What I’m Watching: In Treatment

In Treatment: Season 3, Episode 5-8 “Week Two” (B+)

More than any other show, this series offers extensive insight into all of its characters within an incredibly short span of time. Of course, that’s the point, considering each twenty-three or so minutes is devoted solely to conversation between Sunil, Frances, Jesse, and Adele and our friendly neighborhood therapist Paul. The second week of year three was a good follow-up on the first, skipping past all of the introductory stuff to dive in to the core issues of each patient’s treatment: Sunil isn’t sure how he fits into his family, Frances doesn’t want to appear as if she’s failing, Jesse doesn’t want to believe in anyone, including himself, and Paul is scared to death of having Parkinson’s and passing it on to his son just as he believes his father did to him. Picking which session is most interesting is a futile gambit since they all offer something extraordinarily enlightening and engaging. Not having his son and daughter-in-law present this week gave Sunil the opportunity to do most of the talking, and if Paul had to pick the patient he detests less this cycle, I think kindred spirit Sunil, who he allows to smoke during sessions, would be it. His phone call to Frances’ sister does seem a bit over the line, and in a sense he did just what he keeps telling Jesse that he doesn’t want to do: involve his family in an inappropriate way. It’s interesting to find out that Jesse’s parents are paying for his therapy despite the fact that they seem not to be able to afford much of anything else, and that also seems like a tricky thing, for Paul to be treating Jesse when he doesn’t realize who it is footing the bill. It’s always so interesting to see Paul take out all of his angst on Adele at the end of the week, and he did go in seeming rather apologetic. There’s something about his inability to get a rise out of Adele in any way that seems to infuriate him, and therefore he was back to bashing her age and inexperience by the end of the session. I, too, would like to see more enthusiasm out of the great Amy Ryan, but we have a few weeks to go, so there’s still time.

What I’m Watching: The Big C

The Big C: Season 1, Episode 11 “New Beginnings” (B+)

Now that Paul knows about Cathy’s cancer, this show takes on a new sort of life, with Cathy suddenly being pressured to do something about her condition from someone other than her rather non-pushy doctor. Paul’s dedication in trying to help Cathy get better often borders on and pushes back the limits of politeness, yet it’s still sweet to see him come to her defense, buzzer at the ready, prepared to get a new haircut in solidarity with his ailing wife. His efforts to bond with the woman at his office whose husband had cancer were much less entertaining but equally affecting, and definitely showed the more serious, moving side of this show. Cathy’s initial reply to Paul that she’s living her life as a way of reacting to the news was very understated and powerful. Cathy and her brother are more alike than either of them realize, desperate to live their own lives unencumbered by other people telling them how they should be living. It’s interesting that Rebecca complains to Cathy about her affair with her brother when Cathy can be just as stubborn sometimes as Sean. I’m intrigued to see where Adam’s relationship with this new girl goes, especially since he and Andrea should now be back on good terms. Only two episodes to go in the first season of this show, and any fans (now including me) of the show should rest assured thanks to the fact that the show was renewed a number of weeks ago for a second year.

What I’m Watching: Weeds

Weeds: Season 6, Episode 11 “Viking Pride” (B+)

So it turns out that Ellis Tate isn’t really someone that Nancy has to worry about, and instead he’s there to offer a completely new twist: Nancy going on the record about everything (well, maybe not everything) she’s experienced. What puzzles me is where Tate plans to publish this and why. Nonetheless, it’s good to see Nancy make a new ally, even if she still feels compelling to threaten him as they’re in the process of conducting their agreed-upon business. Andy definitely had a bit more trouble sorting out his affairs, and I found his invocation of the need for Shane since murder was called for hilarious. Hooman fits in so well with the characters that have appeared on this show like Conrad and U-Turn, and I enjoyed all of his scenes immensely. Andy suggesting that he can help him is likely something that will get them booted from their temporary hideout, which will hopefully occur after they procure their faked passports. It seems Kevin Nealon wants to stay involved with this show, otherwise he could easily be left behind just like Celia when this season ends in just two episodes. I’m unsure of what kind of relationship Silas will have with his presumed father, and I imagine that, as has been the case throughout this entire season, they’ll be torn apart thanks to a sudden need by the Botwin family to skip town. Something tells me Shane won’t take that too well, but the Botwin family is clearly meant for more than just Dearborn.

What I’m Watching: Chuck

Chuck: Season 4, Episode 7 “Chuck Versus the First Fight” (B+)

Chuck and Sarah’s first fight doesn’t exactly happen at the most convenient of times, and it’s about as entertaining as you’d expect given the amount of stuff that’s happening on this show. I particularly enjoyed Sarah’s reaction to the fact that Chuck told pretty much everyone – including people he just met – about their fight. Having all this happen while Chuck’s mom continues to flip-flop between trusted ally and treacherous villain was interesting since it helped to complicate things considerably since neither Sarah nor Chuck could actually be proven right during the debate. The fact that Chuck’s contact was actually Volkoff caught me by surprise, but it was a cool twist, and former James Bond Timothy Dalton was a fun choice to play the initially goofy Gregory Tuttle. Now it seems that Mary is actually a good guy, though it’s hard to tell when she continues to pledge allegiance to Volkoff and only secretly help her offspring. I enjoyed Morgan stepping in to talk to her during her interrogation and getting off-topic by reminiscing about her cooking skills. Ellie’s own personal search for some kind of connection with her mom seems to have reached a turning point now that the two did actually come face to face and Mary gave her daughter an important message that led her to the car. What, exactly, is that blue light under the driver’s seat in the car? I have no idea, but I hope it proves interesting and gets Ellie involved in the action in a fun way!

What I’m Watching: Eastbound and Down

Eastbound and Down: Season 2, Episode 6 “Chapter 12” (B+)

Why, oh why, does this show only have seven episodes per season? Just as Kenny is finally getting the hell out of Mexico, I’m brutally reminded that the show goes off the air after this Sunday. Fortunately, the show was renewed for a third season already and should be back for a likely America-set new set of episodes next fall (hopefully that season). It’s still sad to part with the show, especially as Kenny was just starting to become less of a jerk. He really does seem to be a changed person in this episode, making a semi-honest effort to patch things up with certain people in his life, even if doing so is only to help his career. Adam Scott is an actor who fits right in on this show, and it’s good to see him here in the temporary absence of “Parks & Recreation” and the permanent absence of “Party Down.” His introduction of Matthew McConaughey to Kenny provides an interesting twist that will probably shape next season, and hopefully Kenny won’t let his pride get in his way as much as he did this year. Still, there’s something to be sad for his allowing Stevie to take a bride and bring her back with them, and also his ever so slightly kinder tone when speaking to his dutiful servant. One last chance (unless next week shows them again) to see Vida and Sebastian was a nice treat, and all in all, this season’s cast of characters has pretty darn entertaining, including those Kenny didn’t end his relationship with on a good note.

Pilot Review: The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead (AMC)
Premiered October 31 at 10pm

There’s plenty of hype to be had when a show gets renewed for a second season before its first run even premieres. From the looks of this pilot, however, there seems to have been good reason for an early renewal. AMC has encountered great success (and many awards) over the past couple of years with the launch of several hard-hitting, devastating dramas with complex characters and excellent writing. Now, AMC is foraying into a new genre, one which possesses few films that might traditionally be aired on the American Movie Classics channel. Yet AMC has found a way to make it work without it even being cheesy or campy, as many of the films that have made it onto AMC’s airing repertoire are. It’s even relatively accessible to non-fans of the genre, keeping both the horror and, at this point, the gore to a minimum in favor of strongly-directed and genuinely suspenseful scenes that pit our hero in the middle of a zombie-infested world he is not yet ready to encounter. The presence of Lennie James (“Jericho,” “Human Target”) in the pilot as Morgan, Rick’s introductory guide to the new world in which he lives, is a sign of expert casting and fits with an extraordinarily-written role. The scene where he can’t pull the trigger and kill his zombie wife was particularly affecting, and that’s not something you’d expect to find on a show like this. It’s pretty bleak, yet there is still room for humor. I would cite the last scene in particular: Rick is surrounded and trapped by a terrifying mob of zombies, and it seems as if he’s about to shoot himself and then he exits through the top of the tank. Once inside, he’s still trapped, but then there’s that voice on the radio, calling him an idiot and asking him if he’s comfortable. It shouldn’t be long before he comes face to face with his former partner and his wife, and that should prove interesting, though I’m sure he’ll get over it quickly in favor of them all killing some zombies together. The first scene was an extremely intriguing start, and I think this show has enormous potential. Fortunately, for fans of the show (and I imagine there are many), this series has its network behind it, and you can look forward to many days of the undead to come. I’ll be staying tuned. Please share your thoughts in the comments below!

How will it work as a series? This is an extraordinarily plot-driven series which will necessitate week-to-week viewing. It’s too early to tell exactly what the format of the show will be since Rick has yet to come into contact with his friends and family. Still, each hour of this show should feel like that AMC-HBO immersion in a world and characters, and that’s a very good thing.
How long will it last? A long, long time. The series premiere was a ratings explosion for AMC, and considering how much they love “Mad Men” and the fact that it only pulls in a small fraction of the audience, this show isn’t going anywhere. Positive critic reviews also help, and I think this one will be on just as long as the network and the creative people behind it want it to be.

Pilot review: A-

What I’m Watching: Bored to Death

Bored to Death: Season 2, Episode 6 “The Case of the Grievous Clerical Error!” (B+)

I feel like I haven’t been appreciating Jason Schwartzman enough as a lead actor on this show. I think it was the line “his fist was the size of small dictionary” that really reminded me of how eccentric and hilarious Jonathan is, and how fantastic a job Schwartzman does portraying him. I also enjoyed Jonathan’s attempts to defend his near-kiss with Leah, citing his bad posture as a reason that he appeared to be leaning forward. Ray’s reaction to the almost-affair was funny as well. It’s nice that Ray was able to take an active role in the case and help bring back the dog (and then some) for Leah. I’m quite impressed that he threw the bolt cutters at the guy who was chasing him, especially since I really thought that he was going to catch up to him and beat him senseless. The fact that George used the same line on both his doctor girlfriend and his ex-wife was quite amusing, and it was even funnier that his doctor was going to take out her fury on him during his operation. Fortunately, it was Jonathan to the rescue, since the nurse calling him Mr. Christiansen was no mispronunciation, and instead, as the title so marvelously suggests, a grievous clerical error! Well, that resolves the issue of George’s cancer, which as it turns out is a timely revelation, since apparently the second season of this comedy will only be eight episodes, just like the first. Good news though, the show has been renewed for a third season, so it won’t be long before Jonathan, George, and Ray return after their departure from the airwaves in two weeks.

What I’m Watching: Desperate Housewives

Desperate Housewives: Season 7, Episode 6 “Excited and Scared” (B-)

As it stands right now, there’s an ever-widening gap between that which is truly interesting, original, and compelling on this show and what’s pretty much just a waste of time. As was true on this show a couple of seasons ago, it’s the lone dramatic storyline that really works, and it also happens to involve a murderous, mysterious husband. When Neal McDonough was on this show back in season five, I said that he managed to out-act every single other player. Fortunately, while Mark Moses is good, that’s not the case since the show is in more of an upswing than it was then. Still, I’m not optimistic about where everything else is going. Watching Beth jump to Paul’s defense and scare away an infuriated and vengeful Susan is extraordinarily interesting, especially after seeing how Paul treats her and how processes the relationship in conversation on the phone. The fact that Susan’s dusting leads to Mike going off to work on an oil rig in Alaska is extremely frustrating, since he could have just done that right away and spared everyone all the grief. Gaby’s favoritism towards her blood-related daughter is getting to be painful, and that plotline is not going to come to a happy ending. Tom’s stubbornness is nothing new, and it’s another regrettably depressing conclusion that could have been less miserable with a bit of preparation and open-mindedness. The storyline I’m not sick of also isn’t terribly engaging, and that’s Bree’s romance with Keith, which seems to be solid despite many attempts by both parties to insert obstacles into their relationship.

What I’m Watching: Dexter

Dexter: Season 5, Episode 6 “Everything is Illumenated” (B+)

Well it’s a good thing that Lumen didn’t leave Miami, since her continued stay is creating some of the best dramatic and comedic material this show has seen in a while. While some might argue that Miguel Prado would also call Dexter to ask for help with cleaning up kills, this is a whole new ball game. Dexter getting a call from Lumen on his cell phone while he’s in the middle of one murder to go help her clean one up is a wholly new, completely awesome development. What I didn’t expect was their bickering and the way that Dexter’s funny side comes out when he’s actually talking to a person out loud rather than simply narrating to himself. His snapping at her was entertaining, and I loved his joke about luminol (no relation). Of course, the interaction quickly turned serious, and Dexter’s seemingly hurt reaction to her swearing at him was a very intriguing moment. I liked the editing in this episode, showing Deb and Masuka walking down the rows as Dexter scrambled to stage the crime scene. Dexter’s reaction to what he thought was Harrison saying “die die” was amusing, and it’s good that he’s found a way to balance his relationship with the babysitter so that he doesn’t have another thing to worry about while he’s juggling multiple murders. Fortunately, though it was touch and go for a while there, Batista and Laguerta seem to be okay for the moment. Quinn and Deb may have some problems, though, considering Quinn’s friend’s remark: “you’re sleeping with the target’s sister?!”

What I'm Watching: Boardwalk Empire

Boardwalk Empire: Season 1, Episode 7 “Home” (B+)

Even though he's the star of the show, we really don't know all that much about Nucky Thompson. This episode was interesting on so many levels, particularly for the insight it offered into the past of Nucky and his relationship with his father. What struck me, besides his violent torching of his history, was the relatively forthcoming nature with which he shared details of his relationship with his father with Margaret. His admissions seem all the more selfish and insensitive when Margaret reminds us that she's very familiar with abuse. Their romance is truly interesting, and it's fascinating to watch Margaret continue to get closer to Nucky as she learns more about his lifestyle and, more importantly, her own. Jimmy's newfound friendship with his fellow patient was very compelling, and it seems that their common interests have led to them engaging in business of sorts together. The prize for the scariest speech is a draw this week between Jimmy and Chalky, with the former scaring the hell out of the man who cut Pearl up before having him taken out by a bullet through the window and the latter refusing to be bullied by someone who is clearly very determined to catch him off-guard. I thought that it was cool that the bullet's trajectory was traced back through the hole to Richard thanks to some speedy camera work; it made the show feel like more of a thriller than it usually is, since gangster fare can often teeter on the brink of drama and spy intrigue.

What I’m Watching: Smallville

Smallville: Season 10, Episode 7 “Harvest” (F)

Why, after this major revelation, do we have to have a pathetic episode which once again invokes the crutch of meteor-infected populaces and puts Clark in a situation where he no longer has his powers. It’s as if it’s only worth watching the first two and last two minutes of any given episode of this show since everything in between is just crap. While this show has seen its fair share of regrettable plotlines recently, they’ve been far more impressive and imaginative than this, and the regression is lamentable. This concept has also been executed in a much more compelling manner – the “Our Town” episode of “The X-Files” comes to mind immediately. I’m perplexed as to how Lois managed to escape the clutches of the townspeople, don some of their clothing, and locate Clark in the span of one commercial break when we saw her being carried away to be burned at the stake only moments earlier, and that convenient plot hole was pretty much all that was carrying the episode. Let’s focus more on Lois expressing her awe at Clark using his powers, and get these two out of Amish country, stat, never to return. On the subject of old plotlines being dredged up for no reason, why is there such a focus on Lex? As I’ve said before, it’s mainly disappointing because Michael Rosenbaum (almost) definitely won’t be back on the show, and mainly because we’ve been here already. This show – this universe – made a decision to kill off Lex, and bringing him back, even as a rapidly-aging clone, is pretty much cheating.

What I’m Watching: Nikita

Nikita: Season 1, Episode 7 “The Recruit” (C-)

Once again, you’d think Division would be prepared for some of the insurgency and potential mental breaks that go on within its walls. After training who knows how many recruits to be assassins, cleaners, and whatever else, shouldn’t they know that promoting someone to security guard might cause some anger or resentment? The fact that he can now be an off-the-books cleaner does not balance out the deaths of a few security guards, at least not numerically, which may be how those who operate Division think. I would also expect that they would give their recruits some credit, and therefore sending the agreed-upon worst recruit into the field on a mission has to appear at least a bit suspicious, and if Alex could figure that one out all by herself, it seems sensible that the girl in question could too. It’s even more appalling that she seemed so dumb when she proved herself to be quite skilled in hand-to-hand combat and trying to evade Nikita, so something definitely doesn’t track. All of these plot holes wouldn’t amount to that much if the show had something else to offer, but with continually worsening dialogue (especially out of Nikita’s mouth, though anything Birkhoff says comes close) and uncreative plotlines that always pit Nikita and Michael against each other, when Michael has clearly shown that his own viewpoints ally more with Nikita’s than with Division’s most of the time. I keep waiting for some big, show-changing twist, and I fear that it’s just not coming.

What I’m Watching: The Office

The Office: Season 7, Episode 6 “Costume Contest” (B+)

After seven years, it’s refreshing to see this show pull off a fairly original Halloween-themed episode that works pretty well. I’m speaking mostly about Pam’s costume contest, and particularly the reactions it elicits out of Oscar and Angela. The two accountants are great characters who at one point were spotlighted but haven’t really been given a chance to develop their characters, and therefore it’s a nice treat to see them front and center, especially when they’re on opposing sides of an issue (not a rarity). Oscar was once again the lone man of reason in an office of crazy people, and the fact that he won this supposed $15,000 when he was the only one who didn’t actually want it was hilarious, as were the explanations given by others about why they voted for him. Angela’s excitement about the prize and simultaneous desire not to pay Pam a compliment was great, and her dressing up as a nurse was quite unexpected and funny. I don’t have much to say about Michael and Darryl’s feud other than the resolution with them quietly agreeing not to talk to Gabe as he sat by, hopeless to be heard, was entertaining. At this point, Timothy Olyphant’s talents seem to be a bit underused, though Jim and Pam’s dogged pursuit of the truth about why he didn’t call Pam back was fun. I especially liked Jim’s sweet follow-up comment to the revelation that he thought she was dorky: “who wouldn’t call a nerd like that back?”

What I’m Watching: Modern Family

Modern Family: Season 2, Episode 6 “Halloween” (B+)

Put simply, there’s little funnier in the world than the image of Mitchell trapped in a bathroom stall wearing a Spider-Man costume, although the sight of him climbing down the side of his building in true arachnid style comes close. It’s a brilliant, perfectly relatable plotline of Mitchell being misled by a small minority of people to believe that his office workers dress up in costume for Halloween. I loved the way Cam gave Mitchell the idea to scale the building by asking him rhetorically who would be the just the right person to get stuck in this situation. It’s about time Gloria’s incomprehensible accent was addressed, and I’m glad that her attempts to mask it only lasted the length of this episode since she’s far less entertaining without her signature pronunciation of words. Claire’s enthusiasm for Halloween was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed how her master plan of greeting trick or treaters kept getting messed up by Jay’s inability to perform his functions, Gloria’s efforts to hide her accent, and especially Cam’s speeches about his traumatic experience every time the cover was lifted. And of course the show decided to go out on a wonderfully sentimental, dramatic note, with the family performing admirably after Claire’s big speech, and Claire telling a very concerned Phil that he’s stuck with her. There’s only one complaint I have, and it goes against something I’ve said about this show in the past: while it’s good that guest stars don’t dominate the episodes, I suspect there’s a much better way to use Justin Kirk’s time.

What I’m Watching: Better With You

Better With You: Season 1, Episode 6 “Better with Halloween” (B+)

I very much enjoyed the various threads in this episode, and I also liked how the Halloween factor was only going on in the background. While other shows devote entire episodes to celebrating holidays (which sometimes do work), this show chooses to make it a despicable time simply because Maddie’s birthday coincides with it on the calendar. Fortunately, that was only briefly mentioned throughout the episode, leaving more time to focus on funnier matters. Ben not remembering what Maddie wanted until the moment after he gave her the jewelry was great, and his efforts, coupled with the unhelpful assistance of both Joel and Vicky, were truly entertaining. I liked how Joel sent both Ben and Mia to the emergency jewelry place, and both their apologetic ploys worked. Casey’s stupidity continues to be hilarious, with the two standout moments in this episode being his lack of knowledge about karats and the way he asked Mia how she thought he made his money. Even if I’m still not clear on why Casey was so embarrassed about what was in his box, this show tends to get away, in my opinion, with thin plot points by managing to milk funny moments out of generally ordinary situations. I was also thrilled to see "Better Off Ted" star Jonathan Slavin, who played Phil, in a funny guest spot as Maddie's worshiping underling and Ben's new enemy Glen. Good news for fans of this show (hopefully there are some out there besides me!): last week, ABC ordered a full season of the show, along with “No Ordinary Family.” I do worry that this show might not be truly sustainable, but I’m definitely game for a full season.