fembuck: (Default)
fembuck ([personal profile] fembuck) wrote2007-06-10 11:26 am

Painkiller Jane - 1x08 - Friendly Fire

By PKJ standards a very good episode. Definately an improvement over last week, which I loathed.

I've been complaining about the writers inability to present a believable friendship between Jane and Mo, but they did a much better job this week. I mean I was amazed to see them hanging out in their spare time (eveen if they had to throw Riley in there), they smiled at each other like they actually enjoyed each others presence, Jane wanted Mo to be there with her in the hospital after the bone marrow extraction, Baumgardner identified Mo as the person Jane trusted most, and they made some inside joke references to Jane and Mo being at the academy together (though I must say I think its rather unlikely they would have gone to the academy together and been friends and then been assigned as partners after graduation). Hell, there were even some looks that could be considered subtextual.

I like female!nurse with the girl!crush on Jane. I wish she hadn't died, she was smart and trying to help out, and she really wanted to make out with Jane. Another sign the writing this episode was more competent than usual was that I cared about this side character.

Loken did a good job this episode. I felt for Jane, and for once the character didn't do anything extremely stupid or irritating. I was actually kind of impressed by that tape trick she used. Though the writers really didn't need to go through that "AND I didn't see you limping, AND you wouldn't have gone out with geeky guy, AND you don't like scrambled eggs" thing from the end. We all got it when we saw her lower back and that there was no salamander tattoo. The flashbacks really must be a command from higher up because they're in every episode, and they're all so completely unnecessary.

Mohinder has absolutely no charisma whatsoever. If someone has to be killed off this season and it can't be McBride I vote for this dead weight. He's just so awkward.

I don't know why but Jane's constant bitching about having to drive cracked me up. It's like she knew that Baumgarnder was faking the ankle thing, so she didn't need to keep asking, but she did anyway. Maybe in was Loken's whiney "fiiiiiiine" delivery everytime Jane asked, but I got a laugh out of that.

Other moments that were funny (maybe only to me, but that I enjoyed anyway):

- Mo being a little princess during the "escape" from the hospital. "Oh, my guns jammed ... ooh, my ankle hurts!" Oh, fake!Mo.

- That guy in the truck eying Jane while she was pumping gas and making a kissy face resulting in the beautiful rolled eyes/disgusted face from Jane. Jane's disgusted face amuses me.

- Jane manhandling Riley at the end. I'd been noticing all episode how much shorter he was than her, so it was just funny to see her pick him and and swing him around like a little kid at the end. Oh, Lokinator. You're so dreamy.

- Jane's deep thoughts about friendship at the end. "We often take our friends for granted until something happens that makes us appreciate them more" Okay, obvious but not ridiculous, so far so good. "Like being there for us when we breakup with our boyfriends, or when we realize that they don't really want us to be dissected in medical experiments and locked up for killing one of them". Um, Jane, muffin, I think that might just be you. Oh, wait no, just like week I was all like "Hey, thanks for helping me move my stuff Brandon. You know what would make me sad? If you were dissected in a medical experiment and locked up for trying to kill Adam. Don't ever do that, 'kay? So, Mongolian for lunch?"

- The fact that when female!nurse asked if there was anything she could get Jane, Jane flashed back to Mo's sexy lower back. Not her face, not her eyes, her lower back and low waisted jeans that slid down just far enough to hint at something tantalizing and forbidden.

But of course, because this is PKJ there were some WTF moments.

1. Baumgardner shifting shape in the middle of the hallway, right after talking to someone who was looking directly at him. WTF!

2. Female!Nurse making that highly incriminating phonecall at her station in the middle of the hallway at night when there were no people around to mask the conversation. "Um, hello, yes I think my boss may be an evil fake, please tell me if I'm right. Tomorrow is fine because I'm here all by myself with no one around to help me or hear me scream and we want to give anyone plenty of time to catch me, kill me and dispose of my body before any one is the wiser. Thanks!"

3. Jane's effusive hugging of Connor at the end of the episode. Why?

4. Jane getting that gas pump to stop directly on $23.47, yeah right! Damn, you Petro Canada my total is always like $30.01. So, frustrating!

That being said, we better see more of Jane being weary of the motivations of the team and her place on it because of her ability. Like this better be building towards something dammit. I want them to at least pretend there's there's an overall story arc and character development for the season.

That being said, one of the least painful PKJ's to date.

[identity profile] anomalys.livejournal.com 2007-06-11 03:31 am (UTC)(link)
*sob* The thing is I can totally see this coming. Most shows wait until like the fourth season when they're starting to run out of ideas to do this, but I could totally see PKJ pulling it by like episode 14.

It really is coming. I wish I was just throwing out one of tv's tritest standards... but I read it in a previous Loken interview that I came across earlier today.

"We just did an episode where Connor and Jane go undercover in a type of 'Stepford Wives,' 'Truman Show-esque' community and play the happy couple to apprehend a Neuro who basically is brainwashing a town for what she believes to be the greater good of society."

No good can come of that. There's a tweener-like post somewhere stating that KL and Noah Danby are dating. I didn't take it seriously, but the way the show's going... I'm beginning to wonder. Please look into your KL magic eight ball and reassure me.

[identity profile] fembuck.livejournal.com 2007-06-11 03:46 am (UTC)(link)
"We just did an episode where Connor and Jane go undercover in a type of 'Stepford Wives,' 'Truman Show-esque' community and play the happy couple to apprehend a Neuro who basically is brainwashing a town for what she believes to be the greater good of society."

Oh the horror. The HORROR! I'd actually heard about this episode before, but I had blocked it from my memory because this was before the showed aired and I was desperate to believe that it was going to be good. Oh, the folly of youth! I think that Ch.11 in Canada, actually accidentally played the beginning of that episode at the end of one of the others, just like a minute or two of it, but it scares me cause that means it must be coming up.

There's a tweener-like post somewhere stating that KL and Noah Danby are dating. I didn't take it seriously, but the way the show's going...

I saw exactly one post on imdb stating that, but I haven't seen any mention of it anywhere else. And imdb board posts aren't the most reliable. I mean I could post a message saying Kristanna is dating Lauren Lee Smith, but it doesn't make it true. (In fact until it's proven otherwise I'm going to believe that Kristanna is dating Lauren Lee Smith ... and if it is proven otherwise, I'll just pick another Vancouver!Actress and keep living in denial)

However, with the random hugging of Connor, Jane smiling at the asshat sexiest comments Connor makes like he's a comedic genius, and the premise of this episode I'm beginning to wonder if random poster might be on to something. I mean, I'm happy is she's found love or whatever, but if that's the case keep it off screen! No one wants to see a Jane/Connor romance. No one.