UFO Robo Grendizer 1.01

Kouji Kabuto and Duke Fleed

Kouji Kabuto returns to Japan, his homeland, to investigate UFO sightings. He arrives at the Shirakaba Ranch, owned by Dabei Makiba and Dr Umon. Kouji arrives in the TFO, a flying saucer that he built himself. Dandei is obsessed with welcoming aliens to Earth and at first thinks that Kouji is an alien. Kouji similarly dreams of establishing trade between the Earth and other planets. Both of them are unaware that there is a real alien force from the planet Vega monitoring Earth and preparing to conquer the planet.

Daisuke Umon, Danbei's employee, warns Kouji and Dr. Umon, his father, when he sees the moon turn red that it is a sign that the UFOs are getting ready to attack. Kouji scoffs at Daisuke's warning. More UFOs are sighted the next day and Kouji goes up in the TFO to investigate even though Daisuke warned him about them. The UFOs attack Kouji and Daisuke is forced to take action. He heads for the Space Science Institute where he transforms into Duke Fleed, retrieves Grendizer, his giant robo, and fights off the alien space craft.

Orange Is the New Black 1.09

Fucksgiving

It is Thanksgiving.

Taystee gets out but before that happens her fellow inmates throw a party for her. Vause and Chapman get caught dancing together, by Pensatucky who tells Healy about it, shows it to him. He has Chapman locked up in SHU, solitary, for lewd dancing. That's where she spends most of the episode. She goes a bit around the bend. She goes off on Healy when he comes to visit her. In the end she gets out because Larry raises a stink and starts calling all sorts of people.

Vause tries to get back at Pensatucky but that backfires. Vause gets the backstory spotlight. Her father was in a rock band. Her mother was a single mom because dad didn't stick around. She didn't have it easy growing up. She didn't meet her Dad until she was in her late teens or early twenties. That is also where and when she was introduced to the world of drug smuggling.

Dayanara tries homemade remedies to get rid of the that which is growing inside of her. It is probably a little too early to call it a baby. She gets hoodwinked and the potion she takes just makes her feel a little sick. In the end she decides she wants to carry on with the pregnancy. Her mother is very happy with her decision.

Crystal, Burset's wife, wants her blessing to pursue a relationship with a man, a pastor. She balks and at first refuses to give it. Burset talks to Ingalls, the nun, about it. Ultimately she gives her blessing.

Red finds a bag of pills in the grocery delivery. She flushes them down the toilet. They were for Mendez. She still doesn't know that Nichols is the one who told Mendez how she was getting stuff smuggled into Litchfield. Mendez returns the favor by pissing in the big pot of gravy.

The episode ends with two crucial moments. Healy calls Larry and presumably tells him about Piper's lesbian leanings. The scene ends mid conversation so it isn't clear exactly what he tells Larry but the implication is clear. Once Chapman gets out of SHU, after about 2 days, she find Vause, pulls her into the chapel. The two start making out and tearing off their clothes.

There was at least two moments that got me choked up. One of them, Taystee waving good-bye to Poussey, was understandale. The other moment was much more subtle. It was when then showed the spread at the Thanksgiving meal that Larry hosts. I don't recall what immediately preceeded it but it was definitely a scene from Litchfield.

This was a crazy good episode. There's just 4 episodes left in season one and I'm eager to see how and in which direction the various plotlines develop from here.

Secret Diary of a Call Girl 1.08

Belle is invited to join a high class agency. She accepts the offer but soon learns that it isn't the life she needs. Ben breaks off his engagement with his fiancee.

The episodes of this show really should have been longer than they were. Many, possibly all, of the episodes in this season felt rushed. There just wasn't enough time to pace things in a way that felt right to me. A situation would be set up and then before you know it the episode is ending and things have changed drastically. It was very unsatisfying. I don't hate this show, I just find it to be flawed in a way that makes me reluctant to watch more.

NewsRadio 2.13

The Bitch Session

Dave accidentally overhears the staff bitching about the way he runs things at the radio station. He is unable to deal with the situation so he turns to Mr. James, his boss, for support.

Bill asks Joe to buy him a voice modulator. Joe insists on building one himself.

The b-plot was lacking in laughs but the a-plot was pleasantly amusing. Not a great episode but not truly awful either.

Azumanga Daioh 1.01

I've watched some, possibly most of this show before but it has probably been about 10 years since I last watched it. It is not a sit com but it is played for laughs. The show is based on a manga series of the same name which I have not read.

The focus of this episode is to introduce five characters. Accordingly each chapter spotlights a different character

1. Child High School Student

I'm not sue about the title for this one but the character who is spotlighted is Yukari Tanizaki, who isn't a student but a teacher. Her bicycle beaks down. She goes a little nuts (in a humorous way) imagining what the principal will say when she arrives late on the first day of the school year.

2. She's a Prodigy

Chiyo Mihama or Chiyo-chan is just 10 but has enrolled in high school. She's smart enough to keep up intellectually but she is emotionally just 10.

3. Scary Maybe?

Sakaki is much taller and more physically developed that the other girls in her class, most of whom are intimidated by her. Despite her appearance she isn't very aggressive.

4. Wildcat Tomo-chan

Tomo Takino is the tomboy of the class. She is constantly concerned about measuring herself and her accomplishments against those of her classmates.

5. The Osakan Girl

Ayuma Kasuga is from Osaka, which quickly becomes her nickname. She just wants to fit in but Tomo-chan and Tanizaki-san, her teacher, insist that she live up to their preconceived notions of how people from Osaka behave.

So far so good. The show lives up to my memories of it. It is light fare and with a few laughs. I love how wacky it can be at times like when the cat bites Sakaki's hand. It does it so calmly. I was expecting it to happen when she reached out to pet the cat but I expected something much more menacing in appearance.

Orange Is the New Black 1.08

Moscow Mule

Larry's piece about Piper gets published. Healy isn't happy about it. Chapman is definitely on his shit list now. She isn't happy about the article although it takes a while before she comes out and says that. She isn't happy about Larry celebrating the publication of his article.

There's a bug going around the prison. Everyone is sick or trying to avoid getting sick. Tasytee finds out she is will be getting out before the end of her full sentence. Outside of prison, Polly gives birth.

Dayanara is pregnant. I'm not sure what this will mean for her boyfriend, Bennett. He isn't in this episode. Maybe he isn't the father. Maybe she got pregnant just before she went to prison.

Red is pressured, again, by Mendez to help him smuggle drugs into the prison. She says no. Miller is experiencing withdrawal symptoms because she isn't getting the drugs she is used to having. After having a chat with Red, Nichols talks Miller into turning herself in. Nichols hates herself for doing it and when Mendez comes around asking questions she tells him how Red smuggles contraband into the Litchfield.

Chapman and Vause grow closer after Piper is sent to the laundry to fix a broken dryer. They both get in trouble after Alex gets locked in the broken dryer by Pensatucky. They have a moment together at the end of the episode. They are definitely heading for something more than just a friendly reconciliation.

Red gets the backstory spotlight for the second time. This time it is all about how she and her husband got in deeper with the Russian mob before she went to prison.

Overall a decent episode. Not the most groundbreaking but it is setting somethings up nicely.

Justice League Unlimited 3.X

In addition to episodes there are also a couple notable extras on the second DVD in this set

Justice League Chronicles

This is look back at some of the episodes from this season.Bruce Timm, Dwayne McDuffie, and James Tucker sat down to re-watch and discuss part of the season.

The first few minutes are about the concept behind the season. They show scenes from the first episode during this part but it isn't about the first episode as much as it is about the season as a whole. After that they focus on three episode: The Great Brain Robbery, Ancient History, and Alive. Timm and McDuffie do most of the talking. They tell stories about the making of these episodes and the actors who read the parts. They also and show some of the storyboards side-by-side with the episode.

Most interesting to me was the disagreement over whether Carter Hall really was the reincarnation of Prince Khufu. Timm said he was, McDuffie said he was not. I tend to side with McDuffie and think that at least the way it was played in the two episodes (Shadow of the Hawk, Ancient History) it seemed more likely that Hall was delusional and not really the reincarnation of a Thanagarian.

I'm not sure if this is essential viewing but it was fun to get a behind the scenes look at these episodes.

Destroyer (with music-only audio track)

There is a brief introduction by Bruce Timm before the episode begins. He explains that there was considerably more soundtrack in this episode than in a typical one. The music runs almost non-stop. The audio track includes just the music. There are no sound effects.

This was great, probably better than the other extra.