REVOLUTION: take back the power

September, 2012 - present

1 season

20 episodes

I can’t remember why I started watching this series, but I was really hooked on it from the very first episode. Unfortunately, as the series went on I began to feel tired... but well, let’s go step by step.

The series has a very good story. It transports us to a reality where a universal blackout has happened and people have to learn how to live without electricity. The action takes place in the USA, fifteen years after the blackout, when society is reorganized in new nations ruled by militias. No one knows why the blackout happened or how to bring back the power... No one? no, of course, a group of scientists has little devices which are capable of returning the electricity, but militias want them to increase their power, so the devices must be incredibly well protected. 

In order to figure out what happened the series uses flashbacks. Thus, we can see how things were before and just after the blackout. They also show us the characters’ lives before the disastrous event, and how their lives changed after it. And what I liked about this is that the characters are clearly different before and after.

The first season was split into two parts, since they needed to analyze the audiences before filming the whole season. The first ten episodes were simply amazing: excellent plot, good development of the story, intrigue about characters and storyline... and when it finished I was impatiently looking forward to watching the second part. When it finally arrived I was really surprised. What happened? every episode was more boring than the one before because the actions were predictable and nothing happened until the end. At that point, I found myself watching the show just to know how it ended, in case I missed something great.

Regarding the cast, I have to say that I didn’t like the main actors either (except Giancarlo Esposito in the role of Tom Neville). I think they are very limited in their performances, and I would have liked to see more colorful and expressive characters. In addition, I also saw a very tiny evolution in them. It’s true that an evolution before and after the blackout is shown but, in my opinion, they could have had a bigger evolution in the current time too.

The idea of the series is really powerful and it has a brilliant start but the level isn’t maintained which was reflected in its audiences. I know the show has fans who love it, it recently won a Saturn Award as “Best Network TV Series” and it’s currently renewed for a second season, but I didn’t enjoy it and I feel a bit sorry about that. 

I leave some images here and, as always, I encourage you to check it out by yourself and to give your opinion.

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PAN AM: let's fly away

September, 2011 - February 2012

1 season

14 episodes

I recently watched this series because it was aired on a local TV. 

Set in 1963, it recreates the relationships between pilots and stewardesses on Pan Am airlines, the big company which revolutionized the international airline industry. But this is only the starting point of a deeper plot, because what the series is really about is an accurate reflection of the 60’s: historical events, political issues, society and their rules and worries. 

What will you see in Pan Am?

• History and politics: the series takes advantage of the airline’s flights to show the political situacion around the world. You’ll see several referrals to presidents and governors and the way politics was affecting international relations.
• Cold War: this is one of the main points of the plot. One of the stewardesses becomes a spy as she can travel around the world without being suspicious. So you’ll be immersed in a world of secrets, intrigue, spies, double agents...
• Art: history and politics aren’t the only reflection of the 60’s, so the show also includes photographers, exhibitions and a little bit of music.
• Fashion: I was amazed about the costumes! Every single character is like a piece of art, seriously! specially the stewardesses with their always-stunning clothes and make-up. It really made me think that people used to be incredibly dressy and stylish at that time.
• Love affairs: of course! love, lack of affection, disappointment, jeaolusy...
• Friendship: I took pleasure in observing how the relation between the characters was built and developed. It was really nice.

The main cast is formed by: Christina Ricci, Margot Robbie, Michael Mosley, Karine Vanasse, Mike Vogel, Kelli Garner and Goran Visnjic. I have to say it was great to see the lovely Christina Ricci in a series’ main role.

Despite starting with big audiences, they decreased fast and the series was cancelled. Its international success and winning a Best Series award didn’t manage to pick it up for a second season either. I think this is an unfortunate ending for a series which deserves a proper one. 

In my opinion, this type of show is the perfect way to do a historical series without being exclusively historical. It’s the perfect way to approach people to that kind of events and to wake up their curiosity about history. Although it wasn’t one of my favourite I enjoyed the time I was watching it, so I encorage you to check it out:

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Mistresses

January, 2008 - August, 2010

3 Seasons

16 Episodes

Mistresses is a serial drama which was aired on BBC One a few years ago. It tells us about the relationship between four women in their 30-45 and their love affairs.

I’d never been interested in that kind of series before but I have to own up that I got hook on it. I started watching it because I knew Anna Torv had a little role in the first season, and I ended up watching the whole series.

So, why might you like Mistresses?

• It’s about friendship. The four main characters, four women, have a strong relationship and, despite their busy life, they’re always available to hang out with each other at least once a week (the girls’ night) and whenever someone needs the others. For me, that was a lovely thing to see because sometimes, in real life, everyday issues make you loose contact with friends.
  
• The four characters are completely different, they show different personal situations in life, so everyone who watches the series can find someone they identify with. There’s an event organizer, a little bit posh and promiscuous who hesitates about whether she’s homosexual, bisexual or heterosexual. A widow with two little girls who is trying to move on five years after her husband’s death. A very successful lawyer who desires to get pregnant. And a doctor who has a romance with one of her patients.
  
• The series develops the more intense human emotions throughout the characters’ love affairs: love, jealousy, temptation, desire, guilt, insecurity, anger, disappointment, hope... Impossible not to empathise!
  
• The storyline is very complicated, love affairs are really deep and messy. You may not believe it but the worse things go, the worse they will go, even when you don’t expect it.
  
• The main cast is formed by: Sarah Parish (as Katie Roden), Sharon Small (as Trudi Malloy), Shelley Conn (as Jessica Fraser) and Orla Brady (as Siobhan Dhillon). And I found that all of them played their characters brilliantly!

I very much enjoyed the show. The characters are so lovely that I missed them when I finished watching. The series is really well conducted and I didn’t get tired of so much affair. So, are you curious? I leave here a couple of scenes:

 

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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!

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39th Saturn Awards

The 39th Annual Saturn Awards, presented by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, took place last night (June 26th). It was hosted by Wayne Brady and dedicated to the memory of Richard Matheson who died a few days before.

This is the nominees and winners list for the television category. Congrats!!

BEST NETWORK TELEVISION SERIES

Revolution

Elementary

The Following

Fringe

Once Upon a Time

Supernatural

BEST SYNDICATED/CABLE TELEVISION SERIES 

The Walking Dead

American Horror Story: Asylum

Dexter

The Killing

Leverage

True Blood

BEST TELEVISION PRESENTATION

Breaking Bad

Continuum

Falling Skies

Game of Thrones

Mockingbird Lane

Spartacus: War of the Damned

World Without End

BEST YOUTH-ORIENTED TELEVISION SERIES

Teen Wolf

Arrow

Beauty and the Beast

Doctor Who

Merlin

The Vampire Diaries

BEST ACTOR

Bryan Cranston – Breaking Bad and 

Kevin Bacon –The Following 

Billy Burke – Revolution

Michael C. Hall – Dexter

Timothy Hutton – Leverage

Joshua Jackson – Fringe

Andrew Lincoln – The Walking Dead

BEST ACTRESS

Anna Torv – Fringe

Moon Bloodgood – Falling Skies

Mireille Enos – The Killing

Sarah Paulson – American Horror Story: Asylum

Charlotte Riley – World Without End

Tracy Spiridakos – Revolution

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Jonathan Banks – Breaking Bad

Giancarlo Esposito – Revolution

Todd Lasance – Spartacus: War of the Damned

Colm Meaney – Hell on Wheels

David Morrissey – The Walking Dead

John Noble – Fringe

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Laurie Holden – The Walking Dead

Jennifer Carpenter – Dexter

Sarah Carter – Falling Skies

Anna Gunn – Breaking Bad

Jessica Lange – American Horror Story: Asylum

Beth Riesgraf – Leverage

BEST GUEST PERFORMER

Yvonne Strahovski – Dexter

Blair Brown – Fringe

Terry O'Quinn – Falling Skies

Lance Reddick – Fringe

Mark Sheppard – Leverage

Ray Stevenson – Dexter

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

BLACK MIRROR: How far technology can go?

December, 2011 - present

2 seasons

6 episodes

I started watching this series because a friend recommended it to me. It didn’t engage me so much in the first episode, but the following ones are amazing!

This is a british mini-series created by Charlie Brooker. The series has an original format as it consists of stand-alone episodes in which cast, realities and storylines are completely different from each other. It’s like watching individual movies and it becomes easy to watch as you don’t have to worry about remembering details or making connections between episodes. The duration of the episodes is variable too since they go from 41 minutes to 62 minutes.

What is Black Mirror about? All in all, it’s about technological development, its applications and its social repercussions. It transports us to hypothetical realities either in the future or in the present. All these realities are fictional, of course, but they seem so real that you’re gonna believe that we aren’t so far from them. They include topics like: what could social media become?; what if our brain could have the possibility of recording and playing absolutely all our memories?; how far could technology go to ease the suffering after someone’s death?; and more.

Basically the series intends to make us think about our society and our technological possibilities. How is our society built?. Are we technologically addicted?. Is social networking a way to control us?. Will technological development have side effects?. Should we put limits in order to prevent further damage?. Where could these limits be and who should put them?...

Surprising realities, surprising scripts and very very creepy storylines that keep you all the time with a kind of stressful feeling. Are you gonna miss it?

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THE SECRET LIFE OF US (Season 4)

July, 2001 - December, 2005

4 seasons

88 episodes

I started watching this series because I was keeping track of Anna Torv’s works before Fringe. I had read that she had a character during the fourth and last season of “The secret life of us”, so I started watching the last season directly. I was worried about being lost in the storyline because of that, but I had read about the series, and the characters had been changing constantly during the seasons. Only one character remained from the beginning to the end, so I picked up the point quickly.

This is a very succesful Australian series which was very popular in Australia and UK among other countries too. It also attracted the attention because of the inclusion of an aboriginal character, Deborah Mailman in the role of Kelly Lewis, who was the only character that lasted until the end of the series.

“The secret life of us” is about a group of friends between mid 20 and early 30 who lived in the same building block in St. Kilda (suburb of Melbourne). The storyline is based on their relationships, love affairs and their professional career development. The leading role is for Deborah Mailman (as Kelly Lewis) who, at least during the fourth season, is a psychology student. In every episode Kelly analyzes one trait of human beings like: conflict, human attraction, habits, insecurity, communication, character, making decisions and so on. All the actions of the characters go around the episode’s particular topic and Kelly, for a few moments, narrates by a voice-over her psychological review.

There is a very easy and nice storyline which made me have an enjoyable time. The characters are very lovable, everyone with their own problems and affairs. But the most important thing, in my opinion, is that all of them have a clear evolution. At the end, all the characters have faced their fears and have got over it, so they become better.

My favorite character was Nikki, played by Anna Torv. I liked a lot the development of the character and the performance of the great Anna. I also liked the performance of Deborah Mailman (as Kelly) too.

Even though it doesn't have a complicated storyline that makes your mind busy for days (as I like), I was stuck by its likeable characters and by its simple and natural story, so I encourage you to watch it! and of course, please, tell me what you think!

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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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