Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction SE01 EP05 - "Needle Point/Toy to the Rescue/Mystery Lock/The House on Baker Street/The Train"

Episode Name: Needle Point/Toy to the Rescue/Mystery Lock/The House on Baker Street/The Train
Original Airdate: June 22, 1997

1) Needle Point

Rebecca works as a secretary for a rather atrocious employer, who always blames her when things go wrong in his day-to-day business, such as coffee that is too hot, losing clients, and misplacing airline tickets. Trying to get out of her position, Rebecca makes dolls and sells them around her office building, hoping to make enough one day to leave. What her employer doesn't know is that Rebecca also dabbles in voodoo, and once a doll of him is done, she sticks it in the arm with a pin - at the same time, he clutches his arm in pain. Rebecca muses that perhaps it won't be nearly as bad waiting this job out anymore.

This story was going pretty well, but the ending seemed rather abrupt. Just one stick with a pin, and the boss's arm is in pain. That's it. While it definitely counts as a resolution, no doubt, it occurred so suddenly, and then - boom - the story's over. What I would have liked more is to see Rebecca's reaction when she realizes that the voodoo doll actually works. When it's all said and done, it was a good story - it just left me wanting more. I rated this "False."

Rating for story: Average


2) Toy to the Rescue

Amanda's brother Kevin has been sick and prone to dizziness most of his life, only to get worse once their mother passed away in a car crash. Since then, Kevin's always held on to the last thing his mother gave him - a stuffed bear with a cape, named Superbear. One day, Amanda's worse fear occurs - Kevin collapses, and is taken to the hospital. A few hours later, he dies. Both her father and and her are stunned, but on a whim, Amanda takes Superbear to the hospital to put it with her dead brother. Seconds later, he begins to move, and seemingly comes back to life.

Toy to the Rescue is one of those segments which isn't meant to be scary, tense, suspenseful, or all of the above. It's meant to be emotional, and I would say it does a decent job. Amanda and her father both show powerful emotion after Kevin died, and while the father doesn't understand why Amanda wants Kevin to have Superbear, still helps her get to him. I rated this as "True."

Rating for story: Above Average


3) Mystery Lock

Bradley, scared that his elderly Aunt Connie's apartment is too unsafe, insists she get a new lock, one that needs a key to unlock it on the inside. Interestingly enough, though, whenever Connie is in danger, whether she knows it or not, she is unable to open her door, as though it is protecting her. This happens twice, and Connie simply doesn't understand why it occurs. The third time, Bradley comes over, frantic, needing to get into the apartment (to grab money to pay a drug dealer, I believe the reason was). Trying as hard as she could, Aunt Connie was again unable to get the door open. Bradley later revealed that the drug dealer had considered Connie a threat, and as such, were planning on killing her once inside. Again, for the third time, the lock saves her life.

This was a good story for two reasons: first, the plot itself was pretty solid. The idea of a guardian lock is pretty intriguing, and I felt that it worked out pretty well. The little vignettes of danger Connie is protected from come across as realistic also, which is useful. And speaking of Connie, her actress is the second reason this story was enjoyable. Ellen Albertini Dow is a face you may know from various cameos throughout both television (Judging Amy) and movies (Patch Adams). She has the cute, elderly act down pat, and she's a deeply lovable character in this story, and I can't help but be reminded of the stereotypical grandmother, which is oddly heartwarming. Alas, Dow passed away just earlier this year on May 4, 2015 at the age of 101. I rated this story "False"

Rating for story: Above Average


4) The House on Baker Street

Tiffany and her boyfriend Tom seemingly love each other - the only problem being that Tiffany's father has an intense dislike for Tom, partly because three years prior, he broke the law when he stole a car. He feels that Tom's a bad influence for his daughter, and wants them to break up. Tiffany, of course, being a teenage girl, is hearing nothing of it. After some strange going on's in the house, such as Tiffany believing someone was watching her sleep, Tiffany's mother finds out that years back, a family lived in the same house, the father a banker. His daughter was dating one Steven Bennett, whom he deeply disliked. When he forbade his daughter from seeing Steven again, Steven set the house on fire as revenge, and was shot by the police. Just that night, Tom sneaks into Tiffany's house with her, and are discovered by her father, who, much as the banker did years ago, forbade his daughter from seeing Tom again. Later, a figure is seen, torch in hand in front of Tiffany's, who turns out to be Tiffany, her eyes glowing, as though possessed by Steven Bennett (as suggested by the narrator).

This may be one of the few times I say this about a Beyond Belief: Fact of Fiction segment, but I personally felt this was a bit convoluted. They tried to fit a lot in there, such as a haunted house, possession, and yet, still focused on the Romeo and Juliet-like love between Tiffany and Tom. It may have been better constructed if they had more time, but as it stands, it sort of just falls flat. It's not bad, by any means, but it's about as average as a story can get. I said this was "True."

Rating for story: Average


5) The Train

An actor in the mid-1850's happens to save a young student from potential death at a train station by pulling him up from the rails once he falls off the ledge. Coincidentally, the actor in question was Edwin Booth (brother of John Wilkes Booth), and the student was Robert Lincoln (son of Abraham Lincoln). Just months later, John Wilkes Booth assassinates Abraham Lincoln.

This story was actually told to us by Brolin himself, and not preformed by actors. Why they took this route, I am not at all sure, but it's sort of a nice footnote to the episode, and a little more low-key and calming than usual. I'm a history minor at college, and as I've not heard this story before, I rated it "False."

Rating for story: Above Average


This episode borders between average and above average. Ultimately, I'll say it's above average, but it's pretty close. Some of the stories just fail to make a great impression, though as usual, all of them had initial promise. The standout segment in this episode is "Mystery Lock."

And as to whether I was able to guess which stories were based on reality, apparently I'm consistent. I got two correct again, as I did for the last three episodes. It's a winning streak of sorts. At least that's what I'll say to myself to keep me from sobbing.

For episode: 2/5
Overall (for series): 8/25


Rating: Above Average


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Captain Planet and the Planeteers SE01 EP01 - "A Hero for Earth"

While some people may complain that this cartoon, a staple of the 1990's, is heavy-handed in it's pro-environmental message, I never minded much, because it's an extremely important message. It was back in the 1990's, and it still is today, if we want to put the proper measures to combat climate change before we're too far gone. I watched this show growing up, but I don't remember too much about it - it faded with time. With that all said, it's a good time as ever to walk down memory lane.

Episode Name: A Hero for Earth
Original Airdate: September 15, 1990

Villain: Hoggish Greedly

The show opens with a giant mechanical robot decimating a wildlife reserve, and, when it reaches water, begins drilling for oil. This fiend of the environment is none other than Hoggish Greedly and his assistant Rigger.

Hoggish Greedly

Gaia, the spirit of the Earth, awakens to find far more environmental disaster than ever she dreamed, and as such, determines it necessary to send out five magic rings to five special people from the corners of the globe.

Those people are:

Kwame: From Ghana, Africa, he has the power of Earth.
Wheeler: From Brooklyn, New York, he has the power of Fire.
Linka: From the Soviet Union, she has the power of Wind.
Gi: From Thailand, she has the power of Water.
Ma-Ti: From the Amazon of Brazil, he has the power of Heart.

From left to right: Ma-Ti, Linka, Wheeler, Gi, and Kwame

Gaia instructs them on their new-found abilities, and lets them know they must stop Hoggish Greedly before he pollutes the whole of the coast, destroying both the ecosystem and the environment. Wheeler seems not to have great control over the fire abilities the ring gives him, and flirts a bit with Linka, but for the most part everything goes smoothly.

Gi flies the jet to the site of the incident, and immediately Greedly sprays them with oil, causing them to have to work together to land safely. When Greedly threatens to spray the oil at the animals if they approach, they combine their powers and bring forth Captain Planet, at the expense of their rings not being operational when Captain Planet is summoned.

Captain Planet easily takes care of Rigger, but gets blindsided by Greedly when he sprays him with toxic waste, depleting his energy. With the help of the Planeteers, though, he is revived, and destroys the environment-decimating machine. Greedly, however, escapes, and vows revenge on the Planeteers.

Ending the episode, the Planeteers are working on cleaning the mess left behind, mainly the animals effected, such as sea turtles, seals, and walruses. Following that, Captain Planet gives the audience some tips on how we, as normal people, can work together to help the environment, such as carpooling and walking or riding a bike when possible. Remember people, the power is yours.


This was a solid origin story, though I felt the five chosen Planeteers accepted their new roles too quickly and without too much question. Wheeler, at least, seems to have the most realistic reaction to the situation.

The members are overall a decent people, Linka and Kwame perhaps being my favorite. Linka because while snarky, is rather compassionate and understanding, and Kwame because he strikes me as a very intelligent, focus-oriented individual. More so, he makes for a good leader, along with Linka, as no one else really fits the role. Gi, we didn't really see much of, but I hope to learn more about her as the series progresses.

Wheeler's a bit of a hothead, which is troublesome, and doesn't seem nearly as committed as the others do, but that will likely change as time moves forward. Lastly, I'm indifferent on Ma-Ti - he seems a nice enough guy, but he doesn't seem to possess anything Linka or Gi already don't. Still, if heart and compassion are his strong point, he'll be a great member of the team.

Like I said, I understand how this show to some people could be a bit pushy, but it's for a good cause, and no one can really fault them for trying to teach children about how best to treat the environment, as how one of us treat it can affect us all.


Rating: Above Average


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All in the Family SE01 EP02 - "Writing the President"

Episode Name: Writing the President
Original Airdate: January 19, 1971

Michael writes a letter to President Nixon about the ills of current American society, including pollution, race relations, and the ongoing Vietnam War. When Archie gets wind of this, he snatches the letter away, not wanting an anti-Nixon letter sent from the house. A compromise occurs, though - Michael can have his letter sent if Archie sends one also.

And thus, Archie, with the help of Edith, craft a letter, which is honestly about all that takes place in the episode.

Honestly, while the description above is short, it's entirely accurate. Sure, a few arguments are had between Archie and Michael, mainly revolving around pollution and John Wayne (whom Archie is a huge fan of, as you can imagine, I'm sure), but the main focal point of the episode is the crafting of Archie's letter.

Though lacking content, it's still an okay episode. I am hoping that future episodes have less sole focus than did this episode. The pilot did well because while it was purely an episode-long discussion over ideologically differences, they covered many bases. This episode, not much was really said, and aside from Archie's racism early on, even he is able to stay clear of foolish comments. Overall, it's a poorly average episode.


Quote of the episode:

Michael: "I want us to watch Jack Lemmon and a group of famous scientists discuss pollution and ecology on Channel 13."

Archie: "Good. And I want to watch football highlights on Channel 2. Now guess what's going to happen."


Rating: Average


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Batman SE01 EP02 - "Smack in the Middle"

Episode Name: Smack in the Middle

Original Airdate: January 13, 1966

Villain: Riddler (Frank Gorshin)

We start where last we left off, with Batman in the Batcave fretting over Robin, who was abducted by the Riddler at the end of the episode. Unbeknownst to Batman, Riddler has a most dastardly plan: with a replica of Robin's face made, he'll have Molly, his accomplish, taken to the Batcave, and when there, will kill Batman.

The plan, for the most part, works out. Riddler lures Batman to come after him, with Molly, disguised as Robin, by his side. When their car crashes, Riddler leaves the scene, and Batman brings Robin, seemingly injured, back to the Batcave, where Molly reveals herself.

Batman, however, always knew that it wasn't really Robin, and deactivated her firearm by burning the firing beam. Trying to get away, she climbs up a ladder, leading to the Batmobile's nuclear power energy source. Despite trying his best, she falls in, and Batman is unable to save her.

Using a call from the real Robin received earlier, Batman tracks down the location Riddler is keeping him to a subway station. Batman attacks, and is able to save Robin, but Riddler gets away thanks to bullet-proof glass.

The clues Robin overheard leads them to suspect Riddler will rob the Gotham City National Bank. Riddler's target, however, is the Moldavian Pavilion at the World Fair, where he and the Mob Hill Gang are planning to flood the room in laughing glass and steal priceless jewels and priceless postage stamps. And they almost do so, Riddler adorning a classy elephant mask all the while. Batman and Robin, though, were waiting, and attack Riddler and the gang, dispatching of them.

In the end, Riddler is trapped when a grenade goes off, leaving Robin to suspect he may be dead, but Batman concludes that since no body was found, he's still out there. Still, it was a job well done - the only regret Batman has was the death of Molly. Bruce shakes it off, and helps out Dick with his algebra.

Riddler in aforementioned elephant mask

This episode was a pretty good conclusion, if for no other reason, tackled something more serious than what one might expect from this show, being the death of a young, albeit criminal, woman. Batman expresses regret over this, though there was little he could do to prevent it (save getting rid of his nuclear power source, of course).

The plot to kill Batman using a Robin mask was somewhat ridiculous, but if it hadn't been for Batman's keen observational skills, it very well could have worked.

Also done well is Batman's desperation at the beginning of the episode, as he's worried over the well-being and whereabouts of Robin. From what I remember, this episode seemed to deal with ever-so-slightly darker topics than usual, and overall, it came across as quite solid.

Corny quote of the episode:

Robin: "You went awry, Riddler. Years ago. Don't you know crime never pays?"

Rating: Above Average

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Freaks and Geeks SE01 EP01 - "Pilot"

Once more, this is another one of those shows that I've never seen, but I've heard only good things about. I've not watched the Pilot yet, but I am expecting it to go over well, and I feel like I'll enjoy the series immensely.

Episode Name: Pilot
Original Airdate: September 25, 1999

Characters introduced:

1) Lindsay Weir
2) Sam Weir, Lindsay's brother
3) Neil, Sam's friend
4) Bill, Sam's friend
5) Daniel, Lindsay's friend
6) Nick, Lindsay's friend
7) Ken, Lindsay's friend
8) Millie, Lindsay's friend, also a "mathlete"
9) Cindy, a cheerleader whom is kind to Sam, and incidentally, who Sam has a crush on
10) Kim, a friend of Daniel's group; dislikes Lindsay
11) Eli, a mentally challenged student who Lindsay stands up for
12) Jeff Russo, the guidance counselor


It's 1980, and in William McKinley High School, located in Michigan, changes are afoot. Lindsay's been going through emotional trouble since her grandmother died, and is veering away from her academically focused past to hang out with burnouts at her high school (the freaks), while her younger brother and his friends (the geeks) are being bullied by an individual named Alan.

Lindsay [Linda Cardellini]

Lindsay helps fend off Alan, so afterward, Sam and his two friends, Neil and Nick, try to find a solution to the problem without involving his sister and looking weak.

Sam (Lindsay's brother) and Bill

Neil (friend of Sam)

At dinner that night, Sam and Lindsay's parent insist they both attend the high school homecoming dance, which neither have interest in doing. Lindsay, however, doesn't have much choice as her father forces her into it. The next day, Lindsay goes out of her way to hang out with Daniel and his friends Nick and Ken, all underachievers, and tries to bond with them. One of the friends, a girl named Kim, calls her a poser for wanting to hang out with them despite being a high achieving student, and despite the protests of Daniel and Nick, smack down her purse. Also in her day, she stands up for a mentally challenged student named Eli, who was being picked on, and invites him to the homecoming dance. The student, being picked on again by different bullies, ends up breaking his arm after trying to get away from Lindsay when she lets him know the bullies aren't being friendly to him, just making fun of him for being "retarded."

Daniel speaking to Lindsay

Ken [Seth Rogan] and Nick

Sam's day hasn't been easier. Alan picks on him some more, and a girl he has feelings for brings him his jacket which he left in chemistry class, leading Neil and Nick to insist he ask her to the homecoming dance.

Lindsay confronting bullies - Eli on far right

Following the incident with Eli, Lindsay meets with the guidance counselor, who, instead of talking about Eli, wants to know why Lindsay no longer has interest in participating in the academic decathlon. Lindsay refuses to answer, and claims that she's perfectly fine. The next class period, Lindsay is noticeably down, and Nick offers to cut their next class and take her back to his place to show her something, thinking it'll make her feel better. What it is happens to be a large drum set, and Nick states that it's his passion, and tell Lindsay she has to find her own passion, or her reason to live. Russo, the guidance counselor, then catches her skipping class, and forces her to work the refreshment table at the homecoming dance as a form of tough love.

Jeff Russo, guidance counselor

Sam, Bill and Neil determine that they have to fight back against Alan if they ever want him to stop harassing them, and plan to fight him later on in the week. At dinner that night, her father chastises her, and her mother states that she should be happy her grandmother wasn't around to hear about her skipping classes. Lindsay than angrily leaves the table after an outburst at her parents.

Sam checks in on Lindsay, and Lindsay lets him know that she was the only person around when their grandmother died, and this has affected her deeply. She also lets her brother know that she thinks he and her friends can take Alan in a fight.

The next morning, Bill and Neil turn out to the place where the fight will take place, and wait for Sam. Sam, however, gets held up when Cindy approaches him, and they chat. Eventually, Sam asks her to the dance - Cindy says she's already going with someone, but will save a dance for him, which Sam seems to accept well. Not being present, Bill, Neil and another individual, Colin, take on Alan, ripping his shirt and causing him to flee, leaving the three boys pretty pleased with themselves, and making Sam happy also when he hears this.

At the homecoming dance, Sam dances with Cindy to "Come Sail Away" by Styx, while Lindsay decides to ask Eli, who is sporting a cast due to his broken arm, to dance, which he happily accepts.

Eli and Lindsay

Cindy and Sam

Everything about this episode was well-done.

I could end the review there, and be perfectly correct, but I'll expand.

The relationship between Lindsay and her brother is beautifully done, and reflects reality pretty accurately. You can tell the two are close, especially when she stick up for him against Alan near the beginning and speaks with him about grandmother later in the episode. Each truly cares for the other, and they showed that well in this opening.

The freaks portion of the show, consisting of now Lindsay, Daniel, Nick, Ken and Kim seem a solid bunch. Daniel is a particularly nice guy, and Nick seems much the same way. I'm torn on Ken (who is played by Seth Rogan, by the way, being his first acting role), but I suspect his deadpan nature will grow on Lindsay, who seemed unsure of him in this episode. The important point is that the three of them are completely non-judgmental toward Lindsay, unlike her other friends such as Millie, her parents, and the guidance counselor. The only exception is Kim, who views Lindsay as a do-gooder "poser" hanging out with them only to rebel against her parents. When Kim saw Lindsay dance with Eli at the end of the episode though, I got the impression that she softened her opinion. I guess that time will tell.

Speaking of Eli, Lindsay standing up for him twice was another fantastic moment which really makes the audience feel for her character. Despite her not living up to the high standards of her parents, Lindsay has a good heart, and standing up for Eli, along with asking him to the homecoming dance, really shows the good values she possesses at her core.

Meanwhile, her brother Sam also has a good set of friends in Bill and Neil, representing the geeks. While we don't know much about them yet aside from Bill being the stereotypical geek, I am hoping that over the series, the three of them can strengthen their bond and become closer and more willing to stick their necks out for each other, something Neil seemed hesitant to do regarding Alan's bullying. Basically, I want to see the three of them mature as a group.

High school for many people was a good time, and for many others, it wasn't. It was a bit of both for me, so I certainly see where Lindsay and her new friends are coming from. What connected to me more, though, was the dodge ball scene. Personally, I hated that game, simply because I had no interest in throwing a ball at classmates. I didn't see the point (and as such, this is how I feel about most competitive sports). I wasn't a bad player, per se - I just had no interest in participating whatsoever. The scene really shows a good perspective of childhood's trials, which many of us forget after we've reached college. Of course, some people really liked dodge ball, but it's important to remember that some people didn't, and the scene shows exactly why there is reason for this.

The theme song and opening, being "Bad Reputation" by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, is a perfect choice. Generally, theme songs and openings don't make an impression on me, but I really liked the way they approached this one. Also, the use of "Renegade" during the fight scene between Alan and Neil/Bill we nice, and the ending dance using "Come Sail Away" was just beautifully done (both "Renegade" and "Come Sail Away" are Styx songs), in my opinion, between showing the dancing between Sam and Cindy along with Lindsay and Eli.

Lastly, on the actors and actresses, there made great choices here. Lindsay's actress, Linda Cardellini, has almost an Ellen Page aura about her, and as Ellen Page is a favorite of mine that's definitely a positive thing. Bill's actor, Martin Starr, did a wonderful job portraying a geeky guy, and you can definitely feel for him, especially when he says that he simply can't see himself going to the homecoming dance. Rogan, in his earliest role, does the typical deadpan act wonderfully, and it's nice to see he's been consistent throughout his career (I'm not a big Rogan fan, but I did rather like Zack and Miri Make a Porno). James Franco stood out also, and I'd like to see where he goes in this role. Lastly, Lindsay and Sam's father, played by Joe Flaherty, did an excellent job, and had some of the funniest lines of the episode (the whole "they died" conversation was deeply amusing). If the name doesn't sound familiar, he was in Happy Gilmore, the one who was paid to distract Gilmore by heckling him. Yep, it's that guy. And he did very well here.

This was simply a fantastic episode and great opening to this series. Based off this, I only expect well-done, above average episodes from here on out, and I hope I won't be disappointed.


Rating: Superb


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Judging Amy SE01 EP03 - "Trial by Jury"

Episode Name: Trial by Jury
Original Airdate: September 28, 1999

Characters:

1) Amy Gray
2) Vincent Gray
3) Maxine Gray
4) Lauren Cassidy
5) Peter Gray
6) Gillian Gray
7) Bruce Van Exel

Characters Introduced:

1) Stuart Collins
2) Judge Greta Anastassio


A friend of Amy's, Greta Anastassio, asks Amy if she can take on a jury trial involving a case of a teenage boy killing his girlfriend, in which the parents of the dead girl are seeking monetary compensation from the parents of the boy. Despite Amy never having done a jury trial before, she takes it on, if for no other reason, Greta, who has breast cancer, is unable to do so.

Meanwhile, Maxine has been having car problems as of late, and she finally decides to purchase a new vehicle, which Amy is skeptical of, mainly because the car was the last thing Amy's father bought for Maxine before he died. Vincent finds this moderately annoying, but keeps it to himself. More bothersome, when Maxine finally does give in and start looking for a new car, she asks help from Peter, seemingly to take his advice into more consideration than Vincent's, who was also asked to help.

Lauren has a sleepover planned, which Amy forgot about when she decided to take on the jury trial. Because of this, Amy has her mother agree to watch the the girls coming over, which doesn't work as well as planned, as she disturbs Vincent from his writing and asks him to take the girls out, unconcerned, or just not understanding, that Vincent was in the middle of working.

Amy meets Alex Reames and Stuart Collins, who represent the defendant and plaintiff, respectively. She's surprised to see that Stuart is the same individual she knew back in Harvard, as they shared a class under one Professor Larkin, who they both poke fun at. She asks that showmanship be kept to a minimum, as she wants the jury to base their finds off the facts and not the emotional implications of the trial.

Vincent brings back the children, and is visibility upset at Maxine for not respecting his work, and causing him to lose a whole afternoon of writing. This leads to a tense conversation between the two, with neither backing down, and Maxine telling Vincent that she always felt he had the most potential of her children, but he's squandering it. Vincent tells her that just because his "success isn't happening on her schedule" doesn't mean that he's squandering anything, and he leaves the house angry.

Maxine and Amy then speak about her reluctance to buy a vehicle, which comes not from sentimental reasons as Amy suspected, but due mainly to the fact she's never had to buy one before, as her husband always took care of the big decisions like that. In short, looking for a new car to purchase reminds her of the husband she misses. When Amy asks if she thinks that her dad was happy, Maxine admits that he probably would have preferred a different profession than the one he was in, being insurance (and the business Peter has taken over). Lastly, Amy states that her father would probably be proudest of Vincent, because he "went a different way" than everyone else.

The trial begins, and almost immediately Stuart Collins is reprehended by Amy because of his constant reiteration of the word "murder" to play on the jury's feelings. After both the mother of the dead girl, and the mother of the convicted boy, speak, the decision goes to the jury following the rejection of a $200,000 settlement offer by the defendant (the plaintiff is after $2 million).

Maxine goes over to Vincent's apartment and admits that she doesn't understand how writing is considered work, and has had problems accepting it. She offers Vincent $8,000 so he can quit his dog-grooming job, and focus solely on writing. Vincent declines, stating that he took the career of writing knowing that there would be risk, and asks that Maxine accept that.

When the verdict comes back, the jury finds that the defendant was negligible for the death of Mr. and Mrs. Harper's daughter, and award the plaintiff damages of $10 million. Amy almost lets this go, but ultimately throws out the jury's verdict, and enters judgment for the defendants. After the trial, Stuart confronts her, claiming she was against him from the beginning, leading her to provide a verbal smack down, listed below as the quote of the episode.

Notes:

This episode, as the first did, also speaks on a problems Gillian has getting pregnant, and is the first to show a slight resentment felt between herself and her husband, Peter. While it's just touched on her, it comes up later in the season, so I felt I should point it out.

This was a very fine episode on almost all fronts. The centerpiece was the quite emotional trial, well-acted on all sides. In fact, the actor playing Alex Reames is the same who played a Congressman in an episode of The West Wing, which was another series I was planning on reviewing. Seeing that familiar face, though, and placing it was a nice touch.

Amy's insistence on the facts over the emotional aspect of the case was well done, and her reversal of the jury's verdict was a fantastic scene. Also rather important was the conflict between Maxine and Vincent. Vincent is a favorite character of mine, and as I dabbled with writing in the past, I can certainly understand where he is coming from. Maxine just doesn't get it, but at least by the end of the episode, certainly seems more open to understanding it than she was before, which is a step forward.

Lastly, Maxine's hunt for a new vehicle was a fine subplot, brought together by the scene in which she and Amy discuss Amy's father and her husband. It was a short yet sweet conversation, and when Maxine admits to deeply missing her husband, it really pulls at the heartstrings.

Trial by Jury is the first episode of this show which I felt was overall very well done. Definitely a great story here, and enough emotional resonance to keep people wanting more.


Quote of the episode:

Amy [to Stuart Collins] "I happen to remember something Professor Larkin said about you. He said you had a genius for theatrics, and it would take you as far as you wanted to go, until you hit a judge who was smarter than you. Well, guess what just happened."


Rating: Superb


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Mutant X SE01 EP01 - "The Shock of the New (Part 1)"

Mutant X is a show I know very little about, despite being a fan of Marvel comic books most of my life, along with a rather large fan of their films from 2000 upwards. I've never seen Mutant X, though, and like I said, came into this series knowing next to nothing about it. The first episode had it's ups and downs, and was definitely unique. I'll hit on many of these points, but first, the episode summary.

Episode Name: The Shock of the New (Part 1)
Original Airdate: October 6, 2001

We open with mysterious men pursuing a mysterious young woman named Emma through a bar, who runs into a man and asks for him to help her; while doing so, seemingly sending him some psychic flashes. The pursuit continues undisturbed from the man, and end only when two figures are able to tackle and take them down using their superhuman abilities in a back-alley.

One of the individuals, Jessie, can turn his body both intangible and as hard as steel, both of which come in useful insofar as protecting the girl being pursued. The other, a female named Shalimar, has moderately high athletic ability and also apparent super strength, though the extent to her powers are not something discussed within this episode. A third man by the name of Adam, introduces themselves as Mutant X.

Adam reveals to Emma that those who were chasing her were part of the security wing of Genomex, a bio-technology firm which is also a "secret branch of U.S. intelligence." At their secret base, he fills her in more. Years back, Genomex conducted secret genetic experiments on people, which led to as many as 1,000 people out in the world to gain powers or abilities. Some of them know what they are - others don't. Mutant X's job is to help protect these people from Genomex, who has aggressively been tracking down these people for their own purpose. When asked how Adam knows this, he admits he was a chief bio-geneticist at Genomex.

Meanwhile, at Genomex, one Mr. Thorne lets Mason Eckhart know about the activities of the previous night. Echkart bemoans the fact that Adam and his team were able to secure the girl, and let's Thorne know that their security forces have to try harder.

Mason Eckhart

Emma, despite being told the purpose of Mutant X and the history behind it, denies still that she possesses any type of special powers or abilities (thought by Adam to be tele-empathy). During one such denial, she refers to Jessie and Shalimar as "freaks" which Jessie takes personally, being a more sensitive individual.

We then go back to the man Emma tries to get help from at the beginning of the episode, being a thief named Brennan, who meets up with Tony and Michael, and discuss moving "to the big leagues" tomorrow. Before meeting with Mr. Carter, Brennan takes a car out for a joyride, showing that he has powers to manipulate electricity, with one of his partners, Tony, happens to notice. During the meeting with Mr. Carter, they are given a key which, paired with another key, will allow them to steal millions of dollars in securities, providing they can do so in two minutes. The next day, they do exactly that, and steal a total of ten million dollars; twenty million, if you count the insurance that Mr. Carter will receive also. Tony, party disgruntled over the fact the three made "chump change" while Mr. Carter got millions, and also possibly looking for a payout, uses a hotline on ProxyBlue.com to inform the site about Brennan, who he suspects to be a mutant.

Mason Eckhart has a quick meeting with Dr. Paul Breedlove, also a scientist at Genomex, who wants to make amends for the "horrific mistakes" they made and provide full disclosure of their actions to the press as well as pay reparations to all of those genetically tested and experimented on. He also displays an affinity of sorts for Adam, which Mason cannot understand, given that Adam betrayed him years back. Following the meeting, Eckhart confides in Thorne that he should have killed Breedlove when he had the chance, and states that he needs to be taken care of prior to the press being notified of the project. This is done shortly thereafter, and it's revealed that one such child of Genomex happens to be Mr. Thorne, who uses his powers to dispatch of Breedlove.

Adam takes Emma to a lair in a library, where she meets telepath Ruby, along with Alison and Vince, two mutants who seem to prefer to be off the field, as opposed to Shalimar and Jessie. The plan, Adam says, is to give Emma a new identity and make sure that Eckhart can't find her, as to this point, she's shown no desire to be a member of Mutant X. While that meeting is going on, Jessie is working back at the base on erasing Emma's identity, and conversing with Shalimar about how they both wished Emma would have joined the team.

Due to the death of Breedlove, which Eckhart claims was committed by one such mutant created by Genomex, Eckhart becomes the head of the program and changes up how they operate, mainly by increasing funding and also creating a covert squad, the goal being to capture mutants and bring them into custody. After the announcement, he is informed by Throne about the existence of Brennan, whom he would like captured first.

Alison takes Emma to a drop-off point where she is supposed to get onto a boat that takes her to her new life, but Emma tricks her using her powers, and runs off, somehow running right into Brennan at an empty bar. She admits her powers to Brennan, and Brennan does the same, showing her his electrical abilities. Thorne than shows up to speak to Brennan, but tipped off from Emma via her abilities, fights back, all the while Mutant X are trying to track Emma down after she ditched Alison.

The chase and conflict brings them to an empty train depot (potentially - I'm not sure what else the building could be), and even though Mutant X catches up, Thorne and additional Genomex agents are able to subdue Brennan. Leaving Emma with Mutant X, Adam, who is on the scene, let's her know that it's not over yet.

To be continued.

From left to right: Shalimar, Emma, Adam and Jessie

I had quite mixed feelings about this introduction. In fact, I watched the first thirty minutes twice, and even then, my perceptions aren't fully formed yet.

All-in-all, I enjoyed what I saw, but it was in the same way I enjoy the 1960's Batman series - portions are so bad, you just sort of have to laugh at them. It worked for the Batman series as it was intentional, but the same cannot be said here.

I feel a large portion of my problems with this comes from a few things, firstly being the dated feeling of the show. The early 2000's industrial/club music (during the opening chase and the bank robbery) got quite grating. The special effects leave much to be desired, though I cannot really fault the creators for that - they did what they could at the time period.

Specific scenes don't feel right, though. Mainly, why and how did Emma get from stealing Alison's car to finding the exact bar that Brennan was in? Is locating people she had a mental connection with part of her powers? We don't know, and at least in this episode, the how and why simply aren't explained. And then there's the empty rooms - I can understand why few people would be at a bar in the afternoon, but only Brennan, Emma, and Throne? Not a single other background extra? And the same thing at the what I suspect is a train depot. That was a large piece of land, immensely so, and yet the only people around, midday, are Thorne, his agents, and Mutant X. That's it. Not a single other character in the background. It just looked off.

Lastly, many of the camera angles were odd. Perhaps they were any for unique shots, but perhaps less experimentation and more focus on the story at hand, explaining in better details some portions, would be recommended.

All of that said, there was a certain charm to this pilot. I wouldn't necessarily classify this episode as good, but I do find it overly unique, and I feel that this series is likely to stick with me. Again, a large reason for this might be the time period in which this show was made, but regardless, I do get the feeling that this will be an interesting ride.

The characters are a mixed bag also. I liked Breedlove, but you see where that got him. Thorne is okay, if not a bit one-dimensional, but I am interested in learning more about Mason Eckhart and his relationship with Adam. Speaking of which, Adam is about the only character on the "good side," save Emma, I much care learning more about. Shalimar is attractive, sure, but her powers thus far are pretty undefined, and comes down to she can fight well. Jessie is a bit more interesting - seems a very sweet guy, and his powers are definitely the most unique displayed in this episode (though when he solidifies his body, the effect it has does look quite odd, again mainly due to this being early 2000's special effects). Other characters, like Vince, Ruby, and Alison, simply don't stick out much, and I don't suspect any of the three will be big players as the series progresses.

Overall, this was something else. Not sure if I completely liked it, but for an opening to a series on mutants, you could probably do worse.


Rating: Above Average


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All in the Family SE01 EP01 - "Meet the Bunkers"

This series is another one that I've known about for some time but never bothered watching. As is, I wasn't intending to review many sitcoms for this blog, but All in the Family is just one of those which is rather well-known and more so, well-respected.

My knowledge of this show is limited, but I do believe one of the characters in the show is a bigoted conservative, and another one a liberal. This is of particular interest to me, because I have a very deep interest in politics. While I have no intention of spending a large portion of my time reviewing this episode talking about politics, I do have a feeling that it will come up. And me being on the far left of the political spectrum, I sense it could get interesting really quickly.

Episode Name: Meet the Bunkers

Original Airdate: January 12, 1971

Gloria and Michael Stivic, who live with Gloria's parents, Archie and Edith Bunker, prepare an anniversary brunch for Archie and Edith, who have been married now for 22 years. After they send their friend Lionel out to buy some flowers for Edith, Michael shows a deep interest in having alone time with his wife, which they rarely have, but as Archie and Edith are in church, it just so happens this is one of those rare occasions.

Unfortunately for Michael, Archie and Edith leave the sermon early, and walk in on them making out in the living room, disgusting Archie, which turns into a conversation over Archie's traditional and conservative viewpoints versus Michael's logical, progressive ones. It doesn't take long for the conversation to move onto why Archie decided to leave the sermon early, which Archie describes as "socialist propaganda, pure and simple." The preacher in question stated that the parishioners were partly to blame for the breakdown of law and order throughout the country, a statement which Michael happens to agree with, as he feels those who ignore the true causes, like poverty and racial inequality, are culpable. Archie, however, sees the cause of the problem as bleeding hearts, which makes no sense whatsoever, if I may add.

Archie then says, and I quote, "If your spics and your spades want their rightful share of the American dream, let them get out there and hustle for it just like I done." Which, while utterly abhorrent, also goes against the fact Edith then makes, being that Archie didn't hustle for anything - his uncle gave him his job. It's also in this portion that Archie states blacks have it easier than whites, which is something I've heard myself many times, and it's no less an ignorant statement here.

The conversation then turns to religion, where Michael and Gloria both seem to fall into the atheist category, or at the very least, agnostic. Archie, in dismay, states "I knew we had a couple of pinkos in this house, but I didn't know we had atheists." Archie then insults his wife again, calling her a dingbat, when she insists that they actually eat the lunch Michael and Gloria made for them. He then burns his hand, which is fine with me, as just before hand he was shouting at his wife. Rightly so, the wife is more concerned with eating than she is his minor injury.

Archie then insults Michael's sociology degree (as a sociology minor, I feel it's fair to take offense to this) and then insists he's both stupid and lacking ambition, which causes Gloria to stand up and state she no longer wants to live in the house while her father insults her husband. Edith stands up for her daughter, though, and insists she and Michael remain living there until Michael is able to make a living and properly provide for her.

The conversation than turns to race, in which, unexpectedly, Archie attacks the whole of the African-American community. Just in time, Lionel returns, who happens to be black. He plays along with Archie, and insists that Archie is in no way prejudiced. The two of them, Michael and Lionel, then lightly poke at Archie for using a Yiddish word, insisting that he is Jewish, all the while Archie claiming he's not a "Yid."

The last portion of the episode revolves around Edith reading the anniversary card she "received" from Archie (actually, it was from Michael and Gloria). Archie even appears a little touched by it, but when asked by Michael, simply insults him.

All in the Family seems, based off this first episode, a show of pretty decent quality. I do deeply respect sitcoms that touch on political issues, as this and Family Ties, often did, and I wish more sitcoms like this existed. Also important is to have two opposing views, which this show does well, and I am guessing will continue to do well.

How people can like Archie, though, I don't understand at this point. Insulting his son-in-law and wife doesn't make him adorable in any way, and I don't see bigotry as something "cute." Then again, I am about the exact opposite of Archie's character in every single way, which, for the sake of full disclosure, I have no problem admitting.

I may, however, alter the way I review episodes of this series. Instead of delving into the foolish things Archie says in the summary overview, I'm likely to, at the end of each episode's review, list the things Archie says, or any character, for that matter, that I find objectionable. Michael made good points this episode, but I have my doubts he'll always continue to do so.

Speaking of the characters, though, I felt, as this episode did a good job of showcasing each of the four members of the family, to make a few notes on each one.

Archie is pretty much a dick in my eyes. While I'm sure at times he's quite loving, not an ounce of that was shown in this episode, even when his wife was kissing him on the cheek. Now, I completely understand that some people have difficulty displaying emotions, but Archie can definitely show his angry side - he have immense work when it comes to showing his loving side. As aforementioned, his politics are completely and utterly foolish, but that comes down to personal taste. Archie strikes me as unbearable, but as the show progresses, I am hoping that changes.

Edith is rather slow on the uptake in many cases, but also is quite a sweet lady. She is protective both of her daughter and her husband, even when logic doesn't dictate she should be. We didn't see much out of her in this episode, but I hope her views on political issues come around at some point in the future.

Michael and Gloria are an okay couple, obviously loving, though I do wonder how much Michael actually respects Gloria. He seems an intelligent individual, but I get the feeling that he's the type of person the not necessarily care for the opinions of someone he considers less intelligent, especially his wife. While there was no evidence of that here, mainly perhaps because Gloria has a difficult time standing up to her father, I do suspect it might be an issue later on if Michael and Gloria remain married.

Gloria doesn't seem to have the best grasp on many of the issues. Obviously she feels her father is bigoted, but says so in such a weak way that it makes sense Archie doesn't take her concerns seriously. Gloria seems more the type to follow her husband's political beliefs than really think for herself, which is troublesome. She may have the right viewpoints, but it's for the wrong reasons.

"Meet the Bunkers" is a perfectly fine opening to this series, and isn't overly complex. Just introducing the main characters, and showing the innate conflicts between said characters. Basically, this episode did everything it had to, and it did it pretty well. I just wish Archie was a more likable character.


Quotes of the episode [tie between three]:

Edith: "It's nicer than when he called them coons."
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Archie: "David and Sarah. Two names right out of the Bible, which has got nothing to do with the Jews."
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Edith: "I didn't know you was Jewish."


Rating: Above Average


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Murder, She Wrote SE01 EP00 - "The Murder of Sherlock Holmes"

This is a series I've long known about, but have never once seen in my life. In fact, prior to watching the first episode (or more precisely, pilot, as it's a two-parter lasting an hour and 45 minutes or so), I knew very little about this show.

I'm glad I jumped on board, though, because based off this, going through the series of over 250 episodes should be an extraordinarily fun ride.

Note: This is listed as "EP00" because both IMDb and Wikipedia indicate this. EP01 would be the following episode, titled "Deadly Lady."

Episode Name: The Murder of Sherlock Holmes
Original Airdate: September 30, 1984

We are introduced to one Jessica Fletcher, as she watches a rehearsal mystery play, and correctly identifies the killer, to the shock and dismay of the director. She then goes about her business with the PTA.

After days of mundane activities in her home of Cabot Cove, Maine, such as jogging, fishing, painting, etc. she receives a call from her nephew Grady, informing her that there is interest in publishing a manuscript she wrote in her spare time. While at first Jessica was displeased with Grady, that quickly turns around as the book is published and becomes a national bestseller.

She travels to New York City to meet up with Grady, and to do a few radio and talk shows in promotion of her book, along with meet with the publisher, Mr. Giles. She meets Grady and Kit Donovan at the station, then travels over to meet with Giles, who, being busy, doesn't have time, but encourages her to have dinner with him later.

The next few days are filled with interviews from radio hosts and boorish television personalities. Due to this, Jessica made to go back to Cabot Cove, but is stopped by Mr. Giles, who invites her over to his place for a costume party that weekend in New Holvang.

Among those attend are Louise and Caleb McCallum (who is dressed as Sherlock Holmes), Ashley Vickers (with whom Caleb has had an affair with in the past), Peter Brill, Grady Fletcher, and Kit Donovan. While walking around outside, Grady and Kit see a figure seemingly searching through Grady's room. The individual turns out to be Dexter Baxendale, a private investigator, who refuses to reveal who he's been hired by. He is then escorted from the house. Later on, Louise, quite intoxicated, informs Caleb that she wants to leave, and when Caleb refuses, drunkenly takes off. The party goes on.

The next morning, Louise comes back to the house for her husband, who didn't make it back the night before. Jessica and Louise then hear a scream from Kit, and a body is floating in the pool, a body dressed up in a Sherlock Holmes costume.

The police suspect the victim is Caleb McCallum, though the identity is hard to place due to the face of said victim being blown off by a 12 gauge shotgun. Chief Roy Gunderson attempts to figure the case out, and is helped by a reluctant, yet observant, Jessica. Among the observations, the shoes that McCallum was wearing the night before were not the same shoes on the body found in the pool.

More so, Caleb turns up at the house perfectly alive, though he states he has no idea who took his costume, as he left it at the house prior to sneaking away from the party with a young woman. The man in the pool is then thought to be Dexter Baxendale, who was then revealed to be hired by Caleb McCallum, who needed a matter of stolen confidential files looked into.

Chief Gunderson speaks to Jessica on the way back to New York City, and she reveals more insight: the police are looking at this from an angle of who killed a private investigator. Jessica states that whoever the killer was might not have known that Baxendale was dressed up as Holmes, and not Captain Caleb, leaving to groups of different suspects for the police to look into.

Deciding again to go back to Maine, Grady lets Jessica know that he feels she could solve this case. Jessica confirms that, while she's leaving, she and Mr. Giles hit it off quite well. Jessica is stopped from leaving at the station only by Kit, who informs her that Brady has been arrested for the suspicion of murder of Baxendale.

Jessica confronts Gunderson and lets him know of her displeasure, stating that the murderer would more likely be Ashley Vickers than her nephew. Mr. Giles has Grady released, and they meet across the street in a restaurant. Kit reveals that Ashley Flick and Caleb were a couple behind the back of Louise, but Caleb then moved on to another girl, giving her motive to kill who she thought was Caleb.

Ashley Flick comes to the same restaurant, and reveals that the police have pinpointed the time of death, being 11:15 pm the previous night. Which is good for Flick, as she was with Jessica at the time, getting her dress washed as she spills a drink on it. With this, the first part of the episode is concluded.

On a taxi ride back to his office, Mr. Giles lets Jessica know that Grady's innocence will be proven. The best trial attorney is on his case, and while they hope it wouldn't come to that, Giles suggests that in time, all will be well. They also share a brief moment, and agree to meet for dinner that night.

Prior to going back to her hotel, however, Jessica wants to go to the Bayside Yacht Club and meet with Caleb. She does so, and Caleb is entirely convinced that Grady is the one behind the death of Baxendale, theorizing that he killed the private investigator so he wouldn't discover that he had been stealing private documents from Caleb's business. The fact that Baxendale was found snooping in Grady's room, along with the fact Ashley had an alibi (courtesy of Jessica), is enough for him.

Jessica than contacts Grady, letting him know that she wants to go to their office building and do some sleuthing in Ashley's office for incriminating papers. On the way, she lets Grady know that should Jessica be the guilty one, she had an accomplish who actually committed the murder, one who was at the party that she could pass the papers off to.

While Grady is sent to look for information on the computer, Jessica looks over some papers around Ashley's office, though not for too long - the elevator dings, and Ashley walks back to the office. Jessica hides in the closet as Ashley grabs some papers along with holding a conversation indicating that she knows, but did not condone of, the individual who committed the murder.

Jessica tries to follow her, and ends up losing her near a theater in which Peter Brill has been holding auditions for a play of his, which brings him into suspicion as far as the Maine woman is concerned. The next day, with Grady waiting in the car, Jessica confronts Brill, letting him know that she believes him to be Baxendale's killer, and that he did so because he wanted him off Ashley's trail so he could continue gaining the necessary money to put on a play. Brill feigns ignorance, but Ashley, who was listening in on the conversation, comes out and admits that she and Peter had stolen the documents, neither one killed Baxendale. Ashley had been with Jessica, as previously established, and Peter was entertaining guests at the party by playing the piano.

The day after, Chief Gunderson and two officers receive a tip leading them to discover the body of Caleb McCallum on his boat. Gunderson later speaks to Jessica, letting her know that Brill and Vickers had admitted to the stealing of the documents, and her nephew was off the hook for the murder. As Caleb was killed, the police feel as though Baxendale, who was wearing the Sherlock Holmes costume at the time of his death as Caleb had been doing the whole of the, was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time, and the real target was Caleb.

Mr. Giles agrees with Gunderson's assessment, and once Gunderson leaves, he and Jessica share another moment, which culminates in a kiss between the two. Jessica feels that this is moving too quickly, but is perfectly willing to see what a prolonged professional relationship (as Giles is the publisher of Jessica's book) would lead to.

She then makes it to the train station to head back to main, warned by Kit that a reporter will want to talk to her on the second half of the ride. Jessica, however, leaves the train just as it's about a go, as something clicked in her mind upon seeing a book reviewer named Chis Landon's picture in the paper.

Taking a train back to New Holvang and a taxi to Giles' home, the truth is revealed: Giles shot and killed Baxendale because the private investigator realized that Giles was the same man who had escaped a 15-year prison sentence over 20 years ago. This is further cemented by small things Jessica noticed, such as a phone call she and Ashley walked in on along with the fact the lights above the pool are automated, and as such the killer knew that it was Baxendale, not Caleb McCallum, in the pool. Giles later killed McCallum to make it seem as though he was the target all along, to try and get the police to not look deeply into Baxendale.

Giles turns himself in after the confession Jessica tearfully pulled from him. The next morning, she finally heads back home to Cabot Cove, Maine.

The first episode of this series, while I wasn't overly sure what to expect, was fantastically done. Angela Lansbury is an absolute delight to watch, and she plays the role of the sleuthing Jessica Fletcher beautifully.

The story was top-notch, and deeply enjoyable, with a myriad of twists and plot points one generally may not expect. Specifically, the confrontation in the second part between Jessica and Preston Giles was utterly wonderful. Obviously, while I tried to cover all of the main points of the episode, I didn't do it justice, and if this sounds like something that'd interest you, I highly recommend watching this.

As stated before, I've not seen any episodes of this series before, so it's all new to me. I only hope that the quality continues, though. Here's to hoping.


Rating: Superb


Next episode

Batman SE01 EP01 - "Hi Diddle Riddle"

The campy classic Batman went on for just over three years. The impact it had for the time period was certainly large, and altered how comic books portrayed Batman also. While the series is more something to watch for fun as opposed to a series character study on Batman, it's certainly worth viewing.

Episode Name: Hi Diddle Riddle

Original Airdate: January 12, 1966

Villain: Riddler (Frank Gorshin)

After a cake explodes in the face of the Moldavian prime minister, Commissioner Gordon and Chief O'Hara suspect the culprit to be the Riddler, which is likely due to the fact a riddle came out of the cake. Alas, this is the best detective work they can do, and so they call in Batman and Robin.

Bruce Wayne, who was entertaining guests, is grabbed by Alfred, and alerted to the situation. He then gets his young ward, Dick Grayson, and they make their way to the Batcave via Batpoles, then finally go out to the police headquarters.

The riddle ("Why is an orange like a bell?") leads them to Peale Art Gallery (because the answer to said riddle is "They both need to be peeled"), where they spot Riddler holding what appears to be a gun to the proprietor's head. Upon interfering however, and in the process of arresting Riddler (which Batman can do, as he's deputized), Riddler reveals the truth of the situation: the gun was merely a lighter, and Batman's apprehension of Riddler falls under a false arrest.

Apparently, in this case, the law is on Riddler's side, as this story is reported the next day and most legal scholars back up Riddler's interpretation. Batman would have to appear in court, and worse off, would be legally bound to remove his cowl. He feels all hope is lost, until Robin points out that Riddle likely left additional clues on the subpoena handed to them earlier. Upon locating and deciphering more riddles, the Dynamic Duo discover they must get to 222 Glover Avenue.

Riddler and his accomplices, the Mole Hill Mob, have a trap set at the location, being the new discotheque. Amusingly, when Batman and Robin get there, Robin, being underage, is not allowed in, and must stay out with the Batmobile while Batman goes in alone.

Hilarity ensues when Batman enters the nightclub ("Gleeps! It's Batman!" being a phrase I won't soon forget), culminating in Batman ordering orange juice from the bar, and dancing with one of the Mole Hill Mob's members (which, much like the above phrase, is not something easily forgotten). The orange juice, however, was drugged, and Batman goes down.

Outside, using a dart gun, Riddler subdues Robin, and at first tries to take the Batmobile, but due to anti-theft systems, he is unable to do so. He also cannot manage to cause lasting damage to the vehicle, as setting it on fire leads to it being put out quickly by an automated system. Giving up on that avenue, Riddler does all he can - he abducts Robin.

Batman, though overly groggy, does attempt to drive away and find Robin, but the police prevent him. He's simply too drugged up to drive. Meanwhile, in the lair of the Mole Hill Mob, Robin is strapped to a table, and Riddler gleefully realizes that finally, he now has the power to defeat the Caped Crusader.

Cue dramatic voice: Will Robin escape? Can Batman find him in time? Is this the ghastly end of our Dynamic Duo?

This show has always been a hoot. I won't profess to having seen every episode, but I have seen most of the first and second season. This episode is quite a decent start, though I do wish they expanded on the past occasions that Riddler and Batman have fought each other (as they've done so "half a dozen times"). On the upside, we are given a brief yet fine enough glimpse into why Bruce Wayne dons the Batman identity - to strike back against the criminal underworld, much like the "dastardly criminals" who took the life of his parents.

Choosing the Riddler as the first villain for the show is a bit of an odd choice, but Gorshin does the role beautifully and energetically. The riddles are something else, so when Robin answers them so quickly and confidentially, another source of amusement arises. The "pedestrian safety" line was fantastically amusing also.

But that dance - well, luckily, Batman once again does the same dance later on in the series. Apparently, viewers back then as well as now can't get enough of it. And who can blame them? A fine opening to this campy classic.

Rating: Above Average

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Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction SE01 EP04 - "E-Mail/Cup of Joe/Secret of the Family Tomb/Wheezer/The Unknown Patient"

Episode Name: E-Mail/Cup of Joe/Secret of the Family Tomb/Wheezer/The Unknown Patient
Original Airdate: June 15, 1997

1) E-Mail

Laurie, the secretary for Mr. Goth, breaks up a meeting between her employer and a woman attempting to collect half a million dollars from her deceased uncle. She received an anonymous e-mail claiming that the woman in question was not the niece, but an impostor. Laurie investigates this further, and communicates with one BigBiz, who claims to be the deceased uncle Edward. He also states that Laurie must find his real niece, who lives in Brooklyn. The next morning, the woman comes back to finally collect the money, but Laurie than reveals the truth: the woman is indeed an impostor, and was actually the nurse of Edward, pretending to be the niece to get the half million dollars.

The most amusing portion of this story is the 90's internet. We have made amazing advances since then. More importantly, though, the content of the story is quite solid. The acting can sometimes be a bit iffy, but overall, it's an enjoyable ditty. I rated this one as "True."

Rating for story: Above Average

2) Cup of Joe

Three college girls are heading off to a party in the middle of the nowhere, and the long hours driving almost causes a collision. Luckily, one of the girls sees a billboard showing a diner off the next exit. Upon going down the road, however, the girls find nothing but a "Road Closed" sign and a scary individual with a flashlight. When they get back to the highway, then run into a police officer, informing them that the road ahead is blocked due to a landslide. If they had gotten there 30 minutes earlier, the three girls would have been buried. One last thing: according to the officer, there are no billboards on this highway - they are illegal.

Some of the acting was over dramatic, but this was a rather spooky little piece. The rainfall, along with the drowsy driver and dark roads made for a rather tense situation. This was a quite enjoyable segment, and recommend it highly. I believed this to be "True."

Rating for story: Above Average


3) Secret of the Family Tomb

Dori Stone ran away and ended up dead. Worse for Mr. Stone, his wife died of a stroke ten days later, and is placed in the Stone family tomb. Afterwards, vandalism in the tomb occurs (without the lock of the tomb being broken), with flowers and pictures being thrown around. The third time this happened, Sgt. Jim Keene discovered a message simply stating "Not Here." Mr. Stone's priest approaches Keene, and let's him know that Mr. Stone discovered Dori's diary, which indicated that Mrs. Stone was abusing her, which is what caused her to run away. After moving the body of the mother, the vandalism never occurred again.

Again, this was an overly solid story, and the conclusion was both fun and satisfactory. While there's never much actual threat to any of the characters, there is an aura of spookiness throughout the segment. Another highly recommended story, I feel. I consider this one "False."

Rating for story: Above Average


4) Wheezer

Zack and his dog Wheezer are a constant staple of their neighborhood. The relationship between the two is astounding, but it's all cut short when Wheezer is hit by a vehicle. After a burial, the family and friends are obviously downcast, but that night, somehow Wheezer, or a dog that looks much like Wheezer, came back, and reunited with Zack.

While most of the beginning of this story is purely filler, it does show the strength of the relationship between boy and dog. The pain of losing a pet is not one I've yet experienced, but I can only imagine what Zack's character went through. It's rather sweet, almost, when Wheezer comes back to Zack. Nothing scary here, or really unsettling, but a good story here. I rated this "True."

Rating for story: Above Average


5) The Unknown Patient

Dr. David Sanders is new to the hospital, and on the first night, a seemingly homeless man is brought in, unconscious and apparently suffering from a heart attack. Despite his superior telling him to give it up, Sanders keeps up the attempts to resuscitate the man. After even he determines the unknown man is a lost cause, they find the only indication of the man's identity is a medal found on the body. Early next morning, a family shows up, citing an obituary in the morning's paper. When Sanders hands over the medal, the family accepts it, and leaves the nurse and Sanders mystified, as they never released the name of the John Doe, and no obituary from that hospital was published that morning.

Alas, while this segment isn't at all bad, it's rather lackluster compared to the four other stories. It was, more than anything, lacking the punch at the end that I've come to expect from segments of this show. A few questions were never answered (such as why the man appeared to be homeless, or why he lacked identification), which also added to the average feel of the segment. I called this "False."

Rating for story: Average


Much like the second episode, this is an overly solid episode as a whole. Four of the five segments were quite well-done, and two of them strike me as quite memorable, being the second and third segments. One of the finest episodes thus far in the series.

Unfortunately, again, when it comes to picking which stories were true and which weren't, I only got two correct, leaving me overall in this series so far with a whopping 30%.

For episode: 2/5
Overall (for series): 6/20


Rating: Above Average


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