Kaka

Chuck, as a power broker arranging shady deals in restaurants and coffee shops. Finally, for his naysayers, a solid satisfaction, but otherwise, apart from this half-comedic and half-serious cultural insert, nothing new happens. This time, there’s no recap from the previous season, but it doesn’t matter, really. As a lukewarm start, it was somehow passable.

The most crazed, theatrical and convoluted of the first three seasons. I liked the character development of Taylor and the cameo of John Malkovich in one of the key roles of the season. Overall, however, it's a bit too heavy-handed at times, and it slips a little into TV literalism and grittiness. Some of the screenwriting flourishes are borderline unbearable in places, but it's still quite smart and mostly well-acted entertainment with some incisive and interestingly delivered food for thought. Primarily the definition of who is actually the good guy and who is the bad guy.

Basically, again the best of the entire season. A shocking move by Taylor, an appropriately rough Malkovich in a memorable cameo, and a checkmate by Rhoades. Prospectively, the four can offer an interesting combination of forces and other quality moves on the chessboard.

A bit of a charade and irony, throwing down the gauntlet to the wall street guys and other greedy portfolio managers collecting millions and it's still not enough. Telling, but after 40 minutes, a bit tiresome and overplayed.

There's an interesting game of two future knock-outs going on. At stake are US-Russian relations and, of course, governmental ones. A battle of titans at the business and government level.

John Malkovich as a Russian oligarch with unique looks and a rough accent. What else can you ask?

There's plenty of fuck-ups and shocking surprises to go around. The second half of the third season has a very decent pace so far.

Complete victory in a very shaky and not very realistic way. It smacks a bit of cheap serial theatricality like those second rate shows on Hallmark, but even so, there are bright, really impressive authentic moments among the would-be elaborate acting.

I sincerely hope that the sixth episode is not a premature climax to the third season, although many indicators strongly suggest it. There are some superbly tuned situations, excellent Spyros, Connerty and the last minutes are good. Let’s hope they can keep the pace.

If there's anything to single out in this episode, it's Taylor's strange romance, where the viewer unfortunately sees more than is really necessary. Otherwise, it's a typical fifth episode that fills the otherwise exciting beginning and end of this excellent series with padding and a lot of unnecessary dialogue.