darkskies

The Awakening

Finally something to praise C4 for, I loved this when they first broadcast it, always ended up watching it late night on Monday and it used to throw my sleep off for the whole week, hell, even the tie-in's good. All we need now is a late-night re-run of 'American Gothic'...
Bad timing, after fringedwelling about 8 hours of 'The Magnificent Seven' I keep trying to mentally add the hair extensions. This hat's better though
Okay, somewhere in there was a reason why she wasn't marrying Eric Close, but I missed it
Betty and Barney? Someone needs to think a little bit more before they name their fictional couples
Chocolate gateaux is much better for gaining entry to people's homes. Unless of course you're using it to break a window, in which case a bit of cut-and-come-again fruit cake is better than a sledgehammer
Nice to see our hero completely terrified at being threatened by extremely well-trained military agents
Oh now, there was really no need for Steele to do that to John
Essay fairies! Well, project report fairies, the essay fairy's shady political counterpart
Why couldn't they test secretly in New Hampshire? It's like testing the experimental mind-wipe device in Aberystwyth, nobody would believe you'd do something that advanced and secretive in a small town in the middle of Wales. But what better place is there to do something advanced and secretive...
John immediately discounting the idea that an air force Captain is interested in him because he's cute
John showing similar talents to Angel's famous envelope detective
Nice colour filter on this btw
No, but it may have contributed to getting him shot...
They can wait till he leaves and rough him up then
What kind of deposition would a Chinese laundry need?
"The news is irrelevant" I've been saying that for years
"The Russians" Bless his naive and innocent heart. If the Russians had half the power the Americans thought they did they would have conquered the world ages ago
Well, you don't know how many Russians he's seen to compare it to. Also, depends how long the Russian had been dead for. None of us look our best when freeze dried
Kim's news sadly overshadowed there
Surely one way ticket implies they don't think you'll be coming back?
Damn the sixties fashion for undershirts...
"This time of year" what, when those oats are gold and what looks like about a week away from harvest? Most farmers would be down there every hour, shaking the ears and going 'hmm'.
That's a massive ring he's got on
The aliens didn't come here to invade, they came to practice their cottage industry skills
See, I knew he wasn't a real farmer
That's a huge liver
That tentacle looks like it's waving
If it did come with a manual it'd probably be in Japanese
You wouldn't think a fitting would unscrew that easily, but no, our kitchen radiator does, and every time you take it away from the wall it leaks all over the carpet
Now that was more convincing than 'Planet Of The Apes'
Carefully chosen word there, "affair"
Always do the edges first. at least then you know how big a sheet of card you're going to need to do the thing on
That little negligee thing must be hellishly uncomfortable to sleep in
Slightly worried that my entire knowledge of the Kennedy administration comes from a mixture of this and 'American Tabloid'
Which means he hasn't got a clue
I like the idea that Eisenhower had the power to appoint God
Could he not just lob it at her, see if she catches it on reflex?
Stamp on it quick!
He gets a little more athletic before it comes to filming 'Now And Again'
It means you're in trouble
I think getting the President shot qualifies as an 'oops'
Big trouble for moose and squirrel

Moving Targets

"Just a car" oh, that hurt
Nice to see the armed forces co-operating for the good of the planet...
Maybe they should have shoved the gag order down his throat, because that would probably have kept him quiet
People talking abut themselves in the third person again, and still, it's not a good sign
I hate that bit with the ganglion, there's something about it that makes the skin at the back of my throat go all creepy
"It's for your own good" my Mum used to say that about Buttercup syrup, and I think I used to have about the same reaction as Steele
This needn't be entirely about removing the ganglion. A friend from work joined the Navy last summer and and once while he was alone in his mess, he was kidnapped by the marines, dragged down to their mess, had a funnel jammed in his mouth and was force fed lager until he threw up. Maybe Steele just missed his Government forces initiation
"The buck stops here" minor 'American Gothic' freak
Or else what? I would have insisted on specification
Bach's got a good point. Historically, military leaders embrace new weapons technology like a divine gift, and even if they don't know what to do with it they still want it in spades.
Can you buy yourself a free ride? Surely it would be by definition free?
Why is shooting someone in the back such a bad thing? It's not like he doesn't know it's coming

Mercury Rising

Nice trick with the radio news, it's a good way of setting the scene without any exposition
Possibly they're hoping to check out their retirement home before it's too late
It just occurred to me it's not often that you come across diagetic sound on a title sequence, like where Kim shoots and you her the gunshot
This isn't Eric Close's voice doing the intros is it? Not on the titles, the "It had been over two months..." bits
Oh that's lovely, a celebration of the greatness of America, that as a consequence puts half of its citizens out of business... Really didn't think that one through did they?
Very fond of John Mese on that motorbike, I've liked him since "have plague, will travel" back in 'American Gothic'. Wouldn't be tempted to leave Eric Close for him though, especially not when he's being all moody and jealous like that
Big score for the flyboys
Catfish? You know, most people would be thinking of eggs then
Surely if the fish are actually throwing themselves into the net, you're missing the essential point of fishing?
Poor John is getting the crap kicked out of him a lot isn't he?
Solid definition of 'unmanned' then
She seems strangely relaxed about holding counseling sessions in her dressing gown
Oh poor John, talk about not being wanted
And now poor Ty isn't making the grade either
Trained sceptic? You can get training for that now? Are there special sceptic schools out there? I know one or two that turn out cynics on a regular basis...
If he's having therapy the day before he takes off, how the hell can he be mentally fit to pilot a rocket? Not to mention the lack of a decent night's sleep
I like how bothered that woman is by the fact she actually has a polite and patient client
I dread to ask, but why is Steele sweating that much?
Is it just me or is this a monumentally stupid plan?
Plus you won't be able to brag to your friends that you did it

Dark Day's Night

Dreamland

That's how we defeat the aliens, we lure them to Vegas and wait until they've lost their spaceship on the roulette wheel!
Drinking it for him isn't going to help
That would be a no, you can't keep the money
Two more what?
Yeah, but he'd look really strange in the little red mini-skirt and the halter top
"A couple of hundred in tips" whydoes nobody tip me like that?
That's very clear reception for a hidden camera, it's focused and everything
That's called static dear
Yay! Knew they had to get his kit off at some point, and showering too!
Not just aliens, but hygiene-obsessed megalomaniacs too...
"World domination, of course" well, isn't it always?
How hard must it have been not to laugh after the communist comments?
Well hooray for Mr Hughes
Has he tried "open sesame"?
Is this a metaphorical "there with me" or an actual there with me, in the sense of nice armed back-up?
Won't they recognise her? Or are they relying on the amazing ability of most people to completely ignore service staff?
Lovely alien maggots. Giant slugs!
Steele's speaking Unas! "Don't say ka 'till you've tried it..."
Okay, I know Hughes is insane, but after having one of them on my face, I'd be washing fifty times a day
Super line, "I don't think it was a communist." Although, if the aliens are all working together for the hive, and repressing individual gain, then surely they are communists? Nah, the ganglions got kicked out of the communist movement for incorrect use of the ideology and because they couldn't do all the secret handshakes
You've got to admire that fifties hairspray. Kidnap, rescue, attack by giant slugs, and still Kim's beehive hasn't budged an inch
Are you allowed to park romantically on the fence-line of secret government facilities? The sign with "Use Of Deadly Force Authorised" on it especially must be adding to the atmosphere

Inhuman Nature

Has he considered the Susan approach of issuing the child with a big stick and saying, "If you see one, smack it. Really hard"?
You'd think she'd be used to the secretive disappearances by now
I wouldn't have thought it was so hard to buy a gun in America that they have to resort to blagging one from the secret service
Who's the poor sod who had to explain about the pill to the Pope?
Please tell me that milking thing isn't true...
Why is the cow autopsy being shot at an angle?
Now that's excessive, they took his radio
I know it wouldn't help, but did the guy ever consider calling a vet? Also you would have thought that with a hugely extended abdomen, everyone's first thought would have been "pregnant"
Should they be touching those rods?
I sense some kind of metaphor with the Tom Thumb story...
First of all, it's a fair assumption that the hive are breeding compatible hosts, it was my first guess, and secondly, whoever wrote the script has no idea how big a calf is
They have to not start scenes in black and white, because it always leads to a sudden dash forward to check that my old video isn't dying
"One thing"?! So we're not counting being born by caesarian section after being implanted in a cow then?
In foals, if I remember rightly, blood pressure is high just after birth, which technically is what this is
I didn't know cows had heroes
You do get a good 45 minutes of episode with this show, don't you.

Ancient Future

What the hell time did C4 put this on? I left at least ten minutes either side on the video timer and I only just caught the beginning. That'll teach me to leave the house for the weekend
The aliens decide to play 'my rock is bigger than your rock'
I love the idea of only letting the tabloids in, that way they get reports, but reports that nobody will believe
Ooh, tolerance, good for Kim
Two words, "mature student"
Nothing like a son entering the clergy to cause disappointment, "your brother's a doctor isn't he Ted?" ('Father Ted' quote there for you)
That's a beautiful story
In the tradition of a good 'Angel' prophecy, the legend's not quite telling them everything
Lots of sci-fi seems to like this implantation theory, maybe because they get a chance to design two different aliens (or design one alien, since the grey's pretty much designed already)
Surely you'd be able to see if rocks that big had been moved, because the grass would be all torn where they had pulled free
Damn, I've used my 'Ratties' Richter scale quote already. "What do you think, 5.1?" there, have a 'Buffy' one instead
"You've all seen Star Trek right? Well, hang onto something, look scared and I'll shake the camera. And Action!!"
"Jeep, sir?" That would be a no then
It's not the flying ones you want to be worried about, it's the falling ones
It must be really satisfying to be a Captain, yet still be able to boss the Generals about, and in a sanctioned way, not like Jack who just does it to be awkward.
I saw a green glow. Do you think they've got kryptonite hidden out the back there?
Brief 'Rocky Horror' moment then
I love Bach's shifty in church look

Hostile Convergence

Have we just had a little time leap? Because last week it was May
Trust me John, it's the life
Eeww! Ganglion hot dog! "Ganglion! Inna Bun! Get it while it's alien!"
Although, perhaps he is getting a little obsessive
"Started to wonder..." was it really a giant flying Easter egg, or was there a more sinister explanation?
Well, when the doors re closed it's difficult to see them
"A little sudden," polite speak for 'completely bloody insane'
"Oh, we're not in Kansas anymore..."
Kim discovering the term 'Busman's Holiday'
Well, the long something of Majestic anyway
Well, they called him Steele for a good reason. Because he was David McCallum in a former life? (Someone out there'll get that)
It's a nice cover story, well worked out

We Shall Overcome

There is something nicely ironic about the Hive encouraging everyone to work together regardless of race and creed
Sounds like they're speaking klingon
"That sick communist," well, I'm pleased to see the commission coming to this with an open mind
Clayton's not the eloquent type
Giving you the opportunity to run up endless fines on a Government budget
Did he keep John's ID?
That's a nice little gun that Kim's got there
If Bach still thinks John works for Majestic, then does Majestic still think they're paying him?
Kim's bottomless handbag, fresh and updated from Celtic myth
That's a great shot of them walking away from the burning church
She's never going to be able to cook in that pan again. It must be difficult to feel threatened by the kind of enemy you can trap under a saucepan.
"Cosy place for a meeting," warm too
He doesn't work for them, they aren't paying him

The Last Wave

Is he Buffy's Owen? He just looks older here
Oh no, that's not a good idea
I'm having a bit of an Ivanhoe day today, I've seen Melissa Rosenberg's name somewhere else recently. Did she write for 'The Magnificent Seven' too?
That's how I'd want my funeral party
Anything that will encourage John to strip down to his boxers
What the hell kind of emergency could a corpse have? There's not much more that can happen to it
That beach reminds me of where I spent my formative summers, the surf boards were mostly used over the top of the windbreak to form a roof when it rained
Only in a descriptive sense
"Film student" and yet again, proof that the phrase "I'm a student" can let you get away with any kind of strange and unnatural behaviour
That's gross, there is nothing worse than stepping on a fish. Jellyfish are pretty unpleasant, especially since they tend to explode when you step on them
How did they get that far down the beach without stepping on a fish before now?
Fish eyes go cloudy when they're dead anyway. that's how you tell if it's fresh or not
He would be so wasted as a marine biologist. There's no reason whatsoever to hide that kind of body under a lab coat
Isn't Nat worried about catching anything with all this close body contact?
Those steam pipes really shouldn't be that easy to detach
I'm quite impressed that they're on a beach, they chuck something up in the air and it isn't dived at by a passing seagull
Most people just dump the body in the bay, John and Nat take it one step further and dump Dewey's ashes out there
Love the way we never actually see Eric Close surf
I only know the names of three Doors songs, Jim mentions two and 'Come on baby light my fire' is a bit hard to get into natural conversation

The Enemy Within

Well, if you will go camping voluntarily, what can you expect? There's a reason we developed the ability to build houses you know
It probably just wants to know if you've got some spare paraffin, or an extra tent peg or something
Not going to be big tippers then. No wonder the waitress was so depressed
Oh, so John's allowed to run off home whenever he wants, but Kim can't even go back for her sister's wedding!
Did we really need to be told we were outside? Surely the trees and the sky kind of gave it away?
What are the odds of Agent Schneider surviving this do you think?
And the conclusive proof of Oswald's guilt will arrive just as soon as Majestic have finished fabricating it
Gosh John's mum looks young
The girl playing John's sister takes full advantage of the opportunity to jump on Eric Close
Maybe this guy has a thing about playing fathers with absent sons (I think he plays Crichton's father in 'Farscape'
That's some excellent shooting for a guy with a bullet in one shoulder
Honestly, you just save one person's life, and suddenly everyone's against you...
Wonder what kind of fly you'd use for a Loengard?
John has strangely fluffy, childlike hair in this episode
He wasn't carrying it, it was safely tucked away in his car
Why do Americans call their fathers "sir"?
"Those two kids," ooh, metaphor much?
That's not an unreasonable question, although John could always repeat the 'run out of money' response
That's because you've been living apart for seven years and you don't know him
There's that third person thing again, never a good sign
Look up! Don't they train these people?
Do Majestic actually think these little broadcasts will work, or are they just hoping that they'll distract him?
They say the crucial phrase in ganglion just to be annoying don't they?
What would they have put him in jail for? Although I suppose they could claim he assaulted his brother
I personally think the psychiatrist has been reading too much Freud
The sweet thing is that Kim genuinely means that apology
Why is it always destiny, why not just necessity
Never piss off a father with a shotgun
And the 'Due South' jokes just keep on coming...
It's not where he went in that you need to be worrying about, it's where he managed to climb out
He does have children, well, a child anyway. We've seen him reading to her. Or is he just being inscrutable and not revealing personal information to the public?
"We're from the Justice Department" well, that's encouraging

The Warren Omission

I just want you to know that I missed all of Bobby Kennedy's speech just then because my computer was taking forever to start up, I'm trying to drink my first coffee of the day, the kitten's trying to jump on the windowsill, I can't rewind it because I'm copying, and Lizard is sitting in the room next door trying to tell me something about Scott Bakula's beagle. No wonder I'm distracted
I thought they were originally from California?
Now that is an entrance!
That was unkind! Efficient but unkind. Although the bit where his bare thighs pass the camera was quite pleasant
Not fair! First day on the job and her main assignment is to leap on Eric Close whilst he's only wearing a towel. She stole his towel! Purely for curiosity I assume. You know, I like her style
I agree with Kim, tell them
Was there a mid-season break in here? Because otherwise, it seems a strange place to put a clip show
Looking back, John's a lot better at running away now
P.? Oh and Franklin?
Do you get the feeling they're kind of on Bach's side from the start?
He is a good liar
The fact his parents had him committed last week won't have helped either
They are on the same side, John just doesn't know it yet
I like Albano. He's got a really good grasp of pissing people off whilst doing exactly what they asked
Is it just me or is Bobby Kennedy a total comedy character?
Bach is very good at his job

White Rabbit

Even after watching a bunch of episodes back to back, I'm still surprised at the lengths Bach will go to
Chocolate, strawberries, champagne, Eric Close in a bathtub, all very nice, but I'd still need my coffee first
Did they destroy the installation or did the aliens just manage to hide it?
Because of course, they're going to let him reveal all the details of his covert trip to Vietnam to his other half
John really needs a code for his note
Manfred Mann!
Love Bach's 'what, actually do the hard work myself?' routine
Why didn't the owner of the French colonial farm teach him French?
They've got a lovely hot-coloured filter on these Vietnam scenes
He's quoting Lewis Carroll, that's what's wrong with him
It's magnetic all right
So when John said "All you've got is this knife" he wasn't counting the huge machete in the guy's other hand?
"Everyone's war" I was about to say that
Surely all the impact of the grenade came straight back out of the hole again?
I've heard Bach's war story recently, and I really can't think what it was in
Love the Girl's Own adventure B-plot
If I was Mrs. Bach I would be getting paranoid about how many other pretty blonde women my husband had lied to
Wives, Lovers and Girlfriends Inc., a force to be reckoned with
Albano didn't think Kim was actually going to use that gun did he?
There's a really lovely, subtle graphic match from the napalm forest back to Washington. That must be symbolic
I'm always convinced Bach's wife is going to slap him there

Shades Of Grey

How come John's aim's so bad? He seemed to be quite good when he was actually shooting at people out in the field
Albano throws a hissy fit, which John responds to in kind. Always nice when highly trained military personnel are as petty and childish as the rest of us
They meant bring down as in land then, not bring down as in crash
Do many people in America go after deer with automatic pistols? I mean, it wouldn't surprise me if they did...
Giving Majestic a chance to live up to its name
This girl's really not been paying attention in Sunday School, if she thinks that's an angel, and she's about fifteen years too early for E.T.
Oh, I've just figured out the god-awful pun in the episode title...
Yes John, that's exactly what it means
Has she tried talking to it?
Lots of nice multi-cultural children playing. I can understand why they'd want to take kids from across the globe, but you'd think they'd do it in groups not have odd ones all up there at the same time
Kim looks kind of glazed

Burn, Baby, Burn

Oh that I like, "construction worker/visionary", talk about a dual career
"Every thing is perfectly on schedule" and that didn't tip them off that something was horribly wrong?
Ooh, naked Eric Close
"Just like his mother" which means he's going to be one very confused little boy
That looks nothing like double helix, and DNA isn't usually pointy at the ends
No, Hallegan's not brave enough to suggest anything like it not being John's baby
Only a little warmer
Isn't taking amniotic fluid dangerous on a pregnancy that advanced?
If A is hostile and C is friendly, B is indifferent
"Waiting for a chance" Next on 'Opportunity Knocks'...
No, George, John wanted specifics there, not that destiny crap
I am more distressed than I can possibly say by the thought of Jim Steele as a midwife
It seems a little short-sighted to be looting and burning your own neighbourhood
Of course the aliens are all over, contrary to popular opinion, America isn't that special
So he likes strawberry ice cream, I like strawberry ice cream, and it's never been the basis for intense military discussion
Seriously high-tech disguises there!
See, I just said that, why not burn down somebody else's neighbourhood?
Another of the infamous Loengard temper tantrums!

Both Sides Now

"House-Burning Day" just sounds implausible, can't the aliens guess that?
Okay, Albano is a seriously good shot
She appears to be handing out leaflets. Have the ganglions finally realised the value of low-level pester advertising? "We just slightly annoyed almost a hundred people"
"Kill her," well, it was a bit of a dumb question for Juliet to ask in the first place
Briefly, yes
There aren't many shows out there who would let their hero get his arse kicked by a girl
John trading on his entire week and a half of Vietnam experience
There must be something particularly satisfying in encouraging anti-war protesters to fight amongst themselves. "You can't fight in here, this is the War Room!"
Ah, it's a metaphorical desert of the mind. I thought it looked a bit strange
Even fewer that would let him get his arse kicked by a girl twice

To Prey In Darkness

Ooh dear, he looks rough
Something tells me he doesn't want anyone to come in...
Emergency inventory? "Hurry! We must count all our paper clips now!"
That's a thought, perhaps they could fight the Hive by reading performance poetry at them until they flee in horror
"In his blood" so destiny's something you catch, like hepatitis?
Again, they have to quit with the black and white segments, every time I see one I'm convinced my video's died
Well, killing herself before she finished her book seems a little strange to me
Does preventing the world from being taken over by aliens by hijacking a televised Beatles performance count as broadcast experience?
How many law enforcement IDs does John have hidden about his person?
Whereas Steele will die a pissed off alien?

Strangers In The Night

Bloodlines

Trust me, she'll know. Not even military security is that good
"We're working on it" so, no
I know their long term plans didn't come off, but it's so nice to hear "it'll be intersecting with Earth in twenty years" instead of "it'll be intersecting with Earth tomorrow". It sounds so much more plausible
Is there usually that swishy noise at the end of the titles?
Nnyyaaahhh!!!
That's a series in itself 'Acid Cops'
You can't blame Albano for being pissy about this. Poor guy
And I repeat the nnyyaaahhh of before, this time with a terrified recoil, what the hell does Steele look like!
Why is Kim dressed as Little Grey Riding Hood? In fact that whole scene has an odd sort of Brother's Grimm look to it
Ah, stripped to the waist and shaved, that's certainly an improvement
Please don't let Albano be the insider! I like Albano
That's a very perceptive doctor they've got there
How come all people giving military briefings sound like they're talking to a six-year-old? You'd think they'd credit the people they're sending on major covert missions with a little bit of intelligence
Wow, how easily did he pull himself up on that bar?!
Because he's the only one nuts enough to volunteer?
Oh, well, as long as the waivers are all fine...
If he wanted to honour his brother's country and all that crap, he should have had the balls to vote yes in the first place
That was a doom-laden squeaky panda