REVIEWS FROM THE KAVE

Outwit, Outplay Out-Entertain

2008-05-10T23:46:00.004-04:00

I The past few episodes of Survivor have been so entertaining, I think this season has become my favorite. I am not sure what it is surpassing, at this point even the good ones run together. I am thinking either Amazon or Cook Islands was somewhere near the top. But now? Fans versus Favorites is so far above either, I can't imaging what would have to happen for a season to be any better.

Early on, the season was just okay. I could barely keep track of who the fans were, and all the favorites I actually cared about kept getting voted out, or losing any likability. By the time the merge happened, the only person I cared about was Eliza. Who of course, was being targeted. But, this is when things got.....good.

A few episodes back, Jason had found the fake immunity idol that Ozzy had hid earlier in the season. He tries to give it to Eliza to save her, which led to a brilliant exchange where she told him the stick could not be the idol because...it was just a stick. It was a great scene, and at the time, seemed like the highlight of the season. Unfortunately, it led to Eliza's departure. I assumed I wouldn't care about anything that happened after that. But, this is when things got....even better.

When Eliza saw Jason's "stick idol" she also outed the fact that Ozzy had the real idol to the rest of the tribe. At this point, Cirie started (and others) started wondering about when they could get rid of him. Meanwhile, the rest of the tribe is targeting Jason, and even convince him to quit an endurance immunity challenge, by saying they won't vote for him. When he TOTALLY needed immunity. It was almost painful to watch him make such a mistake. But, Ozzy had gotten pretty arrogant at this point and was convinced everyone was still going to vote for him. Which, Cirie decided was a perfect time to blindside him. She got together everyone who didn't seem to be in love with him (including Parvati, Ozzy's friend) and voted him out....despite him having the hidden immunity idol and not playing it. Ozzy was completely shocked, and it was a great tribal council.

After a really good blindside, you expect a boring episode. But in this case....things kept getting better.

This time Jason was sent to exile island and found a new real hidden immunity idol. This was bad, because everyone wanted to vote him out. So, this time Natalie worked some magic and convinced him that she sent him to Exile to help him and that they are working together. Then, she voted with everyone else to get rid of him....despite him having the hidden immunity idol and not playing it. Jason was completely shocked.

So, of course, I thought there couldn't be three blindsides relating to the hidden idol in a row, right? But then, next week James was medivaced off and Erik won immunity. This meant, the 5 remaining women had to turn on their own alliance. Everyone but Parvati and Amanda planned to vote for Amanda. Afterall, Amanda had come back from Exile and emptied her bag, showing them she didn't have the hidden immunity idol. So, she couldn't play it. But what they didn't know, was that the idol was hidden at camp. So after Amanda proved to them she didn't have it, she dug it up, and then spent the rest of the day putting on an Oscar-worthy performance. The woman was practically in tears. At tribal council she went on and on about how awful it went to be going home. Then once the votes were cast, she whipped out the idol. Alexis and Natalie both knew it was one of them, and both looked sick. It ended up being Alexis, and it was a great tribal council.

Then....unbelievably....it got even better this past week. Erik won much needed immunity and guaranteed his spot in the final four. The remaining women, who had been in a final four alliance were bummed that they had to start eating each other. That is when Cirie casually throws out, the idea of Erik giving up his necklace. Natalie thought it was the stupidest idea she ever heard, because who the hell gives up immunity? But, since she was out if that didn't happen, she gave it a shot. I was sitting at home, wondering why they were spending so much time showing Cirie and Natalie try to convince him when it obviously wasn't going to work. And then....it did. Erik hands over the necklace. Then they immediately vote him out. I don't think anyone at the tribal council had a straight face. I almost felt bad for Erik, because I hate seeing people embarrassed. But it was highly entertaining.

At this point we are going into the last episode with four women I don't necessarily like, but who have all played a good game. I don't think I have ever said at final four I would be happy with any winner. The fact that they are all women makes it even better - I have been a little disappointed by the string of male winners lately.

I hope the finale lives up to the last few episodes. I am not sure how, but, hey. I have been saying that for weeks.

Unstuck in Time

2008-02-29T12:18:00.001-05:00

Last week’s Lost was a slight let down compared to the previous week’s mind-blowing Sayid centered episode. However, last night’s awesome Desmond episode more than made up for it. Desmond’s last episode was one of the best of last season, if for no other reason than the introduction of time travel possibilities on/from the island. Last night’s episode went even further.

While flying on the helicopter, Desmond suddenly flashed to eight years ago, when he was in the army. Unlike most “flashbacks,” however, Desmond seemed to actually travel from 2004 in the helicopter to 1996. When he returned, he had no memory of anything that happened in the last eight years, or the island. This led to a lot of confusion, twists, and time travel philosophy – all of which resulted in a great episode. There was little focus on the actual island, but it didn’t really matter.

Faraday
Something is clearly up with this guy. We already know he is a little “off” and have seen hints of his memory problems. Now, we learned that this is probably the result of time travel himself. After the current Faraday instructed Desmond to find him in the past, we learned that his past self has a perfectly working memory and seems quite smart. He even wondered why his future self wouldn’t remember Desmond. I am guessing that Desmond’s visit led him to start experimenting with time himself, resulting in the memory gaps.

The Black Rock
In 1996, we saw that Charles Windmore was buying a journal from the first mate of the Black Rock. Since this is the boat sitting on the middle of the island, we know it probably contains secrets about all the weirdness of the island. More interestingly, the previous owner was the Hanso family. This explains why Hanso founded Dharma to experiment on the island. It also suggests that Windmore had started looking for the island as well, and is probably responsible for the team on the boat. I don’t know if this explains who Ben is working for exactly, but it certainly answers a lot of questions.

Happy Ending
The last three episodes of Lost have ended with some type of “twist” at the end, along with reveals about the future. This episode had a simple happy ending. After past Desmond begged past Penny to give him her phone number, future Desmond was able to call her. Since we know Penny has been looking for Desmond for the last three years, and we know that Desmond has considered her his “constant” even before he was told that term. So, the fact that they connected at the end was really a beautiful moment.

The Time Thing
Two weeks ago, we were given hints that time moves differently off the island than on. Yesterday, it was revealed that off the island is December 24, 2004, the same time as on the island. However, it took a day and a half for the helicopter to get to the boat, even though the flight didn’t take that long. Also, Faraday pointed out that the Losties perception of time might not match reality. My new theory is that TIME is the same on and off the island, but some type of force field around the island causes it to take awhile to get there.

Turn for the Better

2008-02-28T13:42:00.001-05:00

Tuesday’s Jerricho finally sucked me back into the show. It took a few episodes, but it felt like the show was really getting back to its core idea; a show about a town struggling to make its own way when disaster strikes. The first few episodes of the second season seemed like a completely different show – the new government was running the town, the electricity was back on, and the citizens of Jerricho were no longer struggling just to find food. There were storylines introduced about various government conspiracies, but they did not involve most members of the cast, and I just couldn’t bring myself to care.

Tuesday, made me care again. The plot focused on the Hudson Virus, the deadly virus spreading west towards Jerricho. Jennings and Rall, who is running things, did not want this information out and tried to destroy the supply of the vaccine that Dale had tracked down. This is when the show felt real to me, because it is when Jake and the other main characters bonded together to steal the vaccine back and administer it secretly.

I also really enjoyed the emotional scenes with Bonnie and Stanley. It was so sweet to see him tell her how he just wanted her to be happy, and to see Bonnie excited, and yet ambivalent about leaving home. The follow up scene, where Mimi promised Bonnie she would take care of Stanley almost made me tear up. Of course, this means that Bonnie is probably leaving for a while and I’ll miss seeing one of the best characters. But, it is almost worth it to see those scenes. It is rare to see families that just honestly care about each in a real way, and not overly sappy/corny.

The conspiracy side of the story, finally started getting interesting, since Robert Hawkins started interacting with Jennings and Rall. It seemed to raise the stakes a little, by letting that happen, and I am looking forward to seeing where it goes. However, that probably won’t be too far – ratings this season have been terrible, which means there is no way CBS is going to renew it for more than seven episodes.

Back From the Apocalypse

2008-02-14T15:02:00.000-05:00

When Jericho premiered a year and a half ago, I was a huge fan. But by the middle of the season, it seemed like the most interesting events had already happened. Judging by the ratings, I was not alone in losing interest in the show. Yes, some episodes had good moments, but as a whole I stopped caring. By the time it was cancelled last spring, I was almost relieved. It gave me an excuse to stop watching. Even though the cliffhanger had intrigued me, it was still not enough to really want a new season.

But, as everyone knows by now, the cancellation didn’t stick. Fans sent in nuts, and the show came back from the dead. Since those campaigns never work, I feel like the show has to succeed now, or any future save our show campaigns will be laughed at even more. So, I watch the new season opener the other night. I wanted to get back into it, but I just could not bring myself to care. A conclusion to the cliffhanger was rushed out and some new exposition set up a new storyline. The explanation to what I thought was most interesting - the new version of an American flag hanging – was the most rushed of all, and explained with a few sentences about how a new government was formed after the attacks. After that, I just couldn’t bring myself to care anymore.

A government contractor all over the town is rebuilding things. This total overrides the original idea of the show about a small town closed off out of nuclear attacks. Some general-type commanding everyone is much less interesting than an isolated town deciding what laws to follow and how to enforce them on their own.

The few highlights included the scenes with Mimi and Stanley. Those two had the subplot, mostly made up of pure character scenes. They were as entertaining as ever. I did miss Bonnie, and hope she is not totally erased. I also enjoyed Heather’s scenes, and was glad she was back. Her character was always one of the most likable, and I hope if Jericho continues, she ends up with Jake (instead of Emily who makes me crazy). The last highlight – a character eating peanuts. Of course.

Well, that was anti-climactic

2008-02-08T09:46:00.000-05:00

That was my reaction to the first episode of Survivor: Fans v. Favorites. For weeks CBS has been promoting how Johnny Fairplay is going to be back, and how is the guy who told “the biggest lie in Survivor history,” etc, etc, etc. Then last night, not only is he the first person voted off, but he asked to be voted off? I didn’t quite believe him when he started talking about wanted to be near his pregnant girlfriend. It seemed very fake. For awhile I thought he was going along with Parvati’s scheme to fake out the other half of the team. But in the end he was voted off and he didn’t seem upset about it. The whole thing felt very staged, actually.

Other than that, not much happened. We barely saw the “fans” team. I don’t think I even know any of their names yet. I just picked up on the one woman who has been called “the crazy lady” by her teammates. I can already tell she is going to be annoying, but I literally did not see enough of that team to get an impression on anyone else.

The focus, was really on the favorites, which was a little annoying. I thought it was funny when they all were introduced and only half of them got real welcomes. The rest were polite applause as the fans tried to remember who they were and why they were there. Again, I’ll ask, Eliza? Amanda? Really? I liked both of them, but they seem like odd choices.

All the time spent on the favorites, showed how their tribe is already split. There is an alliance of Ami, Eliza, Jonathon, and Yau Man (who I am already rooting for), and an alliance of James, Parvati, Ozzy, and Amanda (who I am already annoyed by). I didn’t mind Amanda and Ozzy so much last time but the fact that they are already coupling and are so buddy-buddy with James and Parvati (who are also coupling) troubles me. We didn’t see much of Cirie, which I thought was weird. I hope it is not a bad sign, since I think she is a great contestant. Next week, I am sure she will become the swing vote and whatever alliance she chooses will point the game in one direction or another.

In a prison of boredom

2008-02-06T10:45:00.000-05:00

I feel like an awful fan, because I have completely lost track of everything that is going on on Prison Break. I was already a little lost in November when the show went on hiatus. Now, that it is back, I have not been able to get back on track. This is probably a sign that I don’t really care that much about the show. But while watching, all I could think about was how I have seen everything before and never gotten pay off. It makes it difficult to stay focused.

Two weeks ago the show had a cliffhanger where Sofia found a suitcase in Whistler’s closet. I don’t think we ever found out what was in it, but she seems a little doubtful about trusting him. I guess that was supposed to be building tension to the cliffhanger? But, it really just confused me.

The rest of the story is just more of the same. Michael is digging a tunnel and there are now enough people breaking out of Sona with him to form a baseball team. I did laugh when Michael reported to Lincoln how many people have to come with him. But it all just reminds me of season one, when the same thing happened. I am sure this will result the same way – way too many characters on the run in different places.

I also realized at the end, I have no idea what the full plan is. Did they reveal it and I just missed it? All I know is they are digging halfway out and then need something else to happen. But I can’t quite figure out what, and I can’t quite bring myself to care. I am sure something will happen to get some people out, and something else will happen to stop others, and it will continue on and on forever. After so many set backs and so many new plans it is hard to keep caring.

Wildly Unrealistic

2008-02-06T10:33:00.000-05:00

The writers of Wildfire must have heard my pleas from the other week looking for some Kris/Dani interaction because there has been a ton of it the past two weeks. I loved their conversation where they both admitted not having a lot of female friends in the past, and was pleased to see Dani supporting Kris even though Jean and Pablo are still angry at her for the match race. It is a little surprising, since Dani lost a lot from that race when she wasn’t even involved. However, she has seemed to move on and it shows character growth, so I am okay with it.

In the premiere, I was pretty neutral towards Juinor’s new girlfriend, but now I am starting to dislike her. She rolled her eyes along with Juinor when they were discussing their controlling fathers, but didn’t seem to have any problem with the wedding announcement or the politicians being invited to the wedding. That is definitely a bad sign when it comes to her relationship with Juinor. She also didn’t initially support Juinor’s desire to invest in the wind turbine, which was obviously done in a way to contrast her with Kris. Kris fairly quickly encouraged Juinor to take a risk for what he thought was right, and I think the idea was to show she was better suited to Juinor’s “free spirit.” As I have said, there is no way the show is going to let Juinor go off and marry someone else, and I think this is setting that up.

My one real complaint is this whole idea that Wildfire is going to make a miraculous recovery because Kris shows up. Now, I know that that is the point of the show. Kris has a bond with Wildfire and can get him to run faster than anyone else, blah, blah, blah. But seriously? That scene at the end where Wildfire jumped over a fence to get to Kris when he could barely walk the day before? A little too crazy for my taste. It was probably supposed to make me feel good, but I just rolled my eyes.

Visions of Silliness

2008-02-01T22:56:00.000-05:00

I am not going to compare Eli Stone to Ally McBeal. That is way too easy a comparison and I like to think I am above it. There were some obvious similarities, what with the show centering on a young lawyer who starts having hallucinations. However, the Ally similarities were not why I didn't like this show. I actually DID like Ally McBeal for the first few seasons, but I was not impressed with Eli Stone.

The problem was that the show didn't seem to know what side of the fence it was on. It spent a great deal of time establishing that Eli's visions had some kind of meaning and were guiding him on what case to take. But only halfway through the pilot, they throw in his medical diagnosis of the aneurysm. I know they did that whole thing with the acupuncturist talking about how there are two reasons for everything, the scientific and the divine, but the whole thing felt rushed to make a point. The concept may have worked better if Eli was having visions and others suggesting he was a prophet for several episodes, and THEN get the aneurysm diagnosis. It would make him questioning the cause of his visions more powerful.

My second problem with the show was the trial itself. There was all sorts of press about the medical community protesting the case the show was presenting - about how vaccine's can cause autism. This is apparently something that is medically unproven. But aside from that, I had an issue with how Eli tried the case. He actually said in his closing that the jury should decide the verdict based on their faith even though he didn't prove anything. That seems like something that should not be said on a lawyer show.

There were some positive moments. I enjoyed the mother's joke about how the autistic boy was Eli's son - "Yeah, I was pregnant for eight years." Plus, anything with Victor Garbor is worth watching. However, I will never be able to see him without thinking of SpyDaddy - not that that's such a bad thing.

I'll probably keep watching, simply because there is not a whole lot to look forward to on television these days. If it improves, it could become an enjoyable show. If not, it will be my first sacrifice once the writers' strike is over and my usual shows are back on.

Lost and Wondering

2008-02-01T22:43:00.000-05:00

Lost is probably one of the most complicated shows to blog about. This is mainly because there are a thousand different sites out there that write thousands of words analyzing every single line of dialog, studying screen captures of every second, finding metaphors in every characters' name. I think people spend more time picking each episode apart than people in my college literature classes spent analyzing novels.

Because of my general opinion that Lost is only enjoyable if you look at it like a fun escapist hour, this is not going to be one of those blog entries. I just don't find it as fulfilling as some do. When Alias, another JJ Abrams show, was at its peak, I did the over analyzing thing. And at the end of the day, it all came down to nothing. Even though JJ isn't writing Lost anymore, I still don't want to get too involved in a show that promises more mystery than it can probably answer.

All that being said, the premiere last night was certainly one of the top episodes - absolutely higher than last years opening episode. Season three was a let down at many levels, but the introduction of flash forwards in the finale made up for that. Season four started where that one left off, and while it hasn't answered any previous questions, it asked enough new ones that I don't care what the monster is at the moment. To summarize:

Who are the Oceanic Six? Or the rest of them, as the case may be?
Why did the leave some people on the island? And more importantly, why does the public think they are dead?
Why does Jack go from fairly together in his post island life to wanting to go back like he did in the finale last year?
If Hurley went with Locke, how does he end up "rescued" with Jack and Kate?
Who the hell is Jacob and why does his house seem to move? And why can only some people see him?
Who was the person Hurley saw in the cabin?

And what is actually most present in my mind -

is Desmond ever going to give Claire the note Charlie wrote before he died?

The Depressing Girl

2008-01-29T12:19:00.001-05:00

I decided to watch Hallmark’s “The Russell Girl” on Sunday night, not because I am a huge fan of their movies, but because I had seen a decent review of it earlier in the weekend. I also read some positive comments about it from Amber Tamblyn, who I am a fan of. Normally I would ignore an actor praising a project they worked on, since they are essentially required to promote the movie/show. However, in this case I was disappointed.

The movie started out with Tamblyn’s character being diagnosed with cancer, so you know the depressing tone of the movie right away. But “The Russell Girl” was not just depressing because a main character had cancer, it was depressing because everyone shown was way too unhealthy emotionally. It made it uncomfortable to watch – maybe some people enjoy watching characters who are hurting themselves and each other, but I don’t.

Most of the characters appeared to take steps forward towards the end of the movie, and I guess this was supposed to be uplifting. I don’t think the writing pulled this off though. There needed to be a stronger reason that the people were changing, and I just didn’t see that happening. It seemed more like the everyone got to the last third of the film, and decided they needed to act differently to create a good ending, rather then events unfolding organically.

Last Betty for now

2008-01-25T14:30:00.000-05:00

Of course, Ugly Betty would air the last episode before a writers’ strike induced hiatus with a cliffhanger.

I must not have been paying attention to casting news for this show, because I had no idea that Gabrielle Union had been cast as a guest star, let alone that she would be playing Whilimena’s sister. I could tell there was something off about Renee after she started hitting on Daniel, but I couldn’t quite figure out what. I do like the idea of giving family to Whilemina, especially if it means restarting the Slater/Meade family feud. I will be eagerly waiting the return of this show to find out what Renee's secret is.

Which brings me to the Christina as a surrogate story, which is already starting to add to the show. Her slinking around Whilimena’s apartment picking up the dirt, is a good set up conflict for this new storyline with Renee. It is also nice, because it means that what happens with Whilimena will finally have an impact on the folks at Mode. She is too great a character to remain isolated for long.

Another thing that came out of this episode is Claire starting her own magazine. I love this idea. It will give Judith Light’s character something to do now that the murder trial is over, and I can imagine the situations it will lead to. I wouldn’t want a new magazine to take away from anything going on at Mode, but I think seeing more staff members around will be entertaining.

There is not really much to say on the Betty portion of the story. As I have said, her character interests me the least. I agreed with Daniel that she was being immature by not wanting to interview the writer of a “How to Pick Up Chicks” book, I knew he was playing her, and I knew the writer’s dating tips would work. And honestly, I had no interest in watching any of it. I would have much preferred to see more of Amanda writing her song. Amanda is not someone I would want to know in real life, but she has some of the funniest lines. A story like her’s – where she contacts her rock-star-biological-father by writing him a song – would only happen on Ugly Betty. This is what makes the show entertaining.

Chuck Sandwich

2008-01-25T13:55:00.000-05:00

Chuck is definitely one of the shows I have missed the most as the writers’ strike drags on, so I was pleased with the “Chuck Sandwich” that NBC served up last night. Of the two episodes, I thought the first one was much better, although I liked the second one as well. This was mainly because I have wanted backstory on Agent Casey for awhile and because the dramatic stakes in the second episode were a little contrived.

As soon as I saw the flashback to Casey and his girlfriend I knew that she was going to end up being a spy as well. I also knew she was not going to really be dead (not that I can take too much credit for knowing that – they would not have started the episode with a flashback if the character was not going to be important. I was impressed with the way the show handled the reveal though. Letting her be good, without giving her and Casey a happy ending seemed fitting for the show.

Giving Casey a romantic interest and more of a backstory gave Chuck and Casey more bonding time, which played out very well on screen. So much of the show has been focused on the “will they or won’t they” aspect of Casey and Sarah’s relationship, that Casey’s place in the whole mess has gotten the brush-off. This helped make up for that. Chuck teasing Casey about Ilsa was one of the most humorous moments of last night.

The second episode had its good points as well. The storyline with Captain Awesome proposing to Ellie was sweet and the Buy More employees reacting to the robbery added to the joke quota. And I did have to laugh at the bad guy (so to speak) being revealed to be a pita delivery girl. Apparently in the world of Chuck, all women spies go undercover as food service employees in skimpy customers.

But since the premise of the show revolves around Chuck not being sent into hiding, we knew that episode would end with Sarah and Casey finding the receiver and no one finding out that Chuck is the intersect. This is not the first time the show has used this as the conflict of an episode, and I am sure it won’t be the last. But Chuck works best when the show acknowledges this will never happen and finds another source for their drama.

Guilty Pleasure: Wildfire

2008-01-22T21:28:00.000-05:00

When it comes to television, I have more than one "guilty pleasure." I think that term means different things to different people, so I'll elaborate. I have more than one show I am embarrassed to admit to watching, usually because they are meant for people a few years younger than me. One of these is the ABC Family series Wildfire. I don't know quite what it is about the show, I don't have any interest in horse and there are more than a couple plausibility issues with the plot. Regardless, I was still giddy about the premiere of Season 4 last night.

Season 3 ended last March, so the details of how it ended were not completely fresh in my mind. But I did remember the basics and the cliffhanger - Kris losing her jockey license, Dani losing her racing license, Kris leaving with almost everyone hating her, Raintree losing its horse. Oh, and of course, the final scene, with Kris walking down a highway and looking into someone's car window.

That last part was resolved right away, with pretty much a nothing conclusion. It was Dani in the car. This was obvious to anyone who has seen the previews since they reveal Kris is gone from Raintree when the series starts. If anyone else had been in the car, they would have convinced her to come home. However, I was a little disappointed that Dani being in the car didn't mean the two girls were about to have some 'Thelma and Louise'-like bonding experience. They did hug at the lead in to the credits, but other than that, it doesn't seem like there was a whole lot of interaction between the two in the months that passed before the premiere. Hopefully, now that Kris is back, the two will have that - I have always thought they would be better friends than enemies.

Meanwhile, Raintree farms was turned into a dude ranch for tourists and has given up racing. I am not sure this is so bad. The ranch was always in danger of losing money, and a plot like that can only last for so long without the characters looking dumb. This will sort of solve that. However, I don't buy for a minute that Wildfire is going to be retired. This show is fairly predictable, so I see Kris coming back, helping him get his times up, him winning again, her getting her racing license back, etc.

Speaking of predictable, let's talk about Junior. last night. As soon as I saw that girl on the side of the road, I knew she was going to be Junior's new love interest. But I will admit to being a Kris/Junior shipper, so I kind of hope that doesn't work out. And as much as the previews have shown "Junior's wedding" I don't buy that he will actually get married - unless it is the season finale and he is marrying Kris. However, speaking of Kris/Junior, I do feel a little bad for Matt. He spends six months pining for Kris and when he goes to see her all she cares about is her horse and Junior? It is a bit of a slap in the face.

In total, I was a little disappointed about the premiere, but I think a lot of that is because the premiere was trying to re-establish storylines. I am still looking forward to the rest of the season - I have high hopes that there will be some good stuff with Kris reestablish her connection with Paublo and Dani finally getting recognition for how awesome she is.

Free at Last

2008-01-20T00:01:00.001-05:00

After seeing the previews for this week's Ugly Betty, I didn't think I would enjoy it nearly as much as I did. The clips of Betty acting "crazy" and Ignacio thinking she was pregnant seemed a bit cringe worthy. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised at how nicely it played out.

To start with, America Ferrera did a fantastic job at becoming unhinged. I think that because she has been playing the same character for almost two seasons it is easy to forget that she does such a good job at it. When she gave a hysterical performance playing a drugged Betty, I was reminded of her talents. There were so many points where I was laughing out loud - her singing in the kitchen, her jumping on Henry in the elevator, and her complimenting Amanda's "sparkly" shirt. This also gave a Betty a chance to interact more with Gio. I know I just said last week that I was glad Betty and Henry are together. And I still stand by that. But America Ferrera has a lot more chemistry with Freddy Rodriguez than she does with Christopher Gorham. A lot of the appeal of Betty/Henry last season was the "will they won't they" factor. As what often happens, once they are together it gets a little boring. But Betty and Gio are at a more argumentative stage, and it is more fun to watch - and since my feeling about Ugly Betty is that it is all about fun, this is a strong factor.

This was all going on in the background of Claire's trial for Faye's murder. I have to say, that I love the way the this played out. I assumed that they would have Claire found guilty, mostly because it keeps the angst alive. But her being found not-guilty gives Judith Light a chance to have more storylines, she has done brilliant work in the past, so this is a definite plus. I also liked the twist that Claire only killed Faye because Faye had poisoned her perfume. It added to mythology that Faye was essentially a bitch and made Claire seem less cold-hearted. It was a little unrealistic the way the trial ended - hidden diary pages and poisoned perfume show up in court and there is a not-guilty verdict that day? Not very likely. But it let Amanda and Marc have a stake in the trial, and was a way to wrap up the storyline quickly. And again, it was definitely fun.

I'll talk more about the Christina as Whilemina's surrogate next week, since it seems like that story will really play out then. I love the idea, and think it holds a lot of promise for great storylines. I knew Christina would eventually end up being the surrogate, so it was a little tiresome to see the red herrings about other ways to raise money for her husband's surgery. For that matter, it is a little contrived to have Christina's husband show up out of the blue needing surgery. But, if that is what is needed to start the story going, I am okay with it. I'm glad to see that Betty already knows what is happening and is being supportive. We already had the plot where Betty found out about Christina helping Whilemina, and I didn't want to repeat it. It also shows how Betty has grown as a character, which I liked - a lot of shows aren't able to do that. But I have a feeling everything will be shot to hell when it is revealed who the father of Whilemina's baby is. Personally, I can't wait.

Unhappily Ever After

2008-01-15T21:50:00.000-05:00

Ever since Sarah was killed off of Prison Break, I have slowly been losing interest in the show. With her gone, there is no way for Michael to have the happy ending I have been imagining for almost three seasons. The impact of this, is that I care less about what happens. Despite this, I still want Michael to eventually get out of SONA and for him and Lincoln to have some sense of peace. I had almost forgotten what had happened in the last episode before the hiatus, but most of it came back to me as the episode continued.

I was surprised to see Michael give up so easily when he was in "the box." When the general first put him in there, I thought about how I could actually see his mind working out a solution to this latest problem. But apparently the heat was too much for him. Even so, after he started spilling everything he knew about the company, I still thought he had a plan. There was something about the way he looked at Whistler (when the other prisoner was brought in to confirm the story), that felt like there was more going on. Unfortunately, that didn't really turn out to be the case. And unfortunately for Michael, trusting an authority figure (possibly the one authority figure that is not corrupt), did not help him save LJ or get out of prison.

There was not a lot of focus on Lincoln in this episode, but I did like most of what they showed. There is something very attractive about a man sacrificing something to save his children, and that is pretty much all Lincoln has done this season. Last night, his interaction with Sofia also seemed to take a step forward. This might have a lot to do with Sofia's lack of trust with Whistler. I don't buy for a second that he only had that secret apartment to set up a life for him and Sofia, and I don't think she did either. The story looks like it will end with Whistler proving himself loyal to the "company," and Sofia running off with Lincoln and Michael - whenever the escape eventually happens. At least there would be one couple to like happily ever after.

Online Entertainment

2008-01-13T13:15:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago I finally got around to watching Quarterlife online. The great thing about it being an online show, is that I had the option of doing this on my own time, instead of watching on schedule.

The short episodes (about ten minutes each) have a lot more entertainment in them than I would have expected. I think the short segments force the writers to cram in only relevant dialog and action into the show. The web show is created by the forces behind "My So-Called Life," a fact that is almost obvious. One of the main characters, Dylan, seems so much like Angela Chase grown up that it is scary. The show feels like what Friends would have been like as a melodrama. There is a core group of twenty-somethings living in a city. However, instead of sitting around coffee shows making jokes, they are talking (or video-blogging) about the problems in their lives. This is not as annoying as it sounds, almost all the characters are likable. One exception is Debra. I liked her character well enough, until the episode where she and her boyfriend, Danny, broke up. Her story changed from best friend/supporting character to depressed girl. I can certainly understand the dramatic reasons for this, but I have never found it interesting to watch a depressed person mope. To state it obviously, it is depressing.

I am much more interested in following Dylan. She revealed she was in love with Jed, but since he has also proven to be interested in Debra, I am hoping nothing happens with Jed/Dylan. No one deserves to be dating someone who is in love with someone else. When Eric was introduced, I was also against Eric/Dylan as a couple. I know a lot of people think two characters who fight are meant to be, but often people just fight because they dislike each other. Early on, this was what I thought described Dylan/Eric. But now that they have kissed, I am starting to see that they could be a couple. However, I also have a feeling Dylan is the type of person who is happier being miserable, so it will be interesting to watch her in a good relationship.

Fun Betty's Friends

2008-01-13T12:41:00.000-05:00

Watching Ugly Betty never fails to entertain me. It is often over-the-top and often has ridiculous or unrealistic plots, but it is always hysterical and enjoyable. I think about half the lines are so out-there that I can't believe they can say them on prime time television.

This past week, was the first time I also saw the possibility of Betty and Daniel as a couple. I know hearing about the original version of this show that Betty/Daniel is the endgame and have never been happy about it. The relationship between the two seemed better as boss/assistant teaming up to succeed at the magazine. This past week, got me thinking there could really be something more. The way Daniel agreed to use healthy models because of how Betty felt, and the way that Betty was so upset Daniel was willing to sell out felt like a step forward for them. I have previously seen hints that the writers were trying to do this, but usually saw them as forced. This past week, the chemistry was just right. I still may not be happy about the two as an eventual couple, but if things continue in this direction, I will be willing to consider it in a couple seasons.

However, despite the show being about her, Betty is the character I am least interested in right now. I am happy she is finally with Henry, and hope that he doesn't actually leave at the end of the season, but her scenes are just not the ones I focus on. Who would, when there is so much else going on? This season alone there has been Alexis not remembering her sex-change, Amanda searching for her father, Bradford's death, and now Whilemina using Bradford's (sort of stolen) sperm to have his heir. Throw in Justin doing pretty much anything, or Marc and Amanda's banter, and there is almost no need for Betty's presence.

The Gossip Hour

2008-01-13T11:56:00.000-05:00

It is almost strange how all the shows I was most excited about at the beginning of this television season didn't live up to my expectations, while all the pilots I didn't care about that much got better and better.

I already talked about Journeyman becoming one of my favorite shows, and now it is time to discuss Gossip Girl. Originally, I thought this just a bad imitation of The OC. Even with Josh Schwartz creating both shows, Gossip Girl just didn't seem to capture the essence of its predecessor. But it turns out, it just needed some time to catch its footing. After a few episodes, the characters got more depth, the adults got more to do, and the plots increased in depth. Meanwhile, I was hooked.

Last Wednesday's episode dealt with Blair's pregnancy scare. The idea is a little cliche (as are most of the plots on Gossip Girl), but I really enjoyed the way this played out. As bitchy as she is, I can't help but love Blair. As more sides to her personality are revealed, she becomes almost relatable. And even though their relationship is a little twisted, I am completely into her and Chuck as a couple. It is obvious she is more herself with him than with Nate, and there is always something very enjoyable about seeing two "evil" characters team up. In real life, I certainly wouldn't want to deal with them, but as fictional people it works perfectly for entertainment.

The episode ended with Blair ready to leave town to avoid a scandal. I thought it was great to callback the beginning of the series when Serena was returning to town after doing exactly the same thing. Instead of following through on this, the show went the more interesting route of having Serena stop Blair from leaving. If the writer's strike ever ends, I will be looking forward to seeing how Blair as an outcast plays out.

Survivor Cast Announced

2008-01-06T20:23:00.000-05:00

Survivor is practically the only reality show I watch. And even though the writers' strike looks like it will be continuing long enough to push all the scripted drama's I like off the air, I refuse to watch any more. That is why I am glad this season of Survivor looks like it will shape up to be a good one. I was really excited when I heard the idea of "Fans v. Favorites." It is a nice twist on the All-Stars idea, which did not really work when Survivor tried it previously. Last week, CBS announced the cast, which suggests the season will live up to my expectations. I was a little disappointed that there will be twenty contestants (WAY too many), but other then that I am still excited about the upcoming season.

I usually never bother commenting on the new cast mates, because I don't think an online bio is ever enough to really gauge an opinion. This season is no exception, those contestants look pretty generic-the hot girl, the strong guy, the potential outcast, etc. But the "favorites" have all been on screen before, and for the most part left a strong impression.

I was a huge fan of Cirie from Exile Islands, Yau-Man from Fiji, and Jonathan from Cook Islands. All three of them were great members of the cast, who seemed "real" enough to provide entertaining commentaries. I would have been thrilled with any of them winning, and am glad they all have a second chance.

I am undecided about the rest of contestants from Cook Islands. Ozzy was great in challenges, and likable enough, but I don't really remember much else about him. A challenge monster as big as him, actually may become boring - it is much more interesting to see a close race in the challenges. Parvati was not one of my favorites. I am never a huge fan of women who come on the show with a strategy of "flirt to win." However, she did give some humorous commentaries so I am willing to hold out on giving an opinion.

I will admit to remembering very little about Eliza and Ami from Vanuatu. I know Eliza was painted as annoying, but I do recall pulling for her. Ami is the one who tried to form an all girls' alliance. I almost hope she succeeds with that this time. Survivor has been seriously lacking in female winners in the past few years, and the feminist in me would love to see another woman come out on top. However, I also remember Ami becoming obnoxious as the season went on, so I am not sure I am 100% thrilled was her return. Either way, both she and Eliza have a lot of promise for being great contestants.

The two members from the last season in China, are also toss ups. James, from this past season, also provided decent entertainment at some point, although I did not like him as much as the general population seemed to. There was definite moments where I wanted him voted off. Regardless, I am intrigued to see how he plays a second time around. I hadn't really thought much about Amanda, until the end of the season, but by that point really wanted her to win. I am hoping she does well and is more of a stand out character in her second chance.

As for Johnny Fairply (Pearl Islands), I have no idea what the producers were thinking. This is the guy who lied about his grandmother dying, not really to get sympathy, but to get attention. Putting him on the show again just seems to be asking for trouble. Maybe he will get voted out first, so I can enjoy a long strech of the season with a good twist and what seems to be a good cast (or at least half a cast).

Missing Journeyman

2008-01-06T19:55:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow is the first Monday where it is hitting me that Journeyman is not on anymore. I know I originally said I was not a fan of the show. But after the first couple episodes, this series really started to improve. By the time the last episode aired last month, it had become one of the shows I looked forward to most. Once the show set up its premise, it became less about what Dan was doing in the past, and more about the character's relationships.

As we learned more about Livia, I started to like her more and more. The twist that she was from 1948 and jumped into the future not the past, was an intriguing concept that is not usually seen in time travel stories. I wish there had been more time for the show to explore it.

I also started become more involved in Dan's relationship with Katie. It is a nice change to see events from the perspective of the person left behind. Once she believed what was happening with Dan, Katie became less annoying and more sympathetic.

I am glad that despite cancellation, and the writer's strike, Journeyman still got a decent series finale. The last few episodes, were probably some of the best. The episode where Dan inadvertently changes the past so that Zach (his son) was born as his daughter gave me the chills. I knew that Dan would "fix" things, by the end of the episode, but it was still great to watch.

By the end, the show didn't answer every question about why Dan was time traveling, but that almost didn't matter. The last few minutes of the series, where Dan told Katie he wanted to continue traveling, but would always come home, gave enough closure for both Dan's travelling and for his and Katie's relationship. The very last scene, where Dan let Katie see him "journey" was a perfect ending.

Private Practice

2007-10-18T11:27:00.001-04:00

I am starting to get annoyed with "Private Practice." For every good moments the show has, there is another five bad ones. And I know it is only a few episodes in, but the characters have not shown any developments. In fact, Addison has shown backwards movement. When she was on "Grey's Anatomy," Addison was one of my favorite characters. On her own spin-off she is becoming my least favorite. This is mainly because of the aforementioned backwards development. She spent most of Wednesday's episode upset about her co-workers not RSVPing to a party she decided to throw. I somehow can't see the old Addison getting so worked up about it. An even worse moments, was when she felt "inspired" by Sam's motivating talk on the mind-body connection. I guess this was supposed to be showing her feeling happy and learning to relax, but it had the opposite effect, the scene was almost painful to watch.

Addison was also dealing with the main "patient-of-the-week" a young woman who escaped from the hospital psych ward and wanted everyone to believe she was really sick. Of course, she was. Of course, Addion figured it out. After the past couple week's medical cases, this one felt flat.

Later, Addison revisited the story that originally brought her to L.A., her desire to get pregnant. On one hand, this did feel a little authentic and I liked how Kate Walsh played the scene. And it did make up for the oddness of Naomi (the fertility speacilist) refusing to try and help. Although, Naomi's explanation seemed out of character. Why would she think she needed to protect Addison by lying to her? She is supposed to be a doctor, right? But on the other hand, I really don't want to see them head down the road of giving Addison a baby or having her get pregnant. So it would really be better to just cut the whole story out.

Meanwhile, the character I do like, Cooper, has been getting better stories. I really liked his interaction with the ten-year-old who realized he was gay. I think children realizing their sexual identity at a young age is something worth exploring. I also like that Cooper is consistantly shown as being good with kids. What was probably supposed to be a "reveal" was that he is also in love with Violet. This wasn't really a surprise, even though, I originally thought these characters were supposed to be siblings, I have grown to like their "friendship." But before I can get behind a "ship" of these two, they need to let Violet GET OVER HER EX. Seriously, four epsides of a grown woman crying over an old boyfriend? Even if some people are like that in real life, they are not someone I want to watch on television. It is getting really old. If the writers can acomplish that, then I could get into watching Violet/Cooper enough to stick with the show. Unfortunatelty, with her ex's new wife admiting that Alan "talks about her," and coming to the clinic to scope Violet out it doesn't look like that is happening.

Coming up Daisies

2007-10-11T14:55:00.000-04:00

I enjoyed the second episode of “Pushing Daisies” a lot more than the first. I think it has something to do with all the positive reviews I had read coming into it that had me expecting a great show. Nothing could really live up to that hype, so I was a little disappointed. However, once I knew what I was getting, I was able to enjoy it.

At its root, “Pushing Daisies” is really just another detective procedural. Just with magic. The main character, Ned, brings people back from the dead, has sixty seconds to find out how they died, and then kills them again. If that sounds like it could get old, Wednesday’s episode showed many variations on how a character can react to this happening to them, and of having different levels of knowledge. The case in last night’s episode was half standard story (guy finds out new kind of car will hurt people and kills to cover it up and profit) and half charming style (said new car is powered by flowers). This charm is what “Daisies” thrives in. In addition to the flower-powered car, the episode included a character breaking out in song and the main character being saved by knitting needles. The way the show embraces this silly yet sweet scenarios creates something that is completely entertaining. No one will ever take the cases on the show seriously, but will likely enjoy the fairy tale style of the whodunit.

Now, at its heart, “Daisies” is a love story. After bringing back his childhood sweetheart Ned is unable to touch her without killing her. This leads to situations such as kissing through plastic body bags, high-fiving with plastic flowers, and using wooden monkeys to mimic a kiss. While this might seem silly on another show, here it fits right in with the charming style – and the two actors have the right amount of chemistry to make it work, anmd the two parts of the show fit together as a delightful hour of entertainment.

Family Time

2007-10-08T15:03:00.001-04:00

I have become addicted to ABC’s “Brothers and Sisters.” Besides the great cast, there is something about how the writers manage to combine humorous moments with serious and heartbreaking ones. In Sunday’s episode the show had some hysterical scenes, such as Kevin and Sarah both answering their phones at the same time and clearly, hearing the same news at the same time. Phone calls on television shows are often hard to pull off, but this show does it so well. It manages to capture the family dynamic of news traveling fast and family banter/squabbling perfectly. Another fabulous scene (again, involving phone calls) was Kitty, Nora, and Kevin listening to the conservative radio host bash them, cumulating with Kitty calling in to talk to him, moments after she had told her brother and mother to not do the very same thing. I loved how upset Kitty got when she realized Kevin had gone too far and called Abraham Lincoln gay. The best part, was at the end when two seconds after hanging up, Robert’s name came up on the caller ID – obviously calling to yell at Kitty for the situation she created.

On the flip side, there were some great serious moments worked into the episode. The scene with Joe telling Sarah he really wanted a divorce was so quiet and simple, but Rachel Griffith played it so well, that the scene was elevated to a much higher level. Obviously, the scenes with Justin coming home after his injury were also on the dramatic side. As soon as I realized Justin was injured I knew there was going to be a struggle with him trying to stay off painkillers because of his previous addiction. Judging by the closing scene of last night, this is going to be a challenge for him. I don’t want to spend weeks watching someone in pain, but I also don’t want Justin to fall off the wagon, so I am interested in where the writers take this.

The one downside of last night was that it appears as though Tommy is being set up to fall for the new office manager Lena. Tommy has never been my favorite character, for no reason other than he didn’t have a storyline until halfway through last season – when everyone else had already become so much more fleshed out. So, a more dramatic plot with adultery seems shoehorned in. However, the show didn’t introduce Lena, establish her as a friend of Rebecca’s, and hire her for the vineyard for no reason.

Hospital Show Addiction

2007-10-07T17:48:00.000-04:00

Once I start watching a show, I tend to watch it until the end. Many shows end a lot sooner than I would like. But others start to lose quality in their later seasons and out of some weird sense of loyalty I keep watching. This is the case with two Thursday night dramas.

First, is "Grey's Anatomy." Like almost everyone else, I loved Grey's when it premiered. But by the beginning of its third season, I started to get a little annoyed with the characters. By last spring, I was completely hating the show, yet, I still tuned in when the fourth season started last week. Now, with the second episode of the fourth season I am feeling the same way. The McDreamy/Meredith relationship has reached the point where they have had more bad times than good, and still act like they are fated to be together. It is hard to root for a couple who met a year ago, spent most of it with other people, and never seem to be happy when they are together. Last week, the show tried to acknowledge this by portraying Derek as "addicted" to Meredith even though she is bad for him. This same episode tried to use Mrs. Burke to illustrate how Meredith/McDreamy are different than the Christina/Burke relationship, or at least how Burke is different from Derek. This is becacuse he was willing to leave Christina for not loving him "enough" - something Derek can't do the same to Meredith. Personally, I thought this a little anti-female. I understand the concept, but it comes off as though a woman with any type of issue is bad and will just hurt men. Meanwhile the men on this show are given a free pass for any behavior and still considered desirable.

The other major storyline on Grey's is of course, the George/Izzie affair. I don't know what to say about it that hasn't already been said by others. The relationship came out of nowhere and feels more like it was put in for the soap opera effect than any real character development. One minute Izzie was mourning over Denny and the next she was in love with George. One minute George was in love with Meredith, than he was in love with Callie, now he wants Izzie? This problem is especially annoying when we are reminded only a year has passed since the series started. It is a bit like when the 20th hour of "24" rolls around, and you remember everything has been in one day. If three years had actually passed since Grey's started, all the relationships would be slightly believable. When it happens in one year, it is ridiculous. At this point, the only slightly interesting thing on Grey's are Alex and Bailey. So of course, they are given nothing to do.

The second show I watch out of obligation is "ER." This is a show that ran out of original stories, good characters, and shock value years ago. Everything I see on it has been done before. A main character in the hospital fighting for their life? Dozens of times. A new chief trying to improve the mediocre ER? This has not only happened several times in recent seasons, it has been a major plotline before. A sick kid who is dying? Again, dozens of times. It is almost hard to even get depressed about it. And yet, like with Grey's Anatomy, I keep watching every Thursday.

Private Practive

2007-10-04T19:39:00.001-04:00

I was one of the few people that liked the "Private Practice" when they did the special episode of Grey's last spring. But I wasn't too happy with the official pilot last week. It seemed like there was no new material. Wednesday seemed like the first regular episode, and the first time to really judge how good it was. The judgement? I pretty much hated it. Addison was my favorite character on "Grey's Anatomy" but somewhere all her good qualities seemed to disappear when she left Seattle Grace.

Last night did have some great moments with the baby switching storyline. The last scene where the two mother's switched babies, almost brought me to tears. However, that was the only good part about the episode, which does not give me confidence for the future of the show. Everything with the main cast, was a cross between annoyance and boredom. There is potential to the characters, they could easily be fixed with some better writing. But it doesn't seem like that is happened. Violet and Cooper have great chemistry, but she spends too much time whining about her ex boyfriend to do anything else interesting. She just ends up seeming weak. Pete spends all his time in what is supposed to be "fun bickering," but really both he and Addison just come across as immature.

I'm willing to watch for another week to see where the characters go, but if it isn't up, I may have to stop watching. Or at least pray for cancellation so Addison can go back to "Grey's Anatomy."

Heroes

2007-10-02T19:34:00.000-04:00

“Heroes” tends to tell its stories in segments. Last year it took several episodes before most of the main characters even met. By the end of the year, everything was intersecting. Now, we are starting over, which is good and bad.

As usual, everything with the Bennet family was fabulous. I especially loved Claire cutting off her toe and watching it grow back – it was gross, but an extremely cool effect. I enjoy how Claire manages to find “special” things to argue with her parents about, instead of typical teenager stuff. For instance, her talking to HRG about if she should test her powers and try to do good with them. It is things like that, transferring a universal concept (like disagreeing with your father) to this extra level that is both weird and awesome. The one thing with Claire, I am undecided on, is her classmate/love interest. He seems a little like Zach from last season, but with a power and extra aggressiveness added in. Personally, I would prefer they bring back Zach rather than shoehorn in a new “hero.”

Hiro stuck in seventeenth century Japan is still working. It doesn’t tie in with the rest of the show, but the combination of Kensei’s sarcasm and Hiro’s excitement is hysterical. It wasn’t a surprise that Hiro would fulfill some of the heroic deeds Kensei is known for, but seeing him figure it out is just plain fun television.

Other high points from last night include HRG being reunited with the Haitian and Angela Petrelli figuring out Parkman was reading her mind. I would still like to learn more about the Haitian’s true motives and loyalty. The few scenes with Mohindar pretending to get his memory erased (or actually getting it erased) were not really enough to fill anything in. However, I am pleased just to see the character again. As for Mrs. Petelli, she is a fabulous villain and the fact that she knows more about the heroes than anyone else makes her an intriguing character.

Low points from the episode include the twins from Hondorus and Peter. The twins are annoying simply because we don’t know enough about them. Yes, she has a freaky power, but at this point they fall in the category of knowing less than the viewers, which is never fun. As for Peter, he is my favorite character and his fight scene in the bar was great. However, I don’t like amnesia stories. They fall into that same category of a character of knowing less than the viewers.

Big Shots = Big Bore

2007-09-28T23:39:00.000-04:00

In an attempt to say something positive about "Big Shots," I can say that it has two gorgeous actors in it: Michael Vartan and Dylan McDermott. Unfortunately, that is literally the only positive thing that can be said. This show has a similar idea as "Dirty Sexy Money," in that it is about a group of rich people leading extravagant lifestyles. Sadly, everything DSM gets right, "Big Shots" gets wrong. The four main characters are completely unlikeable from the moment they are introduced. There is Duncan (McDermott) who spends most of the episode trying to bribe the prostitute he hired (because he was "lonely" to keep the incident secret from a reporter. There is Brody, who spends the episode cheating on his perfectly nice wife. There is Karl, who didn't do much other than wait on his wife and complain about it. Then, there is James (Vartan) who gets fired, only to be saved by his boss dying and ultimately being promoted. Mixed in there, he finds out his wife was sleeping with said boss. Now, I have seen Michael Vartan on "Alias" so I know he can act somewhat. But apparently he needs good writing to do that, because on "Big Shots" he spent most of the episode acting and looking like such a sap, that I cringed every time he was on screen. It wouldn't be so bad, if the show played like "Desperate Housewives" as so over the top that you felt like you were supposed to laugh at unlikeable people and unrealistic situations. But "Big Shots" takes itself way to seriously for that to succeed, and even the good cast won't save it.

Sad Betty: The Ugly Betty Premiere

2007-09-28T22:17:00.000-04:00

I am apparently a sucker. I spent almost the entire hour of the Ugly Betty season premiere being so glad that Santos was seemingly alive, that I didn't even care about how cheap it was to have him be okay after getting shot in the cliffhanger last season. So, I had a hard time handling the reveal that he was in fact dead and the whole thing had been a fantasy of Hilda. The scene where Betty just held Hilda as she broke down in tears was heartbreaking and really well done. Ana Ortiz (Hilda) did a fabulous job with all those scenes.

The rest of the cliffhanger follow ups were also all done well. Amanda and Marc were as hysterical as usual with Amanda trying to figure out why her birth certificate lists Fey as her mother. I loved that meta reference to VC Andrews, when Amanda wondered if Daniel could be her brother. Those meta and pop culture references are one of the things this show does best. In shipper land, Betty spent most of the episode trying to get over Henry. Despite her goodbye to him in the "relationship funeral," I don't think she is really close. Which is why the romantic in me was thrilled that Henry showed up back in New York. Hopefully, he will arrive knowing the that Charlie was cheating on him. I know shows often drag out romances, but Betty and Henry really need some time happy together. More near-misses will cause them to become as annoying as a unnamed couple on another Thursday night ABC show.

Meanwhile, Daniel was still popping pills, now out of guilt for causing Alexis to slip into a coma in their car accident. But by the end of the episode, he had decided to clean up for her sake. I hope he doesn't reconsider when he finds out Alexis was the one who had the breaks on the car in the first place. At the end, the show did seem a little cliche, by having Alexis wake up as soon as Daniel got the nerve to visit her. But, the follow up, was so good that it almost doesn't matter. Because as soon as she talked, we find out that "Alexis" doesn't remember anything about her operation, so to speak, and still thinks that she, is the very male Alex. That is certainly not a story you see every day. I suppose that storyline could become a little insensitive, depending on how long it lasts and Alex/Alexis's reaction. But it is the perfect thing to play out on "Ugly Betty."

Dirty Sexy Fun

2007-09-27T13:22:00.000-04:00

“Dirty Sexy Money” may be my favorite new show of the season, at least so far. This debuted on ABC last night, and was a completely enjoyable hour of television. Peter Krause, plays Nick George, who is absolutely the most likable character. He inherits his recently deceased father job as family lawyer to the rich Darling family. All the family members are completely over-the-top: rich girl finds out her father paid for her to get an acting job and tries to kill herself, older daughter thinks men use her for her money and is in love with Nick, drug addict son gets arrested, other son is reverend with a secret illegitimate child, and the last son is a politician having an affair with a transvestite. Yet, Nick’s reaction to having to deal with them plays out so well that the situations are humorous instead unbelievable. It may be the result of too many soap operas, but most of the dramatic moments were a little predictable: Nick’s father had been having an affair with the family matriarch, and his father may have actually been murdered. But that didn’t prevent the reveals from being enjoyable, and I am looking forward to where this show goes.

Kid Nation: To Watch or not to Watch

2007-09-27T13:18:00.000-04:00

For a show that is supposed to be about kids on their own, they seem to have a lot of guidance from producers. The main dilemma of last night, was whether the kids should kill a chicken to eat, which only came up because they were told to think about it. The argued about it slightly, but decided to kill the chickens rather easily. Even the kids who were upset about it didn’t raise as much trouble as the editing tried to make it seem. One girl talked the whole episode about wanting to leave because the animals were getting hurt and it made her sad, only to reveal at the end she was staying without much debate.

I do feel bad for the green team; to not only lose twice in a row, but to lose the reward for the town. Interestingly enough, the other kids seemed to handle the loss better than most adults do on these shows by expressing disappointment at not getting the reward, but still comforting the green team – and not interviewing later about being upset. Most people watch reality shows for the conflict – seeing everyone get along makes me impressed with the kids, but also slightly bored. The only real conflict in the town seems to be Taylor and her yellow team not performing in the kitchen. But after two episodes, I realized watching a group of kids bicker about who has to do dishes, is really not entertainment. It is the type of thing parents try to avoid. I don’t really know if this is a problem the show can overcome.

Reaper v. Chuck: The Showdown

2007-09-26T11:29:00.000-04:00

I know it is not fair to compare two shows, but considering their similarities, and the fact that I watched them back to back, I am going to make an exception for “Chuck” and “Reaper.” If I wrote two separate posts, I think I would just end up comparing them anyway.

“Chuck” is about a computer nerd who accidentally downloads all the secrets of the CIA and NSA into his brain. The pilot sets up the how this happens (his old roommate turned into a rouge spy and sent it to him) and the result: that he will end up using his new knowledge to go on Alias-style save the world missions, while being protected/helped by two government agents (including the token “hot” girl). It is not a serious spy show, there were definite camp/humor moments in the pilot, even during the action scenes. For example, the scene with the ninja stealing Chuck’s computer played like a spoof, and Chuck ends up defusing a bomb by going to a porn website that causes a computer virus. There were serious moments as well, with Chuck worrying about his family, thinking about his life changing, or Sarah (the female agent), possibly starting to care what happens to Chuck. Despite this, it did not reach the emotional depth needed to play as too serious. Overall, I enjoyed this, and despite my crowded Monday television schedule, will probably keep watching unless future episodes start to get weaker.

“Reaper,” on the other hand, is about a slacker (Sam) who finds out on his 21st birthday that his parents sold his soul to the devil. The devil shows up to collect, and now Sam has to act as a bounty hunter for souls that have escaped from hell. I enjoyed this a lot more than Reaper for several reasons. Sam is more likable than Chuck, as are the supporting cast. “Reaper” manages to make you like two parents who sold a child’s soul to the devil. The show also does a good job showing how characters are reacting to what is happening to them, and by letting them have some choice. Sam’s mother offers to give up herself to get Sam out of the deal, but Sam refuses and tells his parents he got himself out of the deal. The characters also seem to have more depth than “Chuck,” although this could change as the season goes on and the show/characters evolve. “Reaper’s” style of humor is less campy than “Chuck’s”, but still manages to offer more laughs. Part of this could be the influence of Kevin Smith, who directed the pilot. With his presence gone, it is hard to say what future episodes will look like. In the end, I would keep watching this, even if there was nothing else left in my Tuesday night lineup.

Jouney to a better show: Journeyman Premiere

2007-09-26T11:22:00.000-04:00

I am a day late with this one, but Monday nights have a lot of shows to fit into a couple hours. I am a sucker for time travel stories, so I was really looking forward to "Journeyman" – the show about Dan, a journalist who starts taking trips to the past (simply by waking up in a different time, but still the same place), and ends up helping people he meets. In the pilot he makes several trips (over a span of ten years) helping one man and his family. The multiple trips are because Dan’s actions create an additional problem later on. In the pilot, he saves a man’s life, then helps his marriage, then stops the same man from killing his wife and child years later, just so the child can go on to save lives as a doctor.

This could be an interesting premise, but the way the action plays out just makes it boring. Similar shows, such as "Quantum Leap" and "Early Edition," both set up early on what was going to “go wrong,” so to speak, followed by the heroes getting to know the characters and helping them – usually by the end you wanted the bad situation to be fixed. Both shows also set up time limits, so there was an urgency in what needed to be done. With "Journeyman, " Dan just sort of flounders around in the past until he completes whatever he is supposed to do. I didn’t spend enough time with the characters to be invested them, and because we (and the main characters) don’t know what is ultimately fixed until the end, it is hard to care about it getting done.

Thrown into the mix is the fact that while on these trips, he runs into his old fiancé Livvia (who died eight years ago). Livvia, who was/is the love of his life, is revealed to also be a time-traveler, and may not really be dead. This appears to be setting up lots of cryptic encounters between the two that will either be annoying, informative, or slightly romantic. From episode one, I am leaning towards annoying. Back in the present, Dan is already having problems with his current wife, who (along with his friends and coworkers) thinks he is using drugs/going crazy, not time-traveling. While this might be the normal reaction for a person who’s husband starts disappearing for days at a time, it makes her very unlikable.

I am willing to give this show another chance to see if more experience with time travel makes the characters more likeable and the action more interesting. But, going with first impressions, "Journeyman" is dull and not worth the time to watch.

Heroes: I Broke History

2007-09-25T11:29:00.001-04:00

Last season, Heroes peaked (in both quality and excitement) before the season finale. Based on that, I wasn't quite sure what to expect with the new season – it would either be as disappointing as the finale or as good as the awesome mid-season episodes.

I think what actually aired, was a mixture of both. There were some great moments: HRG's showdown with his new boss, seeing that Parkman and Mohinder are protecting Molly together, finding out Mohinder is going undercover with the company (and working with HRG), and pretty much every moment with Hiro and Kensei. I was worried that Hiro being stuck back in time away from everyone else would be annoying, but I like how it played out. It doesn't hurt that Kensei is played by David Anders of Alias. I actually still think of him as Sark, just on some bizarres mission. But the two actors made the storyline work, and I am looking forward to seeing Hiro fix the history he "broke."

There was also nice set up for the rest of the year. Molly is still having visions of a dangerous "bogyman" who can "see" her – who will presumably be the new big bad guy of the year.   Hiro's father and Mrs. Petrelli are getting death threats from some of the original Heroes, who is seemed to have formed The Company years ago. One of the more interesting storylines of last year involved finding out about the older characters with powers and how they were connected, so I am excited to see where the writers go with this. I do hope that Hiro's dad is not actually dead, and considering that the Peterelli brothers are alive gives me some hope. The new characters (Maya and her brother Alejandro)didn't make a huge impression on me yet, but the fact that at least one of them seems to be infected with the same virus Molly has last year, will connect them with other characters soon enough. I am not sure I like the "virus" storyline, it seems like a cheap way to kill off characters or create drama (a mysterious illness that infects heroes without explanation?   Really?), but combined with everything else that is going on, it may work.

Heroes also picked up four months after the events of last season, which made for some gaps in storytelling, and confusion.   Nathan is alive, but no longer married?   Peter is alive, with amnesia, and lost somewhere in Ireland? Parkman is divorced and now a cop in NYC? All great potential for storylines, but I'd like some more details on how exactly that came to be.   Some exposition about what happened is fine, but if they don't go back and give more details, it is just lazy storytelling.

But Heroes has never been about great continuity, it is better at focusing on the bigger picture. Regardless, I am already hooked again.

First Week

2007-09-23T20:26:00.000-04:00

As it turns out, it takes a little longer than I thought to blog about these shows. I am going to try to do better this week and write up at least one show a night. This may require slightly shorter posts, but I think that will work out better overall.

I want to do a quick synopsis of what I did watch last week and missed reviewing.

Kid Nation: Yes, I watched it. And for all the scandal, it was fairly tame...yet a little boring as well. Most of the kids they showed seemed cute enough and not as obnoxious as they could be. I especially liked Sophia and Laurel, they seemed to have good heads on their shoulders. We certainly did not see all 40 kids, and probably will never learn all their names...it is just too many to keep track of. There seems to be a heavy presence of the host, and the kids really don't get much freedom to "create a new nation." It is more like Survivor, the child version. Which means entertaining enough when focusing on good people, boring when not. I'll give it another episode to see how it continues to play out.

Gossip Girl: I don't know if I am getting older or teen soaps are getting worse. I loved The O.C., but even with the same creator, Gossip Girl seems to be trailing it in quality. Most of the characters on this show are one-dimensional, and the plot was fairly predictable. I like Kristin Bell, and she did a good job with the narration, but I don't think it really fit with the show. The voice over was shoe-horned in at the wrong times. I'm willing to give it one more shot. Pilots are often tough to judge because they are setting things up. But, if I don't see more complex stories, I think I will be done.

Survivor: I have seen every season of Survivor, so at this point everything seems to be a reminder of a past challenge or contestant. This year was no exception. The show is done with its "racial segregation" experiment, so this season is just old-school Survivor with two tribes of eight. Other than being stranded with no luggage, there was not any extra hardship going on to make the episode stand out. I was glad "Chicken" went home, just because I couldn't understand a word he said. I also ended up liking Ashley more than I thought I would after her first interview, so was glad she seemed to be less sick by the third day. However, I don't know what she was thinking with those boots. I know she wasn't expecting to be left with no luggage, but shouldn't she have known it was a possibility and dressed more practical? Other early favorites are James the grave digger and Todd the "gay Mormon flight attendent." The only ones who stood out as annoying were that waitress from New York who didn't like other people smiling/talking, the professional poker player who thought Todd was lying about his job, and Leslie, who couldn't sit through the Buddhist welcome ceremony. That is not what bothered me, but the way she kept saying she wasn't religious when she is a Christian radio talk show host and mentioned her relationship with Jesus several times did get to me. However, Leslie, did score points with me for talking to James about how to overcome his shyness. They are one of those pairs that sometimes bond on Survivor where you never expect them to become friends, but they usually end up creating a cool alliance. Think: Elisabeth/Roger from Australia or Earl/Yau Man from Fiji. Overall, it looks like there a good mix of personalities, so it could shape up to a fairly decent season.

K-Ville Pilot

2007-09-17T21:54:00.001-04:00

When described, K-Ville sounds like an interesting show. The premise, the story of New Orleans cops in a post-Katrina setting, suggests that current issues not usually discussed will be explored. Unfortunately for anyone watching, it doesn't pull this off.

The show could change drastically from the pilot, but last nights episode was nothing but a cliche filled crime procedural. It featured a cop investigating the murder of a friend and predictably getting too personally involved to make rational judgments. Until of course, the last ten minutes when it is all wrapped up---despite the fact that the culprit's motive doesn't quite make sense. (A woman sabotaging her own fund raisers to rebuild the run down area of New Orleans, because her brother's killers lived there? ? Seriously?).

The lead Marlin Boulet (Anthony Anderson) was abandoned by his partner is the immediate wake of Hurricane Katrina, which causes him to not trust his new partner Cobb (Cole Hauser). While he turns out to be right (Cobb is an ex-con who escaped from prison during the storm), Boulet's attacks show him as as irrational. Combined with drinking on the job and a refusal to move out of New Orleans, despite his wife's pleading, Boulet comes off as very unlikable. Perhaps with more focus on Boulet's as a person and what is leading him psychologically, this would be a different story. But this is lacking from the pilot. The sacrifice does not even result in good action sequences. The action scenes mostly consist of car chases, which are too choppily shot to be enjoyable.

Next week Heroes returns opposite this show, so I probably won't bother watching further episodes to see if things improve. When a series is goo d enough, I'll find a way to watch multiple episodes in the same time slot. But K-Ville just doesn't convince me to bother.

A New Plan: Prison Break Season Premiere.

2007-09-17T21:50:00.000-04:00

Let's face it, Prison Break has always been an unrealistic show. To continue the plot into a second season, it had to get even more unbelievable. So, to continue with season three, it was obvious the writers were going to have to push the envelope even more. If you can't accept that, it is probably not the best show for you to be watching. But if you can accept it, last night's season premiere was pretty fantastic.

The reason? We got to see the main characters back in the same setting, which is SONA, a prison filled with the "worst of the worst," and so horrible that even the guards have abandoned it. One that force prisoners to fight to the death over any grievances (real or orchestrated by enemies) and has no other sense of order.

Besides Michael, the new prisoners includes Bellick (who was never the nicest person while working as a guard, but doesn't really deserve the treatment his is getting), Mahone (who was a great villain while trying to track the fugitives, and almost deserves to be locked up in SONA), and T-Bag (who absolutely deserves to be locked up in SONA, and yet seems to thrive in the prison). In a nice twist, Lincoln is on now on the outside trying to help Michael get out of prison. And early in the episode, this seems easy. The The American Consulate says there is evidence Michael is innocent and will transfer him while waiting for a trial. The conspiracy group that wanted to put Michael away last year seems to have a new motive: wanting Michael to break another inmate out of prison. Why would Michael agree to this? Well, the conspiracy group has kidnapped Sarah and LJ.

I am interested to see how Michael's mind works without the benefit of the long term planning he had available for the original break out. Hopefully, this will include some great scenes of him teaming up with Mahone, who is the only one whose mind was ever a match for Michael. If the scene where Mahone gave Michael tips to fight dirty, and later defended him, are any indication, the rest of the season should be fantastic.

Introduction

2007-09-17T19:46:00.000-04:00

I have always described my dream job as being a television critic. It combines three of my favorite things: watching TV, writing, and telling people my opinion. So, if I could actually get paid to watch as much television as I want and then write about it, I would be in heaven. If I could actually impact people's opinions, it would be even better.

But, life isn't fair and I don't have my dream job. Fortunately, this is the twenty-first century and I don't have to wait for someone to hire me to write about something...I can do it myself with a blog (albeit without getting a paycheck). So, that is what this is. I plan to review almost all the shows I watch as they air. I'll also start the fall season watching as many of the new shows as I can, and as I lose interest, I'll drop them and focus on the best.