100 Alcatraz ... Really?

First, welcome to the official 100th Post on this Blog. This is both a miracle and an unfortunate necessity. But I will celebrate it all the same.

Hellish week ...
Yes, let's begin this special 100th post on a rant.
Last week was another one of those "shit" always comes in three week.
On Monday I got injured at the gym. I have been waiting to go back to the gym for months now and I just finally got my wish ... When I hurt my damn leg. Hopefully this is not a forever kind of injury and I will be able to go back to my workouts. Patience.
On Tuesday my computer completely crashed. I suspect freaking Skype is the culprit, but I have no evidence yet. So, I waster 2 days getting back to normal. Not so fun.
On Wednesday the car engine light came on. Since I haven't been using it regularly for the past 12 months [damn it] I thought I should take it to the shop immediately and not take any chance.
Now I am driving the most boring rental there is [It's a Dodge Cobalt ... What the F!]. I can't even tell it apart from the other million boring cars around here, so I've had to remember the license plate so that I could find it in the parking lot. 1,000$ later, what a waste of time.

Alcatraz TV series [2012] Fox

The Plot
In 1963,every prisoner and staffer of the infamous Alcatraz prison vanishes without a trace.
The government covers it up and promptly closes Alcatraz and today, the convicts and staff are reappearing.
Detective Rebecca Madsen [Sarah Jones] of the SFPD teams up with Dr Diego Soto [Jorge Garcia], a geek-type dude obsessed with the history of Alcatraz to find one of those convicts who suddenly reappears and commits murders. And that's just the beginning. Someone is bringing these guys back and controling them somehow.
They [Madsen and Soto] begin working for Agent Hauser [Sam Neill], a mysterious and maybe good or maybe bad guy who is involved is all the cover up stuff. 

How bored was I?
I mean, I really couldn't help myself, I lost interest pretty early and only made it through because there was really nothing else to do at the time. I understand that the initial premise of the story might be considered interesting and probably even capable of generating seasons after season of new material [although I wouldn't bet on it]. I think that I am at a point where I cannot muster the patience and curiosity for the "Lost" type of series where everything is a big mystery that gets revealed slowly over the year [and not even in a very satisfying sort of way]. I need something more!

Jorge Garcia, what?
Is Diego Soto the "sidekick." Man oh man, sooooo disappointing. From what I can tell, he is supposed to be the "comic relief" guy. Since none of the other characters have any sense of humor at all and the plot is pretty depressing, he's the only one who should bring some level of levity and relief from all the darkness. And it's not working.

Jorge Garcia is subdued, his reactions are barely visible. A slight eye rolling, a small smirk and one hell of a "raised eyebrow" look that says both I am so sad and I am so happy look. I can't tell the difference.
I understand that this was the pilot and that the characters have to find themselves, but I hope they step to it quick because the Fox execs are not known for their patience and they
obviously have no problem canceling a series after just one episode. [FYI]

Her outfits, OMG!
I don't necessarily adhere to the culturally accepted custom that every woman on screen must always be completely made up, wearing short skirt and low cut tank tops. However, whatever she was wearing was so bad, I was distracted the whole time.
None of the clothes fit, she looked like a 16 year old who ran away from home in 1984. She's had to fend for herself and lives on street. She can't afford to be picky with the clothes and shops at the Salvation Army. Her haircut is homemade and didn't cost her a thing. She's trying to survive by break dancing on the sidewalks. Life is really hard for this chick.

What the Fuck?

I understand that it is quite annoying when all those supposedly powerful women potraying cops and FBI agents are wearing super high heels you know they can't run in. Or the super tight pants you know they can't scale fences and stuff ...
But please, this is ridiculous and borderline offensive.
Let me give you a hint people of Alcatraz: Look up Audrey Parker on Haven 

Better Right?

or Olivia Dunham on Fringe that should be a good start.

Real Style

099 Bomb Patrol: Afghanistan

Dear France
My departure has been full of regrets and relief. I hate you and I love you at the same time. The paradox is driving me crazy.

Querido Los Angeles, 
Te echo de menos. Te ves asombroso y tu huele estupendo. Saldrás conmigo!

Bomb Patrol: Afghanistan

... Has anyone heard of this show? I was surfing and ended up on G4 and was immediately mesmerized by Bomb Patrol: Afghanistan. It's weird because I even feel uncomfortable calling that a "show." It feels a little bit disrespectful.

I saw an episode with a US Navy EOD unit [Explosive Ordnance Disposal] trying to "clean up" route X. They find, removed and detonate all the IEDs hidden on the road. They have cameras on their helmets and in the trucks and so we see everything. We even see what happens when an IED explodes right under one of the trucks [Buffalo]. The guys inside came out alive but really shaken up.
In another truck, Ricky [soulstealer] tries to get out and there is an orange trip wire right outside his door which means that they are sitting on a bomb. After some discussion, he decides to go out and cut the wire by hand. His strategy works, but when he gets back in the cabin, he can't talk right away, although his face doesn't show it, he is still so freaked out, he needs a moment to recover.

That's a close one

At one point, the bombs kept going off just as the EOD's trucks were passing by and the soldiers figured out that some guy was tracking them and remotely detonating the bombs trying to kill as many soldiers as possible. INSANE. We see it all as it is happening. It's completely terrifying.

The last episode I saw was called "Firefight", it was the most intense hour of television I've ever seen in my life. Bombs, ambushes, firefight, explosions and casualties.
If you can take it, you got to see it.
Here is a small sample:

 

Titan and Dione

With a balanced atmosphere. Wow!