Thurs, Jan 31st, 2008
07:00 CSI
08:00 NCIS
09:00 House
10:00 Cupid
11:00 Seinfeld
11:30 Kyle XY
CSI. Season 5, Episode 16. One of the coolest opening shots (a bug's view of life - and death - in Las Vegas) they have ever used leads to a standard episode of CSI. There are two cases-of-the-week to be solved: one predictable and one confusing. At times like this, viewers rely on the charm of the regulars to keep it entertaining. And CSI never fails when it comes to the cast/characters. Cathering and Warrick playfully flirt with one another while investigating a murder that is connected to the (confusing) world of sports betting. While Gil and Sara playfully try to crush poor Greg to death (!) while investiaging the death of a man who may have been a "cubby chaser". Gee, I wonder how he died? Hint, they had a similar plot on Picket Fences once upon a time.
NCIS. Season 4, Episode 8. This show is on a roll. For the second week in a row, we get to see Tony off-job and hanging out with a girlfriend that he really seems to be falling in love with. Wow. Never thought I'd be saying that about Tony DiNozzo. Meanwhile, back on the job, the gang investiage when a thrice-decorated Marine takes a nose-dive off a hotel balcony after (apparently) attacking a political aide and (sometime before that) murdering an asian teenager. Gibbs isn't buying it any of it. It's great how NCIS can make us care about these murder victims that we have never seen on-screen and root for them to be cleared as Gibbs and his team do their thing.
It's a stong story, well told. And the cast/characters are fantastic, making the show an absolute delight from start to finish. As well as the cool Tony storyline, we get to see Abby going to extreme lengths to get some evidence analysed. Her status as one of the sweetest, most genuine, characters ever to appear on TV is cemented a hundred fold at the end of the storyline when the show throws a minor curveball I certainly didn't see coming and you watch Abby and wonder does she every notice or care about such things (her handsome lab partner is revealed to be a little person). And you can't help but love her all the more for it. So sweet. So cool.
Finally, the episode builds to a superb climax by putting Agent Lee into danger. Lee is a minor, but recurring, character that the audience has come to care about because of her (hilarious) romance with Palmer (another minor but very important character). When she is suddenly thrust into the limelight and sent on a dangerous mission alone veteran TV watchers cannot help but panic and expect her to get killed off. It makes for a thrilling, action-packed conclusion to a genuinely superb episode.
House. Season 4, Episode 10. So, "Cutthroat Bitch" is gone. Sigh. But it's still a great show. This episode brings a mother and daughter to the hospital. Their relationship is based on complete honesty which - naturally - annoys House to a great degree and he sets out to undermine that honesty and find the lie that (he is sure) is at the centre of it all. As it turns out, it's a predictible lie but still a very good episode.
I miss "Cutthroat Bitch". Sigh.
Cupid. Episode 7. Possibly the darkest episode of Cupid. Certainly for Trevor who - for the first time - takes tentative steps towards a sexual relationship with someone (the wonderful Sherilyn Fenn). By the rules of his own delusion (if it is, in fact, a delusion) he gives up being the God Of Love if he, himself, sleeps with anyone. So, Trevor is basically trying to "cure" himself and end his matchmaking days. He is also, of course, trying to get over Claire (who acquired a boyfriend in the previous episode). The final scenes show Trevor having a meltdown of sorts in front of his new girlfriend. And it's very sad and difficult to watch. Great work from the truly amazing Jeremy Piven.
Seinfeld. Season 8, Episode 16. One of the funniest episodes of anything that I have ever seen. This is one of those episodes that I missed first time around and - on first viewing - it totally blew me away. Kramer adopts a section of highway (and creates caos for everyone) while George loses keys down a pothole and Elaine pretends to be a janitor so she can order some fantastic chinese food. This is also the episode where Jerry dates Kristin Davis and - accidently - knocks her toothbrush into her toilet. As funny as all four storylines are (and - believe me - they are very funny) the real genius here is the way they cross over into one another with poor Newman being the one to suffer (really suffer) at the very end.
Everyone in the room was genuinely sore from laughing when it was all over. How can you beat that?
Kyle XY. Season 2, Episode 3. One of the cleverest genre shows I have ever seen. At this stage there are many, many plotlines in play. Some of them are hardcore sci-fi and some of them are pure family drama / soap opera. Some shows with multiple plots are schizophrenic in the way they handle them. Desperate Housewives (which I used to watch) and Friends (which I watched from start to finish, and hope to watch again when I finish Seinfeld) were two of the worst offenders. You felt, sometimes, like you were watching two different shows spliced together. Sometimes on Friends the plots moved at different speeds so what was happening to one character took place over the run of a few hours and what was happening to someone else took days to play out. Yet it was all edited together in a random (annyoying) manner.
Kyle XY plays it's plots off one another. When Kyle wants to rush off to talk to the girl he has a crush on, the guy trying to teach him how to use his superpowers has a fit and they have a major fight. The show is full of moments like that. Nothing happens in isolation and they whole show has a richer feel, as a consequence. And it never ceases to amaze me how they can merge sci-fi superheroics with teen soap and make it work.
And what plotlines are currently in play? (1) Kyle has to try and maintain his web of lies so he can continue living with his adopted family. (2) The friendship between Kyle and Declan has been destroyed by Kyle's secrets. (3) Kyle and Tom are fighting over Kyle's special abilities. (3) Kyle loves Amanda, but (4) her boyfriend is cheating on her. (5) Declan dumps Lori. (6) Nicole still hasn't recovered from losing Kyle, and has lost her passion and drive for life. (7) Jessi has been programmed to assimilate into Kyle's life, but (8) she may be faking. (9) Emily seems troubled by elements of her mission, as given by Ballentine. (10) Josh meets a cute girl. And (11) Nicole sees evidence of Kyle's superpowers and decides to (12) keep his secret, rather than tell. Finally, (13) Amanda finds out that she has been cheated on, but (14) is angry at Kyle for keeping the secret.
It's all delivered using a top-notch, thoughful, narration and the show is fantastic.
Highlight? Seinfeld.
CSI, NCIS, House, Cupid, Seinfeld, Kyle XY
