Friday, December 12, 2008

TV Reviews for the Week of Nov. 23, 2008 Pt. 2

"I was still really wrong about what I thought that was."

This is the cancellation that hurts the most. Okay, there was some whistling going on in the background that was really freaking me out. This was a good episode with an ending that seemed rushed. I’m wondering if it was supposed to be like that, or if they’re trying to come up with a decent ending before the show’s final episode.

"Y’know I hate when you sniff and smell dead stuff."

Some excellent character moments here, especially with Bones and her dad. And I liked what Sweets told Booth: he’s not a bad father because he can’t get Parker into a private school, but he would be if he didn’t beat himself up about it. I just finished watching this and I can’t remember any of the science behind the episode, but I don’t care. It’s the people and their lives that interest me, and they are interesting.

"It’s behind your barette."

The only time I’ve ever caught any of The Pickup Artist (I think that’s what it’s called) has been on The Soup or Best Week Ever, when they’re making fun of him. But this is so much better. The Pickup Artist has created a serial killer. And damn, Prentiss and Jordan were harsh on him. And does Reid have a girlfriend? Good for him!

Because of various scheduling conflicts, this is the first episode of L&O this season that I’ve been able to watch. I like Jeremy Sisto, but I’ve never been much of an Anthony Anderson fan. It was a rough episode to wrap my head around. As a parent, I definitely see the parents’ point of view. But it sounds so horrible. And didn’t SVU do this already?

I think I should have started watching that Dennis Leary fireman show when it started. I thoroughly enjoy every FX show I’ve watched: The Shield, Nip/Tuck, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Dirt, and now Sons of Anarchy. This isn’t the most intense show that FX has, but it’s definitely one of the best acted. Since the first episode when Jacks found his dad’s book, you could tell a confrontation between him and Clay was inevitable. It looks like we’ll have that next season. It’ll be interesting, if Jacks does split from the Sons, to see who goes with him and who stays with Clay.

"Two years? That’s almost three years."

Y’know how I know Tony Shaloub is a good actor? Because he can go from being Antonio the immigrant cab driver in Wings to Adrian Monk, an extremely obsessive compulsive detective scared of everything. I didn’t get into this until a couple of years ago, when Trailer Howard became Monk’s assistant. I thoroughly enjoyed her in Two Guys, A Girl and a Pizza Parlor and that Foo Fighters video...and she’s pretty. The show itself is slightly better than average, but I truly believe that Shaloub deserves every Emmy he’s received. Apparently Monk has a Christmas episode every year. It’s usually a few weeks before a new season starts. This had some great gags with Monk dealing with bums, Captain Stotlemeyer (who many may remember as Buffalo Bob from Silence of the Lambs) as a monk, and Disher with a mustache. Good primer for when the show returns in a few weeks.

"You have cooties on your face!"

This is probably the best original show that the USA Network has. Gus (the West Wing’s Dule Hill) is a great straight man to Shawn Spencer’s smart mouth and his excellence in observing the mundane. The stories are rather simple, but it’s the characters that I like and how they interact with each other. I’m finding that I’ll sacrifice story or believability if the characters are really engaging. As with Monk, this was a Christmas special. Shawn hooks up with Gus’ sister, and they solve a murder. Merry Christmas!

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Listening to: Avenue Q - There Is Life Outside Your Apartment
via FoxyTunes

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