Tuesday, November 16, 2010

The Event: Season 1 Episode 8 - For the Good of Our Country

Hello Eventers!  Welcome back to another round of THE EVENT recapping.  Another exciting, informative and suspenseful episode this week.  And if all past week's are any indication, I'm sure less people will have seen this week's episode than last week.  NBC believes they have a plan to reboot the show in 2011, but it sure is sounding a bit like a FlashForward strategy.  So, last episode of this year will be 11/29.  And then we will return on 2/28 with a 2 hour episode including a 1 hour retrospective.   Let's be honest, no one watches TV in December anyway.  But waiting 2 months into the new year to relaunch your high concept show that everyone will have forgotten in 3 months?  RISKY, very risky.  Anyway, enough of my sidebar, we have a new episode to recap.  We're finding ourselves into the meat of this first season.  The story is moving forward and we have a few things to discuss.  Let's get going!

There were a couple major storylines in this episode and a couple of ancillary ones that supported them.  The Sean/Leila drama slowed things down a bit with a little shooting and recovery.  It all pretty much was to show us how resourceful Leila could be when Sean is out of commission.  At the Whitehouse, President Eli Martinez and Blake Sterling start to uncover the pieces that were involved in the assassination attempt at Coral Gables.   And, someone on this blog can finally say "I was kinda right about something!"  And yes we dig deeper into that crazy Dempsey guy.

Sean/Leila

Not too much to ponder in this storyline.  First, we revisit like 5 minutes of last episode just so they can show us that one guy survived that explosion in Peter's apartment.  We got to hear Sean ask Leila is she was okay for the umpteenth time and then watch the whole speech where he said they're going to grow old and he's going to do everything (i.e. incomplete sentences that don't go together!).   The plan is to go to Los Angeles and check out these SHELL COMPANIES where Samantha might be housed.  
  • Anyway, survivor guy drops off a building and takes a miraculous shot at Sean and it looks like it goes through his heart.  But maybe it was a little higher and to the right.  Anyway, he still has enough strength to run away with Leila into a dark alley and choreograph the ol' diversion with a rock while he swings a dirty pole at the guy.   How he had the strength to take that swing with a bullet in his upper torso?   Adrenaline?  Anyway.

Are YOU Okay???


  • The police are coming so Sean needs to instruct Leila on how to break into a car, conveniently have a screwdriver handy and start a car with it in seconds.  Meanwhile, all the kids at home know how to do this now too.  And I'm sure they'll be sorely disappointed at how it probably isn't that easy!   



  • Leila puts her foot down regarding Sean's health situation (and on the gas pedal).  She wants to take him to a hospital.  Sean knows he's still a wanted man so that ain't gonna work.  No fear, Leila just happened to find a surgeon wandering around the parking lot, lured him to their stolen vehicle with her "girl in distress" charm and then the gun comes out!  FIX MY BOYFRIEND OR ELSE! 

  • The plan?  Go to Rite Aid (or some pharmacy equivalent), get the supplies needed for a surgery, and go back to this guy's house.   Things don't go that simply.  Cops show up at the pharmacy which scare Sean out of the van.  Leila followed Dr. Taylor into the store with the gun under her jacket.  I gotta say that the pharmacist probably thought the situation was pretty suspicious as the Doc just ordered enough stuff to open his own operating table business and then dropped like $200 cash and told him to keep the change.   Here's how I see the next episode beginning for these guys.  Pharmacist tips off the cops to some shady behavior, they find the bloody truck and then pursue Sean, Leila and the Doc.  



  • But before we get to that, we have to save Sean!  The Doc and Leila are able to do some disgusting and audience flinching operating to save Sean.  (how about sticking that needle into the bone marrow?  nice)   The Doc said to get him to an ER or "abduct another doctor".   Nice! 
   
  • Does anyone think that Sean will regenerate from his wounds quicker than your average human?  Something tells me if we're going to find out he is a human/EBE hybrid, it might be a reveal later this season or even further down the road.  But it's nice to ponder something out of this storyline as it really was just all suspense and nothing to chew on.   And I mean that in the nicest way possible.  I still enjoyed it!  It's just fun to pick on some scenes now and then, isn't it? 
The Executive Branch Mobilizes

This episode didn't really seem like it was a Vice President Jarvis-centric outing.   But we certainly focused on his story when we visited some flashbacks to some important moments. 

2 Years Ago - Campaign Season
We see Senator Jarvis giving at one of the party's National Conventions giving a rousing speech to screaming political junkies.   One of his biggest supporters is there to talk to him. 
  • It is none other than Dempsey.  It is revealed to us through Dempsey that Martinez was going to win the Presidential seat and that he is in an opposing party from Jarvis.  Martinez wanted the 1st bipartisan presidential ticket.  I'm not even sure this is possible, but whatever!


  • It was interesting that Dempsey said "it is already done" when referring to Martinez winning, almost like the election is rigged Martinez's favor for his benefit.  
  • Dempsey convinces Jarvis to run with Martinez and "bring balance" to the White House and bring the ideals of THEIR party in.  
  • As they brought up several times in the episode, Dempsey appealed to Jarvis's Patriotism to sell him on his ideals.  

Flashback - Coral Gables (1 Hour before Assassination Attempt)
  • These flashbacks were seen out of chronological order.  Once Martinez says that he is going to release the Inostranka detainees, Jarvis runs off to his limo.   If you recall in the pilot, we learned that both Jarvis and Sterling went missing right before the press conference.  It was then that I began to suspect Jarvis has having something to do with the assassination attempt.  And then, of course, when he was the one questioning Sterling.   I believe I said something like "he who smelt it dealt it!"   
  • Anyway, we see Jarvis make a call to Dempsey telling him that Martinez was going to go through with it.  We do see that Jarvis is having a hard time with what the alternative was.  There were 200 innocent people on that plane.  Some of them are children.  This is not what he signed up for.  But Dempsey said that this was "for the good of the country" to avoid a worse fate.  
You like pictures of people on phones?  It's back in full force this episode! 


Present Day - White House
The day started with a News update on Avias Flight 514.  The "lie" told to the American Public was that a biological agent was released by Brazilian separatists onboard the flight.  The passengers were then taken to a stateside facility and examined.  But now they will be released and set home.   Everyone, that is, but Michael Buchanan who has been declared dead to the public.  I guess Martinez was okay with this considering that the man did try to kill him. 


  • Sterling suggested to Martinez that he wasn't able to complete his interrogation of Buchanan and would like to continue to question him.  Jarvis did not look too excited about this and tried to dispute the idea.  But Martinez went along with Sterling.  In fact, he wanted to question Michael himself.  

  • Buchanan looks like he has seen better days.  He apologized profusely to the President saying that he wasn't in the right state of mind.  Apparently Dempsey's clan "DID THINGS" to him to make him not think straight.  And he only cared about the welfare of his children.   Naturally, Martinez got a few jabs in at him saying that there are always options and he almost killed him AND his family along with almost 200 passengers aboard flight 514. 


  • But then Eli started asking if Buchanan could remember ANYTHING while he was held captive. What he did remember was that they almost didn't go through with the assassination plan.  But then he was given the go ahead.  What time was it when that happened?  1:08pm of course.  These references to LOST numbers are definitely not a coincidence.  But I would only look at them as paying homage to the show, not tying them together in any way! 
  • President Martinez realizes at that time that the decision occurred right after his meeting with Sterling, Jarvis, General Candyman and knew it had to be one of them that was involved.  He cleared Sterling right away, saying that he trusts him.  But of course he checked out his cell phone records too and he checked out.  Nice jab Mr. President! 
  • Sterling and President Martinez come to the realization that Jarvis was involved.  But it was Sterling that says the VEEP couldn't have been the man in charge.  He suggested tapping phones and tracking Jarvis to catch him in communication with the big guy.  Probably would have been the smartest idea, but the impulsive President wanted answers and wanted to yell at somebody!  
  • They go on the hunt for Jarvis but can't seem to find him.  
Jarvis calls Dempsey
Once the VP realizes they are getting close to linking all of the bad stuff to him, he calls Dempsey in a desperate act.  I think we all knew how Dempsey was going to react in this situation. 
  • Dempsey made a comment to Jarvis during their conversation before the assassination attempt "You've been a great public servant for our country, but sometimes we don't choose the moment it chooses us."   He kind of made it sound like Jarvis has done his job and he has no interest in preserving his usefulness as Vice President.   
  • So when Jarvis calls Dempsey complaining that he's going to get caught, it didn't seem like it was going to go well for him.  And he made it even worse by threatening to take down Dempsey with him when he goes down.   Dempsey said that they should meet and set up an appointment at their usual meeting place.  


  • Meanwhile Dempsey brings in Vicky Roberts to question her on the Texas incident with losing Sean and Leila.  Vicky comes up with some excuse and Dempsey pretends to buy it.   

  • Note: we see Dempsey dropping something into his coffee.  He says it's some kind of sugar substitute that he is cutting out of his diet.  But based on what we see later, probably not. 

  • Dempsey orders Vicky to take out her next target, Vice President Jarvis.  She agrees even if she seems to hesitate for a second. 
  • The Secret Service  at the White house meanwhile were communicating with Jarvis's Secret Service to find out where he was.  Martinez wanted him back PRONTO.   But Jarvis had already disappeared in his secret exit at a Doctor's office.  He finds himself surrounded by Vicky and the other hitman.  Vicky says that she has been sent to kill Jarvis and, as if we didn't see it coming, she shoots the other hitman instead of Jarvis.   She says that they both have been used/manipulated and she wants out.  It's up to Jarvis to clear their names. 

  • Jarvis calls the President and admits to being involved, being manipulated and is going to turn himself in.  He says that there is an evil evil man behind the assassination attempt and he hesitates just enough to not be able to provide the name before a van blows up in the vicinity of the Vice President.  One of his agents and him suffer a blow in the explosion.   Jarvis doesn't look like he's in good shape but he wasn't directly in the blast.  There is a chance that he survived.   The man that set off the explosion ran off. 



Dempsey
Dempsey gets a call saying that the job is done and that he had to use the backup plan.   He is upset that Vicky did not go through with her mission.  We see Dempsey consuming from the same dropper again.   He gets up and heads to the mirror.  He looks at himself as he begins to reverse in age to a younger man. A smile grows on his face for a brief second and then he returns back to old age and a frown.  







NICE!  Well, we called it folks!  It would appear that Dempsey is definitely interested in the EBEs evolved ability to slow down the aging process (or possibly stop it completely).  And surely the fact that he has been able to get as far as making himself younger for seconds has motivated him to pursue a more permanent solution.   Of course the question is what is that medication he is drinking?  Is he sucking the youth out of these little girls like some have suggested?  Are any of them EBE or Hybrid EBE/Humans? Still lots of questions there.   So what's next?   Well, we abandoned the EBEs for an episode so I'm sure we'll rejoin them next week.  Martinez will want to find out who this BIG boss is and I'm sure they'll confirm if Jarvis is alive or not.   And I already predicted that Sean and Leila are going to have to lose those cops at the pharmacy before they make it to Los Angeles.  Should be another entertaining thrill ride! 

And that's all I have for this week folks.  I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the episode as well. And also, what are your thoughts on NBC going for the 3 month hiatus similar to FlashForward's 4 month hiatus (caused by the Winter Olympics last year)?   I still think December is not an issue, but I thought for sure they'd return in January.   I hope you enjoyed my ramblings and I'll see you next week! 

END CREDITS
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  • Find my EVENT posts also at http://www.thetvevent.com/.  If you're looking for more information on The Event, this site is a great source to check out.  I also have worked out a deal to share my recaps over there as well.  So read wherever you like! 
  • Keep checking back for posts on other shows.  I have been recapping Fringe this season as well as keeping up with other shows I enjoy from time to time.  I have recently taken a liking to commenting on The Walking Dead.  I look forward to great discussions with everyone! 
Screen shots were provided courtesy of NBC, my TiVo and my Mac.

31 comments:

gnni4 said...

I feel like I'm going, going gone. That's right, as a doctor on a medical drama might call out in angst, "we're losing her!"

I'll keep watching next week, but, I haven't even been interested enough to know any of their names, or care. I wouldn't miss it much if it didn't come back in a few months. I wanted to like it, but, ehhh. The girlfriend is about as compelling to me as Nicky and Paulo. Oh, who am I kidding, less.

The event was uneventfull for me.

gnni4 said...

But I appreciate your quick recap and am glad that you are covering Fringe, which is just too awesome for words!

Thanks Mike!

Mike V. said...

Hey Gnni, thanks for appreciating my efforts! And no argument from me on the greatness of Fringe. It's really a shame not many are watching it. Though, I haven't checked the ratings for last Thursday to see if it was back up. I've been singing the praises of The Walking Dead lately, and I highly recommend you check that one out too! Look past the gore factor for great character drama (in LOST-like fashion).

As far as The Event goes, what can I say? I'm not going to pretend that it's my favorite show on TV. But it still does lend itself best to my recapping stylings! lol I do enjoy it every week (well...most weeks) but there are other shows that I am more excited about during the week (see paragraph one of this comment). I think sometimes it takes a whole season for a show to find its legs. Flashforward got REALLY good in the 2nd half of season 1 and no one was watching. And season 2 had a lot of potential. I feel like The Event is in a similar position now. I just hope NBC treats it better. And from what I am reading, it sounds like they will. They have a lot of faith in the Winter relaunch and then the season 1 DVD/Blu-Ray "catchup audience". I think The Event would be a really good show to watch one after another.....if you can stomach the angst and questionable dramatics of Leila Buchanan, that is! lol

Now, I won't compare her acting skills to Nicki and Paulo...because the actors that portrayed them were decent actors...just the mere idea of introducing them as main characters and 815 passengers we haven't met yet was a poor decision! Sarah Rohmer (i.e. Leila), I just don't know. Maybe it's her...maybe it's the material she is being given. In either case, it has been pretty rough the past couple weeks. And it has resorted to me kind of creating a joking recap for that storyline. It's the only way I can get through it! (but like I said...I'm still enjoying it for what it is)

Totally hear you if this show is not for you....but I admire your determination to stick with it. It could be that show that if you drop out...you'll be missing out on that GREAT EPISODE that turns everything around! then again, in this day and age, it's easier than ever to catch back up! lol

Thanks for your thoughts as always gnni!

Mike V. said...

Just a follow up, yep...the Fringe ratings dropped a light bit again. (4.98 to 4.82)....UGH!!! I may be going to Midnight Potter on Thursday, but I will make my best efforts to watch FRINGE live! lol

MJ said...

Chuck was great last night ! But I expected more Firefly references - I don't thing they had even one ! That disappointed me a little

HIMYM was hysterical !

I'm totally enjoying the Event. Another creepy ending. I feel it's getting better each week (mostly).

I usually avoid Potter the first weekend. Probably hit the Imax sometime next week though.

Mike V. said...

I gotta catch up on Chuck, Dexter and HIMYM...The Mrs. has been away so I only watched the shows I needed to for the blog! lol I hope to remedy that tonight! Good to know they were great though. I had no doubt!

Definitely, besides some questionable acting here and there I too think The Event's mythology is growing more interesting with each episode!

As for Potter...yeah probably a good idea, but it's been a bit of a tradition to go at some point on opening weekend. But Midnight IMAX showing? Yikes...this will be my first time! lol can't wait to see all the crazies out! And hey, it was a great excuse to take a 3 day weekend!

Mike V. said...

Hmmm...I read a good point and totally forgot about Doc Jensen's theory last week. The whole Hal Holbrook cliffhanger. Whatever he was drinking could actually be making him look OLDER as opposed to him trying to return to his youth. He could actually BE one of the EBEs trying to maintain his aging. That wasn't Doc's theory, but someone's comment on EW's recap. I like that idea too. Plus, I can't imagine in either case that Hal Holbrook would be signed up for the long haul of this show. The man is 85 years old!

Kelly said...

ok, i've figured out how i can truly enjoy this show- laugh my butt off at the ridiculousness of it! the time-warped speed driving, the fact that the VP was JUST about to tell Eli the name of the head honcho and then he got conveniently blown up, the "oh what a coincidence, here's a screwdriver with which you can very easily start the car".. it's all really really funny to me. i figured if i can't beat 'em, i'd make fun of 'em.. and it makes it so much more rewarding!
in support of the theory that sean may be an EBE or half-EBE, did you notice that the doc that was working mentioned that he was having a hard time finding the artery? isn't that one of the characteristics of the EBE's?
surprisingly i didn't notice the 1:08 reference! my brain must be deviating away from Lost.. *sniffle sniffle* :(
i think the hiatus is a stupid idea. coming back in january would be the best bet, i have no idea why NBC is being that stupid! did they not learn any lessons from it's predecessors?? but whatever, if this show gets canceled i won't be upset like i was with flashforward.. i'm still annoyed about that one, it had so much potential.
ANYWAY, great recap as always! i look forward to ridiculing this show next week, haha

Mike V. said...

@Kelly - LOL....whatever works for you! Clearly, I've resorted to laughing at some of the laughable plot devices on the show too. I don't think i commented enough on the VP not being able to get the words out to the President besides being interrupted by who knows what and then eventually the explosion. It was pretty rough! lol But, like I said, I'm still enjoying the concepts being introduced on the show and sometimes I'm even enjoying the execution of them! (Flashforward I believe it was mostly the concepts I enjoyed and always hoped for better execution lol)

Very good point on the artery comment with Sean. I have no idea if that is a trait of the EBEs or not but it could be!

Don't let go of LOST! EVER! You gotta keep your mind alert by rewatching old episodes at all times lol I've been currently rumaging through season 5 again. I swear that season is the most rewatchable of all of them! I really gotta go back to the beginining and watch them all again for the zillionth time. I'll get there eventually! Ironic that I said don't "LET GO" of LOST when that was basically the entire theme of the show lol

Yeah NBC is bringing on another Crusader show "THE CAPE???" Really? It doesn't sound like a Batman knockoff to me...it sounds like it should be another teenage drama in a beach setting lol So that is what will be replacing The EVENT in January. So, is it meant to only be a short episode order? What if, by some miracle, it's a success? Does The Event get bumped and The Cape live on? Yeah, the hiatus isn't very bright at all. Sure, it means when it comes back there will be no reruns through to May but they making a huge risk with retaining an audience that cares at all. 3 months is enough time for people to find other shows to watch. Oh well, we'll see what happens!

Thanks for the props Kelly and I hope to keep trying to balance taking the show seriously and laughing at it all at the same time!

MJ said...

What's this about a hiatus ? So after november we won't see the event until Feb ? What frakkin morons ! They are gonna kill their own show. This is why NBC is in last place. I heard about some new shows coming on, and except for the comedy I wasn't interested so I guess I did not notice that one of them was replacing Event for a month.

Like we need another 'caped' show ? Ordinary Family was quite the snooze.

I figure Holbrook isn't doing much be sitting in most scenes - so he's good to go for awhile. LOL

I can't make up my mind about his character. I first thought he was working for the EBE's and giving them some drug to keep them young. Then they showed how he def thinks they are dangerous and that is why he wants to take out the pres when the pres threatens to go public. Then we see him take some meds and go young for 10 secs then age again. He certainly acts like he thinks they are dangerous though.

Hope I didn't spoil Chuck for you - with my chatter about Firefly and lack of references !

MJ said...

Hmmm - trailer for a new comedy in Jan on showtime. Looks good to me. I've seen many a great brit show get ruined on this side of the atlantic. Coupling (the orig) was hysterical. Loved Being Human too - afraid to see what they will do to that one now. MI-5 (Spooks over there) was brilliant - almost a realistic 24.

http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2010/11/episodes-watch-the-trailer-for-matt-leblancs-new-comedy.html

Mike V. said...

Yeah..it's ridonk...I posted a link to EW's article in the first paragraph of my recap and ranted on a bit about it lol It's very flashforward-esque. Not liking it! (the hiatus that is)

No spoilage of Chuck considering I never watched Firefly...I know it's all streaming on netflix so maybe I'll try to catch it sometime.

I have heard about Matt LeBlanc's comedy "episodes"...it has some of the writers/producers from FRIENDS attached too. So, I'll definitely be watching. It looks hysterical. And I hear you on the British imports. Although, I do love the "american" OFFICE even if it is way past its prime!

yeah i can't make up my mind on Dempsey either but I guess it's semi-fun to speculate until we get a new episode! lol I don't know if I'll get any more interested in a 3 month hiatus though!! Not like a 9 month hiatus of LOST when my mind never stopped churning. (not that I'm comparing of course :-) )

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed most of the show this week, with the exception of the Leila and Sean scenes. I wish she would have gotten shot instead of Sean, but you know how I feel about Leila! I just watched it last night, so I think everyone has already made most of the observations and/or comments that I would have made regarding the screwdriver (PUH-LEASE!!!!!), VP getting attacked before he could name names, finding the doctor and then going to RiteAid to purchase the type of stuff he did, etc. I'm with Kelly on her comments -- sometimes it's just laughable!

One thing I do like about this show is we do get some answers every week, as opposed to LOST having more questions than answers.

I think I am more critical and nitpicky on whether or not some scenes make sense or push the limits of believability because the events are happening in settings that are realistic and familiar to us. Whereas with LOST, you knew early on that the island was special, mysterious and magical place, and that just about anything could happen!

I am very intrigued by Dempsy and his overall agenda. I wonder why nothing happened to his appearance the first time we saw him use the eyedropper (I think he was talking to Vicky). I am anxious to see how this ties in with the girls we saw at the end of last episide. I definitely think there is a connection.

Thanks again Mike for the recap! I look forward to it! Cajun QT

MJ said...

NBC is messing with Chuck too ! It's off the first 3 weeks of Dec for some singing show, then it's xmas week. SO that's a month with no Chuck !

Mike V. said...

No problem Cajun, thanks for continuing to read!
I'm with you on the Leila/Sean stuff. It's getting a little repetitive and cringe-worthy. But I too have adopted Kelly's mentality and try to embrace the unintentional (or hey...maybe intentional) humor of it all!

See...I'm all for answers but I really did enjoy LOST leaving stuff up for interpretation and pondering. I loved having to invest multiple seasons to get some of the answers. It sometimes made the answers more rewarding. Of course, other times it was probably better off left a mystery! (i.e. the whispers!) Yes, sometimes it was frustrating and in the end, if we didn't get answers to some stuff, it ended up being a dead end. But, as we went through the journey, it just left open so many possibilities to discuss endlessly and we rarely got tired of it! I think that was a similar issue I had with Flashforward. They didn't leave us much to ponder. But, I don't think FF ever pretended to be a mystery show. Just a slow unraveling of a large conspiracy.

The issue with LOST is that we had so many questions that some of the questions we came up with were never MEANT to be questions. (Although, I still think their Walt excuse was a cop-out but understand they had to write him off the show for aging reasons)

Yeah...it definitely is a setback for The Event that we're in the "real world" for the entire show. That is the issue with even trying to compare it to LOST. That's why I think The Walking Dead is a better comparison. Yes they're still in the real world, but the world has changed into unfamiliar territory where danger lurks around every corner. AND, the characters are all strangers from different backgrounds forced to work together, rebuild civilization and unite against a common enemy. Those themes are what made LOST a special show. And the strong characters, stories and fantastic music are what made the show so appealing, rewatchable and timeless.

Anyway, I'm straying from the topic at hand...THE EVENT. I like the speculation that the eyedropper medication is continuing to make him look OLD instead of trying to regain his youth. Perhaps every so many hours he has to take more to continue to appear older. Hence why he changed back for only a second before the new meds kicked in. I do hope it is the reverse and that he is trying to regain his youth. But either way it is an engaging story.

But the other way may help explain your question about why he didn't change one time and did the other. I agree, I think it does tie in with the girls somehow.

We'll find out more next week!

Mike V. said...

MJ - I think we're fine with no new episodes of anything in December. For selfish reasons, I'm going to be away most of the time! lol But, really...December is a bad time to be airing anything. Besides...Chuck probably doesn't have enough episodes in the can since they just got their additional order. They probably need time to write additional story arcs to come back with. Remember how last season they completed their 12 episode arc and then took a week break and then came back with like 6 more episodes? That is because they got an extension. They weren't sure they were going to get more eps that season. They probably wrote this season the same way. Just a thought.

BTW...watched Chuck and HIMYM last night. Agree - they were fantastic! I had a feeling we were going to be left with a cliffhanger. And I get your firefly reference now considering Summer Glau and Adam Baldwin were both on that!

Candidate said...

I will still Watch The Event but have to agree that it's just not to par or near the bar that they raised. (shameless self promotions as the next Lost and 24.) The storylines are good but your recapps make them much better. The government actors are pretty good, Sean and Leila just aren't seasoned enough actors to handle serious lead roles such as this. The whole doctor at Leila's gun point bit was exceuted so poorly on her part...laughable at best...I still think the show is pretty good for what T.V. is currently offering but if it weren't for your recap I don't know if I would bother with it.
BTW I just recently opened my Lost box set and have been watching S6 episodes w/the commentaries. I loved the accross The Sea comments w/ Damon and Carlton w/their good cop bad cop type personnas. Haven't watched The End comments yet. I think you mentioned something about the comments audio track of that ep on the Lost blog as being defensive. I say shame on those critics who slammed that beautiful episode. The Walking Dead is much more close to a spark of Lost brilliance wheras The Event just is not. Like I said I do like the storylines and love the way you recap them and will keep watching and reading
Namaste lol

Mike V. said...

@Candidate - Thanks for the props on the recaps! I aim to entertain, even when the stories just don't measure up to our lofty expectations! lol If I wasn't recapping, I'm sure I'd still watch the show. But I'm definitely paying a lot more attention to it than I probably would be if I wasn't! (i.e. listening to podcasts, reading additional information about the show.) I do enjoy the show, but like I said...we all have lofty expectations. And I do agree, it could be due to NBC's marketing. But they can't really be blamed that much...they knew there was a hungry audience out there left waiting for a "replacement" show to take LOST and 24's place. But, they are big shoes for ANY show to fill, especially when being compared directly to it. It's almost not fair for THE EVENT.

Okay, back to LOST! BTW - There is no commentary on THE END. I know that Darlton kept saying they were going to do it, but they never did. I think one of them jokes at one point that when they do an extra special edition of the LOST Complete Series they'll do a commentary on the finale. I believe the commentary on Across the Sea is what I would have referred to as defensive. But I still enjoyed it! I could listen to those 2 talk about paint drying and find it humorous. Damon is just hysterical and Carlton gets some good lines in there too. Totally agree on The Walking Dead. It really is just a great show. I'm almost sad that season 1 will only be 6 episodes and we'll have to wait almost a year for more. But, that may just raise the appeal of the show. I'm definitely hooked! Anyway....thanks again for your props and I appreciate the encouragement to stick to my recapping style! NAMASTE indeed!

Anonymous said...

Based on your comments, Mike, I'm going to have to start watching the Walking Dead. Do you know if the episodes are posted anywhere?
Cajun

Candidate said...

Humgry audience...you betcha. Lost being a 6 course organically prepared meal and the rest...is like getting weened to frozen dinners. lol I agree that it's not fair for The Event to be marketed as a replacement for Lost although I do understand marketing so I get it. I am happy that the networks are indeed scrambling to find something to fill those shoes. Overall I do think the quality of TV shows overall has gotten better since Lost found a big audience. In general I think even the LCD audience expects more. Personally I'm pretty nitpicky when it comes to T.V in general. So In true Lost fashion I feel like making a list of my top 3 currently running T.V shows not in this order. Again I haven't watched Fringe yet, therfore is not on my list. I want to start Fringe in full Ble Ray quality from the beginning during rerun and hiatus season. I have tivoed this season so far with hopes it will still run next year...

the list

Sons Of Anarchy
with 1 more episode to air this season,I give high marks for a gripping action packed season 3

Entourage
fun mindless humor and entertainment w/ great cameos and landmarks.

The Walking Dead
'nuff said

Mike V. said...

@Cajun - Glad you're gonna check it out! I'm surprised I was able to sell you guys on this one! lol

Looks like Episode 1 is available on the AMC site here's the link:

Walking Dead Episode 1

Episode 2 and 3 are available via iTunes, Amazon, PS3, XBOX. They may be on demand if you have a cable box. Episode 3 is also reairing at 4:30am on November 18th, 10pm on November 19th and 1AM on November 20th (all eastern time). So it may be just episode 2 you'd have to purchase. It's totally worth it to catch up! Episode 4 will be new and air on Sunday at 10pm on AMC.

Hope this helps!

@Candidate - I highly recommend getting on board with Fringe. Hopefully it will get renewed for a 4th season. I know FOX is behind it...but the ratings are definitely struggling this season. I'm gonna pick up s1 and 2 soon and start rewatching. It's really good. SOA I'm planning to watch next summer. Entourage I'm all caught up on...I hear there is a 6 episode final season this summer then they're hitting the movies. The show was getting old but this past season was pretty decent. Season 2 with Aquaman was definitely its high point.

That's all I have for now!

Char said...

Hey Mike,

I just have to vent. I can't stand the Leila and Sean storyline!!! I don't think it adds anything to the show. I don't think either of them (esp. her) are good at acting!! To be honest, I fast forward when their stupid story line is on (gun shot, kidnap MD, pharmacy, sew-em-up boys). YUCK, YUCK, YUCK!!!!! There, I feel better, I think. The rest of the episode I liked, but it was predictable. They, gotta get back to the EBE's... I won't be surprised if they cancel the show all together. I guess it makes me sad because I wanted to like something like I liked LOST. Wishful thinking... Guess I'll give the Fringe a go. Thanks for the recap!! Have a super Thanksgiving!!

gnni4 said...

MJ,
I loved the idea that Hal Holbrook is dosing to look old, that would be awesome!! The flash of the younger him looked like him, but was someone else...familiar. Anyone know or guess the actor that was that flash of a younger him?

Haven't read Doc since Lost left us.

Haven't Dexter'd since Jimmy Smits, not enough time in my weeks for too much TV.

I really like Modern Family, and Terriers on Wednesdays, not much to recap on them, terriers has something about it that I like.

Mike V. said...

@Char - I don't think you're alone with the Leila/Sean story. It's getting a little ridiculous! I think it's something they can probably fix, but right now it just seems like stalling and a waste of time. Glad you got that out of your system though! Yeah, they do have to get back to the EBEs but I appreciate their efforts to explore other characters that haven't had as much time front and center just yet. I also hear you on wanting to have a new obsession. It's not quite happening for EVENT just yet...but sometimes these things take time. You never know, the 2nd half could be mesmerizing, many people will talk about it...people will pick up season 1 on DVD and then BAM season 2 has a huge following. With NBC being the lowest rated network, there's a chance that they will give THE EVENT a chance to catch on. What do they have to lose? That all being said, I recommend giving FRINGE a go, but definitely give it time to grow on you. It's awesome!

@Gnni - Not to take anything away from MJ, and she may have made the comment too, but I think I commented on Dempsey "TRYING" to appear old. :-) MJ may have too though! lol I looked up on IMDB to see who the guy was but it wasn't on there. Someone on thetvevent.com (where I also post my recap) mentioned that they thought it was a younger version of Hal Holbrook. I'm having a problem accepting that as I don't really think they're planning on keeping Hal around for the long haul. But I could be wrong!

Wow, you left Dexter right before it got REALLY good! I recommend picking up season 4 (or netflixing). Totally worth it! Modern Family is hysterical and last night's episode has become an instant classic as well. Haven't watched Terriers but I've heard good things!

Mike V. said...

@Char - I don't think you're alone with the Leila/Sean story. It's getting a little ridiculous! I think it's something they can probably fix, but right now it just seems like stalling and a waste of time. Glad you got that out of your system though! Yeah, they do have to get back to the EBEs but I appreciate their efforts to explore other characters that haven't had as much time front and center just yet. I also hear you on wanting to have a new obsession. It's not quite happening for EVENT just yet...but sometimes these things take time. You never know, the 2nd half could be mesmerizing, many people will talk about it...people will pick up season 1 on DVD and then BAM season 2 has a huge following. With NBC being the lowest rated network, there's a chance that they will give THE EVENT a chance to catch on. What do they have to lose? That all being said, I recommend giving FRINGE a go, but definitely give it time to grow on you. It's awesome!

Mike V. said...

@Gnni - Not to take anything away from MJ, and she may have made the comment too, but I think I commented on Dempsey "TRYING" to appear old. :-) MJ may have too though! lol I looked up on IMDB to see who the guy was but it wasn't on there. Someone on thetvevent.com (where I also post my recap) mentioned that they thought it was a younger version of Hal Holbrook. I'm having a problem accepting that as I don't really think they're planning on keeping Hal around for the long haul. But I could be wrong!

Wow, you left Dexter right before it got REALLY good! I recommend picking up season 4 (or netflixing). Totally worth it! Modern Family is hysterical and last night's episode has become an instant classic as well. Haven't watched Terriers but I've heard good things!

MJ said...

Gnni - I also watch Terriers. Something about it - charming and quirky.

Candidate - I also love SOA - but am three weeks behind due to being sick and a vacation. Plan on catching up this weekend. Been a great season.

I def think that the morphed pic of Hal is the actor himself as a young guy.

Mike - if you go to Potter tonight have a great time !

Mike V. said...

Okay well that's 2 votes to 1 now on Young Hal Holbrook lol So, maybe I'm wrong. I just figured a future episode would depict Dempsey as a young man...but hey...maybe it's just the CONCEPT will be introduced by Dempsey but he won't be along for the long haul. I guess there are different ways to go about it!

As for Potter, oh yes I'm going! I got our tickets a month ago and reserved tomorrow off. No way I'd miss out! I'm sure waiting to get in line until after Fringe is a bad idea though. It's going to be Sheldon informing me thusly about Indiana Jones all over again! lol

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the info on Walking Dead. I'll try to check it out this weekend. On Dexter, finally caught up to where I started watching it last season. When I started watching it, Deb and Lundy had just been shot. What an awesome episode that was! I can't believe she hasn't been nominating for anything, probably because they couldn't show a clip of her on an awards show without bleeping half of her dialogue! :) Cajun

Anonymous said...

I don't think that was an actor portraying Hal Holbrook as a younger man, I thought it was just technological morphing -- Cajun

Mike V. said...

Cajun - I think most people are thinking the same thing. Maybe I was just overthinking things with Hal because of his age! :-)

No problem on The Walkind Dead info. Enjoy it, it's great stuff. I just rewatched episode 3 and loved it again! I love Deb's dialogue on Dexter...it's fantastic. I still haven't watched last week's episode but it's nice to hear that you're all caught up! I've been loving season 5. Wasn't sure where they were going to go with it is cool to see that Dexter's "comeback" kill has evolved into something a lot bigger. Can't wait to see what happened this past Sunday!