I think Gabby nailed it when she said that both she and Carlos were both sharks - that it's in their nature, and you can't change that no matter how much you want to. She's right - and how he has something to think about. Like, maybe he's not cut out to do charity work.
The scene with the guys and MJ was touching. Nice to see Susan exercising her instincts on that one. MJ needs a father, and since he can't have one - he can have the next best thing.
Bree's lawyer isn't interested in her. I think we know that from the get-go. It's almost formulaic. She struggles with the beginnings of an infatuation which he won't return. Tragedy 101.
Linette and Tom - yeah, they'll be back together. Count on it. It's not in her nature to totally sabotage Tom, no matter how angry or hurt she might be. His boss offering to put a spike in their relationship by sending him away is the straw on the camel's back. Predictable.
I think Ben's involvement with the murder is just as we saw it: he found out about it, and talked to Mike about what to do with the body, and Mike said "I'll take care of it". The next scene was Mike dropping the body into the building site.
It must have been difficult for the writers: they had to advance the Howard and Bernadette story, which meant having to leave some other interesting things on the back burner. For example: there was SO much potential around Sheldon getting drunk: I really wish they had played more with that. (Remember the episode where he accidentally drank some of Leonard's water and went to get some tequila to kill the germs and accidentally swallowed some? He sat back down and looked at Leonard and said, matter-of-factly "I love you". Or it might have been "I really love you". - can't recall).
Disagree with the reviewer's notes about the pissing match between the two fathers. For one reason only: it's real. In the real world, there are still older generational guys who, while they may have grudgingly accept the idea of gays, haven't been able to figure out how it all works. I can totally see arguments like this occurring in real life. If anything, the writers of the show toned it down less than what would have happened in the real world.
At the end of the day, we're still left with the underlying, quiet (almost silent) ever-present theme of affection. It's the link that holds them all together, despite their differences. And it's the one factor that keeps me watching this show.
I LOVED the interaction between Alex and Phil - and the fact that Alex saw what he was trying to do, and why.
1) the series is amazing and compelling. Its writing and direction is what keeps drawing me back.
2) Nick has been described as human. I don't think he is. I think his natural appearance is human - but his status as a Grimm makes him more than "just a human". Which leads us to:
3) There are some questions that need to be overtly asked. By anyone, but probably it should come from Nick: what exactly is a Grimm? Why are they so afraid of him? What are his powers? What does "Grimm" represent to them? We already know his blood has special properties but....what else? The questions don't need to be answered right away but they do need to be asked. Don't they? The viewer is asking them - let's have the writers at least acknowledge these holes in the narrative.
Loved this episode! I always do, so that's no surprise. The spirit of the show's family dynamic is always there, running in the background, often as a counterpoint to the squabbles and arguments each of the participants go through. Where else do you get a celebration for being on a school wait-list? Great stuff.
What makes the series thread with the President so fascinating involves something I've been reading here and there over the past few months: findings that indicate that many great leaders and captains of industry are actually psychopaths. People who are able to manipulate others by becoming whatever and whoever they need to be, in order to entice them. People with a true lack of conscience. That pretty much sums up this President. He told Olivia that he loved her - but you know damned well he doesn't. He was saying and doing whatever he needed to do to get her on his side. Amazing.
Good catch by your wife, J! I sincerely hope she's right in her comment that " she thought Jane was smiling because he saw that this was probably not Rigsby's child. "
Frankly, I was pretty sure the Rigsby-Sarah thing was going to end, and was sure that she would pass away during childbirth or something. I'm glad they didn't go there, but....let's face it: Rigsby only seems to marginally care for Sarah, and still holds a fairly strong crush for Grace. And vice versa. So, having Rigsby not being the father could do it.
Really liked Jane's observation about the dynamics around the teacher and student relationship, and how he applied to it to his and Lisbon's relationship. Interesting times ahead!
I like this show a lot. It's got a great concept, excellent writing, and some truly gifted actors making us forget that it's a show at all.
That said - I'm struggling to figure out how they would make this work on a long term basis for more than one season. The moment he's cured, the premise is moot and "Awake"'s title no longer makes sense. So..does that mean they'll drag this on and on? Will we ever get to know who the conspirators are, and what they want?
Or will the term "Awake" take on a different meaning? Whatever the case - it's compelling enough to continue watching....
That Mandonna number was out of the ballpark amazing. I do feel that Penny is just being used as an add-on character. She needs something more, whether it's a relationship with a guy, or her own cause to invest in. Something. The whole "can't get a date" thing is old.
I just about cheered at the final frames of this episode though. And it's the main reason I'll be watching the next season.
Bre's comments about Sheldon are right on the money. Sheldon is definitely not a purposely mean person - he truly had no social awareness of the effects of his "observations". In his kind, he's just being logical and telling the truth - and he truly doesn't understand why anyone would find that offensive. He can't even take a compliment, because he assumes someone is merely giving him information he already knows. The news of his brilliance is redundant.
I think the writers understand how the rest of normal society might confuse his borderline autism with meanness, hence Bernadette's explanation to Howard - which were written more for our benefit.
In addition to the great characters and comedic writing of this show, I'm so impressed with its handling of Sheldon's various mental conditions such as his OCD and inability to relate to others because of autism. I like the fact that mental maladies are bring written into popular comedies and dramas, only because the world at large needs to learn about this stuff. (Modern Family tackled ADHD in one of its episodes too).
Another excellent show, followed by a precision review that itself hits every mark. Nice to see the new wrinkle added to the series plot, where Carter now has to deal with the fact that Fusco isn't quite the good guy she thought. Wonder how long it will be before they discover that they've both been working with Reese.
The guy playing Elias is an amazing actor - his menacing nature is so played down that you almost think you're dealing with a kind of Santa Claus personality. An almost unassuming Kaiser Soze who is just as deadly.
The show could not end with Hank and Karen riding off in bliss together - that was already done at the end of Season One. Nice to know that Samurai is gone: he was too psychotic for words. About as psycho as the crazy bitch who nearly killed Hank (*nearly* - because we know the show is renewed). Additionally we've seen some character development with Becca, and even with Hank I think too. He's actually said "no" to more than one woman this season. And despite his love of females he was brutally honest with the one in that last scene.
I see Marcie and Charlie getting back together next season. Other than that, my crystal ball is pretty murky. Nice write-up Chris! Any chance we'll see a round-table on this season? If you need participants for that, count me in.
I don't know. I liked it and didn't find the show all that predictable. Yes, Hank, Marcie and Karen did deliver some pat phrases, but that's consistent with their characters. It's how they relate to each other. I never tire of the chemistry between Karen and Hank - in this case, Hank continually "wiping the dirt off of her ass" while she laughs and tries to pull away (but not really). Loved seeing Tyler get that his comeuppance from Hank. To be honest, I expected Samurai to catch Tyler and Kali going at it, and then offing Tyler without a word. It didn't happen this time, but I'm expecting it to. Karen will catch Bates with his flip-flopping bi-sexual stuff and that....will be that.... Right now she thinks he's working on his sobriety when really he's just working on his sponsor - though he hasn't been shy in the past about admitting his penchant for playing ball on both sides of the street.
Great job with the review! Wish I could chime in here a little earlier but.....this show only plays in Canada on Monday night. We are a full season ahead of the U.S. on "Lost Girl" so I guess that makes up for it. Except that it doesn't.
Some of these finales sound great! NCIS, Criminal Minds - even How I Met Your Mother.
Is it wrong to feel glad that they're all wrapping up in May? I'm kind of stoked about getting away from the TV set and going out doors in the spring and summer. ;)
It gave me a bit of a schadenfreude thrill to see Tyler blow off Hank's warning about messing with Kali. Hey, he warned him, right? We *know* Samurai's going to do a lot more than merely beat him up once the truth comes out.
I'm still wondering what it will take to get Hank to bring Runcle back into his bro-sphere again. We sort of knew the new agent wouldn't have worked - although frankly, I'd have liked to see that have a bit more momentum than just the one episode. And that director - Lars Manderhoff - was a major piece of work, too. Kudos to whoever played him. (Lars isn't a real director, right? I tried googling him but only came up with references back to this episode)
One or two more episodes left, right? I'm guessing Tyler will maybe take a fall from a balcony, Bates will come home sober, and Hank will take off again back to NY, this time with Runcle in tow. Not putting money down though, because as we all know - anything can happen.
I gave up watching the show in season one - but tuned in to see this one episode (don't know why - probably a promo that caught my eye or something).
This time I loved it. And in particular - excuse me for being a softy here - the icing on the cake was the scene where the "peons" were singing "Kiss the Girl". Great set up - great execution. It was perfect.
So Cam gets in serious trouble with his "friend" during a show. Fast-forward about a dozen years and you'll see that all of the kids who attended the party now have a deathly fear of clowns. : )
My daughter and I had a discussion about this show - and we agree that its popularity resides in the fact that, no matter how awful things get in the stories, there's a sense of affection and respect for each other that hums away in the background. You know these people love each other - they just have odd and funny ways of expressing it. But no matter how bad the delivery, they always get it. Man - I can't tell you how much I like this show!
I don't know who the actor was who played the teacher's prey but he did a good job. We saw that by the stunned look of horror on his face when the dying teacher gasped out the wrong name at the end.
There are all kinds of reasons for people not wanting to get married - some good, some not so good. Either way - if someone isn't ready it's tragic when they go ahead anyway. Penelope's character has grown over the years - she's a lot stronger than she was at the beginning, and doesn't need to do anything she doesn't want to (not that she ever did - but maybe in the beginning she might have caved). I'm with her on this one - and maybe this is a deal-breaker for Kevin. If so, it's too bad, but *much* better (if this were a case in real life) not to take it further into marriage.
Not liking Tom or Lynette OR Jane for that matter: weak character vs. controlling character vs. spiteful character. None of them resonate. (Yes, for those who would argue that Tom finally has a spine: he is *still* a bit afraid of Lynette - the character is written that way)
I've always enjoyed the character of Mike as played by James Denton, but felt that the character was woefully under-utilized. I suppose that's to be expected, as the title is "Desperate Housewives" and not "Desperate People on Wisteria Lane".
I keep wondering if Juliette is something other than human herself. Perhaps Grimms are unable to see the other side of creatures if they're in love with them. Maybe Aunt Marie's gasped warning to Nick about staying away from her was more ominous than we realized.
Especially when you consider that out of all of them Juliette is more closed off than any of them. We never truly know what she's thinking. I was sure it might have come out when she asked him to pull the car over. And there's this: Nick's boss knows who and what he is, and wants to keep him under his thumb. (P.S. why hasn't Nick figured *him* out yet?)
I'm worried about Cho and Summer. Just when you think the perfect match is made, the drug dynamic gets in there. She likes him enough to stay, maybe, but they appear to be in a co-dependent as well as romantic relationship. The foreshadowing for this is unreal.
Wow, Beth - I disagree. Erin is one of the brightest lights on that show, serving as an excellent counterpoint and foil to Danny. C. Orlando is right: the family dynamics are just about perfect. Anyone who comes from a large family as I did can attest to that. We bicker amongst ourselves and try to logically burn each other but when someone threatens the family, we band together like wolves. Amazing stuff.
Interesting take on Hank's lack of self defense. I had interpreted it as yet another factor of his self-loathing: he deliberately let criticism go because beneath it all, he felt he deserved the social punishment. I agree though: t was good to see Bates come clean - makes me even more of a fan of that guy. But why is Karen so quick to believe the worst of Hank - instead of adopting a wait-and-see stance? That bugs me about her (when I'm not falling in love with her - a result of the great writing which allows us to see her through Hank's eyes).
Royal Pains
Comments by Douglas Wolfe (Page 8)
Desperate Housewives Review: Powerless
The scene with the guys and MJ was touching. Nice to see Susan exercising her instincts on that one. MJ needs a father, and since he can't have one - he can have the next best thing.
Bree's lawyer isn't interested in her. I think we know that from the get-go. It's almost formulaic. She struggles with the beginnings of an infatuation which he won't return. Tragedy 101.
Linette and Tom - yeah, they'll be back together. Count on it. It's not in her nature to totally sabotage Tom, no matter how angry or hurt she might be. His boss offering to put a spike in their relationship by sending him away is the straw on the camel's back. Predictable.
I think Ben's involvement with the murder is just as we saw it: he found out about it, and talked to Mike about what to do with the body, and Mike said "I'll take care of it". The next scene was Mike dropping the body into the building site.
The Big Bang Theory Review: Howard, Raj and Sailor Moon
Modern Family Review: Dad vs. Dad
At the end of the day, we're still left with the underlying, quiet (almost silent) ever-present theme of affection. It's the link that holds them all together, despite their differences. And it's the one factor that keeps me watching this show.
I LOVED the interaction between Alex and Phil - and the fact that Alex saw what he was trying to do, and why.
Grimm Review: Choosing Sides and Preparing for War
1) the series is amazing and compelling. Its writing and direction is what keeps drawing me back.
2) Nick has been described as human. I don't think he is. I think his natural appearance is human - but his status as a Grimm makes him more than "just a human". Which leads us to:
3) There are some questions that need to be overtly asked. By anyone, but probably it should come from Nick: what exactly is a Grimm? Why are they so afraid of him? What are his powers? What does "Grimm" represent to them? We already know his blood has special properties but....what else? The questions don't need to be answered right away but they do need to be asked. Don't they? The viewer is asking them - let's have the writers at least acknowledge these holes in the narrative.
Modern Family Review: That's Not Her Drunk Voice
I'm so happy to hear its been renewed as well!
Scandal Premiere Review: Gladiators. In Suits.
Blue Bloods Review: Need To Know
Such a great show.
The Mentalist Review: Where Are All the Bad Kids?
Frankly, I was pretty sure the Rigsby-Sarah thing was going to end, and was sure that she would pass away during childbirth or something. I'm glad they didn't go there, but....let's face it: Rigsby only seems to marginally care for Sarah, and still holds a fairly strong crush for Grace. And vice versa. So, having Rigsby not being the father could do it.
Really liked Jane's observation about the dynamics around the teacher and student relationship, and how he applied to it to his and Lisbon's relationship. Interesting times ahead!
Awake Review: How To Care For Your Penguin Hallucination
That said - I'm struggling to figure out how they would make this work on a long term basis for more than one season. The moment he's cured, the premise is moot and "Awake"'s title no longer makes sense. So..does that mean they'll drag this on and on? Will we ever get to know who the conspirators are, and what they want?
Or will the term "Awake" take on a different meaning? Whatever the case - it's compelling enough to continue watching....
Happy Endings Season Finale Review: Mandonna Reunites
I just about cheered at the final frames of this episode though. And it's the main reason I'll be watching the next season.
The Big Bang Theory Review: Oh, Gosh, Golly, I Made a Boo-Boo
I think the writers understand how the rest of normal society might confuse his borderline autism with meanness, hence Bernadette's explanation to Howard - which were written more for our benefit.
In addition to the great characters and comedic writing of this show, I'm so impressed with its handling of Sheldon's various mental conditions such as his OCD and inability to relate to others because of autism. I like the fact that mental maladies are bring written into popular comedies and dramas, only because the world at large needs to learn about this stuff. (Modern Family tackled ADHD in one of its episodes too).
Person of Interest Review: All In the Family
The guy playing Elias is an amazing actor - his menacing nature is so played down that you almost think you're dealing with a kind of Santa Claus personality. An almost unassuming Kaiser Soze who is just as deadly.
Californication Review: Dazed and Confused
I see Marcie and Charlie getting back together next season. Other than that, my crystal ball is pretty murky. Nice write-up Chris! Any chance we'll see a round-table on this season? If you need participants for that, count me in.
Californication Review: Highway to Hell and Whatnot
Great job with the review! Wish I could chime in here a little earlier but.....this show only plays in Canada on Monday night. We are a full season ahead of the U.S. on "Lost Girl" so I guess that makes up for it. Except that it doesn't.
Once Upon a Time Review: Going Mad
CBS Reveals Season Finale Dates, Details
Is it wrong to feel glad that they're all wrapping up in May? I'm kind of stoked about getting away from the TV set and going out doors in the spring and summer. ;)
Californication Review: Playing With Fire
It gave me a bit of a schadenfreude thrill to see Tyler blow off Hank's warning about messing with Kali. Hey, he warned him, right? We *know* Samurai's going to do a lot more than merely beat him up once the truth comes out.
I'm still wondering what it will take to get Hank to bring Runcle back into his bro-sphere again. We sort of knew the new agent wouldn't have worked - although frankly, I'd have liked to see that have a bit more momentum than just the one episode. And that director - Lars Manderhoff - was a major piece of work, too. Kudos to whoever played him. (Lars isn't a real director, right? I tried googling him but only came up with references back to this episode)
One or two more episodes left, right? I'm guessing Tyler will maybe take a fall from a balcony, Bates will come home sober, and Hank will take off again back to NY, this time with Runcle in tow. Not putting money down though, because as we all know - anything can happen.
Cougar Town Review: Peons Assemble!
This time I loved it. And in particular - excuse me for being a softy here - the icing on the cake was the scene where the "peons" were singing "Kiss the Girl". Great set up - great execution. It was perfect.
Modern Family Review: Friend or Foe?
My daughter and I had a discussion about this show - and we agree that its popularity resides in the fact that, no matter how awful things get in the stories, there's a sense of affection and respect for each other that hums away in the background. You know these people love each other - they just have odd and funny ways of expressing it. But no matter how bad the delivery, they always get it. Man - I can't tell you how much I like this show!
Criminal Minds Review: Hot For Teacher
There are all kinds of reasons for people not wanting to get married - some good, some not so good. Either way - if someone isn't ready it's tragic when they go ahead anyway. Penelope's character has grown over the years - she's a lot stronger than she was at the beginning, and doesn't need to do anything she doesn't want to (not that she ever did - but maybe in the beginning she might have caved). I'm with her on this one - and maybe this is a deal-breaker for Kevin. If so, it's too bad, but *much* better (if this were a case in real life) not to take it further into marriage.
Desperate Housewives Review: A Shocking Death
I've always enjoyed the character of Mike as played by James Denton, but felt that the character was woefully under-utilized. I suppose that's to be expected, as the title is "Desperate Housewives" and not "Desperate People on Wisteria Lane".
Grimm Review: The Damsel and The Quest
Especially when you consider that out of all of them Juliette is more closed off than any of them. We never truly know what she's thinking. I was sure it might have come out when she asked him to pull the car over. And there's this: Nick's boss knows who and what he is, and wants to keep him under his thumb. (P.S. why hasn't Nick figured *him* out yet?)
The Mentalist Review: The Cancer Lottery
Blue Bloods Review: Sibling Rivalries & Sunday Dinner
Californication Review: Raw I'm Gonna Give It To You