How "The End" of Lost could have been more satisfying for me

First things first: I thoughts "The End" was a fitting wrap up to the Lost story. I was moved. I was thrilled. I was happy the characters I'd come to know over the past six years found some resolution. It was sweeping, cinematic and brilliantly crafted. I appreciated the "art" of it, and I'm glad that Damon and Carlton got to tell the story they wanted to tell, in the way they wanted to tell it.

Ending a show, particularly one as intricate and mythology-tangled as Lost, is hard. You're never going to please everyone, and it would have been impossible to wrap up every single mystery that the show put out there.

That said, there were things about the finale, and season six in particular, that just didn't work for me. I'll get into those in a moment, but first let's all agree on what actually happened. "The End" left some things open for interpretation, and ABC's decision to show some plane wreckage over the credits (NOT part of the story Damon and Carlton were telling) was confusing for some. Here's my take on what happened:

• Everything that happened on the island was real. The Losties didn't die when Oceanic 815 crashed on the island. They were tormented by The Others and the Smoke Monster. They left the island, were rescued by Penny's boat, and returned to civilization, only to go back to the island later on Ajira 316.
• The detonation of Jughead didn't sink the island. While it's possible that this detonation may have had other side effects (causing infertility?), the only thing we know for sure is that this "incident" transported the primary characters through time, from 1977 to the island present.
• All the flashbacks and flashforwards from seasons 1 - 5 were real. They happened.
• The defeat of the Smoke Monster was real. Jack and Kate killed him.
• Lapidus, Miles, Richard (now aging normally), Kate, Sawyer and Claire left the island on the restarted (thanks, duct tape!) Ajira 316.
• Hurley, now the island's protector (a job Jacob, and Jack briefly, had), stayed on the island, along with his "number two," Ben. Desmond also remained on the island, but it was strongly suggested that somehow Hurley and Ben would return him to Penny and his son Charlie, off the island.
• Jack saw his friends leave on Ajira 316, and died in the bamboo grove, with Vincent by his side.

All those events are fairly indisputable and straightforward. Also:

• All the events we saw in season six described as "flash-sideways" were NOT real - insofar as tangibly occurring in the world we live in, and the world where the events described above happened.
• These events happened in an alternate reality. It's not, I don't believe, an alternate reality like on Fringe, that's always existed and run parallel to our own, in a very "real" and "tangible" way (with people able to "cross over" and physically exist in our world with their "duplicates"). It's a reality that could be described as a "limbo" - a place between real existence (which is brought to a close by death) and whatever exists beyond death (where souls eventually go, a place that some might call "heaven"). The flash-sideways world is like a waystation, or stopover existence, where the "souls" sort out the issues they faced in the real world, before moving on to the next plane of existence. Some souls in this limbo are "enlightened," meaning they are aware of what they are and where they are. Others are not, and think that this is their only reality -- that is, that this "sideways" world is the only world which exists.
• The parts of this sideways world that we, as viewers, see, was "created" by the "souls," or "consciousnesses," of our primary characters. It was created as a place for these characters to get together one last time before moving on to the afterlife. Jack was the last of our castaways to become enlightened, and it's suggested that many of the actions depicted in the sideways timeline occurred to help him come to terms with this sideways world, and move on together with his island friends, into a more peaceful and aware afterlife.
• This limbo occurs outside of time and space. Meaning, Jack died on the island in 2007. John Locke died before Jack (strangled to death by Ben in a motel room). Hurley died sometime long after Jack (presumably after protecting the island for some indeterminate time). Yet their "souls" met in this limbo as if they all existed in the same time frame.

I think that's what happened, right?

And it worked as a storytelling conceit, particularly when the finale of the show was as emotional and as professionally assembled as "The End" was. But after thinking about the finale, and season six as a whole, it just didn't hang together as well as it could for me personally. As I mentioned in my initial thoughts on the finale, the religious aspects of the story were a little too on the nose for me. For example, did the last 20 minutes really have to take place in a church? With pews and a pulpit and (multi-denominational) stained glass? I understand that Jack had to discover the empty coffin of his father as a final "triggering event" in the sideways reality, and that coffins usually wind up in a church for a funeral service. But it would have pleased me more to have Jack discover the empty coffin in the church, have his chat with dear old dead dad, and then walk into the The Lamp Post - the Dharma station built in Los Angeles (beneath the church) - to find his afterlife friends. It would have tied more directly to the mysteries of the island, where the bonds of these people were formed, and given the conclusion more of a sci-fi spin, rather than an ideological or religious one. But my issues with cults aside, there were more problems with the wrap up to one of TV's all-time great shows.

Too many plot threads were left dangling. No, we were never going to get the "answers" to every single mystery the show posed. And that's fine. Some were just part of the process of organically developing a story over six season of a TV show, and creating tension along the way. But some were too intrinsically tied to the core of the show's story engine to be completely ignored. Like the conflict between Charles Widmore, Eloise Hawking and Ben Linus. What were their oft-referenced "rules?" What were the goals of each character, and their organizations? What was going on with the "cabin" and the "ash?" What was up with ALL of Christian Sheppard's appearances (the explanation that it was the Smoke Monster every single time doesn't really hold up to scrutiny).

So how could Season Six have worked better for me? Here are a few ways:

• Far less time spent in the sideways world. Even if you don't change the nature of the sideways world, we didn't need to spend that much time there over the course of the season. You could have cut down the overall time spent there by 50%, and gotten the exact same character beats and sense of mystery.
• Or, if you tweak the trappings of the sideways world, and have it hang together with a more consistent internal logic. For example, knowing what we know now (that is was a "limbo" created by the main characters to reconnect one more time), why does the island have to be underwater? Isn't it enough that Oceanic 815 didn't crash on the island? And this image was shown only to us, as viewers, so its primary function was simply to mislead and provide red herrings about the nature of the sideways world, therefore it seems like a bit of a narrative cheat, in my opinion. Or, to be more clear and precise about what happens in the sideways. As in "yes, it was a place where the primary characters would reunite to "pass on" together, but only after they had worked through the significant issues that troubled them in real life." They kinda did this (Jack understanding fatherhood from both sides of the equation, Sawyer not letting vengeance lead him down the wrong paths, Sun & Jin not letting her father's controlling creepitude ruin their lives and relationship, Ben valuing integrity and honor over power and control, etc.) but not always (what exactly did Kate "work through?" Locke's and Sayid's stories were interesting, but their sideways scenarios didn't exactly connect the dots from A to Z as clearly as they could have, and as logically as did other sideways adventures).
• Spend less time with the Temple folks, or make more of the time we spent there. Everyone talked in riddles, yet communicated virtually nothing. I think this was a big missed opportunity. Here in this setting, they had a great chance to lay out some of the show's mythology. I'm generally a fan of "show, don't tell," but did anyone truly understand what the hell was going on with Sayid's resurrection and infection? Claire's "infection?" How this tied specifically to the water/light/Source/"Heart of the Island"? The way that the temple people got instructions from Jacob, and their loyalty to him? The "rules" they operated under? The importance of the ash? How The Others were related to the Temple people? Dogen and Lennon could have been a tremendous source for dumping exposition in an interesting way (through conversations with Jack, or looking over wall hieroglyphics with Hurley and having him be, as always, the voice of the fans), and yet they eschewed this for a lot of mumbo jumbo and wheel (non-donkey variety) spinning, only made somewhat palatable by Smokey's harrowing and eerie final assault.
• If we spend less time with the sideways world, and less time in the Temple, then what do we fill that with? Personally, I would have wanted more off-island time with Charles Widmore (and probably Eloise Hawking). Real time, flashbacks...whatever. They could have used a few scenes with them to better explain the motivations of both characters. We could have understood how "The Others" worked off island. How they were related to, and pitted against, Dharma. And what the "rules" were between Ben and Charles, and where they came from.
• Wouldn't it have felt more tidy if we knew "how" the sideways world was created, and what Desmond's role in it was? For example, why not clearly state that this "reality" was indeed created by Hurley, using his new powers and gifts as the island's protector, as a way to help his friends move on and reconnect (and deal with their "real life" issues)? You would have an explanation for how it came to exist, and one that needn't be explained too deeply (Hurley had "magic powers," just like Jacob did). And, why not state that Desmond was the "failsafe" in this sideways reality? He was acting in such a fashion anyway. Hurley would create this world for his friends, but just in case they didn't find "enlightenment" on their own (Hurley could create the sideways world, but not necessarily move the players around like game pieces - they still had to have character agency, even here), Desmond would be there, using his "specialness" to act as a catalyst to keep things moving for them, helping all the Losties get to the spiritual place they needed to be. This would give Des a more logical reason for acting as he did, and it fits with what we know of the island aftermath (Des was on the island as Hurley, and Ben, began to figure out how to preside over the island in a more benevolent fashion than Jacob, so the plan could have easily been hatched then). It is consistent with Hurley's character, and also deepens Desmond's character, and in a way, even gives him some closure too, as it was his actions that brought down 815 in the first place. Plus, the descriptions of Desmond as a "failsafe" would have greater resonance in the mythology and for the characters we know and love.

Those are just a few ideas. In the end (and in "The End"), I'm still very, very satisfied with where the show wound up, and the journeys the characters took. I just like a little more logic and cohesion to my plot resolutions, to go along with the immense emotional gratification. Lost is a genre-hopping television achievement, the likes of which we may never see again, and I'm grateful for the chance to experience it.

So until we get a James Ford / Miles Straume detective show, namaste, y'all.

Quick thoughts on the Lost finale, "The End"

After sleeping on it, and thinking about it all day on and off, I think I'm finally "at peace" with the Lost finale. My initial reaction was kind of mezzo-mezzo; that they got a lot of things right yet still didn't stick the landing, and made it even worse by slathering it with a frosting of eye-rolling religiosity. Because of my personal beliefs (or lack thereof), I'll always sharpen the critical knives and push back against stories and programs that take all the "spiritual" and "faith" hokum too seriously. I'm down with fictional worlds inhabited by vampires and wizards and cyborgs and other fantastical elements, and I've never had problems accepting the show reality of an island with a sentient smoke monster and characters who can travel through time. But you don't find people in real life - that make laws that affect your freedoms and educate your children and have access to weapons of mass destruction -- who run on a "vampire platform" or make your affiliation with Gryffindor House a litmus test for political office (or societal acceptance). Mystical, implausible, fanciful worlds are just that, and there to entertain and to fire our imagination, and perhaps even to educate and elucidate through parable (but certainly not though any proven science, history, facts or concrete evidence). So naturally my kneejerk reaction was to hold back a gag reflex during those last thirty minutes, no matter how lovingly and movingly they were crafted.

And then I thought about it some more, and realized the ending wasn't necessarily a flat out endorsement of an all-knowing, holy creator who shackled his minions with immutable laws and outmoded and illogical hoops to jump through in order to enter his glistening kingdom. In fact, the show took a much more humanistic approach. Yes, there were still religious trappings, but they were non-denominational, and in the end, what mattered most to the story and its resolution was the characters belief in themselves and each other. In the real life of the island, no one was "saved" purely because of their faith or their conversion to an illogical belief system. They were saved, and escaped from the island, because Frank "Chesty" Lapidus can fly a motherfucking plane. Because Jack laid a beat down on a now humanized enemy. Because Kate saved a bullet and is a good shot. Because Miles, like all of us, believes in the power of duct tape. The story of these characters on this island, as mystical and magical as it was at its core, was brought to a close by human actions and character agency, even as supernatural things were happening all around them.

Even the final scenes with Jack in the church could be read through a humanistic filter. If it's your wont, you could take that to be a literal purgatory, or afterlife, where souls and spirits meet up before passing on to whatever reward fits neatly into your belief system. Or, you could think of it as a dramatic representation of Jack Sheppard's mind finally making peace with his human foibles and real-life struggles on the island, and coming to terms with the decisions he made and the actions he took to ensure that his friends, with whom he formed tangible, meaningful earthly bonds, lived on to see another day. So was there a true spiritual waystation where the survivors of Oceanic 815 (and their friends) actually met up, outside the bonds of time and space, to wait for Jack and help him off into a real afterlife? Or was this yet another story within the story, meant to bring life and images to a decision-making process that goes on inside all of us, yet doesn't truly exist in form and function within the fabric of the world we know? Like just about everything with Lost, they don't tell us, and leave it up to us to interpret, and for that, I'm glad.

There's no denying that "The End" was a monumental television achievement. The acting, directing, cinematography and particularly the masterful score by Michael Giacchino were all brilliant. While a few lines, and plot points, weren't quite as sharp as they could be, the two and a half hours were extraordinarily moving. If you didn't tear up when Sawyer and Juliet regained their memories of each other by the candy machine, or when Vincent came to lie down beside Jack, then you have no heart. Each and every performance was perfectly calibrated, and we got the stellar work we usually do from Emerson, O'Quinn, Holloway, Mitchell and Fox. Special kudos, though, should go to Evangeline Lilly and Jorge Garcia. Kate was always a target of fan scorn, usually because the scripts made her impossible to like at times, but Lilly really nailed all of her scenes last night, and got quite a few colors to play. And everybody loves Hugo, and Garcia has always excelled a providing a comical, heartfelt voice of the fan. But he was required to do some more emotional heavy lifting in "The End," and he delivered in spades.

So, thought-provoking and action packed story, masterfully executed on a technical level, why does this finale still leave me wanting? I guess, in a way, it's much like the equally divisive finale of Battlestar Galactica, "Daybreak." (which I wrote about here). That epic conclusion was also packed with beautiful imagery, lofty ideas, remarkable acting, a superlative score and mythic ambitions. But "The End," like "Daybreak," was less than the sum of its parts because as the wrap up to a show built on mysteries, the "answers," where we got them, didn't hold together in a way corresponding to the weight and importance the shows themselves placed on those questions over the years of their unfolding. I'm fine, of course, not knowing what the hell was up with the "Hurley Bird" or where the island came from originally or who built the Giant Cosmic Sink of Godly Gold Light and Water. And I understand the real-life issues surrounding the return of the actors who played Eko and Walt. But too many issues - issues that formed the narrative drive and backbone of much of Lost's storytelling (and character motivations) - were never adequately touched on. Desmond's "specialness." Eloise's off island knowledge. The island fertility problems. Widmore's motivations. The oft-referenced "rules." These aren't arcane things on the fringe of the plot you can just ignore, like the outrigger shooting. These are things that actively drove characters and entire storylines of the show, and to ignore them (while spending time in the temple, or so much time in the sideways world) and leave them unresolved or unexplained is a major failing of plotting and execution. I don't need a "midichlorians" resolution to the ability of a millennia-dead man to turn into malevolent smoke, but I do need to know what forces were giving our characters agency, informing their decisions and propelling the narrative.

So while my response, and I believe the response of a lot of Lost fans is "the story didn't quite come together, but damn, the character work was outstanding and it was emotionally fulfilling," why do we have to leave it at that? Yes, the show was groundbreaking and ambitious as all get out. And yes, the finale was triumphantly rewarding emotionally, but why should we -- and Damon and Carlton -- settle for just that? Wouldn't it have been even better to have all those wonderful, rich character moments AND have the entire story fit together logically?

Still, I don't regret any of the time I've invested in Lost, and I would be happy if most of the shows I watch reached this high, only to come up a bit short.

I'll see ya in the next life, brutha. Namaste.

Sawyer as a Son

I was browsing through some of TWOP's front page Lost coverage, and they had a few good lists and roundups. One called "If Lost stars never got Lost" (or, "Sideways versions of the actors' careers"), where they imagined what would have happened to the actors if they had never been on the show. One idea struck me as positively brilliant: Josh Holloway winds up as Jax's estranged older brother on Sons of Anarchy. Holloway can captivatingly convey that intoxicating mixture of charm and menace necessary to play in the world of the Sons, and I could easily see him as a relative of Jax. (Maybe John Teller had a little fling with a stripper down south on a road trip before settling down with Gemma? Works for me). Sutter, you already have Man In Black on the show, time to bring over another Lostie!

They also have a Best and Worst episode list. Two thoughts on the the "worst." I know "Across the Sea" isn't universally beloved, nor did it provide ANSWERS! in the way many of us wanted, but the more I think about that ep, the more I like it. It was a parable of a parable, and Pellegrino and Welliver sold the shit out of it. Also there is "Expose," and still don't get the hate for that. I understand the reasoning behind introducing Rosencran...er...Nikki and Paulo (and understand the hate for them, too), but for an ep that openly acknowledged the "meta-situation," AND dealt with the characters in a cruelly humorous (or humorously cruel) fashion, I thought it was pretty damned entertaining. You can find my "Reconsidered: "Expose" piece here.

There's also a "Questions we don't need answered" piece. I agree with most of them, but I did hope to see some more color to the story of Annie, and an explanation about the food drops (even if it was a throwaway line).

In the "Most worthless characters ever" feature, they list Christian Sheppard, which I don't necessarily agree with. He was a necessary bastard to the Jack story - though I will be pissed if we don't get some clarity on his island appearances (and NO, I still can't believe it was Smokey every single time he showed up). And Charlie? Harsh, dude. And Claire? But Bai Ling? Uh, yep.

Doing my part for government tabulations. And Geekery.

The census guy just knocked on my door. Since a couple of months ago, the future was uncertain, I never got around to sending my form in. He seemed like a nice dude, so I invited him in to ask his questions. While here, he met the cats, and of course, Mulder, being the aggressively friendly sort that he is, was all over him (in a good way). He recognized the name from The X-Files, and said he loved the show. He asked me if I watched Lost, and wondered if he should watch it on DVD from the beginning. (He'd NEVER SEEN AN EPISODE!). After 10 minutes of evangelizing, I had him convinced he was going to the library to pick up the first season tomorrow.

We also talked about The Wire, Friday Night Lights (which we had both seen) and The Sopranos.

I think I also completely sold him on Battlestar Galactica and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which he hadn't watched before.

I feel like I did a huge service to humanity today.

Too bad he wasn't from the Nielsens. I'm much more interested in having them count me.

Tubal Anticipation

Tonight brings the mid-season finale of Caprica, and I can't wait. Of course I was going to be interested in a "prequel" set in the Battlestar Galactica universe, even if Ron Moore and company didn't exactly stick the landing on the finale of that seminal series. Caprica has struggled a bit, as all new series do, to find its footing with tone, story arcs and character development in this first run of episodes, particularly with the adult female characters*, but in my opinion, it's never been less than interesting, and has frequently been captivating and addictive. Tonight's ep, "End of Line," wraps up the first 10 of the show's 20 episode first season, before returning sometime in the fall. The producers claim to have a handle the on the nature of the show now, and say that things really come together in that back run of 10 episodes, which have already been shot. That's very encouraging, since I've been glued to my set for the first half.

*Which is odd, given Jane Espenson's position as head writer. Jane has written for some of the most iconic female characters on television, serving as part of the creative teams behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Battlestar Galactica, Firefly and Gilmore Girls. Plus, the two adult female leads, Paula Malcomson (Amanda Graystone) and Polly Walker (Sister Clarice) are terrific, immensely talented actresses.

Which brings me to my point for this post. As we know, I watch a LOT of TV. There are some shows that I watch out of habit, or loyalty, and put on while I'm folding the laundry, reading a book, paying bills or surfing around the intertoobz. Then there are others that I actively anticipate, can't wait to watch, and drop everything for when they come on. So what programs rise above the DVR's "I'll watch it when I get around to it" convenience, and become "must watch?" Glad you asked.

This is a list of the "most anticipated" programs each week, not necessarily the "best." (Similar to a discussion of "best" vs. "favorite" TV shows, where the former would almost certainly be topped by The Wire, and the latter would probably be headlined by one of the Whedon tales, like Firefly or Buffy; they're not necessarily mutually exclusive, but are definitely different lists).

So, my Top 5 Most Anticipated Dramas Each Week:

1. Lost
2. Caprica
3. Justified
4. Supernatural
5. Fringe

Top 5 Most Anticipated Comedies Each Week:

1. Archer
2. Glee
3. Community
4. Parks & Recreation
5. Big Bang Theory

Because of the nature of split seasons and airing schedules, some shows I would ordinarily include aren't on here. For example, Sons of Anarchy, True Blood and Doctor Who would probably compete for a place on the list in the "off season" among the dramas, as would It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia or Party Down with the Comedies.

So what shows to you anticipate most each week?

TV "Style Conventions" I Love

Beyond the characters, the writing, the plotting, the direction and the acting, there are many reasons why you might love a television show. Little stylistic choices, or "conventions" if you will, that help establish the mood and tenor of a program. For example, the ticking clock (both visually and aurally) on 24. Episodes titles for Friends that are always "The One With...." The "chung chung" sound on Law & Order.

Here are a few from current shows that I love:

The character-identifying chyron titles on Burn Notice, where the text flies in and freeze frames someone as "Michael's Worst Nightmare" or "Arms Dealer with a Grudge."

The 3D floating location identifiers on Fringe.

When the crew on Leverage pulls a con, toward the end of the episode, we usually get a quick black and white flashback to show how they did it.

The different sounds used to indicate a flashback, flashforward or flashsideways on Lost.

The "to the camera" confessionals on The Office and Parks & Recreation.

The choral "soundtrack" and musical stingers on Glee.

The faux Veridian Dynamics commercials that usually run during an episode of Better Off Ted.

The way the credits to The Closer typically unfold, with a full opening scene playing out, interspersed with stark text on black background credits, all underscored with a bluesy guitar.

The episode naming conventions for The Big Bang Theory and Community, which suggest (respectively) scientific theorems ("The Lizard-Spock Expansion") or college classes ("Comparative Religion").

Belle's in character (but out of story) asides to the camera/audience in Secret Diary of a Call Girl.

The "fake FBI Agent" names (usually classic rock inspired) the Winchester brothers always give in Supernatural ("Agent Plant and Agent Page").

The beautifully done depiction of Zoe Graystone, the "personality" trapped inside the Cylon robot, in Caprica, which cuts back and forth from the CGI'd gleaming metal monstrosity to actress Alessandra Torresani.

What about you? What conventions or stylistic quirks from your favorite shows make you love them that much more?

The shippers have sailed

For the life of me, I do NOT understand hardcore "shippers." For those not familiar with the term, "shippers" (short for "relationshippers") are TV fans who base their entire enjoyment of a show on the successful resolution of a romantic subplot between their favorite characters. Usually, there's a cute portmanteau attached to the couple, like "Jam" (Jim and Pam from The Office) or "Jaters" (those who want Jack and Kate from Lost to get and stay together).

Shippers have been around forever, though they've really gained cultural currency with rise of internet message boards. I first remember the phenomenon with Mulder and Scully on The X-Files, but this week, shippers got some notoriety because of the whole Chuck and Sarah situation on Monday's episode of Chuck. Evidently, the NBC message boards were melting down, but you can get a good read on it in the comments of Alan Sepinwall's review of that episode here. (312 comments and counting!). Shippers were OUTRAGED that Chuck would decide to start dating the adorable new Nerd Herder Hannah, while Sarah would decide to mack on new secret agent man Shaw. Some fans went so far as to call for a boycott of the show, in order to teach the producers/writers "a lesson," and make them bring their favorite couple back together. (This is, of course, completely devoid of logic, as A) they're already waaaay ahead in the writing and production schedule, so a boycott would have little effect on plotlines, and B) any severe dip in the viewership of the show - one that's consistently been "on the bubble" for renewal anyway - would result in its cancellation entirely). Virtually every TV critic had some type of reaction to this supposed controversy, and it even prompted Sepinwall to get on the phone with the Chuck producers to address the situation. Whew.

I realize that fanbases can get passionate about the romantic pairings of their TV heroes. (Buffy with Angel? Buffy with Riley? Buffy with Spike?) But to call for an action that would result in the show you profess to love, and which inspires so much online dialogue and consternation, being axed? Doesn't that seem a bit extreme?

Hey, I love a good romantic coupling as much as the next fan. Last season's surprise pairing of Sawyer and Juliet on Lost was extraordinarily moving. I totally dug Willow and Tara together. And my favorite TV relationship ever was undoubtedly Crichton and Aeryn on Farscape. But would I quit watching a show, and encourage others to do so as well, just because my preferred pairing didn't work out exactly the way I wanted it to, when I wanted it to? Uh, no.

That's not to say that I don't experience frustration, as a viewer, when relationships don't work out. But it has less to do with the romantic pairings and their "togetherness" than it does with the illogic and clunkiness of the plotting and writing. For example, even though I just praised the Sawyer and Juliet relationship in the preceding paragraph, I rolled my eyes so far back into my head I tangled my optic nerve during last year's finale when Juliet decided to go along with Jack's stupid plan just because of a "look" between Sawyer and Kate. Bones thrives on the "will they or won't they" chemistry between the leads, and often goes to ridiculous extremes to keep the unresolved sexual tension simmering between them (Brain tumor? Amnesia? Please).

But here's the thing. Lost isn't completely about who Kate winds up with. Chuck isn't solely about a nerd winding up at a "rose ceremony." If that's all you get out of the show you watch, then maybe you're watching the wrong show.

Finally, with regard to the Chuckpocalypse, a few additional thoughts:

Why am I suddenly reminded of this?

If you're so invested in this show, then of course you realize that it IS a TV show, right? So then you know that Brandon Routh (Shaw) and Kristin Kreuk (Hannah) are guest stars, signed only for a limited number of episodes. So do you really think they are going to keep Chuck and Sarah apart forever?

From two plus years of Chuck watching, I think we can reasonably assume that the producers' end game will involve having Chuck and Sarah wind up together. (Schwartz and Fedak don't strike me as the Whedon type who will have their star crossed lovers realize their romantic longings, only to have one of them turn evil or die tragically). So if that's your ultimate goal, then have a little faith in the creators and the story they want to tell.

And doesn't Chuck seem like a show that's odd to take so seriously? Don't get me wrong, I find it's a fun way to spend an hour on a Monday night, and hell, I even bought a Subway sandwich last year as part of the renewal effort. But at the core, it's a lightweight, entertaining, 80's pop-culture romp. Can't we just enjoy it for that? Even when a show that takes itself seriously, like Battlestar Galactica, doesn't "stick the landing" completely in the end (or have the characters make the decisions we'd want them to make), it doesn't detract from the hours and hours of quality storytelling and performances we got from the producers. I'd rather the creators follow through with their vision, and agree to disagree with the journey and/or the destination, than have them tremble in fear and change course because the fans are vocal in their disapproval over one thread in a complete tapestry.

Why I Watched the Lost Opening (No Spoilers)

By now, every Lostie in the world has heard that the opening 4 minutes or so of Tuesday's premiere has surfaced online. I'm not going to post it here, but if you want to find it, it's damn easy.

I used to be a raving spoiler whore. Somewhere along the way, I decided that except for casting notices or episode titles, I wasn't going to spoil myself on the shows I really care about and invest in. A lot of the shows I follow tend to be geeky or mythological in nature, or benefit from the sudden jolt of a plot twist or character death (Lost, BSG, Dollhouse, Fringe, Supernatural, Dexter, True Blood, etc.), and I just preferred to experience that in the way the producers intended. It doesn't diminish my enjoyment knowing what's going to happen necessarily when something is well crafted, though. Back in the days when Buffy and Angel were on the air, I was spoiled for virtually every single big development, and I still kept my eyeballs glued to the screen, and get just as much pleasure watching those eps now on DVD as I did when they first aired. I just went through two series I missed the first time around (Friday Night Lights and The Wire), and being pop culture literate, I had a general idea of what happened in each. It didn't affect my appraisal of their quality or viewing impact at all.

However, there are few events in TV geekdom as anticipated as the final season of Lost. I've marveled at how many of Lost's big twists over the years have been kept under wraps ("We have to go back!"), and this year Damon and Carlton have been particularly coy about the storylines and techniques set to unfurl starting Tuesday, going so far as to have all the promotional gear up to the premiere not feature any footage of the upcoming season. And WE'RE ALMOST THERE. Only four more days.

So why did I look?

One, because I was weak, and have no willpower to resist major temptation. (Those who know me won't find this worthy of a BREAKING NEWS! banner).

Two, because I don't think the footage would be out there if Team Darlton thought it shouldn't be. (The backstory is, winners of a contest were sent a flash drive with the first four minutes of the premiere on it). Do you actually think that someone in ABC's marketing department, much less the producers of the show, thought they could send this footage out and that it wouldn't be on the internet spreading like wildfire in a matter of minutes? Knowing this, do you think that they would actually come up with this contest, and disseminate the footage in the most easily shared fashion (as opposed to flying people in for a sneak preview, or having them log into a secure site, or some other high security execution) if they didn't anticipate this? They know what they've got and where they're going, so even "if" the footage got out there, they have to believe it's not that big of a fucking deal.

And you know what? It's not.

Given what happened in the season 5 finale, "The Incident," we know what Jack was trying to accomplish. There are many, many possibilities and repercussions for how that could play out and what it means to the characters on and off the island, however, and the leaked snippet of the premiere doesn't really tell you anything that you couldn't have guessed for yourself a year ago. In fact, 99% of the Lost fans I've talked to all expect the first episode of season 6 to start a certain way before we really come to grips with the implications and mysteries of the season and it's storytelling devices. Also, the first half of the leaked footage is just a repeat of the season 5 finale, so there are only a couple of minutes of anything "new."

So, if you've watched it already, you know what I mean. If you haven't, don't worry about about putting yourself in a sensory deprivation chamber until Tuesday night, because it's not going to bring about the end of the world if you're somehow exposed to it or chat with a fellow Lostie who has seen it. Better yet, just wait until Tuesday, because the really good stuff most certainly starts happening more than 4 minutes in.

Namaste, y'all.

Who is the real alien on V?

I'm convinced the real alien on V sent to infiltrate earth's defenses is Elizabeth Mitchell. No, not the Erica Evans, the FBI agent character she plays on the show V. The actress Elizabeth Mitchell.

Why, you ask? Because in a business overpopulated by no-talent famewhores and self-aggrandizing divas, Mitchell is remarkably "down to earth," talented and refreshingly normal. Geeky, even. Read any of her interviews (like this one in EW, or this one with IF) and you'll find:

• Like many of us, she watched the original V miniseries as a kid.
• She loves sci-fi, and sci-fi fans, and enjoyed Comic-Con.
• She was a huge fan of Firefly, and was geeked out about working with "Wash" and "Inara" on V.
• She's also a huge Star Trek nerd, and was dropping hints about her love of the franchise to her Lost producer (and Trek revitalizer) JJ Abrams.
• She's modest, humble and grateful.

Longtime TNRLM readers know my love for Lost, and that Juliet was (and is?) one of my favorite characters. So.....insanely hot, Emmy-worthy talented, real-life geeky, sweeter than pie and starring in beloved nerd franchises. Too good to be true, obviously. The only explanation is that she is indeed part of a group of aliens sent to infiltrate the planet's population, and woo legions of geeky fanboys* to her side for the inevitable extraterrestrial takeover. Well, bring on the rodent buffets and fascist outerwear - I'm hopelessly smitten.

*Not just fanboys. What about fangirls? Who can forget her turn as Angelina Jolie's lover in Gia? She recently said of Angie's lips, "“Pillowy and fabulous. Honestly, you got lost in her lips. It was almost overwhelming, like a peach.”

Reconsidered: "Expose"

For more about "reconsidered," see this.

"Expose" is the 14th episode of the third season of Lost. It's also the episode that featured, and brought to a close, the story of Nikki and Paulo, two characters who were supposedly "in the background" the first two seasons.

Ask any Lost fan about their least favorite episodes, or the "worst" episodes, and "Expose" almost always comes up. (Not as frequently as the universally derided "Stranger in a Strange Land," but often enough to merit consideration here as a "reconsidered" feature). To put "Expose" in context, you have to understand what the producers were trying to do with Nikki and Paulo in the first place. Obviously, there were more survivors of the crash of Oceanic 815 than we, as viewers, saw in the regular and ongoing cast. They were typically represented by extras milling about in the background, and when it served the story, an actor would be cast to portray one of those additional survivors, such as what happened with Leslie "Doc" Arzt. Darlton wanted to bring two more of those background characters to the forefront, and in season three (beginning with "Further Instructions," though the actors were listed as part of the primary cast starting with the season premiere) we started seeing more of Nikki and Paulo, who were presumably there on the island with everyone else since the crash.

Despite casting two extremely attractive and capable actors, the fan reaction to Nikki and Paulo was not quite what team Darlton hoped for. Part of it was probably due to some of the overall malaise that infused season three as a whole (unfortunate split scheduling by ABC, producers still not knowing how long the show would last and trying to drag things out too far, momentum being stalled by the endless "Kate and Sawyer in the cage" story, etc.), but Nikki and Paulo's insertion into some of the island adventures was also less than elegant. Given the production schedule and break in the airdates, Darlton had time to assess the fan reaction to the characters, and truncate Nikki and Paulo's arcs, which come to a head in the episode "Expose."

For an episode focused on these two, it's interesting to note that very, very little occurs with Nikki and Paulo in the show's "real time." In fact, the only thing that happens in "the present" is Nikki running out of the jungle and face planting on the beach, before muttering something that the gang initially interprets as "plywood." Or "powerlines." Or "Paulo lies." The rest of the Nikki and Paulo story takes place via flashback, starting with the opening scenes of a stripping Nikki encountering a mysterious villain known as Mr. LaShade, played by Billy Dee Williams. (trivia: Mister LaShade? Anagram for "Dharma List"). Turns out this vignette is really just a scene from an episode of "Expose," a TV show in the Lost universe about strippers who fight crime, which Hurley says is "like Baywatch, only better." Nikki, an actress, was a guest star on the show, who was having an affair with the show's producer as part of a long con (with Paulo) to get at the producer's stash of $8 million in diamonds. These flashbacks show us the couple's growing distrust and insecurity once the diamonds were acquired (and lost in the crash, then found in the lagoon) filtered through several known island events.

Building an episode around the perspective of secondary characters is nothing new, and several genre series have done it with aplomb. For example, Star Trek:TNG did it with the classic episode "Lower Decks," X-Files did it with the Lone Gunmen characters (before they got their own short lived spinoff) and Angel did it with a very funny Harmony focused episode called "Harm's Way." (The Wolfram & Hart employee orientation video is worth the price of admission alone). So "background players stepping to the forefront" isn't exactly groundbreaking, and at the very least, it gave the producers a chance to effectively wrap up a truncated Nikki and Paulo story, and give us a very entertaining episode to boot.

Yes, I said "entertaining." While "Expose" won't go down in Lost lore as one of the best episodes ever, I think it accomplished what it set out to do, and provided some fun and laughs along the way.

Some of the amusing meta-commentary from "Expose:"

ZUKERMAN: Alright, that's a series wrap for Corvette! Let's hear it for Nikki!
[Most of the production crew clap and whistle.]
NIKKI: Thank you.
ZUKERMAN: Brilliant, Nikki. As always. You know, you don't need to die. We can bring you back next season.
NIKKI: [laughs] How?
ZUKERMAN: Well, let's say that, uh, Corvette was wearing a bullet-proof vest?
[Nikki pulls away her jacket to remind Zukerman that she is wearing nothing but a bikini underneath.]
ZUKERMAN: Bullet-proof breast!
NIKKI: [covering back up] Look, I'm just a guest star, and we all know what happens to guest stars.

Or this gem from Sawyer:

HURLEY: Dude.... Nikki's dead.
SAWYER: ... Who the hell's Nikki?

You also have the diamonds being hidden in a matryoshka (Russian nesting dolls), which itself is a commentary of the nature of the Lost plot, with riddles being encased in other riddles.

And...back to Sawyer:

HURLEY: [interrupts Sawyer with a shout] "Paulo lies"! That's what she said! "Paulo lies", not "power lines". "Paulo lies".
SAWYER: Who the hell's Paulo?

Then there's the flashback to Nikki and Paulo at the airport, where they encounter a squabbling Shannon and Boone:

NIKKI: Promise me we'll never end up like them.

Which of course, is funny, given what happens to both couples.

The producers also did a fantastic technical job of integrating Nikki and Paulo into the existing footage and scenes of "original" island events like the crash and subsequent beach confusion, and the "live together, die alone" speech.

In addition to the amusing meta-ness of many scenes from "Expose," we also had some plot advancement and interesting tidbits concerning our "regular" cast of characters:

• Charlie revealing to Sun that he had been responsible for her attack.
• The fascinating Juliet and Ben scene in the Pearl (which ostensibly explained how Paulo got a walkie talkie), where Ben lays out how he intends to play Jack into doing the surgery: "Same way I get anybody to do anything. I find out what he's emotionally invested in, and I exploit it."
• Ominous quotes from Locke: "Every man's entitled to his secrets Paulo." And "Things don't stay buried on this Island."
• Arzt's Orwellian declaration: "The pigs are walking!"
• Shannon complaining about the newly found guns, which have been kept secret from the rest of the gang by "Kate and her two boyfriends." Hee!
• Also, take a look at the screencap from the scene where Hurley is examining the Nikki's script for "Expose." Notice a familiar surname as part of the show's regular cast?

So while "Expose" wasn't "The Constant," it certainly wasn't "Stranger in a Strange Land," either. The creative team knew they had a problem on their hands (admittedly, a problem of their own making), and found an interesting, funny and somewhat tragic way to deal with it. For characters that weren't exactly beloved, it's still a pretty haunting and awful way to die, being buried alive side by side. With their diamonds, no less.

Nikki and Paulo may have been a mistake, but in my opinion, "Expose" wraps up their story in a taut, amusing episode that's a lot better than it's given credit for.

"Expose" Reconsidered: B+

Be still my heart

Check out this EW video interview with the cast of ABC's upcoming V reboot. (I would embed, but they only allow you to get linky).

Not only does this show look pretty damned good, but Elizabeth Mitchell continues to affirm my undying geek love for her. First, she's on this show (with everyone's favorite space hooker, Morena Baccarin). Next, in the interview, she talks about being a huge fan of Battlestar Galactica (the old one AND the new one!). And of course, she's been magnificent in a little thing called Lost.

Oh, and she made out with Angelina Jolie in Gia.

TNRLM Emmy Shortlist: Drama Series

Even though Battlestar Galactica was still one of the best shows on TV, and had many stellar episodes as it wound down, including “Blood on the Tracks” and “Someone to Watch Over Me,” I’m considering this nomination more of a “lifetime achievement award” than a pure recognition of the final season’s overall quality, since the series finale was such a letdown. Don’t get me wrong, “Daybreak” was about 90% there, and a beautiful and thematically fitting capper to a thoughtful, challenging and unrelenting reinvention of TV sci-fi. But months later, there are still too many loopholes and copouts that nag at me to call it “perfect.” You can’t please all of the people all of the time, and Ron Moore ended the show the way he wanted to, and for that, we should appreciate his vision and save the quibbles and debate for blog posts and message boards, and thank the gods we were able to enjoy as many years of this masterpiece as we did. So say we all.

This season, Big Love finally found the right “calibration” to elevate it to the level of TV’s best dramas. It had the menace and laughable lunacy of the compound again, but only in smaller, more effective doses. We had Bill’s harebrained marital and business schemes, but they didn’t overwhelm the fundamental reason why Big Love is so damned good – the complicated and interdependent relationships between the three sister wives. Each had an involving and juicy throughline this season: Barb, who struggled with her faith and her church, in addition to having a health scare; Margene, who lost her mother and realized a growing sense of independence; and Nicki, who is always involved in something juicy (this year, it was plotting with and then against her father, carrying on a quasi affair and then discovering her ex husband and child had returned from exile). Yes, there were other twists and turns for the Henricksons this year, including expanding their gaming business to a casino, daughter Sarah getting pregnant and then miscarrying, Joey tragically losing his new wife and even a kidnapping by the demented Hollis Greene, but it was the trials and tribulations of the three wives, and their relationships with each other, that give this show its heart.

There’s no way you can describe In Treatment to someone who hasn’t seen it and make it sound sexy and compelling. “Well, it’s about a troubled shrink who sees four different patients and then goes for a session with his own therapist. Each episode is usually two people in a single room talking about their problems for 30 minutes.” WOW, right? No robots, no vampires, no smoke monsters and no superheroes. Then why is it so damned watchable? ACTING. With the exception of one session (whose primary problem didn’t really hook me, and featured the issues divided, to the detriment of the segment, among three family members vs. a single patient) every single performer on this season made my Emmy Shortlist. The quality of the acting (and the writing, and in a low key way, the directing) was consistently excellent, and it would be hard to find that level of sustained performing brilliance on 35 episodes elsewhere.

All the splashing around in the time space continuum in season five of Lost may have confused or alienated some viewers, but I loved it. Whether or not it was all “worth it” won’t be known until the end game is played out, but I can’t ever recall a show giving us a never ending stream of WTF moments like Lost: They’re in 1977! Sawyer and Juliet! There’s a nuclear bomb! Ben’s at the dock with Des and Penny! Locke hangs himself! No he doesn’t! Ben strangles him! Sayid shoots young Ben! We’re not going to Guam! Dan’s mom shoots him! There’s Jacob! There he is again! Let’s blow the nuke! White screen of WHAT?! The thing about Lost is, despite all the genre trappings and knock you off the couch moments, it’s still all about the characters, who are splendidly written and acted, and not even the last hour return of the accursed “quadrangle” can diminish the fun we had on and off the island this year.

How in the world did HBO pass on this show? Last year’s freshmen sensation showed zero signs of a sophomore slump, and continued to establish its credentials as one of the great TV shows of all time. Every moment, every script, every visual, every performance and every detail of the era are so perfectly realized, you feel like you’ve traveled back in time (without the aid of a magical island). On the surface, Mad Men didn’t have the crazy, twisting plot elements that many of the best shows of the past year did, but the smaller, more human complications faced by the characters inhabiting the Sterling Cooper universe were no less involving. When a tense dinner scene, a missing dog, a trip to the stables, or a poolside party can be just as riveting as a spectacular space battle for the future of the human race or the detonation of a nuclear bomb, you know you’re watching a work of art that’s no ordinary show.

At the end of the last season, Rescue Me had gone so far off the tracks I didn’t even know if I would keep it in my TiVo season pass list. But some time off, abetted by the WGA strike, obviously gave the powers that be time to recharge and refocus, because Rescue Me came galloping out of the gate and hasn’t let up since. Everything we love about the show has come back in spades: human frailty and strength, forged in the rubble of the twin towers. Barbed, witty and profane male bonding. Sharply drawn characters, given a life of their own by outstanding performances. Writing that can make you guffaw one second, and then turn on a dime into something dark, disturbing and reflective. Sexual games and farce that feels straight out of a Blake Edwards movie. And that’s not even mentioning Michael J. Fox’s award-worthy turn as a pill popping, wheelchaired force of nature who is dating Tommy Gavin’s ex-wife Janet. Rescue Me may not be for everyone, but it’s certainly proven it deserves a place on this list this year.

Emmy Shortlist: Drama Lead Actors

TNRLM Shortlist: Lead Actor/Drama

Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment: It’s a shame this show doesn’t attract more viewers, because those who aren’t watching are missing a master class in acting from all involved. It takes special talent to make watching two people sitting on a single set talking for 30 minutes riveting television, but that’s what In Treatment is. Byrne, given more to play with this year than last, was spectacular, and made “listening” into an art form.

Jeffrey Donovan, Burn Notice: Several shows featured charismatic leads anchoring enjoyable procedurals (including Nathan Fillion on Castle and Simon Baker on The Mentalist), but Burn Notice really upped its game in the second season, and went from popcorn munching summer fun to must watch, thanks mainly to Donovan’s portrayal of outcast spy Michael Weston (good scripts and a fabulous supporting cast also helped). Donovan was also great in USA’s little seen and underappreciated remake of Touching Evil several years ago, so how about a little overdue recognition?

Michael C. Hall, Dexter: Hall has created one of TV’s most enjoyable and fascinating characters, a sympathetic serial killer. Though he can propel the show all on his own, it was great watching him in a cat and mouse game with Jimmy Smits in season three.



Jon Hamm, Mad Men: Season two of Mad Men gave us lots of Don Draper to appreciate. From his professional machinations with the Sterling Cooper crowd and obnoxious comic Jimmy Barrett (and his wife) to his existential time on the west coast, Hamm gave subtle shadings to a character who shows little on the outside, but has everything going on on the inside.

Josh Holloway, Lost: With his nicknames and bad boy behavior, Sawyer has long been one of the best things about Lost. Last season, however, Holloway got to play another side of everyone’s favorite conman, as “Jim LaFleur” attempted to build a new life for himself back in the 1970s era Dharma Initiative. His doomed relationship with the equally Emmy-worthy Elizabeth Mitchell was a highlight of a terrific season five.

Hugh Laurie, House: Yeah, the overall show has slipped a bit, but Laurie continues to bring the brilliance week after week, and it’s inconceivable that he hasn’t taken home a gold statue yet.


Denis Leary, Rescue Me: No show benefited from a break more than Rescue Me, which had fallen into a serious ditch, quality wise. But this year, it’s come roaring back with better scripts and inspired casting (including Michael J. Fox as Janet’s antagonistic new boyfriend), and fantastic lead performance from Leary. He handles the laugh out loud comedy and trips to the dramatic dark side with equal aplomb, and should be recognized for helping rescue Rescue Me.

TNRLM Shortlist: Lead Actress/Drama

Ginnifer Goodwin, Big Love: Big Love enjoyed its best season yet, and much of the credit has to go to the actresses who played the Henrickson wives, all of whom I’ve put on this list. Goodwin’s Margene dealt with the death of her mother, and the youngest sister-wife began to blossom as she started her own home shopping network career. Denial and ambition made an adorable package this year for Margene.

January Jones, Mad Men: Betty Draper took an interesting voyage on the second season of Mad Men, as she experimented with the power of her own allure and independence. Jones was up to the challenge, giving the audience a compelling view of a woman trapped in a difficult situation in a very different era.


Mary McDonnell, Battlestar Galactica: How is it even possible that McDonnell has never been nominated for one of the most iconic female roles in all of science fiction? Oh yeah, it’s “science fiction.” Despite the disturbing lack of attention given to extraordinary performances in “genre” programming, McDonnell deserves kudos for breathing life into a complicated character, and I could watch her “I’m coming for all of you!” scene over and over.

Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men: It was tough to be an ambitious career gal in the Mad Men era, as Moss’s nuanced and intelligent performance constantly reminds us. While she was great all year long, Moss should be on the Emmy list if only for her scene with Pete in the season finale. Great stuff.


Chloe Sevigny, Big Love: All the sister wives got compelling storylines this past year, and Sevigny was no exception. Nicki lived a double life, spied for her treacherous father, got caught taking birth control pills, reconciled with her slimy brother Alby and had to deal with the return of her abusive first husband and little seen daughter. Amazingly enough, Sevigny created sympathy for a character that on the surface would seem to engender little.

Jeanne Tripplehorn, Big Love: Concluding the Big Love troika is Tripplehorn, who masterfully took Barb Henrickson through a monumental crisis of faith and questionable commitment to “living the principle” in her plural marriage. Her performance was delicate, true and heartbreaking.

Emmy Shortlist: Drama Supporting Actors

TNRLM Shortlist: Supporting Actress/Drama

Hope Davis, In Treatment: Davis took a character that on the surface - baby crazy, daddy issues, aggressive mood swings, inappropriately flirtatious – could have been an annoying cliché, and turned Mia into a mesmerizing foil for Paul. She was sexy, demanding, vulnerable and electric and totally believable.

Allison Pill, In Treatment: In Treatment has been a showcase for young actresses that I wasn’t that familiar with: last year, it was Mia Wasikowska and this year, it was Allison Pill. Pill was riveting as the cancer patient reticent to pursue medical treatment, and her sessions on Paul’s couch were as honest as they were showstopping.

Elizabeth Mitchell, Lost: Juliet has long been my favorite female character on the show, and Mitchell, despite how they wrote her character in the last hour of the season, was outstanding throughout the trek back to 1977. Mitchell and Josh Holloway made the audience totally invest in the Sawyer/Juliet pairing, and Mitchell is a master of conveying a lot with a little. The Dharma times were good, but her scenes at the drilling shaft in “The Incident” were heartbreaking.

Annie Wersching, 24: It’s hard to be the “sidekick” on 24, because you’re probably going to wind up dead or a mole. Agent Walker turned out to be neither of those, and we were the better for it. Wersching brought a touch of sass and emotional depth to the role, and helped frame Jack Bauer’s humanity and struggles to do the right thing.



Dianne Wiest, In Treatment: Wiest was fantastic as Paul’s friend/therapist Gina this season, and her character had her hands full as Paul dealt with a lawsuit, familial troubles and crises of professional faith.


Olivia Williams, Dollhouse: Adelle DeWitt could have been a Machiavellian, clichéd icy Brit (and at first, she was), but as the layers of the Dollhouse were peeled back, so too were the layers of the character. DeWitt showed us additional colors in two episodes (the one where she and Topher were under the effects of a drug that caused them to “loosen up,” where she was hilarious, and the one where we learned about her personal uses for Victor), and Williams knocked those out of the park.

TNRLM Shortlist: Supporting Actor/Drama

Jeremy Davies, Lost: Nobody was more crucial to Lost’s time trippy fifth season than Daniel Faraday, and Davies imbued the doomed, damaged scientist with a tragic nobility. If his scenes with Charlotte didn’t bring tears to your eyes, you don’t have a heart, and his note perfect acting grounded the loopier plot elements.


Michael Emerson, Lost: Originally intended to be nothing more than a guest for 3 or 4 episodes, Emerson turned Benjamin Linus into a must watch linchpin for the entire series. With his dry line readings and unique spin on the material, Emerson is fascinating to watch, and nobody makes persistent prevarication this entertaining.


Michael Hogan, Battlestar Galactica: Since donning the patch after the exodus from New Caprica, Hogan has done more with one eye than most actors do with their entire faces. In the final season, Saul Tigh dealt with the nature of his Cylon heritage, the loss of a child and the reappearance of his long lost true love, and Hogan was stellar.


John Mahoney, In Treatment: Mahoney’s Walter was one of the more difficult patients on the couch this year, and watching Mahoney and Byrne go toe to toe through the character’s arc was a delight.



John Noble, Fringe: Was there another character on a drama this year more fun to watch? Walter Bishop was indeed the stereotypical mad scientist, but Noble gave him more than just a childlike id and wonderment and obsession with cows and snacks. He also showed us a man struggling with his sanity and tenuous grasp on reality, and living with the ramifications of the things he believes he’s done.

Terry O'Quinn, Lost: Few things on TV this year were more heartbreaking than Locke’s “final moments” in that run down apartment in “The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham. No matter what the producers ask him to do, O’Quinn always delivers, and his “reappearance” in the final episodes of the season as a more confident, motivated John Locke was no exception.

Jon Scurti, Rescue Me: The show has come back with a vengeance this season, and Scurti continues to shine as the funniest member of the crew. Nobody on the show is better with a joke, but we also saw different sides of Lou as he dealt with his memories of 911 with the French reporter, and in what should be his Emmy highlight reel, castigated Tommy for his ongoing self-absorption.

I'll take potpourri for $6,200, Alex

Let's take a break from our Emmy shortlisting, and roll around in some miscellany. Sound good?

If you haven't yet seen Veronica Mars, get thee to the WB.com, where you can watch the entire first season for free online (only until June 29th). This show is awesome, of course.

Galactica Sitrep has an interview with a leading roboticist, discussing Cylons. It's a fascinating read, but one thing that stuck out to me (sowing the seeds of my dissatisfaction with not only a major show plot thread, but the WTF of the ending):

What don't you like about the show?

This may put me in a bad light with Middle America, but the God angle – the fact that the cylons have a god – I really find that to be grating.

I haven't yet seen The Hangover, but I want to. Just watching the trailers, one question that popped up in my mind is "how do they do Ed Helms' missing tooth?" Make up? Digital effects? The answer is more straightforward than you think.

No matter how much they prayed, God couldn't save Tommy Tuberville's job. Maybe the staff should have been praying to the Almighty Bobby Lowder.

I never caught the Jeff Francouer quote "If OBP is so important, they why don't they put it up on the scoreboard?", which is hilarious. Some enterprising soul put together a t-shirt in Jeff's honor. Remember a couple of years ago, with an SI cover and universal adoration? Seems like a long time ago.

I was watching an old Quantum Leap episode the other day (the one where Sam helps out Marilyn Monroe), and the guy they had play Clark Gable was spot on. I kept thinking, "where have I seen him before?" Turns out, he's played Gable before in other productions, but equally as geeky, he was the legendary Dash Riprock! AND, he showed up at the "Shindig" on Firefly!

The absolute best, and funniest, things you will ever read on gay marriage. From SI's Jeff Pearlman.

Alan Tudyk chats about Dollhouse, V and Wash.

Land of the Lost isn't doing so well at the box office this weekend. Related, are these the 25 funniest Will Ferrell characters?

Whatever happened to TV theme songs?

Burn Notice triumphantly last Thursday. Alan Sepinwall chats with BN creator Matt Nix. Sepinwall also has great chats with In Treatment showrunner Warren Leight and Party Down creators Rob Thomas and John Enborn.

Good news for V. X-Files and Angel vet Jeff Bell takes over as showrunner.

Speaking of showrunners, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles honcho Josh Friedman takes to his blog to lament the cancelation of his show. Poignant and funny stuff.

12 million year old hominid with human features found in Spain. Wait, I thought the universe was only 6,000 years old? Obviously, another case of the devil manipulating carbon dating and fossils.

The twenty sexiest ugly people.

Mountain range discovered under Antarctic, that's been untouched for over 14 million years. Obviously, another case of Old Scratch duping scientists and geologists!

I'm not a videogame guy, but holy shit, does this new Beatles Rock Band game look awesome. Hell, the trailer is a work of art itself.

Children flying first class? Having long been a traveler who appreciates (and sometimes needs) that upgrade, I would have to offer an emphatic NO. (Unless the flight is Air France 447, Oceanic 815 or Ajira 316).

100 movie cliches that just won't die.

Dark UFO put up the results of their Lost season 5 Awards. Pretty interesting.

Great news! New Better Off Teds will be airing starting June 23rd.

Potential covers for the DVD release of The Middleman. Add this to your amazon wish list posthaste!

Dexter adds a new foil for season 4.

Fun with underage strippers back in Georgia. I think we all know how this story ends.

Profiles in awkwardness: EW's "Idolatry" interviews Danny Gokey (if you're watched, or read, any of the Idolatry pieces in EW this year, you know they're big fans of the Gokester). How can you be on a music show, and not fucking know what band Michael McDonald was in?

Yes, she's annoying. Yes, her live singing leaves a lot to be desired. But these Katy Perry pics? I'll be in my bunk.

Cinematical looks at 7 female TV stars who should be in more movies.

50 dirty text acronyms every parent should know. Suddenly, my BlackBerry feels lonely.

Not only has God been forsaking the Auburn coaching staff, but apparently he's been busy elsewhere during the NBA Finals, since Orlando Magic player, and team dancer impregnator, Dwight Howard assured the media that the Magic would beat the Lakers because of the almighty. Evidently, even divine intervention can't prevent Kobe from scoring 40. No word on whether Howard will start drawing pentagrams and reading Aleister Crowley if the Magic lose.