Review of “The Time Traveler’s Wife”

Not being a fan of the book, I was extremely apprehensive to see the film version of “The Time Traveler’s Wife.” But, intrigued with the casting of Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams and upon hearing the glowing recommendations of friends, I ventured out to see the film at the local cinema. I was thus absolutely floored to find the film exceeded every expectation. It was not just a beautiful film; it was a lush romance that swept me off my feet.

The bare bones of the story and characters are intact from the book, but the film as a whole resembles little of the book by Audrey Niffenegger which was a harsh tragedy. For it is the story of Henry DeTamble, a man who is cursed to vanish at the most inopportune moments of his life to either a point some time in his past or his future. He cannot control it and must simply endure it, which requires much patience and stamina, and he always arrives naked and must quickly find a way to survive — at least until he is yanked back into his present life again. Further, as part of Henry’s curse, he not only travels along his own timeline without control, but he also jumps in and out of the life of his soul-mate, Clare Abshire.

From the moment we saw Henry and Clare meet in the library, their chemistry was electrifying. The story moved quickly to allow the audience to see all pivotal points that built the love-story that transcended time. For when they met in the library, Henry had not yet met Clare as the little girl that his older self would one day meet. Thus, watching Henry finally meet Clare when she was just a small girl and his bemused expression at seeing the girl that will one day be his wife was charming and delightful. It is a careful dance to show the audience how it is possible for their love to grow out of such innocence.

Also nicely done was the introduction of Gomez (deftly played by Ron Livingston) who had to carry the weight of Henry’s secret and picked up the pieces whenever he suddenly disappeared. In the book, Gomez played a larger role, but in the film, it was still obvious that without Gomez and Charisse, Clare may not have made it through all of Henry’s sudden absences over the years.

Finally, watching Henry and Clare struggle to conceive a child and their joy upon the birth of their daughter, Alba, was beautiful. Alba brought a level of humor and happiness to their dark, doomed love affair. The discovery that Alba too could time-travel, but had the ability to control it, unexpectedly brought hope into their lives. This is what Henry and Clare needed most of all: hope that their fractured lives would one day be whole.

The film embraced the notion that only family as a whole could bring eternal happiness. It invited us all to be a part of their unique family and shared their love, pain and joy with us. It will make you laugh and cry, but you will feel better having been a part of their world even for a little while.

“The Time Traveler’s Wife” was directed by Robert Schwentke and the screenplay was written by Bruce Joel Rubin (who also wrote such fine films as “The Last Mimzy,” “Deep Impact” and “Ghost”).

Review of ‘Defying Gravity’ – Rubicon

Crossing the point of no return

In what may be said is the mellowest episode to date for “Defying Gravity,” this week’s episode focused on what it meant to cross the Rubicon, the point of no return. For each of the Antares’ crew, it held a different meaning: for Ted (Malik Yoba), it meant this was the last chance to return to Earth; for Donner (Ron Livingston), it meant it was time to let go of the past; and for Nadia, it meant realizing that things were never going to be the same again.

Explaining the origins of the term “Rubicon,” Nadia (Florentine Lahme) told the story of how during the Roman Republic, crossing the Republican River was an act of war, and that Julius Cesar had ignored that rule, crossed the river, and as a result, civil war was declared – all which ultimately lead to Cesar’s deification. It is hard to say whether this story is a foreshadowing of a civil war that may occur on the Antares, or whether it was merely to illustrate that sometimes once a line is crossed, there is no going back. But, as Donner summarized, “once we decide to cross the line, we live with the consequences.”

For the bulk of the episode, Donner was literally haunted by the past. Whereas, in the prior episode he was drawn away from the ship by the ghosts of Sharon Lewis and Jeff Walker, this time Donner was given a vital clue by the hallucinations of the red Mars dust. He may have thought he was losing his mind, but in reality those visions are what saved them as one of the water filtration system tanks had an incorrect pH balance which could have killed them all.

Perhaps because Donner was clinging so tightly to his past, he was the one that Beta gave the vision too. Donner, more so than anyone else on the ship, has reacted to Beta. Ted is in denial and wants nothing to do with Beta; and Zoe (Laura Harris) only runs from the sound of the crying baby. Beta is perhaps reaching out to those it can communicate with in any way possible.

What Worked

One of the cooler elements of the episode was the time capsule. Ted had proposed having one, like the one that they had on the Mars Mission. Ted said it was necessary in order to promote unity by mutual sacrifice to bring everyone closer together, as they will need each other down the line. Despite Donner’s reluctance to do anything replicating that fateful mission, everyone begrudgingly complied. We learned that Paula (Paula Garces) is religious and was initially unwilling to part with a single thing from her past; we saw that Zoe had brought her mother’s Tarot card of the hanging up side down man (the meaning of which was never explained), and we learned the significance of the baseball that Donner has been carrying around. It was a touching story of how it was Sharon’s baseball that she caught at a game just before the Mars Mission and she had taken it to Mars with her as a good luck charm. Since clearly it did not bring her any luck as she was abandoned on Mars, Donner took it upon himself to carry the burden of losing her and carried that baseball around everywhere he went – including on the Antares. It was a dual reminder of his lost love, and guilt he felt over leaving her behind. It was his burden and he could not just put it down. We saw how he tried to get rid of it by returning it to Sharon’s mother, but she then just mailed it back to him. She did not want that burden. After 10 years of carrying it, Donner finally just threw it out into space. He was letting go of Sharon – setting her free. As Donner quietly shared, “letting go is the hard part because our past defines us . . . but what we decide becomes a part of who we are.” At the end of the episode, as the Antares crossed the Rubicon-point, Donner also noted, “we may cross the river, but our footprints will always remain on the other side.” It is not that he wants to forget Sharon, but it is time to let go and move on.

It was also about time that Eve (Karen LeBlanc) started wondering what had actually happened on Mars. Her confrontation of Goss (Andrew Airlie) after uncovering his lies about it was admirable. It would be even cooler if she was able to get him forced out after such a fatal dereliction of duty. It was because of his panic-attack that two people died.

Another cute aspect of the episode was discovering that Jen (Christina Cox) had not only kept one of the rabbit fetuses beyond the destruction date, but she had also named it Rufus and looked like she intends to keep it. When pushed by Rollie (Ty Olsson) about why she would want a rabbit on board, we began to see the softer-side of a person who now found herself alone and lonely. She wanted some companionship and to create a bunny rabbit seemed adorable.

Lastly, it was great to hear Ted finally ask Donner, “has it occurred to you that everything has gone wrong on this mission?” To which surprisingly Donner answers, “maybe it’s us” and Ted thoughtfully agrees, “maybe it is.”

What Didn’t Work

Is anyone else starting to wonder who the heck Jeff Walker is? He cannot just be the other astronaut left on Mars. Surely, there is a big piece of the backstory puzzle that his character is holding. I, for one, am dying to find out what it is. Let’s hope it is not another loose end.

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

‘Rubicon’ was written by Meredith Lavender and Marcie Ulin and directed by Fred Gerber. ‘Defying Gravity’ stars Ron Livingston, Laura Harris, Christina Cox, Ty Olsson, Malik Yoba, Karen LeBlanc, Andrew Airlie, Maxim Roy, Paula Garces, Florentine Lahme, Zahf Paroo, Eyal Podell, Dylan Taylor, and Peter Howitt. “Defying Gravity” airs Sundays at 10 p.m. on ABC.

Review of ‘Warehouse 13′ – Duped

A girl, a mirror and a disco ball make a knock-out combination

On the heels of last week’s blow-up adventure in Washington, D.C. where Pete and Myka were ambushed by implosion grenades and a villain out of Artie’s past, this week we had a bit of fun Vegas-style.  It started innocuously enough with Pete play ping-pong with himself using the infamous Lewis Carroll mirror.  But, with the inadvertent crash of the Studio 54 Disco Ball, Myka was caught in the cross-fire of two artifacts reacting to each other and a whole lot of escapades ensued.

In hindsight, the song “I Will Survive,” which played when the disco ball was lit-up, proved only too prophetic as the Studio 54 Ball, which was cursed to reflect trapped desires, projected those yearnings and cravings onto everyone within its sphere.  Or, as Artie darkly summed up, it “imprints grim humanity against anything decent.”

Unfortunately for Myka, she was caught by the ball’s influence which then thrust her into the Carroll mirror where she took the place of the woman trapped in the mirror –  Alice, who happened to be the muse of Lewis Carroll’s story “Alice in Wonderland,” except this Alice was not so innocent and nice.  Thus, with a sleight of hand after being suddenly released from the mirror, Alice took Myka’s place.  And with Artie distracted with the thought of MacPherson running around plotting his next move, Claudia and Leena worried about Artie and his preoccupation, and Pete rushing off to Vegas in search of two small-time thieves with iniquitous hands, Alice was free to tag along and fly under the radar.  After all, she looked just like Myka, with only a hint of the underlying darkness.

Once finding Gary and Jillian (nicely played by Niall Matter and Erica Cerra of “Eureka”) at the gambling tables in Vegas, Alice slowly began to weave her web of deceit while Pete seemed oblivious to the identity switch of his partner.  You would have thought the fact that Alice made a complete 180 degree physical transformation into a black-widow-of-the-night would have tipped Pete off.  But, as Pete admittedly said to Alice, “you just knocked everything crooked,” when he first saw her in that little black dress.  That, followed by Alice casually mentioning the definition of Carson’s Rule of Linear Transfer (which means that forced outcomes require tangency), still did not raise any red flags as Pete just chalked it all up to Myka being Myka.  This blissful ignorance was fortunately short-lived and after a nice brutal knock-down fight, Alice finally tasered Pete with the Tesla and left him and Gary for dead.  Though Alice was curious enough to ask Pete, “what tipped you?” and Pete responded, “the real Myka would never kiss me – not if her life depended on it.”

So, while Pete was battling Alice, Claudia was doing her darnedest to convince Artie that they should hear out the Myka trapped in the mirror.  For to Claudia, Myka looked just like her brother did when he was trapped in an alternate dimension and thus was quicker to pick up on the signs.  Hence, when Claudia asked Artie, “Is that Myka?” and Artie replied, “whatever it is, it’s not good,” Claudia persisted and asked him again, “why don’t we just ask her?”  But Artie, not wanting to consider the possibility, retorted, “because we do not converse with reflected entities.”  He further explained that because “shadows have power” that it was unwise to play with them.  But Claudia was bound and determined to see what the mirror-Myka had to say, so she figured, if the CIA can use laser mics to read vibrations off of windows, she can do the same on the Lewis Carroll mirror to figure out what mirror-Myka wanted to communicate.

It was therefore rewarding to hear the first words from Myka, “Artie, when I get out of here, I’m hugging her [Claudia] and kicking your ass!”  It was only after Artie eventually noticed that mirror-Myka kept leaning her head to the right, like when she’s mad at him did he finally consent to hear what she had to say.  It was not really what he wanted to hear, but it held a ring of truth to it when she said, “here’s what we both know – I don’t trust you, but I need you to tell me the truth.  You cannot treat me like a chess piece that you can move around on a board that only you can see.”

‘Duped’ was all about:  how well do you know the person you think you know.  In Pete’s case he knew that Myka would never behave the way Alice did; and for Artie, it was about recognizing Myka’s own personal traits and her anger and fear over his deliberate attempts to keep her in the dark during missions.  In the type of work they do, it is critical that they not only know each other well enough to recognize an imposter, but they also have to trust and rely on each other for their physical safety.

What Worked

Again, the dialogue is getting stronger and stronger with each new episode.  It was fun to hear such lines like Artie:  “I’m pretty hard to kill” when Leena chided him about being more careful in his hunt for MacPherson; and Pete’s quick quip, “Yes, my liege, I will bring you receipts” after Artie gave him the $10,000 in cash for the Vegas trip.  Also quite fun was Artie’s rhetorical response to Pete’s curious inquiry about where all the artifacts came from, “where do any of these things come from?!”

Also nicely portrayed is the growing closeness of the relationships amongst Pete, Myka and Artie.  For example, when Pete told Myka that he knows that when she is angry with him that she stretches her neck up like a giraffe, but when she tilts her head to the right, she’s angry with Artie.  This was a key distinction that Artie obviously knew about as well.

And, while it has become a signature staple, every time I see those glossy purple gloves for handling the dangerous artifacts, it makes me giggle.  It is a wonderful visual reminder that the artifacts are evil, icky things that must be handled with care.

ut the crowning moment of the entire episode was hearing that Myka had named her ferret Pete, after her partner, and was too embarrassed to tell him.  It epitomized their “I’m fond of you, but you frustrate me” relationship.

What Didn’t Work

I found it hard to buy that Alice could adapt so easily into Myka’s skin and she was too confident that she could pass unnoticed.  For a person just recently released from a mirrored-hell, you would have thought Alice would have been a bit more jumpy and less comfortable taking on the body of a trained Secret Service agent.  Her seduction and fight moves were too precise for a young girl, such as was depicted in the end when she was re-trapped in the mirror.

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

‘Duped’ was written by Benjamin Raab and Deric A. Hughes and directed by Michael Watkins. ‘Warehouse 13’ stars Eddie McClintock, Joanne Kelly, Saul Rubinek, Genelle Williams and Allison Scagliotti. ‘Warehouse 13’ airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on Syfy.

Review of ‘Eureka’ – Shower the People

When a good gift goes bad and chaos ensues

In another fine turn of the pen by Thania St. John, this week’s episode was a frothy concoction of fun sprinkled with poignancy.

Posing the mystery of how can a person drown in an airtight car, a restaurant bathroom or an empty whirlpool spa was intriguing.  It felt a little like Alice falling down the rabbit-hole, but eventually, the solution was revealed to be, not a murderous corporate-drone worried about job security and the scarcity of government funding or even the miraculous super absorbent diapers, but rather irradiated syn-water (synthetic water).  The only evil going on was the failure to properly shield the water during the radiation testing being conducted on Kim 2.0 in order to extract her data.

In the midst of the syn-water sleuthing, we were introduced to the latest Eureka transplant, Dr. Bruce Manlius (aka:  Dr. Manly).  Just watching him do a double-take over Tess the Mess’ transformation from ugly-duckling to swan was fun to behold.  Then watching Tess nearly buckling at the knees whenever he was around was spine-tinglingly adorable as well.  It is telling that those two had way more sparks than Tess and Carter.

While Tess and Dr. Manlius were so obviously distracted by each other, in contrast, we also witnessed the tragic decline of Kim 2.0 — and Henry’s realization that he was going to lose Kim all over again.  Tess, unfortunately, said it best when she sadly observed, “that sucks . . . finding the person that makes you happy, but not getting the happily ever after.”

This was an episode with plenty of laughs and hard-core science, but it was also heart-breaking.  Henry’s quiet acknowledgment to Kim 2.0, “You’re not Kim.  I know that.  But you do have her laugh, and her mind and her spirit” and Kim 2.0’s resigned acceptance, “I’m just a copy and you have to let me go,” broke our hearts.  It is starting to feel like Henry is doomed to have Kim die tragically on him time and time again.  Maybe when he messed with the original timeline, this was his punishment.  To watch Kim die over and over again.  If that is true, then that is one nasty curse.  Will he and Carter have to eventually travel back to the future to fix it?

What Worked

Everything having to do with Jack and Allison.  For Jack’s comment at the beginning, “I’m a birthing coach, I take my responsibility seriously,” was a fun foreshadowing of Jack’s “sympathy pregnancy.”  Whether it was watching Jack waddle down the stairs or complain about his aching back, it really made you believe that he was going through a sympathetic pregnancy.  It was almost a shame when they revealed that it was brought on, not by his close connection to Allison, but because the souped-up baby monitor had inadvertently connected he and Allison, instead of Allison and the baby.  Jack had really wanted to go through the pregnancy experience with Allison and he looked so crushed when it was taken away from him.  With Zoe nearly all grown up, it is easy to forget what an adorable father he would be to a baby.  But seeing his pain over that loss of the connection was touching.

What Didn’t Work

While I was ecstatic to finally see Carter using a Bluetooth to talk on his cellphone while driving in his jeep, it was like popping a balloon when I saw Jo using her hands to talk on her cellphone while sitting in her car.  While technically it is not illegal to sit in a parked car talking on a cellphone, it did nothing to help educate that one should not be driving and talking on a cellphone while holding it up to your ear.  Plus, this is Eureka folks — hands-free technology and devices should be a “given.”

This week was also another Jo and Zane-light episode and that was a shame because Jo’s caustic wit would have been fun in figuring out the drowning mystery.  Plus, with a razor-sharp mind like Zane’s around, you would have thought he would have been right there to help with downloading Kim 2.0′s data.  Their absence in the midst of these big events felt glaring.

Lastly, the scenes with Allison and Jack feel much more warmth-infused and loving than any of the scenes with Jack and Tess.  I say “enough already” with forcing an unnatural relationship upon the viewers.  Surely nobody is buying that Tess is a serious love interest for Jack — especially now that they have introduced “Dr. Manly.”  Let us bring back the focus of the story and not make us cringe over couples that clearly do not belong together.

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

“Shower the People” was written by Thania St. John and directed by Steve Surjik. “Eureka” stars Colin Ferguson, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Joe Morton, Jordan Hinson, Erica Cerra, Neil Grayston, Chris Gauthier and Niall Matter. “Eureka” airs Fridays on Syfy.

Review of “Post Grad”

Following the film “Funny People,” I was looking forward to a light-weight fun film with a good dose of romance. Lucky for me, I elected to see “Post Grad,” starring Alexis Bledel and Zach Gilford. The film focused on Bledel as Ryden Malby, a young woman just out of college with the world at her feet.

Right away Ryden found the apartment of her dreams and scored an interview at the most prestigious book publishing company in Los Angeles. But, like anything in life, it does not go according to plan and she finds herself stuck in the quagmire that every grad is now facing — she has a college degree and no where to use it. Thus, because the job market has dried up, Ryden is forced to re-examine her chosen career path and what is important in her life.

The film offers a breezy look at how Ryden bumbles along trying to figure out what to do next. Along the way, we are introduced to Ryden’s family, which comprises of her well-intentioned, but a bit hapless father (nicely played by Michael Keaton); her dedicated and stalwart mother (comedically played by Jane Lynch of “Glee” fame), her death-obsessed grandmother (a gracefully aging, but still over-the-top Carol Burnett), and her slightly odd but enthusiastic younger brother (the adorable kid from “Martian Child”, Bobby Coleman).

Contributing to Ryden’s close-knit, loving world is her best friend, Adam (charmingly played by Gilford, best known as Matt Saracen to “Friday Night Lights” fans); and the hot Latin neighbor who sweeps Ryden off her feet, Rodrigo Santoro (Paulo from “Lost”).

“Post Grad” follows the same vein as “300 Days of Summer” with a young man pining after the girl of his dreams. Fortunately, in this love story, the story has a more classic ending. Ryden simply has some adventures along the way to discovering whether her dream-job is truly dream-worthy and whether her dream-man is as dreamy as she thought at first blush. In peeling back the layers of life, Ryden finds that not everything is as it appears on the surface and she is lucky enough to get a second chance at happiness.

By far the performances are what win the audience over. Bledel is adorable and believable as a fresh out-of-college graduate and Gilford is swoon-worthy as her musically inclined friend torn between pursuing a singing career and going to law school. And the song he sings for her certainly deserves to become one of the most downloaded songs on iTunes!

While it will undoubtedly go under the radar amongst all the bigger summer fare at the box office, for those looking for a bit more fun and a tinge of perfectly portioned romance, “Post Grad” is a film you should be putting on your “must see” list. It is a quirky, summer charmer.

“Post Grad” was written by Kelly Fremon and directed by Vicky Jenson.

Review of “Funny People”

After overcoming my initial misgivings about seeing a Judd Apatow movie, I took a leap of faith and went to see his latest film “Funny People” starring Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen. Typically, I enjoy Adam Sandler films and thought his presence would elevate the film out of the gutter-type humor that Apatow typically employs. Thus, imagine my horror once I realized that the Sandler was not the good guy of the film. He was the bad guy. No, this film was a showcase for Seth Rogen and he did an astounding job. Not only was Rogen funny, but he was rather a stand-up guy — both in a comedic and moral sense. Albeit, still a bit crude.

The premise of the film is Rogen is an average-Joe guy, Ira, working a part-time job at a deli counter and doing stand-up every chance he can in front of an open mic at the local comedy club. But his comedy routine is juvenile and unpolished. It is only after a chance meeting with Sandler’s character one night at the club that Ira’s prospects start to take a turn for the better.

Sandler plays George Simmons, a 40-plus comedian who has just found out that he is dying of a rare form of leukemia. After seeing potential in Ira’s written material at the comedy club, George takes Ira under wing as his assistant. Ira, anxious to learn from the best of the best, willingly takes the grunt job, which includes talking George to sleep every night and providing him jokes for him at a Myspace convention.

Watching Ira and George haphazardly bond as George’s health declines is particularly touching and real. But the film, not wanting to continue down its dark path, opts instead to have George miraculously overcome his disease in order to see what path he will choose after having stared down death. Alas, George has learned nothing from his second chance on life and proceeds to embrace his self-destructive, self-involved pursuits once again — must to the disgust and dismay of Ira.

Ira tries to be a buddy and friend to George and steer him away from temptation, but George is determined to do whatever he damn well pleases — even if it means breaking up the marriage of a former girlfriend. (In a nice cameo appearance, Eric Bana plays the cuckold husband of George’s old flame.)

Watching the tug-of-war between George and Ira, as each grappled with their conscience to try to be a better man, I was struck by how the smallest of choices can haunt a person. For that is the essence of this film: what will be the biggest regret of your life? For George, it was letting the woman of his dreams get away and realizing he could never get her back. For Ira, it was whether to pursue the woman he wanted after finding out that she slept with his roommate. It is all about the choices we make and whether we can live with them.

As a story, this film was fascinating. But in execution, it was a lot more unpleasant to watch. Sandler as the womanizing, morally ambiguous George was abrasive and appalling. Rogen, while more charming and chivalrous, had a foul mouth and even more filthy stand-up routine. Together, they were just downright disgusting.

So be forewarned, this is not a warm and fuzzy film. It may offend you on many levels — especially if you’re a woman. But in the film’s defense, Seth Rogen turned in one of the best performances of his career. He deserves kudos for that.

How Sci-Fi Characters Mirror Each Other

It might make you scratch your head at first, but hear me out

Contrary to popular belief, “mirroring” is not simply a reflection. There is a little known medical condition known as “mirroring” which occurs when someone’s physical body language is mimicked by another.

It also is known as the “communication dance” and is not exclusive to mere mimicry. For example, in a conversation, it can be the indication of welcoming reception -– as every talker needs a listener; in sports, every player needs a receiver; and in dance, every leader needs a partner to follow.

So “mirroring” encompasses both the outright copying of moments or the parrying of movements, such as in fencing.

In watching many sci-fi shows, I am struck by how many have at their core characters who mirror each other. This is not exclusive to romantic mirroring, but also includes enemies who react to one another or friendships which complement each other. For, if there are two characters, there is undoubtedly some kind of “mirroring” going on.

Some of the best known sci-fi pairings have been “mirror” relationships: Capt. James T. Kirk and Spock, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, John Connor and the Terminator, Malcolm Reynolds and Inara, Dr. Horrible and Captain Hammer. I can hear the outcry now, but when assessed carefully, you will see that each of these characters reacted to each other. If one made a move, the other would move in concert or in diametric opposition. Whether embracing each other to work together to defeat a common foe or to face and engage each other in battle.

For example, Kirk would rely on Spock to anticipate his every move and vice versa when they encountered friend and foe alike. While not based on the same solid foundation of friendship as with Kirk and Spock, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker certainly reacted to each other. Han would bristle like a peacock if Luke even so much as looked at Leia or if Luke demonstrated some kind of machoistic heroism, then he would have to jump into the fray as well.

As for John Connor and the Terminator, whether the Terminator was good or bad, it also reacted in opposition to John either to aid or kill him. As for Mal and Inara, they were the perfect example of romantic mirroring in that, if Mal made a comment about Inara’s profession, she reacted in opposite just to piss him off.

And with Dr. Horrible and Captain Hammer, they were sworn enemies who would also do everything in their power to one-up the other. And what would have any of these characters been without the
other? They would have been handicapped as they were but one-half of a carefully balanced whole.

Turning to the small screen, we also see several prominent “mirror” pairs as well. Ignoring the fact that “Star Trek” and “Firefly” started on television before jumping to the big screen, the following are examples of “mirrored” pairings that are currently on television today:

Whether flying through laser blasts in space or dodging bullets in the corridors of the ship on “Battlestar Galactica,” there was no pairing who so perfectly mirrored each other than Starbuck and Apollo. They were comrades in arms who reached beyond their training to establish a bond that provided a near mind-reading ability where they anticipated each other’s moves to create a lethal killing duo in their fight against both Cylons and internal resistance. They also had a mirroring-dance of affection, both before and after they were personally involved, which entranced us all through those final moments when Starbuck disappeared before our eyes.

It was in those final moments that Apollo truly appreciated the significance of their symbiotic relationship. Starbuck was his soul-mirror and it was painful for him to realize that she would not mirror his life in peace as she did so precisely in battle.

Another lethal duo is Echo and Ballard from Joss Whedon’s “Dollhouse.” However, in their case, Echo and Paul Ballard are not partners or even friends. They are drawn to each other out of their need to save each other and the innate need to save others. Their savior-complexes are deeply instilled in every action they take, knowingly or subconsciously. They are protectors and that drives them to seek truth and root out evil. Echo initially drew Ballard in and he pulled back in an attempt to remove her from her self-imposed prison.

In the end, it is Echo’s desire, not to be saved from the Dollhouse or Alpha, but rather to enlist him in her quest. Thus, Ballard becomes ensnared in the Dollhouse in response to Echo’s need to rescue others.

Their mutual desire for altruism creates such a strong mirrored relationship between them that it will be intriguing to see what they can do if permitted to work together.

Perhaps in one of the toughest and most perplexing mirrored relationships were John and Cameron on “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.” Cameron’s sole purpose was to protect John Connor. This imprinted need forced John to accept his metal bodyguard and to consider his decisions and actions in reflection as to how Cameron would react and respond. For, anywhere he went, Cameron had to follow.

This posed some challenges and difficulties as John needed to attend school without his “sister” shadowing his every move, and in his dating life as Cameron was a constant and unwanted third wheel. While Cameron did her best to mirror John’s physical movements to protect him, she was not an unthinking machine, and her efforts to evolve and meld better into John’s life and environment actually led to a divergence of their paths and desires. It was a very complex and fascinating relation to see unfold.

n yet another example of a protector-protectee mirrored-relationship is Sarah Walker and Chuck Bartowski on the NBC series “Chuck.” However, unlike Cameron and John’s purely bodyguard relationship, Sarah and Chuck from the start were romantically drawn together and thus they had a dual-dance of mirroring: protector-protectee and romantic attraction. Thus, it is an engaging sight to behold as they interact mirroring each other in both roles and to see how those dual-mirror roles collided at times.

For that is the daily challenge for them, can Sarah effectively protect Chuck if she is seeing him as more than her protectee? Will she lose her ability to see threats if she only sees him?

A comedic turn of mirrored-relationships was amply demonstrated in the series “Pushing Daisies” which showed the mirrored relationships of Ned and Chuck (aka: Charlotte), and Ned and Olive. From the start, it was intriguing to see the intricate dance of romantic attraction and affection between Ned and Chuck, for they could never physically touch.

It also was just as fascinating to behold the dance of avoidance and pursuit between Ned and Olive, which often occurred simultaneously with Ned’s mirror dance of love with Chuck.

It was funny and poignant to see how carefully Ned danced with each partner in his life. Chuck was his chosen love-partner and Olive was his chosen business partner. Thus, if Chuck moved forward, Ned had to feint or she would die -– it was a physical dance. If Olive moved forward, Ned would also feint, but it was an emotional dance. Their carefully constructed mirrors were charming and dazzling to watch.

Then on “Torchwood,” contrary to popular belief, Jack and Gwen’s mirroring of each other is not a romantic mirroring, but rather a mirrored relationship reflecting that of a tutor and a tutee. For Jack has lived more than 1,000 years and has seen things Gwen can only imagine.

But it is Gwen’s willingness to learn and step up, taking over when Jack disappeared that is telling. She mirrored what she had learned from Jack and then reflected that back to the world around her. She also took what he had taught her and used that to both teach and protect others.

However, Gwen clearly only mirrors Jack in her professional life as she chose to embrace a life of domestic bliss with Rhys, opposed to adopting Jack’s carefree attitude toward relationships. So between them, the mirror is strictly a professional mirrored relationship -– though we may glimpse a future where that may ultimately change.

Next, in one of the strongest mirrors depicted on television, the relationship between Sam and Dean on “Supernatural” is startling for brothers typically do not mirror each other. From the start, Dean and Sam’s relationship was at odds with each other as they chose to go in opposite directions in their lives, only to be pulled back by fate. No matter how hard they stretched that band of familial love, it snapped back and they have been tied together ever since.

Due to the horrific circumstances of their upbringing and their father’s driven obsession with rooting out evil, they were exposed to a lifestyle that only they can understand and relate to. Furthermore, their destiny links them even more strongly than their familial bonds, and even Hell was not able to keep them apart.

And last but not least, there is the iconic relationship of Lois and Clark on “Smallville.” Reaching back to the beginnings of sci-fi and comic-book lore, there is perhaps no greater pairing than Lois and Clark, the relentless news reporter with eyes only for the hero who flies the skies, when the same man is by her side hours on end breaking stories in the newsroom, but she is too oblivious to notice.

Their witty banter is but a mask over their steel-bound relationship. For wherever Lois goes, Superman (aka: Clark) will follow. This is a classic mirror-relationship in that every movement either makes it exactly reflective by the other. They look to each other to make even the simplest decisions. Yet despite that co-dependency, they are still inspirational. She would do anything for him and he would do the same for her – and they still manage to save the entire planet in the process.

“Mirroring” is a fascinating and complex human condition as it takes many forms, yet is still one of the most fundamental bases of all relationships. When I first heard of it, I was intrigued as it sounded just exhausting. But in watching those who are in such relationships, I see that it is more instinctual and unconscious. Thus, whether choosing a life partner, business partner, or partner-in-crime, this appears to be the secret of their success.

May we all search for and find the mirrors in our lives that complete us!

Related article: http://www.airlockalpha.com/node/6628

Review of ‘Warehouse 13′ – Implosion

Hand-made black holes wreak havoc in D.C.

‘Warehouse 13’ continues to get better and better.  This week’s adventure involving implosion grenades and a Samurai sword that splits light and renders the holder invisible was flawless fun.  It was a breathless adventure from start to finish.  From the moment we watched the ominous man in black casually kill the grenade maker after he needed him no longer, we knew this episode had set the bar a bit higher.

In what was to a simple quest to intercept and replace a historical Samurai sword that was to be presented to the President of the United States, ultimately became a brush with domestic terror and espionage.  For, while Artie had thought his little foray into selling secrets to the Russians would never come to light again, as he unfortunately found out, even expunged government records can come back to haunt you – especially if you have a vindictive nemesis intent on destroying you.

Pete and Myka also quickly discovered that there was another interested party set on acquiring the Samurai sword – and by any means necessary.  The moment they were forcibly sucked towards the hallway doors, we knew something very dangerous lie on the other side –  for an implosion grenade was used to mask the theft of the Samurai sword.  (As succinctly explained by Artie, an implosion grenade removes matter from the center of space and pulls everything directly towards it with violent force – just like a black hole – and, as such, it acts as a “cover” for all kinds of nefarious activities.)

Unfortunately, this little implosion triggered a domestic terror investigation which quickly ensnared Pete and Myka.  For, after flashing their Secret Service credentials, it quickly descended into a Secret Service turf-war as Pete and Myka had inadvertently stepped on the toes of their old boss, Dickinson, by failing to give him a heads-up that they were in D.C. on business.  Despite their subterfuge, Dickinson gave them a free pass, but with a warning to get out of town quickly.  Which Pete and Myka promptly ignored and then got caught in the cross-fire when they encountered their adversary trying to snatch the hand guard to the Samurai sword (called a “tsuba”) from under their Secret Service counterparts’ noses.  Watching them try to explain their way out of that debacle was hysterical as Pete and Myka tried to pretend that they were from the Secret Service’s “Archival Department” – a ruse that did not get them very far and warranted the intervention of both Artie and Mrs. Frederics to get the job done.

Though we are still not quite sure what role she actually plays, Mrs. Frederic acts as the nearly omniscient presence that hovers in the background waiting to prod Artie into action or rescue him when he finds himself arrested.   She is by far the most mysterious and intriguing of all the Warehouse guardians.  For when Artie proposed that they track down MacPherson, subscribing to the philosophy that “if someone is coming to kill you, get up early and kill him first,” Mrs. Frederic pointedly warned him, “don’t rush into danger, a miracle may not save you.”

But, as Artie astutely observed, “you know this was only MacPherson’s first move, he’s planning something bigger. . .”  The game has changed.  This is no longer a “snag it, bag it and tag it” type of playing field.  It is darker and much more dangerous.  Time to get ready for what lies ahead as surely we have not seen the last of James MacPherson.

What Worked

The dialogue has also gotten sharper, more revealing and more playful.  For example, the light-hearted exchanges between Pet and Myka were delightful; such as, when Pete calmly asserted, “I’m sure if it were REALLY dangerous, Artie would have told us,” in response to Myka’s query if he thought Artie was holding something back.  Also, later when Artie popped-up at their crime scene stake-out and again did not offer any explanation of what was really going on, Myka noted with mock-frustration, “Again, he doesn’t answer!”  To which Pete teasingly chimed in, “and no good-bye!”

But, by far, the episode was brought to its knees with the comedic references to the ever-famous “Star Trek” storytelling device of killing off expendable characters who wore red shirts.  In trying to figure out if Artie actually cared about their safety, Pete bemoaned, “To him, we’re just red shirts,” and when Myka casually agreed, Pete happily clarified, “first, he doesn’t think of us as red shirts; second, it’s so COOL you know what I meant!”  Then later in the episode when Myka voiced her anxiety about how Artie views them, she exclaimed, “just because he lost people, doesn’t make us expendable – I’m not a red shirt!”  This nod to one of the greatest science fiction television shows was pure fun.

Then, after discovering that there was someone else avidly searching for Warehouse-type artifacts, Pete correctly and surprisedly surmised, “we have competition?!”  Despite this observation, Pete was still startled to find out that the competition was similarly equipped and exclaimed:  “He’s got a Tesla too!” after a chance encounter while attempting to retrieve the tsuba.

I also loved the use of the 14th Century Chinese Firework called the “Ice Flower” which acted like mesmerizing device putting everyone within eye sight into a near catatonic trance.  Plus, seeing Pete, Myka and Artie wear the “Kermit the Frog” eye goggles to prevent the effects from mesmerizing them too was priceless.

And finally, there was Artie’s backhanded dig at Mrs. Frederic when he said under his breath, “we’re all humans as far as I know.”  It was funny to hear Artie say what we all are thinking:  who exactly is she anyway?!

What Didn’t Work

Artie’s clandestine meeting in the bar with Carol, which is supposedly a former flame of both he and James MacPherson, seemed out of place.  It was supposed to ratchet up the curiosity about Artie’s backstory.  But, in truth, meeting Carol did little to aid the story.  Instead, it detracted from learning more about the mystery man, James MacPherson, who is clearly the more interesting of the two.

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

‘Implosion’ was written by Bob Goodman and directed by Vincent Misiano. ‘Warehouse 13’ stars Eddie McClintock, Joanne Kelly, Saul Rubinek, Genelle Williams and Allison Scagliotti. ‘Warehouse 13’ airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on Syfy.

Review of ‘Defying Gravity’ – H2IK

No Man Is An Island

The theme of this week’s episode of “Defying Gravity” was that man cannot exist alone in the universe. For, as Donner said, “Man by his very nature is dependent on other men to survive.”

As the Antares’ electrical system went haywire and caused the lights and heating system to malfunction, we saw the crew react in very different ways to their predicament. But despite their differing reactions, foremost in everyone’s minds was: Where’s Ajay? After all, Ajay was the guy who helped design the system. He was the missing element that they needed.

Flashing back to 5 years earlier, we watched Donner and Ted painfully endure the five anniversary of the Mars Disaster and the loss of their crew members left behind on Mars: Sharon Lewis and Jeff Walker. When they were forced to toast their own failure at the bar in front of the new astronaut recruits, Zoe voiced the question no one wanted to ask, “Why do they do it every year? Why be humiliated?” Surprisingly, it was Nadia who sagely responded: “You do it to fly.” However, after that last final searing memorial, Ted and Donner vowed to never to do that blasted toast ever again, or to be alone on the Mars anniversary date in the future. The mock tribute to their fallen comrades was more than they could bear. Yet they understood that they needed to be together to survive the pain of remembering their lost colleagues.

We also learned the story behind the meaning of the “H2IK Sequence” which was the solution that Ajay proposed that Donner follow to solve the electrical problem. Apparently, during that same fateful five year remembrance, Ajay had unintentionally embarrassed Donner during a training session by pointing out that he was teaching from outdated schematics. Ajay later tried to make up for it by explaining the usefulness of “H2IK Sequence” theory to Donner, which simply means “Hell if I know!” This phrase turned out to be key when Ajay was finally allowed to talk with Donner about the electric problems on the Antares. For it allowed Ajay, who so desperately wanted to be a part of this space mission — even if it meant he had to do it from the command center — to save face; and it inspired Donner to re-examine the problem with a fresh perspective and pushed him to discover the root of the problem: a wrench someone left behind crossing the electrical wiring causing it to glitch.

While exploring all possible options to find out what was going wrong, Donner also took a side detour when outside of the ship after he had a vision of his abandoned shipmates from the Mars Mission. Overcome with guilt and longing, Donner followed the ghosts of Sharon and Jeff away from the Antares. All Nadia and Zoe could do was but watch in horror, not understanding what he was doing. Finally, what seemed to snap Donner out of the spell was Zoe’s frantic plea to Donner: “I need you, Donner . . . I need you to come back to me.” After her voice captured his attention, Donner shook off the illusion and returned to the ship, But what ultimately haunted Zoe was Nadia’s quiet concession, “We’ve never been in competition. The person you’re competing with is Sharon Lewis.” For, in the end, Donner cannot help himself and continues looking out of the ship’s window still searching for Sharon and hoping to catch a glimpse of her.

What can be taken away from this episode is that Beta appears to be testing each of the crew.  It seems to be pushing them to get past their fears, insecurities and guilt that are holding them back from truly bonding to each other. They each need to break through their walls of pain and seclusion. Again, Donner’s voiceover reveals, “What are we without the support of our brothers? How far do we really get without them?”

What Worked

It was great that the show’s writers are taking the time to explain some of the finer nuances of how the ship’s gravity works. Apparently, artificial gravity is created through a whole array of devices, which range from magnetic clothing to electro-magnets embedded in the floor. It is also created through the use of a device called a “mag grab” which is a nano-spray that when sprayed on hair or clothing, magnetizes it so that it gives the appearance of gravity.

It was also nice to finally learn more about Evram’s backstory and see how he got those awful scars on his back. In particular, the flash back scene where Evram tried reaching out to Donner about the pain he was experiencing over the 5th year anniversary of the Mars mission, offered, “Want to talk about it?” Donner’s snappy retort of “Want to talk about those beauty marks?” was illuminating. For no one truly wants to talk about their deepest, darkest secrets.  Because talking about it brings even more pain.  No one wants to remember the horror.

Also, in a nice change of pace, there was unexpected humor in the pairing of Wass and Paula as they tentatively began to bond over their shared experience nearly freezing in the rotator arm while the electricity was failing. Apparently, Wass’ fear of swimming applies to being weightless and, seeing his inability to cope in that situation, Paula tried to comfort him. For Paula knew that no man can be on his own and stayed with Wass to make sure he did not freeze to death.

What Didn’t Work

Nadia’s continual overt sexual passes at Donner are getting annoying. After all, they are on a 6 year mission that has just begun and she is already taking steps to undermine the integrity of it by distracting Donner from his work. It smacked of unprofessionalism and the timing was inappropriate. For even in the midst of a crisis she could not refrain from throwing herself at him.

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

‘Defying Gravity’ – H2IK written by Brett Conrad and directed by Fred Gerber. ‘Defying Gravity’ stars Ron Livingston, Laura Harris, Christina Cox, Ty Olsson, Malik Yoba, Karen LeBlanc, Andrew Airlie, Maxim Roy, Paula Garces, Florentine Lahme, Zahf Paroo, Eyal Podell, Dylan Taylor, and Peter Howitt. “Defying Gravity” airs Sundays at 10 p.m. on ABC.

“The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People”

In June 2009, I was fortunate enough to attend the final radio performance of the play “The Importance of Being Earnest:  A Trivial Comedy for Serious People” by Oscar Wilde (directed by Michael Hackett, produced by L.A. Theatre Works, and provided by The Peter Glenville Foundation at Skirball Center).  The radio play starred:  James Marsters as Jack/Earnest (best known for his portrayal of Spike on “Buffy” and “Angel”), Matthew Wolf as Algernon, Sarah Zimmerman as Gwendolen, Emily Bergl as Cecily (best known for her portrayal of Annie on “Men In Trees”), Charles Busch as Lady Bracknell, Neil Dickson as Lane/Merriman, Jill Gascoine as Miss Prism, and Christopher Neame as Chausuble.

First, it should be noted that as a radio play is intended for national broadcast, it is vastly different than a theatrical play production.  For one thing, there are no costumes, scenery or furniture props.  Instead, there are 5 microphone stands spread out on the stage and the actors sit directly behind the microphone stands in chairs up against a wall until it is their turn to read their part.  On the occasion that all of the actors are speaking at once, and as there are not enough microphones for each, the actors will share a microphone stand.  Thus, to hear the roles read aloud opposed to performed takes a bit of getting used to.  Instead of seeing actors wearing 18th Century period costumes looking very much like the characters they portray, instead each wears a nice suit or dress outfit.  This visual discrepancy sets a very different tone and can make it hard to both visualize and reconcile what one is hearing with what one is seeing.

Accordingly, I found that by closing my eyes, I had a much easier time “seeing” the play being read aloud.  I also had a greater appreciation of the perfectly nuanced elocution and accents used to create distinct personalities for the characters.  As by doing so, it brought the words of the play more to life.  I could truly feel the force when James Marsters’ character, Jack, bellowed with outrage at his friend Algernon’s unexpected engagement to his ward, Cecily.  I felt a delightful tingling up and down my arms as Algernon cooed loving sentiments to Cecily, who he had seemingly fallen in love with at first sight.  It was a sheer pleasure to hear each of the actors quip the teasing, playful words so precisely written by Oscar Wilde over a century before.  The play itself focused on the story of two wealth gentlemen who adopted the name of “Earnest” to woo the women of their dreams and the comical fallout when each is discovered to not actually be named Earnest.  It is a farcical play with many puns and double-entendres, which astutely skewered the upper class society and the games they played in the 1800’s when pursuing the opposite sex.

It was intriguing to see how masterfully each actor utilized their voice alone to create such vivid and charming characters.  For as the saying goes, “words alone do not make a man,” and in this case, it was the rich tenor and dripping eloquence of each that helped distinguish and define their characters.  It provided an astonishing two hours of pleasurable listening as we were invited to listen and enjoy the biting comedy of Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest.”