The T.V. Year in Review

We've almost officially made it to the end of the year and I think I can safely say that there have been some enormous highs and lows this television season. At this time last year we were still in the throes of the writer's strike, and while it's been almost a year, this season has heavily felt the repercussions. From cancellations of shows that should have been (natch; will always be) beloved to the onslaught of crappy 'reality' television, here is my list of 2008 in review.

Pushing Daisies
I've said many times before that I didn't watch Pushing Daisies this season, but that's not to say that I wasn't an advocate. (Don't go into a hissy, I'm not a Nielsen viewer so my t.v. watching makes no impact.) I told everyone I knew to watch the show because of the absolute whimsy it carried. It was light even at its heaviest moments, and who doesn't achieve sheer joy when Kristin Chenoweth starts to sing? Alas, the show that was so promising before the writer's strike couldn't come back as strong as it should have and faltered right out of the gate. With ABC not saying how they're going to air the remaining episodes, the best fans can do is hope for a speedy DVD release.

Knight Rider
This show is on the air and Daisies isn't? I feel almost violated by all that I know to be good and true in the television industry. I tried to sit through an episode of this show and after 5 minutes of watching a girl prance around in a bikini who had the acting chops of Paris Hilton, I couldn't stand it anymore. I understand this show gets big money from Ford, but can anyone tell me why people watch this show? Does anyone watch this show?

Mad Men
After ending its second season, this show is finally getting noticed. I've never quite worried about ratings on a show like this because it's cable and things seem to be more lenient once you get past network television. And surely the numerous accolades the show has won help. From Jon Hamm to Christina Hendricks there's not a cast member I don't enjoy watching on screen. It's not even a messy or twisted show; it's quietly complicated with a touch of sentimentality and a hint of disaster. Easily the best thing to grace televisions this year.

Heroes
Well, this has been a misstep, hasn't it? This season has been a lot like a train wreck: I know it's terrible and that I should quit looking, but I can't help but watch to see what happens next. Obviously that's in the show's favor right now because I think that's the case for most of the viewers still tuning in. I'm not sure if we're all watching to see how bad it can get, or if we're all watching in the hopes that it will suddenly get better. The end of the most recent chapter, Villains, was almost too little too late, and in February we move on to...The X-Men? That's what it looks like to me, but we'll see how the writers keep the idea of mutants being hunted down fresh and new. We had a nice cleansing of the palate on Monday with a few notable deaths, but my bet is that Sylar isn't really dead. Hear me now: He will sit out of chapter four and reemerge in chapter five, bigger and badder than before. My few pleas are these: Please stop making everything about Claire, either get rid of Mohinder or make him less stupid, stop giving idiotic story lines to Hiro, and bring back Micah and Molly.

30 Rock
Why aren't you watching this show?! I'm pretty much terrified that Tina Fey's crown jewel will meet the same fate as Pushing Daisies which would be a tragedy. While some of the guest stars felt like they overshadowed the amazing characterizations of Tracy and Kenneth, this season has been mostly ups. I can't praise the cast enough, from Tina herself to Alec all the way down to Lonny Ross (not to say you are the bottom of the totem!); it's a joy to tune in on Thursday nights and I hope this is a show that sticks around for a while.

Grey's Anatomy
Even more of a train wreck than Heroes. I'm not even sure train wreck is a strong enough term. I know that there are people out there who love it and think that Ghost!Denny and Izzie are just oh so gosh darn amazing with the best story line ever in the history of television, but those same people probably think that Ghost Dad is one of the best movies in the universe. I would beg Shonda Rhimes to please go back to the way things were in season one; heck even in season two, but she doesn't seem to be listening to ANYONE. She makes no statements about where she's heading with this spectacular (better-fitting for a day time soap) storyline, and you can't tell me that she doesn't hear her fan's cries. And don't get me started on how she can cast the amazing Mary McDonnell in a role that not only makes Asperger's look like something it definitely is NOT, but does not let Mary show off how excellent an actress she is. (Actually, maybe it does in that Mary has such terrible material to work with it's shocking she doesn't walk off the set.) My fear is that people think that Mary has no idea what Asperger's is, when really, she's just doing what was written for her.

I'm stepping off of my soap box now. I apologize. Clearly you can see where my love lies for certain people of Hollywood.

Reality Shows and game shows
And here we have my 'what the hell?' moments. What the hell shout outs go to most everything on E! from the Lohans to Denise Richards. A few go to NBC for this new Ryan Seacrest endeavor and their over-kill of Deal or No Deal. One goes to FOX for their annoying lie detector show that I refuse to call by name, and let's give them one more for the show that has people contorting their bodies to fit through holes in a wall. I actually can't remember the name of that one; I care so little. Who watches these shows? Keeping up with the Kardashians? I wish someone would follow me around with a camera all day; you can see what it's really like to be a normal SANE person. The Hills? Hello, privileged little snots; I don't even understand how they get television shows. Bitter much? I'm not trying to sound just as bratty but give me a break.

On that note, we'll call it a done deal for 2008. What do you think the ups and downs were this year? Do you agree or disagree with me? You might get one more post at the end of the month but if not, we'll see you back here in January! Until then, don't hesitate to leave comments, and have a very safe and happy holiday season.

Don't worry

I haven't fallen off of the wagon, but I have been up against a wall at work going through some intense training. I mean, I don't know if you knew this or not but I totally don't get paid for this gig. Surprise! So, while I work on my primary source of income and learning more to get paid more, you'll have to bear with me. I'm officially done this Friday, and I promise you will get a new t.v. filled post before the end of the year.

Thanks for being patient!

- Your addict

Who is the final Cylon - Part 2

There was an over-whelming response to my last post, so I figured I should actually do a part 2 even though I'm pretty sold on the fact that the final cylon is in my previous post. Let me reiterate that there are absolutely NO SPOILERS HERE. Speculation is a given but if you think you know something concrete, don't ruin it for everyone, okay? Now, let's get down to business.

Candidate number five:
















William Adama
I'm not sure how I would feel about this man being the final cylon. Actually, I imagine that I'd feel a little dirty somehow; like every thing I felt for this ultimate hero had been for absolutely nothing. This is the man who fights the war day after day after day. He's been beat up, shot up, risked his life countless times and has never said "You know what, frak this I WAS RETIRING." It would be crushing to see him revealed as a cylon, so let's hope that all this speculation is wrong.

Candidate number six:

















Lee Adama
I've never liked this guy, but that doesn't mean I think he's a cylon. It would seem impossible for him to be a skin-job based off of simple mechanics: He has a father and a mother whom we've seen. And unless the whole Adama clan is robotic, I'm not sure how Carolanne could push a pre-made cylon out of her who-ha. Unless she was a victim of cylon experimentation; but we've seen how well that goes. (Read: Not well.)

Candidate number seven:















Kara Thrace
Let's break this down.

Reasons for: She did that whole dying and then coming back thing, she's so awesome that she couldn't be anything BUT a cylon, she frakked Gaius and he's clearly just a toaster lover (see all the women he's slept with except that ultra religious cult chick. Times were tough; give him a break.), she was pursued very heavily by Leoben, and she adamantly insists that she knows exactly where Earth is.

Reasons against: Obvious choice is obvious.

Candidate number eight:


















Billy
UGH, BECAUSE I MISS HIM, OKAY? And Knight Rider SUCKS.

So, that's the rest of my list. There are obvious choices that I'm leaving out like Cally, Helena Cain and Rachael Ray, but that's because I want to hear your thoughts on this and I didn't want to take all of the good ones. Tell me what you think!

Who is the final Cylon - Part I

Let it be said that I do not know who the final Cylon is. I have avoided spoilers on this topic like the plague. Some things I do like to know, but this is one thing that I want to find out with the rest of the world; on David Eick and Ron Moore's dime. So, this is just going to be my thoughts on who I think the final Cylon could be.

I promise, no spoilers for the upcoming season at all.

Candidate number one:

Laura Roslin

Okay, now hear me out. You all know how deep my love is for Laura Roslin. And even though she's my number one option, there are good arguments that go both ways. Back in season one, Gaius Baltar was creating his cylon detector. Using a bit of DNA, it would purportedly reveal who was a cylon and who was not. (We saw this work in the case of Boomer, but Gaius lied about the results to keep her from going crazy on him.) When trying to decide who should get tested first, Adama and Laura held this exchange:

Roslin: So, who's going to go first?

Adama: Oh, the tests, right. Well, I think people in sensitive positions should go first.

Roslin: I completely agree. How about you?

Adama: Excuse me?

Roslin: If you're a Cylon, I'd like to know.

Adama: If I'm a Cylon, you're really screwed.

Roslin: Seriously. I do think that you should go first. Show everyone in the fleet that they can trust the people at the top.

Adama: Then maybe you should go first. [Pause] All right. I'll go first.

Roslin: I think that's good. I do.

Now, nowhere after that do we get to have a conversation or scene where Laura gets her test done. She pushed for Adama to go before her and really wasn't going to rest until he did. Did she ever get a test? We could argue though that the final five don't know that they're cylons, but what if some part of her programming was kicked on instinctively - self preservation and all that? My argument for why she shouldn't be the final cylon, and why I honestly hope she isn't is that she is the most human character out of all the characters on the show. (At least in my 'hardly ever matters' opinion.) She's had the very real struggle of breast cancer and her morality, and through those two things has had the most character development out of anyone in four seasons. I would hate to see all of that washed away with the revelation that she was just a skin job.

Candidate number two:

Felix Gaeta

There are a lot of pros and cons weighing against Felix. For one, he's been Baltar's biggest fanboy since the first episode they were in the same room together. Even on New Caprica when he could have left his position and gone to live with the rest of the fleet, he stayed by Baltar's side. Could it be because Gaius knows that Felix is a cylon? Could something like that have been revealed to Gaius? One could argue that Felix helped the insurgency by feeding them information, but then again, the insurgency was led by Tyrol and Tigh. We also had the Hybrid babbling on something about the final Cylon crawling out of the darkness. With Gaeta's leg amputated that could metaphorically be him, but it looks like he gets around pretty well with a crutch.

Candidate number three:

Anastasia 'Dee' Dualla

All I have for Dee is that back in season one, Leoben whispered in Laura Roslin's ear: "Adama is a cylon". He could have been frakking with her, and we saw that she was suspicious of Bill after that, but what if he meant a different Adama? It's true he could have been talking about Lee or even Zak...Carolanne? (Please, no.) But he also could have been talking about Dee who is now an Adama by marriage, even if said marriage is apparently over because Lee is...well, that's a conversation for another post.

Candidate number four:

Oprah Winfrey

She alone will have survived Earth's terrible apocalypse (and if it's the past; Oprah is a 2,000 year old oracle) and will be the one to surprise the fleet. "You're all getting BRAND NEW CAAAA-AAAARS! Welcome to Earth!"

Tune in next week for Who is the final Cylon part II!

The below photo has nothing to do with the post.

I've been sitting here for probably two days now, just trying to think of a topic to write about. You see, interweb, I've been trying to get noticed and I put a stat counter on the page. After I post and advertise it all over the internet (read: Livejournal.com), I then log into the stat counter and watch the numbers. I just about pee myself when we get into the hundreds. I know that I don't get record breaking numbers; I don't even get 200 hits a day, but for some who usually spouts random musings about television, I'm impressed with myself.

(I've just re-read that last sentence; narcissism is alive and well. Also, spell check wants me to capitalize the 'i' in internet, but I refuse.) I don't know who reads this on a daily basis, and I realize the above paragraph was extremely boring, but the point is if you do for some reason read this, and you enjoy television, bookmark me. And if you think you have friends who might find anything I say interesting, don't be shy about linking back to me.

I don't want to leave you all without something T.V. related, but this week I feel like a T.V. Zombie. Monday and Tuesday feel like hyper-drive because I'm re-watching Heroes and Fringe 18 times in one hour so that I can post my recaps at TheTwoCents.com. By the time Wednesday rolls around I feel like I just ran a marathon and can finally sit down. I'm too exhausted to watch anything on Wednesdays (I'm sorry, Pushing Daisies, but I'm not even in the Nielsen Group, so there.) and I'm already thinking about how amazing Thursday night is going to be. This segues me into T.V. schedules. Thinking about how much I watch makes my mind want to explode, but typing it out, it doesn't really seem like that much.

Monday

Chuck

Heroes

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Tuesday

House

Fringe

---

Wednesday

Project Runway*

---

Thursday

My Name is Earl

Kath & Kim

The Office

30 Rock

LOST*

Grey's Anatomy (if Mary McDonnell is on and/or Denny finally goes away.)

---

Friday

Monk*

Psych*

Battlestar Galactica*

---

Saturday

Nothing; oh glorious nothing except for football.

---

Sunday

Extreme Home Makeover (shut up.)

Desperate Housewives

Brothers & Sisters

Mad Men*

(*I realize that these shows are not on right now, but this is what a full schedule has the potential to be.)

That's at least two shows a night, two that I recap, and that's not even counting shows like Caprica and Dollhouse that don't even have an estimated premiere date yet. (And maybe that's more than I thought.) With all of this I watch, there are still shows that everyone talks about that I don't watch but feel terribly out of the loop no matter how dumb I think they may be. Actually, they may not even be dumb shows, just shows I've never watched for one reason or another. Including but not limited to Samantha Who?, Ghost Whisperer, Dirty Sexy Money, Eli Stone, 24, any and all cable shows, plus that Dr. Drew rehab show. (Which I would actually totally watch for Gary Busey alone.)

I'm a little sad that I keep saying I'll watch Samantha Who? and then never do it because by all accounts, it's an amazing show and I think Christina Applegate is the most adorable person on the planet. Plus, I love Jean Smart a lot. The will is there, but without looking I don't even know if the show is an hour or thirty minutes, and I have no idea when it airs. One of these days, probably after it's ended, I'll get the DVDs from Netflix, but until then, I'll just continue to wish I watched the show.

I've watched Ghost Whisperer approximately once, and the whole time I was watching, I was hypnotized by Jennifer Love Hewitt's breasts. Honestly, if you're going to put boobs in my face that's not a bad way to do it, but the boob problem is the same in every show: It's just not necessary. And yes, I am talking to you Marg Helgenberger on CSI. But other than the boobs I was really, really bored and so I never watched another episode. I almost wished that I did now because of all the REALLY! ANGRY! PEOPLE! all over the internet. I've never watched one episode of Dirty Sexy Money because the title makes me feel the way I do when I realize I've just stuck a dollar bill in my mouth while I organize my change. 24 never appealed to me because I'm not a huge fan of cars exploding and people dying in every single episode (unless it's death by robots, apparently) or Keifer Sutherland in general. But that's my cross to bear.

I'm interested to know what you watch and why you do or do not watch it. Why do some people only watch shows like Keeping up with the Kardashian's and The Girls Next Door? I have a theory that mind-numbing reality shows are going to be the demise of my generation's last remaining brain cells. Prove me wrong.

Grey's Anatomy - how ridiculous

Let me give you a brief history of my roller coaster ride with this show. When it first started, I was amazed with the show. I thought it was a great, different take on a medical show, I thought the writing was superb, and I loved the character interactions. So, all 9 episodes of season 1 were a win in my book. Then we had season 2. That was the season with the bomb and while at first I was really worried it would be like an ER story line (how much can happen in one ER?) I thought it was executed very well. We had the train episode where the people were impaled together. Awesome episode. And then we had the Denny stuff.

I bought that for that time frame. I thought it was an amazing, heart breaking story line.

And then there was George/Izzie, Meredith/George, Callie/George, a ferry boat accident, Jane Doe/Ava, and OH MY GOD MAKE IT ALL STOP. I don't understand why. I don't understand why all of that was necessary. It made me stop watching. I tossed in the towel. And then, for reasons unknown, in May I happened to watch the finale.

No Denny. The relationships (with the exception of Burke and Cristina) seemed to be back where they were supposed to be. A heartbreaking clinical trial. Izzie and Alex. Meredith and Derek. Chief and Adele. Things were as they were supposed to be and I thought 'I can start watching this show again'. So, I decided to tune in this season.

I was on board for the first couple of episodes. And then they started bringing back Denny. Really? I love Jeffery Dean Morgan as much as the next person, but oh my God. They are dragging the dead horse out of the closet and beating it again. Why? Whhhhhhy? And now Denny is haunting Izzie? He's a ghost? He won't go away and the previews for next week have them getting ready to do the naked pretzel.

Is there about to be a Supernatural cross over?

This is the hokiest, far-fetched story line I have ever seen. I could believe it and maybe even handle it a little better if this show came on between the hours of 12-4 in the afternoon. It belongs sandwiched somewhere between ABC's soaps. If not for Mary McDonnell guest staring last night, I would have thrown in the towel and switched it over to 30 Rock.

So of course, the good for me was Mary McDonnell. She's supposedly hanging around for 2-3 episodes and it's wonderful to see her as a renowned heart surgeon with Aspergers. I love her so much as Laura Roslin that it was almost shocking to see her in such a different role. My love for this actress really knows no bounds, but instead of tuning in live to see it, I'll be DVRing the show. I've been recording The Office and 30 Rock, but I think I'll be making that switch. I'll take the Jim and Pam romance and Tracy Jordan trying to make the perfect porn video game over the ridiculous and unbelievable ghost ridden Grey's Anatomy any day.

Battlestar Galactica - Counting down to the end

You will never know how much it hurts to write that subject line. If you think back to when the mini-series originally aired which was back in 2003, we've been inundated with this show for a good five years. We've had four seasons, with the final half starting in January, and I'm approaching it now with mixed feelings. On one hand, I am glad that this show knows when to bow out. I admire Ron Moore and David Eick for being able to look at such an amazing show and decide that the story is coming to an end. It will wrap up on their terms and not because of an actor's contract expiring and temper tantrums over pay or the networks yanking the show early. That should give all of us something to be happy about. But on the other hand, it feels like there's this heavy weight in the pit of my stomach. I'm excited for the show to come back - in fact I feel like I'm starting to go through withdrawals right now. In the same breath, once it comes back, there will be no more hiatuses. No more waiting for the premiere date, no more counting the days on my calender. It will really be over.

Before it sings its final swan song, there are just a few things I want to see happen. Nothing major; not really. Just things that as a fan I've been hoping to see or at the very least see acknowledged on the show. In no particular order, here they are:

Bill & Laura

We got the 'I love you' in the first installment of season 4, and even my father (who has an exterior as gruff as Adama's) seemed to melt just a little. It was sweet and whispered, it felt like the right moment, and it was a perfect scene for the two of them. When that basestar jumped into view and Adama couldn't take his eyes off of it, in my head he was thinking I'm going to get my woman. (Am I alone in this train of thought?) The scene was just as perfect as their brief kiss way back in season two after she promoted him to Admiral. Tender and soft and with just enough emotion to make you get a lump in your throat. All of that being said, I'm not saying I want to see Bill and Laura getting hot and heavy in a rack (secretly; yes), but I am dying to see at least another kiss. Something that gives all us A/R shippers a little more validity to their relationship. Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell are such phenomenal actors that they could pull off that scene with the classiness their characters deserve. So, before the end, I'd like more regarding their relationship.

Laura's cancer

Before you all skip over this one, let me make one thing clear. I am unbelievably attached to the character of Laura Roslin. I love the character, I love the actress, I love what she stands for and I feel sorry for the person who tells me they hate Madame President. That being said, my heart will not be able to take watching her die. I will end up having a nervous break down and probably call out sick from work. I don't care what they have to do to make it not so. A magical unicorn could be found on Earth and cure her for all I care. It could all be a dream or Earth could actually be the island on LOST. I. Don't. Care. I know that this would make the whole 'dying leader' thing a moot point but when it comes to continuity and her cancer it wouldn't even bother me. Adama has finally found a woman he loves who loves him back and she's going to get killed off - just like every other person he loves. I mean, except for Starbuck, but she's questionable. And I know that Lee's not dead but he flip flops so much between being pissed at his dad and crying over him that Adama needs the stability of Laura being a rock for him.

I totally forgot where I was going with this, but my point is, I don't want Laura Roslin to die, even though I know there are reasons for it and the writers would do it with dignity.

(At the risk of sounding like Seinfeld) What is up with Earth?

I'd like for there to be a way for the characters to find out why Earth is a wasteland. Is it future Earth, or are they stuck in between eras? Is that even Earth? I think it would be great if Laura pulled out her scrolls of Pythia and after a moment of silence said "Oh, guys...my bad. My bad, everyone back in the battlestar, we took a wrong turn at the Lion's Head Nebula."

Is it a boy or a girl?

I'm not talking about the final cylon because we know the writers won't end the show without telling us that. I'm talking about Six and Tigh's baby. I want to see her go through pregnancy and Tigh get all freaked out about fatherhood in his 60s. (Has to be early 60s, right?) I think the writers have a great set up on their hands full of potential tender moments from Tigh. Not that he's ever been a teddy bear, but it will be awkward and sweet to see the old alcoholic holding his own infant.

Aside from things like happy endings and Adama and Roslin riding off into the sunset (which I know will never happen) this is pretty much my check-list going into the end of the show. I know it's a shallow list, but a fangirl can dream, right?

Addendum: I also hope down to the last fiber of my soul that this show finally gets an Emmy after it's off the air. Please, please, PLEASE for the love of all that is good and just in this world, hand out Emmy's for outstanding actor, actress, writing and show. It's been over-looked for far too long, and is loved by too many people for it to be ignored.

I was blindsided

Over at TheTwoCents.com, I submitted a Heroes recap that praised the episode which is something that hasn't happened in a long while. I was ecstatic, happy with what I saw, and even called a couple of people and triumphantly proclaimed 'It's back!'. But I think that I've been duped.

You know how when you've been drinking, and someone seems really attractive and totally awesome, so you invite them home and you have what you think is the best time you've had in a while? And then the next day you wake up and you realize the person you thought was great was just smoke and mirrors to distract you and now all your money is gone and you're left wondering how you ever became so naive?

Yeah, that's how Heroes made me feel this week.

From this point on, there will be spoilers, so beware!

If you take the point of view of 'casual watcher' and take the show for what it is (a show about people with abilities) it was pretty awesome. We had family betrayal, betrayal of the heart and some interesting twists that connected the characters in ways that were previously unknown. But if you're like me, a watcher who tunes in to get some form of continuity and understanding, this episode did nothing but blow smoke in your eyes. Let's take it plot by plot and see exactly how far we've come.

The Petrelli family

We find out that the accident that paralyzed Heidi, Nathan's wife, was intended to kill Nathan because as ADA, he was investigating Linderman and intent on bringing him down. His previous crimes are unknown (at least to me; anyone know why Nathan is so hell-bent on this?) but we do know that if Linderman is brought down, all of Arthur's plans for world domination (?) will be discovered. Angela over hears Arthur telling Linderman that they'll have to try killing Nathan again, but he warps her mind and makes her believe that Nathan has to die. Good thing Linderman is secretly betraying Arthur though, because he heals Angela's brain so that her next logical step is to try and kill her husband so he can't kill her son.

The only thing this gives us is a reason for Arthur to mind-rape his wife and put her into her coma this season. It doesn't further the plot, it didn't give us anything new to work with. And I don't really feel like it told me anything that I needed to know. It was intense for sure, what with Angela pulling a knife on Arthur, and her little quip when she poisoned him: "It's not your mother's recipe." That's all though. Nothing groundbreaking happened.

Meredith and The Company

It turns out that Meredith's brother is Flint, the Level 5 baddie we've seen who can shoot blue flames. They were both caught by Thompson and Meredith was turned into an agent almost right off the bat. The gig didn't work out though, and she ended up breaking out her brother and hopping on the first train to Mexico with him. Of course, Thompson followed them and just happened to be on the train for who knows how long. It all led to a confrontation in which Meredith uses her power and starts a fire in the train car, resulting in the need for everyone to jump out of the moving train just as it explodes. It feels this entire story line, from Meredith getting caught robbing a convenience store to jumping out of the train was written for the last 2 minutes of screen time Meredith had: She explained to Thompson that she hated The Company because they got Claire killed when she was a baby. Of course Thompson knows the truth, and for reasons unknown, he lets her go. The penultimate moment though was the realization that the train accident Meredith caused was the same one Claire ran into back in the first episode of season one.

I was so excited initially when I watched the scene live because we caught a glimpse of young Claire running into the flames. But now that I've watched it again and thought about it, I'm mostly upset that we had to go through all of that long drawn out story line to get to that moment. A moment that seemed completely pointless and that I don't even see the meaning of. Can someone (anyone) explain the relevance of that scene to me?

Elle, Sylar, and Noah

Again, I was so excited by this story line that when it initially played out, I thought it was one of the best story lines this season. Now I'm mostly confused by it because it seems like there were a lot of glaring continuity issues, but it could just be me. We pick up just after Sylar has killed his first victim, the man he first stole a power from. He's suicidal and is just about to hang himself when in comes Elle. She claims to have a broken watch, but really she's partnered with Noah and their assignment is to get Sylar to kill as they witness it via streaming video. Throughout the process of baiting him, Elle starts to fall for him a little bit and he even feels like he's been given a second chance. He confides in her his power, and the fact that he gets so jealous of other people with abilities that he kills them to get what they have. With Elle around though, he thinks that maybe he doesn't have to be special. She gives him the Sesame Street lecture of 'everyone is special just the way they are' before luring in a young man named Trevor. He apparently has the ability of a sharp shooter, Sylar gets jealous and tries to kill him, then gets furious when Elle reveals that she too has an ability and she's been using him all along. Thus, the monster that is Sylar is born and instead of bagging and tagging, Noah tells Elle that their mission is to set him free. So they've let this monster out on the world and Noah doesn't even feel badly about it. That'll really come back to bite him in the rear, won't it?

After all of this; after Noah tells Elle that he has to follow orders (that come from Arthur?), he gets into a taxi cab heading to JFK Airport. And wouldn't you know, it's the same cab Mohinder was driving in season one. Which is where my biggest moment of confusion hit. Sylar was upset about killing a man with the ability he stole as we saw from his flashbacks. If Mohinder was driving his father's cab, that means that his father was already dead, because Mohinder only went to New York after his father was murdered. And I could have sworn that by that point, Sylar had already escalated into the monster we came to know in season 1. So, is there a continuity issue there, or do I have the timeline wrong in my head? Something is nagging at me, telling me that Sylar had probably killed more than 2 people by the time Mohinder was in New York.

Hiro, Ando, and African Isaac

Of course, we've seen all of these things that happened in the past via Hiro's spirit walk. Which was useless because the only reason it was even done was to set up African Isac's death. I'm all for killing needless characters, but how did Arthur Petrelli even know where Hiro was? Are we to assume that he used Molly Walker somehow to find him?

So, there it is. The shiny exterior has been buffed away, and this is the episode as I finally see it. It's not as great as I initially thought it was which is a little saddening. It seems as if the only thing we accomplished in the hour was the death of African Isaac and something adverse happening to Hiro, although we're not exactly sure yet if he's been killed or drained of his powers. I'd like to know what you thought. Am I dwelling too deeply on this?

Not an advocate

Most websites and magazines are trying to find ways to make Heroes better. Not I. I say yank it off the air. It's done. Finished. Never going to be good again. Am I the only one who sees this? I want it to be great; I want it to be stellar again, but I'm only kidding myself at this point. I'll give you five reasons why it should be yanked.

1. The people (collectively) are begging for the same Heroes we had back in season 1. Folks, this is not going to happen. The shock and awe of revealing new heroes isn't the same. When we were first learning about this phenomenon and people with special powers, everything was shiny and new. We were glued to our seats and couldn't wait to find out what the next piece of the puzzle was. Now though? Everything is so convoluted that I can't tell the A story from the B story, and I fall asleep during all of the C story. For the record, I think that the A story is something about the Petrelli family and something Oedipal, the B story is something about Hiro being an idiot, and the C story has to do with the black dude in Africa. I could be wrong though.

2. All the cool powers are already taken. This was proven a few weeks ago with Vortex Guy. I kept thinking back to the Family Guy episode where the family was splashed with radio-active sludge and Meg got the power to grow her fingernails really quickly. Seriously, ask the question 'if you could have any super power what would it be?' to a group of people, and these will always be your answers: Invisibility (done), never being able to get hurt (done), the power to fly (done), to move objects with your mind (done), to read people's minds (done), and the ability to make time go by faster to get out of work (done). I think the only thing that hasn't been covered is x-ray vision, but I could be wrong. So really, what else is there to cover? The show proved that there are awesome powers that I never even thought of, like freezing everything I touch and super sonic moving, but being able to create a vortex? Black ooze out of your eyes? Lame. (And, lest everyone forget, black ooze was done on The X-Files and it was done about 40 times better. So, there you go.)

3. No one really cares anymore. At least the people I talk to. The story has been so clogged with pointless information that it's too exhausting to care. On shows like Battlestar Galactica, no matter what they throw at you, everything comes back full circle and makes sense. This hasn't happened in a long time on Heroes. For example, we all know that back in that disaster we'll call season two, Sylar had no powers and it was a time of rehab for him. Fine, I'll believe that. But it is my full belief that the writers forgot which powers he had. For example, super sonic hearing? For someone who supposedly has that ability, he sure didn't hear Claire sneaking up on him back in the first episode of the season. And he didn't seem to pick up on that conversation with Noah, Claire, and Vortex Guy. I'm willing to believe that he's had some trouble gaining some powers back, but could the writers please go back and say that? I'm thinking they just forgot, and if they just had Sylar say something to the effect of 'when I regained my powers some were missing' I'd completely delete this paragraph and I'd go back to thinking the writers were awesome again. (Well, awesome is a stretch.)

4. They take away likable characters and keep characters that are pointless. For example, Maya and Adam. (I totally just typed Adama.) I have never been able to stand Maya, even when she was part of the Mexican Banditos. I think she's a pointless character with a stupid 'power'. When I thought Mohinder killed her, I thought it was the smartest thing the show had ever done. And then, for some inexplicable reason they brought her back! She's not dead; she might be gone now to live happily ever after without her 'power', but it was so much better when I thought the writers took a cue and killed her off. And then there's Adam. His story line was really stupid back in season two, but he could have been awesome this season. And just when I was starting to warm up to him, Arthur Petrelli sucked the life out of him. Why bring him back at all, then? And instead of bringing in new characters like Knox and Daphne, could you please tell me what's up with Micah and Molly?

5. I don't care anymore about characters I should because they've turned stupid. I blame this solely on the writers. For example, Mohinder. This was a dude who was supposed to be there to explain the sciency stuff and be the cool head amid all the chaos. Now he's injecting himself with formulas before they've ever been tested. Uh, hello? Mohinder? Attention writers: Isn't he supposed to be brilliant? Even a three year old knows you don't go around sticking yourself with stuff. I really don't care that he's turning into The Fly. Serves him right. Idiot. And I feel like I should feel something for Matt Parkman as he was easily one of the most sympathetic characters in the first season. But now I feel nothing but sleepiness when he's on screen. With Hiro I'm in a constant state of stupor because not only is he stupid, he's taking the stupid to a whole new level. What super hero goes out LOOKING for something bad because they're bored? Hiro, apparently.

Other miscellaneous things that add to the death count are the number of characters in the show which was already kind of addressed, and the fact that they won't let us really get to know any characters anymore. They tried it with Hiro in Japan and that sucked really bad. But rather than learn from their mistakes, the writers just keep piling on pointless fodder.

Do I think the writers could take this list and fix it all? They could but instead I think they should just cancel it. It's never going to be great again. Ever. Ever. Not ever. You're right, I have no faith. No hope. It's all lost. Never to be seen again. Let's just pretend that the show was a made for t.v. movie back in season one and that nothing else after that point exists.

Why you (yes YOU) should be watching 30 Rock

I am not just passionate, but passionate about T.V. shows that I love. Just this morning I debated with someone for close to 10 minutes about why Fringe is an excellent show. I obsessively write to Matt Roush at T.V. Guide and Michael Ausiello at EW to give opinions and get scoop. In fact, I asked Mr. Ausiello about the fate of Mary McDonnell's Laura Roslin on Battlestar Galactica today. The answer? Prepare to weep. But even with all of my debating and flailing over shows that I love, I've never tried to persuade people to watch 30 Rock. In all honesty, I never thought I would have to. It's got Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, snappy writing and Emmy awards falling out of it's butt. Yet, for some reason no one's watching. Why? If this show gets canceled because of you Nielsen raters not watching, I'll have to find you all and abduct your television sets.

Tina Fey is a good way to get me to watch anything. And I do mean anything. I vowed never to watch a movie with Lindsay Lohan in it, but as soon as I found out Mean Girls had Fey at the helm and with an acting part? I didn't just rent the movie - I bought it. I have to admit that all around it's a very good slice of the high school movie genre, but I only bought it to be inspired by Tina Fey. I'm not sure if I've ever disclosed this information before, but my role model? Totally Tina. She's got the looks, the wit, the education and really, I'd be crazy to choose anyone other than Tina to look up to. (I've probably never said anything because wow does that make me sound stalkerish. I swear I'm not.) Anyway, if you've been following SNL lately, then you have no doubt seen her Palin impression. By itself it's hilarious because Palin really is insane, but Tina brings to it the walk, the talk, the facial expressions and hand gestures. She's got it down pat from the winking to the posing for the camera. Now, take that awesome acting ability and put it into a sitcom. Every week you get brilliant exchanges of dialogue that make you wonder about the genius of the writers. And the head writer of the show just happens to be Tina Fey.

The brilliancy of this show does not begin and end with Tina, however. We still haven't covered Alec Baldwin. I admit, I'd never really watched him in anything before. I mean, yes, I've seen Pearl Harbor. Correction: I slept through most of Pearl Harbor, and I've heard of a lot of things he's in, but I'd never watched any of them. Except for Beetlejuice. I effing love that movie. Anyway, in 30 Rock, he's a genius. For such a strong Democrat to play a stiff Republican? Well, if that's not acting, I don't know what is. And if you haven't seen the therapy session where Jack invoked the spirit of Redd Foxx, I suggest you run to Hulu.com RIGHT NOW and watch it. That clip alone should make you tune in tomorrow.

The supporting cast is nothing to poo-poo about either. Tracy Morgan as Tracy Jordan is great, and on a weekly basis makes me think: 'How much of this is based on Tracy Morgan's real life experiences?'. (I want to say...probably 56%) Jack McBrayer as the lovable, goofy, flighty, but probably smarter than you think Kenneth is equally hilarious and under-used which is something I sincerely hope changes soon. Who else could deliver the line: I don't drink hot liquids of any kind. That's the Devil's temperature! with such conviction?

The bottom line with this show is that it's smart. It's not 'veg out in front of the t.v., get up 10 times to get something to eat, talk on the phone while I watch it' television. It's satirical, it's relevant, and it's hysterical. The story lines range from downright silly (Tracy making a porn video game) to touching (Liz running the gamut of emotions when she thinks she's pregnant), and in 30 minutes you might just learn a thing or two about real humor. Everyone tune in tomorrow. You won't be sorry.

Why Mad Men is the best show in the universe. (Spoilers for the finale.)

First, before I really get into the meat of this, I want to say that yes, I did just post. Since I'm mostly writing for my own entertainment, I figure no one will be over-whelmed by the sudden burst of writing. And my last post was long, too. I guess I have a lot to say right now.

And I want to say something about Mad Men. If you've never seen this show, first off - why? Second, my thoughts are absolutely nothing compared to the Lipp Sister's site, Basket of Kisses. Oh my God you all, this website is the mecca of all things Mad Men. Why? For one, they actually got people to pay attention which I have obviously not grasped. And they have an interview with Matthew Weiner. Let me repeat that - MATTHEW. WEINER. And if you don't know that name, you probably aren't a fan of the show. Again I ask - why? So while I may occasionally gush about how amazing this show is, I grovel at the feet of Roberta and Deborah Lipp.

Now, onto why I love the show so much.

In an era of television shows where suspending reality is the key, here is a show that gives us real life problems, real life messes, and real life solutions. How refreshing is it to see that when a husband cheats, he can't say he's sorry and suddenly have things come up roses? A woman doesn't always keep the baby and expect the father of her illegitimate child to come running in to save the day. And the perfect man is a complete lie. All of us who watch T.V. know that when we turn on our sets, writers are asking us to please take off our logical thinking caps and set them aside. How many of us can watch an episode of Desperate Housewives or Brothers & Sisters and think 'wow, that is so much like real life - crazy!'? The answer is no one. But when it comes to Mad Men, we're allowed to keep our logic and actually depend on our brains to guide us through each episode.

I have to admit that when a co-worker first told me the premise of this show I wasn't really that excited to watch. I'd missed season one completely and in fact had never even heard of the show when she handed over her DVDs. The show had just been featured on the cover of EW, but I had no interest because I didn't recognize any of the actors. And the basic premise, a story about a 60's advertising agency set in Manhattan, well, that didn't exactly grab me. Until I watched the first episode and realized it is so much more than that.

The thing that gets me about this show is that it's not afraid to be messy. Don Draper is one of the most messed up characters on television. Here is a man who is struggling to forget his past, and is so desperate, he steals a dead man's identity. How likely is that to happen? Well, nowadays probably not at all, but for Don's time and situation it was easy. Easy to give up on his terrible life, his terrible family and the world as Dick Whitman knew it. Only, it's not as simple as that. Everything slowly begins to unravel eventually and the memories come back to haunt him. Even his brother tries to reconnect but that ends in guilt money and suicide. Welcome to a television show that reassures us that it's okay - life is complicated.

I'll argue my own views for just a second to say that Don may be messed up, but he's also one of the best characters on television. He's handsome, business savvy, and for the most part a good man. Who happens to cheat on his wife. A lot. Why do we forgive him this and sympathize with him as a protagonist? After all, a man who is unfaithful to his wife isn't usually celebrated. But instead of turning him into a monster, he's been shown as human. Affairs happen - it doesn't make you a bad person, just someone who made bad decisions. He loves his kids; he even loves his wife. Not all men who cheat do it out of hatred. Some men are just lost. Don Draper is one of those men.

If Don is a lost man, then Peggy Olson is a lost girl. This poor woman who was brought in as a naive secretary, and by season two's end has become Don Draper's protegee. Faced with having her lover's child, she didn't sit and wait around for him to leave his wife and run to her. She did what plenty of women have done: Had the child and gave it up, then pretended that nothing happened. I don't believe it was purely for selfish reasons, nor do I believe she was too crazy to take care of a child. In my opinion, the shock of having a child when she didn't even realize she was pregnant kept her in deep denial - if she doesn't acknowledge it, then it never happened. It's how she can take Don's advice and run with it, it's how she can face her priest and family. Even if they try to shame her, she never thinks on the idea long enough to feel guilty. Until the possible end of the world during the finale on Sunday. She finally confessed to Pete that she gave up his child, and by the end of the day, she was completely absolved to herself. She'll never have to worry about her secret again because it no longer matters. Everyone involved has been brought full circle. The question now is whether Pete will use the information to harass her. Certainly she has Don in her corner, but I can easily see it turning into something along the following lines:

Peggy: Pete, I need you to take care of this account right now please.

Pete: Hey, remember that time I told you I loved you and then you told me you gave my baby away? Do it yourself.

Can anyone else see this happening?

Originally I'd wanted to explain why this is the best show on t.v., and I know I've gone off on a really, really long tangent and bounced from topic to topic. Basically it boils down to this: It's a real show. It takes every day problems that have been relevant for decades and puts them into a time when the world was an uncertain place. It makes us feel for characters who perhaps shouldn't have our sympathy, it makes us rethink morals and ethics as we've previously defined them, and it gives us a glimpse back in time. And it does all of this with a sense of urgency. This show is what other shows wish they could be.

It's going to be a long, long winter without Mad Men.

Wow, has it been that long?

When exactly did I get behind on this blog? Well, I believe it was during the writer's strike when I explained how I feel. I came back for a hot second and then poof, I was gone again. Not that there's anyone who actually reads this that might be upset by the occasional (really long) hiatus. But still, this was supposed to be my place at the very least to talk about T.V. and have dreams of being famous. (Oh, hush - like you never dreamt it.) I suppose I should fill in exactly what I've been doing.

Originally, this was the place to come for television reviews. But my loyalties have shifted just a bit. I started writing for TheTwoCents.com, where I currently recap Heroes. When Fringe comes back from it's 3 week break, I'll recap that show as well. When the Battlestar Galactica prequel Caprica begins, that will also land on my plate. Oh, and don't let me forget to mention that I'll also be recapping the final (sniff) installment of Galactica. That doesn't mean that my T.V. viewing is limited to just those shows. Oh no, I've found an over-whelming amount of television to watch all in the hopes that one day, all of those t.v. moments will help me win a special Jeopardy episode. (No mocking; last week they featured a Mad Men category and I totally knew every answer.)

Shows that I'm absolutely in love with include the aforementioned Mad Men, a reinvented Desperate Housewives, The Office, 30 Rock and Fringe. All of these are cannot miss shows for me. And then there are shows that I watch, but not dedicatedly (I'm making up words) like Grey's Anatomy, Brothers & Sisters, Pushing Daisies and House. I know, I know - you can go ahead and string me up now for not being an advocate of Pushing Daisies, but I just can't get into it like I was pre-strike. I want to, but I was busy watching Project Runway and now too much time has passed for me to genuinely care. I think it's a great show, I really do - and I'll be watching that great show on DVD when I can watch the episodes in order from beginning to eventual end.

Speaking of DVDs, I had a compulsion to organize all of mine, perhaps in the spirit of the fall T.V. season. I realize that I have enough to be considered a little too addicted to television, but not enough to say I collect. So I figure that I have two choices: Either start buying more television shows on DVD so that it actually looks like I have a great collection, or start giving them away. The latter will never happen. That means I must start buying DVDs. My collection is random as it is: One season of House, two seasons of The Office, the 'best of' DVDs of Friends. I bought seasons 1-5 of CSI, and won't buy anymore because the show reached it's pinnacle after the incident with Nick. I have all 9 season of The X-Files and a random season of Reno: 911!. I'd like to have a little more order. I would love to have the entire box set of Will & Grace, and I'd like to buy the current seasons of 30 Rock.

I guess I need to start begging for DVDs for my birthday and Christmas, because this is a very expensive hobby. But nothing is better on a lazy Sunday than to stay in pajamas all day and watch old episodes of The X-Files, back when it was at its height. I must also confess that I simply gave away my copy of Grey's Anatomy season 2. I was so disgusted with the show after the ferry boat stuff and the Meredith and George thing and all of the mess after that, that I just let someone have it. I mostly regret that decision now, and I will buy it back. But I'll probably never buy the seasons I missed and pick it back up with the current season. (Speaking of Grey's, Mary McDonnell is showing up on the show for sweeps. Thank the Gods, I missed seeing her on my T.V. screen every week.)

What else is there? I think this is long enough for now. If anyone reads this old thing, I'll be making more updates. Even if no one does, I'd like to have a record of my downward spiral into television addiction. Maybe one day when (not if) I'm writing screenplays, I'll be able to look back at this and laugh. Or cry. We'll see.

American Idol and Lost - spoilers ahoy!

American Idol
The only thing that I really don't like about the process of picking the final 24 is that there are what, four that we've never even heard sing? We've just had glimpses of them. Those four would be Jason Castro, Luke Menard, Garrett Haley, and Jason Yeager. Will the fact that they got no screen time hurt them starting next week? Who knows; only Wednesday will tell. I want to trust Simon, Paula, and Randy, but who knows if those four can even really sing. And why are they all guys? I mean, why not have a few unknown women to even it out?

Anyway, with everyone that I've seen, the talent seems pretty decent. No one's had one of those performances where you just know who the top five are going to be. There are people who you know will be decent, but no one just shook me up with their singing. I'm willing to put my money though, on Amanda Overmyer and Asia'h Epperson. For guys I think I'd go with David Archuleta and the gorgeous hottie Aussie Michael Johns. So hot. That doesn't mean that I don't like other people. I like Kristy Lee Cook okay, but she sang Amazing Grace twice. It would have been nice to hear her branch out and not try to stay safe, and I'm actually surprised that Simon didn't say something about that. Unless I missed it. I also really like Carly Smithson. She's cute and cheeky, but I don't think she's finalist material. I do think she'll get far, just not all the way to the top.

I really, really like Ramiele Malubay and I think she'll probably be the one to shine about midway through. It could go either way with Kady Malloy, and I say that because I'm afraid she'll never sing like herself, which was something the judges had to keep asking her to do during her first audition. But then again, she could really find herself and break through as well.

Last year, with the Sanjaya mess and wishing week after week that he would just go home already, I've been trying to pick out who the possible 'Sanjaya' is of this competition. (Admit it, you're doing it too.)

At first I thought it was going to be the disaster that was Josiah. And I have to admit, I probably wouldn't have watched the season had he been let through. What was with him, anyway? Did his parents actually kick him out, or did he just leave to go live in his car? And if he did the latter, stop crying and go home, dude. You aren't British, and you aren't Madonna. Stop talking like that. I listen to a lot of British influences, but I don't talk like I'm trying to impress the Queen. ANYWAY, my prediction for Sanjaya is Danny. Danny Noriega. When I first saw him, I thought he was a teenage girl and he can sing okay, but Sanjaya didn't do badly at first either.

Notice there are some people that didn't even get a mention. Like the rocker chick who can only sing Janis Joplin - I don't think she can do anything else, let alone something soft.

What do you guys think? And do you have a top 12 list yet?


Lost
Alright. Now, LOST. During which I was mostly just that. Also, I forgot to DVR it so I can't go back and check myself fact wise, so feel free to point something out just in case I mess it up.


Anyone else totally think "Wow, it's like Mr. and Mrs. Smith if Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt didn't really love each other"? Poor Sayid; he just keeps falling for the blondes that are going to eventually end up dead. Although, what happened to the 'love of his life'? Did he just give up on her? I guess 100 days on an island makes you forget about all that other silly, trivial stuff from your days as a torturer. In the future, Sayid is working as an assassin for Ben. So, Ben got off the island? The final six can't include Ben, I refuse to believe that. So, my thinking now is that the Oceanic Six only include people who were actually on the plane when it crashed. Meaning other people (like Juliet and obviously Ben) do leave the island but aren't counted in the final tally because they're natives. Was Ben always a doctor though? Did I miss something? Since when did he become qualified enough to remove a bullet? I guess about the same time he became qualified enough to run an animal hospital?

I don't even really know what to say or where to go from here. I have a lot of questions that everyone else has already asked. Who is The Economist? It's the man that Sayid was supposed to kill, probably, but why? Is it Penny's father? Possibly?

And where is she, by the way? I had assumed she was close, but maybe not. Especially with the way it seems time moves different on the island versus off. Are we looking at some sort of time warp? An alternate universe? I'm so confused that I can't even get my thoughts down right, which is really bad for a television reviewer.

Okay, so, let's go to something different. How about Hurley tricking the other Losties? How heartbroken was I? Actually, I'd never really loved Hurley the way that everyone else did, and I was shocked - SHOCKED when he turned out to be working with Locke. Could this be why Hurley apologized to Jack in the flash forward?

So then, Sawyer takes Kate hostage and why didn't they just have sex right then and get it over with? I mean come on. And I like the idea of Kate and Sawyer but really, there are more important things. Like Sawyer's question of "Why do you want to get off this island so damn bad?" Why does she? Theoretically, shouldn't she be going to jail if she leaves the island? I did appreciate Sawyer putting his heart on the line, as much as he can do that, and now it looks like she's choosing him over Jack. Cue Jack's tears! Just kidding, he didn't cry at all, which actually shocked me.

We knew that Ben did a lot of traveling back and forth from the island to the real world, but how deep does that go? He had a drawer full of passports and foreign currency. Does he speak like, 10 different languages? What the hell does he do? I guess he could actually be running that Mittelos Biosciences place, but why wouldn't that be in one central location? Why would that require a drawer full of passports?

I need to do some research, specifically regarding the time and what those times could possibly mean. (I love research, it's sick.)

The last thing I want to mention is the bracelet Naomi was wearing and how it looked just like the one Elsa wore. And let's not forget the inscription.

There are a lot of other things I want to touch on, but unfortunately, my time here is cut short. Maybe if you guys have theories and questions, leave them here?

Who is R.C. by the way? Regina the freighter chick?

Until next time!

Hallelujah!

The strike is over!

I'd like to say thank you to the writers for showing us that change can happen!

Let the reviews begin again!

I have a couple of things that I saved on my DVR specifically for updating this blog, so look for some thoughts on Razor and the latest LOST!

We're glad you're back, writers. You probably don't hear it enough, especially from the fans - but we the fans appreciate you!