All missed reviews

Here are the short reviews for shows I missed through the week. I included reviews for shows I've stopped reviewing to balance things out. Also, you might have notice that reviews for Breaking In and The Good Wife are still missing. Blogger still hasn't restored them, but since the Glee review was restored, I assume the other posts should follow. If that does not happen by Monday, I repost them. (If you really want to read them, they're on Insidepulse TV.)

Body of Proof Season 1 Episode 8 Buried Secrets: "Buried Secrets" is a reminder that Body of Proof is a mash up of different shows. Every part of the episode has been done before in large amounts, but Body of Proof does them well, which makes the show worth watching.

Modern Family Season 2 Episode 22 Good Cop Bad Dog: I normally find plots of Modern Family to be somewhat realistic, but Jay and Gloria’s plot with Guillermo and the dog seemed like it belonged on Breaking In instead of Modern Family. But Phil and Claire were great in the episode, and realistic, so it mostly balanced out.

The Chicago Code Season 1 Episode 11 Black Sox: I’m not particularly interested in Jarek and his lady problems, especially since it’s been one of the least developed plots. It looks like Gibbons is finally making his move, whatever that they be. We originally thought he put a hit out on Teresa, but that turned out wrong. Is he capable of ordering her murder if she gets too close?

House Season 7 Episode 21 The Fix: It was really out of the blue for House to suddenly decide to fix himself with an experimental rat drug. But this contrivance does put House in some kind of danger. That’s better than nothing, right? OK, maybe not, but we should see what the writers do first before casting too much judgment.

The Big Bang Theory Season 3 Episode 23 The Engagement Reaction: Priya wasn’t mean in this episode for once. She talks to Penny without being bitchy and is actually fine with Leonard being near Penny. The Raj stuff was again weak and random, but that’s to be expected. As far as the main story goes, the stuff between Howard and his mother was hilariously creepy, especially when Bernadette yelling reminded me of Howard’s mother while Howard thought it was sexy.

Parks and Recreation Season 3 Episode 13 The Fight / 14 Road Trip: Two episodes of Parks and Recreations!! And if that wasn't good enough, next week has two more episodes! While I enjoyed both episodes, I would give the edge to “The Fight.” There were so many great moments with the actual fight, Snake Juice, and Ron. Ben and Leslie finally make out in “Road Trip,” so there was development on that front for once.

The Office Season 7 Episode 24 Dwight K. Schrute, (Acting) Manager: Dwight is a guy who often expresses wacky ideas, but since he’s never in a position of power, nothing really comes of it. Well, this was Dwight’s chance to shine. Unfortunately, his excessive regulation in the office ends up with him shooting a gun in the office and eventually being demoted. The episode has the Dwight and Jim dynamic that was been lessened over the years, so that was nice to see. And as Jim tells Dwight, Dwight did one good thing in making all the orders on time.

The Mentalist Season 3 Episode 22 Rhapsody in Red: Before the two-hour season finale next week, The Mentalist dished up a fairly standard episode. Jane solves the crime while the rest of the team fills in the background. I did like, however, the increased attention on Cho, who is easily the funniest character other than Cho, and he got to tackle something close to home for once.

The Event Season 1 Episode 20 One Will Live, One Will Die: This new plot device the writer are using is the one where they show us part of what’s going on to mislead us. In the previous episode, it was the cocaine trafficker who turned out to be irrelevant, and in this episode, we only hear half of the phone call. To be honest, it’s plain stupid.

Hawaii Five-0 Season 1 Episode 23 Ua Hiki Mai Kapalena Pau: "Ua Hiki Mai Kapalena Pau" heads directly into the season finale, mixing a standard standalone plot with the only search for Wo Fat and Chin Ho’s admission of guilt to stealing the money. The episode is tense, with the whole island potentially in danger, but as always, the day is saved.

Blue Bloods Season 1 Episode 22: The first season of Blue Bloods ended with a resolution to the Blue Templar plot, which chugged slowly along as the season went. It is resolved as expected, with the acknowledgement that the Blue Templars are just a couple of bad eggs in the basket. As always, the Reagans and police department come out looking like the greatest heroes ever.

Camelot Season 1 Episode 7 The Long Night: After last week’s snoozer, Camelot came back with a fairly strong episode. Morgan had some really nefarious schemes up her sleeves, deceiving Arthu and the rest of them, while stealing Igraine’s place at the end of the episode, using her shapeshifting ability. Oh, and gratuitous nudity!

Breakout Kings Season 1 Episode 10 Paid in Full: “Paid in Full” puts all the dirty laundry out there. The cons find out that Ray is not actually a Marshall and the audience and other cons learn that Lloyd was sent to prison for writing a fake prescription which ended in a girl dying. Charlie’s big speech at the end is a tinge disingenuous with his big “revelation” of a congenital heart defect, but it makes a point: everyone has their secrets and problems, but they have to trust each other. Considering what Shea was doing in the previous episodes, there is still a lot to be resolved.

Treme Season 2 Episode 3 On Your Way Down: In an episode riddled with crime, there is an obvious standout, the rape of Ladonna, which was harrowing to say the least. The fallout is executed brilliantly with Khandi Alexander coming through. As the visible crime affects several characters, there is also an undeniable crime in the background being perpetrated against all New Orleans, Nelson’s slimy dealings with the city’s money.

Review - Blue Bloods Season 1 Episode 14 My Funny Valentine

I'm reaching the point where I don't want to review Blue Bloods. Simply put, there's little to say. The writers constantly use the dinner table as a crutch for further conversations, never deviating from the set structure. This leads to the usual complaints how the writers can't think of better ways for the family members to speak, but the writers continue to have the dinner table talk every week. This week, the family gathers for the umpteenth time and talk about Valentine's Day. There's a good scene between Frank and Nicky towards the end, but that's after the frustrating dinner.

There are the crimes which are never interesting or innovative. This week, there's a case about a kidnapped girl who turns out to have orchestrated it herself to get her parents to stop fighting (yeah...). We've seen this happen on other television shows many times and it's just boring.

Finally, the moral implications of the show are stupid. The Reagans are always right. Always. Not matter the torture or various questionable activites, the Reagans are always the big heroes in the end. They can question the morality of certain actions, but never the moraility of people. Why? And talk about an abuse of power. Frank uses his position to save the cleaner's son. Regardless of innocence or guilt, Frank stepped across the line by personally meeting the detective and using selective words. If you ask me, he acts like a mob boss in this scenario, suggesting but not ordering explicitly. How is Frank portrayed, however? He's a righteous hero, of course!

Score: 7.6/10

Review - Blue Bloods Season 1 Episode 12 Family Ties

I'm really busy this week, so very short reviews only.

Did you know that the Russian mob is terrible and needs to be taken down? No, well "Family Ties" lays it out perfectly. Excuse my sarcasm. Excessive moralizing in every episode is expected, but it's particularly dumb in this episode, because the line is clearly drawn from the beginning and doesn't provoke extra thought.

The whole thing about Erin kissing her boss was really perplexing. He's been nothing but self-serving and manipulative, and Erin let's him kiss her? Come on.

This Blue Templar thing is still moving at a snail's pace. Can't the writers focus on it for one episode?

Score: 8.1/10

Review - Blue Bloods Season 1 Episode 11 Little Fish

"Little Fish" juggles two separate plots--a cold case from Frank's past and the murder of a prostitute Danny knew--and both come up a little short. Both cases have the requisite emotional impact on the characters, but neither case has any uniqueness or unpredictability. The dinner "issue discussion" is shorter than it normally is and still went over the topic (facing the accuser) enough to get everyone's idea. Without anything new or different in any episode Blue Bloods seems more and more normal as it goes on.

The Jaime plot was even more stunted than usual with the quick introduction of a cop who used to work with Joe and a warning from Anthony. There's no tease of a possible connection to the Blue Templars or anything more sinister.

Score: 8.4/10

Preview of Week 1/16/10 - 1/22/10

Big Love - HBO, Sunday, January 16, 9:00pm ET

After last year's disastrous fourth season, let's hope Big Love can end its run on better terms.

Being Human - SYFY, Monday, January 17, 9:00pm ET

Yet another remake of a British show, this time Being Human, which is about a ghost, werewolf, and vampire living together.

Harry's Law - NBC, Monday, January 17, 10:00pm ET

David E. Kelly has another law drama! We'll see if he can spin the magic again.

White Collar - USA, Tuesday, January 18, 10:00pm ET

White Collar is so forgettable that I barely remember what happened in the last episode, but it's back to finish off the season.

Blue Bloods - CBS, Wednesday, January 19, 10:00pm ET

CBS moved Blue Bloods from Friday nights to Wednesday (in my opinion, they should have done that in the first place).


Royal Pains- USA, Thursday, January 20, 9:00pm ET

I had absolutely no idea what happened last time on Royal Pains (speaks volumes to how interesting it is), so I rewatched the last episode, finding a great twist--Eddie R. is a informant spying on Boris.

Parks and Recreation - NBC, Thursday, January 20, 9:30pm ET

Parks and Recreation returns this Thursday and the Pawnee government is still shut down. How will Leslie cope?

Fairly Legal - USA, Thursday, January 20, 10:00pm ET

USA has a U.S. Marshalls show, a fake psychic show, spy show, medical show, criminal turned FBI consultant show, and another spy show, all with very similar tones. Now, USA has Fairly Legal, a law show along the same lines.

Fringe - FOX, Friday, January 21, 9:00pm ET

Fringe's first episode on Friday will be a huge indicator of renewal or cancellation. If a large majority of the audience continues to watch, Fringe should have a good chance of renewal since Fox has huge Friday problems.

Spartacus: Gods of the Arena -  STARZ, Friday, January 21, 10:00pm ET

Ready for more bloody killing?

Review - Blue Bloods Season 1 Episode 10 After Hours

We're 10 episodes into Blue Bloods and I'm kind of tired of it. I get that it's supposed to be a cop show about a family, but it just feels like the audience get bashed over the head each week with a blunt instrument. "After Hours" is the "is Danny going to cheat?!?!?" episode and it's just tedious.

Everything is in place for deed to happen. The hot girl dances with him, he seems to like it, and there's a parallel situation with the doorman from North Carolina. But we know Danny won't do anything wrong. Why? Because he's a Reagan--they're built that way. Chalk it up to superior genes or the world tilting everything in their favor, but every character comes out squeaky clean after every episode. The writers refuse to make them bad guys, even when Danny tortures a criminal. The episode is an exercise in unfulfilled potential, the dangling of bait--for a better, morally ambiguous show.

We're treated with the usual happy ending. Reagans are the best--they destroy friendships to uphold the law and they never cheat on their spouses. They can debate various issues at the dinner table, but at the end of the day, it's the Reagans on one side and a horde of heathens on the other.

Score: 8.1/10

Review - Blue Bloods Season 1 Episode 9 Re-Do

Blue Bloods is a black and white show. The Reagans and police officers are the good guys, and the criminals are the bad guys. There's no way around it. "Re-Do" is the starkest example of this, an episode pitting the heroes against pure evil. It makes for a creepy and compelling plot, as we see everyone scramble to get the rapist murderer off the street, but doesn't leave much room to think afterwards. Everyone's actions were justified and that's that.

Kelly Davidson, the blond reporter Frank was seeing, shows up once again to ask some tough questions. Fitting in with last week's theme of detaching work from personal life, she asks Frank a question about his daughter, and instead of referring to her as his daughter, Frank refers to her as assistant district attorney Erin Reagan Boyle

The Blue Templar stuff has to be given a major revision. It's given a scene or two at most in every episode, with Jaime finding small clues here or there. However, there's no consequences. Jaime acts normally around his family and on his job. He's not contacting the FBI continuously to get more information, he's not asking his family, and he's not in the least bit suspicious of those around him. It's like the Blue Templar business is cordoned off in another universe. For a plot which is of major importance--a conspiracy to kill a fellow police officer--the writers, Jaime, and the FBI don't seem to care.

Score: 8.7/10

Review - Blue Bloods Season 1 Episode 8 Chinatown

Unlike a large majority of episodes "Chinatown" isn't pointedly about a certain issue. The family issue is well-integrated into the episode and doesn't stick out like a sore thumb, making for an episode which doesn't have too many rough edges.

When Jaime's off-duty pursuit of a gangster ends up with the gangster dead, IA begins an investigation, possibly finding out about Jaime's involvement with the FBI. While nothing about the Blue Templar is revealed and IA finds nothing, the episode is more about consequences, more specifically consequences of becoming a cop. In Joe's case, it was death. In Jaime's case, it means losing his fiancee.

Predictably, Sydney, who's been troubled every episode, leaves for a six month job in London and her ring as well. She was never a developed character, but I feel bad for both of them. He followed his calling, Sydney followed hers, and they're over.

I'm surprised the reporter/ex-girlfriend only showed up once. The lesson of the episode is that it's best if you detach your personal life from your work life. Applied to the reporter, while she does say she misses Frank, she also has to do her job in asking tough questions. But since there's no follow up, either I'm off-base or the writers are reserving development until later.

Score: 8.8/10

Review - Blue Bloods Season 1 Episode 7 Brothers

I got caught up in playing Dragon Age: Origins (amazing game, by the way) yesterday and totally forgot about Blue Bloods. Sorry...

Seven episodes into the show and we know for a fact what the cases will be about. They'll be about an issue which the family debates and/or directly related to a family conflict. It's not badly executed, but very predictable. Switching things up once in a while certainly wouldn't hurt.

"Brothers," as one may guess, is about two sets of brothers--Danny and Jamie, crime lord and teacher. The lesson is that the bond between brothers is stronger than anything else, which isn't realistic, but works in context of the show. Likewise, after Jamie blows out because of the way Danny's been treating him, he's reminded that Danny is only looking out for him, because he doesn't want what happened to Joe to happen to Jaime. The moral dilemma Erin faces is that the bringing down the crime lord would mean the end to the community learning center. In the end, everything works out and the center is still open.

Along the way, there's some politics and Blue Templar information which aren't that interesting. Essentially, everything outside of the family is given enough time to grow and become someone on its own.

Score: 8.6/10

Review - Blue Bloods Season 1 Episode 5 Smack Attack

I don't understand why every Blue Bloods episode needs an "issue." Discussing various real-world topics isn't bad per se, but the format is utterly predictable and it gets preachy week after week. Only minutes into "Smack Attack," I knew there would eventually be talk about drug legalization. Once we saw the drug usage and Nicky being snarky, it was clear where the episode would go.

And like clockwork, the dinner table discussion about drugs arises, with only Nicky and Jaime arguing for legalization. Yeah, it's a relevant topic, especially since Prop 19 will be voted on in California next week, but the show could be much more tactful about conveying various messages about drug use. Maybe it's because I've been spoiled by The Wire, but character chiming in with generic talking points isn't potent as it could be.

"Smack Attack" also undercuts serious inquiry into drug legalization, because the crime turns out to be a teacher who had sex with a student and wanted revenged. Ultimately, though, the episode is more about Erin and Nicky than drugs. The episode ends Erin being nice for a change, realizing how much her mother has on her plate.

Score: 8.2/10

Review - Blue Bloods Season 1 Episode 5 What You See

When I saw the Arab guy arrested in the first two minutes of the episode, I immediately thought the episode would be about racial profiling where everyone gets together around the dinner table and gives their thoughts. Danny and Henry would support racial profiling while Erin would adamantly oppose them. Frank would be on Erin's side, though less vocal.

While "What You See" does feature the usual discussion, along the aforementioned lines, and a predictable white terrorist, the episode emphasizes the importance of family in the end and not terrorism or race, deviating from previous episodes. The biggest problem with the episode is the standard police work this time around.

Score: 8.5/10

Review - Blue Bloods Season 1 Episode 4 Officer Down

Four episodes into Blue Bloods, and we have a pretty good idea what kind of show it'll be down the road. It's definitely not as deep as it could be, seeing as the family is boring on all levels, but has plenty of untapped potential. Likewise, the police work in each episode is boring and stuck in a rigid format.

There is, as always, discussion of the Blue Templar and discussion of a certain issue among family members, this week being "the old days," only with the positions in the episode switched. Instead of Blue Templar talk coming in the end, it's at the beginning, and instead of issue talk in the middle of the episode, it's near the end, and only between a few characters.

Even though "Officer Down" is no different than the rest of the episode, it packs an emotional punch with the death of an officer (which culminates with a stupid, Michael Bay-esque shooting of the shooter), and the lighter tone at the dinner table in the end was nice.

Score: 8.5/10

Review - Blue Bloods Season 1 Episode 3 Privilege

Last week, I said how the characters shouldn't always discuss the issue of the episode at the dinner table every episode, because there is a canned feeling about it. But like clockwork, the family gathers around the dinner table to discuss diplomatic immunity. They don't talk about these issues elsewhere? Why can't there be different parings in different settings instead of everyone together at the dinner table? This is the third time already! If this happens again next week, I'll be seriously questioning what the writers are thinking.

"Privilege" features an uninspired case about a diplomat's son who raped a girl, with Danny using clever tricks to catch him, and Frank breaking up with the slimy reporter. The Blue Templar plot works much like the dinner talks and moves in a singular, precise step each episode. This week, we learn that Danny is in the Templars; however, Henry claims it's just a regular club these days.

Score: 8.3/10

Review - Blue Bloods Season 1 Episode 2 Samaritan

A big part of why I liked Blue Bloods last week was because it deviated from the Bruckheimer-esque, character-less procedurals which currently dominate the network. However, in its own rights, Blue Blood is becoming a bit formulaic, and not in the way The Good Wife is. It's still a character-driven show, but it's troubling how we learn more about each character

Last week, the issue was torture (let's not mince words, that was torture), and the family debated the issue over the dinner table and it got a little heated. This week, there's another moral problem--a good Samaritan shooting a thug--and the family once again talks it out at the dinner table. Everyone gives their opinion, Erin and Frank in support of the law, Danny supporting the guy, Henry saying everyone should carry guns, and the process delves a little deeper into each character. While it's fine, I'd like to see their opinions arise out of different circumstances.

There was also a tiny bit of cop work, which led to a cool takedown. The Blue Templar story has yet to gain traction, but I think it's safe to say that Jaime will hop on the FBI investigation at some point.

Score: 8.7/10

Review - Blue Bloods Season 1 Episode 1 Pilot

Blue Bloods is a cut above the usual CBS procedurals. The focus is on the characters, not flashy lab work or over the top crimes. There is a hard-nosed grit and valor about it that stands out among the sea of procedurals. The cast, headed by Tom Selleck, definitely does not disappoint and the dialogue is crisp when the characters don't go into a dumb discussion about "enhanced interrogation" techniques.

Also, a few ongoing plots are setup, investigation of Danny's brutality and the FBI and Jamie's look into a secret organization in the NYPD. However, there was a showrunner change due to conflict with Selleck, so things may change. Hopefully, the rest of the series can build on all the elements introduced in the pilot .

I haven't decided which new shows I'm going to watch this season, and it won't be many since most are bad, but Blue Bloods is definitely on it.

Score: 8.9/10