Disappointed
"Sanctuary" is one of the coolest concepts currently on television, but sadly its fourth season for me was a complete mess.
It has been a hundred and some years since Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping) has set foot in the Victorian era, but her pursuit of the diabolical Adam Worth has sent her cascading through time into the streets of London in the 1890's. Drawing no end of attention due to her modern attire and strange weapons, Helen is held temporarily by the police and released into the custody of her best friend of the era, James Watson (Peter Wingfield). Known in later years as the inspiration for the literary figure of Sherlock Holmes, it does not take Watson long to deduce that this dark-haired incarnation of Helen is a "future" Helen... and that her presence in the past may disrupt the initial timeline. That is the intention of Adam, who has returned to the past in order to save his daughter from death. But any misstep will change future events... a fact Helen is very...
Best.Sanctuary.Ever.
If you liked Torchwood but find this show far too middle of the road, you might like this episode, if you watch the whole thing. Kudos to Amanda Tapping for putting forward a world that includes everybody, not just people who liked Richard Dean Anderson in a uniform, back in the SG days. Downside: this might be their last season. If so, they did it right.
I was not a fan of the show initially but gave it a chance while Tapping's last-century accent stabilized and they found their stride. It was all redeemed with this episode, for me.
To those who find the ending out of context, watch it all from the start again. It is a story that is told many times in many ways, but it isn't told the way y'all are taught to expect.
Five stars.
Bold moves, exciting new turns!
I have never agreed with all the writers choices, nor do I think any fan will. Looking at season 4 as a whole through a formalistic lens, it was pretty amazing. Very rarely was I ever truly disappointed with an episode. There are lots of things that would have made my fan girl heart very happy that didn't happen, but it's their story to tell, not mine. I still enjoyed the ride immensely.
The great thing about this season was it's utter unpredictability, which arguably makes it one of the best. The writers and directors made very bold choices and took big risks this season, most paying off in spades. I feel this season took itself a little more seriously, not to say they didn't have their fair share of fun. "Monsoon" was an incredibly entertaining classic action hero story with references to Die Hard and James Bond. "Chimera" was a distinctive episode in that it was one of the most hilarious episodes I've seen whilst at the same time being very dark and creepy. With only a...
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