6 posts tagged “the oc”

Although the final episodes feel like much running on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike because there's not much to do during the final half-dozen episodes until the series ends, there's still plenty of delicious devil-may-care, the-show-is-ending-so-let's-write-what-we-want dialogue.  And it spares us the forced and unwelcome dramatic obstacles from previous seasons like Oliver and Johnny.

I enjoyed Kaitlin composing secret emails from Julie to Bullit with the help of the twins, them thinking that "I miss your butt" was appropriate parent-speak and it actually working on The Bullit. 

Sandy tracking down the mail truck for Kirsten was lovely and a nice way to use Sandy although him thinking that Kirsten was depressed because she was turning 40 was less lovely.  Kirsten's story lines have been kind of sad over the past few episodes so hopefully they'll find a nicer way to have her finish out the season and incorporate fatherly Sandy more.  The whole pregnancy thing was not only obvious from a mile away but predictable TV plotting.  I'll give The OC a pass just because the show is not long for this world.

The big reveal of Julie's secret lover being Frank Atwood was also predictable from that same mile vantage point.  And the duel proposals hinted at was, at best, mildly surprising.  But nice to see a kinder, gentler Julie who appreciates her Marissa and Jimmy-less fragile relationship with Kaitlin and is willing to forgoe her own desires after melting at the sight of Kaitlin and Bullit bonding (once again through the dance).

The Ryan-Taylor merry-go-round seems silly and harmless and more tredding until their inevitable happy ride off into the sunset.  It will be interesting to see how they bring Summer and Seth to the same spot now that Che has realized the error of the interpretation of his dream and has found his dream groundhog not his dream Otter.  Che wooing Seth was funny as hell, though.  I hope they can continue to work Che into the story until the end.  Homeless Darryl I'm less sure about but it's amusing.

I'm sad to see it go but I appreciate the fun, the energy and the snappy dialog we're getting until the end.

I'll be catching up on the recorded fare over the weekend so not much to report from yesterday.  Dancing With The Stars continues on the same trajectory as last five weeks.  All three men tied last night with 50 out of 60 points.  I predict Mario, Emmit and Joey finish 1-2-3.  Favorite dance of the night was Emmit and Cheryl's funky Cha Cha.

Tonight brings dueling must see shows.  The OC with a Wednesday try out against Lost.  I can't stress enough how awesome The OC was last week.  Truly a return to what we all loved about Season 1 pre-Oliver.  Critics I've read universally agree.  And since they are real critics they get episodes in advance and the consensus is that the first 4 episodes rock and last week wasn't a one time fluke. 

Lost is the last episode of the "fall season."  Rather than chopping up the season with repeats, Lost will disappear until Feburary and finish out the season.  In its place will be Day Break with Taye Diggs.  Now Taye Diggs is hot enough to get me to watch for him alone but the whole deja vu theme is just so uninteresting to me - Groundhog Day but the wife gets killed over and over...?  I'm hard pressed to find that premise compelling as entertainment.  So I'll be hoping that The OC does better in its tryout and sticks so I can just watch it without conflict.  I'll also watch The Nine tonight but, again, critics agree with me, my patience is wearing thin.  The pilot was terrific but it has been downhill ever since.  Unless they quickly rework this show and show more bank robbery and less PTSD moping it is going to fail.

The best laid plans... so done in by work, migraines, drama and several hours fussing with my TV and DVR setup...

Anyhoo - on to the TV!

Wednesday: 30 Rock once again featured no "girlies" past or present which is a mixed blessing but, hey, more Alec Baldwin, yay! ... Lost - darn it, I was right about who got died - memo to ABC - don't promo that someone is going to die on Lost and then promo by name that an actor from Lost will be making the talk show rounds the day after that episode!  The Nine continues on its maddening pace but I'm intrigued enough to keep watching... Top Chef picked up a bit after the lackluster first couple of episodes but it still seems like the "characters" are edited a little too closely to match last season's cast.

Thursday had another fun Ugly Betty, but no Justin!  What up with that?  After his fabulous Halloween Gene Kelley dance break how could you leave his energy out of an episode?  And focusing on the story about the Dad being a killer illegal immigrant is a downer.  More Justin and less immigration drama, please.  However, Debi Mazar guesting as an immigration lawyer was a kick so maybe a little more immigration drama... Roseanne Barr was enjoyable as a guest item on Earl's karma list... The Office was my favorite episode I've seen.  I haven't drunk the kool-aid on this show and I generally find it amusing though sometimes repetitive in the jokes.  At times the humor in Michael's cluelessness wears thin.  However, this "Diwali" episode written by Mindy Kaling (who plays Kelly) was freakin' genius.  And Jim and Andy, drunk and rolling around on the floor singing "Closer to Fine" by the Indigo Girls... I'm still giggling... ER continues to benefit from John Stamos' injection of Clooney-esque bad boy rebelliousness.

Skipping to Friday (saving the best for last) - I got hipped to Battlestar Gallactica too late and now I want to play catch-up before getting into it.  Someday I'll rent it all and learn what I'm missing.

Saturday is a complete wasteland now that NBC isn't even burning off the remaining episodes of Kidnapped.

Sunday is, of course, all about The Wire.  And, just a spoiler alert note, HBO has started offering the next week's episode of some shows, including The Wire, a week prior to when it runs in its scheduled time slot.  So, if you visit some sites that cover the show they will have recaps of the On Demand episode up several days before it runs on Sunday.  Just be careful with your clicking if you hate spoilers.

Today is Monday and that means watching How I Met Your Mother and it should be interesting to appreciate anew the awesomeness of Neil Patrick Harris' acting abilities and his portrayal of womanizing Barney and, even playing "himself" in the hilarious Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle now that he's outed himself.  Recording Everybody Hates Chris and Girlfriends, and Studio 60 which I appreciate more intellectually than emotionally.  I'm hoping it will grip me more but if, as rumors persist, it goes away, I don't think I'll be too sad except for the fact that it means NBC will give us more game shows.

OK - the best thing in the past week (other than The Wire) was the return of The OC.  Seriously, wonderfully, awesome.  And the music was perfect.  "A Bad Dream" by Keane came at the end, but bookending the show was Placebo's cover of Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill."

"If I only could, make a deal with God, and get him to swap our places..." 

The perfect soundtrack to this episode which showed the ways in which those Marissa left behind were continuing to mourn her 5 months after her tragic demise.  The show benefits from the absence of Mischa Barton's sulky, slouchy Marissa.  It gives Ryan's brooding the appropriate weight in the show's balance and keeps his Fight Club life from going too over the top.  We got Luke's younger twin brothers as Kaitlin's lap dogs - hopefully this means that somehow Luke will make his way back to be Ryan's pal once Seth goes off to RISD.

Unfortunately, the viewership for this airing was abismally low.  So Fox is playing around with the schedule and will run the next two on Wednesday and Thursday.  The show is up against too much fire power either way but perhaps, if it can survive this week, Fox can run it against Day Break once it subs in for Lost.  I just hope that Fox doesn't give up and dump the show before even finishing off the shortened final season.  And, hopefully, Josh Schwartz will spare us any more Olivers or Johnnys to disrupt the flow now that Marissa is gone.

Right now, Sunday nights are all about The Wire.  This is the best show on television these days and one of the best ever.  Yes, I belong to the cult.  Bear in mind that this is coming from someone who considers Homicide: Life on the Streets (also created by David Simon)  and, in particular the episode, "Three Men and Adena" to possibly be the finest single hour of television I've ever seen.

If you are interested in fabulous in-depth coverage and analysis of this show, Heaven and Here is your guide.  And for one of the best pieces of analysis that I've ever seen, certainly about television, check out Andrew Dignan's piece on The House Next Door titled The Wire and the Art of the Credit Sequence and read through the comments for further inside illumination.

Add me to the chorus of viewers missing McNulty but that's the bargain you make with The Wire - you'll go where the story takes you not where you want to go as a viewer.  Regardless, I was glued to my screen trying to remember to breathe the whole time like every Sunday.  The "golden rule" theme was interesting with little illustrations peppered throughout.  Like when Crutchfield tosses out the message from Carver about Randy who could help Bunk with his investigation into the zombiefied murder of Lex after Bunk messes with Crutchfield's case against Omar by raising doubts.  And when it turns out that Carcetti was elected in part by bogus assumptions about the witness murder which might not have been made if the police weren't forced to sit on the case by Royce and his brass in pocket.  More classic Wire action where things don't always go as you think or hope they should because the reality that petty jealousies and behind-the-scenes bureaucratic bungling derail things.  On another note, the beating, robbing and distress because Sherrod did not return home that Bubbles suffered were heartbreaking to watch.

So that's Sunday.  I would watch Dexter if I subscribed to Showtime and I'm sure I would be a big fan, but I already spend a ridiculous amount of money on my television habit.

Monday preview: not much - schedules still seem to be in the reruns in the face of the World series mode.  How I Met Your Mother is a repeat from last season.  Everybody Hates Chris is new.  I sheepishly admit that I still record Girlfriends even though, seriously, how many years can you watch a group of women express their friendship by calling each other "heifer"?  I have a very hard time giving shows up.  At least I've managed to ignore The Game.  I've  tried but can't get into fan favorite Heroes.  And, NBC is giving Friday Night Lights a trial run in Studio 60's slot but I also couldn't fall in love with this critical favorite. 

Regularly on Monday's, I like Studio 60 but there is much that bugs and bores.  I'm with the other bloggers who wished they had more Lauren Graham last week.  In her one minute with Matthew Perry they had more chemistry than he's had with "Harriet" all season so far.

And, again, I would watch Weeds if I had Showtime, especially since my friend Gary Calamar is the music supervisor (he previously worked on Six Feet Under) and Mary Louise Parker is one of my favorite actors.

So I'm hanging through the lean times awaiting the return of 24 and The OC  Yes, The OC - read here for some explanation.  I agree completely with Jonathan Toomey's assesment: "Let me go on record as saying that the first season of The OC is one of the best seasons of television I've ever watched. That first season? Yeah, it's that good. Then came the sophomore slump. Not bad but not great. Then last season? A stinker? A bomb? I could be harsher, but the general consensus seemed to be that season three wasn't all that good."  But Toomey got a sneek preview of the first 4 episodes of the new season and he reports that it's looking good, so yay!