Except for the final scene (a very sad death) this is an average episode.
Except for the final scenes (which showcase Billy Crystal and are quite sad) there isn’t much to like here. Most of the comedy feels oddly forced and doesn’t work as well as it might. 7/10
This episode of Soap gets an enthusiastic 10/10 from me for the following reasons:
Harrison Page. The only big laughs here come from Jessica, particularly upon learning that Micky Mouse’s dog was gay. The rest of the episode is devoted to advancing storylines: Eunice’s leaves, Elaine is kidnapped and Chester runs away. 7/10
The best scene here is the one at the end which pairs Katherine Helmond and Cathryn Damon for a chat both funny and sad. The rest of the episode is silly. Robert Guillaume gets some great one-liners. 7/10
09:00 Soap
09:30 Taxi
Soap. "Episode 33" Once again the best thing about this wonderful show is it's ability to be both heartfelt and funny within the same episode. Jodie goes round to collect his stuff from Denis' place. He's moving out because he's going to try and give things a go with Carol. There are some funny lines, yes, but it's mostly a sad scene. Jodie admits that he still loves Denis before he leaves. You seldom see such good storytelling where the characters are gay men.
Comedy-wise the episode delivers some inspired physical humour in it's final scene when Burt (drunk and heartbroken because he thinks Mary is cheating on him) calls round to Sally's place. Richard Mulligan (my favourite cast member) is such a talented man, and seeing him playing Burt drunk is a real treat. Best bit? Burt, having accidentally walked upon to Sally's coffee table tries to step down again. It takes him about 30 or 40 seconds and it's wonderfully funny.
Taxi. Episode 35. "Latka's Revolting" For once Latka is the main character in the story. He's a wonderful supporting character but, unlike Reverend Jim (who is also wacky but who can support an episode), he's not always a great lead. Fact is: Latka is genuinely weird and it's not easy to empathise with him. This episode has some funny moments, but it's not one of the best for that reason. Latka is about to head back to his home country to fight is a revolution there. On Taxi, when any of the characters have to do something tough you generally feel for them. Not the case here. And while Latka is funny, he's not funny enough to be in every scene. Best bit? Latka speaks with Elaine. "I know what you are going to say, Elaine. You're going to say: Latka, tomorrow you leave for the war and you may not make it back alive. So tonight, so that you will remember me, I will give you my body to use as you will." "No, Latka, that's not what I'm going to say." "Oh? (pause) Well, how about it?"
Highlight? Soap (Jodie)
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06:30 Veronica Mars
07:30 Veronica Mars
08:30 Supernatural
12:30 Soap
01:00 Taxi
Veronica Mars. Episode 3. "Meet John Smith" The case-of-the-week is great - one of my favourites - and it ties neatly into Veronica's personal life and the backstory of the series. A young boy hires our heroine to find his father. But it's not a real case. He just wants to spend some time with the hot pi and he's neglected to tell her that his father is, in fact, dead. Veronica is soon onto his little game, but the investigation she has set in motion soon turns up a hit: the boys father is alive and hiding a secret. It's a good story, hard to predict where it will all end and the ending is sweet and emotional without being false or over-the-top.
Aaron Ashmore makes a great impression in this episode as Troy the boy who has been chasing Veronica since he first laid eyes on her. Their first date is great to watch (great chemistry between the actors) and the final moment (where she pulls away from his kiss) is heartbreaking to watch. But it's worth it just to see how great Troy is with his reaction (he just seems too good to be true, really). Paula Marshall makes her first appearance in this episode and (speaking of great chemistry between the actors) her scenes with Enrico Colantoni are wonderful.
This is the first/only episode to devote so much time to Duncan Kane and we get to see Duncan at home with his (hateful) parents, trying to stay off his meds, watching Veronica with Troy, and having a conversation with his dead sister. This was the episode that originally made me like Duncan, but - since the character never amounted to much in later stories - I soon came to regard him as bland.
Unlike the first two episodes, there is no sense of rough justice in this story. The case is crime-free and there is no real opportunity for anyone taking the law into their own hands. Interestingly, at one point Veronica does tell her dad that she is "old school: an eye for an eye". Very true.
Veronica Mars. Episode 4. "The Wrath of Con" Another enjoyable case-of-the-week (guest starring Kyla Pratt as the victim of some con men). Vernonica tracks the bad guys with typical gusto and - in the end - totally outwits them and makes sure that justice is done. Her way.
A lot of this episode flashs back to a night with Veronica, Lilly, Duncan and Logan. Truly great work from the cast shows us the friendship between the four of them and how much they had together. In the present day, Logan is trying to edit together a short film in tribute to Lilly and this marks the first that he and Veronica are halfways civil to one another. He might be a jerk but - as we are beginning to learn - his heart is in the right place. Sometimes.
Great to watch everyone's reaction to the finished film clip. Lilly's dad and Weevil being the most interesting...
Supernatural. Season 2, Episode 6. "No Exit" A good case-of-the-week and a nice break-from-formula with Sam taking a back seat (maybe due to Jared Padalecki's injured hand?) while Jo and Dean get most of the scenes. I've not liked Jo very much so far in the series, but I did enjoy her presence in this episode. It was fun to see Dean partnered with someone else and some of the scenes did a nice job of bringing out some new details about him. I don't buy them as a couple, but I could see him liking her and wanting to take care of her (like a little sister, maybe?). The twist at the end - which now gives her a reason to want to stay away from him - was pretty good. I'm interested enough by the revelation that I want to know the story behind it. My guess is that the mother-and-daughter are having a knee-jerk reaction to something that will turn out to be understandable.
The mother-and-daughter aspects of this episode are the only parts I didn't enjoy. I don't like them so I don't care to watch a scene of them fighting. It's a waste of time anyway, that scene at the very start, since even the most naive of viewers can predict from the get-go that Jo is going to disobey her mother and join the boys. And it's sad to see the show get predictable like this, since it spent the first season being quite fresh and un-predictable.
One final point: I absolutely hate it when Ellen scolds the boys. She's not their frakkin' mother and - as I wrote before - giving the boys an authority figure is a huge mistake for the show.
Never mind. Good episode.
Soap. "Episode 32" There are three truly superb scenes in this episode. The first features Danny and the woman he has been forced (by the mob) to marry. It's really only the second episode to show Elaine in a flattering light: most of the time she is a bitch to everyone. But with this episode she opens up to Danny and explains why she is so mean. It's a great scene. Short, and wonderfully performed. No part of the scene is played for laughs and it ends up being very touching.
The next scene in the episode is largely played as drama, as well. Mary and Burt have a chat about his tendency to work long hours and ignore the marriage. Both characters explain their point of view and Burt's - in particular - is very human and honest. He talks of his father and the life he had growing up and how it shaped the man he became. It's a wonderful scene. Nothing about it is forced or false. And, once again, you can see how much these two characters love one another.
Right after this, Soap delivers one of it's funniest-ever scenes and - according to online sources - the first time the word "horny" was uttered on network TV. Jessica, her daughters and her sister sit at the kitchen table - eat pie - and talk about how much they love sex and how they wish they were getting more. Not only is this scene hysterical from start to finish, it's hard to believe it comes from a show with a 1978 copyright date in the closing credits. This scene, like so many in Soap, is never trashy or naughty-for-the-sake-of-being-naughty, instead it comes across as true and human. It's obvious how much these women are in love with their partners. Susan Harris does a great job of making all her characters real amid the insanity of the plots. And this scene is one of her best.
Taxi. Episode 34. "Alex's Romance" My favourite episode of Taxi. I caught this episode in a late night re-run, many years after Taxi has finished and I had pretty much forgotten how wonderful it was, and it blew me away on every level and brought me back into the fold.
There are two reasons to love this episode. First, it's a great love story. Alex meets a woman, has a two-week whirlwind romance and decides to propose before she leaves the city forever. The chemistry between Judd Hirsch and his co-star Dee Wallace is amazing. They make you believe the implausible storyline. They have two big scenes. The first of these is their first time back in Alex's apartment following their first date. He is crazy about her, and keeps trying to kiss her. She is trying to push him away, but she can't resist his charm (try as she might). It's a scene of witty one-liners and (unusual for Taxi) physical comedy. It's also a very honest scene. All of his advances are very-Alex. And since Alex is television's quintessential everyman it is very easy to relate to, and empathise with, his attraction for this woman.
Their second scene together is The Big Proposal. And The Big Rejection. I have no words capable of praising this scene. It is so funny, so well-performed and so honest. There is not a false note in any of the emotions shown onscreen. It's hard to imagine the show ever being any better than this.
And then it gets even better. And delivers my favourite moment in all of Taxi. And, possibly, in all of television comedy. It's a scene I often reference and never tire of quoting. It's pure magic from start to finish and it earns some of it's biggest laughs without the use of any dialogue. And it's my second reason for loving this episode.
His lover has left the city and Alex sits away from the group in a state of sadness. To his rescue comes... Reverend Jim and Latka. Reverend Jim and Latka!! Two less-suitable characters it would be hard to imagine. And the moment where Alex looks up to see who has sat beside him, and slowly looks from one to the other is one of the funniest things I have ever seen. And, even better, it's comedy derived from character. It's funny because we know these characters and we know what they are capable of.
The scene that follows is painfully funny. Jim gives a speech that (in a weird way) makes sense and is (in a weird way) very inspirational. He sures inspires Latka, who becomes inexplicably fired up by it all and runs from the room to live out a better life. Alex watches all of this with complete bemusement and - when alone again - cannot resist breaking into a smile. Freeze frame. And a truly lovely moment. Life does go on after heartbreak, and this is a lovely way to remind us.
Highlight? Taxi (my favourite episode)
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08:00 Dexter
09:00 Burn Notice
11:00 The Mary Tyler Moore Show
11:30 Rising Damp
12:00 Night Court
12:30 Barney Miller
01:00 NewsRadio
01:30 Soap
Dexter. Season 2, Episode 3. "An Inconvenient Lie" Since my favourite thing about this show is it's insight into the male mind when part of a relationship, my favourite parts of this episode are the ones where we see Rita withdrawing from Dexter as a means to getting him to do something she wants. Ultimately it's a good thing for him, and it certainly sets him off down an interesting path, but it's very interesting to see her tactics. It comes back to bite her anyway because, in the end, she finds that Dexter has made a new friend: a hot new friend. Hilarious ending, yes, but fascinating to see the way the script 'punishes' Rita for her earlier behaviour.
Burn Notice. Season 2, Episode 1. "Breaking and Entering" It's been a long wait, but the wait has been worth it. This opening episode is a whole lot of fun. Yes, I feel cheated that Michael's "big exit" from last season amounts to nothing and he's back in town almost immediately. It has an air of "so what was all that about" after the big thrill of seeing him drive up into that truck last year.
Never mind. Michael is back in town, he has an interesting client and (most important) his team are by his side. Michael's cool, yes, but the show is the show it is because of the team he has beside him. I love Sam to bits (well, it's Bruce Campbell for frak sake!) and the relationship with Fiona is one of the very best romances on TV right now. How sad was that ending? She walks away and he admits (to us, if not to her) that he likes her...
The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Season 2, Episode 17. "Just a Lunch" My favourite parts of the show are when Mary and Lou are alone in his office. All those scenes are comedy gold. In general I love the realationship between Mary and her boss. He's so protective of her, and often refers to her as a daughter. This is one of those stories where Lou leaps to Mary's defence. She's been pursued by a jackass and is too nice to tell him where to go. Lou steps in. Literally, at one stage, when the whole gang are round at Murray's for a party. It's hilarious stuff. Firmly rooted in character.
It's also worth noting how fantastic Ted Knight is in his role. Ted raises several great laughs in this episode as he gets the tour of Murray's house and (later) tries to play some party games.
Rising Damp. Episode 6. "The Prowler" is a classic. One of the best and funniest episodes of Rising Damp. Miss Jones sees a prowler. While Rigsby checks the house, a policeman shows up and starts to question everyone. Is the 'prowler', in fact, someone inside the house? Great fun watching everyone get a grilling. It's a chance to see how innocent Alan really is, and a chance to see Rigsby rant and rave when he becomes the number one suspect. Frances de la Tour gets some of the biggest laughs in this one, as we can see that Miss Jones has some very mixed feelings about the 'unwanted' attentions of a strange man.
Night Court. Episode 1. "All You Need Is Love" might bear little resemblance to the show that Night Court ultimately became, but it's a cracker of a pilot. Judge Harry arrives for his first case and uses his unorthodox methods (a double-headed coin, for example) to put a couple back into their own marriage. Gail Strickland isn't funny and Karen Austin is over the top but the show as a whole really works. The story is serious and parts of it are like watching a stage play (I love stuff like that). Most important: you come away from this liking Harry and wanting to see what he does next.
Barney Miller. Episode 1. "Ramon" I grew up watching and loving Barney Miller, but I came late to the party therefore this (fairly awful pilot) is nothing like the show I remember so fondly. For a start, having only seen the show from season three on up it's very jarring to see so much of the screen time devoted to Barney's time at home with his wife and kids. Secondly, in common with many long-running shows, a lot of the best characters weren't there at the start. I watching this and kept missing Dietrich. Wojo and Harris were there, yes, but relegated to small roles. It was strange.
As for Barney's wife and kids. The kids were bland and forgettable and the wife was one of the most dislikable characters I've ever seen on TV. She was obsessed with gettting Barney to quit his job and kept harping on and on about the crime rate in the city. Why would Barney marry such an obnoxious woman? And why would the writers/producers think we would like to visit with her every week?
The show comes alive when Barney is at work. The hostage siege at the precinct house is as interesting as it is funny and (while far from being the best that the show would offer) it's an example of the fine drama that came from this highly-regarded sit-com.
NewsRadio. Season 2, Episode 13. "In Through The Out Door" When you watch NewsRadio you are watching skilled duellers at play. Every line is thrust into the mix with rapier skill and it's one of the most rewatchable shows in the history of TV.
Soap. "Episode 30" My favourite sit-coms are the ones with a lot of serious stuff going on. I like lots of drama with my comedy. And Soap offered up lots of it. Sure, the actual plots were fantasy, but the human emotion in the middle of it all was very real. Witness the scene in the middle of this episode where Eunice tells Jessica of her love for Dutch. Given the fact that he is a wanted fugitive it's a pretty hopeless love and Jessica's response is wonderfully heartfelt. Both Jennifer Salt and Katherine Helmond are wonderful in this scene. Helmond was especially wonderful in this series. She took her character to extremes of silliness and extremes of heartache. Often within the same scene. Now, that's skill!
Highlight? Rising Damp
