"Who Needs a Guy" and the following hour "Goodwill" represent the emotional climax of the final season of "Halt and Catch Fire". This far into its run, the series has become far more about the interpersonal relationships of the characters than the technology race. As such, Gordon's death is the centerpiece of this episode, a wonderfully humanistic piece of television concluding with one of the most stunningly effective gut punches ever put to screen. It only further cements "Halt and Catch Fire" as one of the finest dramas of the modern era.
Reviews
37 Reviews
Steins;Gate
(2011–2015)
Transcendent
19 September 2020
As an anime, Steins;Gate practically gets everything right. Characters that at first seem to have to little depth reveal far more dimension. Time travel rules are set up and then stuck to with a consistency unmatched by most science fiction. What seems like a slow-paced hangout show becomes a thriller with a blistering pace. It is a masterpiece of science fiction that should be seen by all fans of the genre.
An Instant Improvement
11 August 2020
The first season of Avatar: The Last Airbender had many strong episodes contained within ("The Southern Air Temple", "Avatar Roku", "The Storm", "The Blue Spirit", "The Deserter", "The Siege of the North"), but it had plenty bringing it down too--mainly there were certain points where it became clear that it wasn't quite plumbing the depths of its subject matter, that its status as a Nickelodeon show was holding it back on some level. Come Season 2's premiere, and that's all changed. While still a children's program to be sure, "The Avatar State" establishes a clear focus for Book 2 while displaying stronger writing, sharper humor, and more interesting characterization across the board. It signaled "Avatar: The Last Airbender"'s ascension to the uppermost echelon of Western Animation children's programming.
"Foe"
9 July 2020
Warning: Spoilers
"Foe" gets most of its mileage out of the parallels between Reese and the German spy. It's an interesting character that does much to shed light on the buttoned up Reese. Other than that, "Foe" suffers from an average story that's hard to get really invested in. Not even the action and flashbacks can entirely make up for that.
"Witness"
8 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
"Witness" is a turning point for the show as a whole, as it begins to reveal its true colors. The mysterious Elias subplot that has been mentioned in other episodes finally comes to fruition. It only comes though, after a tightly constructed thriller (as per usual) dripping with atmosphere and tension. The pacing is relentless, and the episode barely pauses to take a breath--which, for an action show, is a positive. The episode contains a massive twist that most can't see coming, and an exquisite ending scored to Nina Simone's "Sinnerman." The show's strongest hour yet.
"The Fix"
8 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
"The Fix is certainly one of the stronger episodes of Person of Interest: Season 1. The main purpose of it is to introduce one of the show's most fun recurring characters--Zoe Morgan. Paige Turco plays the character as a sort of live-action Catwoman to Reese's Batman, and the dynamic brings some welcome levity to the show's serious tone. Its plot is intricate, absorbing, and overall a great deal of fun. Elsehwere, Detective Carter is looking into a mysterious Elias, whom the audience learns had his mother murdered in front of him. A superb episode.
Person of Interest
(2011–2016)
Person of Interest
25 March 2020
Person of Interest is an interesting case, in that it's difficult to describe to someone who hasn't seen it. It's a blend of multiple different genres: at times a live-action comic book; at others a speculative fiction story; at others a sci-fi thriller. But what makes it so special is that it succeeds and excels in those genres to their fullest potential. Person of Interest is a magnificent series, with fantastic, complex characters played by outstanding actors, intriguing, relevant story-lines that comment on our world in an intelligent way, terrific production values, and smart writing.
"Judgement"
20 March 2020
Warning: Spoilers
"Judgement" is a decent installment by David Slack that follows the Season 1 formula to a T. There's a case of the week which dominates the hour, and some ongoing stories happening in the meantime. Mainly concerning the developing friendship between Finch and Reese. "Judgement" is bookended by diner scenes. In the first of these, Reese and Finch are still interacting coldly--this is contrasted with the final scene of the episode, in which Reese sincerely thanks Finch for giving him a purpose, and Finch recommends the Eggs Benedict at the diner. In between those scenes, Reese must save a judge's son from another mob. It's once again only mildly interesting.
"Cura Te Ipsum"
20 March 2020
Warning: Spoilers
"Cura Te Ipsum" is one of the few POI episodes that actually offers up a case of real interest. It's one of the strongest, most compelling one-off stories in the entire run of the show. The story of Megan Tillman's revenge intersects with Detective Carter's investigation of the two leading men and a mysterious 'Carl Elias' who was also mentioned in the previous installment. Reese talks the Doctor out of her quest, and Carter doesn't quite catch Finch. It concludes with a spellbinding final scene in which Reese contemplates killing the antagonist of the episode. He's not making a speech for dramatic effect--Reese knows what he's capable of, and he's really wondering whether or not to go through with it. It's left ambiguous.
"Mission Creep"
20 March 2020
Warning: Spoilers
"Mission Creep" is similar in quality to "Ghosts". The number strikes close to John Reese's heart--he's a former military man just like him. The ensuing action involving bank robberies is pretty routine for an action show, and it's not presented or written in an especially intriguing way. The writers are still finding their footing. Once again, the flashbacks provide insight into one of the main characters, this time John Reese. The audience gets their second glimpse into what motivates him. He missed his chance for a happy life.
"Ghosts"
20 March 2020
Warning: Spoilers
"Ghosts" is the second episode of 'Person of Interest', and it follows in the vein of the pilot in that another case-of-the-week is dealt with. It's again nothing to write home about, and it consumes the majority of this episode, making it one of the weakest of the series. There's plenty of action and plot twists, but the story simply doesn't engage in any way. Thankfully, there's a saving grace to this episode--the flashbacks, which hint at the tapestry this show will weave over the nest 5 seasons.
"Pilot"
20 March 2020
"Pilot" astutely sets the tone and pace of 'Person of Interest'. The tone is serious but not overly so and the pace is fast and furious with barely a moment's sag. The case here isn't great, but tv pilots aim to set up a world and its characters. Person of Interest's pilot does that well. It's not the best pilot ever, but it's pretty solid.
"Ocean of Fear" (1x16) Review
7 December 2018
Warning: Spoilers
"Ocean of Fear" is a vital episode, mainly for the fact that it establishes Finn the Human as similar to the heroes of Greek legend. He's practically defined by his fatal flaw-his fear of the ocean. It's also quite funny as well, particularly Jake's attempts to cure Finn of his fear, which naturally fail.
9.1/10 (A-)
9.1/10 (A-)
"What is Life?" (1x15) Review
7 December 2018
Warning: Spoilers
"What is Life?" is a fantastic episode of Adventure Time. It opens with one of the funniest openings the show has ever done-Jake pranking Finn with butter-and moves to a much sadder place by the end of it. One of Adventure Time's greatest strengths is that it can pull that tonal shift off almost perfectly.
9.2/10 (A-)
9.2/10 (A-)
"Evicted" (1x12)
7 December 2018
Warning: Spoilers
"Evicted!" is mainly notable for introducing one of the best and most famous Adventure Time characters: Marceline the Vampire Queen. The plot of the episode is relatively simple, but a great song in the middle plus the introduction to Marceline really boosts this.
8.7/10 (B+)
8.7/10 (B+)
"Wizard" (1x11) Review
7 December 2018
"Wizard" doesn't transcend the limits of Season 1 in that everything in it is paper-thin. It is, however, one of the more fun and interesting episodes of the season. The premise is pure wish-fulfillment as well-who wouldn't want to have magic powers?
8.7/10 (B+)
8.7/10 (B+)
"Memories of Boom Boom Mountain" (1x10) Review
24 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
"Memories of Boom Boom Mountain" introduces the audience to the first piece of backstory for FInn. This will be expanded upon much, much later. For now though, it's a nice ending to an episode that's a bit scattered in its plot.
7.0/10 (C+)
7.0/10 (C+)
"My Two Favorite People" (1x09) Review
24 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Jake has to decide how to reasonably split his time between Finn and Lady Rainicorn. What follows is a very enjoyable episode only somewhat sabotaged by an unspectacular ending. It's one of the first episodes to dive into character conflict-Jake's plight is pretty relatable for many.
8.0/10 (B)
8.0/10 (B)
"Business Time" (1x08) Review
24 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
"Business Time" is significant mainly because it's the point during which the Adventure Time writers decided the Land of Ooo was a post-apocalyptic setting. It's certainly not because of the episode's plot, which is pretty much in the vain of early Season 1-shallow, slight, and failing to really grab my attention.
6.6/10 (C)
6.6/10 (C)
"RIcardio The Heart Guy" (1x07) Review
24 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
"Ricardio the Heart Guy" is a pretty interesting episode. It's perhaps the first episode to hint at depths to the Ice King previously unseen. Unfortunately, most of the episode isn't very fun to watch. It's mostly Finn suspecting Ricardio, who the audience should suspect as well, and everyone ignoring him.
Grade: 6.8/10 (C)
Grade: 6.8/10 (C)
"The Jiggler" (1x06) Review
24 November 2018
"The Jiggler" is pretty much a complete clunker from Season 1. The plot fails to be interesting, entertaining, or amusing in any way. The titular character is irritating and the script is poor and juvenile to the nth degree.
Grade: 5.2/10 (D)
Grade: 5.2/10 (D)
"The Enchiridion!" (1x05) Review
24 November 2018
"The Enchiridion!" was originally intended to be the pilot, and I think it would have made for a more satisfying pilot than "Slumber Party Panic". It's a far better showcase to the appeal of Adventure Time-it's a cartoon that knows how to deliver fun, simple adventures.
Grade: 8.7/10 (B+)
Grade: 8.7/10 (B+)
"Tree Trunks" (1x04)
24 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
"Tree Trunks" is a well made-enough episode, but I don't really care for it because it introduces one of my least favorite side characters: the titular Tree Trunks. While tolerable in small doses, she just grates when given an episode to herself.
6.5/10 (C)
6.5/10 (C)
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