My Top Ten Shows of 2009

As the year is coming to a close, many websites are touting their "Best of the Year/Decade" lists, and I've read enough of them to know that the best list is always your own list. Looking back on the countless hours of television that I've watched and how much I loved certain things for very different reasons, I can see why critics spend weeks on their lists - they're lots of fun to compile because you get to re-experience all the wonderful stories, but you get into serious debates with yourself, constantly second guessing and rearranging.

After so many changes of heart, you finally have to accept that it's impossible to get it perfectly right. I'm pretty happy with mine. I left off some shows that I love because they either didn't have great seasons this year, or because they are new and I don't feel like I've seen enough episodes to judge yet. Then there are a few that I left off because I haven't seen them yet--after reading the lists of my favorite tv critics, Maureen Ryan from the Chicago Tribune and Alan Sepinwall from the Star-Ledger, I have now moved Torchwood and Parks & Recreation up to the front of the line on things I need to watch.

10) Bones- Giving Booth a brain tumor and a coma dream in which he was married to Brennan gave a new burst of life to this show. Before that, things had fallen into a bit of a lull in which the interactions between the two main characters had become a cycle of life lessons. Now, however, their relationship has become the central focus of the show because Booth is keenly aware and dealing with his love for his partner on a daily basis, just as she is reaching a place where she is starting to realize her love for him. Someone could make a montage of all the emotion you can see in Booth's eyes when he looks at Bones--it would be the most romantic thing ever.

9) The Office- I love these characters so much after 5 years of awkwardness, hilarity, and sweetness, that I will continue watching for a long time. I recognize that the constrained setting means that storylines will be constrained as well and not always be at the same quality level as they once were. But the end of Season 5 was absolutely brilliant, interesting, and funny, as Michael, Pam, and Ryan formed the Michael Scott Paper Company. The beginning of Season 6 has had its ups and downs, but those Spring episodes remain one of my favorite parts of the entire show.

8) Mad Men- Season 3 was the year I fell in love with this show. I had always appreciated the exceptional writing, acting, and vision, but it was more of a fascination with what the characters would do than a deep desire to find out. Beginning with "Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency," all of that changed. With the finale "Shut the Door. Have a Seat," my obsession was sealed.

7) Chuck- Sure, I sometimes get annoyed with Chuck for not manning up. But at the end of the day, this is probably the show I have enjoyed the most over the past couple of years. It's well-made and fun, when it usually seems to be one or the other. After the Season 2 finale--"Guys...I know kung fu."--I knew what a wasted opportunity it would have been if the show didn't return. Luckily, I never had to deal with that. The show was renewed for a third season, which begins in January, and I rejoice.

6) Sons of Anarchy- The premise itself was intriguing enough to make me watch Season 1. Motorcycle club that serves as "The Law" in the small town of Charming, CA. Young man gains a new perspective on life when his son is born and he discovers his dead father's memoirs. All very loosely based on Hamlet. It was pretty great, especially in later episodes. Then Season 2 premiered in September, and I was excited to have something to watch on Tuesday nights. Little did I know that the end of the season premiere would shake me up and leave me in an emotional knot for the next 3 months. I've already written about how mind-numbingly amazing Katey Sagal was. It's worth repeating. She was incomparable.

5) Dollhouse- Aside from the final 3 episodes airing in January 2010, this show's life began and ended this year. It took a little while to find its footing, but it did--just as I knew it would--and it has since developed into as smart and engaging a show as Joss Whedon has ever done. We got to know the Actives (Echo, Sierra, Victor), the Clients (various), and the Dollhouse (Adelle, Topher, Boyd, Ballard, et al). Nothing was as simple as who was right and who was wrong. What this show presented was the idea that, no matter what heights technology reaches, you can't erase a soul.

4) Friday Night Lights- With its return to form in Season 3, fans have learned to forget that the abysmal second season ever happened. In 2009, FNL regained its clear eyes and full heart, and just as the saying goes, it couldn't lose. Tami became the principal at Dillon High School, Julie realized what a fool she had been for letting Matt go, Riggins had the

first healthy relationship of his life with the first girl he had ever loved--Lyla, and Coach Taylor had to deal with an even more annoying booster than Buddy Garrity--Joe McCoe, father of gifted freshman quarterback, JD. One of those limits of making a tv show that deals with high school is that you have to figure out the exact ages of your characters, and then acknowledge that you will have to let some of them go, no matter how talented they are. With "Hello, Goodbye," and "New York, New York," FNL gave beautiful sendoffs to Smash Williams and Jason Street. Then with the finale, a show-changing thing happened when Eric was fired from the Panthers and offered the head coaching position at the newly-redistricted East Dillon Lions. Season 4 would be no longer see our beloved coach at a well-established program, with funds and talent in abundance. Everyone loves a good underdog story. Friday Night Lights itself is one such story.

3) Battlestar Galactica- With the series concluding in March of this year, BSG had a lot of ground to cover in the ten episodes of Season 4.5. Who was the Final Cylon? Where would the fleet go now that their dream of Earth had been shattered by the discovery of a radioactive wasteland? What the heck was wrong with Starbuck? All of these questions, and more, were addressed, if not fully answered (but really, nobody wanted that--it would have taken away all the mystery). The highlights of the end of one of the greatest tv masterpieces of all time: 1) The Zarek-Gaeda coup. This is when characters were tested and true loyalties revealed. I loved seeing Starbuck and Apollo jump into action for Adama. 2) The Cylon history lesson in "No Exit." 3) The deterioration of Galactica, concurrent with the decreasing health of Laura Roslin. The performances of Mary McDonnell and Edward James Olmos were tragic and deeply moving. 4) The gathering of the fleet in "Daybreak." There's a line. Pick your side.

2) LOST- Every episode of Season 5 was full of momentum and tension. It took a while to get used to the time traveling, but after "316" (the episode in which Jack, Kate, Hurley, Sayid, Sun, and Ben returned to the island), it was clear that LOST was approaching its end. We knew that the show was no longer about getting off the island. The Oceanic 6 had come back, each for different reasons, but knowing that it was where they belonged. With the season finale and the possible "RESET" that happened when Juliet hit the bomb, people are concerned that all the character development over the past 5 years will mean nothing if she changed time and made it so that Oceanic 815 never crashes. That won't happen. Without having seen more than a couple of intriguing alternate reality commercials and some cryptic hints from EPs Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, I feel confident that 2010 will bring a phenomenal conclusion to one of the most complicated, but rewarding, viewing experiences I have ever had, and will ever have.

1) True Blood- So much of this year was about True Blood for me. Because of this show, I got some really great opportunities that have brought me closer to my dream of being an entertainment journalist. I got to interview Charlaine Harris twice. I started writing for my first website, and now True Blood has become part of my daily routine. I love the characters and the story. I think the cast, crew, and writers have managed to create something that's bizarre, funny, scary, emotional--and completely addicting.

Upcoming posts:

-Six Feet Under. I finished the fifth and final season about 2 months ago, but I haven't written about it yet, which is probably a good thing. It was kind of a soul-draining experience that I can only now talk about with any real sense of clarity.

-New Year's Resolutions, by which I mean the shows that I will watch in 2010.

Greatest TV Relationships, Part II

I've written before about my favorite couples on television, but this is a slightly modified list. I wrote it for my newspaper, so I tried to pick a variety of couples, and excluded a few that I personally love but aren't necessarily the best choices for a list of the greats.

"A few weeks ago, The Office cordially invited us to the wedding of Jim Halpert & Pam Beesly. Of all the romantic relationships that have been portrayed on television, few are as genuine or as full of love as the one between the adorable salesman and the soft-spoken receptionist. The phrase “made for each other,” which is perhaps overused, definitely applies to Jim and Pam.

Currently in its sixth season on NBC, The Office has been building to this point from the beginning. Remembering the sweet journey that brought Jim and Pam to getting married, the groom himself put it best in his rehearsal dinner speech: “Four years ago, I was just a guy, who had a crush on a girl, who had a boyfriend. And I had to do the hardest thing that I’ve ever had to do, which was just to wait. Don’t get me wrong—I flirted with her. For a really long time, that’s all I had. Little moments with a girl who saw me as a friend. And, a lot of people told me I was crazy to wait this long for a date with a girl I work with, but I think, even then I knew that…I was waiting for my wife.”

In thinking back over the relationship between Jim and Pam, I started to make a mental list of the best television couples. Then I wrote the list down. Here it is:

Eric and Tami Taylor, played by Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights. In a show so real that it transcends television, these two have a marriage that is a true partnership. Sure, they have arguments and struggles—over money, over raising their teenage daughter, over problems at work—but you never doubt that they will get through it together, with honesty and love. You need only watch the Season 1 finale, “State” to understand why the Taylors are included on this list.

Buffy Summers and Angel, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. They were a human/vampire couple before it was cool to be a human/vampire couple. In fact, they resisted their relationship until they were powerless to stop it. She was the Slayer, the Chosen One whose life mission was to fight the forces of evil, and he was one such force of evil. But he had been cursed with a soul. He was a vampire tormented by all his monstrous acts, seeking redemption by helping those in need. Buffy and Angel faced demons and apocalypses on a daily basis, and that was the easy stuff for them. The obstacles: he lost his soul, she had to send him to a hell dimension, he moved away because he could never give her a normal life, she died for a few months… Viewers saw the depth of their love by how much pain they felt over each other, but what’s more—viewers saw their love was eternal because, in the midst of their messed up lives, being together brought them the greatest happiness they had ever known, or ever would know.

Sydney Bristow and Michael Vaughn, played by Jennifer Garner and Michael Vartan, Alias. When a double agent falls in love with her CIA handler, things are never going to be easy. It took more than a year of unresolved sexual tension for these spies to finally come together. They had the cutest relationship ever, only to have their joy stolen away by an enemy terrorist organization. Don’t you just hate it when that happens?! Sydney was abducted, and her death was faked. Two years later, she awakened with no memory of what happened to her, expecting to return to the comforting embrace of her boyfriend, only to find that Vaughn had married someone else in her absence. Of course, his wife turned out to be a traitor to America, and they killed her. When Sydney and Vaughn did resume their relationship, they were a more world-weary couple with all their new baggage, but they did not allow it to harden them. Their love was as strong as ever, and they went on to find peace in marriage and in a son and daughter.

Lorelai Gilmore and Luke Danes, played by Lauren Graham and Scott Patterson, Gilmore Girls. For the first four seasons of this show, the timing was never right for them. One would have feelings for the other, one would be in a relationship with someone else, one would do something that created major tension in their friendship. It took a self-help book and decisive action to make them wake up and realize that they were in love. Annoying plot contrivances in later seasons drove them apart for a little while, but the whole world could see that the Luke and Lorelai relationship would last when they were eventually reunited.

Veronica Mars and Logan Echolls, played by Kristen Bell and Jason Dohring, Veronica Mars. They hated each other at first, but somehow, in spite of themselves, they became friends and developed an undeniable attraction. Logan could be immature and overprotective, and Veronica had some serious trust issues. They still make this list because they brought out the best in each other, and their love was strong enough to keep them connected even when they were broken up. They have some fundamental character flaws that keep them apart, but they’re still young and have the capacity to change. The show has been cancelled for a couple of years now, but fans continue to hold out hope that in the continuing fictional world, these two will end up together.

Temperance “Bones” Brennan and Seeley Booth, played by Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz, Bones. The non-couple couple of the list because it’s only a matter of time before they get together and live happily ever after. Theirs is a partnership in which completely opposite personalities complement each other to make an effective crime-solving team. She’s a brilliant forensic anthropologist who can tell you everything about a set of bones but lacks social skills with people who are alive. He’s an alpha male FBI agent with an innate talent at reading people. Booth and Bones have grown so much as human beings because of their work together. They have risked their lives numerous times to save the other, and demonstrated that they value their partnership more than anything. They might not be in a romantic relationship (yet!), but their chemistry is magical, and their love is no less than if they were an actual couple.

Chandler Bing and Monica Gellar, played by Matthew Perry and Courtney Cox Arquette, Friends. Ross and Rachel are considered to be the great classic couple in all of sitcom history, possibly in all of television history. Over the course of 10 seasons, those two were either on, off, or in a transition period. But in a far more nuanced storyline, Monica and Chandler became the stable couple of the show. A woman with OCD and a man with a fear of commitment, who were never more than friends, hooked up at a wedding and never looked back."

Epic Post

Apologies for my absence over these last few months! I know it was deeply upsetting to my readers--all 3 of you (Hi, Mom/Claire/Tina)--not to have me rambling about my television obsessions. Well, you asked for it - and now you're gonna get it! (Nobody "asked" for it in the literal, out-loud sense, but hypothetically speaking...whatever! You're gonna get it whether you want it or not!)

True Blood- Waiting for Season 3 has been very painful. To cope, I have rewatched Seasons 1 & 2 approximately 47 times. Also, I am still writing for TrueBloodNet.com, so I am not in complete withdrawal from the show. The actors returned to work last week, and news has been coming out about casting for new characters. I'm excited when I read these because it gives me things to speculate about instead of just freaking out over the unknown, like what the hell happened to Bill?!?!?!?!?!

Mad Men- Season 3 was outstanding, especially the second half. Normally MM is subtle, and viewers can glean from small moments of character interactions what the 1960s were like in terms of gender roles and social norms. Well, with "Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency" (S3, episode 6), a secretary ran over someone's foot with a John Deere lawnmower, and things never slowed down from there. Don had an affair with Sally's school teacher. Sal got fired. Joan smashed a vase over her jerk husband's head. Don secured an account with Conrad Hilton for his hotel chain. JFK was assassinated. Betty discovered Don's secret drawer, and all the lies upon which their marriage was based came crashing down. She ended up leaving him for a man she barely knew. As if that weren't enough, PPL, the British company that bought Sterling Cooper at the end of Season 2, was preparing to sell the agency to a rival ad firm. Rather than let that happen, Don joined together with Roger Sterling, Bert Cooper, and Lane Pryce to start their own firm. The finale was probably my favorite episode to date. Written and directed by executive producer Matthew Weiner (new television genius who joins the ranks of "People whose work I would watch no matter what"), "Shut the door. Have a seat" featured Don and his new partners trying to persuade certain employees to join them. Before any of this could happen, Don had to put aside his differences with Roger and admit that he needed Roger's people skills/client relationships or they would never have enough money to operate. From there, they got Pete Campbell through flattery--Head of Accounts. They got Harry Crane by saying 'join us or we'll lock you in the storage closet'--Head of Television Media. And they got Peggy Olson as their Copy Writer because Don was finally willing to tell her how much he valued her work and needed her help. "What if I say no? You'll never speak to me again." "No. I will spend the rest of my life trying to hire you." My favorite acquisition for Sterling, Cooper, Draper & Pryce--Joan as Office Manager. She's the one who will keep things running smoothly. She may be a glorified secretary, but it's a lovely truth to realize that without Joan, those guys would be completely lost. They set up shop in a hotel suite for the time being, and Season 4 will be about this new business. I am looking forward to Mad Men more than I ever have before.

Dexter- Season 4 has been pretty mediocre in my opinion. On the list of things that interest me: 1) John Lithgow as the Trinity Killer. He has repeated the same pattern of kills in cities across the US for 30 years. Each death represents a member of his family. So creepy, but so fascinating. 2) Seeing Dexter adjust to marriage and fatherhood has been interesting insofar as I was curious to see how he would indulge his "Dark Passenger" when he had a family to take care of. It hasn't presented any major obstacles. 3) I was glad to see Keith Carradine return as FBI Special Agent Frank Lundy, but he was killed when he got too close to discovering the true identity of Trinity. 4) Jennifer Carpenter's performance in the aftermath of Lundy's death was stellar. I have come to expect greatness from Michael C. Hall, and that greatness always overshadows the supporting cast. In the episode "Dirty Harry," I don't even remember what happened to Dexter, but Debra's emotional breakdown at losing the man she loved left a deep impression on me. Unfortunately, the list of things I care nothing about is much longer: 1) Angel's relationship with LaGuerta. 2) Anything having to do with Quinn. 3) Rita's flirtation with her neighbor. 4) Ghost Harry's useless advice. I really like James Remar, but his character has become superfluous. I understand that he is there to function as a sounding board for his son's killer thoughts, but he no longer brings about important character developments for Dexter like he used to. 5) Trinity's home life. I find it highly unbelievable that Arthur Miller would be able to keep up the elaborate act of being a deacon at his church, a volunteer house builder, and a devoted father and husband, when he is so crazy and has an explosive temper. I also find it highly unbelievable that there have never been any security cameras at his kill sights that would get him caught. Seriously, he beat one dude to death in an office, and another time he kidnapped a kid from an arcade. If that happened in real life, he would never make it as a serial killer eluding capture for decades. 6) The fact that Dexter killed his first truly innocent man. He broke The Code. He didn't check his facts enough, and it ended up costing a man his life. Perhaps I would feel more strongly about this if Dexter did, but it hasn't even phased him. So overall, not a great season for me. Although there was a big twist last week that shocked me, and I hope to see more surprises in the final two episodes.

Sons of Anarchy- I wrote about SOA in the newspaper article I posted on here a couple weeks ago, so I'm going to abstain from writing anything more right now. With Season 2, it became one of my favorite currently airing shows, and I fully believe it has the potential to become one of my favorites ever. For that reason, I am going to devote an entire post to it soon, in which I will talk about the implications of the finale and why this cast (especially Katey Sagal) is doing some of the best acting around.

How I Met Your Mother- Only halfway through the fifth season, and they have already ended the Barney-Robin relationship. If it never reemerges, that's going to be very disappointing. My favorite episodes this season have been "Duel Citizenship," (in which Barney spends the entire half-hour making fun of Canada, and Ted, Marshall, and Lily take a roadtrip that highlights the ways that friendships change when someone becomes super couple-y) and "Slapsgiving 2: Revenge of the Slap," (in which Marshall unites the group with the 4th slap of the infamous slap bet). I have high expectations for the latter half of Season 5 because of the special 100th episode (a musical edition!!! NPH + music = yay!), and because I am hoping that Ted makes some significant progress in finding the Mother, now that we know he is a professor at her school.

The Big Bang Theory- I went back and watched all the episodes of this show for a couple of reasons. Because I needed more comedy in my tv-watching schedule, and because I am unashamedly a huge geek. All the Battlestar Galactica and comic book references fill me with joy, as do the super-smart, socially awkward boys because they remind me of my own guy friends. I am basically obsessed with Sheldon, played by Jim Parsons. Now that Leonard and Penny are in a relationship, the story is kinda secondary, but that doesn't bother me in this show. The characters are well-developed, well-written, and make me laugh on a consistent basis.

Castle- Nathan Fillion is still being his charming self and making this show one of the highlights of my week. Season 2 has been just as fun as the first, and I was so pleased that ABC ordered the back 9 episodes, increasing it to a full season. The chemistry between Castle and Beckett remains as engaging as ever, and the father-daughter relationship between Castle and Alexis is so adorable and strong that I don't feel like I'm exaggerating to compare it to Veronica and Keith Mars (which, if you've seen VMars, you know is high praise).

Dollhouse- Like SOA, I can't do justice to DH in one paragraph. There are only 8 episodes left in Season 2, and then this little series about the Active that could will be gone forever. Joss Whedon has made it pretty clear that he's not leaving it open-ended for a movie or comic book continuation. So I am appreciating every moment that's left, and continuing to marvel at the spectacular abilities of the writers/directors/actors. More praise to come in an upcoming post.

The Office- Season 6 has been kinda hit-or-miss for me. Episodes like "The Lover" and "Murder" had me rolling on the ground in fits of laughter, while episodes like "Mafia" and "Scott's Tots" had me sitting on the couch feeling confused and uncomfortable. I like new receptionist Erin--I think her eagerness to please Michael is a funny contrast to the way we saw Pam act for 4 years, and I enjoy watching Andy try to ask her out. I like seeing Jim as co-manager with Michael because it wouldn't have made sense for him to go on avoiding work as a salesman and playing pranks on Dwight forever. He has a wife now, with a baby on the way, so his ambition and sense of responsibility has kicked in. He thought the job would be easy because he had seen a fool like Michael do it for so long, but it has presented more obstacles than he expected. For one, Dwight keeps trying to plot to remove him. Another problem is the impending financial collapse of Dunder-Mifflin. Nobody knows if or when they are going bankrupt, so a good solution is to play a murder mystery theatre game to keep everyone's mind off of it. Hilarious. For the rest of this season, I would like to see more of the supporting characters (especially Kelly, Angela, Oscar, Andy, Erin, Creed), AND PLEASE BRING BACK DARRYL (Craig Robinson).

Bones- Season 5 has focused on Booth readjusting to life after having surgery to remove his brain tumor. He's forgotten things about himself, like his garish socks and "cocky" belt buckle, and the fact that he hates clowns. He also lost skills he once had, like how to do his own plumbing and how to shoot a gun with accuracy. But more importantly, he has been affected by the memory of his coma dream. He emerged from it completely in love with Brennan. When Cam and Sweets found out, they told him: Don't tell her unless he's sure because she will never recover if he breaks her heart. The rotating interns continue to be a source of comedy sometimes and annoyance at other times. I only like Wendell, Mr. Nigel-Murray, and Fisher. I can't stand the rest. I don't want Angela to be with Wendell even though I think he's a sweetheart. She needs to get back with Hodgins yesterday. They belong together! The Christmas episode, "The Goop on the Girl," promises to be wonderful. It has a lot to live up to since the Season 3 mistletoe kiss, but with Zooey Deschanel guest-starring as Brennan's cousin, Ryan O'Neal guest-starring as Brennan's dad, and Booth stripping down to his boxers (his clothing is evidence, it has to be done!), I feel certain I will find plenty to enjoy.

Friday Night Lights- Season 4 is knocking it out of the park. Or, should I say, scoring touchdowns (Hehehe......puns used to be the highest form of humor). Coach Taylor and some former Dillon Panthers like Landry find themselves stuck at the rundown East Dillon High School after redistricting divided the town into, essentially, the haves and the have-nots. Tami has stayed on as the principal at West Dillon, but she is no better off than her husband. After she sent the Panther's star player, Luke, to East, Joe McCoy and the boosters were none to happy with her. Football fans are calling in to sports radio to complain about her. They see her as the enemy, and it's tough to see a character I love be so hurt by the hateful things being said about her. She was only doing her job. Meanwhile, Eric is trying to build a new football program with the Lions. They lack discipline and experience, and it will be a while before they win a game, but they have some true talent in RB Luke and another new character, Vince. Offensively, defensively, the boy can do it all. I thought it would be awhile before I felt loyalty to this new team, but it only took a few episodes for me to get the Lion pride. It helped that Panther QB J.D. McCoy has transformed into a total jackass. Life without Lyla and Tyra has been strange, but they aren't gone forever. Soon, we will be losing Matt Saracen, too, and his sendoff has been even more emotional than the touching goodbyes for Jason Streete and Smash Williams. Matt's father was killed in Iraq, and Zach Gilford gave a performance that has many critics calling for his Emmy nomination next year. It felt completely real to the experience of losing someone, and stayed true to his character.

Grey's Anatomy- This season has been hectic and overdramatic, but what else is new? I'm still really into the Owen-Cristina relationship, and I think that merging Seattle Grace with Mercy West Hospital has shaken things up in an interesting way. Sure, I dislike some of the new doctors, but the conflict created by the situation has felt organic. We knew in Season 5 that economic difficulties were plaguing Seattle Grace, so this solution that Chief Webber came up with to keep his job made a lot of sense. It also allowed Shonda Rhimes to deal with her actors' conflicts (Ellen Pompeo's maternity leave, Katherine Heigl's time off to work on a movie), by adding new characters without sacrificing screen time for the people we know. McDreamy hasn't had any major storylines this season, but at least Patrick Dempsey has remained a solid presence. Honestly, I don't really care what he does, as long as he's there for me to look at. He's pretty. My favorite characters have been the same for a couple of years now. Lexie, Mark, Owen, and Cristina. I just think that those actors--Chyler Leigh, Eric Dane, Kevin McKidd, and Sandra Oh--are giving really dynamic performances that keep me invested. It's by no means one of my favorite shows anymore like it was in Seasons 1 & 2, but I can't let it go yet. Sadly, the same cannot be said for Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters, which have become casualties of their own ridiculousness.

As for my new shows--V, The Good Wife, Modern Family, and FlashForward--(all of which I wrote about recently), they are going on the Christmas hiatus along with the rest of the television shows. The issue here is that the networks are scheduling their 2010 returns for strange times. I am referring to V and FlashForward, both of which ABC doesn't intend to bring back until March. That seems almost like a death sentence to me! How can they expect a new show to retain whatever audience it has managed to establish thus far in its first season, when they are not putting it on the air again for 3 or 4 months? I find it hard to imagine that either V or FlashForward will get renewed for a Season 2 with that poor placement. It would be a shame to lose both sci-fi newbies. Although, Glee is getting pushed off, too, with FOX keeping the second half of Season 1 until April, and I feel pretty confident that it will survive. I guess nobody knows at this point what will happen. At least Modern Family and The Good Wife appear to be performing well for ABC and CBS, respectively, and will be coming back with new episodes in January.

I AM SO EXCITED FOR MY MIDSEASON PREMIERES, LOST, CHUCK, CAPRICA, AND BURN NOTICE!!!<--See, I couldn't help myself but to write in all capital letters, so you know how excited I am! Chuck Season 3 begins on January 10th; Burn Notice Season 3, Part II, on January 21st; Caprica Season 1 on January 22nd; and LOST Season 6 on February 2nd. I predict awesomeness from each of them. Obviously, I haven't seen Caprica before (except for the pilot/movie), but with Jane Espenson writing it and a foundation in BSG lore, how can it go wrong?

I don't know why, and I'm certainly not complaining, but TNT will also have a few new episodes for their original series over the next couple of months. The Closer airs for 3 weeks, starting December 7th, during which time Beau Bridges and Mary McDonnell will be guest starring. I've got my fingers crossed for my prediction to come true, which is that Brenda and Fritz will adopt a child. I am always astounded by how patient and loving that man is--he so deserves to be a father! Leverage has several more Season 2 episodes to air, starting on January 13th. This show is another recent acquisition of mine, and one that I am drawn to because I like heist stories and playful banter. Timothy Hutton leads the cast as Nate, "The Mastermind" of the vigilante team, which also includes Parker ("The Thief"), Sophie ("The Grifter"), Hardison ("The Hacker"), and Eliot ("The Hitter"). They do con jobs to help people who can't help themselves. It's like Burn Notice combined with Ocean's 11. Lots of fun.

Some rambling

This another article I just wrote for my college newspaper. Per my sister's request, I am posting it here. Once again I had trouble staying within my word limit...

Cancelled!

Oh, what a cruel business television can be. Every year as the television season comes to an end, shows with actual merit get axed by the networks because, unfortunately, a show with "merit" does not always mean a show with "viewers." The injustice is that new shows often must pander to the masses if they want to stay on the air, thus stifling originality. If a show's creator and writers are unwilling to do this, they might actually produce something great, which doesn't necessarily have mass popular appeal and the ability to attract a wide audience. As a result, the network will view that show as not financially viable, mutter some nonsense about wanting to go in a new creative direction with their programming, and add another reality show about fat people dating (see: new FOX show, More to Love).

Granted, the sword falls on shows that deserve to disappear as well as those that don't. I know very few people who were sad to say goodbye to Lipstick Jungle, Moonlight, or Back to You. And I know even fewer who even remember the horribly painful Viva Laughlin, a crime musical set in a Nevada casino--it was yanked from the CBS schedule after 2 episodes. When a network gets rid of a show that deserves to continue, however, devoted fans become outraged. A few years ago, people started launching campaigns for their favorite shows when news indicated that they were in danger of being cancelled. They do this because, sometimes, it actually works. In 2007, CBS decided not to order a second season of Jericho. Fans started sending nuts in the mail to CBS studios, an homage to something that happens in a Season 1 episode. After CBS received about 40,000 pounds of nuts, they changed their minds about a second season and asked people to stop mailing them nuts.

Another one that has been able to survive despite ratings never being very high is Friday Night Lights, the show about high school football in Texas. It features some of the most realistic and inspiring acting, writing, and producing being done right now. Filmed in Austin, TX, the actors of Friday Night Lights have well-written scripts to follow, but they often improvise their scenes based on what flows naturally between their characters. They don't do rehearsals or use constructed sets or block out every movement. As a viewer, you forget that you're watching a television show because it seems so real--just normal human beings experiencing normal things and reacting in ways that we can all understand and relate to.

NBC could have made a purely business decision and cancelled Friday Night Lights after Season 1 or 2 because of its small audience. But, because it's so good, critics love it, as do the fans, many of whom are in the entertainment industry themselves. When it was being considered for renewal, people sent plastic "Save FNL" footballs to NBC, in addition to donating thousands of dollars to a charity connected to the show. For Season 3, NBC made a deal with DirecTV that would keep Friday Night Lights on the air. It was recently announced that this deal was renewed for a fourth and fifth season.

But these are exceptions to the rule. In most cases, fans can write letters and sign petitions until they are blue in the face, but that is not going to stop studio executives from canceling a show. A notable example is Veronica Mars, the show featuring Kristen Bell as a witty teenage private investigator who solved small cases for her fellow students in addition to big crimes in her town. The CW waited until the last minute to decide not to order Season 4, resulting in a frustrating and unsatisfying conclusion. Another example is Pushing Daisies, from the whimsical imagination of creator Bryan Fuller (the follow-up to his equally unique Wonderfalls, also cancelled before it had a chance to prove itself). Pushing Daisies is about a pie-maker named Ned (Lee Pace) who has the ability to bring things back to life with the touch of his finger. After growing up with this gift, he has learned certain rules that come with it, one being that if he revives something and then touches it again, it will be dead forever. So when Ned's childhood sweetheart is murdered, he goes to see her body in the funeral parlor and can't help himself--he touches her, knowing that he will always love her but can never touch her again.

Among the rest of the taken-too-soon shows, there are some whose cancellation still hurts the fans who loved them, such as Judd Apatow's clever, short-lived series Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared. Joss Whedon's sci-fi western, Firefly, remains one of the greatest travesties ever committed by the FOX network, which did not even allow its final episodes to air so that people could have closure to the first and only season. FOX's mistake is clear, given that even now, 5 years later, it has a cult following of people known as Browncoats who gather for conventions around the country on a regular basis.

A show does not need to have a small number of episodes to be considered "cancelled too early." Sometimes it's just when the people who make a show want to get one more season to finish their story but are denied. Gilmore Girls is one such show. It had 7 seasons, which is a pretty long time, but executive producer Daniel Palladino wanted to conclude with the eighth season and without that opportunity could not bring the plotlines to a satisfying end. As someone who loves television and watches a lot of it, my greatest wish is always that a showrunner gets to decide when is the right time to stop. For Ricky Gervais' British comedy Extras, it was only 2 seasons. Ronald D. Moore decided upon 4 seasons for Battlestar Galactica. Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse announced a couple of year ago that they had mapped out LOST to finish after its sixth season in 2010. In each of these instances, the producers knew how long they could create good stories and, with permission from their networks, were given that control. The result is a set of episodes that represent a complete history of the characters and the world in which they live. Like the Harry Potter books, you can return to those shows on DVD and rewatch them from the very beginning, knowing that there is an ending--no ambiguity, no abrupt stop. Unfortunately, networks are rarely inclined to give that much power to a show's producers. They make their decisions based on Nielsen ratings and advertising revenue.

There is a ray of light for those who want to find shows with the creative freedom and potential to become true genius: the recent rise in original programming from cable channels. The same things can be said for all of those channels--they give their shows time to grow. The fear of being axed is not constantly looming over their heads. The results? FX's Rescue Me, the show from Denis Leary about post-9/11 firefighters in New York City; TNT's The Closer, starring Kyra Sedgwick as an LAPD Chief with Southern manners and a twang who specializes in getting criminals to confess; USA's Burn Notice, about a former spy who was fired and got trapped in Miami, where he helps people fix their fraud/kidnapping/extortion problems while he searches for the people who made him lose his job; AMC's Mad Men, Matthew Weiner's show about advertising executive Don Draper (Jon Hamm) and life in New York in the 1950's. These examples are representative of what cable has to offer--and that doesn't even get into premium channels HBO and Showtime that produce shows like The Sopranos, Dexter, Big Love, True Blood, and Weeds, that push the boundaries in what television can portray.

Every one of these shows is completely original and fascinating. They are all critically-acclaimed and award-winning. The reason--their showrunners are given free rein to follow their vision and have intricate characters and stories that evolve over time. Were these same shows produced by one of the networks instead, they would feel pressure to make their early episodes flashy so that they could instantly draw in many millions of viewers. Gone would be the slow development and subtlety of these cable shows. Networks definitely have a few quality shows to offer, but they could take a lesson in creative practices from the cable channels, or perhaps just take themselves out of the strictly business mindset as they have on those certain occasions. They may find that they achieve a legacy of consistent greatness that will outlast a few Nielsen numbers and money from some 30-second commercials.

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.

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.

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