"We ... Are ... Warriors!"

Oh man, how funny was tonight's episode of The Office? Actually, I was kinda thinking it was a lackluster episode after the hilarious opening football game scene, but then the entire duration of Dwight's speech had me rolling in laughter. Still think Jim's character is annoying, but otherwise ... oh god, Dwight giving a speech tha sounded like something that Gandalf and Mussolini might have written together was the funniest thing ever. My grade for THE OFFICE: A-

As for last night's LOST?

Well, in theory last night's episode was great. It moved the plot along, had some big reveals, cool character dynamics, and added depth to the mythology. In practice, however ... sorry to burst the bubble of the Lost apologists, but man was this episode ever an annoying, convoluted, and frustrating mess. The acting for one thing, usually a high point of the show, was just not very good tonight, with the actress who plays Claire becoming increasingly grating with each subsequent mention of "my baby!" Libby's attempt to play psychiatrist also came off as goofy, largely thanks to unconvincing acting. Now, writing-wise, this episode was just groan-inducing. What's with Mr. Eko's lame confession? What was the point of that? And how cliched was Locke being manipulated by the prisoner? And why is Jack no longer being written as a charismatic leader but as an irritating grouch? The character of Russeau is a complete waste - all her dialogue is simply nonsensical gibberish trying to sound mysterious but just coming off as pointless. And once again, rather than clever dialogue and organic mysteries, the writers settle for forced ambiguity, with false drama created simply because nobody on the show actually COMMUNICATES. I'm sorry, but this episode frustrated me to know end because it kept teasing us with potentially jaw-dropping plot reveals, only to actually give us more of the same useless banter and pseudo-intellectual, pretentious BS. What the %*&$ do Hemingway and Dostoyevsky have to do with ANYTHING for example. I mean, the analogy that Locke gave of the two writers was SO forced and not even applicable to the situation. Just like Eko's random biblical stories from a few weeks back. Sure, the Lsot nuts are saying "wait, it all ties into the hidden meaning of the show." No, it is just filler, thrown in to take up space because nobody has taken the time to do what always should have been done with this show - to come up with the end point FIRST, and then continually work towards that point in a well-paced and organic way. For now, this show is on again, off again, and this week it really, really tried hard to be on, but in the end, it was most definitely off. My grade: C

Now, some people ask: If you don't like it, WHY do you still bother watching LOST? Reasonable question - so here is why:

- I am fascinated by the premise of the show and am dying to know where they go with the mythology.
- As a writer it is a lot of fun to watch each episode and imagine how I would have handled things the same or differently, since I really enjoy the characters and premise, and see so much potential in the plotlines.
- I am a big fan of some of the actors on the show, such as Terry O'Quinn, and even when I don't wholeheartedly enjoy an episode I really enjoy their individual performance on the show.
- Even when the quality is spotty, the show still has that "can't miss it" feel. While the big reveals have been mostly letdowns so far, the show really does the build up of tension to its reveals well, making you unable to turn away from even the most frustrating of episodes.
- I am a completist - now that I've invested so much time in the show, I feel a need to keep up with it and see where it goes, or else all the time I've spent watching it so far will have been wasted.
- Like millions of Americans, I must know: what is the friggin' secret behind the island!?!?!

Alright, good enough for ya?

What else?

Work has been fascinating lately i nthat I am learning a lot about the relatively new and constantly in-flux world of digital broadcasting. The great part is that a lot of my interests and past work experience is coming into play. I'm kinda using my time at Conan, Leno, and in development to my advantage, and I'm working with shows I am really into like Conan, SNL, and The Office, which is a big thrill. It's crazy how everything comes together and I'm now hearing names of people I've worked with as an intern in NYC, as a page, and in primetime development come up with regularity in my new job. For example, I've been working on a list of potential Conan sketches to put online, and I guess I am uniquely suited to do this as I rattled off about 30 different ideas from memory alone based on my time as an intern there and as a fan of the show.

So that part, really, has been cool.

On the other hand, graduating the page program, especially after more than a year as a pge, really is starting to feel like graduating college all over again. Everything just feels weird and alien (not helped by being isolated on the gigantic, and totally empty other than my boss and I, 7th floor of my building).

Overall though it's been a really interesting week and I already have learned a ton. I've also been doing a lot of number-crunching and business-related thinking at work, which is really stretching a part of my brain that probably hasn't been used much in, oh, the last few years or so.

OTHER STUFF:

- Sad to see so many classic TV personalities pass away over the last few days, most of all Don Knotts - a classic character actor who I loved when I was a kid on TV and in movies like The Incredible Mr. Limpett. And forget if I ever mentioned this, but if not, farewell to Al Lewis, aka Grandpa Munster. The Munsters was one of my all time favorite shows and probably a big reason why I got so into monsters and all things supernatural in my formative years. And who didn't love Grandpa?

- Recent CD mix I made: Danny's Songs to Sing Around the Campfire, featuring such artists as Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, John Mellencamp, and Paul Simon - a little mellower than my usual tastes, but should be a good one for long car trips. Man, I can be so cheesy.

- Seriously, there is enough room on my empty floor at work to set up a dodgeball circle, a minigolf course, a wrestling ring, or a kickball field. Which should it be?

- Today at work I saw a crazy A/V room filled with giant HD TV's, an XBox 360, remote-controlled chairs, and a locked drawer filled with as of yet unreleased movies on the all new Hi-Def format, which makes DVD look like betamax. Commence drooling ... now.

- Hmm, Oscar awards this Sunday, and strangley I feel pretty apathetic, despite John Stewart hosting. Just pretty unexciting movies this year, and way too much hype too early. I may get around to giving picks sometime before the show, so stay tuned. But speaking of which, how come I work in entertainment and have not heard about one Oscar party of any kind going on? Shouldn't I be invited to an array of swanky affairs? Oh well, I was never a big fan of tuxedos.

Alright, I am out. More to come. Stay tuned. Be well.