Friday, October 19, 2007

This Week in TV: Oct 15-19

1. Boston Legal, Season 4, Episode 4: It's funny how first impressions can be wrong. So very very very very very wrong. In BL's season 4 premiere I was unsure of two newcomers, (played by John Laroquette and Tara Summers) and excited about the third (played by Saffron Burrows of Troy). After the fourth episode, my opinion has completely flip-flopped. I love Carl Sach (Laroquette) and Katie Lloyd (Summers) and really wish Loraine (Burrows) would simply get more to do, or just go away (she's so thin, all she'd have to do would be to turn sideways). Sach and Lloyd have proven to be very different, but now very welcome additions to the cast, who are starting to fit in very nicely because of the way they interact with the rest of Crane, Poole, and Schmidt. Loraine (does she even have a last name?) is the square peg in the circular hole. She has done nothing but randomly show up in door ways for no purpose whatsoever, only to make Alan Shore fall dumbstruck and in the process ruining his hilarious "word salad" condition (though not entirely). It's cartoony, it doesn't fit, it's one note, and it needs to go....NOW. Besides, Loraine wouldn't be terribly missed considering the addition of Tarenji P. Henson as New York attorney Whitney, who seems to have much more spark to her. Luckily, Ms. Burrows didn't drag down the whole episode (maybe if she had changed facial expressions?) and two very entertaining cases. The real bonus about this week's episode was finally justifying the existence of Katie Lloyd. Her closing argument was wonderfully written and suited her character perfectly. In episode 2, Alan Shore called Katie Lloyd "brilliant" and I was completely unconvinced. Now I am... Grade: A

2. The Office, Season 4, Episode 4: It would be easy to assume that after 4 hour long episodes, that each one would get progressively worse and worse. Not the case for The Office's constantly surprising writers. The best episode of the season, it actually filled out its hour nicely without to much "flab" in the script. From the perfect opening with Michael trying to emulate Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada" to Jim and Pam's date at Dwight's bed and breakfast, and my favorite moment of the night: a hilarious argument over the difference between "who" and "whom", this one was a complete winner. Grade: A

3. 30 Rock, Season 2, Episode 3: Well, I was right; they pulled through. This was classic 30 Rock filled with great moments including currently overweight Jenna's (Jane Krakowski) perfume commercial for a brand called "enOrme" (accent on that 2nd e), to Jack's (Alec Baldwin) secrect collection of cookie jars, this was the same great writing that made season 1 such a success. Glad to have you back 30 Rock. The only thing this week was missing was more interaction between Tina Fey and Baldwi, but it's forgivable considering how great everything else was. Grade: A+

4. The Colbert Report: He's running for president! Hahahaha! Endlessly entertaining and hilarious as always. Grade: A

5. Ugly Betty, Season 2, Episode 4: It finally redeemed itself, but it's just missing one thing: MORE MARC AND AMANDA!!!! However, it does have the honor of "best quote of the week": "I'd be sympathetic but that's psychically impossible for me." - Willhemina (Vanessa Williams). Also, I loved Victor Garber as Betty's acid tongued writing intstructor, and it was nice to see another appearance from Illeana Douglas as Willhemina's potential replacement....even if she only had 2 lines.. Grade: A-

6. The Sarah Silverman Program, Season 2, Episode 3: She did it! She was hilarious without being gross!!!! As ludicrous and outrageous as ever; I loved it. Grade: A-

7. South Park, Season 11 Part 2, Episode 3: now I have the "imagination song" stuck in my head.... Grade: B+


No comments: