So let's get to it ... Monday night TV ...
First off, PRISON BREAK is ruling it right now. I realize some are turned off by the fact that this show has become so over-the-top, campy, and so not about escaping from prison. Well, as far as I'm concerned Prison Break, as of now, is THE must-see drama on network TV. Even the almighty 24 cannot compete in recent weeks with the fun and entertainment that new episodes of Prison Break have been bringing to the table.
Last night's ep was another classic of action-pulp. Michael's coded message to Sarah. Mahone being exposed on live TV as a murderer. Kellerman contemplating a double-cross. And the surprisingly awesome subplot that saw Fernando in a Mexican bordertown being helped by a kindly old widower. "Hope is for those not yet living in grace." Coolness. You could practically smell the sweat and grime in those Mexican scenes - very well shot to boot. And this episode owned even without an appearance by T-Bag.
No, this isn't masterpiece theater, but as of late there's no show on TV that entertains me more.
My Grade: A
Now, TWENTY 24 FOUR ...
Well, this was finally the week where all the nagging flaws in the season thus far kind of came to a head. Don't get me wrong, compared to most shows out there, this ep was still plenty exciting, action packed, and dramatic. But this was the tale of two 24's - the kickass, Jack Bauer-helmed 24, and everything else. Unfortunately, everything not involving Jack was pretty bad, for the most part. For the last few weeks, I've kind of been cautiously optimistic that 24 was going to avoid falling into some of the same traps that it has in previous seasons, but in this episode things really got bogged down with the same old, same old:
a.) Whack-a-Mole at CTU - why must there ALWAYS be a mole at CTU? And if there is one, I'd much rather it be a shocking surprise than something that's endlessly teased ad nauseum. Right now, it's just a lose-lose scenario. If Nadia, for example, isn't a mole, then so what? If she is, then so what?
b.) Drama in the White House - how many times does there have to be a shady White House underling intent on setting up a power play to gain control of the country? I thought this year they were simply going for a ying-yang dichotomy with a right-wing vs left-wing presidential advisor. Instead, we got yet another power-hungry guy forcing someone's resignation and sabotoging national policy for their own agenda. The whole Karen Hayes resignation thing was pretty lame, and very been there-done that.
c.) The internment camp subplot - I actually liked the idea of this subplot, until last night, when it was taken to absurd extremes for the sake of drama. How could they have let that guy get the crap kicked out of him when the whole place was swarming with guards / security? And could Regina King be any more grating?
- Now, aside from all that, 24 kicked all kinds of ass when it stuck to Jack Bauer, Graem (terrible spelling - it should be GRAHAM), and Daddy (and apparently giant?) Bauer. Now this was some good stuff, and I really look forward to Graem revealing exactly who he is to Jack (and to us). In light of this, I really hope the show drops all of these lame-ass subplots ASAP and refocuses on its main character - and the one storyline where the show is trying something new and moving forward in some exciting directions. I am still pretty optimistic that this was one of those "okay, we've painted ourselves into some corners with these lame subplots - let's hurry them up and move on" episodes. But man, I hope things pick up in the weeks to come.
And PS - shouldn't Kim Bauer at least get a mention?
My Grade: B
- By the way, I caught Mary Lynn Rajskub (aka Chloe on 24) on Leno last night, and after seeing her on a few talk show appearances she is quickly becoming one of my favorite comediennes. She is hilarious! Leno, as per usual when he chats with an attractive woman, was weirdly creepy and pervy, but Rajskub held her own, and her deadpan style of self-deprecating comedy is great! I mean, she upstaged Bill Cosby who was sitting right next to her (and in a prticularly loopy mood) with her hilairous comments. I'd love to see her stand-up act, the woman is comedic gold!
- Also, caught FOX's retooled Sunday night lineup. Some quick thoughts:
- THE SIMPSONS this week was, for the most part, depressingly bad. In another one of those ill-conceived "three characters tell three thematically-linked stories" episodes, we had the very loose theme of revenge, with spoofs on The Count of Monte Christo, Revenge of the Nerds, and Batman. The first two segments were just cringe-inducingly poor, with the third being only slightly better (saved somewhat by a few classic Grandpa lines about him having been an ace crime-fighter in his day). But man ... lame jokes, disjointed stories, amateurish writing ... even the voice actors barely seemed into it. The show can do much, much better, even at this stage of the game.
My Grade: D+
- Now, KING OF THE HILL, what'd I tell ya'? The show is STILL great. It's amazing. This episode wasn't jsut good, it was a classic Peggy Hill-centric tale. The premise was genius - big-booted Peggy finds a plus-size women's shoe store, which unbeknownst to her is actually a boutique for drag queens. Peggy meets a drag queen who mistakes her for one as well, and the two become fast friends, until Peggy realizes that her new best girlfriend is actually a man, and that the entire time her friend thought that she, also, was a man in women's clothing. I mean, that's good stuff, not to mention Hank Hill's hilarious obliviousness. This was the best episode of a primetime animated comedy in a long, long time. Long live King of the Hill.
My Grade: A
- Finally, FAMILY GUY was, for once, pretty decent. Not great or anything, but at least watchable. The standout scene was an amazingly animated cutaway that inserted Stewie into a vintage Gene Kelly Hollywood musical for a prolonged dance number. I mean, that is pretty freakin' hilarious - one of those "I can't believe this is going on as long as it is" gags that gets funnier the longerit plays. There were some funny bits with Adam West and Peter as well, though the Stewie-Brian roadtrip segments provided most of the episode's laughs. Again, not up there with clasic Family Guy, but easily one of the better episodes the show's had in a while.
My Grade: B+
- Watch VERONICA MARS tonight!
Peace out, I'm outtttta heeeeeeeere.
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