After last week’s pilot aired, bloggers and critics alike turned on Californication. Will they be any nicer after tonight’s inaugural episode? I doubt it. Even I didn’t warm to this one. And I loved the pilot. Californication’s main weakness is that it’s brash just to be brash. Any chance it has to get a woman naked, it takes. And after this glorious episode I now have the image of Hank having sex with a scientologist, followed by mutual vomiting. Thanks for that Californication!

It’s not all bad. There’s one guaranteed way to make me not hate a show, hire Lucy Davis. It doesn’t fail, she’s just that awesome. So congrats to the folks at Californication for realizing that she rocks and giving her a scene to be deliciously douchy as Hank’s potential editor at Hell-A. Unfortunately Californication needs more help than Lucy Davis can offer.

The allure that I saw in the pilot is long gone. There is absolutely no reason to feel empathetic towards Hank. The fact that he stands in front of a mirror and calls himself a douche doesn’t make me feel for him. Sure, he hates himself, but he never does anything to dig himself out of the whole that’s become his life. Instead he just keeps digging deeper and deeper. Californication relies too much on Duchovny. He’s a great actor, but he can’t carry the show entirely on his own. The other characters need some depth, some back story. While we learned the circumstances in which Karen cheated on Hank, we really don’t know why. The most negative thing that I can say is that I really don’t care why. I don’t care about these characters or their circumstances.Hopefully the next few episodes will get me, otherwise I may have to bail. Especially next month when the fall season kicks into gear.Until next week, I leave you with this: Vaginal rejuvenation.

Popularity: 91% [?]

The Botwin’s are back and oh are they screwed. Last time we saw Nancy Botwin she was being held at gunpoint by rival gangs and her drugs had been stolen by her son. Oh, her husband was also murdered by said gangs, and her other son was kidnapped by a woman on the run from an Eskimo, named Abumchuck. The crew at Weeds really knows how to write em.

At the end of the premiere episode Nancy surprisingly finds herself even more screwed than she was in the finale. Why you ask? Well, Celia found the drugs in the trunk of Silas’ car. Uh oh. And Celia being the moral authority that she is, put all the drugs into the pool, therefore pretty much guaranteeing Nancy’s head on a platter to U-Turn. Don’t you just love Celia? Seriously, the woman is gold!

I’ve found over the course of two seasons that I could not care less about Silas. I understand how he has to be there to illuminate Nancy’s home-life, but I feel like Andy and Shane do that more effectively. At least they provide comic relief. Because of that, I don’t care what happens to Silas, especially since he’s such a one dimensional character. I’m really dreading the moment when the Olsen twin shows up as his love interest this season. At least deaf Megan knew how to use a can of spray paint.

Popularity: 34% [?]

Maybe I’ve been conditioned to expect a cliffhanger at the end of a season finale, maybe I’m just used to actually enjoying season finales recently. That’s why I don’t feel fulfilled by the season finale of Grey’s Anatomy. That’s not to say that things didn’t happen, they did. Christina and Burke broke up, as did Meredith and Derek, George failed his intern exam and is no longer a surgeon, Alex(with coaching from Addison) realized that he loved Ava, Callie ripped Izzy’s heart out by letting her in on her plans to have kids with George, Adelle lost her baby, oh and Callie won Chief Resident destroying poor Bailey. So yeah, LOTS of things happened but they just didn’t have the emotional punch they should have.What’s really annoying is that Grey’s seems to have gotten in the habit of setting up a plot-line and then taking the easy way out. They set up the fight for the Chief resident and then Derek just says no when the Chief offers him the job. They set up Meredith and Derek to be an epic couple, then have Derek act like an act for the better part of the season and then they try to make him the good guy in the end? He told Meredith he was all in, yet he also said flirting with the ‘other woman.’ On paper I should be sympathizing with Derek but instead I pretty much detest his character. I have no sympathy for him or his emotional issues. Sure he can gaze and look all dreamy but is he really? I think not.

Of course there’s one big shocker, the identity of that other woman Derek flirted with. The same girl just happens to walk into intern change-room and introduces herself to George as….wait for it…..Lexie GREY. Yeah, they went there. Derek was flirting with Meredith’s little sister. HER LITTLE SISTER. Words can’t describe how angry that reveal made me. This pretty much counts as the last straw.

There was once a time when I trusted the writers of Grey’s Anatomy to take me wherever they wanted. Now I consider watching the show a chore. This is why I can confidently say that I won’t be a regular viewer of Grey’s Anatomy next season. That’s not to say I intend to stop watching the show, because I can’t imagine doing that. I’ve watched Grey’s Anatomy since the pilot episode and was promoting it to friends and colleagues when it was just the show after Desperate Housewives, so letting go of it isn’t exactly easy but with a ridiculously crowded Thursday night it’s not as hard as one would think.

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The miniature killer is Lizzie Miller? DAMN. Turns out Natalie, played by The Nine(I miss that show!!!) veteran Jessica Collins, was the foster child of Ernie O’Dell, who Gill took down. So the recent killings were to challenge Gill. Oh, Natalie’s insane, like vacant eyes, throw your little sister off the doll house crazy. But I guess a serial killer kind of has to be. While stalking one of the crime scenes she was able to see that Grissom and Sara were more than just coworkers. Don’t you just love it when the serial killer is more perceptive than all of the coworkers? Natalie, being the female Michael Myers that she is, saw the chance to get back at Grissom. The season ended with Gill desperately trying to find out from Natalie where Sara is as Sara’s dying under a car.

Really, that’s it? CSI meticulously planned this miniature killer arc with the end result being a Sara cliffhanger? That seems…..odd. And by odd I mean stupid. Too bad Jorja Fox’s contract negotiations pretty much spoiled this plot weeks ago.

This is the second underwhelming finale of the night. Looks like I’m relying on the NBC comedies to up the ante.

Popularity: 32% [?]

How great was The Office last night? Seriously, how great? If you didn’t love every minute of it I advise you to turn away now because I sure as hell did.

Highlights:

* Creed’s blog.(which actually exists over at NBC)
* Meredith explaining how her gentlemen like it behind.
* Jan’s new lady lumps.
* Kevin. Every single thing even did.
* The Stanley Nickels v. Schrute Bucks.
* Karen rightfully exclaiming, ‘Pam’s a bitch!’
* Angela’s ecstatic, ‘Goodbye, Kelly Lapoor.’ No one makes a better Lady McBeth than Angela Kinsey.
* The surprising emotional resonance that Pam’s note(with the Olympic medal) had to Jim(and myself).
* Michael’s absolute horror in the car ride home with Jan. He knows he’s trapped and there’s nothing he can do about it.
* And the final moment with Ryan, in skeezeball glory, not even looking at Kelly. ‘You and me. We’re done.’

I assumed we’d get some sort of Jim and Pam romantic moment this episode was I was truly shocked when Jim interrupted her talking head to ask her out. I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t have a smile on my face as wide as Pam’s when that moment went down. Even more pitch perfect, the absolute honesty they shared with one another during the flashback. It’s great to see two characters truly comfortable with being truthful to one another. Sure, as Pam said, it took 3 years but you know it’ll be a fun ride next season. I personally can’t wait for the scene of Jan in stretch-pants waiting for Michael at 5:15.

Congrats need to go out to Melora Hardin for being able to disguise the absolute BatShitCraziness of Jan. I never understood why Jan wanted Michael so much until tonight. She is the female Michael Scott. Same congrats for Jenna Fischer, who with a single talking head broke my heart and made me jump for joy. That smile was infectious.

Popularity: 23% [?]

It’s episodes like this that remind me why I love Lost so much. I am willing to say that this episode was perfect. Perfect. I love seeing how meticulous the crew at Lost is when setting up their season enders. Plus it was great to see some old favourites back in action. Remember that hilarious scene with Locke and Rousseau over dynamite a few episodes ago? Turns out Danielle’s in cahoots with Jack and Juliet to defeat The Others. Also returning this episode, Bernard, Rose and Carl.Charlie’s flashbacks counted down the 5 top moments of his life. The first time he hears DriveShaft on the radio, Charlie learning how to swim, getting a family heirloom from his brother(that he would later leave to Aaron), saving a woman from getting robbed(it was Nadia!) and finally his #1, meeting Claire for the first time.

When Sayid discovers that Naomi’s satellite phone signal is being jammed by the Others he needs a volunteer to go dismantle the signal. Jack, knowing it’s a death mission shuts Sayid down. Charlie volunteers because he realizes it’s his prophesy to turn the switch and disable the jammer. Ben returns from ‘killing’ Locke, and he’s pissed. He orders Richard and the others to prepare to go that night to get the women. Ben’s obviously not there anymore. He’s unfocused and willing to kill easier than usual. Or maybe it’s just that now we’re aware that Ben is BatShitCrazy and we can look at him from a different perspective. Alex, upon realizing her fake daddy’s plan tells Carl to go warn the Losties. He does and they alter their plan of attack. Except now a few people have to stay behind to shoot/ignite dynamite while everyone else goes with Rousseau up to the radio tower.

The episode ends with Charlie swimming down to the underwater hatch only to realize he’s not going to drown, the hatch isn’t flooded. As he jumps out of the water and onto the hatch, screaming in excitement two women come barreling at him with guns. He’s not alone.

Lately flashbacks of original characters have been wearing thin on me, but Charlie’s worked great this week. If next week brings the end to Charlie’s story it won’t feel rushed. He kissed Claire and got the girl, told his surrogate son that he loved him and proved Nadia right by being a hero and knocking Desmond out and swimming down to the hatch. Charlie knows that if he dies, he died saving Claire and Aaron. You can’t get a better end than that. That’s not saying that it won’t be bittersweet, because it will. When I started watching the show I wasn’t a fan of Dominic Monaghan’s stubbly little hobbit but now I love Charlie.

I’d have to say the teaser of Jack describing his plan for The Others was definitely one of the most exciting of the season. You could feel the tension rising, the confusion, and the need for the Losties to have a true leader. Sawyer didn’t seem to have a problem with Jack taking control but Sayid felt it was important to remind him that if he’s the leader, ‘he must act like one.’ Jack eventually acknowledged his status and accepted the responsibility, but he’s still an annoying ass. He’s also remarkably flawed, particularly since he had to be reminded by Sayid that the ultimate goal was getting off the Island, not just getting revenge. That’s what happens when you spend so much time with Juliet.

It’s obvious big things are coming for Lost. Not just the final battle with The Others but maybe something even greater. It’d be hard to imagine the Losties not being on the island but I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them do get off, while others are left behind. If the producers stick to their vision of 3, 16 episode seasons I think we’re in for a great ride. As for next week, I haven’t anticipated a season finale this much in years. I’m so excited for it that I don’t even care that the next new episode will be 10 months away.

Favourite Quotes:
‘They know Carl, but thanks!’ -Juliet
‘I like you better since you got back Jack. You’re almost an optimist.’ -Rose

Popularity: 23% [?]

The best series finales are the ones that go out without a bang, as if it were just a regular episode. Everybody Loves Raymond comes to mind. Gilmore Girls took the bigger is better approach, even if bigger was in fact painful to watch at times.Rory met her idol Christiane Amanpour who gave Rory her card to ‘stay in touch’. It was ridiculously preposterous, an event that could only happen to Rory Gilmore. Later she got her dream job, reporting from the campaign trail of Barack Obama.

Lorelai felt like a supporting character at times since everything revolved around Rory’s goodbye. That’s not to say that Lauren Graham didn’t hit it out of park every chance she got, because she did. Her best scene had no words with Lorelai just crying by Rory’s bedside as she came to the realization that her little girl was gone. It was poignant, painful and the only scene that brought tears to my eyes. Lorelai got her happy ending too, with Luke of course. Upon being told by Sookie that Luke was the reason the Goodbye Rory party happened, Lorelai went to thank him, things got emotional and they both ended up embracing. They’ll get their middle, just not the way fans had hoped.

It was touching to see Rory tell Lorelai that she had given her everything she would need. And indeed she had. Even Richard remarked that Rory’s goodbye party was a testament to Lorelai’s success. It’s hard to imagine a better TV mother than Lorelai Gilmore, especially since she was played with such brilliance by Lauren Graham. The show ended, just as it began, with the girls in the diner with Luke in the background. It was truly the only appropriate way for it to end. The highlights were the things that didn’t change. Babbette got a crazy monologue about her ankles, Kirk talked about his DJing job in college (Kirk went to college?) and Emily stayed true to form critiquing Lorelai’s clothes in her final scene. If the show had had more genuine moments like this then I wouldn’t have had such a negative reaction. Random question: where the hell was Paris? I’m sorry but a series finale without Paris is inexcusable, even if she is supposed to be in India with Doyle.

Yes, I’m going to miss the show now that it’s gone, but I’m not going to miss the Gilmore Girls that would have happened in season 8. I’m going to miss the Gilmore Girls that I loved in Seasons 1 – 4. Those girls were strong, smart and not afraid to be themselves. Those were the girls that I fell in love with when I first watched the pilot episode and those are the girls that I’ll fondly remember.

Popularity: 22% [?]

Wait for it folks….this is me eating crow.  Maybe it’s just that I love Sorkin doing Christmas but I thought tonight’s Studio 60 was a step short of delightful.  I didn’t even care about the unfunny sketches.  Decent amount of relationship progress tonight between all the usual suspects.  All in all a quality episode.  No super detailed recap tonight due to school.

Short recap below:
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Studio 60’s back with another quality episode. Mark McKinney(Kids in the Hall) is introduced as the new story editor Andy. I’m really liking his character, especialliy his relationship with Lucy and Darius. Matt has little to do in this episode and I like that I get a week off from Matt saving the world. Martha’s also back but she does nothing. Jordan snaps at a reporter and it backfires horribly, once again her job is in jeopardy. The big reveal comes at the end of episode when Danny realizes that Jordan’s pregnant. Full recap below.
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Popularity: 14% [?]

Once again Studio 60 rebounds from 3 decent episodes with another boring preachy one. I really don’t know what to think about this show anymore. Just when I think it’s horrible they have a good episode and then just when I start to have faith they have a bad episode.

I honestly can’t think of a single highlight tonight aside from Lucy Davis. I applaud the Studio 60 crew for giving her an actual character rather than a cameo like the Ugly Betty folks did.

But who am I kidding, you don’t want to hear me bitch about the show.  Odds are you found this blog by searching Studio 60 so without further ado here’s the full recap of The Option Period:
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Popularity: 18% [?]