Mädchen Amick back on ‘Longmire’

She’s back!

Actress Madchen Amick, best known for her role as Shelly Johnson in the 1990 TV classic “Twin Peaks,” is something of the mascot for this blog. After her 2012 turn as one of Don Draper’s old flings in a nightmarish episode of “Mad Men,” I wrote about the return of the lovely actress who, now 43, still looks amazing.

And some of the entries I wrote about Amick are among my most popular. So here’s another!

Amick is a busy actress right now, starring in the series “Witches of East End” and on one of my favorite series, “Longmire.”

Amick plays Deena, the girlfriend of Henry Standing Bear (Lou Diamond Phillips), longtime friend of Sheriff Walt Longmire (Robert Taylor).

Earlier this season, Henry discovered that Deena had apparently stolen $40,000 from the safe at his bar, the Red Pony.

In this week’s episode, “The Reports of My Death,” Henry tracked Deena down and confronted her about the theft. The scene was a powerful one and while Amick was good, LDP was terrific in the intense and borderline-out-of-control scene.

Here’s hoping Amick’s reappearance this past week means she’ll be back on the series soon … and, with any luck, not as another murder for Longmire and Henry to investigate.

By the way, “Longmire” brought back another TV favorite: Parker Stevenson, well-remembered for playing Frank Hardy on “The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries” 1977-79, appeared in the episode.

 

Late to the party: ‘True Detective’ an odd, teasing thriller

I don’t do a lot of binge-watching of TV anymore. A few years ago, every summer was a festival of re-watching “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” on the VHS tapes I had made during the previous season. A few other shows were thrown in, but we watched “Buffy” religiously in those days.

In the meantime, life got busier – a child will do that, even in the summer – and binge-watching was mostly limited to trying to catch up on the three episodes of “Fargo” that we missed before the season finale.

Recently, my son has discovered the joys of “Parks and Recreation,” watching the most recent season through On Demand and then watching the first season on DVD. It gave me a whole new appreciation for the series and I might write about that sometime.

More recently, my wife and I decided to try to catch up on a couple of series that we missed. We’ve now purchased, but have not unwrapped, the first season of “Breaking Bad” on DVD. It was a show, like “The Shield,” that I just didn’t make time for as it unfolded each week but I didn’t want to jump into mid-stream. We tried that with “24” and ended up determinedly watching live what was universally acclaimed as the worst season.

So in the past few days we’ve binge-watched “True Detective,” which is a series that we couldn’t see because we don’t have HBO and probably couldn’t have kept up with what with devoting our live-watching time last winter to “The Walking Dead,” “Justified” and a few network series.

So that’s a roundabout way of recounting how I’m just now seeing “True Detective.”

I heard so much about the series when it was airing but managed to avoid hearing how it ended, so that was a bonus for catching up later. Also it’s just eight episodes!

After having seen it, I can say I understand what all the buzz was about. In a couple of ways.

“True Detective,” while very satisfying to watch over the space of a couple of days, no doubt really lent itself to live-watching each week. In this age of Twitter, viewers could revel in each week’s twists and turns. Not to mention the HBO-standard nudity. The plot worked on an episodic basis but flowed pretty well – even with a few time shifts – one episode after another.

And the show’s teasing flirtation with the supernatural – and many references to scarred giants, monsters, demons and dark rituals – fueled speculation that what was starting out as a straight police procedural was turning into something else.

That wasn’t really the case, at least not in that sense. But “True Detective” definitely transcended the typical procedural’s limitations.

if you don’t already know, the series switches back and forth between 2012 and 1995, as two investigators (Michael Potts and Tory Kittles) interview two former Louisiana state police detectives, Rustin Cohle (Matthew McConaughey) and Marty Hart (Woody Harrelson).

Cohle, intellectual, anti-social and prone to alienating others, and Hart, publicly amiable but a womanizer with an explosive temper, “catch” a life-changing case when they’re assigned to investigate the body of a young woman found in a remote field. The woman, with antlers attached to her head, her body twisted into a submissive, praying posture and decorated with symbols, is plainly the victim of a ritualistic killer.

As the investigation unfolds, Cohle becomes more and more convinced that the woman was the victim of a serial killer. But where are the other bodies?

As the two probe the case, they become increasingly self-destructive. Cohle deep-sixes his career with his attitude toward higher-ups, including powerful and untouchable figures he thinks might be linked to the killer, and Hart threatens to drink and screw his way out of his marriage (Michelle Monaghan in a role that has more bite and substance than some critics of the series would have us think).

The series’ eight episodes are compelling and engrossing, never more so than the climactic hour and, halfway through the show’s run, an amazing single-take tracking shot as Cohle eludes both bikers and gang members in a botched drug raid on a housing project.

Cohle and Hart are characters who at times seem irredeemable but as metaphysical-speaking Cohle notes at least keep the really bad guys from society’s door.

“True Detective” creator Nic Pizzolatto (aided by director Cary Joji Fukunaga) kept their story short and to the point and left me wanting more. A second season is planned, although Pizzolatto says ti will focus on other characters and another setting.

With any luck, I’ll catch up with it too.

Random observations:

I really thought the ending would be much more dire for our heroes, namely that one of the two would die. I didn’t expect such optimism.

The setting for the climactic encounter with the killer reminded me uncomfortably of the “Home” episode of “The X-Files.” The feeling of queasiness and dread was palpable.

The hairstyles of the leads, reflecting the passage of nearly two decades, were pretty good.

Does every HBO show have at least one nude/sex scene per episode? Somehow I don’t remember Tony Soprano getting laid as much as Woody Harrelson.

It’s starting to realize that one of Harrelson’s nubile conquests was Alexandra Daddario, the female lead from the “Percy Jackson” movies. The actress, 28, has matured. Ahem.

So was there really a point to all the references to “The Yellow King” and old pulp fiction stories?

 

‘Batman” 60s TV series on DVD: What we don’t know

We’ve known for a while now that Warner Bros was releasing the complete 1960s “Batman” TV series, starring Adam West and Burt Ward, on DVD, Blu and digital download this year. Today word came that the 120-episode series, which featured a colorful, campy version of the crimefighters and their villains, will come out in November.

I’ve always been torn about the series. I probably liked it as a kid – I don’t really have any especially early memories of watching it – but was kind of embarrassed by it by the time it began showing up on TV to coincide with the 1989 theatrical release of Tim Burton’s “Batman” movie.

The TV series popularized the character but created an impression that took 20 years and Burton’s movie to overcome.

So while I enjoy the show today, it makes me wonder what a serious “Batman” series would have been like in the 1960s.

But I’m interested in the home video release, which has me wondering some things. These questions may be answered sooner or later, but for now, here’s what we – or at least I – don’t know:

What took so long? I’ve heard various theories that ranged from disputes betweenWarner (owner of DC Comics and new Batman material) and Fox, which released the series. I’ve also heard there were complicated permissions to be worked out involving not only the characters but the actors who played them.

Will we see scenes cut from the series for subsequent airings? I honestly don’t know how much was cut from the series for later broadcast to make room for more commercials. I’m wondering if we’ll see scenes we’ve long forgotten.

What kind of extras will be included? Interviews I would guess. Commentaries? Documentaries? Promos from back in the day? There should be a wealth of material.

Will the new release, uncut and in high-def, change our opinion of the 1960s series? Will we reappraise it as a classic, even the definitive treatment of Batman?

Probably not. But you never know.

The Essential Geek Library: Stephen King’s ‘Danse Macabre’

Here’s another in my series of reviews of books that every geek needs to read. Check tags below for earlier entries.

And, as usual, these reviews are framed in the reality that most of them came out before the Internet, when fans bought books if they wanted to find out who played the second male lead behind Kevin McCarthy in the 1956 classic “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” (It was King Donovan.)

Stephen King was my favorite writer when his non-fiction book “Danse Macabre” came out in 1981.

King classics like “The Stand,” “The Shining” and “Salem’s Lot” had helped King surpass even favorites like Ray Bradbury and Robert Heinlein in my estimation. So I was so ready for what King thought about horror and science fiction in books, movies and TV.

And I was not disappointed.

“Danse Macabre” mixed a little bit of autobiography and a whole lot of intelligent, thoughtful criticism between its covers. In densely-packed chapters, King skipped from a TV favorite like “Thriller” to a memorable short story with a few stops in between, but it all made sense.

“Danse Macabre” is like sitting down over a few beers with the most clever and amiable geek you could imagine and letting him entertain you with his opinions.

Like any book, “Danse Macabre” is a moment in time, a slice of history. It’s strange, after all these years, to read King talking seriously about now-nearly-forgotten horror flicks like “The Prophecy.” It shows that the genre wasn’t all made up of the milestones like “Bride of Frankenstein” that have withstood the test of time.

The Internets tell me that the book was reprinted in 2010 with an addendum. I haven’t read it, but it’s not surprising that more than 30 years later – via occasional columns in Entertainment Weekly and his Twitter account – King is still sharing his insight and love of the horror genre with us.

 

RIP Eli Wallach

We all remember Eli Wallach, who died this week, for his roles in “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” and “The Magnificent Seven” and mourned his passing at age 98.

But I had forgotten, until I had MeTV on tonight, that Wallach had played the frosty villain Mr. Freeze in the 1960s “Batman” TV series.

Wallach was the third actor to play the role, following George Sanders and Otto Preminger.

Thanks for entertaining us, Mr. Wallach.

 

Clone dance party: ‘Orphan Black’ closes season on a high note

If you’re like me, you couldn’t fully enjoy the clone dance party that broke out near the end of the second season finale of “Orphan Black.”

I was on edge during the otherwise sweet, joyous outpouring of sisterly togetherness by Sarah, Allison, Cosima and even “seestra Helena” because I thought something horrible would happen.

And – spoilers here – no mistake, there were some dramatic twists here that followed even the dance party. Helena left Felix’s apartment and got kidnapped. And Sarah met with a new potential ally (played by Michelle Forbes) who revealed that while female clones were the goal of Dyad, the shadowy corporation that’s been dogging the Clone Club, male clones – specifically for soldiering – were the product of an offshoot organization.

Sarah even met one of the male clones, an appropriately looney-looking variation on Mark, the young man from the creepy religious sect that had earlier kidnapped Helena.

Before those twists – which we’ll have to wait until next year to see elaborated upon – there was plenty to like. With help from her friends and clones, Sarah managed to escape from Dyad and take her daughter, Kira, with her. In the process, the clones left proto-clone Rachel with a grievous injury.

If you don’t watch the show, all this must seem horribly complicated. And I guess the story is pretty twisty. But if you’re thinking about catching up before the third season starts next year – and I can’t recommend this too highly, because it’s a really good show – you only need to know a few things to prompt you to seek out those episodes:

There are more clones every few episodes, and this is a good thing. The story is fun and full of twists. And it gives star Tatiana Maslany a chance to act with – and dance with – herself, several times over, seamlessly integrated into the same scene.

Maslany is wonderful but the whole cast is great, especially Jordan Gavaris as Felix, Sarah’s non-clone brother.

But the show never feels bogged down in its over-arching mystery. Little revelations are seeded along the way, but the episodes have an urgency and immediacy like the best episodic TV.

The producers of the BBC America show aren’t afraid to be dramatic but also have fun, wowing us with surprises like the transgender clone, also played by Maslany, who showed up a few episodes ago.

Most of all, “Orphan Black” is fun. There’s action and suspense and out-there science fiction and great performances. And, best of all, real heartfelt human character drama.

 

‘Fargo’ building to season’s end

One of the most pleasant surprises on TV right now is “Fargo,” the quirky FX crime drama/dark comedy that wraps up its first season with its 10th episode next Tuesday.

Although it’s only loosely connected to the 1996 Coen brothers movie, the series created by Noah Hawley has the same sensibility in its funny/horrifying look at small town Minnesota and the lives thrown into chaos when drifter/hit man/troublemaker Lorne Malvo (Billy Bob Thornton) comes to town.

Spoilers ahead if you haven’t been following or caught up with the first nine episodes so far.

Malvo’s arrival and the complicated blackmail plot he kicked off and manipulated has sparked big changes in the lives of everyone from stalwart deputy Molly (Allison Tolman) to hapless insurance salesman Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman).

With a little push from Malvo, the at-first-sympathetic Lester has become downright despicable, killing his wife and causing the death of his rebound wife, the latter walking into a trap set by Malvo.

Malvo’s menace so unnerved mild-mannered cop Gus Grimly (Colin Hanks) that he quit the force and went back to his first love, delivering the mail. The good part: Gus and Molly, who initially tracked Malvo together, are married, a plot turn enabled by a one-year jump ahead in time the series took a couple of episodes ago.

The forward jump in time brought us to a Lester who is bolder after getting away with murder and eluding Malvo – at least for a while. But with next week’s season finale looming, I think we can assume that Malvo, Lester, Molly and Gus are on a collision course.

“Fargo” is twisty but always keeps track of its storylines and characters, who lately have included comedians Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key as two FBI agents looking to settle a score with Malvo. They’ll no doubt play into the showdown next week too.

With its frosty locales, offbeat characters and harsh violence, “Fargo” is a standout series.

‘Longmire’ strong in third season

For readers of Craig Johnson’s series of books about Wyoming Sheriff Walt Longmire, the A&E TV series version of the show was something of a challenge at first.

In the first season, two years ago, so many elements from Johnson’s quirky, gritty, mystical and funny series of crime novels seemed … “off.” Longmire and longtime friend Henry Standing Bear didn’t seem old enough (in the books they’re Vietnam veterans; in the series they’re played by middle-aged hunks Robert Taylor and Lou Diamond Phillips) for the well-worn characters they are; the ever-changing roster of deputies was pared down; the relationships were streamlined and the early books’ Philadelphia subplots were gone.

But so many things were so right. Taylor and Phillips are great, gruff and sardonic by turn; Katee Sackhoff was letter-perfect as Deputy Vic Moretti, as was Cassidy Freeman as Walt’s daughter, lawyer Cady, and Adam Bartley as “The Ferg,” a deputy holdover from the books; and Bailey Chase initially seemed written just to be antagonistic as deputy Branch Connaly but quickly grew to portray a complex character.

The entire series, in fact, grew. Creators and producers John Coveny and Hunt Baldwin quickly seemed to realize they needed to import Johnson’s storylines, at least to some degree, and even more importantly adopt the mood the author invokes in his books: The stories are set in a Wyoming that is by turns beautiful, hard, cold, hot, parched, magical and gritty.

As the third season begins, I’m glad to say that “Longmire” has maintained the successful mix that Coveny and Baldwin began refining shortly after the show got on its start.

Longmire himself, as played by Taylor, is crusty and deceptively straightforward but has a real edge to him. Henry – in jail in connection with the death of the man who killed Longmire’s wife – is struggling to survive and might become a pawn in a larger game. And the deputies are in turmoil, as always.

At the same time, “Longmire” does well with its plots of the week. most recently Walt and Vic’s crusade to bring to justice the person responsible for the death of a Russian teen whose body was found in a Wyoming creek.

Her murder involved international adoption, foster parent scam artists and Walt’s smoldering sense of outrage.

I’m still missing the absence of the Philly connection in the series and I regret the mystery of Walt’s wife’s death – a complication that’s not in the books but was probably necessary to give the series more of an over-arching mystery storyline – but almost everything else about “Longmire” the TV series works.

Oh yeah, one element I’m missing this season: Madchen Amick as Dena, Henry’s girlfriend. The former “Twin Peaks” star appeared last year in a few episodes. So far this year it’s been mentioned in an aside that she stole money from Henry’s safe. Here’s hoping that means she will show up eventually and that the comment isn’t a way of writing her out of the series.

 

‘Orphan Black’ throws a switch and makes it work

If you’re not watching “Orphan Black” … why not?

The BBC America show, in the middle of its second season, is consistently satisfying and, in most episodes, surprising.

Really surprising.

The premise: A tough young woman on the wrong of the law, Sarah (Tatiana Maslany) is shocked to see a woman step in front of a train and kill herself. Sarah is even more shocked that the woman, who she later learns is Beth, a cop, looked exactly like her.

Sarah, aided by her foster brother, Felix (Jordan Gavaris), discovers that she and Beth were clones, part of a decades-long experiment to create human life. They quickly meet other members of the Clone Club, including Alison, a high-strung soccer mom, Helena, a Russian assassin, and Cosima, a geek-girl scientist.

And all the clones – are we up to a dozen by now, several episodes into the second season? – are played by Maslany.

The show could be seen as a stunt, and does have great special effects that finds Maslany playing against herself as another clone in almost every episode.

But the stunt falls away quickly as you discover that Maslany is an amazing actress, capably of bringing each of these characters to life, and not just through accents and wigs. She inhabits these diverse personas.

In last night’s episode, the show introduced another close: Tony, a transgender, testosterone-injecting tough guy, and yes, Maslany played him with scraggly beard and mullet.

Maslany is wonderful but there’s not a false note in the cast. Gavaris is amazing as Felix and the producers have long since discovered that Felix plus any other character is magic. His scenes with Beth’s partner on the force, Art (Kevin Hanchard), or Alison are some of the best on TV right now.

There’s a sense of urgency and dread in current episodes, as Cosima works to discover a cure for the genetic defect that’s killing her and the other clones. There’s intrigue at the corporation that created the clones and don’t forget the horrible religious cult that covets the clones.

It might seem like a lot to catch up on, but it’s still possible. And “Orphan Black” is more than worth the effort.

‘Community’ canceled; it burned bright while it lasted

When “Community” debuted five seasons ago, it looked like it might be just another NBC sitcom. A bunch of friends sit around a study table at a community college and yak at each other? It sounded like another “time porn” sitcom in the tradition of “Friends” or “How I Met Your Mother.”

But the show, in the hands of creator and producer Dan Harmon, quickly distinguished itself.

“Community” proved to be offbeat and hilarious and sometimes poignant and often surreal.

If audiences in 2009 didn’t recognize that and embrace it – or shun it – by the the late-first-season episode, “Modern Warfare,” a half-hour ostensibly about an on-campus paintball war to win priority class registration at Greendale Community College, they likely never would.

The episode was a note-perfect homage to action films – action film cliches, really – that showed just what Harmon and his cast were capable of. From the opening moments, when the campus looks post-apocalyptic after only an hour of paintball war, to the ending, which managed to take a shot at “Glee” and be sentimental at the same time, the episode was soooo good.

Other first season episodes – like “Physical Education,” in which attorney-turned-student Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) plays an epic game of pool with a crusty phys ed teacher – were better, more clever, more laugh-out-loud funny than much of what was on TV at the time.

And while later seasons had their highs and lows, almost every single one had some great episodes. The claymation-like Christmas special. The pillow fort episode. The trampoline episode.

Maybe, just maybe, best of all: “Advanced Dungeons and Dragons,” in the second season. That heartfelt, funny, geektastic episode might actually top “Modern Warfare” in my mind. Maybe.

Or maybe “Remedial Chaos Theory,” in which alternate realities and “the darkest timeline” were introduced.

Damn. I don’t know which I love more.

The show faltered in its fourth season, after Harmon – reportedly a difficult genius – was ousted from the show.

This past season, the fifth, showed a good return to form and return to the set by Harmon. It didn’t reach the heights achieved by the show at its best. But little else on TV did.

Since a couple of seasons into the show, when “Community” was threatened with cancelation nearly every season, the idea of “Six Seasons and a Movie” has been the mantra of cast, crew and fans. And a Twitter hashtag.

With todays’ news that NBC had canceled the series, goal is unlikely to be reached.

But I guess it’s possible. Really, the show was too funny, too odd, to have lasted five seasons on a major network anyway. So maybe the unexpected will happen and we’ll see more of Jeff, Britta, Annie, Shirley, Abed, Troy, Dean Pelton and all the rest.

In a timeline that’s not nearly as dark.