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  • Leverage: “The Snow Job”

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    Oh, those nasty, nasty contractors. Having grown up around the world of contracting, this episode wins on the believable bad guy who deserves whatever Team Leverage can do to him front. Taking advantage of the victims of natural disasters? Run of the mill for a GC.

    I do have to admire the simplicity of the scam Retzing & Sons pull, though.

    1. Swoop in on stunned victims of natural disaster.
    2. Convince victims to take out an equity loan to cover repair work.
    3. Dawdle. ((This part comes naturally to most GCs. They must teach it in Contractor 101.))
    4. Do shoddy work. ((Ibid.))
    5. Wait for victim to default on loan payments, and since equity has been sucked out of the house thanks to shoddy, delayed word, they have little choice but to default.
    6. File a contractor’s lien.
    7. Profit.

    See? Better than underwear gnomes. There are more steps, but none are missing.

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  • Flight of the Conchords: “The New Cup”

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    In the world of the Conchords, every decision has its consequences and every action carries its weight in impending disaster, so in the whole grand, daisy-chain scheme of things, it’s not only plausible but inevitable that the purchase of a nondescript tea cup for the princely sum of $2.79 would be what finally leads one of them to prostitution and both of them to jail.
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  • The Closer “Good Faith”

    good-faithFans of The Closer tune in for tonights episode, “Good Faith”, eager to discover the fate of Detective Sanchez, who had been shot trying to save the life of Detective Provenza. The last time Det. Sanchez was seen, he was being airlifted to a hospital. While I won’t reveal whether he lives or dies, I can say the episode overall is a good one.

    Brenda’s parents come to visit, creating issues for her as she tries to avoid the pressure they place on her to commit to wedding plans. (Will she walk down the aisle this time? Has she overcome her commitment issues? Will she wear her mom’s wedding dress? Keep tuning in – I won’t leak this one either.) (more…)

  • Battlestar Galactica: “A Disquiet Follows My Soul”

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    When the soul has suffered all it can.
    —“There is a Languor of the Life,” Emily Dickinson

    Holy tylium ship, Batman! The wheels on the bus keep popping off one by one, don’t they? And where last week’s episode was filled with ever more painful revelations and monumental open-ended questions, this week we pause for a breath, zooming in on the personal fallout and pressing at the wounds in search of a little relief. And still the hits keep coming, like the surprises, and the pain is no less great.

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  • Friday Night Lights: “Tami Knows Best”

    Was it just me, or did anyone else get chills when the team came out to run with Smash? FNL does epic moments better than any show in recent memory, but we haven’t had one of them since the first season.

    Last week was a workman-like return to competence, but it was tentative and had lost a few steps. Like Smash, it needed a little help to regain its confidence and regain its footing. After the disappointment of its sophomore year, I think the little show we love is back.

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  • Burn Notice: “Do No Harm”

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    Michael’s old toys. Most of them are blown up or taken apart, but I bet we can find a few good ones.

    My normal conceit when doing a Burn Notice review is to do a short recap in the character Michael took on for the scam, but I’m not feeling Donny ((He’s a little bit rock ‘n’ roll.)) so you’re stuck with me tonight. That’s probably more appropriate for this more serious, straight-ahead episode anyway. This one was raw and more emotional than we’ve ever seen before.

    The Recap

    Mikey go boom. When we last left Michael Westen, he was diving from his landing inches ahead of a shockwave. Tonight: the aftermath.

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  • Preview of Trust Me

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    On Monday, January 26th, TNT expands its stable of original programming with the premiere of the Warner Horizon production, Trust Me. Starring TV vets Tom Cavanagh and Eric McCormack as best friends and creative partners at fictional Chicago ad agency Rothman Greene & Mohr, Trust Me is a light drama ((I won’t call it a “crama”, no matter what DMc says.)) about modern advertising.

    Here’s the thing: I want to like this show and I’m going to give it four or five or even six episodes to grow on me. Creators Hunt Baldwin and John Coveny have a combined 20 years of experience in the Chicago ad world, and they and co-EPs Greer Shephard and Michael M. Robin have proven they know how to put together a tight drama on a cable budget with The Closer. But…

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  • Leverage: “The Mile High Job”

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    Forty-four minutes is not enough.

    When you bring the always delightful Sara Rue on as a guest star – freaked out to fly and the target of a Very Bad Man – you need to give her some room to breathe. ((Or hyperventilate.)) Where was the awkward flirting scene with Eliot? Where was the confused three-person conversation with Parker and Hardison where she can’t see or hear Hardison? I wanted more of Sara Rue. Otherwise, this was yet another solid, entertaining episode.

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  • Flight of the Conchords: “A Good Opportunity”

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    I did a little scientific research with myself last night, and found that the absolute right way to end a weekend that started with a new and deeply disturbing episode of Battlestar Galactica is to sit down with a couple of screwballs on Flight of the Conchords. Actually let’s raise that “couple” to “three,” because without ol’ Ginger Balls, at least half the screws would be missing. In other news, Bret still looks like mama’s little lost bear cub and Jemaine, while sexy as all hell, still carries himself like Frankenstein. I’m sorry, but it’s true. And I’m sorry again, but all the riches of this show are in the details, so this ended up as more of a recap than a review. What can I say? Let’s not worry about semantics and also, life is hard.

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  • Battlestar Galactica: Sometimes a Great Notion

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    So. What were you expecting? Some peace? Sunshine and lollipops? Rainbows? Of course not. What we got is what we go for in the first place: to have Ronald D. Moore and his small, brilliant band of fiends pluck out our collective eyeballs and hand them to us like so many hard-boiled eggs (oops! Season 3 spoiler alert!). And then to snatch back those eggs and dice them up into little tiny pieces right before our one remaining eye(s). (I apologize; that analogy didn’t work at all.)

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