Dollhouse

I wrote an article for my college newspaper about Dollhouse, the new show from Joss Whedon, which aired its first episode last Friday night. Unfortunately, when I get going about television in general (and Joss' shows in particular), it's difficult for me to stop writing. The result: 1,600 words where 600-800 were asked for. I understood that I was going to have to cut it down, and it would break my heart. So here it is, in its entirety: my take on Dollhouse.

Enter the Dollhouse

"Nothing is what it appears to be." These are the first words uttered in the new series from Joss Whedon, Dollhouse. Even after you know the show's premise, there are layers of meaning to uncover and understand.

Anyone who has ever seen a Whedon show, whether it be Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, or even just the 45-minute internet musical series, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, will be used to his style: what happens on the surface may seem fantastic in the sci-fi geek sense of the word, but the truth of the message is an intimate study of the human experience. And this is all done in a way that is full of Whedon's characteristic wit and imbued with Classical storytelling themes. When it comes down to it, his shows are all about good versus evil, and the moral gray area in between. Dollhouse is no exception. The story is about a secret company that will fulfill people's deepest desires with the use of Actives--human beings who reached a place in their lives where they became willing to sign themselves over to "helping others." Calling them "volunteers," however, is a bit of a stretch because, from what I could sense of Echo, the words "actions have consequences," as they pertained to her when they were said in the first scene, meant "go to jail" or "start a new life where your past actions mean nothing." Of course, they could not fully comprehend what they were agreeing to because it would have seemed unfathomable that their personalities were going to be completely deleted, leaving them with no history and no identity. They have become, in effect, "dolls" who can be imprinted with a new personality every time they are hired out to a client. They can fulfill any need and possess any skill to satisfy that client. At the end, their experiences are erased from their minds, and they return to their everyday lives of contentment and emptiness in the Dollhouse.

On the logistical front, production difficulties have plagued Dollhouse from early on. Delays and rewrites were announced several months ago, which is never a good sign for a show that you are excited about. FOX relegated Dollhouse to a Friday night timeslot (basically a big announcement that they had little faith in it to attract an audience). The only upside of this is that their expectations are probably not too high, so even if ratings are not stellar, they might keep it around for a while. The pilot episode pulled in about 4.5 million viewers--a respectable number under the circumstances.

I think Dollhouse will be safe for at least this 13-episode first season and a pickup for Season 2. Beyond that, its numbers, critic reactions, and fan response will determine its fate. Why do I feel so sure about its survival at present? Because "Save Dollhouse" campaigns were started by Whedon fans about a year ago. Because in 2002, Whedon had a show on FOX called Firefly about a band of rebel outlaws trying to survive in space (it has since become a cult favorite, complete with its own nationwide events called "Browncoat Conventions," and the 2005 sequel film, Serenity). Firefly was canceled after only a handful of episodes. It was such a cold-blooded act on the part of the network that Whedon has not worked with FOX again until now when the people that made that decision have been replaced. Replaced by people who know that Joss Whedon is one of THE creative geniuses of television. That he brings out the best in other creative geniuses like actors Eliza Dushku and Amy Acker and writers Jane Espenson and Tim Minear who have worked with him for years and are working with him now on Dollhouse. And that if they cancel Dollhouse before it has had a good, long run of episodes, all those responsible at FOX will be trampled by a stampede of Whedon fans.

In the pilot episode, "Ghost," the Active Echo, played by Eliza Dushku (Faith of Buffy/Angel) becomes a hostage negotiator for a man whose daughter has been kidnapped. Dushku is a very strong actress and, as a self-described ADD person, this role is perfect for her because it allows her to explore new characters every week. At the same time, she has to develop Echo as a character. This is obviously a difficult task since an Active, by definition, has no "character" to speak of. Nevertheless, even in the first episode, there were a couple of indicators that her character will evolve in very subtle ways. For starters, she had a single, brief flash of a memory that was accidentally not removed (or that was, but she remembered it anyway). In addition, Echo showed an innate curiosity. She wants to understand the people around her, not just live a meaningless existence in the Dollhouse. She also seems to be seeking the approval (beyond a simple robotic obedience) of the people she comes in contact with--like even though she has no recollection of her former life and whatever pushed her so far to the edge of the cliff that she saw no other option than to sign her life away, she wants to be redeemed.

Other characters introduced were Langdon, a former law enforcement agent who now works as a handler for the Actives. He watches from afar while they are on missions to ensure their safety and their ignorance about the jobs they are performing. Topher is the techie of the operation--the guy who handles the computers and the mind-wiping process. Adelle DeWitt is the person in charge. She's British, she's cold, and she's controlling. In the future, we are sure to learn more about the person beneath the perfectly posed exterior. But now she just gives me chills. Finally, FBI agent Paul Ballard (portrayed by Tahmoh Penikett, the stalwart moral compass of Battlestar Galactica) is the man in charge of the investigation to find the Dollhouse. He was only in a couple of scenes in the first episode, but his desperation is already apparent. Whether he wants to free Actives from their state of servitude, to bring to justice those responsible for creating the whole system, or to do something else entirely, I do not yet know, but I could potentially foresee him ending up like Langron--someone who becomes involved in the process and serves as a force of good. A protector of the dolls. A person genuinely concerned with helping people. I could be reading too much into all of thise, having seen only an hour of the show so far. However, I feel pretty confident in saying that I know Joss Whedon;s work very well. It is a primary contributor to my love of television. It's the kind of television that I can (and have) discuss with people and theorize over for hours. What I understand already is enough to keep me watching Dollhouse because Whedon payoffs are the best kind. They hit you like a ton of emotional bricks, making you feel like you are bursting with happiness, and destroyed by perpetual sadness, all at the same time.

Most of the reviews for Dollhouse so far have been mediocre, calling it "imperfect but intriguing," or saying that Echo's ever-changing personalities will make it hard for people to become invested in her story. The pilot episode did have a few forced plot constructions in it--Topher conveniently explaining to Langdon (but more to us) about how the imprinting process worked when the latter had probably been working there long enough to know that stuff; one of the kidnappers just happening to be part of Echo's imprinted identity's past, leading to new obstables and revelations that would not have been there otherwise. That seems unimportant to me, given that it was still a great first episode that definitely leaves one yearning for more. The review in the New York Times claimed that Dollhouse was not compelling, that the universe created thus far is "thin and bland," and Echo is "presumably so named because she can only repeat her programmers' words." Really, New York Times columnist? You think that's why? You don't think that she is just named Echo because, like her fellow Actives Sierra and Victor, she was assigned a name from the NATO standard alphabet? That could give the Dollhouse a possible military connection. Or it could just be a simple, clinical system of nomenclature. OR, if you broaden your thinking for a moment, this Active in particular could be called Echo because of the story recorded in Ovid's Metamorphoses about Echo and Narcissus. She was a pretty nymph who was cursed by the jealous goddess, Juno, to only be able to mimic what others have said. She has no free will. She is trapped in her mind with her thoughts and no words to express them, which becomes even more painful when she falls in love with the perfectly beautiful Narcissus. That perspective could lend a little more depth to the name "Echo" than just the fact that "she can only repeat her programmers' words."

So, as for me, I'll be watching intently every week. I have accepted that the first few episodes will be very self-contained with only a tiny dose of complicated serialized stuff. That is to be expected in the beginning. They needz to bring in the viewerz. But, straight from interviews with Eliza Dushku and Joss Whedon, episode 6 is where everything starts unraveling. And I can't wait.

A Brief History of EVERYTHING (By which I mean, the last few weeks)

Okay, so this was a super stressful week of classes, and more is still to come next week. That means that today and tomorrow are all about giving the ol' brain a little downtime. But I have a lot of catching up to do on my blog. My solution: delivering my thoughts to you in incomplete sentences, which is probably not what my shows deserve because they have been stellar the past few weeks. Props.

In alphabetical order so as not to show favorites (even though LOST is by far my #1)-

Battlestar Galactica-

Frakking with my mind. 2 intense weeks in a row when Gaeta (whom I loathe with every ounce of my being) staged a takeover of Galactica with the help of Tom Zarek. Things starting to slow back down as we learn more about the history of the "Final Five" Cylons. This past episode was all about the background that, having been revealed, brings the entire series into a new clarity. The EW recap by resident BSG expert Marc Bernadin sums it up perfectly:

"It was as if some hidden vault of information opened up in front of me, kind of like the Ark of the Covenant, and by the end of the hour, it melted my face off... And there were so many little touches. Anders' pre-op ramblings ('All the forgotten faces, all the forgotten children, we speak a forgotten language. The mind is its own place. The Hell of Heaven.'); Ellen the Machine Goddess offering Boomer the apple of knowledge; Roslin passing the mantle of leadership to Lee; Tigh laying his head on Caprica-Six's swelling belly. At the end of the day, you know why I loved this episode so much? Because I earned it. We all did. All of us who've been watching, faithfully, from the very beginning. It was like finally getting to the 'mystery solved' speech in a Sherlock Holmes yarn. We've put in the time, and now here's our reward. Now we know the truth behind the Cylons but knowing is half the battle."

Bones-

Follow-up to Season 2 milestone, "Aliens in a Spaceship." Booth escaped with the help of a ghost, a young soldier he fought alongside. Bones swooped in to save him. Creepy Gravedigger (turned out to be a woman, who saw that coming?) taken down with the help of Little Booth, Jared. Not as emotionally gripping as its predecessor but still great. Nothing beats the beginning of Angela-Hodgins love. Or the Booth-running-and-digging-Bones-out-of-the-dirt scene.

Burn Notice- Moving kinda slowly right now. Not that I have a problem with that because there is lots of Michael-Fiona cuteness. I am looking forward to some intense action going down between Michael and Carla soon. And I read something about finally finding out WHO burned him?

Chuck-

Post-Super Bowl episode in 3D. Except only barely so as not to exclude people without 3D glasses. Kind of a disappointment on that front. Awesome on the guest star front, though. Dominic Monaghan as a rock star being hunted by terrorists.

The Closer- Wedding of Brenda and Fritz happening soon. Lots of good episodes since it came back in January. Sanchez dealing with the fallout of his gunshot wound. Provenza being his awesome self. Last week had another Billy Kroelig-type creepy bad guy who got away with multiple rapes and a murder. Gives me chills but hope to see him again. Next week has Amy Sedaris as Fritz's sister.... Sweet!

Desperate Housewives-

Eh. Lynette continues to wear me down with her dismal storyline. Bree has nothing interesting going on. Gaby is trying to get her old self back- complete with excessive amounts of money and a hot body- but realizing that she should leave some of her less attractive former personality traits behind (we'll see how long that lasts). Susan is ridiculous. She doesn't deserve to get Mike back. Dave's masterplan seems to be at a standstill.

Friday Night Lights-

The DirecTV run ended, leaving us with no assurance that there would be a Season 4. If there isn't my heart will be broken, especially since Season 3 was spectacular in every way. Perfect exits for Street and Smash. Matt/Julie and Tyra/Landry reunited.

Life wasn't all happiness, though because JD's father was the worst kind of scum and got Coach Taylor fired. The Dillon school board offered him the position at the about-to-reopen East Dillon as the Head Coach of the Lions. Whoa. Switching my loyalties away from the Panthers will be a difficult adjustment, for me and all the characters on the show. Which is why there needs to be a Season 4 so that we can see what happens next.

Grey's Anatomy-

Lots of dramatic buildup to a Meredith-Derek proposal. Private Practice crossover didn't do much for me because I hadn't been watching Private Practice and neither knew nor cared who Archer was. Mark has definitely become a better man thanks to Lexie's influence, and their flirting is adorable. Owen-Cristina interactions have me hooked. Don't care about anybody else.

Heroes-

My once-great love for Nathan and HRG has disappeared almost entirely. Hoping some hidden layers are there that I don't see. Sylar as a mentor to a young boy is twisted but fascinating. Rest of the heroes are having to band together to hide from the Hunter/stop Nathan from this hypocritical persecution.

How I Met Your Mother-

Has lost a little of its magic from previous seasons. I might retract my judgment in retrospect, but I'm just not enjoying these episodes as much as I used to. Funny aspects remain (almost all revolving around Barney), but not with the same mixture of humor and sweetness.

LOST-

People on the island- Sawyer, Juliet, Daniel, Charlotte, Miles, and Locke- have been flashing through time. Good opportunities for us to learn more about the island's history as we have seen the period when the Dharma Initiative was active. Returned to events we have already witnessed- Claire giving birth to Aaron; pillar of black smoke. Desmond working in the hatch.

Rousseau arriving with her team, pregnant with Alex. Jin came back after floating in the water on a piece of wreckage. Charlotte died from time-travel sickness. Desmond and Penny are married and living on a boat with their son, whom they named Charlie (*tear*). Faraday came to Desmond in the hatch and told him that the on-island people needed his help. In the present-day, Desmond woke up and remembered that it had happened all those years before. Now looking for Daniel's mother=Mrs. Hawking=First name, Eloise, so potentially the same person as the young Ellie who is part of Richard Alpert's band of "hostiles" (along with a young Charles Widmore). Ben trying to get the Oceanic Six back to the island. What he will gain from getting them back, I don't know... Jack is fully on-board because he has finally come to accept that his destiny lies on the Island. Kate is angry. She wants to keep Aaron away, but she should come around soon because she will follow Jack to the end of the world. Sun is willing to go back because Ben gave her proof that Jin is still alive (How will Jin react when his wife brings his baby girl, Ji-Yeon, to that place?). Hurley is in prison. Sayid is the biggest holdout because he resents Ben for making him kill people. I can't wait to see the reunion between the 2 groups.

The Office-

Post-Super Bowl episode, "Stress Relief," definitely full of moments of high hilarity. Overall, not the greatest episode ever (I still argue that "Money" has been the only hour-long to successfully maintain a great story that is consistently funny). Favorite parts were with Andy, thinking that Pam & Jim were really insightful about the movie they were all watching together, even though they were talking about something completely different. 2-part episode, "Lecture Circuit," was awkwardly wonderful. Michael and Pam traveling to other Dunder-Miflin branches. The hope of a Holly Flax reappearance was dangled and then snatched away. Soon, my friends. Soon. Back in the Scranton office, Jim and Dwight trying to function as the party planning committee. Angela licked her cat.

Burn Notice, etc.

Last week, I watched the first season and a half of Burn Notice in time for the midseason premiere on Thursday night. By that point, I was way hooked on this fun and exciting show about a spy named Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) who has been "burned," which means that he not only lost his job but is also stuck in Miami so that the government can keep an eye on him. He doesn't know who put out the burn notice on him--or why--but he is determined to find out. And until he does, he makes his living doing odd jobs to help people who have been wronged and cheated. This often involves him going undercover and making nifty gadgets out of toothpaste and cell phones. Michael is like the hotter version of MacGyver. He has some help with his work from an old spy buddy of his, played by the incomparable Bruce Campbell. Sam preys on wealthy divorcees and widows, but he's got a good heart. He and Michael have saved each other's lives on more than one occasion. Also in the mix is one of Michael's ex-girlfriends, Fiona. She likes any excuse to shoot/beat someone, but her devotion to Michael is clear. It looks like that will be paying off for her very soon because, as much as Michael says they were never good together, the chemistry and tension between them has been building for some time. Michael's mother and brother live in Miami, too, providing many uncomfortable moments for Michael but showing another side to his character.

Season 2 features the loveliest of the Cylons, Tricia Helfer, as part of a powerful organization that basically controls Michael's life right now. She is his handler, sending him on mysterious errands. He plays along to protect his friends and family, in addition to helping him find out the truth about his burn notice.

Other stuff:

Bones returned last week with double episodes of awesomeness. The circus episode, "Double Trouble in the Panhandle," was so joyous because Booth and Bones went undercover as knife-throwers named Buck and Wanda Moosejaw. Best moments: When Booth was doing their act in front of the crowd and he was so nervous about hitting Bones but she kept making him aim at smaller and smaller targets. When Booth drove a motorcycle with Bones in the sidecar!!!! It doesn't really get any better. The second episode indulged David Boreanaz's

love of hockey. The case itself was not very intriguing (the guy confessed at the end without putting up a fight at all!) But at the end, Booth takes Bones ice skating and they hold hands and he says he would never let her fall... :) Next Thursday's episode sees the return of the Gravedigger, with Booth as the victim this time. I predict that my heart will stop at least once and that tears will be in abundant supply.

In my next post, I will recap the thoroughly amazing time-traveling extravaganza that is the beginning of Season 5 of LOST.

Also, does anyone have any suggestions for what my next new show should be? It can be currently airing or not. I'm thinking The Wire, House, or Six Feet Under. Hmm...decisions, decisions.

The Beginning of the End: Battlestar Galactica

It's been a very long time since the fleet's hopes (and ours) were shattered by the revelation that Earth was not the Promised Land. For 3 years, Galactica has been searching the galaxies far and wide to find a home for the remaining 40,000 survivors. They have endured Cylon oppression, personal loss, political upheaval, and everything else imaginable, but they knew that everything would be okay once they found Earth. At first, most people didn't even believe in the prophecies that told about the lost planet of the 13th tribe. But President Roslin's faith was unwavering. And soon everyone believed.

So where do they go from here? In the case of last night's Season 4.5 premiere, many have simply given up. Dee left the desolate planet, sobbing, but once back on Galactica seemed like she was optimistic. She had a heart-to-heart with Lee, they enjoyed a fun night together, Lt. Gaeda noted that she was "glowing," and then she shot herself. I have not felt such a physical and emotional upheaval in a long time. After that, everything just seemed to be crumbling. President Roslin burned her book of prophecy one page at a time. She skipped her cancer treatment and couldn't have cared less. Admiral Adama was walking down the halls of the ship as his crew was fighting and crashing around him. When Laura shut him out, he got very drunk and tried to enrage Tigh so that he would shoot him. Death would have been a welcome presence on Galactica, and that was more shocking to me than the truth about Earth.

The Cylons were having an alternate experience than the humans. They lingered on Earth because, looking around the wreckage, they were having flashbacks to their previous lives.

2000 years before. On Earth. It would seem that the 13th tribe was made up of Cylons because the remains found, although they appeared to be human bones, were later confirmed by Baltar to be Cylons. No human bodies found anywhere.

Except for 1. Starbuck went off on her own search for the source of some signal, accompanied by Leoben, and started finding pieces of her Viper. Then she found the cockpit with a body in it. Completely charred, but with some leftover blonde hair. And around the neck, her pilot tag and wedding ring. She made a huge bonfire and burned what was left of the body, perhaps afraid of the implications if someone else found it. Then she would surely be thought to be the Final Cylon. I haven't entertained the possibility of Starbuck being the Final Cylon for a long time. I was positive that she wasn't, even after she came back in the brand new Viper. I admit, last night, I started to have my doubts. But then Tigh walked out into the sea, contemplating the idea of letting the tide carry him away, and he stopped, because he had a flashback. Ellen was there. On Earth 2000 years before as the nuclear attack was happening, she told him not to worry because they would be reborn together.

So the big reveal happened. I'm not sure how I feel about it at this point. On the one hand, I trust Ronald D. Moore unconditionally. He has never disappointed me before. This is probably the closest thing to a perfect show that I will ever see. And yet, I can't understand what the implications are of Ellen being the 5th. When we saw at the end of Season 3 that Anders, Tyrol, Tigh, and Tory, were Cylons, that was a huge deal because they were all intimately connected to the fleet. Now that we know Ellen is one, it explains some things about her character and actions, perhaps, but who will this matter to except for Saul? That has not been determined, so I withhold my judgment until everything plays out. I have a feeling it will be bigger than I expect. With Battlestar Galactica, it always is.

----In other news, shows are just starting to come back, so I don't have a lot to report on. But I would just like to mention how stellar the first episodes of The Office and Grey's Anatomy were. In The Office, Michael (of course) was the one to tell Andy about Angela's affair with Dwight. So the 2 guys (of course) decided to have a duel. My favorite moment was when Oscar realized that Dwight and Angela had engaged in their "activities" on his desk. And Grey's was just really enjoyable this week, I'm sure due to the presence of Derek's mom, the awesome Tyne Daly. Izzie was trying to help Meredith be bright and bubbly (result: "alarmingly high ponytail"), but Mer eventually came clean and said, "Look, mom's don't like me. I'm not a cheerful person. I'm someone who feels sorry for serial killers." And this was all it took for Mrs. Shepherd to know that she was the right girl for her son. Sloan told her about his relationship with the 24-year old Lexie ("the one with the juice box"), and she assessed the situation for him, asking Lexie if she was "a good girl." Meredith and Cristina aren't on friendly terms, but we know they still care, especially when Cristina tells Meredith that her ponytail looks ridiculous. And in other Cristina news, her interactions with Hunt this week were especially awesome. He asked her on a date. She asked him what his best surgery was. He showed up to her apartment drunk and took a shower with all his clothes on. Soaking wet, he told her that about his best surgery on a soldier with holes in his body that he saved but the guy later killed himself. So she got into the shower with him. With all her clothes on.

Next week: LOST + Bones + more Battlestar = much rejoicing

True Blood

A couple of months ago, I was talking to my sister on the phone, and I asked her if she had completed any television marathons since she got to college. She said that, yes, she had watched the entire first season of True Blood in a week. I was like, "Claire, that's only, like, 10 episodes! That's not a marathon!" To which she responded, "Shut up, it was 12 episodes!" Then I laughed at her.

Anyways, she told me that I just had to watch this show. I thought to myself, "Hmm, Alan Ball is the creator of Six Feet Under. This is a good sign. But it's a show about vampires. So it can't possibly be as good as Buffy. Plus, I just finished reading Twilight at my sister's recommendation, and that made me want to gag the entire time." Well, I was really bored one night and wanting to watch something new, so I decided to start True Blood and, in the process, show my little sister how a television marathon is done. 2 days and 12 episodes later, I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed the show. It is very strange at times- exorcisms, people getting high on "V juice" (vampire blood)- but it keeps things interesting.

True Blood takes place in a world where vampires not only exist, but they are out in the open. They can go into a bar and order a bottle of O-negative that comes in the form of a synthetic blood drink called Tru Blood. On the news, political pundits argue about the merits of a "Vampire Rights Amendment." The story follows the life of Sookie Stackhouse (played by Anna Paquin), a waitress in Bon Temps, Louisiana, who is burdened by the ability to hear other people's thoughts. Then she meets a vampire named Bill (played by Stephen Moyer), and he is mysterious, as all the good vampires are, and introduces her to an entirely different lifestyle that fascinates her. She takes refuge in the fact that she cannot hear his thoughts. But Bon Temps is not as open-minded as Sookie. Season 1 revolves around the murders of people who associate with vampires, and Sookie becomes involved in investigating because the police and most of the people in the town believe that her brother, Jason, is the killer.

Paquin is a fantastic actress. I love her as Rogue in X-Men, but I would say her portrayal of Sookie is the best performance I've ever seen her give. She did win an Oscar for The Piano, but she was just a little girl and has matured so much since then. The most moving scene of Season 1: Sookie eating her grandmother's pecan pie after her funeral.

Episode 5, "Sparks Fly Out," and episode 8, "The Fourth Man in the Fire," were my favorites. In the former, Bill does a favor for Sookie's grandmother by coming to speak about his experiences as a Confederate soldier to her Descendants of the Glorious Dead group. In the latter, Sookie goes with Bill to the vampire bar Fangtasia ("There was a time when puns were the highest form of humor") to help a high-ranking vampire with her telepathic skillz, which leads to Bill taking extreme measures to protect her life.

It is interesting to see what aspects of vampire lore a show/book/movie uses and which ones they dismiss. In Buffy, vampires can be killed by a wooden stake in the heart, by setting them on fire, or by cutting off their heads, all of which will cause them to turn into dust; they are repelled by crucifixes and holy water; they have to be invited before they can enter a mortal's home; they have no reflection in a mirror; and they burst into flames in sunlight. In True Blood, vampires are killed by a wooden stake through the heart or by setting them on fire, both of which cause them to become a disgusting geyser of blood and guts; the mirror/crucifix/holy water factors are all rumors vampires made up to help them if they ever needed to prove that they weren't, in fact, vampires; they also have to be invited before they can enter a mortal's home; and sunlight drains them of their energy until they are barbequed. (Another Buffy-True Blood comparison: at one point, Bill is telling Sookie about how vampires can persuade humans to bend to their will by "glamouring" them, and she wants him to try it on her. He stares deep into her eyes for several seconds, slow music playing in the background, and says, "Sookie, can you feel my influence?" I just laughed and shook my head and thought about how Angel would NEVER say something like that. Bill is hot in his own way, but c'mon. Seriously. Angel is so the superior vampire.)

I'll be looking forward to Season 2 this summer.

The Joy of the Season: How I Met Your Mother, Dexter, and other stuff

Happy Christmas Eve! I have been taking this time during the hiatus to: 1 watch a new show (and hopefully another guilt-free one before I return to school/have classes that give me work that I will probably not do anyways because I am always watching television), and 2- prepare for the inevitable emotional toll that Season 5 of LOST and Season 4.5 of Battlestar Galactica will take on me. Based on the way things were left in my other shows, here's what I'm anticipating the most:1) Pushing Daisies- There are only 3 episodes left, and rumor has it that they will all be aired back- to-back one night in January. And instead of the original cliffhanger ending for the final episode, Bryan Fuller did some reshoots and work in post-production to make a satisfying conclusion. Thanks, dude!

2) Friday Night Lights- NBC did not order more than 13 episodes for Season 3. This means there are 2 more to air on DirecTV in January, and then the entire season will be replayed on NBC. We are in the same position as we were last year- we really don't know whether NBC will pick it up for Season 4. DirecTV is happy with the way it performed for them this Fall, but who knows what NBC thinks about it. Their decision is supposed to be announced in mid-January. In the meantime, I am trying not to worry and enjoy the end to this wonderful season, in which the Dillon Panthers are heading to state, Billy Riggins and Mindy Collette are getting married, and the future of all the characters will be revealed (colleges, relationships, etc.). Texas forever.

3) The Office- When will Andy find out the truth that Phyllis revealed to the office at the Moroccan Christmas party? When will Jim and Pam finally get married? What will stand in Angela's way of getting an annulment from Dwight? These are the questions that I have. Mostly I'm just excited for the hour-long, post-Super Bowl, Jack Black-filled episode that promises to be an Office masterpiece.

4) Chuck- Fulcrum continues to hunt for the Intersect. They arranged an elaborate scheme in the Christmas episode to find out about Chuck. And he found out just how far Sarah would go to protect him. It obviously scared him, but I think it will be an important part of their future development. I am looking forward to the Ellie-Awesome wedding (which I am sure will bring the return of Bruce Boxleitnere and more Scarecrow and Mrs. King nostalgia for me), and to as much John Casey as I can get.

5) Desperate Housewives- Even though we are no longer wondering why Dave Williams is on Wisteria Lane (his wife and daughter were killed in the car accident that led to Mike and Susan's divorce), I can't wait to see how his plan unfolds. He is clearly intending to make Mike feel the same pain that he did, which puts Susan and M.J. in certain danger, but I am more interested in the implications this will have for Mike and Susan's future. Seeing them hold hands at the bowling alley, I couldn't help but realize that I still care about their crazy rollercoaster of a relationship over this show's 5 seasons. Bree and Edie are on the backburner right now. Lynette's got a pretty intense storyline at present, but it doesn't intrigue me in the slightest (I think it's the consequence of the ridiculous extremes to which her character has been taken. They've completely lost the nuanced mix of humor and tragedy that she had in Season 1, which is an unfortunate waste of Felicity Huffman's talents). Carlos' sight has been restored which promises to create a lot of interesting situations for him and Gaby.

6) Bones- The first half of Season 4 went out with a dud that didn't really leave one pondering and craving the show over the month-long break. I'm absolutely positive, however, that it will hit its stride soon. I read that the Gravedigger will resurface soon. And this is the preview for the next episode, airing January 15th: "The death of female conjoined twins who worked in the circus is investigated. The investigation leads Brennan and Booth to go undercover as a Canadian knife-throwing act, and also causes Booth to come face-to-face with a clown." That just makes me smile :)

7) Heroes- I'm kind of confused as to how I feel about Heroes right now. This ambiguity, of course, keeps me curious enough to tune in every week, but there are times when I feel like I might abandon it for good. Some episodes are really great ("The Butterfly Effect," "Dying of the Light") and I get excited and think the show is back to Season 1-caliber, and then something happens that just ruins everything (e.g. Nathan suddenly becoming a bad guy who has turned on Peter and Claire and everyone; Hiro losing his awesome control of space and time; Sylar displaying hidden layers to his character and then becoming completely 1-dimensional again and killing Kristen Bell!). Good news: I haven't given up yet, so I remain hopeful. Especially with the confirmation that Bryan Fuller will be moving from my darling Pushing Daisies back to the Heroes writing team. Character development, here we come!

Quick news:

-This Fall, I said farewell to Gossip Girl and Private Practice. Sure, I sometimes have pangs of missing Chuck Bass and Tim Daly. But I think, ultimately, I'm better off for keeping my standards high. This is not to say I think people who do watch those shows have low standards. That would be hypocritical of me, considering I did watch many episodes of both. I just can't be a good, critical tv-watcher when I watch shows like LOST right after I've finished an episode of Private Practice.

-I got behind on Life on Mars, but hearing that the show has continued to gather momentum is motivating me to catch up.

-Brothers & Sisters has sort of fallen to the wayside. I've watched a few episodes without being impressed by what has happened this season. This is not to say I have abandoned it completely- I will read recaps and watch those episodes that seem compelling. I will say this: Steven Weber came back for 1 episode and his chemistry with Rachel Griffiths could not be any hotter. The executive producers should seriously consider making him a recurring character again.

Dexter Season 3- Dexter's relationship with Miguel Prado came to a head when both men had exhausted every possible option to gain control over the other. Our serial killer champion had the benefit of experience after years of living by a code and always accomplishing his goals, in spite of Miguel's power in society as the Assistant District Attorney. In the second to last episode, Dexter understood that Miguel fit into Harry's Code because he had killed an innocent person and would probably do it again if he had the chance. So, he choked the life out of his former friend, whose dying words were: "This isn't over." The truth was that it basically was over. The final episode saw Deb finally receive her much-deserved Detective shield and the last-minute details of Dexter and Rita's wedding fall into place. The only lingering problem that Miguel posed for Dexter was when George King kidnapped him and tried to skin him for information about Freebo's whereabouts. That lasted about 4 minutes before Dexter escaped and broke King's neck. Then, the wedding, and happily ever after! Some people in the online community were disappointed by the normalcy of the finale, but I can appreciate some normalcy after the intensity of this season. Besides which, it was an unexpected way to end things, and to be surprised is what I always expect from this show (if that oxymoron makes sense). And Season 4 will be father time for Dex. Killing people + babies = only awesome on Dexter.

Lastly, a few words on my new acquisition: How I Met Your Mother. By some unique formula, this show manages to be a hilarious sitcom all about friends living in New York (not unique), in addition to a fun and mysterious puzzle that is slowly pieced together (very unique). A father in the year 2030 is telling his 2 kids all about what his life was like as he became the person who married their mother and had them. The main character is Ted, played by Josh Radnor, who I had never even heard of before. I truly do like him, but I must admit that my heart was stolen

by Alyson Hannigan's Lily, Jason Segel's Marshall, and especially Neil Patrick Harris' Barney. He has taught his friends so much about the importance of suiting up, the art of being a wingman, and how to make things legen...wait for it...dary!

My favorite episodes:

1) "Swarley"

Season 2, Episode 7- Barney gets a new name and the gang has lots of fun with it. "Hey, there's a call for Swarls Barkley."

2) "Slapsgiving"

Season 3, Episode 9- Slap #3, my personal favorite, because it is followed by a special song to commemorate the occasion.

3) "World's Greatest Couple"

Season 2, Episode 5- Barney lets Lily stay in his apartment and finds that a fake wife is good for getting rid of one-night stands. Marshall adjusts to single life in a couples-oriented world by going to brunch and the theatre with one of his guy friends.

4) "Slap Bet"

Season 2, Episode 9- We learn about Robin's secret past as a teenage Canadian popstar, and the slap bet begins.

5) "How I Met Everyone Else"

Season 3, Episode 5- Ted's crazy new girlfriend, and reminiscing about the first time they all met.

6) "Intervention"

Season 4, Episode 4- The group decides they should hold lots of interventions because they are so good at them- to get Lily to stop using a fake British accent, to get Ted to stop pronouncing words strangely, to get Barney to stop doing magic tricks, and then an intervention to stop doing interventions.

7) "The Bracket"

Season 3, Episode 14- A review of all the women Barney has slept with and who would have the greatest reason for hating him.

8) "Showdown"

Season 2, Episode 20- Barney goes on The Price Is Right because his mother told him when he was young that Bob Barker was his dad. Lily and Marshall try spending their nights apart before the wedding, but they end up sneaking to a hotel to spoon because they miss each other so much.

9) "The Return of the Shirt"

Season 1, Episode 4- Ted thinks he ought to try again with one of his old girlfriends, but he realizes she's not the One. So he breaks up with her on her birthday. For the second time. Barney gives Robin money to make a fool of herself on the air when she's reporting stories on the news.

10) "The Limo"

Season 1, Episode 11- Ted tries to plan the perfect New Years Eve. A line-up of 5 parties, and meeting not-Moby.

Scene from the end of "Slapsgiving"


Robin Sparkles' hit song

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.