|
|
Post by Dale on Oct 6, 2009 10:43:28 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by Casablanca on Oct 8, 2009 20:51:14 GMT -5
Hey; this here was a good; and more dramatic episode then most. It wasn't jam packed with thrills; but instead eally did pull through some nice moments for Shan. Nice opening and ending as well; glad C.O. got a part to play in here somehow. Jack and Derek, especially, had a nice exchange towards the later bit of the episode. The end was thrilling; and I cannot say much more then a nice job; and I like Stan as a character, from what have seen, too. Fashback was aunique way for Point to move about things; but it still was exhilarating, at times. I promise to get to the next one sooner, as well.  |
|
|
|
Post by Dale on Feb 16, 2010 16:07:01 GMT -5
2x04– “Worth Killing For”
I’ve kind of been waiting for an episode to focus on a character who played more a secondary role in Season 1 and has become one of the main focuses of Season 2 in Derek Shan. The episode started rather inauspiciously in comparison to the openings we’ve seen so far this year. From the outset this appears to be more of a character based episode than the action, interrogation, pieces of the puzzle coming together types of episodes we’ve seen from “Point” in the past. It’s an interesting way to go and it’s certainly a nice change of pace.
Back in the present day, Wells questions Derek and Alex’s decision to take Harding’s word and hasten to Tanner’s rescue. I’ve also been waiting for an episode like this where Alex’s eagerness to go in guns blazing is brought into question by Derek’s other team members. So it was nice to see Wells stand up and state his case. I was kind of sad to see Derek be the one to shoot him down and side with Alex but I like that it adds some conflict to the team dynamic. I’m just not entirely convinced it’s the right conflict.
The courtroom scene with Derek was fairly well done. I felt Derek’s language was a bit too relaxed and a little too casual for court, but that’s just my opinion. I also felt there should have been more objecting from the defendants; Derek was clearly badgering the man on the stand and if the people who ordered Stan to kill for them are as powerful as implied, then surely his lawyer would be trying to get Derek cut off before Stan divulged the information he did. But nevertheless, it served its purpose and I do enjoy it when the title to the episode is referenced in dialogue so you get points for that.
I felt the opening scene to Act II was a little haphazard. The dialogue has been fairly strong so far this Season but the exchange between Derek and Scott seemed a little on the weak side. Also, it was implied that Wells is in charge when all evidence points to Derek being the leader of the group. So Wells shouldn’t have any kind of say in what Cereghino does because it’s Derek’s call at the end of the day.
I liked the continuing flashback’s with Derek, explaining why he’s doing all he’s doing. It gave us a deeper understanding of his character, and why the reasoning is fairly clichéd, it’s sound and makes perfect sense nevertheless. I felt the dialogue during Kelly’s death scene could have been a little stronger but I enjoyed Gerard Sloume’s appearance. It’s perhaps a tad to convenient that he’d show up moments after Kelly’s death and Derek should have had other things on his mind at that point. But it worked for what it was. I particularly liked the intercutting back and forth with jack and here’s where the dialogue kicked into a higher gear. I enjoyed the fact that Jack essentially threw everything back at Derek, asking Shan what makes him think he’s better than them and the Johnson Company. Jack was intelligently written and everything he said makes sense and he has a point. I’d like to see Derek question himself and muse on this conversation as the season progresses.
Overall this episode felt like a little bit of a mixed bag. The plot was fairly solid and I enjoyed the insight into Derek’s character and the fact we finally got see a little bit of conflict and questioning of Alex and Derek’s decisions from another team member. I also enjoyed Jack as a character and the exchanges he shared with Derek where the highlight of the episode. On the other hand, I felt some of the dialogue was a bit of a step down in places which disappointed me. The finale come a little bit out of nowhere and the ending scene with Scott and Alex, whilst providing a solid cliff-hanger to lead into the next episode seemed to be a tad awkward and rushed. This episode contained some of the best moments so far this season and a few of the worst and whilst the flashbacks were a handy tool in giving us some background on Derek Shan I hope they don’t become a regular occurrence and that we can get some development from Sophie/Clare/Wells etc. from current day events.
Score: 7.8/10
|
|
