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Post by fju2112 on Jan 11, 2006 9:08:57 GMT -5
this was one of the best season openers on the show so far. i felt like i was left hanging with season 4's season opener (which is good AND bad)...shane coming out of the dark toward Vic in that episode made it all seem worth it; we finally see that familiar face at the end. but so much happened in this opener compared to season openers of the past...the dialogue & events were more dense, more seemed to be going on, and that credit has to go to the writers for putting lots of quality into this first episode. i was really surprised that they went so far as to put lem in the back of a cruiser at the end of the FIRST episode and actually spend a few extra minutes on his interrogation, which easily could have waited until ep. 2! i like that they did it though...shows they're taking chances, and again, you come away with the feeling that more happened. I'm wondering how much of Mara we'll see in this season. she was only in 2 episodes last season from what i remember, and very briefly. you know that tavon/mara sequence will bite vic in the ass if Lem is pressured to offer up anything on Vic EXCEPT something that could get him in jail for life - terry's murder, the money train...how about Vic pressuring Lem to lie to Tavon in the hospital about exactly what happened w/ Mara? that wouldn't land Vic in jail forever but it would get him off the force, maybe Lem offers up Vic as the sacrificial lamb just like IAD wants, but does so in a shrouded way that saves him jail time? I also liked how they showed us a clip of Vic with a knife to the CI's throat for "scenes from season 5", saying "you're the only one who knows the truth" about the brick of heroin Lem hid, the dirt on Vic she's giving to Kavanaugh, etc...looks like this will be a real head-on political & strategic brawl between Vic & Kavanaugh, and he'll probably be a paranoid hard-ass the whole season (vic, that is), which makes me think I'll like this season more than seasons 3 & 4 combined!
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Post by Blanket Party on Jan 11, 2006 9:20:11 GMT -5
Actually, while watching through Season 4 on DVD, I realized that Mara only appeared once in the entire season...
...weird, huh?
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Post by BenYankee on Jan 11, 2006 10:02:02 GMT -5
Was Shane making out with any chick in the "scenes from upcoming episodes" clip? It sure did look that way.
(BTW, is there an episode 2 preview thread? I don't want to spill too much in this forum if some people don't want to know more about the future or hear speculation.)
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Post by -|E|- on Jan 11, 2006 10:10:55 GMT -5
Yes, there is... thanks for your consideration!! It's in the Snitches Board. Click Here.
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Post by jwc53531 on Jan 11, 2006 12:19:10 GMT -5
it certainly wasn't the slam-dunk I was expecting - the main story went nowhere but we did get all kinds of really nice introductory material - the initial scene with Kavanaugh and Aceveda was superb (talk about the spider and the fly) as was the small scene near the end with Aceveda looking over Terry Crowley's folder - Kavanaugh certainly knew how to hit Aceveda with the Terry thing - the Lem/Kavanaugh scene at the end wasn't that great but sets up what I'm sure be fireworks in upcoming eps - I totally don't see Lem breaking and I'll bet this gets thrown right back in Kavanaugh's face - I just really hope the writers don't rely on this Matlock/Columbo shtick for too long even though the whole gum thing was a nice twist - but Corrine has just to be smarter than to fall for any lame come-on after living with Vic for so long - it would seem Mara would be a more likely, and easier to break, target for Kavanaugh - don't like the uni character Tina at all right now although if she somehow ends up with Dutch that could certainly liven things up - but I think the CI arc has real legs - there's more there than we're seeing right now and I'll bet she tips Vic before long - we also get the first glimpse of the health problems that will plague Claudette although not sure how that will overall affect the Claudette/Dutch team - and I'm not sure what's up with Dutch - perhaps he's just about to the end of his rope with everything - nice reminder of the cat-killing as he just about strangled that one dude - and I love the minibike scene too - harkening back totally to Riceburner
this ep did what is was supposed to do in a servicable manner and I'm happy we're back on the main theme again after the S4 detour
a B from me
Monack: I think, if you are a minor, your guardian can be in the room with you if they request it, at least in California
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Post by keithr90210 on Jan 11, 2006 12:39:23 GMT -5
I thought it was great. Definently more back in the swing of things than S4 (though I really enjoyed S4).The main story didn't really go anywhere but it served as a great introduction to the characters and what they've been up to in the past 6 months.
Cavanaugh's character is different and it bugged me a little, he just seemed to be a little too comical. However, I get the impression that there is more to the Cavanaugh character than we know about right now and that explains why he seemed so wacky. I get the feeling (and I do not have anything to back this up) that Cavanaugh could be crooked and may be working this investigation somewhat "off the grid", just a hunch though because like I say I have nothing to back it up other than the fact he seems to be operating out of a house and not in a real office.
Billings as captain is too good. Poor Billings is to inept for the job that it is comical. I have no idea what is wrong with Claudette but I don't think it is good.
Vic's C.I. is badnews and it will be interesting to see where that storyline goes, especially when Vic eventually finds out.
Finally, I loved the music montage with them kicking Blondie's ass. I did feel as posted above that them laying the ST card on him was sloppy but I also believe that it may be because Vic has nothing to lose now, they are practically kicking him off the force. I bet that this ass whooping will come back to haunt him.
Come on Tuesday!
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Post by dtpollitt on Jan 11, 2006 12:42:33 GMT -5
Thoughts from EXTRACTION:
--It is nice to see Claudette and Dutch back to their old ways, nagging each other, working as a cohesive unit in the box, and Dutch nearly strangling that kid in defense of Claudette. I thought that was a great touch and nod to how much he respects and truly loves his partner.
--No idea where the Tina character is going...just like everyone else, she's probably going to be a whore and just a plain stupid n00b like Julien was...hopefully I'm wrong. And last night in the chat I told chem that I'd bet $10 Dutch nails Tina BEFORE Vic does!?
--My two favorite tidbits from last night: First, "Gilroy's Liver" being a candidate for Danny's father. Classic, I simply love any Gilroy reference. Second, Shane taking the blonde guy's iPod after they beat the shit outta him. Oh, Shane, how sick you are...
--I am very interested to know how Kavanaugh got involved with this investigation? Who the hell ordered this? I'm assuming it was not Monica, she had IAD investigating the Strike Team but didn't really WANT anything to be found. It is obvious David did not order it, he was alarmed at Jon's investigation. The chief is my only logical answer that I can see, but why the hell would he order an investigation if he submitted retirement papers to be in effect in four months?
--EXTRACTION seemed to have a LOT more action than other episodes...the riots, the beating by the S.T. at the end, the Mexican running around and killing, his little brother doing the same...first reaction was a lot more "fighting" than more story development, dialogue, box, etc. Has there been any other episodes with this much action?
--I'm not feeling the Kavanaugh-Mara thread. I like the Corrine route much more than the Mara idea. Mara has been sweated before, Corrine really hasn't. The thought of Kavanaugh in Mackey's home, investigating his family, whew, that gets the heart pounding.
Grade: A-
--Dan
**********
Edit: Anyone know if the FX website is going to include threads posted by writers/cast/crew like they did last year? I really enjoyed that - probably the only decent part about the FX site - and hope it comes back. Maybe put the good word in to Glen, chem??
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Post by -|E|- on Jan 11, 2006 13:47:06 GMT -5
I gave this one an A - I loved it!! But I love raucous fights and ass-kicking!! The opening scene hooked me right away; who thinks of having a brawl in a funeral home where the casket is knocked over, the body rolls out, and someone gets bloodied with a crucafix?! Oh yeah - Kurt Sutter! God, he's my favorite sicko..... The biggest "extractions" I saw on first viewing were Vic being extracted from the Barn by way of forced retirement, and Lem being extracted from his home by IAD.... others here have pointed out far better references already. The most memorable moment for me has to be almost seeing Lem's ass again!! I was screaming, "DROP THE TOWEL!" lol Billings as Captain is BRILLIANT! Loved his "pep talk" and him getting puked on. Super stuff. Kavanaugh's scene with Aceveda unnerved me. My first impression of Whitaker's Kavanaugh wasn't all that great. I thought he was overplaying a bit. Amoulio seemed VERY intimidated by her meeting with him, though, which gave the hint that something had gone down before we got there..... I didn't much like his scene with Corrine, either. But by the time he got to Lem's house, he was acting differently; more intelligent, cunning, and intense. Made me think he was just pretending to be a big dork with Corrine.... Now I'm really looking forward to seeing more of him. I dare him to make me like him!! Yeah, Corrine took the gum; I knew she would. And no, I don't have any hope taht she will be wary of Kavanaugh. Did you notice the contemplative smirk on her face when she found the gum in her pocket? She's fantasizing about their first date already.... I was glad to see Danny and Tina have a slightly tense exchange in the ladies room. Tina needs to take Danny's advice! These 2 ladies couldn't be more different, but I'm very glad the writers left room for a friendship to develop instead of immediately pitting them against each other. Danny could be a great mentor for Tina. Dutch and Claudette were clicking again - very nice to see that. Julien and Danny had a great exchange in the Barn near the end. I kinda hope Tina quits so Julien and Danny can ride together after the baby is born! Oh what if it's his?!
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Post by fju2112 on Jan 11, 2006 15:02:23 GMT -5
i think a few people are underestimating the character development to come with Kavanaugh. While I think the writers made a mistake in offering so many different sides of the character in the first episode, our first exposure to this character, i think it'll end up servicing us better in the end by allowing us to look beneath all of his actions..perhaps this character is meant to be transparent to the viewer so we see other things that we otherwise wouldn't see; maybe we'll understand later that it was done for a reason? first impressions are nice to discuss, of course, but let's not jump to conclusions about where the character is headed. i will say that i LOVE the idea of Kavanaugh doing all of this off the grid (keithr - great idea!), though IAD operating out of hotel rooms and small apartments doesn't seem too far-fetched to me at all, so right now i don't think we have anything to really back it up. it's not like Kavanaugh would be able to do all this in his own office or at the Barn. again, didn't like kavanaugh being all over the place, but i certainly think he's meant to be portrayed as a grand manipulator, a very intelligent character, and we saw it already in his friendly-yet-intimidating attitude toward aceveda, lem...remember when the guys started grabbing Lem and he had to push them away, and i think kavanaugh said in a very smooth, friendly voice "get dressed...get dressed..." almost scared me the way he was able to make it seem like a friendly visit and smile through the whole thing even though it was a huge shocker for Lem!! Reminded me of the robot soldiers in THX-1138 for a second! I believe I saw Mara in the previews for upcoming episodes, so I'm thinking we'll see her once or twice before this is over, though I don't think Mara will get sweated for info. I think maybe Lem points to Vic over the Tavon thing to lead them off-track instead of trying to find out about Terry..throwing them a bone, covering his ass, but not allowing Vic to go to jail over it. Who knows...just a silly idea
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Post by eddiekaay on Jan 11, 2006 16:21:01 GMT -5
Kavanaugh is creeeeeeepy --- he likes the mind games, and when he pretended to be a "dad" -- told me he was looking to do more than just get a quick bit o' evidence
Plus -- honestly -- after Aceveda's had a dick in his mouth, saying no to a skinny piece of gum pointing in his face isn't that big a challenge
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Post by -|E|- on Jan 11, 2006 16:32:29 GMT -5
Plus -- honestly -- after Aceveda's had a dick in his mouth, saying no to a skinny piece of gum pointing in his face isn't that big a challenge #roflao# #roflao# #roflao# Holy crap, that's funny!
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Post by arne on Jan 11, 2006 17:18:02 GMT -5
Well, I liked it. Season 5's first ep just felt more like the show I fell in love with than S4's opener did. In "The Cure", it was the final sequence (Vic meeting Shane at Deadeye's place) that propelled the episode towards an "A-" rating in my personal review. I liked "Extraction" a whole lot better - not least because TS seems to be back on track again, after a Season 4 that was still strong, but seemed a little lacking, at least to me. Now, with things about to come full circle, I'm pretty optimistic that Season 5 will bring back the thunder of the first three seasons.
I'll try to keep it short:
- Billings: well, he's even worse as the new Captain than I thought - and it's way more hilarious to watch him fail than I expected. ;D I just hope his inability to command won't come across too cartoonish in the course of the season.
- Kavanaugh/Whittaker: to my surprise, he didn't knock me off my sofa like Glenn Close did on her first appearance last year. Close convinced me right from the start, while I wasn't so sure how to feel about Whittaker's depiction of the Kavanaugh character. Well, but it's the first ep, so I won't jump to conclusions here. Having rewatched the episode, I feel quite comfortable with the "Kavanaugh pulling a Columbo" theory some of us have come up with. My favorite Kavanaugh scene was him arresting and interrogating Lem... somehow, I liked that more than his initial conversation with Aceveda... And another thought on Kavanaugh: IMO, he's obsessed. He's a witchhunter, an inquisitor. That's what will make him so dangerous to Vic and his boys. I'm not so sure if he's just obsessed with bringing down Vic, or if that's his attitude towards his job as a whole... maybe he's in need of a high-profile bust to push his career... but I'm sure we'll learn about Kavanaugh's motivations in upcoming eps.
- The "Who's the daddy" bet: heh heh, that list was absolutely hilarious: "Gilroy's liver", "Monica Rawling" (!!!), "dirty toilet seat"... great shield-ian humor.
EDIT:
Ooops, I almost forgot:
- Thumbs up for finally moving up David Rees Snell (and cathy Cahlin Ryan) to the main credits! I actually stood up and cheered when Snell's name appeared. I can't help but root for the man.
- Nothing big special, but: they actually brought the old recap music back!!! Good move. Funny, I didn't think they would actually see a reason to do that, but obviously, someone did.
"Extraction" was a strong introductory episode which threw us right into the action and the new situation at the Barn. Lots of action, Ronny showing us he CAN be a real badass, everything at a pretty fast pace, not just endless setup like in S4...TS is back!!! And boy does it feel good.
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Post by monack on Jan 11, 2006 17:34:48 GMT -5
Ah - okay - that makes sense, then
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Post by jimmycracker on Jan 11, 2006 19:50:05 GMT -5
Fantastic, fantastic. Things exploded sort of like in the season 2 premiere, except it wasn't as serious and gut wrenching. But still, it was fun and enthralling. Danny as the head of the barn is great. I'm not particularly fond of Tina. She seems a little one-dimensional. Hopefully they can add something more to her personality. Lesse, I can't really fathom why Vic is getting so sloppy. If there was a clear reason, I'd buy it a little more, but I don't really get it. I guess he sees no reason *not* to be sloppy too, so, I dunno. Danny's baby... I'd guess it's Taylor, Vic, or ... Yeah, I can only see Taylor or Vic. Moreso with Taylor however. Billings is the best possible choice they could have for the captain, imo. Creates a sense of chaos and lets Vic be reckless. Perfect. I think I like Kavaunaugh. I hated Rawlings, but this guy seems more interesting. His sense of humor I think adds to the tension—or the dread, rather, of the investigation. I find that to be universal with a lot of shows and movies, but mostly with life. If I get in trouble, it feels worse when the guy who catches/punishes me is in a really peppy, confident mood without any cares. That's just how it is.
I love the idea of Claudette getting lupus. If she dies or just gets too sick and retires (leaving dutch), it will be a perfect emotional, tear-jerking end for the series. I sort of hope Dutch finds a love interest with more integrity than Tina.
All in all, this was much more satisfying than The Cure, though it's hard to remember back that far. I'd give it a B+... or maybe an A-. Not sure.
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TeKnOw
BANNED For Pissing Off E
Posts: 31
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Post by TeKnOw on Jan 11, 2006 20:33:16 GMT -5
I sort of hope Dutch finds a love interest with more integrity than Tina. I'd like to see something good for Dutch as well. However what I'm seeing so far is a darker more aggressive dutch emerging. We did not see the usual clumsy Dutch in the season opener. There are quite a few nuances of the episode to tackle as it wasn't taken at a leisurely pace. This is but one that I have noticed. Unfortunately I think we are seeing Dutch's repressed feelings pushing out over the nice and friendly facade that he took on in the past. I think he was brought up to be well mannered and has neglected his need to be assertive. Ignored for a long enough time the bullying he encountered so often caused him to leap an assertive mode to direct aggression. Since his encounter late in the season with Billings it seems he has found a reaction/attitude that makes him feel respected. He's quite hungry for it. I believe you might see what I'm saying if you take a look at the interrogation scenes. No hint of the clever interview techniques of the past. It feels to me like he has become very much a loner. We'll see. So he may find a love interest though hopefully not in Tina. My point I think is mainly that he has so too many personal issues to tackle. I don't think a successful relationship is in the cards in the immediate future.
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Post by arne on Jan 12, 2006 1:30:21 GMT -5
I believe you might see what I'm saying if you take a look at the interrogation scenes. No hint of the clever interview techniques of the past. My thoughts exactly, Tek. I almost couldn't believe it when Dutch had that suspect arrested for murder without either a) hard evidence or b) a confession because "It was a long, shitty day" and he seemed so tired of that interrogation leading nowhere. It almost seemed like Dutch had lost his passion for breaking a suspect using one of his refined techniques (and patting himself on the back for it). And the "okay, so he learned how to wash his hands" comment (and the underlying "I don't give a shit") when the gunshot residue test turned out to be negative didn't sound like the Dutch Wagenbach we all know. Yeah, all those repressed feelings seem to take a toll on him - and I'm pretty sure we'll get to see some really interesting Dutch stuff in S5.
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Post by detectivescrotes on Jan 12, 2006 4:07:19 GMT -5
Definately the best season opener since the pilot. I think we're in for a real trea with this season.
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Post by icy on Jan 12, 2006 12:39:38 GMT -5
It is only the beginning of the end! If Chiklis has bitten off his own nails reading his script, I have no fear of disappointment whatsoever. Slam dunks can occur at any point during the game. I liked the fact that the strike team are together again. Everything about them being together seemed right. Their timing was on. Their alliance is strong. The shared camaraderie is apparent. Even retaliatory bloodletting is enjoyable. The "All for one and one for all" theme seems very solid and unbreakable. I also enjoyed watching Dutch and Claudette together. He seems more ballsy. She never hesitates to give her words of wisdom which I feel he needs and appreciates to a certain extent. Dutch does seem more physically aggressive as witnessed by him strangling the young suspect who lunged at Claudette in "The Barn". He is protective of Claudette, as well. Julien is now training rookie cope, Tina. Julien now finds himself in the role of training officer. He turns to Danny once in a while wishing the comfortable partnership was still there. Rookie officer, Tina provides new eye candy to the force. Danny can't help but give the new cop a little advice on how to be taken seriously by the guys. Billings is the new village idiot/captain. He can't handle pressure worth a shit. Tell me you weren't happy when he got puked on?!!! Kavanaugh is smiling, creepy, laughing weird and menacing. Of course we think he has a screw loose and we don't like his character. The camera right in his face as he chews loudly on that juicy fruit gum. His lips curled up into a snarled half smile. He is a man on a mission. He is going straight into the heart of everything he needs to on the way in order to complete that mission. Corrine, Lem, the H-cutter, Aceveda....anyone who can lead him to VIC. I give it an A. I waited long enough. My fix is on...
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Post by fju2112 on Jan 12, 2006 14:46:01 GMT -5
did anyone else take note of the fact that they arrested Lem while Vic & Shane & Ronnie were beating the shit out of Blondie? Maybe it didn't happen in the same moment, but Lem wasn't there for the beating, and maybe that was telling us something - maybe Lem has been the least involved of the Strike Team members and therefore won't be able to be as convincing as Kavanaugh would like? Wearing a wire though...that'll be something...I bet Lem gets caught within 10 minutes of entering a room w/ Vic in it if he has a wire on
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Post by Inside Man on Jan 12, 2006 20:03:52 GMT -5
I'm with .:E:....The biggest example of 'Extraction' I saw was Vic being extracted from the Barn. That Early Retirement was an inspired idea by the writers.
I got a very uneasy feeling when I saw Tina prancing around in her little skirt at the end of the episode. I immediately thought, "This will not end good for her." Why, I don't know. Just something on a gut level. Damn, how does she tie all that hair into a bun!
Billings is so inept as Captain--it's great. He's perfect as the Yes Man (can't remember how Dutch so eloquently put it). It really puncuated his cluelessness right at the beginning of the episode when the Riot call came in and he didn't know what to do. Vic took charge immediately and got things going. And they're pushing him aside? In the old days, Vic could have run all of Farmington without impugnity with Billings at the helm.
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