Midseason Review

Is it bad that I'm already looking forward to the summer TV season? As they say, it seems that the best shows really ARE on cable. Some are premiering soon, others follow in June: Psych, Burn Notice, Army Wives, In Plain Sight (premieres in April), and My Boys returns on March 31st!

Ratings are dismal for the majority of my favorite shows (of course). Can anyone explain these puzzling facts to me?:

- Dancing with the Stars has more viewers than almost all the shows I watch on Monday COMBINED.

- 2/3 of ABC's fall Wednesday line-up gets canned, yet According to Jim is STILL ON?! What the f#@&?!

- People still watch American Idol.
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On the upside, I LOVED LOVED LOVED last Thursday's ER! Amazing that they were able to get Clooney, Margulies, La Salle, and Wyle all back. The way they were weaved into the story didn't feel contrived. Nothing was crazy over-the-top (which ER does quite often). So kudos to the ER crew!

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My take on some of the newbie shows this season follows:

* Biggest Surprise (cable) - Leverage (TNT)
Hands down, best new series of the year! It was just, for lack of a better term, fun. I loved seeing how the con would unfold and the team work together. My favorite character is a toss-up between Parker (for all her crazy acrobatics + priceless facial expressions) and Hardison (for his wisecracks + uber-tech-geekiness).

* Biggest Surprise (network) - Life on Mars (ABC)
This one took a little time to really find its footing. It developed quite nicely and really grew on me. Half of me regrets getting invested in yet another show cancelled before its time, but the other half is glad I did. I want to know just why Sam Tyler is stuck in 1973. Shame on ABC for cutting the mystery short, but I guess I should be grateful that they gave the showrunners time to prep a proper ending.

* Biggest Letdown: Trust Me (TNT)
I tuned in for the first 4 or 5 eps and have since fallen behind. Do I care to catch up? Eh, not really. I thought the show had potential, given its talented cast. Eric McCormack's Mason is just such a Debbie Downer. And not in a funny way. I just don't find it very believable that this guy is supposed to be some advertising genius. He's always stressed and having to find last resort solutions. And he smiled maybe twice in those 4 or 5 eps that I watched. Tom Cavanaugh's slacker/supposedly playboy Connor is only semi-entertaining. Seems like he's trying too hard to be "quirky." But neither is as downright annoying as Monica Potter's character, Sarah Krajicek-Hunter. I think my eye twitched everytime someone said her name. Krajicek-Hunter, doesn't is just sound pretentious? She's high-strung, high-maintenance and the least likable character on the show.

I also caught the pilot episode of "Castle" starring the fabulous Nathan Fillion. More to come on that after the 2nd ep has aired.

As for the sophomore and veteran shows, a lot have left me feeling, eh. Those culprits would be Desperate Housewives, Brothers & Sisters and Gossip Girl (SO over the Dan and Serena drama and all their BLAH-ness).

I'm still puzzled about ABC's scheduling decisions -- moving Samantha Who? to Thursdays for half of Ugly Betty's spot. I still like the show, I just don't love it. Don't get me wrong, Christina Applegate is perfect for the role. All the best lines go to Andrea or Sam's mom. But I just don't find myself laughing out loud too often anymore. I guess you could say some of "Sam's" cutesiness has worn off.

2008/2009 season casualties (so far): Pushing Daisies, Eli Stone, Dirty Sexy Money, Lipstick Jungle, Life on Mars. Let's all take a moment to mourn. :(

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My Two Cents: Season Finale Thoughts

Here now, some semi-short thoughts on the last two week's worth of finales:

Ugly Betty: Hated the 'Daniel has a long-lost son' storyline, hopefully the writers will find a way out of that one. Loved having Wilhemina and Marc back at Mode (I really missed Marc and Amanda time - please give them more scenes next season!).
Annoyed that it took three episodes to get a shirtless Eddie Cibrian scene :)

Now, that ending. Oy I tell ya. Completely predictable that they would leave us hanging. My theory? Betty didn't choose either guy. I think she went on vacation by herself (maybe to visit her relatives in Mexico for some "soul searching").

My wish for next season: Let's bring back the funny! 'Betty' has been getting too weighed down with all the drama drama drama. I mean, a little dabble here and there is fine, but it's been downright depressing this season.

House: The two-parter finale was TRIPPY. Seriously. Fine acting on the part of Hugh Laurie (as always), Robert Sean Leonard and Anne Dudek. I mean the final scenes between Wilson and Amber made me all weepy. Especially that look on Amber's face when she realized she was dying. Ugh. And now, House and Wilson's relationship is fractured. I'm glad that when they decided to mix things up on the show this season, they really went all out.

Completely random: Fred Durst? Really? I almost wouldn't have recognized him had I not seen his name in the guest star credits. Totally odd.

Completely hilarious: Cuddy's pole-dancing/stripping for House. Ha! Maybe Mr. Crankypants will finally act on his love/hate.

My wish for next season: More Chase and Cameron please! While I like the newbies, I sort of miss the original crew...and Chase is nice eye candy for us ladies. :)

Read on for thoughts on Grey's (Lost deserves its own separate post; I think I'm still trying to digest and comprehend everything that happened)
Grey's Anatomy: The kid encased in cement - WTF?! Not only was it baffling for the viewing audience, but for the docs as well. They spent quite a bit of time freaking out and then debating over the best course of action. Thankfully they were able to save the guy thanks to Christina's bold surgical moves. She finally proved herself to Hahn.

My favorite storyline in this episode was Alex's. In one of the Grey's podcasts leading up to the finale, Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers commented that we had yet to see the personal side of Alex Karev (other than his sex life). I took that as a hint that we'd finally get some backstory on him, and we did! He went through a terrible ordeal of taking care of his mother when he was a teen and was now doing the same for Ava/Rebecca. This was arguably Justin Chambers's best episode so far. We finally saw some depth and raw emotion in Alex and I really hope this develops further next season.

Shonda also teased a 'major' kiss. From everything I read, she was referring to Mer/Der, but I thought the others deserved some discussion as well. The Chief and Adele are FINALLY back together. It's about damn time! Those two are really sweet together and deserve some happiness. Callie and Hahn = I don't quite know what to think yet; I'm curious to see where the writers will take their storyline.

The Alex and Izzie one got my attention. I've always rooted for those two to get back together. I don't know if that's going to happen. However, I was proud of Izzie for actually being selfless for an entire episode. She was genuinely worried about her friend, but at the same time was able to step up as a doctor and make rational decisions (unlike the unnecessary tests she put Cheech Marin's character through, only to find out all he had was the flu).

As for Mer and Der, her candle-outlined house plan was probably her grandest romantic gesture, which is a nice change of pace. As Ms. Grey said herself, she's "whole and healed" now and finally ready for McDreamy. And their McHouse on the big McLand. Ok so I added all the Mc parts, but you know what I'm getting at!

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Let's Talk Betty and Grey's!

We love our ABC Thursdays and boy is it grrreat to have it back!

Ugly Betty: Santos is alive! But no, actually he’s not. It’s all in Hilda’s head. Why why why? Why did they have to mess with our heads like that? Not cool.

We’re willing to forgive a bit, thanks to everything else that was simply FABULOUS about the episode, “How Betty Got Her Grieve Back.”

Highlights: Aye Dios Mios!

- Las pasiones de Betty - the Henry/Betty/Charlie triangle as a telenovela
- Amanda’s amazingly quick weight gain (damn, that girl can eat!)
- Amanda still walks her model strut, complete with hand on hip
- Wilhelmina’s “tearful” update on the Meades for the press
- Betty having to wear an eye patch (ahoy matey!)
- Amanda and Marc’s visit with her parents and their “internet friends”
- Bradford Meade may be Amanda’s daddy! Which would make her little trysts with Daniel quite…incestuous. Yuck!
- Coco Chanel-quoting fashion elf Justin, AKA the perfect Mode intern
- “Never send a girl to do a woman’s job” Marc stealthily obtains Bradford’s ear hair (eww) for a DNA test
- Marc dressed as Wilhelmina
- Henry’s back!

We’re deliriously happy that this show is back. We missed our Betty!

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Grey’s Anatomy: “A Change is Gonna Come”

Bailey to McDreamy: “Oh, you don’t have anybody to talk to. Addison is gone, Burke isn’t around, and you and Grey aren’t smelling each other in the elevators any more.”

Highlights:
The Amusing: Christina, Meredith, Izzie, and Alex channel their inner Bailey on their first day as residents.
Bailey avoiding the Chief
Christina calling her interns by number, b/c she doesn’t want to remember their names
The not-dead dead guy
Izzie’s “I’m Bambi” speech to George / Izzie saving actual Bambi
Lexie talking up George to the other interns -- is it just us, or was she semi-likable? I mean, she did help George out. Of course, he's the one who isolated himself from his old group.

The Sad: Christina getting the news about Burke’s resignation, the little girl blinking to communicate to her dad
Seriously?: George telling Izzie “I love you too.” Oy vey, when will this finally end?

The Awkward but oh-so-Entertaining: Mark telling Derek: “I didn’t come to Seattle for Addison. I didn’t come to Seattle to be chief. I came to Seattle for you, I came to get you back”
All together now: awwwwww! hehe

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Quotes of the Week

This week's premiere of "How I Met Your Mother" was chock full of hilarious moments like:

Ted: Gail?
Gael: No, Guy-el
Barney: Kyle?
Gael: No, Guy-el
Marshall: Girl?
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Barney commenting on Ted’s butterfly tattoo: "The Tramp Stamp. A ho tag. Ass Antlers. A Panama City license plate."

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Marshall: Check your e-mail. Sent you something.
Barney: What is it?
Marshall: Just a new website. Slapcountdown.com.
Barney: What does this mean?
M-Marshall?
Marshall sniffs hand, lifts hand up ready to strike…
Barney: Nooooooooo!!!!!

Non-HIMYM quotes in the full post!!

That’s the kind of dirty that don’t wash clean.”
- Amanda on Ugly Betty, reflecting on having a past sexual relationship with possible half-brother, Daniel.

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“Rule #1: Don’t bother sucking up, I already hate you. That’s not gonna change.”
- Christina, channeling her inner Bailey, on Grey’s Anatomy.

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And finally, only those crazy Family Guy folks could do a hilarious send-up of “Star Wars” complete with a title sequence that segued from Luke and Leia, to this:

“Angelina Jolie kissed her brother. Yeah, she did. You know it, I know it, and her dad knows it. That’s why they hardly ever talk anymore. You can run away to Africa, but you can’t run away from the truth.”

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