Monday, May 10, 2010
8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Chuck, "Chuck Versus the Tooth"
I don't really want to get in the habit of writing recaps—a) because they take too long and b) because so many other sites already do them—but Monday's Chuck was just so great that I feel like I have to show you guys what you're missing. So if this didn't convince you to start watching, maybe the following will:
Previously, on Chuck: Ellie and Awesome go to Africa, where Awesome gets sick with something that looks like malaria but isn't, according to an evil Ring operative named Justin who's posing as a Doctor Without Borders. Sarah and Chuck move in together, and Chuck is so happy that it looks like the Cheshire Cat just vanished in front of his face leaving only its ridiculous, oversized grin. It's a little sad, actually. You just know that kind of bliss can't last.
Read the rest of the super-long, super-detailed recap after the jump, or just watch the episode on Hulu. The latter might actually be quicker (and will almost certainly be more entertaining). Spoiler alert, duh.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
About Last Night: Glee Goes "Bad"
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
9:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Glee, "Bad Reputation"
I used up most of my sentence-forming ability on this and this earlier tonight, so I'm going to recap last night's Glee, "Bad Reputation," via a short list of hits and misses. (Spoiler alert, obviously.)
Hit: Rachel's "Run, Joey, Run" music video
I'm sure some of you will question my judgment after reading this next part, but I think Rachel's story-song music video actually topped Sue Sylvester's pitch-perfect "Vogue" redo. It was just so hilariously cheesy and over-the-top—much like Rachel herself. Finn, Puck, and le Groff were genius as well, and I died a little when Sandy made a cameo as Rachel's gun-wielding father. Plus, the video set the stage for one of the episode's most important emotional moments—a confrontation between exes Rachel and Finn. (Not to mention that squeal-inducing Puckleberry scene. Swoon.)
Hit: Artie and Co.'s impromptu library performance of "U Can't Touch This"
I happen to have a soft spot for this song—in part because it reminds me of my little brother (right)—but that's not why I'm counting it as a hit. Artie and Co.'s ridiculous choreography, coupled with those billowing Hammer pants, was seriously cramazing. It also featured some of the glee club's most underused stars, so...win.
Hit: Brittany being Brittany
I keep meaning to make a list of the five best Brittany-isms, but it's impossible. There's a new "best" every week. Last night's was: "I had a cold, and I took all my antibiotics at the same time, and now...I can't remember how to leave."
Miss: Rachel's rendition of Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart"
This one kills me, readers. I really, really wanted to love it. "Total Eclipse of the Heart" is one of my all-time favorite "bad" songs (right up there with "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now"), and Lea Michele nailed the vocals. I liked the back and forth between Finn and le Groff, too. But something about the staging of this number just didn't work for me. I think maybe I've just been ruined forever by the literal video version (below). It's basically the best thing ever created. (Teaser: There are ninjas. And football players. And Fonzie clones. And references to Harry Potter and Lord of the Flies.)
Miss: Sue getting "Physical" for Olivia Newton-John
Jane Lynch is one of Glee's best assets. But I think the show sometimes relies too heavily on her for comic relief and runs the risk of nullifying her appeal altogether. It also occasionally overdoes the big-name guest-star thing. Newton-John's appearance on last night's episode felt at once random and contrived, which is no slight against the actress—I thought she was perfectly entertaining. I just didn't really get why she was there. Sue Sylvester doesn't need gimmicks—she is a gimmick. And I mean that in the best way possible.
Draw: Mr. Schue channeling Vanilla Ice on "Ice Ice Baby"
Look, I love Matthew Morrison and fully support him getting more opportunities to showcase his vast vocal stylings, but, honestly, I'm kind of over his repeated detours into hip-hop. "Ice Ice Baby" would have been a miss, but it was saved by the glee-club kids' dancing (way to go, Other Asian!) and by Artie's "Word to your mother" at the end. Let's put a rap (ha!) on Mr. Schue's rapping and give someone else (my brother, for instance) a shot at the crown.
9:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Glee, "Bad Reputation"
I used up most of my sentence-forming ability on this and this earlier tonight, so I'm going to recap last night's Glee, "Bad Reputation," via a short list of hits and misses. (Spoiler alert, obviously.)
Hit: Rachel's "Run, Joey, Run" music video
I'm sure some of you will question my judgment after reading this next part, but I think Rachel's story-song music video actually topped Sue Sylvester's pitch-perfect "Vogue" redo. It was just so hilariously cheesy and over-the-top—much like Rachel herself. Finn, Puck, and le Groff were genius as well, and I died a little when Sandy made a cameo as Rachel's gun-wielding father. Plus, the video set the stage for one of the episode's most important emotional moments—a confrontation between exes Rachel and Finn. (Not to mention that squeal-inducing Puckleberry scene. Swoon.)
Hit: Artie and Co.'s impromptu library performance of "U Can't Touch This"
Hit: Brittany being Brittany
I keep meaning to make a list of the five best Brittany-isms, but it's impossible. There's a new "best" every week. Last night's was: "I had a cold, and I took all my antibiotics at the same time, and now...I can't remember how to leave."
Miss: Rachel's rendition of Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart"
This one kills me, readers. I really, really wanted to love it. "Total Eclipse of the Heart" is one of my all-time favorite "bad" songs (right up there with "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now"), and Lea Michele nailed the vocals. I liked the back and forth between Finn and le Groff, too. But something about the staging of this number just didn't work for me. I think maybe I've just been ruined forever by the literal video version (below). It's basically the best thing ever created. (Teaser: There are ninjas. And football players. And Fonzie clones. And references to Harry Potter and Lord of the Flies.)
Miss: Sue getting "Physical" for Olivia Newton-John
Jane Lynch is one of Glee's best assets. But I think the show sometimes relies too heavily on her for comic relief and runs the risk of nullifying her appeal altogether. It also occasionally overdoes the big-name guest-star thing. Newton-John's appearance on last night's episode felt at once random and contrived, which is no slight against the actress—I thought she was perfectly entertaining. I just didn't really get why she was there. Sue Sylvester doesn't need gimmicks—she is a gimmick. And I mean that in the best way possible.
Draw: Mr. Schue channeling Vanilla Ice on "Ice Ice Baby"
Look, I love Matthew Morrison and fully support him getting more opportunities to showcase his vast vocal stylings, but, honestly, I'm kind of over his repeated detours into hip-hop. "Ice Ice Baby" would have been a miss, but it was saved by the glee-club kids' dancing (way to go, Other Asian!) and by Artie's "Word to your mother" at the end. Let's put a rap (ha!) on Mr. Schue's rapping and give someone else (my brother, for instance) a shot at the crown.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
About Last Night: Lost but Not Forgotten
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
9:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Lost, "The Candidate"
When the credits rolled on "The Candidate" last night, the first words out of my mouth—the only words out of my mouth—were: Did that just happen?
I mean, did it?
Sitting here, almost 24 hours later, I still can't quite wrap my head around what transpired on last night's episode. (Spoiler alert if you have yet to watch.) I knew going in that the stakes were high and getting higher—the much-hyped two-and-a-half-hour series finale airs in just a couple of short weeks—but I hadn't really considered what that meant until (seriously, spoiler alert) a makeshift bomb blew Sayid to pieces and flooded Widmore's sub, trapping Lost's most beloved duo, Jin and Sun, in a watery tomb—mere hours after their joyous reunion on the Island. I didn't expect the writers to let the twosome's happy occasion pass unspoiled—this is Lost, after all, not some J.Lo rom-com—but I had hoped that they'd at least allow us a grace period to revel in the lovers' recoupling before tearing the proverbial rug out from under us yet again. Crazy, I know. Suddenly I'm a romantic.
I get that Lost is just a show and Jin and Sun are just characters on that show, but my heart broke for them anyway. I even teared up a bit when Jin told Sun (in Korean) that he wasn't going to leave her—then or ever again. I mean, that's love, people. Stupid, irrational, against-all-odds love. It's not exactly great parenting though, is it? Did they forget they had a daughter? Who's going to care for her now that they're both 20,000 leagues under the sea? Is she going to stay with Sun's mother? Take her parents' place on the Island? There are SO MANY QUESTIONS. (Aaaand, I'm back.)
I think the part of the episode that really got to me last night was when Hurley and Jack broke down crying after making it back to shore and realizing they'd left three of their friends behind. Hurley's sobs upon hearing the news of their deaths were perhaps even more devastating than the deaths themselves. And Jack's face at the end, all twisted with grief and desperation, was like a punch in the gut after an already crippling fight. (Kudos to Jorge Garcia and Matthew Fox for their brilliant performances in that scene.) I can't even imagine what kind of emotional blows Team Darlton has in store for the May 23 finale. T-minus 18 days and counting.
9:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Lost, "The Candidate"
When the credits rolled on "The Candidate" last night, the first words out of my mouth—the only words out of my mouth—were: Did that just happen?
I mean, did it?
Sitting here, almost 24 hours later, I still can't quite wrap my head around what transpired on last night's episode. (Spoiler alert if you have yet to watch.) I knew going in that the stakes were high and getting higher—the much-hyped two-and-a-half-hour series finale airs in just a couple of short weeks—but I hadn't really considered what that meant until (seriously, spoiler alert) a makeshift bomb blew Sayid to pieces and flooded Widmore's sub, trapping Lost's most beloved duo, Jin and Sun, in a watery tomb—mere hours after their joyous reunion on the Island. I didn't expect the writers to let the twosome's happy occasion pass unspoiled—this is Lost, after all, not some J.Lo rom-com—but I had hoped that they'd at least allow us a grace period to revel in the lovers' recoupling before tearing the proverbial rug out from under us yet again. Crazy, I know. Suddenly I'm a romantic.
I get that Lost is just a show and Jin and Sun are just characters on that show, but my heart broke for them anyway. I even teared up a bit when Jin told Sun (in Korean) that he wasn't going to leave her—then or ever again. I mean, that's love, people. Stupid, irrational, against-all-odds love. It's not exactly great parenting though, is it? Did they forget they had a daughter? Who's going to care for her now that they're both 20,000 leagues under the sea? Is she going to stay with Sun's mother? Take her parents' place on the Island? There are SO MANY QUESTIONS. (Aaaand, I'm back.)
I think the part of the episode that really got to me last night was when Hurley and Jack broke down crying after making it back to shore and realizing they'd left three of their friends behind. Hurley's sobs upon hearing the news of their deaths were perhaps even more devastating than the deaths themselves. And Jack's face at the end, all twisted with grief and desperation, was like a punch in the gut after an already crippling fight. (Kudos to Jorge Garcia and Matthew Fox for their brilliant performances in that scene.) I can't even imagine what kind of emotional blows Team Darlton has in store for the May 23 finale. T-minus 18 days and counting.
About Last Night: No Fire Yet, but Maybe a Spark on 90210
(A little housekeeping note: This is the first of a couple of regular features I'll be implementing on the site over the coming days in an effort to increase the frequency of my posts. "About Last Night"—in which I'll briefly address the six or seven hours of TV I watched the previous evening—will appear a few times a week, barring any unforeseen circumstances, like a natural disaster or a shoe sale at Nine West or, more likely, a sudden, debilitating bout of laziness.)
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
90210, "Meet the Parent"
I was a big fan of the original Beverly Hills, 90210—I've seen every episode of every season multiple times—so I had high hopes for this reboot when it premiered back in 2008. The show had a rocky first year trying to find its footing, but it came back last fall younger, hotter, and just a little trashier—exactly the way a teen soap should be. Last night's episode wasn't especially scandalous, but it did set the scene for some potentially awesome trouble down the line. You can find detailed recaps elsewhere, so I'm just going to post a few thoughts I had while watching. (Consider this your spoiler alert.)
1) Is anyone else bored by Teddy and Silver together? I like them both as individuals, but they're far too stable as a couple. There was maybe a minute and a half last night in which Teddy considered taking his father's advice and giving up his relationship with Silver to focus on his burgeoning tennis career—also, what?—but then Jessica Stroup rode up on her little Vespa, and he couldn't wait 30 seconds to tell her he was in love with her. Yawn. Where's the drama, writers? I like my teen romance with a healthy dose of angst and inner conflict.
2) I think Adrianna might be my favorite character on the show, though I honestly couldn't tell you why. Maybe it's because Jessica Lowndes is just so ridiculously pretty? Or because she sings, and I...like music? I don't know. In any case, I'm excited to see where this whole Latin pop-star flirtation is going. Her duet with Javier last night didn't knock my socks off—it sounded vaguely like something you'd hear in a made-for-TV Disney movie—but that doesn't mean they don't have potential as a pair outside the studio. (As an aside, how great was Adrianna's rendition of Dolly Parton's "Jolene" a few weeks ago? I love Dolly's twangy original as much as the next girl, but Jessica Lowndes' melancholic acapella rendering made me listen to the song in a completely different way.)
3) Can someone—maybe a guy—tell me what Liam sees in Naomi? She's snobby, shallow, and beyond oblivious to anything that doesn't directly concern her. I don't necessarily want to see him with Annie in the long run, but anyone would be better than Naomi at this point. She's, like, not even a real person right now. I do love AnnaLynne McCord's camptastic theatrics, though. So appropriate.
4) The Powers That Be really need to put Rob Estes and Aunt Becky out of their misery. That failed-marriage subplot is a waste of screen time and talent. No one watches the CW for the grown-ups.
5) Jen is totally crazy. It's amazing. I can't wait to see what she does next. I hope—for the sake of the show, mostly, but also because Naomi is really getting on my nerves—that's it's something truly outrageous. There are only two episodes left this season—you better bring it, writers.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
90210, "Meet the Parent"
I was a big fan of the original Beverly Hills, 90210—I've seen every episode of every season multiple times—so I had high hopes for this reboot when it premiered back in 2008. The show had a rocky first year trying to find its footing, but it came back last fall younger, hotter, and just a little trashier—exactly the way a teen soap should be. Last night's episode wasn't especially scandalous, but it did set the scene for some potentially awesome trouble down the line. You can find detailed recaps elsewhere, so I'm just going to post a few thoughts I had while watching. (Consider this your spoiler alert.)
1) Is anyone else bored by Teddy and Silver together? I like them both as individuals, but they're far too stable as a couple. There was maybe a minute and a half last night in which Teddy considered taking his father's advice and giving up his relationship with Silver to focus on his burgeoning tennis career—also, what?—but then Jessica Stroup rode up on her little Vespa, and he couldn't wait 30 seconds to tell her he was in love with her. Yawn. Where's the drama, writers? I like my teen romance with a healthy dose of angst and inner conflict.
2) I think Adrianna might be my favorite character on the show, though I honestly couldn't tell you why. Maybe it's because Jessica Lowndes is just so ridiculously pretty? Or because she sings, and I...like music? I don't know. In any case, I'm excited to see where this whole Latin pop-star flirtation is going. Her duet with Javier last night didn't knock my socks off—it sounded vaguely like something you'd hear in a made-for-TV Disney movie—but that doesn't mean they don't have potential as a pair outside the studio. (As an aside, how great was Adrianna's rendition of Dolly Parton's "Jolene" a few weeks ago? I love Dolly's twangy original as much as the next girl, but Jessica Lowndes' melancholic acapella rendering made me listen to the song in a completely different way.)
3) Can someone—maybe a guy—tell me what Liam sees in Naomi? She's snobby, shallow, and beyond oblivious to anything that doesn't directly concern her. I don't necessarily want to see him with Annie in the long run, but anyone would be better than Naomi at this point. She's, like, not even a real person right now. I do love AnnaLynne McCord's camptastic theatrics, though. So appropriate.
4) The Powers That Be really need to put Rob Estes and Aunt Becky out of their misery. That failed-marriage subplot is a waste of screen time and talent. No one watches the CW for the grown-ups.
5) Jen is totally crazy. It's amazing. I can't wait to see what she does next. I hope—for the sake of the show, mostly, but also because Naomi is really getting on my nerves—that's it's something truly outrageous. There are only two episodes left this season—you better bring it, writers.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Parenthood: It's Not You, It's Me
My aunt, who is way cooler than I could ever even hope to be and whose witty, wonderful blog inspired me to start this half-baked experiment in writing, recently posted an entry on her site about her new favorite TV show, a show I've been meaning to cover myself, per her request (via the only comment on here that isn't from my mother). The series in question is Parenthood, a one-hour NBC drama based on the 1989 Ron Howard film of the same name. It stars Lauren Graham (a.k.a. Lorelai Gilmore) as a 30-something single mother who moves herself and her two kids back into her parents' house in Berkeley, Calif., to be closer to the rest of her family. Peter Krause plays Graham's older, oh-so-dependable brother; Erika Christensen co-stars as her younger, type-A attorney sister; Dax Shepherd is her immature but endearing little bro; and Craig T. Nelson and Bonnie Bedelia hold the brood together (just barely) as the patriarch and matriarch of the Braverman bunch. All four Braverman offspring have their own kids and their own family dramas, but the heart of the show—and it has plenty of heart—is in their collective struggle to do right by themselves, their children, and each other.
I put the series on my (imaginary) schedule the second I heard that Lauren Graham would be taking over for Maura Tierney (who, sadly, had to bow out due to health reasons). Graham, in my opinion, is one of the most watchable actresses on television today. And she's excellent as Sarah Braverman. The whole cast is pretty fantastic, actually. I like everyone in it, including Shepherd, who I previously knew only as "that dude from Punk'd who also appeared in a really awful movie with Jessica Simpson and is inexplicably engaged to Veronica Mars." He's sweet—even, dare I say, tender—as slacker-turned-doting-dad Crosby. Of course, it doesn't hurt that he's working with some truly great writing. The dialogue on the show is smart, warm, and believable. So why haven't I pledged my eternal, undying devotion yet?
It's complicated.
The way I feel about Parenthood is the way I felt about the last guy I dated. It's an old story: On paper, this guy was perfect. He was intelligent, sweet, cute, funny, charming, stable but not boring, attentive but not clingy—basically everything I thought I wanted. But for reasons I have yet to figure out—and maybe never will—I just wasn't that into him. I enjoyed our time together, but I didn't think about him when I wasn't with him, and when I was with him, I felt strangely removed from him, like whatever was happening between us had nothing to do with me.
Parenthood is the TV equivalent of that guy for me. It has all the makings of a great show—Lauren Graham! Peter Krause! That dude from Punk'd! A really cute love child! Great writing! Family dysfunction!—but the chemistry (yeah, chemistry*) just isn't there between us. I should love it—I want to love it—but right now, I mostly just like it as a friend. I often forget it even exists until it pops up on Hulu, and though I continue to watch it on my computer almost every week, I'm not really invested in it. I'm not, for lack of a better word, committed to it. And, I hate to sound like a tramp, but I could probably be tempted away from it pretty easily by a younger, hotter show with better clothes and a flashier reputation. (I like my TV like I like my men—with a pretty face and a little bit of mystery, à la Mad Men or Chuck.)
The problem, I think, is an all-too-common one in relationships: timing. I mean, for starters, there's the age difference. I'm not old enough to relate to Lauren Graham's character, but I'm too old to have anything in common with her teenage daughter. And while Peter Krause is certainly nice to look at, he's not exactly the tall, dark, and handsome stuff of fantasies—unless said fantasies involve a house in the suburbs and a regular spot in the carpool rotation. (Mine don't.) Despite what my poor health, crochety attitude, and feeble social calendar might imply, I'm only 25 years old—what I want at this point in my life is fun, excitement, freedom. I'm not looking to settle down now or (sorry, Dad) maybe ever. And that, I suppose, is the real issue. Parenthood is a great show. But it's not the kind of show you go to for a quick thrill or a brief fling. Parenthood is the show you take home to, well, your parents. It's about substance, not style; love, not lust. It demands a second glance, a deeper look. To steal an expression from one of my favorite guilty pleasures, it's a "someday" series. As in, "someday, when I'm older and wiser and all my friends have coupled up and my only companion is my 60-inch 3-D/HD flat-screen TV, I'm going to want a series like this to come home to." At that point, 20 or 40 years from now, Parenthood (the show, not the lifestyle) may very well be my perfect match. But at the moment, I'm just too emotionally barren to give it the kind of love it needs—nay, deserves. It's not the show, it's me. We want different things. And, you know, I really need to focus on my career right now. If it's meant to be, it'll happen eventually. And if not, there are plenty of other fish in the sea.
I do hope we can still be friends, though.
*Guys and Dolls, anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
I put the series on my (imaginary) schedule the second I heard that Lauren Graham would be taking over for Maura Tierney (who, sadly, had to bow out due to health reasons). Graham, in my opinion, is one of the most watchable actresses on television today. And she's excellent as Sarah Braverman. The whole cast is pretty fantastic, actually. I like everyone in it, including Shepherd, who I previously knew only as "that dude from Punk'd who also appeared in a really awful movie with Jessica Simpson and is inexplicably engaged to Veronica Mars." He's sweet—even, dare I say, tender—as slacker-turned-doting-dad Crosby. Of course, it doesn't hurt that he's working with some truly great writing. The dialogue on the show is smart, warm, and believable. So why haven't I pledged my eternal, undying devotion yet?
It's complicated.
The way I feel about Parenthood is the way I felt about the last guy I dated. It's an old story: On paper, this guy was perfect. He was intelligent, sweet, cute, funny, charming, stable but not boring, attentive but not clingy—basically everything I thought I wanted. But for reasons I have yet to figure out—and maybe never will—I just wasn't that into him. I enjoyed our time together, but I didn't think about him when I wasn't with him, and when I was with him, I felt strangely removed from him, like whatever was happening between us had nothing to do with me.
Parenthood is the TV equivalent of that guy for me. It has all the makings of a great show—Lauren Graham! Peter Krause! That dude from Punk'd! A really cute love child! Great writing! Family dysfunction!—but the chemistry (yeah, chemistry*) just isn't there between us. I should love it—I want to love it—but right now, I mostly just like it as a friend. I often forget it even exists until it pops up on Hulu, and though I continue to watch it on my computer almost every week, I'm not really invested in it. I'm not, for lack of a better word, committed to it. And, I hate to sound like a tramp, but I could probably be tempted away from it pretty easily by a younger, hotter show with better clothes and a flashier reputation. (I like my TV like I like my men—with a pretty face and a little bit of mystery, à la Mad Men or Chuck.)
The problem, I think, is an all-too-common one in relationships: timing. I mean, for starters, there's the age difference. I'm not old enough to relate to Lauren Graham's character, but I'm too old to have anything in common with her teenage daughter. And while Peter Krause is certainly nice to look at, he's not exactly the tall, dark, and handsome stuff of fantasies—unless said fantasies involve a house in the suburbs and a regular spot in the carpool rotation. (Mine don't.) Despite what my poor health, crochety attitude, and feeble social calendar might imply, I'm only 25 years old—what I want at this point in my life is fun, excitement, freedom. I'm not looking to settle down now or (sorry, Dad) maybe ever. And that, I suppose, is the real issue. Parenthood is a great show. But it's not the kind of show you go to for a quick thrill or a brief fling. Parenthood is the show you take home to, well, your parents. It's about substance, not style; love, not lust. It demands a second glance, a deeper look. To steal an expression from one of my favorite guilty pleasures, it's a "someday" series. As in, "someday, when I'm older and wiser and all my friends have coupled up and my only companion is my 60-inch 3-D/HD flat-screen TV, I'm going to want a series like this to come home to." At that point, 20 or 40 years from now, Parenthood (the show, not the lifestyle) may very well be my perfect match. But at the moment, I'm just too emotionally barren to give it the kind of love it needs—nay, deserves. It's not the show, it's me. We want different things. And, you know, I really need to focus on my career right now. If it's meant to be, it'll happen eventually. And if not, there are plenty of other fish in the sea.
I do hope we can still be friends, though.
*Guys and Dolls, anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
More Chuck Love
He sings, too? Le sigh. Zachary Levi, you may just be my undoing.
Katharine McPhee's duet with 'Chuck' star Zachary Levi: An EW exclusive stream
Update:
There's a video!
Katharine McPhee's duet with 'Chuck' star Zachary Levi: An EW exclusive stream
Update:
There's a video!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
