Love Happens: Boredom Happens, Too

If you think the title of the new Jennifer Aniston/ Aaron Eckhart film is cheesy, just wait until you see the rest of the movie. Or better yet, don’t… I swear I went into this film with an open mind and a “it won’t be just another type-cast Jennifer Aniston mushy chick flick” attitude, but about 30 minutes into it I found myself silently wishing she hadn’t taken part in such a dull and sappy film – she should know better. For those whose natural inclination is to shun the whole rom com genre, I have to say that I don’t even think this movie qualifies to be in that category – because it wasn’t actually funny. It also was neither clever nor original, in this girl’s humble opinion. But before I get into the ‘why’, let me first give you the ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘where’, ‘when’ and ‘how.’

Eckhart plays Burke Ryan, a widow who managed to create quite a self-help empire for himself after the death of his wife by popularizing slogans like “When life hands you lemons…”, “I’m A-OK!” (accompanied by a ridiculous hand gesture) and a host of other hokey clichés. Ryan bumps into Aniston’s character while leading a book seminar in Seattle for those grieving the loss of their loved ones, since Eloise (Aniston) is the local florist for the hotel where he’s staying. She scribbles obscure vocabulary words on hotel walls (secretly, of course), fends off male attention and has pretty much given up on love, until Ryan attempts to win her over. What follows is a clumsy and ill-developed love story about a man haunted by the grieving process he has been reluctant to undertake himself, the woman who notices that he is tortured yet falls for him anyway, and a whole lot of sap – literally – in between. Martin Sheen plays Ryan’s father-in-law, who seizes Ryan’s visit to Seattle as an opportunity to remind him that becoming estranged from your family isn’t part of the healing process, or at least not a healthy part.  Dan Fogler plays Ryan’s best friend and agent, who has been tirelessly trying to craft the deal which would allow the self-help guru to takeover the commercial and branding world, and Judy Greer plays Eloise’s slam-poetry reciting floral assistant who wishes her boss would stop dating losers and find a nice guy, already. One can’t help but wonder how overt the parallel was meant to appear between the unlucky-in-love Aniston character and the real life America’s darling who just can’t seem to catch a romantic break. Coincidence? Perhaps.

The major issues with Brandon Camp’s first film in the director’s chair are as follows: Eloise is supposed to be this bohemian, unconventional, funky free-spirit type – heck, just listen to the name they gave her – only they chose an actress who doesn’t fit the bill. She’s quirky, we get it – only putting a knit hat and some rain boots on Aniston won’t convince the audience that she’s the rumpled type. Frankly she plays the type-A personality much better (The Break-Up, anyone?). Additionally, there were coffee tables more dynamic than Aaron Eckhart in this movie; he is that uninteresting to watch. I blame the fact that his character inadvertently comes across as annoying, and the fact that neither he nor Aniston had much to work with in this film. Oh, and the product placement was blatant and unapologetic at times.

I’m all for the idea of the fluff movie now and then, the kind that we know will be generic and predictable and yet we see it anyway because we think it’ll be entertaining, as long as the movie actually ends up being entertaining. This film falls flat on its opportunity to expound upon the idea of real loss and grief, or the opportunity to simply make the audience bask in a cute love story for a while. In short, much like the flowers that Eloise arranges so meticulously, “Love Happens” wilts quickly.

The J Factor Ep. 15 (The Emmy Awards Episode)

The J Factor – September 21, 2009 – (The Emmy Awards Episode) Follow J.B. & Jaimie as the cover the Emmy Awards in real-time.  Find out who they think should have won and those didn’t deserve it.  A good time is had by all.

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You can also send us an email at editor@poptimal.com.

Jone Dome Ep. 17 (Kanye is a Jackass)

Episode 17 – September 20, 2009 – The Kanye is a Jackass Show.  Join Ference & Double Edge as they hate on Kanye West, preview Criminal Minds, and review Matt Damon’s The Informant!

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T. Dubb is a lover of the arts and enjoys drawing, listening to music, and watching movies in her spare time. Originally from Los Angeles, she currently resides in Davis, CA.

Comic-Con: The Big Bang Theory

While other shows struggled to stay on the air last year, The Big Bang Theory earned itself a 2-season renewal thanks to increased ratings, the quality of the show, and fan response.  Its reruns, which were fortunately not Tweet-peats, regularly placed in the top 10 shows of the week this summer, beating out plenty of new programming.  The show’s success was due in large part to the support of fans at last year’s Comic-Con.  In July, the executive producers and stars of the show — Chuck Lorre, Bill Prady, Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, and Kunal Nayyar — took time out of their busy schedules again to speak with the public and members of the press at Comic-Con.

The Fans

The Big Bang Theory has a larger and more diverse fanbase than the average show.  Helberg noted that they are as likely to be approached by a 6-year-old fan as they are an 80-year-old one.   Parsons, the breakout star of the show, described them as being “kind” and “sweet” overall, and not “weird” in a way that made him uncomfortable.  Moments later, a man approached him on behalf of his sister with a napkin and asked for his DNA.  With a healthy ovum, she could be growing her own Jim Parsons right now, as Cuoco took the napkin and wiped his brow with it before handing it back.  Parsons enthusiastically said that he would still love the show if he were not on it.  Helberg then jokingly asked why Parsons fast-forwards through all the scenes he is not in.

Their attitude towards their loyal fans goes beyond mere appreciation.  They film in front of a live studio audience, which they find exciting and gives them a special kind of energy, particularly when people start laughing before the characters even speak.  And if the audience does not find a scene funny, Lorre stated that they will try to rework it and will not blame them because they know that the writers cannot always get it right.

The Romance

When the boys return from their polar expedition, romance will bloom.  But it will not be between Penny and Sheldon, though the writers and actors are aware that many fans want to see a “Peldon” pairing.  According to Lorre, Sheldon’s heart and soul are with science and sci fi and the only things he is in love with are himself, his brain, and physics.  Plus, Penny would eat him alive, claimed Cuoco.  Prady let his geek flag fly and suggested that Sheldon might go into Pon Farr every 7 years to take care of those pesky reproductive needs.

Instead, Leonard, Sheldon’s long-suffering roommate, will finally get another chance with Penny, the down to earth girl next door.  Galecki hopes he gets the girl, but noted that Leonard, despite being a socially awkward nerd, has gotten more action than other characters he has portrayed.  Do not expect things to go smoothly for them, however, as Prady said that there are many different avenues they can explore with this relationship.  There are countless awkward breakup stories they can tell, he explained, but it would not necessarily be the end of the story.  He cited Sam and Diane from Cheers as an example of a non-traditional relationship and pointed out that not all couples meet, get together, and marry.  Furthermore, despite the new and later time slot, the romances on this show will not be as risqué as those on other programs, including Lorre’s Two and a Half Men. The writers want these characters to remain innocent, which is one of the most endearing aspects of the show.

Dr. Sheldon Cooper For the Win

Although Parsons did not win an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series this year, he has promised that if he ever wins one, he will put it on display somewhere where visitors can play with it.  He swore that he would never give it to another actor even if the other man deserved it.  He also had thoughts about how his alter ego, Dr. Sheldon Cooper, would react if he won an Emmy Award.  After first saying that Sheldon might not deign to speak, he then slipped effortlessly into character, ranting about how the process is nonsense and that the other nominees must have been drawn out of a hat.

Random Notes

• According to Nayyar, everybody knows a Sheldon.  “But it’s never them,” added Helberg.
• The Christmas episode is a cast favorite, although Parsons prefers the Vegas episode.
• Parsons wanted to be a meteorologist when he was younger.
• Helberg used to carry a Luke Skywalker figurine with him that he called “My Man.”
• Nayyar used to play badminton, which he considered a nerd sport.
• Cuoco wants Penny to play more video games and put Cheetos in her hair.
• Parsons hates the vaudevillian aspect of filming car scenes, but Cuoco enjoys it.
• As much as they and the characters love Comic-Con, they cannot film there because of trademark and copyright issues.
• Everyone who visits the set sits in Sheldon’s seat.

The Big Bang Theory returns to CBS on Monday, September 21 at 9:30/8:30c.

For more from Comic-Con, click here.

For more television reviews, click here.

Photographs courtesy of Poptimal.com

Fringe: A New Day in the Old Town

Oh Goodness. Fringe is back, and I have to say, I was a bit disappointed in this first episode of the sophomore season. Could it be that Charlie Francis is on his way out and the new female agent replacing him already bores me to death? Could it be because other than Olivia’s jump to a parallel universe, not much else seemed to carry over from the last season’s final episode? Or could it be that I must finally accept that the John Scott storyline is at last, officially, over?

I shall always hold out hope, Agent Scott! Anyway, we’re back! Several months ago, Fringe ended its first, uneven season on a high note. Everywhere, reviews called it a cliffhanger, but I don’t know how true that is. I do know a lot of people were blown away and looking forward to this week’s premiere. Which makes sense, considering how well done that last episode was: well-paced, nice character development, action, sci-fi, Leonard Nimoy (finally), alternate dimensions, surprises, and Mr. Jones – the best villain on television.

We return with just another typical episode, although when Olivia goes missing (no one thought to look in the alternate dimension, natch), then reappears at the scene of a car accident by flying through the windshield of the damaged car and landing in the middle of the street – that was pretty awesome. That was also the high point. Olivia spends the rest of the episode in bed as a fragile and short term memory amnesiac once she wakes up from the coma that should have killed her. Good news: though Rachel stops by, her daughter doesn’t. I’ll take what I can get.

All the while, a “shapeshifter” kills and assumes the identities of random people in order to find, question, and kill Olivia because of information she knows (but has now forgotten). This shapeshifter appears to have been sent by someone from the Alternate Dimension, and he uses a nifty little box the size of a point-and-shoot camera to shift. All it takes is a matter of seconds…

Over in the Bishop household, i.e. the Harvard Lab, Doc and Peter are old friends again (didn’t Doc go on a sabbatical or something?) and Doc is making Peter custard for his birthday. So is Peter a Libra? It’s hinted that Peter doesn’t like custard, but our dimension’s Peter probably did before he died. Whoops! Also, does Peter look more and more sick as the episode progresses, or was that just me? Exposition has five lines, one of which is to remind people of her name. The cow has one line, and it’s hilarious. Peter and Agent Jessup (wait for it) investigate Olivia’s accident, and with Doc’s help, stumble up on the existence of the shapeshifter.

And here is my least favorite part, the arrival of Junior Agent Jessup. She questions Peter, hacks into Fringe Division’s computer systems (we learned last season that the internet solves all manner of secret cases and problems), then helps Peter’s investigations. Peter none too subtly points out that she should be freaked and/or running away and isn’t; Jessup says, “I think I’ve been waiting for you people my whole life.” And oh crap. What nonsense are we going to get with Jessup? Was she originally from the alternate dimension and never felt she “fit in” here? Did someone from the Other Side steal her parents? Did she take cortexephan? Has she seen strange things her whole life and could never explain them (and that’s why she joined the FBI)? I pray I’m wrong and that JJ Abrams and team do not make this into another stereotypical storyline. Because, presumably, Jessup is the agent replacing Charlie Francis, and let’s be clear – I’m a fan of Charlie Francis (despite Acevedo’s I could care less attitude at NYCC), I just never liked the story and plot holes surrounding his character. Fire a writer, not Acevedo. So maybe that’s why I’m wary of Jessup, or it’s because her storyline seems like a cliché already. I do hope I’m wrong.

Charlie does stop by the hospital, as fans everywhere scream happily and think, I thought they fired him! Damn you, Twitter!, then remember he’s sticking around a little longer before he dies. Because…

The shapeshifter shifts into the form of Olivia’s nurse. The nurse questions Olivia, realizes she knows nothing, then tries to kill her. But Peter and Jessup have figured it all out (who needs Olivia, anyway?) and with the help of Francis, they save our girl and chase the shapeshifter into tunnels below the hospital. There, Francis kills the shapeshifter … or does he???

Meanwhile, Broyles reports to D.C. to defend the funding of the Fringe Division, and only saves the day when Peter arrives to give Broyles the shapeshifter’s toy – Broyles can use it as proof that we need to prepare for an invasion. Or something. Do you think the guys in Washington know what’s going on? If so, why can’t we hear that conversation? It would clear up so much. So basically, The Man was going to shut down Fringe Division, and now they’re not, and we’re probably going to get more bureaucratic nonsense out of this whole sequence, so … just great.

We end with Jessup comparing Fringe cases to chapters of the Bible, and then follow Charlie Francis as he incinerates the body of … Charlie Francis! Yes, in a moment you knew was coming once we saw Francis shoot at the shapeshifter, Charlie Francis is dead and the shapeshifter will be infiltrating the FBI starting next week.

Though we don’t receive too many answers upon our return, the writers have delivered plenty of new questions to keep us interested. Still, I was a little disappointed. The story was fine (though shapeshifters are kind of an old device from scifi and comics), and this other, scared side of Olivia has potential. Unfortunately, the creative changes with a new character worries me. However, if they pull it off and I love Jessup, I’ll be the first to admit I was wrong. On the other hand, why not just do Jasika Nicole a well-deserved solid and give her some lines? Or a fleshed out part? Or something other than exposition? It’s only week one, so I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Of note:

Olivia wakes up from her coma speaking Greek, which translates to: Be a better man than your father, which Peter’s mother used to say to him before bed.

What’s the deal with the car accident? In the finale, Olivia almost hit another car on her way to meet with William Bell. How exactly does that relate to the opening car accident?

Nina kisses Broyles. What the what???

Next week: I have no idea, my Tivo overlapped with It’s Always Sunny. So we’ll find out together!

For another take on this episode, check out New Season, Same Lab Cow by Paul Secrest.

Listen to The J Factor with J.B. and Jaimie here or on iTunes.

Season 2, Episode 1: A New Day in the Old Town (originally aired September 17, 2009)

For more on Fringe, click here.

Thursdays at 9/8C, Fox

Photographs courtesy of Fox and IMDbPro

Top Chef: Cry Me a River in the Desert

Oh, these pampered chefs! They’re so used to comfortable beds and real kitchens that once you take them out of their element, we’re forced to hear about it endlessly in interviews. This week, TC sends the contestants out into the desert, and if no one ended up bitten by a scorpion, I really don’t see what all the complaining is about. It’s dry heat for crying out loud.

But first! Michael V. begins his episode-long complaint by agreeing with me that Hector should have stayed, and someone like Robin should have packed her knives instead. He explains that the best chefs present are himself, his brother, and Mike I. Humility doesn’t seem to be trait of anyone on this show named “Michael.”  We also learn that Mike V. thinks the desert is for people who don’t eat and don’t cook, and specifically, not for him (it’s also not for Eli, who has a girlfriend who likes to camp. Go figure.). Mike V. also talks about how he doesn’t change his menu based on the diner – rather he bases his menu choice on the challenge. Because he doesn’t cater to diners. He cooks, and they will come or they won’t, and they will like his food or they won’t. And screw all y’all, because I’m Michael Voltaggio, bitches!

In other news, Mattin grew up on a farm and camping makes him happy, while outhouses remind Ashley of her childhood because she was poor. She has a twin brother who just had a baby. Congrats! But you know, I just want you to cook well, already.

Which brings us, belatedly to…

Quickfire. Guest Judge: Tim Love, who excels at combining Southwestern cuisine and fine dining. Also, fun Masters contestant. I’m seeing a pattern here with the judges – are you? The chefs must cook a succulent meal using cactus. High stakes Quickfire, with money up for grabs.

Mike V. feels confident even though he has little experience with cactus; Mike I. actually does have experience, and cures it like salmon. Mattin didn’t know cactus could be eaten. Neither did I, but I’m no chef. It finally occurs to Laurine to have some confidence in her own abilities.

Tim’s least favorites are Mike V. (oh, snap!), Ash, and Ron. His top three are Mike I., Laurine, and Mattin (crazy!). Despite Mattin’s Happy Dance, Mike I. wins the $15,000 but no immunity.

Elimination Challenge. Prepare lunch outdoors on a ranch for two dozen cowboys in a rustic setting. The chefs can create any dish they like, but will not see their kitchen until after they shop and arrive at the ranch that evening. Sleepover!

Cue the sad stories about how frustrating and inconvenient it is not to know the conditions of the “kitchen.” Everyone’s a baby this week. It occurs to Ashley that they’ll have a grill and that’s about it, and she plans her dish appropriately, as does Laurine who compares herself emotionlessly to MacGyver for her ability to adapt. No word if she can disarm a bomb. Mike V., who knows he’s one of the best chefs in the competition, takes into account the desert heat.

The chefs arrive at Sandy Valley Ranch to find fire pits, cast iron pans, and lots and lots of sand. The Voltaggio brothers share a tent, and somewhere, Mike I. cries himself to sleep. Bryan talks about his teenage camping years and that brother Mike V. seems ill-prepared for camping and cooking outdoors. Mike V. complains some more, then insists that a good cook can adapt to anything. And in case you’ve forgotten, he is one of the best chefs here.

The next day, it’s time to cook! The tables are crowded together and there’s lots of elbow rubbing and requests for swords (thank you, Ron), and Laurine seems the most comfortable using the fire pit grills. Mattin opts for ceviches because they’re easy and he won’t have to use the grill, while Ron decides to use the coconut juice leftover from his ceviche for a coconut mojito.

There’s lots of whining about the heat, so let’s get right to…

Service. Mike I.’s pork gyro tastes good, but lacks pizzazz. Laurine’s arctic char and potato score well, while Eli’s tuna sandwich lacked seasoning and fresh bread. Mattin’s ceviches are so awful that Tom actually spits his out and he uses the word “gross.” Robin’s prawns taste “terrible,” and Tim Love says he feels like he just “sucked down a piece of chlorine.” (In an interview, Robin concedes her prawns tasted awful and she waited to taste them until after she served the judges. Whoops!) Ash’s chicken breast is “sensible” and Love enjoys the succotash, but the diners aren’t very impressed. Bryan’s pork loin inspires Gail to try camping with Bryan any day, and if she weren’t married, I’d read into that compliment. Gail also likes Jenn’s snapper but nothing about it “jumps out” for Tim Love. Ashley’s club sandwich with halibut and avocado was so well done that Padma declares she might be a dark horse. That, Padma, is a stretch. You’re better than that! Ron’s ceviche is better than Mattin’s, but the coconut mojito is “terrible” and ruins his whole presentation. Gail loves Mike’s dashi, Tom calls it refreshing, and Tim calls it “unexpected.” Kevin’s duck is beautifully cooked and Padma loves his use of mole.

Judges’ Table. The high scorers this week are MacGyver (what the what!), Ashley, Bryan, and Mike V. Mike V.? With all the complaining and the interviews this week, I thought for sure he’d be in the bottom. Well done, editors! The judges hand out the compliments, with a quick note that MacGyver was almost too simple, but simplicity done well always equals a winner. But the real winner tonight isn’t Laurine, it’s Bryan! That’s three elimination challenges for him, and of course, we hear about how he’s beating his brother and blah blah blah, let’s bring out the losers.

Out come Robin, Ron, and Mattin as the bottom three. Robin describes a dish that she didn’t actually make, and Tim Love calls the idea “ridiculous.” Wow. He has no patience for bullshit or bad food, does he? We need to bring him back. Robin admits that she’s not surprised by her spot on the bottom or that she could be sent home. Over in France, Mattin does not understand his low score, so the judges all take turns bashing his ceviches. Ron’s ceviche wasn’t perfect, but Tom and Gail explain how terrible his drink was; had he not made the drink, he probably wouldn’t have been called out.

Over deliberation, Ron gets a freebie for at least making one edible component, and it comes down to Mattin’s naïveté about his own food and Robin’s bad fish. Bring them back out and au revoir, Frenchie. Your delusions are your doom. He takes it well and is convinced they’ll miss him. Obviously, the delusions aren’t going anywhere.

Something to consider: in the last challenge, Gail said that they could not have served the culinary greats so early during any other season, giving testament to Season 6’s chefs. If that’s the case, why did so many of them crash and burn this week? Only certain dishes would have made it to the table if Robuchon had been dining again. I think this is a good group of chefs, but I also think there’s more cutting that needs to happen before the serious competition can begin.

Also, Hector should still be here.

Next week:  Bull’s testicles and Penn & Teller! No relation between the pairs.

Listen to The J Factor with J.B. and Jaimie here or on iTunes.

Season 6, Episode 5: Camping (originally aired September 16, 2009)

For more on Top Chef, click here.

Wednesdays at 10/9C, Bravo

Photographs courtesy of NBC Universal and Kelsey McNeal

Project Runway: What’s Black and White and Read All Over?

Last week I was bored, and this week . . . I’m still bored.  When can we go back to NYC?

Heidi, wearing black and white, announces they’re going on another field trip with Tim.  Their clue?  Black and white.  While I’m thinking either old movies or the Watts Riots, they actually go to the Los Angeles Times where “they, like, make all the newspapers.”  Booth Moore, the celebrated fashion critic at the L.A. Times, tells them they need to use newspaper as the fabric for their next challenge.  So we’re going to get a runway of paper mache?  The designers scramble and take so much paper that Irina explains they’re “designing for a human, not an elephant.”

Back at the studio, Tim tells them they have dyes and paintbrushes and gives us a history lesson on paper as clothing.  And so they begin, with Nicolas continuing to complain about the challenge, or at least using that as a tool to vent his frustration.  He also spends his time getting annoyed by Shirin’s babbling about the name of her mannequin and complaining about the quality of Johnny’s design.

Tim’s Take.  Tim doesn’t think Gordana’s inclusion of a “change” political message is appropriate and suggests she focus on her design as a change in fashion.  Delicately put, Tim.  He is “woeful” of Johnny’s origami dress, commenting that kindergartners designed it.  And Nicolas is right there to laugh loudly, but Johnny trashes his dress and starts from scratch.  Nicolas gets the dreaded “costumey” warning so let’s move on from that.  On the other hand, he thinks Christopher’s ambitious design could be a “showstopper.”  They all rethink what they’re doing (except for Christopher) and then in come the models for their fitting.

Johnny is a little frustrated after throwing out his design and so he starts working on a crossword puzzle.  This bothers Christopher and Irina, who think Johnny hasn’t shown enough passion throughout the competition (recall we began this season with his breakdown).  Anyway, we end the day with the designers trash talking Johnny and this is all setting us up for his predictable win (and Nicolas’s defeat).  Or maybe I’m wrong as usual.

Runway!  Heidi introduces our judges: Designer Tommy Hilfiger, Zoe Glassner (Marie Claire), and Eva Longoria Parker (Desperate Housewives).  Again no Nina, no Kors, and I’m pissed.  For whatever reason, I’m impressed that you can do this much with paper.  That being said, I think Johnny and Nicolas made some stinky mess . . . at least until Shirin sends someone down looking like Mrs. Potts.  Johnny, Nicolas, Christopher, Althea, Gordana, and Irina have to stay behind, while the rest (including Logan and his douchey wool hat) move on.

Althea is up first.  Mrs. Longoria Parker talks about her bump and “ass-et” in relation to Althea’s structured behind on the dress.  Heidi thinks Gordana’s outfit looks too wearable (is that bad?), and the rest of the panel all but says she was boring.  Irina made an amazing trench coat, and Hilfiger rattles off some famous designers that could have made what she did.  Heidi begins by asking Johnny how much time he spent on his dress and then says his model looks like she’s “going to work,” which in Heidi-speak means “prostitute.”  Johnny says his first dress got destroyed with the iron but it looked like a Dior; Nicolas interrupts and says that wasn’t the case and then Nicolas repeated Tim’s criticism.  Johnny speaks for America and calls Nicolas a “jerk.”  Since Nicolas is living in a glass house this week, it’s only appropriate that the judges trash his outfit and say it reminds them of New York . . . because it looks like a cockroach.  We end with Christopher’s flowing gown and they say little because it is great.

Privy Council.  Hands down Christopher gets rave reviews for his creativity, similarly for Irina and Althea.  They don’t think Nicolas achieved a punk look, and with Johnny they suspect he’s lying about the steam accident.

Results.  Althea is safe and Irina wins.  Christopher is in second place and I like to think it was a close decision. Gordana is also safe and, with Johnny and Nicolas left, I hope Heidi sends them both home.  In the end, there can be only one to go and that is Johnny.  He cries some about how difficult this was for him and I guess I’m heartless because I don’t care.

But in the only interesting part of the episode, Tim comes in to send Johnny home and it’s the coldest dismissal I’ve ever seen from Tim.  Tim then turns to the remaining designers and says, “I’m incredulous at the utterly preposterous spewing of fiction that Johnny did on the runway.  It was ridiculous.”  Nicholas feels the need to interject like a choir boy and the rest of the room is sitting there, mouths agape.  I can only imagine what Tim would have shouted out had he been at the President’s recent joint address to Congress.

Next week: A one-day challenge.

Listen to The J Factor with J.B. and Jaimie here or on iTunes.

Season 6, Episode 5: Fashion Headlines (originally aired September 17, 2009)

For more on Project Runway, click here.

Thursdays at 10pm EST on Lifetime

Photographs courtesy of Lifetime

Fringe: New Season, Same Lab Cow

Hey all you Poptima-holics! After a long summer rife with decent movies, awesome TV (thanks, True Blood!), and a disconcertingly high celebrity death rate, the return of regularly scheduled autumnal programming goodness is upon us once again and that means the return of old tele-friends, the resolution of wild cliffhangers, and the arrival of many new shows, most of whom will fail but several of which will take root in our collective consciousness and join the tapestry of what we call popular culture. One show that pulled off such a feat in the glory days of the 08-09 season was a freaky little marvel known as Fringe. Fringe launched with all the buzz and anticipation worthy of a show with J.J. Abrams’ name above the title and before long its tales of the paranormal horrors and wonders that exist along the “fringes” of science (get it?) were a Tuesday night appointment for millions. The season did have its ups, downs, and occasional struggles to find its footing and establish a deep but accessible mythology revolving around a worldwide “Pattern” of the unexplained, but by the time its dimension-tripping endgame unspooled last May, fans were begging for more.

With apologies to Arrested Development, Fringe is the story of a crazy family who started with nothing and the one FBI agent sane enough to keep them together. The family in question is father/son duo Walter & Peter Bishop. Walter’s a former mental patient and quite literal “mad scientist” whose arch-unusual expertise is necessary in decoding events of the strange. Peter’s a brilliant hustler with a gruff exterior that belies the little boy who could’ve used more of dad growing up. The aforementioned Fed is Olivia Dunham, a steely dame who found herself drowning in the world of fringe science after the death of her traitorous lover—but that’s a story best left in Season 1. Point is, she soon became a true believer and honorary member of the Bishop clan as they teamed up with the FBI’s newly created Fringe Division to deal with Walter’s considerable quirks as often as they deal with mutants, psychics, and trans-dimensional terrorism. When we last left our heroes, the existence of a parallel dimension had taken center stage with the startling revelation that the Peter Bishop we thought we knew died as a child and Walter coped by crossing the barrier between worlds and snatching himself a spare. Meanwhile, Olivia scored a face-to-face on the other side with William Bell, Walter’s former partner and CEO of Massive Dynamic, a corporation whose connections to The Pattern are too numerous to be coincidental.

Enter the scene of a major car accident in NYC. Olivia seems to have vanished pre-crash, and the other driver flees the scene to kill a man and assume his face with a painful looking gadget. Yep, Fringe is back. A few moments later, Olivia flies through the windshield with great force. After several touch and go days in the ICU, Olivia wakes up shouting in Greek with no memories of her visit. I’m no fan of amnesia plotline abuse, so I best know what went down in her convo with William before Halloween. With the help of a curious new agent, the Bishops find evidence linking the shapeshifting assassin to the other side and track him (her? it?) to Olivia’s hospital in time to keep it from becoming Liv’s angel of death. Fellow Fringe Division agent Charlie tracks down and eliminates the shifter, or so we are led to believe until a bummer of a last minute twist when J.J. steals a page from his own Alias playbook to reveal a very dead Charlie and a nasty transdimensional being taking his place. Elsewhere, F.D. director Broyles fights for congressional funding and reveals a heretofore unseen romance with Massive Dynamic CEO Nina Sharp (she’s got a robot arm!). All seems lost until Peter offers Broyles use of the shifter’s warping gizmo as congress bait. Fringe Division is saved! So onward we march into a glorious year of gross out scares, warped humor, and the dynamic combination of creative twists and multi-layered characters that J.J. just gets right.

For another take on this episode, check out A New Day in the Old Town by Jaimie Campos.

Season 2, Episode 1: A New Day in the Old Town (originally aired September 17, 2009)

For more on Fringe, click here.

Thursdays at 9/8C, Fox

Photographs courtesy of Fox and IMDbPro

Bones Is Back! I Mean Really, Really Back!

“I’m back, baby!” Army Ranger turned FBI special agent Seeley Booth tells impossibly prepubescent FBI psychiatrist Lance Sweets early on in the fifth season premiere of Bones. Indeed, the crime-fighting super-team of Booth and genius forensic anthropologist Temperance “Bones” Brennan is back and so is Bones. And by back I don’t just mean that the season has started; no, I mean Bones is really back, returning to fine form after some truly boneheaded (no pun intended) moves by the writing staff in the last two seasons.

If you’ll recall, last season ended with Brennan discovering that Booth had a brain tumor that was causing him to see hallucinations. He went into a coma after being operated on, and the season finale consisted of an entire episode devoted to a fantasy dream comatose Booth was having, where he and Brennan were married and owned a nightclub together. At the end, Booth woke up to find an elated Bones by his side but a look of confusion swept his face and he asked her who she was. That episode was always going to be a stupid waste of time, but the fact that they made it the season finale left me and more than a few other loyal fans angry, depressed, and chagrined.

I was a little late coming to Bones, but I viewed the pilot about a year and a half ago, was instantly smitten, and burned through the first three seasons in a two-and-a-half-week frenzy. I watched every episode of last season live, and no force on earth could have stopped me. In a televisual sea of incessant and indistinguishable procedurals, Bones made big waves by presenting a show that focused on two of the most original, fun, and layered protagonists on the air in years, and by having two ridiculously talented and charismatic stars play them. Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz have the best chemistry since David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson on The X-Files, which is fitting because Bones was clearly influenced by that earlier Fox powerhouse in terms of the main characters’ interdynamics and points of view.

But though there were a few standout episodes, last season really started to go downhill by pushing the tone too far into broad comedy and by taking time away from Booth and Bones to explore pointless subplots with supporting characters. One of the elements that always distinguished Bones from the other procedurals on tv was the often humorous interactions between the two leads, but in the early seasons there was still plenty of dark and weighty drama. Not so for most of last season, which felt like the writers had gotten too comfortable and were just phoning it in. And the show is called Bones, not the Angela-Montenegro-Lesbian-Chronicles. I’m not saying that the supporting cast on the show is untalented or unwanted, but I don’t care about Angela’s love life or emotional problems. I don’t care about Camille adopting a teenager she was close to a dozen years ago. And for god’s sake, enough with the quirky and obnoxious revolving door interns! Booth and Bones. All I want is Booth and Bones.

Thankfully, the showrunners seem to have listened to me, because none of the aforementioned crap is in this premiere. I was elated while watching last night. It felt like watching a dear old friend come back to vibrant health after being on death’s door. And while last season’s finale was beyond stupid, how they use the aftermath of it as a jumping off point is actually quite strong.

I’ve come around on the Booth having a brain tumor thing. I mean hey, it’s not really that soap opera-esque for Booth to have a tumor. FBI agents can have tumors can’t they? They’re people too. But making him an amnesiac and having no idea who Brennan was I was not prepared to forgive. But thankfully, I realized when the premiere began that we weren’t going down Trite Lane and having Booth be an amnesiac. When he asked Bones who she was in the finale, what he was really asking was which version of Bones was she, the Bones from his fantasy or the Bones from reality?

Booth just got a little confused about which version was real and which was a dream, which is understandable after having brain surgery. So when we see him now, he’s a little off, a little confused, trying to get back to what his life was before. He isn’t wearing his goofy socks or “Cocky” belt buckle. He’s in a similar state to that of David Creegan, the character that Jeffrey Donovan played on the fantastic 2004 show Touching Evil, about a detective returning to duty after a year-long psychological leave of absence in the wake of a near-fatal gun shot wound to the head. (USA canned the show, but at least they recognized a star in Donovan and created Burn Notice for him a few years later).

The premiere opens with Bones, Angela, and Angela’s psychic Avalon sitting under a fountain. Angela has always been into this spiritual, mystic stuff while Bones has always rejected it as hokum, believing only in pure science, logic and extreme rationale. But Angela is her best friend and keeps her from completely closing herself off from the world, so Bones humors her from time to time. Avalon (played by Cyndi Lauper, a longtime fan of the show) flips over a Tarot card marked “Temperance.” Then she flips over a series of cards and tells Bones that she sees a sick man with “the heart of the lion” who takes refuge in a dream life that Bones helped him to create.

That’s dead on actually, but it doesn’t faze Bones in the slightest. She has just returned from a five-month excavation in Guatemala, where she went to get away from the trauma of watching Booth try to remember who she is, though of course she wouldn’t admit that to anyone…including herself. After she leaves, Avalon turns over the death card and says that Bones is at a turning point in her life where she can either find true happiness or utter loneliness.

Booth meanwhile has just been recertified for duty by Sweets and is eager to get back to work, to prove that he is still the man he always was. Bones is surprised to discover him asleep on her couch in her office. They hug but clearly they have yet to reestablish their usual dynamic. In fact, we learn that they haven’t spoken to each other in some time. Fortunately for them, Angela shows up to break up the awkwardness by telling them that Avalon told her that a bunch of bodies are buried under the fountain in the park. Bones of course thinks it’s bull, but Booth convinces her to go check it out with him because he is so desperate for a case. Lo and behold, it turns out that Avalon was right. Even this fails to dent Bones’ suit of logic.

As Bones tries to identify the bodies, Booth goes for a drink with Camille. He claims that he just wanted to go have a drink with a friend, but she knows him well enough to know that he wants something from her. He reluctantly tells her that his dream life with Bones felt so real. She immediately tells him that he is in love with her. Was it that obvious? She also advises him to forget his “bruised brain” and go with his heart. She warns him though that he better be sure about his feelings, because if it turns out that he doesn’t love Bones she’ll never trust anyone again; she’s been abandoned by enough people in her life already.

Booth makes up his mind to tell Bones how he feels and joins her in the pit of bodies under the fountain. Not the most romantic setting, but you can’t control everything. He chickens out though and runs away. Finding the right time becomes one of the key conflicts of the episode. Of course there’s the mass murder to solve too, but let’s be honest, we watch the show to see Booth and Brennan. The cases are almost inconsequential. Is the psychic involved or is she really psychic, and thus able to destroy Bones’ impenetrable logic armor? And are Booth’s feelings genuine or just a result of his brain being rewired? In other words, should he do what he normally does and go with his gut, or take a page from Bones’ playbook and go with his heart?

These are interesting dilemmas for Bones and Booth that exemplify who they are as people and the differences between them. There are real emotional stakes here for both characters, and that has been missing for a while. It’s a great thing to see, and the episode really lays a strong groundwork for new emotional territory for both of them to explore, and the promise of a further evolution in their relationship. The show seems to be safe and back on solid ground again, which is great news for fans of good old-fashioned shows that are built on character relationships and, you know, strong acting. What a novelty.

Season 5, Episode 1: Harbingers in the Fountain (originally aired September 18, 2009

For more on Bones, click here.

Thursdays at 8/7c on Fox

Photographs courtesy of Fox and IMDbPro

The Identity Crisis of The Informant!

I hate to admit it but I secretly enjoy the bumbling spy movie genre: Spies Like Us, the Man That Knew Too Little, Austin Powers, Burn After Reading (it had its moments). There’s just something inherently entertaining about an average guy trying to channel his inner James Bond to save the world despite the fact that he lacks the skills, intellect or training needed to save it.  The Informant!, unlike these classic spy comedies,  is unable to sustain the charm necessary to create an enduring bumbling character that we want to cheer for.  So, unless you are a die hard fan of Matt Damon in quirky roles (think Ocean’s 13 not the Bourne Identity) you will find that The Informant! is both sporadic, drawn out, and confused as to whether it is a comedy, drama or thriller.  Much of this is due to the fact that it is loosely based on the true life story of Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon), a biochemist/executive turned whistle blower for the FBI during the early 1990s.

For the first hour and half you are clearly watching a  smart, dark comedy. The scenes transition effortlessly and the interactions between the actors seems natural (Matt Damon’s mustache is not).  These scenes are peppered with Whitare’s (Damon) inner monologue, which is often random (but extremely hilarious) and disconnected from his external activity/conversation but adds to the comedic nature of the movie. Damon plays Whitacre as both manically intelligent and naïve, very similar to Frances McDormand’s portrayal of Linda Litzke in Burn After Reading.  Whitacre’s special personality is only enhanced by Scott Bakula’s wonderful portrayal of FBI Special Agent Brian Shepard, as both motivator and guide to Whitacre as he enters the world of corporate “spy”, kind of like Jimmy Cricket but in a suit and tie.  Early on characters are clearly delineated as either good guys and bad guys.  If there is ever a question as to what role a new character will play, a cartoon like score answer all (I actually found it ridiculously humorous).

Unfortunately, the last half hour goes from a semi-witty comedy to a docu-drama. It moves at a much slower pace, the dialogs between characters become too drawn out, and worst of all Whitarce’s hilarious inner monologues are all but a distant memory.  It was the inner monologues that countered a lot of the dead space that, in a darma/thriller would build suspense, but in a comedey builds boredom. The movie losses itself to the real-world ramifications of Mark Whitacre actions: will he stay with his wife (Melanie Lynskey)? will he get caught? will we still care?  The audience is dragged to the conclusion kicking and screaming, longing for the lightheartedness that the movie began with.

Overall, if the movie where about 30 minutes shorter I think it would have been forced to adopt a clear personalty.   overshadows the more enjoyable parts at the beginning. It should be noted that it took me about 20 minutes to get over Matt Damon’s mustache which was incredibly distracting, leaving me with only 45 minutes of contentment.

My advice to you is to wait until it comes out on video . . . or go see it and take a nap in the theater.

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