santoro) and Lee (Simon Quarterman) by her side. Or does she? New character Engerraund Serac (Vincent Cassel, Black Swan) has other plans for her.

A quarter of the way through the season, there are still more unanswered questions than known info. We haven’t even seen the Man in Black (Ed Harris) yet, though his name continues to grace the opening credits. And Quarterman also got a lead nod, meaning he’s likely to return, but how? While sadly, Santoro did not, meaning this could be the only time we see him this year.

The scale of WESTWORLD in season three has expanded greatly, as the adventure goes global. Several continents are covered, but the series thankfully has time to return to the park, at least a little bit. It looks like a bigger budget is probably in the offering, and the smaller scale of the second hour was surely to help balance just how immense the first one was.

The show is, at its heart, still the same series. It still raises questions of artificial intelligence and the danger of encroaching technology. It’s still very much a game that the rich play with hosts and common workers alike as pawns. Delores wants to tear down all of mankind, but perhaps she should consider connecting with Caleb’s peers instead, uniting in cause against their true enemy, the rich?

Season two was very different than season one, and not everyone liked that. Season three is different again. I appreciate the continued evolution of the piece, and think the core themes and characters provide a good through-line. The first two seasons were essentially loose expansions upon the 1973 film WESTWORLD (with a LOT more complexity added in). Season three seems to be picking up the sequel, FUTUREWORLD, but again, with many more angles and viewpoints. This might give us a hint as to where the show is going, though I expect it has more to say than can found in those movies.

I’m along for the ride and happy with the vehicle they’ve provided for us. In my opinion, WESTWORLD season 3 builds upon what’s come before it, and opens up a whole lot of new intriguing possibilities.

WESTWORLD airs Sunday evenings on HBO.

Welcome to WESTWORLD

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: 'Westworld: Season One' on Blogcritics.

Westworld is, in my opinion, the best new show of 2016. Based on the Michael Crichton film of the same name, it’s a high-concept series about an advanced theme park populated by super sophisticated robots. But as in Crichton’s classic Jurassic Park, the creators of the place can’t control what they’ve built and things go very wrong. That is only the start of the story, which explores sentience, humanity, morality, perception, and so much more.

Why do I bring up this show now, a year after it aired? Because with season two scheduled for 2018 on HBO, Westworld: Season One: The Maze is available now on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD, and digital, just in time for the holidays.

The Story

It’s hard to talk about too much without giving away the brilliant twists, so I’ll only describe the setup in the broadest of terms. The characters in Westworld can be divided into three categories: the robots, the park workers, and the guests. Right away, there is some blurring of the lines between the divisions. In general, though, the guests are interacting with the robots in the park (which shares a name with the show). The workers try to keep things running smoothly, and address any glitches that come up.

Behind-the-scenes, founder Dr. Robert Ford (Anthony Hopkins) is nearing retirement. The board that runs Westworld would like to see him pushed out. His protege, Bernard Lowe (Jeffrey Wright), supports him, but has his own concerns to deal with.  Namely, that some of the robots are beginning to have memories they shouldn’t, and act in ways contrary to their programming. The park has been around for decades, and there are hints that this isn’t the first time something like this has happened.

At the same time, things within the park are just as chaotic. The Man in Black (Ed Harris), a frequent guest over a long period of time, is looking for the entrance to the fabled Maze. He believes this will allow him to enter a higher level of the game, and he is obsessed with finding everything the park has to offer. Is he right? And if he is, what does this mean for those that dwell within the programmed scenarios?

The Production

Westworld is full of fantastic actors. Hopkins and Wright are terrific, of course. Luke Hemsworth, Sidse Babett Knudsen, and Shannon Woodward also play employees with varying motivations for their presence. Jimmi Simpson and Ben Barnes are guests, which provide an entry point for the audience.  This is especially true of Jimmy, whose William is there for the first time. To the credit of all of the above, they can compete with the robots for attention. The humans also are just as complex as the non-humans, which makes for a busy show.

While the guests may be relatable, the artificial constructs are probably more interesting to most viewers. Evan Rachel Wood outdoes herself in her intricate portrayal of Delores. She is the oldest robot in the place, and one who begins experiencing issues. She is joined by Thandie Newton, James Marsden, Ingrid Bolso Berdal, and Angela Sarafyan, among others playing artificial life forms. Their task is not an easy one, finding a way to portray life awaking within machine. Yet, across the board, they deliver impressive performances.

Quality is maintained in every aspect of the production, from the writing to the set design to the location shoots to the scoring. Just as great care for attention to detail would be taken in the real Westworld, it is on this show. Breathtaking vistas mixed with unique sci-fi elements make for a really interesting overall world. It is a pretty immersive experience to watch.

The Extras

For some releases, featurettes dispel a bit of the magic. Showing us the nuts and bolts behind the creation is interesting, but can demystify. Westworld: Season One provides that, but somehow, pulling back the curtain only makes what’s been done more impressive. As we hear about the creation of the look, the title sequences, and filming in those sweeping landscapes, it hits home just how much went into this program. Combined with some bits on the premise and actors, as well as a light gag reel, there’s a lot here, most of it solid.

Westworld: Season One also includes “The Big Moment” featurettes that often air right after the episodes. This is a good idea because it breaks down key moments in the series one at a time. Spreading them across the discs is smart, too, because they appear where they will be easiest to access. In fact, where all the extras are spread is well thought out, making for a nice, enhanced viewing experience.

Conclusion

It will come as no surprise to you that I recommend this set. Everything about it is neat, and rewatching it only builds anticipation for the show’s return. This is a series that begs repeat viewings to fully grasp it, so owning the set is helpful for that purpose. With solid bonus material, it makes it worth going beyond just rewatching the streaming episodes. This is a great release, and one I am happy to add to my shelf. My only regret is that I don’t yet have the capacity to watch it in 4K Ultra HD, which I will definitely do in the future.

Westworld: Season One: The Maze is available now.

Welcome to WESTWORLD Park

Article first published as WESTWORLD Review on Seat42F.

HBO’s latest big-budget, high-concept series, mentioned by many as intended to hang onto the Game of Thrones audience at the conclusion of that show, is WESTWORLD. Set in a future time, scientists have created an amusement park full of highly realistic robots that live out stories in an old American West setting, and guests can pay to visit and interact within it. The adventure is completely safe, as while the guests can “kill” the robots (which are back to work the next day), the visitors themselves cannot be harmed. But will something go wrong?

My first thought after watching this was that this is Jurassic Park in the Old West, sans the dinosaurs. That’s funny because, while I didn’t realize at it at the time, HBO’s WESTWORLD is based on the first film written and directed by Jurassic Park author Michael Crichton. And yes, they are essentially the same story, a fantastic theme park that is supposed to be very safe, but turns out not to be. I won’t say all hell breaks loose in the pilot, but the seeds are planted and it’s certain that’s exactly where this is going. Which I feel comfortable spoiling because not only is that the plot of the well-reviewed 1973 film of the same name, but that is the entire premise of the show.

Of course, this raises all sorts of questions. Does Chaos Theory mean that everything must go wrong? Or is there someone behind the problems? Is it right to keep robots as essentially unaware slaves, or once they reach a certain level of sophistication, should they be considered individuals with their own rights and freedoms? What kind of societal changes might you bring about if you allow people to murder and steal in a theme park? Have humans reached the end of their evolution?

Because this is HBO, and because this is a long-form television show, I expect many of those questions and more will be dealt with as we go forward. While the pilot is mainly focused on more immediate action, there is enough of that stuff present that one expects it to be a part of the foundation. That, and the first installment is just great storytelling, which a compelling, intense introduction to the world. Plus there’s nudity. If it’s on HBO, there will be lots of nudity, and WESTWORLD seems to have more than most programs on the network.

The cast is also terrific. It includes Anthony Hopkins (Hannibal) as the creator of Westworld, Ed Harris (Gravity) as a guest that seems to be testing the park’s limits, Sidse Babett Knudsen (Borgen) as the manager of the attraction, Jeffrey Wright (Boardwalk Empire) and Shannon Woodward (Raising Hope) as scientists, James Marsden (X-Men) as a classic hero-type, and Evan Rachel Wood (True Blood), Thandie Newton (Rogue), Rodrigo Santoro (Lost), and Angela Sarafyan (Paranoia), among others, as robots. This is not a complete listing, by any means, but gives you a taste of the talent present, and most of those above get really neat moments early on that prove they deserve to be here.

The production is terrific. The town feels real, and while it’s revealed very early on that it is a construct, extended scenes in the park can leave you immersed in that world-within-a-world almost completely. The design, both in and out of Westworld, is spectacular, which lots of cool detail and a fully-realized setting. It is also clear that the writing is smart, a metaphor with a player piano being used perhaps a bit too often, but certainly apt in the situation.

I think WESTWORLD is just terrific, and immediately want to keep watching. I don’t know if it will satisfy Game of Thrones fans, with its lack of deaths (I assume, since they can build new robots at any time) and sci-fi, rather than fantasy bend, but I can’t imagine it won’t have a passionate audience. Let’s hope it’s a sizeable one.

WESTWORLD premieres October 2^nd at 9/8c.

CONFIRMATION Of Belief

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: 'Confirmation' on Blogcritics.

HBO’s recent television movie, Confirmation, will be available on Blu-ray and DVD August 2nd, and has already been released for digital download and streaming. It’s the story of Anita Hill accusing Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment during his Supreme Court nomination hearing in 1991. Or, it tells a relatively one-sided, focused version of a small part of the story with a clear message and point that the film’s producers are trying to get across.

That may sound like a condemnation of the movie, but it is not. I merely want to state what this is before moving forward to talk about it. It is completely fair for someone to make a movie with a specific purpose in mind; many movies fall into that category. What is unusual is for a piece like this to come out when public opinion is still divided, at a time when our country has rarely been more partisan, with racism having been brought back to the forefront yet again, and many of the players involved are still in positions of power. Confirmation itself is a narrow story, but the issues it brings up are many, varied, and still very relevant.

Played by Scandal‘s Kerry Washington, Anita Hill is a sympathetic woman who did what she had to do in order to pursue a career in her chosen field, but who also has strong principles she cannot ignore when this man she was harassed by is given the chance to join the highest court in the land. She takes a little urging to come forward, but she refuses to lie even before that, and she does believe Clarence Thomas (Wendell Pierce, Treme, The Odd Couple) doesn’t deserve a job on the Supreme Court and should be stopped.

Despite it being clear where the writers think the truth lies, Confirmation does a pretty decent job of showing the different viewpoints various individuals involved have, providing a more complex story than the above description indicates. There are the female staffers like Ricki Seidman (Grace Gummer, Mr. Robot, The Newsroom) and Carolyn Hart (Zoe Lister-Jones, Life in Pieces) who are frustrated at the limitations their bosses follow. There are the white men on the judiciary committee like Joe Biden (Greg Kinnear, Little Miss Sunshine), Ted Kennedy (Treat Williams, Chicago Fire), Jack Danforth (Bill Irwin,Interstellar), Orrin Hatch (Dylan Baker, The Good Wife), and Alan Simpson (Peter McRobbie, Lincoln) whose own actions and political positions color how they see the situation, and whose race and class makes it hard for them to fully understand all sides. We see Thomas’ wife, Ginni (Alison Wright, The Americans), and how she believes what she has to. And there are others, played by the likes of Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family), Jeffrey Wright (Boardwalk Empire), Malcolm Gets (Caroline in the City), Erika Christensen (Parenthood), Kimberly Elise (Close to Home), and Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls) that each bring a little something to add to the overall picture, too.

So while the movie itself is, at its core, quite biased, because of a very strong cast and good writing, the characters make the world seem more complex. It isn’t quite as straight forward as it might be. Add to that a very strong message of gender equality, how the race card can be misused, good historical context, and an empowered hero, and the result is something that, while not the most entertaining film made by this network, feels important and engaging. Because of what this movie says about our society, past and present, it is worthy of our attention.

The extras are sadly few and shallow. There are one-minute interviews with Kerry Washington and Wendell Pierce, and a thirteen-minute series of quick bios about each of the major players. That’s it. I really wish some documentary-style featurette were present to talk about the real events and the consequences of them, but that is left to a sequence in the end credits that, while satisfying for the viewing of the feature, is disappointing in fully fleshing out what Confirmation is. What’s missing most is a discussion about the angle that the movie takes and why that choice was made, as well as why other directions were not gone in.

Still, it’s a good film, so check it out. Confirmation can be bought digitally now, and will be out on disc on August 2nd.

Bringing down the House

FOX's House last night delves into a case gone wrong. Dr. Walter Cofield (Jeffrey Wright, Quantum of Solace) interviews each member of House's (Hugh Laurie) team to determine who is at fault for a horrible accident. The doctors rally around House, being honest, but also trying to leave things out that they know will make their boss look bad. Cofield pushes, getting to the heart of the matter, as the case unfolds in flashback. Cofield looks like he is about to rule against House, which will send the titular doctor back to jail. But then the patient's wife (Audrey Marie Anderson, The Unit) interrupts the verdict to thank House for saving her husband, and Cofield has a change of heart. He decides that it's "Nobody's Fault." 

House is known for special episodes that are very high quality in drama, writing, and acting, and that verge from the typical formula. "Nobody's Fault" is the latest in this line, and is as fantastic as the others. Seeing things in pieces, watching how the doctors talk about House behind his back, both positively and negatively, is great. No one wants House to go away. He is not just the other characters' key to staying in a unique job, but also brilliant in the way that few people are. His team (and fans of the show) realize that, and want to protect him.

"Nobody's Fault" really examines House's process. It's messy, granted, but it is also effective, as Cofield comes to see. House pushes the boundaries of what should be done, but if he didn't, patients would never be cured. House creates a very competitive environment for his staff, and that fighting, along with his pranks, and his efforts to keep everyone on their toes, leads to the wonderful results that they get. If House were to back off, it would be safer for everyone except the person the doctors are there to help. Thus, House's techniques are justified.

The case of the week is relatively common. A science teacher (David Anders, Alias, The Vampire Diaries) collapses, and it is revealed that he is also in a chemical accident at school earlier. This combination leads to varying symptoms that have the characters guessing wildly. The team, of course, disagrees over what is wrong and how to treat him. Chase (Jesse Spencer) disobeys House's decision because he thinks that Adams (Odette Annable) might be right.

But things take a turn for the worse when Chase, who is glaringly not part of the interview process framework story up to this point, is stabbed by the patient during a mental break. The scalpel goes into Chase's heart. His life is saved, narrowly, but he comes through the surgery paralyzed. Thanks to another genius leap beyond the expected, House is able to tell the others how to fix Chase. It will take therapy, but Chase will be able to walk again.

Which means that the question of the episode is, who is at fault for Chase getting hurt? No one comes out and blames House, even though it's the negative environment that House creates, as well as the risky methods of diagnosis he uses, that lead to the circumstances that cause the patient to freak out on Chase. Cofield questions this, yet even House and Chase say that they would do the same things again. It's the way that the team works. Chase getting stabbed is unfortunate, to be sure, but it is an accident. The way things are being done is sound, in that it leads to a way to help the patient. There is no reason to change that because of one unexpected occurrence. As House says multiple times this week, "Good things usually happen; Bad things sometimes happen."

What is amazing is that Chase refuses to blame House. He has every right to, because Cofield is correct in thinking that Chase would not be hurt if another doctor led the diagnostics department. However, as Chase understands, their patient would not be cured, either. How Chase manages to hang on to logic and reason through his trauma is impressive. Until one considers that it's emotion that is really driving Chase. He is convinced that, deep down, House cares about him. This certainty is proven when House apologizes. Chase is not going to waste time being mad at House, or getting him in trouble, when the benefits of what House does helps so many people. And gives Chase himself the chance to walk again. House saves Chase as much as any other sick person. Chase is glad to benefit from that.

The fact that House apologizes does show some growth. House's signature attitude is ambivalence. He strives for objectivity by not caring about the patients, thinking it makes him a better doctor. As his fellows say, "He's not wrong." It may not be the way most people want House to be, but it's hard to argue with results. But with Chase, someone that House has worked with for nearly a decade, on the table, House does care. He can't show it, except in a private moment, which Chase responds to gruffly to allow House to save face. But he really does, genuinely, care about what happens to Chase.

Does House feel responsible? Maybe. After all, when Cofield absolves House of the blame because of how House helps his primary patient, House reacts angrily. He calls Cofield a coward and storms out. Clearly, House has guilt. House still insists that he is right, but somehow, right is wrong in this instance. Cofield doesn't understand this because he doesn't know House as well as viewers who have watched him these past eight seasons. The clues are there for one willing to look for them.

The big question going forward is, will House change? He is definitely affected deeply by the Chase incident. Now admitting, at least to himself, that he cares, he may be less willing to risk the lives of his team. This could be a disaster for House's reputation and career. He has allowed the same fellows to stay on too long, and now it could end up ruining him. If House can't act like he does, and he can't diagnose, then he has nothing. How much will the events of "Nobody's Fault" color the forthcoming episodes? The last effects will be something to highly anticipate!

Watch House Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

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