Two Ladies & Their TVs

We love our shows so much we created a blog for it.

 

Thank goodness He/She/It invented premiere week...

So, Premiere Week's over, and I'm definitely satisfied.  For me, it's a return of old faithfuls, and one or two new buddies to hang with.  A rundown of what I think so far...

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: I watched this because I'm a Steven Weber fan from Wings, not an Aaron Sorkin one.  I still can't muster more than an okay for this one, even after two shows.  While it's well-acted for the most part (not counting Amanda Peet, who's usually very good, but seriously miscast in this role), there seems to be an underlying feel of the words being pleased with themselves.  Perfect answers, perfect witticisms, perfect solutions.  Everyone knows exactly what to say.  It's a bit of a turnoff, but maybe it'll get better, so I'll give it a few more chances.

Law & Order: SVU: Still one of my favorites, although last season I got quite sick of Benson and Stabler working apart.  There's still an episode from last year-- the one about the serial rapist who kidnapped two kids-- that I haven't watched on repeat and probably won't ever.  Seems like for dramatic reasons, or maybe more award nominations, TPTB have nearly ruined one of the best partnerships on t.v.  It's been a big letdown, Benson's march toward sainthood and Stabler's de-Stablerization, and I hope that after Mariska Hargitay's maternity leave is over things go back to what they were.

Yeah, right.

The premiere episode was pretty good, though, especially with the return of Marcia Gay Harden's FBI agent (if it was the morning after the premiere, I'd remember her name).  Hokey accent aside (exactly where is she from?  The southern side of Mars?), it's terrific to see a Southern woman who isn't from Steel Magnolias or Deliverance.  Good story, good involvement on my part.  However, the end was ridiculous-- obviously a way to get Mariska gone for a while, but Benson getting upset that MGH shot the activist dead?  Um, the girl was going to blow up the building.

Despite my dislike of how they pretty much try anything to keep Benson and Stabler apart, I am looking forward to Connie Neilson's eps.

America's Next Top Model: I've actually never watched the beginning of any of the seasons.  Usually, the girls will watch the marathons on VH1, and I'll get sucked in as I always do (God, I even watched some of that crapfest that is Flavor of Love), but I've never seen the initial girls.  All I can say is "Screamy.  Whiny.  BRATS!"  Wow, were we like that when we were 18, 19, 20?  Is it cattle mentality?  I would beg for a lobotomy if I were stuck there with them.

Now that there are only 12 (I think) left, my nerves will calm and the show will get better.  My favorite parts are what ridiculous poses and scenarios they get their pictures made in, and when the girls have to get the hair makeovers.  Someone always cries.  Boo.  Hoo.

My Name is Earl: Jaime Pressly is the shit.  'Nuff said.  On her own show, the white trash schtick would be too much, but on this show, it's in perfect doses and she's terrific.  They should have handed her the Emmy on a silver platter.

The Office: Now that Deadwood is gone (screw you, HBO!), this is my favorite show.  There were a lot of complaints from fans after the season premiere about the show, but I loved it-- it seemed a return to the darker tone of Season One.  And we're back to the angst of Jim and Pam, because Jim's transferred and Pam's newly single.  That I don't like, because now there are too many characters on the show, as the "documentary crew" have followed Jim to Stamford.  I can only hope for downsizing, merging, and then firing.

The main plotline was how Michael, still played wonderfully by Steve Carell, outed Oscar, one of the accountants, and the denouement was cringalicious: in a show of support, Michael kissed Oscar in front of all the employees.  This is what I loved: laughing, cringing, at times unable to even look at the t.v. because of Oscar's palpable discomfort, everyone's horror, and Michael's complete oblivousness at how much he embarasses himself.

Oscar thought about quitting and suing, but Corporate gave him a three-month paid vacation and a company car.  Best Talking Head Line (from Oscar): "Kids, sometimes it pays to be gay."

Survivor: Too much to say about this show, but the racial divisions (which are laughable in themselves-- seems like the producers think all Hispanics come from Hispaniola, and all Asians come from Asiaville) turned out to be a whole lot of nothing, with the exception of Cao Boi from Vietnam, who's an absolute riot.  And Yul is hothothot.

ER: Wow, nice return to form. I don't like that they're grooming John Stamos for leading man status if Goran Visnjic leaves at the end of this season ( I mean, come ON-- John Stamos????), but there was some top-notch acting in this one.  Afterward, OD turned to me and said, "Well, GV can act," and yes, I agree... and okay, shutting up now, because I'm just going to start babbling about how gorgeous GV is.

Law & Order: The Mothership: Hmm... new partner, new ADA, and suddenly we got personal stuff on a show that prides itself on keeping that shit at a minimum?  Since when did McCoy have a falling out with his daughter?  Who the hell's his daughter?  And where do they keep getting these ADAs?  Harvard School of Law & Beauty?

I'm not sure about the newbie detective, Detective Beauty Queen or Whatever.  I'm glad that she's not a know-it-all; she's green (ha! get it?  Green!), but this habit of having attributes shoved down our throats is a bit much.  Come on-- it's 2006, and most of us are savvy to the ways of introduction.  Throw us for a loop and do something new.

I loved Van Buren's hardass approach.  Because she's cool and number one and I want to be her when I grow up.

I'm still out on the ADA, too.  Like her more than DBQ, but she takes some unusual pauses in her delivery, as if she can't remember her lines.  It's annoying.  Otherwise, she's okay.

Bet Britney and Federline lurved that storyline, heh. 

Posted by: athenawj at 04:51 | link | comments (4)
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