TVSquad

It's a rare occasion that I re-trace my steps and openly admit that I was wrong. Typically, I stick with my gut and I'll fight you until I'm blue in the face. But it takes a big man to recognize the error of his ways and it takes an even bigger one to admit it to others. So here goes...

Initially, I wasn't impressed with Sons of Anarchy. After watching the pilot (twice), I panned it. Nothing special, nothing new. The second episode didn't do much for me either. But I promised I'd stick with it since it was on FX (in today's TV landscape, that counts for something) and after last night's installment (S01E08, "The Pull"), I'm here to say something I didn't agree with eight weeks ago:

FX has done it again.

It's the debate that just won't end.

Is 24 a show that promotes -- or at time caricatures -- certain political points of view? Is it pro-torture? Or is it just an extremely engrossing fictional jaunt through the Los Angeles metropolitan area with intrepid terrorist hunter Jack Bauer?

Several articles have cropped up recently, once again analyzing the politics of 24:

A staffer at Media Matters, a left-leaning watchdog group, wrote a piece saying that conservative politicians are pointing to 24's success as a "national referendum on torture." But he says they're wrong.

Did the recent death of a main character on Lost leave you wanting more? Maybe you have your own personal lostaway hit list? If that's the case, you're in good company. Tim Goodman, television writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, not only wants more deaths, he's got a list. Thirteen picks for who he'd kill, in order, and with a reason for each.

It's a fun article and I find myself in agreement with him on most of this. The one place we disagree is where Hurley is concerned. Goodman says, "You can't kill Hurley. You just can't." I'm perfectly fine with killing Hurley. It's not like he's doing anything on the island anyway. I'm sure Paolo, or the next mysteriously appearing new character, can say "Dude" and whip up a fruit salad. But maybe Hurley getting killed will finally serve as motivation for the characters to actually do something about their situation.

TiNo. That's the word San Francisco Chronicle TV critic Tim Goodman has coined for shows that he has recorded on ohis DVR but hasn't watched yet. The shows that have been on there but you haven't watched yet, or the shows you've recorded and you're not even sure if you'll eventually get to them or not. (Funny how TiVo has now become the noun and the verb for recording TV shows on a DVR or PVR, whether or not it's actually a TiVo or not. Like how we call all bandages Band-Aids!)

I've TiNo'ed five episodes of Life on Mars. They've been on there for two months or so, but hopefully I'll get to them in the next month or so.

What shows have you TiNo'ed?