Wednesday brings with it another episode of the Firewall & Iceberg podcast, this time with Dan and I (with no new "Lost" episode to dissect) trying to muster some enthusiasm to talk about "Idol," teaming up to slam "Happy Town," discussing our divergent paths with this season of "Survivor," checking in on the awesomeness of "Breaking Bad" this season, and more. Fienberg has all the relevant links and times up at his blog, and if you subscribe via iTunes or RSS, it should be all ready to download.
My computer is being petulant so I've got a question: Is 'Happy Town' what happens when people sit down, watch Twin Peaks and completely fail to get what made the show so interesting twenty years ago?
ReplyDeleteDexter's pretty close to a competent, long-running show with no good characters bar the (admittedly massive) exception of the title character (and even on that score I tend to give most of the credit to Michael C. Hall) plus a morally dubious premise they don't always take as seriously as I wish. Yet I keep watching.
ReplyDeleteJust noticed that the Doctor Who vs. Picard episode of Hamlet is on Great Perfomances tonight.
ReplyDeleteI hated Parvati in Cook Islands, but I love Parvati now! She's kicking ass in the game and has done very well given she was a target from day one, and yet is still in the game in a great position. It's been great watching her control the game and undermine Russell, and once again, however despicable Russell is, she is correct in picking a fine partner who she'd definitely win against in a final 2 situation, no matter how icky he is. I don't understand Alan's distaste for Parvati - she's full of herself (as with pretty much everyone in an all-star cast), but in this season, she's fully backed it up with how she's playing the game so far.
ReplyDeleteJust noticed that the Doctor Who vs. Picard episode of Hamlet is on Great Perfomances tonight.
ReplyDeleteIs it? It's well worth watching. Tennant plays the role really well.
Ricky Gervais was picked up to host the Golden Globes again.
ReplyDeleteGood news
I think a case could be made for Babylon 5 as a successful serialized show with thin characters. While there were great supporting characters in G'Kar, Londo, and Ivanova, both Sinclair and Sheridan were pretty bland.
ReplyDeleteAlan, both you and Dan seem to be silent about the Fringe, which has been on a massive creative upswing lately. John Noble is playing Walter with such veracity and sadness that he is scientifically warranted an Emmy.
ReplyDeleteBesides, as a huge admirer of Lost, I can safely say that two of those Fringe episodes were better than any episode of Lost Season 6. Yes, they were even better than that one with Desmond and Penny and electro-magnetic machines and Oscar-Winner Fisher Stevens.
I'm pointing this out because the ratings seem to be sinking, and although it has been renewed for a Season 3, it could use the critical support. Just watch the two episodes; " Peter " and " White Tulip ", give Fringe a chance, and I guarantee you will feel my enthusiasm is justified.
Alan does watch Fringe, he's blogged about it before.
ReplyDeleteOh, you're right, he did review " Peter ", my mistake.
ReplyDeleteHowever I still do wonder what he thought about " White Tulip " and " The Man From the Other Side ". These two were not the powerhouse " Peter " was, but still very decent in their own rights.
You are incorrect about Russell being unique in that no one has seen his season. For the first All-Stars, Rupert had just finished his original first season and no one had seen him before.
ReplyDeleteOf course, Rupert is about as non-strategical and obvious a player as you can get, so he had no advantage.
Rich, at least a few of Rupert's episodes had aired. Alicia recognized him when he was introduced in the first episode.
ReplyDelete