05.30 NCIS
06.30 Damages
07.30 It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia
08.30 Lie To Me
09.30 The Mentalist
03.00 Night Court
NCIS. Season 5, Episode 8. "Designated Target" NCIS works closely with the wife of a man who has been running, from an assassination death squad, for many, many years.
Another clever, and wonderful, episode of NCIS. The comedy between the characters is simply superb, the story is interesting and the twist at the end is genuinely heartbreaking. For two characters.
Since the show always likes to tell tales with twists at the end, I was suspicious of the wife. Maybe she was lying to Ziva (about love, romance and true love) and would turn out to be an assassin herself. That was not the case. In the show's final seconds, the husband and wife are reunited to find that he has married again (in the mistaken belief that his wife had been killed). It's an absolute slap in the face and everything about that final scene is perfect. The shock revelation, the pain and dignity shown by the wife and the final slow close-up on Ziva's sorrowful expression.
This is a wonderful episode for Ziva. And for Ziva and Tony. We see them alone - as a team - more than usual, and the script/performaces play up the attraction between them in a more obvious way than is normally done on the show.
Works for me. More please!
Damages. Season 2, Episode 1. "I Lied, Too" A month has passed, Ellen and Patty are both trying - in the own way - to deal with the events of Season One.
Superb opening episode to another one of television's consistently A+ shows.
I'm delighted to see Ted Danson back for the new season, and also delighted that the writers have devised a way to maintain the show's clever/unusual narrative structure.
So, who did Ellen shoot (if she did, in fact, shoot anyone)? Patty, Frobisher, Katie, Wes...
It could be anyone. Wes could be working for Patty, Katie or Tom might be more corrupt than we realise... There is no way of know. Yet. However, based on Season One, we can be sure that the journey to the revelation will be a thrill ride.
It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia. Season 3, Episode 12. "The Gang Gets Whacked" It's certainly got some very funny moments, but this double-length episode (that turns the regulars into drug dealers) isn't quite funny enough to fill out the extra half-hour.
Each cast member has a stand out scene, and some of the ideas are inspired, but I spend a lot of this one watching and waiting for the next laugh. The best bits involved Frank brainwashing Dennis into becoming a prostitute, and anything involving Charlie's obsession with horses.
Lie To Me. Episode 1. "Pilot" A standard cop show, with a great lead actor and a nice gimmick.
The stories are pedestrian and I found it very easy, in both stories, to predict what the outcome would be. In the story about the politician it was easy, from the first scene of the story, to know that the prostitute was - in fact - his daughter.
Tim Roth owns this show. I've always liked the guy, but - My God! - he rules this show the way that Hugh Laurie rules House. Roth is one of the few actors who can make it compelling when his character is sitting listening to someone else talking. We believe that Lighman is deep in thought every second that he appears on screen. That's what Roth brings to the table with this role.
The rest of the cast are bland, except Brendan Hines who is wasted in a support role. He should be the one partnered with Lightman out in the field.
The show's gimmick in interesting. But - in this first episode - it did cause me to step back from the story a few times. Instead of thinking 'oh, that guy is lying', I was thinking, 'I wonder how the filmed that bit'. Hopefully, in future episodes they spend less time explaining/showing how Lightman does his magic. Let's just accept that he can read people perfectly and move on. Give us some better stories than this one!
And give Lightman more of a personal life. This guy knows when people are lying, for frak sake! Let's see him on the dating scene, or dealing with a family crisis of some sort. There's huge scope to make this one more than a boring procedural.
The Mentalist. Episode 2. "Red Hair and Silver Tape" I'm trying to like it, honest, but it's still coming across as a bit too pedestrian for me.
Simon Baker is terrific. He's got star quality. He is the show. And when he stands there watching and listening he makes it compelling. I believe that Patrick Jane is clever and always thinking. So, yes, I buy it. I'm willing to take the leap and go along for the ride.
But the stories need to stronger than this one: a trainee serial killer in a small town.
The best bits were the scenes between Patrick and the kid brother of the victim. Patrick's speech was superb. And it's enough - I think - to make me want to see the next episode.
I think.
Night Court. Episode 7. "Once in Love With Harry" Reinhold Weege delivers another superb episode, when a prostitute mistakes Harry's kindness for something more.
Rita Taggart, Harry Anderson and Karen Austin give wonderful performances in this one, and the script gives all three characters wonderul depth and heart. Lonely Carla, kind-hearted Harry and jealous/protective Lana are each made very real.
Harry's final speech, when he wonders aloud, if he might actually be falling in love with Carla is heart-breakingly good. It's also a speech of depth and perception.
I'd expect nothing else from Night Court.
Highlight? Damages (bang! bang!)
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A Briefing With Michael: One Year Ago
Thur, Jan 8, 09 - NCIS, Damages, Always Sunny, Lie To Me, Mentalist, Night Court
