Topic: Tom's Random TV Episodes Reviews

[Tom]

Usually I am too lazy too write full TV series marathon reviews. But I sometimes watch an episode where I would have wanted to loose a few words. This will now be my place to put them.

[Tom]

Psych
4.06 Bollywood Homicide
Writer: Steve Franks (Created By), Steve Franks (Writer), Anupam Nigam (Writer)
Director: Jay Chandrasekhar
Cast: James Roday (Shawn Spencer), Dulé Hill (Burton 'Gus' Guster), Timothy Omundson (Carlton Lassiter), Maggie Lawson (Juliet O'Hara), Kirsten Nelson (Karen Vick), Corbin Bernsen (Henry Spencer), Rachael Leigh Cook (Abigail Lytar), Sendhil Ramamurthy (Rajesh "Raj" Singh), Azita Ghanizada (Mina), Madhur Jaffrey (Dadi Singh), Lisa Ray (Sita), Liam James (Young Shawn), Jay Chandrasekhar (Jawarhalal "Jay" Singh), Sage Brocklebank (McNab), Bhavkhandan Singh Rakhra (Stagehand), Rosette Sharma (Raini), Hillary Jardine (Victoria), Beatrice Ilg (Gita)

I was looking forward to this one since I first saw the revised opening theme music in Bollywood style on Youtube. It made the impression to me that this episode is done with some affection to Bollywood. Also I thought it would take place on a Bollywood movie set (which would haven't been that far-fetched because Bollywood likes to go shoot abroad). But sadly, this all wasn't the case. They just called it "Bollywood Homicide" because Indians are involved. There was a Bollywood dance routine, but just a small rehearsal with some simple choreography. Not really worth of Bollywood. As was the music used (though you could faintly hear a song from Kabhi Khuchi Kabhie Gham in the background in one scene).
It would have been the perfect chance to invite some Bollywood actors (even if only from the B- or C-List), but instead we got some unknown American actors with Indian heritage. The only one known to me was Sendhil Ramamurthy from Heroes. But I never really liked him.
Also the mystery was nothing special. I knew from the first appearance of the perpetrator that she was the one.

Rating:

[Tom]

Psych
4.07 High Top Fade-Out
Writer: Steve Franks (Created By), Saladin K. Patterson (Writer), James Roday (Writer)
Director: Steve Surjik
Cast: James Roday (Shawn Spencer), Dulé Hill (Burton 'Gus' Guster), Timothy Omundson (Carlton Lassiter), Maggie Lawson (Juliet O'Hara), Kirsten Nelson (Karen Vick), Corbin Bernsen (Henry Spencer), Kenan Thompson (Joon), Jaleel White (Tony), Tony Todd (Detective Moses Johnson), Liam James (Young Shawn), Kurt Fuller (Coroner), Sage Brocklebank (McNab), Ecstasia Sanders (Chelsea), Demord Dann (Leonard Callahan), Andrew Wheeler (Mr. Tully), Chris Shields (Minister), Charles Zuckerman (Armed Assilant #1), Kenji Maeda (Tech Geek)

This one also has an adjusted theme song. I always like when they are doing a variation on an opening theme song.
This is the first time that I saw Jaleel White in anything since his Urkel days.
The episode though was nothing special.

Rating:

[Tom]

The Vampire Diaries
1.01 Pilot
Writer: L. J. Smith (Original Material By), Kevin Williamson (Writer), Julie Plec (Writer)
Director: Marcos Siega
Cast: Nina Dobrev (Elena Gilbert), Paul Wesley (Stefan Salvatore), Ian Somerhalder (Damon Salvatore), Steven R. McQueen (Jeremy Gilbert), Sara Canning (Jenna Sommers), Katerina Graham (Bonnie Bennett), Candice Accola (Caroline Forbes), Zach Roerig (Matt Donovan), Kayla Ewell (Vicky Donovan), Michael Trevino (Tyler Lockwood), Chris William Martin (Zach Salvatore), Steve Belford (Darren), Cindy Busby (Brooke), Benjamin Ayres (Mr. Tanner), Marci T. House (Secretary), Wesley R. MacInnes (Peeing Guy), Curtis Lum (Peeing Guy #2)

I have never seen the Twilight movie, but in the beginning of this episode it seemed like something how I image Twilight to be. But it got better and I am curious to see how this series continues.
Luckily the vampires do not sparkle in daylight here, but they can go outside during the day, if they have a special ring. Something similar like the ring that Angel and Spike were fighting over in the Buffyverse.

Rating:

[Tom]

Moonlight
1.01 No Such Thing as Vampires
Writer: Trevor Munson (Created By), Ron Koslow (Created By), Trevor Munson (Writer), Ron Koslow (Writer)
Director: Rod Holcomb
Cast: Alex O'Loughlin (Mick St. John), Sophia Myles (Beth Turner), Shannyn Sossamon (Coraline), Jason Dohring (Josef Kostan), Jacob Vargas (Guillermo), Brian White (Lt. Carl Davis), Kevin Weisman (Steve Balfour), Tami Roman (Maureen 'Mo' Williams), Gigi Rice (Martha Ellis), Dean O'Gorman (Daniel), Shoshana Bush (Chloe Jones), Rudolf Martin (Christian Ellis), Chris M. Kelly (Kelly Foster), Amro Salama (Scientist), Ali Pomerantz (Beth's Mom), Bryn Early (Young Beth #1), Amayla Early (Young Beth #2)

After finishing the first season of "The Vampire Diaries" I thought it would be fitting to continue with this series (and maybe the second season of "True Blood" after that). I had this on my wishlist for a while, but as this one was cancelled unresolved (as far as I know), I wasn't so keen on buying it. But now I got it really cheap, so I couldn't resist.
Another reason why I vary of it was, that the premise isn't really original. We had "Forever Knight" and "Blood Ties" already after all. But I was positively suprised by this pilot episode and I am happy to continue with this series. I hope it holds up.
The female lead really seemed familiar. Also the name Sophia Myles seemed familiar, but I just couldn't place her. Now after checking Profiler, I know that I mainly know her from the movie "Outlander".

Rating:

[goodguy]

Also the same Sophia Myles seemed familiar, but I just couldn't place her.

Funny, I recently had the same problem with her guest appearance in the Doctor Who episode The Girl in the Fireplace. I knew I had seen her somewhere, but only after checking the credits for her name did I remember that it was in David Mackenzie's Hallam Foe.

[Tom]

Columbo
No Time to Die
Writer: Ed McBain (Story By), Richard Levinson (Created By), William Link (Created By), Robert Van Scoyk (Screenwriter)
Director: Alan J. Levi
Cast: Peter Falk (Columbo), Joanna Going (Melissa Alexandra Hayes), Thomas Calabro (Detective Andy Parma), Dan Butler (Sergeant Goodman), Doug Savant (Detective Dennis Mulrooney), Daniel McDonald (Strassa), Daniel Davis (Alex Varrick), Lance LeGault (Police Captain), Juliet Mills (Eileen Hacker), David Byrd (Bailey), Don Swayze), Donald Moffat (Sheldon Hays), Patricia Huston (Louise Hays), Cliff Emmich (Tubby Comfort), Beth Chamberlin (Cindy), Siobhan McCafferty (Samantha), Stack Pierce (President Loren Jefferson), Yvonne Farrow (Janet), Richard Assad (Abdul), Tom Marvich (Technician #1), Gary Hollis (Technician #2), Jose Rey (Bartender), Darnell Harrison (Technician #3), Mark Alan Kaufman (Sandy)

Different to the usual Columbo episode. In this one no murder takes place but a kidnapping. And Columbo and the other cops are trying to find out who the kidnapper is througout the episode. There is no scene where Columbo is talking to the criminal trying to get him to slip up.
It answers a question: Is the behaviour of Columbo towards a criminal a complete act or is he like that by nature. This episode shows him as a very competent and highly regarded police officer throughout. There is no scene with the typical Columbo mannerisms at all.

Rating:

[Tom]

South Park
2.13 Elementary School Musical

After watching the High School Musical trilogy over the last few days, I thought I would conclude it with the South Park parody. It's fun to watch. It makes fun of the hype around the trilogy and of the movies themselves.

Rating:

[Tom]

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