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The Following 1×08 Welcome Home Review: Mike Weston Proves He’s More Than Computers

Posted on March 13, 2013 Written by ripitup

Annie Parisse as Parker and Kevin Bacon as Ryan Hardy. Image via seat42f.com

1×08 was a really fun episode. Yes, the FBI makes some really ridiculous calls (again!), but I’ve come to accept it as a part of this show’s universe. I’m just having too much fun to care at this point. However I’m still hoping someone in charge will develop more brain cells and realize people’s lives are more important than a serial killer and his followers’ rights.

Here we go:

1×07 Let Me Go- Quick Reminder

Last episode ended with Caroll (James Purefoy) being taken safely taken to a mansion where all his followers, except Paul and Jacob-who we still haven’t heard of, are waiting for him. He also got to meet his son, who did recognize him. Claire (Natalie Zea) is placed in protective custody and presumably no one (that Ryan knows) knows where she is. He doesn’t know, either.

1×08 Welcome Home Summary

Joe is playing the unwillingly estranged, misunderstood good father to a very timid, silent Joey. Emma (Valorie Curry) looks for ways to hook up with her hero, and we finally get to meet Roderick who turns out to be the sheriff of the small town the mansion is located in.

FBI has a new man in charge, Nick Donovan (Mike Colter, Malcolm of Ringer) who makes more horrible calls to supposedly remedy “the mistakes Ryan and others did”. Considering Ryan (Kevin Bacon) is the only one that got breakthrough with the help of Mike and sometimes Parker, Nick’s attitude has only caused a lot of viewers, me included, that he is a follower. Either he is a follower, or he is stickler for good manners and authority and got to be where he is through luck and/or connections. Or Kevin Williamson really hates his fictional FBI.

*On a side note, I recommend watching Perception to see a much more competent bureau. Even if they make mistakes, apart from Daniel and Kate, they usually compensate with backing them up when they are proven right.*

So Nick stops Ryan from getting information first hand, and then sends Mike (Shawn Ashmore) home for hacking his email. Shockingly, another “let’s leave our agents along when so many homicidal followers are around” move from the bureau results in Mike being kidnapped to a shipyard to be tortured for information. The kidnapper team involves Charlie, Roderick and the blonde stabber from last week’s episode.

When Ryan can’t reach Mike on his cell, he informs Parker (Annie Parisse) and goes to the motel. Parker arrives, and together they make Nick allow them to go check out the shipyard. Of course, no back-up.

While Ryan and Parker were busy trying to find out about the place despite Nick, Weston was being tortured in a fight club sort of way, so that he would spit out the whereabouts of Claire. But he doesn’t say anything.

Ryan arrives just in time to kill a couple of followers, and save an almost dying Mike. Charlie, Roderick and the blonde escape; and Ryan goes to the hospital with Mike. Parker informs Ryan that Mike is the only one who knows where Claire is.

In the meantime, Charlie and Roderick inform Joe that they have failed and Charlie willingly gets killed by Joe. And Emma finally gets what he wants, and has sex with Joe.

The funny:

– Joe Carroll thinks that he is a good that.

– He actually said “I love my wife.” Sure he does. He hasn’t killed her yet. Got to laugh (and cringe) at the guy’s concept of love.

The Cool: Favorite Quotes & Scenes

– The fight club scenes with Mike. He proves he is more than brains, and he can hold his own in a fair fight. We also learn that he did know where Claire was the whole time, while doing a good job making it seem like he didn’t. Oh, and he didn’t cave despite the pain and probable death.

– Finally Ryan proved that he was more than a witty yet grumpy badass and went to the hospital with Mike even though he was unconscious and would remain so for ours. This was even before he knew Mike knew about Claire and didn’t budge. Fair to say Weston has finally gained Ryan as a friend. Of course this will all look really lame if Weston later turns out to be a follower.

– After Nick gives the speech about Ryan no longer being an FBI agent, Parker stands up for him-which is really cool. After Ryan goes to Weston’s desk:

Ryan: Nobody likes me.

Mike: Well, you’re inconsistent and extreme. People don’t know how to respond to that.

Ryan: I was joking.

– Nick interviews David, the follower Ryan shot from this episode but he won’t talk to anyone by Ryan. So Nick brings in Ryan.

Ryan: How is the leg? Sorry, I don’t know your name.

Follower: You can call me David. He doesn’t say anything and just stares at Ryan)

Ryan: This is a staring contest? Because you asked to see me. Here I am.

Follower: How did you like the plot twist? Joe Carroll escaping twice.

Ryan: Yeah. That was good. Now you are boring me.

Also on The Following

The Following: Why I’m Still a Follower & Summary for 1×07 Episode Let Me Go

The Following: When Both The Protagonist and Antagonist Are Writers

Mad Love: The Following Episode 4 Review – The Mad Get Madder

The Following 1×03 The Poet’s Fire Review: What’s with the FBI?

The Following 1×02 Chapter Two Review: Still cool, and yes, Hardy Needs to Toughen Up. But how?

The Following starring Kevin Bacon and James Purefoy: Epic Start

The Following: Why I’m Still a Follower & Summary for 1×07 Episode Let Me Go

Posted on March 11, 2013 Written by ripitup

The Following 1X07 Kevin Bacon — Ryan Hardy chasing Carroll out in the world again. Screencap from 1×07. Image via ytimg.com

The Following: Why I’m Still a Follower & Summary for 1×07 Episode Let Me Go

I know I missed by summaries from 1.04-1.06, but not because I quit on the show in any way.

I kind of cheated on this blog with other writing, and I apologize.

But I’m back, and The Following has seen a lot of changes.

The Following 1.07 Let Me Go Summary with Spoilers!!

The ever manipulative Joe Carroll (James Purefoy) uses his three broken fingers (courtesy of Ryan, at the end of the pilot) to make the warden grant him a transfer. Ryan (Kevin Bacon) is rightfully pissed, and he gets Mike (Shawn Ashmore) to look into the Warden. Yes, breaking prison fingers is not exactly law enforcement code, but considering what Joe did (in addition to the murders of the girls that got him in the prison of the first time: he escaped from prison after killing several guards, having trained a guard to become a serial killer, have his cult members play his last surviving victim…….Yes, it goes on.), surely any guard in his right mind would have let that slide.

So as it turns out Ryan was right. Joe’s followers have kidnapped warden’s daughter, and were using it as leverage to ensure his escape during transfer. The daughter happens to be imprisoned at the same garage where Emma (Valorie Curry) and Joey are waiting for. Of course Joey, being the nice and clueless kid that he is, tries to free her, gets into trouble, gets Emma in trouble but all but the hostage are saved by the arrival of Charlie (Tom Lipinski)-the guy who had kidnapped Claire (Natalie Zea) but later interrupted by the arrival of the FBI.

But by the time Ryan and Mike got their research results and stopped the transfer truck, Joe had already travelled safely in his lawyer’s car. To get his kicks, he gets the lawyer to call Ryan (who was on his way with Mike to them through lawyer’s cell) and kills her while she is still on the phone.

Ryan does get to Joe, but not before he is met by some followers who fly him out in a helicopter despite his best efforts. But he has one of them in custody, and with Parker’s approval, he tortures the information out of him, getting to where the daughter is held. Of course Joey and Emma are long gone, and a very frustrated Claire is taken under protective custody, and even Ryan, by choice, doesn’t know the location.

And Joe gets united with all of his followers in a secluded big house, where he also gets to see Joey and to his joy, his son recognizes him.

The Following 1.07: Let Me Go Breakdown: The cool, the improbable and the annoying

1.07 was a game changer, with Joe out of prison, reunited with followers and Joey, and Claire going into protective custody without Ryan to ensure her safety. It was fun and exciting, even its implausibility levels were a bit high.

Still it was cool to see:

1) Joe vs. Ryan outside the prison cell with Joe seeming on the verge of losing control and killing Ryan right then and there.

2) Ryan not buying the warden’s cooperation and waking up to the game before everyone else

3) Ryan disarming the follower and shooting him with the guy’s gun- and later torturing the info out of him.

4) Seeing the lawyer die. She was annoying as hell, and she was a victim of her stupidity all the way.

The weird, improbable and annoying:

1) I’m bored with Claire’s only interaction with Ryan her complaints about their failure to save Joey. Oh sure, FBI fails more than Joe’s followers commit crimes, but she does need to realize that her ex is such a talented psycho/actor that she didn’t have a clue something was wrong with him during their relationship- going on to have his baby and naming him Joey. She has to cut some slack when it comes to the number of his followers and how they are everywhere. Even during times when FBI would attempt at being successful, the followers screw things up. And Ryan? He has the only functioning brain in the department, but his alcohol soaked brain cells and weak heart, along with the moles and the mistakes of others do get in his way.

2) So Ryan won’t know where Claire is. Awesome. He is the only one he knows she can trust, and he’s leaving her to potential moles. Great move, Hardy.

3) After Joe kidnaps Claire, or Claire goes to him for the sake of Joey, we’ll see a more frustrated Hardy and Ryan. I’m more than willing to see too-lucky-to-be-true scenarios- but please let Hardy have them for a change, and not the followers.

What I want to see:

1) Ryan getting out of the kill-me-instead mood every time someone is endangered by Joe or his followers. What I want from him is to go all Brain Mills mode and stay there (you know-the famous: I’ll find you and I’ll kill you mode) or better yet, his character from Death Sentence. He might have a weak heart, but I’m sure he can pull it off as an FBI agent if his loving father-turned-into-ultimate avenger character can take down an entire group of villains.

2) Maybe Ryan getting his own set of rogue followers who defy law and rules to catch/kill Joe and followers. That’d up the stakes in their cat and mouse situation.

3) Have the followers turn on each other. Would be so fun if some of the followers turn out to be faking to get in and handle Joe themselves. Like maybe relatives/friends of victims? Or hired guns hired by the victim’s families?

Yeah, yeah. I’m big on revenge.

I still love The Following. Sure, the actions of the FBI drive me crazy too but it is still so much fun. I just need the lead character to go from part-time badass to full-time badass.

Favorite lines:

(parking lot scene- the guy is holding Ryan at gunpoint)

Ryan: You can’t kill me. He wants me alive.

The Follower: Then I’ll shoot you in the leg.

Ryan: (just before he moves to disarm him) Don’t miss.

Then Ryan maneuvers the gun out of him and shoots him in the leg.

(parking lot- the guy is on the stretcher- others have left Ryan alone with him)

As Ryan puts on medical gloves:

Ryan: So, the boy. Joey Matthews. Where is he?

The Follower: I’m not gonna tell you anything.

Ryan: You look like you’re in pain.

The Follower: I can handle it.

Ryan: Oh. That’s good to know.

Then he presses hard into his gunshot wound until the guy screams, and then some.

Also on The Following

The Following: When Both The Protagonist and Antagonist Are Writers

Mad Love: The Following Episode 4 Review – The Mad Get Madder

The Following 1×03 The Poet’s Fire Review: What’s with the FBI?

The Following 1×02 Chapter Two Review: Still cool, and yes, Hardy Needs to Toughen Up. But how?

The Following starring Kevin Bacon and James Purefoy: Epic Start

Also on Kevin Bacon

Crazy, Stupid, Love starring Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone

The Awesome X-Men: First Class with James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon & Rose Byrne

Actor Musicians and Musician Actors: Keanu Reeves, Jon Bon Jovi, Kevin Bacon

Writing Humor That Cracks You Up 1: Poking Fun at Oneself Unashamedly feat. Kevin Bacon

5 Awesome Revenge Movies Feat. Gerard Butler, Kevin Bacon, Antonio Banderas, Brandon Lee and Mel Gibson

Stardust, The Air I Breathe, Playing by Heart, The Good Shepherd, Hairspray & He’s Just Not That Into You: 6 Good Movies with Brilliant Casts

Body of Proof is Back for its 3rd Season: And It’s Even More Fun!

Posted on February 23, 2013 Written by ripitup

Body of Proof Season 3 Cast — From left: Mary Mouser, Elyes Gabel, Jeri Ryan, Dana Delany, Windell Middlebrooks, Mark Valley, Geoffrey Arend.

Body of Proof is a crime/drama/thriller starring Dana Delany and it is back for a 3rd season. It’s one of my favorite shows to tune in. Before moving on, you can refresh your memory with my initial review for the show.

Why I’ll Always Appreciate Another Body of Proof Season

When you like a show purely for its concept, and it doesn’t attempt to lure you in with serial story lines, it has a higher chance of keeping you interested.

There’ve been shows that I initially liked more than Body of Proof, but while some of those shows produced entire seasons I didn’t enjoy (Supernatural, Alias, Fringe), there hasn’t been one episode of Body of Proof that bored me. Sure, some episodes are better than others, and some two-parters (Going Viral, Season 2, Episodes 18 & 19) have been great. But all in all, to me, it is better to be entertaining all around than to be awesome for a while (e.g. Supernatural Seasons 1,2,3) and then bore me to death (Supernatural seasons 6 & 7).

Story Background with Some Major Spoilers for Season 2

If you are new to the show, you can read my review for the first season. But I prepared a quick fix for you anyway:

You don’t have to watch an entire season to catch up. All you need to know is that Megan Hunt (Dana Delany) is a brilliant surgeon-turned-medical examiner. She’s divorced with teenage daughter Lacey (Mary Mouser), and a total workaholic; with an addiction to finding the truth no matter what. Nope, she’s not the easiest person to work with.

Yes, she acts like examiner/detective, driving a lot of people crazy in the process. But just like Lightman (Lie to Me) is the best at reading faces and bodies, Megan reads dead bodies like no one else can. And as much as her friends and colleagues complain, she’s the best, and there’re tons of killers who wouldn’t have been caught if it weren’t for her.

And like most brilliant and unorthodox TV characters, she’s really fun to watch.

Season 3 brings in 2 new characters, after killing off the second main character, Peter Dunlop (Nicholas Bishop), Megan’s friend/MI and potential love interest. Unfortunately season 2 ended with a cliff-hanger Megan panicking next to a bleeding Peter, whose survival chances seemed slim. The two cops (played by (John Carroll Lynch, Sonja Sohn) Megan collaborated with were also change. Apparently the show was suffering from low ratings, so the producers decided to vamp up the show with new blood.

While I liked Peter’s character and her dynamic with Megan, I didn’t have to worry about his departure when Mark Valley was brought in. And instead of being the new MI, he is one of the two cops Megan will be working with. Oh, and to make things more complicated, they do have a history, which ended with him screwing up and annoying Megan to no end.

His partner Adam (Elyes Gabel) is also likeable, young, capable and not above teasing Valley’s Tommy Sullivan about his past relationship with Megan despite Sullivan’s death threats.

Season 3, Episode 1

Megan comes back to work 3 months after Peter’s death, bored from having stayed away from work but still shaken up. She has to put up with a rookie MI, and finds out that she has to work with 2 new cops, one of them being her ex flame….

The case they are working on however is bigger than any of their issues: someone is kidnapping veterans, removing their spleens and killing them later. While “the why” haunts them, the brains of the operations find the perfect way to eliminate Megan-through her daughter Lacey.

Episode 2 will serve as the second part of season opening. You can watch the promo for 3×02 here.

In Time starring Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried & Cillain Murphy: Fast, Fun, Romantic

Posted on February 18, 2013 Written by ripitup

In Time -Justin Timberlake- Amanda Seyfried — In Time starring Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried & Cillain Murphy. A 2011 film. Written & directed by Andrew Niccol. Image via northernarizonanews.com

Jerry Maguire might have had Dorothy Boyd from hello; Andrew Niccol got me from Gattaca. He then got me again with Lord of War, with bigger impact. And while Just in Time isn’t as painfully effective and emotionally disturbing as Lord of War or as highly rated as Gattaca, it doesn’t lack in the entertainment department. It also has a lot to show about societies and human nature.

Let’s go over the plot before I list why it is good entertainment:

Will (Justin Timberlake) lives in a world where time is the only currency. Keep getting it, and you might as well be immortal. Unless someone kills you, you’re golden – if you are rich. Oh, and you stop aging at 25. One can argue that at least you get to die pretty regardless of how.

But just like in the world there are different classes classified as zones. One of the unluckiest is where Will has lived his whole life. His father has died when he was a kid, and it is just him and his mother (Olivia Wilde) working hard, barely making through each day.

But when, in a twist of fate, Will saves the life of the suicidal rich (and old) man Henry Hamilton (Matt Bomer), he awards him his time. Unfortunately, his mother dies, which sends Will on a quest of revenge instead of living a happy, long life with his mom.

He does, however, enjoy a few perks before he can figure out a plan, including having met and attracted the beautiful & rebellious daughter, Sylvia (Amanda Seyfried), of the wealthy Peter Weis (Vincent Kartheiser). But before he gets to live life to the fullest for a little more, the time-keepers are on to him-thinking he has murdered Henry.

Time-keepers are the cops of this world, ensuring the balance. Unfortunately, led by Raymond Leon (Cillian Murphy), they are more concerned about the balance than justice. Making it his sole mission to catch Will, he leaves the young man no choice but to go on the run, taking Sylvia hostage.

While Sylvia hates her situation at first, she teams up with Will when she realizes that he only wants to live a normal (mortal) life and help out as many under-privileged and overworked people as he can.

But unfortunately, Raymond isn’t their only obstacle: “crime” boss Fortis (Alex Pettyfer) is after them, hell-bent on getting the reward put on their heads…

The good, and the better

For an action/sci-fi film with romantic elements, it is not a shallow ride at all. This is not Fast and Furious (though I do appreciate that series’ entertainment value). It tackles immortality, unfair distribution of income, friendship, morality, doing things by the book vs. doing the right thing, greed, love and beyond. It just does it at a satisfying speed, with enough decent one-liners and a good cast.

Who doesn’t want to be immortal, stuck at the beautiful (apparent) age of 25? I know I would. I also wouldn’t mind stopping aging now at 28, or 10,20,30 years later. The issue here is how you get the “immortality”. You have as many years as your money can afford. Sure, you can die if someone kills you or you kill yourself. But watch your diet and you’re golden. But would you want to earn those years through the lives of others?

Everyone automatically gets a year after 25. Work, steal, borrow…if you can’t collect time one way or the other, you are dead as soon as time runs out.

The rich are afraid to be reckless and impulsive. The poor barely see the next day. It’s unfair, just like the real world. Money can’t buy happiness (for some), but it sure improves your living conditions.

Crime rate is higher in the ghettos, and the rich are well-protected.

It’s a little look into our world, with a twist on our genetics and the replacement currency.

Niccol is great at looking into human nature, and combining a few different natures in his films. He gives us the good, the bad and the grey (Timekeeper Raymond, Will’s best friend). He can shock and entertain as much as he wants. He doesn’t have a problem a set of famous and capable actors.

Yes, I loved Lord of War, despite it was an emotionally disturbing and thought-provoking experience. I loved Gattaca for it was a great sci-fi with substance about how far we can go with genetics and In Time is the movie to remind you that you don’t have forever. But even if you could, you need to be able to more than just breathe and look nice to feel alive.

I want to see it again, but I’m torn. Maybe I should cash in those 109 minutes for a different experience. I mean I don’t live forever right?