or at least it seems that way after the 113 degree heat we had in Los Angeles last week, we've moved on to our permanent blog TV GOODNESS. We hope you'll join us over there for new stuff and continue here for the old.
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Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Saturday, September 18, 2010
The Summer 7: My Favorite Shows of Summer 2010 by Heather M
Fall arrives this week, so it’s a good time to recap the summer TV season. This summer, I resumed some longstanding favorites and picked up a few newbies. I also divorced a couple of shows – I didn’t go back to Army Wives when they dispatched all the spouses back into action and I decided to skip True Blood because I was burned out after the Maryann takeover last year. I did follow it via recaps and nothing I read made me wish I’d was watching it. So long, TB. In no particular order, these were my DVR/appointment shows for summer 2010:
1. Eureka, Syfy
I’ve covered the fourth season for the blog, and it bears repeating that this was the show’s strongest season since its first. With a time travel bent influencing the action, everybody came back better and happier. The show is coming back to resume season four early next year and then we get season five. You can watch the last few episodes at syfy.com.
2. Haven, Syfy
This quirky noirish drama could have been over-the-top like Happy Town but it instead fell somewhere squarely in the middle of Twin Peaks and Northern Exposure (two shows I loved back in the day), setting a fish-out-of-water tale of FBI agent Audrey Parker in a picturesque town with more than one secret. We don’t know yet whether they’re coming back. I hope so—I like this cast a lot. Syfy Rewind has the episodes posted the day after they air.
3. My Boys, TBS
Just unceremoniously dumped after the conclusion of its fourth season (after being off the air a ridiculous 13 months between seasons), this gem rebounded from the departure of Jim Gaffigan with a new dynamic that brought PJ’s sole gal pal, Stephanie, fully into the fold. The seasons were always too short, and now, the series officially was, too. I have no doubt all of these folks will land other gigs, but I’m highly annoyed at the way they, and the fans, were treated (and that NBC torpedoed Jordana Spiro and Kyle Howard’s second-position jobs on its network because a decision hadn’t been made on My Boys yet). You can catch the last few episodes online.
4. The Gates, ABC
The absolute definition of a guilty pleasure, this delightfully trashy supernatural melodrama mixes sex, intrigue, vampires, werewolves, witches, and succubi, oh my! And it’s been fabulous. I knew a lot of this cast from other work, but several are new to me. Some of the arcs were a little heavy handed and eyerolly, but I actually came to give a damn about the adoptive vampire parents who worried they’d be outed and the whole alpha female dynamic. A big thumbs up to ABC that they have actually aired all of the episodes. It wraps on Sunday with a two-hour finale. You can catch the last five episodes on Hulu. No news on a renewal yet. The other awesome thing? They shot it in a well-to-do enclave in Shreveport, Louisiana of all places. Woo hoo Louisiana revenue!
5. Movies of the week, Lifetime/LMN/Hallmark Channel
Guilty pleasure #2. Once the domain of the "big" networks to keep their lead actors employed during the hiatuses, movies of the week have become the bread and butter of basic cable. Cast with a variety of familiar faces (many of them doubly so to genre and sci-fi fans) like Julie Benz, Emma Caulfield, Leslie Hope, Natasha Henstridge, Gabrielle Anwar, Charisma Carpenter, and Dina Myer, etc., they're usually paint-by-numbers feel-good or gal/guy-in-peril stories. Mostly female-driven, the movies' recognizable leads are backed a host of (often Canadian) HITGs. I dig the MOWs because I usually can six-degrees-of half the folks in them and because the (also mostly) Canadian locations (usually Vancouver/Montreal/Calgary) are a vicarious travelogue. I’m apparently not alone—Lifetime and Lifetime Movie Network debut at least two original movies a month, sometimes one a week, (usually on Saturday or Sunday evenings) and Hallmark Movie Channel usually has at least one new film a month. Once aired, they then get added to the networks’ already robust MOW libraries, where they run year-round, and their DVD library (yes, people pay for them). You can also see the Lifetime flicks online.
6. Covert Affairs, USA
Y’all know how I feel about Chris Gorham. The real surprise in this spy yarn from USA is that Piper Perabo can do light and funny and kickass and serious all at the same time. I haven't seen more than ten minutes of Coyote Ugly, so I only knew her from farce work (Slap Her…She’s French), romcoms (Imagine Me and You/Because I Said So) and a heartbreaking coming of age film (Lost & Delirious). She’s also done her share of accents, so I was pleased to see her rock her mother tongue. The only downside—a ridiculously overlong hiatus until season two, slated for next summer. USA seemed to have gotten with it, shortening the hiatuses of their other shows, so I don’t get the slow drag to a second season for their newest hit, especially when the first season ended the only way it could have (I think). Catch up with the season via the full episodes at USA's website.
7. Warehouse 13, Syfy
An amalgam of funny, sweet, sci-fi, and rat-a-tat-tat line delivery between its Tracey and Hepburn leads made Warehouse 13 a surprising hit for Syfy, and in a lovely bit of karma, a long overdue one for series stars Eddie McClintock and Joanne Kelly, and especially Saul Rubinek. McClintock was sort of in Clooney territory with a large collection of unsuccessful pilots and one-season wonders. Until now. What could have been an X-Files rip with male and female federal agents has evolved into a much more familial ensemble venture. The show gives as much weight to its two leads as it does Artie, Claudia (a very smart addition in season two), and a parade of rotating guest stars. They’re finishing season two Tuesday night (after an all-day season two marathon) and will be back for a third season in the spring.
And that’s a wrap on summer. Come see us at TV Goodness, where we’re reviewing the new and returning fall shows, and where I’ll be reviewing Haven until its season concludes in early October. Thanks so much for reading!
1. Eureka, Syfy
I’ve covered the fourth season for the blog, and it bears repeating that this was the show’s strongest season since its first. With a time travel bent influencing the action, everybody came back better and happier. The show is coming back to resume season four early next year and then we get season five. You can watch the last few episodes at syfy.com.
2. Haven, Syfy
This quirky noirish drama could have been over-the-top like Happy Town but it instead fell somewhere squarely in the middle of Twin Peaks and Northern Exposure (two shows I loved back in the day), setting a fish-out-of-water tale of FBI agent Audrey Parker in a picturesque town with more than one secret. We don’t know yet whether they’re coming back. I hope so—I like this cast a lot. Syfy Rewind has the episodes posted the day after they air.
3. My Boys, TBS
Just unceremoniously dumped after the conclusion of its fourth season (after being off the air a ridiculous 13 months between seasons), this gem rebounded from the departure of Jim Gaffigan with a new dynamic that brought PJ’s sole gal pal, Stephanie, fully into the fold. The seasons were always too short, and now, the series officially was, too. I have no doubt all of these folks will land other gigs, but I’m highly annoyed at the way they, and the fans, were treated (and that NBC torpedoed Jordana Spiro and Kyle Howard’s second-position jobs on its network because a decision hadn’t been made on My Boys yet). You can catch the last few episodes online.
4. The Gates, ABC
The absolute definition of a guilty pleasure, this delightfully trashy supernatural melodrama mixes sex, intrigue, vampires, werewolves, witches, and succubi, oh my! And it’s been fabulous. I knew a lot of this cast from other work, but several are new to me. Some of the arcs were a little heavy handed and eyerolly, but I actually came to give a damn about the adoptive vampire parents who worried they’d be outed and the whole alpha female dynamic. A big thumbs up to ABC that they have actually aired all of the episodes. It wraps on Sunday with a two-hour finale. You can catch the last five episodes on Hulu. No news on a renewal yet. The other awesome thing? They shot it in a well-to-do enclave in Shreveport, Louisiana of all places. Woo hoo Louisiana revenue!
5. Movies of the week, Lifetime/LMN/Hallmark Channel
Guilty pleasure #2. Once the domain of the "big" networks to keep their lead actors employed during the hiatuses, movies of the week have become the bread and butter of basic cable. Cast with a variety of familiar faces (many of them doubly so to genre and sci-fi fans) like Julie Benz, Emma Caulfield, Leslie Hope, Natasha Henstridge, Gabrielle Anwar, Charisma Carpenter, and Dina Myer, etc., they're usually paint-by-numbers feel-good or gal/guy-in-peril stories. Mostly female-driven, the movies' recognizable leads are backed a host of (often Canadian) HITGs. I dig the MOWs because I usually can six-degrees-of half the folks in them and because the (also mostly) Canadian locations (usually Vancouver/Montreal/Calgary) are a vicarious travelogue. I’m apparently not alone—Lifetime and Lifetime Movie Network debut at least two original movies a month, sometimes one a week, (usually on Saturday or Sunday evenings) and Hallmark Movie Channel usually has at least one new film a month. Once aired, they then get added to the networks’ already robust MOW libraries, where they run year-round, and their DVD library (yes, people pay for them). You can also see the Lifetime flicks online.
6. Covert Affairs, USA
Y’all know how I feel about Chris Gorham. The real surprise in this spy yarn from USA is that Piper Perabo can do light and funny and kickass and serious all at the same time. I haven't seen more than ten minutes of Coyote Ugly, so I only knew her from farce work (Slap Her…She’s French), romcoms (Imagine Me and You/Because I Said So) and a heartbreaking coming of age film (Lost & Delirious). She’s also done her share of accents, so I was pleased to see her rock her mother tongue. The only downside—a ridiculously overlong hiatus until season two, slated for next summer. USA seemed to have gotten with it, shortening the hiatuses of their other shows, so I don’t get the slow drag to a second season for their newest hit, especially when the first season ended the only way it could have (I think). Catch up with the season via the full episodes at USA's website.
7. Warehouse 13, Syfy
An amalgam of funny, sweet, sci-fi, and rat-a-tat-tat line delivery between its Tracey and Hepburn leads made Warehouse 13 a surprising hit for Syfy, and in a lovely bit of karma, a long overdue one for series stars Eddie McClintock and Joanne Kelly, and especially Saul Rubinek. McClintock was sort of in Clooney territory with a large collection of unsuccessful pilots and one-season wonders. Until now. What could have been an X-Files rip with male and female federal agents has evolved into a much more familial ensemble venture. The show gives as much weight to its two leads as it does Artie, Claudia (a very smart addition in season two), and a parade of rotating guest stars. They’re finishing season two Tuesday night (after an all-day season two marathon) and will be back for a third season in the spring.
And that’s a wrap on summer. Come see us at TV Goodness, where we’re reviewing the new and returning fall shows, and where I’ll be reviewing Haven until its season concludes in early October. Thanks so much for reading!
Monday, September 13, 2010
The Summer 7: My Favorite Shows of Summer 2010 by Kara Howland
Ahhh. As summer comes to a close it’s time to look back and reflect on the summer shows I enjoyed. I’ve been a pretty active summer TV watcher for a while now and there has been a lot of great (and A LOT of bad) television. I don’t watch too much “reality” during the regular season but I allow it over the summer. Here’s what I enjoyed:
The Closer, TNT
I’m so pleased Kyra Sedgwick finally took home an Emmy for her portrayal of Deputy Chief Brenda Lee Johnson. She has always been my number one reason to watch this show. Even if I can solve the murder before Major Crimes does, I always enjoy watching Brenda Lee at work. She’s a smart, strong, and sexy female lead. And her relationships with Chief Pope, her squad, and her husband are always interesting. This season I’ve really enjoyed the move into the new building and Commander Taylor’s plight to get out of his cube. Watching Brenda deal with Mary McDonnell’s Captain Raydor is always great drama. I, like Brenda, am not sure she should be the next chief. I like to see her solving cases from week to week, even after six years.
True Blood, HBO
I love this show. All the supernatural elements are always interesting and often shocking. The large cast means there are always numerous storylines to follow if one or two should fall short (I’m talking to you Sam Merlotte). James Frain’s Franklin is my favorite addition to this year’s cast with Denis O’Hare’s King of Mississippi taking an extremely close second. I will never tire of Eric Northman or Alcide Herveaux (I’m so happy he’s returning next year) or their fight for Sookie’s affection. I thought I’d be a die-hard Sookie and Bill fan forever. Not so much after the finale. Now, I wouldn’t mind seeing her with Eric or Alcide. And what do we have to look forward to next year? More witchcraft, amongst other things. I can’t wait.
Rescue Me, FX
This show never disappoints and Denis Leary is a revelation. Whether it’s funny, daring, dramatic, or shocking there is always something here to satisfy. After Tommy pledges to go back on the wagon yet again, almost no one in his life believes him. Can you blame them? One thing I can always rely on this show for is authenticity. I feel like we know how real fire fighters are, how it is to struggle with addiction, what it feesl like to run into a burning building and emerge alive. That’s probably what I love most about this show and I’ll be sad when it ends next year. It’s been an emotional, violent, and ultimately cathartic experience. And I hope we see more of Sheila and Tommy extremely dysfunctional relationship. They are so wrong together it’s right.
Treme, HBO
After a somewhat slow start, this series really took off for me. I love music and this show does a fantastic job of infusing it into everything. Khandi Alexander needs to be nominated for something (an Emmy, a SAG Award, something) for her role as Ladonna, a struggling bar-owner with a weakness for her ex-husband and a burning need to know what happened to her incarcerated brother during Katrina. There are no weak links in casting here. John Goodman, Melissa Leo, and Clarke Peters - to name a few - have had great storylines. But maybe most importantly, this show has reopened my eyes to just how badly things were handled in New Orleans and it makes me want to visit this bowed but unbroken city. I can’t wait for season two.
Samantha Brown’s Asia, The Travel Channel
I am a huge fan of Samantha Brown and watch all the iterations of her shows – Great Weekends, Passport to Latin America, and Passport to Europe. What I’ve loved in particular about the Asia series is that Samantha is so excited to be there. I guess these trips have been a long time in coming and I can feel her wonder and excitement. I find these shows to be great vacation prep and I find Samantha to be a fun and knowledgeable guide. I like that she often takes the road less traveled and tries to have more authentic experiences. And now I have a huge list of places I’d love to visit.
So You Think You Can Dance, FOX
Season 4 will always be the high point of this series for me but I’ve enjoyed every summer airing as well. I think Cat Deeley needs to be Emmy-nominated for her hosting duties and I love it when she puts Nigel in his place. I also loved the new format - a top 10 (well 11) and the addition of the all-stars. The addition of new choreographers always excites me – even if it doesn’t work. We had a great group of kids to root for this year who danced their hearts out. I really thought Kent would take it all – those tween fans were insane – but I’m glad Lauren made a late surge to take it all. I didn’t buy tickets to this year’s tour but I did see the dancers from Season 4 perform at the Nokia. It. Was. Awesome.
Project Runway, Lifetime
I was so skeptical about the new 90-minute format and, quite frankly, I feel like there is the same amount of show with more commercials. In any case, I still love this show. I always enjoy the challenges and watching the contestants “make it work.” Tim Gunn is amazing as a mentor (I even enjoyed Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style when he was back on Bravo). My favorite part is always watching those designs walk the runway – whether they are atrocious or heavenly. This year has yielded a strong crop of designers but next season I’d like them all to stay out of the hospital. It makes me worry about how hard they are working. But I guess fashion is pain. Learn it. Live it. Love it.
The Closer, TNT
I’m so pleased Kyra Sedgwick finally took home an Emmy for her portrayal of Deputy Chief Brenda Lee Johnson. She has always been my number one reason to watch this show. Even if I can solve the murder before Major Crimes does, I always enjoy watching Brenda Lee at work. She’s a smart, strong, and sexy female lead. And her relationships with Chief Pope, her squad, and her husband are always interesting. This season I’ve really enjoyed the move into the new building and Commander Taylor’s plight to get out of his cube. Watching Brenda deal with Mary McDonnell’s Captain Raydor is always great drama. I, like Brenda, am not sure she should be the next chief. I like to see her solving cases from week to week, even after six years.
True Blood, HBO
I love this show. All the supernatural elements are always interesting and often shocking. The large cast means there are always numerous storylines to follow if one or two should fall short (I’m talking to you Sam Merlotte). James Frain’s Franklin is my favorite addition to this year’s cast with Denis O’Hare’s King of Mississippi taking an extremely close second. I will never tire of Eric Northman or Alcide Herveaux (I’m so happy he’s returning next year) or their fight for Sookie’s affection. I thought I’d be a die-hard Sookie and Bill fan forever. Not so much after the finale. Now, I wouldn’t mind seeing her with Eric or Alcide. And what do we have to look forward to next year? More witchcraft, amongst other things. I can’t wait.
Rescue Me, FX
This show never disappoints and Denis Leary is a revelation. Whether it’s funny, daring, dramatic, or shocking there is always something here to satisfy. After Tommy pledges to go back on the wagon yet again, almost no one in his life believes him. Can you blame them? One thing I can always rely on this show for is authenticity. I feel like we know how real fire fighters are, how it is to struggle with addiction, what it feesl like to run into a burning building and emerge alive. That’s probably what I love most about this show and I’ll be sad when it ends next year. It’s been an emotional, violent, and ultimately cathartic experience. And I hope we see more of Sheila and Tommy extremely dysfunctional relationship. They are so wrong together it’s right.
Treme, HBO
After a somewhat slow start, this series really took off for me. I love music and this show does a fantastic job of infusing it into everything. Khandi Alexander needs to be nominated for something (an Emmy, a SAG Award, something) for her role as Ladonna, a struggling bar-owner with a weakness for her ex-husband and a burning need to know what happened to her incarcerated brother during Katrina. There are no weak links in casting here. John Goodman, Melissa Leo, and Clarke Peters - to name a few - have had great storylines. But maybe most importantly, this show has reopened my eyes to just how badly things were handled in New Orleans and it makes me want to visit this bowed but unbroken city. I can’t wait for season two.
Samantha Brown’s Asia, The Travel Channel
I am a huge fan of Samantha Brown and watch all the iterations of her shows – Great Weekends, Passport to Latin America, and Passport to Europe. What I’ve loved in particular about the Asia series is that Samantha is so excited to be there. I guess these trips have been a long time in coming and I can feel her wonder and excitement. I find these shows to be great vacation prep and I find Samantha to be a fun and knowledgeable guide. I like that she often takes the road less traveled and tries to have more authentic experiences. And now I have a huge list of places I’d love to visit.
So You Think You Can Dance, FOX
Season 4 will always be the high point of this series for me but I’ve enjoyed every summer airing as well. I think Cat Deeley needs to be Emmy-nominated for her hosting duties and I love it when she puts Nigel in his place. I also loved the new format - a top 10 (well 11) and the addition of the all-stars. The addition of new choreographers always excites me – even if it doesn’t work. We had a great group of kids to root for this year who danced their hearts out. I really thought Kent would take it all – those tween fans were insane – but I’m glad Lauren made a late surge to take it all. I didn’t buy tickets to this year’s tour but I did see the dancers from Season 4 perform at the Nokia. It. Was. Awesome.
Project Runway, Lifetime
I was so skeptical about the new 90-minute format and, quite frankly, I feel like there is the same amount of show with more commercials. In any case, I still love this show. I always enjoy the challenges and watching the contestants “make it work.” Tim Gunn is amazing as a mentor (I even enjoyed Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style when he was back on Bravo). My favorite part is always watching those designs walk the runway – whether they are atrocious or heavenly. This year has yielded a strong crop of designers but next season I’d like them all to stay out of the hospital. It makes me worry about how hard they are working. But I guess fashion is pain. Learn it. Live it. Love it.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
The Summer 7: My Favorite Shows of Summer 2010 by Tina Charles
The Summer 2010 TV Season is quickly coming to an end. And I have to say I think I've watched more television this long hiatus break than ever before. So just as the Fall TV shows start to invade the airwaves here are the seven shows that snapped, crackled and popped on the small screen. They all made my must-see list this summer.
- Leverage, TNT: I decided to make the commitment and start watching TNT's grifter thriller in its third season. I quickly found out that it's a perfect summer show. It's fun, has a great cast, the cases are almost always intriguing and it is generally a great way to spend an hour. Now I'm going to have to make another commitment. I'm going to have to pick up Seasons 1 and 2 and catch up from the beginning.
- White Collar, USA Network: I quickly marathon'd Season 1 in order to watch Season 2 in real time. So happy that I did. White Collar returned and delivered great episode after great episode. Two reasons why I love this show are its stars Matthew Bomer and Tim Dekay. More reasons why I dig White Collar are its supporting cast in Tiffani Thiessen, Willie Garson, Marsha Thomason and Sharif Atkins. I just hope in upcoming seasons Marsha and Sharif will be even more involved in the action and get some back stories.
- Rizzoli & Isles, TNT: TNT's newest hit procedural has also turned out to be a hit with me. Detective Jane Rizzoli and Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Maura Isles are a dynamic duo when it comes to fighting crime. What's even better is that some of the issues that I had with this show at the beginning of the season have finally worked itself out. This show has plenty of potential to live on for a long time.
- Chopped, Food Network: All I know is that this show has such a simple concept and it's provided me with hours of entertainment. The wannabe Chopped champions really earn their 10,000 bucks and I love to see what these cooking MacGyvers can make out of the wildest ingredients. Make a potato dessert? No problem. Shuck a bunch of clams or oysters in the allotted 20 minutes for the appetizer round? No problem. Find a way to make an edible concoction out of curry paste, arugula, peanut butter and pork loin? No problem. Plus it seems that the cheftestants that were part of this summer's lineup were particularly interesting as well as talented. Then Food Network upped the ante by beginning to air the Chopped Championship. We're two episodes in and I'm loving all these champions that have returned for a chance to win 50,000 dollars. The competition is fierce.
- Childrens Hospital, Adult Swim: I don't know what compelled me to start watching this web sensation turned Adult Swim newbie, but I'm sure happy that I did. This bite-sized comedy series features an all-star cast. The Rob Corddry-creation reeled in big names like Megan Mullally, Henry Winkler and one of my personal favorites, Ken Marino. And it did something that NBC's Surface wasn't able to do. It got me to like Lake Bell. While Bell left the show at the beginning of Season 2 (although good news, she will be back later this season), we're now getting used to Watchmen blonde babe Malin Akerman. Haven't figured out her character yet but I'll be around to find out. One of my favorite characters from the first and a little bit of the second season is the patient (Nick Kroll) who suffered from the aging disease. Hilarious doesn't even describe him. I hope this series that comes in a little package (each episode is only about 11 minutes long) continues to bring the laughs for a long time to come.
- True Blood, HBO: I've seen Seasons 1 and 2 of True Blood but I watched them both marathon-style after the finales and before the next season started. I never felt the need to watch real time. That all changed with Season 3. Now I am compelled (glamoured maybe?) to watch the over-the-top in a good way happenings of the Bon Temps residents whether they're human, undead, animal-like or even faerie (I still can't forget Sookie's reaction to finding out she was not quite human). Russell has been a formidable villain and his relationship with Talbot was definitely entertaining. Eric Northman just rocks every which way especially when he's in scenes with Pam. I have had a couple issues with Season 3 (namely Sam and Jason's story lines), but it really doesn't matter because everything else was just so damn addictive. The addition and then subtraction of Franklin was simply sizzling and the introduction of werewolf hottie Alcide was quite awesome. I've felt bad for what Tara had to go through and relished the closeness she had with her cousin Lafayette. And I'm really happy Lafayette got some TLC of his own in the form of Jesus. Now it's time for the finale and then we're going to have to say goodbye to a season that gave us Jessica and Hoyt and had one of the most twisted TV sex scenes of all time thanks to Bill and Lorena. Yup, True Blood has been truly blood-sucking good.
- Pretty Little Liars, ABC Family: I took an instant liking to this high school soap/murder mystery although I was originally cautious. I wondered how long I was going to be able to handle all the secrets like who this mysterious "A" texter really is going to turn out to be. But the story has developed nicely. I still have no clue whodunit which is a good thing and I really liked the summer finale. Hanna finding out who's terrorizing the friends and then getting hit by a car really drums up the drama and makes me want the winter to get here now so we can continue the action. My issue with this show is how every guy (and some girls) want to date these 16-year-olds no matter how old the guy is. Spencer has moments with both of her older sister's boyfriends? The teacher can't help but be drawn to Aria? I don't know if I'm totally buying all of that business. Regardless, I love the young cast. The adults are some of my favorites (Charmed's Holly Marie Combs, Chad Lowe from Life Goes On and especially Melrose Place's Laura Leighton). I'm not too cool with Bryce Johnson's sleazy cop but no matter, I already love him on Fox's Lone Star. Like many of the other selections on this list, Pretty Little Liars makes the perfect summer show and it'll definitely heat things up when the drama comes back in the winter.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Rescue Me Season 6 Finale by Sabrina A Taylor
What an odd finale. I was entertained but it really did lack the excitement that the other seasons left us with.
I really thought the finale opened up with a dream sequence. Sheila on the phone with her therapist adjusting to life after Damian’s accident and Tommy coming in acting very affectionate and familiar. It wasn’t. We learn that while Damian has survived the accident he is now bound to a wheelchair in a vegetative state. Tommy apparently has been there for Damian…and Sheila much to Janet and his daughters’ dismay. Poor Tommy I mean he is always well intentioned but it seems he just can’t juggle his priorities. It’s either work and drinking, work and cheating, work and family and at this point in time it’s work and Sheila & Damian. Colleen is celebrating her sobriety and little Katie has a dance recital and while Tommy can be there for the guys at the firehouse and for Sheila and Damian he misses Colleens XXX meeting and flakes on the recital.
Lou survived this season. I hope next season we see a leaner and meaner Lou. I can’t imagine the firehouse or Tommy without him. In tonight’s finale we learn that Sean has succeeded in getting the city to honor Pat’s death with a Pavilion in central park and of course all the guys will be present for it’s unveiling. When they get to the unveiling they learn that the Pavilion is fancy name for a public restroom. The guys are offended and it is Lou that comes up with a mischievous idea to remove the plaque with Pat’s name on it and relocate it to city hall. They pull of this caper successfully and then go and celebrate with Damian and we end the season with the guys learning that vegetative Damian is a chick magnet.
All in all the finale left a lot to be desired. It’s interesting that the writers choose to make this season’s cliffhanger Damian reaching out and grabbing Tommy in the final seconds saying “You did this to me” instead of capitalizing on the fact that Tommy found medical records at home stating that Janet is pregnant. Since the finale was supposed to occur two months after the accident…and Tommy and Janet being intimate and planning to start over we are to assume that this baby is Tommy’s and he seemed less than pleased. Also, Janet chose to avoid telling him when he asked her repeatedly if there was anything she wanted to tell him.
I can’t believe this season is gone. We were promised 22 episodes and ended up with 10. I feel like the way all the story lines built with slow solid foundations that the writers really expected to have 22 episodes to bring about resolutions and then for some reason had to bring everything to a rapid halt. Will the next season bring about a new little Gavin, is the baby Tommy’s? How much of an interesting story line would it be if the baby came out Puerto Rican like Franco? Can Tommy stay sober? Will Tommy’s support for Sheila open up doors we know were never really closed? Will Lou be able to curb his food addiction to enable him to stay on the job he can’t live without?
I really thought the finale opened up with a dream sequence. Sheila on the phone with her therapist adjusting to life after Damian’s accident and Tommy coming in acting very affectionate and familiar. It wasn’t. We learn that while Damian has survived the accident he is now bound to a wheelchair in a vegetative state. Tommy apparently has been there for Damian…and Sheila much to Janet and his daughters’ dismay. Poor Tommy I mean he is always well intentioned but it seems he just can’t juggle his priorities. It’s either work and drinking, work and cheating, work and family and at this point in time it’s work and Sheila & Damian. Colleen is celebrating her sobriety and little Katie has a dance recital and while Tommy can be there for the guys at the firehouse and for Sheila and Damian he misses Colleens XXX meeting and flakes on the recital.
Lou survived this season. I hope next season we see a leaner and meaner Lou. I can’t imagine the firehouse or Tommy without him. In tonight’s finale we learn that Sean has succeeded in getting the city to honor Pat’s death with a Pavilion in central park and of course all the guys will be present for it’s unveiling. When they get to the unveiling they learn that the Pavilion is fancy name for a public restroom. The guys are offended and it is Lou that comes up with a mischievous idea to remove the plaque with Pat’s name on it and relocate it to city hall. They pull of this caper successfully and then go and celebrate with Damian and we end the season with the guys learning that vegetative Damian is a chick magnet.
All in all the finale left a lot to be desired. It’s interesting that the writers choose to make this season’s cliffhanger Damian reaching out and grabbing Tommy in the final seconds saying “You did this to me” instead of capitalizing on the fact that Tommy found medical records at home stating that Janet is pregnant. Since the finale was supposed to occur two months after the accident…and Tommy and Janet being intimate and planning to start over we are to assume that this baby is Tommy’s and he seemed less than pleased. Also, Janet chose to avoid telling him when he asked her repeatedly if there was anything she wanted to tell him.
I can’t believe this season is gone. We were promised 22 episodes and ended up with 10. I feel like the way all the story lines built with slow solid foundations that the writers really expected to have 22 episodes to bring about resolutions and then for some reason had to bring everything to a rapid halt. Will the next season bring about a new little Gavin, is the baby Tommy’s? How much of an interesting story line would it be if the baby came out Puerto Rican like Franco? Can Tommy stay sober? Will Tommy’s support for Sheila open up doors we know were never really closed? Will Lou be able to curb his food addiction to enable him to stay on the job he can’t live without?
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Random Thoughts on Mad Men: Waldorf Stories by Kara Howland
And the student becomes the master. I don’t know about you but I found this week’s episode fascinating. We are learning a lot by watching the evolution – well, the devolution – of Don Draper. We see him when he’s an eager up and comer in the fur business. He takes his chance with Roger and manages to get a job offer, even though Roger can’t remember it. Much like Don can’t remember much of his weekend. He goes to bed with a brunette on Friday and wakes up with a blonde on Sunday. How does this man not have an STD? He really gets around.
I always enjoy the Don/Peggy dynamic and this week it feels like Peggy is continuing to come into her own. I don’t think we’ll have to worry about this particular pupil ever becoming too much like her teacher but I did like seeing her push the new art director around. It was pretty ballsy to strip down so he (as a nudist) could do the same and feel comfortable. Too bad he was so “distracted” by Peggy’s nudity. She also did the right thing in reminding Don that he basically stole that slogan from Roger’s wife’s cousin. And Don paid for it dearly by having to hire that little shrimp.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again (in a different way): I’m ready for Don to stop living in the gutter. He is such a mess. I want him to wake up and take some responsibility – especially after seeing how low he’s sunk. I don’t need him to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed but perhaps he should cut back on the boozing and whoring. Seriously.
p.s. Did you see a few of the cast members on the cover of Rolling Stone? Check this out.
I always enjoy the Don/Peggy dynamic and this week it feels like Peggy is continuing to come into her own. I don’t think we’ll have to worry about this particular pupil ever becoming too much like her teacher but I did like seeing her push the new art director around. It was pretty ballsy to strip down so he (as a nudist) could do the same and feel comfortable. Too bad he was so “distracted” by Peggy’s nudity. She also did the right thing in reminding Don that he basically stole that slogan from Roger’s wife’s cousin. And Don paid for it dearly by having to hire that little shrimp.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again (in a different way): I’m ready for Don to stop living in the gutter. He is such a mess. I want him to wake up and take some responsibility – especially after seeing how low he’s sunk. I don’t need him to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed but perhaps he should cut back on the boozing and whoring. Seriously.
p.s. Did you see a few of the cast members on the cover of Rolling Stone? Check this out.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
True Blood: Fresh Blood by Kara Howland
Sorry for the delay. As you may or may not know I was working the Red Carpet for the Emmys. I spoke to Rutina Wesley (sweet) and Alexander Skarsgard (shy) and saw Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer about five feet away – deep in their newlywed love haze. Oh yeah, I also talked to Mariana Klaveno. Although I really didn’t enjoy Lorena, she couldn’t have been more lovely in person.
Now let’s get to this week’s episode. According to the trades it was the most watched episode ever. Nice! I hope you’re preparing for the finale in two weeks. I’m sure it’ll be a doozy. Especially after what happened tonight. I’ll try to make this quick and relatively painless.
Jesus is just like a Virgin. As he and Lafayette are coming down from their high Jesus is ready to go again. Lafayette has never been on a trip like that and he warns Jesus they can’t control where they’ll go. After he sees Jesus turn into some kind of monster, Lafayette asks Jesus to go home for the night. He doesn’t even want him in the same room let alone the same bed. And when Lafayette wakes up later to voices, he sees that all sort of little dolls and figures are talking to him. And it’s pretty freaky.
Crystal is a were panther. She is expected to marry Felton, who is her half-brother, and breed with him until she gets too old or until she dies. At first it’s all a little too much for Jason to take in so he leaves to go in search of Sookie. All he finds is QB1 practicing at night with his boys as their bored girlfriends look on. As his friends leave, Jason accuses Kitsch of being on V. Kitsch says his coach gets it for him, his parents pay for it, and his principal uses it for his sex life. So there’s no one for Jason to tattle to. Jason thinks it’s all unfair but returns home. He doesn’t know what to do about Sookie or about Kitsch but he knows he doesn’t want to break up with Crystal. Now she’s worried about the raid. Her daddy and Felton are crazy enough to burn the whole place down instead of letting the DEA take it.
Yvetta, the cardiologist, let’s Sookie escape with Bill. As they make their getaway in Sookie’s car Bill tells her he wants to start again and they talk about how idyllic their life would be if it could be a whole lot more normal. But they don’t make it that far before Eric and Russell hunt them down and take them back to Fangtasia. Eric makes Bill start a fight with him as Russell and Sookie go into the bar so he can tell Bill his plan. And the plan is to let both Eric and Russell drink from Sookie and walk into the daylight. To be a day walker is a vampire's most coveted desire. Sookie can’t believe Bill is going along with this – what choice does he have? He’s chained – and she tells him she hates him. Russell makes Eric walk into the daylight first and when Russell sees it’s working he goes outside too. Bill begs Pam to unchain him but she can’t take her bloodstained eyes away from the monitors. Just as Russell notices Eric has started smoking up Eric handcuffs himself to Russell. Now they can die together.
Sam seems to be turning into a male version of Tara. Sam shows up at the bar drunk and insults everyone who works for him as well as quite a few of the customers. Arlene and Holly leave and Terry stops talking to Sam. He even fires Tommy and tells him to get out of the rental. When Tara shows up she doesn’t appear to be that shocked by Sam’s behavior. She ends up confronting Andy about what she thinks really happened the night Eggs was shot. And she finally learns what actually happened. Now maybe she can move on. In the meantime, she and Sam are back to having sex. So Sam is a little distracted when Tommy cuts the alarm to the safe. Maybe this time Tommy will actually get away with all that money. I say good riddance.
Random tidbits:
- Who knew that silver and water solution was available at the local drug store? So convenient.
- Jason thought Crystal’s secret was shoplifting or something.
- Sookie is a human/fairy hybrid. Pure fairies have been extinct for a millennia.
- Summer is in cahoots with Hoyt’s mama, who isn’t dissuaded by their breakup. She’s still determined to tame her willful son.
- Russell has only loved one man during his entire lifetime and that man was Talbot.
- Eric likes Pam better when she’s cold and mean.
- Arlene tries to get rid of the baby with a kind of herbal tea Holly makes for her but she’s still pregnant the next morning even after her bleeding. Rene’s seed lives!
What a great episode. I don’t want Eric to die but I think his plan is kind of brilliant. Are they so weakened that Russell can’t drag himself and Eric out of the sun? We know how powerful he is. They’d better explain that in the first minute of the finale. Enquiring minds want to know!
I’m kind of surprised Sookie went from love to hate so fast with Bill. I know she thinks he betrayed her – and I’m sure she’s tired of that – but her feelings seems to be all over the place. I get that she might be feeling confused and betrayed by both Eric and Bill. I get that she can’t understand why Bill is going back on his promise so soon after they talked about their wonderful new life. And she’s afraid she’s about to die, especially since two vampires are drinking her blood. Something there just didn’t ring true for me.
I like where things are going for Lala. Maybe he’s finally had one too many hits of V. I’m very interested to see where that ends up going. One thing is certain. It will mess him up. Big time.
Arlene, of course, seemed to be certain she’d gotten rid of Rene’s baby. But as Holly said, if this soul is meant to be born it will be born. And apparently, it’s meant to come into this world. I do think Arlene is going a bit overboard with her assumptions that the baby will be pure evil. We don’t know that. And Terry wants to raise the baby as his own. I can understand that Arlene doesn’t want that life in her body but I’m not sure she’ll be able to get rid of it.
Now let’s get to this week’s episode. According to the trades it was the most watched episode ever. Nice! I hope you’re preparing for the finale in two weeks. I’m sure it’ll be a doozy. Especially after what happened tonight. I’ll try to make this quick and relatively painless.
Jesus is just like a Virgin. As he and Lafayette are coming down from their high Jesus is ready to go again. Lafayette has never been on a trip like that and he warns Jesus they can’t control where they’ll go. After he sees Jesus turn into some kind of monster, Lafayette asks Jesus to go home for the night. He doesn’t even want him in the same room let alone the same bed. And when Lafayette wakes up later to voices, he sees that all sort of little dolls and figures are talking to him. And it’s pretty freaky.
Crystal is a were panther. She is expected to marry Felton, who is her half-brother, and breed with him until she gets too old or until she dies. At first it’s all a little too much for Jason to take in so he leaves to go in search of Sookie. All he finds is QB1 practicing at night with his boys as their bored girlfriends look on. As his friends leave, Jason accuses Kitsch of being on V. Kitsch says his coach gets it for him, his parents pay for it, and his principal uses it for his sex life. So there’s no one for Jason to tattle to. Jason thinks it’s all unfair but returns home. He doesn’t know what to do about Sookie or about Kitsch but he knows he doesn’t want to break up with Crystal. Now she’s worried about the raid. Her daddy and Felton are crazy enough to burn the whole place down instead of letting the DEA take it.
Yvetta, the cardiologist, let’s Sookie escape with Bill. As they make their getaway in Sookie’s car Bill tells her he wants to start again and they talk about how idyllic their life would be if it could be a whole lot more normal. But they don’t make it that far before Eric and Russell hunt them down and take them back to Fangtasia. Eric makes Bill start a fight with him as Russell and Sookie go into the bar so he can tell Bill his plan. And the plan is to let both Eric and Russell drink from Sookie and walk into the daylight. To be a day walker is a vampire's most coveted desire. Sookie can’t believe Bill is going along with this – what choice does he have? He’s chained – and she tells him she hates him. Russell makes Eric walk into the daylight first and when Russell sees it’s working he goes outside too. Bill begs Pam to unchain him but she can’t take her bloodstained eyes away from the monitors. Just as Russell notices Eric has started smoking up Eric handcuffs himself to Russell. Now they can die together.
Sam seems to be turning into a male version of Tara. Sam shows up at the bar drunk and insults everyone who works for him as well as quite a few of the customers. Arlene and Holly leave and Terry stops talking to Sam. He even fires Tommy and tells him to get out of the rental. When Tara shows up she doesn’t appear to be that shocked by Sam’s behavior. She ends up confronting Andy about what she thinks really happened the night Eggs was shot. And she finally learns what actually happened. Now maybe she can move on. In the meantime, she and Sam are back to having sex. So Sam is a little distracted when Tommy cuts the alarm to the safe. Maybe this time Tommy will actually get away with all that money. I say good riddance.
Random tidbits:
- Who knew that silver and water solution was available at the local drug store? So convenient.
- Jason thought Crystal’s secret was shoplifting or something.
- Sookie is a human/fairy hybrid. Pure fairies have been extinct for a millennia.
- Summer is in cahoots with Hoyt’s mama, who isn’t dissuaded by their breakup. She’s still determined to tame her willful son.
- Russell has only loved one man during his entire lifetime and that man was Talbot.
- Eric likes Pam better when she’s cold and mean.
- Arlene tries to get rid of the baby with a kind of herbal tea Holly makes for her but she’s still pregnant the next morning even after her bleeding. Rene’s seed lives!
What a great episode. I don’t want Eric to die but I think his plan is kind of brilliant. Are they so weakened that Russell can’t drag himself and Eric out of the sun? We know how powerful he is. They’d better explain that in the first minute of the finale. Enquiring minds want to know!
I’m kind of surprised Sookie went from love to hate so fast with Bill. I know she thinks he betrayed her – and I’m sure she’s tired of that – but her feelings seems to be all over the place. I get that she might be feeling confused and betrayed by both Eric and Bill. I get that she can’t understand why Bill is going back on his promise so soon after they talked about their wonderful new life. And she’s afraid she’s about to die, especially since two vampires are drinking her blood. Something there just didn’t ring true for me.
I like where things are going for Lala. Maybe he’s finally had one too many hits of V. I’m very interested to see where that ends up going. One thing is certain. It will mess him up. Big time.
Arlene, of course, seemed to be certain she’d gotten rid of Rene’s baby. But as Holly said, if this soul is meant to be born it will be born. And apparently, it’s meant to come into this world. I do think Arlene is going a bit overboard with her assumptions that the baby will be pure evil. We don’t know that. And Terry wants to raise the baby as his own. I can understand that Arlene doesn’t want that life in her body but I’m not sure she’ll be able to get rid of it.
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