06:30 Wonder Woman
08:30 Supernatural
11:00 Greg The Bunny
12:00 Kyle XY
Wonder Woman. Episode 1. "The New Original Wonder Woman" Awful. I don't like the first 21 episodes of Wonder Woman. In fact, there are some I've never watched even though I have them all on tape. And, being a completist, I went ahead and bought the whole series on DVD. Crazy, isn't it?
I don't like the tone of the pilot. Or, to be more correct, the tone that the pilot attempts to have. For, in my eyes, it just doesn't work. The cast are good (except for Cloris Leachman, who inexplicably sucks) but the material just isn't there to make it work. Even so Lynda Carter, Red Buttons and Lyle Waggoner manage to be watchable. It says a lot for the script that it manages to take all the fun out of watching people like Kenneth Mars and Henry Gibson. I mean, seriously, how can you suck the fun out of watching Henry Gibson??!
Anyway, the episode tells the story of Steve Trevor crashing on Paradise Island, being found by the Amazons there and being taken back to the United States by Wonder Woman, who sticks around to fight the Nazi threat.
Influenced by the 60s Batman series (possibly the worst television series of all time, next to Firefly) the whole thing is trying to make fun of the story it is telling. I don't much like the idea of making fun of Wonder Woman, but I positively hate the fact that they can't do it right and can't make me laugh or smile at any point.
What a mess.
Supernatural. Season 2, Episode 1. "In My Time of Dying" picks up seconds after the events of the season finale. And, since it brings the multi-episode story of the gun to a conclusion, it would have worked just fine as a season-ender itself. It's another superb episode. Hovering near death, Dean is a spirit in this one. Wandering the halls of a hospital while his brother and father watch on. He finds he is not alone however: there's another spirit trapped, too. And, being Supernatural, it's a pretty girl in need of help.
Except, of course, that's not what is going on, at all! And, boy, was I ever surprised by the twist! Jensen Ackles does some of his best ever work in this one, as Dean has to come to terms with his fate. As always on this show, the action is driven by the characters.
The twist in the father's storyline took me by surprise, also. In hindsight, it makes perfect sense. And it's really the only logical way for things to end. Yet, as I watched it, I was totally sucked it. And, in the final scenes, I was glued to the screen almost crying out "No!" as I waited for the dreadful events to unfold.
Heartbreaking, exceptional storytelling.
Greg The Bunny. Episode 3. "Dottie Heat" It may have a plot from the Big Book Of Standard Sitcom Plots but this one is a winner from start to finish. Unlike the previous episode which seemed to hope we'd be amused because, you know, half the cast are puppets and that should be enough, this one is full of great one-liners and lots of laughs.
Both Jimmy and Greg have romance on their minds at the start of the story and, while Jimmy has no chance with woman of his dreams, Greg winds up (by accident) having a date with the object of his desire: Dottie. Their date is hilarious and so is the aftermath (where Greg lies to the guys at work about having had sex with Dottie). Sure, it's a bit lame that he has to learn a lesson about friendship and respect and all that jazz, but - every step of the way - the laughs flow freely. Particularly when Warren is on-screen. His running gag of Christmas innuendo is particular funny.
Great fun.
Kyle XY. Season 2, Episode 7. "Free To Be You and Me" is more like a teen-soap than any other episode has been. But, you know what, all that honest-to-goodness teenage-love is good for the soul. Kyle and Amanda spend a heck of a long time gazing lovingly into one another's eyes in this episode and, I swear, it left me with a big ol' grin on my face. It's just so darn sweet.
This was also the episode where Kyle learned to dance and that was great, too. Equal parts sweet and funny. Plus, after seven episodes of teasing us, the show brought two ongoing plots to conclusion: Kyle met Jessi for the first time, and Kyle finally started telling Declan the truth. Their reconciliation was a great scene. I love the way Declan bypassed all the nonsense and jumped right to showing Kyle the threatening photos he'd received.
Highlight? Supernatural
Sun, Jun 8th, 2008 - Wonder Woman, Supernatural, Greg The Bunny, Kyle XY
