October 4, 2007 · 9:03 pm

Season Premiere: 30 Rock – “Seinfeld Vision”

“Seinfeld Vision”

October 4th, 2007

What is Seinfeld Vision, you ask? Well, it’s Jack’s plan to digitally capture Jerry Seinfeld and place him in all of their primetime shows in October. And Liz, freshly single and quilting, returns to Jack’s master scheme with a fresh outlook on life. Meanwhile, Tracy has marital problems while Jenna got fat starring in Mystic Pizza: The Musical on broadway. Welcome back, 30 Rock. I missed you ever so much, Seinfeld or no Seinfeld.

There’s a lot to like about the return of 30 Rock: Kenneth as Tracy’s Office Wife, Kenneth in an elevator with Jerry Seinfeld, Kenneth making Seinfeld sound effects, Kenneth in general…did I mention Kenneth?

To be serious, the show properly dealt with the show’s best elements: Jack’s big business schemes, Liz’s relationship insecurities, Tracy’s life problems, and Kenneth’s awesomeness. Adding Jerry Seinfeld to the equation doesn’t change the solid structure the series has established. The problem with the premiere is that it has to handle all of these elements, unlike other episodes which can focus on one or the other. Still, I’ll say it: the best comedy on television is back.

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October 4, 2007 · 8:04 pm

The Office – “Dunder Mifflin Infinity”

“Dunder Mifflin Infinity”

October 4th, 2007

Dwight thinks they could do better, Angela thinks it’s fitting since Pam’s the office “mattress”, Andy’s happy to be the sexiest single guy in the office, and Michael thinks it is a life-changing event. The Jim and Pam union is officially known to the office, and the office reaction is clear. However, they continue to take a backseat to other focuses: Ryan’s return to the office is the big story this week, and I couldn’t be happier.

Why? Because Ryan dealing with an obvious lack of authority within the Scranton environment is a unique and new situation for the series. The transition from office temp to corporate boss, having to present a new-age Dunder Mifflin Infinity internet overhaul (NBC’s Meta site can be found at DunderMifflinInfinity.com), is an incredibly tough sell when you have Kelly dressing scantily, Creed feeling pushed out, and the pita fire still haunting his past. The theme of the week is change, and it leads to an episode that feels more integrated and natural than last week’s…until its conclusion.

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October 4, 2007 · 12:21 pm

Bionic Woman – “Paradise Lost”

“Paradise Lost”

October 3rd, 2007 

David Eick, executive producer on Bionic Woman, is also an exec on Battlestar Galactica (Which appeared on the television in Paradise). That show had an unfair advantage when it came to building the show’s concept: a lengthy miniseries in which the characters and plot were established. This allowed it to balance setup and action in a realistic fashion, and made for an absolutely fabulous episode to follow. ’33’ was a gritty realization of the show’s “Humanity on the Run” hook, and was a fantastic hour of television earned through an extensive pilot.

Bionic Woman, unfortunately, wasn’t quite as lucky. They had a clunky opening hour that while, containing potential, struggled with exposition and action and never really created a foundation for the future episodes to follow. As a result, “Paradise Lost” felt like yet another necessarily slow step in the future of the series. And while I don’t think I’m willing to claim the series has no potential, this particular hour did nothing to speed up the process.

After last week’s exposition and actionfest, this week proved two things: the action was non-representative and the exposition just wasn’t enough. We spend a lot of time learning about how this organization works, how their inner structure develops, and not nearly enough time on compelling drama or character development. At one point, a young girl asks Jamie “Who are you?” and I want an answer as well. This episode, very simply, didn’t offer anything to change what was already a problem with the series…but it didn’t add any problems either.

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October 3, 2007 · 11:20 pm

The Sophomore Test: ‘Chuck’, ‘Reaper’, ‘Dirty Sexy Money’

Think making a television pilot is hard? Pfft, a pilot is nothing. A pilot has an astronomical budget, a lengthy shooting schedule, and a certain level of freedom not seen within an episodic structure. The real test of a series’ quality, then, is the second episode. It’s the one that gives a better indication of a showrunner’s ability to wrangle their initial pilot concept into an affordable and still entertaining series.

So, let’s see how three of the year’s series (None of which I’ve spent considerable time discussing) held up this week not just in terms of ratings, but in terms of quality.

Chuck

What I liked about Chuck’s pilot was its geeky sensibility and slick production values. There has been a lot of talk about Chuck lacking content below that surface, that it rides by on production and concept alone without any depth. And do you know what? I think that these people are correct. And, well, I don’t really care.

The series will only fail at this point if it takes itself too seriously. At this point, the comedy and the drama are almost at odds, fighting it out for the focus of the series. I want the show to be able to embrace its light-hearted side just a little bit more, finding a balance that works for it.

I think the second episode did an admirable job of keeping the series’ geeky elements from becoming too cliched (It was impossible to do so entirely) while keeping things (relatively) balanced. My concern, however, is that they will keep trying to find spy-related storylines and be unwilling to let Chuck’s personal life dominate. This isn’t Alias, the comic setup is good enough to support more personal developments.

The verdict: Good, but not great. It didn’t expand to anything the least bit revolutionary, but it has comic and dramatic potential to be tapped.

Reaper

In the first non-Kevin Smith episode, I honestly felt like there wasn’t a huge tonal shift in Reaper’s second episode. I think that this is, on the one hand, a good thing: after all, I liked the pilot. On the other hand, I think that the similarity had much less to do with a continued sense of quality, and more a sense of deja vu.

Yes, Reaper stayed fairly consistent in its second week, but with that came both its good and its bad. On the good side, Ray Wise stayed sharp as the devil, and Bret Harrison continues to define scrutable in the lead role. But, unlike Chuck, which had a fairly energetic pilot, Reaper’s was occasionally a bit slow and expositional.

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October 3, 2007 · 2:27 pm

6 Reasons You Need to Watch ‘Pushing Daisies’

I want to make something very clear: Pushing Daisies is not the greatest television show of all time. It is certainly not perfect, containing a few flaws that are somewhat concerning even. However, the reason for the critical and internet buzz surrounding the series is simple: out of this year’s crop of new shows, Pushing Daisies is the only one that approaches a level of imagination and potential worth talking about.

The story of Ned is simple: he can bring things back to life with his touch. Unfortunately, if he touches them again, they die for good. And, if they stay alive for more than one minute, someone else has to die in their place. He uses this ability to solve crimes, but one day finds a more pressing reason: resurrecting his long lost love. The scenario that follows is charming, engaging, and by far the best pilot of the year (Cultural Learnings’ Review).

I know that there might even be a level of critical backlash against the show for how much time critics spend talking about it, so in deciding the reasons to watch the series I am going to ignore the standard critical lauds in favour of some of the show’s simpler and more relative aspects. These are the six reasons why, tonight at 8pm on ABC, you should seat your butts in front of your television and be transported into the land of Pushing Daisies.

6. Digby/Orbit the Dog

I’m a sucker for a golden retriever under normal circumstances, but Digby (Stunningly portrayed by Orbit the Dog) is another breed altogether. Resurrected by Ned when he first discovered his powers to bring people back to life, he is only ever petted with a hand on a stick and by those around him. Rescued from tragedy, has he not reemerged into a torturous life? This complex character is by far a highlight of the pilot.

5. Mmmm…Pie…

There’s a reason that the show’s premiere features the overly cute title of “Pie-lette”; it’s because of the near food pornography present within the series. If you have a taste for pastry, the show is sure to delight your senses with its three-plum and rhubarb delights. They might be Ned’s obsession, but pies are visual and sensual delights: we need Smell-o-vision. And I don’t even LIKE pie.

4. Emerson/Ned: Buddy Comedy at its Finest

The young pie maker removed from the real world and the cynical private eye who wants to take advantage of him: Ned and Emerson are a team worth watching, and a team with a great deal of potential. Much like Bryan Fuller’s Dead Like Me, the relationship between these twisted crime-solvers is a great presentation of human interaction.

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October 2, 2007 · 10:40 pm

House – “The Right Stuff”

“The Right Stuff”

October 2nd, 2007

Although the episode might not be labeled as such, I would argue that tonight’s House was really the second part of a two-part opener. After last week established House’s issues regarding bringing in a new team, this week gave us plenty of the House we like while also providing some important revelations. This would make last week a prologue (Although one I was vastly entertained by), and this week finally gets back to the meat of the issue.

And it really did: we learned what happened with Chase and Cameron, we were introduced to the new prospective fellows, and we got to see a new level of House’s unethical behaviour. For all the details, continue on to a diagnostic on the episode.

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October 2, 2007 · 6:57 pm

Gossip Girl – “Poison Ivy”

“Poison Ivy”

October 2nd, 2007

Ivy Week, as presented by Gossip Girl, is the time when plans about the future take center stage. This is not an uncommon theme in teen dramas: heck, High School Musical was a post-secondary anxiety film at its core. However, for Gossip Girl, it’s a wakeup call from the joys of living the high life when interviews and socials essentially define their future…and they all have extremely preset futures ahead of them despite the turmoil in their lives.

Dan is dreaming of Dartmouth, hoping for his scholarship in lieu of actual funds. Nate, meanwhile, has a father pushing him to Dartmouth while he dreams of heading out West. As they compete for an ushership (I don’t know what this means), we start to gain a better understanding of Dan’s place in this world, and what little clout the Humphrey name has in this world.

However, it also allowed the two to actually share some common ground for a change, and allow for Dan to be somewhat less of an outcast. This is a positive development, and finally brings new pairings of characters outside of the rather rigid pairings we were earlier provided. The more the show extends its characters and has them interact with other people, the more three-dimensional they become.

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October 1, 2007 · 10:01 pm

Heroes – “Lizards”

“Lizards”

October 1st, 2007

At the opening of this week’s episode, we gained a structure to this year’s season: A Series of Eight, Isaac Mendez’s unfulfilled prophecy paintings. The first in that series showed Hiro’s father bloodied and dead on the pavement below, and is in Mr. Bennet’s possession. The other seven? He hasn’t seen them, but intends to find them. It looks like we’ve got a Collect-a-thon ahead of us.

Except that, you know, we learn almost nothing about Isaac’s Series of Eight in this episode. The title itself refers to Claire’s biology class, and her inability to keep her mouth shut about regeneration while boy toy West watches on, chatting up Suresh Sr.’s book. I really hate to see Claire get the episode title when her storyline isn’t exactly the most compelling thing the show has going for it: a stolen car? Really? Uncool.

Peter, obviously the most intriguing storyline, spends time tied to a chair and being spongebathed by a young Irish lass. And then he saves her honour with his newfound powers: super strength, his light flash projectiles, and becoming an expert at untying fairly complex knots. Oh, and he doesn’t have a scratch on him, so perhaps the blood may not be his own. Then, whose blood is it? This is an interesting question, but when the show barely even spends any time with him it doesn’t resonate. And especially when he basically becomes a thief for hire.

And there’s the big problem with Heroes right now: each individual episode is only able to string together a series of small-scale storylines, and as a result it never feels like anything really happens in each episode. Whether it is Mohinder’s time with the Haitian, Hiro’s attempts to woo himself a princess, or Parkman’s investigation in New York, or the gruesome attack on Angela Petrelli, nothing seemed to be given any time to matter.

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October 1, 2007 · 9:16 pm

How I Met Your Mother – “We’re Not From Here”

“We’re Not From Here”

October 1st, 2007

After spending last week on the Wrapup schedule, some wily TV wrangling meant that I was able to watch How I Met Your Mother live on television for the first time ever. Yes, ever. Dare I say that tonight is a legendary occasion?

After last week dealt with the breakup fallout for Robin and Ted, this week finally has a chance to deal with the other parts of the cast, mainly Marshall and Lilly’s newfound marriage. The result is that the show is finally able to return to some of its normal structure…which is either good or bad, I can’t really decide. Actually, on second thought, I don’t think it lived up to the show’s pedigree.

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September 30, 2007 · 10:14 pm

The State of the Primetime Soap Opera: ‘Desperate’, ‘Sexy’ and ‘Sisters’

The primetime soap opera was heralded as the new and resurgent medium when Desperate Housewives arrived and brought steamy, sudsy television back to the forefront of popular culture. Now, three years later, ABC remains at the forefront of the movement but is not alone: CBS is introducing Cane and Swingtown, attempting to break through on what only ABC has managed to pull off in recent years.

Perhaps attempting to confirm themselves as the destination for primetime soaps without procedural elements or workplace settings, ABC is introducing ‘Dirty Sexy Money’ to the table while ‘Desperate Housewives’ bounces back from a weak couple of seasons and ‘Brothers & Sisters’ takes advantage of late-season momentum.

I am admittedly a sucker for these shows: I might view them with a more critical eye, but I have a penchant for some good family drama. But is it good family drama? And how are the show stacking up this season? Let’s take a gander.

Desperate Housewives – “Now You Know”

I will admit that I stopped watching Desperate Housewives last year, fairly early even. I simply didn’t find the second season interesting enough to justify sticking around during the rather slow start to its third. What has me watching the premiere, then? Mainly the arrival of new characters, new mysteries, and Nathan Fillion. So sue me, I became a Browncoat with Firefly over the summer.

My verdict: Dana Delaney has finally added some spice to the proceedings, the various women of Wysteria Lane are at their best when keeping secrets, and the mystery feels like just the right balance of intrigue and actually interesting material, as opposed to last year’s. It is a creepy dream for a brain-washed girl whose parents are hiding things in a locked room that hides not a chained up male but a hidden past.

It centers on not some secret murder plot or basement dungeon, but a mysterious new neighbour with a past and a future on Wisteria Lane. The drama amongst characters it as much of a retread as before, but it feels fresher as long as some level of change is being promised. And I feel like a new neighbour, and new neighbours to come, might be enough to bring the show back on track.

Brothers & Sisters – “Home Front”

At the end of last season’s finale, the Walker family cleansed themselves with a dip in the pool to signal a new beginning. However, this was really incredibly misleading, as this year’s season premiere showed: in reality, they’re still just as messed up as they were before. Kitty’s neutoric, Kevin’s narcissistic, Sarah’s marriage is a wreck, and the rest of the family are in a state of upheaval.

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