To the Last Man by Helen Raynor
The second season of Torchwood just goes from strength to strength, and one of its main strong points is variety. Episode one was a suitable season opener -- it was light on plot, just a simple MacGuffin chase designed to facilitate a display of characters and the show's style, with suitable amounts of humour, violence, language and snogging present. Then there was Sleeper, with its creepy sci-fi mystery and apocalyptic ending working alongside a strong character-based plot.
Now we have Helen Raynor's latest contribution to the Whoniverse (after last season's rather good Ghost Machine and Doctor Who's rather bad Evolution of the Daleks two-parter). The characters are even more central here than in Sleeper, and, where last week's episode gave the great part to a guest star, here it goes to Tosh. It's nice to see Naoko Mori at the centre of an episode again as, with the exception of last season's Greeks Bearing Gifts, Tosh seems to be mainly relegated to a supporting technical role. Here she's front and centre, in love with a World War One soldier who's awake for just one day every year... and who she must send back to 1918, to face certain death.
It's a decent sci-fi plot, actually, with a nice explanation involving scrunched up paper. But where Sleeper's sci-fi story was the main thread and the human impact a subplot, To the Last Man reverses things -- in fact, the mystery is so reduced that the solution is literally handed to the team in time-sealed orders from 1918. But it's the execution of those orders, tied inextricably to the relationship we've seen develop between Tosh and Tommy, that provides the drama of the story's climax. Both Mori and Anthony Lewis as Tommy give excellent performances, creating moments of intense happiness and sadness in such a short space of time. There are no easy answers to the dilemmas they face.
It's this, and the downbeat ending that develops from it, which makes Torchwood a show for grown-up audiences this week. Yes, some episodes may use the adult-focus remit to provide violence, gore and sex, but when others use it for affecting human drama it's clear that the show can be, and now often is, a lot more than some would care to give it credit for. In an earlier review I expressed hope that they keep up the level of variety and experimentation; on the evidence of this opening salvo of episodes, and the trailer for next week's, I'd say they're doing a good job. Long may it continue.
Showing posts with label drama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label drama. Show all posts
Thursday, 31 January 2008
Thursday, 24 January 2008
TV: Torchwood - Season 2, Episode 2
Sleeper by James Moran
The central premise of this second episode is an excellent one: there are a group of aliens in Cardiff, who don't know they're aliens, gathering information to eventually mount an attack so their race can seize the planet. It's a play on the idea of sleeper cells -- groups of terrorists in hiding in a country, working on plans to attack. Thankfully this analogy is never made too blatant: rather than using sci-fi to make a 'clever' comment, it uses a very modern, real concept to launch its own strong tale.
The episode is a bit of a slow burn, surely closer to the sort of adult drama many critics were demanding of Torchwood, though it's neatly decorated with action, blood and gore when appropriate. The whole episode hinges on Beth, who is magnificently portrayed by Nikki Amuka-Bird. I've seen her in a few other things and not always been that impressed, to be honest, but here she shines, carrying all of the episode's emotion -- and there's a lot of it. Beth is one of those aliens-who-doesn't know, who comes to the attention of Torchwood following an accidental manifestation of her alien abilities. The plot then makes a beeline through their discoveries about her true identity to a plot involving a secret nuclear missile base and the destruction of the planet.
This is the sort of episode where Torchwood can really shine: a mix of powerful human emotion, original and well-considered science-fiction, and a nice bit of action and gore to round things off. The adult time slot and focus also allow it to be more uncertain than Doctor Who ever will be, in terms of the moral compass of the characters (even the good guys) and the sorts of endings we might find -- in this case, one both downbeat and with several key threads unresolved.
If Torchwood can keep up the level of quality and variety displayed in the first two episodes then we're in for an excellent season, one where the show doesn't so much find its feet as pull on its boots and sprint off. With a gun. To kick some alien arse.
The central premise of this second episode is an excellent one: there are a group of aliens in Cardiff, who don't know they're aliens, gathering information to eventually mount an attack so their race can seize the planet. It's a play on the idea of sleeper cells -- groups of terrorists in hiding in a country, working on plans to attack. Thankfully this analogy is never made too blatant: rather than using sci-fi to make a 'clever' comment, it uses a very modern, real concept to launch its own strong tale.
The episode is a bit of a slow burn, surely closer to the sort of adult drama many critics were demanding of Torchwood, though it's neatly decorated with action, blood and gore when appropriate. The whole episode hinges on Beth, who is magnificently portrayed by Nikki Amuka-Bird. I've seen her in a few other things and not always been that impressed, to be honest, but here she shines, carrying all of the episode's emotion -- and there's a lot of it. Beth is one of those aliens-who-doesn't know, who comes to the attention of Torchwood following an accidental manifestation of her alien abilities. The plot then makes a beeline through their discoveries about her true identity to a plot involving a secret nuclear missile base and the destruction of the planet.
This is the sort of episode where Torchwood can really shine: a mix of powerful human emotion, original and well-considered science-fiction, and a nice bit of action and gore to round things off. The adult time slot and focus also allow it to be more uncertain than Doctor Who ever will be, in terms of the moral compass of the characters (even the good guys) and the sorts of endings we might find -- in this case, one both downbeat and with several key threads unresolved.
If Torchwood can keep up the level of quality and variety displayed in the first two episodes then we're in for an excellent season, one where the show doesn't so much find its feet as pull on its boots and sprint off. With a gun. To kick some alien arse.
Tuesday, 22 January 2008
TV: The Riches - Season 1, Episode 10
This is Your Brain on Drugs by Ellen Herman
When The Riches began, I was a bit surprised. You see, I was expecting a fairly light comedy-drama sort of show -- "family of con artists steal the American Dream by pretending to be rich lawyers" rather suggests that to me. Instead I found a pilot filled with random death, drug addiction, arranged marriages, and other generally serious and rather depressing plot points. Heavy. The rest of the series lightened up a bit, thank God, and has managed to be a good mix of the serious and the comedic, the episodic and the ongoing.
Episode 10, however, is pretty much all-out comedy. And it's hilarious, which is what's inspired me to write about it for the first time. Following the events of the last episode, in which Wayne turned down a partnership from his boss (sort of) and Dahlia was left a bag of meth by her ex-cellmate (called Chunky K), a pissed off Wayne takes "a shitload of meth" out of spite, and heads off on a journey that includes trying to get a job from a guy he fired, kidnapping a senile old woman, and confessing to a priest who's having an existential quandary. It's absolutely as barking as it sounds, if not more so. It's also incredibly fast-paced, racing from one crazy situation to the next as Dahlia's attempts to remotely control Wayne, whilst also taking care of the real estate agents he should be dealing with, spiral out of control. And, as I believe I said, it's hilariously funny.
The Riches grew on me very quickly, after the pilot that, while well written and performed, was not what I was after. I can't say I've fallen for it as much as that other darkly comic US drama, Dexter (coming to ITV1 soon -- watch it), but I'm glad it's been re-commissioned. Meanwhile, I've still got three episodes of the first season to go...
When The Riches began, I was a bit surprised. You see, I was expecting a fairly light comedy-drama sort of show -- "family of con artists steal the American Dream by pretending to be rich lawyers" rather suggests that to me. Instead I found a pilot filled with random death, drug addiction, arranged marriages, and other generally serious and rather depressing plot points. Heavy. The rest of the series lightened up a bit, thank God, and has managed to be a good mix of the serious and the comedic, the episodic and the ongoing.
Episode 10, however, is pretty much all-out comedy. And it's hilarious, which is what's inspired me to write about it for the first time. Following the events of the last episode, in which Wayne turned down a partnership from his boss (sort of) and Dahlia was left a bag of meth by her ex-cellmate (called Chunky K), a pissed off Wayne takes "a shitload of meth" out of spite, and heads off on a journey that includes trying to get a job from a guy he fired, kidnapping a senile old woman, and confessing to a priest who's having an existential quandary. It's absolutely as barking as it sounds, if not more so. It's also incredibly fast-paced, racing from one crazy situation to the next as Dahlia's attempts to remotely control Wayne, whilst also taking care of the real estate agents he should be dealing with, spiral out of control. And, as I believe I said, it's hilariously funny.
The Riches grew on me very quickly, after the pilot that, while well written and performed, was not what I was after. I can't say I've fallen for it as much as that other darkly comic US drama, Dexter (coming to ITV1 soon -- watch it), but I'm glad it's been re-commissioned. Meanwhile, I've still got three episodes of the first season to go...
TV: The Palace - Season 1, Episode 2
I wonder if SFX will be covering The Palace? After all, it's clearly set in some alternate Universe. On the obvious level, our royal family is not made up of an early-20s King, his younger "playboy prince" brother, their scheming older sister ("oh I just can't wait to be Queen", to paraphrase The Lion King), and a Queen Mother who can't be any older than Prince Charles. Oh, and there's a younger sister too, but she only turned up for about two minutes of episode one. Maybe they forgot she existed? I did. It's not only the family, mind -- it's the general level of believability in the whole thing. Which is pretty low.
The Palace's jaunty theme tune and cheesy character shots are the key here. This is, to all intents and purposes, a soap -- albeit a soap with the odd posh accent, better performances and better direction. The political machinations on display are much more Eastenders than The West Wing, its characters more... well, ITV than BBC, to be blunt. Jane Asher looks faintly martyred as the Queen Mother, probably quite aware that if this were on the BBC her role would've gone to Susan Hampshire and she'd have actually had some dialogue. The older sister (whose name escapes me) sits in her room, scheming away to be Queen, with only the support of her ex-military secretary... and constantly fails to get anywhere. You half expect each episode to end with her plans failed, unnoticed by anyone else, and her exclaiming, "why if it weren't for you pesky kids... I'll get you next time King Richard!"
In this week's episode two, Richard (or King Richard IV, as the credits insist) takes on the Government over cuts in defence spending (the Iraq war apparently still happened in this alternate reality). The King isn't meant to do this, you see, as the British monarch should remain political impartial. But despite the Prime Minister's attempts to stop him, Richard fights on, because he believes in his cause. Hooray! But then the PM's office leaks photos of him partying, a move orchestrated by Richard's girlfriend Miranda (who, incidentally, works for the PM -- oh the complications!) So what does Richard do? Does he fight on regardless, sure of his moral standpoint -- hoorah good King Richard! Go go New Monarchy! -- or does he give up, write a letter of apology to the PM, and dump his girlfriend by ignoring her? You guess.
Some of the actors appear to be under the impression they're in a serious attempt to examine the royals through drama. While they're clearly wrong, their relatively heavyweight performances lend the primary storylines a bit more depth and interest than the childish twitterings of the staff -- who, this week, were on a mission to collect toenail clippings and hair samples from each of the royals; not to sell to gullible folk on eBay, as you might expect, but to swap for cigarette butts of that guy from Manic Street Preachers who died (clearly, this alternate universe hasn't been thoroughly thought through, it's far too similar to ours -- tsk tsk.)
The Palace is, by and large, ridiculous, and only occasionally consciously so. While I'm far from being a Royalist, I can't escape the feeling that such an institution as the British monarchy should be given a bit more respect than to be turned into a clone of Dynasty (or so I'm told; I've never seem Dynasty, but this is rather how I imagine it).
The Palace's jaunty theme tune and cheesy character shots are the key here. This is, to all intents and purposes, a soap -- albeit a soap with the odd posh accent, better performances and better direction. The political machinations on display are much more Eastenders than The West Wing, its characters more... well, ITV than BBC, to be blunt. Jane Asher looks faintly martyred as the Queen Mother, probably quite aware that if this were on the BBC her role would've gone to Susan Hampshire and she'd have actually had some dialogue. The older sister (whose name escapes me) sits in her room, scheming away to be Queen, with only the support of her ex-military secretary... and constantly fails to get anywhere. You half expect each episode to end with her plans failed, unnoticed by anyone else, and her exclaiming, "why if it weren't for you pesky kids... I'll get you next time King Richard!"
In this week's episode two, Richard (or King Richard IV, as the credits insist) takes on the Government over cuts in defence spending (the Iraq war apparently still happened in this alternate reality). The King isn't meant to do this, you see, as the British monarch should remain political impartial. But despite the Prime Minister's attempts to stop him, Richard fights on, because he believes in his cause. Hooray! But then the PM's office leaks photos of him partying, a move orchestrated by Richard's girlfriend Miranda (who, incidentally, works for the PM -- oh the complications!) So what does Richard do? Does he fight on regardless, sure of his moral standpoint -- hoorah good King Richard! Go go New Monarchy! -- or does he give up, write a letter of apology to the PM, and dump his girlfriend by ignoring her? You guess.
Some of the actors appear to be under the impression they're in a serious attempt to examine the royals through drama. While they're clearly wrong, their relatively heavyweight performances lend the primary storylines a bit more depth and interest than the childish twitterings of the staff -- who, this week, were on a mission to collect toenail clippings and hair samples from each of the royals; not to sell to gullible folk on eBay, as you might expect, but to swap for cigarette butts of that guy from Manic Street Preachers who died (clearly, this alternate universe hasn't been thoroughly thought through, it's far too similar to ours -- tsk tsk.)
The Palace is, by and large, ridiculous, and only occasionally consciously so. While I'm far from being a Royalist, I can't escape the feeling that such an institution as the British monarchy should be given a bit more respect than to be turned into a clone of Dynasty (or so I'm told; I've never seem Dynasty, but this is rather how I imagine it).
Thursday, 17 January 2008
TV: Torchwood - Season 2, Episode 1
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang by Chris Chibnall
Captain Jack, Gwen, Owen, Tosh and Ianto are back, for another 13 stories of... well, you can never quite be sure what you'll get with Torchwood. Which has led to a lot of criticism, but is one of my favourite things about the show. There were some really good episodes in the first season, as well as some dreadful ones -- and, tellingly, most people disagree over which stories fall into which category. The writers dared to be a little experimental in what sorts of tales they chose to tell last year, which opened it up to easy criticism when something didn't quite work. But it has a lot more potential -- and, in fact, a much higher general quality level -- than many review scores would lead you to believe.
This new season doesn't necessarily feel greatly different to how it did first time round -- it's Torchwood 1.1 not Torchwood 2.0, if you will. Despite what some of those critics would have you believe, this is no bad thing: the show's first run was far from perfect, true, but it didn't need a total overhaul. It needed tweaking, not redesigning, and that's what they've done. It's funnier, faster paced, action-packed, the characters are more likable, they get on (finally), and there were fewer faintly embarrassing moments (though I still think the use of video instead of film is still poorly handled, making it look cheap and amateurish from time to time). Of course, this is just episode one, so some of the old problems may still be in store. But compare this to the overall impression of last year's opener and you can feel the subtle shifts. It's altogether more promising. Incidentally, there's no sign as yet that they'll lose that experimental side I praised above, so fingers crossed they don't -- while I didn't fully enjoy every episode of season one, I did always appreciate their attempts to provide something a bit different.
This episode is what might be deemed a 'standard one' (or 'normal one', or whatever), which seems wholly appropriate for a season opener. James Marsters turns up as Captain John Hart, a clear parallel of Captain Jack and reminiscent of how Jack was before the Doctor effected him. Relatively little is made of the "Jack used to behave like this" angle, which is perhaps something of a shame, but equally stops the episode from getting bogged down in anything so introspective. Instead they all race off an exciting quest to find three missing bombs, and Chibnall weaves his character scenes in around this rather effectively. The main emotional thread here is the return of Jack, who has been missing for several months. The reactions of the rest of the team are nicely played, coming across as more realistic and consistent than they ever seemed in season one. Hopefully they'll continue on this path.
As Captain John, Marsters was perhaps a little too much like Spike from Buffy and Angel (for those who might not know, that's the role Marsters is best known for), but then Spike was a damn good character and Captain John shows enough differences to still be enjoyable. It's not much of a spoiler to say this (as the trailer at the end revealed it!), but he'll be back, and I for one am very glad. The other performances were also aided by the improvements in the writing. Jack's much more fun again after his time with the Doctor, Owen is less irritating, Tosh is more active, and Ianto is still quietly effective. Which leaves Gwen: unduly hated by some, she is still the show's emotional heart and will clearly continue to be so. Considering the others can often be lacking in this department, it's a much needed role; but it's nice that she is now also fully one of the team, to the extent that she led it in Jack's absence, and is not just a filter for the viewer's understanding.
Some of Torchwood's critics could do with getting down off their high horses. They moan that the show's not genuinely adult or grown-up enough. Actually, Torchwood delivers exactly what it promises: "Doctor Who for adults". That means it is essentially a romp, with content that displays more violence, sex and adult characters & relationships than its parent show. It may not be 'deep' or 'complex' or 'intricate', and you may be able to follow the plot without the feeling you need a character map and a degree -- don't get me wrong, because I absolutely adore those sorts of dramas too -- but that doesn't mean that Torchwood is not a good quality programme for a grown-up audience.
Maybe some people just need to learn how to have a bit of fun?
Captain Jack, Gwen, Owen, Tosh and Ianto are back, for another 13 stories of... well, you can never quite be sure what you'll get with Torchwood. Which has led to a lot of criticism, but is one of my favourite things about the show. There were some really good episodes in the first season, as well as some dreadful ones -- and, tellingly, most people disagree over which stories fall into which category. The writers dared to be a little experimental in what sorts of tales they chose to tell last year, which opened it up to easy criticism when something didn't quite work. But it has a lot more potential -- and, in fact, a much higher general quality level -- than many review scores would lead you to believe.
This new season doesn't necessarily feel greatly different to how it did first time round -- it's Torchwood 1.1 not Torchwood 2.0, if you will. Despite what some of those critics would have you believe, this is no bad thing: the show's first run was far from perfect, true, but it didn't need a total overhaul. It needed tweaking, not redesigning, and that's what they've done. It's funnier, faster paced, action-packed, the characters are more likable, they get on (finally), and there were fewer faintly embarrassing moments (though I still think the use of video instead of film is still poorly handled, making it look cheap and amateurish from time to time). Of course, this is just episode one, so some of the old problems may still be in store. But compare this to the overall impression of last year's opener and you can feel the subtle shifts. It's altogether more promising. Incidentally, there's no sign as yet that they'll lose that experimental side I praised above, so fingers crossed they don't -- while I didn't fully enjoy every episode of season one, I did always appreciate their attempts to provide something a bit different.
This episode is what might be deemed a 'standard one' (or 'normal one', or whatever), which seems wholly appropriate for a season opener. James Marsters turns up as Captain John Hart, a clear parallel of Captain Jack and reminiscent of how Jack was before the Doctor effected him. Relatively little is made of the "Jack used to behave like this" angle, which is perhaps something of a shame, but equally stops the episode from getting bogged down in anything so introspective. Instead they all race off an exciting quest to find three missing bombs, and Chibnall weaves his character scenes in around this rather effectively. The main emotional thread here is the return of Jack, who has been missing for several months. The reactions of the rest of the team are nicely played, coming across as more realistic and consistent than they ever seemed in season one. Hopefully they'll continue on this path.
As Captain John, Marsters was perhaps a little too much like Spike from Buffy and Angel (for those who might not know, that's the role Marsters is best known for), but then Spike was a damn good character and Captain John shows enough differences to still be enjoyable. It's not much of a spoiler to say this (as the trailer at the end revealed it!), but he'll be back, and I for one am very glad. The other performances were also aided by the improvements in the writing. Jack's much more fun again after his time with the Doctor, Owen is less irritating, Tosh is more active, and Ianto is still quietly effective. Which leaves Gwen: unduly hated by some, she is still the show's emotional heart and will clearly continue to be so. Considering the others can often be lacking in this department, it's a much needed role; but it's nice that she is now also fully one of the team, to the extent that she led it in Jack's absence, and is not just a filter for the viewer's understanding.
Some of Torchwood's critics could do with getting down off their high horses. They moan that the show's not genuinely adult or grown-up enough. Actually, Torchwood delivers exactly what it promises: "Doctor Who for adults". That means it is essentially a romp, with content that displays more violence, sex and adult characters & relationships than its parent show. It may not be 'deep' or 'complex' or 'intricate', and you may be able to follow the plot without the feeling you need a character map and a degree -- don't get me wrong, because I absolutely adore those sorts of dramas too -- but that doesn't mean that Torchwood is not a good quality programme for a grown-up audience.
Maybe some people just need to learn how to have a bit of fun?
Thursday, 10 January 2008
TV: Cranford (2007)
Cranford was at the forefront of a spate of new costume drama on the BBC around New Year (which has so far also included a new (still running) Sense and Sensibility, and will progress with Lark Rise to Candleford this weekend). It'll be a tough one to beat, though. The critical reaction to this mini-series, starring Judi Dench and a host of other familiar faces, has been overwhelming positive; and, in a rare bit of luck possibly not seen since Doctor Who returned, it was overwhelmingly right.
It's hard to know where to begin with what's so great about Cranford, or where to end once started. Every performance is flawless, every character and scene beautifully written. Every character is so rich, you see; all torn between their desires and their duties in the way that only characters in period drama can be. And just when you begin to suspect that, maybe, one of them might be a tad one-note, something comes up to add to them. Even the supporting characters and the 'bad guys' have depth and complexity, so that, while you still may not like them, you can at least understand them.
There is comedy worthy of bigger laughs than most sitcoms manage these days, and absolutely heart-wrenching tragedy -- so skillfully juxtaposed that you can't help but be caught off-guard by one or the other, to impressive effect. In this respect it is ruthless, not shying away from killing off major characters or ruining their lives; yet it is never done lightly, no jaded fear that anyone could die so why even care (unlike in, say, 24 (an unusual comparison, I know)). It's rare to find a show that can pull of good comedy or good drama, so one that can do both (and at the drop of a hat) is an absolute Godsend.
I suppose Cranford won't -- or can't -- be for everyone: there are some who will always reject period drama; some who refuse to delight in the old-fashioned manners, duties and romances. It's their loss, here more than ever. I'm not a big fan of period drama myself -- don't get me wrong there: I happily watch them, I always enjoy them, but I mean that they're not the sort of thing I watch again, unlike thrillers, action, sci-fi, etc.
But I love Cranford. You'd be hard-pressed to beat it, in any genre.
It's hard to know where to begin with what's so great about Cranford, or where to end once started. Every performance is flawless, every character and scene beautifully written. Every character is so rich, you see; all torn between their desires and their duties in the way that only characters in period drama can be. And just when you begin to suspect that, maybe, one of them might be a tad one-note, something comes up to add to them. Even the supporting characters and the 'bad guys' have depth and complexity, so that, while you still may not like them, you can at least understand them.
There is comedy worthy of bigger laughs than most sitcoms manage these days, and absolutely heart-wrenching tragedy -- so skillfully juxtaposed that you can't help but be caught off-guard by one or the other, to impressive effect. In this respect it is ruthless, not shying away from killing off major characters or ruining their lives; yet it is never done lightly, no jaded fear that anyone could die so why even care (unlike in, say, 24 (an unusual comparison, I know)). It's rare to find a show that can pull of good comedy or good drama, so one that can do both (and at the drop of a hat) is an absolute Godsend.
I suppose Cranford won't -- or can't -- be for everyone: there are some who will always reject period drama; some who refuse to delight in the old-fashioned manners, duties and romances. It's their loss, here more than ever. I'm not a big fan of period drama myself -- don't get me wrong there: I happily watch them, I always enjoy them, but I mean that they're not the sort of thing I watch again, unlike thrillers, action, sci-fi, etc.
But I love Cranford. You'd be hard-pressed to beat it, in any genre.
Sunday, 6 January 2008
TV: Robin Hood - Season 2, Episodes 12 & 13
A Good Day to Die & We Are Robin Hood
Major spoilers follow.
I've always had a bit of a mixed reaction to the BBC's Dominic Minghella-headed version of Robin Hood: it's frequently too chatty, too light on action, with too many modern touches (there's nothing wrong with modernising the style of drama, but medieval casinos and other such blatant references? No no no.) The second season has, all told, been an improvement on the first, with the apparent realisation that they're making light entertainment, action-adventure drama -- the best bit of this being the dropping of the painfully blunt allegories to the modern War On Terror.
The season finale is something of a mixed bag, however. The first half sees Robin Hood and co trapped in a barn throughout. It's a neat little siege conceit that allows for some character interaction and development, but at times it feels like they've been shoved out of the way so that the Sheriff's lot can get on with setting up the plot for the season finale. The attempts at trying to hide the fact they're all off to the Holy Land are rather ruined by it being all over last week's trailer. The fight when the gang finally escape the barn is welcome, but after the particularly good one in episode 11 it's slightly disappointing.
Things almost pick up in the second half -- the Holy Land may be well realised visually, but nothing seems to happen there particularly quickly. Once again the show slowly putting things into place and then only gradually pays them off, and not always thoroughly. The Sheriff and Guy stand around vaguelly putting into play a simple plot that takes too long to occur. Our gang trek to see King Richard with very little incident, and once there are quickly strung up... to stand around for a bit... before being predictably rescued (what took him so long?!) The final battle is neatly set up but too quickly over and lacking in impact. The Sheriff and Guy are barely in it, simply disappearing with an "I'll get you next time!", and Marian's death, while surprising, is too drawn out and implausible (would she be so lucid? For so long? And able to pull the sword out herself?) The levels of emotion caused in the other characters are far too low also.
At the end of the day, the highlight for me was the Heroes-spoofing, "Save the King, save England." Nice.
What this episode really leaves me with are myriad questions about the already-confirmed third season. With Marian dead, and Will and Djaq staying in the Holy Land, the very dynamic of the show will be greatly altered. Presumably there'll be three new gang members to replace them (one obvious one being Friar Tuck), but is Robin Hood really Robin Hood without Will Scarlett or, especially, Marian?
And, more importantly, if the King knows all about the Black Knights, the plot, that the Sheriff of Nottingham is in charge of it, and so forth... why is he sending back just four men and not a whole brigade to sort things out? Or even actually heading back himself?! With these questions unanswered, the season rather limps to its credit scroll, over a shot of a depleted and down-trodden gang walking off into the sunset. I'm rather worried that this series is headed for a slow, painful, lacklustre end, dragged out over 13 more episodes. Or 15 if you choose to count these.
Major spoilers follow.
I've always had a bit of a mixed reaction to the BBC's Dominic Minghella-headed version of Robin Hood: it's frequently too chatty, too light on action, with too many modern touches (there's nothing wrong with modernising the style of drama, but medieval casinos and other such blatant references? No no no.) The second season has, all told, been an improvement on the first, with the apparent realisation that they're making light entertainment, action-adventure drama -- the best bit of this being the dropping of the painfully blunt allegories to the modern War On Terror.
The season finale is something of a mixed bag, however. The first half sees Robin Hood and co trapped in a barn throughout. It's a neat little siege conceit that allows for some character interaction and development, but at times it feels like they've been shoved out of the way so that the Sheriff's lot can get on with setting up the plot for the season finale. The attempts at trying to hide the fact they're all off to the Holy Land are rather ruined by it being all over last week's trailer. The fight when the gang finally escape the barn is welcome, but after the particularly good one in episode 11 it's slightly disappointing.
Things almost pick up in the second half -- the Holy Land may be well realised visually, but nothing seems to happen there particularly quickly. Once again the show slowly putting things into place and then only gradually pays them off, and not always thoroughly. The Sheriff and Guy stand around vaguelly putting into play a simple plot that takes too long to occur. Our gang trek to see King Richard with very little incident, and once there are quickly strung up... to stand around for a bit... before being predictably rescued (what took him so long?!) The final battle is neatly set up but too quickly over and lacking in impact. The Sheriff and Guy are barely in it, simply disappearing with an "I'll get you next time!", and Marian's death, while surprising, is too drawn out and implausible (would she be so lucid? For so long? And able to pull the sword out herself?) The levels of emotion caused in the other characters are far too low also.
At the end of the day, the highlight for me was the Heroes-spoofing, "Save the King, save England." Nice.
What this episode really leaves me with are myriad questions about the already-confirmed third season. With Marian dead, and Will and Djaq staying in the Holy Land, the very dynamic of the show will be greatly altered. Presumably there'll be three new gang members to replace them (one obvious one being Friar Tuck), but is Robin Hood really Robin Hood without Will Scarlett or, especially, Marian?
And, more importantly, if the King knows all about the Black Knights, the plot, that the Sheriff of Nottingham is in charge of it, and so forth... why is he sending back just four men and not a whole brigade to sort things out? Or even actually heading back himself?! With these questions unanswered, the season rather limps to its credit scroll, over a shot of a depleted and down-trodden gang walking off into the sunset. I'm rather worried that this series is headed for a slow, painful, lacklustre end, dragged out over 13 more episodes. Or 15 if you choose to count these.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)