Paul Levinson's Blog: Levinson at Large, page 287

The Americans 3.3: End Justifies the Means

The Americans, as of its third episode of its third season, has not yet established a compelling centerpiece story.   Instead, it has given us individually and appealing threads and story lines.  But I'm wondering how long it will be before we get a central story as strong as what we saw in the first two seasons, when we were first getting to know Elizabeth and Philip and their struggles to be both spies and family.

Among the most memorable bits from last night, though -
Elizabeth training a new recruit, who's smitten by her.  She likes him, too, even though she puts a break on it.  Will be interesting to see where this goes.  Philip seems to be taking this pretty much in stride, for now, in a scene in which we see Elizabeth naked from behind - I guess you could call that conversation an example of the end justifying the means, literally and figuratively.Elizabeth and Philip have a very close call in their evasion of Fed agents, including Stan, who seem to be getting closer and closer to nabbing our anti-heroes.   In what was probably the best scene of the episode, Philip rolls out of a moving car, and the Soviets send in some interference to help Elizabeth get away from the U.S. agents.  It was a scene that could have been in a top-draw espionage move.In another good scene with Elizabeth and Philip, he extracts - with a wrench - two teeth that have been causing Elizabeth lots of pain.   In a weird way, there's almost an erotic overtone in this scene, as she opens her mouth wide.  This typifies the mixture of pain and pleasure which is their lives.The closest to a central continuing story continues to be Paige, and the brewing tension over when - and whether - she will be brought into the business.   Philip is strongly against this, and Elizabeth will probably move closer to Philip's position, too - but that will put both of them in conflict with their Soviet bosses.There's been much less, so far, from inside the Soviet embassy this season.   And we've yet to see Stan involved in a crucial story, as he was last year with Nina.  Let's get moving.  When it comes to television, time's winged chariot is always hurrying near.
See also The Americans 3.1: Caring for People We Shouldn't
And see also The Americans 2.1-2: The Paradox of the Spy's Children ... The Americans 2.3: Family vs. Mission ... The Americans 2.7: Embryonic Internet and Lie Detection ... The Americans 2.9: Gimme that Old Time Religion ...The American 2.12: Espionage in Motion ... The Americans Season 2 Finale: Second Generation

And see also The Americans: True and Deep ... The Americans 1.4: Preventing World War III ... The Americans 1.11:  Elizabeth's Evolution ... The Americans Season 1 Finale: Excellent with One Exception

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The Americans 3.2: End Justifies the Means

The Americans, as of its third episode of its third season, has not yet established a compelling centerpiece story.   Instead, it has given us individually and appealing threads and story lines.  But I'm wondering how long it will be before we get a central story as strong as what we saw in the first two seasons, when we were first getting to know Elizabeth and Philip and their struggles to be both spies and family.

Among the most memorable bits from last night, though -
Elizabeth training a new recruit, who's smitten by her.  She likes him, too, even though she puts a break on it.  Will be interesting to see where this goes.  Philip seems to be taking this pretty much in stride, for now, in a scene in which we see Elizabeth naked from behind - I guess you could call that conversation an example of the end justifying the means, literally and figuratively.Elizabeth and Philip have a very close call in their evasion of Fed agents, including Stan, who seem to be getting closer and closer to nabbing our anti-heroes.   In what was probably the best scene of the episode, Philip rolls out of a moving car, and the Soviets send in some interference to help Elizabeth get away from the U.S. agents.  It was a scene that could have been in a top-draw espionage move.In another good scene with Elizabeth and Philip, he extracts - with a wrench - two teeth that have been causing Elizabeth lots of pain.   In a weird way, there's almost an erotic overtone in this scene, as she opens her mouth wide.  This typifies the mixture of pain and pleasure which is their lives.The closest to a central continuing story continues to be Paige, and the brewing tension over when - and whether - she will be brought into the business.   Philip is strongly against this, and Elizabeth will probably move closer to Philip's position, too - but that will put both of them in conflict with their Soviet bosses.There's been much less, so far, from inside the Soviet embassy this season.   And we've yet to see Stan involved in a crucial story, as he was last year with Nina.  Let's get moving.  When it comes to television, time's winged chariot is always hurrying near.
See also The Americans 3.1: Caring for People We Shouldn't
And see also The Americans 2.1-2: The Paradox of the Spy's Children ... The Americans 2.3: Family vs. Mission ... The Americans 2.7: Embryonic Internet and Lie Detection ... The Americans 2.9: Gimme that Old Time Religion ...The American 2.12: Espionage in Motion ... The Americans Season 2 Finale: Second Generation

And see also The Americans: True and Deep ... The Americans 1.4: Preventing World War III ... The Americans 1.11:  Elizabeth's Evolution ... The Americans Season 1 Finale: Excellent with One Exception

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Better Call Saul 1.1: The Challenge of Prequels and Spinoffs

Well, I saw the first episode of Better Call Saul, the ballyhooed Breaking Bad prequel on AMC last night.   I'll probably see the second episode, if not tonight, then sooner or later.

Here are some of my impressions -


It's not Breaking Bad.  It has some of its absurdity (which is good) but almost none of its intensity (the lack of which is not good)It has lots of color and humor - all of which is goodIt's a highly original lawyer show - but which I mean, I've never seen another lawyer  show like it on television.  As a new entry in very well worn genre, Better Call Saul is welcomeThe show does have Mike - one of the best characters from Breaking Bad, and that gives us some promise of more interesting situations to come.All in all, prequels are a tough proposition, in any kind of story telling - novels, movies, television.   If you stick too closely to the original characters, you'll be deprived of a lot of surprise, since you know what will happen.  There is some fun in seeing people you've come to know very well in their earlier life, but that only goes so far.   The Star Wars prequel trilogy is the only counter-example I can think of, and although those movies were excellent, I thought they weren't quite as good as the original movies, anyway.

Spin-offs on television are slightly different, in that they can take place at the same time as the original success, or slightly after.   They've worked to an extent on everything on television ranging from sitcoms - The Jeffersons and Maude spinning off from All in the Family - and to dramas - Knots Landing from Dallas and the whole host of CSIs from CSI.   But even in those cases, the spin-offs were never quite as good as the brilliant originals.   The same is true for NCIS-LA and NCIS-New Orleans, which are pretty good, but not quite up the masterful mix of the original NCIS (itself a spin-off of JAG, and therefore an enormously successful exception to the general rule).

So Better Call Saul has tough but not impossible road to hoe.  I'll check back here later down the line.

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The Walking Dead 5.9: Another Death in the Family

The Walking Dead 5.9 was back after its winter break with another death in the family.  This kind of death - at the mouths of walkers - had to happen, to keep the series true to its roots.  Beth's death was more traumatic, but it was a death which didn't touch base with the basic, omnipresent environment of the series:  walkers who can kill you just about any place and any time.

Our crew has probably escaped these kinds of deaths more than is plausible, given the scenario of the series.  So, every once in a while, someone has to die that way - someone very important.  Herschel was bitten but survived.  If I'm not mistaken, the last truly major character of huge importance to the story to die because of a walker's bite directly or indirectly was Lori.

And so tonight it was Tyreese.   In many ways, he'd become the heart and soul of the show, because of his kindness and gentle spirit.  And he was given a great send-off, replete with cameos from, of course, Beth, but also surprises like the Governor.   His death thus marked an important rite and night of passage from what has happened before on The Walking Dead to what will now come after.

I had to say I was hoping, as the story unfolded, for another resolution.  It would be nice in some episode, sooner or later, to come upon someone with a natural immunity to the walkers' bites and the illness they spread.  That someone could well have been Tyreese.   But it was not to be.

And that's not really surprising, because The Walking Dead never was and never will be about nice. It's about the indomitable human spirit standing up to almost impossibly overwhelming odds, with almost all cards stacked against it, and if not winning, at least staying in the game.

What will happen in the end?   We'll just have to wait until the end of the series to know.  In the meantime, Washington DC beckons.

See also: The Walking Dead 5.1: The Redemption of Carole ... The Walking Dead 5.3: Meets Alfred Hitchcock and The Twilight Zone ... The Walking Dead 5.4: Hospital of Horror ... The Walking Dead 5.5: Anatomy of a Shattered Dream ... The Walking Dead 5.6-7: Slow ... The Walking Dead 5.8: Killing the Non-Killer

And see also The Walking Dead 4.1: The New Plague ... The Walking Dead 4.2: The Baby and the Flu ... The Walking Dead 4.3: Death in Every Corner ...The Walking Dead 4.4: Hershel, Carl, and Maggie ... The Walking Dead 4.6: The Good Governor ... The Walking Dead 4.7: The Governor's Other Foot ... The Walking Dead 4.8: Vintage Fall Finale ... The Walking Dead 4.9: A Nightmare on Walking Dead Street ... The Walking Dead 4:14: Too Far ... The Walking Dead Season 4 Finale: From the Gunfire into the Frying Pan

And see also The Walking Dead 3.3 meets Meadowlands ... The Walking Dead 3.4: Going to the Limit ... The Walking Dead 3.9: Making Crazy Sense ... The Walking Dead 3.10: Reinforcements ... The Walking Dead 3.11: The Patch ... The Walking Dead 3.12: The Lesson of Morgan ... The Walking Dead 3.13: The Deal ... The Walking Dead 3.14: Inescapable Parable ... The Walking Dead 3.15: Merle ... The Walking Dead 3.16: Kill or Die, or Die and Kill
And see also The Walking Dead Back on AMC ... The Walking Dead 2.2: The Nature of Vet  ... The Walking Dead 2.3: Shane and Otis ... The Walking Dead 2.4: What Happened at the Pharmacy ... The Walking Dead 2.6: Secrets Told ... The Walking Dead 2.7: Rick's Way vs. Shane's Way ...  The Walking Dead 2.8: The Farm, the Road, and the Town  ... The Walking Dead 2.9: Worse than Walkers ... The Walking Dead 2.11: Young Calling the Shots ... The Walking Dead 2.12: Walkers Without Bites ... The Walking Dead Season 2 FinaleAnd see also The Walking Dead 1.1-3:  Gone with the Wind, Zombie Style ... The Walking Dead Ends First Season
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no cannibalism but at least a plague in The Consciousness Plague
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Banshee 3.5: Almost the Alamo

It was almost the Alamo on Banshee 3.5 last night, as Chayton finally flexes his full muscle and launches a fearsome attack on the sheriff's headquarters aka the jailhouse.  The jail is actually significant in this epic assault, because Proctor is locked up, and a significant part of the story occurs when Hood - who locked Proctor up in the first place - releases Proctor to help in the fight, much to Brock's rage.

Unfortunately, Burton was nowhere to be seen - he had every reason to show up and see why Proctor was under lock-up - but apparently he had no idea that that's where his boss was.   If Burton had been on hand, it would have been a much more equal fight, likely without the punishingly tragic ending. (In case you haven't seen this episode, don't read any further.)

The ending unfortunately did make perfect sense in the unfolding narrative of this season.  Once Siobhan learned that Hood was an impostor, there were very few viable choices for the series. Certainly Hood leaving Banshee, with or without Siobhan, was not one of them.   She could have accepted him and his deception, which is where she was headed when Chayton did his ultimate damage and wrung her neck, but her death was sadly a better way for this problem to be resolved. Now Hood doesn't have to look over his shoulder every time he does something that Siobhan might not have approved of or appreciated.

Still, she was an excellent character, and her murder leaves Hood not only with a huge motive to get Chayton - though he didn't really need one - but a huge hole in his emotional life.   What will he do to fill this?  Pull close again to Carrie?  Well, he was never really that far from her - emotionally - and we've already seen them close.   So will there be someone else?

The more I think about it, the more I'm expecting Siobhan's loss to in the long run really change the balance and the chemistry of Banshee.  Will be fun to see where this goes.

See also Banshee 3.1: Taking Stock ... Banshee 3.2: Women in Charge ...Banshee 3.3: Burton vs. Nola ... Banshee 3.4: Burton and Rebecca

And see also Banshee Season 2 Premiere: Sneak Preview Review ... Banshee 2.2: Sneak Preview Review ... Banshee 2.3 Sneak Preview Review ... Banshee 2.4 Sneak Preview Review ... Banshee 2.5: Sneak Preview Review ... Banshee 2.6: Sneak Preview Review ... Banshee 2.7: Sneak Preview Review ... Banshee 2.8: Sneak Preview Review ... Banshee 2.9 Sneak Preview Review ... Banshee Season 2 Finale: Sneak Preview Review ... Banshee Season 2 Finale: Just Right and Shattering


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Black Sails 2.3: "I Angered Charles Vane"

"I Angered Charles Vane" - that was the sign hung around Ned Low's head, on a pole, in the altogether excellent Black Sails 2.3 tonight.

Low was a tough customer, in real history and his brief tenure is this series. He put up a strong fight, and nearly got the better of Vane, who we knew all along was the better man - both mentally (he's pretty sane) and apparently physically, as well.

Vane's sweet compensation for this is Eleanor jumping into his arms and bed.   Even though he tells her he didn't kill Low for her, her gratitude is understandably boundless.   So now we know why Vane stood by last week as Low got his run of Eleanor's bar: it was to set the stage for this week's action.

But all of this is prelude to the real story for this season, which will be none other than Flint versus Vane, with Eleanor for now at least on Vane's side.   Flint, for his part, realizes that Nassau is a better prize then the Orca, and maybe a good stepping stone towards that bounty, too.

The back story is fitting in nicely as well, as we see Flint before he became a pirate edging ever closer to breaking the rules of his polite society.   In many ways, this historic character is the most interesting on the show.  Because although we know where he'll end up, we have no idea specifically how he gets there.

Rackham had a good night, too, finally invited to join Max and Anne to make an honest menage a trois out of it.   He's still intent on getting his own ship.   Whom will he support in the upcoming battle between Flint and Vane?  Likely Flint, but we'll have to see, and, while we're at it, I can't quite see Eleanor staying with Vane to the end in this battle, much as she enjoyed his killing of the mad Low and her time in bed with Vane.

See also Black Sails 2.1: Good Combo, Back Story, New Blood ... Black Sails 2.2: A Fine Lesson in Captaining

And see also Black Sails: Literate and Raunchy Piracy ... Black Sails 1.3: John Milton and Marcus Aurelius ... Black Sails 1.4: The Masts of Wall Street ...Black Sails 1.6: Rising Up ... Black Sails 1.7: Fictions and History ... Black Sails 1.8: Money

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pirates of the mind in The Plot to Save Socrates 

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12 Monkeys series 1.4: "Uneasy Math"

A really fine, logically tight, throughly perfect time-looped episode 1.4 of 12 Monkeys tonight, which starts off with a significant conversation between Cole and Railly in 2015 about "uneasy math".  This would be the inevitable logic of needing to kill a small number of people, maybe even innocent, to stop the plague that would kill billions of human beings if the plague gets going.

But the real math and guts of the story takes place in the 2040s future, in which we're fully introduced to the group we first saw last week, led by ruthless Deacon. He's the leader of some 200 people who are immune from the virus.  But they can't wait to inherit the world - because they're not immune to other causes of death, like knives and bullets - so they've taken it upon themselves to take what they need and destroy any threats, real or potential, including the time travel facility - which they know is a facility for something they don't trust - and Jones, Ramse, Cole, and everyone within.

And indeed, Deacon almost does - which is where the time-looped fun really begins.  As Deacon's attack proceeds, Cole hears Ramse being shot to death in an adjoining room.  Jones sends Cole back for a rare and difficult short jump to stop this - and her impending death and the destruction of the facility at the hands of Deacon and his people - just as Deacon and company are breaking in to the time travel room.   Bullets fly through and by Cole as his body's on the way to the past.   He makes it back there, and we're treated to a great little story that gets him back to the present just in time to save Ramse and Jones, with all the proper markers and voices we heard the first time around properly accounted for.  That's what I call a time travel looped story.

So in effect we get a story within the larger story - which is stopping, or trying to stop, the plague - which gives us a bit of hope, because if a loop can be mined so well to work in the short term, why not in the longer, plague-stopping story as well?

And just to make matters even more interesting, here's my stray, likely wrong thought for the night: can Railly and Jones be the same person?  I know the accent is wrong, but the ages are right, the looks are compatible, and - nah, that's likely not the case, but in case it turns out to be, you read it here first.

See you next time!

See also 12 Monkeys series on SyFy: Paradox Prominent and Excellent ...12 Monkeys 1.2: Your Future, His Past ... 12 Monkeys 1.3:  Paradoxes, Lies, and Near Intersections

podcast review of Predestination and 12 Monkeys


 three time travel novels: the Sierra Waters trilogy


two time travel stories (with more to come)


The Chronology Protection Case movie 

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Black Sails 2.2: A Fine Lesson in Captaining

A thoroughly outstanding episode 2.2 of Black Sails  on Saturday, in which Flint in his customary display of brilliance and cunning regains his rightful place.

He begins by giving Dufresne some advice about which winds and route to take.  It was clear that this advice was designed to suit Flint not Dufresne, though it dawned on him at the end of episode, when he was already deposed as Captain.  Along the way, we get a running narrative on what a captain should do and keep in mind when approaching a victim ship.   This was actually good advice - a fine lesson in captaining - but, it, too, was given because Flint knew Dufresne would fail when put to the test.  The advice was predicated on the captain of the captured ship thinking he had no chance against a pirate captain like Flint.  Dufresne's serious and intelligent, but lacks the essential instinct of a pirate captain, and it shows.  Meanwhile, just to underline this point, we see clean-cut Flint back in London displaying some of inchoate anger inside him that would make him much less clean-cut but a captain for the ages in the Americas.

There was also a great scene in Eleanor's bar in Nassau, as mad Ned Low kills not only his second-in-command, but a pretty tough bunch seeking to enforce Eleanor's strong request that Low should leave.   Of special note in this scene is Charles, who stands by and watches all of this.  Later, Eleanor appeals to him to help, and offers the prize on the ship Low captured as bait, but why didn't Charles come to Eleanor's help in the bar?  Surely he can take Low - or thinks he can - so he failed to take action then, why?  Because it wasn't his business (yet), and he didn't think Eleanor was in any real danger.

There were also a good few moments between Anna, Max, and Rackham, in which he proposes a three-way pirate consortium, which should be fun to watch as it develops.  But, Rackham is guilty of a grammatical infelicity, earlier in the episode, when he talks about driving "a wedge between my partner and I".   Again, as I pointed out last week, the correct usage, then and now, would be "between my partner and me".

But the knives and swords are more important than the nitpicks in this series, so bring it on.

See also Black Sails 2.1: Good Combo, Back Story, New Blood

And see also Black Sails: Literate and Raunchy Piracy ... Black Sails 1.3: John Milton and Marcus Aurelius ... Black Sails 1.4: The Masts of Wall Street ...Black Sails 1.6: Rising Up ... Black Sails 1.7: Fictions and History ... Black Sails 1.8: Money

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pirates of the mind in The Plot to Save Socrates 


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Helix 2.3: Deterioration of Immortality

Hiroshi is back on Helix - in episode 2.3, the 30 years into the future part.   He adds an important, likely crucial piece to the slowly emerging picture, which is no lightning epidemic but a creeping menace.

He's on the island which is now clearly the locale of the story this season. He looks the same - 30 years is nothing for someone who's an immortal.  But he's suffering from hallucinations, and the visit of Julia brings and confirms the surprising news that there may be flaws and limits to the immortality.

Which raises an important question.   Why is Julia's immortal body beginning to break down, when Hiroshi's - her father's and therefore older body - is not?  Or perhaps we're being told that Hiroshi's mentality is beginning to go, another kind of breakdown.  If that is so, can we believe him when he tells Julia he can cure her immortality deterioration?

Meanwhile, back in our present, we get some strong - if always inconclusive - developments in the cult farm on the island.   Kyle is nearly stoned to death by children, usually sweet, but now afflicted not only with violence but darting eyes.  The scene was a good Village of the Damned little set piece - and, indeed, it may well be that the children are aliens.

As was the case for most in the first season, Ilaria looms evilly in the background.  Julia reveals to Hiroshi under the influence of the truth serum he gives her that she's working for Ilaria.   But the better question is who's working for Ilaria 30 years earlier, in our present, on the island and in the CDC?

Helix continues to put provocative pieces on the board.  But I'm still looking forward to seeing them much more in play.

See also Helix 2.1: Improved and Intriguing ... Helix 2.2: 15 Months Pregnant
And see also Helix 1.1-1.3: Zombies with Biology ... Helix 1.4: Cold DNA ...Helix 1.5: In the White Room ... Helix 1.6: Good New Clues, Nutcracker Not Sweet ... Helix 1.7: Bright Eyes ... Helix 1.8: Glacial Speed ... Helix 1.9: Brass Tacks ... Helix 1.10: The Curse of Immortality ...Helix 1.11: Spiral Narrative ... Helix 1.12: 500 Years ... Helix Season 1 Finale: A Better Clime

all kinds of epidemics in this trilogy
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Banshee 3.4: Burton and Rebecca

I'm a little late with my review of Banshee 3.4 - sorry - because I've been binge watching Sons of Anarchy.   The two shows actually have lot in common, both mainly taking place, as they do, in fictional small towns which seem to attract every kind miscreant and bad guy in the book.  An episode 3.4 of Banshee even had a biker.

But the main action in the episode took place in three other theaters.

Siobhan knows the truth about Hood.  Will she turn him in?   Unless the series were to undergo a change of brain, this of course can't happen.   Nor can Hood leave Banshee, as he tells Job, Carrie, and Dava he will, because that would also totally change the show.  So when Siobhan says she won't out him at the end, that's no surprise.  And we can also rest assured that something will happen between her demand that Hood resign and his resigning - which indeed happens at the very end with Chayton attacking the sheriff's headquarters.  Still, the scenes between Hood and Dava, and Hood and Carrie, were powerful.   But I just hope Hood's continuing as the law in Banshee isn't made possible by Siobhan dying as a result of Chayton's attack.

Chayton's understandably upset about the reversals his people and plans have been taking of late, most lately at the hands of Burton and Rebecca, in the best scene of the hour.  The expressions on their two faces as she accelerates the car, not to mention that Burton's now willing to work with her, are just priceless.   Will be fun to see where that goes from here.

The other big fight of the evening, between Proctor and Hood, I don't know what to say about.  But I will.  First, Hood's motivation is not completely clear.  He thinks he's leaving town, and he views Proctor as the main threat to the people he loves, so he wants to get him behind bars?   Seems a little forced as a motive.  And in the fight, it takes Hood about to wield a hammer to Proctor's head to win? That certainly doesn't feature Hood at his best, but maybe that's the point.

Back to Samcro, and I'll be back here next Friday with a review of the next episode of Banshee, which promises to be even more explosive than usual.

See also Banshee 3.1: Taking Stock ... Banshee 3.2: Women in Charge ... Banshee 3.3: Burton vs. Nola

And see also Banshee Season 2 Premiere: Sneak Preview Review ... Banshee 2.2: Sneak Preview Review ... Banshee 2.3 Sneak Preview Review ... Banshee 2.4 Sneak Preview Review ... Banshee 2.5: Sneak Preview Review ... Banshee 2.6: Sneak Preview Review ... Banshee 2.7: Sneak Preview Review ... Banshee 2.8: Sneak Preview Review ... Banshee 2.9 Sneak Preview Review ... Banshee Season 2 Finale: Sneak Preview Review ... Banshee Season 2 Finale: Just Right and Shattering


Like crime stories that involve the Amish? Try The Silk Code
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