The Best Series of the Decade

For some reason, it hasn't hit me that many people consider this to be the end of a decade - the first of this new century. I'm honestly confused about whether a decade begins with "0" or with "1", but I'll just go with the popular consensus.

This list includes shows that may have started at the end of the 1990s, but to me, they are shows of the decade. This means that one of my favorite shows ever, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, will not be on the list - it definitely is a show of the '90s.

That said, here's the list, in no particular order:

1. Lost - of course Lost is first on my list. Even if it had been in order, no other show this decade has come close to this show in character development, suspense, mythology, and emotional involvement.

2. The Wire - okay, true confessions, I've seen two episodes of this show. But too many people and critics for whom I have respect love this show for me to leave this off the list.

3. The Sopranos - I was a latecomer to this show, not having HBO for a long time. But once I started watching, it was impossible to quit. It may have been uneven in its past couple of years, and a lot of people were frustrated by the wait between seasons, but still, these characters and their stories always stuck. Tony's mother always scared me more than most of the mobsters.

4. The Closer - the best of the TNT dramas focusing on an eccentric character played by a big name, The Closer has excelled in drawing some of the best character studies out of the whole ensemble. Flynn and Provenza never fail to delight.

5. House - if I did have this in order, this show would probably be lower, simply because of its unevenness. However, anyone who's spent time with Hugh Laurie's acerbic doctor recognizes the brilliance of that portrayal. House's struggle with his Vicodin addiction and recovery has been nothing less than phenomenal. I really hope Laurie gets that long-deserved Emmy next year.

6. Mad Men - yes, people argue that it's all atmosphere, but no one does it better. There aren't too many characters on this show that I'd like to spend time with, but I do thoroughly enjoying watching them. This year's season finale was exceptional - Don Draper finally takes control of his life!

7. Friday Night Lights - I have watched two episodes of this show, but, like The Wire, it is too well recommended for me to ignore.

8. 30 Rock - uneven, but never less than hilarious. Alec Baldwin is fantastic.

9. Top Chef/Project Runway - the Bravo reality competition series that have set the standard. Unfortunately, the quality of each season is often dependent on the cast of characters/contestants competing for the prize, but they are both fun to watch.

10. Arrested Development - ended far too soon. Always funny, and with its own skewed view of the world, this show never failed to make me burst out laughing.

DVR Issues

B and I have had a DVR for at least 4 years, maybe 5. I joke that it's saved our marriage, because we have little to no common ground in our TV-watching habits. But it has actually been a terrific thing for me to have. I can tape every new episode of my favorite shows without worrying that I'll miss something (terribly important when you watch as many arc-centric shows as I do). I can try out new shows that I can't watch as they air. I can go on vacation without trying to figure out how to program my VCR.

But we've been having a little trouble with our DVR this past month or so. About once a day, it will shut down, along with the TV, while we're watching. Within a minute or two, it turns back on, a little louder than it was, then the volume returns to where it had been. Meanwhile, whatever had been taping (if anything) is interrupted. Now that I think about it, it is possible that it also happened when we weren't home - once White Collar was interrupted twice.

B thought that perhaps there was something wrong with the surge protector that we were using, but that was soon disproved. We finally realized we had to call the cable company when we returned from Thanksgiving holiday to learn that a full day's worth of programming did not record. Thus, I missed the "fall finale" of V (I'll catch it online - but still!).

Surprisingly, the cable company was very helpful, trying to solve the issue from their end. When that didn't work, they came to the house, and traded DVRs. We now have a fancy new DVR.

But I really wish we could have salvaged our old one. Firstly, we lost everything we hadn't seen yet, including 2 episodes of Dollhouse and episode one of the season finale of Top Chef. I also lost all the Season 5 episodes of Lost that I had saved, but since the DVD set came out today, I'm not as worried about that. I would have deleted those anyway. Yet I lost something even more than saved episodes: my preferences. I will have to reset every series recording that I'd had in the past. The Closer, Burn Notice, Leverage, Lost, Fringe, Project Runway, V, FlashForward, everything. I can't count on my new DVR to know what I used to like. So when Chuck returns, I'm going to have to remember to set it up. Damn!

Fringe - Walter Remembers Astrid's Name

One of the running jokes on Fringe has been the inability or unwillingness of Walter to remember the name of Agent Farnsworth - Astrid - who has been assigned to help Walter and Peter in the lab. Walter has called her "Astro", "Asteroid", and "Asterisk". She handles this with good humor, gently telling Walter what her name is.

In Snakehead, the episode that aired this past Thursday, Walter was determined to act as independently of his son as he could. He therefore took a cab to the crime scene (grousing that Peter followed him the whole time, though Peter argued he was going to the same crime scene), and determined that he would do some detective work in Chinatown alone, without Peter. Peter was a little nervous, so he sent Astrid to follow Walter.

Astrid may have a number of talents, but surveilling is clearly not one of them. Walter easily spots her, and allows her to accompany him to the next herbal store. While there, Walter inadvertently lets the owner know that he has something he shouldn't, so the owner decides to have Walter and Astrid followed. But Walter manages to give Astrid the slip, so it is Astrid who is followed back to the lab, and knocked unconscious by a bunch of goons. (I could go into the continuity error that occurred, since the goons got to the lab before Astrid, but then I would digress.)

Walter meanwhile, realizes that he has no idea how to get home, so he tries to call Peter. He forgets that he has Peter's telephone numbers written down in his wallet, so he tries a number of calls on a payphone and loses all his money.

He ends up on a bus stop, crying. A Chinese woman who doesn't speak English takes pity on him and takes him home. Together, they try all the numbers that Walter knows goes into Peter's number, and finally reach Peter (who luckily speaks Cantonese). Peter picks up Walter and hints that something happened to Astrid. Peter's distracted, however, trying to solve the mystery of the week, and doesn't supply Walter with all the information. Walter is horrified.

The payoff comes when Walter makes it back to the lab to find Astrid trying to clean the damaged lab. It's a tender scene in which Walter apologizes and Astrid (of course) forgives him. But most importantly, he gets her name right, each time he says it.

Will Walter always call Astrid by her name? Probably not. But the respect between the two of them increased, and they have a stronger friendship now. We also got to see Jasika Nicole do some real work this time - about time they let this actress and character shine.

FlashForward Goes on Hiatus

Well, I guess I'm going to complain about FlashForward some more. Why do I watch a show about which I do nothing but complain? Well, I couldn't tell you. I don't hate it completely - if that helps?

Because I feel somewhat silly constantly harping on the show, I'll start with what I liked about the latest episode. Dominic Monaghan's Simon Campos continues to be a compelling character, and this week we got to see the two most dynamic actors in the series interact - Monaghan and Courtney B. Vance. Vance's Wedeck doesn't buy Simon's sudden altruism after confessing that he and his partners may have caused the worldwide blackouts. And Simon gets that, but he also appears interested in solving this mystery which he hopes will at least save his reputation. He appeared completely flummoxed upon realizing that his genius idea - "I'll get a Nobel for it in a couple of years" - was actually built a year before he thought of it. I much prefer to see Simon working with Wedeck than verbally sparring with the wet blanket that is Lloyd Simcoe.

And now, the complaints. Lloyd Simcoe forces Simon and their other partner to have a televised news conference to confess that they caused the blackouts. Simcoe was fumbling, and made the situation much worse. He was shocked to find that someone then wanted to shoot them. And that everyone looked at him suspiciously afterward. His world-wide notoriety took him by surprise. And he's a genius? He was kidnapped at the end. Perhaps they'll lose him.

But the most annoying part of the episode was Mark Benford. He and Demetri decided to go against Wedeck's orders and travel to Hong Kong to find the woman who had told Demetri he would be murdered in the future. Somehow, they were allowed to carry their guns on them, even though they weren't really on official business. And they did find the woman, played by the go-to actress when an older exotic woman is needed: Shohreh Aghdashloo. First, Mark had to threaten an Iranian restaurant owner with torture if he didn't give him the name of the woman. Then, after he finds the woman, he grabs her in front of her guards, threatening to shoot her if she doesn't tell Mark and Demetri more. It turns out, she also knows that not only is Demetri murdered by someone he knows, but that the killer is Mark himself. But that's all they get out of her. Wedeck makes Mark give his gun and badge to Demetri - he's now out of the FBI.

The episode made me realize, there's little about Mark that I like. I more or less like the other characters, but I find nothing attractive about the main character. His one redeeming characteristic is his obvious love for his daughter, who's been MIA since the Halloween episode. Otherwise, he acts before he thinks, and his impulsivity seems out of character for a seasoned FBI agent. The fact that the blackouts and flash forwards are such extraordinary circumstances doesn't seem to me to be reason enough to act so rashly. As you know, I don't like self-righteous characters, and Benford is definitely one of them.

There are no new episodes until March. Sadly, I won't miss it. I'll watch when it returns, and find out what actually caused the blackouts, but I don't know that it will return to the rotation next year.

A New Low for Product Placement?

As you know, since the advent of Tivos and DVRs, the visibility of commercials has gone down. No one really likes most commercials - they are loud, often obnoxious, and only designed to manipulate the viewer into buying things. So the ability to zip past them to watch the main event, the actual television show itself, is a welcome relief for many of us.

The problem, of course, is that the commercial is what pays for the airing of the show, not the viewer. I remember being so surprised as a girl when I realized that we didn't pay anything for the shows we watched (obviously before the days of HBO, Pay-Per-View, and well, even cable). We paid for everything else - why not the shows we watched? Instead, it is the advertiser who pays for what we see. They give money to the show so their commercial airs during the breaks. And, because we are such sheep, we actually base some of our decisions on what we see in those commercials. But that is a soapbox I won't get into now.

But now advertisers have to figure out a way to get their commericals seen. One way is to place the product in the actual show itself. In Heroes once, Hiro threw car keys to Ando and told him to "take the Versa." On The Closer, the Chief takes one of her staff person's Prius, and refers to it by name. Damages and Cadillac had a deal where a number of clues were given in one of their SUVs. I don't watch a lot of reality shows, but I've heard they are the biggest offenders of product placement. The funniest product placement was seen in 30 Rock, when two characters discussed the great service Verizon gives its customers. Tina Fey then looks at the camera asking, "Can we have our money now?"

Sometimes product placements don't interrupt the storyline at all. Most people I know who own Priuses refer to their car by name. But Hiro's use of the word "Versa" actually took me out of the storyline in confusion. I had never heard of a Versa - did people actually refer to it that way? It turns out, no. The clues in the Cadillac were actually the most confusing and unrelated of all the clues in the less than stellar second season of Damages.

Thursday night, I had an opportunity to see product placement that almost took over an episode of television. You may have heard of a little movie coming out called Avatar? Even I have heard of it. And so have the squints on Bones. Fisher, my least favorite of the not-Zack interns, has scored three tickets. And he recognizes that Hodgins and Sweets are probably as geeky as he is in his desire to see the movie on the first possible day. They agree that they need to camp out at the theater to make sure they get good seats, so they develop a schedule. Which is interrupted, of course, by the investigation into the murder of the week.

They storyline almost worked for these characters, since they are all more or less nerds who probably would have given their right arm to see the movie on its premiere day. I could see them developing a schedule for protecting their spot in line. And it led to Sweets realizing that his relationship with Daisy is way more satisfying than Fisher's one night stands. What pushed it beyond the limits, however, was the airing of a commercial during the actual episode itself. They used Angela's pretty cool computer screen, and Hodgins declared he couldn't tell what was special effects and what wasn't anymore. Really Jack? The paranoid genius with a strong cynical nature can't figure out what is CGI? Whatever.

I don't know how much Avatar paid to get this product placement, but as the "b" storyline of the episode, it got a prominent place in the episode. It will most certainly date the episode during reruns and syndication. Perhaps instead of slicing actual plot like they do in syndication, however, they can lose the Avatar in-episode commercial. Unless it is the DVD of Avatar paying for the airing of the rerun.

TNT Commercial Blend

I don't normally watch commercials, but today, while reading something on the internet, I had the TV on - you know, background noise. I was "watching" TNT (Bones reruns), when a commercial for Men of a Certain Age came on. I've been intrigued by the show primarily because I adore two of the three actors that form the core characters: Andre Braugher (already mentioned) and Scott Bakula (he's just so likable!). I'm not a huge fan of Ray Romano, but I've always thought he has charm. I'll definitely check this show out when it premieres a week from now on December 7.

But that's not what caught my attention. Instead, it was the sudden realization that while Romano, Bakula, and Braugher were in the commercial, clearly in a scene from one of their episodes, Flynn and Provenza from The Closer were the main characters of the commercial. If you've not seen The Closer, then you've not had the pleasure of experiencing this dynamic duo. Older men in their late 40s or 50s, they are the true definition of "frenemies". They hang out together, but they make fun of each other too, and they really know how to push the buttons on the other. Their interactions on the show are not infrequently the highlights of an episode. Flynn and Provenza had the Men of a Certain Age under surveillance because, it turns out, they follow The Closer on Monday nights.

USA has done commercials like these in the past, and this is the first one I've seen on TNT. I have to say, I found it highly entertaining.

Premieres in the New Year

Just an update on shows starting up in the new year:

Leverage, on TNT, starts on January 10
Chuck, on NBC, starts on January 10 (what a busy day!)
Lost, on ABC, starts on February 2.

Mark your calendars!

Edward Woodward dead at 79

The Equalizer's Edward Woodward dead at 79

For many reasons that I won't go into here, I never turned on my computer yesterday, so missed learning that one of my favorite character actors died November 16. I'm heartbroken. He had seemed frail, so it's not exactly surprising, but I'm still sad.

Woodward first garnered my attention in Breaker Morant, a movie we were required to watch in high school by our odd history teacher. But I didn't really know who Woodward was until I watched The Equalizer. I doubt I saw the show when it ran, since I was in college, a relatively television-free period for me. But A&E ran episodes in the late afternoon a few years after I left. My dad and I both caught up on the show then, talking about the character and the actor, thoroughly enjoying it. Robert McCall was an unusually complex character, quite unlike similar fare at the time. As the seasons passed, his history and personality were laid out for us, in all its complications.

I've seen Woodward off and on through the years. He was always intense and imminently watchable. He was one of a kind. RIP.

White Collar

For a few years now, the USA Network has used the catchphrase, "Characters Welcome." Among the characters that have been created on this network are Adrian Monk, the detective with obsessive-compulsive disorder, Shawn Spencer of Psych, a fake psychic with extraordinary skills of observation, and Michael Weston of Burn Notice, a spy with covert-operations skills who found himself kicked out of the CIA. The network didn't create the character of Johnny Smith from The Dead Zone (see book by Stephen King and feature film), but I think it is fair to say that his home was on USA. USA was also the home of a fairly inventive science fiction series, The 4400, a show that was sadly canceled too soon.

What you may not know about the network is that it is under joint ownership with NBC. As mentioned earlier, NBC just gave away five hours of prime time to Jay Leno for a fairly conventional and unfunny talk show. How ironic that its sister-station is known for creating some decent dramas.

All the dramas aired on USA (with the exception of The 4400) more or less fit a standard mold. There's usually a small ensemble cast, which orbits around one usually eccentric character. The ensemble may start out as adversaries or strangers, but eventually they become a tight-knit unit, or even a family, despite their attempts to avoid becoming so. Although each episode is stand alone, there is often an arc that is mentioned in just about every episode, though there is often never a resolution. In Adrian Monk's storyline, it is the murder of his wife. The fare that is offered is usually light and frothy, and often completely enjoyable.

White Collar is no exception. The orbital character is Neal Caffrey, a roguish, impossibly handsome con-artist who has only been arrested and convicted once. His new family includes the man who caught him not once but twice, Special Agent Peter Burke, who agrees to let Caffrey out of jail to work as a consultant with the FBI. Peter's wife, Elizabeth, is an event planner who has helped with cases. Mozzie is Caffrey's partner in crime, known to Burke (so far) as Mr. Haversham. Lastly, the beautiful (of course!) and brilliant Agent Lauren Cruz who transfers to the White Collar Unit to work with Peter Burke, but finds herself somewhat attracted to Caffrey. Each episode a case is solved. In the meantime, Caffrey is trying to find his girlfriend, who he believes to be in trouble. I don't know all the details of that, because I've only seen the fourth episode.

So, just what the network ordered. Yes, there are holes the size of craters in the story, but it is not intended to be viewed with a skeptical, discerning eye. Instead, it is to be enjoyed, which I did.

Chuck fan alert - Neal Caffrey is played by the impossibly handsome Matthew Bomer. Bomer, of course, played Bryce Larkin, who arranged for the intersect to be downloaded into Chuck's brain. Larkin was possibly truly and finally killed in the season finale, so his new job shouldn't interfere with Chuck.

Carnivale fan alert - Peter Burke is played by Tim DeKay, Jonesy the crippled co-manager of the carnival. DeKay has appeared in a number of movies and dramas, including The 4400, Tell Me You Love Me, and Everwood. He was also Bizarro Jerry on Seinfeld.

Tiffani Thiessen stars as Peter's wife, Elizabeth. Thiessen is, of course, famous for her roles on Saved by the Bell and Beverly Hills 90210, as well as numerous Lifetime movies. Why she removed Amber from her name is lost on me.

Finally, a Sex and the City fan alert - Willie Garson, Stanford Blatch, plays a charming Mozzie.

Jay Leno and the Biggest Loser

As you know, I'm a guilty watcher of The Biggest Loser. It is one of those shows that I can watch for a few minutes and then go on to something else. The only interesting part is the weigh in.

Last night had a double elimination. Whoever had the lowest percentage of body weight loss was automatically eliminated. After that person, the two with the lowest percentage of body weight loss were up for elimination, and the remaining contestants voted for whomever they thought should leave.

It was no surprise that Daniel was immediately eliminated. He has struggled the entire season to lose any amount of weight, and is the only contestant who actually gained weight one week. Bye bye Daniel.

The other two at the bottom were Shay and Amanda. Only pure bad luck landed Shay at the bottom - the woman lost 17 pounds that week, and became the first woman to lose 100 pounds by this week of the show. But because everyone else lost huge numbers too, Shay ended up as one of the bottom two.

Amanda's presence at the bottom was not much of a surprise. She has lost little weight week after week, something I can't understand.

Between the two, Amanda should have been sent home. Shay has more than taken advantage of the opportunity, while Amanda appears to be spinning her wheels. But the other contestants, observing that Shay has started to lose lots of weight, realized that she is a threat to their ability to win the title of Biggest Loser. So they voted her off. I hate the game aspect.

The other annoying part came at the end, though I didn't realize how annoyed I was until this morning. At the very end of the episode, we are treated to the reunion of the cast off contestants with their families. Then, we get an update, in which the contestants show how they are trying to continue to lose weight and the changes that have been made in their lives. We saw Daniel and Shay reunite with their families, but we only got an update on Daniel. I thought, maybe Shay refused?

This morning, however, I read that Shay actually showed up on The Jay Leno Show. Oh, so NBC was trying to entice me to watch Leno, were they? Well, guess what, it ain't going to work. I'll just have to live without seeing her until the final episode.

If you're curious, Shay apparently lost another 50 pounds. She's still over 300 pounds.

Fox Cancels Dollhouse

I wish I could say that this is a surprise, but it is not. Fox announced today that Dollhouse is canceled. Fortunately, the network will air all thirteen episodes that it ordered.

FlashForward - Al Gough Changes Everything

There have been some assumptions made by the main characters about the nature of these flash forwards, many of which were challenged in this past episode, The Gift.

One assumption made is that the flash forwards are inevitable. No attempts to avoid the future will work, instead, they will drive you further toward the event. This is especially true for those who saw nothing. The assumption if you saw nothing has been that you will be dead. Therefore, all those who saw nothing, such as Demetri Noh, are facing a death sentence.

Our agents investigated a group discovered in the investigation of who shot them, the Blue Hand Group. They were associated with a group who hadn't seen anything during the blackouts. They called themselves ghosts, because that is what they believed they were. As ghosts, they allowed themselves to do whatever they wanted, torture, drugs, and suicide games. Many of the ghosts decided to commit suicide to end the pain of their uncertainty.

The agents had to pass a test when the entered the den of ghostdom. A man put a gun under his throat and pulled the trigger - nothing happened. Al Gough picked the gun up, put it under his throat, and pulled the trigger, to have nothing happen. Demetri made a joke that the gun must be empty, but the man opened the barrel and let out the lone bullet. When Demetri confronted Al about it a few minutes later, Al pointed out that he had a flash forward - he knew couldn't die.

We finally learned more about Al's flash forward during this episode. It turns out he spent part of the time on the phone with his lawyer. A young mother of twins had died, and Al had somehow killed her. Al was clearly devastated, and the sadness in his eyes throughout the episode was palpable. He talked with Fiona Banks (played by the fabulous Alex Kingston) about the sadness she felt about a bird that died flying into her window in her flash forward. He suggested that she put tape in the window to prevent the bird from flying into it, but she dismissed the idea - the bird would probably just fly into another window.

There appeared to be a team meeting at the end of the episode. As Al passed Demetri, he told him that he couldn't make it to the meeting, but had left an envelope on Demetri's desk. Then, as Demetri read what was in the envelope, Al made his way to the top of the building. The contents of the envelope told Demetri that it wasn't inevitable, and the letter was to the young woman that Al would somehow kill in the future. The agents swarmed to the roof, but Al wouldn't be dissuaded. He then fell to his death.

And all the rules changed.

This wasn't a perfect episode by any means. Al's pain and sadness was completely out of the blue - I really don't mind a little obvious foreshadowing here and there. Nor was it explained why Al accompanied Mark and Demetri this time when everyone had worked in pairs before. Also, Simon Costa was missing from the episode until the very end, during the musical interlude as we and the characters absorbed the meaning of Al's act, when Simon was seen musing over a bracelet that had the name "Annabelle" on it. Where did that come from? There was also a storyline involving the babysitter and Bryce, where she interpreted the Japanese symbol that Bryce had seen in his flash forward. That fell a little flat. However, the scenes between Aaron Stark (Mark's AA sponsor whose name I am just now learning) and a soldier who had served with Stark's daughter, were effective.

But it was Al who dominated the episode, as well as Al's decision to change his seemingly inevitable future. By committing suicide, he changed the flash forwards of at least three people: Fiona Banks, Al, and the young mother. Suddenly, everyone may have more control over the inevitability of a future they may or may not want. Demetri might live, Mark might not relapse into alcoholism, and Olivia might not have an affair.

For the first time since the series started, I'm eager to see the next episode. Now I'm hooked.

Bones - The Tough Man in the Tender Chicken

I didn't plan to spend a lot of time recapping episodes, primarily because I have a day job, but also because there are plenty of websites where you can find recaps. But I feel free to take the opportunity after an episode that I find meaningful, disturbing, or annoying to make note of my thoughts.

Unfortunately, this episode of Bones fell into the annoying camp. A brief recap: the heir to a chicken business is found murdered a month after he's missing. There's an amusing interlude where the squints think the victim is super chicken soldier, but that diversion doesn't last long. After the victim is identified, Bones and Booth visit the chicken factory where he worked.

And that's where the preaching begins. Did you know that chicken factories are evil? If you didn't, you should really watch this episode, because it will tell you in great detail how awful they are. I'm sure the preachy tone has nothing to do with the fact that Emily Deschanel, Bones and a producer, is a vegan.

I honestly don't mind a message, and I suspect that everything that was said about chicken factories is absolutely true. But I don't watch Bones for a "very special lesson" but for entertainment. Leave the morals for family sitcoms.

Part of the lesson we suffered from involved Angela's determination to save a pig from becoming bacon - all she needed was $1,500. Bones refused to give Angela the money since she found the concept to be irrational. Angela then questioned her friendship with Bones. Bones was devastated to find herself at odds with her best friend. Sweets recommended that Bones give in to Angela, but it was Booth who recommended that, illogical as it was, she should let Angela win this one. So, Bones did.

The exploration of the friendship between the women was quite interesting. This was the one bright spot in an otherwise dreary episode.

V - The Pilot

If you plan to see the pilot and haven't yet, don't read this post. Spoilers abound.

I am certain that V was either my most anticipated or my second most anticipated new series of the Fall TV season, neck and neck with FlashForward. Well, we all know that I thought of FlashForward. But let's not dwell on that right now.

I'm not sure why V started so late in the season. It will be aired for 4 weeks, then will take a break until March, 2010, after the Winter Olympics. A lot of people are upset about this, because they feel that the break will be disastrous to the show. I don't know. I do know that V got excellent ratings last night for its pilot.

I can't tell you where I was when JFK was shot, but I do know where I was when I first heard of a plane crashing into the first tower on 9/11. The pilot of V started by asking where you were during those events, then added, "Where were you this morning?" This morning being the morning that 29 alien ships appeared over cities across the globe, of course. After a few minutes of suspense and anticipation, an apparition of Anna, a leader among the Visitors in the alien ships, talking in the language of the city the ship is over, assuring us that the Visitors are thrilled to find another planet with intelligent life, and promising to bring healing and peace to the world.

As might be expected, some people find hope and believe in the message, while others protest their presence. The news channels are abuzz with what little information they can gather about the Visitors, while the aliens arrange for trips from earth to their ships. Anna arranges to meet with the UN.

In the meantime, our heroine, Erica Evans, an FBI counterterrorism agent, notices that the activity of a particular terrorist cell spikes. She and her partner, Dale Maddox, investigate, but unfortunately, seem to be one step behind the suspects throughout the hour. Erica must also deal with her teenaged son, who is, of course, troubled. Tyler is clearly fascinated with the Visitors, taking a trip to their ship and agreeing to become a V Peace Ambassador Program. Tyler becomes attracted to a Visitor named Lisa.

In the meantime, a businessman named Ryan Nichols is disturbed by nearly constant calls from an old acquaintance named George, who wants Ryan's help, but Ryan wants nothing of it. He plans to propose to his girlfriend, but she becomes paranoid about the number of calls Ryan refuses to answer.

Father Landry finds his church, formerly a congregation of 3, has standing room only during Mass. His fellow priest encourages Landry to praise the Visitors for bringing peace and healing, but Landry is skeptical. One of his original parishioners, Roy, has visited a healing center, and can walk. But another of his congregants gives Landry an envelope with an address on it, telling him to go to the meeting. The man has been wounded, and dies in the church.

Chad Decker is a television news anchor who reports on the Visitors. He scores an exclusive interview with Anna but is shocked when told right before the interview that he is not allowed to ask any questions that would embarrass the Visitors or make them look bad. He agrees to the interview, but clearly finds it distasteful.

Erica's investigation leads her to a clandestine meeting run by Ryan Nichols' friend, George. All attendants have to undergo a slicing of skin over their ears to ensure they are all human. Then George announces that the Visitors are lying - they've been on Earth for decades, infiltrating various institutions. Their intentions are not peaceful but nefarious, though we didn't learn much about that. Erica almost left, but Landry, who was at the meeting in mufti, showed the envelope he had been given. It contained pictures that coincided with Erica's investigation. As she discussed this with Landry, a metallic ball flew into the room shooting bullets. Then men came in, including Dale Maddox, Erica's partner. He tries to kill Erica, but she wounds him instead, and uncovers his lizard skin on his face. Dale is a Visitor. Landry grabs Erica and they escape.

Meanwhile, Ryan Nichols shows up to rescue George, but is injured while doing so. Ryan apologizes for not coming earlier, saying that there needs to be a resistance against the Visitors. He then reveals his injured arm, which shows lizard skin. Ryan isn't the only Visitor traitor who is working against the Visitors' aims.

Okay, now that I have the recap over and done with, I must say that I found myself very engaged in the show, with one notable exception. The actors were all excellent, and the storytelling structure was interesting. I am curious about the moral quandary facing Chad Decker as he finds himself the reluctant spokesman for the Visitors but also getting worldwide exposure. I found Landry's uncertainty to be intriguing. I was a little confused by Ryan Nichols and his involvement with the main storyline, so I certainly didn't predict that he was a "sleeper" Visitor. I did guess that Dale Maddox was a Visitor - Erica kept mentioning how the suspects seemed to be tipped off in time to escape. It also didn't help that the actor playing him is listed as a guest actor. And let's face it, Alan Tudyk did a version of this in last season's Dollhouse.

The exception is the tired cliche that is troubled teen Tyler Evans. In a conversation between Tyler and his mother, he accuses her of not caring about him because she's never home. Essentially, the lines have been written and spoken in thousands of shows before now, and will be written and spoken in thousands of show afterward. Hopefully, the dreaded teen angst will be minimized in future episodes.

Lost Fan Alert: Duh - Elizabeth Mitchell, Juliet Burke on Lost, plays Erica Evans. Damn those Lost producers for letting her go. She remains beautiful, smart, and fabulous.

Buffyverse Fan Alert - Dale Maddox is played by Alan Tudyk, Hoban "Wash" Washborn in Firefly and Serenity, and Alpha in Dollhouse. Morena Baccarin, Anna, was Inarra Serra on Firefly and Serenity.

The 4400 Fan Alert - Joel Gretsch plays Father Landry. He played Tom Baldwin in The 4400. That show ended way too soon.

Other actors of note: Morris Chestnut plays Ryan Nichols. Scott Wolf from Party of Five and The Nine plays Chad Decker. Lourdes Benedicto, also of The Nine, plays Valerie Stevens, Ryan Nichols' girlfriend.

Crying Games on The Biggest Loser

Okay, so I must confess that The Biggest Loser is a guilty pleasure of mine. It is so compelling - these grossly obese (a medical term, by the way, I'm not being mean) have agreed to literally give their lives to a camp, where they learn to eat right and exercise like crazy. It is not unusual for contestants to lose pounds in the double digits in a week. Each week, one or two contestants who haven't lost as high a percentage of their body weight as their cohorts is sent home, usually by popular vote.

I honestly believe that a lot of the body weight lost is due to the shedding of tears. Maybe there's always tons of tears in reality shows - I don't watch enough to be able to say. But they sure flow on The Biggest Loser. They cry when the work out, they cry when talking about their weight, they cry when they don't lose as much weight as they had hoped to, they cry when they lose more weight than they had thought they would. And the number of tears that flow in the final fifteen minutes when people vote someone out is phenomenal. I should have invested in tissue.

FlashForward - Scary Monsters and Super Creeps

I thought I'd give an update on my complicated relationship with FlashForward. As you know, it was promoted (you could argue it was overpromoted) as the next Lost, with a riveting storyline and intriguing characters. But the first few episodes left me flat. I just couldn't get into it.

But this last episode gave me hope. Interestingly enough, at first I was completely annoyed by the episode, by its use of an old cliche. The FBI agents had been shot at, and one was in danger of losing her life. As Penny, I meant to say Olivia, did everything she could to save the agent's life, the Assistant Director, Wedeck, ordered his other agents to go home and rest. But Dimitri Noh couldn't do it. No, he needed to use his anger at what happened to his friend to try to find the killers. Yada yada yada. Noh and his partner, Gough, then entered a house thought to belong to the killers, without calling for either backup or a warrant. Whatever!

But the episode, fortunately, had other elements that elevated it above this. First, we got a good eyeful of Dominic Monaghan's Simon Costa. Costa is a brilliant and lascivious physicist who saw himself choking someone to death in his flash forward. He gleefully tells this to a young lady he has just bedded after meeting her on a cross country train. It was a very sinister scene, made more so by the ambiguity over whether the young lady survived her encounter with Costa.

Simon Costa could not be further from Charlie Pace (or Meriadoc Brandybuck, for that matter). Monaghan brings a lot of life to this role.

We also learned that Costa and Lloyd Simcoe are partners, with others, involved in whatever caused the black out. Perhaps I was right in thinking that it was Simcoe who was observed on camera walking around while everyone was unconscious.

There was also a bit of a sense of humor. As Mark took his daughter trick-or-treating, all were amazed to see a kangaroo hopping through. How random!

But the best part was the fight between Mark and Olivia. In the pilot, we learned that Olivia will apparently have an affair with Lloyd Simcoe and Mark will have a relapse of his alcoholism. Olivia told Mark about her flash forward, but Mark didn't reciprocate. He told his sponsor (whose name still escapes me) it was because Olivia promised to leave Mark if he ever started drinking again. His sponsor encouraged Mark to tell Olivia, but he didn't.

In the meantime, Olivia's revelation of her flash forward was affecting her marriage, especially after Olivia met Simcoe. Mark was angry and clearly distrustful of Olivia, despite Olivia's protestations that he was punishing her for something that hadn't happened yet. Things had settled down between them when Simcoe's son, Dylan, marched into the Benford home, declaring, "It's my home too." Dylan has autism, and in his flash forward, the Benfords' daughter, Charlie, gave Dylan permission to get a cookie, saying, "It's your home too." That's how Charlie and Dylan knew each other.

Lloyd comes to the Benford home to collect his son, and in his visit there, he recognized the living room from his own flash forward. He looked at Olivia, who literally walked into a waking nightmare of her husband and future lover confronting each other. Mark ran Lloyd and his son out, barely agreeing to shake Lloyd's hand.

In the kitchen, Mark exploded at Olivia, accusing her of being closer to Lloyd than she had revealed. Olivia defended herself, then turned the tables on Mark, demanding to know everything that happened in his fast forward. Finally, ashamed, he revealed that he was drinking. Olivia's face turned cold. When she became angry, he defended himself, arguing it hadn't happened yet (duh!). Olivia reminded Mark that this had been her point, then stated, it's starting already. And it is. Mark's not drinking yet, but he's out at all hours, he's lying to Olivia, and he clearly doesn't trust her. Is this the breach that leads to the affair?

One theme that the show is exploring is the cyclical effect that the flash forwards are having on the characters and the action in the show. Mark is put in charge of the black out investigation because of the board of clues he saw. Many of the clues were written out not as they emerged but from Mark's memory. Dimitri is reckless, because he believes he will be dead by April. Nicole Kirby is devestated when her injuries put her fertility at risk, despite the fact that she was heavily pregnant in her flash. Olivia is uncomfortable around Simcoe, for nothing less than the fact that she will have an affair with him.

Most of us look to the future with no clear idea of what will happen. These characters have some fairly clear ideas. And this knowledge is affecting what they do. Making it more likely that they will be in position when the day actually arrives.

Harlan Ellison is a Very Patient Man

I just had to attach this today, because I find it incredibly funny.

Harlan Ellison bests CBS Paramount over 42 year-old Star Trek episode

Ellison has complained for decades about how the Star Trek producers changed his script, thereby weakening it. The City on the Edge of Forever is a fan favorite, and a lot of fun to watch. I never read the original script so I can't verify whether it would have been better in the original form or altered. Either way, he got a little payback now.

The Jay Leno Show

Hill Street Blues. St. Elsewhere. Saturday Night Live. Late Night with David Letterman. The Cosby Show. Family Ties. Cheers. L.A. Law, Law & Order. Friends. ER. Seinfeld. The West Wing. Remember when NBC created ground-breaking television? Remember "Must See TV"? What happened to that network?

For a decade or more, shows on NBC were the water cooler shows - you had to watch them (and wanted to) or you would miss out on the conversation the next day. Hill Street Blues brought a gritty reality to police dramas, which was applied to great effect to St. Elsewhere. The Cosby Show brought a black, middle-class family to America's living rooms. Law & Order created the procedural. Seinfeld taught us that even nothing could be funny if done right.

The last show on that list was started in 1999. While Law & Order (and its many iterations) continue to air, ER finally petered out last season, a shell of its former self. Shows such as Heroes and Studio 60 on Sunset Drive started with great fanfare, but never fulfilled their initial promise. The network was completely unable to find a replacement for Seinfeld or Friends, offering a tepid Joey to audiences used to more sophisticated humor.

So what happened? Clearly, NBC was not prepared for the onslaught of reality television (Survivor finally destroyed the "Must-See TV" hegemony of NBC's comedies) or the expanding of cable programming. And there seemed to be a lack of original thinking on the parts of executives. Have you seen Trauma or Mercy? Sadly, I have (long story), and really, don't waste your time. You've seen them before.

The only programming decision the network made recently that was noteworthy was the decision to keep Jay Leno, who had "retired" from The Tonight Show, and create a new show for him. The Jay Leno Show airs five days per week, starting at 9:00 P.M. Central time. Essentially, NBC gave up five hours of prime time programming to a talk show.

The critics gnashed their teeth and bemoaned the death of scripted television as we know it. NBC's decision to keep Jay Leno instead of developing "real" television just proves how short of originality the network is. What were they thinking?

Well, first of all, I think that this is not the bell tolling on scripted television. USA and TNT have been developing all kinds of new scripted television in the past few years. So, let's quit this whole "end of TV as we know it" talk.

I've not watched a minute of The Jay Leno Show, just as I never watched The Tonight Show. I don't plan to. He's no Jon Stewart. But I don't think that NBC has made a major mistake by choosing to air this show five nights a week. I think it was a well considered business decision by executives who had no new ideas in their pocket. Leno didn't really want to retire, and NBC was afraid that Leno might go to a competing network. Plus, The Jay Leno Show is comparatively cheap to produce. Think about it - Leno's the only one making real money at this, unlike dramas and comedies in which a number of people command higher salaries. This means that even lower ratings equals a profit. A win-win in their book. And what do I care? There's only one NBC show that I watch anyway - Chuck, and it ain't on right now.

The only real objection I have to the network's decision to fill the 9:00 hour with Leno is that Law & Order: SVU airs at 8:00. There is no way that this show should be shown so early - it's themes and images are just too adult for earlier. Perhaps they could have prevented this by either airing The Jay Leno Show at 7:00 P.M. Central time (after all, isn't Leno family friendly?) or airing SVU on Saturday or Sunday night.

So, quit the bitching and whining, and turn the channel to a show you do want to watch. Is that so hard?

FOX says they will air all 13 episodes of Dollhouse

I don't plan to post a lot of links to other blogs, but this is news that I thought I'd pass on. It looks like Dollhouse will not air during November (valuable sweeps month) but at least we're promised all episodes will air. I suspect, given its low ratings, that those will be the last episodes we'll see.

FOX says they will air all 13 episodes of Dollhouse

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Mad Men - the Drapers

Mad Men has been a little harder to watch than usual. Neither Don nor Betty are very sympathetic characters, and this season has put their characters and their marriage to a stress test that they are so far not passing.

First, Don. Don has been an extremely sympathetic hero, even though he has done a lot of unlikable things. Don has often stood as a mute witness to the everyday cruelties of the office and family. Plus, our glimpses into his past as a discarded son of a prostitute raised by a man who hated him, have led to a lot of sympathy on our part. But this season has been especially hard on Don and our feelings about him. Don found a new father figure in Conrad "Connie" Hilton, who seeks Don out to discuss communism and the meaning of life. But Connie's response to Don's latest ad campaign for Hilton was like a condemning, disappointed dad, somewhat similar to what Don grew up with. Connie's demands on Don's time has bled into his career and his home. Connie demanded that Don sign a three-year contract, something which Don had avoided for years. Don has less tolerance of his staff, including Peggy and Sal. I was heartbroken last night as Don looked at Sal with contempt, saying, "You people."

After Connie's rejection of Don's work (to which Don protested petulantly, "It's a great campaign"), Don completed his pursuit of his daughter's former teacher, a pretty young thing who lives only two miles from Don's home. She is clearly attracted to Don, but recognizes that the affair will only be harmful to both of them. Don doesn't care - he needs the release, and sleeps soundly afterward, something he hadn't done in weeks.

Meanwhile, Betty continues to simmer in discontent in the suburbs. I actually found myself liking her better upon learning that she never wanted to move to the suburbs to begin with. Otherwise, Betty did everything expected of her in 1950s and 1960s America. She was beautiful and thin and attracted a man as gorgeous as she. She then moved to the suburbs and had children. And then what?

Well, ask Betty Friedan. Betty spends the first season seeking psychoanalysis, which ended upon her discovery that the analyst was updating Don on her progress. In the second season, she was unable to ignore Don's infidelity, and kicked him out of the home. She only let him back when he admitted that he treated her "disrespectfully".

This season Betty has confronted the death of her father and the birth of her third child. She chose to name the child "Eugene" after her father, even knowing that Don and her father detested each other. She did not support her daughter who honestly grieved over her grandfather's death and who feared his reincarnation in her new baby brother.

One thing that confuses me sometimes is her relationship with men. She has been the object of many an unrequited crush, only having a tawdry affair before letting Don return home. This season, she has been attracted to an advisor to Governor Rockefeller. She engaged in a correspondence with him, but then he made the mistake of showing up at her home. Within a week, the advisor learned that Betty is not really interested in love, but in being pursued.

That Don is having an affair so close to home will only increase the likelihood of his getting caught, and the further deterioration of his marriage.

Lost v. FlashForward

I've made no secret of the fact that I've been disappointed by FlashForward. We had been told that FlashForward would be the next Lost, and it certainly has a number of similarities with it. There's the unexplained phenomena, relationships created by unusual circumstances, and a crisis of epic proportions.

And I've enjoyed FlashForward, but it leaves me a little cold. It doesn't have the same heart as Lost. The biggest difference between the two? The characters. What made me addicted to Lost was not the science fiction or the adventure, but the weekly focus on a character. Almost every week, the show shines a spotlight or a microscope on someone. We learn something about that character, their flaws, their motivations, their passions. Even when the character is doing something you abhor, because we've learned something about that person, we've sympathized with them, we feel like we've known them. The nuances of each person are so clearly drawn and acted that even the most improbable behavior makes sense. Heck, those flash backs and flash forwards have even made me like Kate!

So far, we don't know the characters on FlashForward very well. There is no sole focus on a character - each week is an ensemble week. Mark and Olivia are clearly the primary characters, but we don't know them well enough to understand them. Why isn't Mark telling Olivia that he saw himself drinking in the future? Mark told his sponsor (whose name I still haven't learned) that Olivia would leave him if he drank. But that doesn't fully explain his silence to me.

Don't worry. I'll keep watching. I figure I am more disappointed in FlashForward because of how much it was built up to be like Lost. But I know better. Each show should stand on its own. And I need to let FlashForward do just that.

Dollhouse: Instinct

What happens when an Active's body is altered on a glandular level such that she has the instincts of a new mother, and can even breast feed? That's what happens in this episode, which explores not just the strength of a mother's love for her child, but also the feelings of an Active.

Nate Jordan is so devastated when his wife dies in childbirth that he cannot connect with his baby. Instead of hiring a nanny or seeking help from family and friends, Nate uses his vast financial resources to hire a Doll. Thanks to Topher's wizardry, Echo is transformed into a doting and lactating mother. But the glandular changes also increase her susceptibility to paranoia. Noticing Nate's discomfort around her and the baby, Echo reasons that her "husband" must be having an affair. Or involved in illegal schemes. One or the other. She breaks into Nate's home office and finds Nate's wedding pictures. His wife is not her.

Nate somehow talks Echo down, but then calls the Dollhouse to have Echo returned. Unfortunately, Echo overhears and misunderstands; she believes Nate is arranging for her murder. Although she "escapes" from the home with the baby, she is soon found, and Ballard takes her back to the Dollhouse to be wiped. But the device only wipes the brain, not the glandular changes. Echo knows that she has lost her baby, and believes that it is in danger, so she escapes the Dollhouse, and returns to Nate's home. Again, miraculously, Nate talks her down - the baby belongs to him and her feelings aren't real.

The episode ends with Ballard comforting Echo. Echo has revealed that she retains memories from her prior imprints, but knows that they are not her. In Instinct, Echo reveals that even if her relationship with the baby was not real, her feelings for him were. When offered an opportunity to be fully wiped, so as to lose her memories of the imprints, though, Echo declines.

I'm not quite clear on why Echo has retained the memories or impressions of her former imprints. I can only assume that these memories are a result of Alpha's downloading so much into her in last season's finale. She is choosing to keep the memories, despite the pain, in stark contrast with Madeline, the former November. Madeline agreed to become a Doll to escape the grief she felt following the death of her infant daughter. Of course, Madeline is no longer an Active, but she has found that the grief is gone, and she is grateful for it. Nor is Echo responding like Dr. Saunders, who fled the Dollhouse in the season premiere, unable to cope with the fact that she is an Active.

In the season premiere, Echo asked Ballard to help her find her true self. I am not convinced that Echo's true self is Caroline, though who else would she be? Caroline willingly gave up her body, leaving a Topher-created shell of child-like passivity. I hope that we are able to explore Echo's identity in more detail in future episodes. I also hope Dr. Saunders returns soon (Amy Acker has another series).

Buffyverse Fan Alert: Alexis Denisof, Wesley Wyndham-Pryce, failed Watcher and rogue demon hunter, plays Senator Daniel Perrin, who is determined to bring down the Rossum Corporation, which funds the Dollhouse. It is very odd to hear Denisof speak, since he's using his regular, American accent, instead of Wesley's British accent. Denisof joins fellow Buffyverse alums, including Eliza Dushku (Faith) and Amy Acker (Dr. Saunders/Whiskey).

Spoilers

Don't worry, neither this post nor this blog will go into any spoilers with the sole exception of announcing things like an actor is guesting on a future show or becoming a full time cast member. I'll try to remember to announce that minor spoilers are being posted. But otherwise, I don't seek out what will happen next on my shows, other than the teasers at the end of the show and what Comcast's show descriptions say. Most of the shows I watch and love are meant to be experienced, and part of the experience is the surprise, the not knowing, the guessing. Spoilers ruin that real-time experience. Can you imagine what a different movie The Sixth Sense would have been had we known in advance that Bruce Willis was dead?

I have looked at spoilers in the past. Once, I read that an episode of Angel ended with Angel and Cordelia sharing an intimate moment, resulting in Angel losing his soul again (you really have to know the show to understand that last sentence). However, the spoiler revealed that it wasn't real, just a dream of Angel's. I forgot about what I read until I watched the episode, and I noticed that the entire impact of Angel's transformation was lost on me. From that point on, I tried to avoid reading spoilers.

But I've also noticed that this can be hard to do when preparing for my Lost blog. In researching each episode for a recap, I've found more information than I had expected. Plus, magazines such as TV Guide and Entertainment Weekly will often give what I would call minor spoilers such as, "The producers of Lost talk about the death of Daniel Faraday." Or, "the young Ben will return in the next three episodes." These don't bother me. I had figured that Daniel was dead (otherwise, Eloise Hawking's sacrifice was nothing), and I had no problem knowing beforehand that we were somehow returning to the DHARMA Initiative.

But some of my readers and my friends do care. When I perkily announced to my friend Brian (hi Brian!) that Daniel was dead, to me it was justification that my prior belief Daniel died was right (I dare people to doubt me!). But to Brian, it ruined the week's anticipation of whether Daniel was truly gone, or would somehow be saved by the Island's mojo. He almost immediately forgave me, but I didn't deserve it. I knew better.

The last bit of spoilery that happened, even after my transgression with Brian, involved House. I know that everyone now knows that Kal Penn quit House to become a staff member at the White House. Now, prior to the episode airing, I had heard that a character was dying, and I remember hoping that it was Thirteen. But the "spoiler" was not specific. I didn't get to watch that episode the night it aired, but planned to watch it after one of my co-workers who had seen it asked me what I thought. She respected my need to experience the episode and kept mum. That night, as I turned the TV on, I also turned on my internet. Only to see Penn's picture on Yahoo! I didn't need to read the article to know who died.

I took it all in good humor, because I had waited nearly 24 hours before watching the episode. But not many did. Zap2It, which recaps House, titled its episode recap something that gave away the plot point. People were pissed! The comments left for the recapper were brutal and unforgiving. But I wasn't sympathetic to the spoiled. You take your chances when you look at these web sites a day after the show airs. When it's something that turns out to be of semi-national importance (Penn didn't get that good of a White House job), well, its bound to happen.

And that's my philosophy on spoilers. If you don't see an episode the night it airs, be careful what sites you look at, including mine, because a picture or a title just may give it all away.

FlashForward: White to Play

The second episode of FlashForward and I'm still not convinced that I'm "hooked". Well, fanatically hooked, like I am with Lost and was with Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Instead, I'm mildly hooked, curious to see what the mystery of the flash forward is.

This episode opened up to a scene so disturbing that I thought it might be a dream. Charlie is in the playground observing her class mates as they lie prone on the ground. One of the kids rises and announces that the flash is over. All the children pop up, eager to tell each other what they saw. The children are reenacting the black out as a game. Charlie, however, won't play, and the children start picking on her. A shoving match ensues, and one of the teachers tries to discipline Charlie. She runs away into the street. In front of tanks. L.A. appears to be under martial law.

I've tried to recap this episode, but, like Lost, this is a dense show to encapsulate into a short post. Instead, I'll share my thoughts.

I'm guessing that Lloyd Simcoe, the father of Dylan and the future lover of Olivia, is probably not the guy seen standing during the flash forward at a Cleveland base ball game. Simcoe appears to be an absent father to the autistic Dylan. Dylan's mother died in flash forward, and now Simcoe will have to raise him. I think he may end up being on the heroes of the show.

I was excited to see Lynn Whitfield as a Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security who wants to know why the L.A. branch has decided to take upon itself the investigation into what she assumes is a natural phenomenon. She changes her tune after seeing the evidence gathered so far.

Mark is not dealing well with the news that his wife may have an affair in the future. Olivia tells him that she has no intention of cheating on her husband. Then she meets Lloyd Simcoe, who seems to have no memory of her from his own flash forward. She reasons that in the flash forward, he never looked at her, so he has no memory of the event. Olivia tries to avoid Simcoe, but their paths cross several times, and she is clearly sympathetic to his situation. Olivia makes the right decision - she tells Mark that she met Simcoe. However, Mark doesn't seem mollified, and he never tells Olivia that he starts drinking again in the future.

Demetri, who had no flash forward, spends the episode questioning every step Mark is taking, even accusing Mark of trying to make the future happen. While investigating "D. Gibbons", Demetri and Mark meet a sheriff who, like Demetri, saw nothing in her flash forward. Demetri's not alone! Unfortunately, she is later shot to death. Demetri refuses to talk with Mark about it. Later, Demetri is encouraged to write about his flash forward on the agency-built Mosaic. He then receives a phone call from a mysterious woman, who knows from her own flash forward that Demetri will be murdered in March 15, 2010. Beware the Ides of March.

"D. Gibbons" is the name given to someone who cloned a credit card from the real D. Gibbons. He is found in a doll factory in Pigeon, Utah, but the factory is rigged up with lots of explosives, and honestly, it is surprising that Mark and Demetri survive. The agents find a cell phone, and learn from it that "Gibbons" had a conversation during the flash forward with someone that was probably at the Cleveland base ball game. So two people who were awake during the black out.

I think that Wedeck is the funniest character on the show. He took some cupcakes given to the agency by a witness, saying he was going to "put them into evidence". But the story he finally shared with Mark about the events he remembered in his own flash forward and immediately following the black out was hilarious. If I were his wife or girlfriend, I could never kiss him again. Yikes.

Neither Mark nor Olivia have asked Charlie what she saw in her "dream". They've decided to take the "we'll let her tell us on her own time" approach. They clearly stick to the approach even when Charlie's teacher suggests they rethink it. I suspect that both parents feel guilty that their future behavior has such a negative affect on their daughter. Olivia even resorts to surreptitiously seeing if Charlie recognizes Simcoe. Charlie didn't, but became upset on seeing the injured Dylan, someone Charlie apparently knows. In a "shocker" moment, Charlie reveals to her father that she knows that D. Gibbons is a bad man, based on what she saw in her "dream."

A lot of little clears here and there, sprinkled throughout the episode. No clear picture. Of course. We'll see what happens next week.

House is Broken

What an opportunity this season to see two of my favorite actors as Hugh Laurie's House seeks medical treatment and atonement from Andre Braugher's Dr. Nolan! I've been a fan of Braugher since his days on Homicide: Life on the Street, so to see him tangling with the wily House was quite a delight for me.

First, a caveat. As many of you know, I'm a former social worker who used to work with individuals diagnosed with serious mental illness. I once interned in a state psychiatric facility, and in later jobs coordinated with various psychiatric hospitals the admissions and discharges of my clients. For numerous reasons, the picture of life in a psychiatric hospital in House is completely false. As I've stated before, House is fiction and should be taken as such. This episode is no exception.

Last season ended with House admitting himself into a psychiatric facility after experiencing hallucinations related to his Vicodin addition. This season began with House detoxing, a process that is particularly painful and ugly, something fortunately we did not focus on.

Instead, the episode officially begins when House walks into Nolan's office, demanding to be released. Nolan is willing, but refuses to sign the form that will let House's medical license be reinstated. House agrees to remain in the hospital, but vows to make everyone's life miserable.

Thus, we get One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, House-style. As is his wont, House attacks the weakest area of the ward - his fellow patients. It's not hard to make a paranoid man more paranoid, or a suicidal woman more suicidal. House is sent to solitary confinement (or whatever it's called) twice before even he realizes how cruel he is being. So he pulls a McMurphy, trying to incite a riot among the patients against the ward staff, but Nolan gives the patients what they want, quickly ending that riot. Nolan then tells House he's as stubborn as House is.

House's roommate, Alvie, the "manic Hispanic", joins House in his attempts to convince Nolan to sign the form. After a failed blackmail attempt, House decides to pretend to comply, cheeking his meds and following the rules. House slowly gains ward privileges and more freedom. When House is required to give a urine sample, he arranges for another patient to provide the urine. Thus, House proves he is taking his medication. Sadly for him, the medications he had been given were sugar pills.

In the meantime, House meets Lydia, a musician who plays piano for her best friend, a mute unresponsive woman who seems to sway to the music. Another patient, Steve or Freedom Master, joins the ward.

It is in House's relationships with Lydia, Freedom, and Nolan that change finally occurs. House advocates that Freedom, who believes he has super strength and the ability to fly, be allowed to retain his delusions. When he finds Freedom overmedicated and depressed, he decides to intervene, taking Freedom on a carnival ride that simulates skydiving. Afterward, Freedom is convinced that he once again has super powers. House at first is smug, but smugness turns to horror as he helplessly watches Freedom try to fly off the upper ledge of a parking garage. Nolan decides to transfer House to another facility, but House begs him not to. Pride is gone, only the agony of constant misery remains. He agrees to therapy.

Therapy includes anti-depressants and learning to trust others. For reasons I can't explain, Nolan decides that House should practice trusting at a hospital fundraiser. Lydia is in attendance, and instead of trying to trust others, he and Lydia pretend to be other people. At the end, Lydia kisses House. What does the kiss mean? House doesn't know. Lydia is a married woman, and House isn't used to healthy relationships with other women.

Therapy also includes having to accept failure and learning to move on. When a mute Freedom returns to the ward in a wheel chair and casts, House tries to apologize, but finds he cannot. He notices Freedom staring at an object in the staff office, and House demands the staff give it to Freedom. The object turns out to be a music box, but even when given to Freedom, he remains unresponsive. House, dejected, tells Lydia their relationship is at an end. Relationships by their nature are brutal - why continue on?

Therapy includes learning to be there for other people. Nolan gives House an unexpected day pass. To a hospital. Where Nolan's father is a patient. Nolan wants a consult. House quickly determines that Nolan's father is terminal, which Nolan knew. Out loud, he processes Nolan's motivation in calling House to the hospital, finally concluding that House is the only friend that Nolan has. Nolan looks at House with tears in his eyes, "I don't need you here to play this game." House thus pulls up a chair and sits with Nolan, who makes the decision to "pull the plug."

Therapy also includes making connections with people. House returns to the hospital to find a weepy Lydia. She's not crying over him, but over her friend's illness. He hugs her, and as often happens on television, sex ensues. However, it was sweet and tender, and House cried through it.

Therapy also includes helping out others, even when you don't like the person very much. At the ward talent show, Alvie, the "manic Hispanic", has problems with his spontaneous rap. House, watching from the back, throws out a few rhymes to Alvie, and eventually joins his roommate on stage and helps make the rap a fun affair. Later, House tells Nolan that he actually feels pretty good.

House finally apologizes to Freedom, who makes no response. It's medication time, and as House wheels Freedom to the med window, Freedom gives the music box to Lydia's unresponsive friend. She takes the box, opens it, and then thanks Freedom. At last, a miracle. Lydia returns to the ward to find her friend playing the cello.

Finally, therapy involves letting people go. House learns from Nolan that Lydia and her family are moving to Arizona. House, devastated, demands an overnight pass, even over Nolan's objections. He takes a cab to Lydia's house. There, she tells him she doesn't want to leave, but she can't break up her family. Telling him their affair ended perfectly, she closes the door on him.

House returns to the hospital, and Nolan agrees to sign the form that will reinstate House's medical license. House is incredulous, but Nolan points out that House connected with someone and didn't resort to Vicodin when it ended badly. Time for House to go.

This is a long post, but this was also an intense, and two hour, episode. House stepped out of its procedural formula, and instead, focused on the character of House, the character. The character has always been the driving force behind the show, with his brilliance, sarcasm, cruelty, and self-hatred affecting everyone around him. House tries to pretend he doesn't care about the people near to him, but the deaths of Amber, Kutner, and his father were all too much for him. This extended stay in the hospital allowed him the opportunity to heal, to learn something about himself, and to reconnect with the important people and things in his life.

I've seen a number of people express their fears that with House in therapy, he'll become a shell of his former character. But the genius of this show is that it allows House to change, and even though he's in therapy, the second episode of the season saw a House that continues to be sarcastic, rude, and brilliant. Never normal, never boring, therapy can't change House that much.

Mad Men

I am finally caught up with Mad Men this season. It is one of the few shows that B wants to watch with me, so when we have obstacles to watching TV together, as we have since Mad Men aired, we get extremely behind. Very frustrating!

And what a season Mad Men is having this year! I've heard a few complaints about how slow the show is this year, but I guess when you watch two or three episodes in a row, that complaint doesn't hold water.

Obviously I can't recap the past episodes, but I do think that I'll write a few comments on the characters:

Betty - Betty is a beautiful woman who has yet to understand that just because something is beautiful on the surface doesn't mean it is on the inside. She's clearly bored with raising children, and poor Sally has borne the brunt of that this season. But what we've learned the most about Betty is that she hasn't grown up. She's still a girl, waiting for her father or her husband to rescue her from her problems. I'll be honest here: I understand Betty, and I sympathize, but I don't really like her. She's too selfish and shallow.

Don - Don still has the wandering eye, which focuses on stewardesses and teachers alike. But he lost his independence in this past episode, and possibly a friend, as he signed away three years of his life to Sterling Cooper to capture an account. The episode in which Don takes care of Sally is touching - thank goodness that someone in her family is trying to understand her. I'm concerned that Don's relationship with Peggy is suffering because of her bad timing - the relationship between the two is a highlight of the show for me.

Joan - Poor Joan. Joan is easily my favorite character in the show, and this season has been extremely hard on her. First of all, too bad she actually married that loser who raped her last year. However, I did feel bad for him when he didn't get the chief resident position. But worse, she has to keep working. Sadly, she had already quit Sterling Cooper. And how valuable she was at Sterling Cooper - on her last day her quick thinking probably helped save the Brit's life. Go Joan. Her parting kiss with Don was fraught with many layers of meaning. I hope that she ends up back at Sterling Cooper, but it will take a big bite of her pride to do so.

Peggy - Wow - who thought of Peggy and Duck? I've always thought of Peggy as extremely lonely, and she must be to have fallen in bed with him. She knows she's betraying Don, but at the same time, there is quite a bit of unresolved anger between the two. Peggy has suppressed her feminine side to succeed in her career, but she still finds life empty. I don't think Duck will fill that hole. And by the way, I totally don't trust Duck's interest in her. I think his goal is to twist a knife in Don.

Pete - I laughed my head off when Pete discovered that he and Ken Cosgrove had both been promoted to the same position. He appears to be over the narcissistic injury, but not before he took his anger out on Ken. Like Peggy, Pete is being wooed by Duck to abandon Sterling Cooper for Duck's new firm. Unlike Peggy, Pete clearly doesn't trust Duck's motives. How interesting to watch Pete and Peggy this season! They are both clearly connected, even if neither wants to admit it. And I don't necessarily mean romantically.

Roger - Did anyone else squirm like I did when Roger serenaded his bride in black-face? Roger Sterling continues to get the best lines, but he's truly been in pain this season. First his daughter asks him to leave his child-bride at home for her wedding, then the new overlords of Sterling Cooper leave him off the organization chart. And the relationship between Don and Roger is possibly permanently fractured. I would miss that bro-mance!

The season is around half-way over. How's it been for you so far?

FlashForward

I have also put FlashForward on a season pass, but I was not as blown away by the premiere episode as I had thought I might be. Yes, it feels very Lostish, with it's intense opening scene, its random animal in the fray, and the mixture of science fiction, adventure, and mystery. But a lot seemed to move awfully fast, including the jumping to a number of conclusions that fortunately for the characters are quite correct. We don't know and love the characters yet, but hopefully that will change as the season progresses.

Mark Benford is a recovering alcoholic who loves his wife and daughter. His wife likes to leave him little hate notes, telling him she hopes she never sees him or such like. His daughter is young, and a babysitter watches her during the day. Mark is an FBI agent, while his wife, Olivia, is a doctor. Mark's day starts with an AA meeting, followed by a stakeout with his partner, Demetri Noh. They are in luck - the suspects they have been following are ready to be arrested! But in the dangerous pursuit, the flash forward occurs. All humans the world around black out for 2 minutes and 17 seconds. Many see flashes, that don't feel like an hallucination or a dream. Some don't see flashes.

During the black out, car crashes, plane crashes, and other disasters occurred. What would happen if everyone blacked out for that length of time? I was a little surprised that 700 planes crashed, figuring that they would be okay for the short period of time, but perhaps the pilots were too disoriented to right their planes upon coming to. I am assuming that no one on the planes had flashes of the future since they died. Mark wakes up to find his car has crashed, and the highway in chaos. People are justifiably freaked out, including Mark and Demetri. They snap back to reality when they see their suspects' van, but the only occupant alive is an unknown female.

I'm a little confused about this, but I think Mark makes a slow-motion run to the hospital where his wife works, since cell phones are inoperative. During his run he sees looting and a kangaroo, which hops on by. I think that the Benfords must have connected by phone at this point, because I don't really remember seeing them together until that night.

At the FBI, the agents quickly figure out thanks to Mark's remarkable memory of his flash that it was actually a flash forward, as well as the exact date of the flash. Mark and Demetri develop the wall o' notes that Mark saw in his vision since they are put in charge of the investigation. They also decide to develop a database of flash forwards, which I really think is a good idea.

Meanwhile, in other happenings, Olivia's colleague Bryce is saved from suicide by his flash, which apparently promises a much better future than he expected. He joins Olivia at the hospital as they work to save those injured during the black out. One of the victims is a small boy who happens to know Olivia's name, even though they had never met, in the past.

We learned something of the flashes experienced by the characters we've met. Mark flashed on his office in the FBI, where he had resumed drinking and was a hunted man for knowing too much (I really hate it when that happens). Olivia, meanwhile, flashed that she was having an affair with a man she didn't know. Charlie, their daughter, told her babysitter that all the good days were gone. The babysitter did not reveal her own flash, but apparently something bad happened in it, something for which she wishes to atone for in the past (I think my nose just bled). Demetri, on the other hand, had no flash, and he is clearly concerned this means he is dead six months in the future.

The actors all did a fine job. Joseph Fiennes is appropriately heroic as Mark, and Sonya Walger believable as the caring doctor. It's always a pleasure to see Courtney B. Vance and Alex Kingston. John Cho also did a good job as Mark's partner with no future. And a lot of us were surprised by Seth McFarlane as an agent - apparently he'll make future cameos this season.

Some thoughts on the mystery:

• What did Charlie see? Will she be like Maia Rutledge from The 4400, wise beyond her years, or just a child confused by her flash?
• What's with the kangaroo?
• I'm sure I'm not the only one who thought that the man at the baseball game who appears to be the only one who didn't black out looks like he could be the father of the little boy who knew Olivia. We also learned that the father of the little boy is the man that Olivia has an affair with in her flash.
• Some commentators have thought that Demetri might be the man at the baseball game, based on the fact that he had no flash and was not in the car with Mark when the black out ended.

Lost fan alert: Sonya Walger, who plays Olivia in FlashForward, is, of course, Penny Widmore Hume from Lost. Did the producers purposely give Olivia's child the same name as Penny's child on Lost? Also note that Dominic Monaghan, Charlie Pace, will be appearing soon.

The Good Wife

I continue to be behind in my television watching and my posting. Perhaps I will never catch up, but I'm pretty darn close right now.

I watched the season premiere of The Good Wife, and I liked it enough that I am putting it on a season pass. I suspect it will be a procedural with Alicia Florrick's family drama as a backdrop. But as you know, I'm not always against procedurals, as long as they are well-written and interesting, as this one is.

Julianna Margulies stars as Alicia Florrick, the good wife of the Cook County State's Attorney who resigns in disgrace after a sex scandal. Six months later, Florrick, played by Chris Noth, is in jail after a jury found him guilty of using his office to secure sexual favors from young prostitutes (pretty darn quick trial!). Alicia and her children have lost their home, their savings, and their security, and for the first time in twelve years, she is returning to work as an attorney. Although she graduated at the top of her class from Georgetown, she is now a junior attorney for a downtown firm in which a friend from law school, played by Josh Charles, is a partner.

The firm has a new class action law suit, which requires shuffling of all the cases the firm currently has. Alicia thus has a pro bono case that had been tried by the firm's queen bee partner, Diane Lockhart, played by Christine Baranski. With the assistance of a dedicated investigator, Alicia manages to get the client off, but not without ruffling the queen bee's feathers. Do queen bees have feathers?

Throughout the episode, reminders of Alicia's turbulent family issues abound, from her daughter asking if Florrick slept with teenaged prostitutes, to a colleague loudly playing a video of the press conference, to the prosecutor attempting to use Alicia's last name to win points in a case. This is clearly painful to Alicia, but she doesn't let it stop her.

The episode had a lot of exposition, as expected, but it was well interspersed with the drama. I suspect that anyone who wanted to saw the opening scene, in which a brittle Alicia stands by her husband in the press conference where he announces his resignation. Margulies is in fine form as Alicia, of course, as is Charles, as her friend from law school who might have a history with Alicia. No one does ice queen better than Baranski. Even the children are good, and the show is so far avoiding the stereotypical troubled teenager trap. So, go see it!

Lost fan alert: Titus Welliver plays the State's Attorney who replaces Florick. Lost fans will recognize him as the Man in Black, or Esau, who successfully killed Jacob in the season finale of Lost.

The Emmy Awards

I had hoped to have a pre-Emmy post with my comments on the nominees, who I thought would win and who should win. But I guess I missed my chance. Instead, I'll report on who won, what I liked, and what ticked me off - or just plain bored me.

But before I talk about the winners, I think I must say how impressed I was by Neil Patrick Harris as host? Award shows are old-fashioned events, and Harris was an old-fashioned host, singing and dancing and cracking jokes. But he also felt up-to-date, with modern humor and sensibilities. He made fun of how long the show usually is, and made a joke of his own loss for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. And the show only ran 5 minutes late. I also liked how the awards were divided into their categories - comedy, reality, variety, and drama. The only sour note was The Family Guy "skit" in which a baby beat a dog. That produced more cringes than laughter from me.

And a caveat - I didn't keep track of everything, especially the parts of the show and awards that relate to reality shows. I only paid attention to parts of the variety awards that are noted below. And I suspect that I have the names of the awards slightly wrong. Oh well.

First, the comedy awards. As you know, I rarely watch comedies, with 30 Rock and now Community as exceptions. And sadly, I'm behind on my 30 Rock - we've quite a few on our DVR. Of course, some shows are labeled comedies that I don't think of as comedies, such as Pushing Daisies, which was sadly cancelled last year. I was also surprised that actresses from Saturday Night Live were nominated under comedy instead of variety show.

The first award of the night was fabulous! The award was for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Kristin Chenowith, Olive Snook on Pushing Daisies, won over the SNL comedians and Vanessa Williams. Olive Snook was the one character that really broke out from a cast of quirky characters. Olive could easily have become a one-note character, but in Chenowith's capable hands, she was a delight. I could never take my eyes off her.

The award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series was a joke, and not the funny kind. Kevin Dillon of Entourage, Harris from How I Met Your Mother, Rainn Wilson from The Office, and Jack McBrayer and Tracy Morgan, both of 30 Rock, all lost to Jon Cryer of that comedy classic, Two and a Half Men. It is not that I don't appreciate Cryer's talents - I think that they are manifold. It's just that, first of all, he's a Lead Actor, not a Supporting Actor, and that Two and a Half Men suck.

Toni Collette won Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series for her series on HBO (I can't believe I can't remember the name of it!), upsetting the expected favorite, Tina Fey of 30 Rock. Fey's co-lead, Alec Baldwin, won in his category - a well-deserved win if you ask me.

Baldwin makes the show with his zany performance of an ambitious executive.

No surprise that 30 Rock won for Outstanding Comedy Series.

The only reason I pay attention to the variety awards is to see if The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and/or The Colbert Report win. This year, it was The Daily Show's time to win - again, for writing and series. Go Stewart!

The drama awards started with the best victory of the night for me - Michael Emerson won for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama for his role as Benjamin Linus in Lost! As you all may know, I love Lost, and the character of Benjamin Linus is one of the best crafted and acted in a well-acted show. Another deserving win.

Cherry Jones won the corresponding Supporting Actress for her performance in 24, and a director of ER won for Outstanding Direction.

The remaining award-winners were fairly predictable. Mad Men won for Outstanding Writing and Outstanding Drama Series, Glenn Close won for Outstanding Lead Actress for her work in Damages, and Bryan Cranston repeated his win last year for Outstanding Lead Actor for Breaking Bad.

So, now the Emmys are over, and we can all go back to living our lives. In the meantime, what did y'all think?

Thursday Update

I've been more than a little frustrated this month. A number of events have led to my being behind on a number of my shows, including Mad Men and Glee, and a semi-work event on Thursday night led to my missing the Thursday night shows completely. Thank goodness for DVR.

And what a night of riches for a television watcher Thursday presents. I had on tap Bones, Fringe, Community, and Project Runway, all waiting for me this weekend. Next Thursday, FlashForward will be thrown into this mix.

Bones

As many of you know, I was not as disappointed by the Bones season finale as most everyone I read was. I thought it was a nice little fantasy, and I didn't feel cheated that Brennan and Booth didn't really have sex. In the season premiere, we learn that Brennan read Booth her now-deleted book which confused Booth when he finally woke up from his coma. He thought they really were married and about to become parents together (sadly, we did not get to see that discussion!).

Six weeks have passed, and Brennan is back from Guatemala or some such place and Booth has just been cleared to return to duty. Although there was a mystery to be solved, the mystery was just a vehicle to get Cyndi Lauper's psychic to talk about what's going on between Booth and Brennan. Cam and Dr. Sweets both figure out that Booth believes himself to be in love with Brennan, and both warn him to be careful with her. However, Sweets is concerned that Booth's feelings for Brennan might be more related to his recovery from brain surgery than a real feeling, a belief that Booth doesn't dismiss after being amused rather than homicidal by a clown's antics. So, instead of admitting his romantic love, his admits his brotherly love for her. Which she reciprocates.

I enjoyed the episode, and I appreciated the fact that Cam and Sweets were both very protective of Brennan. But I was somewhat annoyed by Sweets. Hadn't he already figured out that Booth is attracted to Brennan? What am I missing?

Fringe

Along with The Dollhouse, Fringe was my most anticipated returning show. And this episode was not disappointing. Yes, I was annoyed that Nimoy's William Bell was no where to be seen, but I know better than to expect the producers to have him show up in the premiere episode. I guess I'll just have to get over it.

This episode seemed to focus more on Peter than usual, which is just fine by me. Of all people, it is Peter who saves the Fringe division, at threat from a budget panel who wants to see results. But we also watched Peter as he realized how much he cared for Olivia when everyone believed she was dying. Yes, Olivia's crazy sister told Peter that Olivia "likes" him (what did that mean, anyway?), but that wasn't explored much in the episode, thank goodness. We also watched Peter with his father, Walter, who is determined to prepare custard for Peter's birthday, even though Peter doesn't like it. Well, Peter, there was once a version of you that did like it. I don't think it will be pretty when you learn that part of your history.

The "mystery" of the week focuses on a shapeshifter who crashed into Olivia to prevent her meeting William Bell. Because he was not successful, he was ordered to determine what information Bell gave her and then kill her. Needless to say, the shapeshifter, a soldier in some kind of army, fails in his objective, but manages to take over the body of Olivia's partner, Charlie Francis. Francis is dead, but no one else knows but us. RIP Francis.

Project Runway

We still don't have Nina Garcia or Michael Kors judging, but the episode was fine. The designers are all beginning to become a little catty, especially Irina and Nicolas. The challenge this week was to create an outfit inspired by and made of newspaper, with a few tools to help with the support of the outfit. One of the designers, Johnny, created an origami dress which Tim panned. After trashing the dress (literally), Johnny told his model and the judges that his dress was actually ruined by an iron spitting too much steam. To their credit, the judges didn't believe him and he was auf'd. Bye bye Johnny. We won't miss you.

Community

First, I must say that any show that includes John Oliver from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart already has many plus signs in front of it. Beyond his presence, I found the show quirky, farcical and interesting, and I will be giving it a second look.

What did you think? Did you catch up on Grey's Anatomy?