[Robo]

do you work on that show drew

[Windswept]

Graceland is starting up again with summer episodes (on USA?), I think, this coming Wednesday, June 18.

"Graceland" is the name of a luxury beach home that was confiscated by the feds from people doing illegal activities. Most recently, it has been lived in by a small group of young-ish undercover agents from various different agencies, like DEA, ATF, FBI, and so forth - in case you have never seen this program.

It has been a while since the last set of episodes and I've probably forgotten quite a bit. I do know I liked the program, because I suppose that there are real-life people who live undercover just as these do, and who put their lives on the line as part of their daily job, to seek out information about ongoing criminal syndicates. I wonder how true-to-life these storylines might be. They are dramatic and often tense for the viewer. I don't see how people could live lives like these, but I guess they'd be great for adrenaline junkies.

Anyone else plan to catch a few of the new Graceland episodes?

[psmith2.0]

They're doing a huge holiday weekend marathon of The Walking Dead on AMC. I've been able to catch up on episodes from the second and third season that I missed, so that's nice.

I still can't believe the stuff this show gets away with on TV! I've seen R-rated movies that don't have this much gore and violence. Great makeup and effects work, especially on a smaller TV budget.

I do have to say, watching several in a row for the first time, there are some dumbasses on this show. They bring a lot of trouble on themselves, acting the way some of them do. A few of them, I don't mind getting offed in whatever way comes. People that stupid/careless generally get what's coming to them in that world.

They keep trusting strangers, and then certain characters will just go wandering alone through the woods or an abandoned building for no apparent reason. That's the one part about the show that I don't like, and that often takes me out of it. I can't help but think "no sane, rational person would act this way if this scenario was real...". But it's a fictional TV drama, which means things have to happen to ramp up the tension and sense of danger/dread. I get that, but after a while you just stop feeling bad for certain characters and just hope they get eaten already.

Looking forward to the fifth season this fall...

[kieran]

Just watched the three seasons of Homeland in the last week.

Holy hell what a good show.

Now I have nothing to watch now until the fall.

[murbot]

Duuude. I've been wondering what to get into for the next little while. I've been avoiding TV due to burnout after binging on Game of Thrones. (which I loved BTW, to hell with you bookies)

I watched the first 5 episodes of Homeland a long time ago and inexplicably stopped watching, even though I loved it. Not sure even why that happened. You going through all 3 seasons in a week is just the incentive I need to get back on the horse.

[kieran]

Dude, it's an incredible show. Such solid writing and acting.

I"m glad they're writing the daughter's role down a bit. She's an annoying little bitch.

[Moogs]

But but... what about Falling Skies, Tom Mason?





I'm not 100% sure but this show seems to have veered from merely absurd into "enjoyable train wreck" territory. Like, so terrible in all respects, you can't stop watching it. That this show takes itself seriously is the funniest part. I forget who gets the credit for coming up with the plotline on this show, but they're really pretty terrible at their job.

Even for an alien invasion show the amount of random and totally illogical shit that happens, and the absurd plot cliches that get introduced at the rate of about one per episode, is unmatched in recent TV history. See also: Hitler Youth in this season's episodes; Faraday Suit building S. Africans magically transported across an ocean after the invasion that trashes all of earths infrastructure; Enchanted Teleportation Stone that allows aliens to use the power of the One Ring and the fiery volcanoes of Mordor; randomly appearing mutated children; an alien hybrid baby aging at about 1 year per month that is now a full-blown X-men character complete with angry weather controlling abilities), and more.

This year's clincher so far though was Tom Mason, jumping off what appeared to be a 4th or 5th story apartment balcony to avoid physics-defying vertically climbing spider-aliens about to be entombed by the same apartment building, which will be demolished at any moment... and then as the camera zooms out the explosion "propels" him about 30 yards laterally, out over the edge of a river... where upon he falls the 40 or 50 feet, into about 5 feet of water... and lives. Like a little slice of Demolition Diorama heaven. Because we see him a couple scenes later, no broken brones, nothing.

You all need to watch this show before it gets cancelled. I fully expect within two episodes there will be a Jack Bauer character who enters the fray, a member of the Fantastic 4, and possibly a T-Rex.

[psmith2.0]

I watched a show called "The Strain" last night. I think it's a vampire(?) type deal, set in modern day NYC. It was kinda neat. It was the premiere episode (on FX). I'll continue watching unless/until it gets lame. Apparently based on a book(s) and Guillermo del Toro has something to do with it (he wrote the book, and/or directed last night's episode).

Had a bit of an "X Files" slow-burn vibe to it, and 2-3 genuine creepy moments.

For someone who isn't a fan or follower or horror/gore, I wind up watching (and liking) these crazy shows with vampires, zombies and serial killers. Go figure.

[Windswept]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 I do have to say, watching several in a row for the first time, there are some dumbasses on this show. They bring a lot of trouble on themselves, acting the way some of them do. A few of them, I don't mind getting offed in whatever way comes. People that stupid/careless generally get what's coming to them in that world. They keep trusting strangers, and then certain characters will just go wandering alone through the woods or an abandoned building for no apparent reason. That's the one part about the show that I don't like, and that often takes me out of it. I can't help but think "no sane, rational person would act this way if this scenario was real...". But it's a fictional TV drama, which means things have to happen to ramp up the tension and sense of danger/dread. I get that, but after a while you just stop feeling bad for certain characters and just hope they get eaten already. Looking forward to the fifth season this fall...

One thing that has been really annoying me lately in crime dramas is that the detective conducting a search through a dark building/house doesn't keep his back protected. He'll walk out into the middle of a room, and sure enough, someone will come up behind him (from behind the door or from some other hiding spot behind the detective that was left unchecked) and hit him on the head with the butt of a gun.

Or, another annoying thing during a detective search is that she (Beckett from 'Castle', for example) always seems to be wearing shoes that make loud clunking sounds as she creeps through a quiet building. Can't she find shoes with rubber soles so that she doesn't have to go clop clop clopping through quiet dark buildings? And if the building/house is dark (which it always is), the detectives never turn the lights on.

All very annoying when people's lives are supposedly on the line; but, as you said, Paul, the director has to have conflict and dramatic tension to keep the viewer involved. A really good show won't have the detective making stupid mistakes, but will still find ways to build tension.

And it would be nice to see people running for their lives without always having to fall, at which point, the killer catches up with them. They always fall, every single time. So annoying. I just saw that Alex Cross movie again, with all the women in an underground dungeon, and when Ashley Judd ran, she fell because she kept looking back every two seconds. At least she jumped off a cliff and got away, so that was nice.

[Moogs]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 I watched a show called "The Strain" last night. I think it's a vampire(?) type deal, set in modern day NYC. It was kinda neat. It was the premiere episode (on FX). I'll continue watching unless/until it gets lame. Apparently based on a book(s) and Guillermo del Toro has something to do with it (he wrote the book, and/or directed last night's episode). Had a bit of an "X Files" slow-burn vibe to it, and 2-3 genuine creepy moments. For someone who isn't a fan or follower or horror/gore, I wind up watching (and liking) these crazy shows with vampires, zombies and serial killers. Go figure.

I wanted to watch that (I think it was a book originally?) but my wife won't watch it with me.

[torifile]

We watched the first episode of Orphan Black last night. Good stuff. It had a bit of "Dollhouse" feel to it and I loved that show. Anyone else watching it?

[psmith2.0]

I've never heard of it. Just now read about it.

Man, the major networks are dead. I'm not a big TV guy, but what little I watch is on FX, AMC, USA, TNT or Syfy. Anytime I flip past the 3-4 major networks, I'm just astounded at how lame everything is. It's one of the following:

- "Competition reality", where a bunch of annoying 20-somethings act like screaming jerks and crybabies over some piss-ant gig/position
- Overwrought medical and crime dramas with impossibly attractive people acting all grim and bleak, speaking in tough-talk jargon
- Comedies that aren't funny, including all those shot-on-film/no-laughtrack ones that seem to be the trend now...all "ironic" and "quirky", like a 22-minute Doritos Super Bowl commercial.

No thanks.

I do admit, however, to still getting a total laugh/jolt from that old chestnut Cops.

Nothing makes me laugh harder, and I absolutely love seeing brainless, lying lowlifes getting nabbed for doing brainless, lowlife stupid stuff. That never gets old. I love to hear their stories/excuses (none of them are ever real/legit, of course, but I appreciate the on-the-spot creativity and commitment..."naw, man...this ain't my car/gun/weed/crackpipe/knife/ID/bloody shirt/shoes/grenade...it's my cousin's! No, I don't know his name, officer...we ain't close"). I love to see what they're wearing. I love how some people simply can't/won't just do what they're told. So many people on that show wind up going to jail - and all that it entails - because they just couldn't a) follow a simple command ("keep your hands out of your pockets", "stay in the car", etc.), and b) shut their mouths for five minutes (and not challenge/antagonize the cops; like it or not, that's never going to go your way). Sit there, shut up and do what you're told and you'll probably be sent on your way with a ticket - or maybe just a warning? - in many instances (rolling through a stop sign, a broken brake light, etc.).

But noooooo...there's always gotta be a belligerent, oblivious hardcase/bad-ass who has to elevate everything. I can always tell who's going to wind up sprayed/tased/cuffed 'n' stuffed..."ooh, he's talking a little too much and a little too loud for just a broken tail light...I give it three minutes before he's on the ground, underneath 5-6 cops."

It's the ultimate feel-good/pick-me-up show, because no matter how weird, bent and off-track your life gets sometimes, you can always say "hey, I'm not that shirtless, methed-out dickwit running down the street, seconds from being tased on national TV...so I've got that going for me."

[addabox]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 I watched a show called "The Strain" last night. I think it's a vampire(?) type deal, set in modern day NYC. It was kinda neat. It was the premiere episode (on FX). I'll continue watching unless/until it gets lame. Apparently based on a book(s) and Guillermo del Toro has something to do with it (he wrote the book, and/or directed last night's episode). Had a bit of an "X Files" slow-burn vibe to it, and 2-3 genuine creepy moments. For someone who isn't a fan or follower or horror/gore, I wind up watching (and liking) these crazy shows with vampires, zombies and serial killers. Go figure.

I like the setup; I just hope the ratio of dumb shit to cool shit tilts in our favor. And by dumb shit I don't mean the pulpy plot contrivances, which are fine by me (immortal Nazis, how can you go wrong?). I mean shit like when

the CDC lady goes into the cockpit of the dead airplane and the guy on the tarmac freaks out like it's a terrorist attack. "That door should be locked! You're not authorized to enter the cockpit! I order you to leave the cockpit at once! I'm contacting Homeland Security!" Dude. They're ALL DEAD. She's not going to fucking hijack the plane. The flight crew is in no danger, in that they are DEAD. It's like the writers were all "high tension time, let's throw in screaming on account of the tension" and nobody said "that makes no fucking sense." There's so goddamn much "Makes no fucking sense" in scriptwriting anymore it's like some kind of mental illness, and any signs of same suggest to me there are hacks working on this show, and that's never a good sign.

[addabox]

Huge Orphan Black fan here, I think it's well worth watching. First season is often hilarious, you don't realize at first how funny this show can be. Leading actress does a stunning job of creating distinct personas, makes it possible to relax and experience the premise without getting reminded that you're watching one person with different hairdos.

Second season gets a bit into the weeds plotting wise (nothing wrong, exactly, just has to spend a lot of time with running around various threads and it detracts a bit from the shows central pleasures) but still very engrossing.

But most importantly, actually manages to deliver overall "mystery" arch against episode to episode "revelations" in a way that is satisfying and doesn't invest too much into huge, mind boggling shit that you reckon will never really be resolved. Really, other trick show, take note. You don't need secrets at the heart of the universe to keep our interest, you just need compelling characters and witty dialogue and worked out episodic plot. It's been renewed for a third season and I have no concerns that they'll have to make up some unreasonable shit to kill time, because the characters and performances are already more than enough to keep me watching even if we already know exactly what's going on.

[addabox]

And another instance of irritating nonsense on The Strain:

Old guy has secret knowledge of the Terribleness to Come. Of course, when he rushes over to the airport to council the CDC people about destroying the bodies and cutting off their heads and all he gets brusquely dismissed, even thought he knows all this shit he couldn’t possibly have known unless he had real, useful knowledge about what was happening. Another one of those lazy writer’s shortcuts that drive me crazy. Just once I’d like to see a show where the old guy forces his way to the front of the crowd and yells “The box! You found a box with engravings, did you not? And the bodies! They are not decaying normally, and have wounds to the neck! Am I right?” and the hero would go “Holy shit, you clearly are privy to important plot points, let’s sit down right now and hear you out, because to walk away while ordering the cops to get you out of here would clearly be a grave lapse of judgement if not a shocking breach of common sense!” But alas.

[addabox]

On the other hand, it sounds like things are going to get really crazy really fast, so that might be fun.

[709]

Originally Posted by addabox Leading actress does a stunning job of creating distinct personas, makes it possible to relax and experience the premise without getting reminded that you're watching one person with different hairdos.

Tatiana Maslany is amazing. Amazing. Not only does she pull off each clone persona effortlessly, she even manages to

!!! SPOILER:

convincingly play clones imitating other clones. She's just incredible.

[psmith2.0]

Originally Posted by addabox I like the setup; I just hope the ratio of dumb shit to cool shit tilts in our favor. And by dumb shit I don't mean the pulpy plot contrivances, which are fine by me (immortal Nazis, how can you go wrong?). I mean shit like when the CDC lady goes into the cockpit of the dead airplane and the guy on the tarmac freaks out like it's a terrorist attack. "That door should be locked! You're not authorized to enter the cockpit! I order you to leave the cockpit at once! I'm contacting Homeland Security!" Dude. They're ALL DEAD. She's not going to fucking hijack the plane. The flight crew is in no danger, in that they are DEAD. It's like the writers were all "high tension time, let's throw in screaming on account of the tension" and nobody said "that makes no fucking sense." There's so goddamn much "Makes no fucking sense" in scriptwriting anymore it's like some kind of mental illness, and any signs of same suggest to me there are hacks working on this show, and that's never a good sign.

Exactly. xEleventy trillion.

The entire movie Prometheus was built on that, in fact. People smart enough to pilot a ship through space (and all that it entails), land on a planet and instantly become completely stupid and careless for two hours. Man, that was a goofy movie. It looked amazing (some of those shots throughout were incredible), but I wanted everyone in it eaten or blown up after about 50 minutes of watching. Except Ms. Rapace. I'll cut her a break, because...well...

[addabox]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 Exactly. xEleventy trillion. The entire movie Prometheus was built on that, in fact. People smart enough to pilot a ship through space (and all that it entails), land on a planet and instantly become completely stupid and careless for two hours. Man, that was a goofy movie. It looked amazing (some of those shots throughout were incredible), but I wanted everyone in it eaten or blown up after about 50 minutes of watching. Except Ms. Rapace. I'll cut her a break, because...well...

I know! Prometheus could have so kickass with just a little input from, I dunno, you, me? I mean normal, reasonably intelligent people who haven't had whatever brain damage occurs (or maybe it's just cynicism) from having spent a lot of time in LA and writing rooms and development meetings or whatever the hell has to happen to just fucking blithely go with shit that any sentient viewer is going to find ridiculous. I mean, run the script past the pool boy, so he can say "Um, why are these people acting this way? Are they retarded? And what happened to that shit that was so important a few pages ago, it's like everybody just forgot?"

I honestly think there's some kind of fatal hype thing happening, where fatuous, glib people get each other pumped up over bullshit and high five everybody in the room because MONSTERS and EXPLOSIONS and TITS and they actually, genuinely are incapable of keeping track of how actual people act.

Also, not to dump too hard on The Strain because it seems like it doesn't take itself too seriously and might be a good ride nonsense notwithstanding, but

I think its time to retire the "radio is playing a jaunty pop tune while unspeakable violence is happening" trope. Happened again in The Strain, while autopsy guy (by the way, what happened to all the moon suits and biohazard gear? Airborne or no, you'd think the guy cutting into the bodies of 206 people who died of unknown causes might want to put on a little mask, or something?) is listening to Sonny and Cher or some shit and the dead rise up to rip him limb from limb. And they do that sound thing where they move the mix from tinny radio in the background to full on happy time soundtrack while the blood flies, all ironical like. That was chilling the first few times I saw it, now it's just another cliche.

[psmith2.0]

I can't believe you just wrote that because I had that exact conversation not 24 hours ago, and said the same thing.

I think it was Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" playing when the coroner/medical examiner guy got his.

I think I first noticed this with The X Files, ages ago. But it's been done a lot, for sure.

A recent, silly example of this is Insidious, which used Tiny Tim's "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" in a few places. Thing is though, it didn't work there because Tiny Tim and that song are both creepy/unsettling enough already. So it just kinda canceled itself out, vs. "made a creepy scene even more so".

I remember sitting there thinking "of all the songs/artists available...".

My biggest gripe about The Strain was...

The air traffic controller guy, who I spent 25 minutes believing was Robert Davi with some work done, approaching that thing on the floor in the warehouse. He was by himself, weird stuff was already going on, you've got this huge black pile of cloth that is "breathing" and looking vaguely humanoid and crouched over and making some weird, unearthly sounds...yes, by all means, approach it and stand 18" from it. What's the worst that could happen?! That guy deserved everything that came his way. Again, smart enough to be an air traffic controller supervisor/bigwig (and all that goes with the gig), yet stupid enough to do what he did...and getting completely slaughtered for his trouble. No real person I actually know would've done that. "Holy hell, there's this weird black cape-y thing in the middle of the floor making weird noises...". After I haul ass in the opposite direction for a good 3-4 minutes - making sure not to trip and fall! - I'm then on my walkie-talkie to call in airport security, TSA agents, police, S.W.A.T, FBI, Seal Team 6, Men in Black, Father Karras, Batman, the Power Rangers, etc. Whoever. I don't approach it out of awe and curiosity like a total moron...

[Naderfan]

Originally Posted by addabox I like the setup; I just hope the ratio of dumb shit to cool shit tilts in our favor. And by dumb shit I don't mean the pulpy plot contrivances, which are fine by me (immortal Nazis, how can you go wrong?). I mean shit like when the CDC lady goes into the cockpit of the dead airplane and the guy on the tarmac freaks out like it's a terrorist attack. "That door should be locked! You're not authorized to enter the cockpit! I order you to leave the cockpit at once! I'm contacting Homeland Security!" Dude. They're ALL DEAD. She's not going to fucking hijack the plane. The flight crew is in no danger, in that they are DEAD. It's like the writers were all "high tension time, let's throw in screaming on account of the tension" and nobody said "that makes no fucking sense." There's so goddamn much "Makes no fucking sense" in scriptwriting anymore it's like some kind of mental illness, and any signs of same suggest to me there are hacks working on this show, and that's never a good sign.

I hadn't thought of that scene that way.

I thought he was freaking out because they assumed the pilots died at the same time as everyone else and if so, the door should have been locked. If it was open, then that meant there could be an actual human killer on board and they were worried for her safety. The other thing that bothered me, in addition to what's already been said here, was when they were opening that coffin and NO ONE was wearing even a regular mask. I know they said they'd tested the outside, but how on earth could they know that what was inside would be safe?

[psmith2.0]

Exactly. Between them opening that weird casket (that had no records or manifest) with no protective gear, and then that goofball coroner examining all these bodies and performing autopsies that same way, I thought "come on...". At the very least he'd have on a mask and some other stuff, if not full-level gear. And in this situation, there would likely be others with him, to observe and notate, or to help (200+ bodies for one guy is a quite a workload).

And the cockpit thing is interesting...that's a good point. The door should've been locked if everyone was dead or incapacitated, so it being open made it a bit puzzling, or pointed to the possibility of someone lurking around.

I'm looking forward to the next episode. I'll always give things an opening shot and go from there. Usually the second or third episode is where it truly shines or fizzles (for me). I'm hoping it stays interesting and creepy. I'd like to have something on Sundays to hold me over until October...

[psmith2.0]

Getting ready for episode two of The Strain here in another 40 minutes. We'll see...I figure by the end of this episode I'll either be hooked/all-in, or totally lose interest. Last week was the big 90-minute setup/foundation, so there needs to be some payoff this week...some questions answered, a bit of backstory/exposition, general vampiric mayhem, random farm-buying, etc. I don't want a an hour of people in hazmat suits acting stupid (and still ignoring that old man).

[Moogs]

If you haven't seen the train wreck that is Falling Skies lately, you have 30 minutes to prepare your mind for some "so bad it's funny" entertainment the likes of which you haven't since... like... The Phantom Menace or something. Although I guess technically it was more infuriating than anything else.

"I hate sand... it gets everywhere... including my vagina."



"...and your hair-bun looks like that creature from Alien. Do you have acid for blood, Padme?"

[addabox]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 Getting ready for episode two of The Strain here in another 40 minutes. We'll see...I figure by the end of this episode I'll either be hooked/all-in, or totally lose interest. Last week was the big 90-minute setup/foundation, so there needs to be some payoff this week...some questions answered, a bit of backstory/exposition, general vampiric mayhem, random farm-buying, etc. I don't want a an hour of people in hazmat suits acting stupid (and still ignoring that old man).

Watching it now. Juggling ball syndrome, where they have to service every character's back story and soap opera "issues" one at a time. I don't care about the main dude's child custody shit. I don't care about the cholo dude's family and reprobate brother. I came for carnage and world destruction. For fuck sakes get on with it.

[addabox]

OK, I'll watch it again next week. I want to see the onset of chaos, although I suspect they'll take their sweet time. Still, the creep factor is pretty high (nothing I haven't seen before, but reasonably well done). Not quite as much stupid as last week.

[psmith2.0]

I liked it. I'll watch next week. Yeah, I couldn't care less about the custody and AA stuff.

I liked that jail scene between the two men talking through the glass. Some history there, obviously.

They were pushing the limits of basic cable nudity with rocker dude's foursome!

The little French girl finally did what we all knew she was going to.

[addabox]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 I liked it. I'll watch next week. Yeah, I couldn't care less about the custody and AA stuff. I liked that jail scene between the two men talking through the glass. Some history there, obviously. They were pushing the limits of basic cable nudity with rocker dude's foursome! The little French girl finally did what we all knew she was going to.

Yep, yep, yep.

I sometimes wonder about those "right up to the edge" scenes of semi-nudity. It must take some very careful blocking and camera placement to get that sense of naked people cavorting without quite showing any naught bits.

And yeah, the jail scene was great. I loved the long finger press to the glass and the creaking sounds, like the whole pane was about to give way. I liked that they left it at that, that there wasn't a fingerprint etched into the glass, or frost, or something.

I wonder how long it will take before things spread enough to cause general alarm? Often contagion and zombie type movies depend on very rapid onset to enhance the drama-- like things have gone totally to hell before anyone is really even starting to come up to speed, and it creates a sense of helplessness and dread, of being overrun in mid-stride, and then abruptly having to deal with survival when you don't even know what the hell has gone down.

But I get the feeling it's going to be quite a few weeks before things start to seriously fall apart, if not the entire first season just setting that up. I can only stand so much people in charge being total idiots, refusing to take even basic precautions, before I demand to see them torn limb from limb in a demonstration of poetic justice.

[psmith2.0]

Yeah, their CDC boss(?) is a supreme assbag. And now they've got the HHS secretary playing along. You'd think, of all people, they'd be the two being most careful and pragmatic. The blame for all the hell that's about to break loose can be laid squarely at the feet of these two morons, in addition to the hardcase, surly van driver and Samwise.

If none of these four people acted the way they have (and did the things they've done), this would be a somewhat-contained, airport-only incident/crisis.

And I hate to be "that guy", but what's with the hyper-bitchy, completely unlikeable female characters all over the place?! The lead character's wife is an awful human being (you just know she watches Oprah and reads Gwyneth Paltrow's blog ; she'll poison the kid against his own dad if she hasn't already...a repugnant person on multiple levels). Then there's the snooty, bossy survivor who likes to make threats and talk down to others (can't wait to see her get it). And now the HHS secretary, in full rank-pulling, oblivious/political CYA mode. It'll be a pleasure watching her get chomped for her missteps and incompetence (things like this always have to have a Mayor Vaughn figure...oblivious, foot-dragging and vaguely corrupt/self-centered types in leadership positions who always make things worse because they never believe the lead character's claims/warnings). I'm surprised the HHS lady wasn't wearing a blazer with little anchors on it.

Other than van driver's mom, there isn't a pleasant, likable female character anywhere. Even the lead character's CDC partner is a bit cold and off-putting (but at least she's acting right in regards to the crisis, exhibiting some common sense and backbone, making up for the lack of it in everyone around her). The men on this show are dumb, corrupt and/or ball-less (except for the old guy who knows what's up), but the women are off the charts! Jury's still out on rocker dude's manager/agent(?). She kinda had a neat vibe, like she's incapable of being offended and is no longer shocked by horrible behavior.

Much of this reminds me of a Stephen King story/characters...everyone's clearly drawn and fills in the various checkboxes for character traits and quirks, and the mundane, day-to-day is highlighted and played-up so you know what each character's underlying strengths, weaknesses and values are before it all hits the fan. I've not read the books, but I'm gonna predict the van driver redeems himself and becomes a Daryl Dixon fan-favorite type. With his Mom, he showed he wasn't just all hardcore and "street", so he'll probably step up and be a vampire-killing machine (holding his pistol sideways and making tough-guy quips with each kill). And you can see the overlapping and how they're slowly bleeding into each other's lives, a la Avengers team-building. At some point, van driver is gonna meet up with old man (returning the stolen radio?), and then they'll hook up with the CDC duo, etc. They're painting that rich old man's assistant to be a thoughtful, noble type, so I can imagine he might factor in big at some point. He's already suspicious of the German with the box, and their motives. Assuming he makes it out of that warehouse ramp area alive, he'll have helpful info to share with the CDC leads ("this old man I work for arranged for this box to be brought to him; I saw some creepy shit!")

[psmith2.0]

Nobody's been watching this, huh? I look forward to my Sunday 10pm viewing. It's now a full eight episodes in (out of 12 total), and things have really picked up over the last couple. Last week was a good "confined quarters" type of episode, where the leads were holed up in a gas station, surrounded by all these recently-turned creatures who were getting more aggressive about breaking in. Some nice tension throughout...I'm a fan of that sort of setup (single room/no way out scenarios...very tense and nail-biting).

This show will end in four more weeks, dovetailing perfectly into the season five premiere of "The Walking Dead". I think these final 3-4 episodes are going to be wild. This is freakier than most vampire stories, simply because of how easy the virus is spread, and that slow transformation process where people are in that "halfway world" between "not quite human/not quite fully turned", and some of the makeup and other effects have been really something. Like "The Walking Dead", some really solid work on a TV budget/scale! Always impressed. Speaking of which, Rick Baker had a small cameo in last week's episode, as a customer in the gas station. I thought it was him when I saw him, and then he turned his head and you saw his long ponytail. Definitely him, confirmed via IMDB.

BTW, I'm taking a little road trip in about a month, down to Georgia, to visit some of the Walking Dead shooting locations and towns. I'm looking forward to it. I'd love to bump into Melissa McBride (Carol) somewhere! She's my favorite, and I think she's a cutie. "Just look at the flowers, Paul...".