Tues, Mar 25th, 2008
08:30 CSI
09:30 Greek
10:30 The Crow
11:30 Entourage
12:00 Joey
03:00 Gargoyles
CSI. Season 5, Episode 23. The appeal of CSI can been seen on display in the opening minutes of this solid episode: a mysterious murder baffles us and people we like show up to solve it. Nothing more, nothing less. We see two college students having a night of passion. By morning, Gil, Sara and Greg are standing over their dead bodies. Gil is television's greatest creation since Fox Mulder. Greg isn't far behind, so when Gil disappears off to court (for the rest of the episode) we are more than happy to stay with him and Sara as they try to figure out what happened. In typical CSI style, it's fascinating from start to finish.
Greek. Episode 11. Greek is back. Yay! And sending it's characters spinning in wonderful new directions. Calvin outside the Greek system? Cappie and Rebecca in a relationship? Casey as a leader? All very interesting. The episode holds the viewer enthralled from the moment we see Scott M. Foster falling asleep at an important meeting, or Clark Duke sniffing text books for pleasure. It's just bliss having this show back. And now they've added Senta Moses to all the goodness. Hilarious.
The Crow. Episode 14. I don't like "it was all a dream" episodes. And that is basically what this is. Eric (still in prison) gets a chance to go back in time and change events on the night he and Shelly died. He does. Twice. But they always end up dying in new ways, and usually with their friends dying as well. I'm not sure what lesson the enigmatic Skull Cowboy was trying to teach Eric here, but it's kinda lost on me, too. Which makes the whole episode kinda pointless. On the plus side Kadeem Hardison makes a great guest star and it's wonderful to see Sabine Karsenti in several scenes.
Entourage. Season 3, Episode 3. One of the best episodes ever. The core of this show is the friendship. It's about 4 close friends. And the premise of this clever story is that there used to be a 5th guy. Who went to prison. Now he's back. And he is a disruptive element within the group. Lots of laughs here. And, ever better, lots of character-based drama.
Joey. Season 2, Episode 16. It's Alex's 30th Birthday Party. Some things work and some things don't. Paulo Costanzo only has a few lines (as the Party's awful DJ) but he's laugh out loud funny when he does. Andrea Anders is sweet and funny as the birthday girl. I didn't warm to her at all in Season One, but by this stage in the run she had won me over. Melanie Moore is a scene stealer as Joey's stalker. Miguel A. Núñez Jr. is pretty much invisible as Joey's friend. He brings nothing to the episode/show. Write him out, and you've lost nothing. Adam Goldberg is godawful from start to finish. He gets lots to do in the episode, yelling and shouting and stuff, and I have no idea what the writers were intending to do with this character, but he totally sucks. Worse, he drags Drea de Matteo down with him. There is nothing for her to do except bicker with him. Awful. The plot - with Joey liking Alex who has a boyfriend - is a pointless rethread of Joey liking Rachel on "Friends".
Gargoyles. Season 2, Episode 36. Fantastic. Elisa, Goliath, Angela and Bronx arrive in Norway... for a pitch battle with Odin (who wants his eye back). This is one of the shows simmering sub-plots and it comes to great fruition here. Great storytelling, epic battles and strong work on the characters. The corruption of Goliath is subtle and scary. The guest characters are interesting and likable. The visuals (lots of snow falling and stormy conditions) are striking and appealing.
Highlight? Greek
CSI, Greek, The Crow, Entourage, Joey, Gargoyles
Carnivàle, CSI, Entourage, The Crow
Tuesday, January 1st, 2008
09:00 CSI
10:00 The Crow
11:00 Carnivàle
12:00 Entourage
CSI. Season 5, Episode 12. Nick takes the lead in a case connected to the Sinaloan Cowboys and Warrick investigates the murder of a telemarketer. Both cases are typically interesting and entertaining. The annoying Sofia (who seems so completely wrong for this show) gets too much screen-time to suit me and Gil & Sara are relegated to one short scene where they (almost) discuss their relationship. Nick is cool in this episode and Catherine is absolutely gorgeous in each and every one of her scenes.
The Crow. Episode 13. In some ways this is just a cost-saving flashback episode. Draven was arrested at the end of the previous episode and this is where we get to watch his trial (which allows the show to sprinkle in flashbacks from various earlier episodes). I find it hard to get past the idea of Draven having to stand trial for Shelly's murder. It seems absurd, given the fact that his own murder was captured on film. The script does take this into account, it must be said, and the reasoning has been well thought-out. I still can't buy it, though. Aside from that, this is a good episode. Good guest stars and a nice character work on the regulars make it worth watching. The suprise ending (where Draven is found guilty) is another plus.
Carnivàle. Season 2, Episode 4. Although (as usual with this show) nothing actually happens this is another superb episode of the 1930s supernatural serial. Ben learns that the backwoods robbers are actually his cousins and through them he learns some of the details surrounding his father and his family. Stumpy is still hard up for cash and trying to find newer and ever more degrading things for his wife and daughter to do. Sofie (pretty much my fave character) is still struggling to find a place for herself in the carnival and her struggle is heartbreaking/engrossing to watch. Ben's grandmother gives him a weapon and (in the episode's best moment) he appears - in a vision - to Brother Justin wielding the weapon. So powerful is the image that Justin is felled before his congregation. Very satisfying indeed.
Entourage. Season 2, Episode 13. This is one of the shows that can give you a real kick in the stomach with it's sublime twists and turns. Two ongoing plots are brought to fruition here. Mandy breaks up with Vince and he decides to step down as the lead in Aquaman. Their break-up scene is wonderfully written and wonderfully played and (typical of this show) seems more like real life than similar moments on hundeds of other lesser shows. As gut-wrenching at that is, it is as nothing compared to the things that happen to Ari. His ongoing pissing contest with Terrance escalates and he finds himself fired and out on the street. Jeremy Piven (already the best thing about this show) has never been better.
Highlight? Entourage.
