Thurs, Feb 28th, 2008
09:30 Seinfeld
10:00 The Border
11:00 NCIS
Seinfeld. Season 8, Episode 20. Once again, it's unusual to find topical humour in Seinfeld and - consequently - it's unusual to find elements that date an episode. A few weeks back I was jarred by several references to a movie called The English Patient which was big news for a while in the 90s. Tonight, one of the plots concerns Kramer and Newman trying to organise competing New Year's Eve parties for the Millennium. It's a funny idea, but it was much funnier three years before the Millennium. Other than that, it's typical episode. George is trying various ways to get fired. We know it won't work. But it's still funny. Elaine gets into an unfunny feud with a store-owner and Jerry becomes obsessed with his placing on his new girl-friend's speed-dial. Business as usual for the Seinfeld gang.
The Border. Episode 2 is more flashy than episode 1. There's action, romance, undercover work, eye-popping cleavage, on-screen deaths and a more epic feel to the storytelling. Strange then that it's altogether less enjoyable than the opening episode. If this had been the opener, I think I'd be a lot less interested in this new series. But I'm going to chalk this up to a ratings-grabbing mis-step and keep watching (for now).
NCIS. Season 4, Episode 11. Most NCIS episodes are alike. The cases unfold in similar fashion and the joy of the show is in watching the characters do their thing. Sometimes the writers deviate completely from format by having a "special" episode (a regular framed for murder, or somesuch) and sometimes the case-of-the-week is a genuine original. Such as here. Where the murderer is... a robot car. Well, actually, the car (which possesses artificial intelligence) has been programmed to kill but the fact remains: the murderer is a robot car. How cool is that?
Meanwhile, over in the ongoing subplot, Tony goes undercover for one scene (tailing the same three bad guys we saw him tail before) and the result is one of the coolest, funniest scenes I've ever seen in NCIS or any other show. Tony stands on the street in a crazy disguise and busking to people passing by. As he watches his three nefarious subjects, across the street in a restaurant, he sings aloud everything that they are doing. It's an amazing scene. One that has to be seen/heard to be believed.
Highlight? NCIS, of course! I had a big grin on my face pretty much the whole way through it.
Seinfeld, The Border, NCIS
