An Update on the Frenzy That Is November Sweeps

Happy Thanksgiving, all! As always, I am incredibly thankful for my television shows and how they continue to bring such great joy to my life. Everything has started to wind down as the end of November draws near. Sweeps have been going on for the past few weeks, which has meant more pivotal storylines, and now the shows are in the process of airing their last episodes until January- the month which will signal not only the return of all of these Fall shows, but also the premieres of Season 5 of LOST, Season 4.5 of Battlestar Galactica, Season 7 of 24 (I remain hopeful for the upcoming season, especially based on this exciting promo, but Jack Bauer could be decidedly less badass after the disaster that was Season 6), and Season 1 of Dollhouse.

Friday Night Lights concluded with Episode 8, "New York, New York," in which Riggins took Jason Street to New York so that he could try to find a job as a sports agent and reunite with his son and girlfriend. Knowing that his "6," his best friend in the world, was leaving Dillon for a new life brought tears to Tim's eyes, which brought tears to mine. Jason's last words to him: "Texas forever." The same words Tim said to him back in Season 1, Episode 1, back when all that mattered was football. Things have changed so much, bringing us to these young men- one of whom has become a fully functioning paralytic with a baby boy and woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with, and the other of whom who is in his first mature relationship with a girl he loves and has colleges trying to recruit him. I am very much looking forward to seeing what the future holds for the Panthers

when FNL comes back in January.

Also finished is Bones, which ended on a not-very-spectacular note, with the episode, "The Bone That Blew." Even though the murder case was unremarkable, it was nice to see Ryan O'Neal again, who Dr. Saroyan hired to be a

science teacher for kids at the Jeffersonian. Bones came up with many reasons why she wanted him to be fired (which Sweets tried to psycho-analyze, of course), but when it came down to it, she said he could stay because she could see how much it mattered to Booth that Parker have smart people around him who could inspire him to learn things.

Heroes has had a run of very good episodes. We've had glimpses into the past, especially the Petrelli family. Sylar has quickly become the coolest character. He and Elle make for a fun team to watch. Hiro and Ando are using the wisdom of comic books to help them on their quest. Peter and Nathan have gone off to find the Haitian, who might be the only person with the power to stop Arthur Petrelli from taking over the world with the power serum that he has acquired. Except the eclipse has taken everyone's powers away, which has had the greatest effect on Claire, who was shot by Elle and is feeling pain that she never thought she would have again. So you know HRG is out for revenge on Sylar and his electric lady friend.

Chuck has been causing me no small amount of anxiety over my favorite geek and the return of his former girlfriend, Jill (played by Jordana Brewster). How quickly he forgot about his love for Sarah! But, of course, Jill turned out to be evil, Chuck realized that his trust was misplaced, and now things are back to fake-relationship normal. Next week, we meet Captain Awesome's parents, and I recently discovered that his father is played by Bruce Boxleitner! Lee Stetson, formerly of Scarecrow and Mrs. King, my first tv love.

Desperate Housewives went with their token, seasonal disaster. A fire, oh no! The only thing valuable that we learned from that was that Dave Williams' plan involves Mike. Revenge about something related to his time in prison, perhaps. Susan is back with Jackson, which I'm really curious about because of the aforementioned Gale Harold accident. Katherine is sleeping with Mike, which I think is lame because, as Bree perfectly put it, women don't do that to each other. Gaby has been dealing with a rich old lady who wants to control the Solis family with her money. I saw a preview in which a doctor told Carlos that his sight may be restored and Gaby doesn't want him to open his eyes and see her diminished attractiveness, which I am very intrigued to see.

Dexter rocked my world with this past episode. I thought I had pegged Miguel Prado (Jimmy Smits), and then I had the rug pulled out from under me. Dexter feels very betrayed, which cannot end well for the instigator of that betrayal... The wedding is fast approaching. Deb has been working tirelessly on the Skinner case was driven to solve it out of desperation when her new boyfriend, Anton, was taken and about to be killed. Do I see a shield coming her way? Harry has become incorporated into the story in a new way- Dexter no longer remembers the lessons of his father in flashback form, he envisions him in fantasy form as a sounding board for ideas in his head.

The Office. Pam is back so she and Jim can have happy in-love moments again. That's the only thing important to mention.

Grey's Anatomy has understandably been weirding people out with its Izzie-Denny love story. I am slightly ashamed to say that I have enjoyed it, but I admit that I'll take Jeffrey Dean Morgan in whatever way I can get him. There was some drama with the interns performing surgeries on each other to learn the procedures. Cristina and Dr. Hunt are slowly but sweetly being drawn together.

And, finally, I'd like to take this opportunity to honor Pushing Daisies, which is definitely at an end. Such a beautiful, heartfelt little show that presented love in a unique way that will never be replicated. I will miss the Private Investigator and Digby and adorable Olive Snook, but most of all I will miss the Piemaker and the way he loved the girl named Chuck. I hear the 13th and final episode concludes with frustrating ambiguity, but thanks to showrunner Bryan Fuller, we have the reassurance of satisfaction with a possible comic book series and feature film.

I'm not quite sure what my next tv plans are. Obviously I'll watch the last episodes of everything before the December break kicks in fully. I'm sure I will watch 1 or 2 new shows. Most likely The Wire and something else. My sister is pushing me to watch True Blood, but I don't know if I can resist comparing it to my already beloved vampire show. We'll see. 'Tis the season, for enjoying new television shows and all sorts of wonderful things.

Bones

I do have a few friends that have watched Bones from the beginning. Every single one of them is a Buffy fan, so I thought, "They're only watching it because David Boreanaz is in it. Who needs another procedural?" Then I became a Buffy fan and knew that I would have to watch it to see as much of that charming man as I could. I mean, have you seen him? ---------------->

Anyways, I put it on my list of "Shows to watch," which you'd think was pretty short, given how freakin' much I've already seen, but it's not... (about 20 shows to go, and always growing). Once I was finished with episode 3, "A Boy in the Tree," Bones had already exceeded all the expectations I had for it. It's funny and smart and sweet and ridiculous. The cases are never boring, although they are admittedly sometimes difficult to stomach- the man dissolving in the tub of lye, the woman smeared along an elevator shaft, many people that have had larvae crawling all over them! My favorite aspect of the show is, of course, the relationship between Bones and Booth. Anyone would say that. But, unlike most, I am perfectly content with the way things are. They are partners who have complete trust and would do anything for each other. There is definitely love there, but it doesn't have to be romantic to be special. Everything I see on the internet from fans is about wanting them to finally be together. But, if you watch the progression of things throughout the 3 and a half seasons, Booth and Bones each have different romantic interests coming and going- their partnership is the only constant. There have been little moments, as well as huge ones, that show how important they are to each other. Some of the best:

-When she made him mac & cheese

-When he gave her a Christmas tree

-When she was buried alive and he wouldn't give up until he found her and he ran to where she was and dug her out of the ground with his bare hands

-When they hug (every time)

-When he blocked her from a bullet

-When he allowed himself to be tortured because he needed to give her time to find him

Sure, their kiss under the mistletoe was fantastic. Would I be happy if they fell in love Absolutely. And the way they deny that they have feelings for each other leads me to believe that it will probably happen eventually. But I'm okay with what they have now. I would never want their partnership to be ruined if they slept together too soon or something like that. The important thing is how they have grown as individuals because of their working together. Bones is still socially awkward- much too rational and direct (which, by the way, Emily Deschanel plays perfectly- my favorite example being the one with the midget from the State Department, "See, even you don't want to hurt his tiny feelings...If a regular-sized person tried to intimidate you, you'd threaten to kick him through the window. But because in his case, it's an actual, physical possibility..."). Booth has softened her up by teaching her about the parts of the human experience that she can't understand from bones. He's still brash and instinct-driven, but she has made him appreciate the intellectual side of things.

As for romance, I am 100% in support of Angela (Michaela Conlin) and Hodgins (TJ Thyne). They care about each other so much, and I really hope they get back together soon. The rest of the supporting cast is great, too. I do miss Zach (Eric Millegan) because his awkwardness was hilarious (Zach: Sometime when you're not busy, I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions about sexual positions. Booth: If you even try, I will take out my gun and shoot you between the eyes). I have to concede, though, that I was spoiled on his involvement with the Gormagon killer in Season 3. As a result, I never let myself get very attached to him. I wish that I had not accidentally seen that secret online before I started watching because the impact would have been significantly more powerful. I used to be annoyed by Tamara Taylor's character, Dr. Camille Saroyan. She came in at the beginning of Season 2 and acted like she owned the place. I didn't like her relationship with Booth, either. Now, though, she has been fully integrated into the group, and I've started to really like her. This season has given her the opportunity to provide some comic relief as we see her interacting with all the interns coming through the Jeffersonian. My favorite was the tall emo guy ("You're bringing me down, Eeyore"). I think Ryan O'Neal has done a wonderful job as Bones' con man father, Max Keenan. He comes in and out of the story, always managing to provide an interesting perspective on Bones' character.

The best development in the show, since the end of Season 2, has been the psychiatrist element, starting with Stephen Fry in a recurring role and then bringing in John Francis Daley as a series regular. Putting Bones and Booth in "Partners Therapy" makes for very amusing moments with Dr. Sweets, who also helps on some of their cases with criminal profiling. In addition to being adorable, Sweets studies their relationship, talks them through their issues, and is able to say some of the things we, the audience, are thinking about our 2 beloved characters-

Sweets: Are you normally this protective of him, Dr. Brennan?

Bones: We are partners. Our lives depend on being protective of each other.

Sweets: And you feel the same way, Agent Booth?

Booth: Sweets, I can only hope that one day you know what a real partnership is.

My favorite episodes:

1) "Aliens in a Spaceship," 2.09- Bones and Hodgins get buried alive by the Gravedigger.

2) "The Man in the Fallout Shelter," 1.09- The Jeffersonian team is quarantined over

Christmas.

3) "The Girl in the Fridge," 1.08- Bones is an expert witness for the prosecution and has to show her humanity, not her intelligence, to convict a murdering, sex fetish couple.

4) "The Baby in the Bough," 3.12- Bones and Booth take care of Andy, a baby who swallowed evidence. (Awesome moment when the baby starts crying and Bones gets him to laugh by waving her fingers around saying, "Dancing phalanges!")

5) "The Wannabe in the Weeds," 3.14- Booth gets a stalker who tries to shoot Bones.

6) "Two Bodies in the Lab," 1.15- Booth gets hurt by a bomb meant to kill Bones. While he is in the hospital, she gets kidnapped and almost killed, but Booth saves her. At the end, she cancels a date to hang out with him in the hospital.

7) "The Woman in the Sand," 2.08- Booth and Bones go to Las Vegas where they uncover a series of organized crime murders. Booth goes undercover as a boxer to find out who is responsible.

8) "The Boy in the Shroud," 2.03- The death of a teenage boy reveals some harsh truths about

the foster care system and Bones' past.

9) "The Widow's Son in the Windshield," 3.01- With Zach gone off to Iraq, Bones doesn't seem to want to work with Booth anymore, but a new cannibalistic killer is introduced, which requires them to talk through things and reaffirm the value of their partnership.

10) "The He in the She," 4.07- Bones and Booth investigate the murder of a transsexual, once a male televangelist preacher with a wife and son who became a female preacher of an small church that welcomed everyone from criminals to homosexuals. This episode had a hilarious Cam + intern moment-

Vincent: Triangular pubis, no evidence of a ventral arc. The pelvic bone speaks, it says, "I be male."

Cam: The pelvic bone can say whatever it wants to say, this part here says female.

Vincent: What part's that?

Cam: It's called a vagina.

"Aliens in a Spaceship" video


One of MANY fan vids about these 2. I like this one a lot because the song isn't too sappy, plus it includes most of the amazing clips I could think of

Fringe & Life on Mars

I'm sorry it's been a quiet week from me- I have been enjoying another one of those intense marathons that consumes my time and thoughts, to the point that I can't really even think about any other show. I have to keep watching until I finish, even if it means missing a show or 2 and having to catch up later on my DVR. It's totally worth it, though, because I find that these connections I make with new shows are the reasons that my love for television continues to grow. I fully realize that shows are meant to be watched incrementally- one week at a time and with frustrating commercial breaks every 10-15 minutes- and I can see the value in that. Things have time to sink in, and you are forced to reflect and speculate as you wait the 7 days required to bring you to the next part of the story. I've met people who feel like it is too late for them to watch LOST because they weren't there in the beginning and trying to watch all 4 seasons would be a very difficult undertaking. But the benefit of a marathon is that you dedicate part of your life to this show and come out on the other side having experienced this whole other world of characters and their stories. So for the past 6 days, I have been in the world of Bones, only coming up for air to go to work. That meant that tonight, I got to watch my first episode on FOX with all the regular Bones-watchers. It was very exciting, and I have much to say about the show in my next post, but the purpose of this entry is to talk about new Fall shows.

Few will disagree with me, I think, when I say that the slate has not been very impressive. Not very many things were picked up, and of the ones that were, I only paid attention to a couple (I try to pretend like all the awful new comedies and reality shows don't exist because it makes me lose a little faith in humanity). I was interested in the much-hyped new show from J.J. Abrams, Fringe, and the remake of the British cop drama, Life on Mars. Much to my surprise, the results were the opposite of what I anticipated. I had doubts about how good Life on Mars would be because, in spite of the fact that I found the premise fascinating, the network saw the pilot and picked it up. However, they called for a makeover of the show several months ago- this meant new casting and new writing, which does not inspire a lot of hope. Just like when the release date of a movie keeps getting pushed back, you think it must be really bad if

they don't want people to see it yet. Well, I had always heard positive things about the British version, so I watched the pilot to get a feel for it. A modern-day cop named Sam Tyler gets hit by a car and wakes up in the 1970's in different clothes. He tries to wake himself up, but nothing works. He's still a cop. Everyone thinks he's crazy because he talks about the future. Occasionally he hears the sounds of a heart monitor. If he is in a coma, and everything around him is all happening in his sub-conscious, he doesn't know how to escape. He does the only thing he can- his job- hoping that something will show him why he is in 1973. I decided to go ahead and watch the American version, if only to compare it to the UK pilot and to see Harvey Keitel and Jason O'Mara and Michael Imperioli. I put it to my "5 episode test"- in my experience, I have been able to tell whether or not I am attached to a new show in 5 episodes or less. Sometimes I'll think a show is well-made or unique, but I have to get that feeling in my gut that lets me know that I care what happens to the characters. Life on Mars passed that test in episode 3, "My Maharishi Is Bigger than Your Maharishi," when Sam solves the murder of a Vietnam veteran who had realized that he was gay while he was overseas. He had a relationship with one of his fellow soldiers, and when they returned home, he wanted to stop living a lie and come clean to his wife and son. The other soldier killed him. Sam intended to tell the victim's wife the truth, but the son came into the room to hear why his father had been killed. Sam looked at the little boy and said that it was because of his bravery and honor that he had died. "Sometimes the most intolerant among us are also the most afraid." I also loved the next episode where Sam came into contact with his mother and had to protect her from a very powerful crook. Harvey Keitel, who plays Sam's boss, gave a great performance in that episode as a man whose life is being changed for the better by Sam's presence in 1973.

So Life on Mars caught me off guard in a good way. Fringe, on the other hand, turned out to be a surprising disappointment. As angry as I still am at J.J. about Alias, I will not deny that his visionary storytelling greatly appeals to me. I would not want to miss out on something just because I resent the way he dropped Sydney Bristow. After watching 5 episodes of Fringe, I am sad to see that he compromised his style because of network demands. What J.J. does well is serialized storytelling- characters evolve, events occur that have repercussions later.

Everything is connected, so that the viewer is required to stick with the show week after week, but the payoff is worth it. Well, I'm sure FOX said something along the lines of, "We want each episode to be self-contained so that the audience can watch anytime and understand what's going on." This is a valid wish, for just another procedural, but Fringe could have been more. Instead it's a boring and forgettable hour of television. The paranormal cases dealt with are not all that unusual and attention-grabbing. A man who controls machines and accidentally kills a bunch of people in an elevator crash. Brian K. Vaughan's Ex Machina comic book does it better. A silver cylinder appears at the site of an explosion and someone who can read minds kills anyone associated with it. A strange man with no eyebrows is introduced as "The Observer" of all these weird events. I was drawn in a bit by episode 2, "The Same Old Story," in which a woman gets pregnant, delivers her baby within minutes, and shortly after that, the newborn has aged 80 years and died. I will say this for it- the pilot was classic J.J. Granted, this meant that I totally called the ending (having Olivia's lover turn out to have a secret agenda that makes him the enemy of the FBI was so Alias Season 1 with Syd and Noah, a.k.a., "The Snowman"), but I enjoyed it nonetheless. It was also the only episode in which Anna Torv seemed to express any emotion whatsoever. I don't see how you can go from Keri Russell, to Jennifer Garner (and even to Evangeline Lilly, although I barely want to give any credit to J.J. for LOST because I feel like the props should go to Damon, who stays with his

projects), to Anna Torv. She gives a very uninvolved performance. She loses the man she loves and doesn't appear to grieve, so why should I? Joshua Jackson's character is charismatic, but I attribute that to his own personality, not to the material he is given. John Noble is funny at times as the insane, but brilliant, scientist who helps solve the cases. Mostly, though, he is just over-the-top and nonsensical. The writers clearly try to attract people's interest with "The Pattern," but that's just a ploy to make them believe that everything is connected in this show just as in all of J.J.'s other shows. I gave it a shot, but I was unimpressed.

Next time, Bones!

The ULTIMATE Post, Part 2

Okay, I'm back for the second round! At first, I thought I was a little weak, having to split my catch-up post into 2 parts, but then I realized that I had been working on that first one for about 4 hours... One more thing before I get started- Happy Election Day! I'm just glad it's finally here so that, whatever the outcome, the new administration can get to work trying to help our country (and the world- because after seeing firsthand how much Europeans care about who our President is, I know that America's actions affect everybody). And tonight, I will not even mind that Tuesday is a boring night, television-wise, because I will be watching my favorite news anchor, Brit Hume, doing commentary on the vote returns. Love that man.

Samantha Who?- For a show that I found to be so delightful in its first season, I'm surprised at how much it has gone downhill in Season 2. Granted, there have only been 3 episodes, and 3 not-very-funny episodes do not a Sophomore Slump make. But I was caught off guard by how little I was laughing because when I first started watching it last year, I was cracking up all the time, and I thought it was all due to the comedic talents of the actors. I mean no offense to the writers, but this show has never been very deep

in meaning, nor mind-blowingly witty. So I assumed, "Hey, you put Christina Applegate, Jean Smart, Jennifer Esposito, et al, in a show together, and BAM! instant funny." Those actors are still themselves- they still deliver their lines the same way and interact with each other the same way- but the material they have been given changed. Here's hoping they get it back.

Private Practice- A profound waste of Kate Walsh's talents. We were promised by Shonda that this show would cut down on the soapy drama in the characters' lives and instead focus on the medical cases. That's what makes Grey's so good and enticing- the doctors are responding to the medical situations that they face and learning from their patients. There's always drama in their lives, but it's secondary to the people they help everyday. Well, there is no visible transformation going on in Private Practice. There have been a couple intriguing, but not fascinating, medical crises to deal with- pregnant woman (played by Amy Acker, who is moving to me in whatever role she plays) induces labor at 6 months because the blood from the baby's umbilical cord is the only thing that will cure her dying 7-yr. old son; newlyweds come to Addison for help in getting pregnant and discover that they are brother and sister- and there is still too much ridiculous drama going on with the doctors themselves that I won't even try to explain.

I know from a critical standpoint that I should stop watching this

show immediately. Except I really like Kate Walsh. And Amy Brenneman. And I think this man is adorable ---->.

And I think this man is one

<---------- of the hottest guys on television (Don't judge me, I have a thing for older guys). Anyways! The point is, I'm having a hard time letting go. So maybe this one can stay on my slate as a guilty pleasure until it becomes too unbearable to watch (like Gossip Girl, which I decided to let go about midway through the third episode this season).

Pushing Daisies- It's been 1 year, 1 month, 3 days, and 7 hours since I fell in love with the Pie Maker and his friends. Bryan Fuller has a quirky magic that never gets old. You can see it when

you watch the tragically short series, Wonderfalls, just as you can see it in Pushing Daisies. I'm so happy that it is part of my life, although perhaps not for much longer- ratings have dropped this season, just as they have with many other shows that went off the air because of the Writers' Strike last Fall. It took so long for Chuck, Pushing Daisies, and others to return that millions of viewers had already forgotten about them and moved on (and, let me say, shame on those people!!!). So, yeah, PD needs people to tune in, or it will get the axe from ABC. And that would be an absolute crime.

My favorite episode this season was "Bad Habits." Olive had been staying in a convent (where she, of course, would go out to the hills and sing). One of her fellow nuns fell from the bell tower and died, so Ned, Emerson, and Chuck, went undercover to prove that the nun had not committed suicide. Their findings unraveled a scandal involving the convent's truffle business. I was also a big fan of the most recent episode, "Dim Sum Lose Some," in which the group investigated the murder of the owner of the local Chinese restaurant. Not only do I greatly enjoy the disguises, but they played poker with food! Betting with soy beans, it was a game of 5-dish draw (a full house of shrimp dumplings and beef pot stickers!). We saw the return of the controlling dog trainer, Simone, who has quite a way with Emerson. Also, Ned, with Chuck's

encouragement, decided he was ready to confront his past (when Ned was 9, his father left him at boarding school and never saw him again)- he met his brothers, and they had a cute group hug.

Ned: I'm glad Dad got so fun and creative with naming after I left. 'Goodbye, Ned. Hello, Mercutio and Ribald.'

Chuck: Maurice and Ralston!

Friday Night Lights- I often view FNL as the "Little Show that Could." Watch an interview with Kyle Chandler or Connie Britton, and you will forget that Coach Taylor and his wife, Tami, are fictional characters. Listen to someone talk about how filming works in Austin, Texas: they don't use any fake sets; they shoot their scenes in a single take; even though they have a script, the actors often improvise. All of these things contribute to a feeling of naturalism and authenticity that is unparalleled on television. Like, for serious, it's realer than a reality show.

FNL had a lot of people fighting for it last year when it was in serious danger of being canceled. NBC worked out a deal whereby Season 3 is airing this Fall on DirectTV, and then the episodes will be shown on NBC beginning in January. It's not very convenient, but I take my FNL how I can get it. Plus, I don't technically have to wait thanks to the wonders of SurfTheChannel. After seeing 5 episodes so far, I couldn't be more thrilled. It's as if Season 2 never happened. They have returned to the purity of heart that they had in their freshman season.

There have been a few significant changes-

1) Tami is the new principal of Dillon High School. She is struggling with the lack of funding for teachers, supplies, and building repairs, especially when she looks at the privileged lifestyle of the football team. She is also struggling with an often angst-y teenage daughter.

2) Matt Saracen has been replaced as QB1 (in his Senior year! such an injustice...) by a Freshman wonder boy, JD McCoy. To Coach's credit, he resisted the change as long as he could. JD's parents were pushy and annoying and kept trying to persuade him to play their son. He wanted to stick with Matt because Matt was his quarterback. He had won a State Championship with Matt, and they knew each other. But after Matt lost a crucial game, and the people of Dillon stuck a dozen "For Sale" signs in his front yard, he could not deny that this talented new kid might be better for the team. Plus, while I feel sorry for Matt, he and Julie are insanely close to getting back together. That couple = so freakin' adorable. He'll be okay.

3) Jason Street (Scott Porter) and Smash Williams (Gaius Charles) are on the way out. We love them, they were great characters, but they graduated. They are not the type of young men who would stay in Dillon forever. Each of them has a very special sendoff, worthy of their amazing character. Coach worked hard in his free time to help Smash get back into shape after his injury and to get into college. A couple weeks ago, Smash had a fantastic tryout and made it as a walk-on at Texas A&M. Jason Street is now the father of a little boy. He desperately wants to prove to his baby mama that he can provide for a family. Pretty soon, I gather, the 3 of them will be moving somewhere that Street can start fresh.

4) Lyla and Riggins are trying the whole relationship thing. She definitely brings out the best in that boy. He's not perfect, but he is crazy in love with her and would do anything for her.

The Office- In my view, Season 5 has been characterized by highs and lows. In contrast, Seasons 2 and 3 were consistently hilarious- "The Dundies," "Office Olympics," "The Fire," "The Client,"

"Christmas Party," "The Injury," Dwight's Speech," "Conflict Resolution," "Casino Night," "Gay Witch Hunt," "The Convict," "Traveling Salesmen," "The Return," "Ben Franklin," "Business School," "The Negotiation," "Safety Training," "Women's Appreciation," "Beach Games." I mean, look at those! That's 2 years of some of the most well-written stuff out there! There were very few disappointing episodes during that time. Season 4, on the other hand, was mostly disappointing, with a few stand-out episodes of greatness ("Money," "Chair Model," "Goodbye Toby"). This year, I think, has been equal parts hilarious and 'eh'.

High points:

-"Weight Loss"- At last, the moment we've been waiting years for, Jim proposes. We get a glimpse of the awkward but sweet chemistry between Michael and Holly (played by the

endearing Amy Ryan). Angela and Dwight have been continuing their affair amidst Andy's preparations for his and Angela's wedding ("I have a nice comforter and several cozy pillows. I usually read a chapter of a book, and it's lights out by 8:30... That's how I sleep at night"). Kelly goes to extreme measures to slim down for the company weight loss competition.

Kelly: I swallowed a tapeworm last night. It's going to grow up to 3 feet inside of me and then it eats all my food so that I don't get fat. And then after 3 months I take some medicine and then I pass it. Creed sold it to me. It's from Mexico. Creed: ...That wasn't a tapeworm.

-"Crime Aid"- Michael and Holly get distracted by the excitement of their relationship and leave the building unlocked, allowing everyone's stuff to get stolen. Michael decides to hold an auction, including a hug from Phyllis; Creed ("That's all-inclusive"); going out for a beer with Darryl and the warehouse guys right now; and imaginary Bruce Springsteen tickets. Phyllis gives Dwight advice about Angela ("She introduced me to so many things: pasteurized milk, sheets, monotheism, presents on your birthday, preventative medicine").

Grey's Anatomy- I think I came to an understanding about Grey's at the end of last season. If I don't hold it to lofty expectations, I don't get frustrated. That way, I can enjoy watching it for a purely entertainment value. Season 5 has featured several things:

-The (somewhat) stable relationship between Derek and Meredith. They're together. Now we're seeing the everyday problems associated with that.

-My favorite new friendship, Callie and Sloan. They laugh together, they have sex together, end of story.

-The introduction of polarizing trauma surgeon, Dr. Owen Hunt. McDreamy and McSteamy hate him because he acts like he's still in the desert patching up injured soldiers in the most quick and dirty ways possible. Cristina

thinks he's hot because he stapled his own leg wound without anesthesia.

-One surgery, in particular, that was very awesome. A domino transplant surgery. 12 patients- 6 donors, 6 recipients- that all had to go through with the surgery or the rest would drop out because this sick guy's son gave his kidney to this lady whose sister gave her kidney to this guy whose wife gave her kidney to this guy, and so on. Since it's Grey's Anatomy, there was drama that almost ruined everything, but it all worked out in the end and was quite touching, I thought.

-A particularly funny set of scenes in the dermatology section of the hospital where the doctors get massages in their free time and pour fruity drinks for people and rub each other with lotion constantly. Cristina, Izzie, and Meredith, become entranced by that simple kind of lifestyle they can't even imagine.

-Cristina's interactions with her interns never fail to make me laugh.

Deciding which intern to donate to George now that he is a resident- "I think I'll keep Lexipedia. She remembers many things. And she bathes, which is more than I can say for stinky 2 over there. Yeah, you smell."

Operating on pigs for trauma training- "Hey, no cute names! They're not pets, they're subjects. It's not our job to get all affectionate, it's our job to keep them alive. So I don't want to hear Wilbur or Babe. If you want to call them something, call them sausage. Or prosciutto."

There concludes my summary of what's been going on in television these past 2 months. In addition to Gossip Girl, I scrapped Ugly Betty from my schedule because I didn't care anymore. It was fun while it lasted, but they lost everything I used to like about the show. My next post will be about the new shows I put through my trial run to see if I would pick them up. One was victorious, one was a failure.

A taste of FNL- The Season 1 intro, which has some great clips from the show that give me chills

The ULTIMATE Post, Part 1

Hello, wonderful readers! It has been exactly 1 week since I returned from my European adventure. I feel well-rested after 3 months of exhaustion (totally worth it, though). In addition to lots of sleep, I have been steadily making my way through all the television that I missed while I was gone. I finished with all my shows a couple days ago and have since turned my attention to the new Fall shows that I have heard good things about. Almost done with those, so that post will come soon. By the time Sunday night rolls around, I will be just like every other tv-viewer again: watching shows one episode at a time and having to wait an entire week before the stories continue. To tell you the truth, I'm looking forward to it. It gives structure and normality to my life to be back on my tv schedule. I'm not even kidding, most of the time when I was traveling in Europe, I didn't even know what day it was.So here begins my quick (but remarkably thorough and poignant, of course!) recap of everything that went down over the past 3 months.

The Closer- This show has really started gaining in popularity and critical acclaim. It is for this reason, I'm sure, that the network ordered a bigger season and decided to split it into 2 halves of 10 episodes each. What they had been doing since Season 2 was showing 13 episodes in the Summer and then a 2-hour special finale in December. I loved this setup and thought it

worked really well. This new arrangement, though, means that we get more episodes, which can only be a good thing. So the first part of Season 4 aired from July to September. I would say that my favorite episodes were:

1) "Time Bomb," episode 10- They seriously stepped it up for the mid-season finale. The body of a teenager is found, which leads to the uncovering of a terrorist plot involving the dead boy and one of his friends at school. Brenda seems to have figured out everything, but as she is tying up a loose end, she realizes that a third boy was involved and that he was about to launch an attack on the mall. Her team goes into action to stop him, and Sanchez is shot while acting as a human shield for Lt. Provenza.

2) "Dial M for Provenza," episode 5- Lt. Provenza goes undercover and is hired by a woman (played by Jennifer Coolidge) to kill her husband. The evidence gets stolen, and hilarity ensues.

3) "Sudden Death," episode 7- Heartbreaking. Sanchez's younger brother is killed, so it becomes a very personal case that Brenda and the squad are determined to solve.

4) "Controlled Burn," episode 1- For the reasons that I mentioned in my previous post, mainly Jason O'Mara's return as Billy Kroelig.

5) "Split Ends," episode 8- The death of a hairdresser in Hollywood. I liked this one a lot because Brenda's parents were visiting, pressing Brenda and Fritz to set a date for the wedding and start having kids.

Mad Men- Season 2 presented interesting journeys for all the characters, and slowly but surely, the past was unraveled. We got to learned what Peggy went through in the hospital after she had her baby. We met another person connected to Don's former life as Dick Whitman. We saw some of what Betty's family life had been when she had to return home to see her father after he had a stroke. Pete's humanity was developed more, through his interactions with his wife, Trudy, and their attempts to get pregnant, as well as through his father's death in a plane crash (on an airline that Sterling Cooper represented). My favorite episodes:

1) "The Mountain King," episode 12- Don is AWOL from Sterling Cooper after his business trip to California. He stays there for a few weeks with an old friend, Anna Draper (the wife of the real Don Draper), remembering all the things he missed from his life and trying to decide what is most important when he returns to New York.

2) "Meditations in an Emergency," episode 13- Betty finds out that she's pregnant. Don finally comes home. Peggy tells Pete that he got her pregnant and that she gave the child up for adoption. The future of Sterling Cooper and its employees is uncertain after a merger.

3) "Six Month Leave," episode 9- Everyone is dealing with the news that Marilyn Monroe committed suicide. We see once again what kindred spirits Don and Peggy are.

-I thought this season was great, but I didn't love the first half of the season because Don's affair with Bobbie was very jarring for me. Don Draper is a fascinating man, but I like him the most when he's being honorable- which, to me, always seems to be when he's with his family- or when he's being brilliant- which happens when he's working on an ad campaign. I do not like him when he is having affairs.

Desperate Housewives-

The 5-year leap forward has created an abundance of material for them to address this year in Season 5, some of it good and some of it bad. I don't enjoy this season as much as I did Season 4, and certainly not as much as Season 1 (still one of the best stand-alone seasons of television that I've ever had the pleasure of watching). Nevertheless, I am invested enough in these characters' lives to continue watching, and I have found some of it to be very interesting. These are the current stories of each housewife:Susan- She and Mike are recently divorced. They broke up because, one night as they were driving to dinner for their anniversary, they got into a collision that killed the woman and child in the other car. Susan's guilt caused her and Mike to fight until they just couldn't be together anymore. Upset over the failure of her marriage to the man who was undoubtedly the love of her life, she began sleeping with the guy who was painting her house, Jackson (played by Gale Harold). At first, they both just wanted a physical relationship, but his feelings for her began to grow. When he broached the subject of his moving in, she refused. He realized that even though he loved her, she never wanted to be with him long-term, so he left. (This may or may not be the last we will see of Jackson, but it is for the time being because the actor was recently in a motorcycle accident and suffered severe injuries.) Meanwhile, Mike is still in the picture for M.J., his and Susan's adorable 5-year old son. In the last episode we saw, he began renting Mary Alice Young's old house right across the street from Susan so that he could be closer to his kid.

Bree- This woman has been through more than any of her friends, from Rex's death, to her alcoholism, to the terrible things her children have done. In flashbacks, we have seen that Orson went to prison for 3 years so Bree would forgive him for what he did to Mike. While he was gone, Danielle returned. She had gotten her life together and married a lawyer, and she took Benjamin away. Things really couldn't get worse for her. So, for some balance in Bree's life, Marc Cherry has improved her situation substantially. She runs a successful catering business with Katherine. She just released a cook book. Her son, Andrew, is working as her manager. Orson served his time in jail and has returned home. On the surface, everything seems to be great, but, up-close, her seemingly perfect life has many problems (Isn't that what this show is about, after all?). Her success has made her friends jealous. Katherine, in particular, resents her because they were supposed to be partners but Bree has gotten all the credit. Orson is mad that she didn't fight harder to keep Benjamin.

Lynette- Zzzzz. Oh, I'm sorry, what was I saying? Perhaps how bored I have been with

Lynette's story this season? Honestly, I don't understand how they could let Felicity Huffman go from having the best and most complicated arc in Season 1 that let her explore all the nuances of a "desperate housewife," to this snooze fest. Lynette's experiences in seasons 2-4 were intensely dramatic, bordering on ridiculous. Tom discovered that he had a daughter named Kayla from a one-night stand before they met. Kayla's mom died in a hostage situation at the local supermarket, during which Lynette was also shot, so Kayla had to come live with them. Kayla turned out to be a demon child that hated Lynette and pretended that she had been abused so that Lynette would get taken away. Tom decided to leave the advertising business and open a pizza parlor. Lynette quit her job, too, so she could help him run it. They hired a cook for the restaurant, and Lynette sort of fell in love with him. Lynette got cancer. A tornado demolished her house. It's just too much! But the alternative has been to make her story irrelevant. Oh no, her teenage sons get wild sometimes. Oh no, her husband is going through a mid-life crisis. Blah.

Gaby- And the winner of the "Housewife with the story I am not annoyed or bored with" award is...Gabrielle Solis! What a fantastic idea to take the stunningly beautiful woman who was all about the material things in life and to turn her into a mother, now too tired to worry about her appearance. We have gotten to see a whole new side of her, as she takes care of her 2 daughters and Carlos with more love than we knew she possessed. She hasn't completely changed, though. Upset that she was losing her social status, she and Carlos crashed a party at the country club. Bringing her blind husband in through the service entrance because she hadn't told him that they were not really invited, she wanted enough people to see her there so that they thought she was still somebody, but she stayed too long and Carlos was thrown out by security. We saw last week that Gaby's period was late. She was getting angry, and her daughter Juanita asked her why: "Mommy has a friend who visits her every month, and she's late. And that's bad because she's the one who assures me that you won't get a baby brother or sister. Mommy really misses her friend, and Mommy's going to be sad if she doesn't show up soon. Now go downstairs and play, Mommy has some praying to do." At the end of the episode, Carlos told her that he was hoping they would have a baby boy. After seeing how much Gaby has grown as a person, I hope that happens, too.

-Unfortunately, Nicollette Sheridan and Dana Delany have been vastly underused this season. Edie returned to Wisteria Lane after her expulsion 5 years ago because her new husband insisted that she mend her relationships with her former friends- and bringing her back seemed to be just an excuse to introduce him. This husband, Dave Williams (played by Neal McDonough), is our obligatory dose of creepy this season. All we know about him is that he recently got out of a mental institution because he has rage issues. He puts on the air of a very calm guy who wants to assist everyone on the road to self-improvement, but he has released his irrational anger a couple times. We don't know why he wants so badly to be on Wisteria Lane, but he has a plan that somehow involves being in a band with Tom and Mike. Katherine has not had anything to do this season except to resent Bree. It's so tragic- I want more Dana Delany!

Brothers & Sisters- I am sad to say that I have not been drawn in by Season 3. It's the kind of thing where I will watch it if I have time, but if I miss it, I probably will just read the recap the next day. Kitty and Robert are in the process of adopting a child. Justin and Rebecca are in the early stages of their relationship. Kevin has quit his job at his law firm because he wanted to make partner but his bosses were having issues

with the fact that he's gay. Sarah quit Ojai and is now adjusting to being a stay-at-home mom. Saul quit, too. The entire Walker family is curious about Ryan, but we haven't met him yet. (They're saving him for November sweeps, of course.) Whatever...

Dexter- The best aspect of this show is still (and will forever be) Michael C. Hall. Nobody except Dexter has anything particularly interesting

going on. Deb still wants to get her Detective badge. Some cop girl keeps trying to get her to spy on one of her fellow officers. She keeps denying that she will ever be a rat. Angel made Sergeant. Masuka wants more respect. Nothing of consequence for any of them, really. Dexter, on the other hand, is dealing with something huge- he's going to be a father. This took a long time for him to come to terms with. How could a man with no emotions help raise a child and teach him/her anything about life in this world? But he's sticking by Rita and preparing himself for the responsibility because, in spite of his sociopathic nature, he knows that he is not completely bad man. He would do anything for Rita and Cody and Astor and his future son or daughter. He even proposed to Rita and is getting ready to join his new family in a new house, knowing that he will have to sacrifice the freedom and independence he has always possessed. On the "Dark Passenger" side of things, Dexter accidentally killed a man in the premiere who got in the way of getting his intended victim. This man turned out to be Oscar Prado, the younger brother of Sheriff Ramon Prado and Assistant District Attorney Miguel Prado. Miguel (played by Jimmy Smits) has remarkably become the closest thing Dexter has ever had to a best friend. The crazy thing is that he understands who Dexter is- he does not know that Dexter killed his brother, but he knows that he brings bad people to justice- and believes that he is doing good. I wish that there were more interesting storylines for the supporting characters, but I guess you can't ask for everything.

Chuck- I am absolutely loving Season 2 of Chuck.

It is my probably my favorite show at the moment because, somehow, they have gotten me to the point where I am in love with every single character and care so much about what they are going through. All the episodes have been as enjoyable as the last, not to mention an impressive list of guest stars, from Nicole Ritchie and Ben Savage in "Chuck vs. the Cougars," to Michael Clarke Duncan in "Chuck vs. the First Date" and Michael Strahan of the NY Giants in "Chuck vs. the Break-Up." I don't know how long he will be staying for, but Tony Hale (Buster from Arrested Development) was introduced last week as the new Assistant Manager at the Buy More. He is hi-larious. If I had to pick, I would say my favorite episode thus far has been "Chuck vs. the Seduction," in which Melinda Clarke from The O.C. played a

woman called "The Black Widow," whom Chuck was supposed to seduce. A suave, older gentleman agent came in to help Chuck on his romance tactics. Everything this season has been building towards a way to get the Intersect out of Chuck's head, even though we know that once that happens, Casey has been assigned to kill Chuck because he knows too much of the government's secrets.

(In other Josh Schwartz news, I have abandoned his other show, the ever-trendy Gossip Girl. I just can't take anymore of the ludicrous web of relationships and teen angst and the struggles of that unfortunate life on the glamorous Upper East Side. I do miss Chuck Bass, though, so I read the weekly recaps to see how much tension there can be between him and Blair.)

Heroes- Welcome back to the show I became addicted to in its spectacular first season! Everything has been turned upside down: there is a formula for a drug that gives abilities to non-heroes. Mohinder has taken it and is now quite powerful, and evil. Mr. Petrelli was revealed to be the top villain- he steals people's powers. For Adam Monroe, this meant that he disintegrated from his supernaturally long life (Farewell, David Anders! It was nice while we had you!). Peter Petrelli is now powerless. Sylar appears to have had a change of heart after discovering that he is actually a Petrelli. With this newfound family, he has started trying suppress his hunger for understanding and power and has (almost) stopped killing. He has been working for the Company as HRG's partner, hunting down people with dangerous abilities. As much as I love HRG, he keeps trying to kill Sylar, refusing to trust that he, or anyone else, might have changed. This has begun to make Claire doubt her father (I have disagreed with some of his decisions, as well, but he reminds me too much of Spy Daddy to make me question his motives- those kinds of dads always want to protect their daughters first and foremost). As for Sylar, I would say that I think this change of heart is all an act to acquire even more powers, but Peter went to the future and Sylar was a sweet, loving father of a little boy. I don't know what's going on with Claire. In the future, she was a cold-hearted killer. Her disillusionment is happening gradually. Ali Larter has lived on, but not as Niki- she is her sister (separated at birth) and has the ability to freeze things. Nathan survived being shot (by Future Peter, as it turned out) and believes that he was saved by God. He is now serving the people as the Junior Senator from New York. Matt Parkman, usually a moral compass, is now a bit of a wuss. He went on a spirit walk in Africa and saw his future in which he was the father of a baby girl and was married to the speedster, Daphne. In the present day, though, she is a

villain working for Mr. Petrelli, and Parkman wants so badly to get to that happy future that he is allowing her to trick him into thinking she has changed her ways. Wake up, Parkman! With everything that's gone on, it's hard to distinguish between who is good and who is bad, a line that Heroes has always blurred, especially in this, its Villains chapter. The only person I have faith in is Hiro, who is still trying to pursue his destiny as a hero who saves the world.

-The coolest thing about this season: we finally learned Mrs. Petrelli's power! She dreams the future. That is awesome.

Coming soon: my take on Samantha Who?, Pushing Daisies, Private Practice, Friday Night Lights, The Office, and Grey's Anatomy