Lost Finale

I don't want to get too into what I think did or did not happen in terms of plot but since I've followed this show for its entire six year run so I think the correct move would be to throw out yet another blowhardy, generally pretentious, take to go along with the approximately six hundred thousand others floating around.

Anyway, I get why some people are frustrated by the final episode. It didn't answer a lot of the show's lingering questions (what are the numbers, how did the dharma initiative find out about the island, and what happened to walt (though in regards to the last question the answer is obvious - he was too busy starring in The Blind Side)), and didn't give a definitive answer to the big one - What exactly is the island? Personally, about half way through this season I decided that there was no way everything was going to be answered satisfactorily and decided not to get too hung up about it (see how enlightened I am), really I just wanted to go along with the ride. Wherever that ended up probably wouldn't be wholly satisfying, but I hoped it would at least be compelling.

That said, I think the writers really had two ways they could have ended the show. They could have gone with the big screw with everybody's head ending, which would probably have involved the world ending, or they could have just focused on providing some sort of resolution to the character's lives and leave it at that. Obviously they chose the latter and I can't really blame them. Had they decided just to blow Hurley to smithereens (for example) I think the majority of the fan base would have been even more pissed than they are now. Overall I think the resolution was a satisfying one and, once you accept that the show was so ambitious that there was no way that any ending would have tied everything up nicely, its difficult to fault the writers too much for going the direction they did.

A few more random thoughts:

1) Its interesting that this was really just a resolution of the last two seasons, and not so much the whole show. This lends some credence to the idea that while they creators may have had some general idea about where to go with the show from the beginning, they really were just throwing up a lot of white noise to see what would stick before they were given a definitive end date by ABC.

2) I also think the ambiguous ending is in keeping with how the entire show has played out. More than any other show I can think of (with the obvious exception of Everybody Loves Raymond), its really made an effort to 'show not tell' and leave a lot to the fan's imaginations. While I do think they could have done a better job wrapping up some of the big questions over the final few weeks, I think its just as likely that had the resolution been more explicit the whole thing would have felt forced and a little corny. That said I think a special edition DVD with anextra half hour of explanatory footage is inevitable.

3) I'm going to be really interested to see how Lost plays in syndication. Unlike other 'mythology' heavy shows in the past (X files, Buffy, etc) Lost doesn't really have many stand alone episodes, and you can't really just drop in at any point and get a feel for whats going on. I would think that would limit new viewers, and existing fans have already seen everything. Of course I'm the same guy who thought nobody would buy Avatar on DVD because without 3-D it really wasn't anything special, and its become the best selling disk of all time so what do I know.

I'll just finish up by saying that overall Lost was an incredibly interesting show I enjoyed the ride. It may also be the last of its kind (a high budget network, effects heavy, network show) since as TV becomes more fragmented its unlikely that there will be enough incentive to mount a production on its level since the large audience won't be around to sustain it. Still I look forward to revisiting it on DVD and seeing if knowing what, sort of, was going on the whole time detracts form my enjoyment.

One more note: I watched this episode live because I didn't think there was any way I would be able to not hear the ending. Big mistake. The first two hours went like this - 5 minutes of show, followed by three minutes of commercials. It was unbearable. If they hadn't shown the last twenty minutes commercial free I think the show would have been in violation of some sort of FCC standard about content per hour. I mean I get that ABC knows they got a captive audience, but come on. This was ridiculous.

One Tree Hill - Hold My Hand as I'm lowered

Well tonight we're getting a special live viewing of this illustrious program. Why would I pass up on the opportunity to watch it in a fifteen minute shorter increment and without helpful side ads and factoids, you ask? Because screw you that's why. I don't have to explain myself.

-I'm beginning to think that missing the premier may have been a big deal. It appears that One Tree Hill is taking a page from Mad Men's play book and jumping ahead a few years every season. This may also be the last time One Tree Hill is compared to Mad Men (but it shouldn't be)
-We open with Haley looking at the sonogram and pictures of Nathan with a groupie at the party...waiting for the measured conversation where they discuss this maturely and rationally
-Nathan: You Know I didn't do anything right
Haley: You have your arm around here
Nathan: I get asked to pictures with a lot of people
Haley: You should be smart enough to know better (storms off)
Yeah, that's about right
-Dan gets called a murderer on his TV show since, you know, he killed his brother. Seems like a fair point. You'd think this may have come up before since he actually did time for the crime.
-I was wrong Dan's wife isn't the crazy nanny who kidnapped Jaime last season, its the crazy former heroin addicted model who tried to hook up with mouth last season. My Mistake
-Mouth leaves a lizard in the bathroom to scare skills. He calls Jaime (five year old) to help catch it - sound thinking there
-Groupie asks for $200K to go away. Nathan doesn't understand why she would do this. I mean its so unlikely that a woman would try to get extort money from an NBA star. Also according to his agent the Charlotte Bobcats won't re-sign him (to a $20million contract) if there are allegations about him having an illegitimate child, not to mention all the sponsors who will drop him. I guess its a good thing that Shawn Kemp never wanted to play for the Bobcats. But seriously, I love how this show still exists in a universe where a shooting guard worth $20 million dollars would have his career derailed by adultery accusations. The worst thing that happened to Kobe when he was accused of rape was that Nutella dropped him as an endorser
-Brooke has a photo shoot with the crazy (recurring theme here) model who wants to get a piece of Julian. As usual the world class photographer is 22, keeping the show's trend of having all jobs performed by people under 25
-We then have an extended photo shoot montage - odds of there being a cross over promotion? High. Mayve this one can be brought to us by Skittles
-Dan's Motto: When you stand in the light - you get yourself right. Catchy
-We have a flashback to how Dan met Rachel - at a strip club where she doubled as a prostitute. But like I have to tell you that
-Haley actually seems relatively restrained about this, and then takes out her aggression on the agent for proposing that Nathan pay off the groupie. I knew she couldn't keep it in
-Jaime catches the lizard and names it Percy - this kid is going to get beat up repeatedly.
-Ahhh, Jaime gets Skills to admit that he's afraid of moving in with his girlfriend. I know he's the only black guy in town so everyone hates him, but there has to be more people he can talk to
-I'm serioulsy considering getting a Faux Hawk
-Haley crashes Brooke's photo shoot and starts crying

-My head almost just exploded. One Tree Hill's Kate Voegle (Mia) just did a commercial for University of Phoenix. Because all 19 year old rock stars take on-line accounting classes when they're on the road. There's even a shot of her staring at a laptop while sitting on a hotel bed. Must have been between stops on the Starburst Summer Concert Tour. I am so happy right now
-Haley bitches to Brooke and her sister about the whole thing with the groupie. They still think this is going to screw up his contract and they don't know how they can explain this to the kid. Here's a suggestion:
Haley and Nathan: Jaime this woman is lying, and we'll prove it
Jaime: Ok
-Turns out Rachel hired the guy in the crowd to yell at Dan in an effort to goose ratings. He's torn. Who knew the former hooker would be an opportunistic show runner
-They show an ad of a shirtless Nathan endorsing Rainbow Body spray.
-Crazy former Jukie model gives Julian a script to read. I'm sure Brooke will handle this with aplomb.
-The agent gives the groupie an empty envelope and tells her to go to hell. It. Is. On.
-We get a little slo mo as nathan walks across the backyard and sits down next to Jaime on the swingset. Seriously

I gotta say I've been a little dissapointed by this season so far. I hate to say it but I think I miss Peyton and Lucas. They were the rigth blend of self-seriousness and absolute insanity that really drove the shows genius. I'm not giving up yet though.

One Tree Hill - What are you willing to lose

Oh yeah baby we're back. As this new television season has begun and I started getting set with my viewing rotation (Parks and Recreation, The Office, Dollhouse and soon to be Chuck welcome back. Glee and Community -welcome to the party, for now) there was one show that I was anticipating more than any other which, I'm sure you figured out by the title of this post, is the glorious One Tree Hill. Before we get into another season of North Carolina goodness (mmm dry rub) I have a few programming notes. Apparently my One tree hill facebook group didn't let me know that the CW would only have the most recent episode up to watch so we're starting this off with the second episode of season seven (seriously there's already been six seasons of this). I don't think I'll have a problem jumping right in. Secondly, if I remember, I'm going to include the title of each episode in the post's title. We'll play a little game where if one of the character's says the title in the show you win a, I don't know, ticket to a box social or something. Fun for the whole family. Anyway, here we go:

-oohh, some groupie is claiming that Nathan slept with her on the road. I'm sure Haley will rationally listen to his explanation and not freak out
-Ahhh Julian's gives up a hollywood career to be with brooke. Apparently North Carolina still hasn't realized cross country flights exist. Also its apparently not okay to take off for a few weeks to shoot a movie every once in awhile. Brooke must be one needy chick.
-Nathan and his agent reenact the Rocky and Apollo beach run from Rocky III. He then freaks out and practically starts crying - Wahh I'm a highly paid NBA player and allegations of promiscuity are going to ruin my chance at a new contract. Seriously he says that. Its a new NBA.
-Skillz and Mouth try to force the other one to move out by being naked around the house all the time to freak the other out
-Dan is now a motivational speaker with a TV show and smoking hot wife, that's about right. If I'm right Dan's wife is the crazy nanny who tries to kill him last year. Stockholm syndrome anyone.
-Some mean woman with a british accent is trying to buy Peyton and Haley's record label and shut them down. Apparently having the headliner of the Starburst summer concert series is a big deal
-Julian hangs a poster of The Thin Red Line on his wall. Some writer has taste
-Brooke thinks the poster is tacky and wants it out of the living room - that's about right
-It turns out the new actress hired to be the new face of Clothes over Bros hates disabled people ("Cripples and like retarded people - They're always drooling and like smiling really wierd"), doesn't take rehab seriously, and say's north carolina is hot that it smells like the "Devil's Ass." She also says BTW, and makes up the fact that she only east organic food. Accurate portrayal of hollywood as always
-Dan tries to convince a panhandler he should believe in himself and gives him a copy of his book. called 'Scott Free Redemption' (puns are fun). If this leads to Dan becomming the Anti Christ and taking over the world I'm all for it.
-Nathan runs into a restaurant and starts screaming at his accuser - Wahhh - WHy are you doing this to me!?. That always works
-The crazy actress ends up calling Brooke fat and not getting a 'That's what she said' joke. Wow portraying a hollywood actress as vapid and condescending who won't wear purple because she has a childhood fear of Barney. Well-played One Tree Hill.
-Jaime buried Skillz and Lauren in the sand, so they couldn't get out and they ended up getting burned when he forgot about them. Seriously a seven year old was able to fully bury two grown adults in the sand and completely debilitate them.
-Oh snap, Mia rolls in and says the mean british girl will lose her biggest selling artist if she doesn't keep the label open. That's right you don't mess with a myspace headliner
-The mean actress talks her way back into Brooke's good graces by claiming one of her dresses saved her after rehab (seriously, some crap about how it gave her dignity) - Brooke and Milly of course fall for it and agree to keep her on board (and pay her $500K)
-Uh oh the groupie has pictures what could they be????
-Mia's bluff works, and Haley and the mean English lady make up. And she says Haley has to record an album in six months if she wants to keep the label open. I smell cross promotion.
-Brooke tells off Julian's mean movie producer dad for being a bad father.
-Julian's dad was too busy 'Caring for fictional characters instead of caring for the real ones in his life.' He's proud of Julian for ignoring cross country air travel, and living his own life. 'And Whatever you do don't be like me.' You know, shave or be successful.
-Apparently the groupie claims to have hooked up with Nathan at a party where he celebrated scoring 35 points against Memphis (that warrants celebration?) which was three months earlier. It turns out she gave the agent a picture of a sonogram which he expertly interprets as showing that she's three months pregnant. Apparently they got really drunk so the agent thinks maybe something did happen. What a turncoat
-Nice, the speech the actress gave to brooke about her dress was lifted from a film. Brooke doesn't notice because she's too busy jumping Julian's bones.
-Episode ends with Nathan about to tell Haley something important...I'm sure this will go well.

Man I'm glad this show is back

One Tree Hill

I'll be honest there's been two episodes that I haven't blogged and while they've been amazing (Peyton gets in a horrible car accident but shows no sign of it right after, Skills hits on Jaime's teacher, Nathan turns down a contract to play in europe) I don't think you'll be to confused by the plot discussion here if I don't do an extensive recap.

-Anyway this weeks episode begins with Peyton recording a video for her kid to watch, you know since she might die in childbirth, and tells the kid about a playlist she prepared that her spawn should listen too whenever they get down (playlist called 100 songs to save your life - seriously, what do you want to bet it features the Fray). Well not only does the list feature the typical boring hipster nonsense (Audioslave, the cure) but also the music of two characters on the show who also have happen to have alblums they're currently promoting in real life, and the show immediately cuts to one of the characters pllaying a song off of the real alblum that they just released. This is a whole new level of product placement that I can't help but stand up and salute.
-Peyton ends the video by begging the kid to take care of Lucas. I'm sure a newborn is going to be the one to keep him off the edge. 'Hey Dad why don't you put the bottle of Jack down and change my diaper'
-Lucas freaks out at Peyton making a death video and refuses to marry her now because they're not just doing something 'just in case.' The logic being of course that if they get married she'll die. Man if you don't want to get married just say so.
-Lucas is sporting a particularly impressive faux-hawk in this episode
-In the first realistic sports touch in the show's history they have Nathan's NBDL game being scouted by the Clippers. I would have expected them to have him go right to the lakers. There's no way he ends up there of course, the show's not moving to LA, but still I appreciate the effort.
-This moment of realism is destroyed by the fact that they make the game well attended and covered by a television crew.
-Peyton has a baby shower. I really don't want to talk about it
-Skills has to take a 4th grader with a ventriloquist dummy on his date with Jaime's hot teacher. Does he get blocked by the kid constantly while pursuing his romatic conquest? He Does. Does the meal end with the kid saying "Mom Says I shouldn't eat Dairy" of course
-Hey I can watch the confessional of a fictional character from the 90210 reboot online. I guess we know my plans for the weekend!
-I haven't even mentioned that Brooke's psuedo adopted 17 year old decides to leave to live with her birth mother. Got a little dusty here if you know what I mean (really my apartment is a mess)
-Aaah, Lucas relents and decides to make an honest woman out of Peyton. I guess we know what the season finale is going to revolve around. I'm guessing a hurrican will hit.

Rating out of 10: a solid 13

One Tree Hill

So I think I'm seeing this episode out of order but lets be honest, it doesn't really matter. It's not like narrative continuity is what drives this show.

-So we begin with it looking like Dan's going to his heart, but a crackhead in the ER trips the medic carrying he heart with his dog's leash. The dog then eats the heart after it falls out of the box. I'm not kidding. Lassie runs off with Dan's heart in her mouth. Best...Show....Ever
-Thankfully we're back with Dawson the director trying to get a helicopter to shoot the movie's final scene in order to have sex in it. This explains Michael Bay.
-Skillz is coaching Jaime's pee wee basketball team. Does he take it a little too seriously? He does. Does he wear a suit on the sidelines and scream at the ref? He does. Have I seen this hilarious scenario played out before, of course.
-The studio head who greenlit Lucas and Julian's movie gets fired, and suddenly the whole production is in limbo - duh duh duh. I'll ruin the suspense for you - the movie gets canceled. Dawson celebrates because he's still getting paid. He then rolls up in a stretch hummer limousine. Before leaving he calls out Lucas and Julian for being the little whiners they are, and toasts them by saying 'To the friendships we made along the way and the insane amount of ass we get for doing this job.' He then tells the little babies that he got them their production bonus because he shot a little film the night before, and then flies off with an actress in a helicopter he charged to the film. Possibly my favorite character of all time.
-I now realize that I missed a whole show of what could be considered major plot developments and didn't even notice. Not something I could say about Lost. Another reason this show rocks-you don't have to worry about catching every single episode in order. Makes watching much less stressful.
-They keep bringing the four year old back to the cemetary to have conversations with dead people. That's good parenting.
-Dan wanders into the ocean and screams at God. I guess seeing Rin Tin Tin eat your donor heart makes you a little annoyed at the almighty. Of course after he ends up back on the beach some spiky haired peroxide individual, probably named Troy, jogs by and says 'Great Day to be Alive.' That's what we call irony folks.
-In this episode of shameless product placement, Jaime designs his own Tree Hill on the Sims. This is one show that doesn't need a stimulus package.
-Hey the actor that plays Nathan is from Hemet, CA, right near my childhood neighborhood (give or take a 45 minute ride which in southern california makes it practically next door).The question is whether he was involved in the thriving meth trade or the giant Scientology center up there. I'm guessing Scientology. I think he got the meth habit after moving to North Carolina.
-Jaime has Dan admit that he's the one who killed Keith and gets mad. So the four year old is now feeling closer to the dead great uncle he never actually met than the grandfather who saved him from the pshyco nanny. I blame the fact that the parents make him hang out in cemetaries for fun.
-So that whole Brooke /Julian, I love you storyline that was dealt with ad nauseum in the subsequent episode (which I wrote about last time) was also a focus of this episode. It doesn't get any less annoying the second time around.
-Good god this episode is actually featuring a song by a legitimate artist. Apparently at least one of the PA's is an Aimee Mann fan. Or they made a mistake. Either way its a welcome change from the typical soundtrack choices.
-To make up for this oversight the closing song is from The Fray
-Episode ends with Dan leaving, presumably to die. Unless I see him get run over by a steam roller I don't believe it. He'll probably come back with a Sony designed robot heart or something.


Episode rating on a scale of 10: 16

One Tree Hill

Oh One Tree Hill how I've missed you. Damn the CW for keeping you from me

-The Episode starts with a bang as Brooke is kicking Julian out of her bed for doing some unspeakable act. What could cause such a worldly woman such as Brooke to kick someone out of her bed? Maybe he suggested a Cleveland Steamer or a Gorilla Mask? But wait...he just said 'I Love You' and she just isn't ready to hear that. Oh you writers how dare you play with our emotions like that.
-In the great crossover department they have the most annoying five year old in the world, Jaime, say how he wants to watch Gossip Girl instead of Thomas the Tank Engine. Well Played CW.
-For approximately the five hundredth time in the last three episodes Peyton falls over clutching her stomach before a commercial break, is it the cancer they keep insinuating that she's genetically predisposed to? (please be yes please be yes). Well the show take about twenty minutes making it sound like she just had a miscarriage, but really it turns out that having the baby could kill her (somebody's in for a well adjusted childhood). Peyton of course says she's having the baby, but Lucas basically says 'hey go have an abortion, the doctor says we could lose the baby anyway, and (choking tears away) I don't want to have this child grow up without a mother.' Sounds like somebody doesn't want diaper duty! I would feel bad about making fun of the situation except I anticipate that it will be tearfully resolved by the third break.
-Peyton, actually somewhat sanely, points out that they've already survived car wrecks, gun shots, and being attacked by Psychos, why should this bother them? She then of course goes on to joke about how much 'sexy single dad tail he's going to get.' (Rim shot) Plus she says the whole point of them getting together in the first place is just to have this child. Again, somebody is going to have a screwed up childhood. And then the baby starts kicking, and Peyton says its okay to love the baby even if it kills her, because you know otherwise you could just resent him and throw whisky bottles at him.
-Should I be disturbed that the network has created a One Tree Hill Sims (TM) neighborhood to promote the show.
-Man Mouth and Milly are annoying. Just as she's about to leave forever he tries to talk her into staying by listing all the little things he's going to miss about her (including the glasses she got rid of by having Lasik), I have no idea where I've heard that before. Somehow she's able to walk away from such smoothness. Maybe gone forever? Unlikely.
-Hey I just learned that CariDee from America's Next Top Model apeared on One tree Hill, thank you CW bonus box.
-Haley is suspended for standing up for free speech and publishing a student's semi objectionable essay in the school paper, and rather than I don't knowing filing a lawsuit she decides to consider moving to charleston to be with Nathan's NBDL team. Obviously she doesn't think his career is going to advance very far. Nathan sensing he doesn't want to have the wife and kid everywhere immediately suggests that she go back on the road and sing, and oh yeah she can bring the kid along with her. Sounds like somebody misses the single life.
-Brooke: You Don't choose who you love
Julian: True, but you can choose who you open your heart to love
Brooke: What do you want me to say?
Julian: I love you too Julian
Brooke: I really like you too Julian

Oh Snap!!!

For some reason this smackdown doesn't stop loverboy from turning on the charm about how he loves her more than anything, but she still can't say she loves him. He starts crying. Wimp.

-So ten minutes left and the major relationships in the show are all at a crossroads, what will happen? I can barely contain the excitement.
-Hey Dan's heart transplant beeper is going off just when Deb says how he needs to die for their to be justice in the world. Oh Irony thy name is One Tree Hill.
- In tonights slow motion montage set to whatever band is hip with the kids this moment features: Peyton claiming she knows she won't die even though the doctors say she will, Julian walking out on brooke, and Mouth finding Millie's old glasses and looking on wistfully.

Rating out of ten: 12.5

TV recap

I do watch some shows regularly on the small screen but I'm way to lazy to write regularly about any single one (except for One Tree Hill, but lets be honest that show practically writes its own entries). Still since I feel like the world doesn't get enough of my meaningful opinions I figured I periodically post my thoughts about, wait for it, 'What I'm Watching" (TM). These will only covers show I watch as they're actually airing. Since I'm getting most of my television from DVD sets that means this list will actually be kept at a fairly manageable level.

The Office: For my money still the funniest show on television, granted not saying much since the biggest competition is Simpsons reruns but still. How the show has managed to keep walking that fine line between broad comedy and devastating parody without completely falling into former category is truly something to behold. Additionally its managed to make us care enough about the characters that it can give some well-earned emotional moments in the midst of all the beet farming jokes. Plus it's one of the most quotable shows on television, and the deleted scenes are often just as strong as anything that makes the air.

Chuck: This is an interesting show in that all the enjoyment I get from it (which is not insignificant) is purely from everything that surrounds the main plot points. The main story (generally some sort of spy mission) is usually forgettable, and the show's main romantic tension (Will they or won't they with Chuck and Sarah) needs to be resolved soon because it grinds the show to a halt whenever they look longingly at one another. That aside I think the show's writers realize the limitations as they put way more effort into coming up with clever uses of all the side characters, who seem to be getting increasingly weirder as time goes on. Really the two main characters (the aforementioned Chuck and Sarah) are the least interesting on the show, but they do provide something for all the more colorful characters to bounce off of. You know what the dynamic is like? That movie Independence Day. Remember how the central characters (the president and his family/staff) were really stiff and, while not necessarily unlikeable, you really didn't care what happened to them. However, they were surrounded by a bunch of live wires (Will Smith/Jeff Goldbloom/Judd Hirsch/Brent Spiner/Randy Quaid) who made the movie much more interesting and actually caused you to look back on the it fondly instead of being mildly annoyed at its generic nature. So Chuck's like that, except it features two characters who appeared in Firefly and Arrested development respectively (Jane and Buster to devotees) so it automatically gets an extra point.

Lost: By this point you've either decided if you buy into the show's premise or not. Given that up to this season the show has featured polar bears on a tropical island, a black smoke monster, having a paralyzed man the ability to walk, and possibly resurrection - I wasn't even phased by the addition of time travel this year. However if all these elements don't appeal to you then you'll unfortunately find all the machinations incomprehensible and at best completely arbitrary, and at worst ridiculous and laughable. If you do buy it, and I completely do, you find that is still one of the most interesting shows on television, and that it still manages to provide a "Holy Crap!" episodes every couple of weeks. It also has one of the more enjoyable, and growing, ensemble casts in recent memory, and the show runners have made it such an enjoyable ride to this point that I'm completely on board no matter implausible the plot gets (which is very to say the least). Plus the fact that the show has a definite end date means that we're going to get resolution to all the open questions, and that alone should keep me on board to the end.

Battlestar Galactica: I've had an interesting relationship with this show. When it first aired I had zero interest. In fact until a friend of my brother's gave us a copy of the first season DVD set I wouldn't have ever considered checking it out. On the balance I'm glad I did. In general I've enjoyed the plot and most of the characters, and I think the show runners have done a good job keeping the show moving and using it to reflect some of what's going on into society. That said of all the shows on this list this is the one that has the greatest tendency to throw out a bad episode or two, and too often the writing is awful. The fact that the universe they've created is rich enough to keep me involved is a testament to the underlying substance of the show, and it doesn't hurt that every time I've felt the show starting to lose me it comes back with an episode that I really enjoy to draw me back in for more.

Plus the Baltar character is tremendous, and almost offsets the fact that the President has completely overstayed her welcome and needs to die already.

Bonus plus: Any show that features a killer Bob Dylan song (all along the watchtower) as a plot driver gets bonus points.

Dollhouse: Its early but I'm cautiously optimistic just because its a Whedon show. Plus I read an interview with Eliza dushku who says it really picks up in the sixth episode so I'm willing to stick around until at least then. The two episodes I've seen have indicated that the show has the potential to be something interesting but so far I haven't been blown away. Still, given the pedigree I'm willing to ride it out.

Scrubs: I really can't say why I stick with this show. It keeps telling essentially the same jokes, the characters have all developed to a point where we aren't going to see anything new and, unlike most shows I like, its definitely been allowed to run its course (I wouldn't have been devastated if it got cancelled two seasons ago). But for some reason I keep watching. There's nothing particularly ground breaking or incisive about it, but I still enjoy the characters, cast chemistry, and the familiarity it provides. I guess what I'm saying is I'll probably ride it out until it gets cancelled (if it ever does) but I'm not real sure why.

In Memoriam

Pushing Daisies: Got Cancelled this season so I'm including it. Really in some ways its amazing that this show about a pie maker with the ability to wake the dead was able to last even one and a half seasons. The defining characteristic of the show was whimsy, and even given the dark premise it managed to stay completely light and quirky while existing in a kind of day glo reality that was truly unique. Plus this was one of the few shows I would make a point to watch when it aired just because I wanted to make sure to see it in HD. The sets and color design were inventive (and bright) and probably made it one of the all time great shows to watch while high (so I've heard). The show's dialogue also had its own unique cadence that added to the charm, and each episode had at least one or two lines that made me laugh out loud. Allegedly there are still three unaired episodes so I'm looking forward to whenever ABC decides to run them so I can least get a little more of this distinctive show.

One Tree Hill

Ahh back to our favorite Carolinians:

-So this episode involved the casting of Lucas' film, which of course has to happen in North Carolina and involve all the 'real life' characters being involved. Hilarity ensues, for example:
i) The casting assistant doesn't believe the 'real' Peyton is actually the real person and not some method actress, so she has to spend time with all her teenage doppelgangers, this is show is Charlie Kaufman-esque.
ii) The actress playing Brooke decides she needs to spend all her time with Brooke, and follows her around to learn how she was such a slut in high school. Again Hilarity ensues
iv) We learn that James Van Der Beek's character previously made a film called Trouser Hound'
Actress: I Loved Trouser hound by the way
Van Der Beek: He loves you too (glints eye, snaps finger and points)
v) Montages of various actresses reading for Peyton while reciting what I'm sure was important lines from earlier seasons.

-More Van Der Beek Gems: 'Go with the girl with the nice rack,' 'This place is dead anyways - Swingers' (that's right they have him talk in movie dialougue), plus my favorite after Brooke walks out on Julian he leans over and says 'Don't worry I know where you can find five more that look just like her.' I'm so happy his career was dead enough to take this job

-Man Jaime is annoying. This time his subplot has him trying to pick up a fellow four year old in his pre-school class, and of course the ex-con brother killing Dan is helping him do it. I can't emphasize how annoying this character is, and I mean even annoying for a little kid actor. Somebody needs to run him over with a steam roller. Seriously.
-Of course he ends up inviting his teacher over and tries to hit on her at Dan's beach house ('so when you stop to think of it when does the sidewalk end'), did I mention how much I hate this chracter. It even gets more tedious when he gets mad at Dan for moving in on his woman (yelling 'He was in Prison' and running off).
-The basketball subplot continues to amaze as the D-League team coach decides to start Nathan over the 20 ppg best player, because he is a team player and the other is guy is just concerned with making the NBA. And instead of just benching the guy, the coach cuts him outright. Riiiiight, I'm sure the NBA team playing the other guy's salary is extatic about that about that development. Because we know the D-League exists to put together cohesive teams and not develope talent. Plus we learn the guy has a small child and a baby on the way, so nathan of course has conflicted feelings.
-Skills (the shows one recurring black chracter) is of course the town's baby proofer (seriously this is a job? And this is something that's never been mentioned before. Of course he does it in a hip manner. I'm still deciding if this the chracter's portrayal is racist or not.
-In the episodes 'very special' storyline, Haley has to decide whether to publish Sam's essay in the paper against the principal's wishes (too many mature themes, plus the principal's name is Remkiss somehow that seems appropriate). Of course she publishes it, Sam gets a boost of self confidence, but will there be ramifications for Haley??? Stay tuned
-Hey I just learned from the fun fact box that Skills was a passenger in the infamous "Da, Da, Da" Volkswagen commercial. I'm not sure this show is a vertical move (who am I kidding of course it is)

-Of course the Fray is playing underneath the last scene.

So anyways this episode's score out of ten: 14

One Tree Hill

And the goodness continues

-Full crowd for an NBDL game which is interesting since they usually attract 2000 on a good night, but hey it is Charleston maybe there really is nothing else going on.
-The point guard playing in front of Nathan is portrayed as the most self absorbed ego driven athelete this side of Barry Bonds (33 points and 1 assist that only came from a airball that was laid back in). When he refuses to pass on the last play Nathan goes in and of course feeds the winning basket.
-The show's treatment of hollywood is almost as good as their treatment of sports. Lucas and Julian keep trying to find a director to adapt his book (including a coke snorting James Van Der Beek) and this episode finds them in a junkyard with a stereotypical indie director (golf hat, elvis costello glasses) who gives them his vision of turning the book into a gang war set in a white trash neighborhood. Apparently they'd already turned down five others for not being quite right (including a guy who made an incest movie with sock puppets - which I need to see). When the studio head gives them a 24 hour ultimatum to pick one, Van Der Beek comes back to try and convince them to give him the job and is portrayed as how somebody from nebraska views hollywood directors (sample dialogue: "You guys are thinking about Fast Food, Beer, and getting laid', 'When we're done we'll all get more ass than a toilet seat at yankee stadium'). Van Der Beek then goes and steals Lucas' speech about the film and uses it to get the job from the money guys. I hope this means we'll be seeing a healthy dose of Rules of Attraction Van Der Beek in future episodes.
-The last couple of episodes have brought back one of my favorite running features of the show - opportunistic merchandising. Last season the show runners found some myspace singer named Kate Vogle, made her a character on the show and now have her premier songs and tour dates as the character. Plus since I've been watching the show online the CW helpfully puts a link to purchase the album underneath the player. This storyline is by far the most overt example of blatant commercialization on the show but my favorite is still the episode that used the video game 'Rock Band' to try and bring Nathan and Halie back together (you think I'm kidding). Its rare to find a show that so fully embraces the merchandising properties available to it. This thing must be a cash cow.