Stern, Lockhart & Gardner lost a case! But Alicia wasn't involved near the end, so I'd say her track record is still spotless. She also got lots of money for her client in the divorce case! Aside from the absurdity of the legal side of the show, The Good Wife is surprisingly deep with the characters in a way that is similar to cable shows.
Duke Rosco, host of a show that resembles the typical cable show (Beck, O'Reilly, Olbermann, Maddow, Schultz), slanders a woman who commits suicide. Her husband sues and they're off to the races. Denis O'Hare made a second appearance as the ultra-liberal Judge Abernathy who stuck to his creed and despite good evidence, ruled in favor of Rosco.
My big problem with the case was that Will or Diane didn't go very far I'm not a lawyer or anything, but the only thing they proved was that Rosco used false information. Clearly they should have showed that Rosco had actual malice when ranting, and considering his demeanor, I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard.
The entire episode Will and the opposing counsel were flirting and it was evident they had done some stuff before. What's the deal with him? I can't get a read on any character. That laugh by Diane was awesome, but did she laugh because she knew lesbian rumor wasn't true or because she didn't care?
The business with Peter further deepened as Alica learned a bombshell. Glenn Childs wiretapping her house before nabbing Peter. Right now it's looking like he's the ultimate evil, but as always, I'm sure there's something more. When the series started, Peter was totally hated and rightfully so, and as the series progressed, we learned more about the case, and saw him interacting with Alicia. Maybe he's not so bad afterall, but the writers wouldn't let him get off so easily. We're only 11 episodes in and the layers are piling up.
Score: 9.4/10
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Review - Scrubs Season 9 Episode 7 Our White Coats and Episode 8 Our Couples
J.D. is the funniest character on Scrubs. He can bring a chuckle with a 2 words, or send us to the ground with one of his classic imaginations. When he came back this season, he was just as funny and gave us more laughs than any other character, but his character was an overbearing mess that was unlikable to the fullest extent. His cries for attention and acceptance were something we've already seen and something we'd thought he'd gotten past.
J.D. exits, Elliot enters, and magnificently, it works. Without showing Elliot teaching, or trying to make people like her, the writers transformed her into a confident, competent doctor and mentor. Instead of having her her own problems, she helped others without being intrusive or annoying. At the same time, she was funny while helping Lucy and Denise in a way J.D. couldn't. She maintained some of the quirks we like, and was still the Elliot we could recognize and appreciate.
The Drew story shed light on who he was and was very run-of-the-mill. He used to be a crazy about being on top and is afraid of reverting to that. Finally we learned more about him, and shows the possibilities the show has. There's all these character we know little about.
The second episode of the night tried to justify the Lucy, Cole relationship and failed. For the first six episodes, Cole was a complete douche to everyone including Lucy who was sleeping with him the whole time. Now we're supposed to accept that he's a good guy that just wanted Lucy to acknowledge she is sleeping with him because he likes her that much?
There is still much work to fix the show. If the main story focusing on the main character wasn't strong, we used to be able to rely on the other stories. The rest of the coupling subplots weren't anything special and while amusing, got very few laughs from me. Denise and Drew pulling the prank on the security guys went on way too long. Turk and Dr. Cox was by far the most interesting and showed the new side to their relationship as more colleagues than Dr. Cox looking down on Turk. There is mutual respect between them, and there's great potential for them.
Score: 8.9/8.3
J.D. exits, Elliot enters, and magnificently, it works. Without showing Elliot teaching, or trying to make people like her, the writers transformed her into a confident, competent doctor and mentor. Instead of having her her own problems, she helped others without being intrusive or annoying. At the same time, she was funny while helping Lucy and Denise in a way J.D. couldn't. She maintained some of the quirks we like, and was still the Elliot we could recognize and appreciate.
The Drew story shed light on who he was and was very run-of-the-mill. He used to be a crazy about being on top and is afraid of reverting to that. Finally we learned more about him, and shows the possibilities the show has. There's all these character we know little about.
The second episode of the night tried to justify the Lucy, Cole relationship and failed. For the first six episodes, Cole was a complete douche to everyone including Lucy who was sleeping with him the whole time. Now we're supposed to accept that he's a good guy that just wanted Lucy to acknowledge she is sleeping with him because he likes her that much?
There is still much work to fix the show. If the main story focusing on the main character wasn't strong, we used to be able to rely on the other stories. The rest of the coupling subplots weren't anything special and while amusing, got very few laughs from me. Denise and Drew pulling the prank on the security guys went on way too long. Turk and Dr. Cox was by far the most interesting and showed the new side to their relationship as more colleagues than Dr. Cox looking down on Turk. There is mutual respect between them, and there's great potential for them.
Score: 8.9/8.3
Bones catch-up
I'm catching up on the show, so I can watch the episode "The X in the File" which airs next Thursday, January 14, so here's my quick thoughts on the episode.
Season 5 Episode 7 The Dwarf in the Dirt: The charming case took a backseat as Booth's problems cropped up, and the episode reinforced what we already know--Booth loves Brennan. Sweets and Booth look to Gordon Gordon for help and there was lots of restating the same things over and over.
Season 5 Episode 8 The Foot in the Foreclosure: Funny case with hilarious scene at the fat club and lots of looks between Booth and Bones. Wow, the writer's showed they like each other without someone directly stating it. How ingenious.
Season 5 Episode 9 The Gamer in the Grease: I thought the Avatar cross-promotion was pretty funny, but the rest of the episode was weird in a bad way. The autistic kid playing video games and the tattoo girl made it so unrealistic.
Season 5 Episode 10 The Goop on the Girl: I liked seeing what everyone was doing for Christmas. I'm glad Daisy is back. Maybe the rest of the people find her annoying, but that's what makes her interesting and funny. Zooey Deschanel was fine in her role which was probably only notable because she is Emily's sister.
Season 5 Episode 7 The Dwarf in the Dirt: The charming case took a backseat as Booth's problems cropped up, and the episode reinforced what we already know--Booth loves Brennan. Sweets and Booth look to Gordon Gordon for help and there was lots of restating the same things over and over.
Season 5 Episode 8 The Foot in the Foreclosure: Funny case with hilarious scene at the fat club and lots of looks between Booth and Bones. Wow, the writer's showed they like each other without someone directly stating it. How ingenious.
Season 5 Episode 9 The Gamer in the Grease: I thought the Avatar cross-promotion was pretty funny, but the rest of the episode was weird in a bad way. The autistic kid playing video games and the tattoo girl made it so unrealistic.
Season 5 Episode 10 The Goop on the Girl: I liked seeing what everyone was doing for Christmas. I'm glad Daisy is back. Maybe the rest of the people find her annoying, but that's what makes her interesting and funny. Zooey Deschanel was fine in her role which was probably only notable because she is Emily's sister.
Review - NCIS Season 7 Episode 11 Ignition
NCIS is finally back and McGee got to indulge his love of jetpacks, showing his extreme dedication to the craft which left him enthralled as a child. There were tons of funny moments: Jimmy doing the autopsy on the squirrel, McGee and his Tom E. Gemcity video, Tony and Ziva banter. This made for a very enjoyable episode, and is further proof that NCIS still has it after 6 seasons.
A Navy pilot is found dead which leads the team to Victor Tillman and his ex-wife,Vanessa, who are competing against each other to create a workable jetpack. The investigation wasn't that interesting as the most pressing issue was the new lawyer, M. Allison Hart (Rena Sofer), who seemed bent on bringing down Gibbs. Neither Victor nor Vanessa turn out to be the murderer, and the case is wrapped up quickly with the team catching another pilot who showed up very briefly near the beginning.
We finally have a new arc that can go anywhere. The whole episode, Robert Patrick's character Merton Bell kept showing up in an article about the Mexican's releasing him. It wasn't until the end when we learn the lawyer knows Bell, so I think we can assume they're teaming up to bring down Gibbs. But this is Gibbs we're talking about; nobody touches him.
Did anyone catch that Allison Hart is a partner at Wolfram and Hart? So awesome. I thought she brought up some pretty good points about Gibbs not caring about the law. Though her motives may not be the most ingenuous, she does raise issues that more people should be concerned about.
Score: 9.2/10
A Navy pilot is found dead which leads the team to Victor Tillman and his ex-wife,Vanessa, who are competing against each other to create a workable jetpack. The investigation wasn't that interesting as the most pressing issue was the new lawyer, M. Allison Hart (Rena Sofer), who seemed bent on bringing down Gibbs. Neither Victor nor Vanessa turn out to be the murderer, and the case is wrapped up quickly with the team catching another pilot who showed up very briefly near the beginning.
We finally have a new arc that can go anywhere. The whole episode, Robert Patrick's character Merton Bell kept showing up in an article about the Mexican's releasing him. It wasn't until the end when we learn the lawyer knows Bell, so I think we can assume they're teaming up to bring down Gibbs. But this is Gibbs we're talking about; nobody touches him.
Did anyone catch that Allison Hart is a partner at Wolfram and Hart? So awesome. I thought she brought up some pretty good points about Gibbs not caring about the law. Though her motives may not be the most ingenuous, she does raise issues that more people should be concerned about.
Score: 9.2/10
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
There's this show out there called Sanctuary...
Attention to all newspaper, magazine, internet writers: Syfy has this show called Sanctuary! It airs Friday nights at 10 PM and is coming back on January 8! I know, amazing isn't it.
Out all the numerous lists with all the returns and premieres of TV shows, Sanctuary has been conspicuously absent. I get it. The only sci-fi shows critics like are Battlestar Galactica and Lost (though I don't think they've watched much sci-fi aside from those). Still, if they put shows like Caprica on their lists which airs on the same network, shouldn't Sanctuary get some recognition?
Out all the numerous lists with all the returns and premieres of TV shows, Sanctuary has been conspicuously absent. I get it. The only sci-fi shows critics like are Battlestar Galactica and Lost (though I don't think they've watched much sci-fi aside from those). Still, if they put shows like Caprica on their lists which airs on the same network, shouldn't Sanctuary get some recognition?
Monday, January 4, 2010
Could Dr. Horrible survive as a TV show?
With Dollhouse ending later this month, television wunderkind Joss Whedon will once again be out of the television business, allowing him to devote time to other projects including Dr. Horrible 2.
The original, which debuted in 2008, was a complete success with millions of views on Hulu and Youtube. The sales from iTunes and DVDs covered the costs of the crew and other expenses mere months after the release. Dr. Horrible continues to sell well on Amazon, making it to the top of several categories. The popularity of social networking and the internet created buzz for the musical that found a suitable niche.
Certainly the internet does not rival television or movie theaters yet, but the growing acceptance of internet-based creations is going in the direction where Dr. Horrible in its current state of low budget production could stand on its own. Dollhouse barely maintains more than 2 million viewers per week which is less than the number of people who've watched Dr. Horrible, and NBC struggles to get more than 7 million viewers for most of its shows.
Glee is very similar to Dr. Horrible with the musical numbers and quirky, off-beat humor, and excels in the coveted 18-49 demo. It's been one a bright spot among the multitude of failures this season. If made in a TV show, Dr. Horrible would have a built-in fan base, and a legitimate chance to bring in new fans.
The new show wouldn't have Neil Patrick Harris (Dr. Horrible) or Nathan Fillion (Captain Hammer) as they are occupied with other shows, but with the number of talented people out there, I'm sure there are lookalikes that can fill the roles. The popularity of Glee shows the willingness of the television audience to watch unique shows that don't fit the tradition mold.
Part of the success of Dr. Horrible was due to the total lack of network executives meddling, and Joss had to deal with that greatly with Firefly and Dollhouse. I concede that Joss and the rest of the people involved would be hampered by this, and Dr. Horrible would lose the homemade-professional feel. Nevertheless, I'm sure Joss and his cadre could keep the fans and bring in new fans. Anyone who's watched Dr. Horrible or the Buffy episodes "Once More With Feeling" knows there is precedent for Joss's accomplishments.
No network would currently entertain the idea of turning an internet creation into a show, investing millions of dollars into something unproven in the mainstream media, but as the internet grows, there is a shift what people are going to for entertainment. Radio once dominated household, but now the television rules supreme. If one day, the computer and streaming content becomes the dominant form of entertainment, I will not be surprised. How the networks integrate web content with conventional programming will be a huge part of this century. Maybe Dr. Horrible will reach your television sets eventually.
The original, which debuted in 2008, was a complete success with millions of views on Hulu and Youtube. The sales from iTunes and DVDs covered the costs of the crew and other expenses mere months after the release. Dr. Horrible continues to sell well on Amazon, making it to the top of several categories. The popularity of social networking and the internet created buzz for the musical that found a suitable niche.
Certainly the internet does not rival television or movie theaters yet, but the growing acceptance of internet-based creations is going in the direction where Dr. Horrible in its current state of low budget production could stand on its own. Dollhouse barely maintains more than 2 million viewers per week which is less than the number of people who've watched Dr. Horrible, and NBC struggles to get more than 7 million viewers for most of its shows.
Glee is very similar to Dr. Horrible with the musical numbers and quirky, off-beat humor, and excels in the coveted 18-49 demo. It's been one a bright spot among the multitude of failures this season. If made in a TV show, Dr. Horrible would have a built-in fan base, and a legitimate chance to bring in new fans.
The new show wouldn't have Neil Patrick Harris (Dr. Horrible) or Nathan Fillion (Captain Hammer) as they are occupied with other shows, but with the number of talented people out there, I'm sure there are lookalikes that can fill the roles. The popularity of Glee shows the willingness of the television audience to watch unique shows that don't fit the tradition mold.
Part of the success of Dr. Horrible was due to the total lack of network executives meddling, and Joss had to deal with that greatly with Firefly and Dollhouse. I concede that Joss and the rest of the people involved would be hampered by this, and Dr. Horrible would lose the homemade-professional feel. Nevertheless, I'm sure Joss and his cadre could keep the fans and bring in new fans. Anyone who's watched Dr. Horrible or the Buffy episodes "Once More With Feeling" knows there is precedent for Joss's accomplishments.
No network would currently entertain the idea of turning an internet creation into a show, investing millions of dollars into something unproven in the mainstream media, but as the internet grows, there is a shift what people are going to for entertainment. Radio once dominated household, but now the television rules supreme. If one day, the computer and streaming content becomes the dominant form of entertainment, I will not be surprised. How the networks integrate web content with conventional programming will be a huge part of this century. Maybe Dr. Horrible will reach your television sets eventually.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Most anticipated shows of 2010
Here's the shows I'm looking forward to the most. There's way more shows that I like watching, but "most" has to the whittled down to an acceptable number. I know the networks at going to unveil a bunch more shows at the upfronts, so I'll make a list for those shows later.
Returning Shows:
24: I can't get enough of the show. I know there's going to be moles, deception, a conspiracy, some stupid actions, but the action and pace never ceases to bore me. Couple that with Kiefer Sutherland's unnerving acting abilities and I'm hooked.
Chuck: Comedy, action, and drama all mixed into one glorious hour of television. Please watch.
Lost: I have no clue how I forgot Lost , but I realized I had left it off the list. The final season of one of the wildest shows created is surely something I look forward to.
Damages: In my opinion, Damages has the best overall cast with incredible acting by Glenn Close and Rose Byrne. And then there's the magnificent way of storytelling over a season. Viewers for the show have been dropping like flies, so please watch it also.
Mad Men: After the huge developments in the season finale, how could you not look forward to the new season?
Breaking Bad: Walt made huge changes during season 2 becoming a ruthless drug lord, losing his wife in the process. Season 3 can go in so many directions, I can't help but look forward to it.
New Shows:
Caprica: As a BSG fan, I'm obligated to like the show, but I wasn't too excited by the pilot which was released on DVD waaaay too long ago. Nonetheless, it's bound to be good sci-fi with such talented people behind it.
Human Target: The trailers makes it look like an action-fest like Trauma, but if it's better than the horrible Knight Rider remake, I'll give it a shot. The cast of the show is top notch, and for that
Undercovers: I always give J.J. Abrams a chance even though I think he's a hack. For all his numerous shortfalls as a producer, he has created good shows with excellent episodes, so I'm looking forward to whatever craziness he'll come up with next.
Honorable Mentions: Burn Notice, True Blood
Returning Shows:
24: I can't get enough of the show. I know there's going to be moles, deception, a conspiracy, some stupid actions, but the action and pace never ceases to bore me. Couple that with Kiefer Sutherland's unnerving acting abilities and I'm hooked.
Chuck: Comedy, action, and drama all mixed into one glorious hour of television. Please watch.
Lost: I have no clue how I forgot Lost , but I realized I had left it off the list. The final season of one of the wildest shows created is surely something I look forward to.
Damages: In my opinion, Damages has the best overall cast with incredible acting by Glenn Close and Rose Byrne. And then there's the magnificent way of storytelling over a season. Viewers for the show have been dropping like flies, so please watch it also.
Mad Men: After the huge developments in the season finale, how could you not look forward to the new season?
Breaking Bad: Walt made huge changes during season 2 becoming a ruthless drug lord, losing his wife in the process. Season 3 can go in so many directions, I can't help but look forward to it.
New Shows:
Caprica: As a BSG fan, I'm obligated to like the show, but I wasn't too excited by the pilot which was released on DVD waaaay too long ago. Nonetheless, it's bound to be good sci-fi with such talented people behind it.
Human Target: The trailers makes it look like an action-fest like Trauma, but if it's better than the horrible Knight Rider remake, I'll give it a shot. The cast of the show is top notch, and for that
Undercovers: I always give J.J. Abrams a chance even though I think he's a hack. For all his numerous shortfalls as a producer, he has created good shows with excellent episodes, so I'm looking forward to whatever craziness he'll come up with next.
Honorable Mentions: Burn Notice, True Blood
Numbers of Interest - Television Ratings for Friday 01/01/10 - Better Off Ted still dead?
People that are watching football usually watch another game once one game ends. After the Rose Bowl (5.8) on ABC, viewers migrated over to Fox to watch the Sugar Bowl (4.6 including pregame).
Following the Rose Bowl, new episodes of Better Off Ted (1.7) and Scrubs (1.2), and repeats of Better Off Ted (0.9) and 20/20 (1.6) didn't do so well. To make matters worse, the Rose Bowl ran into the time slot of Better Off Ted, so the final ratings will probably be lower. The upside is that with the huge lead-in, Better Off Ted did way better than the pathetic 1.0 last week.
The big test will be this Tuesday when we'll see if any new viewers of the show actually care about it. If Better Off Ted can keep last night's gains, maybe there is a chance it will survive.
As for the other networks, they ran repeats and had no football, so CBS and NBC finished significantly worse with averages of 1.0 and 0.9 respectively.
Following the Rose Bowl, new episodes of Better Off Ted (1.7) and Scrubs (1.2), and repeats of Better Off Ted (0.9) and 20/20 (1.6) didn't do so well. To make matters worse, the Rose Bowl ran into the time slot of Better Off Ted, so the final ratings will probably be lower. The upside is that with the huge lead-in, Better Off Ted did way better than the pathetic 1.0 last week.
The big test will be this Tuesday when we'll see if any new viewers of the show actually care about it. If Better Off Ted can keep last night's gains, maybe there is a chance it will survive.
As for the other networks, they ran repeats and had no football, so CBS and NBC finished significantly worse with averages of 1.0 and 0.9 respectively.
Review - Scrubs Season 9 Episode 6 Our New Girl-Bro
Scrubs will most likely be canceled, but if the season keeps moving in the right direction, at least the people involved in the show will have nothing to be ashamed of.
Elliot's return came in the episode after J.D. left, and together they would probably overshadow the new interns. While J.D. and his old (or new I guess) obnoxious personality didn't mesh well with his characterization in season 8 and the new characters, Elliot was different in a good way that made her the supporting character and not the central figure that was completely annoying.
Serving as Lucy's ad hoc mentor, Elliot showed how much she's changed since getting pregnant, and taught Lucy an important lesson at the same time -- taking care of yourself should be your first priority. I would have liked to see the process of Elliot changing, but we've seen her do it before, and as a testament to her character, she is mature enough to change without all the previous agony (as far as we know). Lucy is still young and floundering, and is the one in need of changing.
The departure of J.D. also forced Turk to find a new work buddy. I hoped Turk would come to the realization that J.D. as a work buddy is indispensable. Instead, he settled on Denise which is totally random, but out of the remaining characters, there isn't much choices. Still, his actions confused me. Do the writers want to make a new J.D. and Turk with Denise and Turk? Even though J.D. won't be around, why does Turk need a new friend?
Lucy and Cole remain the weak spots of the show. I laughed a few times at Lucy and I'm actually starting to like her a tiny bit. We were blessed with Zach Braff with 8 years and if the new lead is somewhat funny, I'll take it. She still has potential as a character and has several quirks that aren't bad. The horse fetish is so weird and comes out sporadically, so it's not overused and mildly funny.
Cole on the other hand is horrendously bad. Dave Franco is trying, but Cole is far more annoying than funny. There are plenty of funny and pompous characters out there, so it's possible to make Cole funny. The writers have made him into a one-note character who thinks he's great and tries to be funny. Last night, we see that Cole really wants to be a doctor and is willing to go to great lengths to become one, but it becomes another reason for him to brag.
The retooled show is now 6 episodes in and there is a sense of where the show is going. Dr. Cox serves as the stimulus for the interns, Turk is going to be friends with Denise, Denise is going to change because she is with Drew, Lucy is becoming a normal person, and Cole is going to stop being a jackass. It's definitely not perfect, but maybe it'll work.
Score: 8.9/10
Elliot's return came in the episode after J.D. left, and together they would probably overshadow the new interns. While J.D. and his old (or new I guess) obnoxious personality didn't mesh well with his characterization in season 8 and the new characters, Elliot was different in a good way that made her the supporting character and not the central figure that was completely annoying.
Serving as Lucy's ad hoc mentor, Elliot showed how much she's changed since getting pregnant, and taught Lucy an important lesson at the same time -- taking care of yourself should be your first priority. I would have liked to see the process of Elliot changing, but we've seen her do it before, and as a testament to her character, she is mature enough to change without all the previous agony (as far as we know). Lucy is still young and floundering, and is the one in need of changing.
The departure of J.D. also forced Turk to find a new work buddy. I hoped Turk would come to the realization that J.D. as a work buddy is indispensable. Instead, he settled on Denise which is totally random, but out of the remaining characters, there isn't much choices. Still, his actions confused me. Do the writers want to make a new J.D. and Turk with Denise and Turk? Even though J.D. won't be around, why does Turk need a new friend?
Lucy and Cole remain the weak spots of the show. I laughed a few times at Lucy and I'm actually starting to like her a tiny bit. We were blessed with Zach Braff with 8 years and if the new lead is somewhat funny, I'll take it. She still has potential as a character and has several quirks that aren't bad. The horse fetish is so weird and comes out sporadically, so it's not overused and mildly funny.
Cole on the other hand is horrendously bad. Dave Franco is trying, but Cole is far more annoying than funny. There are plenty of funny and pompous characters out there, so it's possible to make Cole funny. The writers have made him into a one-note character who thinks he's great and tries to be funny. Last night, we see that Cole really wants to be a doctor and is willing to go to great lengths to become one, but it becomes another reason for him to brag.
The retooled show is now 6 episodes in and there is a sense of where the show is going. Dr. Cox serves as the stimulus for the interns, Turk is going to be friends with Denise, Denise is going to change because she is with Drew, Lucy is becoming a normal person, and Cole is going to stop being a jackass. It's definitely not perfect, but maybe it'll work.
Score: 8.9/10
Friday, January 1, 2010
Reminder - new episodes of Better Off Ted and Scrubs tonight
I know few people are going to watch, but a friendly reminder to watch thefunniestcomedyontelevisionrightnow couldn't hurt.
Better Off Ted is airing at 8:30 after the Rose Bowl, and Scrubs is airing right after that at 9:00. The Rose Bowl is guaranteed to have huge ratings and if Better Off Ted can have decent retention and gain new fans, maybe it will survive.
Better Off Ted is airing at 8:30 after the Rose Bowl, and Scrubs is airing right after that at 9:00. The Rose Bowl is guaranteed to have huge ratings and if Better Off Ted can have decent retention and gain new fans, maybe it will survive.
