Burn Notice 4x08

Oh, this is fun! Madeline Westen, Michael’s mother, gets arrested for lighting up a cigarette in a bank’s safety deposit vault. Michael and Jesse panic. How are they going to stop the cops from taking her downtown? She’s already sitting next to the car, explaining that she told the police she put an old photo of her dead husband in her deposit box and forgot where she was... Hahaha! Hilarious! The real point of her incident was that Mike and Jesse were checking the bank’s security, because they need to lift the box from the vault that may contain information about the global conspiracy they are trying to uncover. Meanwhile, Sam and Fiona are supposed to protect a wealthy businessman who is to unveil a new lithium battery that he fears someone is going to steal. Instead, Mexican criminals kidnap his wife, and Fiona, too. While Mike and Sam are trying to find where the Mexicans are holding them, Jesse fails to convince the husband not to release the 10 million dollars ransom. Resourceful as she is, Fiona is able to send a smoke signal through the air conditioning, and overpowers the leader, while Sam takes out one of the guards. The two others criminals are surprised to see Michael at the drop off location instead of the husband with the ransom. With the hostage situation taken care of, Mike and Jesse break into the vault, and find a coded bible inside the box – signed by Simon, the man who committed the acts of terrorism for which Michael was blacklisted, but Michael pretends he has no idea who he is.

Entourage 7x04

Things are starting to heat up around Vince’s entourage! Johnny Drama is nervous because he is going to meet his new co-star, none other than John Stamos (Full House)! When he arrives at the mansion, Stamos is more interested in Vince, until he sees a ping-pong table. Competitive as he is, Drama crushingly defeats him and Stamos dashes off without ever saying a word about the TV series. So, Drama has to repair the damage if ever he wants his show. Vince and Johnny stop by Stamos’ gym, where his Korean coach cannot believe anyone beat him. Drama offers a rematch and lets Stamos win to soothe his ego. Vince is excited about the Randall Wallace script, “Air-Walker,” and wants Eric to sign the deal. At the office, Eric is still sensitive about Scott. He’s afraid Scott will take away Vince as his client, and even as his friend. Eric needs Sloan’s advice to cool off and ease up on Scott. Eventually, they open up to each other and bond over the fact that they are working hard while their boss is off playing golf. Ari is preparing to meet a roomful of billionaires to realize his dream of bringing an NFL team to L.A. Meanwhile Lizzie Grant is busy taking revenge on Ari trying to steal half his clients. For his part, Turtle goes on a trip to Mexico with Alex, the girl he’s been dying to sleep with, but had to lay off ’cause she could never find her way around town. Now she’s all flirty and introduces him to family friends who would like to do business with him. That is to say, they are using him to get Vince to represent their fine tequila. Turtle is upset, but Alex persuades him to stay on, hinting she likes him, but refusing to have sex. All in all, good lighthearted fun!

True Blood 3x06

The King’s minions drag Bill and Sookie back to his mansion. Another fight ensues, in which Bill stakes one of the King’s vampires, Sookie begs Eric for help to no avail. Bill is taken to the slave quarters where Lorena is to kill him. Then Russell interrogates Sookie, about why Bill has been researching her family for telepaths, what that bolt of light was and what other powers she has, but she doesn’t have any answers. Lorena is loathe to kill Bill (heh, Kill Bill), but tortures him with silver blades and chains. She even allows weres (Debbie and Coot) to feed on Bill’s blood. Tara is also still in the mansion, tied up by Franklin. She deceives him into untying her and giving her his blood. Realizing Sookie is in the house, too, she sends her a telepathic message that she will come looking for her. Later Russell takes Eric to Queen Sophie-Ann, asking her to marry him, in return for which he will settle her debts. She reluctantly accepts. During the day, after crushing Franklin’s skull, Tara is able to rescue Sookie. They rush out. Sookie won’t leave before searching for Bill. Tara bumps into Alcide, while Lorena attacks Sookie – despite the daytime.

Crystal has told Jason to forget about her, yet still he pursues her. He arrives at her house with flowers, only to find she is engaged to some roughneck named Felton. I only have patience for Jason’s storyline, because of the anticipation for what’s to come next. But the whole ordeal with Sam and his blood family remains tiresome. His younger brother hopes to get out of his parents’ clutches through Sam. His mother urges him to realize, though, that his parents won’t be able to survive without him. Then it dawns on Sam that they are using his brother to earn money in dog fights. It was adorable seeing Lafayette fall for his mother’s nurse, Jesus. At first he thought he was “Satan in a Sunday hat,” despite his name, but after they open up to each other emotionally, they lean in and kiss. The two enter Lafayette’s home, talk religion before his syncretistic altar, but then hear men crashing his brand new car with baseball bats. It’s Felton and his crew. The two easily give the men a beating, but Jesus is appalled to learn that Lafayette deals drugs and vampire blood. He walks off. We are already halfway through the season and my enthusiasm starts to wane again. Let’s hope the show is going to up the ante soon.

Life: Plants

In the struggle for survival plants are perhaps even more inventive than animals devising solutions to the challenges of life. Unlike all other living creatures, plants require light to thrive – due to photosynthesis. While the rainforest would seem the most prosperous place for plants to live, they need to grow from the shades of the forest floor toward the light beyond the canopy. And if you cannot grow, you must climb, using adhesive pads or sharp claws or swirling coils. While bamboo can grow some 90 feet in just as many days, bristlecone pines grow over centuries at altitudes of several thousand feet – some being as old as five thousand years, the oldest living things on earth. To feed, the sundew uses sticky droplets on its tentacles to ensnare mosquitoes emerging from boggy waters, while the venus flytrap locks insects within their clambshell leaves. In the Antarctic cold of Tasmania’s Cradle Mountain, the richea produces nectar in the sun’s warmth to lure birds into pollinating the flowers. Even cleverer is the sandhill milkweed in the spring meadows of Florida, which defends itself from the onslaught of monarch caterpillars by spilling latex drops from its veins; yet once they pupate into butterflies, they, too, cannot resist the flowers’ nectar. But the most manipulative of plants enslave their pollinators, like the heliconia in Dominica, which forces the purple-throated Carib hummingbird, with its long curved beak to return time and again, by carefully rationing the amount of nectar.

They say the apple never falls far from the tree, but plants have contrived ingenious strategies for dispersing their seeds – so as to avoid competing with their offspring for space (think of helicopter seeds). The brunsvigia is carried along by the wind, stem and all, cartwheeling across the South African desert and casting about seeds. In Borneo, the alsomitra produces a ball-sized pod with seeds that glide hundreds of feet through the air on wafer-thin wings. The saguro cactus can survive the extreme conditions of Arizona’s Sorona desert by flowering in the cool of the night to attract bats, while its sweet fruits attract doves, tortoise and ants that will disperse its seeds miles away. On Socotra Island in the Arabian Sea, dragon blood trees survive with their bizarre shape (a thick trunk with branches that wave out in an upside down parasol) as their leaves catch drops of the occasional morning mist; while the desert rose has a hardy bulbous trunk that stores water. Mangroves can even stand the saltwater tides because their warty pores filter most of the salt and breathe in air when they are exposed. And grasses have created such a bond with one particular animal, that human civilization would have been impossible without wheat and rice. The entire episode is a feast of variegated hues, sunflowers, foxgloves, bromeliads and orchids. To capture the life of plants, the program uses extraordinary time-lapse photography, sometimes inventing new techniques in the process. And as a bonus, the backdrop features stunning footage of starry desert nights and aurora borealis. Truly, this is a must watch!

Mad Men 4x01

The best show on TV returns for a fourth season! Appropriately, the season premier is titled “Public Relations,” and the first words we hear are: “Who is Don Draper?” That’s a question on everybody’s mind. He has brought the Madison Avenue advertising firm Sterling Cooper to great heights and then encouraged his partners to start anew, as Sterling Cooped Draper Pryce. Out of a sense of misplaced modesty, Don doesn’t answer the reporter’s question – in fact, he hardly talks about anything, except his latest commercial for Glo-Coat floor wax (admittedly a great piece). Once the article is printed, Don’s partners are dismayed by his lack of salesmanship. Because of the article, one of their big clients drops out. Now Lucky Strike covers an untenable 71% of their billings. Bertrand Cooper suggests that Don counter the negative piece with an interview for the Wall Street Journal.

Don’s now divorced and Henry has moved in Don’s house with Betty. Yet it is Don who is paying the mortgage. He doesn’t want to pressure them and uproot the children. He is still single and paying a woman to have sex – and slap him in the face. Roger Sterling offers a blind date with a friend of his wife Jane, Bethany. “Come Turkey Day, maybe you can stuff her,” Roger quips. Don agrees and enjoys a pleasant evening. In the taxi cab, she allows him to kiss him, but holds firm that they take it no further just yet. When he returns the children, Betty and Henry keep him waiting for almost an hour. He demands that they move out or start paying rent. “It’s temporary,” Henry says in his defense. “Trust me, everybody things this is temporary,” Don replies curtly. I can only hope so, Henry is so wrong for Betty –she herself remains unhappy and unable to handle rebellious Sally.

Pete and Peggy are trying to save their Sugarberry Ham account. She suggests a stunt to attract attention: two customers fighting over the last ham for their Thanksgiving dinner. The coverage turns out better than expected, and Peggy already comes up with a new slogan, “our hams are worth fighting for.” Unfortunately, the actresses fought so hard, that one is pressing charges against the other. Now Peggy needs to ask Don for bail money and some cash to keep them silent – and Don was never in on the stunt. When Don later berates her for the stunt without his approval, she reminds him that all they want to do is please him.

Meanwhile, the company is hired by Jantzen swimwear, who refuse to sell bikinis or play along with the increasingly racy advertisements of their competition – they prefer to hold on to their wholesome image. Don presses them to show the skin a two-piece swimsuit is supposed to reveal, but the refuse. He sends them packing – and they have lost yet another client. He is now adamant to correct his mistake and public image, abandons his modesty, and this time he brags his way through the interview: “Last year, our agency was being swallowed whole,” he gloats. “I could die of boredom or holster up my guns.” So I walked into Lane Pryce’s office and I said, ‘Fire us.’” He smiles and continues, “within a year, we’d taken over two floor of the Time-Life Building.” And you wonder why this show is so brilliant?

Breaking Bad 3x04

Jesse cooked crystal on his own in the camper van. On his way back he fills up the tank at some desert gas station. As he forgot to bring money, he talks the cashier girl into taking some meth instead. Skyler slept with her boss Ted Beneke – to take out her anger, to feel better about herself. Now Walt is mad at her for ruining their marriage! He barges into the Beneke building, but then embarrasses himself in front of Skyler’s colleagues when Ted doesn’t let him in. Crooked Saul’s goon Mike takes Walt to the law office for an “intervention.” When Mike drops Walt off, he notices a drawing of a scythe on the street, and tells Walt, “sometimes it doesn’t hurt to have someone watching your back.” Afterwards, Walt is absent-minded and erratic at school. He even tries to kiss the principal Carmen. When he’s walking out with his belongings (on an “indefinite sabbatical”), Jesse’s waiting for him asking to set up a meet with businessman Gus, because he wants to sell his new blue crystal. Walt is outraged that Jesse used his formula and still came up with an inferior product. He doesn’t want his name associated with it.

Jesse has to approach Saul to arrange something. Mike convinces Gus to accept Jesse’s blue meth, and informs him that Walt’s not mentally well enough to work. Later Jesse drops the meth to one of Gus’ henchmen, but is upset to find he got only half the money. The other half is for Walt. For his part, Hank has been pulling strings for another shot at a promotion in El Paso. Just as he’s about to board his plane, however, he gets a call from the Sheriff that the blue crystal is back in New Mexico. Desperate to stay in Albuquerque, he follows the slightest trail to the gas station where Jesse traded a bag of meth for gas – and the ATM’s camera caught Jesse’s camper. Overall, I found this episode a bit more interesting than the preceding ones. Still, the season is very subdued thus far. Pressure is increasing on Walt to return to cooking crystal. He has nothing to do, he is out of work, and has a wife who loathes him. He just needs to be motivated. I’m also curious how things are going to resolve between Walt and Jesse. Is Hank going to trace Jesse’s van? The show has been taking its time building up – and begging for the audience’s patience. And the remarkable thing about the series is that you know it will pay off.

Dexter 3x10

After murdering Ellen Wolf in cold blood, Miguel Prado is consoling Lt. LaGuerta for losing her friend. Wow, the gumption of this man! Dexter understands that he needs to get Miguel under his thumb – not necessarily to get him caught, but to avoid more innocent victims. LaGuerta offers a suspect for Ellen’s death, some bartender who had been trying to call Ellen at the night she was murdered. So Dex uses the insinuation that they are honing in on Miguel. But Miguel won’t give up so easily. The suspect’s alibi checks out, but he did see someone around Ellen’s house that night, in a dark SUV with big headlights. After consoling LaGuerta some more at her house, drinking wine, reminiscing about their past relationship, they end up kissing. There’s a knock on the door – it’s Dex! Not much later, as Miguel is walking out, Syl shows up, they argue, she walks away. Miguel follows his wife in his car, a black SUV with big headlights. LaGuerta looks puzzled.

When Sgt. Batista’s new girlfriend, Det. Gianna, ends up in the hospital, he wants to mete out vengeance on the guy who beat her up, but Dex convinces him to let justice runs its course. Deb is getting into trouble for having an affair with Anton, their key witness in the “Skinner” case. She doesn’t try to hide it from anyone, and she is obviously distressed, but feels she needs to back off, which enrages him, because he nearly lost his life acting as bait for her. Moreover, Deb’s affair with a witness gives Miguel leverage over Dex. To get the upper hand and heat up the fight, Dex steals Ellen’s ring from Miguel’s room, and returns the Miguel’s shirt with the cow’s blood. In retaliation, Miguel tells George King, the “Skinner,” that only Dexter knows where to find Freebo! Man, how can I resist watching the next episode?

Burn Notice 4x07

Jesse is on the beach with Michael and Fiona. It doesn’t take long before he sighs, “Even a day at the beach, isn’t a day at the beach with you people.” Jesse is actually tailing the wife of his former handler, Marv (Richard Kind, known from Mad About You and Spin City). The only lead killer Kendra gave them has something to do with a foiled heist of a bank safety deposit. Jesse hopes they can convince Marv to investigate which bank. Meanwhile an intelligence conference is taking place nearby, and Michael spots Russian black-ops trying to sneak past security. He believes they are after him, but after the team kidnaps one of them, they soon learn the Russians are after a retired spy, Paul Anderson (played by Burt Reynolds), who once developed a technique to disable Russian satellites. Now the team has to divide their attention: Mike and Sam need to keep Anderson safe, while Fiona and Jesse need to approach Marv.

Sam employs Madeline (Michael’s mother) to leverage a congressman. They take Anderson to the congressman’s house, and thus lure the Russians into a trap. When the Russians surrender (petrified by the name of Michael Westen alone), Anderson shoots one of them, and Michael asks the congressman what they will tell the police: that a heroic congressman killed a Russian black-op, or that a black-listed spy saved his life? In return the congressman has to arrange protection for Anderson. For their part, Fiona and Jesse are able to persuade Marv to follow their lead. Marv always believed in Jesse’s innocence. He even brings a thread of evidence (that could implicate Michael), which Fiona destroys. She then chides Michael for continuing to lie to Jesse only out of self-interest (well, and because Jesse has sworn to put everyone six feet under who black-listed him). In all this was a fun episode, Burt Reynolds as Michael’s ghost of Christmas future is a hoot, Sharon Gless as Madeline is great as always, and Richard Kind was a nice guest, too.

Entourage 7x03

Back in Hollywood, Vince is still alive – after his sky-diving spur-of-the-moment. Now he’s bought a Harley and he’s going to an auction with one of Eric colleagues, Scott. At the auction he runs into producer Randall Wallace, who wants Vince in a movie based on a Marvel Comics character. Vince bids on a case of wine that Sean Connery set his sight on – and wins – and he also comes home with a rare dinosaur skull... If you ask me, Vince is bored. Turtle has a meeting with his financial adviser who tells him his business is still losing money. So he has to let his sexy drivers go – yet he still has to deal with their pay checks. Ari Gold is ecstatic about bringing a football team to L.A., but his wife is less than happy about Lizzie Grant, one of the women who works for him. When Lizzie asks for a promotion to head the TV department, he tells her no, to the dismay of his business partner. Believing he fired her, Ari’s wife now feels guilty. Meanwhile, Drama is still searching for a new show to star in. He meets with director Roger Jay, who wants to return from his early retirement and pitches a concept about two brothers working at the Four Seasons Maui. Drama is shocked to find it’s a comedy, and worries who would be his co-star. That night, Vince is throwing a party. The only one missing is Eric, who is enjoying a quiet evening with his lovely fiancée, Sloan. When the guys call to invite him, he can’t resist, gets into a scuffle with Scott, and breaks the dinosaur head! Another nice episode, this one, but has the feeling of setting up story arcs. Let’s tune in next week!

True Blood 3x05

Freak Franklin has taken Tara to King Russell. He argues with Talbot over her (and finally I get to see Talbot’s fangs – he was human in the novel). When Bill walks in, Tara begs him to rescue her, but he dashes her hopes. Franklin gives Russell the files on Sookie that he found in Bill’s house – and informs him Sookie is actually already in Jackson. Then Viking vampire Eric arrives, requesting to hunt for Bill Compton, who he still blames for dealing vampire blood. Russell pretends not to know who or where Bill is, but when he walks in, Bill turns the tables on Eric. However, the King offers that he may know a solution to all their advantage dealing with the Magister, who he considers a relic of older days. Remember that Russell has been feeding his own blood to werewolves for centuries – and intends on usurping Queen Sophie-Ann’s realm. During the daytime, Tara tries escaping, but is caught by one of the King’s werewolves. That night, Franklin is inconsolable. She tries to calm him down, saying that it’s the other vampires she’s afraid of and that she has human needs, such as food. Franklin offers to turn her into his vampire bride – leaving Tara petrified.

Bill scoffs at the files Franklin brought to the King, but Russell suggests that he has been tracing Sookie’s family tree in hopes of finding other telepaths – something that apparently has something to do with Bill’s human past. Then the werewolf who caught Tara interrupts their conversation and later taunts Bill that Sookie is sleeping with a were right there in Jackson. When Talbot leads Eric around the mansion, Eric notices a crown. In an fascinating flashback we learn that Eric’s human father was killed by werewolves on the order of a dark, hooded figure. Eric has sworn to avenge his father’s death. For her part, Sookie wakes up in Alcide’s apartment to the sound of Debbie’s angry voice. She’s warning Alcide not to tell anyone about the King’s appearance at Lou Pine’s. The were has to drag his hot-tempered ex out when she sees Sookie – but not before the telepath has probed her mind about Bill, to no avail. Sookie has only one option left, to find Russell, but Alcide must first confer with his packmaster Colonel Flood. The packmaster let’s Alcide know that Russell has had werewolves at his behest for centuries. Sookie catches that the Colonel is too scared to do anything against the vampire king. Later Bill arrives to warn Sookie about Russell. Before he can convince her, however, the King also arrives. When a were tries to grab Sookie, she suddenly bolts a flash of light at him to the King’s great delight!

Back in Bon Temps, Sookie’s brother shows up for his first day at the police station to everyone’s consternation. Andy Bellefleur just doesn’t have work for him, other than filing documents and answering the phone. Jason still needs to pass his physical and written exams. Eventually, Andy lets Jason wash the police cars. Then the blonde from Hotshot drives by and Jason chases her in one of the cars. He asks for his license and registration; she just laughs – Jason is shirtless, has no badge or gun. He introduces himself, asks her name, and invites Crystal to Merlotte’s. She refuses. That night, though, Jason finds her outside the bar and persuades her to go for a walk. They evidently bond, but she has a secret she dares not share with him. They’re adorable! Meanwhile, there’s trouble in Sam’s birth family, but no one tells him what exactly, but his father and brother keep fighting. Lafayette is approached by his mother’s male nurse, ironically called Jesus, who has a crush on him. Jessica learns to charm humans, but is jealous when she spots Hoyt with a new date. There are still too many distracting plotlines, but overall the episode was entertaining enough. The season is starting to shape up nicely with sufficient promise interesting developments.

The Host

Your Chirping Cricket was recommended to watch The Host (Gwoemul, 2006), the highest grossing film in South Korea. In the horror genre, this is a great monster movie, with a sense of humor and an actually sensible plot. The story revolves around a rather dim-witted man who loses his daughter to an amphibian monster from the Han River. Believing she has died, he grieves with his father, brother and sister. On the last battery power of a cell phone, she calls to tell she is somewhere in a big sewer. The remainder of the film, we follow the family in their chase to find her, while they break out of quarantined hospitals, obtain a truck and a map of the sewerage system with the family’s savings, and attack the monster. It kills the grandfather and the three siblings get separated. The brother is able to trace the girl’s call to the north side of Wonhyo Brigde, but he is betrayed by people who are chasing him for reward money. Meanwhile the young girl remains trapped in the monster’s lair with other victims. The only other one alive in the pit is a homeless kid who is even more scared than her. She tries to climb out by making a rope of clothes, but it catches her again with its tail and then gulps her and the kid in its ferocious mouth.

At this point, Seoul is in uproar as the government has decided to employ Agent Yellow to eradicate the monster and the deadly virus of which it is supposedly the host. The monster attacks the protesters but is incapacitated by the chemical fumes. The three siblings reunite and the girl’s father takes his chance to pull out his daughter as well as the little kid from the monster’s hideous mouth. She has suffocated despite holding on to one of the monster’s teeth. In his anger the father attacks the monster with a street pole, but all that achieves is that it wakes it up. The brother attacks it with fire bombs made of soju bottles. Then a homeless man pours gasoline over the monster, and the sister, a national arching medalist, shoots a flaming arrow into its eye, while the girl’s father rams the pole through its mouth and pierces its brain. With the monster dead, he checks on the little kid and finds that he is still alive. He decides to adopt him as he was with his daughter in the monster’s pit. Months later, when they are having dinner, the news on the TV announces in the background that the “disease crisis” was a case of “misinformation.” They just turn it off.

In fact, we knew from the beginning that the monstrous creature was a mutant amphibian caused by deliberate formaldehyde spillage into the Han River. And that is the running political commentary in this film. For it was an American military pathologist who ordered the formaldehyde to be dumped down the drain; it was the American military that quarantined everyone who got near the monster because of a deadly virus that never existed, and then ordered to perform a frontal lobotomy on the girl’s father; and it was the American military that employed Agent Yellow (a thinly veiled reference, of course, to Agent Orange). The monster, in other words, is a metaphor for America’s military presence in South Korea, and the family’s resilience is an ode to self-reliance and national sovereignty. The monster itself is quite a marvel of a mutant hybrid, with its elegant acrobatics, its clumsy legs, its ugly jaws and frightful tail. Interesting, too, is that the monster creature appears almost at the beginning, unlike in so many other films of the “creature from the deep” genre. The film is not screaming bloody gore, it has intelligent drama at the heart of the story, and the action scenes are highly entertaining. You might want to watch it, too.

Breaking Bad 3x03

We’re in Mexico, saturated in oily yellow, in some “burro’s asshole” of a town. The “snitch,” Tortuga (who ratted to the DEA in El Paso last season), is still alive. But not for long. His boss takes him to the back of the bar, and right there Tuco’s Cousins hack his head off before they glue it to a tortoise and turn it into the explosive device that will kill one of Hank’s new colleagues and sent him back to New Mexico in panic. Back in Albuquerque, Walt has no idea he narrowly escaped with his life from those hell-bent Cousins. Sklyer is angry to find Walt back at the house. “I’m not coming in there until you get out,” she says. “Well, suit yourself,” Walt replies. He is calling her bluff about the restraining order and telling the authorities about his criminal activities. She does call the police, but for a “domestic disturbance.” With the officers there, Walt tactfully uses the children to make himself look better and lay the blame on her. In the end, Skyler doesn’t dare telling the officers about Walt’s drug dealing and there is no legal basis on which they can remove Walt from his own house.

Saul pressures Jesse to get Walt back to cooking crystal. Instead, Jesse continues listening to listening to his dead girlfriend’s outgoing voicemail message. But that night, her number’s no longer in service. He’s lost the last thing that bound him to her. The next morning he decides to take the camper and manufacture meth on his own in the desert. Together with a cartel honcho, the Cousins take their uncle Tio Salamanca to Gus, the secretive businessman, to inform them they demand vengeance. But Gus cautions them that they are on his territory and that he decides who he does business with. After he is done, it’s of no concern to him if the exact revenge. Walt shows Skyler the cash he’s saved to put their kids through college, pay for mortgage, and everything else. But she wants nothing of it. At work the next day, she kisses her boss Ted. They go to his house. When she comes home in the evening, Walt asks if she thought about their talk that morning, and tells her he’s glad he could be honest. She replies, “I fucked Ted.” Walt got what he wanted, to live with his family, but he didn’t get what he needed, which is Skyler’s love and understanding – not that I’m saying he deserves as much. But I’m wondering how long it will take him to realize he’s in a hopeless situation. Everything he fought for, all that he went through to protect his family, is gone.

Dexter 3x09

Dexter is taking on a heavy burden by allowing Miguel into his world. Miguel patently expressed his resent- ment about rules, so how can Dex expect him to abide by the Code of Harry never to kill an innocent victim? Meanwhile, his frequent absences make his wife Sylvia worry he’s having an affair and that Dex is merely a cover. We learn that Miguel didn’t come home after the left Dex with the athlete’s body. Worse, he went to Ellen Wolf, and lies even to Dex that he hung out at this bar, Jack’s Hideaway, which closes at 2AM. So, where was Miguel until early morning? At the office, Dex overhears that Ellen is missing, and connects the dots. He finds blood in her house, realizes that he told Miguel how he disposed of Freebo, and does find Ellen’s body under an open grave in the cemetery! Eww! Miguel apologizes for abusing Dex’ trust, suggests they go their separate ways. He feels he’s untouchable. So, Dex will show him he’s not. Too many people are affected when the innocent die. When Dex tests the blood on Miguel’s shirt that’s supposed to be Freebo’s, he discovers it’s actually cow’s blood. Miguel has been using him all along!

Lt. Maria LaGuerta has been going through rough times. She once had an affair with Sgt. Doakes who was (wrongly) identified as the Ice Truck Killer. Then she had to deal with the death of Oscar Prado, the kid brother of her ex-boyfriend Miguel. Now her recent friend Ellen is found dead. Anton is still missing and the team finds evidence that he has been kidnapped. The “Skinner” got to him – and is flaying Anton alive, hoping to find out where Freebo is... Disgusting! Deb and Quinn shake another lead off Mario, one of George King’s foremen, that he owns a place under a highway overpass. Quinn has to ram his car into the front to get in – they find Anton still alive with much of his right shoulder skinned. There are so many plotlines converging (as we’re getting closer to the dénouement) – Dex and Rita, Rita and Syl, Syl and Miguel, Miguel and LaGuerta, as well as Anton and Deb, Deb and Quinn, Batsita and Gianna – that I can’t begin to describe it all. Suffice to say that we’re served some very satisfying entertainment with much psychological and emotional depth. Fantastic show!

Burn Notice 4x06

It is time for Michael and Jesse to interrogate killer Kendra and find out why she assassinated their only lead to the whole conspiracy that lead to their burn notices. You know this episode is going to be exciting! The guys walk into the room where they are holding and, whoa, is this hottie too much to handle! She starts banging her head against the table just to prove that she won’t budge no matter what they do to her! They need to break this lady some other way. Then Fiona has a friend of a friend who needs their help. This man is a forger of leather accessories, i.e., high-end knock-off handbags and shoes, but he recently did a job on two small lion heads and now they want him dead. When Michael and Fiona look into it they discover they are dealing with an antiquities thief with a penchant for violent explosions. And the really interesting part is that the thief is about to attempt a heist of a Macedonian sword that allegedly belonged to Alexander the Great! I love these guys. That’s when things get convoluted, plans go awry and things go boom like we expect from this show. Sam and Jesse have found a successful approach with Kendra by giving her the feeling she has the upper hand and has a chance to come out alive only to crush her hopes later. She is a contract killer, but doesn’t know the name of her boss. She only knows one more lead, about which we’ll surely hear more next time. But this was another fun and exciting episode.

Entourage 7x02

I was miffed to say the least that Entourage was on break for the Fourth of July weekend even when they had just started the new season. This show is so much fun – and this episode was hilarious. The opening tune still makes me happy every time! “Yeah, yeah! Yeah, yeah!” Turtle has finally fired the driver who always got lost, but now his business’s credit card is charged $10,000 and he blames her for it. It’s so embarrassing when it turns out she used to card for one of his errands, but Tiffany’s accidentally added an extra zero. Now he has to apologize to the girl all over again! Johnny “Drama,” still without a job, asks Eric to help him find a script. After plowing through scripts for an hour, Eric suggests they should just create a show around him, which wows him. Meanwhile, Ari receives representatives of the NFL with the hopes of buying the TV rights. Although he impresses them with his pitch, they decide to arrange the business internally. They do offer him a chance to bring a team to LA. “The LA Golds,” he enthuses. Vince’s film has wrapped up and he wants a haircut. In his spontaneity, he does it himself – gone is the lovely mop of hair. But with filming done and the obligatory interview, Vince is bored. So, he jumps on the occasion when one of Eric’s colleagues offers to take him out. Meanwhile, the director saw Vince’s new haircut on TV and is livid, because they need to do a few reshoots. He calls Ari, who calls Eric, who calls Vince, who’s in a plane about to sky dive – and jumps! You can always count on Entourage for lighthearted fun!

True Blood 3x04

As the plotlines are starting to entwine, things are becoming a bit more interesting on True Blood. While Sookie is in Jackson, Mississippi, with werewolf Alcide, she receives a call from Bill – post-coitus – telling her to forget him because he is with Lorena now and has only caused Sookie harm. Although she is distraught and finds comfort in Alcide’s warm body, she disbelieves Bill. It is too much out of character for him to break up over the phone. He must be held against his will. So she continues her search to find him – and uses a were’s initiation rite to learn more about Bill’s kidnapping. Actually, it’s Alcide’s ex-girlfriend, Debbie, and to look like she could kick some serious ass, Alcide’s sister gives Sookie a full biker-chick make-over – except it makes her look like Angelica Houston to these eyes. During the ritual in Lou Pine’s (yes, I get it now, it’s a pun on “lupine”), King Russell makes an appearance to offer his blood to the biker-wolf pack. Soon all weres start to change and Sookie needs to make sure she gets out alive fast.

Bill is still held in the King’s estate and intimates to Lorena he feels nothing for her, punching her against the wall to prove his point. She only enjoys his rage. The King promises Bill they will get rid of Lorena once Bill succeeds in helping Russell usurp Queen Sophie-Ann’s kingdom. Bill informs him that Sophie uses Eric Northman to sell vampire blood to human addicts – which is considered a blasphemous sacrilege punishable by a second death. Soon, Eric’s club is raided by the Magister, but Eric blames Bill and pretends that must be why Bill is missing. Meanwhile, scumbag Mott is prodding Tara for information about Sookie, mesmerizing her to call Sookie and get her whereabouts. But Sookie is too distraught about Bill to talk to Tara. Mott ties Tara up for the day and kidnaps her the next night – driving her, you guessed it, to King Russell in Jackson, Mississippi. Then there are several minor subplots that still distract the Cricket from the main story arcs: Sam and his family drama; Jason trying to become a cop by blackmailing the new sheriff, Andy Bellefleur; and Jessica working as a new waitress in Merlotte’s. Over all, though, the episode was more focused than before this season. And the more entertaining it gets, the less I’m worried whether or not they strayed from Harris’ original.

Spooks - Series 3

Spooks picks up right where we left off last season. Tom Quinn has been set up for shooting the Chief of the British Defense Staff. Backed into a corner Tom shot the head of the MI5 counter-terrorism department, Harry Pierce. He seemingly swam to his death, but goes undercover to salvage his reputation. Now MI5 is under investigation by this pompous Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, Oliver Mace (a guest appearance by Tim McInnerny who we know and love as Percy and Capt. Darling from Blackadder), with the alleged approval of Downing Street to clean up the branch for supporting a rogue officer. Fortunately Harry arrives in time from the hospital before the real bloodletting started. He brings in a charming chap called Adam Carter from MI6 who’s with Danny that they need to prove Tom’s innocence. On his part, Tom has been following Herman Joyce, the man who set him up. Tom shoots him and drops his dead body in front of Thames House (MI5 HQ). As Joyce was supposed to have died five years ago, the team realize Tom was right that Joyce had set him up. Mace pressures CIA liaison Christine Dale to meet with Tom. Christine is wired when Tom tells her Danny and Zoe will pick up Joyce’s wife Carmen (who doesn’t yet know her husband has been killed) at her hotel. Mace’s goons are all over the hotel, forcing Zoe and Adam to cause a distraction, but Carmen walks away. They track her to the safe house where she believes she will meet Herman. Instead Adam knocks on the door and not only talks her into confessing they set up Tom and why, or why they chose the target, but also into committing suicide. Tom’s name has been cleared!

This season the MI5 team’s operations include recruiting a noble-price winning chemist to lure terrorists who are trying to create an atomic bomb; protecting a controversial novelist living under a fatwa, who is friends with a Pakistani double agent; the kidnapping and subsequent killing of the U.N. Chief Negotiator in Middle East Peace Talks; the assassination of a scientist selling biochemical information to North Korea; the murder of a Turkish Mafioso running financial operations for al-Qaida; threats of computer hacking that poisons medicines, wipes bank accounts, ans disrupts traffic lights; the kidnapping of a celebrity couple’s baby, which according to Mace is so high-profile it’s an issue of national security; a mercenary who stole a laser target missile designator set to bomb a target in London; and Iraqi extremists plotting to kill the Prime Minister.

Even more so than before, this season delves deep into the characters and their interpersonal relations. Because Christine is in love with Tom, she was deeply distraught when she was forced to reveal his plan setting up Joyce’s wife. Tom feels deeply betrayed – even after she admits she couldn’t stand the strain and resigned from the forces. While he’s himself questioning the morality of MI5’s work, Tom’s colleagues are worried about his emotional stability. They find he’s having a crisis of conscience, which undermines his authority. When he demands they abandon an operation to save a man’s family life, Harry has him decommissioned. Nonetheless, like Tom, others, too, get personally involved in operations. Harry himself was deeply troubled when he feared his daughter Catherine was involved with extremist Israelis. On her part, Zoe catches a photographer on one of her stake-outs, who flirts with her so hard, she can’t resist. Two episodes later he already asks her to marry him. But then his brother steals a photo and takes it to some newspaper, telling them that his brother is engaged to a spy. With everything based on the trust that he would never tell anyone, Zoe has to break it off. Zoe’s later charged with conspiring to murder Turkish Mafioso Celenk and in the process causing the death of a British undercover police officer. Evading ten years imprisonment, she has to leave for Chile.

Adam (an excellent addition to the cast) becomes emotionally involved and distressed when a close friend is murdered. Adam’s wife Fiona at first also works at MI6 (the British foreign intelligence service). He finds it increasingly difficult to maintain a regular family life. But when she is recruited at MI5, she becomes a target for Iraqi extremists who hold her hostage. Adam then has to make every effort to save her life. After Danny witnesses the assassination of one of his charges, he understands better what Tom did, quitting while he was still ahead. While tailing Harry’s daughter Catherine, he has a fling with her and resents it when he has to break his cover. His unrequited feelings for Zoe, moreover, make him unreliable at work, and he becomes bitter after she is forced into exile. In the final episode, he is killed by an Iraqi extremist! During her surveillance work, Ruth has been listening in on conversations of a man who seems perfect for her, but when she meets him he doesn’t ask her out again. When a computer expert from the Government Communications Headquarter invites her over, she realizes he’s none other than the computer hacker responsible for the chaos he was supposed to help them solve. That shady JIC chairman, Oliver Mace, continues his efforts to thwart MI5’s operations as best as he can – except that the team keeps outsmarting Mace. With such human depth, intelligent and fast plot twists, and tense action scenes, I find this show thoroughly engrossing. (I just don’t recall there were as many extreme close-ups in the previous seasons.) I can warmly recommend the show.

Life: Creatures of the Deep

Life on Earth began in the Ocean Deep – and some of the most ancient life forms on our planet are marine invertebrates, the topic of this installment of the most astonishing nature documentary so far produced. We return to the hydrothermal vents (seen in Planet Earth) around which it all began. It is there that Pompeii worms survive the scalding, volcanic heat, together with white crabs and enormous tube worms. When krill rise up at night from the abysmal depth to the surface in the Sea of Cortez off Mexico to feed on plankton, they attract shoals of predatory sardines that in turn attract hundreds of Humboldt squid that herd the fish as a pack and grab their meal with dangerous tentacles. Underneath the Antarctic sea ice in springtime life flourishes in a colorful garden of starfish, sea urchins, and nemertean worms. A sight so incredible, it’s almost unearthly! Then there’s the huge fried-egg jellyfish hunting among a swarm of 100,000 Aurelia jellyfish, using its tentacles like harpoons to catch prey. Another amazing scene shows hundreds of thousands of armor-plated spider crabs marching to the shallows off South Australia to molt their old shells and to mate enthusiastically while they’re together in such vast numbers. But then they are under threat from a stingray that is so choosy it only catches the softest shelled crabs.

The highly intelligent cuttlefish (who have the largest brain size relative to its body among invertebrates), the chameleons of the sea, can quickly change the color of their skin, flashing different colors, not just as warning or camouflage, but also deception – for instance to mimic the color of a female, confusing a larger male, and allowing the smaller one to mate on the sly. We also revisit the 14-ft. Pacific giant octopus off the coast of British Columbia that sacrifices her life caressing her only hatch of a hundred thousand eggs to protect them from algae and fish. The struggle for survival proves itself, again, when a large sun-starfish feeds on her deceased body, gets trapped by spiny sea urchins, and comes under attack from a king crab that amputates one of its arms. In sheer awe, we witness a coral reef forming around the rusty hulk of a shipwreck, feeding and fighting, and spawning after the November full moon. The program ends with the most wondrous splendor of the Great Barrier Reef, the largest living structure on earth. I can only repeat myself: watch the series!

Breaking Bad 3x02

It’s been about a month since Albuquerque last saw Heisenberg’s pure blue crystal. At the DEA, Hank speculates that the burned-out truck is a sign that drug cartel warfare is spilling over the border. Then he gets a call that Walt’s been arrested for a trifle – driving with a broken windshield (damaged by the double plane crash). At the police station Walt offers his apologies, then confides to Hank that Skyler has filed for divorce and will fight Walt for custody. When sleazebag Saul the faker-Jewish lawyer visits Walt at his new apartment, he consoles him that Skyler is bluffing, because the blowback would be worse for her if she told the police about Walt’s criminal activities: she would lose the house and the kids. At any rate, Walt still doesn’t consider returning to cooking crystal. Just to keep a tab on the situation, Saul has Walt’s house bugged. Jesse, clean for 45 days, drives by his parents’ house and sees it’s for sale. His dad refuses to let him in. Jesse collects his money from Saul, and offers him a job: to buy his parents’ house for him anonymously, for half the asking price. Of course Jesse’s parents won’t budge, until sneaky Saul mentions the old meth lab in the basement, contamination, fraud, a law suit, and suddenly they feel more inclined to consider his offer. The Mexican dudes in the matching suits visit Tuco’s uncle in a retirement home, and with the help of an Ouija board and a bell, Don Salamanca tells them the man they’re looking for is called Walter White!

Skyler is putting herself in a tough position. Her son “Flynn” wants to be called Walter Jr. again – he’s taking his father’s side and blaming his mother for ruining the family. Still, she won’t talk to anyone about the divorce – nor can she tell anyone that Walt is a drug dealer. Yet she is relying on her sister and brother-in-law for support, who have no idea what’s going on. Hank is sure Walt had an affair, but Marie believes there must be more to it. At the office, Skyler confronts her boss Ted Beneke about cooking the books. He responds that he hopes his children will come to understand that his intentions were good. Likewise, Walt didn’t want to tell his family about his cancer, then lied to them about his criminal activities – all because he loved them and didn’t want to lose them. He had the best intentions. Nonetheless, his wife and kids are gone. Skyler even threatens with a restraining order. In retaliation he wants to move back in. As she’s changed the lock he has to break into his own house. When he’s taking a shower, Saul’s goon Mike notices the Cousins walking in with an axe. Mike makes a quick call, and Gus, the secretive businessman Walt dealt with before, calls the dudes off. For the moment I am keeping a wait-and-see attitude about the show. This season is taking its time unfolding dramatic events – and throwing in some over-the-top tension in the form of the Cousins.

Dexter 3x08

Our darkly dreaming Dexter is wondering if he is ready to share the Code of Harry with his new bestest buddy, Miami State Prosecutor, Miguel Prado. I keep thinking there’s something fishy about this guy – an Assistant District Attorney too eager to take justice in his own hands. He suggests another victim, some athlete who pays off his gambling debts by eliminating people, and Miguel wants to do the killing himself this time. He is overly excited seeing how fast things move in Dexter’s world, without bureaucratic rules and regulations, without legal procedures and paperwork. When Dex asks Miguel how he feels after killing the man, he just whimpers, “fantastic,” like he just had the best sex in his life. At home, Dex has to deal with Rita’s hormones that are making her all edgy. She wants his list of wedding guests, they have to find wedding rings, decide on music, venue, the lot.

Deb finds out that Det. Quinn cut another corner by never formally putting Anton on the payroll for being a Confidential Informant. After she tells Anton he’s free, she doesn’t hear from him again. At first she frets that he’s no longer interested in her – that he just slept with her because it was in his best interest. But he doesn’t show up at his gig in the club either. And then Deb notices that the palm tree in front of his condo has recently been trimmed... The “Skinner” caught the bait and got to him. At the office they immediately start questioning tree trimmers. One of them, George King, who was there at the scene of Javier’s death, offers them a lot of information, especially about one of his employees, Mario. The moment he sees Deb and Quinn approaching, this Mario guy runs away. Once in custody, he freaks out when they mention George King’s name. Meanwhile, Deb also learns that Quinn wasn’t directly responsible for the death of another police officer, just as she can’t be blamed for the victims of the “Skinner” (including Anton, but still she feels guilty).

Alice in Wonderland

I’m probably the last person on earth to watch Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland (2010) one of the world’s highest grossing box office movie successes. So, it’s probably redundant to offer much of a plot synopsis. The dream story is framed by Alice’s real life in Victorian England, where she’s faced with society’s expectations of a nineteen-year old girl. The fabulously fantastic events that unfurl after falling down the rabbit hole are in essence a girl’s quest to find herself, or, her “muchness” in the story’s parlance – not to be too small and not too tall, know right from wrong, face her demons, befriend the Bandersnatch, not to live her life pleasing others, imagine six impossible things before breakfast, slay the Jabberwock on frabjous day, and find her way back home. Callooh! Callay! It’s a story to which we can all relate, because we are all on a quest to find ourselves amidst society’s expectations. I’m impressed that Burton and his writers created an actual story from Carroll’s source material of deliberately unrelated nonsensical yet funny events. It smacks a little too much of modern female empowerment, but you might say that makes the story more relevant – just as the rebellion against terrorizing tyranny has a contemporary ring to it.

The fantastical landscape, while Disneyfied, remains recognizably Burton – and in a way is a character all by itself. It lives, sometimes literally, in the sense that for instance the Red Queen’s palace is filled with animals functioning as furniture. However, the main characters themselves are what make the film. Mia Wasikowska’s performance as Alice has just the right combination of naïveté and determination for the part. Johnny Depp seems to be stuck in acting weirdos (Jack Sparrow, The Libertine, Willy Wonka, Sweeney Todd, etc.) – to the point of getting predictable. Here, his Mad Hatter Tarrant Hightopp has an interesting blend of craziness and sadness, but I found his flow of accents rather annoying. Supposedly, that was meant to reflect the character’s moods, but it hardly came through – at least not for me. Helena Bonham Carter’s Red Queen was, on the contrary, spot on: a spoiled toddler with absolute power to make everyone’s lives miserable. Anne Hathaway as the White Queen seemed entirely miscast. I can’t tell what they were going for, but she has little in common with Carroll’s illogical, absentminded White Queen who lives her life in reverse and thus can remember future events. I would have wished that Crispin Glover’s Knave of Hearts was more evil, instead of such a spineless weasel.

For Carroll die-hards there are several irks, too. I’m not saying that I’ve caught them all, but, to give you an example, “Jabberwocky” is the name of a poem about the Jabberwock (without the –y suffix), “with eyes of flame,” that “came whiffling through the tulgey wood, and burbled as it came!” Depp mispronounces “borogoves” as “borogroves” (with an additional –r- in groves). Similarly, I was surprised by the pronunciation of “upelkuchen” like “uppelkutshen” (which sounds like the Dutch word “huppelkutje” that I best not translate), while “kuchen” must have been borrowed from the German word for cake (pronounced “kookhen, [kuːxən]),” with a velar fricative like the Spanish j or the English “loch”). In all, I am left with mixed feelings. Some aspects were enjoyable: the story itself was entertaining, some of the performances were good, and they did honor to the original without sticking too closely to Carroll. Yet I do have qualms about other aspects: the story lost some of the absurdity of the original, the animations didn’t mash too well with the real life actors, and some performances were fairly lame. It’s not a film I would enthusiastically recommend, but then again, everybody else has already seen it.

Arsis (reappraisal)

It’s high time for a reappraisal of Arsis’ last few albums. Upon first hearing Starve for the Devil earlier this year I was rather harshly critical. After repeat listening, though, I have to admit that several of the tracks have started to grow on me. To be true, Arsis set the bar extremely high with their debut full-length A Celebration of Guilt (2004). The album’s opening track, “The Face of My Innocence,” grabs you with the most malicious riff, a celebration of the guilty pleasures of the flesh. Other favorites include “Maddening Disdain” and “The Sadistic Motives behind Bereavement Letters.” This is a technical/melodic death metal feast of triumphantly blazing shredding, melodically scorching leads and remorselessly hammering drums. And take into account that at this point the band was merely a duo consisting of multi-instrumentalist Jim Malone and drummer Mike van Dyne. The band immediately gave the Scandinavian melodic metal scene a run for its money. Of note, too, is that the lyrics deal with scorn and deceit, hurt and hatred, and death wishes that come with broken relations – that is to say, not the usual death metal fare. The album closes on another high note, the head banging “Wholly Night.”

Despite this enthusiastic praise, it’s the title track of their subsequent EP (2005), “A Diamond for Disease,” that remains Arsis’ magnum opus. That song (written as a score for NYC’s Ballet Deviare – no joke) is a flawless fusion of progressive composition, thrashing riffs, technical shredding, melodic leads, interlocking harmonies, intricate tempo shifts, propulsive percussion and pummeling drums, and clocks in at just under thirteen minutes. Think of Iron Maiden, Metallica, Megadeth, Death (ca. Symbolic), Carcass (ca. Heartwork), At the Gates and Arch Enemy blended effortlessly together. To complete the EP, we also get a thrashing rendition of Alice Cooper’s “Roses on White Lace,” as well as “The Promise of Never,” something of a companion piece, not only to the other two songs, but also to the previous album, although it’s actually a remake of an earlier demo track.

Not to be outdone by its predecessor, United in Regret (2006) dives headlong into a breakneck riff. The title track offers savagely punishing riffs and a blistering solo. “Lust Before the Maggot’s Conquest” has everything in speed, complexity and dissonance that I want of Arsis. But the most outstanding song for me is “The Things You Said,” one of Arsis best, with its hurt vocals and its long, searing lines soaring high above the percussive eruptions of volcanic drums. The regret and loss, deceit and pain, hate and vengeance of a broken relationship are the subjects on this album. Their next effort, We Are the Nightmare (2008), opens with a deceptively quiet passage, before busting out in full fury of the whirling title track. The album boasts the usual highly technical lead flurries and rolling drum blasts, fist-pounding brutality, and Gothenburg melodies. All these elements, to me, come together best midway in “Overthrown,” while “Servants of the Night” is a great, kicking and screaming mosher. Lyrical themes on this outing include the frustrations of disenchantment, deception, greed and madness. The last track, “Failure’s Conquest,” features the most progressive composition of the album, gradually increasing the intensity to a fever pitch and then reversing to a quiet ending.

True, I find the opening of Starve for the Devil (2010), “We Are Forced to Rock,” one of Arsis’ weaker moments. But, to be fair, that doesn’t mean it’s terrible. Moreover, the second track, “A March for the Sick,” immediately makes up for it. Here are the lightning-fast shredding and unrelenting drum blasts fans have come to expect. We get some galloping Viking metal on “The Ten of Swords,” which also offers a marvelous solo. The album does contain more than just a few melodic moments, with intricate licks and seething leads (recalling the best of At the Gates and Arch Enemy). Plus, a track such as “Beyond Forlorn” provides occasional respite. There are even some glimpses of Rush and Dio. Although the vocals are buried under the guitar noise, lyrics actually deal with emotional loss, emptiness, anorexia, death and dying – witness the album title or the track “From Soulless to Shattered” (translate: “from heartless to heartbroken”), subtitled “Art in Dying.” For me the highpoint comes midway with the interlocking riffs and soaring melodies of “Closer to Cold.” Nor does the album go out on a whimper, as “Sable Rising” kills with power (die, die)! It will sure bang some heads in the moshpit.

In all, Arsis offer their own unique brand of technical/melodic death metal, combining elements of British heavy metal (Iron Maiden, Judas Priest), Bay Area thrash metal (Metallica, Megadeth), Florida death metal (Death, Morbid Angel), Scandinavian melodic metal (At the Gates, Arch Enemy), Nordic black metal (Emperor, Dimmu Borgir), and Viking power metal (Ammon Amarth). At first their music may be overwhelming – or even boring – what with the unrelenting guitar riffs and drum blasts. (Readers may notice an absence of references to the bass playing, which is due to the fact that on most albums, it’s practically inaudible.) Some listeners may also object to Malone’s vocal delivery, which shifts between the hoarse shouts of hardcore, the shrill shrieks of black metal, and the growling grunts of death metal. But closer listening reveals intricate compositions, and, of course, Malone’s virtuoso playing reminiscent of Steve Vai, Ygnwie Malmsteen and Andy La Roque. In short, Arsis is by no means for your average Joe or Jane, but if you enjoy your metal extreme and complex, by now you should know this band is for you.

Breaking Bad 3x01

The opening scene of the third season of Breaking Bad is saturated in oily yellow. People are crawling on a dust-covered desert road like alligators toward the shrine of Santa Muerte (the Mexican saint of Death). Without a word, two dudes in matching suits make offerings and pin a pencil sketch of “Heisenberg” on the wall behind the altar. Then we return to the news coverage of the mid-air collision of two planes that ended the last season. Walt decides to burn all his ill-gained cash on the bbq, then changes his mind as it catches fire and throws the grill in the pool. Meanwhile, Skyler is expecting he is moving out of the house, even if she is understanding that the overhead plane crash delayed things for a while. Her attorney advises to maintain residency to strengthen her custody case. So Walt moves into an apartment, while their son (still preferring to be called “Flynn”) is resentful that no one tells him what the hell is going on. Then Skyler comes over to Walt’s apartment to discuss their divorce. She basically guesses he’s a drug dealer. He denies. She cannot imagine how else he would have made enough money to pay for all his medical bills. Then he finally admits he manufactured meth. She promises not to tell anyone on the condition that he grants her a divorce.

Jesse, of course, is still in the fancy new age rehab facility, listening to self-help psycho-babble about self-acceptance and self-transformation. The highly secretive and professional distributor, Gus, offers Walt $3 million for three months of work, but Walt rejects on account of his family. There was a great moment when Hank helps Walt move out: he lifts a bag we know if full of cash; he asks what’s inside, “cinder blocks?” “Half a million in cash,” Walt replies. Hank just laughs! We’ve also established that the Mexican dudes in the matching suits, who are after “Heisenberg,” are resourceful and ruthless. They change into regular clothes from a local farmer and leave their Mercedes with him. They travel across the border to Texas on a truck with immigrants. They kill all inside and blow up the truck. I’ll go with a wild hunch and guess they’re Tuco’s cousins and they’re hell-bent on revenge. No doubt the Cousins are here to provide a dash of excitement. It’s just that their scenes are like a Sergio Leone spaghetti western that fits awkwardly within the dramatic format of the show. Apart from the Cousins, this was a rather subdued season premiere, with little indication what may happen next. For that, we’ll have to wait until the next episode.

Dexter 3x07

Season 3 of Dexter has been very much about relationships – and with it we’re delving deeper into the emotional morass of a serial killer who is grappling with leading a normal life. Dex has been stepping out of his foster father’s shadow, trying to redefine the Code by which he lives – or rather, by which he kills. In contrast, he’s growing closer to Rita and her kids, learning to accept his impending fatherhood, and dealing with his oncoming wedding. Moreover, he has found a friend who guessed Dex is some kind of vigilante, meting out justice to deserving victims, and respects him for it. Miguel is hoping to convince Dex they should take out this defense attorney Ellen Wolf who’s on a smear campaign against him for meddling with legal ethics. Dex tells Miguel he won’t help him and they end up fighting. He won’t kill someone just to settle a personal score, even if she defended murderers and rapists. That’s her job. In the end, Miguel thanks him for telling him no, because that’s what friends do, and apologizes.

The most moving scenes happens between Dexter and Camilla, a family friend who is dying of lung cancer. She’s been asking him for key lime pie, if only to give her a reason to live another day. She has no other reason left to live, and asks her if he could help her die: the most powerful and profound moment of this entire show – so painfully touching and incredibly human. She doesn’t know she couldn’t have asked a better person. But Dex has never knowingly killed someone innocent – and certainly never such a good friend. Later she apologizes for putting him through such a terrible thing and tells him she knows his secret that The Ice Truck Killer was his brother. On his next visit he brings another pie, which he says will make her feel better. She knows he put something in it so that she will pass on. He whispers he killed his brother, and just before she passes away, she says, “It’s good ... that you did.” Wow.

But this season is also about other people’s relationships. Rita and Miguel’s wife Sylvia also form a bond and discuss their troubles with their respective partners. After Rita got fired, Syl hired her as her assistant for her real estate agency. Sgt. Batista once picked up a hooker, only to find out she was a Vice officer, and has been hoping to take her out. They have dinner once, but she keeps her distance. Then he invites her to Dex’ wedding and she loves him for it, leans in kisses him. I’m rooting for Angel, man. This guy deserves a lucky break! We also have that hawt Yuki from Internal Affairs who yet again barges in on Deb as she is working overtime. Yuki explains it wasn’t a personal vendetta, but that they are investigating Det. Quinn for cutting corners (which we know he does so well) that cost the life of a police officer. After her all-nighter, Deb does find a new lead, though. The “Skinner” seems to be staking his crime scenes as a tree trimmer (hence his expertise at cutting). She remembers talking to some guy called George who has been trimming trees at the scene where they found Javier. Damn, this girl is good! At the office they’re planning on using Anton the “snitch” as bait, in the hope of catching the “Skinner.” But Deb can’t deal with another death on her hands, so she tells him, but out of his love and respect for her, he agrees to help her (provided they offer him protection detail). What did I tell you? This was one wonderfully gratifying episode!

Burn Notice 4x05

Michael Westen has found an obsolete computer tape drive in the wall of killer Kendra. The point of such an old drive, of course, is that the information stored on it is safe – Michael cannot find any device to read it. But now this gorgeous assassin Kendra is tailing Michael. Together with Fiona he lures her into an alley, but she’s too fast even for them. Of course, Michael needs to know why Kendra murdered Kassar who Jesse was investigating before he got black listed. Meanwhile, our team helps out a clinic that is plagued by heroin dealers. Sam and Fiona trace the drugs to the headquarters in a cabaret strip club. Naturally, Sam has no qualms about the surveillance this time. Except that he gets into a fight with the head honcho trying to protect a guy who had some information for them. They found out this Vince Cutler (the guy who played director Billy Walsh on Entourage) from the Bronx took his heroin from a Mexican cartel, and needs to sell very quickly so he can pay them back. That’s the weak spot our friends are going to try and get him. Michael offers Cutler some high-grade pharmaceuticals with which he can spike his heroin. He hopes Cutler will allow him to lace the drugs himself, so he can steal it and have Cutler run for his life from the cartel. But that plan doesn’t work out. It’s Michael’s mother who suggests that the owner of the clinic needs to be seen to scare the dealers away. (I remain impressed by Sharon Gless’ performance.) With the help of some tear gas, car explosions, bombs and our team of snipers, he’s sure to send Cutler’s gang running from town fast! And an incredibly satisfying scene it is! In the end Michael and Sam are also able to kidnap Kendra. I can’t wait for the interrogations!

Benidorm - Series 2

While I didn’t find the first season of Benidorm particularly hilarious, I have to say that by the second series the characters and plots have grown on me – and I actually found myself laughing out loud! The show still revolves around the Garveys, Mick and Janice, with their kids, Telle and Michael, and Janice’s mother Madge. Telle now has a baby boy named Coolio; and Madge brought a new boyfriend, Mel. Of course, there are also the swingers Donald and Jacqueline, the gay couple Gavin and Troy, sad Geoff “The Oracle” Maltby and his mother; reluctantly, Martin and Kate Weedon have returned to the resort as well; and naturally, Mateo still runs the bar, chatting up guests, while Janey runs the entertainment. Throughout, the swingers throw around invitations for threesomes; Gavin and Troy provide a running commentary on the events; 39-year old Geoff pretends he isn’t vacationing with his mother; and Martin keeps failing to please his wife.

One of the early highpoints involves Mel, all tan and a million years old, in his swanky white suit and black shirt singing karaoke with a frightfully high-pitched girlie voice, and then proposing to Madge! Last year Latin Lover Mateo slept with Kate, but this time mumbling dweeb Martin settles the score in an arm-wrestling match – so that he can take his wife triumphantly upstairs. This summer the whole bunch is offered to see a bull fight, but only after they sit through a fruit juicer sales pitch. In the end, the matador turns out to be Mateo, the bull is just a black Labrador retriever, and the juicer explodes in Mel’s face. When Madge sees a picture of Mel with another woman in an electric wheelchair, she jealously gets into a standoff with the other woman – both of them exchanging a vocabulary of curse words that will make your ears tingle. Since Janice is worried about her mother marrying this guy who Madge only met a month ago, and Mick forgets their tenth anniversary, it’s small wonder Janice feels neglected and falls for the advances of a much younger guy. However, the campiest event of the season was definitely Mel and Madge’s wedding – even the vicar was a transvestite! Heehee!

Entourage 7x01

One of my favorite shows of the moment is back for a seventh season! Just the opening sequence makes me giddy. I’ll be following Vincent Chase and his Entourage the whole summer. Turtle is now operating a car service with sexy drivers – except that one of the girls always gets lost, but Turtle can’t bring himself to fire her. Ari Gold is thoroughly in his element running the biggest agency in Hollywood. He just needs another challenge – and the mail boy offers him just that, the NFL is selling their TV rights, he says. Eric is now happily engaged to his dream girl Sloan, and he’s working at one of Hollywood’s great management firms. Johnny Drama is on a holding deal that will soon expire and there’s no network around that wants to develop a show with him. So, Drama wants Ari and his assistant Lloyd to set up a team to find him the right script. As for Vince, he’s back acting in an action flick. The director pressures him into doing his own stunts, and Vince doesn’t want to chicken out, but Eric and Ari find it unsafe. Ultimately, Vince gets in the car, with the director in the passenger seat. They hop through fire and crash into the set. He returns invigorated, ready to do a retake if necessary. It’s sure nice to see the guys again, but this wasn’t a particularly spectacular season premiere. We’ll have to see where this season will take us. I’m sure it’ll be fun, though.