The Bad Influence Speaks

Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia

Series 2, Episode 1

 

Sherlock is distracted from piecing together a puzzle by the introduction of Irene Adler after whom he is sent because of a collection of compromising photographs. Lara Pulver guest stars as Irene Adler.

Watson: People want to know you're human.
Sherlock: Why?

 

Sherlock: Tell us from the start. Don't be boring.

 

Watson: Do you just carry on talking when I'm away?
Sherlock: I don't know. How often are you away?

 

Watson: And that's as modest as he gets.

 

Watson: I always hear "punch me in the face" when you're speaking, but it's usually subtext.

 

Sherlock: Stop boring me and think; it's the new sexy.

 

Mycroft: He's Sherlock. How will we ever know what goes on in that funny, odd head?

 

Watson: There is no usual in this case.

Comments:
1) Andrew Scott may be a genius. He does a brilliant job of incorporating menace, intelligence and slight ineptitude. The first minutes of the episode show that even in well planned moments of menace and aggression that real life can intrude. I also adore the fact that he has Staying Alive as his ringtone (I wonder if she is the one who planted that one). I just can't figure out why he is so familiar. I've looked through his filmography on IMDB and nothing rings a bell. It's been making me nuts ever since I saw the series 1 finale. Why are you so familiar, you cute, charming, little man?!
2) Defenestration!
3) This episode reminded me that under all that intellect lies a good hearted man. At the Christmas party, Sherlock went on at Molly (part of me believes he thinks he's teasing her) in what really was a cruel fashion (though not to his eyes) but backed off and gave a heartfelt apology when he realized that the supposed "boyfriend" he was on about was him. I think he did regret what he said and how he said it. One review I read mentioned Asperger's and I think that may be a good point about this Holmes. He really doesn't realize how regular people interact and how far off base he is with it.
Another point in his favor is how he treats Mrs. Hudson when [she is taken hostage by the Americans]. He is very protective of her and his point is both [her safety and a bit of vengeance in her honor. ]
Oh, and before I forget again: [ He saved her?! How in the world did he manage to do that without Watson or Mycroft knowing? ]

Sherlock Quotes

Hump Day Quote: Thomas Mann

Speech is civilization itself. The word, even the most contradictory word, preserves contact - it is silence which isolates.

Thomas Mann, The Magic Mountain

Hawaii Five-0: Ua Hala

Season 2, Episode 23

 

Captain Fryer is lured into a fatal trap and his killers lead the Five-0 on a wild chase with stops in the HPD headquarters and a veterinary clinic. Tom Sizemore, William Baldwin, and Terry O'Quinn guest star.

Danny: All right with the Navy SEAL death stare. What are you going to do? Water-board me until I tell you about my private phone call?

 

Danny: What is that look? Please don't do anything stupid. Please. Nobody likes to get shot. Please don't do anything....Is there something the matter with you? Huh?

 

Joe: Who are you calling?
Steve: Danny. If I leave another note for him saying I'm going to Japan, he'll never talk to me again.
Joe: Hmmm. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

Comments:
1) Why assume the shooter was a male? I know they capitalized on that plot point, but it is a stupid assumption to make. Yes, statistically speaking, men are more likely to commit certain crimes than women. You should still enter a crime scene with an open mind. You'll spot more that way.
Now we get into spoiler territory. Highlight the underlined portions to read.
2) [ Frank was going on about Chin and calling him a dirty cop but he seemed to be more mad about the fact that Chin wasn't really a dirty cop even though he was called one. Or as I said during the show, "So you're mad that you were (by your own admission) a dirty cop and went to jail while Chin was called a dirty cop though he wasn't really and then got his job back even before he was cleared?" ]
3) [ Would Kono's dating of Adam been known to Frank and his outside help? Could Chin called Adam and had him save Kono while Chin went to save Malia? Also, could Chin have been more useless when he discovered Malia had been shot? He pulled her into his arms instead of doing anything for the wound and looked like he was getting ready to yell for help instead of call. ]
4) Re: Shelbourne [ I didn't see Shelbourne being Steve's mom, but it does make perfect sense. ]

Hawaii Five-0 Quotes Main Page

Hawaii Five-0: Ua Hopa

Season 2, Episode 22

 

Steve is on his way back to Hawaii with Wo Fat in custody when a state department employee with ties to Wo Fat is found murdered. Kono's relationship with Adam comes to light.

Steve: I've been gone way too long. You're starting to sound like me.

Comments:
You can tell that I'm not horribly excited about the show anymore by how abbreviated these comments have gotten this season. It's not that the quality has taken a downturn, but just that it doesn't thrill me. It's still a fun show, but I could stop watching and not mourn it.
1) English morale boosting speech before the bust to a group of Japanese cops (in Japan)? Shouldn't it have been in Japanese with English subtitles?
2) By the time they got to the scene when Danny escaped, I had forgotten he'd been kidnapped in the first place.
3) The episodes really are better when Danny and Steve are together doing their Odd Couple routine. Scott Caan and Alex O'Laughlin play off each other well and have good chemistry. The episodes where they're not together are just slow and a little dull.

Hawaii Five-0 Quotes Main Page

Hawaii Five-0: Pa Make Loa

Season 2, Episode 21

 

When a possible smallpox outbreak on the island leads the Five-0 to a known mobster, they call in NCIS agents Sam Hanna and G. Callen. Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J guest star.

Danny: Let's go check out a smallpox infected room?
Chin: Yeah.
Danny: Yeah. Sounds like a real hoot.

 

Danny: What do you know? You're not a doctor.
Chin: No, but you're a hypochondriac.

 

G: Blood feud.
Danny: Ah, well that... that happens.

 

Danny: Hold it steady? You shoot like Ray Charles.

 

Danny: We are going to use a page out of McGarrett's playbook.
Chin: What do you mean by that?
Danny: Take the playbook and set it on fire.

Comments:
1) NCIS: Los Angeles is one of my favorite shows on CBS so it was nice to see a pair of crossover episodes.
2) Orange B12 injection? From my experience, it's red/pink.

Hawaii Five-0 Quotes Main Page

Hump Day Quote: Sarah Addison Allen

Happiness is a risk. If you're not a little scared, then you're not doing it right.

Sarah Addison Allen, The Peach Keeper

Eureka: Worst Case Scenario

Season 5, Episode 6

 

Eureka's disaster scenario exercise might have gone fine, if the computer hadn't been damaged after the exercise in a possible act of sabotage. Zane helps Fargo reach out to Holly in the Matrix. Felicia Day guest stars.

Jack: It's a bad time for premature evacuation.

 

Zane: I like role playing as much as the next guy, but I have real work to do.

 

Jack: I did what now?
Jo: Okay, playing dumb just makes it worse.
Jack: Playing dumb? I am dumb. I have no idea what you're talking about.

 

Zane: That's kind of ominous.
Jo: Tell me about it.

 

Andy: I imagine time crawls by when you're sinking to your doom.

 

Andy: Excuse me while I whip this out.

 

Jack: It's not like the Computer of Gratuitous Ruin can fire a foreign country's missile at us, right?

 

Fargo: As your boss, I'd rather maintain your plausible deniability.

Comments:
1) Yeah, I don't like Allison. I realize she's still freaked out after the virtual life, but trying to ruin a long standing friendship because she's feeling insecure is not okay. At this point, I think Jack deserves better than her.
2) I don't understand the guy getting short with Jack when he said ADA could be told to "turn it down." So what if it's a computer? It can still be instructed to do that.
3) Holly seemed different. She hadn't been alone (consciously) for very long, but she was clingy and whiny. She just didn't feel like the same character. Is there something going on with all the female characters on this series in the final season? Jo is the only one who hasn't had major personality changes. It feels like the writers are doing a disservice to all the strong women they created. I adore and respect the writers for this show and is just out of step with what they've done here previously.

Eureka Quotes Main Page

 

Haywire

Directed by Steven Soderbergh, Haywire is a fast paced, non-stop thrill ride that follows the actions of private contractor Mallory Kane as she is betrayed by her (now former) employer and tracks down those responsible for payback while they are trying to permanently stop her. It is the acting debut of MMA fighter, Gina Carano.

 

Cast:
Mallory Kane........Gina Carano
Scott..........Michael Angarano
Aaron............Channing Tatum
Coblenz..........Michael Douglas
Rodrigo.........Antonio Banderas
Kenneth...........Ewen McGregor
Paul............Michael Fassbender
John Kane................Bill Paxton
Studer..........Mathieu Kassovitz
Barroso........Eddie J. Fernandez
Jamie...................Aaron Cohen
Gomez..........Maximino Arciniega
Jiang......Anthony Brandon Wong
Victor.................Julian Alcaraz

Quotes:

 

Aaron: Is this your idea of relaxing? Wine and gun maintenance?

 

Mallory: Well, if it is a paid holiday, it doesn't have to be me. I'm overqualified.

 

Mallory: I don't even know to to play that. I don't wear the dress.

 

Scott: How are you going to get out of this may I ask?

 

Kenneth: Denial is a great parenting tool.

 

Mallory: Surrender now if you want to live.

Comments:

It's nice having a female action hero that isn't Angelina Jolie. (Not that there's anything wrong with Angelina Jolie. She just seems to be Hollywood's main choice for a strong female lead with heavy action scenes.) That's one of the things I enjoyed about this flick. Gina Carano's moves lived up to the hype. The fight scenes are quick, visually arresting and rather brutal. It doesn't hurt that she also looks like someone who could give (and take) a punch. She's not heavily muscled, but not stick skinny either. She's built like what she is, a strong, fit woman. I'm not sure what I can say about her acting chops. This wasn't really a movie of scintillating dialogue and emotional range. She's good a fierce and fairly strong in the (very few) softer moments. I'd have to see her in something else to really say whether I think she's a good actor. I'm looking forward to that chance.

The rest of the ensemble cast did well in their roles though the writing wasn't strong and didn't give them much with which to work. As you can tell from the pictures below, I do so enjoy watching Michael Fassbender. I get a kick out of the story that the two of them went all out during their fight scene and got caught up in the moment to the point where he slammed her head into a wall and she shattered a vase against his.

Other random thoughts about the movie:
- Gina Carano has a spectacular voice.
- Those were really cute boots she was wearing in Barcelona.
- Sensible character taking her shoes off in preparation for the fight she knows is about to come.
- Damn, Michael Fassbender has some long legs.
- That hotel fight scene with Fassbender was amazing, and essentially foreplay.
- "She's in the house." Obvious and trite, but still funny.

It's fun in a beat you to death with my bare hands kind of way

 

Pictures:

Note: All rights to screen captures and quotes lies with the creators, writers, and producers of Haywire.

Iron Man 2

Tony Stark's life is in chaos while dealing with the aftermath of his announcement of being Iron Man. Stark Industries is in turmoil as it retreats from weapons manufacturing under Tony's inattentive guidance. The solution? Instate Pepper Potts as the new CEO. This doesn't do much to limit the frenzy from the press and senate committees as the military demands to be given the Iron Man technology.
His company's year long expo has begun and a new foe has come to the forefront, a foe with whom his father, Howard, had an association. Oh, and the palladium core in his reactor is slowly poisoning him and Tony has been unable to find a replacement.

Cast:
Tony Stark/Iron Man.....................Robert Downey, Jr
Pepper Potts.................................Gwyneth Paltrow
Lt. Col. James "Rhodey" Rhodes.................Don Cheadle
Natalie Rushman/Natasha Romanoff...Scarlett Johansson
Justin Hammer.....................................Sam Rockwell
Ivan Vanko.......................................Mickey Rourke
Nick Fury.....................................Samuel L. Jackson
Agent Phil Coulson..................................Clark Gregg
Senator Stern..................................Garry Shandling
Happy Hogan........................................Jon Favreau
Jarvis (voice).......................................Paul Bettany

Quotes:

 

Tony: I have successfully privatized world peace.

 

Tony: I will serve this great nation at the pleasure of myself, and one thing I've proved is you can count on me to pleasure myself.

 

Jarvis: And may I say how refreshing it is to finally see you in a video with your clothing on, sir.

 

Tony: Who is she?
Pepper: She is from legal and she is exponentially a very expensive sexual harassment lawsuit if you keep ogling her like that

 

Fury: Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to exit the doughnut.

 

Fury: Contrary to your belief, you are not the center of my universe.

 

Coulson: If you try to leave or play any games, I will tazer you and watch Supernanny while you drool on the carpet.

 

Coulson: We need you.
Tony: Yeah, more than you know.
Coulson: Not that much

Comments:

This film has several great nods to other Marvel heroes that would be joining with Iron Man in The Avengers. You get to see an old prototype of Captain America's shield that Howard Stark had in storage. There is also several references to Thor (whose first story was happening at the same time though the film came later). Fury mentions bigger problems in the southwest quadrant and Agent Coulson has to leave his babysitting duties to hand things in New Mexico.

I'd forgotten how annoying Justin Hammer was. He is a high school bully that never grew up and is in way over his head in a business he doesn't have the intelligence to understand.

I've always enjoyed Tony Stark/Iron Man. He is such a entertaining character and Robert Downey, Jr., plays him perfectly using all the sarcasm and pithy quips as a mask for the underlying insecurities. Neither of the Iron Man movies are my favorites in the Marvel ovre though, and as you can tell above, I didn't get a lot of quotes from it. We'll have to see what happens with Iron Man 3 which I think is due out in 2013.

Oh, and I realize I completely forgot to get a screen cap of the logo. I'll add it later tonight or tomorrow.

Pictures:

Note: All rights to screen captures and quotes lies with the creators, writers, and producers of Iron Man 2 and with Marvel comics.

Dragon*Con 2012 News

The Dragon*Con newsletter is up. It includes information on the new Puppetry track, updates to badge regristration/pickup, an excellent selection of survival tips, and a code for a 2-10% discount on airfare for Delta.

Read it here.