Hello everyone. Thanks for the incredibly nice get well wishes. My brain is working again (can you hear the cogs grinding?) and I’m raring to to talk about what I’ve been watching while I was laid low in sick bay. I have to admit, some of my favorite sick bay TV is the original LAW & ORDER. There’s something soothing about the “chung-chung” sound and the dialogue. But other than that, here’s what’s been filling my cabesa:
MAD MEN: MAD MEN reminds us of why so many people commit suicide at the holidays. The combination platter of the Thanksgiving/Christmas and New Year’s episodes had everything that makes the holidays special: hookers, booze, awkward family gatherings, humiliation, too much food and a conga line with Joan leading it in a dress “that has a bow in the back and makes you look like a present” (Roger’s description which is pure magic). It’s been intriguing to watch as the new Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Pryce tries to find it’s form and function and make it all work smoothly. The bumps along the way are of course the most intriguing dramatic moments:
Last week’s episode: “Christmas Comes But Once a Year”
–Don’s pitch to the father and son who owned Jantzen swimwear. Don’s insistence to them that if they didn’t change their prudish ways, their business would suffer was correct but I don’t know if we’ve ever seen him make his point so stridently. Don’s stillness was always one of his best selling points and to see him lose control spoke volumes – especially when he went back to the conference room and told them to leave. Don is no longer the closer he once was, the guy who swooped in at the last minute to charm and close a new client. Don’s very good at role-playing but this new suit doesn’t quite fit him yet.
–Roger’s humiliation at the hand of Lee Garner, Jr of Lucky Strike – I’m still thinking about this scene. Garner goads Roger into dressing up as Santa Claus and then keeps the jabs coming throughout the SCDP holiday party. At first, when Roger had to grovel to a client this way, I thought it was sad and poignant. Then he and Don joked about it the next day and it reminded me that Roger is a born and bred creature of the ad game and it’s in his blood. Great juxtaposition there.
–Don’s preference for being slapped in the face during sex. There have been so many pieces written about this particular story point and I think we’re all aware of Don’s self-esteem issues. I wasn’t all that shocked. Powerful men often like to be less powerful in bed. It wasn’t that much of a shock.
–Peggy: The scene with Peggy and Freddy Rumsen was beyond brilliant as it pointed out the old guard and the new guard and I loved Elisabeth Moss’ reaction shots when Freddy kept trying to sell Peggy on Tallulah Bankhead. Peggy’s evolution continues this season and she’s a quiet wonder to watch as she tries to figure out exactly the kind of woman she’s going to be. Will she sleep with the boyfriend or not? Will she tell Freddy off or will she be nice? As we saw, she did a little of both with Freddy. I love that we get to watch her make those core personality choices and then act on them.
This week’s episode “The Good News” in which Don travels to California to see the first Mrs. Draper – his friend Anna. The moments I loved:
–When Don looked at Anna’s 18 year old niece Stephanie and said, “You’re the future.” and after he told her he worked in advertising, Steph shot back, “That’s pollution!” so he shot back “So stop buying things.”
–Don learning from Anna’s niece Stephanie that Anna has cancer and it’s terminal but Anna’s sister Patty hasn’t told her the bad news because the doctors say she has so little time left. Don manages to keep himself from telling her but clearly feels wracked with guilt about withholding the information. In a case of particularly bad deja vu, Don is again in a spot where he has a vital piece of information – information that can make a huge difference in a woman’s life who is near and dear to him – and he doesn’t say anything. Talk about a callback.
–Joan trying to get pregnant. We see – again – that she and Dr. Greg aren’t made for each other. Not by a longshot. Even when he tended to her cut, I thought “he’s going to Vietnam and he’s not coming back.”
–Joan’s angry scolding of Layne after the flower delivery mix-up. As if we didn’t love Joan enough, her backbone has strengthened considerably now that her role at SCDP is more than just overseeing the secretarial pool. How wonderful it was to see Joan’s sweeter side to Layne and then she nearly ripped his head off after the floral mixup. Joan defends her place at SCDP as vigorously as Peggy even if their styles are completely different.
–Don and Layne bonding over their divorces as men do: with scotch and hookers. These scenes seemed like something out of a time capsule and I absolutely loved them, especially Jared Harris as Layne drunkenly contemplated having sex with a woman who was NOT his wife for the first time in years. There was a matter-of-factness about the entire thing that was pitch-perfect and that’s one of the many things I revel in when I watch MAD MEN.
–Now I’m wondering: if/when Anna dies, who becomes Don’s emotional anchor? Is there anyone?
More thoughts to come as I’m sure I’ll watch this episode again. Are you loving it as much as I am? I hope so.
BETHENNY FRANKEL: No, I’m not in some sort of fever state. I wound up watching pretty much all of BETHENNY GETTING MARRIED? and I was surprised by how sweet and humanizing the show was for Frankel. In a way, it was very un-Bravo-like because she came to the realization that she’s not really like her RHONY castmates, which is a very good thing indeed, and I hope Frankel is able to opt out of being part of RHONY’s next go-round. After getting married and having a baby, she’s a dramatically different woman than the one we met when RHONY first premiered and I mean that as the highest compliment. Sure, Frankel melted down a few times as the pressure of her wedding, a book deadline and her baby’s birth came rushing at her with considerable speed but who wouldn’t? And I’m sure being part of a reality show was not Jason Hoppy’s first choice in life but it was so lovely to see who people who complement each other and actually love and care for each other. This is not something reality TV usually chooses to show and it was a refreshing change of pace. When the Bethenny show ended, all I could think was that I hope the new Mrs. Hoppy takes some time OFF-camera to finish her book and enjoy her new hubby and baby girl. What surprised me most is when I thought about young women watching the show and it’s a good thing to communicate to them that even when you’re working hard, if you’re lucky enough to find someone you love & who loves you, stop and take time to be with them and let the relationship flourish. Oh the humanity of this surprisingly sweet Bravo show.
TOP CHEF D.C.: I’m not loving this season but I’m still watching – mostly to see if Eric Ripert turns up again. And to see when they eliminate Alex because he’s one of the more distasteful chefs to come down the TC pike in awhile; he always manages to say something that assures I will never try his food, no matter when or where.
LEVERAGE: Sunday night is overloaded with so many great shows but I want to remind you to tune into LEVERAGE for the best weekly capers with a solid dose of wit. The ensemble of actors keeps getting better and funnier and Tom Skerritt guests in this week’s as Nate’s (Tim Hutton) dad. I have DirecTV which makes it easier to record everything I want to see on Sundays: TRUE BLOOD, ENTOURAGE, DROP DEAD DIVA, LEVERAGE, MAD MEN, RUBICON and MY BOYS.
COVERT AFFAIRS: I have not been crazy about the show but it kicked into gear with last week’s “No Quarter” episode that featured Oded Fehr in a meaty guest role. I still don’t buy Piper Perabo as even a junior spy so when I watch her dodging bullets and getting herself into jams that only the wonderful Auggie can get her out of, the show feels very thin to me. In “No Quarter,” Perabo’s Annie had to be especially sharp when she was holed up in a foreign safehouse with Oded Fehr’s ex-Mossad agent. Their chemistry worked and the episode was infinitely more entertaining. Looks like Annie needs better partners in the field to work off of.
ROYAL PAINS: Though the short summer season is just a few episodes away from being over, just jump in and watch because it’s a light, breezy show that doesn’t demand you know tons of backstory. This season has been especially good for Evan (Paulo Costanzo) as he’s shown more than his lighter side. Lately, Evan’s been acting the part of boyfriend for a local gal he has a crush on. In last week’s episode, he didn’t impress the gal’s father but he managed to get his feelings across to the girl which made a very sweet scene at the end.
MY BOYS: There’s been one wildly out of place episode (the one with the pranks) but other than that, the show has slipped easily into its usual funny, warm groove. The coupling of Bobby & PJ and Stef & Kenny is less awkward than I thought it would be as evidenced by the recent episode about Mike’s birthday pub crawl which had the loopy fun spirit I love about the show. I’m really happy MY BOYS is back and though Jordana Spiro and Kyle Howard are no longer part of new NBC shows, look for Reid Scott (Brendan) in a few episodes of the upcoming Showtime comedy THE BIG C.
JERSEY SHORE: What can I say about this s**tshow? Nothing happens and nothing changes. I don’t like watching the group either. I’m hoping this PR train runs into a brick wall very soon. I feel like they’ve already been around forever and I’m sick of them.
EARLY HEADS UP FOR NEXT MONDAY: WEEDS returns and THE BIG C premieres on Showtime next Monday August 16. Get ready because both comedies come out of the gate very strong – more about them later this week.
TODAY’S SURF WRITTEN WHILE LISTENING TO: “History Repeating” by Propellerheads featuring Shirley Bassey
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTUIHK7gHRE&feature=related
TCA: I attended the CBS, CW, Showtime, NBC, ABC, BBC America, NatGeo and HBO sessions. That song sums up my feelings for every network except Showtime and HBO’s BOARDWALK EMPIRE. There’s a lot of shows that feel familiar, as if they were recycled from the ’90s. I’ve watched almost every network pilot so I’ll do a rundown of that in the very near future and include relevant info from TCA when I do that. The thing about TCA is that I’m always more interested in hearing what the writers have to say. Don’t get me wrong: it’s wonderful to see the actors live and in person but I always find it more interesting to hear from the people who write the show and I’ve noticed that they get less time to talk than the actors. I understand that most of America wants to hear from their favorite stars. Guess I’m an oddity.
I’ll talk TRUE BLOOD in the next Surf Report as I’m running long today.
Tonight’s rundown: Tonight’s special event TV is the Teen Choice Awards which were handed out over the weekend.
ABC: Bachelor Pad [p ], Dating in the Dark [p ]
CBS: How I Met Your Mother [r], Rules of Engagement [r], Two and a Half Men [r], Big Bang Theory [r], CSI Miami [r]
FOX: Teen Choice Awards 2010
NBC: America’s Got Talent, Last Comic Standing [f ]
THE CW: 90210 (r), Gossip Girl (r)
TNT: 9pm: The Closer, 10pm: Rizzoli & Isles
ABC Family: Pretty Little Liars, Huge
USA: Monday Night Raw
TCM: It’s Warren Beatty day on TCM: tonight’s lineup includes Bonnie & Clyde, Splendor in the Grass, Reds, The Parallax View and Ishtar
That’s a wrap for now.
