Thursday, September 24th, 2009
05.30 It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia
06.00 NCIS
07.30 Eastwick
08.30 Mercy
01.00 Night Court
It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia. Season 4, Episode 4. "Mac's Banging the Waitress"
A (relatively) low-key and utterly wonderful episode. Only three of the regulars are featured, and one recurring character. And the entire episode is driven by the relationships between them.
It's a beautiful script. An example of the show flexing it's muscle in a different direction and it is wonderfully funny.
A real treat.
NCIS. Season 5, Episode 16. "Recoil" Ziva dates a potential serial killer.
A change-of-pace episode with a great story. And a character who appears to be behaving out of character.
It opens at the end of a case, with Ziva shooting a suspect/killer dead. And the rest of the story shows how she copes with almost dying, while the rest of the team tie up a niggling loose end.
While Ziva is written as being stressed out, the show doesn't go the predictable route (that other shows would have done) or making her completely wig out. No. She's stressed. And she refuses to stay at home, like Gibbs asks, but that's about it. Her over-reaction to the events that kickstarted the episode do seem out of character, however, given that's she's a hardened killer who has faced death on more than one occasion. Maybe this was the first time she actually thought she might die...
Tony, however, is perfectly in character. Always my favourite character on the show, he is at his best here as he tries to show his concern for his partner. The scene where he explains why he tousles her hair is wonderful as an insight into why he does the things that he does.
The story takes some great twists and turns. It's not easy to predict the way it will end. I know that I got it wrong.
And I like when NCIS does that to me.
So, character quirks aside, this is an enjoyable episode.
Eastwick. Episode 1. "Pilot" A mysterious man arrives in town and unlocks the hidden potential/powers of three women...
Paul Gross is a lot of fun. The others... are mildly entertaining.
The first quarter was like an episode of Desperate Housewives, but it gradually evolved into something with it's own voice: Desperate Housewives with magic.
It was, I suppose, kinda cute. I can't figure out where this will go next. And, that uncertainty, more than anything might bring me back for episode two.
The women are, let's face it, completely boring. They are character types that we have seen one hundred times before. But the Gross character is genuinely interesting and fun to watch.
Mercy. Episode 1. "Can We Get That Drink Now?"
There doesn't seem to be anything in here that I haven't seen before.
The lead character is un-appreciated. The script drives home the fact (to ridiculous degree) that she is nothing but a lowly nurse. And the doctors around her are scum. No shades of grey here: the doctors are evil, and inept, and our heroine is wonderful and smart and the only one that cares and the only one that can, you know, connect with patients and all that jazz.
But...
She's been in the war, so she's seen pain that nobody can possibly understand and this - of course - allows her to treat everyone around like crap.
Also...
She's married. But they are having problems. And there's this doctor, the same one she had an affair with (over in The WAR), and he's now going to be working with her every day. Side by side. How will she every decided between him and her (flawed) husband.
And on and on.
The cast are mostly quite boring. The wonderful Kate Mulgrew is wasted in this.
And there's one (hilariously) absurd scene where her best friend Sonia parades through the hospital corridors wearing an evening gown. Yes, she's heading out for the night - I get that - but why on earth is walking around the hospital first?
Absurd, absurd, absurd.
Night Court. Season 2, Episode 4. "Pick a Number" Lottery Ticket.
Not many laughs, but a good story, as Harry is given a winning lottery ticket to bestow on a worthy winner.
It's a dilemma and the script does it justice, reaching a clever and enjoyable end-point.
Highlight? It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (utterly wonderful)
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It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, NCIS, Eastwick, Mercy, Night Court
