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.

Second thoughts on Friday Night Lights

After watching 11 episodes of S1 of FNL, I offered a few thoughts on the show. Well, now I've blazed through the remainder of S1 and all of the writers-strike shortened S2. Here's where I stand on the show:

I don't know if it's possible to love Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton more than I do. They're the primary reason to watch this show, and their acting is just unparalleled. Other actors who deserve significant praise include Brad Leland (booster Buddy Garrity), Jessie Plemons (quirky "sidekick" Landry Clarke) and Adrianne Palicki (Tyra). For the most part, the acting across the board is terrific, with the notable exception of Minka Kelly, who brings every single scene she's in to a screeching halt.

S1, despite a few plot contrivances and too many last minute football miracles, is pretty much a perfectly formed first season. It's right up there with some of the all time greats (Lost, Sopranos, Deadwood, Firefly, The Wire, etc.) in creating a believable and interesting world, and introducing us to all the characters therein.

However, season two? Yee gods, what a mess. Yes, there was a writer's strike, but you'd think the writers of S1 were still on strike all year and replaced in S2 by the scribes from One Tree Hill or 90210. There was a ridiculous and horribly handled murder. (Murder! CSI:Dillon!) There was the theft of a ferret-loving meth dealer's money. There was a ludicrous romantic subplot about a Latina caregiver. 47 different ways attempted to keep paralyzed QB Street still involved in the plot. Really, it's a testament to the power of Britton and Chandler (and a few strong drinks) that I was able to make my way through this FEMA disaster of a season with any fond memories of S1. Other things that kept cropping up that diluted my enjoyment of FNL:

• I realize all shows can't be Arrested Development or Lost, where continuity and details are the gifts that keep on giving. But how old is everyone and what grade are they in? There's no way to tell, and the answer seems to be "whatever is convenient for the plot this week." I thought the Taylors were moving around from job to job prior to landing in Dillon, yet there are continued comments about them being there in town all their lives. Smash is supposedly a highly visible, highly recruited RB, yet in all the games we get to see, he's benched or performing poorly. The police investigation into, and legal ramifications of, the season-debilitating "murder plot" were so haphazardly handled you'd think Barney Fife was the town sheriff and the chicken from Futurama was the DA. Just....wow. It's one thing for a procedural, or a wacky sci-fi fantasy, to ignore last week's developments and just move on to another 42 minutes of entertainment, but for a show that wears its verisimilitude on its sleeve, FNL S2 bungled the details badly.
• The handling of the "coach returns" story was also mishandled. We saw zero fallout, professionally, over his decision to leave a bigtime college program. We also saw none of the community reaction to his return, save for a few comments in the shower from Saracen and the occasional "sports talk radio" commentary.
• I've bitched before about how much I hate kids and teenagers on my TV shows. Of course, there are exceptions (this show, Buffy, Glee, Freaks & Geeks and Gilmore Girls, to name a few) where the writing and the performances overcome the fact that Children: I'm Just Not That Into You. Some of the kids here (Tyra and Landry - except for their absurd plot - Saracen, Riggins) are terrifically watchable. But Julie, who was somewhat tolerable in S1, turns into a whiny, fast-forward button worthy brat in S2. After her behavior this year, I would completely understand if Coach and Mrs. Coach got separate bedrooms and never considered intimacy again. But the worst of all is...
• Lyla. Yes, the perhaps soon to be Mrs. Jeter is very attractive. But wearing a cheerleader uniform doesn't make you an actress, or Toni Basil would have been nominated for an Emmy. She is a terrible, terrible actress. And saddled with even worse plotlines. Turning into a sanctimonious Jesus freak, who winds up dating smug asshat Logan Huntzberger, while becoming the obsession of otherwise man about town Riggins? Ugh. Every time she pops up on the screen, I want to commit sepaku on my couch. Has anyone this talent-deficient been regularly featured on such a critically acclaimed show? Maybe the Sopranos kids?
• And speaking of kids, we add two frakkin' babies to the mix? The Coach-tot, and now, the miracle spawn of Jason Street and his one night stand waitress? Can we PLEASE just play some football games, and have the team debate the merits of the 3-4 vs. the 4-3 or something?

It sounds like I'm complaining a lot about season 2, and I guess I am. But the thing is, the show engendered such goodwill with its rookie season, and Britton and Chandler are so spectacular, that I'm willing to give this trainwreck a pass and move on to season 3 to see if it has a sizeable rebound even close to the quality of what came before.

Favorite TV Character Contest: The Results

First, a big "thank you" to everyone for playing. It was a lot of fun, and I had a great time reading all your entries. But as the Highlander said (before it was continually retconned to oblivion), "there can be only one."

And we indeed have narrowed it down to one winning entry. There were no "perfect" scorecards, but Amanda from SoCal (blogging here, and twittering here) was the first entry to correctly identify 24 of 25, beating one other person who also scored 96% by a little over an hour and a half on the email timestamp (oddly enough, both missed on the exact same character, #6).

So for the rest of you who submitted entries or played along at home, here are the correct answers (along with a few comments about each one). For reference, the original post with the collage can be found here.

1. Ron Swanson, from Parks and Recreation. P&R improved dramatically in its second year, and all the characters found a nice groove. However, nobody was more fun than Nick Offerman's Ron Swanson, who as we know is a "simple man who likes pretty dark haired women and breakfast foods."
2. Adelle DeWitt, Dollhouse. Limiting myself to just one character from each show was difficult, particularly with Dollhouse, as this season (and especially lately) the show put the pedal to the metal on its corporate mind-fuckery and end of days storyline. I could have easily chosen Victor, Sierra or Topher, but Olivia Williams consistently brought intellectual scrappiness, intimidating professional survival skills and uncharted nuance to the icy Brit.
3. Sheldon Cooper, The Big Bang Theory. Scene-stealer supreme, and a gut-busting, loquacious Niles Crane for the nerd set.
4. Sue Sylvester, Glee. Jane Lynch was terrific on the underwatched Party Down, but it's easy to see why she gave up that gig for her role as the most quotable villain on TV.
5. Saul Motherfucking Tigh, Battlestar Galactica. Another show where it was difficult to choose just one character, as I loved just about everyone in our rag tag fleet. Saul's journey took some twists and turns down the stretch, and Michael Hogan never failed to deliver.
   
6. Castiel, Supernatural. This is the one people seemed to have the most trouble identifying. (Several entrants thought it was Patrick Jane from the Mentalist). I don't know if that's because I chose/cropped the picture poorly, or just enough folks aren't watching this dark and entertaining show. But Misha Collins as "Cas" joined the primary cast this year, and has done a lot with what he's been given, whether he's having trouble understanding how to use a cell phone, visiting a whorehouse for the first time (he's an "angel!") or playing the whacked out hippy in an alternate, post-Armageddon future.
7. Sawyer, Lost. (I would have also accepted "James Ford" or "Jim LaFleur"). The picture obviously shows a bit of the Dharma jumpsuit, but if you look closely, you can see a wisp of the hair and the "star" on the logo signifying the security detail. I was in love with Lost's season 5 time-travel shenanigans, and could have selected any number of characters who captivated this year (Faraday, Juliet, Hurley, Miles, Ben, Locke, etc.). But S5 really belonged heart and soul to the con man who discovered his humanity back in the 70s.
8. Roger Sterling, Mad Men. Another show crammed fully of fascinating characters, but I'll offer this for my choice:
9. Walter Bishop, Fringe. In the world of this generation's X-Files, nobody can make the preposterous sound plausible more than John Noble's Walter. It doesn't matter if he's talking about bodily fluids, looking for snack foods or getting lost in Chinatown, Walter can make you laugh out loud or mist up with tears, often in the same scene. It would be a crime if Noble isn't recognized come awards season.
   
10. "Lou"/Kenny Shea, Rescue Me. The smartest and quippiest of the consistently funny Ladder 62 gang, Kenny finally found a small measure of satisfaction this year after "welcoming" former hooker Candy back into his life.
11. Deb Morgan, Dexter. Dexter had a fantastic season, filled with creepy menace supplied in spades by John Lithgow's Trinity Killer, but my heart will always belong to Jennifer Carpenter's endearingly and profusely profane Deb. No one's made me appreciate vulgarity this much since Al Swearingen, and Deb also got a lot of meaty character notes to play as she broke up with Anton, rekindled her romance with Lundy and dug deeper into her father's background, all while serving as the emotional anchor for her more homicidally inclined sibling.
    
12. Nicolette Grant/Henrickson, Big Love. All three of the Henrickson wives turned in Emmy Worthy performances, as I noted here, but Chloe Sevigny had a harrowing and heartbreaking year, particularly for a character as prickly and potentially unlikeable as Nicki.
13. Ned the Piemaker, Pushing Daisies. Yet another show where I waffled on which character to choose (it could have easily been Chuck, Emerson or Olive). Lee Pace's work as Ned wasn't quite as showy as the stuff Cheno and Chi McBride got to play, but his understated longing was a bittersweet treat to watch. Sniff, I'll miss you, Pushing Daisies.
14. Veronica, Better Off Ted. It's a shame that it appears ABC is burning off eps of this overlooked sitcom gem, which is jam packed with absurdly endearing characters. But Portia DeRossi has created a second enduring comic masterpiece (in addition to Lindsay Bluth) of the Aughts. It's like if Adelle DeWitt was slightly less competent and worked for GE.
15. The Devil, Reaper. This quirky little show never found an audience, even on the CW, but it was always supercharged whenever Ray Wise's smooth Old Scratch showed up to gobble the scenery. If I had a soul, I'd be inclined to sell.
    
16. Anna, V. Scriptwise, the V reboot was hit and miss in the first four episodes, but one thing was certain: Morena Baccarin's Anna was the undeniable highlight. Playing her otherworldly beauty for a different effect than she did with Firefly's Inara, Baccarin was masterful in the scenes where she was playing games with Scott Wolf's ambitious newsman, and even better when she was figuring out, right before our eyes, how to most effectively simulate empathetic human emotions.
17. Rick Castle, Castle. Speaking of Firefly, it appears Captain Tightpants has finally found a role that's going to last more than a season, and hooray for that. Nathan Fillion's easygoing charm makes Castle one of the better procedurals out there.
18. Jackson "Jax" Teller, Sons of Anarchy. Sons, like Lost, BSG, Dollhouse and Mad Men, is an embarrassment of riches from a cast and character perspective. Almost all of the principal characters, including Clay, Gemma, Tig, Opie and Tara, got a chance to run wild with all the drama and heartbreak in Charming, CA this year, but I chose Jax because our Hamlet on a Hog kept us actively involved, and rooting for him, in all the show's complicated and tragic storylines.
19. Charlie Kelly, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. In a bar full of hilarious, amoral lowlifes, Charlie never fails to make me chuckle heartily, whether he's practicing his "I've watch an episode of Law&Order" version of the legal profession, or marketing "Kitten Mittens." This was Sunny's most consistent season, and Charlie was a screechy, unhinged comic delight.
20. Parker, Leverage. Leverage is TV throwback, like a better written and acted version of the A-Team each week, wrapped up in a mini Ocean's 11. Beth Riesgraf's Parker, the socially awkward master thief, is endearingly quirky. It's such a spin-filled, off-kilter performance, complete with scrunchy faces and unexpected line readings, that I can't wait to see what she'll do next.
21. Sam Axe, Burn Notice. What nerd isn't happy that "The Chin," Bruce Campbell, has finally found a worthwhile home for his laconic gifts? Last year, I rewatched the DVD set of Brisco County Jr. and was sad that Campbell didn't get a chance to carry on with a character so suited to his leading man looks and sharp comic timing. But Burn Notice has given Bruce an opportunity to show us a more lived-in, but equally competent, character.
22. The Doctor, Doctor Who. Technically, this was a bit of a cheat, since Doctor Who wasn't a regular weekly show this year, but rather a series of specials featuring the sublime David Tennant's last go-round as the Tenth Doctor. (DVR Alert! Part 1 of his swan song airs tonight on BBCA!). This year, we got to see him match wits with a "delusional Doctor," crack wise with a sexy jewel thief on a desert planet and start to come to grips with his arrogant omnipotence on Mars, and that was all before he must face the "end of his song" in a final showdown with The Master. Tennant has always been an accomplished actor, but words can't do justice to how energetic and mesmerizing his performance has been as The Doctor. Matt Smith has big shoes to fill.
23. Chuck Bartowski, Chuck. If you're like me, you were so fond of Zachary Levi's Chuck Bartowski that you made a point to visit a Subway earlier this year, just to send a message to NBC that we wanted more of the warm-hearted Nerd-Herder turned superspy.
24. Cal Lightman, Lie to Me. It takes a strong, strong actor to imbue the central character of a procedural with enough charm, wit and complexity to get you totally invested when the mystery is usually wrapped up in a tidy 43 minutes. But like Nathan Fillion or Hugh Laurie, Tim Roth dives headfirst into his role as human lie-detector Cal Lightman, and makes each week's episode eminently watchable; not so much for the "here's what happened" particulars of the plot, but rather for the journey of watching this serious thespian get there ahead of us.
    
25. Jessica Hamby, True Blood. Season 2 of True Blood seriously upped its game, and was overstuffed with over the top characters. Yet for all the wildly entertaining melodrama around Bon Temps, the character who resonated most with me was Deborah Ann Woll's "baby vampire," Jessica Hamby. Initially just a fanged, spoiled teen destined to throw a wrench into the courtly and stuffy life of Vampire Bill, Jessica's story became more tragic as she experienced love for the first time, and to her horror, realized she was going to be an "undead virgin" for all eternity.
    

So, those were my Favorite 25 Characters of the year. Thanks to everyone for playing along, and a big congratulations to Amanda for notching a victory in the contest! Happy Holidays, y'all.

First thoughts on Friday Night Lights

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm going to attempt to play "catch up" with some of the more highly regarded TV shows of the Aughts that I may have missed during their first go-round. Freaks and Geeks was first up, and gets an emphatic recommendation from me.

Next, I popped in the DVD for season one of Friday Night Lights. I thought about watching FNL when it premiered, because I love football, enjoyed the movie, found the book fascinating, and generally appreciate director/producer Peter Berg's work. Plus, it featured the underrated Kyle Chandler (who is also a UGA alum!). However, it focused primarily on family dynamics and the lives of a bunch of kids and teenagers, and without a more compelling (for me) "genre" hook, it's just not a subject that particularly moves me to pick up the remote. Still, friends I trust suggested I watch, and along the way, it picked up plenty of critical hosannas (if not Emmy accolades).

Well, I'm 11 episodes into season one, and I have to admit, the show is pretty damned good. I won't do a full plot recap or even a critical analysis of the show thus far, but instead, just offer up a few stray observations:

• Leads Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton do absolutely sensational work. Even though I'm only halfway through the first season, it's shocking to me that neither has been nominated for an Emmy. They both give life to real, three-dimensional characters, and make me believe in, and appreciate, their relationship. Just top-notch work.
• Britton's Tami Taylor gains immediate access to MILF Hall of Fame, right there with Lorelai Gilmore.
• Not sure if it's the video transfer, or the chosen result of the handheld shooting style, but the image quality is rather granular (though not in a completely distracting way).
• Minka Kelly is scorching hot. I'm not sure she's a great actress.
• What the hell is up with this "Landry" character? I can't get a handle on him.
• I mentioned this on twitter, but there are some distracting "timing" issues. For example, one of the characters suffers a debilitating injury in the pilot / first game of the season. In a later episode, they're talking about the character's recovery, and how it's been two months since the injury. Then, in an unrelated scene, two other characters are discussing how the football team has played four games. Okay, even taking into account a bye week (which is actually shown on the show, in preparation for "rivalry week" against a big foe), that just doesn't make sense. Two months would be 8 or 9 weeks, yet only 4 games have taken place? It took me out of the show for a bit, but since I readily accept smoke monsters, time traveling islands, vampires, mind-wiped dolls, rodent eating aliens, cyborgs and other fantasy elements, I just moved on. Still, for a show that in every other way seems so grounded and realistic, it was annoying.
• The scoring is by the legendary W.G. Snuffy Walden, a frequent Aaron Sorkin collaborator. While it's effective, and appropriately emotionally manipulative, I still feel like people should be walking endlessly down a hallway nattering on about unrealistically idealistic politics.
• The football scenes are well shot, particularly for a television series, but thus far we've had way too many Rocky-esque miracle finishes. You could still convey the same heightened drama without all the hail marys, fumbles, staggering fourth quarter comebacks and diving last second touchdowns.
• I understand the nature of small towns, but I really hope we don't continue to spend so much time in Dillon's churches.
• There's been a refreshing lack of teen pregnancy, the old trope that infects virtually every high school show.
• I'm the last person in the world to complain about political correctness or representation of minority characters, but thus far the two most prominent black characters (Voodoo and Smash) are irritating, cliched asshats. (And Aldis Hodge, so appealing on Leverage, is a total tool here as Voodoo. I wouldn't be surprised if we find out in season three he was involved in a dogfighting scandal).
• Having gone to high school in a small southern town, the producers and writers totally nail the whole community vibe, without hitting you over the head with it.
• As I mentioned, Chandler and Britton are both fantastic. Hell, you could take out all the kids, and I'd watch a show that consisted of nothing but them sitting around their house talking. Their interactions are realistic, compelling, grounded and adult, without being tedious or artificially dramatic.

And finally, on a completely trivial note, did I see Julie Mayer briefly show up as a shot-slinging trollop at the post-Homecoming party? (by "Julie Mayer," I mean actress Andrea Bowen, who plays Julie on Desperate Housewives). I looked at Bowen's imdb page, and did a cursory google search, but there's no record of her having appeared on the show. But I could have sworn it's her. Check out this grainy screencap:

That's all for now, and as you can tell, despite some initial misgivings and concerns, I'm impressed with FNL thus far and will continue to dive into the DVD sets.

Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose, y'all.

Just what everyone wants for X-Mas

Sony Releases New Stupid Piece Of Shit That Doesn't Fucking Work

A quick, if belated, recommendation and filling in the gaps

If you've read this blog for a while (or hell, even for a couple of weeks), you know about my obsession with television. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy other forms of entertainment. Sports, movies, books, music, theater and so on. But for me, TV is where it's at, because I love finding characters that I like (or dislike, or more importantly, find compelling), and spending considerable time with them and their travails. To me, creating a set of characters and giving them a storytelling tableau, and then paying off those characters and their stories in an honest, intellectually and emotionally satisfying way is among the more difficult challenges any "artist" can undertake. For a sublime take on the elevated perception of television of art, check out this essay by Emily Nussbaum in New York Magazine. So suffice to say, I think I have an appreciation for television when it takes advantage of the medium for long form storytelling, character evolution, crisp writing and delivery of an involving and rewarding entertainment experience.

That's not to say I'm not without bias, though. Everyone has it. For example, when it comes to food, I'm admittedly a picky eater. However, I've tried just about everything, and eventually come to realize some things aren't for me (I'm looking at you, vegetables). Same goes for politics, relationships and religion. I've kept an open mind, explored the milieu as fully as I can, engaged my brain and curiosity, and determined what works for me and what doesn't. Yet I still have my preconceptions and mental roadblocks when I decide if I should watch a television show or not. For example:

1. I'm a geek, so I'll always give anything science fictiony or supernatural a break.
2. I hate - HATE - reality television.
3. I don't like kids, and I'm just not interested in any shows about families.
4. As an extension of 3, I really don't care about teen angst or shows with too many characters who aren't adults.
5. Procedurals are fine ways to pass the time, or watch as you're falling asleep, but they're not exactly on my "must watch" list since there's very little story and character evolution over time.

But for every one of those notions, I've made an exception and been pleasantly surprised:

1. Syfy has tried a number of shows that I've sampled, which have been eye-gougingly awful (Painkiller Jane, Flash Gordon, etc.). Along those same lines, Buffy and Supernatural appeared on the surface to be worthwhile, but violated notion #3. However, after catching on to them shortly after they premiered, at the urging of friends and/or critics, I was elated to discover shows that would enter my pantheon of quality and DVD collection.
2. Odin knows that I've tried. I just can't stand them. If I want unpredictable "real life" events, well, then that's why I watch sports. And I can't stand all the "packaged" human interest bullshit. Yet I've tried all the major reality shows (competitive, celebreality, lifestyle, etc.) and only added one -- Idol -- to the TiVo. (Unless you count Mythbusters. Does that count as "reality TV?"). Probably because I can fast forward through all the dross and just watch people sing songs I've heard before and offer snap couch criticism and chat about it with other folks.
3. I usually don't even give "family shows" a second thought (my idea of a "family show" most likely starts and stops with the Bluths), but I kept hearing wonderful things about Gilmore Girls. So I gave it a chance, and lo and behold, I absolutely adored that show. For someone who revels in the adventures of misanthropes, serial killers, aliens, criminals, cyborgs, detective and vampires, I was stunned how much I appreciated this superbly written (for most of its run) and acted program.
4. Gilmores fits here, too. So does Glee. And Buffy. And Veronica Mars. And a show I'll mention in a moment.
5. Who hasn't spent an afternoon on the couch with a Law & Order marathon and a bag of Doritos? But when it comes to top-shelf programming and Emmy-worthy performances, procedurals rarely come into the conversation. However, if you think about House, or Lie To Me, or even The Mentalist, even though the "case" usually gets wrapped up at the end of the hour, you can't say that there's not some very fine character work going on within the constraints of the formula.

So everyone has some type of bias or preconception about what shows they want to spend time with. I'm sure (based on the ratings) that many people didn't give Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Battlestar Galactica a chance just because the titles sounded so fucking ludicrous.

All this is to say that I've decided to "fill in the gaps" with some of my TV watching. Just about every TV critic is coming out with their "best of the decade" lists now, and I'm pleased that I've been on board with almost all the selections that regularly pepper these appreciations (Deadwood, Sopranos, Arrested Development, BSG, Lost, Mad Men, Six Feet Under, Buffy, Dexter, 24, Veronica Mars, etc.). But for the reasons noted above, and a few others, there are some critically praised programs I never got around to watching. So I'm going to correct that.

First up was Freaks and Geeks. I finished the series last night, and all I can say is "wow." I didn't think I would enjoy a show focused almost entirely on kids, without the infusion of some other storytelling element (noir detective work, like on Veronica Mars, or the supernatural, like on Buffy). But damn if I wasn't awed by the raw honesty of the characters, the realism of the situations, the poignancy of the performances and the caliber of the scripting. And lest that sound too cloyingly heartwarming, the show is fucking funny. So if you, like me, somehow missed out on Freaks and Geeks during its brief lifespan, I wholeheartedly recommend you go find it and watch it right now.

Next up on "filling in the gaps," will be two series I'm going to catch up with via the kindness of friends with DVD collections: The Wire and Friday Night Lights.

And Coming Soon: The winner of the TNRLM Character Contest. (Note: There's still time to enter -- deadline is midnight on x-mas).

TV Character Contest: The Update

Over the weekend, I got some interesting comments and questions about the "Favorite TV Character" contest. Basically, it boils down to this: should you bother guessing/entering if you don't know ALL of the 25 characters?

After all, I did kind of phrase it that way:

Your job? Identify all 25 characters (not the actor, not the show).

The first person to send an email to TNRLMeditor(at)gmail.com with the correct response...

That phraseology presupposes someone out there will be able to correctly name each and every character shown, and that the first person to do so would win, right? But what do you do if you "know" who many of them are, but aren't sure about a few others? Under the presupposition that someone will know them all, you might not even bother to guess on the rest or submit an entry.

Well, thus far, no one has identified all 25 correctly yet.

That brings me to two points:

1. I'm slightly modifying the contest, but not so much that the modification wasn't inherently part of it to begin with, at least in my head (though obviously not explicitly stated, or clearly communicated, by me. Sorry about that). The winner will still be the first person to correctly identify all 25 characters. HOWEVER, if no one can identify all 25, then the winner will be the person who correctly identifies the greatest number of characters by the deadline. The deadline will be Friday night (X-mas!) by midnight, EST. In the case of ties (i.e., the highest number of identifications), the winner will be the person with the earliest email "postmark" date. Make sense?
2. Did I make it too hard? Do I watch too much TV? (I think we all know the answer to the second question). I've developed quizzes and tests before for both profession and personal challenges, and I'm always left puzzling over the difference between "difficult" and "arcane." I mean, I know it, so that means everyone else must know it, right? But different people know things in different ways in different areas. For example, I can see or hear a bit of trivia one time, and then just absorb it into memory. But I can travel the same route somewhere 5 or 6 times, and still be lost without GPS, turn by turn printed directions, a trail of breadcrumbs and a sherpa to guide me. Or I have a dear friend who can recognize just about anyone by their face ("it's that guy from the movie who played the killer next door, and he was also the doctor in that thing...") but not always pull up the name and list of imdb credits from memory. So while I think the cropped pictures should be guessable, they indeed might not be, because I started with a list of names, and then assembled the photos knowing who they were the whole time. (It's a little like the old shell game. Yeah, I know which shell the pea is under because I put it there, but how do I know if you're following the sleight of hand?) Regardless, I know many of them are, because I've received some fairly accurate submissions thus far, indicating that there are at least a few of you out there who revel in their couch-spudness as much as I do.

So, bottom line: Keep guessing, there's still time to win!

TNRLM's Favorite TV Characters of the Year: The Contest

Below, you will find a collage featuring cropped pictures of my 25 Favorite TV Characters of 2009.

Your job? Identify all 25 characters (not the actor, not the show).

The first person to send an email to TNRLMeditor(at)gmail.com with the correct response will win their favorite iTunes episode of one of the shows featuring any of the characters shown.

Remember, DON'T post your guesses in the comments -- send them via email. Just send the list, numbered 1 - 25, and voila, you're entered!

For a full run down on how this works, you can reference my previous post here. I'll be back next week to announce the winner and have some discussion about a few of the characters.

Click the picture to Embiggen:

Who are your favorite TV characters of 09? And would you like a shiny new prize?

Rather than do a "Best of 2009" TV list at the end of the year, I usually assemble my thoughts on boob-tube excellence as part of a wish list to coincide with the release of the Emmy nominations. (You can find links to my last Emmy round up here). However, as the year draws to a close, I have put together a list of my Favorite TV Characters from the past 12 months. And, to make it fun for you, I'll turn my list into a pseudo-puzzle and actually offer a fabulous prize to you, dear blog reader, as a thank you for your patronage of TNRLM in 2009.

So how does this work? Glad you asked.

• Sometime this weekend (most likely Saturday morning), I'll publish the list of my Favorite TV Characters of 2009. The list will be numbered, and the characters will be represented (only) by a close cropped image of the actor in character. (The list won't be a "ranking" with character #1 being my favorite of the year, but rather numbered just to make it easier for the contest).
• Your job will be to identify the character (NOT the actor, and NOT the show) from the photo.
• The first reader to send me an email correctly identifying all the characters will win a prize.
• The prize will an iTunes episode from one of the shows in which any of the characters on my list appears. (You choose the show and the episode, and the particular episode doesn't necessarily have to be from 2009. For example, if one of my favorite characters is John Locke, you could choose "Walkabout" from Lost's first season).

Simple enough? Here are a few further caveats:

• I'm going to limit myself to one character per show. Obviously, this will force a few Sophie's choices. For example, using the aforementioned Lost example, how on earth could I choose between Locke, Sawyer, Juliet, Ben and Faraday? Yet, to keep things simple, I will. So if you determine that one of the characters from the list is John Locke, rest assured that you won't see any other Losties on the list.
• The characters listed will have to have been part of the regular cast, listed in the credits, and not a guest star. So even though we all love Alpha and Whiskey from Dollhouse, they're not eligible for this particular exercise.
• The characters have to be from an episode that originally aired in calendar year 2009.
• I'll publish the list and contest here on the blog and simultaneously tweet a link to the post. So no matter how you usually get here (casual reading, twitter, RSS reader, etc.) you'll have the same opportunity to play.
• You'll need a valid email address. Obviously, if I'm going to give the winner iTunes TV goodies, I'll have to send you a link to pick up your prize. (Don't worry, the email won't be used for sending you solicitations for Nigerian banking scams or male-enhancement prescriptions).
• The winner will be determined by the first email, as time stamped by Google Mail, to arrive in my inbox correctly identifying all the characters.
• I decided to make the submissions by email, rather than by comments posted on the blog itself, so that partial or incorrect submissions wouldn't give "hints" or "a leg up" to subsequent entries.
• The submissions can be sent to the email address on the side of this blog: TNRLMeditor(at)gmail.com
• Enter as many times as you like!

That should all be pretty clear. However, if you have questions, feel free to leave 'em in the comments below.

Also, note that I said that my list will be "favorite," not necessarily "best." There's no doubt that Hugh Laurie gives a technically proficient, Emmy-worthy performance week in and week out, but would House be one of my favorite characters of the year? Not necessarily.

So, to get us started, who are some of YOUR Favorite TV Characters of 2009?

Ashes to Ashes

In all seriousness, sympathies go out to Willie Martinez, John Jancek, Jon Fabris and their families. As fans, alumni and season ticket holders, we may not have been pleased with their performance and have every "right" to demand better, but they tried their best for the program, and we thank them for their effort. However, the proof was in the pudding, and it was (mercifully) time to move on.

Good TV Reminder

Yes, November sweeps are over, and the nation is breathlessly wondering "what the fuck is going on with Tiger Woods?!" But that doesn't mean there isn't tubey goodness to be had:

Tonight, we have the season 2 finale of FX's terrific outlaw biker drama Sons of Anarchy. And it's 90 minutes, so check your DVRs accordingly.

Also on tonight, there's a new show on the Science Channel called Sci-Fi Science hosted by Dr. Michio Kaku, author of "Physics of the Impossible." He will examine the scientific plausibility of things like lightsabers, warp drive and stargates. I want to build a time machine out of empty whiskey bottles, paper clips and my BlackBerry. I wonder if this will help.

There's a new Glee tomorrow, and hopefully it will be fake baby-free, or this plot will get aborted soon.

There's also a new Fringe Thursday. It's been struggling on Thursday nights, so show up and watch, y'all.

And Friday, there's not one BUT TWO brand spankin' new Dollhouse episodes (with Ray Wise! And Summer Glau!).

Oh, and if you'd given up on House after it squandered the potential of the wonderful season premiere, catch last night's "Wilson" episode on the intertubes. It was a great, "Zeppo" or "Lower Decks" look at Hugh Laurie's sidekick.

Thoughts on BSG's "The Plan"

After watching the DVD release of the Battlestar Galactica movie "The Plan," there are only two conclusions you can come to about its worthiness for viewing:

1. If you're a fan of the show (even one disappointed by the finale), you'll probably love the "The Plan."
2. If you're not a fan of the show, and are looking for a stand-alone BSG experience, you won't have a clue what's going on and it will leave you scratching your head wondering what all Peabody-winning, Top 10 List fuss was about.

Much like BSG's other foray into supplemental moviedom ("Razor"), "The Plan" constructs its narrative out of out of gaps in the four season run of the seminal show. Where "Razor" gave us an entirely new character as an audience POV, Kendra Shaw (Stephanie Jacobsen in a breakout performance), "The Plan" centers mainly on the motivations and actions of the Cylon Cavil from before the attack on the colonies, up through the time the Cavils were discovered by the fleet to actually be Cylons and airlocked. (Man, how I've missed frequently using the word "airlock"). Dean Stockwell, as expected, is captivating as the various Cavils, showing different flavors to his malevolence as his incarnations scheme to cleanse the universe of the human pestilence. There's also nice work here from Rick Worthy, who plays the Cylon Simon/Number Four, seen only occasionally during the run of the series. He gets some nice moments to play as one version of Four is with the fleet, and has established a relationship with a human woman and her child, while yet another is on Caprica with Anders and his team of Pyramid playing resistance fighters. (Sadly, we don't get much insight to his version of Four that was working on "the farm," nor does the movie provide any insight to the reasons behind the ovary harvesting taking place there). Though we do see some of the other Cylons behind the scenes (mostly via pick ups from the show), only Tricia Helfer also gets some significant new material to play as Number Six (her gum chewing, trashy version of Six is particularly inspired and funny).

So does "The Plan" really reveal anything monumental and heretofore unknown about the motivations and mechanics of the master Cylon plot? Not really. But for fans of the show, it's an engaging and interesting look at the Cylon's struggle with their nature and the ramifications of their decision to wipe out the human race.

Additionally:

• The special effects here are breathtaking. We get some gorgeous shots of various colonial planets before the fall, and during the robot holocaust. Also, the scenes of the basestars mounting their attack are stunning, and on par with anything you'll see in a huge budget theatrical release. Plus, lots of toasters!
• Edward James Olmos is the director here, and he does a terrific job. There are some significant action scenes that are well handled, but he also demonstrates a knack for effectively showcasing his very able cast in the quieter moments. He also deserves a big "attaboy" for seamlessly blending the old footage from the show (in tone, look and feel) with the new material filmed for "The Plan," often combining the two for a more revelatory expansion of a critical moment we've seen before.
• Jane Espenson's script fills in the details nicely, giving us resonant character beats, particularly from Cavil and Four. And of course, as Espenson usually does, she bring the funny (which was often missing from BSG over the course of its run). Cavil has always had a prominent snark subroutine, and "The Plan" is no exception ("Let's get this genocide started!"). His interactions with the other Cylons in the fleet are priceless, and Helfer's new "slutty Six" also gets some choice bon mots. (Worth noting is that when Helfer started with BSG, she was a former model with little acting experience, but it's amazing how she grew with the show and has consistently displayed some serious acting chops. Her handling of the difficult material, and showing different shades within a single model of Six AND across multiple models of the most multidimensional Cylon, is very impressive).
• Bear McCreary's score is, as always, stellar.
• Here's a tiny easter egg for you, that should delight fans of the original series:

Go to the extras menu
Highlight the Admiral to Director featurette
Now navigate to the right with your remote
You should see the BSG Seal appear – hit enter

Given how "The Plan" is so intricately woven into the fabric of the series, I'd give it an A- for fans of the show, and a C- for noobs. It doesn't answer all the lingering questions (but really, did anyone think it would?), but it's sure as hell entertaining, and makes me want to break out my series DVDs all over again. So Say We All.

Giving thanks....from the future

Just about every blogger has put up posts today listing all the things for which they are thankful. Honestly, this has been a shit year, and my list would undoubtedly inspire unsolicited calls from the suicide hotline. Fortunately, with the aid of a Summer Glau-resembling cyborg, a frozen donkey wheel, an annoying Japanese comic-book fan, the Guardian of Forever and Marty McFly, I've retrieved my "thankful" post from the 2010 version of my blog, and herewith present it to you:

What I'm Thankful For (November 25, 2010):

Joss Whedon just signed on to do a new genre show for Showtime.

Living back in the motherland of Georgia.

Aaron Murray, SEC freshmen of the year, and part of a 10-1 UGA team.

Atlanta Braves, National League champs, who captured the pennant with a 2.32 ERA and .245 team batting average.

That months later, we're all still noodling over the unbelievable, unexpected yet completely coherent Lost finale.

Continued efforts to realize (all of) the first amendment.

My new geeky girlfriend, who is into reading, blogging, football and a retina-burning volume of television watching. Our three biggest arguments to date? Proper etiquette for sneaking a flask of whiskey into a ball game; Better captain -- Kirk or Picard; and how many TiVos to have in the living room (2 or 4). Also, her preternatural sex drive.

Emmy wins for NPH, Jon Hamm (or Michael C. Hall, or Hugh Laurie), Jim Parsons and one of the Big Love Chicks. Nominations for Party Down, Sons of Anarchy, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, John Noble and Tim Roth.

That V and FlashForward both became more like Battlestar Galactica than Heroes.

Urban Meyer suffering through his first losing season at UF.

Troops are home, healthcare for all, lower taxes across the board and the supernatural has been removed from the process and institution of government.

Paul Johnson has taken his gimmick offense elsewhere, and Tech goes back to 3rd rate table scraps coaching.

Another season of Fringe, which keeps getting better and attracting more viewers.

The Falcons are in the middle of their unprecedented third winning season in a row.

SyFy puts on more shows that are, like, sci-fi.

Retired from sports broadcasting this year: Lou Holtz, Mark May, Bob Davie, Chris Berman, Shannon Sharpe, Terry Bradshaw, Chip Caray, Gus Johnson, Andre Ware, Matt Millen, Jon Gruden, Pam Ward, Stuart Scott.

Invention of the miracle bourbon, coffee, nicotine and cheese fries diet, which really works!

UGA's new DC reminds people of Erk Russell.

That random lottery ticket I picked up on whim at the liquor store hit, and the realization that vast wealth doesn't make me any more of an asshole than I already am.

No one has spoken about the "fake baby" on Glee in quite a while.

Tim Tebow went undrafted, was busted for crack possession and solicitation of a male prostitute, and never heard from again.

My oldest cat's sudden decision that he doesn't like people food, and is too lazy to jump on the table or the countertops.

The ability and mental wherewithal this year to stay in much better touch with my close, dear friends.

I'll take potpourri for $6,900, Alex

In honor of gluttony, football and the subjugation of indigenous peoples, how about an overstuffed potpourri roundup?

A Buffy quiz. Oddly, when I took it, I thought I was a perfect 20 for 20. However, there appeared to be one or two of the "correct" answers coded incorrectly. See how you do and if you have any complaints.

A really good list of the 15 Best Sci-Fi movies of the Aughts.

10 sci-fi books that should be made into movies.

A good podcast interview with Alexis Denisof (Buffy & Angel's Wesley, also appearing on Dollhouse for a return engagement soon as Sen. Perrin). Starts around 23 minutes in.

20 movie inspired band names.

10 Best "Box Office Bombs" of the Aughts. (And I FLOVE 6 of them).

Mo Ryan chats with the lovely and talented Morena Baccarin. (And wasn't the V finale pretty cool? Still not at Lost or BSG levels, but improving, no?)

Cinematical takes another look at the disappointing X-Files movie. (which, for the record, I thought was a great character study and beautifully shot, and would have made a great episode).

Interesting viewer take on the "Wheels" episode of Glee in an "Ask Matt" column from TV Guide (scroll about halfway down). I'm so sick of politically correct bullshit. So actor Kevin McHale has to be in a wheelchair to play a character in a wheelchair? Really? I can't believe people raised a stink about this. I'm disappointed Morena Baccarin doesn't eat rodents in real life. How horrible that Stephen Moyer doesn't subsist only on blood. Wait, Terry O'Quinn wasn't really healed by a magical island? Oh, however can he play this role? Jim Parsons isn't a physicist? Sam Waterson isn't a lawyer? Zach Levi doesn't have a computer in his head? Bill Paxton doesn't have three wives? How can we believe this??? What about the verisimilitude?

SI's big college football survey is pretty damned interesting. Check out the SEC section.

Interview with cast and creator of one of the best, and most underrated, sci-fi shows out there, Farscape.

Funny, how times change on TV.

A goodbye to Dollhouse, including a link to a stupendously wrongheaded assessment of Whedon by Lisa De Moraes.

30 killer closing movie lines.

I love Richard Dawkins and I love Hermione Granger, but.......ew.

Movie marquee FAIL.

Roland Emmerich is a schlockmeister supreme, but I like his take on organized religion.

AV Club's Best TV Shows of the Aughts. And their list of the Best Episodes (from shows not on the "Best Show" list).

Terry Gilliam, who was one of many auteurs once attached to filming Watchmen, offers his thoughts on Zack Snyder's adaptation. (See my thoughts on the "Ultimate Cut" here).

The NY Times ethicist wishes for a more reasonable dialogue about religion.

Is Kirk Cameron Dr. Horrible? (I find a more compelling argument for the Freeze Ray).

Uni-Watch looks at the 9 worst sports uniforms ever (My eyes! My eyes!) Further down, you will find a link to some fan suggestions for improved NFL unis for teams that have junked theirs up. I particularly like the suggestion for the Falcons. (Please, no more white on white. I hate white on white).

Paste has their take on the 20 Best TV shows of the Aughts. Their readers compile a list, too.

Paste also has a list of the 10 Best Internet Memes of the Aughts.

Will JJ Abrams take on one of my favorite childhood toys - The Micronauts - as a big screen movie? (It was also an underrated Marvel comic, too).

Speaking of "toy movies," the Peter Berg Battleship movie suddenly sounds much more interesting.

I haven't yet seen Transformers 2, but this FAQ makes me want to revel in its awfulness.

Discover looks at the 5 Best and 5 Worst "science-based" movies.

Yes, all the Browncoats squeed when Castle donned his Halloween costume. But did you see something else in the background?

Did anyone else realize that Anthony Stewart Head auditioned for The Devil on Reaper (a role that eventually went to, and was well played by, Ray Wise)?

Gallery of an artist who paints dolls to look like famous characters and actors. Astonishing.

15 Funniest Animated Sports GIFs.

IMDB's Top 250 Movies of All Time, plotted on a map.

The 10 Most Cliched Character Types in Sci-Fi.


That should be enough to keep you busy as you watch bad football, overeat and overimbibe, and nod in and out of consciousness on your couch. Happy Turkey Day, Y'all!

Sad News

UGA VII, also known as "Loran's Best," passed away today at his home in Savannah, GA, from an apparent heart attack. UGA VII had started his tenure at the beginning of the 2008 football season.

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.”

Watchmen: The Ultimate Cut

One of the things I noted in my original review of Zack Snyder's Watchmen movie was that I would wait for a DVD that contained all the footage filmed that the director wanted to include, as well as a complete integration of the parallel "comic within the comic" Tales of the Black Freighter. Well, that DVD version has been released as "The Ultimate Cut." If you want to read my take on the movie as it appeared in theatres, you can find that here.

If you're a fan of the comic, and enjoyed the movie, then "The Ultimate Cut" is a must own. The additional filmed material adds depth to the story, and except for a few transitional quibbles, the inclusion of the Black Freighter animation works pretty damned well as a alternate media metaphor for Adrian Veidt's savior complex. In revisiting my original review, all the criticism and praise for the film is still pretty accurate for this expanded version. A few updated thoughts:

• I was pretty harsh on Matthew Goode's portrayal of Veidt (C+). Upon further reflection, I would probably up that a bit (B-). I saw more shades in his performance the second go round, though I still think he telegraphed his motivations more than he should have, and his arrogance wasn't quite as "altruistic" and "pure" as the comic depiction.
• Malin Ackerman's Laurie is still lovely, still poorly written, and still woodenly acted. Amy Acker would have been a fantastic choice to play Laurie, and would have completely rocked the mix of self-loathing and powerlessness necessary to make Laurie something more than a cardboard cutout.
• The music choices are still too obvious and jarring, and become more so on a second viewing.
• The old age makeup, while still problematic, isn't as bad on the small screen.
• I wanted more scenes with the newstand vendor and the kid reading the comic, and this was one of the major additions to this cut. The characters raise the "human stakes" of the film's conclusion, as well as giving us a reason to transition into the Black Freighter comic.
• Speaking of which, I think the hand drawn, animated version of Freighter was well done, and ably performed by Gerard Butler. I would have preferred a more graphic filmic transition into and out of the comic (ostensibly, using computer animation to morph to the comic prop into the world of the pirate cartoon).

Other than that, the film still remains an ambitious, if slightly flawed, passion project that probably comes as close to realizing Watchmen on the screen as we could have hoped for. I haven't yet listened to the commentaries (from Snyder and comic co-creator and illustrator Dave Gibbons), but the other DVD extras are simply stellar, particularly the "Under the Hood" faux-documentary (which features a brilliant and heartbreaking performance from Stephen McHattie).

All in all, a great addition to the DVD collection and a definite "buy" for fans of the property. Movie: A- DVD: A+

This week in shocking plot developments

Click to Embiggen

Why the Dollhouse cancellation doesn't make me suicidal

Of course, plenty of other things do, but strangely, the cancellation of my beloved, frustrating, challenging and almost always entertaining Dollhouse, doesn't.

Obviously, I'm a huge fan of Joss and his work. I've posted hundreds of times about the whedonverse (Angel, Buffy, Firefly, Dr. Horrible and Dollhouse included). Friday nights were appointment television as far as I was concerned. Amazon shipped the season one Dollhouse DVD the day it released, and of course, I'll be ordering the season two DVD the second it's announced. However, I'm not gnashing my teeth and rending my garments over the axe falling on Dollhouse (like I was over Firefly and Angel). Maybe it's because:

• We all knew it was coming. Even if you're not a hysterical Nielsen watcher (and I am), you knew the show was tanking in the ratings. I believe it was the lowest rated network show ever renewed for a second season, and in this day and age, you have to build on the numbers (or at least hold on to the meager audience you have) or you're getting the heave ho. Simple as that. Dollhouse didn't get the numbers it needed to survive, and the writing was on the wall after the first few episodes of S1.
• The second season feels like a bonus. It probably shouldn't have seen a second season, and the fact that we got one -- one that will be produced and (they're assuring us) aired -- is a pleasant surprise. Plus, Joss knows the situation as well as anyone (having planned the "end of the story" with the elegant and harrowing "Epitaph One") and is being given time to bring the show to a close knowing the renewal won't happen.
• At the end of the day, let's face it. Joss (and Dollhouse in particular) just wasn't well suited for traditional network TV. His gifts for challenging characters and long form storytelling weren't going to work in CSI: Dollhouse or NCIS: Rossum Corp. For 12 combined seasons, he was able to work his magic with Angel and Buffy on smaller "netlets" that didn't get the intense and soul-crushing ratings pressure that even a Friday night slot on a Big 4 (well, 3 if exclude on life support NBC) network engendered. It's much easier for a big network to throw up cheaply produced reality pap or slot a House rerun and draw a bigger number.
• There's no "bad guy." Joss (and to a certain degree, SMG) ended Buffy on its own terms. But the WB canceled Angel while the ratings were stable and it was in the middle of a creative resurgence. And lord knows we all realize how FOX fucked Firefly over from the very beginning. But this time? Despite the incompetence with which FOX handled the crew of Serenity, it was a completely different regime. Joss only put Dollhouse together, and on FOX, because of Eliza and her overall deal with the network. And despite some initial tinkering and requests for more procedural case of the weeks, they really, honestly were supportive. They put it one place and left it there. They promoted the hell out of it leading up launch. They said the right things even when the ratings were lackluster. They happily (though inexplicably, from a Nielsen standpoint) renewed it for a second season. They completely left Joss alone to do "his" show creatively for the balance of S1 and all of S2. And even though it was pulled for sweeps (and the numbers thus far bear out the business wisdom of that decision), they've financially committed to producing all 13 S2 eps, AND to airing all 13 eps, which is something many, many canceled shows just aren't afforded. So even though many are still bitter at FOX over Firefly (and justifiably so), you really can't hurl any invective at FOX this time. You can't blame them that people didn't show up to watch on Friday nights.

Will I miss Dollhouse? Yes, of course I will. It had its growing pains and foibles, but it was always "must see TV" for me. However, I understand the realities of the business and if you weren't expecting this result, you probably haven't been paying attention. We got two terrific seasons of a thought-provoking, interesting and unlike-anything-else-on-TV show and for that, we can be grateful. And from what I've read, there's a stream of unbridled awesomeness coming up as it draws to a close (Ray Wise! Summer! Alpha and Saunders return!) So congrats to Joss, Eliza, Dichen, Miracle, Enver, Olivia, Harry, Franz, Amy and rest of the wonderfully talented cast and crew for giving us such a terrific little show for as long as they did.

Where's Van Helsing when you need him?

Original Link: Blag Hag

I, for one, welcome our new alien overlords

Last night, ABC's much-discussed, much-anticipated reboot of the seminal miniseries V debuted. It was a definite hit with viewers, and received pretty well by critics. What did I think? Well, I'll give you a few quick impressions after this paragraph (WARNING: I'll be discussing SPOILERS).




The original V is one of those things that many of us of a certain age regard with great fondness from our childhood. Back in the day, the miniseries was king. Every one was a ratings grabbing event, filled with a star studded cast, and usually built on a popular piece of literature (think Roots, Holocaust, Winds of War, Shogun, The Thorn Birds and everything else keeping Richard Chamberlain employed throughout the 70s and 80s). Then there was V. I watched, and enjoyed, all the more highbrow miniseries with my parents, but the networks really weren't programming them for me (at the time of V's original airing, I was a few months away from entering the lucrative 18 - 49 demographic). But for a sci-fi obsessed teen, a miniseries about (supposedly) benevolent aliens arriving on earth was right in my wheelhouse. Yes, there were interesting and, for the time, relevant messages about conservation, the energy crisis and a sometimes too on the nose parable about the rise of fascism, but it had hot chicks, space ships, lasers and lizard people who ate live rodents and bred with humans to make hybrid alien babies! Awesome!

In the genre business, the reboots have been coming fast and furious recently, and have met with mixed success. For every Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica, there's also a Bionic Woman and Flash Gordon. So while I was anticipating V, I was also withholding judgment, based on the scattershot record of Hollywood "honoring" or "raping" our childhoods. Plus, there were many stories about V being a troubled production, what with production shutdowns, showrunner turnover (they're now on number three) and script problems.

Well, after watching last night's pilot, I'm happy to say that I feel "unviolated," and that V does a great job creating something new and fun, all while hitting some of the beats that made the original story so enjoyable in the first place.

Here's what V got right:

• The cast. Not only did they assemble folks with a familiar genre background (Firefly, The 4400, Lost), they also cast very capable and very easy on the eyes performers who handle the material with the right mix of earnestness and playfulness. I love Elizabeth Mitchell, and she can do no wrong in my book. She's perfect as the harried mother and FBI agent trying to get to the bottom of the conspiracy. Joel Gretsch is great as a skeptical priest and Scott Wolf seems to be having fun as a slick and career-obsessed TV newsman. Best of all though, is Morena Baccarin as the leader of the Vs, Anna (a fitting successor to the breakout character of the original, Jane's Badler's scenery and rodent chewing Diana). Morena's "otherworldy" beauty has never been put to such a good use, and she just nails the part, with a disarming and off putting "sincerity," slightly too-perfect diction and a reptilian blinking pattern that unnerves as it captivates. The only hesitation I have with the cast thus far is the broody teenage son of Mitchell's agent, and the gorgeous but thus far wooden Laura Vandervoort is a Visitor recruiter.
• The effects. For a TV show, they were pretty damned good. On a television budget, it's a challenge to make spaceships look and feel "real" in a completely alien world, like on BSG, and integrating them into the current time Earth we know is even harder. But the massive alien motherships were well designed and looked wonderful combined with shots of "our" cities.
• The pace. Holy shit, did a lot happen. The avalanche of plot turns and developments came fast and furious. They arrive! They're welcomed! People are healed! There are sleeper cells of aliens that have been here much longer! Mitchell's partner is a lizard! There are "good" aliens on Earth! We got more in 42 minutes of V than I have in over a month of Flash Forward. And while the pace has me worried a bit about the future (see below), I understand why they did what they did. Like I reminisced above, I have a fond recollection of the original miniseries. So does much of the audience that might be tuning in. Plus, in the two plus decades since, we've had X-Files, Independence Day, Roswell, District 9 and any number of aliens on earth plots in pop culture. There would be no massive surprise to audiences that the aliens are coming to our planet, and might be reptiles who don't have our best interests at heart. So why string all that out, when we all know it and expect it? Let's lay out the scenario, hit the familiar plot points, and then get on with telling the story that the new show wants to tell.

Here's what V needs to work on:

• The pace. Yes, I just praised it. At the same time, if the show continues to burn through revelations and developments this quickly, A. they're not going to have much time for character development with this talented cast they've assembled, and B. they're going to blow the transmission on the storytelling engine in no time. Now, I'm not advocating a Lost season 3 (which, hit or miss, was still pretty damned good television based on all the goodwill and character arcs built up) which spins its wheels for while, but there's a difference between sitting down to a nice five course meal and being let loose stoned in a Sizzler.
• Familiar Ground. The "are they or aren't they" territory is pretty well trod, most recently with the Cylons on BSG. Anyone who didn't know Alan Tudyk was a lizard probably hasn't watched TV since My Favorite Martian, so the producers need to walk carefully here and play with (and subvert) our expectations and conversational knowledge of all the tropes.
• Cliche and Cheese. Sure, there's a certain amount to be expected in a show like V, and that's fine. But if I wasn't being so entertained, I could have filled out a pretty big "really?" list along the way. Mitchell finding her kid in a crowded city in about 2 minutes? The hammy opening references to JFK and 911? The too obvious and trite dialogue, including references to "universal healthcare" and "hope?" The mopey adolescent, straight out of central casting on the CW? The lame geek references to other sci-fi movies? V needs to watch itself and handle the dialogue more skillfully, like Whedon, Lindelof and others do with wit and a twinkle in the eye.
• Politics. Already, I've seen both right wing and left wing pundits latch on to the show and its supposed allegories and messaging. "Anna is an evil false prophet just like Obama!" "The government and people are getting duped just like the Bush years!" Oh, please. Remember, we're talking about evil alien lizards in big spaceships who probably have a McHamster franchise on their home planet. History is rife with stories of conquering hordes and valiant resistance fighters, so if the show is smart, it will play with politics on both sides of the aisle and have fun, all while keeping the stakes high for humanity.
  

So, V got off to a very solid start in my book and I'm looking forward to next week. Who's hungry for rodents? B+

Just how bad is it?

Georgia's demolition (again) at the hands of the Gators wasn't unexpected, given the recent history between the two programs. There may have been a glimmer of hope coming into the game, in that we had two entire weeks to prepare and Florida had looked less than stellar on offense for the last few games. However, if your O isn't clickin', UGA has just the prescription to fix what ails ya: a healthy does of "D," Free-Willie Style.

I'm going to take a look at some defensive history here, though that in no way excuses the rest of Saturday's debacle: The ridiculous "weak sauce" of the surprise XFL uniforms. The inability of our QB (a supposed "game manager" and studious 5th year senior) to not lock onto receivers, throw the ball away, or hit his target accurately. The rampant and continuing lack of discipline on both sides of the ball, resulting in yet another avalanche of debilitating penalties. The juvenile and minor league sideline celebrations. The bang your head against a granite countertop, inexplicable special teams coaching. The befuddling result of two weeks of coaching preparation that promptly put us down by two touchdowns in a matter of minutes. (Not that there weren't some bright spots amidst the Halloween horror. Butler and Walsh continue to perform at an All-American level. The running game actually looked solid. The offensive line coalesced somewhat. Bobo's playcalling didn't make me want to set myself on fire).

Once again in an important game, the defense of Willie Martinez was poorly schemed, woefully prepared and exhibited the sturdiness of Charmin in a rainstorm. Just how bad has it gotten? Let's take a stroll down memory lane, shall we?

Note: when we refer to "major rival" games, I'm including scores from (only) games against South Carolina, Clemson, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, Auburn, LSU and Georgia Tech). All other statistics come from the season's full slate of opponents, including in and out of conference teams, bowl games, SECCGs and the smattering of home game cupcakes.

First up, let's take a look at the scoring statistics from some underperforming teams from the Goff era:

H/C	Goff	Goff	Goff
D/C	Bell	Bell	Bell
Yr	1989	1990	1993
Record	W6 L6	W4 L7	W5 L6
Avg Pts Allowed	16.5	27.5	26.3
Avg Pts Allowed in Loss	21.7	32.4	31.2
For Rival Games Only
Avg Pts Allowed per Game	20.8	29.8	29.2
Avg Pts Allowed in Loss	23.5	32.6	27.2

The D actually put up some decent numbers in Goff's first year, giving up only 16.5 points on average, 21.7 points in the six losses. Also, in all three years, the difference between the average performance of the D and the performance of the D in the "games that matter" wasn't that much - a delta of 2 - 4 points.

Now let's take a look at Goff's next two teams, when he changed D Coordinators twice:

H/C	Goff	Goff
D/C	Campbell	Kines
Yr	1994	1995
Record	W6 L4 T1	W6 L6
Avg Pts Allowed	25.7	23.4
Avg Pts Allowed in Loss	37.6	33.7
For Rival Games Only
Avg Pts Allowed per Game	27.1	29.6
Avg Pts Allowed in Loss	29.0	37.5

The points given up by the D remains, on average, in the mid-20s. However, you start to notice something: When we lose, we're giving up points by the bushel. Especially in the games that matter. (Compare the 37.6 ppg given up in a loss during the Swamp Fox's time on the sidelines to Goff's first year, when we only gave up 21.7 ppg. Also, in Goff's last season, we surrendered an average of 29.6 ppg against our rivals, and a whopping 37.5 ppg in losses to them).

That, among many other things, was enough to get Goff fired. So let's take a look at two Jim Donnan squads. His first and his last:

H/C	Donnan	Donnan
D/C	Kines	Gibbs
Yr	1996	2000
Record	W5 L6	W8 L4
Avg Pts Allowed	23.4	17.7
Avg Pts Allowed in Loss	27.5	27.8
For Rival Games Only
Avg Pts Allowed per Game	37.8	27.8
Avg Pts Allowed in Loss	43.3	27.8

Average ppg allowed from Goff's last year to Donnan's first was about the same, and we improved by almost a TD in our performance in a loss. But look how we performed against our primary rivals: Giving up just shy of 38 ppg and over 7 TDs per game in a loss against rivals. Yikes. The D improved (how could it help but?) by the end of the Donnan regime, giving up an average of 17.7 ppg, but look at those last three numbers from 2000. Do they seem similar? That's because they are all the exact same. We lost four times. We gave up 27.8 ppg in those four losses. And all four were against our primary rivals. And that was all she wrote for Coach Donnan.

So how does that career-killing performance compare to the Men of Martinez? Well, let's go to the numbers (note: full season for 2008, season to date 8 games for 2009)

H/C	Donnan	Richt	Richt
D/C	Gibbs	Willie	Willie
Yr	2000	2008	2009
Record	W8 L4	W10 L3	W4 L4
Avg Pts Allowed	17.7	24.5	29.4
Avg Pts Allowed in Loss	27.8	45.0	32.5
For Rival Games Only
Avg Pts Allowed per Game	27.8	35.8	35.8
Avg Pts Allowed in Loss	27.8	45.0	35.3

Almost any way you look at it, the D that got both Donnan and Gibbs shitcanned was appreciably better than what's been going on in Athens the last couple of years. This year's 29.4 ppg given up is the highest of ALL the years compared. Willie's 35.8 ppg in the games that matter (for two years running) is astonishingly high (more than five TDs per game!) and second only to the Donnan/Kines debacle from 1996.

Whew. That hurts my retinas just looking at it (and without an eye gouge courtesy of Brandon Spikes). How do all these porous units compare the "Glory Days?" Glad you asked. Here are the same categories of numbers from a few SEC Championship squads:

H/C	Dooley	Dooley	Richt
D/C	Erk	Lewis	BVG
Yr	1980	1981	2002
Record	W12 L0	W10 L2	W13 L1
Avg Pts Allowed	11.4	10.2	15.1
Avg Pts Allowed in Loss	0	13	20
For Rival Games Only
Avg Pts Allowed per Game	17.2	7.7	17.3
Avg Pts Allowed in Loss	0	13	20

THAT, my friends, is what good D looks like. Now, every year can't be a championship year, but there's a vast gulf between giving up 10 - 15 ppg on average, and almost 30. And there's a Big Damned Difference between holding your rivals to 17 points (or 7.7!) and the current Willie benchmark of over 35.

Now, is this a fair analysis? We all know the old saying about statistics. And there are a lot of variables to consider, too. Injuries. The changing nature of the game, and the more prolific offenses of recent years. The longer schedule and additional games. The varying quality of opponents on the schedule, and the up and down cycles of the conference and our primary rivals. But you can draw a few conclusions:

• We're currently performing on D at a level that historically, has gotten people fired.
• Even worse, in the games that matter most to the team, to the coaching staff, to the players, to recruiting, to championship aspirations, to the alumni base, to the monetary contributions, to the regional and national media and to the overall shine and health of the program....we're getting killed. And getting killed at an exponentially horrifying clip.
• Despite protestations of hard work and buckling down; and despite the glow of highly ranked recruiting classes from fertile ground, we're just not getting any better. In fact, we're getting worse. Much, much worse.
• Whatever magical juju it is that makes Dawgs into "Junkyard Dawgs," we haven't found it recently. And I'm not a coach (nor have I been in "The Arena"), but I don't think the answer lies in garish fashion statements or aggressiveness that results in penalties (penalties that extend opponent drives, shortchange our drives, and yet don't add any intimidation or productivity to the whole mess).

So how bad is it on D? And where's rock bottom? The numbers will bear that out, but the most important question is, what the hell are we gonna do about it?