Human Target 201

This is a really fun show that I enjoy despite its unbelievable plot. I don't hold it against the show because its based on a comic book and doesn't take itself too seriously. Christopher Chance is our complicated and incredibly gifted hero, trying desperately to redeem himself for his seedy past. Along with the help of a retired police detective in Laverne Winston and a badass combination of nerd and cold-blooded killer in Chance's past associate Guerrero, Chance runs a private security firm specializing in high-risk cases. Actor Mark Valley makes an excellent choice for the role of Chance with a gnarled but still debonair sense about him and his impressive acting range.

This week's episode, the series premier, made quick work of tying up its loose ends from the season finale and moved to the more pressing issue of resetting the stage for season two. Judging from the hurried efforts to end its culminative progression from last season and turn back the plot clock, I get the distinct sense that those behind the show did not expect to be renewed for a second season. I certainly am glad that its back though. Another fun episode in line with its predecessors.

Episode Rating:
6 (Above average TV)

Episode's Best Line:
"I'm not very bright." - Christopher Chance

South Park 1414

Episode 14 - Créme Fraiche

Wow. Dirtiest episode of the season by far. Medical Fried Chicken was one thing, but this is something entirely different.


Créme Fraiche focuses on Randy Marsh and his erotic obsession with the Food Network. Beginning with with a hilarious parody on porn, I found Randy's actions reminiscent of certain scenes from Over Logging (s12e06).

Fed up with having to fix Randy's mess (both in the metaphoric and figurative sense), Sharon leaves the house and acquaints herself with the "Shake Weight" - the newest "as seen on TV" workout gimmick. Shaking a dumbbell shaped weight, the Shake Weight gives the user a very literal practice for a certain explicit act. And the voice controls make for a flattering Stephen Hawking.

A familiar remark is heard at South Park Elementary - "Hello there children!" "How's it going?"
Is this a return of the beloved Chef ? No - it's Randy, who has turned from geologist to school chef to continue his love of cooking (Remember, Chef died in The Return of Chef - s10e01).

Culminating in the ultimate culinary battle royale - "Hells Kitchen Nightmares Iron Top Chef Cafeteria Throwdown Ultimate Cookoff Challenge" - and with appearances from Bobby Flay, Gordon Ramsey (Or, Eric Cartman), Jamie Oliver, and Paula Deen, the Shake Weight saves Randy and Sharon's marriage...

Special shout-out to the spoofs on the progressive and corona beer commercials.


Episode Rating:
5 (Average TV)

Episode's Best Line:
"I know, because I don't know that! That's what I'm saying!" - Randy (After Sharon blocks the Food Netork with parental controls)

Modern Family 208

This is one of the few comedies on TV that are consistently good. A cross-sectional trip through modern American multiculturalism, this show follows the story of one very diverse and quirky family. Well, its really three interrelated families. You have the patriarch Jay Pritchett and his much younger beautiful Columbian wife Gloria, as well as her child and Jay's adopted son Manny. Jay has two children from his first marriage, Mitchell and Claire. Mitchell is gay and in a committed relationship with his longtime partner Cameron with whom he has adopted a Vietnamese baby named Lilly. Claire belongs to the most traditional and perhaps most comical family of the bunch. The show tends to focus most on this family, with Claire being married to husband Phil Dunphy, and the two of them raising three children in Haley, Alex, and Luke.

I'm not sure exactly what I like about the show because they do some of the same things that annoy me in other shows but when they do them I absolutely love it. They have their go-to shtick and running jokes and I'm a sucker for it all. It may well be that the appeal lies in the acting, which is truly spectacular. They manage to sell me on their characters and antics, and they make it all very believable - even in its elaborate embellishments. This week's episode revolved around Manny's (my favorite character) birthday and his unsettling epiphany that he was born an old soul. Each family and character is made at first to attempt 'repair' of their eccentric personalities and ultimately to come to grips with them through their family roles. In the end, many laughs were had in watching this truly American tale of introspection, evolution, and family.

Episode Rating:
6 (Above average quality TV)

Episode's Best Line:
"Well I've forgotten a lot of things in my life, but what Jay said hit me pretty hard... I'd forgotten to have a childhood." - Manny

Law and Order: SVU 1209

A good episode of SVU. It always is. This week's episode has the unplaceable feel of earlier seasons. Naive youth, sly scum-bags, police-DA tensions, and controversial new tech combine to create formidable and thought-provoking entertainment.

Stabler and Benson run security at a student rally educating woman to prevent rape when the gathering is upended, ironically, by one student's raucous allegations of rape. The detectives detain the suspect and launch an investigation that exposes both the university's gross negligence, and the slipperiness of the suspect. Dodgy police work and judicial misgivings derail the state's case. When the picture clears to show conviction seems beyond reach, the investigation is forced to take on another insidious angle in hopes of justice. The chase was fun, the story unsettling, and the methods both disturbing and enchanting. Once again, Stabler and Benson deliver.

Episode Rating:
7 (Lower end quality TV)

Episode's Best Line:
"Well that doesn't mean its true. Whoever rants the loudest on the internet wins." - Detective Munch

NCIS 808

Another week and another good episode of NCIS. Continuing with the theme of the paternal interference in Gibbs' team, this week's episode centered around Ziva and her estranged father, Director of the Israeli Mossad, Eli David. Eli is coming stateside for a meeting with top US intelligence brass and has to contend with a clandestine Palestinian hit squad hunting him. Despite Eli's preference to keep his security arrangements within the elite unit of Israeli agents sent in advance of his arrival, Gibbs is tasked with his protection.

 Ziva is forced to confront the man who she feels abandoned her and always coldly put country above kin. In a brief but loaded encounter, Eli explains that he believes Ziva abandoned him, that he has always been open to and hoping for a reconciliation, and that he is the greatest victim of his heavy national responsibilities. Ziva responds with a suppressed tear and continues about her mission. Like father like daughter indeed. The episode ends on a cliffhanger  with Director David AWOL and presumably in great peril.

I think what I liked most about this episode was the evenhanded portrayal of the two sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel was not portrayed as a war-torn desert battlefield but a modern, first world  country. The Israeli's are portrayed as jaded, prickly, and consumed by self-preservationism, but not cruel. An inspired speech on the national struggles and oppression of the Palestinian people is delivered by one of the apprehended Palestinian agents to round out the perspective presented. Both sides were human, both bore both noble and cynical motives, and the situation at large was seen as complex. All told, another fun and engaging NCIS experience.

Episode Rating:
6 (Above average quality TV)

Episode's Best Line:
"No. Of course we are sleeping together. Its just nothing serious." - Mossad agent Malachi Ben-Gidon

Lie To Me 306

A pretty good episode. Lightman is still a deadpan character, Tim Roth is still a supremely limited actor, and the producers still seems to lack direction, but a pretty good episode. For all of this show's character deficiency, it finally scored a victory with John Stafford, the self-help guru and cult leader who is this week's villain. At times I found myself wishing I was watching a show that cast him in the lead. Otherwise a pretty standard episode. Leaving Loker and Torres dramatically under-attended and wasting time on Lightman's overexposed, uninteresting life. No great pain or pleasure.

Episode Rating:

4 (Acceptably mediocre)

Episode's Best Line:

"The goal is transcendence. Believe and be free." - John Stafford

House 707

Not a bad episode. Not a great episode either but it even had moments that were reminiscent of vintage House. I extend props to the show for mixing up its introductory scene. The show went to the effort of depicting a scene in history that contributed to House's current medical conundrum. I wasn't particularly enamored with the revamped opening but I certainly appreciate the thought. Deviating from well-worn formulae is normally a good thing in the entertainment industry. The road less traveled and all that jazz. 

The episode again lacked any philosophical thread tying all the elements together. It also had the gall to involve Wilson without any Wilson-House banter. On the positive side I like what they're doing with the new female doctor on House's team. She's the Yin to his Yang. Overall, the episode was average. Season average, not series average. Its good to see that the will for improvement through change is there though.

Episode Rating:

5 (Average TV)

Episode's Best Line:

"Yeah. That was true. When you were dying." - Cuddy (To House, on context redefining matters) 

Chuck 408

This is one of the few shows that I actually look forward to. Its fun and its quick and it doesn't take itself too seriously. Its kind of like a lighter, more comical, and more James Bondish Burn Notice. And like the Bond films, there's never a shortage of eye candy. Me likes candy. The episode plots are pretty trite but its overarching series plot flirts with creativity.

Chronically underachieving genius Chuck Bartowski gets a surprise and confusing email from his college friend turned nemesis (long story) Bryce Larkin (a CIA agent in peril). Upon viewing the video content of the email, Chuck is bombarded with seemingly random imagery that induces a trance-like effect. When Chuck comes to, his regular life turns into a wild adventure wherein he discovers that a massive government intelligence database has been visually implanted in his very unique mind, and he is now a closely monitored CIA asset. In charge of the monitoring is blond bombshell CIA agent Sara Walker. Chuck immediately forms a schoolboy crush on the beautiful Ms. Walker that, under the cover of a romantic relationship, grows into love. The emotionally detached and ever cautious Agent Walker cannot help but develop her own fondness for Chuck and eventually yields to his romantic overtures. The two begin a relationship and Chuck utilizes the veritable supercomputer (The Intersect) lodged in his brain to become a full-fledged CIA agent. Crime fighting, life balancing, super spying absurdity ensues.

This week's episode was par for the course. With The Intersect suppressed in his mind, Chuck and the team are benched. Insecure with his Intersectless inadequacies as a secret agent, Chuck submits to extreme measures to try and pull The Intersect back into his accessible consciousness. What stuck out most in my mind from this episode though was the embarrassingly shitty special effects on display. Come on NBC, there's no excuse for such bush-league production. Seriously. It unfairly detracted from an otherwise good show.

Episode Rating:
5 (Average TV)

Episode's Best Line:
"My life would be a never ending cyalis commercial if I had her." - Jeff

The Next Iron Chef 307

I like this show. I am an admitted Food Network junkie but I particularly like this show. Seduction was the theme of the episode. A little strange, yes, but free and playful enough to showcase the chefs' creativity and  edginess. At this point in the competition none of the chefs are lacking for confidence. Its not just in their cooking either, the contestant seems to fall in love with every decision they make. Perhaps cockiness is the more appropriate word, and by the looks of it none of the chefs realized that the inevitable elimination put all of them in statistically uncomfortable territory. Two people are to be eliminated this week to put the competition back on track after last week's unexpected clemency. 

Ultimately tough competition sent Chef Tio home and a botched lardo spelled doom for Chef Tsai. It was sad to see Chef Tsai go, but I still have one horse in this race in Chef Forgione. I expect Chef Forgione to win and emerge the next Iron Chef if for no other reason then from a production perspective, Chef Canora is just too similar to already Iron Chef Mario Batali. Fortunately, I won't have to wait too long to find out.

Episode Rating:

5 (Average quality TV)

Episode's Best Line:

"Chef Canora, you may have just spelled your own doom. Enjoy that." - Alton Brown (A snide SOB) 

Dexter 508

This week's episode of Dexter was great. It picked up right where it left off last week in its examination of primal humanity, only this time it stretched the theme to even more characters.

Jordan Chase is brought back into focus as a charismatic and oddly appealing philistine. He promotes a reawakening of, and return to, the primal self - not as an homage to the noble savage of Rousseau, but as an embrace of some much more nebulous savage.

The viewer is again reminded of LaGuerta's cut-throat instincts and her self-serving absolutism. Simply put, Laguerta is a bad person, perhaps the corporate version of Dexter... only she doesn't submit to any code of moral calculous, just self-interests.

Deb struggles equally in coming to terms with her own rigidly puritan sense of right and wrong and everyone else's grayer moral perspectives. I think the writers are setting the stage for Deb to discover Dexter's dark passenger. I also am reminded of the fact that Deb only has two gears: bulldog and whiny bitch.

Meanwhile, Dexter is forced to recount his psychological reaction to Rita's death, where he and the viewer share the quickly forgotten realization that he is human. (All Too Human?)

And Lumen sees Dexter for the first time not as the Dark Defender but as the Bay Harbor Butcher... and seems to accept accept him.

Aside from being an excellent episode, it lays the groundwork for even more and better to come. Thoroughly enjoyed.

Episode Rating:
8 (Quality TV)

Episode's Best Line:
"I've never been around so many people that made me feel normal." - Dexter (Internal monologue)

Family Guy 905

This week's episode was not very good. It was short on good jokes and classic Family Guy flashbacks. There was also the inexcusable and ill-fated neglect of all characters not named Peter or Louis. Most upsetting however was that the episode was pretty much a boxing redo of a season three karate episode. Of course the writers did take some measures to protect themselves from claims of self plagiarism: This time when Lois discovers her punishing prowess she doesn't lose herself to narcissistic vainglory. Very original Mr. MacFarlane, very original indeed. Sad times are upon us when the whacky world of Family Guy approaches its asymptotic limits of creativity.

Episode Rating:
3 (Bad TV)

Episode's Best Line:
"Coming up next, a boxing match where the fighters are bleeding before the fight!" - Tom Tucker

How I Met Your Mother 609

Episode 9 - Glitter


Another episode of How I Met Your Mother ... another twenty minutes of my life flushed down the drain. How this show has gotten to a sixth season is beyond me.

This week's episode centers around friendship and BFF's. Robin is annoyed by Lilly "reading what to expect, when you're expecting to expect". Barney finds a video of 'Space Teens' ("Solving crimes in space using math") - i.e. teenage Robin, or shall we call her Robin Sparkles?
Ted hooks up with an old BFF - Punchy, and Robin gets closure with her BFF - Jessica Glitter.


What I liked:

• Bringing back poetic Ted ("When Glitter's womb a fruit did bear ... to hell with this, I'm outta hare"). Reminiscent of the shows better days (The Sexless Inkeeper, anyone?).
  

What I didn't like:

• Pretty much everything else. Especially story-lines like this. Super lame.
  

Ideas for the show to rebound:

• Perhaps an increased role for Bob Saget? Voice-overs alone are far from enough ...
• Some kind of major plot twist (and actually going through with it) - Lilly and Marshall separating; Ted actually finding a serious girlfriend; Barney getting a new job. Anything. But something!
• Getting rid of Lilly - never was a fan of that character. Super annoying and rarely funny.
  

Episode Rating:
3 (Bad TV) - Seriously, why do I still watch this show? For the occasional chuckle?

Episode's Best Line:
"Two Dudes watching a kids show might be worse." - Barney (on how Space Teens must be porn)

Boardwalk Empire 109

Episode 9 - Belle Femme


In an episode centered on allegiances, this weeks' episode solidifies Nucky's place as a self-centered, yet amazing, political beast.

There are two main story-lines in "Belle Femme":

1. The turf war between Nucky and the D'Alissio gang.
   
2. The pursuit for political sway in the election campaign.

In terms of the the turf war:

• Jimmy returns to Atlantic City and reunites with Nucky. Tension is high with his wife, Angela, and their relationship is definitely icy (Don't worry, they still make room for "bedtime"). He tries to catch Lucky Luciano, right-hand-man to Arnold Rothstein, and tied to the D'Alissio brothers for the hit on Elie, but winds up being caught by Nelson, and is sent to jail.
• Nelson's assistant, Agent Sebso, show his allegiance by "taking out" the main witness against Jimmy - Billy Winslow. Nelson's gonna be steaming, to say the least.
  
• Arnold Rothstein forms an allegiance with the D'Alissio gang, to import whiskey from England, and to join the fight against Nucky.
• The show ends with a failed attempt on Nucky by the D'Alissio brothers.

In terms of the political campaign:

• The two main issues that bother Nucky on the upcoming elections are the candidacy for Mayor and Sheriff. The Democratic reformist candidate, Derwood Fletcher, leads the polls. In response, Nucky makes a deal with Edward Baydor to replace the current Mayor Backrack. The old commodore even suggests that Nucky replace his brother as sheriff, as per his widely publicized corruption.
  
• Nucky and Margaret make a deal - he helps her save the dress shop of Madame Jeunet, and she'll help him get the female vote with her strong ties to the Women's Temperance League.
  

What I liked:

• Jimmy's insistence on bringing the 'Man with Half a Face' - WWI hero Richard Harrow. First, it shows Jimmy has some class left in him. Second, to still be able to sharp-shoot with half a face is pretty, pretty, pretty good (To quote Larry David).
• Jimmy's insistence on Nucky to flat out state that he should kill the D'Alissio brothers. In doing so, he makes Nucky acknowledge that he's more than a politician - he's a murderer.
  
• Nelson flaring up on not being informed of the intercepted Post Office wire of Jimmy returning to town. Once again, we get a true sense of his dedication to his job ("Man needs to have courage for his convictions").
• Margaret talking back to Madame Jeunet. "You treated me just like the Pollock". You go girl!
  

What I didn't like:

• Agent Sebso siding with the superintendent over Nelson. Who knows, perhaps he was even sold out? After all, he was the one who knowingly let Nucky into the jail to talk with Jimmy.
• No Al Capone again ? Not even a single scene?! Come on !

Food for Thought:

• Now that we know that Nucky truly is the politicians' politician, will he sell out his brother for personal gain? Will he give away his candidacy for Sheriff for the sake of his own (and the Republican's) political muscle?
• How will Johnny Torrio and Al Capone respond to Jimmy's departure? Better yet, will they send in support to Atlantic City to help Nucky in his fight?

Episode Rating:
8 (quality TV) - a bunch of parts of the episode made me pause and actually say "wo" outloud.

Episode's Best Line:
"It's not just blood I'm worried about ... it's ink" - Nucky (talking to Elie on the public awareness of his corruption).

Worthy mention:
"If we only elected good men, we'd never have leaders" - Nucky (On Warren Harding and his presidency campaign)

The League 209

This show is full-on, off-the-chain ridiculousness. I absolutely love it. It has football, it has conniving, it has trash-talk, it has buckets full of lewd sexuality, and it has Jon Lajoie. That wasn't redundant, was it? The entire premise of the show is the hyper competitive fantasy football league of a group of manchildren. It doesn't quite inspire television confidence, but if you give it a chance you'll be kindly rewarded.

This week's episode features collusion and courtroom drama. Taco is great as always and Andre is creepy as ever. The League raises the interesting philosophical question of whether it is still outlandish if you have come to expect it. Either way, The League has built a home in the realm of delightfully disgusting. I reserve my one criticism for the way the show makes up fantasy facts and scenarios. I understand the crippling restrictions of a dialogue revolving around yet to occur football outcomes, but come on. Mike Bell? Really?

Episode Rating:
7 (Lower end quality TV)

Episode's Best Line:
"Should I be erect?" - Taco (No explanation necessary)

Burn Notice 413

This show is fun enough, but suffers from awful acting, contrived plot, and bad writing. Still, this show about a disgraced spy trying to fight his way back to espionage relevance while catering to the whims of his conscience continues to gain popularity.

With each new episode the show seems to get more convoluted. This week was also less fun than most of its counterparts, though not tremendously so. Some loose ends are tied and others split when Michael emerges from his latest brush with death and checks out of the hospital.

Episode Rating:
4 (Acceptably mediocre)

Episode's Best Line:
"Dr. Finley, I'm fine." - Michael (absurdly maintaining cover)

Fringe 306

This show bears all of the hallmarks of a J.J. Abrams production but none of the style. It is like the old Late Night with Conan O'Brien bit 'What If They Mated' if it had paired Alias with Lost. The most unseemly features of both shows combine to form a cheesy endeavor in science-fiction - easy on the science, heavy on the fiction. Leading character, Special Agent Olivia Dunham has a lot of the qualities of Sidney Bristo... unfortunately, good looks and intelligence are not included among them. The primary cast is rounded out with eccentric but broken super genius Walter Bishop and his lovable son Charlie Conway, er Peter Bishop. Together they form an elite government unit tasked with the investigation of the mind-blowingly bizarre.

Simply put, I do not like this show but I can't bring myself to stop watching it altogether. I suppose it retains some modicum of that immutable Abrams charm. This week's episode is more of the same with the inevitable inter-universal and inter-Dunhamian showdown drawing closer. It also managed a pleasant surprise guest role for the veteran Abrams actor from Alias, Kevin Weisman. Still, not an exciting episode. In seasons one and two there were at least Islands of humor to carry the viewer through the episode. Now, just crap drama throughout. Peter's character, credit actor Joshua Jackson, may be the only redeeming quality the show has to offer.

Episode Rating:
3 (Bad TV)

Episode's Best Line:
"I feel a bowel movement coming on." - Walter Bishop

Bones 606

I am a big fan of this show. Of course, the quality fluctuates, but I like what they do and how they do it. Its a strange sort of cross between Crossing Jordan and a grown up Freaks and Geeks. Which is ironic because one of the show's main characters, Dr. Sweets, is played by the lead Geek of the classic Judd Apatow production, and Sweet's girlfriend - one of Dr. Brennan's forensic interns - Daisy Wick is one of Apatow's carrousel cast members. The show follows the unlikely crime solving partnership of Dr. Temperance Brennan and FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth. Brennan is a prodigious forensic anthropologist who cannot help but relate to society from a rigid and cold anthropological perspective. Booth is a 'night in shining armor' romantic who cannot help but see the world through a more liberal form of artistic interpretation. Both are attracted to the oppositeness of the other, and both possess a sense of mentorship in their relationship with each other.

This week's episode was slightly above the show's recent average. It features a marginal but episode-long exploration of a subject that is somehow both taboo and cliché at the same time in the American slave trade, as well as an interesting albeit brief foray into the social dynamics of foster children. Bones does a good job avoiding the writing flaws of many of its predecessor murder-mysteries (Columbo, Monk et al.), namely revealing their hand with the inclusion of otherwise random details that always and  blatantly obviously lead to the murderer's identity. Their tactic is simple but effective, they reveal decoy details to obfuscate the viewer's prescience. Complete with a 'Cougar Cruise' and slimy pink parasites, Bones always seems incorporate the fringes of society and nature. All in an anthropologist's day's work.

Episode Rating:
6 (Above average quality TV)

Episode's Best Line:
"You had intercourse accidentally? What were you trying to do Ms. Wick?" - Dr. Brennan

Community 208

This may be the best comedy on TV. Its either this or FX's The League, but The League has a much narrower audience. Tie goes to the crowd pleaser. The story revolves around a smooth-talking lawyer who is exposed as a cheat by a fraudulent college degree. To reclaim his career he must earn a legitimate degree. Cautious not to overexert himself, our star, Jeff Winger, enrolls in a barely functional, chronically looney community college. Hence the name. Struggling to adjust to his new glamorless lifestyle, Jeff briefly cons and ultimately befriends a group of zany misfits. I'll spare the elaborate details, you still have wikipedia for that, but it suffices to say that the show is funny.

A sort of post- cliché brand of humor, Community is rife with spoofs, parodies, and oodles of brilliantly cheesy references. This week's episode is revealed by the characters themselves as a "bottleneck episode". After a while, I begin to wonder whether the show wont run out of genres to play with, but every week I am surprised with the new and always fun shtick they manage to exploit. Aside from keeping things fresh, which this show does remarkably well, it seems like a genuinely fun experience for the actors to be a part of. Perhaps that's me projecting a little, but I can't imagine them not having a blast. This show simply exudes Americana, and I for one love me some America (A-mur-ka). Bottleneck well done.

Episode Rating:
7 (Lower end quality TV)

Episode's Best Line:
"...And before you can say 1984, the thought police are forcey worcing you to bend and spread" - Britta (Upon being pressured to cede to a search of her property)

Its Always Sunny In Philadelphia 609

This show used to be crazy good. Now, I'm normally disappointed by it. I'm not sure whether that's because of unreasonably high expectations or a serious drop in quality. Either way, while I no longer find myself laughing out loud, the show is still amusing. The show carries the tagline "Its 'Seinfeld' on crack", but I think its more like South Park with real people. A gang of delinquent manchildren cook up wild, if ill-fated, schemes to propel themselves to fame and fortune.

This week's episode was more of the same. Amusing but far short of the stomach cramp inducing hilarity of early Sunny. The story picks up where it left off last week, with Charlie and Sweet Dee having abandoned the gang with hopes of better and brighter in their new and inescapably menial jobs in the local high school. Meanwhile Dennis, Mac, and Frank debate over the racism of "blackface" acting. The two stories become one when Dennis, Mac, and Frank devise an elaborate experiment to decide on the issue once and for all. Funny moments were had, no doubt, but they were sadly too few and too far between.

Episode Rating:
5 (Average TV)

Episode's Best Line:
"Juggalo for life. Bitch!" - Richard, the student Juggalo

The Big Bang Theory 408

The Big Bang Theory

I like this show even though I know I shouldn't. It's a show about geniuses, for idiots. Its humor is based entirely on sci-fi references and social awkwardness. That being said, when the show has a good plot, it makes the obvious jokes funny. Also, there's something fun about watching nerds use science fiction references as insults. (I could do that but no one would get them)

This week features the return of Will Wheaton playing himself as Sheldon's nemesis. The Star Trek references in this weeks episode were actually pretty good, but  I saw the joke about being punished by watching Star Trek Nemesis coming from a mile away. The main plot focuses around the “gang” waiting in line for an extended showing of “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (which somehow sells out even though the movie came out almost 30 years ago. I've never missed a new movie because it was sold out).  

The secondary plot featured the shows female characters having a sleep over and was pretty standard - lowest common denominator humor for the non-nerdy masses who watch the show. This was an OK episode by this season's standards but really weak compared to when the show was somewhat original. Penny seems to have no role anymore after her breakup with Leonard at the end of last season. It really is spinning its wheels with no vision of what the future of the show holds. I can't say I'm looking forward to the next episode.

Episode Rating: 

4 (Acceptably mediocre TV)

Episode's Best Line:

“Why is there never a pontoon plane when you need one?” - Sheldon

30 Rock 507

30 Rock is easily one of the best shows on TV. It's clever, has good writing and doesn't talk down to you. They're not one of these shows that will make a pop-culture or political reference and then tell you what the reference is (The Big bang theory does that a lot). You don't know who Ann Coulter is or what Haliburton does? Too bad, you're not going to get the joke, google it later. This is probably the reason the show is more popular with higher income households. One of the most common criticisms of the show that I've heard is that it “tries too hard to be funny” and this makes the jokes seem forced. I understand where this is coming from, as the show does have a high number of bad jokes an episode. The differences between me and the people who don't like the show for this reason are:

1. I like enough of the good jokes I can sit through the bad ones without it ruining an episode.

2. I respect them for swinging for the fences on every joke- they'd rather risk a bad joke that repeat one (like every CBS comedy) and to me that shows a level of respect towards the audience that other shows don't have.

This weeks episode followed 3 tracks- each about having a main character with a moral dilemma and a choice being made at the end to do the right thing. Liz has to decide whether to keep wearing jeans she bought at a store that pretends to be a hip left-wing place but is really owned by Haliburton. Meanwhile Jack is conflicted by supporting a nut-job candidate for congress to make his merger with Kabeltown easier, and Jenna (the worst character on the show by far) is busy sabotaging Tracy's chances at a Golden Globe. I in the end they all end up doing the “right thing”. Compared with the strong episodes this season, I was a little disappointed with this episode- it didn't enough of the snappy dialogue that usually characterizes a solid episode of 30 Rock, and no funny side characters (Twofer, Pete and Frank) were used but it had enough to make it watchable. 

Episode Rating:

6 (Above Average Quality TV)

Episode's Best Line: 

“Ah! Lesbian Mario Brothers!” - Jack (When he saw Liz in denim overalls)

The Office 708

Its nice to see The Office rediscover its game. It seems like The Office increasingly lost its very unique mojo as it gained notoriety. Back when it was an obscure, fringe comedy that was a little too British for the likes of mainstream America it oozed with charm. Then America got smart, and The Office got dumb. Or was it the other way around? Either way, it was an altogether unfortunate coincidence for those early passengers on The Office train. Things came to a head when Steve Carell announced that this season would be his last with the shoe. Cue the violins and play us out.

But wait! Reprieve. It looks like this ditty is going out with a bang. This season has been a pleasant surprise. Gone is the misguided plot-pulling of the last few seasons and back is the classic office mischief and whimsy. This week's episode was a lot of fun and something of a throwback to vintage The Office. Especially pleasing is a hilarious situational spin on the Jim and Dwight rivalry and Michael's child-like insecurity guaranteeing still more tension. Let's hope they can keep it up.

Episode Rating:
6 (Above average quality TV)

Episode's Best Line:
"Thirst. Now that's a show I'd watch!" - Dwight

Law and Order: SVU 1208

The show is pretty much explained by its title. The two main characters are Detectives Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler. Benson has a history (she is the child of her mother's rape) and Stabler has a temper. This show is the most popular of the Law and Orders and has a loyal fan following. This season and last have been exercises in bar raising, as the story lines gets increasingly more extravagant and hard-hitting.

Last week an investigation led our heroes to the daughter of an infirm rape victim who Olivia briefly became convinced was her half-sister through their shared rapist father. With the emergence of a new and apparently guilty suspect, Olivia abandoned her sororal notions and returned her focus to the investigation. When the victim's daughter incidentally encounters her mother's presumed rapist she has something of a nervous breakdown and relapses into the drug habits of her past. Events culminate when Olivia receives a letter of notification for the legal change in guardianship of this woman's child from her to Olivia. Woa!

This week's episode opens with a scene of Olivia bonding with the boy and at the same time struggling in ways to adjust to his presence. Recurring character, FBI Agent Dana Lewis makes a return to the show... this time as a rape victim. Complications ensue when she insists on Benson's investigative discretion so as not to blow her deep cover in a radical anti-government group. Suddenly SVU finds itself in the middle of two investigations - one their own and one belonging to the FBI - one of rape and one of domestic terrorism. Complete with shoulder chips and deception galore, familiar faces and themes that have placed well with audiences in the past catapult this episode favorably into the mind of its viewer... or at very least, this viewer.

Episode Rating:
6 (Above average quality TV)

Episode's Best Line:
"Its a community center! Basketball court, pool... available to kids of all faiths." - Olivia (Responding to protesters of the so-called Ground Zero mosque)

South Park 1413

Episode 13 - Coon vs. Coon and Friends


I still find South Park entertaining even though it's been around for so long. I can always count on it for a good laugh. I think it's doing much better than Family Guy or The Simpsons, in terms of funniness and longevity. Whether it may be their political satire, Cartman being, well, Cartman, or Butters taking evil revenge as Professor Chaos, South Park can still deliver.

Oh, and Cartman randomly singing quietly to himself totally makes my day.


This week's episode was more of the same - some crazy storyline, drawn waaay out of proportion.
This episode is the third segment of The Coon Series. After another BP oil spill, Captain Hindsight has a nervous breakdown, and the evil monster Cthulhu is released from the depths of the sea. The Coon, Cartman, "leaves" his superhero group, Coon and Friends, and takes his services to the dark side to destroy every synagogue, hippie, and Justin Bieber fan.

Mysterion, revealed last week's episode as Kenny (!), enlists the help of the goths to destroy Cthulhu.
Mysterion believes he is the only member of Coon and Friends with real powers - he can't actually die (Helllooo Kenny), and no-one can remember he died (What is this? Groundhog Day?).

Who takes down Cthulhu? Why, none other than Mintberry Crunch (Bradley)!
Using "the power of mint and berry, set with a satisfying tasty crunch", he returns Cthulhu to the deep oblivion.
Mintberry Crunch was the true super hero all along (Take that, Captain Hindsight!).

Episode Rating:
5 (Average TV) - Entertaining, but could have been funnier ...

Episode's Best Line:
"In order to get past her, I must use the Lebron James technique" - Cartman (Who continues to ask "What should I do?", while trying to slip past his mom)

Honorable mention:
"He promised everything would change if we worshiped him, but we're still here, smoking cigarettes like before. It's like Obama all over again." - the goths (In reference to Cthulhu)

NCIS 807

This show does a really great job mixing things up. For starters, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, the leader of the NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) team that the show follows, is one of the coolest characters on TV. And they have fun with their superhuman portrayal of him. Who doesn't like a show that has fun with its own idiosyncrasies? Abby and Dr. Mallard (Ducky) are two fantastically quirky supporting characters,  DiNozzo's movie shtick is fun, and McGee being a successful novelist in his spare time is hilarious. Ziva is kinda the lame duck of the group. In any case, there are enough well-developed (but not over-developed) characters that any given episode can revolve around any one of them without seeming overdone or tiresome. Add to this the fact that most episodes consist of well-written, stand-alone mini plots and its easy to see how NCIS manages to keep its writing fresh and its fan-base excited.

This week's episode centered around DiNozzo and his ostentatious and dodgy father. I think the show does an excellent job of communicating to its audience in subtleties. For example, the mere fact that DiNozzo's dad - Anthony DiNozzo senior - named his son after himself tells something of the way he views himself and the world. It tells slightly less, but still an alluring something, about how he relates to Tony. Par for the course I suppose. It was an all around standard NCIS episode. Standard NCIS is pretty good though.

Episode Rating:
6 (Above average quality TV)

Episode's Best Line:
"We're DiNozzos. We don't communicate well." - Anthony DiNozzo senior (To Anthony DiNozzo junior)

Lie To Me 305

This is one of the shows that I watch but usually don't enjoy. It has a pretty compelling premise but mostly fails to deliver. Some week's bring with them good episodes, but most are forgettable. Loosely based on the life and work of renowned psychologist Paul Eckman, Lie to Me follows the story of Cal Lightman. A renegade academic possessing a practical superpower in his ability to read people's minds through their microexpressions, Lightman heads a highly regarded consultancy firm. The show seems to want to be intelligent more than it tries to be intelligent, with the result that it often appears cartoonish.

The show has what I call 'character deficiency', meaning that it has not created characters strong enough for character-driven TV. A fact that seems to elude the writers. Again, some episode's are worse than others. This week was mostly free of the overwrought character bullshit. Lightman is meant to be a complex character, but it is plain to see that he is not. A fierce independent with a reckless disposition, Lightman is professionally blessed but personally cursed with the ability to see everything. (House rip off?) It is a nice commentary on the dichotomy of human psychology but as a theme it wears thin. Ironically, it is the mostly unexplored side characters, Loker and Torres, who have personae compelling enough to merit exhibition. The show spends too much time developing the convoluted side plots of the Lightman Group's clients instead of playing to its strengths and revolving around its worthy premise. Namely, the potential application of a thorough scientific analysis of subtle and involuntary human behavior - the complete quantification of muscle responses - the methods there involved, and its broader social implications.

I do have a point of praise for this show and that is with regard to its cinematography. I am impressed each week - this week included - with the artistic and inventive methods and perspectives used to not just capture a scene but a place of mind. That is probably what I enjoy most about the show, unexpected as it is. All told, this week's episode was decent.

Episode Rating:
5 (Average Quality TV)

Episode's Best Line:
"The more we talk the colder America gets, yellowbird." - Darryl

Boardwalk Empire 108

Episode 8 - Hold Me in Paradise


In this week's episode, Nucky visits Chicago for the Republican National Convention, leaving his affairs in Atlantic City in the hands of his trusted sheriff and brother, Eli.
In Chicago, we are introduced to a "longshot" candidate - Warren G. Harding, and get another glimpse at Nucky's politics in action:

• Nucky is upset that New Jersey Senator Edge hasn't awarded him the money he needs to fix up the public roads of Atlantic City. So he makes a deal with Harding's campaign manager. If Senator Edge is kept off the list for possible vice presidential candidates, then he'll push the New Jersey delegation for Harding. Moreover, he'll harbor Harding's mistress and illegitimate baby in Atlantic City until the end of elections.
• Needless to say, Harding secures the nomination.

While in Chicago, the D'Alessio gang strut their muscle, robbing Nucky's casino in Atlantic City. Eli, trying to show his ability to be the alpha dog in Nucky's absence, visits the casino on a collection run, and gets severely wounded.

This leads Nucky to phone Margaret to look after his office until his return. For Margaret, this seems like the ultimate gain of trust she so desperately desires for their relationship. Unfortunately, the grapes go sour when she discovers Nucky's personal ledger book in his desk drawer, and all the evidence of his involvement with the illegal liquor trafficking that she so loathes.

Nucky pushes Jimmy to return to Atlantic City, realizing he needs help fighting the brewing turf war. He tries to show Jimmy his isolation in Chicago - hows he's an Irishman amongst Italians. And Jimmy, having climbed the ladder of power in Chicago ("This Suit cost $70"), ponders his next move.


"Hold Me in Paradise" also gives us a glimpse into the personal life of Nelson Van Alden. We learn that Nelson's wife is unable to conceive. Nelson is unsympathetic - he refuses to pay for corrective surgery ("It's in God's hands, not ours"). Moreover, we learn that Nelson has been stealing Jimmy's letters (along with cash) to his wife, Angela. He finally sends the cash back... to Angela, ignoring his wife's pleas.

Arnold Rothstein prepares for the possibility of having to testify for his involvement in throwing the 1919 World Series. Sharp-witted and always quick on his feet, Rothstein shouldn't have a problem.




Food for thought:

1. I think the situation with Eli is kind of ironic. Here he was, thinking he could do as good of a job filling-in his big brothers' shoes, if not better. Then all hell breaks loose. Under his watch. And it nearly killed him in the process. I think this ordeal might help Eli keep his personality in check. Everyone gets jealous of those around them . Until now, he's tolerated it. Now he'll have to recognize that he'll never be Nucky. He must accept himself for who he is.
2. Nucky shows his personality. I mean, yeah, we knew that all he cared about was money and personal gain. But to see the degree of it is something else. He is just informed that his brother is shot - so he excuses himself from the table to make a phone call. A phone call to Margaret to look after his important ledger and belongings. Come on! You can't make an inquiry, first, as to how your brother is holding up? I understand he wants to protect his assets even in the darkest hour, but the timing is just wrong.
   
3. I'm curious as to how Margaret is going to continue and maintain this relationship. She must have realized by now that Nucky is in some sketchy business - the last minute cancellations, random phone calls at all hours of the day, friends of his being seen with liquor caches, etc. Now that she definitively knows of his direct involvement, will she continue to be his mistress? She has to think of her enhanced living state - nicer house, fancier clothes, toys for the children, being a stay-at-home mom once again, etc. Will she be willing to give it all up for her ideals and moral principles?
   
4. Nelson is weird. I mean, really weird. First, he gives himself lashes for thinking inappropriately of Margaret (episode 6). Now he's stealing personal letters? And who doesn't want to father a child? I think the painting we are being shown of Nelson is certainly being defined in recent episodes. I hate to wonder what we might find out next...
5. Prediction - Jimmy takes Nucky up on his offer, and moves back to Atlantic City. He'll return to his wife and son, and rebuild his reputation. He will be feared there as he was in Chicago.
6. Al Capone should be given a scene in every single episode. The lack of his presence is inexcusable. ;)
   

Guest Star:
Christopher McDonald - playing Harry Daugherty, Harding's campaign manager. He's come a long way since Shooter McGavin ...


Episode Rating:
7 (Lower end high quality TV)

Episode's Best Line:
"I prefer to make my living honestly." - Arnold Rothstein (After being told that it's not too late for him to go to law school)

Boardwalk Empire

Boardwalk Empire - Sundays 9pm ET, HBO



The venue is Atlantic City; the era, prohibition.

Boardwalk Empire revolves around the authoritative treasurer Nucky Thompson, and his use of racketeering, political muscle and clout to control the Republican machine and Atlantic City. Cameos in Chicago enlighten the viewer to the schemes of the legendary, albeit young, Al Capone. Reoccurring scenes with historical mobsters, such as the Jewish kingpin Arnold Rothstein, and commanding law enforcement agent Nelsen Van Alden (Elliot Ness) - make for quality entertainment.

Our main characters are:

• Nucky Thompson - Irishman, treasurer of Atlantic City, and head of the political machine. You can count on Nucky to wear one of those old-school, circa 1920 suits, and to be accompanied by Eddi Kessler, his German butler. Nucky is played by the talented Steve Buscemi. Many of you might remember him as "crazy eyes" from Mr. Deeds. Better yet, most of you remember his character from The Big Lebowski, Theodore Donald "Donny" Kerabatsos, or as inmate Garland 'The Marietta Mangler' Greene from Con Air. Buscemi might seem a strange choice to play the lead role, but he has been doing a good job in his first starring role, surprising many by his unique energy he brings to the cast.
• Jimmy Darmody - Nucky's protege, fellow Irishman, and wwI vet. moved to Chicago to join Al Capone, albeit ditching his wife and child, to work for current Chitown mob boss Johnny Torrio. Played by Michael Pitt (The Village, Silk).
• Eli Thompson - brother of Nucky and sheriff of Atlantic County. Eli is Robin to Nucky's Batman, always in his brothers' shadow. Played by Shea Whigman (Pride and Glory).
• Maragert Schroeder - young widowed mother of two, member of the Women's suffrage movement, and currently in a relationship with Nucky. Played by the beautiful, ever charming, Kelly Macdonald (No Country for Old Men), whose accent itself could carry the show.
• Nelsen Van Alden - Federal agent who plays the good guy of the show, trying his best to stop liquor trafficking in the Northeastern region. The TV screen version of Elliot Ness, Nelson is a devote Christian. Played by Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road).
• Arnold Rothstein - Elegant mobster of New York, currently in trouble for his invovlment with the Black Sox scandal of the 1919 World Series. played by Michael Stuhlbard (A Serious Man).
• Al Capone - A younger version of the Italian, iconic mobster we all love. Played by Stephen Graham (Baby Face Nelson in Public Enemies).

Boardwalk Empire brings an action packed drama to HBO's lineup, the likes of which have been sorely missed since The Sopranos. Bringing HBO it's highest premiere audience since 2004, 'Boardwalk' has already been ordered for a second season.
Can't wait.

How I Met Your Mother 608

I have to admit I really dislike this show. I dislike it even more since it seems to be becoming increasingly popular. It is somewhat cute but not funny, and its cuteness borders on obnoxious. It is a failed experiment in humor and a decade or so out of style with its reliance on a laugh track.

In this weeks episode there were a few things stick out in my mind: Every joke they make, they make at least twice. They revealed the identity of Barney's father to distract the audience from the frustrating lack of progress on the HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER front. The producers also stubbornly cling to the outdated entertainment fashion of jamming a moral into each episode and down the viewer's throat. Leave it to Leave it to Beaver. As it is, I found this episode's moral of acceptance of ideological concessions annoying.  In general, this show annoys me, and in particular this episode stinks.

Episode Rate:
2 (Not worth watching)

Episode's Best Line:
"Wait. I'm half Jewish, will that be a problem?" - Ted Mosby

House 706

House used to be one of my favorite shows. This season its been one of my biggest disappointments, along with the Minnesota Vikings and the economic recovery. It is like watching someone you love run into a wall and knock his tooth out, then take that tooth and use it to perform a long and bloody self-castration.  Cuddy is a bad character used horribly and the show in general is no longer funny. The show was never built on its humor though, so that might be acceptable so long as it maintained its trademark witty dialogue and stimulating philosophical debates. Alas, these too have disappeared.

This week's episode featured a half-hearted philosophical consideration of the already bland questions of ends and their means. The only redeeming quality of the episode was a fun-enough basketball scene with Taub and Foreman. House has lost its edge. I hope this is its last season.

Episode Rating:
3 (Bad TV)

Episode's Best line:
"You say fears. I say rational protective instincts." - Joe Dugan (Patient and Senate Campaign Manager)

The Next Iron Chef 306

This is an interesting show to write about because it belongs to a unique and mild genre of reality TV cooking shows. It has no plot for us to ride through its twists and turns and little to get excited about. Having said that, The Next Iron Chef does what it does very well. It incorporates a nice balance of playful theatrics, character-driven competition, subtle education, strategy, and of course a lot of incredibly delicious looking food. Given the lack of plot, The Next Iron Chef tends to put forth a consistent product with little qualitative variance. This episode was no exception. Well, it was kind of an exception. It bore all the same bells and whistles of its sibling episodes but it also managed a small surprise.

I enjoyed the episode's challenges - wedding worthy pastry desserts and classed up Vegas buffets - as they put the competitors noticeably out of their comfort zones. Even the domestic novice knows that cooking and baking are altogether different beasts, and buffets invariably remove most of the control over the condition of the food upon consumption. The culinary creations are effectively left in a state of suspended and uncontrolled preparation. The stakes were raised in the buffet challenge when it was revealed that it would be a double elimination. All the chef's struggled to complete their tasks, and the viewer was rewarded with a glimpse of even the giants' food fallibility. Chef Caswell was the first to fall but the three members of the judging panel each had different opinions on who the second elimination should be. In the end, host Alton Brown announced that for lack of judicial consensus all the remaining contestants would be allowed to move on the next round and next episode. Not a bad twist for a cooking reality TV show.

I really like Chefs Forgione and Ming Tsai. Ming Tsai is my man. The guy holds a degree in mechanical engineering from Yale, is a retired professional athlete, a world-renowned chef and restauranteur, and strong bet to be the next Iron Chef. Somehow, with total disregard for life fairness, I find myself rooting for him.

Episode Rating:
5 (Entertaining TV)

Episode's Best Line:
"If you can't get inspired by trying to become the next Iron Chef, then somebody should check your pulse, because - uh, you know - this is it. Its game time." - Chef Forgione

Family Guy 904

Its been called 'trite' as well as 'tried and true'. Either way, the fact is that Family Guy is a very formulaic production (and God bless the manatees for it). There is TV you watch and TV you see, and while there was was a time when its novelty made Family Guy a show to be watched, that time has passed. Still, Peter and the gang manage to mildly amuse on a fantastically consistent basis. I will say however that this episode was a far cry from the show's heyday and that it disappointed on the promise of its halloween theme. As far as I'm concerned Stewie and Brian together make up the engine that powers the show, and in this episode, sadly, they fell victim to creative negligence on the parts of the writers. Seeable though.

Episode Rating:
4 (Acceptably mediocre TV)

Episode's Best line:
"I didn't feel anything. But you did." - Joe (To Quagmire)

Dexter 507

This is one of my favorite shows. I love how it explores the uncharted frontier of humanity by focussing on the social barriers we ignore and erasing those that we cling to. Dexter is the serial killing protagonist.  A seemingly heartless sociopath with a mind for utilitarian order. Dexter is by most accounts an outsider looking in, though the show plays with the idea that - contrary to Dexter's own belief - he is more a maligned insider looking out, and in turn that the viewer is more Dexterian than he or she would care to believe.

This season has so far lacked the phenomenal social commentary of Dexter's internal monologue from seasons past, but has partially compensated by featuring Dexter's unique and evolving way of relating to the world externally. Despite Dexter's efforts to keep order and to compartmentalize, his wife has been murdered, his adopted children have rejected him, he struggles to meet the responsibilities of care for his own infant son, and he has submitted uncharacteristically to fits of dangerous spontaneity. One of these fits has led to a witness of Dexter at his darkest. Enter Lumen. Unable to descend into further disorder and dispose of this liability, Dexter nurses the maimed witness back to health and eventually wins her trust. Finally able to let her defenses down, Lumen confides to Dexter her sordid tale of victimhood. Prolonged gang-rape and torture. Dexter is not unsympathetic but urges Lumen to return home, rebuild her life, and move on. After having his hopes of restored order and control repeatedly dashed by Lumen's blood-thirsty recalcitrance, Dexter agrees to help  Lumen hunt and kill her remaining attackers while effectively mentoring her in the craft.

Enough with the story then, I'm here to comment not to explain. Lumen's character is a little disappointing. She is interesting in as far as the affect she has on Dexter, as a stand alone character however, she falls a little flat. What I really enjoyed about this episode was the emergence of a new character in Jordan Chase. The presumed psychopath ringleader of Lumen's mysterious abusers, Chase keeps a day job as a wildly popular self-improvement guru and motivational speaker. This is, I think, another one of the producer's brilliantly cynical methods of exploring the sinister in man. With this curious character, the show brings to mind questions of the self and the selfish. What separates psychological independence and assertiveness from primal narcissism? What separates a sense of self-worth from self-importance? What qualifies a person to preach? What makes up the preacher's mentality? What is the basis for society's assignment of celebrity and why? And what does one's celebrity do to himself/herself? I find all of these questions and the trademark process of investigation developed through Dexter irresistibly compelling, and with that in mind, I look forward to the next episode.

Episode rating:
7  (Lower end quality TV)

Episode's best line:
"I don't know how much longer I'm gonna be able to talk to you like this. Soon you're gonna be able to understand me." - Dexter (to son Harrison)