Want to win EVERY box set of NCIS? Enter at the link below! Yahoo is having a special “NCIS week” to celebrate the show’s 200th episode.
Win ‘NCIS’ Seasons 1-8 on DVD From Yahoo! TV – Yahoo! TV.
Tag: NCIS
TV Pilots for 2012-2013 Season — ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, The CW
Wow, TV Line has outdone themselves with this comprehensive list of ordered pilots for next season. Even though these pilots mean that other shows will be canceled, it’s fun to imagine and predict what next season will look like on the various networks.
The article starts with definitions of the various terms surrounding pilot season. The ones that most intrigue me are planted pilots and second position. Second position was responsible for the cast change on New Girl – when actors of bubble shows film pilots, but if their current show is renewed, the new show has to recast the role.
Planted pilots introduce a new show within the world of a current show. The article sites The Finder episode on Bones last season, but many shows do this, though the new show doesn’t always get picked up (for example, when Jess left Gilmore Girls, the episode where he meets his California family was supposed to become a spinoff show). Today’s most-watched scripted drama, NCIS, had a planted pilot on JAG, and in turn hosted a planted pilot for NCIS: Los Angeles.
I plan to write another article going into more detail about the networks’ various pilots, but one thing did sadden me about this list: no Joss Whedon projects.
View my thoughts on the CW pilots and cancellations!
TV Pilots for 2012-2013 Season — ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, The CW.
The CW Orders Pilots Shelter, Selection and Joey Dakota
Three more pilot orders for The CW, to add to the five previously announced. I’d love to know how many pilot orders are typical for the network, to see if shows like Nikita and Ringer are in more danger than I would like.
Shelter looks like it’s trying to build on the success of Downton Abbey and The Help, by focusing on the staff at a resort. Seems a little bland to be a J.J. Abrams project, but I think it could make a good half hour comedy.
The Selection brings The Hunger Games to mind (even though I haven’t gotten around to reading the book), but 300 years in the future sounds awesome in a premise, no matter the rest of it.
Joey Dakota – I think romantic time-travel musical says about everything. It could be wonderful, or it could fall utterly. But is that NCIS’s Mark Harmon as an executive producer?
The CW Orders Pilots Shelter, Selection and Joey Dakota.
Castle Season 4 Episode 17 Casting — Sarah Jane Morris
Castle gets its own fairy tale episode! Interesting that this article talks all about the ABC Once Upon a Time connection (the episode is titled “Once Upon a Crime”), but barely mentions Grimm – hello, police investigating a crime where the victim is dressed like Red Riding Hood and was apparently killed by a wolf attack? Straight from Grimm’s pilot, though I’m sure Castle’s storyline will be much different.
And how does this article almost overlook where most people will recognize Sarah Jane Morris from? She’s NCIS’s EJ Barrett!
Castle Season 4 Episode 17 Casting — Sarah Jane Morris.
Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on NCIS, Grey’s, Glee, House, HIMYM, Five-0, Gossip Girl and More! – TVLine
Wow, so many good tidbits of info about future episodes of NCIS: Los Angeles, Suburgatory, Private Practice, and much, much more! (See list of tags for all the shows that come up in this fun article!)
Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on NCIS, Grey’s, Glee, House, HIMYM, Five-0, Gossip Girl and More! – TVLine.
People’s Choice Awards 2012 Nominees – PeoplesChoice.com
Well, I told you all who I voted for this year – now to look at the results! Full results list with all the winners and nominees is linked at the bottom of this post.
FAVORITE NETWORK TV DRAMA
I voted for House, Supernatural won.
FAVORITE TV DRAMA ACTOR
I voted for both David Boreanaz and Nathan Fillion, and Fillon won!
FAVORITE TV DRAMA ACTRESS
I voted for Bones’ Emily Deschanel, but The Vampire Diaries’ Nina Dobrev won.
FAVORITE CABLE TV DRAMA
Pretty Little Liars won. I really wish it had been White Collar – an excellent show that more people should be talking about.
FAVORITE NETWORK TV COMEDY
I voted for both The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother, and HIMYM won.
FAVORITE TV COMEDY ACTOR
HIMYM continues conquer as Neil Patrick Harris won. I voted for both him and Jim Parsons.
FAVORITE TV COMEDY ACTRESS
Voted for Kaley Cuoco, but Glee’s Lea Michele won.
FAVORITE CABLE TV COMEDY
Don’t currently watch any, but Hot in Cleveland won.
FAVORITE TV CRIME DRAMA
Voted for my 3 favorite ones, all nominated this year: Bones, Castle, and NCIS. Castle won.
FAVORITE SCI-FI/FANTASY SHOW
I’d only seen Supernatural on this list, so I voted for it, and it won.
FAVORITE TV GUEST STAR
Katy Perry’s appearance on How I Met Your Mother won this, though I preferred Jim Carrey on The Office (wish he would have had more of a role).
FAVORITE NEW TV DRAMA
Surprised that Person of Interest won this! It’s a solid show that keeps improving, but hasn’t seem to create the buzz and fans that shows like Once Upon a Time (which I voted for) have.
FAVORITE NEW TV COMEDY
2 Broke Girls was my vote, and it won.
People’s Choice Awards 2012 Nominees – PeoplesChoice.com.
People’s Choice Awards 2012
I like voting for things. Especially when they have to do with my favorite shows. So I thought I’d provide a quick rundown of this year’s People’s Choice Award Nominees. Just the TV section, mind you, and only the scripted shows. I usually haven’t seen most of the movies (I did vote for Thor over the very close choice of Captain America), and I’ve don’t listen to nearly all of the music artists.
FAVORITE NETWORK TV DRAMA
Pretty much a no-brainer that I was voting for House. Supernatural hasn’t captured my attention, and while The Good Wife looks like a solid show, I’ve never seen it (blame my lawyer aversion). And Grey’s Anatomy and The Vampire Diaries look FAR too soapy for me.
FAVORITE TV DRAMA ACTOR
How can I choose between David Boreanaz and Nathan Fillion? Fortunately, with this award, I can vote as often as I like, so I’ve been alternating between the two. Not so when the two face each other in Round 3 of TV Line’s “Ultimate Law-Enforcement Crushes Bracket Tournament.” I don’t know how I’ll pick. Nathan has Castle and Firefly and Dr. Horrible and now Much Ado About Nothing. David has Buffy the Vampire Slayer (I’m ignoring Nathan as Caleb since I hated him in that role) and Angel and Bones.
Hugh Laurie only gets a distant third in this category, and Ian Somerhalder and Patrick Dempsey are soundly ignored by me.
FAVORITE TV DRAMA ACTRESS
A very easy vote for Emily Deschanel. I haven’t even heard of some of the others on the list: Blake Lively, Ellen Pompeo, Eva Longoria, and Nina Dobrev.
FAVORITE CABLE TV DRAMA
Another super easy choice, as I only watch White Collar. Game of Thrones does sound good, though, and people have recommended Dexter to me. Don’t know about True Blood and Pretty Little Liars.
FAVORITE NETWORK TV COMEDY
The Big Bang Theory gets my vote most of the time for this one, but I’ll occasionally vote for How I Met Your Mother as well. Interesting that Dr. Horrible is competing against his sidekick, Moist. I only enjoy Glee for the music, Two and a Half Men is crude instead of funny, and I’ve never seen Modern Family.
FAVORITE TV COMEDY ACTOR
Hmm, Sheldon (Jim Parsons) or Barney (Neil Patrick Harris)? Same as above, I’ll usually tilt toward the Thursday night show but occasionally choose the Monday night one. Alec Baldwin, Chris Colfer, and Cory Monteith don’t make me laugh.
FAVORITE TV COMEDY ACTRESS
Kaley Cuoco wins hands down over Courteney Cox, Jane Lynch, Lea Michele, and Tina Fey.
FAVORITE CABLE TV COMEDY
I don’t currently watch any of these, though I used to watch Royal Pains (seriously, why is this a nominee instead of Psych?). I may come back to the show later, I’m just not a huge fan of medical shows (House is the only one I watch now) and not too fond of the main character (loved Evan and Divya, though). It does get my vote over the shows I haven’t seen: Hot in Cleveland, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Nurse Jackie, and Weeds.
FAVORITE TV CRIME DRAMA
When I first saw the nominees for this category, I thought, Are you kidding? I’ve mentioned several times on this blog that Bones, Castle, and NCIS are my top three crime dramas, and all three were nominated this year! I voted for each of them. I’ve only seen bits of CSI and Criminal Minds episodes.
FAVORITE SCI-FI/FANTASY SHOW
I’ve only seen Supernatural on this list, so I voted for it, but Fringe has been on my to-watch list for a long while. From what I’ve heard, I think I’d prefer True Blood to The Vampire Diaries (too bad my favorite currently-airing vampire show, Being Human, didn’t make the list), and since zombies bore me, The Walking Dead has only appeared on my radar since its ratings are good.
FAVORITE TV GUEST STAR
I loved Jim Carrey’s appearance on The Office, and would have much preferred his character to Robert California. Katy Perry’s appearance on How I Met Your Mother was funny, but I felt like most actresses could have played the role well. I didn’t see the appearances of Gwyneth Paltrow, Kristin Chenoweth, or Michael J. Fox.
FAVORITE NEW TV DRAMA
Twelve options is a lot to choose from, but Once Upon a Time has wowed me in all three episodes. Ringer is a close second and gets my vote every once in a while. Person of Interest has built slowly but is improving, and Grimm’s two episodes have been good enough for me to keep watching.
Out of the remaining shows, I’ve only seen Unforgettable, which I hated. Pilots sometimes don’t match the rest of a show, but I couldn’t even get halfway through episode two. I’ve heard good things about Pan Am, Terra Nova, and Revenge, but my “new shows to try out” list already had 11 shows on it (plus more than a dozen returning shows). Medically-minded Hart of Dixie and A Gifted Man didn’t sound like quite my thing, and neither did The Secret Circle or Prime Suspect.
FAVORITE NEW TV COMEDY
2 Broke Girls was super-easy choice for this category, though Suburgatory has been good and New Girl has been okay. Guessed to be not my cup of tea by the previews: Whitney, Up All Night, Last Man Standing, and Man Up. I don’t watch animated TV (the only way I think I ever would was if Joss Whedon created an animated show), so no Allen Gregory.
What did you vote for? Are there any shows mentioned that you think I should be watching?
What TV Shows Are Like NCIS?
Of course it’s easy to say, there are no shows quite like NCIS – that’s why it’s so popular! (NCIS is currently the most-watched drama on TV in the US.) But that’s not helpful to you at all. What you really want to know is: If I like NCIS, what other shows will I like?
At its core, NCIS is a procedural drama with a strongly characterized team who solve interesting crimes. The same could be said for most of the shows listed under “Crime Drama” in the top navigation. Shows that come close to matching NCIS’s particular blend of humor, teamwork, and under-the-surface romance would be Castle and Bones. I consider these three shows to be my favorite crime dramas.
Looking for a little more than just TV’s best crime shows? Then answer me this: Who is your favorite character on NCIS?
If it’s Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly), try Warehouse 13. Secret Service Agent Pete Lattimer (Eddie McClintock) could be Tony’s long-lost brother. Instead of solving murders, you’ll be recovering artifacts with supernatural capabilities, but don’t worry, there’ll be a few corpses and plenty of humor along the way.
If it’s Ziva David (Cote de Pablo), try Nikita. Maggie Q as Nikita may be even more deadly an assassin than Ziva. She’s trying to make up for her past wrongs, even if she has to take out some bad guys and cut some past ties to do it.
If it’s Timothy McGee (Sean Murray), try Chuck. McGee might not have government secrets and skills locked in his brain like Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi) does, but both are amazing with computers, not always super-smooth with the ladies, and share a love of geekdom.
If it’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon), try Blue Bloods. Police Commissioner Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck) hates the political games as much as Gibbs, and always knows just the right thing to say to his daughter. His son, Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) is stubborn to a fault and follows his gut.
If it’s Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette), try Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It’s the only show I can think of that has as many facets as she does, plus her love of everything goth fits in perfectly. It’s hilarious with a dark edge, and full of unique characters. Abby has Buffy’s (Sarah Michelle Gellar) father-daughter relationship, Willow’s (Alyson Hannigan) mad skills, and Anya’s (Emma Caulfield) cheerful and quirky mindset.
If it’s Donald “Ducky” Mallard (David McCallum), try Merlin. Not only does this British show match Ducky’s heritage, but Gaius (Richard Wilson) shares many characteristics with him: medical background, longwindedness, and a fierce loyalty. They both also become a mentor to the young men they teach.
If it’s Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen), try The Big Bang Theory. Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki) has the same awkward, self-depreciating manner as Palmer, yet still manages to win over (at least eventually) the ladies. Though the science tends to be more theoretical than you’d find in autopsy, this week’s episode did include brain dissection.
If it’s Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll), try Covert Affairs. The agents doing field work hint at Vance’s past, while the political maneuverings touch on his present office. Like Arthur (Peter Gallagher) and Joan (Kari Matchett) Campbell, he’s an expert at negotiating and dealing with foreign agencies.
Who’s your favorite character? Do you agree with my choices of shows? Which shows would you match up with the cast of NCIS?
Top 10 Favorite TV Opening Credits
Nothing invokes the memory of a favorite TV show faster than its opening credits. That may be why I always feel a bit cheated when a show doesn’t have any, or when they’re terrible, or when they don’t match the show at all.
White Collar is a prime example of how attached fans get to show intros. When season three debuted with new opening titles, fans were very vocal about their dislike. Eventually the network hosted a poll, and the fans voted the old opening back in.
I didn’t include any classic shows in this list – in fact, only one show had episodes airing before the year 2000. There are no animated shows, and it’s also limited to shows I actually watch. I made my decisions based on the music, visual appeal, how well they meshed, and how well they matched the show. I included some unique ones as well.
I had a terrible time narrowing the list down to just ten, and that’s even with leaving out the shows that only have title and creator in their intros (like White Collar above and How I Met Your Mother) or have voiceover intros (Burn Notice’s “My name is Michael Westen, I used to be a spy” and Castle’s “There are two kinds of folks that sit around thinking about how to kill people – psychopaths and mystery writers”). This list changed several times even as I was writing this article, and the main excuse I gave myself for leaving Bones off was that I couldn’t find a good video for the credits!
#10 – Alphas
I love the music to this theme, and how well the lyrics fit the show. I also love the mysterious quality – it’s hard to catch everything the first few times you watch it, which works well for a show that has a lot under the surface.
#9 – The Cape
This theme sticks in my head long after I’ve watched the intro, and I love the way the comics dissolve into the show’s characters. Hate that this got cancelled.
#8 – Community
The folded paper design of this intro is just plain fun.
#7 – Chuck
The cartoon Buy More guy getting in and out of trouble is perfectly in keeping with the lighthearted tone of this show.
#6 – Warehouse 13
I love the mysterious quality of these credits, and the music fits perfectly! It’s cool seeing the artifacts “at work,” too.
#5 – Covert Affairs
Unfortunately, this clip cuts off the cool intro whistle (which plays before the credits actually start). I like the juxtaposition of the actors over the virtual background.
#4 – Veronica Mars
Yes, this is NOT the season 3 opening, which I disliked (it wouldn’t have been as bad if they’d simply changed the visuals, but they messed up the song, too). Bonus points for perfect lyrics (which were even quoted in an episode)!
#3 – Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Apologies for the quality of this clip. Love how this opening meshes scary and funny. I rock out to these credits whenever I’m watching Buffy by myself. 🙂
#2 – NCIS
A classic, solid, intro, with fun music and great transitions. I especially love McGee’s rocket pack impression.
#1 – Psych
No, I didn’t make this my top choice simply because it’s my theme this month and I’m giving away a season. I love how it matches the show, with zany moments and apt lyrics. I also love how they change it up to match special episodes – Spanish lyrics, a Christmas version, even a Bollywood rendition.
What openings would be in your top 10? Did I miss any good ones?
NCIS – Nature of the Beast
While NCIS didn’t end on much of a cliffhanger last year, it’s one of my favorite shows and I was really looking forward to spending time with the team again. Much like the season 7 opener, season 9 premieres with a Tony DiNozzo-centered episode in which he narrates what has happened over the intervening months.
Castle ended its first episode of the season with Beckett saying, “I remember everything.” NCIS starts off this episode with Tony saying, “I can’t remember any of it.”
Spoilers below!
Tony was knocked unconscious with a bullet to the vest. His weapon had been discharged twice, and there was blood at the scene, but no body. What was left behind was a bloody NCIS badge that wasn’t Tony’s.
Dr. Rachel Cranston (Kate Todd’s sister) urges him to go back to the beginning and try to put the pieces together, starting with his top-secret assignment from the new Secretary of the Navy. Tony wanted to bring the rest of the team in on the case, but Jarvis refused. Gibbs and the others gradually found out about the assignment, and Gibbs started bothering Jarvis about it and the microchips cut out of the arms of both Levin and Captain Wright. Tony’s assignment also leads him directly to E.J.
In present day, an FBI agent comes to the hospital and tries to talk to Tony. Agent Stratton is played by Scott Wolf, who played Chad Decker on V.
This was one of my favorite lines of the episode:
Tony DiNozzo: Who doesn’t like hot girls who carry guns?
I also loved Gibbs imitating Mike Franks’ voice. It’s nice to know he won’t be forgotten by the team. And Tony quoting three of Gibbs’ rules at Secretary Jarvis was amazing!
While the episode itself was a bit slow, the final twist sets things up nicely for a longer case that should occupy the next half season or more. Looking forward to a “real” episode next week, though!
What Do You Want to Read About TV?
Most of the posts I’ve written so far for TV Breakroom have been things I’ve wanted to share – great shows I’d discovered, surprising actor connections, and speculations on why certain show failed to grab my attention. It’s been fun, and I’ve needed an outlet for that, but now I want to focus on my readers as well.
What do you want to read on this blog?
More specifically, what would cause you to stop by every day there’s a new post? What would make you decide to add this blog to your feed reader, or get posts by email? What would push you to share posts with your friends?
Now, I’m not going to change the general focus of this blog (TV shows), or widen the scope (no discussing reality TV, competition shows, or informative shows). But within the site’s parameters – generally scripted weekly shows and web series – there are many directions I could take.
Episode reviews. I’ve been moving the blog in this direction since I started running out of shows to do general overviews of. The main problem is that to review an episode, you usually have to spoil it, so people tend to only want to read them after they’ve watched the episode. Good if people want to discuss the episode, bad if people just want to find out more about the show before watching it.
TV news. I’ve started a new Twitter account to share news that crops up about favorite shows, but would you prefer I posted it here? Most news would lead to very short blog posts (which is why I started tweeting it), but I could also compile all the recent news about a show into a longer post.
Interviews. I’m taking the first steps toward building contacts in the TV industry via Twitter, and I hope to reach the point where I can interview TV writers, guest actors, and maybe even someday regular cast members. Initially this would be a slow, difficult process, so would interviews be something you’d like to read?
Recommending shows. For example, I could write a post, “If you like Supernatural, you might want to try . . .” and mention several shows and why fans of Supernatural would be likely to watch them. I wouldn’t be able to make every post about this, but I could write about it perhaps up to once a week.
Actor spotlights. Looking into a specific actor’s career, focusing on their TV roles.
Character spotlights. An in-depth look at one character from a show.
Polls and competitions. This could be as simple as adding them to the end of other posts to a huge March Madness bracket.
Online show roundups. Some of the best websites for a particular show, actors’ and writers’ Twitter handles, and more.
Top 10 lists. The ten best friendships on TV, the ten best non-human characters, the ten worst villains, you name it.
Music videos. Youtube has tons of fan-made videos that focus on TV shows. I could embed the best of the best into a post.
Comparing shows. A post seeing how two (similar or widely different) shows stack up against each other.
Fan fiction. Either pointing to some of the best fan fiction out their for a particular show, or following some of my own “what if?” ponderings (including dumping two shows into the same universe) and seeing what happens.
TV tropes. Following a specific trope through several TV shows.
As you can see, there are a ton of options! Which ones would you enjoy reading? Do you have any additional ideas for posts?
Fall 2011 TV Shows Anticipations
Fall TV is about to start for 2011! Here are some things I’m anticipating about the shows I plan to watch, in the order of their season premiere dates.
September 13
“Ringer”
I’m hoping this show will be as in-depth and multi-layered as Veronica Mars. I don’t think the show will make me laugh, but as skilled as many of the cast are with dramatic moments, it may make me cry. Previews gave away maybe a little too much of the pilot, but with 3 seasons planned of twists and turns, I expect to be surprised quite often. It has stiff competition in its Tuesday 9PM slot, but I foresee an early renewal.
September 14
“Free Agents”
Previews show this to lean toward the bawdy type of workplace comedy I usually avoid, but I love Anthony Stewart Head’s acting, so I’ll probably give this show at least two episodes to prove itself to me. And since The Office has flourished with its UK to US transfer, I’d say the odds for renewal are slightly greater than 50/50.
September 19
“How I Met Your Mother”
A great cast and hilarious hijinks make a few off episodes bearable, and I’m pretty content with not having met the mother yet, since that means the show can continue longer. The twist of another wedding should add interest for long-time viewers and keep them watching.
“2 Broke Girls”
As the only half hour show in its time slot, and paired with the popular “HIMYM,” this show should do well by default. I’m not expecting much from it, just a few laughs, but I would love to be pleasantly surprised.
“Castle”
I’m positive Beckett’s not dead, as the premise of this show would fall apart without her, but I hope the events of the final moments of last season will have far-reaching effects on this one. I am not looking forward to the new chief. The absence of station politics is one thing I enjoyed about the show, so rumors I’ve heard worry me. But it would take a lot more than that to make me stop watching this show. Hoping for some more Whedonverse guest stars and Firefly references this season.
September 20
“NCIS”
Can’t wait to hang out with the gang again. With the start of season nine, this show is the longest-running one I watch, and it’s stronger than ever. Starting out with emotional turmoil for DiNozzo sounds like a great way to begin the season.
“NCIS: Los Angeles”
Unlike its sister show, NCIS: LA is picking up right when the last season ended. The only thing I ask for season 3? Don’t get rid of Hetty. If I had one other wish, I’d love to see Nate back as a regular part of the team.
“The New Girl”
With two shows already competing for my Tuesday 9PM viewing, I wasn’t even going to look at this show, but with the other Deschanel sister not coming back until November, I probably will check out at least the pilot online. But with strong competition on every other broadcast channel, the ratings will probably be terrible enough to make a renewal unlikely. It’s one saving grace is that it’s the only comedy in its timeslot.
September 22
“The Big Bang Theory”
This show makes me laugh more than any other. And it’s one of those shows that while you know the two of the characters belong together, you don’t really care how many detours they take along the way, because it adds new dimensions to the show.
“Community”
I’m still mad at the networks for making this and the previous show compete. It’s a little sad to think that cast will be juniors this year, so the show is most likely halfway over. It was left up in the air whether Chevy Chase would return to the group, but if any of the main 7 characters had to go, I’d prefer him.
“The Office”
The show proved it could survive without Michael Scott at the end of last season, so I plan to keep watching. While not every episode tickles my funny bone, I love (some of) the characters enough to tuning into their workdays for as long as they’ll let me.
“Person of Interest”
An intriguing premise and Jim Caviezel are enough to put this show on my to-watch list for at least the first several episodes. With Bones starting late, this show has the potential to grab a few extra viewers. Most of my action shows tend to be summer ones, so I’m hoping this will be good. Need to know more before predicting renewal, though.
September 23
“Nikita”
The new season brings a twist to the dynamics of this show, with characters switching sides, but I’m confident Nikita will make it work. My one fear is Lyndsy Fonseca looking like a powder-puff villain next to Melinda Clarke. And the show has a month to establish some viewers before Chuck comes in to try and woo them away.
“Blue Bloods”
This show has a great cast and interesting episodes, but doesn’t have the compulsive watching quality many other crime dramas do. I hope the second season starts off with a bang and adds a layer of intrigue.
September 28
“Suburgatory”
Alan Tudyk is the only reason I’m checking this show out. The fact that it’s unlike most of the other shows I watch may help it stay on my list. But it’s kind of funny that the only Wednesday night shows I’m interested in air at the same time and pit Whedonverse actors against each other.
September 29
“How to Be a Gentleman”
I hated the first preview for this show, but the second was a little better, so I’ll still watch the pilot. I have my doubts about this one being a keeper, though.
October 2
“Homeland”
This will be the first Showtime TV show I’ve ever tried out. But with Damian Lewis (Life), Claire Danes, and Morena Baccarin (Firefly), how could I resist?
October 3
“House”
I’m curious who the show will bring in to replace Cuddy, and how House will get his job back. I almost feel like the show’s starting to wind down, which is a shame, but it’s had a good run. Of course, this next season could surprise me and pick up momentum again.
October 12
“Psych”
It’s been way too long of a hiatus for Shawn and Gus, so I’m really looking forward to the return of my favorite fake psychic, and the boatload of special episodes he brings with him.
October 21
“Chuck”
Back for a truncated 5th season, it’s nice that the show will have the chance to say goodbye. I’m looking forward to a hilarious season with Morgan’s new role.
“Grimm”
I love the idea of this show. But with cult favorites Supernatual and Fringe vying for the same slot with a month-long lead, the ratings will likely be terrible. (Whose bright idea was it to stack three speculative shows against each other?) The reviews for the pilot haven’t been great. No big-name actors or even geek favorites. And Friday nights are usually the death slot. The plus side is that it’s created by some guys responsible for much of Angel, and has a great lead-in show with Chuck. Since I didn’t catch up on Supernatural and Fringe this summer like I wanted to, I’ll definitely be watching this. I just hope the studio will focus on day+7 and online views when deciding how long to let it run.
October 23
“Once Upon a Time”
I’ve watched the preview for this show more than any other. I just hope it lives up to the beauty and intrigue that glimpse conveyed, and there are enough twists and turns to spawn multiple seasons.
November 3
“Bones”
Having caught up on this show, I’m excited to be finally watching it in “real” time, without spoilers to mess up my expectations. I’m hoping the baby mania won’t overtake the show, but I trust that it will be an awesome season.
November also brings the return of split season shows like Covert Affairs, Burn Notice, and Leverage.
Burn Notice – Eye for an Eye
This week’s episode of Burn Notice was chock full of extraordinary guest stars. To start off, there was Patrick Bauchau (pictured above), probably best known as Sydney on The Pretender (Jeffrey Donovan also was on several episodes of The Pretender, as Jared’s brother, Kyle). I watched about two seasons of that show with my family, until I started a full-time job and fell behind. I’d still like to finish it someday.
Spoilers ahead!
Though they showed a picture of Lucien Dobos, the watchmaker/bomb maker/war criminal Bauchau plays, last week, it wasn’t until Michael and Sam met him in person that I recognized the actor. That’s probably because his most distinctive quality is his accent. I love his accent! He should really do some voice work. At times in this episode, I was almost rooting for him as he matched wits against Michael. Too bad he was killed off at the end of the episode – I would have loved him as a reoccurring character. At least he and Michael ended up on the same side for the last few seconds of his life, just long enough for Michael to get another leave on Max’s killer.
James Frain, who I’ve seen on The Count of Monte Cristo and more recently on the short-lived superhero drama, The Cape, shows up as one of Jesse’s clients. And yes, he’s a villain in all of them. In a fun twist, his background seems ripped right from The Count of Monte Cristo, with Frain playing Fernand Mondego’s role. He left his business partner to rot in a Cuban jail, then stole his work and his wife. When the wife suspects someone is breaking into the house, Jesse and Fiona come in, only to discover the partner is simply trying to get his work back. They agree to help him, and what following includes a bunch of elaborate ruses, including Michael playing a crazy stalker.
The wife, Sadie, is played by the third guest star, Darby Stanchfield. She took me a bit longer to place, but she plays Shannon Gibbs on NCIS.
With all that going on in one episode, it’s not surprising that Madeline doesn’t make an appearance, nor Agent Pearce, Michael’s CIA handler. And is it just me, or is Fiona getting annoying in this season? Yes, we get it that preoccupied ex-spies typically don’t make good boyfriends. We know Michael would die for Fiona in a heartbeat, but must we stress in every episode how bad he is at the little stuff? It just makes Fiona seem whiny and selfish. But at least their being couple doesn’t ruin the awesome chemistry the team has together.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer – Innocence
Or rather the loss of it.
This is easily one of the most heartbreaking episodes of the show. Angel is gone; Angelus is back – and yearning for a good kill. And to break Buffy’s heart in the process.
Buffy goes from waking up alone, to worrying when Angel doesn’t contact her, to reeling from his cruel words, to realizing he’s now a soulless monster, to finding she’s the reason he lost his soul. All in about 36 hours.
(Quick sidebar here on a couple Angel vs. Spike soul issues. I’ve read several posts and comments wondering why Angel didn’t just go through the demon trials to get his soul back – he wouldn’t have to deal with this annoying curse and he and Buffy could be together. The main reason? Soulless Angel – Angelus – doesn’t want a soul. Angelus would probably be willing to go through the trials just to KEEP from getting his soul back. Look how hard he tries to prevent in later episodes of this season and in season four of Angel. Spike wanted a soul. That’s why he was willing to fight for it. And one brilliant post I read talked about why Spike got such blind devotion from Buffy in season 7. Love for Buffy had cost one vampire his soul, and that “I am poison” mentality echoed through Buffy’s relationships thereafter. But Spike’s actions changed that. Now, love for Buffy had caused a vampire to get his soul back.)
It’s surprising how many of the significant moments in this episode and the previous one involve water. Angel jumping in to save Buffy at the dock. Their escape from the factory (and what follows). Angel stumbling outside in the rain just before his soul leaves him. Their fight as water pours from the sprinkler system at the mall.
With the Slayer an emotional wreck, it’s up to the others to figure out how to save the day. And Xander comes through brilliantly:
Xander: Whoa. Whoa! I… I think I’m having a thought. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that’s a thought. Now I’m having a plan. (The lights suddenly go out.) Now I’m having a wiggins.
Giles: And we’re absolutely certain that, that Angel has reverted to his former self?
Xander: Yeah, uh, we’re all certain. Anyone not feeling certain here?
Willow: Giles, you wouldn’t have believed him. He was so… He came here to kill us.
Cordelia: What are we gonna do?
Giles: I’m leaning towards blind panic myself.Cordelia: This is great. There’s an unkillable demon in town, Angel’s joined his team, the Slayer is a basket case… I’d say we’ve hit bottom.
Xander: I have a plan.
Cordelia: Oh, no, here’s a lower place.
Willow also has a significant emotional journey in this episode, from finding out that Xander and Cordelia are together to gaining new respect for Oz.
Xander: Willow, we were just kissing. It doesn’t mean that much.
Willow: No. It just means that you’d rather be with someone you hate than be with me.Oz: So, do you guys steal weapons from the Army a lot?
Willow: Well, we don’t have cable, so we have to make our own fun.
One thing that bugged me about this episode was that Spike was all fine with destroying the world, but by the season’s end he’s against it. Yes, it did seem to be more Drusilla’s plan while he was along for the ride, but it’s a little odd that his perspective would switch like that. Of course, the Judge’s version of the end of the world might have been nicer that Acathla’s. Or deep down, Spike knew that Buffy would stop the Judge (she’d always managed to pull out a win before). Or sitting around in a wheelchair for half a season gave Spike time to think of what things would really be like if the world ended. Or both times, it was all about Dru.
Spike: Are we feeling better, then?
Drusilla: I’m naming all the stars.
Spike: You can’t see the stars, love. That’s the ceiling. Also, it’s day.
Drusilla: I can see them. But I’ve named them all the same name. And there’s terrible confusion.
I think it was genius for the network to use this two-part episode, aired on consecutive days, to transition the show from Mondays to Tuesdays. (Hmm, looked it up to double check – yep, the show stayed in its Tuesday 8PM slot for the rest of its run. That’s when I watch NCIS now, which debuted the year after Buffy the Vampire Slayer ended. And when the show moved to UPN, guess what the WB replaced it with? Gilmore Girls. To think of all the drama I missed because I didn’t start watching live TV until 2009.)
I was surprised (and pleased) to see how strongly Giles was on Buffy’s side, even when it meant turning against Jenny after she hid her past and motives for being there. (To be fair, she was pretty harsh to Giles after he hid his past.) It’s a little sad, knowing that she’d still be alive if Buffy had been able to kill Angel at the end of this episode. But the implications would be farther reaching that just that. If he’d been dusted as Angelus, would he have still been brought back somehow? It’s never mentioned that the First or the Powers That Be could do that, but it doesn’t seem out of their scope. And of course Wolfram and Hart brought back Darla, so they would have had both the means and the motivation (wanting him to fulfill prophecy) to bring back Angel, and if they used the same method, he would have come back as a human, which would have created a whole different set of issues.
Wow, this post went off on an awful lot of tangents – hope you don’t mind!
The closing song of this episode always makes me tear up a little. I have it on my iPod just so I can play it when I want to feel sad or am already feeling sad (the same with “Goodbye to You” and “Close Your Eyes”). I’ve heard complaints that the song doesn’t really fit in with the rest of the show, but just read the lyrics. They’re absolutely perfect for this episode (especially the last line):
Goodnight, my love, my moment with you now is ending…sleep tight, my love, goodnight, my love, remember that you’re my sweetheart.
Rizzoli & Isles – High Heels and Handcuffs
I watch too much crime drama, so last summer I was reluctant to jump into Rizzoli & Isles. But since there were few shows airing new episodes during the summer, and since Sasha Alexander (Kate from the early seasons of NCIS) was one of the co-stars, I decided to give it a try.
The 10-episode first season was great. Pairing two very different characters together to solve crimes has been done way too many times, but when it’s done well, it works. Rizzoli & Isles has the unique twist of having the duo be two females, instead the usual man and woman (Bones, Castle, etc.) or two guys (Psych, White Collar). Boston was also a fresh setting, for me at least.
The first season had a great mix of conflicts – Rizzoli dealing with both her past and present with the murderous Hoyt, crazy fun Italian family issues, and breaking in a new partner while still working with her old one; Isles with uncovering secrets about her past and naivety about certain situations. The show had some great guest stars too – in fact, Donnie Wahlberg’s character in a few episodes directly influenced me trying out Blue Bloods that fall.
But so far, the second season has bored me. The drama has felt overwrought, and none of the episodes that have aired so far has gripped me. It must be still doing well as far as viewers go, since TNT just ordered a 13-episode third season, but I’m not sure I’ll keep watching. I’ll probably finish out this season at least, especially since late August and early September will be a bit empty as far as new episodes go. I’m still hoping the show will pick back up, since it has a good cast and did so well in season one.