I’m playing catch-up after my fun-filled week with the family visiting from Chicago. We had an amah-zing time together doing fun stuff like a JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE taping, a tour of the Los Angeles Times, a tour of a major studio lot, the Groundlings Saturday night show, a walk on the Venice Boardwalk and chats with smart journos. I’m really fortunate in that my family has a great time just sitting around at dinner; their visit was chock full of laughs and those are always the best visits.
I’m back on the TV beat now.
THE AMAZING RACE: The least dumb week for the racers thus far. The challenges are tough this season and seem more time-consuming than ever. The one where they had to run with the flags balanced on their foreheads looked nearly impossible but the cowboys made it look easy. And as usual, I feel bad for the teams that get stuck with bad taxi drivers and wind up getting lost on the way to a challenge destination. The more I watch, the more I think the cowboys may win the big prize.
CHUCK: Last night’s “Chuck vs.The Other Guy” promised big changes and even though Chuck did one new thing he hadn’t done yet, was it really that big of a change? He’s still the same Chuck we know and love – not that that’s a bad thing. All that said, it was an action-packed episode that finally united Chuck and Sarah in a way we’ve wanted to see for some time. I’m also happy Morgan and Casey have more to do – Morgan and Chuck are an even better couple than Sarah and Chuck.
DAMAGES: More familial twists and turns were revealed in this week’s episode for both the Tobins and Ellen Parsons but I can’t fathom what importance Ellen almost being adopted has on the story. The reveal of who Tessa Marchetti’s real father is was much more interesting and Mama Tobin’s lie was shocking. I liked Ellen’s imagined conversation with her late fiance too. Nice touch. Really digging Craig Bierko as the fictional Frobisher and his scenes with Ted Danson in this week’s episode were my favorites. Bierko has that touch of crazy in his eyes and it works perfectly for this role. Danson wins me no matter what he does; his instincts only get better.
NURSE JACKIE: My enthusiasm for this show is stronger than ever and episodes like this week’s “Candyland” are the reason why. Peter Facinelli as Dr. Fitch Cooper manages to make Coop a lovable buffoon and the fact that he’s hired himself a publicist is fitting and funny at the same time. I love the story with Ginny and her nasty little daughter Caitlin and I really love the fact that both the mother and daughter bug the crap out of Jackie. As usual, Jackie’s gut hunches are dead on. Finally, the reveal of Kevin’s friendship with Eddie was, as expected, disconcerting to Jackie. I’ve seen the next few episodes and I love the way this plays out.
UNITED STATES OF TARA: I just watched episode two and I’m liking the show more at the moment because they’re dealing head-on with Tara’s terror at the realization that she’s transitioning again. Instead of just seeing the gimmick of the alters, we’re now seeing Tara’s fear and disappointment that the drugs aren’t working at preventing the transitions. What’s also interesting is that Buck is the alter that’s coming back repeatedly, at least for now, and he’s on the prowl which has resulted in an affair with a local bartender played by Joey Lauren Adams. I’ll watch this week’s episode in the next day or so as I catch up.
HOW TO MAKE IT: The show had its season finale Sunday and the good news is Cam and Ben got their t-shirts back and Cam’s cousin Rene avoided jail which is great because everyone loves Rene. Not sure how I feel about Rachel’s decision but it’s not unusual to quit a job when you’re not sure if you actually like it. No word yet if the show will return for a second season.
TONIGHT’S HIGHLIGHTS:
JUSTIFIED: Alan Ruck guests on JUSTIFIED as a man who has made a new life for himself but then he meets up with Raylan Givens again. Ruck is fantastic in this episode. Just watch and see.
SOUTHLAND: Tonight is the season finale. Let’s cross our fingers and hope TNT will be sensible and pick it up for another season. No decision has been made yet so let’s put out this one-word good thought: renewal.
THE GOOD WIFE airs a new episode tonight titled “Doubt” and part of the story deals with the increased sexual tension between Alicia and Will. I hear the last shot of the episode is not to be missed.
MILLIONAIRE MATCHMAKER: Wow, this show has gone down the drain. Though Patti Stanger claims her business is thriving and she still has a high success rate with “her millionaires,” the quality of her clientele has degraded considerably. A recent episode showcased a horribly immature guy who thought nothing of inviting two girls on a date instead of focusing on the one he chose at Patti’s mixer. Stanger used to be obnoxious in an amusing way but she now goes over the top to the point where you don’t believe anyone would pay her to be treated this way. The show has gotten a lot stranger and sadder this season.
TODAY’S SURF WRITTEN WHILE LISTENING TO: “The Disappointed” by XTC
Tonight’s rundown:
ABC: Dancing With the Stars, Lost, V
Tonight’s LOST is Desmond-centric. That’s all I know.
On tonight’s new episode of V: Anna launches a program to allow selected humans to live on the spaceships, Tyler discovers a secret about his mother, Valerie’s accelerated pregnancy becomes an issue.
CBS: NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, The Good Wife
NBC: Biggest Loser: Couples (2-hrs), Parenthood
FNL’s Minka Kelly guests in tonight’s episode of PARENTHOOD.
FOX: American Idol (2-hrs)
The nine remaining singers tackle the songs of Lennon & McCartney tonight. Given the fact that this crop of singers isn’t very good, I’m afraid to watch.
CW: 90210, Melrose Place
Animal Planet: Madman of the Sea (season finale)
BBCA: Survivors
BRAVO: 10pm: Millionaire Matchmaker
Food: Chopped (season premiere)
FX: 10pm: Justified
HGTV: Home Rules, Marriage Under Construction
History: How the States Got Their Shapes (2-hrs, special)
MTV: 10pm: 16 & Pregnant
Oxygen: Love Games: Bad Girls Need Love Too
Planet Green: Future Food (time period premiere), Future Food
Showtime: 830pm: Dad’s in Heaven with Nixon (90-minutes, special)
“Documentary filmmaker Tom Murray chronicles the struggle of his mother to heal his brother Chris’s brain damage and autism, a successful journey that resulted in Chris becoming an acclaimed artist, while delving into his family’s sad history of mental illness and creative brilliance.”
Syfy: WWE NXT
TLC: My First Home, My First Home, 19 Kids and Counting, Little Chocolatiers, Little Chocolatiers
TNT: 10pm: Southland (season finale)
Travel: Food Wars
USA: 10pm: Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Conclusion of the season opener that had a very shocking turn of events. This is also the last episode for Kathryn Erbe and Vincent D’Onofrio.
WE: Little Miss Perfect (season finale)
That’s a wrap for now.
