liambretag
Joined Feb 2021
Welcome to the new profile
Our updates are still in development. While the previous version of the profile is no longer accessible, we're actively working on improvements, and some of the missing features will be returning soon! Stay tuned for their return. In the meantime, the Ratings Analysis is still available on our iOS and Android apps, found on the profile page. To view your Rating Distribution(s) by Year and Genre, please refer to our new Help guide.
Badges2
To learn how to earn badges, go to the badges help page.
Reviews3
liambretag's rating
I love the speech Spader delivers at the closing of this episode, in defence of the condom and attacking abstinence only programs.
Alan Shore is at his best in a lot of ways when he's fighting for the disenfranchised, for the weak against the powerful. He is a complicated and compex character who is capable - as he ably demonstrates at various times across the show's run and during the Practice - of darkness in pursuit of doing the right thing. He is ethically ambiguous, but ever now and then he is provided an opportunity to wax eloquent about a truly vital cause.
He nails this speech, as he does so many others.
Alan Shore is at his best in a lot of ways when he's fighting for the disenfranchised, for the weak against the powerful. He is a complicated and compex character who is capable - as he ably demonstrates at various times across the show's run and during the Practice - of darkness in pursuit of doing the right thing. He is ethically ambiguous, but ever now and then he is provided an opportunity to wax eloquent about a truly vital cause.
He nails this speech, as he does so many others.
Melvin Palmer - the recurring antagonist of Alan Shore, played with superb colour by Christopher Rich - is genuinely one of my favourite characters on this show, because in his sheer unlikablility he brings out the best in Shore.
This series is excellent fun for the most part, but the thing that takes it from being a pure comedy into genuine satire or political criticism is Shore's closings, in which he speaks at length on whichever social or political issue is relevant to the case at hand. In general, some of the best closing speeches come when Alan has to find a way to become passionate about something he has no passion for, something he doesn't believe in. The reason this episode, this closing is so great is because it skewers reality television it so targets, but for no reason other than Alan Shore did not want to lose to Melvin Palmer.
In a lot of ways, Palmer and Rich bring out the best in Shore and Spader, and this is quite close to my favourite closing he ever delivers.
This series is excellent fun for the most part, but the thing that takes it from being a pure comedy into genuine satire or political criticism is Shore's closings, in which he speaks at length on whichever social or political issue is relevant to the case at hand. In general, some of the best closing speeches come when Alan has to find a way to become passionate about something he has no passion for, something he doesn't believe in. The reason this episode, this closing is so great is because it skewers reality television it so targets, but for no reason other than Alan Shore did not want to lose to Melvin Palmer.
In a lot of ways, Palmer and Rich bring out the best in Shore and Spader, and this is quite close to my favourite closing he ever delivers.
Tripod vs the Dragon is, on one hand, something that you might think is a bit niche; a play - and it is a play, bordering on a musical - based on a game of Dungeons and Dragons doesn't indicate to anyone unfamiliar with the game to carry the genuine heart this play does.
Tripod hit a number of familiar beats throughout. Gatezy is sex obsessed and a bit dim; Scott is less savvy and a bit nerdy; Yon is weird and brilliant. The jokes aren't one dimensional, but if you don't find Tripod's usual schtik funny you're probably not going to here. But their formula is freshened by the inclusion of Alana Stone, who has one hell of a voice and provides another source of humour throughout.
The real key to this is the music, of course. Tripod cut their teeth on acappella, and so this piece unfolds with a wealth of background music, with either a piano, a guitar or simply other voices providing rhythm or choral arrangements. In some songs you'll get some trumpet or a solo singer, in others there's just voices providing the change. But there are a number of tunes that truly stand out; Ivory Tower is a mysterious haunting tune, foreshadowing the rest of the plot; I will still play is completely drops the humour of the rest of the piece, and is the most straightforward honest portrayal of the soul of an artist. There's genuine love of the subject in this, and the final two songs of the piece reflect real world emotion bound up in this play. Of course there's a few songs dedicated to humour, and they're great as well.
If they should ever tour this again or licence it out, I'd be there to see it with bells on.
Tripod hit a number of familiar beats throughout. Gatezy is sex obsessed and a bit dim; Scott is less savvy and a bit nerdy; Yon is weird and brilliant. The jokes aren't one dimensional, but if you don't find Tripod's usual schtik funny you're probably not going to here. But their formula is freshened by the inclusion of Alana Stone, who has one hell of a voice and provides another source of humour throughout.
The real key to this is the music, of course. Tripod cut their teeth on acappella, and so this piece unfolds with a wealth of background music, with either a piano, a guitar or simply other voices providing rhythm or choral arrangements. In some songs you'll get some trumpet or a solo singer, in others there's just voices providing the change. But there are a number of tunes that truly stand out; Ivory Tower is a mysterious haunting tune, foreshadowing the rest of the plot; I will still play is completely drops the humour of the rest of the piece, and is the most straightforward honest portrayal of the soul of an artist. There's genuine love of the subject in this, and the final two songs of the piece reflect real world emotion bound up in this play. Of course there's a few songs dedicated to humour, and they're great as well.
If they should ever tour this again or licence it out, I'd be there to see it with bells on.