Maybe once or twice a year, I'll be hit with really great television from the variety of shows I watch.
The week from 3/15-3/21 was one of those times.
First off, we had How I Met Your Mother Monday night.
It wasn't one of those extremely hilarious episodes, and it wasn't what I call a game-changer (where something major happens), but it was right in the middle. Ted and Lily were discussing the new revelation that she just-- and has also done in the past-- manipulated his last relationship into having his girlfriend break up with him. She did it for the right reasons-- and Ted can see that-- but it was also a huge betrayal to him. I'm curious to see what happens there. Maybe it'll never be brought up again, but this isn't like most shows, it understands-- and pays attention to-- its history. I would imagine the next relationship Ted gets into (which could very well be with the titular Mother), will have him very leery of getting his new lady close to Lily.
And while that "heaviness" was happening, Marshall was proving to Barney how liberating a nightshirt is to wear in bed. It doesn't sound all that funny, but it was; trust me. And while all that was going on, Robin was having some troubles on her morning talk show which were even funnier.
Next, we had The Office on Thursday night.
Michael gets a new supervisor (Charles), which puts him off the deep end because, as he tells Charles, the last two bosses were Jan, "who came around when she was horny" and Ryan, "who was on drugs", so he's used to supervising himself. Charles would have none of that. He could see from just being in that office for five minutes, that there is very little control or leadership in it. Michael tried his usual nonsense, and Charles kept shutting him down. Michael decided to drive to New York to talk to the head guy (David)-- who had avoided his calls all day. In that confrontation, he mentioned that he deserved a party to celebrate his 15 years with the company, but along the course of that conversation, he was also very subtly telling David that he was disappointed that David blew him off all day. David realized that Michael was right; that Michael did deserve better treatment, so he said he would find the money for Michael's party. Michael got up and said, "I quit".
Only two or three other times in the run of this show has Michael pulled his head out of his ass enough to realize what's going on around him. Of course, the bulk of his problems are directly attributed to the fact that his head is up his ass the majority of the time; that he is either too irrational or too infantile to do the right thing. But he did the right thing in this case. One of his superiors proved that he doesn't listen to him-- and while it wasn't mentioned, the reality is Michael knows he got passed over for promotion again-- so he quits.
But an even more intriguing storyline was about Jim. Lovable, funny Jim… He loves pulling pranks and deflating the stupidity balloons around him (namely Dwight's). But one of his best jokes came the same day Charles arrived. Jim decided to go overboard on the dress code memo that Dwight sent out, so he wore a tuxedo to work. Funny, yes-- there even quite a few jokes surrounding it before Charles arrived-- but looking at it as a normal person would (through Charles' eyes), it was shown to be a juvenile prank. Especially because Charles would be the type of guy Jim would need to impress to go somewhere in the company. He further embarrassed himself to Charles for declaring he was the "assistant manager" under Michael-- something he teased Dwight about (for being a made up position) before Dwight lost the title.
So while Jim has always been the character that grounded us in reality while the lunacy of the office occurred around him, we saw Jim for what he has become: just another nutcase in that office.
Will the show get that "deep" and continue along this path, or were we just supposed to feel bad for Jim for making mistakes that one day? I hope they're brave enough to explore the "facts" I just presented (although none of this was mentioned in the episode) and that the show is on the track I'm on right now.
Later on Thursday, I watched the fourth season finale of The Wire. The bulk of my week was spent watching the season from start to finish (over 13 hours from Sunday night to Thursday night), and it was well worth putting everything else aside for it. Two weeks ago, I told a friend that The Wire Season Three (which I had just finished) were 12 of the best hours of television I'd ever seen.
Season Four was even better.
Since I'm focusing on the finale, I'll stay on that path. In about 75 minutes, I had my heart broken countless times, I actually shed tears on more than one occasion, and I was left emotionally spent for over 24 hours.
The beauty of The Wire is that each season is very much like a book. There is a beginning, a middle, and an end. There are many, many characters to follow as the plot progresses, but the main storyline was about four young boys in eighth grade who were at a turning point in their lives. These boys had everyone pulling at them: drug dealers, police, teachers, civic-minded individuals, family, friends... In the finale, we got to see the paths they ended up on, and, true to form for the show, not everyone had a happy ending-- and that was absolutely heartbreaking.
The show had always been about Baltimore, so usually the characters are just our way of getting to know the city, but, man, I loved those kids (even after knowing them for only twelve hours)and to see where some of them ended up was brutal-- even though I knew the odds were bad for them.
And if that wasn't bad enough, one of my favorite characters took two in the head after making the "right choice" and was dead before he hit the pavement. Another favorite character tried killing himself and ended up in an institution. And yet another favorite character failed so terribly after trying so hard to make amends for a mistake.
But while all that bad was going on, there were some good moments: the Major Crimes Unit got repaired, one of the most damaged characters got his shit together for a return, and Bunny Colvin showed that heroism can come in many forms and probably saved a life.
I cannot wait to see Season Five...
Finally (I know: Thank God), we have Friday.
First, came The Soup. Host Joel McHale has never really pulled punches with the stupidity he "reports" every week, but this week was especially brutal. I don't know if the writers are different, or if he was having a bad day, or if these reality shows just had an unbelievably stupid week, but it was harsh. And very, very funny...
And lastly came the Battlestar Galactica series finale. I didn't watch the series from Day One. I elected to wait until near the end to just watch the series in bulk. I started with Seasons 1 and 2.0 last summer and then crammed Seasons 2.5, 3, and 4.0 between Thanksgiving and the end of January, where I picked up on Season 4.5 as each episode aired weekly.
I have to admit that I was disappointed for much of Season 4.5 because there were so many loose ends to be tied up, and the show just didn't seem to want to acknowledge what was out there. So I knew all the questions would never be answered in the final episode-- especially because the Galactica still had one, last mission to go on.
And that last mission was a doozy. Without saying too much, I'll just say how the boarding party got on the ship it was infiltrating was cool as Hell.
Anyway, even though many of the loose ends weren't tied up-- and many of the questions still out there were not answered, I found the finale very satisfying on an emotional level. The show had always been about the characters (even if we didn't understand what they all were), and the episode acknowledged that fact. Fewer people died than I expected, which was a welcome relief after what they all had been through. And while I think the reliance on being ambiguous in certain areas was a bit annoying, this was a true ending for the show, and just based on that, it put this finale in an elite company.
I just wish I would have put my thoughts "in writing" about what I believed was happening after the second or third season because I came pretty close to figuring out how the series fit into "the big picture"...
So there you have it: my week in television. Sometimes I feel guilty about all the time I spend watching TV, but weeks like these make it impossible to cut back. You never know where or when the gems will come.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
New Chickenfoot Music
Here's a link to the Chickenfoot website. After the intro video, a media player with two new songs will play. Check them out.
Just old-fashioned, not overproduced, rock music. Satch's guitar is crunchy, Sammy's got his rock voice, and it put a smile on my face to hear Mikey's backing vocals behind Sam's lead.
http://www.chickenfoot.us/
Just old-fashioned, not overproduced, rock music. Satch's guitar is crunchy, Sammy's got his rock voice, and it put a smile on my face to hear Mikey's backing vocals behind Sam's lead.
http://www.chickenfoot.us/
Yet Another Stupid Network Decision
I guess offering professional wrestling and z-grade made-for-TV "horror movie" schlock wasn't enough for Sci Fi (formerly the Sci Fi Channel). They still aren't getting the "non-geeks" to watch.
So a name change is in order.
In the next few months, Sci Fi will be rebranding itself as "SyFy". I know; it's a big jump. How ever will we pronounce this new non-word?
I, honestly, don't think their troubles (if you can call having the highest ratings in your history last year "troubles") don't have much to do with being a science fiction-based channel. The problem is they've gotten too far away from what made this a great channel once.
I think maybe having shows like Battlestar Galactica will get your channel noticed. Sure, there will be some people who won't watch just because of the name, but the "geeks" of the world will get the word out about good stuff. It's not as if Battlestar was a secret to anyone as it got plenty of press.
While I watched the BSG finale last night, I caught some of the previews for new shows on the network, and not one could be mistaken as a science fiction-based show (not even the BSG "origin" show Caprica). Sure, there were a few "genre" elements, but those looked more like quirks than anything.
I like all types of shows, and I think it's a shame that this network thinks it needs to distance itself from what got it to where it is. It's a bigger shame when it's obvious that the network will try to distance itself from what it started out as. Would they give Battlestar a chance now? How about the even more science-fictiony Farscape (which was just lots of very serious fun)? Would Doctor Who get picked up?
To many networks are moving to the center (to use a political term). Bravo and A&E were two channels I used to respect until they moved into degrading reality-show garbage. Even the Cartoon Network shows live-action movies and a series here and there. AMC removed the "American Movie Classics" tag years ago and started showing very recent-- and usually bad-- movies.
Hey network heads: it's okay to be different. Ratings are down for everyone, so it's not as if making your network like everyone else's is going to the cure to your ills.
I'll just make you like everyone else.
Having standout shows is what will set you apart from the rest. There are a few science fiction shows in history that could be considered great, and there are many that you could easily compare to well-loved shows in any other genres.
Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe this name-change will just be a name change, and the content will still stay the same. But I doubt it. When the network says they need to let people know it's not just for geeks, then you know what they're saying: the fans that got them there aren't good enough anymore.
Boo Sci Fi or SyFy or whatever the Hell you want to call yourself.
So a name change is in order.
In the next few months, Sci Fi will be rebranding itself as "SyFy". I know; it's a big jump. How ever will we pronounce this new non-word?
I, honestly, don't think their troubles (if you can call having the highest ratings in your history last year "troubles") don't have much to do with being a science fiction-based channel. The problem is they've gotten too far away from what made this a great channel once.
I think maybe having shows like Battlestar Galactica will get your channel noticed. Sure, there will be some people who won't watch just because of the name, but the "geeks" of the world will get the word out about good stuff. It's not as if Battlestar was a secret to anyone as it got plenty of press.
While I watched the BSG finale last night, I caught some of the previews for new shows on the network, and not one could be mistaken as a science fiction-based show (not even the BSG "origin" show Caprica). Sure, there were a few "genre" elements, but those looked more like quirks than anything.
I like all types of shows, and I think it's a shame that this network thinks it needs to distance itself from what got it to where it is. It's a bigger shame when it's obvious that the network will try to distance itself from what it started out as. Would they give Battlestar a chance now? How about the even more science-fictiony Farscape (which was just lots of very serious fun)? Would Doctor Who get picked up?
To many networks are moving to the center (to use a political term). Bravo and A&E were two channels I used to respect until they moved into degrading reality-show garbage. Even the Cartoon Network shows live-action movies and a series here and there. AMC removed the "American Movie Classics" tag years ago and started showing very recent-- and usually bad-- movies.
Hey network heads: it's okay to be different. Ratings are down for everyone, so it's not as if making your network like everyone else's is going to the cure to your ills.
I'll just make you like everyone else.
Having standout shows is what will set you apart from the rest. There are a few science fiction shows in history that could be considered great, and there are many that you could easily compare to well-loved shows in any other genres.
Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe this name-change will just be a name change, and the content will still stay the same. But I doubt it. When the network says they need to let people know it's not just for geeks, then you know what they're saying: the fans that got them there aren't good enough anymore.
Boo Sci Fi or SyFy or whatever the Hell you want to call yourself.
I can't wait for this phrase to take off...
Wait for the end of the clip where the kid talks about how cool his daddy is.
Best line I've heard all week...
Best line I've heard all week...
Friday, March 20, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Why Is This So Difficult?
Maybe Ray J is looking for a little more, but I'm thinking most of these ladies would just need some chapstick, the ability to hold their breath for a while, and that half hour to impress him...
Is that wrong? I mean, seriously, these chicks are in the stupid reality-dating show genre where the criteria seems to be who can lower the bar even more.
In a few years time, I expect the idiots on these shows to just drop the pretense, strip naked, and take these guys "on a trip" within the first episode.
Is that wrong? I mean, seriously, these chicks are in the stupid reality-dating show genre where the criteria seems to be who can lower the bar even more.
In a few years time, I expect the idiots on these shows to just drop the pretense, strip naked, and take these guys "on a trip" within the first episode.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
ITM: Episode One
I've heard about the web series In The Motherhood, but I never checked it out.
Since ABC is doing their own version (minus Leah Remini and Chealsea Handler; Boo, ABC!!!) that'll be airing later this month, I thought I had better check it out.
And because I'm a great guy, here's the first webisode.
You'll never look at chapstick or display toilets the same way again.
Since ABC is doing their own version (minus Leah Remini and Chealsea Handler; Boo, ABC!!!) that'll be airing later this month, I thought I had better check it out.
And because I'm a great guy, here's the first webisode.
You'll never look at chapstick or display toilets the same way again.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Premieres and Notables (and a Big Finale...); March 16-22, 2009
Monday, 3/16
On How I Met Your Mother (CBS; 7:30 pm), Ted finds out that Lily may be at fault for many of his breakups.
Dhani Tackles the Globe; Travel. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
NFL Linebacker Dhani Jones travels the world, trying out other sports.
Kyle XY (ABC Family; 8 pm). Series Premiere.
Not happy to know ABC Family gave this "(geek) genre-friendly" the boot-- less than a year after they canned Middleman.
Battlestar Galactica: The Last Frakkin' Special; Sci Fi. 9 pm. Special.
I'll get to BSG a little later, but this is a retrospective-type special about the series.
Tuesday, 3/17
Modern Toss; IFC. 10 pm. Series premiere.
Another British sketch-comedy.
Wednesday, 3/18
Better off Ted; ABC. 8:30 pm. Series Premiere.
The show has gotten lots of play on ABC with non-stop commercials, but the reviews I've read were mixed. I'll check it out, of course (there are too few comedies out there), but I may stop watching well before it gets cancelled.
Thursday, 3/19
Bad news for The Office's (NBC; 8 pm) Michael Scott, but awesome news for us: The Wire's Idris Elba (who played drug lord Stringer Bell) appears in this first of six episodes as a new Dunder Mifflin VP who doesn't put up with the nonsense that goes on at the office. I am about as pumped for this as I have been for anything I've read about this year.
Friday, 3/20
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Cartoon Network; 8 pm). Season Finale.
Introducing bounty hunter Cad Bane.
Head Case; Starz. 9 pm. 3rd Season Premiere.
Season One was funny. Season Two expanded to 30 minute eps and wasn't as funny. I hope Season Three can find the funny in the half hour it's given.
Party Down; Starz. 9:30 pm. Series Premiere.
Rob Thomas (creator of Veronica Mars) and Paul Rudd created this comedy about six people who are in the catering business in Hollywood. I haven't gotten a chance to check it out yet (Starz OnDemand is showing the first ep now), but if I get to it before the premiere, I'll put a note in the blog. It stars the always entertaining Ken Marino (Reaper).
Battlestar Galactica (Sci Fi; 8 pm) Series Premiere.
Two last hours to wrap this series up. I have no frakkin' idea how they'll do it, but most creators/actors on the show said there is a very satisfying ending for (almost) all the characters-- and it's not an ending that anyone has predicted yet on any website.
I'm not sure if that bodes well. I want to make sure the ending makes sense and isn't just done to try to avoid the fan expectations.
And I'm not sure they'll fully explain just what the Hell Kara is, which would be a bummer.
Anyway, like I said last week, this is must-see television. Don't let the spaceships fool you-- this is one of the most thought-provoking, human shows that has ever aired. The science fiction setting is just there to do what the best science fiction does: hold a mirror up to our present selves. This show raises many, many questions about human existence that maybe have no answers; some of which I'll list here:
What constitutes a "human"? Can a machine become "human" if it acquires nearly all the same qualities of them?
Where does the line cross between good and evil? Can one fully atone for his sins?
Does religion serve a purpose? Is the hope it offers real-- or does it interfere with reality?
Are there "acceptable losses" in war? Is it okay to kill "friendlies" to kill more enemies?
What does it mean to be immortal? Can you be "human" if you are?
Are humans ultimately flawed?
Are our existences pre-determined? Are we truly free if we have a destiny to follow?
Can we escape our destiny?
Is it okay to give up our freedoms in a time of war (very intriguing question during the post-9/11 years)? Should we allow our leaders to take away our freedoms-- even if they think they are doing the right thing?
I can't say this is my favorite show of the year I watched this season (from June to now; right now, The Wire holds that title-- but that's just a mind-blowingly awesome f-ing show), and I also can't say it'll end up in my all-time Top Five (even though it's better than some of those Top Five shows), but this is high-quality television right here. Catch repeats, buy/rent/borrow the DVDs, do what it takes to experience this.
Saturday, 3/21
The Locator; WE. 8 pm. Season Premiere.
Sunday, 3/22
Big Love (HBO; 8 pm). Season Finale.
Flight of the Conchords (HBO; 9 pm). Season Finale.
Eastbound and Down (HBO; 9:30). Season Finale.
Although Danny McBride has no current plans to make a second season, so this may be it.
On How I Met Your Mother (CBS; 7:30 pm), Ted finds out that Lily may be at fault for many of his breakups.
Dhani Tackles the Globe; Travel. 8 pm CST. Series Premiere.
NFL Linebacker Dhani Jones travels the world, trying out other sports.
Kyle XY (ABC Family; 8 pm). Series Premiere.
Not happy to know ABC Family gave this "(geek) genre-friendly" the boot-- less than a year after they canned Middleman.
Battlestar Galactica: The Last Frakkin' Special; Sci Fi. 9 pm. Special.
I'll get to BSG a little later, but this is a retrospective-type special about the series.
Tuesday, 3/17
Modern Toss; IFC. 10 pm. Series premiere.
Another British sketch-comedy.
Wednesday, 3/18
Better off Ted; ABC. 8:30 pm. Series Premiere.
The show has gotten lots of play on ABC with non-stop commercials, but the reviews I've read were mixed. I'll check it out, of course (there are too few comedies out there), but I may stop watching well before it gets cancelled.
Thursday, 3/19
Bad news for The Office's (NBC; 8 pm) Michael Scott, but awesome news for us: The Wire's Idris Elba (who played drug lord Stringer Bell) appears in this first of six episodes as a new Dunder Mifflin VP who doesn't put up with the nonsense that goes on at the office. I am about as pumped for this as I have been for anything I've read about this year.
Friday, 3/20
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Cartoon Network; 8 pm). Season Finale.
Introducing bounty hunter Cad Bane.
Head Case; Starz. 9 pm. 3rd Season Premiere.
Season One was funny. Season Two expanded to 30 minute eps and wasn't as funny. I hope Season Three can find the funny in the half hour it's given.
Party Down; Starz. 9:30 pm. Series Premiere.
Rob Thomas (creator of Veronica Mars) and Paul Rudd created this comedy about six people who are in the catering business in Hollywood. I haven't gotten a chance to check it out yet (Starz OnDemand is showing the first ep now), but if I get to it before the premiere, I'll put a note in the blog. It stars the always entertaining Ken Marino (Reaper).
Battlestar Galactica (Sci Fi; 8 pm) Series Premiere.
Two last hours to wrap this series up. I have no frakkin' idea how they'll do it, but most creators/actors on the show said there is a very satisfying ending for (almost) all the characters-- and it's not an ending that anyone has predicted yet on any website.
I'm not sure if that bodes well. I want to make sure the ending makes sense and isn't just done to try to avoid the fan expectations.
And I'm not sure they'll fully explain just what the Hell Kara is, which would be a bummer.
Anyway, like I said last week, this is must-see television. Don't let the spaceships fool you-- this is one of the most thought-provoking, human shows that has ever aired. The science fiction setting is just there to do what the best science fiction does: hold a mirror up to our present selves. This show raises many, many questions about human existence that maybe have no answers; some of which I'll list here:
What constitutes a "human"? Can a machine become "human" if it acquires nearly all the same qualities of them?
Where does the line cross between good and evil? Can one fully atone for his sins?
Does religion serve a purpose? Is the hope it offers real-- or does it interfere with reality?
Are there "acceptable losses" in war? Is it okay to kill "friendlies" to kill more enemies?
What does it mean to be immortal? Can you be "human" if you are?
Are humans ultimately flawed?
Are our existences pre-determined? Are we truly free if we have a destiny to follow?
Can we escape our destiny?
Is it okay to give up our freedoms in a time of war (very intriguing question during the post-9/11 years)? Should we allow our leaders to take away our freedoms-- even if they think they are doing the right thing?
I can't say this is my favorite show of the year I watched this season (from June to now; right now, The Wire holds that title-- but that's just a mind-blowingly awesome f-ing show), and I also can't say it'll end up in my all-time Top Five (even though it's better than some of those Top Five shows), but this is high-quality television right here. Catch repeats, buy/rent/borrow the DVDs, do what it takes to experience this.
Saturday, 3/21
The Locator; WE. 8 pm. Season Premiere.
Sunday, 3/22
Big Love (HBO; 8 pm). Season Finale.
Flight of the Conchords (HBO; 9 pm). Season Finale.
Eastbound and Down (HBO; 9:30). Season Finale.
Although Danny McBride has no current plans to make a second season, so this may be it.
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