This is up there with 'Duet' as the most thematically intense and important episode of Deep Space Nine, and thus also Star Trek in general. Incredibly powerful. This is an essential episode.
Reviews
8 Reviews
A ridiculous and morally reprehensible episode
12 June 2021
I'm surprised that TNG of all shows would so easily subscribe to the evil belief that the actions of one's ancestors centuries in the past is the responsibility of their completely innocent descendent. This is a very disturbing and problematic attitude to hold.
The Thick of It
(2005–2012)
The closest the 21st century has come to Shakespeare.
26 April 2016
Warning: Spoilers
The Thick of It (2005-2012) is honestly one of the most intriguing TV shows I've ever seen (twice now). On the one hand it's outrageously funny, witty and quotable, with many lovable and endearing characters that have the best comedic chemistry I've ever seen in a series. But on the other hand - and this is what elevates The Thick of It above being just a really good comedy - it also delivers heavy doses of cynicism, social commentary and character drama, and this becomes apparent as the show hurdles toward its dramatic conclusion.
The first three seasons - which are made up of only fourteen episodes between them - are almost entirely comedic and light in tone, and while still immensely entertaining it doesn't prepare the audience for the almost shockingly dark and bleak undertones of the final season... but that's what makes the series' conclusion - specifically the final three episodes - so brilliant and boldly original.
Don't get me wrong, the humour is still there, and I'd even say that the fourth season is the funniest of them all, but from the very beginning of season four there's this creeping feeling of cynicism and barely controlled anger, a feeling that gradually builds and builds until it erupts first in the climactic scenes of the penultimate episode - a uniquely formatted one-hour installment that deals with the damaging inquiry into a public servant's suicide - in the form of Malcolm - the series' most iconic and popular character - unleashing a scathing, furious outburst about the moral degradation of 21st century politics, and then in his final confrontation with Ollie when he all but emotionally breaks down and reveals how empty his life is.
While for over a dozen episodes we've laughed at Malcolm and his brilliantly creative insults, the final two episodes reveal the deeper, sadder depths of the character's heart, and the story of his rise and fall in British politics is reminiscent of many of Shakespeare's great tragedies, Macbeth being the most recognisable and pointed comparison. I'll likely never forget just how powerful Malcolm's closing scenes are, where he begs Ollie to keep the media away from him so he can have a dignified exit from politics, but Ollie without hesitation betrays Malcolm, leading to a moment of immense shame for the once mighty figure of Malcolm Tucker, and the final image of a broken and defeated Malcolm riding away in a car as the media turn on him like a pack of hungry wolves.
The reason that not many pieces of fiction have deserved comparisons to Shakespeare is because most of them forget one of the key things that made Shakespeare great; the wit. The Thick of It has that in spades, but rather than that lessening the dramatic impact of certain scenes, it actually aids them in being even more powerful and resonating.
If you haven't already seen this masterful British comedy/drama, I cannot recommend it highly enough. It's only 21 episodes (with two other great one-hour specials that form a connection between seasons two and three) and it's completely addictive. I'd be surprised if it took anyone more than a week to finish the entire series.
Truly one to be remembered.
The first three seasons - which are made up of only fourteen episodes between them - are almost entirely comedic and light in tone, and while still immensely entertaining it doesn't prepare the audience for the almost shockingly dark and bleak undertones of the final season... but that's what makes the series' conclusion - specifically the final three episodes - so brilliant and boldly original.
Don't get me wrong, the humour is still there, and I'd even say that the fourth season is the funniest of them all, but from the very beginning of season four there's this creeping feeling of cynicism and barely controlled anger, a feeling that gradually builds and builds until it erupts first in the climactic scenes of the penultimate episode - a uniquely formatted one-hour installment that deals with the damaging inquiry into a public servant's suicide - in the form of Malcolm - the series' most iconic and popular character - unleashing a scathing, furious outburst about the moral degradation of 21st century politics, and then in his final confrontation with Ollie when he all but emotionally breaks down and reveals how empty his life is.
While for over a dozen episodes we've laughed at Malcolm and his brilliantly creative insults, the final two episodes reveal the deeper, sadder depths of the character's heart, and the story of his rise and fall in British politics is reminiscent of many of Shakespeare's great tragedies, Macbeth being the most recognisable and pointed comparison. I'll likely never forget just how powerful Malcolm's closing scenes are, where he begs Ollie to keep the media away from him so he can have a dignified exit from politics, but Ollie without hesitation betrays Malcolm, leading to a moment of immense shame for the once mighty figure of Malcolm Tucker, and the final image of a broken and defeated Malcolm riding away in a car as the media turn on him like a pack of hungry wolves.
The reason that not many pieces of fiction have deserved comparisons to Shakespeare is because most of them forget one of the key things that made Shakespeare great; the wit. The Thick of It has that in spades, but rather than that lessening the dramatic impact of certain scenes, it actually aids them in being even more powerful and resonating.
If you haven't already seen this masterful British comedy/drama, I cannot recommend it highly enough. It's only 21 episodes (with two other great one-hour specials that form a connection between seasons two and three) and it's completely addictive. I'd be surprised if it took anyone more than a week to finish the entire series.
Truly one to be remembered.
Kingdom of Heaven
(2005)
An Under-Appreciated Masterpiece of the 21st Century.
5 December 2015
I think it's necessary to begin this review by saying that I've never seen the 144 minute Theatrical Version of this film, but I have seen the 190 minute Director's Cut of this film three times. As with Scott's 1982 sci-fi classic Blade Runner, reception of the original release of the film was very mixed. The Theatrical Cut of Kingdom of Heaven was an all-too short action-adventure movie with some romance thrown in. The Director's Cut is an epic of religion and war in the 12th century, exploring deep themes such as religious conflict, man's role in God's world, and the difficulty of deciding between what is easy and what is right. Unfortunately (but understandably), the studios didn't much like the sound of that last bit, and so they demanded Scott severely edit his own masterpiece for mainstream audiences. Scott has since disowned the Theatrical Cut and calls the Director's Cut the "definitive version". And it is. Kingdom of Heaven is a historical epic over three-hours long with dozens and dozens of characters, and it's a masterpiece.
I could list all of the things that are great in this movie, like the beautiful, vibrant and heart-rending cinematography that paints France in deep, chilly blues and Jerusalem in warm, lush shades of orange, red and yellow. I could talk about the score, which is beautiful, tragic, stirring, epic and reflective in equal measure depending on what is needed in the scene. I could mention how excellent the cast is, with every role occupied by the only actor that could have done it justice. Particular stand-outs include Edward Norton as the melancholic and reflective leper king and Jeremy Irons as the weary but honourable marshal. And finally I could talk about how skillfully William Monahan balances the epic with the quiet, the intensity with the calmness, and most intelligently depicts neither the Christians nor the Muslims as right or wrong. They both have their redeeming qualities as well as their historically accurate drawbacks. Saladin and his army may be the antagonists of this film, but they are not the villains. A lesser screenwriter and a lesser director would have made them one-dimensional villains, but Scott and Monahan depict them fairly and respectfully.
But what I love the most about this film is how it makes me feel. It's an adventure, but not a light, shallow one. It's an adventure of self-discovery, of honour and loyalty, of sadness and regret, and finally of some form of redemption and validation. This film covers the breadth of human feeling in its three hour runtime like no other film I can think of in the 21st century. This isn't just Ridley Scott's masterpiece, this is also one of the best films ever made, in my opinion.
So if you are going to watch this movie, do not watch the rushed and shallow Theatrical Cut, watch the epic and magnificent Director's Cut.
I could list all of the things that are great in this movie, like the beautiful, vibrant and heart-rending cinematography that paints France in deep, chilly blues and Jerusalem in warm, lush shades of orange, red and yellow. I could talk about the score, which is beautiful, tragic, stirring, epic and reflective in equal measure depending on what is needed in the scene. I could mention how excellent the cast is, with every role occupied by the only actor that could have done it justice. Particular stand-outs include Edward Norton as the melancholic and reflective leper king and Jeremy Irons as the weary but honourable marshal. And finally I could talk about how skillfully William Monahan balances the epic with the quiet, the intensity with the calmness, and most intelligently depicts neither the Christians nor the Muslims as right or wrong. They both have their redeeming qualities as well as their historically accurate drawbacks. Saladin and his army may be the antagonists of this film, but they are not the villains. A lesser screenwriter and a lesser director would have made them one-dimensional villains, but Scott and Monahan depict them fairly and respectfully.
But what I love the most about this film is how it makes me feel. It's an adventure, but not a light, shallow one. It's an adventure of self-discovery, of honour and loyalty, of sadness and regret, and finally of some form of redemption and validation. This film covers the breadth of human feeling in its three hour runtime like no other film I can think of in the 21st century. This isn't just Ridley Scott's masterpiece, this is also one of the best films ever made, in my opinion.
So if you are going to watch this movie, do not watch the rushed and shallow Theatrical Cut, watch the epic and magnificent Director's Cut.
Well, it ain't no ghetto raid, that's for sure.
14 July 2015
Warning: Spoilers
In this week's episode of everyone's favourite angsty pseudo-philosophical cop drama, the team continue faffing about L.A looking for leads in the Casper case; Ray continues to be a role-model father; Ani continues to act like she's so oppressed; Paul continues to have so many deep-rooted psychological problems it'd make Freud speechless; and Frank continues to balance between being a serious character and being unintentionally hilarious.
Now, I wanted to start this review off by listing the 'good' in this episode, but... nothing actually stands out as being good or particularly above average. Like my bitter and droll opening paragraph suggested, this episode sort of just meanders around in the exact same way the previous three episodes have. The team are still following up mostly useless leads on the Casper case, and everyone still has a ton and a half of personal issues. The only actual plot development occurred in the final few minutes, and even then I'm confused as to how relevant it will actually be (apart from killing off Ray's useless partner who the show clearly didn't want to have hanging around the main characters).
Speaking of the final scene, I feel that it's only natural that some people will compare it to the climactic ghetto raid scene at the conclusion of last season's fourth episode. However while that scene was masterfully filmed and acted by a dedicated and intelligent director, this episode's action scene was... not... that. As if in direct contrast to the ghetto scene in season 1, there are a ton of quickly edited cuts in this scene, a badly computer generated explosion, and awkward pacing that makes the scene just drag, and drag, and drag, well past the point of being exciting. We can only imagine how different this scene might have been had Cary Fukunaga stayed on as director for season 2. I'm thinking it would be different for the better.
Anyway, as for the rest of the episode, nothing remarkable occurred at all. There's yet again this season's trademark awkwardness in the form of Frank's many forced and bizarre "deep" comments and observations, a comical amount of overhead shots of L.A roads and cityscapes, and that one singer in that one bar who seemingly has no other place to go at nights.
I really wanted to like this season, but let's face it; we've already finished half of it. Let's look back at season 1 and compare how that concluded the first half of the season... Yeah, it's a bit of a stark contrast, isn't it? What this season sorely lacks is momentum. I don't feel like things are building up and getting more tense like I did with season 1. This episode - and season as a whole - has just felt like a bunch of random scenes thrown together in an attempt to resemble a cop drama, but really it just feels muddled, underwhelming and dull.
Now, I wanted to start this review off by listing the 'good' in this episode, but... nothing actually stands out as being good or particularly above average. Like my bitter and droll opening paragraph suggested, this episode sort of just meanders around in the exact same way the previous three episodes have. The team are still following up mostly useless leads on the Casper case, and everyone still has a ton and a half of personal issues. The only actual plot development occurred in the final few minutes, and even then I'm confused as to how relevant it will actually be (apart from killing off Ray's useless partner who the show clearly didn't want to have hanging around the main characters).
Speaking of the final scene, I feel that it's only natural that some people will compare it to the climactic ghetto raid scene at the conclusion of last season's fourth episode. However while that scene was masterfully filmed and acted by a dedicated and intelligent director, this episode's action scene was... not... that. As if in direct contrast to the ghetto scene in season 1, there are a ton of quickly edited cuts in this scene, a badly computer generated explosion, and awkward pacing that makes the scene just drag, and drag, and drag, well past the point of being exciting. We can only imagine how different this scene might have been had Cary Fukunaga stayed on as director for season 2. I'm thinking it would be different for the better.
Anyway, as for the rest of the episode, nothing remarkable occurred at all. There's yet again this season's trademark awkwardness in the form of Frank's many forced and bizarre "deep" comments and observations, a comical amount of overhead shots of L.A roads and cityscapes, and that one singer in that one bar who seemingly has no other place to go at nights.
I really wanted to like this season, but let's face it; we've already finished half of it. Let's look back at season 1 and compare how that concluded the first half of the season... Yeah, it's a bit of a stark contrast, isn't it? What this season sorely lacks is momentum. I don't feel like things are building up and getting more tense like I did with season 1. This episode - and season as a whole - has just felt like a bunch of random scenes thrown together in an attempt to resemble a cop drama, but really it just feels muddled, underwhelming and dull.
Kim Kardashian, Superstar
(2007 Video)
A Crowning Artistic Achievement
1 June 2015
What can be said about this brilliant work of art? Shall I talk about the sublime cinematography? The stirring musical score? The complex and multi-layered storyline? The flawless directing? Or maybe just the pleasure that was received watching Kim Kardashian get her holes filled for forty minutes? Yeah, I'm gonna go with that last one.
Kim Kardashian, Superstar (2007) will not impress you with its technical mastery or its stirring storytelling prowess, but it will probably get something else stirring. This 'film' really banks off the joy that one receives watching a woman who has done nothing for her money or fame just be on her knees and on her back for forty minutes and getting it unrelentingly. And I ain't complaining. This is definitely better than Paris Hilton's sex tape, although that too is enjoyable.
Now, people may hate on Kim Kardashian in real life and say that her butt is too big... but honestly, who doesn't want to see it get filled up nice and firmly? If that sounds appealing to you, than this 'film' is definitely for you. I've seen it more than once, and have, uh... finished... it feeling quite... satisfied... and like it was worth the time.
10/10, would watch on my laptop at night in bed with my door closed again.
Kim Kardashian, Superstar (2007) will not impress you with its technical mastery or its stirring storytelling prowess, but it will probably get something else stirring. This 'film' really banks off the joy that one receives watching a woman who has done nothing for her money or fame just be on her knees and on her back for forty minutes and getting it unrelentingly. And I ain't complaining. This is definitely better than Paris Hilton's sex tape, although that too is enjoyable.
Now, people may hate on Kim Kardashian in real life and say that her butt is too big... but honestly, who doesn't want to see it get filled up nice and firmly? If that sounds appealing to you, than this 'film' is definitely for you. I've seen it more than once, and have, uh... finished... it feeling quite... satisfied... and like it was worth the time.
10/10, would watch on my laptop at night in bed with my door closed again.
Season 3 continues to entertain
21 October 2012
After last week's shocking ending, the second episode of season 3, 'Sick,' starts right off where the other episode ended. Rick manages to sort out the ignorant and potentially dangerous prisoners that were holed up in the cafeteria, and they take Hershal back to the rest of the group in a hope of saving him. But things aren't as smooth as they would have hoped, as the prisoners, especially the lead one, seems to not agree with Rick's decisions, and prove to be a threat to keep around.
This was a great episode of The Walking Dead for a number of reasons, first and foremost the character development of Rick, who is becoming more and more of a morally grey character then before. He makes decisions that we may or may not agree with, but in the end he's always looking out for the well-being of the group. Secondly, the pacing of this episode was as good as the season 3 premier, with intense action and moments to breathe being balanced well. Andrea and Michonne weren't in this episode at all, but the promo for next week's episode seems to feature only them, which is a good sign.
A well paced and exciting episode of The Walking Dead. 8 out of 10.
This was a great episode of The Walking Dead for a number of reasons, first and foremost the character development of Rick, who is becoming more and more of a morally grey character then before. He makes decisions that we may or may not agree with, but in the end he's always looking out for the well-being of the group. Secondly, the pacing of this episode was as good as the season 3 premier, with intense action and moments to breathe being balanced well. Andrea and Michonne weren't in this episode at all, but the promo for next week's episode seems to feature only them, which is a good sign.
A well paced and exciting episode of The Walking Dead. 8 out of 10.
It's back, and in great form
15 October 2012
Rick and his group of survivors have braved the winter and got through it, so now they're all looking for a new refuge, as the farm is no longer an option. After raiding one last house but gathering no real supplies, they find a large, seemingly empty prison, save for the many walkers stumbling around outside. After taking out all of the walkers, Rick leads the group inside the prison to take up temporary residence.
After the slow and tedious season 2, some may have begun to lose interest in The Walking Dead. Anyone that powered through to season 3 will be glad they did. The premier of the third season of AMC's critically acclaimed zombie survival drama is an action-packed one at that, and definitely one of the most entertaining episodes of the entire series, perhaps only rivaled by the pilot. Characters seem less irritating than they were in season 2, and the pace is vastly improved. Add to that exciting action scenes and a shocking ending and you have an excellent episode.
A great premier of what is sure to be a fantastic third season of The Walking Dead. 9 out of 10.
After the slow and tedious season 2, some may have begun to lose interest in The Walking Dead. Anyone that powered through to season 3 will be glad they did. The premier of the third season of AMC's critically acclaimed zombie survival drama is an action-packed one at that, and definitely one of the most entertaining episodes of the entire series, perhaps only rivaled by the pilot. Characters seem less irritating than they were in season 2, and the pace is vastly improved. Add to that exciting action scenes and a shocking ending and you have an excellent episode.
A great premier of what is sure to be a fantastic third season of The Walking Dead. 9 out of 10.
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