But in episode one?
Kristin from E!:
Ok, so many of you are freaking out (understandably), I must share:As you can probably tell by last night's episode, Michael Vartan is no longer a series regular on ALIAS. Howevah! They are WORKING ON getting Michael Vartan back for 1-3 episodes this season ... but so far, no deal. As I understand it, the ball is in his court. I have no idea as to HOW they would bring it back ... but remember, ANYTHING can (and does!) happen on Alias, and JJ's words just keep ringing through my head: "The Vaughn storyline is NOT what it seems."Still, I miss him.
Friday, September 30
Thursday, September 29
LOST: Episode 2 Recap
From EW:
When you write TV Watch columns, it's helpful to take notes while you view the show you're writing about. But that can be a total pain in the keister when it comes to Lost, because I live in fear of missing some scintillating scintilla of detail every time I look away to peck out observations on my laptop — bits like the symbol on Desmond's jumpsuit (a swan — what does that mean?) or the name of the candy bars that Kate scarfed and pocketed (Apollo — significant?) or the stuffed animal Michael gave Walt as a parting gift those many years ago (a polar bear! Hmmmm).
Still, I manage to take notes, and the first one I made about last night's episode was ''treading water.'' I was merely trying to describe the first scene, which had rafters Michael and Sawyer struggling to swim their way to what was left of their getaway vessel following the encounter with those scruffy-looking, child-abducting pirates in last season's finale. Yet ''treading water'' would prove to be the only note I really needed to make about the second episode of Lost's sophomore season. There wasn't much forward movement in ''Adrift,'' which may have been the ironic intention. If it was, then neat for Lost's clever, punny writers — but disappointing for at least this fan.
Am I being too hard on the series, especially in light of last week's crackerjack outing, chockablock with suspense and intrigue? Maybe. Maybe Lost's brain trust was worried that after getting an episode overstuffed with so many things to think about, we needed a week to catch our breath before pushing deeper into more wonderful weirdness. If so, then they forget that we had all summer to recharge the batteries in our thinking caps. We're ready and rarin' to go, dammit!
But instead, we got Michael (looking noticeably more buff this season) and Sawyer (upstaged yet again by his hair) on the raft, screaming, ''Walt!'' and ''Jin!'' into the inky night, and then screaming at each other over who was to blame for the Others' snatching Walt and torching the raft. All of it grew really, really tedious very, very quickly. I even got the sense that the actors and directors weren't quite sure what to make of these scenes and their odd mix of suspense and dark comedy. Example: Sawyer digs a bullet out of his arm (proving once again he's some I-don't-need-nobody tough guy), then sarcastically asks Michael for a Band-Aid, then faints. The moment was cute yet predictable, and not very inspired. All of the bitchy bantering took place while a hungry shark cruised around them or eyeballed them from below. Sometimes Michael and Sawyer seemed rather alarmed about the prospect of being eaten. Other times they seemed to forget that Son of Jaws was in the vicinity. On the whole, the scenes were unconvincing and anticlimactic. They had me recalling that Walter Matthau-Jack Lemmon movie Out to Sea, which I'm pretty sure is a sign of something...bad.
Even more disappointing was Michael's flashback story, which must rank among the poorest and most clumsily integrated flashbacks we've seen so far in Lost. Here's what we learned about Michael: nothing. Some legal contretemps between Michael and his ex over custody of Walt; some grandstanding by Michael that he would never give up on being a father to his son; blah blah blah. Didn't we kinda already know this? Sure, maybe we never saw it dramatized before, but we knew it, anyway, and we felt it, too, so all of what we saw was essentially warmed over and redundant. I was really looking forward to learning something new about Michael. I didn't. Okay, the polar bear thing was intriguing, and I'm going to give Lost's writers the benefit of the doubt and believe that it wasn't an empty gesture, some desperate, meaningless ploy to juice a dead story line.
''Adrift'' did, however, have its moments, and all of them were in the Hatch. True, not a lot of forward movement here, either. In fact, the episode took us back in time and revealed what happened to Locke and Kate after they descended into the Hatch, following their story strands to the Mexican-standoff moment that ended last week's episode. Terry O'Quinn (Locke) proved once again that he was robbed of a Best Supporting Actor Emmy — I loved the kid-in-a-candy-store look on his face when he stepped inside Desmond's underground abode; I loved his game attempt to play along with Desmond's creepy ''Are you him?'' questions (recalling ''Is it safe?'' from Marathon Man); and I loved the shadings and unspoken meanings in his hesitancy to press the execute button on Desmond's curiously old computer (''I haven't seen one of these in 20 years!'') after he was instructed to input a string of numbers all of us know to be Hurley's cursed Lotto digits. Thank you, Terry, and thank you, Locke and Desmond, for salvaging the first mediocre episode of the season. I only wish it hadn't come so soon!
Random observations and questions:
1. Your theory on the function of Desmond's computer: now.
2. Your thoughts on why Locke took off his shoes when he entered the Hatch: now.
3. Your reaction to my contention that Kate wiggling out of her bonds represented some of the best acting Evangeline Lilly has ever done on this show: now.
4. Your response to my suspicion that a multitude of drooling fanboys ''needed some time alone'' after watching Kate and her cleavage crawl through Desmond's air ducts: now
5. Hurley's numbers, when added up, equal 108. That number is also included in Desmond's mural. Where else have we seen 108 before? [Oops! We typed 180. Thanks for the catch, readers.]
6. Locke says that 43 people survived the crash. The deaths of Boone and Arzt take the number down to 41. Assuming that Walt isn't dead, and adding in the survivor that will be discovered in next week's episode (Ana Lucia), that bumps the number up to 42 — the last number in Hurley's Lotto string. Is my math fuzzy? If not, am I onto something? And if so, can you tell me what it is?
7. So, uh...what did one snowman say to the other snowman?
When you write TV Watch columns, it's helpful to take notes while you view the show you're writing about. But that can be a total pain in the keister when it comes to Lost, because I live in fear of missing some scintillating scintilla of detail every time I look away to peck out observations on my laptop — bits like the symbol on Desmond's jumpsuit (a swan — what does that mean?) or the name of the candy bars that Kate scarfed and pocketed (Apollo — significant?) or the stuffed animal Michael gave Walt as a parting gift those many years ago (a polar bear! Hmmmm).
Still, I manage to take notes, and the first one I made about last night's episode was ''treading water.'' I was merely trying to describe the first scene, which had rafters Michael and Sawyer struggling to swim their way to what was left of their getaway vessel following the encounter with those scruffy-looking, child-abducting pirates in last season's finale. Yet ''treading water'' would prove to be the only note I really needed to make about the second episode of Lost's sophomore season. There wasn't much forward movement in ''Adrift,'' which may have been the ironic intention. If it was, then neat for Lost's clever, punny writers — but disappointing for at least this fan.
Am I being too hard on the series, especially in light of last week's crackerjack outing, chockablock with suspense and intrigue? Maybe. Maybe Lost's brain trust was worried that after getting an episode overstuffed with so many things to think about, we needed a week to catch our breath before pushing deeper into more wonderful weirdness. If so, then they forget that we had all summer to recharge the batteries in our thinking caps. We're ready and rarin' to go, dammit!
But instead, we got Michael (looking noticeably more buff this season) and Sawyer (upstaged yet again by his hair) on the raft, screaming, ''Walt!'' and ''Jin!'' into the inky night, and then screaming at each other over who was to blame for the Others' snatching Walt and torching the raft. All of it grew really, really tedious very, very quickly. I even got the sense that the actors and directors weren't quite sure what to make of these scenes and their odd mix of suspense and dark comedy. Example: Sawyer digs a bullet out of his arm (proving once again he's some I-don't-need-nobody tough guy), then sarcastically asks Michael for a Band-Aid, then faints. The moment was cute yet predictable, and not very inspired. All of the bitchy bantering took place while a hungry shark cruised around them or eyeballed them from below. Sometimes Michael and Sawyer seemed rather alarmed about the prospect of being eaten. Other times they seemed to forget that Son of Jaws was in the vicinity. On the whole, the scenes were unconvincing and anticlimactic. They had me recalling that Walter Matthau-Jack Lemmon movie Out to Sea, which I'm pretty sure is a sign of something...bad.
Even more disappointing was Michael's flashback story, which must rank among the poorest and most clumsily integrated flashbacks we've seen so far in Lost. Here's what we learned about Michael: nothing. Some legal contretemps between Michael and his ex over custody of Walt; some grandstanding by Michael that he would never give up on being a father to his son; blah blah blah. Didn't we kinda already know this? Sure, maybe we never saw it dramatized before, but we knew it, anyway, and we felt it, too, so all of what we saw was essentially warmed over and redundant. I was really looking forward to learning something new about Michael. I didn't. Okay, the polar bear thing was intriguing, and I'm going to give Lost's writers the benefit of the doubt and believe that it wasn't an empty gesture, some desperate, meaningless ploy to juice a dead story line.
''Adrift'' did, however, have its moments, and all of them were in the Hatch. True, not a lot of forward movement here, either. In fact, the episode took us back in time and revealed what happened to Locke and Kate after they descended into the Hatch, following their story strands to the Mexican-standoff moment that ended last week's episode. Terry O'Quinn (Locke) proved once again that he was robbed of a Best Supporting Actor Emmy — I loved the kid-in-a-candy-store look on his face when he stepped inside Desmond's underground abode; I loved his game attempt to play along with Desmond's creepy ''Are you him?'' questions (recalling ''Is it safe?'' from Marathon Man); and I loved the shadings and unspoken meanings in his hesitancy to press the execute button on Desmond's curiously old computer (''I haven't seen one of these in 20 years!'') after he was instructed to input a string of numbers all of us know to be Hurley's cursed Lotto digits. Thank you, Terry, and thank you, Locke and Desmond, for salvaging the first mediocre episode of the season. I only wish it hadn't come so soon!
Random observations and questions:
1. Your theory on the function of Desmond's computer: now.
2. Your thoughts on why Locke took off his shoes when he entered the Hatch: now.
3. Your reaction to my contention that Kate wiggling out of her bonds represented some of the best acting Evangeline Lilly has ever done on this show: now.
4. Your response to my suspicion that a multitude of drooling fanboys ''needed some time alone'' after watching Kate and her cleavage crawl through Desmond's air ducts: now
5. Hurley's numbers, when added up, equal 108. That number is also included in Desmond's mural. Where else have we seen 108 before? [Oops! We typed 180. Thanks for the catch, readers.]
6. Locke says that 43 people survived the crash. The deaths of Boone and Arzt take the number down to 41. Assuming that Walt isn't dead, and adding in the survivor that will be discovered in next week's episode (Ana Lucia), that bumps the number up to 42 — the last number in Hurley's Lotto string. Is my math fuzzy? If not, am I onto something? And if so, can you tell me what it is?
7. So, uh...what did one snowman say to the other snowman?
Wednesday, September 28
LOST Snippet
The second episode was supposed to be Sawyer-centric, they changed it to be one that focuses on Michael, because "it goes along better with what's going on in the show." This week's episode is "more of Michael's backstory. You know, the first episode, we weren't there, so then it just picks up right where we left off, so it's mostly about Walt."
Tuesday, September 27
Someone shoot me...
This article is about March of the Penguins:
Recent reports indicated that conservative "family values" groups have been instrumental in keeping the film alive at the box office, booking large blocks of seats and asserting that the film provides proof of "intelligent design." On the other hand London Times film writer Caitlin Moran observed last week, "To be honest, this is good news. If American Christians want to go public on the fact that they're now morally guided by penguins, at least we know where we all stand."
I love Caitlin Moran.
Recent reports indicated that conservative "family values" groups have been instrumental in keeping the film alive at the box office, booking large blocks of seats and asserting that the film provides proof of "intelligent design." On the other hand London Times film writer Caitlin Moran observed last week, "To be honest, this is good news. If American Christians want to go public on the fact that they're now morally guided by penguins, at least we know where we all stand."
I love Caitlin Moran.
Another concert
Sunday I went to The Hollywood Bowl. Got to see Dead Can Dance with the LA Philharmonic (think Pink Floyd from the Middle East). They weren't the highlight, even though they were the headliner. The openers, Nouvelle Vague, were amazing. Two female singers dancing like they were in a prohibition underground bar were so charasmatic and charming. "Too Drunk to Fuck" was a highlight, as both girls stumbled around stage with a percussive background. I'm going to buy their CD.
Kaiser Chiefs
I saw the Kaiser Chiefs, from Missoula, Montana (or at least so the English band claimed), at a private Rolling Stone Magazine concert at The Avalon in Hollywood. First of all, loved the venue. Being in the VIP balcony with free booze was a nice touch. But that didn't matter when the Kaiser Chiefs hit the stage. We all immediately ran down to the ground floor/general admission area, hugged the stage, and jumped up and down the entire show. It was like seeing The Clash in the 70s. So much energy, and a tight band. Great show.
Late Night Bush Bash
Thanks to DailyKos for compiling this...
"Bush is keeping track of Hurricane Rita as it hits his home state of Texas. That's Bush's worst nightmare: an electric chair with no power."--Jay Leno
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"Hurricane Rita is supposed to make landfall in Texas, which is good for Barbara Bush because she can insult survivors closer to home." --Bill Maher
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"Yesterday President Bush made his fifth visit to the area that received the most damage from Hurricane Katrina. In other words, the White House." --Conan O'Brien
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"The president believes the government should be limited not in size, Jon, but in effectiveness. In terms of effectiveness, this is the most limited government we've ever had."--Daily Show correspondent Rob Corddry
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"Now here's some sad information coming out of Washington. According to reports, President Bush may be drinking again. And I thought, `Well, why not? He's got everybody else drinking.'"--David Letterman
"Bush is keeping track of Hurricane Rita as it hits his home state of Texas. That's Bush's worst nightmare: an electric chair with no power."--Jay Leno
-
"Hurricane Rita is supposed to make landfall in Texas, which is good for Barbara Bush because she can insult survivors closer to home." --Bill Maher
-
"Yesterday President Bush made his fifth visit to the area that received the most damage from Hurricane Katrina. In other words, the White House." --Conan O'Brien
-
"The president believes the government should be limited not in size, Jon, but in effectiveness. In terms of effectiveness, this is the most limited government we've ever had."--Daily Show correspondent Rob Corddry
-
"Now here's some sad information coming out of Washington. According to reports, President Bush may be drinking again. And I thought, `Well, why not? He's got everybody else drinking.'"--David Letterman
Amazing Race
The Amazing Race 8 debuts tonight at 9 p.m. ET, and changes the structure of its teams for the first time. Families of four will race against each other around the world—or, perhaps, around a smaller area, as reports suggest. The debut is two hours long.
Monday, September 26
Ailment-A-Go-Go
Hmmm... I am an Osbourne and I am desperately in need of a publicity fix. What ailment shall I announce today??? Hmmmm... Hey! I know! Let's go with Bulimia!!! We haven't done that one yet!!!!
Why I Can't Wait To See U2 Nov. 2
Pioneer Press:
"Elevation" hit with breathtaking force, while "Beautiful Day" and "With or Without You" were so powerful, grown men started to weep, and it nearly felt like the entire Target Center levitated an inch or two off the floor.
Friday, September 23
Oh yeah, The Emmies
I went to the EW Emmy Party last Saturday night. It was all right. At a bar called, oh, I forget... um.... I'm literally typing as I think.... oh well. I saw lotsa celebs. The OC, Nip/Tuck, Arrested Development, the guys from Desperate Housewives, Frankie Muniz (freaky as all hell, as one would expect). THE CABANA CLUB, that's what it was called. Cool space. My friends and I just stood by the door so we could see all the celebs parade in. It was so obvious we were stalkers... but the funny part was some waiter literally brought a table and sat it down in front of us. I think it was to make us "less obvious stalkers." Fun time.
The Feder-letus Has Left The Hospital!
Alert! The spawn of Britney and K-Fed has reportedly been taken home. Again... he has been taken home from the hospital. Someone alert the paparazzi!
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