15 posts tagged “tv fandom”

As one of the poor schmucks who refuses to fork over $60 per month for basic cable, I have to wait until the weekend to catch up on my Colbert Report love via the Interweb.  I must say that last week's broadcast from the Keystone State was pretty sweet.  Nice work, Mr. Noblet.  Nice work. 

And it seems only fitting that on the eve of the big Pennsylvania primary that I post this clip of last Thursday night's The Word.  I was an Edwards supporter until he dropped out of the race before the California primary, so it's nice to see him in the spotlight again.  If only, briefly.  His timing's not perfect, but I think he did pretty well for a politician.  Plus, I like a guy who can poke fun at himself.

I've never been a woman who is attracted to a certain type of man.  Every time someone has asked me what I look for in a guy, I would either draw a blank or just rattle off some generic list that most human beings with common sense would consider a must-have trait in a partner.  You know, like "trustworthy," "kind," "funny," "big package."  The usual.

Betty and Henry in the lift

This is because my tastes never seemed to conform to any particular archetype in romantic tales of splendor or heartache.  I think "bad boys" are too self-centered, "jocks" are too dull, "geeks" are too self-pitying, "artistes" are too pretentious, and "class clowns", sadly, never seem to take anything seriously.  When it comes to types, I think of men like works of art: I don't know much about art, but I know what I like.

Back in college, I thought I was partial to older men.  Then I realized that an asshole at 25 pretty much grows up to be an asshole at 45.  Then, I thought I liked guys who reminded me of classic Hollywood leading men, but it later dawned on me that I really only liked them because they reminded me of a time when men at least pretended to treat women with respect and humility didn't seem like a 4-letter word.

Sure, there a few aesthetic traits that I prefer, but they're in no way deal breakers.   Yes, I like 'em tall, but that's only because I'm 5'10", and usually when I date someone shorter than me, they tend to make a big deal about the height difference.  Those 2 or 3 inches in height don't turn me off, but whining about something I can't change and have no reason to be ashamed of does.  Dude, I've dated guys who are 5'3" and 5'5".  Your 5'8" isn't that big of a deal.  So suck it up and get over it.

I won't insult your intelligence and say that looks don't matter.  I do like a nice pair of eyes and a kind smile.  Great, muscular arms are a plus, and I'm a sucker for a sexy voice.  But guess what?  I rarely, if ever, see this in men who aren't so full of themselves they make you want to check into a convent and commit to a life of celibacy.  So clearly, I'm not willing to sacrifice personality and modesty for an Orlando Bloom face and a Mark Wahlberg body.  (Although, if I ever run into Keith Hamilton Cobb or Russell Wong down at Urth Cafe or Whole Foods.  All bets are off.)

Henry the Hottie

So I guess I resigned myself to the fact that I, indeed, do not have a "type" of man in mind when I think of my dream guy.  That is, until tonight.  After watching tonight's last new episode of Ugly Betty, it hit me: Henry Grubstick is my type.  Yeah, I said it.  That tall, geek-tastic, chivalry-is-not-dead, drunk-off-of-one-wine-cooler, spazzy brunette from accounting is pretty much everything I'm looking for in a partner.  (Minus the whole flirting with me knowing full well that you have a girlfriend part.  I could do without that.)

But seriously, how can you not love this guy?  Yeah, I know some fans are all "Betty & Daniel 4eva!!111!!!" and "Betty + Gio = Love", but I'm just not feeling it.  Henry throws out the rulebook that says Superman is the guy of our dreams, and says Clark Kent is the man who's supposed to make us swoon.  And I don't even care if Betty ends up with Henry in the show.  I adore him for just being so damn . . . adorkable.  If they write him off the show, it'll bum me out for a while, but the show was great before he came on and it'll be great after he's gone. 

But Christopher Gorham's performance really makes me question this idea of what behavior and personality is considered worthy of a "leading man."  It's cliched, but he really is the kind of guy every [heterosexual] woman would be lucky to find.  He's not perfect, but he's flawed in all the right ways.  Plus, I love that he accepts Betty for who she is and has no desire to change her.  He never tries to tell her what she should do like he's knows what's best for her (I'm looking at you, Gio!).  If he disagrees with her, he makes suggestions that aren't authoritative or manipulative.  That kind of non-pushy, let-me-appeal-to-your-sense-of-reason, and put-my-ego-aside honesty is rare.  Not because men are incapable of it, but because they're taught that women respond to men who "take charge" and then mistake arrogance for confidence.  I love that Henry genuinely cares about Betty, even if he realizes that he can't be with her forever.

Like I said, he's not perfect, but he and Betty are perfect for each other.  Yeah, he's kind of a Mary Sue, but, honestly, who the hell cares.  It's a soap opera passing for a sitcom.  Just go with it.  Besides, have you seen this guy without his shirt on?  Daaammmnnn!  Who knew all that was hiding under a button-down shirt, tie, and sweater vest?  And Henry does love his sweater vests.

Film & TV writers are on strike, which means everything except reality TV could halt production.  Do you support the strike?  Are any of your favorite shows in jeopardy?

I may be the lone voice of semi-apathy here, but honestly, I'm not that wrecked about the WGA strike.  I guess I support them in that I think they deserve to make decent wages off a product they helped create that is now  earning bazillions for studios on DVD releases.  Seems only fair, IMO.

I'll be the first to acknowledge that I haven't been following all the news about the strike as closely as others.  (Hey, I have naps to take!)  But I recall reading a few comments here and there about how the strike is causing so many hardworking crew and staff members to be out of work, including caterers, technicians, gaffers, janitors, etc.  And all I can think to say to that is:  Pay the damn writers the money they're due, and everyone can get back to work!  It's not rocket science, folks.  The writers aren't putting people out of work, the studios are.  The amount of money execs make off of scripted television is astronomical compared to the writers.  And the disparaging treatment of screen and scriptwriters in Hollywood is notorious.  Hell, it's the stuff of legends.  Boring, not-all-that compelling legends.  But legends nonetheless.

So the strike doesn't bother me one bit.  Plus, I'm from a Midwestern blue-collar family where unions played and continue to play a definitive role in my community.  Now, that being said, will I be down there to wave a placard along with the creative working stiffs?  Heck-i-naw.  I'll honk my horn and raise my fist in the air as I pass by, sure.  But that's it.  Well, and I guess I'll blog about it too.  Blogging: The modern-day equivalent of expressing outrage without incurring any of the consequences of actually, you know, standing up and speaking out.  (Wow.  We are one cowardly generation, aren't we?)

Yeah, I'll provide moral support while I head home to my beautiful Netflix queue that's brimming with TV shows on DVD.  That's right.  Fantastic, plot-driven stories with character development, pop culture references, and witty exchanges.  Waiting to fill my empty weekday evening hours are shows that I've been meaning to catch up on, but can rarely find the time like Entourage S3, Part 2, Robot Chicken S2, and Little Britain S3.  Shows that come highly recommended by my fellow geeks, but I've never made time to sit down and watch like Deadwood, The Prisoner, and Carnivale.  And of course, there are the shows that I simply miss from my weekly TV dial that have been slowly making their way to DVD to comfort those of us without cable like Martin S3, Wings S5, and A Bit of Fry and Laurie.

Let's take a moment to appreciate the irony that I'll be watching TV shows that I've adored for years or may adore for years to come that will never provide a decent compensation for the writers who poured their heart and souls into bringing them to life in the first place.  Sure, Paramount, Fox, HBO, and the BBC will make some nice coin off those DVD sets purchased by Netflix and Blockbuster, but how much will the writers be taking home?  So you see, for geeks like me that have our online DVD rental queues lined with more TV shows than films, it's not difficult to see why the WGA deserves a fair shake.  The money that studios are earning off this "new" technological innovation deserves to make its way back to the women and men who are responsible for my lazy ass devotion in the first place.  Blogging about it is the least I can do.  Seriously, it's the least I can do.

Bring on the Studio 60 box set.  I'm settling in.**

**Yeah, yeah, yeah.  I might read a book here and there.  Or write in my journal.  Or do something constructive.  Stop hounding me.

I know that they’ve only aired 3 episodes of Heroes so far this season, but at this point, my adoration has found another home on another show on another network: Jericho.  (Currently making my way through the first season DVDs and I’m loving it.)  Now, I’m not abandoning Heroes completely.  Well, not yet.  But I’m becoming very disillusioned by it, and I wouldn’t be surprised that if the show continues on this track that I won’t be watching it this time next year.

What’s my beef?  It’s this: everyday this country gets more and more multicultural, but American network television is still stuck in 1967.  And what’s more pathetic is so many people never even bother to notice.  There’s a group over on Livejournal called deadbrowalking.  It’s essentially a community for sci-fi/fantasy geeks of color.  There, the comm follows the many (and believe me, there’s no short supply) portrayals of CoC (characters of color) in genre fandom and their ass backwards characterization that makes you want to through up your hands in resignation.  The name of the comm is a wordplay on the fact that for years, the “brother” was usually the first one to buy it in a sci-fi action film.

When the members of the comm starting complaining about the writing for black, brown and Asian characters on Heroes last season, I have to admit, I felt a little bit like a traitor because I honestly didn’t see anything all that glaringly offensive.  Well, that was about halfway through the first season.  And now, with a full season come and gone, and a new one well under way, I’m starting to feel a lot less oblivious.  No, I’m past that, folks.  At this point, I’m just f#!king pissed!

Is there some rule on Heroes that states that if you want to add a new character of non-European descent, you first have to kill one off?  Seriously, WTF!  In the first season, we lost both Simone (who I’ve admitted I wasn’t that crazy about) and Isaac.  Well, apparently, they were just getting warmed up because now we’ve lost Kaito Nakamura and D.L. for no fucking good reason.  In exchange, we get the Wonder Twins from Honduras, Yaeko pining for the gaijin Kensei, and the Queen of Star Trek herself, Madame Nichelle Nichols.  Because heaven forfend if we had all these characters on the show at the same time.  That would throw the whole universe out of balance and people’s heads would implode with confusion.

Need I even bring up the fact that the only non-white character who’s actually getting a strong A-storyline characterization is Hiro.  And even he gets to play Cyrano for the white guy in his home country.  Come on now!  I know I’m not the only one calling shenanigans on that bullshit.

Can a CoC other than Hiro have a decent storyline and not die a meaningless death for “the sake of others?”  Case in point:

• Ando: Sidekick and awkward goofball.  Chicks don’t like him because he’s a nerdy, yet passionate doofus following his best friend around the U.S.
  
  
• Micah: Stands around and pretends his mother doesn’t have a problem she can’t handle.  Helped rig an election for Nathan Petrelli and got nothing but sorrow for his trouble.
  
  
• Mohinder: Spent the first season wandering around trying to find out where he fit in in all this, and is now an agent for others’ survival which is probably going to get him killed.  Not to mention that for half the first season, he was written to appear far too clueless for someone so intelligent.
  
  
• The Haitian: Apparently no one ever bothered to give this guy a nickname in over 15 years with the company.  Again, an agent for the survival of others.  He’s a tool with no character development beyond that of mysterious protector and friend to white male #3.  Can a brother get a name tag?
  
  
• Simone: Stood around the first season looking pretty before being accidentally shot in the chest.  I heard she’s actually getting some decent onscreen character development over on K-Ville.
  
  
• Isaac: Never proactive, only reactive, even after he was clean.  Another CoC who served as an agent for others’ survival, and it got him killed.  Why exactly did he have to die in order for Hiro and Peter to find out how to kill Sylar?  Couldn’t he have simply drawn the pictures and got the hell out of dodge?
  
  
• D.L.: Had to put up with the world’s whiniest, crazy-ass baby mama drama, and was then sacrificed in one of the weakest excuses for a character death I’ve seen since Diana Muldaur took a tumble down the elevator shaft on L.A. Law back in ’91.  Question:  How was it that D.L. had the presence of mind to get behind Linderman and go all Kitty Pryde on his brain, but didn’t have the sense to simply hold onto Nikki/Jessica and let the bullet pass through them both?  Yeah, waste of a decent character they didn’t even bother to develop.

But that’s okay, because as long as Claire, the Petrelli family, Sylar, Molly, Matt, and any other Anglicized character they choose to add this season are on the show, no one will bother to notice that the CoC are just window dressing.  It’s Lost The-Jack-Kate-&-Sawyer-Hour all over again.

At least when Ted, Eden, and Candace died, it actually served the story in some fashion.  Unfortunately, it served the same point each time: Sylar will kill you and use your power to kill others.  He killed Eden to escape from the Company’s stronghold and go after Claire, he killed Ted with the intent of using his power to blow up NYC, and he killed Candace to get his powers back so he go create the havoc that the others deferred when he was beaten by the emo kid with stringy hair and flying Japanese dude’s sword.

I’ve become so disappointed so quickly with the writing on this show.  It had so much promise, but in the end, it’s just comes off as another show written by people who have “one black friend,” “one Asian friend,” “one Latino friend,” etc.

Sure, I could go into another rant about how poorly written the female characters are on the show, how with the exception of Jessica they are always needing to be rescued, and how with the exception of Mrs. Petrelli are always whining about their problems far more than the male characters, but it’s late and I'm tired.  So let’s save that venom for another post, shall we?

I’m gonna go back to my Jericho - Season 1 DVDs.  There’s only one prominent CoC on that show, but at least he gets a decent amount of screen time and he’s written like a fully developed human being devoid of stereotype or caricature.  Yeah.  Imagine that.

These are just my random thoughts on the season premiere.  They're not necessarily connected though, so mind the mental zigzagging. 
__________

Ugh, Nathan.  Poor, drunk, delirious Nathan.  I still love you, even if others don't.  I see your inner struggle, and I adore you for it.  That's why I find you 10 times more interesting than your emo brother, Peter.  But please get better soon.  I hate seeing you look all tore up, although I am glad you kicked your Mama to the curb.  Oh, and what the hell was going on with your face in the mirror?!  Seriously, dude, did you develop another power over the break?  Do you have a little Claire in you now?

Okay, I'll defend Mohinder until the last, but his voiceovers are becoming superfluous.  They're not really profound in any way, and I find myself struggling to tune them out.  That being said, I'll take him over any guy on the show because the brother is fine as hell.  It's nice to see him be a little more proactive; it's great that the writers had that carry over from the end of the last season.  He's mad as hell and he's not going to take it anymore.

Also, I'm not into any of the fanfiction aspects of the show yet because, frankly, I'm just not seeing it for most of the characters.  I need something more than "Oh, those 2 would look pretty together" to buy into a pairing.  But someone on LJ mentioned that they can definitely see the beginnings of a Mohinder/Matt-ship in this episode, and I would have to agree.  It could be like My Two Dads, except with more Hoyay!

How interesting was it that it was Mr. Bennet/Butler/HRG/Noah who did something to draw attention to himself after lecturing Claire at the high school.  *tsk* *tsk*  Bad Noah.  (Not really.  How many of us have wanted to do that to some douchie supervisor who thought himself the king of his tiny little world.)  And what's up with Claire's would-be stalker.  That kid seriously gave me the willies.  Dude, I just met your ass, stop following me.  I think he's a plant.  But for whom?

I swear I thought I recognized the guy who played Alejandro.  I think he used to play on General Hospital in the early '00s dating Amber Tamblyn's character, Emily.  Or maybe he just looks like that guy in the dark.  It would be an honest mistake considering I could barely make out most of the blocking in those scenes.  Seriously, I know they're on the run, but would it kill you to backlight for the sake of the audience?  Sheesh!  My kingdom for a lighting scheme.

I'm glad they made that whole David Anders casting thing make sense because I was seriously pissed about him being cast to play a Kensei hero.  But I like this angle.  Granted, it unnecessarily introduces a white male character into a storyline where he doesn't really belong, but if they tell it right, it can work.  Hell, it is Sci-Fi.  The storyline feels a little obvious at this point (i.e. Hiro does all the stuff that he's telling Sark Takezo Kensei about because he's obsessed with this guy's legacy, and when he leaves, he makes sure Takezo gets all the credit so it doesn't screw up the space-time continuum or whatever), but I'm hoping they'll surprise me and do something unexpected instead.

I was sad to see George Takei go, but I read that Nichelle Nichols is going to be on the show this season, and it might be a little weird having them both on the show at the same time.  I wonder if the mysterious shadow that killed Kaito is the same creature/guy that Molly's seeing in her nightmares.  Or if both entities are simply connected, but not the same.  Mr. Nakamura made it seem like he knew the guy before he rushed him.

As for Emo Pete and the mysterious, um, **cough** Irishmen, nice intro.  I like the whole "I'm helplessly restrained with handcuffs, but I can still shoot energy beams from my hands" bit.  Peter, you've changed.  Someone please tell me these guys just happen to be in Eire but are not actually Irish, because only one of them sounded even remotely Irish -- and that was a very weak Dubliner brogue at that.  I'm interested to see where this goes, but I don't want another season of Peter whining all over the place trying to figure it all out.  F'eh.

Oh, and one final thought.  James Kyson Lee (aka Ando) is a cutie.  That is all.

Me at Moe's Tavern

In honor of The Simpsons Movie release, I thought I'd share my crappy camera-phone pics of the 7-11-turned-Kwik-E-Mart store in Burbank.  I made my way over there last Saturday, and even though there was a line around the building, it only took about 5-7 minutes to get in.

I did buy some souvenirs, but I didn't go crazy.  One guy bought each bobble-head character they had.  He must have dropped almost of $100 on merchandise.  I think the Simpsons Monopoly games were $25, and the wall clocks were $35.  Me?  I bought a set of 4 donuts, 1 Flanders bobble-head doll, and a cherry Squishee in a special commemorative plastic cup.  The cool thing is you can still buy the merchandise at any 7-11, not just the ones converted into Kwik-E-Marts.

Also in spirit of the opening weekend, take a gander at my Simpsons' avatar.  You know you want it!  The trippy this is, I'm wearing a shirt with that same shade of green today.  My hair isn't purple, of course, but if I lived in Springfield, I think it would be.  It's just a hunch.  :-P

Anywho, without further ado, part un of my visit to the Kwik-E-Mart:

And part deux:

BTW, nobody spoil the movie for me.  I won't be able to see it until Sunday, so I may be avoiding the interwebs until after I've seen it.  Shhh!  Don't spoil it.

Despite some fairly heady unpleasantness going on, I'm still managing to have a little fun here and there. Go me! Perseverance has never looked so . . . persevering. (Okay, that was lame. Even for me.)  Well, I don't want to go into an angst-fest about the bad goings-on, so once again, I'm going to regale you with the good.

Let's get to the good stuff, shall we?

The Last Magic Show

On Wednesday, Katrina and I went to the Dances With Films festival to check out the premiere of the New Zealand film The Last Magic Show.  Sadly, I think we missed the first opening image of the picture because I was late coming from my hair appointment.  My bad.  But we both enjoyed the film, even though I think we went to see it for two reasons: 1) Kat and I both have this strange compelling urge to support Kiwi films of all shapes and sizes, and 2) Michael Hurst was in it.  :-D  Okay, this time around, it was reason #2 more so than #1.

Kitchen Confidential

Kitchen Confidential - The Complete Series

★★★★

Speaking of rentals, another recent delight for me was my Netflix arrival of the Fox series Kitchen Confidential.  Although I have to say it was a bittersweet delight.  Why?  Because after watching all 13 episodes and the few extras and commentaries that came with the set, I was again disappointed by Fox's inability to recognize a hit when they have one.  Seriously folks, KC really got the shaft on this one.  When it premiered in the fall of 2005, Fox aired 3 episodes and then pulled it for MLB's excruciatingly long season roundup.  When it was scheduled to return, Fox decided to not let it air during sweeps month, and, save the wonderful brushstroke that is "French Fight," killed the series without batting an eye. 

Does Fox enjoy throwing money away?  Because I'm seriously beginning to wonder.  I won't even touch the catastrophe that is The War at Home and that trainwreck starring Brad Garrett and Joely Fisher that I can't remember the name of.  I have a theory that if you rent Kitchen Confidential, then watch an episode of The War at Home, and try to compare the quality of the two and explain why one was cancelled but the other one wasn't, your brain will kaplode from the sheer idiocy of it all.  Like those robots when they contemplate a theoretical paradox. 

KC could have easily been Fox's next big hit, especially after everyone settles comfortably into their characters which happens right around episode 5 or 6.  From then on, the cast is pitch perfect, the plot is quirky, yet believable, and the writing is smart AND fun; imagine that.  Their weakest episode on the DVD set is funnier than an entire season of How I Met Your Mother.  I mean, how do you say no to a weekly dose of John Cho, John Francis Daley, and Nick Brendon.  Aww, Nicholas.   ::sigh::  My favorite scene in the entire run appears in the episode "And the Award Goes To."  Bradley Cooper and Nick Brendon are just l.o.v.e. in that alley scene.  The way BC and NB play so easily back and forth will just break your heart because it's the last episode of the series, and that's all your gonna get.

Now, granted, it's no Arrested Development.  But really, what is these days?  But it was a truly solid, genuinely funny sitcom that in 13 episodes showed so much promise on top of being remarkably well done.  Oh well.  All we can hope is that perhaps some basic cable station decides to put the reruns on the air, and more folks discover what they missed out on.  But until then, go.  Rent.  Enjoy.  I don't think you'll regret it.

Celeb Sighting

Guess who I saw while lunching at Tra di Noi to celebrate a colleague's birthday on Thursday?

You know, yesterday’s cancellation of Drive made me realize something: I’m ready for summer to start.  Why?  Because in the summertime, I use the extra daylight hours and the blahness of TV reruns to do the things that I don’t make enough time for between September and May.  That, and I’m getting pretty sick of television right about now.

Now, I know what you’re thinking.  You're thinking, “Why don’t you just stop watching TV altogether all-year-round?”  Well, I’ll tell ya.  It's because despite its many foibles, when episodic television is good, it’s really good, and when it’s bad, and it’s still pretty ‘eh.  I only watch the shows I enjoy, and it's the art of storytelling disguised as cheap entertainment.  I don’t have cable, and after spending 8 or 9 hours on the computer at work, one of the last things I want to do is come home and stare at another computer screen.  But when I tune into My Name is Earl, I'm only as engaged as I chose to be.  And yet I still manage to walk away with a smile on my face.

But as this year’s television season draws to a close, I’m feeling less and less enthused.  The excitement that used to build toward jaw-dropping cliffhangers and amazing season finales simply isn’t there like it used to be.  Even with the shows I adore: Heroes, Ugly Betty, House, I find that I’m starting to let them sit on my VCR tapes for a week or 2 before I make a move to watch the episode.  I know!  I know!  Heroes is awesome, and Ugly Betty is the schiznit, but the facts don’t lie.  I still haven’t watched last week’s episodes of House or Lost, and I’ve yet to watch this week’s episodes either even though I heard last night’s Lost was one of their better ones.

The networks haven’t officially announced who will stay and who will go for next year’s lineup, but I’m not nearly as anxious to find out like I have been in seasons past.  It's all quite confuzzling, really.  Even though I only watched the 2-hour series premiere of Drive, I’m sad that it wasn’t given the chance to grow.  I was ticked that Andy Barker,

Raines

But despite all of that, I’ve been coming home almost every night for the past 3 or 4 weeks and either reading for a bit before crawling into bed by 9:30, 10pm or watching my favorite dead shows on Netflix DVDs until I fall asleep in front of the tube.  Instead of watching them live, now I’m taping my current favs at night and then watching them in the morning while I get ready for work.  A sign that I probably just need more sleep, but also a sign that TV is not as high up on my list of welcome distractions as it used to be.

I will keep my fingers crossed for Jericho because 1) my mother loves that show, and 2) I’m interested in renting the DVDs for Season 1 to find out if it’s really as good as she describes it.  Other than that and the above-mentioned Raines, I feel pretty good with the shows on my roster returning for another season. 

So I say let’s wrap this puppy up already!  What is it?  Four more episodes of Heroes?  Well, COME ON!  Stop stalling.  You’re severely cutting into my nap time here.  I have parks to jog in, dance classes to kick-ball-change in, and a reading list that’s not getting any shorter.  ::claps hands::  Chop! Chop!

The O.C.

Awww, The O.C. went bye-bye last night, and I have to admit, it went out on a pretty sweet note.  In pure O.C. style, the finale pulled out all of the end-of-the-series clichés, and then made fun of themselves for pulling out all of the end-of-the-series clichés.  Since I’m not technically a fan of the show and only watched the last 4 episodes because Kevin Sorbo was on them, I understand that I’m not going to be the one who’s completely devastated that the series is ending.  But for the most part, I enjoyed those last 4 eps and I’m happy to see them go out on a clever(ish) note.

The episode began with a fast forward to 6 months in the future from the previous episode.  And for the first 20 minutes, you spend most of your time sitting there wondering, “Now when did that happen?!”  But you’re not anymore in the dark than fans who’ve been watching for the last 4 years.  They too would ask, “When did Ryan and Taylor break up?”  “When did Julie become pregnant?”  “When did she get back together with the Bullitt?”  “Where’s Frank!?”  “And what in the world is going on with Seth & Ms. Save-the-World?”  And it’s from that perspective the show fills in the blanks without being a complete schmaltz-fest for all the teary-eyed fans who are gonna miss their weekly dose of Newport Beach irony.  

Although Taylor’s voice makes me want to knock myself unconscious, I even like her part in this final chapter.  Seth being the “OMG! Most perfect boyfriend ever!” when he told Summer to go and do that voodoo that only she can do so well instead of following him all the way to Providence was definitely an awww! moment.  Oh, and a part of me couldn’t help but feel sorry for poor Bullitt.  That man must have a skin thicker than Kevlar with the way he puts up with Julie’s changes of heart.  But of course, that gives the show an even nicer bow to wear around its neck because even though she leaves him at the altar for the man that she left him for 6 ½ months prior, he takes it on the chin and manages to maintain a friendly relationship with her in the future.

So, in case you’re wondering (and I know you are), the final montage reveals Seth going off to Brown U in Rhode Island, Summer going to UC Berkeley to join G.E.O.R.G.E., Ryan making up with Taylor and promising to K.I.T. while he’s at school in Berkeley, the Cohens moving back to their old homestead in Berkeley with their newly born baby daughter.  [deep breathe]  Julie gets back together with Frank, but also decides to go to college and make something of her life, Seth marries Summer, Julie gives birth to a son, he’s pretty big (maybe 5 or 6) when she graduates from college, Ryan gets a job at a construction company, and as he leaves, he sees a young teen looking listless across the way from his job, and he asks him, “Hey kid!  You need some help?”  The end.

The legacy of The O.C.:  Good ending.  Decent show.  Funny dialogue.  

Heroes

I know I didn’t say much about this week’s Heroes episode, but I never have anything truly constructive to share.  Only reactions to certain moments.  Soooo:

• I’m getting sick and tired of Sylar killing people off.  Can somebody deal with his crazy behind already?!  Bring on Peter to kick his ass.  Instead of him going after Isaac like a short-sighted fool, send him Mohinder’s way.  Let’s see Sylar cross paths with Peter know that he’s starting to control his powers.  I liked Dale.  Sylar sucks.
• Mohinder is still hot.  :-)
  
• Mr. Bennett, even though you’re “trying to protect your family!!1!”, you’re destroying it at the same time.  Your wife is dying, your daughter is running hot and cold, and your son is a moron.  You’ve been controlling things for a long time now, at least it seems that way, but the times, they are a-changing.  You are not in control.  Hey, maybe you and Nathan need to talk.  You both seem to have similar issues.  Claire’s real daddy and her step-daddy have quite a bit in common.
• Peter’s Neo moment on the roof of Claude’s favorite building was kinda cool.  I liked the way he stopped the tranq darts in mid-air and grabbed homeboy before jumping off the roof.  He’s come a long way in a short time.
• But I actually found the fight between Isaac and Peter kind of annoying.  Granted, I understand each character’s position, but I felt like shouting, “You’re both on the same side, assholes!”  Men are dumb.
• I was surprised when Simone took the bullets meant for Peter, but I’m not all that sad to see her go.  As my mother can attest, I was not a fan of her character, so even though I didn’t wish her dead, I’m not gonna miss her very much.  I found her insipid and annoying, plus I have a general dislike of TV characters whose only purpose on a show seems to revolve around being someone’s love interest.  That’s why I never took a liking to Inara on Firefly.  Nothing against Morena Baccarin, but I felt like the only thing she brought to the show was sexual tension, and that bores me after about 2 episodes.  So, R.I.P. Simone.
• And speaking of annoying, insipid chicks, Matt’s wife is very judgmental for a woman who was cheating on her husband not 3 months ago.  That poor guy just cannot catch a break from anybody.  No wonder he has low self-esteem.  

I don’t comment (very much) or post (at all) in the heroes: discuss group because, to be honest, I feel that whenever I become really active in a show fandom, most of the people I meet online tend to suck the enjoyment out of the show for me.  So, although I’m a member of that group, I really just browse compared to full-on participation.  

I enjoyed last week’s episode.  The show hasn’t disappointed me once since it began last fall, and I’m not in any way frustrated with the pacing, characterization or development of the series.  I think Tim Kring has created a damn fine show and balances 11 or so regulars in an ensemble cast consistently well.  And so far, I think the writers have handled the storylines with aplomb.  I don’t have any solid complaints.  The only questions I have are relatively minor, and the most fun I have with any show I go geek! over is waiting for the next episode to continue the tale.  

So I’m tend to stand clear of people who find a shiny new toy, but then get bored with it really quickly because they have the attention span of a newt.  I’m not all that interested in hearing them bitch and moan every week what they think is wrong with the show and how they would have done it if they were writing the series.  So that’s why I have to keep my distance from some of the other fans of the show online, and tend to play in my own sandbox moreso than others.

I switched up my TV schedule’s recording format a little this week.  Instead of taping 24 and watching Heroes, I tried the reverse last night and I’m not sure which way is better yet.  My TV seems to get a clearer reception for NBC through the VCR, but when I watched the tape of Heroes last night, it wasn’t nearly as clear as it is when I’m actually watching TV through the VCR instead of simply taping it.  Hmmm.  I’ll fiddle with it some more and give it another week.

I can’t really complain about the dueling time slots though, since this is the first season I’ve ever watched 24, and Heroes had my love first.  But I am enjoying Mr. Bauer’s skylarkings, so it’s not like I’m being put out in any way.  Heck, I already watch My Name is Earl and The Office and tape Ugly Betty, so this is a piece of cake.

24

Anywho, both shows registered an “Okay” with last night’s episodes.  Overall, I was extremely annoyed (with Karen Hayes submitting her resignation to Pres. Palmer instead of telling Tom to simply go to hell), and slightly puzzled (Wouldn’t Jack and Graem be taller if James Cromwell was really their father?  The man is 6’ 6”.) while watching 24.  This hour wasn’t as compelling as the first 4, but you can tell it was more of a setup for more drama down the line, so I wasn’t really dissatisfied.  Although, I’m still having trouble seeing DB Woodside as the President.  Dennis Haysbert, yes.  Easily.  But DB just doesn’t have . . . what’s the word?  I think Stephen Colbert would call it “gravitas”.

And can Paul McCrane not play an ass on television?  I’m just curious.  I mean, he does it well, but is it a given as this point?  I guess when you’ve played Dr. Romano for umpteen years, you can’t really go back to being the “nice guy next door”.  I’m not an actress, but personally, I don’t think I could have done the plastic bag over the face bit.  Paul is much braver than I.  Plus, I’m a bit confused as to how Marisol Nichols is playing a character of Middle Eastern descent, but Eric Balfour isn’t?  M’okay.  

I hope we haven’t seen the last of Alexander Siddig.  He was a major factor in my watching this season in the first place, so when he’s not in an episode I feel a little antsy.  Like asking, “Where’s Dr. Bashir?” in the middle of a dramatic interrogation scene.  Hmmm, I guess I’m just not that committed to the show yet.  I’ve been interested in watching the show during a couple other seasons (like Seasons 3 and 4), but I just couldn’t get myself to commit to a show where I can’t watch it anymore if I miss one episode here or there.  I’m trying to give it an honest effort this season, but if I get to hour 17, and miss hour 18 due to a rolling blackout or an accident on the highway, I’m gonna be superpissed.

Heroes

Heroes was its usual solid self last night, so I didn’t really have any complaints.  I think I’m supposed to recognize Claire’s mother from somewhere, but I don’t.  I kind of wanted to kick Claire in her butt though for forgetting to take down the wind chimes in her bedroom window.  I knew her father was going to notice them the minute he walked in the room.

I’m also a bit annoyed by Nathan’s refusal to acknowledge that he does not have everything under control.  Granted, he doesn’t have all the pieces of the puzzle and he’s used to dealing with smarmy types all the time, but you would think by now he would realize that there’s something going on here that’s bigger than anything he’s ever dealt with in the past.  I still like him though.  I like his ambiguity, and his smile gives me the creeps.  His wife (Rena Sofer) is doing double duty on both 24 and Heroes, but hey, he cheated on her with Nikki/Jessica, so it’s all good.

How much did I squee when that van door opened to show George Takei playing Masi Oka’s father?!  That’s an unequivocal Geek!love shout out, right there.  Perfect casting.  Oh, and when Hiro told Ando, “This is how we roll”, my love for him reached a whole new level.  I have to admit there’s a part of me that would’ve wanted to keep running after the men grabbed Ando.  That’s probably why he’s not my friend.  That, and he’s not a real person.

I have no idea what’s going on with Sylar and Mr. Bennett.  I admit I’m completely lost.  I knew he wasn’t dead when the henchman/scientist said he was, but I’m unclear as to what they were doing with him in the first place or were planning to do with him in the long run.  Honestly, I’m not one of those fans who’s trying to figure everything out before the writers tell us.  I’m more of a “sit back and enjoy the ride” kind of viewer.  How long has the Invisible Man been invisible?  How did they recapture Sylar after he killed Eden?  How did Dr. Suresh find the names of the people to add to the list simply using the human genome project?  Yeah, I don’t know, and I’m not all that concerned or frustrated with finding out.  As long as they tell a good, compelling story along the way, I’m happy to wait and see.  Maybe that’s why I’ve stuck with Lost for so long.  Even though this year may be the last year I watch it because now it’s just getting ridiculous.  Heroes wouldn't do that to me.  Woud you, Heroes?