Bullshit: Season 5

I enjoy watching this show, but it's almost always just a little bit libertarian-off for me to *actually* enjoy it. I mean, the writing is quite funny, but Penn averts his perspective and redirects it to anomaly, while also acknowledging scientific method, as if he is using it. (And you can find a scientist to support just about any talking point.)

e.g., "Hating Walmart is Bullshit". He "acknowledges" that *some* folks have a bone to pick, b/c 150,000 employees proved in court that they were treated illegally. The very next statistic is "but that's no big deal, b/c there are over 1 million Walmart employees!" Seriously? Over 10% of a company's workforce is able to prove in a very pro-business court system that the company mishandles them, and you don't think this might be a systemic problem that warrants criticism?

Nah... b/c there are some Trekkie-types who are printing unfunny anti-Walmart t-shirts! He 'hits his point home' by bringing forward a poor girl who believes that she would be unemployed if the anti-Walmart lobby had had their way. Seriously? If Walmart hadn't come to your neighborhood, there would be no better job in Chicago? Seriously?

The guy even boggles b/c the residents of his semi-depressed hometown don't want tear down the empty historic buildings downtown to build a Walmart, which would help folks not have to drive 20 miles to the 3 other nearby Walmarts. Yeah, I'd much rather have an abandoned Walmart warehouse in 5 years (too massive to repopulate), built with taxpayer incentives, than leave some empty pretty buildings where they are. I'd also like to chop down the rainforests to build a McDonalds.

Not to single out the episode I most clearly found to be Bullshit, but nearly every episode has some bit of double-standard reporting reminiscent of right-wing anger tactics. It's still funny, and I appreciate that at least there is some propaganda out there that's not from the crazy right-wing (certainly not as hateful as, say, Michael Savage), but it's still propaganda... hence not quite good. Rated 5.

Lost, Season 3, the second half

It's almost as if they asked the writers to hurry up and shove out whatever dreck they could before the strike, and then they actually worked on developing the scripts *during* the strike.
The second half of the season is actually interesting again! While it doesn't have the same excitement and intrigue of the first season, at least I don't feel as if I'm being dragged through a drinking game, and I'll continue watching without resentment. Rated 4+.

Slings and Arrows, Season One

I feel that I am blending into a stereotype to admit how hilarious I found this series to be. When I was in Film, it was a joke how much folks in the film community *loved* movies about movies... and here I am, working in Theatre, laughing my ass off at a show about Theatre... and about putting on a production of "Hamlet" (which we are currently preparing), no less!
The only distractions I found were the lovely ingenues... Rachel McAdams' (oh great, she's going to be in "The Time Traveler's Wife" - an adaptation of a book I liked so much I'll have to see it) cutesie with the too-long-sweater-sleeves act struck me as an old-fashioned rehash of Jennifer Garner, and Luke Kirby is supposed to be an American Hollywood star? Right. What's that abooot? In the face of this drama and beauty, the season still gets a 2/3.

Lost Season 4, Episodes 1-5

JJ Abrams seems to have a pattern of creating an intriguing television series, masterfully presented in a brilliant first season... and then letting it all fall downhill. The second season is still better-than-average, but some cracks appear in the facade. By the third season, it seems that the writers have all jumped ship, and the contradictions become so great that you begin to wonder if the new writers have even watched the first season. Yet you keep watching, waiting for the original promise of genius. Ratings sag, they eventually put an end date on the project, and you end up masochistically anticipating and wading through the rest of the muck to reach a final resolution. ...the answer to the great secret will be revealed in a brief two years!
So it was with "Alias", and so it seems to be with "Lost".
In "Alias", they replaced the excitement of story with on-again, off-again filial piety, and in "Lost" it's this wishy-washy love triangle, replete with a nauseating swelling soundtrack. bleagh. (New drinking game: take a shot every time one of the three changes his/her mind if s/he loves the other. You'll be able to forget how you're wasting another hour.) Same goes for the love/hate for Locke or Kevin Spacey - I mean Henry Gale, I mean "Ben". It's "can we trust Sloane? Even though he just tried to push his daughter off a building five minutes ago? Of course, he's repented!" all over again...
(Do they have any continuity of direction? I work with directors, and the good ones know the back-story on every last major and minor character. Every obscure detail and character trait, even those not referenced in any script. Ladies and gentlemen, consistency just left the building.)
...but then there's this fifth episode, which is not like the others. It's great! Why? Because they ripped off the plot from Star Trek. That's why.

If there's not some payout in the end to make up for the latent misogyny and extremist portrayals of "faith", I'll be very upset. But if "Alias" is any predictor, I expect that these will be some of many issues left unaddressed, originally introduced to boost ratings.
I rant and rave, but I guess it's not really worse than the average dreck on the telly. It's just such a waste of potential. So I'll rate it a 5.

And, of course, I'll end up watching it to the end.
Stupid Hope.

Simpsons - Season 8

Homer's Enemy - so sad... i've seen it before and thought that it was sad then, too... I suppose that it's not poorly written, but I feel too much for the guy (and I don't watch 'Simpsons' for Schadenfreude) to rate it any higher than a 5.

Spin-off Showcase - Cute. Clever. Rated 4+.

The Secret War of Lisa Simpson - Cute. Would be cuter if it were ever alluded to again... 4+

From the Earth to the Moon (pt 1 & 2)

Too many guys who look the same for me to focus well on the narrative. And I'm seriously failing to see why I should get excited about a space program that was almost always one step behind the cutting edge... The second episode was a little easier to follow, however. Rated 5+.

The Office (UK)

At first, I didn't think that I would be able to handle too much of this series at once. I've never had a boss who thought that he was funny, but I've worked with more than my fair share of discriminatory a**holes... I've pushed their memory in a corner of my mind where I do not wish to go. But the series is so brashly funny that it didn't eat at me as I thought it might, and I laughed and laughed and laughed. Comeuppance is in store, and in the end it's just a corny love story, anyways, no? Lovely. Rated 2.

Dead Like Me - RIP

"Last Call", "Always", "Haunted"
I'll lump these final episodes together in a fabulous heap. Such a beautiful way to end a series. Never has a series about death been so life-affirming to me. Rated 2.

Star Trek - All Good Things...

I had already seen this episode a while back. Q ends this series, at least, as mischievously as he entered it. I've been a fan of the time travel since my childhood (see previous post), so of course I enjoyed this episode. Rated 2-.

Star Trek - Q2

Farewell, sweet Q. I have now seen every episode featuring you.
You did not end with the same omnipotent bang with which you entered, but I respect you all the same.
I would have loved this episode if I were 12. Not only is the writing on par with the type of drama I would have found inspiring at that age, Q's mischievous offspring (also the actor's) somehow reminded me of my childhood actor-crush, Meeno Peluce. Rated 5.

Dead Like Me - Forget Me Not

I'm surprised that this episode did not give me nightmares, the ending was so creepy. Very nice. Suspenseful. (With a special appearance by Yeardley Smith, who I haven't seen on screen since the days of Herman's Head.) 2-.

Star Trek - The Q and the Grey

The Q seem to have ever greater limitations as time goes on. You'd think that an omnipotent being could impregnate a species at will, and even make gestation instantaneous if so desired. But then there wouldn't be much of an episode, and I suppose it's fair. Rated 4-

The Simpsons - Season 8

Homer vs. the 18th Amendment - A pretty lame ending, what with just not having read the paper to the end. Besides, homemade beer isn't so hard to make. Rated 5.
Grade School Confidential - Cute and very adult, without being heavy. Reminds me somewhat of the episode where Milhouse's parents get divorced. Rated 3.
The Canine Mutiny - A little extra something so that it falls short of predictable. Rated 4/5.
The Old Man and the Lisa - Yes, I have the Lisa bias. But it's a great play on her character. Rated 2/3.
In Marge We Trust - I don't even think of this as a Marge episode. I think of it as Mr. Sparkle. And Mr. Sparkle is hilarious. Rated 2/3.

Star Trek - Death Wish

I like how "Q" is introduced to the "Voyager" series, especially how - through an encounter with a jaded philosopher Q - it can write off his previous lame behavior (*cough* Vash) in as a reaction to the dullness of continuum culture (which reminds me of a "Life in Hell" cartoon I pasted on my wall for many years that said something like "Wouldn't eternity get boring after a while?"). It gives me hope that future Q episodes will find him once again back to his mischief.
His counter-Q, however, ends disappointingly. If he truly wanted to be mortal just for a new experience, you'd think that he could savor the feeling of mortality for a few days (or decades) before ending it all. Q2's death seemed more of a lame device to neatly round out the episode (especially the taunting of Home) than a meaningful denouement. Rated 4.

Northern Exposure - Cicely

I liked this episode, but I could have liked it a lot more. Perhaps I identified with it more it b/c Roslyn reminds me of so many of my college classmates. But probably more so b/c I like when folks learn about history. I would've liked it more if the history characters weren't played by folks in present-day town (more using character stereotype), especially b/c it reminded me of some other episode (which I can't think of at the moment). But I guess I understand why they did it that way. Rated 5+.

Northern Exposure: Our Wedding

Not really a bad episode, but getting trite in its reliance on the characters' overt character stereotypes. Also, recycling old themes too much. Rated 5-.

Dead Like Me - Death Defying

In one sitting, it's an about-face from everything in the previous post, but almost equally as satisfying. Unlike many other tv shows, where I find myself watching and waiting for it to reach its potential, "Dead Like Me" unfolds beautifully. I admit, I get irked when they reap murders, when they are supposed to only deal in accidents, but I'll skim over this fact in light of their fine character development. Rated 2-.

Star Trek - Tapestry

After a slate of less-than-stellar viewing experiences (future entries), it was nice to have a double-shot of the good stuff. This well-written episode resonates with me, as I have often thought how my life might have panned out if I had had certain traits in my youth that I have only recently developed. But the I always come to the same conclusion, which is that I wouldn't change the bad choices I've made in my past at the sacrifice of my current self. And why would I want to? That is, after all, what being human is all about. As Q and Jean Luc discover.
It is odd, however, that Jean Luc accepts defeat and "wants out" from Q so quickly in his alternate reality. You'd think that with his pluck and vigor he could find new chances to take and paths to forge. ...but I guess it is hard to establish a new career at his age. (Speaking of which, his kissing his Academy friend was even creepier than young-enough-to-be-my-daughter Vash. But that's just me.) Rated 2+

Star Trek - Q-less

I appreciate when the Trek series' play with each other, and I dislike Vash less with this follow-up episode, but mustn't Q have learned Love to behave in this manner? He seems more like a moody teenager being dumped than an omnipotent being. Well, I suppose that Gods can do whatever they want. Rated 4-.

Star Trek - True Q

At first, I was concerned to see another perhaps flighty ensign(ish) on board in this episode. The Love of Love - as if it's the only weapon against Q - gets a bit cloying, but the episode was fair. That girl must have special powers to have such a complicated wardrobe that sets her off so beautifully. Rated 4.