Philip Winchester Fans
Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.


A forum for fans of actor Philip Winchester
 
HomeHome  GalleryGallery  Latest imagesLatest images  SearchSearch  RegisterRegister  Log inLog in  
Latest topics
» Problems?
S3/4 EP 8 Emptyby Alize Mon May 18, 2015 3:51 pm

» Admin blog
S3/4 EP 8 Emptyby Alize Mon May 18, 2015 3:31 pm

» How Philip Winchester Keeps Fit
S3/4 EP 8 Emptyby Alize Fri Mar 28, 2014 2:28 pm

» Magazines
S3/4 EP 8 Emptyby Alize Thu Mar 27, 2014 11:38 pm

» 2014 Happy Birthday Philip!
S3/4 EP 8 Emptyby Alize Sun Mar 23, 2014 10:06 pm

March 2024
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
    123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
CalendarCalendar
Social bookmarking
Social bookmarking reddit      

Bookmark and share the address of Philip Winchester Fans on your social bookmarking website

 

 S3/4 EP 8

Go down 
AuthorMessage
Alize
Admin
Alize


Posts : 1182
Join date : 2011-03-24

S3/4 EP 8 Empty
PostSubject: S3/4 EP 8   S3/4 EP 8 EmptyFri Oct 04, 2013 2:53 pm

http://www.examiner.com/article/strike-back-preview-video-and-photos-from-tonight-s-episode-28


'Strike Back': Preview video and photos from tonight's 'Episode 28' (Video)
Comment0

October 4, 2013

There are just three weeks left before Strike Back finishes its third season. BFTV brings you an early glimpse at tonight's 'Episode 28,' with a pair of new video clips and some photos courtesy of our friends at Cinemax.

Everyone has something to be worried about this week: Damian Scott (Sullivan Stapleton) is still trying to find his way out of Russian prison. Section 20 head honcho Locke (Robson Green) has his suspicions raised. Michael Stonebridge (Philip Winchester)'s condition continues to deteriorate, raising concerns about if the rest of the team can find him before less friendly forces do.

While Stonebridge might be on the ropes, that doesn't mean that the fight has gone out of him. Click the media player embedded with this article to check out a clip from tonight's episode, which is a perfect example of the old phrase "desperate times call for desperate measures."

Also don't miss the accompanying slideshow of images from 'Episode 28.'

We've also got something to get you excited about next week's 'Episode 29' - it's a behind-the-scenes piece showcasing the ambitious stunts Strike Back's actors took on for the final two episodes. You can watch that video here, and check out our interview with series director Michael J. Bassett, who told us some of what we can look forward to.

In other Strike Back-related news, it was announced yesterday that series star Philip Winchester has landed a role in the upcoming feature film Undrafted. You can click here to read more about his new project.

Strike Back airs tonight at 10 PM ET/PT on Cinemax
Back to top Go down
https://pwmultiply.forumotion.com
Alize
Admin
Alize


Posts : 1182
Join date : 2011-03-24

S3/4 EP 8 Empty
PostSubject: Re: S3/4 EP 8   S3/4 EP 8 EmptyFri Oct 04, 2013 2:54 pm

http://www.starpulse.com/news/Brittany_Frederick/2013/10/04/strike_back_preview_tonights_allnew_ep

'Strike Back': Preview Tonight's All-New 'Episode 28'
October 4th, 2013 12:09pm EDT | Brittany Frederick

There are just three weeks left before Strike Back finishes its third season. BFTV brings you an early glimpse at tonight's 'Episode 28,' with a pair of new video clips courtesy of our friends at Cinemax.

Everyone has something to be worried about this week: Damian Scott (Sullivan Stapleton) is still trying to find his way out of Russian prison. Section 20 head honcho Locke (Robson Green) has his suspicions raised. Michael Stonebridge (Philip Winchester)'s condition continues to deteriorate, raising concerns about if the rest of the team can find him before less friendly forces do.

While Stonebridge might be on the ropes, that doesn't mean that the fight has gone out of him. Click below to check out a clip from tonight's episode, which is a perfect example of the old phrase "desperate times call for desperate measures."

We've also got something to get you excited about next week's 'Episode 29' - it's a behind-the-scenes piece showcasing the ambitious stunts Strike Back's actors took on for the final two episodes. You can watch that video below, and check out our interview with series director Michael J. Bassett, who told us some of what we can look forward to.

In other Strike Back-related news, it was announced yesterday that series star Philip Winchester has landed a role in the upcoming feature film Undrafted. You can click here to read more about his new project.

Strike Back airs tonight at 10 PM ET/PT on Cinemax.
Back to top Go down
https://pwmultiply.forumotion.com
Alize
Admin
Alize


Posts : 1182
Join date : 2011-03-24

S3/4 EP 8 Empty
PostSubject: Re: S3/4 EP 8   S3/4 EP 8 EmptyFri Oct 04, 2013 2:59 pm

http://screenrant.com/strike-back-season-3-episode-8-preview-clips-2013/

‘Strike Back’ Season 3, Episode 8 Exclusive Clip: Cultural Differences & Car Chases
by Kevin Yeoman

Season 3 of Strike Back continues to up the ante with last week’s capture of an ailing Stonebridge while he, Scott and Locke’s FSB cover agent Piragova attempted to make a daring escape from a maximum security Russian prison that just so happened to house a piece of stolen NATO equipment, somehow tied into al-Zuhari’s nefarious plans to launch a large-scale terrorist attack.

Making things worse was the news that Stonebridge’s recent physical troubles didn’t stem from stress (like he kept telling everyone), but rather from exposure to a deadly neurotoxin that’s slowly working its way through his system. And now that he’s fallen into enemy hands, the race is on for Locke, Richmond and Martinez to recover their comrade before he can be used as a guinea pig in a series of experiments intended to test a devastating chemical agent.

While the rest of Section 20 is presumably busy dealing with Stonebridge, al-Zuhari’s plans and the increasingly distrustful and paranoid Leo Kamali, Damien Scott is still in his prison duds, trying to escape Russian authorities with deep-cover FSB officer Nina Piragova (Tereza Srbova) riding shotgun. As the above clip demonstrates, in the world of Strike Back, there’s always time for some witty banter and the exchange of ideas on the cultural differences that define Americans’ sense of humor and, in Scott’s case, his theory on how even the obvious beauty of his equally lost co-pilot is fleeting – thanks to generally held beliefs of superficial people prone to making sweeping generalizations.

Tereza Srbova and Sullivan Stapleton in Strike Back Episode 8 Strike Back Season 3, Episode 8 Exclusive Clip: Cultural Differences & Car Chases

But that’s the sort of thing that happens when Scott takes a new friend with him to test drive a Mercedes. It’s a crash course in the delicate social sciences of a globetrotting series for which a high-speed car chase on a gravel road is likely only the precursor to a far more explosive confrontation, pitting two against seemingly insurmountable odds.

At any rate, season 3 of Strike Back has turned up the heat on its characters in what is the show’s customarily entertaining fashion. It’s not whether Scott and Stonebridge will get out of their respective predicaments, but how, and with what kind of explosive results.

Be sure you tune in to find out, and then come and discuss in the comments of Screen Rant’s weekly analysis of the show.

_____

Strike Back episode 8 airs Friday night @10pm on Cinemax.
Back to top Go down
https://pwmultiply.forumotion.com
Alize
Admin
Alize


Posts : 1182
Join date : 2011-03-24

S3/4 EP 8 Empty
PostSubject: Re: S3/4 EP 8   S3/4 EP 8 EmptyFri Oct 04, 2013 6:03 pm

http://www.redeyechicago.com/entertainment/tv/redeye-strike-back-naked-philip-winchester-sullivan-stapleton-tv-20131004,0,284982.story

SHOW PATROL
'Strike Back' S.3 Ep.8 preview: 'Naked Punch'

By Curt Wagner, @ShowPatrol RedEye

4:19 p.m. CDT, October 4, 2013

Throughout Season 3 of Cinemax's "Strike Back," we've gotten to see the softer side of Sgt. Damien Scott.

Earlier in the season, he came face-to-face with his feelings for Mossad agent Rebecca (Lyne Renee) when their missions crossed paths. He's been sweetly supportive of his partner, Stonebridge (Philip Winchester), as he's dealt with the fallout from his wife's muder last season and his health issue this season. Then he meets Ester (Amy-Leigh Hickman), the young daughter of double agent Leo Kamali (Zubin Varla).

They struck up a friendship that seemed kind of odd for Scott. I mean, the guy usually sees women in two ways—and both involve him schtupping them. But we've learned that meeting Ester made Scott, who also season has been contemplating life outside of Section 20, think about the child of his he has never met. I talked to Stapleton duing San Diego Comic-Con about the more mature Sgt. Scott, and about Stapleton's friendship with Hickman. (watch the video above; if you can't view it, watch on my YouTube page.)

We see Ester briefly in the latest episode of the series, which I will call "Naked Punch" since no one official names the damn things. It premieres at 9 p.m. CT Oct. 4 on Cinemax with replays throughout the weekend.

As you can see in the exclusive to RedEye clip below, Scott and Russian Maj. Nina Pirogova (Tereza Srbova) escape from Black Bear Prison while Col. Locke (Robson Green) becomes suspicious of Kamali.

Stonebridge, his condition worsening from the botulism poisoning, has been moved to another location where he's just another specimen for the mad scientist Dr. Takenaka (Togo Igawa). In the second clip below, Stonebridge is fighting for his life as he tries to get information from Dr. Valigny (Carolin Stoltz).

And that's where my title suggestion comes into play. When I spoke to Winchester in May while he was still filming in Budapest, he teased the following, which should please his fans.

"I have some similar fighting as Scott did in the first season, if you know what I mean," he said. And I did. "You know how Scott had a naked fight? I've got to film that next week. So I won't be shagging anyone, but I've got some very close quarter combat."

"Naked Punch"—perfect title.

Michael J. Bassett and Tim Vaughan wrote the episode and Stephen Woolfenden directed. See photos from the episode here.
Back to top Go down
https://pwmultiply.forumotion.com
Alize
Admin
Alize


Posts : 1182
Join date : 2011-03-24

S3/4 EP 8 Empty
PostSubject: Re: S3/4 EP 8   S3/4 EP 8 EmptyFri Oct 04, 2013 11:30 pm

http://www.avclub.com/articles/season-3-episodes-7-and-8,103816/

Strike Back
Cinemax Sullivan Stapleton
B+
“Season 3, Episodes 7 And 8” S3 / E7-8
by Myles McNutt October 4, 2013

“We’re all just pieces on a board. That’s all.”

Damien Scott says this just after he’s been turned into a pawn in Leo Kamali’s life as a double—or triple, or quintuple—agent working with Al-Zuhari, and just before Kamali risks his own life to stop Al-Zuhari’s planned biological attack. He’s forgiving Kamali for giving up his location to Ulyanov, but he’s also explaining the rationale under which the members of Section 20 can keep going after losing Baxter and Dalton in quick succession, and the rationale that could lead to him cashing out the stolen diamonds with Stonebridge to lead a different life.

This season has continually doubled back to Baxter’s death at the beginning of the season, even if the characters rarely mention him by name. For Kamali, it was a sacrifice that had to be made in order to ensure his cover; for Dalton, it was a death she had to watch happen and feel responsible for, even if there was little she could have done about it. For the viewer, meanwhile, it was a sign that every piece on the board was vulnerable, reinforced by Dalton’s death and reaffirmed in “Episode Eight” when Leo Kamali takes a bullet to the head.

It’s a central theme within this season’s narrative, although it’s one that’s tougher to accept on Scott’s terms when you consider Strike Back as a television series. Scott and Stonebridge may feel like they are just pieces on the board as Dalton and Locke place their lives in danger and Kamali sells them out to the Russian mafia. However, as far as Strike Back is concerned, it’s difficult to imagine the series without this pairing, making the stakes for Stonebridge’s neurotoxicity considerably lower than the stakes for a character like Kamali. As bad as things looked in “Episode 8” for Stonebridge, I never once thought for a moment that the Smallpox variant being weaponized for Al-Zuhari would murder one of our heroes as Kamali stood and watched.

That has rarely stood in the way of Strike Back being entertaining, and that goes for these episodes as well. Even if the stakes of Stonebridge’s illness were ultimately low, it still provided an additional dynamic to the series’ take on the prison infiltration, and gave Philip Winchester the opportunity to play vulnerability beyond simply the emotional scars of his wife or lovers’ deaths in previous seasons. The buildup to his illness was never exactly subtle, but its impact on Stonebridge’s psyche was better handled, and as he sits in that hospital bed you can see him considering less his physical health—he’ll “be fine” according to Locke—and more the larger questions of whether this is how he wants to live his life. Strike Back remains adept at raising these questions in the midst of a storyline involving a cross-dressing Russian prison inmate inciting a riot and a remote human experimentation facility, never exactly slowing down to ruminate but nonetheless using the story to build key moments of conversation.

In “Episode Five” and “Episode Six,” the formula that allows the writers to achieve this grew stale and predictable. “Episode Seven” opens with such a moment, but it quickly evolves into a car chase, and then imprisonment, and then the ball starts rolling from there. There were still moments—in the cell before the riot, for example—where the show stopped to explore the characters’ perspective on their situation, but it felt contextual rather than transitional. Scott and Stonebridge reflect not because the story demands it of them, but rather because their situation—Stonebridge dying, both behind in bars and needing to escape—warrants such reflection.

Similarly, Richmond and Martinez build their own variation on the theme, but it’s through a cleverly designed sequence that pulls punches but nonetheless makes an impact. Although the writers back away from having Richmond and Martinez stand down and watch a child murdered in front of them, they nonetheless witness the death of an innocent woman. They did it to keep Scott and Stonebridge—and thus the mission, and thus their chance of stopping Al-Zuhari—alive, but Martinez later reflects on it with Richmond. It’s a great sequence because it acknowledges Martinez’s relatively recent introduction to Section 20’s code of ethics, allows Richmond to speak from a position of authority and experience (rather than simply serving as support for Scott and Stonebridge), and also summarizes the essence of the show. Martinez stops Richmond believing she’s simply going to explain that they live in a complicated world, but Richmond insists it’s the opposite: maybe the world is simpler than they would like to admit.

Strike Back is about simple pleasures, like a man flying off a tower after being shot or Stonebridge, naked, fighting his way out of being burned alive and lighting a man on fire in the process. In its third season, the show has continued along these lines, but it also brought in Kamali as an element of chaos. Introduced as a double agent, Kamali never entirely showed his true colors, and along the way the show laid hints he could still be working for Al-Zuhari. When he gives up Scott and Stonebridge, it’s easy to read that as a clear sign he’s been playing Section 20 all along as part of some sort of long con, but we eventually learn that it’s actually simple: he’s just trying to survive, thinking on his feet and accepting the consequences (or rather accepting the consequence he places onto others). Rather than a triple or quintuple agent, Leo Kamali was just a man in an impossibly difficult situation thinking in the heat of the moment, a simple explanation for complex behaviors.

“Episode Eight” ends with Kamali’s death, a victim of the simplicity of his situation and his heroic choice to risk his own live to save others. In many ways his death was inevitable, as his position too tenuous to survive the uncertainties of their investigation. Locke’s inspirational speech invites discussion of sacrifice, suggesting that every price will be paid in order for them to stop Al-Zuhari. As always, it seems unfathomable to imagine a scenario in which Section 20 doesn’t stop the planned attack; however, more than in past seasons, it seems plausible that they will suffer greater casualties in order to attain this goal, and that the sacrifice already experienced is only the beginning. It’s an ominous but effective way to enter into the season’s final two episodes, laying the groundwork for a finale that may have a happy ending but nonetheless seems positioned to reinforce what one must sacrifice to achieve such a conclusion.

Stray observations:

Writing about two episodes often results in focus on plot, theme, and character over the episodes themselves—I realize this can be a bit reductive to a show that’s also full of action and comedy, but I figure that gives us more to talk about in the stray observations and the comments.
“Who’s this?” “Pushkin!”—I had some issues with the way Pushkin was so quickly defined by his cross-dressing and then turned into a fount of exposition, but his response to Pirogova was a great laugh.
Between the prison setting and the spoon to the eye, you could almost sense Strike Back taking some cues from Banshee in this hour.
I almost admired the production’s inability to control their indulgence in prison riot cliché—they never sold me on the danger of the riot (especially that scene of the Governor getting randomly mobbed), but the individual fight scenes were strong enough to make it work.
“You owe me a beer.” “You wish.”—I appreciated this quick moment after Scott saved Richmond in the medical facility, an acknowledgment that she doesn’t suddenly lose her autonomy if she’s “saved” in battle.
So I’m revising my prediction from “Scott adopts Kamali’s daughter as his own” to “Scott and Stonebridge give Kamali’s daughter the diamonds.”

Back to top Go down
https://pwmultiply.forumotion.com
Alize
Admin
Alize


Posts : 1182
Join date : 2011-03-24

S3/4 EP 8 Empty
PostSubject: Re: S3/4 EP 8   S3/4 EP 8 EmptySat Oct 05, 2013 7:51 pm

http://www.avclub.com/articles/season-3-episodes-7-and-8,103816/#comment-1071647000

Strike Back
Cinemax Sullivan Stapleton
B+
“Season 3, Episodes 7 And 8” S3 / E7-8
by Myles McNutt October 4, 2013

B+ Community Grade

“We’re all just pieces on a board. That’s all.”

Damien Scott says this just after he’s been turned into a pawn in Leo Kamali’s life as a double—or triple, or quintuple—agent working with Al-Zuhari, and just before Kamali risks his own life to stop Al-Zuhari’s planned biological attack. He’s forgiving Kamali for giving up his location to Ulyanov, but he’s also explaining the rationale under which the members of Section 20 can keep going after losing Baxter and Dalton in quick succession, and the rationale that could lead to him cashing out the stolen diamonds with Stonebridge to lead a different life.

This season has continually doubled back to Baxter’s death at the beginning of the season, even if the characters rarely mention him by name. For Kamali, it was a sacrifice that had to be made in order to ensure his cover; for Dalton, it was a death she had to watch happen and feel responsible for, even if there was little she could have done about it. For the viewer, meanwhile, it was a sign that every piece on the board was vulnerable, reinforced by Dalton’s death and reaffirmed in “Episode Eight” when Leo Kamali takes a bullet to the head.

It’s a central theme within this season’s narrative, although it’s one that’s tougher to accept on Scott’s terms when you consider Strike Back as a television series. Scott and Stonebridge may feel like they are just pieces on the board as Dalton and Locke place their lives in danger and Kamali sells them out to the Russian mafia. However, as far as Strike Back is concerned, it’s difficult to imagine the series without this pairing, making the stakes for Stonebridge’s neurotoxicity considerably lower than the stakes for a character like Kamali. As bad as things looked in “Episode 8” for Stonebridge, I never once thought for a moment that the Smallpox variant being weaponized for Al-Zuhari would murder one of our heroes as Kamali stood and watched.

That has rarely stood in the way of Strike Back being entertaining, and that goes for these episodes as well. Even if the stakes of Stonebridge’s illness were ultimately low, it still provided an additional dynamic to the series’ take on the prison infiltration and gave Philip Winchester the opportunity to play vulnerability beyond simply the emotional scars of his wife or lovers’ deaths in previous seasons. The buildup to his illness was never exactly subtle, but its impact on Stonebridge’s psyche was better handled, and as he sits in that hospital bed you can see him considering less his physical health—he’ll “be fine” according to Locke—and more the larger questions of whether this is how he wants to live his life. Strike Back remains adept at raising these questions in the midst of a storyline involving a cross-dressing Russian prison inmate inciting a riot and a remote human experimentation facility, never exactly slowing down to ruminate but nonetheless using the story to build key moments of conversation.

In “Episode Five” and “Episode Six,” the formula that allows the writers to achieve this grew stale and predictable. “Episode Seven” opens with such a moment, but it quickly evolves into a car chase, and then imprisonment, and then the ball starts rolling from there. There were still moments—in the cell before the riot, for example—where the show stopped to explore the characters’ perspective on their situation, but it felt contextual rather than transitional. Scott and Stonebridge reflect not because the story demands it of them, but rather because their situation—Stonebridge dying, both behind in bars and needing to escape—warrants such reflection.

Similarly, Richmond and Martinez build their own variation on the theme, but it’s through a cleverly designed sequence that pulls punches but nonetheless makes an impact. Although the writers back away from having Richmond and Martinez stand down and watch a child murdered in front of them, they nonetheless witness the death of an innocent woman. They did it to keep Scott and Stonebridge—and thus the mission, and thus their chance of stopping Al-Zuhari—alive, but Martinez later reflects on it with Richmond. It’s a great sequence because it acknowledges Martinez’s relatively recent introduction to Section 20’s code of ethics, allows Richmond to speak from a position of authority and experience (rather than simply serving as support for Scott and Stonebridge), and also summarizes the essence of the show. Martinez stops Richmond believing she’s simply going to explain that they live in a complicated world, but Richmond insists it’s the opposite: Maybe the world is simpler than they would like to admit.

Strike Back is about simple pleasures, like a man flying off a tower after being shot or Stonebridge, naked, fighting his way out of being burned alive and lighting a man on fire in the process. In its third season, the show has continued along these lines, but it also brought in Kamali as an element of chaos. Introduced as a double agent, Kamali never entirely showed his true colors, and along the way, the show laid hints he could still be working for Al-Zuhari. When he gives up Scott and Stonebridge, it’s easy to read that as a clear sign he’s been playing Section 20 all along as part of some sort of long con, but we eventually learn that it’s actually simple: He’s just trying to survive, thinking on his feet and accepting the consequences (or rather accepting the consequence he places onto others). Rather than a triple or quintuple agent, Leo Kamali was just a man in an impossibly difficult situation thinking in the heat of the moment, a simple explanation for complex behaviors.

“Episode Eight” ends with Kamali’s death, a victim of the simplicity of his situation and his heroic choice to risk his own live to save others. In many ways his death was inevitable, as his position was too tenuous to survive the uncertainties of their investigation. Locke’s inspirational speech invites discussion of sacrifice, suggesting that every price will be paid in order for them to stop Al-Zuhari. As always, it seems unfathomable to imagine a scenario in which Section 20 doesn’t stop the planned attack; however, more than in past seasons, it seems plausible that they will suffer greater casualties in order to attain this goal, and that the sacrifice already experienced is only the beginning. It’s an ominous but effective way to enter into the season’s final two episodes, laying the groundwork for a finale that may have a happy ending but nonetheless seems positioned to reinforce what one must sacrifice to achieve such a conclusion.

Stray observations:

Writing about two episodes often results in focus on plot, theme, and character over the episodes themselves—I realize this can be a bit reductive to a show that’s also full of action and comedy, but I figure that gives us more to talk about in the stray observations and the comments.
“Who’s this?” “Pushkin!”—I had some issues with the way Pushkin was so quickly defined by his cross-dressing and then turned into a fount of exposition, but his response to Pirogova was a great laugh.
Between the prison setting and the spoon to the eye, you could almost sense Strike Back taking some cues from Banshee in this hour.
I almost admired the production’s inability to control their indulgence in prison riot cliché—the series never sold me on the danger of the riot (especially that scene of the Governor getting randomly mobbed), but the individual fight scenes were strong enough to make it work.
“You owe me a beer.” “You wish.”—I appreciated this quick moment after Scott saved Richmond in the medical facility, an acknowledgment that she doesn’t suddenly lose her autonomy if she’s “saved” in battle.
So I’m revising my prediction from “Scott adopts Kamali’s daughter as his own” to “Scott and Stonebridge give Kamali’s daughter the diamonds.”

Back to top Go down
https://pwmultiply.forumotion.com
Alize
Admin
Alize


Posts : 1182
Join date : 2011-03-24

S3/4 EP 8 Empty
PostSubject: Re: S3/4 EP 8   S3/4 EP 8 EmptySat Oct 05, 2013 7:57 pm

http://screenrant.com/strike-back-cinemax-season-3-episode-8-review/

‘Strike Back’: Just Pieces On A Board
55 minutes ago by Kevin Yeoman

Robson Green and Milauna Jackson in Strike Back Ep. 8 Strike Back: Just Pieces On A Board

As season 3 rolls along, it becomes clear that the writers wanted to take Strike Back into a place the series had only visited tangentially, or as the outcome to one of the many subplots swirling around while Scott and Stonebridge were off chasing the Big Bad or just making life miserable for people with nefarious plans regarding the world around them.

Case in point: This season’s Big Bad is, ostensibly the terrorist al-Zuhari, but he’s only been seen once, and that was in the form of a recorded video message intended to be broadcast as a warning to the people and cultures he saw himself as being at war with.

Instead of spending time understanding the antagonist’s motivations, or the various machinations of his or her plot against humanity, Strike Back has instead placed the underlying focus of the story on the physical, mental and spiritual toil the members of Section 20 (and all other sections like it, really) undergo in order to simply perform their job. Not only has this season witnessed the near collapse of perfect soldier Sgt. Michael Stonebridge, but it has also played with (overtly at times) the idea that even the best and most loyal soldier could find himself looking for the backdoor and his way out to a different kind of life.

In order to get to that line of thinking, however, the solider(s) in question have to be of a certain mindset, one that grants them the ability to move on and accept the things that are asked of or done to them in the name of freedom, or in the pursuit of keeping the world a safer place from maniacs with WMDs. Perhaps ironically, Strike Back seems to be suggesting that in order for guys like Stonebridge, Damien Scott and, in regard to episode 8, Leo Kamali, to be proficient at what it is that they do, they must also adopt a cynical way of thinking about the larger machine that they serve.

Scott sums this up fairly succinctly when he tells Kamali, “We’re all just pieces on a board. That’s all.” Translation: “You screwed me over to achieve a larger goal, but it’s okay; it’s part of the job.” It’s a good bet that response is just the kind of forgiveness Scott doles out simply as part of being Damien Scott, but it’s also indicative of the attitude that was instilled in him indirectly about what a life in Section 20 is worth. Scott and Stonebridge are great at their jobs and there’re always other soldiers around who want to back them up, but in the grand scheme of things, they’re pawns in a larger game, and sometimes pawns are sacrificed to ensure a victorious outcome to that game.

In the end, it’s no coincidence that Locke brings Stonebridge grapes while he’s recovering from the neurotoxin that nearly killed him. It’s a mixed message of blood, sacrifice and celebration. And as the death of Kamali proves, this season has been chock-full of the former, so Locke and Section 20 can take a small moment to observe the safe return of a key game piece.

_____

Strike Back continues next Friday @10pm on Cinemax. Check out a preview below:
Back to top Go down
https://pwmultiply.forumotion.com
Alize
Admin
Alize


Posts : 1182
Join date : 2011-03-24

S3/4 EP 8 Empty
PostSubject: Re: S3/4 EP 8   S3/4 EP 8 EmptySat Oct 05, 2013 7:58 pm

http://www.craveonline.com/tv/reviews/582551-strike-back-3-08-review

STRIKE BACK 3.08 Review
Section 20 attempts to save Scott and Stonebridge as Kamali comes to terms with his actions.
October 5th, 2013 Blair Marnell

Strike Back 308

Writers: Ben Newman & Simon Burke

Director: Stephen Woolfenden

Previously on "Strike Back":

Episode 3.07 Review


The role of Leo Kamali has been a great gift for Zubin Varla this season on “Strike Back.” Outside of the main characters, few other performers on this show have had a character arc as rich as Kamali’s story. Just eight episodes ago, Kamali was simply the man who murdered Sergeant Liam Baxter (Liam Garrigan) and an important figure in Al-Zuhari’s terrorist network.

Subsequently, Kamali was revealed to be a deep cover CIA agent; which only made the late Rachel Dalton (Rhona Mitra) even angrier at him for killing Baxter. But each episode has humanized Kamali and he’s even bonded with Sgt. Michael Stonebridge (Philip Winchester) and Sgt. Damien Scott (Sullivan Stapleton). By the end of episode six, Kamali was practically accepted as a defacto member of Section 20.

However, we as an audience were so primed for Kamali to turn on the team that it was disappointing when he finally did. Not in terms of execution, but because Kamali had become so sympathetic. That took a hit when Kamali gave up the location of Scott and Stonebridge to preserve his cover. Perhaps he did so out of paranoia and fear, but that doesn’t make it any less of a betrayal.

Episode 8 clarifies Kamali’s actions and he shows obvious remorse when he tells Lt. Colonel Philip Locke (Robson Green) what he did. By that point, Locke was so suspicious of Kamali that he basically accused Kamali of being an Islamic terrorist. Kamali’s pained expression spoke volumes, but it was a suspicion that he had earned. Kamali must have realized that or else he wouldn’t have through such lengths to prove himself once again to Section 20. To Locke and to Scott.

There’s a callback here to the very first episode of Cinemax’s incarnation of “Strike Back.” Later this month, American viewers are going to get a better chance to know the late John Porter (Richard Armitage) in the rechristened “Strike Back: Origins.” Porter was a member of Section 20 and a friend of Scott’s who was brutally executed in a terrorist propaganda video. The ending of this episode brought us back that image and it was chilling to see the men and women of Section 20 once again helpless to prevent an execution..

There are full spoilers ahead for last night’s episode of “Strike Back,” so if you happen to have missed it then you should probably skip this review or else you’re gonna have to tell Ester.


The worst part about Leo Kamali’s murder is that he’s made to repeat Al-Zuhari’s propaganda and admit to betraying the organization even though he’s getting a bullet to his head either way. As soon as that helicopter took off, it was clear that Kamali was a dead man. If Scott or Stonebridge had been taken hostage, I think their survival wouldn’t have been in doubt. Zubin Varla may have had fourth billing in the opening credits, but he was never the star of this show.

Scott’s first words after witnessing Kamali’s execution were about what he can possibly say to Kamali’s daughter, Ester (Amy Leigh Hickman) after promising to keep her dad safe. One of the reasons that Scott came to like Kamali was Ester herself. Scott has no family, although it’s been strongly hinted that he wants to reunite with his ex-lover and their daughter. Although, if there’s no one else for Ester, I could see Scott trying to take her in. He probably wouldn’t be the world’s greatest parent, but there’s love there.

Scott’s three episode streak of not having a sex scene came to an end before Kamali’s execution. Nothing kills the mood like watching one of your buddies get murdered. Even Locke shows obvious remorse over Kamali’s fate and the way that Locke mistrusted him. Locke’s earlier comment to Kamali was borderline racist, but it was in response to learning that Kamali had sold out Scott and Stonebridge.

Despite the suspicions, Kamali got to show off his heroic side during the raid of the testing facility that exposed his true loyalties. Watching Kamali poison that lead scientist was cathartic after witnessing what that man was doing to his helpless victims. And all throughout, Kamali seemed to be looking to Locke for his approval if only to win back his trust.

Prior to this, Scott and his reluctant partner, Major Nina Pirogova (Tereza Srobva) staged an impressive escape from their corrupt Russian captors. Scott and Nina’s interplay was very funny and very buddy movie. Their chemistry seemed to click and she’s the best sparring partner that Scott has had outside of Stonebridge. Exactly no one should be surprised that they ended up naked together in bed at the end as they went over the ways to properly enjoy Russian alcohol.

The women of Section 20, Sergeant Julia Richmond (Michelle Lukes) and Kim Martinez (Milauna Jackson) haven’t gotten quite the same focus that their male counterparts have received this season. However, the burgeoning friendship between Richmond and Martinez has had a nice slow burn. Here, Martinez gets a strong moment to reflect on the murder she could have prevented in the previous episode. She and Martinez could have saved an innocent woman from being executed, but they held back to protect the mission as well as Scott and Stonebridge.

Whereas Martinez is shaken by what happened, Richmond has taken a more pragmatic view. As she explains it, the world is simple, not complicated. And dealing with the complex morality of their actions “gets better.” It’s not that Richmond doesn’t care about the woman’s death, she’s simply numbed herself to that kind of situation.

Similarly, Scott doesn’t quite allow Kamali to apologize for selling him out because he views everyone as pieces on a game board. In this game, everyone is expendable. Scott is not endorsing this worldview. In fact, it’s probably why he’s so eager to take his stolen diamonds and get the hell out of Section 20. Only Scott’s loyalty to Stonebridge and the rest of the team has kept him around this long.

I know that I’ve mentioned Kamali disproportionately in this review, but his story this season was one of the most affecting. However, a good deal of this episode rests solely on the shoulders of Philip Winchester’s Michael Stonebridge; who had to make a partial escape just to call in reinforcements while dealing with the lethal side effects of his exposure to a bio-weapon.

In another callback to the first season, Stonebridge has to fight off and kill two guards while completely naked in front of an incinerator. It’s another one of those “Only on Cinemax!” moments, which includes Scott’s romp with Nina.

At the back of my mind, I knew that Stonebridge would pull through. But Winchester conveyed Stonebridge’s vulnerability so well that there was a real sense of danger when Dr. Takenaka (Togo Igawa) was ready to expose Stonebridge to the bio-weapon.

I fully expect that Stonebridge will be back in action for the beginning of next week’s two part endgame to this season’s storyline. Scott and Stonebridge work best as a team. Separating them for the bulk of this episode served as a reminder of how formidable they are together. It’s hard not to root for them to save the day and then retire to safety with the stolen diamonds.

But then there wouldn’t be any show, would there? As long as Winchester and Stapleton are are sticking around, Scott and Stonebriidge will always be destined to kick some serious ass on Friday nights.



craveonline_ratings_set_85
Back to top Go down
https://pwmultiply.forumotion.com
Sponsored content





S3/4 EP 8 Empty
PostSubject: Re: S3/4 EP 8   S3/4 EP 8 Empty

Back to top Go down
 
S3/4 EP 8
Back to top 
Page 1 of 1

Permissions in this forum:You cannot reply to topics in this forum
Philip Winchester Fans :: Philip's Work :: Strike Back-
Jump to: