Month: February 2007 (Page 2 of 17)

Heroes, Week 17: “Just a paper salesman,” my ASS!

First things first: how freaking weird was it to see H.R.G. before he wore the glasses that resulted in his acronymic nickname? He looks like a cross between Bruce Campbell and Henry Rollins. Surely a sweeps guest spot with one or the other as H.R.G.’s brother is must-do…!

Okay, so a decent amount of this week’s episode was spent in flashback…but, y’know, who doesn’t enjoy a good flashback? Am I right? It’s a device that keeps “Lost” consistently interesting, and the use of one on “Jericho” last week resulted in considerable reinvigoration for the show. With “Heroes,” however, we really haven’t done much traveling into the past – Hiro not withstanding – to get answers, so this was a nice change of pace…and make no mistake, these were damned good flashbacks, aided by the creative decision to do them in black and white, which gave them a decidedly noir feel.

Within the first few moments of the first flashback, we not only get an appearance by Eric Roberts as H.R.G’s sinister supervisor but also the line of the week, courtesy of H.R.G.: “I’m comfortable with ‘morally grey.'”

So H.R.G. used to work with Doctor Invisible…and not only has Hiro’s dad has been connected to these events since long before his son first tapped into his ability to manipulate the space-time continuum, but he’s way more deeply involved that we ever would’ve expected based on his initial pair of appearances. (Count on seeing more of George Takei on future Monday nights.) And, okay, I don’t think this is just me: did they or did they not do some computer adjustments to make the baby look like Claire…? Anyway, other historical highlights were the fact that Li’l Brother Voodoo actually managed to look creepier 14 years ago than he does now and the fact that Claire was responsible for selecting her adopted father’s trademark eyewear.

The present-day events move along at a nice, rapid clip. Every time Radioactive Man lit up like a neon sign, all I could think was, “Whether he blows his stack or not, these people are going to be dead of radiation poisoning within the week.” As ever, Greg Grunberg plays Matt with the perfect frantic edge, but, seriously, Jack Coleman really needs to win a Best Actor Emmy for his performance this year; I realize it’s as much to do with the scripts as it is his acting, but, still, you’re constantly fighting between wanting to distrust his every move and hoping to God you can actually believe what he’s saying…and at the conclusion of this episode, for the first time, we unabashedly and unreservedly can feel certain it’s the latter.

OR IS IT…?!?!?

Nah, I’m just kidding. For once, I’m pretty sure it is.

24, Hour 11: “Hi, my name’s Morris.” “Hi, Morris.” “And my ex-wife is a bloody nutcase.”

Man, I wish I were blogging “Heroes” instead. That show rules. My wife and I always watch that first, and not just because I have to sit down and write the “24” blog after watching each night’s episode. We watch “Heroes” first because we’re emotionally involved in it…and God, how can you not be involved in an episode like the one they showed tonight? Poor Claire. Hasn’t she suffered enough?

Oh, right, CTU. Sigh.

Jack sends Heidi Petrelli and Jack Jack back to CTU, and the first thought I had was, “They’re going to get ambushed.” Man, I hope I’m wrong about that, but this show is all about the ambush (Teri and Kim, Audrey Raines and her father, etc.). Jack and Heidi share a tender moment away from Jack Jack, and Jack tells Heidi, “He reminds me of you.” Afterward, I swear I heard Jack mutter under his breath, “But mostly me.”

There’s a power struggle taking place at CTU, with Nadia becoming highly suspicious of Morris and his binge drinking. That’s an interesting choice for a girl whose rights were recently restricted because of her race, but hey, we’re not ones to judge. Is the fact that Milo gave her his clearance ever going to come back into play? You don’t write something like that into the story without following up on it.

One quick note on Chloe’s obsession with proving Morris’ guilt, however justified it may be: they have to stop with this whole bait-and-switch thing. They set up Morris as guilty from the first frame, only to turn it on Chloe in the end when she bursts into the men’s room to accuse him. That trick is all well and good, but don’t go to the well too often. And by too often, I mean every single opportunity. See my ambush comment above.

The subplot involving President Buck Buck Brawwwwwwk, so far, is a dud. He’s a reformed man, or so he says, and yet he’s fingering a strait-laced Russian as an ‘in’ (an ‘in’ that’s also a convenient, untraceable back door) to Miss Gredenko and the nukes. The fact that the line he quotes in the mirror is also highlighted in his Bible, however, is a sign that there is far greater significance to everything, a la Michael Scofield’s taped message to Sara in “Prison Break.” Is Logan tired of house arrest and his Hussein-style beard, and hopes that the Ruskies will bust him loose? That’s a gutsy move, but then again, they have already set it up so that the US has no sovereign power at the meeting place, which could facilitate Logan’s escape rather well. Wouldn’t he miss his beloved First Lady of Crazy? Or did he have her fed to rabid dogs before he struck his deal? You just never know with that man.

Which brings us to the White House, where all the killing is taking place. Mr. Swank is dumber than he would care to admit, and not because he tried to take out Assad without hurting the President: he’s dumb because forensics will examine the scene and conclude that the man who brought in the tape recorder is the one who made the bomb, and the record will show that that man was brought into the bunker by…Mr. Swank. The Biscuit, meanwhile, is trying to foil the plan by causing a pressure surge on some pipe or other in the seemingly off-the-grid pipe room, and all I could think was him thinking to himself, “Damn…these…stumpy…legs!” The hit man warns him, “You try that again, I’ll kill you.” Pansy. Any contract killer worth his salt would have killed the Biscuit right then and there, and dealt with the consequences later.

The President was badly injured in the blast (curiously, they mentioned nothing about Assad’s condition, even though he was in between the bomb and the President), which appears to be paving the way for Senator Roark to assume control and lock all the coloreds up once and for all. And this all might make for interesting television but…

…why is it that I want Jack Bauer to die?

Kiefer Sutherland himself said two or three seasons ago that no one should be untouchable on this show, not even Jack. I think it’s high time they play that card, since a cat only has nine lives after all. The only problem is that they haven’t set up anyone to take his place, and anyone they could have groomed for the role during the show’s run is now either dead (Curtis) or missing a forearm (Chase Edmunds). Damn, I knew they killed Nina Myers too early.

Prison Break: “Wash”

Really? We’re going to have this huge buildup to the Magical Tape that can make everything right in the world, but we don’t even get to hear what’s on it? I spent the rest of the hour recovering from the letdown.

This episode did move pretty well, and touched on all of the storylines. Of course, the whole Cooper Green switcheroo was pretty silly. I can’t find the actor’s name, but the guy who played the fake Green always plays a bad guy, so my spidey sense was tingling from the get go. Moreover, the “my inhaler is in my jacket” and the “my cell phone is running out of juice” bits were also pretty lame, but at least the boys hooked up with the real Cooper before the episode’s end, which sent the series off in another direction. On a side note, Mahone once again displayed some superior policing skills when he figured out how all the sight lines in the park led to the hotel. I wouldn’t want that dude chasing me – no way, no how.

Was anyone surprised to see a rope when C-Note opened up the package? I guess the background music was meant to reflect his personal shock, but the only thing surprising about the rope was that it was already tied into a noose. On that note – no pun intended – we didn’t exactly see C-Note die. He just stepped off the bed when the episode ended; so don’t count him out just yet.

T-Bag seems to be finally getting down to the business of being a multi-millionaire, and his haste to get out of Alabama (to Bangkok) somehow has him on a flight to Mexico. Wait a second, it’s the same flight as Bellick? I’m confused. Quick, honey, press the button. No, the one that says, “Suspend Disbelief.” Ah, yes, that’s much better, thanks. Moving on…

Am I crazy or was T-Bag intending to take three million dollars in cash through security? The bundles of hundreds are literally spilling out of the bag, but this deviously intelligent individual plans to take it through airport security! Honey! Honey! Yeah, I need you to press it again! No, I really can’t reach it!

Thanks, babe.

What were we talking about?

Can Jimmy Fallon fill Conan O’Brien’s shoes?

“The Barry Gibb Talk Show” may soon be a permanent feature on NBC’s late-night lineup…at least if Jimmy Fallon gets his way.

The former SNL star is reportedly in talks with NBC to take over Conan O’Brien’s 12:30 a.m. time slot in 2009, once O’Brien takes over for Jay Leno on “The Tonight Show.” However, no deal has been completed as yet, and NBC’s current 1:30 a.m. host Carson Daly has gone on record as saying that he too would be more than happy to take over for Conan.

While Fallon is certainly no Conan, he definitely brings more personality to the table than former TRL host Daly. And, while it’s true that the limited track record of former SNL cast members as late-night talk show hosts is less than stellar (Chevy Chase, we’re looking in your direction…), in this instance the overall humor equation would appear to work in NBC’s favor, as outlined below by our crack mathemeticians over at Laughington University:

If CHIN=bland, desperately unfunny, lowest-common denominator “Tonight Show” host; and
RED=bitingly clever former “Simpsons” writer and recent Emmys host who’s more than ready for a more high-profile gig; and
BEDHEAD=Coiffure-challenged SNL cast member who represented one-half of one of the strongest “Weekend Update” anchor pairings in the show’s history; and
SNORF=the total humor value of NBC’s late-night schedule…

Then SNORF [CURRENT LINEUP-CHIN+RED+BEDHEAD] > SNORF [CURRENT LINEUP]

There you have it, scientifically proven by the experts: Leno sucks. Whatever NBC decides to do with its late-night lineup will be an improvement as long as The Chin Man is sent packing.

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