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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

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

 

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Filed Under: TV shows Tagged With: annie parisse, james purefoy, james purefoy the following, kevin bacon the following, Mike Colter, natalie zea, shawn ashmore, shawn ashmore the following, the following, the following 1x08 episode review, the following 1x08 episode summary, the following cast, the following kevin bacon, the following lines, the following quotes, Valorie Curry

Ringer starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ioan Gruffudd & Kristoffer Polaha

Posted on November 22, 2011 Written by ripitup

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Ringer starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ioan Gruffudd & Kristoffer Polaha. Image via fansshare.com

 

Twin sisters Bridget and Siobhan (Sarah Michelle Gellar) couldn’t have been more different.  Bridget Kelly is a former stripper/drug addict/alcoholic on the run from the mob. She has witnessed a murder, and her best bet is to testify against the murderer so that cops will drop the prostitution and drug charges against her.

Siobhan Martin on the other hand has long cut Bridget out of her life as she got sick of being disappointed by Bridget, and that Bridget caused a horrible tragedy regarding Siobhan. She has been married to the charming and successful Brit Andrew Martin (Ioan Gruffudd) and is living a glamorous life, and hasn’t told anyone about Bridget.

But when Siobhan contacts Bridget inviting her for a visit, Bridget decides to ditch the cops & the FBI to reunite with her sister. However Siobhan kills her during their boating trip, and Bridget realizes that posing as her sister might be her only way out. As upset that she is, she assumes Siobhan’s identity. But she just wasn’t expecting  Siobhan’s life to be so complicated:  As it turns out, her relationship with her husband is cold and strained, she is cheating on him with her best friend Gemma (Tara Summers)’s husband Henry (Kristoffer Polaha) and that Andrew has a drug-using teenage daughter  named Juliet (Zoey Deutch) who hates her. However Bridget is determined to make the most of this new life- so she tries to make her relationship with Andrew better and ditches Henry.

While his “wife” ’s sudden nice and easy-going attitude makes Andrew suspicious, he eventually welcomes the fact that their marriage has a shot after all. Even Henry eventually has to give up trying to get her back as “Siobhan” seems more into Andrew than she ever was before. She even gets through to Juliet a bit.

But complications for our ringer never ends: FBI agent Machado (Nestor Carbonell) keeps questioning Bridget’s whereabouts, Gemma is sure her husband is having an affair, Siobhan is pregnant and Andrew overhears this, there seems to be a hitman after Siobhan and worst of all-and unbeknownst to Bridget, Siobhan is actually alive and well. She has orchestrated this whole thing, and is trying to get rid of Bridget.

There are only two people know that they switched places: Siobhan and Malcolm (Mike Colter), Bridget’s sponsor & former flame…

*

Ringer is one complicated and engaging drama. The audience is always kept in suspense, and even though we know more than Bridget does, we are still left with good cliffhangers and questions every episode. After 9 episodes into the season, we still don’t know what exactly is Siobhan planning. We don’t know if/how/when Andrew will find about the truth. We don’t know if Malcolm can survive, or Machado can/will discover what the twins have done. And we still don’t know what exactly Bridget did to piss Siobhan off this badly.

The story also has scenes in Paris, France where Siobhan is executing her plan. As the story progresses, Bridget makes some drastic calls, and she even has to admit to having a sister named Bridget. The mob is still after her, and we don’t know about how she will solve the pregnancy issue…

I’ve been a Sarah Michelle Gellar fan ever since Buffy the Vampire Slayer. While I’m glad that the show is over, it is good to have her back as the leading actress. She pulls off the calculating Siobhan and the emotional and struggling Bridget very well. Rest of the cast is also good, and I won’t deny having a crush on  Ioan Gruffudd- that guy does principled/decent leading guy well (check Amazing Grace for proof). And as if the characters aren’t way over their heads already, we are also introduced to Juliet’s new teacher- Mr. Carpenter Jason Dohring (Logan from Veronica Mars/Josef of Moonlight).  I’m guessing they wouldn’t have cast Jason Dohring just to be a good teacher, but I could of course be wrong…

So yes, Ringer is a good show. I love its pace, twists and characters.  I love the moral dilemmas they put Bridget through, and I love that how the former drug addict sister is actually the more moral one. At least she doesn’t try to get rid of anyone who makes things complicated, and is more loyal to Andrew/and nicer to Juliet than Siobhan has ever been. I don’t know how many seasons Ringer will last, but so far, it is one of the most fun shows around.

Fun Cast Facts:

–          Ioan Gruffudd is not actually old enough to have a 16-year-old daughter. Having born in 1973, the 38-year-old would have had to impregnate his character’s first wife at the age of 21, which hardly seems to be the age a financial wizard would settle down… Or Andrew is supposed to be older than Ioan.

 

–          Ioan Gruffudd is from Wales.

 

 

–          We have to hope that Kristoffer Polaha, who plays Henry, is not a cheating bastard in real life. Because Kristoffer is also married and has three sons!

 

–          Sarah Michelle Gellar was born in 1977, the same year as Kristoffer Polaha.

 

 

Other Posts on the Cast:

Sarah Michelle Gellar Trivia

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 ,

Possession starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Lee Pace and Michael Landes

Buffy The Vampire Slayer: A Love Story with a Real Twist

Jason Dohring

 

Veronica Mars starring Kristen Bell, Teddy Dunn, Jason Dohring & Enrico Colantoni

Moonlight starring Alex O’Loughlin, Sophia Myles and Jason Dohring

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Filed Under: TV shows Tagged With: Buffy The Vampire Slayer, buffy the vampire slayer series, drama, Ioan Gruffudd, jason dohring, Kristoffer Polaha, Mike Colter, mystery, Nestor Carbonell, Ringer, ringer cast, ringer review, ringer tv series, ringer tv series review, Sarah Michelle Gellar, sarah michelle Gellar buffy the vampire slayer, sarah michelle Gellar ringer, Tara Summers, zoey deutch

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