Sat, Feb 9th, 2008
09:00 Seinfeld
09:30 Not That There's Anything Wrong With That
10:00 Dexter
11:00 Lost
12:00 Lost
01:00 Corner Gas
01:30 Taxi
Seinfeld. Season 8, Episode 18. The idea that George would try sleeping under his desk is inspired, and perfect for the character. And it's very cool when he hijacks Jerry's contractor and has the desk modified to include hidden shelves for magazines, coffee mugs and an alarm clock (!). But things spiral out of control somewhat when the storyline calls for Jerry to pose as a terrorist bomber to get George out of a jam. It goes on and on and on and on and... it's just not that funny.
Not That There's Anything Wrong With That. Seinfeld's Season 8 Bloopers. More hilarious out-takes from the best sit-com of all time (with Arrested Development a close second, of course). It's great to see Julia Louis-Dreyfus get the giggles over and over, and it's cool to see how much fun the star of the show (Jerry Seinfeld) was having with his team. Michael Richards makes him laugh. So does Wayne Knight. And watching them all laugh makes me laugh, too.
Dexter. Episode 5. Is it wrong to root for Dexter when he stalks a murderous human-trafficker? Who cares? It's great fun having such a different hero to root for. As always with this show, there is no real tension when Dexter tracks his (evil) prey, but the scenes where Dexter has to act normal around people are nerve-wracking. In the previous episode Rita took their relationship to a new level of intimacy and this has changed everything. Mundane chit-chat won't do any more. Rita - Dexter muses - will expect him to open up and show his inner self to her. How the heck will he manage that? Some of his attempts are hilarious (his decision to initiate a sex act during a very sad movie, for instance) and some are genuinely sweet (the final scene, where Dexter tells Rita what he wants most in life).
Jennifer Carpenter is a real scene-stealer in this show. She brings a sort of edgy lack-of-comfort to the role of Dexter's sister that - I think - few actresses could manage.
Lost. Season 4, Episode 1. Scene-stealers abound in Lost. Michael Emerson only has a few lines in the opening episode of Season 4, but he steals the show with them. His every utterance makes you laugh out loud, while at the same time you despise him and - strangely - root for him.
Lost. Season 4, Episode 2. Few shows could introduce 4 major new characters, make each one vivid and likable, and still manage to service most of the (already large) regular cast. So how do you even begin to praise this show? Do I start with the writing? Which is flawless. Or do I start with the casting? Which is - likewise - without flaw. Ken Leung is an immediate hit as an intense ghost-buster, while Jeremy Davies brings the sort of edgy lack-of-comfort to his role that Jennifer Carpenter brings to her role on Dexter. Davis gets more screen-time than any of the other newbies and he's a treat to watch.
Then, there's the writing. Just when we think we've figured out that "New Lost" will feature flashfowards instead of flashbacks the show does a 180 and offers up a completely new type of episode (structure-wise). This is a very confident and cool show. Taking us on a very cool journey.
Corner Gas. Season 4, Episode 8. Not the most hilarious episode ever, but still has a fair number of laughs. Hank decides to keep a blog. Which nobody in Dog River reads. Upsetting Hank. So Brent starts doing up cheat notes on the blog to help everyone out. Which leads to him putting the cheat notes online. And, eventually, doing his own blog. Which nobody in Dog River reads!! There's also unfunny storylines about Wanda doing Davis' taxes and Lacey and Oscar playing horseshoes.
Taxi. Episode 32. The gang get to spend a month in a luxury appartment, which has been (accidentally) leased by Latka. A pretty funny episode which neatly highlights the bleak subtext of the show: these people don't really have a lot and they all aspire to better things. Things they may never have.
Highlight? Lost
Seinfeld, Dexter, Lost, Corner Gas, Taxi
