TheBigNerdShow

I failed to watch Doctor Who last week, catched the last minute to see it was a 2-part (it wasn’t) and made the choice to watch both part together so I can keep up to speed with the somewhat weird writing right now. Not to say the writing is bad, just a little all over the place and the subtley with the bigger story arc has been poor so far (I talk, of course about the “Eye Patch Lady”) when you place just how subtle the return of The Master was. I would like to note that this isn’t a two parter, in fact it will be at least a 4 parter as there has been two episodes, then the season finale and that will be a cliffhanger, so therefore at least the first episode that follows the mid season brake will be the last part (or maybe the next to last).

I plan on going back and reviewing the rest of this season, episode by episode when I am able and yes I have been impressed by most of what they have done (the cash in on PiratesMania IV sucked) and killing the Doctor in the first episode was a superb idea. Also I am very happy to see two companions back on Doctor Who in a more or less full time basis, how it once was. Not so sure about them being married, but I can’t have everything.

I don’t feel that I can really review each episode, these two really go together and that’s a good thing. The first episode ran a little on the slow side at times, but before the episode came to an end you could tell that this was just the first of two parts. I was starting to like the fact that they had shown the Doctor in a new light, not as a know it all twat, but that came to an end before the end of the show, talking on the end; The End of Almost People had a great mix of the happy ending and the cliffhanger, which I now don’t know what to think… Two weeks of Cliffhangers, are you fucking mad? Doctor Who fans love crack pot idea and do I really need my inbox full of idea while I wait for the seconf half of the season to start?

Acting stand point was superb. The Doctor hasn’t shown any cracks upto The Almost People episode where it started to come clear that the Doctor knew much more than he was letting on. Smith has really become the Doctor, more in tune with the classics than the new and again that’s a damn good thing. Jelly Baby anyone? The CG from the end of The Almost People wasn’t great, Hell that snake from Kinda (1982) was better.

Overall, these two episodes were much better than most of the crap David Tennent did post the main seasons (that’s the Specials) from both a writing point of view and even an acting point of view. David didn’t look to care about the Doctor anymore by the end, while Matt Smith treats the Doctor with respect, and for a show thats been around as long as it has, has had so many episodes and some of the best proformers as the Dcotor, respect is a must. I will review the Mid Season Finale, on it’s own, next week.

The Rebel Flesh & The Almost People Score: 8/10

So, here is the long await review of both Seasons, the only Seasons of Stargate Universe. A show that died too young.

Season One:

What… A… Opening… Just wow. I have always enjoyed the Stargate shows and even the movie and when I heard that they were going into the unknown, deep space I was so happy. In an age where space-based TV shows are dying or dead it was great to see a new one with the background of a great Sci-Fi universe. Then it happened, the show started becoming all weird, more about the people on the ship and how they feel than about new worlds and new aliens, what was going on. The it clicked, this felt real. I felt that I could understand what they were going through. It would of work though, if the acting wasn’t up to much.

So how to counter this? Employ some of the best actors around including a Hollywood name, Robert Carlyle. The acting was spot on. Nothing was questionable and the script was iron-tight. The writers had done their job. The sound guys had done there job. Everything was there, the drama was there. The trademark Stargate comedy was there when it needed to be and didn’t over run the show. This season had a superb mid-season cliffhanger and a even better end of season…

Score: 8.5 / 10

Season Two:

Another shocker of a season opener, this show knows how to open and close it’s seasons and mid-seasons. The crew on the ship grow, infact they grow twice in a great bit of Stargate Cannon. David Blue became the stand out of all the actors, even over Robert Carlyle. It would be a crying shame is David doesn’t get more work after Stargate Universe, he became the main star without meaning to. There were heart warming parts, shocking parts and a season finale to end all season finales. It’s a shame we’ll never know now.

Score: 8.9 / 10

Last week I talked about how come Chuck should of just come to an end towards the mid point of Season 4. I always forget how good Chuck is at doing it’s Season finales. This episode was Chuck had everything the show is well known for, the comedy, the emotion and the great ending. When I say great ending, I’m not sure about Morgan being… Oh wait no spoilers. I am very glad to hear that Chuck is getting a 5th season and that it will be it’s last. The last season did move around like a drunk fart at times.

The acting in this episode was for above par, the writing was superb and to make the extra time need to tell this story they even cut right down on the show’s intro and that’s a sign that this show cares more about the story than it’s own advertising. Which is a great thing. I didn’t feel, after last weeks episode that Chuck to do, or going anywhere from there, but I was dead wrong, the pitch for the next season makes me want it to be “Fall 2011″ now. There were some great tying up of loose ends, the real big bad of the show is now known, although if your a long time viewer of the show you may of had that feeling from the very start that all is not what it senses.

Overall, a great end to a lackluster season, It makes me hope that the next season of Chuck will give us it’s best. I do feel sorry for the writing staff, they were in limbo over the last season, not knowing if the show was going to end or not and now they know where they are going I hop this means they can focus on giving us the next season yet.

Score: 9.7 / 10

Season 4 Score: 5 / 10

Sorry, just a quick review as I’m very, very tired.

I have always loved Simon Pegg stuff, well everything but Spaced. I loved watching Paul, unlike some of the other Pegg/Frost movies Paul was made to be more mainstream than just nerdfest and it work really well. There are enough in-jokes and nerd only jokes to keep you giggling like a school girl all the way through. Infact the only jokes I didn’t find funny were the gay jokes, then again I said they made this more mainstream. The acting in this movie was great, but more from Seth Rogan than Pegg/Frost. Rogan had the hard work as he was just a voice actor, showing more emotion through his voice and voice alone, thank “science” that the script was perfect for him.

As for Pegg/Frost, there acting was great, it’s just, well them. I felt that they were just themselfs through this movie and while thats not a bad thing, I felt it’s best to give credit where it is due and in this case that goes to Rogan.  I don’t feel that there was much lacking in this flick and a great nerd fest it was. However after just watching “The King’s Speech” the night before, well Paul just can’t stand up to it.

Score: 9 / 10

(For those who want to know, The King’s Speech Score: 9.9 / 10 – I had issues with speech as a child and this movie truily spoke to me in so many ways.)

If you never saw Reaper you really missed out. Yet another show killed off with just two seasons (don’t get me started on Firefly). The idea was superb, a couple that we’re trying so hard to have a babys sold the soul of their first born son to the Devil, he’s theirs until his 21st birthday. Then he becomes the “Grim Reaper” and hunts down deadly and evil souls for the Devil by using tools that the Devil believes he can use safely. This includes a Hover. The scripts were second to none, the acting with great and the pacing, for once, was spot on. Yes it was a comedy and yes it was very funny, the first show was even directed by Kevin Smith (Jay And Silent Bob fame).

The first season felt great, everything unwrapped it’s self well, no spoilers but the show gave up hints of future events, the second wrapped most things up well (a sign they knew it maybe cancelled). I don’t want to ruin anything for those who read this and then goes ahead and watches this show. The show was very funny, very witty and for a US show, very British. It shows with the factor that E4, it’s British home still has a Reaper website, it talks about getting Reaper on it’s on demand service (4oD), it still gets comments.

Now I don’t think it’s fair to review each show, so I’m going to review the seasons…

Season One Score: 9.5 / 10

Season Two Score: 9 / 10