X-Men: First Class

As promised, I saw X-Men: First Class yesterday with Kaye and Liz, and I am happy to report this movie lived up to my ridiculously high expectations. It was all about Fassbender, and since I was all about Fassbender, that's pretty much a recipe for cinematic bliss.

I'm strictly an X-Men movie fan, so I have no real grasp of the group's comic book lore - and frankly, any time I have looked up a film character and started reading about their comic book counterpart's history, I just end up getting confused. So, going into First Class, I was particularly interested in seeing how characters like Magneto, Professor X, and Mystique got their start - and what events happened that set them on the paths we see in X-Men, X2, and X-Men: The Last Stand.

First Class opens with an excellent recreation of the concentration camp scene from the first X-Men, where a young Erik (Bill Milner) reveals his ability to control metal with his mind. The re-created scene is expanded with a brief shot introducing the evil scientist, Sebastian Shaw (a scene-stealing Kevin Bacon), who wants to exploit Erik's abilities. In the previous film, it was left to the imagination what horrors Erik endured in the camps, but now we witness his terror when he can't "perform" his metal trick on command, leading to his mother's murder, and the subsequent mental abuse and manipulation that's inflicted on his mind by a repulsively giddy Shaw. Raised to believe he's the only one of his kind, after the war (when Erik-as-Michael Fassbender comes on the scene) Erik makes it his mission to hunt down and destroy the monsters who wrecked his life, particularly Shaw. In a way, Erik's twisted father/son/creator/experiment relationship with Shaw mirrors Wolverine's history with Stryker. Both mutants suffered horribly at the hands of men who wanted to control and manipulate their powers and abilities, and both are faced with a choice of how they allow their pasts to influence their futures.

Charles Xavier's (James McAvoy) beginnings stand in sharp contrast to Erik's - raised in the comfort of wealth and privilege, Charles goes on to university and makes a name for himself studying human genetic mutation. His childhood friend Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) is the only one who knows he's a telepath. This close history between Charles and Raven, a.k.a. Mystique, is a fascinating beginning for these two characters, given their later film history as passionate rivals on opposite sides of the mutant vs. human debate. Now, I love James McAvoy, but frankly he stood no chance of standing up to Fassbender's on-screen magnetism (no character pun intended). He was a good choice to play the high-minded idealist to Erik's hardened survival-minded pragmatism. And his delivery of mutant-themed pick-up lines was hilarious.

For someone like Charles whose as interested in helping mutants cope in society, at this point in his life it's interesting to see how even he exhibited a distinct lack of understanding toward mutants like Mystique whose abilities resulted in physical "abnormalities" instead of strictly internal mutations like his own telepathy. Now, I'm not familiar with Lawrence's previous film work, but I thought she did a fantastic job as the young Raven - she's completely believable as a young woman who simply wants to fit in, and struggles with the blue skin and scales that are exhibited when her mutation is fully exhibited. Raven is super-sweet here, but hurt and frustrated enough with Charles's (her first crush?) inability to accept her atypical beauty that the progression to the hardened, human-hating warrior Mystique later becomes is an understandbly slippery slope. I thought the set-up for Raven's fascination with Erik was extremely well-played. Given his history, Erik whole-heartedly affirms Raven's mutation as her own brand of unique beauty - and with lines like that delivered by a mesmerizing guy with Fassbender's looks, Raven's fascination with Erik is easy to understand.

Speaking of Erik, he is the linchpin on which the entire film rests, and Fassbender carries the burden with a debonair, dangerous sort of grace. As my friend Rachel so astutely pointed out on Facebook, when you think about it, Magneto is really just the Rochester of the mutant world - and I couldn't agree more. Erik is the character I long to see redeemed and understood. I want him to find peace, to let go of his rage and channel that into building a future for himself instead of allowing his past to define his future. Fassbender gives Erik a breath-taking intensity and focus, whenever he's on-screen that is where your focus will lie. Since I love studying World War II-era history, I thought the scenes prior to Erik and Charles's meeting were especially fascinating. The man was a one-man crew bent on hunting down the Nazis who destroyed his family and delivering his own special brand of justice. And not that I'm an advocate of vigilantism, but I'm not gonna lie, I loved watching Erik's quest.

There's this brief shining moment, when Erik finds a friend in Charles, that a part of me wished that the subsequent X-Men films hadn't been made yet - that we have this whole glorious history of their friendship to watch unfold, with no predetermined end in sight. Fassbender and McAvoy have a wonderful on-screen chemistry together. Two sides of the same coin, Erik is the lean and hunger tiger, poised to pounce, while Charles is the calmer, more measured - but equally passionate - flip side. When they're both on the same page, recruiting mutants for a cover CIA op, that was so much fun. Those scenes were great little snapshots of the whole movie's "swinging sixties" vibe. Erik and Charles, on a mission to change the world, the future wide open with limitless possibilities - and Fassbender allows Erik to look completely happy and at ease for the first time in the movie, which will drive you nuts if you let it when you start thinking about Magneto's future.

I read a couple of reviews that likened the feel of this movie to a Sean Connery-era James Bond caper - and that description is completely right on the money. Director Matthew Vaughn delivers a wildly entertaining, globe-spanning adventure, and in the best Bond tradition the action spans the globe, from France to Argentina (didn't Fassbender look divine in white? *g*) to Las Vegas. With colorful, exotic locales, a few instances of women dressed in their best go-go girls "outfits," Vaughn tops it all off by resurrecting the Russians, a sixties-era tried-and-true villain. *wink* As Shaw, Kevin Bacon positively chews the scenery in the best Ernst Blofeld villain tradition, complete with a luxury ship (rather reminscent of Thunderball). There's even the requisite, loves to show off her cleavage female sidekick, Emma Frost, played by the horribly HORRIBLY cast January Jones. Now, I get that a character named Frost, whose mutant ability is transforming into a living diamond, is supposed to have a sort of "ice queen" vibe, but Jones just comes off as so vapid. I definitely preferred the Emma Frost we briefly met in Wolverine (that was one of the more interesting jumps in continuity IMO).

Another interesting continuity jump involves the character of Moira MacTaggart, here played by Rose Byrne and introduced as a potential love interest for Charles. In The Last Stand, Taggart is briefly introduced as an actual doctor and long-time colleage of Xavier's, played by Olivia Williams. So, that was an interesting career change. *wink* I thought Byrne's chemistory with McAvoy was pretty non-existent, but she did the whole passionate advocate for mutants with the CIA thing fairly well. And I did love the scene at the end of the film, where she promises Charles that she'll never reveal the location of his school - and in a moment of heart-rending nobility like only James McAvoy can play, Charles wipes her memory. Poor woman, never to kiss McAvoy again? Tragic.

While this movie was all about Erik (thank you Fassbender), with Xavier a distant second, I want to mention a few other mutants. Jason Flemyng, my darling Danny in Primeval, plays the evil, demon-like shapeshifter Azazel. And while it was great to see a favorite on the big screen, am I ever going to get the chance to see Flemyng play a marginally (at least) heroic character in a big-screen flick? Please? :) On the side of the good guys, I really enjoyed Caleb Landry Jones's role as Sean Cassidy/Banshee, but I have to ask, was anyone else completely distracted by the guy's uncanny resemblance to Rupert Grint and the Weasleys?! Somebody call Mr. Weasley, I've found his missing American son.

Nicholas Hoult was fantastic as Hank McCoy/Beast. His early crush on Raven is adorable, and his result of his well-intentioned efforts to "cure" his early mutation (just big animal-like feet), is really quite wrenching to witness. Hoult, I think, bears an uncanny resemblance to James Marsden, the later screen incarnation of Scott Summers/Cyclops. He really could be Marsden's younger brother at the least, especially when you first meet Scott in X-Men. Hoult's similarity to Marsden distracted me from Lucas Till as Alex Summers/Havok - who, if the film keeps up with comic book lore, is actually Scott's brother (the two can generate the same type of destructive, laser-like power). Oh, I though he's not a mutant, I can't forget to mention how much fun it was to see Oliver Platt, one of the CIA suits whose expertise happens to be mutant research.

I absolutely loved the way the climax of the film is set around the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Tying a super hero movie into a real-world historical event like that is just rife with fascinating possibilities, and this movie delivers with explosions and destroyed subs and barely averted war galore. And John F. Kennedy acquitted himself really well in this movie, I've got to say. *wink*

The emotional heart of the climax is when Erik goes after Shaw - did their confrontation remind anyone but me of Luke and Vader in The Empire Strikes Back? Or am I just that geeky of a fangirl? (I'm guessing the latter, but I thought I'd ask anyway.) :) I was half expecting Shaw to go all "Erik, I am you father!" Anyways, Star Wars references aside, I thought Fassbender played Erik's turmoil during this sequence brilliantly. Up to this point he's been on Charles's side, and while there's genuine friendship and camraderie between them, Fassbender always has Erik hold something in reserve. That something is what's unleashed when he shuts Xavier out and kills Shaw. The irony of this all is that while he rejects Charles's worldview, it's only thanks to his friend's help that he's finally able to control his power and become the focused, driven Magneto we know from the later films.

Now, I understand in the comics Xavier becomes crippled in a fight with an alien. However, First Class suggests an alternate origin for Xavier's injury, one rich with implications for the Xavier/Erik friendship. When Erik goes completely out of control and attempts to kill the Russian and American soldiers, Moira tries to shoot him. Erik deflects the bullets and one strikes Charles, severing his spine. Having Erik responsible for crippling his only friend, the one who knows his darkest secrets and deepest fears is heart-breaking. It adds whole new layers of depth to the relationship we see between the older Charles and Magneto. The history and experiences the two share in this film, and the genuineness and depth of their friendship, is gloriously well-played by Fassbender and McAvoy. I absolutely loved seeing the bond of friendship develop between Charles and Erik, and I really think only actors of Fassbender and McAvoy's caliber could sell the connection between them, make a friendship and understanding that transcends such polar-oppsite worldviews heartbreakingly believable.

X-Men: First Class is top-notch entertainment from start to finish. Vaughn directs the scene changes and large cast with aplomb, and makes one care (or revile, depending on their personality) about each character. Henry Jackman delivers a rousing score that does a decent job of echoing the slickly produced sixties action pictures that this movie owes so much to in tone and style. I desperately hope Vaughn & company get to make a sequel to First Class - this set-up and core cast have so much possibility. And yes, I confess, I want further opportunity to see Fassbender put his unique spin on the Magneto character. He owns this movie, and his tour-de-force performance as the tortured Erik deserves a second outing. Pretty please?

So...I'll end this ridiculously long post with a few gratuitious Michael Fassbender-as-Erik pictures, because I can. :)

Oh, yes, that's nice. Very nice. :)

So, if you've seen First Class I'd love to hear your thoughts - and if you're not an X-Men fan, might I suggest this is an excellent place to start?

Primeval 4.7

For all this fourth season of Primeval has been an up and down experience for me quality-wise, I've got to give the writers and actors credit for delivering a strong season finisher with episode seven. This week's anomaly opens in an old prison that's been turned into a museum. I loved this set-up - with the iron bars and enclosed cells, the setting reminded me of something out of an old horror or haunted house flick.

The Ethan (Jonathan Byrne) and Emily (Ruth Bradley) storyline has been pretty poorly handled this season, and while I'm not surprised the whole thing turned out to be a giant red herring, I feel like the writers wrapped things up in the best possible fashion they could. Emily has been staying at the ARC offices until Ethan is found*, and she's warmed to the idea of making a new life for herself in the present. Bradley's handled the concept of Emily developing feelings for Matt with good grace, and I have to give her credit because goodness knows she hasn't had much to work with in the reciprocity department up to this point.

When Connor (Andrew Lee Potts), Abby (Hannah Spearritt) and Becker (Ben Mansfield) arrive at the prison, they discover there's something very strange about this anomaly - the locking mechanism won't hold (which Matt suspects has to do with Ethan's interference), allowing "terror birds" (i.e. overgrown ostriches that apparently eat people) to come through and run rampant throughout the prison. Terror birds has got to be the lamest name ever for a creature on this show, just sayin'. But we get an even BETTER surprise coming through the anomaly - DANNY (Jason Flemyng). He may look atrocious in a grubby flannel shirt and a mullet, but he hasn't lost his ATTITUDE! And he beats up terror birds with a big stick! That's the kind of devil-may-care attitude the show has been missing this season.

So, clever Ethan has apparently jury-rigged a simple radio to clue him into the location of anomalies, and so he inevitably shows up at the prison. In the firefight that ensues, he comes face-to-face with Danny and lo and behold we get this season's big reveal - Ethan is really Patrick, Danny's long-lost brother, first mentioned in season three, episode two! Honestly the Ethan/Patrick thing is more of an effort at continuity and thoroughness than I ever expected from this show, fairly impressive. However, the revelation that Ethan is Danny's brother proves that everyone, and I mean everyone, has been giving him way more credit for being an evil anomaly controlling mastermind than he deserved. While I can't begin to fathom the trauma being stuck in prehistoric times wreaked on Ethan/Patrick's fourteen-year-old mind, I also think it's an equally big stretch to have had his trauma translate into turning him into a timeline-hopping killer/madman. I'm sure there's a lot of truth to the idea that the more one kills, the easier it becomes, but to make the jump from killing animals for survival purposes to humans, and somehow doing all this because your big plot is to get back at your brother for abandoning you, is a bit ridiculous. Not to mention his obsession with killing Emily, but why not heap one more contrivance on an already convoluted plotline? *sigh*

Danny's big news (aside from discovering his brother is a nutjob that is) is that Helen Cutter somehow knew Philip Burton (Alexander Siddig), which puts Burton's activies and the whole "Prospero" project under suspicion (just in case you weren't wary of him already). *wink* By tying Philip to Helen Cutter and her apocalyptic aims for the destruction of mankind, Primeval is reaching for an ambitious, series-length mytharc. While I applaud the effort, and am very curious to see where things go in series 5 (especially since series 6 is not a foregone conclusion, given what I've read of the show's ratings battles), I do wish that the writers had been given more time to develop these ideas. However, there's no use I suppose in continually bemoaning the fact that too much gets crammed into too few episodes, and that qualm aside, this episode is a solid launching pad for the next spate of episodes due later this year.

The reason the prison anomaly wouldn't close was interesting, I thought - it makes sense in a weird sort of way that if two anomalies opened in the exact same spot that something extra strange would happen. The implications - that multiple anomalies, reacting against each other, could cause untold numbers of weaker portals to open, is a terrifying one, and I do dearly hope that the show doesn't squander the possibilities from this development later on. I love that it's Connor who figures out the double-anomaly mystery, and that he's the one to project the apocalyptic implications for anomalies, if they continue at their currently appearing trend. I even love the fact that he's still naive enough to take his findings to Philip - that fail, however well-meaning, balances out the great strides we've gotten to see Connor make throughout the show as an increasingly viable and valuable member of the team. Cutter would be proud. :) If the man's got to have a weak spot, it makes perfect sense that it would be his predisposition towards fandom that would place him in peril.

This episode was Matt's (Ciarán McMenamin) strongest outing to date as team leader. He seemed to exude genuine feeling for his teammates this episode, instead of just phoning it in. While I appreciate the fact that Matt was close to his father and dedicated to his (finally clarified) mission, what hooks me with a show are the characters and their relationships. And if someone's supposed to be heroic, dang it I want them to prove worthy of the adjective! Matt seemed genuinely interested in Emily's safety and her decision to stay or return home (one of the two anomalies at the prison is identified as her original time period, thanks to Connor's handy-dandy anomaly dating device!). The realization that Ethan is not the super-villain he'd thought also serves as a much-needed shock to Matt's system - he's not always right, and inspite of the elaborate subterfuge employed by his father to secure him the position on the ARC team, the real baddie has been operating right under his nose. When Emily and Matt say their goodbyes, thankfully the show doesn't stray into melodrama - instead there's a very subtle hint that they really like each other, but this just isn't going to work out. I found it a bit poignant but not overdone, nicely balanced, and McMenamin actually seems emotionally engaged for a change, which is a HUGE step in the right direction for his character.

*Side note on Ethan/Emily - Are we just supposed to take Ethan's apparently intense hatred for Emily has a sign that his deranged, or is there more to their story? I didn't quite buy the guy's drive to eliminate Emily as a carryover from his introduction. I'd like there to be more to their story, in part because I thought Emily was a much better addition to the core cast than other female members past and present (Jess, Sarah).

So, going forward, there are a few things I'd like to see happen in series 5. First and foremost, I would love to have Abby drop-kick Philip for daring to mess with her man. Second, I really, really, really hope Danny comes back. If his return in this episode was to merely pass on news of the connection between Helen and Philip, I am going to be CRUSHED. If Danny doesn't return, the whole Ethan/Patrick red herring of a storyline is just going to be ridiculous. (WAIT A SEC...googled Primeval series 5, and according to this article, we haven't seen the last of Danny OR Patrick! Woo-hoo!). The ARC desperately needs someone with Danny's energy and attitude...and if Danny returns in a bigger capacity for the back six episodes this year, I have high(er) hopes that the show could see a sixth series. Besides, Ethan needs redemption and Danny needs to be finally excised of the guilt he's carried with him over his brother's disappearance. Third point, now that I've sufficiently recovered (momentarily) for Jason Flemyng fangirl squealing, is that I really need to see Lester (Ben Miller) deck Philip for 1) being evil and 2) for MESSING WITH HIS FRIENDS! Because though he'd never admit it, Connor, Abby, Becker, and Danny are HIS PEOPLE, DANG IT! And fourth, but certainly not least, figure out what to do with Becker and Jess (Ruth Kearney) - separately, together, whatever, I don't care...but these characters will hopefully be better and more consistently served by the next six episodes. Becker's predisposition towards anger/angst this season has been way overdone. And while Jess's character has grown marginally less annoying as series 4 has progressed, she still feels completely unnecessary and superfluous to the team. The writers seem to have had trouble with female characters (see Sarah) except for Helen and Abby. 

While series 4 hasn't been quite as consistently brilliant as I'd rank series 3, it's been so good to have this show back on my TV screen, if for no other reason than quality time spent with the likes of Andrew Lee Potts and Ben Miller is never wasted. :) The show is in a good position to finish the year strong with series 5 (I imagine we'll see premiere announcements this summer, maybe?), and I have high hopes those episodes will deliver.

Oh happy day!

This is fantastic, amazing, unbelievably good news! BBC America just announced that they will premiere the new season of Primeval January 1st, the same day as in the UK! Yes, yes, YES!!! My excitement just cannot be adequately expressed by mere typing...

You can read more info about the new season here (thrilled to find out that Ciarán McMenamin is joining the cast, I LOVE him!). Here's some excerpts from the press release:

When rips in time called anomalies started opening across the UK, dangerous creatures from the past and future began appearing in the most unexpected places, endangering lives and putting the whole of humanity at risk. A crack team of specialists were appointed by the government to deal with these "creature incursions." This job has proven deadly for multiple team members and threats continue to escalate.

Ciarán McMenamin (Jericho, Demons), Alexander Siddig (Clash of the Titans, 24, Syriana, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) and young Irish actress Ruth Kearney join the team at the Anomaly Research Center (ARC) after the government loses faith in Home Office official Lester's (Ben Miller) ability to run such a dangerous and expensive operation on his own. The anomaly operation is now a public/private partnership, part-owned by the government, and partly by charismatic scientist Philip Burton (Siddig).

With Connor (Andrew-Lee Potts, Alice), Abby (Hannah Spearritt) and Danny (Jason Flemyng, X-Men: First Class, Snatch) trapped in the past at the end of season three, the ARC has found new recruits to take their place: Matt (McMenamin), the new field leader, who's more than just an ex-soldier. He's a zoologist, with an uncanny ability to understand animals. A private man, Matt carefully guards the secrets of his past and the real reason he joined the team. Unconventional Jess (Kearney) now runs operations from the ARC Control Centre. She is highly efficient and her work ethic is second to none, though she is human enough to nurse an unrequited crush on Captain Becker (Ben Mansfield).

The new season picks up approximately one year after the last season ended - Abby and Connor finally escape from the Cretaceous period, only to be followed by a giant Spinosaurus, the largest of all known carnivorous dinosaurs. A new ARC team springs into action, leaving Abby and Connor's place within the team in jeopardy while their former leader Danny is still missing.

There's also some exciting Doctor Who-related news in this release - for the first time that I'm aware of, the Doctor Who Prom special will air on Christmas Day in the US (along with the Christmas special that evening). The Prom is a live concert event featuring stars Matt Smith and Karen Gillan.

And here's a new Primeval teaser:

Primeval 3.10

Spoilers...

Well, the fabulousness that is (was - SOB!) the show Primeval came to an end tonight. As a season finale, I thought it worked spectacularly well. As a series finale, however - it was bloody awful. :-( This episode showcased so many of the elements that made this show so much fun, and showcased all of the growth the cast and storylines had accomplished over the course of the previous 9 episodes. It's CRIMINAL that the network axed Primeval without giving the showrunners the opportunity to give it something remotely resembling closure. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad for the 23 episodes we got, but the show deserved a proper send-off.

The team was on fire this episode. Danny (Jason Flemyng) has strangely shown more interest in stopping Helen (Juliet Aubrey), than Cutter - her freaking ex - ever did. Cutter was always more interested in stopping her on some sort of academic plane, I suppose, but what I like about Danny is that he just wanted to get it done. Boots on the ground, guns, tenacity, whatever it took he was going to do it to stop her. It would've been nice to see a bit of that fire in Cutter, but oh well that was not to be.

So Danny decides to follow Helen into the future anomaly, taking Connor (Andrew Lee Potts) and Abby (Hannah Spearritt) with him for backup. Those two have never worked so well as they have under Danny's leadership. Before taking off there was an interesting moment in the warehouse with Sarah (Laila Rouass) and Becker (Ben Mansfield). Sarah's ready to go with them - in fact she seems afraid not to - but Danny orders her to stay with Becker, assuring her that he (I mean they) will be back. So the hopeless romantic in me can't help but wonder, would a hypothetical series 4 have led to a Sarah-Danny romance or a Sarah-Becker romance? Becker's definitely not one to put himself out there at this point, but he seemed to take an unusual interest in hanging out with Sarah this episode, I'm just sayin'. Example: going to Christine's anomaly center with no backup? Very out of character soldier boy. ;-) However, I have got to say that hanging out with Becker one-on-one and bonding while fighting off giant flying wasp thingys really brought out the best in Sarah. This may very well have been her best episode yet - showing off the triple threat of smarts, compassion, and butt-kicking, all in one hour.

I was really glad that only Connor and Abby went Helen hunting with Danny through the anomalies. They all get to be Macgyver-y when they restart Helen's (very cool touch-screen) computer. Connor got to show off his dinosaur knowledge and mad computer skills, and still got to be silly Connor when he talks himself into falling out of the tree during the stun grenade scene. This opened the door to some very nice Connor-Abby moments at the end of the episode (seriously I cannot lie, at the very end when they're all up in a tree I couldn't help going "Connor and Abby, sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G"...that has got to be some new personal low, HA!!). While there are a TON of unanswered questions, I am so happy that I got to see some measure of closure to the Connor and Abby romance question.

After episode 6 aired, my friend Kaye and I were discussing the show and she made some reference to Danny's James Bond-like qualities (very true BTW). I love the fact that Danny's like James Bond in plaid flannel shirts. LOL! When he takes off after Helen, that was the kind of action I always wanted to see Connor take - but honestly that probably wouldn't have been half as satisfying show-wise. Connor would've probably let Helen talk him into something stupid. *rolls eyes* So Danny got to show off his James Bond qualities, along with a healthy dash of young Charlton Heston (seriously doesn't Flemyng look a bit like Heston?), as he gets to go chasing Helen through Planet of the Apes-land.

Helen is an excellent example of the true believer psycho who is so far gone she's completely stupid. So she kills a couple of the poor ape people, and then she gets crushed by a raptor that got through the anomaly because she lost her stupid glass anomaly closing device. Hoisted on her own petard, to bring Shakespeare into the discussion. ;-) Very sweet way to have her go...and the icing on the cake was when Danny finds twice as many ape people as Helen just poisoned, still alive and doing whatever it is ape people do.

With Helen out of the way it would've been fascinating to see where the show would've gone villain-wise. Would a past incarnation of Helen have come out of the woodwork, or more government craziness? The possibilities were endless. Really, you could've spent a whole series exploring 1) Danny becoming king of the ape men, 2) Abby and Connor going all Swiss Family Robinson and making their home in a tree to avoid being eaten by raptors, and 3) Sarah going all Cutter-like and figuring out how to get the three of them home. Because she was on fire by the end of this episode, and I think her character might've started to get really interesting by a (sadly hypothetical) series 4. Oh, and another thing - 4) Becker dating Sarah or something (because in one of the funniest moments of the series, when Danny loses Becker's gun to a future predator, Connor comments how that won't go over well, and they decide they have to get the guy a girlfriend...hilarious!!) and in general being fabulous because he will not lose three teammates to anomalies, because that's just not done. :-)

Good-bye, Primeval team...thanks for the memories and all that. You deserved so much more (stupid, stupid, STUPID ITV network!).

Primeval 3.9

Spoilers...

I can not believe that this is the next-to-last episode of Primeval. There were several moments in this episode that were absolutely fantastic, starting with all of the "Do Not" do this and that signs that Lester (Ben Miller) put up all over his apartment to keep Connor (Andrew Lee Potts) from wrecking his pristine place. The "caution" tape keeping Connor's stuff crammed in a small area of the living room was the icing on the cake. HILARIOUS! I am telling you, there is a whole unexplored concept for a TV show in the whole Lester-Connor situation.

As I talked about in my write-up of episode 8, since the show is ending I am so freaking happy that Connor and Abby (Hannah Spearritt) at least hint at taking their relationship to the next level. This episode opened with some really cute awkward moments which I loved because Connor was so stinking cute but HATED because, you know, the show ends next week. Grrr!!

Danny (Jason Flemyng) got lots of nice solo time this week as he takes it upon himself to break into Christine's (Belinda Stuart Wilson) headquarters. As much as I loved Cutter, Danny has, I think, surpassed him as my favorite ARC team leader. He and Cutter are both rather loose cannons, but Danny's just funnier and more sarcastic, know what I mean?

So while Danny is tied up with Christine and the mystery woman, Connor, Abby, Sarah (Laila Rouass), and Becker (Ben Mansfield) get called to this week's anomaly where rhino-like creatures were wreaking havoc around a campsite. While I didn't think Becker got a chance to really shine this week (boo!), I thought Sarah got a chance to show some real gumption in the field which was nice to see. And it was too funny when Abby goes to rescue the guy who was out there for his stag party, and he asks her if she's the stripper. The look on her face was just priceless!! And I loved how Becker and Sarah needled her about it, that was cute.

The set up for next week...so the mystery woman is Helen (Juliet Aubrey). And as much as I hate Helen, and she's probably in my top 10, maybe top 5 most hated television villains of all itme, I LOVED the fact that she's the one who gave Christine her comeuppance. Christine was so freaking annoying this series. Helen's turned out to be a really interesting character. I used to think she was just power mad, but this episode hints at just how insane she's become. Apparently she doesn't want to be some sort of world dictator with unlimited riches, and she doesn't have an altruistic bone in her body when it comes to saving people. Helen's completely jumped the shark into the waters of insanity...and there is no negotiating with her type of true believer.

If the trend holds, next week will be fantastic television and horribly depressing because we're probably not going to get any closure thanks to ITV's insane decision not to renew Primeval. Off to bang my head against the wall... ;-)

Primeval 3.8

Spoilers...

After a break last week, Primeval returned tonight with the first of its last three episodes (say it with me...*SOB*!!). This time, an anomaly to the future has opened up, and guess who's back - the insanely evil future predators, first seen, if memory serves me correctly, in the finale of series 1 (episode 6 of the series overall). This episode contained several great moments, starting with when the team first arrives at the anomaly site, and they all start griping about Danny's (Jason Flemyng) driving, and Becker (Ben Mansfield) complains about being stuck in the back seat. I just love the whole vibe Danny's presence has given the team. As seen later in the episode, Danny knows how to make tough decisions and be a capable team leader. But in those moments inbetween, when lives aren't on the line right that second, his presence brings an element of fun to the team. They're like this wonderfully dysfunctional family, that will poke and gripe and needle each other, but at the end of the day they are willing to lay their lives on the line for each other and their work.

If the show is going to be ending in a few weeks, I am grateful that this episode gave me a scene I'd been wanting to see - Lester (Ben Miller) and Connor (Andrew Lee Potts) as roommates! :) There's a whole show right there in that situation, Lester & Connor, the Odd Couple of the 21st century!

This episode sees Abby's (Hannah Spearitt) situation with her unbelievably stupid younger brother really come to a head. Not only has his presence forced Connor to room with Lester (well, honestly, I'm grateful for that development because it's resulted in some real hilarity), but it's caused a lot of tension between Connor & Abby - i.e., she thinks Connor's some sort of ingrate because he refuses to rat about what a git her brother is (see losing Rex in episode 7...ugh!). So the entire team sans Sarah (shocker...I still think Laila Rouass has been criminally underused during her time on this show) must put their lives on the line when Abby's brother disappears through the anomaly. This was where Abby really started to get on my nerves - she was being extremely headstrong because she was upset, I get that - but did she have to be so annoying while being concerned for her only living relative's safety? Is that asking too much? *sigh*

However...good points out of this scenario:

Becker gets to be wonderfully heroic. I absolutely loved the moment where he got so exasperated with Abby refusing to listen to him that he called her "Abigail." You could cut the frustration in his voice with a knife. And then when he proves willing to sacrifice himself for Danny, Connor, Abby, and her STUPID INGRATE OF A BROTHER - I was so freaking proud I cheered. (There is an upside to watching these last three episodes, knowing they're the last episodes of the show - if someone kicks the bucket I don't have to fathom continuing to watch the show without them. Know what I mean?) But Becker LIVES!!! That made me very happy. :) It's nice that he's proven to have ability as well as sense (unlike Stephen!).

Connor and Abby finally, finally, FINALLY actually KISS!! Yes, said kiss was marred by the most gosh-awful, random song insertion in the history of awkward television moments (what was that, Tom Jones?!). But if the show is ending at least I got the satisfaction of seeing their relationship progress. I'm sure it didn't hurt that Andrew Lee Potts and Hannah Spearritt are a real-life couple (at least I rather hope they still are). The look on Connor's face when Abby breaks the kiss is just priceless. :) His character has really grown & matured throughout the show's run, without losing any of the goofy charm that makes Connor so appealing.

So who is the woman Christine's (Belinda Stuart Wilson) flunkie brings back through the anomaly? Will Danny really listen to Lester's admonition to play by the rules? (I think not!) I'm attempting to mentally prepare myself for an extraordinarily unsatisfactory show finale in two episodes...but I'm sure it'll be wrenching. It's a real shame this show was axed when creatively it still shows so much promise!

Primeval 3.7

Spoilers...

Tonight's episode of Primeval was, quite honestly, a bit of a let down for me after last week's episode with it's scene after scene of sheer, hilarious, awesomeness. This episode was a bizarre mash-up of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Beowulf, and the movie Timeline. That's not to say the episode was a total wash. I forgot to mention Rex last week, when Abby's (Hannah Spearritt) stupid little brother loses him in a poker game. Connor (Andrew Lee Potts) got several nice moments to show his "sensitive" side, when he discovers what's happened to Rex but decides to try and fix the problem himself instead of telling Abby what her brother has done. And then when he rushes to Abby's side to help her save the dragonlike creature he was positively oozing sweetness & concern. Classy Connor, very classy. He's *gasp* maturing!! :)

I really liked the whole idea of someone from the past stumbling through an anomaly - it's a natural extension of the idea that anomalies have been messing with peoples heads for years by making all sorts of weirdness happen throughout history. Danny (Jason Flemyng) and Connor shared several nice comic moments when they were chasing the knight through London (I thought it was hilarious when Danny wanted to separate and widen the search and Connor was all "haven't you ever seen horror films?!"). Danny's big knock-down, drag-out fight with the knight was also fun, especially because Flemyng looked like he was relishing every moment of it.

Sarah (Laila Rouass) finally got to do something that seriously impacted the operation, when she went all rogue and decided to go through the anomaly to research the knight. So, so much potential with this scenario, but somewhere along the way the ball was dropped on the storytelling and it left me a little flat. The extended scene where she keeps trying on different medieval costumes felt extra stupid, especially in the middle of this huge crisis where (supposedly) time is of the essence. And then when she goes through the anomaly, we only get a brief scene where she succumbs to the old cliche of bribing kids with chocolate?! I realize that you can't possibly fit everything you'd ideally want into a show that's less than an hour long when you take out the commercials, but still... (I'll TRY to stop whining...LOL!)

Considering Abby never finds out what her brother did with Rex, she seemed so out of sorts this episode. It was annoying. I REALLY got ticked when she was threatening to shoot Becker (Ben Mansfield) with the tranquilizer gun just because was freaked that he was going to shoot the dragon while TRYING TO PROTECT HER, YEESH! However, that whole exchange did lead to one of the highlights of the episode - after diving through a crate of strawberries, Becker doesn't even bother to get up before he starts to snacking after the dragon collapses. His deadpan delivery was hilarious!

The best moment of the episode, though, was Connor's. When he goes to retrieve Rex, the whole scene turns into some sort of western style standoff. In another movie guns would be a blazin', LOL! Plus, it's a nice change when someone throws the line "you and whose army" at a character, and the cliche receivee can step aside and actually reveal their own personal army. It's especially nice when said back-up is led by the likes of the yummy Becker. LOL!

With only three episodes left, Primeval will be back in two weeks. Hopefully Lester will see more screentime. ;)

Primeval 3.6

Spoilers...

I finally got around to watching episode 6 of Primeval today. Allow me to just take a moment to say I'm incredibly grateful for vacation days, and I'm also wildly hopeful that maybe, just maybe, the craziness of the last few weeks is winding down.

I absolutely loved this episode. The "terror birds" bore more than a passing resemblance to giant, over-grown ostriches. Despite their ridiculousness, they were surprisingly a bit scary. I mean who'd of thought giant ostriches could be such killing machines? LOL! There were so many moments that I absolutely loved in this episode...here's the rundown:

Danny (Jason Flemyng) giving a mean James Bond impression while working with Becker (Ben Mansfield) to test the facility's security. The humorous rapport that had going on was fun to watch. I LOVED the brief moment when Danny shot Becker's confidence that security was perfect by making an off-hand reference to a camera in an air duct. He's fast proving to be an adept team leader.

Lester (Ben Miller) giving Connor (Andrew Lee Potts) a ride to work but determined to hide the fact that they are now "flat mates" (see episode 5 for Lester's uncharacteristic moment of compassion, ha!). The whole "I'm senior managment and you're...whatever you are" comment cracked me up!

After Christine (Belinda Stuart Wilson) takes over the ARC, Danny, Connor, Abby (Hannah Spearritt, and Sarah (Laila Rouass) flee to the woods (random I know) and come across some sort of an abandoned lab station. I really, really liked how the setting was "frozen" in time. When Sarah begins to read some of the abandoned journals and finds mysterious references to "something" coming, you of course know that the "something" has to refer to a creature from an anomaly. The set up sort of reminded me of Danny's introduction to the team in episode 2 - as I said in my review of that episode, if anomalies have been appearing throughout time, other people had to have encountered them. Now whether or not they knew what to make of them is another story entirely. And in the "oh my gosh that's so sweet" category, I absolutely LOVED when everyone dressed up in 1930s clothes and Connor and Abby pulled a Fred and Ginger and started dancing. (Danny doesn't look half bad in a tux either, just sayin'...)

Despite the sheer ridiculousness of the ostrich-like creatures, I thought this episode gave a good view of how well the new team was coalescing. Danny has a lot of potential as the new team leader - he seems more devil-may-care, more energetic, dare I say it - more fun? - than what has previously been seen on the show. And hallelujah thank you for finally letting Sarah see some serious action instead of just sitting in the ARC cleaning off artificats. LOL!

And now to the best part...in my post on episode 4 I mentioned being a little worried about Becker's loyalties - is he truly loyal to the ARC team, or is he a soldier 1st and foremost, potentially at risk of being corrupted by Christine? In another hallelujah moment, I was oh so happy to see that Becker kicks butt in more ways than one - the fact that he's not above a little espionage in order to sabotage Christine's hostile takeover of the ARC was, in a word, awesome. The way he played Christine and she never even saw it coming - well there's just not words for how fantastic that moment was. If that had been the only great moment in the show that would've been enough, I was so freaking happy about it. LOL!

Which brings me to an even better moment, the crown jewel moment of all the hilariously wonderful bits in this episode, the moment where Lester gets his very own SLOW CLAP!! That was bloody brilliant to quote Ron Weasley. Absolutely fantastically bloody brilliant. The look on Lester's face was priceless. It just reinforced my love for his character a hundred times over.

And just because I can, and because he was so fantastic in this episode, here's a completely gratuitous shot of Becker. :)

Primeval 3.5

Spoilers...

I really, really liked last Saturday's episode of Primeval. So the funky mutant fungus/mold men were among the less believable creatures in the show's history (the walrus-like thingys from series 2...can't remember which ep...are the absolute dumbest IMO!!)? The pace of the episode really worked for me, and it was packed top to bottom with tons of humor. Lester (Ben Miller) was on fire this episode. It starts right at the beginning with when he asks Becker (Ben Mansfield) to pistol-whip Danny (Jason Flemyng) for being a smart-aleck after they catch him breaking into the ARC all the way through to his long-suffering tolerance of Connor (Andrew Lee Potts) crashing at work. I couldn't believe it when he actually offered Connor the keys to his downtown flat - that moment was priceless! Could Lester have a heart?! ;-) His flash of generosity was only topped by his smug pleasure in one-upping Christine's (Belinda Stuart Wilson) attempts to maneuver one of her team members into the ARC as Cutter's replacement. Undercutting that power grab by appointing Danny was well played indeed.

Speaking of Danny, I thought this was his best episode yet. Flemyng really seemed to be relishing the campy adventure factor and just having a rollicking good time in front of the camera. Sure, Danny's a bit pushy, but I like his devil-may-care bravado and willingness to do, well, whatever it takes in order to get involved with the ARC team. He's a more active version of the Cutter we saw in the 1st three episodes of this series run. As to his qualifications - well, when it comes down to it, Dr. Page (Laila Rouass) is the only one remotely qualified academically speaking, and while she had a decent presence in this episode she has yet to be given enough screen time to really justify her role on the show IMO. Apparently all it takes to be a member of the ARC team is sheer grit and fearlessness, which Danny seems to have in spades. So Connor and Abby (Hannah Spearritt) are way too easily accepting of his involvment - I really didn't care. Maybe they sense a kindred spirit (i.e., we don't know what we're doing, just making this up as we go along, etc.).

This brings me to the Danny-Jenny (Lucy Brown) factor. Danny appears very willing to replace Cutter in Jenny's life, which is played rather sweetly in my view. However, Jenny's having NONE of that - which I kind of respect her for - and after barely surviving death by mold we get our second departure of the series. Shockingly enough, this one nearly brought a tear to my eye. I really liked the fact that Jenny left the ARC on her own terms. And while her last look around the office was the stuff all great departure cliches are made of, I ate up every second. All that was missing was having her walk out of the building to a flipping slow clap from the rest of the team. THAT would've been priceless!!

In summation, I am really quite pleased with this episode and with the direction of the third series thus far. The departures have been rather wrenching, but I like how they've brought some additional emotional depth to the team members' relationships.

Primeval 3.4

Yes, I know, still haven't caught up on the Primeval blogging. *sigh* ;-)

Spoilers...

Episode 4 marks the first episode without Cutter (Douglas Henshall) *SOB*, and somewhat to my surprise I really liked it. This show (so far, anyway) has done a very good job handling the impact of characters' deaths on those who remain behind. It's acknowledged, it actually appears to matter, but they don't dwell on the point at the expense of moving forward with the story. This episode brought us two great examples in Connor (Andrew Lee Potts) and Jenny's (Lucy Brown) respective reactions to Cutter's death. Connor really appears to feel the weight of Cutter's last words ("it's on you now") and really wants to do good work. Now being Connor he is still going to screw up, but he's so dang cute one can't help pulling for him. LOL!

This ep had some excellent Connor/Abby (Hannah Spearritt) angst as well. It's a very solid indication that maybe, just maybe, their relationship will get somewhere...someday...for two seconds (I'm getting desperate, people!). Connor's reaction to the phone call from Abby's little brother (question - is it weird that he didn't know she had a little brother apparently?) about giving her a night out was priceless!!

Jenny's reaction is a bit wrenching. She's clearly living with "what might have been's" and deeply regrets never telling Cutter how she felt about him. The question is, can she handle working at a Cutter-less ARC? She's professional and driven as always but clearly it's a struggle. You know she's not quite herself when she can't keep Danny Quinn (Jason Flemyng) in line. Speaking of Danny - I really liked his character in this ep. Now that he's come to terms with the fact that something from an anomaly killed his brother, he's fully embraced the idea of working with the ARC - whether they like it or not. His rather laid-back, devil-may-care attitude is a refreshing change to throw into the established dynamic of the team. I think he's going to bring a breath of fresh air to the show (and annoy Lester, which will really make my day). ;-) How can you not love a guy who'll commandeer a helicopter after only two "unbelievably fantastic" flying lessons to fight off a dinosaur? Seriously!! Plus he's really hot when he's wearing black and riding a motorcycle. Just sayin'... ;-)

Lester (Ben Miller) is quickly becoming my favorite character of the season. His scenes never fail to crack me up. He's got the extreme "stiff upper lip" thing going on, so it's absolutely freaking hilarious watching him attempt to keep his frustrations under control. I LUV how Christine-the-witch's character (Belinda Stuart Wilson) brings out this sort of protective team player side of his personality. It's perfectly okay for him to throw around sarcastic remarks about the ARC crew, but if an outsider does it, well that's crossing THE LINE, people. LOL! I'm getting VERY curious about how Christine got her own anomaly set up and what exactly it is she's trying to accomplish. Speaking of Christine, I'm a little worried about Becker (Ben Mansfield) since he apparently one of her military team members was an instructor of his at Sandhurst. Note to Becker: Learn from Stephen's example and don't let yourself be emotionally blackmailed!! I'm getting too much of a kick out of the Connor-Becker team dynamic to want Becker gone anytime soon (the nerd versus the G.I. Joe type is too funny).

The G-Rex in this episode is a really prime example of how good the CGI-effects can be on this show. It works best when they're recreating a dinosaur instead of a futuristic creature IMO. I love seeing the G-Rex rampage around the airplane hangar and in relation to the 747...very nicely done IMO. I'm not going to even COMMENT on the stupid reporters because they just get on my last nerve (note to reporter dude, GET A FREAKING HAIRCUT!). I almost forgot, though, the Crocodile Hunter-type filmmaker the annoying reporter people brought to the anomaly - that guy had the animal show-host type nailed. Quite funny when prehistoric creatures are involved, ya know?

I guess that about covers my thoughts on this episode of the show. Of course it will take a few more episodes for the fallout of Cutter's absence to really be felt, but I have high hopes for the show's future. I'm still mulling over just a bit why Cutter's death hasn't had a greater impact on my view of Primeval...but that is subject to change at any moment, I suppose! The showrunners need to keep in mind, however, that Lester's character is my line in the sand...kill off Lester and I will be crushed, do you hear me, CRUSHED!! ;-) Hopefully I'll get my thoughts on episode 5 up this week...we'll see. LOL!

Primeval 3.2

Spoilers...

Last week's episode of Primeval was, in a word, excellent. The whole episode had a nice creepy tone, and unfolded in a slightly slower, more suspenseful way than we're used to seeing from the series. What you can't see is often scarier than what you can, ya know? The whole tone of the episode felt like something you'd see on Torchwood or Doctor Who (it really reminded me of the Who episode "Blink," from series 3). This is a very Abby/Connor (Hannah Spearritt & Andrew Lee Potts) centered episode, which I absolutely love - the two of them are so stinking cute together! Hopefully Abby will light a fire under Connor sooner rather than later. *sigh* And Connor is hilarious - Potts can strike just the right balance between sarcasm and dorky humor.

A new character is introduced this week - policeman Danny Quinn, played by Jason Flemyng. Quinn's character is given what is probably one of the best introductions in the series (so far, anyway). If we're supposed to buy into the conceit that anomalies have been appearing for years, it only makes sense that other people would have encountered them (prior to the whole government conspiracy thing). Quinn's brother was one of two kids who'd disappeared thirteen or so years earlier, in a house that just happens to be the location of an anomaly and inhabited by a gremlin-like creature that looks like Gollum on crack. He's immediately suspicous of the government's interest in the abandoned house, and makes life extremely difficult for Abby, Connor, and Jenny (Lucy Brown) - all of this results in a hilarious scene where he carts Connor off to jail. That was really funny!

Dr. Paige (Laila Rouass) and Captain Becker (Ben Mansfield) didn't have too terribly much to do this week, though both were much "looser" and more relaxed than previously seen in their introductory episode, which was nice. Becker is too hot to make me want him to disappear from the show any time soon, so I really want his character to get better developed. And I like Dr. Page - she's obviously brilliant, but not terribly serious as to be boring. She's still enjoying learning the ropes of her new job, methinks.

And finally, Helen (Juliet Aubrey) and her cloned doofus solider are back, and this time they're out to steal some of Cutter's (Douglas Henshall) DNA. I loathe Helen. Absolutely cannot STAND her. It's hard to believe that Aubrey's been able to pull off the creation of such a fantastic villain, considering her past "good girl" roles in shows like Middlemarch and Bertie and Elizabeth. It was awfully nice to see Becker get the drop on creepy cloned soldier though. Obviously Helen is looking to expand her cloning experiments...not knowing her evil master plan, though, is a bit maddening! And so frustrating that Cutter is so dense when it comes to Helen...I mean he was freaking married to her, you'd think he'd be able to guess her next move once in a blue moon. Men! *sigh* ;-) Definitely looking forward to tonight's episode which promises to be a game-changer!