Dexter - Living the Dream, S04E01

I may be jumping the gun on this a little, but I feel like Season 4 may be recapturing the quality of Season 1. I just felt, while watching it, that we were back. I loved Season 1, thought Season 2 was pretty good, but that Season 3 completely lost focus and was sort of all over the place.

Season 4 feels focused again.

The opening has not changed, and who wants it too. It shows exactly what kind of a person Dexter is. All that blood, all that disturbing imagery hidden under a facade of normality. And, in a demonstration of what makes this show so brilliant, scenes copying the opening help us see exactly how Dexter Morgan (played by the creepy yet boy-next-door Michael C Hall) is doing. He wakes up, but he can't kill the mosquito on his arm, the white T-shirt he pulls over his head is stained, and his shoe lace brakes. The parallels tell you exactly how much having a son and living with his wife (Julie Benz) and her children is disrupting his calm and control.

Dexter is back in a danger zone. Lundy has returned to town, looking for a serial killer he's named the Trinity Killer. Still, if anyone can figure out that Doakes was not the Bay Harbor Butcher (who is, in fact, Dexter), it's Lundy. And now that he has a baby son, and is over tired, his work is suffering. As Dexter aptly put it "I'm killing for two now." If he gets caught, others will suffer. Most especially his son.

We also have another serial killer in the picture for the first time since Season 1. (Season 2, they were after Dexter and Season 3, well, let's just say there was so much going on that you didn't pay any attention to the guy (literally) tearing strips of people's backs...). John Lithgow is not the man I want to find naked in my bathroom, particularly not with a razor blade in his hand. I really feel like he's going to be a nerve-wrecking nail-biting fiend to pursue.

With a car crash ending the episode, and the worry that Dexter might still have a body in the trunk, I can't wait for next week' episode. Amazing how much we sit here and root for Dexter.

What are your thoughts about this season so far?

Supernatural - Free to Be You and Me, S05E03

I don't watch sitcoms. I don't tend to find them funny, more stupid or embarrassing. And I can't deal with embarrassing, particularly when it's cause by stupidity. But who needs sitcoms when you've got great shows like Supernatural. I watch and I laugh, out loud, at points close to hysteria.

And maybe you don't think I should think of Supernatural as hilarious. I mean, there's a whole lot of bad stuff going on.

1. The Apocalypse has begun

2. God is missing or dead

3. Sam and Dean aren't getting along

4. Sam and Dean are supposed to fight each other to death as the meatsuits of Lucifer and Michael respectively

and I could go on.

But if you did not laugh during the following moments this episode, than you are missing out.

Dean (while killing a vampire): "Eat it, Twilight."

Dean (speaking about Raphael): "You were wasted by a Teenage Mutant Ninja Angel?"

Dean (explaining things to Castiel); "Because we're humans. And when humans want something really really bad, we lie." (Cas: "Why?") "Because that's how you become president."

Dean (on Cas's potential last night on earth): "There are two things I know for certain. 1. Bert and Ernie are gay. 2. You are not going to die a virgin on my watch."

And poor Castiel's face at the prospect of being in a brothel and getting laid. I didn't know a man could look more terrified that a virgin on prom night.

Funny how an episode like this, which focused on the Apocalypse plot line and did not diverge, can still bring in why I love this show. And how badass is Dean that he can say stuff like that and still be considered tough and awesome, and not super geeky.

Did you love this weeks episode?

The Good Wife Pilot is pretty good

The slogan being used to advertise this show on posters and billboards is very powerful. His scandal, her story. From that purely curious part of my nature, I want to find out why a woman would stick by her husband amid crisis when she is discovering that not only may he have committed illegal acts by misusing government funds, but that he has been sleeping with dozens of women over the years. How does someone forgive that, or live through that, and not absolutely refuse all contact with him again?

The opening scene was very powerful. Peter Florrick (Chris Noth) is giving his speech to the press about how he's not guilty of the crimes he's accused of. Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies) stands by him. She doesn't hear what he's saying, doesn't care about the alleged crime...she's noticing the blond hair on his jacket and picturing him with other women. Once they are free and clear of the cameras, her first action of the show is to slap her husband across the face.

After 13 years of being a full time mom, Alicia has to go back to work, as an associate at a law firm. Suddenly, she has to work again, and she finds herself thriving. Why she gave it up in the first place is somewhat unclear. She focused on being a mother, which is terribly important, but once her kids were grown, in school, did she not crave to go back? She is so enjoying what she is doing now, I find it hard to believe she didn't miss it. Then again, her kids are worth that to her. She went back to work for them and not for herself.

I have not yet decided whether this show will be part of my regular viewing...not because I don't like it, just because there is so much to watch and very little time. But I will watch it.

Fringe - Night of Desirable Objects, S02E02

Well, apparently we aren't done reacting. Despite the promise in the premiere that the Fringe team was going to take a more active approach to comprehending and stopping (?? is that what their goal is?) the Pattern, this week's episode followed the tried and true method that has worked well for Fringe so far. Something happened at the beginning (in this case, a mad disappearing, pulled directly into the earth), and then Olivia (Anna Torv), Peter (Joshua Jackson) and Walter (John Noble) showed up to solve the mystery.

When I put it like that, it doesn't do Fringe justice.

It's the mystery of the Pattern that is intriguing. And since this is a J.J. Abrams project, who knows where we're going, or what we'll find in the many alternate universes that exist. And it's the power dynamic between Olivia, Peter and Walter, as well as the rest of the cast. I live for Walter's semi-insane hilarious outbursts.

I am, as much as I love the show, a little disappointed this season. I realized that part of this is time. Last season, they had 49minutes. This season, they have 43. It's a big difference. 6 minutes in which Walter could have asked for a rootbeer float while doing an autopsy, in which the super-scorpion/mole/human-baby could have attacked and caused havoc.

The building web involving the Patter, and the alternate universe, and Peter, and Walter and William Bell, is growing. You know that the pay off is going to be good, great, fantastic! when we get there. But we are not there yet. And with those 6 minutes, so far this season, we have lost our pay off. We could have had awesome flashes of Charlie's fight to the death before he was thrown in the incinerator last week. We could have seen more than 3 seconds of Jessup this week. How can she compare to Charlie if we don't get to know her?

Fringe is moving towards awesome events, but I want some of them to happen sooner. I want them to happen now. I don't want this to be one of those shows that you stick with because sooner or later, it makes it worth every second. I want to feel that way every show, like I did last season.

What are your thought? Do you feel like we've hit a lull too, or am I missing the point?

Dollhouse, Vows (Season 2 premiere)

Fox took a big risk when it renewed Dollhouse last Spring. Despite being a huge fan of the show, I was pretty surprised that they did. I'd chalk it up to their refusal to make the same mistake twice. Cancelling Firefly just before it got its feet under it proved to have been a bad call, but renewing may have been equally bad...well financially, I mean.

This episode was perfect, exactly what we Dollhouse fans want. Echo (Eliza Dushku) was on assignment, and married an arms dealer, Martin Klar (Jamie Bamber* from BSG). Klar was not her client. He believed that he had finally me the perfect woman for him, but the entire thing was orchestrated by Paul Ballard (Tahmoh Penikett). That's right, Paul's sort of a client now, using Echo to help bring down criminals he couldn't touch when he was an agent for the FBI. He's working with Adelle DeWitt (Olivia Williams - whose new short hair suits her very well, I must say), and Boyd Langton (Harry Lennix). Now this is where some things started to get a little odd. Boyd doesn't trust Paul, doesn't know what his intentions are, and is quite worried about exposure. Last season, he was questioning the Dollhouse, but now he's apparently fully invested.

Also weird discrepancy from last season is Boyd's relationship with Dr. Claire Saunders/Whiskey (Amy Acker). I'd always thought there was some connection there, but apparently Claire never saw it and accuses Boyd of taking interest in her out of pity now that she has discovered that she's also a doll. Joss Whedon's not one to get his story lines messed up, so I'm wondering what all this means. So things are a little messed up, but that is sort of what we expect.

If you didn't watch season 1...just ask, and I'll explain where we are, cause this episode did nothing to help you catch up. And in the time it's been off the air for the summer, it had the time to get a huge fan base...but it didn't. So new viewers, please ask so that we can all get on board and make it worth Fox's wile.

What we can expect from the rest of the season, now that we are going to get more plot lines that connect through the episodes, as opposed to the half and half mix of long term and episodic stuff we got last season, is something to do with Sen. Daniel Perrin (Alexis Denisof* from Angel). He's decided that going after the medical corporation that fronts the Dollhouse is going to be good for his career. He's probably right. And we go back to that dilemma - do we want the Dollhouse to get closed down? Also, Echo is aware of the 40 personalities she's experienced, and Victor and Sienna no longer return to complete neutral - they were holding hands by the end of the episode (oh, and Adelle paid to have Victor's face fixed...she's still totally into who she made him be when she was a client). Plus, Alpha is still out there, and Whiskey's left on a mission to find herself...except she doesn't want to lose herself either.

I'm excited and hopefully. I really want this series to last because I am a huge Joss Whedon fan. And I, like many other, was totally excited about having a big ol' Buffy/Angel/BSG party going on. Faith and Apollo got married! And man I wish Jamie Bamber had been allowed to keep his own accent in BSG; might have made up for the last season of boring Apollo... I also wish that Alexis Denisof wasn't going to be American for his stint on Dollhouse...but what can you do.

For all you actors out there, my obvious advice is get in on the Whedon universe! You'll get work if Joss likes you.

What are you thoughts on the upcoming season of Dollhouse?

Vampire Diaries, Friday Night Bites

I am beginning to get into and truly enjoy the Vampire Diaries. Still not able to take as far a step back to make fun of itself as I'd like, but that's okay. I guess the titles (such as Friday Night Bites) are enough of that eye-rolling jokiness.

The more I watch, the more I like Damon and the more help I think Stefan needs... By the end of the episode, they got into yet another brotherly confrontation about Damon acting all evil and Stefan trying to act all human. Stefan again got the advantage. He had discovered Damon's little secret - that some humanity remained. Damon was unable to kill Stefan, unable to kill Elena. He could still feel for the people around him. Unsurprisingly, Damon's response was to kill the football coach (and history teacher) who had just come out to find Stefan for the game. And there, Stefan again fumbled. Oh, Damon can't possibly have any humanity left if he can kill some random person he's never met and who we knew to be something of a prick.

Damon still couldn't kill Stefan or Elena, but he'll refuse to see that humanity in himself. He'll push it down by killing random people in the town. I will be interested to see if he ever kills someone that really matters, to Stefan or Elena. That would be impressive.

And I am glad he killed Mr Tanner. The guy had serious issues, getting into a competition with one of his students to see who knew historical dates best? I mean, come on. How childish do you have to be? Damon did us all a favour by getting rid of him.

Do you think Damon could be turned to good? Or would you rather he embrace his wickedness.

Mercy, no.

I just watched the pilot of Mercy, the new medical drama that centres around nurses. It was alright, the sort of show I'd put on the back burner, have around to watch sometime when I'm bored and there is nothing else around; it has not, however, earned a place on my weekly schedule.

Veronica, or Ronnie (which is such an awful name), was in Iraq. She still has flashbacks and fears, which is understandable and even expected. Her husband cheated on her when she was away, and so they were getting divorced, and what he doesn't know is that she not only cheated on him while she was away, she fell in love, too. So there are problems there, and they are made more interesting by the couple's decision to reconcile, soon followed by her lover showing up at the hospital to find her. Yup, a love triangle already. I've got to say, I like her Doctor better than her idiot husband.

Chloe and Sonya, the other nurses central to the plot, are not nearly so interesting. Sonya has issues with men - finding a good one who has money, a job, and doesn't expect her to sleep with him if she ordered appetizers at dinner. Chloe is new on the job, and looks like she's twelve. Though she doesn't have the sex drive of a 12 year old...which is a good thing for this kind of show.

While there were patients, after all the show does take place in a hospital, it's pretty apparent that this is really a show about three women who happen to work in a hospital rather than a hospital show of which the doctors and nurses are people you like.

The worst part about the show is its inconsistent nature. Some moments were quite serious, almost moving, while others were just plain goofy. The balance is off, and I can't tell whether I'm supposed to want to watch because of the drama, the silliness or the sex. Well, since I can't figure it out, I guess I won't bother.

If you are a Grey's fan...you may like this show too. But for me, like Grey's Anatomy, Mercy is not on the priority list.

Am I wrong?