05.30 Threshold
06.30 The Middleman
07.30 Pushing Daisies
08.30 Supernatural
02.00 The Office
02.30 Corner Gas
Threshold. Episode 13. "Alienville" For it's final episode, Threshold delivers one of the standards of sci-fi/fantasy storytelling: alone in the 'friendly small town' where everyone has been brainwashed. It's Molly and Cavennaugh in danger, trying to track a human scientist in danger from aliens, and trying to survive the citizens of the town. Good fun. Episode has a nice ending, too, which tries very hard to give fans an upbeat ending to the cancelled series. Gotta admire that.
The Middleman. Episode 11. "The Clotharian Contamination Protocol" Part of the fun of watching this show is the text that appears on screen during the episodes. Most shows just use on-screen text to tell you the date, the time or the location. Middleman does that, too. But they also find quirky ways to impart lots of other cool information, too. And jokes, of course. This is another strong episode. And it ends with a great scene where Wendy - sure she is about to die - tells The Middleman that he has been like a father to her. Hard to see that without a small tear in the corner of your eye.
Pushing Daisies. Season 2, Episode 2. "Circus Circus" Chi McBride gets all the best lines and his character is more pivotal to the story than usual because there is a parallel between the case he has taken and his own missing daughter. No dead body to kick start the story this time, which makes you wonder why he bothers to bring The Pie Maker along. But, with PD, it's best to stay away from questions. I mean, why exactly is Olive hiding in a convent? Best to just sit back and enjoy the spectacle as the PD gang head to a circus. It turns out to be a quirky circus and - before long - there are dead bodies piling up. Clown dead bodies, by the way!
I'm not really enjoying the while Chuck has moved out storyline, but I like the bits where she dives over the counter every time an aunt walks into Ned's place. Goofy fun.
Supernatural. Season 2, Episode 13. "Houses of the Holy" A so-so episode. The story is good, but the conflict between the brothers is a bit too manufactured for my liking. Sam thinks the supernatural force at work could be an angel, while Dean reveals that he has no belief in angels. They argue about this a lot and I wasn't buying any of it. I mean, there's already so much conflict inherent in the characters that this seems too contrived to be needed. Even worse was the ending where each brother has come to see things from the other's perspective. It's a solid stand-alone story idea (for a movie or a book) but as part of this television series? I'm not sure it belongs here. It's hard to be invested in a fight that - you know - will never be mentioned again in the series.
The Office. Season 5, Episode 2. "Business Ethics" How I love this show! Where else am I to find a story so resplendent in moral wrongness? (Yes, I wrote 'wrongness', get over it!)
Holly's seminar on ethics unearths some really bad behaviour in the office and sets in motion events that might lead to someone losing their job. Michael is horrified and he and Holly butt heads over it. Their conversations about it not being 'a family' are painful to watch because we know how Michael thinks and feels at this stage and it's sad to see how far apart he and Holly still are. You cannot help but wonder how the writers can possibly find an ending that works.
And they do. The ending is sublime. Wrong on so many levels, but so perfectly right for this show. And all of the Michael/Holly scenes are wonderful. It's turning a new pleasure on this show: watching Michael almost get things right with Holly. Watching Holly notice and appreciate it. I'm falling in love with them falling in love.
As good as the a-story was, it was the b-story that gave me my episode highlight: Jim taunting Dwight about Battlestar Galactica. That wasn't just funny, that was comedy gold.
Corner Gas. Season 4, Episode 19. "Gopher It" When Red Dwarf delivered a fake final episode at the end of one season it really upset me and cemented my love for the show and it's characters. This is the fake final episode of Corner Gas, the one where the characters all prepare to go their separate ways. I already know how much I love this show, so I don't need anything to put it in focus for me. Still, though, I found myself moderately upset that this might be the way things pan out. I guess I just don't want the show to end. And had this been a real final episode it would have been a great one to finish on. Thank frak it wasn't, though.
Highlight? The Office (BSG, Holly)
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Sun, Oct 12, 08 - Threshold, Middleman, Pushing Daisies, Supernatural, Office, Corner Gas
