by Jane | Jun 30, 2016 | Write Here Write Now
Person of Interest is a tv show that ran on CBS for five seasons. Until recently, I had not thought of it as science fiction, but more action/adventure. However, it certainly is, based on the existence of The Machine. The Machine, developed by Harold Finch, watches everyone every minute of every day, looking for signs of potential violence. Every week, in the early seasons, it would identify one person (referred to as a “number”), who was either planning violence toward another person or was in danger of being killed himself or herself. Finch would then send out his operative John Reese to prevent the violence from happening. He also elicited the help of Police Detective Lionel Fusco, a reluctant participant. Coincidentally, they were pursued by Fusco’s boss Jocelyn Carter (played by Taraji Henson, now on Empire), though later circumstances changed so that she joined them.
Along the way, Finch and Reese attract the attention of others, such as the government agency who commissioned the machine and now want to destroy it, and later, another group who is building their own machine. But there is a difference. This new machine, known as Samaritan, is given powers that Finch’s machine does not have — namely, its own volition. This results in the taking of lives it doesn’t see as relevant — for the greater good as it sees it. So, in the later seasons, Finch and Reese, joined by two other operatives, are not only working with the numbers provided by The Machine to save one person, but are battling against Samaritan to save humanity.
I enjoyed this series from the beginning, and although I got a little bogged down in the middle, when the series started adding a lot of new elements, it maintained my attention enough to keep watching and I stuck with it. And the mad dash to the end when they were trying to stop Samaritan was nothing short of amazing.
If you have not seen this series, it’s available for streaming on Netflix and Amazon. Take a look. You might be surprised how good it is.
by Jane | Jun 17, 2016 | Write Here Write Now
The Infinite Sea is the second book of The 5th Wave series by Rick Yancy. The book starts with the group of kids hiding in a hotel after escaping from Camp Haven. Everyone is there except for Evan Walker. Most of the characters think he is dead, but Cassie holds out hope that he is still alive.
Though the first book was told primarily in the voices of Cassie and Ben (also known as Zombie), in The Infinite Sea, we get to know more about Ringer through her telling of the tale as well. As the group holds up and starts to venture out on patrol, we also learn more about Evan and his background. But Ringer is the real focus of this book. Through her, we find out more about the Others, what they think of humanity, and how exactly their plans were laid out.
Full of intrigue and action, The Infinite Sea does justice to its predecessor The 5th Wave. Though again, there is an adequate and fulfilling finish to this book, it sets us up for the final installment The Last Star, where we will finally discover what the aliens had in mind with their particular type of assault. And if course, to find out what happens to the remainder of humanity.
by Jane | Jun 10, 2016 | Write Here Write Now
Amazon’s The Man in the High Castle is an alternate history story in which the Axis Powers won World War II and have divided up the United States. The western states are now known as the Japanese Pacific States, the east is the Greater Nazi Reich, and the Rocky Mountain States are a Neutral Zone between them.
The main characters are Joe Blake, a double agent for the Nazis, who lives in New York City, Juliana Crain of San Francisco, who gets drawn into the Resistance after her sister Trudy is killed, and Juliana’s boyfriend Frank Frink.
Shortly before her death, Trudy gives Juliana a film of (what to them is) alternate history, i.e., newsreels of the Allies winning the war. After she sees her sister gunned down in the street, Juliana takes off for the Neutral Zone to meet her sister’s contact and (ultimately) get the film to “the man in the high castle.” That is where she meets Ben on a mission of his own. Meanwhile, back in San Francisco, suspecting Juliana and her sister of subversive activity, the Japanese Secret Police Kempeitank arrest and torture Frank. They even pick up Frank’s sister and her children and threaten to kill them because they are part Jewish.
This is an interesting concept. I’ve read alternative histories like this before and enjoyed them. Unfortunately, I have mixed feelings about this show, largely due to the main characters’ motives and actions. Juliana’s whole reason for getting involved seems to be finding out more about the film. She’s putting her life and that of her family in danger, not for freedom, not for philosophy, but for what? Curiosity? Up to this point, she seems to have accepted the Japanese culture — taking martial arts classes, buying Japanese tea — and she’s putting all this on the line. In addition, many of the choices she makes are, to put it simply, unwise. Said another way, she has no idea what’s she’s doing and goes off half-cocked with no thought whatsoever.
The men also have some problems. Like Juliana, Ben has mixed motives. He wants to be a good Nazi but helps Juliana in the Neutral Zone, even saving her life. He then has to report back to his superior Obergruppenfuhrer John Smith (an American who has embraced the Nazi way and risen through the ranks) and explain his actions. Frank’s motives are clearer — he hates the Japanese for what they did to him and his family and although he may sometimes be seen as rash, he is more careful in his planning and his actions than the other two. The only problem there is his relationship with Juliana — they seem to have trouble being honest with each other.
Despite all these issues, The Man in the High Castle does have an intricate plot and is worth watching. There are some excellent actors playing the Nazi and Japanese officials, including the American John Smith, who is very scary, and Japanese Chief Inspector Kido, who administers Frank’s torture. There are also a Japanese and a Nazi official who meet in secret to discuss what happens to their countries once an aging Hitler dies.
Overall, The Man in the High Castle is an intriguing, suspenseful show, and I will keep watching it to see what happens. I just hope the main characters decide what they want, stop lying to each other, and use a little common sense to get what they want.
by Jane | Jun 1, 2016 | Write Here Write Now
Gotham is a tv show based on the Batman comic book, but with a difference. It opens with the murder of Bruce Wayne’s parents. So there is not yet a Batman, nor are there any supervillains. Oh, they are there — just not as we know them. Catwoman (Selina Kyle) is a young street girl, Riddler (Ed Nygma) is a forensic scientist, and Penguin (Oswald Cobblepot) is a low-level aide to a mob boss. But the focus is not on any of these, rather on Detective Jim Gordon, an idealistic member of the corrupt Gotham Police Department (needless to say, long before he becomes commissioner.)
In his investigation of the Waynes’ murder, Gordon becomes acquainted with teenaged Bruce Wayne and promises to solve the murder. But Bruce is not content to wait for the police. He starts his own investigation, not only of his parents’ murder, but also of strange dealings at Wayne Enterprises. Along the way, he meets and becomes friends with Selina Kyle, who helps him through her knowledge of Gotham’s underworld.
Meanwhile, Cobblepot rises through the ranks, Nygma shows his true colors, and other villains arise to thwart both Gordon and Bruce in their efforts. Gordon must also stand against his superiors and colleagues as he tries to clean up Gotham, while dealing with a complicated personal life.
Due to all these forces, Gordon, and to a lesser extent, Bruce, are always getting into trouble. In fact, it has become somewhat tedious the extent to which Gordon is constantly being discredited then redeemed, becoming a “What is Going to Happen to Jim Gordon This Week” scenario.
Still, having said all that, the second season has really taken off with the addition of Dr. Hugo Strange, played magnificently by B. D. Wong. Best known for his role as Dr. Huang on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Wong has experience playing a psychiatrist. But Strange is much different from Huang. Rather than trying to help people, Strange is involved in research to resurrect the dead and give them super powers. The season finale is like something out of The Walking Dead, but instead of mindless zombies, the citizens of Gotham have to deal with supervillains.
Wong has really injected some new life into this series. If you haven’t seen it, watch it. If you’ve given up on it, watch it again. I can’t wait for Season 3.
by Jane | May 24, 2016 | Write Here Write Now
Imagine an alien invasion where you couldn’t tell the aliens from the humans. It’s been done, you say? Many times, you say? Yes, it has, but not in quite this way. Told from the viewpoints of the two main characters, 16-year-old Cassie and 17-year-old Zombie, The 5th Wave relates a story of how these two teens are managing to deal with the aftermath of Waves 1-4 (nicknamed “Lights Out”, “Surf’s Up”, “Pestilence”, and “Silencer” by the author).
There are only a few hundred thousand humans left on Earth when the book opens, but Yancy takes us back to the beginning of the invasion, explaining each wave and letting us know how Cassie came to be alone — just her, her brother’s teddy bear, and her M-16. Later we meet Zombie, with his own tale to tell, and Sammy, Cassie’s 5-year-old brother who she has vowed to find. Zombie finds himself in a situation where he can help save humanity. But in the alien apocalypse world of The 5th Wave, is anything as it seems?
Although the first book of a trilogy, there is a good, satisfying ending, so don’t be afraid to read it and it alone. However, there is definitely more to come if you enjoy this book as much as I did and want to continue the adventure. Rick Yancy is a good writer and makes us really like the characters. Though the fear and excitement doesn’t reach the levels found in The Hunger Games or the Divergent trilogies, there is certainly enough to entertain. In addition, The 5th Wave grabs us with the optimism of the characters and their strength in adapting to their apocalyptic world. Certainly in the same class as the other two series, it is well worth a read.
by Jane | May 10, 2016 | Write Here Write Now
Limitless is a tv series about a man who discovers a drug known as NZT, which enhances a person’s mental abilities, purportedly allowing the user to utilize every part of his or her brain, leading to complete memory and superb reasoning abilities. This man, Brian Finch, is a 20-something, who hasn’t quite gotten his act together, who first takes this drug to help his father, recently diagnosed with an incurable disease.
Brian’s use of NZT results in a series of misadventures. He finds his friend and supplier dead, is accused of murder by the FBI, is shot, and is mysteriously taken to an unknown location where he makes the acquaintance of Senator Edward Morra. His meeting with Senator Morra is significant because the senator offers him a shot which lets him avoid the side effects of the drug, side effects which can lead to disability and death. However, the senator insists that Brian tell none of this to anyone.
Later, when the FBI discovers Brian has an immunity to NZT, they decide to employ him as an operative to can help them solve cases in a fraction of the time it would take regular agents. When Morra finds out, he demands that Brian become a double agent for him, keeping him informed of the FBI’s investigation of NZT. In addition to denying him access to the shot if he refuses, Morra has threatened to kill his family if Brian fails to cooperate or tells anyone about the immunity shot. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that Brian comes to like his handler Rebecca Harris and considers her his friend, a friend to whom he must lie.
I’ve enjoyed the first season of this series, mainly due to Jake McDorman, who plays Brian, a quirky, childlike character. Other cast members include Jennifer Carpenter as Rebecca Harris, Hill Harper as Rebecca’s partner Spelman Boyle, and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as SAC Nasreen Pouran. Also of note are occasional appearances by Bradley Cooper as Morra and Ron Rifkin and Blair Brown as Brian’s parents.
I will admit to feeling ambivalent about some of the plots, especially those in the middle of the season. The main draw for me was the character of Brian, who though sometimes childish and often prone to rash decisions, was very likeable. The series is also a lot of fun because of the visual effects used to convey Brian’s mental processes, including many scenes of him discussing problems with himself. So, I watched it mainly for that character, but found that as the season wore on, the plots also became more complex and intense.
I would recommend Limitless to anyone looking for a sometimes serious, but often not, story of an improbable drug leading to unlikely results. You’ll enjoy it.
