Thought I’d go with a simple question today: What’s your favorite blog?
I’d say the one I follow most closely is www.newsfromme.com. The guy who writes it covers everything, from government to musicals to comic books to TV to CVS.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
The Neeew Fall Schedule:
It’s official – all the shows, new and old, have been slotted for the fall. Check it out.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Today's Question: Cancelled
So, the big five are putting out their list of what they're keeping and what they're killing this year.
I only lost one favorite show this year - "Dollhouse." "Never heard of it," you say? Yeah, that's why it was cancelled way back in the fall - with the final episodes running in January. It's all but forgotten now.
If you like smart sci-fi, I highly recommend picking up the first season on DVD.
How about you? What show are you sad to say bye-bye to this year?
I only lost one favorite show this year - "Dollhouse." "Never heard of it," you say? Yeah, that's why it was cancelled way back in the fall - with the final episodes running in January. It's all but forgotten now.
If you like smart sci-fi, I highly recommend picking up the first season on DVD.
How about you? What show are you sad to say bye-bye to this year?
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Today’s Question: Until the Bitter End
So, they finally cancelled “Heroes,” after one good season and three seasons that were, to critics and fans alike, something of a disappointment.
Strangely, I remember how I got into the show surprisingly well. I missed the premiere due to VCR problems, and was going to give the show a pass until the DVD came out.
Thursday of that week, I picked up an installed my very first DVR box. On Friday, they showed the first episode again on the Sci-Fi channel. I recorded that episode. Then I recorded the second episode.
I watched the first episode, and was thinking I might give up on the show, and then arrived at the last shot: The brother who doesn’t believe in super-powers flies.
I was in. Despite the late hour, I had to watch the second episode. Had to know what came next.
Of course, at the end of the second episode, they blew up New York.
I don’t know that the show ever got quite that awesome again, but there were a few great episodes in that first season: “Company Man” springs to mind, and the episode where they jumped five years in the future.
And even as the show lost viewers, and went downhill in quality, I stuck with it to the very last episode, and I even felt that old sense of “I wonder what comes next…” as the final episode unspooled.
(As an aside, if you were ever a fan of the show, I highly recommend the collected comics. There were some great stories in there.)
In many ways, I’m glad the show is over and I don’t have to tune in each week and feel underwhelmed yet again. But I still sort of want to know what would have happened next…
So how about you? What show did you stick with long after it stopped being all that enjoyable?
Strangely, I remember how I got into the show surprisingly well. I missed the premiere due to VCR problems, and was going to give the show a pass until the DVD came out.
Thursday of that week, I picked up an installed my very first DVR box. On Friday, they showed the first episode again on the Sci-Fi channel. I recorded that episode. Then I recorded the second episode.
I watched the first episode, and was thinking I might give up on the show, and then arrived at the last shot: The brother who doesn’t believe in super-powers flies.
I was in. Despite the late hour, I had to watch the second episode. Had to know what came next.
Of course, at the end of the second episode, they blew up New York.
I don’t know that the show ever got quite that awesome again, but there were a few great episodes in that first season: “Company Man” springs to mind, and the episode where they jumped five years in the future.
And even as the show lost viewers, and went downhill in quality, I stuck with it to the very last episode, and I even felt that old sense of “I wonder what comes next…” as the final episode unspooled.
(As an aside, if you were ever a fan of the show, I highly recommend the collected comics. There were some great stories in there.)
In many ways, I’m glad the show is over and I don’t have to tune in each week and feel underwhelmed yet again. But I still sort of want to know what would have happened next…
So how about you? What show did you stick with long after it stopped being all that enjoyable?
Monday, May 17, 2010
Today’s Question: Guilty Pleasures
Thinking about finales the other day reminded me of one of the most surprising. “Degrassi Junior High” ended with the school burning down.
Of course, the next year, everyone was back for “Degrassi High,” but I’m not sure people knew that at the time.
I started watching “Degrassi” a few years ago when the series was released on DVD, and review after review said, essentially, “This show is great, and still holds up.”
Does it? I think so, if you grew up in the 80s. My spouse and I flew through all five seasons of the show, and then decided, hey, why not see what’s up with the NEW show, “Degrassi: The Next Generation?”
The answer is, it starts out pretty well, dealing with the problems kids today face in pretty honest terms. Then, somewhere around year six, it got a liiittle more soap-opera-like, because frankly they were out of terrible things that could happen to teens.
But I (and my spouse) continue to watch it because we enjoy the characters.
So: What’s your guilty TV pleasure?
Of course, the next year, everyone was back for “Degrassi High,” but I’m not sure people knew that at the time.
I started watching “Degrassi” a few years ago when the series was released on DVD, and review after review said, essentially, “This show is great, and still holds up.”
Does it? I think so, if you grew up in the 80s. My spouse and I flew through all five seasons of the show, and then decided, hey, why not see what’s up with the NEW show, “Degrassi: The Next Generation?”
The answer is, it starts out pretty well, dealing with the problems kids today face in pretty honest terms. Then, somewhere around year six, it got a liiittle more soap-opera-like, because frankly they were out of terrible things that could happen to teens.
But I (and my spouse) continue to watch it because we enjoy the characters.
So: What’s your guilty TV pleasure?
Friday, May 14, 2010
Today’s Question: This Year’s Endings
It’s been a week of finale talks around here, so I thought I’d close out the theme today.
Saw the “Supernatural” finale last night. Liked it. Liked it a lot. But when it came to the end, I had to wonder if this was the finale they planned when they knew the show was ending, or if they changed it in any way to deal with the fact that there will be another season.
Either way, I enjoyed it greatly.
So today’s question: What’s your favorite season finale this year? (I realize some shows haven’t ended yet. Feel free to offer speculation.)
Saw the “Supernatural” finale last night. Liked it. Liked it a lot. But when it came to the end, I had to wonder if this was the finale they planned when they knew the show was ending, or if they changed it in any way to deal with the fact that there will be another season.
Either way, I enjoyed it greatly.
So today’s question: What’s your favorite season finale this year? (I realize some shows haven’t ended yet. Feel free to offer speculation.)
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Today's Question: Bing
I can still remember the first time I heard someone use the word Google as a verb on a TV show. It was “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” and Willow mentioned it – the idea of Googling someone.
Not long after, I started hearing people use the word Google as the default search engine word – as in, “Today, I auo-Googled my name, and learned that…”
But I’ve noticed, lately, that the word Google is being replaced by the word Bing. Oddly enough, it was also on a vampire-related show – “The Vampire Diaries.” One character said, to another, “Did you Bing him?”
I’ve used Bing a few times, but I have to confess that general laziness has kept me from using it all that often. I have a Google search bar on my web browser.
So I put it to you – what do you think of Bing? And I’m also curious – what do you think of their advertising? Has it convinced you to try it?
Not long after, I started hearing people use the word Google as the default search engine word – as in, “Today, I auo-Googled my name, and learned that…”
But I’ve noticed, lately, that the word Google is being replaced by the word Bing. Oddly enough, it was also on a vampire-related show – “The Vampire Diaries.” One character said, to another, “Did you Bing him?”
I’ve used Bing a few times, but I have to confess that general laziness has kept me from using it all that often. I have a Google search bar on my web browser.
So I put it to you – what do you think of Bing? And I’m also curious – what do you think of their advertising? Has it convinced you to try it?
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
A Bunch of Men Caught in a Bad Romance
What can I say? It’s sweeping the Internet, and it’s a lot of fun to boot:
Today’s Question: Best TV Series Finale
The other day, we did a discussion of the best ending to a TV series season.
So today, in light of the last few episodes of a lot of well-loved shows (most notably, “Lost”) what is your favorite end-of-TV-series episode, ever?
Offhand, I can think of two: I think that “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer” ended very, very strongly, though I wish the final episode could have been two hours long to hit a few more emotional moments.
But what an ending: The Big Bad is defeated, the town is in a hole, and there’s still work to do. Just a great ending.
(Honorable Mention: The end of “Newhart” was pure genius.)
So today, in light of the last few episodes of a lot of well-loved shows (most notably, “Lost”) what is your favorite end-of-TV-series episode, ever?
Offhand, I can think of two: I think that “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer” ended very, very strongly, though I wish the final episode could have been two hours long to hit a few more emotional moments.
But what an ending: The Big Bad is defeated, the town is in a hole, and there’s still work to do. Just a great ending.
(Honorable Mention: The end of “Newhart” was pure genius.)
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Setting Your Facebook Privacy with Al Franken
He’s a well-known funnyman, a winning politician, and now, he tells you how to protect your privacy on Facebook.
No, I am not jesting.
No, I am not jesting.
Today’s Question: Songs on TV
So, the other day, right in the middle of “The Vampire Diaries,” I heard this song:
I first heard it at the start of a video game. Love it. Love it!
And I got to thinking – I really love it when TV shows toss up an iTunes list of songs on their show. A show that really uses music well, like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” or “Gilmore Girls,” makes you want to run out and find the songs on the show RIGHT NOW.
So here’s my question of the day – what’s the best song you ever discovered through a TV show?
In my case, I’m going to say, “We Used to Be Friends,” the theme song for “Veronica Mars.”
A close second, though, was this great, great, great song that was used on the TV show “Moonlight.”
I first heard it at the start of a video game. Love it. Love it!
And I got to thinking – I really love it when TV shows toss up an iTunes list of songs on their show. A show that really uses music well, like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” or “Gilmore Girls,” makes you want to run out and find the songs on the show RIGHT NOW.
So here’s my question of the day – what’s the best song you ever discovered through a TV show?
In my case, I’m going to say, “We Used to Be Friends,” the theme song for “Veronica Mars.”
A close second, though, was this great, great, great song that was used on the TV show “Moonlight.”
Monday, May 10, 2010
Get Yourself $500
How?
Read the online version of delight! magazine.
Then, click the link below to take a short survey. You could win a $500 gift card.
$500 Shopping Spree Gift Card
Read the online version of delight! magazine.
Then, click the link below to take a short survey. You could win a $500 gift card.
$500 Shopping Spree Gift Card
Today’s Question: Season Finales
Since I started talking about what shows are coming to an end, and how we wish we could bring some of them back, here’s a related question:
What was your favorite season finale?
We’ll cover series finales tomorrow, so hold that thought, unless it really was your favorite. I’m talking about Ending One Season, Can’t Wait Three Months for the Next One finales, here.
After some thought, I’d have to say that “Supernatural” probably does this better than just about any other show:
First Season: Everyone is dead!
Second Season: They won! Except a bunch of demons are now free, and Dean only has a year to live!
Third Season: Dean dies, and goes to hell!
Fourth Season: The devil is let of his cage!
I’ll give it up and say that season three was the big “Must See What Comes Next!” for me.
(And why not? Special mention to Buffy season 3, which ended with action, love, and heartbreak.)
How about it?
What was your favorite season finale?
We’ll cover series finales tomorrow, so hold that thought, unless it really was your favorite. I’m talking about Ending One Season, Can’t Wait Three Months for the Next One finales, here.
After some thought, I’d have to say that “Supernatural” probably does this better than just about any other show:
First Season: Everyone is dead!
Second Season: They won! Except a bunch of demons are now free, and Dean only has a year to live!
Third Season: Dean dies, and goes to hell!
Fourth Season: The devil is let of his cage!
I’ll give it up and say that season three was the big “Must See What Comes Next!” for me.
(And why not? Special mention to Buffy season 3, which ended with action, love, and heartbreak.)
How about it?
Friday, May 7, 2010
Play Mario as Simon
A simple concept, but a fun one:
Play Super Mario Brothers as any one of six popular Nintendo characters.
If you ever wanted to try this one out as Megaman, well, here’s your chance.
Play Super Mario Brothers as any one of six popular Nintendo characters.
If you ever wanted to try this one out as Megaman, well, here’s your chance.
Today’s Question: The Return!
Yesterday, one of our readers joked (or perhaps he wasn’t joking – it’s tough to tell on the Internet) that HBO should bring “Deadwood” back just for him.
It got me thinking. How often do shows that were cancelled come back?
The two big ones I can think of were “Family Guy,” which was off the air for quite a while, only to return when the DVD sets sold through the roof, and “Futurama,” which went off the air, got a few direct-to-DVD movies made, and will be back on the air starting next month.
Of course, there have been a few shows that were “almost” cancelled, but came back for another season or two: “Cold Case,” “Jericho,” and “Friday Night Lights” all come to mind.
So here’s today’s question: If you could bring back any cancelled TV show, no matter how long ago it ended, what would you choose?
I can admit I’m torn by this one, just because there have been a lot of shows I’ve loved and lost too soon. But I think I’ll go with “Veronica Mars,” which ended without much in the way of resolution.
It got me thinking. How often do shows that were cancelled come back?
The two big ones I can think of were “Family Guy,” which was off the air for quite a while, only to return when the DVD sets sold through the roof, and “Futurama,” which went off the air, got a few direct-to-DVD movies made, and will be back on the air starting next month.
Of course, there have been a few shows that were “almost” cancelled, but came back for another season or two: “Cold Case,” “Jericho,” and “Friday Night Lights” all come to mind.
So here’s today’s question: If you could bring back any cancelled TV show, no matter how long ago it ended, what would you choose?
I can admit I’m torn by this one, just because there have been a lot of shows I’ve loved and lost too soon. But I think I’ll go with “Veronica Mars,” which ended without much in the way of resolution.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Question of the Day: The End of the TV Season
So, with May upon us, the end of the “regular” TV season is here. This means that most of the shows on the big four channels are going on hiatus – some never to return.
I’m lucky this year, inasmuch as my two favorite shows (Supernatural and The Vampire Diaries) have already been picked up for another season. This is the first time in years that I show I really, really dig isn’t in danger of coming to an abrupt end.
Today’s Question:
You’re allowed to save just one of your favorite shows. Which one would you pick, and why?
My answer:
This year? “The Vampire Diaries.” While “Supernatural” is my favorite show of the two, I know they originally planned this to be the final season. The next season could really be kinda so-so because of that. Whereas “Diaries” is just getting started.
I’m lucky this year, inasmuch as my two favorite shows (Supernatural and The Vampire Diaries) have already been picked up for another season. This is the first time in years that I show I really, really dig isn’t in danger of coming to an abrupt end.
Today’s Question:
You’re allowed to save just one of your favorite shows. Which one would you pick, and why?
My answer:
This year? “The Vampire Diaries.” While “Supernatural” is my favorite show of the two, I know they originally planned this to be the final season. The next season could really be kinda so-so because of that. Whereas “Diaries” is just getting started.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Wanna Catch Up with “Warehouse?”
“Warehouse 13” has been a surprise hit for the newly-minted SyFy channel, and fresh episodes are currently on the way.
But if you’re like me, and you need to see things from beginning to end, they’ve got it for a nice pre-order price on Amazon.
Want to check it out for free? The last five episodes of the season are currently on Hulu.
Who doesn’t love free?
But if you’re like me, and you need to see things from beginning to end, they’ve got it for a nice pre-order price on Amazon.
Want to check it out for free? The last five episodes of the season are currently on Hulu.
Who doesn’t love free?
Today's Question: True Blood
If you haven’t taken a look at the Editor’s Picks yet this month, take a glance at the write-up for True Blood, HBO’s biggest hit since the Sopranos.
True Blood is doing something kind of unusual for a TV show based on a book – it’s actually using the books as a rough framework for each season. At the moment, there are ten of them, and as far as I know, there’s no end in sight.
So here’s today’s question: If you’re a fan of the books, would you prefer to see the whole series adapted, one book at a time? Or would you rather the show went off in other directions?
True Blood is doing something kind of unusual for a TV show based on a book – it’s actually using the books as a rough framework for each season. At the moment, there are ten of them, and as far as I know, there’s no end in sight.
So here’s today’s question: If you’re a fan of the books, would you prefer to see the whole series adapted, one book at a time? Or would you rather the show went off in other directions?
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
For the Fans of Warehouse 13
If you haven’t checked it out already, take a look at our exclusive interview with Eddie McClintock.
Still craving more from the creators of “Warehouse?” Hop on over to Jane Espenson’s blog for an entertaining look at the world of TV series writing.
Still craving more from the creators of “Warehouse?” Hop on over to Jane Espenson’s blog for an entertaining look at the world of TV series writing.
Free iTunes Gift Card
Love stuff? Love free?
Click the link below, take a lightning-fast survey, and you can get an iTunes gift card.
Did we mention it’s free?
iTunes Gift Card
Click the link below, take a lightning-fast survey, and you can get an iTunes gift card.
Did we mention it’s free?
iTunes Gift Card
Monday, May 3, 2010
Cold Case: Almost Paradise/Shattered
Before we begin, let’s give a big hand to Meredith Stiehm, who created “Cold Case” and then watched it run for seven years. It’s tough to get a show on the air, and it’s tougher to keep it there.
And yet, she made it to the big seven. How can you not be just a little impressed?
Me, I’m a lot impressed, because these last two episodes had to do double-duty. They had to get solid mysteries out the door, and then, as a bonus, they had to set up two different TV shows.
One where everyone comes back for season eight, and one where Lilly joins the FBI and fires up what I keep calling “Cold Case 2.0.”
It’s all there, really. But I’ll lay it out in a second.
“Almost Paradise”
The big news this episode is, of course, that Lilly’s sister is back, and Lilly kind of doesn’t want anything to do with her. Ultimately, everything that happened to her in this episode is setup for the second round, but they tried to set up a few family dynamics for folks just meeting the bad sister of the family.
As for the death of the prom queen? I couldn’t help but feel like someone was doing this one as a bit of a tribute to John Hughes, the man who gave us movies like “Pretty in Pink” and “Sixteen Candles.” It was, ultimately, an episode that reminded us that high school kind of sucked for everyone, from the nerd on up to the prom king.
While the episode had some nice dynamics from the characters, one of the clues pretty much gave away the murderer well before we got there. But it was a solid John Hughes movie, and it gave me a chance to watch Rob Benedict act a bit, and that’s always a good thing.
(For those not in the know, Rob plays the occasional role of “Chuck” on “Supernatural,” my current favorite show.)
In sub-plot-land, Scotty, worked out a way to hand some final justice to the man who attacked his mom. This played out quickly, but it had a nice “This Isn’t Over” cap-off that clearly said to the audience, “If the show comes back, you’ll hear more.”
And of course, all this was the big lead-in for:
“Shattered”
For this one, we got two mysteries for the price of one, as Lilly and Scotty tried to track down Lilly’s sister.
And the rest of the crew? They tried to solve a long-lasting case whose solution proved a little closer to home than they might have liked.
Once again, I was pleased by the choice of guest stars, as I got to see Keith Szarabajka whose work on “Angel” and “Profit” was always great. Though, really, pretty much everything he’s ever done has been terrific.
And how was his story? Well, it was filler, because the writers clearly wanted to give the audience a slam-bang ending to remember the story by. So we got Lilly and Scotty breaking into places, and handcuffing people to things, and in general being a little more action-hero-like than they generally get to be.
Which leads us to the surprise ending – and turn away if you don’t want to know:
Lilly’s sister has a kid.
Once the big reveal happened, I sat back on my couch, and I went, “Yeah, they’re still setting up ‘Cold Case 2.0’”
Which leads me to:
Final Thoughts:
It’s strange to get to what may very well be the end of the series, and watch while the writers of the show throw out a few leads. I may be reading too much into this, but as I watched three members of the Rush family and Scotty tool down the highway, I could see where the show was going.
Lilly, of course, joins the FBI. Her sister and her sister’s child stay with her. And Scotty, best friend of Lilly, gets romantically involved with the sister… an idea that was hinted at more than once in these last two episodes.
Could it work? I think it could.
As for the final episodes themselves, well, I think I tried to accomplish a little too much, what with all the side mysteries. And having done one two-parter just a couple of weeks ago also killed the impact a bit.
What’s worse, of course, is that they blew the last two episodes off tonight, which probably caught more than a few fans off guard. Having finally gotten used to the new time slot, to suddenly change things up and put two episodes on, one at the old time and one at the new?
It just felt unkind to me.
Assuming this really is it, and “Cold Case” doesn’t come back next season, they closed off the major stories pretty solidly, and I think long-time fans can rest easy, without a lot of big what-ifs.
So once again, here’s to you, Meredith Stiehm. You set a show on its feet, did something a little different, and you got the world some face time with a set of memorable characters. Good show. In every sense of the word.
And yet, she made it to the big seven. How can you not be just a little impressed?
Me, I’m a lot impressed, because these last two episodes had to do double-duty. They had to get solid mysteries out the door, and then, as a bonus, they had to set up two different TV shows.
One where everyone comes back for season eight, and one where Lilly joins the FBI and fires up what I keep calling “Cold Case 2.0.”
It’s all there, really. But I’ll lay it out in a second.
“Almost Paradise”
The big news this episode is, of course, that Lilly’s sister is back, and Lilly kind of doesn’t want anything to do with her. Ultimately, everything that happened to her in this episode is setup for the second round, but they tried to set up a few family dynamics for folks just meeting the bad sister of the family.
As for the death of the prom queen? I couldn’t help but feel like someone was doing this one as a bit of a tribute to John Hughes, the man who gave us movies like “Pretty in Pink” and “Sixteen Candles.” It was, ultimately, an episode that reminded us that high school kind of sucked for everyone, from the nerd on up to the prom king.
While the episode had some nice dynamics from the characters, one of the clues pretty much gave away the murderer well before we got there. But it was a solid John Hughes movie, and it gave me a chance to watch Rob Benedict act a bit, and that’s always a good thing.
(For those not in the know, Rob plays the occasional role of “Chuck” on “Supernatural,” my current favorite show.)
In sub-plot-land, Scotty, worked out a way to hand some final justice to the man who attacked his mom. This played out quickly, but it had a nice “This Isn’t Over” cap-off that clearly said to the audience, “If the show comes back, you’ll hear more.”
And of course, all this was the big lead-in for:
“Shattered”
For this one, we got two mysteries for the price of one, as Lilly and Scotty tried to track down Lilly’s sister.
And the rest of the crew? They tried to solve a long-lasting case whose solution proved a little closer to home than they might have liked.
Once again, I was pleased by the choice of guest stars, as I got to see Keith Szarabajka whose work on “Angel” and “Profit” was always great. Though, really, pretty much everything he’s ever done has been terrific.
And how was his story? Well, it was filler, because the writers clearly wanted to give the audience a slam-bang ending to remember the story by. So we got Lilly and Scotty breaking into places, and handcuffing people to things, and in general being a little more action-hero-like than they generally get to be.
Which leads us to the surprise ending – and turn away if you don’t want to know:
Lilly’s sister has a kid.
Once the big reveal happened, I sat back on my couch, and I went, “Yeah, they’re still setting up ‘Cold Case 2.0’”
Which leads me to:
Final Thoughts:
It’s strange to get to what may very well be the end of the series, and watch while the writers of the show throw out a few leads. I may be reading too much into this, but as I watched three members of the Rush family and Scotty tool down the highway, I could see where the show was going.
Lilly, of course, joins the FBI. Her sister and her sister’s child stay with her. And Scotty, best friend of Lilly, gets romantically involved with the sister… an idea that was hinted at more than once in these last two episodes.
Could it work? I think it could.
As for the final episodes themselves, well, I think I tried to accomplish a little too much, what with all the side mysteries. And having done one two-parter just a couple of weeks ago also killed the impact a bit.
What’s worse, of course, is that they blew the last two episodes off tonight, which probably caught more than a few fans off guard. Having finally gotten used to the new time slot, to suddenly change things up and put two episodes on, one at the old time and one at the new?
It just felt unkind to me.
Assuming this really is it, and “Cold Case” doesn’t come back next season, they closed off the major stories pretty solidly, and I think long-time fans can rest easy, without a lot of big what-ifs.
So once again, here’s to you, Meredith Stiehm. You set a show on its feet, did something a little different, and you got the world some face time with a set of memorable characters. Good show. In every sense of the word.
Taking a Picture for Mother’s Day
Every time I watch this, I think of my brother. I say that with love.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Love Stuff? Love Cash?
Read the online version of delight! magazine. Then, click the link below to take a short survey. You could win a $500 gift card.
$500 Shopping Spree Gift Card
$500 Shopping Spree Gift Card
Monday, April 26, 2010
When “The End” Is Too Late
Ah, spring. The time that heralds new growth, the always-popular “break,” the upcoming summer vacation, and of course, that time when TV used to be all in repeats.
Remember those days? I suppose they’re kind of hazy now, but as recently as five or ten years ago, all the major stations would put everything into reruns, which allowed you to go outside once in a while. Or, alternately, catch up on a show you missed.
But the big question is always this: Those shows? The ones wrapping up their seasons over the next two or three weeks?
Which ones are coming back?
And more importantly, are there some shows that just plain shouldn’t return?
I started thinking about this recently thanks to an essay about the “perfect four seasons of ‘Babylon 5.’” Mostly, it talked about how the show ended just when it needed to.
For those of you who don’t get the joke, “5” ran for five seasons. Not four.
As a fan of the show, I saw the writer’s point. When the show was originally conceived, it was supposed to run for five years. And when they got the call that they were only going to run for four, the creator of the show closed off most of the major storylines at the end of the fourth season.
Then? A last-minute reprieve gave them a fifth season, and suddenly a lot of storylines that might have lasted an episode or two became major, major storylines. One of the storylines was pretty much a disaster, introducing a character a lot of fans just plain didn’t like.
But to pretend that the fifth season just didn’t exist?
I thought that was more than a little odd, but the more I considered it, the more I could see the guy’s point.
Two reasons:
First – “Scrubs.” Great show. Introduced us to a collection of characters that fans, including myself came to love. Ran for eight years. So-so ratings. And then? Most of the cast left the show, along with the show’s creator, and the powers that be granted it a ninth season.
Now, the last episode of season eight closed off the last of the major storylines. It even featured a short cameo from the show’s creator. It was clear that the point was, “This is it.”
When the show came back, it returned with a mostly new cast.
So if you’re a fan, and you didn’t like the ninth season, why NOT pretend that the show came to an end after season eight?
Second example – “Supernatural.”
Last year, around this time, Entertainment Weekly ran a very interesting article that said, essentially, that everyone working on “Supernatural” wanted out after five seasons. The show had been designed to last five seasons, the fifth season was coming, and once that was over, the show would have literally dealt with the final battle of good and evil.
And then, a few weeks ago, it was announced that “Supernatural” was going to get a sixth season.
Now, in a couple of weeks, “Supernatural” is going to wrap up all its major storylines, and give us a nice “The End” kind of moment. Only to return in the fall.
So if you don’t like the “last” season, why not just ignore it?
The more I thought about it, the more I started to wonder if maybe the author of the “Babylon 5” essay didn’t have a point. After all, a lot of shows wear out their welcome long before someone realizes they need to pull the plug.
Off the top of my head, I remember people really hating the final season of “Night Court.” A lot of fans feel like “Seinfeld” dragged on at least a season too long.
And a lot people who loved “Gilmore Girls” disliked the final, not-creator-run season.
Which brings me to the opposite point: Sometimes, I think the crowd is wrong.
For better or worse, I thought the final season of “Gilmore Girls” was just fine. Not as good as previous seasons, perhaps, and with a few awkward storylines that had to be dealt with before the show could come to its truly lovely conclusion.
So let me put the question to you – if you could pretend any show ended early, which show would it be, what season would it end with, and why?
Remember those days? I suppose they’re kind of hazy now, but as recently as five or ten years ago, all the major stations would put everything into reruns, which allowed you to go outside once in a while. Or, alternately, catch up on a show you missed.
But the big question is always this: Those shows? The ones wrapping up their seasons over the next two or three weeks?
Which ones are coming back?
And more importantly, are there some shows that just plain shouldn’t return?
I started thinking about this recently thanks to an essay about the “perfect four seasons of ‘Babylon 5.’” Mostly, it talked about how the show ended just when it needed to.
For those of you who don’t get the joke, “5” ran for five seasons. Not four.
As a fan of the show, I saw the writer’s point. When the show was originally conceived, it was supposed to run for five years. And when they got the call that they were only going to run for four, the creator of the show closed off most of the major storylines at the end of the fourth season.
Then? A last-minute reprieve gave them a fifth season, and suddenly a lot of storylines that might have lasted an episode or two became major, major storylines. One of the storylines was pretty much a disaster, introducing a character a lot of fans just plain didn’t like.
But to pretend that the fifth season just didn’t exist?
I thought that was more than a little odd, but the more I considered it, the more I could see the guy’s point.
Two reasons:
First – “Scrubs.” Great show. Introduced us to a collection of characters that fans, including myself came to love. Ran for eight years. So-so ratings. And then? Most of the cast left the show, along with the show’s creator, and the powers that be granted it a ninth season.
Now, the last episode of season eight closed off the last of the major storylines. It even featured a short cameo from the show’s creator. It was clear that the point was, “This is it.”
When the show came back, it returned with a mostly new cast.
So if you’re a fan, and you didn’t like the ninth season, why NOT pretend that the show came to an end after season eight?
Second example – “Supernatural.”
Last year, around this time, Entertainment Weekly ran a very interesting article that said, essentially, that everyone working on “Supernatural” wanted out after five seasons. The show had been designed to last five seasons, the fifth season was coming, and once that was over, the show would have literally dealt with the final battle of good and evil.
And then, a few weeks ago, it was announced that “Supernatural” was going to get a sixth season.
Now, in a couple of weeks, “Supernatural” is going to wrap up all its major storylines, and give us a nice “The End” kind of moment. Only to return in the fall.
So if you don’t like the “last” season, why not just ignore it?
The more I thought about it, the more I started to wonder if maybe the author of the “Babylon 5” essay didn’t have a point. After all, a lot of shows wear out their welcome long before someone realizes they need to pull the plug.
Off the top of my head, I remember people really hating the final season of “Night Court.” A lot of fans feel like “Seinfeld” dragged on at least a season too long.
And a lot people who loved “Gilmore Girls” disliked the final, not-creator-run season.
Which brings me to the opposite point: Sometimes, I think the crowd is wrong.
For better or worse, I thought the final season of “Gilmore Girls” was just fine. Not as good as previous seasons, perhaps, and with a few awkward storylines that had to be dealt with before the show could come to its truly lovely conclusion.
So let me put the question to you – if you could pretend any show ended early, which show would it be, what season would it end with, and why?
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Damages Season 3, Episode 13
So that’s it.
For those keeping score at home, I started watching and blogging this show juuust before season three began, with a marathon run of each and every episode, complete with full-on blogs handing out every detail. 39 episodes later, we’re at what is most likely the end of the show, and you know what?
I’m okay with that.
“Damages” lived and died on a parlor trick – go back and forth in time, show details, then later, reveal the real, honest truth of what happened, and while it was fun for a season or two, I found myself watching this last episode with a sense of relief that about 90% of the storylines are concluded, hopefully for good.
Being tricked once or twice is fun, but after that? You need something to hang on to.
And as the show came to a conclusion, I didn’t feel like there was anything to hang on to.
Consider the final fates of all the characters:
Patty: Wanted to let the Tobin case rest after forever alienating her son. This leads to her thinking about her dead daughter – who is dead because she miscarried more-or-less on purpose. This also tied up the architect storyline, as it seems the guy was a delusion of some kind brought on by her contemplating her life.
I guess we’re supposed to feel sorry for Patty, or somehow get into her emotional realm because she finally realizes all the damage (heh) she’s done. But I just couldn’t. That might be on me. If you’ve got different thoughts, feel free to leave a comment.
Ellen: She’s now without a firm, thinking about what to do with her life. The murder of David is finally solved for her, and she can lay it to rest and really move on. But (you’re going get a lot of these, sorry) the fact that she’s still thinking about going back to work for the person who tried to have her killed? Really? And her whole subconscious, “You don’t like bullies?” thing from before?
It just doesn’t work. Patty is as much of a bully as any of these people, whether she’s seeking justice or not. So I’m just not feeling Ellen any more, either.
Tom: Not only is he dead, but the big “surprise” this week is that Joe killed him, and drowned him in his own toilet. Never mind that Tom had already been stabbed, and should really have called 911, or gone to a hospital.
It was a stupid series of decisions that led to his death, after years of him being smart and trying to be a good guy. That kind of hurt me.
Wes: I nice conclusion where he takes down Arthur and himself in one fell swoop, trying to make things right once and for all. Those scenes were crammed with info (more thoughts on that in a second) but it at least brought some major storylines to a conclusion.
The Tobins: Mom is evil. Joe is evil. Carol is missing. The family fell apart, and whatever sympathy you might want to have for them is super-hard to drum up.
I will give it up for the original Tobin, however who got into a financial mess trying to clean up his son’s life. The writers might have been trying to put a message there: Ellen let her sister twist in the wind because the sister needed to learn that people shouldn’t clean up your messes.
Had Tobin done that to Joe, none of this would have happened.
Michael: Stole the car and hit Patty. That relationship appears to be at an end, except he has no job, no money, and a baby on the way.
Which leads us to loose ends:
Arthur and Wes are both still alive, and I’m sure that if the show comes back those trials will reveal more. Carol is, of course, somewhere out there in the world, but she’s also a murderer.
And Patty, of course, still has quite a few things hanging over her head.
Having read a couple of articles and interviews with the creators of “Damages,” they say they have more ideas for the show, and that this show wasn’t any kind of a series finale. Are they telling the truth?
Well, I don’t know. Given the tone of the show, it’s hard to trust them.
Ultimately, I think they could have used another 30 minutes or so to play a few things out. The Arthur/Wes story could have used a stronger conclusion, the issues with Michael have just begun, and like I said, Carol being gone is troubling.
But there’s one character I forgot:
Winstone: Here’s the thing – maybe it was the way Martin Short played the guy, maybe it was how he was written, but this fellow was the hero of the season. He ran from his family, changed his identity, and then spent the rest of his life in the bosom of the Tobins.
And they betrayed him.
As he walked out of the show, money in hand, I had to admit: I was okay with it. It was clear that he had started over once, and he was going to start over again.
Was he a good guy?
That’s just the thing: On this show, he might have been the best guy we had.
I don’t know if “Damages” will continue, or if we’ve seen the last of this crew, but given the option, I’d kind of like to see more of Winstone.
So maybe it’s better to stop now.
For those keeping score at home, I started watching and blogging this show juuust before season three began, with a marathon run of each and every episode, complete with full-on blogs handing out every detail. 39 episodes later, we’re at what is most likely the end of the show, and you know what?
I’m okay with that.
“Damages” lived and died on a parlor trick – go back and forth in time, show details, then later, reveal the real, honest truth of what happened, and while it was fun for a season or two, I found myself watching this last episode with a sense of relief that about 90% of the storylines are concluded, hopefully for good.
Being tricked once or twice is fun, but after that? You need something to hang on to.
And as the show came to a conclusion, I didn’t feel like there was anything to hang on to.
Consider the final fates of all the characters:
Patty: Wanted to let the Tobin case rest after forever alienating her son. This leads to her thinking about her dead daughter – who is dead because she miscarried more-or-less on purpose. This also tied up the architect storyline, as it seems the guy was a delusion of some kind brought on by her contemplating her life.
I guess we’re supposed to feel sorry for Patty, or somehow get into her emotional realm because she finally realizes all the damage (heh) she’s done. But I just couldn’t. That might be on me. If you’ve got different thoughts, feel free to leave a comment.
Ellen: She’s now without a firm, thinking about what to do with her life. The murder of David is finally solved for her, and she can lay it to rest and really move on. But (you’re going get a lot of these, sorry) the fact that she’s still thinking about going back to work for the person who tried to have her killed? Really? And her whole subconscious, “You don’t like bullies?” thing from before?
It just doesn’t work. Patty is as much of a bully as any of these people, whether she’s seeking justice or not. So I’m just not feeling Ellen any more, either.
Tom: Not only is he dead, but the big “surprise” this week is that Joe killed him, and drowned him in his own toilet. Never mind that Tom had already been stabbed, and should really have called 911, or gone to a hospital.
It was a stupid series of decisions that led to his death, after years of him being smart and trying to be a good guy. That kind of hurt me.
Wes: I nice conclusion where he takes down Arthur and himself in one fell swoop, trying to make things right once and for all. Those scenes were crammed with info (more thoughts on that in a second) but it at least brought some major storylines to a conclusion.
The Tobins: Mom is evil. Joe is evil. Carol is missing. The family fell apart, and whatever sympathy you might want to have for them is super-hard to drum up.
I will give it up for the original Tobin, however who got into a financial mess trying to clean up his son’s life. The writers might have been trying to put a message there: Ellen let her sister twist in the wind because the sister needed to learn that people shouldn’t clean up your messes.
Had Tobin done that to Joe, none of this would have happened.
Michael: Stole the car and hit Patty. That relationship appears to be at an end, except he has no job, no money, and a baby on the way.
Which leads us to loose ends:
Arthur and Wes are both still alive, and I’m sure that if the show comes back those trials will reveal more. Carol is, of course, somewhere out there in the world, but she’s also a murderer.
And Patty, of course, still has quite a few things hanging over her head.
Having read a couple of articles and interviews with the creators of “Damages,” they say they have more ideas for the show, and that this show wasn’t any kind of a series finale. Are they telling the truth?
Well, I don’t know. Given the tone of the show, it’s hard to trust them.
Ultimately, I think they could have used another 30 minutes or so to play a few things out. The Arthur/Wes story could have used a stronger conclusion, the issues with Michael have just begun, and like I said, Carol being gone is troubling.
But there’s one character I forgot:
Winstone: Here’s the thing – maybe it was the way Martin Short played the guy, maybe it was how he was written, but this fellow was the hero of the season. He ran from his family, changed his identity, and then spent the rest of his life in the bosom of the Tobins.
And they betrayed him.
As he walked out of the show, money in hand, I had to admit: I was okay with it. It was clear that he had started over once, and he was going to start over again.
Was he a good guy?
That’s just the thing: On this show, he might have been the best guy we had.
I don’t know if “Damages” will continue, or if we’ve seen the last of this crew, but given the option, I’d kind of like to see more of Winstone.
So maybe it’s better to stop now.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Damages Season 3, Episode 12
What caught my ear about this episode was not the episode itself, but the scenes from next week. We’ll be getting a 90-minute wrap-up, which indicates to me that everyone knew from the get-go that they were going to be closing up shop.
And that’s okay.
I think I was more struck by the “90 Minutes Next Week!” only because the first two seasons closed off a lot more plot threads during their respective twelfth episodes. Or maybe it’s just that most of the surprises to be found in this episode weren’t really surprises at all.
We already knew Tom was working with Winstone. We already knew that Tom ended up in a random building – we just didn’t know it belonged to Winstone. And that doesn’t strike me as the kind of shock big finishes are made of.
Joe learned that Winstone had been lying about his identity, and dropped Winstone as their lawyer. A shock? Not really, since we already knew he would eventually work with Tom, and the very fact that he had a secret identity had to come out sooner or later.
Tom forced his own resignation in order to tear the Winstone family apart. That was a surprise, I’ll grant you. And we finally got a couple scenes that make it appear we’re finally going to wrap up the murder of Ellen’s fiancé.
I suspect that next week won’t be filled with shocking revelations, but rather with hideous violence, as we finally learn who killed Tom, and why, and how, and Arthur finally gets his just desserts.
Here’s hoping for a great 90 minutes.
And that’s okay.
I think I was more struck by the “90 Minutes Next Week!” only because the first two seasons closed off a lot more plot threads during their respective twelfth episodes. Or maybe it’s just that most of the surprises to be found in this episode weren’t really surprises at all.
We already knew Tom was working with Winstone. We already knew that Tom ended up in a random building – we just didn’t know it belonged to Winstone. And that doesn’t strike me as the kind of shock big finishes are made of.
Joe learned that Winstone had been lying about his identity, and dropped Winstone as their lawyer. A shock? Not really, since we already knew he would eventually work with Tom, and the very fact that he had a secret identity had to come out sooner or later.
Tom forced his own resignation in order to tear the Winstone family apart. That was a surprise, I’ll grant you. And we finally got a couple scenes that make it appear we’re finally going to wrap up the murder of Ellen’s fiancé.
I suspect that next week won’t be filled with shocking revelations, but rather with hideous violence, as we finally learn who killed Tom, and why, and how, and Arthur finally gets his just desserts.
Here’s hoping for a great 90 minutes.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Cold Case: Free Love
Every once in a while a popular TV show will air an episode with a character who seems WAY more important than they should. They appear, dominate just about every minute of the program and then vanish.
Sometimes they get their own TV show. Sometimes they don’t.
This is called a “Back Door Pilot.”
Watching the latest episode of “Case,” I really felt like I was watching a back door pilot for “Cold Case 2.0,” in which Lilly joins the FBI and the other characters are replaced by newer, cheaper actors in order to get the show made a little cheaper.
A cheaper show just might mean there’s an eighth season of “Cold Case.”
If the networks don’t want it? We’ve got the same-old, same-old version. And if the show comes to a close? Well, then everyone got a semi-happy ending.
With only two episodes left in the season, you could easily see the writers spackling over the sad gaps in the lives of their characters. Nick solved a case in about three minutes and got back in touch with an old flame. Kat seems to be ready to finally make a real connection with her man.
And Lilly, of course, got into fun-and-flirty mode with her future co-star on “Cold Case 2.0.”
The only loser here was Scotty, who found out that his mom’s attacker copped a plea, and might get out early.
I can’t say that this episode would get new viewers on board, as it mostly traded in on some knowledge of the characters to get a nice warm fuzzy for fans. And the main mystery, the first for “2.0” had a cute setup and a so-so ending, mostly due to the fact that there were only two possible suspects.
Would I watch “2.0?” A good question, and one I’m guessing CBS is pondering hard right now. They get the same name, some new faces, and with an FBI link, a “bigger, better” set of cases that they can pull from.
But will fans buy it? Some will. I suspect they’ll lose more than they gain if they push the show as a reboot, but I’ve been wrong about such things before.
How about you? Would you watch “Cold Case 2.0?”
Sometimes they get their own TV show. Sometimes they don’t.
This is called a “Back Door Pilot.”
Watching the latest episode of “Case,” I really felt like I was watching a back door pilot for “Cold Case 2.0,” in which Lilly joins the FBI and the other characters are replaced by newer, cheaper actors in order to get the show made a little cheaper.
A cheaper show just might mean there’s an eighth season of “Cold Case.”
If the networks don’t want it? We’ve got the same-old, same-old version. And if the show comes to a close? Well, then everyone got a semi-happy ending.
With only two episodes left in the season, you could easily see the writers spackling over the sad gaps in the lives of their characters. Nick solved a case in about three minutes and got back in touch with an old flame. Kat seems to be ready to finally make a real connection with her man.
And Lilly, of course, got into fun-and-flirty mode with her future co-star on “Cold Case 2.0.”
The only loser here was Scotty, who found out that his mom’s attacker copped a plea, and might get out early.
I can’t say that this episode would get new viewers on board, as it mostly traded in on some knowledge of the characters to get a nice warm fuzzy for fans. And the main mystery, the first for “2.0” had a cute setup and a so-so ending, mostly due to the fact that there were only two possible suspects.
Would I watch “2.0?” A good question, and one I’m guessing CBS is pondering hard right now. They get the same name, some new faces, and with an FBI link, a “bigger, better” set of cases that they can pull from.
But will fans buy it? Some will. I suspect they’ll lose more than they gain if they push the show as a reboot, but I’ve been wrong about such things before.
How about you? Would you watch “Cold Case 2.0?”
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Damages Season 3, Episode 11
For those of you clinging to the hope that “Damages” will rise up and live for a fourth season, the rumor around the campfire is that they’re trying to cut a deal with DirecTV. Basically, subscribers would get first crack at seeing it, and then it would be broadcast elsewhere.
“Friday Night Lights” cut a similar deal a couple of years ago, and it seems to have worked out.
As for the episode itself? I don’t know. I guess it says something that the scenes that interested me most revolved around Arthur, as his comedian buddy slowly started pulling the dark side out of Arthur. How much is Arthur going to reveal? Will it kill his movie?
And when are we going to hear back from that DA with the dirt on Arthur? The stuff that will completely destroy whatever he’s built in the meantime?
I suspect that might all be coming down the pike.
I guess we should get Ellen out of the way next. She went to the person she thought might be her birth mom, only it turns out that her mom really is her mom. It seems that things got “bad” at Ellen’s home back in the day, and the babysitter almost adopted Ellen. This sequence is followed by another where Ellen is put on suspension for working behind Gates’s back, and then she finally goes and talks to “David.” Or the David in her head, at any rate.
Her talk with David tried desperately to put all the bits together and convince the audience that Ellen and Patty both hate “bullies,” which is why Ellen still wants to work for Patty despite, you know, Patty trying to have Ellen killed. I’d love to say that it worked on me, and that all the parts fell into place for me, but mostly I was struck by how much I missed David, the only really nice person on the show.
Then there’s Patty, who fired Alex pretty much for not being Ellen. And Tom admitted that he screwed up with Tessa, and refused to apologize for it.
Finally, it’s time to talk about the Tobins. Turns out that Tessa is Joe’s daughter. Which doesn’t stop him from having her killed, primarily because his mom doesn’t tell him that Tessa is his daughter.
More surprising, to me, was not that Tessa was killed, but that Patty’s never-fail bodyguard/researcher also met a grisly end.
I’m not sure why these plot elements failed to engage me as much as Arthur’s story, but if I had to guess, I’d say it’s because I feel like I got ahead of them a long time ago. Tessa being Joe’s daughter didn’t feel like much of a shock, just because it felt like an obvious twist. Along the same lines, the fact that Ellen was almost adopted isn’t ever going to be all that important.
And Tom standing up to Patty? Eh. We already know that he’s resigning at some point in the near future, so it’s hard to be shocked.
I’m willing to concede that the problem might be me. TV shows thrive on formula, and the “Damages” formula is “everything we tell you is a lie.” The truth should come out in the next two weeks. Let’s see what they’ve got for us.
“Friday Night Lights” cut a similar deal a couple of years ago, and it seems to have worked out.
As for the episode itself? I don’t know. I guess it says something that the scenes that interested me most revolved around Arthur, as his comedian buddy slowly started pulling the dark side out of Arthur. How much is Arthur going to reveal? Will it kill his movie?
And when are we going to hear back from that DA with the dirt on Arthur? The stuff that will completely destroy whatever he’s built in the meantime?
I suspect that might all be coming down the pike.
I guess we should get Ellen out of the way next. She went to the person she thought might be her birth mom, only it turns out that her mom really is her mom. It seems that things got “bad” at Ellen’s home back in the day, and the babysitter almost adopted Ellen. This sequence is followed by another where Ellen is put on suspension for working behind Gates’s back, and then she finally goes and talks to “David.” Or the David in her head, at any rate.
Her talk with David tried desperately to put all the bits together and convince the audience that Ellen and Patty both hate “bullies,” which is why Ellen still wants to work for Patty despite, you know, Patty trying to have Ellen killed. I’d love to say that it worked on me, and that all the parts fell into place for me, but mostly I was struck by how much I missed David, the only really nice person on the show.
Then there’s Patty, who fired Alex pretty much for not being Ellen. And Tom admitted that he screwed up with Tessa, and refused to apologize for it.
Finally, it’s time to talk about the Tobins. Turns out that Tessa is Joe’s daughter. Which doesn’t stop him from having her killed, primarily because his mom doesn’t tell him that Tessa is his daughter.
More surprising, to me, was not that Tessa was killed, but that Patty’s never-fail bodyguard/researcher also met a grisly end.
I’m not sure why these plot elements failed to engage me as much as Arthur’s story, but if I had to guess, I’d say it’s because I feel like I got ahead of them a long time ago. Tessa being Joe’s daughter didn’t feel like much of a shock, just because it felt like an obvious twist. Along the same lines, the fact that Ellen was almost adopted isn’t ever going to be all that important.
And Tom standing up to Patty? Eh. We already know that he’s resigning at some point in the near future, so it’s hard to be shocked.
I’m willing to concede that the problem might be me. TV shows thrive on formula, and the “Damages” formula is “everything we tell you is a lie.” The truth should come out in the next two weeks. Let’s see what they’ve got for us.
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Monday, April 5, 2010
Cold Case: Bullet
Before diving into the meat of this episode, I had something else I wanted to talk about. Generally, when a show gets a “final-season” time-slot swap, it pretty much indicates that a show is done for. A few weeks back, “Cold Case” got moved back an hour, with another show taking its slot.
And lo-and-behold, a miracle occurred. “Cold Case,” in a new slot, in its seventh season? The ratings actually went up.
Never happens. Ever.
So if you’re a fan, hoping for a last-minute renewal? You just might get it.
Unfortunately for the show, the time change didn’t manage to fix the problems with tonight’s episode. Namely, that it had a lame-duck story, “surprises” I could see coming a mile away, and it ended with a soft slap to the face instead of a gut punch.
Generally I try to avoid spoiling episodes in my reviews, but here I have to make an exception. So if you don’t want to know what happens, walk away now and come back. (And when you do come back, feel free to disagree with me. Or agree with me.)
I wanted to start out by saying something positive about the episode, but I can’t think of anything. All the regulars do good work, I suppose, and I guess that’s something.
But the rest? Here we go:
The plot: The end of the last episode told us who the real bad guy was. Which was, I’ll admit, a nice twist. I think if you ended the two-part episode there, as a one-part, it might have been a nice kicker. The bad guy gets away (more on that in a second).
Instead, the whole thing becomes a chase sequence as everyone tries to figure out who the guy is going to kill next. The only problem is, they’re always one step behind, and we’re meeting people who die before we even get a chance to care about them.
Additionally, the reason for the killings was kind of weak – this guy carried on a years-long agenda wherein he killed all the people who hurt his dad’s feelings and drove him to suicide.
Once that was done, he waited until he was the same age his father was, and then he killed people who followed a direct corollary to his dead dad’s feeling-hurters.
Impossible? Maybe not. But highly, highly, highly improbable, and I just couldn’t make the leap.
Topping this off, the big “reveal,” where we learn that the FBI agent has gone rogue (not really a surprise either) was “The Girl In the Car” just seemed so obvious to me from the word go that the reveal didn’t interest me. More to the point, the reason her not-boyfriend got killed (He wasn’t paying attention to the movie!) just made me go, “Eh.”
Even worse, we got a nice dramatic moment where we learned that the killer’s wife was pregnant – something he always wanted. There’s some real heartbreak to be had there, the sad wife discovering the man she loved was a killer, and now they’re going to have a kid together.
There’s also the killer, discovering too late that he could have had what he really wanted.
But no. Turns out she wasn’t pregnant, and so whatever emotional draw this show might have had? Nothing.
Ah well. There’s always next week.
And lo-and-behold, a miracle occurred. “Cold Case,” in a new slot, in its seventh season? The ratings actually went up.
Never happens. Ever.
So if you’re a fan, hoping for a last-minute renewal? You just might get it.
Unfortunately for the show, the time change didn’t manage to fix the problems with tonight’s episode. Namely, that it had a lame-duck story, “surprises” I could see coming a mile away, and it ended with a soft slap to the face instead of a gut punch.
Generally I try to avoid spoiling episodes in my reviews, but here I have to make an exception. So if you don’t want to know what happens, walk away now and come back. (And when you do come back, feel free to disagree with me. Or agree with me.)
I wanted to start out by saying something positive about the episode, but I can’t think of anything. All the regulars do good work, I suppose, and I guess that’s something.
But the rest? Here we go:
The plot: The end of the last episode told us who the real bad guy was. Which was, I’ll admit, a nice twist. I think if you ended the two-part episode there, as a one-part, it might have been a nice kicker. The bad guy gets away (more on that in a second).
Instead, the whole thing becomes a chase sequence as everyone tries to figure out who the guy is going to kill next. The only problem is, they’re always one step behind, and we’re meeting people who die before we even get a chance to care about them.
Additionally, the reason for the killings was kind of weak – this guy carried on a years-long agenda wherein he killed all the people who hurt his dad’s feelings and drove him to suicide.
Once that was done, he waited until he was the same age his father was, and then he killed people who followed a direct corollary to his dead dad’s feeling-hurters.
Impossible? Maybe not. But highly, highly, highly improbable, and I just couldn’t make the leap.
Topping this off, the big “reveal,” where we learn that the FBI agent has gone rogue (not really a surprise either) was “The Girl In the Car” just seemed so obvious to me from the word go that the reveal didn’t interest me. More to the point, the reason her not-boyfriend got killed (He wasn’t paying attention to the movie!) just made me go, “Eh.”
Even worse, we got a nice dramatic moment where we learned that the killer’s wife was pregnant – something he always wanted. There’s some real heartbreak to be had there, the sad wife discovering the man she loved was a killer, and now they’re going to have a kid together.
There’s also the killer, discovering too late that he could have had what he really wanted.
But no. Turns out she wasn’t pregnant, and so whatever emotional draw this show might have had? Nothing.
Ah well. There’s always next week.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Damages Season 3, Episode 10
As the latest episode of Damages came to an end, the “What’s Coming Next Week” desperately tried to remind us that we’ve only got three episodes left until the Finale.
I’m guessing this was kept just a little vague, in case it was the Finale-finale, and not just the season finale.
And a couple things struck me, at that moment.
First, we may be down to the last three episodes of “Damages,” ever. I find myself hoping that the last three episodes of the show are going to bring it to a solid close.
At the moment, I can’t see how it’s going to get there.
Which leads me to my second point: I might be worrying about that just be because this episode never really felt like it was going anywhere. With just three episodes to go, the show tossed us a bunch of subplots that are going to have to resolve, pulling time away from other things we actually want to know about.
To lay it all out:
1. Rose talked to a few people and tried to figure out what to do with her drug-dealing sister. It seems that sissy didn’t just sell drugs the one time, and now Ellen is going to leave her to twist in the wind. (I recognize that this is probably meant to show us that Ellen’s life is a bundle of stress and possibly lies, but none of this really made me feel sympathetic towards her.)
2. Even more bothersome for a show with only three episodes left, a whole lot of time was devoted to Ellen dreaming about someone from her past. Neither her mother nor her sister will reveal the true nature of the person Ellen is dreaming about, and the episode ends with Ellen making a 100-mile trek to track down a character who doesn’t affect the main plot in any way, and who has only been introduced just now.
3. Tessa was the big player this week, getting money from Joe, talking to Tom, who claimed her mother was murdered, then talking to Rose who first claimed mom wasn’t murdered and then said she was. Which leads to Tessa going to talk to Patty… except she gets stopped by Gates first. (Also in there, Ellen’s co-worker, Nick, sells Ellen out to Gates for working with Patty. And not having lunch with him.) Oh, and Patty is now guessing that Tessa is taking money out of the Caribbean, not putting it in.
4. Tobin’s wife wants to go to Africa with the charity she always goes with, but Stewart, who sits on the board, shuts her down.
5. And finally, Winstone’s dad comes to town and we learn that Winstone comes from a family of grifters. And dad wants some of Tobin’s money.
Now, let me ask a question: How much of that information is important to the final outcome of the show?
I suppose that the answer could be that it’s all important, and when the dust settles in three weeks we’ll have answers galore and I’ll be nodding my head and going, “Oh, I see now.”
But I suspect it’s more likely that the writers got into plotting the season and realized far too late that they just didn’t have enough story to fill 13 hours.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say again that “Damages” tends to wrap up all the loose ends during the last two episodes of the season, and I’m looking forward to that. But I also kind of want to skip next week, since I suspect it’s going to be more throat-clearing and red herrings as the show treads more water before the big finish.
Here’s hoping I’m wrong.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Cold Case: The Last Drive-In
What’s there to say when you’re only watching one-half of a show?
In this instance, “Cold Case” is in two parts, with the second half arriving next week and saying howdy-do. So while we’ve got a plot, and a fun one, it’s hard to talk about without a resolution.
So, the So Far.
The Good, So Far:
It seems like the back half of this season has been about shaking things up as much as possible, and this episode has been no exception. Generally, there’s a lot of “take this guy into a room and grill him” sequences, and up to this point, there hasn’t been a ton of that. Everyone’s in the dark, so there’s not a lot in the way of flashbacks.
(Don’t get me wrong, they’re in there, but they aren’t as prevalent.)
It’s kind of fun to stick a new element into the world of “Cold Case” just to see what’ll happen, and the somewhat rogue-y FBI agent has certainly been a new element. Though I’m not sure I’m a big fan of the character. More on that in a second.
And finally, assuming the middle twist is really what it is, it should be fun watching this conclude. And if that isn’t the real ending, then by gum, I’m super-excited to see how things shake out.
The Bad:
I’m not sure if I’m a fan of the somewhat racist, super-casual-about-bedmates FBI character. I recognize that doing this with a woman as opposed to a man is something of a change-up in TV writing (the male version is pretty prevalent – see Winstone on “Damages”). But we don’t have much else to go on with this character, which doesn’t make her all that entertaining to be around.
But we’ll wait until next week before passing final judgment.
In this instance, “Cold Case” is in two parts, with the second half arriving next week and saying howdy-do. So while we’ve got a plot, and a fun one, it’s hard to talk about without a resolution.
So, the So Far.
The Good, So Far:
It seems like the back half of this season has been about shaking things up as much as possible, and this episode has been no exception. Generally, there’s a lot of “take this guy into a room and grill him” sequences, and up to this point, there hasn’t been a ton of that. Everyone’s in the dark, so there’s not a lot in the way of flashbacks.
(Don’t get me wrong, they’re in there, but they aren’t as prevalent.)
It’s kind of fun to stick a new element into the world of “Cold Case” just to see what’ll happen, and the somewhat rogue-y FBI agent has certainly been a new element. Though I’m not sure I’m a big fan of the character. More on that in a second.
And finally, assuming the middle twist is really what it is, it should be fun watching this conclude. And if that isn’t the real ending, then by gum, I’m super-excited to see how things shake out.
The Bad:
I’m not sure if I’m a fan of the somewhat racist, super-casual-about-bedmates FBI character. I recognize that doing this with a woman as opposed to a man is something of a change-up in TV writing (the male version is pretty prevalent – see Winstone on “Damages”). But we don’t have much else to go on with this character, which doesn’t make her all that entertaining to be around.
But we’ll wait until next week before passing final judgment.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Damages Season 3, Episode 9
So we’ve got four episodes to go, and sakes alive, the ratings are bad. B A D bad. At its best this season, “Damages” managed to grab all of one-fifth of the audience that “Justified,” a wholly new show got the very next night.
At this point, I can see them offering to bring the show back if they can make it cheaper, but and that might be why Tom got offed this season. With him gone, the cost of a recurring character is dropped, and with a few less extras and a few more scenes in sets that are already built, they can maybe shave some cash off the price tag.
I’m probably over-thinking this.
And I haven’t talked about the plot, yet.
Well, I’m still not going to, because even though some chess pieces moved, not a whole lot happened. Even a few “shocking” moments mostly filled in information the audience could have worked out for themselves.
Let’s talk for a second about why the ratings are low.
Two things:
First, the show refuses to dumb itself down at all for the people too slow to follow along. I don’t say that as a bad thing. I say that because I realized while watching today that while the entire season focuses on a Ponzi scheme, no one onscreen has ever once explained what a Ponzi scheme is.
It’s hard to attract viewers who have to run to Wikipedia to know what the thrust of the whole story is.
Second?
We’ve pretty much lost our last loveable character. Tom. He’s gone. Or rather, he will be in a few short weeks, and really, if the only person you can really like is about to go bye-bye, how many people are going to stick around to watch him go?
Recently, I’ve been watching “The Wire,” which in a lot of ways has a similar feel to “Damages.” And the difference between the two shows is, you really do get attached to the (extremely flawed) characters on “The Wire.” They make mistakes, they hamstring their lives sometimes, but more than anything, they want to do the right thing.
The right way.
Patty wants the right thing, but doesn’t care how it happens. And Ellen, who used to be our eyes and ears, is now in bed with a person who tried to kill her. Literally. Hired a man to kill her.
And these are our people.
What did our people bring us this week?
Patty and Michael talked, and Michael told her a bunch of things she already knew.
Patty made a hole in her hall.
Tom and Patty talked to Tobin’s daughter, but didn’t get much out of her they didn’t already know, except that Danielle’s daughter was with Danielle on Thanksgiving.
Winstone went to Danielle on Thanksgiving and got the boots and the cell phone we already saw him stick in the Dumpster.
Oh yes! And Arthur keeps moving forward with his movie, which culminated in Arthur having the movie people meet Patty. Patty, in turn took Arthur to task for all the damage he did to the people in his former company.
Did I miss anything?
Like I said last week, I think at this point we’re just waiting for the last two revelation-packed episodes, at which point this show will wander off into the sunset.
At this point, I can see them offering to bring the show back if they can make it cheaper, but and that might be why Tom got offed this season. With him gone, the cost of a recurring character is dropped, and with a few less extras and a few more scenes in sets that are already built, they can maybe shave some cash off the price tag.
I’m probably over-thinking this.
And I haven’t talked about the plot, yet.
Well, I’m still not going to, because even though some chess pieces moved, not a whole lot happened. Even a few “shocking” moments mostly filled in information the audience could have worked out for themselves.
Let’s talk for a second about why the ratings are low.
Two things:
First, the show refuses to dumb itself down at all for the people too slow to follow along. I don’t say that as a bad thing. I say that because I realized while watching today that while the entire season focuses on a Ponzi scheme, no one onscreen has ever once explained what a Ponzi scheme is.
It’s hard to attract viewers who have to run to Wikipedia to know what the thrust of the whole story is.
Second?
We’ve pretty much lost our last loveable character. Tom. He’s gone. Or rather, he will be in a few short weeks, and really, if the only person you can really like is about to go bye-bye, how many people are going to stick around to watch him go?
Recently, I’ve been watching “The Wire,” which in a lot of ways has a similar feel to “Damages.” And the difference between the two shows is, you really do get attached to the (extremely flawed) characters on “The Wire.” They make mistakes, they hamstring their lives sometimes, but more than anything, they want to do the right thing.
The right way.
Patty wants the right thing, but doesn’t care how it happens. And Ellen, who used to be our eyes and ears, is now in bed with a person who tried to kill her. Literally. Hired a man to kill her.
And these are our people.
What did our people bring us this week?
Patty and Michael talked, and Michael told her a bunch of things she already knew.
Patty made a hole in her hall.
Tom and Patty talked to Tobin’s daughter, but didn’t get much out of her they didn’t already know, except that Danielle’s daughter was with Danielle on Thanksgiving.
Winstone went to Danielle on Thanksgiving and got the boots and the cell phone we already saw him stick in the Dumpster.
Oh yes! And Arthur keeps moving forward with his movie, which culminated in Arthur having the movie people meet Patty. Patty, in turn took Arthur to task for all the damage he did to the people in his former company.
Did I miss anything?
Like I said last week, I think at this point we’re just waiting for the last two revelation-packed episodes, at which point this show will wander off into the sunset.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Cold Case: Flashover
So what happened?
You know what? You’re going to have to tell me. It seems that CBS Sports thought it was okay to shove everything back an hour thanks to something… sportslike, and I only got to catch the first ten minutes of the ‘sode.
So what happened?
Nick crashed his car, and might have killed someone. Or at least, that’s what he told Lilly, who told Scotty.
They went to the bar Nick left, where Nick had recently had a run-in with the brother of a dude who was put away for letting his kids burn to death.
After that? I’ve got nothing. Unlike most TV shows, Cold Case isn’t available On Demand, or on Hulu, or anywhere. I can’t even figure out which clip from last night’s show might give me the final fate of the participants.
I did get to see Nick turn in his gun and shield, though – so I’m guessing Nick put away an innocent man.
If anyone wants to volunteer to write up the rest of the ‘sode, shoot me an email at delight.blogger@gmail.com and we’ll get the rest of the story filled in.
You know what? You’re going to have to tell me. It seems that CBS Sports thought it was okay to shove everything back an hour thanks to something… sportslike, and I only got to catch the first ten minutes of the ‘sode.
So what happened?
Nick crashed his car, and might have killed someone. Or at least, that’s what he told Lilly, who told Scotty.
They went to the bar Nick left, where Nick had recently had a run-in with the brother of a dude who was put away for letting his kids burn to death.
After that? I’ve got nothing. Unlike most TV shows, Cold Case isn’t available On Demand, or on Hulu, or anywhere. I can’t even figure out which clip from last night’s show might give me the final fate of the participants.
I did get to see Nick turn in his gun and shield, though – so I’m guessing Nick put away an innocent man.
If anyone wants to volunteer to write up the rest of the ‘sode, shoot me an email at delight.blogger@gmail.com and we’ll get the rest of the story filled in.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
The Ukulele Lady
I first discovered Julia Nunes a couple of years ago, stumbling through YouTube. As we all do from time to time.
Since then, I’ve watched all of her videos, and bought two of her three CDs. If you want to know why, watch this:
Since then, I’ve watched all of her videos, and bought two of her three CDs. If you want to know why, watch this:
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Want a nano?
Of course you do!
Do you have a Web site, blog, online game, podcast, or app you’re aching to tell the world about? Is there a TV show or celebrity you think our readers should see? Let us know!
If we use your discovery in print, we’ll send you an iPod nano!
Just fill out the survey at the link below for a chance to share your very favorite site or show – and get a nano to boot:
delight! Survey
Do you have a Web site, blog, online game, podcast, or app you’re aching to tell the world about? Is there a TV show or celebrity you think our readers should see? Let us know!
If we use your discovery in print, we’ll send you an iPod nano!
Just fill out the survey at the link below for a chance to share your very favorite site or show – and get a nano to boot:
delight! Survey
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Damages Season 3 Episode 8
Taking a poke around the Internet, I was surprised to find that not a lot of people dug this episode.
Whereas I felt it was kind of just what I needed.
I’ve been complaining a little bit about how the show hasn’t been doing any callbacks to the plot threads it kind of swore it would come back to: Michael and Jill’s baby. Arthur. Wes.
We were kind of promised all of those things would come back to haunt us, but it’s been a pretty haunt-free season. We’ve just been following the plotlines that they set up in episode 1 of season 3, which is good for new viewers, but not quit as fun for guys like me.
So while this episode leaned heavily on things off the spine of the main plot, it was nice to see that the writers didn’t forget about people like myself, who come each week to see characters evolve.
And what have we got?
Well, we’ve got Patty finding out her grandchild-to-be is going to be born to her son and a woman who was declared an unfit mother in the state of Colorado. She tries to make Jill go away, which is interesting considering her family history.
We’ve got Arthur, who has started a wind-power company and actually written the book he kept saying he was going to write. And I guess it’s good, because by the end of the episode Arthur is cutting a movie deal in hopes of getting a well-loved face in front of his new company.
And we get a little motion on Ellen and Tom and Patty, who are now all working together to take the Tobin family down.
Is there more? There’s more! The homeless guy gets a name! We find out that the money in Tom’s car came from Winstone! We learn that Joe orchestrated Danielle’s death, and is keeping his sister away from anyone who might ask her questions!
And it appears that Ellen and Tom were leaving Patty and Gates and striking out on their own, law-firm-wise.
Was there more to learn? Oh, maybe, but those are the high points. If this season runs like the other seasons, we’ve got three more episodes of setup and red herrings before the big reveals come.
And after that? Time, and ratings, and FX will tell.
Whereas I felt it was kind of just what I needed.
I’ve been complaining a little bit about how the show hasn’t been doing any callbacks to the plot threads it kind of swore it would come back to: Michael and Jill’s baby. Arthur. Wes.
We were kind of promised all of those things would come back to haunt us, but it’s been a pretty haunt-free season. We’ve just been following the plotlines that they set up in episode 1 of season 3, which is good for new viewers, but not quit as fun for guys like me.
So while this episode leaned heavily on things off the spine of the main plot, it was nice to see that the writers didn’t forget about people like myself, who come each week to see characters evolve.
And what have we got?
Well, we’ve got Patty finding out her grandchild-to-be is going to be born to her son and a woman who was declared an unfit mother in the state of Colorado. She tries to make Jill go away, which is interesting considering her family history.
We’ve got Arthur, who has started a wind-power company and actually written the book he kept saying he was going to write. And I guess it’s good, because by the end of the episode Arthur is cutting a movie deal in hopes of getting a well-loved face in front of his new company.
And we get a little motion on Ellen and Tom and Patty, who are now all working together to take the Tobin family down.
Is there more? There’s more! The homeless guy gets a name! We find out that the money in Tom’s car came from Winstone! We learn that Joe orchestrated Danielle’s death, and is keeping his sister away from anyone who might ask her questions!
And it appears that Ellen and Tom were leaving Patty and Gates and striking out on their own, law-firm-wise.
Was there more to learn? Oh, maybe, but those are the high points. If this season runs like the other seasons, we’ve got three more episodes of setup and red herrings before the big reveals come.
And after that? Time, and ratings, and FX will tell.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Cold Case: One Fall
Before I talk about the latest episode, I’ve had a request to post the following:
“Who wants another season of Cold Case? I sure do! If you want to keep it going for at least another season, come sign this petition, we urge fans desperately to sign this! http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/cold-case-petition/ - Post this around everywhere, get your friends to sign this and keep the show going!”
“Another way to save Cold Case, come join this CBS Forum, and under this topic, write how much Cold Case means to you. We beg you all to come join and plead for Cold Case to have another season, thank you :) - http://www.cbs.com/forum/posts/list/103968.page”
We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog, already in progress.
Well, okay, we won’t for just one more minute, because I have what I think is a very legitimate question: How is it that “Cold Case” is not yet on DVD? I’ve read that it’s a music rights issue, which I can sort of understand since the show uses a lot of music to set the time and place of the series.
The only problem with that theory is that “Cold Case” grew up in the world of DVD. I can understand why things like “Roswell” come out with music missing – they got started before the words “The Complete Season One” became as common as they are today.
But never you mind. Let’s get back to the task at hand, which is talking about “One Fall,” the latest episode.
What to say?
Well, we got a resolution to Scotty’s big storyline this season, after he finally found and brought in the man who attacked his mother. Since the show has to reserve most of its screen time for the mystery of the week, Danny Pino had to spend a lot of time trying to communicate what he was going through with a few scraps of dialogue and a handful of scenes, and I thought he did a nice job.
Is that case over? Well, on a show like “Damages,” I’d say the story was just beginning, but with so little time to dedicate to ongoing storylines, we get a hint or two that Scotty has resolved the case.
And that’s fine.
As for the mystery of the week, I realize no one on earth will agree with me, but I honestly think that Roddy Piper deserves an Emmy nod for his role as an ex-wrestler. Rowdy, of course, has been part of the wrestling world for something like 30 years or more, and like his on-screen persona, one that was always just a return bout away from being the biggest thing ever.
A quick peek at the Internet Movie Database reveals that his life since his hardcore wrestling days has been a combination of acting in mostly direct-to-video fare, with occasional returns to the WWE for an episode or two a year.
And every minute of that life is on his face.
I’m sure Piper was the first guy anyone thought of when it came time to pull an older wrestler from the stacks for this episode, in which a part-time newbie wrestler has his cold case reopened thanks to a guns for groceries gun return.
Much to my surprise, by the time the episode was about halfway over, I was more interested in the family drama aspects of the main story than I was the final resolution. Watching the mom, kid, and dead father orbit around each other, in search of a way to be a family post-divorce was fairly heartbreaking.
Equally interesting was their portrayal of a low-rent wrestling organization trying to make it big in an era where the WWF was completely dominant. I’ve read a few wrestling autobiographies, and in particular the three by Mick Foley. I won’t say they got the entire backdrop 100% correct, but they were close.
If anything, they erred on the side of being tasteful.
What else to say about the episode? Not a bad ending, though I think the fact that it falls so close to the circus episode makes it feel like we’ve just seen this kind of resolution.
And while I suspect that Scotty’s arc for this season is pretty much done, I almost hope there’s a season eight just so we could watch his story play out a little more.
All in all, a good drama, but just an okay mystery this week. And it appears we’re up for more drama next week. We shall see.
“Who wants another season of Cold Case? I sure do! If you want to keep it going for at least another season, come sign this petition, we urge fans desperately to sign this! http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/cold-case-petition/ - Post this around everywhere, get your friends to sign this and keep the show going!”
“Another way to save Cold Case, come join this CBS Forum, and under this topic, write how much Cold Case means to you. We beg you all to come join and plead for Cold Case to have another season, thank you :) - http://www.cbs.com/forum/posts/list/103968.page”
We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog, already in progress.
Well, okay, we won’t for just one more minute, because I have what I think is a very legitimate question: How is it that “Cold Case” is not yet on DVD? I’ve read that it’s a music rights issue, which I can sort of understand since the show uses a lot of music to set the time and place of the series.
The only problem with that theory is that “Cold Case” grew up in the world of DVD. I can understand why things like “Roswell” come out with music missing – they got started before the words “The Complete Season One” became as common as they are today.
But never you mind. Let’s get back to the task at hand, which is talking about “One Fall,” the latest episode.
What to say?
Well, we got a resolution to Scotty’s big storyline this season, after he finally found and brought in the man who attacked his mother. Since the show has to reserve most of its screen time for the mystery of the week, Danny Pino had to spend a lot of time trying to communicate what he was going through with a few scraps of dialogue and a handful of scenes, and I thought he did a nice job.
Is that case over? Well, on a show like “Damages,” I’d say the story was just beginning, but with so little time to dedicate to ongoing storylines, we get a hint or two that Scotty has resolved the case.
And that’s fine.
As for the mystery of the week, I realize no one on earth will agree with me, but I honestly think that Roddy Piper deserves an Emmy nod for his role as an ex-wrestler. Rowdy, of course, has been part of the wrestling world for something like 30 years or more, and like his on-screen persona, one that was always just a return bout away from being the biggest thing ever.
A quick peek at the Internet Movie Database reveals that his life since his hardcore wrestling days has been a combination of acting in mostly direct-to-video fare, with occasional returns to the WWE for an episode or two a year.
And every minute of that life is on his face.
I’m sure Piper was the first guy anyone thought of when it came time to pull an older wrestler from the stacks for this episode, in which a part-time newbie wrestler has his cold case reopened thanks to a guns for groceries gun return.
Much to my surprise, by the time the episode was about halfway over, I was more interested in the family drama aspects of the main story than I was the final resolution. Watching the mom, kid, and dead father orbit around each other, in search of a way to be a family post-divorce was fairly heartbreaking.
Equally interesting was their portrayal of a low-rent wrestling organization trying to make it big in an era where the WWF was completely dominant. I’ve read a few wrestling autobiographies, and in particular the three by Mick Foley. I won’t say they got the entire backdrop 100% correct, but they were close.
If anything, they erred on the side of being tasteful.
What else to say about the episode? Not a bad ending, though I think the fact that it falls so close to the circus episode makes it feel like we’ve just seen this kind of resolution.
And while I suspect that Scotty’s arc for this season is pretty much done, I almost hope there’s a season eight just so we could watch his story play out a little more.
All in all, a good drama, but just an okay mystery this week. And it appears we’re up for more drama next week. We shall see.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Read. Share. $250
Read the online version of delight! magazine. Then, click the link below to take a short survey. You could win a $250 gift card.
$250 Shopping Spree Gift Card
Filling out this short survey not only gives you a chance to win, it gives us a chance to learn what kind of TV shows and Web sites you love – and helps us to plan future issues around reader favorites.
$250 Shopping Spree Gift Card
Filling out this short survey not only gives you a chance to win, it gives us a chance to learn what kind of TV shows and Web sites you love – and helps us to plan future issues around reader favorites.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Damages: Season 3, Episode 7
Having gotten halfway through the season, I’ve gotta say, I think that the creators of the show walked up to the blackboard at the front of the room, scribbled FAMILY on it, and whenever anyone had any ideas, they pointed at the word.
FAMILY.
That seems to be the theme.
Moreover, it appears that the theme applies to both the family you create and the family you’re born into, and how both can be hideously disappointing.
Consider our plotlines so far:
Ellen: It’s clear that even though Patty, you know, tried to have her killed, that she really really really wants to go back to the “Mom” that gets her, as opposed to her actual flesh-and-blood. Who don’t understand the law, and apparently smoke crack.
Patty: She hires Alex, yes, but it’s clear that she misses Ellen. To the point where she tries to make Ellen jealous by having wine with Alex and inviting Ellen to a fake party.
Winstone: He wants to be a member of the Tobin family, and after tonight, you can see why. His mom died five months ago and when he confronts his dad, his dad threatens blackmail.
Must have made for awkward Thanksgivings.
Tom: Tom spent this whole episode tracking down a member of the Tobin family an in effort to get all the money back for his own family, immediate and in-laws. And it’s telling that, to do so, he tried to help another family.
Did anything else happen in this episode that I missed? Well, there’s the double agent keeping the Tobin funds safe in the Caribbean, I guess. And Ellen finding out that Joe’s sister probably gave the killer potassium to Danielle.
Everything else is, of course, speculation.
One final note: We’ve got six episodes to go, and there’s been no word yet on whether or not Damages will be coming back for a round four. I suppose it’s possible that FX is waiting to see if the back half of the season gets some kind of a bump, but I don’t see that happening.
Well, okay, one more note: How great has Martin Short been this season? Honestly, the man has been brilliant in every scene. Maybe they can spin him off into his own show? Assuming his character isn’t dead at the end of this season?
And what do YOU think?
FAMILY.
That seems to be the theme.
Moreover, it appears that the theme applies to both the family you create and the family you’re born into, and how both can be hideously disappointing.
Consider our plotlines so far:
Ellen: It’s clear that even though Patty, you know, tried to have her killed, that she really really really wants to go back to the “Mom” that gets her, as opposed to her actual flesh-and-blood. Who don’t understand the law, and apparently smoke crack.
Patty: She hires Alex, yes, but it’s clear that she misses Ellen. To the point where she tries to make Ellen jealous by having wine with Alex and inviting Ellen to a fake party.
Winstone: He wants to be a member of the Tobin family, and after tonight, you can see why. His mom died five months ago and when he confronts his dad, his dad threatens blackmail.
Must have made for awkward Thanksgivings.
Tom: Tom spent this whole episode tracking down a member of the Tobin family an in effort to get all the money back for his own family, immediate and in-laws. And it’s telling that, to do so, he tried to help another family.
Did anything else happen in this episode that I missed? Well, there’s the double agent keeping the Tobin funds safe in the Caribbean, I guess. And Ellen finding out that Joe’s sister probably gave the killer potassium to Danielle.
Everything else is, of course, speculation.
One final note: We’ve got six episodes to go, and there’s been no word yet on whether or not Damages will be coming back for a round four. I suppose it’s possible that FX is waiting to see if the back half of the season gets some kind of a bump, but I don’t see that happening.
Well, okay, one more note: How great has Martin Short been this season? Honestly, the man has been brilliant in every scene. Maybe they can spin him off into his own show? Assuming his character isn’t dead at the end of this season?
And what do YOU think?
Friday, March 5, 2010
Spring Break is Coming
Need a few ideas to make your vacation just that much more easy? Of course you do!
So check out delight! magazine’s travel tips. And be sure to look at our online extension, too!
So check out delight! magazine’s travel tips. And be sure to look at our online extension, too!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
My Favorite TV Show: With Guest Blogger Zoe Lauren Thomas
Zoe Lauren Thomas may very well be the world’s number one fan of “Cold Case.” Not only does she run Perfect Case, a “Cold Case” fan site, with three other women, she also runs Kathryn Morris and Danny Pino fan pages on Facebook.
Here at the delight! blog, we’re covering every episode of season seven the Monday after it airs. Check it out.
Take it away, Zoe:
My favorite TV show is Cold Case.
The show revolves around Lilly Rush, a detective who investigates unsolved murders from the recent and not-so-recent past. Kathryn Morris does an amazing job portraying Rush's character – from matching her appearance to her emotions, to acting out scenes with full concentration and commitment. Kathryn Morris has been around for many years, but this would have to be her best role yet! She is an amazing actress who has not been given any credit for her outstanding acting, which is a shame.
Danny Pino, the lead actor who plays Scotty Valens, also never seems to get any credit for his talent, even when he plays such an amazing role – and a completely different person than his actual self.
What else is good about it?
Whether it be the dramatic flashbacks into the past, or the heartfelt confrontations with the killer, or even the slight moments of anger from one of the detectives in an interrogation, nothing will pull your eyes away from the screen. Never have I seen such brilliant acting from a cast – or such wonderfully written storylines.
I advise everyone to take some time to check out this fantastic show. From the moment I watched the first episode, I was captivated and no other show on TV can compare with this one. I'm sure you will feel the same when you check it out!
Cold Case runs Sundays on CBS.
Here at the delight! blog, we’re covering every episode of season seven the Monday after it airs. Check it out.
Take it away, Zoe:
My favorite TV show is Cold Case.
The show revolves around Lilly Rush, a detective who investigates unsolved murders from the recent and not-so-recent past. Kathryn Morris does an amazing job portraying Rush's character – from matching her appearance to her emotions, to acting out scenes with full concentration and commitment. Kathryn Morris has been around for many years, but this would have to be her best role yet! She is an amazing actress who has not been given any credit for her outstanding acting, which is a shame.
Danny Pino, the lead actor who plays Scotty Valens, also never seems to get any credit for his talent, even when he plays such an amazing role – and a completely different person than his actual self.
What else is good about it?
Whether it be the dramatic flashbacks into the past, or the heartfelt confrontations with the killer, or even the slight moments of anger from one of the detectives in an interrogation, nothing will pull your eyes away from the screen. Never have I seen such brilliant acting from a cast – or such wonderfully written storylines.
I advise everyone to take some time to check out this fantastic show. From the moment I watched the first episode, I was captivated and no other show on TV can compare with this one. I'm sure you will feel the same when you check it out!
Cold Case runs Sundays on CBS.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
What I Learned From: The Dog Whisperer: Seven, Sara, and Madeliene
I think this episode may mark the first time Cesar’s work has ever sort of failed in the long run. Not that it was Cesar’s fault.
Of course, to tell that story, I have to start at the end of the episode, with Madeliene.
I’ve got to say, I really understood why the first two dogs in the episode needed to come under Cesar’s care. One was tearing up the house, and the other was becoming a danger to herself and possibly other people.
But if you have a problem with your dog being afraid of brooms, let me just say: You’re calling Cesar because you want to be on TV.
(If you disagree, feel free to drop me a comment, but really? Brooms?)
Cesar, of course, did his calm/assertive thing, and the dog ignored the broom. And then Cesar took the dog out in the car, where it barked at the windshield wipers until Cesar held up his arm so the dog couldn’t leap around the car.
Then the dog sat down. Lesson over.
Except, at the end of the episode, when they did the wrap-up, Madeliene’s owners demonstrated that the dog was no longer afraid of the broom, but that she was still going after the wipers.
Which means not only did they get Cesar to come to their house for a really silly reason, they couldn’t do the work required to fix the problem.
I have to admit some ambivalence about the story of Seven as well. Seven belongs to Jillian Michaels who is, of course, a big TV star who trains people to lose weight. But her problem sucked up a half-hour of screen time, even though the entire solution was:
If you’re going to ride your horse, and you don’t want your dog to run around barking and nipping at the horse… put it on a leash.
Yes, that was it. In fact, they showed the elapsed time for the solution to work and it took… two seconds. Literally, two seconds.
So why the half-hour story? Jillian. Nothing against her, she seems like a very nice lady who wants to help people. But her story didn’t need a half-hour.
I’ll say what I would have liked, though – a full hour on the middle dog, Sara. Sara has so much anxiety about her owners leaving that she:
Hopped a very tall fence. So the owners made it higher, and she…
Hopped the even taller fence. And…
Got up on the roof of the neighbor’s house. And…
They took her inside, where she broke out of a bunch of kennels. Then…
Tore the molding off the door, flipped the lock, and opened the front door with her mouth.
This is clearly a dog who was freaked out, and trying to help her took a lot of work.
They set up cameras in the house to see what she was doing, which was kind of heartbreaking.
They set up a Scat Mat, which gives the dog an “unpleasant pulse” when it tried to get near the door or windows. And Cesar practiced putting the dog in a kennel in a calm/submissive way.
And in the end, the owners were happy to say that they can now leave the dog up to five hours at a time. After something like four months of work.
First of all, that’s what I call a story. You feel for the people. You feel for the dog.
And it’s a real problem, one that I’m sure a lot of owners face, and could information on. But they raced through the solution so you could see the story of the little dog who needed a leash.
Eh. So I feel like what I mostly learned is that you really shouldn’t call Cesar if you’re famous or have a silly problem.
But for the sake of this entry, I’ll up the advice I really thought was valuable: Teach your dog that their kennel isn’t a prison, and they’ll go in and stay in and not tear up your house.
Of course, to tell that story, I have to start at the end of the episode, with Madeliene.
I’ve got to say, I really understood why the first two dogs in the episode needed to come under Cesar’s care. One was tearing up the house, and the other was becoming a danger to herself and possibly other people.
But if you have a problem with your dog being afraid of brooms, let me just say: You’re calling Cesar because you want to be on TV.
(If you disagree, feel free to drop me a comment, but really? Brooms?)
Cesar, of course, did his calm/assertive thing, and the dog ignored the broom. And then Cesar took the dog out in the car, where it barked at the windshield wipers until Cesar held up his arm so the dog couldn’t leap around the car.
Then the dog sat down. Lesson over.
Except, at the end of the episode, when they did the wrap-up, Madeliene’s owners demonstrated that the dog was no longer afraid of the broom, but that she was still going after the wipers.
Which means not only did they get Cesar to come to their house for a really silly reason, they couldn’t do the work required to fix the problem.
I have to admit some ambivalence about the story of Seven as well. Seven belongs to Jillian Michaels who is, of course, a big TV star who trains people to lose weight. But her problem sucked up a half-hour of screen time, even though the entire solution was:
If you’re going to ride your horse, and you don’t want your dog to run around barking and nipping at the horse… put it on a leash.
Yes, that was it. In fact, they showed the elapsed time for the solution to work and it took… two seconds. Literally, two seconds.
So why the half-hour story? Jillian. Nothing against her, she seems like a very nice lady who wants to help people. But her story didn’t need a half-hour.
I’ll say what I would have liked, though – a full hour on the middle dog, Sara. Sara has so much anxiety about her owners leaving that she:
Hopped a very tall fence. So the owners made it higher, and she…
Hopped the even taller fence. And…
Got up on the roof of the neighbor’s house. And…
They took her inside, where she broke out of a bunch of kennels. Then…
Tore the molding off the door, flipped the lock, and opened the front door with her mouth.
This is clearly a dog who was freaked out, and trying to help her took a lot of work.
They set up cameras in the house to see what she was doing, which was kind of heartbreaking.
They set up a Scat Mat, which gives the dog an “unpleasant pulse” when it tried to get near the door or windows. And Cesar practiced putting the dog in a kennel in a calm/submissive way.
And in the end, the owners were happy to say that they can now leave the dog up to five hours at a time. After something like four months of work.
First of all, that’s what I call a story. You feel for the people. You feel for the dog.
And it’s a real problem, one that I’m sure a lot of owners face, and could information on. But they raced through the solution so you could see the story of the little dog who needed a leash.
Eh. So I feel like what I mostly learned is that you really shouldn’t call Cesar if you’re famous or have a silly problem.
But for the sake of this entry, I’ll up the advice I really thought was valuable: Teach your dog that their kennel isn’t a prison, and they’ll go in and stay in and not tear up your house.
Watch. Win. $500
The month of March brings yet another Watch and Win! giveaway.
To enter, click below:
Watch and Win! For $500
Then watch a short video clip, and then click “Enter Now” for a chance to win $500.
How easy is that?
To enter, click below:
Watch and Win! For $500
Then watch a short video clip, and then click “Enter Now” for a chance to win $500.
How easy is that?
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Damages Season 3 Episode 6
Tom and his wife and the only other person we ever see at Patty’s firm talk about the fact that Tom and everyone else around them has lost a whole lot of money, and they need to cut costs. His wife is displeased with the whole conversation, and walks out.
Four Months Later: The two detectives discuss the now-dead Tom. They’ve figured out that Tom died two hours after Patty got hit by Tom’s car. So Tom might be the driver.
Credits!
Now! Tom and Patty talk to a judge about the fact that they seem to be looking for hidden money that isn’t there. The judge warns them that if they don’t get more money soon, they’ll be off the case.
Tom and Patty leave, and talk about Alex, the new hopeful-hire. Patty says she can’t think about Alex right now. She wants to know where Danielle’s daughter went. And what else happened on Thanksgiving.
Ellen and Gates talk about Danielle’s mysterious death. They can’t think of any reason Tobin’s family would have killed Danielle, which probably proves they aren’t all that great at their jobs. They decide to investigate Tobin’s death first, starting with the guy Joe punched.
In his office, Winstone hands Joe a gun, since Joe is going to meet Stewart.
Patty goes to see Sterling, one of the many people she’s put behind bars. She wants to remodel her apartment, and asks for the name of his architect. And to ask him about Tobin and his missing fortune.
He offers to help, but he wants a conjugal visit in return.
Patty brings Alex into her office, and gives her an assignment. Patty asks Alex if she’s ever been to prison.
Joe takes the Subway to the last stop on the line, as directed by Stewart via Winstone. Stewart’s flunky greets Joe on the train. And then, here comes Stewart, an older fellow around Tobin’s age.
Joe wants Stewart to show him the money.
In the office, Tom tells Patty he’s got to go to his kid’s school and talk about what it’s like being a lawyer.
Ellen, Gates, and another guy on the Tobin case talk about the guy Joe assaulted. He won’t talk without an attorney present. His attorney is Patty.
Tom goes to his daughter’s school, and ends up sitting behind… the guy who invested his money. Which is all gone now.
Alex goes to see Sterling. She starts unzipping her boot.
Ellen and pals interrogate Joe’s assault victim with Patty there.
Everyone leaves, except for Ellen. Patty asks her to stay. Ellen admits that Gates is getting desperate to put someone behind bars for something.
Patty also asks Ellen what Ellen thinks of Alex. Ellen says that Alex is talented and dedicated, but implies she doesn’t like Alex very much.
And now it’s time for Tom to present “What it’s Like to Be a Lawyer.” He basically says he wanted to be a lawyer because he understands the value of rules.
Alex goes back to Patty’s firm and tries to get up to see Patty, but Patty calls down and says she’s busy and doesn’t want to see Alex.
Alex leaves.
Joe gets a call on his cell phone, and he’s told to go to 117th Street and 1st Ave.
At her office, Ellen leads her team to the “Tobin killed himself” theory.
On the street, Joe is directed to talk to a woman. He gets a key. He opens box 17, and there’s a dry cleaning slip in it.
Patty goes to visit Sterling in prison. He describes Alex as “delightful.” He directs Patty to the Caribbean. He thinks Patty will find the money there.
Meanwhile, Joe goes to the dry cleaner and hands in his slip. In return, he gets a massive box and the directions to thank Stewart.
Patty gets a phone call at home, and meets with Stewart’s architect. Turns out it’s the guy who hit on her at the start of the season. He thinks the beauty of the living space is actually behind the walls. They need to be torn out. Patty says she’ll be in touch.
Joe takes the box to Winstone. Inside the box? A coat. And directions to give the coat to Joe’s mom. He and Winstone decide to send it back.
Tom speaks to his father-in-law. Because his in-laws lost it all, they don’t have the money to pay their insurance premiums, and Tom’s mother-in-law has medical issues that need to be dealt with.
Four Months Later: Ellen goes to Tom’s place. She knocks. No answer. She tries the door, and gets in. Tom has a bag of money for Ellen. Ellen asks if Patty knows about it. Tom says don’t worry about Patty.
And then we see Patty’s car crash again.
Now! Turns out, Tobin’s money IS in the Caribbean, but none of the Tobin family members handled it.
Tom gets a call from his daughter, which makes Patty unhappy.
Ellen and crew go to visit Tobin’s doctor. They ask about his elevated potassium levels. The doctor says that’s normal. Then they show the doctor Danielle’s death record. Same elevated levels.
The doctor claims he explained the potassium death trick to Tobin, but didn’t give him anything to kill himself with. He also admits that Danielle could have died that way, but he really, really didn’t have anything to do with that.
Alex goes to see Ellen, to talk about Patty again. And we get more of Alex in prison. It seems she smuggled some caviar in. And that’s it.
Ellen says Alex should run away.
Stewart meets his flunky, and they determine they don’t trust Joe, since he didn’t give the coat to his mom.
Tom goes to his daughter’s recital, and the evil investor that lost all his money is there, talking about things like his private jet. The man gets a phone call, and Tom follows him out of the concert.
Tom confronts him about the fact that all his money is gone. It devolves into a fistfight.
Alex calls Ellen. Alex got the job. Ellen seems vaguely emotional about this.
Joe goes home to his hotel room. Stewart and his flunky are there. They want the coat. Stewart explains the fur was for Joe’s mom. The flunky tells Joe to look in the bottom dresser drawer. There’s a case there. With money in it.
Tom calls Patty from the airport. It seems that Danielle’s daughter is a flight attendant for a private airline.
Four Months Later: The detectives go to check out Tom’s car. They open the trunk. Ellen and Tom’s bag of money is in there.
Now! Tom tells his lawyer buddy he’s going to get his money back, and not tell Patty about the lost cash.
Four Months Later: The two detectives discuss the now-dead Tom. They’ve figured out that Tom died two hours after Patty got hit by Tom’s car. So Tom might be the driver.
Credits!
Now! Tom and Patty talk to a judge about the fact that they seem to be looking for hidden money that isn’t there. The judge warns them that if they don’t get more money soon, they’ll be off the case.
Tom and Patty leave, and talk about Alex, the new hopeful-hire. Patty says she can’t think about Alex right now. She wants to know where Danielle’s daughter went. And what else happened on Thanksgiving.
Ellen and Gates talk about Danielle’s mysterious death. They can’t think of any reason Tobin’s family would have killed Danielle, which probably proves they aren’t all that great at their jobs. They decide to investigate Tobin’s death first, starting with the guy Joe punched.
In his office, Winstone hands Joe a gun, since Joe is going to meet Stewart.
Patty goes to see Sterling, one of the many people she’s put behind bars. She wants to remodel her apartment, and asks for the name of his architect. And to ask him about Tobin and his missing fortune.
He offers to help, but he wants a conjugal visit in return.
Patty brings Alex into her office, and gives her an assignment. Patty asks Alex if she’s ever been to prison.
Joe takes the Subway to the last stop on the line, as directed by Stewart via Winstone. Stewart’s flunky greets Joe on the train. And then, here comes Stewart, an older fellow around Tobin’s age.
Joe wants Stewart to show him the money.
In the office, Tom tells Patty he’s got to go to his kid’s school and talk about what it’s like being a lawyer.
Ellen, Gates, and another guy on the Tobin case talk about the guy Joe assaulted. He won’t talk without an attorney present. His attorney is Patty.
Tom goes to his daughter’s school, and ends up sitting behind… the guy who invested his money. Which is all gone now.
Alex goes to see Sterling. She starts unzipping her boot.
Ellen and pals interrogate Joe’s assault victim with Patty there.
Everyone leaves, except for Ellen. Patty asks her to stay. Ellen admits that Gates is getting desperate to put someone behind bars for something.
Patty also asks Ellen what Ellen thinks of Alex. Ellen says that Alex is talented and dedicated, but implies she doesn’t like Alex very much.
And now it’s time for Tom to present “What it’s Like to Be a Lawyer.” He basically says he wanted to be a lawyer because he understands the value of rules.
Alex goes back to Patty’s firm and tries to get up to see Patty, but Patty calls down and says she’s busy and doesn’t want to see Alex.
Alex leaves.
Joe gets a call on his cell phone, and he’s told to go to 117th Street and 1st Ave.
At her office, Ellen leads her team to the “Tobin killed himself” theory.
On the street, Joe is directed to talk to a woman. He gets a key. He opens box 17, and there’s a dry cleaning slip in it.
Patty goes to visit Sterling in prison. He describes Alex as “delightful.” He directs Patty to the Caribbean. He thinks Patty will find the money there.
Meanwhile, Joe goes to the dry cleaner and hands in his slip. In return, he gets a massive box and the directions to thank Stewart.
Patty gets a phone call at home, and meets with Stewart’s architect. Turns out it’s the guy who hit on her at the start of the season. He thinks the beauty of the living space is actually behind the walls. They need to be torn out. Patty says she’ll be in touch.
Joe takes the box to Winstone. Inside the box? A coat. And directions to give the coat to Joe’s mom. He and Winstone decide to send it back.
Tom speaks to his father-in-law. Because his in-laws lost it all, they don’t have the money to pay their insurance premiums, and Tom’s mother-in-law has medical issues that need to be dealt with.
Four Months Later: Ellen goes to Tom’s place. She knocks. No answer. She tries the door, and gets in. Tom has a bag of money for Ellen. Ellen asks if Patty knows about it. Tom says don’t worry about Patty.
And then we see Patty’s car crash again.
Now! Turns out, Tobin’s money IS in the Caribbean, but none of the Tobin family members handled it.
Tom gets a call from his daughter, which makes Patty unhappy.
Ellen and crew go to visit Tobin’s doctor. They ask about his elevated potassium levels. The doctor says that’s normal. Then they show the doctor Danielle’s death record. Same elevated levels.
The doctor claims he explained the potassium death trick to Tobin, but didn’t give him anything to kill himself with. He also admits that Danielle could have died that way, but he really, really didn’t have anything to do with that.
Alex goes to see Ellen, to talk about Patty again. And we get more of Alex in prison. It seems she smuggled some caviar in. And that’s it.
Ellen says Alex should run away.
Stewart meets his flunky, and they determine they don’t trust Joe, since he didn’t give the coat to his mom.
Tom goes to his daughter’s recital, and the evil investor that lost all his money is there, talking about things like his private jet. The man gets a phone call, and Tom follows him out of the concert.
Tom confronts him about the fact that all his money is gone. It devolves into a fistfight.
Alex calls Ellen. Alex got the job. Ellen seems vaguely emotional about this.
Joe goes home to his hotel room. Stewart and his flunky are there. They want the coat. Stewart explains the fur was for Joe’s mom. The flunky tells Joe to look in the bottom dresser drawer. There’s a case there. With money in it.
Tom calls Patty from the airport. It seems that Danielle’s daughter is a flight attendant for a private airline.
Four Months Later: The detectives go to check out Tom’s car. They open the trunk. Ellen and Tom’s bag of money is in there.
Now! Tom tells his lawyer buddy he’s going to get his money back, and not tell Patty about the lost cash.
Oddly Specific
Have you ever looked at a sign and thought: “Oh sure, that makes sense. No. Wait…”
I love those kinds of signs. And if you do too, you must (must!) go to Oddly Specific.
Warning: You will get nothing done all day if you go there.
I love those kinds of signs. And if you do too, you must (must!) go to Oddly Specific.
Warning: You will get nothing done all day if you go there.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Cold Case: Two Weddings
I’ve got my pity on for Noah Bean this week, as he once again ends up on a show where he breaks off his engagement, then dies horribly.
While having a first name that begins with a letter D.
Of course, last time this happened, it was on Damages, and he got something like 15 episodes worth of work out of it. This time, it’s one and done.
He seems to be working his way backwards through the alphabet. So perhaps next time he plays a D the show will start with a B? David on “Damages,” Dan on “Cold Case”… Darius on “Breaking Bad?”
I’m over-thinking this.
Also featured in this episode was Rachel Miner, who took a couple of guest turns on my favorite TV show of the moment, “Supernatural.” And man, if they didn’t do nice work as the fiancé and the bride-to-be he leaves the night before the wedding.
I enjoyed the fact that “Cold Case” took a trip (mostly) of the office tonight, putting all the men in nice suits and/or tuxes and Lilly into a fetching dress that made me wonder where she pulled her badge from, when she flashed it at the bride.
And what’s the mystery? Well, it seems that Louie, who’s appeared in a few episodes of “Case” over the years, is getting married to Anna, who was going to marry Dan just two short years ago.
Unfortunately, he took a long tumble off a balcony and ended up dead… shortly after breaking off their engagement.
The crew catches a whiff of this and decide to make the wedding a working one – which gives them a chance to scope out a drunken father of the bride, a bitter mother of the bride, a skanky sister of the bride, the new groom, Dan’s business partner, and Anna herself (whew!).
I have to admit, I was sort of hoping it was going to be the caterer, who did it because he was all bitter about the fact that he lost the job just when he needed it. Wouldn’t that have been a great twist?
Probably not as good as the one they came up with.
Off the top of my head, I can’t think of anything to dislike about the episode. It broke from the usual format a touch, but it made for a nice entrance point for anyone who wanted to try out the show in its new time slot.
And there was a lot of good to be had. The white sheep daughter in a family of off-white sheep was maybe a little cliché, and Dan’s problems seem a little obvious, until you get to the surprisingly touching ending.
I even got a solid chuckle as our intrepid detectives managed to make it through a whole scene undercover, only to get outed a little later in the episode.
As “Cold Case” eases into what is probably its home stretch, it’s nice to see them change things up a little bit.
And hey: Lilly caught the bouquet. A nice moment, to be sure.
While having a first name that begins with a letter D.
Of course, last time this happened, it was on Damages, and he got something like 15 episodes worth of work out of it. This time, it’s one and done.
He seems to be working his way backwards through the alphabet. So perhaps next time he plays a D the show will start with a B? David on “Damages,” Dan on “Cold Case”… Darius on “Breaking Bad?”
I’m over-thinking this.
Also featured in this episode was Rachel Miner, who took a couple of guest turns on my favorite TV show of the moment, “Supernatural.” And man, if they didn’t do nice work as the fiancé and the bride-to-be he leaves the night before the wedding.
I enjoyed the fact that “Cold Case” took a trip (mostly) of the office tonight, putting all the men in nice suits and/or tuxes and Lilly into a fetching dress that made me wonder where she pulled her badge from, when she flashed it at the bride.
And what’s the mystery? Well, it seems that Louie, who’s appeared in a few episodes of “Case” over the years, is getting married to Anna, who was going to marry Dan just two short years ago.
Unfortunately, he took a long tumble off a balcony and ended up dead… shortly after breaking off their engagement.
The crew catches a whiff of this and decide to make the wedding a working one – which gives them a chance to scope out a drunken father of the bride, a bitter mother of the bride, a skanky sister of the bride, the new groom, Dan’s business partner, and Anna herself (whew!).
I have to admit, I was sort of hoping it was going to be the caterer, who did it because he was all bitter about the fact that he lost the job just when he needed it. Wouldn’t that have been a great twist?
Probably not as good as the one they came up with.
Off the top of my head, I can’t think of anything to dislike about the episode. It broke from the usual format a touch, but it made for a nice entrance point for anyone who wanted to try out the show in its new time slot.
And there was a lot of good to be had. The white sheep daughter in a family of off-white sheep was maybe a little cliché, and Dan’s problems seem a little obvious, until you get to the surprisingly touching ending.
I even got a solid chuckle as our intrepid detectives managed to make it through a whole scene undercover, only to get outed a little later in the episode.
As “Cold Case” eases into what is probably its home stretch, it’s nice to see them change things up a little bit.
And hey: Lilly caught the bouquet. A nice moment, to be sure.
Welcome to the March Issue - Featuring Padma Lakshmi
The month of February has come and gone, and now we enter the fantastic month of March. Our latest issue includes an interview with Padma Lakshmi, of “Top Chef.”
Want to know what Padma thinks makes for a good “Top Chef” contestant? And much, much more? Click!
Then, click here to check out a few recipes from her book, “Tangy Hot Tart & Sweet” in our online extension.
Want to know what Padma thinks makes for a good “Top Chef” contestant? And much, much more? Click!
Then, click here to check out a few recipes from her book, “Tangy Hot Tart & Sweet” in our online extension.
Friday, February 26, 2010
The Criterion Collection is On Hulu
If you’re a film fan you know Criterion finds the greatest movies ever made, makes them look as good as they can, and releases them into the world.
Well now, you can watch (some of) them for free. (With more to come.)
Come on now, it’s Friday! You weren’t going to get anything done today anyway, right?
Well now, you can watch (some of) them for free. (With more to come.)
Come on now, it’s Friday! You weren’t going to get anything done today anyway, right?
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Play That Web Site
Just imagine that your favorite web site was a piece of music. What would it sound like?
Now you can find out.
Be sure to use this information only for good.
Now you can find out.
Be sure to use this information only for good.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
What I Learned from The Dog Whisperer: Maxwell, Brooklyn, and Tipper
Generally when I talk about “The Dog Whisperer,” I like to do a little summary of the episode, but I’m going to let the last be first, and give you:
Cesar Millan’s 6 Step Plan for Walking Your Dog
Take a deep breath.
Stay calm.
Set the pace.
Pick up speed.
Face your obstacles.
Get in the zone.
So if you always wanted to know that, there you are.
As for the rest of the episode, it could probably have been called: Dogs Get Excited, So You Shouldn’t.
The quick version goes like this:
We’ve got three dogs, and three different owners. The dogs are Maxwell, Brooklyn, and Tipper.
As usual, Cesar put them all through their paces, and as Cesar says at the head of each episode: “I train people.”
In this case, that’s really all he did. Faced with three dogs who get excited too easily, and sometimes get aggressive when they get excited, Cesar trained the owners to calm down. Which made the dogs calm down.
(Cesar even said as much in the episode. When one owner said she was learning to calm her dog, Cesar replied, “No, we learned how to calm YOU down.”)
Though the “Coming up next” always tries to make the episode look like it’s going to turn into a blood-fest, all in all this was a calm episode about calming people down.
The money quote though, came from the second family. When watching the show, she always said to herself: “It’s obvious. What are people thinking?” She then apologized to everyone who has ever been on the program.
I suspect just about everyone on the show feels the same way.
Cesar Millan’s 6 Step Plan for Walking Your Dog
Take a deep breath.
Stay calm.
Set the pace.
Pick up speed.
Face your obstacles.
Get in the zone.
So if you always wanted to know that, there you are.
As for the rest of the episode, it could probably have been called: Dogs Get Excited, So You Shouldn’t.
The quick version goes like this:
We’ve got three dogs, and three different owners. The dogs are Maxwell, Brooklyn, and Tipper.
As usual, Cesar put them all through their paces, and as Cesar says at the head of each episode: “I train people.”
In this case, that’s really all he did. Faced with three dogs who get excited too easily, and sometimes get aggressive when they get excited, Cesar trained the owners to calm down. Which made the dogs calm down.
(Cesar even said as much in the episode. When one owner said she was learning to calm her dog, Cesar replied, “No, we learned how to calm YOU down.”)
Though the “Coming up next” always tries to make the episode look like it’s going to turn into a blood-fest, all in all this was a calm episode about calming people down.
The money quote though, came from the second family. When watching the show, she always said to herself: “It’s obvious. What are people thinking?” She then apologized to everyone who has ever been on the program.
I suspect just about everyone on the show feels the same way.
Hurry, Hurry, Hurry!
This month’s contests are almost over – and there are four chances to win!
First, you can get an iPod nano:
Do you have a Web site, blog, online game, podcast, or app you’re aching to tell the world about? Is there a TV show or celebrity you think our readers should see? Let us know!
If we use your discovery in print, we’ll send you an iPod nano!
Just fill out the survey at the link below for a chance to share your very favorite site or show – and get a nano to boot:
delight! Survey
Second, you can win $250:
First, read the online version of delight! magazine. Then, click the link below to take a short survey. You could win a $250 gift card.
$250 Shopping Spree Gift Card
Filling out this short surveys not only gives you a chance to win, it gives us a chance to learn what kind of TV shows and Web sites you love – and helps us to plan future issues around reader favorites.
Finally, you can Watch and Win – and you have two chances to do so!
Watch a little TV and win a lot of cash with our Watch and Win contest. To enter: click here.
Then watch a short video clip, and click “Enter Now.”
Good luck!
First, you can get an iPod nano:
Do you have a Web site, blog, online game, podcast, or app you’re aching to tell the world about? Is there a TV show or celebrity you think our readers should see? Let us know!
If we use your discovery in print, we’ll send you an iPod nano!
Just fill out the survey at the link below for a chance to share your very favorite site or show – and get a nano to boot:
delight! Survey
Second, you can win $250:
First, read the online version of delight! magazine. Then, click the link below to take a short survey. You could win a $250 gift card.
$250 Shopping Spree Gift Card
Filling out this short surveys not only gives you a chance to win, it gives us a chance to learn what kind of TV shows and Web sites you love – and helps us to plan future issues around reader favorites.
Finally, you can Watch and Win – and you have two chances to do so!
Watch a little TV and win a lot of cash with our Watch and Win contest. To enter: click here.
Then watch a short video clip, and click “Enter Now.”
Good luck!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Damages Season 3, Episode 5
As usual, a note or three.
I really wish that FX would start putting Damages back up on Hulu. Although FX runs the show a bunch of times each week, I can’t help but thinking that if people could catch up with this season, they might want to follow along.
Especially since there aren’t a whole lot of ties to previous seasons – or at least not ones you can’t work out pretty easily.
Does anyone else think that trying to guess who-dun-what is probably impossible with this show? By which I mean, if you start at the beginning of the season, first episode, and go, “I think this person did it?” there’s no way you know yet? Possibly because the bad guy has yet to be revealed?
This episode got me thinking, what with the fact that we’re still meeting new characters at this late hour.
As it is, I make in-episode guesses from time to time, and I’m wrong just about the same amount that I’m right. Which makes for good TV, in my estimation.
Episode 5
We’ve got a dream sequence beginning. Dead Uncle Pete wishes Patty a happy birthday, and shows her the gift she got. It’s a pony.
Ellen is also there, warning her that a pony is a big responsibility. She also says Patty can keep her, but Patty has to wash her feet first. Patty’s feet are covering in blood.
Patty wakes up. Credits!
And now we’re at Tobin’s graveside. The only people who are there are his wife, his two kids, and his lawyer.
Tobin’s daughter, Carol, gives a long speech about how Tobin wasn’t greedy or evil. His investors were, and they deserve to be underground, not him.
Ellen and Gates meet with Tom and Patty. They make plans to depose Danielle.
Joe and Winstone talk. Joe presents Tobin’s envelope to Winstone. It was to be given to Patty, and in it is a letter apologizing to Patty, and telling her where to find the hidden money. Tobin didn’t want to taint Joe.
Winstone reveals to Joe that Tobin told him he was going to kill himself.
The letter to Patty mentions a name: Stewart. Joe wants to meet him.
Ellen and Gates determine that they need to talk to Danielle before Patty and Tom do.
Patty and Tom determine they need to talk to Danielle before Gates and Ellen do.
Patty also wonders why Tom hasn’t hired a new associated to replace Ellen yet. He says he’s working on it. He can only think of one good candidate: Alex Benjamin.
Five Months Later: The detective and Patty talk about what happened to Tom.
Just Before That: We see Tom try to pull himself out of his apartment, only to be pulled back in.
Now! Tom brings in Alex for an interview. He gives her the same speech he gave Ellen, down to the word. He gets ready to set her up for an interview, and she says she’ll miss her own sister’s wedding for the interview.
(Can I just say, I really miss moments like this, which require knowledge of all that came before to really get them? I love that kind of stuff, and I wish this season had more of it.)
Patty attempts to see Danielle, and Gates drops by to let Patty know that Gates and his people now have sole access.
Gates and Ellen meet with Danielle. They give her 48 hours to help them. If she does, they’ll give her immunity.
Joe meets with his mom and sister. He tells them dad killed himself. He shows them the potion Tobin did it with.
Joe tells Carol that they have to stop blaming other people: Tobin did this to himself.
Winstone meets with a lady of the evening. He tells her that his “father” died.
Ellen goes to work. Someone is waiting for her in the conference room. It’s Josh! The reporter! He’s working at a paper in New York.
He wants to know about the Tobin case. Also, he wants an anonymous source at the DA’s office.
Tobin’s family goes through Tobin’s apartment. Patty is selling it so the money can go to the people who got ripped off, so the family gets one last quick look to see if there’s anything that belongs to them. Anything worth more than twenty bucks goes to auction.
Winstone gets a phone call. Carol says she can’t handle it and leaves.
Tobin’s wife wants the pictures. And also something else, but they’re told they’ll have to bid on it for the auction.
The Future: Tom, who is limping, walks to a pay phone and makes a call. He tells someone he loves them. There’s blood on his shirt.
Now: Tom and Patty talk about Tobin’s will. An earlier draft had a blind trust set up. They decide to call Tobin’s wife.
One of Stewart’s associates meets with Joe and Winstone. Apparently, they can’t get the money. It has something to do with Danielle. Until Danielle is dealt with, there’s no money.
Joe says he’ll take care of Danielle.
Patty meets with Alex. She says she’ll check Alex’s references and get back to her.
Joe meets with Danielle. Gates subpoenaed her. Joe hands her a statement – he says they just have to stick to the same story. He also says that now that his dad is dead, he can take away everything Danielle has.
Alex meets with Ellen. It was Patty’s suggestion. Alex loves Ellen’s bag that she got from Patty.
Ellen tells Alex that once Alex signs on with Patty, Patty will own her.
Patty and Tobin’s wife meet in the cemetery. Patty got her the objects she wanted. She tells Patty that Tobin killed himself, and that she’s worried about Carol. Patty says she wants the truth about Danielle and Thanksgiving.
Story time: Tobin needs his heart pills, and calls Danielle. And more: Danielle brings the pills, and… It turns out Danielle and Tobin had a child.
It seems Tobin tried to get Danielle out of the country, because he knew that Danielle would tear his family apart.
Later, Ellen and Josh are in bed. At her place. Josh asks why she got out from under Patty.
Ellen decides to do some baking.
Danielle gets a call from Patty. Patty tells Danielle not to give a fake story to the DA’s office. Patty just wants Danielle to plead the fifth, and Patty will take care of Danielle and her daughter.
And so, Danielle refuses to say anything. She does indeed take the fifth.
Patty get a package. Birthday cupcakes from Ellen.
Carol goes to see Danielle. She wants to know what things were like for Danielle and Joe. And Danielle and her dad. Carol wants to know if Tobin took care of Danielle.
She goes with, “It’s complicated.” Then she asks Carol to leave.
Five Months Later: Tom is wrapped in a blanket and thrown in a Dumpster.
Now: Patty asks Tom to go see Danielle, make sure she’s still on board.
Tobin’s wife goes to see Danielle’s daughter.
Tom goes to see Danielle. Danielle is dead.
Carol throws something into the river. Probably the potion she killed Danielle with.
Patty, up late at night, eats one of Ellen’s cupcakes. No, wait. Dream again.
I really wish that FX would start putting Damages back up on Hulu. Although FX runs the show a bunch of times each week, I can’t help but thinking that if people could catch up with this season, they might want to follow along.
Especially since there aren’t a whole lot of ties to previous seasons – or at least not ones you can’t work out pretty easily.
Does anyone else think that trying to guess who-dun-what is probably impossible with this show? By which I mean, if you start at the beginning of the season, first episode, and go, “I think this person did it?” there’s no way you know yet? Possibly because the bad guy has yet to be revealed?
This episode got me thinking, what with the fact that we’re still meeting new characters at this late hour.
As it is, I make in-episode guesses from time to time, and I’m wrong just about the same amount that I’m right. Which makes for good TV, in my estimation.
Episode 5
We’ve got a dream sequence beginning. Dead Uncle Pete wishes Patty a happy birthday, and shows her the gift she got. It’s a pony.
Ellen is also there, warning her that a pony is a big responsibility. She also says Patty can keep her, but Patty has to wash her feet first. Patty’s feet are covering in blood.
Patty wakes up. Credits!
And now we’re at Tobin’s graveside. The only people who are there are his wife, his two kids, and his lawyer.
Tobin’s daughter, Carol, gives a long speech about how Tobin wasn’t greedy or evil. His investors were, and they deserve to be underground, not him.
Ellen and Gates meet with Tom and Patty. They make plans to depose Danielle.
Joe and Winstone talk. Joe presents Tobin’s envelope to Winstone. It was to be given to Patty, and in it is a letter apologizing to Patty, and telling her where to find the hidden money. Tobin didn’t want to taint Joe.
Winstone reveals to Joe that Tobin told him he was going to kill himself.
The letter to Patty mentions a name: Stewart. Joe wants to meet him.
Ellen and Gates determine that they need to talk to Danielle before Patty and Tom do.
Patty and Tom determine they need to talk to Danielle before Gates and Ellen do.
Patty also wonders why Tom hasn’t hired a new associated to replace Ellen yet. He says he’s working on it. He can only think of one good candidate: Alex Benjamin.
Five Months Later: The detective and Patty talk about what happened to Tom.
Just Before That: We see Tom try to pull himself out of his apartment, only to be pulled back in.
Now! Tom brings in Alex for an interview. He gives her the same speech he gave Ellen, down to the word. He gets ready to set her up for an interview, and she says she’ll miss her own sister’s wedding for the interview.
(Can I just say, I really miss moments like this, which require knowledge of all that came before to really get them? I love that kind of stuff, and I wish this season had more of it.)
Patty attempts to see Danielle, and Gates drops by to let Patty know that Gates and his people now have sole access.
Gates and Ellen meet with Danielle. They give her 48 hours to help them. If she does, they’ll give her immunity.
Joe meets with his mom and sister. He tells them dad killed himself. He shows them the potion Tobin did it with.
Joe tells Carol that they have to stop blaming other people: Tobin did this to himself.
Winstone meets with a lady of the evening. He tells her that his “father” died.
Ellen goes to work. Someone is waiting for her in the conference room. It’s Josh! The reporter! He’s working at a paper in New York.
He wants to know about the Tobin case. Also, he wants an anonymous source at the DA’s office.
Tobin’s family goes through Tobin’s apartment. Patty is selling it so the money can go to the people who got ripped off, so the family gets one last quick look to see if there’s anything that belongs to them. Anything worth more than twenty bucks goes to auction.
Winstone gets a phone call. Carol says she can’t handle it and leaves.
Tobin’s wife wants the pictures. And also something else, but they’re told they’ll have to bid on it for the auction.
The Future: Tom, who is limping, walks to a pay phone and makes a call. He tells someone he loves them. There’s blood on his shirt.
Now: Tom and Patty talk about Tobin’s will. An earlier draft had a blind trust set up. They decide to call Tobin’s wife.
One of Stewart’s associates meets with Joe and Winstone. Apparently, they can’t get the money. It has something to do with Danielle. Until Danielle is dealt with, there’s no money.
Joe says he’ll take care of Danielle.
Patty meets with Alex. She says she’ll check Alex’s references and get back to her.
Joe meets with Danielle. Gates subpoenaed her. Joe hands her a statement – he says they just have to stick to the same story. He also says that now that his dad is dead, he can take away everything Danielle has.
Alex meets with Ellen. It was Patty’s suggestion. Alex loves Ellen’s bag that she got from Patty.
Ellen tells Alex that once Alex signs on with Patty, Patty will own her.
Patty and Tobin’s wife meet in the cemetery. Patty got her the objects she wanted. She tells Patty that Tobin killed himself, and that she’s worried about Carol. Patty says she wants the truth about Danielle and Thanksgiving.
Story time: Tobin needs his heart pills, and calls Danielle. And more: Danielle brings the pills, and… It turns out Danielle and Tobin had a child.
It seems Tobin tried to get Danielle out of the country, because he knew that Danielle would tear his family apart.
Later, Ellen and Josh are in bed. At her place. Josh asks why she got out from under Patty.
Ellen decides to do some baking.
Danielle gets a call from Patty. Patty tells Danielle not to give a fake story to the DA’s office. Patty just wants Danielle to plead the fifth, and Patty will take care of Danielle and her daughter.
And so, Danielle refuses to say anything. She does indeed take the fifth.
Patty get a package. Birthday cupcakes from Ellen.
Carol goes to see Danielle. She wants to know what things were like for Danielle and Joe. And Danielle and her dad. Carol wants to know if Tobin took care of Danielle.
She goes with, “It’s complicated.” Then she asks Carol to leave.
Five Months Later: Tom is wrapped in a blanket and thrown in a Dumpster.
Now: Patty asks Tom to go see Danielle, make sure she’s still on board.
Tobin’s wife goes to see Danielle’s daughter.
Tom goes to see Danielle. Danielle is dead.
Carol throws something into the river. Probably the potion she killed Danielle with.
Patty, up late at night, eats one of Ellen’s cupcakes. No, wait. Dream again.
So, You Finished Your Comedy Screenplay
But you have no connections, don’t know anyone who knows anyone, and aren’t sure how to find an agent?
Never fear: Lionsgate is looking for a comedy.
Hurry up – they’re only accepting pitches through March 8th…
Never fear: Lionsgate is looking for a comedy.
Hurry up – they’re only accepting pitches through March 8th…
Monday, February 22, 2010
Cold Case: Metamorphosis
Because people are busy, and I know that we live in a DVR culture, I try to keep these write-ups somewhat spoiler-free, so I won’t tell you just who was in cahoots with whom. But even if you figure out this week’s villain, I have my doubts that you’ll figure out the why, until you get to the big reveal.
I will say this: If you’ve ever seen the movie “Clue” on video, there’s a good chance you remember the “ultimate” ending – the one where we learn that someone is undercover.
That person, when asked who’s responsible for all the murders, declares, “They all did it!”
And we’ve got a case like that here, too.
This is not to say that everyone in this episode is on the take, but after the shrunken mystery of last week, it was nice to get a few more suspects thrown into the mix, just because it keeps things a little more interesting.
There was another nice touch this week that I also enjoyed – the person who brought in the case, a self-professed psychic, had a nice moment where she reassured Scotty that his mom was going to be okay… and that he might not be.
There were, of course, your usual twists and turns besides that, and as I was watching I couldn’t help but think of the recent New York Times bestseller, “Water for Elephants.” If you enjoyed this peek under the big top at all, I highly recommend the book – from which they probably pulled the circus term: First of May.
(The First of May is when most circuses start their season – hence, “Novice Performer.”)
What else was good? Well, the surprisingly quick wrap-up to the Moe storyline caught me by surprise, but I felt it was logical and fair. Since no one on Lilly’s team was going to be doing the investigating, it’s doubtful that the show could have pulled too much drama out of the murder without either making Lilly into a character you probably didn’t like, grounding her character totally, or putting to little mention of the ongoing investigation into every episode that you’d half-forget about it.
I think that if “Cold Case” got another season, they could do something really interesting with it, but with a limited number of episodes to wrap things up, there just isn’t time.
And finally, I don’t think I can bring my thoughts to a close without mentioning the fact that they used a whole bunch of music by The Doors in this particular ‘sode. I thought it accomplished three things very nicely. 1) It put you right into the 70s, and held you there, hard, during the circus scenes. More than anything else, it gave you an era. 2) The show’s use of “People are Strange” was nothing short of eerie. I’m sure that was the point. And 3) It kept the show away from circus music which, by definition, doesn’t really make you think murder.
All in all, a solid week. What say you?
I will say this: If you’ve ever seen the movie “Clue” on video, there’s a good chance you remember the “ultimate” ending – the one where we learn that someone is undercover.
That person, when asked who’s responsible for all the murders, declares, “They all did it!”
And we’ve got a case like that here, too.
This is not to say that everyone in this episode is on the take, but after the shrunken mystery of last week, it was nice to get a few more suspects thrown into the mix, just because it keeps things a little more interesting.
There was another nice touch this week that I also enjoyed – the person who brought in the case, a self-professed psychic, had a nice moment where she reassured Scotty that his mom was going to be okay… and that he might not be.
There were, of course, your usual twists and turns besides that, and as I was watching I couldn’t help but think of the recent New York Times bestseller, “Water for Elephants.” If you enjoyed this peek under the big top at all, I highly recommend the book – from which they probably pulled the circus term: First of May.
(The First of May is when most circuses start their season – hence, “Novice Performer.”)
What else was good? Well, the surprisingly quick wrap-up to the Moe storyline caught me by surprise, but I felt it was logical and fair. Since no one on Lilly’s team was going to be doing the investigating, it’s doubtful that the show could have pulled too much drama out of the murder without either making Lilly into a character you probably didn’t like, grounding her character totally, or putting to little mention of the ongoing investigation into every episode that you’d half-forget about it.
I think that if “Cold Case” got another season, they could do something really interesting with it, but with a limited number of episodes to wrap things up, there just isn’t time.
And finally, I don’t think I can bring my thoughts to a close without mentioning the fact that they used a whole bunch of music by The Doors in this particular ‘sode. I thought it accomplished three things very nicely. 1) It put you right into the 70s, and held you there, hard, during the circus scenes. More than anything else, it gave you an era. 2) The show’s use of “People are Strange” was nothing short of eerie. I’m sure that was the point. And 3) It kept the show away from circus music which, by definition, doesn’t really make you think murder.
All in all, a solid week. What say you?
Well Done, Daddy
If you watch “The Dog Whisperer” at all, chances are good that you already know who Daddy is.
If not, the short version is: Daddy is Cesar Millan’s right-hand dog.
And what a dog he was.
I say was because Daddy recently passed away at sixteen years of age – an impressive number for a pit bull.
delight! related the story of Daddy in our online extension this month. If you want to know a little more about him, I highly suggest checking his story out here.
Cesar memorializes his good friend and partner here.
And you can find Daddy’s Facebook fan page here.
If not, the short version is: Daddy is Cesar Millan’s right-hand dog.
And what a dog he was.
I say was because Daddy recently passed away at sixteen years of age – an impressive number for a pit bull.
delight! related the story of Daddy in our online extension this month. If you want to know a little more about him, I highly suggest checking his story out here.
Cesar memorializes his good friend and partner here.
And you can find Daddy’s Facebook fan page here.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Because You Want to Know (Curling Edition)
USA tells you just what’s up with those Curler’s pants:
Talk of Vancouver: Crazy curling pants of Norway draw notice
And hey! The games are half-over. What have you been enjoying so far?
Talk of Vancouver: Crazy curling pants of Norway draw notice
And hey! The games are half-over. What have you been enjoying so far?
How to Be Lucky
In general, I prefer to link to things that are more fun than thoughtful.
But this is both. It’s an article that tells you, in three simple steps, how to be more lucky:
Be Lucky: It’s an Easy Skill to Learn
Interestingly, the idea reminded me quite a bit of the book (and movie) “Yes Man.”
What do you think? And for that matter, did you ever try something like this? Because I’m thinking I just might…
But this is both. It’s an article that tells you, in three simple steps, how to be more lucky:
Be Lucky: It’s an Easy Skill to Learn
Interestingly, the idea reminded me quite a bit of the book (and movie) “Yes Man.”
What do you think? And for that matter, did you ever try something like this? Because I’m thinking I just might…
Thursday, February 18, 2010
The Very Best of the Winter Olympics
Well, okay, that title isn’t 100% accurate. But if you find yourself too busy, I don’t know, working at work to see everything you want to see, you can find a lot of it on NBCOlympics.com.
Including this list of their most popular videos. If you’re looking for something because you heard it was awesome, chances are good you’ll find it there.
Including this list of their most popular videos. If you’re looking for something because you heard it was awesome, chances are good you’ll find it there.
T-Shirt War
Watch this video before it becomes the next big thing. Then you can say that you saw it first:
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
What I Learned From: The Dog Whisperer: Kobe, Banjo, and Kisses
For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been checking out Cesar Millan as he tackled some larger issues. Raising dogs from puppies. Dealing with dogs that were, in his estimation, on the verge of killing other dogs.
This week gave us something a little different – a grab bag of doggie problems that weren’t really related. To wit:
Banjo: A former animal vaccine tester, Banjo was afraid of humans and refused to go near anyone. Even his owners.
Kobe: Was blinded in one eye due to a terrible accident with another dog. Hated other dogs ever since, and then got dangerous around people.
Kisses: A teeny little dog that liked to be in control. Also, she liked to tinkle on the floor when a certain friend came by.
Since all of these issues don’t center around a recognizable theme, the lessons to take away from the episode are a little more wide-ranging than usual.
Except, of course, for the always familiar: Calm. Assertive.
But there were a couple of interesting lessons along the way:
Kobe: Kobe’s main issue was acting out against other dogs, which spread to people. To fix this, Cesar had the family practice how to introduce people and other dogs into Kobe’s territory.
This all happened very, very quickly. And the issue seemed to stem much more from the people being cowed by Kobe, than by any real problems with Kobe’s aggression.
Banjo: Due to the fact that Banjo was afraid of humans, Cesar worked on building up Banjo’s confidence. His breed makes him want to hunt for raccoons, so they got some urine and had Banjo look for it. And rather than patting Banjo on the head, he encouraged the owners to touch the underside of his head, lifting the dog’s head up.
Kisses: Kisses was aggressive and easily excited into piddling on the floor. So Kisses’s master had to learn how to discipline the dog, instead of punishing the dog.
Watching “The Dog Whisperer,” I have to admit the thing that I find the most interesting about the show is just how well EVERY dog reacts to Cesar. Though I haven’t seen every episode, without fail the dog who attacks other dogs, or acts aggressive against humans, invariably takes to Cesar like a duck to water.
Whether Cesar really knows what he’s doing, or whether Cesar is just like those moms who can put ANY baby to sleep, no matter how cranky, it’s amazing to watch.
I’d say the big lesson of the show was, as always, Calm/Assertive. Show the dog you’re the leader, and they will follow.
This week gave us something a little different – a grab bag of doggie problems that weren’t really related. To wit:
Banjo: A former animal vaccine tester, Banjo was afraid of humans and refused to go near anyone. Even his owners.
Kobe: Was blinded in one eye due to a terrible accident with another dog. Hated other dogs ever since, and then got dangerous around people.
Kisses: A teeny little dog that liked to be in control. Also, she liked to tinkle on the floor when a certain friend came by.
Since all of these issues don’t center around a recognizable theme, the lessons to take away from the episode are a little more wide-ranging than usual.
Except, of course, for the always familiar: Calm. Assertive.
But there were a couple of interesting lessons along the way:
Kobe: Kobe’s main issue was acting out against other dogs, which spread to people. To fix this, Cesar had the family practice how to introduce people and other dogs into Kobe’s territory.
This all happened very, very quickly. And the issue seemed to stem much more from the people being cowed by Kobe, than by any real problems with Kobe’s aggression.
Banjo: Due to the fact that Banjo was afraid of humans, Cesar worked on building up Banjo’s confidence. His breed makes him want to hunt for raccoons, so they got some urine and had Banjo look for it. And rather than patting Banjo on the head, he encouraged the owners to touch the underside of his head, lifting the dog’s head up.
Kisses: Kisses was aggressive and easily excited into piddling on the floor. So Kisses’s master had to learn how to discipline the dog, instead of punishing the dog.
Watching “The Dog Whisperer,” I have to admit the thing that I find the most interesting about the show is just how well EVERY dog reacts to Cesar. Though I haven’t seen every episode, without fail the dog who attacks other dogs, or acts aggressive against humans, invariably takes to Cesar like a duck to water.
Whether Cesar really knows what he’s doing, or whether Cesar is just like those moms who can put ANY baby to sleep, no matter how cranky, it’s amazing to watch.
I’d say the big lesson of the show was, as always, Calm/Assertive. Show the dog you’re the leader, and they will follow.
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