Sons & Daughters....

.... is NOTHING like Arrested Development. Because AD was funny. LMAO Funny. S&D is not funny. At all. I shut it off after 5 minutes.

Made a choice to TiVo S&D (while watching Scrubs) instead of The Unit... Scott Foley's new show. Next week, I'm going to try it out. Besides the bonus of being able to write an infinite number of bad puns on the title, its being called Alias on testosterone. Have I learned my lesson about watching shows simply because of the great show they are compared to (a la S&D)? No of course not. I believe in making the same mistake over and over and over and over again.

Speaking of making the same mistakes again, I watched the season premier of Beautiful People on ABC Family. Writing/Acting/Everything is still as awful as it was last season... but don't worry, I'll be making my usual complaints as I watch the rest of the season. The only good point of the hour was when I saw a preview for the made-for-TV movie The Cutting Edge 2, with Disney Star, Christy Carlson Romano. Consider the TiVo set.

My Girl Chloe

Unlike T, I don't really care either way that Edgar is dead - I certainly don't think it helps/takes away from the story line. Yes, his character was annoying, but in a somewhat endearing way... not enough to actually *be* endearing, but just enough to balance out his annoyingness so that you didn't care about him.

HOWEVER, Chole really proved herself as a great character last episode. Kim Bauer's (lackluster) return was so annoying - creating an immediate dislike for the character. (Again, I have only watched Seasons 1, 4, and now 5... Kim was annoying in S1 and did not star in S4). I'm sorry - but if a loved one you thought was dead re-appears, first you rejoice, and then you discuss. The fact that she ordered her father out of the room because "she can't give him what he needs" is appalling. When Chloe called her out on being a total b*tch to Jack, I was so happy. Passive Aggressive bullshit is probably the most annoying quality in a person, and Kim is all about that. I would enjoy a situation where Chloe had to shoot/torture Kim because Kim turned out to be evil.

Can This be Serious?

24 Fans Heart Edgar

Let me make this very clear. Anybody who was a regular watcher of 24 hated Edgar for his sniveling whiney personality. For him to be referred to as a "fan favorite" is patently absurd. Count me among the people that wished his death were more painful (would it have killed them to make even more gruesome? He just fell down like a 400 lb sack of potatoes).

I am looking forward to future episodes without him.

Now, if they only could figure out a way to make Chloe perish in a raging inferno. . .

Sun Pregnant - Who Really Killed Shannon?

Okay... so just finished reading Kristen's chat transcript... and it said that Sun is pregnant (duh) and... (this is the good part)... the Others couldn't be happier? This would make sense, considering the obsession with all the children on the island, but here's my question:

If Shannon were still alive, her and Sayid would be having a lot of "private" time in the love shack, and there is a very limited amount of profilactics on the island (although who knows what's in the hatch)... eventually, there is a good chance that Shannon would get pregnant.

Think of all the kids we know who have already gotten taken: Walt (both his parents were Black), Alex (we assume both her parents were White/French), Aaron (both his parents were White/Australian)... and if Jin and Sun were to have a baby that was going to make the Others "happy", that means they might try and take the new baby, whose parents would both be Korean.

Now, back to the original thought of Shannon getting pregnant... if she were to have a baby, the baby would be half White/American and half Iraqi... this does not fit with the theme of the children that were taken... there has already been a lot of speculation as to whether Ana Lucia really killed Shannon (and although I know the majority decision was that she did in fact shoot her, there is still some doubt about hearing a second gunshot.) But what if the Others shot Shannon framing Ana Lucia, or at least created the condition that would make Ana Lucia shoot either Sayid or Shannon (they started the whispering) so that they could not have a "hybrid" baby? I have no clue where to go from here, but I think I could be on to something!!

Maternity Leave

Okay, so I haven't had a chance to write about the AMAZING Lost episode from last week, "Maternal Instinct." Lost writers *actually* answered some questions for us. Here's what I got:

1. We know what happened to Claire during her kidnapping (sort of.)
2. We know Danielle's daughter Alex is still alive (maybe.)
3. We know Danielle saved Claire and is therefore good (probably.)
4. We know that Zeke/Mr. Friendly is not really an island refugee (yes - this one is for sure!)

But of course, the reason we love this show is because of the questions it raised:

1. Is Alex good or bad - Danielle only had her for a few weeks before she was kidnapped by the Others... she was raised by them... how would she know to "help" Claire? I have a feeling this was a set up!

2. Henry Gale is an Other! (Or at least not innocent!) Or is he? When he started playing mind games with Locke, that was all I needed as proof. (Alright, I already believed that after the smirk to Sayid!) But, what's this I'm hearing/seeing of (spoiler alert - highlight to read!) his hot air balloon being found in the jungle???

3. There is no way that Claire was just there 20 days before (estimate courtesy of many posters on the Lost boards!) and there are shadows of the hangings on the concrete walls... either: a) the floating time theory is true or b) this is not the first time they have used the nursury, its been there for awhile or c) something happned to cause it... i.e. an explosion. I feel like I understand the hasty departure of the DHARMA team... once Claire "escaped" she was eventually going to remember what happened and find the hatch, so they had to leave. But it's a little *too* convenient that they left the costume... it is definitely a plant in my opinion!

4. If the "others" are really in costume - then why did the Tailies see them walking around barefoot on their way to the Survivors' camp? For the benefit of the kids/people they kidnapped?

5. WHO IS "HE"????

God - there are a million more questions, but I can't remember them all. Great episode. Much better than some of the going-nowhere ones we had earlier this season (i.e. Hurley's & Charlie's.)

BP 2

Oh my god - please help me. T just informed me that another season of Beautiful People (ABC Family) is starting tonight. I am going to try my hardest to not watch...

... but on the other hand, I am interested to see what's going on with the Nicky/Giddeon/Sophie love triangle... and if Daddy Kerr is really going to take the girls away from Lynn... and if Karen can get over her stalker/attacker... AARGH!!! TERRIBLE SHOW! DON'T WATCH SO IT WILL GET CANCELLED WHICH WILL HELP ME GET OVER THIS!!!!

Oscars

Let me start out with - I am *not* a fan of watching the Oscars - the only reason I tuned in was for Jon Stewart. I thought that he was awesome (as usual!) last night, but I didn't feel he was that well received... I wonder if he's like Seinfeld, meaning you really have to be from this area (New York/Tri-State) to understand his humor.

On another note, Charlize Theron and Joaquin Phoenix were really annoying me - they could barely crack a smile for anything. They reminded me of the Oscars where I started hating Russell Crowe based on his apathetic behavior in the audience.... it made me glad that neither of them won.

The only other presenter that amused me was Ben Stiller and his green jumpsuit! I enjoyed the fact that "for the first time in history, the Oscar will be presented... by nobody."

Upcoming Shows That Intrigue Me

Alright - there a few shows coming up in the near and distant future that I'm excited for:

Sons & Daughters - this show is being lauded as the "new Arrested Development", without being over the top. These initial reviews really scared me away from this show - the whole reason I love AD is *because* it is over the top! But after reading more reviews, I think this show can be funny on its own terms, as long as it can escape the shadow of AD. Read this Roush Review. I think the timeslot is ABC, Tuesdays @ 9 (Series Premier: March 7)

Heros - now THIS is a show I can get into! By previous entries, you must know by now that I love my superheros!! (Smallville, X-Men, Batman... list goes on!) This show is about everyday people learning about the extraordinary abilities they possess. Ausiello has a great summary of it here. It seems like this show will have my two favorite traits (which I'm sure you can guess by now!!): character development, and long-term plot (and of course a deliciously evil bad guy!) It won't be premiering until Fall 2006 on NBC, but I am already excited for it. Details to follow!!!

Las Vegas On Tonight!

Don't forget that Las Vegas is on at its new night tonight - Fridays at 9pm on NBC.

Although I'm very upset about the move from Mondays to Fridays (aka "the timeslot where shows go to die") - Las Vegas is a really "getting ready to go out" show; good looking people, fun environment, great music - just tune it while you're pre-gaming!

Battlestar Galactica

Okay - just finished up the mini-series that leads to Season 1 last night - and I am totally frackkin' hooked. What a great start - I just knew I would love it!

Its funny, I'm normally not into the "space & robot" types of sci-fi. Never watched a full episode of Star Trek in my life let alone one of the movies and the phrase "Danger Will Robinson" never meant much to me. However - this show, although is both in space and has "killer robots" (they Cylons) really doesn't seem science fiction-y to me. Again, this show seems to be about character development (one of my favorite themes!) And also, it seems very pro-woman, which of course, I love (the best fighter pilot is a woman, the president is a woman, the main evil genius cylon is a woman.) I have to say, the last scene of the mini-series (the mass funeral scene) got a little cheesy, but from what I've read, the ongoing series is much better than the starting mini-series, so I'm not worried.

Go get the DVDs and catch up! Season 2 is ending tonight (I believe). And they start shooting Season 3 in April.

Its sad - I chose to Netflix Season 1 of Grey's Anatomy instead of Season 1 of Battlestar this weekend... talk about hindsight being 20/20.

Scrubs Line

Alright - one more quick post for today, because I really am having problems concentrating:

How awesome was Scrubs last night? I loved the little slap in the face to Grey's Anatomy:

"Its like our life. But on TV."

(Or something like that - I'm sure T can post the exact line.)

Alias Press Release from ABC

Just in:

Jennifer Garner stars in her Golden Globe Award-winning role as CIA agent Sydney Bristow in this non-stop thrill ride through espionage, adventure and heart-wrenching drama. The electrifying return event includes the birth of Sydney's baby and reappearance of Michael Vaughn (Michael Vartan).

Upcoming episodes will reveal the outcome of Sloane's unholy alliance in his search for the cure for daughter Nadia (Mia Maestro) and the endgame of the Rambaldi prophecy. Other familiar faces from the past will crop up in Sydney's life - for better or worse -- including best friend Will Tippin (Bradley Cooper), mother Irina Derevko (Lena Olin), and nemeses Julian Sark (David Anders) and Anna Espinosa (Gina Torres). The series, which is filmed in Los Angeles and premiered on September 30, 2001, is from Touchstone Television.

Reappearance of Vaughn???? Does that mean he's definitely alive??????

2 New Shows

So, I've started watching 2 out of 3 of the new series I'm willing to get hooked on: Battlestar Galactica and Grey's Anatomy (in case you were wondering, the third series that I want to see but haven't yet had a chance to yet is Veronica Mars.)

I guess there are three types of shows I really like: Continual Mystery Plot Lines (Alias, Invasion, Lost), Hour Long Comedy/Drama (Desperate Housewives, Las Vegas, Commander in Chief), and Quirky Comedies (How I Met Your Mother, Scrubs, Arrested Development).

Grey's Anatomy seems to fall in the "Hour Long Comedy/Drama" category - kind of the guilty pleasure. I'm definitely enjoying the shows I've watched so far (starting with the superbowl episode) and I'm excited for the Season 1 DVD which should be arriving via Netflix this weekend, however, its not the type of show that I'm sorry that I haven't been watching from the beginning. Acting is good (Meredith is a little squint-y, a la Rene Zellwegger), but nothing is blowing me away. Am I going to keep watching? Of course! Its a pretty good show! But its not like it will be a good substitute for Alias.

As for Battlestar Galactica - I've only watched the first hour of the mini-series that led to the actual sci-fi channel show, but it is (as expected) amazing! The characters are complex, the plot line is rich, the writing and acting is superb, and of course, I love the continual plot line of the whole thing. I'm hoping to finish the 4 hour mini-series by next week and start Season 1 soon.

Quick Poll: What's your favorite category of show?

Alias' Return

This just in from the "Watch With Kristen" Message Boards:

So, thank you ABC, for making my birthday wises come true ...

I heard last night from a reliable source (and confirmed with another this a.m.) that ...

ALIAS IS COMING BACK IN APRIL FOR 8 FINAL HOURS ON WEDNESDAY NIGHTS AT 8 PM!

April 19th is the day of the midseason premiere, I believe.

I'm told that there will be a two-hour midseason premiere, then four episodes, then a 2-hour finale in May.

On one hand - I'm glad they finally scheduled the final Alias episodes, on the other hand, I'm a little disappointed in the actual number of hours appearing. I was hoping that the 2 hour mid-season premier and series finale would could as their own episodes, so really we'd get 8 episodes, but 10 hours left... oh well, I'm just glad they finally put a date on it!

ABC Is My New Santino

So... March is around the corner, and all we know about Alias' final return is that ABC has cut the season's episode order from 22 to 17... this means that there are only EIGHT episodes left to wrap up 5 year's worth of questions. This is insanity. This is one of the best tv series ever made - it deserves the time to wrap up everything it needs to. I suppose if the first episode back and the season finale are both 2 hours long, then at least its equivalent to 10 episodes, but I still feel cut short by 3 eps.

Read about it HERE.

Speaking of the rat Santino, how upset are you that he is going to Olympus Fashion Week??? It really should have been Nick, Chloe and Daniel V, who have all been very consistently good throughout the season. Although I was upset that this week was a "reunion" episode, I have to say that I got immense pleasure watching Guadalupe speak - she was bombed out of her mind on *something*!! If you skipped the Project Runway reunion show for any reason, catch a rerun on Bravo this weekend - its actually quite entertaining, and shows some "never before seen clips".

This Makes Me Sick

I'm sorry, Kitchen Confidential gets cancelled and Freddie is not only still on the air, but is getting press on CNN?? (Click here if you care.)

What is wrong with Fox?????

Wednesday Night Sci-Fi's

Wow! Lost was great last night! Here are my three favorite moments from last night:

1. Sayid being condescending to Ana-Lucia
2. The smirk the captive gave Sayid as the armory door closed.
3. Sawyer stumbling on Hurley eating the ranch dip.

As always, last night's episode, just raised more questions... here are my ruminations:

1. Wasn't Kate's dad (or at least the dad who raised her) in the army? Did he have any connection to Sayid?
2. When that general told Sayid that he gave him a skill that he would have to use later in his life - was he referring to the torture work that Sayid did for Iraq or the torture work that Sayid has had to do on the Island?
3. What did Hurley trip over as he was going to the frog? (Didn't Boone & Locke first found the hatch by Boone tripping over it?)
4. What did those red symbols on the countdown clock mean?? I saw a stick (EKO?), a bird, and what resembled a hair pin... did anyone else get a better glance? (I'm sure there's screen shots on lost-media.com)
5. THAT GUY IS CLEARLY AN OTHER!!! Right?
6. What the hell is Rousseau doing in the jungle besides capturing strange guys? Did she capture him on purpose because she was spying on him, or did he just fall into one of her pre-set traps?
7. Was Sayid's question to Charlie conspiratorial or accusatory????

Anyway, that was the best episode in a long time... I'm excited for the Claire episode next week with the new hatch, and the Jin/Sun flashback in two weeks... its getting good people!

Speaking of good... haven't talked about Invasion for awhile... everything I asked the producers to deliver on in the beginning of the season to raise the ranking of the show from "good potential" to "great show" they have!! (You know I have a personal link to the producers!) They are great at answering some questions, while posing more... a la Alias. This is quickly rising in my favorite shows list!

Best Alias Preview Yet!!

Okay... I've been having heart palpitations with the recent buzz that Alias is not scheduled on the spring mid-season line up yet... and none of my Spoiler sources have had any additional scoop.... however, I feel much better after reading this on the Ausiello Report... for those Alias fans out there, you have to read this:

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Ausiello/AusielloReport/

Ed gets Cancelled Again

According to Kristin (from EOnline) Love Monkey is officially cancelled. Gee, really?

I am sad to see Tom Cavanaugh go.. but maybe they can give him a new role now, one that isn't Ed again, and again, and again (anyone remember Ed's trip to the Hospital on Scrubs as JD's "older brother"?)

Speaking of Scrubs... I know this season is supposed to be "For the real fans", which I've always considered myself a part of... but does anyone else get the feeling that they might be trying just a *little* too hard? Yes, its still one of the funniest shows on TV, but with each episode its straying more from absurdly funny to formula funny... thoughts?

And I Thought American Idol was Useless

Look at how wrong I was

Goodbye Commander in Chief!

Now we can finally put to rest the silly dream of a woman President.