03:30 The Closer
04:30 House
09:00 Keen Eddie
10:00 Worst Week
11:00 The Office
12:00 Corner Gas
12:30 Greek
The Closer. Season 4, Episode 7. "Sudden Death" A very sad episode (and a great performance from Raymond Cruz) as the brother of one of the best dressed cops on TV gets shot down in the street near his house. The episode tells a good story and delivers are lot of great moments for several of the characters. It's one of those outings where we get to observe the whole team in a moment of crisis and it's fascinating to watch how everyone reacts to Sanchez and to see who reaches out to him and how. The Closer has a great ensemble, but it's not an ensemble show and episodes like this make me wish that it was.
Stephen Martines returns again as the confrontational reporter who's not afraid to stand up to Brenda and his short scene adds a whole new level to the story as it asks about the reasons behind what makes some murders a priority. Great episode.
House. Season 5, Episode 2. "Not Cancer" Nothing special. Felicia Day is wonderful as the patient and she gets some great scenes, Michael Weston makes a big impression as the private eye (who could get his own series out of this) but the episode lacks a strong hook to make it something special. The pre-credits sequence of multiple dramatic deaths is gratuitous and over-the-top. Seriously, guys, does nobody collapse while reading a book on this show?
Average episode or not, House's personal journey is great. He scorns friends and friendship, but he goes to extreme lenghts to preserve his connection to Wilson. The conversations with the private eye (Lucas) are terrific, and so is his time with patient (Apple) but in other departments this one is lacking.
Keen Eddie. Episode 9. "Achtung Baby" A so-so case-of-the-week but a terrific performance from Josie Lawrence as a famous (and very lonely) singer who has been targeted by a crazy fan. Miss Moneypenny doesn't appear (Boo! Hiss!) but there is abundant chemistry between Mark Valley and Lawrence, plus Valley's scenes with Sienna Miller are smokin', too. This outing deviates from formula by bringing Fiona into the police story. The crazy killer goes after her when Eddie gets too close to the famous singer and the scenes where Eddie gets a phone from his own house and rushes back to see if Fiona is still alive are the scariest the show ever did. It also shows us (as if we did not know) that Eddie is very fond of his annoying housemate. Fiona's reaction is hilarious: yelling and screaming at Eddie, and everyone. Very funny and very in character.
But this is the episode belongs to Josie Lawrence. I've been a huge fan for years and this is her at her best. She effortlessly carries off the fake accent, the singing, the comedy and the loneliness. Even though her character is over-the-top and crazy, Lawrence makes her sadness very real. And this is what the show is, too. Over-the-top and crazy, but - behind it all - everything is very real.
Best scene? Eddie finds the famous singer in his hotel bed and freak out. But, once he realises that her obsession with him is motivated by loneliness, he lies down and lets her stay beside him. Once again, I have to reflect that Eddie is a great character. He makes a connection with people and he tries to help those that cross his path. Any wonder that we fans love him so much?
Worst Week. Episode 1. "Pilot" Aside from the great wacky events, this show appears to have a great cast. I love how Erinn Hayes plays her reactions to everything. Playful and bemused. I love the fact that her character is supportive of her boyfriend through the chaos. Kurtwood Smith is wonderful for giving us another stern character who is notch down from Red (on That '70s Show) but still formidable. Nancy Lenehan (when I think about it) gets some of the funniest moments/lines in the whole pilot. Her early scene with her daughter, her yelling at Sam for 'killing' husband and - finally - her hilarious attack on Sam when she thinks he is dragging her husband's body around the house. Great, great cast.
The Office. Season 5, Episode 1. "Weight Loss" The opening credits roll for the first time in ages and - suddenly - the world seems like a better place again. How sweet it is to have them back with us! Amy Ryan makes a great addition to the show. I hope her stay is a long one. Her character is the perfect match for Michael and their short scene mugging it for the camera (after Jim described her as major dork) is almost my favourite scene in the episode.
The Dwight-Angela-Andy triangle gets better than ever and Dwight and Angela are now having a full blown affair, with Phyllis blackmailing Angela about it. Angela's detailed explanation to camera (of how she sleeps at night) is almost my favourite scene in the episode.
Ryan returns to the fold. That surprises me. I thought we might not see him again. But his fall from grace and return to the bottom of the pile will make for great TV/Comedy. His long sparring match with Jim (over his court-appointed community service) is almost my favourite scene in the episode.
The episode had many great scenes and many high-points. Michael getting it so right and having Kelly stand on a chair for people to praise her was wonderful and sweet and joyful, while Michael getting it so wrong and tearing up the tickets at the very end was painful and hilarious and completely in character for the lovable idiot. Great episode, great scenes.
Best scene? Jim proposes to Pam in the pouring rain and far away from us so that it becomes their private moment. Wonderful, very romantic and a surprise for me. I didn't see that coming at all.
Corner Gas. Season 4, Episode 17. "Seeing Things" More flawless comedy from the gang in Canada's oddest small town. The storyline involving Hank and the slogans he creates (um, steals from Emma) weaves in and out through all the characters with a skill that has to be thought-about to been appreciated, but the Brent storyline is where the real genius of this episode lies. He breaks his glasses and is too chicken to have laser eye surgery so he gets Wanda to help him deceive Lacey (who has been taunting him). That's clever and pretty funny. However, when he is also too chicken to get contact lenses he needs to enlist Lacey to help him deceive Wanda (who has also been taunting him and is much scarier than Lacey). So we get scenes of bluff and double bluff that lead to great, great comedy as Brent finds himself in conversations with both girls where each one thinks she is lying to help Brent deceive the other. It escalates until both girls sit by and let Brent get into (and drive) a car while completely blind. Very funny. Instantly rewatchable.
Greek. Episode 18. "Mr. Purr-fect" Nothing special. Three of the girls become coaches for three of the houses in a competition. Rebecca and Rusty fight a lot. It's funny, but hardly enough to hang an entire episode on. Casey's romance with a random guest star also fails to involve. Much better is Evan taking advice from Frannie and doing something despicable in an effort to win Casey back. Poor guy. He doesn't mean to be scum, and his heart is in the right place. But he just doesn't have a conscience. I like him, but I don't want Casey to end up with him.
Highlight? The Closer (sad)
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Fri, Sep 26, 08 - Closer, House, Keen Eddie, Worst Week, Office, Corner Gas, Greek
