One of the mysteries that J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay have set up for the first season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is the identity of the unnamed character who comets to Middle-earth near the encampment of the nomadic Harfoots. Known simply as “The Stranger” (Daniel Weyman) in marketing materials … [Read more…]
In the midseason finale of The Walking Dead, Beth dies after Rick and the gang had (they thought) successfully managed a hostage negotiation with Dawn. After hostages are traded – Beth and Carol for two of Dawn’s police officers – Dawn predictably and despotically demands that Noah, the ward whom Beth had replaced and who … [Read more…]
A couple weeks ago, film and TV critic Inkoo Kang published a thought-provoking article over at Vulture blaming Fox Mulder for a perceived rise of anti-government, anti-science sentiments in the new millennium. The key, Kang says, is the coolness behind Mulder’s “anti-government paranoia … and skepticism of science.” Furthermore, Kang sees Scully’s knowledge of science as … [Read more…]
Last night I watched the first of a four-part PBS series called Constitution USA with Peter Sagal. In it, Sagal pretends to be a biker and goes on a neo-Steinbeckian cross-country trip in a quintessential attempt to take the pulse of the heartland — and, you know, other lands on either side of the heartland…. I … [Read more…]
Tim Harford, the self-proclaimed “Undercover Economist,” wrote an interesting column the other day at Financial Times about how television broadcasting has changed through technology. Harford’s post, partly inspired from a talk given by University of Toronto economics professor Joshua Gans, claims that television programming has evolved primarily because of two technologies developed over the last … [Read more…]
I tend to watch a lot of TV (by TV I mean mostly stuff I download or watch on Hulu.com, etc.). I justify it because I often watch it while doing other things: Preparing dinner, washing dishes, folding laundry, etc. But it also has become somewhat of a distraction. I feel like it frequently makes … [Read more…]
Okay, I know probably a lot of people are doing these right now, but I figure, what the hell. Without further ado (which is something the LOST writers never would write…): The island’s events were the imaginings of a boy gazing into a snowglobe. “Call my name, Bastian. Call my name!” Jack wakes up in … [Read more…]
It’s a sad day. Another Joss Whedon show is canceled. And while it’s not surprising, considering Fox put it in time out during November sweeps, it sure is upsetting. There are a slough of commenters on various blogs saying things like, “At least they are going to air the whole second season.” Yes, there is … [Read more…]
Hulu, the really nifty Flash-based online media site, is considering charging for content starting in 2010. The company hasn’t disclosed details yet about when it’ll start charging or what type(s) of content it’ll charge for, but it’s clear that charging of some kind is going to happen. Hulu is, in one sense, basically a cable … [Read more…]
I just finished watching the first two seasons of the FX situation comedy It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and I have to say it’s absolutely fantastic. Quirky and irreverent, it’s what you’d taste if you took the banter of Ed, the setting of Cheers, the pointlessness of Seinfeld, the offensiveness of The Family Guy, and … [Read more…]