Three Up
3. Ted Chaough. Don Draper's nemesis gets to strike a blow to SCDP's creative team for $19,000 a year? You get the sense he'd pay double. That he gets to poach Peggy right as SCDP lands Jaguar is a nice plus, as it will leave them that much more in the lurch. Nice work in limited screen time.
2. Michael Ginsberg. That SCDP landed Jaguar at all owes a significant debt to Ginzo, who was inspired by Megan's ability to come and go in the office as she pleases to find the way to use the idea of a mistress (which Don had put the kibosh on in the wake of the Joan Harris discussion) to sell Jaguars, coming at the concept from a different angle. His pitch to Don was also a nice show that he's getting a little more comfortable with mixing it up with Don, which will help when he's working on pretty much everything, as...
1. Peggy Olsen. Finally has enough and quits SDCP, moving over to CGC. It all starts when, after coming up with an idea for Chevalier Blanc more or less out of thin air, Don doesn't see that it's her work and thinks her desire to stay on it just comes from a want to go to Paris to shoot the ad. The built up indignities leads her to complain to Freddie Rumsen over lunch, and he pushes her to get her name out there and move on if things are so bad. Her meeting with Ted Chaough leads her to take an offer $1000 over her initial proposal, and she accepts. She tells Don in the wake of the firm learning it landed Jaguar, and while he tries to treat it as a negotiating ploy, Peggy is set in leaving. Don finally realizes he's pushed her away (and around) too much. Peggy leaves looking pleased with herself in finally breaking free. But she's not taking Cosgrove with her, not a surprise given that she mocked the pact earlier in the episode.
Three Down
3. Pete Campbell. It's a sign of what's to come with the other guys that the person who basically pimps out Joan Harris only lands third. It starts when Pete and Ken meet with the head of Jaguar's dealerships, who says that Joan caught his eye during their tour of the firm, and that a night with her would secure his vote. They try to talk around it, but the dealer is set in what he wants. Pete presents the idea in a roundabout way to both Joan and the partners. Joan is horrified, while the partners come up with a number to offer Joan to do the deed. Outside of acting as procurer, Pete also floats the idea of a Manhattan apartment by Trudy, who will hear no such thing. Pete complains about the suburbs some more, but Trudy is adamant that she wants to raise their child in fresh air, and why aren't they trying to have another one? Maybe because Pete's too busy trying to set up his own personal knocking shop?
2. Don Draper. Don manages to be a dick to pretty much everyone. He does have some positive moments - he refuses to talk with the partners about having Joan sleep with the dealer, and he even goes to her apartment to try to talk her out of it, for example - but he throws cash in Peggy's face when he thinks she's trying to cadge a free trip to Paris, and is hot and cold to Megan regarding a role that may take her to Boston for three months. Losing Peggy to CGC is the real blow, though, as he now has to replace her work at a time when the firm will have more work than they can handle. He notes the freelancers that were brought in, but you can tell he knows they're not up to it, and that he's really to blame for Peggy's departure. This is more of a career achievement position, I suppose, as Peggy's quitting was a long time coming.
1. Lane Pryce. When the talk about Joan sleeping with the dealer gets serious, and a dollar figure is bandied about, Lane gets defensive about using cash. He later visits Joan ostensibly to talk her out of sleeping with the dealer, but he also plants a seed that a small partnership (5 percent) would serve her and her son better than a one time payment. She does wind up using this idea when she agrees to see the dealer, which seems like it would be in Lane's favor... until it becomes clear that the Christmas bonus money will be needed to get the firm through the period where they're doing work for Jaguar but aren't getting paid. Bad enough to be a pimp or an ass, but at least Pete and Don won't be going to prison for what they did. Assuming Lane doesn't take a swan dive out of the Time-Life Building before that happens.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Three Up, Three Down: The Killing
Three Up
3. Darren Richmond. He takes Jamie's advice and approaches Chief Jackson for an endorsement. Her price - approval for a waterfront museum and gift shop, and tax exempt status on anything build on tribal land. Richmond asks her to let the Seattle PD get into the casino to look for evidence in Rosie's murder, as it's the last place she was seen alive. The chief passes, saying it would be a bad precedent given the tribe autonomy. Richmond tells her no deal. Both Jamie and Gwen push him to make the deal, but he wants no part of the chief. He's more or less back to his idealistic self, which is good for him if not for his electoral chances.
2. Sarah Linden. There are rough parts - she gets a call from Jack and hears how his dad is trying to bribe him with iPods and such - but she gets through the bad to help find the Larsen case files - which Gil hid in his storage unit in another town - and gets the key that gives her access to the Wapi Eagle's tenth floor. Once there she finds a key card with blood on it, evidence of a struggle that involved someone from city hall. And then she gets whacked in the head. As I said, there are rough parts.
1. Stephen Holder. Holder proves he's a stand up partner, even if his partner is not on the force at present. He gets the location of the case files from Carlson, saying he needs personal items. When Linden sees Gil leaving the station, he puts it together that Gil got the files sent to county. Except when he calls the county evidence room, they know nothing about the files. He helps Linden find them, and when Linden decides to go into the casino by the front door (Mary was going to let them in the back, but was either too scared or too busted to prop the door), Holder provides cover by acting drunk and pretending that he wants his phone back, saying he lost it in the beating. He also gives Linden ample warning about dousing her light and getting out, to no avail.
Three Down
3. Stan Larsen. Things get tougher for Stan, when he learns that Tommy killed a number of baby birds at school (he and some other kids knocked a nest out of a tree). Stan's anger gets the best of him, and he and Tommy wind up yelling at each other outside of school, leading Tommy to say he's glad Rosie is dead. That gets him a slap across the face from Stan, and at the end of the fight Stan says he hates Tommy and is mad that he's stuck with the boys and would like to get out like Mitch did. This freaks the boys out but good. In the end it does help them come to terms, but it's more of an emotional workout than Stan needs. He also gets a call from Mitch, and she informs him that Rosie was going to leave and that they were wrong for not asking Rosie what was wrong when she wouldn't talk to them over the last few months of her life. Stan says they did the best they could, but you have to think it puts some new doubt in the back of Stan's mind.
2. Gwen Eaton. When Richmond declines to give into Chief Jackson's demands, she tries to negotiate with Mayor Adams directly. She reminds him that her father is a big fan of his, and that his support for his eventual run for Congress would be very helpful. And he's only going to get it if Adams doesn't do anything to garner Chief Jackson's support. Adams scoffs at the idea, which leads Gwen to remind him of her father's first Senate campaign, when Adams was a staffer and he had some sort of dalliance with a then 14 year old Gwen. She's planning to blow the whistle to stop Adams from getting the endorsement, but Adams retorts that her father already knows about their indiscretion. He gets Gwen good with that revelation, and you can see her image of her father changing in real time.
1. Tommy Larsen. So he stomped these baby birds, and is now getting two weeks suspension, Which screws things up for Stan in terms of work, which leads to the shouting match where Tommy says Rosie did worse things than him and that he's glad she's dead. Then comes the slap and Stan's declaration that he hates Tommy and wishes he could leave. This does more of a number on Tommy than Stan can see, making the mental damage Tommy is carrying around that much worse. He does manage to address this to some extent later - thanks in some part to an apology from Stan, which was nice to see - and while he gets to cry it out and admit how sad he is to his dad. there's still a ways to go for him to get back to normal.
3. Darren Richmond. He takes Jamie's advice and approaches Chief Jackson for an endorsement. Her price - approval for a waterfront museum and gift shop, and tax exempt status on anything build on tribal land. Richmond asks her to let the Seattle PD get into the casino to look for evidence in Rosie's murder, as it's the last place she was seen alive. The chief passes, saying it would be a bad precedent given the tribe autonomy. Richmond tells her no deal. Both Jamie and Gwen push him to make the deal, but he wants no part of the chief. He's more or less back to his idealistic self, which is good for him if not for his electoral chances.
2. Sarah Linden. There are rough parts - she gets a call from Jack and hears how his dad is trying to bribe him with iPods and such - but she gets through the bad to help find the Larsen case files - which Gil hid in his storage unit in another town - and gets the key that gives her access to the Wapi Eagle's tenth floor. Once there she finds a key card with blood on it, evidence of a struggle that involved someone from city hall. And then she gets whacked in the head. As I said, there are rough parts.
1. Stephen Holder. Holder proves he's a stand up partner, even if his partner is not on the force at present. He gets the location of the case files from Carlson, saying he needs personal items. When Linden sees Gil leaving the station, he puts it together that Gil got the files sent to county. Except when he calls the county evidence room, they know nothing about the files. He helps Linden find them, and when Linden decides to go into the casino by the front door (Mary was going to let them in the back, but was either too scared or too busted to prop the door), Holder provides cover by acting drunk and pretending that he wants his phone back, saying he lost it in the beating. He also gives Linden ample warning about dousing her light and getting out, to no avail.
Three Down
3. Stan Larsen. Things get tougher for Stan, when he learns that Tommy killed a number of baby birds at school (he and some other kids knocked a nest out of a tree). Stan's anger gets the best of him, and he and Tommy wind up yelling at each other outside of school, leading Tommy to say he's glad Rosie is dead. That gets him a slap across the face from Stan, and at the end of the fight Stan says he hates Tommy and is mad that he's stuck with the boys and would like to get out like Mitch did. This freaks the boys out but good. In the end it does help them come to terms, but it's more of an emotional workout than Stan needs. He also gets a call from Mitch, and she informs him that Rosie was going to leave and that they were wrong for not asking Rosie what was wrong when she wouldn't talk to them over the last few months of her life. Stan says they did the best they could, but you have to think it puts some new doubt in the back of Stan's mind.
2. Gwen Eaton. When Richmond declines to give into Chief Jackson's demands, she tries to negotiate with Mayor Adams directly. She reminds him that her father is a big fan of his, and that his support for his eventual run for Congress would be very helpful. And he's only going to get it if Adams doesn't do anything to garner Chief Jackson's support. Adams scoffs at the idea, which leads Gwen to remind him of her father's first Senate campaign, when Adams was a staffer and he had some sort of dalliance with a then 14 year old Gwen. She's planning to blow the whistle to stop Adams from getting the endorsement, but Adams retorts that her father already knows about their indiscretion. He gets Gwen good with that revelation, and you can see her image of her father changing in real time.
1. Tommy Larsen. So he stomped these baby birds, and is now getting two weeks suspension, Which screws things up for Stan in terms of work, which leads to the shouting match where Tommy says Rosie did worse things than him and that he's glad she's dead. Then comes the slap and Stan's declaration that he hates Tommy and wishes he could leave. This does more of a number on Tommy than Stan can see, making the mental damage Tommy is carrying around that much worse. He does manage to address this to some extent later - thanks in some part to an apology from Stan, which was nice to see - and while he gets to cry it out and admit how sad he is to his dad. there's still a ways to go for him to get back to normal.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Upfronts: The Aftermath
Some half-formed ill-advised summation of last week.
Who won? Here's how I rate where the networks are based on their tentative 2012-13 schedules.
5. NBC. You want to brand yourself as the network for comedy? Fine, but it's probably a bad time to try this when (a) your critically praised but low-rated sitcoms are wrapping (30 Rock), should be wrapping (The Office), or moved to a night where 98 percent of the viewership will be time shifted (Community), and (b) the new sitcoms you roll out are uninspiring. I'm also a little worried that you've buried your most interesting new show, Do No Harm, after Celebrity Apprentice and Fashion Star. That should do wonders for the ratings.
4. The CW. I like that they've given most nights a theme, and that they're using Friday for lower-rated shows that could move if/when something tanks. What I don't like is that their new shows don't exactly jump out at you. I suppose in a couple cases you can argue they're rebooting shows (or show ideas) for a younger generation, and maybe that will work. I suppose I should just be happy that they've stopped trying to build shows around social media.
3. ABC. Still concerned about their older shows being able to maintain ratings, and I don't care for the premises of most of their new sitcoms. They do have a couple of dramas I'm looking forward to sampling, and they have a couple of very solid days in Wednesday and (non-football) Sunday.
2. Fox. They've done the smart thing by making X Factor and American Idol complimentary pieces rather than frenemies. I don't know if this will help slow down The Voice, which they're not taking on head to head, but there's at least a season-long blueprint of how Fox is handling their music shows. Throwing Glee into the mix on Thursday is worrisome, given the competition. I also like that they're maintaining a sci-fi(ish) Friday night, even if it marginalizes the genre. Fringe has gotten to this point thanks to all of the time shifters, certainly Touch is an able candidate to do the same.
1. CBS. Easy to be the winner when you have so few shows to replace. It also helps that they can move shows around and create nights where new shows can be protected a bit and, even if they tank, don't create too many problems for the night overall. Some of the nights are looking a little hoary (Wednesday most notably), but I don't think CBS is in any danger of not being the most watched network next season.
Where are the night and time bloodbaths?
Three places where I think the greatest clashes will emerge:
1. Monday, 8pm. You've got ABC's older reality programs (DWTS/The Bachelor) up against NBC's only real hit (The Voice) versus CBS and their lead in of How I Met Your Mother and Fox with Bones. Lots of mature programming in there, it'll be interesting to see who gives.
2. Tuesday, 9pm. Tuesday always seemed like a wasteland to me, but now and 9 you have a sitcom battle royale, with ABC, NBC, and Fox throwing shows in there. ABC's shows are returning but (a) aren't that strong and (b) have moved from other times. NBC's are both brand new, while Fox likely has the upper hand with the returning New Girl and Mindy Kaling's show.
3. Thursday, 9pm. Always a battle here, now joined by Fox moving Glee. Will it cut into Grey's female-friendly demo? Will the NBC comedies get put off to DVR viewing? Or will Glee's cooling ratings and seemingly random plot generation make the move another step towards an early cancellation?
What new shows am I most/least interested in?
Most:
1. Last Resort, mostly because it stars Andre Braugher, who is awesome.
2. Elementary, in the hopes that it can regularly provide solid Holmes-related entertainment in the void left by the Sherlock series on PBS.
3. Do No Harm, even though I suspect it will not last long if left on Sunday at 10.
Least:
1. The Neighbors, which I'm pretty sure is on ABC's schedule because someone lost a bet.
2. Emily Owens, M.D., because I am not a 14 year old girl.
3. Guys With Kids, as I didn't care for the 4000 or so other sitcoms about men trying to reclaim their manhood.
Who won? Here's how I rate where the networks are based on their tentative 2012-13 schedules.
5. NBC. You want to brand yourself as the network for comedy? Fine, but it's probably a bad time to try this when (a) your critically praised but low-rated sitcoms are wrapping (30 Rock), should be wrapping (The Office), or moved to a night where 98 percent of the viewership will be time shifted (Community), and (b) the new sitcoms you roll out are uninspiring. I'm also a little worried that you've buried your most interesting new show, Do No Harm, after Celebrity Apprentice and Fashion Star. That should do wonders for the ratings.
4. The CW. I like that they've given most nights a theme, and that they're using Friday for lower-rated shows that could move if/when something tanks. What I don't like is that their new shows don't exactly jump out at you. I suppose in a couple cases you can argue they're rebooting shows (or show ideas) for a younger generation, and maybe that will work. I suppose I should just be happy that they've stopped trying to build shows around social media.
3. ABC. Still concerned about their older shows being able to maintain ratings, and I don't care for the premises of most of their new sitcoms. They do have a couple of dramas I'm looking forward to sampling, and they have a couple of very solid days in Wednesday and (non-football) Sunday.
2. Fox. They've done the smart thing by making X Factor and American Idol complimentary pieces rather than frenemies. I don't know if this will help slow down The Voice, which they're not taking on head to head, but there's at least a season-long blueprint of how Fox is handling their music shows. Throwing Glee into the mix on Thursday is worrisome, given the competition. I also like that they're maintaining a sci-fi(ish) Friday night, even if it marginalizes the genre. Fringe has gotten to this point thanks to all of the time shifters, certainly Touch is an able candidate to do the same.
1. CBS. Easy to be the winner when you have so few shows to replace. It also helps that they can move shows around and create nights where new shows can be protected a bit and, even if they tank, don't create too many problems for the night overall. Some of the nights are looking a little hoary (Wednesday most notably), but I don't think CBS is in any danger of not being the most watched network next season.
Where are the night and time bloodbaths?
Three places where I think the greatest clashes will emerge:
1. Monday, 8pm. You've got ABC's older reality programs (DWTS/The Bachelor) up against NBC's only real hit (The Voice) versus CBS and their lead in of How I Met Your Mother and Fox with Bones. Lots of mature programming in there, it'll be interesting to see who gives.
2. Tuesday, 9pm. Tuesday always seemed like a wasteland to me, but now and 9 you have a sitcom battle royale, with ABC, NBC, and Fox throwing shows in there. ABC's shows are returning but (a) aren't that strong and (b) have moved from other times. NBC's are both brand new, while Fox likely has the upper hand with the returning New Girl and Mindy Kaling's show.
3. Thursday, 9pm. Always a battle here, now joined by Fox moving Glee. Will it cut into Grey's female-friendly demo? Will the NBC comedies get put off to DVR viewing? Or will Glee's cooling ratings and seemingly random plot generation make the move another step towards an early cancellation?
What new shows am I most/least interested in?
Most:
1. Last Resort, mostly because it stars Andre Braugher, who is awesome.
2. Elementary, in the hopes that it can regularly provide solid Holmes-related entertainment in the void left by the Sherlock series on PBS.
3. Do No Harm, even though I suspect it will not last long if left on Sunday at 10.
Least:
1. The Neighbors, which I'm pretty sure is on ABC's schedule because someone lost a bet.
2. Emily Owens, M.D., because I am not a 14 year old girl.
3. Guys With Kids, as I didn't care for the 4000 or so other sitcoms about men trying to reclaim their manhood.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Three Up, Three Down: Mad Men
Three Up
3. Pete Campbell. Pete gets to announce to the partners that he's gotten SCDP back in the running for Jaguar. The exec that Lane knew left Jaguar, and the new guy knows Pete. In fact, Pete's been working Jaguar for some time. He considers this quite a coup, but never gets the reaction he wants. He's even upstaged by Don when the announcement is made to the staff. But it's a good bit of work for him, even when...
2. Bert Cooper bursts his bubble by noting that Jags are lemons. Bert deflates Pete with one sentence, and it's glorious. Robert Morse really needs more screen time.
1. Harry Crane. Not often a winner, he gets the top spot by trying to do a good thing for Paul. Two good things, really: one, get him out to LA to see if he can finally find his niche as a TV writer, and two, to get him away from Mother Lakshmi, whose interest in Paul is solely as a recruiter. Paul is ready to commit to her and move away to start a farm, and is much more into her than the other way around, as seen when she offers herself up to Harry as a trade for him to keep away from Paul. Harry's not totally clean in this - he takes Lakshmi up on her offer, and he lies to Paul to give him the confidence to leave New York. But it's a case where the lie may be the best thing for Paul. This may be Harry's shining moment for the season.
Three Down
3. The Drapers. Don and Megan go to a play which is either an indictment of advertising or consumer culture, depending which one you talk to. This leads back to Don commenting on Megan's quitting the firm. Later, Don and Joan pose as a couple to test drive a Jaguar, but they spend most of the day at a bar, engaging in a knife's edge conversation which makes you think that the two of them will wind up in a dark corner trying not to get caught in flagrante delicto. They get by this, but Don later sends Joan flowers. This could just be supportive - there's a mutual admiration there - but given Don't history, there's room for worry. Megan senses this, too, and rips into Don for being out all day, not returning for dinner, and not calling. Don thinks this is more angry foreplay, but it's not. At the end, when Don says the firm is going to work non-stop, including weekends, to land Jaguar, you get the sense that he'll be happy to work rather than have the home life he has now.
2. Paul Kinsey. Paul's been calling Harry to meet, and when Harry finally does it turns out Paul has joined the Hare Krishnas after crashing and burning in advertising. He seems dedicated, but it turns out that he's as confused and wrapped up in status and standing that he can't reach the sort of peace that others do. He's pretty much only committee to Mother Lakshmi, who he wants to settle down with. The noise in his head also includes a desire to keep writing, and he's followed through by penning a spec script for Star Trek (which he watches through a pizza parlor window). The script isn't that good, and Lakshmi only thinks of Paul as a recruiter for the movement. He finally gets a lifeline from Harry in the form of $500 and Harry's suggestion that he move to LA to write. Paul notes that Harry is the only person who's ever done something for him, which just makes things all the more sad. Harry Crane is your white knight? And had a vision during his first chanting session? Go west, Paul Kinsey!
1. Lane Pryce. Personal financial problems come to a head for Lane, and he has to come up with $8000 in two days to pay off his back taxes. Thus beings the fraud: Lane gets the firm a $50,000 credit line extension, then announces to the partners that they have $50,000 for bonuses. He proposes giving them immediately, but when that's voted down Lane winds up forging Don's signature on a check so he can get the money he needs. He then dodges having to pay for Rebecca and Nigel to return to the UK by saying that Jaguar has come back to him and he has to stick around to get the deal done, and doesn't want to be alone again for the holidays. Rebecca is thrilled at the Jaguar news and promises that they'll stay. Then he finds out that Mohawk is cutting its ads due to a machinist's strike, and Cooper suggests that the partners delay their bonuses until January.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Three Up, Three Down: The Killing
Three Up
3. Jack Linden. Finally gets a chance to break out of the homeless nightmare he's been in this season when his mom sends him to Chicago to stay with his dad. He's not happy about this - I know she's his mother, but I swear Jack has some sort of Stockholm Syndrome attachment to Sarah - but it's better than hiding out in various apartments and motels, thinking that every cop who shows up is going to put him in foster care.
2. Stephen Holder. Not the best start for Holder - he's found by a search party after having the crap beaten out of him - but he gets the matchbook to Sarah so she can meet up with the housekeeper from the Wapi Eagle. He later has a nice heart-to-heart with his nephew, most of which is overheard by his mom (Holder's sister) and will hopefully help get the family back together. He also gets to the airport to catch up with Linden, but too late to see Jack.
1. Mary. A housekeeper at the Wapi Eagle, she worked with Rosie, and found her backpack in a dumpster and returned it to the Larsens in case it would help solve the case. She also mentions the chief's purchase of cheap cleaners, which explains why Rosie had chemicals on her hands. We also learn that Rosie worked as a waitress as well, and not as a prostitute. Mary also makes another reference to the tenth floor, and that all of the keys the staff had to that floor were confiscated the day after Rosie died. This sets Linden on the trail of Rosie's key, which is in evidence.
Three Down
3. Darren Richmond. He's out of the hospital and seven points down to Mayor Adams. He's still not talking about where he was on the night of Rosie's murder, which doesn't help the public see him as innocent. He does confront Adams about the source of the tollbooth picture which led to Richmond's arrest, but hasn't figured out a way to use it yet. Looking to get back in the race, he tasks the staff to come up with a grand gesture, and they do - a meeting with Chief Jackson with hopes of ending her work with Adams to develop the waterfront, which is his main campaign promise. But Richmond wants nothing to do with Jackson, and lets Gwen have it about the meeting. They also try to work out some of their personal issues - mainly how Richmond lied to Gwen about his whereabouts the night Rosie died.
2. Stan Larsen. Stan's public offer of a reward has driven all of the crazies to call him, and he's dim enough to think that some of the tips have merit. He tries to get Linden to check some of them out, and she has to break it to him that they're not going to help. He still goes through and meets with some of the callers, and has a good heart to heart with a woman who lost a daughter. And she knows Rosie loved her dad, and for a price she can get in touch with Rosie so they can talk again. Poor, dumb Stan.
1. Sarah Linden. She calls in for a search team to find Holder, but the team is cancelled by Lt. Carlson. She finally gets him to relent by asking how Internal Affairs will look upon his actions if Holder turns up dead. She faces off with Chief Jackson about the search, and Jackson calls what she things is a bluff, but isn't. Holder is found, and Linden gets to meet Mary and get more info on Rosie. Where things start to go south is when she returns to the station and finds the case files being taken away. Carlson asks Linden for her badge and gun, based on her actions at the Wapi Eagle. She then goes back to Holder's and finds the cops checking out his apartment, with Jack nowhere to be found. Jack ran to Reggie's boat slip, but she's gone. So this is how Sarah winds up sending Jack to Chicago and having no case to solve - except she wants to get Rosie Wapi Eagle key from evidence. That will turn out well.
3. Jack Linden. Finally gets a chance to break out of the homeless nightmare he's been in this season when his mom sends him to Chicago to stay with his dad. He's not happy about this - I know she's his mother, but I swear Jack has some sort of Stockholm Syndrome attachment to Sarah - but it's better than hiding out in various apartments and motels, thinking that every cop who shows up is going to put him in foster care.
2. Stephen Holder. Not the best start for Holder - he's found by a search party after having the crap beaten out of him - but he gets the matchbook to Sarah so she can meet up with the housekeeper from the Wapi Eagle. He later has a nice heart-to-heart with his nephew, most of which is overheard by his mom (Holder's sister) and will hopefully help get the family back together. He also gets to the airport to catch up with Linden, but too late to see Jack.
1. Mary. A housekeeper at the Wapi Eagle, she worked with Rosie, and found her backpack in a dumpster and returned it to the Larsens in case it would help solve the case. She also mentions the chief's purchase of cheap cleaners, which explains why Rosie had chemicals on her hands. We also learn that Rosie worked as a waitress as well, and not as a prostitute. Mary also makes another reference to the tenth floor, and that all of the keys the staff had to that floor were confiscated the day after Rosie died. This sets Linden on the trail of Rosie's key, which is in evidence.
Three Down
3. Darren Richmond. He's out of the hospital and seven points down to Mayor Adams. He's still not talking about where he was on the night of Rosie's murder, which doesn't help the public see him as innocent. He does confront Adams about the source of the tollbooth picture which led to Richmond's arrest, but hasn't figured out a way to use it yet. Looking to get back in the race, he tasks the staff to come up with a grand gesture, and they do - a meeting with Chief Jackson with hopes of ending her work with Adams to develop the waterfront, which is his main campaign promise. But Richmond wants nothing to do with Jackson, and lets Gwen have it about the meeting. They also try to work out some of their personal issues - mainly how Richmond lied to Gwen about his whereabouts the night Rosie died.
2. Stan Larsen. Stan's public offer of a reward has driven all of the crazies to call him, and he's dim enough to think that some of the tips have merit. He tries to get Linden to check some of them out, and she has to break it to him that they're not going to help. He still goes through and meets with some of the callers, and has a good heart to heart with a woman who lost a daughter. And she knows Rosie loved her dad, and for a price she can get in touch with Rosie so they can talk again. Poor, dumb Stan.
1. Sarah Linden. She calls in for a search team to find Holder, but the team is cancelled by Lt. Carlson. She finally gets him to relent by asking how Internal Affairs will look upon his actions if Holder turns up dead. She faces off with Chief Jackson about the search, and Jackson calls what she things is a bluff, but isn't. Holder is found, and Linden gets to meet Mary and get more info on Rosie. Where things start to go south is when she returns to the station and finds the case files being taken away. Carlson asks Linden for her badge and gun, based on her actions at the Wapi Eagle. She then goes back to Holder's and finds the cops checking out his apartment, with Jack nowhere to be found. Jack ran to Reggie's boat slip, but she's gone. So this is how Sarah winds up sending Jack to Chicago and having no case to solve - except she wants to get Rosie Wapi Eagle key from evidence. That will turn out well.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Upfronts: The CW
The last netlet standing has announced their 2012-13 schedule, and it's pretty much what you'd expect from an outfit that targets teens and tweens.
What's back? What's not? Outside of the shows that were cancelled early in their runs, the two noteworthy cancellations were The Secret Circle and Ringer. Neither was especially surprising, though I thought Ringer might pick up a second season. Shows that have done worse were renewed.
What's New? Three new shows for the fall, two midseason debuts, and a fair amount of shuffling:
Monday sees 90210 move to 8 pm, with the final season of Gossip Girl following. Once that show wraps, we'll get The Carrie Diaries, aka Teen Sex and the City, which is about Carrie Bradshaw growing up in the 1980s. Looking forward to the Very Special Episode about her first herpes scare.
Tuesday goes medical with Hart of Dixie at a new day and time, followed by the new show Emily Owens, M.D., which sounds like Grey's Anatomy: The New Class. Honestly, it's about a new intern at a hospital who learns that it's pretty much like high school all over again. So it's Grey's without the angst. Snore.
Wednesday leads with Arrow, a drama about the Green Arrow. Well timed given the success of The Avengers, not sure if the archery guy is the best one to spin into a TV show. That's followed by Supernatural, which seems like a nice fit. Thought this might be the last season but apparently not, no talk of it that I could find.
Thursday returns The Vampire Diaries and follows it with a reboot of Beauty and the Beast. I suppose it's been long enough since the CBS version to give it another shot, and maybe nostalgic moms will watch with their daughters. It's not the worst idea the network's ever had.
Friday starts with a relocated America's Next Top Model, which to me seems like a vote of no confidence between the flagging ratings and the cutting loose of Nigel Barker, J. Alexander, and Jay Manuel. After that it's Nikita, which did reasonably well on Fridays this past season (by CW standards for Friday). I don't know if they're a natural pair, but I'm happy to see that the network isn't trying to put more model-related programming on to play off of ANTM.
Saturday and Sunday continue as nights for the local affiliates to program, probably the smartest thing The CW has ever done.
Elsewhere at midseason you already know about The Carrie Diaries. The other show waiting in the wings is Cult, which is about a journalist whose brother claims that a TV show (also called Cult) is trying to hurt him. When the brother goes missing the journalist goes into action, and finds a production assistant on the show who is willing to help him uncover the darker side of the show and its rabid fans.
Summing up, I suppose it's a good thing that The CW has created thematic elements to each night, and that they're reasonably distinct (with the exception of Friday, whose theme seems to be "we need to put these shows someplace"). I do think that Tuesday may be a repetitive - the main difference in them seems to be that one is set at a hospital - but Monday's stew of gossip and sex seems to work for them, so maybe I'm making something out of this that isn't there. Anyway, nothing I'm really excited about but a seeming decent offering for the network's core viewers.
What's back? What's not? Outside of the shows that were cancelled early in their runs, the two noteworthy cancellations were The Secret Circle and Ringer. Neither was especially surprising, though I thought Ringer might pick up a second season. Shows that have done worse were renewed.
What's New? Three new shows for the fall, two midseason debuts, and a fair amount of shuffling:
Monday sees 90210 move to 8 pm, with the final season of Gossip Girl following. Once that show wraps, we'll get The Carrie Diaries, aka Teen Sex and the City, which is about Carrie Bradshaw growing up in the 1980s. Looking forward to the Very Special Episode about her first herpes scare.
Tuesday goes medical with Hart of Dixie at a new day and time, followed by the new show Emily Owens, M.D., which sounds like Grey's Anatomy: The New Class. Honestly, it's about a new intern at a hospital who learns that it's pretty much like high school all over again. So it's Grey's without the angst. Snore.
Wednesday leads with Arrow, a drama about the Green Arrow. Well timed given the success of The Avengers, not sure if the archery guy is the best one to spin into a TV show. That's followed by Supernatural, which seems like a nice fit. Thought this might be the last season but apparently not, no talk of it that I could find.
Thursday returns The Vampire Diaries and follows it with a reboot of Beauty and the Beast. I suppose it's been long enough since the CBS version to give it another shot, and maybe nostalgic moms will watch with their daughters. It's not the worst idea the network's ever had.
Friday starts with a relocated America's Next Top Model, which to me seems like a vote of no confidence between the flagging ratings and the cutting loose of Nigel Barker, J. Alexander, and Jay Manuel. After that it's Nikita, which did reasonably well on Fridays this past season (by CW standards for Friday). I don't know if they're a natural pair, but I'm happy to see that the network isn't trying to put more model-related programming on to play off of ANTM.
Saturday and Sunday continue as nights for the local affiliates to program, probably the smartest thing The CW has ever done.
Elsewhere at midseason you already know about The Carrie Diaries. The other show waiting in the wings is Cult, which is about a journalist whose brother claims that a TV show (also called Cult) is trying to hurt him. When the brother goes missing the journalist goes into action, and finds a production assistant on the show who is willing to help him uncover the darker side of the show and its rabid fans.
Summing up, I suppose it's a good thing that The CW has created thematic elements to each night, and that they're reasonably distinct (with the exception of Friday, whose theme seems to be "we need to put these shows someplace"). I do think that Tuesday may be a repetitive - the main difference in them seems to be that one is set at a hospital - but Monday's stew of gossip and sex seems to work for them, so maybe I'm making something out of this that isn't there. Anyway, nothing I'm really excited about but a seeming decent offering for the network's core viewers.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Upfronts: CBS
You know when you're in a good position? When your fall schedule has as many time changes as new shows. It's good to be the king.
What's back? What's not? While most of the shows CBS cut were known, we now know for certain that CSI: Miami and Unforgettable are done.The former had been rumored for some time, the latter a case of sliding ratings as the year progressed. A Gifted Man was cut as well, which I think was pretty much expected as well. Rules of Engagement is apparently still in limbo.
What's new? Not a great deal, only four new shows on the fall schedule.
Monday leads with How I Met Your Mother, which is followed by one of the new shows, Partners. Based on the lives of its creators, it has best friends - a no-nonsense architect and his more outgoing co-worker who is gay - whose relationship is tested when the straight one gets engaged. Not the most original territory, but based on the time slot I'm guessing CBS has a lot of confidence in it.
Two Broke Girls moves to 9, where it is followed by Mike & Molly, with Hawaii 5-0 wrapping the night.
Tuesday gives us the NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles double whammy, and wraps with the new drama Vegas, which tries to catch on to the Mad Men vibe by being based on the true story of Ralph Lamb, a rancher and sheriff in 1960s Las Vegas who has to use all of his experience to corral the growing crime and sleaze, most notably in taking on a mobster who just relocated from Chicago, played by Michael Chiklis. Pan Am and The Playboy Club are cautionary tales, but I'd like to think that those lessons are now learned and this turns out to be a good show.
Wednesday is all returning shows, Survivor, Criminal Minds, and the original CSI.
Thursday leads with The Big Bang Theory, which is followed by the relocated Two and a Half Men. Person of Interest follows, and at 10 pm we have the new show Elementary, which is apparently ripping off Masterpiece Mystery by giving us a modern day setting for Sherlock Holmes. He's also moved to New York (thanks to a drug-fueled falling out in London), and his Dr. Watson is an addiction specialist (now without license) played by Lucy Liu. This could be great, but it could also crash and burn.
Friday leads with CSI: NY, which is followed by new show Made in Jersey, about a lawyer from a working class background who uses her street smarts to succeed where her colleagues can only rely on their Ivy League pedigrees. Meh. The night ends with Blue Bloods.
Saturday continues the them from Friday with two hours of Crimetime Saturday and an hour of 48 Hours Mystery.
Sunday brings back the usual lineup of 60 Minutes, The Amazing Race, and The Good Wife. At 10 we have The Mentalist, creating yet another solid night of programming.
Elsewhere at midseason you have a drama called Golden Boy about the youngest commissioner in NYPD history and how he got to the top post. On the comedy side there's Friend Me, where friends from Indiana move to LA and take different paths to making friends (one in person, on online). One posts a notice for new friends at a coffee house, with the expected results. There's also a reality show, The Job, where contestants try to get hired by major companies, kind of a hybrid of The Apprentice and Shark Tank.
Summing up, CBS benefits from being out in front. They don't have to roll out as many new shows, and they can move around existing ones to build strength. That being said, they're also taking some risks with the new shows (Elementary and Vegas, for example), which will set them up for years if they're done right.
What's back? What's not? While most of the shows CBS cut were known, we now know for certain that CSI: Miami and Unforgettable are done.The former had been rumored for some time, the latter a case of sliding ratings as the year progressed. A Gifted Man was cut as well, which I think was pretty much expected as well. Rules of Engagement is apparently still in limbo.
What's new? Not a great deal, only four new shows on the fall schedule.
Monday leads with How I Met Your Mother, which is followed by one of the new shows, Partners. Based on the lives of its creators, it has best friends - a no-nonsense architect and his more outgoing co-worker who is gay - whose relationship is tested when the straight one gets engaged. Not the most original territory, but based on the time slot I'm guessing CBS has a lot of confidence in it.
Two Broke Girls moves to 9, where it is followed by Mike & Molly, with Hawaii 5-0 wrapping the night.
Tuesday gives us the NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles double whammy, and wraps with the new drama Vegas, which tries to catch on to the Mad Men vibe by being based on the true story of Ralph Lamb, a rancher and sheriff in 1960s Las Vegas who has to use all of his experience to corral the growing crime and sleaze, most notably in taking on a mobster who just relocated from Chicago, played by Michael Chiklis. Pan Am and The Playboy Club are cautionary tales, but I'd like to think that those lessons are now learned and this turns out to be a good show.
Wednesday is all returning shows, Survivor, Criminal Minds, and the original CSI.
Thursday leads with The Big Bang Theory, which is followed by the relocated Two and a Half Men. Person of Interest follows, and at 10 pm we have the new show Elementary, which is apparently ripping off Masterpiece Mystery by giving us a modern day setting for Sherlock Holmes. He's also moved to New York (thanks to a drug-fueled falling out in London), and his Dr. Watson is an addiction specialist (now without license) played by Lucy Liu. This could be great, but it could also crash and burn.
Friday leads with CSI: NY, which is followed by new show Made in Jersey, about a lawyer from a working class background who uses her street smarts to succeed where her colleagues can only rely on their Ivy League pedigrees. Meh. The night ends with Blue Bloods.
Saturday continues the them from Friday with two hours of Crimetime Saturday and an hour of 48 Hours Mystery.
Sunday brings back the usual lineup of 60 Minutes, The Amazing Race, and The Good Wife. At 10 we have The Mentalist, creating yet another solid night of programming.
Elsewhere at midseason you have a drama called Golden Boy about the youngest commissioner in NYPD history and how he got to the top post. On the comedy side there's Friend Me, where friends from Indiana move to LA and take different paths to making friends (one in person, on online). One posts a notice for new friends at a coffee house, with the expected results. There's also a reality show, The Job, where contestants try to get hired by major companies, kind of a hybrid of The Apprentice and Shark Tank.
Summing up, CBS benefits from being out in front. They don't have to roll out as many new shows, and they can move around existing ones to build strength. That being said, they're also taking some risks with the new shows (Elementary and Vegas, for example), which will set them up for years if they're done right.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Upfronts: ABC
A little retooling with ABC, but not too much.
What's Back? What's Not? ABC brought back two mideason shows - Don't Trust the B---- in Apt 23 and Scandal, but not The River or GCB (or, as we're still thankful for, Work It). Pan Am got the expected axe as well, not sure why the network let it linger for as long as it did. There's no Cougar Town, either, but it's hardly surprising as the news has been out for a while that it's likely heading to TBS.
What's New? There appear to be seven new shows on the schedule, evenly mixed between comedy and drama.
Monday brings nothing new, with two hours of Dancing With the Stars (fall) and The Bachelor (spring) leading into Castle. Boring but steady performers, as long as the bottom doesn't drop out of either reality show.
Tuesday leads with the DWTS results show, which leads into relocated Happy Endings and Don't Trust the B---- in Apt 23 at 9, with Private Practice taking the 10 pm slot. Private Practice seems to have settled in to its slot, but there's talk this might be the show's final season (with only 13 episodes ordered to boot).
Two new sitcoms replace the results show in the spring. The first is How to Live With Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life), which stars Sarah Chalke as a single mom who moves back in with her parents (played by Elizabeth Perkins and Brad Garrett). Cross-generational hilarity will hopefully ensue. The other show is The Family Tools, about a son who takes over a handyman business from his ailing dad (J.K. Simmons, apparently getting comedy cred for his Farmers Insurance ads), and the family that's waiting for the son to fail based on his shaky employment history. I'm catching a bit of an Arrested Development vibe from the press release, which might be worth something if (a) the show actually shares this vibe, and (b) the actual Arrested Development wasn't coming back (even if just to Netflix).
Interesting sitcom battle brewing on Tuesdays,especially between the two hour blocks here and on Fox.
Wednesday starts with three returning sitcoms - The Middle, Suburgatory, and Modern Family. At 10 pm we have Nashville, an All About Eve-inspired drama where an established country music star waning in popularity (Connie Britton) is set up to tour with an up and coming singer (Hayden Panettiere) in an attempt to use the newcomer's fanbase to reinvigorate her own. The newbie, of course, sees this as her opportunity to grab the spotlight and take her place as a top performer. There's also subplots involving a songwriter and the established singer's father, who is a powerful figure in Tennessee business and politics. This could work out pretty well given the cast (the dad is played by Powers Boothe, who will hopefully be as brooding and menacing as he was on 24). It can't do any worse than the last network show called Nashville.
In between all of this at 9:30 is The Neighbors. A family moves into a gated community in New Jersey that almost never has openings (the last one was 10 years ago). Once they move in, they notice some strange things involving their neighbors, such as they all have pro athlete names. A dinner party reveals the truth: the community is made up of aliens, and the new family is the first real interaction they've had with Earthlings. Wackiness ensues as we learn about the differences (men have the babies!) and, of course, just how similar we all are.
There's high concept, and then there's geostationary orbit concept.
Thursday starts with Last Resort, a Crimson Tide meets Lost affair, where a US submarine is told to fire its nuclear missiles at Pakistan, but both the captain and the XO refuse to fire without confirmation. The sub is then fired upon, and is forced to limp to a remote island, where the crew disembarks and sets up shop while trying to figure out just what is going on.
And Andre Braugher is playing the captain? I'm in.
Grey's Anatomy returns at 9, and Scandal keeps the 10 pm slot it started in.
Should be a solid night, but once again ABC puts a show at the 8 pm hour that doesn't quite sync with the rest of the night (past examples: Flash Forward and My Generation). Third time's the charm?
Friday starts the season with Shark Tank, Primetime: What Would You Do?, and 20/20. In November, 20/20 drops off the schedule, the other two shows move one hour later, and we get sitcoms in the 8 pm hour. The first is Last Man Standing, which I expect will suffer from the move. It's followed by Malibu Country, where the freshly divorced wife (Reba, who now only goes by Reba? Did I miss her ditching her last name?) of a country music legend gathers her family and moves to Southern California to jump start her own musical career, which she put on hold to raise a family. Lily Tomlin plays her mom, and Sara Rue her new Malibu neighbor. Could be family friendly, I suppose.
Saturday brings college football, until there is no more college football, at which point we'll get reruns or dead air or something.
Sunday kick off, as it has since the Clinton administration, with America's Funniest Home Videos. This is followed by Once Upon a Time and Revenge (which seems appropriately sudsy, if a little darker, than Desperate Housewives). The 10 pm hour is taken by the new drama 666 Park Avenue, the street address of an apartment building whose residents can meet their highest (or lowest) goals, ambitions and desires, just so long as they meet the demands of the building's owner (Terry O'Quinn) and his wife (Vanessa Williams). The nature of this arrangement becomes clear when a new couple moves to New York to manage the building. Sounds like a more demonic spin on Fantasy Island, but I'll tune in just to see if O'Quinn can channel the undead John Locke.
Elsewhere at midseason Body of Proof will fit in somewhere. There's also a US version of Mistresses, widow takes on the mob drama Red Widow, and a Da Vinci Code/National Treasure clone called Zero Hour that I admit I will watch because I'm a giant nerd.
Summing up. I imagine ABC will do reasonably well as long as the veteran series hold up. At least a couple of the new dramas seem promising, making up for the sitcoms, which don't sound like much to me.
What's Back? What's Not? ABC brought back two mideason shows - Don't Trust the B---- in Apt 23 and Scandal, but not The River or GCB (or, as we're still thankful for, Work It). Pan Am got the expected axe as well, not sure why the network let it linger for as long as it did. There's no Cougar Town, either, but it's hardly surprising as the news has been out for a while that it's likely heading to TBS.
What's New? There appear to be seven new shows on the schedule, evenly mixed between comedy and drama.
Monday brings nothing new, with two hours of Dancing With the Stars (fall) and The Bachelor (spring) leading into Castle. Boring but steady performers, as long as the bottom doesn't drop out of either reality show.
Tuesday leads with the DWTS results show, which leads into relocated Happy Endings and Don't Trust the B---- in Apt 23 at 9, with Private Practice taking the 10 pm slot. Private Practice seems to have settled in to its slot, but there's talk this might be the show's final season (with only 13 episodes ordered to boot).
Two new sitcoms replace the results show in the spring. The first is How to Live With Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life), which stars Sarah Chalke as a single mom who moves back in with her parents (played by Elizabeth Perkins and Brad Garrett). Cross-generational hilarity will hopefully ensue. The other show is The Family Tools, about a son who takes over a handyman business from his ailing dad (J.K. Simmons, apparently getting comedy cred for his Farmers Insurance ads), and the family that's waiting for the son to fail based on his shaky employment history. I'm catching a bit of an Arrested Development vibe from the press release, which might be worth something if (a) the show actually shares this vibe, and (b) the actual Arrested Development wasn't coming back (even if just to Netflix).
Interesting sitcom battle brewing on Tuesdays,especially between the two hour blocks here and on Fox.
Wednesday starts with three returning sitcoms - The Middle, Suburgatory, and Modern Family. At 10 pm we have Nashville, an All About Eve-inspired drama where an established country music star waning in popularity (Connie Britton) is set up to tour with an up and coming singer (Hayden Panettiere) in an attempt to use the newcomer's fanbase to reinvigorate her own. The newbie, of course, sees this as her opportunity to grab the spotlight and take her place as a top performer. There's also subplots involving a songwriter and the established singer's father, who is a powerful figure in Tennessee business and politics. This could work out pretty well given the cast (the dad is played by Powers Boothe, who will hopefully be as brooding and menacing as he was on 24). It can't do any worse than the last network show called Nashville.
In between all of this at 9:30 is The Neighbors. A family moves into a gated community in New Jersey that almost never has openings (the last one was 10 years ago). Once they move in, they notice some strange things involving their neighbors, such as they all have pro athlete names. A dinner party reveals the truth: the community is made up of aliens, and the new family is the first real interaction they've had with Earthlings. Wackiness ensues as we learn about the differences (men have the babies!) and, of course, just how similar we all are.
There's high concept, and then there's geostationary orbit concept.
Thursday starts with Last Resort, a Crimson Tide meets Lost affair, where a US submarine is told to fire its nuclear missiles at Pakistan, but both the captain and the XO refuse to fire without confirmation. The sub is then fired upon, and is forced to limp to a remote island, where the crew disembarks and sets up shop while trying to figure out just what is going on.
And Andre Braugher is playing the captain? I'm in.
Grey's Anatomy returns at 9, and Scandal keeps the 10 pm slot it started in.
Should be a solid night, but once again ABC puts a show at the 8 pm hour that doesn't quite sync with the rest of the night (past examples: Flash Forward and My Generation). Third time's the charm?
Friday starts the season with Shark Tank, Primetime: What Would You Do?, and 20/20. In November, 20/20 drops off the schedule, the other two shows move one hour later, and we get sitcoms in the 8 pm hour. The first is Last Man Standing, which I expect will suffer from the move. It's followed by Malibu Country, where the freshly divorced wife (Reba, who now only goes by Reba? Did I miss her ditching her last name?) of a country music legend gathers her family and moves to Southern California to jump start her own musical career, which she put on hold to raise a family. Lily Tomlin plays her mom, and Sara Rue her new Malibu neighbor. Could be family friendly, I suppose.
Saturday brings college football, until there is no more college football, at which point we'll get reruns or dead air or something.
Sunday kick off, as it has since the Clinton administration, with America's Funniest Home Videos. This is followed by Once Upon a Time and Revenge (which seems appropriately sudsy, if a little darker, than Desperate Housewives). The 10 pm hour is taken by the new drama 666 Park Avenue, the street address of an apartment building whose residents can meet their highest (or lowest) goals, ambitions and desires, just so long as they meet the demands of the building's owner (Terry O'Quinn) and his wife (Vanessa Williams). The nature of this arrangement becomes clear when a new couple moves to New York to manage the building. Sounds like a more demonic spin on Fantasy Island, but I'll tune in just to see if O'Quinn can channel the undead John Locke.
Elsewhere at midseason Body of Proof will fit in somewhere. There's also a US version of Mistresses, widow takes on the mob drama Red Widow, and a Da Vinci Code/National Treasure clone called Zero Hour that I admit I will watch because I'm a giant nerd.
Summing up. I imagine ABC will do reasonably well as long as the veteran series hold up. At least a couple of the new dramas seem promising, making up for the sitcoms, which don't sound like much to me.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Upfronts: Fox
I hate it when two networks present on the same day, especially if one of them is not The CW. You could dispense with them in about an hour over lunch at Zabar's. Seriously, journalists, suck it up and fly our Friday night. Anyway:
What's back? What's not? No huge surprises, among the returning are New Girl, Touch, and The X-Factor are back for new shows. Mobbed is back, which I guess is a surprise as I know anything about it. Most of the cancellations were known in advance, and include House, Alcatraz, Allan Gregory, Breaking In, The Finder, Terra Nova and I Hate My Teenaged Daughter.
What's new? Mostly drama, and some relocated returning shows.
Monday opens with Bones, which leads into new show The Mob Doctor, which is pretty much what it sounds like. A doctor (Jordan Spiro of My Boys) plays a doctor who has to balance her practice with honoring a family debt to a South Side Chicago outfit. That gets replaced at midseason with The Following, which stars Kevin Bacon as an ex-FBI agent brought out of retirement to track a serial killer. The show is also created by Kevin Williamson, for what that's worth. Neither concept is particularly interesting, but if handled correctly both could be done quite well. Bacon's presence will certainly help.
Tuesday will pose a problem for NBC and its plan to focus on the 9 o'clock hour. The opening hour will be reasonably strong with Raising Hope (which then has to hope that mismatched sibling sitcom Ben and Kate will hold on to enough of its lead in). At 9 we get New Girl to start things, and following that is The Mindy Project, created by and starring Mindy Kaling. She plays an OB/GYN who is trying to have it all, and failing in hopefully comedic ways. I have more faith in Kaling to pull of this Bridget Jones-style sitcom than I would with most people. It also seems like a good pairing with New Girl, both in terms of having a strong lead-in and with what I'm think the tone would be like. Maybe NBC will find that these are too female centered and have their shows flourish with guys. Not counting on it.
Wednesday will have The X-Factor (with new judges Demi Lovato and Britney Spears) in the fall and American Idol in the spring. Makes sense, and avoids any direct competition with The Voice.
Thursday will start with results shows for whichever singing program is airing on Wednesday, followed by Glee. Not sure how I feel about the move. The execs at Fox apparently wanted a four show comedy block and preferred to have it on Tuesday. That part of things I understand. Pushing Glee into what might be the most competitive hour of prime time TV I don't. Ratings flagged this season, and the current season's been pretty uneven. The folks at Fox see a chance for creative renewal based on current characters graduating and new ones joining New Directors. I just hope that (a) the show doesn't start to split time between McKinley and the grads, and (b) we aren't forced to spend even more time with people who appeared on The Glee Project.
Friday has Touch leading into the final season of Fringe. While moving to Friday is generally seen as the kiss of death, Fox sees this as an opportunity for Touch to morph into Fringe's model of success through DVR viewing (something like 70 percent of Fringe viewers time shift). From a personal standpoint, I think it's a good idea, as we DVR almost nothing on Fridays, so there's one fewer conflict to deal with.
Hell's Kitchen picks up for Fringe once it's done. Sensible, I suppose, as some of the contestants appear to be from Neptune.
Saturday offers us something called Fox Sports Saturday, which I'm guessing will feature bear bating and foxy boxing.
Sunday returns all of the animation block from last year.
Elsewhere at midseason we have The Goodwill Games, a sitcom about three siblings who reconnect after their dad dies, only to learn that their inheritance will only pay out if they stick to rules set by their dad before he died. Sounds like a laugh fest.
To sum up, I think Fox is in pretty good shape. There are strong shows mixed with the new, and each night has a theme, be it comedy, music, or "OMG, it's Kevin Bacon!"
What's back? What's not? No huge surprises, among the returning are New Girl, Touch, and The X-Factor are back for new shows. Mobbed is back, which I guess is a surprise as I know anything about it. Most of the cancellations were known in advance, and include House, Alcatraz, Allan Gregory, Breaking In, The Finder, Terra Nova and I Hate My Teenaged Daughter.
What's new? Mostly drama, and some relocated returning shows.
Monday opens with Bones, which leads into new show The Mob Doctor, which is pretty much what it sounds like. A doctor (Jordan Spiro of My Boys) plays a doctor who has to balance her practice with honoring a family debt to a South Side Chicago outfit. That gets replaced at midseason with The Following, which stars Kevin Bacon as an ex-FBI agent brought out of retirement to track a serial killer. The show is also created by Kevin Williamson, for what that's worth. Neither concept is particularly interesting, but if handled correctly both could be done quite well. Bacon's presence will certainly help.
Tuesday will pose a problem for NBC and its plan to focus on the 9 o'clock hour. The opening hour will be reasonably strong with Raising Hope (which then has to hope that mismatched sibling sitcom Ben and Kate will hold on to enough of its lead in). At 9 we get New Girl to start things, and following that is The Mindy Project, created by and starring Mindy Kaling. She plays an OB/GYN who is trying to have it all, and failing in hopefully comedic ways. I have more faith in Kaling to pull of this Bridget Jones-style sitcom than I would with most people. It also seems like a good pairing with New Girl, both in terms of having a strong lead-in and with what I'm think the tone would be like. Maybe NBC will find that these are too female centered and have their shows flourish with guys. Not counting on it.
Wednesday will have The X-Factor (with new judges Demi Lovato and Britney Spears) in the fall and American Idol in the spring. Makes sense, and avoids any direct competition with The Voice.
Thursday will start with results shows for whichever singing program is airing on Wednesday, followed by Glee. Not sure how I feel about the move. The execs at Fox apparently wanted a four show comedy block and preferred to have it on Tuesday. That part of things I understand. Pushing Glee into what might be the most competitive hour of prime time TV I don't. Ratings flagged this season, and the current season's been pretty uneven. The folks at Fox see a chance for creative renewal based on current characters graduating and new ones joining New Directors. I just hope that (a) the show doesn't start to split time between McKinley and the grads, and (b) we aren't forced to spend even more time with people who appeared on The Glee Project.
Friday has Touch leading into the final season of Fringe. While moving to Friday is generally seen as the kiss of death, Fox sees this as an opportunity for Touch to morph into Fringe's model of success through DVR viewing (something like 70 percent of Fringe viewers time shift). From a personal standpoint, I think it's a good idea, as we DVR almost nothing on Fridays, so there's one fewer conflict to deal with.
Hell's Kitchen picks up for Fringe once it's done. Sensible, I suppose, as some of the contestants appear to be from Neptune.
Saturday offers us something called Fox Sports Saturday, which I'm guessing will feature bear bating and foxy boxing.
Sunday returns all of the animation block from last year.
Elsewhere at midseason we have The Goodwill Games, a sitcom about three siblings who reconnect after their dad dies, only to learn that their inheritance will only pay out if they stick to rules set by their dad before he died. Sounds like a laugh fest.
To sum up, I think Fox is in pretty good shape. There are strong shows mixed with the new, and each night has a theme, be it comedy, music, or "OMG, it's Kevin Bacon!"
Upfronts: NBC
The TV silly season kicks off in earnest today, as NBC starts off the week of network upfronts where the hope is that advertisers, excited by the announcement of the planned 2012-13 prime time lineup, will snap up ad space. I don't get the sense that there'll be a lot of snapping for the Peacock.
What's back? What's not? The biggest surprises for me were the return of Whitney and the cancellation of Harry's Law. The former is a modest performer at best. which the latter was able to hold its own (if not rule) on Sunday nights. But as is so often the case, a show that performs modestly but pulls in younger viewers will get more of a break than one that skews older.
There are a bunch of reality/competition programs (The Biggest Loser, The Apprentice, Who Do You Think You Are?, The Sing-Off) that are not yet scheduled. But Fashion Star, which has not impressed, is back.
Kind of sad to see that Awake didn't make the cut, as I enjoyed its inventive approach, but hardly unexpected. And given the direction NBC is going in, I'd feel pretty badly if you're involved with Are You There, Chelsea?, Bent, or Best Friends Forever.
What's new? And the reason for feeling badly is that NBC is littering the schedule with comedy, strewing sitcoms over four nights of the week. The odds were in your favor if you could get a sitcom on the network, really. There's also likely some concern about replacing some of the older sitcoms, as we'll see as we go day by day:
Monday opens with The Voice, which has now proven itself enough to the network that they can run it into the ground. After two hours of singing, we turn to the latest J.J. Abrams offering, Revolution, which follows what happens if we all of a sudden no longer had electricity. It sounds a bit like the Emberverse series of sci-fi/fantasy novels by S. M. Stirling, just with less bloodshed and Wiccans, or like The Walking Dead without zombies (to which I'd say: why?). Still, I tend to give Abrams a chance (kind of liked Alcatraz).
Tuesday bring us another hour of The Voice, followed by two new sitcoms, Go On and The New Normal. Depending on your age, these will feel pretty familiar, as Go On is pretty much a reboot of Dear John and The New Normal a rip-off of Modern Family. The former starts Matthew Perry, while the latter comes from Ryan Murphy, who brought us Glee. So there's at least an outside chance that these won't suck. The night ends with Parenthood, which I'd kind of forgotten was still on.
Wednesday starts with Animal Practice, which is about a gifted but unorthodox veteranarian who works at an animal hospital now run by his ex-girlfriend, who knows business but not animals. Strange premise, I have to say, but I suppose there's an unchecked box somewhere that an animal-based office/rom-com fills. The other show is Guys With Kids, which is the billionth sitcom premised on guys trying to stay guyish while doing girlie things, like raising kids. The press release promises a scene of guys wearing Baby Bjorns to the bar, which seems about right for a show created by Jimmy Fallon.
After the 232rd season of Law & Order: SVU, we get Chicago Fire, also from Dick Wolf. As you might guess, it's about the men and women who staff a fire house in Chicago. Jesse Spencer - Chase from House - stars. Even with the Wolf pedigree I'm dubious, as firefighting shows never really work out (or perhaps I should say network firefighter shows thanks to Rescue Me).
Thursday offers a veteran line-up of 30 Rock, Up All Night, The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Rock Center. It's the last season for 30 Rock (though there was some loose talk by the NBC Entertainment head that it wasn't), could be the last season for The Office as well as the pace picks up on a Dwight-themed spinoff. Unsure why Rock Center gets the plum 10 pm spot here. Guessing it's counter-programming.
Friday starts with what is easily the biggest surprise on their schedule - Whitney. There's nothing about the show that screams renewal - ratings were easily as tepid as the other returning sitcoms, and it has none of the critical appeal of the others - but here it is. It's paired with Community, and while it's great to have that show back at all, it has to hurt to be on Friday and following what I would consider a lesser show. Even worse, Dan Harmon may be leaving, at least in part due to a falling out with Chevy Chase. Personally, I think you keep Harmon and send Chase packing, but it's obviously not that easy.
Grimm returns at 9 - the first of what will be many genre shows on Friday - and Dateline rolls along at 10.
Saturday is reruns and burn-offs. Enjoy.
Sunday is still Football Night in America, at least until January. Once the NFL wraps we get Dateline to start the night, the double whammy of Fashion Star and The Apprentice to take up the 8 and 9 o'clock hours, and then what might be the most interesting new offering at 10, Do No Harm. It's a modern version of the Jekyll and Hyde story, which strikes me as a little dark and serious for Sunday nights (at least on network). Personally, I'd put this show on Thursday, move Rock Center to Tuesdays and put Parenthood here, assuming they could all start at the new days and times. Of course, Do No Harm might suck and leave a big hole on Thursdays. OK, bigger hole.
Elsewhere at midseason I'd keep an eye out for Hannibal, a drama about the famed Carthaginian general and statesman. OK, it's a TV version of the Hannibal Lecter story, but wouldn't it be great if it was a historical drama in the style of Rome? Instead, we get this attempt to grab at Dexter's audience.
Among the midseason sitcoms worth noting are Next Caller, starring Dane Cook as some sort of shock jock who gets paired with (and I quote the press release) a "chipper NPR feminist." Ugh. There's also 1600 Penn, a family sitcom where the dad just happens to be the President. Bill Pullman stars, and I think I'd rather see Houston get vaporized under his watch again than see this.
To sum up, NBC's continued attempt to rebuild doesn't do much for me. Rebuilding around comedy is an idea only as good as the shows, and I don't think they're strong enough, especially if Whitney is one of the shows you're going to war with.
What's back? What's not? The biggest surprises for me were the return of Whitney and the cancellation of Harry's Law. The former is a modest performer at best. which the latter was able to hold its own (if not rule) on Sunday nights. But as is so often the case, a show that performs modestly but pulls in younger viewers will get more of a break than one that skews older.
There are a bunch of reality/competition programs (The Biggest Loser, The Apprentice, Who Do You Think You Are?, The Sing-Off) that are not yet scheduled. But Fashion Star, which has not impressed, is back.
Kind of sad to see that Awake didn't make the cut, as I enjoyed its inventive approach, but hardly unexpected. And given the direction NBC is going in, I'd feel pretty badly if you're involved with Are You There, Chelsea?, Bent, or Best Friends Forever.
What's new? And the reason for feeling badly is that NBC is littering the schedule with comedy, strewing sitcoms over four nights of the week. The odds were in your favor if you could get a sitcom on the network, really. There's also likely some concern about replacing some of the older sitcoms, as we'll see as we go day by day:
Monday opens with The Voice, which has now proven itself enough to the network that they can run it into the ground. After two hours of singing, we turn to the latest J.J. Abrams offering, Revolution, which follows what happens if we all of a sudden no longer had electricity. It sounds a bit like the Emberverse series of sci-fi/fantasy novels by S. M. Stirling, just with less bloodshed and Wiccans, or like The Walking Dead without zombies (to which I'd say: why?). Still, I tend to give Abrams a chance (kind of liked Alcatraz).
Tuesday bring us another hour of The Voice, followed by two new sitcoms, Go On and The New Normal. Depending on your age, these will feel pretty familiar, as Go On is pretty much a reboot of Dear John and The New Normal a rip-off of Modern Family. The former starts Matthew Perry, while the latter comes from Ryan Murphy, who brought us Glee. So there's at least an outside chance that these won't suck. The night ends with Parenthood, which I'd kind of forgotten was still on.
Wednesday starts with Animal Practice, which is about a gifted but unorthodox veteranarian who works at an animal hospital now run by his ex-girlfriend, who knows business but not animals. Strange premise, I have to say, but I suppose there's an unchecked box somewhere that an animal-based office/rom-com fills. The other show is Guys With Kids, which is the billionth sitcom premised on guys trying to stay guyish while doing girlie things, like raising kids. The press release promises a scene of guys wearing Baby Bjorns to the bar, which seems about right for a show created by Jimmy Fallon.
After the 232rd season of Law & Order: SVU, we get Chicago Fire, also from Dick Wolf. As you might guess, it's about the men and women who staff a fire house in Chicago. Jesse Spencer - Chase from House - stars. Even with the Wolf pedigree I'm dubious, as firefighting shows never really work out (or perhaps I should say network firefighter shows thanks to Rescue Me).
Thursday offers a veteran line-up of 30 Rock, Up All Night, The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Rock Center. It's the last season for 30 Rock (though there was some loose talk by the NBC Entertainment head that it wasn't), could be the last season for The Office as well as the pace picks up on a Dwight-themed spinoff. Unsure why Rock Center gets the plum 10 pm spot here. Guessing it's counter-programming.
Friday starts with what is easily the biggest surprise on their schedule - Whitney. There's nothing about the show that screams renewal - ratings were easily as tepid as the other returning sitcoms, and it has none of the critical appeal of the others - but here it is. It's paired with Community, and while it's great to have that show back at all, it has to hurt to be on Friday and following what I would consider a lesser show. Even worse, Dan Harmon may be leaving, at least in part due to a falling out with Chevy Chase. Personally, I think you keep Harmon and send Chase packing, but it's obviously not that easy.
Grimm returns at 9 - the first of what will be many genre shows on Friday - and Dateline rolls along at 10.
Saturday is reruns and burn-offs. Enjoy.
Sunday is still Football Night in America, at least until January. Once the NFL wraps we get Dateline to start the night, the double whammy of Fashion Star and The Apprentice to take up the 8 and 9 o'clock hours, and then what might be the most interesting new offering at 10, Do No Harm. It's a modern version of the Jekyll and Hyde story, which strikes me as a little dark and serious for Sunday nights (at least on network). Personally, I'd put this show on Thursday, move Rock Center to Tuesdays and put Parenthood here, assuming they could all start at the new days and times. Of course, Do No Harm might suck and leave a big hole on Thursdays. OK, bigger hole.
Elsewhere at midseason I'd keep an eye out for Hannibal, a drama about the famed Carthaginian general and statesman. OK, it's a TV version of the Hannibal Lecter story, but wouldn't it be great if it was a historical drama in the style of Rome? Instead, we get this attempt to grab at Dexter's audience.
Among the midseason sitcoms worth noting are Next Caller, starring Dane Cook as some sort of shock jock who gets paired with (and I quote the press release) a "chipper NPR feminist." Ugh. There's also 1600 Penn, a family sitcom where the dad just happens to be the President. Bill Pullman stars, and I think I'd rather see Houston get vaporized under his watch again than see this.
To sum up, NBC's continued attempt to rebuild doesn't do much for me. Rebuilding around comedy is an idea only as good as the shows, and I don't think they're strong enough, especially if Whitney is one of the shows you're going to war with.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Three Up, Three Down: Mad Men
Three Up
3. Jane Sterling. She's getting a new apartment after asking Roger to move her out of their old place (whose landlord is Roger's mom), with a minimum of fuss. She also accompanies Roger to a business dinner with the folks behind Manischewitz, and may have found her new beau in the owner's son, who takes a shine to her. She does get the new apartment, but when she hooks up with Roger after the dinner she feels that the apartment is tainted. So not a great way to end, but she may still be up more than others in this episode.
2. Michael Ginsburg. Don stops by Ginzo's desk to turn off a light and then sees a folder full of ideas for Snowball, which they're pitching shortly. The quality and quantity of ideas gets Don back to work, but his idea (involving a devil) takes a bit of a back seat to Ginzo's idea (disliked people getting an actual snowball in the face). Don leaves Ginzo's pitch in the cab and his idea is bought. Ginzo learns about this from Harry, and confronts Don about this in the elevator. Don tries to treat him like an underling, but it's clear that Ginzo has the moral highground (and, in this case, the better idea). Ginzo also gets hired to work on the Manischewitz pitch, and while that's purposeful (being Jewish) and more of a set up for Peggy to confront Roger once she learns of the secret work, it's also a further indication that Ginzo is on the rise at SCDP. He just may be his own worst enemy.
1. Sally Draper. A good episode of growth for Sally, as she allows herself to get talked into bringing up Anna Draper to Megan by Betty, who wants to cause a rift to make herself feel better (more on this later). This does lead Sally to be rude towards Megan, who tries to explain Anna and Don as best she can. Sally later gets a talking to from Don that both explains Anna and sets Sally straight on why Betty had her ask Megan about Anna, and how Sally can address the situation like the young adult she claims to be. Sally appears to get this, and in the end she thwarts Betty's plan and gets an A+ on the family tree project that started the whole thing. She also gets a little dig in on Betty over Thanksgiving dinner that's subtle enough that I don't think anyone noticed.
Three Down
3. Don Draper. He's feeling threatened by Ginzo, and while he can pull rank (claiming taking in more than one idea is a sign of weakness, etc.), it doesn't change the fact that he pulled his first late night in ages after seeing the wealth of ideas that Ginzo worked up for Snowball. Don also has to sail some troubled family waters with the whole Anna thing, and while it gives him occasion to snap at both Megan (for addressing the issue at all) and Sally (for being Betty's pawn), he does at least manage to do the right thing (more or less) in both cases. The loss here is that he's not only seeing how the tobacco letter has hurt business, but that he now has a very talented underling who could make Don more like Roger if things don't change.
2. Megan Draper. Professional and personal issues for Megan, as she reads through a part with a friend for Dark Shadows, and when Megan knocks the material for being crap, the friend notes that she can afford to be picky, as she doesn't have to wait tables between gigs. Megan takes offense at the suggestion she's not as committed to acting, but the truth at the core - that she can live off of Don - hits home. That the friend later gets the part and wants to celebrate over Thanksgiving dinner just piles on. The whole Anna Draper issue puts Megan in a tough position relative to Sally and Don, and while she tries gamely to breeze over the issue, Sally accuses Megan of lying (which is even worse when you consider that Sally really relies of Megan to tell the truth, as neither Don nor Betty can be counted on doing so). It apparently works out in the end, but the whole thing shows the thin line Megan has to walk with the kids.
1. Betty Francis. The show opens with Betty putting together her sad looking diet breakfast - half a grapefruit, a piece of toast and some cubes of cheese - and it appears her weekly visits to Weight Watchers may not always go as well as she'd like. They do help her sort out some personal issues, but in her usual way she later addresses them inappropriately. After seeing Megan in her bra and then reading a note Don left Megan that Bobby later used to doodle on, Betty obviously feels pain at no longer being young and thin, or having a husband who would write loving notes when he goes out to buy light bulbs. So she casually mentions Anna to Sally and hopes for the worst. When that doesn't happen, she just feels worse about herself. The coup de grace is Thanksgiving, with her sad little plate of food, each piece of which she apparently needs to chew very thoroughly. We are clearly heading towards a winter of Betty's discontent.
3. Jane Sterling. She's getting a new apartment after asking Roger to move her out of their old place (whose landlord is Roger's mom), with a minimum of fuss. She also accompanies Roger to a business dinner with the folks behind Manischewitz, and may have found her new beau in the owner's son, who takes a shine to her. She does get the new apartment, but when she hooks up with Roger after the dinner she feels that the apartment is tainted. So not a great way to end, but she may still be up more than others in this episode.
2. Michael Ginsburg. Don stops by Ginzo's desk to turn off a light and then sees a folder full of ideas for Snowball, which they're pitching shortly. The quality and quantity of ideas gets Don back to work, but his idea (involving a devil) takes a bit of a back seat to Ginzo's idea (disliked people getting an actual snowball in the face). Don leaves Ginzo's pitch in the cab and his idea is bought. Ginzo learns about this from Harry, and confronts Don about this in the elevator. Don tries to treat him like an underling, but it's clear that Ginzo has the moral highground (and, in this case, the better idea). Ginzo also gets hired to work on the Manischewitz pitch, and while that's purposeful (being Jewish) and more of a set up for Peggy to confront Roger once she learns of the secret work, it's also a further indication that Ginzo is on the rise at SCDP. He just may be his own worst enemy.
1. Sally Draper. A good episode of growth for Sally, as she allows herself to get talked into bringing up Anna Draper to Megan by Betty, who wants to cause a rift to make herself feel better (more on this later). This does lead Sally to be rude towards Megan, who tries to explain Anna and Don as best she can. Sally later gets a talking to from Don that both explains Anna and sets Sally straight on why Betty had her ask Megan about Anna, and how Sally can address the situation like the young adult she claims to be. Sally appears to get this, and in the end she thwarts Betty's plan and gets an A+ on the family tree project that started the whole thing. She also gets a little dig in on Betty over Thanksgiving dinner that's subtle enough that I don't think anyone noticed.
Three Down
3. Don Draper. He's feeling threatened by Ginzo, and while he can pull rank (claiming taking in more than one idea is a sign of weakness, etc.), it doesn't change the fact that he pulled his first late night in ages after seeing the wealth of ideas that Ginzo worked up for Snowball. Don also has to sail some troubled family waters with the whole Anna thing, and while it gives him occasion to snap at both Megan (for addressing the issue at all) and Sally (for being Betty's pawn), he does at least manage to do the right thing (more or less) in both cases. The loss here is that he's not only seeing how the tobacco letter has hurt business, but that he now has a very talented underling who could make Don more like Roger if things don't change.
2. Megan Draper. Professional and personal issues for Megan, as she reads through a part with a friend for Dark Shadows, and when Megan knocks the material for being crap, the friend notes that she can afford to be picky, as she doesn't have to wait tables between gigs. Megan takes offense at the suggestion she's not as committed to acting, but the truth at the core - that she can live off of Don - hits home. That the friend later gets the part and wants to celebrate over Thanksgiving dinner just piles on. The whole Anna Draper issue puts Megan in a tough position relative to Sally and Don, and while she tries gamely to breeze over the issue, Sally accuses Megan of lying (which is even worse when you consider that Sally really relies of Megan to tell the truth, as neither Don nor Betty can be counted on doing so). It apparently works out in the end, but the whole thing shows the thin line Megan has to walk with the kids.
1. Betty Francis. The show opens with Betty putting together her sad looking diet breakfast - half a grapefruit, a piece of toast and some cubes of cheese - and it appears her weekly visits to Weight Watchers may not always go as well as she'd like. They do help her sort out some personal issues, but in her usual way she later addresses them inappropriately. After seeing Megan in her bra and then reading a note Don left Megan that Bobby later used to doodle on, Betty obviously feels pain at no longer being young and thin, or having a husband who would write loving notes when he goes out to buy light bulbs. So she casually mentions Anna to Sally and hopes for the worst. When that doesn't happen, she just feels worse about herself. The coup de grace is Thanksgiving, with her sad little plate of food, each piece of which she apparently needs to chew very thoroughly. We are clearly heading towards a winter of Betty's discontent.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Three Up, Three Down: The Killing
(Sorry I didn't get to this earlier in the week. Also sorry that I'm offering a blanket apology rather than personally apologizing to the three of you who'll read this.)
Three Up
3. Stan Larsen. After spending most of the season moping around and doing the wrong thing, Stan finally sets himself in the direction of the right thing by getting the public to remember his daughter and get justice done. It's not always pretty - his statement during Richmond's press conference goes off the rails at the end - but between this and throwing Terry out of the house, he's beginning to reassert himself.
2. Darren Richmond. He's back on the campaign trail, and when Gwen's attempt at getting Stan to make a statement via subterfuge (a plea deal she can't deliver, and which Stan wisely passes on until it's in writing), Richmond goes to the Larsen house and has a good conversation about wanting to find the killer and how Stan needs to get people to remember Rosie if they're not doing a good enough job themselves. He also tells Gwen he will tell the truth about what he was doing the night of the murder, which she's not thrilled about, but it never comes to pass that we see. He's not all the way back, but he's getting there.
1. Nicole Jackson. The chief of the Kalimish tribe and head of the Wapi Eagle casino, she's asserted from the start that Rosie, as a minor, couldn't be in the casino. When Linden confronts her later that there's proof she was in the casino, Jackson uses her clout (and the lack of Linden's jurisdiction) to get Linden removed from the casino. She's taking a more direct approach with Holder, and with the backing of Ames and the mayor, she has to feel pretty good that whatever secret she's hiding on the 10th floor of the hotel will remain safe.
Three Down
3. Terry Marek. One of the boys mentions that the cops talked to Terry, and when she can't explain to Stan what they wanted he presses and learns that the boyfriend that just threw her over was Michael Ames. She also mentions that she had a role (if not the sole role) in getting Rosie hooked up with Beau Soleil. This enrages Stan, and he throws her out. She's now more alone than she's been in the entire series.
2. Jack Linden. Jack is clearly enamored with the idea of staying with Holder for the foreseeable future, but then has to make do when he and his mom move into yet another hotel. After getting a list of increasingly paranoid orders from his mom, he hunkers down rather sullenly. We next see him in the room with men claiming to be from Child Protective Services, answering a call about Sarah's neglect (question: did the call come from Jack's dad or Nicole Jackson, and how did whoever call find them?). Jack then sneaks out of the bathroom window, and with Sarah (who faked a call), they run away. Sarah tries to comfort him, but Jack is in the passenger's seat, sad and angry and not wanting to talk to his mother at all. I would not want to be in that kid's head.
1. Stephen Holder. Things start off well for him - he's a gracious host and his book on butterflies gives Linden an idea about checking out the casino and surrounding land. Holder is sent into the casino to sniff out new construction, and gets a lead to check out the 10th floor from a male hooker (his second stop after getting set up with an elderly female hooker). He can't get on to the 10th floor, but gets another break when a maid gives him a matchbook, and when getting off the elevator says she hopes the family got Rosie's backpack back OK. The matchbook has the time and location of a meeting, though it's questionable Holder will show, as he gets picked up casino security and is driven out to the woods, where a cross-section of the local Kalimish start to beat the tar out of him. Even worse, they kick-dial Linden, so not only is Holder possibly getting beat to death, his partner gets to hear it over her phone. Things went south really quickly, didn't they.
Three Up
3. Stan Larsen. After spending most of the season moping around and doing the wrong thing, Stan finally sets himself in the direction of the right thing by getting the public to remember his daughter and get justice done. It's not always pretty - his statement during Richmond's press conference goes off the rails at the end - but between this and throwing Terry out of the house, he's beginning to reassert himself.
2. Darren Richmond. He's back on the campaign trail, and when Gwen's attempt at getting Stan to make a statement via subterfuge (a plea deal she can't deliver, and which Stan wisely passes on until it's in writing), Richmond goes to the Larsen house and has a good conversation about wanting to find the killer and how Stan needs to get people to remember Rosie if they're not doing a good enough job themselves. He also tells Gwen he will tell the truth about what he was doing the night of the murder, which she's not thrilled about, but it never comes to pass that we see. He's not all the way back, but he's getting there.
1. Nicole Jackson. The chief of the Kalimish tribe and head of the Wapi Eagle casino, she's asserted from the start that Rosie, as a minor, couldn't be in the casino. When Linden confronts her later that there's proof she was in the casino, Jackson uses her clout (and the lack of Linden's jurisdiction) to get Linden removed from the casino. She's taking a more direct approach with Holder, and with the backing of Ames and the mayor, she has to feel pretty good that whatever secret she's hiding on the 10th floor of the hotel will remain safe.
Three Down
3. Terry Marek. One of the boys mentions that the cops talked to Terry, and when she can't explain to Stan what they wanted he presses and learns that the boyfriend that just threw her over was Michael Ames. She also mentions that she had a role (if not the sole role) in getting Rosie hooked up with Beau Soleil. This enrages Stan, and he throws her out. She's now more alone than she's been in the entire series.
2. Jack Linden. Jack is clearly enamored with the idea of staying with Holder for the foreseeable future, but then has to make do when he and his mom move into yet another hotel. After getting a list of increasingly paranoid orders from his mom, he hunkers down rather sullenly. We next see him in the room with men claiming to be from Child Protective Services, answering a call about Sarah's neglect (question: did the call come from Jack's dad or Nicole Jackson, and how did whoever call find them?). Jack then sneaks out of the bathroom window, and with Sarah (who faked a call), they run away. Sarah tries to comfort him, but Jack is in the passenger's seat, sad and angry and not wanting to talk to his mother at all. I would not want to be in that kid's head.
1. Stephen Holder. Things start off well for him - he's a gracious host and his book on butterflies gives Linden an idea about checking out the casino and surrounding land. Holder is sent into the casino to sniff out new construction, and gets a lead to check out the 10th floor from a male hooker (his second stop after getting set up with an elderly female hooker). He can't get on to the 10th floor, but gets another break when a maid gives him a matchbook, and when getting off the elevator says she hopes the family got Rosie's backpack back OK. The matchbook has the time and location of a meeting, though it's questionable Holder will show, as he gets picked up casino security and is driven out to the woods, where a cross-section of the local Kalimish start to beat the tar out of him. Even worse, they kick-dial Linden, so not only is Holder possibly getting beat to death, his partner gets to hear it over her phone. Things went south really quickly, didn't they.
Sunday, May 06, 2012
Three Up, Three Down: Mad Men
Three Up
3. Stan Rizzo. He doesn't have many lines in the episode, but he may have the best one when, after Megan announces she's quitting, he explains why he gets by saying that she works like crazy, sweats out the results, and generally stresses out over something as prosaic as beans. Better to chase a dream than go through the wringer for something like that. His words have an impact, too, as Peggy clearly reacts to what he says.
2. Michael Ginsburg. He kills a pitch to start the episode, has a funny interchange with Megan (and Peggy by interjection) asking if she gets clothes or has to act in her own clothes, and then closes his night by saying that the lame song Ken suggests for his ad is "stabbing me in the heart" (it's certainly not suggestive of the Beatles, which is what they were supposed to be going for).
1. Megan Draper. So she starts the episode lying to get out of work so she can go to a call back for a play. She doesn't get the part, but the experience solidifies her desire to return to acting full time. She tells Peggy this first, and while Peggy's not supportive she does get Megan straightened out enough to tell Don. Don is very understanding, and tells Megan to quit the next day. She does this, and while it's hard for her, she gets through it and is much happier, if a little oblivious to the concerns others have over her departure. She ever tries to get Don to listen to the Beatles, which is about as brave as her quitting.
Three Down
3. Peggy Olsen. She gets caught up in Megan lying to Don about her call back, and then gets stuck with extra work when Megan quits. She then fills in for Megan during a presentation for Cool Whip, and winds up arguing with Don over why Megan left. He more or less blames Peggy and the rest of the staff for being cynical and petty. Peggy does blow the tag line for the ad ("Just taste it!"), but she's mad at Don over his role in having Megan come aboard, but also mad that she's losing someone with obvious talent. She does have a small disagreement with Joan about Megan, nothing to damage their growing relationship but interesting in their differing opinions on Megan's skills and Don't taste in women.
2. Don Draper. Don is very supportive of Megan's quitting, but underestimates the resulting problems, most notably with Peggy. He's also concerned for himself, as seen in the none-too-subtle use of an elevator shaft to suggest the yawning chasm that may be opening up now that Don won't be with Megan pretty much 24/7. Don's Cool Whip pitch and resulting argument with Peggy is ugly, and while he's likely arguing from truth (Megan had voiced a similar opinion of her coworkers in the past), he also doesn't recognize the stresses that came with marrying (and then promoting) Megan. He even has to get marriage advice from Roger, whose suggestion of keeping to a schedule came from his ex-father in law. I'm assuming Roger didn't follow it. Don ends the episode listening to "Tomorrow Never Knows" by the Beatles, and turning it off before the end. His overall apathy towards music is problematic, on top of everything else.
1. Pete Campbell. Having failed in seducing his driver's ed classmate, Pete finds a new object of philandering in Beth, the wife of his train buddy Howard, who has started to use an apartment in the city to cheat. It starts with Pete giving her a ride home, and he tries to cover for Howard, but it's flimsy cover at best. They do it in the living room, and afterwards Beth makes it clear it's a one time thing. Pete doesn't believe in one time things, calling Beth and wangling an invite to their house under the cover of buying insurance. Beth continues to state she doesn't want to get into an affair. He schedules a rendezvous at a hotel, but Beth doesn't show up. At the end of the episode she does draw a heart in window fog for Peter, which gives Peter hope even as Beth tries to resist.
3. Stan Rizzo. He doesn't have many lines in the episode, but he may have the best one when, after Megan announces she's quitting, he explains why he gets by saying that she works like crazy, sweats out the results, and generally stresses out over something as prosaic as beans. Better to chase a dream than go through the wringer for something like that. His words have an impact, too, as Peggy clearly reacts to what he says.
2. Michael Ginsburg. He kills a pitch to start the episode, has a funny interchange with Megan (and Peggy by interjection) asking if she gets clothes or has to act in her own clothes, and then closes his night by saying that the lame song Ken suggests for his ad is "stabbing me in the heart" (it's certainly not suggestive of the Beatles, which is what they were supposed to be going for).
1. Megan Draper. So she starts the episode lying to get out of work so she can go to a call back for a play. She doesn't get the part, but the experience solidifies her desire to return to acting full time. She tells Peggy this first, and while Peggy's not supportive she does get Megan straightened out enough to tell Don. Don is very understanding, and tells Megan to quit the next day. She does this, and while it's hard for her, she gets through it and is much happier, if a little oblivious to the concerns others have over her departure. She ever tries to get Don to listen to the Beatles, which is about as brave as her quitting.
Three Down
3. Peggy Olsen. She gets caught up in Megan lying to Don about her call back, and then gets stuck with extra work when Megan quits. She then fills in for Megan during a presentation for Cool Whip, and winds up arguing with Don over why Megan left. He more or less blames Peggy and the rest of the staff for being cynical and petty. Peggy does blow the tag line for the ad ("Just taste it!"), but she's mad at Don over his role in having Megan come aboard, but also mad that she's losing someone with obvious talent. She does have a small disagreement with Joan about Megan, nothing to damage their growing relationship but interesting in their differing opinions on Megan's skills and Don't taste in women.
2. Don Draper. Don is very supportive of Megan's quitting, but underestimates the resulting problems, most notably with Peggy. He's also concerned for himself, as seen in the none-too-subtle use of an elevator shaft to suggest the yawning chasm that may be opening up now that Don won't be with Megan pretty much 24/7. Don's Cool Whip pitch and resulting argument with Peggy is ugly, and while he's likely arguing from truth (Megan had voiced a similar opinion of her coworkers in the past), he also doesn't recognize the stresses that came with marrying (and then promoting) Megan. He even has to get marriage advice from Roger, whose suggestion of keeping to a schedule came from his ex-father in law. I'm assuming Roger didn't follow it. Don ends the episode listening to "Tomorrow Never Knows" by the Beatles, and turning it off before the end. His overall apathy towards music is problematic, on top of everything else.
1. Pete Campbell. Having failed in seducing his driver's ed classmate, Pete finds a new object of philandering in Beth, the wife of his train buddy Howard, who has started to use an apartment in the city to cheat. It starts with Pete giving her a ride home, and he tries to cover for Howard, but it's flimsy cover at best. They do it in the living room, and afterwards Beth makes it clear it's a one time thing. Pete doesn't believe in one time things, calling Beth and wangling an invite to their house under the cover of buying insurance. Beth continues to state she doesn't want to get into an affair. He schedules a rendezvous at a hotel, but Beth doesn't show up. At the end of the episode she does draw a heart in window fog for Peter, which gives Peter hope even as Beth tries to resist.
Tuesday, May 01, 2012
Three Up, Three Down: The Killing
Three Up
3. Alexei Giffords. He finally confronts Stan at Rosie's graveside, and is able to give him crap about how Stan got himself kicked out of Kovarski's gang (which I'm not sure is true, though giving Stan money to start his business may be the Kovarski equivalent of a golden parachute) and how Stan should have been capped rather than Alexei's dad. Stan pushes back on why Alexei hasn't made a run at him, to which Alexei notes if it wasn't for Rosie, Stan would be dead by now.
2. Gwen Eaton. Back in DC, she's watching Richmond's first interview with some colleagues, who note that he'll never get back into the race unless he can get rid of the stink caused by the murder charges. After (or I suppose during) a dinner with her dad, in which she learns he wants her to resume her role as his "secret weapon" - something she's been doing for him since she was 14 - she decides her path leads back to Seattle. She shows up at the hospital, and says she's back to get Richmond past the murder charges and into the mayor's office. Darren snubs her at first, but later relents and brings her back on - in strictly a professional capacity. Sure.
1. Darren Richmond. He's back on the trail, and while his assumed confidence isn't always believable - he says he never felt down about being shot - he uses the story about Jamie's grandfather to make a point about getting through adversity - and it's clear he's back in the saddle. To then get Gwen back to clean up the murder mess - and perhaps resume her more personal role at a later time? - is just additional firepower in his quest to take down the mayor.
Three Down
3. The Marek sisters. Terry has an awful breakup scene with Michael Ames, who says he's not leaving his wife and even gets a little physical with her in telling her not to call anymore. At the end of the episode she shares a very awkward look with Stan, perhaps wondering if it's OK to jump him on the rebound while he's still technically married to her sister.
Speaking of Mitch, she winds up spending more time with runaway Tina after she's "locked out" of her room by her boyfriend. They spend an entire day together, and after some rough patches (Mitch pushing Tina too hard to get her to call her mom, and Tina awkwardly making a pass at Mitch, thinking this may still be something kinky) Mitch wakes up the next morning to find Tina is gone and has robbed her. No catharsis for you, Mitch.
On the plus side for us, we do learn the name of Rosie's real dad from a letter in the memory box Mitch has been toting around. He's not someone we've met yet, as fas as we know.
2. The Ames family. Jasper gets riled by the cops when they intimate his dad was sleeping with Rosie while Jasper could get nowhere with him. He later confronts dad in public, leading later to Michael going to the police station to confess to sending a (joke?) blackmail text to his dad from Rosie's phone. Michael is happy to let Jasper spend the night in jail based on a felony charge of using the phone to extort money. Later, the cops talk to Mrs. Adams, who says she lets her husband play in return for having money and status. She also notes that they were out of the country when Rosie was conceived (there goes the theory that Rosie is Michael's daughter). So while we have the dysfunctional family circus here, things look even worse when the chief of the tribe that own the Wapi Eagle casino shows up at a Mayor Adams function at the Ames home. A conspiracy seems to be brewing.
1. Sarah Linden. Every time she seems to make progress in this episode, something sets her back. A decent interview with Stan about Rosie's parentage? Countered by a bad theory that Michael Ames is the father. Linden learns about the blackmail text? Turns out it was a joke. Take your kids to Holder's due to a creepy drawing hung on her fridge the neither she nor Jack put up, fall under the surveillance of some guy smoking in his car. And all along, have Carlson and others pull warrants and give reminders of the last time she buried herself in a case. She's getting closer to the truth, but may not be around to see it
3. Alexei Giffords. He finally confronts Stan at Rosie's graveside, and is able to give him crap about how Stan got himself kicked out of Kovarski's gang (which I'm not sure is true, though giving Stan money to start his business may be the Kovarski equivalent of a golden parachute) and how Stan should have been capped rather than Alexei's dad. Stan pushes back on why Alexei hasn't made a run at him, to which Alexei notes if it wasn't for Rosie, Stan would be dead by now.
2. Gwen Eaton. Back in DC, she's watching Richmond's first interview with some colleagues, who note that he'll never get back into the race unless he can get rid of the stink caused by the murder charges. After (or I suppose during) a dinner with her dad, in which she learns he wants her to resume her role as his "secret weapon" - something she's been doing for him since she was 14 - she decides her path leads back to Seattle. She shows up at the hospital, and says she's back to get Richmond past the murder charges and into the mayor's office. Darren snubs her at first, but later relents and brings her back on - in strictly a professional capacity. Sure.
1. Darren Richmond. He's back on the trail, and while his assumed confidence isn't always believable - he says he never felt down about being shot - he uses the story about Jamie's grandfather to make a point about getting through adversity - and it's clear he's back in the saddle. To then get Gwen back to clean up the murder mess - and perhaps resume her more personal role at a later time? - is just additional firepower in his quest to take down the mayor.
Three Down
3. The Marek sisters. Terry has an awful breakup scene with Michael Ames, who says he's not leaving his wife and even gets a little physical with her in telling her not to call anymore. At the end of the episode she shares a very awkward look with Stan, perhaps wondering if it's OK to jump him on the rebound while he's still technically married to her sister.
Speaking of Mitch, she winds up spending more time with runaway Tina after she's "locked out" of her room by her boyfriend. They spend an entire day together, and after some rough patches (Mitch pushing Tina too hard to get her to call her mom, and Tina awkwardly making a pass at Mitch, thinking this may still be something kinky) Mitch wakes up the next morning to find Tina is gone and has robbed her. No catharsis for you, Mitch.
On the plus side for us, we do learn the name of Rosie's real dad from a letter in the memory box Mitch has been toting around. He's not someone we've met yet, as fas as we know.
2. The Ames family. Jasper gets riled by the cops when they intimate his dad was sleeping with Rosie while Jasper could get nowhere with him. He later confronts dad in public, leading later to Michael going to the police station to confess to sending a (joke?) blackmail text to his dad from Rosie's phone. Michael is happy to let Jasper spend the night in jail based on a felony charge of using the phone to extort money. Later, the cops talk to Mrs. Adams, who says she lets her husband play in return for having money and status. She also notes that they were out of the country when Rosie was conceived (there goes the theory that Rosie is Michael's daughter). So while we have the dysfunctional family circus here, things look even worse when the chief of the tribe that own the Wapi Eagle casino shows up at a Mayor Adams function at the Ames home. A conspiracy seems to be brewing.
1. Sarah Linden. Every time she seems to make progress in this episode, something sets her back. A decent interview with Stan about Rosie's parentage? Countered by a bad theory that Michael Ames is the father. Linden learns about the blackmail text? Turns out it was a joke. Take your kids to Holder's due to a creepy drawing hung on her fridge the neither she nor Jack put up, fall under the surveillance of some guy smoking in his car. And all along, have Carlson and others pull warrants and give reminders of the last time she buried herself in a case. She's getting closer to the truth, but may not be around to see it
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