Stargate Universe - Justice, S01E10

Considering that Stargate Universe seems in many ways to have left behind the episodic nature of SG1 and Atlantis, I'm left wondering if the writers have even seen the previous episodes before they write their scripts. Obviously in the case of Time, which ended in an unresolved cliffhanger, no one recalls anything that happened previously...or at least they pay no attention to it whatsoever.

Alright, so you're asking what was wrong this time. And it wasn't the worst episode ever. In fact there were moments where some sort of interesting development peeped through. And then the writers decided that there was no point on dwelling on it. *Rolls her eyes and screams*.

With Col Young (Justin Louis), who by the way is nothing like our previous adored colonels O'Neill, Mitchell, Shepard or even Carter, accused of murder, the plot went a little BSG with a court case and military vs civilian tension. Too bad that there's been no build towards that other than the IOA's continual desire to take over all things Stargate. Plus, with less than 80 people, you'd think they could get over the distinction, and it didn't really matter, because rather than letting that tension rise and go forward with it, the writers pulled the rug out from under us. The case was dropped and the IOA was given command - no fuss, no entertainment.

Then, after a little side bar where one of the scientists sat in the chair and likely killed himself or solved all their problems - we'll find out after the break, - we find out that Rush (Robert Carlyle) framed Young, and the victim committed suicide. Not only was this suicide forgettable, since the guy was a prick and nobody liked him, but I really didn't care. Frankly a murder would have been more interesting.

Again, BSG, even though I hated Dee, when she shot herself, it affected me.

So, we come to the end, with Young (who earlier refused to take command of the ship by military force) and Rush on a planet examining an alien spaceship. Young beats the crap out of Rush and abandons him on the planet, creating a very fine, dashing, heroic persona for himself. The hate between these two is another thing that has yet to be explained or developed.

Is Young even remotely sympathetic anyway? He cheated on his wife, punched a fellow officer in the face because he talked to the woman, and doesn't have the balls or the charm to be a commander. Are we supposed to be glad he came back instead of Rush. What we know of Rush, despite his machinations, is that his wife died and that he still misses her. He makes decisions based on what he thinks will advance them the most. I have NO idea what Young's motivations are...other than perhaps to sit on the fence.

So, Stargate Universe writers, here is what you need to do when the show resumes (and yes, I know the scripts have already been written and the episodes filmed):

1. Destroy the communication stones so that no one can go back to earth.

1 (part 2). Have the communication stones destroyed while Young's consciousness is on earth and replace him with a character that is more likable and more useful.

2. When Rush gets back with the new alien ship, have our adventurers make contact with some alien race and let's get the historical/fantasy side of stargate back.

3. Make every episode based around discoveries made on another planet, and occasionally on problems caused later by those discoveries or on ship-based science developments to put the science fiction part of stargate back into the show.

4. The show is called Stargate Universe, NOT Stargate Melrose Place. Yes, I pined and still pine for Sam and Jack to get together, and for Vala and Daniel too, but that should be a secondary plot line that develops over time!

What are your thoughts?

Vampire Diaries - The Turning Point, S01E10

When I watched this episode, I did not realize it would be the last until after Christmas. That is not a good thing. I should be feeling that January 14th is unbearable far away, that there are so many things at stake and that I have no idea what the outcome will be.

Not that the episode didn't meet my expectations for Vampire Diaries. It is an excellent show, and this episode raised many questions that look like they will develop into exciting plot lines. For instance, who made Logan (Chris J Johnson) a vampire? And what is Alaric (Matthew Davis)? Is he a vampire too? And why did I get the impression that Tyler (Michael Trevino) and his father were somehow connected to werewolves?

Especially exciting was the discovery that Bonnie (Katerina Graham)'s witch ancestor merely prevented Katherine and the other vampires from being awoken in one way, but there are other ways in which Damon (Ian Somerhalder) can recover his lady love.

Still, despite these things, the only part of the episode that created any concern for the outcome of the show was the last few moments. Yes, Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Elena (Nina Dobrev) having sex was touching, and yes, I'll be reminded that, though she often acts more mature, she is still supposed to be a 17 year old, so freaking out and taking off when she discovered that she was the spitting image of Katherine should not be too surprising. Nor was Elena leaving behind the charm Stefan gave her, though it was supposed to protect her from both Stefan and Damon's power of suggestion. But another snag in their relationship does not make an intense situation I can't wait to see concluded.

They are the star couple of a TV show; it is not going to be easy for them.

So then, the only point of concern left is whatever Elena hit while running from Stefan. Whatever it is, I don't get the impression that it will be friendly...but there has never been an ending of an episode of Vampire Diaries that hasn't happened in that cliff hanger sort of way, and since I have no idea if this guy is really an enemy or really dangerous, I'll wait patiently until Vampire Diaries returns in January. And if I miss the first episode, I'll catch up and I won't cry.

Dexter - The Getaway, S04E12 - Season Finale

Wow. Just...wow. The Season 4 finale left me shocked and winded, though completely impressed with the choices of the writers and producers. In fact, I would go so far as to say that Season 4 surpassed Season 1 in brilliance and suspense.

I'm not sure if anyone saw the end coming. Oh, sure, we all knew that Dexter (Michael C. Hall) was finally going to catch up with Arthur (John Lithgow) and put an end to the man known as the Trinity Killer. That's the thing about this show, each season has always ended on a fulfilled note, leaving us wanting to see more not because of a cliffhanger of any sort, but because we know there is another story to tell and we want to hear it. The question has become "How will Dexter catch and destroy this threat to the world and the people in his life?"

This entire season, the theme has been the question of whether Dexter is a threat, maybe not to the world or at least the serial killers in it (which we know he is), but to the people in his life. In this episode, with Deb (Jennifer Carpenter) discovering that Dexter is the brother of the Ice Truck Killer, and Rita (Julie Benz) catching yet another glimpse of his Dark Passenger, some of his skeletons have been pulled from the closet, and in the light of day, they don't appear nearly so scary. Both his sister and his wife believe that Dexter is a positive force in their lives, that he makes their world better for being in it.

As the end of the episode approached, and with it Trinity's death, Dexter is overcome with a calmness, an understanding that perhaps, after all this time, he might be able to begin to curb his Dark Passenger to his will, rather than being a slave to its primal urges. His family makes him want to be a better man, and makes him believe that that is actually possible. But amid that peace, I could not stop the feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop, though I could not imagine what that would be.

Dexter caught Trinity, he killed him, and he made the decision that he would be in control from now on. He goes home to grab his back so that he can join his lovely wife in the Keys, at peace with himself, but when he tries to call Rita, he discovers her purse is in the house. And she and their baby son Harrison are in the house - Rita in the bathtub, and Harrison on the tile floor, sitting in red water. And my heart broke.

So many people have complained of Rita of late, for getting in Dexter's way, for being annoying, but the last couple episodes, she has shined and so had their relationship. Ever since the therapist pointed out that she had her own set of issues to work out. Finding her like that, seeing her like that, so beautiful in her blue dress in the blood-filled tub, for the first time, Dexter ended before the story was finished. Arthur Miller may be dead, but before he died, he changed the playing field. And Rita is gone.

I can't say where this will go. Dexter seemed to absorb the shock with a certain numbness, unsure of what to do as he stood in the blood-soaked bathroom, his son crying on the floor, his wife...Will this awake a mad vengeance and rage in him? Or will his need to be a good single father to 3 children keep him on the level? Will he even be able to function at all?

So many questions about what will happen next season, and I'm still breathless from the shock of those last few moments.

Dexter - Hello, Dexter Morgan, S04E11

Many of you watched the last episode of season 4 of Dexter last night, but I did not. Instead, I caught up by watching the penultimate episode of this season.

The episode was not rife with tension and suspense as some previous episodes, granting almost a reprieve from the darkness until next week. Not that many important and serious things did not occur, but there was so much of the positive, that side was outweighed.

Let us address the positive first. Laguerta (Lauren Velez) and Batista (David Zayas) got married. Their boss was highly unimpressed, accusing them of making marriage a sham since it was clearly a political maneuver, and in the wake of that accusation, a shadow of a doubt crossed the couple's faces, but I know he was wrong. True, Maria and Angel were getting married to get him off their backs, rather than because they had already come to the decision that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together, but that does not mean that they do not feel one day they would have made that decision anyway. Particularly in this day and age, where divorce is so common, it is really not inexcusable to marry someone that you want to date when you could not date them under other circumstances. We will have to see if next season, or even next episode, their relationship proves that they took the right course of action...but it is better that they know how things will be between them than to always wonder what might have been.

I also have to say that I loved Dexter (Michael C. Hall) and Rita (Julie Benz)'s relationship bump. With Masuka (C.S. Lee) having witnessed Rita and Elliot's kiss, things could have gotten very bad. Instead, when Rita told Dexter, he didn't really let it faze him. Rita still wanted to be with him, right? So then there was no issue. But in the end, some instinct he did not know he had, one completely unconnected to the serial killer in him, still punched out Elliot and told him to stay away from Rita. And as a result, Rita's issues were dramatically decreased, knowing that Dexter did care after all. Sure, excessive jealousy is not a good thing, but a man really ought to care when another man kisses his wife.

But let's not forget the true reason we watch Dexter - I'll give you a hint, it has nothing to do with the romantic plot lines. Even though the main events of this episode were not without them. Poor suffering Christine (Courtney Ford), journalist and unloved daughter of a serial killer - she wanted to be just like her dad, and he did not love her any more for it.

There was the beautiful moment where Quinn (Desmond Harrington) and Deb (Jennifer Carpenter) realized that both had the misfortune of dating psychos. As Deb pointed out, Quinn was only dating Christine, while Deb had actually been engaged to the Ice Truck Killer.

Christine finally decided to do the right thing - which Deb ruined by telling her they had already I.D.ed her father when they hadn't. Still she did apologize to the woman she'd shot, for the lover she'd killed. And Jennifer Carpenter's performance then, as she tried to absorb the apology, as she shook with her grief and pain, that was brilliance! With the terrific finish of Christine blowing off her own head. What a moment!

And now, Arthur (John Lithgow) is safe from the police, and knows Dexter's true identity. With only one more episode to go, what will happen? Will Dexter kill Arthur? Will he keep his serial killer persona secret? Will Deb resume her search for their father's former lover and discover Dexter's true identity or will that wait for season 5? I'm planning on finding out soon!