Another Hourly Mistake

As you may know, I'm a huge fan of the new show Reaper. Ray Wise should earn some sort of respectable award (although I'm sure he won't) for the squirrel-feeding, death-inducing, omelette-making suave satan.

However, I've found it doesn't warrant an hour (just like The Office). It forces some character moves for the sake of time, like the ongoing, ad nauseum crisis of our hero, Sam, against the Devil, even though Sam obviously enjoys now getting to be a badass and ridding the world of demons. So every time there's some sort of "Why do I have to do this?" whining versus the Devil even though Sam was glowing in triumph from his demon defeat the last week.

Plus, it takes forever to find and fight the demons, and even longer to muddle through Sam's latest obstacle to hooking up with Andi.

Last week's was above par and handled the lack of time constraints wonderfully. But I must say, packing a substantial amount of emotion and plot into a satisfying, not too rushed half hour is Aliens in America, the comedy about a Pakastani exchange student living with a frustrated nerd, and how their friendship both helps and hurts said nerd's high school existence. It's high concept that only needs 30 minutes a week to advance the story or else it too would become tired.

Only soap operas should be allowed to add filler to an hour broadcast, in my humble opinion.

So Sue Me: National Treasure

Being from the land of Lincoln, the preview for the next National Treasure (: Book of Secrets) piqued my interest. Our hero, Ben Gates, played by Nic Cage, learns of possible evidence that his ancestors were Lincoln assassination conspirators.

Inflamed with patriotic fury, he sets out to claim that that just isn't true.

It looked somewhat interesting in a big, dumb action movie kind of way, and hey, Helen Mirren's in it.

So to fully appreciate it when I see it in December, I rented the original.

I found it really entertaining and funny, and Ben has the perfect blend of wit, earnestness and smarts of any action hero. He's a brainiac not a brawniac. I especially enjoyed Justin Bartha as Riley, his wiseacre computer whiz sidekick. He layed it on perhaps a little thick here and there, but most of the time his jokes hit the jackpot. Or, jokepot.

So sue me. I liked it!

Cough Cough

Ah, cold season is upon this bunny. I have had a sore throat and cough for three days now. Where's a Law and Order marathon when I need one?

Speaking of long versions of shows, whyfore is The Office suddenly an hour long? Might this be a little too much of a good thing? After all, each quirk of the main characters are so shallow (I mean that in a good way) that one hour becomes tiresome, unless, of course, it's a once-in-a-while kind of thing, like the season finale or premiere.


I confess...I had two weeks' ago episode saved, and after scanning through last week's promptly deleted it. Yes, Scanned. I couldn't sit still. It was too repititive with Dwight's battle with the computer, and like Angela, I wanted to rip away the blowhorn from Ed Helms!

Renewal!

Like a mirage, Saturday morning looms in the horizon. Sweet sleeping in!

Those who know me are aware that I have incredible discipline, rising at sunrise, one hour of tai chi, and at least one-half hour of transcendental meditation. And, of course, work. Lately I've given myself weekends to sleep in. Tomorrow will be one such morning. And then maybe this case of vapors will dissipate for good!

I'm also simply exhausted from all the TELEVISION. Does it seem like more than usual interesting shows out these days? And then to still keep up with returning favorites...it's almost simply too much. Had a double dose of Ugly Betty last night, and am now getting acquainted with Life.

Which I really like, far more than expected! You probably know that it's about a cop who was wrongly convicted of a triple murder, finally exonerated and released. He's both famous and infamous, tainted but renewed, and years in prison navel-gazing has made him an intuitive, if sometimes frustrating, partner for his partner (played by Sarah Shahi, veteran of The L Word and Teachers and finally in a role she can sink her teeth into). There's little hints about the murder, his life in prison, the world around him, why he's so...odd now. It's not as cut and dry as it could be, as broad, nor is it twee and precious like Pushing Daisies (oh...honestly is all I have to say about that one).

So, cop drama fans, you will like Life.

And now, back to my Tivo!

Why oh why?

I still can't figure out what it is, why i cannot bring my delicate paws to keyboard on more than a weekly basis these days. Why, why why? I ask? The weather has cooled, but yet I am still fatigued. I've been reading the same book for several weeks and have newspapers piled up in the corner. My roommates fear I am going through male menopause, but hopefully it is just a phase!

Oh! Did anyone see the Top Chef reunion? I had hoped Tre won the fan favorite, but I adore Casey. And who thinks Padma and CJ are doin' it?? Moi, that's who!

O! The Humanity.

I Fell For It.

There are all these little fool-you tricks in TV that I fall for Every.Single.Time.

The latest was "Ugly Betty," which had an action-packed season debut on Thursday. Last we saw, Betty tells her sister Hilda that her fiance (and baby daddy - or in this case, Justin daddy) Santos was shot in a wrongplace/wrongtime robbery situation.

In this episode, Hilda is in her room with Santos, who has gauze around his torso and is recuperating from the shooting. They dilly dally in the room till he finally asks her to let him leave, so they can go outside and experience the real world again. But she's scared, and holds onto him with great trepidation.

Cut to her holding a pillow, not Santos. Now, i should have seen this coming a mile away, but I didn't, because I WANTED him to be alive (ever the optimist, I am!). It was a wonderful play on viewers' imaginations if a bit twee. I was literally sad and upset and almost expressed a tear before I realized that since this is a soap opera, the handsome Santos (not that I go that way, but aesthetically, he is leading-man good-looking) may come back as a friendly ghost.


See, ever the optimist.

The Devil in the Kitchen

I have to say, I thought "Reaper" would be cheesy fun at best, but it was shockingly hilarious and gave me warm fuzzies. Which is charming considering it's a show about working for the devil. But lest you think it's all darkness and horror-ific humor, the devil himself does admit halfway through the first episode, "C'mon, you know how it'll end - God wins every time."

I also watched the first episode of the American debut of Gordon Ramsay's "Hell's Kitchen". It was equally hilarious, and far scarier, than Reaper. We find an American/Indian (literally...American, and Indian, as in Chutneys, not American-Indian,Native American, cuisine) restaurant seconds from the heart of NYC that has plastic walls (!!) and disgusting food prep procedures.

The funniest part is Ramsey. He shrieks at rotten food, bellows wildly at lazy employees, and swears even during light casual conversation. It's incredibly entertaining and delicious mostly because underneath it all the guy really cares (or pretends quite well to care).

The restaurant was really a disaster. There were roaches and rat droppings everywhere!!! Doesn't NYC do inspections, or had it been awhile since the last one?? Ew!! At one point Ramsey sends home lunch diners without food, saving them from almost certain food poisoning. Can you imagine having your restaurant on tv in disgrace? Of course, there's a happy ending though, one more thing that makes this good reality programming. Though I will never watch "Hell's Kitchen" - this rabbit is a "Top Chef"-er all the way. Go Casey!