Hazuki Dojo

Super Bowl XLVI Pick sponsored by Studio Yukupo

2012-02-04T07:57:00.000-08:00

I haven't had time to write reviews for all the shows I've been watching since the turn of the year, unfortunately but I simply couldn't let this week's episode of Glee pass without comment - quite possibly the stupidest episode of Glee I've ever seen which is saying something because there have been tons of really stupid episodes from that show. As we all know, Kurt is the avatar of show runner Ryan Murphy and I'm presuming the ridiculously one-dimensional pantomime villain Sebastian is an avatar of some enemy of Murphy's. I really thought the Karofsky story last year was badly handled - way over the top and hammy, very special episode-like. What they've started here is worse and I don't have faith they have any intention of fixing it.

I thought we had all agreed that theme episodes were dumb. Multiple characters claimed in this episode that Michael Jackson was like, the single biggest influence in their life. But wait, I thought that was Lady Gaga or Madonna or some other singer gay people love! Just personally, I believe totally that Jackson was a kiddy fiddler and we are in no way far removed enough from his death to view him in the same light we do Lewis Carroll. To bear witness to all the posthumous fawning from the mouths of the 'kids' was really creepy.

One of the really major problems though is that the quality of acting is flat out poor. Part of the reason is that the show still can't settle upon a tone and I'm willing to guess that there's a lot of really awful direction but I know some of these people can do better. I'm a big fan of how Dianna Agron looks but she hasn't changed her facial expression or monotone voice in three years. A lot of the couple just don't pass the eye test, theya re very, very forced. Sam/Mercedes, Brittany/Santana, Will/Emma and now I'm really starting to feel Rachel/Finn are just phony as all hell. The more I think about it, the more I know that what this show needs is to boot Will and replace him with Eric Taylor. The only reason I still watch is abstract hope that they'll work Mike back into a storyline but I suspect they're done with him.

Pick after the jump.

Key:
Team wearing home jerseys listed in CAPS
(*) = Line Differential

Giants (+3) vs PATRIOTS

Chris picks: Patriots

I pick: Patriots

I thought that this would be the line right after the Championship games in fact I thought it could and maybe should have been a little wider so I was surprised that so many people seem to disagree. The talk all post-season ahs been about the Giants defense but I submit that it is not so much better than the Patriots and they are definitely nowhere near as good as the Ravens. New York's specialty on offense is going deep but I think they'll find frustration going that way on Sunday and be forced into taking more field goals than they'd like. Too many people are overconfident that the Giants will win big which is a big red flag. This doesn't happen to the Patriots. Not with two weeks to prepare and all the pressure off them. I like New England to come out on top, by three or four, probably on the final drive and cement a truly nauseating Monday morning where Brady gets his ass crowned.

Post-Season:
Chris: 3-7
Me: 6-4

NFL Picks Championship Week sponsored by Studio Yukupo

2012-01-22T06:22:00.000-08:00

Many Americans view China as an enemy, some kind of threat so I really shake my head that the most expensive film in Chinese history is an epic about how white people saved China and romanced their women. Fuck you, Zhang Yimou. for allowing your pursuit of money and Western acclaim to corrupt your ethics and pride. When will the average Chinese wake up and realize that they have 5k years of history and culture and don't have to copy everything America does? iPhones aren't even the best kind of smartphone, they suck, why are they so worshipped? Also why is there this rash of films about white people providing salvation for the helpless little yellowpeople after they've been ravaged by war, such as "Emperor", an upcoming film starring the formerly great Matthew Fox who of course, takes a Japanese lover? It's like the old saying goes, wherever and whenever a film is set, studios will always find a way to make a white guy the star. I was going to post a recipe of the delicious, indeed, sensuous pistachio chicken I cooked last night but saw this news floating around the web and just got fed up again. Maybe it's time to get extreme with some of these fools.

Picks after the jump.

Key:
Home Team listed in CAPS
(*) = Line Differential

Ravens (+7) at PATRIOTS
Giants (+2.5) at 49ERS

Chris picks: Patriots, 49ers

I pick: Patriots, 49ers

I could 8-0 now but picked value instead of picking a blowout I could feel in my gut. I just have a feeling despite that ridiculous number that the Ravens are gonna get totally killed tonight. I just don't have faith in that team as a whole going on the road. In the NFC game, I feel as though the 49ers matchup well enough. Winning the regular season matchup is an indicator of nothing as we saw last week but San Francisco did and I think they may have a slight edge on both lines. They also accumulate turnovers like pocket change and the Giants are prone to giving it up. One last thing about the Niners, a lot of people are talking about how legendary a coach Jim Harbaugh is. Personally I think it's more a damning indictment of how little Mike Singletary knew about the game from the sideline perspective. He's now the linebacker coach in Minnesota, a unit that was good in the last few years but this season, the bottom has dropped out with the same players in place. As unbelievable as it is to me that Leslie Frazier kept his job, Singletary has got to go. He'll fit better in college perhaps.

Last week:
Chris: 2-2
Me: 3-1

Playoffs:
Chris: 3-5
Me: 6-2

NFL Picks Divisional Playoffs sponsored by Studio Yukupo and NCAA College Football Picks Bowl Championship Week

2012-01-14T07:38:00.000-08:00

I started reading Sergei Lukyanenko's Night Watch, the Russian supernatural thriller that was adapted into the most successful Russian movie of all time and it's pretty fantastic. There are strong references to destiny and pre-ordained events in the course of the book, partly revolving as it does around the star-crossed love between two magicians, a romance created by a meddling sorceror who tampered with the road of fate. The very tenuous link between that and what's happening here is, is any of Tim Tebow's run as quarterback of the Denver Broncos pre-ordained? There were an awful lot of 3:16 related coincidences stemming from his latest miracle, a passage referring to the most doubted person ever in human history. The answer of course i no, because first of all, miracles don't happen eight times in three months and secondly, he and the Broncos are going to get splattered against the wall this weekend by the Patriots and I am most definitely not saying that in the hopes of putting the reverse-jinx hex on New England. Definitely not.

Picks after the jump.

Key:
Home Team listed in CAPS
(*) = Line Differential

Saints (-4) at 49ERS
Broncos (+13.5) at PATRIOTS
Texans (+7.5) at RAVENS
Giants (+7.5) at PACKERS

Chris picks: 49ers, Patriots, Ravens, Packers

I pick: 49ers, Broncos, Texans, Giants

All underdogs this week, and all of them were easy picks. There is often a big overreaction to big winners in the wild card round. The Saints put up a lot of points on the Lions and the Panthers, but the 49ers are much stiffer and on their own home field should be able to hold the Saints far closer. The Saints won't roll over getting hit a little but it won't be the cake walk that many expect. In the evening matchup, I have a strong suspicion the Patriots will pull away late and win by three touchdowns like the first matchup but the better value is with the Broncos. I doubt it will be their finest hour.

TJ Yates may be starting at quarterback for the Texans, but I don't have faith that the Ravens can cover 7.5 against a team with a defense as strong as Houston. In the final playoff game, Green Bay may be the number one team in football but I don't think the gap is that large over the following pack (no pun intended). On offense the Giants can keep pace with the most overpromoted player in the league and on defense, they might be better. Home field counts though - I like the Giants to cover, the Packers to win.

Last week:
Chris: 1-3
Me: 3-1

BCS National Championship
Home Team listed second in CAPS
vs = Neutral Site game
(*) = Line Differential
[*] = National Ranking

[1] LSU (+2.5) vs [2] Alabama

Chris picks: Alabama

I pick: Alabama

We both liked Alabama and on my part it's because I had been picking against Jordan Jefferson ever since he was reinserted as the starter and so it proved as he flopped in the big game.

Last week:
Chris: 5-4
Me: 4-5

Playoff Final
Chris: 16-17
Me: 16-17

NFL Picks Wild Card Playoffs sponsored by Studio Yukupo and NCAA College Football Picks Bowl Week 3

2012-01-07T08:43:00.000-08:00

I started losing interest in the middle towards the end of the season and a lot of it had to with the treatment of Tim Tebow. I think everyone gets at this point that he is a limited player but the attitude that nearly all of these pundits and ex-professionals in the media have towards, the poisonous contempt is so brazen and what's worth, they lie about it. They'll invent caveats and qualifiers like, "Oh, I'd love him to marry my daughter, hur hur" which are blatantly hollow and barely disguising the level of loathing they hold for him. The vile epithets spewed by Bill Maher went uncontested. What did Tebow do to these people? Why am I expected to hate Tebow but love James Harrison, a woman beater and steroid user? It's the kind of thing which turned me away from having any interest in the NBA and large swathes of big time European football.

That's why I take such joy in seeing a team loaded with idiots and villains like the Jets flop so miserably. I can't get enough of that - not to say that Greg McElroy did the right thing talking about it. That's the worst kind of profiteering - setting himself up for a career in media as he knows his football career won't get off the ground.

Picks after the jump.

Key:
Home Team listed in CAPS
(*) = Line Differential

Bengals (+3) at TEXANS
Lions (+10.5) at SAINTS
Falcons (+3) at GIANTS
Steelers (-8.5) at BRONCOS

Chris picks: Bengals, Lions, Falcons, Broncos

I pick: Texans, Saints, Falcons, Broncos

Big edge Houston. I don't believe in Cincinnati, they have not proven themselves in big games. Houston lost three straight to end the season but have a better running game and the home advantage. I give the Lions no shot against the Saints. Although Stafford is approximately three times as good as Cam Newton, their defense might be even worse right now. In the Superdome, New Orleans is unbeatable by a team that can only throw.

I have no idea what to think of the next game, I thought earlier in the week that the Giants would absolutely crush the Falcons, out of their dome and element with the Giants coming back into peak condition but Atlanta has a little resiliency, can run the ball through walls and the Giants might get a big head about last week's win over the Cowboys. In the last game of the day, Denver should be able to keep it close and limit the game to a 10-3 loss.

Last week:
Chris: 9-4-2
Me: 8-5-2

Season:
Chris: 131-133-12
Me: 133-111-12

Bowl Week Three
Home Team listed second in CAPS
vs = Neutral Site game
(*) = Line Differential
[*] = National Ranking
(*) = Awesome Name of Bowl Game

[24] Penn State (+5.5) vs [20] Houston
(Ticketcity Bowl)
[12] Michigan State (+3.5) vs [18] Georgia
(Outback Bowl)
[21] Nebraska (+2) vs [10] South Carolina
(Capital One Bowl)
Ohio State (+2) vs Florida
(Progressive Gator Bowl)
[9] Wisconsin (+6) vs [6] Oregon
(Rose Bowl)
[3] Oklahoma State (-3.5) vs [4] Stanford
(Tostitos Fiesta Bowl)
[13] Michigan (-2.5) vs [17] Virginia Tech
(Allstate Sugar Bowl)
[14] Clemson (-3.5) vs [23] West Virginia
(Discover Orange Bowl)
[11] Kansas State (+7.5) vs [7] Arkansas
(AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic)
Pittsburgh (-3.5) vs SMU
(BBVA Compass Bowl)
Northern Illinois (+1.5) vs Arkansas State
(GoDaddy.com Bowl)

Chris picks: Houston, Michigan State, Nebraska, Florida, OREGON!!!!, Stanford, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Kansas State, SMU, Northern Illinois

I pick: Houston, Georgia, South Carolina, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Stanford, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Kansas State, SMU, Northern Illinois

I can't believe Bill O'Brien went to Penn State, that place is still a mess. Georgia should have won that one easily but got lazy late in the game. Doesn't bode well for next season. South Carolina squashed Nebraska as their respective form in the season indicated would happen. Why did I pick OSU? Stupid. I thought maybe a new hire would give them a mental boost. I thought Wisconsin would be able to hold Oregon close and they did but just missed covering. Darn? Nah, Oregon winning that one is fine by me.

Oklahoma State made a believer out of me with their win in the Fiesta Bowl. Probably a season too late though now that Weeden and Blackmon are both on the way out. I didn't think Michigan was good enough to win a BCS game but Virginia Tech didn't show up for the big one yet again. I thought that Clemson would pull a Clemson but didn't think it would be that bad. At least UW doesn't have that points against record anymore. I thought Arkansas might have a lay-off let-down but they rallied pretty well. Let's see how they progress next year. I don't know too much about SMU but I know for sure that I don't like Pittsburgh with all their problems. I know nothing about the last two teams but NIU has more street cred. Perhaps?

Last week:
Chris: 5-6
Me: 5-6

Bowls:
Chris: 10-13
Me: 11-12

NFL Picks Week Seventeen sponsored by Studio Yukupo and NCAA College Football Picks Bowl Week 2

2012-01-01T05:50:00.000-08:00

Super Early 2012 Projections
It's way too early to even be thinking about this considering some teams don't have coaches, we don't have any idea yet how the draft will shake out, we don't know if a team might lose a key player to free agency (note that it never works the other way; losing a free agent hurts a team far more than it helps a team to gain one). With that said, what have we learnt from watching these teams all year?

NFC East
Basically, nothing. All the teams in this division, even the Redskins have the potential to be very strong but bad attitude from players stymie their efforts. Next year promises to shake out as tight as this one.

AFC East
Depending on their head coaching hire and QB status, you have to like the Dolphins to make a playoff charge - Good form late in the season usually means big things next year and I thought they were better than people thought at the start of this one anyway. The Jets meanwhile will continue to get worse unless we see a seismic shift in philosophy. Rex Ryan talks too much and won't last long that way.

More and picks after the jump.

NFC South
I know I just said that good form late in the year is a good sign for future success, but laziness and a general lack of good sense and intangibles will not serve Cam Newton well. I think he will regress big time as his athletic ability is contained, he will lose composure spiral down. You can't look past the Saints at this point; they're just a level above at almost every position over the Falcons right now.

AFC South
If Peyton is back, the Colts will win the division. I'm not sold on Mike Munchak as a head coach, his waffling over the Penn State job, one of the worst jobs going in college football right now, speaks volumes.

NFC West
San Francisco's success is not sustainable with Alex Smith as the QB but the competition is not there. Seattle is very, very similar to the 49ers except without the heralded stars. If the Hawks could find an elite offensive lineman, they would overtake San Fran as a 10 or 11 win team.

AFC West
The division is the Raiders' to lose next year. The Broncos stripped out too much trying to set up Tebow to fail and AJ Smith and Scott Pioli's egos will continue to get the better of them in their respective towns. With a full off-season of practices, there should be no excuses for Carson Palmer and co.

NFC North
Tough to say right now. From where I sit, the Packers got lucky a lot this year. They're certainly no dominant team. The Lions and Bears are both still too bonehead mistake prone to assume they would be able to step up and take that mantle from them.

AFC North
I would go place a bet right now on the Bengals winning this division next year and then flaming out in the first round as always. We'll bet on the stupid, hated Steelers to win the Super Bowl because they always find themselves there or thereabouts when it's all said and done.

Key:
Home Team listed in CAPS
(*) = Line Differential

Panthers (+7.5) at SAINTS
Bills (+11) at PATRIOTS
Bears (+1.5) at VIKINGS
Jets (+3) at DOLPHINS
49ers (-10.5) at RAMS
Lions (-3) at PACKERS
Redskins (+8.5) at EAGLES
Colts (+3.5) at JAGUARS
Titans (-3) at TEXANS
Seahawks (+3) at CARDINALS
Chiefs (+3) at BRONCOS
Buccaneers (+11.5) at FALCONS
Ravens (-2) at BENGALS
Steelers (-4) at BROWNS
Chargers (+3) at RAIDERS
Cowboys (+3) at GIANTS

Chris picks: Panthers, Patriots, Bears, Jets, 49ers, Packers, Eagles, Jaguars, Titans, Seahawks, Chiefs, Falcons, Ravens, Steelers, Raiders, Cowboys

I pick: Saints, Patriots, Bears, Dolphins, 49ers, Packers, Redskins, Colts, Texans, Seahawks, Broncos, Falcons, Ravens, Steelers, Chargers, Giants

The Saints are about five hundred times better than Carolina and need this game bad, I expect a murder train here. The Patriots also need their game so I expect them to turn up and cruise to a two touchdown victory over the Bills. Everyone is talking about how Joe Webb could to Tim Tebow's job except better. I don't buy it. He may have the athletic ability, but not the mental ability. The Jets are slipping bad. I like the Dolphins to put the final nail in their 2011 season.

The Rams are even more pathetic than I thought. They have no chance against a full throttle Niners team. Even though the Lions have played better of late and the Packers will probably rest their starters for most of the game, forty years of history counts for something and I feel like the Lions have one more screw up in them. The Eagles have also been blowing teams out recently but 8.5 is still too much against a hated division rival. The Colts are on a streak themselves and momentum should carry them past the struggling Jaguars who seem to have fortunately given up on the idea of Mel Tucker as head coach.

I have no idea what to think of the next game so I'll just go with the home dog Texans. Most of the rest of these are straightforward. The Seahawks are beter overall than the Cards. Larry Fitzgerald is wasted there. I'll take the Broncos over the Chiefs more out of blind faith than reason. The Falcons should roll the Bucs. The Ravens and Steelers both need wins against inferior competition. The Chargers have one last win left in them for the benefit of their December record. The last game of the day is a real toss-up though. Ultimately, I don't think the Cowboys can cover those deep receivers on the road.

Last week:
Chris: 9-6-1
Me: 7-8-1

Season:
Chris: 122-108-10
Me: 124-106-10

Bowl Week Two
Home Team listed second in CAPS
vs = Neutral Site game
(*) = Line Differential
[*] = National Ranking
(*) = Awesome Name of Bowl Game

[25] Florida State (-3) vs Notre Dame
(Champs Sports Bowl)
[15] Baylor (-9.5) vs Washington
(Valero Alamo Bowl)
BYU (-2) vs Tulsa
(Bell Helicopters Armed Forces Bowl)
Iowa State (+1.5) vs Rutgers
(New Era Pinstripe Bowl)
Wake Forest (+6.5) vs Mississippi State
(Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl)
Iowa (+14) vs [19] Oklahoma
(Insight Bowl)
Northwestern (+10) vs Texas A&M
(Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas)
Georgia Tech (-3.5) vs Utah
(Hyundai Sun Bowl)
Cincinnati (+2.5) vs Vanderbilt
(AutoZone Liberty Bowl)
Illinois (-2.5) vs UCLA
(Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl)
Virginia (+2.5) vs Auburn

(Chick-fil-A Bowl)

Chris picks: Florida State, Washington, BYU, Iowa State, Wake Forest, Iowa, Northwestern, Georgia Tech, Utah, Cincinnati, Illinois, Virginia

I pick: Florida State, Washington, BYU, Iowa State, Mississippi State, Iowa, Northwestern, Utah, Vanderbilt, Illinois, Auburn

Somehow, all of these games happened already. I went against Notre Dame because of their error prone regular season ways. I picked Washington because Robert Griffin III is the most overrated Quarterback in the nation. BYU can beat up on these bad teams just fine. I liekd Iowa State to get up for a big game but underestimated the Big East. I liked Miss. State to win by a touchdown but that half-point killed me.

14 seemed high given OU's bowl flops in past times but Iowa is not the same team it used to be. Texas A&M came through for once, I didn't back them to. I liked Utah's matchup on defense better than the Yellow Jackets who couldn't be trusted all year long. I liked SEC Vanderbilt but they proved they still have a long way to go. In the no-coach bowl, Illinois was the obvious choice - UCLA doesn't do anything well. In the ~~Peach Bowl~~ I had been backing Auburn all year and couldn't stop now.

Last week:
Chris: 5-7
Me: 6-6

NFL Picks Week Sixteen sponsored by Studio Yukupo

2011-12-24T07:43:00.000-08:00

I don't have that much to say right now but what an incredible weasel David Stern is. He has been going around this week talking about the aborted Hornets-Lakers-Rockets trade that he nixed and of course chief in that concern is the fact the NBA owns the Hornets - he's talked about how the league is doing everything they can to save professional basketball in New Orleans. Hey asshole! You sure didn't lift a finger at all to save pro basketball in Seattle! Now there is a town that could actually support their team. What a lying scumbag. His league has no integrity. Let's hope the NFL doesn't follow suit bending to the will of idiots in their own league like the despicable James Harrison. When people like that are mouthing off and getting all the press plaudits, is it any wonder a guy like Tebow gets to be so popular against their will?

Picks after the jump.

Key:
Home Team listed in CAPS
(*) = Line Differential

Texans (-7) at COLTS
Broncos (-3) at BILLS
Giants (+3) at JETS
Rams (+15) at STEELERS
Vikings (+6.5) at REDSKINS
Cardinals (+4) at BENGALS
Raiders (+2.5) at CHIEFS
Dolphins (+10) at PATRIOTS
Browns (+12.5) at RAVENS
Buccaneers (+6.5) at PANTHERS
Jaguars (+7) at TITANS
Chargers (+2.5) at LIONS
Eagles (+1.5) at COWBOYS
49ers (-2) at SEAHAWKS
Bears (+12) at PACKERS
Falcons (+7) at SAINTS

Chris picks: Colts, Broncos, Giants, Steelers, Vikings, Bengals, Raiders, Patriots, Ravens, Panthers, Titans, Lions, Cowboys, Seahawks, Packers, Falcons

I pick: Colts, Broncos, Giants, Rams, Vikings, Cardinals, Chiefs, Patriots, Browns, Panthers, Jaguars, Chargers, Eagles, Seahawks, Bears, Falcons

After rolling over last week I lacked faith in the Texans this week going on the road against a division opponent. The Bills continue to melt down and I don't see any reason the Broncos should have trouble with them. The next game is a real toss-up but ultimately one team is doing way too much talking for me to feel good about myself with picking them. With the Steelers set to start Charlie Batch, 15 is far, far too high. The Rams have a nice enough defense to where the Steelers won't be able to break that far off.

I like the Redskins in this next game but the value is with the underdog, the Vikes are not blown out that often after all. Similarly in the next game, which feels like a 3-pointer, the Bengals do have that tendency to allow inferior teams to get closer than they should. At home I like the Chiefs to outlast the fading Raiders while the Patriots should be able to pull away late from the Dolphins. While Reggie Bush's mom has a point about Kim Kardashian, that looks like a disatraction, no?

Seems like the Ravens are wearing down late in the season. Even at home, those 12.5 looks like too many to trust Joe Flacco with. 6.5 isn't enough to feel comfortable with the prideless Buccs though, a team that has far worse support than Jacksonville but never gets talked about in the same condescending tones. Speaking of the Jaguars, they're the victim of an inflated line. Injuries have stymied their progress but the Titans are no great shakes right now, especially if a wounded Hasselbeck starts. We need a Chargers win to give the Seahawks any hope of the playoffs, so that's what I'll pick; it helps that they are surging at just the right time, and Detroit tends to have a problem against teams that can actually play.

A loss by the Cowboys is likely preferable and they seem to matchup pretty poorly against the Eagles who are suddenly back firing like the dream team they were supposed to be. A little too late now... OR IS IT? It certainly took too long for the Seahawks to rev up. As long as they don't replace three-quarters of the team again next year, they should be a top contender next year. There's a bad reaction to the losing streak by the Bears, but it wasn't until last week that they got blown up. The Packers don't have the kind of defense that the Seahawks do and Josh McCown should be able to at least play like a professional quarterback. On Monday, I feel like these Falcons-Saints games are always tight. 7 is too much to ask against a high-tier team.

Last week:
Chris: 8-7-1
Me: 9-6-1

Season:
Chris: 113-102-9
Me: 117-98-9

Dexter - S6 E12 - This is the Way the World Ends

2011-12-19T15:33:00.000-08:00

Dexter makes his way back to shore where Travis is plotting his final atrocity.

Spoilers after the jump.

Holy Christ that was a stupid episode.I have been feeling really apathetic about this and been putting this off but let's bite the bullet and get down to it. We'll start from the beginning. I know we're just supposed to watch and understand how he's feeling at that moment but there's no tension with Dexter floating in the sea because there's still a whole episode to go and in fact, two more whole seasons to go. Once he got on the boat he of course managed to get in another random kill - at this point they're just upping the body count for the hell of it and I don't like it at all.

The same goes for Travis. I expressed my dissatisfaction with the way this whole thing unravelled after Dexter found that Gellar was dead. Gellar pretty much disappeared and the whole Travis sees people angle vanished. It's like it never happened! Basically we wasted the whole season on something that ultimately had nothing to do with anything. I said in my review of last week's episode we would have to wait for this week to pass judgement on the larger themes of the season. Well, there was nothing to judge because basically nothing happened. At this point, I have to assume it's more of a set-up for next season - except of course, Travis is dead, Brother Sam has been dead for weeks and the writers probably didn't think that far ahead.

We'll discuss minor things before the real weight of the episode gets discussed. The Quinn thing is obviously setting up for next season but I'm not particularly interested in it because, well, Batista is just not that interesting. He wears a cool hat and that's about it. I'd like, and I expect, that Quinn will resume his investigation of Dexter and of course, there will an added complication to that now. I truly have no idea what they are hoping to achieve with LaGuerta. Chris feels that Lewis sets up as a future villain who takes Dexter's criticism a bit too personally. It's unclear what the intent is with him as Travis ruined the surprise he left for Dexter but it certainly doesn't look like he'll be giving nerds a good name in any case.

OK, this is the part I've been dodging because it is so stupid and bizarre. Was Deborah actually going to pursue a relationship with Dexter? It's like her psychiatrist was pushing her in that direction and she was going along with it willingly without stopping to think, "Wait. Hold on. That's incredibly stupid!" I mean seriously. What has happened to this show? The by now, I'm sure infamous final scene has her of course walking in on Dexter while he is killing Travis, a season too late. A public service announcement for Dexter - drop the idiot ball! Maybe it's a pod person because the real Dexter wouldn't be so careless as to kill Travis in a place that Deborah told him to go and where she would expect him to be. Huh? Ridiculous!

As an episode, as a season finale this was very, very disappointing. I was hoping for some movement on key plot, themes, religious overtones, instead all we got was an incredibly predictable action scene on a rooftop - clichéd and complete with another random dead person. I feel like I would be giving the writers and producers far too much credit to assume that the themes explored this season will extend into next season because overall this season was really, really terrible to watch. Not fun at all.

"Dexter" airs Sundays on Showtime at 9:00pm EST.

NFL Picks Week Fifteen sponsored by Studio Yukupo

2011-12-18T08:58:00.000-08:00

Rather than talk about the disastrous week I had last week picks-wise, we'll discuss a dish I made while listening to the radio yesterday which involved hosts and pundits talking about how tired they were of talking about Tim Tebow for about three hours. Seriously. How can they claim that everyone is giving Tebow all the credit and giving none to the defense, the coach, the O-line etc, when that's all they spend theor time stressing? Damn hypocrites.

The Famous Non-Baltimore Crab Cakes

Ingredients
500g white crab meat
1 Tbsp Thai green curry paste
1 lime zest only
8 spring onions, finely chopped
1 red chilli, sees removed, finely chopped
1 stalk lemongrass, white part only, finely chopped
120g breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten

- Put the crab meat, curry paste, lime zest, spring onions, chilli, lemon grass, breadcrumbs and egg in a bowl.
- Season with salt and black pepper.
- Mix.
- Mould cakes.
- Fry.
- Serve!

Picks after the jump.

Key:
Home Team listed in CAPS
(*) = Line Differential

Jaguars (+11.5) at FALCONS
Cowboys (-7) at BUCCANEERS
Dolphins (-1.5) at BILLS
Packers (-14) at CHIEFS
Bengals (-3.5) at RAMS
Titans (-6.5) at COLTS
Seahawks (+3.5) at BEARS
Browns (+6.5) at CARDINALS
Saints (-7) at VIKINGS
Redskins (+7) at GIANTS
Panthers (+6) at TEXANS
Jets (+3) at EAGLES
Lions (-1) at RAIDERS
Patriots (-7.5) at BRONCOS
Ravens (-2.5) at CHARGERS
Steelers (+1) at 49ERS

Chris picks: Jaguars, Cowboys, Dolphins, Packers, Bengals, Titans, Seahawks, Cardinals, Saints, Giants, Panthers, Jets, Raiders, Patriots, Ravens, 49ers

I pick: Falcons, Cowboys,Dolphins, Packers, Bengals, Colts, Seahawks, Browns, Saints, Redskins, Texans, Jets, Lions, Broncos, Ravens, Steelers

The only thing last weeks Jaguars vs Buccs game proved tome is that Raheem Morris is even less deserving to be an NFL head coach than Mel Tucker. Mel Tucker strikes me as Romeo Crennel II who ironically also got named an interim this week. Curiously, all three interims, Tucker, Crennel and Todd Bowles are black and all three probably won't get the head job. Make of that what you will, some suggest it's Rooney-rule related, to me it sounds like the buddy of the players getting a temp job. If one of them does get upped, expect it to look a lot like the Leslie Frazier train wreck going on.

That was reason enough to pick against both the Jags and Buccs in their primetime games. Sometimes a team with a new coach gets a performance bump in the first game following the firing, I don't think the Dolphins need much of one to overcome the flailing Bills. The Chiefs on the other hand are going up against the number one team in the league, who I'm tired of picking against and getting beaten each week.

I'm not tired of picking against the Rams, I'm rather amused by their ineptitude. Cincinnati has been beset by injuries but surely they should handle that one fine. The Colts play good one week horrible the next, it's tough to know when they'll bring it but 6.5 at home against another inconsistent in-division performer is too juicy to pass up. The Seahawks starting off at 1PM EST is a dodgy one but the Bears can't get out of their own way right now. They reacted to the Denver loss with the typical sour grapes and that may still cloud their minds here. The Cardinals have surged alongside the Seahawks but -6.5 is going way overboard. The value feels like it is with the Browns, awful though they are.

Saints against the Vikings doesn't feel like a contest, they are trending in opposite directions. The Redskins play tough in these division games so I expect a closer one than the Giants would like there. The Texans are another team I pick against consistently and I'm done with losing so I'm gonna go with them this week and they're clearly going to lose. The Eagles seems like a decent matchup against the Jets but the Jets get hot in December every year and I like them to conrol this one in the fourth quarter.

The Raiders had a horrible time of it last week and after that disappointment I'm not sure I'm allowed to pick them even if it is against the Lions. People still refuse to give Tebow any credit (despite what the media says) and at home this line is way out of sync with reality. The broncos should be able to hold it closer than that. The Chargers are coming back up but the Ravens are super tough and should be able to hold out and take control of the AFC playoff picture. On Monday night, I feel like you go with who you know and what you know is that you trust Pittsburgh ability to win hard games more than San Francisco.

Last week:
Chris: 8-8
Me: 4-12

Season:
Chris: 105-95-8
Me: 108-92-8

NCAA College Football Picks Bowl Week 1

2011-12-17T09:44:00.001-08:00

No time for columns or analysis, too much to do, that's why they call it Stressmas (they do!?) just pure football picks

Bowl Week One
Home Team listed second in CAPS
vs = Neutral Site game
(*) = Line Differential
[*] = National Ranking
(*) = Awesome Name of Bowl Game

Wyoming (+6.5) vs Temple
(Gildan New Mexico Bowl)
Ohio (+2.5) vs Utah State
(Famous Idaho Potato Bowl)
San Diego State (-5) vs UL-Lafayette
(R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl)
Florida International (-4) vs Marshall
(Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl St. Petersburg)
[16] TCU (-10.5) vs Louisiana Tech
(San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl)
[8] Boise State (-14) vs Arizona State
(Maaco Bowl Las Vegas)
[22] Southern Miss (-6) vs Nevada
(Sheraton Hawaii Bowl)
North Carolina (+5) vs Missouri
(Advocare V100 Independence Bowl)
Purdue (-2.5) vs Western Michigan
(Little Caesar's Bowl)
N.C. State (-2.5) vs Louisville
(Belk Bowl)
Toledo (-3) vs Air Force
(Military Bowl)
California (+3) vs Texas
(Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl)

Picks after the jump.

Chris picks: Temple, Ohio, San Diego State, Marshall, TCU, Arizona State, Nevada, North Carolina, Purdue, N.C. State, Toledo, California

I pick: Temple, Utah State, UL-Lafayette, Florida International, TCU, Arizona State, Southern Miss, North Carolina, Purdue, Louisville, Air Force, Texas

Last Time:
Chris: 2-8
Me: 4-6

Regular Season Final:
Chris: 48-90-2
Me: 74-64-2

Person of interest - S1 E10 - Number Crunch

2011-12-16T15:26:00.000-08:00

Carter is quizzed about her interaction with Reese who is chasing down multiple numbers. When he hits trouble, she has a serious decision to make.

Review after the jump.

Wow, what a mess. The main story was ridiculous and convoluted and with the exception of the cute redhead, exceptionally poorly acted. There was all this intrigue with political figures and so on but ultimately nothing came out of any of it as it softly petered out. Unnecessarily complex, I would call it and much like the episode with the German spies, everything went down a little too conveniently.

There were some bright spots, Carter's decision-making process was interesting and an inevitable shift for her character to make. The CIA guys showing up and claiming Reese killed his ex-partner was also intriguing - there's obviously more to that story than meets the eye. But am I supposed to believe that Reese who lugs around snipers and grenade launchers went into a potential shootout with kidnapping goons with no body armor? On one level he seems fatalistic, but the more likely explanation is bad writing.

This show wants to be more than a simple procedural but has stumbled when it has tried to break out from formula. It's certainly a disappointment as it had a lot of promise and will have to be closely monitored to see if it makes progress. As a mid-season finale though, I was not encouraged by what I saw and felt rather turned off in fact.

"Person of Interest" airs Thursdays on CBS at 9:00pm EST

Glee - S3 E9 - Extraordinary Merry Christmas

2011-12-14T12:04:00.000-08:00

Artie directs a holiday special starring the New Directions to be broadcast on local television.

Review after the jump.

Very simple episode - sometimes that's better, as we get to focus on choereography and music but it was almost a bit too simple. basically nothing happened in this episode, it had a very old fashioned feel to it actually.There are one or two things worth mentioning though. It was jarring to see Sue act normally. The last time would've been the funeral for her sister last year but that was quickly followed up by a lot of agenda driven horsecrap shoved upon her by the writers and there's a hint of that here again with the bizarre Sarah Palin reference. Considering the source, it must have been an attempted dig of some kind which t this point is just sad.

Rachel never learns, does she? Quinn spends a lot of time being pretty and flirting with Sam too which is all very eh. Apart from Tina/Mike, the only relationship on this show that I ever liked and felt was really natural was Finn/Quinn. I'm just not interested by the alternatives, the writers are not good enough - they get lost and don't know how to progress them. Kurt entered everything with his bemused "this is beneath" face further cementing his status as show pariah. The music was very good in this episode, but Finn and Rachel selling her jewelry to donate to Sam's charity begathon was cringeworthy - it's the kind of thing this show does a lot and especially badly. I can't get behind that.

"Glee" airs Tuesdays on Fox at 8pm EST.

2 Broke Girls - S1 E12 - And the Pop-Up Sale

2011-12-13T16:08:00.001-08:00

Caroline decides to sell her exclusive designer rings to fund a new oven for Max.

Review after the jump.

I spent weeks trying to defend this show from people who would beat on it but it seems that the show doesn't understand where it's weak - They must limit the exposure of the co-workers at all costs because they are not just unfunny but downright offensive to a man. It's not worth expanding on further than saying all three need to be either removed from the show or given immediate personality transplants.

The girls are good as usual, as long as they don't talk about their annoying co-workers. Their relationship is really sweet and complementary. There's not a lot of movement though on the plot front and as long as the flaws persist, I'm not sure how worth it is writing this up. We'll se how I feel in the new year - it's still a decent watch.

"2 Broke Girls" airs Mondays on CBS at 8:30 pm EST

Dexter - S6 E11 - Talk to the Hand

2011-12-12T13:28:00.000-08:00

Travis launches an assault on Miami Metro Homicide while Dexter plots to foil him. Deb is forced to face all her worst fears.

Spoilers after the jump.

I have a running joke with James about how Friday Night Lights is the most hilarious comedy out there, but we might have to revise that because the new clubhouse leader is Dexter! We've all been wondering why this season has been so terrible but I think it's clear - the show has changed genre.

I don't know where to start or if I even want to start. Let's skip over all the dumb stuff that Dexter has been doing because I suspect we need to wait until next week before we can judge how effective the season was thematically (I can tell it's not going to grade well though). The Batista tied up on a bed scene was supposed to be incredibly dramatic with us all fearing for Batisata's life but instead it was unintentionally hilarious especially as Batista was nearly squirming out of the ropes. The Quinn storyline started off well this season but has sort of meandered and gone nowhere of late. Hopefully it will regain some direction next week.

DeborahxDexter? All I can say is HOT. What took them so long? In all seriousness, their relationship had a bit of a weird vibe to it for a long time, most notably when she was plastic-wrapped to a table naked at the end of season one. Considering what's happened between the two actors, it must be super awkward on that set. Not half as awkward as what transpired on screen though. Chalk up another win for (un?)intentional comedy!

The poison gas plot fizzled out disappointingly fast and Travis is later seeen with two random dead people he apparently killed just for the hell of it. What? This show used to be more subtle. I'm not sure they have any idea what they're doing anymore. They completely abandoned the I Hear Voices in My Head angle too. Maybe he jsut snapped out of it once Dexter forced him to look at Gellar's dead body again but it hasn't even been referred to. Did they just forget? I wouldn't put it past them. We did get the funniest moments of the episode from him then - constantly and conveniently picking up updates on various crimes related to him on the news and then the awesomely stupid painting of Dexter as the Beast.

The less said about Lewis the better, I think we need to let that one play out. It's disappointing that Matthews immediately assumed Deb betrayed him. He's been relying on LaGuerta for weeks to keep his secret. LaGuerta! Did he jsut forget that she hates him? How did she even know anyway? Why would he tell her? The whole thing is really stupid. I guess we should wait until next week to see how that one is gonna develop too.

I guess I'm feeling a little more charitable today. Considering a lot of it is obviously meant to be set-up I'm not sure how fair it is to call flat-out bad on the other hand it's really no excuse. Just an incredibly disappointing season overall. Ok, I jsut remembered Travis cocking his head to watch the teevee again. Yeah this episode was really not good.

"Dexter" airs Sundays on Showtime at 9:00pm EST.

NFL Picks Week Fourteen sponsored by Studio Yukupo

2011-12-11T02:23:00.001-08:00

I wonder how NFL players remember all their passwords? That's my tenuous link to the NFL for this spiel. When they have to cram the contents of a 700 page playbook in their heads as well, how do they have space for passwords? You're told that you need a different password for every account you make and it needs to be randomly generated made up of letters, numbers, maybe even symbols. You're not supposed to write it down or keep any kind of record of it.

Impossible! If I go a few months without using an account I'll forget the password. Of course the worst part is, what happens when you remember the password but forget the name on the account? Then you're really screwed. I was allegedly told by Chris that what we need is some kind of biometric recognition system - turn over all our information to the machines and let them handle it for us. Sounds like a great idea, and he has no ulterior motive either. He's certainly not planning a machine uprising.

Picks after the jump.

Key:
Home Team listed in CAPS
(*) = Line Differential

Browns (+14) at STEELERS
Colts (+16.5) at RAVENS
Falcons (-3) at PANTHERS
Texans (+3) at BENGALS
Buccaneers (-2) at JAGUARS
Vikings (+10) at LIONS
Chiefs (+10.5) at JETS
Eagles (+3) at DOLPHINS
Bears (+3.5) at BRONCOS
Patriots (-8) at REDSKINS
Saints (-3.5) at TITANS
Raiders (+11.5) at PACKERS
49ers (-4) at CARDINALS
Bills (+7) at CHARGERS
Giants (+3.5) at COWBOYS
Rams (+4.5) at SEAHAWKS

Chris picks: Browns, Ravens, Panthers, Bengals, Jaguars, Vikings, Chiefs, Dolphins, Bears, Patriots, Titans, Packers, 49ers, Chargers, Giants, Seahawks

I pick: Browns, Ravens, Falcons, Bengals, Buccaneers, Lions, Chiefs, Dolphins, Broncos, Patriots, Titans, Raiders, 49ers, Bills, Giants, Seahawks

I don't have a good feeling about this weeks games but lets push on anyway. I thought the Steelers were overrated and they struggled to take care of the Browns once again in a Thursday game. The Colts scored a cover last week but the line is more reasonable this week and it would feel far more fluky. The Falcons laid an egg last week, if they do that again against this defense, then we should really start worrying. I still don't believe in the Texans, more fool me maybe but out of their home stadium, this will be a tough one for them to score in.

Both of these next teams are terrible but I have no faith in Mel Tucker as a head ball coach while Freeman should be playing for the Bucs. Leslie Frazier is another guy who doesn't know what he's doing in the lead role and the Lions blow out bad teams. The Chiefs should be able to tie down Mark Sanchez, a guy people still try and defend even as they bash Tebow. Do people still believe in the Eagles? I haven't all season. Called it.

That half point gives me a lot of pause but I'll go with the Broncos for homefield advantage and Caleb Hanie. Redskins-Patriots has the feel of an even game with Grossman making a critical error and the Pats pulling away late. Outside of their home stadium I'm not sure the Saints will be able to match the Titan's intensity. The value in the next game is with the Raiders who can run better than the Giants and should hopefully not be as flat as last week.

The Cardinals have played better as of late but Kevin Kolb is back now so I expect the 49ers to crush them. The Chargers caught fire last week but we alrady talked about Mel Tucker's failings. At home, a worse following than Jacksonville has by the way, I like them to fall back down to earth and struggle to pull away from Buffalo. I think the Giants are much better than the Cowboys and should embarass them. The only reasons they wouldn't is home field and Romo slingin' it. The Seahawks should be able to win easily on Monday night against the second worst team in the league. Go Hawks!

Last week:
Chris: 10-6
Me: 10-6

Season:
Chris: 97-87-8
Me: 104-80-8

Person of Interest - S1 E9 - Get Carter

2011-12-10T03:34:00.000-08:00

Detective Carter is thrown up as the next victim by the machine leaving Reese no option but to protect his nemesis.

Review after the jump.

To me, this show is quickly running out of steam. Reese's ridiculous antics like pulling out a grenade launcher in the middle of the street and firing it in broad daylight were fun at first but they haven't changed it up any since then. I was hoping for more from this show than just another procdural, and we get the occasional insights like Carter's flashbacks in this episode but they don't really carry much substance or seem to feed any higher storyline as of yet and Carter is not a particularly intriguing character, not the way even Fusco is. When you make a character too straight, you run a major risk of making them boring and it's very difficult to write around.

The tone of the episode was more personal which was good, usually when Reese is the focus it can feel somewhat robotic, like the previous episode about the German spy. This Elias storyline is not that great either. I knwo the cops are meant to be crooked but how he's able to just walk into the homicide department and drop off a huge bouquet of flowers on Carter's desk with no one asking questions is beyond me. The captain says that Elias is tolerable and a necessary evil, but if he's dropping bodies all over the place I don't see how that's possible. All in all, very muddled and not as much fun now that the novelty is wearing off.

"Person of Interest" airs Thursdays on CBS at 9:00pm EST

Community - S3 E10 - Regional Holiday Music

2011-12-10T03:23:00.000-08:00

The group is asked to fill in for the indisposed glee club and one by one, they are sucked into performing.

Review after the jump.

Sometimes this show is so good it's unfair to all the other shows out there. I don't really remember the first musical episode that well but this one was just great - maybe even better than last year's claymation Christmas episode. Sll the songs were appropriately terrible, and there was even an incredibly uncomfortable ship-baiting scene. It's way too bad that it's going on hiatus to make room for 30 Rock - three years ago, the return of 30 Rock would've nbeen welcome news, but Community is the far better programme now. The ideas, writing and performances are superior.

"Community" airs Thursdays on NBC at 8:00pm EST

Up All Night - S1 E11 - First Christmas

2011-12-08T00:40:00.001-08:00

Reagan srives to make Amy's first Christmas as special and glittery as possible. Chris hunts a good present for REagan but worries about funds.

Review after the jump.

Perfunctory, feel good episode, Ava was kinda annoying but still toned down which was good. I wonder why only Reagan's mother came to visit rather than both parents. I'm not really a fan of how their neighbors Gene and Teri are portrayed, it feels a little like bullying. This show has some good laughs and is good for background watching while doing other stuff but there's no substance to it so I'm not gonna write it up anymore.

"Up All Night" airs Wednesdays on NBC at 8:00 pm EST.

Glee - S3 E8 - Hold On To Sixteen

2011-12-07T12:04:00.001-08:00

The New directions get set to compete in Sectionals. Finn and Rachel bring Sam back to the fold, Quinn plots against Shelby, Finn has an altercation with Blaine and Tina gets aggressive in her dealings with Mike's dad.

Spoilers after the jump.

The sectionals episode is usually the mid-season finale and better than the surrounding episodes, true on the latter but strangely not on the former, presumably a Christmas episode awaits next week. I nearly fell out of my chair when Tina and Mike got prominent roles singing in the New Directions performance - where has that been in the entire run of the show? Mike's story got sewn up a bit too neatly and nicely - I have to imagine with half a season left there will be more to see there. On the other hand, how ironic would it be that Tina jokes with Chang Snr about the lack of opportunities available to Asian actors and the duo are relegated to backup duty for the remainder of the season?

I was surprised to see Sam back not just because I was under the impression Chord Overstreet left under a cloud, but there's no possible way in Hell it's that quick and easy to transfer schools, especially from one state to another with no parents in the school district. The manner of his reintroduction and the Dairy Queen joke was classic Glee humor - hit and miss, miss all the time with Brittany because it's way overplayed but here it works. The performance of the red solo cup song was cool, it seems that Kurt didn't really get it - unless it's a gimmick in the original - a little remniscent of Sam's performance of Friday at the prom last season. What's with the Sam/Mercedes nonsense? It didn't work then, and it won't work now.

In fact Quinn is a far better match for him. He seems to be a little too familiar with her story given he only just returned which can only mean that Berry was gossiping all the way back to Ohio in the car. Like the Mike story, she gives up her pursuit of her daughter a little easily, learning to grow down and enjoy being a kid. She certainly has been planning ahead too much even with Finn, plotting out their entire futures. I'm not sure aspiring to get into Yale is enjoying your senior year though - it'll involve a heckuva lot of work.

One of the good things about the sectionals episode is that it focuses more on the music rather than the drama. Sebastian, the kid trying to woo Blaine away is an incredibly annoying prick but he's still preferable to Kurt. While Kurt was whimpering about being bullied, Blaine was learning to box. I'll save 2012 predictions for next week, but I have a feeling that despite being the most ineffectual character on television, everything will work out for him and everything will work out for Santana and Brittany, as Ryan Murphy only likes happy endings. I suppose that's the right tone for a show such as this but as much as Schuester gets accused of playing favorites with his characters, it's pretty clear who Murphy likes.

"Glee" airs Tuesdays on Fox at 8pm EST.

Gossip Girl - S5 E10 - Riding in Town Cars With Boys

2011-12-06T13:22:00.001-08:00

Dan is working up the courage to admit his feelings to Blair just as Serena may be redisovering hers for him. Ivy's past continues to haunt her and Nate solidifies his position.

Spoilers after the jump.

I noted in my How I Met Your Mother review that nothing there happens by accident but I really do suspect it may have been an accident that Serena refers to her past relationship with Trip which ended in a car crash and then in this episode we have Chuck and Blair doing a Diana - the princess, not the fictional media mogul. As soon as they got in the car I knew that was gonna happen - it's so cheap it's barely even worth talking about. Now we get sent to mid-season hiatus which means we have no idea what in the hell Lily's tearful shake of the head in reference to Chuck means. I thought that Blair might lose her baby but it seems they weren't quite that cheap.

Of course it was coming forever and a day that Chuck and Blair would end up back together. I was hoping we might get a Blair-Dan-Serena love triangle instead though - to bring the show full circle after it started with a Blair-Nate-Serena triangle. As soon as Serena talked about how Dan was the love of her life, that one could be seen coming down the line. This episode was about Dan plucking up the courage but will she be able to muster enough of her own and make another run at him? Especially since it would be quasi-incestual now. Hot!

Ivy panics after her Gossip Girl blast appears to lead to the big car crash and blurts out the truth to Rufus. She's about set to run, my feeling is that if she would stay, Rufus would talk it out with her and try and help her because he's too soft. Once she's gone though, he'll ,snitch her out without even thinking about it. Max approached Trip with the tip who it's implied paid him off - Why? What can a failing politician do? Speaking of Trip his feud with Nate is ridiculous, mainly because Nate doesn't have the mental capacity the writers are pretending he does.

This was a very frustrating episode. Not much of it made sense and what did was entirely dumb. Why is Diana conferring with Jack Bass? What does the accident have to do with her? Why is she coming back anyway? Why is Grandpa van der Bilt's plan so damn convoluted? When is this show gonna officially be cancelled? Too many questions and I have a feeling the answers will all be unsatisfactory.

"Gossip Girl" airs Mondays on the CW at 8:00pm EST

2 Broke Girls - S1 E11 - And the Reality Check

2011-12-06T12:13:00.001-08:00

With snow coming down, Caroline is forced to find alternative accomodation for her horse Chestnut.

Review after the jump.

After a very strong How I Met Your Mother episode, a quality 2 Broke Girls episode - good hour for CBS. The involvement of the other diner workers was kept to a minimum allowing the girls to be the girls and Kat Dennings to be Kat Dennings. It's not always classy, in fact it's rarely classy but it's a lot of fun. If they could just get rid of the pre-title throwaway scene and the particularly annoying and stereotyped duo of Earl and Han we'd be gold.

I said several times that the horse had to go and so it comes to pass - Max gets pretty choked up, lending to the John Marston theory regarding her - a romantic masquerading as a cynic. Anyway, cool episode. Hope to see more like it.

"2 Broke Girls" airs Mondays on CBS at 8:30 pm EST

How I Met Your Mother - S7 E12 - Symphony of Illumination

2011-12-06T11:49:00.001-08:00

Robin worries she might be pregnant but if wary about sharing her secret. Marshall befriends a neighborhood kid.

Spoilers after the jump.

What a cool episode this turned out to be. I was all set to get mad at the telegraphing but I underestimated the brain trust behind the show - when they really want to they can still hit the mark pretty much perfect all along the line. Robin's story was so sad and perfectly handled and the final scene in the episode was so awesome. Speculating on how that largely neglected of late relationship will progress is likely fruitless at this point but nothing is done by accident on this show. It would totally be cheating if Ted's kids turned out to be in hsi imagination too, but Robin certainly has enough on an influence on him.

Barney's disgust at his former friend seems to revert his outlook considering how miserable the guy seems to be. The reaction was curious but likely won't stick as we see Barney getting married in the near future. The B-story was also very funny - I liked that they didn't bother to explain the sandwich joke - if you watch, you know. The insight was more of an affirmation of how we expect Marshall and Lily to be as parents. He's ultimately a little soft but that'll be balanced out just fine. I can't say enough good things about this episode, it was really good.

"How I Met Your Mother" airs Mondays on CBS at 8:00 pm EST.

Dexter - S6 E10 - Ricochet Rabbit

2011-12-05T13:09:00.001-08:00

Dexter chases Travis, having discovered his secret but appears to be a step behind. Deborah has some unexpected revelations.

Spoilers after the jump.

Strange episode where not a lot happened. The tenth episode of the first season is referenced by Dexter here - probably my favorite episode in the entire series and the contrast from then and now is stark as ever. I really wasn't inspired one way or another watching this; it was just so mediocre. I will say that the killing feels gratuitous now, which is funny considering the content of the show, but really did it have to go down that way for poor Holly Benson?

With his secret revealed, Travis gets a personality transplant, suddenly becoming way more assertive and controlling. The excuse is probably it's the partition of his mind influenced by Gellar taking charge, only without the need for a guise anymore with the Gellar spirit rejected following Dexter's corruption, but really it's totally cheating. I feel like the show cheated me because while we knew there was something wrong with Travis, there was no part of him previously seen on screen acting in this manner.

There are some curious concepts introduced in this episode - Lewis's video game from the perspective of the serial killer, which would not be so far-fetched as a real game (at least the Bay Harbor Butcher variant... maybe not so much Dahmer) seems to force Dexter to really think hard about his nature, and while he curses the memory and wisdom or lack thereof from Brother Sam, the existential crisis has officially been launched and he could turn to a higher power for forgiveness.

None of that matters though because this season has not been fun to watch. I'm jsut lacking the interest to dig deeper into what's going on. The hastily thrust in Matthews/Deb/LaGuerta storyline remains stupid. The Quinn storyline keeps getting dumber. What a roundabout way to get Batista into a position where he's presumably about to be strung up and threatened to be killed, because I'm not sure where it would be going otherwise. Man, this episode just wasn't good.

"Dexter" airs Sundays on Showtime at 9:00pm EST.

NFL Picks Week Thirteen sponsored by Studio Yukupo

2011-12-04T03:56:00.001-08:00

Three-Quarter Point Power Poll
This is a list based on who I think is better, regardless of record - although Bill Parcells did say of course, "You are what your record says you are."

1. Green Bay Packers
2. Baltimore Ravens
3. San Francisco 49ers
4. Pittsburgh Steelers

Teams just don't seem so varied lately. Even though San Francisco and Pittsburgh aren't as good as their press clippings may indicate, they're still more solid than almost every other team out there such is the current state of the league.Despite their unbeaten status, I'm not even sure Green Bay is so elite.

5. New England Patriots
6. New Orleans Saints
7. Cincinnati Bengals
8. Oakland Raiders

These teams are all good and capable of beating anyone in the tier above, but there is a fundamental weakness of spirit hidden deep within that feels like it will fail them at some point. The team that ends up inning the whole thing has often come from the second tier of contenders lately however.

9. Houston Texans
10. Atlanta Falcons
11. Chicago Bears
12. New York Jets

Three of these teams don't have a quarterbackwhich limits their potential. If Chicago can get Cutler back refreshed and healthy, they could tear through the playoffs but I'm not sure any of the others have enough coaching depth to pull one out.

More and picks after the jump.

13. New York Giants
14. Dallas Cowboys
15. Tennessee Titans
16. Detroit Lions

None of these teams are good, they're just kinda there and could make the playoffs because of injuries on other teams and other such scammy circumstances. I really hope the Titans can sneak in ahead of the texans, keping Houston out, because it would be hilarious.

17. Denver Broncos
18. Seattle Seahawks
19. Miami Dolphins
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

All these teams can win ugly against stronger teams and should be in good shape going forward if they can stay stable and continue to nurture their young talent.

21. Philadelphia Eagles
22. San Diego Chargers
23. Washington Redskins
24. Kansas City Chiefs

The Redskins would have been much better off if Shanahan hadn't botched the QB situation so badly. All the coaches of these teams had higher expectations and should fear for their jobs.

25. Cleveland Browns
26. Carolina Panthers
27. Buffalo Bills
28. Minnesota Vikings

These teams aren't entertainingly bad, or historically terrible, they're just bad and awful to watch.

29. Arizona Cardinals
30. Jacksonville Jaguars
31. St. Louis Rams
32. Indianapolis Colts

These teams are entertainingly bad because they're so horrible. Maybe not so much the Jaguars though who just got their coach fired. Funny how Gene Smith got extended at the same time. I feel like I called that.

Key:
Home Team listed in CAPS
(*) = Line Differential

Eagles (-3) at SEAHAWKS
Titans (+2.5) at BILLS
Chiefs (+7) at BEARS
Raiders (+3) at DOLPHINS
Colts (+20.5) at PATRIOTS
Bengals (+6.5) at STEELERS
Panthers (+3) at BUCCANEERS
Broncos (+1.5) at VIKINGS
Jets (-3) at REDSKINS
Falcons (+3) at TEXANS
Ravens (-6.5) at BROWNS
Packers (-7) at GIANTS
Rams (+13.5) at 49ERS
Cowboys (-4.5) at CARDINALS
Lions (+9) at SAINTS
Chargers (-3) at JAGUARS

Chris picks: Seahawks, Titans, Chiefs, Dolphins, Patriots, Bengals, Panthers, Broncos, Jets, Falcons, Ravens, Packers, 49ers, Cowboys, Saints, Jaguars

I pick: Seahawks, Titans, Chiefs, Raiders, Patriots, Bengals, Buccaneers, Broncos, Jets, Falcons, Ravens, Giants, 49ers, Cardinals, Saints, Jaguars

I couldn't believe this line. Do people still think the Eagles are good? Get over it already! The Seahawks faltered agains the Redskins but they had control of that game and blew it rather than the Redskins showing particular excellence. The Bills ahve lost four straight and are in free fall - looks liek red meat for the Titans to trample over. 7 is too big a spread for Caleb Hanie to cover. The Chiefs aren't good but they play reasonably hard and should be able to stay within check. The Raiders are rolling. The Dolphins are a lot better than their record, but Oakland will be too strong.

I don't like taking the favorite in a ridiculous spread this high but the Colts have quit on the season. I was thinking backdoor touchdown, but then again it is Dan Orlovsky so maybe not. The Bengals are almost as good as the Steelers and the spread is way too high, no doubt influenced by Steeler homers. The Buccs do well at home and should be able to KO a not so special Panthers team. With no Adrian Peterson, the Vikings have few options for combating the Broncos and their strong defense. Tebow keeps it clean and the Vikes won't see the ball.

The Jets are getting into the time of year where they come good. They should be able to handle the Redskins unless Sanchez loses it for them again. The Texans are down to TJ Yeats at QB. They can run the ball fine but they also have that Clemson/OK State factor. It may not have worked out for me yesterday, but I still won't believe it till I see it. The Ravens have played down to their competition and the Browns are all the way down there but I'm still morally opposed to picking Cleveland so we won't do that. I'm a sucker for continuing to pick the Giants, but they're not that much worse than the Packers, as a home dog especially.

The Rams away from home? That's gonna be a slaughterhouse especially if Bradford is out again. The Cowboys aren't impressive and always have trouble with the Cardinals who seem to pick and choose which opponents they'll play tough against.The Lions always crap the ebd against superior teams and this looks like a blowout. The Jags meanwhile tend to play well in primetime and they have that new coach bump too. With San Diego on a long losing streak going cross country, I see Jacksonville coming out on top.

Last week:
Chris: 6-10
Me: 10-6

Season:
Chris: 87-81-8
Me: 94-74-8

NCAA College Football Picks Week 14

2011-12-03T04:07:00.001-08:00

My annually wrong BCS bowl projections:

National Title: LSU vs Alabama
Sugar Bowl: Houston vs Michigan
Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma vs Boise State
Rose Bowl: Oregon vs Wisconsin
Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech vs Louisville

I feel truly sorry for anyone who has to sit through that awful Orange Bowl matchup. Everyone is supposedly whining at the prospect of LSU and Alabama rematching in the Title game. Hold on. Isn't that what everyone wanted for months and months? Sounds like revisionist history; any old ploy to get their beloved playoffs in place. There's no way any playoff system would be satisfactory. This isn't basketball where the games don't mean anything. Any scenario that leads to the most self important pompous sportswriters and pundits feeling put out works fine for me.

Picks after the jump.

Week Fourteen
Home Team listed second in CAPS
vs = Neutral Site game
(*) = Line Differential
[*] = National Ranking

[22] West Virginia (-1.5) at South Florida
Ohio (+3.5) vs Northern Illinois
UCLA (+31.5) at [8] Oregon
[24] Southern Miss (+13) vs [7] Houston
Connecticut (+9) at Cincinnati
Texas (+2.5) at [19] Baylor
[12] Georgia (+13.5) at [1] LSU
[13] Oklahoma (+3.5) at [3] Oklahoma State
[5] Virginia Tech (-7) at [21] Clemson
[15] Wisconsin (-9) at [11] Michigan State

Chris picks: South Florida, Ohio, Oregon duh, Houston, Cincinnati, Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, Michigan State

I pick: West Virginia, Northern Illinois, UCLA, Houston, Connecticut, Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, Michigan State

South Florida is so-so. I liked West Virginia way more and was shocked by that line. I know zip all about the MAC so I jsut took the favorite Northern Illinois. Go screwed on it by a half point. As much fun as it would have been to take Oregon -31.5, that line was too high, an overreaction. Houston is probably not 13 points better than Southern Miss but they have momentum and a great QB. I tried to ignore the horrible Big East as much as possible this year but I know that 9 points is too high for any team to cover.

Robert Griffin III has gaudy numbers and is being overrated as a result, Texas has an elite defense and should be able to hold an overral inferior team within range. Georgia has also been stellar on D and I still lack faith in Jordan Jefferson despite the second half fireworks against Arkansas. I've said all along that the Sooners would beat the Cowboys, because they always do. Clemson is in full on collapse mode. They crushed VT earlier in the season but these two teams are swinging in different directionsnow. Wisconsin is back playing well but this line is ridiculous. Was no one watching earlier in the season when these two teams played?

Last week:
Chris: 3-7
Me: 8-2

Season:
Chris: 46-82-2
Me: 70-58-2

Community - S3 E9 - Foosball and Nocturnal Vigilantism

2011-12-03T00:52:00.001-08:00

Jeff is looking to hone his foosball skills and finds an unlikely mentor in Shirley. Annie accidentally destroys Abed's $300 Collector's DVD and concocts a bizarre scenario to deflect guilt.

Review after the jump.

This episode had a lot of the right ingredients and plenty of laughs but something about it didn't quite click for me. I was glad to be free of Dean Pelton, documentary episode notwithstanding but there was too much Shirley going on. The plotting and writing behind the episode was outstanding, but it couldn't quite hide the least engaging actor/character in the cast. If you're able to keep it out of your mind though, the way the story evolves is just fantastic, and somewhat bizarre with the unexplained animated sequence as the two duel.

The other side of the episode, again had plenty of laughs, but felt oddlystale. It was only a couple of weeks ago that we had the Annie moving in episode and the conflict felt almost exactly the same. On top of that, the conflict is jsut not that interesting. I'm guessing a lot of people don't share my opinion but I jsut don't think that trio works particularly well.

Still good fun though,and more inventive than any other show out there currently.It's way too bad it's being bumped out of the schedule for a show with a bigger brand but waning humor. Joel McHale even took to promoting it on The Soup, so desperate things have gotten for it. Hopefully it lasts until syndication at least.

"Community" airs Thursdays on NBC at 8:00pm EST

Ringer - S1 E10 - That's What You Get for Trying to Kill Me

2011-12-01T00:33:00.001-08:00

Bridget, Andrew and Malcolm work to expose Charlie who is antsy and wants to dispose of Gemma. Juliet attempts to get intimate with Logan Echolls and Machado makes a breakthrough in the Macawi case.

Spoilers after the jump.

I can't decide if this show is good or not, or fun or not. There are a lot of gaping plot holes and general stupidity but usually it moves along at a good enough clip to hide some of it.First of all, kudos and also sadfaces that they were willing to kill off Gemma for real, especially after the bait and switch. I was half expecting him to miss with the second shot too. How did he not check her the first time he tried to shoot? I knew when they didn't show anything but the gun being fired that she would still be alive, at least for a moment. `Bridget gets irrationally upset, I wonder how much of it was an act. Gemma was after all blackmailing and threatening to expose her.

The show now suffers a serious chick deficiency. Apart from the twins, the only other one in the mix is Juliet, who goes psycho this week, accusing the teahcer of raping her. First of all, this is all very facepalmworthy. Second, her friend who she later tearfully tells all this to saw her very clearly being dressed down for her inappropriate behavior so how can she be trusted? When this gets back to Andrew, he should know better given Juliet's track record yet on the other hand, the teacher did come out suspiciously after the car accident when Juliet called him.

I don't get what's happening with Siobahn at all. Are people really able to fly from France to the New York so damn quickly? I thought all her savings were cut off. What is even her plan? If Gemma is such a good friend of hers, why was she sleeping with her husband and then having her kidnapped? It's all very nonsensical. Regarding Henry, his characterization is somewhat inconsistent. It's all very well for him to play the concerned husband now. He was perfectly willing to ditch her for good a couple of weeks ago.

The Machado stuff was pretty telegraphed. When people intentionally try to trap and kill clean cops or agents in TV shows, it makes me cringe because there's absolutely no mileage in it. It's pretty much one of the stupidest things you can do because it turns up the heat on you tenfold. Hold on now. So this Agent Matador is on Macawi's payroll? So then why did he cut Bridget loose? Wouldn't he have told Macawi? And how in the hell does a gangster from WYOMING have so much damn influence?

I had a reasonable amount of fun watching the episode, but I can't claim it was particularly good. The plotting is very uneven and I don't like where some of this stuff is going, particularly Juliet's storyline. I also think Henry makes a good point about Malcolm; he's basically just some random dude who's parachuted in to the middle of all this. Very out of place.

"Ringer" airs Tuesdays on the CW at 9:00 pm EST.

Glee - S3 E7 - I Kissed a Girl

2011-12-01T00:20:00.001-08:00

The McKinley High Class President title vote draws to a head. Santana is forced to confront her demons. Puck makes progress with Shelby.

Spoilers after the jump.

Good God, this show is terrible. I don't mean it's mundane the way Dexter is, I mean it's actually terrible, one of the best examples of why network TV is so lowly regarded these days. I don't even feel like recapping it anymore, it's so bad. We'll see how it goes from here on out with it. At this point, I've made peace with the fact that the creator is going to shove his agenda, yes, his agenda in our faces relentlessly. But he does it so artlessly, without regard for arc, or three-dimesional characters. This is how I want the world to be, it's like he's yelling, and if you don't agree, you're a meanie!

There's probably a lot to talk about but I don't feel inspired by any of it. Santana is a better character than Kurt, but all of her problems we've kinda seen before in the same show, not just with Kurt but sort of what happened to Quinn as well. It's not interesting and neither is Brittany, her supposed girlfriend. Speaking of Brittany, the election thing was so dumb. Rachel's actions were extraordinarily stupid and selfish and at this point, I don't care about her and I feel no sympathy for her or the plight she leaves the club in. Kurt's ambitions notwithstanding, what made him a better candidate than Brittany or the hockey player anyway? Selfish, selfish, badly written, a school with only ten or so students apparently.

Now, the tone of the shows are different and the characters are also not that similar, but when I see how Ringer handles the thread of a student infatuated with a teacher compared to this show, it really bothers me. If we think back even just to season one of this show, where it was Rachel in love with Schuester, it was totally inappropriate and very unethical, I don't care if there's a daughter involved. Another bad storyline. At least they finally acknowledged how screwed up Quinn is. Hopefully she can get some help and that can be a main story thread instead of the stupid irrelevant crap currently on the table. What happened with Mike? Token Asianism strikes again.

"Glee" airs Tuesdays on Fox at 8pm EST.

House, M.D. - S8 E8 - Perils of Paranoia

2011-11-29T00:38:00.001-08:00

The team treats a prosecutor who hides an arsenal of weaponry in his house. Wilson goes on a hunt for House's own concealed firearms. Park fears she is not respected. Taub interferes in Foreman's business.

Spoilers after the jump.

I had to double check to ensure he wasn't referring to something else, but I'm fairly sure House namechecked the Pokémon Arceus at the start of the episode. I'll say this, it's no less believable than some of the other creator myths out there. Meanwhile, I'm thinking shows should have term limits. It's not that this was an especially episode, it's just, as I mention frequently inr egards to House, the whole affair seems rather tired and long in the tooth.

I spoke of Dexter becoming a self-parody, that's what I feel is going on here too. I really don't have much to say about this episode, it wasn't so terrible watching it but now sitting here thinking about it, it has really stewed my displeasure. The House/Wilson storyline was funny but so, so juvenile. It's the kind of thing built for season 3 or 5, surely we've come past that now. I also feel like we saw the Taub and Foreman nonsense a year ago when Taub was bunking at his place. What's with Taub interfering? Doesn't he have enough problems of his own? Foreman has long thrown himself into his work rather than develop relationships outside of the medical profession. His daliance with the married woman is clumsily handled, befitting his lack of recent experience with normal human interaction.

Park fears she's not liked or respected and I would say she's not being paranoid; she's annoying! She boxes Chase into a corner and coerces him into accepting a 'date' with her. Adams is clearly put out by that, I fancy she has her eye on him herself. I'm not sure what the part of Park is supposed to accomplish. The characterization has been uneven, possibly some of the fault lies with the actress. She notably has an overbearing Asian father, where have I seen that before? She was evidently written to be subversive, but you can't be that if you don't actually subvert anything. A few pointed comments from House won't cut it. The more I think on it, the more this episode annoyed me. I hope this is the final season; this show used to be so good, but they've run out of places for it to go.

"House" airs Mondays on Fox at 9pm EST.

Gossip Girl - S5 E9 - Rhodes to Perdition

2011-11-29T00:30:00.001-08:00

Max takes aim at Ivy as the Rhodes family gathers for a function. Nate finds he has family problems of his own brewing. Blair makes a naked attempt to get closer to Chuck under the pretense of getting tips on making Louis a better man.

Spoilers after the jump.

I was playing Dragon Age: Origins last night and took on the Harvester, the hardest boss in the entire game, on hard mode. I wasn't having any success with my regular mage build, so I reconfigured my character into an Arcane Warrior, a beastly tank which attacks bounce off without you even having to do anything. I suspect that's also the secret to the success Ivy/Charlie is having in maintaining her cover. Max throws his best at her but doesn't even scratch her armor. It would probably have helped if he had been up front from the beginning, rather than getting sucked into the game like everyone else.

We get to hear a little of Ivy's real story - pretty much cliché white trash stuff, but with enough of a passion for the stage she was able to drag herself up from the depths and catch the eye of Carol. The real Charlie's death remains under mysterious circumstances, alluded to here by Carol as something particularly unpleasant. Presumably some form of grisly suicide, though it begs several questions, how much does Ivy know? How did the death stay out of the news, was the body disposed of? How different does Ivy looks from the real Charlie?

Max meanwhile is left out in the cold exiled after being denied his blackmail money; I thought he pushed his hand too far with his demands last week. A lesson learnt from the Sopranos is that rather than hitting someone up with a large amount all at once, you bleed them and bleed them slow until they're dry. Ivy is too haughty with him in their subsequent conversation. His next move probably involves tracking down her real family, who will either be much the worse for wear or 'reformed'. Maybe he will team up with Diana when she returns. I doubt he is cut out for the rigors though.

What of Serena, will she continue to feud with Charlie over Max or will the hasty explanations thrust forth by Carol and Lily placate her? She's currently holding a grudge too many. Cece too - I didn't catch what medicine she was taking. Some kind of terminal disease? She favors Charlie for now, that could work in her favor as she continues to avoid detection.It's curious the bond they develop, even the one she has with Lily is very comfortable. I think a lot of hardcore Gossip Girl fans really dislike the Ivy character but for me it's the most engaging part of the show right now.

The least engaging is the Blair/Chuck nonsense. When you telegraph your movements and make claims off air the way they have done regarding this subject, all dramatic tension is lost, not that it's a great couple to begin with. Blair correctly ntoes that her influence was exceedingly bad for him, and now free from that, he has begun to flourish. She goes to him supposedly seeking answers but really it's nothing more than trying to tease him to get a rise.

Nate's storyline is really dumb and honestly, the less we have to remind ourselves of the insipid Trip, the better. Van der Bilt wants to make Nate some kind of media mogul, but wasn't he pushing him to take a position with the state senator? On top of being stupid, it's contradictory. The forgotten guy is Dan. Looks like my prediction of romance between him and Alessandra Steele may come to pass. She is far more upbeat than him which makes it awkward at first but she hasn't really been given the screen time to assert her character yet.

A mixed bag of an episode, I was pretty much fine with it though. It sets up nicely for future shenanigans. I think it might be easier for Ivy if Carol sticks around to help combat Max as he seeks revenge.

"Gossip Girl" airs Mondays on the CW at 8:00pm EST

Dexter - S6 E9 - Get Gellar

2011-11-28T12:29:00.001-08:00

Travis and Dexter join forces to take down Gellar. Deb finds she could use the help of her psychiatrist and Lewis disregards Batista's unfriendly advice.

Spoilers after the jump.

I was tempted to call this the stupidest episode yet but there have been some really stupid episodes this season. At times it felt more like a parody of Dexter than the real thing. This show used to be so good, how did it get to this state? I still can't believe there's gonna be another two seasons. Let's look at this mathematically; Seasons 1&2 were good, Season 3 wasn't so good. Seasons 4&5 were reasonably good, this season really hasn't been. Does that mean Seasons 7&8 have a chance to be respectable? I think we can agree at least that Season 9 would be really awful.

The worst kept secret in television came out; Gellar has been dead all along and Travis is imagining the whole thing, acting alone. Halfway through the season, it's like the writers suddenly realized that their twist wasn't as clever or awesome as they hoped so they started throwing in all these scenes like where Gellar walks past while Travis and Dexter are in the car on surveillance as if to say, "Aha! See, he IS really there!" But once Iden ruined it for me, it has been plainly obvious. That Dexter fell for it so completely is stupid. He's supposed to pick up on details, right? You can't tell me all the time he spent chasing a non-existent person around it didn't occur to him once that something was wrong with the picture he was given.

Top of the stupid storyline queue is Quinn. Watching him unravel and be an idiot was one thing. It's less about that now and more about setting him up as comic relief. The shenanigans with the stipper's mother who worked at the Waffle House across the street from the club didn't even have anything to do with the plot. It was completely dumb. Somehow it then gets turned around into Quinn, drunk Quinn who leaves his gun in the cars of strangers, delivering words of wisdom to Batista. Huh?? C'mon man!

Okay hold on, I stand corrected. The LaGuerta/Matthews side quest is by far the stupidest side quest of them all. Way to ruin a perfectly good character who could have been a standup guy for Dexter. Since when were he and LaGuerta friends? I think I said last week they noticed they didn't have a storyline for her and so made this one up on the spot to fill a few minutes. It feels even more like that now.

Then we get Lewis who has a certain conspicuous prosthetic hand in his possession. At this point, the show is juggling too many eggs. This is so peripheral it's almost a different show. There's the video clip of the guy offering his services to Gellar, is Lewis also a serial killer groupie? It can't be a coincidence that as he was in bed with Jamie and we saw the hand, the score suddenly went all Psycho.

To me, the only part of this episode that had any value was watching Deborah melt down. Even that however is tainted by the source of the current slump, the disastrous way Season 5 concluded. I'm a little irritated with this episode but I'm not feeling irrationally angry. More sad at what's become of this series. With that in mind, this probably deserves a worse grade than I'm giving.

"Dexter" airs Sundays on Showtime at 9:00pm EST.

NFL Picks Week Twelve sponsored by Studio Yukupo

2011-11-27T01:14:00.001-08:00

Other than pointing out how right I was a few weeks ago when I said older brother John had the beating of Jim, and how proud I was to go 3-0 with my Thanksgiving picks, I didn't really prepare anything to write this week about NFL stuff so here's a delicious starter/side dish recipe that serves four.

King Prawn Salad

Ingredients

2 tbsp Sesame Oil
225g/8oz Raw King Prawns (jumbo shrimps), peeled and deveined
4 Spring Onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
10cm/4-inches Cucumber, cut into 5cm/2-inch julienne strips
1 tbsp freshly chopped Coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
1 teasp Fish Sauce
2 fresh Red chillies, finely chopped
The juice of 1 Lemon

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan and when very hot add the prawns and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, until they turn pink.

2. Remove the prawns from the pan with a slotted spoon and cut into thin slices diagonally.

3. Place the prawn slices in a mixing bowl together with the remaining ingredients and toss to mix well. Serve immediately

Picks after the jump.

Key:
Home Team listed in CAPS
(*) = Line Differential

Packers (-6.5) at LIONS
Dolphins (+7) at COWBOYS
49ers (+3) at RAVENS
Vikings (+9.5) at FALCONS
Texans (-5) at JAGUARS
Browns (+7.5) at BENGALS
Buccaneers (+3.5) at TITANS
Panthers (-3) at COLTS
Cardinals (+3) at RAMS
Bills (+9) at JETS
Bears (+4) at RAIDERS
Patriots (-3.5) at EAGLES
Redskins (+3.5) at SEAHAWKS
Broncos (+6) at CHARGERS
Steelers (-10.5) at CHIEFS
Giants (+7) at SAINTS

Chris picks: Packers, Cowboys, 49ers, Falcons, Jaguars, Bengals, Titans, Colts, Rams, Jets, Raiders, Patriots, Seahawks, Broncos, Chiefs, Giants

I pick: Packers, Dolphins, Ravens, Falcons, Texans, Bengals, Titans, Panthers, Cardinals, Jets, Bears, Patriots, Seahawks, Broncos, Steelers, Giants

I knew that against actual good teams, the Lions couldn't hack it. Frankly most of the players on that team are douchenozzles so I can't blame Suh too much for wanting to stamp on them but you gotta keep your head in that situation. The Cowboys are jsut being flat overrated at this point They have talented players but they're not all working in a unified direction. 49ers meanwhile, they're starting to feel like a mirage. I heard someone compare them to the '01 Chicago Bears who promptly sank back into oblivion in future seasons.

Peterson is out for the Vikings, on the road in Atlanta I don't see them keeping hold of the Falcons. In Jacksonville, the home team can't score. I don't like to pile on the tone set by national media, and he did come straight from a shotgun spread with no talent on the edges, but it's very suspicious that Blaine Gabbert has played so poorly especially compared to every other rookie, even Locker last week. +7.5 is way high for Cincinnati in a divisional matchup, but I'm morally opposed to picking the Browns. I could see that going the other way easily.

Buccs are no good on the road. They should be able to stay close to the Titans, but more like a touchdown than a field goal. I'm also morally opposed to picking the awful, awful Colts. It would be so funny if Cam Newton lost this game, but Indianapolis has no backbone. The Rams are also terrible. The Cardinals aren't much, but they should be able to go on the road there and get a W. The Bills have fallen back off the face of the Earth. On the road, they might not score a point here. The Raiders probably should win this game but this feels like one they'd totally screw up like that Kansas City one. Chicago is pretty tough on defense and special teams and Jay Cutler plays neither.

The Eagles, another team I'm morally opposed to taking with all their weakass shenanigans. This feels like one where the Pats could go in and blow their doors off. The Redskins fought tough last week but they hate Dallas more than any other team and I don't think they'll muster up the same intensity going out to the Clink. How can you pick against Tim Tebow at this point? Unlike all the pundits out there who say they hope he succeeds, I actually do root for him. How disingenuous is it that all these talking heads go about saying "Hey, I'd love for him to marry my daughter, hur hur" and then spend the next ten minutes bashing the crap out of him.

I have a funny feeling that the Chiefs may sneak one this week; Palko is a Pittsburgh guy and will be eager to show them what he can do especially after struggling last Monday. The Steelers are being a little overrated in the context of the AFC because of their record but ultimately, the Chiefs are so hard to watch I'm gonna do a Ross Tucker, wuss out and pick the favorite. How in the hell did the GIants suck me in again? You'd think after three years of this crap I'd have learned my lesson with them. Apparently not because I think they could break one here against a team that doesn't seem to want to mix it up too much.

Last week:
Chris: 9-3-2
Me: 6-6-2

Season:
Chris: 81-71-8
Me: 84-68-8

NCAA College Football Picks Week 13

2011-11-25T13:23:00.001-08:00

Despite all appearances to the contrary, there are people out there more insufferable than SEC homers. For example:

- Bill Maher
- Joy Behar
- Trent Dilfer
- Merrill Hoge
- Jason Whitlock
- All the other humps rooting for Tim Tebow to fail
- Everyone squatting at an Occupy movement event
- Environmentalists
- People who don't appreciate how awesome a public holiday in the middle of November is, I'd be a way better American than them.

The important thing to remember is that while the SEC is 1-2-3, 4 through 12 are no great shakes. If an SEC fan starts yapping about Georgia and the conference strength in depth, remind them that they got the crap kicked out of them by Boise State. How can we judge them when they're playing Furman? They're gonna finish 4-5 in their bowl games. We'll call it a moral victory.

Picks after the jump.

Week Thirteen
Home Team listed second in CAPS
vs = Neutral Site game
(*) = Line Differential
[*] = National Ranking

[8] Houston (-3.5) at Tulsa
[3] Arkansas (+11.5) at [1] LSU
[13] Georgia (-6) at Georgia Tech
Ohio State (+7.5) at [17] Michigan
[2] Alabama (-21) at Auburn
[6] Virginia Tech (-4) at [24] Virginia
[20] Penn State (+15) at [15] Wisconsin
[18] Clemson (+4) at [14] South Carolina
[23] Notre Dame (+7) at [4] Stanford
UCLA (+14.5) at [10] USC

Chris picks: Tulsa, Arkansas, Georgia Tech, Ohio State, Auburn, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin, Clemson, Notre Dame, UCLA cause I'm mad at USC

I pick: Houston, Arkansas, Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama, Virginia Tech, Penn State, South Carolina, Stanford, USC

A lot of people picked Tulsa but I didn't see it; Houston has been unstoppable in Conference USA regularly dropping anywhere from 45 to 70 points on teams. 11.5 seems too big for an LSU team now lead by Knucklehead Jefferson. I'll take my chances with the Razorbacks. Georgia Tech is not particularly predictable but the Bulldogs have been strong for weeks in shutting down these one-dimensional teams.

Michigan has been more spectacular looking than the Buckeyes this year but 7.5 is way too high. I remember what that Michigan State game looked like. Auburn has gone into the tank against superior teams lately.It may be the Iron Bowl, but Alabama is out for blood. Virginia has surprised people this year but I don't see them upseting Tech. Penn State has been tough on defense and Wisconsin has cooled off in recent outings. 15 is a littlelong, even in Madison.

Clemson really Clemson'd themselves hard last week. South Carolina bleeds opponents to death and the Tigers won't be able to take the pressure. Notre Dame has played well against most of their opponents but Stanford is a terrible matchup. Away from home, theya re gonna get killed. As will UCLA - USC is just far superior.

Last week:
Chris: 3-7
Me: 5-5

Season:
Chris: 43-75-2
Me: 62-56-2

Up All Night - S1 E10 - Week Off

2011-11-25T11:54:00.001-08:00

Reagan is forced to take a week off when the studio is flooded but can't stop fussing over every little detail back home.

Review after the jump.

Good episode. Once again, it's Reagan and Chris that do the non-heavy lifting in keeping the show diverting. While Ava is tolerable, I think she is just a poorly conceived and performed character that the show would likely be better without. I really struggle to findthings to talk about with this show. It's not like How I Met Your Mother with its complex characters or Community with its crazy plots. It's just kinda there, being average and watchable. A good show for couples.

"Up All Night" airs Wednesdays on NBC at 8:00 pm EST.

House, M.D. - S8 E7 - Dead & Buried

2011-11-22T23:08:00.001-08:00

House is obsessed with the case a young boy who died under mysterious circumstances but Foreman tries to distract with a different patient.

Spoilers after the jump.

After two episodes all about Taub, we're back to House and just a little bit about Chase. Chase seems to have a gig on the TV though how deep it runs is unknown. Just what was he doing on his time off? Was this part of it? How did he even get it? Is he dating a producer? It would be too easy to make a billion Neighbours jokes at this point.

House meanwhile is just House. Foreman threatens him with jail, but his thirst for truth, to fill that hole in himself where the mystery begins to eat away at him is too strong. Wilson notes that Cuddy never tried to control him, she managed him and with House back in full swing with a team of four, it's clear that the muscle tactics have failed.

Honestly this was a good episode but not terribly engaging. It didn't help that I kept gettign distracted while watching it and I still feel like I'm ready for the show to end - without major personality changes I'm not sure there's that much of House to explore.

"House" airs Mondays on Fox at 9pm EST.

Gossip Girl - S5 E8 - All the Pretty Sources

2011-11-22T22:20:00.001-08:00

Ivy and Max have a showdown over her identity. Nate hatches a plan to out Gossip Girl's anonymous tipsters but is dissuaded by Serena.

Spoilers after the jump.

Seems like Dan's drunken ramblings had a different effect than he intended - reignited that flame between Chuck and Blair just at the right time. He supposedly went to the bridal shower mumbling about Serena, so why did he end up talking to Blair? He's just a hopelessly drunk romantic I suppose. Chuck advises him to be a man of action rather than sitting alone at home but it seems he needs more practice. As for Chuck, I think I'd much prefer him to live life for himself. I spoke previously about how I was ambivalent about the Blair/Chuck relationship and my feelings haven't changed, only now she is going in the other direction - more petulant by the day.

Ivy/Charlie is in a hole dug by her own lies and Carol is not offering support. She does a great job bailing herself out when Max shows up at the van der Woodsen apartment (How did he even get up there? They just let random dudes wak in?) but it doesn't stick because he's apparently obsessively hoarding her stuff and dragging it around the country and determines the truth of the matter. His demands are not reasonable. He feels betrayed but he did once love her, no? Asking for more than the $50k she offered to him is fine enough but if you're serious about receiving it, you can't up it all at once.

Meanwhile van der Bilt Sr's amazing plan all along was apparently about building Nate into a media tycoon - what an awfully contrived and circuitous route it took. What, other than stupid familial pride makes him think Nate is ready for something like that. Diana doesn't want to come out and say it, but she can see that he's way too dumb. She's gone for now but will presumably be back sooner rather than later to reveal this big secret she shares with van der Bilt. I won't be sad to see her go though, I pretty much disliked the character from the first moment she showed up on the screen. Something about ehr never fit with the rest of the show.

Blair boots Louis away from the shower after he's forced to admit that he posted Gossip Girl's database to the Spectator. He's getting progressively more stupid and crazy by the day. His entire point was that Blair's crew of friends was untrustworthy but when its pointed out that his sister was the one who sent the paternity tip to GG, he just shrugs his shoulders and pretty much says, "So what?" Of course none of it is really about the database, it's all about who is the real father of Blair's baby. Wouldn't it jsut be a perfect setup if it was actually Chuck's? What was I saying about chicks on TV getting pregnant?

Teh chicanery wasn't as awful in this episode as it was the last but too much of it still seems way too fanciful to swallow. OK episode, nothing special and nothing that's exciting me in lieu of future viewings.

"Gossip Girl" airs Mondays on the CW at 8:00pm EST

2 Broke Girls - S1 E10 - And the Very Christmas Thanksgiving

2011-11-22T22:07:00.001-08:00

Max is apathetic about the holiday season but Caroline is overly enthused and accidentally breaks Max's blender.

Very Brief Review after the jump.

Decent episode, a little over the top in some aspects, which is kinda just what you get with this show. It's the interplay between the girls that's always the highlight. I wonder how much is ad-libbed. I'm not so familiar with Beth Behrs' work outside the show but Kat Dennings is certainly very natural Caroline talks a lot about her father, I wonder where her mother is? I don't think she has ever been mentioned. Looks like the horse is gonna have to go soon - it can't stay in the garden with the allusion to the forthcoming winter weather.

"2 Broke Girls" airs Mondays on CBS at 8:30 pm EST

How I Met Your Mother - S7 E11 - The Rebound Girl

2011-11-22T21:36:00.001-08:00

Marshall and Lily reconsider their decision to stay in the heart of the city. Ted and Barney, depressed over lost loves, concoct a crazy scheme.

Spoilers after the jump.

I think I'll make these all shorter cause I am pretty squeezed for time now...I asked Chris this earlier - how come chicks on TV who have a short-lived affair or one night stand always end up pregnant? Robin is, presumably it's Barney's and TV doesn't do abortions so it'll be kept and will probably be the reason they end up together, like Rachel and Ross on Friends. It's a little neauseating to a show that was once as good as this was to resort to such a cheap trick. They could try and be counter-cultural and have it be the reason they drift further apart but that's clutching at straws, I suspect.

Marshall and Lily are making the right choice - If they have that space available to them, use it! Robin tries to scare them with tales of how everything is less accessible on Long Island, but they're never gonna get out anyway with a baby taking up all their time. The apartment shrinkage was pretty funny - because it's true! Everything seems smaller and less significant when you get a taste of what could be.

Ted is getting disappoitingly sidelined lately, he needs some new story fast - isn't the show meant to be about him? Looks like we're gonna have to live with this Robin-Barney crap throughout the rest of the run of the show. Might be a good time to duck out on it. Decent episode otherwise.

"How I Met Your Mother" airs Mondays on CBS at 8:00 pm EST.

Dexter - S6 E8 - Sin of Omission

2011-11-21T22:55:00.001-08:00

Travis tries to lead a normal life but continues to be hounded by Gellar. Deb is picking up his trail and also must deal with Dexter's unwillingness to open up.

Spoilers after the jump.

With the parallel between Travis and Dexter established, the direction the Travis/Lisa story took and the brief reappearance of Brian, the endgame is firmly set in place now for a falling out of major proportions between Dexter and Deb. Maybe she will be the on chasing him down?

I'm more convinced than ever that Gellar is a figment of Travis's imagination, despite everyone looking for him constantly. It's way too convenient that everyone seemed to just miss spotting him, particularly as he made his escape from the church as Dexter showed up. the kicker was Travis seeing Deb leaving his sister's place. Gellar cites the police visit as the reason Lisa had to go, but how would he know that?

Lisa notes that their parents died at an early age but i don't think mentioned how. in any case, it leaves a void in Travis's life. While his sister occupies a motherly role, Gellar became a father figure, a mentor much like Harry Morgan. If Gellar is truly not in the picture, we may speculate that his disappearance or death created a schism in Travis's psyche causing him to develop split personalities.

What a disappointment that Lisa was made to be the Whore of Babylon and murdered - now, we might never find those answers. Nor was she in enough scenes to develop a distinct image of her life. It's curious to note though that she is perturbed and suspicious when Deb comes asking questions, but Deb never seems to even come close to suspecting anything of Dexter.

Other business; apparently, whoever is in charge realized how useless Laguerta is and has concocted a bizarre storyline for her involving a cover-up. Hasn't she been watching the news lately. She should know those never go well. Batista scares Lewis away from his sister. What a jackass. Also, how lily-livered is Lewis for not at least trying to talk to Jamie about the doubts put in his mind?

This one was OK. I saw though that the series has been renewed for two more seasons. Two! I'm not sure it has legs and I'm not sure they know where they're going this season. That'll be a train wreck coming up.

"Dexter" airs Sundays on Showtime at 9:00pm EST.

NFL Picks Week Eleven sponsored by Studio Yukupo

2011-11-17T23:58:00.001-08:00

I meant to do this last week, but forgot, I have a question - with it all being assured that the Colts will end up with the first pick, select Andrew luck and trade Peyton Manning, where will he end up? No fear! I have the answer in ascending likelihood. He's not interested in being a mentor to some younger QB so we can rule out Jacksonville, etc and focus on teams without long-term solutions.

Seattle Seahawks: Highly unlikely, but a dude can dream, right?

Cleveland Browns: Again, highly unlikely but it is within driving distance of Indianapolis. I have a feeling he'd prefer to go somewhere where there's a chance of winning.

NY Jets: They have Mark Sanchez but reputedly, there's a rift between him and Rex and a general power struggle. He is a guy holding them back and I wonder if Manning were to appear on the block, don't you think the Jets would put in a speculative bid?

Kansas City Chiefs: This works on the premise that they continue to fall apart and Todd Haley gets the bullet. With him gone, you can safely bomb out Cassel without too many fears of reprisal, you get all your nice defensive pieces like Berry back, contend next year and give some more reflected glow to Pioli.

Miami Dolphins: With a high draft pick they might pick Barkley, but the defense is pretty good already. If they took Blackmon with their top pick instead and flipped the 2013 pick for Manning, couldn't you see them contending in the AFC East next year? Yes, this is all very short-term thinking but desperate teams make for desperate measures.

San Francisco 49ers: If Alex Smith continues to make strides this might be a moot point, but they're ready to win, have picks to spare and Harbaugh and Peyton may have a little of that Colts camaraderie. Kaepernick is not a factor because he was only a second round pick and he's not that good anyway.

Washington Redskins: I don't know why I even bothered considering the rest of these teams, there is no way Dan Snyder could resist this one. The guy never learns and I'm sure Shanahan would be eager to have on board the guy who destroyed him over and over.

Picks after the jump.

Key:
Home Team listed in CAPS
(*) = Line Differential

Jets (-6.5) at BRONCOS
Titans (+6) at FALCONS
Bengals (+7) at RAVENS
Jaguars (-1) at BROWNS
Bills (+1.5) at DOLPHINS
Buccaneers (+14) at PACKERS
Raiders (-1) at VIKINGS
Panthers (-7) at LIONS
Seahawks (-3) at RAMS
Cowboys (-7.5) at REDSKINS
Chargers (+3.5) at BEARS
Cardinals (+9.5) at 49ERS
Eagles (+6) at GIANTS
Chiefs (+15) at PATRIOTS

Chris picks: Broncos, Titans, Ravens, Jaguars, Dolphins, Packers, Raiders, Lions, Seahawks, Cowboys, Bears, 49ers, Eagles, Patriots

I pick: Broncos, Falcons, Bengals, Jaguars, Bills, Packers, Raiders, Lions, Rams, Cowboys, Bears, 49ers, Giants, Patriots

Earlier in the week, that Jets-Broncos line was more reasonable; at 4 I would have taken the Jets but once you get to a touchdown, picking a team going cross-country on a Thursday is a bridge too far. Have I mentioned before how much I hate non-Thanksgiving Thursday games? In the dome I always like Atlanta. Last week was unfortunate, but Tennessee doesn't have the same pedigree. Last week was also a tough loss for the Bengals but they acquitted themselves decently and I think they can go into whatever they call Baltimore's stadium these days and stun them.

There's still nothing impressive about the Browns and while Jacksonville is winning no pageants, I like them to eke out a close one. The Dolphins have played a little better of late but they're still bad at home and Buffalo I hope would be able to right the ship and come out with a win. There's no way you can take the Buccs after the past few terrible performances so there's no option but to take the Packers at home. The Vikings embarrassed themselves on Monday Night. Oakland is a different kind of team but I'm not sure Minnesota is mentally ready for these games.

Stats are for losers like Cam Newton. The Lions have trouble with superior teams but they should be able to demolish these crappy ones at home. I liked the Seahawks earlier in the week but now half their line is gone, which has what has undone them the past several years. Take the Rams but root for the hawks. I really wanted to take the Redskins against the Cowboys but they've been so putrid lately it's not advisable. I think there's some potential for a San Diego rebound but at 3.5 I have to like the Bears, rolling at home. Rivers should be good for a couple of picks in that game.

Picking against he 49ers last week went against my better judgment, that won't be repeated here. The Cardinals pulled the upset on the road but the Eagles are not as good as anyone thought. That's why the Giants are gonna kill them, unless Kafka plays. If Vick or Vince Young is in there, it's all over. On Monday Night, the Chiefs got some good news, it looks like Matt Cassel will be out, but these Monday nighters have been laughers lately. The pats should be able to move the ball and win comfortably.

Last Week:
Chris: 7-9
Me: 10-6

Season:
Chris: 72-68-6
Me: 78-62-6

NCAA College Football Picks Week 12

2011-11-17T23:08:00.001-08:00

With all the discombobulation this week, I didn't prepare anything to write as precursor to my college picks so instead we'll talk about women.

Women! I don't understand them. It's a cliche sure but I swear if they wouldn't lie so damn much about what they really want and how they really feel, things would be a damn sight easier. I don't consider myself for example to be a particularly evasive or choosy guy. For all the women out there waiting for that perfect match, c'mon it's probably not gonna happen. For all you women out there digging for better financial and living situations rather than being with someone who takes care of you and loves you and respects you and all that comes with you, sure I get it but you pretty much disgust me. For all the ones out there who stick a violent or otherwise lousy guy because you're addicted to him like a drug, I'm sorry for you and wish you would allow yourselves to be rescued.

I better end this before it gets labeled misogynistic and i get in even more trouble than a Penn State administrator. Too soon?

Picks after the jump.

Week Twelve
Home Team listed second in CAPS
vs = Neutral Site game
(*) = Line Differential
[*] = National Ranking

North Carolina (+10.5) at [9] Virginia Tech
[17] Nebraska (+3.5) at [20] Michigan
Cincinnati (-3) at Rutgers
Miami (-1) at South Florida
[21] Penn State (+6.5) at Ohio State
SMU (+19.5) at [11] Houston
Louisiana Tech (+7) at Nevada
[5] Oklahoma (-15) at [25] Baylor
[16] Kansas State (+9.5) at Texas
[18] USC (+15) at [4] Oregon

Chris picks: Virginia Tech, Nebraska, Cincinnati, Miami, Penn State, SMU, Nevada, Baylor, Texas, OREGON

I pick: Virginia Tech, Michigan, Rutgers, Miami, Ohio State, Houston, Nevada, Oklahoma, Kansas State, Oregon

You have to admire Virginia Tech's consistency, the most consecutive 10 win seasons in the nation, but no one ever talks much about them because they can't beat down their opponents when people are watching in closely. I thought they would rampage and they only won by 3. Careless. Michigan's home advantage should see them through over Nebraska. i think I picked a lot of chalk this week. I'll go with the home team in the big Big East matchup, despite the fact Cincinnati is starting a dude named Munchie Leguax at QB. Say Whaa?

Miami is so inconsistent, I picked them to win this and they really should but they'll probably get blown out by 20. Ohio State is another team that can't figure itself out but I'll just go with them in this spot at home. PSU played well last week, but the week after the big scandal breaks is usually when the letdown comes. Houston and Nevada should roll, those games aren't particularly interesting.

Baylor is somehow ranked despite being the Big 12 equivalent of the Carolina Panthers - their QB puts up a mess of stats but they always lose. They're gonna get killed by Oklahoma. Texas is not beating anyone by 10 points, no way. Easy money. In the late game, we saw how badly Oregon beat Stanford away from home. in Autzen, a game that Chris tragically won't be attending, I don't envision USC staying close.

Last Week:
Chris: 4-5-1
Me: 7-2-1

Season:
Chris: 40-68-2
Me: 57-51-2

Person of Interest - S1 E8 - Foe

2011-11-17T23:07:00.001-08:00

Reese and Finch attempt to halt a former Stassi agent's revenge spree.

Review, minor spoilers after the jump.

Oof, a really terrible episode here on many levels. First of all I can't believe they allowed there to be an episode where Charles Widmore guest-starring and he didn't exchange any words with Finch. I was banking on it, it would've made my day. Second, what the hell was up with Alan Dale's stupid accent? Overall, his performance was flat and really noticeably awful. I have a suspicion there were numerous characters in this episode faking a German accent, it was really distracting.

The main problem with the episode is that it moved way too fast and far too many things were going on. we were going ping! Ping! Ping! From one scenario to the next with no opportunity to take in the setting or digest the exposition. Not a good job plotting. Then more minor issues, Detective Fusco looks really awkward holding a gun, he's so tiny and he can barely move his arms. Detective Carter continues to be irrelevant. The sole interesting part was Reese's flashback to his apparent induction as a spy and the connection he retains, the sole light in his heart for the woman he loves from his past. They tried to tie that story in parallel to Alan Dale's character. it didn't work because this episode sucked.

"Person of Interest" airs Thursdays on CBS at 9:00pm EST

Community - S3 E8 - Documentary Filmmaking: Redux

2011-11-17T23:06:00.001-08:00

Dean Pelton is charged with making a brand-new recruitment video for Greendale but goes overboard in ensuring its perfection.

Very, very brief review after the jump.

Pretty good episode, I'm a bit removed from watching it now so I can't recall specifics but it's the kind of episode that reminds me I really need to go back and watch this again from the beginning because it's a really fun show that tries a lot of different things you don't usually see. It's replete with homages and not everything works as well as it should, but that's enough to rank it as the best comedy currently airing out there, Modern Family's more mainstream appeal notwithstanding.

I liked Jeff Garland's cameo. I liked the Dean rather paradoxically behaving more humanly the crazier he got. not such a fan of Britta and Troy, Abed gave them a similar kind of look to what stonedTed gave Barney at the end of this week's How I Met Your Mother, almost like he feels threatened. I agree with the executives, it needed more Asians in blonde wigs too. Overall though, much better than last week.

"Community" airs Thursdays on NBC at 8:00pm EST

Up All Night - S1 E9 - Hiring and Firing

2011-11-17T15:00:00.001-08:00

Chris is desperate for some down time so he and Reagan attempt to find a regular babysitter. Reagan has problems of her own at work where she is accused of having lost her cutting edge.

Review after the jump.

Fairly good episode, I enjoyed most of it. I know I've seen this Nancy rolling around in sitcoms before, but I can't quite place her right now. Chris's paranoia about Amy not having the connection with him she seems to with her mother and other females is pretty cute. Ava's role was limited enough to allow her to be crazy and amusing without ruining the rest of the episode. Poor Missy gets dumped on a lot. Her outbursts in this episode should lead to people treating her better and being more appreciative of the effort she puts in but probably won't. So pretty much right after Reagan sends Nancy away to arrange transport for a show guest, she instead off in the play area fooling about with Amy. No wonder she was cruisin' for a... firin'. if she is the full-time nanny will she be a recurring character a la Missy or less frequent? My thoughts aren't particularly focused, but this was probably the most solid and original episode yet so good for them. It's not as dynamic a show as 2 Broke Girls but should work very well for an older demographic.

"Up All Night" airs Wednesdays on NBC at 8:00 pm EST.

Ringer - S1 E9 - Shut Up and Eat Your Bologna

2011-11-16T23:32:00.001-08:00

Malcolm begins to suspect something is not quite right about Charlie, and feels that Bridget is getting far too comfortable in her new life. Bridget visits Siobahn's therapist and is disturbed by her findings. Meanwhile, Andrew's business partner Olivia is eager to talk to Henry after he reveals his wealthy father-in-law is in very poor health.

Spoilers after the jump.

Holy crap, the kids are real! Not only that, they're twins and ginger! Presumably, they got their hair color from their mother but every picture I've seen of Tara Summers outside of this show, she's blonde. Is red her natural color, or just a curious storytelling choice? Looks like we may actually get to find out, because as it turns out, Gemma is not dead! She's just locked up in ~~Charlie's~~ John's basement. Malcolm does some sleuthing and finds the real apartment of Bridget's new friend but is unable to work his way into the basement before his time runs out and poor Gemma is left down there for now.

Ok, so Charlie goes in there to visit her when this revealed and talks to her like it's the first time he approached her in a civil manner. She's been missing a few weeks now, what had she been doing for food, water and pee and poop beforehand? Logistically, it's a nightmare. My recommendation for people is: never kidnap anyone! Should we call him Charlie or John? We may have covered this before, but did Malcolm do before getting kidnapped himself? His mind works like Colombo, and he knows far too much about breaking and entering. Did he use to work for House?

John/Charlie paid off the Edward Mars lookalike to help Bridget escape from FBI surveillance and make her way over to Siobahn. There are so many damn problems with this, mainly that the agent claims that "half the bureau is on Macawi's payroll". Somehow, Bridget buys this. Honey, he's a gangster who resides in WYOMING! He's hardly Vincent Gigante. He's not even Avon Barksdale. Now what in the hell is Siobahn plotting? I don't get it. It's meant to be a big problem that Bridget is still alive. So just disappear her! You disappeared Gemma, why can't you get rid of Bridget? none of it makes sense. Too tricksy for its own good.

Malcolm worries that Bridget is too comfortable in Siobahn's life, but why not? She takes particular glee in seeing the jealousy on Olivia's (Jaime Murray) face whenever she is around Andrew. That is a new thorn in the side though as the scheming typecast Brit does some snooping and is starting to sniff out that Siobahn and Henry fooled around, speaking of which, why do people keep leaving their phones lying around? Also, why does he have a picture of himself and Siobahn on his phone just mixed in there with pictures of his kids and all that? Sloppy, and very convenient plot-wise.

The action kept up at a good pace in this one, but the plot holes were frequent and unmistakable. I was plenty entertained, but there was too much to criticize as well, so no high grade here even though i was really excited to see Henry's kids.

"Ringer" airs Tuesdays on the CW at 9:00 pm EST.

Glee - S3 E6 - Mash Off

2011-11-16T23:28:00.001-08:00

Will and Shelby get together to announce a friendly competition between their respective glee clubs but the competition between their spiritual leaders Santana and Finn is in danger of tipping over into violence. Puck tries to get closer to Shelby and his daughter.

Spoilers after the jump.

Again I won't spend too much time on this one. We'll start with the asinine Kurt/Rachel storyline. I kinda used to like Rachel but she is starting to grate on me now the way she apparently does everyone else. She accuses herself of being a drama queen when talking to Kurt but it's obvious that he is the poutiest of them all, unhappy with her decision to run for student body president. His pledge to ban dodgeball is so stupid and lily-livered it's unbelievable. Jameson and I talked about this that Ryan Murphy must have had a torrid time at school back in the day and is now trying to claim some sort of Pyrrhic victory by writing the life he wished he had, a world where contact sports are banned because he sucked at them. It's idiotic. I can't wait for Kurt to graduate and be gone forever. I hope he doesn't get into NYADA either, the little punk.

The scene where Santana and her cronies smash their dodgeballs into Rory was virtually identical to one in a first season episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 'The Pack' where Xander and his new buddies do the same to a similarly gawky, awkward youth. Finn does all the talking about Santana's motivation for acting out, spurred by her unspeakable love for Brittany which everyone already knows about. She makes almost constant reference to the fact she slept with Finn in this episode so I once again would say bisexual, but this show is really stupid so it apparently doesn't cross anyone's mind. What's particularly annoying is that she spent most of the past two seasons mooning over Puck so it's like the writers woke up one day and decided they needed another gay character. This storyline is really stupid too. I hope Brittany pairs off with some dude and leaves Santana alone and crying.

Then we get Puck talking about how much of an adult he is while still sporting that stupid mohawk. It's pretty easy at this point for Shelby to reject his advances on the grounds that he is a deluded man-child but at least he's not loopy stupid like Quinn. Then we get Sue and her stupid campaign. James tries to interpret character against type and figures that Sue is the best thing about the show as she is so on point with so much of what she says but I know too much about how television writing works. What's going on here is as stupid and biased as it gets, it reminds me of the Sarah Palin SNL skits where a left wing writer takes aim at their hated right wing opponents, fires and exclaims, "Zing!!".

I'm pretty mad right now, like an earlier episode of Dexter i got angrier and angrier as I sat here and thought about this episode, so this is probably unfair but i don't too much good to say about what I saw here. Oh yeah, also they had that one scene with Mike and his dad last week and here... nothing. C'mon man! I will say though, that in the entirety of the dodgeball game, he was the only dude I saw who actually threw the ball like he knew what he was doing. Tellingly, we never saw Finn throw the rock.

"Glee" airs Tuesdays on Fox at 8pm EST.

House, M.D. - S8 E6 - Parents

2011-11-15T23:30:00.001-08:00

The case of a aspiring teenage circus clown who takes inspiration from his dead father has particular significance for Taub whose ex-wife is planning to move to Oregon with one of his daughters. Meanwhile, Wilson scores ringside tickets to a boxing match but is unable to take House due to the terms of his parole.

Spoilers after the jump.

Not gonna drag this one out too long because I am in a bad frame of mind right now. this episode again heavily featured Taub and we get to see what has happened to each of the women he knocked up last year. Ex-wife Rachel is still with her new boyfriend who would quite like to move to Portland with her and Taub's daughter ~~Sophia~~ Sophie. Taub intends to stop them and retain a bond with his daughter but when relating his problem to the rest of the team their response ranges from disinterest to outright calling him selfish. House, as is his way, sets out to prove definitively that a months-old baby wouldn't know the difference.

Of course, however, the patient this week conveniently has a similar daddy iossue; his father apparently when he was very young and though he doesn't remember him, there are certain details of his life that have stuck around and inspired the youth to pursue a certain goal in honor of those faint memories. It all turns out to be a big lie though - the boy's father is not dead, he sexually molested the patient when he was a toddler and was kicked out forever by the mother.

Taub had been hanging his hat on the kid retaining that connection to his father as proof his role in Sophie's life will matter - but when it's all exposed as a fraud, rather than weakening his resolve, it makes him more determined that rather than just some ghost of a vision, he really will make a difference. Personally, i think it is patently unfair for a woman to want to move a young child far away from the father if that father has expressed a willing desire to be involved in the child's life. It's selfish, and speaks to a lack of responsibility on the part of the mother, feminism be damned.

Miscellaneous notes time; The other ex of Taub's, Ruby, had quit her job at the hospital and moved home with her parents, but Taub urges her to move into his guest room to give her more freedom and him more access to his other daughter, also named Sophie. I'm sure it will end in smooches. The con pulled off by Foreman and House on poor Wilson was pretty telegraphed - as soon as Foreman called Wilson into his office I knew something was definitely up. Foreman has had his moments but it seems like this was about trying to buddy up with his underlings. Misguided.

House also presses and presses and forces a confession out of Adams about how her parents did or did not screw her up in her teenage years - (it was more about rebelling against boring white suburbia) - I found it a little tiresome. That's the problem with having to rush a new cast member in, they have intricate backstories that have to be released by use of antiquated overused methods. It's a sign the show has probably gone on too long. Also, for once could they make a correct diagnosis, damnit?

"House" airs Mondays on Fox at 9pm EST.

Gossip Girl - S5 E7 - The Big Sleep No More

2011-11-15T23:27:00.001-08:00

When Chuck appears to have turned a new leaf, Blair sets out to expose his true self. Nate feels pushed away by Diana and seeks solace in Charlie, but she has problems of her own after the reappearance of her ex-boyfriend who knows of her true identity.

Spoilers after the jump.

I think sometimes this show gets too tricksy for its own good. When you twist and turn and fool around as much as they do in this episode, giant gaping holes in logic begin to appear. I know everyone on the UES is very much into their skulduggery but TV ain't rocket science. Often, just keeping it simple works too.

The feud between Diana and Charlie deepens this week and it's entirely Diana's fault. It seems her obsession with Nate is rooted in some sort of dark servitude to his grandfather, the infamous Van der Bilt senior who is plotting something big for Nate. It's very unclear why part of the plan includes him sleeping with Diana, she's not exactly the type of woman who'll be bearing the next generation of old money. In fact, a better match would be fresh-faced socialite Charlie Rhodes whom Nate pursues aggressively after getting a temporary brush-off from Diana. Nate as usual is sent flailing about like a puppet without even realizing it as his personal cougar puts into place a horribly convoluted plan.

Max, Charlie/Ivy's ex-boyfriend from Miami and LA conveniently shows up, supposedly having tracked down IVY to the Spectator. How he did this remains a total mystery but he very coincidentally bumps into Serena who, looking for bloggable material, strings the poor lad along into meeting with Diana who invents her aforementioned convoluted ploy which involves a mask party replete with performance art. i had no idea what the crap was going on during any of it to be honest but there were a few notable things.

The idea of a mask party was of course originally floated in the first season, the classic episode where Blair throws a party setting puzzles for Nate to come find her and give her a kiss, except he is looking for Serena and ends up kissing a different waifish blonde, Jenny. That pretty much is replicated here with Diana sending Max into the maze searching for Serena only to find Ivy. Serena has a good six inches or so on Ivy, so how one could possibly confuse the two is just as confounding as how Nate mistook Jenny for Serena all those years ago - are they secretly brothers!?!? Probably not, but despite it being a total crackpot plan, it somehow all works out perfectly.

Serena is left stood up and angry, while Ivy is left in a fluster which is mistook by all around her to be Crazy cousin Charlie off her meds. This turns out to be the motivation Serena needs to blog her butt off and rival Gossip Girl, but Diana has fired Ivy, presuming Max will reveal her secret anyway. Or has she? I have no idea what happened. Ivy, as Charlie, later claims she quit. It seems unnecessarily stupid and harsh for Diana to do that and not protect her by removing Max from the equation. With all these variables flying around, does she not suspect someone may spill the beans about her own manipulative self? None of it makes any sense.

The party was thrown by Chuck who is back to the honest do-gooder ways he seemed to have adopted with Eva on his arm, except having replaced her with the stray dog Dan gave him. I contend that he is healthier for not being around an unstable person like Blair. She goes to bait him into revealing his true self, and he seems to show that by kissing her forcefully, 'proving her right', but it turns out to have been a backdoor deal struck between him and Dorota to erase doubts from Blair's mind. A couple of things about this. Blair goes up to him, playfully baiting him in a sexual manner, for two people who have the history they do, it was very natural to get the response she did. I don't see how it proved anything to her, other than that she is totally insane. The other is that Dorota apparently walks around the city in her maid uniform when escorting Blair. Seriously?

Last and least, in a developing story, Dan is apparently so bummed about falling out with Serena and the slumping sales of his book that he has taken to hiding in the loft while pretending to be on a book tour. Alessandra Steele calls Rufus to ask him where Dan is so he finds him once. It seems that rather than resuming his tour, he stays in the loft. Doesn't he think she'll call his dad again? there seems to be a lack of brains on many characters parts this week.

Mixed bag this week. I liked the Charlie-Nate-Max-Serena stuff but disliked the way Diana inserted herself into everything. Liz Hurley is back to grating on me. Ed Westwick as Chuck is always good but Blair's irrationality was off-key. It would be key to see how this Max thing will play out - will he go along with Ivy's story? I presume yes, but will it be because he will acquiesce to her demands or fall for more of her lies? It'll be good to have some poor people back around for once regardless.

"Gossip Girl" airs Mondays on the CW at 8:00pm EST

I'm thinking that may be unnecessarily generous but I'm too lazy to change it now.

2 Broke Girls - S1 E9 - And the Really Petty Cash

2011-11-15T23:24:00.001-08:00

After awkwardness ensues between Max and Johnny, herself and Caroline find themselves catering cupcakes at an event organized by his girlfriend Cassandra.

Review after the jump.

Really good episode, maybe the best of the bunch so far. You get the sense that Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs are really secure in their roles now and know exactly how to play them and off one another. We don't have to waste any time worrying about other characters so the action just follow the two girls all day all the time and they really shine. The show has its flaws and all too familiar character archetypes but an award for best new comedy would be much deserved. Everything else out there plays it too safe.

I can't really say much more about it, it's not a cerebral show, it's more one that has to be seen to be appreciated. One-liners zing, scenarios spark. I was unsure about the show when it first started and I'm still not enamored by the supporting cast but it is a legitimately good programme. I noted that there's another chef working in the kitchen, appeared to be an older guy, I wonder where he has been hiding.

"2 Broke Girls" airs Mondays on CBS at 8:30 pm EST

How i Met Your Mother - S7 E10 - Tick, Tick, Tick

2011-11-15T23:21:00.001-08:00

Barney and Robin debate over whether to admit their misdeeds to their respective partners. Ted, Marshall and Lily attend a concert but Ted encourages Marshall to engage in some preparatory illicit behavior.

Spoilers after the jump.

My routine and internal clock has been messed up the last week, I'll keep this one brief because this episode was really not good. I love the sandwich euphemism, but when you keep bringing it out again and again and again, it kinda loses its impact. The conclusion of the Marshall and Ted Go Searching For Nachos story was pretty funny but everything that led up to it was a bit tiresome, shaggy-dog story-esque. The only thing really that I took from it is Ted's crushing sadness that he is not the one preparing to be a father.

As for the other side of it, I thought for sure that Barney would have a harder time dumping Noora than Robin would dumping Kevin, partly because it took so much work to get Noora. Robin's refusal perhaps indicates a lack of belief in Barney's ability to maintain good boyfriend efficiency, especially given he dumped Noora while her parents were in the kitchen, although Robin didn't know that at the time. Ted sees Barney clearing rose petals from Robin's bed when he returns home.

Earlier in the season, Kevin and narratorTed note that the Ted-Barney-Robin dynamic will fail horribly at some point, this presumably is the start of it. Will Ted support his friend in his pursuit or will feelings of his own be stirred up again? As much as Barney claims she is the love of his life, she was also the love of Ted's life. There's still like a 1% chance that Barney and robin don't end up together which I'm clinging to. Until then, failing grade for this terribly misguided thread.

"How I Met Your Mother" airs Mondays on CBS at 8:00 pm EST.

Dexter - S6 E7 - Nebraska

2011-11-14T23:12:00.001-08:00

Dexter goes on a road-trip after hearing that Trinity has supposedly struck again. Meanwhile, Travis attempts to break free from Gellar's influence.

Spoilers after the jump.

Strange, strange episode but once again, Travis and Dexter's stories inform one another. Last week I suggested the ability for Dexter to compartmentalize his true life and his exterior was rooted in his sister but it seems it's more simple than that; Deb's existence grounds him and curbs his most animalistic instincts. After murdering Nick last week, it's almost as though a portal is opened within him allowing the Dark Passenger to take over.

In this case, it takes the form of dead brother Brian whose encouragement of Dexter is less of what the real Brian would have said and more just what Dexter wishes he could do, such as forgoing the need to be careful and disciplined. So goes the saying though, discipline is the bridge between plans and achievement. Something like that.

His sudden departure from Miami throws up a red flag for everyone who knows of it, which could lead to danger and will certainly be hard to explain. His wild pursuit of ~~Colt McCoy~~ Jonah leaves a number of bemused witnesses and victims and carelessness puts him ina situation where the Shady Lane proprietor (why do these types of motels always have such creepy names?) is holding him at gun-point.

Critically, he's led by his subconscious to believe without conducting due process that Jonah was performing a copycat kill. It's not until he is forced to face the guilt of the young man that he is able to discover the truth, a truth he may have discovered were his investigative work in the house more diligent. Making the connection between Jonah and his own son, he remembers his responsibilities. if he were to keep going with Brian, what would become of Harrison?

What will happen even if he goes back? Or rather, what will happen now that he has? He has not been careful around him in the past, talking too much, showing him odd things. We thought he had learned this lesson back in the second episode of this season, but there's a danger of conditioning him to believe this killing thing is all normal and just, the way Jonah was apparently conditioned to react to extreme situations with extreme anger. What of the spared Jonah? Perhaps a trip to Portland? Dexter tells him to forgive himself, as he runs over the phantom Brian - at that moment he seems to finally forgive himself for having killed his brother to protect his sister.

Travis's life with his own sister also stabilizes him and keeps him apart from Gellar; at least that's how it seems. Travis watches Gellar continue his work but is it for real? We saw the apparition of Brian kill the Shady Lane guy as Dexter looked on, all just a figment of Dexter's imagination. It's still entirely possible Gellar is all in Travis's mind. The kind of seductive pull he seems to have on Travis is certainly not something evidenced in any other connected to the Professor to that extent. I do wonder what happens at home with Lisa and Travis, what their past holds. He is obviously a very damaged guy, and it's curious that the phantom of Trinity and Dexter randomly telling the story of his second birth would come up at this point.

This show makes you suspicious of everyone. Is Lewis, Masuka's intern, hiding secrets? He seems almost too awesome, too on-point. Close proximity to Jamie brings him in close proximity to Harrison. Deb is able to resist areunion with Quinn and will presumably pour herself into the Doomsday Killer case as her career depends on it, but what now for Quinn? He might be able to put his wayward rebounding to one side but he still yearns for someone to make him feel relevant.

This episode was pretty out of the ordinary and a little tough to buy into at times. While we've often dealt with the metaphysical, it's never been as jarring and reality-blurring as it was in this episode, a dramatic shift in pacing that made for hard watching at times. At least Dexter got lucky with the random stranger lady, the second time this season he's stumbled into a lewd encounter. A few more of those and perhaps he could apply his predatory instincts into a different field.

"Dexter" airs Sundays on Showtime at 9:00pm EST.

Community - S3 E7 - Studies in Modern Movement

2011-11-13T02:12:00.001-08:00

Annie is moving into Troy and Abed's apartment but finds it's not everything she had imagined. Jeff skipped out but is caught by Dean Pelton and blackmailed into spending the day with him.

Spoilers after the jump.

[Inept trumpet playing]
Annie is not alone in thinking their antics get a bit much at times. Troy and Abed need to lower their sugar intake or something. I can't believe this is the last time they'll have conflict over them playing and Annie trying to keep order. It could even be the case that they play too much together and don't include her. The fact they believed a blanket fort would be an upgrade over Spaghetti and the other glorious residents of her previous slum is an indictment of their blinkered selfishness. It's all in good fun of course, but sometimes it's tough to root for them.

Where's Winger?
With Jeff bailing on Annie's big move and making googly eyes at the assistant in the clothing store I beleive we can officially upgrade this to shipbaiting. Maybe he was jealous that she was moving in with those two guys instead of him. We can hope at least? The poor guy gets roped into spending the day with Pelton who is so desperate to be friends with Jeff he violates Winger's privacy by reading his emails. It's odd that rather than trying to mold himself to make Jeff like him, he is trying to force Jeff onto his own whim. An indication of the level of that character's selfishness.

You broke my pluggy thing!
If Jeff had been there, he surely would have seen the folly of letting Pierce loose on Annie's electrical fittings, but everyone else is either too wishy-washy to point this out or they just don't care. Needless to say, he makes a big mess and endangers his own life with one accident after another. Britta and Shirley nearly come to blows again over Britta's drug use and Shirley's strict beliefs. Nothing is resolved there and it wasn't particularly funny because Shirley is so one-dimensional.

Conclusion
Sorry Chris, sorry James, this wasn't a memorable episode by any stretch, other than Jeff trying to kill Pelton in front of the greenscreen. As Britta points out, a little bit of wackyness is just right but when you get a full-bore hit as Annie did, it's over the top.

"Community" airs Thursdays on NBC at 8:00pm EST

Up All Night - S1 E8 - First Night Away

2011-11-13T02:11:00.001-08:00

Reagan and Chris are desperate to have a night alone together and are forced to enlist Ava as a babysitter.

Review after the jump.

We'll have to wait until she's in college and by then you'll probably be dead
A nice call back to last week's death clock, the pressures of parenthood having curtailed the more intimate regions of Chris and Reagan's marriage. It's a familiar story for new parents, especially on TV, done pretty well here with the flashbacks to prior disasters including one where the baby wasn't even an issue, merely a missed opportunity due to trying too hard - Never try too hard! It's not macho.

You're on a better list, honey. Here.
Pointing to her heart to excuse not having Ava on her priority call list for babysitting problems, Reagan is not convinced by her boss's nurturing ability, her head in the clouds as it usually is. After deciding her current boyfriend, an effette European charmer is not solid enough, she goes manhunting and pursues the top guy on the list, the heretofore unseen Kevin, a divorcé who is not breaking any scale in the looks department but has a defined job and skillset - a lot more stable than anything else we've seen her with. His influence seems to have made her less annoying in this episode too which is a big plus so let's hope it sticks.

Should I request your song?
It's some sort of glorious punk metal, a callback for me personally to a girl who was kind, responsible and motherly yet also dabbled in recreational drugs, death metal and assorted fetishism. For Reagan and Chris, the evening is more dorky than romantic and it doesn't really work for them the way they hoped. They are only just starting to get that the former part of their life is pretty much over and they'll have to take what they get when they can rather than making elaborate plans. More than anything what they needed was a rest - a good long sleep and everything else will come more naturally.

Conclusion
Yeah, this part never changes really. It's solid without being spectacular. Nothing is ground-breaking but it is well written, sharply produced and Ava-related mishaps were kept to a minimum.

"Up All Night" airs Wednesdays on NBC at 8:00 pm EST.

Ringer - S1 E8 - Maybe We Can Get a Dog Instead

2011-11-13T02:10:00.001-08:00

Bridget and Andrew deal with the aftermath of her supposed miscarriage. Malcolm attempts to contact Bridget but comes up against a wall of Siobahn instead. Juliet may like her teacher a little too much.

Spoilers after the jump.

She's ruining everything! It was all pretty quiet on the Siobahn front, but all that gets blown out this wek after her benefactor in Paris is summoned to New York for a meeting with Andrew. He meets Bridget, assumes she's Siobahn (Or Cora or whatever she's calling herself) and hi-jinks ensue. Foolishly, Siobahn later pretends to be Bridget and it all goes horribly wrong. It's less confusing than it sounds. These little snatches of realSiobahn are very frustrating. When will we get some real movement there?

It can't be too far off. It turns out that Bridget's new sponsor Charlie works for Siobahn. How she knows him or how he knew where to find Bridget and numerous other questions are making my head explode because none of it makes sense. I'm not sure the writers know what they're doing. No one likes being straight up on this show and all the shenanigans and half-truths flying around are ruining everyones peace of mind.

Malcolm has a hard time admitting the treatment he received from Bodaway and Bridget doesn't really understand one way or another. I guess we're supposed to believe that there is still a romance brewing between them. She eased so easily into her sister's life, but we had to know that the ho that led her down the wrong path to begin was still alive in there somewhere. Nothing has happened yet apart from meaningful glances and i'd hope they'd be smart enough to resist the urges with Andrew and Juliet in close proximity not to mention Machado spying on them.

As predicted, she is able to explain away the lack of baby as a miscarriage, a surprisingly satisfactory conclusion to that particular story, though Siobahn will presumably be showing up at season's end with a sprog in tow. She's able to engender healthy support from Juliet, who is probably not used to kind of interest shown in her from Shivette but Andrew throws a tantrum after overhearing Bridget say she probably wouldn't try for another baby. What on earth possessed her to make such a definitive statement? Just say, "I don't know". You're recovering from a traumatic experience, everyone will be happy with that.

Poor Logan Echolls, he is trying to do the right thing but it seems as though Juliet might try and go all Fatal Attraction. At least she is staying out of trouble. She related her trust fund problems to him and its clear he couldn't care less, but her hormones are clouding her vision. He doesn't seem like a stupid guy, let's hope he doesn't succumb to her feminine wiles.

Strange episode, too much Malcolm for my taste. Maybe I've been watching too much Gossip Girl, but he doesn't really seem to fit in with the spirit of the show as far as the New York scene goes. The prior episode was all about set-up, but the pay-off wasn't quite there in this one.

"Ringer" airs Tuesdays on the CW at 9:00 pm EST.

Glee - S3 E5 - The First Time

2011-11-13T02:08:00.001-08:00

On the eve of the West Side Story premiere, Artie criticizes Rachel and Blaine for being virgins, claiming their performances are lacking as a result. Coach Beiste also has a crush on someone but can't bring herself to accept love.

Spoilers after the jump.

I hard a time figuring out what the message was meant to be in this episode. I meanm it seemed fairly obvious, but that couldn't really be it, right? This show is often broad and crass but I feel confident it wasn't about eroding the social morals of the viewing audience. For Coach Beiste, its fair to say that without ever having made love, she would feel incomplete as a person amd that's true of all adults who lead a normal life. The other first timers though, really they are still children.

Finn started the episode hoping that the Ohio State recruiter was coming to watch him, but ended up having his dreams crushed. But Quinn saw this coming a year ago. The life she had planned out for him and her saw him in a realistic blue collar job befitting his abilities, an adult vision if ever there was one. Since splitting, both have gone backwards and retreated into fantasies, Qunn with her half-baked plan to win back custody of her child, the unfocussed Finn still unable to find his place in the world.

For Rachel, her aggressive pursuit of her life goals in the performing arts have helped to shield her from the realities of personal relationships. She feels obligated to take the next step with Finn but nothing about the procedure feels natural - until Finn has his moment of doubt and faith. Prior, she had always been very concerned about her own self, as evidenced by her urging of him to vote for her, but Finn's breakdown reminds her that she is in a partnership with him - it takes two to seal the deal and as much as she wants him to support her, she has to support him too and some could even say she took advantage of him, though usually in modern narrative, that kind of thing is only talked about in one direction.

What's with Artie in this episode? Glee's lack of focus on the lesser characters makes his kind of behavior all the more jarring as the adjustment is less gradual. He puts on a show, overcompensating for his lack of working legs by delivering critique and orders towards everyone involved in the musical, including a rather shocking and never would ever happen in a real setting dressing down of the Coach. His pre-curtain nerves are a good sign - whether or not the play went off successfully, and this is TV so of course it did well, he can see room for improvement in himself.

Along with Brittany, Kurt is my least favorite character in the show and this episode really did nothing to change my opinion. There's a reason he had a lot of problem with bullying but Blaine has never been seen to have the same issues, and it's not just because Blaine only recently joined the school. Blaine and his admirer Sebastian just act like normal guys. As part of the Conrad Murray trial, they were laying cuts of Michael Jackson speaking with his real voice under the influence of heavy drugs - the high-pitch thing was all a put-on. That's how I feel about Kurt. Everything about the character is fake. Offense intended towards Chris Colfer because I'm 100% sure that's not how Ryan Murphy wants to portray him.

Random thoughts - Vegans are impossible to cook for. I'm glad Rachel inadvertently ate meat. I may have mentioned this before, but it annoys me that there's no one in the school except for the Glee club. Why couldn't someone not in have played a lead role in the play? I guess it's just a limitation of the format. Mike pretty much had his one random scene with nothing happening before or after to justify it. I'm not sure I like where that whole thing is going but Tina's story about their time together was pretty cool. I wasn't so enamored with this episode otherwise. They try too hard and it doesn't always work.

"Glee" airs Tuesdays on Fox at 8pm EST.

House, M.D. - S8 E5 - The Confession

2011-11-12T14:37:00.001-08:00

The local hero of a town is hospitalized and he decides now would be a good time to confess his numerous misdeeds. Taub and Chase return to the hospital, and Taub has two baby girls with him.

Spoilers after the jump.

Better late than never, though their returns throw up more questions than anything else. Taub returns with two children in tow, from different mothers, neither of whom show up in this episode, the logistics of which are mind-boggling. Presumably he's currently with neither if he was only with the kids for the week. House tries to provoke him into seeking the paternity of the children to confirm whether or not they are both truly his, a notion he initially resists but eventually cannot resist, the natural curiosity which lead him away from rhinoplasty to diagnostics overriding his paternal instincts.

When House thwarts him from receiving the results, and then taunts him waving the file in his face, something seems to switch in him. No doubt the main tale at play influenced him a great deal - the difference between the belief of the wife in the patient when she thought he and had not had an affair was stark. Perhaps also reminded of House's dysfunctions, he embraces his new role in life unquestioningly, shredding the results. I was half expecting it to be the wrong file.

Chase supposedly spent the year surfing and out of medicine, to whit I have horrible flashbacks of the 'lost' episode of Lost where Jack was hangin' out on in Phuket. Foreman notes that Chase's medical skills are still sharp, indeed he is the one who goes the extra inch, pushes in the right place and solves the case. In the past, it seemed that Foreman was the one who would be the next House, but stripped of everything he loved and finding perhaps that the easy life was never really for him, content as he has been to skate on natural talent for a long time, perhaps he will be the one to develop into that damaged genius.

Certainly Foreman is heading in the other direction. Already falling for House's tricks and games far too easily considering he was inside, he is accused of selling out by taking the top job and doesn't really have a good come back. It was implied that Cuddy was once a highly skilled physician and we already know that Foreman is. While she allowed her ability to atrophy, I think that Foreman will want to be a little more active.

Decent episode, though it was really gross when the guys skin started peeling off. Will these guys ever get a diagnosis right on the first try? Will Chase and Adams really get together? House is right, they already make a natural couple, though Chase has that effect on a lot of women. I suspect Wilson may feel like punching House again with the modification to his office wall. Were their offices always next to each other or has that been retconned for convenience? i suspect the latter.

"House" airs Mondays on Fox at 9pm EST.

NFL Picks Week Ten sponsored by Studio Yukupo

2011-11-12T06:39:00.001-08:00

I was out of commission the whole week and didn't get to take in any NFL news so this seems like a good time to finally roll out my long-awaited hot Plate league picks.

Simmering: Leslie Frazier, Todd Haley
Both these coaches teams are doing OK performance and/or record wise, but I don't get the feeling the front offices are all the way behind them. They should be able to make it through the season unscathed, but their future will ride on a good start next year.

Char-Broiling: Andy Reid, Ken Whisenhunt
You don't hear a lot of buzz about these two guys getting fired but I think they both should be in danger. While Reid's record over the years is much better than Jeff Fisher's was, he has had a lot more talent and things might be getting similarly stale. Whisenhunt might get another year but his fate is tied to Kevin Kolb. If Kolb continues to flop, Whisenhunt will be gone.

Sizzling: Steve Spagnuolo, Jack Del Rio
Spagnuolo can point to injuries as an excuse, but it's such a regular problem for the Rams that at some point, as with Everton and Newcastle in the other football, you have to start pointing fingers at the training staff. New ownership might lack the patience to allow him to continue building the roster after this years pathetic performances. As for Del Rio, I listen to all the Jacksonville radio shows and get the feeling that general manager Gene Smith doesn't think a lot of him. Smith turned down a contract extension last week, and i think he is setting up a him or me situation. Smith is one of the smartest personnel men in the league, so it's an easy choice. Del Rio will go on to a long and fruitful TV career so we won't feel too bad for him.

Blazing: Norv Turner, Jim Caldwell
If the Chargers fail to make the play-offs, there is no way that Turner can keep his job and there is no reason whatsoever that A.J. Smith should keep his either. From 14-2 under Marty Schottenheimer with an as yet undeveloped Philip Rivers, they have gotten worse every year. Caldwell meanwhile, no one in that fanbase likes him as a coach. He doesn't seem to have a clue and only got the job because of nepotism, much like their current general manager. It's like a crumbling mafia family at this point.

It's Gonna Blow!!: Tony Sparano
He's ok, but he's not sexy enough for J-Lo.

Picks after the jump.

Key:
Home Team listed in CAPS
(*) = Line Differential

Raiders (+7) at CHARGERS
Jaguars (-3) at COLTS
Saints (PK) at FALCONS
Steelers (-3) at BENGALS
Rams (+3) at BROWNS
Bills (+5.5) at COWBOYS
Broncos (+3) at CHIEFS
Cardinals (+13) at EAGLES
Texans (-3) at BUCCANEERS
Titans (+3.5) at PANTHERS
Redskins (+4) at DOLPHINS
Ravens (-7) at SEAHAWKS
Lions (+3) at BEARS
Giants (+3.5) at 49ERS
Patriots (+1.5) at JETS
Vikings (+13.5) at PACKERS

Chris picks: Raiders, Colts, Falcons, Bengals, Rams, Bills, Chiefs, Eagles, Buccaneers, Titans, Dolphins, Seahawks, Lions, 49ers, Jets, Packers

I pick: Raiders, Jaguars, Falcons, Bengals, Rams, Cowboys, Broncos, Eagles, Buccaneers, Titans, Dolphins, Seahawks, Bears, Giants, Patriots, Vikings

As mentioned, I didn't get a chance to review all the info available to me this week; perhaps that's for the best as I won't overthink it all. I didn't believe the Chargers would be able to run on the Raiders the way the Broncos and Chiefs could and it proved so. They are trending down dangerously fast. I could very easily see the Jaguars blowing this one, they frequently do stuff like that but i can't pick in favor of the Colts at this point. It may be in a dome, but the Saints haven't performed on the road recently. The Falcons will get their run game going and should throttle their rivals. If you pick home dogs you generally do pretty well, and the Bengals feel undervalued here. They have sneaky good talent and this game will mean more to them.

I say it every week, there is nothing about the Browns that impresses me. It's equally hard finding things to like about St. Louis but such is my disdain for this Cleveland team. The Bills are stuttering a little now, last week was a bad matchup but going on the road here could compound that. I am worried about how good the Cowboys really are though. Denver needs to keep putting Tebow in situations where he can perform rather than setting him up with third and longs to attempt to throw on where he is sure to fail. Against the Chiefs, even on the road i think they can manhandle them on the ground. The Cardinals are real terrible also o even though it's a short week, they'll be home and the Eagles will prove definitively how much they fleeced Rod Graves.

I still don't believe in the Texans despite a couple of solid wins in a row. Tampa is a difficult team to play and they could stumble here easily. Carolina is probably better than Tennessee overall but they just go out and lose every week. I can't pick that, this should really be the game where Chris Johnson gets healthy. The Redskins are truly awful now. Back in '06, Shanahan kicked out Jake Plummer and put Cutler in for the first time in Denver, this year is like the bizarro terrible version of that. The Ravens haven't shown a propensity for going on the road and winning big against respectable defenses, against the best home-field advantage in the league, this will be tougher than they expect.

After a quick start, the Lions have had a little trouble against the good teams. Outside in that cold, they will come a cropper in Chicago. This next pick makes no sense on my part but I jsut have a feeling that this is the exact kind of game no one will expect Eli and the Giants to pull out and they always do. We are in second half of the season territory however... Damnit! Just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in! The Pats may have lost two in a row, but three? In a huge one like this, no way. C'mon Brady & Belichick, don't let these douchenozzles take control of your division. On Monday night, the Vikes have been competitive and against a division rival will be fired up. Rodgers & co. probably have too much firepower to lose outright but it will be closer than 14.

Last Week:
Chris: 6-8
Me: 10-4

Season:
Chris: 65-59-6
Me: 68-56-6

NCAA College Football Picks Week 11

2011-11-12T05:35:00.001-08:00

Spoiler for The Wire ahead.

In the end, the board of trustees had no other option.

The picture to the side may be of the game of the century, but there was only one story worth talking about this week; the disgusting allegations against Joe Sandusky and the cover-up perpetuated by Joe Paterno and the Penn State Athletics Department. I would have liked to have linked to some of Colin Cowherd's thoughts on the subject but due to unforeseen circumstances am unable to provide those, but they are worth listening to because he nails it. There is no excuse good enough for what happened.

Back when Justin.tv was a fun site to be on, I was watching the Wire there and chatting with someone about the nature of Randy Wagstaff. They were insistent on calling him out for being a snitch, pretty much saying he deserved what he had coming to him. I noted, as you would, that he had information about a murder, a string of murders as it turned out to be, and wouldn't you just naturally inform the authorities? They then came back saying he was doing it for the wrong reasons, not to be noble, but to save his own ass after he was caught breaking school rules. So, I said, that made it OK for thugs to burn down his house and kill his foster mother?

This is the kind of attitude apparently that pervaded State College, the spirit of the corner. Rather than protect the kids (allegedly) being assaulted by Sandusky, they lined up behind their crony. Up there, they were more worried about their reputations, the sanctity of what Sandusky had done, and their own legacy as opposed to doing the right thing. Like they say, actions speak louder than words. I buy nothing that comes from Paterno's mouth, no statement of his, as Cowherd says, "Not Good Enough!". As for Sandusky, former Nittany Lion Sam Stellatella reportedly donated money to his defense and has urged others to do the same. Did this guy even read the grand jury report? I guess i do get why - but it doesn't make it any less sad.

Picks after the jump.

Week Eleven
Home Team listed second in CAPS
vs = Neutral Site game
(*) = Line Differential
[*] = National Ranking

[10] Virginia Tech (-1) at [21] Georgia Tech
[19] Nebraska (-3) at [12] Penn State
West Virginia (+3.5) at [23] Cincinnati
[17] Michigan State (-2.5) at Iowa
Florida (+3.5) at [13] South Carolina
Miami (+9) at Florida State
[20] Auburn (+13.5) at [15] Georgia
TCU (+15) at [5] Boise State
Washington (+12.5) at USC
[7] Oregon (+3.5) at [4] Stanford

Chris picks: Virginia Tech, Nebraska, Cincinnati, Ioway, Florida, Miami Metro, Georgia, Boise State, Washington, OREGON!!!!!!!

I pick: Virginia Tech, Nebraska, Cincinnati, Michigan State, South Carolina, Miami, Auburn, TCU, USC, Oregon

I picked Virginia Tech without knowing anything else about this matchup because the yellow jackets are too inconsistent. It figures they would fail at home with the division on the line. I never know which way to pick when troubles hit one of the teams involved in a game because you don't know how it will affect the players. I'd like to think that it would be negative in this case, because it would be fitting. Cincinnati feels a little sneaky, like they could pull away from West Virginia if they so pleased.

Iowa edged out Michigan last week but the Spartans are built sterner and should be able to hold off a mediocre team. At home South Carolina should be able to tie down the Gators sufficiently to stay in the SEC East race. That depends on Georgia losing to Auburn, which looks unlikely though I think the tigers can at least stay closer than people believe. Likewise, Miami should be able to hang within 9 of an improving Florida State if not win outright, as the road team tends to do.

In the Fiesta Bowl rematch, you have to like Boise to win, especially at home but the bowl game was close and the regular season should be a good match-up as well. 15 points is too many to count against the Horned Frogs. USC continues to rise unfortunately and at home should be able to roll over Washington and their terrible defense. I the last game of the day, Oregon has had the better of Stanford in recent times and I like them to pull off the upset and save us all from a December of non-stop Andrew Luck hype.

Last Week:
Chris: 8-2
Me: 5-5

Season:
Chris: 36-63-1
Me: 50-49-1

Gossip Girl - S5 E6 - I Am Number Nine

2011-11-09T11:43:00.000-08:00

Serena finds herself in deep water after pushing Dan to take a movie deal with her boss. Blair is holding tryouts for her bridesmaid position and Charlie aims to angle her way in. Chuck has a disturbing session with his therapist.

Spoilers after the jump.

I can't believe we're only six episodes in and so much weird crap has already happened. How are they gonna fill the whole rest of the season? It's too bad the movie is dead now. We could have had Hilary Duff back to play "Sabrina", boy that would've been awkward.

Serena's boss Jane asserts that Dan is a self-centred arrogant little boy, the Zuckerberg of the UES she puts it and really, he does nothing to prove her wrong in this episode. It's been a growing problem for a number of years now, mixing in the sort of society he has turned him from not just "inside", but one of those people period. He is played about perfectly by Jane and barely even realizes until it is all over. After a brief reconciliation with Serena, it appears they are back on a collision course over her scuppering the movie deal. He may question her motives but while she is guilty of many selfish acts, they're usually unconscious. When she goes out of her way in this fashion, Dan should know by now that she does so with good intentions. The longer it takes for him to comprehend this, the less salvageable he'll be, especially with the quick rate events are unfolding this year.

I had a bunch of searches leading to this page querying where Dr. Eliza Barnes is from. It turns out she is played by K.K. Moggie, a native Malaysian from Sarawak no less but sadly the Malay accent is gone, replaced by a very upper class trans-Atlantic tone. It appears her contact with Louis at the end of the last episode relates to him knowing Chuck was a prospective patient of her. How he knows this is unclear, and if it was explained I didn't really catch it but anyway, he attempts to bribe her to emotionally ruin Chuck forever and after making a really hammy attempt which doesn't really compare to anything Bart ever did, she remembers that this kind of thing is in fact ILLEGAL! Actually no, she merely remembers that she has a moral objection. It's not enough to prevent Chuck from finding out and then doing his best drunk Joey Quinn impression, or was Quinn (played by Desmond Harrington who also plays Chuck's uncle Jack) doing a drunk Chuck Bass impression? Either way the very public confrontation serves to embarass everyone involved, especially Louis.

He and Blair get into it, she is indignant at first but then he reveals he has found the paternity test letter, leaving them at stalemate in their latest fight. She had spent the day auditioning old friends for the role of her royal bridesmaid, which had apparently sufficiently annoyed Louis already. Le Misérable leaves to take care of official business rather than talk it out with her. Chuck meanwhile is left to wander the streets thinking about how much he really wants her in his life. Lets be real now - she has caused him nothing but trouble. She is a part of his old life - maybe it is time to find someone new and move on. Together they have often been cruel and condescending to others and personally I feel the way about this pairing the same way I do about Barney and Robin on How I Met Your Mother - one of the most overrated couples in all of television.

Onto the most disappointingly stupid section of the show - Nate and Diana's ill-fated romance. Am I really watching a love triangle between Charlie, Nate and a 40-year-old woman? Who does Nate think he is, Ashton Kutcher? What does Diana even see in him, besides a stupid kid who is easy to control and has plenty of stamina? I can't imagine they have much to talk about. One thing is clear at least - Diana is start raving mad. No two ways about it, she's off her rocker. We're talking dictator of a small country crazy. She pushes poor Charlie around as though she couldn't click her fingers together and conjure up a new gigolo on the double. While Charlie is looking up valuable leads for her rag, Diana dismisses them huffing and puffing with jealousy. Bart Bass she is not, though Chuck may certainly be on the verge of recognizing her relationship to him, whatever that might be.

So this episode was ok, nothing outstanding. Dan's novel failed spectacularly quickly, and there was a disappointing lack of Alessandra Steele to help guide him through the process and what not. Moving forward, I expect it'll be revived somehow but it seems like this would be a good opportunity to allow residual rancor from the launch to fade. Other than that, long term, it seems more like we'll be focussing on OTPs - Blair with Chuck, Serena with Dan and the leftover Nate with Ivy/Charlie - he's way too stupid to care about her double life as long as she remains pretty.

"Gossip Girl" airs Mondays on the CW at 8:00pm EST

2 Broke Girls - S1 E8 - And Hoarder Culture

2011-11-08T00:15:00.000-08:00

Caroline gets a day job clearing a hoarder's apartment and Max tags along to help. Max is invited out to tag buildings with her crush Johnny.

Spoilers after the jump.

Hoarders 3D - The Experience
The banter between the two lead girls is well done and natural as usual - Max's ribbing about Craiglist jobs and a faceless Caroline are jibes I would make though in perhaps a less animated fashion. Her glee upon discovering the contents of the apartment are well founded when you consider what she's actually seeing is piles and piles of money from saleable goods. It's questionable whether it's her own thought process rather than Caroline's prompting. It's possible she merely enjoys seeing her favorite reality show brought to life. Given the voice of the hoarder is dismebodied, presumably unable to move under his own weight, two of her favorie things are present - hoarders and people who can't fit through doors.

It is like Romeo and Juliet - and now I'm going to go home and kill myself
So it turns out Johnny has a boyfriend and while after discovering this, Max does her usual turn and hide from problems routine, Caroline is right - she's hoarding her feelings and needs to confront the fact that Johnny led her on and isn't really the great guy she thought. He comes in with a bevy of excuses but none of them should wash - none of it changes the fact he knew what he was doing and Caroline is too quick to forgive him - if he could prance around the back of his classy black, British girlfriend, what would he do behind the back of the lower rent Max? She already had to kick out one guy who was stepping out on her.

Conclusion
Earl was annoying as usual. I'd be curious about Oleg if all of his shtick was a put-on, almost like he has built a persona for himself and it would be a disappointment for the facade to slip now. Han's elaborate NBA worthy handshake with Johnny was cute though. Good, solid episode again and a doubling of the cupcake pot to boot.

"2 Broke Girls" airs Mondays on CBS at 8:30 pm EST

How I Met Your Mother - S7 E9 - Disaster Averted

2011-11-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

The gang recall the events of Hurricane Irene last year for the benefit of Kevin.Barney tries to cut a deal with marshall and lily to escape wearing the ducky tie.

Spoilers after the jump.

So, Boogieboarding...
Kevin is introduced (again) to the wayward style Ted has of telling stories of past. It would be simple enough to merely point out that after the hurricane, Marshall felt so joyful he did a dumb thing with a large tray, but Ted has to get his feelings out about everything that happened, and why not? Once again, it starts with no one respecting his opinion and learned expertise. He is mocked for heeding so closely the advice of his mother, but in reality, they all do bow to the will of their parents.

The one guy who normally would, Marshall, is having problems of his own, paranoid over his lack of medical insurance. He has visions of being attacked by a bear in the streets - I'm surprised it wasn't Sasquatch, though admittedly he lives in the Pacific Northwest. They had to pull some interesting camera and setting tricks to make the bear seem bigger than Jason Segel. Lily is unhappy with him for clinging to her, but I think it's wise to be on the lookout.

Therapisted!
It probably shouldn't have taken Kevin's insight to realize that Barney was up to something wanting the tie off now - the gang should be used to his tricks by now. With the truth out and his leverage busted, Barney ends up caving far too easily, awarding three extra slaps to Marshall, and considering he had been baiting him all night, like a man poking a bear with a stick, he's gloriously given back two right there. Perhaps he's right, a change in the way he makes life decisions might be in order.

That other thing
STOP TRYING TO FORCE BARNEY AND ROBIN TOGETHER.

Conclusion
That last scene ruined what was otherwise a great episode. This is a bit tough on my part, but there wasn't really a sense of the magnitude of the storm either - golf weather as Robin proudly proclaims.

"How I Met Your Mother" airs Mondays on CBS at 8:00 pm EST.

Dexter - S6 E6 - Just Let Go

2011-11-07T13:33:00.000-08:00

As Brother Sam's life hangs in the balance, Dexter attempts to track the shooter. Deb is finding it hard to adjust to life as a lieutenant and Quinn's unravelling does not help. Travis steels himself for the next phase of Gellar's plan.

Spoilers after the jump.

Another sloppy episode in what's increasingly clear is a past-it series. Maybe if I watched all of these in one go as I've done in every season except the other most disappointing one - Season 3 - it would make a difference. I am very curious about certain aspects of the show this year.

One of them being Travis Marshall, who doesn't really have much to do in this episode but it was very informative of... something. Last episode he kidnapped a street-walker he intends to brand as the Whore of Babylon, but appears to have trouble building up the nerve. So he goes what any self-respecting serial killer would do, visit his sister (Molly Parker). She embraces him and fusses over him and hyperbolically extols his virtues to her class. Little does she know of his other life as she waxes poetic with him over the potential futures of the kids.

Coincidentally in this episode, Deb is talking to her soon-to-be full-time therapist Michelle Ross (played by someone who looks very familiar) about how close she and Dexter have always been. She has had a habit of unloading her feelings about everyone and everything upon him and when he offers little to nothing in return, she'll think, "Well, that's just Dex". I suspect Lisa Marshall's relationship with her brother is very similar.

Professor Gellar, doing a great job once again of failing to interact with anything in this warned Travis in a previous episode about seeing his sister, perhaps fearing that she would have a humanizing influence on him with her vitality, but it doesn't seem to have affected Dexter in that way - indeed, it seems that not until he has been with his sister is he able to work up the mettle to do what the Professor has commanded of him. I don't know enough about psychology or hidden television subtleties to figure all of this out, but it's like compartmentalization - so as Dexter displays one face to the world and another to his victims, so is Travis learning this art.

Dexter has problems of his own - Brother Sam, as a guy he could identify and learn from dies and through some neat detective work, figures out the real killer, a friend of Sam's. Sam's dying wish was for Dexter to forgive this Nick, but after Nick does an ill-advised crazy laugh upon realizing that there were no witnesses and its his word against Dexter's, Dex gets Hulked up and drowns the kid in the water - I certainly don't remember seeing anything like that from him in the past. Even people like Lila and ~~Colt McCoy's dad~~ Arthur Mitchell were taken out clinically.

After the killing, Dexter is greeted by monstrous brother Brian, congratulating him on giving over to dark impulses but I'd argue it's a more human act than any other killing he has performed - the slides may be filled the blood of those supposedly killed in the name of justice, but really it was all to feed the sick part of himself. The murder of Nick is more like the murder of Brian - as Brian was murdered to protect Deb, Nick is murdered to avenge Dexter's friend, one he had a mutual respect for that he has never had with anyone outside his family.

While writing up the fourth episode a couple of weeks ago, I found myself getting angrier and angrier. Here, I find myself thinking, hey maybe this episode wasn't so bad. Then I remember Quinn's scene at Deb's housewarming. C'mon, man! He went from zero to wrecked and then sensitive again in about a ten minute span. It was actually quite funny, which I gather wasn't the intention. Then Batista sucker-punched him (what a fake punch btw) just to make sure everyone knows who the cool one on the show is. LaGuerta also popped up for her obligatory minute of irrelevance.

It didn't seem like a whole lot really happened in this episode other than Sam dying. At times it felt not disjointed, but more like a joint between episodes - presumably there'll be a lot more to come soon. I certainly hope so 'cause it's not been up to the high standard it has set for itself so far.

"Dexter" airs Sundays on Showtime at 9:00pm EST.

NFL Picks Week Nine sponsored by Studio Yukupo

2011-11-05T12:09:00.000-07:00

Half Point Power Poll
This is a list based on who I think is better, regardless of record - although Bill Parcells did say of course, "You are what your record says you are."

1. Green Bay Packers
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
3. San Francisco 49ers
4. New England Patriots

Right now, unfortunately, we are headed for a repeat of last year's Super Bowl, a match-up of two of the most loathsome yet media beloved teams in the league. Neither is playing as well as you suspect they could if they shifted up a gear, but yet they win, the mark of champions as they say. On the other hand, you get the feeling the 49ers are playing as well as they possibly could, which may not bode well for a sustained run this season. Oddly, this leaves New England as the white hats, at least for me. They are a flawed team, but there's still a trust with them that does not necessarily exist with others.

5. Baltimore Ravens
6. New Orleans Saints
7. Detroit Lions
8. Atlanta Falcons

These are all teams can beat any team in the league at home but there's something about each that instrinsically can't be trusted. For Baltimore, the offense, for New Orleans, the defense and both units for Detroit and Atlanta. All of them have landmark games coming up in the next few weeks to put our fears at ease.

9. Cincinnati Bengals
10. New York Giants
11. Houston Texans
12. Buffalo Bills

The only thing keeping the Bengals lower is the fact that they are the Bengals. The Giants, the Texans and the Bills have good records and can't be ignored but none is consistent enough to have faith in. All three could lose at home to the Colts and I would think, well yeah, that's what you get with them.

More and picks after the jump.

13. New York Jets
14. Philadelphia Eagles
15. Oakland Raiders
16. Dallas Cowboys

All of these teams should be higher but haven't backed up their claims to the throne with results. Oakland is particularly concerning with the faith in a QB who claimed he was working out while he was not playing, but there was no evidence of that against the Chiefs. Dallas too, they flatter to deceive. At some point you have to wonder if they really are just that dysfunctional.

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
18. Kansas City Chiefs
19. Chicago Bears
20. San Diego Chargers

Tampa and Chicago will probably miss the playoffs in the crowded NFC, but despite how weak they both are, Kansas City and San Diego could very well make it in, though they'd probably lose in their first game as usual. Kansas City's revival is to be credited though - even if it has nothing to with the expensive Matt Cassel.

21. Tennessee Titans
22. Minnesota Vikings
23. Carolina Panthers
24. Jacksonville Jaguars

Tennessee has fallen away in my opinion following two humiliating defeats and a labored win against the pathetic Colts. Chris Johnson has been a disaster, another victim of lazing around when you're holding out. At some point, we have to bring out that old NFL saying "Stats are for losers" when talking about Cam Newton's exploits. A couple of years ago, Mark Sanchez was putting up horrible numbers and playing like crap, but the narrative was, "Oh my, look at this guy, he just wins! Toss him the car keys!". So which is it? Great play and loss after loss or wounded turkey throws and a bunch of lucky victories?

25. Washington Redskins
26. Cleveland Browns
27. Seattle Seahawks
28. Arizona Cardinals

The Redskins scuppered their own season when they moved from a guy with the support of the locker room in Rex Grossman to John Beck. Not that Beck is terrible, it just affirmed in the team a lack of belief in their level of talent from the coaching staff. From the top team in the NFC East, they've become a laughing stock and could well continue dropping like a stone in the rankings.

29. Miami Dolphins
30. St. Louis Rams
31. Denver Broncos
32. Indianapolis Colts

Despite being winless, Miami has played ok. That can't be said for the three teams below them, save one or two lucky wins here or there. The worst of the worst are obviously the Colts. Phil Simms suggested last week that Peyton Manning "wouldn't allow" the Colts to draft Andrew Luck. Manning was quick to deny this and jab back, but I've heard from a couple of other people who have escaped the Colts internal divisions recently who say that if given the first pick, Irsay would prefer to trade it rather than pick Luck. Could Simms have relayed a private conversation and betrayed a confidence revealing for certain who's really in charge up there?

Key:
Home Team listed in CAPS
(*) = Line Differential

Jets (+2) at BILLS
Seahawks (+11.5) at COWBOYS
Falcons (-7) at COLTS
Dolphins (+4) at CHIEFS
Buccaneers (+8.5) at SAINTS
49ers (-3.5) at REDSKINS
Browns (+10.5) at TEXANS
Bengals (+3) at TITANS
Giants (+9) at PATRIOTS
Broncos (+7.5) at RAIDERS
Rams (+3) at CARDINALS
Packers (-6) at CHARGERS
Ravens (+3.5) at STEELERS
Bears (+7.5) at EAGLES

Chris picks: Jets, Seahawks, Colts, Chiefs, Buccaneers, 49ers, Texans, Titans, Patriots, Raiders, Rams, Packers, Ravens, Eagles

I pick: Bills, Cowboys, Falcons, Dolphins, Buccaneers, 49ers, Texans, Bengals, Giants, Broncos, Cardinals, Packers, Steelers, Bears

The Bills are pretty good at home so in a roughly equal matchup, I have to take the points. Hopefully Sanchez throws a ton of picks. The next one I wrestled with but the Cowboys should be able to pull away at home. In the dome, the Falcons should be able to easily overwhelm an inferior team. Meanwhile out at Arrowhead, the Dolphins are overdue a win and the Chiefs were really lucky to win on Monday Night. Their defense is cancelled out by their offense and of course, the Dolphins are better on the road.

At home the Saints are pretty good but the Buccs always play them tough. The Saints had a really bad loss last week and while the last time that happened they went out the next time out and won 62-7, it's indicative of a more deeply-rooted problem. The Redskins are reeling after three ugly losses in a row and this has all the makings of another one. The 49ers haven't feared going west unlike some other west coast teams in recent years and should be able to take this one easy. The Browns continue to not impress me at all, I don't see how they can keep up with the Texans.

The Bengals are a better team overall than the Titans and I like them going on the road. I could see them overhauling both Pittsburgh and Baltimore in that division chase. 9 feels like too many to lay against the Giants. They might lose games they're supposed to win but they're not going to get blown out by a team they're supposed to lose to. Picking the Broncos is more of a vote of no-confidence in the Raiders and Carson Palmer. I hope Tebow is able to play better, unlike a lot of other people who then turn around and try and deny it, I'm not rooting for him to fail because I'm jealous and resent him.

Sam Bradford is listed as questionable so despite their fluke win over the Saints, I think the Cardinals claw one back here. I pick the Packers on principle, the Chargers are so awful and Norv is heading for the exit. I picked against the Ravens earlier in the season and they won by four touchdowns, but I don't care, the Steelers have a head of steam now and should be able to thrash them for their revenge. The Eagles are getting hype again after a couple of wins, but 7.5 is going nuts. The Bears play teams close and should be able to hang in here.

Last Week:
Chris: 7-6
Me: 7-6

Season:
Chris: 59-51-6
Me: 58-52-6

NCAA College Football Picks Week 10

2011-11-04T13:02:00.000-07:00

I've been playing Dragon Age: Origins, and in this game they have an area called Orzammar, home of the dwarves who rather than worship any deities, instead worship their ancestors - during their life, some dwarves are appointed as Paragons, those who have contributed to dwarven society in some significant way and statues are then built of them and placed in the Hall of Heroes at the entrance to the city.

Approaching Bryant-Denney Stadium tomorrow for the most humongous regular season game since the '08 SEC Championship game and '06 Ohio State-Michigan, you'll see the same thing; a statue of the latest living Dwarven Paragon, National Championship winning head coach Nick Saban. Everyone thinks Bhelen is some kind of tyrant, but those Orzammar hicks have never seen the Nicktator at work. He has things locked down so tight over there that starting quarterback AJ McCarron doesn't even do any media at all. I doubt that kid is getting involved in a bar fight anytime soon.

The big talk already is of this being a rematch in the BCS Championship Game. Hold your horses! This is why we have a regular season! This is why the regular season is so awesome! It's like a Super Bowl in November, and if you start introducing nonsense like extended playoffs, a game like this would lose most of its meaning. Please, NCAA. I know you love TV money, but resist the urge.

Picks after the jump.

Week Ten
Home Team listed second in CAPS
vs = Neutral Site game
(*) = Line Differential
[*] = National Ranking

Florida State (-14.5) at Boston College
Texas Tech (+12) at Texas
[13] Michigan (-4) at Iowa
Texas A&M (+13.5) at [7] Oklahoma
[23] Cincinnati (-2.5) at Pittsburgh
[10] South Carolina (+5.5) at [8] Arkansas
Notre Dame (-13.5) at Wake Forest
[17] Kansas State (+21) at [3] Oklahoma State
[1] LSU (+5) at [2] Alabama
[6] Oregon (-16.5) at Washington

Chris picks: Florida State, Texas Tech, Iowa, Oklahoma, Cincinnati, Arkansas, Wakka Forest, Kansas State, Alabama, Oregon!

I pick: Boston College, Texas Tech, Michigan, Oklahoma, Cincinnati, Arkansas, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, LSU, Oregon

Boston College is worse than useless, and they along with some personal stuff has me pretty damn angry right now so lets speed through the rest of these so I can get back to wallowing in my usual pit of depression. Both these Texas teams are pretty up and down, I don't trust Texas to pull away from Tech, I think the Red Raiders will be up for that one in a way they weren't for Iowa State. I think Michigan is just better than Iowa. 4 points should be easy. Texas A&M won't get it done in Norman. No way. They lack the mental fortitude.

I could say that about Pitt too. They're another team I have no faith in to win when it really counts. Home advantage should mean a lot to Arkansas. South Carolina can't move the ball at all. Notre Dame should be able to sweep aside Wake Forest, but I never feel good about taking them because they always have so many self-inflcited wounds. I boobed last week with these two teams, I'm not making the same mistake twice. The Wildcats are not in the same class, particularly not in Stillwater.

This line came out and knocked me out. All the way along, I've been saying that Alabama is the better team and Alabama will win but that number, 5, that seems too high. I think LSU can still keep it close even if they fall just short, let's call it Alabama 22, LSU 20. In the last game of the day, kicking off at the usual ridiculously late Pac-12 time of 10:30 EST, Washington is way too crappy on defense to have any answer whatsoever for the Ducks. Maybe next year.

Last Week:
Chris: 3-7
Me: 5-5

Season:
Chris: 28-61-1
Me: 45-44-1

Person of Interest - S1 E7 - Witness

2011-11-04T02:09:00.000-07:00

Reese bodyguards a teacher who witnessed a murder as they attempt to hide and escape from the Russian mob. Meanwhile, Carter and Fusco are working the same case on the trail of the killers.

Spoilers after the jump.

So I'm not sure how much I want to talk about this here given I don't usually go too deeply into plot details beyond what's blindingly obvious, but my first thought here was, "Wow, Enrico Colantoni sure doesn't look like a sheriff anymore." Too many Reese's peanut butter cups, methinks. Second, well, we know why he "doesn't believe in cellphones" now.

Ah screw it, let's just say it. I was pretty surprised when it suddenly dawned on me just prior to the unravelling of the truth that the humble school teacher was actually the nefarious Elias. I didn't believe that the guy Finch eyeballed was Elias but didn't imagine it would be this dude who was holding a letter opener up to Reese. I can't think off the top of my head but this happened somewhere before where a guy who appeared to be living a regular life suddenly revealed himself as a big crime boss villain and left all that other stuff behind and just threw his weight about in every episode. That point is underlined here with Elias not turning off the stove as Reese hustles him out of his apartment on their initial meeting.

Reese claims that many more will die with Elias free to roam, saying that he only has revenge on his mind? Wasn't the revenge over? Now I though it was all about accumulating power. He plans to ensure they will cross paths again at some point, even though there are many more out there who need his help beyond the criminal-on-criminal violence that Elias mostly involves himself in. Isn't that how the real police tends to operate though? I'm guessing Elias's gang doesn't leave much of a digital footprint, so they will be hard to track but that won't deter Reese who could use some more capable allies than the rotund Fusco.

Fun episode - as Iden points out, somewhat cheesy what with dudes walking around in the street with automatic rifles, something that's only supposed to happen in Grand Theft Auto, namechecked by Elias. We also get this glorious exchange between Elias and a student of his - "Zombies?" "They're taking over the world." "Can't have that." I couldn't agree more.

"Person of Interest" airs Thursdays on CBS at 9:00pm EST

Community - S3 E6 - Advanced Gay

2011-11-04T00:52:00.000-07:00

After discovering his moist towelettes are a huge hit with the gay community, Pierce endeavors to exploit the market for profit. Meanwhile Troy's mechanical skills are gaining him recognition from tradesmen.

Spoilers after the jump.

If Mexicans were buying his wipes, he'd be riding in on a donkey
Pierce refuses to allow moral objections to get in the way of profiteering, in some ways making him more ruthless than his tyrannical father Cornelius. When he poses for questionable photos with gay supporters, some might ask if he knows what he is doing, but let's be real, he always knows what he is doing. He is on surprisingly good behavior at the party later in the episode, a party to which Dean Pelton (thankfully) was wearing a lot more than I expected.

I can excuse racism, but I draw the line at animal cruelty!
Cornelius, who everyone including me is surprised is actually alive, of course once cast an actor to play his son such was his eternal disappointment in Pierce. I was disappointed that his views, a very broad caricature of a southern white supremacist, were not some kind of in-character act or exaggeration because dudes that welathy usually know how to put on a show for the 'lower classes'. When confronted with something like that, it feels like having your head pounded on the Anvil of the Void, white bad, everything else good!

~~Edible~~ Oedipal
I couldn't figure out what the hell Britta was talking about until the very end of the episode so I might have to go back and watch it, her assertions regarding Jeff are no secret - everyone knows what he is thinking except, apparently, himself. His accidental murder of Cornelius may go some way to healing that, perhaps having built up in his head over time a picture of his own father that came to embodied by Pierce's. Significantly, it seems one of Jeff's barely spoken desires is to be a father himself, the ultimate proof that he is not like the man from whose loins he hath sprung.

Spaceman Paninis and Black Hitler
Troy's very cinematic introduction to the world of air conditioning repair was fascinating. We were introduced last season to his plumbing skills in a Good Will Hunting parody - if anyone knows what was being homaged here, I'd love to know. I make a point of noting in other shows how they cannot go mixing the serious with the absurd, but the absurd works just fine in the rules laid out for this show. The question is not why is there an astronaut making paninis, the question is why isn't there?

Conclusion
Good episode, apart from Cornelius Hawthorne, though that was salvaged with his killing. Dean Laybourne has zeroed in on Troy and his compound coil fracture sealing abilities, and will no doubt attempt to sever him from the group in future episodes. Troy might become more receptive considering his antics with Abed appear to be costing him cred with the ladies.

"Community" airs Thursdays on NBC at 8:00pm EST

Up All Night - S1 E7 - Parents

2011-11-03T12:20:00.000-07:00

Reagan's parents come to visit, her mother promoting a book about Reagan's youth and upbringing. A crew member on Ava's show passes away and Ava botches rememberance for him leading to resentment from other employees.

Review after the jump.

"He's never gonna get to see iPhone 5!"
I wonder if they had already filmed this part before Steve Jobs died? In any case the death of Dale, Ava's soundman, brings into sharp focus for Chris his own mortality.Most of his musings however are very morbid and self-centred though. It would be typical in a situation like this, you would think about the baby which you just brought into the world. Twenty-one more years, he repeats a couple of times, which would also be the age of Amy on his supposed death date. The worst, or depending on how you see it, best part of going early like that would be not being able to walk his faughter down the aisle on ehr wedding day. As a guy who still thinks of himself as relatively young and hip, it doesn't even seem to occur to him.

Meet the Parents
The problem with many TV parents who appear infrequently is that you don't really get any kind of feel for how they act and spend their time away from their kids, but in the same way that Reagan and Chris exist somewhere for real, Reagan's parents, especially her mother played by Blythe Danner, also do. The bond between them is not some super-tight telepathic made for television relationship, it's a real one with miscommunications between people who love one another but don't really understand one another. While Reagan is reminded to appreciate what she has, they both get that less might be more.

They'd be fired if they worked on a real show
With how well the rest of the show is constructed, it's amazing how contrary to that spirit Ava is. I bang on this point every week so I won't go too hard but it's clear they have no idea what kind of character they are even writing for with her. The sooner they forget about any Oprah comparisons, the better. On another note, the poor performance by the crew following Ava's slip is the same kind of thing as "Suck for Luck". There's a lot of performers out there with huge egos and if you go around proving yourself to be a nuisance if moderately slighted, who will hire you? I guess it is a union thing though.

Conclusion
I liked this episode, it was solid all the way around. The one slip was the video tribute to Dale which started out funny but dragged on a little too long on the one-note premise. There's not anything unique or groundbreaking about this show but it does just enough.

"Up All Night" airs Wednesdays on NBC at 8:00 pm EST.

Ringer - S1 E7 - Oh Gawd, There's Two of Them?

2011-11-02T12:35:00.000-07:00

Shivette reveals the existence of Bridget to Andrew and Henry as all three are hauled in for questioning over Gemma's disappearance. Malcolm escapes Bodaway's crew and makes his way east while Juliet gets caught up in more trouble than she bargains for.

Spoilers after the jump.

This episode was really more setting up for future payoffs, although there were some developments, really so much happened in the lives of the characters that paradoxically, nothing really changed all that much for them. Both Henry and Andrew are upset and angry that Siobahn never bothered to mention the existence of Bridget prior to being prepped by Shivette on their forthcoming questioning, but they are left with little time to think about it. Henry is preoccupied with wallowing in grief, drinking himself into oblivion and neglecting his two sons who we still haven't seen hide nor hair of.

I nearly misspelt hair as heir though that would be appropriate in reference to Andrew who is about to discover that he does not have one - Bridget is forced to undergo an ultrasound after fainting at the launch party for Gemma's new building which will reveal at the start of the next episode that there is no bun in her oven. Judging by the title of that episode, "Maybe We Can Get a Dog Instead", she will try and play it off as a mysterious miscarriage retaining her secret identity for the time being.

Andrew is also having significant problems with daughter. While she makes a conscious effort to be more responsible, it's still barely excusable she ended up in the situation that she does. Wound up by the Bridget revelation and questioning, he unleashes the full force of his fury on his daughter, cutting her off financially. I am sure Juliet will find some way to blame this on Siobahn but it's time to heed some of the advice she receives from her elders. She seems to fear her father, having called out Mr. Logan Echolls after her accident, a tête-à-têtewith the teacher is clearly required.

Malcolm finally escapes from some fairly inept henchmen, the force of his will carrying him to New York. Macawi lets him go, hoping he'll lead them to Bridget and by some unexplained TV magic, he not only is able to track her down to the building party, he is allowed in. Bridget is so shocked to see him, having been informed by Machado that he was probably dead, that she faints. Lord knows what will happen when Siobahn eventually returns. Despite having been warned that he has been followed to New York, Malcolm goes ahead and helps Bridget to hospital, perhaps working on the assumption that Macawi will assume she really is Siobahn. Or alternatively, so lovesick after an ill-advised night of passion back when Bridget was still wearing her hooker outfit.

One of Siobahn's henchmen is talking to her on a mobile line about his disposal of Gemma, it's still not clear whether she is dead or merely spirited away. Motive is also unclear. Frankly, I'm still dissatisfied with that entire thread of the story. It's developing a little too sluggishly and infrequently. Not a particularly memorable episode, this. I hope I am right and we do get a lot of payoff after sitting through it.

"Ringer" airs Tuesdays on the CW at 9:00 pm EST.

Glee - S3 E4 - Pot O' Gold

2011-11-02T01:09:00.000-07:00

Brittany believes the new Irish exchange student is a leprechaun for some reason. Mercedes attempts to recruit her and Santana to Shelby's glee club. Quinn is aggressive in her attempts to win back her baby, but Puckerman is not so eager to go along with it.

Spoilers after the jump.

I'm thinking the recent downturn in the quality of the TV I watch is one of two things - lack of quality control across the board, or extreme jadedness. I'm leaning latter and will oepn by talking about, once again, my most loathed character on the show who seems to be everyone else's favorite. On Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a show that featured werewolves, Chaos demons, witches, a giant tentacle monster and a secret underground government agency recruiting college students as their soldiers, the main character once said, "Giles, there are two things that I don't believe in: coincidence and leprechauns".

Much like Finn angrily says in this episode, the Santa Claus thing was a little cute last year but this is just stupid. While I continue to work on the assumption that it's all an act and Brittany knows exactly what she says and does all along, the presentation does the show no good whatsoever. It's something I've said all along, while they introduce and persist with ridiculous elements such as this and try to intertwine it with very serious issues such as bullying, gay rights and various other agendas, it does not work.

As for the supposed leprechaun himself, once again this show fails to break out of basic stereotypes. I know he was singing the Kermit the Frog song, but did he really need to be wearing a predominantly green outfit in every single scene he was in? I'm sure he's also a very happy-go-lucky kind of chappy who is also Catholic, hates the British and likes a drink. I'm not particularly optimistic about the directions they plan to take him in future episodes.

When did Quinn get so deranged? It took all of two episodes for her to go from insane to completely normal back around to insane again. Puck goes along with her screwloose plan to plant questionable items in Shelby's apartment for CPS to find just because, well, she went ahead without him anyway but comes back later to undo the damage. Quinn doesn't see in him what she hoped for Finn, but really Puck is further along than he was as far as becoming another Burt Hummel goes. While Finn still is unsure about what he wants in life, Puck is accepting of his fate and working hard in his own way. While Quinn patronizes and rils against him for this, Shelby is far more helpful and forgiving and circumstances draw the two back together.

Puckerman's story in this episode I liked. Burt vs Sue I could do without. Burt has a very Joe the Plumber feel about him and to see him thrust into the type of role he is in, I'm not sure where they plan to take it but I have a pretty good idea on what political lines Ryan Murphy lies and I am rolling my eyes already. Santana's complaints about Will's blatant favoritism of certain performers really applies to the show as a whole. They have a whole cast out there and they only ever utilize a fraction of what they have at their disposal. Very average episode.

"Glee" airs Tuesdays on Fox at 8pm EST.

House, M.D. - S8 E4 - Risky Business

2011-11-01T13:45:00.000-07:00

House treats a corporate magnate on the verge of moving his company's base of operations from America to China. Park is worried about her forthcoming disciplinary hearing and Adams appears to be holding a secret of some sort.

Spoilers after the jump.

I often accuse How I Met Your Mother and Dexter of having been on the air too long, but this episode really proved to me that this show has overstayed it's welcome, it was really all kinds of awful. The show and all of House's antics were fun when it was all new, but even Foreman knows all his tricks by now. After things got tough for him for a little while with the Cuddy problems, they just fall right into place for him far too easily and conveniently. There's nothing dramatic about the show so far because none of it is surprising and most of it is convoluted.

As a partnership, Park and Adams don't do it for me. They're hardly Foreman/Taub or Chase/Cameron. No wonder House is so eager to bring back Taub and Chase. I think Adams could mesh well with both, but Park seems like she is from a different show. I'm 97% sure she was spinning a tall tale when claiming her filipina cousin worked in an American factory, at least I hope to God she was, because that would also explain House's fascination with her. She is fairly robotic and deadpan most of the time, but with those elaborate wisecracks and problematic attitude, there's that delicious kernel of himself in there. She's also apparently terrible at lateral thinking, making her easy to prank. I don't think she'd be too good in the clinic. A career in radiology beckons.

Adams presents as a typical deliberately counter-culture yet easily manipulated whackjob liberal that House can easily mold under his thrall. It's something that Foreman picks up on right away and really should do his best to dispel if he is really serious about a career in administration at which he's already off to a bad start with the Park/Andrews brouhaha. While Foreman warns her of the lines she will have to cross for House, I wonder if he knows that bridge has already been crossed. Although... she got fired for him once already. Now that she has a better gig, would she be willing to do it again? What kind of a man was her husband to lead to such repressed rage within her? Was she working in the prison as an escape from him? I do find her a far more interesting character than Park who sets up as a typical westernized Asian-in-name-only.

The story with the patient had a lot of potential but really wasn't well presented. Barton, the CEO seemed to act on pride which upset his daughter to the point where she walked out never to return (at least for now) but none of it was well defined. I still have no idea what was going on there between them. House's bet with Wilson was way too convoluted and tangled to attempt to make sense of. His feud with the orthopedist was simply ridiculous and Adams taking a baseball bat to the office was really unnecessary. A very messy episode that left me with limited hope for the future of the show.

"House" airs Mondays on Fox at 9pm EST.

2 Broke Girls - S1 E7 - And the Pretty Problem

2011-11-01T12:29:00.000-07:00

After receiving (de)constructive criticism on the cupcakes, Caroline enrols herself and Max in a pastry decoration class.

Spoilers after the jump.

The Firm
The cupcakes get praise from some trendy hipster yuppies slummin' it in the cafe who direct Caroline and Max to a rich person café to pitch their wares too, but without even a taste test, they're dismissed as the presentation is bare essential plain and simple. Max retreats into her shell and in a huff, refuses to bake any for the next night, prompting me to note, "That's why she's Clemson". She comes up with her usual array of excuses (it would be 'selling out') and deflective jokes ("My cupcakes compensate by having a great sense of humor!") but none of it is particularly convincing.

As is often the case, Caroline once again has to provide the impetus, enrolling the two in a cake decorating class led by a pair of Jersey Shore rejects who Caroline hypothesizes are mobbed up, reminiscent as they are of Gracie Ancelotti. Max and Caroline fail to toe the line set by the guidettes but they do get creative and in the process come up with a hook that wills et them apart - Cupcakes that insult the eater! One of the gay couples also enrolled in the class approves the idea, if they had them at their wedding they would be able to "really let those bitches have it". Despite being down in the cash column this week, long-term things are looking up.

Inappropriate Sexual Tension
Max accuses Caroline of various things and as per usual, Caroline is very patient with the caustic wit of her friend. She is accused of decorating her Murphy bed like a giant vagina and being desperate for some action, but it seems more as though Max is projecting her own desires. Max again accuses Caroline of only dating white guys, to which she responds that she once dated a Spaniard - they are of course, in fact, white guys.

Max's crush Johnny brings his Puerto Rican friend to the diner hoping to matchmake between he and Caroline, but there are far more sparks between himself and Max who get a little nervous in the walk-in freezer before Oleg interupts them. If Caroline wants to prove Max wrong, she should date a Japanese guy - she sure enjoys quoting lines of their language. Despite what Max claims, it really does seem as though she is more focussed on the business.

Everyone hates Brighton Beach
Why are all the customers at the diner so awful? Actually, I know the answer to that - it's because all customers everywhere are awful. The old ladies Max serves at the start of the episode appear to be fans of the View, or so I would imagine. The co-workers are uninspiring as usual, barely rising above tired cliché. I feel most sorry for Matthew Moy - his accent isn't even remotely close to what a real immigrant Chinese actually sounds like.

In conclusion
The pacing of this show is really offbeat, scenes flow by really quickly and it feels like we're still in the middle of the episode by the time it's about to end. It continues to be good untaxing fun, and I think it will work as long as they don't throw too many characters into the mix beyond our two girls.

"2 Broke Girls" airs Mondays on CBS at 8:30 pm EST

How I Met Your Mother - S7 E8 - The Slutty Pumpkin Returns

2011-11-01T01:04:00.000-07:00

Ted stumbles across an old crush from a Halloween party several years prior. Lily's grandparents bequeath her their house in the suburbs and she and Marshall are faced with a tough decision. Barney receives some disturbing news.

Spoilers after the jump.

MotherWatch 2011
The idea of the Slutty Pumpkin was introduced in the first season way back in 2005, at which point Ted had been dressing as a hanging chad on Halloween for four consecutive years. He is cajoled by Barney into moving on from it and forgetting, but can't help himself when he sees the costume in a shop window. Conveniently, Naomi (Katie Holmes) is easily tracked down to her address and is single.
Ted, desperatw as he is, pursues the relationship even though the two of them have very bad chemistry problems, but as Barney points out in Classic Schmosby form, Ted fails to account for Naomi's feelings and is mercifully dumped by her. I wouldn't call it the most satisfying outcome for a seven season long plot thread, I'm not even sure it's one that really needed to be resolved.

How Would That Even Work?
Ted, at a much younger age got amorous with a top-loading VCR. Huh? The owner of the fancy dress store references another costume he stocks, the Slutty Artichoke. Yeesh.

Barney Fraser

The most disturbing part of this is that Robin is friends with Jerome Whitkaer (John Lithgow) on Facebook. It might be more excusable if the parent in question has been previously estranged, but it has never seemed right to me for the older generation to move in that same social circle with the young'uns. Makes me uncomfortable. Barney's grandmother as it turns out, is from Manitoba, right next to the infamous Saskatchewan making him 1/4 Canadian, a fact Robin is gleeful in constantly alluding to. As though it's not bad he wears a ducky tie everywhere he goes, he now has to contend with this - and after he can't go through with wearing a mountiew costume to the party, he will have to suffer a while yet to come. Some of Robin's taunts I suspect are entirely made up - or is Canada really such a strange, unknowable place?

Marinating Like a Fox!
Christina Pickles, Lily's grandmother is best know for playing Ross and Monica's mother on Friends - has she cornered the market in playing the elder Jew on primetime sitcoms? Robin's pregnancy brain theory is not necessarily wrong, but the opinions and outlook of women, and people in general tend to change the older and more responsible they become. The apartment Marshall shares with Lily is very small and not befitting an Eriksen boy. It will at least have Minnesota Viking drapes though, and for that we can be thankful.
Rejecting the opportunity to move away from the city prolongs the life of the show - it could have provided a nice jumping off point. Presuming they go through with the sale, they should at least have a nice nest egg, possibly for a town house. At least they would get away from the not sweet, not cute and very armed populace in their current locale.

In conclusion
The best parts of this episode were Robin's mirth at Barney's heritage. The bonus was seeing her dressed as a Vancouver Canucks player, compelte with missing tooth! Katie Holmes was perfunctory in her role as the Slutty Pumpkin but it did drag the episode down a little, leaving it overall a good episode, but not one that will live long in memory - bar the coda where Barney splits into two personas, the mountie and Uncle Sam, who proceed to throw down in the weirdest fight ever.

"How I Met Your Mother" airs Mondays on CBS at 8:00 pm EST.

Dexter - S6 E5 - The Angel of Death

2011-10-31T15:17:00.000-07:00

Dexter is quick to finger Travis Marshall for the "Doomsday Killings" but the rest of the department is caught up tracing the mysterious Professor Gellar. Deb is forced to admit that she is overloaded with problems.

Spoilers after the jump.

Iden noted last week, and it had never even occurred to me, that it's entirely likely that Professor Gellar isn't really there; his appearances on the show could be as spectral as those of Harry Morgan. We're trained to see everything through Dexter's eyes, but he's not in the places that Travis is, so shouldn't we at those moments see what Travis sees? As confused an individual as he is, is he the opposite side of the coin to Dexter, motivated by his faith as opposed to Dexter's lack thereof? Also, how in the hell do you not notice someone sitting in the backseat of your car waiting with a garotte?

What of Professor Gellar? He skulks around the abandoned church when not with Travis being careful never to interact with the world beyond what could be imaginary mugs and phones. The circumstances surrounding his departure from Florida State Tallahassee University remain murky, and Quinn may have literally screwed the Miami PD out of unravelling them any time soon. With all due respect to Ed Olmos, Professor Gellar is not a good looking guy. Upon hearing that the impressionable former teaching assistant was in a relationship with Gellar, Quinn smells blood in the water and immediately sets about plying her with alcohol and terrible jokes. So far his road continues inexorably towards fired and going vigilante in investigating Dexter.

Deb is tricked by the psychiatrist into spilling her guts on all the stresses that have piled upon her of late, forcing her to face to it and move on with her life, truly own the reponsibilities and privileges being a lieutenant confers. I'm not entirely sure her lease agreement with the beach house owner is on the up-and-up. Better make sure the Herald doesn't get wind of it. He notes the misguided tension between Deb and Anderson, which Anderson dismisses, claiming to be married. Let's hope that's the end of that. Anderson is dismissive in general, not thinking much of his new co-workers. Why did he transfer? What has he got hidden in his past? Did his supposed wife come to Miami with him?

Dexter seems as bemused as I am about his friendship with Brother Sam. He opens up to him in a way he reserves for very few people - other killers only, in fact. While Lumen woke up one morning and decided the anger and darkness was no longer in her, Sam admits on their first meeting that it is very much within him. Would Dexter entrust him with his deepest secrets? He certainly seems to feel as though Sam would kinda sorta understand. That is assuming Sam survives what seems to be, judging by the previews, an incredibly inept assassination attempt.

I'm probably in a worse mood writing this week than I was last week but it didn't build and build while thinking about this episode so I'm inclined to be kinder to it, but as a series, it's still a little incoherent - lots of ideas and concepts thrown out there but none of it truly making an impression as of yet - typical early season blues, let's call it, like this Masuka thing - that wrapped up way too early and easy to be truly over.

"Dexter" airs Sundays on Showtime at 9:00pm EST.

NFL Picks Week Eight sponsored by Studio Yukupo

2011-10-29T13:24:00.000-07:00

When are people going to stop going on and on and on about the "Suck for Luck" campaign? Besides the obvious, which is that there is no NFL professional actively trying to lose, I seem to remember that a similar thing happened last year. Everyone just assumed that it was a straight fight between the Bills and the Panthers for Andrew Luck, but instead he stayed in school. Well as it turns out, he's still only a junior. It seems a lot more likely that he will actually enter the draft next year, but can you really be certain? What if he doesn't? Then what do you do? Lose out again for another year?

Then we have to ask the question none of the talking bobbleheads will - are you sure he's as good as everyone claims? What if he's average? What if he's Eli Manning? What if he's just not that good? If as an owner/GM combo you are cutting your roster to make it weak, where is the foundation that a young QB will need? Andrew Luck himself thinks "Suck for Luck" is pretty much the stupidest thing he's ever heard. I couldn't agree more and wish everyone would stop bandying it about as though it were a real thing.

Picks after the jump.

Key:
Home Team listed in CAPS
(*) = Line Differential

Saints (-12.5) at RAMS
Dolphins (+9.5) at GIANTS
Colts (+9) at TITANS
Vikings (+3.5) at PANTHERS
Cardinals (+13) at RAVENS
Redskins (+6) at BILLS
Jaguars (+9.5) at TEXANS
Lions (-3) at BRONCOS
Bengals (-3) at SEAHAWKS
Patriots (+3) at STEELERS
Browns (+9) at 49ERS
Cowboys (-3.5) at EAGLES
Chargers (-4) at CHIEFS

Chris picks: Rams, Dolphins, Titans, Panthers, Ravens, Bills, Jaguars, Lions, Seahawks, Patriots, 49ers, Eagles, Chiefs

I pick: Saints, Dolphins, Colts, Vikings, Ravens, Bills, Texans, Broncos, Bengals, Patriots, 49ers, Cowboys, Chiefs

Week 2 of AJ Feeley and it won't get any better - the Saints will feel right at home in the Dome. At least the Cardinals won the World Series! That should ease the pressure on Spagnuolo and co. The last time the Giants were favored this big at home, they lost by 11. I doubt the Dolphins can pull that off, but they should be able to stay close. The Colts are a dumpster fire but I've lost trust in the Titans after their own pathetic displays of late. People love Cam Newton, I love Adrian Peterson. Carolina's defense is horrific and if Leslie Frazier gets smart, he'll have his guys pound them down and keep the ~~laptop thief~~ charming young man on the sideline.

Kevin Kolb vs the Ravens at home? I know who I like in that matchup. The Redskins are collapsing - teams off a bye have done badly, but Washington can't score with Buffalo. Jaguars on a short week are in no shape to face up with houston, especially on a Battle Red day. Bad timing for Jacksonville. Something is not quite right about the Lions either. I'll take the Broncos but it could be a get well game for Detroit. Doesn't matter is Tarvaris or Chaz plays at QB for Seattle, they probably won't be able to score against the Bengals. That looks like another ugly, low-scoring affair.

It's amking me nervous that everyone keeps bringing up that the Pats always beat the Steelers - that's how you go about jinxing a team. I still don't like the Browns even though they somehow won last week - they're shaping up to get blown out here. The Cowboys have had a tough schedule early but I think they are flat out better than the Eagles. If they can get the running game going like they did last week, Philly doesn't stand a chance. On Monday night, I like the resurgent Chiefs - they always play the Chargers tough and the Chargers aren't even that good anymore.

Last week:
Chris: 5-7-1
Me: 6-6-1

Season:
Chris: 52-45-6
Me: 51-46-6

NCAA College Football Picks Week 9

2011-10-28T12:46:00.000-07:00

To everyone rooting for "BCS CHAOS OMG", sorry but it's not going to happen, at least not like they would hope. Two unbeatens went down last week to cut the number down to 8. Kansas State is going to lose to one if not both of the Oklahomas and Oklahoma State will lose to Oklahoma because they always lose to Oklahoma.

Clemson will Clemson themselves sooner or later, it's simply in their DNA. One of LSU or Alabama will be eliminated next week in a de facto playoff game, for all the people who don't understand why the college football regular season is awesome, games like the one next week are why. Houston hasn't played anyone. Boise State haven't played anyone. Utah is 0-4 in the Pac-12. Playing AQ opposition every week does make a big difference. If Stanford can clear USC, Notre Dame and Oregon, the latter two both at home, they will deserve to play the SEC Champion for all the jellybeans.

Picks after the jump.

Week Nine
Home Team listed second in CAPS
vs = Neutral Site game
(*) = Line Differential
[*] = National Ranking

Virginia (+14.5) at Miami
[9] Michigan State (+5.5) at [13] Nebraska
[22] Georgia (-2.5) at Florida
[25] West Virginia (-7) at Rutgers
Baylor (+18) at [3] Oklahoma State
[11] Oklahoma (-13.5) at [10] Kansas State
[14] South Carolina (-4) at Tennessee
[4] Stanford (-7.5) at [20] USC
[6] Clemson (-4.5) at Georgia Tech
[12] Wisconsin (-8.5) at Ohio State

Chris picks: Miami, Michigan State, Florida, Rutgers, Baylor, Kansas State, South Carolina, USC, Georgia Tech, Ohio State

I pick: Virginia, Nebraska, Georgia, Rutgers, Baylor, Kansas State, South Carolina, USC, Clemson, Ohio State

I usually pick the home team in these horrible Thursday night games, but there are some teams out there which are completely schizophrenic. Miami is one of them and there is no way I'd lay 14.5 points with them. I still thought they would win and that result was ridiculous. Virginia are pretty schizophrenic themselves. Michigan State had a big win last week, now they have to go on the road and run right into another hard hitting team in Nebraska. The Huskers had a bad matchup earlier in the season in Madison but at home I think they match up a lot better against the Spartans and figure to give them some serious problems.

Florida's uncertainty at QB forces me to give the edge to Georgia. Looks like they are on course to eke out an SEC East title, saving Mark Richt's job. West Virginia is moving to the Big 12 and I suspect they'll be given a nasty scare by a Rutgers team playing great on defense, it always seems to happen. I don't think Oklahoma State can get 3 touchdowns clear of Baylor, there will be a backdoor cover if anything; the Cowpokes defense is just not good enough. I suspect Oklahoma will serve Kansas State its first loss this season, but 13.5 feels like too much, the Wildcats can hang tough.

Both South Carolina and Tennessee are messes. While the Gamecocks very rarely win in Knoxville, they have a talent edge and should be able to hold down an inept Vols attack. USC is another team impossible to figure out but they have strung two dominating performances together and should be able to stay close to a Stanford team that haven't played a good defense all year. That game will be notable for Barkley vs Luck but Luck has the better talent around him. Georgia Tech have gone down the tubes and have played pathetically in their last two outings but its time for this Clemson thing to end so I'll pick the Tigers just to make sure. Finally, Ohio State is a gut call. I don't really believe in it, it's just a feeling.

Last Week:
Chris: 4-6
Me: 5-5

Season:
Chris: 25-54-1
Me: 40-39-1

Person of Interest - S1 E6 - The Fix

2011-10-28T11:38:00.000-07:00

Reese must protect an attractive professional fixer after a deal of hers goes awry.

Review, minor spoilers after the jump.

This show is pretty consistent in what it provides, awesome set-pieces, tight if ridiculously unbelievable plotting and very to-the-point dialogue. This was another solid episode featuring Paige Turco, famous for playing Dick Vermeil's wife in Invincible and April O'Neil, as fixer Zoe, an abrasive woman who sets up as a possible love interest for John should she survive. Finch asks Reese where he keeps things he cares about in his apartment, and Reese responds, "I have nothing I care about". It's a similar story for Zoe who puts everything into self-preservation. The Spartan nature of her own abode makes me think of McCauley's line in Heat about being able to walk away at any time.

Her story is not really outlined, but I suspect it's not all that different from mysterious Big Bad "Elias", unseen but being hunted by Detective Carter as part of her investigation into Reese. Some of the aspects of this guy, orphaned, hard early life, made me think of Yakuza 3 villain Mine Yoshitaka, but while he bought his way into the Yakuza as a way to challenge himself, it's possible Elias was forced into a life of crime by circumstances he retains a very personal stake in.

The larger story at play in this episode is kinda ludicrous. Pharmaceutical companies are easy to pick on and scaremonger for, just look at Biohazard, but there's no way a firm that large sends a defective product to shelves - connections between their output and unexplained deaths would be made and they'd face a gigantic class-action lawsuit and various regulatory bodies beating on their ass. The villains were appropriately sleazy and hateable however and Finch's ultimate victory and redemption is heartwarming. Cool episode.

"Person of Interest" airs Thursdays on CBS at 9:00pm EST

Community - S3 E5 - Horror Fiction in Seven Spooky Steps

2011-10-28T00:08:00.000-07:00

After Britta processes the groups anonymous psych tests and determines that one of them is a sociopath, she and Jeff sit everyone down to tell scary stories to root them out.

Spoilers after the jump.

1 - Jeff's philosophy is awesome

Extreme personality - It must be Jeff or Britta. Pierce would be too obvious.

2 - Is being Britta'd like being Clemson'd?

3 - Britta's subconscious?

4 - I guess she suspects Abed, entirely logical.

5 - He's verly genre-savvy.

6 - The shipteasing is getting cruel at this point.

7 - Wow, that is a scary story, and yet also awesome.

8 - Hah, nice twist. Repressed bitterness there?

10 - (Troy and Abed are sewn together) They'll end up enjoying this.

12 - See, he's not racist, he's fantasizing about Shirley.

(Pierce unzips his pants and knocks out Troy) Hah, what a weird ending.

14 - Ok, Shirley's story is definitely the scariest so far.

15 - That story wasn't personal at all.

18 - Hah, that's sweet - nice use of available characters.

Great episode. It's funny consdering that Abed is the only one who's had an actual mental breakdown that his real test would be the cleanest of them all - of course, it's also reasonable to assume he is so genre-savvy with tests that he knew how to fake it too, or was filling it out half-assed like Jeff. The subconscious feelings revealed in the stories were nothing really new, let's hope some of those relationships get developed moving forward. I loved Chang's one appearance - too bad he can't get hugged like that in real life.

"Community" airs Thursdays on NBC at 8:00pm EST

Gossip Girl - S5 E5 - The Fasting and the Furious

2011-10-25T15:26:00.000-07:00

Serena pursues the movie rights for Dan's novel. Chuck pursues mature game while Nate and Charlie go snooping around looking for juicy gossip. Back at the Waldorfs, Blair and Louis announce her pregnancy to their parents.

Spoilers after the jump.

Well, as it turns out, Dan's stay in the doghouse didn't last too long. Serena is forced by her boss to reconcile with him in exchange for movie rights, but she goes in pouting. His desperation blinds him to her obvious maneuvering but having actually read the entire book now, her concerns are much different. After much cajoling, and as is easy to suspect when she gives Blair short shrift, she admits the reason she's upset now is that she is not the star of Dan's book. Essentially, she acknowledges her need to be the center of attention but also shows the soft, naive, adorable side of herself declaring Dan to be the love of her life - as predicted last week, this appears to be the beginning of a rekindlement for these two.

The very tangled relationship the future couple have with Blair naturally complicates things - the book is not finished causing trouble. Louis, after much jealous rummaging, has dug up the envelope holding the results of Blair's paternity test. No doubt he will fail to open it and instead stew in his own juices assuming that the father is Dan, the timing presumably lining up with the sex scene in the novel. The Grimaldi boy is becoming increasingly unhinged, having fallen for Blair's vigor and spirit but not comprehending the bill of goods. While rejecting his mother's smothering warnings, her words ring in his head as he scours Gossip Girl looking for leads on Blair's indiscretions.

Why his sister Beatrice is so desperate for the succession is a mystery. Doesn't she know that the younger sibling gets to have more fun without the pressure of being the monarch? Especially for her, considering she her shenanigans with the priest. She doesn't seem especially bound to the tradition her mother is obsessed with, and in these modern times, the perks of royalty are nothing more than a gilded cage. If they had made up a country, like being the Regent of Kolarivashiey, maybe there would be some genuine status and power to be had.

We thought that Chuck was getting more mature but it turns out he is merely more detached. While he embraced Lily last week, he seems to have gone backwards this week despite wearing an awesome blue suit, chasing Dr Eliza Barnes, a psychiatrist of indeterminate ethnicity who is improbably Jewish and also apparently acquainted with Louis. Sadly for him, he doesn't have the luck Nate has with the cougs and gets shut out, Now, he later claims he understands he actually needs real help from her on a therapeutic level, but does he really mean it or is it another cynical ploy? Let's get some real development with Chuck, please, no more flip-flopping.

I wrote in my notes while watching this, "Ooh, treachery" but really, that's all that happens in this show. Charlie/Ivy does a number on poor stupid Nate who appears to be lost and confused a lot and probably had no idea what the hell was even going on when she asked for his help breaking into Lily's safe. Actually, i think I have a pretty good idea what was in his head; her bright red lips and heaving bosom. Clearly, they are gonna get it on at some point. Meanwhile on the Diana Payne front, she seemed to have used an opportunity to tie up some loose ends of her own before going into her particular brand of business. What's her connection to Bart Bass? I think we already saw Chuck's real mother, so presumably she is not that.

Miscellaneous - Alessandra Steele (played by Marina Squerciati) is disappointingly sidelined, she seemed to have been set up as a major player but is rarely seen or heard from. I do believe though, it's her who says something along the lines of "She knows how this business works", referring to Serena, to which I would reply actually, no she doesn't. Poor stupid Nate is trying to model himself after JFK Jr? Acutally, that sounds like exactly the kind of thing he would do. Diana Payne is gunning for Gossip Girl - but where is she? Will she finally be unmasked before season's end? The episodes lately have been decent, I feel like there's still another gear we could work up to here though.

"Gossip Girl" airs Mondays on the CW at 8:00pm EST

2 Broke Girls - S1 E6 - And the Disappearing Bed

2011-10-25T12:59:00.000-07:00

Caroline wants to install a Murphy bed in the apartment and encourages Max to get out there and promote the start-up company more to provide funds.

Spoilers after the jump.

1 - Too much canned laughter for this guy's scenes.

Her voice is really loud - Maybe they shouldn't talk about this while other tipping customers are around.

"I dont have enough money to be a real alcoholic"

2 - Hmm, she didnt deny the scientology thing

4 - She just ordered it and asked later, sneaky

6 - You mean hand made

7 - Wow, witness the babbling

That's why she is poor, sadly

8 - Damned hipster

10 - 83 years old!

11 - Peach looks kinda foreign

12 - "He'll think I'm Dexter" Hah, palstic sheeting and all.

15 - That poor horse

17 - Real or scripted?

21 - Loss of money, ouch

Kat Dennings is very natural, she continues to drive the show. Beth Behrs is good in her own right too. The bartender guy in this episode seems kinda interesting, an unconventional type of love interest, but hopefully they don't end up driving him down a particularly cliched road. Caroline claimed the Murphy Bed wouldn't mess with the decor, but it kinda does. Liar, liar, ponzi schemer!

"2 Broke Girls" airs Mondays on CBS at 8:30 pm EST

How I Met Your Mother - S7 E7 - Noretta

2011-10-25T12:45:00.000-07:00

Kevin theorizes that people tend to seek out partners similar to their parents leading to awkward experiences for some of the gang. Meanwhile, Ted receives attention from Robin.

Spoilers after the jump.

1 - "We"?

3 - Not fuck. Try to please.

4 - Epic fail, Marshall.

5 - Ow and also ew

6 - Was that the same dentist from 2 broke girls?

8 - He should market some of these board games, I'd buy them just for the novelty, like Marshgammon.

9 - something horrible is going to happen on the balcony

Yep.

11 - This is very weird

13 - Ruined FOREVER?

15 - Fragile like a FOX

16 - Nice call back to absent side characters

17 - Peculiar Jacques! Gotta love Canada.

18 - Lily's dad isn't the best person she knows...

20 - Very extravagant drink for a first encounter

21 - Hah, nice cameo

Fun episode, I watched Gossip Girl after this one and the theme there was one character who felt that the main male character was the love of her life and he should feel the same way about her even though they were not dating anymore. Could there be a little of that kinda thing going on between Ted and Robin? Whatever the case may be, Kevin clearly has not walked into a situation paced with good mental health. I laughed a lot during this episode, but it was also pretty gross, I have to say, so that prevents it from a top-tier grade.

"How I Met Your Mother" airs Mondays on CBS at 8:00 pm EST.

Dexter - S6 E4 - A Horse of a Different Color

2011-10-24T14:57:00.000-07:00

Dexter considers turning to faith when Harrison falls gravely ill. Miami Metro begins uncovering the mechanism behind the grisly murders, dubbing their perpetrator the "Doomsday Killer"

Some spoilers after the jump.

Man, I can't pretend I'm sold on this season jsut yet, I may have mentioned in a previous recap that it all seems very cartoonish all of a sudden and this was the most guilty episode yet. Not that a show about a vigilante serial murderer is particularly realistic, but pretty much everything that happened here made me want to yell out, "C'mon, Man!".

Dexter and Brother Sam is a made for TV bromance if ever I saw one. I think I was as surprised as Deb that they became fast buddies so quickly. Maybe the Brother is seeking out someone to watch his back for him if ever he needs timely assistance of some sort. Dexter is curious about the whole faith thing and intrigued by Sam's past and internal conflict so one could see how he could become obsessed with that sort of dude. However, Harrison's sudden appendix rupture was like an anvil dropping from the sky. Whaaat? C'mon Man!

The only real part of this episode was watching Deb waddle around in those heels and get way too familiar in the elevator for Dexter's comfort. I knew that 'people would love her demeanor' in the press release. Would they in real life? It seems more like the people who didn't would shout louder than those who did. Also, when will she remember that LaGuerta hates her and she hates LaGuerta? And just exactly how much of a waste of space if LaGuerta's character these days? C'mon (wo)man!

What's with Lt. Daniels II from the ~~Ipsilanti~~ Chicago branch? Are they trying to brew a horribly ill-conceived romance between him and Deb? Yeesh. I know Quinn is a bad boy and Batista is (despite his denial) in a mid-life crisis but smoking weed in the middle of the day? There's never been anything in any previous season to suggest they would each do anything of the sort. C'mon man! That Ryan/Masuka sideplot wrapped up a little too conveniently, it's probably not all over there. She claims to have some financial issues, I wonder if she owes money to a character we have already seen?

Last and definitely least, these villains are just plain rubbish. I know we're supposed to be slow burn. mysterious and cryptic but it's not really like that at all. It's more like getting hosed by a water cannon for two seconds at a time while watching their scenes. Their appearances are just plain stupid and ridiculous but are we supposed to just go along with it? C'mon Man! I knew that poor woman was doomed as soon as she showed up. The only things they have going for them is that they're more imaginative than George King and also, one of them is truly Forrest Gump's son.

BTW, I actually had a pretty good evening, I don't know why I got so worked up writing this.

"Dexter" airs Sundays on Showtime at 9:00pm EST.