SpaceGypsies

Episode 9 Chimera:

This season of Sanctuary is still going strong. “Chimera” was primarily a stand alone episode, but unlike “Homecoming” it actually had some bite. This episode has Magnus and Tesla trying to quarantine a sentient, organic, Praxian nanite. Last season during the episode “Hollow Men,” Tesla hooked Adam Worth up to the Sanctuary computer systems using the Praxian spiderbot. The intention was to get the coordinates for Hollow Earth so Druitt could successfully teleport, but the spiderbot left some goodies behind and so did Adam Worth…

This was an excellent episode. As always, character interaction between Magnus and Tesla was wonderful. Amanda Tapping and Johnathon Young never fail to deliver. The banter between Henry and Tesla was also hysterical. I simply love it when those two get a room together and just have at each other.

Adam Worth returns this episode, and is as creepy as ever. In fact, I believe this is the creepiest I’ve seen him. Ian Tracey blew me away with his performance; he actually gave me the heebbie jeebies! Robin Dunne also sent a chill up my spine after the mind swap took place. The scary factor was only enhanced by the music. There was a selection of music played in last season’s episode “For King and Country” that they used again in “Chimera,” but the tune was warped with notes being out of order and some of the notes digitally synthesized- adding to the idea that this was a ‘virtual’ Sanctuary and that something wasn’t quite right. The reworking of that piece of music alone added to the tone of the episode.

Magnus and Tesla centric episodes occasionally have a tendency to be one sided, with either Mangus doing all the work, or Tesla. In fact most of the time, it is Tesla yanking Magnus around. This episode, the writers flip it around, with Magnus taking charge.  From what I’ve seen, Tesla likes to take control of a situation and not reveal any weakness, but in this episode, we actually see him panic, something that doesn’t happen too often. Up until Worth starts messing with Magnus’ head, he’s fairly calm, but when Worth starts digging through Magnus’ memories, pulling up painful ones of Ashley, the calm exterior goes away. Now, this could have been out of concern for Magnus, or perhaps he was afraid of Worth going through his memories. Regardless of the reason, seeing Tesla less in control, more cautious, and far more pessimistic than usual was an interesting change.

Mentioning Ashley brings me to another point. In “Resistance,” Magnus and Henry sneaking into the SCIU facility was reminiscent of Ashley and Henry infiltrating the Cabal base; Bigfoot even compared it to the Cabal. I thought this was coincidence, but now I’m not so sure.  This season, the writers are referencing Ashley more. When Ashley just dropped of the face of the Earth in season two, I felt that they didn’t do the mother/ daughter relationship justice. But now the writer’s are giving us a glimpse into Magnus’ head and seeing how she is still affected by Ashley’s death adds more believability.

With only four more episodes left this season, I can’t wait to see what the writers have in store for us next.

Episode 5 Resistance:

Henry and Magnus break into a government abnormal research facility, find out Tesla is running it and that a deadly creature is running rampant. The three of them have to find a way to stop the creature before it escapes the facility and endangers the outside populous.

All in all, this is a very good episode. There isn’t a lot of action in it, but the character interaction was golden. The bulk of the episode is Henry and Magnus debating with Tesla on the morality of heading the research facility while using government money to fund his own experiments. What’s great about it is that you can view the argument from both sides. Magnus’ view on it is obvious, but Tesla’s side is equally valid… not the part about stealing from the government, but that who would be better in the position? Tesla? Villanova? Some government lapdog?

“Resistance” also brought to light a consequence that Magnus did not expect when she broke away from her government sponsors: Read the rest of this entry »

***This review contains spoilers throughout***

The A Plot of episode 4.04, “Monsoon”, begins very similarly to Amanda Tapping’s “Samantha Carter gets a love life” Stargate SG-1 episode, “Chimera”, where an annoying man approaches Sam Carter in a coffee shop with a terrible pick-up line only to turn out to be her new boyfriend. Here, we learn from Will and Henry’s expository opening (and the screen label), Magnus has traveled to an airport in Africa to meet a new associate, and when a man offers a cringe-worthy come on, the viewer wonders, “Is this really the new associate?” Magnus has barely rebuffed him when another fellow proffers cage match tickets as compensation for his rude cell phone behavior, and we again speculate. The one other woman present introduces herself to Magnus as a scientist studying lemurs. Before we can consider that perhaps *she* is really Helen’s contact, a crew of bad guys interrupts and orders everyone to hand over their bank access numbers. So…not your average pick-up scene after all.

The rest of the episode views as a cross between a “Die Hard” movie and “Ghostbusters”. Magnus deals with abnormal bandits Bruce Willis style: complete with flying glass and taking them out one by one using their own equipment and weaknesses. Newly minted “Special Agent” Abby’s promotion (and moronic new partner) threatens to submarine her progressing relationship with Will Zimmerman when they butt heads over nabbing a Stenopelohabilis (Steno, for short) on the loose. Henry’s just along for the ride on this one, and we see neither his supposedly in-residence girlfriend Erika nor Biggie.

Let’s address the elephant in the room. Fandom exploded post-episode over “the kiss” – girl on girl – at the end of the episode, with passionate responses from fans of opposing viewpoints. Amanda Tapping had announced at San Diego ComicCon that Helen would have a kiss this season. From her refusal to identify the smoocher/ee as male or female, I deduced without benefit of James Watson’s abnormal intellect the osculation involved another woman. When fans have asked, Amanda has stated before that she didn’t care whether Helen had a relationship with a man or a woman and that in a life as long as Helen’s one would suspect she had had dalliances with a variety of lovers. This perspective plays well with many of Amanda’s fan base of varied sexual orientations, but not as well with more conservative viewers; that she and the writers chose this does not surprise, though regrettably, these things serve only to divide.

Amanda and many other genre actors tout the intelligence of fans. I hope that we can find a way to discuss our differences of opinion intelligently and respectfully. I find suggestions of pulling viewership over show runners’ choices virtually as ineffective as Will’s threats over pet names – unless people put their viewership where their vows are. A mass exodus of broadcast viewers could imperil a season five of Sanctuary, however, a sad prospect for true fans.

As for the remaining forty-four minutes of Monsoon, the action and acting on the Africa A Plot did not disappoint; however, I might have enjoyed a rerun of Ghostbusters equally as well as the B Plot. After ten years of Mulder and Scully, plus Profiler, Criminal Minds and Bones, I do not expect to see moronic FBI agent caricatures on a serious show. We also have another episode of Will threatening people who call him a pet name, never to follow up on his pledge. Rather than developing into a believable partner for Helen, Will seems even less capable than earlier seasons – emasculated even (but for the implied congratulatory sex with Abby on the couch in his office). The episode completely underutilizes Henry as Will’s ineffectual Tonto. The writers throw away the one aspect of the B Plot I most enjoyed – that Abby’s promotion would bring conflict between her and Will.

The guest cast included John Novak (Colonel Ronson from Stargate SG-1), who chews up the scenery as the bullet-proof bandit boss. Carlo Rota of La Femme Nikita, Queer as Folk, Little Mosque on the Prairie and 24 had fun with the cage fight promoter revealed in the end as Feliz, Helens’ associate. Both Charlie Carrick (xray-visioned Tyler) and Martin Cummins (Abby’s partner, Brad Sylvester) have genre credits including the V remake with Morena Baccarin; Cummins also played Aden Corso (another guy who came on to Sam Carter) on Stargate SG-1’s “Forsaken”, which introduced us to Warrick (Sam’s “Space Race” partner). Helen’s snogging partner, Sandrine Holt has worked on genre and other film projects and had regular roles in TV shows The L Word, Runaway and 24 – some with her Asian heritage emphasized; some, not. They all served creditably with the material given them.

My bottom line – Helen’s story line drives the show (in large part but not exclusively because of Amanda Tapping); deviation from it often as not lets me down. I prefer a focus on action and real conflict and tension in dealing with abnormals over following the characters’ sexual exploits. I find myself really missing (and looking forward to seeing) Nicola Tesla. As irritating as fun, no one gets under Helen’s skin as well as he.

Stargate fans may remember Brian Markinson as the holographic or biomechanical being “Lotan” generated by its spaceship to communicate with SG-1 in the episode “Scorched Earth”. The ship had begun terraforming the planet on which SG-1 had previously resettled the Enkarans, who refused to move (again). Markinson has had various series regular roles in Canadian-produced programs, including the Battlestar Galactica prequel spinoff, Caprica. That he showed up on Sanctuary didn’t surprise, nor did his butting heads with Samantha Carter Helen Magnus.

Having reviewed Source Code for SpaceGypsies previously, I commented how repetitions of the same event can become tedious rather than building tension. Especially in a 45-minute television episode, seeing the same scenes repeatedly uses up a lot of minute real estate without adding much to the story. Here first Henry tells his girlfriend, Erika, who has shown up with her own news (the B Plot of the episode) about a mission in Jakarta to capture an abnormal called the “Crixorum”. From there, Will and Magnus add information with each retelling the Jakarta incident from their perspectives – sort of – and answer to Markinson’s U.N. inspector for the way the mission went pear shaped. By the time Magnus kicks Greg Addison and his team out, we think we have the full story, but only after the U.N. team leave do we learn the truth.

The writers take the chance that having the viewer find out what truly happened in bits and drabs along with Addison will work like a Perry Mason episode, intriguing the viewer as the truth comes out through various witnesses’ testimonies. Only my faith in Magnus to come through in Perry fashion kept me tuned in through Addison’s relentless obnoxiousness (and his primary techie’s arrogance). I felt badly that Magnus and Will left Henry and Biggie out of the loop, too, even if they didn’t seem to mind.

Speaking of Addison’s insufferable manner, which Magnus “hangs a lantern on” early on, the writers have Magnus and Zimmerman play “good inspectee/bad inspectee.” Helen seems uncharacteristically calm about the UN inspection. Will even calls her on her “zen” attitude, but I would classify it more as “resigned”, which isn’t the Helen Magnus we have come to know over three seasons. It begs the question, “How much has 113 years of solitude and reflection changed Helen, and will we like this version?”

Will responds with the most vocal irritation through most of the episode, including to Addison calling him “Sport” and profiling him; his physical threats ring empty because he does not follow through. I don’t buy Zimmerman as any sort of menace any more than Addison does. We have no doubt, however, that Magnus will keep her promise – the real zinger of a retort – when she tells the pompous blowhard, “You come near us again, and I’ll arrangefor you to be eaten.” I much prefer this Helen to the zen one.

The B Plot, Erika’s HAP pregnancy, raises some questions. With Kate Freelander’s absence, will Erika appear regularly? Magnus says her pregnancy could last as long as 22 months, but, with everything going on, “The Sanctuary is no place for a baby.” Might this forecast Henry’s departure? I hope not, though I know Ryan Robbins has many projects on the go. Henry provides so many comedic, tender and fun geek moments – his opening scene with Erika arriving (“Stopping? Listening!”) provided one of the best of the episode – that his exodus would leave a gaping hole. I’d sooner see Will leave.

*Sun Tzu, who also said, “All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved.”

When I taught a summer writing class a few years ago, I suggested a way to give feedback on the writing shared. For this review of Sanctuary’s season four episode two (aka part two of the season premiere), “Uprising,” I will offer “what I liked about it” and then “what I think would make it even better.”

***This review contains episode spoilers throughout.***

What I liked about “Uprising”:

Sadly, my favorite thing about the episode was the references to other shows; writers throwing those little gems into the dialogue make me happy.  Henry’s “Better…faster…stronger” line harks back to the 70’s TV show, Six Million Dollar Man. Will uses a line from The Princess Bride: “Have fun storming the castle.” Whether intentional or accidental on the writer’s part, Tom McBeath as Villanova makes an allusion to his Stargate SG-1 character Colonel Harry Maybourne and an episode in which he figured prominently, “Foothold.”

I noticed that Pascale Hutton (as Abby Corrigan) looked lovelier than ever, which made her Captain Kirk routine – leaving a lover at every mission location – more believable. Frankly, in the past, she has appeared almost frumpy and a lot less competent. She deserved Magnus’s, “Well done, you.”

We do receive some preparatory explanation for Kate’s future absence from episodes.

I’m enjoying more Bigfoot involvement beyond serving tea and growling. We see Biggie – rather than one of his less hairy counterparts – figure out someone has a “different agenda.”

While obscure genre references, focusing on competency, laying the groundwork for future developments and using existing (interesting) characters more all improve a show, I had a few bones to pick:

I understand the show runners’ choice to separate the “Victorian England” action and storyline from the present-day action into two different episodes. While that afforded Amanda Tapping another opportunity to direct without juggling a demanding role as well, the dearth of Magnus/Tapping makes for a fairly dull episode. Faced with the daunting task of making all the talking heads on computer monitors interesting, Tapping did the best she could with the material given; I chalk this one up to bad (boring) writing.

Helen’s (uncharacteristic) almost immediate revelation to Will of her whereabouts jarred me; Helen has always maintained more mystery than that. I think I might have enjoyed it more had she refused to tell him anything.

Speaking of Dr. Zimmerman, I also do not buy the others making him head of the Sanctuary Network on even a temporary basis. Most of the other heads of household have worked for the network for many years. Regardless of his position as Magnus’s protégé and the elimination of his glasses and Will-vision, he in no way inspires my confidence in him – nor obviously that of the world leaders who refuse to take his calls – as Person In Charge of a Starbucks much less the whole network. I think the show runners have taken this step prematurely. It could have been even better if…there had been at least *some* discussion and/or disagreement to them handing him the keys to the kingdom rather than unanimous agreement.

Sometimes the little things bother me. For example, Henry spends a whole conversation packing a messenger bag that Villanova’s goons take from him before he enters the compound; they could have eliminated the useless actor “business” or had Henry fight to keep his toys. The writers attempted to humanize Villanova with the story about his son’s death, but his annihilation of large numbers of sentient beings spoke volumes more, making that scene obsolete. Without a firm grasp of David Milchard’s other work, I will chalk up his wooden characterization of Garris, the reluctant Hollow Earth leader, to the cat’s-eye contacts; I have no excuses to offer the young woman who played the empath (and looked like she had appendicitis) nor Agam Darshi’s sudden turn as a coy schoolgirl telling Garris she’s going with him. A scene in which Helen asks Kate to go would serve better.

If we take this as part two of a two-part season opener, I remain optimistic for the season; as a stand-alone, this episode disappoints.