The Office. Season 6, Episode 19. "Happy Hour"

Sunday, April 11th, 2010

11.30 The Office

The Office. Season 6, Episode 19. "Happy Hour"

Oooh, this was good. Been ages since I laughed so much at an episode of "The Office." It felt like every character got a scene that mattered, and it felt like all of those scenes were funny, too.

And, as a longtime fan of "Caroline In The City" it was great to see Amy Pietz. She's awesome, and should be on TV more.

Biggest laugh? Hard to choose one, but I'll go with Isobel hitting Angela.

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The Office

Monday, March 29th, 2010

08.00 The Office

The Office. Season 6, Episode 18. "New Leads" At war with the salespeople.

The Andy-Erin scenes were delightful. The hotter/colder sequence, in particular, was laugh out loud funny. The ending (their first kiss) was spectacular. Heck, the Andy-Erin scenes are even funny when she's not in them (him texting her and reading out her answer was priceless).

The rest of the episode was so-so. I liked the Michael-Dwight fight. I like when the show gets all dramatic, and it's character-based. But the main plot of the episode didn't involve me, and didn't make me laugh.

Thank goodness for Andy and Erin.

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A Briefing With Michael: One Year Ago

The Office

Saturday, March 27, 2010

07.30 The Office

The Office. Season 6, Episode 17. "St. Patrick's Day"

The Kathy Bates character was the best thing about this. I've warmed to her now, and it was amusing to see her dealing with Michael's juvenile behaviour. It was also cool to see Darryl getting a promotion (?).

I didn't dislike the Jim-Dwight stuff. But I also didn't laugh at it. It was funny the first few times they fought over desks. Now? Not so much.

The stuff with Erin and her brother kinda threw me for a loop. Do we need another obstacle in the Andy-Erin romance? And where is this stuff going?

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A Briefing With Michael: One Year Ago

Lost, Melrose Place, The Office

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

Friends, Friday Night Lights, Defying Gravity, Legend Of The Seeker, The Office, Space: 1999, Black Beauty, Corner Gas

Saturday, December 19th, 2009

07.30 Friends
08.00 Friday Night Lights
09.00 Defying Gravity
10.00 Legend Of The Seeker
11.00 The Office
12.00 Space: 1999
02.00 Black Beauty
02.30 Corner Gas

Friends. Episode 10. "The One With The Monkey" New Year's Eve Party.

Ross gets a monkey (another signature element of the series) and Hank Azaria guests as a love interest for Phoebe.

More important, Maggie Wheeler returns as Janice. I love Janice and (for all the early seasons) thought she would eventually end up with Chandler and become a series regular. It didn't happen. They had better plans for Chandler, but I still remember Janice with fondness.

Friday Night Lights. Season 4, Episode 7. "In the Bag" Mindy spends some time in hospital. Expensive. Tami deals with an unwanted romantic advance. Vince might have a gun. Luke has to stay home from school to work on the farm. Landry phones Tyra.

A weak episode in which every obstacle that crops up is easily overcome. The Riggins brothers are only coming to terms with the hospital bill, when a solution falls into their laps. Luke is able to get one of the football team to help him out on the farm. Tami's problem disappears after one conversation.

It's all a bit too easy.

Defying Gravity. Episode 12. "Venus" Zoe and Donner make their final preparations. But the landing goes wrong...

Flashbacks reveal that Zoe did not make the cut. A big twist. And an example of the good storytelling of this show. We know she made it to the crew and - indeed - is all set to be the first human on Venus, but now we realise that there is more intrigue in the backstory. How she got back onto the programme is not revealed here, but is sure to help us understand some of the mystery behind what is happening on Earth in the present day.

Legend Of The Seeker. Episode 21. "Fever" Jensen and Darken Rahl.

Superb. On every level. Craig Parker gives his best-ever performance, showing us the truly devious side of Darken Rahl. Hell, there are times when I believed the lies he was spouting.

It's a clever and well-executed story, handing most of the screen time over to a guest star and a recurring cast member. But it pays great dividends.

Meanwhile, the stuff back at the camp raises all sorts of terrific moral questions, of the type you do not expect to find a show of this genre.

Superb. On every level.

The Office. Season 6, Episode 12. "Secret Santa" Michael vs. Phyllis for the coveted role of Santa.

The first half is awful, with Michael being a jerk. He relents somewhat becomes nice in the second half, but it's not a great episode.

Space: 1999 Episode 9. "Force of Life" A technician is taken over by a mysterious orb and wanders Moonbase Alpha taking life and energy wherever he goes.

Superb. Ian McShane makes a great guest star and this episode highlights much that is wonderful about the show.

#1. Koenig and the rest of our heroes have no understanding of what is happening and no control over it. They are at the mercy of space and all it's mysteries. Bergman offers theories, Helena offers theories, but they admit that they haven't a clue. And I like that. I like the epic feel that this kind of story bring to the show. It leaves you wondering, long after the credits, what might have been happening.

#2. The show looks beautiful. Absolutely stunning. This is evident in any episodes that showcase an alien landscape of some kind, but it is nonetheless true in episodes which are confined to Moonbase Alpha. The show looks sumptuous.

#3. Some of the visuals are deceptively simple. One of the best images of this episode (and, maybe, the series) is the sight of Anton Zoref (Ian McShane) stalking the corridors of Alpha with the lights all blinking out as he walks past. It's simple. But it works. Likewise, whenever Zoref goes into energy-draining mode they show this with soft focus and purple lights in McShane's face. Sounds weak, I know, but it really works.

#4. Faced with the unknown. Koenig's knee-jerk reaction is alway to try and kill it. At least, that's true when the unknown is somehow trying to kill them. Such as here. Survival is the main objective. This is not Star Trek and these characters do not have the luxury of trying to communicate. They have to try and live as long as possible. That's all there is to it.

#5. The show can be scary. The attacks on the victims (and on Helena) are actually quite scary. Using simple things like lighting and slow-motion, they show accomplishes a lot.

Black Beauty. Episode 4. "The Horse Thieves" Black Beauty is stolen.

With guest stars like Tony Doyle, Jim Norton and John Ringham the viewer is really spoiled in this one. It's also a very good story, which doesn't play out in the expected way. Two bumbling thieves successfully steal Black Beauty but have to return to the scene of the crime to retrieve a dropped knife. While there they hear that the hut that they have stashed Beauty in is about to blown up by the railway workers so, to avoid the needless death of an animal they genuinely admire, they step forward and tell everyone. Setting up a mad rush to the rescue.

It's a simple story that plays out in unexpected ways because the characters are well crafted.

Corner Gas. Season 5, Episode 16. "Coming Distractions" Davis and Brent each tell lies about seeing a movie with Hank, having promised to wait and see it with each other. Lacey is invited to join a group for older ladies, while Wanda sets out to deface Oscar's new sidewalk.

Now this is more like it! Back on form with a funny episode, where everybody gets some of the funny. The Hank storyline is the funniest, but they all work.

Highlight? Space: 1999 (superb)
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A Briefing With Michael: One Year Ago

Supernatural, The Office, Parks And Recreation, The Big Bang Theory, Scrubs

Sunday, November 22nd, 2009

07.30 Supernatural
11.00 The Office
11.30 Parks And Recreation
02.00 The Big Bang Theory
02.30 Scrubs

Supernatural. Season 5, Episode 5. "Fallen Idols" Paris Hilton

The first case-of-the-week in a while. And a very good one. The stunt casting of Paris Hilton (in a cameo) works very well, and there are laughs to be had from the town Sheriff (who has pick-the-most-obvious-answer way of dealing with the odd deaths in his town).

The Office. Season 6, Episode 10. "Shareholder Meeting" Michael takes some of the boys to the big city, while Jim tries to exert his control.

I like the way The Office is able to deal with the real world economic crisis and make us laugh without offering trite solutions.

Parks And Recreation. Season 2, Episode 10. "Hunting Trip" Ron is shot.

Not the best episode, but there are several very funny moments. Leslie's montage of girlie cliché's is a classic.

The Big Bang Theory. Season 3, Episode 8. "The Adhesive Duck Deficiency" The boys go camping, while Sheldon rescues Penny after she injures herself in the bathroom.

Having some of the regulars get accidentally high is a standard sit-com device and the BBT version is pretty good.

Pairing Penny with Sheldon always raises laughs, too, and this episode is no exception.

Scrubs. Season 8, Episode 17. "My Chief Concern" Changes.

One of the saddest, and best, episodes of Scrubs as JD prepares to move away. It's a remarkable feat, being able to make you laugh and feel melancholy at the same time. But Scrubs is able to do this.

Highlight? Supernatural (Paris Hilton)
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A Briefing With Michael: One Year Ago

The Big Bang Theory, Dexter, Friday Night Lights, Supernatural, Parks And Recreation, The Office, Sledge Hammer

Sunday, November 15th, 2009

05.00 The Big Bang Theory
05.30 Dexter
06.30 Friday Night Lights
07.30 Supernatural
11.00 Parks And Recreation
11.30 The Office
12.00 Sledge Hammer

The Big Bang Theory. Season 3, Episode 7. "The Guitarist Amplification" Leonard and Penny fight, so Sheldon tries to sort it out.

Always good/funny when Sheldon is at the center of the show. I still wish they wouldn't write episodes about the relationship between Leonard and Penny but, at least, they are funny episodes.

Dexter. Season 4, Episode 7. "Slack Tide" Photographer.

Dexter continues to learn from Trinity (John Lithgow), while finding clever ways to distract the kids and make time for a new 'kill'.

Quinn meanwhile is turning into Doakes. Uh-oh.

Friday Night Lights. Season 4, Episode 3. "In the Skin of a Lion"

This show excels at making the ordinary dramatic. So dramatic that it becomes as gripping as 24 or Lost. All these power plays in the town of Dillion are as exciting to watch as anything you could ever see on those shows, and far more thrilling than anything you'll see on FlashForward of V!

Great performance from D.W. Moffett, who has always played likable characters in the past and - here on FNL - now plays a genuine 'Boo Hiss!' bad guy. He is despicable. (And, consequently, lots of fun to watch.)

Supernatural. Season 5, Episode 4. "The End" Dean travels five years into the future!

I love when Supernatural does the type of stories that it shouldn't be able to do. Here's one: Dean going 5 years into the future and working with himself in a world that came about because he was unable to forgive Sam in the past and work with him on finding a solution.

Misha Collins gives us a different version of Castiel, Rob Benedict is back and Jared Padalecki gets to play Lucifer. All good stuff.

Parks And Recreation. Season 2, Episode 9. "The Camel" Mural.

A real feel-good episode, where the regulars work together on a new mural.

I love the bit where Jerry is laughed at by everyone. Seems to be a running gag now, and it works for me. Eventually Jerry is going to go postal and bring a rifle to work.

The ending managed to be warm and sweet, not sickly and false. A hard act to pull off.

The Office. Season 6, Episode 9. "Murder" The company might be about to under, so Michael wants to play games.

A fairly serious episode. Once again the show illustrates that there may be method to Michael's madness. And whether or not you agree with his management style, and choices, you must admit that Jim has come around to his way of thinking by the end of the episode.

Sledge Hammer. Episode 9. "Magnum Farce" Killer cops.

Lots of great stuff in this one. Sledge trying to guess what a dying man is telling him, Sledge having a fake fight with Captain Trunk and Janice Lynde as the ringleader of the bad guys who gets into a shootout with Sledge. "All you men want the same thing from me," she calls out at one stage, coming into the room, gun blazing. "Yeah," Sledge calls back. "Get the hell out of here!"

Highlight? Friday Night Lights (dramatic)
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A Briefing With Michael: One Year Ago

The Big Bang Theory, Dexter, Legend Of The Seeker, Supernatural, Parks And Recreation, The Office

Sunday, November 8th, 2009

05.00 The Big Bang Theory
05.30 Dexter
06.30 Legend Of The Seeker
07.30 Supernatural
12.00 Parks And Recreation
12.30 The Office

The Big Bang Theory. Season 3, Episode 6. "The Cornhusker Vortex" Leonard tries to fit in with Penny's friends.

Now that Penny and Leonard are dating, I would prefer that the show keeps their relationship in the background. I like them as a couple, and want them to stay as a couple, but I'm sure the show can generate stories on a regular basis from the fact that they are dating. Also, I'm not sure I want to tune in every week and see stories about them as a couple. Fact is: the show has a great ensemble and it's never had any problem creating stories about these people as a group. I want that to continue.

Having said that...

This one - which is very much about the Leornard/Penny couple - is very good. It's easy to relate to, also, with Leonard trying to fit more into Penny's world. And completely failing. Which I like. There's no sickly-sweet ending, like some sit-coms might resort to. Instead, he gets fed up of trying (and failing) and eventually gives up and leaves. Much to Penny's relief.

That, to me, is a very honest way of ending the story. It works.

BBT theory reminds me of Frasier. A typical Frasier episode would, at some point, have Frasier and his brother discussing the details of some wine, or some opera, and yet - just like BBT - the audience was never excluded, even when we didn't understand the references, because the writing kept the characters honest and, thus, relatable. Same goes for this show. And how much more honest/real can you get than this episode? Which is just about a guy trying to fit in with his girlfriend's friends.

Dexter. Season 4, Episode 6. "If I Had a Hammer" Dexter befriends Trinity.

Superb. The show successfully flips the formula it used for previous seasons and raises everything to a whole new level. In the past we've seen Dexter befriend a 'normal' person and - as the season has progressed - we have learned that they are, in fact, a 'bad guy'. This time out, the season opens up by revealing a 'bad guy' and, then, as a twist we find Dexter tracking them down and befriending them.

Knowing ahead of time, and knowing that Dexter knows, too, lifts the drama to a whole other level.

The show is funnier, too. I certainly don't remember Dexter having so many one-liners and quips as he has had this season and - in the closing shot this week - he is pretty much breaking the fourth wall and addressing the viewers at home.

I love that. Not quite as much love for this new, nagging Rita.

Legend Of The Seeker. Episode 19. "Cursed" A king who transforms into a savage beast.

Superb! Back on track for a truly superb episode. The story is fast-moving, and moves in unexpected directions on more than one occasion. The writers seem keen, in the latter stage of the season, to explore darker ideas and sadder tales. And it makes for a darker, more adult show.

Supernatural. Season 5, Episode 3. "Free to Be You and Me" Sam has quit, Dean works alone.

I didn't buy the events in the Sam storyline. Him being befriended by the comely waitress and the other hunters turning up and - then - turning nasty was all a tad predictable. Sam's turmoil throughout was superb and made everything worth watching.

Dean's storyline, however, was a total hoot. As he teams up with Castiel and they hit a brothel.

Great downbeat ending, too, with Sam chatting with Lucifer.

Parks And Recreation. Season 2, Episode 8. "Ron and Tammy" Ron's ex-wife.

Throughout this second season (except for one unfunny episode) the show has been consistently funnier, better and more likable than in season one. Here's a perfect example of that.

Ron (Nick Offerman) is a great background character. A textbook example of a great supporting character in a sitcom, when you see just enough to leave you wanting more. Turns out he works as a great lead character, too, as we get an episode devoted to his complex feelings for his ex-wife.

All the scenes with Megan Mullally are hilarious and Ron's various insults (both to her face and behind her back) are hilarious.

Amy Poehler has several great moments, too. I love the scene where she arrives in Ron's office and sits down, gleefully waiting to hear about his reunion and then has to do a quick retreat as his talk of that reunion turns x-rated. Poehler's body language makes the scene every funnier.


The Office. Season 6, Episode 8. "Double Date" Michael dumps Pam's mother.

And it's a painful as can be. Don't think there are any laughs in this one. Sigh.

Highlight? Legend Of The Seeker (truly superb)
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A Briefing With Michael: One Year Ago

Scrubs, Friday Night Lights, Legend Of The Seeker, Supernatural, Parks And Recreation, The Office

Sunday, November 1st, 2009

05.00 Scrubs
05.30 Friday Night Lights
06.30 Legend Of The Seeker
07.30 Supernatural
12.30 Parks And Recreation
01.00 The Office

Scrubs. Season 8, Episode 14. "My Soul On Fire, Part One" Bahamas!

Lovely change-of-pace episode that finds all of the regulars in the Bahamas for the Janitor's wedding, and JD and Elliot have a(nother) minor crisis in their relationship.

Friday Night Lights. Season 4, Episode 1. "East of Dillon" Eric starts his new job.

Solid season opener which seamlessly introduces some new characters and (with Eric's new job) has the promise of great drama ahead.

Legend Of The Seeker. Episode 18. "Mirror" Thieves pose as Richard and Kahlan.

It's great to see Craig Horner and Bridget Regan having so much fun with completely different characters, but this was not what I wanted to see this week. The show has been gradually getting more dramatic and intense with every episode and this seems like a pointless step backwards to more obvious case-of-the-week stories.

This belonged in the first thirteen, not in the back nine.

Supernatural. Season 5, Episode 2. "Good God, Y'all" War in a small town.

Very clever. It starts out with something we've seen before (Sam and Dean in a town of demons) but it's still just a hoot to watch. Then, to my surprise, the writer (Sera Gamble) pulls a switch and it turns out that things are not what they seem, at all.

Titus Welliver never disappoints, and he is at his best here.

Parks And Recreation. Season 2, Episode 7. "Greg Pikitis" Halloween vandal.

Superb stuff. Leslie goes up against a teenage vandal, flanked by her boyfriend, Dave (Louis C.K.), and Andy (Chris Pratt), who now works for her. This team didn't even exist back in Season one (Dave hadn't been introduced, and Andy was kept in Anne's storyline) and now it results in pure comedy gold. It's hard to pick a highlight, but I'm gonna go for Andy's impression of a tough FBI agent as the biggest laugh of the episode.

It was also cool to see that Leslie was right all along.

The b-plot (about a Halloween party at Anne's) was also pretty funny.

The Office. Season 6, Episode 7. "Koi Pond" Michael falls in a kai pond, but it turns out to not be as simple as that...

A good one. The show is really making an effort to change things with Jim being promoted. And, I must say, they have succeeded. The Jim/Michael relationship is different now, and so is Jim's relationship with everybody else in the office.

Not sure why they did that (to keep things fresh, maybe?) but they are doing a good job with it.

Highlight? Supernatural (things are not what they seem)
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A Briefing With Michael: One Year Ago

The Big Bang Theory, Torchwood, Legend Of The Seeker, Supernatural, Parks And Recreation, The Office, The Six Million Dollar Man

Sunday, October 25th, 2009

05.00 The Big Bang Theory
05.30 Torchwood
06.30 Legend Of The Seeker
07.30 Supernatural
10.00 Parks And Recreation
10.30 The Office
11.00 The Six Million Dollar Man

The Big Bang Theory. Season 3, Episode 5. "The Creepy Candy Coating Corollary" Wil Wheaton

It's great to see Wil Wheaton and I hope the show brings him back, but this episode is surprisingly light on laughs. Maybe because I was looking forward to it too much?

Torchwood. Episode 8. "They Keep Killing Suzie" Suzie is alive. Again.

Another episode where they Torchwood crew create their own problem-of-the-week, but - having said that - this is a truly superb episode. Indira Varma is a great foe, and Suzie is revealed to be much more sinister than we first thought.

Legend Of The Seeker. Episode 17. "Deception" Richard undercover.

Absolutely superb. Possibly the best episode so far and an episode which expands the world of LOTS and the type of stories that can/will be told here. There's a dark and downbeat side to the story, with a good man dying a needless death and it's makes the perfect point.

Don Hany makes a great guest star, too.

Supernatural. Season 5, Episode 1. "Sympathy for the Devil" Lucifer is out!

Mark Pellegrino makes a strong impression as a character called Nick who is approached/tempted by Lucifer, while the boys adjust to the aftermath of what happened in the old convent. Good opening episode, which maintains the momentum of the story from the previous season.

Parks And Recreation. Season 2, Episode 6. "Kaboom" The pit gets filled, but Andy gets injured.

Back on form. It's funny (unlike last week) and it appears as if two major storylines are being moved forward.

The Office. Season 6, Episode 6. "The Lover" Michael is dating Pam's mom.

And Pam goes crazy, because of it. With some of the best laughs coming from Jim's reactions to his crazy wife. It was all a bit over the top, I suppose, but Jenna Fischer was funny.

The Six Million Dollar Man. Episode 4. "Population: Zero" The entire population of a small town is lying in the street, what happened...?

Super start to regular series. Unlike the first three movies, this looks and feels exactly like the television series that would follow. Steve Austin is totally in character now, he's heroic and likable, he's modest and charming, and most of what makes him the hero of this story has nothing to do with the bionics in him. It's all about how he deals with the problems he faces.

Don Porter makes a great bad-guy, his character has been well fleshed out and is very interesting, and Penny Fuller is a good girl-of-the-week for Steve to befriend.

Highlight? Legend Of The Seeker (dark and downbeat)
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A Briefing With Michael: One Year Ago

Scrubs, Dexter, Breaking Bad, Arrested Development, The Office

Saturday, October 17th, 2009

05.30 Scrubs
06.00 Dexter
07.00 Breaking Bad
08.00 Arrested Development
01.00 The Office

Scrubs. Season 8, Episode 12. "Their Story II" The new characters get to narrate an episode.

Where did Lee Thompson Young come from? While I have grown to like most of the new characters and welcome the idea of giving them an episode to narrate, I'm a bit thrown by the fact that Derek (Lee Thompson Young) never appeared before and is given a lot to do in this, his first, episode. I didn't really warm to him, but some of the other stuff was good.

Dexter. Season 4, Episode 3. "Blinded By the Light" The one with the neighbours.

A complete departure from the usual type of episode as we get introduced to a large group of new characters and we see Dexter trying to solve a vandalism problem on his doorstep. There's a twist in the end of the story and - overall - it feels like a worthwhile change-of-pace episode.

Breaking Bad. Episode 7. "A No-Rough-Stuff Type Deal" Walt and Jesse perform a robbery and Skyler discovers that her sister is thief.

As a regular episode this one is typically great, but as a season finale I find it somewhat lacking and undramatic. Nothing about this screams End Of Season, but everything about it makes me want to see what happens next...

Arrested Development. Season 3, Episode 10. "Fakin' It" Mock Trial.

Another of the great ideas of AD: Judge Reinhold playing himself, as the host of reality-type court show.

Episode highlight? George Michael and Maeby get married. Aw...

The Office. Season 6, Episode 5. The "Mafia" visits Michael.

Not really. This is a very silly, but very funny episode of The Office. Some fans don't like it when the show departs from reality too much, but this episode made me laugh and I loved it.

Leaving Jim and Pam out of an episode seems dumb, though. Couldn't they episode have started with them returning from honeymoon?


Highlight? Breaking Bad (typically great)
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A Briefing With Michael: One Year Ago

Scrubs, Dexter, Breaking Bad, Flashpoint, The Office

Saturday, October 10th, 2009

05.30 Scrubs
06.00 Dexter
07.00 Breaking Bad
08.00 Flashpoint
09.00 The Office

Scrubs. Season 8, Episode 11. "My Nah Nah Nah" Is The Janitor about to be dumped? Is Turk giving false hope to a patient?

The relationship between Jordan and Dr. Cox is one of the more unusual on TV, and this episode highlights it when Cox starts wearing his wedding ring and his wife objects.

They're an odd couple, to say the least, and one of the strengths of Scrubs.

Dexter. Season 4, Episode 2. "Remains to Be Seen" Dexter (with mild amnesia from his car accident) tries to retrace his own steps and find the body he hid previously.

Awesome. One of the best-ever episodes of Dexter. It's got a great premise (a serial killer who forgets where he stashed the body) and it's fast-paced tale is packed full of one-liners. I don't remember Dexter (the show) ever being this funny before.

I also love the way they are finding lots to do for the (large) regular cast.

Breaking Bad. Episode 6. "Crazy Handful of Nothin'" Walt and Jesse decide to contact a distributor named Tuco and enter the big leagues.

Best episode so far. The ending to this one was beyond cool, as Walt went into the lair of the bad guy and proceeded to bring the whole place down around him (with a small explosion and the threat of more). Thrilling stuff.

Flashpoint. Episode 21. "Last Dance" A couple leaves a trail of chaos as they cross the city together.

Like no other show currently on the air, Flashpoint is able to push the buttons of the viewer and delivering tear-jerking stories on a weekly basis. The tale here is predictable, but none-the-less wonderful. The viewer can see early on that these two aren't criminals and (though the script tries to keep the mystery going) we can predict that the woman is dying and these are here last hours with her lover.

The ending, when it comes, is unbearable sad.

Sometimes I like to have my buttons pushed.

The Office. Season 6, Episode 4. "Niagara" Wedding.

Not only was it hilarious and joyful, but this double-length episode of The Office was fast-paced and full of key scenes for all the regular cast. Quite an achievement.

Highlight? The Office (hilarious and joyful)
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A Briefing With Michael: One Year Ago

Scrubs, Breaking Bad, The Office, Flashpoint

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, Modern Family, The Office

Saturday, September 26th, 2009

06.00 Scrubs
06.30 Breaking Bad
02.00 Modern Family
02.30 The Office

Scrubs. Season 8, Episode 9. "My Absence" Cox doesn't care, but he expects Carla to care too much. And is shocked when she doesn't. Turk, meanwhile, finds that nobody cares enough about his second baby.

Wonderful. A look at changes and changing. And staying the same. And all the sort of stuff that Scrubs does very, very well.

Breaking Bad. Episode 4. "Cancer Man" Walt tells his family that he is dying, while Jesse goes home to stay with his family.

Awesome. An episode split between the two leads, with each one getting equal time in separate storylines. Aaron Paul rocks. Jesse's backstory is just as interesting as Walter's. Who knew?

As good as the whole episode is, it absolute sings when the two main characters are onscreen together at the very end. Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul have chemistry to burn.

Modern Family. Episode 1. "Pilot" Mitchell and his boyfriend adopt a baby and Mitchell freaks about about telling his large (crazy) family.

Messy. There are amusing moments buried in here, somewhere, but the overall show seems overstuffed and unfunny. I kept watching in vain in the hope of a chuckle or something/someone to care about.

Ty Burrell is probably the best one here, but he gets very few moments to shine in this opener.

The Office. Season 6, Episode 2. "The Meeting" Michael stabs Jim in the back (worse than usual), while Dwight investigates a fake insurance claim.

A bit of a downer. This time out, they are not trying to make us laugh.

A lot of this episode involves us watching the regulars being angry and/or hurt at others in the regular cast.

Not my cup of tea.

Highlight? Breaking Bad (Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul)
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Scrubs, Breaking Bad, Royal Pains, The Office

Saturday, September 19th, 2009

05.30 Scrubs
06.00 Breaking Bad
07.00 Royal Pains
08.00 The Office

Scrubs. Season 8, Episode 8. "My Lawyer's In Love"

Cox is still learning the same lesson from last week? (That he can't do everything that he used to do.) Hmm. That's a bit lame. I hope they aren't going to hammer that idea to death for the rest of the season. Having said that, the scene where he arrived home too late to read a bedtime story to his child was superb. Sad and affecting. Made all the better by his wife's understanding.

Sam Lloyd, meanwhile, gets some of the biggest laughs in the episode as Ted falls in love (with Kate Micucci). Even better, JD and The Janitor call a truce to help Ted. Best bit? Janitor declares the truce over (for 5 seconds) so he can throw JD's papers out the window... He then says the truce is back on. Wonderful.

Breaking Bad. Episode 3. "...and the Bag's in the River" Contemplating murder.

When Walter/Bryan Cranston is on-screen the show is fantastic, when he is off-screen it is considerably less interesting. In this episode his son and brother-in-law get screentime (as do his wife and her sister) and the show is much more ordinary for those scenes.

But... in every other respect this is the best episode so far. Walter must execute the guy that he and Jesse have been holding hostage. The script (by Vince Gilligan) gives Walter an easy-out at the very end, when the guy attacks Walter, but the journey up to that point is gruelling and riveting.

Royal Pains. Episode 5. "No Man is an Island" Island episode.

Carol Flint creates an extreme situation to allow Hank to do his 'thing' (and be creative like MacGyver or Michael Weston). She sends Hank and his brother to a remote island with no phone coverage and no medical supplies.

It works. Basically. But you have to worry a little bit if the show has to bend over backwards to create stories to serve one of it's basic selling points (Hank will be a doctor using whatever is to hand). The show could just ditch that idea and work just fine, tbh.

That, however, is the only thing that bugs me about this episode. It's a good story, peopled by interesting and likable guest characters. The show doesn't create false conflict by using guest characters that are idiots or needlessly aggressive. Instead all of the guest characters are... nice. Everyone is nice in this show. And it works. Because the conflict comes from other places.

The Office. Season 6, Episode 1. Michael starts some "Gossip"

A wonderful season premier. It tells you all you would ever need to know about Michael Scott: he's needy (upset by being left out of the loop), he's dumb (he gleefully spreads the gossip about Stanley), but he's kind-hearted (he tries hard to stop the rumour when he understands the harm it is doing) and he's sometimes very, very clever (his abundance of rumours successfully does the job.)

Highlight? Breaking Bad (gruelling and riveting)
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Fri, May 15, 09 - My Boys, In Plain Sight, Listener, Party Down, Office

06.30 My Boys
07.00 In Plain Sight
08.30 The Listener
09.30 Party Down
10.00 The Office

My Boys. Season 3, Episode 5. "Carpe Burritoem" Kenny and Andy in a band, PJ advising Brendan on everything, Mike and Bobby acting as dummies at Stephie's seminar on dumping guys.

Much better than last week, with strong stories for everyone and many very funny moments. While the Kenny/Andy stuff could be from any sit-com the show still manages to make it fresh and fun. The other stories were more unique to this show, playing up one of the strengths of the show: PJ is a girl among guys and knows more than they do about some stuff.

In Plain Sight. Season 2, Episode 4. "Rubble With A Cause" Mary's protected witness is trapped in a collapsed building.

IPS has a great way of telling cop stories that you can't see on any other show. This is one of those.

Mary's witness gets his face all of the TV news when he is trapped under some rubble. It's too unstable for anyone to approach him, but he's in plain view of any nearby sniper. Great story idea. With superb execution.

Rarely do I watch an episode of anything and wonder how the heck they filmed that. But this is one of those time. I mean, really how the heck did they film that?! That looked amazing. Mary climbing around on that huge pile of rubble while, many floors below her, we could see the passing traffic and stuff. That looked awesome.

Matthew Davis and David Zayas were great as witness and hitman respectively. Except, of course, that wasn't the full story. These guys were best friends and partners so their face to face meeting at the end took a surprising twist. Matthew Davis is long overdue to headline his own show. Preferably an action-adventure thing of some sort.

Finally, the Joshua Malina/Nichole Hiltz plotline advanced as I hoped it would. I'm back to liking Brandi.



The Listener. Episode 11. "Starting To See The Light" Toby thinks the man who just died was a hitman on his way to a kill...

Another strong case-of-the-week, with lots of cool touches involving Toby's powers and the regular characters. The show has nailed it. They know how to tell stories and use Toby's powers in an intelligent way. All uses of Toby's powers are cool, now. And they either advance the plot in some tangible way or they provide nice moments of insight into the characters in the stories. Class.

To throw Detective Mark's superior off the trail (of Toby's constant interference), Toby is forced to pretend that he and the sexy detective are dating. All scenes driven by this were hilarious. I laughed and laughed. Then rewound and laughed some more.

Party Down. Episode 3. "Pepper McMasters Singles Seminar" Marilu Henner hosts a night for senior singles and Ed Begley Jr. keeps hitting on Jane Lynch.

I'm now loving this show and it's ensemble. Adam Scott is a great lead. He endows Henry with weight and sadness that underscores every joke. Especially when he just stands there and watches the others in disbelieve. This is Jim from The Office, but carrying years of failure and sadness around with him.

The Office. Season 5, Episode 26. "Company Picnic" Michael meets Holly again.

Superb episode. Anyone who has ever been in love with an ex will root for Michael for the duration of this episode, and marvel at his attitude at the very end. Dignity and grace. From Michael Scott?! This guy might get the girl yet...

Amy Ryan and Steve Carell are amazing together. Not knowing her other work I have no idea if this is her normal style of comedy or she is just incredibly good at being a female Michael Scott. But whatever it is, it works. Carell makes us laugh when Michael is being seriously unfunny. That a rare talent. How rare to find two performers who can do the same thing. And make it work, without it ever being self-conscious or awkward.

The Michael/Holly comedy sketch was inspired. I never laughed so much at something so 'unfunny'.

Dwight pretty much stole the episode for me, however. From the moment he utters that awful Horse Doctor joke pre-credits I was under his spell. Every utterance had me in stitches. This was Dwight as his devilish best.

Highlight? The Office (Michael and Holly. And Dwight.)
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Sat, May 9, 09 - House, Prison Break, The Office

09.00 House
11.30 Prison Break
12.30 The Office



House. Season 5, Episode 19. "Locked In" We get to see things from a patient's point of view.

Ken Levine thinks they ripped off a MASH episode, but I was reminded of "Le scaphandre et le papillon" when I watched this above-average episode of House. Sure, at first, I found the voice-over to be gimmicky and annoying and the very last shot (which suggests that House, himself is 'locked in') was a tad OTT and obvious for my liking, but I really liked this episode.

Because of Taub.

Taub's story is great. It continues from last week and it builds on everything that the character has gone through since first appearing on the show. The ending, too, was wonderful. The script allowed Kutner to come up with all the cool answers and Taub lies to take the credit. Which House is pleased about.

And it makes perfect sense that he would be pleased.

The House/Wilson stuff was kinda tiresome. I don't care anymore about their odd dance of friendship.

And the gimmick of the Point Of View stuff was... okay. But I was glad they - mostly - dropped it during the episode.

Also very cool to see Cameron coming in to give some good ideas.



Prison Break. Season 4, Episode 20. "Cowboys and Indians" Linc and Michael are trapped in the hotel (following the assassination) and must find a way to escape.

Superb. One of the very best episodes of the show and - in my mind - a microcosm of/tribute to the entire first season of the show. Linc has been framed for a murder and Michael goes in to get him out and they are trapped together and must break out. That's the first season in a nutshell and they did it here in one episode. And I loved it.

In general, apart from a couple of weak episodes, I have loved this fourth season. I am annoyed by all the people/reviews who say that they show has gotten more contrived this season, and I'm annoyed by the people who say it isn't as good any more.

The facts are these: It was always a bit contrived and over the top, and it's every bit as good now as it always was. The problem is: the show had to reinvent itself to keep going and people do not like the reinvention. That's fine. But bloody say that! Don't accuse the show of being rubbish because you don't like the direction it took. Those a separate things.

A classic example of perceived fan ownership of a long-running show. When Doctor Who changed direction in the 1980s fans were up in arms because it wasn't what they wanted. That period of Doctor Who has it's own fans (I'm not one of them) and it's more than capable of standing on it's own merits. It was very different to what went before, but it's wasn't necessarily bad. Just different.

This season, the gang on Prison Break became a Mission: Impossible team of sorts. You might not like that very much (I love it) but you should be able to admit, if you stayed with the show, that the scripts have mostly been excellent this season.

Michael's mother isn't the best baddie the show has had, and I'm not sure I like the twist that the two men aren't really brothers, but the show is really entertaining me on a weekly basis. Entertaining me as much as it ever did, and I will miss it next season.

This was a good episode for Don Self. He got to murder an agent on their tail, his own wife was murdered (which made sense, storywise, as we've never met her and aren't invested in her) and he got to survive an attempt to murder him. Good dramatic episode for Mr. Self.



The Office. Season 5, Episode 25. "Cafe Disco" Michael turn his old office into... Cafe Disco!

What a quirky idea. I'd love to sit on Office Writers meetings. How do they come up with this stuff? Michael turns his old office into a disco bar? Crazy. But fun. And sweet.


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Sat, May 2, 09 - In Plain Sight, Scrubs, Dexter, Friday Night Lights, Prison Break, The Office

02.30 In Plain Sight
07.00 Scrubs
07.30 Dexter
08.30 Friday Night Lights
09.30 Prison Break
10.30 The Office

In Plain Sight. Season 2, Episode 2. "In My Humboldt Opinion" A psychologist follows Mary around, while she deals with a witness who is afraid to speak... to anyone!!

Wow. Another superb episode. IPS tells stories you won't find on any other shows, and it's got a fantastic lead character/actress to boot! Kevin Rankin turns in a superb guest performance, Marshall gets some fantastic one-liners ("It's more a case of laughing AT her") and the story has a genuinely clever/wonderful resolution (the cartoon face on the microphone).

When the psychologist told Mary she had never met anyone who was as good at her job, I felt like cheering out loud. Mary was always likable, but she seems much more sympathetic this season. Brandi and Jinx, in contrast, are less likable this season. Season One seemed to tell their side of the story a little bit more, but - so far this season - they are both coming across as selfish and short-sighted.



Nichole Hiltz had a couple of great scenes, however. Her phone conversation scene would have been the comedy highlight of the episode, were it not for the fact that Marshall keeps delivering killer one-liners ("What happened? Did Mary yell at someone already?")

Scrubs. Season 7, Episode 11. "My Waste of Time" JD and Elliot team up to search for an ex-patient, while The Brain Trust take over the office of Dr. Kelso.

Episode #150, and the final episode produced for NBC, shows how much the show has evolved, while still staying true to it's roots. Half the episode is devoted to four 'new' characters, who came to major prominence over the seven seasons, while half the episode is devoted to JD and Elliot, who have always been the central characters/relationship of the series since the pilot.

The Janitor, Ted, Todd and Doug get some great scenes, as Ted (my favourite of the group) finally grows a backbone and starts standing up to... everyone!! Meanwhile, JD and Elliot have another of those moments where they are reminded (remind one another) that they really enjoy being in each other's company. Aw...

Dexter. Season 3, Episode 9. "About Last Night" Dexter realises that Miguel murdered Ellen Wolf, and - worse - has been playing him like a fool from the very start...

Wow. A real kick in the pants, for Dexter and the audience at home. The revelation that the blood on the shirt didn't belong to Miguel was superb. The one moment tied up the events of the first eight episodes in a tidy little bundle and sets the scene for the three episodes to come.

Friday Night Lights. Season 3, Episode 9. "Game of the Week" Tyra gets in trouble in Dallas and calls Mrs. Taylor for help, Matt has to deal with his mother and grandmother, while Tim seems about to try and get into college.

Now that the Jason Street story arc is over, the show seems a little less dramatic. I'm not a huge fan of the Tyra-falls-for-a-bad-boy storyline. There are better things they could be doing with that character. However, having said that, it's still hard to see her suffering like that (and very scared, too). Fact is, the show makes us care about these characters a lot. And, while the actual storyline might be a tad pedestrian, this is an example of a situation that millions of young women in small towns across the world find themselves in. Knowing that the show has captured something very real with this storyline is what keeps me watching/engaged.

FNL has captured my imagination. About two days before the next new episode I start thinking about the show and wanting to see a new episode.

Prison Break. Season 4, Episode 19. "S.O.B." Linc blindly chases Scylla into a diabolical trap, while Michael captures Christine (except it turns out that she planned/allowed for all of this).

A peculiar episode. It appears that the brothers have been completely outwitted by their mother, but I'm not sure I understand how she did it. And I'm not sure I like it very much.

Part of me now wishes the show had ended at the point where Michael had completely outwitted The General. That was satisfying. This? Not so much. We are at the end of the story now, and I'm not a fan of the revelation that Michael and Linc aren't brothers (hope that's false) and I don't like seeing the brothers in a situation where they have been so completely outwitted.

Having said that, I'm sure the writers have a logical way for Michael to win. I just hope that it is satisfying. Michael has always been the cleverest one in the game (with Alex a close second) and I hope that that is the way the show goes out.

In other news, there were several strong scenes for T-Bag as he found himself forced to kill in cold blood, as a means towards getting in good with The General.

The Office. Season 5, Episode 24. "Casual Friday" Michael has to fire either Pam or Ryan, while Toby deals with several inappropriate outfits on Casual Friday.

It's always great to see Toby getting lots of screentime. All of the Toby scenes are fantastic in this episode.

Everything else in the episode is more dramatic, but a logical extension of the events of the story arc that led to this point.

Highlight? In Plain Sight (the cartoon face on the microphone)
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Sun, Apr 19, 09 - Reaper, Pushing Daisies, Supernatural, The Office

06.00 The Big Bang Theory
06.30 Reaper
07.30 Pushing Daisies
08.30 Supernatural
01.00 The Office

The Big Bang Theory. Season 2, Episode 11. "The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis" Penny dates Michael Trucco, while Sheldon searches for a Christmas gift for her.

Wonderful on every level. It was funny, it advanced the Penny/Leonard love story and it had solid character moments amid the laughter. The ending, too, was wonderful.

Reaper. Season 2, Episode 6. "Underbelly" is a lovely change-of-pace episode which finds the gang visiting a small town on the trail of a soul who inhabits the local mine. They encounter a very odd town Sheriff (always superb Stephen McHattie) and have lots of hilarious mis-adventures.

I've really been enjoying the character of Andi this season and her being part of the team. Until this episode, that is. At this point she gets very serious and turns majorly bitchy over the fact that Sam is the Son Of Satan and all that jazz. The episode ends with her breaking up with Sam. Meaning, of course, that she stops being a fun and interesting character and starts being exactly like the hundreds of unsupportive wife/girlfriend characters that TV loves to throw at us in the name of faux conflict.

Sigh.

It's boring and it's not real conflict. The guy is a frakkin' hero, and there is nobody at home who will agree with her. So, a boring story development and a guaranteed way to make viewers dislike Andi. Or in my case: dislike Andi again.

Sigh.

Pusing Daisies. Season 2, Episode 11. "Window Dressed to Kill" Two of Olive's friends escape prison and she helps them, while pretending to be engaged to Ned.

Wonderful Olive-centric episode. Kristin Chenoweth sings again and I love her just a little bit more than I already did. They need to have her sing in every episode.

It's another goofy story of murders in odd professions, and it pairs Chuck with Emerson very successfully, but what makes this episode/show wonderful is all the dead-on things it has to say about love, lonliness, heartache and longing. It's crazy, way-out there fantasy but the emotions are real.

Supernatural. Season 4, Episode 3. "In the Beginning" Castiel sends Dean back to April, 1973, where he meets his parents in one of the show's best-ever episodes.

An absolute series high this one. Not only because time-travel is cool and it's even cooler than they found a way to make it part of the Supernatural storytelling arsenal but because the story is ultra-dark and the final 15 minutes are packed with shock after shock. I was really blown away by everything in that last third. Once Dean told his grandfather who he really was the episode went from being an A+ ten out of ten story and raised itself up to become something every more magnificent. It really explains much of the backstory of the show in a new light (no mean feat after four seasons) and it builts to a cliff-hanger to makes you desperately want to come back and see what happens next.

Awesome.

The Office. Season 5, Episode 22. "Heavy Competition" Michael vs. Dwight.

How long did it take them to get those gags with the cheese puffs just right? Who knows? It was worth it.

Again, this episode is a series high. A major story-arc late in Season 5? Genius idea. Every show (particularly House) should do stuff like this to keep things from getting stale.

Highlight? Supernatural (one of the best-ever episodes)
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Sat, Apr 18, 09 - Scrubs, Dexter, Friday Night Lights, Prison Break, Caprica, The Office

06.00 Scrubs
06.30 Dexter
08.00 Friday Night Lights
09.30 Prison Break
10.30 Caprica
12.30 The Office

Scrubs. Season 7, Episode 9. "My Princess" Cox tells a fairy tale.

It's a kooky and wonderful episode this week, but I found the constant switches between reality and fantasy to be both jarring and pointless. I mean, we're all smart enough at home to be able to figure out what's really going on, right?

Best bit? The downbeat ending. Scrubs does that really well. Makes you laugh all the way through, and then kills off the patient.

Dexter. Season 3, Episode 7. "Easy as Pie" Miguel wants Dexter to kill the nice lawyer lady, and Dexter's old friend asks that he end her life to end her suffering/pain.

A solid episode where both plots have Dexter being asked by friends to try something new and grew outside his previously defined boundaries. Clever rewarding stuff.

Friday Night Lights. Season 3, Episode 7. "Keeping Up Appearances" Jason fights with the others for the chance to try and sell the house his way, Billy enlists his help in making a show reel for Tim and Coach and Tami help a family see their son in a new light.

Lots of cool stuff in this one, with solid storylines for everyone.

Prison Break. Season 4, Episode 17. "The Mother Lode" Michael and Sara cross the country, while Linc meets with his mother.

I love the crazy twists and turns on Prison Break as much as the next guy, but there are several surprises in this episode that really do not bear too much thinking about. It's a fun ride, yes, but not PB at it's best. The first half of this season has seen PB at it's best, no question, but everything now seems like a freefall to end the story and that's not quite as satisfying. Just yet.

Great cliff-hanger.

Caprica. "Pilot" A dead girl left a replica of herself in cyberspace, which leaves her genius father with a conundrum: how does he make her real? And how close is it to the real her?

Wow. Though-provoking opening chapter with lots of grey characters, no obvious good guys and several interesting plot threads that I very much want to see coming to fruition.

The Office. Season 5, Episode 21. "The Michael Scott Paper Company" This story-arc at the end of season has seen some of the freshest and most enjoyable Office episodes ever made. There is great pleasure in seeing Jim constantly come up badly in front of the new boss (even if the "what is a rundown?" gag is stretching things a lot. How dumb is Jim supposed to be?).

Highlight? Caprica (thought-provoking)
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