Nice Going, Einstein

How disappointing—and yet I don’t know if my disappointment is with the show or with myself, for not knowing better.

No, I knew better. Give a guy like David Lynch eighteen hours of airtime on premium cable and you’re a fool not to expect lengthy bouts of directorial self-indulgence ... but episode seven of the current Twin Peaks amounted to a solid hour of my life that I will never get back. Disturbing, art house imagery, discordant audio and no visible connection to the greater plot (which is pushing for coherence as it is) had Ter and me agreeing—reluctantly, on my part—to quit before we waste any more of our time. We are huge fans of the original series and anticipated the next one like a pair of little kids anticipating Christmas. I was prepared to allow for some alternate reality nonsense given the source, but last week’s offering was just-plain-stupid.

Truly disappointing.

On the other hand, the National Geographic channel’s showing of Genius—based on a book about the life of Albert Einstein—was, well, genius. I hoped it might be, as it starred Oscar winners and was produced by Imagine Entertainment (Ron Howard and Brian Grazer); a combo that rarely misses the mark. No disappointment here! Ten episodes of brilliantly written, expertly acted and perfectly produced television, most of which I could follow despite the science not being dumbed down for the casual observer. Geoffrey Rush was splendid as Einstein in his later years, as was Johnny Flynn as the physicist in his youth, but the character I felt most for was his first wife, Mileva, a scientist in her own right who was sacrificed by the time in which she lived. Bravely played by Samantha Colley, she was absolutely wrenching to watch.

The story alone is interesting enough, but could have been ruined in the wrong hands. The complexity of Einstein’s mind, his obsession with science and his inability to relate with his family, set against the rise of Nazi Germany and the US investigation into un-American activity, was laid out in gorgeous detail, right down to the spacey special effects used to aid us in seeing what he saw during his theoretical “a-ha” moments. The dialogue was intense (the physics jokes were actually funny) and the politics of war made a full colour backdrop for the drama of real life relationships. The science was integral, but not the star. Gads, the series surpassed my expectations by as much or more than Twin Peaks fell short.

Genius is in the eye of the beholder.

Sleepy Hollow

With Halloween lurking, it’s time to spook things up a bit. I’ll start by raving with confidence about my new favourite show – an updated version of Sleepy Hollow executive-produced by the writer-geniuses behind the rebooted Star Trek films. I watched the first episode, loved it, made Ter watch it on demand, she loved it, and now we’re both hooked. Count us among the loyal followers known collectively as “Sleepy Heads”. 

Normally, I’d say nothing. I have a habit of flipping out over things that the rest of the world doesn’t get, ergo any TV show in which I see potential will disappear in six weeks or less. In the days of Twin Peaks, NBC tried a forensic crime drama called Unsub that was simply too far ahead of its time and thus did not last. Ter and I were on board from the first episode, which is especially ironic since we watch none of the series so popular nowadays, most of which owe their success to that sick little show being the first of their kind: FBI forensics team investigates murder scenes and builds a profile of the killer, who is then hunted down and brought to justice. Sound familiar? It’s all the rage ... now. 

About ten years ago, a new spin on Tarzan was attempted. Sure, it was kinda hokey, but it was harmless fun and Travis Fimmell was yummy in the title loincloth. It should at least have played out its first season, but no, it was axed after six episodes. 

Sleepy Hollow, however, has already been signed to a second season, so either the rest of the TV viewing public is finally getting up to speed, or my standards are dropping. In any event, the actor playing Ichabod Crane – a comely fellow named Tom Mison – is simply superb, as is Nicole Beharie in the female lead. Their rapport developed quickly and is part of the fun in watching, but there’s other creepily cool stuff in the plot: witches and demons and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, all trying to bust through and destroy the world as per the Book of Revelation. It’s such a good show that we were vexed when the local station re-ran the pilot instead of a new episode this week, doubtless trying to snag those folks who are hearing about it from other people and going, “Sleepy what?” (Actually, it was to excuse regular viewers who care about the World Series – Fox is broadcasting the baseball finals, which means we’re screwed for next Monday, as well.) 

So if you missed it on the first round, now is your chance to find it on demand and get caught up before November 4. I dare you not to fall in love with Ichabod and his buttery British accent!