07.00 Law And Order
08.00 Flashpoint
09.00 It's Your Move
09.30 Keen Eddie
10.30 Night Court
11.00 Adventure Inc.
Law And Order. Season 18, Episode 10. "Tango" Michael Cutter has a hopeless crush on Connie Rubirosa and it's part of the reason I am in love with this show (all over again). This is the one that has Connie getting an email praising her technique in the courtroom. Her technique and her legs. Cutter comments that he agrees. I don't blame him. I would pay good money to see Alana De La Garza walk around a room. She's amazing. And, as a die-hard fan who watched every episode of the Angie Harmon/Jill Hennessy/Carey Lowell seasons, I think De La Garza is the most beautiful woman who has ever sat in the A.D.A. chair on Law And Order. Great then, to see an episode about her appearance and it's effect on the men/man in the jury and the case under trial.
The show slipped up somewhat by getting the guy in the jury to play it like a creep (that wasn't needed to make the story work, and - in fact - kinda damaged it) but it was still a great episode. The final debate scene was superb. Cutter and Rubirosa arguing their respective corners and Jack standing watching. Watching and listening and saying... nothing. Great character work. I feel like I really know and love these two new characters as much as I know and love Jack. And it's a good story idea: the impact a woman's sexuality can have on her success in the workplace. And, unlike many other shows that have touched on this idea, Law And Order gives it just the right amount of screentime and doesn't let it interfere with the case-of-the-week.
Flashpoint. Episode 9. "Planets Aligned" Once again Flashpoint brings tears to my eyes. That's happened quite a few times in this first batch of nine episodes. About half the run have been classics. And this is one of the very best. Who would ever have thought you could take an action show, mix it with heartbreak and tears every week... and make it work? Certainly not me. In the last '80s I was horrified when Bernard L. Kowalski made "More Heart Than Hardware" his credo on Airwolf. It's wrong, wrong, wrong! I cried (without tears). You can't mix gut-wrenching action with stories of peoples emotions and feelings. Well, Airwolf failed to do it, but Flashpoint has totally nailed the idea. Every week we meet with one character in a point of crisis and we learn what led them to that moment. Usually there is a heart-breaking reason for the resorting to violence and this week is no exception: a kidnapped child fights her rescuers after 8 years in captivity. Harrowing.
Tatiana Maslany (like all the guest stars on this show) gave an amazing performance. Series regular Amy Jo Johnson has made Jules one of the coolest heroes I've ever seen in an action show. Gutsy beyond belief, this woman will not give up. We saw in the episode set in the shopping mall and we see it here again in the riveting final acts of this story. It's simply stunning. I love her.
Ed is bad-ass cool, Greg is the nicest guy on the planet (except for Veronica Mars' dad) but I would trust Jules with my life.
Flashpoint is an amazing series. It aired in the Summer and - usually - great Summer shows that I love vanish after their run (yes Hidden Palms and Traveler I'm talking about you!) but Flashpoint beat the odds. It was a ratings hit and it will be back!
Better restock my supply of tissues!
It's Your Move. Episode 2. "Put to the Test" Not quite as good as the pilot, but still completely delightful. The first half shows us Matthew's latest money-making scheme: selling copies of an upcoming test at school. It also shows us the downfall of that plan: Normal getting a job as substitute teacher with Matthew's class. Unlikely, but never mind. The fun is in watching the game of chess that follows. The second half finds Matthew alone in Norman's apartment, finding notes and solving clues and trying to outwit Norman and locate the new test. Ultimately he fails and this second episode is one in the win column for Norman.
Keen Eddie. Episode 10. "The Amazing Larry Dunn" is another Keen Eddie classic. Larry Dunn was a famous child star. He could remember anything. But he was beaten on national TV and his career fell apart. His father turned on him and declared that Larry lacked courage. We meet him many years later, when a bunch of crooks cross his path. Larry has a big book on bank alarms systems. So Larry destroys the book (which he has committed to memory) and forces his way into the gang. It's a wonderful story, with Julian Kerridge giving a great performance as Larry. Keen Eddie had a wacky, crazy style but it told wonderful human stories. And this was one.
Rachael Buckley returns to the show and Miss Moneypenny/Carol Ross shoots another sexual zinger at Eddie as she takes the elevator. As usual Eddie is dazed and confused and his partner - Monty - is not aware that anything has happened.
Also worth noting for hardcore fans: Eddie and Fiona don't fight in this episode. They are on friendly terms from start to finish.
Finally, Eddie trots out his "I'm Eddie, how do you like me so far?" opening line. That's another classic right there.
Night Court. Episode 4. Very funny, but more drama than comedy "Welcome Back, Momma" is the story of the woman who announces that she is Harry's long-lost mother. Is she? Well, that doesn't matter until the very end of the tale... What matters is the way it affects Harry. And, indeed, the woman herself. Lying or not, she is certainly very lonely. Did she really run out on young Harry and his dad? On our our way to the answer, the script does not forget to make us laugh: the case-of-the-week is a collection of bikini-clad beauty contestants who beat the living crap out of the show's lying/cheating organiser. Very few of them speak English and the show makes full use of that for some quality laughs. Bull is smitten by one of the girls and is free to tell her to shut up when she starts babbling at him. His efforts to explain his name (by drawing a bull on paper) gives us the episodes biggest laugh.
Adventure Inc. Episode 5. "Village of the Lost" Nifty story idea finds Judson and Gabriel trapped inside a village that cannot be seen from outside. It has been gone for over ten years and the villagers (a nice group) are happy to keep it that way. Sadly, there are some bad guys trying to find the village and it's secret. This would have been the most enjoyable episode of the run so far (with guest stars like Carlo Rota and Jayne Heitmeyer) but there is a lot of very annoying dubbing, some badly edited scenes and Karen Cliche is relegated to a supporting role. Crazy.
Highlight? Flashpoint (tear-jerking. again.)
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Mon, Oct 20, 08 - Law & Order, Flashpoint, It's Your Move, Keen Eddie, Night Court, Adventure Inc.
30 Rock, Adventure Inc., Aliens In America, Carpoolers, K-Ville, Kung Fu, Notes From The Underbelly, The Six Million Dollar Man
Friday, October 12th, 2007
07:00 Carpoolers
07:30 Notes From The Underbelly
08:00 30 Rock
08:30 K-Ville
09:30 Kung Fu
10:30 Adventure Inc.
11:30 The Six Million Dollar Man
12:30 Aliens In America
Carpoolers. Episode 1. One of the carpoolers is intimidated when he thinks that his wife makes more money than him. The other three guys try lots of stuff to fix this, and it all culminates with them climbing through his kitchen window late one night to steal his new toaster. Hmm. Not sure what to make of this one. There were a few laughs, so I'll check out the second episode. See where it all goes.
Notes From The Underbelly. Episode 4. Another winning episode. Now that Lauren's pregnant, she's got bigger breasts, and Andrew is almost in heaven. "Almost", because she is nauseous most of the time, and there is zero chance of actually having sex. This simple idea generates a lot of laughs and leads to a great climax (so to speak) when Lauren and Andrew fight rush-hour traffic -seperately - in an effort to meet during one of the rare times that she is not feeling sick. Under it all, the writing makes it clear that Andrew is not just horny, he's utterly smitten with his wife and it's difficult for him being without her. This element is probably my favourite thing about the whole series: this guy isn't just 'in love' with his wife, he's simply adores her. All the time. Even when - being pregnant and all - her behaviour is somewhat odd. It's a cool element in a seriously cool show.
30 Rock. Season 2, Episode 2. Much as I love 30 Rock (and I'm so in love with Tina Fey at this stage that it's not even funny) I must admit that I've just not feeling "the vibe" this year. Whatever that means. Storylines for Jack, Tracy and Jenna totally fail to raise laughs. Usually Will Arnett or Chris Parnell would have me in stitches. Not this time. Disappointing.
K-Ville. Episode 3. Buddy Cop shows have done many things down through the years, but devoting the third episode to 'The Captain'?!! That's a new one on me. John Carroll Lynch gives a great performance and this outstanding episode gives us as much background and characterisation on him as the previous episodes did for the two cops who are the focus of the show. The story told is a superb cop thriller, and the all-action finale is one of the best I've seen outside of 24. Pretty much my favourite new show of 2007 at this stage.
Kung Fu. Episode 11. 1870s America, and Shaolin priest Kwai Chang Caine is searching for his brother. To this end, he breaks a large, violent, and mentally slow man out of prison and both of them are chased by an Army Tracker. Caine's influence on the supposed criminal (actually innocent of his crime) is strong, and by the end of the story he has mastered a large degree of self-control. He, however, is not able to help Caine much in his quest. At the end of the story, he has a chance to settle in a new town and make a fresh start but (in a genuinely affecting moment) he opts to live out his days in the wilderness instead: helping animals, avoiding people and foraging for food Caine has taught him. Wonderful stuff.
Adventure Inc. Episode 4. Duller than usual outing for professional treasure hunter Judson Cross and his team. Lots of bickering over boundaries and a fake psychic dominate the early part of the story. The second half has a few underwater scenes, but not much in the way of underwater action. This show seems to be more interesting when the team are killing bad-guys in some jungle or other.
The Six Million Dollar Man. Season 2, Episode 12. Some SMDM episodes are just boring case-of-the-week outings for Steve Austin, superhuman spy. And this is one of those. A woman is targeted for kidnap. Steve does a lot of running and jumping in this one, but accomplishes very little. He lets bad guys get away repeatedly, fails to stop an innocent getting killed and can't even jump high enough to grab a helicopter when the bad-guys get the girl near the end. There then follows a really goofy sequence when he tracks the kidnappers using tire tracks. Madness. First dud episode of the second season.
Aliens In America. Episode 1. They have added charisma-less Scott Patterson to the cast since I first saw this pilot, but it's still great.
Cheers? K-Ville.
Jeers? The Six Million Dollar Man.
30 Rock, Adventure Inc., Back To You, Kung Fu, Notes From The Underbelly, The Six Million Dollar Man
Friday, October 5th, 2007
07:30 Back To You
08:00 Notes From The Underbelly
08:30 Adventure Inc.
09:30 Kung Fu
10:30 30 Rock
11:00 The Six Million Dollar Man
Back To You. Episode 3. This episode gives a lot more screen-time to the ensemble cast. It turns out that the overweight, shy boss is secretly in love with the sexy weather-girl. And he spends much of this episode in her dressing-room, helping her through a romance crisis, while she wears nothing but a towel. Yawn. The other two plots are funnier, but this isn't a very strong episode.
Notes From The Underbelly. Episode 3. With parenthood on the horizon, Lauren contemplates giving up her job. Lots of short scenes, fast cuts, quirky lines, etc. make for another winning episode. Again, I have to say, who would have thought a show about pregnancy would be so much fun to watch?
Adventure Inc. Episode 3. Various parties are after some bones that constitute a "missing link", of sorts, in human evolution. Cue lots of gun battles and fist-fights as Judson Cross and his team try to protect the bones and... stay alive. John Ralston, who is pretty weak as Ming on Flash Gordon, is a tiny bit better here. It's a good episode, marred only by relying on the old "fake funeral for one of the regulars" gag early on. As if we - the audience at home - will believe that one of the stars has really been killed. Oh wait! There she is! It was all a ruse to dupe the bad guys. Yawn.
Kung Fu. Episode 10. A young girl (Jodie Foster) thinks she sees Caine shoot and kill someone during a stagecoach robbery. She is mistaken, but she is believed by a jury and Caine is sentenced to be hanged. Caine feels no anger for the child and - while he is in prison - the two of them become friends. So much so that the girl eventually lies and takes back her witness statement. Leaving her confused about the nature about truth and lies. This main story and a similarly themed flashback story combine to make the strongest episode yet of this first season. Caine's unusual nature gets a chance to shine and the viewer has a lot to ponder as the credits roll. Not only about truth/lies but also about perception.
30 Rock. Season 2, Episode 1. Although I'm a huge fan of Jerry Seinfeld, the most laughs in this episode came from the Tina Fey storyline.
The Six Million Dollar Man. Season 2, Episode 11. When a repoter (Farrah Fawcett) manages to shoot footage of Steve in bionic action (at a NASA launch) it looks as if his secret will come out. That is, until her news director tells her that the film she shot is actually blank and she has to find a way to bluff Steve and Oscar into letting her take more footage. If that plot twist wasn't enough, we then discover that the news director was lying and has sold the footage to a foreign power!
Widely regarded as a weak episode, I put off watching this one for ages. But, in fact, it's a pretty good episode. The best scenes are the ones between Steve and Oscar. And it's made very clear that Oscar can (and will) do anything to kill the story. It is strongly hinted that he might even take steps to silence the reporter. The storyline where the news director accompanies some thugs on a mission to kidnap Steve makes no great sense, but it does lead to some pretty good action sequences. The episode's only low point is a hilarious seduction scene between Steve and the reporter.
By episode's end, all is well with the world. Once again we are remined that Oscar Goldman is a very powerful man and he will/can do anything to protect his bionic creations.
Highlight? Kung Fu.
Back To You, Notes From The Underbelly, NCIS, Adventure Inc.
Thursday, September 27th, 2007
08:30 Back To You
09:00 Notes From The Underbelly
09:30 NCIS
10:30 Adventure Inc.
Back To You. Episode 2. The key thing about a second episode, after you have enjoyed the pilot, is: is it as good? In this case, the answer is a resounding 'Yes'. It's the next day, and Chuck is still getting used to the idea that he is now a father. When he kills a fish (by accident) he tries to prevent Kelly from finding out (because she'll think he's irresponsible, etc. etc.). Cue lots of fish replacing, following by lots of fish deaths. Is it funny? The answer is a resounding 'Yes'.
Notes From The Underbelly. Episode 2. I would have assumed that a sit-com about pregnancy would be slow and serious. Not fast and snappy (like Scrubs). Lauren is obsessed with food in this episode, and her impending driving test, and her impending change of car. And it's all fast and funny and very enjoyable. I'm starting to love her best friend Cooper (Rachael Harris) who gets all the best lines. And seems to have a ball delivering them.
NCIS. Season 4, Episode 2. Gibbs left NCIS at the end of Season 3. He's in early retirement but contemplating coming back. The case that brings him back - again - involves an escaped prisoner. Someone Gibbs sent to prison. Someone who has always protested his innocent. Did Gibbs get it wrong? Did he send an innocent man to prison? Since this is an episode supposed to renew Gibbs faith in himself, it's very surprising that the writers chose to end it the way they did. Surprising, but brilliant.
Adventure Inc. Episode 2. Now that I've more-or-less given up on Flash Gordon, I'm getting my Karen Cliche fix from one of her older shows. It's episode two (though I suspect this may have been filmed first) and Judson Cross and his team of explorers are searching Cambodia for a chopper that crashed there 30 years earlier. But, all is not what it seems: they have been lied to, they fall foul of drug lords and there are plenty of fight scenes. Karen Cliche is hot, but never hotter than beating the crap out of bad guys (or bad gal Kira Clavell in a couple of scenes). Actually, she looked pretty darn great in a black evening gown early in the story, too. More important than that: It's a fun show to watch. It moves fast, and Michael Biehn is a perfect leading man for this fare.
Adventure Inc., The Sentinel, WKRP In Cincinnati, We Got It Made
Wednesday, September 19th, 2007
10:00 Adventure Inc.
11:00 The Sentinel
12:00 WKRP In Cincinnati
12:30 We Got It Made
Adventure Inc. Episode 1. This show ran for 22 episodes as part of the 02/03 season and it features a team of explorers, whose cases are always dangerous and exciting and sometimes feature the supernatural. Like in this opening episode, which has our three heroes running around the jungle in search of a Mayan altar. With them is a young woman who has apparently been taken over by the spirit of a bride from 1,000 years ago who never made it to the altar. The show is typical adventure fare. It's got a great lead cast, some cool action sequences and this episode was very enjoyable.
The Sentinel. Season 3, Episode 6. This show ran four seasons and features a cop with superhuman senses. This episode (one of the very best) does a great job mixing two plots and keeping the viewer guessing. Jim cuts someone off in traffic and almost gets into a fist-fight. The guy turns into a psycho stalker determined to get revenge on the bad-tempered cop. Meanwhile, Jim goes undercover on the tail of a gang of jewel thieves, one of whom (a hilarious Holly Fields) takes a shine to him. The plots moves fast, Jim uses his powers a lot (in a few episodes he never uses his powers), the regulars are hilarious together and there is long chase at the end. It's brilliant TV.
WKRP In Cincinnati. Episode 57. WKRP is a great show because no matter how silly the comedy gets, the show has an honest heart and a great respect for the characters. In this hilarious episode, Herb arrives to work with his daughter's frog in two. He has accidently spray painted the frog and it is dying. There is a lot of great comedy to be had from Herb going round on everyone unveiling the frog and getting their opinions on saving it. But the frog dies. And the whole point of the episode is that Herb, a pretty sleazy guy most of the time, is heart-broken because he's just killed something that his daughter loves. The final scene is a long one, it's just Herb and his very young daughter and it's completely devoid of melodrama and cliché. Herb just rambles on and on about how sorry he is and the kid (who has very little dialogue but still steals the scene) forgives him without fuss. It's nothing like other times we've seen this scenario played out on TV, but it sure rings true and it's a pleasure to be entertained in this way. Classy, smart TV.
We Got It Made. Episode 16. A prime example of everything that could go wrong with TV sit-coms, We Got It Made was an 80s clone of Three's Company that ran for for two seasons. Two guys hire a maid and she's a blond bombshell. Plots tend to revolve around comic mis-understandings of one type or another. In most cases the plots have to make the regular characters appear to be very dumb to make the stories work, the jokes fail to raise a smile and it can be embarrasing to watch. In most cases, but not all. The early episodes are hilarious, but the show went down very fast. Even then, it had a pretty cool cast to carry it. Teri Copley, in particular, has great comic timing. This episode revolves around the brother of one of the guys showing up. He doesn't want to be a lawyer like his big brother, he wants to be an actor. After that it all plays out like average sit-com fare, until all comes well at the end and everyone learns a lesson. However, it's not one of the worst episodes. Copley gets to play different characters and she's very funny when doing it.
Best show of the night? The Sentinel.
