Thursday Shows!

This post might take me a while to get through because I just got my Freaks and Geeks box set in the mail, and it has SO MANY wonderful special features. I'm working my way through all episodes twice - with and without commentary. It takes time. But it's summer!

Fringe - Brown Betty, 2.20

• From the beginning I could tell this was trying to be too many things - noir with some high-tech accents (cell phones, Internet), drug-induced fantasy sequence with musical elements... and to be honest, it was kind of a mess. Hardly a musical, hardly a noir film. Just messy. I don't know whether to blame the direction (needed to be more whimsical for the musical aspect to be believable, and/or needed more over-the-top technical noir accents [gaussian blur, wordy dialogue]) or the writing (coherent/necessary plot? who cares? it's a MUSICAL) or both. I will say this: it's obviously a filler episode, and I did prefer it to a COTW. My hopes were just too high.

Community - The Art of Discourse, 1.22

• I might just quote this episode to death, because I've talked at length before at how genius and perfect and smart this show is, it'd feel unnecessary to repeat it all here.
• "Have you seen a Chinese kid?"
• "And if all we need is an escape goat... I think we should just let this one go." - Troy
• Callbacks: Pierce thinking Troy and Shirley are related, Britta's bag-le, "Just pretend like you're asleep. Just pretend like you're sleepin'.",
• Jeff and Britta as partners in crime are PERFECT. I like them so much better platonically than romantically, but I get the feeling this episode was kind of tailored to growing some chemistry between them (growing chemistry? sorry.) in preparation for the last few episodes. Saw some promos, did some math.
• "Ridiculous situation descending into heavy-handed drama for the illusion of story... check." - Abed
• Handling the Pierce/Shirley situation maturely (for Community) was, again, such a smart move. Jokes take this show far, but the heart - because we care about these characters! - is what makes it really great.
• "Why are Jeff and Britta making fun of those handicapped kids?" - Pierce
• "Where Are They Now" sequence during the food fight. Perfection.
• Porn tag at the end ft. Leonard? Also perfection. This show is so. Good.

30 Rock - Argus, 4.19

• Just want to mention that during my flight to LA, American Airlines showed a 2-hour NBC Universal program that featured an episode of Parks & Rec (Kaboom) and 30 Rock (Klaus and Greta) along with tons of other clips from their various networks. Anyway, I now know everything I never needed to know about NBC Universal. Ask me anything.
• Oh, and one more thing: I watched Corporate Crush (from season 1) right before I left, and the contrast between that and Klaus and Greta is embarrassing. This season is - dare I say it about a show that has seen so many good days? - quite unfunny. Let down.
• Oh yeah, also, when I was on the plane, I realized we had heard Verna's (Jenna's mom) name before this season - in the hilarious scene featuring Rachel Dratch (RIP Golden Age)! I cannot tell you how much I dig continuity. Because it's a lot.
• Mmmm Will Forte. Love him.
• Hello continuity, I just got through talking about you! Dotcom being in love with Grizz's girlfriend is addressed here, and is now a plot point that parallel's Liz's Floyd dilemma. Nice!
• And the smash top-of-the-charts hit Muffin Top makes a return. Comedies are really dropping these callbacks tonight.
• Okay, making a list now: Dotcom in love with Grizz's Feyonce, Muffin Top, Liz's face being compared to a badger, Pete's kids' big heads

(Pausing now to watch Doctor Who's "Tooth and Nail," and it is ridiculously well directed. And written, and acted. Plus, the special effects are streets ahead [see what I did there] of the last episode. Wonder why.)

The Office - Body Language, 6.23

• Wow, Pam is annoying.
• I love this Sabre representative. Give him more lines, he's funny

Parks and Recreation - 94 Meetings, 2.21

• Title screen a new thing?
• Ron going to April's house to get her back reminds me of the Don/Peggy scene in "Shut the Door, Have a Seat."
• Really cute episode. Character development.

Skins - Effy, 3.08

Licensing must be so cheap because most of the artists are independent, and for a show that uses music so heavily, that's an awesome situation to be in.

Eight episodes into the third series and I'm still not feeling it. Because the group itself isn't close, I don't feel close to them either. The only people I find tolerable are JJ and Naomi, sometimes.

Breaking Bad - Sunset, 3.6

• The axe hit coinciding with the apple crunch - SO. GOOD. Ugh. I have expressed my love for this pair of villains before, and they just keep getting better.
• The return of Jesse's gang. We saw a little of them last episode (along with the now deceased Combo) and it made me realize how much I missed the good ol' drug moving/meth-making-in-the-RV days. "If that bitch was any bigger, it'd be a Jolly RANCHER!"
• Speaking of last episode, which I didn't write about, I thought Hank and Marie did fantastic jobs. Especially that bathroom scene, and Hank's partner's send-off party. Good showcase for fine actors that largely take the backseat.
• "I am the man that I am, son." I wonder how much of that is Walt truly being introspective about his villianry (can that please be a word?) and how much of it is just surface-level bullshit.
• Okay. "Why the hell are we making meth?" reaction to Gale's coffee, and the all too pleasant learning-to-make-meth montage complete with sophisticated jazzy piano music (and drinking wine at the end!) contrasted with Jesse's first time in the RV. First: I think Walt, in some strange way, doesn't want out. Didn't he even refuse last episode? He is a certified genius, and even though good-guy Gale shows him perfect coffee, he continues cooking meth. It is extremely evident what he is becoming/has become. Second: LOVE the editing of this sequence (Walt and Gale, BFFs).
• Lawn chairs and Funyuns make me miss old school BB. :(
• Walt feeding Jesse lines and Jesse adding "Bitch!" made me lol. Good scene.
  
• When Hank took off the tape, the sun shone through (and landed on Walt's chest, good effect) but now he is in shadow. Continuity
• THIS SCENE! This! Perfection! Quick, harried cuts, muted background sounds, no voice, then out of nowhere Hank's annoying ringtone heard earlier in the episode. Amazing.
• TWIST! Okay, best episode of the season so far, I'm calling it. Poor Hank!
• Oh, and beautiful work as usual, but even more so in this episode with sunlight effects
• Hey, just found out this was both written and directed by John Shiban! Crazy! Good for him. I didn't care for any of his X Files episodes, written or directed. Hah.

Doctor Who - Series 1 (the Ninth Doctor)

I watched the whole 13 (I think) episodes in a day, because that's how good it is.

I don't know why it took me so long to start this series (well, yes I do - I was watching too much else) but I'm glad I finally did. I decided to start with the Ninth Doctor instead of with Tennant, because I figured it was just a few episodes. And I'm so glad I did. I knew everyone fawned over Tennant so I didn't have high hopes for Eccleston, but I was so impressed. I adore him. Granted, he's my first "Doctor" experience, so I don't know how well he fits in the lineup, but I love all his quirks and mannerisms. Plus, he's totally good looking.

It's just overall a fun, solid sci-fi/fantasy series that can manage laughs as well as tears ("The Parting of the Ways," anyone?). And, most significantly, it contains the type of adventure (through time and space with an attractive companion, what's better?) that is compelling for anybody. While watching I didn't keep an eye out for any overarching message, and nothing was preached outright, which I appreciated, there was some inevitable, understated "take care of your planet" talk. However, I chose to take to heart the more specific and wild, "make sure your planet's satellite station is not actually controlled by an alien with many teeth" lesson.

As far as villain originality/awesomeness is concerned, Daleks rank near the middle. Okay, they're mutant-like entities created to only feel hate. I do think it's cool they are concealed by the metal shell, and that they're all gooey and stuff; the contradicting physicalities idea is intriguing. However, the "we can't feel emotion, because it makes us weak" thing is tired because it's always always always effective for fashioning a villain.

I miss Eccleston already, but I look forward to the Tenth Doctor, which I'll start next week.

TiMER

I want to see this movie! It's making its rounds of a ton of festivals right now, so hopefully it'll get a wider release soon. I originally wanted to see it because of Emma Caulfield (BtVS), but it looks cute in its own right. I'm not into romcoms unless they're well done (a Duh statement?) or unintentionally ridiculous, so I'm glad TiMER looks unique and smart.

Skins - Everyone & Cook, 3.1-2

I watched the first two series of this show, wary of its very young cast and writers, with low expectations. After the first episode, I was left wondering why this motley crew were even friends - they were so different. After the second episode, I began to warm up to the characters, and appreciated the now evident structure the first series would take (story arch, while exploring each character individually). After the first series, I was completely and totally in love with everything and everyone. The musical-inspired Wild World at the end of the episode sealed the deal.

Not only was the acting spectacular, the writing, too, was outstanding. It was an exploration of character rather than intense plot (though that happened also) and that's what made it so compelling. It was also interesting to see what UK culture was like. A specific, stylized facet of it, at least.

It had all the clever twists and coincidences to keep it interesting, and the strong characters to keep you invested. The second series was just as spot-on, if not better. Now that we knew the characters, the second series was free to explore them further and examine their relationships. It truly solidified the group, and convinced me they really would be friends.

I started the third series today, which features a different set of actors (the show's "second generation"). So far this is what I think:

• I don't like Effy, never did. I miss Tony and Michelle and Sid and Jal and CHRIS and Maxxie and Anwar and Cassie and not Sketch. :(
• The twins look promising. The cute skateboarder guy interested in Effy does, too. And JJ. Cook seems like a more unlikable version of Chris. Not feeling the not-lesbian, either.
• At the beginning of the first series when I thought the group didn't fit well together, I was proved wrong quickly. They were already friends, and it just took a few episodes for their dynamic to show through. However, this series, only a few of them are already friends and everyone else just hates each other. I'm not getting the sense of community, at least, that I did before, and I'm wondering if this different dynamic will be detrimental to the first series.
• I really like the drone-y music under Cook and Freddie's conversation. Effective and unique.

Flashforward - Forking Paths, 1.17

GAIUS BALTAR!

Also, nice suspense-building concerning Building 6. It took, like, half the episode, but was done pretty well. Thank the Lord John Cho lives!

No Jack Davenport this episode, which I'm okay with, but not seeing Simon involved makes me unhappy. I love that character, and I wish he'd interact with Janis more because they have good chemistry (lol'd so much at Janis popping up everywhere, stoic, when he tried to get away that one episode) and he's the only one that knows she's the mole. I get that they didn't have time to address it this episode, but it was a very distracting loose end, especially when Wedeck was urging her to work faster at locating Mark - you didn't know if she was sabotaging it on purpose. Maybe that was the point, but it was frustrating.

Finally - Union Station! It was only a matter of time before the LA-based crew used it. It's seen a lot of action lately, from Chuck to Monk to something else I'm forgetting...

Party Down - Jackal Onassis Backstage Party, 2.1

• YEAH! Starz put the first two episodes of season 2 on their website. They also put their eps up on Netflix the day after - definitely not something you'd find a company like NBC Universal/Comcast/Whatever they are doing
• Jimmi Simpson is to offbeat comedy what Mark Sheppard is to sci-fi. I mean, I think that's him. Too lazy to check imdb right now
• Oh hahahahhah yes it is!!! "I want to be called Dennis." "Oh fuck."
• Love that Henry's still going out with Uda
• I miss Constance so much :(
• Even though he got tasered, the episode still ends with a happy Ron

Steve Guttenberg's Birthday, 2.2

• THIS EPISODE IS AMAZING. Steve Guttenberg for the fucking win.
• This chick does an incredible robot voice. Wow.
• "Hey, do you have any smart shit I could say?" - Kyle
• WHY IS THIS EPISODE SO GOOD. REALLY. "You saved the galaxy...". The look on Roman's face. Ughhhhh. So good. So good.

Fringe - The Man From the Other Side, 2.19

• And it begins with two teenagers in a car. I couldn't tell you how many procedural sci-fi teasers begin with two teenagers in a car. Or an abandoned warehouse, which is where this guy is headed.
• Musical episode next week!! SO pumped! I expect the musical numbers will be more ornamental rather than instrumental (ha) in driving the plot (the latter a la Once More With Feeling, or Glee anything)
• "Every living thing dies." - Walter. Having just finished the first series of Doctor Who (the ninth Doctor) this is cool to hear. Also, the X-Files.
• MURRAY! The commercials are kind of awesome tonight.
• I'm getting Agent Pendrell vibes from this Massive Dynamic labcoat guy.
• Astrid's such a cutie pie. More screen time please
• Isn't Peter supposed to be a genius with an IQ of 190? It's like, figure it out already.
• It would be INCREDIBLE to be a prop or makeup/prosthetic person on this show. Love it so much!
• Watching this hospital scene makes me want to watch Triangle. ("I love you." "Oh, brother.")
• "I am not your son." :'(
• Bad Robot, Bad Horse, Bad Wolf.
• Everything will be okay - next week's a MUSICAL!

BRIDGE

Community, 30 Rock, The Office, 30 Rock

Community - Contemporary American Poultry, 1.21

• I, too, like to stay streets ahead.
• Abed voiceovers. Perfect.
• Layla sequence. This is v good.
• Hi, emotional center. Weren't gone long enough to quite miss you, but you are appreciated.
• Sidenote: Pomplamoose in a car commercial! What?! Exciting!

30 Rock - Lee Marvin vs. Derek Jeter, 4.17

• "You look like a prison weed dealer." - Jack
• The green logo in the corner is back for Earth Day! Good job, NBC, but needs moar Al Gore.
• Chelsea Handler/Elizabeth Banks similarity addressed kind of
• Oh hey Pete. And Sarah Lancaster.
• Julianne Moore does accents so badly. British, Boston, whatever.
• "Pete can you tell the bald eagle at the zoo to stop scaring me?" - Tracy, LOL SO HARD
• "This is America. None of us are supposed to be here." "I need to dance this out."
• "Threefer, 'cause you're also gay."

The Office - Secretary's Day, 6.22

• Written by Mindy! I'm excited.
• All right. Decent episode, and I liked that Michael was largely in the wings so to speak (Carrell directed) so that the accounting dept could shine. Oh, accounts. My favorite trio. I also liked that Michael was relatively understated, because this season especially, he's had some too-outlandish moments that really create distance between the audience and the character
• Erin's crazy reminds me of Jayma Mays as Emma's crazy: tt's the lesser of the two evils (Angela vs Erin, Terri vs Emma), but still pretty crazy. The difference is the latter of the two's idiosyncrasies are endearing.
• Loved the line about her hair being her room when she was in foster care, Ellie Kemper is amazing and SO funny
• I miss the creepy Pam/Toby days SO much, so I appreciated a little throwback here (intentional or not) when Toby was so eager to help Pam out, and she just hangs up on him. I miss Toby in general, being all the things he chooses to be.

30 Rock - Khonani, 4.18

• Ugh, this was kind of awful... I don't think I laughed once, except at some of Jenna's one-liners (the one about her not knowing how beautiful she is). Tracy and Kenneth's storyline was boring and unfunny.
• The Avery vs Nancy thing is so tired and dull. I hope it ends soon.
• I'm looking forward to the season finale when Floyd gets married. That's it.

House, Glee

Sometimes I find myself asking: Why do I watch House again? Okay, Wilson and House's relationship. Michael Weston, sometimes. The kickass finales. Mostly because of the kickass finales, I have decided.

I'm fine with procedurals, I really am, but when you simply don't care about the characters, it's tiring. I used to care about the original ducklings. House's witticisms made me laugh. I don't know - all I know is that right now, I'm eagerly awaiting the inevitably awesome season ender.

- - - - - -

Glee is back! Glee makes me so happy; I can completely disregard continuity errors, bad acting, plot holes, believability, whatever! I'm willing to overlook a lot for the sake of a genuinely fun, music-filled time (see: Chuck, sans music). The second episode back (The Power of Madonna) was super fun, and I loved the one-liners, as usual ("Mr. Schuester, is he your son?"), as well as the musical montages (Like a Virgin!! Such good editing). Furthermore, I appreciated the concerns of the fans addressed, specifically Mercedes' and Kurt's frustration about not getting solos. Very smart move by Ryan Murphy, who penned this episode very well.

Can't wait for May 18, when Dream On will be aired! Directed by Joss and guest starring NPH, s'gonna be a good time.

Castle - Den of Thieves, 2.21

Sam Anders: Eternal Cockblock.

Poor, poor little toaster.

I don't watch Castle except when there are interesting guest stars (I watched the Marc Blucas one) or Firefly references (the glorious Halloween episode), but Nathan Fillion is so charming. Love him.

V - John May, 1.7

• Rekha Sharma (Battlestar Galactica) and Nicholas Lea (The X-Files) are both on V, + Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost), Alan Tudyk (Firefly, Dollhouse), Laura Vandervoort (Smallville), Michael Trucco! (Battlestar Galactica), and Morena Baccarin (Firefly)
• LOL @ Michael Trucco starting a revolution in V. He is certainly a revolutionist. Oh, and he's a V - not only that, but the very first one to rebel! This is too weird of a typecast to be on purpose. Or maybe it is, because judging by this post, this show is definitely targeting a specific audience. I wonder if John May will be revealed to have created the V race, or something.
• Interesting that a V's natural state (sans Anna's "Bliss") is very similar to a human's, complete with emotion. Draws parallels to books like The Giver and 1984.
• Supersoldiers: The X-Files, Chuck, Fringe
• Alien/Human Hybrids as Saviors/Destroyers of Both Races: The X-Files, V, Battlestar Galactica
• V is turning out to be an excellent sci-fi show, despite a rocky start. Unfortunately, it's not drawing the viewers it needs. I'd say it's one of the top sci-fi shows currently airing - certainly one of the best on the major networks; its only real competition I can think of is Fringe (which, I maintain, is overrated... I mean, I know why I watch the show [the blood and the gore and the Joshua Jackson], but on the whole it's all been done before, and done better, in most cases) and Lost (which I simply don't watch). Flashforward? No competition at all. However, that show is also getting better but declining in the ratings like V. With Lost off the air very soon, it's a sad time for sci-fi on primetime. Fringe picks up the procedural + mythology end of it, and V tackles aliens full-on. But still, only two shows? Am I missing any?
• Logan Huffman (Tyler) looks SO MUCH like a young Sean Maher! At first I thought he looked a lot like Zefron, and the I did the Firefly connection, and voila!

Chuck - Chuck Versus the Other Guy, 3.13

• Lol no way air and tactical support arrived so fast. But it's Chuck so I forgive it.
• Sigh, NBC. Renewing The Marriage Ref? Sigh. Just... sigh.
• Guest starring Mark Sheppard! I have a crush on him. President Lambkin.
• Beckman getting angry at Chuck is unwarranted. She's the one that alerted him in the first place.
• So Shaw is righteous for sure? I want to believe.
• "Enjoy my old life." "You too." :'(
• Oh, twist! All right.
• I'm digging Rogue Team Bartowski.
• OH, catch-22, I get it.
• This show breaks my heart sometimes.
• Aww, Chuck and Sarah! Aww, the Eiffel Tower! Perfect!

Breaking Bad - I.F.T., 3.3

• Does arroyo mean stream in Spanish? Black stream street. Eerie.
• Saul WOULD bring a cactus.
• Breaking Bad was never "light," but I do miss the meth-cooking days and Badger & the gang.
• Oh god, sad Jesse breaks my heart. Calling Jane!
• Hank's not gonna go back to El Paso. Calling it.
• I dig this old person/Cousins juxtaposition SO MUCH. I hope it happens in every episode. Hah.
• I literally whispered, "Oh my god," when Skylar told her divorce lawyer!
• Ted Beneke is certainly the Henry to Skylar's Betty Draper. Ugh, I hate this.
• Preview for the next episode - I KNEW the principal had a thing for Walt!

Fringe - Peter, 2.16

And after what seems like an eternity, we're back! Fringe is back!

• YES. These opening credits make me proud to be a JJ fan. So good, I lol'd. The old fonts are killing me.
• I still think Gillian Anderson should have played Peter's mother. She has the accent to match, too.
• Anna Torv is so pretty. I have a thing for classy Australian blondes.
• WALTERNATE. Plucked directly from the fanbase.
• Someone dying in a loved one's arms in a show/film almost definitely means some form of revenge is going to take place.
• Fringe is far and away much stronger when it does mythology versus MOTW/standalones. I'm pumped to see what this episode will bring.
• Flashback hairpieces always make me cringe and this is no exception.
• I would like to see a black observer wearing a white suit/hat
• Haha, this little kid really looks like Joshua Jackson. Good casting.
• PETERS. Cute.