directed by:
Alonge Hawes written by: Alonge Hawes genre: Drama, Thriller |
Editors note: Reviews of previous episodes can be found here.
“This is a cushy gig,” you’ll hear one of the security guards say at the start of episode eight, “The Black Blade In The Hour Of Reckoning.” You’ll feel the truth in that statement based on what you see. “Silver & Gold,” as a series, has always been at odds with itself in the sense that the crew is always charged with the task of pulling off high-end scams, yet the tight budget in the series makes it so that we have to concede a lot as viewers when it comes to the suspension of our disbelief. You can see examples of that, such as the security dudes protecting a fairly normal/average place at the beginning of this new chapter of the series, which immediately makes it a bit tough to take the storyline seriously at the start. Security? For what? Cheese in the fridge? Supposedly, there are trinkets of value all around this place, but that’s not what we’re shown. Writer/Director Alonge Hawes has run into similar issues throughout the series so far, whereby a lot of what he wants us to believe is implied and left to our imagination instead of shown to us in a more concrete way that can’t be disputed. On the bright side, at least Alonge is back in action, playing the character of Ramses in this first of three episodes on the way to the season’s finale. While he’s always proven to be a capable Director & Writer, I think there’s an argument to be made that he’s also proven to be a great actor within this series overall. Bahiya (Brittaney Traylor) is starting to have an existential crisis of sorts as the new episode begins. While most of the time the crew simply accepts the missions they’re on, this time around, Bahiya seems to have taken an issue with being perpetually put in the line of fire and all that near-death stuff goin’ on with this kind of espionage work. So she’s questioning things. She’s wondering why they’ve gotta risk their lives to get these tiny trinkets back, and I can’t really say that I blame her. “Spunk, or no spunk,” the elders seem willing to impart their wisdom with her, with the caveat that if she chooses not to share the information that Bahiya learns as a result, she’ll die. And yes, it’s the elders that seem keen to do the murderin’ if necessary. Make no mistake, they’re older, but they ain’t dead…they could still do some killin’ if they needed to…plus, they seem to travel in a pack & have their own dedicated crew, too. I like that rather than just have a character tell a story like we’ve experienced in many of the episodes, this time around, Hawes makes a great choice to display an array of imagery - as the mythology behind this caper is told. It’s effective! While it’s still fair to say that connecting the dots is still left largely to our own imagination as we watch, Alonge has made that easier by giving our minds cues through the images he shows to us onscreen. Cierra (Shani Hawes) makes a stellar appearance about halfway through the episode, giving voice to many of the concerns I have, wondering why we’re still dealing with fragments of trinkets and where the hell her money is at after all the work they’ve already put in. I’m actually thankful for that – I don’t necessarily need answers to everything upfront in the context of a mystery or thriller like “Silver & Gold,” but it’s appreciated to know the show is not trying to duck the responsibility of answering the many questions piling up as we watch. Though we have several questions that do need attending to, “Silver & Gold” spends the middle third of the episode meandering, dancing around the main storyline and theme and somewhat deviating off course altogether. You feel Alonge’s focus shift away from the mystery of the mission, and it’s a bit detrimental to episode eight. Ultimately, it’s relationship/character building, which does serve a purpose in the long run of a series, but in terms of this particular episode, the time spent on it seemed a bit disproportionate to the rest of the story that we were invested in from the start. “All I had to do is wait,” says Ramses – and we end up feeling like we empathize with that, because we’ve been waiting too – and the ensuing slow claps from Charles (Quentin Williams) seem to sum up exactly how I feel about the holding pattern we’ve been in. As far as the final sword battle is concerned, between Charles and Ramses…it ain’t bad, but it still feels like there are opportunities being missed. For instance – swords are sharp! When you’re battling with someone, and they go do - because of a sword strike…that’s probably when you wanna break out the blood, you feel me? I don’t know that it does the show’s credibility much good to later show that there’s no blood at all, or not even so much as a tear in the fabric of a shirt…some kind of evidence to support what that sword strike caused as an injury – make sense? This isn’t one of those spots that should be left up to our imaginations to fill in the blanks – Hawes has the ability to show us the damage that was done, but, for some reason, elects not to. Stuff like that seems like a minor detail to a certain extent, but in terms of the believability of what we see, it can certainly be crucial. At the very least, it seems like an unnecessary risk to take, especially in the context of a black-and-white scene where the addition of blood, wounds, or injury is that much easier to show without having to worry about whether something looks too real or not. You gotta take those opportunities as they come up. What I do like about where things are going with Alonge’s craft as a director is that you can feel more time and effort are being put into what we see. Sure, there are things like the realism inside of a battle scene that can still be improved upon, but as you shift into episode nine, “The Children Of Geb,” Hawes deploys the visuals once again as the narration continues the story…and honestly, it’s a good move on his part. Even though it’s a lot of stock footage and scenery shots, it’s still effective and a smart way to keep us entertained and engaged as we continue to watch and listen. The crew has been sent to what seems like another timeline altogether for episode nine…so I hate to break it to Cierra, but she’s probably still gonna be waiting on that money she’s owed while they wrap up whatever this leads to. Does it make complete and total sense? No! Does it need to? Also no! Would it be nice if it did? Sure! They’re in ancient times now. Charles is Osiris now. Cierra is Satet. Ramses is Set. Bahiya is Isis. The drastically underused Sosa (Roberto Cruz) is Khnum. You know, just another day of the week in the life of the “Silver & Gold” crew. We spend the majority of the episode immersed in subtitles, which was a risky move, but one that I actually felt paid off. It forces the characters to communicate more through their actions, expressions and emotions, as opposed to feeling like we need to catch every word in order to understand the story, which admittedly, can be extremely challenging. Plus, credit where credit is due – it’s not easy to speak in a fictional language…which…I mean, I don’t know any other languages outside of English, so maybe it’s a legitimate language, but I suspect it’s not – in which case, yeah man…it ain’t easy to keep a flow of dialogue going without real words – just try it! It’s like singing scat; it seems like something everyone could do easily, but trust me when I tell ya, it ain’t. I like that Hawes attempts something altogether different in episode nine, even if I never felt convinced that it was a service to the series overall. I’m always in support of flexing creatively & trying new things – even if they don’t completely work out, there’s still much that can be learned from trial & error. While it might appear that Osiris & Set are on the same side in this ancient dimension…looks can be deceiving. Once they’ve learned the lessons to be found in the past, they seem to get released back into the present. Charles is still hurt as hell, without showing any signs as to where the damage is. Ramses is lying face down in the dirt. The crew decides to book it and get the hell out of there. I…hmm…I suppose it’s fair to say I’m a bit perplexed by episode nine’s departure, but it’s possible episode ten justifies it all. “It’s been an interesting 48 hours, to say the least.” #Heard “It’s not just a fairytale, it’s not just a myth.” As “The Ballad Of Moon & Stars” starts to officially wrap up the first season of “Silver & Gold,” there’s no doubt that the series shifted along the way from a more reality-based caper/heist type of show - towards a more mythically-based idea. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but I suppose it’s realistic to observe that mythology might appeal to a narrower slice of the potential audience than stuff that people can more easily grasp as connected to the world they know. On the bright side, Ramses and Charles seem to be healed up now, which is great! Ramses is still wielding his sword around like it’s controlling the universe, but as far as any practical experience we’ve seen with it is concerned in the show, there’s really nothing to worry about. Slice & dice as you see fit – everyone is made whole by the next episode, or it might just be a dream altogether. The show itself seems like it went towards a much heavier and more serious tone, whereas the series seemed to start with a more lighthearted & somewhat humorous approach. We grow with the shows we watch, and I feel like we’re willing to accept it, but I also feel like “Silver & Gold” might have missed out on using some of the natural skills of its cast…actors like Cruz and Williams have an uncanny ability to make us smile and laugh organically, and that’s being underused, if it’s even being used at all anymore. The concentrated seriousness works well for Hawes & the character of Ramses for sure, but “Silver & Gold” has really morphed into a more fantasy-based drama than where it seemed to begin. The show has always shown the potential for going in this direction, but the final three episodes make the shift more pronounced and permanent for sure. It also starts to tie in the whole “love is the crime” theme you see in the opening credits, though with more focused scenes on relationships. With the feelings expressed by Ramses and the love triangle with Charles, we start to wonder if this whole show’s premise has all been a roundabout way of battling for Bahiya’s affections. It’s a strange way to split the time up if I’m being real with ya. We’re either stealing money, finding old fragments, duelling with swords, or trying to sort out life & love…”Silver & Gold” continually tries to do a whole lot and could certainly be perceived as being too broad with its expansive story, or too overly ambitious as a series. It’s tough for the audience to keep up with Hawes and what he’s looking to create with “Silver & Gold,” and his priorities in terms of both what he shows and tells us as we watch - don’t always seem to be in sync with what more viewers will be able to stick with or make sense out of. Is it “all part of a master plan,” or is it all disjointed and lucky that it comes together just enough to keep us watching? I’ve seen the whole season, and I still couldn’t tell ya to be entirely truthful. Will Cierra ever get her money? Will any of them? Aidan’s a badass, but he holds his knife weird. Will they save Bahiya? Will Ramses survive? Will they go by Osiris and Set from now on? Will all the fragments be collected? I felt like the final scene shared between Charles and Ramses was great, and it displayed a lot of the chops in their acting while also doing a decent job of tying up pieces of the storyline. That’s not to say everything is going to get resolved – Hawes leaves this open with the possibility of continuing on if that’s what he wants to do. You start to feel like the last ten minutes of the final episode really gives the show the voice that it’s been searching for the entire time and that the unity they were looking for is found. Alonge has threaded about nine series’ worth of ideas into one season, and I have no doubt that he can still benefit largely by narrowing the scope and not dwelling too hard on the information as opposed to showing us what he wants to communicate through his work. He’s done a ton of things right in terms of how things are filmed, and he’s clearly got an eye for talent – the cast does a solid job overall. Even by the end, it sounds like Cierra is okay with the idea of never really getting paid…so maybe, just maybe, this crew will stick together no matter what comes their way next. It looks like the show will continue based on what you’ll see post-credits in the final episode…I’m not entirely sure that “Silver & Gold” needs that last scene, and I’m not a huge fan of the whole ‘evil lives on’ plot device that shows up in just about every second horror film at the very end, but it does at least suggest there’s still more to this story yet to come. With everything that Alonge has done throughout the making of “Silver & Gold,” I’m confident that if there’s another season, he’ll find ways to make it all more cohesive, entertaining, and engaging for his audience. For now, I still feel like the series as a whole should be a solid three and a half out of five stars, but I also feel like Hawes continually shows improvement in what he creates and the potential for his future. Episode 7 review. Legitimate questions emerge at the start of "Silver & Gold" Season 1, Episode 7. For example, why isn't anyone in this crew of capable criminal minds getting paid after all they've been through together so far? Seven episodes in, with all they've done, "Our thanks for being a friend" doesn't exactly pay the bills, you feel me? Somehow, though, that seems to calm a tense situation enough for guns to be put down…for now. In "The Valley Of Sorek," we end up rolling mainly with the character of Sosa Genera in this series by writer/director Alonge Hawes. Which ain't a bad thing, in my opinion – Sosa has been one of the more reliable and entertaining parts of this show, so for him to play the starring role in this episode could be a good move. This particular outing ends up dealing directly with his past, coming around full circle to confront him in the present day, and let's just say that Sosa's very much resisting the idea of having to be a part of that life again. We actually get to see Genera before he started wearing sunglasses 24/7! That's how far back we're talking. It's good, though – if you're a fan of the character, "The Valley Of Sorek" essentially serves as Sosa's origin story of sorts and brings you right through his journey to becoming the man that he now is today. He's always been mixed up in 'the life' – but he's also clearly always had heart on the inside, no matter how hard he appears on the exterior. Part criminal, part community hero, you can see that he was on his way to building a life that would have worked throughout "The Valley Of Sorek," but since we know where he ends up in the present as well, we know it's just a matter of time before his past crosses over to the person we've seen in the other episodes. He's looking at creating a space that would be a "hero origin story" rather than a "path to the dark side," and even though we regard Sosa as one of the good guys as we watch this series, let's be real here – every character in "Silver & Gold" has a large amount of conflicting characteristics that keep them from just walking the straight & narrow. So even while Sosa is dreaming of a better life for himself, his girlfriend Susanna, and his daughter, we're hearing his plans to achieve that through questionable means in terms of the law & all that. It is what it is, as they say. You can possibly take the man outta 'the life,' but you still can't take 'the life' outta the man. Deception reigns supreme, and before we know it, Sosa is in way over his head, and again, if we didn't know that he eventually makes his way out of trouble, we'd be swearing that he won't. While it could have been worse for Sosa, who we know as Samus throughout these glimpses into his past, we do end up learning about what makes him wear the sunglasses we see him in every day now. Alonge has put in real thought as to how Sosa becomes the man we see in "Silver & Gold," and as a result, I'd say this is one of the stronger episodes in the series. Some of the better scenes you'll see in this episode also come from Sosa and his father together in the story, which is where you'll find Genera wrestling with the prospect of taking over the family business. All in all, I thought that Sosa, played by Roberto Cruz Jr., gave us his best performance of the character in "Silver & Gold" to date, and right where it really mattered most. As to whether or not it furthers the story of the whole crew… that's probably a lot more debatable, but being able to do an episode like this shows that Hawes has enough confidence in the series to take a slight departure. Ultimately, I think that's a good thing. Clearly, it's not something that can happen every single time, but in the context of this singular episode, he chose the right character, and he went about it the right way. I also feel like Hawes is even more creative & capable when it comes to how he writes & casts 'the bad guy' – Andre Eaton Jr was fantastic as Ba'al, and tended to really steal the show whenever he was on the screen, much the same as Alonge did as well in the previous episodes we've watched in "Silver & Gold."
Hawes continues to do well with what he's working with. It's not like "Silver & Gold" has got a massive budget, so credit where credit is due – he's got the cast to commit to their roles, and you can see that they're getting more dialled into their parts as the series carries on. He still has plenty of opportunities to refine his craft and fine-tune the details, but it's not like he's way off the mark. It's the little things – like, you'll probably notice the fluctuation in the audio quality at times, which can happen – but Alonge has gotta be cautious of where it happens, you know what I mean? Audiences will accept stuff like that a bit more readily later into a show, because they're already invested, but whether this show is filmed out on the courts, in the boardroom, or using voice modulators, we're noticing that variable consistency more than we should be. Think of it this way – you put all that work into a script, and you want those words noticed and heard clearly without obstruction; otherwise, why spend all that time in the writing process? Corners can't be cut there, though, and I feel like deep down, Alonge has to know that. So if he's gotta take the long way around, reshoot things when you can hear the microphone bumped, or spend more time in the editing process to level stuff out – it's worth it for the sake of the craft and the time spent on it all. He's got the shooting down straight, and he excels in the way that he films his visuals…now it's all about knowing that what we see is always paired directly with what we hear and that dropping the quality in one area can potentially cost both. There are also further opportunities to evolve what we hear and what we see in the fight scenes…if Hawes is gonna bring the violence to the screen, then he's gonna want that aspect to be as believable as possible. The same rules apply – no shortcuts – rehearse those fight scenes over and over and over again until they can be filmed convincingly, rather than leave it to the audience to fill in the gaps by just assuming what we think went down really did go down, know what I mean? I feel like Hawes did great in streamlining the idea he was working with and not getting overly complex with too many extraneous details that didn't matter as much to this particular episode. This is more focused work in terms of the writing, which counts for a lot in the results we see. I felt that while there are still things that can be improved, Alonge Hawes took a noticeable step forward with this episode of "Silver & Gold." – I'm giving this one a three and a half stars out of five. The effort he's put in here really shows. Nice work. |
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