07:15 Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
11:15 Keen Eddie
12:15 Joey
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. "Act II" This is wonderful stuff. Nathan Fillion is perfect and the music is to die for. Also, there is a strong case to made for "the hammer is my penis" being the funniest line ever uttered. In anything. Ever.
Ever.
Keen Eddie. Episode 5. "Who Wants To Be In A Club That Would Have Me As A Member?" When I think of the Keen Eddie TV series this is the episode that comes to mind. It's my favourite. It's the episode that turned me into a hardcore fan. And it's simply wonderful.
Eddie and Monty investiage bullying at a private school when a boy is left hanging from a bridge (and nearly killed) as a prank. They meet stony faces and brick walls at every turn. Nobody wants to talk about it. Not even the boy who was bullied. He and Eddie becomes great friends and Eddie learns that the boy just wants to fit in, and will do anything to be part of the gang. Eddie digs around and finds out that another boy died five years earlier at the same school. He, too, was trying to be part of the gang.
While the first four episodes were set in the world of London crime and London crimelords (or cartoon versions of same) this episode looks and feels different. But, in changing tone, it creates a stronger sense of time and place than any other episode so far and makes the show all the more likely to acquire a cult following. Which, I understand, it did.
While Eddie is dalign with his 'adopted' teenager, exactly the same thing is happening to his flatmate Fiona. A teenage runaway seeks her our in his time of crisis and she hides him from his crazy family and gives him some solid advice on how to move forward. Fiona is a great character. And the writers always strive to give her solid storylines which balance out whatever is happening to Eddie. It also gives the viewer a chance to see the nice side of her, since all her scenes with Eddie highlight their bickering and considerable sexual chemistry.
Speaking of sexual chemisty, this episode contains another wonderful Miss Moneypenny scene. Eddie and Monty meet her as she steps into a lift. Eddie asks his usual question and - of course - gets another XXX answer. Waiting for these moments is one of the joys of this show. This time out, Eddie thinks for a second that Monty heard it, too. But, alas, it was only for his ears. Again.
SPOILER: In the end of the episode the boy that Eddie was trying to help has opted to keep quite about who was responsible for the prank that could have cost him his life and Eddie has to leave without a case to prosecute. It's a downbeat ending. But the only ending that would make sense. Had the show gone in any other direction I would have had no respect for it. The fact that they ended the story in this way turned me into a fan for life.
Joey. Season 2, Episode 22. "Joey and the Wedding" After two seasons Joey reaches the end of the line with this average episode. Once again, the story is driven by what is happening to Jimmy (why are the writers so taken with this god-awful character?) but Jimmy himself doesn't get a lot of screentime. The whole cast (minus Zach, who has long vanished at this stage) are given stuff to do and most of the focus is (quite rightly) on Joey and Alex. The ending where they all stand around and Joey toasts them is meant to be emotional, but it isn't. Although I liked the show overall (and loved the last half of Season One) it really wasn't anything very speical and, in the grand scheme of things, it won't be missed...
Highlight? Keen Eddie
Thu, Jul 17, 08 - Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, Keen Eddie, Joey
