THE AFFAIR

October, 2014 - Present

1 Season

10 Episodes

Every now and then television gives us little gems worth watching so I’m going to talk about the recent Golden Globes winner TV Drama ‘The Affair’. Written by the talented Sarah Treem, it has become one of my top favorite TV Shows as, in my opinion, it’s an incredibly clever show imposible to remain indifferent to. 

The Series, according to the title, is (obviously) about an affair that takes place in Montauk (Long Island) during the summer. Noah Solloway (Dominic West) meets Alison Lockhart (Ruth Wilson) while he’s on vacation there. They both are happily married to Helen (Maura Tierney) and Cole (Joshua Jackson) but find in each other something they are lacking at that moment. Nothing new, right?

The word ‘affair’, however, has a double meaning here as there’s also a crime element in the Series. Someone died, apparently by accident, but years later a detective re-opens an investigation because he suspects it was a murder, and he starts interrogating everyone who knew the victim, although we only get to see Noah and Alison in the interrogation room. 

What is really interesting and clever about this show is the way the story is told as we can see the two points of view of the two main characters. The episodes are split in two: in the first half we see Noah's version of the story and in the second half we see Alison's version. Amazingly the versions don’t match!. As they’re in the interrogation room talking to the detective years later, the first thought you have is that one of them is lying. However I don’t think so, they’re both telling their own truth, it’s only that memories are so influenced by different meanings and different feelings that we can remember a completely different story from the same event, especially when it happened years ago.

The two-points-of-view thing is not as easy as it may seem. You really need to pay attention to tiny details in order to reconstruct the story and run your own theories. As well, everything is different in the two perspectives: lighting, clothes, make-up and even the rest of the characters. Remember that everything you see here are memories, so in that respect, you’ll see different versions of the same characters too which I find ingenious. Then, surprise! Sometimes the versions match! Pay attention to that too.

Ultimately the show, in my opinion, is about memory: how we remember people, events and things; how unreliable our memories can be, how we’d like to be remembered and how we show ourselves for that. In the end, how many different versions of ourselves exist? As many as people we know, maybe?

I’d like to emphasize the outstanding acting of the four main actors, especially Ruth Wilson (Alison) who got a well-deserved Golden Globe award. I think it’s worth watching just because of her. 

If you love shows full of little details and making connections that keep your brain busy for the rest of the week until the next episode, this show is definitely the one for you. They have been renewed for a second season starting next fall, so you have a whole season to catch up on before the new starts!

Here is a video for you to check it out:

HOUSE

November, 2004 - May, 2012

8 seasons

177 episodes

This week my post is about one of the most successful TV Series: House. I’m not sure when I started watching it and why, I just know that I was an absolute fan until its end last year. I’m sure that everybody knows it and has even watched some episodes, but just in case there is someone who hasn’t, let me tell you a little about it: 

This is a medical drama where the main character is Dr. Gregory House, a brilliant and unconventional doctor. He’s drug-addicted (Vicodin), selfish, cynical, cranky, misanthropic... but on the other hand he’s the only one who can work out strange medical cases that nobody else can solve. He works with a team formed from professionals in different disciplines: a neurologist, a surgeon, an immunologist, among others (depending on the season), and his modus operandi sometimes clashes with his colleagues or the hospital’s rules because it’s based on sudden hunches and improper methods. 

I think the success of this series came from:

The main character’s personality: his extreme intelligence makes the dialogues really clever and fun, and his rudeness gives you lots of hilarious moments. He is also a mystery, behind his cynical mask is hidden a really wounded man incapable of facing his reality, so sometimes you feel sorry for him despite his insufferable personality.

Mysterious cases: every case is a weird and complicated puzzle to solve. You’ll see lots of weird diseases and will be immersed in countless medical hypotheses. And every case finishes in the most unexpected way, so they’ll be grabbing your attention episode after episode.

Drama and relationships: the relationships between the characters are really changing and influenced by Dr. House’s personality which makes you attentive to what happens between them.

Rapidity: This series is very quick. They speak quickly and handle tons of information in a minute, there are sharp and subtle jokes, tiny details... Your attention and concentration will be working hard!

The main character was fantastically played by Hugh Laurie who was awarded several times for his work on this series. The rest of the cast was formed by: Lisa Edelstein, Robert Sean Leonard, Omar Epps, Jesse Spencer, Jennifer Morrison and Peter Jacobson among others.

Hugh Laurie is also a musician. He plays piano, guitar and sings really well so, after the series, he’s now dedicated to his music career. He has two albums: “Let them talk” and “Didn’t it rain” which I recommend you listen to carefully as they are very good.

And finally, the series finale was for me the best finale that a series has ever had. It was original, surprising, totally unexpected and gave a beautiful resolution to the characters. 

If you have never watched it I don’t know what are you waiting for... Another MUST WATCH on my list.

Here is a video for you to check it out:

BREAKING BAD is done

January, 2008 -  September, 2013

5 Seasons

62 episodes

I’ve already written a post about Breaking Bad but, after its forever-ending, I think it deserves another post.

I discovered the series late. Even though it started in January 2008 I began watching it in October 2012, so my journey with it has been short (a year) but pretty intense. After its finale I can assure you it’s perhaps the best series by far, and together with Fringe it’s my favorite ever.

What do I think makes it so good?

Story: I think the success of the story comes from its simplicity. Who hasn’t ever dreamed up easy ways to make lots of money? Breaking Bad’s main character (Walter White) not only fantasizes, but he carries it out pushed by his desperate situation: his working conditions are precarious and he’s just been diagnosed with a severe lung cancer... What will happen to his family if he dies? So, as a brilliant chemist, he decides to start cooking methamphetamine, just a little, just temporarily, in order to leave money to his family in case he dies. But when a totally honest, good and hard-working man gets into a foreign world like being a drug producer and seller, things can go really complicated and crazy.

Realism: in my opinion the series is pretty intense and it’s because of its realism. This is fiction, but it’s something that could happen and it’s really believable. Every decision has its consequence and its emotional impact and this is shown in the series in a clear and palpable way. You can easily feel what the characters are feeling and absorb their emotions empathically. This ingredient is perhaps the one that gives most tension to the story.

Twist and turns: in this series nothing ends up as you would expect. You’ll be theorizing about what happens next, but things will always lead to the most unexpected situations. They’re constantly surprising you! If you never bit your nails, you’ll start doing it while you watch Breaking Bad.

Characters: the evolution of every single character is wholly awesome.

Cast: these amazing characters are played by an excellent cast which I already praised in my previous post. Nevertheless, I’d like to add something about Anna Gunn’s character (Skyler White). I recently read that some people hate her character so much that the actress received death threats... How can someone go that far? Anyway, that fact means that the character won’t leave you indifferent. I personally loved the character, she was one of my favorites. And they just gave her a Grammy award for it, so well done Anna!

Photography: I already said this in my previous post, but I’ll repeat it: its photographic work is spectacular. Gorgeous landscapes, beautiful locations, time-lapses... It’s worth watching the series just because of that.

Finale: I’m not going to reveal the finale, I just want to say that it was a well-deserve finale. It was up to my expectations (although I got right in my forecast) and I’m completely happy with it.

In conclusion, there’s nothing negative that I could say about this series. A MUST WATCH in capital letters.

Follow this link if you can't watch the video correctly: http://bit.ly/10thkhW

Breaking Bad: let's cook some meth!

January, 2008 -  September, 2013

5 Seasons

62 episodes

After a little break I’m back to talk about Breaking Bad.

Some friends recommended to me watching this TV Series, but I wasn’t attracted to what they told me about it. Anyway, I decided to start watching the first episodes and give it a chance. And what happened was that I was absolutely hooked on it from minute one until the last episode.

Try to imagine the common boring guy (Walter White) with a difficult personal life, who needs two boring jobs to survive and feels undervalued because he could have been a very successful chemist. Tired of his life, after being diagnosed with lung cancer, he decides to get into drug’s world secretly, trying to do some easy money in order to afford the cost of his treatment and leave some money to his family in case he dies. Can you imagine what happens when you have no idea of where are you getting into? Lots of troubles! Specially if you have a brother in law who works for the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration).

The series is always playing with the unexpected and psychological stress. From the beginning you are getting involved in countless difficult situations that just go from bad to worse even when you think that it’s enough. There’re no great action scenes, but I didn’t miss them. The series recreates all the difficult situations realistically and show them slowly, which makes you get really nervous and bite your nails! And of course, as every good series, you’ll find humor between the drama. 

When I’m watching a TV series I love to look back and see how the characters have changed, how their relationships were and how they are now. And I got what I wanted in this show: a crafted and deep evolution of the characters which, in some cases, is incredible. And of course the characters are played by a brilliant cast. Aaron Paul (as Jesse Pinkman) was my favorite, but I also have to emphasize the performances of Bryan Cranston (as Walter White), Anna Gunn (as Skyler White), Giancarlo Esposito (as Gustavo Fring) and Jonathan Banks (as Mike Ehrmantraut). Some of them have been awarded on several occasions.

I don’t want to finish without talking about how good the photography work is in this show. There’re awesome panoramic landscapes, beautiful locations and amazing frames and timelapses. This makes me think that it’s worth watching the series just to enjoy that.

The series has 5 seasons but it hasn’t finished yet. The series finale will be aired next august (2013)! I’m looking forward to watching what they have done for the finale, I’m sure it will be surprisingly amazing!

Follow this link if you can't watch the video correctly: http://bit.ly/10thkhW

A short film: FRIEND

Today I’m not recommending a TV series but a short film that has captured me, not only because of its emotional story and character but also for the lovely story behind the cameras.

It is “Friend” written by Jess Noble, and it tells the short story of a man who is mourning. Jess Noble showed the script to his father, the actor John Noble, who at that time was filming the final season of the TV Series “Fringe”. John, as he has said: “...fell in love with the story, the message, and the character” and showed the script to the rest of the Fringe team. And what happened? Spontaneously there were a few Fringe crew members willing to work in the film! because they were enthusiastic about the script.

So “Friend” was shot in Vancouver during a weekend, taking advantage of a Fringe break and, as far as I know, the entire crew (director of photography, editor, cameramen, music, sound, makeup, etc) was formed by members of Fringe crew or “Fringe family” as they used to call themselves. The cast are the same John Noble and his wife Penny Noble.

I think this is a very beautiful story because in that way the film becomes a result of love. I love the idea of all these people, who have been working together for 5 years, working in this new project with lots of good energy, keeness and excitement, dedicating their spare time to something they believed in. Could it be more adorable?. Jess Noble is very lucky!

This is a little piece of art. An emotional and lovely story with a kind of hidden message, “cooked” with lots of care. Watch it and check it for yourself! 

Follow this link if you can't watch the video correctly: http://bit.ly/10kfQpU

FRINGE: why you must watch it?

“When you open your mind to the impossible, sometimes you find the truth.” 

-Dr. Walter Bishop-

September, 2008 - January, 2013
5 seasons

100 episodes

I dedicate my first post recommending my favorite TV series ever: FRINGE

This is a science-fiction show where the FBI’s Fringe division investigates the weirdest cases you’ve never imagined, all of them inside what is called fringe science. Things like: genetic mutation, pandemic, psychokinesis, hypnosis, mental transference, reanimation, teleportation, parallel universes, alternate timelines... Anything is possible!

From the pilot episode you’ll be immersed in a very well conducted storyline full of mystery and as the show goes on you just realize that every little answer leads to more questions and it makes you look forward to watching another episode as soon as you can. 

Why I liked Fringe? There are lots of elements that I loved:

• Science: although it’s a science-fiction show, the word science must be emphasized. The series takes some real scientific theories that can’t be explored in real life (...yet ;P ) and develops them, creating plots that will blow you away.

• Reality: even though the world is going crazy and lots of strange and creepy things are happening, the show remains anchored to real life. You will see normal people, with normal lives, some referrals to our reality (like historical events, music, books, movies...) and I think that point gives credibility to the show. You just finally think that any of those puzzling things could happen in your world! 

• Characters: perhaps one of the things I like most about Fringe is the characters and their evolution. I think this aspect is very well done!. I don’t want to be a spoiler, so I’m not going to explain anything else... People who watched the series know what I mean ;)

• Mystery and Mythology: If you are that kind of people who like mind puzzles definitely Fringe is for you. There are lots of dots that you need to connect trying to find the best explanation. But don’t worry, the screenwriters will give you the information bit by bit, so   you’ll be theorizing all the time and believe me: you’ll be almost always wrong! The show is also full of tiny details and symbology that compound its mythology. You’ll find information about that in fringepedia.net, but be careful! it might spoil you. 

• Action: You must not forget that this is about FBI investigations, so there are plenty of chases, car crashes, explosions, shooting, murders, autopsies, interrogations...

• Drama: Both storyline and characters’ personal history are pretty dense, deep and dramatic. 

• Humor: the show is full of wacky scenes between the drama which are amusing :D

• Love: and finally that’s the reason for all things. Fringe is about love, it's about children and parents, and friends... it's about becoming a family and taking care of each other. How far could you go, what lines would you cross for the people you love?

• Actors: if I haven’t been convincing enough for you to watch this show, I’ll tell you that it’s worth watching just because of the great John Noble (in the role of Walter Bishop) simply sublime! The rest of the casts are pretty good too: Joshua Jackson, Michael Cerveris, Lance Reddick, Jasika Nicole, Blair Brown, Kirk Acevedo, Seth Gabel... And personally, I was surprised by Anna Torv (in the role of Olivia Dunham) she resolved the complexity of her role brilliantly. 

• Finale: the series finale is awesome. The storyline is perfectly closed. Every question, every doubt has its answer and its reason at the end of the show, and if you don’t find your answer I suggest you re-watch the show because they’re there. But, of course, there are some lines that are opened on purpose at the end, the screenwriters want you to think and theorize about them just like you did during the show. The show must be alive somehow after its ending!

Things I didn’t like? I’m a big fan of the series so I find it difficult to say that there was something I didn’t like, but trying to be objetive:

• The series format started as stand-alone episodes at the beginning. Every episode is about a case and has its introduction, development and ending. This format was a little bit obtrusive for me because I just wanted to know more and more information about the overall story and it’s shown very very slowly between cases. This kind of format was a Fox’s requeriment at the beginning, but it changes later becoming more serialized. Anyway, the second time I watched it this format wasn’t a problem and I enjoyed it a lot, so, just be patient!

• For a few moments, like the end of season 3, I think things could have been explained more slowly in order to keep the anchor to reality I was talking about a few lines before. But everything is okay if you are thinking that this is pure fiction.

• There are lots of details which are important for the understanding of the entire plot, but they’re forgotten when you are watching one episode per week and then some months off until the next season. But this is not a problem now when the series is finished... The show is much more enjoyable if it’s watched back to back, so I recommend you watch it that way.

• The plot is very well conducted and everything fits perfectly at the end, but there are some storylines unexplored in the show whose development I would have liked to watch. More seasons would be necessary for that, so... I'm afraid it won’t be possible.

Summarizing: this is a great great show full of science, mystery, action, humor, drama, love... with an excellent cast and a very crazy and complicated storyline that will keep your mind really busy. I’m sure you’ll loved it.

Please, let me know if you watch it! I’m interested in your opinion :)

FRINGE - PILOT EPISODE TRAILER

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