Boston Legal, Season 4, Episode 5: I've been trying to figure out for a while why season 4 of BL has felt...different. Now I think I know why; this season (particularly this episode) is trying to be more like the show's first season which was still well written and funny, but not nearly as wacky or outrageous (like seasons 2 and 3). This was clearly evidenced in the story with Alan and a woman who wants to get advice on how to kill a man and get away with it by pleading temporary insanity. Though it could've been played up for laughs (and they know how to do that extremely well), it was instead fascinating and rather chilling to watch. Gone are the colorful characters played by Betty White, Michael J. Fox, and others (the names of the actors completely escape me....). No more "Mr. Dirty Mouth", no more sharp mouthed dwarf (hell, even Denise and Brad had their quirks), instead we have Katie Lloyd (who reminds me a lot of season 1's Lake Bell and Lori Colson fused together), Lorainne (LEAVE THE SHOW NOW), Carl Sach (like him) and Whitney (I like her, but they haven't quite figured out to do with her yet). What made this week strong though, was Katie's reaction to the death of troubled client Joseph Washington; it was completely genuine and Tara Summers pulled it off beautifully, which made the end very touching. My only complaint with the direction the show is taking, is that it's losing something in the process: the wackiness that made the show REALLY stand out. Grade: A-
The Colbert Report: one of his funniest episodes EVER. Grade: A+++++
The Office, Season 4, Episode 6: Very interesting with Karen, (now a regional manager in another branch) trying to lure Stanley into leaving Scranton and hilarious as Michael, Dwight, and a very unwilling Jim try to prank Karen's office and fail miserably. Also funny was Pam, Toby, and Oscar's "finer things" club, and Jim's botched attempt at joining (Pam whispering "I'm so sorry" to Toby and Oscar was priceless). Grade: A-
Ugly Betty, Season 2, Episode 6: All shows, even the best, occasionally have those small things that irk you just a bit, but nowhere near enough that it drags down the show or the viewing experience. Ugly Betty is different. Week after week its a struggle to see how the show can balance its annoying parts and its enjoyable parts. This week they failed miserably. Annoying, dumb, and only sparsely amusing, the only thing good about it was the explanation of how Victoria Beckham (who I can't stand, but who seems to have a decent sense of humor) is getting worked into the series (specifically, next week's episode). And oh yes, they worked in "Wicked" to appeal to the pre-teen girl audience. Only problem is, Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth (or her first replacement, who was actually excellent) aren't in Wicked any more, and it's kind of a pain to listen to lesser vocals, particularly in the "Defying Gravity" sequence where no footage of the stage show is shown. They could have EASILY used Idina and Kristin's superior recording....but noooooo. But what's truly horrible, is how Marc is starting to kind of/sort of/maybe become a little like Betty in that he has troubles and romantic woes. Note to the writers, bring back flamboyant bitchy Marc and get him some more killer scenes with Amanda. And speaking of Amanda, she's getting shoved into the background a bit too much (same goes for Christina). Grade: D+
Scrubs, Season 7, Episode 2: They redeemed themselves!! This week's featured all the things that have make Scrubs so great over the past 6 seasons. It's great to see that they aren't burning out in the home stretch. Grade: A
The Sarah Silverman Program, Season 2, Episode 5: Go to your dictionary, scratch out the definition for "bizarre", and write in "Sarah Silverman's brain". Grade: B
South Park, Season 11 Part 2, Episode 5: I've only been watching a few minutes and it's hilarious...(no grade..yet).
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