Monday, August 17th, 2009
06.00 Z Rock
06.30 Law And Order
02.00 Wings
02.30 Harvey Birdman
Z Rock. Season 2, Episode 1.
This is the best episode of Z Rock so far, because... it's the most plot-driven episode so far. Following the events of the Season One finale, the band has broken up and this is the story of how their friends (including Joan Rivers) trick them into meeting up and (possibly) coming back together.
As such it has even more of a 'feel good factor' than a normal episode.
Law And Order. Season 19, Episode 10. "Pledge" Why is the suspect obsessed with the students of a particular sorority?
Complex and engrossing. An example of Law And Order at it's best. And an example of what I want Law And Order to be when I sit down to watch it. It's starts off with two murders and grows until it becomes thought-provoking drama on several weighty subjects.
Sometimes during the cop part of the hour you can easily spot Lupo doing something that will cause problems later on (in the lawyer part of the hour) but that is not the case here. I thought I had spotted something (on two occasions) but it all came to nothing and the legal part of the story stood on it's own merits.
Wings. Season 2, Episode 18. "Love Means Never Having to Say Geronimo" Brian decides to marry a girl he just met.
Very funny episode, and a illustration of why Wings is such a great series.
The idea that a regular character (on any show, be it comedy or drama) will meet someone and decide to get married immediately is dumb. Stupid beyond belief.
Why should an audience invest in a story when they know that (logically) the regular character won't really get married at the end? That's assuming that they even buy the idea of a sudden marriage for the character, anyway. Plus, the writer (Bruce Rasmussen, in this case) has to find a get-out-clause at the end that the audience will buy.
Almost impossible to pull off all of that.
But Wing's pulls it off. And makes it really, really funny. And uses the whole imporbable tale to add depth to the romance between Joe and Helen.
It works because of the character of Brian. Who has been so well developed at this stage in the series that we have no problem accepting the ludicrous idea of him running off to get married. Why? Because that's who he is. Pure and simple.
Also, Lisa Darr is a great guest star. The scene where her character 'attacks' Joe and Helen and forces them to get married is absolutely hilarious. Surely one of the best scenes in the entire series. A comedy highlight, not just because it's so funny but because it's a great character moment.
Harvey Birdman. Episode 8. "Deadomutt, Part Two" Harvey in Jail.
Much, much funnier than Part One. Whereas that episode was a one-joke affair, endlessly padded out to get to the cliff-hanger, this episode is packed full of great gags and a much better story. The entire sequence/montage with Harvey in jail (learning to read, etc.) is truly inspired and very funny.
Highlight? Law And Order (complex and engrossing)
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Z Rock, Law And Order, Wings, Harvey Birdman
