Jason Hughes
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Review: Heroes - Once Upon a Time in Texas
(S04E08) As promised, this week's episode of Heroes took us back to the heydays of the first season. Back when this was a world of wonder filled with new and exciting characters and mystery. Their futures lie before them, and it all centered on Charlie, the poor waitress that Hiro failed time and again to save back then.
Now that he's working on his bucket list before he kicks it, the time has come to head back three years and try to undo her death by Sylar's hand. Which means we got to see HRG, Claire, Hiro, Ando, Sylar and even Isaac as they were three years ago.
The question was whether or not he could change the past and save Charlie, when he failed to before. Furthermore, could he do so without changing all the subsequent events that had happened. He'd already had a taste of success with Ando and his sister, but this sojourn had much higher stakes.
Continue reading Review: Heroes - Once Upon a Time in Texas
TNT picks up Southland (officially)
It took a few weeks to get it done, but at least all of the produced episodes of Southland have a home now. The show developed a little bit of buzz with its first seven episodes last season. Then it developed a lot of buzz this year when NBC pulled the plug on it before its second season had even begun, leaving six episodes created and in limbo.Apparently, its darker tone didn't fit in with the network's plans anymore. After all, the 10 p.m. slot, where most of your more sophisticated shows used to live on NBC, is the home of Leno now. Immediately word came out that various cable networks were looking to pick up the series, but no one knew exactly what that meant. There were theories, of course, and TNT emerged as the front-runner.
Now we know, and it looks like everyone was right. TNT has secured the rights to Southland; primarily the right to broadcast the 13 episodes produced so far.
Continue reading TNT picks up Southland (officially)
Leno Weekly: Chelsea Handler, Dr. Phil, Ewan McGregor and more!
Hey, a lot happens in five shows. Let's get right into it!COMEDY CORRESPONDENTS
Arsenio Hall was featured twice this week. His first appearance was in a segment that had potential called "This Is What They Said/This Is What They Meant." I was expecting to see video clips of celebrities, politicians and the like spouting their same bullcrap, and then having Hall tell us what he thinks they really meant. Instead, it was Leno reading quotes, including historically famous ones like Julius Ceasar's "Et tu, Brute!" The gag didn't make sense anymore, and even worse the bits weren't funny.
Luckily, he came back later in the week with an on-site spot at Yankee Stadium, where he interviewed players from both teams and even set up a bet against a Yankees player and Phillies fan Kevin Eubanks involving Snuggies.
Continue reading Leno Weekly: Chelsea Handler, Dr. Phil, Ewan McGregor and more!
Review: Community - Introduction to Statistics
(S01E07) My wife bought me one of those giant weekly pill containers as a joke once. She even took my allergy medication and dispersed them across the different daily containers. Looking at it, though, made me think about that day in the future when I just might need to be taking a bin full of medication on a daily basis.Granted this revelation that Pierce carries one of these around with him shouldn't come as a real surprise. His age is a huge part of his character. That, and the pills were a major part of getting us where we needed to go in this episode for Pierce's arc. And Jeff's for that matter, but then again Jeff is at the center of everything, isn't he?
Speaking of which, is he really all that charming and good-looking? Maybe I don't see it because I'm a straight man. So tell me, if you're not, would Jeff's best moves and lines work for you the way they were working on the teacher this week, or are you more resistant to his affectations, like Britta?
Continue reading Review: Community - Introduction to Statistics
Review: FlashForward - Scary Monsters and Super Creeps
(S01E06) Some big revelations this week, both in the flashforwards case, as well as in the situation at the Benford household. In fact, it was at the Benford household that it went down. I was also very proud of the writers for choosing a more challenging route for Mark's character than the tired cliches we've come to expect.We also got the first encounter between Lloyd Simcoe's son and the Benford daughter, Charlie, and so many things became more clear. A couple more flashforwards to round out the hour and I'm still happy with the series.
And speaking of Charlies, those who've been waiting all season for Dominic Monaghan to finally get down and dirty as a series regular on this little show need wait no loner. His name was even right there in the opening credits under 'Starring.'
Continue reading Review: FlashForward - Scary Monsters and Super Creeps
Review: The Office - Koi Pond
(S06E08) You know, as a solitary episode, "Koi Pond" was incredibly satisfying from beginning to end. Outside the office, you had Andy and Pam making cold calls, while back at the office you had the aftermath of a different sales call Jim and Michael had gone on.It was the perfect blend of everything that makes The Office work, when it's on its game. There were plenty of laughs, great lines and little moments for everyone in the office. We got some developments on the dramatic side, and most important of all -- an incredibly awkward moment with Michael Scott.
As for Jim, he's really struggling with aspects of his new position, and it's adding a whole new dimension to his character. He's always been a little insecure about his leadership ability, but now we're seeing that he's about as ineffective in controlling the Scranton branch as Michael ever was, thus realizing many of his worst fears.
Continue reading Review: The Office - Koi Pond
Review: Modern Family - Run for Your Wife
(S01E06) Once again, the three families on this show needn't interact at all for the series to work. Maybe if someone were tuning in for the first time, completely unaware that the three families were all related, they'd be confused as to why we're following these three separate storylines. Even then, though, I suspect they'd still laugh at Lily's costumes and Manny's Colombian pan flute.As a parent, I'm not to the teenage years yet, so can't relate as well with the experiences of Phil and Claire, but I do remember the fear and panic you have with your first child. Every little bump is a crisis, as we saw. And, I'm ashamed to admit that I committed the same "horrible" crime they perpetrated on Lily later in the episode, as well.
As for Jay and Gloria ... oh, my son is in the fifth grade. Sometimes I feel like they're living my exact life. Maybe all fifth graders are equally off-the-wall, or maybe my child is as special and unique as Manny.
Continue reading Review: Modern Family - Run for Your Wife
Review: The Middle - The Block Party
(S01E05) Things are starting to settle into a familiar and comfortable pattern. There was nothing particularly groundbreaking in the presentation or even the subject matter of this episode, but it was still enjoyable. It's the love within the Heck family, even within Axl, that makes this a heartwarming comedy.It doesn't have the sharp wit and cleverness of its follow-up Modern Family, but it's still leaps and bounds better than its lead-in -- Oh, that's right. ABC went with a re-airing of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown instead of Hank. Didn't they air that last night, too. That's okay, Kelsey. It'll be just fine. You'll get that back nine order any day now.
This week, we focused on Brick. The more I see of the little whispering weirdo, the more I like him, and while I hate to keep bringing this up, the more I need the show to address his physical ailment. Commenter 'Jeremy' said he has found evidence pointing to it being osteogenesis imperfecta. This is the same thing Carnivale's Michael J. Anderson has.
Continue reading Review: The Middle - The Block Party
Review: The Biggest Loser - Week Seven
(S08E07) These eliminations just aren't getting any easier, which is frustrating because there are people there that I wouldn't mind seeing booted off of the ranch. They just keep staying there. You could read that as a spoiler if you want, saying that I just revealed at least that Tracey wasn't eliminated, but not so.Maybe I've come to respect her competitive spirit. Maybe she showed some real growth as a person this week, or maybe I just enjoy the heavy dose of crazy that she brings to the house. Maybe I don't want Tracey going anywhere. Have we ever had a crazy winner of The Biggest Loser?
Regardless of who went home, though, this was a huge week for emotional breakthroughs, as well as emotional turmoil for me watching at home. Every time Abby goes into the story of what happened to her family, it just breaks my heart and I want to wrap my arms around my own family to keep them safe.
Continue reading Review: The Biggest Loser - Week Seven
Gone Too Soon: 8 Simple Rules
This week, we're going to take a bit of a departure from the shows we normally cover. It's very rare that a show that puts out 76 episodes could be considered by anyone to be gone too soon, and yet I make the argument that 8 Simple Rules (for Dating My Teenage Daughter) is that show.
I'm also not going to try and convince you that 8 Simple Rules was one of the greatest sitcoms of all time, because it simply wasn't. It was a fairly standard, solid series headlined by a brilliant comic actor... and then it became something else.
Continue reading Gone Too Soon: 8 Simple Rules
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