Leverage – Recap & Review – The Queen’s Gambit Job

photo: tnt

Leverage
The Queen’s Gambit Job

Original Air Date: Aug 28, 2010

Patricia Morris Buckley — Sr. Staff Writer
pmb@thetwocentscorp.com

The summer season of Leverage ended with a whimper, not a bang. No huge cliffhanger, no big, bad meanie threatening our favorite band of thieves, no team member running away. Just a regular episode.

Maybe not “just” a regular episode. Nate old partner/now nemesis Sterling is back. In fact, he hires the gang to steal something for him – a tiny weight that keeps a nuclear reactor from going bad. (There was a lot of technical explanation, but all I heard was “yadda, yadda, meltdown.”) In exchange, Sterling will owe them a favor.

True Blood – Recap & Review – Burning Down the House

photo: hbo

True Blood
Burning Down the House

Original Air Date: Aug 28, 2011

Meg – Staff Writer
meg@thetwocentscorp.com

While certainly an improvement over last week’s disjointed mess of an episode, “Burning Down the House” had more filler than movement and left me wanting more on the Eric and Sookie front. While Bill and his cohorts regrouped after the Tolerance Festival (aka magical massacre party), Marntonia looked for more allies. Unfortunately for her, just about everyone realizes that she is a few crayons short of a rainbow.

Entourage – Recap & Review – The Big Bang

photo: hbo

Entourage
The Big Bang

Original Air Date: Aug 28, 2011

Farrah Kaye – Sr. Editor
farrah@thetwocentscorp.com

You know what I love the most about Entourage? Besides the amazing bromances and Scott Caan? The way that even though you know something is coming, it still can surprise the bananas out of you.

Case in point: In tonight’s episode, after seven years, Mrs. Ari’s name is finally revealed. And it’s not by Ari. Oh, and the insane amount of superb guest stars, like Rob Morrow (hello amazing hair), Johnny Galecki (please don’t ever shave again), Bobby Flay (he can cook me dinner anytime!) and whoever else decides to show up.

Breaking Bad – Recap & Review – Problem Dog

photo: amc

Breaking Bad
Problem Dog

Original Air Date: Aug 28, 2011

MjL – TwoCents Reviewer
MjL@thetwocentscorp.com

When I first saw this title, I thought for sure this meant Walt was starting to annoy Gus to the point, where something was needing to be done. Then I feared that Gus had gotten into Jesse’s head enough to be the one to do the deed.

Then they showed what has been happened and I remembered that Gus has micro managed Walt into a corner that he can’t get out of, so my worries have been depleted for now, right? Oh, how Walt misses the days of simply dealing with Tuco.

Holy Salt Water! – Supernatural Mondays – 5 Female Crossovers: Pt II

photo: cw

Aug 29, 2011

Alyssa Silva – Sr Reviewer
alyssa@thetwocentscorp.com

Sometimes you watch a show and you can’t help but think how a character from another show might fit in. Supernatural is no different. When I see Dean decapitate a vampire, I wonder what Buffy would think of his methods. Or what the boys would make of Harry Potter if they ever crossed wands – or wand and salt bullet to be precise. These next few weeks I’m going to present a list, in no particular order, of characters from across the TV realm that I think would fit in well with the Winchester universe. I let the ladies kick things off, but a few more came to mind. So I expanded the number using my prerogative. Read on after the jump to see the second part of last week’s list!

Doctor Who – Recap & Review – Let’s Kill Hitler

photo: bbc

Doctor Who
Let’s Kill Hitler

Original Air Date: Aug 27, 2011

Maria – Sr. Reviewer
maria@thetwocentscorp.com

The last episode of Doctor Who answered a lot of questions, such as: “who is River Song?” and “is Amy Pond pregnant or not?” We left Team TARDIS reeling from the fact that Amy had given birth, her daughter was part Timelord and (last but not least) her daughter, Melody Pond, grows up to be River Song. Then the baby was kidnapped and raised to be a weapon against the Doctor. Despite this, the hunt for Melody continues. Rory and Amy meet the Doctor in a cornfield, but another guest arrives in style. Who is this mysterious, dark-skinned beauty?

Haven – Recap & Review – The Tides That Bind

photo: syfy

Haven
The Tides That Bind

Original Air Date: Aug 26, 2011

Cheryl – TwoCents Reviewer
cheryl@thetwocentscorp.com

A group of young boys sing a creepy song while tying a cinderblock to another kid’s leg and push him in the water. There must be a reasonable explanation for this very disturbing intro, right?

It’s another week, and the troubled people of Haven keep coming out of the woodwork. This time it’s a whole family.

Burn Notice – Recap & Review – Army of One

photo: usa

Burn Notice
Army of One

Original Air Date: Aug 25, 2011

Alyssa Silva – Sr Reviewer
alyssa@thetwocentscorp.com

This episode felt very anti-climatic. Not to mention formulaic. That’s hard to digest because even though the writers decide to recycle a heist or case, they put a new spin on it that makes it seem fresh. That didn’t happen this week, which makes me wonder whether this is the calm before the storm. In any case Michael finds his mother taken hostage this week, while Fi and Sam run a secondary op with the motto “Don’t tase me bro!”. And there is a little more headway after Lucien’s death last week. Keyword being little.

Degrassi – Recap & Review – Don’t Panic (Part One and Two)

photo: teennick

Degrassi
Don’t Panic (Part One and Two)

Original Air Date: Aug 24-25, 2011

Karen Belgrad – Senior Editor
karenbelgrad@
thetwocentscorp.com

I’ll be the first to admit we’ve seen quite a bit of retread this season. From stoned college interviews to inappropriate student-teacher relationships, there really does seem to be some dipping in the Degrassi well going on. But for these episodes, regardless of how familiar the stories may have felt, I really enjoyed both parts.

We had student elections, eating disorders, rumors rampant, mixed CDs, sweat lodges, and more. But we also had three strong arcs that felt in place and step with the characters that were experiencing them. And can I just say… I can’t stand Marisol.

Rescue Me – Recap & Review – Jeter

photo: fx

Rescue Me
Jeter

Original Air Date: Aug 24, 2011

Farrah Kaye – Sr. Editor
farrah@thetwocentscorp.com

It’s been no secret that I’ve been waiting for this season of Rescue Me. I’ve been hanging out on websites (that sounds creepy…) reading conspiracy theories on how the season will end. I’m personally a “Tommy has been dead the whole time” shipper or that it’s actually still Sep. 11, 2001 and all of his happened in his head while he waited to be rescued. Or there could be no twist at all and it’s just going to end with a goodbye.

But the “dead the whole time” theory, my loyal readers (all three of you…), is why last week’s episode “344” threw me for a loop (and excited me) and led to me not being able to review it for you. The title alone made me go “WHAT?!”