jueves, 30 de diciembre de 2010

My 2010 In Movies

So, 2010 is living its last hours and there's been plenty of cinema this year. I must say the quality hasn't been really good, in my opinion. Too many sequels, superheroes and all that stuff that I've watched anyways (sometimes really wanting the movie to finish, I confess), LOL. Still, I miss quality and stories that move my spirit and make me think. Hollywood needs talented writers!! They exist but they are not given a chance! Take some risks sometimes! I'm one of those people who like to put in the main character's shoes. I like to cry, smile, feel nervous, frightened or laugh when I'm told a story. That hasn't happened much this year, that's why I'm making this reflection.

109, I've counted. Not bad considering there are 365 days in a year. Let's surpass this mark in 2011! My fave films of the years, um, clearly Inception, Black Swan, A Single Man, Rabbit Hole. A bit of Downey Jr, Cruise, Brosnan and Streep always make me happy. Weaknesses that one has.

Here's the list, how many have you seen?

Sherlock Holmes
Up In The Air
The Lovely Bones
Precious
It's Complicated
Leap Year
The Fourth Side
Did You Hear About The Morgans?
Daybreakers
Nine
Love Happens
The Stepfather
Motherhood
Percy Jackson and The Lightening Thief
Shutter Island
Crazy Heart
Alice in Wonderland
Green Zone
Dear John
Remember Me
The Back Up Plan
Date Night
Spanish Movie
Iron Man 2
Killers
The Crazies
Letters To Juliet
The Losers
The New Daughter
Sex And The City 2
Knight & Day
Grown Ups
Fix
Eclipse
Shrek Forever After
The Ghostwriter
Nanny Mcphee and The Big Bang
The Sorcerer's Apprentice
The Greatest
Kick Ass
Inception
Salt
The Private Lives of Pippa Lee
Chloe
Toy Story 3
The Bounty Hunter
Prince of Persia
Despicable Me
The Joneses
El Mal Ajeno
The A Team
Splice
The Rebound
Hierro
Dinner For Schmucks
New York, I Love You
Paris, Je T'Aime
Legion
Predators
The Switch
The Expendables
I Love You Philip Morris
Piranha 3D
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Greenberg
Cheri
Resident Evil 3D: Afterlife
The American
The Last Exorcism
Gainsbourg
Repo Men
Going The Distance
Monsters
Eat, Pray, Love
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
A Single Man
The Social Network
RED
Saw 3D
Paranormal Activity 2
The Kids Are All Right
Due Date
Skyline
Harry Potter and the Deathly Shadows: Part 1
Unstoppable
Buried
Didi Hollywood
Megamind
Rabbit Hole
The Next Three Days
The Tourist
Life As We Know It
Tron: Legacy
Black Swan
Somewhere
Tangled
The Extra Man
For Coloured Girls
Little Fockers
Every Dat
Stone
Biutiful
Los Ojos de Julia
Never Let Me Go
I'm Still Here
The Town
Let Me In
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger

martes, 14 de diciembre de 2010

Golden Globes Nominations: What it is and what it should have been?

So, the Golden Globes nominations have been announced and I'm so happy to see that my predictions were very close to reality. There were some surprises, though. Let's compare what I said yesterday and what happened today.

My predix in drama movies:  Black Swan, 127 Hours, Rabbit Hole, The King's Speech, Inception, The Social Network and The Fighter.

Official nominees in drama movies: Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The King's Speech and The Social Network.

* My predix of Rabbit Hole and 127 Hours have not been included but it's normal, the category is for five movies only. I would have put Rabbit Hole instead of The Fighter or The Social Network. The rest have been what I said it would.



My predix in comedy/musical movies: The Kids Are Alright, Love and Other Drugs, Due Date, Easy A.

Official nominees in comedy/musical movies: Alice in Wonderland, Burlesque, The Kids Are All Right, Red, The Tourist.

* Super surprised by this category, two action movies have been included in a comedy category where Easy A, Love and Other Drugs and Due Date should have been. Alice in Wonderland is a good choice but Burlesque is definitely not. Thank God, The Kids Are Alright has been included.



My predix in drama actresses: Natalie Portman, Nicole Kidman, Helena Bonham Carter

Official lead & supporting drama actress nominees: Halle Berry, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lawrence, Natalie Portman, Michelle Williams, Amy Adams, Helena Bonham Carter, Mila Kunis, Melissa Leo & Jacki Weaver

*The three names I proposed are in the list. I'm happy with this category, they all deserve it. The only name that troubles me is Halle Berry. Don't know if she should have been nominated.



My predix in comedy actress nominees: Julianne Moore, Annette Bening, Anne Hathaway, Emma Stone

Official comedy actress nominees: Annette Bening, Anne Hathaway, Angelina Jolie, Emma Stone.

*My four choices were included. Angelina's nominees was unexpected. She's a great actress but she doesn't deserve it for The Tourist. I think Anne Hathaway should have had a double nom: one for Love and Other Drugs and the other for Alice in Wonderland.



My predix in drama actor nominees: James Franco, Aaron Eckhart, Colin Firth, Javier Bardem

Official lead & supporting drama actor nominees: Jesse Eisenberg, Colin Firth, James Franco, Ryan Gosling, Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Michael Douglas, Andrew Garfield, Jeremy Renner, Geoffrey Rush

*2 of my four were included. I cannot believe Aaron Eckhart was left out. He should have taken Jesse Eisenberg's nomination. Happy for Ryan Gosling, Michael Douglas and Geoffrey Rush. Michael Douglas was better in the first Wall Street but as always, awards take pity to the ones who are sick. Shouldn't be that way but every single time happens the same. Take the example of Michael C. Hall last year. And Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale, whoa, really??



My predix in comedy actor nominees: Robert Downey Jr.

Official nominees in comedy actor nominees: Johnny Depp, Johnny Depp, Paul Giamatti, Jake Gyllenhaal, Kevin Spacey.

* Must say that Depp's nomination for Alice in Wonderland is understandable but the second for The Tourist isn't. That one should have been taken by Robert Downey Jr, who was super hilarious in Due Date. Giamatti, Gyllenhaal and Spacey are good choices.

Now, on TV, the old family reunited again. It was predictable!
 
My predix in drama series: Mad Men, True Blood, Boardwalk Empire, Lost.
 
Official predix in drama series: Boardwalk Empire, Dexter, The Good Wife, Mad Men, The Walking Dead

*Very deserved nomination for The Good Wife. 2 of my predix were in. Happy not to see True Blood because as I said yesterday, the past season wasn't really good.


My predix in comedy series: Glee, Modern Family

Official predix in comedy series: 30 Rock, Glee, Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory, The Big C, Nurse Jackie.

*No complains here. It is what it was supposed to me.


My predix in lead drama actress: Julianna Margulies, Anna Paquin

Official nominees in lead & supporting drama actress: Julianna Margulies, Piper Perabo, Elisabeth Moss, Katey Sagal, Kyra Sedwick, Hope Davis, Kelly McDonald and Julia Stiles

*Nice to see that Anna Paquin is not in the list because as I said yesterday, Sookie is annoying. Kyra Sedwick had to be there and more now that The Closer has been cancelled. Thumbs up for Julianna and Elisabeth but Piper Perabo?? Excuse me? I must say that I like Covert Affairs and Piper Perabo but not in a way that it should be considered in awards. Covert Affairs is not Alias, just as Piper Perabo is not Jennifer Garner. Sorry but that Perabo's spot should have been for Anna Torv.



My predix in comedy actress: Laura Linney, Jane Lynch, Sofia Vergara.

Official predix in lead & supporting comedy actress: Toni Collette, Edie Falco, Tina Fey, Laura Linney, Lea Michele, Sofia Vergara, Jane Lynch

*Same group as last year, no complains.



My predix in drama actor:  Hugh Laurie, Jon Hamm, Michael C.Hall

Official nominees in lead & supporting drama actor: Steve Buscemi, Bryan Cramston, Michael C.Hall, Jon Hamm, Hugh Laurie, Chris Noth, Scott Caan and David Strathairn.

*The family of lead drama actors reunites again. Nice to see Hugh again, it was a relief because wasn't so sure. Noth, Caan and Strathairn really deserve their nomination as supporting actors. Happy overrall.



My predix in comedy actor: Eric Stonestreet

Official nominees in lead & supporting comedy actor: Alec Baldwin, Matthew Morrison, Steve Carell, Jim Parsons, Thomas Jane, Chris Colfer, Eric Stonestreet.

*As in dramatic actor, the same old family joins again. Hello Thomas Jane!


I miss nominations!! Fringe and Lost deserved some! At least to Terry O'Quinn and Michael Emerson. Maybe the Emmy....

lunes, 13 de diciembre de 2010

Reflections Pre Golden Globe Nominations

It's been a month since my last entry (I still have three or more articles pending about Undercovers, I feel bad about it but the show's already cancelled, what's the point then?) and I've been repressing myself because I have so much to say and very little time to sit down and write without rush. Believe me, I've sit in front of the computer many times these past weeks but when I was beginning to map something up, my mind went back to all the things I had pending to do. (Never underestimate the great power of the brain!). Now, I'm about to start my xmas holidays and I have less stuff to do, that's why you are all reading these lines. LOL

The thing is that tomorrow are the Golden Globes nominations and I couldn't be more excited about it. You may think, why's that? You're not even an actress? True, it's true (although I've been an actress in dreams, LOL) but I'm a massive consumer of cinema, I like to know who's doing what and with whom and believe me, every single day I'm discovering more and more interesting stuff about this business thanks to the master's degree I'm doing and dear friends who are near this fascinating world that my love for cinema is like a great and true love story.

So, why do I like the Golden Globes? To me, it's the most spontaneous award show ever. Everybody all together at Beverly Hills Hotel' dining room, having some drinks, eating, chit-chatting, gossiping, standing out to say hello to friends who are on the side of the room. You can see all that from home (yeah, we're peeping tom!) and you comment to your sofa partner how wonderful that dress Anne Hathaway is wearing or how well Hugh Laurie wears his tux (which is true!) or you can't believe your eyes when you see Brad whispering Angie something or George Clooney giving a hug to Julia Roberts. You don't see stars there but normal people hanging out. It's an annual night where everybody sees everybody because otherwise, they won't see each other. Kinda like X-Mas when all the family is all together. It's NOT AT ALL a tight show like the Academy Awards are. I think if the Academy Awards introduced a little sparkle of this spontaneous interaction, people at home and at the Kodak Theater would enjoy it a whole more. Because, let's be honest, the Academy Awards are boring! Another reason why I love this awards is because the Hollywood Foreign Press Association gives them and they tend to be very fair. I've been watching these awards for 10 years and I've never felt disappointed. They award people wisely.

The host, this year, will also be Ricky Gervais, who was absolutely great. What can I say? I love witty dark British humour. Every single time he appeared on stage, he took a sip to his beer and bam! great joke. He really can't shut his mouth, he likes flattering people but also say what other people don't dare in a way that 98% of the people would enjoy and the rest would feel offended.

I won't be able to get my predictions 100% but taking into account what I've seen and what I've read, my predictions will be kinda close. So, here are some names that I expect to be called tomorrow.

In movies, Black Swan, 127 Hours, Rabbit Hole (this is a personal choice! even though the movie hasn't been considered in its whole), The King's Speech, Inception and The Social Network (telling you the truth, I'm an avid Facebooker but the movie was kinda blah! to me, don't get why critics think is that good). The Fighter with Mark Wahlberg is getting a lot of buzz but what's the point? Didn't we have The Wrestler two years ago? Sounds like an old story to me. That's in drama. In comedy, The Kids Are Alright, Love and Other Drugs, Due Date, Easy A.

As for actors: Natalie Portman, James Franco, Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart (that's another personal choice), Colin Firth, Javier Bardem, Helena Bonham Carter, Julianne Moore and Annette Bening (although both have done better performances). Probably Anne Hathaway, Emma Stone and Roberth Downey Jr.

I think in the TV category, the same old family will be reunited again and a couple of newbies will get in. Glee, Mad Men, Modern Family (which will win!), True Blood (even though, I think this season doesn't deserve it ), Boardwalk Empire, Lost. Sadly, I have the feeling my dear and loved Hugh Laurie won't get his sixth nomination but I want to be wrong. He already has two GG, can't complain at all but it's always nice to see him win because he deserves and his acceptance speeches are awesome. He's such a SUPERB actor. Jon Hamm, Michael C.Hall, Julianna Margulies, Laura Linney, Jane Lynch, Sofia Vergara, Eric Stonestreet and probably Anna Paquin (although, I must say Sookie Stackhouse is becoming more and more annoying). Please, I'd like to see some Lost nomination, I think it's appropiate and please, give Anna Torv some love. She's fantastic in Fringe, one of the greatest series on TV these days that FOX refuses the good treatment it deserves.

Let's see if my intuition gets close to reality or not tomorrow....

domingo, 14 de noviembre de 2010

TV Review: Undercovers - "Assassin"

"Article first published as "TV Review: Undercovers - "Assassin"" on Blogcritics.org."

First of all, let me apologise for writing the review of the Undercovers episode "Assassin" two weeks after it aired. Still, the episode is worth exploring.

In this new adventure, Agents Samantha (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and Steven (Boris Bodjoe) Bloom must travel to Lima (Peru) in order to prevent the assassination of the new president of the country, Alberto Loya.

The opening teaser shows us Steven aiming a gun and ready to shoot the president of Peru but, wait a minute, wasn't Steven a good guy? At this point, the episode goes backwards so we can all get an explanation to why Steven is in this situation. This strategy of storytelling was greatly used in Alias as well. I think it's a good cliffhanger for the audience.

As in every episode, we get to know how the Bloom Catering is doing. This week, the catering's new client is Jennifer Anthony, an old friend of Sam's who opens Pandora's Box again when she mentions a former college professor with whom Sam had a special friendship.

Agent Shaw (Gerald McRaney) pays his weekly visit to the store so he can debrief the couple about their new mission. Shaw tells them about Victor Guzman, a very dangerous hitman who was recently caught by the authorities and who had confessed he was hired by a guy called Ivanov to assassinate Loya.

Sam infiltrates in a junket as a reporter in order to talk with Loya and warn him about being in danger. Like in almost all J.J Abrams' productions, Abrams likes to give small roles to friends or actors who have previously worked with the director. Here, the familiar face is David Anders. Probably if I say he played Sark in Alias, you'd quickly remember him, right?

After the meeting in Lima, the team travels to Rio so Sam could get important data related to Loya and Steven could approach Ivanov and take Guzman's job as he's "dead" - actually Guzman is imprisoned but that's the lie Steven tells to Ivanov. I think now you understand why Steven was aiming that gun at the beginning of the episode.

Thanks to Leo's (Carter MacIntyre) hookup with a member of Loya's administration, we get to know the real (oil) enemies of the politician. Then, the story suddenly takes a twist when Sam gets captured and we realize that the enemy targered by the agents is not who they thought he was.

At the end of the episode, the president and Peru are saved thanks to the team. We again are hinted about the possibility of a romance between Leo and Lizzy (Mekia Cox) as they seem to have very good chemistry together and Sam confesses to Steven the reason why she left the agency. At last, we get to know a little bit of her past!! Too bad, it's so late, because the show won't run for much longer.

NBC announced the cancellation of Undercovers days ago. Don't you find it a bit contradictory? I mean, a few weeks ago, the network ordered nine more scripts and now, the idea has been revoked. I feel bad for the cast and crew because new plots and roles were announced. There are three more episodes pending before we say a definite goodbye to the Blooms & Co, so stay tuned!

viernes, 5 de noviembre de 2010

Five Movies That Scream Oscar Buzz

"Article first published as Five Movies That Scream Oscar Buzz on Blogcritics.org."

Fall is a season I particularly dislike but when it comes to cinema, it represents the very best of the year. Fall season seems to be the time of the year when big studios reveal the greatest treasures they have been working and hiding for months. It also means the beginning of the award season - at least, when it comes to nominations.

In my opinion, 2010 has generally lacked of strong and powerful movies. So, I really hope the last months of the year contribute to great quality. I know there are plenty of offers coming up but here's a short selection of movies I can bet they'd be considered for the Oscar race.

1. The King's Speech by Tom Hooper (Nov. 26th)

Last year's Oscar contender Colin Firth seems to want to return to the Oscar race this year, not as a single man but as king, as George VI of Britain, to be exact in Tom Hooper's The King's Speech. The movie is centered on George VI's sudden ascension to the throne and his constant struggle to overcome his insecurities. Presented in many film festivals such as Telluride, Toronto or London, the cast is completed with Helena Bonham Carter, who plays George VI's wife, Queen Elizabeth; Michael Gambon, Geoffrey Rush and Guy Pearce. A very big and talented British cast in a history drama. The Queen's Helen Mirren reigned the Oscars in 2007; will Firth be crowned best actor this year?



2. The Kids Are All Right by Lisa Cholodenko (in theaters)

Annette Bening and Julianne Moore play a long time and loving lesbian couple with two children conceived by artificial insemination in this dramedy that has delighted critics since it was presented in Sundance. Children are curious by nature, there's no doubt about that! So, what do you think is going to happen when they look for their father (Mark Ruffalo) and decide to bring him to the family life?. This is not American Beauty but the Academy tend to like family issues. Plus, I think it's about time that both Bening and Moore get recognized after many nominations for the golden statuette.



3. Black Swan by Darren Aronofsky (Dec. 3rd)

This movie has travelled all over the world and has visited the most prestigious film festivals you can imagine. In Black Swan, director Darren Aronofsky turns Natalie Portman into a ballerina haunted and pressured by a new dancer (Mila Kunis) who wants to snatch her spot in the ballet company's new production. This fight for the precious spot leads Portman to a deep and dark turmoil we haven't seen the actress portraying before.



4. Rabbit Hole by John Cameron Mitchell (Dec.17th)
I'm really excited about this movie because I think it'll represent Nicole Kidman's comeback to drama; to her best, strong and almost flawless performance level she used to give us years ago in movies like The Others, The Hours, and Eyes Wide Shut. Based on David Lindsay-Abaire's play, the story revolves around a young happy couple (Kidman and Aaron Eckhart), whose life is turned upside down after their son dies in an accident. I haven't seen the movie yet but it seems the movie is not only centered on the grief and helplessness of losing a child but also on how a marriage is affected by such loss. A very delicate matter and by the trailer, we can see all the cast is giving very heartfelt performances.



5. 127 Hours by Danny Boyle (Dec. 22nd)

Slumdog Millionaire gave success and excellent recognition to Danny Boyle, will the same happen to 127 Hours? Based on a true story, the movie focuses on Aron Ralston (James Franco), a young fearless climber who gets trapped under a boulder in Utah and resorts to very desperate measures in order to stay alive. This is a story about survival - we are Aron's company during those terrible 127 Hours and we suffer with him - but also about how extreme situations could make us re-examine our lives and look for things to improve if we are able to move on safe and sound.



Other contenders: Inception by Christopher Nolan, Biutiful by Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu, Somewhere by Sofia Coppola, The Social Network by David Fincher and True Grit by Joel & Ethan Coen.

What do you think of these movies? Which one are you really looking forward to watch? Share your thoughts!

lunes, 1 de noviembre de 2010

TV Review: Undercovers - "Xerxes"

"Article first published as TV Review: Undercovers - "Xerxes" on Blogcritics.org."

Let's all refresh our memory and go two weeks back. Just forget about last week's episode "Not Without My Daughter" because that episode was not in order. Focus on the episode "Jailbreak" where we all started to get hints about Agents Samantha (Gugu Mbatha-Law) and Steven (Boris Bodjoe) Bloom's past, Agent Shaw (Gerald McRaney) having a mysterious conversation on the phone about being careful with the Blooms or else they would find out the truth of their reactivation and their mission was solid and interesting. Are we all placed in the context? Ok, let's proceed, then.

This week, the Blooms travel to Tuscany to purchase at auction a painting containing an encrypted formula for a biological weapon, (tested succesfully in an Australian tour bus). They are to apprehend Xerxes, a dangerous arms dealer eluding the authorites for the past three years; he is interested in getting the formula for Lord knows what evil reason why.

One of the most interesting aspects to this mission is that Sam has to assume one of her old covers and have as partner (a.k.a fake husband for the mission) an MI-5 agent called Clive instead of her husband Steven. Tension arises! So, Sam and Clive are the big frontrunners in Italy while Steven and Hoyt (Ben Schwartz) are backups along with Tessa, a young beautiful girl who comes with Clive and draws Hoyt's attention. Love is in the air...

Now, Clive is an interesting fellow because thanks to him, we get more hints about Sam and Steven's pasts. It's clear that Clive has worked with them separately and wants to take a trip to memory lane and revive some anecdotes but Sam stops him in time by mentioning the non-past talking pact we got to know in "Jailbreak".

Later, as they hack the history of every painting so they can locate the piece of art containing the lethal formula, Sam forgets about this pact. Clive starts telling her why Steven was brought out of the agency's training programme.

Hoyt likes Tessa more and more and asks advice of Steven, whom Hoyt considers a master in "risky" love relationships. Who better to play Dr. Love than Steven, who's married to a fierce sexy spy?

The story has its first twist when Hoyt and Steven are caught in the act as they proceed to exchange the painting for a replica. The day of the auction arrives and, Sam supervises the event herslef to see if Xerxes makes his appearance. Instead he has sent a lead to do the bidding. Tracing the phone used by the lead for bidding, the agents learn that the call was coming from a secured location in the villa, specifically, the room used by Sam and Clive, which had been previously set in a secured mode. Sam goes to the room and finds Clive shot on the floor.

Clive tells Sam that Xerxes is not a "he" as they assumed but a she. Why do we always initially think that villains are male? Xerxes is Tessa and she has been able to escape with the formula!! A very very nice twist for the plot! In my opinion, Tessa has been the best villain the show has had so far. Who could suspect that this innocent and nice looking girl who has stolen Hoyt's heart is actually a cold-bloodied killer? Poor Hoyt, he was so attracted to her, I feel bad for him.

In Florence, Agent Shaw informs the Blooms that the case will now be handled by the British, but Hoyt suddenly recalls hearing Tessa saying some numbers and code names on the phone in the villa. Thanks to Hoyt's good memory, they are able to trace Tessa in Hong Kong. There, the team is able to find the painting with the formula and Hoyt takes the lead in apprehending Tessa.

At the end, back home, Steven continues the story Clive started to tell Sam during the mission. Sam tells him there's no need but he proceeds telling her that he was kicked out of the training programme because he hacked in a highly classified database in order to get Sam's name and where she was because he had seen her before and was instantly attracted. He followed her until he got to marry her. A sacrifice gave a reward in return. Awwwwwwwww! But is that the real reason or was Steven just trying to sweeten the story?

So, what do you think of the episode? Did you miss Leo Nash in the mission? How about Tessa? Share your thoughts!

TV Review: Undercovers - "Not Without My Daughter"

"Article first published as TV Review: Undercovers - "Not Without My Daughter" on Blogcritics.org."

In this week's episode of Undercovers, Agents Samantha (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and Steven (Boris Bodjoe) Bloom are assigned to bring in a North Korean physicist called Shin Won and retrieve a device called Delta, which is able to change an object's state of matter.

The episode opens with Lizzy (Mekia Cox) speaking secretly on the phone while browsing her sister's closet in search for the perfect dress to wear in her 90-day sober celebration. Over the phone, Lizzy is clearly worried about the possibility of them (that is, her sister and husband) figuring something out but what is it they are going to figure it out? Last week, we got Agent Shaw talking mysteriously on the phone and this week, it's Lizzy. It may not be a coincidence, and it got me thinking that Lizzy could also be a part of the plot of the Bloom's reactivation. Could it be? What do you think?

While on the mission, Sam gets emotionally attached to Shin Won because he wants to renegotiate the terms of his defection in exchange of his daughter's safety. It is at this moment that Sam realizes that despite the fact that her job is crucial for the world's security, family always comes first.

The Blooms travel to North Korea despite Agent Shaw's disapproval. Once in Pyongyang, Agents Bloom encounter their doppelganger, a French intelligence couple who are also there to save May. You have the right to be suspicious of these two because the French are not there to help May; their main target is getting hold of he Delta device and kill the Blooms.

The mission causes Sam to miss her sister Lizzy's 90-day sober celebration. I truly understand Lizzy's disappointment at the end of the episode and more after Sam promises her to be there in that important day. After all, Lizzy forgives her sister because deep down, it seems to me that Sam has always been there with Lizzy during her alcohol detox.

I was really pleased with last week's episode as it presented an interesting and solid mission and what seemed to be the beginning of the exploration of Agents Bloom's past. This week, the show seems to have taken a step back with an episode that looks a bit off because Leo (Carter MacIntyre), a crucial backup for the couple, isn't on screen and Steven, Sam or Hoyt don't even mention him during the mission. Was this episode to be aired before last week's "Jailbreak"? I'm thinking that's the case! And here I was hoping to discover something new and shocking about the spies. Next week, I guess!

Even though NBC has ordered four more scripts of Undercovers for this season, the show really needs more powerful and good episodes as the one from last week to boost its audience because it's still not as good as it was expected.

So, what did you think of "Not Without My Daughter"? Do you feel that the show needs a big guest star to draw the audience's attention? Share your thoughts!