The relationship between Jessica (Krysten Ritter) and Kilgrave (David Tennant) is at the heart of Jessica Jones’ first season. Her fear of, and desire to get revenge on, Kilgrave make for compelling character motivations, propelling Jessica through her various crises without ever suggesting that he is the only noteworthy aspect of her life.
Is there more to say about gritty, troubled superheroes? Yes, according to Jessica Jones, the latest Netflix entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
After frantically sprinting from the press to the general admission line and waiting in the queue hall for hours with the help of my Jewel (Jessica Jones’ old superhero identity) cosplaying friend Julia, I had the privilege of attending the Marvel Netflix panel about Daredevil Season 2 and Jessica Jones Season 1, which is set to premiere on November 20. The panel looked back at the first season of Daredevil while showing the first footage of the upcoming second season, and the lucky fans in the audience also had the chance to watch the first episode of Jessica Jones after a discussion with the cast and showrunner Melissa Rosenberg (Dexter).
Were Bill Cosby’s name not synonymous with mud right now, What We Did on Our Holiday could be easily titled Kids Say the Darndest Things. Big names like Rosamund Pike and David Tennant headline the film, but it’s the kids who steal the show.
While Gracepoint hasn’t packed the same emotional wallop of Broadchurch, its source material, it has maintained a consistent level of intrigue, melancholy, and family drama, all aided by strong performances from a number of its central actors. For the majority of its ten episode run, the show has been exciting but it has struggled towards the end of the season.
With just one episode left, Gracepoint has been a powerful examination of grief and paranoia in a small town. While not as consistently effective as its source material, Broadchurch, this adaptation has been clever and aided by exceptional performances from David Tennant, Michael Pena, and Virginia Kull.
While the jumping off point for Gracepoint has been the central mystery of who killed Danny Solano, much like its British predecessor Broadchurch has developed into a compelling, devastating look at the effects of loss on a family and an entire town. While most viewers would argue that Broadchurch did it better, the sharp plot turn in “Episode Seven” highlighted the fact that Gracepoint has developed a great mystery and compelling characters on its own.
The episode begins with the townspeople and police quietly reassessing their hasty judgment of Jack but terrifyingly a good number of the townspeople don’t seem to upset Jack is dead. Rather than looking at themselves, Paul (Kevin Rankin) and the rest of the town turn their attention to Carver. With a newspaper headline proclaiming he is the worst cop in California it is easier for them to blame Carver for Jack’s death than themselves.
As much as Gracepoint is about the mystery of who killed Danny Solano, it is also about the deadly paranoia that can infect a small town. “Episode Five” found Carver (David Tennant) and Ellie (Anna Gunn) stumbling upon more secrets and realizing that Jack (Nick Nolte) may very well be their most viable suspect.
The secrets of Gracepoint are slowly beginning to unravel as the search for Danny’s killer continues. While that mystery is fascinating, what the show has really succeeded at is showing its audience the darkness that often hides in a small town.
While the central mystery of Gracepoint remains who killed Danny Solano, the show has evolved into much more. The town that looked perfect is full of countless devastating secrets and its characters are increasingly, deeply complex. Who Detective Carver (David Tennant) is and why he behaves the way he does has become just as fascinating as the search for Danny’s killer, and how the writers have woven these together has become the most exciting aspect of the show.
In just two episodes, Gracepoint has managed to introduce a show that is both a compelling character drama and a fascinating murder mystery. Leads David Tennant and Anna Gunn have slipped easily into their parts and Tennant in particular has been a standout.
“Episode Two” delves deeper into the emotional pain and uncertainty plaguing Gracepoint in the aftermath of Danny’s murder. It also raises interesting questions about a good number of the characters.
“Episode 2” is a more tightly wound episode then the first part and it’s a big improvement over the first part. The episodes early courtroom scenes are fascinating and well put together. So are the quiet periods.
Legal crime dramas with ace lawyers as their lead are pretty easy to come by nowadays. Most though don’t have David Tennant as that ace lawyer. The Escape Artist, airing for three weeks on Masterpiece Mystery, is a somewhat predictable thriller aided by great performances.
Since its premiere, The Good Wife has done what is nearly impossible for most shows- it is stunningly smart, perfectly paced, and beautifully written, and it has only gotten better in its game-changing fifth season. Guest stars are nothing new to the show, which has the most creative and entertaining guest casting on television, and it uses these performers incredibly well, folding them into stories the audience is already invested in alongside characters we care about.
Doctor Who may be an international phenomenon, but when it comes to specials, particularly multi-Doctor specials, it doesn’t have the best track record. The Three Doctors (1972-73) , which kicked off the 10th season of the show, is fun, but lacks any significant emotional punch. The Five Doctors (1983), the 20th anniversary special, is a bit of a lark but it not only fails to live up to its title (the Fourth Doctor only barely appears, in one looped clip), it wastes most of its special guest stars. Then there’s The Two Doctors (1985), which doesn’t carry the extra burden of being an anniversary special but still fails to leave much of an impression, despite being an entertaining outing. Throw in the modern series’ spotty history with Christmas and Gap Year specials and current showrunner Steven Moffat’s season seven struggles with pacing, payoffs, and character and “The Day of the Doctor” looked to have a lot riding against it, despite the much-touted return of Tenth Doctor David Tennant and Billie Piper, who played fan-favorite Companion Rose Tyler. Fortunately with “The Day of the Doctor”, all of these fears are proven to be unfounded, as Moffat and director Nick Hurran deliver an exciting, emotional special.
The Tenth Doctor is one of the more human Doctors. He’s warm, funny, and rather emotional. He can be incredibly short-sighted and dense when it comes to his Companions’ feelings, but he for the most part is highly emotionally intuitive. Still recovering from the Time War, a wrathful anger lurks beneath his friendly façade, but it very rarely comes out. This Doctor is very energetic, finding it difficult to sit still under normal circumstances, and he talks a mile a minute, a distinct contrast from the Ninth Doctor.
When Ninth Doctor Christopher Eccelston left Doctor Who after only one season, he left behind a set of episodes that were a great reintroduction to the classic series but more than anything, they were a springboard for whoever was going to take over the iconic role next. David Tennant’s Tenth remains one of the most memorable and beloved Doctors in the show’s long history. Bolstered by a robust and often deeply moving performance by Tennant, this five year run produced some of the finest Doctor Who stories in the show’s 50 year run. Here are Ten’s ten best stories:
Very recently, Peter Jackson just released his casting for ‘The Hobbit,’ the film that has wavered in and out of production Hell. Currently, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Rob Kazinsky, Aidan Turner, Graham McTavish, John Callen, Stephen Hunter, Mark Hadlow and Peter Hambleton will all be galavanting through Middle Earth on one of the greatest adventures …