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.

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. Roswell, Dawson's Creek, Friends, Alias, Gilmore Girls, Charmed, BSG, 24, Lost 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

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!

"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):

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.

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 ...

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 ...