THE BIG BANG THEORY Rejects the "Status Quo"

Article first published as TV Review: 'The Big Bang Theory' - 'The Status Quo Combustion' on Blogcritics.

CBS’s The Big Bang Theory finished off its seventh season this week with “The Status Quo Combustion.” Sheldon (Jim Parsons) finds his world rocked when  the university not only doesn’t allow him to pursue his new chosen field of science, but Leonard (Johnny Galecki) mentions moving out, now that he’s engaged, and Sheldon’s place of refuge, the comic book store, is ruined by fire. What’s an anti-social genius to do when falling apart? Run into the arms of his loving girlfriend? Nah. He hops a train out of town, unable to cope with the myriad of stressors surrounding him.

“The Status Quo Combustion” may the purest version of Sheldon The Big Bang Theory has shown us yet. We know he’s persnickety and doesn’t like change, but we’ve never seen just how much it really effects him until all these things come crashing down at once. This side of him, the one willing to abandon his entire life because he can’t handle so much happening in it is new, but also insightful into past actions. Sheldon doesn’t not only dislikes change, he is really psychologically pained by it. His idiosyncrasies aren’t just quirks, they’re part of his mental state. He is neither healthy nor well adjusted–by any stretch.

But this kind of breakdown may be just what Sheldon needs to grow. True, he could be on the autism spectrum and may not be physically cable of making the adjustments. Or, what seems more likely, his disease is in his head, and by forcing him to confront it, he may be able to work through it and grow as an individual. Neither way condemns Sheldon as a person; it just explains more of what makes him tick, which is always a good thing to do with a character seven years into a show. Such delving will keep the series from growing stale and repetitive, something The Big Bang Theory has succeeded at more than most of its peers.

So what will happen to Sheldon now? Obviously he isn’t leaving the The Big Bang Theory, being by far the most popular character. Will he come back a changed man, better able to cope with what life throws at him and a new attitude? Or will he be the same old Sheldon, having just accepted a handful of things he cannot change? This is a question that should keep viewers mentally engaged through the summer. That, and how Amy (Mayim Bialik) will deal with the sabbatical.

While others are supportive of Sheldon’s decision, Amy is not. She sees his time of weakness as an opportunity to get her hooks into him deeper, and when he doesn’t cooperate with her, she is quite upset. I do think Sheldon could be quite happy with Amy if he would only give the relationship thing a real try, but Amy has every right to be upset, having saint-like patience (most of the time) with Sheldon thus far, and still being rebuked. When he eventually falls to her, her win will be well-earned. And while this paragraph may make their coupling sound creepy, it’s not; it’s the only way that stubborn Sheldon is capable of possibly experiencing romantic love.

One of the catalysts for Sheldon’s breakdown is Penny (Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting) and Leonard’s engagement. This has been a long time coming, and after a number of false proposals, the final one ends up being the worst one yet. Still, it’s easy to be happy for the couple, who have found unlikely happiness in each other, and while it does seem a bit like Sheldon’s parents are leaving him, they deserve to start a life in which Sheldon isn’t around 24/7.

Speaking of parents, Leonard’s mother’s (Christine Baranski) reaction to the news is probably the funniest scene in “The Status Quo Combustion.” Things will never be solid between mom and son, but it’s enjoyable to watch their interactions. Thank goodness Leonard has friends who support him (usually), as anyone who came from a parent like that will have all kinds of self-esteem issues. It’s amazing Leonard has turned out as independent and confident as he has!

I really enjoy Stuart (Kevin Sussman) taking over as nurse to Howard’s mom (Carol Ann Susi). This solves the problem of Howard (Simon Helberg) and Bernadette (Melissa Rauch) giving up their lives to take care of her, as clearly that would destroy their marriage. It also gives Stuart another important role in the series, hopefully keeping him coming back even more in the future. All is right for the Wolowitz family.

All is also right for Raj (Kunal Nayyar), who finally has a steady girlfriend who is sweet, cute, funny, and enjoys sex with him. Raj is the perpetual loser on the show, second only to Stuart in his failings, and it’s gratifying that he’s come so far from where he started. All he needs is the right girl, and Emily (Laura Spencer) seems to be that for him, at least for now. Happy days!

It’s kind of interesting that Sheldon’s lowest point is basically everyone else’s highest. Yet, that’s the way of things; not everyone can be in a good place all the time. It’s been quite awhile since Sheldon was the worst off, and so it’s his turn. The way The Big Bang Theory allows such shifts and movements in its players is what keeps it fresh after seven years. Hopefully, it will continue this in the future, as it promises to be on the air for quite awhile to come.

The Big Bang Theory has been renewed for three more seasons, and will return next fall on CBS.

"End" of MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.

Article first published as TV Review: 'Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' - 'Beginning of the End' on Blogcritics.

After a slow start doing mostly case-of-the-week stories, ABC’s Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has really ramped up through the spring. Necessary, given the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

The season finale, “Beginning of the End,”  is the climax of that arc, a battle between Phil Coulson’s (Clark Gregg) S.H.I.E.L.D. team and John Garrett’s (Bill Paxton) Hydra men. It’s got plenty of action, but also takes the time for some really satisfying character interactions, resolving hanging threads, and revealing yet another character thought dead is still alive. The costs are high, but as expected, the good guys win.

If you watch Marvel fare for the action, “Beginning of the End” has plenty of that. Coulson, Antoine (B.J. Britt), May (Ming-Na Wen), and Skye (Chloe Bennet) storm the compound, guns blazing. Ming gets to take out her frustration with the traitorous Ward (Brett Dalton) in hand-to-hand combat, which the more experienced agent wins. Deathlock (J. August Richards) shows his powers of destruction. Even Skye, traditionally not a fighter, pulls a gun and acts tough. These are special agents tasked with protecting the world and they show it.

But the dynamics are far more interesting. Ward himself, a part of the main team for most of the freshman year, has unresolved feelings for Skye, and both Skye and May take Ward’s turning very personally. The conversations they have, sometimes during the battle, allow the characters to put into words what they’ve been going through. The cast is forever shaken up, and even though the seeds have been planted for a possible Ward redemption (which I honestly hope they don’t pursue), he’s not one of them any more, and this hurts emotionally, viewers and characters alike.

Coulson is experiencing a similar thing with Garrett, his old buddy. Garrett has gone completely crazy, unlike Ward, which makes him easier to hate. However, there is still the lingering ghost between them of their camaraderie. This influences the scenes they have together, even after Coulson terrifically blasts him into ashes in a pure Joss Whedon twist. It’s these relationships, carefully built to show depth in only a few episodes, that makes the proceedings mean so much more.

The best dialogue in “Beginning of the End” is between Coulson and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), whom Coulson and movie-goers know is alive, but not most others in the world do not. Their banter in observing Garrett is great, but the explanation as to why Fury brings Coulson back to life (because he’s an Avenger) is even better. Marvel doesn’t just make superhero stuff, it breathes complexity into those people, and with terrific, memorable one-liners, these moments in which personality is exposed remain firmly ensconced forever in one’s head, which is what all TV strives for.

There’s an emotional sequence with Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) and Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) too, who begin the finale at the bottom of the ocean. Fitz sacrifices everything for Simmons. The duo have a wonderful bond, but no romance has been pursued between them. One wonders if that will change now that they’ve been through this, and Fitz has been willing to give himself up. He may be permanently damaged; something that could make for rich drama next year and more growth for him, but because Simmons is present for this, let’s hope some of the change rubs off on her.

Unlike most televison fare, “Beginning of the End” gets every detail right. Most shows hit certain notes, but miss others. Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. frequently leaves viewers without complaint. The dynamics and relationships are well served, and the writing is snappy, but the direction deserves credit as well. Who didn’t get excited when Fury shows up at an unexpected moment to pull Fitz Simmons to safety? Or when Coulson finds the big gun? Or when Patton Oswalt returns in a different role (a clone, perhaps?) after being killed off a few weeks ago? There are so many little things that can be picked out and celebrated, which form a cohesive, unimpeachable whole. Quality-wise, it’s one of the strongest entries on network television, even if it is the popcorn genre.

This continues even in the trademark Marvel end tags. Garrett’s resurrection may be deliciously sabotaged, but Raina (Ruth Negga) escapes and most fans will never see coming whom she goes to. Toss in a shot of Coulson that proves he’s crazy like Garrett, maybe just keeping it reigned in a little better, casting the future of the new S.H.I.E.L.D., which he has been put in charge of, in doubt, and there’s plenty to anticipate over the summer, getting us excited for the sophomore presentation.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been renewed for a second season, which will air as two mini-seasons next fall and spring, with Marvel’s Agent Carter in the middle to avoid repeats and off-weeks, on ABC.

GLEE Not True to "Rachel Berry"

Article first published as TV Review: 'Glee' - 'The Untitled Rachel Berry Project' on Blogcritics.

FOX’s Glee ties up its fifth season and the New York-centric era with “The Untitled Rachel Berry Project.” It is an emotionally satisfying hour, though artificially so. The characters go their separate ways, but splitting away from the Big Apple isn’t what makes sense for several of their arcs, so it forces a false conclusion, allowing a reset for the sixth and final season. I guess the writers just wanted a clean break.

Obviously, Rachel (Lea Michele) is front and center, though one of only five characters featured this week. FOX sends writing genius Mary Halloran (Kristen Schaal, Bob’s Burgers, The Daily Show) to catch Rachel’s essence and write a pilot around it. The result is an absurdly weird show that feels nothing like Rachel. To correct this, Rachel sings “Glitter in the Air” to Mary, who is moved and writes exactly what Rachel wants. It’s time for Rachel to leave Broadway behind and move to LA!

Except, the whole time we’ve known Rachel, Broadway has been her dream. She gets a fantastic opportunity starring in a stellar role, and she is now burning all of her bridges and leaving it behind for a pilot that may or may not make it on the air. It seems a huge mistake, not only in abandoning her job, but in salting the earth so that she can never return to it. It would be one thing if Rachel’s ego got the better of her and led to this, but she doesn’t even seem to be approaching this from a place of supreme arrogance. What happened to Rachel?

Blaine (Darren Criss) is also faced with a choice between two things he loves: his fiance, Kurt (Chris Colfer), and performing. It’s time for Blaine’s showcase, but June (Shirley MacLaine) won’t even discuss allowing Kurt to participate, insisting she knows best. Kurt is hurt when Blaine breaks the news to him, and they have a big fight. So Blaine defies June and brings Kurt up for his finale, an “American Boy” so great that even June has to admit she is wrong.

I absolutely get Blaine’s emotional arc in “The Untitled Rachel Berry Project.” We see his pain as he laments through “All of Me.” Kurt’s anger is also understandable, as is his apology and their subsequent sweet reconciliation. This feels like something that has needed to happen between them for awhile, and once they get past it, Blaine moves back into the loft and they are happy together.

What I don’t get is June’s forgiveness. Sure, she shoots glaring daggers at Blaine, but once the number proves to be a success, she’s happy for the couple. Shouldn’t she be holding a grudge at Blaine’s defiance? Maybe she would take credit for the song and move forward because it works, but without any animosity? Her explanation, telling Blaine to stay true to himself, ignoring detractors, including herself, feels out of character for her.

Finally, Sam (Chord Overstreet) and Mercedes (Amber Riley) contemplate their future together. Their friends try to convince them to break up, since Mercedes will be on the road and everyone thinks Sam will cheat on her. Yet Sam proves his mettle in “The Untitled Rachel Berry Project” when confronted with a lecherous photographer (Beau Garrett, TRON: Legacy), crying when she kisses him and immediately confessing to Mercedes. Mercedes sees how hard things are for Sam and breaks it off with him, promising to revisit him in the future should it all work out.

Sam is a good guy and it’s a shame his friends keep underestimating him. He is loyal and true, and while he has made mistakes in the past, he’s only gotten more steadfast in their wake. Why is everyone so down on the model? I’d say Mercedes doesn’t deserve him if she can’t see that, but she’s the only one of the cast who does eventually understand Sam, believes in him, then lets him go anyway so they can pursue their own careers.

For Mercedes, this means touring with Santana (an unseen Naya Rivera) and back-up dancer Brittany (Heather Morris, who is great to see again, but seems out of place in this episode), which we see the start of in “Shakin’ My Head.” But for Sam, despite a successful shoot, a good performance of “Girls on Film,” and his naked body on a bus, he opts to go back to McKinley High. Why? Are his goals so short-sighted? What’s waiting for him in Ohio? It makes absolutely no sense at all.

But now all the plots are wrapped up and all the kids mentioned above, along with Artie (Kevin McHale), who’s also in the episode, but is at his most useless, declaring strong bonds of friendship without really contributing to the group, end with an excellent “Pompeii.” It’s the finale fans want, a big send off to the next stage of the characters’ journeys, and it is satisfying. Unfortunately, it’s a glittery cover for a stinky story, not earned.

Glee‘s sixth season, which will likely be cut down to a smaller number of episodes and won’t premiere until at least next January, should be interesting. It has the job of tying up the loose threads and sending each player to their final destination. I expect it will be heavy on feelings, and that’s a good thing. However, if they keep failing to make the story cohesive, it will be as disappointing as most of the run of the series has been, and that’s unfortunate.

Glee will return mid-season next year.

A PENNY For Your Thoughts

Article originally written for Seat42F.

Showtime’s latest effort is PENNY DREADFUL. Set in a fictional version of 1890s London, we meet a cast of odd characters drawn together by the supernatural. Threats loom below the surface of the thriving city, and only these people are aware of what’s going on and have the ability to do something about it.

PENNY DREADFUL is stylistically an idealized version of Victorian England just before the turn of the nineteenth century into the twentieth. The setting is what people like to romantically think back about the city being like, probably not how it actually was. This series is more concerned with building a Sherlock Holmes-era tone than faithfully following history.

This is clear very quickly in the characters introduced. Ethan Chandler (Josh Hartnett, Black Hawk Down) is a formerly wealthy American now performing in a traveling Wild West show. He’s recruited by the severe Miss Vanessa Ives (Eva Green, Casino Royale), a medium, to assist her and Sir Malcolm (Timothy Dalton, Licence to Kill, Chuck), a rich explorer of Africa, to hunt down a missing girl that means a lot to both of them. These are all interesting, outsize personalities that feel quite familiar to the type of story in this time and place, rather than being like someone that actually existed.

To make PENNY DREADFUL even more fantastic, the trio soon go to Dr. Victor Frankenstein (Harry Treadaway, The Lone Renger) – yes, that Dr. Victor Frankenstein – for help. Frankenstein is researching electricity and the human body as he builds his creature (Rory Kinnear, Skyfall), and Malcolm and company need him to examine a corpse of something vaguely vampiric and definitely not human.

What this makes for is sort of a Once Upon a Time-like series, twisting and combining tales we already know into something new, though the tone is completely different. PENNY DREADFUL is so faithful to the fictional Victorian England that it feels very much like it is based on a book written within that genre. It’s a very slow moving piece, conveying horror more through the moods of the characters and their reaction to discoveries than by action-packed sequences, but is extremely effective in doing so.

Now, this is 2014, and viewers demand that pacing not drag on too much. To satisfy those urges, there are a couple of sequences in the first episode where fighting is had and blood is spilled. I would not call PENNY DREADFUL boring; instead, it’s a slight update on a popular period that never existed, but feels like it did. Still, there’s definitely commitment to the style, such as the way Vanessa slowly spreads out a stack of cards, that show just how deliberate the production is with its choices and committed to the path its on.

The plot is chock full of mystery. We don’t know the backgrounds of any of the characters right away, and none are exactly forthcoming about themselves. In fact, when Ethan first asks Vanessa if she has a name, she simply replies “Yes” as she walks away. The teases are tantalizing, but this is one show that will be holding its cards very, very close to its vest, doling out little bits at a time.

To illustrate just how little PENNY DREADFUL gives us at once one only needs to look at how it brings the main characters in very slowly, one at a time. Three of the publicized main cast, Irish immigrant Brona Croft (Billie Piper, Doctor Who), manservant Sembene (Danny Sapani, Trance), and the infamous ever-youthful Dorian Gray (Reeve Carney, The Tempest), don’t even appear in the pilot screened for critics. I’m also looking forward to Helen McCrory’s (Harry Potter) Madame Kali, whom isn’t glimpsed. This show is going to build tension and story arcs, not just give them to you.

All of which is why I very much enjoyed PENNY DREADFUL. Full on intense, compelling performances from the likes of Dalton, Green, and Hartnett, masters all, there’s something that just draws you into the telling and will not let you go. You are transported to this world that actually feels real because of the level of detail and development, even though you know no place like it ever existed. It’s dangerous and sexy and full of fascinating secrets. Who wouldn’t want to go on an adventure there? It’s built for exactly that.

PENNY DREADFUL premieres Sunday at 10 p.m. ET on Showtime.

"Kansas" Not Home for ONCE UPON A TIME

Article originally written for Seat42F.

This week’s ONCE UPON A TIME, the last installment for the ABC series before the two-hour series finale next week, we see more Zelena (Rebecca Mader) backstory, including her encounter with a certain little girl in a gingham dress. In Storybrooke, Zelena sees her plan come to fruition, only to be stopped by something wholly unexpected – Regina the Hero (Lana Parrilla).

For those who have been hoping for a full Wizard of Oz telling, “Kansas” dashes those hopes once and for all. Young Dorothy Gale (Matreya Scarrwener) is brought to the marvelous land in a tornado, but doesn’t crush any witches, nor meet any scarecrows or tin woodsmen. Instead, she is found by Glinda (Sunny Mabrey) and the sisterhood of witches, then declines to join them because she just wants to go home.

Zelena has only recently accepted membership herself, finding a way to start over and losing her green pallor in their acceptance of her. But once Dorothy is on the scene, Zelena grows jealous of all the attention the girl earns, which turns her right back into wicked again. Doesn’t this thin skin and quick change prove that Zelena never got better in the first place, having just had a good day or two?

Actually, the whole Oz part of the story feels meandering, seemingly developed just to explain how Zelena’s power has been contained in the necklace and the manner in which Glinda is banished. Other than that, it treads water, showing our villain teased with a moment of happiness, then going right back to her old self. The prophecy mentioned is confusing and doesn’t really come to pass. It’s all just messy and unnecessary, those plot devices not needing a full episode to reveal.

The Storybrook parts of the episode are, overall, much better. Snow (Ginnifer Goodwin) goes into labor, and the troops rally around her. But all it takes is Zelena nearly drowning Hook (Colin O’Donoghue), forcing Emma (Jennifer Morrison) to give him mouth-to-mouth, to drain Emma’s magic, the only thing that has a chance to stop her. Or so nearly everyone thinks.

 

Zelena easily slices through all the protections Charming (Josh Dallas) has arranged, and that makes sense, given what we know of her. Still, it’s heartening to see Robin Hood (Sean Maguire) and his men, Belle (Emilie de Ravine), Regina, and Charming try to stop her. At least they don’t go down without a fight, showing their noble spirits, even if Zelena gets the baby anyway.

At this low point, Zelena enacting her spell and the townspeople having no clear path to stop her, a hero is born. After spending three years on a redemption journey, Henry (Jared Gilmore) is confident his adopted mother has the light magic inside of her needed to defeat Zelena. With Robin Hood and Emma echoing Henry’s sentiment, Regina decides to give it a try, setting off with her now-friends to defeat Zelena.

Regina is my favorite character, and “Kansas” is a triumphant moment for her. It’s a culmination of everything she’s been through, her earned reward. Henry has been the catalyst in making her good, but she has to believe in herself to finish the process. There are still hints of the Evil Queen, Parrilla not abandoning the character she’s created, but her giving Zelena a second chance proves her transformation has taken hold.

I will say, Zelena is knocked out too easily. Is she really so surprised that Regina can summon one burst of light magic that she just gives up? Her story isn’t over, a surprise twist reuniting her ashes (after Rumple kills her) and her power, definitely setting up further battles in the season finale. But had this not occurred, as awesome as Regina’s scene is, it would be a bit of a letdown as a closing for Zelena.

ONCE UPON A TIME has done this before, and will likely do it again. I don’t know if it’s because it lacks the budget for a truly epic confrontation, or just the writing oomph, but it tends to peter out when it should double down on the action. A real fight, Regina and Zelena going at it full force, would be a welcome climax. This is satisfying, but barely so.

Thankfully, besides Regina’s success, there are also other wonderful character moments, the type ONCE UPON A TIME should have more of. Regina and Rumple’s (Robert Carlyle) exchange is terrific, as is Regina and Zelena’s conversation in the cell, and the moment Rumple comes to kill Zelena. Rumple and Belle have a very happy reuniting, complete with a proposal of marriage. And Henry catches up with Archie (Raphael Sbarge) in a rare, welcome, quiet scene.

It is sad to see Rumple backslide, having had his equivalent of a Regina moment in the mid-season finale, finally finding the good in himself. Yet, it’s understandable because Zelena kills Rumple’s son. That would be enough to force any person to re-evaluate themselves. The only regret here is in the way that Rumple plays Belle, which can only hurt their relationship. With fans of the couple never getting enough sweetness, this betrayal, which threatens to split them long-term, is quite painful.

The other weird thing about “Kansas” is Emma talking about going home. Yes, she’s lost her power, which does not return with Zelena’s defeat (though that could be because Zelena hasn’t been done away with permanently yet), but her family is in Storybrooke, and everyone is so happy to be together again. How can she even think about leaving? This actually seems forced, with Emma’s desire to stay away having been snuffed out previously, and there’s no reason for it to come back now.

Also, how come we only see Little John (Jason Burkart) alone of the monkeys restored to human form? Where are Aurora and Phillip and Walsh? Were they the monkeys our heroes callously and uncharacteristically killed at the docks last week? We need more story here. If they are dead, we need to see guilt and regret from the protagonists. If they are alive, we need to know who has been killed and see guilt and regret.

While uneven, the amazing bits in “Kansas” do make this an enjoyable episode of ONCE UPON A TIME. I look forward to next week’s wrap up, with cautious optimism that it will be handled without so many flaws.