And the slimminess of the pickens keeps on keepin' on... A lot of shows which have been on hiatus return next week, so things are looking up, but holy hell, if that last month hasn't been a slog. I'm starting to forget what The Vampire Diaries and Nikita even look like.
Best Cult Name: The Church of Earth…Wind and Fire on Being Human (UK)
This show has more than its fair share of dark moments, but it balances it out with hilarity. “I was in the cult? I was in the cult, yes.”
English to English Dictionary Addition of the Week: “Pikey” on Being Human (UK)
A “pikey” is basically the British equivalent of trailer trash, as I recently found out. As per urbandictionary.com, it’s from the English "turnpike", the place where itinerant travelers and thieves would camp near a settlement. And, from the film Snatch, they apparently have their own unintelligible language that “isn't English, it isn't Irish, it's just Pikey.” Learn something new every day.
Question You Never Want to Have to Ask: “What’s the age of consent for the state of Illinois?” on Shameless
Sorry Frank, that ship has sailed. It’s half-way to Fiji by now. Or, even worse, en route to Eddie’s and Lip’s email inboxes.
Worst Way to Go: Eddie Jackson on Shameless
Well, shit. I can think of a lot of good ways to kill yourself, but strapping cinderblocks to your legs and hopping into a frozen lake? Not at the top of my list… Presumably the freezing water would kill you quicker, and maybe he’s hoping his body is never found for some reason, but still.
Best Closet Exit: Ian finally tells Fiona that he’s gay on Shameless
It’s pretty clear that Ian and Lip have the closest bond of any of the siblings, but I like to think that Fiona knew Ian was gay well before Lip did. “Fiona, I’m gay,” he apprehensively blurts out. “I know,” she simply replies. Fiona may not be his best friend in the house the way that Lip is, but she’s his sister, and his mother basically, and in terms of knowing that someone is gay, sisters and mothers are usually the first to know.
Most Welcomed Return: Nurse Jackie
Oh, how I’ve missed you. It was a little strange going into season 2. After the suicidal events of the season 1 finale, I expected season 2 to be very different, but it wasn’t. I mean, it took things down a different path in many ways, just not the ones I expected. With season 3, however, the game has definitely been changed. Both Kevin and O’Hara know the truth, and Jackie is reeling. Biggest change of all? Jacks passes on the opportunity to purloin a fallen Percocet. I can’t wait to see where things go from here. I still miss Mo-mo though. Always will.
Mini Let-Down of the Week: Castle
It was honestly one of their stronger A-plots, but as you know, A-plots do not a series make in my opinion. This episode just didn’t seem to have the snap, crackle, and pop of others. I didn’t even pull out any funny quotes for the end of this post. I don’t think that’s ever happened before… In the plus column though, the very end where Castle basically dupes Beckett into going on a date with him was adorable. Best part of the episode, hands down.
Most Shameless Product Placement: Castle
Okay, I don’t actually know what kind of phone or what apps Castle was using, but the promotion was pretty shameless and annoying. At first, when he used his phone to track Alexis’ position, I was willing to go with it as simply a plot point. The next several times, complete with close-up views of his phone, were not so forgivable. He uses a different phone every week, so this comes as little surprise really, but it’s never been so blatant before. I guess I should be grateful that the integrations were pretty well integrated. White Collar could take some pointers from this. If you simply must use integrated product placement, at least make it make a modicum of sense.
Most Depressing Ratings News: Body of Proof does better than The Good Wife
I realize it was a series premiere and that it will likely drop off next week, but still. The thought that anyone would choose yet another crime procedural over the best drama on network TV is just depressing as hell.
Biggest Storm a’ Brewin’ (Chicago Division): The Good Wife
Man alive, the noose just keeps getting tighter and tighter and it’s making me more and more nervous with each passing episode. The revelation that Peter slept with Kalinda has the potential to uproot just about every character on the show, if not destroy them entirely. Peter’s bid for State’s Attorney, Kalinda’s secret identity, Alicia’s entire existence… Things are about to get crazy. Well, crazier.
Biggest Storm a’ Brewin’ (Whoop-de-doo Division): Justified
First thing, ten-gallon hats off to Justified (and to FX) for its third season pick-up. Secondly, with the current season getting better and better week-to-week, I can only imagine how awesome that third season will be. Between the Bennets, the Givenseseses, Black Pike, Boyd, and Art’s suspicions of Raylan, we have one hell of a nailbiter on our hands (heh, get it? nailbiter, hands? sorry).
Best Performance: Margo Martindale on Justified
This show is always firing on all cylinders, and has a cast that can rise to the challenge, but the addition of Margo Martindale has upped everyone’s games considerably. Emmy voters, take notice. She didn’t just win over the town with her oration about “the spoil,” she solidified her place on my ballot.
Best Win: Richard Blais on Top Chef All Stars
Saints be praised, and hallelujah! He was my pick to win from day one, but I’ll be damned if the show didn’t make it look like Mike Isabella might take it home. I’m pretty sure Blais would have simply collapsed and died on the spot if he’d lost, so it’s for the best on a number of levels. Speaking of Blais, I came across an article in the Hollywood Reported titled “5 Things to Know About New Top Chef Winner Richard Blais”. It went on to say, “here are five things you might not know about him…” First on the list? He uses liquid nitrogen when he cooks. Um, I hate to break it to the people at the Hollywood Reporter, but anyone who would be reading this article would know that. Indeed, in a contest between knowing his first name or knowing that he uses liquid nitrogen, believe me, more people will know about the liquid nitrogen.
Sorest Loser: Mike from Top Chef All Stars
Okay, seriously, what happened to you as a child that you turned out like this? The eye-rolling, the excuses, the bravado… someone needs to just shoot the bastard. Look, Mike, I realize you must have been beat up as a child, a lot, but that’s no excuse. I’ve never seen someone so insecure in my life, and I just watched an entire season of Richard Blais having panic attacks.
Lamest and Most Obvious Plea to Viewers: Criminal Minds
Oh, Criminal Minds. Don’t fire two beloved actresses and then pretend that the audience is just being whiny when they cry foul. This latest episode opens begins with, well, a horrific death of course, but right after that, we see Penelope staring at a picture of Prentiss on the wall, which prompts Morgan to say, “Prentiss wouldn’t want us to sulk. […] She would also want us to embrace Seaver.” This thinly veiled plea to the audience to just get over it all ready was more annoying than convincing. JJ and Prentiss were two of the best aspects of the show, and to summarily fire them within weeks of each other was a serious blow. On top of that, Seaver could not possibly be any more boring, or more damningly, completely useless to the team. Honestly, she was vaguely helpful for that one episode where her life-experience actually aided the team, but since then? She’s a total waste of space and no scolding from the writers of the show is going to convince me otherwise. How do I know for sure that losing Prentiss and adding Seaver was a bad move? This last episode was one of the most boring episodes I’ve ever seen. The dynamic among the group is just plain dull these days. Here’s hoping they add someone who actually brings something to the table (you know, like a gun with which to shoot Seaver).
**Quotes of the Week**
“The #burnnotice ep we're working on is too hard. So instead of an ep, shirtless Michael just blows something up and we'll call it a day. Ok?”
--Burn Notice showrunner Matt Nix, via twitter. Dear Matt, that works for me.
“I don't need or want ur apology...I want your kidney dude. ‘On behalf of ur X and all the women uv insulted...give it back.’”
--Kirstie Alley, responding to George Lopez calling her a pig and referring to the fact that Lopez divorced his wife five years after she donated one her kidneys to him.
“No magic (unless you count how Romans in Hollywood always magically sound British).”
--Entertainment Weekly, taking a tally of the various aspects of new epic TV shows like Camelot, Game of Thrones, and The Borgias. The Borgias doesn’t have much in the way of magic, but a hell of a lot of English Spaniards and English Italians. I’ll never understand why the hell they do that, but it’s distracting. The French guy sounded French, after all…
“Lowest Common Denominator Continues To Plummet: The lowest common denominator (LCD), the leading cultural indicator for American mass-market tastes, continued its precipitous drop last week, fueling worries about the future of the U.S. marketplace for ideas and stoking fears of a long-term cultural recession.”
--The Onion, which, I have to assume, is talking about Body of Proof’s impressive ratings versus The Good Wife. The plummeting LCD is one of the primary reasons I’ve started importing more and more TV goods.
“I’ve got an axe I can drop on your head at any moment. Why would I give that up?”
--Nurse Jackie, letting Sam know exactly who she is and how she operates.
“You broke my heart, Jacks.”
--O’Hara on Nurse Jackie. Jackie has been breaking the audience’s heart for two seasons now, but seeing it hit the people around her hurts even more.
Ian: “If I get convicted, I can’t enlist.”
Lip: “What?”
Ian: “In the Marines.”
Lip: “Good. I was planning on kneecapping you in your sleep to keep you out of Kandahar anyway.”
--Shameless, regarding Lip and Ian’s recent arrest for grand theft auto. As is a surprise to no one, in spite of Lip’s determination to keep Ian out of Kandahar, he takes full blame for the crime so that Ian won’t be convicted.
“It’s like when a storm is over. Is it happiness? Or is it just relief?”
--Alicia on The Good Wife, being very Epicurean, and sadly delusional. Oh, Alicia. If you only knew. Wait, strike that, please don’t ever know.
“Didja know that Dana Delany's supposed to be brilliant on #BodyOfProof? Cause the show didn't hammer that point AT ALL.”
--Television Without Pity, via twitter, summing up the annoyance that was Body of Proof in 140 characters or less.
Showing posts with label Nurse Jackie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nurse Jackie. Show all posts
Friday, April 1, 2011
Thursday, December 23, 2010
My Top 10 of 2010
With the end of the year upon us, retrospectives and top [insert random number here] lists have been cropping up all over the place. I don't usually do a top whatever list, but I've seen some pretty crazy-ass entries on some lists lately and felt the need to make my own preferences clear. Seriously, Huge? You're kidding me, right?
Here are my picks... (They're numbered, but there really isn't any particular order. I just picked ten and plopped them in there wherever.)
MY SCRIPTED TOP 10 (ish)
1) The Good Wife
I'm sure you're all sick to death of hearing about my love for The Good Wife, but what can I say? It really is the best show on network TV and can hold its own against cable. It does a better job balancing its elements than just about any other show on air, taking wha
t could have been a standard legal procedural and turning it into a captivating drama that borders on a serial. When the show was first pitched, they aimed for 60% courtroom A-plots, 40% serial B-plots. I heard in an interview though that those values were ultimately reversed, and I think that's the key to its excellence (and probably a bit of why its ratings aren't where they should be). Your average middle-American apparently doesn't like to have to remember anything about anything week-to-week, which is why straight-up procedurals do so well here. Well, I hate procedurals, as you'll probably notice from their scarcity on this list. Give me a good serial any day, thanks. The Good Wife has it all and delivers every single week. Kudos, CBS, for doing something right for once.
2) Terriers
Yet another show you're probably sick of hearing about, but its warranted. I'm bummed beyond belief that this true gem won't be back for a second season, but I commend FX for airing the entire season in spite of dismal ratings (the show would have
been pulled from network TV after 1 episode) and for manning up and telling us it was canceled right after the finale, rather than casually pretending the show had a chance until the last minute. Funny, dramtic, touching, intriguing, and addictive, Terriers will go down in TV history as one of the very best shows to be cut down in its prime. Assuming it makes it to DVD, I suspect this is a show that people will discover all too late. Here's hoping Donal Logue finds another project that showcases his true acting chops the way this one did.
3) CW Thursdays (The Vampire Diaries and Nikita)
Who'd have ever guessed that the CW, the little network that usually can't, would be the place for must-see TV on Thursdays (one of the biggest nights for programming)? These
two series could easily have garnered individual spots on this list, but there's just something about having them back to back that makes the experience of each even richer. TVD hasn't experienced a sophomore slump at all (amazingly, given how fast they burn through story), and Nikita has been the surprise winner of the fall pilot season. Indeed, I think it's about the only network show I kept this year (what with Lone Star getting canceled and all). Hats off to the CW, where little shows with little followings can actually succeed.
4) Justified
Man alive, I'm so excited for this one to come back (February 9th)! Season 1 seems like ages ago. This show isn't quite
like anything else on the air right now and somehow managed to make the western cool. It's a great serial with a stellar cast that has a very different flavor that most other programming. It's a breath of fresh Kentucky air (yeah, yeah, I know it isn't actually filmed there) that helps add something different to my slate of shows. From what I'm hearing, season 2 looks to be just as engaging and awesome as the first, so if you haven't checked this show out yet, you have about six weeks to get crackin'.
5) Community
I wanted to make sure to include at least one comedy on this list, and while Modern
Family is incredibly well done, its second season hasn't been as hilarious as its first, whereas Community has reached new levels of awesome in its sophomore year. Henceforth, Community makes the cut. It really is the best comedy on air right now and is deserving of much better ratings than it gets. Seriously, people, it blows The Big Bang Theory out of the water and is a much better (and funnier) way to spend an evening.
6) Boardwalk Empire
A lot of people were ultimately underwhelmed by the narrative (even if they we
re blown away by the visuals), but I really got sucked into this one. I'm a little surprised at how much I enjoyed this one given my general lack of caring about gangsters. It's pacing was slower than most people would have preferred, but I found the slow burn captivating. There were elements that were underwhelming, I grant that, but overall, it's one of the most accomplished and expertly executed shows out there. Also, the fact that it airs on HBO and isn't in any danger of cancellation certainly helps get me invested in a show. I'm more willing to give a show time if I know it'll actually be around next week.
7) Nurse Jackie
Yet another show that feels like it's been gone for ages, Nurse Jackie has been on my favorites list since I saw the first 10
minutes of the pilot. Showtime has built an empire around quirky leading ladies, but Edie Falco tops them all. Sharp, funny, dark as hell, and incredibly dramatic, somehow Nurse Jackie manages to weave everything together in a seamless way, and in only 26 minutes. Here's hoping season 3 keeps the excellence ball rolling. What can I say? I've missed Jackie's style of justice lately and I can't wait to see how her intervention from the finale is going to play out in the coming season. Life really is full of little pricks, and Jackie is just the person to deal with them.
8) Doctor Who
I love British television. It was hard to pin down which of their stellar shows to include on this list, but my first venture into the
wonderful world of Doctor Who takes the cake. Being Human got a little soapy and uneven in its second season, otherwise it also would have made the cut. I had only had a smattering of experience with the Doctor Who franchise until now, but I truly got sucked into this one. Matt Smith is charming and delightful as the Doctor and his chemistry with his companion Amy Pond was cheeky and exciting from beginning to end. Every episode had something special to offer, even in their less successful outings (which were still better than a lot of shows' best episodes). Adding international fare to your line-up is a great way to add something new and fresh and Doctor Who succeeds in spades. It's a hell of a lot of fun, but has some serious drama to boot. Cheers!
9) Castle
I really enjoy this show, but I had to really think about putting it on this list or not. It's a fun slice of escapism, but at its core, it's a procedural... and we all know how I feel about
procedurals. Granted, this one is a lot better than most, but it still doesn't have the appeal of a good serial for me. I ultimately put it on this list because I genuinely look forward to it each week, even if it has a fair bit of fluff. The show doesn't take itself too seriously and knows how to have fun, which, after looking at some of the heavier options on this list, I really need from time to time. Plus, anything with Nathan Fillion has to get a mention somewhere (well, maybe not Drive, but who's splitting hairs?).
10) USA Network Programming
(Well, most of it anyway. Specifically: Burn Notice, In Plain Sight, White Collar, and Covert Affairs)
It's at this point that you should be crying foul because I clearly have more than 10 on my top 10, but I don't care. USA has a formula for success, and all of these shows follow that format to a certain degree, ergo, they get the
same spot on this list. Burn Notice is clearly USA's most accomplished and aberrant program, deviating from the lighter than air elements of its cohorts with some serious drama. The season finale was off the hook fabulous and if I had to choose one show to put on this list, Burn Notice would easily take the cake. I really do enjoy the other shows listed as well, however, and wanted to give them some props. As a network, USA has created a brand that appeals to the masses without being completely devoid of quality and they deserve some recognition for that.
*Honorable Mentions*
Modern Family
"Don't bite my head off, Mitchell. I'm not a pack of batteries!"
Lone Star
I hardly knew ye... It's hard to know where this show would have ended up if I had seen more than two episodes, but after only those two, I was invested hook, line, and sinker. Here's hoping we get to see the rest of the taped episodes someday...
Southland
I'm actually pretty excited for this one to come back. Who'd have guessed?
Glee
This show is hit or miss, but when it's hit, it's one of my favorites.
Dexter
Not their best season, but it's still a hell of a show.
MY REALITY/COMPETITION TOP 5
1) Top Chef
2) So You Think You Can Dance
3) Work of Art: The Search for the Next Great Artist
4) The Next Food Network Star
5) Top Chef: Masters
And no, Project Runway did NOT make the list. I don't like to reward bad behavior, and crowning what's-her-face (Gretchen) the winner of anything is simply inexcusable.
MY REALITY/OTHER TOP 5
1) I Shouldn't Be Alive
2) Hoarders
3) Mystery Diagnosis
4) Intervention
5) Locked Up Abroad
There are a lot of other categories out there that should probably be explored, but when I started compiling a list, it became pretty daunting. There is one more honor that has to be bestowed, however, and it's something that I like to think had a hand in garnering a top ten finish for the show...
MOST IMPROVED HAIR
Kate Beckett (Castle)
If I never see that mullet of hers again, I'll be a happy, happy viewer. Way to grow out the "business in the front", Kate. It was that or lose the "party in the back"... Either way, something had to be done.
Here are my picks... (They're numbered, but there really isn't any particular order. I just picked ten and plopped them in there wherever.)
MY SCRIPTED TOP 10 (ish)
1) The Good Wife
I'm sure you're all sick to death of hearing about my love for The Good Wife, but what can I say? It really is the best show on network TV and can hold its own against cable. It does a better job balancing its elements than just about any other show on air, taking wha
t could have been a standard legal procedural and turning it into a captivating drama that borders on a serial. When the show was first pitched, they aimed for 60% courtroom A-plots, 40% serial B-plots. I heard in an interview though that those values were ultimately reversed, and I think that's the key to its excellence (and probably a bit of why its ratings aren't where they should be). Your average middle-American apparently doesn't like to have to remember anything about anything week-to-week, which is why straight-up procedurals do so well here. Well, I hate procedurals, as you'll probably notice from their scarcity on this list. Give me a good serial any day, thanks. The Good Wife has it all and delivers every single week. Kudos, CBS, for doing something right for once.2) Terriers
Yet another show you're probably sick of hearing about, but its warranted. I'm bummed beyond belief that this true gem won't be back for a second season, but I commend FX for airing the entire season in spite of dismal ratings (the show would have
been pulled from network TV after 1 episode) and for manning up and telling us it was canceled right after the finale, rather than casually pretending the show had a chance until the last minute. Funny, dramtic, touching, intriguing, and addictive, Terriers will go down in TV history as one of the very best shows to be cut down in its prime. Assuming it makes it to DVD, I suspect this is a show that people will discover all too late. Here's hoping Donal Logue finds another project that showcases his true acting chops the way this one did.3) CW Thursdays (The Vampire Diaries and Nikita)
Who'd have ever guessed that the CW, the little network that usually can't, would be the place for must-see TV on Thursdays (one of the biggest nights for programming)? These
two series could easily have garnered individual spots on this list, but there's just something about having them back to back that makes the experience of each even richer. TVD hasn't experienced a sophomore slump at all (amazingly, given how fast they burn through story), and Nikita has been the surprise winner of the fall pilot season. Indeed, I think it's about the only network show I kept this year (what with Lone Star getting canceled and all). Hats off to the CW, where little shows with little followings can actually succeed.4) Justified
Man alive, I'm so excited for this one to come back (February 9th)! Season 1 seems like ages ago. This show isn't quite
like anything else on the air right now and somehow managed to make the western cool. It's a great serial with a stellar cast that has a very different flavor that most other programming. It's a breath of fresh Kentucky air (yeah, yeah, I know it isn't actually filmed there) that helps add something different to my slate of shows. From what I'm hearing, season 2 looks to be just as engaging and awesome as the first, so if you haven't checked this show out yet, you have about six weeks to get crackin'.5) Community
I wanted to make sure to include at least one comedy on this list, and while Modern
Family is incredibly well done, its second season hasn't been as hilarious as its first, whereas Community has reached new levels of awesome in its sophomore year. Henceforth, Community makes the cut. It really is the best comedy on air right now and is deserving of much better ratings than it gets. Seriously, people, it blows The Big Bang Theory out of the water and is a much better (and funnier) way to spend an evening.6) Boardwalk Empire
A lot of people were ultimately underwhelmed by the narrative (even if they we
re blown away by the visuals), but I really got sucked into this one. I'm a little surprised at how much I enjoyed this one given my general lack of caring about gangsters. It's pacing was slower than most people would have preferred, but I found the slow burn captivating. There were elements that were underwhelming, I grant that, but overall, it's one of the most accomplished and expertly executed shows out there. Also, the fact that it airs on HBO and isn't in any danger of cancellation certainly helps get me invested in a show. I'm more willing to give a show time if I know it'll actually be around next week.7) Nurse Jackie
Yet another show that feels like it's been gone for ages, Nurse Jackie has been on my favorites list since I saw the first 10
minutes of the pilot. Showtime has built an empire around quirky leading ladies, but Edie Falco tops them all. Sharp, funny, dark as hell, and incredibly dramatic, somehow Nurse Jackie manages to weave everything together in a seamless way, and in only 26 minutes. Here's hoping season 3 keeps the excellence ball rolling. What can I say? I've missed Jackie's style of justice lately and I can't wait to see how her intervention from the finale is going to play out in the coming season. Life really is full of little pricks, and Jackie is just the person to deal with them.8) Doctor Who
I love British television. It was hard to pin down which of their stellar shows to include on this list, but my first venture into the
wonderful world of Doctor Who takes the cake. Being Human got a little soapy and uneven in its second season, otherwise it also would have made the cut. I had only had a smattering of experience with the Doctor Who franchise until now, but I truly got sucked into this one. Matt Smith is charming and delightful as the Doctor and his chemistry with his companion Amy Pond was cheeky and exciting from beginning to end. Every episode had something special to offer, even in their less successful outings (which were still better than a lot of shows' best episodes). Adding international fare to your line-up is a great way to add something new and fresh and Doctor Who succeeds in spades. It's a hell of a lot of fun, but has some serious drama to boot. Cheers!9) Castle
I really enjoy this show, but I had to really think about putting it on this list or not. It's a fun slice of escapism, but at its core, it's a procedural... and we all know how I feel about
procedurals. Granted, this one is a lot better than most, but it still doesn't have the appeal of a good serial for me. I ultimately put it on this list because I genuinely look forward to it each week, even if it has a fair bit of fluff. The show doesn't take itself too seriously and knows how to have fun, which, after looking at some of the heavier options on this list, I really need from time to time. Plus, anything with Nathan Fillion has to get a mention somewhere (well, maybe not Drive, but who's splitting hairs?).10) USA Network Programming
(Well, most of it anyway. Specifically: Burn Notice, In Plain Sight, White Collar, and Covert Affairs)
It's at this point that you should be crying foul because I clearly have more than 10 on my top 10, but I don't care. USA has a formula for success, and all of these shows follow that format to a certain degree, ergo, they get the
same spot on this list. Burn Notice is clearly USA's most accomplished and aberrant program, deviating from the lighter than air elements of its cohorts with some serious drama. The season finale was off the hook fabulous and if I had to choose one show to put on this list, Burn Notice would easily take the cake. I really do enjoy the other shows listed as well, however, and wanted to give them some props. As a network, USA has created a brand that appeals to the masses without being completely devoid of quality and they deserve some recognition for that.*Honorable Mentions*
Modern Family
"Don't bite my head off, Mitchell. I'm not a pack of batteries!"
Lone Star
I hardly knew ye... It's hard to know where this show would have ended up if I had seen more than two episodes, but after only those two, I was invested hook, line, and sinker. Here's hoping we get to see the rest of the taped episodes someday...
Southland
I'm actually pretty excited for this one to come back. Who'd have guessed?
Glee
This show is hit or miss, but when it's hit, it's one of my favorites.
Dexter
Not their best season, but it's still a hell of a show.
MY REALITY/COMPETITION TOP 5
1) Top Chef
2) So You Think You Can Dance
3) Work of Art: The Search for the Next Great Artist
4) The Next Food Network Star
5) Top Chef: Masters
And no, Project Runway did NOT make the list. I don't like to reward bad behavior, and crowning what's-her-face (Gretchen) the winner of anything is simply inexcusable.
MY REALITY/OTHER TOP 5
1) I Shouldn't Be Alive
2) Hoarders
3) Mystery Diagnosis
4) Intervention
5) Locked Up Abroad
There are a lot of other categories out there that should probably be explored, but when I started compiling a list, it became pretty daunting. There is one more honor that has to be bestowed, however, and it's something that I like to think had a hand in garnering a top ten finish for the show...
MOST IMPROVED HAIR
Kate Beckett (Castle)
If I never see that mullet of hers again, I'll be a happy, happy viewer. Way to grow out the "business in the front", Kate. It was that or lose the "party in the back"... Either way, something had to be done.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Throw 2 More Medical Shows on the Barbie
Okay, TV, this is getting absurd. It's always been pretty apparent that a ridiculous number of dramas center around law enforcement, the legal system, or hospitals, but the ratio is getting out of hand. Seriously, you count up all the shows that fall into one of those categories and you only have about 10% left over for everything else. This fall alone, CBS has a new legal drama, a new medical show, and an NCIS spin-off. Way to cover all the standard bases, CBS.
In recent years, Team Law Enforcement Show took the lead with spate of CSIs, CSI spin-offs, and other such detective/cop/procedural type shows. It's what CBS is made of, quite frankly. The late nineties were dominated by Team Legal Show, but that seems to have ebbed of late. Amidst all the crime and punishment, Team Medical Show has always held its own, and back when ER was in its prime, saw a dramatic increase in derivative programming.
Even the sharpest of possible increases would be hard-pressed to surpass the newest deluge of medical shows. Apparently, with ER finally (I could almost hear the show sighing toward the end) retiring, all the networks decided to fill the medical void (that wasn't all that empty to begin with (House, Grey's Anatomy, Scrubs, Mental, In Treatment, Private Practice, etc.)) with a spate of new medical programming to rival the towering heap of law enforcement shows that currently dominate the airwaves.
Off the top of my head, I count 6 new medical shows premiering this spring or fall: Three Rivers, Mercy, Trauma, HawthoRNe, Royal Pains, and Nurse Jackie. I'm wagering there are more out there, ready to pounce, but those are the six that are currently on my radar. Add those to the already full plate of medical programming, and you've reached a surfeit. Now, I enjoy this kind of show as much as the next person, but after a while, you start seeing the same kinds of crises, the same kinds of characters, and the whole affair just gets old, overdone, and dull.
As such, for a show of this genre to make a splash, the creative really has to work hard to reinvent the wheel and give the audience something new and unique to take the focus off the formula. Most of the newbies don't premiere till this fall, but Showtime's Nurse Jackie and USA's Royal Pains both premiered last week.
ROYAL PAINS
If comments on the web are any indication, neither I, nor anyone else on the planet had a whole lot of hope for this show. I'm guessing it was such low expectations that made the pilot come across as not completely awful. Which isn't to say it was excellent either, but contrary to my suspicions, the pilot was fairly decent and watchable.
The bottom line with this show is that all the elements were "decent enough," but nothing was particularly good or bad. If I had gone on a date with Royal
Pains, I'd say he was "nice." (And for those of you who don't know what implications that adjective has (as far as I'm concerned), "nice" is how you describe someone who isn't a horrible person or anything, and the date was agonizing painful or anything.... but... well... there's nothing else really positive to say but "nice"...) Royal Pains was better than I expected, but it was middle of the road in pretty much every regard. The only truly irksome element was the base concept... (no biggie, right?).
Royal Pains follows Dr. Hank as he gets fired from his prestigious job at a top NYC hospital because he opted to save some kid over one of the biggest financial donors to the hospital (or something like that). The old rich guy was stable, so Dr. Hank went to help the critically ill kid that he had brought in earlier. Well, quite a bit later on, Dr. Hank is informed that the old guy died and somehow that's his fault. It annoyed me for the better part of the pilot that a rare, inexplicable complication that came so much later could be chalked up to Dr. Hank in the first place, but that he would lose his job over it was just plain stupid. I can see where a wealthy family that had contributed to the hospital over the years might try to sue or blackball Dr. Hank, but that he would be immediately fired and basically barred from practicing in New York was just ridiculous. He followed standard triage procedure (which was finally pointed out at the very end of the pilot), so it would only serve to make the hospital look terrible to fire him. It's wrongful termination plain and simple. If he were to expose the reasons for his termination to the media, the hospital would come under tremendous ridicule. That preferential treatment is given to certain patients is a constant issue, and this would do nothing but confirm it. Especially given that the guy who died was an old white guy and the kid who Dr. Hank saved was a young African-American, I can't imagine the hospital would risk that kind of bad public relations and expose themselves to a lawsuit. Dumb.
There are a number of shows that I have some basic issues with the concept, but many of these make up for it in other ways. For example, Chuck and Pushing Daisies both
have basic concepts that the viewer just kind of has to go with. In both cases, I'm more than happy to suspend my criticisms and disbeliefs because the show makes up for it in so many other ways. I gladly just take it for what it is and overlook any possible flaws. Royal Pains, on the other hand, was only pretty-okay in other respects, so the flaws with the initial premise were more annoying than they should have been.
Exhibit B: Apparently, if there's one thing insanely wealthy white people need, it's better access to medical care. Who knew? Dr. Hank ends up in the Hamptons with his brother for the weekend and apparently he's the MacGyver of doctors (a reference that a 16 year old makes, might I add, and which I just don't think would happen... do teenagers know MacGyver? Whatever.). In the course of a weekend, he saves two people's lives and is deemed the "concierge doctor" for the whole community. Why don't these wealthy people just go to a hospital for emergency medical care? Apparently the only medical services in the Hamptons are terrible, so people would rather take their chances on the floor of a mansion, with only a Bic pen, a plastic bag, and a jar of almonds to save them... For as idiotic as the concept is, it was actually fairly decently done and it helped me to overlook some of the lunacy. Some.
Some woman shows up from out of no where and has a trunk full of medical supplies and equipment, so
she, Dr. Hank, and the brother form some sort of mobile medical services company. The whole thing was pretty cheesy and all the plot points were extremely convenient. How nice of you to show up on my doorstep with a everything we could possibly need to make this dubious concept work! Oy. The Toyota Hospital Series SUV only served to make the medicine on the show even more suspect than it already was (and believe me, it was). But, as far as the concept for this show is concerned, the medical equipment contained entirely within the back of her car is all Dr. Hank will need to save people... You know, because her car is totally big enough to fit a CT scanner, MRI, lab, pharmacy, etc...
Anyway, annoyances with the concept aside, the show was very middle of the road overall. The acting was okay, the characters were likeable enough, the production value was fine, etc, etc, etc. Nothing really reached out and grabbed me, but it honestly wasn't as terrible as I had feared. I think the real problem with the show will be sustainability. Given how weak the concept is, I just don't know how the writers are going to come up with medical emergencies that can be remedied out of the back of a truck week-to-week... If they can come up with a way to keep it fresh, it definitely has a chance, but I'll have to see it to believe it.
Bottom line? Meh.
Pilot Grade: C+
NURSE JACKIE
I don't generally have access to Showtime, but after threatening my satellite company with a switch to Comcast, it somehow magically appeared... Anyway, I've been pretty disappointed with the movies they've shown, but, as with so many past series on the network, their newest addition is excellent, plain and simple.
I wasn't going to really give Nurse Jackie much of a chance (given that I only have Showtime for the next couple of months), but I had heard good things, so I tuned in for the pilot. This may be simply because I've seen a lot of mediocre pilots this year, but Nurse Jackie reminded me of what an excellent pilot should be. That sounds kind of sappy, now that I think of it, but it's true.
I don't know if it comes as a result of having little or no restrictions, but Showtime has a tremendous track record with serialized television. Nurse Jackie is no exception. From the opening scene to the insanely awesome reveal at the end, the pilot had me undeniably intrigued and almost immediately invested in every aspect of the show. Unlike Royal Pains and so many other medical shows, this one really sets itself apart and manages to make it so much more than your standard medical drama. The medicine is an important part of the show, to be sure, but it's not the primary draw.
Edie Falco is superb as the eponymous Jackie. Her character is complex and engaging without being contrived. I didn't have that ever-frequent sensation that the writers thought long and hard over the character and what her flaws would be. When I can practically hear the writers' room in my head and can see each machination as a belabored, deliberate tool, I say that I can "see the strings." With Nurse Jackie, not only did I not notice the strings, I didn't care to look for them at all. Like many great pilots, I just felt like I had been given a privileged look at this woman's life, her thoughts and feelings, and the world around her. It didn't feel like she had been
cooked up on a laptop by some half-wit writer. It felt as though I was allowed to see a fully formed, fully realized person and wasn't bombarded with contrivances and gimmicks. It's a really lovely feeling when that happens.
The show centers around Jackie, a tough, but compassionate nurse who wrestles with her life, her career, her conscience, and her flaws as best she can. It sounds trite, I know, but it came across as incredibly genuine. As with the greatest of pilots, in my estimation, the show didn't spend the entirety of the pilot explaining to me who everyone is, what their motives are, how they relate to one another, and what dynamics exist among them. Nothing takes me out of the moment in quite the same way that lazy plot exposition does. I don't need the writers to explain everything to me, I'll pick it up as I go along. Nurse Jackie did this beautifully. I appreciate subtlety in story telling and the pilot managed to hint at a lot of things, illuminate others, and keep me guessing at most of the finer points, all without clunky descriptions or shameless plot exposition. I can be reasonably certain it was a good pilot when I can't remember most of the characters' names and I'm not sure how or if they're related. That sounds like it would be the hallmark of a terrible pilot, but it's not. The truly awful pilots use characters' first names over and over again for no apparent reason have characters answer the phone with, "Well, if it isn't my little brother Kevin! How is your new wife, Cheryl?" Um, thanks for the clarification? Don't get me wrong, it's nice to know who's who and all, but there are subtler ways to do it. In bad pilots, it's almost never seamless or smooth, it takes me out of the experience, and generally removes all suspension of disbelief. I'm more than happy to pick up information as I go along and am comfortable not knowing exactly what is going on 100% of the time. It makes it seem more authentic and I feel more immersed in the narrative.
That Jackie is dependent on prescription pain killers could have made her character a sad derivative of House, but the writers have very skillfully managed to avoid this. Jackie's dependence i
s largely a secret, and quite honestly reflects countless other people who have developed an addiction following an injury. Her dependence is compelling and it makes the fact that she's sleeping with the hospital pharmacist much more interesting and layered than your regular relationship. You have to ask yourself if she's seeing him simply to support her habit. The thought crossed my mind several times, but then was undercut by how they interacted with one another. He offered her pain killers for her back, which she initially refused, then ultimately accepted. This gave me the impression that she doesn't want to use him like that, but that her addiction is stronger than her resolve. I held this theory until the end of the episode when they were both standing in the rain under umbrellas. It was such a sweet, charming tableau that I had to reassess her motives. He gave her a Dr. Pepper, a moon pie, and some prescription narcotics before they both bid each other, "I love you," and departed. It was surprisingly sweet, almost childlike (in spite of the drugs), and even kind of touching. It made me reevaluate her motives once again. It was only the pilot and only their second scene together, but I already kinda, sorta adored them. They just seemed to make total sense together.
**SPOILER ALERT** (skip this paragraph if you don't want to know)
It's to the pilot's credit that they established Jackie's relationship with the pharmacist so quickly and effectively that I was genuinely surprised and a little dismayed at the end when it is revealed that Jackie has two daughters and is ostensibly happily married. Once again, I had to question her motives, and once again, I ended up without any certainty whatsoever. That she gave the moon pie to her girls was just perfect. It seemed such a strange gift to give her, but he meant it for her daughters. I think that makes me adore him even more. That there's a husband in the picture throws a major wrench into the works and I didn't see it coming at all. The reveal was sad and sweet and horrible and wonderful all at once.
As if the show's dramatic elements were enough, the show is also genuinely, darkly funny. It cracked me up on more than a few occasions, yet still retained its edge and tone. It didn't feel
like the show was asking for the laugh, as so many do, but was still funny, smirk-worthy, and witty. The scene at dinner where Jackie and another doctor from the hospital are at a table next to a woman who is choking was fantastic. Unlike so many other shows where the doctors spring to their feet, announce that there's a doctor in the house and save the woman's life, Jackie and her friend groan and try to shirk the responsibility. Jackie ultimately ends up saving the woman's life instead of her friend, very matter-of-factly, because the friend is paying for lunch. The whole scene cracked me up and managed to surprise me--a tall order for someone who watches as much television as I do.
Along with all the other brilliantly conceived aspects of the show, there's a religious undercurrent that adds yet another layer of complexity. I'm not a religious type, to be sure, so I was surprised at how much I enjoyed watching Jackie grapple with her own ethics and morals and how that is affected by her religious background. All these elements blend together in a very smooth, seamless, organic way, and for this reason, I don't find myself annoyed at the contrivance, but rather accepting of, and intrigued by the essential facts at hand. To this end, the religious aspects of the show made for perfect book ends for the episode, beginning and ending with the sage advice of the saints. That the episode ended with St. Augustine's words, who accepted that there was good within him as well as bad, was perfect for Jackie--a saint and a sinner.
"Make me good, God--but not yet."
A powerful ending to a fantastic pilot. Looks like I'll be threatening to switch to Comcast on a regular basis...
Pilot Grade: A+
In recent years, Team Law Enforcement Show took the lead with spate of CSIs, CSI spin-offs, and other such detective/cop/procedural type shows. It's what CBS is made of, quite frankly. The late nineties were dominated by Team Legal Show, but that seems to have ebbed of late. Amidst all the crime and punishment, Team Medical Show has always held its own, and back when ER was in its prime, saw a dramatic increase in derivative programming.
Even the sharpest of possible increases would be hard-pressed to surpass the newest deluge of medical shows. Apparently, with ER finally (I could almost hear the show sighing toward the end) retiring, all the networks decided to fill the medical void (that wasn't all that empty to begin with (House, Grey's Anatomy, Scrubs, Mental, In Treatment, Private Practice, etc.)) with a spate of new medical programming to rival the towering heap of law enforcement shows that currently dominate the airwaves.
Off the top of my head, I count 6 new medical shows premiering this spring or fall: Three Rivers, Mercy, Trauma, HawthoRNe, Royal Pains, and Nurse Jackie. I'm wagering there are more out there, ready to pounce, but those are the six that are currently on my radar. Add those to the already full plate of medical programming, and you've reached a surfeit. Now, I enjoy this kind of show as much as the next person, but after a while, you start seeing the same kinds of crises, the same kinds of characters, and the whole affair just gets old, overdone, and dull.
As such, for a show of this genre to make a splash, the creative really has to work hard to reinvent the wheel and give the audience something new and unique to take the focus off the formula. Most of the newbies don't premiere till this fall, but Showtime's Nurse Jackie and USA's Royal Pains both premiered last week.
ROYAL PAINS
If comments on the web are any indication, neither I, nor anyone else on the planet had a whole lot of hope for this show. I'm guessing it was such low expectations that made the pilot come across as not completely awful. Which isn't to say it was excellent either, but contrary to my suspicions, the pilot was fairly decent and watchable.
The bottom line with this show is that all the elements were "decent enough," but nothing was particularly good or bad. If I had gone on a date with Royal
Pains, I'd say he was "nice." (And for those of you who don't know what implications that adjective has (as far as I'm concerned), "nice" is how you describe someone who isn't a horrible person or anything, and the date was agonizing painful or anything.... but... well... there's nothing else really positive to say but "nice"...) Royal Pains was better than I expected, but it was middle of the road in pretty much every regard. The only truly irksome element was the base concept... (no biggie, right?).Royal Pains follows Dr. Hank as he gets fired from his prestigious job at a top NYC hospital because he opted to save some kid over one of the biggest financial donors to the hospital (or something like that). The old rich guy was stable, so Dr. Hank went to help the critically ill kid that he had brought in earlier. Well, quite a bit later on, Dr. Hank is informed that the old guy died and somehow that's his fault. It annoyed me for the better part of the pilot that a rare, inexplicable complication that came so much later could be chalked up to Dr. Hank in the first place, but that he would lose his job over it was just plain stupid. I can see where a wealthy family that had contributed to the hospital over the years might try to sue or blackball Dr. Hank, but that he would be immediately fired and basically barred from practicing in New York was just ridiculous. He followed standard triage procedure (which was finally pointed out at the very end of the pilot), so it would only serve to make the hospital look terrible to fire him. It's wrongful termination plain and simple. If he were to expose the reasons for his termination to the media, the hospital would come under tremendous ridicule. That preferential treatment is given to certain patients is a constant issue, and this would do nothing but confirm it. Especially given that the guy who died was an old white guy and the kid who Dr. Hank saved was a young African-American, I can't imagine the hospital would risk that kind of bad public relations and expose themselves to a lawsuit. Dumb.
There are a number of shows that I have some basic issues with the concept, but many of these make up for it in other ways. For example, Chuck and Pushing Daisies both
have basic concepts that the viewer just kind of has to go with. In both cases, I'm more than happy to suspend my criticisms and disbeliefs because the show makes up for it in so many other ways. I gladly just take it for what it is and overlook any possible flaws. Royal Pains, on the other hand, was only pretty-okay in other respects, so the flaws with the initial premise were more annoying than they should have been.Exhibit B: Apparently, if there's one thing insanely wealthy white people need, it's better access to medical care. Who knew? Dr. Hank ends up in the Hamptons with his brother for the weekend and apparently he's the MacGyver of doctors (a reference that a 16 year old makes, might I add, and which I just don't think would happen... do teenagers know MacGyver? Whatever.). In the course of a weekend, he saves two people's lives and is deemed the "concierge doctor" for the whole community. Why don't these wealthy people just go to a hospital for emergency medical care? Apparently the only medical services in the Hamptons are terrible, so people would rather take their chances on the floor of a mansion, with only a Bic pen, a plastic bag, and a jar of almonds to save them... For as idiotic as the concept is, it was actually fairly decently done and it helped me to overlook some of the lunacy. Some.
Some woman shows up from out of no where and has a trunk full of medical supplies and equipment, so
she, Dr. Hank, and the brother form some sort of mobile medical services company. The whole thing was pretty cheesy and all the plot points were extremely convenient. How nice of you to show up on my doorstep with a everything we could possibly need to make this dubious concept work! Oy. The Toyota Hospital Series SUV only served to make the medicine on the show even more suspect than it already was (and believe me, it was). But, as far as the concept for this show is concerned, the medical equipment contained entirely within the back of her car is all Dr. Hank will need to save people... You know, because her car is totally big enough to fit a CT scanner, MRI, lab, pharmacy, etc...Anyway, annoyances with the concept aside, the show was very middle of the road overall. The acting was okay, the characters were likeable enough, the production value was fine, etc, etc, etc. Nothing really reached out and grabbed me, but it honestly wasn't as terrible as I had feared. I think the real problem with the show will be sustainability. Given how weak the concept is, I just don't know how the writers are going to come up with medical emergencies that can be remedied out of the back of a truck week-to-week... If they can come up with a way to keep it fresh, it definitely has a chance, but I'll have to see it to believe it.
Bottom line? Meh.
Pilot Grade: C+
NURSE JACKIE
I don't generally have access to Showtime, but after threatening my satellite company with a switch to Comcast, it somehow magically appeared... Anyway, I've been pretty disappointed with the movies they've shown, but, as with so many past series on the network, their newest addition is excellent, plain and simple.
I wasn't going to really give Nurse Jackie much of a chance (given that I only have Showtime for the next couple of months), but I had heard good things, so I tuned in for the pilot. This may be simply because I've seen a lot of mediocre pilots this year, but Nurse Jackie reminded me of what an excellent pilot should be. That sounds kind of sappy, now that I think of it, but it's true.
I don't know if it comes as a result of having little or no restrictions, but Showtime has a tremendous track record with serialized television. Nurse Jackie is no exception. From the opening scene to the insanely awesome reveal at the end, the pilot had me undeniably intrigued and almost immediately invested in every aspect of the show. Unlike Royal Pains and so many other medical shows, this one really sets itself apart and manages to make it so much more than your standard medical drama. The medicine is an important part of the show, to be sure, but it's not the primary draw.
Edie Falco is superb as the eponymous Jackie. Her character is complex and engaging without being contrived. I didn't have that ever-frequent sensation that the writers thought long and hard over the character and what her flaws would be. When I can practically hear the writers' room in my head and can see each machination as a belabored, deliberate tool, I say that I can "see the strings." With Nurse Jackie, not only did I not notice the strings, I didn't care to look for them at all. Like many great pilots, I just felt like I had been given a privileged look at this woman's life, her thoughts and feelings, and the world around her. It didn't feel like she had been
cooked up on a laptop by some half-wit writer. It felt as though I was allowed to see a fully formed, fully realized person and wasn't bombarded with contrivances and gimmicks. It's a really lovely feeling when that happens.The show centers around Jackie, a tough, but compassionate nurse who wrestles with her life, her career, her conscience, and her flaws as best she can. It sounds trite, I know, but it came across as incredibly genuine. As with the greatest of pilots, in my estimation, the show didn't spend the entirety of the pilot explaining to me who everyone is, what their motives are, how they relate to one another, and what dynamics exist among them. Nothing takes me out of the moment in quite the same way that lazy plot exposition does. I don't need the writers to explain everything to me, I'll pick it up as I go along. Nurse Jackie did this beautifully. I appreciate subtlety in story telling and the pilot managed to hint at a lot of things, illuminate others, and keep me guessing at most of the finer points, all without clunky descriptions or shameless plot exposition. I can be reasonably certain it was a good pilot when I can't remember most of the characters' names and I'm not sure how or if they're related. That sounds like it would be the hallmark of a terrible pilot, but it's not. The truly awful pilots use characters' first names over and over again for no apparent reason have characters answer the phone with, "Well, if it isn't my little brother Kevin! How is your new wife, Cheryl?" Um, thanks for the clarification? Don't get me wrong, it's nice to know who's who and all, but there are subtler ways to do it. In bad pilots, it's almost never seamless or smooth, it takes me out of the experience, and generally removes all suspension of disbelief. I'm more than happy to pick up information as I go along and am comfortable not knowing exactly what is going on 100% of the time. It makes it seem more authentic and I feel more immersed in the narrative.
That Jackie is dependent on prescription pain killers could have made her character a sad derivative of House, but the writers have very skillfully managed to avoid this. Jackie's dependence i
s largely a secret, and quite honestly reflects countless other people who have developed an addiction following an injury. Her dependence is compelling and it makes the fact that she's sleeping with the hospital pharmacist much more interesting and layered than your regular relationship. You have to ask yourself if she's seeing him simply to support her habit. The thought crossed my mind several times, but then was undercut by how they interacted with one another. He offered her pain killers for her back, which she initially refused, then ultimately accepted. This gave me the impression that she doesn't want to use him like that, but that her addiction is stronger than her resolve. I held this theory until the end of the episode when they were both standing in the rain under umbrellas. It was such a sweet, charming tableau that I had to reassess her motives. He gave her a Dr. Pepper, a moon pie, and some prescription narcotics before they both bid each other, "I love you," and departed. It was surprisingly sweet, almost childlike (in spite of the drugs), and even kind of touching. It made me reevaluate her motives once again. It was only the pilot and only their second scene together, but I already kinda, sorta adored them. They just seemed to make total sense together.**SPOILER ALERT** (skip this paragraph if you don't want to know)
It's to the pilot's credit that they established Jackie's relationship with the pharmacist so quickly and effectively that I was genuinely surprised and a little dismayed at the end when it is revealed that Jackie has two daughters and is ostensibly happily married. Once again, I had to question her motives, and once again, I ended up without any certainty whatsoever. That she gave the moon pie to her girls was just perfect. It seemed such a strange gift to give her, but he meant it for her daughters. I think that makes me adore him even more. That there's a husband in the picture throws a major wrench into the works and I didn't see it coming at all. The reveal was sad and sweet and horrible and wonderful all at once.
As if the show's dramatic elements were enough, the show is also genuinely, darkly funny. It cracked me up on more than a few occasions, yet still retained its edge and tone. It didn't feel
like the show was asking for the laugh, as so many do, but was still funny, smirk-worthy, and witty. The scene at dinner where Jackie and another doctor from the hospital are at a table next to a woman who is choking was fantastic. Unlike so many other shows where the doctors spring to their feet, announce that there's a doctor in the house and save the woman's life, Jackie and her friend groan and try to shirk the responsibility. Jackie ultimately ends up saving the woman's life instead of her friend, very matter-of-factly, because the friend is paying for lunch. The whole scene cracked me up and managed to surprise me--a tall order for someone who watches as much television as I do.Along with all the other brilliantly conceived aspects of the show, there's a religious undercurrent that adds yet another layer of complexity. I'm not a religious type, to be sure, so I was surprised at how much I enjoyed watching Jackie grapple with her own ethics and morals and how that is affected by her religious background. All these elements blend together in a very smooth, seamless, organic way, and for this reason, I don't find myself annoyed at the contrivance, but rather accepting of, and intrigued by the essential facts at hand. To this end, the religious aspects of the show made for perfect book ends for the episode, beginning and ending with the sage advice of the saints. That the episode ended with St. Augustine's words, who accepted that there was good within him as well as bad, was perfect for Jackie--a saint and a sinner.
"Make me good, God--but not yet."
A powerful ending to a fantastic pilot. Looks like I'll be threatening to switch to Comcast on a regular basis...
Pilot Grade: A+
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