TWO SUN DAYS

Eureka almost cracked the perfect score. Just enough tension, just enough revelation, just enough quirk plus politics and really really cool looking extra sun. And then too much heroism — do we have to make Zane an uber male hero type with the weepy Jo all over his shoulder. Come on. Where’s the Jo they started with — why can’t little girl ballerinas grow up to be the heroes. Why is that journey reserved for cool countercultural types that all our Degree buying fan base can relate too? BOO. I want Taggart back and if I can’t have Taggart back can we at least have storylines where Jo is something other than eye candy arm weight — and yes, I’m sure it’s a wonderful emotional breakthrough for the character and great to play for the actress but what about all of us who really liked Jo’s combination of kick ass tough and inner girlie, the part that connected so well with Zoe in the series pilot. That Jo. Surely there are ways to show an emotional journey better than hanging off Mr. I’m the Good Looking Perfect Cool Score SciFi watching Degree inventin’ and wearing nerd. BOO.

Right, aside from that tonight was the sort of Eureka episode I spent most of last season demanding the return of. So thank you for most of it. Carter’s sister is still a great addition; Alison’s character is recovering some of her previous spunk, not sure about Henry but he always was an idealist, Fargo, Zoe, Paulo and the pettiness of politics worked well. My Thorne as a hero thought is starting to look better (at least inside her head) and once again, love the science gone wrong.

So, scoring — well, + for rain and sun, + for school projects gone wrong, + for upping the interest in Thorne angle, – for Carter mostly trying to loom threateningly over her in hallways (I’m a gonna get you…how many times before we get that they are antagonists? Well, happened for me in a nice way when Henry came to Jack after the radiation readings thing), + for democracy, + for quirky town stuff, – for not quirky enough town stud, – for the Degree thing is getting a little annoying…

The more I type, the lower the score gets so we’ll end it at +4 on the EM scale of -6 to +6. A win for The Middleman thanks to less mushiness, Mexican wrestlers and mole — there’s a combination (refer to entry “I Want a Middlecar).

I WANT A MIDDLECAR

Watching the Sino-Mexican Revelation on my iPod was a surprisingly relaxing experience.  Close to my favorite episode.  Have to watch the trout zombie one again to know.  What did I like:  hmmm, Noser?middleman conversations always fun as are Lacey/Middleman conversations.  Sensei  Ping excellent; wrestlers excellent; Tyler o.k. in this episode; fight scene great; split screen scenes great so on to scoring:

 

+ for fight scene, ++ for Wendy/Sensei Ping interaction, plus the Middleman’s reaction, + for the scantily clad waitress pirate themed bar; – for too many fade to blacks in the Wendy knockout sequence; – for a bit too squelchy Middleman visit at the end (yes, squelchy, I’m not exactly sure what that means and no, it doesn’t involve a bodily function except for maybe the unexpected welling of tears, but I think it’s too much emotion, although  MiddleMatt carries it off); – for Tyler’s fixing the car; he’s just too perfect.

Where are we on the EM scale — 5.5, I think,  +5.5.

EUREKA

And I can’t think of a clever title…Eureka doesn’t seem to be inspiring clever titles, although I think this season is much stronger than the last and very well written. The acting has been consistently good over all three, although I will still put in an I miss Taggart plug. Maybe he’s tracking Beverly?

This week — still not enough Jo. I guess more Zoe means less Jo. Glad they realized Zane fits in better with the high schoolers than the grownups. Liked the Captain Eureka thing. Lexi is a good add; someone needs to give Carter that kind of a backboard for patter. Fargo’s around too much. Henry and Alison solving problems is good. Thorne plot line creeps along with very little zing. This season seems to be an exploration of the heroic. Will Thorne make the hero switch like Henry did last season?

Anyway, the score ++Carter uses technology and logic to conquer, -arbitrarily putting Zoe in danger so he can do the Dad big hero thing, – lack of Jo, +excellent writing, +for Chuck, +for Eva Thorne’s hair (don’t ask, it’s late — is one of the Eureka points all redheads are dangerous and hey, who’s the town therapist now and does Eureka have a bar? Has anyone had a still yet? Eureka moonshiners, there’s a thought, Eureka plus Dukes of Hazzard — rocket cars!). Where was I, oh the score: 4.5, I think on the EM scale of -6 to +6. Now, if we’ve finished leaving main characters behind in the time stream or etched onto a diamond, can we have some fun?

Good night.

THE MIDDLEMAN

O.K., SciFi pick it up if ABC Family sticks with teens in turmoil.  We want our second season of svelte sidekick and square jawed hero.  Season finale very very well done, if lacking quite so many laugh out loud moments.  Bonus for the Shadow reference and excellent lighting in Middle Apocalypso Land.  Lacey wasn’t as sexy as the preview articles claimed, but it’s hard to outdo hot on the track of everything anti-art Lacey.  Noser with a gun showed a new side…answer the man, d*&n it, or get blown away.  Makes you wonder what your palindromic double would be like.

So, the score:  pluses for middle hog striding dude, excellent acting job; pluses for serious tension, pluses for glass puzzling, plus for multifunction Ida, plus for villian twist, plus for spray on soup, minus for still smarmy Pip, minus for banal art at the end — why not an eyepatch, tatoo or stubble, minus for cutesy Tyler stuff, plus for all being right with the world.  Total on the EM Index 2.0 with its -6 to +6 scale:

The Middleman season finale:  +4.5

Somebody pick up the show and when is the DVD coming out?  And can Season 2 involve more Sensei Ping?

“SHOW ME THE MUMMY”

Well, Eureka gets a bonus .25 for proper punning.  This week’s episode — not much dwelling on Stark, except for Fargo and nice touch to see the other characters react.  Getting a little tired of the Eva Thorne teasers. Like Carter’s sister and the sibling interaction, probably partly because I miss mine.  Who else can you go to when you need a quick game of touch football — that’s it, let’s see another Eureka version of sport.  Baseball and tennis, now we need….polo?  Robot horses?  Remote controlled on the moon?????    Anyway, scoring…

Eureka, pluses for Carter figuring out something the scientists should have; plus for Cafe Diem inclusion — Vincent is apparently covering all the quirk and doing a good job, plus for the horror motifs — Blair Witch and that fun moment when the bugs banged against the freezer door — minus for the streching out of the Thorne puzzle, plus for Lexi, minus for Zane, I’m still missing Taggart; minus for not enough Jo recently; plus for doing Fargo well (I guess we’re stuck with him).  Total:  3.5, sorry, 3.75 with the bonus.  So the score for plague of the Egyptian sort versus plague of the alien nanobot sort (drum roll or count down to the maybe not so inevitable detonation):  The Middleman takes the week with 5 on the EM scale versus 3.75 for Eureka.  Next week, The Middleman season finale.  Throw a party.  Serve up some square jawed justice.  Do the same on Tuesday.  Cheers.

MIDDLEMAN DESERVES MORE SEASONS

Might as well put it all in the title…here’s the page where the situation is discussed:  http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-story-themiddlemanoutin12orbackfortwo,0,2566870.story

As for tonight’s episode, no suspense, it’s a 5, yes, they’ve maxed out the scale. OK, I should change the scale to a -6.5 to +6.5, EM Scale 2.0

The Breakdown: pluses for actually carrying off the hero crying, pluses for Code 47s, pluses for Dr. Who, more power, and the awful first Star Trek movie references; always pluses for Lacey and Noser; minus ’cause I still don’t like the boyfriend; plus for Ida’s brain, pneumatic tubes always good (watch the Shadow); minus for not giving a cooler character Lethbridge-Stewart’s name; minus for not enough steam…