Monday, May 15, 2017
Delayed Post
My review for MacGyver episode "Serenity" will not be posted until tomorrow or Wednesday at the latest. I have done an extensive amount of writing today, and my carpal tunnel is acting up to the point that it is very painful to type. Sorry for the delay!
Monday, May 8, 2017
MacGyver: #134 MacGyver's Women (S6E8)
Episode Title: MacGyver's Women
Episode Number: S6E8
Ranking: 134 of 138
Summary: When Maria presses MacGyver to consider commitment, MacGyver dreams that he's a cowboy in the wild west who helps two mail-order brides escape from a group of outlaws.
Quotable Moment:
Worst Part: The mustache.
Opening Gambit: Like I said in the last post, I am not a fan of dream episodes. Much like clip shows, they seem pointless to me. However, I think that dream episodes are generally more useless than clip episodes because they contribute nothing to the show. I can only think of a handful of episodes from the dozen or so shows I watch that I can actually get behind because they do actually further the character, inspire character growth, or contribute in some way to the plot of the show. "MacGyver's Women" is not one of them. To me, it's just an excuse to dress Mac up in a cowboy costume and plop him into the old west just for kicks. It doesn't fit with the formula of the show, and it doesn't make a difference in the grand scheme of things. I've said this before, and I'll say it again: if you're going to add an element to a story, it needs to be something meaningful. If it's just there for fun or a joke, then you're not doing your job as a storyteller justice.
But I'll admit, it isn't even the fact that it's a dream episode that's got me putting "MacGyver's Women" (and next week's episode) this low on the list. Well, not entirely. After all, "Good Knight MacGyver," while still not up there on my list, is significantly higher than the western episodes. No, my biggest problem with this episode (and call me shallow if you wish; I'll stick to my guns 'til the end) is that stupid, ugly mutant caterpillar that attached itself to Richard Dean Anderson's face and then died there. Don't remember a mutant caterpillar? Scroll up to the picture from the episode and take a gander at that atrocious mustache. Even from that angle, it's hideous, and I can't take Mac seriously with that thing on his face. There are plenty of outlaws in the western episode that are clean-shaven - why can't Mac be like them? I know, I know - it sounds really petty, but the mustache really, really bothers me. A lot.
Episode Number: S6E8
Ranking: 134 of 138
 |
| sitcomsonline.com |
Summary: When Maria presses MacGyver to consider commitment, MacGyver dreams that he's a cowboy in the wild west who helps two mail-order brides escape from a group of outlaws.
Quotable Moment:
Maria: Are all American men frightened of marriage? Or is it they are frightened of women?
MacGyver: Oh, come on. What are you talkin' about, "all American men"?
Maria: Okay. Some American men. Like cowboys, who are faithful to their horse, but not with a woman.Best Part: When MacGyver escapes the noose and signpost trap with only his belt buckle and upper body strength.
Worst Part: The mustache.
Opening Gambit: Like I said in the last post, I am not a fan of dream episodes. Much like clip shows, they seem pointless to me. However, I think that dream episodes are generally more useless than clip episodes because they contribute nothing to the show. I can only think of a handful of episodes from the dozen or so shows I watch that I can actually get behind because they do actually further the character, inspire character growth, or contribute in some way to the plot of the show. "MacGyver's Women" is not one of them. To me, it's just an excuse to dress Mac up in a cowboy costume and plop him into the old west just for kicks. It doesn't fit with the formula of the show, and it doesn't make a difference in the grand scheme of things. I've said this before, and I'll say it again: if you're going to add an element to a story, it needs to be something meaningful. If it's just there for fun or a joke, then you're not doing your job as a storyteller justice.
But I'll admit, it isn't even the fact that it's a dream episode that's got me putting "MacGyver's Women" (and next week's episode) this low on the list. Well, not entirely. After all, "Good Knight MacGyver," while still not up there on my list, is significantly higher than the western episodes. No, my biggest problem with this episode (and call me shallow if you wish; I'll stick to my guns 'til the end) is that stupid, ugly mutant caterpillar that attached itself to Richard Dean Anderson's face and then died there. Don't remember a mutant caterpillar? Scroll up to the picture from the episode and take a gander at that atrocious mustache. Even from that angle, it's hideous, and I can't take Mac seriously with that thing on his face. There are plenty of outlaws in the western episode that are clean-shaven - why can't Mac be like them? I know, I know - it sounds really petty, but the mustache really, really bothers me. A lot.
Friday, May 5, 2017
Psych: #119 A Nightmare on State Street (S8E9)
Ah, Psych. That enigma of a show, brainchild of Steve Franks, that started out as a crime-comedy show, tried its hand a bit at drama and decided drama was for losers, experimented with realism, then decided that realism is also for losers, and finally in the last few seasons threw its proverbial hands up in the air and shouted, "What the heck? We've made it this far; we can do whatever we want, so let's add zombies and food trucks and terrible British accents, and no one can stop us!" Remember that show?
I love Psych. I discovered it years ago when I was watching The Hardy Boys DVD I'd recently gotten - yes, the late 70s/early 80s show starring Shawn Cassidy and Parker Stevenson in all his man-perm glory - and one of the commercials was for this detective show where the main character is hyper observant and pretends to be psychic. I found it on Netflix, and I was sold.
The show is many things: funny, stupid, goofy, silly, sometimes serious, occasionally deep, sweet, awkward, endearing, frustrating, immature, outlandish, exciting, and just an all-around good time. The show has a cast of deeply memorable characters with incredible chemistry. Personally, I'm most invested in the father-son relationship of Shawn and his dad Henry, the frenemy relationship between Shawn and Detective Lassiter, the budding but just out of reach romance between Shawn and Juliet, the hilarious bromance of Shawn and Gus, and the ever-solidifying friendship between Detectives Lassiter and O'Hara. And I know that I just listed almost every major character in the show. Just goes to show how expertly put together Psych and its cast are.
Now, there are some episodes that I hate. There aren't many of them, but those that I genuinely do not like will be dealt with first. I'll be going from my least favorite episode all the way up to my favorite, so even though things may look grim now, be at peace, for there is light ahead!
Without further ado, I present to you the first blog post in my Psych: Ranked! series.
Episode Title: A Nightmare on State Street
Episode Number: S8E9
Ranking: 119 of 119
Ranking Category: The Banes of My Existence…Pointless Remakes, and Zombies.
Summary: Gus begins to have trouble separating dreams from reality when uncertainty about his friendship with Shawn and his future begin to plague him.
Quotable Moment: "As much as I try not to take my work home with me, when I'm alone in bed, and I turn out the light... I see them. They talk to me. They tell me how they wish they made a different choice in life. How they wish they had taken a different path to work that final day, or, or made absolutely sure they locked the front door. We all come into this world the same way we go out. Alone." -Woody (directly after this he gets eaten by a zombie)
Highlight: Probably the moment between Shawn and Gus in the Psych office after Gus's dream therapy session, in which he claims not to need Shawn but Shawn's still there for him anyway.
Lowlight: Zombies.
The Hat Game: I've watched most of the Psych episodes at least two, maybe more times. "A Nightmare on State Street" isn't one of them. I've only seen it the one time, and I'm not exactly thrilled to be watching it again. Why? One word: Zombies. I hate zombies. My husband's tried to convince me that zombies are awesome, at least in video games, where you can blow them up. My best friend's tried to convince me that Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies is worth watching. They both failed. Well, partially. I can handle the zombies in the video game The Last of Us because they look like fungus more than the undead. And I still refuse to watch Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies, though I did give in and watch Pride & Prejudice (which I loved). But I digress.
From what I remember from "A Nightmare on State Street," it's really a very poorly written excuse to throw zombies in the mix. There's no real plot, no depth, no meaning. What makes it even worse is that it's the second-to-last episode of the entire series, and what should be a monumental episode leading up to the finale is stupid, gross, and not engaging. And it's a dream. I greatly dislike dream episodes (oddly enough, I'm going to be covering a Wild West dream episode in my next MacGyver post) because they contribute nothing to the plot, ultimately mean nothing to the story, and are, in my opinion, a waste of time. The only exception would be episodes like "The Polarizing Express," where Shawn goes on a weird It's a Wonderful Life adventure in order to deal with an internal crisis. But episodes like this, where it's just a frivolous excuse for stupid jokes and gratuitous amounts of the undead? For turning these beloved characters into zombies themselves? It adds nothing to the story. Changes nothing. It's forty-some-odd minutes that never actually happen, and so are pointless.
Most of my reviews are not going to be this negative. And I'll probably find a few things I forgot about that I enjoy as I re-watch this episode. But overall, from what I can remember, this is dead last (or should I say undead last, har har) on my list because (1) zombies are gross and (2) dream episodes are pointless.
I love Psych. I discovered it years ago when I was watching The Hardy Boys DVD I'd recently gotten - yes, the late 70s/early 80s show starring Shawn Cassidy and Parker Stevenson in all his man-perm glory - and one of the commercials was for this detective show where the main character is hyper observant and pretends to be psychic. I found it on Netflix, and I was sold.
The show is many things: funny, stupid, goofy, silly, sometimes serious, occasionally deep, sweet, awkward, endearing, frustrating, immature, outlandish, exciting, and just an all-around good time. The show has a cast of deeply memorable characters with incredible chemistry. Personally, I'm most invested in the father-son relationship of Shawn and his dad Henry, the frenemy relationship between Shawn and Detective Lassiter, the budding but just out of reach romance between Shawn and Juliet, the hilarious bromance of Shawn and Gus, and the ever-solidifying friendship between Detectives Lassiter and O'Hara. And I know that I just listed almost every major character in the show. Just goes to show how expertly put together Psych and its cast are.
Now, there are some episodes that I hate. There aren't many of them, but those that I genuinely do not like will be dealt with first. I'll be going from my least favorite episode all the way up to my favorite, so even though things may look grim now, be at peace, for there is light ahead!
Without further ado, I present to you the first blog post in my Psych: Ranked! series.
Episode Title: A Nightmare on State Street
Episode Number: S8E9
Ranking: 119 of 119
Ranking Category: The Banes of My Existence…Pointless Remakes, and Zombies.
Summary: Gus begins to have trouble separating dreams from reality when uncertainty about his friendship with Shawn and his future begin to plague him.
 |
| TV.com |
Highlight: Probably the moment between Shawn and Gus in the Psych office after Gus's dream therapy session, in which he claims not to need Shawn but Shawn's still there for him anyway.
Lowlight: Zombies.
The Hat Game: I've watched most of the Psych episodes at least two, maybe more times. "A Nightmare on State Street" isn't one of them. I've only seen it the one time, and I'm not exactly thrilled to be watching it again. Why? One word: Zombies. I hate zombies. My husband's tried to convince me that zombies are awesome, at least in video games, where you can blow them up. My best friend's tried to convince me that Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies is worth watching. They both failed. Well, partially. I can handle the zombies in the video game The Last of Us because they look like fungus more than the undead. And I still refuse to watch Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies, though I did give in and watch Pride & Prejudice (which I loved). But I digress.
From what I remember from "A Nightmare on State Street," it's really a very poorly written excuse to throw zombies in the mix. There's no real plot, no depth, no meaning. What makes it even worse is that it's the second-to-last episode of the entire series, and what should be a monumental episode leading up to the finale is stupid, gross, and not engaging. And it's a dream. I greatly dislike dream episodes (oddly enough, I'm going to be covering a Wild West dream episode in my next MacGyver post) because they contribute nothing to the plot, ultimately mean nothing to the story, and are, in my opinion, a waste of time. The only exception would be episodes like "The Polarizing Express," where Shawn goes on a weird It's a Wonderful Life adventure in order to deal with an internal crisis. But episodes like this, where it's just a frivolous excuse for stupid jokes and gratuitous amounts of the undead? For turning these beloved characters into zombies themselves? It adds nothing to the story. Changes nothing. It's forty-some-odd minutes that never actually happen, and so are pointless.
Most of my reviews are not going to be this negative. And I'll probably find a few things I forgot about that I enjoy as I re-watch this episode. But overall, from what I can remember, this is dead last (or should I say undead last, har har) on my list because (1) zombies are gross and (2) dream episodes are pointless.
Psych: Ranked! - The Rundown
Before I dive into this first reverse countdown post for USA's Psych, let me give you the lay of the land first about how these reviews will work. They're going to be constructed very similarly to my MacGyver: Ranked! posts, with a few differences since the shows are pretty much worlds apart from one another other than the occasional murder.
I'll do a quick rundown of the episode first, including the title and placement in the series, where I ranked it, a quick summary, a favorite quote or two, and the best and worst parts. Then I'll have a short segment called "The Hat Game" - for anyone who doesn't know or remember, one of the key things from Shawn's past in Psych, and one of the reasons he's able to pass himself off as a psychic, is a game that his father made him play all his life, "The Hat Game." "How many hats are in the room, Shawn?" Shawn would have to close his eyes and remember exactly how many hats were in the room as well as be able to describe them in detail, all from memory. This is essentially what I'll be doing in this part: Since it's been at least a year, maybe longer, since I've watched Psych, I'm going to write a preemptive assessment from memory only about why I originally placed the episode where I did in the ranking, and what I recall liking/disliking about it.
Then, as I'm watching the episode, I'm going to jot down different observations, questions, opinions, and nitpicks for a kind of stream of consciousness review of the episode. At the end, I'll write a paragraph or two summarizing my opinion after having refreshed my memory and re-watched the episode. If I feel I rated in wrongly after re-watching it, I'll move it up or down the list as needed. I just think it's fun to compare what I remembered from a year ago to what I think after watching it again.
And finally, at the very end, I'm going to have several "just for fun" tallies. Psych is one of those shows that has running gags and catchphrases, some of the jokes stretching across the entire eight seasons. Among these are Shawn and Gus's mantra of "Suck it!"; another inside joke, "C'mon, son!"; Shawn's ridiculous "Don't be" quotes, such as, "Gus, don't be exactly half of an eleven pound black forest ham."; Shawn's silly names for Gus when they meet new people, like "Hollaback Atcha" or "Trapezius Milkington"; and finally, Shawn's penchant for purposefully mispronouncing words or using them in the wrong context, only to be corrected by Gus and then subsequently reply, "I've heard it both ways." For example, "Gus, don't be Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Marzipan." "It's Azkaban." "I've heard it both ways."
I think it will be fun, at the end of all this, to have a comprehensive tally of these iconic moments. I probably took way to much time over-explaining how this will work, but I don't call myself The Obsessive Compulsive Reviewer because I am impulsive and never plan things out. Just sticking to my rep here, honestly.
I'll do a quick rundown of the episode first, including the title and placement in the series, where I ranked it, a quick summary, a favorite quote or two, and the best and worst parts. Then I'll have a short segment called "The Hat Game" - for anyone who doesn't know or remember, one of the key things from Shawn's past in Psych, and one of the reasons he's able to pass himself off as a psychic, is a game that his father made him play all his life, "The Hat Game." "How many hats are in the room, Shawn?" Shawn would have to close his eyes and remember exactly how many hats were in the room as well as be able to describe them in detail, all from memory. This is essentially what I'll be doing in this part: Since it's been at least a year, maybe longer, since I've watched Psych, I'm going to write a preemptive assessment from memory only about why I originally placed the episode where I did in the ranking, and what I recall liking/disliking about it.
Then, as I'm watching the episode, I'm going to jot down different observations, questions, opinions, and nitpicks for a kind of stream of consciousness review of the episode. At the end, I'll write a paragraph or two summarizing my opinion after having refreshed my memory and re-watched the episode. If I feel I rated in wrongly after re-watching it, I'll move it up or down the list as needed. I just think it's fun to compare what I remembered from a year ago to what I think after watching it again.
And finally, at the very end, I'm going to have several "just for fun" tallies. Psych is one of those shows that has running gags and catchphrases, some of the jokes stretching across the entire eight seasons. Among these are Shawn and Gus's mantra of "Suck it!"; another inside joke, "C'mon, son!"; Shawn's ridiculous "Don't be" quotes, such as, "Gus, don't be exactly half of an eleven pound black forest ham."; Shawn's silly names for Gus when they meet new people, like "Hollaback Atcha" or "Trapezius Milkington"; and finally, Shawn's penchant for purposefully mispronouncing words or using them in the wrong context, only to be corrected by Gus and then subsequently reply, "I've heard it both ways." For example, "Gus, don't be Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Marzipan." "It's Azkaban." "I've heard it both ways."
I think it will be fun, at the end of all this, to have a comprehensive tally of these iconic moments. I probably took way to much time over-explaining how this will work, but I don't call myself The Obsessive Compulsive Reviewer because I am impulsive and never plan things out. Just sticking to my rep here, honestly.
Thursday, May 4, 2017
Doctor Who: Ranked! on Hiatus until Further Notice; USA's Psych to Be Reviewed on Fridays
I'm not sure how many people actually have actually read the one Doctor Who post I've actually done... certainly there is much more activity on my MacGyver posts. Nevertheless, I'm still wanting to let you know that until further notice, I will be suspending my Doctor Who review series. I absolutely intend to pick it back up at some point in the future, as Doctor Who is one of my favorite shows, but at the moment, it's a bit too much to take on. Doctor Who is fantastic because of its complex story lines, beautifully in-depth characters, outstanding moral dilemmas, worlds and times, and if I'm going to do it justice, I'm going to need to pick this up when I'm not doing two other blogs.
I am, however, replacing the DW part (for now) with a Ranked! review of USA's Psych. This show is fun, really silly sometimes, occasionally deep. but all around just... well... fun. It will make for a much less time-consuming show to watch and review than Doctor Who. Plus it's been ages since I've watched Psych, and my husband and I have been meaning to watch it together again, and this could be the perfect time... I'll even try to get Jake to chip in on his thoughts on the episode as well, because we sometimes have conflicting opinions on what constitutes entertainment. For instance, I know he loves the episode I have at the very bottom of my list ... because he thinks zombies are cool and funny and a grand form of entertainment... and I hate them with an eternally burning passion.
Anyway... I just wanted to let you know about this development. I'm taking the Doctor Who: Ranked! page off my homepage, but you will still be able to find the post I did about "Aliens of London" in the archives; I'm not taking that off.
And I'd encourage you, even if you haven't seen Psych, read tomorrow's post - you may find a new show to love and/or hate, and I love to discuss my favorite (and least favorite) episodes with fellow reviewers and fans!
I am, however, replacing the DW part (for now) with a Ranked! review of USA's Psych. This show is fun, really silly sometimes, occasionally deep. but all around just... well... fun. It will make for a much less time-consuming show to watch and review than Doctor Who. Plus it's been ages since I've watched Psych, and my husband and I have been meaning to watch it together again, and this could be the perfect time... I'll even try to get Jake to chip in on his thoughts on the episode as well, because we sometimes have conflicting opinions on what constitutes entertainment. For instance, I know he loves the episode I have at the very bottom of my list ... because he thinks zombies are cool and funny and a grand form of entertainment... and I hate them with an eternally burning passion.
Anyway... I just wanted to let you know about this development. I'm taking the Doctor Who: Ranked! page off my homepage, but you will still be able to find the post I did about "Aliens of London" in the archives; I'm not taking that off.
And I'd encourage you, even if you haven't seen Psych, read tomorrow's post - you may find a new show to love and/or hate, and I love to discuss my favorite (and least favorite) episodes with fellow reviewers and fans!
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
MacGyver Reboot: Metal Saw (S1E2) - 10 Things
*Note: I have added another rating system to this particular review blog. There will be two ratings now, both between one and ten: one will be the rating of the episode on its own, and the other will be how it is rated as a MacGyver episode.
Episode Number: S1E2
Standalone Rating: 6/10
MacGyver rating: 4/10
 |
| CBS.com |
I'm on the fence about this episode, but, as for why, I'll let my "10 Things" review speak for itself!
Monday, May 1, 2017
MacGyver: #135 Friends (S2E20)
Episode Title: Friends
Episode Number: S2E20
Ranking: 135 of 138
Summary: After one too many brushes with death, MacGyver seriously contemplates resigning from the Phoenix Foundation at his surprise birthday party.
Quotable Moment:
Worst Part: Just the general fact that it's out of character, and a clip show.
Opening Gambit: Something that you will discover about me early on is that I don't like clip shows, and I don't like dream episodes. Both, to me, are fairly pointless and don't contribute anything substantial to the overall arc of a show. The only exception to this is when the clips shown in an episode inspire new and emotionally-driven dialogue discussing something that was not addressed in the episode itself. For example, in "Hindsight," the conversation between Pete and MacGyver about the coma in "Passages" is a great moment for me, because we get to see Pete learn about Mac's near-death experience and discuss mortality.
But this episode, from what little I remember, does not really inspire introspective dialogue and doesn't really make a difference. Sure, you've got the whole thing about MacGyver wanting to quit, but that isn't the focus of the episode; instead, it's focused on past episodes, and mostly shows us things we've already seen. I do appreciate MacGyver's internal conflict about his job at the Phoenix Foundation, but I feel like that could have been much more effectively addressed with a full episode dedicated to this crossroads he has come to. The decision to keep going has less impact on me when it is buried beneath a pile of memories and clips I've already seen before.
I do remember, however, that the episode was dedicated to a co-worker (I think he was maybe a grip?) of the cast, and while that is very thoughtful and sweet, I think that it could have been even more touching if there had been a full new episode dedicated to him rather than one cobbled together with scenes from earlier episodes.
I don't foresee this episode climbing any on the list, mainly because of my distaste for clip shows, but maybe I'll find some nuggets of goodness buried beneath all the "been-there-done-that"s cluttering the episode.
Episode Number: S2E20
Ranking: 135 of 138
 |
| CBS.com |
Quotable Moment:
MacGyver: Pete... for the past seven years I have done nothing but travel around the world getting shot up, locked up, blown up, and all I've got to show for it are a couple of empty rolls of duct tape.Best Part: Either the part where Mac tells Pete he wants to resign or the scene where Penny proves she's not as gullible regarding Jack's tall tales as he thought.
Worst Part: Just the general fact that it's out of character, and a clip show.
Opening Gambit: Something that you will discover about me early on is that I don't like clip shows, and I don't like dream episodes. Both, to me, are fairly pointless and don't contribute anything substantial to the overall arc of a show. The only exception to this is when the clips shown in an episode inspire new and emotionally-driven dialogue discussing something that was not addressed in the episode itself. For example, in "Hindsight," the conversation between Pete and MacGyver about the coma in "Passages" is a great moment for me, because we get to see Pete learn about Mac's near-death experience and discuss mortality.
But this episode, from what little I remember, does not really inspire introspective dialogue and doesn't really make a difference. Sure, you've got the whole thing about MacGyver wanting to quit, but that isn't the focus of the episode; instead, it's focused on past episodes, and mostly shows us things we've already seen. I do appreciate MacGyver's internal conflict about his job at the Phoenix Foundation, but I feel like that could have been much more effectively addressed with a full episode dedicated to this crossroads he has come to. The decision to keep going has less impact on me when it is buried beneath a pile of memories and clips I've already seen before.
I do remember, however, that the episode was dedicated to a co-worker (I think he was maybe a grip?) of the cast, and while that is very thoughtful and sweet, I think that it could have been even more touching if there had been a full new episode dedicated to him rather than one cobbled together with scenes from earlier episodes.
I don't foresee this episode climbing any on the list, mainly because of my distaste for clip shows, but maybe I'll find some nuggets of goodness buried beneath all the "been-there-done-that"s cluttering the episode.
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