TV Report: Week of 1/29

February Sweeps started this past Thursday so for the next month of so, there will be a full schedule of new TV shows. There's also the Super Bowl taking place tonight in Indianapolis between the Giants and the Patriots. But let's first take a look back at the TV week that was and speaking of Indiana...


Pawnee Celebrates Valentine's Day

Another great Parks and Recreation episode this past week which opened with the celebration of Galentine's Day, the day before Valentine's Day. (Sidenote: All day today though I keep imagining how epic Leslie Knope's Super Bowl party would be especially this year with it happening in her home state). The rest of the episode was just as perfect with highlights containing Leslie trying to set Ann up, Ben going on an epic romantic scavenger hunt from Leslie (with the help of Andy and a delightfully giddy Ron), and a depressed heartbroken Chris. So basically... every plot line. The fandom saw glimpses of Ann/Tom way back so in this case the show seems to be trying to catch up and I'm actually excited by this pairing. Could be a case of SO WRONG being SO RIGHT. The Party Down reunion with Adam Scott and Martin Starr was also great.

New Girl Becomes More Friend-ly

Remember last season when Big Bang Theory had the master stroke of bringing in two girls in order to give Penny her own world away from the guys and thereby giving the show some renewed vigor? Well New Girl seems to be doing the same much earlier in its run as evident in this last new episode with Jess having to deal with Nick's new girlfriend Julia (played by Party Down alum Lizzy Caplan) as well as having extended scenes with best friend Cece and random new character Sadie. The latter is a lesbian and thus have fantastic scenes with Schmidt (who had lots of things to do this episode and bringing it each time). Julia is like the anti-Jess and the dynamics between the two, just by themselves or playing off of Nick, are just wonderful. The show still has no clue what to do Wilson though which is a total bummer.

Another Delicious Ham for The Good Wife

Let's hope these ham sandwich episodes become a yearly tradition in The Good Wife, because they're always so good. The main story had to do with Wendy Scott-Carr presenting her case against Will Gardner in front of a grand jury, which had plenty of drama in its own right, but the episode also had a great meeting of the minds with Eli and Stacie whose rivalry tickles me a bit. As for the grand jury deal, Wendy held her own, but Elsbetch and crew was too much for her. The latter's strategy to try and connect Peter to the investigation was genius and forced Wendy to go after Alicia's sexual relationship with Will. Julianna Marguilies was fantastic in this scene as she was with her scene with Peter earlier asking him to back off Will. Just the perfect amount of desperation and resolve. In other news, Dana slapped Kalinda making me go "OH NO SHE DIN'T!" Though I wonder if this means not-so-good things re: Alicia's forged signature.

Fringe Doubles on Awesome with Two Astrids

It's been a long time coming, but this week's Fringe episode finally gave the wonderfully fantastic Jasika Nicole somewhat of a substantial storyline with her alt-self traversing into our universe to meet herself after her father passed away. Seeing the two interact is just as delightful as seeing any of the other characters do the same, but the emotional undercurrent, especially with the relationship both of them had seemingly with their fathers, made this even more affecting. Not to mention the interesting juxtaposition of their relationship with Walter with our Astrid sometimes treating him like a child while alt-Astrid almost making him a substitute father. Big thumbs up for Nicole and I wished we got more of this even though it feels like a one-time thing. Lovely scenes with Anna Torv as well especially her scenes with Peter (as our Olivia) and with Walter (as alt-Olivia).

Other Miscellaneous TV Thoughts

I probably shouldn't have laughed when Blaine got injured, Quinn got accepted into Yale, and Rachel accepted Finn's proposal in Glee, but I did (though how fabulous was Naya Rivera singing Smooth Criminal?)... Haven't seen Gossip Girl in two years, but I did quickly check out its 100th episode to see if they would reveal the identity of the titular character and they did, though a bit anti-climatically... Speaking of shows I never blog about, Grey's Anatomy had one trippy alt-reality episode which was fun as an exercise, but a bit exasperating all the same... Once Upon A Time may not be flawless, but I do like how they constantly mix and match stories such as this week's genie of Agrabah becoming trapped inside the Evil Queen's mirror via his own wish... Loved Liz and Jack going at each other in 30 Rock with Liz getting training from an old training video made my Jack; it's Jack-off... And finally Ringer is back and there seems to be a new bitch in town and I'm not talking about Siobhan finally making her New York comeback. So with that, let's go NEW YORK GIANTS!

TV Report: Week of 1/1

I think the idea behind my weekly TV rankings is solid, but I'm continually trying to figure out the best way to offer up my thoughts on the shows I watch. The problem is I just watch too much and the amount of what I have to say varies from show to show and even week to week. So with that said, I think I'm going to do without weekly rankings and if I don't have much to say about a show, I won't talk about it (though maybe just in passing?). And so it begins...

Forgettable CBS Monday Episodes

I get why CBS decided to air new episodes of How I Met Your Mother and 2 Broke Girls especially with an NYE-theme episode of the former, but talk about being wholly forgettable and largely filler. Mother had good elements that never really gelled together. Barney and Ted's lifelong dream of opening up the bar should've made more of an impact than it did and Robin's big on-screen moment was also similarly anticlimactic. Marshall and Lily having separate "dad moments" gave the episode an uplifting ending, but not their best efforts. Girls went into the world of extreme couponing and Occupy Bathroom Tampons. I don't even want to go into it really.

ABC Wednesday Makes Strong Return

Let's just say the weakest episode on this night went to a solid Modern Family episode which tells you how strong this night is for this network. Any episode of Suburgatory where Tessa is forced to spend most of her scenes with Dalia, hilariously played by Carly Chaikin, is always excellent. Dalia BTW is like Regina and Karen from Mean Girls rolled into one. Modern Family delivers a somewhat boring episode with the only highlights coming from a paranoid Phil thinking he's about to die and Claire, Cam, and Mitchell eying Manny's father. Happy Endings was enjoyable as ever mostly because I loved the pairing of Max/Jane (competing for a matching sweater) and Alex/Brad (finding out they share a love of rom coms). The Penny/Dave possibly subplot intrigues, but I need more to jump on board.

Of course last but definitely NOT the least was a new episode of Revenge where Tyler pretty much went off the deep end and it was so absolutely, and sometimes terrifyingly, a joy to watch. Tyler ate up most of the episode going up against Conrad then Daniel then poor Nolan before holding most of the main cast under hostage. Of course he is taken down and it's tough to say goodbye to Ashton Holmes, but they didn't kill him and since this is a soap, I'm sure we'll see him down the line hopefully with his hot brother in tow. In other news, Victoria is fighting two battles, one with Emily for Daniel's affections and one with Conrad in regards to their divorce. Can't wait to see her play dirtier as she gets more desperate.

Brief Thoughts on Dark Thursdays

I don't blog about Grey's Anatomy, but I do still watch it and this latest episode, the second part of a two-parter that began before the holidays, was great if only for Sandra Oh's performance. Actually I also give props to Kim Raver whose devastation was so well-played by the actress and gut-wrenching to watch. As for The Secret Circle, it was a fairly middling episode even though I did like that they didn't drag out the gang knowing about Cassie's possible dark side. I am getting tired of whatever plan Dawn and Charles are trying to cook up as well as Faye's one-mindedness of being such a bitch.

And Some Final Reservations for Supernatural

This season hasn't been awful. It actually started out strong and the last new episode before the break where Bobby died was one of their best. And yet, I'm just finding myself not caring as much about these brothers. This is one of those shows where I've stopped having actual things to say and I'll probably stop talking about it in the weeks to come unless something big happens.

Creative Arts Emmy Winners

A couple of early Emmy trophies were handed out this weekend at the Creative Arts Emmys ceremony.

As expected Oscar-winner Gwyneth Paltrow won her first Emmy award for guest starring role in Glee. Guest Actor in Comedy went to Emmy-favorite Justin Timberlake, who also won Best Original Music and Lyrics for his Saturday Night Live monologue. Guest Actor and Actress in a Drama went to two unexpected people with Paul McCrane (Harry's Law) and Loretta Devine (Grey's Anatomy) beating out presumed front-runners Michael J. Fox, Julia Stiles, and Joan Cusack. A bit sad those two ladies didn't win, but not really since I'm a fan of Devine and she really did wonderful this season with her character coping with Alzheimer's.

The big winner of the night though was HBO's Boardwalk Empire which picked up seven awards including Casting and Editing. These wins could signal a big night for the show during the Primetime Emmys when it goes head to head with Mad Men and Game of Thrones. Casting awards were also given to Glee and Mildred Pierce while How I Met Your Mother and Cinema Verite picked up the other series Editing awards. It's also important to note that Boardwalk Empire also won Visual Effects over the much flashier Game of Thrones.

Other noteworthy results include Jeff Probst (Survivor) winning Reality Host for the fourth consecutive time robbing Cat Deeley or Phil Keoghan their deserved win, The Kennedy Center Honors (with Oprah Winfrey and Paul McCartney) winning Variety Special over Lady Gaga's Monster Ball Tour, Futurama beating out South Park and The Simpsons for Animated Program, and So You Think You Can Dance taking two Choreography Emmy awards.

The most interesting thing about the awards, I thought, was the spread-the-wealth mentality of voters when it came to the Miniseries category with Mildred Pierce (3 wins), The Kennedys (3 wins), and Downton Abbey (2 wins) unable to dominate over the other shows. Who do you think is the frontrunner in this category?

Click here to see the complete list of winners. The Primetime Emmys are September 17th.

March TV Report: Part 2

I'm so bad at keeping up with these TV reports, but I'm going to keep trying. There's actually been a lot of good TV lately. I marathoned the first season of Shameless (US) and also finished up Big Love over the past few days. Thoughts on those two are forthcoming. For now, here are my regular shows that I watched during the past two weeks...

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER - Barney finally meets his dad and it's the Trinity Killer! The casting of John Lithgow was a bit of a surprise, but I think the chemistry between the two Emmy-winning actors was just right. That basketball hoop scene is sure to be on the short list of Neil Patrick Harris' Emmy submission clips. The rest of the episode was great too with the rest of the gang talking about knowledge gaps such as Ted mispronouncing "chameleon" and Robin not believing that the North Pole was real. So basically, the episode was aces.

CASTLE - Not much to say really, except I think I'm liking what they're doing with Beckett/Castle. Their relationship isn't really a "will they/won't they" it's more of a "they will when they're ready" type of thing and the show is walking that fine line. It helps that Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic are adorable together. The cases themselves aren't really worthy of praise though I do love that I usually can't guess who the killer is until it's revealed.

THE GOOD WIFE - The past two episodes have been super important for Kalinda. Not only did we get a bombshell of a reveal at the end of last week's episode when Blake (good riddance BTW!) told Kalinda about knowing she slept with Peter, but then to see Kalinda trying to keep it all together this week was something to behold. Archie Panjabi is earning her Emmy win this season and then some. And while Julianna Margulies is dependably awesome here, I don't know how this show existed without Alan Cumming. Plus what they are doing with Cary? Just perfect in every way, from his relationship with Kalinda to his interactions with his old firm and Alicia. Though I just wish he'd come back, you know?

MODERN FAMILY - Last week's episode was cute especially Phil/Claire freaking out about Luke hanging out with their elderly neighbor. But it was the gay boys night out that really was a treat since it's been so long since a Mitchell/Cameron storyline was my favorite for an episode. It helped that they had help from Crispin, Longinus, and Pepper (hint: gay friends if you couldn't tell) as well as Jay, but overall fun times!

COMMUNITY - I haven't seen My Dinner With Andre so I didn't get the reference, but all of the Pulp Fiction stuff were legendary. And yet while that was what the promo focused on, I really did like the "deep talk" that Abed and Jeff had, especially Jeff pouring out some of his deepest secrets. Kudos to Joel McHale for pulling them off. Also, yay for all of the Cougar Town shout outs. Of course now we need Abed to actually appear on aforementioned show to make it all the more epic.


THE OFFICE - A bucket for my tears! That was what I needed while watching last week's episode! The whole proposal thing wasn't a surprise, but the way Michael Scott did it was just so him and so perfect and so touching. I bet the candles were responsible for more waterworks than the sprinklers they set off in that scene. Steve Carrell and Amy Ryan were phenomenal and both will be greatly missed. And then to end the wholly entertaining episode with the faces of the Dunder Mifflin crew as Michael tells them the inevitable news of his departure was inspired.

PARKS & REC - Another strong episode especially following a nearly flawless one. Most of it again is due to the strength of the ensemble, but I loved how they humanized the Leslie Knope character by her undergoing this mini-crisis of faith. Of course all of the camping hijinks were great and I certainly loved all of the Adam Scott/Amy Poehler chemistry throughout.

BIG BANG THEORY - First things first, kick-ass Penny is an awesome Penny. Also her scenes with Bernadette and Amy has consistently brought me more laughs than what the boys are usually up to and it's the same for this most recent episode. Are the boys shtick getting too tiresome for me? Maybe a little, but a least with most of them hooked up we don't need to have a "must meet girls" storyline that were muddily handled in earlier seasons.

GREY'S ANATOMY - Don't usually talk about this show, but I felt compelled to say something about the "musical event" episode. First, the cast did wonderfully singing. Granted the superstars were, for me, Sara Ramirez and Kevin McKidd, but every single one should feel proud. The episode itself was a bit of a mess. Emotional? Of course since the lives of one of their own AND her baby were hanging in the balance. A few songs added to this, but others didn't. In fact some songs were just plain BAD. They should've trimmed some of the singing and invested more time on the story. But hey, could've been worse I suppose!

FRINGE - First of all, YES FOR THIS SHOW BEING RENEWED! So we at least have one more year of this insane ride of a show. Now there's no new episode tomorrow, but last week's trip to the Other Side will keep its fans going. All of the twists and turns that episode took gave me whiplash. The accelerated pregnancy was horrifying as was the discovery that it was all masterminded by Walternate. Evil, evil Walternate! The Observers are keeping an eye out and Lee/Charlie are also starting to suspect something! Speaking of, Seth Gabel and Anna Torv (who has been on fire ALL SEASON BTW) together is wonderful. Oh and I nearly forgot about the reappearance of Henry! Good ol' Henry.

TV Report: 2/14-2/18

Just a few quick thoughts on some of the shows I watched this past week...

How I Met Your Mother - Even though they failed at handling the Barney/Robin relationship last season, I'm still hoping they are the endgame so I'm not too worried about them suddenly giving Barney a love interest. Plus Robin was so chill about it that frankly it was refreshing. With that said, before the girl, Robin/Barney were supposed to spend Valentine's Day together playing laser tag. Say it with me, AWWW. Though my favorite part of the episode revolved around Lily's frustration with Marshall not being able to move on and Marshall finally learning how to. Dare I say that these two really have been the MVPs these season?

Mad Love - I'm sorry did I fall asleep and see a less funny version of How I Met Your Mother, because that's exactly what it felt like watching this new show. I really like the actors here, but the pilot was ridiculously uninteresting. I'm going to give this show lots of chances since I usually just turn off my TV after HIMYM anyways, but it needs to get better fast.

Greek - Haven't talked about this show much, but it's pretty much just a guilty pleasure and I'm just enjoying its last season. But just have to commend the cast for handling that fun and intense episode with all of them holed up in a bar to celebrate Calvin's birthday enabling them all to air out every little drama the group may have.

Castle - Like most episodes of this show, I *love* it as I watch, but quickly forget about it after. For this episode though it was hard to forget because we really got to see Castle get invested emotionally with the case. There was one point, early on, when I thought I had solved the case. The show proved me wrong though. And even if they're just going out for a quick drink in the afternoon, Beckett/Castle are still doing so during Valentine's Day. Say it with me now, AWWWW.

Glee - All of the Bieber stuff was a bit nauseating to be honest, but everything else wasn't so bad. I was thrilled Mercedes and Rachel had a diva-off by singing "Take Me or Leave Me" and was also very happy they covered My Chemical Romance's "Sing" and sang it well. The plot was not memorable, but what else is new?

V - Haven't mentioned it in the past because I am a fan, but the dialogue in this show is often times atrocious. With that said, who was listening to them when this episode had torture, explosions, gun fight, and everything in between. Elizabeth Mitchell had to do A LOT in this episode and like always she pulled it off expertly. Her final war cry in the end gave me goosebumps.

The Good Wife - I am so upset that Will lied to Alicia after it took her ALL THIS TIME to work up the nerve to confront him about the missing voicemail! But really why talk about that when we could instead talk about Kalinda who had a flirtatious dinner with a female fed then played sexual poker (or Russian roulette?) with Blake ending with her knocking him down with a bat. But Blake had the last laugh and gave us something to chew on in the meantime, he called her HUSBAND? What does this mean?! Show, stop being so good, please.

Modern Family - I'm actually not a huge fan of guest stars in this show especially if there are more than one. I just think the family is wacky enough and almost all of the best episodes this series has had to offer contain no guest stars. This episode didn't change my mind in that regard, but still lots of quality stuff like Luke trying to be cute, Cam's need to bring out his inner Fizbo (and his fight with the princess), and drunk Gloria is always good.

Mr. Sunshine - If the best part about the episode was Nick Jonas acting like an asshole then this show has a huge problem. I don't know what to say really.

Big Bang Theory - Quick confession, after the first commercial break I dozed off. I'm pretty sure it wasn't because of the episode and more because I was exhausted. Of course I also then watched most of NBC's shows that night AFTER my quick nap, so I dont know what to say.

Community - This was a mixed episode for me in that I find the Pierce's character completely intolerable and his mere presence actually lessens my enjoyment to the show. With that said, everyone else, with their storylines, dialogue, actions, whatever, were brilliant from Britta's explanabrag to Abed's documentary to Donald Glover proving he's the MVP of this show with his reaction to meeting Levar Burton. His tearful rendition of the Reading Rainbow theme song was sheer comedic genius. Oh and there's the Firefly shout out which made my heart grow three sizes bigger. Good one.

The Office - I'm a fair-weather fan of this show so I wasn't that invested in seeing Michael's movie that he's supposedly been working on since S2 so I actually thought the episode sucked with the exception of seeing old characters come back, which was great fun and frankly a highly creative way to bring those people back for Carrell's swan song season.

Parks & Recreation - Ben Wyatt, you're a beautiful human disaster and I love you for it. It's been great seeing Adam Scott play mostly the straight man for these past few episodes, but letting his crazy side go here was much needed and he did it perfectly and without compromising his character. It was also really nice to see Andy/April get together finally in the end of this episode. I expect more cuteness from them from now on!

30 Rock - To be honest, I only really enjoyed the last few minutes of the episode when Liz was putting together the whole plan of them helping her to move on after her breakup with Carol. Other than that, I actually didn't feel much about the episode.

Grey's Anatomy - It was a Meredith-centric episode and I didn't hate it. In fact, I very much liked it. Maybe because the episode was so tight or maybe it's because I have come to realization that my hate for Meredith dissipated a season or so ago. Or all of the above.

Fringe - I'll handwave the deus ex machina ending especially since (a) they had to do that and (b) it might be important to this season's endgame. All of the Peter/Olivia stuff obviously interests me, so nothing in regards to that changed with this episode. But I really do like how slowly but surely, our Walter and our world are transforming into Walternate and the alternate world. I mean Walter was THIS close to quarantining a building! The promos for next week also got me way too excited!

My plan for this 3-day weekend is to finish the entire series of Friday Night Lights which I only started watching last Thursday. I'm two episodes away from finishing the third season. After that it's only 26 episodes and that's totally doable.

Wednesday/Thursday TV Report: Obama Interrupted

President Obama's speech at the memorial for the Arizona shooting Wednesday night wreaked havoc at the prime time line-up. ABC had to preempt Cougar Town and therefore had a lesser base to work with for the debut of their new show Off the Map, which they then decided to repeat the following day after a new Grey's Anatomy episode.

Modern Family - Loved all three storylines this week. It was lovely seeing 24's Mary Lynn Rajskub on TV again, if only briefly, as Mitchell's high school girlfriend. I admit, I didn't see the twist in the end there, but how awesomely melodramatic were Cameron and Mitchell at the possibility of Mitchell being a possible father to her kid? Also funny was Gloria convincing their house guests that Jay was slow in the head and the hilarious mis-communication between the house guests and Manny/Jay to confirm Gloria's lies was absolutely priceless. But I've saved the best for last because again we have an episode that shows how PERFECT Claire and Phil are together. They love cheesy, dumb 3D sequels and horrible puns and Phil even said, "I love us." I love them, too.

Cougar Town - Pre-empted for next week, but apparently they reference Community, so already I know I'm going to love it.

Off the Map - Here's the thing, I *really like* the three young actors involved and they are pretty much the reason why I'm watching. With that said, the show itself at the moment feels very unremarkable. Many have said it's Grey's Anatomy in a jungle, and for the most part it's pretty true. The setting though, while exotic, actually makes the pacing a bit slower than if it was set in another hospital dragging the show down, at least in the pilot. The character themselves don't really make any indelible impression on me, but I'm hoping that changes. It's also a wee bit distracting when I notice certain locations that were used in Lost. In any case, I will give this show some time to find its sea legs, but not too much. I find it's getting easier for me to just drop shows out of whim.

Grey's Anatomy - Was anyone else a bit blindsided by Callie's bombshell news at the end there? I mean I guess it's not so shocking, but I spent so much of the episode getting angry at Callie for being so stubborn, that now to find there was actually a reason for her bitchiness throughout the episode, it was a lot to swallow. The whole conceit with the first year students and the evaluations and the race for chief was just okay for me. Great seeing Buffy alum Adam Busch go toe to toe with Christina though. Don't get me started on the whole Teddy marrying for insurance thing. I initially thought I'd like it, but now I'm not sure.

Thursday TV Report: Formulaic Big Bang, Resurgent Grey's

Big Bang Theory - An okay first episode after the break, but I'm finding myself not really REMEMBERING a lot after I watch. I recall surface things like the guys working on a mathematical app to sell, but not having an easy time with Sheldon. I also remember Sheldon and Penny connecting in the stairs, Jim Parson's nice baritone voice, and Penny nicely using Sheldon's study on "sarcasm" to unload him back to the guys. But doesn't it seem like most episodes one's reaction can be summed up as this: "Oh hey that episode was good! I think. Penny and Sheldon did something awesome. And the other guys did something else. Oh and Sheldon was really funny." I know sitcoms are inherently formulaic, but I guess after HIMYM's brilliant episode earlier this week, I expected more?

Grey's Anatomy - This particularly strong episode seemed to be the dramatic end of the arc that started during last season's intense finale with a shooter loose in the hospital. This past season, the hospital and its residents have been trying to move on and deal with the aftermath of such a tragic and traumatizing event with the bulk of the story focused on Cristina who found it harder than the rest to move on. In this most recent episode, she and the rest of the hospital had to face that tragedy they all experienced a few months back as they had to take care of the victims of a shooting at a local university. In light of the recent supermarket shooting in Arizona that happened yesterday, the episode now seems to be something more. The scenes when we see a whole community stand in front of the hospital holding a candlelight vigil was especially heartfelt and touching. It was nicely handled by everyone involved and again it was wonderful to see Cristina finally back to her old form.

TV Report: Quick Catch-Up

Haven't talked about TV for a few days which puts me severely behind. So just a few very quick thoughts.

Community - Loved this episode. Wished it lasted an hour. Couldn't even tell you my favorite part, but kudos to Alison Brie and Don Glover especially. Oh and Abed ignoring the gay flirtation to talk about a sci-fi show is basically MY LIFE.

30 Rock - I shouldn't have liked the episode, but for some reason I did. Usually hate Kenneth, but his pig-daddy story was oddly hilarious, and Alec Baldwin saved the mess that could've been Tracy's storyline.

Grey's Anatomy - Kind of wish Christina would just get over it already. But she cried so that's a step! No comment on Lexie/Mark, but Arizona is back! Yay! Callie why did you close the door on her? ARGH! You are usually amazing, but not at that moment!

Fringe - Great episode! The Olivia's are back to the universes they belong in. The only thing it cost was Alt-Broyles' life (RIP) and a lot of angst from the Bishop men. Walter gets kudos for coining the term VAGENDA and Peter... oh Peter, next week is going to be brutal for him.

Supernatural - Castiel was on-form and awesome. Let me list the ways: bones on fire, pizza guy, angel boner, and demon make-out session. Perfect. RIP to Crowley, but glad they're moving the plot forward. But what to make of Sam's soul being Lucifer's chew toy? Intriguing!

Brothers & Sisters - Appreciate the appearance of Ryan Devlin. He's everywhere on ABC! Kevin on drugs was a bit slapstick-y and the whole episode itself wasn't that great to begin with. Oh well.

Amazing Race - Final three was decided last week with Nick/Vicki majorly screwed up. If they caught the same flight out, MAYBE they could've caught up, but doubtful. Two of the three final teams are all-female teams. I will be rooting for one of them to win!

TV Report Catching Up

Just a couple of quick thoughts on a bunch of shows. And I swear I'll start posting stuff other than my "quick thoughts on TV" in the next few days.

Thursday, 11/11

Community - If I said it was perfect, you probably would think I was overselling it, but whatever, I thought it was brilliant. Started worrying about the show the past few weeks (not including the great zombie episode), but this was like back to S1 brilliance. This show is so very good when the talented ensemble bounce lines from each other and reflect on their messed-up relationship/connections and this "bottle episode" was all of that. I've seen it THREE times already. Definitely my favorite episode of the season so far.

Fringe - The fact that no one is watching this show pains me, but only because they are just missing out on a really damn good sci-fi storyline. Can't say enough how much I'm loving this season and its back-and-forth on the two universes and the wonder that is Anna Torv. Also props to the costume/makeup department as well for making the two characters different enough that we, the audience, can see the differences while at the same the other characters don't.

Grey's Anatomy - Kind of glad Calllie's mourning period seemd to have lasted a day. I don't think I can handle Callie being all downtrodden AGAIN because of a relationship (George, Hahn, now Arizona). Plus she totally got a bitchin' haircut. Still not sure what they're doing with Cristina, but interesting that she's dealing with it with Derek and not with Meredith or her husband. I hope they don't follow the same storyline with Alex/new peds attending as they did with Cristina/Hahn. Though I'm totally looking fwd to seeing the awkwardness that will be Alex/April/Avery (wow that's a lot of A-names) after the events of this week's episode.

30 Rock - Nearly forgot what the episode was about, but then John Slattery popped into my head and it all came flooding back. Not sure how I felt about it. The pants/politics storyline was a little heavy handed and not particularly hilarious. And in a bit of switcheroo, I actually found the Tracy/Jenna antics much funnier this week. Not sure if that's good or bad, but let's just put that in the plus column and call it a day.

Big Bang Theory - It was the return of Evil Will Wheaton, but to be honest I could've done without the guy portion of the episode and would've probably just preferred a full episode on just those three girls in their slumber party. They were hilarious and it's so nice the show has some fresh blood now and a nice bit of estrogen to boot!

Friday, 11/12

Supernatural - Castiel-less episode and y'all know how I feel about that. But if I thought last week was anti-climactic, well then this episode wouldn't have fared better. It was pretty much a freak-of-the-week episode except this time Crowley is directly telling them to go after it. The story itself was nothing to write home about and the only "redeeming" quality about the episode was the scene at the very end when Sam basically tells Dean he didn't care about him. Ouch. Also, WHERE ARE THEY GOING WITH THIS?

Sunday, 11/14

The Amazing Race - Ugh. In terms of location, challenges, and all of that the show is still aces, but WORST EPISODE EVER since all of the teams I love ended up in the back while teams I hate/don't care about made it to the top three. What's worst is that my most hated team Chad/Stephanie pretty much OWNED the episode. First they showed up TWO HOURS late to the pit star, which I've never EVER seen before, and when you thought this would mean the end of this obnoxious team they quickly recover and pretty much lead the entire episode. But oh wait, what's this? Chad is proposing to her? GAG GAG KILL ME. They get first place and it's all honeymoon and lollipops. UGH. The race for elimination was brutal since it was between two teams I love. Nat/Kat overtook Dan/Mallory and thus the cute father/daughter team is no more. Damn.

Brothers & Sisters - Pretty much a Luc episode with his mom issues so it was a snoozer. Kevin & Scotty seemed to be working through their issues, but other than that nothing much to report there. Norah is getting jiggy with it with Karl aka Jack's dead dad from Lost while Justin is getting jiggy with it with every other woman including Luc's mom (AWKWARD!). Overall, meh. WHY IS LUC A CHARACTER? WASTE OF SPACE!

Thursday TV Report

Due to a prior obligation, I started watching Thursday's shows very late (11:30pm) that night. Shockingly I actually got through a good chunk of them only having to see ABC's dramas the next day. With that said, lots to talk about so...

Fringe continues to astound me this season and thank God baseball season is over, because I honestly couldn't wait another week for this story to move forward and move forward it did! This week's episode saw Olivia finally discovering that she doesn't belong in this alt-universe. Her scene at the very end of the episode (seeing the view from Ellis Island, calling up her niece) was exciting and heartbreaking at the same time. I honestly didn't know Anna Torv had it in her until this season and bravo to her! But even though I know things will come to a head and inevitably order will be restored, I'm going to severely miss the alt-version of the Fringe team, pretty Agent Lincoln Lee most of all. BTW the freak-of-the-week case was a little too on point, but it's nice seeing the Ashmore twins work together for once and we already learned people stuck in amber are fully aware. OMG I'm going to have never-ending nightmares.

On to the NBC comedies and well, I found them both a bit lacking this week. In fact, in the case of 30 Rock, the only thing I can remember is the end tag of the episode showing us a montage of Liz's opinions on possible names for Jack's baby. Oh wait, I just remembered Jenna writing her own obituary. Okay, that was a little funny too. In Community, it was a good episode, but it felt off just a bit. Maybe it was because the group was divided into two smaller groups or that the trampoline storyline was too weird (and a zombie attack to the tune of ABBA last week wasn't?). I did love the payoff in the end with the racist gardener. Caught me off guard and it was definitely a highlight. Hilary Duff didn't make any huge impact, but I guess that's better than ruining things. BTW this is a bitch free zone.

Finally, we got three shows that were invaded by Buffy the Vampire Slayer alums which forced me to watch one show I stopped watching. The first was Eliza Dushku appearing along side Sheldon and the gang in the Big Bang Theory as an FBI agent. Sad to say she made very little impact and didn't even deliver any fun lines. I actually wasn't particular a fan of the episode except for three scenes: (1) Leonard being confident and hot to Raj in the cafeteria, (2) PENNY IS BACK PENNY IS BACK and she had a scene with Sheldon, and (3) Sheldon's touching gesture of offering Howard his spot. But I want to go back to that second scene, YES she's back. Please, never ever ever go away again. The show needs you more than I realized.

The super talented Amber Benson showed up on Grey's Anatomy and she delivered the goods as one of the patient's estranged daughter. Her scenes weren't plentiful, but they all packed emotional wallop. The episode itself was good as well and I really need to stop referring to this show as a show I once loved, because this season I've "liked" episodes more than I've "hated" which is an accomplishment that's worth its due. The Callie/Arizona ending was not completely shocking, but it hurts just the same and seeing April shine against Hunt and Alex was nice. Not sure what to think about Cristina's storyline. Guess we'll see where they take it.

Last but not least, Nicholas Brendon turned in a magnificent performance as a deranged rapist in Private Practice. His performance was so good, I was afraid I'd never be able to watch old episode of Buffy ever again. But the episode belonged to KaDee Strickland who played the rape and assault victim, Charlotte King. A lot of the scenes were understandably hard to watch and I just have to give her props for really taking this storyline for this character and putting it her all. Brilliant job from her and the rest of the cast in this intense and unforgettable episode. Many are already shouting her name for an Emmy nomination. I'd vote for her in a heartbeat.

TV Report Catching Up

Because Halloween kind of delayed this a bit, here are my recent TV thoughts:

Thursday, 10/28

Community - I would just like to thank the cast and crew for forever fusing the music of ABBA and the zombie apocalypse together in my mind. Hilarious episode from beginning to end, from Dean Pelton eeriely appropriate Gaga get-up to Troy's sexy Dracula costume to the randomly flying cat to the George Takei's framing narration. Well done!

Big Bang Theory - It's clear, from Kaley Cuoco's absence, that this show needs her back. Sheldon is great, but it's really just not the same without him playing off of Penny. As funny as Sheldon's ordeal with avoiding meeting Amy's parents, him not going to Penny for advice was too big of an inconsistency to get over. Too bad. Though the end tag with Sheldon and Amy lying to her mom about their sex lives was a beautiful thing.

Grey's Anatomy - I loved this episode. There, I said it. The annoying parts of the characters were kept to a minimum because the documentary structure just couldn't entertain them. Plus it's such a good follow-up to last season's finale especially seeing Ryan Devlin and Mandy Moore as a young couple who very much went through the same ordeal these doctors did. The last 10 minutes were heartbreaking though. Damn you show!

Fringe was still way-laid by baseball (boo! hiss!) while 30 Rock took a breather for a Shrek-tastic Halloween special.

Friday, 10/29

Supernatural - Probably weird to complain about this aspect of the show since I know A LOT of people watch the show because of it, but DAMN I'm SOOOO tired of the drama between these two brothers. I cheered Lisa on when she finally told Dean what I was thinking i.e. his relationship with his brother ain't fucking healthy. Oh I get there's a bond and a history and yadda yadda but COME ON. Plus this whole "no soul" thing isn't exactly A-grade original in sci-fi/fantasy films so I'll reserve my thoughts on that "mind-blowing" plotline until next week. At least Castiel was back, if only for a few minutes.

Sunday, 10/31

The Amazing Race - What is it going to take to get rid of Nick/Vicki? When I heard the challenges for the Detour, I was ready to pack their bags for them. Unfortunately it was a non-elimination leg and they survive another day. At least this meant all my favorites are also still in the race. I especially appreciated how challenged they all were of the tasks they had to do in this leg. Frustrations breed entertainment!

Brothers & Sisters - It was just a bit painful to watch the drama unfold between Kevin & Scotty. I still don't really buy Scotty actually cheating on Kevin, but other than that contrived plot point, the two actors did a phoenomenal job. Oh other things happened to other characters, but as per usual it's so difficult to care.

TV Report Catching Up

Birthday festivities got in the way on my regular TV postings (and frankly) watching. Still catching up so here's a few quick thoughts on TV shows from 10/21 - 10/25

Thursday, 10/21

Community - So yet another comedy series does a religion episode. I rolled my eyes, but with this cast, they made it work. The non-religious end tag was frickin' hilarious.

30 Rock - Didn't think much about this episode. In fact I can barely remember what happened. Something about Liz being a prude and Jack on a hot streak. Suffice it to say, I just thought it was... whatever.

Big Bang Theory - It's sad knowing that Penny will be MIA for a few episode due to injury, but the cast (aka Sheldon) seem to be doing just fine picking up the slack. His relationship with Amy is still comedy gold.

Grey's Anatomy - I liked it. I find myself saying that more and more often about this show. That's good. I thought the Chief picked the right guy to "win" the $1 million (aka Owen) but Derek's plea re: Meredith's possible Alzheimer's future is intriguing. Wonder if the show has the balls to go there. Also Owen making Christina smile finally is one of the best moments of the season.

Fringe was not shown because of baseball. Damn you baseball.

Friday, 10/22

Supernatural - Even though Castiel was nowhere to be found, I actually enjoyed the episode. We don't get much in terms of new answers, but seeing Sam slyly smike as he looks on at his brother getting turned into a vampire was chilling. Also anything to mock Twilight is A-OK by me.

Saturday, 10/23

Saturday Night Live - Was hoping to get tickets for this on my birthday because I LOVE Emma Stone. I thought she did a great job for what she was asked to do... which unfortunately wasn't a lot. What is UP with SNL squandering perfectly great hosts with craptastic material this season?

Sunday, 10/24

Sherlock - This modern re-telling of Sherlock Holmes is just as brilliant as its title character. A few sentences can't possibly do this show justice, but I love the chemistry between Sherlock and Watson and adapting this old school tale to the modern world has never looked better.

The Amazing Race - Volleyball teammates Katie/Rachel just couldn't catch up from the previous leg while Nat/Kat took the fast forward and increased their lead. All my favorites are still around and the locations/challenges have been top-notch as per usual. LOVE this show.

Brothers & Sisters - I've decided I only really care about what's happening with Kevin/Scotty and so OF COURSE they begin the episode with Kevin neglecting Scotty only to end the episode with Scotty confessing about having an affair recently. WTF!!!!!!!!!!!

Monday, 10/25

The Event - Finally some backstory for hottie Simon who is one of the more intriguing characters in this show for me. His scene with his long lost loved was heartbreaking. Looking forward to seeing the kind of division these aliens have within their ranks and WHY ARE THEY HERE?

How I Met Your Mother - Really enjoyed last night's episode with Marshall and Lily trying to deal with names and gender of their babies while we get a touch of Barney/Robin which is always ALWAYS welcome.

Chuck - Don't get me wrong, loved that we (and the characters) finally get to meet Chuck's mom, but it all felt inorganic to me. The Halloween bent was nice though especially with Freddy Krueger on their midst. Poor, poor Ellie.

Castle - Not Halloween-centric, but it certainly kept me on the edge of my seat and creeped me out sufficiently. The last ten minutes were harrowing as I actually thought they were going to kill Ryan. The whole case kept me guessing until the end as well. This show is just on fire.

Still have not caught up with last week's Hawaii Five-0 so had to skip last night's episode because I'm OCD like that.

Thursday TV Report

The big story last night was 30 Rock's live show (aka a super duper special SNL episode), which they gamely performed twice, once for the East coast and once for the West coast. I saw them both and both were pretty equal in terms of quality. The "commercials" in the West coast were better, but some of the line delivery were better paced in the East coast. With that said, the whole thing was... interesting. It was always going to be a tough sell, but as a one-off experiment, I think everyone involve should be proud of themselves and I quite enjoyed the cameos from Cheyenne Jackson, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Matt Damon, Jon Hamm, and Rachel Dratch. I just hope they never ever do it again. You can see both versions on Hulu or NBC.com.

Community delivered one of its weaker episodes (which translates to still being a great episode relative to many other shows) especially when compared to last year's brilliant episode "Modern Warfare." And it's hard not to compare the two as both were non-subtlely paying homages to popular film genres. "Warfare" took on action films while "Basic Rocket Science" took on space films. The sum of its parts was actually fine, but when you get down to the parts (Annie wanting to transfer? Abed's subdued reaction to being left behind?) you see where the show could've done a better job.


On the other hand, Big Bang Theory, which I've more and more become frustrated with since there always seems to be a B-plot that I find not at all amusing (usually the non-Sheldon/Penny plots), was actually great last night. I usually cringe at Howard-centric episodes, but maybe it's because they wisely used their guest stars (Katee Sackhoff, George Takei, and Melissa Rauch), but the biggest laughs came from non-Sheldon moments, which frankly is refreshing. Not to say I didn't not like Sheldon-Koothrappali waging war at one another. In fact I also appreciated more screentime for Kunal Nayyar. Overall, very good episode.

Meanwhile in the drama front, it was a solid episode from both Grey's Anatomy and Fringe. Of course it's been too long since I've actually been excited over a Grey's Anatomy episode, but at the very least so far this season, I haven't hated anyone or anything outright which is progress. In fact I'm very much intrigue but what they are trying to do with Cristina. I'm also glad that I'm finally starting to get a handle on all of the characters again, their motivations and their behaviors. For so long, it seemed to me the writers just didn't really know what to do with their obviously talented cast.

Fringe continues to astound one episode after another. I am completely loving the alternating focus of the episodes from our world to the alternate world. Anna Torv continues to do a magnificent job portraying the two very different Olivias and I am not looking forward to the day when this plot line will end. The past two episodes have also just been great if we only focus on the plots. Last week we got an uber genius who was able to predict/manipulate impossible accidents while this week we get a shapeshifter! This show has just been on fire and I wished it was doing better in the ratings.

Speaking of ratings, yes, Fringe is not doing so great. It's not an outright failure especially considering the competition it has on that time-slot, but it's been a definite uphill climb. The same could be said about Community actually. Grey's Anatomy and Big Bang Theory are both usually in the ratings penthouse so no one needs to worry about their numbers. 30 Rock, while no blockbuster, is doing okay and in fact went way up due to the live show gimmick this week.

Thursday Night TV

Heading into Thursday, it was feeling like a mixed bag. There were those few shows I was ecstatic about seeing again ever since I saw their season finales last season and then there are the more aged shows that I feel I've been watching more or less because of habit. Two things of note last night though: (a) I didn't check out any of the new shows the networks were shoving down our throats ($#!t My Dad Says and Outsourced looked absolutely abysmal) and (b) I spontaneously decided to cut out The Mentalist from my list. More free time for me!


On to the shows I did watch. Now, as amazing as Tina Fey is, and Jane Krakowski is sometimes as well, I feel 30 Rock hasn't been "must-see'TV" for awhile now and that's how I felt about the premiere as well. Maybe it's because I'm just not as enamored with Matt Damon's turn as pilot Carol or Krakowski dialed down the CRAZY this episode, but it was just okay. The other show is Grey's Anatomy, which in its defense has been doing a bit better. Its season finale was one of the best I saw last year and it would've been impossible to top what they did then. They didn't try to top it, thankfully, and instead tried to really deal with the trauma and fall out of the shooting. And to end with Owen and Cristina's wedding (I'm a big fan of the couple) was icing to the cake. 30 Rock - B; Grey's Anatomy - B

The big showdown of the night happened at 8PM when underrated Community went up against the behemoth that is Big Bang Theory. Not surprisingly BBT won the night in viewers, but in terms of quality they both came about pretty evenly with Community probably besting it just a tad since it had Betty White and DID NOT have one of its characters' penis stuck in a robot's hand. Actually for Big Bang Theory, my problem was that while the Penny/Sheldon plot was pure comedy gold, the B-plot with the three other guys was not as strong. This is unlike Community, which was strong throughout. The interplay between the disparate personalities in the group is one of the best things about this show and they delivered from the get go. Big Bang Theory - B; Community - B+

Finally, but certainly not least Fringe delivered one of the best episodes it has ever done (which is saying a lot) and one of the best premiere I saw this week. The most shocking thing is that the focus was all on Olivia, which at the beginning of the show's run was the least interesting character. Now? There's no such thing in this show. It was fantastic getting an extended look at the alternate universe Olivia now inhabits (Dogs! The Musical!) and also seeing Olivia struggle with all of the emotions and situations inherent to being over there (missing Peter, seeing her mom, etc.). I feel as if Anna Torv will have plenty of material this season to put forth a great Emmy reel, not as if they'd pay attention anyway. I just feel sorry for Joshua Jackson since he's the one actor not able to do double duty between both universes. Oh well. Fringe - A

Recent TV Casting News

The past day or so, there have been so many exciting TV casting news that I could barely contain my excitement and had to post them immediately.

Emmy-winning pair Michael Emerson and Terry O'Quinn, who captivated audiences in Lost, will apparently be starring together in a hit man drama show produced by no other than J.J. Abrams. NBC won the bidding war and has committed to a pilot order for the still untitled show. While most of the actors in Lost were great, these two were really something special, especially in scenes together, so suffice it to say, I'm really excited for this project. I'm hoping it's a little less drama and more of a dramedy akin to Abrams' Alias and current Undercovers which contain a few campy asides. I also wouldn't say no to other Lost alums guest starring! Make it so!

I love to keep tabs on Buffy the Vampire Slayer alums, so it was great to hear that two of them will guest star in shows I actually watch. First Eliza Dushku will follow in Katee Sackhoff and Summer Glau's footsteps and appear in geeky hit Big Bang Theory, though unlike those two other actresses, she won't be playing herself. The other alum is Amber Benson, who will play a patient's sister in Grey's Anatomy. Showrunner Shonda Rhimes is a self-confessed big Buffy fan and it's worth to mention that Benson had appear in the Grey's spin-off Private Practice before. She, however, won't be playing the same character.

And finally, the most random and awesome TV casting news came out yesterday when it broke out that Teri Hatcher would play Lois Lane's mom in the final season of Smallville. To those who do not know, Hatcher played Lois Lane to Dean Cain's Superman in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, which aired for four seasons back in the 90s. Now,+ I don't watch Smallville and have not really been a fan of Hatcher since the 90s, but this casting coup deserves some kudos both to the Smallville folks who had the sense of humor to go for it and to Teri Hatcher who didn't need to do this at all. Well done to everyone involved.

My 2010 Fall TV Schedule

While a few shows have already premiered, the bulk of the shows are debuting this coming week, starting tomorrow with a jam-packed Monday.

Below are the shows I will be checking out and yes, I know it's way too much. C'est la vie.

MONDAY

For each primetime hour, on this very busy day, I have two shows I'm planning to watch. For the 8PM hour, it's a battle of East vs. West between How I Met Your Mother (CBS) and Chuck (NBC). The 9PM hour is a coin-flip of two new shows Lone Star (FOX) and The Event (NBC). The night ends with Alex O'Louhglin trying to out-fox Nathan Fillion as new show Hawaii Five-0 (CBS) goes up against Castle (ABC). BTW, yes I'm one of the few people who doesn't watch House and I gave up on Gossip Girl last year. Moving on.

TUESDAY

I am so happy that Glee (FOX) has moved from Wednesdays since it was up against ABC's hit comedy shows last year. Of course now it's up against ABC's maybe-maybe not new hit superhero show No Ordinary Family (ABC). The hour after that is pretty bleak in terms of choices, but I have high hopes for new comedy Raising Hope (FOX) and if I feel like it, I might also pick up Stargate: Universe (SyFy) again. Finally, it's all about The Good Wife (CBS) at 10PM and possibly Caprica (SyFy).

WEDNESDAY

This day looks downright SAD compared to all the other days of the week, but I'll be happy with the mid-week break. Since I don't watch Survivor or America's Next Top Model, I'll use the 8PM hour to check out J.J. Abrams' latest Undercovers (NBC). In the 9PM hour, it's all about ABC comedies Modern Family and Cougar Town both of which I'm very excited about seeing again. ABC, CBS, and NBC all have new shows on tap for 10PM and I have no real desire to see any of them with the possible exception for The Whole Truth (ABC) depending on the reviews it will get.

THURSDAY

Today makes up for the previous day's lack of choices. All I have are choices this day. The 8PM hour is insane as two of my favorite comedy shows go head to head, Big Bang Theory (CBS) and Community (NBC). I'm actually pissed BBT moved from Mondays and thus will probably crush poor Community, the returning show I'm looking forward to most of all. There's also 30 Rock (NBC) right after both shows and possibly new show My Generation (ABC) though thankfully the latter is getting awful reviews. 9PM belongs to Fringe (FOX) with me also watching (but close to quitting) Grey's Anatomy (ABC). At 10PM, it's not difficult since I already stopped watching Private Practice last year, so all I have left is The Mentalist (CBS).

FRIDAY-SUNDAY

Supernatural (CW) is my only Friday night show I'm going to make an effort on catching. I'm sure to tune in to a few Saturday Night Live (NBC) episodes on Saturday and as for Sunday all I have on dock are The Amazing Race (CBS) and Brothers & Sisters (ABC) since I gave up on Desperate Housewives last season. Maybe if I have time I'll catch some Family Guy (FOX) as well.

Returning Shows I'm Most Excited About: Community, Modern Family, The Good Wife, and Cougar Town

Returning Shows in Danger of Getting Cut: Grey's Anatomy, The Mentalist, and Stargate: Universe

Thursday Night

Lost Series Finale Countdown: 2 days

It was all about making choices Thursday night in all of the shows that I watched. In Community, Jeff had to choose between Britta and Slater only to make every fan watching gasp when he kissed Annie in the end. That was the big shocked of the episode, but the episode also contained appearances from most of the recurring characters as well as the usual merriment that persists with these group of friends. Going to miss them through the summer. Meanwhile in 30 Rock, Jack had to finally choose between Avery and Nancy. Unfortunately, he didn't really choose as Avery's pregnancy and Nancy's self-sacrifice pretty much made his choice a no-brainer in the end. Matt Damon's guest star role was a bit overhyped. Is it just me or is this show not as funny anymore?

In Fringe, Peter had to decide whether to go back to our world vs. staying in the alt-universe with his biological parents. While I liked the episode as a whole, I wished Peter did a bit more soul searching with his decision. Yes, his biological father seems to be some mad genius, but what about his biological mother? It was nice to see Olivia finally confess her feelings for Peter. Though alt-Olivia going back to our world while our Olivia is imprisoned by Walternate was a nice twist from the writers and a development that would surely keep fans busy during the long summer months.

The choices pretty much stop in my final Thursday show as it was just chaos, death, and fear in the harrowing two-hour season finale of Grey's Anatomy. I admit, I've grown increasingly weary of the show and it's been much easier to poke fun at it than praise it, but I've got to given everyone props for this finale. I was breathless and physically distressed throughout as doctors, nurses, everyone was getting shot by a gunmen. After the episode, I felt as if I aged 20 years or so.

Quick TV Thoughts

I guess doing a nightly recap of my TV viewings only lasted that one week since I didn't do anything last week, but to make up for it, here are some quick TV thoughts from the week that was.

How I Met Your Mother delivered another strong episode with the highlight of seeing the doppelganger's of the gangs (stripper Lily, lesbian Robin, and moustached Marshall). Can't wait to see Barney and Ted's doubles.

Kristin Chenoweth's appearance and the first performance of the complete New Directions were quite delightful in last week's episode of Glee. This week it's Boys vs. Girls. Methinks Lea Michele won't go down quietly.

It seems I'm the only one who thinks this, but I actually found the second episode of Modern Family much funnier than it's much lauded pilot episode. I was in tears when Cam was dancing like a straight guy and was dying by the time he went on his Meryl Streep love rant.

Speaking on Wednesday night, I've decided I like Cougar Town and will continue to watch it while I'm pretty much crossing out Eastwick from my schedule. Something HAD to go.

Testament to how busy Thursdays are, I have yet to see the third episode of Community. I did see everything else and was pleasantly surprised at how much FlashForward and Grey's Anatomy still held my attention.

Dollhouse was nothing special, which makes me sad especially since it's ratings are apparently in the crapper and it's only a matter of time before the suits get rid of it all together. Sigh, what could've been. I did randomly check out the premiere of Stargate Universe. Why? I don't know. But there it is.

Amazing Race continued to kick ass on Sunday nights. I wish Lance/Teri would get eliminated already. Out of all of the teams, they are the only ones that piss me off. So sad to see the elderly couple leave this early.

I watched more shows than I posted here, but it's almost time for the week to begin anew. A new episode of How I Met Your Mother is almost on!

Thursday Night TV

Thursday was such a loaded night. In fact I have yet to watch Fringe and the season premiere of The Mentalist because I had to go to sleep! What I did get to see was the series premiere of FlashForward, the two-hour season premiere of Grey's Anatomy, Community, and Project Runway. Whew!

The big question of the night though is whether or not FlashForward is the new Lost or is it yet another high concept show that start out big only to fizzle out? After seeing the spectacular pilot I'm hoping it's not the latter, but I'm still worried. Matt Roush at TV Guide Magazine probably said it best in his review:

"It’s all very compelling, but obviously, embracing FlashForward will require quite a leap of faith. And therein lies another problem. Even critics and fans who are intrigued (as I am) by the often riveting pilot—which ends on a whopper of a cliffhanger twist—can’t help projecting a bit into our own future, one that’s informed by a past that’s littered with ambitious pilot episodes that ultimately didn’t measure up."

Then there's Grey's Anatomy. I have not been a fan of the show for awhile due to crummy plots and unlikable characters, but somehow I keep coming back. Having said that, I very much enjoyed the premiere. The death of George, especially the way it was eloquently handled by the writers, really grounded the episode and the usually manic characters within the hospital. I mean I was crying in the first five minutes already. The challenge is to keep it going though. I still remember earlier this year when Heroes delivered a very good spring premiere only for it to fall to its usual tangled mess of storylines. But I'm keeping an optimistic attitude for Seattle Grace and its doctors especially since it seems there is more dark times ahead.

Now can we talk about what happened on Project Runway last night? The talented Ra'mon bit off more than he could chew delivering a terrifying lizard/alien dress and was booted while "I'm all that and a bag of chips" Nicholas actually won a challenge. I'm not too pissed about Ra'mon leaving because his dress was THAT heinous, but I thought Epperson (or even Christopher) should've won over Nicholas. So lame.

Finally, I don't have much to say about Community except to say that I think this show can get better. With two episodes in, some of the characters are still not as fleshed out as I want them to be, and I'm especially talking about the main character played by Soup host Joel McHale.

Don't forget that the premiere of DOLLHOUSE is TONIGHT on FOX at 9PM. Watch it!!!