TV Meme: Day 30

"30 Days TV Meme"


Day 30 | Saddest character death

This is it. The final day of the meme. So of course whoever originated it must be some sadistic bastard, because we end it with the most depressing entry to date. Saddest character death? Seriously?

In any case, this one was shockingly easy for me and it might surprise a lot of people. First of all, I didn't go for the obvious and pick a Joss Whedon-inspired death even though I would've had plenty to choose from. My friend Bunny wrote about Tara's death, so y'all should read it. Instead I picked a death from Torchwood that literally left me breathless and dehydrated from all the hyperventilating and crying I did.

The deaths of Tosh and Owen during the second season finale were heartbreaking not only because it involved one of my favorite characters (Tosh), but also because of how stretched out and emotional their death scenes were. Tosh fatally shot in the 28th minute of the 48-minute episode and she didn't die until almost the very end!

Of course for most of that, the viewer is still clinging to that hope that she would make it alive. As she bleeds out, she puts on a brave face against death and still manages to remotely help Owen to prevent a nuclear meltdown. And why not, as the usually shy and reserved Tosh said earlier, "Of course I can, I'm brilliant!"

Shit hits the fan though when the power plant goes on emergency lockdown and traps Owen. Owen, already prone to anger issues, freaks the hell out. Like going-mad-angry-at-the-world-fuck-everyone-else freak out. Tosh tries to keep him at bay...

Tosh: Owen, just stay calm.
Owen: Oh, why should I do that?! Where's the fun in that? I'm going to rage my way into oblivion! AAAAAAHHHHHH!!
Tosh: Please stop.
Owen: Why?! Give me one bloody good reason! One good reason why I shouldn't keep screaming!
Tosh: Because you're breaking my heart.

That was when the waterworks started happening. The actress' delivery of that line was pitch PERFECT and actually this one particular scene I wanted to highlight in the Best Scene Ever entry, but I wanted to save it for the end. What makes the scene even more powerful was that as soon as Tosh says that, Owen stops. He even apologizes!

And thus begins his death scene. He asks Tosh how he'll die and she tells him though it pains her to do so. She, of course, blames herself, but Owen does the sweetest thing he's done the whole show and tells her she's always had his back and it isn't her fault. Now's a good time to say that Tosh has had a crush on Owen for the longest time, but of course they never became a couple until... this episode. They were going to have their first date after they took care of this crisis. How Whedonesque, right?

Owen: We never did get that date, did we? You and me? We sort of missed each other. It was my fault. I didn't, I didn't notice until it was too late. I'm sorry.
Tosh: Me, too.

Then the whole room Owen is stuck in goes nuclear white and he's gone. The rest of the team finally finds Tosh BLEEDING THE FUCK OUT and they try to help her. I remember telling myself that she had to live, because they just killed one main character, they couldn't possibly kill another! But she dies in Captain Jack's arms and I was just inconsolable after that.

Sadly, it wasn't over. We see the team putting away Owen and Tosh's personal stuff as well as updating their personnel info in the computer i.e. changing their status to "Inactive - Deceased" as they and the audience fight back their tears. If that wasn't already hard enough, when they finish updating Tosh's personnel file, a goodbye video she recorded pops up! Are you kidding me? I can't handle this shit!

Okay. So, if you're seeing this, I guess it means, I'm, well, dead. Hope it was impressive! Not crossing the road or an incident with a toaster. I just wanted to say, it's okay. It really is. Jack, you saved me. You showed me all the wonders of the universe and all those possibilities. And I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Thank you. And Owen, you never knew. I love you. All of you. And, I hope I did good.

Suffice it to say I proceeded to cry and hyperventilate for the next half an hour. Still hurts.

TV Meme: Day 29

"30 Days TV Meme"


Day 29 | Current TV show obsession

I think I'm going to plead the fifth here, because you know what, I just spent nearly a month talking about TV and goshdarnit, I think you'll find that I don't have just one obsession. I have several.

So since this is the second to last entry of this neverending meme, I'd just like to give a shout-out to all the shows I talked about (positively) during the past month, namely...

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Lost, Torchwood, Doctor Who, Friends, Battlestar Galactica, Being Human, Firefly, Community, I Love Lucy, Arrested Development, The Good Wife, United States of Tara, So You Think You Can Dance, The 4400, Everwood, Frasier, Boy Meets World, and Power Rangers.

It was fun doing the meme. I re-discovered how much I loved Buffy, especially its third season. It helped me put this newest TV season in perspective with all of the buzz and awards going to Glee and Modern Family, it was The Good Wife and Community that made a lasting impression. It was fantastic paying tribute to the cast of Lost, the genius that is Lucille Ball, and the awesomeness of Being Human. I became all nostalgic over my first TV loves such as Boy Meets World and Power Rangers. It gave me the opportunity to introduce a few people to shows they haven't checked out yet. And finally, I got to read everyone's responses to my entries and/or their own answers to the meme. It truly has been a fun month.

After today, just one more to go and I've had that answer since I first saw the meme. If you want to see my entire 30 Day TV Meme, just CLICK HERE for the nearly complete list.

TV Meme: Day 28

"30 Days TV Meme"


Day 28 | First TV obsession

It's morphin' time!

Mastodon! Pterodactyl! Triceratops! Saber-Toothed Tiger! Tyrannosaurus!

Go! Go! Power Rangers!

I'm sure it wasn't just me and my friends who pretended we were one of the Power Rangers. Though since I mostly hung out with girls, all of them would fight over who would be the Pink Ranger. No love for the Yellow Ranger? Sad. Me? I was the Blue Ranger aka "Billy" played by the actor David Yost. The fact that I know all of this without using IMDB is a testament to how obsessed I was with the show. But I mean Billy was the "shy smart one" who get to kick butt. My prelude to my Willow obsession perhaps?

Anyways, let's see... my level of obsession for the show was pretty high back then. I never missed an episode, I went as the Blue Ranger for Halloween once, I have a sweater with all of the Rangers, and I was there on opening weekend for the two feature films. When Zordon "died" in the end of one of the films, I was crying! Lame? Possibly. Embarrassing? Probably. Do I care? Hell no.

So to Rita Repulsa and her crazy laugh, to the flirting of Kimberly (Pink Ranger) and Tommy (Green Ranger) to Alpha 5's "Aye yi yi yi yi!," to the various states of sleevelessness most of the guys adopted... thanks. 'Twas a fun childhood.

TV Meme: Day 27

"30 Days TV Meme"


Day 27 | Best pilot episode

Weekend's been a bit exhausting so this will be brief and very predictable.

The 2-hour pilot of LOST, entitled simply as "Pilot," apparently cost about $11.5 million which is simply ridiculous for a TV pilot. With that said, they definitely spent it well, because the production quality of the pilot is probably the best I've ever seen.

Most of the costs probably had to do with the filming of the beach site where the epic crash happened complete with an actual plane and a cast of many extras. The "Pilot" itself was very good in hooking people immediately into its concept of regular people banding together after crashing into a mysterious island.

Mysterious island, seems almost like an understatement knowing what we know now. But back then all it took was some mechanical whirring noise, a few uprooted trees, a very very dead pilot killed by an unknown entity, and a message in French that's been playing for 16 years. The last quote of the episode was perfect as Charlie asked "Guys, where are we?"

Finally, the episode also expertly established its large and diverse cast of main characters as well as the show's important narrative use of flashbacks.

TV Meme: Day 26

"30 Days TV Meme"

Day 26 | OMG WTF? Season finale

Wouldn't this be the same as best cliffhanger? Eh, whatever. Anyways, no one does "OMG WTF?" season finales better than either Lost or Battlestar Galactica. They practically do their best to end each season in some mind-blowing way. So why not just talk about each of their finales?

WARNING: SPOILERS FOR EVERY FINALE OF LOST AND BATTLESTAR GALACTICA BELOW


Lost, S1 Finale "Exodus" - We end with Shannon/Sayid happy, Charlie possibly reverting to being a drug addict, Walt being taken by the Others, and Jack/Locke/Kate/Hurley blowing up the hatch to... what exactly?

Lost, S2 Finale "Live Together, Die Alone" - We have Desmond and Locke who let the timer run out in the hatch causing electromagnetic chaos with the bright lights and possible explosion. Last scene is of two men somewhere called registering the electromagnetic blip and then them calling Penny telling her that "they've found it." All of this and oh yeah Michael betrays his fellow friends and delivers them to "Henry Gale" the leader of the Others in order for him and Walt to sail off from the island. The Others let them go, releases Hurley, but captures Jack, Sawyer, and Kate.

Lost, S3 Finale "Through the Looking Glass" - If I had to pick ONE season finale from this show, it would be this. Not Penny's Boat. The people on the island contact someone off the island! Then the introduction of the flashforwards. That latter plot development/cliffhanger was definitely a WTF OMG moment. "We have to go back Kate. We have to go back!" WTF?!

Lost, S4 Finale "There's No Place Like Home" - Ben pushes the wheel and the Island disappears. Just BLOOP! gone. Jin is possibly dead. The Oceanic 6 are on their way to civilization with the help of Penny and oh yeah "Jeremy Bentham" aka LOCKE is in the coffin DEAD. WTF?!

Lost, S5 Finale "The Incident" - Episode opens with first time we see Jacob and the Man in Black together, their identities questioned and debated on until next season's premiere. This episode also brought us the long-awaited reveal that Locke isn't Locke, the confrontation between Jacob and Ben and the latter eventually killing Jacob, as well as Juliet setting off the bomb that may or may not change history forever...

Lost, SERIES Finale "The End" - Here were my thoughts on it. People are still confused at how it ended. Make that as you will.


Battlestar Galactica, S1 Finale "Kobol's Last Gleaming" - Where to begin? How about Apollo and Roslin being arrested by Adama? Or how about Boomer1 telling Helo she's pregnant while Boomer2 finally realizes she's a frackin' cylon when she meets up with a bunch of naked Sharons? Or what about Boomer2 shooting Adama in the gut? Yeah... wtf indeed.

Battlestar Galactica, S2 Finale "Lay Down Your Burdens" - This would be my vote for most OMG WTF season finale from this show. Roslin tries to steal the votes, but is found out by the end and gives Baltar the presidency. Baltar moves on to colonizing New Caprica, but not before doing it with Gina who proceeds to blow up Cloud 9. ONE FUCKING YEAR LATER... we see the situation in New Caprica--Starbuck has long hair and is married, Adama has a mustache, Lee is fat and is married, etc. Then the Cylons appear. The Fleet jumps away leaving New Caprica unprotected from the Cylon who forces Baltar to surrender. Oh noes!

Battlestar Galactica, S3 Finale "Crossroads" - Okay this one was pretty OMG WTF as well. Baltar is acquitted in court and chaos ensues, but the big cliffhangers include the identity reveals of four of the five remaining unknown cylons and it's a DOOZY of a reveal as well as Lee seeing presumably dead Kara in a raptor next to his. Oh and she's apparently been to Earth... as the camera spans outward to show the audience that Earth exists. WTF!

Battlestar Galactica, SERIES Finale "Daybreak" - After an electrifying showdown between EVERYONE, we finally get our epilogue on Earth itself, but it's not the Earth everyone was expecting. Also Starbuck just sort of disappears. Like just gone. And then we time jump to the present in Times Square with head!Six and head!Baltar. WTF?

TV Meme: Day 25

"30 Days TV Meme"


Day 25 | A show you plan on watching

Arrested Development

All my friends love it. Everywhere I look in the internet someone is praising, quoting, or just talking about the show. It seems to be right up my alley and yet I've only seen maybe 2-3 episodes total.

There are lots of shows that fit this description (see below), but I'm picking this one for today because of the fact that a few months ago, I did buy the complete series (all three seasons) and they've been unopened since. Since I own the series now, I'm obligated to watch it and I will. Just have to find the time, I guess.

Currently, I'm doing my best to catch up on Big Love. I'm up to the third episode of the third season.

Other shows I need to watch/catch up on include Veronica Mars (saw first half of first season), Dexter (saw first season), Friday Night Lights (saw first three episodes), Damages, MI-5 (saw first three seasons), and The Tudors (saw first episode).

TV Meme: Day 24

"30 Days TV Meme"


Day 24 | Best quote

Suffice it to say, like "best scene," there's just way too many choices for this one. Weirdly enough, I picked a quote from a scene that should have been included in my "best scene" entry. It's from "The Prom" episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and this particular quote came from the recurring character Jonathan Levinson presenting Buffy with a special award at the prom:

We're not good friends. Most of us never found the time to get to know you. But that doesn't mean we haven't noticed you. We don't talk about it much, but it's no secret that Sunnydale High isn't really like other high schools. A lot of weird stuff happens here. [...] But whenever there was a problem or something creepy happened, you seemed to show up and stop it. Most of the people here have been saved by you or helped by you at one time or another. We're proud to say that the Class of '99 has the lowest mortality rate of any graduating class in Sunnydale history. And we know at least part of that is because of you. So the senior class offers its thanks and gives you this. It's from all of us. And it has written here, "Buffy Summers, Class Protector."

It's a beautiful moment between two characters who didn't exactly have the best high school experience. Jonathan is your typical dork who everyone picked on and only a few episodes before this one he was going to commit suicide. Buffy saved him of course, which just puts the quote above into new context. Then there's Buffy. She knows her responsibilities as the Slayer, but she also strives to be a normal girl, wanting that "perfect high school moment." She got it here and it's awesome.

TV Meme: Day 23

"30 Days TV Meme"


Day 23 | Most annoying character

I thought this was going to be a bit more difficult, but it really wasn't. After I surveyed all the the shows I watch in a regular/semi-regular basis, it was clear who I should put here and that's the character of Susan Meyer from Desperate Housewives.

I'm not knocking Teri Hatcher, per se, since to me she will always be the awesome Lois Lane opposite Dean Cain's Superman. But Susan is the epitome of annoying. She's accident-prone to a default and whines about every little thing. And while these traits aren't necessarily so terrible, seeing a 40-something year old act like a child is never fun. I mean I know the title is "Desperate" Housewives, but there's a difference between desperate and pathetic.

She's hot... a hot mess. She's pretty... pretty dim. She also gets the lamest storylines and/or doesn't do much with what she's given. Gabrielle Solis can act like a child, too, but she seems more put together than Susan and that character is still infinitely more fun. With that said, I actively root against Susan. Too bad the creator, Marc Cherry, actually thinks she's the main character and thus gets more air time, dialogue, blah blah blah.

So... Susan Mayer. Out of all of the characters they've killed off in that show, and there have been plenty, why can't they get rid of her?

TV Meme: Day 22

"30 Days TV Meme"


Day 22 | Favorite series finale

Like a lot of people, be it because they are fans or they just can't avoid the constant reruns, I've seen every episode of Friends. And I was one of 52.5 million viewers who tuned in to watch the show end after ten years being on air and being a staple in NBC's lineup.

When it comes to series finales, I require a few things to be present or happen for it to be satisfying to me. First, it should more or less wrap up any dangling storylines. Second, it should just be a good episode in general. Third, it should have some callback to the pilot or the series as a whole. Finally and most importantly, it should focus on the characters. After all, they are the reasons why we watched all the way to the end of the series, right?

The series finale of Friends had all of that. There were only two dangling storylines that needed to be addressed in the episode: (1) the birth of Chandler & Monica's baby and (2) the resolution to Ross & Rachel's relationship drama. The episode was even structured with these in mind with the first half focusing on the babies and the second half focusing on Ross/Rachel.

The episode itself was one of the best episodes the series had to offer providing each of the main characters witty zingers and memorable lines. And while it was one of the longest episode of the show ever, it was also one of its more quickly paced episode with everything happening all at once.

Of course, my favorite parts of the episode were all of the callbacks and shout outs for the long-time fans. It was great seeing Gunther finally express his feelings for Rachel. It was fun that Joey gave the babies a duck and chick just as he and their father had when they were roommates. It was heartbreaking to see the Foosball table, a staple of the show since the first season, dismantled. It was neat seeing Phoebe's cab and her use of "phalange." It was all kinds of neat that when Ross & Rachel kissed in the end, they used the same music from when they first kissed. And of course there was Ross' line about "being on a break." Don't make jokes now!

As for the characters, the finale served all of them well, save for Joey. Chandler & Monica have their babies and are moving out. Ross & Rachel are finally together. Phoebe is happily married to Mike who changed his mind about starting a family. And Joey is about to go to Hollywood to star in a godawful spin-off. It was also quite nice that they structured the episode so that the last half hour only starred the original friends (minus the new babies of course) with Gunther, Mike, and Erica having their last scenes in the first half.

So the episode, entitled "The Last One," was just satisfying through and through. The fans could be happy where all the characters ended up by the final scene and had an enjoyable time watching it all unfold to boot with a few twists (twins!) and turns (wrong airport!) thrown in among the heartfelt moments such as all of them in the empty apartment placing their keys in the counter.

The final few seconds were also handled brilliantly with Rachel asking Monica and Chandler if they have time for a cup and coffee and Chandler ironically delivering the last line of dialogue "Sure. Where?" as they all made their way to Central Perk once more. Camera then pans across the the empty apartment, from the living room to the kitchen, and settles on the door. We see the picture frame around the peephole. Fade to black.

Just for the record, OF COURSE, I considered the season finales of Buffy, Angel, and Lost. That last one is still a bit fresh and I still need time to process, and much as I love the finales for both Buffy and Angel I still wished they were both supersized to two hours of awesomeness each with appearances from Oz and Tara (in Buffy) and Buffy, Faith, or Cordelia (in Angel). Plus others have already said it better. Case in point, my friend Bunny shares with us why Angel's series finale is her favorite while Andrew tells us why he chose Buffy's series finale to write about today.

TV Meme: Day 21

"30 Days TV Meme"


Day 21 | Favorite ship (aka relationship)

Willow/Oz

This shouldn't be too much of a shocker considering how much I love the show and the character of Willow as I've written recently. It's also the first ship I truly got obsessed over, which again goes hand in hand with my strong feelings over the characters and the show.

OZ: Hey. That girl. Who is she?
Devon: She's an exchange student. I think she's from South America.
OZ: No, not her. The Eskimo!

One of my favorite things about this couple is how different they are to one another. Oh sure they are both adorable, smart, and whathaveyou, but when they first meet he's this cool senior who has a band while she's the computer geek junior who can't talk to boys. Couples that provide this type of contrast really intrigue me in movies, books, and TV. And since I've mentioned already how much I related to Willow during the series, her dating the cute-rocker-guy-next-door wasn't too shabby.

OZ: I'm gonna ask you to go out with me tomorrow night. And I'm kinda nervous about it, actually. It's interesting.
WILLOW: Oh. Well, if it helps at all, I'm gonna say yes.
OZ: Yeah, it helps. It-it creates a comfort zone. Do you wanna go out with me tomorrow night?
WILLOW: (cringes and slaps her hand to her forehead) Oh! I can't!
OZ: Well, see, I like that you're unpredictable.
WILLOW: Oh, it's just it's Buffy's birthday, and we're throwing her a surprise party.
OZ: It's okay.
WILLOW: But you could come. If you want to.
OZ: Well, I don't wanna crash.
WILLOW: No, it's fine! Well, you could be m... my date.
OZ: All right. I'm in.
WILLOW: (to herself) I said 'date'.

WILLOW: Do you wanna make out with me?
OZ: What?
WILLOW: Forget it. I'm sorry. Well, do you?
OZ: Sometimes when I'm sitting in class... You know, I'm not thinking about class, 'cause that would never happen. I think about kissing you. And it's like everything stops. It's like, it's like freeze frame. Willow kissage.

It was fantastic seeing their courtship develop from Oz noticing her from a distance to their chance first meeting to the wait fans (and Willow) had to endure for the couples first date, first kiss, and finally first time they made love. It wasn't all roses and puppies. While they were usually adorkably awkward or painfully sweet, it was the obstacles they had to endure (Oz's werewolf self, Willow kissing Xander) that made their relationship stronger and made me want to cheer them on even more.

OZ: So... Maybe it'd be best if I just... sorta...
WILLOW: What?
OZ: Well, you know, like, stayed out of your way for awhile.
WILLOW: I don't know. I'm kind of okay with you being *in* my way.
OZ: You mean, you'd still...
WILLOW: Well, I like you. You're nice and you're funny. And you don't smoke. Yeah, okay, werewolf, but that's not all the time. I mean, three days out of the month I'm not much fun to be around either.
OZ: You are quite the human.
WILLOW: So, I'd still if you'd still.
OZ: I'd still. I'd *very* still.
WILLOW: Okay. No biting, though.
OZ: Agreed.

WILLOW: Oz, please believe me.
OZ: This is what I do know: I miss you. Like, every second. Almost like I lost an arm, or worse, a torso. So, I think I'd be willing to... give it a shot.
WILLOW: Really?
OZ: Yeah.

This also has to do with my penchant to like or be invested more in the supporting characters over the main lead character(s). Their relationship, to me, was more accessible, than the Buffy/Angel saga or the Xander/Cordelia fling.

With that said, their relationship did end during "Wild At Heart," which is still the Buffy episode that made me the saddest I've ever been, when Oz left town after sleeping with Veruca and realizing he had to find a way to control his inner werewolf. Oz did come back in "New Moon Rising," but by then Willow had moved on. Thankfully for this Willow/Oz shipper, the writers gave us a beautiful end scene between the two:

OZ: You're happy?
WILLOW: I am. I can't explain it...
OZ: It may be safer for both of us if you don't.
WILLOW: I missed you, Oz. I wrote you so many letters, but I didn't have any place to send them, you know? I couldn't live like that.
OZ: It was stupid to think that you'd just be... waiting.
WILLOW: I was waiting. I feel like some part of me will always be waiting for you. Like if I'm old and blue-haired, and I turn the corner in Istanbul and there you are, I won't be surprised. Because you're with me, you know?
OZ: I know... But now is not that time, I guess.
WILLOW: No... What are you gonna do?
OZ: I think I better take off.
WILLOW: When?
OZ: Pretty much now.

Cue the hugging, the crying. Oh gosh, it still gets me every time. I haven't read any of the official comics yet, but I do know both of the characters have moved on. And yet I'll always think about some time in the future, maybe not Istanbul, but somewhere when both are ready again, they'll be together. Call me a hopeless romantic, a werewolf in love.

TV Meme: Day 20

"30 Days TV Meme"


Day 20 | Favorite kiss

To be honest this category broke me. I kept thinking about it ALL weekend and there were just too many choices. I ended up picking the first full on make out session that Jack and Ianto had in Torchwood early in Season 2.

Why this and not any of the others I was thinking about? Well I knew I wanted to NOT include any kisses from from favorite ship, which will have its own post tomorrow. So that made it a little easier to choose. I decided to focus on same-sex kissing, because those don't get as much airtime on TV and with my friend Bunny writing on Willow/Tara, I felt okay picking Jack/Ianto.

My kiss of choice between the two was not their first kiss. Early in season one, Jack gave Ianto mouth to mouth which doesn't really count. Their real first kiss happenened in the first season finale after Jack came back from the dead and they kissed when they reunited. My kiss of choice occurs at the end of the third episode in the second season. I love this kiss, because it came as a result of the two of them having an honest-to-goodness conversation about Jack's past. What I like about this kiss as well is that it was the timid and quiet Ianto, and not the charming sexual renaissance man Jack, who initiated the kiss.

But what am I doing TALKING about the scene/kiss? It's better to show than tell...



Ask me again tomorrow and I'll probably have a different answer.

TV Meme: Day 19

"30 Days TV Meme"


Day 19 | Best TV show cast

I'm going to give myself a few limitations here. First, I won't mention any Joss Whedon shows, because they would just be my automatic answer anyways. Joss just has a knack in picking supremely talented unknown actors and letting them all shine as an well-oiled ensemble. Second, I'll leave off any casts from TV shows that just premiered or had its first season. They may be AWESOME now, but let's see how they hold up after a season or more, mmkay?

With that said, I knew my answer as soon as I read this and it goes out to the past, present, future, and flash-sideways casts of LOST.

I was one of those fans that was perfectly happy with the series finale. Sure, we were gypped by the island mythology storyline, but for me it was always about the characters and in relation, the actors and actresses that portrayed those characters pitch perfectly.

The sheer number of the cast is enough to call attention to it, but I also loved how diverse the cast is in most every sense of that word. In alphabetical order, here are all of the actors that have been series regulars for at least one season or played important characters in the show: Adewake Ajubbuoye-Agdabe, Sam Anderson, Naveen Andrews, L. Scott Caldwell, Nestor Carbonell, François Chau, Henry Ian Cusick, Michael Emerson, Alan Dale, Jeremy Davis, Emilie de Ravin, Jeff Fahey, Matthew Fox, Mia Furlan, Jorge Garcia, Maggie Grace, Josh Holloway, Malcolm David Kelley, Daniel Dae Kim, Yunjin Kim, Ken Leung, Evangeline Lilly, Rebecca Mader, William Mapother, Dominic Monaghan, Elizabeth Mitchell, Terry O'Quinn, Mark Pellegrino, Harold Perrineau, Tania Raymonde, Zuleikha Robinson, Michelle Rodriguez, Kiele Sanchez, Rodrigo Santoro, Ian Somerhalder, John Terry, Kevin Tighe, Sonya Walger, Cynthia Watros, Titus Welliver, and finally the various babies and dogs that played Aaron and Vincent respectively.

Plus don't even get me started on those numerous guest stars such as Katey Sagal, Swoosie Kurtz, Julie Bowen, Nathan Fillion, Cheech Marin, Lilian Hurst, and many more!

It's absolutely criminal that this wonderful cast only garnered a relatively palty amount of recognition/awards throughout the show's run. The cast was honored with the Best Ensemble Cast at the 2005 SAG Awards. Only three actors were nominated for the Emmy Awards (Terry O'Quinn, Michael Emerson, and Naveen Andrews) with O'Quinn and Emerson winning once each. Jorge Garcia and Michelle Rodriguez won at the ALMA Awards while Terry O'Quinn and Matthew Fox won at the Saturn Award. None of the cast has won at the Golden Globes, but Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly, and Naveen Andrews have been nominated. Finally, Malcolm David Kelley received the Young Artist Award.

TV Meme: Day 18

"30 Days TV Meme"

Day 18 | Favorite title sequence

I couldn't just choose one. I love love love opening title sequences. And if they're beautiful and creative, even better! I have been very disheartened at the recent trend of doing away with extensive opening title sequences. A good title sequence should not only display the names of main cast, but also acts as a sort of mini-representation of the series as a whole. It helps to have great music to accompany it as well. These three I've picked out have it all and then some.

The 4400



This beautiful opening sequence features scenes that evoke that sense of post-apocalyptic feel of people being abducted out of nowhere--a book left on a bench, a bath tub overflowing with water, a phone receiver dangling, a running car on the side of the road, a lit cigarette burning. The song playing, "A Place In Time" by Amanda Abizaid, creates that same tone and vibe.

Everwood



The video above is not the ACTUAL opening of the show. It's actually a compilation of the show's three different openings throughout its run over an extended version of the gorgeous main title theme composed by Blake Neely. For the first season, the amazing score plays over Norman Rockwell-esque portraits of each of the main characters. In the second season, the portraits remain, but is followed up by a similar live-action shot. For the last two seasons, both the visual and audio compilations for the opening changed, the visual changing from Norman Rockwell to a series of pictures of the main character with the opening tune including more orchestral elements. Perfect opening for this show.

United States of Tara



Jamie Caliri directed this eyepopping opening credit sequence which is made to look like a pop up book featuring the title character's different alters. We see the 50s housewife Alice working dutifully in the kitchen, the gruff chain-smoking Buck in the garage working on his motorcycle, and the slutty teenage T in a pink room trying to pick out what to wear. Finally, we see Tara emerge from it all as she opens her eyes. The music, created specifically for this show, is by Tim Delaughter.

Honorable Mentions: Battlestar Galactica, Big Bang Theory, Big Love, Charmed, Chuck, Desperate Housewives, Dexter, Doctor Who, Friends, Joss Whedon shows, Lost, Mad Men, Six Feet Under, Weeds (Season 1)

TV Meme: Day 17

"30 Days TV Meme"


Day 17 | Favorite mini series

Torchwood: Children of Earth was recently nominated by the Television Critics Association for being one of the Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries, and Specials. I wholeheartedly agree with them since it was not only the best miniseries I saw last year, but one of the best things that aired on TV and my favorite. This one-week 5-episode miniseries served as the third season for Torchwood, but one needn't see the first two seasons to appreciate the absolute brilliance of this five-hour masterpiece.

Like any good miniseries, it packs a wallop with not much time. Apart from being an absolute game-changer for the show itself, its characters had to deal with the most brutal and epic of problems: the children of Earth are being controlled by an unseen alien force. Think about that for a second and think about how BIG that is.

While the sci-fi aspects were definitely riveting, it's always about the characters. The personal revelations and struggles that the lead characters endure in this episode were must-see TV, but special shout out to Peter Capaldi (Into the Loop) who delivered such a nuanced and strong performance, stealing scenes from every other character.

I can't recommend this miniseries highly enough. It's risky. It's epic. It's riveting. It is plainly just bloody amazing TV. And when I say bloody, I mean that in every sense of the word. Find a way to watch this. Now.

Read my SPOILERY thoughts on every episode of Children of Earth:
Day One - Day Two - Day Three - Day Four - Day Five

TV Meme: Day 16

"30 Days TV Meme"


Day 16 | Your guilty pleasure show

So You Think You Can Dance

I'm serious! It's just so much fun to watch and to be honest, this could've been my answer to Day 10, a show I thought I wouldn't like but ended up loving. I mean it's not as if FOX + Reality Show had a good track record. That's precisely why I didn't check out its first season. But then I tuned in for the second and it's been love at first sight.

One can easily say it's an amalgam of American Idol and Dancing With the Stars minus all the crap those two shows have. Unlike Idol, it doesn't have an insufferable host and the judges actually know what they are talking about for the most part. Unlike Dancing with the Stars, it's not limited to ballroom and salsa and there are no D-list celebrities trying to revive their careers. Plainly, it's young dancers dancing beautifully.

Throughout the years, I've grown attached to a few dancers such as Benji, Pasha, Gev, Mark, Neil, Travis, and whoa I need some female dancers, um... Courtney, Lauren, Donyelle, Heidi, Jeanine. I'm sure I'm forgetting people. Argh! Anyways, the host, choreographers, and judges are all pretty fantastic as well. My favorites are Mia Michaels, NappyTabs, and of course Cat Deeley.

Is it a perfect show? Not at all. Is it a fun show? Almost inherently so. And it's a perfect summer reality show. No crazy infighting. No fake drama. Just dancers doing what they do best: dancing. Plain and simple. In fact it's less of a guilty pleasure show, it's just all pleasure.

TV Meme: Day 15

"30 Days TV Meme"


Day 15 | Favorite female character

Even with a lot more candidates to choose from than the men, this was an easier choice to make. I knew I was always going to say Willow Rosenburg from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She's my favorite character in my favorite show of all time, so it was pretty much a no-brainer. In my earlier entry on Buffy, I talked about how I personally related to it and well, Willow was the character I related to the most. She was the brainy and shy girl who would rather spend time in the library doing research than going out and partying. Basically, me.

With me relating to her to such a high degree, I found myself seeing the show through her eyes, feeling the emotions she was feeling. If she was sad, I was heartbroken. "Oz... don't you love me?" If she was deliriously happy, I was doing the Snoopy dance. "We're in love. W-we're lovers. We're lesbian, gay-type lovers!" If she was homicidally mad, I was cheering on for everyone's deaths. "Bored now... one down..."

Willow is the one character that probably grew the most from pilot to series finale. She went from bookish shy Willow to band groupie Willow to confident college Willow to powerful Wicca Willow to scary Dark Willow to beautiful goddess Willow. She even donned the leather once or twice to play Vamp Willow. To be honest, seeing Willow come out of her shell is just one of my favorite things from the show.

And I really felt that while she started the show as a sidekick, she grew into a strong lead character in her own right standing side by side with the titular slayer character. Hell, for a few episodes she became the main villain and in the series finale she was instrumental in changing the course of the entire slayer mythology.

Finally, special kudos to Alyson Hannigan for living as the character all those years and going through all those changes. It's a testament to her that I don't ever mistake Lily Aldrin (How I Met Your Mother) or Michelle Flaherty (American Pie) for Willow Rosenberg. Like Oz said, "As Willow goes, so goes my nation."

Honorable Mentions: Buffy Summers and Faith (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Kaylee, Inara, and Zoe (Firefly), Echo, Sierra, and Adelle DeWitt (Dollhouse), Olive Snook (Pushing Daisies), Phoebe Buffay (Friends), Chloe O'Brien (24), President Laura Roslin, Kara "Starbuck" Thrace, and Six (Battlestar Galactica), Rose Tyler, Martha Jones, and Donna Noble (Doctor Who), Lorelai Gilmore (Gilmore Girls), Lily Aldrin (How I Met Your Mother), Sydney Bristow (ALIAS), Juliet and Sun (LOST), Karen Walker (Will & Grace), Betty Suarez (Ugly Betty), Captain Kathryn Janeway (Star Trek Voyager), Nancy Botwin (Weeds), Tara Gregson (United States of Tara), Lisa Simpson (The Simpsons), and I can probably name a few more but I'll stop right now.

TV Meme: Day 14

"30 Days TV Meme"


Day 14 | Favorite male character

The Doctor. Who? Exactly.

Yup, I picked the titular character from the long-running sci-fi series Doctor Who. With that said, however, I can't technically say the Doctor, because he has been played by eleven different men creating essentially eleven different "characters" throughout the years. My favorite, therefore, is the Tenth Doctor played by the one and only David Tennant.

In any of his incarnations, it's pretty difficult not to fall in love with the Doctor. He's brilliant, mysterious, charming,... oh and did I mention that he has a freaking time machine?! I repeat, he has a time machine. As dorky as it is, I wish for the day when I would hear the iconic whirring sounds of the TARDIS, meet the Doctor, and follow him through time and space away from my normal life.

But why Tenth and not the others? Well I enjoyed how David Tennant played cool and crazy simultaneously like it was old hat to him. He took the characteristics I mentioned the Doctor has--brilliant, mysterious, charming--and notched it up a tad all the while remaining totally adorkable with his pinstripe suit, Converse, and thick-rimmed glasses. Tenth was also prone to be very physical and expressive, which I loved. His unforgettable and meaningful relationships with his various companions were also a plus for me.

The Doctor is probably the Hamlet of TV in that every actor is probably dying to play him. [Side Note: David Tennant played Hamlet in the West End while he was still the Doctor. Awesome.] And why not? It's the type of role that's not only inherently fun, but it also enables an actor to go through a range of emotions, from happy to sad to angry to secretive, in a matter of only a few scenes.

Now, I just reread what I wrote and I wished I could've expressed more appropriately why the Doctor, and specifically Tennant's version, is just my favorite male character. I'd say take my word for it, but that's pretty much what I'm doing with this entry, right?

Honorable Mentions: Daniel "Oz" Osbourne (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Jack Bauer (24), Dr. Simon Tam (Firefly), Ianto Jones (Torchwood), Benjamin Linus (LOST), Barney Stinson (How I Met Your Mother), Chandler Bing (Friends), Dexter Morgan (Dexter), Ned (Pushing Daisies), George (Being Human), Victor (Dollhouse), and Dr. Walter Bishop (Fringe).

TV Meme: Day 13

"30 Days TV Meme"


Day 13 | Favorite childhood show

Boy Meets World.

I can't say for certain I've watched every single episode from the very beginning, but I must have after all of these years. I mean, when it was on, it was almost a tradition to watch it on ABC on Friday nights in that network's wonderfully nostalgic "TGIF" lineup. Sadly ABC's Friday night lineup now is usually occupied by lame-ass reality shows.

The show really should've been called Two Boys and a Girl Meet World. It revolved around the friendships of Cory Matthews (Ben Savage), Shawn Hunter (Rider Strong), and Topanga Lawrence (Danielle Fishel) as they all go through the trials and tribulations of growing up. We follow them from middle school to high school and finally to college.

There was really nothing groundbreaking or even particularly special about the show, but it was great seeing kids roughly my age (I was about five or so years younger than the characters) on TV go through the whole growing up thing. I watched as Cory ran from Topanga because she was a weirdo, then years later kissing her in Disney World and finally marrying her. I watched Shawn go from goof ball to rebel to alcoholic to poet. I watched Topanga use lipstick to paint all over her face as a sign of protest to proposing to Cory during their high school graduation. And, of course, I watched Mr. Feeny (Fe-ee-ee-ny) go from their middle school teacher to their high school principal and finally as their college professor... really.

Shockingly, it's been awhile since I've seen an episode. This must be rectified ASAP.

TV Meme: Day 12

"30 Days TV Meme"


Day 12 | An episode you've watched more than 5 times

Most of the episodes in my Day 01 and Day 04 answers definitely. Of course, my Day 06 answer as well as all of the episodes that contain my answers from Day 09.

So instead of retreading those particular episodes/TV shows, I'll turn back the clock just a tad (or a lot) and pick an episode from I Love Lucy that EVERYONE should've watched more than 5 times in their lifetime. If not, you have not yet LIVED.

"Lucy Does a TV Commercial" (Season 1, Episode 30)

This episode probably contains the funniest sketch in the history of television and it's all right there in the title. Lucy is asked to promote a medicinal drink that contains "vitamins, meat, vegetables, and minerals." The fact that it also contained 23% alcohol and the director kept asking Lucy to repeat the commercial until it was perfect leads to expected and hilarious consequences [Youtube clip]. I dare you to watch the episode, or even just the clip, and say these lines of dialogue with a straight face:

Hello friends. I'm your Vitameatavegamin girl. Are you tired, run-down, listless? Do you poop out at parties? Are you unpopular? The answer to all your problems is in this little bottle. Vitameatavegamin. Yes, Vitameatavegamin contains Vitamins Meat Vegetables and Minerals. Yes, with Vitameatavegamin, you can spoon your way to health. All you do is take a great big tablespoonful after every meal. Mmmmmmm..... It's so tasty, too! Tastes just like candy! So why don't you join all the thousands of happy peppy people and get a great big bottle of Vitameatavegamin tomorrow! That's Vita-meata-vegamin! (wink)

Just a brilliant actress in a brilliant moment on television. The faces she makes after she tastes the drink for the first time are reason enough to watch this episode. Also her delivery of "Do you pop out at parties? Are you un-poop-ular? Well, are you?" gets me every single time. So whenever it's on TV, I make sure to tune in. In fact I was sucked into watching this scene on Youtube just yesterday!

TV Meme: Day 11

"30 Days TV Meme"


Day 11 | A show that disappointed you

This is easy. I declared Heroes as my favorite new show of the season during its debut. Three seasons after that, the show has been canceled, and all I feel is relief that it's been put out of its misery. Sad isn't it?

God only knows where it went wrong. It may have started as early as the S1 finale where all the build-up led to a severely anti-climactic showdown between two of its powerful characters, Peter and Sylar. The show would've recovered quickly except they followed it up with a tepid sophomore season that, among other unwelcome developments, saw the slow character assassination of Hiro as well as the introduction of eye-roll-inducing characters of Maya and her brother Alejandro.

The Writer's Strike affected a lot of shows, but since Heroes was already bleeding viewers, the strike did it no favors and while the latter half of the third season was up a bit creatively, at that point no one cared. The fourth season wasn't bad and in fact is probably the show's best season since its first. Unfortunately for them, no one was watching it anymore.

Even now as I write this, you can tell the lack of passion I have for this show. Tim Kring, creator of Heroes, vows to work out a deal with NBC to deliver a 2-hour epilogue of sorts. As a former fan and a hopeless optimist, I'm hoping it works out and that they can recapture some of the magic the show had during its first season.