The NY/NJ/CT area is going through about the worst weather combination possible: hot, muggy and perpetually rainy. It's times like these that I really appreciate having an indoor job -- and central air -- so I can watch in relative comfort.Some interesting summer stuff coming up. On Sunday, I jumped the gun with a review of Showtime's mob/political drama "Brotherhood," which premieres this Sunday. (Short version: good performances, much more straightforward than "The Sopranos" has been in a while, but still a little sluggishly-paced.) And today's column is my ode to "Rock Star," which I fell so in love with by the end of last season that it pretty much ruined my ability to fully enjoy "American Idol." The one part of the show I never cared much about were the "reality" episodes set at the Rock Star mansion, and apparently I was not alone; after being bounced from CBS to VH1 last season, they're now up only at the show's product-integrated website. But I'm psyched for the first performance show tonight.
Meanwhile, that was much more like it for "Entourage." The return of "Medellin," Ari bluffing with his daughter's bat mitzvah video (and Drama wondering if he was in it), Vince reminding us that he is occasionally useful for more than looking good and smiling (spotting Dom's tell) and, best of all, Dom's gone. I liked the idea of the character -- now that Vince is a Tobey/Leo-level star, more moochers are going to come out of the woodwork -- but he was such a blatant troublemaker in every way that even Vince would have shown him the door by the end of the previous episode. The worst part is, now that I've seen so much of Domenick Lombardozzi naked, it makes it very hard to pay full attention to his scenes in the new episodes of "The Wire" I've been watching.
And speaking of which, now that I'm almost through with the fourth season (HBO sent out the final six episodes right before I went on vacation), I think my next post is going to be a discussion of my one true love: cop dramas. To be continued...
I remember when THE WIRE first came out and was just blown away. Far and away, it is the best show on television in the past 10 years. Because of, or despite, my working in criminal law, I just loved it. The bureaucracy, the inner-agency battles, the go-getters vs. the lazy, the show just got it all.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward with a lot of anticipation to the new season, especially on how they bring back some/any of the old characters to the new subject matter -- education.
Oh man am I ready for THE WIRE, season four. HBO was kind enough to send us the check discs for the third season, which I devoured in a weekend, and I may be ready to concede that it's the best show on television-- though it has some rivals in the genre, THE SHIELD especially. Certainly, few shows have ever accorded so much respect to the audience, which is asked to follow myriad subplots and characters that may not pay off until several episodes (or even seasons) down the line. Season Three wasn't as moving to me as Two-- the relationship between the union boss at the docks and his screw-up son was touching beyond measure-- but it's full of grace notes, particularly in the development of the Hamsterdam experiment. I understand that Ed Burns' background in education plays a big role in the new season. Can't wait.
ReplyDeleteWow, Entourage just got snubbed in the Emmys. At least Jeremy Piven got a nod.
ReplyDeleteOverall, I think the comedy nominees are a joke, and the nominees in general pretty shocking.
Just realized-- no Laurie, no Gandolfini. Jeez. Why does the catefory even exist, then?
A new channel popped up on my DirecTV recently, Sleuth? (Insert Keith Olberman voice here, "Yea, Sleuth!!)
ReplyDeleteAnyways, to get ready for the upcoming new season of The Wire I have been watching old eps of Homicide which airs frequently on the new network.
Wow. I liked it back then, but taking another look now (a bit older and wiser), I really dig it.
When NYPD Blue was on it was my favorite show of all time, but now I can't even watch a segment when it comes on whatever channel it may be on these days. It just seems so so, something. Dated? Boring? Same story, same result everytime.
But watching Homicide again, I am really impressed how it holds up and how strong the acting is. Andre Braugher obviously, but I am really enjoying Yaphet Kotto, Beltzer, Ned Beatty, and dare I say, Daniel Baldwin.
Also, it was great to see Major Valchek from The Wire pop in to the Detective's bar as a City Sherrif blocking the opening because of past tax liens from the previous property owners.
Good Stuff!