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Mad Men: “The Mountain King”
Don has nearly come through the other side of the hero’s quest. Last week’s sojourn to the desert saw him tempted by worldly pleasures which he tasted but did not succumb to. In the end, his fever broke and he sought out the one person who could guide him back onto the right path. Turns…
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‘Charlie Jade’ recap: “Flesh”
Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. – Matthew 26:41 It’s all over, right? Charlie’s come back to Jasmine – and just as quickly realized he belongs in Beta – 01’s out of jail, and Essa’s in shackles. Everything is right with the…
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Mad Men: “The Jet Set”
What started 10 episodes ago, with a copy of “Meditations in an Emergency”, appears to be coming to a head in one more week as Dick Whitman pays a call on his past. Director Phil Abraham framed the penultimate shot of Don on the couch in Palm Springs as a mirror-image of the reverse angle…
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Pushing Daisies: “Circus Circus”
A brighter-colored, quicker-paced episode than the season premiere, tonight was at about 80% strength. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed both episodes, but Olive’s too isolated in the convent and no one’s broken into song yet. As soon as Kristin Chenowith gets her butt out of that habit and into the habit of singing again…
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Charlie Jade recap: “Bedtime Story”
Forget it, Jade. It’s Cape City. Remember what Charlie does for a living? In case it’s been so long that it’s slipped your mind, this week’s episode should refresh your memory. Back in his own bed and his own universe, lying beside Jasmine, Charlie finds himself unable to sleep. He’s anxious and confused and guilty,…
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Mad Men recap: “The Inheritance”
The only thing anyone can be sure of inheriting from their parents is their genes. We can also be sure of keeping scars as reminders of the ways in which they failed us – ways in which their parents failed them – growing up. Those of us who are lucky have only a few, faded…
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NatGeo Carves a Larger Niche
I’ve got a new favorite network, I think. Time was, a geek like me could get his fix of funky stuff on TLC or Discovery, but dinosaurs and interior decorators rule the waves over there. Don’t get me wrong; I’ll still watch MythBusters or the occasional special, but for wonky engineering stuff – bridges, skyscrapers,…
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Pushing Daisies: “Bzzzzzzzzz!”
W00t! In six minutes, almost all of season one was recapped in the pithiest bit of exposition I’ve seen in a while. The universe, the characters, and their relationships were laid out with the usual charm and panache (always helped by Jim Dale’s marvelous narration.) Toss in a little foreshadowing about Emerson and his missing…
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Charlie Jade recap: “Spin”
Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the wickedness of their fathers. – Nehemiah 9:2 Remember when we thought 01 Boxer was the epitome of evil? Sure, 01 is a crazy bastard and has killed more than his share of people, but…
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Mad Men recap: “Six Month Leave”
If you ever wondered what happened to Happy Loman, he ended up pissing his pants before a big Samsonite meeting and getting kicked to the curb. Joel Murray’s always worked in his older brothers’ shadows, but tonight he showed he has all of their skills at mixing comedy with pathos. Freddy Rumsen’s always been a…