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Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Encounter at Farpoint
The Naked Now
Code of Honor
The Last Outpost
Where No One Has Gone Before
Lonely Among Us
Justice
The Battle
Hide and Q
Haven
The Big Goodbye
Datalore
Angel One
11001001
Too Short a Season
When the Bough Breaks
Home Soil
Coming of Age
Heart of Glory
The Arsenal of Freedom
Symbiosis
Skin of Evil
We'll Always Have Paris
Conspiracy
The Neutral Zone
The Child
Where Silence Has Lease
Elementary, Dear Data
The Outrageous Okona
Loud as a Whisper
The Schizoid Man
Unnatural Selection
A Matter of Honor
The Measure of a Man
The Dauphin
Contagion
The Royale
Time Squared
The Icarus Factor
Pen Pals
Q Who?
Samaritan snare
Up the Long Ladder
Manhunt
The Emissary
Peak Performance
Shades of Gray
Evolution
The Ensigns of Command
The Survivors
Who Watches the Watchers?
tThe Bonding
Booby Trap
The Enemy
The Price
The Vengeance Factor
The Defector
The Hunted
The High Ground
Deja Q
A Matter of Perspective
Yesterday's Enterprise
The Offspring
Sins of the Father
Allegiance
Captain's Holiday
Tin Man
Hollow Pursuits
The Most Toys
Sarek
Menage a Trois
Transfigurations
The Best of Both Worlds, Part I
The Best of Both Worlds, Part II
Family
Brothers
Suddenly Human
Remember Me
Legacy
Reunion
Future Imperfect
Final Mission
The Loss
Data's Day
The Wounded
Devil's Due
Clues
First Contact
Galaxy's Child"
Night Terrors
Identity Crisis
The Nth Degree
Qpid
The Drumhead
Half a Life
The Host
The Mind's Eye
In Theory
Redemption I
Redemption II
Darmok
Ensign Ro
Silicon Avatar
Disaster
The Game
Unification I
Unification Ii
A Matter of time
New Ground
Hero Worship
Violations
The Masterpiece Society
Conundrum
Power Play
Ethics
The Outcast
Cause and Effect
The First Duty
Cost of Living
The Perfect Mate
Imaginary Friend
I, Borg
The Next Phase
The Inner Light
Time's Arrow, Part I
Time's Arrow, Part II
Realm of Fear
Man of the People
Relics
Schisms
True Q
Rascals
A Fistful of Datas
The Quality of Life
Chain of Command, part I
Chain of Command, Part II
Ship in a Bottle
Aquiel
Face of the Enemy
Tapestry
Birthright, Part I
Birthright, Part Ii
Starship Mine
Lessons
The Chase
Frame of Mind
Suspicions
Rightful Heir
Second Chances
Timescape
Descent, Part I
Descent, Part II
Liaisons
Interface
Gambit, Part I
Gambit, Part II
Phantasm
Dark Page
Attached
Force of Nature
Inheritance
Parallels
The Pegasus
Homeward
Sub Rosa
Lower Decks
Thine Own Self
Masks
Eye of the Beholder
Genesis
Journey's End
Firstborn
Bloodlines
Emergence
Preemptive Strike
All Good Things...
Labels: Star Trek TNG
We are down to the final five episodes of The X-Files. Four of the five wrap up dangling plot threads to varying degrees of satisfaction. “Jump the Shark,” a play on both the point at which a television series hits its peak before hitting the decline and a major plot point of the episode, features the ultimate fate of the Lone Gunman. It is a direct sequel to the final episode of their self-titled series which had been cancelled the previous year. For the sake of full disclosure, I have seen only the two initial episodes of The Lone Gunman, so “Jump the Shark” is my first exposure to many of the concepts and characters featured. However much my unfamiliarity taints my review is up for you to decide.
I have always had mixed emotions about the Lone Gunman. My opinion hinged on how they were used. Often, they were thrown into the story when Mulder and Scully were unable to get from point A to point B any other logical way. The Lone Gunman managed to implausibly have specialized knowledge which somehow escaped the FBI’s crime lab. Go figure. Other times, they were out in the field, either heroically on their own, or in a back up role for mulder and scully or Doggett and Reyes. In the latter cases, they were usually great characters. Perhaps enough so that I ought to give their series a bigger chance than I did a decade ago. When used properly as real people, they are fine additions to the supporting cast. So much so, I have a melancholy feel about the ending to “Jump the Shark.”
Like many of the best episodes of The X-Files, “Jump the Shark” has a good mix of comedic and horrific elements. Much of the episode is a scam by former man in black Morris Fletcher to con the Lone gunmen into finding one of their former associates, Yves, by convincing Doggett and Reyes she is secretly a super soldier. Yves is working on a mission of her on to prevent the release of a biotoxin hidden inside shark catilage within a terrorist carrier. The Lone Gunmen track down who they believe is the carrier, but winds up being a decoy. They discover the true terrorist, but too late to stop him in any other way than sealing themselves inside an airtight room with him to wait for the biotoxin to activate. The three sacrifice themselves. For that sacrifice, skinner arranges for them to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery..
I am skeptical non-veterans could ever be buried at Arlington, but it is a nice touch regardless. I have to fight off the feeling that Mitch Pileggi, who has only two lines at the end, and Gillian Anderson are embarrassingly misused here. They both neded to be at the funeral, obviously, but it feels like the two are just thrown in there. Particularly Pileggi. Skinner is a really good character, but for long stretches has been sorely misused. Never so much so than in the ninth season. After quickly killing Krycek at the end of last season, it is as though no one could figure out what to do with him. I would have suggested dumping Folmer and handing all his appearances over to Skinner, but I digress. Regardless, the emotions involved in saying goodbye to the Lone Gunmen outweigh any criticisms about how other characters fared.
“Jump the Shark” is not aptly named. It is one of the best episodes of the ninth season. Obviously, I think it gave the Lone Gunman a good send off. Not that I think they should have been killed off mind you. I would have preferred them to ride off into the sunset aware that they were heroes rather than, as Langley says of his hero Joey Ramone, living forever knowing nothing ever broke their spirits. But if they had to go, this is a touchingly appropriate way to give them a send off.Rating: *** (out of 5)
Quick note: Jolie Jenkins, who played Leyla Harrison in yesterday's episode, sent a Twitter DM thanking me for the shout out yesterday. So she is not only cute, but nice, too. Become a fan of hers, folks.
Labels: X-Files
Non-comics fans now have a reason to be happy when the costumes are translated perfectly from the page to the stage.
Mercy, mercy me.
Labels: Comic Books, January Jones
Top Models Walk On the Ramp at Mod's Art Show 2011
Top Models Walk On the Ramp at Mod's Art Show 2011 very nice photo.
Labels: Mod's Art Show, Models walk the ramp, Photo