I, like many of the reviewers, is a big fan of The Murdoch Mysteries. But this episode is the worst. I'm not partial to the "Gillies" episodes. It has too much of a Joker / Riddler quality to it. He's this effeminate, maniacal, supposed genius, who likes playing games with his adversary. In his first appearance, he's just a homicidal and intelligent college student. Since then, he's become a "Moriarty" like super villain with unlimited resources. I find Michael Seater's portrayal of Gillies too contrived. He's not fun or scary to watch as a foe for Murdoch. Of all the interesting bad guys on the show that could have become a recurring antagonist, why Gillies? I'm not sure why, but its been a trend for a lot of these British detective shows to have the ultra villain be a gangly, gay, mewling, man/boy, like the recent depiction of Moriarty in the show Sherlock starring Benedict Cumberbatch. And why did this episode have to have Gillies kissing Murdoch?
Reviews
10 Reviews
Jeannie 101
12 August 2014
This episode, as well as the majority of the episodes of I Dream of Jeannie are fun and pleasant to watch. The only big pill you have to swallow is the inconsistencies from season to season and episode to episode. In season 1, they tried to be consistent with the story line and the rules concerning the power of Djinns. But things slowly took a left turn and now it seems that Jeannie's powers, her past and even the storyline arbitrarily change as needed. First we are told that Jeannie was a human who was turned into a Djinni because she refused to marry the powerful Blue Djinn. Later it turns out all her family members are Djinnis. And even if they are all humans, how can Jeannie visit her mom in Bagdad? Wouldn't they all be dead after 2000 years? Unless she's going back in time, which then begs the question how is it they know she's been trapped in a bottle for 2000 years? Jeannie's mother, played by a different actress, visits Jeannie to help her marry Tony Nelson. In a later episode, Jeannie's mother, now played by Barbara Eden visits and says she's never met Tony Nelson. The scope of Jeannie's powers change per episode. In some episodes, Jeannie can undo another Djinni's spells. In other episodes, she says she cannot undo the spells of another Djinn. In some episode, Jeannie can blink out of her bottle, in others, she has to assume the form of smoke. At times, its alluded that her powers are almost limitless. But in other story arcs, shes is shown to have limits and restrictions to her powers. Jeannie supposedly cannot go against her master's wishes. Like in the Caruso episode where Jeannie could not give Tony Nelson the voice of the famous opera singer because that was his wish. Yet in other episodes, she clearly goes against his wishes. In this episode as well as a couple of others, Jeannie can plainly be photographed. And yet in her marriage episode, the big issues was a Djinni supposedly cannot be photographed. And even if that was the case, couldn't Tony Nelson just wish that she could be photographed? If you sit and watch the complete set, like I have, you will see hundreds if not thousands of these kinds of inconsistencies. But ultimately, it doesn't change the fact that its a wonderful and entertaining show.
Too Much Stock Footage
11 August 2014
The only saving grace for this episode is that I love I Dream of Jeannie and the cast members, Larry Hagman, Barbara Eden, Bill Daily and Hayden Rorke. Otherwise this episode was kind of a cop out. I think the writers and crew just got lazy. It takes place in a Rodeo and most of the footage is stock material. And its far from seamlessly blended in. There's one part where you see stock footage of a rider on horse who's suppose to be Major Nelson, then you see the actual Nelson jumping up and down on a trampoline, it was not spliced well. But I can forgive all of that and suspend disbelief except for the ending. They literally took the ending from a prior episode and tacked it on at the end of this one. It made no sense in continuity because Major Nelson is supposed to go out with Jeannie but in this ending borrowed from a previous episode, he's getting dressed to go out with another woman.
A strange, unfunny episode
6 August 2014
This is the type of series episode that I hate. Its nothing more then a vehicle to showcase up and coming celebrities or reboot declining stars. I've always disliked the episodes with special guest stars,... because it ends up being nothing more then a spotlight show with no real story. This is the case for "I Dream of Jeannie, Hip Hippies". You get to see the Boyce Hart Group,...WHO??? And a cameo by Phil Spector, temporarily coming out of seclusion. Oh and there is some side story about Jeannie and Tony going fishing. A rather boring episode with no real twist or humor. The only point of interest is watching Phil Spector doing a caricature of himself, knowing that 40 years later, he would be serving life in prison for the murder of Lana Clarkson. Yeah, very creepy.
Wilfred
(2011–2014)
The Hound From Hell
27 July 2014
Warning: Spoilers
***Spoiler Alert*** I hate to give this show a low rating. It has credible actors like Elijah Wood, Dorian Brown, James Remar, Dwight Yoakum and Rutger Hauer. The show even manages to be occasionally amusing. My biggest gripe is that scary, creepy dog Wilfred. I mean what is he?!? A manifestation of Ryan's psychosis or something far worse? For me, Wilfred gives off a darkly sinister vibe, if not outright SATANIC. The way he acts, behaves and takes over Ryan's life is the way the DEVIL would trick his way onto a helpless victim. He turns Ryan into a drug addict, a jobless bum and worse, an antisocial deviant obsessed with a married woman. He encourages incest in Ryan towards his sister. Wilfred states he's happy that his brothers and sisters died inside a bag thrown in the ocean and the memory arouses him, I mean that's just diabolical! He makes Ryan engage in criminal and sordid behaviors like theft, armed robbery, assault & battery, vandalism, adultery and defecating in public. And when Ryan comes to his senses and tries to get his life back in order, that Demonic Dog Wilfred reels him back into a life of sin using "Wilfred-Lies" and "Wilfred-Manipulation". Throughout the whole season you have the characters involved in public urination, talking about feces and rubbing their private parts all over everything. Wilfred engages in atrocities like murder, attempted poisoning and copulating stuffed animals, he even causes the death of Ryan's father. The Wilfred/Devil makes tea using his owner's panties and tricks a single mom into acts beastiality and depravity. He joyfully admits to killing his owner's husband's dog and keeping the corpse. Ruby the Nurse hints to the fact that Wilfred is a hell spawn when she says, "he makes my bones rattle" and "that dog need to go back where he come from, the gates of hell!" In the next scene Ruby's conveniently killed. Its actually quite horrifying to watch this show when you understand what's really going on underneath the cute exterior. Most texts on this topic describe SATANISM as involving talking animals, engaging in putrid behavior with them and other atrocities as portrayed in this show. Remember, sin is desirable and attractive. Wilfred/Devil uses Ryan's weakness to manipulate him into a life of utter deviance. I expect the very last episode to have Wilfred/Devil taking off his doggy costume and revealing that he's actually LUCIFER and laughing at Ryan. And then while burning in Hades, Ryan would scream, "WHY?" And Wilfred/Devil would say, "you chose to commit those evil acts, I didn't make you do them, now pay the consequences, burn Ryan, HA HA HA HA HA!!!"
Oira sukeban
(2006)
Westerners Beware!
22 June 2014
Its so laughable when you read reviews by people who refer to themselves as "Westerners" and they act so mystified and shocked by the "sexual practices" of the Far East. First lets face facts. The sexual proclivities of people in the United States are no more tame or less bizarre then anywhere else in the world. Go visit your local adult shop or an adult convention in America. You will see its just as shocking and weird if not more so. Look at the AVN awards that are held in the United States and you will see that we should not be pointing fingers at anyone's fetish or perversions.
Second, this particular movie was designed to be gory and sexual. Its a "Pink" film after all by the makers of "Machine Girl". It doesn't represent all the people of Japan. I'm sure anyone who watches "Jackass" realizes that not all Americans go around shoving matchbox cars in their backside or engage in dangerous stunts for fun.
Second, this particular movie was designed to be gory and sexual. Its a "Pink" film after all by the makers of "Machine Girl". It doesn't represent all the people of Japan. I'm sure anyone who watches "Jackass" realizes that not all Americans go around shoving matchbox cars in their backside or engage in dangerous stunts for fun.
Enough with all the kissing!
20 June 2014
I like Quantum Leap and I've seen every episode from Season 1 to Season 3. But there is one constant that is starting to get annoying with each episode. Why is it that Sam falls in love with every girl he meets when he leaps. That's morbidly fickle of him. I know he's stuck for all eternity jumping through time from one situation to another. But does he have to fall in love with every girl he happens on. And the constant kissing on each episode. I like some adult action but not on a Sci-Fi TV series. Sam makes fun of Al's perversions and his numerous wives, but how is he any different? The only people Sam doesn't kiss are African American women and his Japanese wife in a Season 2 episode. Otherwise, he's basically a man-whore. This particular episode was the worse because the girl is incredibly unattractive and extremely unlikeable. And yet, once again, he takes her to a motel and starts making out. Can't Sam just do his duty in time and leap on?
Embarrassing
18 June 2014
Warning: Spoilers
This is my least favorite episode of Quantum Leap. Its devoid of the usual intelligent and creative storyline that made me a fan. This silly episode is another over done, melodramatic, interracial love story. Unfortunately, the script and story is so embarrassingly bad that its difficult to watch. The episode takes place during the Watts Riot. But the story completely misses the point of that tragic historical event. The blacks are shown as the bad guys and racists while the whites are shown as the victims. Talk about total role reversal! All the black characters are either militant thugs or martyrs. Why couldn't the writers have written this episode where the black character is a hero? And the white girl is portrayed as this loving, kind, person who wants to help blacks but is discriminated against due to the color of her skin. Are they serious? Its absolutely asinine. And they use a talent like CCH Pounder to play a stereotypical "black mom" character who looks down on her own people rather then taking up arms against her oppressors. In one scene she holds a gun against her son's friend but wont take up arms against the whites who killed her husband. Just a shamefully bad episode.
Bewilderimg and Confusing Episode
14 June 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Spoiler Alert! Wow, this episode stinks. Takei and Brand are credible enough actors. But the agonizingly awful script turns this fare from the Twilight Zone into a mess. It revolves around two characters. One is Fenton, an alcoholic, out of shape, older, veteran of WW2, who is out of work and his wife has just left him. The other is Arthur, a young Japanese-American gardener. The show starts inconspicuously enough, Arthur comes by to see if Fenton needs a gardener and Fenton invites him up for beer. The only thing you know for sure is that Fenton has some issues and Arthur is ULTRA sensitive. But then, this episode unravels into a confusing heap of crap. Most Twilight zone episodes either falls into the Sci Fi or Supernatural category. This thing defies categorization. The worst part is the fluctuating and over the top behavior by the two characters. Fenton appears to be just a guy cleaning his attic and amiably offering a beer to a new acquaintance. In the next second he turns into a snarling bigot with flashbacks and delusions of persecution. Then he apologizes and is polite again, just to change back into a cliché racist afflicted with paranoia. Arthur is no better. He comes off as a young entrepreneur with a professional demeanor. Right away he becomes overtly sensitive to even the most harmless comments made by Fenton. From there he reverts to an even more psychotic persona and starts having flash backs of Pearl Harbor including accompanying sound effects made by him. In the end, Arthur kills Fenton with a samurai sword and jumps out the window yelling "bonsai"! What in the world was the meaning of this episode? Don't have a beer with your employer perhaps?
Why the Killings At Badger's Drift reference?
14 September 2013
Warning: Spoilers
This was another solid episode of Midsomer Murders. An interesting bit of trivia for fans, the April Gooding character played by actress Sophie Thompson played "Abigail" in the "Master Blackmailer" episode of The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes, which I'm also watching. The thing I'm confused about is the characters played by Elizabeth Spriggs and Richard Cant. They played Iris and Dennis Rainbird in the first episode of Midsomer Murders "The Killing at Badger's Drift." In this episode they play Ursula and Alistair Gooding, relatives of the previous characters who just happen to look identical to them. What was the purpose of doing this I wonder? At first I thought they were building this up to some incredible conclusion. Two murder victims from the first episode happen to have identical looking relatives that live in another part of Midsomer? And there is an unsavory relationship between the mother and son, not to mention that the son is a pedophile. Also, the Ursula character has a habit of spying on her neighbors with a binocular just like her departed identical sister Iris. What's going on here? I was starting to think there was going to be some supernatural explanation. Then the story ends and nothing further comes of this. Why was this thrown into the story? It had no real purpose and added nothing really. The story would have been served by using any two stock characters for this part. What was the reason for using the same actors to play identical looking relatives? My only explanation is maybe they were trying to show that in Midsomer, evil is eternal, evil is an unbroken bloodline, evil never dies only regenerates in new forms? Too philosophical?
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