The Ravens desperately need to fix the receiving corps. Derrick Mason has been a great #1, but he's old and on the verge of retirement. He plays great but he can't beat double coverage and doesn't have the same speed as before. Mark Clayton has a couple of good games a year but other than that he is very inconsistent. I'd move him to the slot to get more productive as he has trouble getting separation when he's one on one. Kelly Washington is primarily a third down receiver and always pulls out a first down, but he isn't exactly a #2 potential receiver, I'd still keep him around since he could possibly get better. I'd say with the first round pick we should get a receiver, but considering the Ravens' track record with drafting receivers in the first round, I'd be more inclined to get a defense player. I mean Ozzie is superb at drafting players and scouting out talent on the defensive side (Ngata, Suggs, Reed, and of course Lewis), but in terms of offense he doesn't have a keen eye for it (Kyle Boller and Mark Clayton..). I'm looking at Brandon Marshall though he would cost a lot with a 1st and 3rd rounder, but I'd rather have him as proven talent with 100+ receptions then a young kid who could go up or down. Or possibly a try at Anquain Boldin as he seems unhappy in Arizona and is in the last year of his contract. He's a little older and has quite a few injuries so he would be cheaper than a 1st rounder, but he's twice as good as anything the Ravens already have. Either way, a new #1 WR is the top priority for the Ravens. The defense and running game are both in place, but the passing game needs a major overhaul.Despite the defense being third overall, the secondary has been very battered up. Losing both Fabian Washington and Ladrius Webb at the #2 corner spot really hurt defending against the pass. Chris Carr is primarily a nickel-back and special-teamer and even though he played pretty decently as the second corner, he just isn't going to cut it. Same with Frank Walker who had so many illegal blocks and pass interference calls it drove me crazy. Webb was a great pickup in the third round last year and did great as a rookie, but tearing his ACL midway last season means he will probably have lost a step and won't be at 100% before the start of next season. That's why I figure the Ravens should use their first draft pick on a cornerback as Ozzie does great with defensive talent. I want to get back to the Chris McAllister and Samari Rolle in their prime shut down corner type defense we had back in 2006.Another issue is the pass rush which I'm sure is probably because of Rex Ryan leaving and thus the Ravens weren't as blitz happy (and a depleted secondary adds to this too) and Greg Mattison uses more of a zone-coverage scheme with linebackers falling back into pass coverage. For his first year in the pros as a defensive coordinator he's done an amazing job considering the losses in the secondary. Terrell Suggs hasn't played to what he has been capable of due to an injury and being double teamed often, so bringing in another person to the left side would help accommodate for that.I know we drafted Paul Kruger in the second round last year, but he hasn't really shown anything to prove he's a top notch pass rusher. I'd more likely move him to to DL which will need new personal as Greg/Pryce are both getting old. I'd actually try and get Shawn Merriman in free agency. Even though he hasn't been as productive after his steroid incident (this would make him cheaper too), he's still a formidable pass rusher and having both him and Suggs would create major havoc for opposing offensive lines as they're great pass rushers. And hey he can come back to his roots here in Maryland! The defense isn't really a major concern, but I want the hard lined defense of the 2000/2006 seasons. So yeah the three major issues that need to be addressed are:
- Getting a WR to pick up the passing game
- A CB to help fix up the secondary
- A DE/DL to improve the pass rush
The Ravens are nearly a carbon copy of the Steelers (which pains me to say...) with a great running game and defense. What made the Steelers go on their Super Bowl runs was having Rothlisberger being an elite QB and having the receiving core to pass (Ward, Randel El, and Holmes) so they didn't become one dimensional. The Ravens have finally found a franchise QB in Joe Flacco and he has had the best start of any QB here and ten times as better as Boller was. But he needs some offensive weapons if he is going to succeed in the NFL and become an elite QB and make opponents respect the Ravens passing game that's never been great. If they can score 20 points in the game, they aren't going to lose with the defense we have.
Breaking Bad Season 1 & 2: 9/10
AMC has done one hell of a job with having both Mad Men and Breaking Bad being the two best dramas on television at the moment. They each respectively win awards for best drama and actors for the last two to three years and have had universal critical claim for being astounding shows. I started of watching Mad Men first and upon the completion of the third season, I felt as if I had easily viewed the best drama since The Sopranos (though it helps that Matthew Weiner was also a writer for The Sopranos).
However, after having finished Breaking Bad I can say that in its short span of only twenty episodes it has been able to match the same of level of excellence the other two series have provided. What's great about all three shows is that they focus on many different aspects of drama with business and politics, family and crime, and drugs with a unique angle. They are separate and unique in identity and provide audiences with many different themes and subjects.
Now onto a more in-depth review on this series. There are countless shows on drugs and the effects is has on individuals, groups, and societies. Law & Order and CSI are the two prime shows that deal with them, but in my opinion they tend to get repetitive and redundant with the drug aspect. The Wire, which is my second favorite show all time, broke the traditional police cop drama and dealing with drugs in society to broadening the perspective so viewers got a chance to see the whole spectrum of drugs from those who try to prevent it from harming society, to those who inadvertently cause it's downfall upon their own personal gain.
What's fascinating about Breaking Bad is that the story is so anomalous and not what you'd expect. A chemistry teacher who has never done anything bad in his life becoming a drug dealer? Someone that you'd least expect getting involved in a crime with such high stakes of risk? That along with dealing with terminal lung cancer and partnering up with his former drop out student to sell drugs has the making of one crazy story. And you know what? It damn well delivers on every bit of that. All of the main cast and even the side characters do an amazing job in portraying their roles and really bringing out the personality of who they are playing. They fit so well and adapt greatly towards the setting of the show. I'm only familiar with Bryan Cranston on his role as the dad on Malcolm in the Middle and the dentist on Seinfeld. You'd expect him being on sitcoms mean he wouldn't be suited for a role which requires advert seriousness, but he truly gives an outstanding performance of such an intriguing character and rightfully has been awarded two straight Emmys for it.
Walter White, is not only the central character of the show, he carries the whole thing. He is a very complicated man and one who walks a dangerous path upon which many people wouldn't imagine someone in his predicament would be able to do. And that's why the show is so great. It isn't your typical drama about a drug lords' rise to the top or a policeman infiltrating a drug syndicate. It's a normal average man who has to face some tribulation in his life and has to resort to a means that most people wouldn't imagine going into. This helps make the show very unpredictable as you try to figure out what is he going to do since he isn't a bad man. Would he really be able to kill a person? Would he really be able to create a potent drug and sell it with no consequence? How can he keep his double life a secret with causing suspicion from his family and loved ones?
Then you have Jessie Pinkman, the supporting actor and polar opposite of Walter, who is the junkie trying to make money from the drug game, but isn't the hardened street thug you'd expect so he to like Walter has to overcome the challenges of the drug game. He falls victim to his own addiction and it begins to harm him despite his constant struggle to get over it. He isn't a hardened street kid but one who came from nurturing and caring upbringing. He is exposed to a lot of the drug game, but hasn't fully grasped it. This creates for some excellent character development and keeps the viewer suspenseful on what exactly Jessie will do in certain situations and the effects it will have on him.What so great about the show is its morale gray area and walking a very thin line between good and bad. Normally most people would not be able to sympathize with someone who gets involved in drugs. Yet in Walters case the viewer can understand this pain and has an idea of why he does what he does. This is how brilliant shows are created. When they aren't linear and stray away from normal expected entertainment and focus on "outside of the box". They help you question your own thoughts, expectations, and morality. Subjects that aren't simply up for common interpretation but rather require some sense and deliberation into whether the choices the character(s) make are right or wrong, and what we would do if we were in their situation. How far will Walter descension into being a criminal go? At what point does he realize what he is doing is terribly wrong and something that will drastically hurt people. He wants to make sure his family is safe and able to carry on financially if he were to die. But won't what he is doing currently not only hurt his family, but tear it apart? Towards the edge he dowels closer and closer and his morality only gets thinner that he may just truly become "bad to the bone".
Mad Men Season 3 Finale, Episode 13: 10/10I never give anything a perfect score but wow this is easily the best drama, let alone show on television. Superb in every aspect it is such a fascinating show that provides a great outlook into the 1960's America and the social changes that were taking place during the time period such as the women's movement, civil rights, the Kennedy Assassination, and much more. The primary setting of course is in a huge office floor where you are presented with conflicting interoffice politics along with character interaction as they compete and work with one another.
The main focus of season 3 pretty much has been about Don's office and personal life and how it starts to break down. He loses his independence when forced to get into a contract for Sterling Cooper and then his marriage starts to fall apart slowly as his relationship with Betty has been on the rocks since they've both lost passion with one another. They stick together for their kids but you can see a clear breakdown of any sense of romance or love they had for one another (even though Don's adultery has started to decrease). This season started off a lot slower than previous (and that says something considering the snail pace of the show) but by mid season everything started to come together and you saw the evolution take place from a lot of the main cast. Don, the strong alpha male who led by example and did his best to harbor control and independence slowly starts to lose this as he can't come to work on his own terms in the office and then with Betty becoming a nuisance for him with her constantly childish antics and loathing behavior drives him to seek pleasure in a woman of a vastly different personality.
Along with Don, two of the other interesting characters are Peggy and Pete who are
the younger view point of growing careers within the office and you can see their evolution and progression come to terms as Peggy tries to gain more respect as well as a bigger role in the office, and Pete tries to seek acknowledgment and move up the corporate ladder to further his ambitions. They both run through various hardships as they compete with their fellow co workers along with adjusting to the vastly changing time period. Then there is Betty as she struggles with her identity and trying to figure out what she really wants in her life. Whether what she has already created is really what she wanted, or just what she had thought was expected of her to have. It's a constant battle she goes through this season along with learning more and more about Don that she didn't know for the many years of their relationship.*BEGIN SPOILERS*Now before I make a long winded essay as I could simply go on and on about the countless aspects of the show let me get down to the finale and just how amazing it was. It was so unusual as it felt kind of 'action' packed with the quick pace and shifting of focuses and characters. Don basically made amends with all the people he 'wronged' and didn't really respect as he worked with them. It was really great seeing him fix the relationship with his boss Roger and how great they work as a tandem together. They're both smart and wise, and while Roger is more on the 'fun' spectrum he can still be introspective and realize things in situations that many other people would not be able to figure out. Then you had Don fixing things with Peggy/Pete and telling them just how much he actually needed them when he pretended not to. And it was quite intriguing to see that that was actually all they really seeked. They wanted Don's approval all along and you can see that deep down every character is pretty much conflicting ego's with one another as they do not want to stain their pride.
Now the sadder aspect of the show came into with Don and Betty having their divorce scene. The part where they had to tell Bobby and Sally that Don was leaving was really heart breaking to see as the children would really miss their father (even though he was never around much, they were clearly more attached to him). It was quite daunting to see that Betty wasn't even really that affected by it and further stains her image of being a good mother.The best part of the episode had to be the Ocean's Eleven vibe you got with Don Draper, Roger Sterling, Bert Cooper, and Lane Pryce all conspiring together and creating an operation that would save them from the future buyout of PPPL and thus giving away Sterling-Cooper advertising inc. as well. The whole plan they had was so damn clever and as they assembled everyone they needed to get started on their new business as they brought in the various accounts they needed for the business, the personal they acquired to run it, and the taking of the files as they moved into their new space. I literally cheered out loud when Joan came back to help them all move!
The final 20 minutes of the show was so enthralling as everything was coming together and you can see Don evolving yet again as he makes amends with all the people and makes new bonds and cuts off the toxic one with Betty. The last scene with when they are all in the hotel room and Don enters from out the bed room and looks upon everyone chatting and eating you can see a content smile on his face as he embraces his new surrogate family.
The music was fabulous and mixed well into the show matching the mood and setting perfectly to create the right atmosphere. The 'cliff hangerish' ending with all the potential new story lines that can conspire. Don's new job, his new apartment in the city, Betty on the plane to Rino, the rest of the cast abashed by the cleaning out of the original Sterling-Cooper office. Everything was just fantastic in every damn way that the finale was simply 'epic' .It is going to be a long grueling wait for season four when such a great show ends. The last three months have been some of the best damn T.V. I've watched with every week ending with a episode that always leaves me completely satisfied with how fulfilling it is. The show has continued to exceed expectations and deliver everything it provides for when it received it's universal critical acclaim. Not since The Sopranos aired have I enjoyed a show so much that it breaks back my faith that something good can exist amongst the boat load of crap on t.v. nowadays.
The only real pity is that since the show requires a high level of thinking and not for those who can't analyze the themes as well as symbolism in the show won't appreciate the full aspect of it and thus has led to a small yet comfortable fandom which leaves little room for the stupidity and uncultured fans which in the end is probably a better thing after all. I will have to look forward to hopefully Breaking Bad to match up to the great level of providing drama.*END SPOILERS*
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2: 8.5/10I'm not a big shooter fan (and some would argue that I'm not even a big fan of video games) but I found it for a good bargain price of $40 so I decided to pick it up and have a go. The campaign was pretty interesting and the plot twists were a good balance of the morality between the different countries. The level designs were good with plenty of places to get cover and tactically take out the enemies (though certain levels where you have almost NO cover is a real bitch on a harder difficulty). I like the different types of variations with gurellia fighting, tactical espionage, snowmobile/land boat riding, and my favorite part, sniping! I'm glad the AI was much improved over the last game with less grenade spam in Veteran mode and they don't always charge at you leading to quickly react and get overwhelmed. It does everything that a first person shooter game should involving improvement in making it a very action packed game that brings the player up hand and personal with the surroundings and allies/enemies. The story is pretty gripping when you enter Washington D.C. and see the complete destruction of the entire place and the events that lead up to this as well as the aftermath. Quite shocking if you've been there multiple times like I have and can recognize areas like in Fallout 3. The score also does very well in the right mood and creating the at times desperate or thrilling part of the respective missions. I haven't played the Spec Ops mode yet (waiting for my friend to get free from work) but I've tried the multiple player mode and it lives up to expectations just as it should with good fun with friends, not so much with strangers. Overall, despite having a short campaign (20 hours to beat the game on Normal and Veteran), the game delivered in each mission with a thrilling and exciting roller coast feeling of ups and downs as you follow through with the story. My only real criticism stems from not being a big FPS fan in the first place, but the game definitely can turn some people if they give it a shot.
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