WINTER OLYMPICS BOOST NBC RATINGS: NBC is doing very well in the ratings with the Winter Olympics but I’m still wondering if they’re doing well enough to offset the gigantic cost of it all. And it seems that the people who aren’t watch the Olympics are watching AMERICAN IDOL. I’ve only watched a little of each show, I’m sticking with mostly scripted shows.
THE CW: The CW handed out early pick-ups for the 2010-11 season to dramas GOSSIP GIRL, 90210, SUPERNATURAL and the highly addictive VAMPIRE DIARIES, plus AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL, cycles 15 and 16. No word yet about ONE TREE HILL but the show scored a record low rating last night so draw your own conclusion. No word yet on SMALLVILLE or the new-ish MELROSE PLACE either. Important note: Eric Kripke, creator of SUPERNATURAL, is reportedly leaving the show after this season, which is dismaying to the show’s super-loyal fans.
THE AMAZING RACE: None of the teams showed much intelligence in the season opener which means the season will go downhill fast or be hilariously funny. Caite Upton, the Miss Teen South Carolina pageant contestant who embarrassed herself mightily when she rambled about “the Iraq and the Iran” fared a tad better on TAR but she’s still not the brightest bulb in the lamp. I don’t watch BIG BROTHER but that show’s fans are going nuts because Jeff and Jordan, former BB housemates, are one of the teams. Jordan is also dumber than a box of hair which is providing many delightful eye-rolling moments. One of my fave things about the opener was that they made the teams get to LAX from the starting point via public transportation. For many people in LA, that’s a real challenge. Most of the teams wound up taking the Flyaway bus from Union Station to LAX, others hopped on the Metro. It was a clever opening move on the part of the producers.
BIG LOVE: Oh my. Where do I begin my weekly ode to this magnificent show? The emotional upheaval continued as Bill looked for a large home where his entire family could live together openly. Barb went head to head with Bill about Marilyn (Sissy Spacek’s tough attorney character) and Barb sided with Marilyn, much to Bill’s chagrin. I find Bill and Barb’s relationship a wonder to watch as it changes and evolves with all their trials and tribulations. It’s both a traditional and modern marriage and that never ceases to fascinate me.
Nicki rescued daughter Cara Lynn from being sealed to a much older man, which would’ve duplicated Nicki’s horrible sealing to J.J. and in the exact same location. Then J.J. and Nicki’s mother Adaleen were sealed at the same motel location and we were shown one of the creepiest post-wedding scenes ever with the two of them.
Margene is having reservations about Bill’s eagerness to come out publicly as a polygamist and Bill accuses her of being hesitant because it will hurt her budding business. What became apparent was that this is more of a self-realization issue for Margene, not a profit motive. In a fabulous scene, Margene, Nicki and Barb were discussing this very idea and it set Nicki off about never having a childhood and how horribly that’s affected her life in total. Nicki even said to Bill in a quiet moment, “I think I’m damaged.” On the nose but very true.
More complications arose when Bill and Barb saw Anna at a restaurant and discovered she’s pregnant with Bill’s child – or at least that’s what she’s saying. Bill wants to help her but doesn’t want any legal paperwork drawn up. Barb wants to help but only if she helps to raise the child, which Anna does not want. Bill is still torn between going public and hiding his secrets. He keeps vacillating and that causes even more problems.
In a bizarre and horrifying scene, Lois, Frank, Jodean and Ben were abducted by Hollis and Selma Greene as they were trying to buy more birds for their business. My heart was in my throat when I saw Hollis, and I’m scared mostly for Ben.
Finally, there’s Alby Grant and Dale, his emotionally tortured lover. While the final scene of the episode was jarring and sad, it was not unexpected although I couldn’t help but find it touching that Alby’s last words into the phone were “I love you.” How painful was the scene where Dale went to talk to his advisors, seeking solace but getting none? Hearing him talk about all the aversion therapy he’d been through over the years and seeing how much pain he was still in because he couldn’t deny his feelings for Alby, my heart broke for him. And then when Bill spoke to him about Alby and told him Alby was a sociopath who had put rattlesnakes in his bed, you could almost see Dale break a little. But it was when we saw Alby’s wife Lura at the door of Dale’s house, that it was clear this would not end well. The performances of Matt Ross (Alby), Anne Dudek (Lura) and Ben Koldyke (Dale) are all moving and wrenching, without going over the top. “Under One Roof” is easily one of the best episodes of the season.
LOST: Last night’s episode was titled “The Substitute” and it was chock full of LOST mythology goodness, from the opening with a Smokey/MIB (Man in Black) POV intercut with John Locke’s life in the alternate or parallel universe. Here’s what I’m still mulling over:
–I’m almost sure that the person inside the body we now see as Locke is The Man in Black. That is, as sure as I can get when it comes to anything LOST.
–The blond kid in the jungle was Jacob
–Richard Alpert has no power in the ongoing duel of Jacob vs Man in Black
–Ilana took Jacob’s ashes for a reason and I recall from last season that ashes were used to spread and keep areas safe so I’m thinking those ashes are the same ones?
–The burial scene for Locke’s body and Ben’s terse confession that Locke was a better man than he’d ever be and he was sorry he killed him. Better still was the non-reaction of the other people to that statement.
–The cave MIB took Sawyer to had the castaways names on the walls and the names had “The Numbers” (Hurley’s lottery numbers and Desmond’s computer sequence numbers) alongside the names but I still don’t know how the numbers correspond to the people.
–John Locke’s parallel life had him getting fired from his job at Hurley’s (!) box company and meeting Rose at a temp employment company, also owned by Hurley. John winds up in a job as a substitute teacher, surely not a coincidence given the title of the episode. In the best twist, he meets Ben Linus, another teacher at the school. Not sure what it means but I love it.
What are you thinking about? I know there was so much more going on in this episode and as usual, I’ll watch it again and try to absorb more. I loved this episode and I’m amazed all over again at Terry O’Quinn’s incredible acting range. And it’s only gonna get better as the season progresses.
A TUMMY RUB GOES TO: Sadie, the pup who won the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show last night. Sadie is an adorable black Scottie who won the coveted top prize.
COMEDY GREATNESS: I need to take your comedy temperature. Who do you think is a contemporary comedy great? It can be a man or a woman; they just have to be on the level of the great Jack Benny or George Burns. Who do you think is a contemporary classic when it comes to comedy?
ON THE DVR: This week’s LIFE UNEXPECTED and LAST RESTAURANT STANDING. Not even bothering with this week’s 24. I’m trying to catch up with SECRET DIARY OF A CALL GIRL because it’s always good cheeky fun.
EARLY HEADS UP FOR FRIDAY: HBO has the new animated series THE RICKY GERVAIS SHOW premiering at 9pm, followed by the season premiere of THE LIFE AND TIMES OF TIM and then the season premiere of REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER at 10pm. THE RICKY GERVAIS SHOW is taken from the podcasts Gervais, Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington did and they’re hilarious. The animation is terrific; the thing I love most is that Gervais is animated to look like Fred Flintstone and Merchant looks like a tall Barney Rubble. But the real laughs are in the conversation between the three men. Don’t miss it. I’m also a huge fan of THE LIFE AND TIMES OF TIM for it’s dry, sardonic, perfect deadpan humor and I always laugh at the many ways Tim manages to embarrass himself and get into incredibly awkward situations.
TODAY’S SURF WRITTEN WHILE LISTENING TO: Elliott Smith’s “Stupidity Tries”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEXLuIVxmRM&feature=related
Tonight’s rundown:
ABC: 8:00pm. Modern Family (R) 8:30pm. The Middle (R) 9:00pm. Modern Family (R) 9:30pm. Cougar Town (R) 10:00pm. Cougar Town (R) 10:30pm. Cougar Town (R)
CBS: 8:00pm. The New Adventures of Old Christine (R) 8:30pm. Gary Unmarried (R) 9:00pm. Criminal Minds (R) 10:00pm. CSI: NY (R)
NBC: 8:00pm. 2010 Winter Olympics
FOX: 8:00pm. Human Target 9:00pm. American Idol
THE CW: 8:00pm. Life Unexpected (R) 9:00pm. Gossip Girl (R)
Bravo: 10pm: Shear Genius
Comedy Central: 1030pm: Tosh 2.0
Discovery: 9pm: Man vs. Wild
FX: 10pm: Nip/Tuck – Robert Davi, Joan Van Ark and Donna Mills guest in tonight’s episode. Joan Rivers also makes a cameo.
Syfy: Ghost Hunters International
TNT: 10pm: Leverage season finale
USA: 10pm: Psych – Judd Nelson guests in tonight’s episode.
That’s a wrap for now.
