Downton Abbey (2010- , Julian Fellowes)

Downton Abbey - the Crawley family

Downton Abbey depicts the lives of an aristocratic family as well as their servants through history since 1912. When the heir of the estate died aboard the RMS Titanic, the Earl of Grantham Lord Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville) sent a letter to a distant cousin, Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens) informing he was next in line. Beside the course of history, Matthew and his mother Isobel’s (Penelope Wilton) coming to Downton will bring a change to a circle when traditions are complied with to the letter. Meanwhile, each servant of Downton Abbey has their own story as well from the butler to the footmen, from the housekeeper to the kitchen maids and the cook. The arrival of  new valet, Mr Bates (Brendan Coyle) results in different reactions from the servants: sympathy, jealousy and misjudgement.

Downton Abbey 

Stories through history

A lot of researches must have been done to deliver a show of such quality. First, it shows a glimpse of the British social class in the post-Edwardian era: those who live ‘upstairs’ and those who work ‘downstairs’. As time goes by, various subjects are dealt with: the status of women, the war, inheritance, politics, love, marriage, and even prostitution and homosexuality, issues that were still taboo then. Downton Abbey narrates how the course of history influences the plot, the character’s development and the interaction between them.

My favourite characters

Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens)

Appointed heir of Downton Abbey, Matthew was not very keen on leaving his job at first. Having an aristocratic life surrounded with servants was completely new to him. However, after being severely wounded by the war, he progressively showed his attachment to the estate. With his good will, intelligence and enthusiasm, Matthew brought changes to the house, which is why sometimes he had to confront Robert.

   

Violet Crawley (Maggie Smith)

Violet’s priority is to preserve the honour of the family. Her Ladyship is cunning and she won’t back down before anything to achieve her goal. What I like about her is her sarcastic humour.

Thomas Barrow (Rob James-Collier)

Thomas is an egocentric person to whom the end always justifies the means. He is ambitious and hopes to have a more comfortable life either by moving up the ladder or any other ways. Being homosexual, Thomas is one of the most interesting character of the show. He had a brief affair with the Duke of Crowborough (Charlie Cox), made an advance on a Turkish diplomat Kemal Pamuk (Theo James) and is in love with James Kent (Ed Speleers), one of the house’s footmen. His sexual orientation often causes troubles and rejection from some of his peers.

Downton Abbey - the Servants 

What I like about Downton Abbey

·      the various british (also irish) accents

·      Wonderful actors and actresses

·      No sex and violence

·      The subtlety of the narration (though I am not sure about the historical and language accuracies)

·      The rivalry between the servants, the transition from tradition and modern society (eg : emancipation of women, inter-class relationships, etc.)

The future of Downton Abbey

3 seasons, so far so good. However, the fly in the ointment in TV series is when some of the main actors decides to leave the show. That is bad for the show, bad for the fans and bad for the business. With two of the most beloved characters dying (Lady Sybil and Matthew), one is wondering if the crew will manage to cope with it. Will Season 4 live up to our expectations?    

SEE ALSO
Sherlock

Real Humans / Äkta Människor (2012-, Lars Lundström)

In the beginning, there was man. And for a time it was good. But humanity’s so-called civil societies soon fell victim to vanity and corruption. Then man made the machine in his own likeness. (The Animatrix).

Now, let’s see that in a realistic point of view. First came devices of different kinds like calculators, coffee machines, elevators, phones, etc. but that was not enough. So the first man robots, the ‘hubots’ flooded the market (at least that’s what happens in Sweden). The hubots are simply supposed to assist humans in household and heavy tasks, sometimes to provide some company. Like computers, a hubot belongs to a prototype and is equipped with a USB connectors at the back of the neck enabling it to recharge when the battery is flat. Furthermore, it is possible to update the code source characterizing each hubot and moulding their behaviors. Hubots are helpful and even trained to save lives. They are obedient, easy to manipulate and a great number of them suffer under human brutality.  

Hubots

The shows depicts the lives of a few people: Leo Eischer (Andreas Wilson), son of the scientist David Eischer. Eischer watched his wife Beatrice and his young son drown. Not only David brought Leo back by having him turned into a semi-hubot but he progressively modified the source code inside the hubots that he owns and changed their "DNA" to make them more "human". Those are called the children of David, they have no owners and aspire to be free from human oppression. 

In the process, a lot of things have happened. The humans’ experiences with hubots shape their opinions. There are those who need them (Lennart), those who like and love them (the Engmans), those who take advantage of them (Jonas, Silas), those who fear them and those who hate and despise them (Roger).

Leo (Andreas Wilson) and Mimi (Lisette Pagler) 

Beside the philosophical reflection that it brings, Real Humans is a story about the basic relationship between us: love, betrayal, loneliness, disappointment and fear. As far as the performances are concerned, the best comes from Lisette Pagler, the actress who portrays Anita/Mimi.

The question of whether man has become the architect of his own demise is not yet settled. The story goes on so let's wait and see.

Dexter (2006-2013)

Michael C.Hall as Dexter Morgan

Meet Dexter Morgan, nice guy, gentleman, loyal friend, caring boyfriend and good brother. Dexter works for the forensic department of Miami Metro Police. While he appears as just an awkward lab geek, Dex has a terrible secret that only his foster father knows about: a killing urge to satisfy, which he calls the ‘Dark Passenger’. The odd? he hunts serial killers only, those who escaped from the flaw of the system. Ergo, Dexter Morgan is seen more a good guy than a psycho killer.

First, let’s get back to his past. Through a series of flashbacks, we see a poor boy locked up in a container for a couple of days, next to his dead mum, or at least what’s left of her. That’s when it began. The then Agent Harry Morgan took the boy and raised him. Convinced that there is nothing he could to to change his foster son, Harry taught him to deal with the dark passenger and set a series of rules, the ‘Harry’s code’. Never get caught, cover tracks, make sure the target really deserves to die…those are some of Dexter’s rules.    

Actors: Michael C. Hall, Lauren Velez, Jennifer Carpenter , James Remar, C.S Lee, David Zayas, Desmond Harrington

  

SEASON 1

Season 1 is based on the novel ‘Darkly Dreaming Dexter’ by Jeff Lindsay

The Bad Guy : The Ice Truck Killer, someone from Dexter’s past steals his killing modus operandi. While he takes the blood out of each victim’s body, he leaves elements that only Dexter understands. The Ice Truck Killer is smart, patient and neat.

Guest star: Christian Camargo

Christian Camargo as the Ice Truck Killer

SEASON 2

Dexter tells his girfriend Rita that he is a drug addict and promises her he will join a program and find a sponsor. He befriends Lila, a mysterious woman. Sergent James Doakes (Erik King) becomes more suspicious about Dexter’s real personnality and his connection to the Ice Truck Killer. FBI superstar agent Frank Lundy investigates a series of vigilante murders: the Bay Harbour Butcher case.

Guest star: Jaime Murray, Keith Carradine, Erik King   

   

Jaime Murray

SEASON 3

While stalking a drug dealer named Freebo, Dexter mistakenly stabbed another man who appears to be the brother of Assistant DA Miguel Prado. Miguel and Dexter become friends and know each other’s secrets. Debra is investigating on the Skinner, another serial killer.  

Guest stars: Jimmy Smits, Jesse Borego

Jimmy Smits as Miguel Prado

SEASON 4

Dexter is now a family man. Retired FBI agent Frank Lundy comes back to Miami to track a man who uses a recurring pattern of three murders: the Trinity killer. Dexter helps Lundy find him. While he was about to discover the killer’s identity, Lundy got shot.

Guest stars : John Lithgow 

Left: John Lithgow as the Trinity killer

SEASON 5

While stalking a potential serial killer, Boyd Fowler, Dexter saves a young woman’s life. Lumen asks him to find her find the other ‘barrel girl guys’ who tortured and raped her, hence: new preys. Their researches lead them to a well-known author Jordan Chase.

This season deals mainly with the aftermath of Rita’s death: Dexter feels guilty about it. Between Astor/Cody/Harrison, his job and the dark passenger, he has to find a way to manage his busy schedules.  

Guest stars : Julia Stiles, Jonny Lee Miller, Peter Weller

Jonny Lee Miller as Jordan Chase

SEASON 6

A psycho character named The Doomsday Killer plans to bring chaos to the city of Miami by following the book of revelation. Dexter wants to find him before the police do.

Guest stars : Colin Hanks, Molly Parker, Billy Brown

Colin Hanks as the Doomsday Killer

SEASON 7

Miami metro investigates the murder of Det. Mike Anderson but Dexter is one step ahead as usual. He found out about the killer and got rid of him. Viktor was a member of an ukrainian criminal organization called Koshka. Its leader Isaac wants to avenge his death.

Guest stars : Ray Stevenson, Yvonne Strahovski

Yvonne Strahovski as Hannah McKay

Well, the five first seasons were great and Season 1 and Season 4 are the best of all. The Ice Truck Killer was Dexter’s brother, Trinity is the show’s best villain and season 4 ends with a shocking cliffhanger. 

From season 6, the forgivable inconstistencies piled up in the previous seasons becomes annoying. Whereas the actors do a good job, they are not where they belong and the writing was awful. Det Joey Quinn for instance was almost useless, Louis Greene, Masuka’s intern seemed to have a great potential to be Dexter’s next nemesis but well, he turned out to be a waste ot time. Luckily, the last scene of the last episode gives the perspective of a new start.  

The story is getting more interesting with Deb knowing Dexter’s secret. Now she tries to assemble the puzzle from the previous major cases (Trinity, the barrel girls killers, etc.) and sometimes gets her brother out of trouble. Dex finds himself entangled in a romantic relationship with Hannah McKay, a serial poisoner. Despite Ray Stevenson’s great performance as a gang leader or the sudden rise of a ghost fire killer, the ‘bad guy’ scenario is quickly evicted. Thus, the most important thing going on is Captain LaGuerta reopening the Bay Harbour Butcher case and gets closer to the truth.

Erik King (James Doakes) is back

(May contain Spoiler) The whole season shows that the end is near for our favourite serial killer. He falls in love (which is a good thing by the way), he becomes less careful (e.g: chasing Estrada, being aware that Laguerta had suspicion about him), he spares a killer’s life and kills an innocent, etc. One may say that there are too much upside downs but well, after being in activity for many years, even the smartest serial killer will end up leaving suspicion so I guess things have to go that way. As I said, the end is near and it’s gonna hurt…

The Big Bang Theory (2007 - , Chuck Lorre, Bill Prady)

Close Encounters of Four Nerds or How I Knew 

Sheldon Cooper

If you ask Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) what the show is about, this is what he’ll tell you: "Consider this unlikely but very plausible scenario. A young woman alone in the big city. Her ridiculous dream of becoming an actress lies shattered about her…She has no prospects, no marketable skills. And then one day, she meets a group of genuises, and their friend Howard."  

The Big Bang Theory

The Big Bang Theory actually tells the story of the nerds first. Leonard (Johnny Galecki) is Sheldon’s roommates. Rajesh (Kunal Nayyar) is Howard’s (Simon Helberg) best friend and both of them are friends with Leonard. The four of them work at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) where they spend most of their time working on lab experiments. In their free time, the guys enjoys playing video games, reading comic books or (re)watching movies among others. The arrival of a sexy young lady across the hall (Kaley Cuoco) will bring changes to their life.

From left to right: Bernadette, Amy, Raj, Penny, Sheldon, Leonard, Howard

Although the Big Bang Theory is perceived as a sitcom for geeks, no need to be able to write a Java applet to enjoy it. Apart from theories related to physics, references to movies abound so it’s okay. Basic knowledge of Marvel/DC comics, Star Trek and World of Warcraft suffices.

Between Penny’s social experience and the guys’ intellectual ability, it’s hard to choose. The clash between the characters delivers tragicomical effects that almost convince you that all the lines are epic and thorough. But the greatest thing about the Big Bang Theory is definitely the way irritating characters become likable. Penny, Raj, Leonard, Sheldon and Howard are all hilarious with their flaws but in my opinion, Sheldon holds the palmares of weirdness. Nerd is weird, Sheldon is an over the top nerd version, making him the main reason most people watch the series. The writing may be particularly subtle but Jim Parsons, the man behind the character puts all his heart on it. Sheldon could be the part he was born for.

If each episode is a real delight, my favourite would be Season 3 episode 22 – The Staircase Implementation, the one with flashbacks that tell how Leonard and Sheldon met, the story behind the broken elevator and Shelly’s spot on the couch, etc. Strangely, their encounter is reminiscent of John Watson looking for a flatshare and meeting Sherlock Holmes.

To sum it up, I love Big Bang Theory because of Sheldon Cooper, the man who sees himself as another edition of Mr Spock. I used to just like him but now I am falling in love…BAZINGA !!! 

Characters

Dr SHELDON LEE COOPER

Degrees: 2 Phds and a Master’s Degree

Favourite film character: Spock

Girlfriend: Amy Farrah Fowler

Likes: Trains

Hates: Babylon 5

Principal characteristics: Socially disfunctional, superiority complex, ignorance of the basic features of social protocol, disregard for any kind of emotional attachment and human contact, etc.

Ambition: Get a Nobel Prize

Shelly/Spock

Dr RAJESH RAMAYAN KOOTHRAPPALI

Degree: Phd in Astrophysics

Home country: India

Favourite actress: Sandra Bullock

Type of movies: chick flicks

Principal Characteristics: suffers from selective mutism (towards women)

Dr LEONARD HOFSTADTER

Degree: Phd in Physics (experimental)

Girfriends: Penny, Pryia

Link to Sheldon: roommate and best friend

Principal Characteristics: nice guy, lactose intolerant, Leonard is the most normal of the four

Mr HOWARD WOLOWITZ

Degree: Master’s degree in Space Engineering (MIT)

Background: Jewish

Current status: engaged to Dr Bernadette Rostenkowski…and his mother

Characters: Howard is the ‘womanizer’ of the group

PENNY

Current job: Waitress

Last name: unknown
Home town: Omaha, Nebraska

Boyfriends: Kurt, Zac, Leonard

Ambition: to become an actress

Likes: Wine

Characteristics: enjoys gossips, expensive things such as shoes/jewellery

SOME GUEST STARS

Brian Greene, Steve Wozniak, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Stephen Hawking,

Stan Lee, Wil Wheaton, LeVar Burton, Summer Glau, Charlie Sheen, Brent Spiner

Memorable quotes

Season 1 episode 12 (The Jerusalem Duality)

Sheldon: I sense a disturbance in the force

Leonard (doing Yoda’s voice): A bad feeling about this I have, hum

Season 2 episode 15 (The Maternal Capacitance)

Leonard: Why are you doing this

Howard: You know the rules. You brought your mom to work. You must suffer (chuckles).

Sheldon: I had no idea your siblings were so much more successful than you.

Raj (chucles): Yeah, you’re like the Jar Jar Bings of the Hofstadter family.

Leonard: Oh, meesa thing yousa looking so, so sad.

Season 2 episode 20 (The Hofstadter Isotope)

Howard: I’m a horny engineer Leonard. I never joke about math or sex

Season 3 episode 2 (The Jimini Conjecture)

Sheldon (to Raj): So, you’re afraid of insects and women. Ladybugs must render you catatonic

Season 3 episode 8 (The Adhesive Duck Deficiency)

Leonard: I hate my name. It has « nerd » in it. Leon-nerd. 

Season 4 episode 5 (The Desperation Emanation)

Sheldon: Leonard, Leonard, Leonard

Leonard: Yeah

Sheldon: Amy Farrah Fowler has asked me to meet her mother

Leonard: Yeah, so?

Sheldon: What does that mean?

Leonard: Well, you know how you’re always saying that Amy is a girl who’s your friend, and not your girlfriend?

Sheldon: Uh-huh

Leonard: You can’t say that anymore

Season 5 episode 10 (The Flaming Spittoon Acquisition)

Bernadette (about Stuart asking Amy out): What are you gonna do? Doesn’t he know you have a boyfriend?

Penny: No, she doesn’t have a boyfriend? She has a Sheldon

Shamy

Season 2 episode 8 (The Lizard – Spock Expansion)/5 ep17 (The Rothman Disintegration)

Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock

Scissors cuts paper

Paper covers rock

Rock crushes lizard

Lizard poisons Spock

Spock smashes scissors

Scissors decapitates lizard

Lizard eats paper

Paper disproves Spock

Spock vaporises rock

And as it always has, rock crushes scissors

Sherlock (BBC 2010-, Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss)

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