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

TV Reviews for the Viewing Week of Nov. 16, 2008 Pt. 2

Holy crap, that’s an awful way to die. Head slammed against a latch then cooked alive in a convection microwave oven for six and a half hours. This show is one of the rare breed that gets better with age. This is a wonderful ensemble that plays extremely well with each other. They’re comfortable and natural. Pair up any two members of the cast and you can have an episode where they’re playing off of each other. But the stars are Booth and Bones, and this was a great episode for them, finding a killer on a plane full of people bound for China.

Another show loses its head on the chopping block. Honestly, I’m surprised that it made it past its first season. It’s too quirky, what some people would call weird. I will admit it’s getting a little too complicated, what with all the subplots. And there’s probably not enough time to resolve them all. Will Emerson ever find his daughter? Will Ned ever find his father and be able to touch Chuck? Will Chuck ever reveal to her aunt and mom that she’s alive? What’s up with Stephen Root’s new character?

"I never have any normal fans."

The episode was a contest between Jason Alexander’s character and Joe Mantegna’s character. But it wasn’t killer vs. cop; it was over-actor vs. over-actor. It was kind of ridiculous. Joe Mantegna is a decent actor and all, but he’s no Mandy Patinkin.

"It seems awfully mean, but sometimes the ends justify the mean."

I’m actually a little mad at Toby myself. I really liked Holly, and I liked Michael with her rather than him against Toby. It’s like the show just moved a step backward (same thing I thought when Ryan and Kelly got back together last episode) instead of moving forward. Now, Jim and Pam are moving forward, and that’s good.

"After years of inbreeding, the pigs are getting violent, and the pig shield around the house is worn thin."

I thought Steve Martin was great, and I’m glad he was a bit more subdued. I don’t think it would have been as funny had he gone a bit overboard (you hear what I’m saying Robin Williams?). The Tracy stuff wasn’t all that funny this week. Kenneth was still excellent, though.

"I’m not used to doing this sober."
"It’s kind of the same thing, except no one gets sick."
"I’ll be the judge of that."

Badge bunnies? Really? Is that something that really goes on? I guess that’s what cheerleaders do when they grow up, because that’s exactly what they seem like. Car washes, fund raisers, softball...yup, grown-up cheerleaders. Okay, that four-way confrontation at the drug dealer’s house was superb. The observances, the questions, the reactions, all just superb. I also like how, even into the second season, they’re still keeping up with the fruit thing.

Oh holy God, Opie. I guess by definition dramas aren’t any good without any, well, drama, and Clay is up to his neck in it, yet he still looks all sparkly and clean. This shit will come back around to him, though. I loved how Deputy Dog (I don’t know what his name is) took out the FBI agent with one punch. That was damn cool. Next week’s season finale is going to be brutal and bloody, I’d set my watch and warrant to it.

And yet another ABC show has gone the way of the dodo. I still think this is a good show, but it hasn’t been as good this year. This episode seemed to be a big game of musical lovers. I wonder if the show would have lasted the whole season if it would have been left soap opera-y.

Chloe’s wedding and reception were in Clark’s barn? That seems very hickish. I would have assumed the reception would have been in the Talon. And they had to steal the beginning from Cloverfield. Wow. Nobody will notice that. From what we saw of Doomsday, I thought he looked pretty cool. I really got a Michael Turner vibe from him, from his run of Superman/Batman. I didn’t think Davis’ transformation made any sense, though. His power is to evolve protective measures after being attacked. What attack prompted the transformation? And was that the Persuader I saw in the previews for when the show comes back next year? Must be part of the Legion of Superheroes storyline.

"Dude, you’re confusing reality with porn again."

So we’ve got demons, we’ve got angels, and we’ve got fallen angels. Sam is shacking up with a demon. Will Dean and Anna end up together? Oh, nevermind. I think Dean won in the bagging-spiritual-beings contest. Holy crap that was a heavy ending. No wonder Dean drinks all the time now.

"I will smack your face off of your face."

Are there people out there like this, people who act on every insane idea that pops into their head?

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Listening to: Hot Action Cop - Fever for the Flava
via FoxyTunes

TV Reviews for the Viewing Week of Nov. 9, 2008 Pt. 2

"We’re gonna need a fire extinguisher, and maybe some sort of trauma counselor."

My wife really wants Bones and Booth to end up together. No, I think that would be weird. I think they have a really close brother/sister bond. Yes, there is love there, but not THAT kind of love. When Bones found out that Booth had been bailing his little brother out of trouble for years at the cost of his own success, you could see the hurt and the caring she feels for him. And I’d also like to give some kudos to David Boreanez. His acting has improved by leaps and bounds since his days as Angel.

"He may need to know karate."

Just a so-so episode. The best part was Matthew hitting on the girl in Ritchie’s class.

"Dude, you can’t get married without strippers. It’s in the Bible, I think."

Once again, I’ve missed the previous episode. It’s difficult when I’m supposed to be watching so much stuff at a certain time. Poor Sam. Even when some goes his way (his fiancé telling him why she loves him and wants to marry him), he still ends up screwing up.

Looks like I missed another one of these, too. Okay, so Terminator guy held Sarah by the neck with one hand and pointed a gun at her head with the other. Why? He could just crush her throat, or put a fist through her skull, or even just a robotic finger. I tend to like stories like this, where a short amount of time is the main story, but we get to see each angle of the story by following each character separately. I think it’s why I liked Starman so much. James Robinson did this a lot over his 80-issue run. I still marvel at the lack of a targeting program in this highly sophisticated robot. And what the hell kind of bullets were they using on Cromartie? I thought conventional weaponry couldn’t hurt a Terminator. And I’ve got one thing to say to Fox.com regarding the commercials played during their on-demand episodes: don’t show the same commercial throughout a single program. I get it. Jack Bauer will be returning in a 2-hour 24 event! I’ve got my DVR set. Is nothing else noteworthy happening in the next week?

"Oh God, please don’t let it be an STD. I’ve made it to almost 40."

Hmm, I’m wondering if I should use this show as a blueprint for when Angie finally gets fed up with me and divorces me. The lesson learned this week? Don’t take anyone to...hmm, I guess Angie and I don’t have an "our" restaurant.

"If you run, you’ll only die tired."

Not the best episode, I thought. The kid who was living in the mall with his sister, I don’t like him. He had a recurring role on CSI: NY, and I’ve seen him pop up here and there, and I don’t think he’s all that great. I was surprised that Reese met with the new Captain for dinner. That…that relationship would just confuse me. And I don’t think Cruz’s renewed relationship with his wife is going to end well. Somebody’s going to wind up getting hurt.

Blah. It’s official, I’m bored with this show.

The best part of the episode was actually hearing James Marsters voice at the end. He was the best thing that ever happened to the show, and he was short-lived. I was hoping this Chloe storyline would see him brought back, but I’ll take a voice if that’s all we’re getting. I’m pretty excited about next week’s episode. It looks like we’re finally going to see Doomsday, and from what I saw in the previews, he looks pretty good. And regardless of his origin or initial appearance, the writers seem be staying true to his powers and abilities, so that’s good.

This was a really good Reid (there Angie, happy?) episode...well, not so much for him, I guess. We finally see Reid’s father for the first time, it’s just too bad that Reid thinks he sexually assaulted then killed a 6-year-old boy. This is obviously some rough stuff for Reid to go through, and he ends up running the gamut of emotions before everything is wrapped up nice and neat and everyone makes it back to D.C. in time for Reid to become godfather of JJ’s new baby boy.

This episode really brought up Andy’s stock. He went from the angry Cornell suck-up to the perpetual wingman. And you can’t help but feel sorry for him in his relationship with
Angela. Even if she weren’t cheating on him, it’s Angela. I agree with Oscar, "What do you see in her?"

Ooh, that ATF bitch is, well, a bitch. And there is no way Opie is getting out of this predicament alive. Poor Opie.

"Don’t you recognize me? Oh, I forgot, I’m wearing a pediatrician."

Well now Sam. There seems to be a bit of slap and tickle, a little pinch and squeal between Sam and his demon girlfriend. After the guys find a girl who can listen to the angels, Ruby runs off with her while the boys fight a demon. Later, while searching for Ruby, Sam tells Dean how they got together. After storytime, the boys meet back up with Ruby and Anna, only to be told by Castiel that Anna has to die. Honestly, I can see his way of thinking. Dean even said it: she’s a direct line to the enemy’s plans. It would just be easier for the angels to get rid of her and have that loose end taken care of. The needs of the many and all that nonsense.

"We all want what’s best for Jack. So let’s just have this three-way."

Night Court! Harry, Christine and Mac! Jennifer Aniston may not have been the most talented friend, but she was definitely the hottest. But yeah, she’s not that great of an actress. I liked watching her in this episode, but she just annoyed me. As always, Kenneth and Tracy were great.

"Hold still. You can’t run from the kindness of strangers."

So it’s not so much an Extreme Makover: Home Edition as it is Extreme Makeover: Hate Crime. I never realized that Frank was such a master manipulator. Ah, he knew the whole time that it was going to fail, big time. At least they were able to get the taco bed done...sort of.

Well, this show got an extra, what, five extra episodes for the season? Eh, I’m bored with this one, too. I can’t waste an hour just for the few minutes when something from the future pops up.

First pre-credits impressions? Too Silver Agey. As much of a fan I am of the Bruce Timm Batman series, I don’t think I’ll find anything to match up to it. Plus, Dietrich Bader is the voice of Batman. I’ll never be able to take him seriously as anything but a goofball. Post-credit, it’s still very Silver Agey, but that makes it weird since it’s got the latest Blue Beetle in it. I’m sorry, I just can’t watch it any more. It’s too childish, even for me. Now, if I were a fan of Silver Age DC comics, this cartoon would be awesome. But I’m not, and it isn’t. Put The Batman back on CW on Saturday mornings and I’ll watch that...or my Batman: The Animated Series collection.

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Listening to: Ambulance LTD - Anecdote
via FoxyTunes

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

"Whoa! Jeez! Hey, Bones, you know you almost lit my butt on fire?"

As much as I miss what’s-his-name, I’m enjoying watching all of the interns. That girl crushing the skull was priceless! But at least some good came from her short internship. Now Sweets has got himself a lady friend!

"Things fall apart, even when they seem perfect. Love changes to hate, hate to repulsion, repulsion to lust, lust to revenge, then fun, then sad. It’s awful."

Is there anyone in this show who ISN’T somehow screwed up?

"You’re gonna sit around and wonder what it’s like to have boobs."

"Yes I am. I’d use them for evil."

I loved the Friends references. That’s a show I can watch at any time and laugh, no matter how many times I’ve seen the episode. Okay, raise your hand if you DIDN’T think that Roy was Vanessa’s ex. Very obvious, but funny as hell when Gary found out.

"That’s right. TV’s Ponch, from CHiPs. He’s being very well compensated."

It’s a cop show, but it doesn’t seem like a cop show. Maybe that’s why I like it so much. After all the Law and Orders and CSIs, this is a welcome breath of fresh air. This episode, we get just a tiny bit closer to finding out who set up Cruz all while figuring out who killed a multi-millionaire. I’ve heard that a lot of lottery winners end up actually filing for bankruptcy within a few years. I’m sure a support group would be very beneficial.

Holy crap that ATF agent got her faced SMASHED. This episode seemed to be a bit of an appetizer to next week’s raid of the clubhouse.

Ah, the trials and tribulations of the uber-wealthy. This show would fit in well with the daytime soaps. The lies, the deception, the twists, the love, the loss...it’s all there. So Lucy Liu was actually working for Blair Underwood’s character, while Karen was spying for her father. But it doesn’t matter, they’re getting married! But wait! The youngest Darling boy was sleeping with Liu in order to get Letitia’s case thrown out. It’s just too bad that the two fell in love. And Lisa and Nick are splitting up, because Nick still loves Karen! What will happen to the wedding?

Oh, I get it now. Doomsday is going to be Zod’s son. That’s a pretty clever twist. There, I’ve finally said something good about the show. I hope they don’t go all "tortured villain" with Doomsday. I want to see Clark put to the test. I want their battle to actually resonate through Smallville, destroying parts of it like the comic battle destroyed Metropolis.

"Women? Showers? We gotta save these people."

"Kneel before Todd!"

Yeah, I had to do two quotes this week. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m a pretty big Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan. When Supernatural first started, I was thinking it was a good successor to Buffy. Now, though, I’m thinking it’s surpassed Buffy. Giant, talking, alcoholic, porn-obsessed teddy bears, well, that ranks right up there with puppet Angel. While Buffy had a couple of really good actors, this show has an overall better talent pool. And the writing is more natural, whereas Joss and the gang on Buffy tried to be hip and clever. Granted, that was a lot of the charm, but it didn’t ring as true as this does. The boys act like brothers, and the friends they’ve run into during the past few years actually seem like friends rather than a random assortment of people thrown together. This episode was crazy funny, but it still managed to be poignant at the end.

Yeah, there’s nothing worth commenting about this show any more. It’s good acting, but it’s same-old same-old.

"Comanaprasil? May cause dizziness, sexual nightmares and sleep crime."

Funny things: Comanaprasil, the fake Olympic sports, anything that Tracy says, Liz talking to Oprah while drugged, and just about anything that Kenneth says. It’s almost like the writers of the show write random hilarious scenes, connect the dots to make them into a coherent show, and it works.

"Why does he keep spitting in my mouth? Who is this man?"

It’s difficult to comment on this show. It’s so ridiculous, so over the top. All that story and they only claim to be tangentially responsible for the cracking of the Liberty Bell. The headless horseman was a nice touch

"That’s what she said. That’s what she said! That’s what she said!"

I think Jim is going to suggest moving to New York. It’s either that or they end up breaking up, which I don’t see happening and don’t want to see happen. Poor Andy, he’s so oblivious to his sham of a relationship. And Dwight was classic with his paranoia and his subsequent celebrating.

I’m so bored with the actual cops and robbers stuff. This episode sees Sam singing a Vanilla Ice song to avoid getting shot, and Whoopie Goldberg as a soul sistah DJ. Yawn. Now, the ending at the church was good. So what do we think is going on? Coma? Purgatory?

What’s the point of the quotes at the beginning? They’re about as annoying as Mohinder bookending each episode of Heroes. This was a good episode, and it set up the next one very well. Although I don’t know her name, it’s always great to see the woman who plays Reed’s mom. I’m used to seeing her in comedies, but she does drama very well.

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Listening to: Luna Halo - Kings & Queens
via FoxyTunes

TV Reviews for the Viewing Week of Oct. 5, 2008 Pt. 2

Ah, the race card. Always good for making people feel uncomfortable, and that’s where the funny is in this show. And with a good cast, telegraphing where you’re going in a show can be funny. Take for example what Christine’s brother and ex-husband did. They spelled out a handful of male stereotypes, say how silly they are, then fall into all of them.

A bisected transgendered person. They could have played with that a bit more, I think. That would have made positive identification tricky, but I guess they had to move the plot along. I’m enjoying how they’re doing interrogations, with one person observing behind the glass and making suggestions via a hidden earpiece.

This is the first chance this season I’ve had to watch this show. I’m indifferent about Jay Mohr. He can be really funny at times, but he can also be really annoying. He was okay in this. I like his ex-wife. I know I’ve seen her before, and I know she was in Steven Weber’s short-lived sitcom, but I can’t remember what I’ve seen her in recently. I don’t like Ed Bagley, Jr. The only time I’ve found him tolerable is in Arrested Development.

Is Luke Perry making a comeback? First a guest starring role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, now on Criminal Minds. He must be getting all nostalgic since there’s a new 90210 on. And hey, it’s Brian Doyle Murray, Bill’s less-famous and less-talented brother. And the guy who played Tripp on Star Trek: Enterprise. With as many people that are in an episode like this (Waco-esque cult stand-off with Reid and Prentiss trapped on the wrong side), I guess it helps to have some recognizable faces in the mix, if only to separate out the important players from the extras. And I just realized that’s not Brian Doyle Murray, but the other brother who is even LESS famous and talented. But we’ve also got the helicopter pilot from the last season of Lost, whose name escapes me at the moment. It was a good episode overall, but Joe Montegna was overacting a bit.

I’ve got a buddy who didn’t think Clay was long for this world. I don’t know. I can see a couple of different scenarios playing out if he or Jacks is killed, both of them involving Peggy Bundy.

Nick George’s wife is hot. Her hair is way too short, but she’s still hot. Is the common man supposed to be sympathetic to anything that happens to the Darlings? With their wealth, their power, their status, it is impossible to relate to them. We could at first with Nick, but he’s quickly falling into the Darlings’ web.

With so much time being spent looking for Lex, I hope he’s found. This show isn’t the same without him. I wonder if this whole season is going to be a geek fest for the comic book fans. We had the Justice League earlier, there are rumors of Doomsday, and here we’ve got Maxima. Thinking back, I can understand why the producers/creators/writers waited so long into the show’s life to make the show more comic booky. It seems pretty damn ridiculous when you think about it. It’s easier to accept the kryptonite monster of the week than a quickly explained alien hottie who is looking to mate with a Kryptonian. I guess some things are really are meant for one medium and not another.

Ah, the things we can learn about ourselves by watching white trash make up for past sins. Thanks to a guest spot by David Arquette, we learn that sometimes a lie is a good thing. He was great as an "amateur" stunt man who ends up losing his long-term memory due to too many blows to the head. Ten years back Earl kept convincing him to do more and more dangerous stunts just so he could sleep with his wife. The play on Groundhog Day was creative, as was Earl’s decision with his list.

Okay, 2 ½ Men was an unintentional casualty. I thought Boston Legal would be the first I would axe, but I was wrong. This was awful. Molly Shannon was okay, and her character’s fiancé was good, but Selma Blair’s character and her husband were painful to watch. I don’t think I laughed once. I might have cracked a smile, but there was no laughing.

"Long pig?"
"He means human flesh."
"And that is my word of the day."
What great dialogue on this show. And I think we ARE looking at an eventual battle between Sam and Dean. And if there has to be a twist, it’s that Dean isn’t actually taking advice from an angel, just another demon who wants Sam to stop sending demons back to hell. So Sam makes a massive life choice at the end

"It’s not the poop. It’s the mystery behind the poop."
"Name’s Artemis. I have a bleached asshole."
This show is like a live action South Park if all the kids were grown up. This episode was about poop. Even the Sex and the City subplot ended up being about poop. How awesome is that?

The name alone grabbed me on this one. This episode was okay. A guy ends up getting "pregnant" after undergoing a test for a new pill. The labor ends up being pretty funny, as is the "birth."

Wow, yet another cop drama. This one’s got a decent twist, though. It looks like our lead was hit by a car in the present and is in a coma. But for some reason his mind or whatever is stuck in 1973. It feels a lot like the show NBC had last season where the reporter in San Francisco kept jumping into the past, but so far with this show our boy doesn’t hop back and forth. It looks like he’s probably in the past until he comes out of the coma. Michael Imperioli does nothing for me, but Harvey Keitel is awesome. He’s a no nonsense cop who can’t be troubled to play by the book. Oh what shenanigans we’ll have when he does something that rules-and-regulations cop from the present doesn’t agree with. Fun times!

I wonder why NBC is doing two episodes a week. Are they planning on pulling it earlier than at the end of the regular season to make way for something else? I hope the show gets a full season. It’s pretty much a by-the-book cop show, but it’s got good acting and a good conspiracy in the background. And each episode our hero detective gets a little closer to finding out who set him up. In this episode he learns what cops were working with his partner’s father, who seems to be deeply involved in the conspiracy.

It’s a decent show, but I’m just not feeling it. I’m going to give it another episode or two, then I’ll probably drop it. I like the new guy, the forensic guy who looks like James Marsters, and the caveman guy. The blond is extremely hot, but I don’t much care for her acting or the woman who plays her mother, the woman from Stargate: SG1. The stories are mildly intriguing, but only mildly. Of course, the first season of Buffy wasn’t all that great either.

I’ve officially stopped watching Miami and New York regularly. They’ll be available to me on OnDemand, but I just don’t have the time or inclination to watch them on a regular basis. But I can’t give up the original. Especially with Lawrence Fishburne joining the cast. I’ll miss William Peterson when he’s gone, because he made the show what it is, but I’m interested in seeing what Morpheus will bring to the table. Anyways, about the season premiere. Warrick was never one of my favorite characters, but I always thought Dourdan played him well. He died well in this episode, and the speech he gave about Grissom being like a father to him was perfect. I’m a little surprised that the writers didn’t try to drag out the premiere to at least two episodes, but I thought it was wrapped up nicely in just one. Goodbye Warrick Brown, you’ll be missed.