It’s that time of year again. Time to check the DVR every day because it’s filling up quickly with new episodes and premieres. So much to talk about, I’m going to do this in a few parts, with a new post each week. *SPOILERS*
Timeless
Wouldn’t we all love to have access to the money that NBC’s spent in advertising for Timeless? Talk about a media blitz. In the coming weeks, the show will have some big shoes to fill to live up to the hype. It’s gotten off to a great start.
Serious questions tempered by constant action and mystery, and a heavy helping of comedy including great one-liners and references to other much loved time travel stories. They had me when they named one of the main characters Rufus, which in my heart I believe without a doubt is a nod to George Carlin’s character in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Maybe not, but I like to believe it is. And consider this, oddly enough, Rufus admitted to being bullied by a guy whose last name is Tannen (like Biff in Back to the Future). Coincidence? I think not.
So many changes in history, so little time. We’re already seeing that very minor changes are making a big impact on the main character’s lives once they return to the present, which is a clever touch.
My recommendation is to watch this one with a second screen on Twitter. Last week’s episode made the show’s name trend. You’ll have a blast.
Westworld
Last night, I watched the third episode of Westworld. I find its story extremely interesting. Seems almost like a guilty pleasure. Incredible actors including Sir Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Jeffrey Wright, and Evan Rachel Wood add dramatic weight to the cast. And I can’t help but feel constantly sorry for James Marsden’s character, Teddy, who is quickly approaching Kenny from South Park status.
Sets and costumes are epic. There’s a little too much nudity for my taste as the robots are maintenanced in the full nude and they require A LOT of maintenance, but being that it’s on HBO, I expected it, so it’s something that I try to ignore.
I tried to tweet while watching last night, which I won’t try again. There’s no filler. Every word, every shot in a scene, can contain a clue to the show’s mysteries. If you like a Lost-like mystery where there are more questions than answers and are okay with nudity and graphic violence, give it a watch.
Supernatural
I’ve been a loyal fan since the first season. The premiere reminded me of the early seasons, which I love. Dean and Sam are split up. Dean is familiarizing his newly resurrected mother with the modern conveniences of 2016 while searching for Sam, who has been kidnapped by a British Man of Letters agent. Castiel is focused and tough (yes!). Crowley has his mojo back and is hunting down Lucifer.
I really like the idea of the European Men of Letters being so different from the American hunters we’ve met throughout the series. The Americans are like cowboys when compared against their refined ways. Very clever.
What’s not so clever is the whole scenario of the agent torturing Sam for info. I get the why. It starts the season very dramatically. Reminds us how we hurt when Sam hurts. But I can’t help but think that if she’d really done her research as she talks about all the time she’d know that all she had to do was wear a short skirt, buy them a piece of pie, and tell them she was also a hunter, and the boys would fall over themselves to help her with whatever info she needed. Also, I’m not sold on the actress portraying the British agent, but I didn’t like her in Vampire Diaries either, so I wasn’t expecting to.
That said, I really did like the episode. The introduction of the other Letters society opens up a lot of new opportunities and potential characters to explore. We’ve only just begun to know Mama Winchester, and I’m sure she’s full of surprises. The season opener also potentially pits the boys against one creature they haven’t been up against before…humans.
Oh yeah, and Rick Springfield is playing Lucifer next week. Yeah, I know, right?