Tripping the Wasteland

BLACKHAWKS WIN THE STANLEY CUP!!!!!!

2010-06-09T23:19:00.002-05:00

LOST "With a little help from my friends..."

2010-05-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

And so it ends.

The next week will, undoubtedly, be spent in intense debate over the meaning of the finale and whether it was satisfactory. On Twitter the debate started raging before the episode ended in the east/central time zone.

For me, the finale came down to what it always comes down on Lost: the characters.

My brief thoughts after the jump. Spoilers abound!

What the finale gave us was a lovely farewell to some of the richest characters ever on television. We got to see the heartwarming and heartbreaking reunions of our favorite couples. For me, once Sawyer and Juliet reunited, I was all good. I was glad that everybody's least favorite love quadrangle ended the way it was supposed to. I love that Ben found some measure of redemption and that Hurley became the unlikely hero. By the end, my mom and I were both sobbing.

The visual parallels, particularly the final scene with Jack in the bamboo forest, were striking. Ultimately, in the end, I didn't care about "the light" or the numbers or any of the 101 other mysteries that weren't spelled out for me. As one of the critics (Alan Sepinwall?) said on Twitter, not sure how the series mythology holds up across the six seasons, but for tonight, it feels like the journey we've gone on with the characters was worth it.

NBC's Fall Schedule!

2010-05-16T13:10:00.003-05:00

5:30 pm ETA: Video clips of new series!

The Live Feed over at The Hollywood Reporter managed to snag the NBC 2010 Fall schedule before the upfront presentation.

MONDAYS: (CST)
7:00 Chuck
8:00 The Event
9:00 Chase

TUESDAYS:
7-9:00 Biggest Loser
9:00 Parenthood

WEDNESDAYS:
7:00 Undercovers
8:00 Law & Order: SVU
9:00 Law & Order: Los Angeles

THURSDAYS:
7:00 Community
7:30 Rock
8:00 The Office
8:30 Outsourced
9:00 Love Bites

FRIDAYS
7:00 Who Do You Think You Are / School Pride
8:00 Dateline
9:00 Outlaw (AKA Garza)

Break down of each night and descriptions of the new series after the jump.

For each night I'll break down the new series and give official loglines (if available) or a brief description of the show and the production team before I give my first impressions.

MONDAYS
The theme of Monday's on NBC seems to be action. Good way to start off the week and nice to finally have more appropriate programs available to pair with Chuck (though I think Undercovers would have been better).

8:00 pm (CST) The Event

"The Event" is an emotional high-octane conspiracy thriller that follows Sean Walker (Jason Ritter, "The Class"), an Everyman who investigates the mysterious disappearance of his fiancée, Leila (Sarah Roemer, "Disturbia"), and unwittingly begins to expose the biggest cover-up in U.S. history. Sean's quest will send ripples through the lives of an eclectic band of strangers, including: newly elected U.S. President Martinez (Blair Underwood, "Dirty Sexy Money"); Sophia (Emmy Award nominee Laura Innes, "ER"), who is the leader of a mysterious group of detainees; and Sean’s shadowy father-in-law (Scott Patterson, "Gilmore Girls"). Their futures are on a collision course in a global conspiracy that could ultimately change the fate of mankind. Ian Anthony Dale ("Daybreak") and Emmy winner Željko Ivanek (“Damages”) also star in the ensemble drama.

“The Event” is a production of Universal Media Studios and Steve Stark Productions. Stark (“Medium,” “Facing Kate”) serves as executive producer, Nick Wauters ("The 4400," "Eureka") is creator/co-executive producer and Jeffrey Reiner (“Friday Night Lights,” “Trauma”) is the director/executive producer. (source THR)

My cynical first response? I give three weeks tops. There are some great supporting players here (Zeljko Ivanek could make the phone book compelling) but I don't see Ritter as been a strong enough actor to anchor a show like this. I've always found him a bit bland.

I also find the lack of character description in connection with the oh so vague "global conspiracy that could ultimately change the fate of mankind" disconcerting. With all of Lost inspired failures we've seen over the last five it seems like producers still haven't gotten the message: "it's the characters stupid!" Mythology is great, I really love it, all my favorite shows have it. But I can only get invested in the mythology if I care about the characters (see cancellation of Flashforward).

With the global scale and large supporting cast this is probably a pretty expensive show so if it doesn't do well right out of the gate, it with probably disappear pretty quickly. I'll reserve final judgment obviously, but I'm not optimistic.

ETA: Clips

9:00 pm (CST) Chase

"Chase" is a fast-paced drama that drops viewers smack into the middle of a game of cat-and-mouse as a team of U.S. marshals hunts down America's most dangerous fugitives. Kelli Giddish ("Past Life") stars as U.S. Marshal Annie Frost, a cowboy boot-wearing deputy whose sharp mind and unique Texas upbringing help her track down the violent criminals on the run.
Cole Hauser ("K-Ville"), Amaury Nolasco ("Prison Break"), Rose Rollins ("The L Word") and Jesse Metcalfe ("Desperate Housewives") also star as members of Frost's elite team.

"Chase" is produced by Bonanza Productions Inc., in association with Jerry Bruckheimer Television and Warner Bros. Television. Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman ("CSI" franchise, "The Amazing Race," "Cold Case") and Johnson serve as executive producers, while KristieAnne Reed is co-executive producer. David Nutter ("The Mentalist," "Without a Trace" "The X-Files") directed and is executive producer of the pilot which was written by Johnson. (Source: NBC)

My response to this is basically "eh" *shrug*. Being a Bruckheimer crime procedural it seems like it would be a better fit at CBS. It's also likely, if CBS & ABC aren't changing up their Monday schedule, to be up against CSI Miami & Castle and I'm not sure how this series is going to differentiate itself enough to draw viewers from those shows. The cast is decent but no one I'm dying to see. I doubt this will be on my "must see" list this fall.

ETA: Clips
Chase

WEDNESDAYS
7:00 pm (CST) Undercovers

"Undercovers" is a sexy, fun, action-packed spy drama that proves once and for all that marriage is still the world's most dangerous partnership. Outwardly, Steven Bloom (Boris Kodjoe, "Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion," "Soul Food," "Resident Evil: Afterlife") and his wife, Samantha (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, "Doctor Who," "Bonekickers"), are a typical married couple who own a small catering company in Los Angeles and are helped by Samantha's easily frazzled younger sister, Lizzy (Jessica Parker Kennedy, "Smallville").

Secretly, the duo were two of the CIA's best spies until they fell in love on the job five years ago and retired. When fellow spy and friend Nash (Carter MacIntyre, "American Heiress") goes missing while on the trail of a Russian arms dealer, the Blooms are reinstated by boss Carlton Shaw (Gerald McRaney, "Deadwood") to locate and rescue Nash. The pair is thrust back into the world of espionage as they follow leads that span the globe -- and Steven and Samantha realize that this supercharged, undercover lifestyle provides the excitement and romance that their marriage has been missing. Also starring is Ben Schwartz (NBC's "Parks and Recreation").

"Undercovers" is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Bad Robot Productions and Warner Bros. Television. The pilot was written by J.J. Abrams & Josh Reims and directed by Abrams. Abrams, Reims and Bryan Burk ("Fringe," "Lost, "Alias") are the executive producers.
(Source: NBC)

This is the series I'm probably most excited for this fall. I love JJ Abrams and, while he does have his faults (see time-traveling Felicity & the convoluted conclusion to Alias), he's a pretty fantastic producer and director. The "Mr & Mrs Smith"-esq plot is also incredibly fun. I'm a bit surprised that they didn't pair this series with Chuck unless they thought it was too much spy couples for one night. (Maybe if The Event gets pulled).

I'm also incredibly psyched about the casting. A major network series with two black actors as the leads? Totally awesome and it's about damn time! (I also love seeing Doctor Who cast members over here. And yes, I'm still bitter about Rex). Oh, and now that Heroes has been finally put to rest, how soon until Abrams pal Greg Grunberg joins the cast?

ETA: Clips

9:00 pm (CST) Law & Order: Los Angeles

The new "LOLA" ("Law & Order: Los Angeles") is a procedural crime drama that will follow the theme and storylines similar to the "Law & Order"-brand series on the streets of Los Angeles. The series, from executive producer Dick Wolf and Blake Masters ("Brotherhood"), is a Wolf Films production in association with Universal Media Studios. Casting and pre-production work are continuing. (Source: NBC)

It's Law & Order. In Los Angeles. It'll be interesting to see how the casting shakes out. That could really make or break it. I imagine they'll try to get at least one big name to play a DA. I imagine the pilot will debut to huge numbers because of curiosity and then taper off.

It's so hard to imagine Law & Order without NYC. (I've been meaning to watch L&O:UK because of Jamie Bamber and Freema Agyeman but I haven't gotten around to downloading it.)

THURSDAYS
NBC is playing it safe keeping to all comedy Thursdays. They are holding back Parks & Recreations until midseason though which folks on Twitter seem to think is a big mistake. The series has become something of a critical darling and with the high profile Rob Lowe joining the cast they seem to have a momentum going that might be disrupted by a long hiatus. Might be better to hold 30 Rock back.

8:30 pm (CST) Outsourced

“Outsourced” is a comedy where the Midwest meets the exotic East in a hilarious culture clash. The series centers on the all-American company Mid America Novelties that sells whoopee cushions, foam fingers and wallets made of bacon -- and whose call center has suddenly been outsourced to India. Todd Dempsy (Ben Rappaport, off-Broadway's “The Gingerbread House”) is the new company’s manager who learns that he’s being transferred to India to run the operation.

Overwhelmed, Todd discovers that his new staff needs a crash course in all things American if they are to understand the U.S. product line and ramp up sales from halfway around the world. But as strange as America seems to his eclectic sales team, Todd soon realizes that figuring out India will be more than a full-time job. Rizwan Manji (“Privileged”), Sacha Dhawan (BBC’s “Five Days II”), Rebecca Hazlewood (BBC’s “Doctors”), Parvesh Cheena (“Help Me Help You”), and Anisha Nagarajan (Broadway’s “Bombay Dreams”) also star as members of Dempsy’s off-shore team; Diedrich Bader (“The Drew Carey Show”) and Jessica Gower (Network Ten’s “The Secret Life of Us”) additionally star.

“Outsourced” is produced by Universal Media Studios. Robert Borden (“The Drew Carey Show” and “George Lopez”) is executive producer/writer. Ken Kwapis (“The Office”) developed the project through his company, In Cahoots, and serves as executive producer/director. Alex Beattie serves as co-executive producer. (Source: THR)

This is another series I'm very excited about. I love the concept, combining work place & cultural conflicts might end up being really hysterical and you've producers who've dealt with these issues before. It feels like something the audience can easily connect to. I also love the idea of raising the profile of so many Indian actors and actresses. I'm really pulling for this show (and it'll have to do well because P&R will be waiting in the wings if it gets pulled).

ETA: Clips

9:00 pm (CST) Love Bites

From Emmy Award-winning writer-producer Cindy Chupack (“Sex and the City”), “Love Bites” is an hour-long romantic comedy anthology series featuring three loosely connected, modern stories of love, sex, marriage and dating. Each episode contains multiple vignettes, all illuminating the theme of love with an edgy, irreverent spin. Becki Newton (“Ugly Betty”) stars as Annie and Jordana Spiro (“My Boys”) stars as Frannie, the last two single girls standing after all of their friends get married. Annie is an infectiously bubbly optimist and Frannie is an always-a-bridesmaid realist. Their story will anchor the series, while other romantically-challenged characters will come and go each week.

The pilot's guest cast includes Jennifer Love Hewitt (“Ghost Whisperer”), Greg Grunberg (“Heroes”), Craig Robinson (“The Office”), Jason Lewis (“Sex and the City”), Lindsay Price (“Lipstick Jungle”), Larry Wilmore (“The Daily Show”), Charlyne Yi (“Knocked Up”), Pamela Adlon (“Californication”), Stacy Galina (“Hidden Hills”), Brian Hallisay (“Privileged”), Kyle Howard (“My Boys”) and Steve Howey (“Bride Wars”).

“Love Bites” is a production of Universal Media Studios and Working Title Television, which is a new division of Working Title Films (the U.K. production company behind box office hits including “Love Actually,” “Bridget Jones's Diary” and “Four Weddings and a Funeral”). Chupack is creator, executive producer and writer. Emmy Award-winning producer-director Marc Buckland (“My Name Is Earl”) also is executive producer and directs the pilot. Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan and Shelley McCrory from Working Title Television are executive producers. “Love Bites” is Working Title Television’s first U.S. commission. (Source: THR)

Hmm, I can't decide if this is going to be cute or vomit inducing. (Full disclosure, I don't like Sex & the City and I hate Bridget Jones's Diary with a fiery passion. I find the ways both texts co-opt the language of feminism offensive.) I do love Becki Newton & Jordan Spiro though so if I even bother to check this out it will be because of them.

ETA: Clips

FRIDAY
7:00 pm (CST) School Pride

In "School Pride," cameras will follow students, teachers and parents as they motivate their community to renovate the school. Making use of local businesses and skilled local labor, the community will make over classrooms, public spaces, art and music halls, and athletic facilities. The work will include everything from re-painting and re-carpeting to improving the utilities, and updating the technology systems of the school.

A team of experts will lend their expertise in the makeover process but it's up to the students, teachers, and community to execute the restoration. As the story of their progress unfolds, multiple surprises will be revealed to them, ultimately concluding with the unveiling of a brand new, completely transformed school. Months later, cameras will revisit the school to discover the lasting effects of the transformation - a renewed sense of school pride and an increase in student achievement scores. The experience at Carver Elementary proved those results. (Source: NBC)

While this series will undoubtedly rely on and perpetuate standard tropes about race, class and gender, (most reality shows do) it's ultimately in service of a worthy and noble cause. I'd expect to need a box of kleenex on hand when watching.

9:00 pm (CST) Outlaw

Starring Emmy Award winner Jimmy Smits ("NYPD Blue," "West Wing"), "Outlaw" is a new drama from executive producer John Eisendrath ("Alias," "Felicity," "Playmakers"). Cyrus Garza (Smits) is a Supreme Court justice who abruptly quits the high-level position. A playboy and a gambler, Garza had always adhered to a strict interpretation of the law until he realized the system he believed in was flawed. Now that he's quit the bench and returned to private practice, he's determined to represent "the little guy" and use his inside knowledge of the justice system to take on today's biggest legal cases. And he's making plenty of powerful people unhappy along the way. Jesse Bradford ("West Wing"), Carly Pope ("24"), Ellen Woglom ("Californication") and David Ramsey ("Dexter") also star.

"Outlaw" is a Universal Media Studios production along with Conaco productions. Eisendrath is executive producer along with Terry George ("Hotel Rwanda," "Reservation Road"), Conan O'Brien, Jeff Ross and David Kissinger ("Andy Barker, P.I."). "Outlaw" is written by Eisendrath and directed by George. (Source: NBC)

9:00 pm on Friday with Dateline as your lead in even though you have a star like Smits and it's an in-house production? This show already has one foot in the grave. When the network shows that little confidence in a show it's always a bad sign.
ETA: Clips

The big question is can NBC recover from the Ben Silverman era with Zucker still at the helm? Gaspin bungled the Leno/Conan fiasco, but the decision to dump losers like Heroes and Mercy and get into business with people like Abrams shows that NBC may still be able to turn things around. As they release more information on midseason and trailers for new seasons I'll be posting them here.

So, what do you think about the schedule and the new series? Any you are excited for?

It's that time of year again: On cancellations and pick ups

2010-05-15T13:31:00.001-05:00

There were some very high profile TV series pickups and cancellations over the last few weeks all leading up to a very important 4 days starting Monday, May 17th.

Next week is upfront week where the broadcast networks present their fall schedules to advertisers and the press. The networks present their lineups including tentative start dates and then advertisers have the opportunity to buy airtime "upfront", months before the fall television season begins. (Here's a nice little summary of the annual event and how new media is shifting it by Ad Age). Usually the nets air clips of their new series and sometimes screen pilot episodes in their entirety.

Here's the schedule:
Monday, May 17: NBC & Fox
Tuesday, May 18: ABC
Wednesday, May 19: CBS
Thursday, May 20: The CW

Television critics seem (at least to me) to be more leery of pronouncing judgments based on scripts, clips or even entire pilot episodes. Back in May 2006, for example, critics were raving about the pilot for The Nine the story of nine strangers linked together when held hostage in a bank robbery gone wrong. Turns out, the pilot was only truly interesting hour of the series. In 2008, the previewed scenes and the leaked script for the unaired pilot of Joss Whedon's Dollhouse impressed with it's morally grey characters and though-provoking meditations on the nature of identity and memory (episode is available on the Season 1 DVD, I highly recommend it). The reshot pilot that eventually aired failed to live up to the early buzz surrounding the series.

They aren't always wrong though. In 2007, many of the critics were raving that Pushing Daisies was amazing, the most original, creative, and charming series they'd seen in years. I spent the entire summer anxiously awaiting this new series that I was sure would be a personal favorite. Last May the critics were lauding the CW's Life Unexpected and thought that the CW was making a mistake by holding the series until midseason (I only hope that decision hasn't doomed the lovely series). The critics are also pretty good at spotting total duds.

I say this all as a disclaimer that much of the entertainment news in the next week needs to be taken with a grain of salt. Schedules get shuffled, pilots are reshot, and series fail to live up to their potential.

Read my thoughts on the pick ups for Chuck & V, the cancellations of L&O, Heroes and Flashforward, the fate of Rex is Not Your Lawyer and more after the jump.

(For the full list of series that have been renewed, canceled, or fate still unknown check out this handy 2010-2011 season scorecard at The Futon Critic.)

Notable Pickups

Chuck (NBC)
I started watching Chuck again this season (after finally quitting House) and really enjoyed it. I still haven't had a chance to go back and watch season 2 though it is on my summer "To Do" list. They were a bit hamstrung by the original half season order which was then extended by a few episodes making it difficult to balance the overarching mythology episodes with the lighter fare but overall the show remains a critical favorite.

It's another 13 episode pick up so it'll be interesting to see if Schwartz & Co plot the season arc for just 13 episodes again or if they'll roll the dice on getting a back nine pickup. Executive Producer Ali Adler has also announced that she is leaving to join ABC's new superhero family drama No Ordinary Family.

V (ABC)
I enjoyed this series when it first aired in November but I wasn't head over heel about it (which I was really hoping for). I don't know why I didn't feel more connected to it. I love the concept, I have fond memories of the miniseries freaking me out as a child, and the cast is amazing.

Anyway, I haven't watched the second half of the season yet. First it was because I was busy and then when there was talk of the show being canceled I wasn't sure it was worth it. Now that the series has been renewed, catching up is also on the summer "To Do" list.

Human Target (Fox)
I watched the first four episodes and episode six. I liked it, largely because of Mark Valley (I've liked him since he was on Days of Our Loves and the criminally overlooked Keen Eddie), Chi McBride, and especially Jackie Earle Haley as the dark and mysterious Guerrero. It was not, however, appointment TV largely because the mythology was so vague and obscure as to be uninteresting.

Given the amount of stunt work, explosions and location shooting I'm frankly very surprised at this pick up. I hope that they will air reruns this summer, the episodes are so self contained that I think it will do well in reruns. Fox would be smart to try to air the show after sporting events or at least heavily promote it during those events because it's basically a different action movie each week.

Lie to Me (Fox)
I've actually never seen this show (quirky male/uptight female partner burnout) but I've heard good things about it. Given that Fox has taken to airing episodes in the summer and the news that EP Shawn Ryan is leaving for his new series Ride-Along, it seemed like only a matter of time before cancellation. But, lo and behold the series managed to squeak out another 13 episode pickup.

Notable Cancellations

Law & Order (NBC)
The original series will end its historic 20 year run on Monday, May 24, 2010. The series ties Gunsmoke for the longest running drama series ever. I admit, I haven't watched L&O very often in the last few years, but the few episodes I did catch were enjoyable. L&O: SVU has been renewed for a 12th season and the new spinoff L&O: Los Angeles (LOLA) has been picked up for the fall. Presumably, the decision to end the Mothership's run was based in part on the new series pickup, with the network betting on an SVU type hit. Guess the folks at NBC don't remember previous Wolf flame-outs Law & Order: Trial by Jury or the interminably boring Conviction.

Heroes (NBC)
FINALLY. This show should have ended after season 1. Since then it's been an unmitigated disaster.

24 (FOX)
Another 'finally'. What was once groundbreaking and exciting had become increasingly boring and outlandish.

Flashforward (ABC)
I loved the pilot. I loved many of cast members (especially John Cho, Sonya Walger and Jack Davenport) and I loved the concept. I wanted to love the series but as I watched this show for several months I just could not get into it.

This was a show that was trying to be Lost but in the process they overlooked the principal reason for Lost's success- the characters. Lost may have become a trippy time-traveling tale with mystical (or scientific) mysteries but it only got there because we cared about the characters. Season 1 introduced a few mysteries (polar bears? Adam & Eve? a monster? a hatch?) but at its heart, the show was about a diverse group of individuals reacting to a crisis. Lost earned their mythos.

With Flashfoward, I rarely connected with the characters, especially Joseph Fiennes' wooden portrayal of Mark Benford. The characters felt like little more than pawns on a chessboard, there to serve the plot and nothing more. I also never bought the global scale of the destruction, fear, panic, etc and found it difficult to engage in the 'willing suspension of disbelief' that in a global crisis a group of random FBI agents in LA would be leading the investigations.

And it's too bad, because it is a great concept. I won't miss the series but I mourn for the show it could have been. (And, unfortunately, looking at some of the new pilots that have already been announced, I expect this same mistake to be repeat again.)

Mercy (NBC)
It ranked as one of the worst pilots by most TV critics and the series as a whole didn't seem to get much better. It did draw a decent audience though and with the disaster known as the Jay Leno Show disaster leaving a lot of open primetime real estate meant the series managed to stick it out a full season. I'm hopeful that its cancellation means NBC is really confident in all of the new series they've picked up.

Notably Undecided

Life Unexpected (CW)
This charming series has yet to be picked up but it also hasn't been canceled. It's an old school WB style family drama, more Everwood/Gilmore Girls than Gossip Girl/90210 reboot. I'd really hate for The CW to dump the highest quality original series they've developed since the network was created. Here's hoping they get a pick up, heavy summer promotion, and good lead in!

Notably Passed On

The Rockford Files (NBC)
I've never seen the original 1970's series staring James Garner (I was born just weeks after the series finale) and I've not seen it in syndication, but I've always heard good things about it. I am, however, a bit of cynic when it comes to reboots. For every Battlestar Galactica there are dozen Knight Riders. Then I heard Dermot Mulroney, one of the dullest actors imaginable, had been cast as the lead and I was sure the show would suck. I wasn't expecting it to never make to the air though. This does free up Alan Tudyk. Somebody give that man his own show!

Rex is not Your Lawyer (NBC)
This legal comedy stars one of my favorite actors David Tennant (Doctor Who). The show was considered as a midseason replacement in January but NBC passed. The buzz in April was the show had a real chance to make the fall schedule but Deadline reported last week that Rex was dead. NBC has not officially confirmed this but will presumably address it on Monday. When I first heard the premise, a lawyer suffers from panic attacks so he coaches his clients to defend themselves, I was skeptical, it sounded too silly. But, then Jace over at Televisionary read and reviewed the pilot script and I was heartened by his review. Regardless of happens with Rex, somebody needs to find a way to get David Tennant on my television each week.

So, what do you think about the cancellations/pick ups/passes? Comment below!

(Note the new threaded commenting system which allows you to track replies to your comments via email!)

Blog Change: Intense Debate & Contact

2010-05-14T14:02:00.000-05:00

I really love Blogger, but one thing I'm not crazy about is the lack of interactive comments- ability to reply to specific users and for users to track comment threats via email. I've just downloaded Intense Debate which is a commenting widget that I've read good things about for a trial run.

Supernatural "Swan Song": Reactions

2010-05-13T23:11:00.001-05:00

So yeah.

There were some parts of this episode I absolutely loved and a few parts I hated and then there was a lot head scratching and ambivalence. I watched it again as I was writing up my comments and I had pretty much the same reactions this time around.

(note, this is a series of quick reactions, not really a comprehensive review and spoilers abound.)

LOVED
-The Impala love and the way it featured in the narrative. Fabulous.
-Sam and Cas saying goodbye, it was so wonderfully sweet and awkward
-Bobby's goodbye to Sam
-Chuck & Adam being an important part of the story
-Bobby surviving
-The showdown happening in Lawrence. Fanon=Canon
- Jared as Lucifer. Jared did a really wonderful job all around. Loved the scene with Luci and Michael. (Jensen was great too).
- The flashbacks
-Sam and Dean having faith in each other and being mature
- All the callbacks to The End
- Ambiguity= lots of opportunity for fanfic writers to fill the hiatus

HATED
-No Crowley. Ah, well, at least he didn't die
-Finality. I felt like this could have been a pretty good way to wrap up the series and knowing it's not kind of cheapens it.
-Er, this is weird, but I'm kind of upset no one died. Cas blowing up felt way too abrupt so I didn't really think he was dead and then when Bobby was snuffed out just as quickly I didn't quite buy it and I was a bit too much in shock. And then we knew Sam wasn't dead so... yeah. I actual cried way more when Ellen and Jo died.
-Cas flouncing on Dean at the end.
-I feel like they had done such a great job of bringing Adam into the Winchester clan but that it was really shoved aside in this episode. The only part where it was even really acknowledged was when Dean apologized.
- No surprise!JDM. I didn't think it was too likely but I was really hoping :(
-I loved Becky/Chuck so that not working out made me sad, though given the next point it kind of makes sense...

AMBIVALENT
-Chuck=God? That seems to be the popular interpretation on LJ and Twitter. The other theory that someone floated was that Chuck was a creation of God's just to assist the boys. Kind of fitting seeing as Chuck was modeled on Kripke. Though saying you're God... isn't that like "M Night level douchiness"? :)
-Cas surviving and getting all his angel powers back. I kind of like human!Cas and I also kind of like the idea of Cas sacrificing himself for Dean the greater good. Angel!Cas is too powerful to really help out much in season 6 and Cas living in Heaven isn't really that interesting to me.
-Ambiguity. Supernatural is rarely black and white when it come morality and emotion but the plotting is usually pretty tight.
-Lisa. I liked the character in season 3, I love what she represents, and I actually kind of like the idea of Dean getting the apple pie life that he'd tried not to let himself hope for. But, I did feel like she got shoehorned into the end of this season.
-I love meta and breaking the 4th wall, but I kind of wondered if the bitchy fan bit at the end was kind of a cop out.

QUESTIONS:
-Will Cas be back next season?
-Is that really Sam at the end? I think so, though some people are floating the idea that it was Luci!Sam.
-If it is Sam, will he tell Dean he's back? I can kind of see him not doing it, thinking that Dean's better off... in which case Dean is going to be hella pissed.
-If Sam got out did Adam? If Adam got out did he go to Heaven or is he alive? I'm rooting for alive or still trapped in hell and Sam and Dean need to get him back.
-Did the magic amulet never work? Cause if Chuck is God then it should have done its thing in 4x18.
-What about Jimmy? That would be another way to get Misha back. Jimmy becomes a hunter or something.
-Are Lisa & Ben going to be part of season 6?

Thanks for the memories Kripke. You'll be missed (even if I'm annoyed with you right now!)

Fibromyalgia Awareness Day

2010-05-12T01:32:00.002-05:00

For those of you who aren’t familiar with this syndrome, fibromyalgia (abbrev FM or Fibro) is characterized by chronic widespread pain, multiple tender points, abnormal pain processing, sleep disturbances, fatigue, cognitive problems, and depression. (This is the abbreviated list, there are a few other, less common symptoms as well as a host of additional diseases and syndromes that are often co-morbid). For those with severe symptoms, fibromyalgia can be extremely debilitating and interfere with basic daily activities.

(There is a wonderful explanation of living with these types of symptoms called “The Spoon Theory” which was one woman’s way of explaining it to a friend, because it is really hard to understand if you’ve never experienced it.)

There is no cure for fibromyalgia. In recent years there have been improvements in drug therapies to help manage the symptoms, as well as additional recommendations on specific lifestyle modifications, dietary changes and complementary alternative medicines that can be useful for managing symptoms. But it is only management, not a cure.

There is no simple diagnostic test to identify the syndrome. It is an invisible illness, meaning those who suffer from it “don’t look sick.” It also disproportionally affects women. All of these factors lead people, even many doctors until recently, to dismiss the suffering of those afflicted by it. They are told that “there is nothing wrong with you” or “it’s all in your head.” The average length of time it takes to even receive a diagnosis is 7 years. Imagine living in constant pain for 7 years and being told that you were crazy.

That’s why FM Awareness Day is so very important. (It also raises awareness about invisible illness/invisible disability generally, which helps those suffering from things like CFS/ME, IBS, Crohn's, Lupus, RA, MS, etc.)

I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in 2006. I was working on my PHD at the time and I was a complete wreck, practically bed ridden. As if the debilitating pain and fatigue weren’t enough, the cognitive impairment was severe and scary. I started bawling one day because I couldn’t remember the word for the microwave. I was 26 years old and trying to complete an advanced degree and couldn’t remember basic words and was putting the peanut butter in the freezer and my car keys in the pantry.

I was very fortunate. I was able to get a diagnosis only a year after the onset of the first symptoms. This was largely due to the support and the medical knowledge of my parents. My dad is doctor and he’s been on top of all of the latest studies and off-label prescription options and we’ve managed to find a combination of medications that keep me relatively functional. (Though I live with my parents and I’m leaving my current job in part because the hours, stress, and lack of flexibility are taking their toll on me. So, ‘functional’ is still way outside of the norm for a 30 year old.)

So, please, take a moment today to read or share the info available at a http://www.fmaware.org or the stories of those living with this and other related conditions at a site like http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/

Add the “Make Fibromyalgia Visible” graphic on your website/journal/blog/email signature, etc (additional sizes available). Send a tweet or retweet or post on facebook. Add a twibbon to your icon. Anything you can do to help get the word out will be much appreciated by all of us.

Sorry so long, but I’m obviously very invested in the subject!

Exciting Changes!

2010-05-10T20:59:00.000-05:00

I'm leaving my job! I'm staying while they hunt for my replacement so I'll be employed full time for at least a month or two, maybe a little longer, though I'm able to start working one day a week at home.

I'm applying to teach a few classes at the local community college (Intro to Film and Public Speaking) for the fall semester and I'll probably be looking for a class or two to teach online.

So, I know that this blog has been sadly neglected in recent months, but hopefully I'll be spending much more time here soon!

I've also been invited to be a contributor to a new blog Coincidental Penalties. I think my friend Bukka explains this blog best:

We're Blackhawks fans first and foremost, but we're also girls. So while we'd much prefer to spend our time talking about Q's Line Jumbler 2000 or whether or not our team has forgotten how to forecheck since last we saw them, there might be the occasional post discussing the awe-inspiring beauty of Patrick Sharp's eyes. I'm pretty sure everyone can agree that kind of slippage can't always be helped.

If that sounds like it might be something you're interested in, check it out!

What Color is Your Parachute?

2010-04-26T19:52:00.001-05:00

Today was one of those days that got me thinking about jobs/careers/etc.

First, I turned in an application to teach an Intro to Film class at the community college one night a week next fall.

Then, TV critic Alan Sepinwall announced that he's leaving The Star-Ledger and taking a job at the entertainment website Hitfix. It's a sad day for print journalism that they are loosing such a fantastic critic but good for Alan.

And finally, I had this little exchange with TV Guide Magazine critic Damian Holbrook (chronologically top to bottom):

I read something like that and I wonder what the hell I'm doing. I want to write about TV. Maybe in an academic setting or maybe just online like this blog (which I would have more time for if I was teaching instead of working 8-5).

Lots to think about.

New Eclipse Trailer, not bad!

2010-04-23T13:40:00.000-05:00

Jon Stewart defends 'South Park' colleagues

2010-04-23T13:35:00.002-05:00

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

South Park Death Threats

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

Tea Party

Bert the Turtle says "Duck & Cover" (HQ)

2010-04-21T13:30:00.000-05:00

Possibly my favorite "educational" film of all time:

Too Late to Apologize: A Declaration

2010-03-15T18:59:00.000-05:00

Founding Fathers FTW!

Does the TARDIS have an iPod jack?

2010-03-06T19:45:00.000-06:00

John Barrowman's "The Doctor & I" (Whovian take on Wicked's "The Wizard and I") on his new album which is now available on iTunes in the UK but not US

Chameleon Circuit's "An Awful Lot of Running":

I also must recommend the Doctor Who soundtracks. I downloaded Series 4 from iTunes and a some additional tracks from earlier series (Martha's Theme, Doomsday [sob!], This is Gallifrey) and some Torchwood tracks as well.

Bear McCreary (BSG) still owns my (soundtrack) soul, but these are a now a close second.

Fox News: Cramming it down our throats

2010-03-05T16:59:00.000-06:00

Of all the people at Fox News Megyn Kelly is probably my favorite, but Jon Stewart does a great job breaking down her new "news" show.

Ben Edlund Appreciation Day!

2010-02-12T06:45:00.000-06:00

I hereby dub today Ben Edlund Appreciation Day!

In honor of everybody’s favorite Supernatural scribe rank your favorite Edlund penned Supernatural episodes:

Chronologically:
Simon Says
Nightshifter
Hollywood Babylon
Bad Day at Black Rock
Malleus Maleficarum
Ghostfacers
Monster Movie
Wishful Thinking
On the Head of a Pin
Abandon All Hope
My Bloody Valentine

Here’s my list:
1. On the Head of a Pin
2. Wishful Thinking
3. My Bloody Valentine
4. Bad Day at Black Rock
5. Abandon All Hope
6. Hollywood Babylon
7. Ghostfacers
8. Simon Says
9. Monster Movie
10. Nightshifter
11. Malleus Maleficarum

What’s yours?

Bonus: What are your other favorite Edlund eps? I love his two Firefly eps Trash and Jaynestown (really who doesn’t love the hero of Canton?) as well as his Angel Season 5 eps Just Rewards, Life of the Party, Smile Time, and Time Bomb.

Catchy Tune: Parsons for the Cause

2010-02-05T16:01:00.000-06:00

Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) has recorded fun PSA for Stand Up to Cancer

Just when I thought I couldn't love him anymore...

Polar Bears, VWs and Black Smoke- Oh My!

2010-02-05T15:51:00.000-06:00

This is hilarious, Newsweek took staffers who've never seen Lost and then asked them to try to explain what is happening in these scenes from the first 5 seasons.

Watcher Fundraiser

2010-01-28T14:18:00.002-06:00

Chicago Tribune critic Mo Ryan has partnered up with a great charity called Partners in Health to raise money for Haiti health care.

She's been giving away some TV swag for the first 50 donations in a series of categories. Up now is fun Lost Dharma pin.

So donate to this very worthy cause and/or spread the word!

Follow Mo's efforts and look for additional TV memorabilia up for grabs at The Watcher blog or on twitter @moryan.

Lost Fans- More annoying than ever!

2010-01-19T14:57:00.000-06:00

Great video from The Onion- "Final Season Of 'Lost' Promises To Make Fans More Annoying Than Ever" (Special appearance by Damon & Carlton!)

Lost returns 2/2!

Hitler on Jeff Zucker aka "The Downfall of NBC"

2010-01-14T21:23:00.001-06:00

I couldn't help myself. Nobody expresses the rage we're feeling better than Hitler in Downfall:

Recommended! DOLLHOUSE: “Getting Closer” | Heroine TV

2010-01-14T16:08:00.000-06:00

Fantastic recap & commentary on last week's episode: DOLLHOUSE: “Getting Closer” | Heroine TV

Jay Leno: The Self-Styled Forrest Gump of Late Night?

2010-01-14T10:44:00.001-06:00

Excellent post on the late night situation with lots of great context looking back at the Carson transition.

Andy Ihnatko's Celestial Waste of Bandwidth (BETA) � Jay Leno: The Self-Styled Forrest Gump of Late Night?

Conan's Deal or No Deal

2010-01-13T07:26:00.003-06:00

On his show, Conan plays Deal or No Deal with Howie Mandel to decide his fate:

Conan- A real class act!

2010-01-12T16:08:00.002-06:00

In response to NBC's insulting offer to move the Tonight Show to 12:05 am Conan O'Brien issued the following statement:

People of Earth:

In the last few days, I've been getting a lot of sympathy calls, and I want to start by making it clear that no one should waste a second feeling sorry for me. For 17 years, I've been getting paid to do what I love most and, in a world with real problems, I've been absurdly lucky. That said, I've been suddenly put in a very public predicament and my bosses are demanding an immediate decision.

Six years ago, I signed a contract with NBC to take over The Tonight Show in June of 2009. Like a lot of us, I grew up watching Johnny Carson every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant everything to me. I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004 I have spent literally hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future. It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both.

But sadly, we were never given that chance. After only seven months, with my Tonight Show in its infancy, NBC has decided to react to their terrible difficulties in prime-time by making a change in their long-established late night schedule.

Last Thursday, NBC executives told me they intended to move the Tonight Show to 12:05 to accommodate the Jay Leno Show at 11:35. For 60 years the Tonight Show has aired immediately following the late local news. I sincerely believe that delaying the Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn't the Tonight Show. Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the Late Night show, which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be unfair to Jimmy.

So it has come to this: I cannot express in words how much I enjoy hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is for me to consider losing it. My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of The Tonight Show. But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction. Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot doesn't matter. But with the Tonight Show, I believe nothing could matter more.

There has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set the record straight, I currently have no other offer and honestly have no idea what happens next. My hope is that NBC and I can resolve this quickly so that my staff, crew, and I can do a show we can be proud of, for a company that values our work.

Have a great day and, for the record, I am truly sorry about my hair; it's always been that way.

Conan O'Brien everybody, classiest comedian in show business. I, for one, believe Conan should leave and take his show to another network, like Fox, where he would be appreciated. NBC has already proven to be untrustworthy and lacking respect (besides, the whole network's in shambles, I'd jump from the sinking ship). Bill Carter, who wrote the book and movie The Late Shift on the shenanigans surrounding the Carson handoff must be furiously prepping his sequel.

There is a new episode of Tonight Show tonight. Expect big ratings. I know I'll check it out.

Biggest Loser here is NBC (when isn't it). Will this disaster finally take down the world most reviled TV exec? I'd like to think so, but Teflon-Zucker always squeaks by in the end...

[image courtesy of Mike Mitchell]

Karen's Top Television Moments of 2009

2010-01-08T05:08:00.000-06:00

My final list is in! I've tried to embed or link to all of the moments, the ones I couldn't I put a pic with it (a big f-you to Warner Bros & NBC-Universal in particular for preventing clips)

In no particular order, SPOILERS for episodes aired in 2009 (obviously)

Karen's Top Television Moments of 2009:

The Trickster is really Gabriel: Supernatural “Changing Channels”

The Trickster has always been a fan favorite and we were all excited to have him back, but then we learn that he’s actually the archangel Gabriel. This is Supernatural at its best, taking something hilarious and turning it on its head and tying it into the larger mythology. Richard Spieght Jr is great as the Trickster & Gabriel. Watch the scene here

The Twin Towers in the parallel reality: Fringe “There’s More Than One of Everything”

This will probably go down in history as one of the all time greatest season finale scenes.

Peter is really from the parallel reality: Fringe “There’s More Than One of Everything”

There were clues, small little clues from the very beginning mixed into Walter’s mad ramblings that only became clear in hindsight. Fantastic twist.

Kara starts playing All Along the Watchtower as Boomer kidnaps Hera: Battlestar Galactica “Someone to Watch Over Me”

We knew big things were coming, but seeing Boomer betray everyone again, especially the Chief was like a punch in the gut. And the moment when Kara’s fumblings at the piano turn into All Along the Watchtower? I get chills every time. Watch it here

Dwight’s fire drill: The Office “Stress Relief”

Probably the funniest scene of 2009, it never gets old.

Dee shoots herself in the head: Battlestar Galactica “Sometimes a Great Notion”

We knew something was going on. She was devastated by the revelation of “Earth” as a nuclear wasteland. Then, after her date with ex-husband Lee, Dee was acting strange. She opened her locker in a daze, not unlike scenes with Boomer back in season 1, and it kind of seemed like they were setting up to reveal her as the fifth.

And then she grabs her gun and shoots herself. It’s brutal, it’s shocking, it’s Battlestar. Watch the scene here"

Faraday’s is shot and killed by his own mother: Lost “The Variable”

We kind of saw it coming, but what a heartbreaking scene. Jeremy Davies was fantastic and Daniel Faraday will be sorely missed.

Foremen and Thirteen find Kutner’s body: House “A Simple Explanation”

The camera starts in wide shot as we see Thirteen and Foreman scramble to his body, with a large portion of the action happening outside of the frame as the camera slowly pushes in. Beautiful aesthetic choice.

Alpha is revealed: Dollhouse “Briar Rose”

This is one of those moments I really, really, wish hadn’t been spoiled for me. I’d read about Alan Tudyk’s casting as Alpha at least a month before the episode aired. His turn from neurotic shut-in to stone-cold sociopath was absolutely chilling (even though I knew it was coming).

Ianto dies in Jack’s arms: Torchwood: Children of Earth

Only Russell T. Davies would have the balls to kill *another* team member. Fans were(are) still mourning the loss of Tosh and Owen and now Ianto??? Some fans are royally pissed but you have to admit it made for compelling television. John Barrowman and Eve Myles play the scene with Ianto’s body beautifully.

The British government debates which children to sacrifice to the 456: Torchwood: Children of Earth

The “final solution” type rhetoric in this scene was chilling, especially because it was exactly how you’d imagine those conversations would happen across the globe. If we had to choose we’d save our own children right? What about our friends’ children? It’s not hard to imagine that the weak, the poor, the immigrants would be the ones offered up, even as that thought sickens us.

Frobisher kills himself and his family: Torchwood: Children of Earth

Peter Capaldi is amazing as John Frobisher, the ultimate civil service bureaucrat. Frobisher’s story is an examination of the banality of evil, to use Hannah Arendt's terminology. Frobisher, like Eichmann, made sure that the "trains ran ontime", that the 456 were delivered their offerings. There was nothing remarkable about John Frobisher and he wasn't an evil man, just a seriously flawed one.

Jack sacrifices his grandchild to save millions of children from the 456: Torchwood: Children of Earth

Has any television character ever had to make such a morally reprehensible choice? It’s a brutally untenable position, kill the grandchild you love or doom millions of children to a fate worse than death. Jack abides by the tenet “the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few” and the scene is utterly shocking and heartbreaking.

Don’t Stop Believin’: Glee “Pilot”

Still one of the best songs in the series and was a great sign of things to come.

Football team does “Single Ladies”: Glee “Preggers”

One of those great scenes that even people who don’t watch the show laugh when they see. I’ve seen it 100 times and it still brings a smile to my face.

Jim & Pam are pregnant: The Office “Company Picnic”

The camera looks on through the blinds into an exam room as we watch Jim and Pam find out they are having a baby. John Krasanki and Jenna Fisher act the hell out of the scene so the fact that we cannot hear the dialogue is irrelevant.

JD’s future montage: Scrubs “Finale Pt 2”

I admit, I haven’t really watched the show for the last two seasons, but tuned into the finale. JD’s final montage where he envisioned his future was beautiful, sweet, touching, and funny, Scrubs at its best. If you were ever a fan of the show I dare you not to get teary watching this.

Dr. Horrible hacks the Emmy telecast

Neil Patrick Harris shows off his skills as a comedian, host, and producer of the Emmys turning the show into something worth watching for the first time in years.

Hera is mitochondrial Eve: BSG “Daybreak Pt 3”

I know a lot of people hated this, but I liked it. I love the idea that we’re all part Cylon. I’m just that big a geek.

Roslin’s death: BSG “Daybreak Pt 3”

Bawled like a baby. Beautiful scene.

Ellen is revealed as the fifth “Sometimes a Great Notion”

We kind of suspected, but still, Tigh realizing he murdered his also cylon wife for collaborating with the cylons? Very cool scene.

Adelaide Brooks kills herself: Doctor Who “The Waters of Mars”

It’s a dark and shocking turn for the family friendly show and Tennant’s brilliant as the Doctor realizes how far he’s gone.

Castle dresses as Captain Mal: Castle “Vampire Weekend”

Total Browncoat fanservice, but hey, we’ll take it!

Penny explains Sheldon’s seat to Bernadette: The Big Bang Theory “The Gorilla Experiment”

Hilarious and oddly sweet. I love how Penny and Sheldon have really become friends. They still drive each other nuts, but they make an effort with each other. Parsons is a comedic genius and Cuocco has really developed Penny beyond the pretty girl next door blandness of season 1. Watch the scene here

Hurley explains the plot of Lost to his mother: Lost “The Lie”

Easily one of the funniest moments on television this year. Anyone who’s ever tried to explain Lost to a newbie knows how hard it is and how crazy it all sounds when you try to summarize it like this.

Locke isn’t Locke: Lost “The Incident”

We kind of suspected but it was still an amazing moment. And depressing. Poor John Locke was conned yet again and it cost him his life. I can only hope that the nuclear blast will allow for Locke to return for a happier ending.

John Connor jumps to the future and finds Derek, Kyle, and Alison: Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles “Born to Run”

TSCC had some creative issues in season 2 and a ratings slump that ultimately resulted in the show’s cancellation. The final scene of the finale, where John Connor jumps into the future and meets his family and the girl his Terminator girlfriend is based on was so fantastic we can’t help but wonder where the show would have gone next.

Cutter is killed: Primeval “Series 3, Episode 3”

This was a complete shock to me, largely because the show doesn't get much if any US coverage so the casting changes weren't spoiled for me. It was also the timing of the thing, so soon after Steven's death, and the third episode? The death of your lead character is a season finale event! Or at least a season premiere or midseason break event (though I don't think British shows do midseason breaks come to think of it). So, yeah, this one was a huge surprise.

Dexter finds baby Harrison sitting in his mother’s blood: Dexter “The Getaway”

I’m behind on Dexter. Like, haven’t watched anything after season 1, behind. I’ve been keeping up with the show loosely via magazines and blogs though so I know the basics of what’s been happening. After the finale everyone (well, everyone I follow on twitter at least) was buzzing about it so I had to check it out. And wow, what a fantastic scene. It’s an image that I can’t get out of my head.

Bellick sacrifices himself: Prison Break “Greatness Achieved”

If you would have told me back in season 1 that Bellick’s death would make me cry I would have thought you were nuts. If you’d told me that all of the characters, even T-Bag, would end up mourning the character’s passing I would have thought you were nuts. I stand corrected.

The Doctor hears the Drumming in the Master’s head: Doctor Who “The End of Time Pt1”

This scene is played to perfection by Tennant and Simm and I wish the frantic finale had offered more of these quieter moments between these two fantastic actors.

The return of the Time Lords: Doctor Who “The End of Time Pt 1”

That's one hell of cliffhanger.

Whew! Note to self: keep running logs throughout the year. So, what do you think of my top moments?

I (will) possess the DNA of Leonard Nimoy!

2010-01-08T03:06:00.000-06:00

So I can't sleep and I'm working on my last best of 2009 post when an email pops up from the folks at Creation that they are hosting a Trek Con in Chicago in October and Leonard Nimoy is confirmed as a guest!

Now, I've seen every incarnation of Star Trek and there are a lot of people I'd like to meet, but Nimoy is the one person I'm dying to meet and, given his age, the window of opportunity is closing. I went for it. I got a gold pass, FIRST ROW CENTER, a photo op, and I signed up for a special seminar he's doing on photography.

Do I really need to spend the money (especially since I'm already doing GateCon)? No. But I really don't want to miss my chance to meet him. It's my 30th birthday present to myself.

So I'm totally geeking out and having a Sheldon Cooper moment!

Karen's Best Episodes of 2009

2010-01-07T12:31:00.001-06:00

Ok, I'd wanted to beef up my descriptions a little and include some clips, but it's getting a little too far into 2010. (The Futon Critic is still posting his 50 Best Episodes list so I figure I've still got a little time to get my final lists out.)

Here's Karen's best episodes in 2009 (in no particular order).

Lost- “LaFleur”

In a season filled with trippy time travel this episode reminded us of why we love Lost in the first place- the characters. Josh Holloway is brilliant as a man who’s built a new life for himself in the unlikeliest of times/places.

Battlestar Galactica- “The Oath” & “Blood on the Scales”

The mutiny episodes were fantastic. Tom Zarek’s brutal murder of the Quorum, talk about a shocker. Poor, poor Felix Gaetta. The young idealist turned bitter war vet. Of all of the characters, I think I find his arc the most tragic.

Torchwood: Children of Earth

Exciting, terrifying, thought-provoking, heart-wrenching, this mini-series was absolutely fantastic.

Dollhouse- “Belonging”

This is the show we always wanted Dollhouse to be- dark and thought provoking. Fran Kranz does phenomenal work in this episode where we see Topher realize the consequences of amorality.

CSI- “A Space Oddity”

As a sci-fi fan I absolutely adored this episode written by former BSG scribes David Weddle & Bradley Thompson. It focuses on the always funny "lab rats" and includes guest stars and cameos by BSG stars. The plot is loosely based on Ron Moore's actual experience at the first fan convention he went to discussing the BSG reboot. Hilarious episode.

Supernatural- “The Monster at the End of This Book”

Fun with meta! This was probably my favorite episode of 2009. Sam and Dean learn that there is a series of novels chronicling their every adventure down to the smallest detail. It's a hilarious Stranger than Fiction type story that introduces a new fan favorite character the Prophet Chuck, and pokes fun at the show's fans batshit crazy fangirls (yes, I'm including myself here).

Fringe- “There’s More Than One of Everything”

In this brilliant season finale Fringe kicked the mythology into high gear with shocking revelations and stunning visuals.

Glee- “Preggers”

The football team doing the “Single Ladies” dance on the field never ceases to bring a smile to my face. But what really makes this episode for me is Chris Colfer, he plays Kurt’s coming out beautifully.

Modern Family- “Fizbo”

This show is so consistently funny that choosing a single episode for this list was an exceptionally difficult task. In the end I went with “Fizbo” because it was a great show case for so many of the characters and we got to see them all interacting with each other. (The Pilot was a close runner up.)

How I Met Your Mother- “The Leap”

Not the funniest episode of the year, but this season finale made the list for the last five minutes of the episode. Ted is bemoaning his stalled career and Lilly tells him maybe it's time to try something else. Personal resonance for me and probably a lot of other approaching 30 folks out there. The final scene where each character takes an actual leap along with a metaphoric one was brilliant.

The Office- “Niagara Pts 1 & 2”

Jim and Pam’s wedding episodes were the best episodes in recent memory. It was laugh out loud funny and tear-jerkingly sweet.

House- “Broken”

Hugh Laurie and Andre Braugher are fantastic in this two hour movie event. And even the supporting players are funnier and more interesting the folks back at Princeton Plainsboro (Wilson, notwithstanding.) The script has some problems, particularly the miraculous recovery of the love interest’s sister-in-law and the romance angle seemed unnecessary to begin with, but Laurie and Braugher rise above it.

Supernatural- “On the Head of a Pin”

Possibly the angstiest hour of television ever. Dean is forced to take up the mantle of torturer again much to his, Cas’, and Sam’s dismay and then he finds out he was the one that broke the first seal (the first step to the unleashing of Lucifer on Earth). Christopher Heyerdahl is fantastic as the demon Alistair. We finally learn how Sam’s powers are growing- he’s drinking Ruby’s blood and the look in Ruby’s eye puts to bed any notion that she’s one of the good guys. Uriel betrays Cas and nearly kills him and Dean. Jensen Ackles and Misha Collins are both fantastic in this episode. And, even in the midst of the angst we get one of the funniest lines of the year from a deadpan Cas, “Uriel is the funniest angel in the garrison. Ask anyone.”

Supernatural- “The End”

Who doesn’t love a zombie apocalypse? Zachariah transports Dean to the future where the Croatan virus has decimated humanity. Dean faces off with his battle hardened future self, a drug and sex-addled Cas, and Lucifer who’s wearing Sam’s meatsuit. It’s dark, it’s gritty, and utterly compelling.

Supernatural- “Changing Channels”

More meta fun! The Trickster traps Sam and Dean in a series of TV shows and to survive they must play their roles. This episode is *hilarious* (even non-Supernatural fans can appreciate the humor) and the revelation that fan favorite character the Trickster is actually the archangel Gabriel was a shocking twist that nobody saw coming, yet it didn’t feel like an awkward retcon.

Dollhouse- “The Attic”

We finally get a peek into the mythic attic and it’s trippy and scary and, for the audience at least, fun. Echo is finally developing a personality worth caring about. Priya and Tony are incredibly sweet, and, I fear, doomed. Dominic returns (we missed you!) and we learn some of the secrets about the dollhouse and learn our characters are working on a plan to bring Rossum down. Can’t wait for the final episodes!

Stargate Atlantis -“Vegas”

When I first heard about this alternate reality/CSI style episode I think I groaned out loud. Dexterity is not a trait I’d ascribe to the Stargate writers/producers, but damn if they didn’t prove me wrong this time. This episode follows Las Vegas police detective John Sheppard as he tracks down a killer who seems to suck the life out of their victims. Turns out, he’s chasing down a wraith that crashed on Earth and it has a plan that could cause utter devastation. With a little help from Rodney and the US military Sheppard tracks down the wraith and seemingly saves the day, going out in a hail of gunfire.

But the tag to the episode brings us back to ‘our’ reality and the Atlantis team picks up the wraith’s signal, which gives up the coordinates to Earth thus setting in motion the events of the finale (which made my ‘worst of’ list).

Bones- “Mayhem on a Cross”

Sometimes Bones veers a bit too far in the comedy direction and it’s best episodes are ones that bring it back to the characters, both as individuals and as a surrogate family. This episode gives Sweets a (long overdue) back story, has Brennan and Bones confessing some dark childhood secrets, and includes the fabulous Gordon Wyatt (Stephen Fry).

House- “A Simple Explanation”

This episode of House was a controversial one. A lot of people hated it. I loved it. Kutner was, unfortunately, a totally underused character. Instead of utilizing the talent of Kal Penn by giving him an interesting storyline to work with, writers/producers chose to focus on the interminably boring Thirteen and Foreman. But, I felt like they were able to use this to their advantage in this episode. Kutner was a mystery, not just to viewers but to the characters as well and thus, his suicide was as shocking to us as it was to the characters.

It also worked well as a precipitating event for House’s break with reality. House’s entire identity is built around his observational skills; he’s even admitted at times that losing that ability terrifies him. So, having him fail to notice any warning signs in Kutner pushed him over the edge he'd been so precariously perched on.

Stylistically, I thought the wide shot of Thirteen and Forman discovering his body was beautifully done.

The Big Bang Theory “The Gorilla Experiment”

Like Modern Family, picking an episode from this always funny series was a difficult one. “Gorilla” mad the list for all of the great Penny & Sheldon interaction from the scene where Penny explains Sheldon's seat to Bernadette to Sheldon's attempts to teach Penny physics to the final scene where Penny spouts off "her" critique of Leonard's work.

So that's my take... Do you agree or disagree with any of my choices? If so, leave a comment!

The Big Bang Theory and the Male Gaze

2010-01-06T15:45:00.001-06:00

I highly recommend reading Linda Holmes fantastic blog post How A Thorough De-Gazing Saved CBS's 'The Big Bang Theory'.

She provides great specific textual examples of the supremacy of male gaze in the first season of BBT and how de-emphasizing it as the show has progressed has made the show funnier.

Wish I was teaching Pop Culture again because this would be a great piece to assign to students!

Karen's Best Television Trends of 2009

2010-01-04T10:46:00.001-06:00

Now that the NYE hangover is finally starting to dissipate, it's time to get the last of my 2009 lists published. Here's a brief look at the best trends in TV last year.
“Traditional” and “Sitcom” do not automatically equal “According to Jim”

Big Bang Theory proves that the 3 camera sitcom isn’t dead and Modern Family proves that feel good family sitcoms aren’t inherently lame and unfunny.

The success of these shows will, of course, herald a series of lame and unfunny clones because that’s what the culture industry does.

NPH as host of Tonys and Emmys

He’s one of the funniest men on television and one of the smartest men in the biz. He was fantastic hosting both shows and he breathed new life into the stuffy old Emmys as a producer. Expect to see him hosting the Golden Globes and/or the Oscars soon. Now somebody give the man a damn award!

Networks giving shows a little breathing space & considering alternative revenue streams

This year the networks were a little more willing to give shows sometime to find an audience (like CBS with The Forgotten) instead of canceling a show after one airing.

We also saw the surprise renewal of the ratings challenged Dollhouse in part because of the show’s success on iTunes and the fact that, as an in-house production Fox stood to make money on the eventual DVD sales as well. It wasn’t enough to keep the show afloat but that we even got this second set of 13 episodes was something of a miracle.

Show Runners/Writers/Actors/ network execs/etc communicating directly with fans via Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, Podcasts, convention appearances, etc.

The teases, spoilers, and the glimpses behind the curtain makes fandom more layered and interactive and endlessly entertaining.

The Global Village: attempting co-productions with other countries and shortening release gaps

This summer saw two historic co-productions Defying Gravity (Canada) on ABC and Merlin (UK) on NBC. Neither experiment was considered particularly successful (DG never even finished its run) but the fact that they even occurred was a pleasant surprise and shows that at least some people at the broadcast networks are thinking outside of the box. (Television execs are not widely known for their creative thinking skills.)

The other thing that we saw in 2009 was a move to shorten the gap between then shows air in different countries, at least in the UK to USA direction. We here in the states saw Torchwood: Children of Earth two weeks after it aired in the UK, Doctor Who: Waters of Mars one month later, and Doctor Who: End of Time parts 1 & 2 only one day after they aired in the UK. The internet makes it possible to easily stream and/or download shows within hours of their original airing so waiting six months to air it doesn’t make any sense economically.

British imports on BBCA, SyFy, NBC

The Brits know how to do sci-fi/fantasy and thanks to the internet, BBC America, SyFy channel, and even, shockingly, NBC, we here in the states have had the opportunity to watch shows like Doctor Who, Torchwood, Primeval, Merlin and Being Human.

Now, if we could just stop the badly remaking them.

Ben Silverman leaves NBC

Hooray! (Too bad it’s too little, too late.)

Sci-fi/Fantasy goes (sort of) mainstream

Lost came out of the sci-fi closet with its trippy time travel season. Battlestar Galactica got a lot of critical attention (which did not translate to awards unfortunately). SyFy has been doing a great job of cultivating a brand based on accessible quirky shows like Eureka & Warehouse 13. Fringe is relatively doing well (in spite of a very crappy time slot). Two high concept series, FlashForward and V, successfully launched this fall.

Web content: tie ins and original programming

For Battlestar Galactica “The Face of Enemy” webisodes provided additional insight into Felix Gaetta and his character arc making his fate all the more tragic. For The Office, the webisodes were sometimes funnier than the actual show. We are, of course, also seeing quality original content like Dr. Horrible and The Guild.

The return of 'event programming' and TV Mini-series/TV movies

At a time when TV is largely moving to an online and on-demand format, 2009 still saw some event programming, albeit on a much smaller scale than it used to be. But many people watched the Torchwood: Children of Earth, Doctor Who: The End of Time, the American Idol finale, and the Lost season finale within 24 hours of airing. The Brits revived the mini-series format successfully with Children of Earth and the Doctor Who movies wrapping up Tennant’s tenure have be a big success. Looking forward to 2010, expect the Lost series finale to be huge.

Preview! Doctor Who: The End of Time Pt 2

2009-12-29T20:09:00.001-06:00

The conclusion to Doctor Who: The End of Time airs this weekend. I'm anxious to see the conclusion but I'm also dreading it. I teared up watching the coffee shop scene in part 1, I expect I'll be bawling my eyes out in the end.

Here are two sneak preview clips:

I thought John Simm, David Tennant, and Bernard Cribbins were brilliant in part 1. I didn't care for the Master's new superpowers and I thought the billionaire and his daughter's creepy incest vibe was strange to say the least. Bringing the time lords back was a pretty cool twist, but it was obvious to me right from the start based on the Part 2 previews BBCA aired throughout part 1. Had those promos not aired it might have surprised me.

Reviews/commentary on Pt 1:
Televisionary
What's Alan Watching
LA Times

VERY interesting article on where the franchise is going next over at airlockalpha

Sherlock Holmes: It's all about the casting

2009-12-28T12:29:00.000-06:00

Sherlock Holmes set a new Christmas day opening record, raking in almost $25 million dollars.

My family joined the throngs for a Christmas day matinee. The theater was packed. We were 15 minutes early and still ended up in the forth row. (And this was in small town heartland America- my how times have changed.)

In spite of a weak script and director a little too enamored with fight scenes, I thoroughly enjoyed this film.

Read my non-spoilery take on the film after the jump.

Truly, it was all about the casting. Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law are brilliant as Holmes and Watson and they have fantastic chemistry on screen. The best scenes those that feature just the two of them talking.

After seeing the film TV critic Daniel Fienberg tweeted:

Since "House" was inspired by "Sherlock Holmes," it's funny/appropriate how much the new "Holmes" feels like "House." The dialogue/interactions between Holmes and Watson are pure House/Wilson. Funny, that. And circular.

I couldn't agree more. There is a scene early in the film where Holmes is showing off his observational skills and goes too far, upsetting the woman he is analyzing, that feels like many a scene between House and a patient or staff member.

Downey's Holmes is a bit more bi-polar than House and a tad less misanthropic which makes him a more enjoyable character to spend several hours with. And while I liked that they made both Holmes and Watson skilled fighters, these sequences were a tad too frequent and lengthy.

I've actually never read any of the Arthur Conan Doyle novels or seen any of the earlier films so I had no preconceived ideas about how Holmes or Watson should be portrayed. This was probably a good thing. Two of the more negative reviews of the film I read were written by Holmes fans (particularly Basil Rathbone).

Mark Strong was appropriately menacing as Lord Blackwood, doing all he can with a character as a boilerplate villain as this one. Rachel McAdams' Irene Adler is such a stereotypical femme fatale you can basically call her character arc from scene one. I have a few other quibles, like the incredibly cliched setting for the final confrontation and the fact that anyone who's been to London before knows that Parliament and the Tower Bridge are miles apart.

But the strength of the two leads leads me to forgive a lot. I'll watch it again on DVD and I'm looking forward to the inevitable sequel. Hopefully they can bring on some better screenwriters.

If you're looking for fan entertaining popcorn flick, I highly recommend it. Keep your expectations reasonable and throw out your character preconceptions and you'll have a fun a time.

Karen's Worst of Television 2009

2009-12-28T08:59:00.000-06:00

This list is an amalgamation, including worst episodes, plot lines, trends, and decisions. There is some overlap (some worst episodes are a result of the worst plot lines, etc.) and it of course excludes *a lot* bad programming.

You'll find no Reality TV here for example because:
1. I don't watch it
2. Adding I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here to a "worst of" list seems redundant.
So really, this is sort of a "worst of the best" list.

Finally, like all such lists, it's completely subjective. But if you agree or disagree with any of my choices please share in the comments!

Promoting FlashForward as the next Lost

By heavily promoting FlashForward as the successor to Lost, ABC set the show up to fail. (See this piece at TV Overmind). If you show up expecting filet mignon and get served a cheeseburger you're going to be disappointed.

It also demonstrates that ABC doesn't fundamentally understand what made Lost a hit in the first place. Lost was about the characters. Dharma, The Others, Smokey, Ben Linus, Jacob, time travel, all of the mythology we now associate with Lost, were not in the pilot episode (at least not directly) and some, like time travel, didn't appear until last season. Lost was, in the beginning, about the characters. We slowly got to know who they were on the island and who they were before. FlashForward is built around a central mystery and the characters seem like little more than pawns being shuffled around the board in service of the plot.

House “Both Sides Now”

Turns out House's miraculous overnight detox was in his head (which was good, because that was a ludicrous idea) and he hallucinated having sex with Cuddy. So, after a good six months of having the producers hype the 'Huddy' consummation it wasn't real? LAME. Then, House humiliates her in front of half the hospital in a way that was cruel and not remotely entertaining.

The subplot about Cameron and Chase fighting about her dead husband’s sperm was totally out of left field and, really, I stopped caring about these characters ages ago. Only good thing about this episode was House realizing he needed help and Wilson taking him to the hospital.

Bones “The Hero in the Hold”

Bet you thought I was going to say "The End in the Beginning" didn't you? I didn’t actually hate that episode, though I was pissed about it at the time. I enjoyed seeing all of the interns and other minor characters making appearances (even if it did seem kind of like an AU crack fanfic) and the actors seemed to be having fun and the redressed set was cool. It was kind of a fun episode. What I objected to was having it as a season finale and the fact that the producers had been hyping Booth and Brennan having sex for six months and to have it be alternate reality characters was a cheap stunt (see below). Oh, and the amnesia bit at the very end was ridiculously soapy.

But, if we’re looking at the worst of TV last year then I think, “The Hero in the Hold” fits the bill. Part of it was an expectation thing. The Gravedigger was one of the coolest bad guys our heroes have faced and Brennan and Hodges ordeal in “Aliens in a Spaceship” is easily one of Bones’ best episodes. So when we learned the Gravedigger was returning and kidnapping Booth, fans were understandably excited. The result was a letdown.

I don't buy that Hodges would have stolen the evidence. I think TJ Thyne does a great job of selling it, and I do believe that the not knowing would drive Hodges crazy, but the man works in a crime lab! He understands the chain of evidence and that the evidence would be inadmissible, regardless of any conclusions he might have drawn.

The Gravedigger loves complicated and convoluted death traps but the yellow submarine in the ready be to detonated old naval ship? I couldn't help but think of the Dr. Evil bit about sharks with lasers on their heads.

The reveal of the US Attorney as the bad guy was anti-climactic. Had we seen this character in previous episodes, the reveal might have carried some weight. Instead, we're just supposed to be surprised because she's a woman. And on that subject, I don't see how she could have physically carried out the crimes, drugging and then moving unconscious bodies, extremely quickly, sometimes in broad daylight, all without being noticed. I'm not sure I would have believed one man could physically accomplish that, let alone a small woman.

And finally, Teddy. David Boreanaz and Noel Fisher do a good job with these scene, and it's a nice little bit know where Parker got his name, but I'm not really sure what else these scenes accomplished. Booth still has some regrets and guilt about his actions in the military. Ok, I believe that, but why haven't these issues ever come up in the context of his therapy sessions with Wyatt or Sweets? Was it really necessary to rely on a hallucination/ghost? Teddy's function seemed to be primarily an expository tool so Booth could explain what was happening. It might have been an interesting aesthetic choice to not have dialogue in those scenes. The uncomfortably of silence would increase the tension for the audience. Or if they really wanted some level of back and forth, why not just have another 'real' character there?

The part of the episode that I *really* hated was the final scene. In the context of the rest of the season, Teddy as a hallucination makes sense (I guess). But at the cemetery Brennan sees and speaks to Teddy which strongly implies that he was in fact a ghost. Given that Booth is clearly not watching their interaction, we can't even claim that the camera is just showing us Booth's perspective. To quote Supernatural, "This show has ghosts? Why?" Bones (the show, not the character) has always had an openness to religion, faith, and even the supernatural, but it's ostensibly a show about science and has always kept this stuff vague. Why change now? And what purpose does it ultimately serve?

Smallville “Doomsday”

This messy season finale exemplifies all of the things wrong with Smallville. Smallville has never been a great show. Mostly, I accept this, but sometimes it's really frustrating because there are some obvious and simple fixes that would vastly improve the show. The biggest thing the show needs to do? Stop trying to be all things to all people! Related to this, DC needs let the show be its own thing.

Superman first comic book appearance was in 1938, making the character 71 years old as of 2009. That's a 71 year history riddled with mutations and contradictions regarding origins, powers, allies, and villains. The 1985-1986 series Crisis on Infinite Earths which used the concept of the multiverse to explain these competing narratives and resolved them by merging the different versions of Earth together to create one earth, and thus, going forward, one canonical DC universe.

To preserve this continuity, as well as the pending reboot of the Superman film franchise, DC has placed numerous restrictions on Smallville over the years from what powers Clark could manifest to what other DC characters could appear. Smallville has also been wary of angering comic book fans by upsetting continuity. And yet, there are certain changes and interpretations that are somehow considered permissible, though I'm often at a loss to see why.

"Doomsday"'s failure as an episode can largely be attributed to these behind the scenes factors.

Doomsday is the only supervillan to ever kill Superman (he comes back) in the 1992 Superman comic series The Death and Return of Superman and the iconic scene of Lois holding Superman's broken body is familiar to some non-comics fans. As a result, Smallville team had to tread lightly in bringing the character into the show.

And it seemed like they were doing a pretty great job (leaving aside the whole retconning of 'two boys came to earth that day'). Instead of having Doomsday be just the huge, mindless killing machine they decided to take a Dr Jekyll/Mr Hyde approach by having Doomsday be an alternate side to mild mannered paramedic Davis Bloome (played by the talented Sam Witwer). Davis was interesting, attractive, and highly sympathetic, making him a far more compelling character than he otherwise would have been. But, "Doomsday" manages disappoint.

1. Way to many subplots that were more about setting up next season than concluding this one.

The guy from the Legion shows up with another ring and makes a big pronouncement that Clark will die. Clark leaves a superpowerful time traveling ring *laying around* at the office. (Clark is such a moron sometimes). The orb goes missing and Lois and Tess have a smackdown (which was well choreographed, but screamed fanservice to me). Lois vanishes to the future. The Justice League betrays Clark. Jimmy finds out about Clark. Black Kryptonite. Zod appears. And so on, and so on. Too much for a one hour episode.

2.The big "showdown" with Doomsday lasts about 5 seconds:

To preserve Superman's future death, Clark has a blink or you'll miss it, cheesy special effect fight with Doomsday before he buries him under a power plant. We've spent the whole season waiting for this confrontation. Very anti-climactic

3. Davis kills Jimmy.

So Davis (absent Doomsday) the nice guy that we'd come to care about turns out to be a psychotically jealous killer? Really? I guess having Doomsday be a part of him corrupted him? Or was that always part of him? I don't know, but killing off your most interesting character in years doesn't seem like a smart move. I did like to see Jimmy Olsen get to be the hero though. But that brings me to...

4. Jimmy isn't really Jimmy

The Jimmy Olsen we've gotten to know and love apparently wasn't the 'real' Jimmy Olsen he was Henry James Olsen and his little brother is likely to be the Jimmy that grows up to befriend Lois and Clark at the Planet. (Which is a total retcon since Jimmy gives his full name in an early appearance and it wasn't Henry James). Superman purists had raised a bit of a ruckus when Jimmy was first brought into the show, but after so many years he'd been largely accepted and making him 'not the real' Jimmy seems disrespectful to the character and the fans.

Sam Witwer (Davis) and Aaron Ashmore (Jimmy) both sounded disappointed in interviews discussing what happened with their characters.

The one thing I did like in this episode was the phone call between Lois and Clark (as the Blur)

Prison Break “Killing Your Number”

Prison Break should have ended one season. Seasons 2 and 3 were a complete mess. The first half of season 4 was actually quite enjoyable, if implausible (Hey, Sarah’s not really dead!). FBI agent Don Self (Michael Rapaport) captures most of the gang and, in exchange for their freedom, they agree to work on a top secret off the books project to steal Scylla (a McGuffin who’s function and purpose changes so often I couldn’t even tell you what it was in the end) from the shadowy and elusive Company.

So, for the first half of the season consists of a variety of fun Ocean’s Eleven style cons and thefts designed to facilitate the retrieval of Scylla. But once that is accomplished and Don Self is revealed to be a bad guy our boys go on the run again and the plot becomes confusing and increasingly ridiculous (Michael’s mother is still alive and she’s a bitch! The son of the Indian prime minister is assassinated at an energy conference… for some reason…).

Having gotten sucked back in to the fun of the first half of the season and knowing the show was ending I felt compelled to finish it. In the finale “Killing Your Number” Michael clears their names, ridiculously quickly and easily given that he’s been trying to do it for four years and has committed numerous other offenses during that time.

And then he dies.

Really??? I’m all for dark and bittersweet endings for deep shows where I really enjoyed the journey but for a show like this that was such a freaking mess most of the time I just wanted Michael and Sarah to ride off into the sunset together. I didn't feel like they earned this ending if that makes any sense. Only good parts of this finale were the return of Kellerman and Sucre, and T-Bag going back to jail.

Stargate Atlantis “Enemy at the Gate”

Stargate Atlantis had a lot of problems over it's 5 year run. The storytelling had gotten a bit stale, for one, but this is also the series that brought us "Michael" one of the best hours of the Stargate franchise and great characters like Todd the Wraith. So this series deserved a better finale "Enemy at the Gate".

Things I liked about it: tying in the AU episode Vegas (which is on my best of 09 episode list), inclusion of Todd, Earth being threatened, inclusion of SGC and SGC personnel, the newest ship is named after General Hammond.

What I didn't like: It was so rushed, for such a big action packed story they really needed a minimum of two hours. The funky new wraith ship that's bigger, badder, and faster than anything we've seen appearing suddenly in this episode. And in a similar vein...

The magical, mystical Wormhole drive THAT HAS NEVER BEEN MENTIONED is somehow invented and utilized. I get that they wanted to get Atlantis to Earth, and it's kind of a cool idea, but it's so out of the blue and clearly only to service the plot making it seem really, really lazy.

Reviving Ronan. Stargate rarely kills off cast members, especially not main ones and Ronan's death at the hands of the wraith in this episode was a shock and got me all teary. And then he was brought back and the momentary 'death' felt like nothing but a cheap stunt. It's not that I have anything against Ronan and I'd have probably missed him in the movies (assuming they ever get made) but I wish the Stargate producers had the strength and conviction to make those kinds of dark choices.

Battlestar Galactica “Deadlock”

This episode of BSG was still better than 98% of everything else on television this past year. But, for an episode of BSG, particularly in the home stretch, this one was a real disappointment. I really wasn't that interested in Baltar's storyline and it felt like it was only there so that we didn't forget he was around since he would have a role to play in the final chapter. Adama looks at the cracks in the Galactica hull (for the 100th time).

But the biggest problem I had was with the characters. Ellen's return to the fleet causes characterization to be thrown out the window. First, we have Ellen, who has been cool, calm, and awesome since her resurrection, reverting back to the shrewish harpy she was before. While this does make sense, seeing Saul again and finding out about Caprica would cause her to fall back into old behavioral patterns, it's still disappointing.

It's also an issue for me to foreground Tigh & Caprica's "love" because I never bought that particular storyline. I didn't buy for a second that Tigh loved her and I while I could maybe believe that Caprica could have deluded herself into thinking she was in love, I don't think she was. (And given that we never see them again after this episode clearly they weren't really that emtionally tied together.) So, the whole Tigh caught between his pregnant girlfriend and his back-from-the-dead wife seemed a bit silly and soap opera-esqe to me.

The there is the cylon vote about splitting off from the fleet. Of course Saul and Anders would vote to stay and Tory would vote to go, that's completely fitting with their characters. I was so-so on Ellen voting to leave, given her rhetoric since her resurrection, but I could go with her doing it out of spite.

What I absolutely, 100% did not buy was Tyrol voting to go. Yes, he'd been embracing his cylon-ness and learning about cylon tech and culture, but we hadn't seen anything to suggest he would ever turn his back on humanity. Plus, he still thinks his son is half human at this point. This is one of the few moments in BSG where the characters are clearly acting in service of plot.

I do love the end of the episode when Adama grieves with Tigh for his unborn son and when Roslin realizes that the wall of the dead in the Galactica hallway now includes cylons as well as humans.

Life on Mars “Life is a Rock”

I get that they wanted to do something different than the British series and there is something admirable in that. But where the British series finale was a melancholy meditation on fantasy vs. reality in everyday life, the US series was apparently all part of a glitching virtual reality simulation for an astronaut on a mission to Mars. Imagine investing several years in the show only to find out that nothing you watched mattered. That would have sucked. Oh, and that closing image? Cheesy as hell.

Dollhouse “Ghost”

Not the worst episode of Dollhouse, but it still sucks. This shoddy pilot, especially in comparison to the original unaired pilot, is a prime example of what happens when network executives make creative decisions. If you haven't seen the original unaired pilot netflix the last disc of season 1 (which also includes the excellent unaired "Epitaph One"). Then watch "Ghost". You'll be appalled.

Dollhouse “Stage Fright”

Echo is imprinted to be a backup dancer with a desperate need to protect her lead singer from a crazed fan. In skimpy clothes. Lame. Just really, really, really, lame.

Fake pregnancy on Glee or, really, almost any scene with Teri Schuster

One of the unfortunate side effects of Glee's production schedule was that the first batch of episodes was basically completed by the time the show aired in the fall. This didn't allow the writers and producers to make any adjustments based on audience reactions. And there is one thing that all Glee viewers agreed on, Teri and the fake pregnancy storyline sucked. The storyline has mercifully ended, but what the show will do with Teri remains to be seen. They maybe able to rehabilitate her, but given that she has no connection to the school or Glee club, it's hard to see how.

Jim’s promotion on The Office

Jim isn’t funny as a boss. Plus, it's depressing because season 1 Jim said, "Right now this is just a job. If I advance any higher in this company, then this would be my career. And uh... well, if this were my career, I'd have to throw myself in front of a train" (1.03 "Health Care").

Guess what Jim? It's a career.

Hyping fake sex/Misleading your audience in interviews

The sex fake-out (it was a fantasy! dream! body swap!, etc) sucks for audience members. But what makes it ten times worse is having your producers hyping it up in every interview for six months leading up to it and deliberately misleading viewers in these same interviews.

Take Shonda Rhimes saying flat out that Izzie did not have cancer (except she did). Or Bones' Hart Hanson- "I know it’s semantics, I know it’s splitting hairs, but I didn’t lie about the finale. All I said is that they would have sex (they did) and it wouldn’t be a dream (it wasn’t)." Um, except the AU characters that had sex weren't Bones and Booth and it was a *coma* dream. People only use the "it's semantics" excuse when they're trying to back-peddle.

Open advice to all showrunners for 2010:

1. Just let your characters f!@#$ already! Or, if you really don't want to go there, either because you buy into the old Moonlighting myth or you don't have confidence in your ability to write couples interestingly, then just back off. Fake sex isn't cute, or clever, or mollifying, it's annoying.

2. When speaking to reporters either tell the truth or don't say anything at all. Lying or skirting the truth just leads to pissed off fans. And you've seen what pissed off fanboys/girls are like on the internet.

Fox moving Fringe to the overcrowded Thursday at 9/8 EST/CST slot

Fox took the time to nurture Fringe giving it a plum post-AI time slot in the spring and the creative team really found their footing in the back nine, leading to one of the season’s best finales (certainly the most shocking).

But moving the show to stuffed to the gills 9/8 pm (EST/CST) time slot has been a near disaster. The show’s numbers have dropped significantly. Viewers interested in procedurals tune into the more familiar and accessible CSI and Supernatural's small rabid fan base includes the very sort of people who are willing to sign up for a mythology heavy show but never at the expense of the Winchesters (that's the reason I've personally fallen behind).

I had been vocally advocating moving the show back to it's original Tuesday night slot but ABC's decision to move Lost to that time (smart move designed to avoid breaking up the new comedy block) makes the Tuesday option much less appealing given the overlapping audiences.

House's bizarre obsession with Foreteen & the continued mismanagement of the supporting cast

The writers of House are, for some strange reason, completely obsessed with the character of Thirteen. I don't hate the character or her portrayer Olivia Wilde, but that's not the reason I tune into the show. I also think that there isn't much chemistry between Thirteen and Foreman, so the continued foregrounding of the relationship seems odd. (Frankly, I find the character of Foreman to be a complete bore. Nothing against Omar Epps, I just think that as written, Foreman is only useful in expositing on the patient of the week.)

Also strange- keeping Jennifer Morrison's Cameron as essentially an extra for a season and a half, only to let her go now, when they've finally worked in a legitimate reason for her to return to the team. (Yeah, don't even get me started on all the quitting, hiring, firing of team members.)

I was pretty much done with House at the end of last season, but I really enjoyed Broken and decided to give it a couple more tries. But it was quickly apparent that Broken was a one off and once the show returned to Princeton Plainsboro it was business as usual. Sorry House, but I've quit you.

ABC trying to bring Scrubs back & not being able to support Better Off Ted

Scrubs was past its prime and should have been allowed to go quietly into the night, especially given it's emotional and fitting send off. Had it not been for Better Off Ted we probably wouldn't have gotten Scrubs 2.0 and if it weren't for Scrubs 2.0 we probably wouldn't have gotten a second season of Better Off Ted. ABC couldn't really have one without the other.

Ted is a very funny show that unfortunately ended up on the wrong network. ABC finally managed to build a successful comedy night with shows like Modern Family but Ted doesn't really fit with those shows tonally. It looks like the network is burning off the Scrubs & Ted episodes in the next few weeks. Ted would fit best with quirky NBC comedies on Thursdays so if I worked for NBC or Ted I'd be putting feelers out. I'm not holding my breath but stranger things have happened...

Two words: Ghost. Sex. (Grey's Anatomy)

I get loving Jeffery Dean Morgan, I'm a Supernatural fangirl after all, but bringing his character back as a ghost, oh sorry, hallucination (cuz that makes it better?) to have sex with another character? Ridiculous. Lame. Stupid. Insane. Shonda should have let poor dead Denny rest in peace.

Now if Kripke wants to bring back Papa Winchester I could be ok with it because it *could actually make sense* within the logic of the Supernatural 'verse. Watch the Denny/Grey's parody clip "this show has ghosts?"

The Jay Leno Show

aka NBC destroys what little credibility they had left.

Renewing Southland only to cancel it before Season 2 starts

I didn't watch Southland though by all accounts it was a pretty good show with good potential (shows about cops, lawyers, and doctors/nurses have to be amazing or have something really special to get my attention at this point). NBC renewed it and early reports were that Season 2 was looking good.

Then NBC canceled it without ever airing an episode saying that it was "too gritty" for an earlier hour (the network having ceded the 10/9 CST hour to Leno). The about face not only made NBC look stupid but it was a slap in the face to veteran producer John Wells who had a long and profitable history with the network. Regarding the cancellation Wells told The Hollywood Reporter "I'm disappointed that NBC no longer has the time periods available to support the kind of critically acclaimed series that was for so many years, a hallmark of their success."

Jeff Zucker still has a job, and seems likely to keep it

Yes, the cable properties are successful, but that is largely a result of Zucker keeping his hands off, while his total mismanagement of NBC has taken the peacock from the #1 network to the industry laughing stock alienating both viewers and creative talent in the process. Hopes were high that the Comcast buyout would put an end to Zucker's tenure, but that doesn't appear to be in the cards.

Identity in the Age of Social Networking

2009-12-27T17:32:00.000-06:00

"Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes.)"
- Walt Whitman "Song of Myself"

"The self, then, as a performed character, is not an organic thing that has a specific location, whose fundamental fate is to be born, to mature, and to die; it is a dramatic effect arising diffusely from a scene that is presented, and the characteristic issue, the crucial concern, is whether it will be credited or discredited."
- Erving Goffman The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life (1959, pg 252-253)

Who are you? How do you define yourself? How do others define you?

Do you find that a difficult question to answer? I know I do.

[Read my philosophical ramblings on the subject after the jump]

The 'self' is, as Goffman argued, a performance. When we are with our families our identity is often very different than when we are with our friends and that may be different still from our interactions with co-workers. This is not to suggest that the one of these identities is authentic and the others mere artifice. Instead, we are as Whitman described, made up of multiple and sometimes contradictory selves.

Identity then, has always been a moving target, but it used to be contained in a a much narrower frame of reference.¹

People we born, raised, married, and died within a fifty mile radius.² When you grew up you became a wife and mother if you were a woman and men often followed after their fathers occupationally. If you started your career with a company you could very well end up working there for 40 years and earning that gold watch upon retirement.³ You were defined by your sex, your occupation, your community, your church. All of these factors added up to an identity that was relatively stable over time.

A variety of economic, cultural, and technological factors have changed how we cultivate our sense of self and how we perform that identity for others. In some ways, our identities are more performative than ever. Our mobility allows us to 'reinvent' ourselves over and over. We modify and adorn our physical bodies as part of our performance. My hair is short, spiky, and dyed an almost unnatural red. I have two cartilage piercings and a tattoo. These trappings signify something about my 'identity', particularly in the conservative financial services sector where I am now employed.

Online we are divorced from the physical body. How do we perform identity online? On sites like Twitter and Live Journal, icons are one of the primary ways we do this. Our wallpapers and blog headers serve a similar function. What is fascinating is the level of abstraction that is sometimes involved.

Take my current twitter icon for example. It is John Simm as the Master in Doctor Who: End of Time. My using this image I'm identifying myself as a Doctor Who to those who are capable of recognizing it thus, creating a point of identification and possible conversation topic for those who follow/friend me. But by just identifying myself as a DW fan I'm saying something about myself. I'm identifying as a sci-fan and as an anglophile. If you see me posting on Twitter about Doctor Who, Torchwood and Primeval, you would reach these conclusions.

You might then extrapolate further characteristics from this. Clearly if I'm a huge fan of these shows, I have no problem with accents, which means I'm probably not one of those ignorant Americans who thinks everybody should just "speak American." And this, probably suggests something about my politics. We use pop cultural ephemera as a shorthand for the self.

Online, we form large communities and extensive relationships based on these cultural artifacts (i.e. a television show) or even just a tiny sliver of the artifact (i.e. a specific 'ship' or relationship between two characters). Social networking sites (which for purposes of this discussion includes blogs/journals, twitter, facebook, etc) serve to both fracture the 'self' and bring us together. They require us to actively manage our identities externally even as we may struggle to reconcile them internally.

On this blog, I'm a TV fan, amateur critic, and former academic. On Twitter, I'm an amateur TV critic and Supernatural fangirl. In the Supernatural fandom I'm a Dean!girl. I have a facebook profile but I've never actually set it up or friended anybody. These identities sometimes overlap with each other.

I have to work to actively maintain all of them and, sometimes, work to keep them separated. I haven't set up facebook, in part because of the time commitment to create and maintain it. There is a reason why college students are the most prolific social networkers, it's because they have the resources and time necessary to maintain it.

I apologize for the lack of clear thesis for this post, but I've had all these ideas bouncing around my skull and I needed to get them out on (virtual) paper.

Footnotes:
1. I'm theorizing about identity in Western developed nations in general and the US specifically for the purposes of this discussion. ↑

2. For an interesting and accessible discussion of the dislocation of identity and place I recommend Pico Iyer's The Global Soul: Jet Lag, Shopping Malls, and the Search for Home ↑

3. It's a dense read, but economist David Harvey's The Condition of Postmodernity: An Enquiry into the Origins of Cultural Change is a brilliant examination of the economic transformations of the latter half of the 20th century and how it impacted social interations.↑

Getting ready for The End of Time

2009-12-24T09:26:00.000-06:00

Doctor Who: The End of Time Pt 1 airs on BBC America, Saturday, December 26th at 8 pm CST. Here are some links and vids to help you gear up. If you've got other links, leave them in the comments!

Alan Sepinwall has the transcript of an interview with David Tennant at ComicCon in which he looks back at becoming the Doctor.

simmspotting has a copy of a Doctor Who Magazine interview with John Simm on being the Master

BBCA has a video of Russell T Davies discussing EOT

BBC The End of Time Trailer:

Preview clip of EOT Pt1:

5 Gaping Plot Holes Hollywood Knows You Won't Notice | Cracked.com

2009-12-23T16:39:00.000-06:00

This is totally frakking hilarious- 5 Gaping Plot Holes Hollywood Knows You Won't Notice from Cracked.com
Excerpt:

Go to Google Maps, pick a random state, then a random city and street name. We'll wait. Back? OK, did you end up on the street that we randomly selected (Oak Street in Starke, Florida)? Of fucking course you didn't. But if you were written by JJ Abrams you would have.

and another Cracked gem- 6 Baffling Mistakes Every Movie Criminal Makes
Excerpt:

Ads like to describe these crime movies as something like, "a thrilling cat and mouse thriller, guaranteed to thrill." This assessment might be accurate if mice were known to run in front of cats telling them exactly where they are, where they will be in the future, and what they plan to do once they get there. But they don't do that, because mice are smarter than that. Movie criminals, not so much.

"The Waters of Mars": A Time Lord Victorious

2009-12-21T19:19:00.000-06:00

BBC America aired Doctor Who "The Waters of Mars", Saturday night, just over a month after it aired in the UK.* This Saturday night they will air "End of Time, Pt 1" only one day after it airs overseas.

I thought the movie was, on the whole, brilliant. David Tennant was fantastic and the story was classic Russell T. Davies, both creepy and controversial. Discussion with spoilers after the jump.

*As I told some of my international Twitter friends, every time I start to complain about their lag in scheduling I have to kick myself for being an entitled American because the rest of the world deals with this all the time.

The basic plot of "The Waters of Mars" is nothing new to sci-fi fans in general or Who fans specifically. Strange alien life form infects trapped crew, picking them off one by one. But there are two general principles that RTD employs here and in all of his strongest stories: less is more and characters matter.

The alien in this episode is water and it 'infects' the crew members. This allows the audience to more easily identify with the characters than if they were being chased by the men-in-rubber suit aliens we sometimes see. I really loved this quote from the Doctor:

Water is patient, Adelaide. Water just waits. It wears down the cliff tops, the mountains, the whole of the world. Water always wins.

The movie also took the time to establish the family ties of characters on the base giving us an immediate point of identification even though the characters themselves were not as fleshed out as they could be. And you've got to love RTD's politics. The kick-ass commander of the mission is a *grandmother*, the cast is ethnically diverse, and one of the men casually mentions his brother and his husband.

I'm glad that BBCA aired the "Inside the Tardis" special before the movie as I think it was very nice reminder of some of the issues that this doctor has faced.

Ten has always been a little manic. He's cheeky and zany and fun, but there has also always been a darker side to him, a ruthlessness that could be shocking. This was evident in his first episode, "The Christmas Invasion" when the leader of the Sycorax attacked him from behind he killed him saying, "no second chances", and then at the end of the episode he brings down Prime Minister Harriet Jones.

And he's lost not only his planet and his people, but many of his human companions as well. Rose is off in the parallel reality living happily ever after with his half human clone. Martha and Jack are busy protecting earth with UNIT and Torchwood respectively. Having to strip Donna of her memories may have been the straw that broke the camel's back. For Ten, the human companions have been vitally important for as Donna says in "The Runaway Bride", "sometimes I think you need someone to stop you."

And that is the context for "The Waters of Mars". The destruction of the Bowie station on Mars is a fixed point in time and space and, as a Time Lord, the Doctor needed to let the events play out. But something is broken in the Doctor. Knowing that his "song is ending soon" coupled with all of the emotional losses leads the Doctor to go to far.

He tells Adelaide Brooks (Lindsay Duncan in a very strong performance):

Yes, because there are laws. There are laws of time. Once upon of time there were people in charge of those laws but they died. They all died. Do you know who that leaves? *Me!* It's taken me all these years to realize that the laws of time are *mine* and they will obey me

In these final Mars scenes the Doctor is clearly unhinged and Tennant's performance frightening in it's intensity.

The Doctor's hubris is further revealed when they return to Earth:

Adelaide: [Backs away from the Doctor] You should have left us there.
The Doctor: Adelaide, I've done this sort of thing before. In small ways, saved some little people. But never someone as important as you. Ooh, I'm good!
The Doctor: Little people? What, like Mia and Yuri? Who decides they're so unimportant? You?
The Doctor: For a long time now, I thought I was just a survivor, but I'm not. I'm the winner. That's who I am. A Time Lord victorious.
Adelaide: And there's no one to stop you?
The Doctor: No.
Adelaide: [Noticeably angry] This is wrong, Doctor! I don't care who you are! The Time Lord victorious is wrong!

And then Adelaide Brooks enters her home and shoots herself in the head. The Doctor realizes that he is responsible for this woman's suicide and realizes just how far off the reservation he's gone.

These final scenes really evoked the Torchwood: Children of Earth mini-series. In both we have our brilliant and charming heroes face down the enemy, appearing to have the upper hand only to have the rug pulled out from under him, and the result is death. And while Brooks' death is certainly not as emotionally devastating as Ianto's, it is shocking and very dark for the family friendly Who, and, like the finale of COE we see our heroes make controversial choices that we may not be able to forgive.

That makes for amazing television, if not always happy fans.

I'm a huge fan of John Simm and the Master (I think the Utopia/The Sound of the Drums/Last of the Time Lords trilogy is some of the best Doctor Who we've seen). I'm eagerly awaiting "End of Time" even as I'm dreading saying goodbye to David Tennant.

I'm looking forward to seeing what Matt Smith does with the character, but I think Ten will always be my Doctor.

Recommended reading:
Jace over at Televisionary on Time Lord Victorious
And for a non-Who fan take on TWOM see Cultural Learnings

Dollhouse "The Attic": Frak me!

2009-12-21T10:29:00.000-06:00

I spent my Sunday getting caught up on Dollhouse. I really enjoyed the December episodes and on the whole they were very strong. Enver as Topher was the funniest thing I've seen in a very long time. If I was a casting director I'd be snapping him up in a heartbeat.

Then there was "The Attic", which was a total mind-screw. I really need to watch it again but I had to post a couple of initial thoughts/questions.

SPOILERS for "The Attic" after the jump.

These thoughts are kind of a random jumble:

"The Attic" was creepy, horrifying, confusing, informative, emotional, and, at a couple of rare points, funny. Let's start with the last one.

Funny- lots of great deadpans: from Echo when talking to the Japanese man, Tony's reaction to Priya's nightmare (they're having sex and then he turn's into the rapist she killed), Dominic (yay!) telling Echo he's glad he never killed her, etc. The creepy Arcane turns out to be a little British man named Clyde (played perfectly by Adam Godley who played Jonas in the recent Merlin two parter Beauty and the Beast).

Creepy/Horrifying- the way the dolls are floating in blue goo with electrodes in their head, but the most terrifying part to me was the way they were saran-wrapped in. I'm claustrophobic so watching them struggle against that made me very uncomfortable. Then there was the Japanese man with his missing legs. That was creepy, but then in the kitchen where they were being diced? Whoa. I'm amazed that made it past the Fox censors.

Emotional- Tony stabbing Priya and then waiting for the zombies to attack, it had a very Romeo and Juliet feel to it and, knowing Whedon's penchant for killing off characters, it makes me very worried about their chances of surviving and getting their happily ever after. Topher agonizing over bringing Ballard back. He knows that Ballard would probably rather be dead than be a doll but they need him. Loved seeing Dominic stand up and stay behind to try and help.

Informative- this episode reminded me a little bit of the BSG "No Exit" when Anders remembered the story of the final five in that it was a bit of an info dump, but it didn't matter, you were totally absorbed in the story. So the attics across the globe are all networked and the minds of the residents are being used as processors. Fascinating. Clyde has calculated that there is a less than 3% chance that the apocalypse will be averted.

Questions that remain:
1. How exactly did Echo manage to die and then revive herself and how did she know she could do it? Was it a matter of just not being afraid?

2. Has Adelle been a 'good guy' all along? Was the betraying Topher and acting like a drunk all part of an elaborate scheme? Seems like handing over Topher's plans got her back into control of the house which was probably a necessity for moving against Rossum.

3. Does Rossum actually trust Adelle and the rest of the LA staff? Give how nefarious and paranoid they seem I kind of doubt it, and it would be very Whedon like for one of the characters to be a mole, and have our heroes know it and use it to their advantage. Maybe Ivy? It seemed a little strange for them to include her in their plans. Speaking of Ivy...

4. Why did Ivy tell Topher not to touch her?

5. What did they 'take' from Ballard? His feelings toward Echo?

6. What is Boyd's big secret(s)? What 'personal' matters was he attending to? Something to do with Whiskey/Dr. Saunders? Boyd is mysterious enough that I feel like they could turn him into a bad guy, but I really hope not.

7. Who was Clyde's partner? It seems like it has to be someone we've met, but I kind of don't feel like we know any of Rossum suits we'll enough to care when they are revealed, and I'm not sure I'd buy it if one of our other characters is revealed as such.

8. Is it possible that Alpha was at one point imprinted with Clyde's consciousness? Alpha's knowledge of the technology and his skills surpass Topher's and maybe this is how?

9. Does Epitaph One actually take place in the 'real world' future or is it part of the virtual reality created by Clyde's consciousness???

I feel like I need to watch the two episodes side by side, but I'm kind of thinking it would make sense that it's in the VR. In EO Caroline is supposed to hold the key to preventing imprinting and in "The Attic" it's said that Caroline is able to id Clyde's mysterious partner. What if this knowledge is the same thing? What if id-ing the partner is what ultimately prevents the apocalypse?

Am I totally reaching here? Maybe. Whatever happens I'm excited to be along for the ride.

"I know, I know!" 10 Shows I Feel Really Guilty for Not Watching

2009-12-16T09:57:00.000-06:00

It's that time of year- everybody is putting out their top 10 lists. I've been casually working on mine but I'm not sure I really need to add to what's already out there. Instead, I thought I'd do this unusual little list.

I love TV (really, it borders on unhealthy) and I love *quality* television. Sure, I've got some guilty pleasures here and there, and I love a lot of genre shows that don't ever feel the love come awards time, even though the television critics may approve.

I'm a champion of under-appreciated television and I take great pride in having convinced friends and family of the genius of shows like Battlestar Galactica and Supernatural.

Despite this, I have some glaring gaps in my TV repertoire and at the risk of losing my street cred I'm going to share with you the top 10 shows I feel guilty for not watching. Some of these shows are still on the air, some aren't. They are all excellent shows (I even talk them up to other people!) and I *will* watch them all someday, I swear!

See my fail list after the jump.

1. The Wire (HBO) 2002-2008
What's it about? Baltimore drug scene from the perspective of both the players and law enforcement
Why I haven't watched it: I've never had HBO and it never got much press in the beginning. I didn't start watching it when it first came out on DVD because the plot didn't jump out at me. I haven't started watching it now because that's a lot of seasons to commit to.
Why I know I should: It's at the top of just about every critics list for top series of the decade and I agree with critics more often than not. Fantastic cast.

2. Mad Men (AMC) 2007-present
What's it about? Life at a prestigious ad agency in NYC in the 1960s.
Why I haven't watched it: I was really excited about it when I first heard about it, but I missed the first season because of a lot of crap going on in my personal life and I just never took the time to get caught up.
Why I know I should: I know I'm absolutely going to love it. Everyone who watches it absolutely loves it. Amazing cast.

3. Friday Night Lights (Direct TV/NBC) 2006-present
What's it about? Life of a small town football team in Texas.
Why I haven't watched it: Initially I didn't watch because I don't care for sports movies and my interest in teen melodrama has waned a little in recent years. Also, I actually did the whole small town championship football team, dating the popular quarterback, etc thing in high school so I didn't really feel the need to relive it on screen.
Why I know I should: Critics love it and the fan base is very passionate. Sounds like the football plots ended up being secondary to characterization and it avoids melodrama. The adults are important characters as well, it doesn't just focus on the teens.

4. Breaking Bad (AMC) 2008
What's it about? A high school chemistry teacher becomes a meth dealer when he learns he has cancer.
Why I haven't watched it: Purely a timing thing. I really wanted to, I just missed the first season and haven't found the time to catch up.
Why I know I should: I *love* Bryan Cranston in everything. I've always thought the premise was great. Critics love it.

5. Chuck (NBC) 2007-present
What's it about? Chuck is a tech support nerd at a big box store who accidentally downloads a top secret government program into is brain.
Why I haven't watched it: I actually watched the first half of the first season and while I liked it, I didn't like it more than the CBS comedies or House so it was really just a victim of limited satellite receivers. [Because we live in the country and the cable and telephone companies refuse to run lines in our area, our only option for high speed internet is satellite as well, and they place stringent "fair use" download limitations on us so we can't just stream shows on Hulu.]
Why I know I should: I adore the cast, especially Adam Baldwin (who'll always be Jayne to me). The fans and critics all really loved season 2 and I think I've quit House for good, so I'd kind of like to get caught up before the show comes back. I was really happy the show was picked up, I even went to Subway in support of them.

6. Freaks & Geeks (NBC) 1999-2000
What's it about? A group of misfits navigate high school in the 1980s.
Why I haven't watched it: Timing largely, I was in my second year of college and was pretty busy, and not too interested in getting into a new show about high school. Also, for some odd reason the show reminded me of The Wonder Years, which I was never a big fan of.
Why I know I should: I really adore Jason Segal and John Francis Daley and like James Franco and Seth Rogen most of the time. I really enjoyed Apatow's other canceled series about college Undeclared (2001).
Lots of critics are putting it on their best of the decade lists. I wonder if the show would have done really well had it came on in the last year or two when geek chic was really en vogue.

7. The Sopranos (HBO) 1999-2007
What's it about? Life of mob boss Tony Soprano, as he deals with personal and professional issues.
Why I haven't watched it: Never had HBO. Watched a few episodes here and there but never really connected with it, probably because I didn't start at the beginning and at this point starting from the beginning is a major time commitment.
Why I know I should: Critics loved the series as a whole. It's an important cultural artifact, ushering in a golden age of premium cable programing, as well as shift to grittier and darker programing and the anti-hero protagonist.

8. Deadwood (HBO) 2004-2006
What's it about? Life in the late 1800's in a small western town of Deadwood, North Dakota where corruption and crime are rampant
Why I haven't watched it: I've never had HBO and I don't like Westerns (unless it's got a sci-fi twist like Firefly).
Why I know I should: Great cast (I especially want to watch for Jim Beaver). From a philosophical standpoint, I think that looking at this sort of stylized representation of "The Old West" will be fascinating. (Need to pull out my copy of Jim Collins' Architectures of Excess: Cultural Life in the Information Age. He has an interesting analysis of the postmodern western using Back to the Future III.)

9. The Middlemen (ABC Family) 2008
What's it about? A struggling artist is recruited by a secret agency to fight against evil forces. Based on the graphic novels by Javier Grillo-Marxuach and Les McClaine.
Why I haven't watched it: Debuted in the summer of 2008, right when I started my new job so I wasn't watching much TV. Didn't know much about it when it first started.
Why I know I should: It's supposed to be awesome. I haven't read the novels, but it sounds like something I'd love. I follow Javier Grillo-Marxuach on twitter (@OKBJGM) he's really cool.

10. Sons of Anarchy (FX) 2008-present
What's it about? Sons of Anarchy, aka SAMCRO, is a motorcycle gang that operates both illegal and legal businesses in the small town of Charming.
Why I haven't watched it: It's about *biker gangs* not exactly something an overeducated woman like me would immediately identify with. Critical reviews of season 1 were mixed.
Why I know I should: Critics have been absolutely raving about season 2. Great cast. Love the idea of doing a Shakespearean classic like Hamlet this way. Creator Kurt Sutter is fucking awesome.

Honorable Mentions:
The Shield (FX) Supposed to be great.
Damages (FX) Glen Close is amazing
Dexter (Showtime) season 2-4: Loved season 1 (I have it on DVD) but I don't get Showtime and just haven't caught up.
True Blood (HBO) season 2: just finished on HBO which I don't get

So, do you have any shows you feel guilty about not watching? Or, if you don't feel guilty, how about just some shows you don't watch that you are thinking about watching?

If I'm going to attack this list, which one do you think I should start with?

Diagram of Geek Culture - Twitterfeeds von Ibo

2009-12-15T14:20:00.000-06:00

This fabulous Diagram of Geek Culture was tweeted today by one of the Big Bang Theory writers (which in and of itself is geeky). Click on the image to enlarge.

The 67th Annual Golden Globe Nominations

2009-12-15T08:59:00.003-06:00

I remember the exact moment I lost faith in awards shows.

It was the 2001 Academy Awards and Ellen Burstyn was nominated for her amazing work in Requiem for a Dream and she lost to freaking Julia Roberts for Erin Brockovich. Anybody who had actually seen Requiem for a Dream could never have voted for Julia Roberts in good conscious. (Seriously, Julia Roberts? I don't know that I could *ever* vote for her in good conscious).

I was 21 years old and it was time to grow up and put away childish things.

Yet, I still slip back into that young idealist who rails at the injustice of it all when the Emmys, Golden Globes, and Oscars roll around.

Today the nominations for the Golden Globes were announced and I've got to vent about a couple of the television omissions and inclusions.

(There are probably some issues with the film nominations too, but unfortunately I'm really out of touch with film these days). [EDIT: I just saw Sandra Bullock is nominated TWICE. Seriously? Ok, The Blind Side is supposed to be good but The Proposal? Are you kidding me??? End rant.]

My take on the nominations after the jump.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Jeremy Piven, "Entourage"

Neil Patrick Harris, "How I Met Your Mother"

William Hurt, "Damages"

John Lithgow, "Dexter"

Michael Emerson, "Lost"

This one really got my blood boiling. Jeremy Piven? Seriously? Even the stuffy old Emmys had the good sense to omit Piven this year and recognize the comic genius of Jim Parsons. This supporting category is a combination of Drama and Comedy, which is rather ridiculous, but Jim definitely deserved Piven's spot here.

Best Television Series - Comedy

"30 Rock"

"The Office"

"Glee"

"Modern Family"

"Entourage"

While I'm very excited to see the inclusion of Glee and Modern Family, the inclusion of the tired and stale Entourage is frustrating. That spot should have gone to Big Bang Theory, which is one of the most consistently funny shows on television. Also acceptable here would be How I Met Your Mother which, again, even the Emmys recognized this year.

Best Television Series - Drama

"Mad Men"

"True Blood"

"Dexter"

"Big Love"

"House"

Clearly an example of people voting for the same old thing. Anyone who actually watched House this past year would leave it off this list. With the exception of the fantastic "Broken", House has been a creative mess for a long while now. Lost would have been a much more appropriate selection. True Blood is fun, but seems more "guilty pleasure" than Best Drama so this seems like an example of the Hollywood Foreign Press' HBO fetish.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama

Jon Hamm, "Mad Men"

Hugh Laurie, "House"

Michael C. Hall, "Dexter"

Simon Baker, "The Mentalist"

Bill Paxton, "Big Love"

I admit, I don't watch The Mentalist, but I have a hard time buying that Baker is more worthy of a nod than John Nobel of Fringe for example. Hugh Laurie deserves the nom strictly for his work in "Broken."

I haven't even bothered to watch the Globes recently, but with Ricky Gervais as host I'll definitely be tuning in. Then I'll have to write another post ranting about the winners.

For the complete list of nominations: The 67th Annual Golden Globe Nominations - HitFix.com

Tiger Woods- Anatomy of Scandal? Privacy, Gender, Violence and "Journalism"

2009-12-10T16:35:00.001-06:00

Kind of hate to feed the frenzy, but since this is a blog about the media I felt like I should comment on the Tiger Woods scandal coverage, and once I started writing I realized I had a hell of a lot to say.

What I find intriguing about this case is not the Woods' family issues. It's the cultural attitudes toward the private lives of public figures, gendered attitudes about domestic violence, and the continued blurring of "hard news" and tabloid journalism.
My thoughts after the jump

On the Privacy & Forgiveness of Public Figures:
Scandals involving public figures are bright and shiny objects that distract the media from anything else that might be of importance (like, say health care?). We are all guilty of indulging our prurient interests and slowing down to look at traffic accidents, and hey, this scandal is a two for one.

Yet, it seems to me that once it was established that Tiger was not seriously hurt and the basic facts of the case were revealed public interested waned. Until he canceled on the police three times, which stirred interest again. Then he finally released his statement and the voicemail came out, but after another few days people were kind of over it and ready to give Tiger and his family some privacy.
Why are we as a public willing to let this one go? First, Tiger has never made public claims about morality and family, like the politicians we consistently see. So we don't get to revel in the downfall of a hypocrite.
Second, Tiger has never been a media whore. Yes, he's gotten a ton of press, but it's generally related to his career and he hasn't exposed much of his private life to the press. These two factors make it difficult to continue our invasive interest in good conscious.

Gender and Domestic Violence:
It sounds like Tiger's wife attacked him and/or his car with a golf club. It's widely believed that the story about her breaking the car window to "rescue" him is a cover to prevent her from facing legal charges. Popular opinion seems to be he got what he deserved, and even I'll admit that was my first thought.

But what these responses highlight is that despite being in a so-called "post-feminist" era, our responses to domestic violence are still heavily gendered. If Tiger had been the one with the golf club we'd be calling for his head, regardless of how many affairs she may have had. We'd be insisting she stop covering for him and tell the police the truth. We'd have experts all over the airwaves discussing "battered wife" syndrome and analyzing their history for any signs of a pattern of abuse.

Instead, we treat the whole thing as a joke. Even worse, we don't even see the issue with it. SNL was so tone deaf to this that they aired a skit where a battered Tiger secretly pleads for help during a news conference on the same night that *Rihanna*, the poster girl for domestic violence, was the musical guest. Seriously? Nobody on the SNL team or NBC staff saw this as problematic? At least by crossing the line into poor taste SNL draws our attention to the fact that we don't treat domestic violence the same way when the gender roles are reversed. You can watch the sketch here if you like:

So why is this a big deal? Because domestic violence is domestic violence and by not treating violence against men seriously, we make it difficult for men to come forward or get help when they are being seriously abused by their girlfriends/boyfriends or wives/partners. A comparison of the rhetoric of the Rihanna/Chris Brown case and the Woods' case would be very interesting and, I think, very revealing. (I also think that looking at the ways that race plays into the coverage would be fascinating as well.)

Tabloid Journalism, also called, Journalism:
Several days after the Woods incident, NYT reporter Brian Stelter tweeted "On Fox News, a reporter outside Tiger Woods' home holds up the Natl Enquirer story, cites the TMZ report. Interesting." This little scenario is representative of what passes for journalism these days.

That's not to say that there isn't some decent journalism out there, but absolutely none of it is on 24 hour cable "news" networks. When these organizations rely on tabloids, corporate press releases, and citizen bloggers/twitterers they aren't even bothering with the pretense anymore. I could go on and on about this, and I'll definitely return to this issue again, but in the meantime, Jon Stewart & Stephen Colbert do it every night on Comedy Central.

So what do you think?

Convention Post 4B (Aldis & Mo)

2009-11-26T13:50:00.001-06:00

Continuation of my series of posts about my experiences at the 2009 Chicago Salute to Supernatural convention.
[Previous: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4A]

Photos, videos and stories after the jump.

After Richard, Aldis Hodge took the stage (the photo to the left is me and Aldis at the hotel bar on Saturday night). Aldis is currently starring as Alec Hardison on the hit TNT series Leverage. Supernatural fans know him has Jake Tally from the Season 2 two part finale All Hell Breaks Loose I & II. Jake has the dubious distinction of killing Sam at the end of part 1, thus leading Dean to sell his soul at a crossroads to bring Sam back. This act, killing Sam, triggers a series of events that have lead to the rising of Lucifer and the start of the apocalypse. So, small part, but big impact.

I don't have a ton to say about the panel since I admit I haven't really watched Leverage which was what the bulk of the questions ended up being about (I know, I should, I've been meaning to, especially because I love all of the actors).

In the second video below around the 2:40 mark he talks about being frequently cast as a killer. My mind immediately jumped to racial profiling though he never makes that claim.

I did think it was interesting that he originally went to school for architecture and if he wasn't an actor that is probably what he'd be doing. In the third video below he at 2:02 he speaks with an accent which is very cool. When asked who would he cast as his leading lady in a film about his life he immediately said "my girlfriend" which earned a big ole' "aaawwww" from the estrogen brigade audience. He then called her from the stage so we could all say hi (Video 4). Very cute.

I also had the opportunity to meet Chicago Tribune television critic Mo Ryan at the convention Saturday. I love Mo's blog The Watcher and following her on Twitter. She's a huge Supernatural fan and even hosted the Supernatural panel at ComicCon last summer. I took a picture with her and she took some notes while KT and I were talking to her. (We both ended up quoted in her blog!) She interviewed Jim and Misha after their panels and then had to leave, but it was so cool to meet her. (Yes, I totally fangirl over TV critics).

[video credit: cloudyvisions]

[video credit: cloudyvisions]

[video credit: cloudyvisions]

[video credit: cloudyvisions]

To be continued...

Bradley and Colin are freaking adorable!

2009-11-26T10:57:00.000-06:00

Bradley James and Colin Morgan clips from a BBC special where they trace the history of the "real" Arthur & Merlin in Wales. They are soooo cute.

Two clips after the jump of Bradley and Colin promoting a program for free theater tix for young people.

Jason Segel: I <3 U

2009-11-26T10:53:00.000-06:00

If you haven't seen this yet it's legen... wait for it...dary!

Traditional Thanksgiving Post

2009-11-25T12:13:00.002-06:00

This year I am thankful for…

… Supernatural: It’s provided me with hours of engrossing content. It’s made me laugh out loud and it’s made me bawl my eyes out. It’s made me pick up and read parts of the bible for the first time since Sunday School and to attempt reading Milton for the first time since high school.

Most importantly, it’s connected me with amazing new friends from all over the world. Pretty phenomenal feat for a little genre show on the CW.

… JJ Abrams & the Bad Robot team: Lost, Fringe, Star Trek. Need I say more?

… The BBC: For Doctor Who, Torchwood, Primeval, Being Human, and Merlin.

… Twitter: for providing me endless entertainment at work and for connecting me with celebrities, professional and amateur TV critics, and TV fans the world over.

… My iPhone: for the ability to access my home email at work, for the mapping & GPS capabilities, for the ability to get online virtually anywhere at any time, etc.

… Jim Parsons & NPH: for always making me laugh.

… TV Shows on DVD: I can’t believe there was a time when this didn’t exist.

…Amazon: I’d never get my Christmas shopping done without it.

… My place of employment: for paying me (though not enough), for providing me with decent health insurance (that I’d never be able to afford on my own), and for not blocking access to Twitter and Blogger (yet).

… My new car: it’s nothing fancy but it’s new and shiny and handles much better in inclement weather than the old one.

… My family: ‘cause they’re awesome.

What are you thankful for?

Update 1: @ITveee reminded me that I can't forget My Tivo!

Doctor Who End of Time Preview Clip!

2009-11-24T22:08:00.000-06:00

Part 1 of "End of Time" the final Doctor Who with the 10th Doctor airs in the US on 12/26 on BBC America (only one day after the UK). Here's hoping David Tennant's US pilot gets picked up because I know I'm going to miss him.

Preview clip:

Convention Post 4A- Saturday (Richard)

2009-11-19T09:33:00.002-06:00

This is a continuation of my Chicago Salute to Supernatural convention experience.
(Previously: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

Blanket spoiler warning for all episodes that have aired in the US as of this posting, episode 5.09 "The Real Ghostbusters".

Pics, vids, and narratives after the jump.

Saturday morning we woke up relatively early (especially considering I'd gone to bed after 3 am which is *very* unusual for me). I convinced the roomies that we should go to IHOP for breakfast. My poor Brazilian roommate found the large American breakfast concept rather shocking and appalling. Poor thing ordered a fruit bowl which seemed to consist primarily of pale cantaloupe and it cost more than my huge stack of pancakes!

First appearance of the day was Richard Speight Jr. aka The Trickster/Gabriel. As I previously mentioned I was very excited to hear him speak. He was awesome. He's totally relaxed and very funny. (He's also incredibly nice and accommodating, willing to take lots of pictures with fans in the hotel).

I asked him a question about the Season 3 episode "Mystery Spot" [see vid below] where the Trickster traps Sam in a Groundhog Day time loop that ends each day with Dean's death (in increasingly hilarious ways). The Trickster is very clear in the episode that he is trying to teach Sam a lesson though the why is very ambiguous. I had a theory but "Changing Channels" threw me for a loop so I wanted his take. His answer to my question and to others about the character were very insightful and not exactly what I was expecting.

Even if you don't watch all the videos, the story about the pumpkin bikini briefs left in his trailer is fracking *hilarious*, even if you don't watch the show and is a must see(last vid below, starts at 3:46).

To left you'll see my picture with Richard and his autograph. (I also got a nice picture with him at the bar Saturday night... coming in a later post).

My question is about Trickster/Gabriel's endgame in Mystery Spot starts at :42 [Video credit: phoenix39]

[Video credit: cloudyvisions]

[Video credit: cloudyvisions]

[Video credit: cloudyvisions]

Pumpkin bikini briefs (starts at 3:46). [Video credit: cloudyvisions]

To be continued.... up next Aldis, Jim, and Misha

Convention Post 3- Friday

2009-11-16T21:26:00.000-06:00

Previous entries:
Convention Post 1- Deciding to go
Convention Post 2- The Global Village

Ok, I’m starting to get into the play by play of the convention complete with photos, videos, anecdotes, etc. Blanket spoiler warning for all episodes currently aired in US (through 5.09 “The Real Ghostbusters”).

Friday included Alona Tal, Traci Dinwiddie, a Steve Carlson concert, and karaoke night in the hotel bar. (Julie McNiven was originally scheduled for Friday but due to a work conflict she was moved to Sunday.)

Much more on Friday including pics & vids after the jump

After arriving at the hotel and meeting my new friends and roommates, we go down to registration. There we discover that Jake Abel, who played the boys’ secret little bro Adam in 4.19 “Jump the Shark” (well, actually he was a ghoul pretending to be Adam but, whatever), who was scheduled to appear Saturday morning was unable to attend because of an audition. Instead, the con managed to get Richard Spieght, aka The Trickster aka the archangel Gabriel, instead.

I must say, as cute as Jake is, and as nice and funny I’ve heard he is at cons, I was *so* excited about Richard. I loved the Trickster (especially “Mystery Spot”) and really loved the 5.08 “Changing Channels” reveal that the Trickster was actual Gabriel. So, I went ahead and bought a photo op with him and Jim too, thus beginning a pattern of purchasing that would continue through the weekend.

Sidebar: Biggest downside of cons? Cost. I’m very seriously NOT looking at credit card statements to avoid a stroke. I’ve been cataloguing a list of justifications for spending the $ including: “this might be the last season!”, “Well, what’s another $50 at this point?”, “I didn’t have to buy a plane ticket to get here”, and “I’m just doing my part to stimulate the global economy.”

So, after registering, purchasing photo ops and autographs, and checking out the merchandise for sale, we went in to the convention hall and took our seats for Alona Tal’s panel. Alona, of course, plays Jo Harvelle on the show.

Jo’s a somewhat controversial character. The network has, from time to time, put pressure on the show to add some female characters, thus the introductions of Jo and Ellen in season 2, Bela and Ruby in season 3, and Ruby 2.0 and Anna in season 4. With the exception of Ellen, the female characters have had very vocal haters in the fandom. The hate is frequently dismissed as a crazy fangirl thing (“if I can’t have Sam and Dean then no one can” or “she’s coming between the boys and therefore must die”) and, yes, that is the case for some people. But, for most of us, we’re not crazy about a lot of the female roles because the characters were just not written well.

Alona, diplomatically, seems to agree. (I tried to find a video of her appearance, if anybody has a link please post in the comments. I’ll do my best to recollect it here.) She felt that the early direction of Dean-like snark just didn’t work, that it is not attractive on a woman. Then she seemed to indicate a dislike of the sort of helpless little sister type Jo that we got in “No Exit”. She said that she really wanted to show in these season 5 episodes how much Jo had matured, that she’s quieter and hangs back a little more. She said that she even pushed for a dialogue change in the upcoming episode. She was curious if we’ll be able to figure it out, they had written for Jo to say something really sarcastic to Dean and instead (if I’m remembering correctly) she says nothing.

Alona spoke a little bit about her background. I can’t believe I didn’t know this, but she was born and raised in Israel and Hebrew is her first language. She said she grew up on American cartoons and she’s always spoke English with no accent. Three weeks after high school graduation she went into the military for the mandatory two years of service. While she hated every minute of it at the time, she now thinks it was a really valuable experience.

Couple of other random SPN facts: “Abandon All Hope”, this Thursday’s episode, was absolutely her favorite episode Jo was in. “Born Under a Bad Sign” was her second favorite. In episode 5.02 “Good God Y’all” when Rufus and Jo tie up Sam (they think he’s possessed) they pour salt down his throat. They actually used sugar and, depending on the camera position, actually dumped sugar down Jared’s throat!

All in all, I really enjoyed hearing Alona. She’s smart, witty, confident, and humble. I’m really looking forward to her work in the next episode.

Since Julie had to reschedule, we had a large break after Alona. We hooked up with a couple more online friends and then the seven of us went to Chili’s for lunch. Chatted about the show, the con, RL, etc. One great thing about fan friends? If there is ever a lull in the conversation you can throw out a quote and get everybody laughing.

Next up was Traci Dinwiddie aka Pamela Barnes. She’s incredibly charming. She *oozes* sex appeal and everybody has a crush on her by the end of the panel. (Anybody got the vid? If so, post link in the comments!). She recently performed in play Always… Patsy Cline (see singing vids below). She plays the drums. She totally fangirls over Jeffery Dean Morgan (aka John Winchester) and Fringe’s John Nobel (aka Walter Bishop). She’s very independent and was a bit wild when she was younger. Would come back to SPN in a heartbeat in any role. The possibility of her haunting Bobby was discussed.

The contacts she had to wear after Cas burned out Pamela’s eyes were difficult, but it was a very interesting experience. The blooper on season 4 DVD of her running into a wall wasn’t actually a blooper. She was goofing around and did it on purpose though they *conveniently* didn’t show that. That’s all I’m remembering at the moment (Damn it! Why didn’t I take notes?). If you’ve got more stories *please* share in the comments.

So, after Traci spoke it was photo op time. Didn’t get any pics with her or Alona unfortunately. (I had to draw a line somewhere and turns out it was genitalia which makes me feel like shitty feminist. Oops.)

Next was autographs, Alona’s had to be paid for separately because she was added to the schedule late so I didn’t get one. Traci’s was included so I had her sign the copy of John Milton’s Paradise Lost & Paradise Regained that I had everybody sign (except Jim, I had him sign his book). The writer’s have said that Paradise Lost has been a big inspiration for this season, particularly the characterization of Lucifer so I thought it would be something cool and different to get autographed.

Went back to the room and rested, ordered a pizza in for dinner. I did not attend the Steve Carlson concert since it wasn’t included in the Silver pass package. (Anybody with stories or pics from that show please share in the comments!)

At 10:30 I went down to karaoke at the hotel bar. I love karaoke, though I’m not a particularly good singer, so the first order of business is always to hit the bar. Made a new friend as I mentioned in my previous post and had a lovely time. Alona and Traci both attended and sang. See clips below, sorry mine are so hard to see, the iPhone in a bar= major darkness.

Traci sings "Two Cigarettes in an Ashtray":

Traci sings "Back in Baby's Arms":

Alona sings "To Make You Feel My Love" (acapella):

Alona sings "You're the one that I want" with a group:

Alona sings Cranberries with fans (video credit xayian):

If you're looking for good pics of actors speaking at the con check out Ashleigh (@J2SPNGIRL)'s Twitpic for vids I recommend cloudy vision's youtube channel

Coming soon Part 4- Saturday...

Supernatural 5.10 "Abandon All Hope" Promos and Previews

2009-11-16T13:30:00.001-06:00

Quick break from ChiCon posts to bring you to promo and two preview scenes for Thursday's episode (the final one before the holiday break). I'm trying to cut back on my spoilers but I just couldn't resist. Embedded vids after the jump.

CW Promo:

Sneak Peek 1:

Sneak Peek 2:

Lucifer, Cas, Ellen, Jo, Bobby, Mark Sheppard, and two character deaths! It's gonna be EPIC!

Convention Post 2- The Global Village

2009-11-16T13:14:00.002-06:00

This is a continuation of my experiences at the Chicago Supernatural Convention last weekend.

Much more after the jump

Friday rolls around. I get up and go to work for a couple of hours and then drive down to the convention hotel. I text SF and she gives me a room number saying the two girls I’m staying with are there and she’ll be along soon.

I go to the room to meet my roomies. One flew in from Orlando, FL and the other from Rio, Brazil. Brazil! (I felt like a bum, I only drove 45 min!) They are both incredibly nice women and even though we’ve never spoken before (even online) we immediately got on and had plenty to talk about.

Thus began the weekend where I, a classic introvert who rarely strikes up conversations with people I don’t know, become a social butterfly! Every time I was sitting down or standing in line next to somebody I turned and asked them where they were from, if they’ve been to a con before, are they a Sam!girl or Dean!girl, etc.

Went to the hotel bar for karaoke Friday and my roomies were too tired so I was kind of on my own. When looking at the song choices I struck up and conversation with another girl and we decided to sign up to do a song together and spent the whole night hanging out and chatting, primarily about our love of the show, but other stuff as well. She was from northern Wisconsin and I even ended up offering to let her crash at my house on Sunday night if she didn’t feel like driving back.

The rest of the weekend continued in a similar manner. I met people from Japan, Australia, England, Venezuela, North Carolina, Memphis, Seattle, Indiana, and a host of other places. I also discovered that another online fandom friend, Cal, lives only 10 minutes from me. Score! Another RL friend!

Then, I started twittering about the con. Over the course of three days my followers more than doubled and I was suddenly having online conversations with people in Greece, Germany, Sweden, Austria, Spain, England, Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, Russia, NYC, LA, Texas, Arizona, and on and on. How fracking cool is that!

I figured that Sunday night a bunch of the people who followed me for the weekend would unfollow me on twitter. So far that hasn’t happened and I’ve even gained followers. Crazy, huh?

How amazing that this one little show, on the CW of all places, could unite people from all over the world? And sure, there is always fan wank (some of it pretty bad and, unfortunately, some it has been directed at some of my friends) but for the most part, fans are absolutely amazing. If you’ve got a show that love, even if you’re not obsessed, cataloging details, or writing epic fanfic about it, get cheap general admission pass and try going to a convention. It’s a new experience and you might find that you love it.

It was so much fun to meet all of the actors, hear them speak, and get autographs and pictures with them, but when I look back on this convention I think the things I’ll remember most will be the interactions with the other fans and the new friendships I’ve made. I love you all!

Got pictures or vids of chicon to share? Want to write a guest post or posts for this blog? Email me at xkaren08 at hotmail dot com

Continue to Part 3- Friday

Convention Part 1- Deciding to go

2009-11-16T13:05:00.001-06:00

I’m going to be writing a series of posts about attending the Chicago Supernatural Convention this past weekend. I’ll be posting pics and vids eventually (or links to them since most of mine are pretty shabby). This first post is a general one about deciding to go to the convention and some broad reflection on the nature of conventions.

(I’m going to have readers here that are in the fandom and those who aren’t so I’m going to try to walk a line here, probably end up over explaining some things and under explaining others. If you have any questions, please post in the comments and I’ll be happy to answer.)

Much more after the jump

I’ve always enjoyed Supernatural. I’ve loved Jensen Ackles since Days of Our Lives and thought he was especially fantastic in Dark Angel. I admit though, I missed most of SPN season 3 when it first aired, more for personal reasons than anything to do with the show. But then season 4 started and I loved the introduction of the angels, especially Cas. I went back and watched all of season 3 (and rewatched seasons 1 and 2 for good measure). I was totally hooked again, and, in fact, was head over heels.

The more Cas and Dean interacted the more I started shipping them (especially after 4.16 “On the Head of a Pin”) and suddenly I was dipping my toe into the online fandom world for the first time since The X-Files (which was like a decade ago and that made me feel old!). I knew that Supernatural fans were considered some of the craziest fans out there, so I was very tentative at first. Turns out I was hanging in all the right online places because the people were very cool.

I’d been thinking about starting to check out conventions. San Diego Comic-Con, which is now considered super cool, helped turn my perceptions from the stereotypical Comic Book guy who lives in his parents basement surrounded by mint condition Star Wars action figures who asks questions like, “in episode 137 why did the laser beam deflect from the force field when episode 56 clearly stated that the shields should deflect such a ray?”. Creation hosts lots of conventions in Chicago and I almost went to the Stargate one here a few months ago but there was a conflict with another event so I passed.

Anyway, after getting even deeper into the SPN fandom I decided I’d go to the convention and just check it out. Nothing fancy, just a general admission weekend pass and maybe some autographs. I went to the site and even the gen admission full weekend passes were sold out so I bought a Saturday pass and decided to splurge on autographs with Jim Beaver (aka Bobby Singer) and Misha Collins (aka Castiel). And a photo op with Misha, ‘cause, yeah, have you seen the man?

I told my fandom friends about it but I admit, I didn’t really tell anyone else at first. Figured there would be lots of raised eyebrows and “Oh that’s… nice” while people were secretly judging me in their minds. Which is totally lame and really, I’ve started embracing my geeky tendencies over the last few years and most people seem to think it’s cute. And if they’re secretly judging me I haven’t been too worried about it.

One day at work I was in a good mood and somehow the conversation came around to a point where I confessed I was going. What happened was totally unexpected. Everyone thought it sounded cool and/or really fun. I was shocked. Nobody made any Trekkie references or laughed at me. They were all really supportive and interested. (And these are not kooky academics or pop culture junkies- they’re a pretty conservative bunch of people who work at a small bank in a small Midwest town). This validation from “normal” people meant more to me than it should.

I mentioned to one of my fandom friends SF (who also happens to live in the Chicago area though we’d never actually met before) that I really wished I could have gotten a pass to go for the whole weekend and she told me that lots of people end up not being able to go and sell their passes online. She gave me a community to watch for sale posts and I started poking around. I saw a few people selling stuff but I was admittedly little hesitant to buy from a random person.

Then SF mentioned that one of her other friends C9, another Chicagoan, couldn’t go and would be willing to sell me her silver pass for face value (Creation Cons have different levels that include various events and autographs, general admission is lowest, then Silver Pass and then Gold). I decided to throw caution to the wind and do it.

SF said she’d decided to book a room at the convention hotel and that a couple of girls from out of town would be staying there and that I was welcome to stay with them. Well, I thought, why not? I’m already doing stuff I never would have imagined doing a few years ago why not keep it up? I said yes, put in for the time off work, and confessed to my co-workers (again, totally supportive).

The weekend before the con I drove down to Chicago to pick up the pass from C9. I knew absolutely nothing about her aside from her real name. We met for coffee and ended up talking for 3 hours until we both had to leave to get to other engagements. We’re about the same age, love a lot of the same shows, both have advanced degrees and have worked in education. I made a new RL friend (that’s “real life”) and I think we were both relieved to find another fan who was cool, smart, funny, and decidedly not crazy. (Seriously, the stereotypes run deep). After that meeting I was even more excited for the con.

Continue to Part 2- The Global Village

John Barrowman "All the Single Ladies"

2009-11-12T21:20:00.000-06:00

God I love him:

META Alert! Supernatural episode heads to a fan convention. The night before a fan convention.

2009-11-12T10:03:00.003-06:00

This week in the episode "The Real Ghostbusters" Sam and Dean are tricked into attending a Supernatural fan convention by super fan Becky.

See, the boys discovered last year that there were a series of cult books, the Supernatural series, written about their lives. Turns out that author Chuck Shirley is a prophet of the lord.

Best part of this? The annual Chicago Supernatural Fan convention is this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. [Yes, I will be attending. More on my fandom geekness coming soon.]

Promos and a hilarious sneak peek after the jump.

BTW, I highly recommend episode 5.08 "Changing Channels." Even if you're not a Supernatural fangirl/boy it's an absolutely hilarious episode. The Trickster traps Sam and Dean in a variety of different TV shows including Greys Anatomy, a Japanese game show, and a herpes commercial and tells them to play their roles.

CW Promo:

Space Promo:

Sneak Peak:

Glee "Wheels": Defying Expectations

2009-11-12T09:50:00.002-06:00

If you missed last night's Glee, I highly recommend catching it online. Brilliant performances by Kevin McHale as Artie, Mark Salling as Puck, Chris Colfer as Kurt, Mike O'Malley as Kurt's Dad, and, as always, Jane Lynch as Sue. (Plus, no Teri!)

James Poniewozik's take Review of Glee, Wheels - Tuned In - TIME.com

Kurt Solo "Defying Gravity":

Rachel Solo "Defying Gravity":

Album Duet "Defying Gravity":

We Like LOST (We Like Sportz Parody)

2009-11-12T08:41:00.000-06:00

Hilarious video.

Why NBC Deserves Better Than Jeff Zucker, Jay Leno, and Comcast -- New York Magazine

2009-11-12T08:33:00.002-06:00

This is a truly brilliant New York Magazine piece on the state of NBC and the failed leadership of Jeff Zucker, and the graphics accompanying it (riffs on the classic peacock logo) make it all the better.

On a disappointing note, shortly after the previous article was published this Hollywood Reporter piece "NBC to Continue to Zuck" indicates that early Comcast buyout deals would leave Zucker in place.

Joe Flint of the LA Times also has a nice summary of the regulatory hurdles (or lack there of) facing the Comcast/NBC deal.

Begs the question: which regulatory agency is the most ineffective the FCC or SEC?
Discuss.

NaNoWriMo

2009-10-31T10:55:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow marks the start of NaNoWriMo. I admit, I'd never heard of it before, but a bunch of my Supernatural fandom friends are doing it.

If you aren't familiar with this here's a brief explanation from the website:

What: Writing one 50,000-word novel from scratch in a month's time.

Who: You! We can't do this unless we have some other people trying it as well. Let's write laughably awful yet lengthy prose together.

Why: The reasons are endless! To actively participate in one of our era's most enchanting art forms! To write without having to obsess over quality. To be able to make obscure references to passages from our novels at parties. To be able to mock real novelists who dawdle on and on, taking far longer than 30 days to produce their work.

When: You can sign up anytime to add your name to the roster and browse the forums. Writing begins November 1. To be added to the official list of winners, you must reach the 50,000-word mark by November 30 at midnight. Once your novel has been verified by our web-based team of robotic word counters, the partying begins.

I absolutely love this. One of my biggest issues when it comes to creative output is paralysis. I stare at a blank page/screen and think "anything I'm going to write will be crap so this blank page is preferable to that." By forcing yourself to write, even if it is crap, you get started. Of 50,000 words at least some of them will be usable and you've got a foundation to go forward.

I'm not interested in writing a novel, but I do want to write a couple of television spec scripts so I might play along at home and try to bang one of those out in the next 30 days.

To learn more or sign up go to http://www.nanowrimo.org/

"Why Britain can’t do The Wire": A Fascinating Comparision

2009-10-31T10:35:00.000-05:00

Shawn Ryan (Lie to Me show runner) recently posted this fascinating link on Twitter Why Britain can’t do The Wire: Prospect Magazine

It's an amazing insight into the British television industry and how radically different it is from the American model. Anyone who is a fan of BBC programing should give it a read. (More after the jump!)

Now, the article is very laudatory of the US system, glossing over some of the serious flaws, though it's focus is largely on cable programing which is less fraught with issues (see my Kurt Sutter Post). The two areas where the US model is without a doubt superior, more diffuse decision making power and collaborative writing.

Apparently in Britain programming decision are now ultimately made by one individual. Imagine if Jeff Zucker was in charge of all US television programming. Chill running up your spine? Now, you can make the argument that ultimately all US television decisions can come down to a handful of men if you consider that all of the broadcast and cable networks are part of media conglomerates, but in practice, Rupert Murdoch is not involved in the fate of Dollhouse.

The other flaw is in the writing process. Britain doesn't utilize writers rooms and script writing is a completely solitary endeavor. If you read anything by US writers they will tell you that the most important element to producing quality television is a good room. Episodes are still generally written by one or two writers on their own, but before and after that they are discussed extensively by the whole staff. This can lead stronger story ideas, tighter scripts, and cohesive story arcs. (If you are interested in learning more about rooms I recommend reading TV writing blogs like Jane Espensen's or listening to the audio recording of the Battlestar Galactica writers retreats available on iTunes).

There are certain things I envy about the BBC model. I love that shows are made and then aired in their entirety, none of this yanked from the air after two showings nonsense. This allows shows to find their footing and flourish, even if they're not perfect right out of the gate. (History is full of hit shows that needed time to find an audience, Cheers and Seinfeld for example). Cable is much better about this than the broadcast networks.

As I'm mentioned before, I also think the British model of shorter seasons is generally preferable to the US model of 22 episodes. Again, cable sometimes employs this method. The tightest season of Battlestar Galactica is the 13 episode first season. Also, shorter series runs keep shows from living past their prime. Again, we are seeing some US shows move this direction with Lost and Battlestar setting end dates so they can go out on top rather than spin their wheels while audiences drift away.

I also love that the BBC takes genre shows seriously, Doctor Who wins awards for example. Some of the best shows in recent US television are genre shows (Battlestar, Supernatural, etc) but these shows are still devalued as a whole (Lost is an interesting exception. In the first season the show was a stunning character drama garnering praise and awards and then they steadily starting slipping in sci-fi and fantasy elements culminating in last seasons trippy time travel escapades. True Blood is getting a little respect too, mostly because it is on HBO and Alan Ball is involved so people seem to assume it's good based on that alone. It's a fun show, but it's no BSG.)

So, what are the lessons to take from this?
1. No system is perfect
2. Creative collaboration is good
3. Network/Studio executive meddling is bad
4. Sometimes balancing quality & quantity is very difficult
5. The US television is undergoing a radical shift to cable which is largely positive consumers even as we mourn the death of the broadcast networks
6. It seems the BBC is at a crossroads

Truth in Television: Honest Insider

2009-10-30T19:01:00.001-05:00

For a no-holds barred look at the entertainment industry I highly recommend reading Kurt Sutter's blog. Sutter is the creator of the critically acclaimed FX series Sons of Anarchy.

Sutter is a straight shooter, even when his employers and handlers wish he'd be quiet, or at least a little more tactful.

He recently wrote an excellent blog post "Why Most Scripted Network Dramas Suck" in which he (rightly) laid the blame on development execs. Here's a highlight from that post:

For the most part, you have a collection of young, half-bright development executives who wouldn’t know a good story idea if it set itself on fire and fucked their mothers while singing “Cheyenne Anthem” from Leftoverture. So they do what most chimpanzees do -- they ape and throw shit. Developing shows based on what they think people want to see. Churning out clones of semi-successful shows.

Well, as you can imagine development execs weren't pleased with this, and here's his hilarious account of being accosted by one on the street: D-GIRL DEATH WISHES*

*a "D-Girl" is a derogatory name for a development exec, as in the lowly girls in the studio offices that read scripts and pass them on to their bosses.

"Go! Go Now!"

2009-10-30T18:46:00.001-05:00

Oh Merlin, you really are the gayest show on television!

Supernatural 5.08 "Changing Channels" aka The Trickster Returns!

2009-10-30T14:16:00.002-05:00

Preview clip:

Drunken Ewoks Hijack the Today Show

2009-10-30T14:14:00.000-05:00

Yes, you read that correctly.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Why I Love Twitter & Possible Critical Responses

2009-10-27T11:24:00.004-05:00

Aside from the near instantaneous entertainment news, gossip, commentary (which I love) it's the "personal" interaction with the people who actually make television.

Example: I watched last Friday's episode of Dollhouse "Belonging" last night. I thought Fran Kranz (as Topher Brink) was amazing an I told him so on twitter and he responded.

Now, I could write a dissertation about this exchange (though I probably won't).
Just a few possible subjects:
- Social media as simulacra: online communication replaces interpersonal communication
- The political economy of social networking: corporate interests co-opt modes of communication to promote their products and agendas
- "Authenticity" and celebrity: social networking, in part by highlighting the mundane, creates an artifice of authenticity for celebrities
- Fan culture and social media: cultivating fan "agency" by allowing direct communication with TPTB
[to clarify, I was using this exchange as a kick off point for larger critiques of social media not a commentary on Fran Kranz, who is awesome].

So, intellectually, I recognize the critical questions that can and should be asked about Twitter and other social networking sites.

As a fan though, getting tweeted at by @frankranz was really fucking cool.

Updated: See Ken Levine's fun blog post today on Social Networking Rejection

12:15 pm Updated: Fran Kranz read my blog and tweeted at me again. (I've died and gone to geek heaven).

(With being on vacation and fighting a cold I've been neglecting the blog, hope to get caught up in the next week or so!)

Supernatural 5.06 Space Promo

2009-10-15T00:26:00.002-05:00

New Supernatural Promo

2009-10-13T13:20:00.003-05:00

Supernatural 5.06 Promo, 5.06 Preview clip, "Soon" Promo, Casting News

2009-10-09T14:10:00.002-05:00

Great news from Mo Ryan

A "Supernatural" source has confirmed that the ubiquitous and talented Mark Sheppard (the actor who has his own Full Employment Act) will play a "pivotal" crossroads demon named Crowley in Episode 10 of the season. Read more at The Watcher

Sweet!

Glee Sneak Peek!

2009-10-09T13:34:00.000-05:00

Glee does Avril! Sneak Peek from Entertainment Weekly (more on this episode at EW.com).

NBC's Depressing Surrender

2009-10-09T08:56:00.000-05:00

Oh how the mighty have fallen.

NBC, the once great bastion of scripted television, has surrendered yet another hour of television. The John Wells drama Southland was renewed for a second season and was set to begin in a few weeks. Yesterday, NBC canceled the show.

Unbelievable. I don't have time to write much about it today, but I think Linda Holmes covers all the important parts here:
NBC's Depressing Surrender Is Almost Complete With 'Southland' Axed - Monkey See Blog : NPR

Glee "Vitamin D"- Battle of the Sexes

2009-10-08T19:12:00.000-05:00

On this week's episode of Glee it was boys vs girls which resulted in these two awesome mashups. (I'm partial to the boys' myself)

Why the Comcast bid for NBC Universal should worry you

2009-10-03T11:13:00.001-05:00

Late last week reports emerged that cable giant Comcast is "in talks with General Electric Co. to take a 51 percent stake in NBC Universal. The largest U.S. cable operator is expected to pay $4 billion to $6 billion in cash, merge its cable networks into a spun-off NBC Universal and help shoulder $10 billion to $12 billion of debt at the new company" (MSNBC).

(More after the jump)

This is a brilliant strategy for Comcast. With increased streaming video ad VOIP, cable giants like Comcast and Time Warner and satellite providers like DirectTV and DishNetwork are losing subscribers and look for ways to increase revenues. Hulu, a joint venture between News Corp, NBC Universal, and, as of this summer ABC Disney, has become a major target for Comcast et al.

The quandry is this, why pay $60 a month for cable if you can see all the shows you want for free online? Sure, my parents and grandparents won't be giving up their subscriptions but my sister has already lived for years on online only television unless a roommate was coughing up for cable.

Some cable network's have begun pulling back programming on Hulu, like FX removing entire seasons of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia from the site. There has also been increased talk of creating paid subscription tiers on Hulu and of forcing customers to prove they are cable or satellite subscribers before accessing content. If Comcast purchases NBC Universal, I expect these sorts of plans to come to fruition sooner, rather than later.

On the one hand, it's nice to see the behemoth looking to integration rather than things like lawsuits, but it's also just another way to monopolize rather than innovate. The US should be lightyear's ahead of where we are in terms of digital infrastructure. A recent survey ranked the US 28th among developed nations in terms of broadband speed and coverage. It's a travesty really.

Hell, we can't get cable or high speed internet in the affluent village I live in (cell phone coverage is also spotty and our landline phone consistently quits working or gets this loud buzzing on it). The only option for television reception is satellite and for the internet the choice is dial up or satellite. The satellite is slower than other broadband services but the biggest issue is that we are severely limited in the amount of uploading and downloading we can do so we can stream only limited amounts of video and forget trying to download high quality video content from iTunes.

So why are we so behind? In part, it's because cable, phone, and internet providers have effectively been building monopolies since the 1980s that has allowed them to jack up prices and offered little incentive to innovate. In fact, content providers like the television, film, and music industries actively campaigned against increasing speeds in particular because they were panic over the specter of illegal downloading.

The times they are a changing, and we need to pay attention because when media corporations are making deals, consumers usually end up screwed.

"What gives you the right?" Smallville Episode 9.02 "Metallo" Review

2009-10-03T09:58:00.000-05:00

"You stand apart from the world while the rest of us live in it." -John Corben/Metallo

My episode review after the jump.

First off, BAG=awesome. I loved him here and I wish we would have had more John Corben before he became Metallo because I think the character was interesting and I liked his report with Lois. Seeing Clark and John via for Lois, while she pines for the Blur, would have been fun. I sure as hell hope we will see more of Metallo in the future. (And will somebody please give him his own show? He was the best part of TSCC- which got a nice shout-out from Lois- “Hunting down a real life Terminator”- very cute.)

The scene where Corben is hit by the bus and then we see flashes of blood and his broken body were very effective. Probably one of the eeriest sequences the show has ever done. (The creepiest was last season when Chloe dreamed of Clark’s torso hanging in the Talon basement. I still get chills when I think about it.)

The highlight of the episode was Corben/Metallo calling Clark out. Clark made a choice to save lives, and that choice directly led to the death of his sister.

And this is something Clark needs to hear. Remember the message Jor-El left in the ship:

"On this third planet from this star Sol, you will be a god among men. They are a flawed race. Rule them with strength, my son. That is where your greatness lies."

At the time, Clark was terrified by this, now, he seems to be buying into it which is why reconnecting with his humanity is so important.

So the Kryptonians kidnapped Corben and turned him in to Metallo. But why? Tess seems to think the bionic man experiment was bringing them one step closer to regaining their powers. How? Corban was a soldier so will he become a part of Tess and/or Zod’s army? Still not sure where this story is going so I’ll continue to reserve judgment.

Poor sweet sad Chloe. Not only has her best friend bailed on her emotionally, he’s even demoted her from sidekick status. Inevitably the Chlark fans will be out for blood after this episode. I’m still not sure how I feel about Chloe’s characterization this year. Her hurt at Clark passing her over felt like the Chloe we’ve always known but I don’t get her whole telling Clark to follow Jor-El thing (though she seems to have backed off at the end of the episode). I really liked that Clark apologized to her at the end of the episode; that was certainly overdue.

Loved Lois jumping on the sidekick wagon. Her going around and asking everyone for their keys was funny and very Lois. And I loved how casually she mentioned them to John. The scene at the end of the episode where she runs up and gives Clark a massive bear hug was incredibly sweet and I really saw the potential for the epic Clark/Blur/Lois triangle.

Another great Lois scene was when she went and confronted Tess. Much like the scene in the mansion at the beginning of season 8 there is this really amazing flirtation between the two characters. Tess saying “We never did finish what we started” as she leers at Lois—I gotta say, it’s pretty damn hot.

My biggest issue with this episode is the sloppy writing of the Dr Hamilton stuff. This guy is a genius researcher working for Queen Industries, and now he’s suddenly doing a rotation in the ER? Come on! They wheel Corben in and the Hamilton knows, having examined the guy all of 10 seconds, that his heart was removed? And how the hell did they get a chest x-ray? The guy flipped out and took off before they even got a chance to examine him let alone x-ray him! It’s these kinds of plot contrivances and shoddy writing that keep Smallville from being a truly great show.

Overall, a very good episode of Smallville! Coming up next week, episode 9.03 "Rabid" which reportedly includes zombie!Lois (Zombies are really all the rage these days aren't they?)

In a galaxy far, far, away... Review of Stargate Universe

2009-10-03T00:53:00.000-05:00

The first two hours of Stargate Universe (Air Part 1 & 2) juggle the difficult tasks of continuing an almost 15 year saga and rebooting a franchise. (My episode commentary after the jump)

We have the familiar technology and some familiar faces (though the cameo appearances are subtle, if you were brand new to Stargate there isn’t a neon sign over Amanda Tapping or Gary Jones announcing their presence as a franchise character).

What’s new here isn’t groundbreaking so much as an imitation of shows like Battlestar Galactica and Lost, specifically, the cinéma vérité style and use of non-linear narrative. And, it is unfortunately, an imitation. The style works for me, especially in these first two hours, the chaos and tension are communicated effectively.

The non-linear narrative doesn’t really work. Dan of Hitfix explains this well:

It's "Lost" in space, only the "Stargate Universe" writers aren't clever enough to unspool character mysteries in the way "Lost" was able to. Almost immediately after the characters are on the ground disoriented, we flash back and their path to the Destiny is badly over-explained and the characters are expositionally introduced.

You know what I wanted? I wanted to see the characters on the Destiny trying to figure out where they are and what they're doing there and who they are. Instead, that's mostly saved for the second hour and the characters are explained before they're mysteries and then we're expected to let them go back to being mysteries. There are new mysteries introduced, but the whole storytelling mechanism is amateurish.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the writing and producing team are virtually the same people who were working on SG1 & SGA and I think they could benefit from some new blood.

Because, here's the rub. The character drama isn't sophisticated enough to win over a lot of new recruits and the show's overall tone alienates some longtime franchise fans. There are a lot of SGA fans that refuse to watch SGU because them blame the latter for the cancellation of the former.

Either way, I'm sticking with the show for now and remain hopeful that it will manage to live up to its potential.

The following are some thoughts on the episode via the characters/actors:

David Blue is hilarious (“Can I get some pants?”) and I can’t wait to see more of him. Nice to pair him with RDA- two masters of comedic timing (If only we could have had David Hewlett too... maybe in the future?) He’s also a perfect everyman ala Hurley on Lost that stands in for the audience, particularly franchise newcomers. Like the Rush/Eli banter, it reminded me a little of Rodney/Zelenka.

Robert Carlyle as Rush reminded me a little bit of Michael Emerson on Lost. Quiet, calm, suspect. That’s not to say I think he’s a master of manipulation and deception like Benjamin Linus, but I think he’s clearly the most morally ambiguous character here. I wonder if O’Neill really put Rush in charge, and if he did, did he have all the facts?

Chloe Armstrong was a character that sounded annoying in the original casting sides. In execution, I think she worked out well. She seemed smart, savvy, and caring. I liked her downing the wine when her Dad was going on at the dinner. And I loved her physically assaulting Rush while everyone else was struggling not to. The show took the time to follow up with her after her father’s death and I hope that she continues struggling with her grief. That’s something that Stargate hasn’t always done well.

As for the Senator, Dan of Hitfix had this to say “The premiere builds to an act of heroism, which seems like it ought to come from an unexpected source, but the script does such a poor job of positioning the players that it isn't nearly as powerful as it ought to be.” I think he’s totally correct in this assessment. I can say, as a franchise fan, that it was unexpected. In the Stargate universe, politicians and bureaucrats are usually craven, narcissistic assholes. Having one sacrifice himself is a bit of a shorthand to fans that our expectations will be upended.

Brian J Smith’s Lt Scott was the most developed of the military characters and I liked him. Reminded me a little of SGA’s Aiden Ford. On Atlantis Sheppard may have been thrust into command ahead of his time, but he was always so damn cool that you never doubted his ability to lead, where as Ford was always a little young and a little unsure. I also liked the fact that he was the one who went check on Chloe. It was sweet and unexpected. I would have imagined Eli doing that seeing as they bonded and they are both civilians.

TJ (Alaina Huffman) is still a bit of a mystery, but she is clearly in over her head and I’m anxious to see where she goes from here. (I know she can kick ass, she’s Smallville’s Black Canary).

Everett Young character seemed very underdeveloped. Clearly he doesn’t like, respect, or trust Rush and with good reason. Since we get little else from him and because Rush is at least an interesting character, Young just comes across as kind of dick.

Speaking of dicks… Master Sgt. Ronald Greer (Jamil Walker Smith) came off as incredibly creepy. The hothead character let out of the brig when the attack is underway, well, BSG nailed that with Starbuck because the gender role inversion, along with the sort of post-gendered universe in which the character functioned really made it work.

A hotheaded male character who menaces a woman that is taking place in the here and now? No thank you. And I’m even coming from the perspective of a franchise fan knowing that Wray is IOA and the IOA are always insufferable know-it-alls who spend most of their time screwing the SGC and covering their own asses. Maybe in future episodes Greer will get a back story and I’ll come to care about him. But right now- yuck.

Additional Comments/Questions
-Cool opening, very theatrical. Will there be an opening theme credits going forward?
- The chaotic scene of arriving on the Destiny is a stark contrast with the organized expedition that left for Atlantis.
- Daniel narrating the training videos was a smart way to introduce the stargate to novices and a nice in joke for the franchise fans (given Daniel’s tendency to exposit).
- I wonder if the ancient communication stones were sufficiently explained for newbies since the shot of Rush taking over Lee (another great franchise character) was really quick.
- I wish the third hour of Air had been shown tonight. Ending felt a little abrupt.

What did you think????

Meta Alert! Vampire Diaries on Twilight

2009-10-02T23:35:00.003-05:00

Funny scene from last Thursday's episode of Vampire Diaries where sexy bad vamp Damon is reading Twilight and commenting.

Supernatural Episode 5.05 "Fallen Idol" Sneak Peek

2009-10-02T14:32:00.003-05:00

Thanks Spoiler TV!

UPDATED:

And the Winner is... Rio

2009-10-02T13:09:00.000-05:00

So Chicago lost the bid for the Olympics. And not just lost, but completely bombed out in the first round of voting. D'oh!

I'll admit, the general attitude here at work was relief. We all agreed that while it would have been cool to be able to attend events and we could really, really, use the injection of capital (we're hurting from the crashed real estate market and the state is totally broke- thanks Blago!) we all felt that millions of people descending on an already crowded city with overtaxed roads and public transport would be a logistical nightmare.

Then there's O'Hare which is a disaster on good day. Again, could the airport handle the kind of traffic we'd be talking about? An Egyptian delegate yesterday brought up the issue of customs- would people [read Arabic, Muslim, etc.] be able to get into the country without undue burdens? Great question, and not one that I'd thought about before. Not hard to imagine Homeland Security creating political firestorms with general policies and/or case by case applications. I'd imagine the national security community is breathing a collective sigh of relief right now.

Then there is the fact that the games have never been held in South America before, so it's hard to feel bad about losing when this is such a historic occasion.

In Chicago, we'll undoubtedly spend the next year detailing the expenses we shelled out for the bid and the shady deal-making and influence peddling that accompanied it (it's Chicago after all). In the meantime, prepare for an unprecedented property tax hike because the biggest losers today are Illinois taxpayers.

The state of comedy

2009-10-02T09:31:00.000-05:00

James Poniewozik of Time Magazine has a great article in this week's issue No Laugh Track Required.

In this piece Poniewozik talks about the evolution of comedy in the last two decades culminating in this year's excellent batch.

Premeire ALERT! Stargate Universe

2009-10-02T06:59:00.005-05:00

Stargate Universe debuts tonight on SyFy 8-10 PM CST.

Reviews aren't very good though everyone seems to agree that David Blue as geek Eli Wallace and Robert Carlyle as Dr. Nicholas Rush are great.

Here's a sampling:

Mo Ryan writes:

It's not that I resent "Stargate" going in a more morally ambiguous direction -- far from it -- but so far its creators seem to have mistaken dourness for complexity.

Televisionary writes:

Ultimately, Stargate Universe is gloomy without being truly gritty; rather than being hard-hitting, it looks to eject some of the campy, humor-based tone of its predecessors and instead infuse it with some faux seriousness.

I'll still be watching. I came late to the Stargate franchise. The first episodes I saw were from Season 9 while I was waiting for new BSG episodes at a friends. I was intrigued and went back to the beginning watching the movie, catching up on SG1 seasons 1-8 and then Atlantis. So, I'm all in on Universe even if it's not perfect (there were certainly some clunkers in the other series. "Jonesing for some space corn" comes to mind). For a franchise fan perspective check out this review by Darren and David at GateWorld.

One of the issues that Universe should deal with is the writing staff. I love the team they have but, the truth is, they could use some new blood. Sounds like they'd really benefit from some writers from shows like BSG, The Sheild, Lost, etc.

Updated: Matt Roush's much more optimistic review of SGU and Three Rivers.
Updated 2:40 pm: Hitfix's less complimentary review

PR reps take notes! Letterman's masterful handling of a scandal

2009-10-02T06:38:00.001-05:00

Daniel Fienberg has an excellent analysis of Letterman's handling of the sex/extortion scandal:
Analysis: David Letterman skips the apology, goes on the offensive - HitFix.com

Supernatural 5.04 "The End" Reactions

2009-10-02T06:16:00.002-05:00

So, I've learned a couple of things so far writing this blog.
1. Blogging is hard!
2. I can't write a funny recap of Supernatural without turning into a squeeing fangirl so I'm just going to post a quick list of thoughts and questions.

LOVED IT! Everything I was hoping for. More after the jump.

Future!Cas:
- was hilarious- I think my favorite line was when he told future!Dean that “I like 2009 you”
- while he was clearly numbing pain he didn't seem to blame Dean for his lot in life, or at least, he didn't seem to resent him. Hell, he was more than willing to follow Dean on a suicide mission.
- loved how he immediately recognized 2009 Dean
- Interesting that future!Dean included Cas in the Devil killing plan even though he clearly isn’t much of a fighter these

Future!Dean & Dean:
- Jensen said this episode was hard because he was doing a lot of acting opposite his stand in, I had no idea just how much of the episode was just the two Deans.
- DEAN LIKED PANTIES! O.M.G.
- “I’ve got a group of twitchy trauma survivors with an apocalypse hanging over their heads. The last thing they need to see is a version of the Parent Trap.”
- Future!Dean was a real bastard, especially the sacrificing his angelic boyfriend part!

Lucifer!Sam
- Hot!
- Jared did a great job with mimicking Mark's speech patterns

Chuck
- not enough Chuck! Toilet paper stuff was good, but needed more!

Misc:
- Angels using fringe Christians to track down Dean=awesome
- Always nice to see Lexa Doig (aka Mrs. Michael Shanks)
- Bobby's dead in the future : (
- “This isn’t funny Dean. The voice says I’m almost out of minutes.”- I watched this scene like 10 times this week and this line still made me laugh.
- Loved that Sam called Dean and told him everything that Lucifer said.
- “Whatever we have between us- love, family, whatever it is…” Um, yeah. It’s lines like this that make the Wincest fans seem a little less crazy…
- Scene of military shooting Croats shot with shaky cam juxtaposed nicely with “Do You Love Me”

Dean/Cas reunion at the end:
-ADORABLE
-“We had an appointment” & “Don't ever change”
- hand on shoulder... almost a hug!

Dean/Sam reunion at the end:
- Also adorable
- “We keep each other human”
- Glad Dean admitted he was wrong

Questions:
- How does Dean get the Impala back? Wouldn't Zach just have to wait around for Dean to come back for it?
- Was this really the future or was Zach screwing with Dean?
- If it was the future does it mean the future is as unalterable as Lucifer claimed? Kripke did say on the “In the Beginning” commentary track that he subscribed to the closed loop theory in that episode (I doubt this- wouldn't wrap the season up the way Kripke has said he will).
-Have we seen Bobby’s fireplace hiding place before?
-Does JDM get a check every time they use his voiceover about the Colt in the recap?

Next week: The dynamic duo face Lincoln, Gandhi, and Paris Hilton!

Muppets make everything better...

2009-10-01T12:06:00.000-05:00

Televisionary: Second Take: ABC's "Modern Family"

2009-10-01T11:03:00.001-05:00

No time today to write up a review of the second episode of Modern Family but this post says it all: Televisionary: Second Take: ABC's "Modern Family"

Supernatural "The End" Tonight! (plus spoiler for episode 8)

2009-10-01T08:49:00.002-05:00

Tonight is the highly anticipated future!zombie!apocalypse episode of Supernatural.

Plus: new spoiler for Episode 8 after the jump! And the 5.04 Space Promo!

From previous posts on 5.04 "The End":
3 clips from the episode
Promo pics

From today's Ask Ausiello:

Question: What happened to all the Supernatural love? It’s only the best show on television. Please tell me something! —Becca

Ausiello: Ever wonder what Supernatural would look like as a sitcom? You’ll find out in episode 8. Laugh track and all.

This must be the Trickster episode Kripke discussed with the NY Post earlier this fall. Can't wait!

Friday Night Is "The Death Slot" | TheFutonCritic.com

2009-10-01T08:41:00.000-05:00

The Futon Critic uses stats to prove that the Friday night slot really is a "Death Slot" and it's not just one of those TV myths everyone buys into.

Rants & Friday Night Is "The Death Slot" | TheFutonCritic.com

46 Stages of Twitter

2009-09-30T17:59:00.001-05:00

Great blog entry The 46 Stages of Twitter

Got the link from @WriteRCastle (the character Richard Castle from the TV series Castle. Not to be confused with Actor @NathanFillion).

Premeire ALERT! Hank & The Middle

2009-09-30T11:11:00.001-05:00

Hank and The Middle premiere tonight on ABC at 7:00 pm and 7:30 pm CST.

General consensus is that Hank (starring Kelsey Grammer) is awful while The Middle (starring Patricia Heaton) is an enjoyable, if not particularly original, family sitcom.

Recommended reviews:
Alan Sepinwall's review of both shows
Hitfix's scathing review of Hank
Hitfix's review of The Middle

Dollhouse 2.02 "Instinct"- 4 Sneak Peek Clips

2009-09-30T09:56:00.001-05:00

Four sneak peek clips for Dollhouse 2.02 "Instinct" from our friends at Spoiler TV after the jump

Matt LeBlanc makes friends of Showtime & BBC in sitcom satire

2009-09-30T09:43:00.001-05:00

Matt LeBlanc makes friends of Showtime & BBC in sitcom satire | TVbytheNumbers.com

Hilarious premise, can LeBlanc carry a show? Looking forward to learning about the supporting cast.

Elmo, Michelle Obama to Indoctrinate Your Kids With Veggies - Tuned In - TIME.com

2009-09-30T09:37:00.000-05:00

This is hilarious:

Elmo, Michelle Obama to Indoctrinate Your Kids With Veggies - Tuned In - TIME.com

Primeval Saved from Extinction!!!!!!

2009-09-29T15:39:00.001-05:00

The British sci-fi series Primeval has been revived for two more series (about 13 episodes total), despite being canceled at the end of series 3 by ITV. Series 4 is expected to begin airing in 2011 (yikes that's a long time).

The show, which is digital effects heavy was canceled because of the high production costs. With this new deal, BBC Worldwide replaces ITV as the primary investor and BBC America and Germany's ProSieben are also co-production partners. Stars Hannah Spearritt, Andrew Lee Potts and Jason Flemyng will all be returning.

Excellent news!

The Washington Post's Misguided New Twitter Policy - Tuned In - TIME.com

2009-09-29T15:11:00.000-05:00

The Washington Post's Misguided New Twitter Policy - Tuned In - TIME.com

Excellent post on the MSM mishandling of social media and notion of "objectivity" in journalism.

IT Tech Support Chart

2009-09-28T15:39:00.001-05:00

Permanent link to this comic: http://xkcd.com/627/

Thanks to Amy for sharing this!