Fringe: Holy Walter's Cow!

I've really been missing out this season. I spent all of Sunday catching up on eps 2.04-2.13 and could not pull myself away from the TV. Seriously, by the time it was all done I still wanted more.

Did she really say this season rocked?!

During season one I found that sometimes the science of it all kind of made me stare off into space. The stories were interesting enough, but then they'd start spewing all this scientific crap and I got lost. Time travel, mind control, teleportation--that's all really cool, but when you start trying to explain how it all works using words I don't understand then you've pretty much lost me.

There's still a lot of science this season but I feel as though they're presenting it in a much simpler and more interesting way. I guess you could say they kind of dumbed it down, but I'm OK with the change. It makes it easier for me to get lost in their world and what they're doing.

Every week they have some bizarre case they need to investigate, kind of like X Files meets Law and Order, but they're somehow able to weave it into the larger story. Like many of the shows today, and even in the past, the main goal is to figure out a way to save the world we know. Yes, there's nothing new or exciting about that mission, but what's different is the journey to that end. As twists and turns are revealed I find myself eager to find out what the next clues are so I can piece together this strange puzzle. I think I've figured out a few things, but I'm sure there's a lot more to it.

The only thing that's disappointed me so far was episode 10. It threw me off when I saw Charlie on the screen, so naturally I thought I'd somehow watched the eps out of order. When I looked up the list online I found something that said it was an unaired ep from season one. Really?! They couldn't just add it to the season one DVD and call it a day? Or maybe, they could have found a way to cut Charlie out of it? I don't know, but I could have done without this lost ep. The story was interesting enough on its own (maybe a little kooky considering it was pretty much about an exorcism), but it didn't do much to advance the main story arc. Plus, it seemed a little out of place. It ruined the flow. You can't go from Walter almost dying to not addressing this life-altering event at all in the following ep.

With the exception of that minor snafu, I really like what they're doing with this season and am totally excited about finding out about the doorway between our world and the parallel world, the role of the Observers and how Olivia and Peter are connected to this whole thing. I think I'm most excited about finding out if I figured out Walter's secret, and if I did get it right, I wonder how Peter will react when all is revealed.

Life Unexpected: Strangely Familiar

They described this show as Juno meets Gilmore Girls. I think that's a pretty accurate.

Sometimes it takes a while for me to really get into a new series. I'll watch a pilot ep and then decide if it has enough potential for me to make an investment in it. Sometimes the decision is pretty simple, like it was with Glee. Other times it takes a few eps before I form an attachment, like Mercy. So, which way did it go with this show? Hooked from the beginning, which should come as no surprise.

The thing I absolutely love about it is how it reminded me of the good old WB programming days when shows like Gilmore Girls, Everwood and Dawson's Creek reigned supreme. Yes, it's nice to see actors from some of my favorite shows of the past returning, like Shiri Appleby from Roswell and Kerr Smith from Dawson's Creek, but what I love most is how this show feels. It's comforting, like being wrapped up in a warm blanket on a rainy day. I think that's what the network has been lacking since it became the CW. All their programming has been about glitz, glamour and shock value. There's no heart.

I'm excited about this show and hopeful that it'll live longer than half a season. But, as we all know by now, there's one thing the CW is really great at--destroying good shows. I'm crossing my fingers.

Glee is Golden

I know it's old news now, but I just had rave, yet again, about the awesomeness of this show. I'm just glad the Hollywood Foreign Press agreed. I just hope this win doesn't jinx the show. The last thing I want is stunt casting and diva attitudes ruining my beloved show. Although, I am pretty excited about some of the guest star rumors, especially the one about Neil Patrick Harris appearing in the Joss Whedon directed ep. If they could make that happen that would be (borrowing from Barney Stinson here, wait for it)...legendary!

Grey's Anatomy: Bailey Rocks

This show has definitely fallen in my rankings, but the one character who never lets me down is Bailey. Her rant last Thursday was so totally awesome I had to share it here:

"I’m in the middle of a divorce. People call me the Nazi and it’s not because of my ice blue eyes. I spend 12 hours a day carving people up and I like it. I have a child and I have no room for casual anything. I’m angry all of the time and deeply confused because a lot of people in my life have let me down recently, one of them was me. It’s devastating but not completely because it turns out I like sleeping crosswise in the bed and not having to shave my legs. My three year old used to be potty trained and now he isn’t because his father no longer lives with us and his world no longer makes sense and the only thing he thinks he can control is his bladder so he urinates…in a lot of places you wish he wouldn’t urinate. You want lunch or want to show me the scan?"

Seriously, how could you not love her?

Midseason Report Card

Now that the holiday season is over and we're still sort of on hiatus, I think this is a good time to give my own ratings to the shows in my TV lineup. Here's my night-by-night rundown:

MONDAY

How I Met Your Mother: A-

The minus next to this A can be blamed on the lame rise and fall of Robarney. That was the only thing that disappointed me this season. Otherwise, everything else was right on--from Ted's ongoing quest to find Ms. Right to Barney's awesomeness to Lily and Marshall's continued marital goofiness to Robin's odd Canadian ways. I still love this crazy bunch.

Heroes: B

Although this season is far better than previous ones, it still has a long way to go before it's even close to matching season one. They're back on track with their focus on the core group of heroes and the introduction of a new group of possible villians, but I'm still not fully convinced that lame storylines from the past won't come back to haunt them. Stick to the basics, show, and maybe some of your viewers will come back.

One Tree Hill: D

I used to love this show because of its cheesy goodness, but it's just getting out of hand this season. Dan and Rachel married? Brooke constantly weepy and angsty? Boring Naley? What has happened to my beloved show?! I hope the network puts us all out of our misery and retires the kids from Tree Hill. It's time. There are no more stories to be told. Face it, it's time to say "...and they all lived happily ever after."

Gossip Girl: B

Although the juicy, dirty drama has me squealing each week, I have to say I'm so tired of Serena constantly messing up her life. What irks me even more is how everyone's being paired up. Are there no other guys and girls on the Upper East Side? I love Chuck and Blair so they should keep them together, but Serena and Nate and Dan and Vanessa? Really? Even worse--a Serena/Nate/Jenny love triangle? Come on! Bring some new blood to the show before we start falling asleep.

Trauma: A-

Yes, the special effects are a little over the top and the drama can be, too, but what I really love about this show is the characters. Rabbit is by far my favorite. He's one of those smartass hotshots you just want to punch in the face. Then there are other times when you just want to give him a big hug. Sadly, I don't think the character stories are enough to keep the show on the air. Apparently, Mercy is NBC's little darling, so Trauma just may be cast aside. Oh well, I plan to enjoy every single minute of the last few eps.

TUESDAY

Modern Family: A

This show is hilarious! Cam and Mitchell crack me up and I LOVE little Manny. I have to say, I'm glad to see Al Bundy back on the boob tube. One of my fave eps was when Shelley Long made an appearance on the show as Claire and Mitchell's mom. This family is just as dysfunctional as every other family out there, which is probably what makes it so awesome.

Cougar Town: B

I actually find this show entertaining even though I keep seeing Courteney Cox as an older, divorced Monica Gellar. Busy Phillips and Jordan from Scrubs (so great she that she has two husbands on two different shows) are so funny together and I love that Javier from Felicity is Jordan's husband. They make an odd yet endearing couple. With all these entertaining characters, I can overlook the fact that Courteney Cox is playing the same neurotic character.

The Forgotten: A

Yes, it's a formulaic drama, but damn it, I really love this show. I find it fascinating that there are people out there who spend their time volunteering to identify Jane and John Does. Very inspiring! I love that each week is basically one huge puzzle these people have to put together. It's interesting to see how everything connects. Plus, I also love the fact that Christian Slater is back on TV, and I want it to stay that way!

90210: C

Nothing will ever compare to the original gang of 90210ers, but I have to admit, this new group is growing on me. Now that they've taken the focus off the old-school kids, I find the stories of the new kids a little more interesting. I think Naomi is a great character and Navid is definitely my favorite guy. No, they're not as deep and interesting as Brenda Walsh, Kelly Taylor and Dylan McKay, but the drama is addicting. The only thing is, I'm having trouble caring about some of the other characters. I'm over Annie and her constant moping as well as her psycho boyfriend. That storyline needs to come to an end. Dixon's drama is nap-inducing, and I could really care less about the triangle that's developing between him, Silver and Teddy. Boring!

Scrubs: A

I was a little worried I wouldn't like this revamped version, but it's actually pretty fantastic. Sure, I miss JD and Turk being stupid together, but it was getting a bit tired. These newbies are perfect replacements, and can I just say how much James Franco's kid brother reminds me of him?! It's crazy! Of course, it doesn't hurt that Dr. Cox is still around. He definitely is the glue that keeps this whole thing together. Well done!

V: A

I vaguely remember hearing about the original series when I was younger, but I don't think I ever watched it. When I saw the promos for this updated version I'd just started watching Battlestar Galactica, which had me in sci-fi mode. Naturally, I wanted to see what this much-hyped show was all about. Scott Wolf was also a plus. Since I'm not really a sci-fi nut, what really interested me about this show was how it mirrored society today and how sometimes, it seemed to poke fun at it as well. The characters are pretty complex and I'm very intrigued by Anna, the V leader. I'm looking forward to seeing how this series progresses and unfolds.

Melrose Place: F

I bailed on the original after two or three seasons, so it's no surprise that I couldn't even stomach the first five eps of this new incarnation of the show. I couldn't connect with the characters and the storylines were just boring and predictable. I didn't really care that Sydney was back nor did I care about Amanda's return. The only character who seemed the least bit interesting was the med student moonlighting as a high-paid call girl. This was just a bad idea all around.

WEDNESDAY

Mercy: B

This show started out a little slow, but then it picked up and now it has a season pass on my TiVo. At first I wasn't so sure I'd like Ronnie, the damaged nurse fresh from her tour in Iraq, or get used to nasty Georgina Sparks as naive nurse Chloe Payne, but they kinda grew on me. Of course, I had no problems liking the hot doc in love with Ronnie! He had me after his Jersey speech. I couldn't have said it better.

Glee: A

It's no secret that I'm totally in love with this show. From the quirky characters to the awesome songs they sing. I can't get enough. Sure, sometimes the music too perfect and their male star doesn't always sound that great with the group, but I can overlook those small things. Their strengths more than make up for any weaknesses. This gets my vote as the best new show of the season. It's different, fun and completely insane--what's not to love?

Nip/Tuck: A

Just when I thought this show couldn't get any more bizarre, it blows me out of the water. OMG! Talk about insane! Ryan Murphy has really got some twisted imagination. On one hand he's got this quirky high school glee club show and on the other he's got completely deranged plastic surgeons doing things I can't even talk about. This show is really going out with a bang and I can't wait to see how it all ends.

THURSDAY

FlashForward: A-

This was another show that started off a little slow for me. Although John Cho was definitely the main reason why I started watching, the mystery behind this flash forward business keeps me hanging on to it. I'm interested in finding out if these people can change their future or if it's really set in stone. That idea has always fascinated me, so I'm eager to see how they handle it.

Grey's Anatomy: C

This show definitely got a failing grade from me last season, but this season hasn't been that horrible. Yes, I think Izzie's departure was a little abrupt. Yes, the new Mercy West people are annoying. And yes, I can't believe they gave McSteamy a daughter! But...the show isn't sucking too bad. The funny thing is, I think my fave couple on the show is Arizona and Callie. They're Seattle Grace rock stars!

Private Practice: B

Not really feeling the whole Addison/Sam connection. I could be wrong, but I think hooking up with your BFF's ex is a violation of the girl code. I was glad we got another glimpse into Addison's family life. Now I completely understand why she's so messed up. Although, it seems everyone's completely effed up this season.

The Office: B+

I have to admit, not every ep has had me rolling in laughter these past few seasons, but every so often this show pulls out something so insanely funny I almost pee in my pants. But perhaps the highlight of this season so far was the Jam wedding. Jim's speech had me awwwwwwing and right after, Michael's speech had me cringing. Classic.

Community: A-

I really wanted to like this show when I watched the first ep. It received a lot of rave reviews and everyone was talking about how funny it was, but for some reason I didn't connect with it like everyone else did. So, I pushed it back and waited to revisit the show at another time. During the winter hiatus I found myself watching reruns and actually enjoying them. Abed is the best thing about that show. I'm not completely sold on Brita or Chevy Chase's character, but everyone else is a pure delight. Now I understand the hype.

30 Rock: B

Much like The Office, I find that some of the eps are hit and miss with me. The one that had me laughing out loud was the EGOT ep. Although, the inside joke aspect of it is what I found funny. I'm assuming the inside joke was somewhat intentional. If not, oh well--my people found it amusing anyway.

Fringe: N/A

So, I've been a bad Joshua Jackson fan. Although I have every episode recorded, I have not gotten around to watching them. With such a full lineup on Thursday night, something had to suffer. Sadly, it was Fringe. I will have a marathon one day soon. Once I do, I'll dedicate a post to my full report.

Vampire Diaries: B+

Between the Twilight insanity and the brilliance of True Blood, I was a little unsure about another vampire-related thing. To my surprise, I found this show pretty entertaining. The history behind this little town is intriguing and the vampires are pretty easy on the eyes--that definitely doesn't hurt.

Supernatural: B

The one thing I don't understand about this show is how Sam and Dean can be so relaxed about the coming of the apocalypse. I'm sure they're somewhat desensitized after going to hell and drinking demon blood, but still...it's the apocalypse! How do they have time to visit conventions, play cards with a demon and hang out in Trickster world? (Although, that Trickster ep was one of my favorites.) Maybe when they come back from hiatus they can focus more on saving the world.

FRIDAY

Smallville: A

I'm pretty confident this season is going to lead to Season 10. After a few that felt like a slow death, this show has new life and I'm really enjoying it. Now that Lex and Lana are out of the picture, the show is exploring all the possibilities and is finally becoming something worth watching again. Although I love Michael Rosenbaum and the character of Lex, his back and forth with Clark was becoming tired and annoying. I adore the love-hate relationship between Clark and Oliver. Chloe as Watchtower is awesome. The introductions of villians like Tess, Zod and Metallo make the season much more exciting. And of course, the beginning of the Lois and Clark union is just pure love! Really, what's not to love about this show? Oh yeah...let's not forget the highly anticipated 2-hour JSA movie. Yeah, Season 10 is a definitely go.

Ugly Betty: B

Note to producers: Stop padding Betty! I realize America Ferrera has lost some weight, but adding stuffing under her dress is just embarrassing. Also, thanks for ending Daniel's cult journey. That whole thing was freaking me out and driving me crazy. I still have a soft spot for this show, so here's hoping they bounce back.

Dollhouse: B+

It's a shame they canceled this show because it was just getting good. On-the-fritz Echo definitely makes things more interesting. I'm a few eps behind, but no doubt they'll blow me away.

SUNDAY

Desperate Housewives: C

These housewives are getting a little boring. They keep trying to shake things up by adding new neighbors every season, but the reality is that they're running out of uncomfortable situations to put these housewives in every week. Is it bad that I didn't really care about what happened on Wisteria Lane after the plane crash? I actually haven't watched that ep yet. Oh well...it's only a matter of time before everyone gets tired of them, too.

Brothers & Sisters: B

Those crazy Walkers are at it again. I was glad to see Mama Walker get a young love interest and even happier that Sarah got a French lover. Of course, the tears couldn't be held back when Kitty was dealing with the cancer and Rebecca and Justin were falling apart. One thing's certain with this family--there's never a dull moment.

Well, that's it. I think I hit every show I watch pretty religiously. Although, this doesn't even cover the reality shows and the ones I'm watching on Netflix. Yeah, I'm not really sure where I find the time. As for the shows starting up soon, I'm so excited for the return of Chuck, Friday Night Lights (best show on TV!) and Burn Notice, and the premieres of Parenthood, The Deep End and Life UneXpected! Woohoo! Let the TV watching begin again!

Chuck Update: So glad it's back! I haven't been disappointed yet, even though they've only aired three eps. I love new and improved Chuck 2.0!

The Big Bang Theory: Geeky Goodness

I used to watch The Big Bang Theory way back in it's first season, but for some reason it fell off my list. It probably had something to do with too many competing shows, but now I think I'll make it my priority to pay more attention to it. I caught last night's ep and seriously could not stop laughing out loud the entire time. From the limited edition Green Lantern lantern:

...to the Incredible Hulk hands signed by Stan Lee:

...to blowing up cylons. All of it was completely hilarious!

Sheldon just cracks me up. I love how the other three geeks have some (very limited) skills with the ladies and poor Sheldon can't even tell when a girl wants to get him in the sack. I about died when he let the girl sleep in his room while he crashed in Leonard's room. Oh...and how great was he as a wing man? OMG...I almost died laughing.

Perhaps I'm more in tune with this show now because I've been channeling my inner geek a lot more lately. I can actually understand the geek talk a little more. Whatever the reason, I'm definitely watching again. Season pass? Hell yeah! Let me just grab my remote...

Glee: My Life Would Suck Without It

I've rewatched the Sectionals ep a million times, and every time I get chills when I hear Rachel's rendition of "Don't Rain on My Parade." That girl was definitely born to be on Broadway. Everything about this fall finale was great. From the big reveal about Quinn's baby to the Will/Sue showdown to the competition--pure awesomeness.

Let's break it down...

She's Not Having Your Baby: Yes, Finn is a total moron for believing the hot tub story, but a little piece of me felt bad for him when he found out the truth. Man, my heart even broke a little for Quinn even though she was the one who lied. It was inevitable that Rachel would find out and tell Finn. You knew that was coming. I loved how she apologized to Quinn. The fact that Quinn turned down her offer to hit her in the face was an example of why I love this show. Just when you think two characters are going to throw down and become mortal enemies, they change things up and make us love them even more.

Shue v. Sue: The ongoing war between these two is so entertaining. Her insults and one-liners are so perfect and I love how he fights her every step of the way. Shue may have won this battle, but he really did wake the beast. Yeah, I'm pretty afraid for him.

The Competition: Even though I knew Sue leaked the set list, it was still painful to see their routines being performed by the other schools. I'm glad at least one of the directors felt some sort of guilt for cheating. As for the glee clubbers' last-minute routines, well, they totally rocked them. Like I said, Rachel's rendition of "Don't Rain on My Parade" was amazing. Although Mercedes' solo was top notch, Rachel blew everyone out of the water with her performance. She may be annoying, but she's got skills. The group's version of "You Can't Always Get What You Want" wasn't their best, but it was still really good. Unfortunately, I still can't get over the fact that Finn's supposed to be the strongest singer in the group when it's clear that he's not. I kind of cringed when I heard him sing at the end of the show during their special performance of "My Life Would Suck Without You." Unfortunately, the  kids are going to have to step it up a notch at Regionals. That other team has got some serious moves.

Will & Emma: As much as I want these two together, I wasn't entirely happy about their kiss at the end. Yes, for a split second I got the warm fuzzies, but it also didn't sit well with me. Emma had it absolutely right when she pointed out that "he just left his wife." They've had this flirty thing going on the entire season, but the fact is that he was completely in love with his wife just a short while ago (not sure how much time has lapsed since that big reveal). Even though I let out a squee like a teenage girl, maybe they should have ended with her walking away and Will realizing that his life does suck without her. I can't wait to see how this all unfolds.

Unforunately, my life will suck a whole lot between now and April 13 because there won't be any new episodes until that day. That's OK--it'll be like a nice early bday present for me. Until then...