The Lost recap will be a delayed a bit this week, because as soon as the episode ends tonight I will be heading over to Gate E at the Carrier Dome to camp out for the Georgetown game. And yes, I know the game starts at noon on Saturday. But sacrifices must be made. It's Georgetown.
Here are some post-strike plans: from NBC, we learn that Heroes and Chuck won't be back until next season. The Office and Scrubs will be back in April, though the fate of the series finale of Scrubs is still up in the air. Friday Night Lights...well, reference Allie's post below. Keep the 'Lights' on, NBC. I'm begging.
ABC has renewed Dirty Sexy Money, Private Practice, Grey's (duh), Lost (duh), and Ugly Betty, among others. Money and Practice won't be back until next fall, but the others will film at least a few more episodes before the end of this season. It has also announced that starting in April and after a mid-season break, Lost will air in the plum post-Grey's timeslot, Thursday nights at 10.
In other Lost news, co-exec producer Carlton Cuse spoke to Ausiello (Alli'e fav) about his plans for the remainder of the season. Among the highlights: we're only getting 13 of the 16 promised episodes this season. (Boo!) But those three episodes will be incorporated into the final two seasons somewhere. (Yay!)
Battlestar Galactica Season 4 premiere: Friday, April 4th. That is only 50 DAYS from now. And only 380 days after the Season 3 finale.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Save Friday Night Lights!
It's time for us fans to band together to save this gem. The louder and more obnoxious we get, the bigger chance our message will penetrate the thick skulls of ratings-hungry execs who haven't grasped how amazing FNL is.
The "Save FNL" campaign has already begun. Check out Save Friday Night Lights and Keep The Lights On to see how you can do your part - one light bulb and mini-football at a time.
And for some inspiration, here's a list of great campaigns to save TV shows:
1) "Jericho" fans successfully saved their show by sending thousands of pounds of nuts to CBS.
Tabasco sauce, an alien fave.
3) "Everwood" fans commemorated their prematurely canceled show by erecting a Ferris Wheel in Burbank. Now that's dedication!
4) "Veronica Mars" groupies hired a plane to fly over Los Angeles toting the message "Renew Veronica Mars! CW 2006!"
5) "Angel" devotees fought for their show by raising money and hype long after star David Boreanaz turned in his fangs.
Insert "Numero Uno" joke here
In other news that's almost as important as the writer's strike ending: the Westminster Kennel Club named their winner last night, and Uno, the adorable 15-inch beagle, took the top prize; he was the first beagle ever to capture Best in Show honors in the show's 132-year history.
But really, this post is just an excuse to post a picture of a cute puppy. I'll have some more links to post later tonight, including some post-strike reactions, and a quick look at how our favorite shows are going to recover.
Photo from Yahoo!
It's finally over!
The strike is finally and officially over! According to the WGA Web site, 92.5% of members voted today to lift the strike.
Writers will be returning to work, and Jenn and I can finally sleep easy knowing our favorite shows will be returning to us.
Writers will be returning to work, and Jenn and I can finally sleep easy knowing our favorite shows will be returning to us.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Ten for Tuesday
Today's top 10 is a list of my favorite TV characters of all time. Again, these things are freakin' hard. When I made my initial list, I had over 30 names. Narrowing it down to the 13 that appear here was (in some cases) heart-wrenching. And obviously, these lists are limited to the shows that I've watched. Because I know Al Swearengen is quite the character, but I've never seen "Deadwood." In making the final decisions, I looked for a scene or two that really pulled me to the character.
10) Noah Bennet (Jack Coleman, "Heroes") I always think of that scene from "Company Man," on the bridge with Claire right before the Haitian wipes his memory. That was a beautiful moment in (my opinion) the best episode of "Heroes" ever.
8) Major Richard Winters (Damian Lewis, "Band of Brothers") The only real-life figure on this list, Winters is too good and too noble not to be included. I think my favorite scene of his from the miniseries is in the final episode, "Points," when his former commanding officer, the uber-pain-in-the-ass Capt. Sobel has to salute the now-higher-ranking Winters.
Those who just missed out/honorable mentions: Kara "Starbuck" Thrace (Katee Sackhoff, "Battlestar Galactica"), Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford, "Friday Night Lights"), Gob Bluth (Will Arnett. "Arrested Development")
10) Noah Bennet (Jack Coleman, "Heroes") I always think of that scene from "Company Man," on the bridge with Claire right before the Haitian wipes his memory. That was a beautiful moment in (my opinion) the best episode of "Heroes" ever.
9) James Ford/"Sawyer" (Josh Holloway, "Lost") I think Sawyer's usually at his best tossing around snide remarks and new nicknames, but his most emotional moments wer in last season's episode "The Brig," when he finally confronted the real Sawyer and read him the letter he wrote as a young boy...and then killed him.
8) Major Richard Winters (Damian Lewis, "Band of Brothers") The only real-life figure on this list, Winters is too good and too noble not to be included. I think my favorite scene of his from the miniseries is in the final episode, "Points," when his former commanding officer, the uber-pain-in-the-ass Capt. Sobel has to salute the now-higher-ranking Winters.
7) Dr. Addison Montgomey (Kate Walsh, "Grey's Anatomy"/"Private Practice") Really, she was supposed to be the one we all rooted against. She was the one keeping Meredith and Derek apart. But as Meredith became increasingly whiny and intolerable during the second season, Addison just kept getting more awesome. And when she (and her amazing red hair) left Seattle Grace, I packed up and left Grey's, too.
6) President Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell, "Battlestar Galactica) While I may not always agree with her, she's led humanity with an iron will and a lot of class through the apocalypse and to the search for Earth. The two scenes that stand out to me are her first confrontation with Sharon/Athena, when she tried to have her airlocked, and on the witness stand in the Season 3 finale, admitting that her cancer has come back. They're the two sides of Roslin: she can be tough and emotionless one second, and vulnerable and open the next.
5) Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven, "Entourage") I can't even pick a favorite Ari moment, because there are just too many, but any with his assistant, Lloyd, have to be near the top. Ari is (by far) the greatest thing about Entourage, and most of the time, he's the only reason I'm watching.
4) Seth Cohen (Adam Brody, "The O.C.") I know, it's terribly cliche of me to pick Seth, but if not for him, we don't have Henry on Ugly Betty or Chuck. He made being a geek cool and something to be proud of. AND, he gave the world Chrismukkah. I still think early-season 1-Seth is my favorite, because the stammering and nervousness were adorable every time.
3) Omar Little (Michael Williams, "The Wire") Omar. What else needs to be said about the man who robs drug dealers for a living? I think my favorite scene of his was when he took the stand against Bird in early Season 2, without a care in the world. But what makes Omar such an indelible character is how everyone reacts to him. The lookout whistles, the bustle to get out of his way, the time when he went out for some "honey nut" unarmed and ended up with a stash just by walking through the neighborhood...Let him live, Simon. Let him live.
2) Sylar (Zachary Quinto, "Heroes") If I ever make a list of best villians, Sylar will be at the top of that one. As it is, almost no other character makes me squeal in glee just by showing up on my television screen. If you want my opinion for why Heroes went downhill this year, it's because they deprived Sylar of his powers and let him become a wuss for so long. This guy is such a great villian -- there's almost no redeemable quality to him, he's pure evil -- that it just seems dumb to keep him out of the spotlight. I have three favorite Sylar moments, and they're just that -- moments. One was the "Boom" from last year, before the finale, the second was the roll of the eyes and the neck before he killed Maya this year -- the annoyance on his face perfectly reflected my feelings. And third was his final moment from this year, "I'm back." I can't wait to see what havoc he wreaks next season.
1) Captain Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillion, "Firefly") Captain Tightpants himself. Firefly was cancelled too quickly, but Mal and his fierce devotion to his ship will live on -- and actually did live on in Serenity the movie. He was the perfect anti-hero, and I'll forever be sad that more of his backstory will never be explored. My favorite Mal moment is the one that Joss Whedon himself calls Mal's "hero moment." His "I aim to misbehave" speech in Serenity was Captain Reynolds coming fully into his own, and taking a real stand for the first time since the war stripped him of his faith.
Monday, February 11, 2008
The Wire Reaction
Season 5, Episode 6
"The Dickensian Aspect"
Only four more episodes left. I think I've already started experiencing withdrawal. Someday maybe I'll write an essay detailing how profoundly this show has changed my life, but suffice it to say I'm really, really going to miss it when it's gone.
I think the thing I took away from this episode, and really any episode that features Carcetti, is that he is just a bunch of wasted potential. I really believe that if he put his mind to it, and put aside his own political ambitions, he could be a great force for Baltimore. I guess that wouldn't be all that realistic, but every time he makes one of those great speeches, I believe he could be better than he is. And now that he's found his issue, he may take it all the way to Annapolis.
The legend of Omar grew even greater in this episode. Even as the man himself was hobbled more than ever before, the wonder from Marlo ("That's some Spider-Man shit") added to the myth. I like how he's insulting Marlo's manhood and his toughness, almost challenging Marlo to meet him out on the streets.
I also liked the continuing callbacks to old faces. Nick Sobotka, apparently out of witness protection. Randy, poor Randy, tough and hardened from the group home. Judge Phelan, still popping his pills.
Oh, and Gus totally knows that Scott is a big fat liar-pants, and is setting him up for a fall. Which is well-deserved, of course, butit stinks that it has to come right after we finally see him do some legit reporting with the homeless Marine.
I think it was Lester who described McNulty as a "psycho motherfucker," and after the little kidnapping stunt he pulled, I whole-heartedly agree. He's pushed it this far, but really, it's just going to make his inevitable fall that much harder.
"The Dickensian Aspect"
Only four more episodes left. I think I've already started experiencing withdrawal. Someday maybe I'll write an essay detailing how profoundly this show has changed my life, but suffice it to say I'm really, really going to miss it when it's gone.
I think the thing I took away from this episode, and really any episode that features Carcetti, is that he is just a bunch of wasted potential. I really believe that if he put his mind to it, and put aside his own political ambitions, he could be a great force for Baltimore. I guess that wouldn't be all that realistic, but every time he makes one of those great speeches, I believe he could be better than he is. And now that he's found his issue, he may take it all the way to Annapolis.
The legend of Omar grew even greater in this episode. Even as the man himself was hobbled more than ever before, the wonder from Marlo ("That's some Spider-Man shit") added to the myth. I like how he's insulting Marlo's manhood and his toughness, almost challenging Marlo to meet him out on the streets.
I also liked the continuing callbacks to old faces. Nick Sobotka, apparently out of witness protection. Randy, poor Randy, tough and hardened from the group home. Judge Phelan, still popping his pills.
Oh, and Gus totally knows that Scott is a big fat liar-pants, and is setting him up for a fall. Which is well-deserved, of course, butit stinks that it has to come right after we finally see him do some legit reporting with the homeless Marine.
I think it was Lester who described McNulty as a "psycho motherfucker," and after the little kidnapping stunt he pulled, I whole-heartedly agree. He's pushed it this far, but really, it's just going to make his inevitable fall that much harder.
The Wire, Season 5, Episode 6
“The Dickensian Aspect”
It’s all about the homeless this week. Carcetti is hoping to ride the “homelessness issue” right into the statehouse. Whitting abandoned the schools in order to get “Dickensian” with the homeless. And McNulty’s fake homeless murders are ushering him into a whole new level of depravity.
After Scott’s piece about the “murderer” contacting him makes the front page of the Sun, McNulty is sure of two things: 1) Scott is a weasel-y liar, 2) the city will open its arms and wallets to accommodate his “red ball” case. Well, he was right about the first one.
Although Carcetti delivers an impassioned speech about protecting Baltimore’s most vulnerable citizens (“We must do better!”), he’s not willing to put his money where his mouth is. McNulty only gets one more detective to work the case – no surveillance vehicles, no fancy equipment, and no heavy manpower.
This just won’t do for Freamon, who along with Sydnor – also risking his career now– discovered that Marlo & Co. are using picture messages. In order to intercept them, Freamon needs technology and money that McNulty’s fake case can’t provide. McNulty tries to manufacture another murder, but is unable to after police swarm the scene of Oscar’s DOA. McNulty – who is completely losing it at this point – decides to take it up a notch by kidnapping a mentally ill homeless man off the street and faking his kidnapping at the hands of the serial murderer. He snaps a photo of the poor guy on his cell phone, serving up PC for Freamon’s photo intercept on a silver platter. McNutly then carts the homeless man to a shelter in D.C. Jimmy may be getting one step closer to Marlo with these antics, but he’s also getting dangerously close to an eternity in hell.
While McNutly is off faking cases, Bunk is slogging through real police work. He decides to rework the vacant murders from the beginning, which leads him back to poor Randy. Randy – much buffer and tougher than the last time we saw him – dismisses Bunk loudly, making sure everyone knows his snitching days are over. Who can really blame Randy, though? The last time he cooperated with the police, he got beat, burnt, and sent to a boys’ shelter.
Bunk also comes across the murder file of Michaels’ stepfather. He goes to see Michaels’s mother, who tells him that Michael is now running with Chris and Snoop. Another murder to add to Marlo’s impressive collection!
One murder Marlo can’t put to his name, though, is Omar Little. Omar survived his flying leap from the apartment balcony, reset his own bones, and got right back to terrorizing Marlo’s people. He’s giving everyone a message: Omar is on the streets and waiting for Marlo to make his move and join him.
Honorable mentions:
- Scott can actually report! After five episodes of imagining quotes from thin air, we find out that Scott has the chops to report and write… he’s just too lazy to use them.
- The police find a drawer chock-full of sealed indictments and classified court documents in Prop Joe’s store, leading Pearlman to conclude that there’s a leak in the court house.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
It's Official: The Grammys are a JOKE
Seriously? They wonder why no one want to watch the Grammys anymore? I just sat through three-and-a-half hours of pointless collaborations and endless performances and "Lifetime Achievement Awards" to see them award the Album of the Year to....Herbie Hancock? Seriously? Who listens to Herbie Hancock? I wouldn't blame Kanye for throwing a hissy fit after this. Wow. I don't know why I even bother to watch awards shows anymore. With the exception of the 2004 Oscars, (I'm a big Lord of the Rings fan) they inevitably disappoint me.
Photo from Reuters, via Yahoo!
Lost, Grammys, Etc.
Since this weekend has been absolutely crazy, I haven't had time to put up a full Lost recap. Suffice it to say, Lost is back in big way this year, and hopefully we'll get the full 16-episode season if the strike wraps up soon.
So Episode 2, entitled "Confirmed Dead" introduced us to the Boaties, a rag-tag group of four from the freighter whose plans for the Lostaways and the Island haven't exactly been made clear by the end of the episode. We meet Daniel Farady, the bumbling and emotional physicist; Miles Strom, the angry ghostbuster; Charlotte Lewis, the anthropologist who found a DHARMA collar on a polar bear in the Tunisian desert (!!); and Frank Lapidus, the pilot who was supposed to be piloting Oceanic Flight 815. In a flashback, we learn that Frank pretty much knows that the "remains" of Oceanic 815 that were found aren't authentic.
Other people who know the remains aren't authentic include Matthew Abaddon/Daniels, who may or may not have something to do with the faux remains to begin with. We see him talking to Naomi, coaxing her to take on the "high risk, covert operation in unstbale territory." So who planted the plane under the ocean? Why are they trying to cover up the existence of the 815 survivors? And since we know that six people got off the island, how do they explain the fake remains?
Those are a few of the questions one can ponder while watching the Grammy's tonight. I'm watching out of morbid curiousity, because Kanye is favored to win the Album of the Year (right? I mean, who else did anything noteworthy in music last year?) and if he doesn't win, I'm sure there will be an amazing temper tantrum thrown.
Check back for 'Wire' recaps and reactions later tonight and tomorrow.
So Episode 2, entitled "Confirmed Dead" introduced us to the Boaties, a rag-tag group of four from the freighter whose plans for the Lostaways and the Island haven't exactly been made clear by the end of the episode. We meet Daniel Farady, the bumbling and emotional physicist; Miles Strom, the angry ghostbuster; Charlotte Lewis, the anthropologist who found a DHARMA collar on a polar bear in the Tunisian desert (!!); and Frank Lapidus, the pilot who was supposed to be piloting Oceanic Flight 815. In a flashback, we learn that Frank pretty much knows that the "remains" of Oceanic 815 that were found aren't authentic.
Other people who know the remains aren't authentic include Matthew Abaddon/Daniels, who may or may not have something to do with the faux remains to begin with. We see him talking to Naomi, coaxing her to take on the "high risk, covert operation in unstbale territory." So who planted the plane under the ocean? Why are they trying to cover up the existence of the 815 survivors? And since we know that six people got off the island, how do they explain the fake remains?
Those are a few of the questions one can ponder while watching the Grammy's tonight. I'm watching out of morbid curiousity, because Kanye is favored to win the Album of the Year (right? I mean, who else did anything noteworthy in music last year?) and if he doesn't win, I'm sure there will be an amazing temper tantrum thrown.
Check back for 'Wire' recaps and reactions later tonight and tomorrow.
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