November 22, 2007 · 11:00 am

Dirty Sexy Money – “The Country House”

[As with last week, the following is a brief excerpt of my review of this week’s episode of Dirty Sexy Money as posted at South Dakota Dark. Enjoy!]

Last week, there existed the potential for Dirty Sexy Money to run off the rails with an ill-guided love affair, but like any good relationship I was willing to stick around to see how they handled it. My greatest concern was not the relationship itself, really: rather, I was concerned that the Karen Darling we know and love would be lost.

The answer is a resounding “no” on that front, at least for a majority of the episode. The scenes in which she interacts with Nick and Lisa? I despise that Karen Darling, all she’s doing is being wholly delusional. It’s in direct opposition to her other character, a delightfully sardonic and acutely aware but slightly naïve wit factory. Luckily, the writers seem to know this: we got mostly the latter this week, with the former making only a brief appearance. If this is the balance they’re setting, its impact on the show as a whole should be limited.

While “The Country House” was the real title of the episode, referring to (what else?) a trip to the country house, I figure the real title should be “Three’s Company’. The episode was structured around a series of three-person relationships, and I’ll start with the one which was most isolated and, more importantly, gives this post its title (“Don’t look at me like that…three million was more than fair!”).

For the rest of the review, click here.

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November 20, 2007 · 9:30 pm

Pushing Daisies – “Smell of Success”

“Smell of Success”

November 20th, 2007

There is no question that Pushing Daisies has found itself a nice little rhythm, but this week’s episode was perhaps its weakest yet…in some ways. The show has a unique way of overcoming some of its weaker elements (In this case, the most predictable mystery in a while) in order to provide some great stuff (Lily and Vivian’s potential return to the water), while maintaining its consistency (Emerson Cod in general).

I can’t expect the show to be perfect, and it really wasn’t here: however, it did end on a high note which could provide a recurring storyline for the first time in quite a while.

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November 19, 2007 · 11:32 pm

Heroes – “Cautionary Tales”

“Cautionary Tales”

November 19th, 2007

Credit where credit is due: the end of the episode showed that someone in the writer’s room isn’t sleeping, calling back to one of the first season’s most memorable cliffhangers of Claire open-chested in the morgue. However, unlike that “Holy Sh-” moment, this one wasn’t earned: another middling and poorly paced outing for Heroes resulted not in an edge of your seat conclusion, but rather a bait-and-switch near death which only cheapened the episode as a whole.

The episode as a whole was a cautionary tale to Tim Kring that, even after his apology hit the internet, his show still needs to remember what happened in the show’s first season. In “Company Man,” Claire saw her father’s true love for her despite what bad things he had done in the past. When Hiro attempted to go back in time to save Charlie, he realized that he could never do it and that there were just too many consequences. They learned these lessons, received these cautionary tales…but now here they go repeating them all over again.

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November 19, 2007 · 9:49 pm

How I Met Your Mother – “Slapsgiving”

“Slapsgiving”

November 19th, 2007

Well, this was it. After over 115 days of waiting, the Slap Bet Countdown posted by CBS in July has finally been brought down to zero. At one point in the episode, Barney pleaded with Marshall to cancel the slap, saying that knowing about it ahead of time only made the suspense and fear grow. Similarly, perhaps you could argue that there was greater fan interest as a result of the countdown (Based on hits to this post explaining the Slap Bet here at Cultural Learnings, this is in fact that case).

However, I actually thought it took away from the slap itself. The episode was really more to do with Robin and Ted than it was with the Slap Bet, and while it provided a great coda to the episode (Complete with a fantastic piano ballad featuring backup vocals from a recovering Barney) I really didn’t feel like it had the impact that our first surprise slap did. And, while I perhaps was more likely to tune in knowing it was going to happen, it seems to have been an issue of quality promotion over quality comedy…and that’s kind of disappointing.

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November 18, 2007 · 10:31 pm

The Amazing Race – Season 12, Episode 3

“Please, Lord, Give Me Milk”

November 18th, 2007

You know, the title of this episode really doesn’t evoke the level of insanity which Lorena poured into it. It was much more desperate, pleading even, than you could possibly imagine. In short, Lorena went into full-on emotional breakdown mode in this episode. And while I know that this characterization is perhaps a bit quick, she really is an equivalent to the ill-remembered Flo of Season Three (Fulfilling, further, Erin’s belief the season might head in this direction).

As for the remainder of the teams, this wasn’t an episode for personal triumphs or anything of that sort. Rather, a number of teams quite literally broke down at the roadblock, and the tightness of the leg kept any team from coming back from any sort of deficit. That said, the episode did end up with two teams fairly darn close to one another at the detour, although methinks there was some tricky editing afoot.

And yes, Lorena eventually got her milk; but, as Kate and Pat said last week, I don’t think the Lord had anything to do with it.

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November 16, 2007 · 11:34 pm

Friday Night Lights – “Pantherama!”

“Pantherama!”

November 16th, 2007

Jason Katims and the writing staff of Friday Night Lights have been getting a lot of flack recently due to a single storyline dragging down what could be the best drama on television. Landry’s justified homicide, an act of self-defence, has sat over the series like a cloud, and critics have piled doubt onto the show’s ability to escape this concern. And yet, each week there has been an element that reminded us of why we loved this show: as long as the murder story was just one story, we could look past it.

If we follow that pattern, this week’s episode of Friday Night Lights should be the best of the season: a single conversation about his father’s action is the only storyline Landry gets this week, and the murder is pretty well shelved for the time being. And yet, as opposed to being one of the season’s best episodes, it was actually perhaps one of its worst. Proving that murder is not the only problem in Dillon, Texas, the series focused on storylines which were cliched, predictable and  uninteresting, and the good (for once) did not outweigh the bad. And, this time, we can’t blame the murder.

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November 15, 2007 · 10:46 pm

30 Rock – “Somebody to Love” and The Office – “The Deposition”

“Somebody to Love”

November 15th, 2007

If tonight’s episode of 30 Rock taught me anything, it’s two things: first, that Edie Falco really isn’t that funny. And, on a more positive note, training for the Amazing Race really does make you look like a terrorist.

The episode’s storyline featuring Liz freaking out over her Middle Eastern neighbour (Played by the always awesome Fred Armisen) was pretty dull until the reveal that as opposed to planning a terrorist attack he was audition for the Amazing Race. Armisen was great in the role, but the storyline took the focus away from the running of a television network. And, while the show can still be funny in this mode, it paled in comparison.

Jack’s storyline had the same problem, with Edie Falco playing a Democratic Congresswoman who meets Jack and starts a clandestine affair even when she is directly fighting environmental pollution by the Sheinhardt Wig Company. Falco wasn’t that funny, and the only great stuff to come out of the storyline was a TV movie (See below) and Tracy’s pick-up line selections at the end of the episode.

Kenneth had a sidestory about losing Jack’s pants and becoming a monkey for the writing staff, but it never clicked. After a few weeks of really fantastic episodes, this was definitely a step backward for the series. Still, there was some funny stuff, and I can’t possibly dislike a good Amazing Race reference.

Cultural Observations

  • “That’s an antique, and I’m a white lady!” and “Remember when I asked that black guy if he saw Sideways?” were a quick, yet funny, departure into sketchy subjects from Liz.
  • I loved Kenneth’s sign for Jack’s pants: “A Pair of Fancy Tuxedo Pants”. Oh Kenneth.
  • My far the best part of Edie Falco’s cameo was the Lifetime Movie resulting from her tragic past: “A Dog Took My Face, and Gave Me a Better Face, So I Could Change the World: The Celeste Cunningham Story.” Kristen Wiig did great with the scenes, a highlight for the episode.
  • Oh, and Jack singing “What the World Needs Now (Is Love)” was also kind of great in a more subtle way.
  • Oddly, neither of the episode’s two main storylines really resolved themselves: are Falco and Armisen sticking around? Also, Jenna was noticeably absent…I know it might just be me, but I kind of missed her?

“The Deposition”

November 15th, 2007

Following a pattern of the past few weeks, “The Deposition” dealt with inter-office shenanigans and Michael’s storyline in very separate fashions. While the employees enjoy what essentially boils down to fun and games, Michael actually had a lot of serious weight to his storyline this week.

And I like that: living up to last week’s Michael and Jim conversation, the show let Michael have a mature storyline that while still hilarious managed to actually hold some levity. With Michael and Jan’s relationship on trial, and the ping-pong championship at stake in Scranton, both worlds were well represented in an even-handed segment…that will sadly be the last we get for awhile.

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November 15, 2007 · 10:34 am

“Dirty Sexy Money” at South Dakota Dark

I’ve been watching Dirty Sexy Money consistently all season, and while I’m certainly not head over heels in love I think the sum of the whole is more than enough to overcome some of its weak links. However, for whatever reason, I haven’t blogged about it: it’s on late, and I think I just have been taking Wednesday off ever since Bionic Woman bit the dust. However, I’ve decided to start covering the show…but not here at Cultural Learnings.

I’ve been reading Sound Dakota Dark for a while now: it represents a wide range of contributing voices discussing a whole host of TV shows, a large majority of which I watch. When the opportunity arose to cover Dirty Sexy Money, I jumped at the opportunity: I’m always looking to expand my blog horizons, and this was a chance to work with a great team of people.

However, because I am still wholly committed to this blog, I will be posting a preview and a link to each week’s post here – feel free to discuss the show at either location, although it is in danger of becoming a Writer’s Strike casualty. Let’s enjoy it while it lasts.

Dirty Sexy Money – “The Wedding” @ South Dakota Dark

There are only so many complaints I can have when Donald Sutherland spends an hour of television getting drunk on tequila. When the frustrating Karen and Nick storyline rears its ugly head, all I have to do is think back to Tripp Darling carrying around a giant bottle of tequila and a smile cracks my face.

But the smile wasn’t there for long: while the show’s zip is certainly not lost in this episode, I am fairly certain that the show’s current direction is like Karen’s fifth wedding just waiting to happen.

You can also check out my “Season Thus Far” Recap as well.

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November 13, 2007 · 9:23 pm

Pushing Daisies – “Bitches”

“Bitches”

November 13th, 2007

As far as the show’s overall themes go, this week’s episode of Pushing Daisies really didn’t do much to further the relationship between Chuck and Ned. Actually, it barely even dealt with it: Ned did have a discussion with a dog psychologist and wrestled with he and Olive’s kiss two weeks ago, and the end of episode coda was certainly poignant, but (Okay, so there was a little movement), for the most part the episode sidelined this in favour of going to the dogs.

While certainly not quite as snappy as some of the show’s past episodes, “Bitches” featured an interesting mystery paired with copious amounts of Digby, perhaps the early frontrunner for this year’s Best Actor in a Drama Series. I’m head over heels for Digby (My ‘awww’ count reached ludicrous levels), but the episode dealt most succinctly with Emerson falling head over heels for the feminine wiles of a dog breeder.

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November 13, 2007 · 8:45 pm

Gossip Girl – “Seventeen Candles”

“Seventeen Candles”

November 13th, 2007

It has been too long since I’ve checked in with Gossip Girl, a show that has done a fine job of developing a series of likable characters and storylines with its early season episodes. It really hasn’t done anything noteworthy, but the show has embraced its guilty side to deliver a series of enjoyable pairings that have the intrigue ratcheted and the drama at a high point.

It should be less enjoyable: this week, Blair’s birthday party offers the weekly outlet for the show’s drama, a large gathering at which relationships come into greater focus. The result is wholly predictable, with the characters acting as we’d suspect, but it still popped off the screen. The show’s broad strokes could use some work, but as long as the core storylines work themselves out I’m willing to stick around until the candles are blown out.

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