Scrubs 1.2

John Ducey. Once again the tone is perfect and, while there are laughs, there are some very dark moments and ideas. 9/10

Scrubs 1.1

Good pilot with introduces the characters and their world, and (much tougher) correctly establishes the tone of the show. 9/10

Friends, Scrubs, Breaking Bad, Friday Night Lights, Flashpoint

Saturday, January 16th, 2010

04.30 Friends
05.00 Scrubs
05.30 Breaking Bad
06.30 Friday Night Lights
07.30 Flashpoint

Friends. Episode 23. "The One Where Rachel Finds Out"

Scrubs. Season 9, Episode 7. "Our White Coats"

Breaking Bad. Season 2, Episode 2. "Grilled"

Friday Night Lights. Season 4, Episode 9. "The Lights in Carroll Park"

Flashpoint. Episode 24. "Never Let You Down"

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A Briefing With Michael: One Year Ago

Scrubs, Breaking Bad, Friday Night Lights, Flashpoint

Saturday, January 9th, 2010

05.00 Scrubs
05.30 Breaking Bad
06.30 Friday Night Lights
07.30 Flashpoint

Scrubs. Season 9, Episode 6. "Our New Girl-Bro"

Breaking Bad. Season 2, Episode 1. "Seven Thirty-Seven"

Friday Night Lights. Season 4, Episode 8. "The Toilet Bowl"

Flashpoint. Episode 23. "One Wrong Move"

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Scrubs, I Dream Of Jeannie, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Incredible Hulk, Black Beauty, Corner Gas, Moonlighting

Saturday, January 2nd, 2010

06.00 Scrubs
06.30 I Dream Of Jeannie
07.00 The Six Million Dollar Man
08.00 The Incredible Hulk
09.00 Black Beauty
09.30 Corner Gas
10.00 Moonlighting

Scrubs. Season 9, Episode 5. "Our Mysteries"

I Dream Of Jeannie. Episode 5. "G.I. Jeannie"

The Six Million Dollar Man. Episode 6. "Operation Firefly"

The Incredible Hulk. Season 2, Episode 10. "Escape from Los Santos"

Black Beauty. Episode 5. "Runaway"

Corner Gas. Season 5, Episode 17. "The Accidental Cleanist"

Moonlighting. Episode 1. "Moonlighting"

Highlight? Moonlighting
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Scrubs, Legend Of The Seeker, Wiseguy

Saturday, December 26th, 2009

07.00 Scrubs
07.30 Legend Of The Seeker
08.30 Wiseguy

Scrubs. Season 9, Episode 4. "Our Histories"

Legend Of The Seeker. Season 2, Episode 1. "Marked"

Wiseguy. Episode 1. "Wiseguy"

Highlight? Wiseguy
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The Big Bang Theory, Defying Gravity, Legend Of The Seeker, Supernatural, Parks And Recreation, Scrubs

Sunday, December 20th, 2009

05.00 The Big Bang Theory
05.30 Defying Gravity
06.30 Legend Of The Seeker
07.30 Supernatural
11.00 Parks And Recreation
11.30 Scrubs

The Big Bang Theory. Season 3, Episode 11. "The Maternal Congruence" Leonard's Mother.

Not a Christmas Classic, but great. And very funny.

Christine Baranski rocks. And works the studio audience like the pro she is. Pairing her with Kaley Cuoco pays huge comic dividends.

Defying Gravity. Episode 13. "Kiss" Venus.

A great end to a great series. Well, a great season-ender, but not an actual ending to the series/story. Damn it!

Most of the episode is just Zoe's walk on Venus and everyone watching and waiting for her to die. And it's gripping stuff. And, as the characters begin to ask deep questions as to what it's all about, and what the 'objects' want, so do the viewers. At least I did.

This is thought-provoking entertainment, akin to Lost. Yes, it's that good. A pity nobody watched.

Legend Of The Seeker. Episode 22. "Reckoning" 58 years in the future...

Brave choice. Ending the season, and - indeed - the story arc, with an time travel episode that is largely set in a parallel universe (where Kahlan must marry Darken Rahl and raise their son). But it pays off.

This is a superb episode. Epic stuff. Kahlan comes across as more heroic than ever and (thanks to the sublime Craig Parker) Rahl is at his manipulative best/worst. It really is a joy to watch it all unfold.

Richard, meanwhile, has some great scenes with Cara (Tabrett Bethell) and the two have a surprisingly strong chemistry. She's great (but I prefer Denna/Jessica Marais).

The final minutes are too rushed, but it's a good ending to the story.

Supernatural. Season 5, Episode 9. "The Real Ghostbusters" The guys attend a Supernatural convention. Yes, a Supernatural convention.

Wow. This show continues to toy with the rules of television storytelling. This is not the best episode where they have done this, but it's almost unfair now to compare a SN episode with other SN episodes. Particularly ones that were mind-blowing. Fairer, in this case, to compare this with other TV fare and say that it is some of the finest television being produced right now.

The case-of-the-week is good. It's a 'plain jane' type of SN story and - as such - would have been a good one to tell in season one. The boys visit a haunted hotel and solve the problem. Except... they have misjudged the situation and... made things worse. It could have played out in season one and been good.

But, here, in season five, it's a very different story. The hotel is full of Sam and Dean fans/wannabes and duo end up have to work with (and rely on) two fans to get the job done. Even better, the script pauses to allow Dean to learn something valuable from his 'fans'. A moment that could have been awful and, instead, is spine-tingling and inspiring. Damian and Barnes (Devin Ratray & Ernie Grunwald) are two of the best characters the show has ever had.

Even better, Becky (who is tad more one-note and boring) is able to tell Sam some vital information that only a fan of the show would know.

That's just crazy. Breaking the rules of storytelling like that. AND I LOVE IT.

Parks And Recreation. Season 2, Episode 12. "Christmas Scandal"

In this episode, they showed us that Leslie does a huge amount of work and nobody could replace her. This accomplished two things: it made me love her more than ever, and it serves to take this show even further away from it's origins as an Office clone, where Leslie is a female Michael Scott that nobody likes/respects. Those days are gone now.

Scrubs. Season 9, Episode 3. "Our Role Models"

JD was the weak link here. He was mean and selfish for most of the episode. Shouldn't he be over all of that, by now? It's really hard to sympathise with him here, whereas Lucy, Drew and all the others are much more likable and interesting at this stage.

Seeing Turk and Cox having a beer together only served to highlight the fact that JD hasn't evolved. The show would have been wiser to play things with JD as being a drinking buddy, too, and only make a sly reference to his days of craving Cox's approval. Instead they used it to drive the whole episode and kinda lost me.

Highlight? Defying Gravity (gripping)
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Friends, 30 Rock, Law And Order, Dexter, Scrubs, Black Beauty

Monday, December 7th, 2009

01.00 Friends
05.00 30 Rock
05.30 Law And Order
06.30 Dexter
07.30 Scrubs
12.00 Black Beauty

Friends. Episode 6. "The One With The Butt" Joey is Pacino's butt double, Chandler is dating a woman with many lovers, Monica is trying to story being a tidy freak.

Shades of stuff here that you won't see on any other sitcom. The while Joey storyline is classic Joey, and classic Friends. It's a character-driven tale. It works because of who Joey is.

The same goes for the Monica storyline. It's only a c-story, really, and it only gets a few short scenes but it establishes Monica as an obsessive compulsive tidy freak and Courteney Cox sells it.

30 Rock. Season 4, Episode 7. "Dealbreakers Talk Show No. 0001" Liz makes a pilot.

One of the cleverest, and best, episodes of 30 Rock. It turns Liz into Jenna (with Jenna called in to talk her down), it turns Frank into Liz, it gives Tracy one of his best-ever stories and it features Dr. Spaceman and Will Arnett. Plus Astronaut Mike Dexter.

Law And Order. Season 19, Episode 22. "The Drowned And The Saved" Jack vs. Shalvoy

Law and Order ends the season on a true high note, with Jack and the team going up against Shalvoy (and his devious wife) again. It's a complex tale, superbly told, full of subtlety and tension in equal measure. It's also one of the best Jack McCoy episodes, highlighting him as one of TV's most heroic characters.

Dexter. Season 4, Episode 10. "Lost Boys" Missing child.

The show rolls out a second truly superb episode in a row, with Dexter going into full hero-mode, dashing around Miami on the trail of a missing child, in the clutches of Trinity (the amazing John Lithgow).

Scrubs. Season 9, Episode 2. "Our Drunk Friend" Lucy's alcoholic patient, Denise's love life.

Another strong episode. Kerry Bishé works well as the new lead, and her storyline is predictable but nonetheless successful. It took me a while to warm to Eliza Coupe's Denise, but she's a real favourite now and her love story with Michael Mosley's Drew will keep me hooked, I feel.

Black Beauty. Episode 3. "The Pit Pony" Vicki meets Billy and they try to save a pit pony on the way to be slaughtered.

Weaker than first two episodes. The plot is basically a re-thread of the first episode with a new hero and a new horse to be saved. The scene where Billy first steals the pit pony is simplistic and silly, and so is Amy's ability - later in the story - to know where the children are and send help.

Having said that, there is plenty here to enjoy. The production looks amazing, particularly the night scenes, and Judi Bowker is radiant and charming in every scene. The relationship between Vicki and Billy is well written and it works, even when the story fails to serve it occasionally.

Highlight? Dexter (truly superb)
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Scrubs, Melrose Place, The Good Wife, I Dream Of Jeannie

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

07.30 Scrubs
08.00 Melrose Place
11.00 The Good Wife
12.00 I Dream Of Jeannie

Scrubs. Season 9, Episode 1. "Our First Day of School" JD as a teacher.

Strong start to the new season/version of Scrubs, with a good balance between new characters and established characters.

Melrose Place. Episode 11. "June" Jonah and Ella have a serious fight.

Ella is my favourite character in the show, and I particularly love her unrequited love for Jonah (it's pretty much the only thing that makes him interesting). This is a great episode for that storyline. The show makes Jonah the IT guy at Ella's company long enough for him to go snooping and find out that she lied to him about something major that happened earlier in the season. Result: he storms into her office and chews her out, making it clear that their friendship is over. Brilliant. Can't wait to see how Ella gets out of this.

In other developments, David and Lauren grow closer as they plot to lay a trap for Michael.

Great stuff. Reminds me of the best of the original show.

The Good Wife. Episode 7. "Unorthodox" A slip-and-fall case.

Another superb outing with lots and lots of grey areas. The case-of-the-week is very clever. It loses a few points with me for having one of those only-on-TV endings, but the rest of the episode is flawless: Alicia's dealings with her co-counsel, her boss and her son make for rivetting viewing.

I Dream Of Jeannie. Episode 2. "My Hero?" Tony in ancient Persia.

Not as funny as the opening episode. The formula for IDOJ requires Tony to be embarrassed in front of his friends/co-workers to raise laughs, so an episode like this (which features none of the regular cast) doesn't work quite as well. There are a few small laughs to be had (all due to Larry Hagman) but nowhere near the hilarity of the excellent pilot.

Highlight? The Good Wife (grey areas)
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Supernatural, The Big Bang Theory, Scrubs

Sunday, November 29th, 2009

07.30 Supernatural
10.30 The Big Bang Theory
11.00 Scrubs

Supernatural. Season 5, Episode 6. "I Believe the Children Are Our Future" A town where fairy tales are coming true... with deadly results.

Another superb episode. Once again, the show displays the ability to present what appears to be a stand-alone case-of-the-week and turn it into an integral part of the overall story arc of the series. I have never seen a show do this so well.

Gattlin Griffith becomes the latest in a long line to very talented child actors to appear on SN. His performance is, frankly, heartbreaking.

As is the whole episode. Remarkable that something that started out as a light and breezy laugh-fest should leave me with tears in my eyes, but that's Supernatural for you.

Always great to see Ever Carradine also.

The Big Bang Theory. Season 3, Episode 9. "The Vengeance Formulation" Sheldon plays a prank, Wolowitz takes a bath.

Except for a great cameo by Katee Sackhoff there's nothing much to get excited about in this episode.

Kunal Nayyar gets all the best/funniest lines and Howard's story is actually kinda sweet and serious, but ultimately nothing here is very memorable.

Scrubs. Season 8, Episode 18. "My Finale" JD's last day.

Curiously unsatisfying. A good episode, but - oddly - weaker than most of Season 8. Some of the comedy between JD and Turk felt forced, and the speech Cox gave was way over the top. it felt forced, whereas the farewell scenes with Kelso and The Janitor were perfect.

Highlight? Supernatural (superb)
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Supernatural, The Office, Parks And Recreation, The Big Bang Theory, Scrubs

Sunday, November 22nd, 2009

07.30 Supernatural
11.00 The Office
11.30 Parks And Recreation
02.00 The Big Bang Theory
02.30 Scrubs

Supernatural. Season 5, Episode 5. "Fallen Idols" Paris Hilton

The first case-of-the-week in a while. And a very good one. The stunt casting of Paris Hilton (in a cameo) works very well, and there are laughs to be had from the town Sheriff (who has pick-the-most-obvious-answer way of dealing with the odd deaths in his town).

The Office. Season 6, Episode 10. "Shareholder Meeting" Michael takes some of the boys to the big city, while Jim tries to exert his control.

I like the way The Office is able to deal with the real world economic crisis and make us laugh without offering trite solutions.

Parks And Recreation. Season 2, Episode 10. "Hunting Trip" Ron is shot.

Not the best episode, but there are several very funny moments. Leslie's montage of girlie cliché's is a classic.

The Big Bang Theory. Season 3, Episode 8. "The Adhesive Duck Deficiency" The boys go camping, while Sheldon rescues Penny after she injures herself in the bathroom.

Having some of the regulars get accidentally high is a standard sit-com device and the BBT version is pretty good.

Pairing Penny with Sheldon always raises laughs, too, and this episode is no exception.

Scrubs. Season 8, Episode 17. "My Chief Concern" Changes.

One of the saddest, and best, episodes of Scrubs as JD prepares to move away. It's a remarkable feat, being able to make you laugh and feel melancholy at the same time. But Scrubs is able to do this.

Highlight? Supernatural (Paris Hilton)
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The Venture Bros., Scrubs, Dexter, Friday Night Lights

Saturday, November 21st, 2009

04.30 The Venture Brothers
05.00 Scrubs
07.00 Dexter
08.00 Friday Night Lights

The Venture Brothers. Episode 9. "Ice Station - Impossible!" Doc Venture is stationed at a remote ice station with Professor Impossible.

One of my favourite episodes. Professor Impossible and his three friends are a dead-on parody of The Fantastic Four. Very funny, but I don't know how they got away with it.

Scrubs. Season 8, Episode 16. "My Cuz" Sean is back, Turk wants to be Chief.

Another winner. And an episode with a real end-of-series vibe to it: returning characters, characters getting promoted and JD making a big decision about his future.

Dexter. Season 4, Episode 8. "Road Kill" Dexter saves Trinity's life.

More bonding from the serial killers, as Dexter goes away with Arthur and confesses to accidentally killing a man, which - in turn - prompts Arthur to open up and reveal his backstory. Engrossing.

Friday Night Lights. Season 4, Episode 4. "A Sort of Homecoming" Julie & Devon go to a gay bar. Landry & Vince like Jess. Matt & Tim go hunting.

Strong episode where all the cast get something to do. Nice surprise in the gay bar.

Highlight? Dexter (bonding)
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Scrubs, Dexter, Friday Night Lights, Flashpoint

Saturday, November 7th, 2009

05.30 Scrubs
06.00 Dexter
07.00 Friday Night Lights
08.00 Flashpoint

Scrubs. Season 8, Episode 15. "My Soul On Fire, Part 2" Wedding.

Still at the beach, all the various couples admit their feelings for each other openly. A testament to the complex relationships that Scrubs has created over the years. Pretty much everyone in the show operates in some state of denial and, with this episode, they briefly tell it like it is. Appropriate for a final season story.

Dexter. Season 5, Episode 5. "Dirty Harry" Debra's been shot, so Dexter goes after Trinity.

So far this season, Dexter had no interest in the Trinity Killer and there seemed to be no reason for that to change. Until now. With one recurring character murdered, and another major character shot the stakes are raised and Dexter turns detective. And he's a good one, too.

Great ending, too, as Dexter and the viewers at home find out that Trinty is more 'normal' than we suspected.

Friday Night Lights. Season 4, Episode 2. "After the Fall" Tami forces Luke (Matt Lauria) to switch to East Dillion. Matt meets an eccentric artist (John Diehl).

Many shows, over the years, had introduced new regular characters. FNL seems able to bring new people to the table and make us like this right away. I do miss Tyra, Lyla, Jason, etc. but the new ones have charmed me.

Flashpoint. Episode 22. "Exit Wounds" Hospital.

Average/weak episode. A bit dull for a season-ender. It tries to push all the usual buttons and make us care, but - unlike most episodes - we are kept removed from it all by the predictability of it all. A pity.

Highlight? Dexter (great ending)
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Scrubs, Friday Night Lights, Legend Of The Seeker, Supernatural, Parks And Recreation, The Office

Sunday, November 1st, 2009

05.00 Scrubs
05.30 Friday Night Lights
06.30 Legend Of The Seeker
07.30 Supernatural
12.30 Parks And Recreation
01.00 The Office

Scrubs. Season 8, Episode 14. "My Soul On Fire, Part One" Bahamas!

Lovely change-of-pace episode that finds all of the regulars in the Bahamas for the Janitor's wedding, and JD and Elliot have a(nother) minor crisis in their relationship.

Friday Night Lights. Season 4, Episode 1. "East of Dillon" Eric starts his new job.

Solid season opener which seamlessly introduces some new characters and (with Eric's new job) has the promise of great drama ahead.

Legend Of The Seeker. Episode 18. "Mirror" Thieves pose as Richard and Kahlan.

It's great to see Craig Horner and Bridget Regan having so much fun with completely different characters, but this was not what I wanted to see this week. The show has been gradually getting more dramatic and intense with every episode and this seems like a pointless step backwards to more obvious case-of-the-week stories.

This belonged in the first thirteen, not in the back nine.

Supernatural. Season 5, Episode 2. "Good God, Y'all" War in a small town.

Very clever. It starts out with something we've seen before (Sam and Dean in a town of demons) but it's still just a hoot to watch. Then, to my surprise, the writer (Sera Gamble) pulls a switch and it turns out that things are not what they seem, at all.

Titus Welliver never disappoints, and he is at his best here.

Parks And Recreation. Season 2, Episode 7. "Greg Pikitis" Halloween vandal.

Superb stuff. Leslie goes up against a teenage vandal, flanked by her boyfriend, Dave (Louis C.K.), and Andy (Chris Pratt), who now works for her. This team didn't even exist back in Season one (Dave hadn't been introduced, and Andy was kept in Anne's storyline) and now it results in pure comedy gold. It's hard to pick a highlight, but I'm gonna go for Andy's impression of a tough FBI agent as the biggest laugh of the episode.

It was also cool to see that Leslie was right all along.

The b-plot (about a Halloween party at Anne's) was also pretty funny.

The Office. Season 6, Episode 7. "Koi Pond" Michael falls in a kai pond, but it turns out to not be as simple as that...

A good one. The show is really making an effort to change things with Jim being promoted. And, I must say, they have succeeded. The Jim/Michael relationship is different now, and so is Jim's relationship with everybody else in the office.

Not sure why they did that (to keep things fresh, maybe?) but they are doing a good job with it.

Highlight? Supernatural (things are not what they seem)
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Scrubs, Dexter

Saturday, October 31st, 2009

07.00 Scrubs
07.30 Dexter

Scrubs. Season 8, Episode 13. "My Full Moon" Elliot, Turk and the interns.

Superb. One of the best-ever episodes. Hardly any of the main cast appear, it's all handed over to new characters and... Elliot and Turk.

Their conversation is a series highpoint for me. Particularly the ending, where Elliot gives her thoughts on continuing to be a doctor. Superb.

Dexter. Season 4, Episode 4. "Dex Takes a Holiday" Lady cop is a killer.

A superb case-of-the-week for Dexter, with the awesome Christina Cox as his target. As is ever the case, Dexter and his prey have a deathbed conversation and Dexter learns a bit about his own life from what he hears.

The ending is a real shocker.

Highlight? Dexter (the ending is a real shocker)
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Scrubs, Dexter, Breaking Bad, Arrested Development, The Office

Saturday, October 17th, 2009

05.30 Scrubs
06.00 Dexter
07.00 Breaking Bad
08.00 Arrested Development
01.00 The Office

Scrubs. Season 8, Episode 12. "Their Story II" The new characters get to narrate an episode.

Where did Lee Thompson Young come from? While I have grown to like most of the new characters and welcome the idea of giving them an episode to narrate, I'm a bit thrown by the fact that Derek (Lee Thompson Young) never appeared before and is given a lot to do in this, his first, episode. I didn't really warm to him, but some of the other stuff was good.

Dexter. Season 4, Episode 3. "Blinded By the Light" The one with the neighbours.

A complete departure from the usual type of episode as we get introduced to a large group of new characters and we see Dexter trying to solve a vandalism problem on his doorstep. There's a twist in the end of the story and - overall - it feels like a worthwhile change-of-pace episode.

Breaking Bad. Episode 7. "A No-Rough-Stuff Type Deal" Walt and Jesse perform a robbery and Skyler discovers that her sister is thief.

As a regular episode this one is typically great, but as a season finale I find it somewhat lacking and undramatic. Nothing about this screams End Of Season, but everything about it makes me want to see what happens next...

Arrested Development. Season 3, Episode 10. "Fakin' It" Mock Trial.

Another of the great ideas of AD: Judge Reinhold playing himself, as the host of reality-type court show.

Episode highlight? George Michael and Maeby get married. Aw...

The Office. Season 6, Episode 5. The "Mafia" visits Michael.

Not really. This is a very silly, but very funny episode of The Office. Some fans don't like it when the show departs from reality too much, but this episode made me laugh and I loved it.

Leaving Jim and Pam out of an episode seems dumb, though. Couldn't they episode have started with them returning from honeymoon?


Highlight? Breaking Bad (typically great)
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Scrubs, Dexter, Breaking Bad, Flashpoint, The Office

Saturday, October 10th, 2009

05.30 Scrubs
06.00 Dexter
07.00 Breaking Bad
08.00 Flashpoint
09.00 The Office

Scrubs. Season 8, Episode 11. "My Nah Nah Nah" Is The Janitor about to be dumped? Is Turk giving false hope to a patient?

The relationship between Jordan and Dr. Cox is one of the more unusual on TV, and this episode highlights it when Cox starts wearing his wedding ring and his wife objects.

They're an odd couple, to say the least, and one of the strengths of Scrubs.

Dexter. Season 4, Episode 2. "Remains to Be Seen" Dexter (with mild amnesia from his car accident) tries to retrace his own steps and find the body he hid previously.

Awesome. One of the best-ever episodes of Dexter. It's got a great premise (a serial killer who forgets where he stashed the body) and it's fast-paced tale is packed full of one-liners. I don't remember Dexter (the show) ever being this funny before.

I also love the way they are finding lots to do for the (large) regular cast.

Breaking Bad. Episode 6. "Crazy Handful of Nothin'" Walt and Jesse decide to contact a distributor named Tuco and enter the big leagues.

Best episode so far. The ending to this one was beyond cool, as Walt went into the lair of the bad guy and proceeded to bring the whole place down around him (with a small explosion and the threat of more). Thrilling stuff.

Flashpoint. Episode 21. "Last Dance" A couple leaves a trail of chaos as they cross the city together.

Like no other show currently on the air, Flashpoint is able to push the buttons of the viewer and delivering tear-jerking stories on a weekly basis. The tale here is predictable, but none-the-less wonderful. The viewer can see early on that these two aren't criminals and (though the script tries to keep the mystery going) we can predict that the woman is dying and these are here last hours with her lover.

The ending, when it comes, is unbearable sad.

Sometimes I like to have my buttons pushed.

The Office. Season 6, Episode 4. "Niagara" Wedding.

Not only was it hilarious and joyful, but this double-length episode of The Office was fast-paced and full of key scenes for all the regular cast. Quite an achievement.

Highlight? The Office (hilarious and joyful)
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Scrubs, Breaking Bad, The Office, Flashpoint

Saturday, October 3rd, 2009

05.30 Scrubs
06.00 Breaking Bad
07.00 The Office
09.00 Flashpoint

Scrubs. Season 8, Episode 10. "My Comedy Show"

Scrubs has done a good job of re-inventing itself in this eighth season. Much of this week's story is devoted to Sunny (Sonal Shah) and Denise (Eliza Coupe). I must confess that it took me weeks to like (care about) Denise but I've finally been won over, and - while watching her and Sunny interact - I still felt like I was watching Scrubs. That's quite an accomplishment.

Breaking Bad. Episode 5. "Gray Matter" Walter and Skyler attend a friend's birthday party. Walter's family stages an intervention. Jesse tries to get back into the cooking business.

Another superb episode. One third of the story is about Walter dealing with former friends who have done well for themselves. Everything about this sequence (Walter's mixed feelings, and the genuine kindness of the rich friends) is very human and honest. The middle part of the episode deals with Walter's family's mixed-feelings about his future. Patty Lin writes all of the characters as real and human, and I was particularly taken with the honest reactions of Skyler's sister and brother-in-law.

Jesse, meanwhile, continues to be a character worthy of lots and lots of screentime. His own journey/trials are just as compelling to watch as Walter's. Trying to 'go straight' and get a job, and - finally - trying to get back into the drug business with a new partner. My favourite part of the whole episode was watching him repeat the knowledge that he's picked up from Walter. Awesome.

Dexter is a show about a very ordinary man, and the show gets to tell stories about ordinary life by using the framework of it being about a serial killer. In the exact same way, Breaking Bad is a show about a man who is dying from lung cancer, and the show gets to tell stories about finding dignity within that situation by using the framework of it being about a drug dealer.

The Office. Season 6, Episode 3. "The Promotion" Jim's first big decision is not well received.

I enjoyed this much more than last week's episode and - I think - I will enjoy rewatching last week's much more because of the way things played out here. And the (wonderful) way that Michael realised that having Jim working at his side would/could be a good thing.

Also, I liked this episode because it showed that Jim, for all his good points, can be a little cocky and over-confident sometimes. Sure, he's the 'hero' of the show, but he's not perfect and this episode illustrates that.

Also: I love the way the end the episode without ending the story. They just end it with Michael and Jim earning a new appreciation for one another, and we never find out how they resolve the issue of the raises. Sweet.

Flashpoint. Episode 20. "Perfect Storm" School.

I love when shows tweak with their formula. Flashpoint wrote Jules (Amy Jo Johnson) off the show for several weeks and brought in a new character, which helped generate conflict in the team for a few stories. Now, with this episode, the Amy Jo Johnson character is back on the squad and the show seems 'fresh' somehow. Just by reverting back to what it was like for the first 12 episodes. Other than the fact that Jules is back, she has no great impact on the actual episode. It's a typically strong story: peopled by interesting characters in pain and - as is ever the case - I walk away feeling that Flashpoint is one of the best shows on TV right now.

Highlight? Breaking Bad (real and human)
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Scrubs, Breaking Bad, Modern Family, The Office

Saturday, September 26th, 2009

06.00 Scrubs
06.30 Breaking Bad
02.00 Modern Family
02.30 The Office

Scrubs. Season 8, Episode 9. "My Absence" Cox doesn't care, but he expects Carla to care too much. And is shocked when she doesn't. Turk, meanwhile, finds that nobody cares enough about his second baby.

Wonderful. A look at changes and changing. And staying the same. And all the sort of stuff that Scrubs does very, very well.

Breaking Bad. Episode 4. "Cancer Man" Walt tells his family that he is dying, while Jesse goes home to stay with his family.

Awesome. An episode split between the two leads, with each one getting equal time in separate storylines. Aaron Paul rocks. Jesse's backstory is just as interesting as Walter's. Who knew?

As good as the whole episode is, it absolute sings when the two main characters are onscreen together at the very end. Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul have chemistry to burn.

Modern Family. Episode 1. "Pilot" Mitchell and his boyfriend adopt a baby and Mitchell freaks about about telling his large (crazy) family.

Messy. There are amusing moments buried in here, somewhere, but the overall show seems overstuffed and unfunny. I kept watching in vain in the hope of a chuckle or something/someone to care about.

Ty Burrell is probably the best one here, but he gets very few moments to shine in this opener.

The Office. Season 6, Episode 2. "The Meeting" Michael stabs Jim in the back (worse than usual), while Dwight investigates a fake insurance claim.

A bit of a downer. This time out, they are not trying to make us laugh.

A lot of this episode involves us watching the regulars being angry and/or hurt at others in the regular cast.

Not my cup of tea.

Highlight? Breaking Bad (Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul)
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Scrubs, Breaking Bad, Royal Pains, The Office

Saturday, September 19th, 2009

05.30 Scrubs
06.00 Breaking Bad
07.00 Royal Pains
08.00 The Office

Scrubs. Season 8, Episode 8. "My Lawyer's In Love"

Cox is still learning the same lesson from last week? (That he can't do everything that he used to do.) Hmm. That's a bit lame. I hope they aren't going to hammer that idea to death for the rest of the season. Having said that, the scene where he arrived home too late to read a bedtime story to his child was superb. Sad and affecting. Made all the better by his wife's understanding.

Sam Lloyd, meanwhile, gets some of the biggest laughs in the episode as Ted falls in love (with Kate Micucci). Even better, JD and The Janitor call a truce to help Ted. Best bit? Janitor declares the truce over (for 5 seconds) so he can throw JD's papers out the window... He then says the truce is back on. Wonderful.

Breaking Bad. Episode 3. "...and the Bag's in the River" Contemplating murder.

When Walter/Bryan Cranston is on-screen the show is fantastic, when he is off-screen it is considerably less interesting. In this episode his son and brother-in-law get screentime (as do his wife and her sister) and the show is much more ordinary for those scenes.

But... in every other respect this is the best episode so far. Walter must execute the guy that he and Jesse have been holding hostage. The script (by Vince Gilligan) gives Walter an easy-out at the very end, when the guy attacks Walter, but the journey up to that point is gruelling and riveting.

Royal Pains. Episode 5. "No Man is an Island" Island episode.

Carol Flint creates an extreme situation to allow Hank to do his 'thing' (and be creative like MacGyver or Michael Weston). She sends Hank and his brother to a remote island with no phone coverage and no medical supplies.

It works. Basically. But you have to worry a little bit if the show has to bend over backwards to create stories to serve one of it's basic selling points (Hank will be a doctor using whatever is to hand). The show could just ditch that idea and work just fine, tbh.

That, however, is the only thing that bugs me about this episode. It's a good story, peopled by interesting and likable guest characters. The show doesn't create false conflict by using guest characters that are idiots or needlessly aggressive. Instead all of the guest characters are... nice. Everyone is nice in this show. And it works. Because the conflict comes from other places.

The Office. Season 6, Episode 1. Michael starts some "Gossip"

A wonderful season premier. It tells you all you would ever need to know about Michael Scott: he's needy (upset by being left out of the loop), he's dumb (he gleefully spreads the gossip about Stanley), but he's kind-hearted (he tries hard to stop the rumour when he understands the harm it is doing) and he's sometimes very, very clever (his abundance of rumours successfully does the job.)

Highlight? Breaking Bad (gruelling and riveting)
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