Category: MDP On TV

I started watching White Collar when I ran out of other DVD’s on my list and it was a pleasant surprise. I’d caught bits of episodes on TV but couldn’t really get a handle on it. Not enough to make me rush out and buy it at least.

When I finally did pick it up, I found season one entertaining, particularly the character of Mozzie (Willie Garson is brilliant, and this character has much more depth than his role in Sex in the City) – his devotion to Neal and his paranoia about ‘big brother’ and the ‘suits’ from the FBI. It was also very refreshing to have the banter between characters circle around culture and the arts for a change.

Season two seemed to settle in and get much stronger. Some episodes were quite gripping and Neal’s duplicity is so well handled that he remains lovable despite it. I would like to have seen a little more character development between Burke and his wife (Tiffani Thiessen) but the Mozzie – Peter – Neal triangle takes centre stage.

I’ll be really interested to see where the ‘through story’ goes in season 3. I’d describe this show as quite delicate. And rather delicious for it. Oh, and Matt Boma is way past gorgeous.

I slowly watched my way through season one of Luther (over a period of months). On reflection, I found it rather intense and disturbing at first, which is not surprising for something written by Neil Cross. That coupled with the fact that Indira Varma’s character (Luther’s wife) was a bit irritating, meant that I’d had the DVD almost a year before I finished the first season. But something happened when I hit S1 finale though, and I watched S2 in a week.

Ruth Wilson’s character (crazy Alice) was wonderful all the way through, and the inclusion in S2 of a new story line and fresh actors (mainly Aimee-Ffion Edwards as Jenny) totally hooked me. The dynamic between her and Luther seemed to be portrayed far more realistically than his obsessive passion for his ex-wife (although I concede that the build up from S1 made S2 work so well.)

Having only seen Idris Elba in The Wire, I was impressed with how he handled this persona. He had the same intense broodiness as Stringer Bell but an added dose of crazy and some personal convictions that lead him to make dubious decisions. He’s a beautifully flawed and fascinating character.

I truly hope they get around to making S3, as I think Luther really has the legs to go further.

Lost Girl was kindly given to me by the SwanCon committee for being a guest. It took me a while to start watching it and I found the first one or two episodes a bit clunky. I really kept watching because Kristen Holden-Ried was convincing in his role.

By halfway through the first disc though, I found I was enjoying it, and there is no doubt there are some similarities between Bo and my fictional character Parrish Plessis – namely her sexual appetite.

Ksenia Solo as Kensi has some great dialogue and her gothicy street kid character is lively, though at times a little over acted. Still some classics lines like “In my defence, the truth is for pussies..”

I’m not sure if I’ll pursue season 2 as the focus shifts towards Bo’s relationship with the human doctor, Lauren, and for some reason this character doesn’t work for me. Not sure if I would find it so entertaining without the Bo and Dyson tension.

Overall, its fun and the fae/dark fae stories are amusing but Holden-Reid definitely makes the series for me so far (oh, and Bo’s crazy mother, Saskia.)