Week-In-Review

By the time Friday rolls around, I've generally watched a hell of a lot of TV. I often have little opinions that don't warrant an entire post, so I'm adding a new feature to my blog: The week-in-review. Enjoy! (And I'll try to keep it to shows that actually aired for the first time this week, as opposed to something that happened on Lost five years ago.)

Best Guest Star: Fred Weller for The Good Wife
You’d think this nod would have to go to Leelee Sobieski for the very same episode of the very same show, but she elicited little more than, “Oh, it’s Leelee Sobieski. Huh.” Whereas Fred Weller brought forth hand clapping and an excited “US marshal Marshall Mann!!! Eeeee!” Hats off to The Good Wife for bringing back guest stars when you least expect it and in the twistiest and most conniving possible ways.

Worst Performance by an Inanimate Object: the cape

Worst Performance by an Animate Object: Mr. "The Cape”

Funniest Indicator of a Sexual Relationship: Ian Gallagher and his boss on Shameless
Upon entering the convenience store and seeing his brother and his brother’s boss awkwardly stocking shelves, Lip realizes who Ian has been sleeping with by simply noting their attire. You’d guess that his assumption was based on disheveled shirts or missing articles, but no, it’s all in the shoes, with Ian and his boss each wearing one white and one black sneaker. “You’re fucking him?!” Oops. Aside from the fact that his brother is sleeping with his boss, which Lip didn’t know, Lip also didn’t know for sure that Ian was gay. Well, he does now.

Most Titillating Preview for Next Week’s Episode: Um, CASTLE!
Yeah, so being the TV maven that I am, I had seen a picture of Castle and Beckett either just before or just after a kiss, so it isn’t a total surprise here, but I’m still quite excited for it (what with it having been building for the past 2 1/2 seasons and all). I'm also a little afraid of it… I’m confident this will simply make things more interesting and complex, but there’s always a chance that it will simply quash any and all sexual chemistry they once had… It’s happened before…

Most Justifiable Reason for Screwing-over your Colleague: Southland
After listening to recovering addict Office Dewey spout off about AA, rambling incessantly, and make racist remarks for an entire episode, Michael Cudlitz has finally had enough after he rails against a couple of female police officers for having the guts to call him on his shit (hats off to Regina King for finally smacking him in the face). After listening to Dewey call them “bitches” about a dozen times, Cudlitz does what anyone would do. He stops at a convenience store for coffee (where a fellow unit happened to be), waits for Dewey to go inside, then drives away (with Ben McKenzie in tow). While I had to feel bad for the poor officer who got stuck with Dewey after that, it’s hard to argue this one. It made me love Cudlitz character about 300% more, even if it meant that Chickie got screwed. Heh, the look on Ben’s face when Cudlitz told him to get in the car was classic.

Characters I’d Most Like to See Trapped in an Episode of I Shouldn’t Be Alive: the three newbs on Off the Map
As is, Off the Map is your standard Shonda Rhimes medical melodrama, only with more ferns. You really want to shake things up and reinvent a genre? Shatter someone’s pelvis, give them malaria, trap them under boulder, and then have them treat patients.

Best Lie: Cary Agos (aka Logan Huntzberger) on The Good Wife
Okay, I’ve always loved Cary a ridiculous amount, but his most recent turn as conniving ASA, lying and manipulating his way to a confession, has me positively gleeful. I don’t generally enjoy seeing Will and Alicia get played, but that was awesome. And then calling in US marshal Marshall Mann for back-up? So awesome.

Second Best Lie: Antonia on Top Chef
Upon being told that if her teammates Jamie and Tiffany hadn’t sucked so much, Antonia would be in the winners’ circle and would have won the whole challenge (including a trip to Amsterdam), Antonia starts to tear up. The judges predictably ask what the tears are for. The real answer is, “I can’t believe I missed out on my ONE CHANCE to win a challenge AND an effing trip to Amsterdam because dumb and dumber over here don’t know how to cook!” but Antonia quickly covered with, “I… just don’t want to see anyone go home.” Sure you don't. But, nice save. I was sure she’d shoot herself in the foot or make an ass of herself, but she managed the situation incredibly well.

Most Overdue Dismissal: Speaking of Top Chef, hey look, it's Jamie!
I’m not sure when exactly the show decided to start rewarding terrible chefs who constantly screw over their teammates, but apparently that was the order of the day for this season. Jamie has been a pathetic waste of space for the past several weeks, but only just now sent home. Either she’s secretly the daughter of the executive producer or she’s sleeping with him. That’s really the only possible explanation.

Least Convincing Argument for Participating in "Sports": Lights Out
Man alive, I wanted to like FX's new drama Lights Out, I really did, but the show seems to operate in universe where people actually care about boxing and manage to think of it as anything but a couple of morons beating the crap out of each other. I can suspend my disbelief as much, if not more, than the next person, but that's going too far. Show about a guy who can bring people back from the dead with a single touch? Mmm, okay! Show about vampires and werewolves and witches? Why not! Show where boxing is cool? Whoa, whoa, slow down there, people. Honestly, it was probably a very good pilot with strong themes and a specific perspective, but I was so annoyed at the notion that boxing is a sport that it was hard to care. The dialogue and acting weren't spectacular, but overall the show would have been fine if it had focused on just about any other sport. Seriously, I watch Friday Night Lights and the football doesn't bother me.