Monthly Archives: March 2007

March 11, 2007 · 10:10 pm

TARnalysis: Why Rob and Amber Lost the Amazing Race

Coming into this year’s All-Star edition of The Amazing Race, there was little question that Rob and Amber were the closest thing that the genre had to “superstars”. Twice competitors on Survivor, and now on their 2nd trip on The Amazing Race, these two were unquestionable favourites heading into things. And, after winning the first three legs, things looked to be on track.

Of course, things had to fall apart at some point, and fall apart they did: Rob and Amber ended up in last place tonight, ending their attempt to win The Amazing Race.Rob and Amber were good racers, perhaps even great ones, but they were not infallible. Their success was not due to speed, or intelligence (Phillipeans? Oh Rob.), but rather due to their ability to appear fast, to appear intelligent, and to appear as a threat. Other teams become preoccupied with them, distracted to a rather alarming degree, and they’re able to use their admittedly strong racing skills to jump to the top of the pack. For three legs, this worked very well. However, what went wrong in this leg that changed everything?

1. The Detour
This is where Rob and Amber made their first mistake, and it’s really an understandable one. When you’re confronted with a detour where there’s navigation and physical activity, it sometimes might seem smarter to go with the physical task. This was Rob’s logic: “I’m better at buildings things.” Detour choices are always hard, and boiling them down to their most important aspect is important.

The problem? The task wasn’t about building, it was about paying attention to details. In this case, Rob was smart enough to pick up the starting point of Seville, but he was not quite smart enough to realize that the Philippines was spelt incorrectly. And, when he knew that something was wrong, his first assumption was a large mistake, and not a small one. It was a small detail which cost them, and that has never been Rob and Amber’s specialty. Teams which took their time and went to the board for the proper spellings would have succeeded here…Rob and Amber did not. This put them on the 2nd flight, which would put them in a position to lose the leg.

2. The Leg Itself
However, at this point, it was the organization of the leg itself which took over in terms of leading to Rob and Amber’s downfall. It started when they arrived at the airport in a group of 5 where there were not enough taxis for each team; an unfortunate occurance, and one which cost teams in the last leg of Season 4 as well. In fact, in a lot of ways, the leg was designed much like a final leg where there was very little opportunity for movement in the final part of the race. Also, Rob and Amber are much better at navigating themselves than other teams, but the leg revolved entirely around taxi rides; this was yet another reason for their downfall, as it took away one of their key advantages.

After a short clue pickup, it became a game of picking numbers and twenty minute intervals, which kept them ahead of Mirna and Charla…until they got to the “End of the World” and found a roadblock that was both all about details, and entirely random. In the end, it was Mirna who found the letter first, and the trip to the pit stop was clearly exaggerated to seem longer than it was (I’m guessing even Charla would only need a few minutes lead to make it up). Rob was rushed, frantic, and eventually found his letter only to head to the pit stop to be eliminated by Phil.

Based on the end portion of this leg, it was an issue of happening to catch a cab at the airport that defined your position, and then happening to find a letter in the bag of mail. Their first mistake at the detour kicked their ass, and then the second part of the leg just wasn’t designed to allow them to use their usual strengths to their advantage.

But, as we say goodbye to Rob and Amber, let’s remember the rest of the teams who remain. Because, with Rob and Amber gone, I actually quite like how the field has opened up greatly. Continue reading →

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March 9, 2007 · 11:21 pm

Q&A: Why is [Insert Favourite Show Here] on Hiatus?

Since pretty much everything but 24 and Lost seem to have disappeared from TV schedules, you might be wondering why it is that your favourite show is on hiatus, whether it be Grey’s Anatomy or CSI or Heroes. Well, I’m here to answer your question quite simply, as there are three main reasons:

TV Shows are time consuming, a year is just too bloody long, and Networks are Greedy bastards. Continue reading →

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March 9, 2007 · 1:58 pm

Why NBC Needs to Cancel ‘Scrubs’ and Save ’30 Rock’

This week, Touchstone Entertainment (Producers of ‘Scrubs’) gave Zach Braff a contract extension which, should Scrubs enter into its 7th season, would make him one of the highest paid actors in television along with Charlie Sheen on Two and a Half Men. This is, of course, contingent on NBC renewing the series for next year, which is still somewhat up in the air. While My Name is Earl and The Office are both renewed already, the other half of ‘Comedy Night Done Right'(‘Scrubs’ and Tina Fey’s ’30 Rock’) is still on the bubble. And, I’m here to prove to NBC why it needs to cancel ‘Scrubs’ and keep the lower-rated ’30 Rock’.

Scrubs has been at a creative low point since its third season or so after they ran the J.D./Elliot relationship possibility into the ground in a very short period of time. It was a show operating as if each season could be its last, and it exhausted a great deal of its potential storylines during that period of time. These characters and their relationships with one another were what really made Scrubs interesting, whether it was Dr. Cox’s guidance to J.D. in times of crisis or everyone rallying for a cause. There seemed to be purpose to these characters, and they seemed to gain a sense of independence in their actions which had consequences and the like. Continue reading →

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March 8, 2007 · 10:42 pm

The Pros and Cons of Survivor: Fiji – “Love Many, Trust Few, Do Harm to None”

Pro
Dreamz and Cassandra

Despite the clash at the beginning of the episode with Dreamz struggling with the coffee press (“They don’t have those on the streets?” was waiting on the tongues of his other tribemates, who I’ll get to in a second), these two held their heads fairly high in the wake of a clear divide within their tribe. It was nice to see Cassandra come back later with two strong challenge performances, and Dreamz showed some actually strategy within his testimonials. These two are, at the very least, aware of their position without being high and mighty about it.

Con
Lisi and Stacey

Girls, what was that? The idea of returning from the challenge refusing to even speak with these people shows an absolutely lack of class as Alex rightly pointed out. While everyone else seemed to be fairly normal about things, even if they refused to listen to Alex’s view, these two were outwardly ridiculous to a degree I did not expect…well, of Stacey, anyways, Lisi has been on the Con List since last week’s disgusting performance.

Pro
Yau Man and Earl

It was a smart move on their part to try to give Yau Man time to look for the Idol; it appears to have been a tiny bit of a failure, as far as we know, but the fact of the matter is that these two are in a good position if they can hold the Idol and stay alive to head into the merge with a good set of numbers. It was some intelligent play that gives them a heads up in a tribe that is otherwise falling apart.

Con
Survivor Producers

Sorry, folks, but you’re in a rough place with me right now. While I think that the episode itself was fine, I’m hoping you stop dangling the amenities out in front of the teams. It’s clear based on next week that you’re reorganizing things to make up for the clear physical divide (See: The Reward Challenge), but if you’re going to be giving them anything and everything it’ll limit its effect in the future.

Con
Rocky

Seriously? How did you not get the 9? Pathetic. And you’re annoying.

Lost – “Enter 77”

7 Things I Learned About Lost from “Enter 77”

1. Locke + Computer = Bad

So, first he stops inputting the numbers and they lose the hatch, and now this time he blows up the Flame Station? I have to wonder how he managed not to blow up that box company he was working at in his flashbacks the second he touched their computers.

2. Cure to PTSD? Cats

The whole idea of cats being used to treat emotional wounds is really quite fascinating, and probably quite logical, but it seems a bit off for some reason. The flashback on the whole was fairly topical, if perhaps a little bit isolated and redundant based on past stories, but it certainly gave showcase to some lovable felines.

3. Absense…actually finds fondness quite the same

It’s been a while since we’ve spent decent time with Sayid and Locke this season, so it was good to finally return to these two characters. Their characters remain as interesting as ever, although I worry about redundancy of back stories (Locke’s should be coming up soon, though).

4. Hurley likes Sports

It always seems to be Hurley who suggests taking some randomly found objects and turning them into a game to liven up everyone’s spirits, including the episodes. This week’s ping pong match was almost entirely off-screen (Makes you wonder what was cut), but it served the same purpose as his golf game and the like.

5. Roger and…that girl are still utterly useless

Come on, Lindelof and Cuse, I want to know why it was necessary to add these people to the cast, especially since Kiele Sanchez has signed onto ABC’s Footballer’s Wives pilot which at this point has too many stars not to get picked up. If you’re just going to kill her, we better have a damn good reason for her existence.

6. The Purge

I like this idea of the purge, this idea that the Dharma people tried to eliminate the hostiles. When did this happen? Who of our current characters were involved? What role did Rousseau play in it all? I actually quite like the confusion it adds to her character; if she’d never been in this part of the island, where exactly has she gone? Has she really avoided them all this time, it seems quite unlikely. Either way, it certain adds lots of questions for which better answers can be provided when Jack returns in the upcoming weeks.

7. CTV’s Previews Are…Not Too Bad

The preview for this week’s episode seemed to reveal a lot, but it all went down within the first few minutes. Similarly, the preview for next week showed mainly just two scenes, as opposed to real plot twists and turns within the story. I’d still rather not see them, but as I was too lazy to turn to channel I was pleasantly surprised to see something I don’t mind watching. Kudos.

Oh…and, since I forgot to clarify, the episode was really quite good, and I think it really got things back on track compared to a few weeks of awkward attempts to regain past footing. That’s that: If you want a full recap of the episode, continue on. Continue reading →

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March 6, 2007 · 10:01 pm

American Idol – Recapping the Top 8 Guys

There’s only 8 guys left, which 6 go through to the finals? At this point there are only a few who stand out as egregiously horrifying, which is an improvement over the last few seasons. Also of note: Ryan promises a long-awaited announcement on Thursday’s show, which could be one of many things. If FOX was smart, they’d throw together an All-Star edition of the show for the Fall starting in August.

Anyways, onto the singers on this our last single-gendered week of competition.

Blake Lewis
Song: “All Mixed Up” – 311

This one took some google searching, and then some downloading, but this appears to be the song. It let’s Blake do some hip hoppin’, some beat boxin’, and no one can deny that it’s engaging. It’s not quite a song one can sing easily, or clearly, but it’s a performance more engaging than one could imagine. The judges seem pleased, although none of them knew the song.

Sanjaya Malakar
Song: “Waitin’ on the World to Change” – John Mayer

I don’t want to alarm you, but he honestly looks like a woman tonight. Between the hair (Which Simon calls a “Paula Hairstyle” so it isn’t just me) and the lipstick, and the John Mayer song, it’s not doing him any favours. As for the singing itself, his tone is as perfect as ever in the weaker parts of the song, but when he tries to bring in some energy…it’s terrible. It’s a screechy noise explosion that is honestly frightening, and the judges agree: not as bad as last week, but still most unfortunately bad.

Sundance Head
Song: “Jeremy” – Pearl Jam

While I spent quite some time trying to figure out what Pearl Jam song it was, I was a little shocked to realize that it was actually a song I knew (One of very few). The singing was admirable, if unmemorable, and the judges agree that his unique qualities came through. Simon feels it wasn’t quite charming enough, felt it was a bit too indulgent and bar-singer. Personally, I think it was unoffensive, and Sundance continues to rebound well from his disastrous first week. Continue reading →

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March 6, 2007 · 1:11 pm

The Superpower Bauer Hour Showdown: Week Seven

Well, here we are in what might well be our final episode of the Superpower Bauer Hour Showdown until late April. While I plan on continuing to analyze 24 as it continues for the next month, it will be kind of hard to compare it to an on hiatus Hereoes, no? I’ll figure things out as we go along as to how we’ll weather this break in new episodes. However, let’s not get ahead of ourselves; we still have a final showdown which will determine the show that grabs the lead as they head down the home stretch.

Round One: Overall Quality
The big problem with 24 right now is that it seems to be back inside its cozy little bubble of international diplomacy and government organizations. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m as glad as anyone that we didn’t get any extraneous “Morris the Alcoholic” moments; however, it seems as if we’ve forgotten the civilian perspective on things. I almost miss Sandra Palmer, if only because we at least got to see how this affected someone not officially part of a government body.

This episode had some diplomatic tensions between Russia and the U.S., as well as some Jack Bauer moments in the consulate, but it just felt somehow small scale considering its subject matter. Lennox’s moral stand against the VP is admirable, and the framing of Al-Assad is a natural plot development, but yet everything at the White House seems stale (Here’s hoping that Karen’s return picks things up a little).

This episode certainly sent us into some better territory, however, by involving Subarov and the fact that it appears to open the door for the arrival of some other familiar faces next week. With things being so claustrophobic as of late, we need an expansion of the environment ASAP.

You all know how much I loved last week’s episode of Heroes, which is why it pains me to admit that it’s downgraded itself slightly once again. With the opposite problem of 24, Heroes needs to go into small-scale mode more often. This week’s episode contained the conclusion of advancement of pretty much every one of the show’s character arcs, and yet I felt as if nothing had been resolved. It ended on a huge cliffhanger, and yet I honestly felt no emotional connection to the proceedings.

Peter’s plight at the end of the episode was lifeless to me because Peter has been lifeless to me for weeks; he didn’t encounter Sylar for a reason, he just randomly walked into Mohinder’s apartment. He spent the episode invisible barely emerging from the woodwork to chat with his brother; this was not Peter’s episode. After last week belonged to Mr. Bennet, I couldn’t help but feel a connection to his character; and, to be honest, why should I care about Peter outside of the show’s desire for me to do so?

Peter has to earn that level of connection, in my view, and the writers haven’t given us a good reason to do so. Sure, he has his scar, and his future dealings with Hiro, but why couldn’t this have been a Peter episode? Honestly, if we had had more of his dealings with Claude, more time spent on his personal psyche, and a proper buildup, Peter’s confrontation with Sylar could have been a moment to remember. Instead, it was just a chunk of hair and droplets of blood on the ground.

The episode was fine, with none of the storylines standing out as particularly offensive, but nothing clicked for me. Malcolm McDowell’s arrival as the mysterious Linderman was well-handled, and the reveal of Grandma Petrelli was certainly interesting, but it just seemed like nothing got a chance to seem final, climactic. Say what you will about that island show, but it never tries to accomplish too much in a single episode; Heroes might attack the senses, but it sells the show’s characters short in the end.

Round Two: Ratings

Things aren’t too surprising on this front, the real drama will be how 24 performs in Heroes’ multiple-week absence.

From PIFeedback.com:

NBC’s dominance continued at 9 p.m., with bona fide hit Heroes at 14.90 million viewers and a 6.6/16 among adults 18-49.

24 (Fox)
Viewers: 13.01 million (#3), A18-49: 4.9/12 (#2)

Continued Heroes dominanace, although 24 continues to perform well.

Round Three: The Torturous Truth

So, considering that torture has become a bit of a sore point for 24’s producers in recent weeks, let’s take a look at each show’s depiction of torture. It’s Jack Bauer vs. Sylar in the ultimate battle of evil tactics.

Torturer: Jack Bauer (‘24’)

Torturee: Russian Consul

Weapon(s) of Choice: Gun, Fist, Cigar Cutter

Damage inflicted: Bloody/Broken Nose, severed finger above top knuckle.

It wasn’t one of Jack’s most memorable torture jobs, but he was a bit rushed for time; after all, he wasn’t exactly carrying around anything that could do real damage. The consul wasn’t the most ideal torture victim, as he was winces in pain more than someone with real conviction; the job was almost too easy, in a way.

However, that said, it was still an effective tactic, and he got the information out of him in a satisfactory manner despite the unfortunate blasting open of the door.

Torturer: Sylar (‘Heroes’)

Torturees: Mohinder and Peter

Weapon of Choice: Crazy Super Powers

Damage inflicted: Places captive on ceiling, multiple flesh wounds to first victim, large head wound/hair cut to second victim.

Sylar certainly inflicted more damage than Jack did, but he also has the distinct advantage of crazy powers. He was certainly effective, but let’s consider his subjects: Mohinder is pretty much inept at any task you place in front of him, and Peter was unprepared when he walked into the situation.

While he certainly got the better of the battle, his end purpose of eating Peter’s brain might be tough to accomplish with the healing and all, so his actual effectiveness is all dependent on what happens next.

So, who goes into the break with a 4-3 lead? Continue reading →

Is Frank Miller’s ‘300’ Really All About George W. Bush?

Last Thursday, I spent a few hours watching classic Western “Shane” for my Politics of Mass Media class. It was a dreadful film, with huge plot holes and terrible dialogue that could be expected of the genre. However, since it was being screened for the class, our professor had a hidden agenda: it was his belief that the film can be viewed as a microcosm of the Iraq War. The tyrannical Riker gang were the Iraqi government, the timid farmers the Iraqi people, and the heroic Shane the epitome of George W. himself. There was some skepticism as to the validity of this argument, but on a personal level I had been sitting watching it as a representation of the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

I’ve always been open to these kind of interpretations because I think it makes texts like Shane worthwhile. It’s not an issue of changing the film to fit the example, but rather using the film as a way to better understand and analyze cultural perceptions relating to the conflict. A good film is more than capable of standing on its own, but considering the cultural placement of a film has a great deal of value. Viewing Shane as a vision of 1950s American thought allows us to realize that perhaps Bush’s ideologies are ripped straight out of that period. I consider this to be a worthwhile reading of the film, if not a perfect one, and I left that classroom unbothered by the application.

However, I was not expecting for this issue to become quite so relevant this week when, in a rather strange turn of events, it was revealed that the adaptation of Frank Miller’s ‘300’ is perhaps being painted with the same brush.

Link: The New York Times – “That Film’s Real Message? It Could Be: ‘Buy a Ticket’”

While I was fine with the application of modern conflict to “classic” cinema, I can’t help but agree with that article that this is setting a bad precedent. Zack Snyder, the film’s director, was asked which leader represented George W. Bush; the questioner answered Xerxes, the Persian invader. Another reporter, however, felt it was Leonidas, the Spartan hero. When he took the film to a German festival, reporters asked questions as if the American government had financed the film’s production. Unbeknownst to Snyder, his film has become a powerful political statement, which was likely not the attention of the computer-assisted gorefest that is ‘300’. Continue reading →

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March 4, 2007 · 11:03 pm

Heroes – “Parasite” Spoilers

Yes, as a Canadian I’m lucky enough to get an early shot at this week’s episode of Heroes that is its last until late April. After last week’s fantastic “Company Man”, which I consider to be the best episodes of TV aired last month, how does Heroes move forward in advancing their key storylines? Well, here’s how:

[Note: These are spoilers, and are only slightly vague. You’ve been warned!]

Continue reading →

The Top 10 Episodes of February Sweeps 2007

It’s perhaps the most important non-premiere/finale month in the TV Calendar, the month where shows and networks are made and broken. Now, while I’m enough of a TV Geek to know when these periods are, Wikipedia has actually taught me a whole lot more on the subject. What is a Sweeps Period, you ask?

Link: Wikipedia – Nielsen Ratings System – Sweeps

“Much of the ratings system, however, still consists of the completion by viewers of ratings diaries, in which a viewer records his or her viewing habits, generally for a week, in exchange for being advanced a nominal fee. These diaries play an especially important role during the four sweeps periods conducted in February, May, July and November in an attempt to measure smaller local market audiences in markets that are not covered by People Meter samples already…”

“Television networks and other programmers make unusual efforts to attract additional viewers during these periods, including airing mostly first-run programming as opposed to repeats, airing more special broadcasts, and including special content in programming such as guest stars, controversial and unexpected plots or topics, extended episodes, finales, and increased competition in advertising.”

So, during these periods the Nielsen ratings system is gathering data on those areas that are not usually found within their polls of the nation. As a result, this is the time when advertisers are most interested in seeing what people in the entirety of the U.S. are watching, so networks have a vested financial interest: the more different populations watching, the more advertising dollars they may be able to charge in the upcoming season.

So, much like the article says, February is defined by event programming and new episodes of shows. There are guest stars, huge new plot arcs, explosions, premieres, and just about everything else you can imagine. And, it is now my job to go back through this month and television and find out which 10 episodes stood out above all others. It’s a tough task, but I believe I’m up to the challenge.

Honourable Mentions

There are the episodes that were considered for the list, but just didn’t make the cut. Still, they represent some quality television and should be commended. Also, since I limited the final list to one from each show, some of these could have ranked quite easily.

The Amazing Race – “Beauty is Sometimes Skin Deep”
Gilmore Girls – “I’m a Kayak, Hear Me Roar”
Grey’s Anatomy – “Wishin’ and Hopin’”
Heroes – “Unexpected”
Lost – “Flashes Before Your Eyes”
The Office – “Cocktails”
Ugly Betty – “I’m Coming Out”

The Top 10 Episodes

Of February Sweeps 2007

(Episodes must air between January 29^th and February 28^th)

10. Veronica Mars – “Papa’s Cabin”
Airdate: February 27^th, 2007

While not reaching the heights of its first season, the end of the 2^nd Season Three arc on “Veronica Mars” felt more satisfying than its first. Things came together in a logical way, the perpetrator (Tim Foyle) didn’t turn into a raving lunatic at the episode’s end, and there were some nice comedic moments along the way to keep things a little bit light. The show will never be as cohesive as it was in its first season, but this episode shows that they’re still capable of ending an arc in a satisfactory manner.

9. Gilmore Girls – “I’m a Kayak, Hear Me Roar”
Airdate: February 19^th, 2007

While certainly not the show’s best episode, and one that certainly won’t be remembered as a pivotal episode for the series, the fallout from Lorelai’s breakup with Christopher was incredibly well handled. Lorelai told Rory first, and then painstakingly told her mother while both were a little bit drunk. That level of mother-daughter bonding between Lorelai and Emily is rare for the series, and it was handled extremely well; when Lorelai woke up the next morning to find that her mother was now cold and angry about it all, it seemed even more natural. I’ve stopped thinking about the switch in producers for the show, and episodes like this are not changing that any time soon.

8. The O.C. – “The End’s Not Near, It’s Here”
Airdate: February 22^nd, 2007

Although my detailed thoughts about the episode can be found within Thursday Night TV Club, on a simple level it was a satisfactory finale to a show that, a year ago, I had written off. While it was certainly not the simplest finale, and it was plenty contrived, it did its job well enough to deserve a spot on this list. It was an hour of television that made you forget, for just a second, that you sat through two seasons of absolute shit to get to this point; I’d say that’s a successful finale. As it ended with a young Ryan look-alike sitting, clad in his grey hoodie, looking lost, it was fitting; Ryan has turned into Sandy, and the circle continues.

7. The Office – “Business School”
Airdate: February 15^th, 2007

While it may not be the show’s best episode of the season, and lacked the drama inherent within the next week’s “Cocktails,” I think that Joss Whedon defeated J.J. Abrams in the battle of the guest directors. From the hilarious “Jim the Vampire” storyline, to the handling of the bat by Dwight, to Michael’s candy bar lecture style, the episode delivered the comedy. However, it also dealt with the relationship between Ryan and Michael, an oft ignored one, and Pam’s art show provided some drama between her and Roy and a nice moment between her and Michael. It wasn’t a perfect episode, but it blended comedy and drama into a quality half hour of television.

6. Battlestar Galactica – “Dirty Hands”
Airdate: February 25^th, 2007

Stuck with three filler episodes during the February Sweeps period, Battlestar Galactica managed to make one of them work to great effect. Tyrol’s return to a position of labour boss, as the episode was advertised was predictable, but it was the context which provided a great deal of interest. The idea of Baltar smuggling a book out of his prison cell is another nod to historical events, and its effects on the core storyline were immediate; painting Adama and Roslin as the aristocracy ,and then having them be a little bit crazy, paints a picture that is a fascinating microcosm of true events and one that complicates the fleet’s dynamics. Battlestar may be at its most explosive when dealing with the Cylons, but it’s at its best when it delves into the political drama inherent in their situation.

5. House – “One Day, One Room”
Airdate: January 30^th, 2007

An episode so divisive that I felt like blogging about it specifically, it very much redeemed House in my eyes after it had struggled to keep my attention. While I think that the episode featuring Cuddy’s blind date may have been more entertaining, I think that this story of a rape victim that relates to House was far more interesting. The philosophical discussions were not life-changing, but they were necessary to balance out the fairly boring medical cases which had come before it.

House is at its best when it balances these elements, and this episode was something that I needed in order to continue to enjoy the show. While I can understand that some people may disagree with this, and considered the episode too preachy and abstract, I also think that neither of those are overly negative attributes. After the absolutely dreadful Tritter arc, which took the show in circles for a good six episodes, it was good to return to something on a larger scale that could actually change the titular character in some fashion. Divisive or not, the episode was the perfect example of what House needs to do to stay relevant.

Continue reading →

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