So it's been a really busy day and I wish I had more time to write about various things, but for now here's some TV reviews for your reading pleasure:
LOST:
To put it simply, last night's ep was one of the coolest the show's had in a long while. I really enjoyed it from start to finish, and I really respected the fact that the show strayed from its usual flashback formula and instead played around with the structure to tell the best story possible. Plus, Desmond is just a great character, who has one of the most interesting backstories on Lost. He's one of the few characters who legitimately feels like kind of a loose cannon, who is interesting precisely because even though we now know more of his backstory, he's still ahrd to get a read on. And, he says "brother" a lot, which is pretty awesome. Overall, I felt like this was just a very well-told, somewhat self-contained scifi story that combined elements of Slaughterhouse 5 and other unstuck-in-time tales with some great character stuff. Desmond brought that aforementioned element of unpredictability to the whole thing, and his final warning to Charlie was suitably ominous and fascinating. It was also nice to revisit the Whidmore family, as their connection to Dharma, and that still-mysterious cliffhanger ending to Season 2 involving Penelope is one of the show's most intriguing puzzles. This was a great departure from the last several weeks of Others-infused psycho-drama, and I loved the overall pacing of this ep as it sucked you in and enveloped you in its time-warping, mind-bending plotline. Sure, some of the elements were a little cliched - the old woman in the alternaverse was very Matrix-y, for one. But overall this was a bloody good episode of Lost, brother.
My Grade: A-
- VERONICA MARS had another episode that was top-quality as per usual, but still left me with some mixed feelings about the overly-soapy direction that the show has been headed in over the last few episodes. Still, you really can't fault this one for lack of good mysteries. Not only was there some major development in the Dean O'Dell murder case, but we got another murder mystery to boot with the offing of Wallace's basketball coach, which is an interesting potboiler in and of itself. Speaking of which, it was great to see Wallace back, even if his screentime was limited. Its true that in the new collegiate setting he doesn't serve as much of a purpose on the show, but he remains a welcomed player, a virtual Watson to Veronica's Sherlock Holmes. I admit that the cliffhanger ending here was a little underwhelming - how many times is Veronica going to tangle with the incompetent Sherrif Lamb? But still, this was an episode where even some of the more cliched elements were a lot of fun thanks to the strength of the actors and the characters they play. Case in point -- Logan being stuck playing big brother to a precocious pre-teen girl could have been a real drag, but Jason Dohring pulled it off and made it work. Even Dick Casablancas seems to be getting funnier and subtely more witty with each episode. Good stuff overall - but I wouldn't mind a little less soap and a little more Season 1-style sense of mystery and danger.
My Grade: A -
- Okay, you may have noticed my little Studio 60 rant the other day. Well, I realized something while watching this week's GILMORE GIRLS -- Studio 60 could learn a lesson or two from the way that Gilmore seamlessly blends humor, drama, character, politics, and pop culture into a smart and entertianing hour each week. This week was no exception, with some really great moments, especially from Paris who had me cracking up with her 21 resumes and obssessively adhered-to list of things to do before college graduation. But like I was saying, the show just effortlessly weaves beteween the comic and dramatic, and then somehow blends the two in surprisingly effective fashion. The funeral for Michel's dog was alternatively hilarious (gotta love Zach playing the accoustic Celine Dion), tragic, sad, and clever. I also really give this show credit for handling Lorelai and Chris' breakup so well - it could have come about in any number of contrived ways but I for one really felt like this was a natural evolution for the characters - it made the best out of what was, originally, a really off-putting and sudden turn of events, in the form of their marriage. But I really enjoyed this ep and would be surprised to find many fans who watched this one and still felt like the show was only a shadow of its former self. To me, this ep had a little of everything - humor, pathos, quirkiness, intelligence - that makes the show great.
My Grade: A
- Finally caught last week's OC in preparation for this week's penultimate episode. And even though it was still as cheesy and uneventful as most of this season's eps, I think it finally hit me that I will really miss this show when it's gone. Even though its quality has been up and down (and that's a huge understatement), it has gotten by on the strength of its characters, and man ... for the one second at the end there when I thought "oh god, what if Sandy Cohen dies?" I realized that this show, despite sucking for two years now, has some of my most beloved TV characters in Seth and Sandy Cohen - two upstanding Jewish guys (both hookin up with shiksas ...). I thought last week was a decent improvement from the last few eps, and I really do hope this show goes out on a high note.
My Grade: B
Quickly, I'd like to say Happy Birthday to one of my personal heroes, the great Matt Groening, creator and mastermind of The Simpsons. Without the Simpsons, I would never have wanted to work in television, never been interested in comedy, and never have developed the appreciation for comedy writing that I now have. The Simpsons is one of the true pieces of modern American pop art, and we have Mr. Groening to thank for that.
- Alright, I gotta jet. Hopefully soon I'll be able to write about a broader array of topics. CYA.
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