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Flesh and Bone, Season 1 examines power and control through ballet

While the show presents some very interesting ideas over the course of its season, it fails to properly follow through or develop several of them, leading to the sum of the series adding up to less than a whole and leaving Flesh and Bone as, ultimately, a disappointment.

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Outlander, Ep.1.10, “By the Pricking of My Thumbs” gets back on track

Playing with perspective is a common trope in TV. Lost, and countless imitators, used this as its primary storytelling device, telling its story from a different character’s point of view in every episode. This can be an incredibly rewarding way of unravelling episodic stories, allowing individual stories to briefly take precedence, giving them greater significance and nuance, and letting the overarching plot move forward incrementally. This approach is not suitable for all shows, however, which Outlander learned all too well last week when it returned from a six-month hiatus.

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Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Ep. 1.02: “Sacramentum Gladiatorum” establishes status quo

Following a pilot that enabled the world of Spartacus: Blood and Sand to come together, “Sacramentum Gladiatorum” is the beginning of a new life for the man now known as Spartacus. Even as he denies that identity, trying to say his true name out loud, Blood and Sand kicks him from behind and holds him down on his knees.

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Raimi and Campbell bringing ‘Ash vs. Evil Dead’ to Starz in 2015

We reported a few months back that Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell were in the early stages of developing an Evil Dead TV series and now Variety has given an update that the show is officially moving forward and will air on Starz in 2015. The show will be called Ash vs. Evil Dead. The show …

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Outlander: A Bold, Richly Imagined Adaptation

Here’s the thing about the novel, at least the first one in Diana Gabaldon’s series (and I say this understanding the instant hatred I will earn): it’s tripe. The bare-bones plot of Gabaldon’s series is fantastic – a fiery 1950’s nurse who time-travels back to 18th century Scotland, is plunged into the conflict there, and …

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Power, Ep. 1.04: “Who Are You?” showcases the series’ right-hand man

Already halfway through its first season, Power has shown no interest in leaving its story in fifth gear. There are moments when the pace quickens to what you might expect from a thriller, but they are few and far between–and for good reason, it seems.

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Power, Ep. 1.03: “This is Real” feels like lowered stakes

“This is Real” mostly deals with the reverberations of Ghost’s actions in Power to this point. That may take the form of the key chain that his daughter chokes on, but it is also represented in how all the groups involved in the crime plot–police forces included–are responding to the message that Ghost sent via severed body parts.

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Da Vinci’s Demons, Ep. 2.10: “The Sins of Daedalus” brings an improved second season to an abrupt end

As was the case last year, Da Vinci’s Demons concludes its season with a somewhat frustrating cliffhanger that leaves plenty of doors open but fails to satisfy enough by not paying off certain season-long threads.

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Da Vinci’s Demons, Ep. 2.08: “The Fall from Heaven” is another wacky adventure episode

The gradual build in quality, the most impressive aspect of which has been balancing several different point-of-view characters across multiple episodes lately, isn’t astonishing; however, it is noticeable and worth appreciating.

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Da Vinci’s Demons, Ep. 2.06: “The Rope of the Dead” is exactly what Starz should be looking for

Starz knows exactly what it needs. “The Rope of the Dead” is that thing. It is the perfect blend of high octane action, visual spectacle (enhanced by a little bit of sexiness, of course) and powerfully emotional character beats.

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Da Vinci’s Demons, Ep. 2.04: “The Ends of the Earth” is an entertaining mixture of stories

What strikes me most when considering “The Ends of the Earth” is how the episode (and this season, by extension) manages to engage the viewer while Leo and Riario–arguably the series’ two most compelling characters–are so far removed from the events occurring in Italy.

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