]]> Need more convincing? Check this out: in last week's episode, one character's entire storyline played out in the background. I completely missed this the first time through:
]]>Now, at the end of the week comes news that Stephen J. Cannell has died.
Cannell was a producer and writer for some of TV's biggest shows. His resume includes The A-Team, The Rockford Files, Wiseguy, The Greatest American Hero, Baretta, and 21 Jump Street.
Cannell was 69. According to ABC News, he died yesterday due to complications from melanoma.
His website lists the following:
"With profound sadness, we have to announce that our dear friend and colleague, Stephen Cannell, has lost a brave fight against cancer. He passed away at his home last night. He will be missed beyond measure by the Cannell Team and all of us who had the privilege and the plain good luck to know and work with him. Through the legacy of his body of work, with which he was able to entertain and enrich the lives of millions of viewers and thousands of readers, he will always be with us, living on in our hearts and minds, with fond memories forever."
The show, about a con man living two separate lives, had James Wolk, Adrianne Palicki, David Keith, and Jon Voight. So what the heck went wrong?
For now, Fox plans to fill the empty slot with episodes of Lie to Me.
We open with some scenes of domestic life, interspersed with similar scenes from hunting. Dean grabs the salt for the kitchen table, and we see a flashback to the Winchesters salting and burning bones. Dean uses power tools at work, and we see him slicing up a vampire with a power saw. It's an effective way to show how Dean's life has changed.
]]> And even more so, when Dean is sitting at a bar talking with his suburbanite neighbor about his past, explaining how he was in "pest control.""You wouldn't believe what some people have in their walls," he says.
The waitress slips him her number. Dean doesn't do more than glance at it before tearing it up. That's the new Dean for you.
Leaving the bar, he hears a scream, and he grabs his pistol and enters a building being renovated. He finds blood, and some large, scary claw marks, but nothing else. Later, he calls the police to see if any missing persons had been reported, but nothing. Lisa catches him, and he hides what he's doing. He checks to make sure his Devil's Trap is still intact under the front door rug before turning in for the night.
The next day, he sees more claw marks, and stops to follow them to a neighbor's shed. Around the door, he finds sulfur, but he kicks it open, only to just a small Yorkie inside. His friend spots him, and asks if he was about to shoot the dog. Dean says he was.
"I thought it was a possum. Remember when I said I was in pest control? Possums are vicious. They carry rabies."
Mothballed
Dean hurries back to his own garage, and there, under a car cover, is Metallicar. Yet more symbolism for the difference between old Dean and new Dean. He digs some weapons out of the trunk, but Lisa catches him before he can leave. She asks what he's doing. He explains that he thinks something evil is near, and asks her to take Ben and leave for a while. She agrees.
After she leaves, Dean hears a noise, and Azazel appears. He tells Dean that Cas came back, and Dean came back, why not him? As he chokes Dean out, Sam shows up, and plunges a needle into Dean's chest.
Sam returns
Dean comes to in an abandoned house. He doesn't believe Sam is real. Sam performs all the standard tests - salt water, holy water, bleeding - to prove to Dean he's real, and human. Dean is astonished, and hugs Sam.
Until he finds out how long Sam has been out - a year. Then he's angry. But Sam is unapologetic. He tells Dean that he finally got what every hunter wants - a good, normal life. Dean says he tried every way he could think of to get Sam out. Sam tells him that Dean promised he would leave Sam in Hell.
"So sue me," Dean says.
Sam is full of surprises - he also introduces Dean to some distant cousins. One final relative arrives - Samuel Winchester, Mary's father. Dean is shocked, how could Samuel be alive. Dean saw him die. Samuel can't explain it, he was just suddenly alive, just like Sam. And there are more strange happenings. The supernatural creatures aren't following the rules. Dean was poisened by a djinn. They normally find abandoned houses and remote places to keep their prey. Sam injected him with an antidote that Samuel created, and that's how Dean recovered.
Bobby also returns
Dean wants to go hunt the djinn. He knows the djinn will be watching his house, waiting to catch him alone. He plans to be bait. But first, he calls Lisa and tells her to meet him. They go to Bobby's house. Bobby is surprised to see Dean. Lisa and Ben go to their rooms. Bobby tells them not to touch the décor. "Just assume everything's loaded," he says.
Sam walks in, but Bobby is not surprised to see Sam. This makes Dean furious. How long has Bobby known?
Bobby has known for a year also. But he tells Dean the same thing - he was out of hunting, and Bobby was not going to ruin that for him.
Dean goes to talk to Lisa, and she tells him it sounds like he's saying good-bye. Dean sort of agrees, and Lisa tells him that this has been the best year of her life, and that she really hoped Ben would have someone he could look up to. Someone that could be a father to him. She really knows how to get Dean where he's most vulnerable.
The trap
Back at the house, they see three djinn hiding in the woods watching. Dean goes into the house, and sees the djinn killing his neighbors. Sam tells him the neighbors are probably already dead, and that it's a trap to lure him out of his house. Dean knows this, but he can't let them die, they are his friends. He can't understand why Sam isn't going with him.
Dean rushes over, right into the trap. The djinn poison him, and he hallucinates Azazel torturing Lisa and making Ben drink demon blood.
Meanwhile, Sam is being attacked. He fights back with a golf club, but he's losing when Samuel shows up. They kill one djinn, while Sam rushes to help Dean and the neighbors. The other djinn, though, is captured and put into the van before Sam can see. Samuel, what exactly are you up to?
Success
Sam rescues Dean, and they prepare to go. Except Dean's not leaving. He's decided to stay. Sam asks if he realizes he's putting Lisa and Ben in danger. Dean tells him he's already put them in danger, now he has to stay to protect them. He pulls out the keys to Metallicar, and tells Sam to take care of her.
"Uh, thanks," Sam says. "But I've already got my car set up the way I like it." Whoa. Things have really changed. And with that, the Winchesters part ways. For now.
A quick impression
Here's what struck me about the season premiere - the characters behaved the way you'd expect them to. The Winchesters didn't just fall in step and act like nothing had happened. They've both changed. A gulf has opened between them, one that started some time ago, and gradually widened until the moment Sam allowed Lucifer to possess him. Not all of that gulf has been bad, some of it has even been necessary. Sam has established himself without Dean. He spent five years trying to make his own way as a hunter, and as a person, and he finally succeeded. Dean, for his part, has made peace with the fact that he is no longer needed to take care of Sam, and has found someone else to care for (not that Sam ever needed that care).
I think it's going to be interesting how the brothers sort out their newfound independence. There is sure to be conflict as they try to avoid dropping back into the old familiar character patterns of big brother, little brother. The trick for the writers is going to be integrating the character changes into what we all like so much in the characters from previous seasons. Here's hoping they pull it off. I think they nailed it this week.
]]>We got a hold of a copy of the release, which is out Tuesday, September 28, 2010. At 44 minutes, the disc includes the band's greatest hits -- all of which are extremely peppy. The disc is pretty no frills, but that's certainly some of the charm.
It took my kid one song to realize what the heck was going on, and then he busted out more moves than Electric Boogaloo. It's truly a workout for the body and facial muscles. Expect to see a ton of smiling! In between the disc's 16 songs (see below), Nick cartoon hosts Moose and Zee make with some mild chatter, allowing your kid to catch a breath.
This should be a real winner with the kids, and warrant some serious repeat viewing. Instead of trying to catch snippets of Laurie on the cable channel, think about investing in the DVD. Amazon currently has it for $3 less than it's $16.99 MSRP.
Let's Hear It for The Laurie Berkner Band! includes:
And what grabs my attention today is that awesome Season 6 Supernatural promo trailer. The show has gotten darker over the years, but this isn't supposed to be a sitcom. And it looks like Season 6 will continue that trend, judging from the trailer.
This season is also a reset, in more than one way. Everyone is wondering about a few things: How much will Eric Kripke leaving as showrunner change things? How will Sera Gamble remake the show in her style? How do you top Armageddon? How do you escape Hell, without letting Lucifer - and Michael - out of their cages? How can Dean be a family man, and still hunt?
So many questions, what about some answers?
I have no idea.
I'm willing to make a couple of guesses on some of those questions. I don't think the show will change much. Sera and the writers have been with the show a long time. They know what works. There may be some hiccups as Sera learns her new trade, but I expect they'll be minor.
I expect the show might become darker, grosser, and funnier, all at once. Sera, based on what I've read from her online, is wickedly funny. And I think we all know about Ben Edlund at this point. I've also developed an impression - and I can't remember where I got it - that Sera loves the gross out. And so does Ben. If there are any small changes, I think they'll be in those two directions.
As for the mytharc questions? No clue. I have read that the monster mythology is basically starting over. If you've seen the trailer, you know what that means - the "lore" that hunters rely on is no longer accurate. The supernatural (small "s") limits and rules no longer apply.
This, in particular, excites me. What would ghouls and ghosts and demons be like if they were bound by no, or at least different, rules?
I can't wait to find out.
Parenthood
How the show even squeaked by its first season is beyond me. It's not a show that I planned to enjoy, but yes, I look forward to every week. The cast is incredibly talented, which means it has to be a boatload of money to produce. Last season, NBC also ran episodes on Saturdays, which may have helped out the show's viewership. I know it really helped me to keep up. This season, not so much. Also weird that it's sandwiched after two hours of The Biggest Loser.
The Event
Apparently, I am the only person that enjoyed this pilot. However, since I'm really the only person whose happiness I care about (OK -- there are a few others), I need this show to stay on the air. I understand that it was overhyped, and NBC is even giving the show the coveted second-run spot on Saturday nights. Maybe people will actually tune in. I hope so, because, I really need to see where it's going. Jason Ritter, Blair Underwood and the last 30 minutes of the pilot have me intrigued. I'm hanging in NBC. Please do me the same courtesy.
The Good Guys
The mustache commands your respect. Also, are there two more likable leads? Fox seems to be burying this show where no one can find it. They did that to another Hanks when the show was called Bosom Buddies. Wonder whatever happened to that guy...
Terriers
One of the guys from The Shield has managed to create the least-watched original show FX has had in a long while. The show isn't as gritty, but there's something about it that's very entertaining. Then again, I will watch Donal Logue in anything. The guy is fan-f'ing-tastic. Many know him from Grounded for Life. He was also in an awesome flick called The Tao of Steve. The short-lived show The Knights of Prosperity was also a gem -- that no one watched.
Are there any new (or returning) shows that you fear getting the axe? Sound off below.
Really. 1,400 words. On recapping.
I've recapped. A lot. Hell, I was recapping before recappers called it recapping. And while I know I'm coming off as the cranky geriatric waving his cane at those flippant effin' youngsters, I think I've got some cred here.
]]> Despite the overblown prose and expectations running through the Observer piece, the key to a good recap lies not with the "writer." It doesn't matter how snarky or funny or thorough you are. A good recap comes down to one tiny thing:The show must be awesome.
Really. You think the same sort amazing community that took hold around The Lost Blog would have formed had my drug of choice been "According to Jim"?
You already know the answer to that.
I don't fault anyone who recaps. It's a perfectly lovely and fun thing to do. I may even do it again at some point far in the future. But there's a line in the Observer piece that stuck deep in my craw, and I'm inclined -- nay, compelled from the depths of my angry soul -- to disagree:
"One would think."Right now, the career path of the TV recapper is largely undetermined. One would think that the job would lead to a career in traditional television journalism.
Nonsense. One isn't thinking at all. Dig into recapping and you'll see there's no there, there. It's a hobby. Not a job. Recapping a television show might display your linguistic capabilities. You might turn a phrase or two. But recapping in no way serves as a stepping stone toward bigger and better things. You know why? Because you're recapping a television show. It ain't that hard.
Recappers of the world, I implore you: Keep your expectations realistic and enjoy what you do because it's an enjoyable thing to do. That alone is -- and should be -- the reward.
]]>Q: When you first really realized you liked to do this; to perform and so forth?
James Wolk: I was about 10... 9, 10, and my parents used to sit me down in front of old Jimmy Durante movies or Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra Rat Pack movies. I used to watch these old movies and there's an energy that came off the TV that I knew I was attracted to. I mean I wanted to watch that one. I wanted to watch cartoons, and I eventually wanted to kind of give that out, whatever that is, that study of a person, that bringing someone into a different sort of a world and got attracted to it at a young age.
Q: Let's talk about David Keith and Jon Voight. You are a relative newcomer to the scope of a show like this, we're curious if they were people that you relied on in terms of seeking counsel or them offering counsel in working on the show?
JW: Well, you know what the great thing is about those guys is that they're always there. They're always present on set. They're generous people and so it's a real honor as a young actor to be in scene with them. I mean this wholeheartedly for no other reason than this is where most of the counsel comes from. It just comes from being in the moment with them and them looking into your eyes and giving you all the material that you need to react and act. You learn a lot just by osmosis, just by being around people who've done it for a long time, and I think it's wonderful to be on set with those guys. They're very kind people, too, very generous people.
Q: Your character Bob has sort of a lot going on and the show has this very cool thing where there's his relationship with his two father figures, his father and then Jon Voight's character. He's got the two loves and the two lives, of course, but we were wondering what do you find the most challenging in the role now that you've sort of lived in it a little bit longer?
JW: That's a really good question. I think the most challenging thing for Bob is of course being everything to everyone, and we touch on that. It's more difficult than one would imagine to fully live two lives. I think that's Bob's greatest challenge is to give his all to these people and really, he can't. He's in two different worlds.
Lone Star premieres tonight, September 20 at 9:00 p.m. (EST) on Fox.
]]>But I know disappointment will once again deliver a kick to my crotch in a matter of months. It's inevitable: "The Event" won't get a second season. Hell, it might not get a second episode.
]]> Here's why: Mythology shows -- the series that require, you know, attention -- just don't work on major networks anymore. "Lost" -- my beloved "Lost" -- will go down as both the pinnacle and the end of Big Network myth-based television. A show that dense and twisty and challenging will only, from this point on, show up on cable.The problem lies in two core and unfixable issues in the myth-network relationship
1. Most people don't like to expend cognitive energy on television. Decades of mind-numbing episodes have programmed a whole lot of people to switch off their brains when the TV goes on. That's neither good nor bad. It just is. And I don't cast any judgement on folks who use the tube as a relaxation device. That's a fair choice. It just doesn't mix with the effort myth shows require.
2. There's a reason myth-based shows work best on DVD: the narrative doesn't drop when the episode ends. Just feed another disc into the drive and off you go. Networks got savvy to this and started playing the likes of "Lost" and "24" without repeats. But even that technique -- which I fully support -- doesn't guarantee audiences will return week after week. People get distracted. They've got stuff to do. So they miss an episode here and there and get behind and then ... well, they give up because the narrative no longer connects and it's too much work to catch up. That's how a show that once got 23 million viewers can precipitously drop to 8 million.
These two issues separate the die-hard fans from everyone else. On cable networks, die hards are enough: gather 2-4 million consistently and you've got a viable cult hit. But major networks need watchers because 2 million ain't gonna cut it with advertisers or network execs. The Big Networks might aim for fanatics, but what they really need are the drop-ins and the occasionals, the mindless and the insomniacs.
Put another way: bored people pay the bills.
]]>
That should keep you busy until the sixth season of Supernatural premieres September 24 at 9:00 p.m. (EST) on The CW.
I'm going to go back to my previous style and just relate the show as it happened. No sticking with the individual storylines this week.
The ep opens with Eric and Russell doing a slow simmer in the morning sun. They both drank them some Sookie blood and went strolling hand(cuff) in hand(cuff) in the morning sun in the parking lot at Fangtasia. Eric's getting him some sunburn and seeing things. Like Godric. Godric's looking all Obi-Wan glow-y and talking about peace and love and forgiveness and flower power and hippie girls are easy. Eric wants Godric to shut the hell up so he can enjoy Russell's char-broil.
Sookie is inside Fangtasia, dreaming a little dream about E.T.'s ship. At least that's what it looked like to me. And I just saw E.T., so I know what I'm talking about. Bill wakes her up so she slaps him. (And to think they just got married.) Sookie won't let Eric fry (she sees the good in him), so she runs outside, white-flashy-things the handcuffs off of Eric, and drags him inside out of the sun. In the process she sends Russell flying across the parking lot. Looked painful to me, but Russell seems to enjoy pain. Eric's in bad shape, so Sookie offers up some of her fey blood and it fixes Eric right up.
Tara is hanging out with Sam enjoying an awkward morning-after breakfast of eggs and a side order of why-did-we-do-what-we-did fried in bacon grease. Tara is friggin' sick and tired of all these supernaturals she's been dealing with and just wants a do-over. Sam figures this is a good time to tell her he's a shape-shifter. Admittedly, we guys have no sense of timing when it comes to discussing these things with women, but Sam's timing was especially poor. He shoulda knocked off another piece and then came out with it. Live and learn, Sam. Lie and learn.
Eric's feeling chipper now that he's got a bellyful of Sookie's fairy blood. He did listen to Godric. He goes out to the parking lot, wraps a silver chain around Russell's neck, and drags him inside, tying him to the stripper pole. I hope they wiped it down between sets.
Sherriff Andy Bellefleur is chatting with the DEA. There's going to be a raid on those lowlife V-peddlers over in Hot Shot. Whatever happened to moonshine? Jason wanders in and tries to get Andy to call off the raid. Andy turns Jason down, so Jason scurries off to parts unknown. But I suspect there will be an attractive blonde were-panther at his destination. The DEA heads out of Bon Temps leaving Andy looking like the last kid chosen at a pick-up game.
Hoyt's going to work. At least he's headed to work with every intention of working. But his mom Maxine and ex-girlfriend Summer have other ideas. They're going to do an in-the-middle-of-the-road intervention. Maxine threatens to cut off Hoyt's...inheritance...but Hoyt's not worried. He don't need no granny panties anyway.
Lafayette's been having a bad time of it since he and Jesus did V. He's hallucinating all over the place. First it was Jesus and freaky-deaky monster voodoo masks, now he sees Sam looking like he fell in a blender. He gives Jesus a call. Jesus ain't busy, he's just working. He'll be right over.
Russell is still silver-chained to the stripper pole. Hope his hepatitis shots are up to date. He's playing Monty Hall and looking to play Let's Make A Deal with Sookie. Mansion? Done. Seven million dollars IRS-free cash? Done. Bill and Eric's heads on a platter? Done. Silver spray in the eyes? Done. Throwing Talbot's Slurpee-looking remains down the garbage disposal? Done. Russell is having a bad day. And Russell is not used to having bad days. Sookie just giggles maniacally behind the bar.
Jason and Crystal are trying to get the unwashed hordes in Hot Shot to clean up their act. And themselves. Stash the V, and for God's sake and take a bath. Crystal's ex-fiance, Felton (not sure I spelled that right) comes along and he wants no part of this act-cleaning business. He kills Crystal's dad and kidnaps Crystal at gunpoint, leaving Jason as the Mayor of Dogpatch.
Sam heads over to his row of rental houses to find Terry weeping on the stoop. Sam apologizes to Terry for being such a d-bag. Terry says Ah that's okay. He's just so happy that Arlene didn't lose the demon-spawn of a baby in her womb. Sam goes over to Tommy's house only to find that Tommy checked out and left no forwarding address for Sam to send his security deposit. Sam heads back over to his bar and discovers that not only is all the money in his safe gone, but the damn safe is gone as well. He snatches up a gun and goes looking for Tommy.
Tara goes to her mother's house and finds her mom Lettie Mae and the good reverend on the couch rocking rolling ("...got my Kiss records out...") getting their get-it-on on. Tara says Eeewww, and gives her mom what looks like a good-bye-have-a-nice-life hug.
Back at Fangtasia, the whole crowd is getting together for what looks like Sookie-fest 2010. Russell is already there (still chained to the stripper pole), Eric, Bill, Alcide, and Pam show up. Eric and Bill haul Russell away. Things don't look good for the King of Mississippi.
The DEA shows up in Andy's office just as he's gazing longingly into a vial of V. They've got Jason in handcuffs, telling Andy that Jason tipped off the unwashed in-breds over in Hot Shot, and all they found over there was a couple of pick-up trucks on blocks, bad dental hygiene, and two dead bodies.
Jesus shows up at Merlotte's. Lafayette is cowering in a corner. They bro-hug. Lafayette wants the deranged picture show in his head to stop. Jesus confesses to being a brujo - a witch - and Lafayette asks for eye of newt for the chili.
Tara is playing with scissors. She kind of holds them near her throat like we're supposed to think that she's going to plunge them into her carotid artery, but no, she's going all Britney, cutting her long beautiful hair to shoulder length so now she looks more like Whitney than Britney. Sookie has come home now that her Russell-sitting duty is over, and they make up over a slice of pie. Tara gives Sookie what looks like a good-bye-have-a-nice-life hug, and tells Sookie she's going to see Lafayette. But I think we know better.
Bill and Eric are over at one of Alcide's construction sites. Well, so is Russell, but he's silver-chained in the bottom of a foundation footing. They start pouring concrete in on top of him, imprisoning him for a hundred years, looking a whole lot like Han Solo in carbonite. As the concrete pours, Bill flings Eric into a matching pit and starts pouring concrete on top him too. That cannot be good for Eric's hair. Bill makes a call, and imitating Eric's voice, orders Pam's death as well.
Hoyt has a surprise for Jessica, and no, it's not in his pants. He's buying a house for them to live in. This is one of the few truly happy moments for them both. At least as long as they don't go in the other room where what looks like a voodoo doll is lying on the floor. Maybe the previous residents didn't clean up after themselves so well. Or maybe Maxine - buying a high caliber rifle - left it for them to enjoy.
Bill is trying to get into Sookie's pants...I mean good graces....as Bill explains to Sookie that he will kill everyone who has tasted her blood. Eric, looking fairly clean for having just taken a concrete bath, shows up on the front porch and tells Sookie that Bill was sent by Queen Sophie from the get-go to manipulate Sookie. It was Bill, Eric explains, who set Sookie up with the Rattrays in Season One when she got beat up and damn near killed in the parking lot of Merlotte's so Bill could "rescue" her. Sookie is royally pissed and tells them both - in no uncertain terms - to get the hell out of her house and her life.
Sam is driving along an old dusty dirt road in pursuit of Tommy. He finds Tommy and demands his money back. Tommy gives him an over-the-shoulder Eff You! And walks away. Sam whips out his gun and shoots. We kow Sam is a good shot from three feet away. How good a shot he is from thirty feet we will not know until next season.
Sookie is emotionally spent and physically exhausted. She heads over to Grans' grave for a bit of a chat. It's mostly one-sided, but that's okay. Sookie's fairy friend Claudine beams in, and in a big glowfest, Sookie and her fairy friends flash on out of Bon Temps and into Season Four.
Queen Sophie-Anne shows up at Bill's place looking to stick a straw in Sookie's neck. Bill tells her that ain't gunna happen, and oh by the way, your ass is grass and I'm a lawn mower. They both pop fangs, float up into the air and start a vampire death tango that will likely end badly for one of our vampires who isn't in the opening credits.
And that's it folks. End of Season Three. I still don't know exactly if or how TV Fodder will continue. But I've enjoyed writing these little blurbs of mine, and I want to thank you for spending some of your time reading them. Take care, and be excellent to one another. See you in the funny papers. Or in another life, bruthuh.
]]>Take a peek below at the episode, which is titled "Buried." It airs on Tuesday, September 14 at 9:00 p.m. (EST) on Syfy.
]]>To help push the show, NBC has announced a partnership with DC Comics, which will produce six digital comic books, available through the DC Comics App. Now, they won't be comics based on the show, but will follow the whole "event" theme.
"In the comic book world, an 'event comic' signifies a storyline so big that its repercussions can be felt across multiple books for years to come. Event titles like Identity Crisis and Final Crisis were among the most requested comics when we launched our digital comics app," said Steve Rotterdam, senior VP of sales & marketing at DC Comics. "We're thrilled that NBC's promotion provides fans with the chance to discover or re-discover our past events, while anticipation builds for The Event's premiere."
Starting September 6th, look for Event-related promotions in the following titles:
The titles are all freebies, assuming you have that app. The Event kicks off Monday, September 20 at 9:00 p.m. (EST) on NBC.