Friday, October 31, 2008

Notso Easy Street

In football, coming off of a big win can lead to a HUGE letdown the following week. Knowing this, I was a little cautious going into this week's episode of Friday Night Lights after last week's outstanding- get- up- and- cheer outing. But, this week's hour, which included the return of Jason Street, did not disappoint. It wasn't a HUGE win like last week, but it was a solid win all the same. I wasn't sure how the Street story line was going to go because I felt like the show sorta drop the ball on Street toward the end of last season (of course, it was shortened by the writer's strike, so that could have something to do with it). I'm glad they fastforwarded to after the birth of the baby and focused on the struggles of young parents instead of a pregnancy. Jason is carrying a huge weight on his shoulders and he doesn't have a football scholarship, college degree, NFL contract or even a well-paying job to help lift some of that weight. He needs to earn more money so he can help his family, but times are tight and he just isn't catching any breaks. So, he decides to go in on a real estate investment -- buy Buddy Garrity's house with a few others, fix it up, and flip it for a nice profit. Sure, it's risky, but it could pay off well for Jason giving him the capital he needs to support his family. There's only one problem: the mother of his child has decided to take Noah and move back east to be with her family. Talk about a heart break! Let's hope Jason is able to change her mind.

Elsewhere, Julie was facing off with her parents about her new tattoo, which led to a really nice mom/daughter heart-to-heart on the side of the road. Sometimes, a tattoo is just a tattoo and not a gateway to bad behavior or a one-way ticket on the Bad Path Express. And while I understand Tami's concerns about Tyra and her influence on her daughter, I'm not so sure that Tyra is as bad as she used to be (back when Tami had more reason to be concerned). She seems to have matured a bit over the course of this series, even if she's ditching school for a rodeo cowboy. I get it, though, she has some pretty strong feelings for this guy and that has her questioning her priorities. In the end, I think she'll figure it all out (if a surprise visit next week doesn't do it for her).

Friday Night Lights is airing new, commercial-free episodes Wednesday nights on DirecTV's 101. The third season will be seen in its entirety early next year on NBC.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Military 'Case'

Someone at Cold Case must be a hopeless romantic because this week's Korean War outing was less about war and more about love. On the eve before shipping out to Korea, a young marine meets the girl of his dreams -- the woman that he thinks he should spend the rest of his life with. But, he only has the rest of the night because he's murdered before the sun rises on the following morning. Girl of his dreams waits for him the next day to see him off to war, but he never shows. She never knew what happened to him, but he does leave her with something (or rather, someone) to remember him by -- a son. And I guess I'm a sucker for this sort of story because I just loved the way that Lilly and co. were able to find the truth (as tragic as it may have been, at least she knows he didn't abandon her). This was one of those episodes, though, where I spent most of the hour trying to sort out all of the suspects. I knew their faces (even between past and present for the most part), but I just couldn't keep their names straight. The episode did do a nice job of picking an unlikely, yet plausible, killer (trust me, this is a delicate balance that is hard to reach). I kinda dismissed the sergeant early on because he was so quick to call out Tully as a deserter. Shows what I know!

In addition to the case, there were several funny moments between Vera (the class clown), Jeffries and Valens. I think I laughed the hardest at the "Ask me about erectile dysfunction" sign on Valens's back. Good stuff. It was nice to see Vera taking the boxing trainer's advice and throwing a few punches around during the closing scenes. Meanwhile, this was another knock out for Cold Case, so the crime drama moves to 5-0 on the season.

Screencaps courtesy RichE at Look Again.

'Crusoe' Calls Out the Spirits

NBC's New Action Adventure Series 'Crusoe'By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer


Confession: Back in the day, I used to watch Xena: Warrior Princess (XWP).

Now, I wasn't the obsessed / go to the conventions / decorate my house / collect every piece of XWP memorabilia possible type (no disrespect to those XWP folks who were - I'm all for the seriously dedicated, fun-loving fandoms).

But, I did enjoy the show for mainly one reason: it was an escape.

You were taken on a little adventure each week, and it required no knowledge of forensic crime scene investigations or wanna-be medical student terminology.

Remember that?

Or am I just showing my age?

Anyhooooo, Crusoe is evoking all my warm and fuzzy memories from my XWP days. That is, the little adventures we go on each week are reminiscent of what made XWP fun to watch. You suspend a little bit of reality, get yourself into a different mindset that revolves around the action/adventure/fantasy realm, throw in some history and just have fun with it.

I dig that.

And this week was all about ex-or-sizing the demons.

And finding one very special wedding ring.

Friday takes it upon himself to take a dream (or nightmare, depending on what side you're on) rather seriously, aiming to set free the spirit of a woman who, by the looks of it, was sacrificed on the island many moons ago yet still wanders in a state of unrest. He and Crusoe go back and forth about who's vision of a higher power/life-after-death scenario is right: Crusoe's Christian principles, or Friday's tribal practices. And it wasn't in any sort of overly-preachy way, either. More like a civilized this is what I think / this is what you think / did you notice we kind of think the same things and just call it something different type of discussion

It was an interesting dilemma. Crusoe didn't really take Friday too seriously, and thus, was more concerned with getting their fresh water supply running again whilst Friday was intent on pointing out the reason their water supply suddenly wasn't available was because of the spirit. But if put to rest, all will be well and good, and rewards will follow.

As if to drive that point home to the disbelieving Crusoe, he almost loses his wedding ring in this process (suffice it to say it had with him trying to unclog the well from which our castaways get their fresh water, sticking his hand where he shouldn't and essentially kicking off the whole spiritual-water-lost-wedding-ring conundrum).

Can I just say I was obsessed for him to find that darn ring?

And he did.

Rewarded.

And did we mention they also get their fresh water back?

Double reward.

This week also showed us via the flashback sequences that poor ol' Crusoe was the unpopular choice of husband according to Susannah's father. And he kinda wasn't all that handy with making an income on his own, either.

But hey ... I love him anyway. Noble, honorable, good guy, handsome. So what if he wasn't the richest guy on the block. What about love, eh?

Argh, the 17th century.

(cue the Heart rock ballad)

New episodes of Crusoe air Fridays at 9 p.m. on NBC. Visit NBC's Official Crusoe Web site for the inside scoop on the series. The site is awfully cool - and that's not just the Pirates fangirl in me talking.

'Dexter' is MIA - Seriously

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer


So, I was all amped for this week's ep of Dexter.

The previews lead me to believe we might be getting things back on the awkwardly suspenseful track for America's Favorite Serial Killer.

As in, no more Mr. Mom or Hubby-To-Be doldrums.

Back to mysteriously disappearing to ... you know, kill people.

Well, we had that.

For about five minutes.

The rest was more Prado Stalkerazzi.

Golf.

A tiff with Rita over whether or not to give up the ol' bachelor pad now that marriage is on the horizon.

And a medical emergency whereby I a) thought for sure Rita was going to lose the baby and/or b) was actually kinda disappointed she didn't.

Horrible to say, I know. But seriously, the trauma that would've come with her having lost the baby might have put some serious Oomph back in this tangent-esque season, or at least made Dexter oddly grateful he didn't really have to face the dad equation given I'm not buying that he actually wants to be a father. If anything, sister Deb seems more capable at this point.

Whatever.

And now we have Prado baiting Dex? As in, setting up his kills for him by "leading" him to some slugs o' the earth that he himself couldn't put away?

How convenient.

I love Jimmy Smits. I do. And none of this is his fault given he's only as good as the material that he's given.

Which is exactly the problem.

I just don't know what in the world the Dexter scribes are going for with Miguel Prado, and they've given me way too much way too soon. As such, it's now farcical. The Stalkerazzi, Best Bud, We're the Same is just not believable. That kind of smothering alone should be making Dexter annoyed to the point of aversion. He has never let anyone do this to him, and he hasn't changed sufficiently to suddenly be having lunch dates and golf lessons. And if we're really keeping score, the stalker-wanna-be-best-bud routine is actually three seasons old: first the brother, then Lila, now Prado.

And third time is not a charm with Prado.

Did we not think he connected Dex's MIA routine for Rita's medical emergency a little too easily? As we all know, Dex has been missing before. Sure, OK, Rita wasn't necessarily in the hospital when he was, but 12 messages? Having the the U.S. Coast Guard on speed dial so as to track down Dex on his fishing day off?

I guess the National Guard not available.

Give me a break, folks.

Do I need to start a Save Dexter From Absurdity Campaign?

The one thing that I did like about this week was the flashback sequence whilst Dex was stalking his prey in Bimini. According to Harry, Dex must choose who is his wife, and who is the mistress. Meaning, is his condition his wife, and Rita the mistress? Or the other way around?

Thank goodness, too, that Deb still continues to hold my interest. No IA axe to grind this week, but a touching interview with a young kid potentially tied to the Freebo case.

And on a totally random note: Can I just ask when did Deb start driving a BMW convertible? Granted it is an oldie, but still ... where did that come from?

Anyways, seeing the The Exorcism of Emily Rose on cable this past weekend reminded me again why I do love Jennifer Carpenter.

She's saving the show for me right about now.

New episodes of Dexter air Sunday at 9 p.m. on Showtime. Check out the official Dexter Web site for the inside scoop on the series.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Smash Leaves the Dillon 'Lights' Behind

I'm pretty sure that out of all of the story lines on Friday Night Lights (past and present), the Brian "Smash" Williams story was the best written, consistently most emotional and all-around champion of the series. As such, it was bittersweet to see it come to an end this week. Of course, I was happy for Smash. He finally landed a walk-on position at a university (no less than Texas A&M). Knowing everything that he had to overcome post-knee injury and how much this opportunity meant to him made it that much sweeter. There were two moments during this week's episode that cemented this series as network television's best and left me completely in awe of its brilliance. The first occurred when Coach Taylor walked across that Texas A&M field, got the coach's attention and convinced him to allow Smash to tryout. It was one of those moments when you have to fight the urge to leap out of your seat to give the writers, the actors and every single other person who works on this show a HUGE standing ovation. That, my friends, is the Coach Taylor that we love. It's the Coach Taylor that we keep coming back to watch and it's the Coach Taylor that keeps us fighting to keep this show on the air. The second scene came at the very end when Smash finally got the call from A&M. My eyes welled up with tears of joy as he told his mother that he was going to college. What a payoff for all of his hard work, determination and disappointments along the way. I will miss Smash, but I am very happy for him.

Trying to nail down two outstanding scenes in this series is like trying to decide which UGA football highlight is my favorite: they're all excellent! And this was most certainly the case this week as we also had a couple of emotional scenes involving Landry and Tyra. I'm not sure why she fights her feelings for Landry. Is it just because she's afraid of them? She told him in the latter scene that this is the closest she has ever been to a boy, but she stopped short of fully explaining her feelings and how deep they run. I'm still holding out hope for them, but I do think that Tyra needs to mature quite a bit first.

Raise your hand if you thought that Tami was ultimately going to win this re-appropriated funds battle -- yeah, me neither. You just knew that the boosters were going to get their jumbotron in the end, but it was nice to see Tami get the last laugh. Sure, that money would have been much better suited for things like teachers' salaries, textbooks, etc., but there was no way the football-loving boosters were ever going to see it that way. And with the mayor and superintendent in the tank for the boosters, well, Tami couldn't win. Hey, nobody said being principal was going to be easy.

Friday Night Lights is airing new, commercial-free episodes Wednesday nights on DirecTV's 101. The third season will be seen in its entirety early next year on NBC.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

'Dexter' Renewed for Two More Seasons

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer


It seems America's favorite serial killer will be back next season.

And the season after that.

But ... I am still in a slight conundrum as it pertains to this season.

As we know, this third season has fallen somewhat flat for me, and I'm not the only one who feels this way: the Chicago Tribune's TV Watcher Maureen Ryan echos a lot of the same concerns I've had (is she reading PTR ...? KID-ding) about this season being "the least interesting." Like Maureen, I will still watch the show as I do love Dex. But it needs to be kicked back up a notch. We really don't want him to be so ... well, normal.

Glad to know I'm not the only one.

The full Showtime press release announcing 'Dexter's renewal is as follows:

SHOWTIME has ordered two more seasons of its award-winning top-rated drama series DEXTER, starring Emmy®- and Golden Globe®-nominated actor Michael C. Hall (“Six Feet Under”), it was announced today by Robert Greenblatt, Showtime President of Entertainment. The Best Drama Series Emmy®-nominated DEXTER premiered its third season three weeks ago to widespread critical and audience acclaim plus record ratings as it surpassed 3 million viewers in its premiere week and ranks as SHOWTIME’s top-rated drama series. Seasons four and five will consist of 12 episodes each, with production on season four set to begin next spring in Los Angeles.

"DEXTER's enormous success is a tribute to the great achievements of its cast, the producing team, the author of the original book, and the gifted Michael C. Hall,” said Greenblatt. “I thought at best we would attract a devoted cult audience but soon realized that, ironically, this show is so thematically rich and layered with humanity that audiences of all kinds have flocked to it."

One of the most acclaimed series on television, DEXTER stars Michael C. Hall (two-time Emmy® and Golden Globe®-nominee) as a complicated and conflicted blood-spatter expert for the Miami police department who moonlights as a serial killer. The show was nominated this year for five Emmy® Awards including Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. The series also received a prestigious 2008 Peabody Award and was twice named one of AFI’s top ten television programs. DEXTER is SHOWTIME’s highest rated drama and was the network’s highest rated show in 2007. Additionally, DEXTER has been the most successful SHOWTIME DVD title to date and continues to be one of the top selling titles for the network on iTunes.

John Goldwyn, Sara Colleton, Clyde Phillips and Charles H. Eglee serve as executive producers for season three. Michael C. Hall, Scott Buck and Melissa Rosenberg serve as co-executive producers for season three.

'Fringe' Explosions

This show is a lot X-Files, a little Heroes and a dash of The 4400 thrown in just for good measure. I couldn't help but think of the departed USA sci-fi series this week when the episode opened in a diner with a young woman who started getting upset and then seemed to combust, taking many lives with her. The entire scene was very 4400-esque (second season style). Maybe this is why I enjoy Fringe so much. It encompasses elements from some of my favorite former shows (yes, I know Heroes is still on, but I enjoyed its first season, liked its second and am less than enthused about its third, so I'm taking only its former self into account here) and blends them together into a new, all-inclusive series that has me totally hooked. And, I'm not much of a science-minded person, but even I have to admit that the science behind some of these cases is pretty fascinating. The show actually makes the impossible seem plausible, and that's an impressive feat! In fact, I don't even question the explanation when we get it -- maybe that's just a testament to the character of Walter and his enthusiasm for his work and his understanding of the process.

This week, we learned what happens when you pop too many time-release radiation pills (as part of a controversial treatment for a rare disease) and then wind up in the wrong hands (i.e. an arrogant, power-hungry pharmaceuticals CEO). These "wrong hands" discover a way to activate all of the radiation at once, and effectively, turn you into a nuclear bomb available to the highest bidder. Now, that's scary! I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't holding my breath at the end when Olivia tried to talk the latest victim into jabbing that syringe full of anecdote into her jugular in order to keep her from exploding from the radiation.

Speaking of Olivia, she was having a tough day. It was her birthday and her birthday always brings a card from her stepdad (whom she shot when she was a kid to prevent him from further hurting her mother). She thought she was in the clear when nothing showed up at work, but she was disheartened to find a card slipped under her door at home. Looks like step-daddy-dearest knows where she lives. Not a comforting thought.

Fringe airs Tuesday nights on Fox. If you missed last night's episode, watch it for free at Fox.com. Photo courtesy Fox.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

A 'Chronicles' Smackdown (and thensome)

'Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles' Returns for Season 2By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer


Ahhhhhhh.

Now, that is more like it.

After a week’s hiatus (and a ho-hum previous episode), Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles returned last night in fine form.

And giving us a Cameron v. T-888 smackdown?

BONUS!

(Mark that one down in the Epic Cameron Fight Sequence Hall o’ Fame)

But aside from the No-Love in an Elevator sequence between the machines, who was it who actually stood out for me in this ep?

None other than Shirley.

Yes, we had John moping about in therapy. And, I will admit the opening sequence (with John, Cam and Sarah) in the psych doc’s office actually did play pretty funny. They were undercover of course (aren’t they always?), seeing as psych doc is of some significance in the future. But with everyone making plans to come back separately for more spy-on-doc time, it actually gave us a breakthrough with John’s mope-o-rama ness. He’s basically exhibiting Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms, á la a war vet who has trouble adjusting to not being in a war zone and/or not quite having recovered from having killed people (you know, like, from the season premiere? When the baddies after the TURK nonsense bust into the house, and throw Sarah and John around whilst Cam tries to recover from being blown up in the jeep?). At least we’re getting somewhere with John’s mopefest. And he seems to think he’s found someone he can talk to, which isn’t mom (much to Sarah’s chagrin).

We also had Derek come face to face with his girl toy from the future, who seems to have gone AWOL from being part of John’s resistance because ... well, gosh darn it, she's just has had enough of the ol’ war and wants to be with Derek when the world ends.

Awwww.

Problem is, she seems to be infiltrator. Read: machine who is impersonating the girl who, by my count, was likely terminated. Those present day spy photos on the floor by the bed couldn’t just be for nostalgia, eh? Like we said a few weeks ago, the machines are so irritatingly efficient. I kinda hope this actually is not the case, but I'm not holding out a whole bunch of hope. Will be interesting either way. And it was nice to see Derek let his guard down and actually feel something. He’s so hard core all the time.

But it was Shirley who stole this episode for me. We finally got to see a flaw in her machine perfection: she has no idea how to be a “mother” to that little girl who – my bad – is actually NOT a Machine Mini-Me.

No, it seems her real mommy, Catherine Weaver, was terminated and replaced by Shirley for the inside access to develop whatever nasty technology the machines can think up to take over the world (given Weaver was/is a high-tech CEO). And that, of course, currently involves developing and training a human interactive AI (artificial intelligence) to be like a child - which got the better of her this week with its Why Is a Math Book So Sad riddle (because it as a lot of problems – ha!).

And since ol' Shirl's having issues with her daughter, she of course is also making visits to aforementioned psych doc (did you catch that near miss when she and John were there at the same time?!?!?!). And given psych doc’s expert reputation, it was he who had to translate the AI’s prank on Shirley and Co, since she only could see the random selection of images it kept playing back/forth as a malfunction and/or error in programming, not the fact that the AI had actually developed at a faster rate than even she (and the tech nerds working for her) could figure out. Thus, the AI was playing a trick on its creators as any gifted/genius child would do once they got bored with themselves, and the games given to them to keep them entertained.

Doh!

Welcome to stump the machine day.

And in that, Shirley Manson turned in a rather chilling performance. She was so precise, so awkwardly secure, so calmly frustrated. And how about studying the old tapes of “real” mom, trying to figure out how to show affection to the child (who lost daddy, too, though I can’t confirm/deny exactly how- no doubt at the hands of the machines when mom got offed)?

It begs the question as to why the child wasn’t offed as well. I’m guessing it would’ve caused the machines more of a headache to have to program Shirley to be a grieving mom as opposed to just an aloof one.

So. Good.

All in all, spot on ep. Go Team T:SCC!

The fight to save the world continues.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: Due to the start of the Major League Baseball World Series on FOX, the next new ep of T:SCC will air in two weeks.

New episodes of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles air Mondays at 8 p.m. on FOX. You can also watch full episodes online. Visit the Official Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Web site to catch up (or re-watch!)

The 'Case' of a Father Figure

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer


** WARNING: This post contains a major Cold Case spoiler; if you don't want to know, don't read any further

Never say never.

Nearly a year and a half after Cold Case offed Detective Lilly Rush's mum in a less-than-stellar (or should we say memorable) storyline for which there was a) never any funeral and/or b) real sense of closure, it seems we'll be getting a look at her dad this season in the form of actor Raymond J. Berry. Dad (name will be: Paul Cooper) seems to be the final piece of the Rushian fracture of a family to finally make an on the screen appearance seeing as sis' hasn't been around since season two, and mum is ... well, no longer an option.

Let's hope for a better handling of dad than mum.

And can I just say that if this recurrence of dad puts a wet blanket on the fun, living-life-again Lilly ... memo to Cold Case: please, don't go there.


----------

From The Hollywood Reporter

Early father's day for Ward and Berry
Actors to recur as dads on 'Tara,' 'Cold Case'

Oct 17, 2008

By Nellie Andreeva and Kimberly Nordyke

The female leads on Showtime's upcoming comedy "United States of Tara" and CBS' "Cold Case" have found recurring father figures.

Fred Ward has landed a role on "Tara" playing Tara's (Toni Collette) father, Frank Gregson, while Raymond J. Barry has been added to "Case" as Lilly's (Kathryn Morris) dad, Paul Cooper.

Ward, repped by Innovative and Kritzer Levine Wilkins, next appears in "Management," "Armored" and "Bonjour Farewell."

Barry, repped by Metropolitan and McGowan Management, just wrapped the inide "Charlie Valentine," in which he plays the title role.

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'Heroes' Pulls the Strings

I took the week off from writing about Heroes last week because I needed to re-access my commitment to the show. I still haven't decided whether or not I'm going to continue to write about it every week, but I thought that this week's episode was strong enough to warrant a write-up because I actually have some positive things to say about it. First, as usual, the Claire story line is the best, most engaging, and interesting of all of the heroes' stories. And last night's Puppet Master nail-biter exemplified why she seems to get the best material. Obviously, the best outcome to that intense game of Russian Roulette was for one of them to shoot Claire (while being under the Puppet Master's control) because she can't die. So, it was bang, bang, bang, bang and Claire's not dead, but surprising the Puppet Master with a bop over the head and a quick call to HRG. Now that she has orchestrated her first villain round-up, HRG is thinking that he may want to take this show on the road because he could use Claire's help in capturing the others on the loose.

The other interesting story is the Speedster and her struggle with good and evil as she rounds up the villains for her boss. She doesn't want to do Pinehearst's bidding, but she has no choice for some reason. I'm curious to find out about that reason. And speaking of Pinehearst, the symbol for the company is clearly that weird "f" insignia that we've been seeing since season one except it has been turned on its side and paired up with a mirror image of itself. Could this represent the two halves of the formula that give the heroes their powers? Only Mr. Petrelli knows for sure.

I'm still hating the Mohinder story and the Peter one isn't much better. I like Hiro and his sabbatical to Africa and I'm curious to see where things lead now that he has found "the pre-cog." But, my interest in this show is hanging by a very delicate thread. I will continue to watch for now, but I can't say how much longer I'll continue to dedicate space here at PTR to it.

Monday, October 20, 2008

'Crusoe' Completely Captivates

NBC's New Action Adventure Series 'Crusoe'By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer


Move over Sarah Connor.

You've just been swashbuckled by Robinson Crusoe.

We remember how much fun I had watching the series premiere of Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles last January - the action, the pace, the amazement at turning the T2: Judgment Day film into a television series. Well, I had the same kind of fun watching the premiere of Crusoe last Friday evening on NBC, and I'm stoked to tune in again this Friday.

And on a side note, can I get a tree house like that sometime soon?

Actually, I'd just settle for Disneyland revamping the Swiss Family Robinson tree house ride to be Crusoe-esque (like they did with the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, which took on a Captain Jack Sparrow-esque makeover with the success of the Pirates film series ... and yes, I grew up near Disneyland, so I know the rides a bit too well).

Seriously, though, Crusoe was just fun. We got a little bit of everything - adventure, fantasy, history, humor.

And the humor totally surprised me. There were some truly funny bits of tongue-in-cheek, snarky dialogue. Who knew Crusoe himself would be so funny? Or the pirate invaders?

And how about his buddy Friday ... do we love him or do we love him? I don't think a cannibal has been this charming since Hannibal Lecter. Tongayi Chirisa has a tangible, charismatic, sweet energy that I just so enjoyed watching. And his devotion to Crusoe (who saved his life) ... awww! Makes you kinda wish Tom Hanks had more than just the Wilson volleyball in Castaway, eh?

When the LA Times calls this series a "grandness rarely seen on television," they weren't kidding. It's like you're watching a movie, not a television show. Production value is top drawer, and I loved how a majority of the premiere was shot on location. You got the cliffs, the rivers, the ocean, the majestic conundrum of being so isolated on an island of such beauty shot in true living color, not in CGI. That stuff can't always be done after the fact, and sometimes, we want to see the real thing, not the bluescreen version.

What I also enjoyed was the fact this was no stiff-ended period piece with everyone wandering around talking in 17th century verbiage. Nor was it just a word-for-word adaptation of the ol' book we all did a book report on back in the day.

Wherefore art thou?

Not so much.

It has some spice, some pep.

Think more like the Pirates of the Caribbean films, where they've opted for a more modern day dialogue, intermixing the occasional formality speech and behavior.

And can we just say Philip Winchester owns this role. It doesn't hurt that he's awfully impressive wandering around shirtless (okay, that's from a female point of view, so whatever). But he's not just some hunk in trunks. The flashback sequences where he longs to return to his love, Susannah, are beautifully tempered. The expression on his face when he awakens from the momentary dream sequence ... perfection. You know what he feels; it's in his eyes; he doesn't have to say anything.

And the chemistry he shares with Chirisa is as good as it gets.

Well done, NBC. You've got this viewer permanently in the tree house.

New episodes of Crusoe air Fridays at 9 p.m. on NBC. Visit NBC's Official Crusoe Web site for the inside scoop on the series. The site is awfully cool - and that's not just the Pirates fangirl in me talking.

'Dexter's' Role of a Lifetime

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer


Will the real Dexter Morgan please stand up?

Enough of the BBQs with the Prados, running to get Rita saltines for her morning sickness, or being Mr. Mom.

I'm missing the edge.

The confusion.

The holy sh*t now what routine.

As such, I find myself in the same conundrum this week as last week, though I did find this week's ep slightly more interesting.

I thought his proposal to Rita was sweet, but I also knew it was half made up from the confession of the psycho-chick killer who offed the boyfriend that wasn't really her boyfriend - except in her deranged mind.

And the Detective Batista sub-plot was beautiful. It was so touching when he confessed to the Vice detective (who had almost busted him the night before whilst undercover in a prostitution sting operation), about his need to connect with someone - anyone, which included hookers - after losing both his daughter and marriage.

And though I normally bag on Lauren Vélez and her Lieutenant LaGuerta monotony, she had the best line of the ep: "I've had enough of the Prado family."

So have I.

Seriously, I need a break with this obsession over the death of baby bro' and/or Dex and Rita's new BFF routine with all-things Prado.

BBQs. Lunches. Happy Hours. Late night rendezvous.

And this whole let's - tell - Ramon - what - we - did thing between Dexter and Miguel ...? Enough. Move on. Drop it. Throw something else into the mix. But stop with the we can tell him / no we can't / yes we can back and forth.

Believe you-me, no one is more surprised than I to find myself tuning out the Dexter stuff and being more interested in what is happening with ol' Deb, detective suspicious Joey Quinn and IA sleuth Yuki Amado, who is being played ingeniously by Liza Lapira.

Seriously, Yuki is just so smart-ass snarky funny, and Lapira can go toe-to-toe with Jennifer Carpenter like there is no tomorrow. They have fantastic antagonistic chemistry, and given the doldrums of Dex's good life routine, I find myself relishing the Deb v. Yuki confrontations.

Not to mention what really is the deal with Quinn.

As such, I'm actually excited about what I saw in the previews for next week - which seems to throw everything off kilter once again for Dexter, possibly reinstating that sense of uncomfortable urgency, need - to - stay - one - step - ahead thing that seems to have gone out the door for these first handful of episodes.

I'm longing for the unpredictable edgy Dexter Morgan. And as I said last week, he's far more interesting of a character when he's under pressure, trying to fit in, not sure where he stands. And though I do still love the relationship he has with Rite, the Mr. Mom-Hubby-to-Be routine is getting a lil' boring.

New episodes of Dexter air Sunday at 9 p.m. on Showtime. Check out the official Dexter Web site for the inside scoop on the series.

Lilly Skates Through the 'Case'

I don't know about all of you, but I'm lovin' Fun Lilly. She's so much better than stick- in- the- mud- Debbie- Downer Lilly of seasons past. I am actually seeing shades of season one, and that most certainly, is a good thing. Last week, she was handing out strikes with her new beau at the bowling alley and this week, she was racing her colleague around the roller rink. Perhaps, the most encouraging element of Fun Lilly is her lack of an emotional breakdown over aforementioned beau's sudden work-related departure. Of course, she gets it (it's work), but she doesn't seem to have skipped a beat in his absence and that, ladies and gentlemen, is some sure-fire improvement. As you can imagine, I just LOVED that final scene with she and Jeffries racing around that rink for bragging rights! And it wasn't just Lilly who was having a little fun this week. Kat went on a blind date. It went so well she had too much wine, freaked out and pulled a disappearing act before calling Scotty to come get her. Someone needs to teach this woman how to go on a date! Luckily, the guy seems to be very understanding (or just smitten) because the two of them were seen together during the closing scenes.

We had a sorta fun/serious case this week as Lil and co. reopened the 1978 murder of a 15-year old disco skater. Fun because we were completely transplanted into the roller rinks of '78 and serious because Missy was yet another very sympathetic victim. Plus, her death was tragic and senseless and for all intents and purposes, accidental. It kinda broke my heart to see present-day Julie still fighting the demons of that night and blaming herself for what happened to Missy. Julie wasn't exactly the world's best decision maker, but then again, she was only 15 and longing for a father-figure. To me, she was just as tragic in life as Missy was in death. And then there was that creepy Joe Bosquay and the pervy DJ who drugged and then took advantage of Julie! Just no to both. Good case, though -- kept me guessing and the time period and subject matter had me jammin'. Add in some personal growth, fun stuff and the ending scene with Lil and Jeffries and CC comes out a winner once again to move to 4-0 on the season.

Screencaps courtesy RichE at Look Again.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

'Chronicles' NOT Terminated; FOX Picks Up Full Season

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer


And so the fight to save the world will continue for a full second season.

Amen.

Thank you, Fox.

----------

From The Hollywood Reporter:

Fox picks up 'Terminator' season
By James Hibberd
Oct 18, 2008

Fox has picked up "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" for a full season.

The network has ordered the back nine episodes of the show's second season from Warner Bros., sources say.

The sci-fi series has garnered a relatively modest rating on Monday nights this fall. Its most recent episode was seen by 5.7 million viewers, garnering a 2.3 rating in adults 18-49 and a 6 share, tying NBC's "Chuck" in the 8 p.m. time period.

Fox's overall ratings tend to significantly increase after the first of the year, powered by "American Idol." Network executives may believe the drama's audience will grow once the overall Fox tide rises.

The network earlier picked up a full season order of "Fringe" and has "Dollhouse" planned for midseason, both fellow sci-fi shows.


----------

Friday, October 17, 2008

'Crusoe' Gets Ready to Make Way

NBC's New Action Adventure Series 'Crusoe'By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer


We've already had one of my all-time favorite films turned into a television series.

Now, my love of and obsession with the Pirates of the Caribbean film series gets a weekly indulgence thanks to the new prime time period piece drama, Crusoe, which gets ready to make way tonight with a two-hour series premiere beginning at 8 p.m. on NBC.

Now, if Showtime's The Tudors is any indication, people have proven to be interested in watching period piece dramas in prime time, particularly when they are well-written, well-acted and well-done. This show boasts a solid cast, serious adventure, romance and intrigue. I'm hoping Crusoe is given more than three weeks to prove itself ('cause we know how apt networks are to jump on the Cancel button with new series ... ugh).

Count this television viewer in the tree house.

About the Show (from NBC):

The drama explores the perils and challenges facing the world’s most famous castaway as Crusoe (Philip Winchester, "Flyboys," "Thunderbirds") and his native friend Friday (Tongayi Chirisa) struggle to survive on a desert island with little more than their wits. Overcoming marauding militias, hungry cannibals, wild cats, starvation and apocalyptic lightning storms, Crusoe dreams of the day he will be reunited with his beloved family.

Allowed to develop away from the bonds of 17th Century life, Crusoe builds a breathtaking and altogether modern home high up in the trees to elude his enemies. Friday and Crusoe’s deep friendship is pushed to the limit as opportunities to escape their island paradise, and the people they meet there, consistently challenge them to choose between loyalty and freedom.

As the series develops, the love story between Crusoe and his wife Susannah (Anna Walton, "The Mutant Chronicles," "Hell Boy II: The Golden Army") left behind in England will unfold from meeting to marriage, as will his relationship with his mentor and patron, the mysterious Jeremiah Blackthorn (Sam Neill, "The Tudors," "Jurassic Park").


Sounds awfully good to me. Check out these preview clips:

"World's Apart"




"Under Seige"




"A Child's Unhappy Day"




And if all that doesn't spark your interest, head on over to NBC's Official Crusoe Web site for the inside scoop on the series. The site is awfully cool - and that's not just the Pirates fangirl in me talking.

Swear.

Tune in for the premiere of Crusoe tonight at 8 p.m. on NBC.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Olivia Sees Dead People

I'm really liking Fringe in spite of its obvious X-Files similarities and overarching deep-rooted mysteries that often leave us with more questions than answers. On paper, I shouldn't like this show for exactly these reasons, and yet, I do. I think it's the fact that the show does wind up giving us answers each week. By the end of the episode, we have a very good idea as to why the "freak of the week" has his/her ability and that it's linked to Walter's early research for the U.S. government. And you know what? That's enough for me right now. I don't spend the entire hour confused, wishing for more revelations, or scratching my head like I do with Lost and now (to an even larger extent) Heroes. We know that all of this weird stuff is related to the Pattern and that Massive Dynamic is involved, but the rest is still unclear. Did anybody catch The Observer exiting the elevator right before this week's electrically charged man entered the elevator? I have a feeling that this will be a pattern for the rest of the series, so keep an eye out for The Observer each week. He really is a harbinger of bad news!

Meanwhile, Olivia is having a little trouble sleeping and it's beginning to ware on her. Of course, seeing your dead ex-boyfriend could cause a little insomnia from time to time. But the worse part is, she's not just seeing him when she's sleeping. He's showing up at work and asking her to trust him and telling her that he really loves her (always). He even managed to prove it by guiding her to a secret basement where he appears to have kept track of cases that fit The Pattern. When Olivia opened the box of his personal effects, she found a gorgeous diamond ring that was more than likely intended for her (and inscribed with the word "always"). So, is Walter's hypothesis about her "hallucinations" correct? Or, is her ex somehow reaching out to her from the grave? If so, does Massive Dynamic have something to do with it, and as such, it's all a ploy to find out what Olivia knows? Or, will this ex-led journey that Olivia is on lead to her to information that will prove that he wasn't the bad guy in all of this? I'm not sure, but I'm loving this new element of the story.

Fringe airs Tuesday nights on Fox. If you missed last night's episode, watch it for free at Fox.com. Photo courtesy Fox.

Monday, October 13, 2008

And ...? So ...? on 'Dexter'

'Dexter' is back for Season 3By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer


It's not often I don't have much to say about one of our PTR Faves. So it kinda bugs me that I feel I'm at a loss for words this week as it pertains to Dexter.

As in, I was ... bored.

Perhaps my Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles hangover has adversely affected the rest of my television viewing?

Dunno.

All I can think about Dex this week is "And ...? So ...?"

I feel as if the Dex folks are taking great pains to set us all up for the other shoe to drop. As such, it's starting to play somewhat predictable.

For the past two seasons, we've had that sense of uncomfortable urgency, need - to - stay - one - step - ahead thing from the get-go. Whether it was the genius tit - for - tat with the Icetruck Killer, or the Lila Experiment with a Side of Sergeant Doakes Obsession, things remained unpredictable for Dexter Morgan.

Now, he seems like he should be picking up Cody from day care, or running home to cook dinner for Rita.

What happened to his edge?

This whole Miguel - buddy - buddy - routine is really just too much cream on the tacos right now. That is, things are way too hunky dory to be believed. I'm not averse to giving Dex a best friend, but it took nearly the entire first season to reveal Dex's bro' connection. Last season, Agent Lundy always kept things calmly curious, Lila got under everyone's skin, and Doakes never ceased to remind us Dex is not normal. Plus there was the Harry Code hanging over everything.

This season, all that is gone, and I find myself twiddling my thumbs with the Deb IA conundrum and Dex's will I/won't I be a good father thing. I get he's trying to sort it out, but I'm not feeling he's under any pressure to do so - and he's far more interesting of a character when he's under pressure, trying to fit in, not sure where he stands. With everything so good for him in life, the edge isn't what it used to be. And outside his suspicions of Miguel and feeling kinda weird about his new BFF ... well, he seems kinda vanilla all of a sudden.

And I'm not sure that's what I like.

Where is Sergeant Doakes when you need him.

New episodes of Dexter air Sunday at 9 p.m. on Showtime. Check out the official Dexter Web site for the inside scoop on the series.

Mississippi Burning

Part of the fun of Cold Case is watching the masters take us from present day to 1964 with the greatest of ease. I'm always fascinated to see the stark contrasts and similarities between the past and present. This week, the show took us on a crash course through the Civil Rights Movement via a roadtrip to Mississippi and a history lesson on Freedom Schools seen through the eyes of four women from Philadelphia. Because of the unrest in the South, the women were using a Tupperware cover story and staying with separate hosts while they carried out their work at these Freedom Schools. It was a compelling case that once again showed this show's tremendous strengths when it comes to covering some of history's darkest moments. And, it serves as a sobering reminder not to repeat those moments. Miriam traveled to Mississippi to make a difference because she couldn't sit idly by as she watched the atrocious events unfold on the nightly news. She understood the risk involved and she went anyway. She paid with her life like so many others who fought for equal rights during the Civil Rights Movement. Once again, we had a victim that I wanted to somehow live at the end.

I knew the Saccardo moment was coming -- the one where he had to pack it up and leave on a special assignment (after all, his portrayer, Bobby Cannavale, is starring in the remake of Cupid on ABC, which is set to premiere next year), but I didn't think that I would care. I've never felt that the character was right for Lilly and I didn't see their "relationship" going anywhere. Of course, the show once again skipped all of the relationship stuff and left us to fill in the blanks, so I guess it would be presumptuous of me to assume that these two crazy kids aren't meant2B. I will say one thing -- they were pretty cute together (that is, during the scarce moments that we got to see) and they sure heated up the bowling alley this week. Oh alright, that's two, but that's all they're getting. I do think that he's going to miss her, and she, him. BUT, it was nice to see her OK with his departure. She isn't going to fall apart or let it affect her work (thus, sparing us endless mopey moments and repressed feelings coming out during interrogations) because she knows neither will do her any good. Last week, I worried that all of the improvements this season could be a case of too little, too late, but I'm starting to think that I was wrong. This happier, new and improved Lilly is awesome! I'm loving this character again. Add in a hysterical Vera vs. the Tupperware women side story, Tracie Thoms singing the closing song, and a strong case and I might be fully convinced that I was wrong. I'll keep crossing those fingers. Cold Case moves to 3-0 on the season.

Screencaps courtesy LongIslandItalian2 at Look Again.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Birthday Wishes

Happy Birthday to Bones star (and newly minted PTR Fave) Emily Deschanel.


Happy Birthday Emily!!

Your Friends at PTR



DID YOU KNOW? Emily graduated from Boston University with a B.F.A in Theater. You can catch her every Wednesday night as Dr. Temperance Brennan on Fox's Bones.

Friday, October 10, 2008

'Friday Night' Returns

I am a bad TV fan. I completely missed writing about last week's season premiere of Friday Night Lights (don't panic -- this is just the DirecTV season. NBC will air the third season in its entirety in early 2009). I had all intentions of posting something, but I completely ran out of time, so this week's post will include themes from both the premiere and the second episode (which aired Wednesday night on DirecTVs 101). Let me just start by saying that I feel Tami. I really do. She did the right thing by reallocating the jumbo screen fund to education. We saw how good teachers were leaving for greener pastures and the school was lacking in essential supplies and proper A/C in the Texas heat. We know that a jumbo screen for the football field would be awesome and the fans would be super psyched, but the money is better served in the classroom. Then again, the boosters who donated the money donated it because they wanted a jumbo screen scoreboard -- shouldn't they be able to say where their money goes? And herein lies the central conflict of governing. Perhaps, Tami could make things right by using the money for the jumbo screen, but also gently encouraging those same boosters to donate to the education fund as well. Bottom line: I wouldn't want to be in her shoes right about now, especially with her husband in the head coaching position. I smell conflict rising!

Elsewhere, Tyra is making a huge effort to undo her slacker ways and get into a good college. She doesn't want to end up like her mother and sister, and I say, Go Tyra! She's beefing up her courses and grades and padding her resume with a run (and a win) for student body president. The best part about this story line was its obvious parallels to the current U.S. Presidential Election. It was a nice tongue-in-cheek play on the current climate of our nation that, unfortunately, won't translate as well when it airs on NBC early next year. I'm glad Tyra won, but I, like Mrs. T, wasn't a fan of her tactics. Now, she has to get serious and prove that she can be responsible and a good student body president.

Things are getting more complicated for Matt as a new, highly-touted quarterback has arrived at Dillon High. Plus, Julie seems to be interested in rekindling their relationship. I would like to see these crazy kids get back together, but Julie has a lot of atoning to do first. And then there's Lyla and Tim. Unlike the Matt/Julie relationship, I'm NOT rooting for these two to work things out. Like Buddy, I think that Tim is bad for Lyla. Of course, I also think that Lyla is good for Tim, so one of the two has to win out. Hopefully for both of their sakes, it's Lyla.

Friday Night Lights is airing new, commercial-free episodes Wednesday nights on DirecTV's 101. The third season will be seen in its entirety early next year on NBC.

'Worst Enemy' Scavenger Hunt

Before you check out NBC's new series My Own Worst Enemy, you can play an online scavenger hunt for a chance to win a 52" LG Flat Panel LCD HDTV, Bose speaker system & LG Super Blu Hi-Def Multiplayer. The show, starring Christian Slater, follows a family man with a secret alter ego who runs into trouble when his two worlds begin to collide. Here's a preview:



My Own Worst Enemy premieres Monday night (Oct. 13th) on NBC. Be sure to enter the scavenger hunt now at msn.com. For more on the series, visit nbc.com.

Thursday, October 09, 2008

The Minister in the Middle

Leave it to Booth and Bones to turn a case about a murdered transgender minister into a discussion on whether or not Booth would be prettier than Bones if he were a woman! For the record, he says he would.


THE GOOD
Not as much goodness this week as in previous weeks, but there were still a few things to keep me happy. I liked the way the son accepted his father for who he was even after he learned about the transgender operation. I also liked the way the son took over his father's church. It was sweet, but it also contrasted the mother's less-than-accepting reaction to the news that her husband had decided to become a woman. The scene in the car between Booth and Bones about him being a woman had me laughing (even though we had seen a lot of it over the summer during those hilarious promos). And even though he was a little on the random side, I enjoyed this week's Squint Du Jour. Of course, this means that he hit the road before the closing credits rolled.

THE BAD
Hold onto your hats, folks, because this one is going to be a shocker! A PTR First if you will -- I'm putting the Booth/Bones/Sweets scene in the "Bad" category this week! Told ya it was shocking! You guys know that I'd give my right arm for more interaction between these three (not really, but you get the point), and I did find their opening scene to be mildly funny (and VERY quiet), BUT the whole point of these scenes is to bring lots of humor. And that humor comes from the dialog between the three and this scene had nada! Zilch! Ergo, it was a sorta pointless scene and a waste of a Booth/Brennan/Sweets moment.

THE UGLY
I've had to learn the hard way to eat before watching Bones because if I didn't, I could have a best-selling book called The Bones Diet: How to Watch TV and Still Lose Weight (Like, A Lot of Weight). Seriously, this show does nasty, stomach-turning remains like no other. Patricia's truncated body was no exception.

If you missed last night's episode ("The He in the She"), check it out for free at Hulu.com.

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

'Dexter's' Pregnant Pause

'Dexter' is back for Season 3By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer


Again, apologies for the lateness on this recap; traveling to/from a trade show in Chicago last/this week has seriously wreaked havoc on my TV viewing. Alas, better late than never.

So Dex is preggers, eh?

OK, not really.

Technically, Rita is preggers, but hey, it’s like the same thing.

And oh what a tangled web of questions we weave as to just exactly how good of a father Dex would be.

Or not.

This is a genius twist to the already complex characterization of Dexter Morgan. And what about Rita giving him the option to participate (or not) given she’s going to have the baby irregardless? Do we love Rita, or do we love Rita? We.Love.Rita.

Aside from the obvious distraction of her delicate state, I have to say what didn’t click for me this week was the insta-bond best friend thing between Miguel and Dex (not that I mind having Michael C. Hall and Jimmy Smits in scene after scene – they do rock it).

I just can’t quite go there as yet. Maybe it’s because I’ve been so used to two straight seasons of Sergeant Doakes’ out – to – get – Dex – at – all - costs routine that Miguel’s insta-buddy version seems too … Convenient? Easy? And yet, given how good this writing staff is, I am inclined to believe this is a set-up and/or that it’s going to be tipped on its ear soon. If not, that’s OK. I don’t mind having Dex actually have someone on his side for a change. I just didn’t expect it to be in two episodes or less.

Along those lines, I was having a tough time buying Miguel’s stalking of Freebo, which interrupted Dex’s kill zone and had him fibbing once again about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Since Miguel was there to do some dirty work on his own (read: kill Freebo), he bought it.

‘kay, again … kind of a stretch, but OK. I guess I’ll buy Miguel’s anger – rage – will - do – anything - to - avenge - baby - bro’s - death mentality. As we know, desperate people do desperate things, and I can understand Miguel being in that kind of state at the moment. It's one of the things I enjoyed about the character introduction in last week's premiere (and Smits' portrayal). But again, just a little too convenient to be there right as Dex is slicing and dicing. Or to be, like, “Hey, thanks!”

And again ... can Lieutenant LaGuerta just.go.away? I swear, she is just the biggest annoyance of a character. Her scenes with Miguel were so awkwardly awkward. Seriously awkward. I don't know if Lauren Velez is over matched by Jimmy Smits' talent or what, but wow ... I could do without her for the rest of the season.

On the Deb front this week … still being pursued by IA. And I still love Jennifer Carpenter. But her outburst of desperation at the bar trying to get a lead in the the Freebo case … what was up with that? It seemed kinda weird. She’s been determined and focused to crack cases before, but she hasn’t lost it like that. Dunno. Weird, but I’ll go with it.

Now what I did really enjoy was that IA called her on the fact she has no life (a page out of Lilly Rush’s book). Freakin’ funny. “What the hell is scrapbooking?”

Given she’s been almost killed by a serial killer and had a pretty good albeit older guy take an assignment halfway across the country, she’s fallen on some downer times at the moment. I’m going to have a little more faith the writers will not allow her to fall off the face of the earth a la Lilly’s zombie routine.

‘Cause we know how much fun that was to watch.

For two seasons.

Oy.

So call me curious and confused on this ep of Dex.

Bring on next week.

New episodes of Dexter air Sunday at 9 p.m. on Showtime. Check out the official Dexter Web site for the inside scoop on the series.

'Chronicles' is Chronicling Too Much

'Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles' Returns for Season 2By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer


Apologies for the lateness on this recap; traveling to/from a trade show in Chicago last/this week has seriously wreaked havoc on my TV viewing. Alas, better late than never.

We’ve been spending some time recently discussing the fate of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

And I don’t mean the fight to save the world.

More like the fight to have the show continue past season two.

It’s a known fact ratings aren’t what they were last season. We here at PTR subscribe to the theory that a) putting the show on opposite Monday Night Football is a death wish; and/or b) the show did better in the 9 p.m. timeslot last season with Prison Break as the lead-in.

What in the world compelled FOX to swap it round this season is anyone’s guess.

But more than just the football timeslot folly, the action has been dialed down considerably, and there is a much larger – and slower – emphasis on the development of all characters

Now, for me, the latter isn’t so much an issue as the former (read: FOX, can you change the show’s freakin’ timeslot?). But I have to confess this week’s ep was even slow for me – especially following last week’s stellar Cameron-focused ep. As such, I can start to understand why some folks might not be finding the show as engaging as it was last season, and I wonder if that might be a mistake on the part of showrunners.

As in, they may have slowed it down too much.

This week, we found John enrolling at a military prep school to protect one Martin Bedell given that in the future Bedell is going to be one of John’s best soldiers. With a T-888 sent back to kill all Martin Bedells in the Greater Los Angeles area (a la the killing of two “other” Sarah Connors in the original Terminator film before actually getting to the “correct” one), Sarah and Cameron are off to protect the “other” Martin Bedell – a little kid.

And so goes Sarah playing mom to young Bedell while Derek lives through one too many flashforwards “enrolling” alongside John in the military prep school as a lieutenant/fill-in instructor.

Yawn.

Seriously, it’s rare for me to sorta be waiting around for something to happen on T:SCC given it usually holds my attention to the fullest. But this ep fell somewhat flat for me.

There were some cute sequences between Sarah and young Marty – particularly her trying to help him finish his book report and/or the reading of The Wizard of Oz in voiceover format during final sequence when the T-888 guns for the "correct" Bedell and is set-up/destroyed by John and Derek.

And for everyone who is wondering if/when John Connor is going to grow a pair and/or stop being so emo … um, yeah … not sure there was any proof of that in this ep outside of his “Hey! Come get me!” moment to save Bedell from the crosshairs of the T-888. He then cries his eyes out in the truck on the way home upon learning Bedell risks his life (read: dies) for John in the future and/or the whole burden of this leader-of-mankind thing is just … well, a burden.

Now, I’ve defended John’s emo side. I like it. He always has a conscience, and he’s always aware of the weight that is on his shoulders. He tries not to just be like a machine in handling the humanity and the responsibility. But even I was like, “Dude, John. C’mon. You know already know a lot of people die for you, what makes Bedell so special? Because you got to know him for a few days? You weren’t even that emotional when you saw your baby dad at the end of last season.”

As for the perpetual come-investigate-for-me Shirley/Agent Ellison thing … that was even more of a snore this week. I mean, can we draw out the whole wink - wink - you- know - I- know - there’s - machines - responsible - for - all - this - nonsense thing any more? Get to it, already.

I’ve already watched one of my favorite shows go to never-never land (ahem … Cold Case), and thus, lose me in the process. And whilst this is really the first ep whereby T:SCC just didn’t click with me, I definitely wouldn’t want the same fate to befall it.

My concern is that with the show's general fate in question, if it does continue to go the way of long, drawn out character development sequences that only inch the story along at a snail’s pace … well, the fight will be over before it ever really began since I’m not sure folks signed up for this kind of ticket last season.

Remember quick, fun and fierce, not slow, boring and dull.

For now, the fight to save the world continues.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: Due to the start of the Major League Baseball Playoffs on FOX, the next new ep of T:SCC will air in two weeks.

New episodes of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles air Mondays at 8 p.m. on FOX. You can also watch full episodes online. Visit the Official Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Web site to catch up (or re-watch!)

'My Boys' Back for Another Round

TBS has renewed its popular sitcom My Boys for a third season. From the press release:


TBS’s MY BOYS is stepping up to the plate again as the network orders a third season of the critically acclaimed original sitcom. The series stars Jordana Spiro (Must Love Dogs, The Year of Getting to Know Us) as PJ Franklin, a 20-something sportswriter looking for love in Chicago. Surrounding PJ is her mostly male group of friends, played by Kyle Howard (Related, Orange County), Reid Scott (American Dreams), Michael Bunin (Scrubs), Jamie Kaler (The Family Stone) with Jim Gaffigan (That ‘70s Show, Ed). Kellee Stewart (Guess Who?) co-stars as essentially the only female influence in PJ’s life.

Look for the new season to kick off sometime in early 2009 on TBS.

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Future 'Heroes'

There comes a point in every show when the story crosses the line into the crazy. Traditionally, this moment is known as "Jumping the Shark." Ladies and gentlemen, we may have hit that Jump the Shark moment on Heroes. I don't want to jump the gun on this and certainly, jumping the shark is not a term I just throw around, but this week's episode has me VERY concerned about the future of this series. Especially since this outing was all about the future. The entire hour was beyond bizarre and completely lost my interest. Future Claire kills Future Peter and then goes on a quest to kill Present Peter?? Sylar's making waffles with Mr. Muggles?? An entire town suffers a nuclear explosion after Sylar implodes while fighting Future Claire and her band of evil (good?) doers?? WTH??!!

The only story that has me interested right now is Mohinder's poor decision to give himself a power. Of course, Maya has nothing to do (again) except run around in skimpy shirts and question Mohinder's judgment. I don't know. I think this show needs to focus more on the present and quit jumping between it and the future or it's in great danger of getting caught up in its own mythology. If that happens, I'm out. As we all know, Lost has the monopoly on mythology on my couch and there just isn't room for any more. Let's hope Heroes turns things around. Fast.

Monday, October 06, 2008

Lilly Takes On Dangerous Minds

It pains me to say this, but... I'm just not as excited about Cold Case as I used to be. Sunday nights used to be my favorite night for television because my CC detectives were coming on, but now, it's just another night of TV. Last week's premiere did little to overturn this new-found ambivalence toward a show that I used to adore, but this week's Dangerous Minds-themed outing definitely pulled me in and had me more enthused. Maybe I'm just a sucker for these fish- out- of- water- teacher- goes- into- inner- city- school- and- makes- a- difference stories because they play on the best of humanity and the ideal that everyone deserves a second chance. Perhaps, I enjoyed the back and forth between the CC squad. Or, maybe I'm just really lovin' the way Lil rocks the ponytail. I don't know. Something has put a little bounce back into the Cold Case step. Of course, the show has a long way to go before it once again finagles its way back into my inner circle of shows, but I still love Lil and the gang enough to hold it near and dear. This case was one of those where you keep hoping that the writers had a last-minute change of heart and decided not to kill Laura. Notsomuch, I'm afraid. I was kinda glad that it wasn't Renaldo in the end.

I mentioned above that I'm enjoying this new camaraderie between the CC detectives. New executive producer Jennifer Johnson promised in Entertainment Weekly that we would get more practical jokes this season, and I'm liking it. I'm also liking the increase in badass police action this season. That little scheme with Lilly and Scotty and the car door was great! And maybe it's just my uncharacteristic rose-colored glasses this week, but it felt like there was more Lilly involvement with this case. Of course, it didn't hurt that she had the kickass interrogation at the end with the addict teacher/doer. This was Classic Lilly! My only fear is that these adjustments are too little, too late for my excitement meter, but I hold out hope that the CC gang can light it up once again. Fingers crossed! In the meantime, CC moves to 2-0 on the season. Screencaps courtesy RichE at Look Again.

Sunday, October 05, 2008

'Chronicles' Lucky Number: 13 or 22?

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer


We always like the straight scoop here at PTR.

And thanks to the good folks over at io9, we have an update on the will they/won't they terminate Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles.

According to io9 report (who called up ol' FOX for the straight scoop), the show is still in production on the original order of 13 episodes booked for the second season. The issue (or question) is whether FOX will order the additional nine episodes to round out the second season total at 22.

Sooooo, we're either going to have 13 or 22 to watch for this second season. We here at PTR would like to see the latter. And since the ratings are not what they were last year (thanks, in our opinion, to a lousy time slot this year), if you like this show, please watch it. It still does need your help.

A reminder that new episodes of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles air Mondays at 8 p.m. on FOX. You can also watch full episodes online. Visit the Official Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Web site to catch up (or re-watch!)

Thursday, October 02, 2008

'Bones' in the Elevator

Last week it was body parts in purple muck and this week it's body parts in an elevator shaft! Do you ever wonder if the crazy folks behind Bones will run out of creative ways to kill someone? Let's hope not.

THE GOOD
There were several elements in this category this week and most of them centered around a chair -- Booth and his quest for that ancient chair, Bones securing the chair for him, Sweets instinctively knowing the real reason why Booth wanted the chair and calling him on it, Cam's letter of recommendation regarding Booth and the chair, the final scene when a very happy Booth finally got his chair and then realized that it was horribly uncomfortable, Hodgins and Angela acknowledging the GIGANTIC elephant in the room and then (hopefully) moving past it (because only then will they see the error of their ways), and a Zach replacement who kinda sorta reminded me of Zach (if Zach had a huge inferiority complex and a disturbingly depressing vibe). And let's not forget that awesome scene where Booth tried to open the elevator shaft by himself and couldn't and the scene where he referenced Blue Hawaians and their ability to cause you to wake up naked in front of a bunch of strangers. The looks that Bones was shooting him were classic!

THE BAD
Donnie Downer -- this week's intern du jour. Could that guy bring down a room or what? He made death seem cheery. It's too bad, though, because as I stated above, he had some Zach qualities to him (his ability to see things that the others couldn't, his vast knowledge, and his willingness to look outside the box).

THE UGLY
Hands down (or is that foot down?), that appetite squashing display of human remains smeared up and down the elevator shaft of that office building. Thank god I ate my dinner early!

If you missed last night's episode ("The Crank in the Shaft"), check it out for free at Hulu.com.

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Wednesday is the New 'Friday' on DirecTV

It pays to be a DirecTV subscriber. The third season premiere of one of television's best shows kicks off tonight for subscribers of the satellite TV service. In an unprecedented event, Friday Night Lights will begin its uninterrupted 13-episode run on the service's Channel 101 before it premieres on NBC this February. Since PTR is a DirecTV subscriber, I will be blogging about the series this fall. For those of you waiting for NBC, be warned that there will be spoilers for the third season laced throughout those posts. Another advantage to catching the new season on DirecTV? All of the episodes will air uncut and COMMERCIAL FREE! And the talented folks behind this stellar series have packed plenty of punch into the new season. The premiere picks up 8 months after we left off this past winter. Coach Taylor will clash with the new principal, Smash will struggle with some developments on the scholarship front, Jason will deal with being a young father, Matt sees some new competition at QB, Tyra's love life heats up and two faves will try the whole dating game. If that's not enough to get you hooked, check out the ad on the right sidebar or this extended "Devil Town" promo:


If you miss new episodes on Wednesday nights, you can catch encore presentations on Fridays. For those without DirecTV, NBC will roll out the new season in early 2009.

'Fringe' Questions Abound

This week's episode of Fringe wasn't quite as forthcoming with the answers as episodes past. In fact, it felt a little more Lost-like with its tendency to raise more questions than answers. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this doesn't become a trend because, as I've already stated, I don't need another Lost and all of its mangled mythology on my plate. That's why I've been hoping that this show keeps more within the Blue Plate Special realm. Here's what I did gather from last night's outing: there is a freaky bald guy with no eyebrows who has been observing all of The Pattern events through the years. No Brows (or "The Observer") doesn't age and he saved Peter and Walter from sudden icy-cold death many years ago because he said that he would need Walter some day. Meanwhile, the team discovered a metallic cylinder of unknown origin, purpose, or basically anything else useful and/or helpful for the story. They did, however, discover that it vibrates at two different levels. Apparently, Walter believed that it could be some sort of torpedo that can cut through the earth's core and attack a country on the other side. I found the entire thing to be very interesting, but we never got a clear explanation because the thing disappeared into the earth after Olivia shot the crazy guy with the torture machine.

While I agree with the critics who say that Joshua Jackson is horribly miscast as Peter, I'm not ready to give up the character. Therefore, I really wish the show would stop with the "he's leaving! Just kidding" gimmick. He's the star of the show. We know he's not going anywhere. I get that he's playing Scully to Olivia's Mulder, but the constant threatening to leave is really starting to grate. Hopefully, this week's "awakening" after meeting No Brows is the last time we have to deal with this gimmick. Fingers crossed. Weird plot gimmick aside, I am enjoying this show and I hope that when it returns in 2 weeks, it has a few more answers and a few less questions.

Fringe airs Tuesday nights on Fox. If you missed last night's episode, watch it for free at Fox.com. Photo courtesy Fox.

'Chronicles' at Risk of Being Terminated?

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer


'kay ... I just got done singing the praises of this week's Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles ep, and now I'm hearing that the show's disappointing ratings are putting it at risk of being one of the first casualties of this television season?

WTF?

Seriously?

'Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles' at Comic-Con 2008 in San Diego, CAI confess I don't analyze, dwell, obsess, compulse, freak out and/or track ratings of every show I watch ('cause Neilsen ratings seem like Algebra in disguise to me, and I really wasn't one for Algebra).

Nonetheless, I'm a little dumbfounded and/or stunned and/or whatever to hear various reports in the television blogosphere (like, this one at Wired, or this one at SyFyPortal, or this one at io9) already calling for a Save Sarah Connor Chronicles Campaign. Worse, Mr. Scoop-in-the-Know, EW.com's Michael Ausiello, is reporting the ratings are "Armageddon-like" and/or FOX could pull the plug and not order any additional episodes past the 13 already in the can.

Cripes.

Can we not try to move it AWAY from competing against Monday Night Football? Or put it back at 9:00 p.m. like it was LAST season, whereby Prison Break was the lead-in?

Or if people really aren't digging the whole slower, less action, more character development vibe, then go back to blowing up anything and everything and/or re-tool this GENIUS show before we send it off to the 2008 Television Graveyard.

PLEASE?!?!?!?!

If you're not watching, now would be an excellent time to start.

It needs you.

EDITED TO ADD: In my passion in wanting to get the word out to our readers about this crime, er, story ... we need to clarify that there isn't an official Save T:SCC Campaign initiated as yet by any one blogger and/or fandom (like Jericho). Some, not all, of the reports have made their own suggestions on how the show could be saved. But if those suggestions don't work, or FOX doesn't help it out by moving it away from the Monday 8 p.m. dead zone of a timeslot, I'm thinking we might actually have to create a campaign. (Our thanks to Michael at SyFyPortal for helping to set us straight!)

A reminder that new episodes of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles air Mondays at 8 p.m. on FOX. You can also watch full episodes online. Visit the Official Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Web site to catch up (or re-watch!)