05.30 30 Rock
06.00 The Jury
08.00 Law And Order
09.30 House
03.00 Wings
30 Rock. Season 3, Episode 10. "Generalissimo" Liz stalks another potential boyfriend, while Jack has a twin...
I always love it when the show mines Liz's love life for story ideas and this is one of the best examples: Liz fakes the loss of a pet dog at one stage! Later on, thing get crazy silly when she ends up drugging him with Rohypnol! How on earth did that happen? Well, it happened because this is one of those episodes where 30 Rock is able to merge different storylines in a seamless manner. In fact, a lot of what drives Liz over to 'the dark side' in this installment is because of what is happening over in the Jack storyline. Liz patterns her behaviour after the 'bad guy' in the other plot and has several conversations with Jack's girlfriend about what she is doing.
So, even though this is an insane episode, it holds together very well. Sure, the events on-screen are crazy but, by showing them as being interrelated, the episode makes everything cohesive.
The Jury. Episode 6. "Memories" Was a little girl molested by her kindly neighbour?
A clever episode. In the end the whole thing hangs on the testimony of the little girl. And the jury sets about trying to figure out what the little girl actually remembers. They don't think she is lying, per se, but they start to wonder about the nature of memory. Meanwhile, an old woman on the jury starts to have trouble with her own memory. So much so that the other jurors want her kicked off the jury. She fights her case, and - as a consequence - gets everyone thinking about the nature of memory.
It's not subtle, but it is very clever. And it's very enjoyable.
Ken Leung (from Lost) has a few good scenes, as has Fred Weller (from In Plain Sight) but the episode is wonderfully dominated by Harry O'Reilly from Homefront. O'Reilly is wonderful - as always - and it's great to see him.
Law And Order. Season 19, Episode 5. "Knock Off" The regulars go upstate and tangle with a corrupt/powerful sheriff.
This one doesn't look or feel like an L&O episode: it's mostly set outside New York City, it features a sort of bad guy one would expect to find on The A-Team, it keep Lupo in the whole episode and partners him with Cutter for the back half, and - best of all - it features lots of continuity with the show's recurring bad guy: Governor Shalvoy.
I loved it. The story is strong from the very start (even before it leaves the city) and things only get better when the show abandons it's, normally rigid, formula. Clancy Brown and Tom Everett Scott make two superb guest stars. Katee Sackhoff is also superb, but sadly under-used.
Best bits? Anything showing Cutter and Lupo as a team is awesome, but the highlight is the ending. In the final minute, when all appears lost Jack McCoy goes head-to-head with Shalvoy and outwits him. But episode's ending the corrupt sheriff is arrested, Shalvoy knows that Jack is not to be toyed with and - best of all - Jack decides to run for the position of D.A. Cutter is the first to know, too. Loved that.
House. Season 5, Episode 13. "Big Baby" The one with Cameron in charge.
Even with the novelty factor of Cameron as the boss this is a lacklustre and boring episode. Cuddy is having a hard time bonding with her new baby. Who cares? House doesn't and neither do I. Lisa Edelstein, it must be said, looks amazing in the back half of the episode (when Cuddy shows up at the hospital in kinky boots). But, eye-candy aside, there was nothing to quicken the pulse here. The patient is a very nice person and - in the downbeat ending - we learn that the cure will make her a lot less nice. Um, didn't they do this exact story before?
Yawn.
Wings. Season 2, Episode 13. "Love Is Like Pulling Teeth" Joe promised to look after a sick Helen, but the guys are gathering for a ball game on TV...
Middle-of-the-road episode. It uses the new Joe/Helen romance to fuel the story and generates a fair amount of laughs. Crystal Bernard usually excels at physical comedy but there's not much for her to do here. She certainly makes the most of Helen's inability to talk, but it's basically the same gag over and over.
The ending of the tale is especially good: Joe lies and gets away with him. Wrongdoers in sit-coms usually don't come out smelling of roses, so it's a rare treat to see Joe as the winner as the credits roll.
Highlight? Law And Order (break with formula)
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Mon, Feb 9, 09 - 30 Rock, The Jury, Law And Order, House, Wings
