A slim idea for a story with some good comedy bits in the second half. And a touching ending.
Despite being based around Danny DeVito this episode doesn’t really kick into high gear until the final scenes, which are funny largely due to Camila Ashland, who is a joy to watch as Louie’s girlfriend’s mother. 6/10
Lenny Baker. Latka is a great supporting character but isn’t quite able to sustain an entire episode here. But, despite an aimless story, there are some funny scenes along the way. 6/10
Dee Wallace. My favourite episode. Funny and heartbreaking in equal measure. Great gags, character comedy and chemistry. 10/10
Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009
05.00 Friends
05.30 The Closer
06.30 House
07.30 Castle
02.00 NewsRadio
02.30 Taxi
Friends. Episode 12. "The One with the Dozen Lasagnas" Paulo makes a pass at Phoebe, Ross tries to avoid finding out the sex of his unborn baby, Joey and Chandler buy a foosball table.
Very-much driven by the ongoing storylines, the show is - by this stage - very different to other sitcoms on the air. David Schwimmer continues to get the biggest laughs in the episodes and our sympathy is with him all the way.
The Closer. Season 5, Episode 15. "Dead Man's Hand" Brenda investigates when it appears that a fellow officer is being beaten by her husband.
A change-of-pace episode that completely fails to work. The idea of Raydor would come to Brenda to investigate this seems crazy. Everything about the early part of the story is strained and impossible to swallow. And, then, when the murder takes place the viewer at home instantly knows what has happened and has to wait ages for the cops on screen to catch up. I hate when that happens.
Mary McDonnell and Brooke Langton make great guest stars, but the material is weak.
House. Season 6, Episode 9. "Wilson" Has cancer returned in Wilson's friend, and former patient?
A change-of-pace episodes that is a real treat to watch. The focus is on Wilson most of the time, so we get to see House's crazy patient roster from an outsider's perspective. And it's funny. And it does wonders to make the entire world of this TV show all a bit more real. In this episode we can see a more normal hospital, and a more a normal doctor at work, and House is just this eccentric guy running around all the time breaking the rules. It's a great new perspective on things.
And that's only for a few scenes. Most of the episode follows Wilson and his patient (Joshua Malina) as they grapple with the mysterious illness, and the ramifications of the treatment. There's lots and lots to watch here. Is Wilson too nice? Is House right about the Joshua Malina guy? And will that guy get back with his (gorgeous) wife? (Katherine LaNasa)
It's a great episode, on many levels, and the final scenes are terrific.
Castle. Season 2, Episode 11. "The Fifth Bullet" Guy with amnesia.
Wow! A great story. Marc Blucas plays the guy with amnesia, who is carrying a book with a bullet from a murder scene around with him, and has Anne Dudek as his wife. Lucky bastard.
Blucas is superb in the central role and the story keeps you constantly wondering. For ages I didn't trust him. Thought he was some super-cool hitman with ice in his veins playing a con on the cops for some reason. As soon as Dudek showed up I was rooting for him to be innocent and for them to get together.
Castle did some great detective work in this one (the plastic bag leading to the dog was genius) and he and Beckett were quite adorable on several occasions.
NewsRadio. Season 3, Episode 10. "Christmas" Dave lets everyone go home early. Bill enlists Beth to help him with a radio advert.
Good episode, with plenty for everyone to do. Even Catherine, the weak link in the cast.
Dave and Lisa's arrival at his parents empty house is a bit odd. It comes from nowhere and there's really nothing that Dave did to deserve this. Or am I missing something? Surely, for it to have meaning (even comic meaning) he should have brought it down upon himself?
Taxi. Episode 10. "A Full House for Christmas" Poker game with Louis' brother Nick.
Very dramatic episode. It's also funny, of course, but the a-story here is deadly serious: two brothers fighting and one trying to get the other one to do something for their mother.
The fact that Louis isn't the nicest person you'd ever meet keeps this from being schmaltz. And the poker game is very tense.
Highlight? Castle (great story)
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A Briefing With Michael: One Year Ago
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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Sunday, April 27th, 2008
06:30 Moonlight
07:30 Reaper
08:30 Supernatural
11:30 Blood Ties
12:30 Taxi
Moonlight. Episode 13. Fated To Pretend. I think I was more exited by the return of Moonlight, than I was by the return of Lost. Crazy, huh? Well, not really. Moonlight left it's characters in lots of bother. Mick is no longer a vampire and he and Beth are no longer on great terms. Plus, Coraline (my favourite character) is in a lot of danger. No wonder I was eager to see the show return! Did it disappoint?
Well, I was disappointed to see Coraline left out, but it was still a fantastic episode. The show still looks cool and stylish, it tells good stories, has superb action sequences and has a sweet romance at it's core. A regular character that I found annoying is killed off (yay!) and the resulting case-of-the-week is one of the best the show has done. Since it spirals off into three different directons. The episode made more use of Josef than normal and that is always a good thing. Seeing him kick ass at the end was awesome. The end of the episode was predictable, but no less effective for it. Sad. But that was a great kiss.
Reaper. Episode 14. Rebellion. This cool show returns with one of it's best episodes. The case-of-the-week is only given a few scenes and is totally resolved by the mid-point of the episode. Josie, Ted and Andi get screentime and the show is better for it. I've never liked Andi, but I will admit that the scenes between her and the show's hero were fantastic. Romantic and sweet. What about, um, his girlfriend? If the show gives Andi more screen time like this, and lets her in on the secret, then I will warm to the character very fast.
Anyway, the meat and potatoes of this show was the story of the Demon's living next door and their plans to overthrow The Devil. Half hilarious and half scary, it was an inspired storyline. This show has great dialogue. Some of the stuff coming out of the mouths of demons and The Devil is hilarious. Plus there is the incredible sense of menace that Ray Wise brings to the role. I was quite nervous for Sam as the Demons put their plans into action. A great episode, a great twist and lots of laughs. How could this be on the verge of cancellation?
Supernatural. Episode 18. Something Wicked. A solid outing. The case-of-the-week is strong, and it fits nicely into the backstory for the brothers and their relationship. There's a great quote at the end, where Dean wishes Sam didn't have to see the crap that he does, and the ep contains some nice flashbacks to the early 90s showing their Dad on the road on a job.
Blood Ties. Episode 6. Love Hurts. Back on form for this outing. Vicki is hired by a suspicious husband and - of course - his wife turns up dead before long. And everything is happening a place a lot like Wisteria Lane. The strengths of this show are good stories (and this one has a nice twist where the demon isn't the killer) and great chemistry between the characters. It's fine when Vicki and Henry are on-screen and doing their PI thing, but the show really gets good when Coreen and Mike are on-screen, too, and all four characters are working together. Vicki is cool (she's also hot, it must be said) and there's a lot of fun to be had from watching her trying to control her little group and stop them from squabbling.
Taxi. Episode 33. Elaine's Secret Admirer is one of the most beautiful scripts I've seen them use on the show. Elaine is feeling down, so Jim sends her love poems to cheer her up. Eloquent, beautiful love poems. But he keeps it a secret, because he knows how disappointed she would be to know who is sending them. And, of course, he's right. There are no happy endings in Taxi, but a lot of sweet genuine people. And lots of laughs, too. That final scene, where Jim builds a castle in Elaine's living room before walking out into the night, is a real classic. Wonderful and beautiful.
Highlight? Moonlight
Sat, Feb 9th, 2008
09:00 Seinfeld
09:30 Not That There's Anything Wrong With That
10:00 Dexter
11:00 Lost
12:00 Lost
01:00 Corner Gas
01:30 Taxi
Seinfeld. Season 8, Episode 18. The idea that George would try sleeping under his desk is inspired, and perfect for the character. And it's very cool when he hijacks Jerry's contractor and has the desk modified to include hidden shelves for magazines, coffee mugs and an alarm clock (!). But things spiral out of control somewhat when the storyline calls for Jerry to pose as a terrorist bomber to get George out of a jam. It goes on and on and on and on and... it's just not that funny.
Not That There's Anything Wrong With That. Seinfeld's Season 8 Bloopers. More hilarious out-takes from the best sit-com of all time (with Arrested Development a close second, of course). It's great to see Julia Louis-Dreyfus get the giggles over and over, and it's cool to see how much fun the star of the show (Jerry Seinfeld) was having with his team. Michael Richards makes him laugh. So does Wayne Knight. And watching them all laugh makes me laugh, too.
Dexter. Episode 5. Is it wrong to root for Dexter when he stalks a murderous human-trafficker? Who cares? It's great fun having such a different hero to root for. As always with this show, there is no real tension when Dexter tracks his (evil) prey, but the scenes where Dexter has to act normal around people are nerve-wracking. In the previous episode Rita took their relationship to a new level of intimacy and this has changed everything. Mundane chit-chat won't do any more. Rita - Dexter muses - will expect him to open up and show his inner self to her. How the heck will he manage that? Some of his attempts are hilarious (his decision to initiate a sex act during a very sad movie, for instance) and some are genuinely sweet (the final scene, where Dexter tells Rita what he wants most in life).
Jennifer Carpenter is a real scene-stealer in this show. She brings a sort of edgy lack-of-comfort to the role of Dexter's sister that - I think - few actresses could manage.
Lost. Season 4, Episode 1. Scene-stealers abound in Lost. Michael Emerson only has a few lines in the opening episode of Season 4, but he steals the show with them. His every utterance makes you laugh out loud, while at the same time you despise him and - strangely - root for him.
Lost. Season 4, Episode 2. Few shows could introduce 4 major new characters, make each one vivid and likable, and still manage to service most of the (already large) regular cast. So how do you even begin to praise this show? Do I start with the writing? Which is flawless. Or do I start with the casting? Which is - likewise - without flaw. Ken Leung is an immediate hit as an intense ghost-buster, while Jeremy Davies brings the sort of edgy lack-of-comfort to his role that Jennifer Carpenter brings to her role on Dexter. Davis gets more screen-time than any of the other newbies and he's a treat to watch.
Then, there's the writing. Just when we think we've figured out that "New Lost" will feature flashfowards instead of flashbacks the show does a 180 and offers up a completely new type of episode (structure-wise). This is a very confident and cool show. Taking us on a very cool journey.
Corner Gas. Season 4, Episode 8. Not the most hilarious episode ever, but still has a fair number of laughs. Hank decides to keep a blog. Which nobody in Dog River reads. Upsetting Hank. So Brent starts doing up cheat notes on the blog to help everyone out. Which leads to him putting the cheat notes online. And, eventually, doing his own blog. Which nobody in Dog River reads!! There's also unfunny storylines about Wanda doing Davis' taxes and Lacey and Oscar playing horseshoes.
Taxi. Episode 32. The gang get to spend a month in a luxury appartment, which has been (accidentally) leased by Latka. A pretty funny episode which neatly highlights the bleak subtext of the show: these people don't really have a lot and they all aspire to better things. Things they may never have.
Highlight? Lost
Sat, Feb 2nd, 2008
10:30 Dexter
11:30 Lost
12:30 Corner Gas
01:00 Taxi
Dexter. Episode 4. Dexter is a lot like Kyle XY. Both shows feature an outsider who doesn't understand - and thus allows the writers to comment on - the human condition. And it's a great device. It helps that both characters are very cool. This is the episode where we find that all is not right with Angel's private life. He spends the episode talking about his annivarsary gift for his wife, (and some of those scenes are very funny) but - in the end - we discover that she is not exactly glad to see him call for a visit. The plotline for Doakes, meanwhile, is much more predictable. It looks like he is about to be shot by gangsters, but it was always obvious that Detective McNamara would show up in time to save him. Yawn.
Lost. Season 4, Episode 1. Unlke previous premiers, which tended to focus on a few characters, this outing gives everyone something to say/do. Sure, it's primarily a Hurley/Jack episode, but everyone else gets screentime. And it's wonderful. After a long break, it's like welcoming back a group of old friends.
Corner Gas. Season 4, Episode 7. The big laughs in this episode come from a succession of Point-Of-View gags. At various times when one character is giving a long-winded explanation of something we pop into the view of the other character and hear what they are hearing. Great stuff. I also loved the pre-credits gag. And I mean "loved". Hank, bless his cotton socks, has - what he describes as - a near-death experience. And, because of this, his whole life flashes before his eyes. And we get to see it. Quick flashes of Hank standing around drinking milk from the carton, standing around reading a magazine in Corner Gas, and - best of all - just standing around, in the general vicinity of Corner Gas, doing nothing at all, just looking around him aimlessly. Genius.
Taxi. Episode 31. One of my favourite Taxi episodes. Alex and Louie have a race to see who can raise the most money in one night from fares. It's fun to see Louis trying to take advantage of people and just as much fun to see Alex fight with his own conscience over the temptation to do likewise. A classic.
Highlight? Lost.
Sunday, December 23rd, 2007
06:00 Journeyman
07:00 Reaper
11:30 Seinfeld
12:00 Taxi
Journeyman. Episode 12 had some clumsy elements (the leaving behind of the camera, for one, and the initial attempt to get it back - where Livia just handed it over!) but - on the whole - it was still a superb episode of a superb series. Dan returns to 2007 (2008?) to discover that he has changed history in several major ways. And one of those major ways had a big impact on him: his son is gone, replaced by a daughter he has never seen before. As always with this wonderful show the impact this has on his wife is well written and well played. She, of course, has only ever known them to have a daughter and is horrified by his talk of "changing things back". Wonderful stuff. Great revelations, too, about why Dan can travel in time and a nice cliffhanger.
Reaper. Episode 10. This is becoming one of the shows I love most, and look forward to most. Even more so now that they have made The Devil's Daugher a regular character and, even better, a love interest for Sam. Erratic, crazy Andi only appears for two short scenes and Tyler Labine is hilarious from start to finish.
Seinfeld. Season 8, Episode 9. George stops having sex, stops thinking about sex all the time, and - as a consequence - becomes super-smart, finally achieving his potential. Elaine tries the same thing, to aid her almost-a-doctor boyfriend, but - as consequence - becomes super-dumb. Yes, one episode after Jerry and Kramer swapped traits, it's time for George and Elaine to do the same thing. It's obvious that, in this 8th season, the writers are playing around and having fun with the show they inherited from Larry David and the results are delicious to observe.
Taxi. Episode 30. The (wonderful) theme from taxi is called, of course, "Angela". Named for a character called Angela Matusa who appeared in the show's third episode as overweight and shy blind date for Alex. This episode sees the return of Angela, now slimmed down and professing strong feelings for Alex. Feelings that he does not reciprocate. It's an episode with a lot of heart, but not a lot of laughs. Alex has no interest in her, and it's clear that he doesn't and that it has nothing to do with her looks (slim or otherwise) and they conveyed that very well. The ending is very clever, too. Surprising. Not very rose-tinted glasses, either.
Highlight? Journeyman
Saturday, December 1st, 2007
07:00 Man From Atlantis
09:00 The Office
09:30 The Knights Of Prosperity
10:00 October Road
11:00 Corner Gas
11:30 Taxi
Man From Atlantis. Episode 3 is the least enjoyable of the movies that started the series. The first third details what happens when a small space probe crashes to the sea-bed with a colony of alien spores attached. Mark Harris is sent to investigate and is soon posessed by the aliens. However, since Duffy plays Harris with emotionless monotone, it can be hard to tell when the character is possessed and when he is just being his usual boring self.
The middle third is the best part of the movie. The aliens take Mark out into the desert (for no reason explained adequately in the script). Thing is, since Mark is from the sea he needs to go back to the water every few hours or he will die. The car chase that starts this segment, the chase through the desert and the rescue by helicopter are all very exciting.
The final third, however, is awful. The alien spores escape out into the world and start 'testing' random humans so that they can 'understand' the human condiditon. Or something. What we get are lots and lots of scenes of lots and lots of extras laughing, crying, whistling, throwing stuff around and other embarrassing nonsense. Very hard to watch.
The Office. Season 4, Episode 8. One of the best-ever episodes. Michael takes the stand to help (?) Jan in her case against the company. Lots of what happens is funny and lots of what happens is quite sad and touching. Skillful, wonderful television.
The Knights Of Prosperity. Episode 12. A change of tone episode is the inept group of thieves get involved with a career-criminal in an effort to open the safe they have stolen. The characters are in over their heads and you feel - once lots of gun-play takes centre-stage - that the show is in over it's head, too. There are still moments to make you laugh, but this is definitely a darker show. Consequently the regulars are less sympathetic than before. Now they just seem stupid and selfish.
October Road. Episode 3. If not for the existance of Cavemen, this would be the most hated show on TV. Quite why critics have reacted so harshly is beyond me. Sure it's derivative but it's fun to watch and I always want to know what happens next. Lindy Booth is so adorable in this outing as the Pizza Delivery Girl that captures Phil's heart. Phil doesn't leave his house. Ever. So he invites her "in" instead of "out".
Corner Gas. Season 4, Episode 5. Brent, Hank and Oscar team-up to tear down a barn. Those three together never fail to generate a lot of laughs. Adding dynamite to the mix only helps.
Taxi. Episode 29. Bobby and Tony both date the same woman (the stunning Constance Forslund) and - in the end - ask her to choose between them. As well as all the good gags, this being Taxi, there is a nice character-based ending to the story. The boys ultimately that their friendship is more important.
Highlight? The Office.
Friday, October 26th, 2007
06:30 The Bionic Woman
07:30 Notes From The Underbelly
08:00 Two Guys And A Girl
08:30 Taxi
09:00 Cavemen
09:30 Kung Fu
10:30 Timeslip
The Bionic Woman. Season 2, Episode 12. Jaime teams up with a (mildly-)super-powered scientist in this story, when his brother defects to East Germany with a top-secret decoder in tow. One of the better episodes, even if it gives Jaime/Lindsay very little to do. It's mostly about the scientist (Granville Van Dusen) and his abilities. The episode is structured in two distinct parts: the first third takes place over the course of one afternoon at the OSI labs when Jaime shows up, meets the two brothers and learns about their two (very different) OSI projects. The 'hero' of this episode (possibly with a view to a spin-off series?) is shown underdoing various tests demonstrating his powers. Basically, he can control all of his biological functions, so that water, electricity, etc. do him no harm. Then we learn that the other brother (Peter Haskell) has absconded, and the final two-thirds of the episode show Jaime and her new partner in East German having to overcome various obstacles to get the decoder back. Each one using their super-powers. It's a pretty good script. The feud between the brothers makes the story more interesting.
Notes From The Underbelly. Episode 5. I love television. Love it! Love it! Love it! I would never have predicted two months back that two of favourite new shows would be about a couple expecting a baby, and a teenage girl living in Africa. But that's the way it is.
Notes' 5th episode is the funniest one so far and highlights the genius of this very funny show: very different characters trapped together by pregnancy. This is the episode where Julie gives birth. All the scenes where we see how this affects the others in the group are hysterical. Melanie Deanne Moore is the absolute star of this episode, but all of the cast shine. The script is razor sharp. Many lines are worthy of an instant rewind to savour them.
Two Guys And A Girl. Season 3, Episode 1. Johnny has proposed, and Sharon hasn't reacted very well. Pete, meanwhile, has run off to Paris to cope with his heartbreak. Back home, Ashley has started to remodel Berg's place. Over his strenuous objections. I've probably seen this episode ten times over the years, but it cracks me up every time. Nathan Fillion gets to take Johnny over the top, for a change, when he tries to cope with Sharon's evasive answers: "Yes. In theory." His best bit is probably when he relates back to her all the other people in his daily life who are willing to answer his questions. Richard Ruccolo's plane-ride to Paris is, I think, a series highlight.
Taxi. Episode 28. Over-worked Elaine makes a pass at Alex, who advises her to enter therapy (instead of trying to hide in sex). One of the key Taxi episodes. The opening two scenes are big multi-character pieces, the final half is mostly a session with a therapist (Tom Ewell), but in the middle is a short sweet scene where Elaine and Alex talk about their mutual attraction. Taxi was very funny, but it took it's characters and their hopes/aspirations very, very seriously. And this very honest, very real scene is a perfect example of why the show is regarded as a classic. The episode also features Robert Picardo and Mary Woronov (who was terrorising poor Jessica on a Logan's Run I watched two nights back).
Cavemen. Episode 4. This show has turned a corner and is now very funny. It's becoming obvious to me that the character of Nick (played by Nick Kroll) is a goldmine of comedy. His worldview is very extreme, so the writers can drop him into any given situation and watch what happens. This week, he - inadvertantly - beats up a teenage girl (while hundreds of other teenagers watch in horror). But, he later consoles himself with the knowledge that it was only "hundreds". This, of course, is before it shows on a YouTube eqivalent.
Kung Fu. Episode 12. Once again, Caine is in trouble with the law (!). Methinks the writers went to that there well too often during the first season. This time out, he's fallen foul of one of those towns, so popular on TV shows of bygone days, where the townsfolk use trumped-up charges to make innocent visitors work in a mine/camp of some kind. It's a good episode, but I'm well weary of Caine getting arrested five minutes into every episode.
Timeslip. Series 2, Episode 1. Time-travelling teens Liz and Simon (think Hermione Granger and Harry Potter) find themselves thrown 20 years into the future. Not only that, they are at an underground Arctic research complex and about to be used in some kind of mysterious experiment. The episode moves slowly, is very atmospheric, devotes a lot of time to the staff of the complex, neglects the two stars a bit, and ends on an excellent cliff-hanger.
Highlight? Notes From The Underbelly.
Saturday, October 13th, 2007
08:00 Women's Murder Club
08:50 Bionic Woman
09:40 The Office
10:30 Corner Gas
11:00 Taxi
Women's Murder Club. Episode 1. Angie Harmon steals the show as tough-cop Lindsay Boxer, who questions all suspects with a husky voice and - on several occasions - pulls out a gun and runs after bad guys, all sexy-like. On each occasion, the culprit runs away. Hmm. If Angie Harmon came running after me (gun drawn or not), I'd darn well stay put and see what she wanted to do. Harmon (the best thing about Baywatch Nights) is pretty much the best thing about this police procedural. Having said that, the (large) cast are all very good. This particular case was kinda lame, but I liked the show enough to want to see what happens next.
Bionic Woman. Episode 3. At this stage, three weeks in, how much you enjoyed the episode depends on how invested you are in these characters. This story is all about the two Bionic Women as they go head to head to a lot of... conversations. Long angst-ridden conversations. Several of the cast have really started to make their mark on the show, but for all the running around here, you don't get any sort of story in this episode. Just a lot of events that tie together and are part of some bigger tale that they are not prepared to reveal to us just yet. Basically, this is a small sandbox peopled by a group we didn't know four weeks ago, and we are being invited to come and watch them throw sand in each other's faces. Any potential commitment to this continuity-heavy series is not helped by the nagging feeling I have that they have left an episode out somewhere along the way.
The Office. Season 4, Episode 3. Wasn't The Office always an hour long? Didn't it always have Jim & Pam as a rock-solid, very romantic, couple in the middle of all the chaos, and wasn't Angela Kinsey always getting all the biggest laughs? Well... maybe none of those things were true until now, but now that they are true they feel so so right. The show opened with, perhaps, the cleverest/funniest/best pre-credits sequence they have ever tried. After that we got a slow, careful build up as the team prepared for a WebSite Lunch Party, sorry make that WebSite Launch Party, until around the mid-way point Michael took a Pizza Delivery Boy hostage and - after that - the episode never looked back. Highlight #1: Jim & Pam's conversation on the roof. #2: All conversations between Phyllis & Angela. #3: Take A Chance On Me (which is a series highlight, too. Ed Helms rocks.)
Corner Gas. Season 4, Episode 2. After a shaky start to the season, I was a tad worried that CG might have lost some of it's sheen for the 4th season. Not so. Back to comedy gold this week. Every plot seemed natural and the interweaving was seamless and hilarious. In some scenes, every single line of dialogue is a joke. How many times do they re-write these scripts to get them right?
Taxi. Episode 27. An early Season 2 episode which brought back Reverend Jim and got him a job working for the Sunshine Cab Company, along with Alex, Elaine and the gang. Aside from the comedy gold of Christopher Lloyd & Andy Kaufman doing their thing, it features a stand-out performance from Danny DeVito (when Jim drugs Louis to mellow him out so he will give him a job). Even that pales beside the sequence where Jim takes the test to become a Taxi Driver in New York City. "What Does A Yellow Light Mean?" he whispers to Bobby. "Slow Down!" hisses Bobby, afraid they will be heard. Jim considers this. And repeats the question... slower. And on and on it goes. The same eight words being said over and over. Slower and ever slower.
Highlight? Taxi.
