AHS: COVEN (Gianina Bonpietro)

Gia Bonpietro

Wednesday nights at ten o’clock is officially witching hour on FX.

American Horror Story: Coven made its highly anticipated debut last week, drawing in a record setting number of viewers for the series. The show, Bitch Craft lived up to AHS standards with its gore and shockingly graphic scenes.

I cheered as each of the returning cast members made their dramatic entrances throughout the episode. Taissa Farmiga returned to the show this season as the newest arrival at Miss Robichaux’s Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies. Sarah Paulson, who I am thrilled to see once again, leads this screwed up Hogwarts reform school. Farmiga’s character learns she is a part of a bloodline tracing back to witches when she kills her boyfriend while trying to lose her virginity. We’ve seen this before in X-Men, Rogue kills her boyfriend in the beginning of the movie with her touch while trying to have sex. Farmiga’s power is a mix between X-Men and the movie Teeth’s vagina dentate myth. It’s interesting at first, but I am not sure how many times I can watch her murder men with her vagina. Emma Roberts joins the cast this season as one of the witches, an interesting addition to the cast.

I have to admit I was a bit nervous as the show began as the dialogue between the teenybopper witches unfolded. I understand that writers want the language to be modern as the show takes place in our current time, but the lingo seemed cheesy and artificial. The clever, witty one liners seemed to be reserved for Jessica Lang. Take for instance her Hogwarts reference and when she is discussing the need for witches to hide in a world obsessed with Facebook, Twitter, and smart phones. Lang has held a place in my heart since season one, though. I love how all of Lang’s captivating characters throughout the series maintain the same personality, voice, and habits (the smoking). Emma Roberts on the other hand was particularly unlikeable as she delivered her dialogue.

But of course what AHS lacks in some areas it makes up for through its emotion stirring whirlwind scenes. Just as I began to condemn Emma Roberts for her stuck up attitude and cheesy lines we watched as she was gang raped in a scene so graphic I could not believe I was witnessing it on television. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the screen. I was hooked. I mean isn’t that what we all love about AHS? We watch for specifically for those scenes made for the shock value.

 Evan Peters from seasons one and two is back, and then was killed off moments later when Emma Roberts flips the bus containing her rapists. How could they kill off Evan Peters in the first episode?! I’m sure AHS vets Jessica Lang, Sarah Paulson, and Lily Rabe could hold the show all on their own with their entrancing character performances, but Evan Peters died in the first episode! We have to know more, and of course that teaser at the end gives us some hope for Evan Peters.

So far this coven is living up to AHS standards. The first episode included all that viewers are looking for in weekly television: rape, murder, gore, and bad ass characters.

I am reviewing American Horror Story: Coven in the style of Maureen/Mo Ryan.

I enjoy Mo’s criticisms because of her unique words and phrases, conversational style, and witty remarks. Mo reviews the shows she watches based on how different elements of the show (such as visuals, music, character performance, etc.) effected her emotions. Her reviews therefore are emotional. You get a real feel for the shows by the way she discusses them. She doesn’t use hyperbolic words that belong on the back of New York Time’s best seller books.

It's Always Sunny! (James Weidman)

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, about a mischievous group of four close friends known as “The Gang” and their over-the-top adventures and mishaps, is now in it’s 9^th season. Starting in 2005, eight years later, this is still the most outrageous sitcom on television.  It amazes me how a show in which lives of a formula involving such simplicity can be so complex at the same time. If you took the same jokes and put them in a different show with different characters, it would not work. In fact it would flat out suck. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia creators have put together the perfect cast and created a perfect tone of comedy to make these jokes not only funny, but laugh-out-loud hysterical. Sometimes moments of this show can be so down right stupid that we have to ask ourselves “why is this so funny?” The answer is because Sunny offers something viewers have never experienced before in any other show. This is a show that breaks all rules and traditions of the American sitcom. It aims for the unexpected and the shocking, and it hits us when we aren’t expecting it. So in a way, shock value is what this sitcom thrives off of.

Creators and main leads, Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, and Charlie Day continue to contribute to the best comedy offered on Television, and perhaps even the best in the history of television. They show zero signs of slowing down. While one could argue we learn everything there is to know about the characters in one episode, I say when it comes to this show there is nothing wrong with that. While this is a show about characters, it doesn’t need character development to be successful.  We already know how these characters are going to behave and learn from certain situations. The payoff isn’t “what this episode will teach us about this character” but instead the anticipation of waiting for the insanity and stupidity that we already know is coming when these characters get themselves into sticky situations. Each of the main characters are defined by these situations they fall into.  Charlie is a janitor who loves filth and he is absolutely disgusting. Mac is a wanna-be badass who fantasizes about being a master of karate. Dee is the definition of white trash. Frank only cares for others when it is beneficial towards something he wants. It doesn’t take long to understand these characters like this. We’ve known this since the beginning of the show and nothing about these characters has changed since. And we don’t want it to change. Again, if this was the formula for any other show it would fail, but this show isn’t about organized structure. It is about randomness and absurdness. This is probably the exact reason the show has never won a top-notch award. (Unfortunately, the Emmys do not approve of completely stomping on the traditions and formulas they stand for).

While being in it’s 9^th season it is understandable to begin to find some similarities with past episodes. (For example: “Gun Fever Too: Still Hot). While some jokes are beginning to feel recycled, they are still adding new fuel to them. Expect this show to only be around one more season. I would be surprised to see them go passed ten. While I still find this season to be just as hilariously awesome as the others, there comes a time when you have to end a great thing. The show has never been a massive hit in terms of viewers, but the 9^th season is seeing an all time low. This is a cult show and it always has been.

Finally, I conclude – It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is a fantastic show and anyone who loves a good laugh (quite a few, actually) should watch it. As plain as watching a “gang” run a Philadelphia bar may sound, this show will surprise. The characters are like nothing anyone is used to. No one could ever watch this show and say “it’s been done before.” Because no show has gone where this one has, and no show has ever had the balls to attempt to go where this show has gone. Rob McElhenny, Glenn Howerton, and Charlie Day didn’t make this show to win awards. This is a show for the people. Don’t miss out on the fun while you still have a chance because this show is close to the end. Everyone needs to experience Charlie running through sewers naked, Mac coming up with insanely idiotic solutions with a completely serious tone, Dee sleeping with absolutely anyone (no matter how disgusting) in order to use them, and Frank getting stuck in-between monkey bars naked at a playground. The show is brilliant - and it teaches us that even the simplest of comedy can manage, and it reminds us that “poop is funny” – Frank Reynolds. 

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Maya Bolden)

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-mistresses-20130603,0,3670121.story

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/tv/la-et-st-american-horror-story-coven-20131009,0,5805104.story

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-under-the-dome-20130624,0,4111484.story

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-twisted-review-20130611,0,6148920.story

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-whodunnit-review,0,1117011.story

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-0711-sharknado-need-we-say-more-20130711,0,1772285.story

‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ rises to the occasion after ‘The Avengers’ rescue New York

Superheroes have been dominating the movie and television market. From “Smallville” to “The Amazing Spiderman,” these iconic characters have flown, swung, and hammered their way into popular media and capture both comic book junkies and newcomers alike. So it was of no surprise to anyone when Marvel announced its new show “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” which brings the cameras into the confidential business of S.H.I.E.L.D. and its agents as they travel out and solve cases after the events of “The Avengers”. The first episode premiered on September 24, 2013 and has since rolled out four episodes. As proven by the episodes thus far, the operative team “bus” doesn't need assistance from a hammer-wielding god of Asgard or a sarcastic billionaire and corporation owner in order to stay afloat.

In a world where the existence of heroes and fearsome creatures has been revealed thanks to an incident occurring within the Big Apple, S.H.I.E.L.D. continues its covert missions in an attempt to protect citizens from the freaky discoveries made behind the scenes. Clark Gregg returns to the division once again as Agent Phil Coulson, post-Brush With Death. He shortly becomes a field operative once more and assembles a small team of agents, including Skye (Chloe Bennet), the snarky but warm computer hacker and the New Girl of the team, Grant Ward (Brett Dalton), the Black Ops Specialist with great talent but horrible people skills, Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen), the Ex-Field Agent leaping back into the fray, Leo Fitz (Iain De Caestecker), the witty Engineering Specialist with great proficiency in weapons technology, and Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge), the clever Life Sciences Expert with knowledge of both human and alien life. Together on an extravagant jet embedded with state-of-the-art technology, the team flies out and faces complicated issues like people with incredible powers gifted to them by frighteningly volatile substances, powerful substances capable of feats such as breaking all laws of gravity, and miracle eye surgeries gone horribly wrong. (If you ever become blind and have someone offer to give you eye surgery to bring back your sight, make sure that person isn’t going to turn you into the puppet of an evil organization later.)

Each hour-long episode hooks viewers in with a new mission and displays the operatives accomplishing their goals step-by-step. Despite the fast-paced intensity, “S.H.I.E.L.D.” still takes time to develop the characters’ relationships with one another in a satisfying manner. Hacker and new agent Skye ends up being taken under seasoned agent Ward’s wing as his student; Agent Coulson and Agent May frequently address one another regarding past experiences and even bicker on various issues that arise within the episode. Last but not least, Caestecker and Henstridge as Fitz and Simmons often share witty banter towards one another, all while they’re either scanning the burned down remains of an apartment building for clues or performing a squicky but life-saving eye operation on a rogue agent. To top it off, each episode thus far has ended with hints on the plot of the next mission and foreshadowing that there is more to Agent Coulson’s fake death than people are admitting.

With the way the Whedon brothers and Maurissa Tancharoen are handling a well-known fictional espionage and law enforcement agency while adding well-executed contemporary spins, it is no wonder why ABC chose to pick the show up for a full season of 22 episodes. This means that Marvel fans can expect more action-filled, suspense-driven missions that grow increasingly complex and dangerous with each episode. If the large amounts of foreshadowing and visions of an overarching plot aren't enough, then the sure-to-come cameos, such as Samuel L. Jackson reprising his role as Nick Fury in one episode, should be enough to at least spurn interest in those that enjoyed “The Avengers”.

And in the midst of odd times, maybe Captain America will check in every now and then.

GIRLS (Nina Gioia)

With the third season of GIRLS fast approaching, premiering January 12, 2014 at 10pm,  I’d like to take a moment to refresh our memories.  The show focuses on the lives of four girlfriends living in New York City, delivering an honest, funny, and satisfyingly uncomfortable first two seasons.  I found myself feeling so connected with each character that I almost felt like their fifth friend (and I don’t think I’m alone on that).

The pilot episode introduces a not-so-successful dinner conversation between Hannah (Lena Dunham) and her parents which accurately portrays their relationship right off the bat. Hannah is twenty-four years old living in the city, working as an unpaid intern and living off her parents’ allowance.  For some reason the thought of getting a real job and paying for her own expenses is a debilitating reality for Hannah.  As an aspiring writer, work has been sparse and income non-existent.  Struggling throughout the season monetarily, Hannah faces romantic issues as well.  Her want for Adam’s (Adam Driver) affection leads to multiple forms of degradation which is accepts as normal.  I hated Adam throughout most of the season, but he really turned around for me at the end of season one and into the second season.

Marnie, (Allison Williams) Hannah’s best friend and roommate is introduced to the show expressing her unhappiness with current boyfriend, Charlie (Christopher Abbott).  He’s way too nice and she can’t get him away fast enough.  In Marnie’s defense I can see how the relentlessly doting boyfriend can get old quick.  Her eventual break-up with him leads to endless games between the two of them for the rest of the show.  Whether it’s her jealously of his new girlfriend or his disinterest in her once he gets back on his feet in season two, Marnie and Charlie are doomed from the start.  It’s hard not to feel sorry for Charlie and I consistently wanted to scream at Marnie to shut up and go away through the TV screen (well, in my case, computer screen). 

Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet) and Jessa (Jemima Kirke) were my favorite characters.  Their first interaction is hilarious; showing their complete oppositeness and depicting their characters in full.  Shoshanna’s non-stop babble had me laughing every time she was on camera.  Even when she wasn’t in a scene I would hope for her to show up in the next.  Free spirit and world traveler, Jessa, is always leaving her friends out of the loop and in fear that she is about to bolt at any second.  Her carefree attitude has a way of drawing people (usually men) in effortlessly.  To date, her relationships with men have yet to end well.

These first two seasons have been a huge success for creator, Lena Dunham, and HBO.  I have seen a few sneak peaks of season three and it looks just as good if not better than the first couple.  I eagerly look forward to the upcoming season in January so I can be reunited with the GIRLS.

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D Review

Marvel is popularly known for making team-ups in the making, as shown previously in last year’s summer blockbuster, The Avengers. Set up since the first Iron Man film and working it’s way through it’s line up of characters solo films, the Avengers became a huge hit. Directed by Joss Whedon, it highlighted on how to make a superhero film work, but not just a superhero film, a superhero team film. With the heroic ensemble of Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk, Hawkeye, Thor, Black Widow, the Avengers was a film that nobody has ever seen or experienced before. That’s where Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D comes in, another team-up or continuation with Whedon and Marvel. Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D is a spin-off television series based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D (Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division). The pilot written and directed by Joss Whedon was greenlit by the end of 2012, officially ordered on May 10, 2013, which to it finally premiered on September 24, 2013. On October 10, 2013, following the pilot’s success, ABC picked it up for a full season of 22 episodes.

The pilot episode of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D focuses on agent Phil Coulson, played by Clark Gregg who reprises his role after his roles in the Marvel Cinematic films, as he rounds up other agents with his usual charm to handle strange new cases involving superpowers, science fiction and fantasy. Each case will test the cooperation and ingenuity as they try to work together in figuring out the newly emerging world of superheroes and villains. While Agent Coulson is putting together his squad, Grant Ward is his latest recruit, who is played by Brett Dalton. Coulson has also brought in young specialists Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) and Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) and a veteran S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen), with a mysterious past of her own. This newly formed team, which soon to be introduced as part of “Level 7,” are on the hunt for a man (J. August Richards) who used his superhuman abilities to save someone from a fire. However, Agent Coulson warns that other far more nefarious groups are no doubt seeking this person as well and that their plan is to get to him first before they do.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D in no way shape or form starts off slow, it gets straight to the action right away. With Agent Ward introduced in the opening sequences, it escalates into violence but with a dash of humor. It goes to show that Joss Whedon knows what he’s doing, and proves how deft he is at meshing different tones and expertly makes them work. It was very gratifying to see that Whedon had plenty of surprises in store, managing to take the story and players in unexpected directions. Several characters aren’t what they seem or reveal notable layers beyond what is first presented, while plenty of groundwork is set for the future. With Agent Coulson’s return, there is a lot of set ground to cover with his newly formed team of agents which should definitely be fun to watch in the upcoming episodes throughout the season. Whedon’s cleverness and with runs strongly through Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Both Whedon and Marvel were obviously a perfect match in The Avengers and that inspired collaboration continues in this new series in a highly entertaining way that should keep fans coming back for more. 8/10

TV Review: Scrubs

NBC’s new sitcom Scrubs, is one of the freshest comedies to date. The comedy version of televisions loved ER, Scrubs new take on the hospital  (Sacred Heart) is a refreshing one. Starring Zach Braff as John Dorian (a hopeful hospital intern) Scrubs is able to distinguish itself from other classic sitcoms by having great and believable interaction between new and relatively unknown cast members.

Donald Faison and Zach Braff make Scrubs. The interaction between them is hysterical. Faison plays John Dorian’s (who will now be referred to as JD, as it should have been from the beginning) best friend since college, Christopher Turk. He’s a surgical intern, and as Scrubs explains in the first episode, the surgical interns are the “jocks” of the hospital while the medical interns are the “nerds” leaving JD to be forever taught by Turk how to be cool. The back and fourth between Faison and Braff is very fluid because they are not only best friends in the show, but also in real life. Their friendship is very relatable, no matter how homoerotic it may seem (Season 1, Episode 9... “I want to be the one inside of you”). 

Scrubs take on the hospital and the different layers of social classes within them is intriguing. The way Bill Lawrence (the series creator) is able to show the dynamic relationship between the characters and their roles. JD’s relationship with the nurse staff at Sacred Heart is completely different then Turks. In the first episode JD is unable to perform any of the mundane tasks that he had performed numerous times on cadavers, and is helped by the nurse staff. It’s only a couple of episodes later in which JD’s talents and training as a doctor kick in and his ability outshines that of the nurses, and offends Turks girlfriend and another main character, Carla (played by Judy Reyes). 

One of the best performances from Scrubs is John C. McGinly’s character, Dr. Cox. Seen by JD as a father figure and a mentor, it is Cox’s sarcastic and incessant use of girls names and lengthy, well thought out degrading rants, that give a comedic laugh here and there, even if he does go overboard sometimes. Dr. Cox ends up becoming just that for both JD and Elliot Reed (JD’s first of many love interests, who is played by Sarah Chalke). McGinley is a key component in Sacred Hearts social class order, giving the interns someone who is actually concerned about their welfare and letting Dr. Bob Kelso (the chief of medicine played by Ken Jenkins) be, as so eloquently stated by Dr. Cox, The Devil. 

There is always the nice, kind-hearted, chief of medicine in shows like ER, so when you meet Dr. Kelso he first impresses you with his overall care for the interns and their well being. It turns out, while he may not be the reincarnation of the devil himself, he is pretty close. Only caring about the bureaucratic system that is the hospital, the way in which Kelso is able to sift the “not so monetarily blessed” out of his hospital is disgustingly lovable. This new take on chief of medicine is very new and played very well by Jenkins. As much as you want to hate him, his back and forth with Cox is relentless and comedic gold. 

Overall Scrub’s new take on the inner-working of the hospital is one that this century needed. The actors perfect chemistry and the show has the ability to stay light and comedic even when it is being serious. JD's fantasy's and constant narrative may get tiresome, but the show is still one of the funniest new comedies of the century. The ceiling for this show isn't the sky, but it does have a lot of potential. A-

Louie, "The Late Night Saga"

Continuity has never been a concern with Louie. His wife changed races this season. His manager has the same name, but is played by a completely new actor. The show almost feels like a cartoon set in the real world. Well, the world the way Louis C.K. views it. So its going to be a little strange.

And strange it is, that in the final run of its third season, continuity suddenly became important. During the three episode arc to finish the season, called “Late Night Saga”, Louie is up to replace a retiring David Letterman. But Louie is the cheap option. Jerry Seinfeld is the number one choice to replace Letterman. But he will cost CBS 13 million dollars. Chris Rock is up for the job as well. By putting himself against other big names in comedy he is able to set up a believable underdog story. It is a story that everyone can understand and sympathize with. Louie, the way he paints himself in the show, is past his prime and this Late Show job might be his last chance for glory. He even looks past his prime with his unshaven face, torn black shirt and sweatpants in his initial meeting with the CBS people. So they send to a man who can get him ready for the job.

David Lynch is not an actor...but he could of fooled me. As the man getting Louie ready for his test performance, David Lynch simply steals every scene he is in. He is Jack Dahl, a robotic, humorless executive who only has Johnny Carson cue cards from the 1980’s and a loaded revolver in his office. It is an absolute joy to watch David Lynch push Louie around. He forces him to read terrible, outdated jokes from the 80’s and get beat up at a boxing ring. In the shows funniest, and most awkward, scene Dahl has Louie practice doing celebrity interviews with a foreign cleaning lady who barely knows English. She is also depressed because some of her family recently died. She ends up crying and the practice interviews goes terribly. This scene is brutal. But it is also cringe comedy at its best.

"Tune in every night folks, Its the Crying Cleaning Lady show!" - Jack Dahl

Louie C.K. has written, directed, shot and edited every episode of Louie in the shows three season run. And he is also, clearly, the main character in his show. The actor Louis C.K. steps aside in these episodes so the cavalcade of guests stars can do their thing. But his confidence in front of and behind the camera is at an all time high. He has gotten a clear sense of the stories he wants to tell and he knows how to bring them to life. These episodes are no exception.

Random Thoughts:

-- We already talked about David Lynch, but there is about a million other guest stars in this episode. Paul Rudd, Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Susan Sarandon and Jay Leno. Louis C.K. must have a lot of good will in the industry to pull in all those big names.

-- We wont have any new episodes of Louie until late 2014 because of the stand up tour Louis C.K. is currently on.