When a gun law activist and political hopeful is murdered by gunfire, suspects on both side of the initiative appear.
Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Weekend TV: Life 2.20
When a gun law activist and political hopeful is murdered by gunfire, suspects on both side of the initiative appear.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Weekend TV: Life 2.19
An exsanguinated ME leads to the murder of a chef, but the answer might lie much closer to home. Meanwhile, Reese makes a decision about the FBI.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Weekend TV: Life 2.18
Crews gets a new partner in the form of the lovely Gabrielle Union, and they investigate the death of a woman who spent years writing to a convict in prison. But she may have not been the only one.
In this episode, Charlie's past as a convict is a tool he uses to understand the mentality of some of the suspects, as they are ex-cons. But his past seems to no longer affect him as deeply as it did in the opening episodes. It is a part of his past, but not a part of his present.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Weekend TV: Life 2.17
Crews and Bobby investigate the murder of a decorated soldier on the LA beachfront. There isn't much in the way of noir in this episode, as the over-arching mythology in this episode is focused on the conspiracy.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Weekend TV: Life 2.16
When Reese starts what may or may not be a special assignment with the FBI, Crews teams with Bobby for a murder that may or may not be a crime of passion.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Weekend TV: Life 2.15
Crews and Reese investigate a shady roofer's murder.
There's nothing really transgressive about Charlie's actions this episode, unless you count commandeering Mickey Rayborn's car temporarily. But Rayborn does disappear later and Crews appears to be the scapegoat, setting up another situation where he has been accused for something he hasn't done...
There's nothing really transgressive about Charlie's actions this episode, unless you count commandeering Mickey Rayborn's car temporarily. But Rayborn does disappear later and Crews appears to be the scapegoat, setting up another situation where he has been accused for something he hasn't done...
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Weekend TV: Life 2.14
When the lead singer of an 80s cover band is found dead, Crews and Reese must dig through a pool of posers to find the killer.
I haven't quite come to terms with what the zen subtext means to the noir character in this series, but there's a nice scene here with Charlie thinking about his own personal mystery while listening to a zen tape about taking life. There's a certain awareness here about the nature of transgression and the responsibility that comes with it. Certainly a note about self-determination within the noir landscape.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Weekend TV: Life 2.13
Recovering from his shooting, Crews (and Reese) investigate the death of an astronaut that was somehow shot but still manages to land his plane. Meanwhile, Tidwell is interested in who shot Charlie and doesn't believe that Charlie doesn't remember...
This episode introduces an actual legal transgression for Charlie, which grows out of his investigation, which was a result of his being framed for three murders he didn't commit. This suggests a repeating cycle, where transgression begets retribution, which begets transgression. If noir is the exploration of the psychology of criminals, if it is a detailing of what pushes specific people to commit crimes, this is a very important scene. It at once becomes the event to which everything has been leading as well as the fulfillment of the role everyone has been expecting him to play based on the fact that he used to be in prison.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Weekend TV: Life 2.12
Crews and Reese investigate the murders of three Russian mobsters, which brings them back in contact with Roman Nevikov (the awesome Garrett Dillahunt).
Anytime I hear the words "dark" or "darkness," my ears prick up. In this case, Ted is being interviewed about Charlie and Rachel. It doesn't necessarily illuminate the noir in Charlie's character, but it does deepen the understanding of his loyalty to Rachel (or hers to him for that matter) and gives Charlie a possible means of climbing out of the darkness.
Another thing that caught my ear was a brief exchange that is similar to something I've heard before, but it does show the demonstrate the kind of person that might be more susceptible to falling into the abyss of noir. In this scene, Reese has fallen off the wagon and is getting her marching orders from her Captain/boyfriend Kevin Tidwell (the also awesome Donal Logue).
Anytime I hear the words "dark" or "darkness," my ears prick up. In this case, Ted is being interviewed about Charlie and Rachel. It doesn't necessarily illuminate the noir in Charlie's character, but it does deepen the understanding of his loyalty to Rachel (or hers to him for that matter) and gives Charlie a possible means of climbing out of the darkness.
Another thing that caught my ear was a brief exchange that is similar to something I've heard before, but it does show the demonstrate the kind of person that might be more susceptible to falling into the abyss of noir. In this scene, Reese has fallen off the wagon and is getting her marching orders from her Captain/boyfriend Kevin Tidwell (the also awesome Donal Logue).
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Weekend TV: Life 2.11
Crews and Reese investigate a tribute murder to a Manson-esque murderer. It was fun to go back and see guest star Michael Raymond-James and regular Donal Logue a year before they were cast together in TERRIERS.
Meanwhile, Charlie is still investigating Mickey Rayborn (William Atherton) and has this interesting exchange with him:
Mickey implies that "the dark" still haunts Charlie and that he'll never be clear of it, despite all "the words" Charlie might speak to the contrary.
Meanwhile, Charlie is still investigating Mickey Rayborn (William Atherton) and has this interesting exchange with him:
Mickey implies that "the dark" still haunts Charlie and that he'll never be clear of it, despite all "the words" Charlie might speak to the contrary.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Weekend TV: Life 2.10
Crews and Reese act as neutral parties while investigating the murder of a Sheriff's deputy on an Indian reservation.
Probably the funniest episode of the run, several pieces of information get revealed in awkward ways, and we get a lot of really nice moments from the actors.
Probably the funniest episode of the run, several pieces of information get revealed in awkward ways, and we get a lot of really nice moments from the actors.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Weekend TV: Life 2.9
Crews and Reese investigate the shootings of a drug dealer and an elementary teacher, who also happens to be a cop groupie.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Weekend TV: Life 2.8
Crews and Reese investigate a murder in a mall on the busiest shopping day of the year. Then the body disappears.
Nothing noir in this episode, unless you want to count the advice Charlie gives a suspect near the end, about lying to the police. And even that was presented as a greater good, so between that and the fact that it provided spoilers, I decided not to include it.
Nothing noir in this episode, unless you want to count the advice Charlie gives a suspect near the end, about lying to the police. And even that was presented as a greater good, so between that and the fact that it provided spoilers, I decided not to include it.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Weekend TV: Life 2.7
When a lottery winner ends up dead, all the suspects seem to come from a Lottery Winners Anonymous support group.
Just one little note in this episode, again about perception and how it paints reality:
Just one little note in this episode, again about perception and how it paints reality:
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Weekend TV: Life 2.6
After an earthquake, an old friend from Charlie's past breaks out of jail and puts into play a complex plan of revenge, robbery and escape.
There are a couple of nice scenes in this episode, starting with this one where Crews has to bust Marc Rawls because of what he might do, and a realization comes to both of them. "I guess you really are a cop, aren't you?" Rawls asks. "I guess so." Charlie replies.
Of course, the cops aren't really who they appear to be, at least temporarily. Then there's this scene where Tidwell is the mouth for another generalization about convicts, compounding society's perception. And as we've discussed before, sometimes external perception can become internal reality.
At this point, Charlie seems to have overcome those perceptions, but Life isn't done with him yet.
There are a couple of nice scenes in this episode, starting with this one where Crews has to bust Marc Rawls because of what he might do, and a realization comes to both of them. "I guess you really are a cop, aren't you?" Rawls asks. "I guess so." Charlie replies.
Of course, the cops aren't really who they appear to be, at least temporarily. Then there's this scene where Tidwell is the mouth for another generalization about convicts, compounding society's perception. And as we've discussed before, sometimes external perception can become internal reality.
At this point, Charlie seems to have overcome those perceptions, but Life isn't done with him yet.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Weekend TV: Life 2.5
Crews and Reese discover a body in the trunk of a car that has been crushed. The investigation leads to online relationships that hide secret identities. Meanwhile, Rachel begins to talk again...
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Weekend TV: Life 2.4
Crews and Reese investigate a murder that took place in a recreation of the 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment. Meanwhile, Captains past and present meet when Davis's new partner discharges his weapon and is brought to Tidwell for questioning.
This is one of the most important episodes in the series, as it explicitly underlines Charlie's situation, and his noir standing. There is a certain subset of noir that explores heroes who are forced to act like criminals, and the darkness they find within themselves as a result. DEAD RECKONING and DESPERATE, both 1947, are probably the best examples, but there are others. Some of the "bad cop" noirs of the 50s might be included. LIFE takes this concept and merges it with the ideas behind the Stanford Prison Experiment and a conspiracy storyline to create its meta-narrative
There are several scenes I want to point out in this episode. It starts out with this conversation between Charlie and Ted explicitly stating that despite his standing as a policeman, there are things Charlie does that are not legal:
This next clip not only demonstrates the mind-set of someone fully invested in the experiment, which mirrors Charlie's real-life experience, but it also shows the violence Charlie is still capable of:
This next line reflects what Kyle Hollis said in the first episode of the season:
So, if the perception is that all people who are in jail must have done something, whether or not it was the thing they were convicted for, how does one adapt to this new perception? They become the other:
And when one has successfully become the other, is there any road back? If you are offered a life-line, will you take it? This scene that immediately precedes the last suggests that the transition to becoming yourself is not so easy.
There is a lot of very noir-ish doubling in this episode, as students become guards and prisoners, and as the guards themselves become prisoners of the system:
Charlie, of course, is the ultimate double, as a cop who becomes a con who becomes a cop. And in this analogy, the professor becomes the warden, whether he likes it or not. This scene shows Charlie confronting him with the idea, as well as giving insight not only into what Charlie's worst fear is, but reflecting, through the entire episode, what his worst fear was, as a cop going into prison, and how he managed to survive for 14 years, not to mention another look at the violence that lives within him.
This last scene provides us with not only a glimpse into the lengths Charlie had to go to survive in prison (or was it just intimidation tactics he and Ted learned there) as well as giving us a final doubling, as the warden becomes the prisoner in his own jail.
And here's the philosophical coda:
In the end, the student became a killer because he "accepted that he was a convict," according to Reese, and killing was within his definition of a convict, in order to survive. Here, we see Charlie passing on advice, another clue to how he survived and, through his own doubling, a ray of hope that he may ultimately be able to find his way back to who he was.
This is one of the most important episodes in the series, as it explicitly underlines Charlie's situation, and his noir standing. There is a certain subset of noir that explores heroes who are forced to act like criminals, and the darkness they find within themselves as a result. DEAD RECKONING and DESPERATE, both 1947, are probably the best examples, but there are others. Some of the "bad cop" noirs of the 50s might be included. LIFE takes this concept and merges it with the ideas behind the Stanford Prison Experiment and a conspiracy storyline to create its meta-narrative
There are several scenes I want to point out in this episode. It starts out with this conversation between Charlie and Ted explicitly stating that despite his standing as a policeman, there are things Charlie does that are not legal:
This next clip not only demonstrates the mind-set of someone fully invested in the experiment, which mirrors Charlie's real-life experience, but it also shows the violence Charlie is still capable of:
This next line reflects what Kyle Hollis said in the first episode of the season:
So, if the perception is that all people who are in jail must have done something, whether or not it was the thing they were convicted for, how does one adapt to this new perception? They become the other:
And when one has successfully become the other, is there any road back? If you are offered a life-line, will you take it? This scene that immediately precedes the last suggests that the transition to becoming yourself is not so easy.
There is a lot of very noir-ish doubling in this episode, as students become guards and prisoners, and as the guards themselves become prisoners of the system:
Charlie, of course, is the ultimate double, as a cop who becomes a con who becomes a cop. And in this analogy, the professor becomes the warden, whether he likes it or not. This scene shows Charlie confronting him with the idea, as well as giving insight not only into what Charlie's worst fear is, but reflecting, through the entire episode, what his worst fear was, as a cop going into prison, and how he managed to survive for 14 years, not to mention another look at the violence that lives within him.
This last scene provides us with not only a glimpse into the lengths Charlie had to go to survive in prison (or was it just intimidation tactics he and Ted learned there) as well as giving us a final doubling, as the warden becomes the prisoner in his own jail.
And here's the philosophical coda:
In the end, the student became a killer because he "accepted that he was a convict," according to Reese, and killing was within his definition of a convict, in order to survive. Here, we see Charlie passing on advice, another clue to how he survived and, through his own doubling, a ray of hope that he may ultimately be able to find his way back to who he was.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Weekend TV: Life 2.3
Crews and Reese investigate a "stiff" frozen solid in a medical lab. Meanwhile, Crews continues his surveillance and Dani finally confronts her father.
We spend a lot of time with Charlie, and think we know him pretty well. But we never really get inside him enough to know what his true intentions are, including his idea of justice after having spent 12 years in prison. In this scene, the silence speaks more than the words:
We spend a lot of time with Charlie, and think we know him pretty well. But we never really get inside him enough to know what his true intentions are, including his idea of justice after having spent 12 years in prison. In this scene, the silence speaks more than the words:
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Weekend TV: Life 2.2
Crews and Reese track a murder from the gangs of LA to its highest echelons.
The show-runners may have moved away a bit from Charlie's noir leanings in the second season, but they still allow him to be comfortable in situations other policemen wouldn't:
The show-runners may have moved away a bit from Charlie's noir leanings in the second season, but they still allow him to be comfortable in situations other policemen wouldn't:
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Weekend TV: Life 2.1
The second season premiere introduces Donal Logue as the detectives' new captain, as Crews and Reese chase down a serial killer that puts their victims in trunks.
Even when Charlie isn't doing something to cross over legal and ethical lines, there is always the smell of criminality about him, from being in prison, as seen in this clip:
And it's not just that criminals that think so, either. It's the police, his comrades in arms. And since perception often forms reality, how is Charlie supposed to resist being what they see?
Even when Charlie isn't doing something to cross over legal and ethical lines, there is always the smell of criminality about him, from being in prison, as seen in this clip:
And it's not just that criminals that think so, either. It's the police, his comrades in arms. And since perception often forms reality, how is Charlie supposed to resist being what they see?
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