Kamen Rider W (2009-10)

I'll leave this bit, here, out of respect to the friends who helped me write it:

The purple and green of W’s base form speaks to the fundamental theme of the series: one does not exist without the other, because they exist within one another. Philip’s sins mirror Shoutarou’s and their strengths and weaknesses complement and compensate for one another’s. The concepts of compassion, justice, human frailty, fear, loss, and community are examined, but far eclipsing of those is the exploration of the true nature of family.

Copper (2013)

If you want the gloves to come off... so be it.

The gloves certainly do come off for season 2 of BBC America's period drama, but it is mostly to the show's detriment. The plot becomes cluttered and haphazard with too many plotlines and characters coming and going that nothing is ever finished. The first episode sets up one character as a terrorizing and fearless villain that could easily have been an interesting arc for Detective Corcoran to go against, but is then dropped by the end of the episode. This could have been a clever bait and switch, but clearly isn't as it happens about 3 more times over the course of the season like the writers got bored or distracted by something shiny and switch to something else at the drop of a hat with all the indecisiveness of a housecat deciding whether it wants to go outside or not. Interesting events that are part of the time period like disease outbreaks and opium addiction are set up as major defining moments and then discarded with no resolution and minimal effect on the main story arc. What resolution there is from season 1 is written off in a rather implausible way just to seemingly get back to the status quo of season 1 like the show-runners finally pulled themselves out of their cocaine and/or alcohol binge haze to notice the colossal mess they were making and tried to clean it up in the worst way.

When the show does get back to what it does best (vicious period drama crimes and character dialogue) there are glimmers of the entertaining show it once was, but it mostly tries to fill the void with extended gore and basic cable nudity. The plots set up aren't even bad per se, just muddled because they were all shoved together into a gelatinous mass instead of spreading it out and letting what worked play through to some sort of closure. All of it is then dropped at the end of the season for an unnecessary and shoehorned bit involving Lincoln's assassination that is cheesy and should really have had nothing to do with the rest of the show. The show comes back to end on a regular cliffhanger, but then it was cancelled making it one more unresolved moment to add to the pile. Donal Logue puts in a decent turn as a sleazy politician, even though despite his actual Irish heritage he seemed out of place at times and Alfre Woodard makes a brief cameo of sorts as a freed slave that was palatable, but could have been better. Though it was one of the few plot threads that actually had a full arc, so that's something. Overall nothing other than the set and wardrobe designers were really on point and what character drama there is to enjoy is not up to snuff for the bar the show set for itself in its first season.

Buyer's Guide:
Available on iTunes and Amazon Instant Video with a forthcoming DVD release.

2 Sympathetic anti heroes that aren't sympathetic out of 5

Game of Thrones Season 2 (2012)

The Lord of Light wants his enemies burned. The Drowned God wants them drowned. 
Why are the gods all such vicious cunts?

HBO's hit fantasy drama continues as the War of Five Kings is in full swing with the Stark banner-men under Robb Stark fighting Lannister banner-men under Tywin Lannister while both remaining Baratheon brothers advance their own claims to the Iron Throne. In the capital, Tyrion Lannister uses his new power as acting Hand of the King to try and manage the chaos while the poor starve and Joffrey continues to be an ineffectual king who regularly abuses those under him including Sansa ostensibly for the crimes of her brother Robb. Tyrion manages this while playing a dangerous game of politics and treachery among the court.

There are many concurrent plot-lines, but Tyrion's is the most interesting as Peter Dinklage (who now has top billing. Winning Emmys will do that) plays the quick-witted and clever character masterfully and sympathetically. Not that the other stories are bad, just pale in comparison when Tyrion isn't onscreen. They are excellent otherwise. Everything  from the characters to the costumes and sets is wonderfully crafted despite a limited, though newly raised, cable budget. The CG graphics for Daenerys' dragons is very well done though not perfect, but it is a small blemish on the series.

The many plots can be overwhelming, but they are handled as well as they can be given how many there are and the limited number of episodes. Add to that some excellent dark age style swords and sorcery action with the well realized atmosphere and mood of the first season and you get a show that is very much worth the hype and acclaim.

Episodes to See:
All of them again as missing one will probably leave casual viewers terribly lost given how much detail and plot is crammed into just the 10 episodes.

Buyer's Guide:
Available on DVD and Blu-Ray box sets and streaming for HBO Go subscribers.

4½ Tits and Wine out of 5

Spartacus Vengeance (2012)

 

Freedom is not a stick of wood to be presented as a bone to obedient dog. It is a thing all men deserve.

Spartacus and his band of rebel slaves have escaped their shackles and now hide in the wilderness raiding Roman caravans and shipments to survive as they are hunted as fugitives. Gaius Claudius Glaber is sent to deal with them as it is seen as his mess. Spartacus must overcome not just the Romans, but also infighting between factions within the rebels as he tries to fashion them into some sort of useful fighting force.

Season 2 sees the late Andy Whitfield replaced with Liam McIntyre who slips straight into the role and dare I say I liked him much better. His gravely voice and presence makes him seem much more a part of the melodrama. Also returning in a much larger role is Craig Parker as Glaber who was criminally underused in the first season and is the primary scene chewer in the absence of Batiatus. Many returning characters and a bevy of new ones make the show feel fresh and still the same with all the changes.

The show feels much more open now that locations and stories are no longer confined to just the ludus and arena. New characters, locations and grander storylines are now possible with the same over-the-top production filled with violence and nudity that the show is known for. Quite an improvement while still being somewhat cheesy and indulgent, though I am less inclined to see that as a problem now.

Buyer's Guide:

Available on DVD and Blu-Ray box sets.

4 Heightened Body-Counts out of 5

Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (2011)

A lifetime of blood.

The prequel mini-series to Blood and Sand takes what was great about that season and both expands and condenses it, specifically John Hannah and Lucy Lawless chewing the scenery along with bloody violence and Romans being deviant underhanded douche-bags. 

Set some time before the arrival of Spartacus, Batiatus has yet to actually inherit the ludus from his father and is crushed under the weight of his ambition while Gannicus starts as a nice counter to Andy Whitfield's (RIP dude) Spartacus who was all honor and reluctance while Gannicus is all about fleeting pleasure inbetween arena matches. We get the tale of how Batiatus and Lucretia became the ambitious powermongers they are in season 1 and Gannicus' transformation from arrogance to the titular god of the arena. Littered about are backstory to other returning characters such as the sneaky Ashur, and young, naive Naevia.

The show doesn't have the growing pains season 1 did as the producers have more or less gotten the hang of making the show. A lot is squeezed into just 6 episodes which might make it feel a bit rushed, but it feels part and parcel to what is becoming quite a hit franchise for Starz and the writing has been punched up from what was lacking a bit in Blood and Sand. Everything that was indulgent from Blood and Sand plus a little extra.

Episodes to See:

Episode 6 is a great finale with great arena matches and also sets up plots for further seasons.

Buyer's Guide:

Available on DVD and Blu Ray

3½ Wine and Questionable Women out of 5

Spartacus: Blood and Sand (2010)

"Your name...your life, is what we decide."

Starz bloody re-imagining of the story of Spartacus, although this series shows his origins rather than the history he is famous for. Spartacus starts as a nameless Thracian hired to be a mercenary soldier helping Roman legions subdue rival tribes, but things go bad when he disobeys orders to save his homeland leading to a Roman defeat and worse, humiliation for his commander ( at least in the commander's eyes.) His old life is destroyed in retaliation as he and everyone he knows is sold into slavery and he ends up in a training house for gladiators. Now he must try to survive the brutal training as well as the schemes of his ambitious masters; Batiatus and his wife Lucretia.

If you came for dramatic tales of human spirit, you will be mostly disappointed, but if you came for excessive violence (blood fountains) and gratuitous nudity (for the men and the ladies) then you're in the right place. The show starts slow, but once it stops trying to mime 300 it becomes great fun watching Romans fuck each other over and just plain fuck. Helped by a cast full of beautiful people who seem to have no qualms mimicking the more deviant side of Roman culture. Paired with great action makes the show very indulgent.

Also of note are John Hannah and Lucy Lawless as Batiatus and Lucretia playing against type and a far cry from Jonathan in The Mummy series and Xena. You will hate them and root for them all at once and they own every scene they're in. If you let it, the show is very entertaining.

Episodes to See:
Ep. 10 Party Favors - One villain plays their hand very well.
Ep. 12 Revelations - As its title suggests, season long plots come to light.

Episodes to Avoid:
Ep. 1 The Red Serpent - The worst offender of the "300 Syndrome." Rough dialogue and production that might be impressive if it were made by teenagers for a film class. Skip it and any details you need from it can be had from other episodes.

Buyer's Guide:
Available as a 4 disc DVD box set and on Blu-ray.

3 Jupiter's Cocks out of 5