Monday, May 31, 2010

Gaga for 'Glee'

If Lady Gaga and Glee aren't a match made in Heaven, I don't know what is!  A show about the picked on social outcasts at a small town high school took on the music from the woman who champions the outcasts of society.  Her dedicated fans lovingly call themselves her "Little Monsters," and more often than not, could each fill a book with their high school experiences.  Much like the kids of Glee who have been called "freaks" more times than they care to remember.  This is especially true for Kurt who took more than his fair share of crap this week for his love of all things Gaga.  But, it was nice to see him back to expressing his true self and being happy with who he is instead of trying to be someone he thinks his father wants him to be (and MAJOR to kudos to his dad for defending him against Finn).  This week, however, it might have been Rachel who was having the most difficult time.


Sunday, May 30, 2010

All in the Family

Count me among those who never saw it coming.  Until Chuck was on the floor watching him bleed, I had absolutely no clue that the elder Bartowski was not going to live past this season's stellar finale.  But before we get to that fateful moment, we should back-up and take a look at what led up to the face-off between Chuck and super baddie Shaw.  We learned during the previous episode that Shaw was still alive, at least, we assumed as much after seeing him from behind and then seeing his picture on the screen as he gained access to the Intersect.  This, of course, also let us know that he had the Intersect inside his head.  This meant one thing: his brain was slowly being fried just like Chuck's and he, too, needed the one thing that could stop that process.  Chuck's father had that one thing and the knowledge to build more.  Thus, the showdown was set.


Monday, May 24, 2010

'Fringe' on Top

Three words: Best. Finale. YET!!!  This was one of those hanging-on-every-word,  glued to the edge of my seat, mouth and eyes wide open awesome thrill rides of an episode that demonstrated how a series should end its season.  At this point, I can't imagine any show other than Lost topping this finale.  We know this show has brilliant writers (how else can we explain the way the show makes the impossible completely possible and even, at times, probable?), but this week, they got to have some fun -- A LOT of fun!!  Twists, turns, fight scenes, romantic scenes, explosions, tense moments and a quest to find Peter and get back to our universe were just some of the things that made this episode so freakin' wonderful.  But it was the final scene that made our jaws drop and left us wondering how the writers are going to fix this huge issue next season.


Friday, May 21, 2010

Conflict of Interests

The title of this week's Bones finale says it all: "The Beginning in the End."  At least, that's what I kept telling myself over and over again as I watched that heart-wrenching final scene unfold between Booth and Bones.  Where the finale scene in the 100th was heartbreaking (as in, actually painful), this one was more hopeful.  There was no denying Brennan's feelings as she and Booth said goodbye in the airport lobby.  It's only a year, right?  Like Booth said, what's a year in the grand scheme of things?  And absence makes the heart grow fonder, so in reality, this separation could wind up being a very good thing.  I know, I know -- I'm really sunny-siding this, but it's how I'm going to get through this very cruel, cruel summer.  Before we arrived at that emotional scene at the end, there was a very interesting process that caused Booth and Bones to decide to leave their work (and more importantly, each other) for a year.


Thursday, May 20, 2010

'Sight's' Daddy Issues

Marshall's brand-new fancy cowboy boots: a lot of money.  Putting a young witness through boarding school: even more money.  Mary working with Marshall and his father: PRICELESS!!  The pleasure she took in watching the Mann men interact was just too good to be missed.  But it didn't stop there, Mary thoroughly enjoyed and took advantage of every moment she got to be a part of this family unit.  It wasn't all fun and games, though, as Mary soon discovered that Marshall and his father have very different ideas on how to deal with criminals.  And that difference came to a head over one of Marshall's witnesses and his young, troubled girlfriend.


BREAKING UPFRONTS NEWS: CW Shifts Returning Faves

The last of the broadcast networks presented its new fall schedule today, and like CBS yesterday, The CW decided to shake things up a bit.  Since today is the last day for the big networks big schedule announcements, we can all commence our sighs of relief for our faves that were renewed and/or our cursing the networks for those that were not.  But first, here's a wrap-up of The CW's presentation.  Teen dramas 90210 and Gossip Girl will team up on Mondays while returning series One Tree Hill and Life Unexpected will both move to Tuesdays.  Fan favorite Supernatural returns and will join Smallville on Fridays.  The net will also add two new series, the college cheerleading drama Hellcats and the action-packed Nikita.  See what The CW's new fall schedule looks like after the jump.


Wednesday, May 19, 2010

'Glee's' Not So Impossible Dream

Neil Patrick Harris and finding out Jesse isn't bad all in the same episode??!!  What did I do to Glee to deserve such awesomeness??!!  The only thing missing from this episode was Jesse's sweet, sweet voice serenading me Rachel, but I'm going to overlook it this one time because of two incredible duets that made up for it: Rachel and Ms. Corcoran singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables and Will and Brian Ryan (NPH) singing Aerosmith's "Dream On."  I think Glee might have crossed that threshold where actors (particularly those broadway-trained) and musical artists are lining up to be on the show.  Idina Menzel has a recurring role and NPH made a guest appearance even though he has his own very successful comedy on CBS.  I love it!  But it wasn't just great guest stars and awesome duets this week.  Rachel made quite the emotional journey and ended up uncovering a family secret.


BREAKING UPFRONTS NEWS: CBS Shuffles Schedule, Leaves 'Case' in the Cold

CBS stepped up to the podium today and broke my TV-loving heart.   THEY CANCELED COLD CASE!!!  OK, so technically we found out about it yesterday, but today it was official and I'm officially bummed.  Thankfully, the show went out on a high note and there was a sense of closure in the final episode, but it still stings.  When I have more time, I'll write-up a tribute post to the show.  But right now, we're moving on because CBS sure shook things up today!  Chances are, if you watch a CBS show, it has moved to either a new night, time or both.  Mega hit The Big Bang Theory moves to Thursdays, CSI: Miami relocates to Sundays (in Cold Case's old slot -- sniffle, sniffle.  CSI: Miami fans -- welcome to the fun world of your show starting late week after week due to sports) while sister show CSI: NY gets relegated to Fridays, and Survivor moves to Wednesdays.  That's a lot of shuffling!  Take a closer look at CBS's new fall schedule after the jump.


Lyin' and Spyin'

The Bartowski children sure lie to their dad about the most extreme stuff!  Chuck lied about working for the CIA, being a spy (and not just an analyst -- awesome Jack Ryan reference, by the way) and having the Intersect 2.0 in his head.  Meanwhile, Ellie was doing some lyin' and spyin' of her own.  Most kids sneak out, lie about boyfriends/girlfriends and/or school, but not the Bartowkis (who, admittedly are a bit older than the usual lie-to-the-parents sort).  Of course, their father has been lying to them for years.  They didn't even know where the man lived!  Once the secrets started coming out, though, things got interesting.  Ellie's potentially deadly secret remains to be revealed, and it could land her dad and brother in some serious danger.


Tuesday, May 18, 2010

The Baggage 'Mother' Load

For a lot of guys, being dragged to the latest rom-com is just about the worst form of torture, but imagine if that rom-com was actually a really bad movie about your life!  Or in this case, one chapter of your life that led to some baggage that you still haven't been able to unload.  And then imagine that the movie went on to become the 5th highest grossing movie of all-time and a box office blockbuster over seas.  Welcome to Ted's life this week.  I never liked the way things ended with Stella (that 2-minute date is still one of my top HIMYM moments), so re-living them this week was almost as painful for me as it was for Ted.  Plus, as we've discussed in the comments here at PTR, I just feel like this show has lost some of what made it so good.  The mama-drama is growing tired and I'm getting to the point where I feel the show needs to "pee or get off the pot."  But I digress.  This week, it was another girl, another failed relationship.  This one, however, was going along fine until some rather large baggage got in the way.


BREAKING UPFRONTS NEWS: ABC Announces Schedule



It's day 2 of Network Upfronts week and ABC's turn to reveal its new Lost-less schedule.  As we learned late last week, the alien thriller V will return (albeit later in the season) while fellow intrigue drama Flashforward will not.  Staples Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice will return to Thursdays and Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters will remain on Sundays. Take a closer look at ABC's new fall schedule after the jump (NOTE: while V will return next season, it does not appear on the fall schedule indicating that it will premiere sometime later in the season).


Monday, May 17, 2010

BREAKING UPFRONTS NEWS: FOX, NBC Set Schedules











These things are becoming a bit anti-climatic with networks announcing renewals/cancellations ahead of time and, in the case of NBC, releasing the entire fall schedule before the announcement, but nonetheless, it's that nail-biting time we call Network Upfronts Week where our faves get a second chance or an early retirement.  Fox was up first and there weren't too many shake-ups.  PTR faves Bones and Fringe will retain their Thursday night slots while fellow PTR fave Glee will stay on Tuesdays, but move to an earlier slot (8 p.m.).  Glee will also get the coveted post-Super Bowl slot in February.  Meanwhile, bubble series Human Target got picked-up, but moves to Friday nights.

Over at NBC, "new" is the buzzword as the network will roll out five new comedies and seven new dramas this fall.  On the returning favorites side, Law & Order: SVU will move back to the 9 p.m. slot on Wednesdays where it was earlier this season, PTR fave Chuck will return to Mondays at 8 p.m., and one of TV's best character dramas, Parenthood, returns to Tuesday nights.

Get a closer look at both Fox and NBC's fall schedules after the jump.


Across the Other Universe

This week's Fringe thriller was exposition for the second part of this 2-part season finale, but it was interesting and engaging and it left me excited for Thursday's conclusion.  We've seen Walter travel to the other universe (via his self-constructed door) to save and eventually keep the other Peter.  We've seen Olivia travel there (unwillingly) to meet with William Bell.  And we know that Walternate took Peter back to his original universe, but seeing all of the characters over there at the same time was thrilling!  Add in the whole doppelganger angle (and near misses with running into each other), and you have a very exciting and fun part one to the conclusion of this season.  So many things are about to go wrong that I have the feeling I'm going to be on the edge of my seat for a full hour come Thursday night.  But, Peter's apparent fate now that he's re-assimilated into his home universe is the most pressing of them all.


Friday, May 14, 2010

'Bones' in the Court Room

First, I LOVED this episode.  Having said that, I'm nervous about next week's finale.  I don't like where things are heading on the Brennan front, but we'll discuss later.  Now, remember that I LOVED this episode when I make the next observation: Did anyone else feel that the characters were a bit out of character this week?  I'm not complaining -- not in the least -- because I liked seeing the more human side to Brennan and Hodgins.  It just took me by surprise.  They spend so much of their lives dealing with tragedy that I didn't expect either of them to crack when going face to face with the Gravedigger.  I was shocked to see Brennan having nightmares and emotional moments both on and off the stand.  Apparently, the entire experience had quite an impact on her because by the end of the hour, she was standing on the edge of a very monumental decision.


Thursday, May 13, 2010

Love in 'Sight?'

Well, isn't Agent Faber the sly devil!  He comes into town with a witness who is in need of a WITSEC agent and sticks around long enough to woo Mary with a picture of his 11-year old son and a bottle of wine.  When she politely (and awkwardly) declines, he shows up one last time on her doorstep on his way out of town and gets a little dash of hope before hitting the road back to Denver.  "I'd like that" -- three little words that Faber can take with him in hopes that one day when his timing doesn't suck, he might have a chance with Mary.  So, it wasn't exactly a Nora Ephron workplace romantic comedy where witty dialog leads to romance, but in the end, Mary sorta-kinda warmed up to Faber.  Meanwhile, she had a witness problem that seemed to go from bad to worse.


Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Vocal Expression

Just in case you forgot, Glee decided to remind you why it's one of the best shows on TV!  Seriously, could they have packed any more awesome moments into a single episode?  Just when I thought they had max-ed out on awesome, they go and give us that moving story involving Rachel and the former football player who is now paralyzed from the chest down.  I feel pretty confident declaring that scene at the end between them one of the most moving scenes ever.  In the span of a single episode, this show managed to make me laugh so hard I had to pause my DVR and blink away tears so I could see the characters without the blurry glow that tear-filled eyes provide.  And while I missed Jesse (or rather, his perfect voice), the bonus Brittany this week seemed to make up for his absence.  But the episode's best lines were once again relegated to one Sue Sylvester.


Tuesday, May 11, 2010

'Chuck' Gets Committed

As much as I enjoyed this week's detour with Chuck in the mental hospital, I can't wait until the show gets back to its usual self.  I want the spy missions back.  I want Chuck, Sarah, Casey and (now) Morgan working together undercover to bring down the bad guys and recover whatever intel they're charged with recovering.  Not that this week's detour wasn't interesting or important for the future of the characters and the story, but I just want to let the spies be spies again.  There were actually two very important details from this episode that will affect every character on the show moving forward.  They are both bad developments, and as of right now, none of the other characters knows about them.  Ellie may end up causing harm to the entire team and Chuck may do harm to himself.


Monday, May 10, 2010

Peter Goes Solo

Fringe has been a little all over the map lately (including this most recent episode), but I thought this X-Files-esque outing had enough going on to keep me from dwelling on it.  It was really strange to not have Olivia in most of the episode and almost as strange not to have Walter or Astrid either.  They were peppered in here and there -- mainly for a story line involving Walter trying (and failing) to get by on his own -- but this episode's focus was elsewhere.  It was mainly about Peter's pit stop in Washington state and how it turned into a hunt for a serial killer.  Peter got involved after interacting with a woman who became the latest victim, but it was how he stayed involved that made it interesting.  And that was nothing compared to the shocking reveal at the end.


Friday, May 07, 2010

The 'Bones,' the Witch & the Wardrobe

In addition to being a huge fan of Bones, I'm also a big fan of Kathy Reichs's Temperance Brennan novels.  So this week's episode -- written by Reichs -- was a dream come true for this Bones fan.  I can't believe it took 5 seasons to finally get the stars to align, but it was worth it.  Plus, any episode that can combine a modern-day murder, witchcraft, Wiccan ceremonies and the articulated remains of a victim of the Salem Witch Trials is pretty much going to register on my good meter.  Unlike Sweets, I'm not super-studied on that particular dark chapter of our history, but my love for everything American history made the articulated skeleton angle of the story pretty cool.  But, it was Angela and Hodgins who provided the night's biggest "Did that just happen" moment, and I'm not referring to their incarceration.


Thursday, May 06, 2010

Birthday Wishes: Happy 50th, Roma Downey

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer


This post may seem completely out of the blue for loyal PTR readers given I've been (and remain) on hiatus from this corner of the television blogosphere. As life continues to take some interesting turns for me of late, there seem to be only a handful of reasons that bring me back to the world of television given I just don't have much time to watch it anymore.

But when one of those reasons is seeing an angel turn 50, I need to take time out and wish her well.

I owe Roma Downey at least that much (actually, way more ... but that's another story for another day).

Having had the great pleasure (er, let's call it honor) of interviewing Roma last year for PTR, it confirmed for me what we here already know: there are certain actors who are timeless, and there are certain shows that are timeless. We owe them as much reverence in hindsight as we did during their prime.

Not surprisingly, Roma remains at the top of that list for us, as does her legendary portrayal of Monica the Angel on the phenomenon that was (and still is) Touched By An Angel.

As she celebrates a milestone birthday today, I break from hiatus to send her our best wishes for continued health and happiness in the coming year.



Happy Birthday Roma!





Your Friends at PTR



And if you're missing Roma these days, tune into Hallmark Channel to catch re-runs of Touched By An Angel (though be prepared for sudden channel lineup changes that seem to put TBAA on a "break"); or, your can visit her official Web site and join her official Facebook page (both run by the lovely Ms. Anna K, long time Webmaster of Roma's official site and friend here to PTR).

Wednesday, May 05, 2010

'Glee' Has a Bad Reputation

I know I shouldn't, but I LOVE Jesse St. James!  I'm aware that he has some sort of sinister motive for dating Rachel, but he sings like an angel, dances like a dream and has an intensity so strong it burns through my TV screen!  I'm going to end up hating myself for this when his true intentions are revealed, but not him -- not with that talent.  Seriously, I need help.  Moving on because if I don't, this post will quickly morph into a fangirl "I (heart) Jesse" diatribe that no one (including me) wants to read.  This episode freakin' ROCKED!!  I've said it before, but I'll say it again: this show is at its best when it sticks to the glee club kids and relegates the faculty members' personal stories to the back burner.  I didn't post anything about last week's episode because it was not my favorite.  In fact, I found the Will/April story line to be boring and completely without merit (I did, however, LOVE the Mercedes story and her scene with Quinn was one of the show's best thus far).  This week, the focus was back on glee club and the talented kids in it.  More specifically, which of those talented kids posted the "Glist," an act that was destined to give him/her a one-way ticket to suspension.


'Chuck's' Non-Role Models

One of the biggest fears about putting a "will they or won't they" couple together is that all of the build-up and investment prior to the hook-up will fade once it finally happens.  Viewers will get bored and no longer feel as invested in the characters and they're relationship.  One of the ways shows deflect this pitfall is to stir up controversy between the two characters.  That puts them back in a "will they or won't they" scenario, but this time it's "will they or won't they... get back together" (for an excellent reference, see Rachel and Ross from Friends).  This tactic has a short shelf life because after several break-up/make-ups, fans grow tired of the back and forth and once again lose interest.  We're only three episodes into Chuck and Sarah's hook-up, and yet, we seem to already be approaching such a crossroads.  Episode one: they hooked-up at the end, Episode two: they were happy, Episode three: the first signs of discord began to set in.  That was fast!  Conflict can be a good thing on TV shows, so I'm not ready to assume that Chuck has fallen into the usual trap.  In fact, I thought the way the older spy couple served as both an equal and an opposite to Chuck and Sarah's relationship was clever and certainly not lost of either of them.  But, I would be lying if I said that I'm not concerned about the future of Chuck and Sarah: The Couple and their spy careers.


Tuesday, May 04, 2010

Everybody Loves Robin


There's something about How I Met Your Mother's Robin Scherbatsky.  There has to be, right?  This week, she had three men vying for her affection and two of them were willing to beg, borrow and steal just to win her back.  Barney suddenly decided that he had to have Robin back.  Ted got on board while trying to convince Barney that he didn't really want her back.  And then there was Don.  Since he's her current boyfriend, he had the advantage.  In fact, the only decision Robin had to make regarding Don was whether or not she wanted to move in with him.  It felt a little fast (to Robin as well), but she decided to consider it anyway.  When she finally made her decision regarding all three of them, it seemed that Ted and Barney's actions had an effect -- just not the one they were hoping for.


Monday, May 03, 2010

'Case' Closed?


Today's post is bittersweet for PTR.  This week's Cold Case double-header was fantastic, but it might also be the show's swan song which makes this, quite possibly, the last time I get to write about a new episode of one of my favorite shows.  If the rest of the season had proceeded as the first half, then this would be a very different post.  I would be telling you how "ready" I was to say goodbye to the show and how disappointing it was to see it go out on such a low note.  Thankfully, the second half of the season was nothing like the first and if this week's finale was really it's final episode, at least the show went out on a high note -- a very high note.  Somewhere between Christmas and spring, the CC writers decided to shake up the formula and focus on telling good stories for both the case-of-the-week and regular characters instead of being confined by a narrow format.  This week's season ender epitomized the change, and it provided some closure to some of the show's personal stories for the detectives.  And the story line that I thought I was going to like the least wound up being the one that captivated and moved me the most.