Friday Picture Dump

Let's do some comic book themed pictures this week.

TV Reviews for the Week of Dec. 7, 2008 Pt. 2

"Make it look like an accident. Trip over an ottoman and Dick Van Dyke his ass."

Having Chuck’s dad around gave the tension between the couple a renewed awkwardness. I think it’s just too bad that he left. Will Chuck and Ned go after him? Will the next episode be a road trip? And out of all of the interactions, the ones between Emerson and Olive are always the best. They’re a good team.

"What? What could they possibly have against the homos? I mean, the homos have given us everything. They’ve given us fashion and art and stretch denim and caramelized onions. I just love the homos."

I really enjoyed Megan Mullaly’s guest spot here more than on 30 Rock, and it’s not because of the lesbian kiss because that...that was just disturbing. The vasectomy thing was just ridiculous. It’s not that bad of a procedure, and hey, no more kids.

"’Cause bills are light and they bend. Nickels are heavy and hilarious."

With young ‘uns, their milestones have also been milestones for me. Starting on solid foods, getting rid of the bottle, potty training, dressing themselves, learning how to use the TV remote control...all their milestones either save me money or time. Apparently, though, according to this episode, as they get older, their milestones will cost me more money. Drats!

Things have very slowly been going in the direction that Det. Crews has wanted them to go in. But now Ted is back in jail and Crews is under someone’s thumb. As with all the cop shows that I thoroughly enjoy, I don’t care about the cases. I like watching the characters together. Crews and Ted. Crews and Reese. Reese and the Captain. Hell, the Captain with everyone. Crews and Bobby. I’m into the personal stuff.

You know how this is going to end. The FBI comes in to help with a local case, and the local cops get their hackles up. By the end of the episode, the two agencies work with each other to solve the case, and there’s respect all around. I work for an agency that promotes interagency cooperation, so I always bristle a little bit during shows like this. But really, this isn’t the norm for this show. Usually the agencies are happy for the FBI’s assistance and do all they can to help.

If I’m not mistaken, this is a ripped-from-the-headlines story that was ripped from the headlines a couple of decades ago. I remember learning about this in one of my journalism classes. A journalist wrote a series of award winning articles about a heroin addict. When all was said and done, the entire thing was made up. There was no death, no murder that I can recall, but it’s very similar.

Brian’s talk with God just seemed false, and the show was too predictable by having his wife get better. At least he still acted like his dickish self when talking with the Bishop. And since there wasn’t a "Next time on Dirty Sexy Money" at the end of the episode, I’m scared that this was the last episode and it ended on a pretty awful cliffhanger to end on. Nick wasn’t shot, Karen was still at the house, Jeremy was knocked out, Patrick was floored by two cops, and I’m pretty sure Leticia and Tripp went out the back. That leaves Carmelita. I’d say Shane (was that his name?) unloaded on her to get back at Patrick.

That was just the kind of intervention I’d expect from Michael. And when that doesn’t work, he treats her like he’s taking a dog to the vet but gets her in the car by telling her they’re going to the park. Nice. So now everybody knows about Angela and Dwight. I wonder when Andy will find out. This is going to be some awkward fun. And once again, poor Toby.

"Those are gonna be the happiest poor kids since my brother and I went to Neverland Ranch."

"If all you wanted was a hug from a black person, maybe you should just host the Price Is Right."

"This is a religious holiday. When has religion ever caused trouble?"

"I’m trying to produce a Christmas special that makes It’s a Wonderful Life look like Pulp Fiction."

Y’know, I could probably post nothing but quotes from this show and I would have the funniest blog ever. I was caught off guard by the realization that Colleen was boffing Mr. Schwartz to provide a nice Christmas for her kids. It’s...heart-warming...in its own way.

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Listening to: Neil Patrick Harris - Slipping
via FoxyTunes

TV Reviews for the Week of Nov. 30, 2008 Pt. 2

“I’m going to win that blue ribbon, wrap it around her neck, and strangle her with it.”

I just had a Law & Order Lenny Briscoe moment. When Ned made the comment about the Colonel being extra crispy, that sounds like a credit intro worthy of the late Lenny (whose name escapes me at the moment) or the less likable Horatio Caine (David Caruso’s character on CSI: Miami). And damn, Olive is nothing but cleavage in this episode. Not that I’m complaining, mind you, but it’s just a bit difficult to follow the storyline of the dead Colonel.

Well, this was disappointing. It turns out I got an episode of Law & Order rather than Life. Did this happen to everyone?

Hey! It’s Clancy Brown! I really like him, and he’ll always be the voice of Lex Luthor for me. It’s just too bad he plays a really good villain.

Tripp is a master manipulator. What he did against Simon was wonderful. And the wedding was sweet and wonderful. Ren is a lovely woman. She’s got a wonderful smile. I’m going to have to imdb.com her (not right now, but eventually) and find out if I’ve seen her elsewhere. As the end of the episode showed us, I’m pretty sure that taking this job wasn’t the best thing to do.

If there were more time, this would have been an excellent episode to have some good Jim vs. Pam shenanigans. As it were, Pam’s ploy of putting on makeup and being nice wasn’t all that effective. And it looks like Dwight has now become the Ross of the show, and Angela is his Rachel.

“I saw my grandparents making love once and didn’t leave right away.”

“I want to go to there.”

Having Lemon turn out to be the bitch was great. I was disappointed in the Kenneth/Tracy/Jenna plot. Kenneth’s jokes weren’t funny at all, but I guess that was the whole point.

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