There's a Doctor in the house

So I'm used to being late to the party, but not fifty freaking years late. The first series of Doctor Who ran on the BBC from 1963 to 1989, and I watched my first episode (the first of the "new" series 5), um, last night, at the urging of frequent guest blogger Jonathan Alexandratos. And now there's no going back. "The Eleventh Hour" reminded me of a funnier, more charming, and less self-important variation on my all-time favorite premiere episode, the pilot of Lost. It managed to establish what matters on the show (aliens, adventure, the interplay between Amy and the Doctor) while still telling a compelling story (I love that Amy and the Doctor's relationship is founded on a fundamental disappointment--he keeps failing to show up when and where he says he will).

So now I've become acquainted with things like TARDIS and sonic screwdrivers, but I'll be honest--there's a lot I don't yet get about the Doctor Who universe. So I understand that "Doctor" is more a title or position than a character, and different beings inhabit that role. But do they have the memories of previous Doctors? Or are they entirely new beings? Smith's character spent a good twenty minutes learning how to walk, learning what food tasted like, etc. Had his consciousness been disembodied somewhere previous to his incarnation? Will there be a meta-storyline? An overarching villain or mission that structures the Doctor's hops through time? Or is it still loyal to the serial structure of the earliest episodes? And what the hell is a dalek?

There's only one way to find out. Like I told Jonathan, it's very dangerous to introduce someone with an obsessive personality and a lot of time on her hands to a pop culture phenomenon with a rabid fan base and a complicated and convoluted mythology. Though I'd prefer to watch each episode in order (see above: obsessive personality), I think that might be a fool's quest, especially since I want to start RIGHTNOW, so I'm going to make like a Time Lord and hop around in the series's chronology, from Hartnell to Eccleston and back again, and master this world, Doctor by Doctor.

The Geekery Confessional

Bless me Father Norton, for I have sinned against my geeky bretheren

I’m about to admit something that is sure to diminish my geek cred.  Heck, this is going to affect my standing as a cinephile too.  I tested this confession on my friend Jenna the other night before Charlie Ross did his One Man Star Wars.  Even my attendance at that event couldn’t fix my current secret shame.  Jenna was shocked.  You might be too.

{deep breath}  I can do this.

I’ve never seen Ridley Scott's Alien or James Cameron's Aliens.  I know!  I’m hanging my head in shame right now.  And, not that it matters as much, I’ve never seen Alien 3 (Fincher!) or Alien 4 (we’re resurrecting this franchise) either.  Want me to make things worse for myself?  I actually have seen AVP: Alien vs. Predator.  And at that time I hadn’t seen the original Predator either.  I know!  I’m a bad geek. 

Still with me? 

I do know what the Alien franchise is about.  I know all about Ripley and the impact her character had on women in movies and television (thanks for the link, Jenna!).  If it weren’t for Ellen Ripley I bet we wouldn’t have a Buffy.  I’ll need Joss to confirm that for me though.  And I know all about the chestbursting aliens.  That scene has been parodied many times and I got a kick out of it even though I hadn’t seen the source material.

I will be seeing Prometheus this weekend.  I won’t be walking into the theater with absolutely no prior knowledge but I will have a cleaner slate than most.  It looks pretty great and is getting mostly good reviews so I’m excited.  Who knows?  Maybe I’ll even be motivated to see Alien and Aliens sooner rather than later.

Summer Lovin'

We’re sooooo close to our 500^th (!) post that I couldn’t wait any longer.  This is #499, which is really just here to take up some space so I can get to the one I actually care about.  So now I have to decide what to discuss.  Don’t worry, it won’t be another rant about James Cameron.  I won’t have more to say on that until the Avatar sequels come out.  Instead I’m going to talk a bit about what media addicts like myself do in the summer. 

First I’m going to reveal something very personal and shameful.  I like the Twilight movies.  I KNOW!  I know.  I’m not proud of it but there’s no denying that I own all the movies on DVD.  Last night I found myself with nothing to watch on TV.  I was busy playing with hairstyles and practicing my smoky eye technique for an upcoming wedding.  I’m a girl, I do these things.  Shut up.  So while I was doing that I needed something to be on my television for background noise purposes.  As most shows have ended there was nothing I really wanted to see.  What I should have done was watch the four episodes of The Vampire Diaries that are sitting on my DVR.  What I could have done was watch last week’s 2hr. Glee.  Instead I decided to hate myself a little and pop in Twilight 4.1.  This was the first time I had seen it since it was in the theater and I was really excited at the thought of fast-forwarding through the awful wolves talking to each other scene. 

So as I was hate-watching Twilight 4.1 it got me thinking about the upcoming summer shows.  Thank goodness for cable channels like USA that air their series twice a year.  I can’t wait for Suits, White Collar, Burn Notice and Covert Affairs to start.  Plus TNT has Falling Skies, which wasn’t perfect but was pretty darn good.  A&E has another favorite of mine, The Glades.  Both of those, along with USA’s shows, come back in June.

Oh and I need to also admit that I’m a big fan of dancing.  Whether I’m doing it or someone on my TV is, I love it.  I got tired of Dancing with the Stars and am truly grateful to Tracy for watching it for me.  So You Think You Can Dance is coming back for another season and I’m thrilled.  I’m less thrilled about the fact that there won’t be a second night a week for the results show and I’m curious as to how that will be handled.  Also on the dance front are Bunheads on ABCFamily and Breaking Pointe on the CW.  The former is a scripted show staring one of my Broadway faves, Sutton Foster.  It was created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, creator of Gilmore Girls, so I’m sure to love it.  The latter, Breaking Pointe, is an unscripted show about a ballet company in Salt Lake City, Utah.  If you’re a fan of SYTYCD and even DwtS you’ll know that a lot of talented dancers come out of Utah.  I’ll let you form your own theories on why that is.  Suffice it to say, I’m looking forward to this one too.  Ballet, done well, is really the most beautiful form of dance and I know it’s probably also the toughest. 

So what else is going to be on?  I don’t have HBO anymore so I don’t get excited about True Blood.  Speaking of HBO I really want to see Aaron Sorkin’s new show, The Newsroom.  Hopefully that will make it to Netflix at some point.  Damages isn’t on FX anymore so I can’t get excited about that one either.  If I don’t stop myself now I’m gonna start rambling.  Huffington Post has a great schedule of all the summer shows and when they premiere so I recommend checking that out. 

The other thing I’ll be doing this summer is catching up on Netflix.  I haven’t been on there in months.  I plan to finally watch Doctor Who this summer and will be posting about it season by season (starting with the ninth Doctor).   

Also, I may even read a book or two.  It could happen.  I have been meaning to read Game of Thrones so maybe this summer is the time to do it.  And I hear summer is a great time for blockbuster movies so I'm sure Tracy and I will be busy seeing some of those too.

The Charmed Blokes

Episodes Watched
"Animal Pragmatism"
"Pardon My Past"
"Give Me a Sign"
"Murphy's Luck"

So the good news is, we've finally found a decade where Phoebe's fashion choices make sense! "Pardon My Past" sends Phoebs back to visit a former life in the '20s, and she couldn't look snappier.

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I honestly don't know what that's supposed to be.

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Totally normal!

Into It
I had a lot of fun with all the dudes in this four-episode chunk.We got:

The Bad Boy: Bane is back! He kidnaps Prue in "Give Me a Sign" for help with a little demon problem he's having, and they finally have some sexy time!

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Did Bai Ling give you a cheesy tattoo as well, Bane?

The Worse Boy: Turns out that the love of a wicked warlock named Anton turned Phoebe evil in a past life. But can you blame the girl?

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And we have another General Hospital alum! Nikolas Cassadine, at your smarmy service.

The Boy Who Was in The Mummy: Yep, Imhotep makes an appearance as a darklighter who is targeting Amy Adams in another fun "she's not famous yet" role to complement her appearance in Buffy season 5!

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A face made to play a badass.

The Bratty Boy: Dan does not miss a chance to give Leo an eyeful of some PDA with Piper. Kinda makes me like him more.

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"What? Leo is standing five feet away? I had no idea."

Piney Boys: Poor Leo. He doesn't miss a chance to give Piper the puppy-dog eyes, and make pointed little comments about how they're supposed to be together.

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"And that's why they call it soulmates, PIPER."

Over It
Stop messing with me, show! In "Murphy's Luck" Piper finally acknowledged that her heart belongs to green-eyed Leo . . . just in time for him to regain his wings to save Prue, thereby re-complicating their relationship. I need to call Nicole again and have her tell me these two are going to make it work.

Waiting for It
I'm somewhat intrigued by this talk of "The Source" that likes to feed on witches. But mainly, I just want much more of this:

 I'm closer than I'd like to admit to making one of these videos myself.

 

Friday Night Lights-season 2

The obligatory Riggs pic.

So my completion of the second season of Friday Night Lights mere days after I posted about season 1 is not as pathetic and alarming as it might seem--the season was cut short by the 2008 writer's strike (remember that?), running only 15 episodes. So all told, about a 6 on the pathetic and alarming scale. Spoilers follow!

This slate of episodes was a slight letdown from my rapturous raves about the first season. Remember when I said the show never veered into melodrama? A wise FNL fan warned me that wouldn't always be the case, and boy was she right. I knew we were in for trouble when Landry and Tyra dumped the body of her attempted rapist from last season in a river. Why would you do that, Landry? It was clearly self-defense, and you're the smart one! That drama, which didn't get resolved until the ninth episode, lasted precisely eight and a half episodes too long. I could have done without the multi-episode arc where Riggins and Jason Street go to Mexico for experimental spinal surgery. And Julie Taylor is starting to get on my nerves a bit. She makes bad decisions and then whines about them incessantly. She's sort of like the Dawn of FNL. I rolled my eyes when the d-bag rival coach revealed "My wife has only three months to live." Of course she does. Moving right along. Also, what happened to Smash's bi-polar girlfriend? Jason's tattooed hottie, whom I actually quite liked?

However, the good news is the writers have clearly accepted that this is the Tim Riggins show. Though his mini-break living with the meth dealer was a bit ridiculous, I love the way his character gets shafted time and again (his brother gets with the single mom he fell for last season; Lyla leads him on while dating a member of the Fellowship of the Sun; Coach Taylor falsely accuses him of taking advantage of Julie), but he remains as funny and loyal and stubbornly messed-up as ever. His "apology" to the team for missing a week of practice is classic. I was also pleasantly surprised that the addition of a new baby to the Taylor clan, usually the death knell of a series, was handled in a complicated and honest way.

Despite the slight drop-off from the first season, the show is still awesome and I'm looking forward to season 3 to see how the show will handle Smash's graduation and freshman season at an HBCU, whether Matty calls off his (well-deserved, but still) pity party, and whether Street is going to become a father. In the depths of my pop culture memory, I have some recollection of an abortion controversy attached to this show. Not sure if this is where it comes up.

Clear eyes, full hearts, on to season 3!

Clear Eyes, Full Heart, Can't Stop Watching Friday Night Lights

Riggins's shoelessness solidifies his role as "the cute one."

So I'm about five years late to the party on Friday Night Lights, but thank God for Netflix streaming and a very, VERY flexible schedule. I had always heard that FNL was a great show, but as a person who cannot confidently say how many players are allowed on a football field during a game (it looks like about 30, but I have a feeling that can't be right), I assumed I wouldn't enjoy it. Wrong. I just finished the first season, and was blown away.

Football serves as the show's organizing principle, and a metaphor for the intricate, interlocking, and at times combative way the students, players, and adults in Dillon operate and co-exist. What I like best is the way the writers allow the characters to be as deeply complicated and at times contradictory as real people are. From marginal figures like the assistant coach who is both casually racist and devoted to his African American players, to central ones like the junior fullback, and new love of my life, Tim Riggins, who is both a careless and narcissistic alcoholic and a loyal and wounded kid with a huge heart. There are no examples of what E.M. Forster would call "flat" characters. Even the most minor figures' interior selves and histories are sketched in with deft concision. The show doesn't try to fit these personalities into a formulaic "sports movie" narrative--in fact, it's one of the most organic-feeling shows I've ever seen. There's a real sense that we're just watching people make choices, and deal with the ramifications and consequences of those choices as they play out in the contained and at times claustrophobic bubble of a small Texas town.

Though dramatic things happen--the opening episode finds the star quarterback paralyzed in the first game in one of the best pilots I've seen this side of Lost--the show never veers into melodrama or sentimentality. It watches like a more earnest and less arch Jonathan Franzen novel crossed with Faulkner in comic mode--a neo-realist character study where all the joy and messiness and pain of human life are illustrated through one tight-knit middle-class American community. It's really quite smart and funny and moving. I have high hopes for the next four seasons, which at this rate, I'll finish by Thanksgiving.

An Annotated Guide to the Top Gear "Bloke" Episode

Top Gear 2.5 is all about "blokeishness," which seems to be the British equivalent to "dude-ishness"--in other words, stuff guys like. One might ask what distinguishes this episode in a series largely compiled of footage of men driving cars rapidly as more blokeish than the rest, but no matter.
Maybe it was the Aeschylus reference last week, or maybe blokes don't like allusions, but this show was fairly light on the references.

Reference: "You've been to Dixons, you're men of the world."
Heh: Dixons gets referenced fairly frequently on Top Gear, and I've finally gotten around to looking it up. Dixons Retail is a British-based electronics megastore. It's sort of like the Best Buy of the U.K., so visiting one is not exactly a marker of cosmopolitanism.

Reference: "Imagine the whole of the French Air Force crashing into a fireworks factory--that's how much of a laugh this car is."
Heh: The Top Gear blokes, and really, quite a large portion of British humorists, enjoy needling the French for their rather lackluster performance in World War 2. In addition to the FAF remark, the Stig drove a French car with a turning radius so poor, it "surrendered" on the curves.

The Top Gear blokes, featuring Richard Hammond doing his best Harry Potter impersonation, Jeremy Clarkson being tall, and James May sporting some truly epic hair.

Charmed is really getting good

As I hit the mid-way point of the second season, I'm really becoming emotionally invested in these characters--even to the point I was beginning to feel like I was being too hard on Phoebe's fashion choices. Then, this happened:

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Seriously?

But now the ridiculous clothes and hair are more just a part of what I look forward to about the show.

Episodes Watched
"Ms. Hellfire"
"Heartbreak City"
"Reckless Abandon"
"Awakened"

Into It
Whenever a former General Hospital star appears on Charmed, it's nothing but goodness. Finola Huges (aka Anna Devane) has already distinguished herself as the Charmed Ones' mom, Patty. In "Ms. Hellfire," Jagger Cates (you might know him as Antonio Sabato Jr., but he'll always be Jagger to me) brings the sexy as some sort of emissary of the Time Lord from last season's "From Here to Eternity" named Bane. Prue, going undercover as a hitwoman, has better chemistry with him than anyone else in the season-and-a-half so far.

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Grrrrowl.

Over It
Though "Ms. Hellfire" is a Friday the 13th episode, which is fun, why has Charmed not done a Halloween episode yet? It's such a missed opportunity!


Waiting for It
Oh, I am ever so happy with the direction the Piper/Leo/Dan triangle is heading. Last week's installment, with Leo evaporating Edward-in-New Moon-style stressed me out so much I had to consult my in-house Charmed expert, Nicole, for reassurance. But if I had just been patient, "Awakened" would have satisfied me greatly. Leo saves Piper from a bizarre non-demonic deadly fever (don't ask--it's not important), and gets his wings clipped for the transgression. Well, now that he's mortal, Leo isn't taking this whole "your friend Dan" thing lying down. To quote the green-eyed hottie directly: "I'm going to fight for you. Let the best man win." FINALLY!

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Oh, crap. It's on.

An Annotated Guide to the Top Gear Jag-you-ar episode

More highlights in European history and culture as gleaned through three British boys geeking out over Jags.

Reference: Speaking of the MK 2: "It was glamorous enough for David Bailey and genteel enough for Inspector Morse."
Heh: David Royston Bailey, CBE, is a "noted fashion photographer" credited with helping create the "Swinging London" culture of the mod-fabulous 1960s. Not only was the sexually voracious photog in Blow-Up likely based on him, Austin Powers owes a lot to Bailey as well.

Bailey, presumably after he has lost his mojo.

Inspector Morse, however, is fictional. He's the titular hero of a series of detective novels by Colin Dexter, and also the star of a television series of the same name. He's noted for his posh tastes, including poetry, Wagner, and yep, Jaguars.

I'm getting more of an Austin Powers vibe from this guy.

Reference: Guest, MP Boris Johnson, is a part-time car writer for GQ. During his interview, he compares his writing to Jeremy Clarkson's by remarking, "I'm like Aeschylus feasting on scraps from the rich banquet of Homer."
Heh: Getting pretty high-brow there, Top Gear! Aeschylus is an ancient Greek tragedian. You probably know him for Prometheus Bound, if you're into that kind of thing. Homer, the blind epic poet who basically influenced the whole of the Western canon (you probably know him for the Iliad and the Odyssey, even if you're not into that kind of thing), was a forerunner (superior?) of Aeschylus by default. But in particular, they both deal with the character of Agamemnon. So in this simile, Jeremy Clarkson is Homer, Boris Johnson is Aeschylus, and Jaguars are Agamemnon.

He does project bling.

Reference: JC, discussing an older model Jag: "The wheels are too narrow, so they look pinched. [Makes fish face.] Like Joyce Grenfell."
Heh:

Don't worry, this British comedienne has been dead since 1979--her feelings weren't hurt.

Reference: JC, referencing an idea he had, "I had a wizard wheeze."
Heh: This phrase is a bit of British slang meaning solving a problem through an unexpected or strange situation. I had no idea this language existed outside of Harry Potter, and it makes JK's reference all the more meaningful and smart:

I'm talking about Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, of course.

An annotated guide to Top Gear 2.3

More highlights in British history and culture as gleaned from Top Gear!

Reference: Jeremy Clarkson, describing a "Volksvagon": "Sort of a Swiss Family Rocketship."
Heh: Swiss Family Robinson is a nineteenth-century Swiss novel written in German about a family shipwrecked in the East Indies on the way to Australia. Disney adapted the book into a movie in 1960, featuring this excellent treehouse.

Reference: JC, justifying an unexpected comment: "I haven't come over all Bill Oddie-ish."
Heh: William "Bill" Oddie, MBE, is an English jack-of-all-trades (author, actor, comedian, orinthologist) who was admitted to a psychiatric hospital in 2001.

Reference: James May shared, "When I was a child, I loved Bristols, then I was quite into cars."
Heh: Though the segment was about the Bristol car company, in the British lexicon, "Bristol" connotes "Bristol city" which is rhyming slang for "titty." Classy, Top Gear!

Hail Britannia.

Another fun episode featuring special guest "dude who played Starsky first," who was visibly annoyed at the sweater JC put on to interview him. I'm also seriously considering being The Stig for Halloween.

Doing the Time Warp with Charmed

Season 2 is ON! And Leo got chunky highlights and a brand new ill-fitting and sad jacket for the occasion!

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Tweedy fleece blazer/cardigan vs. washed-out windbreaker. Discuss.

Pheobe continues her tradition of truly unfortunate hair in season-opening episodes.

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Yeah, those are totally the plastic rubber bands you wore when you were six.

I swear, I'm going to do a "Best of the Worst" Charmed fashion edition. Not even Prue escaped hot messiness.

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The floral-do-rag-wearing Vegas mermaid look is appropriate for any occasion.

Episodes Watched
"Witch Trial"
"Morality Bites"
"The Painted World"
"The Devil's Music"

Into It
I officially love it whenever the Charmed Ones do a time travel episode. "Morality Bites" has the sisters magicking themselves ten years into the future to save Pheobe from execution via burning at the stake. The story had all sorts of interesting things to say about the Butterfly Effect and scapegoating and why the girls aren't allowed to use magic for personal gain. But the real fun came in how the writers imagined 2009. You'll all remember how two years ago, we were using our voice activated television sets, imprisoning convicts in cells with electrified, transparent walls, oh, and COLONIZING THE MOON. Pretty big leap there, Charmed futurists.

But just watching Charmed is like time traveling. Example: "The Devil's Music" has '90s one-hit-wonder Dishwalla single-handedly saving Piper's new club from bankruptcy through an appearance there. Now, they'd be lucky to land a gig playing the State Fair on the Moon.

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Quick: name their hit!

Over It
Looks like we have two new regulars on the show (in addition to a larger role for Andy Tru-douche's partner--but he doesn't really bother me and is sort of funny). Uncle Dan and his niece Jenny have moved in next door. I have no problem with new characters, but the little kid annoys me. I at first thought she was going to be a witch and we'd have a fun mentoring situation going on, but since Piper could freeze her in "The Devil's Music," that means she's not, if I'm understanding the rules. So why? Why? Why not just have Uncle Dan?

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"Toddlers in Tiaras" ten years later.

Speaking of Dan, he and Piper seem to be sparking up a flirtation, especially since Leo is always disintegrating to save innocents, or whatever. Which fine, I appreciate a good love triangle. But when Dan and Leo met, Leo started giggling like a little girl because Dan was some sort of baseball star. It was awesome that Leo brought up how his promising career was ruined when he blew out his knee. (As an aside, why is this the go-to sports injury? It's like how being run over by a bus is the default personal injury nightmare.) But, he did it in an exposition way, not a snarky way. I want to see Leo seething with jealousy, whitelighting Dan's ass UP.

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I'll see your chunky blonde highlights, and raise you a chin cleft and a leather choker.

Waiting for It
Speaking of Piper and Leo, I do like the way the show is figuring the problems his whitelighting and her witchery cause their relationship as similar to the negotiations and frustrations any two-career couple might have. I think we have a Feminist Metaphor Alert. 

Mad Men - Season Four

The Late Miss Blankenship - Season 4's John Deere incident

FINALLY!  It's taken me quite a while to finish up the 4th season of Mad Men.  I watched the first seven and then took a long break and forced myself to watch the last six.  At least my wait for season 5 won't be as long as everyone else's. 

4.1 Public Relations - Really, Don? A 'tute?

4.2 Christmas Comes but Once a Year - This episode was like a Christmas present.  Glen's back!  There's Freddy!  It's like old home week.  We get introduced to Dr. Faye Miller who I'm sure Don will sleep with but they don't have tons of chemistry. 

4.3 The Good News - Lotsa time with Joan who is trying to get pregnant even though her husband is heading off to basic and probably Vietnam after.  Don goes off to California (where he goes when in some emotional crisis) to find out Anna's dying and to hit on her niece, Stephanie.  Anna can't die because Don's soul will go with her.

4.4 The Rejected - Kenny's back!  Why can't they bring Sal back?!?!  Peggy's got a new friend who has some artsy fartsy friends of her own.  Speaking of, Helloooo Abe!  He gets the best line of the episode, "Sorry. For somebody to sell their soul they've gotta have one."  Pete and Peggy share a last look which seems like closure for them.  Pete's wife is pregnant and Peggy's getting a life so I guess that wraps things up for them.

4.5 The Chrysanthemum and the Sword - We meet the infamous Miss Ida Blankenship, Mad Men's comic relief.  Sally is way more interesting than Betty and I'm not saying this because I dislike Jones so very much. Don proves his worth with the scheme they pull on Honda.  This was probably a stand out episode for me.

4.6 Waldorf Stories - aka "When Roger Met Don."  Jonathan! Another Whedonverse alum joins the crew at SCDP.  Peggy continues to be awesome which shocks me because I had never given much thought to Elisabeth Moss before.

4.7 The Suitcase - This one is Peggy-heavy and the better for it.  We get tons of location changes and lots of Peggy and Don talking.  If they ever did another My Dinner with Andre I'd want it to star these two (or a feature length of dinner with Abed and Jeff).  This was another stand out for me.  My favorite exchange went as follows:

   (Peggy and Don are eating at a Greek diner and Peggy looks up at a painting of the Parthenon)
   Peggy: Why is there a dog at the Parthenon?
   Don: That is a roach.  Let's go someplace darker.

4.8 The Summer Man - This one had a noir feel to it; the most obvious signifier being Don's use of voiceover.  I did love that Betty's new husband doesn't let her get away with her crap.  It bugged me that there was no John Slattery (who gets the best lines) but he wouldn't have fit into the emotion of this episode.

4.9 The Beautiful Girls - I liked this one a lot but maybe because there was great Sally stuff.  Plus this is when we say a fond farewell to our Miss Blankenship. You rocked Roger's world once and we were blessed to know you.  Now Don can go back to attractive secretaries he wants to screw.  The last shot of Joan, Dr. Faye and Peggy was a great one.  Each has no idea what's to come.

4.10 Hands and Knees - The closest Don gets to being found out.  It must have SUCKED for him to go to Pete for help.  Someone only I'd care about: Susan May Pratt ("the best g.d. dancer in the American Ballet Academy. Who are you?") is the desperate mother of a teen with an unwanted pregnancy.  She chats with Joan in the doctor's office, mistakenly assuming Joan is there with her daughter too. We know that Joan is there to fix her recent indiscretion with Roger.

4.11 Chinese Wall - Lucky Strike leaves SCDP (hmm, it must be close to the end of the season for them to pull some story punches).  Trudy has her baby and Pete's at work, natch.  Also I now roll my eyes every time Don starts making out with a secretary.  Sir, you are a walking 60s stereotype.

4.12 Blowing Smoke - I wrote tons of notes on this one but will focus myself.  I have this weird joy every time Glen shows up but maybe it's because I know he equals distress for Betty.  Betty's just jealous of Sally, right?  Speaking of, we get tons of Sally and I want to thank the writers for it.  It's kind of funny that Betty is in more need of a (child) psychologist than Sally is.  Don is making enemies left and right and giving no apologies. Leave it to Peggy (in a dress that I'd buy today) to put a smile on Don's face.

Roger, as usual gets the best line, "Well I gotta go learn a bunch of people's names before I fire them." 

4.13 Tomorrowland - Poor Joan gets a promotion (title only) and still gets to push the mail cart around.  I recognize this model girl that pops in and according to IMDB she's was an ANTM contestant.  Cool. Once again in crisis Don ends up in California but is only at Anna's now empty house for a moment.  So Don falls in love with and proposes to his secretary but not only because she can really see him but because she can take care of his kids for him too.  I wonder how long until he cheats on her. We find out Joan has kept Sterling's baby and mostly all her husband cares about is if her boobs are any bigger. Seriously?  Has he met her?


Overall the show was solid.  I wasn't nearly as impressed as I was the first season but it's been consistent from seasons 2-4 and not a lot of shows can say that (ahem, Lost).  I am truly curious as to how things will pan out for SCDP (now SDP?) but I'm getting tired of the big shake ups at the end of every season.  I'm only left with a few questions beyond what the agency will look like.  What will Don's new life look like?  Will he buy a house in the burbs?  Is Freddy Rumsen still around or did I miss something?  Will Betty ever relax?  Or will Sally kill her while she sleeps?

An annotated guide to Top Gear 2.2

Highlights in British history and culture gleaned from watching Top Gear 2.2!

Reference: Jeremy Clarkson, test driving a Rolls Royce, decided to go to "the home of that other automotive colossus, John Prescott."
Heh: Prescott is a former deputy prime minister from Hull, where JC drove the car over one of the longest suspension bridges on the planet. The colossus bit? Prescott is fat. And yes, the second episode in a row to open with a fat joke.

I feel a bit guilty for selecting this photo.

Reference: James May, talking about the iconic hood ornament on the Rolls, "I look at that beautiful half-naked woman on the top of that car, and you know what pops into my head? Jimmy Savile."
Heh: Jimmy Savile is an English DJ and media personality who is known for his, shall we say, flamboyant personal style.

Keep it classy, U.K.

Reference: "Maggie Thatcher, when she drove around shouting at trade unionists, had a Rover P5."
Heh: Former conservative prime minister Thatcher got her nickname the "Iron Lady" based in part on her hard line against trade unions.

Reference: JC, teasing guest Jamie Oliver about how hard it is to get reservations at his restaurant, claimed "We asked to have a table for Nigel Mansell, and got one for Friday!"
Heh: Mansell is a British Formula One racer who won the world championship in the early '90s. The Top Gear crew also got a table for Gilles Villeneuve, who died in 1982.

Another fabulous episode. I'm developing crushes on all three co-hosts.

Charmed Recap--Season 1, done and done

I've finished season 1 of the Charmed Late to the Party Recap, and am quite pleased with the two concluding episodes!

Episodes Watched
"Love Hurts"
"Deja Vu All Over Again"

Into It 

• Leo's back, bitches! We get some more info about whitelighters--e.g., used to be human and can be killed. Leo was a medic in WW2! There's lots of sweetness with Piper freaking out about Leo's injury, and doing some power-switching to try and save him. She does, but not before . . . 
• A sweaty, shirtless, deathbed scene! As my post on the Buffy season 2 finale attests, I am a fan of the genre. And "Love Hurts" takes "Graduation Day" and raises it an actual death. Leo is gone for a good long while before Piper figures out how to activate the power she's borrowing to heal him. And I feel this point would be best accompanied by dueling shirtless deathbed scenes:
   



Pro: power of love brings him back to life; con: "love" doesn't involve sexy time bloodsucking

• 

  Pro: more chest exposure; con: declared love to wrong girl in feverish haze

   
• Darklighters. What can I say? I like the bad boys. And I especially like the bad boys who tie themselves in knots when they fall in love with good girls. And that's just what we get with Alec in "Love Hurts." I would totally watch a show about him and his doomed and obsessive love for Daisy.

Though this was a pretty cheesy move. Use your arm to block her and NEVER point your toe.

• A cameo by David Carradine! The finale features (Kill) Bill himself as a timelord named Tempus. He devours the scenery. I hope he's not really dead. 

And that's quite the fashion forward cape.

• And finally, DING DONG ANDY TRUDEAU IS DEAD. Now on to better boys for Prue! Might I suggest a Darklighter? 

Waiting for It
Season 2! Let's hope the Charmed Ones are gifted with longer shirts and less clunky shoes.  

Highlights in British history and culture gleaned from watching Top Gear

So Netflix only streams season 2 of the BBC2 car show/chat show/sketch comedy show Top Gear. But I think I'm safe starting in medias res! To be honest, I don't know a boot from a gear box, so about 40% of the time, I have no idea what co-hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May are talking about. But that's a better percentage than I expected. Cars are sort of the backdrop for the hilarious hosts to geek out about not only autos, but pop culture, sports--really whatever comes up. The show has a strong improvisational feel, and it made me laugh out loud repeatedly. What I liked best was the veddy veddy British allusions and references that flew thick and fast throughout the show. It's really not a bad way to brush up on your European sociohistorical matrix. For example,

Quote: "The Smartcar is about as fast as Henry the 8th."
Heh: Henry the 8th, the sixteenth-century British monarch was famously fat. Presumably, he couldn't and the putt-putt Smartcar engine go from "nought to sixty" at about the same rate.

He didn't actually look like Jonathan Rhys Meyers, kids.

Quote: Jeremy Clarkson: "I don't like being ripped off by Germans." Richard Hammond: "It was made in France." JC: "Vichy France."
Heh: Vichy France was the government that collaborated with the Nazis during World War 2. Also, the British and French have a, shall we say, troubled history? As John Cleese put it, "If you've got to fight someone, why not fight the French?" If you want a MUCH longer and less funny extrapolation of this joke, watch The Sorrow and the Pity (don't).

Quote: "A real dog, not a mutant that places third at Crufts."
Heh: The boys were discussing how a new version of some car (part of the 40% I missed) had a trunk rather than a hatchback, therefore making more room for a dog. JC, who preferred the hatchback, insisted you could fit a dog in the space. James May countered by referencing the largest annual dog show in the world, held in Birmingham, England.

The special guest this week was Vinnie Jones, the soccer player, excuse me, footballer, who is famous for two things: being a thrown out of a match after one second of play, and slamming a dude's head in a car door in Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. He reenacted the latter (with a watermelon and a Smartcar) on the show.

I think it's clear that Top Gear belongs in the Once More with Geekery wheelhouse. Stay tuned for more history lessons, and thanks for the rec, Emile!

What Charmed could learn from The Covenant

The season 1 recap continues!

Episodes Watched
"From Fear to Eternity"
"Secrets and Guys"
"Is There a Woogy in the House?"
"Which Prue Is It Anyway?"

Into It
I like how the Book of Shadows (the sisters' grimoire) isn't a static text, but grows and changes depending on how it's needed and how it's used.  In "From Fear to Eternity," the book produces a growing spell in the girls' mother's handwriting for Prue to consult as she battles a fear demon and learns to say "I love you." Aww.  And Pheobe adds a spell in "Woogy" once she remembers her grandmother's rhyme for defeating the shadow monster who lives in the basement. It reminds me of the books in the Harry Potter universe--Tom Riddle's diary, The Half Prince's potions textbook and Beedle the Bard's fairy tales all, to different extents, "talk back" to their readers. I'm working on a paper about the ethics of reading that such books imply, and I'll have to add this to my list.

Over It
There should be more dude witches on this show. There's a pre-teen boy witch in "Secrets and Guys," but that just made it more obvious that mostly, only bad "warlocks" are male. Take a hint from modern classic The Covenant, guy witches have potential.

slantmagazine.com

Especially when they're on the goddamn swim team.

Waiting for It
In "Secrets and Guys," we finally get some more Leo, but alas, he only shows up to tell us (well, Piper), that he can't stick around. As it turns out, he's a "whitelighter" (which sounds like a sort of fairy godmother for witches, except sexy, and really into windbreakers), and they're not allowed to fall for the witches they're protecting, except he has. Now, as a fervent Buffy/Angel 'shipper, I'm all for a little star-crossed loverness, but I need some more why in my why-God-why doomed relationship. Why can't whitelighters get in relationships with witches? What's at stake? What's the punishment for transgressing? It's pretty self-explanatory why Slayers and vampires shouldn't fall in love, but I'm looking forward to some more mythology.

Charmed Recap: Feminista Edition

I've made it halfway through season 1!

Episodes Watched
"The Witch Is Back"
"Wicca Envy"
"Feats of Clay"
"The Wendigo"

Into It:
The show seems to be making an interesting argument about gender and power, by literalizing the concept of "powers" through witchcraft, and then showing how people might sabotage women who try to wield it. In "The Witch Is Back," we have a seventeenth-century lounge lizard who gets women to use their powers on him so he can claim them as his own.

tvmegasite.net

How you doin'?

In "Wicca Envy," Rex from the auction house lets his evil flag fly, showing off his brand new skill of "astral projection" to get into Chez Halliwell unseen. His creepy see-through aura not only subliminally urges Prue to participate in framing herself for stealing a valuable necklace, he also hopes to convince the girls to relinquish their own powers. A particularly chilling moment has him whispering to Piper that, "You're a miserable witch," making her think her own mind had given her that self-defeating message. On Buffy (my ur-supernatural text), misogyny is always a mark of villainy. Seems like Charmed is going the same way.

Over It:
The god-awful 90s hair on some of the guys. Here's an especially egregious example:

screencap-paradise.com

Why isn't "makeover" one of the powers of three?

Waiting for It:
In "The Witch Is Back," the Halliwell sisters meet their great great grandwitch in an attempt to vanquish the aforementioned lounge lizard. While talking with her, Phoebe asks an interesting question: "Why do Warren witches lose their moms so early?" It makes me wonder if there's some kind of curse on the family, and what will happen if one of the Charmed Ones becomes a mother in the next seven seasons. Also: Leo is magic! This has promise!

charmed.wikia.com

A sparkle that is practically Cullen-esque

Late to the Party - Mad Men, season 3

It'd be wrong to talk about season 3 and not give you the amazing Joan Harris on accordion

Overall season 3 was fine.  The first season, as with many shows, was still the best.  This season felt a bit more like it exists only to set up the big change for season 4.  The second tier folks were around but had much less to do.  I don't remember them doing the thing I loved most about season 2 which was that final shot of each episode holding so much symbolism it was ridiculous.  There was one awesome last line of an episode which people who have seen the show would appreciate.  On Halloween one of Don's neighbors says to him, "And who are you supposed to be?"  Who indeed guy who is now on Buffy's new show, who indeed?

Here's where I'm at with the characters:
-I still don't like Betty but I'm pretty sure the writers have stopped trying with her.  Don went off on her towards the end of the season and I rewound it and watched it again.  Have I mentioned how much I dislike January Jones?  I'd say hate but I don't know her personally (but I hear people that do know her personally don't like her much either). 

-As much as I don't like Betty I'm starting to love any time her daughter, Sally (played awesomely by Kiernan Shipka), opens her mouth.  That girl not only gets some great lines but gets to ask the questions no one else dares.

-I never thought I'd care much about Peggy but I'm liking her more and more.  She lacks a filter (usually with Don) that most on which people would pride themselves .  Of course a woman like Peggy asking for more money (really to be equal with her male counterparts) probably didn't happen nearly enough back then. It's refreshing to see a woman ask for what she's worth, even if she gets shot down. Also she's a woman who is down for new experiences and you have to respect that.

-Speaking of worth, it was great to see everyone realize they were up a creek without their Joan paddle.

-Burt Cooper, who is largely ignored on this show in deference to Roger Sterling (John Slattery) and Don Draper (Jon Hamm), is just adorable.  He's not as much of a push-over as people would like to believe.  Honestly I just think he's a realist who would retire but loves his work too much.

-Pete would be NOTHING without Trudy.

Episodes of note:
-3.2 "Love Among the Ruins"
As soon as Don spotted his daughter's teacher frolicking with the children around a maypole (?) I said out loud to no one in particular, "Oh he's so gonna hit that."  He did but at least she held him off for a little while.
-3.3 "My Old Kentucky Home" aka John Slattery in blackface.
Wow.  Just wow.  This would probably be as close as they get to a musical episode and there was plenty of singing and dancing. It was great to see so many people could sing or dance. Plus Peggy tries illegal drugs and is still the smartest person in the room.
-3.6 "Guy Walks Into An Advertising Agency" aka the John Deere episode
Even though I had never seen the show I knew at some point a John Deere mower got ridden through the office. I had no idea what the result of that was and I'm glad I didn't.  I won't spoil it either except to say that I loved how the guy's bosses wrote him off as being totally unable to do his job anymore. Priceless.
-3.12 "The Grown-Ups"
JFK is dead and now so is Don's marriage.  But all will be well because...
-3.13 "Shut the Door, Have a Seat"
We're outsmarting the Brits and starting a new agency!  They start the agency on Friday the 13th, ominous? Probably not.  Peggy's filter is still off with Don, "You look awful." No 'Hi" or "Hello" or "What are you doing at my house on a Sunday?"  Just, "You look awful." Peggy rocks.

Favorite exchange:
Paul Kinsey: "This is the way the world ends, this is the way the world ends, this is the way the world ends - not with a bang, but a whimper."
Smitty: We get it, you're educated.
--from 3.3 "My Old Kentucky Home"

Charmed eps 1.5-1.8: Riley Syndrome

When discussing season 1, episodes 5-8, with my favorite Charmed expert, I admitted that I would totally use my Charmed One powers to get guys, much like Piper and Phoebe do in "Dream Sorcerer." She reminded me that you can't use spells for personal gain. Well, considering my relationship track record, I think we can all agree that not much has been "gained" "personally." So I conclude I'd be safe summoning Joseph Gordon-Levitt! On to the recap of disc 2!

Episodes Watched:
"Dream Sorcerer"
"The Wedding from Hell"
"The Fourth Sister"
"The Truth Is Out There and It Hurts"

Into It:
This guy:

charmed.wikia.com

I'll even overlook the odd, ill-fitting jacket that he WILL NOT TAKE OFF.

We get a fun and portentous kiss between Piper and Leo while a Prue-casted truth spell gives her the confidence to make the first move. I wasn't sure about Brian Krause, but it turns out he's one of those people who look much better moving around than they do in photographs.

Over It: 
This guy:

hollyvwallpapers.tripod.com

I'm Inspector Andy Trudeau. My whiny neediness is matched only by my impotence in a crisis.

Prue deserves better. For you Buffy fans, Andy's got Riley Syndrome: wants a strong woman, but also wants her to need him ALL THE TIME. Verdict = not hot. Hell, I would even prefer Prue to have a fling with the looks-to-be-evil Svengali Rex from the auction house. Speaking of . . .

Waiting for It:
I like the intimation of a season 1 big bad with Hannah's witchery being exposed through the aforementioned truth spell, and Rex's connection with the Hecate in "Wedding." Looking forward to seeing where this plot leads.