Tuesday, November 14, 2006

TV Tues - Award Winning Actresses Getting Punched in the Face? Always Funny. Always.

**Tues Nov 7**

Gilmore Girls (CW 7:00): The show is definitely on an upswing, which is a relief. Always hate to see a stellar show lose its footing. Not back up to the height of the Team Palladino years, but still better than the bulk of stuff on the air.

Veronica Mars (CW 8:00): The execs are still keeping mum about whether VM will be getting a full season order or not, which is bothersome; I'm going to try and focus on the fact that we're getting some quality TV in the meantime and not worry about whether the show will go on past the resolution of the rapist mystery.

**Wed Nov 8**

Jericho (CBS 7:00): I don't care if Grey was right about Hawkins being suspicious, the entire time he was questioning the family I just wanted one of them to haul off and punch his lights out. Man, does that guy rub me the wrong way.

Bones (Fox 7:00): I kept having Angel flashbacks throughout this episode

Lost (ABC 8:00): Well, that wasn't nearly as bad of a cliffhanger as what I'd feared; still stinks that we have to wait until February to see a new ep. On the bright side, the producers have promised that before the end of the season we will definitely (a) learn the full story of The Others, (b) learn how Jack got his tattoos, and, most importantly, (c) learn why Locke was in a wheelchair. So, yeah, looking forward to that.


**Thur Nov 9**

Survivor (CBS 7:00): Wow, actually starting the jury before the merger? That's an interesting twist, and one that could very well come back to bite somebody on the butt. Unless, that is, the final two actually turn out to be the two I want it to be (Ozzie and Yule), in which case, it's a moot point.

My Name is Earl (NBC 7:00): While a part of me applauds them for not making the Darnell's-in-the-witness-protection-program idea a throwaway gag, I'm still curious about how that ties in with all of his family showing up at his and Joy's wedding - - or am i just expecting too much logic from a sitcom? Oh, by the way, if you look closely during the upcoming Christian Slater episode, you'll be able to see my former supervisor's mother in the background as a member of Slater's hippie commune; sure, you'll have absolutely no idea which one she is, but you'll still see her, and that's what's important.

The Office (NBC 7:30): Another strong episode, but I think my favorite part was in the extended online version where Michael yells at Toby for walking so slowly; Michael's irrational dislike of Toby always makes me chuckle.

Supernatural (CW 8:00): I liked the fact that the spirit didn't turn out to be a force of evil this time around; nice that they still play around with their plot structure from time to time. Plus, there were lots of opportunities for Dean to be a smartass, which is always a good thing for the show. The "pea soup" comment at the end just made me groan, though.

The O.C. (Fox 8:00): Amazing how the show has ramped up the gloom and doom, and yet still has managed to recapture the humorous spirit of its first season in so many ways. I think the big difference is that the drama feels much more organic with everyone grieving over the loss of Marissa, as opposed to the numerous plot devices thrown at the characters the last couple of seasons.

Ugly Betty (ABC 7:00): A pretty hum-drum episode over-all, although watching Wilhelmina operating out of her element was fun.

Grey's Anatomy (ABC 8:00): Was very happy to see the return of Kali "Halfrek" Rocha as the perpetually chipper Sydney; was not quite as happy to see Sloan hitting on Meredith. I mean, I know the guy's supposed to be a player and all, but for someone who keeps saying he misses his friendship with Derek, you'd think he'd realize that sleeping with Derek's woman would be the final nail in the coffin.

**Sat Nov 11**

Legion of Super-Heroes (Kids WB): Once again, in terms that only Bubblegum Tate will understand: Tenzil Kem! Tenzil sprocking Kem! Chomping through the Atomic Axe! I now forgive the creators for every other misstep they've made in the creative process for that one crazy cameo.

**Mon Nov 13**

How I Met Your Mother (CBS 7:00): Man, was that a goofy ep. Some funny stuff, but lots of oddness to overcome.

The Class (CBS 7:30): *sigh* I had been so hoping that it would turn out that Richie wasn't married to Darlene, I mean, Fern, but no such luck. But at least the secret's out in the open now.

Heroes (NBC 8:00): Every time Mohinder appears on screen, I feel the show grind to a screeching halt. But, trying to divine the true intentions of Mr. Horn Rimmed Glasses helps make up for it.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (NBC 9:00): I don't think I mentioned last week how happy I was to see Lucy Davis added to the cast last week; loved her on the BBC's The Office, loved her in Shaun of the Dead, loved her in her Ugly Betty cameo; here's hoping she sticks around Studio 60 for a while. Oh, and in case you hadn't heard, yes, Studio 60 will actually be around for a while, as NBC has given them a full season order, so all of you Studio 60 fanatics out there can rest easy.

**TV on DVD**

Sopranos Season 6 pt.1: Seasons 1 & 2: some of the best TV around. Seasons 3 & 4: horribly disappointing. Season 5: Vast improvement. Season 6 so far? Still going strong. Heck, the entire season was worth it for one thing alone: seeing Lauren Bacall, playing herself, get mugged and punched in the face. Trust me: it was hilarious.

Masters of Horror: Imprint: The infamous Takashi Miike episode of Masters of Horror which was too graphic to air on Showtime finally arrived for me. The final verdict? Yes, it was gross and disturbing; the torture sequence was one of the most brutal I've seen. And the reveal of the true nature of the prostitute was pretty danged creepy, up until we got a close up of her twin, at which point it became incredibly silly. But not as silly as the overwrought and stilted performance of Billy Drago, who apparently felt bad that he was the only cast member for whom English was not a second language and so went out of his way to make it seem like it was. Seriously, every time he opened his mouth, I hoped that some creature would swoop down and rip out his tongue so that we wouldn't have to deal with his horrendous performance anymore. After all the build-up and controversy, I'm afraid the episode just didn't live up to the press.

2 comments:

Am I Am said...

I totally agree with your comment about Mohinder. It's probably very important information we were getting there, but I kept losing patience. It seems like they could've done those sequences better.

Bubblegum Tate said...

In terms that more or less only the Good Cap'n will follow...

Man, if the freakin' tv show can manage to bring Tenzil back into the fold, then by GOD Mark Waid should be able to manage it in my monthly fix. Waid, get Matter Eater Lad back in the Legion or we Tenzil fans will rise up and...eat stuff in his honor.