TVSquad

(S01E08) Well, first off I have to give props to the make-up and effects departments. In some prior episodes there have been some pretty awkwardly awful effects scenes ("Eater" when her arm is bitten), but throughout this episode, the make-up on Doug Jones (the Hellboy movies) was just astounding. It's interesting to me that at the NBC website and everywhere I can look, Jones is the only principal listed for this show.

I'll grant that his performance as patriarch Grady was a show-stopper, but John Pyper-Ferguson as his brother and Molly Hagan as his wife are just as integral to the effectiveness of the story and the emotional power that the character back-story provides. In fact, Doug Jones got third billing in the show credits themselves. I guess they just know where the strength of the show lie. And Jones is a proven master at playing the bizarre and/or downright creepy under heavy make-up, as he ultimately does here. With roles like the Silver Surfer (Fantastic Four), Abe Sabien (Hellboy) and El Fauno/The Pale Man (Pan's Labyrinth), Jones is absolutely brilliant at bringing these characters to life.

Last year, when I caught word that Showtime was creating a sort of meeting of the minds of horror with their new series, Masters of Horror, I was pumped. I've been a sucker for horror books, movies and TV, especially including the B-movie horror that you'd often see Joe Bob Briggs covering in some book or TV show. Unfortunately, though, I was a bit let down.

Last season's Masters of Horror had one hell of a line-up of directors, with the likes of Mick Garris, John Carpenter and Takashi Miike. The problem for me was that, for the most part, this wasn't even close to the best stuff these guys could dish out. Somebody (the network?) wimped out in many cases, taking the camera away too soon from gory scenes as if to spare the viewer a tummy-ache. I felt cheated.

If you felt the same way I did about last season, next season's going to be a ... pleasant change for you.

The Best:

Battlestar Galactica: Holy Frak, does this show kick ass. I barely caught the old version of this show back-in-the-day, though from what I saw, it just can't be compared. If you think you'd be uninterested in overly sci-fi aspects of a show like this, throw those fears aside. There are no aliens and no light sabers. Pick up this series on DVD now and get caught up before next week, for Gods sakes!

The Shield: Has yet to disappoint, and this past season's inclusion of Glenn Close was masterful. I have to admit that I was skeptical when I heard she was coming aboard for a season, at first. In the end, though, I wished she was able to stay. Now coming on its (likely) final season, I'm very sad to see it go, and I'll savor every moment of it.

Veronica Mars: As some of you may know, I wrote about my experiences catching up with season one within a week or so, and I fell in love with this show. The second season has lived up to...no...beyond my expectations. The rest of this season is likely going to place this show on my Best of 2006 next January.