07.30 Dexter
08.30 The Sarah Connor Chronicles
09.30 Rising Damp
10.00 The Mary Tyler Moore Show
10.30 WKRP In Cincinnati
11.00 The Office
11.30 Corner Gas
Dexter. Season 2, Episode 9. "Resistance Is Futile" My stomach is tied in knots after watching this amazing episode of Dexter. Surely the single best episode they have thus far delivered? The first half is constructed to make you think that Dexter has been found out. You are thinking to yourself that that cannot possibly be the case, yet how else do you explain what is happening?
The answer, when it comes, surprised me. It shouldn't have. I should have anticipated that Doakes would be a suspect. But I didn't. I could see it heading in this general direction, yes, with him storming out on the meeting with Lundy in the previous episode. But I did not expect things to move this fast. Pow! This show hits you between the eyes.
Barely had I processed the fact that Doakes had found Dexter's hidden stash of blood samples (last week) than the FBI has the box and is using it as the main evidence in their case against Doakes. Wow! I feel whiplash from the speed of that development. Yet, it makes perfect sense.
Then, before I have time to process that development, Dexter and Doakes are locked in a pitch battle to the death (which, of course, it isn't) with one of them getting shot and Doakes - finally - confronting Dexter about his murderous ways.
It's brilliant. But the show is brilliant in other ways, too. Usually, the fact that Dexter is a serial killer takes second place to the fact that he is socially inept. And, usually, the moments of high drama, come from Dexter's attempts to lead a normal life. This is not one of those episodes, however the scenes that depict Dexter's normal life are just as gripping as usual this week.
His ex-girlfriend showing up, in the midst of his friends, trying to pretend that all is rosy between them (while - in private - they have a blazing row) is a moment that pretty much every viewer can relate to. I know I can. Likewise, Dexter's humbling but honest/heartfelt apology to Rita struck a chord.
It's amazing. In the midst of a crazy, wonderful, OTT plot development about a serial killer covering his tracks this is still a show about a ordinary guy trying to navigate the pitfalls of everyday life.
Which is what makes it such a great television series.
The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Season 2, Episode 8. "Mr. Ferguson is Ill Today" If this isn't the best single episode of the show to date, it is certainly the cleverest. Terminator goes Boomtown on us as it shows the events of the day from the perspective of each of the regular characters. It doesn't add anything much to the story, but it sure as heck is a cool way to tell a story.
The effect is stunning. Gripping. Wonderful. We see early on that Sarah is captured by Cromartie, then the narrative follows John and Riley on the sojourn to Mexico. To the considerable credit of the show, the writers and the actors every single second of this is absorbing and superb. Even though we know that Cromartie is on his way, we are never for one second bored by anything that happens between John and Riley. Their conversation (as she tries to peel back the layers of who he is) is relentlessly fascinating. I love this character. Love her because of the way she impacts on John and I love the way he sticks by his decision to bring her into his life. This show is extremely well-written and planned out. It has a very strong overall arc. John is making the wrong decision here, but I want to see how long he sticks to his guns.
The (later) scenes with Sarah locked in the truck are wonderful. We see nothing. We hear much gunfire and carnage. The show is promising a fantastic climax. So - by doing that - it is running the risk of failing to deliver and disappointing us.
Some hope! The climax is superb. Some of the best action this show has thus-far delivered. Unable to provide Terminator-style carnage on a weekly basis, the show instead concentrates on solid drama week-in week-out with an occasional all-out action episode to keep the blood pumping. This is one of those.
Cromartie bites the dust. I'll miss Garret Dillahunt. I warmed to him slowly, but once I did embrace him I loved what he did with the role. His removal shocks me, but I suppose it makes sense and represents a logical step-forward for the show. Cromartie is gone and Ellison and Sarah are united (?).
I wonder was this originally supposed to be the Season One finale? Had they had 13 or 16 episodes last year, instead of 9. We'll probably never know, but it feels like the ending of one chapter and the start of another.
Rising Damp. Season 2, Episode 2. "Food Glorious Food" Rigsby shoots his mouth off and Philip challenges him to stay off food for 48 hours. Simple premise. Delightful execution. Leonard Rossiter is hilarious in every scene. As usual, his bond with Alan comes to the forefront and he pleads with the young medical student to sneak him some food. It doesn't happen, but it nicely sets up the twist ending. Very funny.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Episode 18. "Second Story Story" When Bob Dishy and Vic Tayback are your guest stars you can't really go very far wrong. And so it is with this MTM episode in which Mary is burglarised and two cops investigate. Episodes away from the workplace tend to interest me less, but this one has some nice bickering between Rhoda and Phyllis and lots of laughs along the way. Highlight? Dishy.
WKRP In Cincinnati. Episode 65. "A Simple Little Wedding" Not the funniest episode, but one of the sweetest. Carlson and his wife plan to get married again. Because - the first time around - they eloped as everybody was interfering too much. Particularly his mother. Guess what? They end up having to elope again because everybody is interfering too much. Particularly his mother.
The episode's best scene occurs when Herb hires two strippers to dance in the newsroom. The camera pans across the faces of the six male regulars and each one is having a different reaction. Perfectly in character. A sign, not only, of what an accomplished actor each man is, but also of how well these characters have been defined. Johnny is enjoying the strippers, but in a furtive (about to get caught) kind of way. Venus is openly enjoying the performance in a confident, man-of-the-world kind of way. Les is bewildered by all the fuss. Andy is like a kid in a candy story. Carlson is embarrassed beyond belief. Herb is sleazy beyond belief.
That quick pan is an example of why I love this show so much. Great performances and great characters. You could drop the WKRP regulars into any given situation and you can imagine how each will react. It's like Sam and Woody on Cheers. Each has moments of being stupid, but it's a different kind of stupid for each man. Well defined character, brought to life by superb performers.
The Office. Season 5, Episode 7. "Business Trip" If there ever was a 'perfect' episode of The Office, then this is it. It was very funny, it gave many characters a lot of good screentime, it was sad at times, it fed into the ongoing growth/education of the lead character and it ended with a wonderful romantic reunion. It had everything packed into one half-hour. Most shows would be lucky to deliver a quarter of that in twice the length.
There was many, many great laughs in this one. Most of the best bits came from the Kelly/Ryan hook-up. I particularly loved the shot of Darryl walking away after being dumped by Kelly (in a text message written by Ryan). What's not to love about every single development here? Ryan's closing line is a classic: I can't - for whatever reason - do better than Kelly.
It was great to see Oscar getting quality screentime, and pairing him with Andy was genius. Their partnership was funny and reminded us that - for all his ineptitude - Andy is basically a decent guy. It was priceless, however, when Oscar got drunk and started asking him what he saw in Angela. Who hasn't wondered that about some co-workers hideous partner? And the show really ran with it, and Oscar continued to let his true feelings for Angela dominate the questions that he asked. Hilarious.
In contrast with this, most of the Michael scenes at the very end were very sad, as he confronted his boss about sending his girlfriend away from him, and so were the scenes between Jim and Pam as they came to terms with the fact that she was going to have to stay in the city for longer than planned. Michael continues to evolve. He gets to experience sex-without-love in this outing and his rant at the end was wonderful to see. The audience likes/loves this guy for all his flaws. We don't want to see his heart broken like this.
But the episode didn't end on a downer. There was a lovely 'twist' at the end. Dwight being there, to totally ruin the moment, made it all the more perfect.
Man, when you watch The Office you are in the hands of a group of writers who really know what they are doing.
Corner Gas. Season 5, Episode 5. "Wash Me" Nancy Robertson is the funniest thing in this episode: trying (unsuccessfully) to ask a guy out and coming up with ever-more-bizarre ways to her hide her embarrassment ("Milk!!"). It's a great episode all round. Most of the storyline depend on the quirks of these wonderful characters: Hank writing important info on his dirty truck, Oscar and Emma getting into a war of toiletries, Davis spending most his days asleep. You could not pinch this script and use it in another show about folks living in a small town. The jokes depend on these specific characters in order to work. It's funny because we know these people. And it's funny because nobody can extol the virtues of milk like Nancy Robertson!!
Highlight? Dexter (shocking developments)
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Sat, Nov 15, 08 - Dexter, Sarah Connor, Rising Damp, Mary Tyler Moore, WKRP, Office, Corner Gas
