Week in Review: New Hits, Old Misses

Since I’ve watched a whole lot of TV this past week, the bulk of it this weekend, I’ll keep these reviews short. First, let’s start with the new shows:

The Forgotten: Thumbs up. I really enjoyed this show. A new mystery that needs to be solved every week and has a very emotional spin to it. Almost made me want to volunteer and join the group. So glad Christian Slater found a new gig. Crossing my fingers this doesn't get canceled after nine episodes.


Mercy: Not quite the new ER, but it might have some potential.

The Modern Family: It's so embarrassing that it's funny and it hurts. I don’t know why but I couldn’t stop laughing after the BB gun incident. This is one of the most whacked out families on TV.

Cougar Town: A few chuckles. Sometimes she’s little too neurotic, which can be annoying. Is this what Monica would have been like if Chandler divorced her?

FlashForward: Intriguing. The random kangaroo leads me to believe this could be another Lost. But the concept is interesting and it has John Cho. I love John Cho.


Eastwick: A little kooky and goofy, but I'm not sure what to think of it yet. One thing I do know—I’m not messing with these witches.

Community: I think my expectations were too high because of the hype. Didn’t laugh as much, but it may grow on me. The Breakfast Club monologue was excellent.

Now for the oldies but goodies:

Dollhouse: Packed with BSG alums, but it was lacking premiere oomph. Can't put my finger on it, but something was just missing.

Vampire Diaries: Interested to see what the story is with Katherine and the brothers. BTW, Stephen is way hotter than Edward. I'm just saying.

Glee: LOL awesome intro with "Put a Ring on It." Even better, doing the routine for the football tryout. I love that Kurt is the new kicker. Wait, TV station guy is Zacariah from Supernatural?! Pregnancy through hot tub ejaculation? Huh? Someone’s lying. Getting the glee club adviser to teach the football team to dance so they can win? Well, I guess that’s one way. They couldn’t have picked another routine? Beyonce again? Aha! She’s lying. Why are all the women on this show always lying about pregnancies. LMAO! The routine on the field in the middle of the game? WTF?! Isn’t that like, a delay of game? If they can’t dance in the end zone in the pros, I’m pretty sure it’s not acceptable on the field. I hope they pick another song for the next game.

Smallville: Flashes of a promising season. So excited! It was great to see Clark starting to take his destiny seriously. I like how the only person who can bring out his humanity is Lois. Love the tension between him and Chloe. Brian Austin Green is actually pretty good in this ep. Didn't think of David Silver once. And Zod...well, what can I say except he's a pretty hot villain. Have I mentioned how excited I am about this season?


Supernatural: Excellent episode. It had me laughing, thinking and feeling a little sad. Great writing and advancement of the story. I like the new female character. Dean and Cass are a great comedic duo. I laugh just thinking about their scenes.


Heroes: Way too long of a season premiere. Almost forgot how last season ended. If they want new viewers, they’re going to have a hard time getting them. The storylines are way too convoluted. I haven't been excited about this show since the first season. Sigh...it's amazing I still find it somewhat interesting. What’s up with this new group of heroes? Guess we’ll find out.


Fringe: Finally watched the first two eps. Talk about a dramatic opening for a premiere. Glad to see Pacey…ummm, I mean Peter, embracing his mission in life. Walter still cracks me up. I love they way they write him. Of course Joshua Jackson is as adorable as ever. Love him!


Grey's Anatomy: Did the premiere really need to be two hours long? Two hours of seeing depressed self-involved people was just too much. I think the only one I liked in the ep was Bailey and she was being the biggest bitch--more than usual. For some reason it felt like there was too much acting. Or maybe I just don't care about these characters anymore.

The Office: The premiere was insanely funny. The second ep was OK. I guess office gossip always brings on some good laughs.

Phew...I think that's it. On top of all that I also managed to squeeze in four eps of BSG, and I just finished the entire fourth season of Weeds.

I absolutely love this series. It's sooooo funny and clever. Season four seemed like the most dramatic so far, but it was still hilarious. I can't wait to get my hands on season five.

Currently watching Desperate Housewives. The fact that I'm blogging at the same time should tell you how riveting it is. The one thing I did like was the interaction between Gabby and Carlos' niece. Ummmm....what just happened to Julie? And why did a New Jersey housewife just move to Wisteria Lane. Up next...Brothers & Sisters. Judging from the beginning, looks like it's going to be dramatic.

OTH: Scandal, Redemption & Cheese

Oh...what has happened to my favorite show? Last week I thought this show might have found new life, but this week only proved me wrong.

Again, I'm glad Brulian is all sunshine and smiles, but did we really need to have Brooke confront Julian's father like he confronted her mom? And did daddy dearest have to do a complete 180 so quickly? Too cheesy and schmaltzy for me, which is saying a whole lot.

Speaking of cheese, Dan preaching about redemption and helping a homeless dude? Huh? Even more disturbing is Rachel being his wife/publicist. WTH is going on here? We've seriously entered the Twilight Zone. That's the only explanation. I'll be interested to see how this all happened.

BTW...the new girl sucks and is so annoying. But she's the only one who's going to be able to bring out bitchy Brooke, which is always entertaining. Although, I'm kind of disappointed that Brooke fell for her woe-is-me act. Really, Brooke? How could you not see through that? You've seriously lost your edge.

I like Quinn, but I still need to know more about why she's there and how things with her husband have gone sour. I wonder if he'll make an appearance. Maybe around the same time she gets closer to Clay?

As for the Scott clan...well, I actually liked their storylines today. They really are the only ray of sunshine for me when it comes to this show. Nathan's dilemma makes sense and is completely believable. I mean what pro athletes aren't being blackmailed nowadays? Usually the scandal ends up being true, which is what makes Nathan's situation a little different. But, they're trying to be as realistic as possible, so I give them credit for that effort. Plus, I love Clay and Nathan as friends. It's cute. I mean really, more scenes like the one above can only improve the ratings. Shirtless Nathan and Clay? Yeah, I'll take more of that, please.

Haley cracked me up with her Peyton and Lucas imitations. She's pretty good at it. Using Mia to save Red Bedroom Records was smart, but she really needs a partner if she's going to run a label and finish a record. BTW...big music companies have no heart and they would have been shut down immediately.

So yes, disappointing, but I'm still holding on to hope.

I watched the Season Four finale this weekend and was reminded of how good this show could be. The series really should have ended with that ep. It was a great ending. Sigh...

Gossip Girl: Crazy Freshmen

First thing's first--why would two rich girls choose to live in the NYU dorms? Not even Mary-Kate and Ashley Oleson decided to live in them. Seriously, do rich girls actually live in dorms with shared bathrooms and roommates?

Moments that made me laugh my ass off:

Blair finding out Georgina's her roommate.

Blair asking Dan to take her to the party.

Blair calling in the Jesus freaks.

Dan calling out Blair.

Dan hooking up with Georgina. (OK, this was more of a "Whoa!" reaction.)

As you can tell...Dan and Blair pretty much made the ep for me. I always loved how much they hated each other.

Of course, Serena just annoyed the crap out of me. I really hate what they're doing with her character. Why is she always a mess-up. Chuck had it right when he called her worthless...or whatever it was he said. Although, I have to admit that I'm rather intrigued by her relationship with Carter. That should be interesting.

Once again, Nate's scenes were snoozworthy. I really don't care about these two at the moment. Hell, I find Vanessa and the long-lost Humphrey boy far more entertaining that boy kind of creeps me out.

The awwwwww moment goes to Chuck and Blair at the very end. Although Blair was a total bitch, it was nice to see her find peace with Chuck and vice versa. They really are too cute for words.

Next week's ep should be soooo good.

HIMYM: Robarney Lives!

I love this show so much I don't even care anymore that we're not going to find out who the Mom is until the show ends. I'm perfectly content with watching the group's hijinks week after week.

I soooooo knew they were hooking up all summer. Yay! I love, love, love them! Barney's moment of clarity was awesome! I love when they go over the Barney lists--crack me up every time. I present you How to Keep a Girl from Being Your Girlfriend:

"The rules for girls are the same as the rules for Gremlins." LMAO! I soooooo love Barney!

I was excited to see Owen from OTH make an appearance as Robin's hockey date. Barney sucker punching him was too funny.

Lily locking them in the bedroom to force them to have "the talk" then Marshall luring them out with the pancakes and bacon was brilliant. Those two may be great liars, but they so can't lie to themselves. I loved the end when Lily totally knew that their lies were actually the truth. She's a smart cookie.

The Ted's-first-day-of-teaching scene kinda reminded me of Ross teaching his class with the fake accents--a little spazzy and completely embarrassing.

Overall, solid premiere episode. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

BTW...NPH did an fantastic job hosting the Emmys last night. Only 3 minutes over--excellent!

Glee: Let's Hear It for the Boys

A capella hip-hop?! LOL! Acafellas! Hahahaha!

I love that they’re singing "This is How We Do It" by Montell Jordan. Ahhhh…brings me back.

Finn totally reminds me of Chris Klein. He must have watched American Pie tons of times.

Why are these cheerios trying to hook Mercedes up with the gay boy?

OMG…I can’t believe they’re performing "Poison" by Bel Biv DeVoe…LMAO! I love this show!

The reviews crack me up…they were pretty good.

I can’t watch Mercedes ask him out.

Wow, those Vocal Adrenaline kids are really good. Our Glee clubbers need Mr. Schuester back.

Ummmm…why is the a-hole jock asking to be in Acafellas? Ahhh…he’s trying to get a cougar. Makes sense.

Homeruns=dancing…creative way to teach a jock how to dance.

Gayvention…oh kids. Ummm…Mercedes, Kurt is gay. Stop living in denial. I don’t care how lonely you are.

LOL…he’s using Rachel as a beard? Bad idea buddy. Bad idea…you just pissed off Mercedes. And now we have an awesome musical number. Love the attitude! Beyonce couldn’t have done it any better.

This hobbit needs to stfu and get the hell out. The cheerios’ plan is not going to work.

OMG…are they doing Boyz to Men? Please say, yes. Please say, yes. OMG…Color Me Badd…"I Wanna Sex You Up"! Awesome!

Josh Groban hitting on Mr. Schuester’s mom…so wrong, but so funny.

Awwww Kurt, it’s OK to be yourself.

Wow…you tell her little cheerio. If you really believe in yourself, you don’t have to bring anyone down.

I’ll admit that this ep wasn’t as amazingly epic as the last two, but it was still entertaining. If the storyline is weak, you can bet the musical numbers will more than make up for it. Mercedes trying to make Kurt her boyfriend was a bit of a stretch. No matter how lonely the girl gets, no one with that kind of attitude is going to think a little gay boy is the answer to her problems. It was a little weird that Mr. Schuester was having another crisis of faith so soon, but I’m glad he snapped out it. I think it’ll be interesting to see what happens with the Cheerios now that their leader has effectively pissed them off.

Gossip Girl: Still Bad...But Oh So Good

Gossip Girl did not disappoint. It was full of the scandal, manipulation and stupidity that I so love in this show. Let's examine how each character spent their summer vacation:

Serena: She traipsed all around Europe looking for Daddy Dearest, but he didn't want to have anything to do to her. Awwww, poor pretty socialite girl. I guess money can't buy you everything. So, what does she do? Puts on a fake show in front of the paparazzi in the hopes that daddy will want to save her. Yeah, good luck with that. What intrigues me most is this new quasi relationship with Carter. It's kinda sweet.

Chuck & Blair: The most evil couple on the Upper East Side managed to stay together through the summer. Although, they needed to play some lame game to keep it together. The cheating BF and the scorned woman? Really? Whatever floats your boat I suppose. Well, I was glad to see they're still together even though we all know it's going to crumble before the season ends if not before the winter hiatus.

The Humphrey Clan: Seems like they're all settling quite nicely into this Brady Bunch-like situation. But I'm still weirded out about the Dan and Serena siblings thing. Obviously things are going to explode when the new Humphrey boy makes himself known. Can't wait!

Nate: He has quickly become one of the most boring characters on this show. At least Dan has that tortured artist thing going for him. I don't know if being the rebellious one in the Vanderbilt family is going to help. So far, the only thing it seems he's good at is keeping secret relationships. Let's hope this new one has a little more substance than the others. Although, I think they could have really done something great with Nate and Vanessa.

Vanessa: I wish they would have put her in flats in that last scene. It would have made a lot less awkward. Her relationship with Dan's half brother won't last long if he doesn't let her in on the secret.

This new season looks promising. I'm excited to see how things unfold.

OTH: New Beginnings...Again

I'll be honest--I wasn't all that excited about a seventh season. Even though Lucas and Peyton were not my favorite characters on the show, they were an integral part of the show and I was sad to see them leave. So, as the show started, I sat on my couch with no expectations and lacking my usual excitement for this show.

The first five minutes were a little cheesy--Haley recording her song while images of Brulian on the beach having a From Here to Eternity moment flashed along with other scenes was a little corny even for me.

But as the show progressed, I found myself thinking that I could get on board with this new version of OTH. But there are a few things that need to be done before this happens:

1) No more fake acting for Nathan. Although I laughed hard for a good 10 minutes (even called my sister and just laughed while she told me to calm down), I don't know if I can stomach any more of it. I was both amused and horribly embarassed for Nathan--the same feeling when I get when I watch American Idol rejects. But damn, he's hot:


2) Limit the number of schmatzy Brulian scenes. I'm so very happy that Brooke has finally found love (even if he is one of Peyton's leftovers), but last night's ep just made her seem like a whiny, needy girlfriend rather than the strong, confident Brooke we all know and love. I'm hoping last night was just a one-time thing and not a constant throughout the whole season. I love fun, biting Brooke--and without Peyton around, I'm afraid we won't see her again.

3) Add some tension to the perfect Scott family. Yes, I'm the first one to beat up anyone who even threatens the happy existence of my favorite couple, but I've realized that tension makes things way more intersting. The last thing this show needs is a Stepford family. Jaime needs to get into a little more mischief, Haley needs to lose her cool once in a while and Nathan needs to find his inner a-hole once in a while. Although the cliffhanger at the end made me rage on the inside, I knew it was needed if Naley was going to stay interesting for an entire season. I mean really, no marriage is ever perfect. I don't care if you're on television.


4) Give the minor characters some meaningful scenes the main characters. If they're all going to be friends, we need to see them interact and form some connections. Mouth and Skills have always been Lucas' friends in my eyes. Although they have a bond with Haley and have become friends with Nathan, I still don't feel that deep of a connection. Maybe they need to have more heart-to-hearts that they normally would have had with Lucas.

5) Seriously...no more commercials for Nathan. That was too painful to watch.

I do like the addition of Quinn, even though she seems younger than Haley, and Clay. I always wanted to see more of Haley's family and it's nice for Nathan to have a friend who wasn't Lucas' first. I always wished they'd saved one of his friends (Dim) as a reminder of Nathan's old life to show how he's grown.

Anyway, this first ep was intriguing...let's hope it only gets better.

Supernatural: Huh?

What can I say? The premiere episode was a bust. The first five minutes alone had me scratching my head. First they're in the church watching Lucifer rise, then they're in a plane watching Yosemite Sam, then we see them in some car driving somewhere. Ummmm, huh? I don't get it. You have two hot boys stuck in a room with Lucifer's ray of light and the best you could do was put them in a plane that was about to crash? But then you realize your mistake and think putting them in some fancy car is the answer. Yeah, I still don't get it.

The rest of the episode wasn't a heck of a lot better. While Sam and Dean are trying to fix this huge mistake we encounter the mixed-up prophet, an obsessed fan, psycho Meg, possessed Bobby, evil Zacariah and badass Cass. Meanwhile, Lucifer is doing his best to secure a vessel and doing a pretty good job.

One good thing I have to say about this ep is that they got the casting right this time. Meg was right on, sadly that body was tossed aside, and the vessel had that perfect combination of lost soul meets evil.
After an entire ep of Dean letting Sam off the hook, I'm glad he finally addressed the fact that nothing is fine, including their relationship. I mean really, if your brother helped bring back Lucifer wouldn't you be a little peeved?

There were a few funny moments and some good scenes, but otherwise, there wasn't much that was great about this ep. Like the season finale, it fell a little flat.

Vampire Diaries: Officially Sucked In

OK, so I know I said that I wouldn't watch this wannabe-Twilight show, but I did...and I liked it. Yes, I'm hanging my head down in shame. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised since Kevin Williamson is an executive producer. For some reason I always gravitate toward his stuff. My coworker said it was probably because his work is very much like John Hughes' stuff. She's right--there are some similarities.

Yes, it reminded me of Twilight and yes, it's another teenybopper show, but these vamps are way cuter and it's not as annoying as that teen vampire flick. There's a good vampire obsessed with a human girl, whose parents are dead. She also has a troubled brother and jealous ex-boyfriend. His vampire's bro, the bad vampire, returns to the town and starts slaughtering. There's a best friend who's psychic and other minor character that I'm sure won't be long for this made-up world.

I don't know, we'll see how it goes.

Glee: Everyone Freak Out!

Last night was all about crap. Tonight—complete awesomeness! It’s official. This is my new favorite show of the season. Can’t wait until the soundtrack comes out. It’s going to be awesome. Anyway…here are some of my thoughts from tonight’s ep:


"Freak Out" for the school assembly performance? Disco? Really? Are you trying to get these kids killed Mr. Schuester?

Hell to the naw…LOL! Mercedes makes me laugh.

"Golddigger"…awesome! Teacher doing Kanye…even more awesome! LMAO! Teacher’s got moves for a white guy. I think I might love him.

I really don’t like teacher’s wife.

Celibacy club? We didn’t have those in high school. What are they doing with those balloons? "It's all about the teasing and not about the pleasing" Oh my!

Didn’t know chalk dust could be so hot. I guess we don’t have to worry about Henry’s ex showing up on Ugly Betty again. Looks like Miss Pillsbury’s found her man. Look out Mr. S--she's got her puppy dog eyes on you.

"Push It"...soooooo awesome! LOL! OMG! ROTFL! I can’t believe they did this song in front of the whole school. Sex sells no matter where you are. Oh, that was too funny! I can't breathe.

Is this a dream sequence? Are Rachel and Finn going to have sex on that stage? Ummm, what the hell just happened? Did I miss something? Oh...he's an early one.

No baby…I suspected that. Hysterical pregnancy? Didn’t know there was such a thing. Teacher’s wife has some explaining to do.

Damn, cheerio cheerleaders are going to be in glee club? Say it ain’t so Mr. Schuester. This can’t be good.

Can’t believe teacher’s wife lied! How could she?!

I kinda feel sorry for Rachel. And Finn is kind of an ass. I loved how they edited this last scene. It actually made me feel sad.

Did I mention this show is fabulous?! Although I’m sad that Jane Lynch won’t be on Party Down anymore—she’s just as great on this show. The tension between her and Schuester is going to create some pretty fantastic fireworks. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

And So It Begins…

The Fall TV Season has officially started for me. I’m so not prepared for it, but it’s here and I must get serious. So, what kicked off the season for me this year? The much hyped 90210 and Melrose Place premieres. I know, not exactly how I wanted to start the season.

I heard they were making all these major changes at West Beverly, and they definitely did. There wasn’t a trace of Kelly, Donna or even the cute teacher, and there was only a brief appearance by the wannabe Walsh parents. Adriana, Naomi and Silver have become best buds ready to rule the school. BTW…what was up with all the Mean Girls slowmos of the three of them? Could it be that they’re trying a little too hard? Seriously CW, it was a lil much.


Meanwhile, Annie is all drunk and slutty because she killed a man. Ethan is gone for good. Dixon is still a jump-to-conclusions idiot. Poor Navid is still the only guy in the school who hasn’t slept with Adriana. Liam is back…shocking. There’s a new guy to stir up some shit…more shocking. Yeah, business as usual at West Bev.


Next up…Melrose Place Revamped. OMG, someone please tell me why I wasted my time watching this crap? I know, I had the same reaction to 90210 last year and look what happened? I don’t know, though—this is just cheesier than the first incarnation, which was pretty bad. I don’t think it deserves a season pass on the TiVo, but you know me, I’ll give it a chance until I realize I just don’t care.

With all the pop music being played on this show, it seems more like one long music video than a TV show. Between the music clips you have some pretty generic characters, reminiscent of the original characters, and predictable storylines. There’s the happy couple who will inevitably part ways. The former alcoholic will fall off the wagon. The resident bad boy will try to be good but will always be the bad guy. The career girl will become a “career” girl. The social climber will backstab everyone in that apartment complex. Lastly, you can totally see through the innocent girl’s act—she’s so the next Sydney. As you can tell, I don’t know their names yet, which is why I refer to them as this guy and that girl. Of course, the big question is…do I really want to know who the killer is? Stay tuned…