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.
Friday, February 8, 2008
The Strike's Not Over Yet
Apparently, there have been some rumors floating around the Internet that the strike is finally over. I think they were started by Michael Eisner (formerly of Disney), who went out and started talking about the agreement, despite not having anything to do with the negotiations.According to Deadline Hollywood Daily, the best source around for strike news, they're still working out the details. So while things are looking hopeful, and the strike will be over soon...it's not over yet. Here's a look at which shows will be back, and for how many episodes.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Strike Victims
- "Heroes:" Likely won't return until next season
- "Dirty, Sexy, Money:" Three remaining episodes will likely be held until September
- "Scrubs:" The fate of the series' final four episodes is unclear. Worst case scenario: a DVD release. That would be pretty shabby for "Scrubs" fans, who have devoted seven years to this show.
- "Friday Night Lights:" The second season DVD will be released with only 15 episodes, so that means no more for us this season or (god forbid) ever if Ben Silverman has his way. If he even tries to mess with us FNL fans, he's going to have a riot on his hands! Jenn and I will lead the mob.
Buffy reunion!
According to TV Guide, Joss Whedon and "Buffy" cast members (including Miss Summers herself, Sarah Michelle Gellar, James Marsters, Seth Green, Eliza Dushku, Amber Benson, Nicholas Brednon, Emma Caufield, and Michelle Trachtenberg) will all attend the 25th Anniversary PaleyFest on March 20. Oh, how I wish I could go!
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
My half of the Tuesday Top Ten
These top 10 lists are hard. I needed to get Allie’s input to make my final cut. Here’s my top 5, in order:
5) Sex and the City Season 6, Pt. II (Series Finale) “An American Girl in Paris, Part Deux”
I still bawl with happiness every time I watch this episode. Carrie (finally) realizes that Alek and Paris are all wrong for her, and she leaves him...just in time for Big to come into the hotel and sweep her back to New York. Sam tells Smith that he means more to her than any man she's ever known, Magda tells Miranda what we already know: that she truly loves Steve, and Charlotte and Harry get their baby. Oh, and Big's name is John. The finale's joy hasn't dulled in four years, and now we can look forward to the "extra" finale in four months' time when the movie comes out.
4) The Office, Season 2 “Casino Night”
We're a bit too young to remember 'Cheers' and Sam and Diane, so when our generation wants an unrequited love story that pulls at our heartstrings, we turn to Jim and Pam. For two seasons, we watched Jim pine over the engaged-to-an-asshole Pam; and Pam, for her part, spent quite a bit of time flirting back. It all came to a head in the second season finale, when Jim confessed his love to Pam, only to have her say "I'm sorry you misinterpreted things..." But just a few minutes later, as she talks to her mom on the phone, Jim comes in and kisses her -- and she returns the kiss. It was a perfect moment...at least until the third season, when the writers spent an entire season keeping them apart.
3) Battlestar Galactica, Season 2 “Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II”
Really, all three BSG finales could have made my list, but this one does because of the sheer balls-out audacity of Ron Moore to skip his show ahead an entire year near the end of this episode. But before that mindfrak, we had Roslin trying to rig the election, but she gets caught by Adama and we welcome in President Baltar. The first thing the new leader does is have sex with Gina, who then goes and blows up herself and the Cloud 9. Then we flash forward a year, and most of the fleet has settled on the surface of New Caprica, Lee is fat, he and Starbuck aren't speaking, Starbuck is married(!) to an ailing Anders, Adama has a mustache and the Galatica is empty. And then the Cylons show up. President Baltar offers up the surrender of mankind and the centurions move in. Holy crap. How did this come in third?
2) Lost, Season 3 “Through the Looking Glass”
I've said enough about Lost this week, but just to recap: this finale re-invigorated the show after a semi-lackluster season. It introduced an exciting new element in the flash-forward, and of course, a whole bunch of new questions. In addition, we bid a tearful farewell to Charlie, Hurley and his magic bus saved the day, Sayid killed a man with his feet, Sawyer shot Tom, and oh, yeah: they contacted the rescue team. Who may or may not be an actual rescue team.
1) Battlestar Galactica, Season 3 “Crossroads, Pt. II”
I couldn't pick just one BSG finale, so Season 3 made the cut, too. Even though it's been an entire year since Sci Fi actually PUT THE SHOW ON THE AIR, the twists and turns of this episode have stayed with me. First and foremost: the identity of four of the final five cylons are revealed (to the tune of "All Along the Watchtower"), and they're people that we know. I mean, Tigh's a cylon?!? Seriously? Meanwhile, Gaius is acquitted, Dee leaves Lee (thank the gods!), Roslin's cancer is back, and in the middle of all of the chaos, the Cylon fleet attacks. Lee sheds his lawyerly suit and gets back up in the air, only to witness the return of Starbuck to the land of the living (is she a cylon? only in Lee's head?). As if her resurrection wasn't enough, she tells Lee that she's been to Earth, she knows where it is, and she's going to take the fleet there. And then we spiral out and we see our Earth. God, I miss this show. I want it back, yesterday.
5) Sex and the City Season 6, Pt. II (Series Finale) “An American Girl in Paris, Part Deux”
I still bawl with happiness every time I watch this episode. Carrie (finally) realizes that Alek and Paris are all wrong for her, and she leaves him...just in time for Big to come into the hotel and sweep her back to New York. Sam tells Smith that he means more to her than any man she's ever known, Magda tells Miranda what we already know: that she truly loves Steve, and Charlotte and Harry get their baby. Oh, and Big's name is John. The finale's joy hasn't dulled in four years, and now we can look forward to the "extra" finale in four months' time when the movie comes out.
4) The Office, Season 2 “Casino Night”
We're a bit too young to remember 'Cheers' and Sam and Diane, so when our generation wants an unrequited love story that pulls at our heartstrings, we turn to Jim and Pam. For two seasons, we watched Jim pine over the engaged-to-an-asshole Pam; and Pam, for her part, spent quite a bit of time flirting back. It all came to a head in the second season finale, when Jim confessed his love to Pam, only to have her say "I'm sorry you misinterpreted things..." But just a few minutes later, as she talks to her mom on the phone, Jim comes in and kisses her -- and she returns the kiss. It was a perfect moment...at least until the third season, when the writers spent an entire season keeping them apart.
3) Battlestar Galactica, Season 2 “Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II”
Really, all three BSG finales could have made my list, but this one does because of the sheer balls-out audacity of Ron Moore to skip his show ahead an entire year near the end of this episode. But before that mindfrak, we had Roslin trying to rig the election, but she gets caught by Adama and we welcome in President Baltar. The first thing the new leader does is have sex with Gina, who then goes and blows up herself and the Cloud 9. Then we flash forward a year, and most of the fleet has settled on the surface of New Caprica, Lee is fat, he and Starbuck aren't speaking, Starbuck is married(!) to an ailing Anders, Adama has a mustache and the Galatica is empty. And then the Cylons show up. President Baltar offers up the surrender of mankind and the centurions move in. Holy crap. How did this come in third?
2) Lost, Season 3 “Through the Looking Glass”
I've said enough about Lost this week, but just to recap: this finale re-invigorated the show after a semi-lackluster season. It introduced an exciting new element in the flash-forward, and of course, a whole bunch of new questions. In addition, we bid a tearful farewell to Charlie, Hurley and his magic bus saved the day, Sayid killed a man with his feet, Sawyer shot Tom, and oh, yeah: they contacted the rescue team. Who may or may not be an actual rescue team.
1) Battlestar Galactica, Season 3 “Crossroads, Pt. II”
I couldn't pick just one BSG finale, so Season 3 made the cut, too. Even though it's been an entire year since Sci Fi actually PUT THE SHOW ON THE AIR, the twists and turns of this episode have stayed with me. First and foremost: the identity of four of the final five cylons are revealed (to the tune of "All Along the Watchtower"), and they're people that we know. I mean, Tigh's a cylon?!? Seriously? Meanwhile, Gaius is acquitted, Dee leaves Lee (thank the gods!), Roslin's cancer is back, and in the middle of all of the chaos, the Cylon fleet attacks. Lee sheds his lawyerly suit and gets back up in the air, only to witness the return of Starbuck to the land of the living (is she a cylon? only in Lee's head?). As if her resurrection wasn't enough, she tells Lee that she's been to Earth, she knows where it is, and she's going to take the fleet there. And then we spiral out and we see our Earth. God, I miss this show. I want it back, yesterday.
Top 5 Season Finales
For this week’s Top 10, Jenn and I are each recounting our top 5 season finales. These are mine, and check back soon for Jenn’s list.
1) The Gift, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” Season 5
I still bawl every time I watch this episode – and I must have seen it 50 times. “Buffy” finales are always apocalyptic (literally), but this one particularly hit home for the Scooby gang and its fans. Facing imminent world annihilation at the hands of hell God Glory, Buffy sacrifices herself to save her sister, Dawn. Buffy was told earlier in the season that death was her gift. In this episode, she realizes what this means and ultimately uses her “gift” to protect Dawn. She leaves Dawn and us with these words: “The hardest thing in this world is to live in it. Be brave. Live... for me." And then I sob uncontrollably. Sure, the Scoobies bring Buffy back from the dead in the season six opener, but that doesn’t make this episode any less heartbreaking and poignant.
2) Two Cathedrals, “The West Wing,” Season 2
In this stunning season finale, President Bartlett must disclose that he has MS, which he had been hiding from his staff and his constituents for eight years. While weathering this political storm, Bartlett and his staff face an actual tropical storm and the aftermath of beloved secretary Mrs. Ladingham’s shocking death. The question of everyone’s mind: Will Bartlett seek a second term? The answer lies in an almost imperceptible body gesture in the final minute of the episode, which still gives me chills.
3) Leave it to Beaver, “Veronica Mars,” Season 1
After an hour of twists and turns, this episode finally wraps up the many mysteries of season 1. We find out Lilly’s murderer in a killer twist that leaves Veronica in life-threatening danger. This episode also reveals Veronica’s paternity – Keith is her father (thank god) and Veronica and Duncan are not siblings (yay because that would have been icky). The episode leaves us hanging on which suitor – Logan or Duncan – Veronica will choose. I’m left screaming, “Let it be Logan!” as the credits roll.
4) State, “Friday Night Lights,” Season 1
Panthers win State! I’ve never been so excited about the outcome of a football game in my life. We became so attached to this team and these characters throughout the amazing first season that witnessing their success was truly heart-warming – as was the news of Tami’s surprise pregnancy. The look on Coach Taylor’s face when Tami tells him about the baby… well that just proves the Emmy’s complete stupidity for depriving Kyle Chandler of a statue. Actually, that scene makes them doubly dim-witted for not honoring Connie Britton as well.
5) Becoming, Part 2, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” Season 2
Up against another apocalypse, Buffy sacrifices her true love, Angel, to save the world. Not quite as devastating as when she sacrifices herself – Angel was always too mopey for my tastes anyway – but still a very sad blow to Buffy and her fans. Sarah Michelle Gellar really stepped up in this episode, displaying both Buffy’s toughness and her vulnerability in a single look.
Superlinks for Super Tuesday
Here's a round-up of stories that caught my eye over the past week:First and foremost, as Allie posted earlier: The strike is almost over. Thank deity of choice. Awesome news for those of us who write television blogs and need material to write about, beyond "American Gladiators" and "Moment of Truth."
They're making a movie about G.I. Joe. This would be totally unremarkable, except that Channing Tatum has been cast in the movie. And Channing is beautiful.
In other movie news, Guillermo Del Toro is supposedly set to direct the two 'Hobbit' prequels. And if we can't have PJ back, Del Toro is a pretty good second choce. I could write a whole post about how I excited I am for thee movies, but I'm withholding judgement until I see whether or not Sir Ian signs on.
Variety is reporting that they're set to make a 'Cloverfield' sequel. Of course. It couldn't make that much money and not get one. Still, it's disappointing -- I think the story has been told, and it left the perfect amount of mystery.
David Simon wrote a feature story for this month's Baltimore magazine.
David Simon wrote a feature story for this month's Baltimore magazine.
Bad news for us FNL fans: it's not looking good for renewal, according to NBC's head of programming.
This is a cute feature from New York magazine: writers from one show take a stab at writing another. Ever wondered what 'The Office' would look like if the writers behind 'The Simpsons' got a hold of it?
An 'Arrested Development' movie? Yes, please!
The Super Bowl yesterday was the second-most watched program in American TV history. And in case Pats fans start to recover, this shirt from BustedTees should shove them right back down to earth. I don't know if I'll ever get sick of seeing the replay of Eli's Escape and Tyree's Catch.
Finally, and most importantly, if you live in the 21 states holding primaries today, don't forget to vote! I personally am endorsing Barack Obama, but this is America, yo. Exercise your right.
Monday, February 4, 2008
The Wire: Season 5, Episode 5
Now to go right from happy news about the Giants winning and the strike ending and cute commercials to the streets of B'more.Episode 5: "React Quotes"
Marlo gets a Blackberry from Vondas for business uses. He and Chris have a chat about how nice it feels to have the crown – Marlo actually appears to express happiness, but Chris is a bit more realistic. He realizes that Omar will be coming for them. Later, we see Chris saying goodbye to a girl and two young kids (which…Chris has a family?!? I feel like I should have seen that coming.) as the Stanfield crew gets ready to spring their trap on Omar. Marlo knows Omar is stalking his lieutenants, so he sets Monk up as bait. (Something Monk is not all that excited about, understandably) When Omar and Donnie see their opening, they run into all of Marlo’s muscle, including Chris, Snoop, and Michael (Noooo!). Donnie takes a shot right to the forehead. Omar gets pinned down behind the couch, but escapes by jumping out of the 6th story window. There’s no sign of his mangled body in the bushes below, so Omar lives for another day. I’m sure Marlo will be just thrilled to hear that four of his shooters had Omar pinned down and he escaped anyway.
The Blackberry comes into play when Marlo goes to see Levy and drops off his new cell phone number. Herc (illegally) takes the number and passes it on to Carver. Carver gives it to Lester, who, after making a hilarious prank call to confirm it’s Marlo’s number, goes to Daniels to beg for a wiretap and some surveillance. Daniels gets as angry as we have ever seen him, letting out his frustration with the system and telling Lester that there is no money to be had for anything he needs. Lester, because he is awesome, understands that Daniels can do no more. So wherever will Lester’s wiretap come from?
McNulty may be some help, as he amps up his efforts to get someone to notice his serial killer. With the new “sexual” twist (the “killer” bites his victims); the story (now with Scott along with Alma on the byline) gets front page play. However, McNulty doesn’t get what he wants: there’s still no money for the police, so Carcetti can only allow overtime for two detectives: Kima and McNulty. Unfortunately, this means that Kima gets pulled off of working her triple homicide home invasion. Bunk reams Jimmy out about that, and finally gets through to McNulty, who tells Kima to keep working her own case. Lester comes to Jimmy with Marlo’s number, and the two talk about faking a phone call from the killer to Jimmy to get a wiretap in the case.
At the Sun, Scott gets a hold of the story, and like the little weasel he is, starts making up quotes to go along with his react piece. He even takes an extra step this time and fakes a call from the “killer” to his cell phone. McNulty has a meeting with Scott and the newspaper brass to discuss this new development. When McNulty lets it known that another call has been made to the police, there’s a hilarious moment when both Scott and McNulty look at one another – each knowing that something’s not right—and I totally think McNulty knows that Scott is a big, fat liar.
Armed with two “phone calls,” McNulty and Lester get their wiretap, and they use Marlo’s cell phone number instead of the phone booth where the “calls” originated. The episode ends with Lester back in the detail office, seeing a phone number come in, but no sound comes – it’s got to be a text message, right? Lester is confused, too. I thought they had already figured out the secret to text messaging in the second season – you just have to point the thingy (scientific term) at the cell tower and then you get the text messages made from that phone.
In case your heart needed more breaking this week, Dukie and Michael are still around to do it for us. Dukie gets beat up in front of Bug, and he feels like he has to defend himself. So he goes to Cutty’s gym, but surprise! he’s no good at fighting. Later, Michael tries to teach him how to fire a gun, but poor Dukie just looks terrified. Is there any way this story ends well? Knowing this show, no.
On the crooked politician front, Bond indicts Clay Davis by making a sweeping speech, looking “pretty mayoral” in Norman and Carcetti’s estimation. Clay doesn’t want to go down alone, however. Narese tries to tell him that it’ll be better for him (like it was for Burrell) if he goes quietly. Clay expresses his dislike for that idea with the longest “Sheeeeeet” we’ve heard out of him yet. He later demonstrates his unwillingness to go quietly by appearing on local radio shows to remind the citizenry of how much he has done in the city, and how the investigation is more of a racial witch hunt than a legitimate investigation.
Quick Hits:
There’s trouble still on the home front, and Beadie looks like she’s ready to throw McNulty out.
Allie and I are taking a class on “The Wire,” and our professor mentioned this week that he was getting increasingly anxious about the final five episodes. There’s a feeling of foreboding growing about the people we care about. Will any of them make it out? The more I see of this season, the less confidence I have in Simon’s willingness to give anyone a happy ending.
Bubbles gets tested for HIV, and gets a clean bill of health. But the thing I took out of that storyline is that I can’t look at Walon for longer than a couple seconds because of the two strands of greasy hair that are combed across his forehead.
The Blackberry comes into play when Marlo goes to see Levy and drops off his new cell phone number. Herc (illegally) takes the number and passes it on to Carver. Carver gives it to Lester, who, after making a hilarious prank call to confirm it’s Marlo’s number, goes to Daniels to beg for a wiretap and some surveillance. Daniels gets as angry as we have ever seen him, letting out his frustration with the system and telling Lester that there is no money to be had for anything he needs. Lester, because he is awesome, understands that Daniels can do no more. So wherever will Lester’s wiretap come from?
McNulty may be some help, as he amps up his efforts to get someone to notice his serial killer. With the new “sexual” twist (the “killer” bites his victims); the story (now with Scott along with Alma on the byline) gets front page play. However, McNulty doesn’t get what he wants: there’s still no money for the police, so Carcetti can only allow overtime for two detectives: Kima and McNulty. Unfortunately, this means that Kima gets pulled off of working her triple homicide home invasion. Bunk reams Jimmy out about that, and finally gets through to McNulty, who tells Kima to keep working her own case. Lester comes to Jimmy with Marlo’s number, and the two talk about faking a phone call from the killer to Jimmy to get a wiretap in the case.
At the Sun, Scott gets a hold of the story, and like the little weasel he is, starts making up quotes to go along with his react piece. He even takes an extra step this time and fakes a call from the “killer” to his cell phone. McNulty has a meeting with Scott and the newspaper brass to discuss this new development. When McNulty lets it known that another call has been made to the police, there’s a hilarious moment when both Scott and McNulty look at one another – each knowing that something’s not right—and I totally think McNulty knows that Scott is a big, fat liar.
Armed with two “phone calls,” McNulty and Lester get their wiretap, and they use Marlo’s cell phone number instead of the phone booth where the “calls” originated. The episode ends with Lester back in the detail office, seeing a phone number come in, but no sound comes – it’s got to be a text message, right? Lester is confused, too. I thought they had already figured out the secret to text messaging in the second season – you just have to point the thingy (scientific term) at the cell tower and then you get the text messages made from that phone.
In case your heart needed more breaking this week, Dukie and Michael are still around to do it for us. Dukie gets beat up in front of Bug, and he feels like he has to defend himself. So he goes to Cutty’s gym, but surprise! he’s no good at fighting. Later, Michael tries to teach him how to fire a gun, but poor Dukie just looks terrified. Is there any way this story ends well? Knowing this show, no.
On the crooked politician front, Bond indicts Clay Davis by making a sweeping speech, looking “pretty mayoral” in Norman and Carcetti’s estimation. Clay doesn’t want to go down alone, however. Narese tries to tell him that it’ll be better for him (like it was for Burrell) if he goes quietly. Clay expresses his dislike for that idea with the longest “Sheeeeeet” we’ve heard out of him yet. He later demonstrates his unwillingness to go quietly by appearing on local radio shows to remind the citizenry of how much he has done in the city, and how the investigation is more of a racial witch hunt than a legitimate investigation.
Quick Hits:
There’s trouble still on the home front, and Beadie looks like she’s ready to throw McNulty out.
Allie and I are taking a class on “The Wire,” and our professor mentioned this week that he was getting increasingly anxious about the final five episodes. There’s a feeling of foreboding growing about the people we care about. Will any of them make it out? The more I see of this season, the less confidence I have in Simon’s willingness to give anyone a happy ending.
Bubbles gets tested for HIV, and gets a clean bill of health. But the thing I took out of that storyline is that I can’t look at Walon for longer than a couple seconds because of the two strands of greasy hair that are combed across his forehead.
And the Cutest Super Bowl Commerical Award goes to...
My award for cutest commercial of the Super Bowl goes to the Budweiser Clydesdale Team commercial. It also took number 1 on USA Today's Ad Meter - Budweiser is probably a little more excited about that than my cutest commercial honor.
I must admit, I’m a sucker for animals with personalities. My heart melted when the horse and his Dalmatian coach tapped paws in victory. The underdog (or horse, as the case might be) took the prize… not unlike the Giants winning the Super Bowl!
Strike Update: An end to the suffering?!
The dreaded strike may finally be over!
The New York Times reported this weekend that the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have made significant progress toward an agreement in informal talks. If all goes smoothly from here, there may be a tentative agreement as early as this week!
What does this mean for our favorite shows? Michael Aussiello at TV Guide.com is reporting that ABC is planning to resume production on hits like "Grey's Anatomy" and "Ugly Betty" in March, while freshman shows like "Pushing Daisies" won't start up production until summer - in time for a fall relaunch. Other big networks are expected to follow suit.
Well, at least we'll have some TV back.
The New York Times reported this weekend that the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have made significant progress toward an agreement in informal talks. If all goes smoothly from here, there may be a tentative agreement as early as this week!
What does this mean for our favorite shows? Michael Aussiello at TV Guide.com is reporting that ABC is planning to resume production on hits like "Grey's Anatomy" and "Ugly Betty" in March, while freshman shows like "Pushing Daisies" won't start up production until summer - in time for a fall relaunch. Other big networks are expected to follow suit.
Well, at least we'll have some TV back.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
I don't believe what I just saw
ELI MANNING is your Super Bowl MVP. Jesus Christ on a cracker. I am not ashamed to say that there was some happy shrieking, and quite a bit of dancing. I could care less that I predicted a blowout, I'm happy to be wrong because it means THE PATS LOST!! Suck it, Massholes.
(...and that's an angry Yankee fan taking out four years of frustration on the Patriots.)
Moving on, let's give some credit to our fine university. David Tyree, Giants wide receiver, was drafted by the Giants in 2003 after graduating from Syracuse University. He caught Eli's first touchdown pass tonight, and then was on the receiving end of the play of the year, when he caught the ball WITH HIS HELMET during the Giants winning TD drive. See, our football team has produced something good in the past ten years.
And now to things that everybody cares about: the commercials. I thought that this was a pretty weak night overall, with a lot of fair-to-good commercials, but no real "holy crap, that was hilarious" standouts. Even the perennial favorite, Bud Light, seemed to have an off night, though they had two of my favorite ads.
I liked the new campaign that advertised new traits that Bud Light could give you, starting with the fire-breathing man. And I also really enjoyed the final ad with Will Ferrell, especially the final line: "Bud Light: suck one." But I find Will Ferrell endlessly amusing, so I could be biased.
Speaking of biases, I've already betrayed my healthy Justin Timberlake bias, so it should be no surprise that I loved his Pepsi ad. I don't drink soda, but if it got Justin to show up in my room, I'd be all over that. I also really enjoyed the Diet Pespi Max ad featuring the "Night at the Roxbury" send-up. It was really topped off by Chris Kattan's cameo at the end. The only other commercial that I laughed out loud at was Tide's "talking stain" one.
I'm also a sucker for movie trailers, so I loved that there were a lot of those, especially the new 'Narnia' movie, 'Iron Man,' the new Clooney/Krasinski comedy 'Leatherheads,' and the Angelina Jolie/James McAvoy movie 'Wanted.'
I thought the cutest commercial of the night was also a movie trailer, this one from the geniuses at Pixar. The trailer for their new movie 'Wall-E' included cameo appearances by Buzz and Woody and was absolutely adorable.
Worst commercials: salesgenie.com, with two nonsensical animated spots that made absolutely no sense, and were pretty offensive, even to my very low sensitivities. What a waste of $5.4 million.
Creepiest: Those e*trade commercials right at the end of the game. They were funny, but a talking baby is always creepy. Always. Especially when it talks with the voice of a 40-year-old man.
Commercial I had heart palpitations over: Lame commercial, but the Gatorade G2 spot featured two of my biggest sports crushes, Derek Jeter and Peyton Manning. Love.
Most inspiring: So this didn't air in our market, but it aired in a few areas around the country. It's Barack Obama's newest ad, entitled "Join." Not to endorse any political candidates (coughanybodybutHillarycough) but I watch this, and something manages to reach my cold, cynical (Republican) heart.
Still, not a banner night for the commercials. Make sure to pick up the USA Today tomorrow and see how their Ad Meter rated all 50-odd ads. I think Bud Light has won for the past 10 years or so, but maybe this year will end their streak.
Super Bowl Picks
Because we know that about three-quarters of America is watching the game (and the commercials) tonight, it's pointless to do anything but talk about the Super Bowl.
In between rooting for Tom Brady's knees to be taken out, I'll be paying close attention to the commercials, and I'll definitely be recapping them tomorrow on this very blog.
Right now, FOX is doing a package on how the Patriots are "America's Team." That's disgusting. Just gross. What ever happened to America rooting for the underdog?
Anyway, here are our picks for Super Bowl XLII:
Allie: Allie is wearing a Giants shirt to her party tonight, but only because her roommate provided her with one. She's really just in it for the food, and couldn't tell you who might win or what the score might be.
Jenn: Because I'm a Bills fan, and as a rule hate the other two "New York" teams, only truly bizarre circumstances could propel me to root for the Giants tonight. The thought of those Massholes having another reason to celebrate qualifies -- if they win the World Series, Super Bowl, and NBA Championship in the same year, I vote we nuke Boston. Is that too harsh?
I'm ranting. In short, this one looks like a blowout. And I don't see any reason why it wouldn't be. Patriots 38, Giants 21. Let the talking heads begin re-writing the history books. In the words of Kissing Suzy Kolber:
"Enjoy whatever boozy party you happen to visit. If you're gonna drive drunk, make sure to mow down any celebrating Pats fans you might see in the street. No worries; no jury will convict you."
I'm off to hope for the impossible. LET'S GO GIANTS!!!
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