Random Stuff
1) – I missed the first half of Black. White. because I was talking to my best friend. I don’t really care, because I can catch a rebroadcast, but I felt that I should explain why I missed “the funniest show on television®.”
2) – I love Six Feet Under. I knew what happened to Lisa, still in the actual episode when she took her fateful trip, I had a sense of dread. She and Nate had just started to work things out, and then she took her trip. Man, what a solid show that was.
3) – Speaking of Six Feet Under be sure too vote for the second round of the >TV Tourney. And make sure you vote for Scrubs not the skim Simpsons known as The Family Guy.
What I Watched Last Week
The Evidence – Boooooooooooooooo! This show was horrible. The banter between the two cops was painful. I should probably go on record by saying that I think Orlando Jones is a horrible actor; he always seem to be obviously acting. His attempts at camaraderie on this program were painful to witness. His attempts at humor were ever worse. This show is an utter waste of time.
Gray’s Anatomy – I love Addison! I just wanted to say that. Meredith is getting to be less annoying, but she’s still barely tolerable. Christina’s character has grown very thin, she exists only in relation to other characters. She is very much a foil. It’s a shame that this once solid character has been turned into the a type (she’s equally the reluctant girlfriend and the domineering one.)
I understand that Bailey is dealing with being a mother, but the show is suffering from her lack of screen time. She’s such a powerful character, the dynamic is a bit off with her diminished appearances.
Since the Izzy and Alex “on again/off again” is off once again, I hope it stays that way. I’m tired of the romantic tug of war between these two. The show doesn’t really need any more characters, but those two need to move on. I did appreciate everything that Alex did throughout the episode.
This show is still one of the best things on, but to me, it seems like the quality is slipping, slightly.
Boston Legal – This is a show that’s all about character. Denny Crane is one of television’s most vivid characters. He’s fun to watch and entertaining to listen to. The actual stories are practically secondary to how the characters react to the situations. That’s what makes this show so much fun. Seriously, Denny and Alan would have a rockin’ sitcom on their hands.
24 – Did I miss the part where Jack apologized to Curtis for choking him out? Am I wrong to think that an apology is in order? Are we really on that tight a schedule that we can’t find a moment for Jack to apologize?
I was also disappointed that Jack didn’t keep his word the German agent. How skuzzy is that? I wouldn’t blame him if he ratted Jack out to the Chinese. And why doesn’t Jack just respond to every CTU command that he disagrees with by saying; “Um, I don’t work for you.”
Lost – Ok, so we saw a Jin episode earlier this season, but I can’t recall the last time we saw Jin and Sun as a couple in a flashback. I’ve completely forgotten their backstory. I don’t remember how their relationship was (I remember it was bad, but I don’t recall the nuances) nor do I remember why they were in Australia. And have they crossed the paths with any other survivors?
This episode was tolerable. I will say that I’ve become a fan of outsider Charlie. He’s so much more likeable, now that he’s unlikeable. One thing bothered me (aside from the absurdity of someone packing a pregnancy test); why did Jack let Henry out of the room, when earlier he was worried about Ana Lucia’s safety with him?
Speaking of Henry, I really like the way he’s manipulating everyone. Note, he’s not “conning” them, he’s manipulating them. That was quite the cliffhanger. I give the writers props on that.
Hustle – I predicted the con that was going on, but I didn’t know how far they were going to take it. I thought they’d let her get away with a slap on the wrist and a warning, but they really set her up to take the fall. I really wish that American shows were this well written. Do yourself a favor and check this one out.
The Boondocks – The skim Do the Right Thing episode sucked! But the season finale about “white heaven” was possibly my favorite episode. I’m a sucker for Ruckus, so I was down from jump. Huey planning the jail break is mildly entertaining, but Ruckus’ preaching was stellar. Toss in a parody of Armstrong Williams and the episode was nearly gold.
I’d also like to applaud the musical director for the show, because the soundtrack is a monster. The songs played during the climax are always poignant and perfect. I just hope that next season the actual episodes are equally flawless.
Scrubs – My roommate managed to find the episode from a few weeks back. It was a relief to finally watch what I missed. I’ve said it before but this show does manage to balance the heart with the funny.
I think that this show deserves to be applauded for it’s diverse cast and such strong characters. But enough preaching, this show is damn funny and actually manages to balance multiple storylines and give an ending that feels complete.
Big Love – I realized as I was watching this show that I’m fascinated by the characters. The adult members of the family are so well developed. But is occurred to me that should the show run for years, the kids are pretty undeveloped. The children are little more than props. And I see that as a flaw, should the show last that long.
But back to the stuff that I enjoyed; the dynamic of the wives. I believe the passive aggressive tactics used by them. I completely buy the petty resentments. It’s a reality that believe 100%.
Oh, and I don’t really care who poisoned the father.
Prison Break – Absence truly does make the heart grow fonder. For instance I’d forgotten how much I hated Lincoln’s ex’s crusade to clear his name. I also forgot how much I disliked the white kid who’s trying to be down and is working with the C.O.
So, what did I like? T-bag’s all too brief appearance. I also appreciated the swerves and dramatic tension. I did think that the show was missing the scowling, grim looks and serious stares…oh wait, those were all present and accounted for.
The Unit – Man, is this show enjoyable. It balanced a story of wives back home, a training exercise and an actual operation in a single episode, with each story feeling well told.
I would say more, but this show is already a hit.
Greatest Show Ever…this week; The Shield
I actually watched this week’s episode and the previous week’s episode, which made for a killer combination. Vic shagging Kavanaugh’s ex was completely skuzzy, and completely turned me from his characters side.
On the other hand Kavanaugh explaining to Lem that he was just a pawn in Kavanaugh’s plot to get Vic was a bittersweet moment. It showed the type of character Kavanaugh was and it showed Lem what type of guy he was. Great scene. Equally great was Kavanaugh’s monologue in the Captain’s office.
The finale was torture to watch, though the writers did manage to balance it out with Dutch’s comedic B story. Kavanaugh playing Vic was amazing, though with heavy consequences. Aceveda trying, as always, to appease both sides was perfectly in character. Vic becoming a father, again, was a bit extra.
Shane’s taken a lot of hits from fans of the show, and I’m going to defend him. He was doing what he thought was right. He was protecting his families, both of them. Let’s be honest, Lem is weak. He’s the reason the Strike Team doesn’t have money train money to retire one. He was weak. He didn’t know about Terry, because he was weak. He left the Strike Team once. He was a weak dude. Shane figured he’s crumble, and given his history he probably would have.
Plus, Lem still didn’t want to be on the lam. He didn’t want to go along with the plan. He wanted to do his own thing and Shane didn’t think he could handle it. Shane did the only reasonable thing.
But one huge flaw I had with the show was the communication gap between Lem and his teammates. Anyone who watches the actual best cop show on TV, The Wire knows that if you want to talk to someone without fear of a tapped line or call record, you get a disposable cell. So all they had to do was to send, oh say Ronnie to get some phones, program each phone with the other numbers and you have instant lines of communication. Or better yet, just get one for Lem, it’s still pretty much untraceable.
(What made this even worse was that both shows actually share writers.) So in that regard; boo! But apart from that this really was the greatest show ever.
Green Behemoth vs Black Belt?
Last week I posed the following scenario;
Good news: you help people in need, bad news: people constantly pick fights with you. Good news: you can kick their a$$ buttocks with ease, bad news: you walk alone at the end of the day.
So who are you Dr. David Banner, or Caine from Kung-Fu?
Bink felt this way;
Caine 100% He kicks butt and is cool at the same time. Also without ripping his clothes and turning green. I guess the turning green would keep your identity secret, right? Maybe? But who wants to dole out a good whoopin’ without everybody knowing you da baddest!
Colin pondered;
This one requires a lot of thought, as I’ve traditionally been a Marvel zombie (though I don’t read any Marvel titles anymore), and I’m a big kung fu fan. Not so much the show, just the genre.
So, do I want to grow arithmetically larger and exponentially stronger and uglier, only to have the authori-tah constantly after me? Perhaps.
Do I want to roam around and kick the crap out of people with kung fu? You God-dang right.
Thomasina chimed in;
I’d definitely go with Caine. Dr. Banner does kick butt, however he lacks direction. When Hulk’s done with whoever gets him mad, he then proceeds to wreck every thing in the vicinity. Doesn’t matter who pissed him off. Everyone has to get out the way. Also, doesn’t Caine do that cool catching flies with chopsticks thing? Betcha Hulk can’t catch a fly. Okay, okay Caine can’t throw a car 50 feet, but who wants to?(okay maybe just once) I bet you could think of a time you wanted a fly gone, though.
I’m really sorry here, but why doesn’t anyone want to be the Hulk? First off, you’re a scientist! That means you’re way smart. Now I’ve never tasted alcohol, but I’m guessing that being the Hulk is like getting blitzed; you’re intelligence is limited, your emotions are raging and when you wake up you won’t really remember any of it.
On top of that, you get an unlimited supply of purple pants. One can never have enough pairs of purple pants. And if that wasn’t enough you also get a dope opening and closing theme. The Hulk gets a piano exit, and the catchphrase of “don’t get me angry, you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.”
Come on! The Hulk is the obvious choice!
Good News/Bad News/Question of the Week
Good News; you’re going to be a part of a small community. Bad News; the community is composed of creatures. Good News; it’s a tight knit community. Bad News; they don’t have much contact with people. Maybe they’re only inches tall. Maybe they live underground. Maybe their imaginary. Who knows, the point is you’ve to spend a year with them. Good News; they speak English. Bad News; sort of.
So, would you rather live with The Smurfs or The Fraggles?
Links
Josh references one of my favorite George quotes of all time. In fact “beboppin’ and scattin'” is part of my lexicon.
Matt mourns Tony.
Farah dissects TV themes.
Kevin tries to make a case for fullscreen.
I Left My Wallet in El Segun-Joe (Reid)
First up is Joe’s Blog in which he gives a travelogue of sorts and also updates us on his American Idol prowess.
Here we have Journalist Joe (or possibly politi-Joe?) Rumor has it he still writes for The Film Experience..
Sadly, the column has come to a close. See you next week.
