07:00 CSI
08:00 Greek
09:00 Flight Of The Conchords
10:00 NCIS
11:30 Jesse Stone
CSI. Season 6, Episode 3. "Bite Me" Usually when all the characters work on the same case, it's some high profile incident, and they have the press nipping at their heels. No so here. This is just an ordinary murder case (a man finds his wife lying dead on the stairs) so it is ususual to see all the characters pooling their resources. Not that I mind. It's great to see Gil and Catherine sharing scenes. I also love seeing Catherine and Sara together. Particulary when Catherine makes a comment about dating someone you work with, and it never working.
The episode has some great guest stars and a hilarious scene between Hudson Leick and George Eads.
Greek. Episode 14. "War & Peace" There are two sequences in this episode that illustrate why it is such a cool show. The mid-section of the story is devoted to a 'pitch battle' between the Kappa Tau and Omega Chi houses. They are using water guns with strange concoctions inside and the whole sequence is filmed from low angles using darkness and light in inventive ways to make it appear like a gritty war film. Although, of course, the whole thing is very, very funny. It's just a blast watching this kind of stuff. Meanwhile, Casey is forced to make amends with Frannie. And forgive her for all the hurtful things she did earlier in the season. Their confrontation is rivetting to watch. The show has really made me care about these characters and take their pains seriously. It's one of the best soaps I have ever seen, and it's certainly the funniest.
Flight Of The Conchords. Episode 11. "The Actor" is such a funny episode I had aches and pains (from laughing) when it was all over. Murray is depressed because he is such a bad manager and cannot get the boys a recording contract. The boys, meanwhile, meet an actor and ask him to phone Murray, pretend to be a record company executive and tell him to keep on trying, cos he's sure to land a contract eventually. They figure this will cheer their friend up. Lovely sentiments. Unfortunately, the actor gets carried away and convinces Murray that the band have just been signed to a 2 million dollar contract with Sony. Helpless to stop it, the boys meekly carry on with the lie as Murray digs them deeper and deeper to debt, in a effort to fit into the rock and roll lifestyle.
It's one of the funniest things I have ever seen.
NCIS. Season 4, Episode 18. "Iceman" There is one thing that NCIS does really well and that is: surprise you. It was one of the first things I noticed when I first started watching the show a few episodes into the first season. The identity of the killer was often a genuine surprise and the show has since found many others ways to play with our expectations as it tells it's stories.
This episode is a fine example. First off, Gibbs old friend Mike Franks returns to the show when the son he never knew he had is found close to death. Being NCIS you never know how this will all turn out. Will Franks turn out to be the killer? Or, more likely, will he go after the killers himself and force Gibbs to take him down (in a emotional climax). As you watch it, all of this is running through your head and you are dreading what might happen. Yet, as always, the show manages to pull a complete twist and give you are wonderful upbeat ending when one did not seem possible. I love this show, and I really loved the ending to this story. Left me with a nice warm feeling inside. Great stuff.
No warm fuzzy feelings over in the b-story. Tony's relationship is suddenly on the rocks, cos the big lug can't find it within himself to say the three words she most wants to hear. Idiot. Anyway, this is where those little black and white snapshots at the start of each segment come into play. I usually pay no need to them. One of my friends gave up on the show altogether because he hated them so much. He felt that they ruined the upcoming surprises for him.
They never bother me. Except here. Because, for a full ten minutes, I was sure that the the b/w snapshot had ruined the ending of the Tony subplot. I was sure that it was all there in black and white: a nice kiss between Tony and his lady back where all the trouble started. How wrong I was!! When the episode actually drew to a close, we were looking at something complete different and I was in shock. Wow. What a superb show.
NCIS is another one of those shows that seems to miss out on critical praise. It's the Simon And Simon syndrome, I suppose. The 80s private eyes ran for years - and was a huge hit - in the shadow of the very similar Magnum, PI. Sometimes it was better than the Hawaiian show and if asked to choose between them I would always say I preferred the Simon brothers. Now we have NCIS, forever in the shadow of CSI. In fact, they are not alike at all. But they are CBS procedurals and they have the same general cast structure. All the buzz is around CSI and NCIS - frequently a much better show - gets none of it. What gives?
Jesse Stone. Episode 1. "Stone Cold" Why can't there be more cop shows like this? Great location filming, lots of wind and rain, a damaged hero and a bleak visual style. A small town is hit by a sequence of random murders and we get to watch the cop and the killer as the story unfolds. It's bleak and sad and engrossing. And very, very good. The gang-rape sub-plot was less interesting, but wonderfully acted. The entire cast is great, and it was great to see Kohl Sudduth (of Grosse Pointe) being such a great foil for Tom Selleck.
Highlight? Flight Of The Conchords
Tues, Jun 3rd, 2008 - CSI, Greek, Flight Of The Conchords, NCIS, Jesse Stone
