Austin Improv

Jeff wrote:I don't care what Peter Rogers says-- that video is hilarious!

~ chortle ~



--
peter rogers @ work | http://hujhax.livejournal.com

The scene does not have to be perfect. The scene has to be written.
      -- Elizabeth Bear

I totally don't trust this guy.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDgbKJWDxcE[/youtube]

majcher wrote:I totally don't trust this guy.

FOR GOD'S SAKE, HIGGINS, *DON'T OPEN THE DOOR*.



--
peter rogers @ work | http://hujhax.livejournal.com

Only a small and petty man says I told you so. I am a small and petty man.
      -- James Poniewozik

...so are we all still too misty eyed to talk about last night yet? i understand...sniff...

the_reverend wrote:...so are we all still too misty eyed to talk about last night yet? i understand...sniff...

Well, lessee here... Jack is a badass for once in his life... Emerson is the best actor on television... Dr. Linus is probably the finest episode to date of season 6... and it's much clearer now why there were so many survivors of the crash of Flight 815.

Oh, and the coolest line of the whole season--
Miles: Why would I need your money when there are a couple of jambonis under there named Nikki and Paulo who got buried alive with 8 million dollars in diamonds on top of them?

Okay, hold on. While I'm enjoying season six well enough, I thought this week's episode was seriously sub par.

Worst flash-sideways ever. Super-ham-fisted scene with Ben's dad. And the end made less than no sense. Ben had just enough leverage to take the guy's job and have himself installed as the new principal, but not enough to get a good recommendation for Alex as well? Lazy writing.

Useless trip to the ship just to recap for Immortal guy what happened last time with Jack.

Unnecessary overwrought "testing" of Ben with Smocke and the gun and not shooting whatshername Jacob's bodyguard.

Underwhelming reunion at the end with sentimental music and lame reveal of submarine with Widmore capped it off.

There's so much potential energy built up in this show, that to release it so haphazardly seems a shame. Meh, I say. Meh.

Miles and the diamonds was pretty sharp though.

acrouch wrote:Super-ham-fisted
Lazy
Useless
Unnecessary
overwrought
Underwhelming
lame

disagree
disagree - [i'll explain this particular disagreement. that's not lazy writing. when alex was killed, it was because ben thought he could bluff keamy. when ben blackmailed the principal, he clearly felt he had just enough leverage to take his job, and not enough to risk ruining the future of someone dear to him. he simply didn't approach the blackmail situation with enough confidence to sustain a counter-attack-- emerson is precise with his low-status behavior in that scene. and the whole point of ben's story is, he doesn't want to even risk destroying those he cares about, even if he feels he can get away with it].
disagree
disagree
disagree
disagree
disagree

Jeff wrote:i'll explain this particular disagreement. that's not lazy writing. when alex was killed, it was because ben thought he could bluff keamy. when ben blackmailed the principal, he clearly felt he had just enough leverage to take his job, and not enough to risk ruining the future of someone dear to him. he simply didn't approach the blackmail situation with enough confidence to sustain a counter-attack-- emerson is precise with his low-status behavior in that scene. and the whole point of ben's story is, he doesn't want to even risk destroying those he cares about, even if he feels he can get away with it.

I get the parallels. I just don't buy it and think they could have spent 45 minutes in the writers' room coming up with something less flimsy.

As far as the parallels go, I particularly enjoyed Ben switching the oxygen tanks for his dad.

bradisntclever wrote:As far as the parallels go, I particularly enjoyed Ben switching the oxygen tanks for his dad.

me too.

completely disagree with Andy. i'm usually not a huge fan of Kitsis and Horowitz episodes, but this was just stellar on every level.

i also thought the "coup" with the principal wasn't just a parallel on his fatal decision with Alex and Keamy, but also the power play we saw him make against Widmore on the Island (clearly, i think, under the manipulations of Smokey). there, too, he was concerned more with the trappings and benefits of power itself rather than the good he could do with it (great commentary with Napoleon and Elba at the top of the episode). here, rather than make the power play just to get the title and position and perhaps some measure of revenge against the smug son of a bitch in charge (as he did with Widmore), he uses the leverage not only to take care of Alex and her future but to push through measures that shape the school more to his liking (the reenstatement of the history club). if anything, he's in an even better power position because he can nudge the principal towards any decision with the trump card he still holds over him. but with no concerns for title, office, position, acknowledgement, credit...or even a parking space.

and then the scene in the jungle with Ilana...so heartfelt and moving, i was almost in tears when he explained "no one else will have me." the Ben we met in season 2 would never have been able to admit that. it was such a wonderful revelatory moment in his arc, dropping all of his dissemblance and deception to be completely honest and vulnerable, that he's still just that shy child who could never do enough to make daddy proud (aren't they all?). and then the utter grace of Ilana..."i'll have you." pitch perfect. loved it.

oh, and embedded in all of this Benjy awesomeness...Jack's total "man of faith" moment with the fuse just had me grinning so huge. such a great moment for him. brilliant.

I liked a lot of the episode.

Didn't much like Alex being the student Ben is looking after. Felt a little forced.

Loved Jack finally being a man of faith...(sort of a man of faith)...or at least starting to take in
all the mojo of the island...though probably from a sorta science background kinda way.

Loved Ben telling his story to rifle chick and being accepted.

Alpert wanting to kill himself felt a little forced too. I mean, c'mon, he was such a bad-ass
and now we understand that his faith was weak. That he doesn't know enough about th island
the rules etc...Jacob...

Yep, another great episode. I'm pretty locked into my theory that the flash sideways are just us getting to see the end throughout the last season.

HerrHerr wrote: Didn't much like Alex being the student Ben is looking after. Felt a little forced.

no more forced than say Claire and Kate running into one another or everyone on that flight still getting on that flight. There's a force pulling these people together even without the island.

Ummm...the sub thing felt weird at first...visually sorta an awkward fourth wall thing with bad cgi....then Widmore made his appearance.

The funny thing is...right before the show I mentioned that some big questions were underlying everything...like
WHAT THE HELL IS THE ISLAND?
WHY THE HECK ARE ESSAU AND JACOB BATTLING...THEIR FULL STORY?
WHERE THE HECK IS WIDMORE?

HerrHerr wrote:WHERE THE HECK IS WIDMORE?

I didn't have that question until I saw his name pop up in the guest credits at the top of the episode. As soon as that sub appeared, I was thinking "Oh..."

I need to stop reading the names in the credits.