The Constant

I'm flying through season 4 of Lost, but i've slowed down in the wake of the episode called THE CONSTANT. This episode introduces us to time travel on Lost, and the implications of it, for the first time since Desmond learned about fate.
In terms of setting the scene for time travel in season 4 and 5 this episode is perfect. We receive a foundation that gives us insights on Daniel and lets us in on the island's secrets.
More importantly, though, we're given a great love story. The roller coaster of emotions we go on with Penny and Desmond throughout the episode is one of the greatest rides I've ever been. It comes to a climax with a phone scene that by the end has me in tears with Penny.
This aspect of Lost is why I am in awe of it. Not only am I caught up in the mythology of the show, but I love individual episodes. When the writers want to they can knock an episode out of the park in this way, and for that I will always worship at the alter of LOST.

Perfect Product Placement

Maybe I'm the only one who is tickled pink by this, but I need to tell someone. And by someone, obviously i mean you (Steve).
I'm watching WHITE COLLAR on my computer which means I'm using HULU. Hulu has had a ton of Fed Ex commercials on the site lately. This has included sponsoring an SNL skit that mocks the UPS commercials.
ANyway, I'm watching White Collar and the lead escapes in a van past a Fed Ex truck. Cut to commercial and a Fed Ex commercial. So happy right now. Doesn't even matter that the show is dumb.

Drunk Monk Recap

As part of a two night double header I watched the two part series finale for Monk. On each occasion I was pretty drunk, so my reviews of these episode will not be littered with details.
First of all, being drunk for Monk doesn't make it any more enjoyable. In fact, I quickly became restless with a show that seemed to have lost touch with the principles it was founded upon. Namely, that this was a comedy first and foremost that had some dramatic undertones. Unfortunately the finale forgot this, and delivered an overly dramatic story devoid of laughs. Part of this was unavoidable, since we were dealing with the death of Monk's beloved wife, which was partially the impetus for the character we have grown accustomed to watching.
At the same time, though, it seems out of character for Monk to be after blood. Even with emotional choices in the past his thought process has remained grounded and well reasoned, which makes his rash decision making process in the finale seem like a foreign persona.
The only consistent laughs in the episode, and throughout the tenure of the show actually, are delivered by Randy. Jason Gray-Stanford's character Randy was the modern equivalent of Barney Fife from the Andy Griffith show. He stole every scene as the bumbling cop with good intentions and a proclivity for bonehead mistakes. As someone who tuned out of Monk after about four seasons, Randy was the only draw for me at the end of my run with the show.
The character of Randy illuminated my main problem with the show, which was that it couldn't accept it's identity. The show always struggled with the dramatic part of its dramedy label. In that sense it really paved the way for BURN NOTICE, IN PLAIN SIGHT and the other horde of USA shows.
I don't think I'm being too hard here. If MONK had been intended as light fare, then fine. Judge it that way and scale back the critical eye. But it wasn't a light romp. It wanted to be more, and it should be judged based on its success. You don't merely get applause for a big swing. You need to make contact and show results. Monk really lost its mojo as the show went on, only occasionally rekindling the spark with Monk's brother and a few other episodes.
In terms of the pay off regarding Trudy's death it was all very unsatisfying. I won't get in to details, but essentially Trudy had a secret past that Monk didn't know about. She was killed for that past. It all seemed very convoluted, and akin to jamming a round peg into a square hole. This was not a well thought out conclusion years in the making.
The overall experience of the finale was not one I'd like to repeat. The mystery was at first too ridiculous to believe, but quickly devolved into a very formulaic resolution. Monk deserved a better farewell.
This show was groundbreaking in many regards, such as the fact it was one of the first major hits for a cable network. In terms of developing a genre, I think it's biggest legacy comes in terms of the oddball character driven story.
It might not have been the first show revolving around a strange chracter, but it represented the first in an evolving trend of show. There are the obvious USA rip offs, but the effect is prevalent elsewhere. DEXTER, CALIFORNIACATION and HOUSE are shows driven by a main character with some interesting angle. I should be careful not to say these shows evolved directly out of Monk, but it would be fair to say that he really set the tone for the offbeat character lead.
Yet while I applaud the Monk character, I'm a little distressed with all the emmy nominations Tony Shallhoub got for this role. He even won the award three times. REALLY? THREE TIMES!! Seems ridiculous to me.
The nice thing about the end was the montage and final scenes that were aired with a song from Randy Newman. Newman is the writer of the show's opening theme, which is an appropriately delightful jingle that accompanies a long credits by today's standards. I always enjoyed the opening and to this day can still remember how fond I was of it when it first debuted.
WEll that's it for Monk. If I have more thoughts I'll add them in some format that defies easy comprehension. I'm thinking specifically about Sharona, who inspires a wide range of emotions, which includes rage.

Almost to the top chef

What’s more exciting than the Final Four in college basketball? Well for starters all the earlier rounds, but in the final four context I’m thinking the final four of TOP CHEF!!! We’ve got Michael V, Bryan V, Jen and Kevin competing for $100,000 dollars, a spot at the Food & Wine Expo, a one night stand with Tom or Padma, some Tupperware, E-List Celebrity status and the title of Top Chef. Woo.
It’s been a long season, but things seemed to shake out the way they should. The chefs that remain are the best of the bunch and possess enough personality for an entertaining episode. I expect to see Jen flame out and Kevin to hit his ceiling in this first part of the finale. Ultimately we’ll be left with a brothers head to head matchup. Let’s see if I’m right.
• Strange hug between Michael and Jen. They obviously have developed some sort of relationship. I guess we saw hints of hit developing throughout the year, but for the most part it’s kind of a surprise. I could understand mutual admiration, although it’s hard to imagine Michael respecting anyone besides himself. She seems to get him, though, and I think Mike is intrigued by anyone who calls him out on his personality, as she does at the train stop. All of this just proves my point that we need more coverage of the chefs outside the kitchen, and I don’t mean more remotes on trains.
• People support Kevin’s beard? I support the French guy’s red thing. Better yet, I support V brother hair care products. How was there never a glamour shot of their Calvin Klein hair gel?
• Bryan’s subtle shot at his brother, regarding the possibility he might push him in front of the train was a joke grounded completely in reality. Mike is a shameless whore who will do anything to win. I’m sure they love each other, but I doubt they like each other. How could they? They’re such polar opposites.
• Padma is a pregnant mom. But the better question is which V brother knocked her up?
• Wow, Mike actually respects another chef. I’m confused. Maybe he’s confusing hatred for admiration.
• I can just imagine Mike rocking out with his leather jacket in his prius. I don’t imagine he knocked Padma up in a car like that. I wish he would trash it. I wish people would trash the GE products during the show. “Why doesn’t this oven cook properly?!?!” Then cut to the GE logo.
• Blue grapes? Aren’t those blueberries?
• I think Fabio would have chopped off his hand on the train.
• Bryan is getting pissed off. Love the idea that he might rock the boat a little and get mean. Although, his brother has commented on the fact that if Bryan gets angry he might get off his game. I’m ok with him focusing his rage on angry sex with Padma, but otherwise he needs to be careful.
• Speaking of grapes, where was Alton Brown for this challenge? He’s the only person I’ve ever seen promote grapes besides a ten year old kid drinking a glass of juice. Those commercials with Alton are a little creepy, because they feel like a warped version of his television show.
• “Screw him [Michael]” Well put Jen. I think at this point everyone is waiting for egg in Michael’s face. He had it a bit with the cooking Olympics episode when his dish was trashed. For the most part, though, he’s been flying high. Maybe a little too high? America wants to see you coming crashing down. We demand satisfaction.
• Good timing on the grape commercial Alton. Better use of a commercial was the Samsung phone Jen watches a video on. Please tell me a producer made them do that. It was either send a video or make a call trapped in a well to demonstrate the range of their coverage.
• Is Padma reading from cue cards? Does Bryan ever blink? These questions need to be answered.
• “Is that going to lead to sabotage?” Love another veiled joke from Bryan. He actually seems a little insecure.
• Kevin is serving ribs that aren’t tender? I hate when people try to do something that they don’t have time. He’s gone. Sure he may think it’s delicious, but eh.
• So Michael’s dish is executed exactly how he wanted. That’s scary for the competitors.
• Food served in Styrofoam or on plastic plates don’t make for great money shots.
• Are there ever any black people on Top Chef? I only bring this up because the entire crowd at this events seems to be white, all the contestants are white and the judges are white. The lack of minorities is kind of astounding, especially since we had two white guys this season cooking up the soul food. Do black people not watch the show or apply to be on it? I’ve watched for two years now, and the diversity seems to revolve solely around sexuality. I feel like this might just reflect the realities of kitchens in America.
• The set up for judges table was great. The judges appear ready to attack and the chefs are armed to defend themselves. Honestly, Padma looks ready to poop herself or jump across the table. Maybe both. Although I hate when she gets all contemplative and tries to critique the food. She needs to stick with “there was bone in mine” or simply just eye-bang a V brother.
• Bye Kevin and Jen. This feels a little staged, but I think that’s how it will shake out. Although, I’m not sure two people are going home. I just sort of want to see heads up competition. I’d also like Robyn to come back for the final episode. Even if she’s just a guest commentator, it would be worth it to hear her running description.
• So three people are coming. Not sure when and why I decided two people were going. Well Mike will be the winner and Kevin is going home. Not 100% sure on Kevin, in fact I like the idea of him making it to the finals just to antagonize Mike. Bye Jen. Final guess.
• Wow, Bryan won. Didn’t see that coming since the judge said the winner was perfectly seasoned, and early on they commented on how his needed salt. Oh well, suck it Mike. By the way, Bryan’s expression doesn’t change whether he wins or loses. “I am so happy.” Yeah? Then why does it look like you’re a robot who has only heard of emotions like happy and sad?
• So Jen is gone. I miss her already. The finale will be worse without her, at least in my opinion. Also, that means Bill’s horse in this race is out. Woo and a hoo. See you for the final episode.

Bi-polar Glee

I think my biggest problem with GLEE is that it’s really an episode dramedy masquerading as a serial story. Granted, there are some recurring plotlines, but the characters don’t change.
The lack of evolution or progression in the wrong direction is most visibly evident in some of the key relationships. The main players in the love triangle of Quinn, Finn and Rachel act differently in any episode, as if the previous developments meant nothing. Maybe that’s a result of High School hormones, but I’m more likely to accept that it’s just a matter of convenient writing.
In particular, Rachel’s actions seem totally unwarranted, considering the way Finn has treated her and the fact she has given up on him already. It’s almost as if she’s in GROUNDHOG DAY and every episode is a new one where she will try to woo Finn. That’s a fine concept, except that this series isn’t episodic and characters are supposed to grow.
I also hate the short term memory demonstrated every time they have to sing. Early in the series they would wear their emotions on their face to show how they felt, but now the kids just get right into the swing of things. Again, there is a possible explanation, which is that they’re becoming more professional and hiding it. I’m more inclined to believe the writers are just glossing over points. Specifically, where is the fallout between Wheels and the Asian girl? There’s a ton of other examples of stressed relationships that seem to be cleaned up during the 6 days the show is off the air.
Every episode is enjoyable, it’s just depriving itself of its full potential by these ill-conceived character stories. A show can have ridiculous characters doing ridiculous things, but you can’t have them acting out of character. It just doesn’t work.
Recently we saw the compassionate side of Sue Sylvester in her treatment of a retarded girl. This seemed out of character for her until we learned that she had a retarded sister, who she lovingly dealt with. Ok, great, that explains her actions for that episode. It doesn’t explain why she’s a jerk to a kid in a wheel chair, a girl with a stutter (albeit a fake one) and minorities. She can’t be understanding one episode and just flip on a dime as the writers please. How has no one else called GLEE out on this????
I should have seen this coming since Ryan Murphy has such a large hand in GLEE. His other baby, NIP/TUCK, also has meandering story lines and characters with short term memories. There it is excusable since the show is so ridiculous. In GLEE it’s tougher to swallow since the show tries to be grounded in some version of reality.
Does this bother anyone else?????

Scrubbed of all comedy

To understand my connection with SCRUBS you need to know that at one point I was a devoted follower, but eventually lost the faith and return now doubtful that this version of the show will capture any of its old magic.
I had wanted to blow up SCRUBS years ago and make it a show that revolved around Turk. I always though Donald Faison could carry his own show, especially in an ensemble format like Scrubs that doesn’t necessary require too much heavy lifting. Alas, the transformation only came as a last ditch effort to save cancelation. I hope it’s the result of renewed creative juices, but I’m inclined to think it’s the result of greed. We’ll see.
The ninth season, actually let’s stop right there. If I acknowledge that this is the ninth season then I’m saying that this is the same show I used to love. Instead I think I’m going to treat it as a spinoff. I’ll have to think of a new name for it later.
Anyway, this freak show begins Sacred Heart being torn down and the familiar cast of characters moving to a hospital at a medical school. For some reason J.D. is still around and will be teaching some classes, although I thought his leaving was what the series finale was all about (yeah I said series).
Well he’s back because the show needs his star power to hopefully make its star bright enough that people might see it and be inclined to watch. Going to put this move on the greed development sign.
So J.D. openly acknowledges that this routine needs some freshening up, which is when the story is handed off to our potential new lead, Lucy. Lucy is basically the female version of J.D., which is the complete wrong way to go with this show. Essentially they’re trying to throw the show into a time machine and go back to season one, except that it will be better since it will have J.D., Turk, and Elliot in early and later formats. That’s another point for greed.
Another knock against the show is that Lucy is not a well written character. Played by Kerry Bishe, this character struggles to be anything more than a recycled character. The character is timid, but the portrayal is too, as Bishe refrains from being a real person. She seems like someone who has watched Scrubs, but doesn’t get that in the original season of Scrubs the young stars played their roles with a lot of heart and as real people. Their quirks were secondary to the real challenges in their lives.
Sidenote: They completely recreated the scene in which J.D. envisions Elliot mounting him and licking his neck. If this becomes an homage to the early seasons I will throw up. My Old Man better not be coming in episode four.
The only bright standout is Eliza Coupe, who also stole the show last year on Scrubs. She is constantly knocking her lines out of the ballpark. She even kills with a glare. The only thing that sabotages her is the writing on the show. They’ve begun writing her character so unevenly. I can appreciate that Elliot changed over the years, but Coupe’s character Denise Mahoney is going all over the place. It kills me that she’s wasted like this. Run Eliza. Run! You should be playing best friends in chick flicks and stealing scenes in Judd Apatow movies. Now Go!
Oh yeah, the new cast also includes James Franco’s younger brother and the relatively unknown Michael Mosley. Mosley is familiar from GENERATION KILL, THE WIRE and KINGS. Returning is Dr. Perry Cox, who once was a favorite character but has devolved with the show. As played by John C. McGinley the character is too broad and can be boiled down to some recipe of rant and culture reference. Makes me sick.
It’s amusing to me that Cox’s assistant is Denise, since she basically is a female version of him. I think the show would benefit from getting rid of the dead wood and letting the young wood flourish. Denise has a lot of similar traits, but can have her stories go in a way Cox’s never could or should. Too bad we’re going to have to suffer with too many cooks in the kitchen. Although Denis did get to say, “If you’re going to kill yourself, I’m looking at you sad eyes, do it off campus because it is a butt load of paperwork.” Glorious!
I’m conflicted about Turk on the show. His opening remarks were hilarious. He followed that up with his subservient role as J.D.’s best friend, which wasn’t funny. I’m hoping that when Zach Braff’s run on the show ends that Faison can really flourish as an actor and his character can really grow and meet his funny potential.
Ok, I can’t keep thinking about this show. It might be melodramatic to say that watching it now, like this, breaks my heart, but it does. The original version of this show meant a lot to me in terms of laughs and growing up. It was an infantile comedy at a time where I had infantile sensibilities.
It would be easy just to continue to compare this show to what came in the past, but I’m going to try not to do that. It’s hard to do this though, when the show won’t divorce itself from the past. Even the credits use the same old song and are of a similar style. It’s like the writers want to keep the good stuff, cut the dead wood and bring in some new blood. But it can’t work like that.
They need to divorce themselves from the past, otherwise I’ll keep comparing it to the past regardless of how hard I try not to. There are laughs here and there is promise, but not if “Med School” is hamstrung by the past.
I said it before and I’ll say it again, this works as a vehicle for Faison only. He and Carla become teachers of their former professions. I would watch that.
The fact that Cox has become even more grizzled and combative embodies the way I feel about this show. It’s just a chore, and it shouldn’t be. There are laughs here, but you need to want to laugh. I'm trying.
What do you think?

I'll Be Back

SO I haven't posted in a while, and I feel I must apologize to my fans. Well, actually fan. Steve, I'm sorry.
But don't worry, because soon I'll be back. Back with a review of the new incarnation of Scrubs. Hopefully I'll have offer some compelling thoughts with my running diary of Top Chef. Oh, and if someone would go to the movies with me (any interesed ladies?), I would review a new movie.
If you're wondering why I haven't been able to post, it's because I'm in Philadelphia for a part time job and have neither the time nor the inclination to post something. I have been consuming a ton of podcasts. I have started listening to NPR's Fresh Air and Pop Culture podcasts. Also, I finally deleted the waste of my life that was the Harry SHearer podcast. I'm liberal, but he's just annoying. I get it, the world is broken. QUit reminding me and let me embrace this pathetic existence.
One last thing, if you're looking for that right song to play at a cemetery the answer is UNFORGETABLE by Nat King Cole. I know this for a fact since we had an awkward family sing-a-long Sunday at my grandmother's grave. In the wake of my grandmother's death, her husband, my grandfather, annointed this song as "their song." Who says he's lying, though, since she's not around to refute it.
In the aftermath of our concert I learned about some of my extended family's entertainment interests. The short version is this, my uncle Jeff loves Lost, the new Star Trek movie, like Two and a Half Men, and reveres the West Wing. My mom's cousin Steve loves Chuck. Well, when i found that out i was nearly knocked back in my socks. I've never met another person that watched that show (although I do remember hearing something about bad ratings...).
Well that's it. No pictures. Scroll down and check out Shannon. It's a must.

Lost Season Three

Another season of Lost finished. I think it's possible I rushed through this season, because I'm still trying to digest it all.
Season three is an important reason for a couple reasons, primarily because it answers one of the key questions. Will they get off the island? At this point the answer is yes. We don't know who will or won't get off, but at least Kate and Jack make it off. It's unclear how they make it back to civilization at this point, although we're led to believe the boat off the island will be their salvation.
This answer ended the theory that all the castaways were really dead. This was an idea that was floated around early on, and while it was again suggested this season by a character on the show, it was never taken that seriously.
Letting fans know the castaways would get off the island also offered the first glimpse at the end of the series. Finally we could tell we were heading towards a resolution, even if we weren't sure where it would end. I'm not sure how important that was in retrospect. It seems that it was more significant in terms of introducing us to a new plot device, which was flash forwards instead of flash backs.
I'll get into this more with season four, but the mode of story telling in Lost is fascinating and this switch embodies that excellence.
But back to this season, which packed a lot of action. We had Jack, Kate and Sawyer with the others for a while. There was the introduction of the Russian. More knowledge about the Dharma initiative. We got to understand Ben (a little bit) and John Locke began to understand himself and his purpose. Oh yeah, a submarine blew up too.
It's hard to break down this season because there is so much to go through, so I think i'll tackle it in stages.
The first stage, or act, begins with Jack, Sawyer and Kate being held by the Others and ends with Sawyer and Kate escaping while Jack saves Ben's life with a surgery. The biggest part of this act is the introduction of Juliet. Juliet, much like Ben, immediately becomes a major player, who is largely responsible for shrinking the roles of Hurley, Claire and Charlie. This is definitely a good thing, as Juliet is a complicated and compelling character, as evidenced in her back stories that show her struggles on the island, particularly with Ben. For most of this season Juliet's motives are in doubt, as are her allegiances. By the end of the season she cements her role as an ally of the castaways, but it is a journey fraught with a lot of intrigue. Elizabeth Mitchell sells it though. She plays a wide spectrum of emotions, from strong to fragile that she blows Kate out of the water as an actor.
This is especially damning condemnation of Evangeline Lilly, who has a much meatier role. She is given so much in terms of story, but Mitchell tears her to pieces. This all plays out when the two characters are handcuffed together. Lilly simply overacts in the scene, displaying all the same overplayed facial features that she's been wearing on her sleeve through the first two seasons. Ok, maybe she is supposed to be this hard nosed kid who isn't reluctant to trust people and has turbulent emotions, but does she need us to constantly remind us?
These actors and characters are perfect foils for each other. Mitchell downplays everything and her character is very cool and calculating, with one exception in the most recent finale. Lilly is super expressive, like she's doing a play, and her character would rather jump into a pit than check to see if the fall will kill her. We understand all of this in the "first act," as Kate impulsively deals with Sawyer and Juliet plots Ben's demise, which is ultimately thwarted by Jack's constant ability to screw things up and the fact that it is hard to play Ben.
Done with this act, in fact I'm breaking from this format and will just deal with characters. Fate says Locke is the next to get my breakdown.
We join Locke after his successful attempt to stop pushing the button in the hatch, which was the result of his faith in the island himself being challenged and ultimately shattered. He is able to get his mojo back with the death of Mr. Ecko, who much like Boone, only serves to (re)affirm Locke's faith in the island. I'm not too impressed by all of this, as it doesn't require a lot of faith when you get as many signs as Locke gets. In large part this is my problem with Locke in this season, but it is in line with his character.
This is a guy who doesn't like being told what to do, but at the same time can give up at the drop of a hat. It's a confusing dynamic that seems like it results from his upbringing, especially his tormented relationship with his biological father as an adult. Ben understands this, and most likely for devious reasons gives Locke a chance to overcome his insecurities with a chance to kill his father. Locke can't close the deal himself, but he wants his dad dead, so he conveniently gets Sawyer to do it. The whole episode seemed pretty ridiculous, considering Locke tries to murder a stranger in the finale when he could have stopped her other ways, but he can't kill a guy he hates and apparently wants dead since he gets Sawyer to do it. I didn't get it.
I was uncomfortable with Locke's story in this season. Ok, he is special. Yeah, he's going to be important with the others. So what? I mean i couldn't even swallow it all before i had to eat more story.
I guess what I'm saying is that Lost bit off too much with this season. There is too much story here. It makes for more entertaining episodes, but it makes the whole season a little overwhelming. I can understand why this season is regarded as a comparative low mark and why viewers jumped ship, although the chaotic scheduling played a factor.
This season suffered from too many cooks in the kitchen. Unlike THE WIRE, which also suffered from the problem of too many characters, Lost tries to give everyone something to do. THE WIRE on the other hand simply pushed characters to the side, even the main character for almost all of season four.
Maybe it's heresy to suggest such a thing, but I could have done with some Shannon and Boone like axing in this season, especially with Ecko.
Ecko's death is done to further the storyline, but ultimately it only adds layers that aren't necessary and in hindsight feel more like a gimmick than anything of importance. He could have been killed in the hatch explosion and merely used in dreams for season three. This would have been especially poignant, since most of the tailies die in season two (but not Bernard!).
The worst travesty of this season is the introduction and death of Nikki and Paulo. I'm sorry, but huh? What was that? Essentially you have a self-contained episode that could have happened in any season. It isn't just dumb, it's insulting. I would have rather seen a clip show.
The one story that feels like filler, and really isn't, is Sawyer's public makeover with Hurley. Hurley suggests that Sawyer might need to be the leader of the group in the absence of Jack and Locke, which seems ridiculous at this point, but comes to fruition in season five. I didn't really need his whole mayoral campaign, but Hurley's assessment of the situation almost made it worthwhile.
Season three also has too much Sun and Jin action. We get it. She cheated on him. Their marriage was complicated. She's pregnant. Probably could have condensed that a bit.
The fact that that storyline is so overdrawn is indicative of the flaw in the entire season. Everything feels like it is spinning out of control, which actually makes the flash forward more important because it gave the viewer a chance to slow things down a bit.
In the moment a lot of stories, like the Russian's station are fascinating, but they may have opened too many cans of worms in this season. I normally applaud the ambition of this show, except not here.
There are essentially 23 episodes in this season and it is too much. In fact, I think this season could be the impetus for the idea that there really can be too much of a good thing.
And there are plenty of good things. The episode "The Man Behind the Curtain" is nothing short of spectacular. We see Ben's back story and catch a glimpse of island politics.
The season finale really leaves us hanging, and on two different fronts. Primarily we're wondering what is happening on the island, since the motivations of this new boat are in question. On the back burner we have the scene between Jack and kate in the future, which raises tons of questions that will be answered with various success (the he that Kate refers to is Aaron. eh).
Oh yeah, and who is in the coffin? I know the answer now, but if I had to guess then I would have said Ben, Locke or some not yet seen character.
So yeah, Shannon is dead, but this is nice, right?

Yiddish Policeman's Union

In the interest of full disclosure I didn't actually read Michael Chabon's YIDDISH POLICEMAN'S UNION. I gobbled up this tasty treat as a collection of audio files on my ipod.
Let me stop right now and say that people should take use their ipods to listen to books. Go to your library and rip a few cds on to your computer.
For me this was a way to finally finish a book I had five false starts with. In the past I had gotten 10 or 15 pages into UNION and found I couldn't keep my momentum going. Taking this book on in another form, which allowed me to give it my undivided interest with less energy, was the change i needed to get over the hump that was keeping me from a very interesting book.
I say interesting because the plot of the novel isn't great. It's something we've seen before in terms of bad guys that aren't really bad with motives that aren't all that dark. But it's a story that has never been told in this context, which makes it that great.
My favorite thing about this book is the stage it sets. Essentially I love the set dressings of each scene. I also enjoyed the language and beat of it. This was accentuated by the book's reader, Peter Riegert.
Riegert provides a depth to the story that might have been lacking if I had merely read it. This aspect of audio books is one I find especially compelling about them, as a good voice performance can increase the quality of the experience with the book. People who argue that you need to read the book to get the experience are holding on to tradition merely for the sake of tradition. Maybe inflections and style by the reader can alter the perception of the book, but that's why there is a director of the process. For me it just adds another layer, and can even salvage a not great book.
But back to the book...
The world created in UNION is that of a 60 year old jewish community in Alaska. And the greatest success of Chabon is that this community feels real. I believe in this world. I immerse myself in this world, not thinking for a moment that it's a fantasy beyond belief. Essentially the setting is another character, and probably my favorite character.
This is a must read.

Flash Forward/V

I'm lumping these two shows together because combined they're almost a pretty good hour of television. They both have a compelling mythology, but the characters aren't great on either.
But, we can fix all that if we take the villains from FLASH FORWARD and combine them with our heroes from V. This makes logical sense since the heroes of FLASH FORWARD (Harold and the Drunk) suck and the villains from V (Anna) are corny. There is a chance the V villains could redeem themselves, but i'm doubtful, as the sleeper FBI agent has been officially killed. Alan Tudyk (I think that's the actors name), seemed poised to generate some real intrigue until he was taken off line.
There is good on both of these shows, and it's the parts i mentioned before. Charlie from Lost (I'll be calling him Charlie from now on) has cemented himself as the best character on FLASH FORWARD. He plays a villain with wit, layers and a ruthlessness akin to Ben on LOST. He may not be the top guy in the shadowy legion of bad guys responsible for the blackout, but he is definitely important. I watch the show solely for his appearances, which made the last episode particularly painful since he was M.I.A.
FLASH FORWARD also offers the prospects of heretofore unseen villains, which we were given a taste of recently. You don't need to see the future to know this will be good.
As for V, I'm totally into Juliet (no idea what her name is on this show, but it's Elizabeth Mitchell in real life) as the FBI agent who is secretly leading an uprising against the Vs. In addition there is Morris Chestnut (that's his real name), who plays a rebelling V. These rebelling Vs appear to be wide spread and call themselves the Fifth Column. I LOVE IT!!!
All of our heroes on V, Juliet, Morris and the Priest are surrounded by an enemy they can't see, which makes them be very creative and leads to rewarding stories.
When they combine these two shows I hope they do away with two love stories. On FLASH FORWARD it's the annoying Doc who was going to kill himself until he knew there was something to love for. On V it is Juliet's son and a V, who is Anna's daughter. That's supposed to mean something to us because Anna is the leader of the Vs and Juliet will be the leader of a resistance that hasn't fully developed, but I don't care. I don't care because the young love birds are awful. The story is boring and halts the action.
So there are my ideas for FLASH V so far. It could probably use some Cylons too.

Richard Alpert debut

Maybe it's wrong to be excited about a debut that occurred almost three years ago, but the first episode of Richard Alpert still makes me giddy.
In keeping with his mysterious persona that he continues to refine to this day, Alpert's entrance on the scene does not tell nearly the whole truth.
He is still one of the major mysteries that hasn't been uncovered on the island. UGH!!! Definitely one of my three favorite character, even though he primarily exists as a foil for other characters. I hope that he gets a flashback or flash forward episode so we can really explore his character.
Oh yeah, this episode also features Mac from ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA as Aldo!

Sophomore Slump

I'm often prone to declarative statements that lack any ambiguity, so I'm going to tread carefully when assessing season two of Lost. I just finished the season in about three days and I found the process to be a struggle.
The story of season two is a meandering tail that has some compelling highs (Michael's status as a double agent and the introduction of the tailies") and some low lows (Everything about Hurley). I'm leaving off the introduction of Ben, who at this point is known only as Henry Gale.
You see shades of his potential as a character when he suggests he sent the castaways into a trap, but you aren't given the full picture yet. I'll have more about Ben as I get into later seasons, as he is the most fascinating and entertaining character on Lost.
Ok, so my main problem with season two is that it seems to have a bunch of false starts. You've got Mr. Echo going twenty different ways at once and Charlie scurrying around as his personal assistant. But the main problem is that the "tailies" and the hatch hijacked the story. The "tailies" never meshed with the original castaways, which could explain why all but Bernard died, but more importantly they seemed to serve merely as filler. Take Ana Lucia, who was only good for killing off Shannon. Even in her flashback, when she escorted Christian, she didn't actually do anything.
Libby is a more interesting case, as she seemed poised to be an integral part of the show. I'm not saying she might have survived her bullet wounds, but it is possible she could have gone into a coma or something and come out of it after Michael had led the select few into his trap. Regardless of all that, though, she could have been big in back stories. Libby was the driving force behind Desmond crashing and there was definitely more to the mental hospital storyline that has never been resolved. Unfortunately there were scheduling conflicts and it looks like she's lost to the ages with the answers she could have provided.
Anyway, it just feels like each episode in this season was about positioning for some bigger theme. I like this about the show, but not at the expense of interesting stories in the short run. This season is just too convenient, as illustrated by the fact that food falls from the sky. Ugh! IT just rubs me the wrong way.

I'm still conflicted about Michael's turn as a bad guy. Well not really a bad guy, but a good guy driven to do bad things. My big question, though, is whether it was all necessary. Couldn't he have talked to Locke and Jack, so they would just let Henry Gale go? Jack embraced being led into a trap later on, so why not do this? Libby and Ana Lucia didn't need to die, except they did, since that's what the story required. ANd that's what i mean by it all being too convenient. Actions don't match the characters.
Oh! One of my favorite parts, which only gets better, is the introduction of the love stories. Never expected it, but Lost has generated three amazing love stories. First, is Penny and Desmond. Only because they had to overcome a physical separation in addition to the emotional barriers. We get a taste of this in season two, as we see what divides them and the lengths each will go for the other (boat around the world and set up emp monitoring stations).
Second, is the romance between Sun and Jin. This strained relationship seemed superficial in season one. but with Sun's pregnancy it receives some extra oomph. It only gets better.
The third relationship is the whirlwind romance of Sawyer and Juliet. I'll have plenty to say about that later on.
This season cemented my hatred for Kate. She's basically a moron. No idea why anyone would have a crush on her. Maybe you could admire her spunkiness, but she basically sucks. Disagree?
As for Locke and Jack, this is a trying season for them. Locke especially has his world view challenged.
I probably should talk about the hatch. I really don't have anything to say except that it blows up.
We get our first mention of the incident, which will occur in the season five finale.
This season is what it is (whatever that means). At the time it was a satisfying second course, but in retrospect it was just a tease. It was too long and much of it was pointless. Maybe I'll have deeper appreciation after the show is over, but right now I would think this is the worst season.
EXCEPT, I'm about to start season three, which if memory serves was terrible. Oh joy.