Life on Mars: Out Here in the Fields

Am I time traveller? Am I in a coma? Am I a lunatic? These are the minor questions that plaque Sam Tyler (Jason O'Mara) formerly a NYC police detective in 2008 and now a NYC police detective in 1973. One day Sam is hit by a car and wakes up in Mars...I mean in the 1973. Fortunately, David Bowie is around both times to cushion the blow.

2008
We're introduced to Sam Tyler and his girlfriend and partner Maya (Lisa Bonet). They're arguing on their way to apprehend a serial killer. Maya wants Sam to meet her family, but Sam wants to talk about it later. Since this is a TV show, he's going to regret those words.

They arrive at Colin Raimes' (Michael Bertolini) apartment—the man they suspect of kidnapping young women and then strangling them. Raimes sees them coming and a chase ensues. He jumps out a 2 storey window followed by Sam. After a fight, which Sam wins, he takes Raimes in for questioning.

During the interview, we discover that while they have fiber evidence, Raimes has something better: a video alibi of him gambling. They have to let him go, but Maya isn't convinced by the alibi, so she starts following Raimes alone. Meanwhile, Sam finds out that Raimes has a twin brother. This knowledge is too late for Maya though, she's gone missing with just her bloody blouse left in the playground, like the rest of the victims.

Sam rushes to her apartment building. David Bowie's “Life on Mars” is playing on his iPod. He gets out of the car to cross the street and is hit by an oncoming vehicle.

1973
Life on Mars is still playing as Sam wakes up. He looks around and sees that Maya's apartment building is an empty site. Sam, who is now wearing a leather jacket and red bell bottoms. David Bowie is still playing though, but on an 8-track tape this time. Sam's a little confused. It doesn't help when a cop rolls up to tell him that he can't park there. Sam insists that the car isn't his, despite the police officer pulling out a registration in Sam's name. Sam is not convinced, until he looks up and sees the Twin Towers.

Wandering the streets of a very 1970s New York, complete with more polyester than you can shake a stick at and transistor radios, Sam finds a detective badge in his pocket and proceeds to his police station where Chris (Jonathon Murphy), one of the detectives, explains to him that they're expecting him. He's apparently a transfer from Hyde. Not that Sam knows where Hyde is.

Sam, well, Sam proceeds to completely wig out. He starts ranting about his desk and his office until he gets the attention of the head detective: Gene Hunt (Harvey Keitel). Gene, with a punch to the stomach, lets Sam know who's boss. When Sam starts hearing voices from what seems to be 2008, he starts screaming, which prompts Ray (Michael Imperioli) to send Sam to be checked out by Annie (Gretchen Mol).

Annie's a member of the Police Women's Bureau, which means that she is basically treated like crap by the chauvinistic detectives in the division despite her psychology degree. Sam confides in her that he thinks he's a time traveller. Fortunately for him, she just takes him to his apartment, provided by the department and complete with clothes from Hyde, and suggests that he stop thinking they're all figments of his imagination. It's good advice, but it's something Sam can't do, especially when his TV starts talking to him. The scientist on the TV suggests that Sam is in a vegetative state and that his occasional movements might suggest that he's in an alternate dimension. Sam yells at the screen, but all he gets is a stand by pattern.

On the crime front, the serial killer from 2008 seems to be active in 1973. Sam immediately thinks of Raimes, and then realizes that Raimes must be a child. He finds the same artificial fibers under the latest victim's fingers. He tries to get Annie to provide a psychological profile. When she's ridiculed by the team and sent packing by Gene, he leaves the station and tries to out walk his delusion. Sam figures that if he wanders long enough, his brain won't be able to sustain the intense level of detail.

Instead, he finds a record store that his mother used to take him to when he was a boy. After waxing nostalgic about vinyl for awhile, he has an idea. The artificial fibers could be soundproofing. This idea is just in time because another girl has gone missing.

He tells Gene and the rest of the detectives his theory, but they're skeptical until Colin Raimes' grandmother is brought in at Sam's request. She tells them about a neighbor, Willie (Austin Basis), who used to play his music too loud...at least until he had his apartment soundproofed.

Gene and Sam head over to Willie's apartment. Gene breaks down the door sans warrant and they find the missing girl. Willie's also there, but he gets away. Sam chases him, but Willie gets Sam's gun, and holds Sam at gunpoint. To Sam's surprise and then relief, Willie starts muttering about a bullet being the only way to get home. Sam figures that solving the crime in 1973 will save Maya and send him home, so he starts yelling at Willie to shoot him.

But, Ray arrives to apprehend Willie. Ray is amused by Sam's “crazy” behavior and thinks that he might fit in after all. Considering Sam's reaction when Ray punches out the already handcuffed suspect, I doubt it.

As they take Willie away, Sam sees him smile and wave at a little boy: Colin Raimes (Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick). Sam realizes that Maya was right. Raimes was trying to impress Willie—the murders were copycats. A worried Sam goes back to the house to talk to the boy Raimes. He tells the child that it's good to be afraid—that Willie didn't have the answers. He says all this while holding his gun. Just when I think he's going to shoot the child to protect Maya in the future, his radio comes on: it's Maya. She tells Sam that she's safe; that he shouldn't worry about her. Sam tries to talk to her, but she doesn't hear him. Sam puts his gun away even as the radio comes on again. Chris tells Sam that he's needed at an armed robbery. Sam, reluctantly, puts a siren on his car and drives off—still in 1973.

My favorite part? The detailed recreation of the 1970s: music, fashion, cars, and attitudes. I am really going to need a soundtrack for this TV show.

Moview Review: The Secret Life of Bees

When I left the theater after watching The Secret Life of Bees, I felt comforted and content, and it took me a while to understand why: This movie calls back to older, Southern-set, empowering movies like Steel Magnolias and Fried Green Tomatoes. Those films celebrate womanhood and the importance (and potency) of female friendship, all against the unique backdrop of the American South. The stories are beautiful and sentimental, with tragedy and heartache going hand-in-hand with love and humor. This is what The Secret life of Bees is like, while also including the tension of race relations in South Carolina in 1964 and a coming-of-age story. I've sometimes wondered mournfully if movies like these were no longer relevant or could not be made well in this day and age, so it is with relief that I report to you: They can, and have.

Dakota Fanning plays Lily, a 14-year-old girl in South Carolina whose mother died when she was young, leaving her in the care of an abusive father (Paul Bettany) and a kind housekeeper named Rosaleen (Jennifer Hudson). Lily decides to run away from her father and her small town, and she takes Rosaleen with her. Included in her mother's belongings, Lily has a piece of wood with an image of a black Mary holding a black infant Jesus and the name of a town written on the back. So, Lilly and Rosaleen head off for this town and discover that the image of Mary matches the labels on some locally-made honey. Further investigation brings them to a bright pink house where the honey is made. It's more than just a brightly-colored house, though.

The pink house is home to the Boatwright sisters: May (the magnificently endearing Sophie Okonedo), June (Alicia Keys) and August (Queen Latifah). The sisters take in Lily and Rosaleen, though the suspicious June doesn't think it's a good idea. In the peaceful Boatwright home, Lily learns the secrets to making honey — and secrets to her past. Lily also discovers the story behind the Boatwright sisters' attachment to the black Mary, and watches as the women pray to Mary and worship her. Of course, no place is a utopia (even a bright pink house), and trouble seems to follow Lilly wherever she goes. But in the end it's a sweet and soulful little movie with a strong message of hope.

From time to time the movie veers into some Hallmark-y schmaltz, but the issues of the times — discrimination, violence at the dawn of great change — temper any silliness. The setup (three black women with a successful business taking in a little white girl and her caretaker) is also bizarre enough within this time period to somehow negate the possible cheesiness.

Having read the book I had my own vision of this world and the movie is not far off from what I imagined. I was worried that the idea of a religion that worships Mary would come across as silly in the film, as opposed to powerful and comforting. To my relief, it all works fine onscreen. The beauty of this tradition and these women's beliefs is easily conveyed, and it rings as true as any sisterhood (thankfully without any screaming of "ya-ya!"). This truthfulness and comfort stayed with me long after the credits rolled.

Supernatural: Metamorphosis

There were two significant events to Supernatural in this episode. One, Dean found out that Sam has been messing with the dark mojo and Ruby. Two, I think I was more grossed out than I ever have been before watching this show.

While the plot itself was not deep, it was an old-school Supernatural episode. Sam and Ruby are trying to get information from a Demon, with no luck. The Demon gets Sam's goat by taunting him about sending Dean to Hell and being in bed with a Demon. The new and improved Sam gets pissed of and sucks the Demon right out of him. And this time, he even managed to do so without killing the human host. Good job Sammy! Too bad big brother Dean was watching as this all went down. I was surprised at how calm Dean was when he found out. Very unlike him.

Ok, well the hot headed Dean came out strong when he found out that the chick Sam was with was in fact Ruby. He went right after her and was stopped by Sam. In the mean time, Sam gets a call from Travis to watch a guy named Jack Montgomery. So off they go.

The show flashes to Jack and his wife eating. Jack cannot eat enough, but cannot explain his hunger. That night as he brushes his teeth, Jack's bones start shifting in his back. He is scared for a moment, but cannot see anything different about his back. The boys arrive at Jack's house and watch him the next night. They were told to watch for anything unusual.

And what followed would be more described as disgusting. He asked his wife about dinner, she said it would be a little bit. So, he headed for the fridge. He started eating, but would not stop. He got to the point where he was eating raw hamburger. Ok, all together now, eeeewww. As she called to him, he stopped and realized what he was doing.

Sam and Dean leave the house to meet Travis. They find him half drunk as Dean comments that they should have locked up the beer. Travis explains that Jack is a Rugaru, a flesh-eating monster that starts human. Eventually it transforms into a demon that seeks out human flesh. It is when they eat it that they become demons. Travis killed Jack’s father. Jack doesn’t know what he is because he was given up for adoption.

Dean and Travis prepare to kill Jack, but Sam isn’t thrilled. He doesn’t want to kill Jack unless he becomes evil. I think that Sam is relating to Jack a little too much since they both have evil inside them that they cannot control. Over relate much? They agree to wait, and Sam and Dean decide to talk to him about what is happening.

As this all goes on, Jack’s blood lust increases as he sees his wife cut herself. He leaves to avoid doing something he may regret. Instead he goes to a bar and breaks a guy’s hand. When he goes home, his wife is pissed at him for abandoning her when she needed stitches. He apologizes and starts to get frisky with her. When he gets a little too rough, she gets upset.

The next day Sam and Dean arrive for their heart-to-heart, you are turning into a flesh eating demon talk with Jack. Of course, he is freaked out by what they have to say and tells them to stay away. Confused, Jack wanders the streets. When he gets excited seeing a woman getting undressed, he realizes that there is something truly wrong with him. He goes home to be with his wife.

When he arrives, Travis is already there and has tied her up. He plans to kill them both, since she is pregnant. Jack gets loose and eats Travis. Yeah, you heard me; it started off with one bite and then more. Again, eeewww!

Jack lets his wife go, who is totally horrified and disgusted. Sam and Dean show up and find that Travis is nearly gone now. Jack attacks them from behind. He is angry that they sent their “friend” after him and his wife. Sam and Dean are both knocked out. When Sam comes to, he is locked in a closet. He is worried that Jack may eat Dean. He talks to Jack, trying to reason with him. He is able to get out of the closet in just enough time to fry Jack before my beloved Dean is taken away again.

I was happy to see that one end.

Book Review: Dirty Blonde by Lisa Scottoline

Dirty Blonde introduces Cate Fante, a newly appointed judge at the young age of 39. She's intimidated yet excited to belong to such an exclusive "club", a club she will belong to for life.

However, Cate isn't your typical judge. After her first day, she's created a name for herself, and unfortunately it's not anything the rest of the judges are ecstatic about. She doesn't do things by the book, to put it mildly. And her private life isn't any better. Doing what she's doing in the heat of the night isn't appropriate behavior for someone like her, a person that is in a high profile position, serving the public.

Unfortunately, Cate is having a hard time kicking her bad habits, but because of a case that ends on a sour note, her private life has become public and her position as a judge is being threatened. And now that two people have ended up dead, Cate wonders is it because of what she said that day in court, or was there another motive for the murders? Should she have done a better job in keeping her emotions in check?

No longer with a job, Cate tries to get to the truth and find the person that murdered two people. At the same time, her life is now being threatened, most likely by someone tied to the case she had just ruled on.

Dirty Blonde centers on a very unconventional judge doing inappropriate things (on her time off) but her heart is in the right place. After all has been said and done, I wasn't sure if I liked Cate Fante or not. I often found myself siding with the other judges, feeling that her behavior in court and outside of it needed to be curbed, and I also asked myself how could someone like her end up as a federal judge? Once I got past that, however, I was able to enjoy the book, but it was little things like that which made it hard for me to totally believe in the character and in the story.

It was a wild ride, to say the least, and because of it I did not predict who the murderer was, and will recommend this one.

CSI: For Warrick

It's rare when a procedural drama, especially one like CSI, which is the blueprint for forensics-driven cop shows, has the chance for a truly emotional, cathartic episode. That's what happened with this episode and CSI's stellar cast rose to the occasion, especially William Petersen.

Picking up right where it left off in the season finale, unlike most CSI plots, this one wasn't a whodunit or a whydunit or even a howdunit. I knew what had happened in the early morning hours after the night shift finished work and shared breakfast together. Outside the diner, down a dark alley, Warrick was sitting alone in his car and something ominous was bound to happen -- and did.

There was no way Warrick was going to survive those shots through the neck. He was bleeding out when Grissom found him and died in Gil's arms. To say this was wrenching emotionally is an understatement. The sight of Grissom returning to the CSI lab covered in Warrick's blood, all of it evidence in the murder investigation, was vivid and gruesome. The look on the faces of the lab techs and co-workers said it all. When Sara appeared a short time later, it was truly like a family member returning home for a funeral. Every member of the cast reacted to Warrick's death with a look or a moment or a line. When Nick was assigned (with Catherine) to investigate Warrick's car, he said, "I feel sorry for whoever did this." It was clear, this case was personal and Grissom's team was going to find the killer.

Since I knew Undersheriff McKeen was the culprit, there was only one truly forensic challenge in the story -- lifting a partial print from the bullet -- so the plot was more about how to get the guy considering his political clout. There was a chase and ultimately a showdown between Nick and McKean, with Stokes taking a shot at the already prone criminal. Did he actually shoot him or was he already shot from his encounter with Pritchard in the car? I'm not sure.

Now that the fate of Warrick Brown has been resolved, I expect ripple affects. Sara could be the key to Gil's decision to leave CSI, which I know is happening because Petersen has only signed for 10 episodes. Another thread is Nick's actions, as well as the reveal that Warrick has a child and was fighting for custody. I can see Katherine keeping track of that child for Warrick.

Other points of interest:

McKeen should have known that the CSI crew wouldn't fall for the frame job on Pritchard. He's worked with them before and should realize they're very good at their jobs.

The revelation that Warrick had a child and was trying to win custody came out of left field. Perhaps it explains his erratic behavior before his death.

I liked Brass's story about joining the Las Vegas P.D. and his rejection of McKeen's graft.

Best moment of the show was Grissom's eulogy for Warrick. Kudos to Petersen.

My Name Is Earl: Sweet Johnny

Over the past few seasons, I've seen Earl Hickey at his worst. I didn't think it was possible, but in this episode, the writers managed to top themselves in terms of Earl's bad behavior. On its surface, #7 on the list: "Slept with Sweet Johnny's Girlfriend" seems harmless enough. Earl has lied and cheated plenty of times before and has done his best to right those wrongs. But in this case, merely crossing Sweet Johnny off the list seems a bit paltry, considering Earl tried to kill the guy on more than one occasion.

Sweet Johnny (David Arquette) was a local stuntman with a hot girlfriend named Sheila. When Johnny was laid up in bed recovering from his post-stunt injuries, Earl would fool around with Sheila. Earl soon came up with a twisted plan – if he could convince him to do more dangerous stunts, (like "The Human Speedbump" and "The Rocket Unicycle"), Johnny would get more severely injured and Earl would have more time to spend with Sheila. Only after convincing Johnny to try a stunt called, "The Human Wrecking Ball," did Earl put an end to the relationship.

Years later, Earl decided to set things right with Sweet Johnny, but found that it was much more difficult than he had hoped. Due to a non-stunt-related injury, Sweet Johnny suffered brain damage and memory loss. As a result, he would wake each morning not remembering anything from the previous day (think Memento meets Groundhog Day,) and this had been going on for 10 years.

This put a hitch in the plan, because with no memory, Earl had to start fresh each day apologizing for sleeping with Sheila and fending off Johnny's subsequent staple-gun attacks. After a painful week of trial and error, Earl realized he was being selfish. He wanted to cross Johnny off the list for his own benefit, not for Johnny's, because he wouldn't remember it anyway. So instead, he circled #7, knowing that if Johnny could never remember, Earl would never forget.

The humor of the episode lay in the way the plot unfolded like Groundhog Day, with David Arquette perfectly cast as the brain-damaged stuntman. Given that Johnny's memories stopped in the late '90s, this explained his love for Ricky Martin's "La Vida Loca" and his tendency to greet everyone with, "Wazzzzup." Unfortunately, those jokes couldn't hide the fact that, below the surface, this was a really sad episode. Unlike many downer episodes, (which usually border on bittersweet, but ultimately positive,) it's tough to forgive Earl for almost killing someone. His crimes in the past have all been somewhat goofy, but attempted murder is another story. The tone of this episode never felt right, given the severity of his mistake. It's tough to root for a killer in a sitcom.

In "Sweet Johnny," the four main characters didn't have much interaction with each other. Joy and Darnell were busy dealing with Joy's new handgun (which would discharge haphazardly throughout the episode), while Randy was peeling labels off beer bottles in order to prove he wasn't a virgin (as if that were all the proof he needed). Sure, those subplots were funny, but because they didn't relate to the main story, the characters didn't evolve and the emotional core of the episode didn't resonate as loudly.

Similar to the last episode, "Stole an RV," this one had all the pieces that make a good Earl episode, but in terms of jokes and heart, the final result was only average. Plus they may have crossed a line in terms of Earl's evil plan. I know the show can be great, and overall, this season has been an improvement over last season. I just hope this show's best days are in front of it.

Dirty Sexy Money: The Family Lawyer

The Darlings had to bury one of their own in this episode, and they sent the deceased off in style. Sure, the eulogy was written about someone else and some of the mourners were arrested, but that's part of the fun of these events. The rest of the episode was business as usual--power struggles, inappropriate sexual partners, and suitcases filled with cash. No complaints here.

Betrayal -
Everyone was betraying everyone else this week. Simon Elder served up his usual dose of manipulation, this time to drive a wedge between Nick and Karen. I'd love to get a better sense of Simon's agenda. The writers spent a lot of time building him up as Tripp's archenemy last season, and he's mostly lurked in the shadows so far. Brian worked hard to get Tish's defense attorney, Foghorn Leghorn, fired and lost the Vice Chair gig before he was even hired. It's too early to tell if Nick betrayed his own values by accepting the job, but Lisa definitely looked a bit hurt by his decision. Hasn't he been listening to her daily anti-Darling lectures? It's obvious that Tripp got what he wanted by bringing Nick closer to the family, but he might not be aware of Nick's suspicions. It'll be fun to watch these two square off over the next few months.

Nola Lyons -
I like Lucy Liu as much as the next person who didn't watch Cashmere Mafia, but Nola isn't working for me. There is already a sleeping-with-the-enemy subplot going on, so her affair with Jeremy is unnecessary. I'd also expect a character like Nola's to have a more hostile relationship with Nick (he is her newest opponent, after all). Their confrontation at Ellen's funeral was missing something. This woman is supposed to be a serious threat to the Darlings, and all I got from her was a little half-hearted flirting. The prosecutor lost me once and for all when she uttered the following cheesy line: "You're the Darlingest Darling of them all." Was that supposed to be intimidating?

The funeral -
The Darlings can't have a lavish party every week, but the funeral was just as good. It was one of those perfect Dirty Sexy Money moments when everything came together: an insincere eulogy, a fainting spell, and a brawl with the cops (and all accompanied by Kenny G). These types of scenes are always done well, and it saved "The Family Lawyer" from becoming a forgettable second episode. I hope that this season doesn't focus too much on the trial scenes; Darling antics are far more entertaining. Still, a few more over-the-top courtroom moments--like the presentation of Letitia's bail--couldn't hurt.

Other thoughts:

There was a brief mention of Juliet (on some island somewhere) and Kiki (busy at school). I suppose that settles it.

I stopped missing Ellen the moment I learned that she was a Kenny G fan.

Lisa made a smart move by nixing the baby talk with Nick, and she got a nice Godfather moment in return.