One Hand In My Pocket

Longest. Day. Ever.

I worked almost 13 hours today.

Dayum.

Nonstop craziness from 8 am to past 8:30 pm.

Another insanely hot and hectic day at Universal Studios. Another bunch of tables to set up with gift baskets and souvenier NBC pens. Another bunch of wacky foreigners coming to see the leatest and not-so-greatest offerings from NBC-Universal, and yes, another Wild-West-themed BBQ on the Universal backlot. One cool thing: while yesterday the only celeb in attendance was Lake Bell, star of the upcoming FATHOM, today we had Steve Carell and a few other cast members of The (American version of the) Office. Coolness.

Then things got crazy. Exhausted from our day out in the beaming sun, another page and I got ready to head back to NBC at 1:30 to work at an Ellen taping. So we got there and found out that hey guess what, they changed today to a double taping of Ellen, meaning we'd be there for TWO count 'em TWO full tapings of the show, which would mean we wouldn't be getting out until nearly 9 pm. Well, we somehow made it through Ellen, despite many of the staff members there being especially on-edge today since it's one of their last taping days of the season. So the important info, such as when we'd be free to hit up Ellen's catered buffet dinner, was not exactly easy to come by. But wait, it wasn't all gloom and doom. Guess who performed on Ellen today ...?

ALANIS MORISETTE~!

Sure, her music isn't my typical listening fare, but there was a time long ago, say around middle school, when Jagged Little Pill converted me to the cult of Alanis. I listened to that album all the time back in the day, and I absolutely loved it. While I haven't really followed most of Ms. Morisette's music since then (though I do love the more recent song Precious Illusions ...), Jagged Little Pill will always be a favorite of mine that reminds me of those tumultuous days of preteen angst. In fact, all one has to do is look in my eighth grade yearbook from Solomon Schechter Day Scool, flip to my self-designed page, and see, among other things, a quote from the Alanis song Hand In My Pocket, which seemed to suit me around the time of eighth grade graduation. And guess what song Alanis played on Ellen today? To celebrate her all-accoustic rerelease of Jagged Little Pill, she played that very song! Awesome!

While that performance was amazing, overall this was one long-ass day, and I was ready to drop by the time I got home. But hey I got some pressing matters to discuss, namely ...

24 SEASON FINALE --- JACK BAUER NO MORE ?!?!

Wow, a great season finale to a great year of a great show. No huge shocks or out-of nowhere twists, but tons of action, intensity, and a great ending that presents a ton of intriguing possibillities for next season.

I actually was surprised at just how well this season developed and explored certain themes. The one that really stuck out to me was the personal sacrifices that the members of CTU make in order to carry out their professional duties. We see Jack Bauer, a man who has already lost a great deal in the name of protecting his country, make one more attempt at having a real life. He started the season the closest he's been in a long while to escaping the rigours of the field and moving towards a semblance of a normal life. He ends the season with no identity at all. He is for all intents and purposes nonexistent, erased to protect his life and his country. This nicely paralleled the Tony-Michelle story arc, which saw them able to overcome the demands of their jobs and find each other once again, putting their lives and their relationship back together. Some more quick thoughts:

- Loved "Team Jack" helping him escape at the end. Definitely the best part of the episode, as Tony, Michelle, Chloe, and Palmer all work to help Jack avoid assasination.

- Marwan sure was a crafty villain, but he went SPLAT.

- Is Jack going to tell Audrey about what happened? And what about his daughter, who surprisingly never made an appearance this season?

- Great stuff with Pres. Logan and Palmer. "You played a role." Hahaha that was just evil.

- What ever happened to Beeeeeehrooooooooooooz?

- I love how in the world of 24, the US government is always, on some level, corrupt, and you can never really trust anyone.

- Hahaha when Tony was saved by Jack, and Jack asked him if he was alright, Tony simply replied with his trademark "Yeah."

- Nice - Naked Mandy is still out there and ready to return for next season, hopefully with a few more acting lessons under her belt.

- Jack Bauer is the man - enough said.

- Bring on next season!

My grade: A

NBC PILOTS:

Saw three pilots yestrday for new shows. Fathom, a scifi show about alien seas monsters that mysteriously appear in the oceans (no, seriously!) had some nice acting and great production values, the plot ultimately seemed pretty bland and not compelling enough to carry a series. It had some excellent scenes that had plenty of tension, but it is just not a strong enough premise to be worth watching and following. Thick and Thin, a half hour sitcom, had some decent stuff from it's lead actress (forget her name at the moment) and from SNL's Chris Parnell, but the premise is simply insulting - a formerly fat girl gets thin and has to adjust to her new life of dating and popularity, even as most of her friends and family remain overwight. It's a one-joke premise and the fat jokes will get real old real fast. Now wait, NBC-Universal's best new show is actually going to be on ABC. It's called SONS AND DAUGHTERS and trust me on this one, this show is HILARIOUS. The pilot is a semi-improvised comedy, kind of mixing the styles of Arrested Development and Curb Your Enthusiasm. It's basically about an oddball, screwed up family, but dude, it was SO funny. A ton of the actors involved were absoultely great, especially the kids, who really stole the show. This is definitely one to watch for. My grades: Fathom: C+, Thick and Thin: D+, Sons and Daughters: A -

Alright, got to rest up for tommorow. Day 4 (!) at Universal. And ... oh dayum, the last big season finale, the big finale of LOST, which is going to be make or break for that show.

YOU YOU YOU OUGHTTA KNOOOOOOOWW ...........