Television Reviews

Nine Puzzles – Episodes 1 & 2

  • Title: Nine Puzzles – Episodes 1 & 2
  • IMDb: link

The South Korean mystery thriller introduces us to Yoon E-na (Kim Da-mi), a high school student who walks into her home just minutes after her uncle has been killed. Traumatized by events, and unable to recall anything helpful about that night, young detective Kim Han-saem (Son Suk-ku) assumes she is responsible for the crime. One decade later, with E-Na now working as a profiler for the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency a new murder occurs which will further tie the two together, first because E-Na discovers the body and second because it occurs shortly after she was delivered an unusual puzzle piece delivered to the house just like the one left at the scene of her uncle’s murder.

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Bob’s Burgers – Don’t Worry, Be Hoopy

  • Title: Bob’s Burgers – Don’t Worry, Be Hoopy
  • wiki: link

After a surprising showing in the school’s free-throw contest, Tina (Dan Mintz) begins to feel the pressure of performing in the County Finals in front of a crowd. While exploring Tina’s anxiety, “Don’t Worry, Be Hoopy” also explores the anxiety of both Bob (H. Jon Benjamin) and Linda (John Roberts) who both give their daughter some questionable advice blaming themselves when Tina is late to show up for the contest (unaware she was so freaked out already she barely paid either of them any mind). While I think the episode may have missed an opportunity to work Louise (Kristen Schaal) and Gene (Eugene Mirman) into a vignette (possibly related to betting on Tina’s performance), the episode offers a nice moral for Tina in overcoming her fears and also reminding us that parents do their best but ultimately its the kid who has to eventually stand up on their own.

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Fantastic Four – The Silver Surfer and the Coming of Galactus

  • Title: Fantastic Four: The Animated Series – The Silver Surfer and the Coming of Galactus (Part 1 and 2)
  • IMDb: link | link

Airing in October of 1994, the two-part episode “The Silver Surfer and the Coming of Galactus” stays close to the original story from Fantastic Four #48-50 in which the Watcher (Allan Oppenheimer) warns the Fantastic Four of a coming danger but is unable to stop the Silver Surfer (Robin Sachs) from finding Earth and summoning his master. As in the comic, after an initial skirmish with the Fantastic Four, the Surfer discovers a bit about humanity through his interactions with Alicia Masters (Pauline Lomas) while the Watcher guides Johnny Storm () to the only known weapon in the universe that could turn away Galactus (Tony Jay) and force him to spare Earth.

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Phineas and Ferb – Tropey McTropeFace

  • Title: Phineas and Ferb – Tropey McTropeFace
  • wiki: link

Tropey McTropeFace may be one of the weakest inventions ever  created by Phineas (Vincent Martella) and Ferb (David Errigo Jr.), although it does take on a life of its own which becomes the running gag for the episode. The giant golden zoetrope rolls away from the kids to discover a new life and, whether through fate or accident, be in the right place at the right time to avert disasters over and over again. With at least some minimal sentience, it also struggles to find its way back to the Ferris Wheel it falls for while breaking up the plans of Doofenshmirtz (Dan Povenmire) to turn things (momentarily) sideways. Yeah, not his best plan. It’s a fun, if lightweight, adventure.

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Ballard – Haystacks

  • Title: Ballard – Haystacks
  • IMDb: link

While continuing to piss-off others within the department, Ballard (Maggie Q) makes headway on the case of the dead cleaning woman (stepping on the toes of the detective not paying attention to the case) which she closes by tracking down the homeless man who shot her earning a small victory and uncovering evidence of a police cover-up. In terms of the other linked cases, the leading suspect in the death of the councilman’s (Noah Bean) sister is ruled out for his airtight alibi for the second murder. However, Ballard poking around that case does lead her to receive a visit from Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver) who offers a few words of advice and teases more potential help further down the line. It’s an incrimental step to solving the larger mysteries at play, but a solid step nonetheless.

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