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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A Briefing With Michael: One Year Ago
Scrubs, Breaking Bad, The Office, Flashpoint
