TV Review: February Round-Up - 24, CSI, Heroes, Lost and More

US TV

February is Star Trek geek month — don’t worry, I’ll explain why as we go along.

24

"Day 6: 12pm – 5pm"

Poor old Jack, his family makes the Borgias look like the Waltons. His brother was bad enough, but dear old dad just about takes the biscuit. James Cromwell hasn’t been this convincingly nasty since L.A. Confidential. I’m hoping that Morris will fall into his clutches soon and Bauer Sr. can put a bullet in him and save us all from his incessant whining. Still, at least Milo showed some backbone, fighting off the bad guys until the cavalry (in the form of Jack “Nick of Time” Bauer) arrived. Mr Lennox has also shown a little more spirit, standing up to the would-be presidential assassins. Of course being a little guy, this just resulted in him being tied up and gagged, but it’s the thought that counts. Then we have ex-president Logan — just what is he planning? The series has had its usual quota of ridiculous plot twists but the action has been a little lacking this year. Still Morris got tortured so it’s not all bad.

Battlestar Galactica

“The Woman King”

Sometimes it seems that Helo is the only truly decent person on Galactica and this episode certainly gives weight to that idea. Bruce Davison makes a guest appearance as a doctor with a grudge and only Helo suspects something is not right when his patients start dying. The episode isn’t afraid to show some of the main characters in an unflattering light, particularly Adama and Tigh, although the latter isn’t much of a surprise. Davison is good as the doctor and Tahmoh Penikett relishes having the spotlight turned on Helo, giving his best performance so far.

“A Day in the Life”

This was a little on the dull side. Chief Tyrol and Cally get stuck in an airlock while Adama mopes about, thinking of his ex-wife on their anniversary. There are some nice character moments between Adama and Lee but the lack of action makes for a painfully slow pace. The episode also highlights something that I find incredibly annoying. I can accept that the civilians' fashions are far too earth-like, or that the cigarettes the doctor is always smoking look like Marlboros. I can and do accept all that and more UNTIL they go and do something to try and convince me how different things are. What did they do? They cut the corners off books! My god how strange, how otherworldly, how ALIEN! Someone please explain the point of this to me.

“Dirty Hands”

This week Chief Tyrol gets upset when he sees the working conditions on one of the fleet’s ships and calls a strike. Aaron Douglas outdoes himself as Tyrol and the episode brings to light some hidden resentments and highlights the colonies' class system. It also shows Adama (again) and President Roslin in a harsh light, while Baltar is shown to be more sympathetic than before. The ending, however, feels like a cop-out with everything sorted by the time the credits roll. The series is often at its best when it mirrors real world events but this marks three episodes in a row without a Cylon and that’s pushing things a bit far.

Article Author: Ian Woolstencroft

Ian Woolstencroft was brought up on a diet of John Wayne movies and Marvel Comics and still has a passion for both. Now as a blogcritic he finally understands what Spider-Man’s Uncle Ben meant when he said ‘With great power comes great responsibility.’ …

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