Big Bang Theory

Big Bang Theory – The Justice League Recombination

     I enjoyed when Leonard knocked on Penny’s door, and Sheldon said, low and almost under his breath “Penny”.  That was very funny.  Then when he did his Penny knock as The Flash, I thought it was even funnier.  One of my favorite running gags on this show is the Sheldon knocks and says Penny three times.

     Zack kind of reminds me of Molly’s sister Victoria on Mike & Molly.  He may not be stoned, but he is not at all smart. 

     It is so beyond obvious that Penny and Leonard still have pretty serious feelings for each other, yet neither of them want to confront those feelings.

     I didn’t particularly love this episode.  I didn’t hate it, but I was hoping for something a bit stronger.  I think Twitter may be spoiling things for me a bit, because I see people from the show talking about the episode, and talking UP the episode, and by the time it airs my expectations are higher than they would have been otherwise, and I end up disappointed.  It happens with BBT, and with some other shows as well. 

It seems this is the last of the new shows until after the holiday break.  I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas (if you celebrate Christmas) and a spectacular New Years.  I may pop in with something if it is warranted, but I may not be back until new episodes return after January 1.

How I Met Your Mother/Mike & Molly/Men of a Certain Age/Hawaii Five-0

How I Met Your Mother – False Positive

     As the title suggests, Lily and Marshall experience a false positive pregnancy test, but while they believe they are pregnant, it caused everyone to reflect on their own lives and try to make positive changes.  When they all found out Lily wasn’t really pregnant they reverted back to their old ways.  Then Ted basically told them all to be their better selves, and they listened.

     I loved that Barney bought a ridiculous diamond pinstriped suit, but then returned it.  I loved that he did an Oprah-like “Barney’s Favorite Things” and that everyone really enjoyed the gifts he gave away.  What I liked most though, was him making a large donation to his brother’s father’s church, AND donating dozens of his suits.  That was legend-wait for it-dary.

     I am glad Robin is finally on a good career path.  She decided to take a job as a research assistant at a major cable network.  She also told Ted she wants him to be her best man if and when she ever gets married.  I am starting to think the wedding we saw earlier this season, with Ted acting as best man, may have actually been Robin’s wedding, and not the wedding we have been lead to believe.

Mike & Molly – First Christmas

     Why is it that so many men can seem so wonderful 11 months out if the year, then when Christmas rolls around they are complete idiots?  First of all, not listening when ideas are not just hinted at but put up in neon signs is bad enough.  Worse is when they not only don’t get the neon sign hints, but then go out and buy themselves the one thing they want more than anything, and you KNOW they want, and you have already purchased.

     This has happened to me, and my guess is it’s happened to many, many women, otherwise it wouldn’t be a plotline here, or on all the other shows for which it’s been a story.  Then Molly had to go get him a different gift and it was JUST AS AWESOME as the first one.  Mike couldn’t even come up with one decent gift, yet Molly came up with two.

     Mike ended up getting Molly a diamond bracelet that he absolutely couldn’t afford.  At least she knew that at told him he had to return it, that she couldn’t keep it.  While they were discussing this, Mike finally told Molly he loves her, and she told him she loves him too.  It was a really sweet ending to the holiday episode.

     Mike’s mother and Molly’s sister were as annoying as ever, but Molly’s mother was better this week.  I think once the writers find their groove with at least one of the family characters, they will soon after find their groove with the rest, but I hope it happens soon.

Men of a Certain Age – Same as the Old Boss

     I really enjoy this show, and tonight was no exception.  I am glad each of them is standing up for themselves in the areas in which they need to.  Owen told his service manager that his work wasn’t acceptable and things needed to change.  Terry took abuse from his coworkers until he figured out that showing up with a hot chick from the commercial they were using to tease him, and making it seem like she had been looking for him for years and they were going to sleep together, would shut them up.  And Joe started to take his attempt to make the seniors tour more seriously.

     At the same time Owen’s wife Melissa took small steps toward going back into the workforce, and Joe’s son Albert took a step out of his comfort zone and went to a party.  I like that we are getting to see more of the lives of those who surround our three main characters. 

     I always enjoy the times that it is just the three guys, whether it is when they hike, or when they are eating at Norm’s.  Their friendship seems so natural and life-long, it’s sometimes hard to remember these are just characters, and these actors really didn’t know each other before they started filming last year.  It’s fun to see how they interact, and tease without malice, and give and take advice.  I hope we never lose those scenes.

Hawaii Five-0 – Nana ‘a’a Makehewa

     Scott Caan was nominated for a Golden Globe this morning, for supporting actor.  I don’t necessarily think he was the best choice out of every supporting actor out there that didn’t get nominated, but at the same time, I get it.  This show is pretty average for the most part, but Scott Caan as Danny is the outstanding cast member.  His scene at the beginning of this episode with the Christmas tree and Santa suit really shows how he shines.

     The cock fighting scene was too realistic to me; even though it didn’t get violent it still bothered me.  Unrealistic to me, however, was the specificity with which they could track the ankle bracelet with a phone.  Is it really that easy and specific?

     Daniel Dae Kim sure gets almost blown up a lot:  First on Lost, now here.  Also, a smoke pillar to designate the bad guy’s location for the money exchange reminded me of the smoke columns on Lost as well.  Between a cast member being shared and the island setting, I guess it’s inevitable that some things would bring back Lost memories.

     Victor, the dude we thought of as the big bad (played by James Marsters, Buffy’s Spike!), really isn’t the big bad.  It seems he was just the middle management bad, and someone worse was pulling his strings and is now in town.  It’s enough to bring me back after the break, along with Scott Caan’s scene stealing performances.

Desperate Housewives/Brothers & Sisters

Desperate Housewives – Down the Block There’s a Riot

     I have been sitting here for hours, doing other things, but all the while trying to come up with something nice to say about this episode.  I think I am jaded when it comes to DH though, since my favorite scene was Susan getting stepped on during the “riot”.

     I know these kinds of things happen, where neighborhood’s protest a possible half way house in their neighborhood, and I totally understand that.  I also understand the mob mentality that comes over people, and how things can get out of control.  I even understand that in her panic about Keith getting beat up Bree would get and fire her gun.  What I don’t get is, as a responsible gun owner, as she has always come across before, how Bree could then turn and point her loaded weapon into the crowd. 

     I know Lynette blames Paul, and Paul told Lynette it was on her, and both are right, but both are also wrong.  People were already on edge, and it may have happened anyway, but I blame Bree.

     Are we supposed to care if Paul lives or dies?  I don’t.  Are we supposed to care about what happened to Susan?  I don’t.  Are we supposed to wonder why Keith’s father Richard freaked out about finishing the back yard?  I don’t, and on this point we probably aren’t supposed to care.  I have a feeling this will never be addressed, and will just be one more thing that was done solely and strictly to keep him there so Keith could come over and beat him up. 

     Obviously we are supposed to care who shot Paul.  I don’t.  I have a theory, a complete and total guess, but I am not going to put it down here.  I don’t want anyone to take my theory as anything more than that, so I am not putting it in writing.  Just be sure that if it plays out the way I think it will, I will say I KNEW IT here.

Brothers & Sisters – Cold Turkey

     Nora’s dream sequence was amusing.  I enjoyed seeing Holly as the step-mother, and Kev as closeted.  It went on just about the perfect amount of time; at least it didn’t drag on through the whole episode.  It was fun to see what she believed her influence on each of her children to be.  I also really enjoyed seeing Kitty with a little meat on her bones, even though she was also dumpy and unkempt. 

     I loved Kevin and Kitty fighting over who would host Christmas, and the fact that in the end neither won, neither lost.  They created the perfect compromise and still had the big Christmas day celebration at Nora’s even though they didn’t know she would be home for dinner. 

     I noticed a cute little wink and nod that I just have to share:  When Kevin and Kitty were on the phone and she was staring at the little Christmas village, one of the buildings, the big one that they pushed in on right at the beginning of the shot, was labeled “Harrison’s Hardware.”  I thought it was a fun, sweet thing for them to do.

     I still don’t understand why Sarah’s office, where she seems to be spending all her time, is at the radio station where Nora works.  It really just does not make any sense to me.

     I felt badly for Saul when he was finally able to confront the man he believes made him HIV+, and the guy, Stephen, didn’t even remember sleeping with him.  Also, I know that was Richard Chamberlain, but I think someone needs to put the breaks on the plastic surgery.  He looked very tight and plastic to me.

Big Bang Theory/Vampire Diaries/Mentalist/Fringe

The Big Bang Theory – The Alien Parasite Hypothesis

     I loved the Rat Man, Mouse Boy superhero, sidekick discussions between Howard and Raj.  It seemed silly that they would resort to wrestling to decide who would be the hero and who would be the sidekick though.  Being that they are both intellectuals, why wouldn’t they settle it with their brains?  Was it because they believe a superhero needs brawn more than brains?  Whatever, that question was never answered, nor was the question of which of them would be the hero.  They just circled around each other for hours, never touching each other.

     I am glad Mayim Bialik was made a regular cast member, but I really didn’t want to see a whole episode centered on her and on Amy’s baser instincts.  I like that she is Sheldon’s intellectual equal, because even though all our guys are smart none of them really match Sheldon equally. 

     I know that they had to cut back on Penny screen time while Kaley recovers from her accident and is in a cast.  It’s frustrating though that Leonard has been relegated to back burner and supporting character while that plays itself out.  I don’t think he had more than 10 lines this episode and that’s just a shame.

The Vampire Diaries – By the Light of the Moon

     My first comment after I watched this episode was this: Tyler broke my heart.  I have watched a lot of horror movies, a lot of werewolf changes, not all of course, but a lot.  I have never seen someone show the physical pain so well.  He was heartbreakingly brilliant.  And we saw just enough to know what was happening, but not so much that it went into the cheesy, bad special effects realm.  The special effects and makeup were perfect, but honestly Michael Trevino completely and totally sold that transformation.  He was a revelation tonight. 

     Nina Dobrev just keeps acting the hell out of her Katherine scenes.  I think Elena has taken second chair to Katherine, but only because Katherine is getting all of the meaty scenes lately.  I didn’t really expect the sex scene between Katherine and Stefan to be real, since they showed it in every ad for the show all week, so it wasn’t a surprise or disappointment when we found out it was her messing around in his mind/dreams.

     I am glad Tyler wasn’t the one that bit Rose, but I am really interested to find out who it was, if it was Jules, Mason’s friend, or another werewolf.  I am also really intrigued to see whether the bite does kill Rose, and if it is as slow and painful a death as it looks like it might be. 

     I am developing a crush on Elijah.  He’s hot, powerful, strong, dangerous, and mysterious.  He is exactly the kind of vampire that definitely gets my attention.  He is Damon, if Damon had been around for several centuries, instead of less than 150 years.  He is what Damon would be like if he was an original, instead of a relative newbie. 

     I read in one place that Elijah took down the vamp barrier in the cave just long enough to get Stefan out, and then put it right back up.  I don’t think that is correct, I think the barrier is gone and Katherine could get out at any time, but Elijah compelled her to remain right in there as if the barrier were still up.  Just more proof of how powerful Elijah is, and another reason I think I am going to really like him.

The Mentalist – A Jolly Red Elf

     Patrick’s obsession with Red John just cranked up another notch in this episode, and I am honestly kind of tired of it.  There are so many shows that try to keep up a weak through line, an overarching story that runs through the entire series, and for this show Red John is it.  It really frustrates me that they haven’t captured him yet, or that Patrick hasn’t found and killed him.  I know they want to keep things going and that if the Red John story ends there would be no reason for Patrick to keep consulting, but I am sure they could figure something out.  At this point I am afraid the show is going to get cancelled before Red John is found out.

   

Fringe – Marionette

     My first thought was that someone on the staff is a big Dexter fan!  The sheets of plastic hanging from the ceiling, the cellophane keeping the victim attached to the table, all of it shouted to me DEXTER.  But then, of course, came the Fringe twist:  the victim’s heart was removed, yet he was still alive and speaking for 3 minutes after paramedics arrived.

     Reanimation has been in the popular lexicon since before Frankenstein was written, so this story wasn’t really new.  The particulars were a twist of course, but the basic premise has been around for centuries.  What I really enjoyed was that the puppeteer could tell just from looking into her eyes that whatever he created wasn’t the girl he was trying to bring back.  It had shades of Stephen King’s “Pet Cemetery” but also really reflected what was happening with Olivia in this episode.

     I thought Anna Torv continued to rock the storyline this week.  Her anguish at having had someone completely invade and take over her life, wear her clothes, do her job, and having no one realize it was an imposter weighed heavily on Olivia.  She is hurt and angry that Peter not only didn’t know it wasn’t her, but doesn’t seem to realize how that is affecting her now.  She spent the majority of the episode downplaying how upset she was, but when she sat with Peter and said, “She wasn’t me; how could you not see that?  Now she’s everywhere: she’s in my house, my job, my bed, and I don’t want to wear my clothes anymore, and I don’t want to live in my apartment, and I don’t want to be with you.  She’s taken everything,” and she walked away, I felt so much pain from her.  It was a very impressive scene from both Anna and Joshua Jackson.  He sat there and took it, let her vent and knew that he could say nothing that would make it better.  It was a beautiful, devastating scene.  Kudos and well done to both actors.

Modern Family/Cougar Town

Modern Family – Dance Dane Revelation

     Who hasn’t wanted to run after a scent-application specialist in the mall?  Especially one who has just sprayed you with cologne and blinded you or made your mouth taste of something you most likely don’t like enough to buy.  I know I am less likely to buy something if it’s been sprayed on me without my consent.  So, when Phil lost it and chased the cologne guy around the store, I totally understood.  Not to mention the fact that Jay had been all over him all day for letting people walk all over him.  Mr. Nice Guy Phil finally hit his breaking point and lost it, although maybe it should have been directed at Jay instead of the salesman.

     Gloria stole Claire’s thunder at the school dance, and I actually felt badly for both of them.  I saw both of their points of view, and could see why it was important to each of them that they succeed.  However, since I am far more a Claire than a Gloria, I would have to side with her on this one.  Gloria shouldn’t have come along and tried to put her stamp on the dance as co-chair, when it really was Claire’s thing.  There have to be other events at the school where Gloria could make her mark.

     I though the Lily being a biter storyline was pretty funny.  It was especially cute that they kept saying that she was biting when it was so incredibly obvious that the little actress wasn’t anywhere near biting at all.  My favorite line of the night was when Cam was belting Lily into her car seat, and after the second time she bit him, he said, “It’s like Twilight back here.”  That comment REALLY made me laugh.

Cougar Town – The Same Old You

     Where the hell is BARB???  Is she so busy on General Hospital she hasn’t had time to do her one-liner on Cougar Town?  I think this is the third episode in a row without a Barb fix. 

     I am SO glad it looks like they are going to address the chemistry between Travis and Laurie.  I know it’s probably a bad idea to put these two together, since there is a pretty big age gap and she is one of his mother’s best friends, but their banter and behavior really are forcing them to at least look at it.  The two actors have such great chemistry together, and it would be natural for Travis to at least have a crush on Laurie, so I really think they do have to at least look at it.  I am glad it came up in this episode, and look forward to them exploring it more.

     Where is Bobby going to live now?  Jules had a spare room after Travis moved out, but it’s a jam room now.  She does kind of owe him, since she was the one who sunk his houseboat.  I would guess it would also cause some fun tension between Bobby, Grayson, and Jules if Bobby moved into her house.  Maybe he will move in with Andy and Ellie.  Or maybe he will do well in the golf tournament he was qualifying for, and will be able to buy a house.

Glee/No Ordinary Family

Glee – A Very Glee Christmas

     I really enjoyed “Baby It’s Cold Outside”.  I also loved Will’s list of gift ideas for Sue: 1) Dog Robot and 2) A Soul.  It made me really laugh. 

     I wasn’t overwhelmed by this episode.  While I thought it was a fine episode and a pleasant enough Christmas episode, I really thought it would be more… something.  More what I don’t know, but just more something.

     Coach Beiste completely and totally won me over this episode, if she hadn’t before.  What she did for Artie, giving him mechanized legs to allow him to walk for brief periods, was amazing.   By extension she also gave Brittany a gift as well, allowing her to continue to believe that Santa Claus exists and can grant almost any Christmas wish.  While I think Brittany’s stupidity is a tough thing to believe (really is anyone this naively stupid?) this was a very sweet storyline this week.

     I was also glad that Sue the Grinch grew a heart and gave Will a nice Christmas.  With the help of the glee club he was able to celebrate the holiday.  I really REALLY expected when he walked in that Terri would be there, waiting for him in a slutty Santa suit or a Christmas bow and nothing else.  It was a great surprise for it to be Sue, and the glee club, and nothing naughty. 

No Ordinary Family – No Ordinary Sidekick

     “Will” will now be known as Joshua, until he adopts someone else’s name.  I really want to like this character, I think he is being forced to do everything he is doing by Dr King, but he is making it really difficult to like him.  I know Dr King is forcing him, but only by holding it over him that if he doesn’t do what he is told he will go back to being “normal”.

     So, Will, damnit Joshua, has somehow brain drained Daphne so she has no memory of the last three months.  She doesn’t remember she has mindreading capabilities, the trip, or anything.  Does she still HAVE the mindreading capabilities, or are they completely gone?  Guess we will find out after the winter break.

     I have to admit, I follow Julie Benz and Michael Chiklis on Twitter, and they both said this episode was going to blow us away; it was a game changer, etc, etc.  It would have been game changing if Daphne had been killed, memory loss was just interesting.

How I Met Your Mother/Mike & Molly/Castle/Hawaii Five-0/Men of a Certain Age

How I Met Your Mother – The Mermaid Theory

     Kyle MacLachlan’s character The Captain made me laugh a bit.  I like him because I am not sure if he is a good guy or a scary guy.  Obviously the characters had the same difficult time figuring it out, since the bottom of his face is good guy, but the eyes and brow is scary guy.

     I also liked that Ted was really confused about the Lily/Barney story this week.  It’s always been kind of a weird plot point that he would remember these stories so well when relaying them to his children in the future, so it’s always fun when he gets confused.  I didn’t like that the Lily/Barney story is a “future story” where Lily is all pregnant and emotional.  I get that she and Marshall are trying to have a baby, and that it was probably an inevitability, but that doesn’t mean I want to see it happen.  I hate when babies are born into shows and the entire chemistry of the show changes.

Mike & Molly – Carl Gets a Girl

     I laughed during the teaser, which is usually a good sign.

     The whole scene between Victoria and Mike, talking about aliens and big foot really made me laugh.  It was one of the first times Victoria has really made me laugh, and I think it was more because of Mike’s reaction to her than because of anything she said.  Although the line about camping without weed being just sleeping outside did make me laugh.  I know a few people who probably feel the same way.

     It was nice to see Mike bond with Joyce (Molly’s mom) as well.  I don’t like Vince, I think he is a nice guy and I do think Joyce could do better.

     I really liked Mike giving a key to his apartment to Molly.  When she said she wasn’t ready to give him a key to her place, I was shocked:  I didn’t see the joke coming at all.  Well done, show.  Molly is absolutely, positively my hero.

Castle – Last Call

     This show just makes me happy.  I loved seeing how excited Castle got when they went to the bar, and how much he loved the old, neighborhood, backroom bar.  He loved it enough to buy it, so I would guess we will start seeing the cast out of the office and away from work a bit more often, which should be fun. 

     I always enjoy when the team thinks they have proven Castle wrong, only to themselves be proven wrong.  Castle’s reaction to being right is always fun to see, with a look that says “I knew it” while somehow trying to downplay his being right. 

     My favorite part of this episode was the end, when all five of the main cast members decided to take some time for themselves together, and walked out of the precinct arm and arm, on the way to Castle’s new bar, singing Billy Joel’s “Piano Man.”  It made me very happy and, since I am a sap, a bit teary. 

Hawaii Five-0 – Palekaiko

     Ehh.  This was a fine episode for what it was, but it didn’t really hold my attention, and I didn’t particularly enjoy it.  Having just been on a cruise, all cruise ship happenings seemed a bit unrealistic.  If I could afford a single cabin like the serial killer had, if such a single cabin even exists, I would be REALLY happy.  This guy must have had money to be able to take these extended cruises in luxurious cabins once a year. 

     I was pleased that Steve told Chin about what his father left for him, and that Chin was able to find some information in that regard.  I am not pleased that it leads to the suspicion that Steve’s mother’s death was not an accident, but murder.  It feels like so many cop shows have done this before:  it’s tired, and lazy. 

     Speaking of lazy writing, did we ever see Steve’s sister again after the one episode she was in, and did they ever say she had gone back to the mainland?  She doesn’t appear to still be at Steve’s, waiting for him to come home, since he was there with Chin in tonight’s episode.  Maybe they did say where she is at some point, but because this show really doesn’t hold my attention, maybe I missed it.

Men of a Certain Age – If I Could, I Surely Would

     I really enjoyed this show last year, and am glad it’s back.  Let’s see how long that lasts.  I had the opportunity to meet Scott Bakula (who I am about 90% sure was driving behind me in Santa Monica today) and Andre Braugher at an event last year, and they were two of the most gracious, sincere, pleasant people I have been lucky enough to encounter at an event like this.  That goes a LONG way for me, and even if this show has a weak season I will continue to watch because I want to support a couple of guys who were really nice to me, and to all the other fans that attended the even last year.

     This was a good second season opener.  It picked up right where last season left off, and treated the audience like we already know these characters.  We got enough background to remember what was going on last year, without having so much exposition that we felt like it we could have just watched this episode instead of season 1 and known everything we needed to know.

     I like that all three of our guys are in positions in which they aren’t comfortable.  Owen is the boss now, Terry is actually trying to work in a real job AND working for Owen, and Joe (it’s still hard from me not to call him Ray) is in a new home and trying to become a pro golfer on the senior circuit, a dream he gave up on when he was younger.  It’s all going to lead to a fun season, I think.

Desperate Housewives/Brothers & Sisters

Desperate Housewives – Pleasant Little Kingdom

     Paul Young is an evil genius.  I don’t believe he has any interest in actually helping ex-convicts, I believe he is doing all he is doing strictly to get back at the residents of the lane for whatever betrayal he believes they perpetrated on him.

     So, the Gabby and Carlos baby switch storyline ended with their biological daughter going off with her switched mother?  That’s it, really?  It’s so annoying when this show starts a story and then it goes nowhere.  I have no idea if this is the true end of this story or if there is somehow more to come, but at face value I am really irritated that this really went nowhere.  Was this all just to explain why Juanita doesn’t look anything like Gabby or Carlos?  It still didn’t explain why her little sister looks just like her.

     First Renee calls Susan “the smart one” on the lane.  She must have already been drunk when she said that, because anyone who has watched this show for more than one episode knows that is the opposite of the truth.  Marc Cherry, just because you say it’s so doesn’t make it so. 

     Then Renee told Susan she in love with Tom, after one weekend together 20 years ago?  I get that she may have residual attraction to him, but in love with him?  UGH  I did love Lynette’s and Tom’s storyline this week.  Their relationship tends to be the most realistic to me, the ups and downs and good and bad of a real, healthy relationship.

     I don’t know how much longer I am going to be watching this show.  Honestly, if something comes up on a rival network that I want to watch, I think DH will be toast for my viewing.  I watch it now mostly out of habit and that there is nothing competing with it that is of interest to me.  I just need something to tip the scales and I am done.  It’s so sad to remember when this show was innovative and different and fun, and see how far it has fallen in six seasons.

Brothers & Sisters – Get a Room   

     This episode made me laugh a lot.  I really enjoyed all the romantic entanglements and even more loved seeing Kevin stoned.    It was great to see everyone having some fun, even if they still had their angst-filled moments.  I didn’t even miss Justin until the previews for the next episode, when I saw him and said to myself “Wow, Justin wasn’t even in this episode!”

     I like that Kitty is going to be “hooking up” with a younger man.  I know he has a decent number of episodes scheduled, and I like the actor, Ryan Devlin most recently from Cougar Town, and I hope he and Kitty get to have a little fun.  She needs to lighten up and I really liked her in this episode, damning the consequences.  I didn’t even think about Robert in this episode, so for me this new character of Seth is a hit.

     I didn’t realize Luc was going to be gone for a while, and while I am sad to see him leaving for a bit, maybe we will get to see more of Sarah in the workplace, especially now that she has a workplace.  It’s funny to me that she bought this big media empire, and the only place we have seen her working is in the radio station (one of six that she owns) in which her mother works.  Shouldn’t she have a big corporate office somewhere, from which she would run her conglomerate?

     It was a good episode, and I hope they continue to bring the humor to the show.  It has been missing for a while now, and things have been really serious for a long time, but this episode reminded me just how funny this cast can be, and how well written the humor is on this show.

Blue Bloods

Blue Bloods – After Hours

     I enjoyed getting a bit deeper into Danny and Linda’s relationship.  It was nice getting a little background on what Danny was like when they met and how far he has come.  It was also really great to hear that he hasn’t ever strayed from Linda, and that he has no interest in being with anyone else.  Even when he was dancing with the witness/suspect/victim you could tell he only did it to ingratiate himself with her, and he wasn’t into it.  I was really afraid a photo of Danny dancing with her was going to end up on Page Six, and Linda would get pissed.  I was pleasantly surprised they didn’t go that route.

     I am completely and totally over this Blue Templar story.  They need to either move it forward faster or drop it.  I feel like they just don’t know what to do with Jamie’s story, so they are just dragging this Blue Templar stuff out.  Let’s get on with it people!

Vampire Diaries/Grey's Anatomy/Private Practice/Fringe

The Vampire Diaries – The Sacrifice

     I think by now you all know I really love this show.  I think the acting is excellent, and the writing and direction are usually superb.  However, I have a couple of issues with this episode, related to Katherine’s cave.

     I absolutely hated the whole “we have to get the moonstone” in the most convoluted way possible plan.  Here is my confusion:  I know that once a vampire is trapped behind the invisible barrier they can’t get out.  So, they decided to have Bonnie try a spell to take barrier down briefly so Stefan or Damon could speed in, get the moonstone and speed out before Katherine could react (since she’s not feeding she is weak).  Bonnie also created some kind of powder that would render Katherine unconscious for a couple of minutes.

     Jeremy decided to take the initiative and go after the moonstone himself, on his own, with only a portion of the powder to assist him.  I understand that he was trying to protect Bonnie, and trying to help keep Elena out of harm’s way, but really?  REALLY?  Even after Damon insulted his ego, it just seemed really reckless, even for Jeremy,

     I guess I don’t understand why several things happened/didn’t happen.  Why did Jeremy try to do this on his own?  Why couldn’t Bonnie just walk in there with him, toss the powder on Katherine and do a binding spell or something while he searched for the stone?  Why didn’t Jeremy just stake Katherine when she was unconscious?  He had at least one stake with him, and the barrier isn’t physical; he could have thrown the powder in her face from his side of the barrier, she would have gone out, and he could have staked her and it would have been done.

     Even after all of Jeremy’s mistakes, when Bonnie and Stefan arrived, I still don’t understand why Bonnie didn’t just go in and get Jeremy.  I assume they were afraid Katherine would overpower her, but if Katherine killed Bonnie, would she ever be able to escape the cave?  This whole plan and plot had so many holes in it I just couldn’t get past it.  It felt like lazy writing.

     I also think Elena was being stupid and reckless, but I can get past that because she was scared and angry and upset.  Besides, the heat between her and Damon made her whole plot this week worth it.  I absolutely find them really powerful when they are together.

     I liked Caroline and Tyler together again in this episode.  I am ready for him to turn, and I think it’s going to be in next week’s episode.  I wonder if Caroline will stay with him during the full moon.  I don’t know if I see them as a couple, but I do want her to be there for him when he needs her, like Stefan tried to be for her. 

Grey’s Anatomy – Adrift and at Peace

     I think Cristina is finally starting to heal.  Her time on the boat with Derek, the quiet that she finally allowed herself, may have been the first little step.  I like that these two are developing an actual friendship, outside of their individual relationships with Meredith.  I think when the characters, and audience, look back on the story of Cristina’s PTSD, her loss and her return; Derek will be the person most responsible for her recovery.  He is giving her everything she needs from a friend right now.  I also really love that there is absolutely no sexual chemistry between them; at no point have I worried that they are thinking something inappropriate about the other.  It’s nice to see a show that realizes a man and woman really can be friends without sex or sexual chemistry being an underlying factor.

     Callie and Mark are the opposite of this, their friendship has a TON of sexual chemistry, and they took advantage of that, each to try and make themselves feel better.  It didn’t really work, but any reason to have Eric Dane shirtless and wet works for me!  I liked that both of them realized it really wasn’t helping and it just made them miss the people they want to be with more.  Mark finally kissed Lexi again, and while they do have issues, and I don’t think they are getting back together right away, he obviously caught her attention with that kiss.  Arizona showed up on Callie’s doorstep, and gave Callie an impassioned speech about how much she missed her.  Callie, who had an awesome, kick ass, day, shut the door in Arizona’s face without a word.  I have no doubt these two are going to get back together, but I was SO happy Callie did that!  Because she saw her self-worth all day, from the shower with Mark, to the work on the hip replacement, she was able to be strong and take a stand, instead of just being grateful for Arizona’s return.  The strong, amazing woman that Callie was at one point, but then wasn’t for so long, may have finally returned and I am glad.

     Teddy offered to marry a patient, so he could get on her health insurance and she could save his life.  Granted that patient is Scott Foley who looks great (and the green shirt bringing out his green eyes was a great wardrobe choice for him), but does she really have to marry him?  I get that she is floundering in her personal life, feeling guilty for failing Cristina in her professional life, and just looking for a way to make it up somehow, but I don’t know if this is the way to do it.  I think it will be interesting to see where this story goes.  As long as it doesn’t turn into Denny 2.0 I will be happy, since I hated that storyline then and still hate it now.

   

Private Practice – Just Lose It

     I have read that some people are angry at Cooper for his behavior in this episode, specifically him kissing Amelia.  I don’t feel that way.  Cooper is dealing with his own trauma, in addition to trying to help Charlotte deal with hers, and he is having a tough time too.  Both of them are trying to be strong for the other, neither realizing the other just wants them to open up and be honest about their feelings. 

     Cooper has always been highly sexualized, and for Charlotte to not even want to be touched has got to be very hard for him.  Actually, it’s hard for both of them.  Then for the prosecutor to tell them that because of Charlotte’s past behavior and her lying about being raped and not identifying her attacker in the first line up they aren’t going to prosecute the rapist felt like she was blaming Charlotte.  That didn’t make either of them feel better about anything.

     I think Cooper kissed Amelia because he was looking for comfort, but also because in his heart he knew it wouldn’t go any farther.  He knew one of them would stop it before it really went to a place he and Charlotte wouldn’t be able to recover from.  If he wanted just sex, he could have hired someone for that, and he knows it.  It was about connection and sadness and need and fear and pain, not about sex.

     I think Sam and Addison have a long way to go before either of them is ready to co-parent.  They are both being selfish about having a baby (she wants one, he doesn’t particularly) and they really aren’t communicating well at all.  I like them together, but I don’t want them to bring a baby into their relationship.  She also needs to stop internalizing every patient’s story and making it about herself.  She judges everyone by her own desire to have a baby.  Thanks to Amelia, at least there is someone I can relate to regarding the non-desire to have a baby.  Not every woman feels the need to procreate, and Amelia seems to be most like me in that respect.

Fringe – Entrada

     Finally, the Olivias (Olivii?) are both back in their respective correct universes.  I am so glad to have our Olivia back here, but the repercussions and ramifications of the time they were switched haven’t even begun to be felt.  I also don’t believe we have seen the last of the alternate universe.  I think there is still so much to explore over there, I don’t think we will just go back to focusing solely on our universe. 

     I was sad that alt-universe Broyles is dead, but he made the ultimate sacrifice in the hopes that our Olivia was telling the truth, and that both universes can survive simultaneously.  It amazes me that those in the alt-verse believe we are already at war with them, but most people here don’t even know they exist.  I think if our world did know about them, war might be inevitable, so I hope our Fringe team can keep their world a secret.

     I felt badly for Peter, because he really had started to fall for Fauxlivia thinking she was Olivia.  I think both Peter and Olivia are going to have a difficult time dealing with what all of this means. 

The Whole Truth

The Whole Truth – Liars

     The network is burning these episodes off now, since the show has been cancelled and November sweeps has ended.

     I am actually a bit disappointed this show isn’t going to survive.  I understand the ratings just weren’t there for it to be worth it to the network to keep the show on the air, but the two leads are just SO likeable it’s hard.  I do have to say though, that while it wasn’t airing during sweeps, I didn’t miss it.

     In tonight’s episode, I didn’t see the victim’s affair with his ex-wife’s best friend coming.  Once that was revealed, I knew pretty much right away that the two of them had conspired to kill him.

     For me the most compelling thing about this show is the relationship between Jimmy and Katie.  They were friends in college, and while they are always on opposite sides of their cases, that friendship shines through even when they get really enmeshed in opposite sides.

Glee/No Ordinary Family/Sons of Anarchy

Glee – Special Education

     I was so glad Will finally called Rachel out on her bad attitude.  She has always been a brat, but funny and enjoyably.  Lately though she has been insufferable, and I am glad he let her know it wasn’t going unnoticed.

     I felt badly that Kurt didn’t get a solo, but at the same time I am glad he wasn’t able to just waltz into a new school and take over.  He needs to work to prove himself, just like everyone else has, and his time will come.  I was glad to see him and Rachel bonding over their individual issues with their separate glee clubs.

     All the couples drama in this episode felt pretty organic to me, nothing felt terribly forced.  Everyone was edgy because of regionals anyway, and Will mixing up the solos and giving dance assignments to Mike and Brittany was a new, unexpected pairing that threw both their respective relationship mates into new territory.  I AM glad the show didn’t go the route of having them get together though and both couples survived.

     The couples that didn’t survive were Finn and Rachel and Will and Emma.  Last week Santana made noises like she was going to tell Rachel that she and Finn had sex last year, and this week she just got so fed up with them that she finally did tell Rachel.  Once Rachel realized everyone else knew before she did, she was even more upset, and went to Puck for comfort and revenge.  Even though I doubt she would have slept with Puck, I was pleasantly surprised that he has matured enough to be the one to see it would be a horrible thing for him to do to Finn, especially after what happened with Quinn last year.  Rachel wanted Finn to be hurt too, and she got what she wanted, but he broke up with her because of it.  When Finn slept with Santana, Rachel was seeing Jesse, and they weren’t together, whereas Rachel cheated on Finn.  I don’t blame him for ending it with her, and she should be ashamed of herself.

     Emma married Carl in Vegas!  I don’t know what is going to happen with this story, but I want her and Will together.  I love John Stamos, but he is underused here, and I would rather see him in a lead role somewhere else.  I think Will and Emma would be great together, but I know they have to go through more before that can happen, if it ever does.  I just really didn’t see this marriage coming at all.

No Ordinary Family – No Ordinary Anniversary

     I really don’t like Dr King at all.  I actually do like Will, and I think he is being used by Dr King, and being blackmailed into doing what he wants.  That was pretty obvious when the evil doctor refused Will the serum that will keep him extraordinary.  I don’t think Will is a bad guy, just a guy who will do whatever he has to do to remain special.  I also got the feeling he does really like Katie, and I think as he likes her more he, and as Dr King treats him worse, he will come around to being a good guy.  I hope so anyway.

     It was really nice to see Jim and Stephanie work as a team to stop the super-arsonist in this episode.  I understand why she doesn’t want to continue down that path, because they are parents and need to do what’s best for their children, but it was cool to see them both using their abilities together to catch the bad guy.

     I also liked seeing Daphne and JJ work together, although taking a bunch of money from unsuspecting schoolmates, even if they were jerks, wasn’t a great way to use their powers.  Then to do so again to get away with fixing a broken statue and breaking into their school to do it was just annoying.  It bothers me that the writers haven’t really figured out a way to let the children use their powers to do good things, instead of things that are at best morally grey.  I get that they are still finding their way, and as teenagers are already prone to be self-involved, but I really hope the writers come up with something better for these kids soon.

Sons of Anarchy – NS

     It took me all season to realize the episode titled SO was not so, as in so what, but S-O as in the first of Jax’s double ring set that spelled SONS.  Until I saw this title, and realized the N-S is the only ring he still wore, having left the S-O at his father’s grave.  In the episode he left the N-S at his father’s grave, and I think it symbolized his walking away from his father’s legacy of doubt and apathy about the club, and into the role of a leader within the club.

     Kurt Sutter is genius.  Sick and troubled, but GENIUS.  I really enjoyed this season for the most part, and this episode was a brilliant end to it.  I am so thrilled the way it all ended, and enjoyed a second viewing, knowing that the club knew what was going on.  I am hoping somewhere Kurt will say just WHEN Jax told everyone.  Was it during this episode, or was it earlier, like when he first made the deal, or somewhere in between?

     I was THRILLED that Opie was the one that ended Stahl.  I loved seeing her having to watch what happened to Jimmy, and the whole time you could see she knew she wasn't going to walk away from this encounter.  When Opie took her sunglasses off and made her stand there and watch Chibs exact his own revenge, it was awesome.

     Speaking of, I was literally cheering, applauding, and fist pumping when Chibs was the one doing Jimmy in.  The fact that he gave him the "Glasgow smile" before digging his knives into Jimmy and twisting while looking him in the eyes was the perfect revenge.  I actually think, after everything Jimmy did to the club and to Chibs, he got off easy.

     So as the season ended, several of our boys are going to be in jail for at least 14 months, Gemma is on house arrest for 3-6 months, and Tara is pregnant and in possession of John’s letters to Maureen.  In at least one of those letters John comes right out and implicates Gemma and Clay in his own death.  How those letters are going to come into play next season is going to be in the back of my mind for the next 9 (sob!) months until next season starts.  I can’t wait for the DVD of this season to be released.

The Event

The Event – Everything Will Change

     I am not surprised Michael Buchanan is a sleeper alien.  I didn’t really think about the implications of this though:  that makes Leila and Samantha, his daughters, either alien children, or more likely hybrids.  Their mother, Michael’s wife, was murdered when Michael and Samantha were kidnapped, which makes me think she was human.  My guess now is that all the children (and I believe they were also all girls) that were being held in the facility are hybrid children.  And their blood or some kind of body fluids, are being extracted from them as an anti-aging compound, the one Dempsey was injecting into himself.  What I don’t understand is what the bad guy was going to inject into Leila and why it aged him.  Perhaps it was to make her age more normally than she would otherwise?

     The other big development is that Thomas and Isabel lied to Sophia about the money Thomas has made for the cause, and they went off Sophia’s radar, unavailable to her.  They then proceeded to launch a missile, which the President was afraid was a nuclear missile aimed at the US.  Instead it was sent into space and it launched a satellite that sent a message “home”.  What that message said we don’t know, but based on what Thomas and Isabel said, it may have been a call to come to Earth.  They also mentioned that a large number of people will die, so it may also have been a call to arms. 

     This was the last episode for a few weeks, while the show prepares for their back 13 episodes.  I am hearing that the writers and execs are taking some audience commentary into account and will be doing fewer flashbacks, and tightening up the plot in some ways.  I am actually looking forward to the show coming back, and am really intrigued about what is going to happen next.  For the first time since the show started, I am also interested in what is going on with Leila’s storyline!

Modern Family/Cougar Town

Modern Family – Mother Tucker

     Cam’s mother was a little overly familiar with Mitchell, and invaded his personal space and crossed boundaries.  Haley broke up with Dylan again, and might start dating her math tutor.  Phil wore a sweatshirt that looked like it belonged to a girl, and when he saw a girl wearing it, he immediately threw it in the trash.  Jay didn’t feel well, Gloria was unsympathetic, and he ended up having to have an emergency appendectomy.

     This episode didn’t really make me laugh, except when Phil threw the sweatshirt away.  I did also laugh when Claire was trying to prove a point to Mitchell that he gets overly sensitive about his personal space; that was pretty funny, and a realistic brother/sister moment.  I was disappointed that it wasn’t an actual Thanksgiving episode, because my favorite scenes are when the whole family is together. 

     Cam’s mother WAS being inappropriate, and I didn’t find any of it amusing.  Cam being oblivious to it didn’t help, I know he is sometimes self-involved, but he knows Mitchell so well, and is usually pretty sensitive to when something is bothering him, it just seemed out of character.  Maybe he was just blinded by his love for his mom. 

     Where was Lily in this episode?  Her grandmother comes to town for a visit and we don’t even see a single scene of them together.  That didn’t feel right to me.

Cougar Town – When the Time Comes

     Andy being an optimistic thinker dancing around to the Reggae music in his head made me laugh.  I think Andy’s optimism is what keeps Ellie and him together, because she is much more negative.  They balance each other out, and that works for both of them.  I am a bit concerned about their son Stan, where the heck was he in this episode?  Usually it doesn’t bother me that we don’t see him much, but this was a holiday episode, there should have been some acknowledgement of his existence.

     Laurie changed outfits 9 times, and each one got farther and farther over the top, and it was excellent and funny, and she looked pretty in almost all of them,

     The group called Bobbie out on his mumbling and told him sometimes they don’t understand what he is saying.  I think it was also because of his Southern accent, at least in part, although no one said that.

     Jules told Grayson she loves him, but he didn’t say it back.  She then accidentally poisoned him with oyster stuffing; he is allergic to oysters.  She spent the ep stressing about whether she should ask him if he loves her too, but Andy convinced her not to, to let him come to her and tell her in his own time.  By the end of the ep he still hadn’t said, but she was okay with waiting until he is ready.

     I laughed a lot in this episode; at Andy’s optimism, at Laurie’s dresses, at Bobby’s muttering.  This cast has really gelled and I really like every one of these characters.  I do hope that Jules and Grayson can stay friends after they inevitably break up, because the whole group dynamic will change if Grayson isn’t around as much.  He is the straight man to this group.

A NOTE:  This blog is going to be quiet for the next several days.  There are no new episodes of anything I watch until The Event on Monday night, so I won’t have anything TV related to talk about.  I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my friends and readers a happy Thanksgiving, and hope that you all are able to celebrate the things for which you are thankful.

Glee/No Ordinary Family/Parenthood/Sons of Anarchy

Glee – Furt

     This episode is going to remain on the dvr for a while.  I really, really liked it, and felt very emotional when it ended.  The whole “Sue marrying herself” storyline aside, because that storyline sucked, this ep was great. 

     So first Sue’s storyline:  Why on Earth did they do this to her?  Sue deserves better than to be this ridiculous story.  I understand wanting to bring Carol Burnett on as her mother, the Nazi hunter, but this wasn’t necessary for that to happen.  She could have just shown up.  I did love the track suit wedding dress though, and the Carol Burnett-Jane Lynch duet was excellent.

     The other side of Sue, the one that helped Kurt as principal and expelled his bully Karofsky from school is the Sue I would love to see more often.  I know she has to be a foil for Will and the Glee club, but she was so amazing with Kurt I would like to see that more.  Now because of the school board Karofsky is coming back, and Kurt is transferring to Dalton where there is a no bullying-zero tolerance policy.

     The wedding between Kurt’s dad and Finn’s mom made me very happy.  The Glee club performed at the wedding, Will performed at the reception, Kurt planned the whole wedding, and Finn finally, FINALLY seemed to start to accept that he and Kurt are brothers.  When the rest of the guys in the Glee club who are also on the football team warned Karofsky to leave Kurt alone, and physically fought him, Finn refused to be a part of it.  I have a feeling, now that Kurt will be gone and Karofsky will be back, Finn won’t be so quick to walk away.  He will have Kurt’s back, even if Kurt isn’t there.

     This episode was light on the singing, and it was kind of a nice break.  I liked that the music was confined to the wedding, and the rest of the episode was really about storyline and emotion.  After the Gwyneth episode last week, it was nice to be back with our core characters and see some really storyline advancement.

No Ordinary Family – No Ordinary Accident

     Jim’s powers are in and out in this episode and they figure out it was something he was allergic to in Stephanie’s lip gloss.  If bad guys get a hold of this information, Jim could have some serious trouble down the road.

     Katie is dating “Will” who is actually The Watcher.  He is definitely doing it to get closer to Stephanie, under orders from Dr King, but I am hoping he found Katie as cute and nearly irresistible as I did on their date.  I am hoping he develops feelings for her, and maybe that will delay or stop whatever he and Dr King plan to do.

     JJ’s teacher, Mr Litchfield was still being a jerk, and honestly when his car got T-Boned I was kind of hoping he would be dead.  I don’t wish death on real people, but I think it’s okay to feel that way about a character on a TV show.  Instead, dude had a rebar in his chest, and it couldn’t be removed safely because he would have bled out.  JJ convinced Stephanie to operate using her super speed and his super brain, and it worked.  In the end, the teacher didn’t even remember what was going on with JJ, the trouble he was in, and that he was planning to go to the school board and the police because JJ had hacked the school computer system.

     Daphne’s storyline was so inconsequential this week; I am not even going to talk about it.  All I will say is I hope she has finally realized the shallow way in which she is using her powers, and maybe tries to do something better with them in the future.

Parenthood – Happy Thanksgiving

     This Thanksgiving reminded me of our family Thanksgivings when I was growing up.  My mother had 2 brothers and 2 sisters, and they all also had children, so there were many Thanksgivings with my family like this one.  We never played football, but we did WATCH football, and there was one Thanksgiving where a chocolate pie ended up upside-down on the floor courtesy of yours truly.  My grandmother yelled at me, and it ended up with me running from the room in one direction crying, and her running from the room in the other direction crying.

     There were a few Thanksgivings that ended up with someone yelling, some when someone ended up crying, there were always a lot of laughs, and there were some pretty crazy stories that got bigger and bigger every year we sat at the table and retold them.  There were boyfriends that were there one Thanksgiving and gone the next (like Gordon, apparently).  My sister didn’t eat turkey and the fixings for dinner for years, and she would eat only spaghetti-Oh’s (later spaghetti) or Cheerios. 

     Every family has these kinds of stories, and I thought Parenthood did a really great job with this episode.  As you can tell, it made me nostalgic for my family’s Thanksgivings, even while reminding me they were rarely perfect.  The Braverman Thanksgiving wasn’t perfect for them either, but it was a day they celebrated being able to be together, which is honestly what Thanksgiving should be all about.  I hope you all have all the good parts of Thanksgiving, and none of the bad.

Sons of Anarchy – June Wedding

     Thank God we are back to English titles this week; those Irish titles were wreaking havoc on my spell check. 

     Friends and I were talking about this episode, and we all seemed to agree that Stahl is like a cockroach.  She’s dirty, nasty and almost indestructible, not to mention she is constantly rolling around in the shit and seems to like it.  I really hope Stahl is gone by the end of next week’s season finale, one way or the other, and honestly I am hoping she somehow ends up dead.  I don’t care how; I just don’t want her to be able to keep coming back at the club.  Nothing against Ally Walker, I like the actress, and my hatred of Stahl is really a testament to how good she is in the role.  Next season we are probably going to have to deal with Hale and the state police taking over for Charming PD, we don’t need Stahl too.

     Salazar is finally dead and gone at least.  I was glad it was Jax who made the choice, and not Alvarez or anyone else.  Jax put his love for Tara ahead of what may have been best for the club.  His priorities are established, Tara and the baby (and Abel I am sure) ahead of the club.  I am glad Tara and the baby are okay.

     Opie asked Lyla to marry him.  Well, he said he thought they should get married.  He talked to Gemma about her, and how much he dislikes the fact that she is in the porn industry, and he knew he had no right to ask her to quit.  Gemma told him she likes Lyla and she thought if he married her, she would probably quit the business, because then she would have the security she is looking for, for herself and her son.  Then Opie talked to Lyla about the fact that things are changing, and the club is in trouble, and he could go to prison and didn’t know how things were going to land.  So he thought they should get married.  He has said “I love you” to her before, but didn’t during his “proposal”, and it seemed more like a business proposition than anything else.  I think we should get married, so I can give you the security you need and you can quit doing porn, and if I go to jail you can take care of my kids legally.  I did notice she didn’t say yes yet.

     I laughed when it was revealed that the beef between Tigg and Kozik is all over a dog.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I understand the love of, and for, a dog, but these two are taking it to extremes.  It appears to me that whatever happened, Kozik holds most of the blame and Tigg holds most of the bad feelings.  I am almost afraid to find out what actually happened to the dog, but I imagine we will find out next week, in the finale.