Well here I am, my last night in good ol' CT after a very quick visit made in conjunction with the Rosh Hashana holiday. It's funny, because Jewish holidays can be difficult to explain to people of other religions, and especially to those who don't have a religious background. People tend to think that big holidays mean sleeping late or getting presents or eating lots of great food. Most people don't quite grasp the fact that the Jewish High Holidays are a fairly somber, sober affair. If you're a conservative Jew, you tend to spend the High Holidays camped out at synagogue, listening to and chanting along with prayers about sin, sacrifice, and atonement. I guess my point is, I wouldn't really classify going home for Rosh Hashana as a "vacation" in the traditional sense of the word. That said, I did eat some good food, and I did get a gift or two (but only because we celebrated my birthday, which is coming up on the 28th - and not only that, but I had a delicious peanut-butter cup ice cream cake from FRIENDLY'S to boot). And I was able to relax a bit, being far away from the nonstop craziness that is LA. If nothing else, it's just so *quiet* here in suburban Connecticut. When I lay down to go to sleep at night, it's always a bit jarring at first just how silent it is. No freeway traffic outside my window, no shaky air conditioner rumbling, no noise from my apartment complex neighbors. The occasional bark of our dog Yofi, but that's about it.
Anyways, it's been a nice couple of days in Bloomfield. Like I said, a good chunk of my time here was just spent doing Rosh Hashana-y things, but I also managed to make time for a few other quick things. For one thing, I got a lot of reading done, and I intend to get even more done on my neverneding flight back to LA tomorrow (good old Southwest, where direct flights are clearly frowned upon). For another thing, I got the chance to have lunch with my former BU buddy and current poiltical bigwig Stephanie P. Not only was it good to catch up, but it afforded me the chance to visit one of my favorite east coast pizza chains, Bertucci's. I also unexpectedly participated in some impromptu basketball competition. I was lucky in that the weather here in CT has been very warm and sunny. And today, my dad of all people challenged me to a game of one-on-one. As we began to play, and as I put my new bionic ankle to the test, some neighborhood kids walked by and challenged the Barams to a game of hoops. Three energetic teens against one middle-aged man and one slightly past-his-prime twenty-something with an only recently-healed right ankle? The odds were against us, to be sure. In fact, one of the kids joined Team Baram to even things up a bit. Now, I won't lie to you. The two teens we were playing against were good. And I'll cut to the chase now and just admit that they ultimately beat us. Even though my dad unleashed a Kareem-esque hook shot that surprised me with its accuracy, it was not quite enough for us to triumph over our youthful opponents. BUT ... I will also say that the man once known as "Long-Range Dan", and to some as "Danny Basketball" busted out some moves that I wasn't sure I still had in me. The behind-the-back layup. The three-point money-shot. The no-look pass. It's true, a couple of my shots even had some of the kids sayin "daaaaaaamn!" For a moment, I may just have channelled the likes of "Thunder" Dan Majerle. For a minute or two, I may have been straight-up balllliiiin'. All I know is - Matt Baram - I am coming for you, and I am ready to whup you in a game to determine just who is The Man of the Baram household. Dammit all.
Aside from that, it's been a nice weekend here in CT. I spent some quality time with the family, saw my grandparents, uncle, cousins, etc., as well as the usual gang of family friends and Beth Hillel synagogue regulars. Now it's back to the grind in LA, and even if this was not, by any means, what you'd call a real "vacation," I hope that I can come back, refreshed, rejuvinated, and ready to partake in what should be an eventful couple of months.
- Now, sure, I spent the last few days away from LA, but hey, that doesn't mean I was living in a vacuum. To that end, here is some ...
TV STUFF:
- Don't worry, I'll get to the Emmys in a second. First though, some thoughts on a couple of season premieres:
- I really liked the season premiere of THE OFFICE, which to me was probably the best network sitcom of last season (even if the finale somewhat bombed, but still ...). But yeah, the 6th season premiere was a nice little episode that sort of encapsulated everything that makes for a great episode of the The Office. For one thing, I like episodes where the script doesn't pause too much for sentimentality. And I also like episodes where they keep Michael Scott as somewhat of an asshole. That's not to say that I don't want him to ultimately a guy that you can at times root for. And that's not to say that I want him to be overly cartoonish. But, I've always thought that it's in keeping with the spirit of the original British Office to keep things dark and unsentimental when possible, and to only get to those "awww shucks" moments when it's absolutely necessary and it's been totally and completely earned. The sixth season premiere of The Office, though, had Michael Scott in classic oblivious jerk mode, and it made for some hilarious comedy. Ed Helms as Andy had some memorable, very funny moments in this one dealing with his newfound sexual identity issue. Creed got in an awesome line or two. I loved the whole idea of these poor Dunder-Mifflin summer interns, and could only imagine the craziness they had to deal with working for Michael, Dwight, Ryan, etc. Kelly and Kevin had some great moments in this one as well. And I also loved how this episode dealt with Pam and Jim's preganancy situation. It wasn't sitcom-y or in-your-face. Instead it was subtle, somewhat in the background, and yet ultimately, a lot of advancement was made in their storyline - you just weren't hit over the head with it. Really good stuff -- welcome back, Office.
My Grade: A-
- My short review of COMMUNITY is that I think this one has crazy-good potential as a series. But, I think that the pilot episode has a lot of problems that will have to be ironed out for this to 100% work going forward. I love the show's cast. Joel McHale was born to play this kind of role. Chevy Chase could really be awesome here if given some great scripts to feed off of. And there seems to be a lot of talent in the rest of the supporting cast as well. But, I also came away feeling like I wasn't hooked in quite yet. There was never that one truly great or hilarious moment that made me say "yep, I might just love this show." And there was also never that moment where it felt like everything came together and the show, in effect, justified its existence. Some aspects still feel a bit flimsy. Why do all these characters hang out together every week? Is there depth to them, or are they one-joke wonders? I'm very curious to check out the next couple of episodes of Community. Right now, I'm cautiously optimistic.
My Grade: B
-PARKS & RECREATION is a show I only somewhat followed in its first season after the pilot failed to really grab me. But I was optimistic that, given the talent in the cast and creative team, the show could bounce back for Season 2. I think it really succeeded in coming out of the gate with a funny season premiere that, for me, really reignited my interest in the show. This one was easily the funniest episode of the series I've seen thus far. Immediately, I had a good feeling after I saw the classic "Parents Just Don't Understand" cold open. Great stuff from Amy Poehler - I always think she's at her best when she's doing the whole manic-child-like-craziness thing, so it was good to see her really let loose in this episode. She stopped being a female Michael Scott and really seemed like a more unique character. The supporting cast, with obviously talented people like Rasheeda Jones and Aziz Ansari, really stood out in this ep as well. A strong return for Parks & Rec.
My Grade: B+
- Finally, I thought that SNL WEEKEND UPDATE THURSDAY really hit it out of the park this week. The humor seemed unusually sharp. The Joe Wilson sketch was a lot of fun. The "Really?" segment was on-point. And Bill Hader doing James Carville was pretty awesome. Hader is easily up there as one of SNL's funniest cast members these days, so it's always great to see him get screentime. The Jimmy Carter segment was probably the show's weakest, but overall this one was a pleasant surprise - an extremely funny half hour of sketch comedy.
My Grade: A-
- Shifting gears for a second, let me talk about last season's best new show (easily) ... FRINGE. First off, I think it's ridiculous that Fringe received no Emmy awards love this year. I'm sure when the show is in its seventh season and on the decline it will win Best Drama, or something, but man, Fringe deserves a ton of credit for very quickly becoming THE must-see drama on TV. Certainly, there was no other Fall-premiering show that I was looking forward to more, especially following this summer's positively kick-ass first-season-finale. And I was not disappointed with what I got. The S2 premiere of Fringe had it all -intriguing sci-fi drama, great character moments, moments of comedy, action, horror, and yes, crazy extradimensional body-swapping super-soldiers. Awesome.
This ep provided some nic recap for those just tuning in, but it also served as a showcase for just how far this show has come from its somewhat shaky beginnings. I mean, for the longest time I complained how Joshua Jackson was the weak link of the show. His character seemed purposeless, and all he ever did was provide sarcastic retorts to his mad-scientist father's oddball, but usually correct, theories. My, how times change. Jackson's Peter Bishop was a legitimate highlight of the S2 premiere. Jackson did a stellar job of making us root for Peter. And, thanks to some killer plot-twists from the latter half of Season 1, Peter is now a truly fascinating, potentially tragic character, with a mysterious backstory that fans are chomping at the bit to uncover.
And Anna Torv ... I thought she was merely decent in the early episodes of Fringe. But now, I think she's absolutely great. She a unique actress and I found myself glued to her every word in the premiere. Somehow, Olivia Dunham has gone from boring blank slate to fan-favorite female agent who you definitely do not want to mess with. Sure, her tough demeanor and constantly-in-peril-due-to-strange-conspiracy circumstances make her more than a little Scully-esque, but hey, who doesn't love Scuuuuuuullyyyy?! At the least, Fringe gave some great tips of the hat to The X-Files in the premiere, as, for one thing, the classic series was playing on a characters' TV set during a critical scene.
Really though, the x-factor that makes Fringe sing is John Noble. Get this man an Emmy nom, stat! Noble once again ruled it as Dr. Walter Bishop in the premiere - he's scary, hilarious, and fascinating all at once as Fringe's resident mad scientist. Similarly, Lance Reddick was excellent here. I look forward to him hopefully getting a beefed-up role, Skinner-style, in Season 2.
What put this ep over the top for me though was just how great the storytelling was. It sounds simple, but few series know how to deliver key moments with just the right amount of "oomph." Fringe gets it. When Olivia hissed for her FBI cohorts to "get the bitch," after being attacked by an otherdimensional pursuer, it was was a great moment. When the ending scene revealed a shocking twist - that the body-snatching beings had assumed the form of one of Olivia's most trusted allies, it was a great, "holy-$#%&" moment.
I did think that the introduction of a new FBI agent was a tad hamfisted. And I also thought that the whole "Fringe division is being unjustly closed by the powers that be" thing was right on the line between homage to The X-Files and straight-up copying it. But overall, kudos to Fringe. With Prison Break and Pushing Daisies gone, and with 24 and Lost on hiatus until 2010, THIS is the show that keeps me excited for new episodes each and every week.
My Grade: A-
2009 EMMY AWARDS THOUGHTS:
- This year, there's no denying that the Emmys themselves, as a show, were far better than the trainwreck that was last year. Gone was the unwatchable assemblage of reality TV personalities, and in was Neil Patrick Harris, who did a more-than-commendable job as MC. Harris kept the show flowing nicely, and got in some funny yet breezy jokes to boot. I also liked the short montages of key shows in different genres that preceded the major awards categories. Sure, they called attention to the fact that so many great shows got no actual nominations, but at the same time, it was a nice reminder of some of the gems that didn't make the cut for whatever reason.
Still, it was hard for me to get all that excited about the awards themselves. I've yet to really get into some of the critically-acclaimed shows like Mad Men or Braking Bad. At some point, I'lld definitely check 'em out, but as of now I had no real emotional investment in their awards-show chances. Plus, so many of my favorites were left off the nomination lists altogether. Fringe is one example. Eastbound & Down is another. Pushing Daisies only got a couple of token nominations. King of the Hill got no love for its final season. Late Night With Conan O'Brien inexplicably got left off the Best Variety list, despite a great final run before Conan moved to the Tonight Show gig. Flight of the Conchords I love, but it annoys me that it got niminated now, but not after its superior first season. Same goes for Family Guy - how it only now got nominated after several years of declining quality is beyond me. 24 had a merely decent season, and got only a couple of nominations. At the same time, it's funny to me how at any given time, a show like Prison Break coul produce an episode as exciting and action-packed as that week's 24, and yet 24 gets a pass from critics whereas Prison Break never got a shred of recognition for some of the great character actors that have pariticipated in the show. Both shows are over-the-top and campy action series. Why does one get recognized while the other doesn't? Who knows with the Emmys. If you look at the Emmy track record, the established, mainstream hits that appeal to an older voter pool with a very particular sensibility, do well year in and year out. Meanwhile, any shows that are a bit more fringe (like, um Fringe. Or Gilmore Girls. Or Veronica Mars.) tend to get left in the dark.
- Still, I was happy that Kristin Chenoweth of PUSHING DAISIES got a much-deserved award for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. I don't really think of PD as a comedy, but yeah, whatever works. The fact is, PD was unique show that will be remembered for a long time to come. The whole cast, from Lee Pace to Anna Friel to Chi McBride to Kristin, was awesome, and I was glad to see at least one of 'em get some love.
- Similarly, how can you not be happy for Michael Emerson to win for LOST? Emerson kicks ass as Ben Linus, and no matter how frustratingly vague the words from Ben's mouth may be, Emerson makes him continually fascinating. One of TV's best villains got well-deserved recognition.
- I am definitely happy that 30 ROCK won Best Comedy and that Alec Baldwin won Best Actor in a Comedy. BUT ... as much as I've been a huge 30 Rock fan, I think this should have been the year of Steve Carell and THE OFFICE. The Office, I think, was the stronger of the two shows this past season, and the whole Michael Scott Paper Company storyline was one of the show's best and funniest of all time. 30 Rock got a little too conventionally sitcom-y for my tastes in Season 3, whereas The Office had a (mostly) brilliant run, with several instant-classic episodes that dared to go to some very darkly funny places. And hey, I also do want to give a shout-out to FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS. I didn't think the music was as good in S2 as in S1, but man, the show still cracks me up more than almost any other. If anything though, I think it's crazy that the great Rhys Darby wasn't nominated for his brilliant portrayal of the Conchord's clueless manager, Murray.
- Easily the biggest WTF moment of this year's Emmys was Jon Cryer winning Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy. Um ... what? TWO AND A HALF MEN? Really?! Up against the likes of Jack McBrayer, Tracy Morgan, Neil Patrick Harris, and Rainn friggin' Wilson? That's just insane. Personally, I was rooting for Rainn. Like I said, The Office had a banner year, and Dwight Schrute was, as usual, responsible for many of the show's absolute funniest moments. But man, so much talent in this categogry and the award goes to Two and a Half Men? I am honestly stumped - if 30 Rock won best comedy, who were the voters who said "yeah, I love 30 Rock, but I've gotta go with that Cryer guy over anyone from that show."? Oy.
- And really, those were probably the only big prime time awards that I felt all that passionately about. Mad Men was an expected win for Best Drama. Lost had a great year, but not so great that I felt it 100% had to win. I'm a big Bryan Cranston fan, and even though I haven't really checked out Breaking Bad yet (I need to soon), I am always happy to see him win something after years of being unjustly ignored for his great work on Malcolm in the Middle. 24 is one of my all-time favorite shows, as any regular reader of my blog is well-aware, but I didn't feel like Cherry Jones did anything so memorable this year that she needed an Emmy. I think she's a great actress, and 24 is 24, but there's another one that kills me. It's crazy that Kiefer Sutherland, for example, never won Best Actor back in the early seasons of the show when he was at his best and most raw. I definitely can't argue with John Stewart cleaning up as usual. Especially in this past election year, The Daily Show was practically a national treasure.
- But yeah, the fact is, it's hard to take the Emmys 100% seriously. A great show is a great show, and nobody needs a panel of "experts" to tell them that. Sure, we all like the spectacle of the show, but ultimately the whole thing is a self-congratulatory love-fest. It's fun and frustrating to disect who won, who didn't, and why. But at the same time, I do so with the knowledge that these things are by no means authoritative.
Anyways, that's all for now ... tomorrow I make the long journey back to LA from Connecticut. But for now, I'm signing out from Bloomfield, wishing everyone a Shana Tovah. See you in LA.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment