The Finale -or - I really hope Richard wins.

Top Chef.  Here we go.  Blogging as I watch this week's finale episode of Top Chef.  It is only Mike I. and Richard B. left to fight it out for the title of Top Chef All Stars.  And the challenge is: the cheftestants must create for the judges the restaurant of their dreams.  Blais - though he denies it - is the clear favorite to win.  I really don't think that Mike can win, or that he deserves to do so.  BUT, he's proven me wrong thus far, so what do I know?

By way of a blind taste test, each chef chooses 3 sous chefs to work with them on their challenges.  Because this is a blind taste test, Richard and Mike can only guess at what chef made each dish and personal issues are possible if they choose a dish made by someone they don't get along with.  Richard picks first and gets Spike, Angelo, and Antonia.   Mike chooses Tiffany, Jamie, and Carla.  Wow.  Advantage in a real way now to Richard. 

So the teams set out to set up their restaurants.  Mike seems pretty in control - extremely cocky as usual.  Blais points out very correctly that this is both Mike's biggest asset and his biggest downfall.  In the other kitchen, Blais has lots of protein going on - including bone marrow!  This is always an audience-pleaser.   However, he often over thinks things.  Can his sous chefs pull off everything he wants to do?  I'm not sure. 

Blais has really put a lot of pressure on himself.  He is worried he will be "always the bridesmaid, never the bride."  I wonder how this will affect his cooking.  To start off, they really like his amuse and first two courses.  The fourth is a beef dish which looks beautiful, but they are not seeing his personality - I dunno, if he cooks well, what does it really matter? They seem to like the rest of his food, but didn't like the dessert (which had...fois gras?!).  At least he's being smart...before the second judges come in, he's going to tweak his dishes based on the response and tasting after the dishes come back.  Very smart.

Mike's restaurant is celebrated by the first set of judges except for 2 things.  The wait between the 1st and 2nd courses and the 4th course.  After the first judges eat, I think it's pretty even probably, with Mike maybe a bit in the lead. 

The second set of judges on each side start off really liking the food.  I think the judges that went Richard to Mike seem to like Mike's food better.  And the ones that went the other way - I think they like Richard.  This is going to come down to the end. 

Judges Table.  They loved Mike.  Thought his food was very clean, even effeminate - but in a good way.  As for Richard, they thought everything was awesome.  They thought his beef was a bit uninspired but very perfectly done.  Man, I really hope at this point that Richard wins.  I cannot stand Mike as a person.  Maybe they edit him poorly, but I really think it would be hard to be THAT misrepresented. 

Ok, so coming in to the end of the episode now and they have made their decision.  Before they say it, I really think it might be Mike, which scares me.  I'd be pretty upset with Top Chef if that is the decision.  But I guess we'll see...

And the new Top Chef is...:

RICHARD BLAIS!

Well done Top Chef.  I agree whole heartedly.  He stood up and took what is his, and I cannot be happier for the man. 

Until the next episode...
Chris

"I'm living like there's no tomorrow, because there isn't one."

Some bad news for Mad Men fans - care of my friend J.B.:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12905058

Apparently, the problems are over 2 minutes of show-time that AMC wants to cut to allow more time for commercials as well as the request for the producers to cut 2 characters (and [-implied-] their salaries...).

I can't see how this show could possibly be losing money - it is insanely popular and there are no big stunts or shoots or whatever, most of it takes place in an office building or restaurant-, so it would appear this boils down to greed, sadly.   

Hopefully they can figure out a good compromise and move on.

Until the next episode...
Chris

The (non) Event

The Event.  Is there any other show on TV besides NBC's The Event that I watch consistently but care less and less about what happens to it with each passing week?  I highly doubt it.  The series started so strongly last year - in the first episode it seemed to be a cross between 24 and Lost and I really thought that all my prayers had been answered (well at least prayers about Jack Bauer hanging out with Kate and Jack while Sawyer calls everyone names and they all shoot Nina again...).  TV life was glorious.

But then something happened that I don't understand, NBC decided to take a 4 month break on the show from November to March.  In a show that is all about secrets, puzzles, and giving the audience just a piece of these each week to keep its interest - a long hiatus makes viewers completely lose interest.  How many people could stay interested in a show that had no clear direction and then seemingly disappeared?  Not many apparently...  The first episode was viewed by over 10 million people.  Now?  They're hovering at about 4 million, and losing viewers every week.  When you compare this to a successful show like House for example it is not even close.  House (even in what is a poorly watched season) this year is averaging about 10 million viewers per episode.  Averaging.  Not peaking at.  And to compare it to Lost, a very successful version of that type of show, Lost averaged over it's whole run in the upper teens of millions per episode. 

So... does The Event have a place on TV past this season?  I really don't think so.  I think at this point it will be really hard to find the viewership the show needs to make it financially worth keeping on the air.  I guess we'll have to see what NBC decides at the end of May, but this seems like it will be another very good concept (like Flash Forward last season) to be more or less killed by being too vague in the initial episodes and then taking a really long break mid-season.   I'm not sure why TV execs think that is ever a good idea.  Shows like this need to be watched continuously.  Bad NBC.  Bad. Go to your room.

Until the next episode...
Chris

Father of the Year

Shameless.  The season finale of what I think was the best new show of 2011 was this week.  Shameless knocked this episode out of the park. 

I don't know what I was thinking about while watching last week's episode - but I had totally forgotten about the implications of Frank's sleeping with Karen as it relates to Lip.  Duh.  Karen is (was) Lip's girlfriend...and this came in to play in a big way this week.

To start things off, I'm glad that Steve was able to get Lip and Ian out of jail by giving up the house. It was his fault that they were in there, and although I didn't really expect him to, he stepped up here. This made his plea to Fiona a bit more weighty. But would she ever really have left her family to go with him? Isn't that what we all dream of? No responsibility. The chance to just run away and start over if we needed to. To run away with the loves of our lives and never look back. But it's rarely the case. That's not anyone's reality that I know.

Karen had her problems this week as I mentioned before. Between having to deal with Frank who is both ashamed and seemingly gloating about his poor choices, to her issues with Lip, she really got herself in a tangle. Also, sending an email to her father with the video of the two of them was the icing on the cake. I feel bad for Eddie, I really do. But he himself is also a nutcase. That whole family has problems and it has really taken its toll on Karen. I was a bit surprised of Eddie at the end; I guess I just didn't expect that he would commit suicide, and am still not sure that there won't be a twist next season.

The episode ended, as so many do, with Steve coming to get Fiona and take her away to paradise. But instead of the happy ending that some may have wanted, we find him alone and Fiona taking a job with her friend. Does Steve actually leave? Probably. Will he be back? Almost definitely. I can tell you one thing for sure...I'll be back watching again next season. So until then...

Until the next episode...
Chris

Big News...

http://www.cnn.com/2011/SHOWBIZ/TV/03/25/fringe.tv.ew/index.html?hpt=Sbin

Saturday Show Recommendation

This week's Saturday Show Recommendation is The League.

In my opinion, this is one of the funniest shows to hit TV in a long time. Each season of the show centers around a group of 5 friends (+1 wife) and their fantasy football league that season. Naturally, as the show is about 5 males and the issues they might have together, as well as the fact that it centers around a fantasy football league - this show probably appeals more to guys...but I certainly know girls who enjoy the show as well.

I think the reason the show is such a hit for myself as well as many of my friends is because we all know people exactly like the characters in the show. Everyone's group of friends has an Andre or a Ruxon or even a Pete. We all have the know it all, or the guy who thinks he's way cooler than he is, or the guy with the hot girlfriend that makes no sense because he looks like a troll, etc etc.

Probably the funniest character on the show is Taco. He's played by Jon Lajoie. Taco is a free spirit who seems to have no sense of the real world, and no boundaries within it. He always speaks his mind, usually to the detriment of others around him. He makes his own deoderant, plays crude songs on his guitar, and both sells and drinks "Three-Penis Wine."





If you play fantasty football, baseball, or even fantasy frolf, this is a show worth checking out. If you have any friends at all with less than normal habits, this is a show to watch. If you just like laughing all the time while watching TV - tune into The Leauge during football season. Or you know...better yet...find the first two seasons and watch them now. You'll thank me later.

Until the next episode...
Chris

The economy would rise...everyone would be tan...and all the radios would play house music...

The Jersey Shore.  I don't have much to say about the Jersey Shore this week.  There was a lot of fighting and laughs etc., but there was really only one reason I was watching: Ron and Sam.  And you know what?  They finally made the right choice.  Before leaving the house Ron and Same broke up.  After 3 seasons of fighting, there is finally an end to this horrific relationship.  We all know that this might not be for good - especially as the show is due back next season for a trip to Italy with the same cast - but for now, at least, they get to live their own lives.  If anything, I hope that young viewers watch this and learn to be better at relationships than most couples are.  Certainly better than these two have been.  I'm sure I'll tune in next season to see if they kept their live separate, but for now, all I can say is thank God the fighting is over for this season.

Until the next episode...
Chris

The Hoomers continue

The Office. This week's The Office was in top form. From Rainn Wilson's fantastic portrayal of Dwight as a haggler at the office garage sale, to the wonderfuly tender moments of Michael and Holly's relationship, this episode was great.

As one of TV's all-time best supporting characters who's antics make us laugh, Dwight was great this episode. The goal of trading from a thumbtack to the best thing at the garage sale was noble, and we all knew he would make it...only to be foiled by Jim. The trading of the telescope for the magic legumes was classic Dwight and Jim. There is something so great about the way these two play off each other - especially Wilson's ability to make everything a competition (which he always loses). Of the rest of the garage sale participants, I especially liked Ryan's bottled salsa and pesto, featuring Oscar and Phyllis respectively on the bottles.

But of course, the main part of the episode (and certainly what everyone will talk about) was the proposal.

One of the things The Office does better than almost any other show is it takes every day situations and makes them tender and special. Awkward things happen to all of us every day in real life - and, generally speaking, TV shows try to take these situations and make them either funny or completely ignore them. The Office goes the opposite direction and embraces them. This is what makes such tender moments possible and what makes the show so special. When the sprinkler went on in the middle of Michael's proposal - sure it was funny - but it didn't take away from the moment one bit. If anything, it enhanced it. This was almost as great a moment as Jim proposing to Pam or the wedding episode. The honest feelings that all of us see behind the characters bring us in to the action and make us connect and really care about them as if we knew them. Kudos to the Office for really bringing it this episode.

I hope that Michael and Holly will be back at some point for a wedding episode. It is such a shame for the show to be losing Steve Carell, and I hope that he will return to provide his unique sense of humor to the show again. To be honest, I'm not sure how the show will survive without Michael, but I guess we'll see how things will go. All I have to say is that this last episode made me both laugh out loud and well up a bit...and really, what more could you ask from 20 minutes of TV?

Until the next episode...
Chris

The Humor is Back!

Modern Family.  This episode of Modern Family had more laughs than the entire season of HIMYM has had thus far.  Manny was on his game, Jay was great, Phil and Claire were funny, and Luke hit it out of the park yet again. Not to mention the great guest star bit from Nathan Lane.

Luke has had an amazing season thus far on Modern Family. For a character that didn't have much to offer in the first season, the writers/producers/whoever have turned him into one of the funniest parts in the show. His one-liners are seemingly non-stop, and as I discussed in the HIMYM thread, they keep him as a side character...#winning.

He is able to be a completely comic character, and it works so well for him. Now if we could just get a bit more of Manny in the coming episodes the show would really be on a roll. In the first season, Manny ruled the show with his hilarious tiny adult act. We need it back.

Also seeing Jay hang out with his son and his gay friends was touching - as Jay is a bit older and they seem to be fans of classic movies and divas of the past - they have a lot to talk about together. Nathan Lane was annoying, but not to the point it hurt the show. His character was actually pretty funny.

I could go into depth about the situations that arose in the episode, but you should really just go and watch it. It was a great week for Modern Family and they have brought the humor back to TV.

Until the next epsiode...
Chris

Hootie Hoo is back! (but not really)

Top Chef.  We're now down to 3 competitors: Mike, Richard and Antonia.  Coming into this week, I expected this to be the finale, as they usually have 3 cheftestants competing against each other for the title; but, apparently, they will eliminate one more chef before the episode is over and leave only 2 for the final show.  Going into the episode, I am really hoping that Mike's over-confidence comes back to bite him now that he's one two elimination challenges in a row - but at this point it's really anyone's game and Mike is cooking as well as anyone else.

The Quickfire challenge (QF) was an interesting concept: each chef got to choose from some of the more difficult past QFs and give one to a competitor.

Richard was stuck with using hot dogs, Mike with only one pot to cook in, and Antonia with only canned goods. Obviously Antonia and Richard had the short end of the stick here, having to use processed foods while Mike has free reign over any ingredients - not sure what Blais was thinking there. Then the second twist came. Each chef got to choose one extra thing to hinder a contestant. Because of this, Antonia ends up with Carla (hootie hoo) tied to her side, Blais with one hand, and Mike can use no utensils. I have to say, Blais's currywurst did not look appetizing - I would not have wanted to eat that.  Especially living in a country that serves currywurst everywhere, I'd say most street vendors' food looks better than that did.  Mike ends up with the win (again?) and I think at this point, both Blais and Antonia were just shaking their heads in shock. As far as I can tell, Mike gets lucky again (he seemed to be saying his dish was undercooked) -  would I ever go and eat at a restaurant of his? No. Not at all. Shouldn't that be a component in who wins Top Chef?

So we move on to the Elimination Challenge (EC), Mike still holding a bit of an advantage over the other two chefs. The EC is all about making someone's last meal...but not just anyone...three amazing chefs. The first is Michelle Bernstein who Mike chooses for himself. She gives him probably the easiest of the 3 meals: fried chicken, bisquits, etc. All things she couldn't have as a child. Blais gets Wolfgang Puck and he gives him a traditional Austrian meal: Goulash, Spaezel, Apfel Strudel, etc. Finally, Antonia gets Iron Chef Morimoto who requests a traditional Japanese meal of sashimi, sticky rice, and miso soup.

Just looking at the 3 meals and the chefs' backgrounds, I think it's pretty clear that Antonia is at a huge disadvantage. As an American-Italian chef, really how familiar can she be with Japanese cooking? Especially when it comes to something as subtle as sashimi.   I can say, as a huge sashimi fan, that less is certainly more, and so much of the dish comes down to the freshness of the fish and the consistency of the technique used by the chef.

As the diners are eating the meal, it seems pretty clear to me that they like Richard's the best and Antonia's the worst, while having some mixed feelings about Mike. So, I am sitting here assuming that Richard and Mike will move on to the finale, and Antonia will pack her knives and go. They announce that Richard will make the finale (hooray, and duh - cause he's awesome. his hair alone is better than the other two chefs combined) and I prepare for Antonia to leave.

BUT, then I look down at the bottom of my screen and notice I still have 10 minutes of show left. What? 10 minutes of Antonia crying and packing up? That doesn't make sense. And then out it comes...a Top Chef surprise envelope. Both Mike and Antonia have 45 minutes to go BACK into the kitchen and make 1 bite to give to each of the judges. Their fate will be sealed by this and nothing else.

Well cool - this is obviously great for Antonia. She was a dead man walkin' and this gives her a very real second life. But it kind of takes all meaning out of the actual ELIMINATION challenge. Sure, Blais moved on, but why even have the other two compete if you're not going to factor that in?  And why call it the elimination challenge if no one is eliminated from it?

Anyway, Mike starts to make beef and Antonia grabs some grouper.  At first glace, I think beef is a better choice over all. If you get just one bite and can make a piece of beef melt in someone's mouth, that's gotta be a winner. Of course, as that is what Mike is preparing, I somewhat hate myself for thinking that (haha),  The final bites are as follows: "Seared grouper in coconut lobster broth with a yam, apples and dill pollen relish" (Antonia) and "Tempura lobster over beef tartare with carmelized olives and chimicrri sauce" (Mike). That all sounds delicious, but what do the judges think? They seem to like Antonia's dish and do not seem so warm to Mike's at first, could this be a huge upset? I loved Motimoro's way of describing how the dishes were different by calling them "Bang and very subtle." But at the end, the judges vote and see who prefers which dish ending up 3-3 with only Wolfgang Puck left to vote (it's amazing that that seems to always happen on reality shows, isn't it? I'm sure that the producers couldn't have anything to do with it...).

In the end the winner is: MIKE. Antonia hears the final "please pack your knives and go." Well, while I don't like Mike - that is the right choice. He cooked better than her consistently for the episode, and had been on a roll.  He also would have been safe had they used the actual EC as an EC, so overall I am glad that they stuck with that.  I am looking forward to Blais kicking his butt next week in the finale though. I think Blais's biggest issue will be getting out of his own head. The man has some inner demons for sure, and if he can keep them under control I expect his meals to be fantastic next week. I can't wait to see it.  From the previews, it looks like they'll each be more or less running their own restaurants with former cheftestants on the line.  Should be a lot of fun.

Until the next episode...
Chris

Do you think Jesus was black? We thought he was black.

The Good Wife.

One of my favorite shows on television today is The Good Wife on CBS. Not because it takes place in Chicago (although it gets points for this) or because it has Josh Charles (Dan Rydell from Sports Night) on it, but because it is always good, entertaining, dramatic TV. The characters feel real on the show and the situations always seem fresh.

I'm going to take the approach of writing about this as though you've watched the show. At this point there are too many characters to explain and too many through stories to go into.

This week focused on three main issues:
1.) Kalinda's indictment to the grand jury.
2.) Lamman Bishop and his divorce mediation.
3.) Peter's campaign and race issues surrounding it.

Kalinda's indictment is the first - in what appears will be many - attempt by Glen Childs to derail Lockhart and Gardiner as some sort of revenge plot towards the Florricks. I, for one, have hated Childs' character since the first time he entered the show. He is stuck up, presumptuous, arrogant, and exactly what I expect a politician to seem like. He seems to think he's above reproach, and I can't stand that quality in someone. With the twist at the end of the episode, I see no way this will not get dirtier and quickly. All I can say is that I am glad that Blake's character will be gone from the next episodes. I think that Kalinda is in for a rough few weeks. Will she tell Alicia what she did? Will Peter? What a mess.

The Bishop case is an interesting one. How do you settle a divorce between a drug dealer and his wife? How can you say what his income really is to make it a fair deal? I don't really know what the lawyer and soon to be ex wife were trying to prove in repeatedly turning down offer after offer (which all seemed rather generous), but in the end it came back to bite them. Greed is a bad thing. There is no doubt in my mind that Bishop was behind the wife's overdose - you just don't mess with someone like that. One of my favorite things about the episode was seeing Brody from the Wire as Bishop's associate. I always liked him on the Wire and wish he would be used in more shows.

Finally, the race issue in the District Attorney election. Now that Eli and Peter have forced Childs out of the race, there are only two horses left. Peter (white, upperclass, politician) and Wendy Scott Carr (black, not life-long politician). Now that Childs is out of the race, Eli has decided that to win, Peter has to remove all black influence from his campaign. Or at least hide it - like Zach's black girlfriend. This is one of the dirtier and darker sides of politics. I loved the way that the entire Florrick family (minus Peter, who was not in this episode) stood up to Eli. He can be a jerk at times, and I hope that Peter can win the election without bowing to playing a game about race.

Overall, I enjoyed this episode, but it wasn't the best I've seen. The drama was certainly there at times, but it didn't last the entire episode. I don't care very much about Lemman Bishop as a character, so his story was not an interesting one. The focus just seemed to be too scattered over the episode, and it was very unlike this show to be pulled in so many directions at the same time. I'm sure they'll bounce back next week - as this remains one of the best prime-time dramas on TV today.

Until the next episode...
Chris

Victoria Jackson...well isn't that special.

Today, Victoria Jackson

has come under fire for her comments regarding last week's Glee. The former SNL actress wrote in a blog post:

“Did you see “Glee” this week? Sickening! And, besides shoving the gay thing down our throats, they made a mockery of Christians – again! I wonder what their agenda is? Hey, producers of “Glee” – what’s your agenda? One-way tolerance?”

The rest of the blog post (found here) is so anti-semetic and hateful that it is hard for me to read. Because this is a TV blog, I am going to stick more to what she said on TV and her comments on Glee, but if you feel so inclined - have a look.

She ALSO went on CNN for an interview, during which she held up a bible, called "homophobic" a "cute little buzz word of the liberal agenda," shielded her eyes when they showed the kiss from Glee, and said: "Now listen...I just wanna know why the liberals are pro-Muslim and pro-gay. Muslims kill gays -that's what's confusing to me. And the only thing I can come up with is the Muslims hate God and the gays hate his Word." (you can check out the interview here: CNN interview)

I have so many issues with this actress's comments and reasons behind them. But I will only step on my soapbox for a few moments.

I am so sick and tired of celebrities having a microphone to speak into and saying whatever they want. This is on both sides of the issue. I'm tired of those that rant about the evils of conservatives and I am equally tired of those that use theirs for the doctrine of exclusivity that some people seem to think Christianity is. Just because you were on SNL 100 years ago, does not mean that the world needs to hear your views on life. Just the same as I could really not care less what Kathy Griffin has to say about Sarah Palin and think that Griffin has no place in the political debate herself.

It seems to me that people have a need to demonize that with which they are not familiar. Be that religion, homosexuality, other cultures, etc. As a Christian myself, I take strong issue with the fact that she is the image and face people will relate with Christianity and DO relate with Christianity. I think of Christianity as an inclusive, loving, religion. One of not casting the first stone. And have so many friends and acquaintances who feel the same way. And yet Victoria Jackson is who everyone sees because she was on CNN. I'm sorry, Miss Jackson (oo oo oo oo I am for real), but don't you realize that you're doing more harm to Christians than the producers of Glee ever could? Caricatures on tv shows exist because they expand on flaws that real people already show. Victoria Jackson is like a living walking caricature, and she's not even on a TV show.

It is totally irresponsible in an age where young gay kids are killing themselves because of fear of persecution to come out and say that what they feel is wrong and "sickening."

We have to be there and protective of the youngest members of our society. "The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children." (Dietrich Bohnhoffer - German theologian). Time to grow up and stop seeing the world through exclusionary eyes.

When you only believe what you want to believe and refuse to accept reality...you turn into Charlie Sheen.

Celebrity Doppelganger

Anybody else think that Vinny from Jersey Shore looks just like Furio Giunta (played by Federico Castelluccio) from the Sopranos? Furio is way cooler though...

Vibrating Jello Pit

How I Met Your Mother.  This weeks episode of HIMYM was actually pretty good from a dramatic point of view. It focuses on Barney and his father. It is the episode that we no longer have to take Bob Barker for Barney's dad, because we find out he is actually a man named Jerome, played by John Lithgow. Lithgow was, as he seems to always be, phenomenal. There was a lot of emotion in the episode and it seemed to me that Lithgow was always spot on. And he was funny too at times. In fact, the times I actually laughed this episode were mostly from him. NPH was good as always. His character was the same trite, overly sexual, Barney as always. But we also saw the other side of him - the hurt kid who's dad ran out on him. The end scene with the two of them was touching and even hard to watch because it was really well done. So kudos to HIMYM for that.

BUT...this show is a sitcom. The entire episode, the jokes felt forced - and really, it's felt that way for a while now. But more than that, the show has completely gotten away from its roots. The topic of the show is right in the name: How I Met Your Mother. This is not a show about Barney and his search for his dad. Or Marshall and the death of his dad. Those are fine as side stories but entire episodes should not focus on them. It should be about Ted and the search for his future wife and the mother of his children. But, somewhere around the middle of the 5th season, that story line seemed to completely disappear.

I'm not sure what made the writers and producers think this was a good idea, but the show went away from its roots and has suffered since then. The reason Barney was such a good character is because he was a side character. His antics could be justified because he was not the main character and we didn't see another side of him, he was just gross, hilarious, sexual Barney.

Same with Marshall, et al. Think of your favorite sitcom. The main character is almost never your favorite. Very few people watched Seinfeld for Jerry. Everyone loved either George or Kramer. The same with Frasier - you had Niles and Marty to keep the humor going while Fraiser was the front man. Even in today's shows like The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon and Raj often have much funnier bits than Leonard. These characters work because they are not the focus of the show. They can be completely comic characters, almost caricatures of real people, and when used infrequently but well, they make a big impact.

At some point, the writers need to focus again on Ted's story, allowing the other characters to resume their side roles, or the show will not only continue in it's less-than-funny way, but also lose all meaning and focus. I can still remember the times we got so close to finding out who the mother was, those episodes were really exciting. Now I watch the show and forget that that is even a part of the story. And furthermore, why would the father even be telling all this stuff to his kids in the "how I met your mom" tale? He would be the worst storyteller ever. It just doesn't make sense.

I have liked this show for a long time. I hope it gets back into its original hilarious form soon. I am not sure that even a show with such a good reputation (mainly because of its fantastic first few seasons) can survive on stale jokes and without a focused storyline.

Until the next episode...
Chris

Effective Immediately: Your Illinois State Workers' Compensation Has Been Terminated

Shameless. I mentioned this show in my Midseason Replacements list. It's a great show - airs Sunday night on Showtime. The show follows Frank Gallagher.

Frank is a drunk on worker's comp, who neglects his family, has moved in with an agoraphobic woman and her sex-crazed daughter Karen, and who seems to have no direction in his life except to wait for his workers' comp check with which he buys booze. BUT, at the beginning of this week, Frank gets some bad news: his workers' comp has been terminated. So he sets out on a quest of sorts. Frank goes to find a job. "How noble!" you might say. But no, Frank doesn't want a job to work...he wants a job where he can get hurt and quickly back on benefits. So he and Debbie and Karl set out on the quest, going from work-site to work-site, to find the most dangerous job possible. The first one looks like a winner, but as Frank is filling out his application one of the other workers gets hurt. You can just see the dejection on his face knowing he just missed his chance. So...they move on. The second seems promising until they reach the actual workroom. There has been a safety overhaul and there hasn't been an accident in 93 days. They RUN out of there as fast as possible. Finally, at the third workplace, there are nails all over the place, there are powertools everywhere...Frank has hit the jackpot. He starts working, thinking he'll be out of there in a day, but he comes to realize that he has an overprotective coworker and they won't let him use any power-tools. It seems like it may take some finesse to get back on workers' comp...

Meanwhile, Steve (Jimmy) is still lying to Fiona about the fact that he is not from the South side, but actually from ---Lake Forest---!!! (I grew up in Lake Forest). Debbie knows, and he is buying her things to keep her quiet. Their relationship seems to be going well, but unbeknown to Steve, Tony (a cop and Fiona's ex) becomes wise to the fact that Steve steals cars for a living. He follows him and catches him red-handed, giving Steve an ultimatum: leave or go to prison. It's situations like these that give us moral choices as viewers. I LIKE Steve as a character. He's fun. I'm pulling for him in the

long run. Sure, he's a criminal with a hidden past (and maybe a wife?!), but he seems to genuinely like Fiona and vice versa. So, that makes me kinda dislike Tony and his obsession with Fiona. Tough to root for the bad guy here, but, well I do.

Lip and Ian are off trying to find Ian's father, this episode. They meet their grandmother who tells them Frank had 3 brothers (having found out last episode that their mom slept with one of them). When they finally find the one they think is Ian's real dad, it is pretty clear he is. Ian, however, freaks out a bit and decides to leave. Will he be back? Absolutely. This story line doesn't end here.

The episode ends with two unfortunate events. First, Tony, thinking that he has seen Steve again in stolen car, pulls it over and has the driver arrested. BUT, it's not Steve. It's Lip and Ian in the car that Steve lent to them for the day. Second, Frank, deciding he can take no more of the job grabs a nail gun and nails his hand to a piece of wood. This ought to get him his workers' comp he so desperately desires. But he goes home, drinks some Old Style (excellent) and pops a few pills when he hears something downstairs. It's Karen (the aforementioned sex crazed daughter of the woman Frank is living with). She's still mad at her father for the purity ball issues, has cut her hair off, dyed it black, tattooed whore on her arm and more or less gone off the deep end. She grabs the pills, downs a few and jumps on Frank as the episode ends with them caught on webcam "in flagrante." Both of these situations will certainly not go over well.

Next episode I expect to see Karen's dad coming after Frank, Steve somehow weaseling himself out of his situation, and Lip and Ian in some real trouble with Tony under the gun. I thought this episode was great, albeit somewhat setting up the events which took place at the end. I still think Steve and Fiona are a great match, regardless of Tony's meddling. Yes, they are not good role models - but no one on this show really is. It is a show that shows a reality that most of us don't deal with on a daily basis and the choices these people make. I also think that the show will either have Steve splitting or Fiona getting Tony to leave him alone. I highly doubt that Fiona is going anywhere, especially with the kids still around. It all depends on if the producers and story writers want a clean ending or a more dramatic one. If I were to guess, Steve will leave on his own and many further episodes will focus on the two of them dealing with the issues that arise from this.

Overall, this is a great show. Comedy, drama, awkwardness and awesomeness abound. And the acting is off the charts. Definitely worth checking out.

Until the next episode...
Chris

Where did all the humor go?

After another solid week of television watching, I'm left asking myself one question: Where did all the humor go? This week of TV seemed almost devoid of humor. Actually, maybe the funniest thing I saw on TV this week was Anna Torv's awkward impression of Leonard Nimoy on Fringe. (I mean, come on, we get that he is being channeled through her in the episode, but 40 minutes of the ridiculous accent just got to be a bit grating. [A link for those interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiDLGMYf_UU])(Also, I have gone back and forth about blogging about Fringe on this site, but but I feel like the potential for spoilers at almost every turn is too extreme. I'll save to say that it's a show worth watching, but like most of Abrams stuff, you have to start at the beginning.)

Anyway, back to the main topic. How I Met Your Mother wasn't on. No The Office. Tracy Jordan was not on 30 Rock - though the reality show format was funny, and Alec Baldwin had some good one liners. No Big Bang Theory. Archer seemed off it's game this week, especially as I don't really find cancer jokes so funny. Parks and Rec was not at its best either. And no new Modern Family.

Really, the only show that I found very funny this week was Community - but they're always great. I know that it's March Madness time, and people are distracted by that so there are less new episodes on right now, but come on, folks. We need our laughs. (Plus, WFU sucked this year, so I have no team to cheer for, I only have Duke and UNC to cheer AGAINST) Most weeks are filled with big laughs between any of the great shows I listed above. We're actually in a great time of TV with a lot of great shows on, especially a lot of great Sitcoms. I think that's what makes a week like this so lacking. I hate to say it, but a great new episode of Two and a Half Men would have hit the spot.

So, to pass the time until they return, here are a few great clips from episodes past: Enjoy!

Modern Family:


How I Met Your Mother


The Office


Community


and one of my all time favorite clips from a sitcom ever:



Hopefully those will hold us over until next week. At least Shameless is on tonight!

Until the next episode...
Chris

Saturday Show Recommendation!

I've decided that for the time being, I will recommend a show every Saturday that I think more people should watch. I think there are a lot of great shows out there that don't really get the press they should, and especially some of great sitcoms that are not 30 Rock or The Office.

So, we begin today:

If there is one show that you don't watch that you absolutely should...it is Community. Unless you don't like to laugh. In which case you should get yourself checked out...because there's probably something wrong with you. For real.

Community is a veritable smorgasbord of humor. Starting with the very well proven talents of: Chevy Chase (insert every funny movie from the 70s/80s), Ken Jeong (The Hangover, Role Models, Knocked up...), John McHale (The Soup) and John Oliver (The Daily Show) the show also brings some great young talents to the screen: Danny Pudi, Donald Glover and Alison Brie (Who you may also know from Mad Men). The jokes and extended metaphors are more-or-less non-stop and the backhanded stabs at current events keeps the show fresh every week.

The show centers around a study group at a Glendale Community College. The members come from different races, genders, age groups and every possible joke and awkward situation that arises from this is exploited. Perhaps my favorite thing about the show is that I think the funniest moments do not come from the proven comedians listed above, but from the newcomers. Donald Glover (Troy) and Danny Pudi (Abed) seem to me to be young unknown comic geniuses. They play a pair of unlikely best friends who seem to almost live in each other's brains. Every scene with them on the screen becomes instantly better and they are the primary reason for watching the show. That and Ken Jeong's absolute insanity as the Spanish (yes Spanish) Teacher "Senor Chang."

This will almost certainly become a cult tv show regardless of how well it does for NBC (it's currently in the 3rd season). Time for you all to get in on this show, and in fact, time to go back to the beginning of the series and take a trip through Glendale with the Spanish 101 studygroup.



Until the next episode...
Chris

Lil' Sebastian meets Tom and Jerry

I have to say, something felt like it was missing from Parks and Recreation this week. What was it? It was actually a who. Chris Traeager played by the ever lovable Rob Lowe. His character has brought an amazing amount of laughs to the show since he debuted last season and with him gone to Indianapolis, there seems to be a void on the show.

Anyhow, the episode centered around the Harvest Festival that Leslie has been trying to set up for ages. It is finally coming to fruition. But there is an issue...the carnival they have planned takes place on a sacred Native American ground where a huge battle took place. The chief of the current tribe pleads with Leslie to move the carnival, but after she refuses, he says he hopes his dead family members won't curse the Festival. "There are two things I know about white people - they love Matchbox 20 and they are terrified of curses."

Good laugh. But is it true? All of a sudden everything starts to go wrong at the Festival. Tom loses Lil' Sebastian (a tiny horse who is apparently a Pawnee celebrity) and then blames it on Jerry, there are power outages, the media keep trying to cause drama, etc. Whatever will they do?

In romance news, April tells Andy that she loves him. To which Andy response: "Dude, shut up! Awesomesauce!" and attempts to give her a high five. Amazing response, I think. She didn't like it. Ann Perkins tries to get over Chris by making out with a Ronnie from Jersey Shore lookalike. I'm not sure how this will go, and I'll say it emphatically: bring Chris back.

In addition to no Rob Lowe, this episode was also lacking another usual Parks and Rec gem: great lines from Ron. Where was the ultra conservative deadpan we've all come to love from Mr. Swanson? There were no great one-liners about meat, the size of the government, or anything else amusing. The closest it came was when he called everyone out on the Ferris wheel and when he leaves Jerry lost in the Corn Maze while he grabs a bratwurst.

In the end, Leslie convinces the Native American chief to come and remove the fake curse in front of the media, and to lend them a generator to put the power back on, and the festival is a big hit. Andy tells April that he loves her - "it's what makes the sauce so awesome" (amazing line).

Overall, this was not my favorite episode but it got the job done. Now we can move onto another Leslie Knope crazy plan, rather than focusing on the Harvest Festival each week.

Until the next episode...
Chris

Denim Denim Denim

I'm not quite sure when it happened, but the Jersey Shore has turned into the Ron and Sam show while the other people have been relegated to a cast of supporting characters. Sure, the two of them give a lot of drama to the show and through storyline for people to return to week after week, but enough is enough. It is pretty much like watching the most horrific traffic accident that you cannot look away from every time you turn it on. I want more MVP moments. I want Snookie falling off the boardwalk. I want "It's teeee shiiiiirt tiiiiimmmmemeeee" singing. But no go. Just drama drama drama.

Since I have just started this blog and there is no back story on here,

I'll just say that up to this point Ron and Sam have had a horrifically volatile relationship which focuses on unhealthy behavior and screaming. Three weeks ago (I think) when Sam finally chose to leave the house, I was actually afraid that Ron would both physically hurt her and himself. They're both already clearly emotionally abusive to each other. It is almost to the point that showing this to teenagers, etc, on tv seems to me to be a bit negligent on MTV's part, as this is shaping their ideas of what relationships are like.

Anyway, now that I'm done preaching, the episode. Sammy is back living in the house again and she and Ron are fighting about a guy that Sam apparently invited to a bar after she and Ron split. The whole situation is so convoluted that I have no idea who to root for in this fight. Sure, she probably shouldn't be flaunting a guy in Ron's face...but they broke up, right? I mean - SHE LEFT THE HOUSE and said she couldn't be with Ron! Actually, I can't really tell if they broke up, because they spend every minute together, still sleep together and still fight like crazy. That doesn't sound like people who are broken up to me. But, there are multiple times this episode that Ron says he doesn't want to be with a girl like Sam and that he thinks he doesn't love her anymore. I can't help but feeling if they could watch this show or the footage while the drama was going on - they'd see how ridiculous they look. It may be "good" TV, but it's hard for me to watch at times. We're clearly nearing a conclusion, and I hope for their sakes that they choose to go separate ways after the show. It's just not healthy at all.

In other news, the cast of supporting characters had some good moments this week too. Snookie and Vinny seem to hit it off finally as they go out for burgers. Snookie, of course, is entranced by the beer battered onion rings...a concept she'd apparently never heard of before. When the waitress tells her that they soak them in beer she enthusiastically responds with, "REALLY?!!" The budding romance is one that confuses me, but it seems like they have true feelings for each other, which is nice to see especially on a show like this.

Vinny and Pauly had some good moments also this week, although not as many as in previous episodes. They always seem to have some sort of standup routine going on as a review of things in the house. This episode's was the "Denim Denim Denim" routine. As Deena comes out dressed in a Denim jumper of sorts,

the boys begin to sing Denim Denim Denim over and over to the Mario Brother's theme song, while acting out video game moves. An actual light-hearted moment to an otherwise fight driven episode.

I believe that next week is the season finale and I can't wait for this season to be over. I know, I know, I just shouldn't watch anymore. But I have to see how the Sam and Ronnie thing ends up. SEE - this is what I mean about it being "good" TV. It is so horrific that I have to see it through to the end. I just really hope they don't kill each other.

Until the next episode...
Chris

Midseason Replacement Shows

Every year there are a bunch of midseason replacements - whether to replace a failing show, or to take the place of one that is going on hiatus. Some of the more famous ones from years past include: Grey's Anatomy (replaced Boston Legal), The Simpsons (replaced Booker), and All in the Family (replaced To Rome with Love) to name a few.

This season there are some very good new shows, some that need more time to develop and some that will not last very long at all. Here are just a few of the many that came out in 2011.

Leaders of the Pack

Shameless

This US spinoff of the UK show stars William H Macy and Joan Cusack among others. This is one of my favorite shows of 2011. It is funny, serious, exciting, dramatic, sexual, and many other things all at once. The series focuses on Macy's family - he is an alcoholic and his daughter played by the lovely Emily Rossum has to take care of the "kids" (she is just 21 herself). Joan Cusack plays a agoraphobic with seriously kinky sexual desires, and if I had a vote, she'd win a lot of awards this year. Must watch.

The Chicago Code
This "The Wire" wannabe is a new crime drama set in Chicago. It follows the chief

of police and her ex partner as they look to fight crime (especially corruption in an alderman's office). I'm not sure yet if a show like this can be as gritty as it calls for on network TV. That's what made The Wire so gripping - the fact that it was on HBO and could do/show whatever it needed to to get the message across. That being said, it's a fantastic show with great dialogue especially if you're from Chicago. The only thing that bothers me is that there isn't an authentic Chicago accent on the whole show (well, that and that the lead character is a Sox fan). I hope this show gets the ratings it needs to carry on.

Mr. Sunshine
Matthew Perry's new show Mr. Sunshine - which he also stars in - is a hit. Will it say on TV? Who knows. It seems to me that single-camera shows like this one and SportsNight from years ago have trouble finding an audience. That said, Perry and Allison Janney are absolutely fantastic together. The humor never stops in this show, and the dialogue is quick and witty.


On the way, but not there yet

Breakout Kings
This new A&E drama stars Domenick Lombardozzi from The Wire. It is about a group of convicts who work with the police to catch people who have broken out of prison. The show is good, but it is hard to believe a show like this when episodes wrap up neatly in an hour. I think the show would be greatly helped by having a storyline that runs through for a season - even if it is a back story. More about tracking those that broke out than catching them. That being said, the drama and characters do have an attractive quality about them, and I hope this can turn into a great show.

Fairly Legal
This is a new USA show starring Sarah Shahi (who I recognize very clearly from Season 1 of Alias).

She plays a former lawyer turned mediator who can get just about anyone to agree with her point of view and to see the light of the beauty of compromise. The show is a fun one, it will never be a great law drama, but it is fun to watch.


Need to pick it up

Off the Map
The new drama from Sandra Rhimes - creator of Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice.

I actually have started to like this show a bit more the past couple of weeks; however, I still think it tried to jump us directly into the middle of the jungle without a parachute and lacks a bit of focus. I think the writers want to keep the show moving and fresh, but one of the great things about a show like Grey's Anatomy or ER (et al.) is not the medicine, but the relationships with the characters. This we don't get in Off the Map. One of the characters has been diagnosed with heart disease and I could seriously not care less. That's not a good sign. I want to be invested in characters and I want to care what happens to them. I'm not there yet with Off the Map. Sure, the awkward moments and funny comments are enjoyable, and there is real drama with the medicine cases, but overall the show still isn't captivating for me.

Mad Love
The midseason replacement for Two and a Half men (after Charlie Tiger Blood Sheen stopped #winning) is Mad Love. It stars Jason Biggs (American Pie) and Sarah Chalke (How I Met Your Mother) as an unlikely couple that fall for each other in the first episode. It also centers around their two friends who just cannot get along. For the first episode, this was funny. Even the second. But now we're quite a few in, and I'm not sure how many times they expect to play the same scene over and over again with Biggs and Chalke being lovey-dovey and their friends hating each other. I can't see this show lasting past summer - if it even gets that far.


So, that is a wrap-up of a few of the new shows out there this season, there are many more, and I'm sure I'll get to them at some point.

Until the next episode...
Chris

Top Chef without Hootie Hoo

This week's Top Chef left us down to 4 contestants: Blais, Mike, Antonia and Tiffany. Gotta say, at the beginning of the show, NO WAY I would have picked these four to make

it through. Ok, obviously everyone had Blais...but the others? Where is Dale? Where is Marcel? Where is Angelo. Sure, at the beginning of the season there were people we all knew wouldn't make it this far: like Tre and Mike I....wait. Mike is still on the show? WTF, mate? Beyond his cooking - which almost always seems to just be second worst (enough to get by), his cocky attitude is beyond obnoxious and he makes me upset just watching him on tv. I can't even imagine competing against him. So, I go into this episode with huge bias that I'd like the other three to move on.

Anyway, onto the quickfire. Cooking 100 dishes consistently. The guys decide they wanna impress with a bolognese and homemade pasta. Not a bad idea - but nearly impossible to make consistently unless you sit there counting the noodles. The girls had more things on the plate (4 components), but the basic dish was all cooked together = consistency! From the beginning it was clear the QF would go to the girls. They were smarter about it, and far less cocky. They played the game well. As usual, Mike was his cocky self, dissing the girls and everyone else, but he lost, so that gave me some enjoyment.

Next they are told of their elimination challenge: cooking with conch. Now that's just fine - they're in the Bahamas. BUT. They had to put on snorkel gear and go dive for the conch before they could cook it. Sure.

This is normal for chefs from the US. Oh wait. No it's not. I kinda hate it when Top Chef turns into "Top Cheftestant vs Wild." I watch this show to enjoy the creativeness from the contestants...to see them scramble under pressure. Not to see them take off their shirts in the Bahamas. And, believe-you-me, there is not ONE chef this season who looks good without a shirt on. Poor form Top Chef. In fact, the only person who would look good without her shirt on is Padma, but Top Chef would never--wait, that's Padma without her shirt on! In a bikini. Mike, of course, pointed it out...but it was a very welcome surprise. Points for Top Chef here.


The cooking on the beach seemed really hard. Wind keeping the fires from getting hot, salt water dripping in their eyes, and just all forms of the elements in their way. I thought all the dishes looked pretty good - I loved Blais's innovation of the sweet potato thinly sliced as pasta. Tiffany's seemed the worst to me, she always seems to me to just not be at the same level as anyone else. I feel like to relate it to another field it would be to say that TIffany is like an allstar student, who just doesn't have the quite correct mindset to play in the big leagues. (Of course shes not a student and is far beyond that, but I find that she consistently just doesn't think through everything at the same level).

It became pretty clear to me that the win would be between Blais and Mike (most likely Blais), and the bottom two would be Antonia and Tiffany. But, as the judge's table began, they were much tougher on the chefs than they had been in the past. BUT then, out of nowhere...MIKE WINS. How did this happen? Mike is in the finals?! I am starting to hate this show at times. Although I think the big head he has gotten from this past week may come back to bite him in the final. (as you can tell, I really don't like Mike).

In the end, it is Tiffany going home. She couldn't hold her weight against the other chefs and this looks like the right choice. I really liked Tiffany on her original season, but she was not up to the same level this time, I felt. Maybe the competition was harder - maybe she has changed since season 7. Either way, this was probably the right choice.

Next week: finals. I'm excited. And I'll say it now...if Blais (and his oft funky hairdo) doesn't win, I think the world of Top Chef watchers will be disappointed. He lost it once in the final his year, and this season seems more or less like an excuse to get him a title. Time to step up and take what is yours, Richard.

Until the next episode...
Chris

Can I add a dash of Rod to this lady soup?

Glee. Regionals. What a great episode this was. It had everything a great Glee episode needs: drama filled romance, great one liners, and a whole lot of singing. It had so much singing, in fact, that it seemed like a Glee episode of 2 years ago - rather than the over complicated soap opera that the show has taken on a bit lately.

Anyway. There were 3 main sections to this episode. The romance between Kurt and Blaine, the romance between Finn and Rachele/Quinn, and the Regional competition. I'll take each in stride.

I have to say, the relationship between Kurt and Blaine took a nice turn this episode. At times Kurt can come off extremely preachy and really tends to do more harm to his campaign for equality than good when he acts like a spoiled child. This episode - however - had almost none of that. It was a love story, albeit between two men, and there was nothing catty about it. You could see the moment Blaine fell for Kurt when he was singing which led up to the famous kiss between the two of them that viewers have been waiting for for weeks. And finally the duet of Candles, which was fantastic, if you ask me. Good job, Glee. And the burial scene was great - poor Pavarotti - with Blaine telling Kurt, "You did win...so did I. We got each other out of this - that beats a lousy trophy, don't you think?" Collective "awwww."

Then there is the triangle of Finn, Quinn and Rachele. Coming into the episode, we had Finn/Quinn together and Rachele on the side. But there still seems to be something that can't pull Rachele and Finn apart.

It's pretty clear that Quinn is aware of this, and we see her stand her ground a bit this week. A friend of mine even went so far as to call her "evil" as she lays out the fact that she and Finn are together to Rachele. But I saw another side to her, she welled up a bit as she said it, almost as if she knows she's not after the right things. She seemed insecure to me. And rightfully so. At the end of the episode with Rachele singing her original ballad while Finn looks on, it's quite clear that not everything is over between them. Will the end up together? I can't really see a way that Quinn and Finn can work with the way they're moving the story line. I'm not really sure how I feel about that, as I have an objection to leading characters dating each other in principle (I think it makes every show worse), but I do think we will see some Finn and Rachele love coming in the next few episodes.

Now onto Regionals. The Sue Sylvester led group was a total letdown. After so much buildup to the Regionals, Glee really dropped the ball. Sure, the "Jesus is a Friend of mine" song was a bit funny, but I felt that overall the joke fell flat. Everyone's seen that youtube clip, but it didn't work as well on stage at the competition. The Warblers sang great, as always, and their performance was filled with even more Kurt/Blaine love as Blaine calms a nervous Kurt down and then shoves him into the spotlight to accept his applause after some great singing.

But the real story of the show was the original songs of New Directions. Lea Michele showed why we all love Rachele (even though in most episodes she's so annoying that we can't stand her). Why is that? Because that girl can sing. Her solo song "Get it right" was a fantastic ballad, and my oh my did she sing the crap out of it. Really well done. And directly following, New Directions showed off a more "rock" side with the "Loser like me." Loved the homage to the slushies at the end.

This episode was a winner not only because of the romance but because it got back to what Glee is great at - singing. I'd say 70% of the episode was in song, and that's why we all watch anyway. One downside, I am no Palin fan, don't get me wrong, I think the woman should be sent back to Alaska on a one way ticket, but Kathy Griffin is arguably someone I like even less. Her impression was too on the nose, it had no finesse and it was just as annoying as we've all become accustomed to from Griffin. Glee should be above things like that, and I for one think it is a poor form to have had here there.

Anyway, I still found the episode funny, and the other two judges more than made up for Griffin.

And Brittany, as always had some great lines:

-"I don't remember putting that in there" (about the dirt Sue puts in her locker)
-"My Headband" (her response to Shue's question - what's your favorite song?)
-"Headbands" ("What are these songs all about?")

And Sue: "Well if it isn't Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Fake-boobs."

Altogether, definitely worth a watch. Check it out if you can.

Until the next episode...
Chris

First Post

You know, I watch a LOT of TV.  There are hardly any new shows this season that people are talking about that I DON'T watch.  So, I figured, why not blog about it?

The reviews here are just my opinions and will likely not follow a set order.  They will be reviews of shows I found great, awful, or middle of the road - mainly based on what I have watched that day.

So there you have it.  TV Blog has begun.

And to celebrate the blog, here is a clip from last week's SNL.  I don't watch SNL any longer, but someone said the opening monologue was hilarious, and gosh darn it, it really was.  So, without further ado - Zack Galifianakis and his wonderful impressions:


watch here/

More soon...

Chris