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Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Despite already having tickets to both the midnight release and a Sunday imax showing of the movie, I of course was not one to turn down the chance to go to the actual NYC premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (mad thanks to friend who won last minute passes on the radio).

Despite a couple of hours of drama and confusion under the heat and humidity (sorry chaotic but awesomely energetic crowds for ruining your camera shots), we finally managed to get our tickets and make our way into Avery Fisher Hall at the Lincoln Center.  The cast (Dan Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Tom Felton, Matthew Lewis and Alan Rickman) and the director/producer team (also that Steve Kloves guy yuck) came on stage and shared some lovely words (even a shout-out to Chris Columbus, which I thought was quite appropriate).

The the movie certainly did not disappoint and overall provided a satisfactory end to this amazing story.  It was also a great viewing experience - not only was the 3D extremely well done (I was skeptical to be honest) and beautiful, but the audience cheered, jeered and teared together like a family (albeit a large couple of thousand people sized family).

That being said, while the movie was the exhilarating emotional roller-coaster ride I knew it would be, it didn't really blow me away either.  Or, maybe I'm just unfairly blaming this movie for my sense of emptiness now that the movies are over, now that I know there would be no more HP movies to be made, now that this is truly the end of the Harry Potter era (and by proxy any shred of my younger days I've been trying to preserve) ...

**Edit** MUCH better upon second viewing.

A few thoughts below (YES THIS MEANS ****SPOILERS****):

- Pacing:  The film started out a bit slowly with scenes at the ironically serene shell cottage, creating a mood of false security which was fitting in setting a melancholic tone for the film.  The story gets going when the trio go to Gringotts and then just keeps building as they head off to Hogwarts (where the majority of the duration of the movie is spent) for the final battle.  Despite having thoroughly enjoyed each and every one of the scenes, most of which remain faithful to the book in at least spirit, I think they are somewhat disjointed (essentially a series of scenes where different characters take turns coming forward for their moment in the limelight - Prof. McGonagall and Molly Weasley kicked a$$!).  I can't help think there might be a director's cut out there that shows more transition moments and makes for much more seamless viewing, in the vein of the LOTR Extended Edition DVDs. **Edit** Flowed much better watching the second time ... strange, in a good way.  Still want an extended edition though!

- Neville:  Speaking of characters having their time in the sun - Neville in this film just ROCKED IT!  With that Kloves writer guy always giving Ron's everyone's good lines/moments to Hermione (love her to pieces don't get me wrong, but seriously - she's great as it is in the book, WITHOUT being at the expense of other characters!), I had a fleeting moment of horror when I thought she might actually steal Neville's hero moment ... alas, my fear was thankfully proven unnecessary!!!  In fact, I'd say Neville was better developed and even more lovable in this movie than in the book.

- R/Hr Kiss:  I'd be lying if I said I wasn't super looking forward to the Ron/Hermione kiss.  I had my doubts (I thought the way it happened in the book was just PERFECT!), but I must say, while it doesn't top the kiss in the book (how can you top perfection?), the way it happens does capture the sense of spontaneity and impulsiveness underlying the this moment.  Well done!  However, one downside is, although it is beautifully filmed (you can definitely sense the tension, but at the same time it's cute n sweet), the framing leaves a lot to the imagination (after all the wait I wanted to see MORE!).  I can only hope the DVD will feature this shot from some other angles ...

- Ginny:  One of the few things I'm quite annoyed about - seriously what felt like the only character that did not get a chance to shine.  The future-Mrs. Potter ... always marginalized (seriously did Bonnie Wright kill a puppy on set or something?).  She's not my favorite character by any means, but Ginny deserved a LOT better than what she got in the movies - probably one of my top 3 complaints about these films.

- Me Being Petty (kind of): I FINALLY figured out why I am bothered by the *imo forced* Harry/Hermione suspicious/creepy undertones in these films, as some would say, and it has NOTHING to do with my love for Ron/Hermione, since we know they are endgame and the couple that belongs together.  What seriously angers me about these "moments" given between Harry and Hermione is that it undercuts the relationship between Harry and Ron!  I realized this when, right before Harry leaves for the forest, Hermione gets teary and gives him a really long drawn-out hug, while Harry and Ron just share "a look" (does.not.cut.it!).  Harry totally loves Ron more - is it seriously too much to ask for a warm embrace between the two before one of them goes off to presumably his death!?!?  When was the last time the two hugged anyway? ever?  I reeeaaally wanted them to hug after Ron destroys the horcrux (or at least I wanted more of a moment between the two) - I loved their bromance in the books, and the movies completely ignores this (minus the ONE scene where Ron convinces Harry to stay in DH1) in favor of more Harry/Hermione bonding - this is probably my #1 complaint about these films.

- Snape: The entire sequence was done beautifully and tragically.  I wouldn't call it perfect b/c it leaves out a key turning event i.e. Snape's worst memory, but to say I almost forgive the film for that is a testament to how well it was presented.  If there is one place in the film to let the faucet run, this would be it (I for one most definitely did).  And yes, Alan Rickman was great.

Me Being Petty #2:  As tragic and sympathetic as Snape is, I think there was one scene that made Dumbledore look a bit harsh in favor of showing Snape's compassion and care for Harry (and did not undo this perception through explaining the motivations and thoughts of Dumbledore as fully as it could).

- Random:  Alberforth was wicked! I thought the best bit of acting in the film was a relatively short but crucial scene done by John Hurt as Mr. Ollivander (perfectly weak and weathered you can't help feel sad for him).  Helena Bonham Carter was also brilliant as Hermione.  Props to some great references to previous films, and I <3 Luna.

Farewell Potter!

I will miss you!  Gone but will not be forgotten : )

Monday, July 11, 2011

R.I.P Cancelled Shows Class of 2011


All My Children (ABC) - after forty-one seasons, it had a good run.  Looks like this will continue online, but I doubt it'll be the same despite what optimists claim.  Larger implication of the death of soap operas ...

Better With You (ABC) - actually found this show to be pretty funny - silly funny - but I don't need to think ALL the time.

Big Love (HBO) - sent off with a proper and satisfying ending in my opinion.

Brothers & Sisters (ABC) - had a good run - I love the Walkers, but they lost me over the years ...

Camelot (STZ) - checked out the first ep, didn't seen enough to stay (although Eva Green was fab).  Guess will have to stick with the far more kosher Merlin for my Arthurian tales.

The Cape (NBC) - two words: Wasted Potential.  Sad to see another Summer Glau show bite the dust, but save a few moments and an intriguing villain, this show just was NOT very good.

Chase (NBC) - eh.  Not a terrible show or anything, but my only reaction to this show was "hey look, it's fake!Dixie from All My Children running and tough!"

Entourage (HBO) - really?  Didn't actually know about this one ... ah I'm still going through the reruns anyway.

The Event (NBC) - I've given this show a good amount of coverage, not to mention unwarranted faith.  I can only say: too little, too late ...

Hannah Montana (DSNY) - guiltiest confession I will probably ever make on this blog - for the episode of the big reveal, I . actually . cried ...

Little People, Big World (TLC) - I've never seen this show, but I just loooove the name (it's so catchy yet heartfelt) ... and for that it deserves a shout-out - hope it had a good run.

Mad Love (CBS) - not the best, but Connie and Larry were great!

Mr. Sunshine (ABC) - saw this coming - oddly flat show, but sad for Chandler.

No Ordinary Family (ABC) - had a lot of potential in the beginning but fizzled out ... sad for the future of superheroe/scifi genre on television.

Off The Map (ABC) - the setting is sooo pretty in HD, and the show was picking up pace too.  Hard to be a mid-season replacement ... at least I learned coconut water can substitute for blood plasma.

One Life To Live (ABC) - soaps - dying dying gone ...

The Oprah Winfrey Show (SYN) - well, she's got her own network to play with now.

Outsourced (NBC) - really quite entertaining, in a ludicrous way.  Lost steam at the end, but I'm still sad it didn't get a chance to develop.

Skating With The Stars (ABC) - called it - skating is just not something you can pick up and make look good in a short amount of time!

Skins (MTV) - maybe if they didn't get a lead with such an annoying, smug face ...

Smallville (CW) - thanks for the great ride!  10 years - not too shabby for the boy who would be the man of steel.  Lois and Clark <3

Undercovers (NBC) - victim of starting out to slowly.  Show was JUST starting to have a JJ Abrams feel (i.e. overarching mystery/conspiracy) ... waste of Boris Kodjoe and his many languages.

V (ABC) - gutted.  It looked to be the beginning of apocalyptic gold ... Anna lives!

Wizards Of Waverly Place (DSNY) - it was SO GOOD the first two seasons (another guilty confession), best Disney show in a really long time.  Even season 3 and movie were good by Disney standards.  Now I just watch to see it through to the end ... not sure what happened ...

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Daily Musing: Dare I Hope? Josh Duhamel Returns to AMC!

Since seeing the news, and Google front-page no less, a few weeks ago that Josh Duhamel will reprise the role of the utterly charming Leo DuPres on All My Children briefly before it signs off ABC after 40+ years, I have been secretly (sadly, soap-watching is even less popular among my friends now than it was 10 years ago) nursing my rising hope that I might *just might* see a happy ending after all for my all time favorite soap couple, Greenlee and Leo (who else!?).

I'm sure this is not some kind of publicity stunt a la James Franco and his stint on General Hospital.  Transformers 3 did just fine in the dough-making department -- not as great as, or most likely because of, the craptastic TF2, which itself had benefited from the surprisingly decent TF1, but my bitterness in that department is a story for a different post.  Point is, JD probably just wanted to give something back to the show that helped him start his career - he did win a daytime emmy before moving on to babysit fight along-side Shia Labeouf ... major props.

However, while I'm ecstatic to see one of my favorites return to Pine Valley for one last go-around, there is a chance this cameo turns into every Greenleo fan's total nightmare ...

Last we saw of Leo, he was at least still alive, albeit on the verge of drowning and clinging to a skimpy branch in the midst of heavy currents (but hey at least in true soap fashion he had survived that fall from a waterfall that alone should've killed him).  Since then, after an unusually drawn-out mourning period (for soap operas of course), his soulmate and wife/"widow" Greenlee Smythe (played by Rebecca Budig) finally decided to move on to other men, most notably an on-and-off relationship with one Ryan Lavery who many AMC fans (or ex-fans) such as myself can only call toxic (in the interest of full disclosure, I must admit this relationship in particular, and the lack of interesting buildup/storylines in general, have kept me only marginally engaged with the show in recent years).  I do know, though, that very recently (oddly soon after the announcement that Leo would be back), Greenlee and Ryan ("Rylee") got married (again).

So, the game changing question would be: will Leo be back alive?  If my wish comes true and he is, then I have no doubt he WILL reunite with Greenlee, and they will ride off into the sunset.  This would imo be the smart move and end the show with a fan-pleaser, as Greenleo >>>>> Rylee. Despite a relatively short romance (JD was only on AMC from 1999-2002), Greenlee and Leo achieved "supercouple" status that is still inspiring loyal fan support to this day, yours truly included (they even have their own wikipedia entry as couple).  On the other end of the spectrum, despite being pushed as AMC's "true love" couple for almost the last decade, Rylee has inspired ... not much that I'm aware of other than vicious criticism from some of the most vocal fans of the show ... no couple wiki entry ...

Which brings us to the terrifying thought that, if he comes in the form of a dream or as a ghost, dream-Leo or ghost-Leo might appear just to give his blessings to the Rylee pairing.  I would be OUTRAGED if this happens - I would saying AMC would be dead to me if it won't already actually be dead (call me a skeptic on the whole webisodes business).  This potential development would be the ultimate slap-in-the-face to Greenlee/Leo fans, considering their relationship came about because Leo saved her from her crazy obsession with Ryan in the first place (or in other words she woke up to her crazy obsession because she realized her love for Leo) - they were a couple who were, in their words, flawed but fabulous.  Real!Leo would NOT approve of a Greenlee/Ryan union, of that I am sure, and AMC better not try to convince me of otherwise!  

Bottom-line: this appearance can end in two ways, with most fans satisfied, or forever tainting one of the most beautiful relationship there ever was on AMC ... your call, ABC/AMC writers - redeem yourselves!  

Edit: Alternate scenario I might be able to swallow is if Leo is a dream or ghost and is, as some suspect, back to help ease the tension between Greenlee and Leo's older bro David.  I would be still be highly disappointed, but at least I won't be heartbroken or completely murderous.  Actually, I hope that, no matter how he comes back, Leo will share a scene with David ... best brothers everrrr!

EDIT 2 (1/1/12):  Well should've known they would screw this up and leave the fans hanging.  Still, the "reunion" scene was enjoyable even if bittersweet.  The spark was still alive despite the decade-long hiatus for the couple.  I suspect this scene may have led to perhaps ultimately a happy ending for Greenlee/Leo had the Prospect Park deal not been on the horizon (there are rumors Josh Duhamel had filmed an additional scene that was not included, and the ending of AMC was retooled to be more open-ended due to the possibility to continue the series online).  Now that the PP deal fell through as well (totally called it!), we can only wonder what could've been ... farewell Greenleo, farewell All My Children!

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Daily Musing: Spotted in Glee


It had the tunes, it had the colors, it had (arguably) the most dynamic city in the country as backdrop, but the Glee season finale was still just ... okay - a somewhat fitting end to a season that fell into mediocrity. Major screw ups (I'll let slide little things like how they managed to afford the Intercontinental in Times Sq ...): the Broadway-obsessed Rachel not knowing Cats closed years ago (or that it's been superseded by Phantom as the longest running show?)? the club not coming to NYC prepared and had to write songs and choreograph performances on the fly? w-t-f! If that's really the case, they deserved to lose. Basically, not many redeeming qualities about this one (not even a featured Mike Chang dance - what!?) other than Santana's tirade (epic win!) AAAaand ...

the hilarity of seeing Harry Potter Daniel Radcliffe's gigantic super-smiley face in his "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" poster overpowering all the Times Square scenes (there were a lot).  Gotta say, it's pretty funny (though oddly uplifting) seeing it everyday on my way to work, but to see it in HD starring down at all the gleekids almost made the ep. worth the hype.  With the high billboard turnover rate in this area, props to the show for capturing this fantastic moment in time.

On the other hand, fingers crossed the show grows out of its sophomore slump (quality-wise, at least for the latter part of the season) before next season.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Daily Musing: No Event


No new "The Event" on this week?  I thought the point of a long hiatus was so there wouldn't be so many breaks.  Fairly sure this sinking ship will not be resurfacing past this season.  Pity it only just started getting more interesting (i.e. plot is actually advancing!) and, well, less atrocious.  The last couple of episodes have been especially intense, albeit still not free of moments that require extreme suspension of belief (biggest beef I have with the show, and I'm still not sure whether it's the director or the writers screwing up ... I'll just go with both).  I'm glad they're cutting Leila's airtime (and hence increasing my enjoyment of the show).  Sean and Vicky are much more entertaining together, though I'm secretly hoping Simon teams up with them (Simon/Vicky - think of all the pretty AND the badassness they could achieve together! plus Sean is such an amateur).

Last but certainly not least ... RIP Thomas.  I reeeally liked him (I awwed when he got baked ... though I don't understand why nobody got off the bus and at least tried to make a run for it ... or why the buses kept course for that matter).  In any case, loving the dark turn Sophia has taken ... avenge your son and do what's best for your people (and watch out for Blondie she looks like she could/will betray you!).  Hoping this season/series will end at least somewhat wrapped up ...

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Nikita's Back


So Nikita had signed off before the hiatus (after a couple of fantastic episodes) with a major game-changer - cue shot of Michael armed with a big gun giving Nikita an intense stare-down - on her turf no less - "ask me how I got here," he said ... aaand the show is finally back tonight to reveal the aftermath!  ***Spoilers***

After a trailer for next week's The Vampire Diaries ... we're off.  Looks like a flashback to a younger greener Nikita on an international mission.  Michael shows up to be her escort.  She of course needs help being zipped up (I think I'll let this one slide if the rest of the ep goes well) and is not at all subtle with the flirting.  How times have changed though: fast-forward to present day, Michael does not hesitate in blackmailing Nikita (threatening to reveal Alex as the mole) to infiltrate the Russian division to get a lead on Kasim, the man responsible for killing Michael's family.  He is pissed!  and she is v. sad b/c he is consciously putting her in danger (er, never mind he led teams to kill her time and again, apparently this time it's different.  oh and he blew out her computer and said "there was no us" ... hmm, on second thought, maybe that's the real source of the hurt).  Sweet Alex/Nikita exchange afterwards though - loved Alex being straight with Nikita, but unfortunately Nikita didn't tip her off that Michael knows about her (geez - communication people!).

After the break, we go back to the flashback (Lost style).  Mission accomplished, time to play - Division!Nikita totally wanted Michael ... cute.  He breaks off the hookup though, and tells her what happened with his family (and makes a point that she's the only one who knows other than Percy and Amanda ... as consolation for cutting short the romantic night she was clearly hoping for perhaps?).  Meanwhile in real time, Nikita makes a deal with the Russians and plots to find Kasim, runs into some complications, but then pulls out victorious as only she can.  Percy is unsympathetic towards Michael's need for revenge.

Fortunately, Nikita has now added Kasim to her bag of tricks and gives Michael a taste of his own medicine - blackmailing him for the location of Percy's black-boxes and identities of the guardians (I'd be shocked if she actually gets this at the end of the ep *Edit: word*).  They agree to an exchange, but Kasim is not the elusive big baddie for nothing ... he manages to summon a team of men who have no aim to come to his rescue.  He's able to do this because he is *drum rolls* a division agent!  Or used to be anyway, which means Percy indeed can be more evil than we thought and was actually the man behind the hit on Michael/family.  Scorned, Michael returns to SD-6 Division and pulls a Sydney Bristow on Percy.  Long story short, Nikita wanted Michael on her side - now he is (and more judging from that steamy end scene (about time!)).

As of the other half of the kickass female duo, Alex attempts to break up with Nathan (for his own good), but ends up ... not.  I am a bit thrown at how much Thad Luckinbill has aged since, well, like 1999 (ok so not so surprising), but I'm not complaining about the pseudo-JT/Colleen reunion.

To sum up, everyone got lucky tonight ; )  Next week, Owen returns for an epic showdown between tween crushes of yore (Shane West vs. Devon Sawa ... Landon Carter vs. Casper/Jr ... never thought I'd see the day) o_O!

Random Fact:  Shane West's now had on-screen hookups with two Nikitas (Maggie Q here and Peta Wilson in League of Extraordinary Gentlemen).

PS:  Finally got around to uploading my videos from the Nikita panel from New York Comic Con last year ... here's a prophetic moment:


PPS:  If this show doesn't get a second season, I am DONE with the CW.  I can always catch Dan and Blair (if there will even be any) on Youtube ...

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Daily Musing: Surprise Sighting on Merlin

Randomly flipping the channels and stopped and watched an episode of Merlin because I saw ...

Dudley from Harry Potter!!  Had to double check it was him, but definitely recognized right away.  Nice to see the young HP set branching out, and it was a decent enough job.  He finally gets to do some magic!  This slightly makes up for missing my favorite Dursleys scene in HP and the Deathly Hallows (i.e. the "I don't think you are a waste of space"). Maybe b/c Harry Melling looks like this now (though I hear the scene was actually filmed so hoping for DVD extra) ... in any case, now off to watch season 1 of the show on Netflix (so far so good!).

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Daily Musing: Modern Family 3-23-11


Not an obvious standout, but I loved tonight's Modern Family (not that I don't usually).  A few highlights really made it special:

-  Alex freaking out about dead birds to kick off the ep - totally uttered the same dialog to my friends every time news of a dead bird/fish event surfaces (too frequently these days).

-  Luke's friend who likes to melt stuff - not as odd as it sounds; my little brother once loved doing that too, as did his friends (no actual fires resulted though).

-  I have a soft spot for "Up" and old people bonding with children stories, so cliche as it may be, I digged the grouchy old person who's a sweetheart deep down and his being friends Luke (who I think is totally adorable) - awww ... he's the Mrs. McClusky of Modern Family : )

-  Montgomery Clift – a bit sad and ironic to have this shout-out on the day of Liz Taylor's passing (RIP another last remnant of old Hollywood).

-  Nathan Lane - awesomeness.

-  Cam's nanny cam - lol.

-  Vivaldi’s Four Seasons - cherry on top.

Monday, February 28, 2011

Daily Musing: Notes from an Oscar Party


Oscars 2011 marks the end of another year of film-making, with a stammering king, the facebook and dream invasions seeing the most gold.  "The King's Speech" took home the major awards (Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay), and Colin Firth added to the loot by winning best actor, as expected.  "Inception" captured most of the technical fields, nabbing statues for Sound (Editing and Mixing), Cinematography and Visual Effects, losing out on Art Direction to Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland", which also won for Costume Design.  "The Social Network" cashed in on Editing, Adapted Screenplay and Original Score.  The remaining acting categories gave other movies a chance in the spotlight, as Natalie Portman collected her shoo-in best actress victory for "The Black Swan", Christian Bale won best supporting actor and Melissa Leo best supporting actress, both for "The Fighter."

I was able to enjoy this year's awards at a viewing party where everyone made and compared their winning picks.  The competition became pretty heated as the show progressed and bragging rights were at stake ... cheating was alleged, lovely banter exchanged ... and while I didn't win (came closest though!), I had a great time.  Some thoughts/observations below:

*  EVERYONE was cheering for Colin Firth to win - collective sigh of relief when he finally did (and gold stars all around for getting that pick right!).  The guy has no enemies (or maybe we are still all just P&P fan-girls at heart).  Well-deserved, and the speech was so British.

*  I always knew Natalie Portman would eventually win an Oscar, but all the red carpet talk about her being the only choice to win made me secretly hope for an upset there ... happy for her though.  Maybe she'll break the best actress curse by not being married (does fiancée/baby-daddy count?) yet at the time of her win?  

*  Is there anyone Melissa Leo didn't thank in her speech?

*  Christian Bale's beard and head color-mismatch was distracting ... but is this the second Batman to win an Oscar (after George Clooney)? 

*  Honestly, I loved "The King's Speech", but how could a story essentially based on documented history be an "original" screenplay?

*  "The Wolfman" (which I hear is a terrible movie) eked out a win for best Makeup.  Still, nobody had the urge to see that one as, in the words of Cate Blanchett, "that's gross".

*  Seriously, I didn't expect Harry Potter to win anything, but it's still annoying to see "The Wolfman" win a little golden man while HP has nothing : (  As consolation, in what I thought was the most pleasantly shocking moment of the ceremony, I am treated to the hilarious auto-tune segment of Ron's "little ball of light" speech, followed by auto-tuning of "Toy Story 3" and "The Social Network", and concluding with RPattz/Edward singing "he doesn't own a shirt" to a shirtless Taylor Lautner/Jacob (I take back what I said about not finding anything relating to Twilight entertaining).

*  "Toy Story 3" won best anime feature.  Despite some thinking the film promotes hoarders of tomorrow, it marked the end of an era for those of us who grew up on this series - and/or for whom "Toy Story" was our first exposure to CGI animation.  With such sentimental support behind TS3, the visually brilliant, wonderfully cute and touching "How to Train Your Dragon" didn't stand a chance ... any other year perhaps (except last year ("Up"!)).  Sidenote: I just wish I saw "How to Train Your Dragon" in theaters in 3D - the trailers did the movie no justice whatsoever.

*  Most of my friends thought James Franco was high and behaving extremely oddly.  I must have been too biased by my love for the guy (even if his stint on "General Hospital" did not really do the show any favors ... soaps are such a dying breed, but that's a rant for a different time).  

*  Anne Hathaway's dresses were made of pure win or fail.  Too bad she ended the night with the most hideous one ... great singer though!

All in all, not the most memorable of academy awards, but a somewhat flat decent attempt at wrapping up an interesting year of movies - I got my one wish (Colin Firth winning), so I'm feeling generous : )

Saturday, February 26, 2011

TV Wrap Up: Nikita, V, Gossip Girl



Some powers unknown must have been making amends for Cupid's failure to shoot an arrow my way this year, because Valentines day led to a glorious week or so of television. Some highlights below.

Just when I thought "Nikita" couldn't top the epic win that was "Alexandra", which gives Michael and Nikita a chance to work together (and sort out some unresolved issues) and, more importantly, explores Alex's background and awakens her inner demons, the show now gave an awesome cliffhanger in this week's episode.  This one's sure to be a game changer.  It's interesting that the CW supposedly retooled this show to be more demographic-friendly (W18-34 is what the network caters to), because I actually feel like it's gotten darker!  I'm loving it though, so shhh, nobody tip off tptb!

Nice to see "V" holding steady in the ratings - is it too much to hope for a miracle renewal?  I still need to check out "Fringe", but until then this is the only Sci fi show that's keeping my interest these days - "No Ordinary Family" is fading fast despite early potential; to say "The Cape" is disappointing would be a major understatement; and the jury is still out on "The Event" (not holding my breath).  In recent episodes, we saw a sleeper V being skinned, the Fifth Column rebels join forces (sadly to a bloody end - drama and future implications galore though) and finally begin to piece together what the lizards in the sky are up to (with Erica becoming leader of the resistance), Chad Decker being of some use (or at least not as annoying), Ryan being gullible and making some bad (possible irredeemable) choices, priest-no-longer Jack finally growing a backbone, Lisa showing more defiance against her mother, Anna continuing to be deliciously villainous (props to Morena Baccarin for making me completely forget Inara!), and a new possible evil on the rise, Diane, the dethroned but obviously still scheming ex-Queen V.  The son Tyler still irks me to no end (and now we know he's not indispensable ...  if only Erica didn't love him so much), and chopping off his hair only made it worse.  On the other hand, there was a blatant spark between Erica and Hobbes in the last episode, which is a pleasant surprise.  I always called chemistry here, but this was an intentional signal for where the story's going - lots of meaty stuff to work with too, considering our resident tough guy is the V "asset" responsible for the bloody showdown that killed Erica's ex(but not really)-husband ... and all because of another woman [cue ominous music and sh*t hitting the fan when she finds out!].  I love Hobbes though, so he better stick around!  Also, more action and making good use of the now-widespread fifth column network would be much appreciated (though where are the actual Vs within this resistance??).

Finally, I am officially back on the Gossip Girl bandwagon, for the duration of the "Dair" (Dan and Blair) whatchamacallit anyway.  The two screwballs have been entertaining me since the show's return last month and are pretty much the only reason I tune in, other than to marvel at how Layla from One Life to Live (Raina) was able to nab a fairly significant role in primetime (though I must say Raina the character is way less annoying and actually admirably rational - brownie points for calling Chuck out on his antics and default "Imma-hurt-you-back" tendencies).  Back to the definitely/maybe new couple on the horizon ...  
I just love their witty banter, the brutal honesty of their snarky observations of each other, their movie dates non-dates (and apparently morning coffee runs to plan for more), and just the fact that they tend to balance each other out (Blair tends to have more of a conscience, and Dan tends to be the one who actually gets mischievous).  For someone who's been criticized as being too judgmental, D certainly tolerates and (perhaps?) even enjoys B's company despite always assuming she's plotting away - he expects it and just lets her antics slide (whoever said being on a pedestal was a good thing?).  They've also both been showing increased concern for the other (B telling off S for the way she was treating D, and in the V-day episode, D hand-squeezing/comforting B, who was once again disappointed by Chuck).The V-day episode culminates in cuteness overload, when the two have a "When Harry Met Sally" moment and end up watching "Rosemary's Baby" (and is also referenced in WHMS) together over the phone.  Not to be outdone, this week's episode has Blair admitting to needing Dan's help (after some prodding of course), and the two end up eating pizza and watching "The Philadelphia Story" in the same room, on same couch, in Brooklyn!  Oh, and she also falls asleep on his shoulder.  So charmed and hoping the writers keep building this up (though the show does go on hiatus after next week - boo).

Shout-out to Ted getting Zoe on "How I Met Your Mother" - even though it will "not end well", I am entertained by the process.  Checked out the two new comedies "Mad Love" (love the 2 friends who bicker constantly, and haven't seen Jason Biggs in a while ... so will give this a chance) and "Mr. Sunshine" (so randomly random ... would absolutely not be watching except I really love most of the actors on this show).  Also, it may be that time has erased some of the bland memories, but I am strangely excited for the return of "The Event" on March 7th.

Here's to more quality storytelling ahead.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Smallville: Marking the End of an Era


Smallville has just returned for the final stretch of its 10th and final season!  Yes, Smallville is STILL on the air ... if only I could get a nickel for every time I hear this question when the show is mentioned these days ...

If I had to choose in high school which one out of all the shows I watched would still be around 10 years down the road, Smallville (which I only saw off and on) would NOT have been my pick.  Yet, here it is, three academic degrees and the rise and fall of a whole lot of television favorites later, the sole survivor of a time when thirty was old (cue "Strawberry Wine" playing in the background).  [R.I.P. RoswellDawson's CreekFriends, Alias, Gilmore GirlsCharmed, BSG24Lost and all those in between.]

I may not have been the most steadfast fan of this series and will admit I've missed a couple of seasons entirely, but I am truly amazed by its perseverance.  Smallville 2011 edition is barely recognizable from the fresh-faced debutante it was in 2001.  It has survived departures of major characters (Petey, Johnathan Kent, Lex, Lana ... basically Clark and Chloe are the only regulars left of the original cast), the fall of a network (the WB frog is no more) AND a move to the graveyard (aka where-shows-go-to-die) Friday night time-slot.  Yet, I have never been more devoted to this show as I have been for the past two seasons ... maybe because I luuurve Lois (especially!) and Clark (or Clois to the shippers), or the addition of the Green Arrow, or the increased action and superhero alliance storylines.  Bottomline, I actually like the grown-up Smallville more!

On a network targeting Twilight tweeners, where attention spans tend to be challenged (see recent ratings for Gossip Girl, the ex-hottest-show-on-CW), this show's staying power is nothing short of remarkable.  Even on Fridays in its last season, it manages to attract a larger overall audience than most other CW shows (all but the Vampire Diaries maybe?).  Sure, the network is all about the 18-34 women demo (which, speaking as someone who still fits in this group, is alienating and does a disservice to the network should it ever want to expand its market share), but losing Smallville and its sizable (and likely more diverse) audience will no doubt hurt.

Anyway, now that the gang is back, I am hoping confident (power of positive thinking, right?) the writers will wrap up this show in a way that will do it justice, and go out with a bang.  Clark and Lois sticking it out, more superhero team efforts (preferably including lizard Visitor Supergirl (Laura Vandervoort), Clark finally flying,  and the return of Lex (Michael Rosenbaum) would be much appreciated!  I would like to see Lana back too, but only so Clark can go all "you out girl Lois is the one" on her =P

Monday, January 31, 2011

Daily Musing: Shout Out to Figure Skaters

The US Figure Skating Championships took place in Greensboro, NC over the weekend and aired (albeit with some lag time) courtesy of Universal Sports. I had previously been an every-four-years type of figure skating fan (i.e. I develop a crazy obsession for the duration of the Olympics and that's about it).  However, in doing my pre-Olympics diligence (I am very serious about the Olys and like to be an informed viewer  ) this time around, which I oddly started about a year earlier than usual, I actually bothered to figure out the intricacies of the regular competitive seasons for the sport and actually kept up with the grand prix competitions leading up to Vancouver.  That had been such a pleasure that I continued to follow along the various competitions this year (Russian nationals included!).  I even went through the trouble of learning the differences between all the jumps and such . Perhaps I can call myself a more legitimate fan now ... ?  [I will admit I tend to pay more attention to pairs, ice dance and ladies more than mens though, maybe b/c I'm annoyed with the lack of quad attempts and don't care much for any of the competitors (totally missing the age of Plushenko vs. Yagudin).]

Anyway, without further ado, congratulations to all the medalists!

Men:  Ryan Bradley (quads attempts! not so clean but at least he tried, and is usually good - thrilled he won), youngsters and surprise medalists Richard Dornbush and Ross Miner (what upsets!?);

Ladies:  Alissa Czisny, Rachael Flatt, and Mirai Nagasu (aww, so much potential - imo great shot at 2014 ... but I'm worried about this Sasha-Cohen-like tendency for bombing LPs);

Pairs:  Yankowskas/Coughlin (gorgeous and really drew me in with their programs - I haven't truly liked an US pairs team since ... ever [if I'm honest]), Evora/Ladwig (these two are fighters I will give them that - props!), and Denney/Barrett (cool lifts); [*side note* I'm pleasantly surprised I enjoyed the pairs competition as much as I did.  It's no Russian nationals, but the top teams for the most part really brought it!]

Ice Dance:  Davis/White (shocker!not flove them! My one wish for the world championships this year would be for them to win it), Shibutanis (bright future for this bro/sis team it looks like), and Chock/Zuerlein.

Excited for Worlds in March!

Sunday, January 30, 2011

"The Green Hornet" Review


If you are expecting Batman Begins, Spiderman or even Iron Man, don't.  If you are a fan of or do not mind Seth Rogen comedies, and are looking for a healthy dose of frivolous action, this film should do the trick.  I highly enjoyed this flick for what it is - a comedic slacker's guide to superhero-dom:

Step 1 - be filthy rich (here, having significant control of some form of the media is an added bonus);
Step 2 - have family dysfunction (in this case, daddy issues), then lose such parent, causing self-reflection and signaling a turn from previous hard-partying ways;
Step 3 - drink some crappy coffee and find a cappuccino-maker/innovative car mechanic/martial arts guru and recruit him as your "sidekick";
Step 4 - hire an eager-to-be-helpful assistant with criminology background to research your next moves as [fake-]criminal-trying-to-take-down-real-bad-guys;
Step 5 - have sidekick beat up criminals and build awesome superhero-mobiles decked out with spiffy gadgets to roam around town;
Step 6 - publicize own reputation through own newspaper;
Step 7 - persevere in final showdown with real baddies; and
Step 8 - come to terms with death of parent and looks to more superhero-ing ahead.

Overall, a silly fluffy ride.  Not a classic by any means, but many scenes were quite hilarious, and the action was surprisingly fresh.  The hornet-mobile, the Black Beauty, is amazing and almost always sometimes outshines the heroes, even if it still isn't quite the batmobile.  I'd probably get the DVD on sale at some point.

On a separate note, I have been a huge fan of Jay Chou's music (not so much the person) since his first album years ago, and though I have never been impressed with his acting (he was decent in Hornet though; I also don't think he's the best singer either, but a brilliant composer and musician nevertheless), it's nice to see him branch out to hollywood. Honestly, I like Seth Rogen, but I'm not sure I would have seen this movie in theaters if I was not curious about Jay Chou's performance.  It'll be interesting to see how the movie does in Asia, especially as it will be released over the Lunar New Year break (countering factor being bootlegs, of course).  A plug for some of my favorite JC songs from the past decade (a minuscule sampling - too many good ones to choose from):






Saturday, January 29, 2011

Daily Musing: New Shows for Winter


The Cape

Detective (David Lyons) is framed for being a prominent local villain called Chess by an apparently evil corporation taking over control of the city's security (police force, etc) ... looks to have died in an explosion while being apprehended ... but was in fact taken in by a group of circus freaks (literally) who supplement their income by committing armed robbery ... is trained by said circus freaks and comes into possession of a specially made cape ... and uses such new abilities and the near-magical super-stretchy-but-sturdy cape to create his superhero identity ... to spy (out of love of course) on his son and wife (Jennifer Ferrin - ex-Jennifer, As the World Turns [RIP]) and exact his revenge.

So far, the action has been interesting, and I am a fan of Summer Glau (Firefly/Serenity ftw!), aka Orville, the anti-evil-corporation-blogger/computer wiz turned accomplice to our hero.  The villain in the story (James Frain), the head of evil-corporation and also the real Chess, is a deliciously brilliant and ruthless psycho with a potential soft-spot for a missing daughter who may turn out to be not quite on his side.  Still, the show, which tries to insert some comic book styles, is not grabbing me as I hoped it would.  I don't feel attached to any of the characters yet, and the general plots have been somewhat bland.

Verdict:  jury's still out - will give it a few more episodes.

Off the Map

I'm conflicted.  On one hand, I reeally miss Lost, and seeing the gorgeous Hawaii tropical setting on this show (especially now that I have HD) provides a strange sort of satisfaction.  Otoh, this show is all over the place.  I like all the newbies at the clinic, especially Meryl Streep's daughter (but that may be because she was entertaining on The Good Wife and that I just found out she was MS' daughter ... Meryl Streep!) and the girl played by the actress who got unceremoniously replaced on Twilight not that that should be a big loss (maybe because her character is the only one that seems to actually speak Spanish).  I don't feel the love for any of the attending doctors though.  I did appreciate learning that coconut water can serve as a substitute for blood plasma (apparently not a myth - might come in useful someday), but some of the other situations are just way over-the-top.

Verdict: thisclose to giving up.

Fairly Legal

The main actress (Sarah Shahi) is gorgeous and has got loads of spunk.  And there's an ex-Battlestar Galactica actor (Michael Trucco) in the mix to boot - never a bad thing.  The relationships between the main character (Kate), her stepmother/sort-of-boss, her brother, and her ex-husband is dysfunctional yet oddly rootable.  Props to whoever thought of the Wizard of Oz ringtones complete with Oz caller ID pics (cute!).  The show does tend to preach "justice" a little too much though, and Kate is almost too smug and snarky for her own good.  The storylines so far have also struggled with trying to be heartstring-tugging/gritty-real vs. happy/sappy and never really fully succeeded on either end.

Verdict: won't go out of my way to watch but on my list of "keep on in the background" titles.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Daily Musing: New Year's Resolution

Every new year, I make ambitious resolutions that almost never come to fruition.  This year, I have a couple that are hopefully more compatible with my lazy couch potato nature - to update this blog on a fairly regular basis and to start reading again.  The second is a departure from the spirit of this blog but one that touches on an issue that has been bothering me (and as it turns out, many of my friends) for some time, so thought I'd share.

I used to be an avid reader in my adolescent days, but at some point, television and, even more so, the internet, managed to claim a greater and greater share of my free time.  Good thing my parents stood their ground and kept me reigned in with dial-up until I went off to college.  Now, when I'm not watching TV, or rather even as I'm watching TV, I am immersed in the world wide web and all that it has to offer.  The first thing I do when I get up in the morning is to check my email, the weather, etc.  Basically, when I am indoors, I am rarely not looking at some sort of a screen.  As a result, I find it hard to set aside such addictions and start reading a book.  Or, if I do manage to do so, I am often so distracted by the need to check email or facebook, or to google something the reading made me think of, to the point I fear I have now developed ADD.  I am not alone in this though, I suspect - see below for the new trend in family pastime ... the days of the family sitting around reading books and even watching television together just may be numbered ...
Nicole Bengiveno/The New York Times

But is NPR (and many others) right in questioning whether the Internet is making us stupid? Certainly navigating Wikipedia's bottomless information abyss can only serve to make us more knowledgeable world citizens?  Ironically, the same case had once been brought against televisions, which offers its own share of informational, educational programming, though now the blame has shifted to the newer and more encompassing technology (it's amazing how many people don't even have TVs anymore, relying their computers instead).  Not saying that reading online or watching documentaries can take place of intricately crafted language that will test the limits of your imagination, but seeing that many of us are now trying to rediscover the fun of reading, I am hopeful that, just as television did not destroy literacy after so many decades, the Internet will also be something we can better-adapt to and use in moderation alongside the more traditional activities ...

Saturday, January 22, 2011

V Returns


V is back!  Couldn't comment on this because DVR did not record the first episode despite the series being set to top priority.  ABC apparently is not showing this online or ondemand, and I had to watch this on someone else's DVR (translation: lots of coordinating and hoop jumping) ... what a way to make it difficult for people to follow the show!

The second season has been intriguing so far, and the annoying characters on the show, with the death of Val and the epiphany of Chad Decker, has dwindled down to just Tyler, the clueless son.  He may prove to be more interesting if he turns out to be a mutant of some sort though.  Father Jack is also too apologetic, stubborn, righteous and naive for my taste - hope he toughens up soon.

Within the first three episodes, despite losing the support of Joshua to amnesia (glad he's alive though!), the fifth column team managed to recruit a young doctor, uncover some shady V plots, save some lives, discover another anti-V network, take down an undercover V, and recruit a reformed Chad.  Up in the sky, Anna "reconnects" with her mother Diana, played by Jane Badler (the former V queen) and makes up her mind to eliminate the human "soul" (cue more V nastiness ahead).  Finally, Anna puts skin on hybrid baby and uses her as leverage to get Ryan to do her bidding - jury's still out on that one.  Oh, and red sky rained red (shocker), which turned out to be phosphorous injections to our world that would facilitate conditions for human/V breeding.  Yes, the lizards need to breed with us to ensure the survival of their species [but they don't want our souls *sniff*].  All in all, I say keep the show from cancellation action coming!

Silly Entertainment: Wipeout

I've been quite harsh toward reality television these days (and still won't be caught dead watching Jersey Shore), but Winter Wipeout has me literally lmao.

Maybe it's because of its similarity to an old favorite - the Japanese series "Ninja Warrior" (which is way better - more intense and the contestants actually train for the honor to compete).  The Wipeout commentary is campy and a weak attempt at mimicking Japanese shows of this kind (Extreme Elimination Challenge comes to mind), but people crashing and falling (in a controlled environment of course) is hilarious no matter the side chatter, and in fact tends to make the cheesy comments more entertaining than they really are.  The competitors are usually a loony loopy bunch (but with a lot of heart, maybe).  I especially enjoyed a recent episode with the guy who helped a woman avoid falling (upon her request), showing that chivalry isn't dead, not even in cut-throat game shows.  She beat him in that segment (right after and because he helped her!), but his good karma earned from being a gentleman helped him defeat her in the final round and nabbed him the grand prize.  I was totally rooting for this one - such poetic justice.

Sometimes we all need a dose of brainless fun, and watching people slip and fall IS most amusing (heck I even cracked up at myself when I slipped and fell the other day).  The show also does not take itself seriously - it knows it's corny and is making the best of it.  As such, I am cutting myself a break and making this show the one exception to my reality TV boycott.  Laughter is the best medicine after all ...

Friday, January 21, 2011

The King's Speech


Each year, I pick one or two "Oscar bait" films to watch in theaters and leave the rest for Netflix (hey, it's a tough economy - gotta skimp somewhere, and these movies just do not derive as much visual benefit from the big screen as the action/sci-fi/fantasy fares).  This year, considering its rave reviews and my eternal love for Colin Firth, the choice was obvious.

The King's Speech documents King George VI of Britain's ascension to the throne from his time as "merely" Albert, the Duke of York, through taking the audience along on his emotional journey to overcome his stutter, with the enduring support of his wife and the indispensable help of an unorthodox "doctor".  The plot itself is part history (including King Edward VIII's ascension and abdication), part standard feel-good drama (a mishap/hardship is presented at the beginning; the middle is filled with hard work, self-doubt and general emotional ups and downs that build up to ... the final hurdle, whereby the protagonist's preserverance pays off and he emerges triumphant).

This straight-forward and somewhat plain story, though, was able to deliver a powerful emotional punch, thanks to the superb cast.  Colin Firth gives a characteristically subtle (except for those fierce sporadic anger bursts) performance that sneaks up on you (I didn't realize how attached I'd become to the character until my tears started flowing out of pride as the King finished his Speech).  Geoffrey Rush captured the perfect balance of humor and gravitas in his portrayal of Lionel Logue, the man who helped the king find his voice, and the amazing Helena Bonham Carter played beautifully the woman I'd always known as the Queen Mum, successfully garnering sympathy for both her and her husband (I did not think "Bellatrix Lestrange" once during the movie, and I'd just seen HP7 twice!).

Speaking of Harry Potter (and here is the fan-girl section of this review), nice to see Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) as the critical, overbearing though somewhat prescient King George V and Peter Pettigrew (Timothy Spall) as Winston Churchill (though I must say, that was one character that fell a bit short for me - I did not even realize he was playing Churchill until the very end!).  Another nice surprise was seeing Mr. Colins from the 1995 "Pride and Prejudice" in a brief but funny cameo.  Finally, to end this post (and with the mention of P&P above, you know I'm a fan and that this is coming), WHOOHOO to Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth meeting again!!!  Colin Firth does indeed share a brief (but completely squee-worthy) scene with Jennifer Ehle, his once on- and off-screen love (she plays Geoffrey Rush's wife).  I was totally screaming inside - too bad out of all my P&P-loving friends, I went to see this with one who met my hushed but excited exclaimations with a big "huh?" and a look that said "stop bouncing in your seat" ...  ...no matter, that is what blogs are for : )

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Daily Musing: Gossip Girl


Haven't really watched this show in ages, but checked out the last couple of episodes before it went on hiatus - totally feeling the Dan/Blair dynamic.  I used to be a big Chuck/Blair fan, but clearly they did not keep my attention.  If the writers are looking to shake things up, I might just have to start catching this again ...

On a separate but somewhat related note, Taylor Momsen may be a bit crazy and immature, but girl's got a kickass voice and some awesome songs.

Oldie but Goodie: Desperate Housewives (plus a few notes on the abc roster)



It just occurred to me that out of the current shows I watch, Desperate Housewives is the longest running one for which I had loyally followed from the beginning.  Yes, remember that one glorious season when ABC launched its holy trinity (Lost-Desperate Housewives-Grey's Anatomy) which revived the alphabet network's status and shook up the preexisting hierarchy where CBS' procedurals, NBC's comedies and Fox's American Idol reigned supreme? (okay so maybe CBS's procedurals and American Idol still retain their crowns, but losing Friends and Frasier in the same season sure sent NBC on a nosedive from which it still has not fully, if at all, recovered)

In an age where society's average attention span is probably the shortest in history (guilty), it may be easy to draw a crowd with the flashy, but it's actually pretty darn difficult for a show (especially one that is not strictly episodic) to retain an audience year after year after year.  Major props to Desperate Housewives on accomplishing this feat!  Sure, its ratings are not what they used to be, but with all the alternative viewing options these days, what show's ratings are?  Relatively speaking, DHW still trumps most and is stubbornly holding off any signs of weakness.

Substantively, I have been quite satisfied with this season.  It's amazing looking back now to season 1 and realizing how much each character (and Susan's face) has changed, how far they've come (particularly Gaby - love her!).  Yet, the changes were gradual and organic - I'm buying it at least.  Shake up this season is the return of Paul Young (and if you saw last night's episode, you know his story ain't over yet).  I kind of feel bad for the guy (never liked Martha Huber much anyway), and I like his new wife (poor girl, all the twisted people in her life!) - hope they stick around the whole season and bring the theatrics.  In any case, Paul's return sort of brings the show back full circle for me, in a good way : )

I'm pretty meh about the other returners on the ABC lineup (except Modern Family):

-  Gave up on Grey's a couple of seasons ago (now I just get random updates from my mother which ends up confusing me more)

-  Never caught on to Private Practice even though I always loved Addison when she was at Seattle Grace (I think she had great chemistry with Taye Diggs thought)

-  Bristol Palin's turn on Dancing made me not even want to catch clips on Youtube (thankfully she didn't win - right? I can't be sure of anything anymore these days)

-  I'm more interested in the potential behind the scenes drama on Cougartown (i.e. what happened to Courtney Cox's marriage to the man-child?) than the actual show itself, but I wish it well because I want to see more of her friends visit

-  I still like Brothers & Sisters, but as my DVR is incapable of properly recording it (same with "V"! is this an abc thing?), I've been coping surprisingly well

-  High hopes for V, but more on that later ... once I figure out how to watch the season premiere ... (why are you not posting this online ABC?  WHY!?  *pooooosssttttt nowwww!*)

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Daily Musing: Skating with the Stars


As much as I am a fan of figure skating and was glad Rebecca Budig (love her as Greenlee on All My Children) rightfully won the Golden Skates, I'm not sure whether Skating with the Stars was such a good idea.  I do appreciate the experiment though (love Johnny Weir, Tanith Belbin and of course, Dick Button).  The difference between this and Dancing with the Stars?  It takes a lot more to make skating look good and exciting! (imho of course)  It's like playing the piano versus the violin.  Even though they are both instruments that require years to master, it's much easier to learn a presentable song on the piano (dancing) with no prior knowledge (at least each key corresponds with an exact note) than the same on the violin (skating) (it takes basics and practice just to play Mary Had a Little Lamb without screeching).  So as interesting as this show has been, I'd still rather enjoy my ice-capades performed by professionals.

The Sophomore Class: Glee, Good Wife, Parenthood, Modern Family


A few quick thoughts on some shows returning for a second outing …


Glee
:  picked up this show over the summer.  The second season is still fun and quirky, but is it just me, or is there a lot more (or more obvious) autotune this season than last?  Still, some highlights:  Charice (amazing, even more so judging from her acapella videos on Youtube so hoping for more in the future), Gwyneth Paltrow (fun character and surprisingly decent singer; loved her ep), Mike Chang and his abs amazing dance skillz, and last but not least, the Grill Cheesus.


The Good Wife:  the second season keeps the balance of drama and legal procedural and sees Alicia becoming even more independent through some solid stories (I especially liked the death row appeal one).  I also like the hints to Kalinda’s past (hope to see more there).  No ground-breaking television (season 1’s “Doubt” was probably the most standout of the series so far), but gripping entertainment nonetheless. 


Modern Family:  I still don’t think this is Arrested Development caliber, but it is very, very fresh and funny. The characters are eccentric but lovable, have great chemistry with one another and just are a perfect comedic fit.




Parenthood:  I like the Bravermans, so I like to be semi-up-to-date on what’s going on in fake-Berkeley, even though I may have the show playing in the background.  The dysfunction and sibling relationships are quite endearing and often amusing.  It’s just one of those shows that brings the warm and fuzzies.  Hope it doesn’t get cancelled!


New Shows Midseason Wrap-up: The Drama (The Event, No Ordinary Family)



The Event



Perhaps 24 and Lost should have used protection, because their "baby" is hard to care for ...

At the end of the fall season, I had 4 unwatched episodes of this show stored on my DVR.  I actually had to pep talk myself into finishing (something about following through and supporting the genre to hold off the infestation of reality mediocrity...).  I must say, once I get going with an episode, it’s hard not to keep watching (except when a certain blonde character appears and stares blankly through the screen), but then again, I wouldn't be able to look away from a train wreck either ... and I can’t say I miss the show now (except to lament huge potential wasted).

There are plenty characters that intrigue me – Sophia aka alien leader, Thomas aka Sophia's genius but weak (for now) son, Simon Lee aka hot alien CIA agent, basically all the “others”/aliens, Vicky the assassin with a soft spot for babies, creepy old guy pulling the strings to everything, Luke from Gilmore Girls (now confirmed alien and father to blondie), blondie’s sister … but they are not being developed fast enough, and I’m not really attached to any yet – clearly something this show did not copy (or copy successfully) from Lost.  My biggest problem with the show though, is the plot devices galore – there are too many ridiculous “how convenient” moments (okay when they hit you with it upon first viewing, but any reflection of the events (ha) after an episode just leaves me with a load of “wtfs”).  There also seems to be an inability to tie up loose ends, but I’m holding out hope this is intentional.  Again, the contrived plot may be easier to swallow if I actually cared about the characters, but since that is a big fail thus far … might I suggest killing off blondie aka new!Walt Leila to spice things up and free up time for us to discover more about the aliens? I suggest an intense confrontation with her alien father followed by a shocking demise (maybe at the hands of Vicky, she’s been itching to do this) – it’s win win - creating drama and revenge motives for certain characters while getting rid of dead weight [in the interest of full disclosure, I am indeed not a blonde].  Here’s to hoping the show returns revamped for the better (not sure how it could do worse, but you never know).

No Ordinary Family


I was really into this show in the beginning – the family is likeable, their new powers are cool, there’s an interesting villain looming in the background (closer than our heroes realize), there’s a quirky character (Katie) who often echoes what’s on my mind, there’s a good mixure of light-hearted moments and heart-warming ones … but recently my enthusiasm has been seeping for this show.  Why are these people (ironically the parents) so reckless with their powers with often little positive result to show for it? In the real world, the traffic or atm cams would have caught on to the dad’s random jumping a long time ago.  The show right now seems to be having an identity crisis between being a family drama and a superhero showdown, and it doesn’t seem to be moving forward on either end.  I believe it could do both, but it has to quit stalling!

New Shows Midseason Wrap-up: The Action (Nikita, Undercovers)

Nikita 
Maybe it’s because I got to see the cast at Comic Con (good times, still need to upload my videos), or that I, and every other girl in my age range, once harbored a crush on Devon Sawa back in the day and so it’s nice to see him make a badass comeback (ditto Landon Carter Shane West, though not as badass), or maybe it’s just because I love seeing women kicking butt, but Nikita has undoubtedly become my favorite new show of the season, and it just keeps on getting better (imo, and fingers crossed CW does not mess with it too much). The show doesn’t take itself TOO seriously and has no problems racking up the body count, but it does try to explore the various complicated relationships amongst its characters and the personal and moral dilemmas they face.

Maggie Q plays a fittingly cold and jaded ex-assassin – this is not Nikita as we’ve seen her before, but I don’t think she’s suppose to be, given her new history. I’ve never been too impressed with Maggie Q’s dramatic acting before, but I think she is doing a great job here as someone who's lost everything and is fixated on revenge (but with morale boundaries of course), and she even manages to sprinkle in some pretty funny/snarky moments every once in a while. We all know she can own the action scenes (checkout the midseason finale if you are not yet a believer). She also has great chemistry with Shane West’s Michael (team-Mikita!), and it’ll be interesting to see how their conflicted/hunter-prey relationship develops and to find out more about their sure-to-be-messy history. In the meantime, I’m all for the Nikita/Owen (Sawa) alliance to bring down Division. I’m not really keen on romance between these two, given the history, but I’d love if they could bond (and in Nikita’s case, forgive) and become great friends.

The central “couple” of the show to me though, is actually Nikita and Alex (Lyndsy Fonseca) – I just love their mentor-protégé and all-out girl power dynamic, and I don’t think I’d ever want this to change (probably the main reason of many that I just cannot in any way support a romantic Michael/Alex relationship). With all the betrayal that we’ve seen and that is sure to come on this show, I want to see Nikita/Alex be the one consistent and loyal pairing.

I think the show has a lot of material to delve into upon its return. I’d especially like to see some of the side characters more fleshed out. Xander Berkeley (Percy; loved him on 24!) makes a great villain, but I honestly didn’t think he was bad enough until he snapped a certain likeable genius’ neck in cold blood in one of the more recent episodes. In retrospect, I can appreciate his malevolence being revealed in this manner (after all, it was only after witnessing this that Alex realized how wicked he really is). I’m also curious how witnessing his somewhat-mentor getting offed in such a matter will affect Birkhoff (Aaron Stanford, Pyro from X-men) going forward. I still need more from Amanda to be as afraid of her as the show wants us to be (so far Melinda Clarke is doing all the work with very little support from the writing). Also wonder what Robbie (grown up Alfalfa from Little Rascals – shocking but true) is up to – hope he makes a comeback. Basically, cannot wait till the show is back. Looking forward to Alex being out and about and dealing with/moving on from Thom (so sad I really liked him, but Y&R fans – look out for JT/Colleen reunion!).

Suspension of Disbelief:  Division not having internal cameras … really?  Even some cheap ones from radioshack would have worked!


Undercovers
R.I.P. This was cute and not entirely believable, but enjoyable spy-fare nevertheless. Not exactly what one might expect of JJ Abrams, though the last few episodes alluded to a grander conspiracy and story-arc. Sadly the set-up took too long, and we will probably never figure out the payoff. Still, I had fun while it lasted, and I give mad props to Boris Kodjoe for all his language skills. All the main characters were charming and likeable (or just likeable in the case of Shaw). At least I didn’t let myself get too attached to this one ...

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Every once in a while, I'll catch Hawaii Five-O, which is apparently the highest rated new show this season (happy for Daniel Dae Kim aka Jin from Lost), and Chase. Solid, but I rarely get into procedural-type shows. On that note, wrapping up the post with this final thought: I really miss Lost ... : )