What I’m Watching: Franklin & Bash

Franklin & Bash: Season 2, Episode 1 “Strange Brew” (B-)

After not being so into this show last summer, I’ve come to accept it as a highly entertaining guilty pleasure, and as a result I enjoyed this season opener quite a bit. Starting off with Franklin being trapped in a tank full of water was great, and Infeld’s subsequent announcement that they might be made partners was an exciting challenge that could change the game considerably. The fact that Hanna has chosen to ally herself with Damien to use their newfound promotion to get them kicked out of the firm altogether is bad news for this dynamic duo. They’ll be able to have some fun in the meantime, however, and it will enable Carmen and Pindar to take a more active role in the firm’s activities and on their cases. This episode boasted a number of fantastic guest stars, including Ernie Hudson and Martin Mull’s judges and Melora Walters’ restaurant owner. Eddie Jemison from “Ocean’s Eleven” and “Hung” made for a fun client, struggling to defend himself after a drunken, costumed encounter with the law, and Kat Foster was superb as the extremely attractive Officer Cowell. Her chemistry with Bash was excellent, and I do hope that she’ll stick around since, despite her attraction to him, she’s going to make him work to woo her. Bash’s Spartacus moment in the courtroom was almost as over-the-top and ridiculous as the opening water tank stunt, and it assures that these guys are going to provide plenty of arguments for Hanna and Damien to try to get them kicked out.

What I’m Watching: Girls

Girls: Season 1, Episode 8 “Weirdos Need Girlfriends Too” (B+)

Seeing Adam out of his apartment and out of the club leads to some pretty intense events, though it shouldn’t come as a surprise given what an out-there and unpredictable character he is. His monologue performance was actually quite effective, and his reaction to nearly being hit by a car with Hannah was extreme. Somehow, however, things always seem to turn out, and his end-of-episode apology to Hannah seemed sincere, and this odd couple may just work out. Their loud, gross sex was very much in character and something that Marnie really didn’t need to hear. I enjoyed her bonding with Jessa, who was completely bored with the idea of going home with a man from the bar, while Marnie found the opportunity exciting and took it upon herself to prove that she could be adventurous. Their host got quite riled up by their exclusion of him, and it’s lucky that it didn’t turn into a violent situation with an unhappy ending. Jessa seems like she’s extremely capable of getting herself into those messes without much though for how it will affect others. The night out was exactly what Marnie needed since she was spending so much time wallowing in self-pity and watching slideshows of supposedly happier times with Charlie. Her description of herself as the uptight one was not inaccurate, and it’s becoming clearer that she judges others while not taking a harsh look at herself. Hopefully this was her turning point, and she’ll be on an upward swing going forward for the season’s final two episodes.

What I’m Watching: Veep

Veep: Season 1, Episode 7 “Full Disclosure” (B+)

Seeing Selina mad is not a pretty sight. Her fury in this episode was palpable as she toyed with firing Amy, Mike, or Dan. Her instant rejection and demeaning of their suicide pact was entertaining, as was Dan’s quick abandonment of it. The fact that she praised Gary as the sole valuable person around since he actually cared was quite amusing, and he did do a commendable job preemptively breaking up with Ted for her when she thought that he was about to do the very same thing. Her miscarriage solves a major problem, but Smile Story was definitely pervasive throughout this episode. Her solution, to pin the whole thing on Amy being the one who was pregnant and therefore influenced to make unsound decisions, was effective but cruel nonetheless. I liked the suggestion of Sue as the person to be fired, and something tells me Sue wouldn’t have gone down without a fight. The most hilarious moment of the episode was Selina rhetorically asking Mike if he was really writing down their secret plan not to fully disclose everything. Seeing Jonah is his natural habitat was expectedly pitiful, and his anger at the nickname e-mail being leaked was enjoyable. It’s hard to believe there’s just one episode left in this season, but fortunately this show will be back for another round of mishaps next year. I wouldn’t expect this Sunday’s finale to be terribly eventful, but I’m sure it will provide a fitting temporary conclusion to this first season’s terrific arc.

Pilot Review: Longmire

Longmire (A&E)
Premiered June 3 at 10pm

This is one show about which I would never have heard had it not been for the plastering of advertisements all across New York City. A&E is a network that rarely ventures into scripted original series, and two of its most recent series, “The Cleaner” and “Breakout Kings,” enjoyed generally successful runs before being cancelled at their end of their second seasons. “The Glades” made it to season three, and airs as this show’s lead-in. Now, the network is trying for a new, old-fashioned spin on something very conventional. Police procedurals come in many shapes and sizes, and this one just happens to be set in the state of Wyoming. That gives it a very laidback, distanced feel, somewhat like Kentucky in “Justified” but with less intelligent criminals and an even gruffer lawman. As a lead character, Sheriff Walt Longmire is relatively inaccessible, and his occasional moments of honesty about the death of his ex-wife don’t help that too much. It’s much more exciting to see Katee Sackhoff, best known for playing loudmouth pilot Starbuck on “Battlestar Galactica,” as his deputy Vic, full of personality and energy. It’s a good part for her also, putting her in an entirely different setting. It’s also nice to see Cassidy Freeman move out of Metropolis to a place more like Smallville after playing Tess Mercer in the CW series’ latter seasons. There’s nothing especially clever or creative about this show, but it could be a fun summer distraction when not much else is on, and a great opportunity to see Sackhoff back on the small screen.

How will it work as a series? Procedurals lend themselves to easy plotting, and Wyoming offers a setting for specific crimes and villains that can go head-to-head with and then fall to the sheriff. The Native American presence should also add considerable drama to the mix, and there won’t be any shortage of conflicts or crime to be found on this series.
How long will it last? Fortunately, the pilot ratings were the best the network has ever seen for a series premiere, which suggests that the show will be around for a while. Having one cop in Florida and another in Montana back-to-back is great for the network, so I imagine they’ll want to get this winning pair renewed as soon as possible.

Pilot grade: B-

What I’m Watching: Mad Men

Mad Men: Season 5, Episode 12 “Commissions and Fees” (B+)

Poor Lane. This wasn’t the way he should have gone out, but there really wasn’t any other option after he forged himself a Christmas bonus check only to find out that the partners weren’t getting Christmas bonuses. Cooper coming to Don to tell him something was up with the books was appropriately subtle, and Don’s meeting with Lane was cold and unfriendly, matter-of-factly telling him that he would have to resign because of his mistake. After seeing Joan sacrifice herself and losing Peggy, something which wasn’t even mentioned in this hour, last week, Don had yet another heartbreaking blow, which was the news of Lane’s suicide and then the sight of him hanging on his door. Deaths and injuries in the office are always handled awkwardly, and this instance was no exception. Don dealt with it by fleeing from his home and doing something different, letting Glen drive his car as he took him back to college. Sally’s first period came at an unfortunate time, and running from Megan to Betty must have meant something was wrong. Watching her out at dinner with Megan and Julia showed that she has really grown up, and I was surprised to hear her admit that she had a boyfriend. Roger setting up a meeting with Ed for Don resulted in the most aggressive, unfeeling pitch ever, something which may end up being effective but certainly doesn’t pave the way for a positive and warm relationship between the two companies should they decide to consider a new firm.

What I’m Watching: The Big C

The Big C: Season 3, Episode 8 “Killjoy” (B+)

If there was a way to make Dave and Maxine feel as embarrassed and hurt as she was, Cathy found it. Having their strip and then leave their clothes while she was waving a gun and shouting at them was excellent payback, and they didn’t do themselves any favors by telling her that she was crazy to think someone would want to give a baby to a woman with cancer. They weren’t the only people Cathy eviscerated in this hour, as she tried to intimidate the hotel clerk into giving her Joy’s room number by insulting her middle management status. Joy didn’t seem fazed at all by Cathy’s remarks, but then she had to go get hit by a bus, which might have been comic and unnecessary if not for the shot of Marlene exiting the bus as Cathy stood over the body. Paul is sure to be devastated about her death, and he’s also not feeling particularly connected to Cathy after discovering that she has been going to the bar and posing as someone else whose husband died of a heart attack. Sean’s removal from his three-wide relationship was inevitable, and he didn’t take it lying down, giving both his partners some constructive criticism that was less than kind. Now, everyone except for Adam is back to square one - no baby, no speaking gigs (unless Paul inherits the franchise), and no romantic partners. There are still two episodes to go this season, so we’ll see where things head in preparation for the finale.

What I’m Watching: The Killing

The Killing: Season 2, Episode 11 “Bulldog” (B+)

Now that she’s on the outside, Sarah is still flying off the handle and behaving in an extremely disconcerting manner. Defiantly holding up the ID badge in the elevator for Chief Jackson to see on the surveillance footage is the definition of reckless, and it actually enabled her to call ahead and warn its owner. Even after having Holder beaten up, the direct brutality and fury exercised by Chief Jackson upon learning that news was quite frightening. That closing moment in which the ID worked to open a door, but not the one that they thought, was very intriguing, and should lead to some even more disturbing developments next week. At least Carlson is finally trusting them and giving them some privileges rather than working directly for the Mayor. There was no way that Darren was going to drop out of the race because Mayor Adams threatened to leak the fact that he tried to commit suicide, and owning up to it is the kind of honest bravery that defines him as a candidate. Stan has a productive episode not related to his own rage, though he snapped to attention when Janek threatened his family. Alexi killing Janek solves a lot of problems, and Mitch’s return comes at a time that could actually help the Larsen family get back on track, if there are no unfortunate revelations in the two-part season finale that serve to further tear them apart and shave off what’s left of the halo over Rosie’s head.

What I’m Watching: Game of Thrones (Season Finale)

Game of Thrones: Season 2, Episode 10 “Valar Morghulis” (B+)

After that insane penultimate episode, it’s hard to imagine this one topping it, but it did a pretty good job of coming close. After his bravery last week, it’s a shame to see Tyrion immediately dethroned and forgotten since Tywin has now taken on the position of the King’s Hand, riding in triumphantly on horseback to celebrate his victory. At least he still has his love by his side, as Joffrey grows ever more power-hungry and throws Sansa under the bus for a political marriage. Her stubbornness and stupidity is infuriating, since yet another kind soul offers her safe passage out of King’s Landing and she refuses it because she thinks she’ll be better off staying than going. Theon’s speech was quite impressive, though clearly his men had had enough, and unfortunately Maester Luwin was the final casualty of that invasion. Brianne proved formidable in escorting Jamie, resisting his taunting and taking out her assailants after Jamie’s identity was revealed. Jaqen is arguably the coolest character ever, telling Arya how she can always get in contact with him before changing his face to take on a new identity. After having her dragons stolen, Daenerys is back on top, successfully rejecting the allure of being reuniting with Khal Drogo and commanding her dragons to breath fire to incinerate their captors. The episode’s end was haunting, as Sam was privy to a frightening sight, which managed to rival “The Walking Dead” in terms of zombie hordes. Season three can’t come soon enough.

Season grade: A-
Season MVP: Peter Dinklage

What I’m Watching: How To Be a Gentleman

How To Be a Gentleman: Season 1, Episode 6 “How to Dip Your Pen in the Company Ink” (B+)

It’s rare that Andrew’s the one the girl likes better, and that’s what made this episode highly enjoyable. Fiona Gubelmann, best known for playing the similarly charming and unattainable Jenna on FX’s “Wilfred,” was a fantastic guest star to play Amy, Andrew’s new assistant with the same attitude towards grammar and politeness that he boasts. It’s no surprise, therefore, that she would have the same rule about dating her boss that he does, though one would hope she has high enough standards to be able to resist Bert’s charms. Wearing Andrew’s blazer and then telling him that he didn’t come to debate whose blazer it was ended up being quite amusing, though Andrew taking Bert’s cigar hostage as a way of getting him home from his date was more impressive in terms of creativity since Bert didn’t even bother to put on a button-down shirt for the fancy dinner. Mike’s dismay at finding out that Janet told Andrew all of his secrets led to an entertaining effort to find a new confidante, calling both Andrew and Bert to try to get them to be his new go-to person, with considerably little success. I do love it when Mike and Bert interact since they’re not primarily interactive characters, and Bert’s much nicer to Mike than you might think considering how much he gives Andrew a hard time. Andrew, however, was the butt of many one-liners in this episode as his high telephone voice was revealed when he was continually confused for his new female assistant.

Take Three: Common Law

Common Law: Season 1, Episode 3 “Soul Mates” (B)

This show is definitely finding its footing, establishing itself as an unspectacular but consistently entertaining series. There’s an appropriate amount of drama to be found with Wes clinging to the idea of his ex-wife and then seeing himself matched up with her when Travis creates a dating profile for him, but it’s not overwhelming, and the overall tone is comedic. Watching the two of them pose as dating site police was amusing, and Travis always goes the whole distance when it comes to playing the part of the crazy person. I like the latest female addition to the cast, Nora Zehetner, best known for her recurring guest spots on “Heroes” and “Grey’s Anatomy” as well as her role in the film “Brick.” It would be great if she ended up getting together with Wes and managed to make Travis extremely jealous. Speaking of jealousy, the captain’s love life may take center stage as he expressed to Dr. Ryan that he thinks his wife may be cheating on him. That’s another kind of drama this show doesn’t necessarily need, though some backbone may be nice. As USA series go, this one is definitely goofier, especially since its murders, to this point, haven’t been excessively gruesome or unsettling. The rest of the network’s lineup starts coming back this week, so it will be interesting to see how the first season of this show plays out alongside the other shows that have already established themselves. Should make for a fun summer, at the very least

What I’m Watching: Touch (Season Finale)

Touch: Season 1, Episodes 11 & 12 “Gyre, Parts 1 & 2” (B)

This show’s double-decker season ender comes a bit later than most other broadcast network spring finales, but this show has always proceeded along at its own pace, so that’s not much of a surprise. These two installments were full of familiar faces from early episodes, including Jude Ciccolella’s pawn shop owner, Rob Benedict’s Invisible Prince, and Titus Welliver’s lottery winner. All three played important supporting roles in Martin’s successful escape with Jake following his near-loss after Clea’s alleged betrayal. Clea and Avram proved that they were extremely trustworthy, but I’m not sure that Martin should really open himself up to anyone else. His sister-in-law continues to be shady in her motivations, and Sheri has demonstrated that she is only interested in the research Jake can help to provide. Martin came quite close to death twice in the course of the finale, indicating that Jake is much more instrumental than he could ever have expected. Heading off to Los Angeles because the numbers indicated so was cool, and I was most impressed with Martin, who, when met with a mother looking for her child, knows to ask the child’s name since it could well be Amelia. Jake was clearly proud of his father as well, rewarding him by holding his hand. Maria Bello’s Lucy has been doing similar work to Martin, as she helped her friend on the beach to find the woman he nearly drowned with, to connect them to give them both a sense of satisfaction and completion. She’ll likely have an interesting role to play in season two, when the show returns this fall on Friday nights. It hasn’t been a superb season, but this show definitely has potential, and I’d be intrigued to see more of it.

Season grade: B
Season MVP: Kiefer Sutherland

Network Jews: Ziva from "NCIS"

In case you missed it earlier this week, I'm thrilled to announce my first-ever post on Jewcy. As part of the "Network Jews" series, I've taken a look at Ziva from "NCIS," a show I watched loyally for its first seven years. Head over to Jewcy to read the post, and enjoy!

What I’m Watching: Girls

Girls: Season 1, Episode 7 “Welcome to Bushwick (a.k.a. The Crackcident)” (B+)

It’s just like this show to have its characters attend a party where everyone and their mother is present. In this case, it’s the men in each of the girls’ lives, as Hannah sees Adam from afar and Marnie makes the mistake of going to talk to Charlie. It was somewhat underwhelming at first to see none of Hannah’s friends reacting to the sight of Adam, but Marnie rectified that later by yelling at him from her perch on the cab. His argument that Hannah never asked him about himself was the reason he never told her about his alcoholism made a strange amount of sense, at least the way he said it, and I loved the parting shot of Hannah cracking a smile in the cab, squished between Adam, his bike, and Marnie. The conversation with Charlie was awkward, and her subsequent complaining didn’t do her any favors. Elijah’s bluntness was extremely entertaining, and I do love when characters that don’t usually interact on a show get the chance to do so. Jessa texting her boss was highly inappropriate, though he did it first. Spitting on Charles Manson, as he called him, was highly unnecessary, and Jessa’s rude act earned him a trip to the emergency room and a serious wake-up call. I like that Shoshanna accidentally smoking crack led only to a high-speed chase and then a self-defense kick, followed by an amusing non-sexual genital massage that only Shoshanna could deliver with such blunt honesty and extreme awkwardness.

What I’m Watching: Veep

Veep: Season 1, Episode 6 “Baseball” (B+)

On any other show, a pregnancy scare wouldn’t have been handled like this. Yet here the first reaction is one of shock, to which Selina responded each time with claims of not being that old, and then an elaborate calendar of lies being spun to make the whole thing seem far less objectionable. Ted didn’t get much of a chance to react to the news, though presumably he’ll be much more featured going forward, no matter how this plays out. Gary telling Selina that she is very, very pregnant emphasized the comic nature of the pregnancy, which is sure to end up being a big nothing but will just as surely incite panic in the Vice President’s office. Selina’s melancholy “Did the president call?” to Sue was perfectly indicative of the miserable situation in which she now finds herself. Smile story is sure to make that worse, especially as the world’s meanest reporter is the one disseminating it, calling her repugnant. Firing someone for smiling was never a good idea, and I have a feeling it’s a problem that won’t be going away anytime soon. Gary’s one-sided phone conversations with his sports-loving disapproving dad were rather pathetic, but no interactions were more awkward than the ones between Jonah and Patrick Fischler’s photographer Ken. Fischler is always so magnificently unlikeable in everything he stars in, and it’s great to see him pop up here as a photographer with no social skills, excellent lip-reading abilities, and a proclivity for touching the Vice President.

What I’m Watching: Mad Men

Mad Men: Season 5, Episode 11 “The Other Woman” (B+)

The men on this show have stooped low in the past, but never quite to this level. Pete so casually bringing up the notion of Joan prostituting herself for the sake of the company was horrifying, and the lack of a reaction from any of the other partners, particularly Roger, was disheartening. Lane suggesting that she deserved more for her sacrifice only made him half-decent, and Don was the lone good person in this situation, a true rarity. The expression of dismay on his face when he saw Joan enter the room as a partner was so telling, and having Peggy walk out on him moments later made the blow even more devastating. His efforts to reject Peggy’s resignation as a ploy to get a raise were desperate, and their goodbye was quite emotional. It’s a relief that Megan didn’t get the part since having all three women in his life leave him in some way or another at the same time would have been too much for him to take. Good for Megan for standing up for herself when Don told her that she couldn’t go to Boston, and it’s continually amazing how this marriage managed to work out. Gisnberg sure isn’t shy about telling Don what he thinks, and that may or may not serve him well as time goes on. Things definitely won’t be the same without Peggy around, and she sure went out on a high note with a masterful save in the middle of a phone call that won them back business they had all but lost.