This column represents a pretty monumental moment, because as you read this very edition, I am busy at my first day of work. Yep, after seemingly forever, I’ve managed to make my way into the work force, and I’m excited about this opportunity.
It’s also been a pretty busy week in television, so lets jump right into it.
CONTINUITY POLICE, VOLUME 17:
So last week I found myself killing time waiting for RAW to come onto the air, and without being able to find the controller, I found myself watching some of 7th Heaven. Not to offend anybody, but I’m not going to miss this show when it’s taken off the air after this year. I think the premise behind it is fantastic, and I think the intention is admirable, but what it comes down to, is that I find the acting really, really bad. What pains me most is that I think Mackenzie Rosman (who plays the youngest daughter) is cute and she seems sweet, but she just seems so unnatural when she’s delivering lines. And isn’t that Martin kid supposed to be the same person from Road to Perdition? Ya’ know, the movie with TOM HANKS! What happened? He seems so…robotic now. And don’t even get me started on the twins.
Anyway, as the episode concludes, one of Ruthie’s friends asks her if this is her first time getting detention, and she says that it is. Yet, wasn’t Ruthie in detention (an extended term in detention, no less) when she met Aaron Carter (or the kid he played) just last year? How quickly we forget…
LOST:
Lost is back with another new episode, and we finally get another Sawyer-centric episode. Fellow IP columnist Mathan Ehardt was pretty critical of the episode, stemming from his disappointment. I gotta say, I disagree with that assessment. He doesn’t buy Sawyer as a con-man, but I think he did a perfectly fine job of it last week. Basically, he was able to take advantage of each person’s psychological weaknesses. He was able to see that Charlie had beef with Locke, and basically got him to agree to do terrible things because of it. He recognized the tension between Kate and Ana-Lucia, and fed off of it. He saw the conflict between Jack and Locke, and played them both because of it. And basically, he did it all while managing to stay off the radar. I’d say he played a pretty good con there.
By the way, Sawyer had some awesome lines throughout the episode. Referring to Sun as “Tokyo Rose” and saying that he was this close to having the high score in Donkey Kong were hilarious. Next week looks interesting, with the possibility of them letting the clock run down.
24:
A great episode, and I’m definitely digging the development of returning characters, as well as the new ones we’ve just been introduced to.
I didn’t think I would, but I absolutely love President Logan. Like I said last week, it’s fun watching his character because you just know how much better Palmer would be handling everything. I thought it was great when Jack was about to leave, and Logan stops him and says “what do we do now?” and basically begs him to stick around and handle the situation. He’s so completely incompetent and inept. I also loved how he’s willing to do whatever his wife says, in order to make up for his errors earlier in the day. Further, I also enjoy that the first lady is being portrayed with more than one dimension, instead of her being the eternally crazy character. It was refreshing seeing her act rationally and intelligently.
I wasn’t too fond of Audrey last season, but I’ve actually quite enjoyed her so far. I appreciated the reference to Kim, and I actually am looking forward to seeing her when she makes her return. Yes, I do hope we don’t see any hokey kidnappings, or anything like that, but I am just a tad in love with Elisha Cuthbert, so I’d be willing to tolerate pretty much anything.
I also like Buchanan a whole lot. Everybody is up in arms loving Chloe, but she still hasn’t grown on me just yet, although I find her infinitely more tolerable than she was in season three.
Oh, and how many times are we going to have the crazed woman kill the villain just before he’s truly needed?
SURVIVOR:
I must say, my initial outlook on several characters have changed a whole lot following the second episode. At first I didn’t like Cirie at all, now she’s grown on me a bit. I didn’t like Bruce all that much either, but I really liked how he decided to spend his time on Exile Island. He’s shown that the time alone can be used to ease your mind quite a bit. Of course, he also didn’t have the stress of possibly being voted off either.
I didn’t like Shane from the beginning, and I like him even less now. To an extent, I could understand why some of his “allies” would want him to stick around (after all, why diminish your dominance?), but I also found it a bit strange that they’d go to such lengths to keep him around, when really he offered a very easy solution of who to vote off. I’m curious to see how long he’s going to last, between wanting to quit, and pissing everybody off.
I continue to like Terry and Dan, and I’d like to see them go as far as possible. I don’t see their alliance deteriorating, but the woman offering Nick and Austen an alliance as well may become an issue.
THE OC:
So, Kaitlin’s gone, huh? That’s really too bad, she was pretty cute. Too bad she and the impeccably beautiful Rachel Bilson didn’t really share any scenes together. That woulda been a lot of fun.
Johnny dying was unexpected (well, as a whole….it was pretty expected after he fell off the cliff), and I must say, I do have to side ever so slightly with Marissa on this issue. And it should be noted that I really don’t like her character very much at all. But yeah, somebody really special and important to her just died, and she was partially responsible for it, and Ryan wants everything to be fine and dandy after a couple days. That said, I do think it would be interesting if, after all this time of thinking Marissa would cheat on him with Johnny, he ends up cheating on her with Johnny’s cousin.
Oh, and you know what’s been bothering me about Ryan lately? Here’s the kid who’s supposed to be a tough guy from the bad part of the neighborhood, yet never in my life have I seen somebody so neat and clean. I mean, the bed is always made to perfection, and there are never any clothes on the floor. The place is always immaculate. Yet the person who grew up in that house (Seth) is much messier.
Speaking of Seth, nice call with giving Summer a list of everything he had done, and telling her that she can give it to his parents if he ever lies to her again. Well done. Kinda weird seeing them hardcore making out on the beach, though.
They need to hurry up and just deal with Julie’s relationship with Summer’s father. The slow build up was fun, but it’s frustrating watching every week, and having the episode end with them deciding to be together, only for the next episode to begin with them taking five steps back. Just have them get together already. Oh, and I’m looking forward to seeing how Summer and Marissa deal with it.
Well, that’s about it for the column this week. Hope everybody has a great Valentine’s Day. I won’t! Anyway, as for this week, Case closed.
