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Thoughts from a TV Watcher

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2010 EMMY PREDICTIONS AND PICKS

Breaking Bad Season 2: Episodes 1-4

True Blood Season 3, Episode 2: Beautifully Broken"

Breaking Bad: Season 1 Review

True Blood Season 3, Episode 1:

True Blood Season 2 Review

Glee Season 1, Episodes 12-13

Episode Reviews: "True Blood" Season 1, Episodes 8-12

Episode Reviews: "True Blood" Season 1, Episodes 3-7

Episode Reviews: Glee 1.9-1.11

Episode Reviews: True Blood 1.1-1.2

Glee Season 1, Episodes 4-8

Episode Reviews: Glee 1.1-1.4

Supernatural Season 3: Episodes 14-16 (Finale)

Supernatural Season 3: Episodes 11-13

Supernatural Season 3: Episodes 8-10

Supernatural Season 3: Episodes 4-7

Supernatural Season 3, Episodes 1-3

Shows I'd like to Watch this Summer/In General

24: Season 8, Episode 11: "2:00-3:00am"

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2010 EMMY PREDICTIONS AND PICKS

August 29th 2010 18:10

The Emmys are tonight. My hope? My dream? Aaron Paul takes home an Emmy. WIll it happen? I don't think so but I can dream can't I? The only person who does not have a shot at winning is Roger Slattery. And Michael Emerson in my opinion. Everyone else has a shot. Terry O'Quinn played 2 characters this season and the Lost actors have the luxury of submitting episodes that are showcases for them based on the structure of the show. The Emmys love Andre Braugher. Plus; apparently Martin Short is incredible on Damages an the Emmys (and acting awards in general) love acknowledging comedic veterans taking dramatic turns. However, many people who have seen all 6 performances are saying that Paul apparently deserves it which does not surprise me because...duh. He submitted "Half Measures" as his episode. A smart choice but honestly "Full Measures" is a companion piece and what he does in those two episodes needs to be seen to appreciate. In fact, Paul's work is so incredible because of his arc this season. What Jesse goes through and where he ends needs to be seen to appreciate the work. The same could be said for every actor though. At least he is in the same boat with everyone else. All I know is I want him to win more than anything else tonight. Watch; within the first five minutes they will do the award, it will go to O'Quinn and the show will continue; my heart broken as a result and entirely not in the mood to continue watching. : (

Picks:

Comedy Series:
This is a race between 30 Rock, Glee and Modern Family. The two new shows will split votes I think but one of them will win. My gut is saying Glee but if it has to be between the two I'd rather Modern Family and I actually can see more Emmy voters going that way. The funny thing is I watch Glee and not Modern Family but I think that Glee is entertaining but so incredibly flawed and messy overall that it should not win.
Will Win: Modern Family
Should Win: Curb Your Enthusiasm

Drama Series:
This is Mad Men's to take home but I could see The Good Wife pulling an upset. It is the type of show the Emmys go for plus Mad Men won two years in a row. While I think Breaking Bad had the superior season, if Mad Men takes it I'll be very happy as it deserves any award it gets.
Will Win: Mad Men
Should Win: Breaking Bad

Actress in a Drama Series:
I have only seen Jones' work so I cannot pick a should win. As far as I'm concerned though, this is a lock.
Will Win: Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife

Actor in a Drama Series:
I feel fairly confidant about picking Michael C. Hall to take this. He won the Golden Globe, the SAG, has recovered from cancer, put forth his strongest season of work on the show AND has a previous show's worth of excellence with Six Feet Under which went unfairly recognized. He has the momentum behind him even though Cranston has won two years in a row and continues to just get better. Of course, Jon Hamm deserves recognition at some point for his work on Mad Men (which truly is something else).
Will Win: Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Should Win: (If Hall, Fox or Hamm wins I will be very happy) Bryan Cranston

Supporting Actor in a Drama Series:
You know where I stand on this. Short will take it and while I think Quinn's work on the final season of Lost was magnificent, it's Paul all the way for me. Most people are saying O'Quinn though so now I am second guessing myself.
Will Win: Terry O'Quinn, Lost
Should Win: Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series:
I have no idea what to do with this one. None at all. Some people are picking Hendricks which would be lovely. I'll do that too. Have only seen Moss and Hendricks so I won't do a Should Win. (I only do if I've seen 3 or more)
Will Win: Christina Hendricks, Mad Men

Actress in a Comedy Series:
Toni Collette is a strong contender. So is Falco and I think the two Showtime gals might cancel each other out. Even so, I'm going with Edie Falco because it's Edie Falco.
Will Win: Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie

Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series:
I think the Modern Family people might split votes and every time Cryer gets awarded I become more perplexed so I will assume this tradition will continue.
Will Win: Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men

Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series:
This is a LOCK.
Will Win: Jane Lynch, Glee

TV Movie:
Will Win: Temple Grandin

Miniseries:
Will Win: The Pacific

Lead Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie:
Will Win: Claire Danes, Temple Grandin

Lead Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie:
Will Win: Al Pacino, You Don't Know Jack

Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie:
Will Win: Susan Sarandon, You Don't Know Jack

Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie:
Will Win: Patrick Stewart, Hamlet

Variety, Music or Comedy Series:
This is really tough. Do I think they will give it to Conan? I kind of do but I won't be surprised if they continue to give it to The Daily Show
Will Win: A reluctant The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien

Reality-Competition Program:
Will Win: The Amazing Race

Writing for a Drama Series:
Will Win: Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, "The End", Lost
Should Win: Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, "The End", Lost. As lukewarm as I am towards the last ten minutes and to the season as a whole, the finale, for me, was superb and mostly everything I wanted it to be.

Writing for a Comedy Series:
Will Win: Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan, "Pilot - The Director's Cut", Glee

Directing for a Drama Series:
Will Win: Jack Bender, "The End", Lost
Should Win: I cannot deny the brilliance of Michelle McLaren's work for "One Minute", Breaking Bad. Also, Lesli Linka Glatter's pitch perfect handling of the lawnmower incident is an achievement unto itself for "Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency".

Directing for a Comedy Series:
Will Win: "Pilot - Director's Cut", Ryan Murphy, Glee

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Breaking Bad Season 2: Episodes 1-4

July 4th 2010 18:31

Season 2, Episode 1: "Seven Thirty-Seven"
8.3/10

The Season 2 premiere of "Breaking Bad" picks up immediately where Season 1 left off. Continuing the Tuco storyline and working towards a wrap-up of it is their top priority. Walt and Jesse see the consequences of working with Tuco based off of his no nonsense beating of a close associate due to a single comment. Directed by star Bryan Cranston, his technique comes off as alternately inspired and overly ambitious. I love that the show is getting the Tuco storyline out of the way now. Not that it is bad. While Raymond Cruz is a bit too much in the role, the scenes with Walt and Jesse interacting with Tuco are very intense to say the least. Their immediate desire to eliminate Tuco makes the threat of him even more palpable. Jesse is ready right away for his demise but it takes Walt seeing Tuco’s car on his road to agree to off him. Jesse might be my favorite character and seeing him be so afraid to quickly is really going to make what I think will be a future drug addiction have roots. These experiences starting with the beating Tuco gave him in Season 1 are clearly traumatic to him. He may come off as initially tough but his shell is very transparent and he has no qualms of revealing how scared he is of a situation.

We then have Walt and reestablishing his connections with his family. Skylar is frustrated because she knows that Walt is out all the time but does not know how to reach out to him. Things get off to an awkward start between the two in this episode when in a surprisingly abrasive turn of events begins to sexually assault her. Her turning on Hank when he goes over to ask her to return Marie’s phone calls was a great way of letting us know just how fed up with everything she is. Hank is such a great character by the way. Another show would be condescending towards him but he is clearly shown as being good at his job but having no tact. The episode ends with Walt and Jesse being taken at gunpoint by Tuco in the Monte Carlo just as he seems to be on the verge of telling Skylar something.

Season 2, Episode 2: "Grilled"
9.4/10

While this episode sometimes felt as if the tension was alternating more than it was building, it could be my favorite episode of the show so far. Skylar, Marie, Walter Jr. and Hank deal with Walter being missing as Walter and Jesse are held hostage by Tuco who believes Gonzo was an informant and has a plan for them to go to Mexico in order to live off of their meth business. Gonzo was not an informant though and is dead which is what led Hank and the other DEA’s towards Tuco as opposed to him being a snitch. He brings them to a spot out in the desert where Tuco’s uncle lives and is taken care of. He is sick and unable to speak, only having a bell to ding as communication. Walt and Jesse’s only means of defense are the poisonous meth they cooked up for Tuco which he refuses to take once Jesse tries to sell it to him by saying that chili powder is the secret ingredient.

The entire episode is extremely tense switching back and forth from Tuco’s dialogue and actions to Walt and Jesse’s reaction shots which are never calm. They not once relax into their situation and Jesse, knowing Tuco does not need hi the way he needs Walt is terrified throughout. There is also some humor such as when Jesse says that his life means more since Walt is basically “checked out” and Walt picking up the fly swatter with sarcasm.
The best parts of the episode were the suspense filled sequences interspersed throughout; trying to get Tuco to sniff the meth, Walt changing the TV channel, the scene at the dinner table and Tuco’s uncle communicating to him about his mistrust. These scenes only got more and more extreme until finally all hell breaks loose as Jesse and Walt finally regain control over the situation. Hank ends up shooting Tuco in a shootout when he accidently stumbles upon the situation because of his search for Jesse. Overall this was an amazing episode which leaves off with the question; how are they going to come back from this?

Season 2, Episode 3: "Bit by a Dead Bee"
8/10

This show takes the intensity of “Grilled” and applies it to this quieter fallout episode. While the previous episode showed Walt and Jesse in a situation where improvisation and uncertainty were key, this episode shows tension in the opposite; a calculated plan needing to go exactly right. The episode starts with an exchange that oversees the entire episode. Jesse asks Walt if he thinks this plan will work and that it is pretty bold. The hour consists of Walt and Jesse acting out their plan. The audience does not know what the plan is other than that they have one and the suspense is held in the question that oversees each scene; was that part of their plan? “Breaking Bad” has always dealt with the issue of family for Walt. In so desperately seeking financial stability for them after he is gone, he has lost touch with his family in the present. We see this but he does not. In this episode when he gets a peek at the loneliness eating away at Skylar and Walter Jr. he seems to have made a decision to put his family first for the time being. Complications that arise from their plan are that Jesse’s money is gone. So now he has nothing. This episode was tense and provided some time for necessary wrap-up and for Walt to re-prioritize his family.

Season 2, Episode 4: "Down"
9.5/10

Never mind; this might be my favorite episode of the series. The show has a knack not only for alternating between serious drama and dark humor at the drop of a hat but it also manages to alternate between episodes that are focused on lots of action and meth dealing and meditative character-driven episodes. “Down” represents Walt and Jesse’s separate efforts to exist in their own worlds. Walt attempts to make himself part of the family again by making “desperate breakfasts” and teaching his son, who in an act of defiance goes by the name of Flynn, how to drive. There is a role reversal taking place. Skylar is done prodding him for answers but refuses to take her husband’s unidentified secrets lying down. She starts doing what he has done; she goes out without telling him where and is constantly polite but cold towards him. When they finally have it out the result is satisfying from a dramatic standpoint. Skylar is not backing down and despite Walt’s apologies and subsequent refusal to admit he is hiding everything she walks out. Cranston and Gunn do an amazing job through this episode. Cranston perfectly shows through his expressions the realization that his family is coming apart. On the other side of things, Jesse’s world completely collapses around him. I am not sure I have seen an episode of television where so many terrible things happen to one person. The show has sympathy for Jesse but also acknowledges that this is all his own doing. Aaron Paul continues to amaze me and his work on this show is incredible. This episode, in short, was a fantastic character study that really put Walt and Jesse in a place that allowed them to see their situations as they are.

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True Blood Season 3, Episode 2: Beautifully Broken"

June 30th 2010 23:51

"True Blood" Season 3, Episode 2: "Beautifully Broken"
8/10

True Blood has become sort of like crack with this third Season. Not only has it in a very short time (2 episodes ) revealed very strong potential for a best season but it provides so much fun on so many different levels that it becomes impossible to ignore. Between oogling Eric and other male characters to laughing intentionally to laughing unintentionally to insane sex scenes to gross-out violence to the fun of frustrating characters, this show has it all in abundance.

This second episode (I am still one episode behind but since a new one in not airing until July 11th I am waiting a bit to watch it) builds on the season premiere, offering n even better outing that introduces new characters and more. What I like so far about this season is that, as I have said before, I do not know where these storylines are going. The majority of the Season 1 and 2 storylines, whether they were good or bad, felt a bit predictable or at least it was easy to tell what general direction we were headed. With these storylines, knowing nothing about the books they are based on, it is hard to tell where we are headed.

Words cannot describe how happy I am that Bill is away from Sookie as they become very dull when together (unless having sex) and Bill is interesting but needs to be given time to develop on his own without being Sookie’s protector. He is in Mississippi and meets with Russell Edgington, the Vampire King of Mississippi played by Denis O’Hare. I love how literally these kings and queens use their regal status. Both he and the Vampire Queen of Louisiana have decadent and opulent surroundings. It was great to see all the creative ways blood can be served. The doors made of silver are a nice touch. It is also really satisfying to be brought into the world of vampire politics in relation to their own system instead of their interaction with human politics. There is some serious planning for an overthrow going on and I cannot wait to see Bill’s role in this and how it pans out.

Lorena is back! Another opportunity to actually partially redeem the mess they made of her return last time. A lot of people hate Lorena I think but personally she is one of my favorites and her costumes are spectacular.
Eric and Godric flashback scenes!!! As undercover Nazi’s no less? This is why I love you True Blood. They flashback admittedly left a little to be desired but it was still enormously satisfying to see them onscreen again and to further feel the sense of history they once had. The werewolves look amazing by the way and this would be because they are mostly using real wolves. This could have been a disaster but the execution of the creatures has not hit a false note. Eric and Sookie are spending some interesting time together. I am so torn with the two of them. On the one hand, their scenes are better than Sookie and Bill scenes and on the other I desperately do not want these two together or for Eric to lose too much of his emotionless shell especially because of her. His line about primal sex was an episode highlight. Speaking of Sookie, my favorite moment of hers probably in the show’s history came from this episode when she imitates Bill saying her name expression and all: “Sookeh”.

It was nice to see a lot of Terry this episode since he is my favorite after Eric. His scene with Sookie was touching and his list of reasons he could be trusted with Arlene’s kids was priceless. “I found a baby armadillo on the side of the road and I nursed it and now it sleeps under my bed and his name is Felix”.

Lafayette brings Tarra to see his mother in the hopes that she will snap out of it. It was a bit of a stretch bringing this into play but it was still interesting to see. A new character was brought into this story; an English vampire played by James Frain. He seems sadistically dangerous and also on a mission. Through him (presumably) we see that Bill has had a file on Sookie for quite some time. Hmm. Things are looking up though for Tara (at least in the interest level of her story) because this new character already is so much better than Eggs.

Sam did some stuff which was mildly interesting but still the weak point of the episode.

All in all a lot of great stuff is continuing to set itself up and it is looking like Season 3 could be better than 2 if it stays this good.

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Breaking Bad: Season 1 Review

June 29th 2010 15:11

Breaking Bad Season 1: 9/10
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True Blood Season 3, Episode 1:

June 20th 2010 20:53

True Blood
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True Blood Season 2 Review

June 19th 2010 20:09

I watched "True Blood" Season 2 in two days. While I would like to review each episode, at this point the motivation has left me as it all basically blended together. Some brief thoughts about Season 2 before beginning what will be a weekly review of each new "True Blood" Season 3 episode. Season 2 is what officially got me into the series. Season 1 overall was decent but certainly not good. Season 2 not only is stronger in plot but also in characters. Michelle Forbes was a welcome addition as she is one of my favorite actresses. The series has learned how to take itself seriously while always having a wink to the audience as it knows how ridiculous it can be. It also has blended humor and satire really well.
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