Dexter - December 4, 2011 "Ricochet Rabbit"

Keeping with the theme of my Dexter blogs, I am going to stick to this notion of “sin of omission.” For the first time in this entire series, we see Dexter put others before his need to kill. Let’s jump into it.

After escaping the church basement (quite easily I might add), Dexter debated with himself (and his father) on how to catch and deal with Travis. He finally figured out that Gellar is dead, but Travis still thinks of him as alive and well. Haven’t we seen this picture before?

Something we have not seen before occurred when Deb was at the church. She had a panic attack. Then, once Dexter got there, she calmed down. It’s as if he is her “light passenger.” She doesn’t turn to a boyfriend, best friend or her co-worker. She turns to her brother. He has always been there discuss her issues (not in much depth), listen to her, comfort her or even save her from the ice truck killer. What a good brother.

In this episode, after finding out that Travis is the true DDK and meeting with Lisa Marshall, Deb was convinced that Travis Marshall was a “good” guy. Dexter responded by saying “maybe she didn’t know.” How ironic that Deb, who clearly depends on Dexter for emotional stability, doesn’t even really know her own brother.

Back into the “sin of omission” conversation. Jumping ahead, before Dexter could get to Travis, he finds out that wormwood is already in effect. He is too late. Due to the severe circumstances, should the deadly chemicals spread, many lives could be lost. Now in the past, this would just make Dexter work harder in finding his prey. But this is too serious. So what is the first thing he does? He reports the incident. This is a big step in Dexter’s life. He is putting the public’s health before his need to kill. It’s almost as if he didn’t have to think twice about it. How far Dexter has come.

Stay tune for more Dexter talk.  

Sons of Anarchy - December 6, 2011

As numerous shows conclude their fall/winter seasons, frequent television viewers have seen shocking conclusions, killings, drugs, cliffhangers and more. Sons of Anarchy saw it all. We left off with Jax on a mission to get his club out of the cartel business and convinced he had to kill his president, his step-father and mentor all in one. If that doesn’t make for a great finale, I don’t know what does.

The episode begins with the surprise of the season. The cartel, which we have seen kill, distribute cocaine, buy guns and participate in many other illegal activities, turned out to be undercover agents. Unlike other shows talked about on this blog, I don’t think viewers could have seen this coming. This changes everything. No more RICO. In addition, after Clay’s shooting, the Irish refuse to do business with Jax at the helm. The cartel refuses this solution. Since the Irish are the main target, they force Jax to stay in Charming and get another deal going. In order to do this, they need Clay. No killing and no exit from Charming for Jax.

The next scene that caught my eye was Jax and Tara with their baby boy. Jax needs to tell Tara that all plans are off. He tells her everything, including the situation with the undercover agents and that Clay. I first thought she wouldn’t believe him. Yes they are husband and wife, but after all she has gone through, I figured this would be enough. During their chat, Jax explains why he must stay.

“I can’t let it die,” Jax tells Tara explaining that without him, the Sons are no more. “It’s a part of me.”

Recalling last episode, during the scene of the season, we saw Jax and Gemma talking about the letters and the club. As you can see in my last Sons of Anarchy post, Gemma tells Jax, “It’s in you. It’s who you are…. “You take your seat at this table; where you belong.” Seems like the words were taken to heart.

Side Note: I love how the directors decided to play the song “House of the Rising Sun,” except subbing in house in Charming town. Great touch.

The season ends with Jax at the head of the table. No surprise Tara decides to stay in Charming with her new top hubby. The last scene shows Tara standing over her husband at the head of the table, just like the picture of Gemma and JT when he was president. Looks like there is a new queen B in town. Look out for a character transformation next season.

Great season Sons. We saw death, near suicide, drugs, guns, explosions, chases, some old characters, a RICO investigation, cartel and so much more. You surely did not disappoint. 

Boardwalk Empire vs. The Sopranos

Before Boardwalk Empire ever started, true HBO watchers knew this had to be the next Sopranos. The characters, the storyline, the channel, the time and the writers all gave you the feeling of the greatest show ever to hit television. For my last Boardwalk blog, I am going to jump back into the season and compare/contrast four characters from the thrilling HBO dramas. Let’s get into it.

Margaret versus Carmela

When the series started, we see Margaret as a weak, shy and timid mother of two. Boy what a change a season makes. We now see her standing up to her more powerful, rich and straight up baller husband in Nucky Thompson. She now steals from him. She cheated on him. She treats their housekeepers like they are below her, when in fact, she was in their position not long ago. Now who does this all remind you of?

Carmela Soprano. Let me start off by saying she may be one of my most hated characters in all of TV, so I may have some bias here. Anyways, at the beginning of Sopranos, Carmela wasn’t really a factor to the show. She was more of an afterthought. She was Tony’s wife who helped him portray that frame of normalcy in a mobster’s world. However, as the series progressed, she gained some steam. She had romantic relationships (in non-sexual ways). She started stealing money from the bird feed out back and giving it to the church or school (remind you of anyone?). She had more of a pivotal role in the show during the divorce that happened later on in the series. At certain points, she was the vocal point of the show, when in all honesty, she had no business being the center of attention. Really sounds familiar doesn’t it.

Jimmy versus Christopher

The most intriguing comparison has to be Jimmy and Christopher. When the second season of Boardwalk got under way, the audience has that feel that Jimmy is on his way up in the world. As expected, he starts making moves. He leaves Nucky and runs back to the father who abandoned him. He then teams up with fellow second men Lucky Luciano and Al Capone. They end up forming their own bootlegging business. Turns out, Jimmy bites off more than he can handle. Jimmy doesn’t know how to play the politics game. He doesn’t know the finance world of Atlantic City. He doesn’t know how to handle business in a nonviolent manner. After failing on his own, killing his father, reflecting on his wife’s murder, he comes running back to Nucky. Mr. Thompson sees this as an opportunity. After convincing Jimmy to do his bidding, he ends up killing him. It was a surprise ending, but not unexpected.

And now we go to Christopher. A bright up and comer related to the big man. At the beginning, there wasn’t much Chris couldn’t handle. Nevertheless, it was clear he was not ready for the big time. As time moved on, Chris gained more confidence and looked for ways to move up. He started his own dealing business. He bought a club for his wife. He was an ambitious kid looking to become captain, if not more. Then, drugs got to him. He got greedy. He wanted the world before he was ready. That’s when it changed. He bit off more than he could handle. He debated killing his Uncle Tony (hint, hint). His wife turned into a rat and therefore, had to be taken out. He took his relationship with Tony for granted. In the end, Christopher was too much. After a car accident most likely caused by Chris’s drug habit, Tony decides it’s enough. He chokes him on his own blood, putting an end to the “up and coming.” I can imagine, something along the lines of “I don’t seek forgiveness” was going through Tony’s head at that moment.

Other tidbits in Boardwalk Empire that reminded me of Sopranos;

• In Boardwalk, the priest mentions the children having a better life as a result of blood money.
• In Sopranos, Carmela went through the same situation with her priest (who she had a bizarre relationship with).
  
• During her preparation, the DA in Nucky’s trial said “he orders up murder like you or I order up a cup of coffee.”
• During Uncle Junior’s trial (who, by the way, is a regular on Boardwalk), the DA mentions the line, “he orders up murder like you or I order up a steak.”

As the seasons move on, keep an eye out for Soprano moments in the hit series Boardwalk Empire. 

Boardwalk Empire - December 11, 2011 - Season Finale

The final Boardwalk Empire blogs are going to come in two segments. The first will consist of a summary and analysis of the on the edge of your seat finale. The second will serve as a comparison to what is arguably the best show to ever appear on TV; Sopranos.

Scorsese begins the finale with Jimmy and Richard finding the Klansman who shot up Chalky White’s operation. You may remember from two episodes ago, along with $15,000, Chalky wanted those men delivered to him. Jimmy, back and fresh from his heroin fix, gets down to business. One thing I noticed during this confrontation was Jimmy’s leadership style versus Nucky’s. Jimmy had to end the strike and this was the only way he knew how. Something tells me Nucky would have found another vehicle to satisfy Chalky’s thirst for blood.

Later on, as expected, we see Jimmy pleading to Nucky. He wants his old job back. He wants to be the No. 2 again. He offers anything and everything he can do. Obliging, Nucky accepts. He has Jimmy and Richard head to Ward Boss Neary’s office, forces him to writes a “suicide” note, retracting his statements about Nucky, and then boom! He’s dead. More than enough to scare anyone else who thinks of testifying against Nucky. The trial begins and all of a sudden, the DA has no case. What a shocker! You’re not putting away our main character. You are not sending Steve Buscemi to the pen. Not this season at least.

As the episode progresses, we see Nucky contemplating whether or not he should kill Manny from Philadelphia. Obviously, he owed Jimmy, even though Jimmy help orchestrate a Nucky hit. Finally, it all builds up to the final scene. Nucky calls Jimmy with the spot. However, Jimmy isn’t acting like a man who is about to avenge his wife’s murder. He refuses to let Richard come along. When he arrives, he has this calm, somewhat “I don’t give a shit” manner about him. After some chit chat, Manny shows that he no hostage at all, but just there for the show. Eli, also planned the murder of his brother, arrives with a shotgun on Jimmy. It was all a setup. Nucky had enough of Jimmy. He saw a business opportunity with Manny and decided it was more valuable. But Jimmy knew this all along. He didn’t bring a gun. He didn’t fight back. Hell, he even helped Nucky get through the kill. After a shot to the head, we get perhaps the line of the season.

“I don’t seek forgiveness,” Nucky says to Jimmy right before he put himself out of his misery.

At the end, Margaret, who gives away money like it’s her job, signs over the deeds for Nucky’s highways. She needs to be reminded who she’s dealing with.

And there you have it. The exciting prohibition, killing, sexy, corrupted and thrilling season two of Boardwalk Empire comes to an end. We saw the No. 2’s rise up and fail in the big boy shoes. We saw the emotional wherewithal Jimmy’s mother put on him. We saw heroin come into the mix. We saw Nucky nearly get thrown in jail. We saw guns. We saw Margaret cheat on the husband who has given her and her children everything. We saw it all. Who knows what will happen next. All I can say;

You didn’t disappoint Scorsese. 

Boardwalk Empire - December 4, 2011

Forgive my tardiness. All my shows have been piling up lately.

Two weeks ago, we saw one of the most bizarre episodes in the Boardwalk Empire series. Like every other show, at one point or another, they have a “blast from the past” episode. Jumping back to college, we see Jimmy doing quite well at Princeton. We all assumed he failed out and joined the army because of this. Something must have happened. We find out exactly what that is later in the episode.

Jimmy’s mother comes to visit her son for a nice college hang out (yea right). In her flirtatious manner, his mother becomes the center of attention at a social gathering with members of the upper class and a few professors. We see his mother talking, laughing and drinking, almost as if she was the popular sorority sister. We all knew something was going to happen. After seeing his mom stumble out of a hallway, Jimmy notices her dress has been ripped. A second later, we see the very same professor who encouraged Jimmy to not forget who he is and reassured that he was on the right track, stumble out as well. Putting two and two together, Jimmy punches out his teacher, likely resulting in expulsion.

Next, we see Jimmy and his mother return to his room drunk beyond their minds. After some questionable behaviors by his mother, Jimmy starts to put his mother to bed. His mother confides that she sometimes sees the world as just Jimmy and herself and no one else is matters. After some emotional banter by the mother, and some questionable mother/son actions, they presumable “make love” that night. If that isn’t enough to screw with an eighteen-year-old’s head, I don’t know what is. The next morning, the mother is gone and assuming an expulsion, Jimmy enlists in the army.

Let’s now evaluate the emotional, physical and mental harm Jimmy’s mother has caused him;

• She discouraged his relationship with Angela, even at the very beginning
• Due to her actions, he was on his way to expulsion from Princeton
• She forced him into sexual relations with her, causing unimaginable emotional distress on him
• She drove him away from Nucky and into his father’s arms
• She drove him into this new role as “head of Atlantic City” (which later costs him dearly)
• She later encouraged him to kill his father (keep in mind, Jimmy already stabbed him in self-defense)

Is she a true manipulator (like another character my readers know about) that no one knew or is she truly in love with her son? How much more can Jimmy endure from this monster?

Share your thoughts on this thrilling second to last episode of Boardwalk Empire.

House – November 28, 2011

Please forgive me loyal House fans. With the two-week break, I forgot to write about our last episode. Like every other Monday, we start by getting a little background on our future patient. The show brought us to a court room where a successful lawyer seems to have a heart attack. Surely it can’t be that simple. After searching the patient’s home, we find out he owns enough guns to “defend Fort Knox.” How ironic that House’s patient has over 100 guns, something House would have never have any interest in, right?

Back at the hospital, during their first diagnosis, House asks Adams and Chase to choose their “partner” on the first assignment. They both immediately say Taub. Adams sees her choice as no big deal. House, on the other hand, uses this against Adams and Park for the rest of the episode. Why is that? Is it strictly to get the best out of Adams or Park, or is it just for his entertainment? Why does House feel the need to put Park through the last kid picked at kickball routine? More in this later.

Next, let’s jump into Foreman’s issues. We saw the same thing with Cuddy seasons ago. As Dean of medicine, they had/have a demanding job. People who do not throw themselves into it simply fail. Their regular duties, on top of babysitting House, can be very time consuming. But, that is the route Foreman is taking. Chase and Taub have other ideas. They feel Foreman needs to get out more, date, have fun and do whatever. Have they met Foreman? He has been like this for the entire series. He barely let Taub stay with him when he had nowhere else to go. He clearly has no problem going on with life by himself. Then again, hooking up with a married woman could be good for him. Maybe it will force him to be more outgoing and drastic with some life decisions. Either way, it makes for good television.

Back to Park and House. Later on, we see Park trying to prove to House that she is normal and liked within the group. My first question is why does she care? She is not the type of person that strikes me as having the “I care what people think about me” mentality. My first instinct was to just prove House wrong. As we saw with Wilson in this episode, everyone likes to prove House wrong. But then, at the very end, we see Adams, Park and Chase in the elevator. Park, out of the blue, asks Chase out for a drink. Chase tries to come up with an excuse but Park is too smart for the “no dating within the team” routine. He reluctantly agrees. Of course we ask, why does Park do this? Is it to show Adams off, who is right next to her? Is it to bond with Chase? Is it to gain a new friend? Or does it have to do with House?

As a longtime fan, I can almost guarantee this action comes back to house. By going out with Chase in a social manner, Park will be able to use this against House the next time he threatens her with a popularity contest. Better yet, Park will be able to use Chase as her backup. I feel she is trying to turn the table on House, sort of proving she is more liked. I guess I was wrong with Park being the “I care what people think about me” mentality. Maybe it means something; maybe it doesn’t. Nevertheless, like every other decision in this show, an analysis must be done. 

Sons of Anarchy - November 29, 2011

What a difference one week makes. We are on the verge of a tremendous season finale that will no doubt say good bye to one main character (Clay) and perhaps a couple more (Jax ad Tara). But let’s not kid ourselves. For this series to continue, it needs its white and shinning prince which is Jackson Teller. Let’s jump into it.

The episode begins in the aftermath of the Clay shooting. Opie, after finding out that he killed his old man (in addition to his wife three seasons ago), had enough. However, to prevent a breakout in the club, Jax and Clay decide to blame the shooting on the Niners (which comes back to bite them in the you know what).

Later on, as Tara is getting ready to leave the hospital, Gemma comes to help (sure). She all of a sudden has the nerve to tell Tara all about Clay’s plan to kill her. First instinct is to ask, why now? Why did she wait two episodes to say something? Turns out, she was using this moment of honesty as leverage to get the letters. Gemma wants Jax to see them. Once again, as an audience, we are unsure why, but later find that the great manipulator was scheming up another master plan. More on this later.

Let’s jump to the chase scene. After Tig decides to take club issues into his own hand, the Niners want blood. What I liked most about this scene was how the rest of the club came to the rescue. They surround Tig and provide an easy getaway as Jax and Chibs shoot up the first car. I want to dive into the loyalty of this action. No one asked why or what Tig did. They immediately came to his aid and saved his life. Ironically enough, it was Tig who two episodes ago said this club was losing its morals and its way. When push comes to shove, they know exactly how to get behind a member.

Back to the main issue. The scene of the season. Gemma and Jax, in the boardroom, discussing the letters. As an audience, we expect Gemma to come all out with it. Once again, she chooses her own route. After taking only a portion of the letters to show Jax, she decides to blame everything, and I mean everything, on Clay alone. Because he won’t read all the letters (for now), Jax will have no idea Gemma and Unser played some role in JT’s death (and please, if someone knows more, post something here). Gemma wants to build so much anger into Jackson that he will have no choice but to kill Clay. Just like Opie, killing his father and an attempt on his wife, is too much to let go. Gemma leaves the room with some powerful advice.

“It’s in you,” Gemma said. “It’s who you are.

“Read them. See them in his hands and then you kill him. Then, you take your seat at this table; where you belong.”

Just after, we see Tara come around and provide the tool for killing Clay. She then has her own advice for her beloved husband.

“Do this and take us out of this poisonous town,” Tara said.

So who does Jax listen to? The mother he claims he would leave all season or his wife who has urged him to exit charming and the Sons all together? Here are some other burning questions as Tuesday’s finale approaches.

• What will happen it Opie and the club? I am pretty sure you can not shoot another member?
• What will happen with the cartel and the Irish? Will the deal go down or will the feds intervene?
• If the feds intervene, what will be the backlash on the Sons?
• What happens to Bobby in jail?
• What happens to Juice?
• If Clay makes it through, will he be voted out or banished?
• Most intriguing of all, will Jax leave the Sons?

Boardwalk Empire - November 27, 2011

Like many other shows coming to a conclusion, Boardwalk Empire began their “beginning to an end” episode last Sunday. As Nucky returns from overseas, we see him get back into the bootlegging game by selling Irish whiskey to a local merchant who currently has no employees due to the strike. Keep in mind, the only reason the workers are on strike is because of Nucky. Such a smart criminal.

Later on, we see a meeting of the new “supposed leaders of Atlantic City” trying to decide what to do as it is now tourist season in Atlantic City. The commodore, who can still barely talk, encourages them to just beat the workers on strike (African-Americans) senseless. Well, they did. During the bought, the attackers start beating on Police Chief Eli Thompson’s No. 2. They threw this into the agenda on the account of him opening his mouth to the DA, even though he didn’t really say much. Later on, we see Eli come greet his former police sergeant with some peas (what a great gift for someone who can not talk). He proposes the question, “When something bad happens to me, I think, what did I do?” Clearly, Eli wants him to know that he got this beat down because he ratted to the DA.  No one crosses a Thompson in Atlantic City.

The next scene that caught my attention was Nucky talking with Teddy, Margaret’s son. Throughout this series, we have seen Teddy staring at fires, whether it be Nucky’s father’s house or Emily’s toys (and I guarantee this will come into play later on). Now we see it affecting Nucky. Teddy tells his new father that he saw him burn the house down. Nucky’s then starts to talk about his father and you see a sigh in his face. As he was talking about his father, you could see how he yearned for a better relationship with his father. He then straight up lies to Teddy about not burning the house down. Funny how he probably wished his father was more honest with him and yet he is sitting here with a son who just started calling him dad and is lying to his face.

Throughout the entire episode, we see Jimmy and his associates having trouble selling their first big shipment of whiskey. History tells us that these guys, Jimmy and Al Capone, make it to the big stage. It’s as if everyone; mobster, writer, salesman, no matter your profession; everyone has trouble making it to the top.

Jumping to the end, Manny makes his way to Atlantic City to avenge his attempted killing. He finds Jimmy’s wife, Angela, in bed with “Jimmy” in the shower. Turns out, Angela’s female lover was in the shower. Manny kills her not knowing it wasn’t Jimmy, putting an end to that lesbian relationship. And before Manny kills Angela, he says the most important thing in life is our health and your husband caused this. Boom!

So, with only two episodes left, what can we expect? Will Jimmy, Charley and Al make it in the bootlegging business or will Nucky retake his territory? How will Jimmy avenge his wife’s killing? What will happen with Nucky’s court case? Surely he can’t go to jail. This show is nothing without the great Steve Buscemi.

Author’s prediction – Jimmy and his aspiring group of leaders fail. Nucky beats his court case. Nucky finds out about his wife cheating and has Jimmy, who has a failed leadership, kill his No.2. Later on, Nucky arranges the murder of the commodore, putting an end to any upbringing.  

One thing is for sure. Martin Scorsese will not disappoint. 

Sons of Anarchy - November 22, 2011

Welcome Sons of Anarchy fans. Let’s dive into maybe one of the more confusing action-packed dramas on TV right now. We ended last episode with Opie finding his father dead at the cabin. He immediately finds out from former Police Chief Unser that Clay accomplished this horrific killing. Let me remind you, Clay has killed Opie’s wife, whom he never really got over, and now his father (really father-in-law), which the series never likes to point out. What will he do next? I will get back to that later.

I want to jump to Gemma. Despite getting her faced bashed in by Clay (of course), she is one of the toughest woman on TV. She stands up to the guys like no one else. In order to be that tough, you have to read people. Gemma, being one of the most manipulative characters on television, can do that with the best. She has done it since the very first season. Just a couple of quotes from this episode proving my point; “I do what I always do. I take care of my family,” Gemma tells Opie. “I am protecting what took me 20 years to build,” Gemma tells Unser. She really feels she controls this club. Maybe she does.

Next I want to jump to the babies and the older Irishmen. First off, what is with them and abducting children? We saw this last season with Jax’s son. Now we see an entire orphanage of them. We later find out they are selling babies? I wonder what the market is for children in southern California. Very weird.

Later on, we see Clay talking to the Cameron Hayes, who I am assuming is at the top of the IRA. They both mention how Jax has been a hothead lately. How ironic that Clay says that because in the last season alone, he killed Piney, threatened and tried to kill his daughter-in-law (kind of), made a decision that killed two members of SAMCRO and beat his wife. All of this caught up to him (finally) and was shot at the end of this episode by Opie (however I am not convinced he is dead just yet). Other than that, I honestly am not sure what the conversation between Hayes and Clay was about. Anyone have an idea?

I know I am all over the place, but I wanted to fit in as many thoughts as I could for my first Son’s post.

Here are some final nuggets.

• Preventing Tara from leaving Charming, Clay threatens her about the JT letters. Will she tell Jax?
• Gemma started threatening Tara as well (Once again, manipulation at play). Will she tell Jax?
• What does Jax do now that he saw Opie kill Clay?
• Will Bobby get word out that Otto ratted on him (with good reason I might add)?
• What will happen with the cartel?

In due time.

Dexter - November 27, 2011 "Get Gellar"

Let me start off by saying what a great twist we saw in this week’s episode. As some people might have seen while others had no idea what was coming, we found out that Travis too has a dark passenger, maybe. Unlike Dexter, it comes in the form of an older, crazy professor. But let’s put these thoughts aside for the moment.

I want to go back to my last post. The title of the last episode was “Sin of Omission,” or in other words, the sin of doing nothing when you know there is something to be done. I brought up the idea of Dexter keeping information to himself and the possibility of someone getting hurt or killed because of his selfishness. Well, it didn’t take long to create another example of this.

In “Get Gellar” we saw maybe the most exciting post dead body reaction in this entire series. Gellar’s (or really Travis’s) victim this episode was Professor Casey. Dexter knew he was the next target. Hell, he even helped lead Travis to Casey. However, never, even for an instant, did he think of telling the police, his sister, Anderson or Bautista about DDK’s potential next victim. As a result, he ends up dying. And then, after the bowls of blood falls on everyone (great scene), we get the greatest quote of the season. “Gellar hasn’t seen wrath until he’s seen mine.” I got chills. But in the end, Dexter’s Sin of Omission was very evident.

Now let’s get to the twist. In the blogs I have been reading, numerous people suggested Gellar was not alive but perhaps a dark passenger. Which, when you think about it, makes sense. No one, other than Travis, had actually seen Gellar in the past three years. We never saw him perform any of the kills. When Gellar and Travis were out in public, no one talked to them. We saw Gellar hit Travis over the head with a shovel, but nothing after that. So in hindsight, it does make sense. I think this hints could come in handy with other programs and predicting the future.

But I will let other bloggers talk about this one, as all will undoubtedly fill their pages with this text (all of them claiming they saw it coming). But questions to think about are; is Gellar more of a dark passenger or is Travis a true schizophrenic? What will happen with LaGuerta and Matthews? How involved was Matthews in that case? Why does Louis have the Ice Truck Killer hand? Does anyone find it odd that he has the hand that ended up costing the person’s job that he now has? Is he really that rich from making video games? Only three episodes to answer them all.

Dexter - November 20, 2011 "Sin of Omission"

The theme, according to the writers of this episode, is sin of omission or sinning by doing nothing. The idea of it comes up in the diner when Dexter is trying to build trust with Travis so he can eventually lead him to Gellar. However, my mind raced away from Gellar and Travis at the moment.

When the episode first started, fans should immediately flock to the question of what are Dexter’s sins of omission. First thought to my mind was the dangers of not telling the police everything he knows. Dexter, throughout the entire series, has proven to be a better detective than most others on the show, including his sister, the new lieutenant. In order to grab his victims first, he holds back information. Do we ever think of the consequences of these actions? Has Dexter ever been too late to save a life? Two examples immediately come to mind, one being in this episode.

Dexter knew about Travis two or three episodes before “Sin of Omission.” Now, due to some of Dexter’s and Travis’s actions, Lisa Marshall, Gellar’s No. 2 sister, is dead (in great fashion I might add). What if Dexter said something earlier? Would they have caught Travis? Would they have caught Gellar and prevented Lisa’s death? Yes this would most likely prevent Gellar from becoming a slide in Dexter’s box, however, Lisa Marshall would be alive and well.

The next example, and probably the most famous sin of omission in the entire series, deals with Trinity. Dexter and Trinity had their battles, knowingly on both sides, for five or six episodes (Dexter knew about him way before he realized Dexter had a dark passenger). Dexter knew who Trinity was and what he was doing. In the end, Dexter got him to the table and killed the famous Trinity (John Lithgow – the best side character we have seen in this series). However, Trinity killed Rita, Dexter’s wife. One has to think what would have happened had Dexter told someone earlier. Would Rita still be alive and well? Who knows.

For the sake of keeping this short, the only other issue I would like to discuss deals with Deb. First of all, why was she so emotional in this episode? It’s like she was doing all she could to piss off Dexter, known for having little, if any emotion whatsoever. Other than that, I picked up on something when she was talking to the psychiatrist. She was going over the Lisa Marshall murder and mentioned how Lisa (as a sister), was protecting Travis and that she gets killed for it. Think about that for a second. Lisa, a sister, felt like she had to protect Travis, her brother, because of something he is involved in and ends up getting killed. Foreshadow anyone? Now I can’t see Deb getting killed anytime soon, but I thought that was a great scene that all Dexter fans should remember in future episodes.

Stay tuned for more Dexter talk and analysis with the TV Enthusiast. I hear next week’s episode is amazing. Can’t wait to see it.

Harry’s Law - 11/2/11

First thing to know about this show is it is not a popular one as of right now. Like many shows before it, Harry’s Law is another classic law and order program that most likely only lawyers watch. On the other hand, maybe some people watch it to see what it is like to be lawyer. Some may be interested in the relationships lawyers and their clients form. Some may be interested in the relationships defenders, prosecutors and judges have. Myself? I watch it because I get a feel of what it would be like to be a lawyer.

This particular episode made me write because of the emotional appeal. An old friend of Harry’s, Puck, came to Harry for help because he was accused of aiding and abetting in a kidnapping. A client of Puck’s took a child and Puck did what he thought was right and negotiated to get the little girl back to her family. However, in doing so, the kidnapper got away with $2 million.

For the sake of this article, we will ignore what is right and what is wrong. We will ignore that Puck had a societal and professional responsibility to report this kidnapping to the police. What I want to concentrate on is Harry’s defense to the jury.

Society is sold that court decisions should be made based on facts and evidence. After all, if the gloves fits. However, Harry did not win this case because the evidence was on her side. She did not win the case because Puck got the girl back safely. Harry won this case because she appealed to the jury’s heart. In her closing argument, Harry first asked the jury to put themselves in the shoes of the parents of the kidnapped girl. What would they have wanted Puck to do? Go to the police who only have a 60% success rate of getting children back? Or do what he could to get the girl back safely? Needless to say, we all know what the jury was thinking.

Next, as defenders tend to do, Harry asked the jury to put themselves in Puck’s shoes. Seven years before this case, Puck was faced with the exact same situation. He chose not to negotiate with the kidnappers. That abducted boy was eventually murdered. So what would any human being do in this case? Why would anyone make the same decision again that resulted in a murder? Harry engrained this decision in the jury’s heads. How would anyone disagree with Puck? Yes he didn’t go by the law, but he got the job done. Harry got the jury to put law aside and go with their heart. They knew Puck could not make the same decision again. By putting the in Puck’s shoes, Harry knew they couldn’t send this “hero” to jail. No evidence needed. Harry got Puck off because of emotion and heart. Just another way to look at law and enjoy Harry’s Law. 

House – Oct 17, 2011

In this episode of House, one might think the inner story was about 13 and whether or not she should come back to the show. Not really reading about her plans outside of “House”, I didn’t expect her to stay and judging by how the episode concluded, I’d say I was right.

The aspect of this episode that jumped out at me was Park. When first introduced, avid “House” watchers had to be thinking, “Why is this little dork, unattractive girl on the show?” Well other than being extremely bright, like we saw last season, she follows a set of rules that only one other person on earth goes by. Shockingly, that would be Gregory House.

This episode started off with a man, who other Fox viewers might recognize from “Prison Break”, donating one million dollars to a shelter that helps those in need. Right away, before we even see him collapse and turn into House’s patient, we know his generosity would come into question. However, I bet not all of us saw it coming from Park.

In the first diagnosis scene, Park, in an effort to keep the patient, tells Foreman that the only symptom is supreme altruism. Many people wouldn’t see this as a symptom, just like the attractive doctor, not 13, that House brought back (and for some reason, I cannot remember when she was in this show). Immediately after this scene, that question of why she is in this series hit me. The writers are forming another House. She may not be as smart, but she has many similar social tendencies as House. Some of those include; seeing good faith as a symptom as opposed to a gesture of goodwill, weary of why people do everyday tasks such as give, ignore social norms, stand up to superiors and is smart as a rock.

However, some similarities don’t mean they are one in the same. First and foremost, we saw Park couldn’t accept gifts. That couldn’t be further from the truth with House. And the obvious distinction is that House is the genius in the group. No matter how many young med students or first year doctors they put on his team, no one will surpass him.

So as I watch from here on out, I will keep an eye out for more tendencies between Park and House. More importantly, what do they mean to the show? Why did the writer choose to portray Park in this matter? If they are so similar, what estimations can we make for the rest of the series? By the end, we won’t only answer why she is in the show, but what she can bring that we haven’t seen before; not even from house.