Queer.Horror.Movies

The curated portfolio of film journalist Joe Lipsett

Homeland recap – 1×06: ‘The Good Soldier’

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Courtesy of Showtime

It’s been an interesting few weeks on Homeland as the show has become something different now that Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) and Nick Brody (Damian Lewis), the man she suspects of being a terrorist, are spending more time together. I particularly liked the contrast between last week’s episode that centered around the torture and questioning of Brody’s old interrogator, and this week’s episode (in the wake of the interrogator’s suicide) when our own crew were being questioned via polygraph. It again ties together the experiences of not only Brody and Carrie, but serves to reinforce the ambiguous grey line that separates the methodologies of the CIA and the terrorists they pursue. [Read more…]

The Walking Dead recap – 2×04: ‘Cherokee Rose’

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Courtesy of AMCtv

Not unlike Fringe, there’s been chatter online about the past few episodes of The Walking Dead and whether or not they’re delivering the goods. Perhaps it’s the behind the scene drama (Parent company AMC slashed the budget by $250,000 per episode, prompting creator Frank Darabont to leave/be fired after Comic Con this summer), but fans are concerned about how the show will move forward and if the quality will suffer.

After four episodes in, I think it’s safe to say…the verdict is unclear. [Read more…]

Fringe recap – 1×05: ‘Novation’

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Courtesy of Fox

TVangie is away this week on a well-deserved vacation, so I’m starting off our Fringe coverage in her absence. Look for her thoughts on the series starting next week.

After a three week absence (thanks World Series!), Fringe returns with its first new episode since Peter Bishop’s (Joshua Jackson) reappearance. So far this season we’ve been asked to reconstruct not only the world of Fringe, but also all of the relationships between our principle players in the aftermath of Peter using the machine to bridge the two worlds. ‘Novation’ continued to address some lingering questions while advancing the plot regarding the new human-hybrid shapeshifters, but considering this was the first time Peter has been physically present, the lack of interaction between Walter (John Noble), Olivia (Anna Torv) and Peter was disappointing.

[Read more…]

Quick Take: The Secret Circle – 1×08: ‘Beneath’

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Courtesy of The CW

As the first season of not-quite-Vampire-Diaries-level teen drama chugs along, we’re settling into a rhythm: random spookiness, investigation by the circle, followed by mildly threatening danger and a likely cliffhanger ending.

This week’s episode, featuring a road trip to Faye Chamberlain’s (Phoebe Tonkin) family cottage in search of Cassie Blake’s (Britt Robertson) missing grandmother, Jane (Ashley Crow), provided a few interesting narrative developments, but the forward momentum of the last few weeks took a backseat to a more traditional ghost story.

[Read more…]

Revenge recap – 1×07: ‘Charade’

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Courtesy of ABC

Emily, nee Amanda’s (Emily VanCamp) “roadmap to revenge” hits another stumbling block as ex-security  head Frank (Max Martini) digs up her criminal past, while Nolan engages on a solo take-down mission on Daniel Grayson’s (Joshua Bowman) mysterious friend, Tyler Barrol (Ashton Holmes). And we have our first official fatality of the season.

In our recent “He Said, She Said” tvangie suggested that Ringer should take a cue from Revenge. At the time I defended the Sarah Michelle Gellar vehicle because I felt that it had upped its game in recent episodes. And then I watched “Charade” and promptly ate the first crow that I could find. [Read more…]

Homeland recap- 1×05: Blind Spot

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Courtesy of Showtime

Previously on Homeland:

  • Carrie (Claire Danes) had to take down the surveillance in Brody’s (Damian Lewis) home. Raquim Faisel was almost tailed back to his suburban house near the airport. Carrie followed Brody to a support group meeting and they had a meet-cute moment.

Family was a key factor in tonight’s episode. Even as we continue to wonder whether Brody has been turned, the show has done an admirable job of rounding out the supporting cast and making the rest of the show interesting and engaging. Blind Spot” did this well juggling the workings of the CIA as they took another step in unearthing a new terrorist plot, with the impact of Carrie, Brody, and Saul’s actions on their loved ones.

[Read more…]