Yet Another Reason to Avoid Banks
Pushing Daisies 2.02
Is there really any better place for this show than a circus? With the colors and outlandishness, I'm kind of surprised this didn't show up earlier. Perhaps that's a testament to the creative team behind the show, that they avoid the obvious. And when they do go for something less unexpected, it's still original and great.
This was the first episode my sister watched, and she liked it! She refuses to watch shows I watch, but she found the show, full of quirks and oddities (and undead people), to be funny. I hope she checks it out tomorrow night. Anyway, I understand the show needs a way to catch up casual viewers with the nuances of the program, like Chuck being undead, but some of the intros could become redundant. It seems like the first 5 minutes are spent rehashing things in a very narrative manner. No "Previously"'s there, but that's not necessarily good. How much longer will the show continue with these, I recall last season some of the episodes had similar preambles to the good stuff, and I had similar concerns. But right now I'm just concerned and not annoyed, so we'll see.
Chuck and Ned cannot be sweeter. I know it's the foundation of the show and a big "duh" that I would feel that way, but Ned being all separated from Chuck is beyond adorable and sad, like a depressed puppy. Poor Ned. It makes me want to hug him (and maybe sneak a peek at those contraptions he alluded to).
But poor Chuck! Her crying while Vivian was talking to the "unknown server" was heartbreaking and amazing. It's something Chuck needs, to see (or hear) her aunts moving on. I know it's not just her love of pies that's keeping her at the Pie Hole. Lily's already caught a glimpse of Chuck last season, you think another one will have her curious or just wigged out?
Speaking of Lily and her convent captive Olive... erm... They're in a convent and boozing and spilling secrets. Next week looks to put Olive back in the Pie Hole. The Sound of Music motif is cute and all, but it isn't doing much for me plotwise, except extract Olive from the ensemble.
Grey's Anatomy 5.03
Yup, I'm off the show. Sure I'll still watch, but the "drama" is just so tired and worn out. Oooh! Meredith is fragile! Izzie feels left out! Seattle Grace is #12! (no wonder, I mean, SERIOUSLY!) Alex is an ass! Callie is curious! George is awkward! Sloane is obnoxious! And I know the writers aren't spending their time thinking of powerful and innovative storylines. Nope, same old sappy mush. Someone's dying of cancer, someone feels pain. Somehow the hospital floods and the Chief wouldn't send everyone to other hospitals because he's a terrible chief. Unfortunately, I'm still watching the show because it's my guilty pleasure. That's right, I know it's bad and redic and I get annoyed with most of the characters and their McRelationships, but I can't not watch.
The Office 5.02
So forget everything I whined about with the hour longs. I didn't realize there was only one this time around. I'm sorry, NBC. Did I mention I really enjoyed this episodes? What's not to love about Holly trying to be both Toby and Michael! Oh the conflicts! How can you be both efficient and incompetent? Tough balancing act.
Is anybody surprised Meredith is whoring herself out for discount office supplies and free product placements? (Credit to the writers for getting that Outback plugin work) I loved how freely she admitted it. Sure others admitted to things under Michael's "immunity", but did they really take that seriously? He's Michael! Guess when you're "working" with him all the time, it's tough to realize he's got little to no clout. But the best payoff came when the corporates reprimanded Holly for bringing this to their attention and encouraged Meredith to continue! So free steak for EVERYONE!
In other news, Pam and Jim are engaged and nobody was surprised, in fact, many seemed to think the two were already engaged. Their complete lack of enthusiasm was amazing, and I wonder who will actually get them gifts, I mean they already laid out money for Pam's first try.
Dwight isn't a time thief, even when Jim butchers everything about Battlestar Galactica. I actually died, like I teared up. Speaking of BSG, is that show still on the air? God I miss it, come back, please.
Dexter 3.03
Normally I just leave my Dexter thoughts to just "I love Dexter, it's a great show", but there was one line in the episode that might be the best in the show's history. To be fair, this episode had lots of internal Dexter humor. I love how when he's under stress, the writers do a lot more with his true, dark thoughts. Sometimes there will be gaps when we have actual scenes and stuff, but others are peppered by his demons.
The yoga scene was particularly rich in internal dialog, from Dex contemplating killing the instructor, to my favorite moment, when he was to send his "positive intentions" to his unborn child. He hesitated, and his thoughts "I'm sorry, I just don't want to hurt you". I heard that and I knew it would be my favorite moment. It just rang so true, how can we call Dexter a horrible sociopath when he clearly looks out for Rita and the kids, and now his unborn child? I know Dex is an obsessive (alphabetized grocery lists!) serial killer, but he's not without feelings as he'd been led to believe. He is concerned and cares about others. If he didn't, why didn't he turn himself in last season? It was Deb's anticipated reaction that held him back. He regularly watches out for Rita and this episode the children.
Harry may have taught Dexter he's a monster, but I think he's learning that he's more than that. Maybe his feelings of anger aren't abnormal. Maybe his are more intense and his desires are not normal, but the fatherly abandonment? Miguel Prado is showing Dexter that he's got similar issues. That or Miguel is egging our deranged butcher on. Does the ADA know Dexter offed his little brother? Something about him seems very disingenuous. Or it could be that Dexter's found a friend, someone who isn't repulsed by him. Prado knows the innocent blood-spatter analyst has murdered someone and hidden the body. Dexter might try to play it off as scared, but even his explanations are too detailed for someone who's never killed. Dexter could actually dump bodies in the graveyards the way he described. It is brilliant, and a little scary Miguel was impressed by it. Them Prado's are all up to no good.
Mad Men 2.11
This episode was remarkable, mostly because I didn't enjoy it. It was a bizarre mess that spent way too much time in LA with that wacko swinger incest cult bunch and not enough with the other characters. We had Kurt outing himself, making Peggy embarrassed at her horrible taste in men, which leads to a hair cut. Well that finally addresses my mother's anachronistic nagging about Peggy looking out of the time period.
There are only two more episodes left, and I'm concerned about certain things being revealed. Will Peggy's secret come out? God I hope so. I really need Pete to know, the drama will be intense! Especially with his wife's conception problems, what a lovely addition to that story! Will we ever learn what became of Peggy's child? Is the the little blond kid being raised by her sister or was it given up for adoption? Not something terribly important, but it's something that's been bugging me. Are we going to see Father Gill again? I feel like he just vanished, and it feels terribly unresolved.
But this episode did leave me with a theory! I think I know who "Dick Whitman" is phoning up. It's that blond chick from earlier in the season. In a flashback, she walks into the car dealership, noting Don Draper, then deciding he's not really Don Draper. Then the scene is never referred to again. I'm guessing he sleeps with her (because she's pretty) and she knows he's Dick. And I have a funny feeling she's the person Don sent the book to at the end of the very first episode. A number of people thought it was Midge or Rachel Menkin, but I'm set on this blond woman. What secrets are you hiding, Don Draper? I'd put some money on a lovechild, but that's just me.
God, even a bad episode of Mad Men has me thinking. Great show that everyone should watch.
Heroes 3.05
How come Nathan's voiceovers are poignant and meaningful and completely relevant but with Mohinder's I want to go to sleep? God can we just kill the goo-man, or at least dump these stupid narratives until there's a necessity. But back to the good, I was drawn into the show by this introduction. Nathan's a very compelling character!
There's a rival company headed by Papa Petrelli who wants everyone to be special. That is the WORST idea ever. How could these people, good or evil, believe this is an genius plan? It's not! Why would anybody want this, besides people like Mohinder who know about abilities and feel inadequate. Is Papa Petrelli a product of the formula? Doubt it, so why's he heading this effort? But I'm guessing he's a baddie based on manipulating Daphne and Nathan and showing up in Angela's vision killing people, including his sons. So he's bad, but why?
Hiro, shut up. I'm so off the Hiro boat, I mean "killing" Ando? I know he's all "I'm going to go back in time later to save you", but how is that a good idea? Doesn't he remember Charlie? That was a roaring success. I suppose we know Ando lives because of the future where HE KILLS HIRO. But that's one future and time is constantly in flux, so who knows.
HRG (NBC DO NOT CALL HIM THAT.) is ambiguous. He's working with Sylar! He wants to put away someone who's "innocent"! But he tries to turn the black hole guy to kill Sylar! It's uncertain! Like back in the first season!
This episode had me thinking a lot about season 1, like how Angela Petrelli was shown as being kind of insane and unstable (she was arrested for shoplifting or something in the pilot). I like the Angela now, but I wouldn't pass up some instability now and then. But I see she's now this mastermind, which is less interesting.
I get the show's trying to move towards this ambiguity with good and evil, heroes and villains (please stop using the word every 2 seconds), but it's to the point where I have no idea what those concepts are. They aren't just blurring the line, but they're erased it. Sylar is good? He's getting over his little killing-ability stealing addiction and now is a good partner. Quick nitpick about Sylar, when HRG was talking down Vortex-guy, how come Sylar didn't use his super hearing that he stole from that woman in season 1? I'll tell you why, because whomever wrote this episode forgot Sylar could do that. Sloppy. How about Peter? He tried to kill his mom. That's pretty evil. Seems like Sylar's not evil, it's his ability. That might be the kind of "gift" you should negate with a cure. Just saying. Maybe Pa Petrelli's actually trying to reverse engineer the formula to take away powers. See, now he's a good guy. I'm expecting lots of back and forth. But because this is Heroes, I expect the shifts to be random, sudden, and somewhat out of context. (or it could be good, it really varies with the show).
Mohinder should die for more reasons than the horrible bookends on the episodes. He goos people to the walls. He's like a sick goo spider monster. Ew. Please die?
Eli Stone 2.01
You know what would make a good lead-in to Eli Stone? Pushing Daisies. Both have a very whimsical sense to them, and I think viewers of one will greatly enjoy the other. Though if the ratings for Stone are shit, then it'd make a crap lead-in/out.
Oh the musicals! That's what I love about this show, it's loosely legal with a big heap of fantastical. That's my kind of show. Loved the opening musical number, and I was starting to think that that was the only vision we were going to see. PSYCH! Turns out Eli's therapy visits were God or someone. But now he's got the visions back (Nate would have been a crap messenger. He didn't even see musicals numbers!)
Nate saw a bank that collapsed on Jordan. That would have been so much cooler in song, just saying. Nah, it was good as is. Want to know what was cooler? Like make me giddy want to fangirl cooler? The bank was "Credit Dauphine" - the front for SD-6 on Alias, Victor Garber's last successful TV show. Made my night. Definately. Not going to lie, but that's what made me do this huge-ass TV post. I had to get to the one line obscure TV reference! Only took me two hours.
Is there really any better place for this show than a circus? With the colors and outlandishness, I'm kind of surprised this didn't show up earlier. Perhaps that's a testament to the creative team behind the show, that they avoid the obvious. And when they do go for something less unexpected, it's still original and great.
This was the first episode my sister watched, and she liked it! She refuses to watch shows I watch, but she found the show, full of quirks and oddities (and undead people), to be funny. I hope she checks it out tomorrow night. Anyway, I understand the show needs a way to catch up casual viewers with the nuances of the program, like Chuck being undead, but some of the intros could become redundant. It seems like the first 5 minutes are spent rehashing things in a very narrative manner. No "Previously"'s there, but that's not necessarily good. How much longer will the show continue with these, I recall last season some of the episodes had similar preambles to the good stuff, and I had similar concerns. But right now I'm just concerned and not annoyed, so we'll see.
Chuck and Ned cannot be sweeter. I know it's the foundation of the show and a big "duh" that I would feel that way, but Ned being all separated from Chuck is beyond adorable and sad, like a depressed puppy. Poor Ned. It makes me want to hug him (and maybe sneak a peek at those contraptions he alluded to).
But poor Chuck! Her crying while Vivian was talking to the "unknown server" was heartbreaking and amazing. It's something Chuck needs, to see (or hear) her aunts moving on. I know it's not just her love of pies that's keeping her at the Pie Hole. Lily's already caught a glimpse of Chuck last season, you think another one will have her curious or just wigged out?
Speaking of Lily and her convent captive Olive... erm... They're in a convent and boozing and spilling secrets. Next week looks to put Olive back in the Pie Hole. The Sound of Music motif is cute and all, but it isn't doing much for me plotwise, except extract Olive from the ensemble.
Grey's Anatomy 5.03
Yup, I'm off the show. Sure I'll still watch, but the "drama" is just so tired and worn out. Oooh! Meredith is fragile! Izzie feels left out! Seattle Grace is #12! (no wonder, I mean, SERIOUSLY!) Alex is an ass! Callie is curious! George is awkward! Sloane is obnoxious! And I know the writers aren't spending their time thinking of powerful and innovative storylines. Nope, same old sappy mush. Someone's dying of cancer, someone feels pain. Somehow the hospital floods and the Chief wouldn't send everyone to other hospitals because he's a terrible chief. Unfortunately, I'm still watching the show because it's my guilty pleasure. That's right, I know it's bad and redic and I get annoyed with most of the characters and their McRelationships, but I can't not watch.
The Office 5.02
So forget everything I whined about with the hour longs. I didn't realize there was only one this time around. I'm sorry, NBC. Did I mention I really enjoyed this episodes? What's not to love about Holly trying to be both Toby and Michael! Oh the conflicts! How can you be both efficient and incompetent? Tough balancing act.
Is anybody surprised Meredith is whoring herself out for discount office supplies and free product placements? (Credit to the writers for getting that Outback plugin work) I loved how freely she admitted it. Sure others admitted to things under Michael's "immunity", but did they really take that seriously? He's Michael! Guess when you're "working" with him all the time, it's tough to realize he's got little to no clout. But the best payoff came when the corporates reprimanded Holly for bringing this to their attention and encouraged Meredith to continue! So free steak for EVERYONE!
In other news, Pam and Jim are engaged and nobody was surprised, in fact, many seemed to think the two were already engaged. Their complete lack of enthusiasm was amazing, and I wonder who will actually get them gifts, I mean they already laid out money for Pam's first try.
Dwight isn't a time thief, even when Jim butchers everything about Battlestar Galactica. I actually died, like I teared up. Speaking of BSG, is that show still on the air? God I miss it, come back, please.
Dexter 3.03
Normally I just leave my Dexter thoughts to just "I love Dexter, it's a great show", but there was one line in the episode that might be the best in the show's history. To be fair, this episode had lots of internal Dexter humor. I love how when he's under stress, the writers do a lot more with his true, dark thoughts. Sometimes there will be gaps when we have actual scenes and stuff, but others are peppered by his demons.
The yoga scene was particularly rich in internal dialog, from Dex contemplating killing the instructor, to my favorite moment, when he was to send his "positive intentions" to his unborn child. He hesitated, and his thoughts "I'm sorry, I just don't want to hurt you". I heard that and I knew it would be my favorite moment. It just rang so true, how can we call Dexter a horrible sociopath when he clearly looks out for Rita and the kids, and now his unborn child? I know Dex is an obsessive (alphabetized grocery lists!) serial killer, but he's not without feelings as he'd been led to believe. He is concerned and cares about others. If he didn't, why didn't he turn himself in last season? It was Deb's anticipated reaction that held him back. He regularly watches out for Rita and this episode the children.
Harry may have taught Dexter he's a monster, but I think he's learning that he's more than that. Maybe his feelings of anger aren't abnormal. Maybe his are more intense and his desires are not normal, but the fatherly abandonment? Miguel Prado is showing Dexter that he's got similar issues. That or Miguel is egging our deranged butcher on. Does the ADA know Dexter offed his little brother? Something about him seems very disingenuous. Or it could be that Dexter's found a friend, someone who isn't repulsed by him. Prado knows the innocent blood-spatter analyst has murdered someone and hidden the body. Dexter might try to play it off as scared, but even his explanations are too detailed for someone who's never killed. Dexter could actually dump bodies in the graveyards the way he described. It is brilliant, and a little scary Miguel was impressed by it. Them Prado's are all up to no good.
Mad Men 2.11
This episode was remarkable, mostly because I didn't enjoy it. It was a bizarre mess that spent way too much time in LA with that wacko swinger incest cult bunch and not enough with the other characters. We had Kurt outing himself, making Peggy embarrassed at her horrible taste in men, which leads to a hair cut. Well that finally addresses my mother's anachronistic nagging about Peggy looking out of the time period.
There are only two more episodes left, and I'm concerned about certain things being revealed. Will Peggy's secret come out? God I hope so. I really need Pete to know, the drama will be intense! Especially with his wife's conception problems, what a lovely addition to that story! Will we ever learn what became of Peggy's child? Is the the little blond kid being raised by her sister or was it given up for adoption? Not something terribly important, but it's something that's been bugging me. Are we going to see Father Gill again? I feel like he just vanished, and it feels terribly unresolved.
But this episode did leave me with a theory! I think I know who "Dick Whitman" is phoning up. It's that blond chick from earlier in the season. In a flashback, she walks into the car dealership, noting Don Draper, then deciding he's not really Don Draper. Then the scene is never referred to again. I'm guessing he sleeps with her (because she's pretty) and she knows he's Dick. And I have a funny feeling she's the person Don sent the book to at the end of the very first episode. A number of people thought it was Midge or Rachel Menkin, but I'm set on this blond woman. What secrets are you hiding, Don Draper? I'd put some money on a lovechild, but that's just me.
God, even a bad episode of Mad Men has me thinking. Great show that everyone should watch.
Heroes 3.05
How come Nathan's voiceovers are poignant and meaningful and completely relevant but with Mohinder's I want to go to sleep? God can we just kill the goo-man, or at least dump these stupid narratives until there's a necessity. But back to the good, I was drawn into the show by this introduction. Nathan's a very compelling character!
There's a rival company headed by Papa Petrelli who wants everyone to be special. That is the WORST idea ever. How could these people, good or evil, believe this is an genius plan? It's not! Why would anybody want this, besides people like Mohinder who know about abilities and feel inadequate. Is Papa Petrelli a product of the formula? Doubt it, so why's he heading this effort? But I'm guessing he's a baddie based on manipulating Daphne and Nathan and showing up in Angela's vision killing people, including his sons. So he's bad, but why?
Hiro, shut up. I'm so off the Hiro boat, I mean "killing" Ando? I know he's all "I'm going to go back in time later to save you", but how is that a good idea? Doesn't he remember Charlie? That was a roaring success. I suppose we know Ando lives because of the future where HE KILLS HIRO. But that's one future and time is constantly in flux, so who knows.
HRG (NBC DO NOT CALL HIM THAT.) is ambiguous. He's working with Sylar! He wants to put away someone who's "innocent"! But he tries to turn the black hole guy to kill Sylar! It's uncertain! Like back in the first season!
This episode had me thinking a lot about season 1, like how Angela Petrelli was shown as being kind of insane and unstable (she was arrested for shoplifting or something in the pilot). I like the Angela now, but I wouldn't pass up some instability now and then. But I see she's now this mastermind, which is less interesting.
I get the show's trying to move towards this ambiguity with good and evil, heroes and villains (please stop using the word every 2 seconds), but it's to the point where I have no idea what those concepts are. They aren't just blurring the line, but they're erased it. Sylar is good? He's getting over his little killing-ability stealing addiction and now is a good partner. Quick nitpick about Sylar, when HRG was talking down Vortex-guy, how come Sylar didn't use his super hearing that he stole from that woman in season 1? I'll tell you why, because whomever wrote this episode forgot Sylar could do that. Sloppy. How about Peter? He tried to kill his mom. That's pretty evil. Seems like Sylar's not evil, it's his ability. That might be the kind of "gift" you should negate with a cure. Just saying. Maybe Pa Petrelli's actually trying to reverse engineer the formula to take away powers. See, now he's a good guy. I'm expecting lots of back and forth. But because this is Heroes, I expect the shifts to be random, sudden, and somewhat out of context. (or it could be good, it really varies with the show).
Mohinder should die for more reasons than the horrible bookends on the episodes. He goos people to the walls. He's like a sick goo spider monster. Ew. Please die?
Eli Stone 2.01
You know what would make a good lead-in to Eli Stone? Pushing Daisies. Both have a very whimsical sense to them, and I think viewers of one will greatly enjoy the other. Though if the ratings for Stone are shit, then it'd make a crap lead-in/out.
Oh the musicals! That's what I love about this show, it's loosely legal with a big heap of fantastical. That's my kind of show. Loved the opening musical number, and I was starting to think that that was the only vision we were going to see. PSYCH! Turns out Eli's therapy visits were God or someone. But now he's got the visions back (Nate would have been a crap messenger. He didn't even see musicals numbers!)
Nate saw a bank that collapsed on Jordan. That would have been so much cooler in song, just saying. Nah, it was good as is. Want to know what was cooler? Like make me giddy want to fangirl cooler? The bank was "Credit Dauphine" - the front for SD-6 on Alias, Victor Garber's last successful TV show. Made my night. Definately. Not going to lie, but that's what made me do this huge-ass TV post. I had to get to the one line obscure TV reference! Only took me two hours.