Wednesday, March 24th, 2010
07.00 Lost
09.00 Melrose Place
11.00 The Office
Lost. Season 6, Episode 8. "Ab Aeterno" Richard
A perfect hour of TV for many reasons. Here are 3:
1. We were treated to a stunning performance from Nestor Carbonell. Everything about his every move was wonderful, particularly every scene related to Richard's wife, in any way, but the final one (with Hurley in tow) was particularly noteworthy. Carbonell sold the emotion of that scene with such passion that it burned into my own heart as I watched.
2. The story was epic. Forget for a minute that it answered key Lost questions, this was a wonderful story from start to finish. Epic and romantic. The type of story I love. Finding out that Richard has a 'lost love' cements him (in my affections) as even more of a favourite than before. The Richard-Isabella love story joins the stories about Sawyer-Juliet and Penny-Desmond as one of my most favourite on the show. I'm fond of the Faraday-Charlotte love story, too, and I have no time at all for Jack-Kate at this stage.
3. I also love the fact that a show can devote an entire episode to supporting performers and still be the show we know and love. Nestor Carbonell and Mark Pellegrino don't appear very much normally, but here's an episode where they (between them) occupy virtually every scene. Because we fans know and love Richard it doesn't really feel like a change-of-pace episode, but it is. You turn on every week pretty sure that you're going to spend an hour with one or more of the main six characters. This episode breaks with that expectation. And, by being different than Lost usually is it helps define what Lost normally is and clarifies why we love it so much.
A+ 10/10
Melrose Place. Season 8, Episode 14. "Stoner Canyon"
A perfect example of why I love this show.
1. The scene with Riley and Jonah reliving their happy relationship, with Ella watching on in torture, was the best of the episode. I love Ella as much as I dislike Riley and this wonderful scene played to the strengths of both characters (Ella suffers in silence and only the audience understands, while Riley is beloved by everyone on screen. Yuck.)
2. The speed with which new plots arrive. Riley is now working for Amanda's boyfriend?! Where did that come from? No matter, I love it. Can't wait to see where that goes.
3. New regular characters always interest me, in any show. And while I dearly love MP as it was, there is a part of me that is fascinated to see a show revamp itself. Having said that, this is a minor revamp: one new character played by Nick Zano. Best thing about him: he works in the hospital. This opens up the storylines set there, and gives us more than Lauren and Michael to watch at that location. In time, I'm sure he'll have a plotline of his very own. In the (short) time that's left, I mean.
4. The unveiling-of-secrets bit that MP always did so well. In this one, we get the news that David is the father of the kid. Big whoop. Much better: Michael finds out that Lauren is a call-girl. I loved that. As she walked up to the door I was saying: 'Please, please, let it be Michael' to myself. And I had a grin of delight when it turned out to be him. Why? Cos it's a great development in the story and I've always loved the character of Michael Mancini. The show is always fun when he's doing something crazy: like blackmail. Telling Lauren to break David's heart. Awesome. Like everything else in this fun show, I can't wait to see where it goes next.
The Office. Season 6, Episode 16. "The Delivery" Baby
Way too long and not very funny.
In order for the first third to the episode to work, Pam has to behave like a nitwit. Her refusal to go to the hospital is the engine that drives the start of the story and it rapidly becomes annoying.
Most of what happens in the hospital is too long drawn-out and lacking in laughs. The baby-mix-up gag, in particular, seems forced and unnecessary.
There were some minor bright spots (the cops calling Dwight by name, and Michael doing a bow for match-making Andy and Erin) but it's a prime example of an episode that is twice as long as it needs to be.
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A Briefing With Michael: One Year Ago
Lost, Melrose Place, The Office
