Q&A Conference Call with Tim Matheson: 10 Things I Learned About Tim Matheson

The legendary and talented Tim Matheson has become USA Network’s go-to-man. Last Tuesday night, it was Tim Matheson night on USA Network as he directed the premieres of both White Collar and Covert Affairs plus played the villain of “The Architect” in White Collar. He has previously directed three Psych episodes, five episodes of Burn Notice and also had guest spots on Burn Notice as Larry Sizemore.

In a conference call interview, Tim Matheson graciously answered a myriad of questions discussing his lengthy and accomplished career. Matheson has been in the business since 1961 and his acting resume includes roles in The West Wing, Bonanza, Animal House, My Three Sons and Leave It to Beaver. Here are ten facts that I learned about Tim Matheson:

1. If he had to choose, is he more of an actor or director?

“Schizophrenic,” joked Tim. But he elaborated by saying “right now more of a director.” But he is “totally thrilled that [he] can do both.”

2. How did he become a director?

“I’ve always wanted to be a director,” said Tim. He made films as a kid and even considered going to film school but would “drop everything for a good acting role.” In the mid-’80s, when working on Blind Fury, “I was bitten by the bug.” Ever since, he has “dual tracked it with acting and directing.”

3. How did Matheson’s acting career help his directing?

Tim has been acting since he was a child and believes that it has helped his directing for two reasons: (1) He understands what it is like to be an actor and problems that they run into. (2) “I’ve been on a million sets and seen a million directors—good ones, bad ones, mediocre ones, and great ones.” He believes that he always has something to learn as a director.

4. His goal as a director

Tim strives to provide actors with the best support and put the camera in the right place. He wants to “create an environment where they can do their best work.” He compared himself to a coach on the sideline with a playbook.

5. How did he become involved with USA Network?

In recent years, Matheson had been working on a lot of procedural cop shows like Cold Case and Without A Trace but because he wasn’t having a lot of fun, he decided to focus more on comedy. Psych called and invited him to work with them. On working on Psych, Tim explained, “It just felt like home. It was so much fun to go to work and laugh.” Psych opened a lot of doors for him.

6. How does he approach directing different USA Network shows?

With White Collar, Burn Notice and Psych, Tim explained that he was a “guest in their house.” So he directed those episodes “in the mold of their shows that they have already established.” But with Covert Affairs, which was also the first time he had ever directed a pilot episode, he “had a ball creating the world they all operated in” and was “very pleased with how it turned out.”

7. If he could act on any other USA Network show?

Tim would love to appear on Psych because “James Roday (who plays Shawn Spencer) is one of the most talented actors around. He is a performer that I would love to work with one day.”

8. If taking a role on Covert Affairs, what type of character would he like to play?

He immediately responded “a double agent.” But then added, “Anything to work with Piper (Perabo). I’m such a fan of hers.” He continued to rave about her saying, “she is the most talented, cooperative and creative actress I’ve worked with.”

9. Twitter

Tim’s daughters and wife use Twitter, so he joined because he “felt out of the loop.” But he was also encouraged by Chris Gorham, Auggie in Covert Affairs, who told him that “it’s a lot of fun.” Tim mentioned that he is “amazed and amused by who is on Twitter. I just enjoy doing it.”

10. What’s coming up for Matheson?

Tim Matheson will be a part of the 2010 Burn Notice Comic Con panel in San Diego. This is the first time he will be attending. He is a big comic book fan and is “very excited, as much as many of the attendees.” He has scheduled some downtime so he can wander around and see other panels like Scott Pilgrim. Also, he will direct another Burn Notice episode this September and look for the return of Larry Sizemore.

It was a treat to partake in this interview with Tim Matheson. He mentioned that he is so happy that he gets to work on his favorite shows on his favorite network. USA Network has welcomed another great character into their midst. Looking forward to following him in the future on my favorite USA Network shows.

For more television reviews and interviews, click here.

Photographs courtesy of USA Network and IMDbPro.

Revenge of the Bridesmaids Q&A with Raven-Symoné: Raven’s Revenge

Raven-Symoné and JoAnna Garcia star this Sunday in ABC Family’s original movie premiere, Revenge of the Bridesmaids.

Clearly over being the chirpy type she’s been cast to be since the age of three, Symoné gets to tinkle champagne glasses and throw back a crushed grape drink or several in this still family-friendly flick. One of those frenemy-types has stolen a BFF’s man and Symoné’s character devises the master plan to avenge her broken heart: double up as a bridesmaid.

The shooting for ROTB took place in Toronto and in southern Louisiana–the latter proving to be a bourgeois-o-meter check for the young actresses.

“The most memorable experience would have to be probably getting dirty,” she says. In one scene of the movie, Symoné and Garcia are in their fluffy wedding garb rolling around in the mud. “We’re used to fake dirt here in Hollywood. They were like, ‘No, this is real mud.  We’re in Louisiana.’  I was like, ‘Oh, my goodness.’” Symoné reports the wet earth was well embedded into her wig. “JoAnna (Garcia) was like, ‘My hair, my facial!’” She laughs. “I was like, we need to obviously get back to real life, because we’re asking for fake dirt. We’ve been in the industry for too long!”

Speaking of her character, Abigail Scanlon, Symoné respects just how genuine she’s allowed to be. “She is the type of person who says things that most people would be afraid to say. She’s just real,” she remarks. “That’s kind of who I am when I close my door and I’m no longer ‘Raven-Symoné.” She says, “It was fun to play that kind of character rather than some chipper, bubbly teenager.”

But be not deceived, Symoné’s all grown up, but she can still take—and give—a joke. “ I think being underneath people like Bill Cosby and Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence and Mark Curry—I enjoy comedy,” she remarks. “I admire every other genre and maybe one I day I will tackle them,” but Symoné says, “I just want for somebody to watch what I do and just forget about their problems for that 30 minutes or an hour or two hours and smile, you know?”

Even then, Symoné doesn’t intend to trade a smile for critical awareness. While she has often been the Disney-ed out soul many a tween and Cosby generation young adult knew and loved, she hasn’t let that keep her from telling harder stories, like the Ernest Dickerson (Treme, Juice)-directed tale, For One Night. In the summer of 2005, Symoné starred as Brianna McCallister, renamed for Georgia teenager, Gerica McCrary, who made headlines by integrating her school’s prom in 2002. Like Revenge of the Bridesmaids, For One Night was shot in Louisiana, but just before Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast.

Symoné says, “I will forever tackle stories like that as well because that’s ridiculous. We are in 2010; we need to get over it.”

Symoné tells Poptimal.com that as a young actress of color—who’s spent her whole life in the Industry, learning from trailblazers—telling such stories isn’t the easiest thing, but Symoné says it is better than it’s been. “I think that in this industry now, thank goodness, we’re given more opportunity to create roles ourselves and create projects that we can be proud of,” she says. “We’re able to do more in-depth roles when they do show up, which is very rare.”

“At the same time,” she tells Poptimal, “it’s very difficult because certain routes tend to look a certain way for you, and you might not always be up for them. But there are people like Taraji (P. Henson) and Halle Berry and so many others that have been able to kind of keep on knocking the doors that classic women have knocked on for so many years. Yes, they’re still there, but I think slowly but surely we’re chiseling away.”

Symoné may be all grown up—she hits her quarter-centennial this year—but she still exudes the same authentic charm audiences have always known. “When we were doing the mug shot (for the promo materials) I told everybody maybe I should send this in to TMZ,” she jokes.  “I was good, I didn’t send it in,” she laughs.  “I’ve never been arrested–thank goodness. That it’s not something to get popularity off of – ever.”

No need, Raven. We love you just the way you are.

Show your love for Raven-Symoné this Sunday, July 18^th on ABC Family in Revenge of the Bridesmaids at 8/7C.

For more television interviews and reviews, click here.

Photographs courtesy of ABC Family.

So You Think You Can Dance Review: Ouch, Not Another One

This week’s performance episode was hands down my favorite one of the season so far – except, of course, Ashley’s injury. I hope with all my might that she will be back and able to perform next week. Watching the show with only one girl is a tad lame, if you ask me. Even Mia redeemed herself (somewhat). I cried for the first time in weeks…usually it’s on a more consistent basis.

Once again, the contestants were paired with an all-star for one dance and a fellow competitor for another. The pairings were interesting this week, but they all worked out well and resulted in a couple of my favorite performances of the seasons.

Tahitian Cultural Dance (choreographed by Tiana Liufau) – Lauren and all-star Mark tackled this So You Think You Can Dance first, and turned in a fun to watch performance. Still, there’s no way the judges could do much critique, given that none of them are familiar with the style, so in the end the effort fell a little flat. Still, fun. Lauren’s hip shaking was a little insane.

Salsa (choreographed by Liz Lira) – Adechike pulled this competition piece and Anya, and boy did it look impossible. I cannot believe they learned these steps and tricks in just a couple of days and then were able to perform them as well as they did. The routine was far from perfect, as even Anya admitted during the judging, but the difficulty level was so high it would have been difficult to pass them with anything but flying colors.

Broadway (choreographed by Joey Dowling) – All-star Courtney had trouble containing her adoration for Jose as she pretended not to notice him through this piece. The judges, for the first time, ripped into Jose a bit (because of the criticism in recent weeks? Maybe.) but he took it well. Basically the dance – though fun and cute – highlighted Jose’s lack of training. Still, I thought his charisma did a nice job of carrying them through.

Jive (choreographed by Van Amstel) – Billy, bless his heart, has been trying so damn hard but keeps drawing dances that cast him in a bit of an awkward light. This ballroom piece with Anya had me worried, but he really stepped up to the plate. The Jive flew by in a fun series of lifts and footwork and astonishingly good partnering. I have to admit Billy is starting to grow on me.

Contemporary (choreographed by Travis Wall) – Turns out Robert, alongside the unbelievable talent of all-star Allison, would be the ones to make me cry this week. Travis’ routine sprung from his fear over a recent illness in his mother, and turned out absolutely gorgeous. Robert, if you’ll remember, also has had some rough times with his mother, and judge Mia Michaels’ own mother passed away early this season. The dance was gorgeous, and there’s no doubt of Robert’s talent. This one has Emmy nomination written all over it.

Broadway (choreographed by Tyce Diorio) – Eye candy, eye candy, eye candy. First, pair the unparalleled adorableness of Kent with the wholesome, more mature handsome Neil. Then put them both in baseball pants. This routine is full of win. Besides the rather obvious reasons to enjoy this routine, they both also danced the crap out of it and turned in a fun, playful number. Adam Shankman informed Kent he could have a career on Broadway if he wants it. I tend to agree.

Hip-Hop/Beat Boy (choreographed by Napoleon and Tabitha D’uomo) – I couldn’t wait to see this routine, and to be honest, Jose really needed a pick me up after the bashing he took over that Broadway number. Seeing him and all-star Dominic in their natural styles was stunning, and the hit and miss choreography of Napoleon and Tabitha was on point Wednesday night. Nigel made an excellent point when critiquing Jose – not one of the other dancers in the competition could have turned out that routine.

Jazz (choreographed by Mandy Moore) – This shocked me a bit by being my favorite routine of the night by a country mile. I watched Lauren, Billy, and their sparkly shoes dance across the stage three times in a row, and why? Because it made me smile. It made me happy. They connected as partners, the choreography felt fluid and attached, and both of them were gorgeous performing it. Love. Watch this one online if you missed the performances Wednesday night.

Contemporary (choreographed by Dee Caspary) – I have to say, seeing Kent with two male partners this week annoyed me a little. It didn’t help that the second was Adechike, who I’m still struggling to like. Their interview made me smile as Adechike accused Kent of having a crush on Lauren and that the kiss last week hadn’t been planned. Kent turned red and insisted it was part of the choreography. It felt a little bit like being back in high school for two minutes – in a good way. The dance itself surprised me with its beautiful lines and the raw emotion put off by two strong, potent male dancers. The judges agreed that the two of them are amazing at what they do.

Disco (choreographed by Doriana Sanchez) – This has to be one of my least favorite styles, and the fact that Ashley couldn’t dance with Robert due to injury made me sad. Instead, all-star Kathryn stepped in. The dance contained everything a disco should be and the two of them approached it with abandon and fun-loving attitudes. I’m with Nigel and Adam – disco does nothing for me as a style, but the pair did everything asked of them. I thought it interesting that when Mia tried to get a little negative, both Nigel and Adam stepped in to disagree and shut her up. Perhaps me and my commentors from last week aren’t the only folks upset at her verbal attacks on the contestants this year?

Results: First shocker of the night; Jose in the bottom three. Honestly, I think he belonged there due to his Broadway routine and let’s be honest – he’s not as talented of a dancer as any of the others. Charisma can only take a person so far. Believe me, I’ve tried. Second shocker of the night; Billy still IS in the bottom three. He had a great week this week, GREAT. Maybe it takes more than one good week to pull yourself out of the bottom. Still, Adechike’s never been in the bottom three and I feel like he has deserved it pretty much since week one. The third is, of course, the injured Ashley.

Ashley ends up leaving the show due to her rib injury, which will likely take more than one more week to fully heal. More to come from her after a Q&A session later today.

I’m sad that only one girl remains, though Lauren is awesome and has a great chance of making at least the top three. The male duos have been fun and something of a novelty, but part of me misses the more traditional dances as well. I’m glad (for the first time) that the all-star format was implemented this year so that there will be some estrogen floating around the studio these next six weeks.

For another take on this week’s episodes, read Another One Bites The Dust by Inisia Lewis.

Season 7, Episode 14 & 15: Top 7 Perform & 1 of 7 Voted Off (originally aired July 14 and July 15, 2010)

For more on So You Think You Can Dance, click here.

Photographs courtesy of Fox and IMDbPro

So You Think You Can Dance Review: Another One Bites The Dust

One more injury and Season 7 will be officially cursed. Poor Ashley, it seems like the Dance Floor Demon doesn’t like when really great dancers start to morph into true stars. So as the dancers continued to drop like flies, I worried that the already short season would be over in a flash at this rate. Yet, almost every dancer (you know who you are, lone ranger) had one number that really proved why they deserved to make this elite top ten. That’s really exciting! Especially when I had so many doubts going into this very new, very changed So You Think You Can Dance.

10. JOSE and Courtney | Broadway | Joey Dowling | “Mister Cellophane” from Chicago
Thankfully, critiques always have a way of catching up to you, and Jose finally got some hard criticism. While most Broadway numbers give the dancers a chance to be expressive and exaggerate, this one had to take away that sparkle. (Giving him a lot of b-boy moves in every performance isn’t going to help either.) And take away Jose’s smile and personality, his dancing sticks out like a sore thumb, so playing an invisible man well basically crippled him.

9. ADÉCHIKÉ and Anya | Salsa | Liz Lira & Danny Davalos | “Oyelo Que Te Conviene” by Eddie Palmieri
Adéchiké pretty much sucked the sexy out of Anya for me, and that’s a really hard thing to do. It didn’t help that they were both dressed in day-glo outfits and were given a death defying routine. Nigel gave Adéchiké kudos for pulling it off since the dance had no contemporary standards like lines and straight legs. Anya and Adam stuck up for him too saying it was competition-level and incredibly hard, but Mia wished they’d had more time to iron out some of the bumps to create a more fluid, less awkward performance.

8. ROBERT and ASHLEY (but with the awesome Kathryn instead because of Ash‘s sidelining injury) | Disco | Doriana Sanchez | “Instant Replay” by Dan Hartman
Disco usually excites me, and the idea of a tall, dark and good-looking man dancing it sounds so perfect. Yet, even with the sheer speed of the number, it didn’t really light the dance floor on fire like Doriana’s numbers usually do.

7. BILLY and Anya | Jive | Louis van Amstel | “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” by Meat Loaf
I don’t think I can breathe after that performance. All those kicks and all that hopping. Phew! Billy made a connection with his partner, something the judges needed to see, and he was strong and sharp in his performance while managing to have some fun. Still, something about Billy’s character just isn’t completely captivating.

6. JOSE and Dominic | B-boy | Nappy/Tabs | “Battle for the Beat” by District 78
This was Jose’s chance to make Dominic sweat. In the end after a fierce, floor battle, Jose got the sword while Dominic kneeled, but in my mind, it was certainly the other way around. He definitely redeemed himself after a weaker performance earlier, as Nigel said, by showcasing a number no other dancer in the competition could have. Still, Mia picked out that he needs fine tuning and strengthening through training.

6. LAUREN and Mark | Cultural aka Tahitian | Tiana Liufau | “Jungle” by Last Voices
Lauren said, “This is going to be the best Tahitian dance you’ve ever seen because it’s the only Tahitian dance you’ve ever seen.” And she was absolutely right. There was a lot of hip/booty shaking and chicken legs, and I had no idea what was going on besides a Hawaiian luau feel and a really hot, jungle Mark, but I was mesmerized.

4. KENT and Neil | Broadway | Tyce Diorio | “Shoeless Joe From Hannibal, MO” from Damn Yankees
For the first time, Kent’s “aw shucks” personality fit this baseball piece to a tee, and the judges lapped it up. It was bromantic and athletic and got the girls screaming bloody murder. And Nigel pointed out, he sorta of outdanced Neil, and my eyes were drawn to Kent from start to finish.

3. BILLY and LAUREN | Jazz | Mandy | “Boogie Shoes” by KC & the Sunshine Band
Sometimes Mandy Moore pulls out something so fun and smooth and cool and all around different. She does well giving, not necessarily fully-drawn characters, but human embodiment of emotion or of a feeling. The two sat in the groove so comfortably, and they pulled off this quirky, happy movement kind of like Seaweed pulls off cool in Hairspray, which was really well, by the way. Adam pointed out that the boys should watch out for Lauren.

2. KENT and ADÉCHIKÉ | Contemporary | Dee Caspary | You Only Disappear” by Tom McRae
In a battle, Kent definitely wins. He’s more expressive, more open and free. Still, as a whole, the piece showed off both dancers beautifully, and Adéchiké leaped so high and gracefully, I thought of a gazelle. (Then, Mia stole the idea away and twisted it when she said he reminded her of a “Giselle”. I wish I got a mistaken compliment like that more often.) Nigel noticed Kent isn’t tense in his movement and could win the whole thing, and Kent officially became the male star of the night, succeeding with two strong numbers. But what both men did well was show softness and strength simultaneously and convincingly.

1. ROBERT and Allison | Contemporary | Travis Wall | “Fix You” by Coldplay
To be lumped into a category with Mia’s “Time” piece, about the death of her father, and Tyce’s breast cancer piece “This Woman’s Work” isn’t too shabby. Travis continues to impress me with his growth and creativity, and by allowing us to see a very raw part of his life, his mother‘s surgery, I was left feeling extremely grateful. Robert danced better than I’ve ever seen him, full of passion and hope, and was overall, truly inspiring.

AND THE RESULTS ARE IN…
I never realized how much I look forward to adult professional dancers making guest appearances after having to suffer through kiddie ballroom and a Cat-kid arm wrestling match. Awwwwkward. They’re were quite good though. Alvin Ailey, however, never fails to bring the power when their dancers visit the show. Jamal Roberts and Rachel McClannan are no exception, and were perfect vessels of strength, control and finesse. And Twitch and Comfort brought me back to yesteryear, when the two re-danced an old number of theirs and the first hip-hop, contestant number on the show. Again, I never realized how much I didn’t care for musical performances that weren’t backed by an awesome group of all-stars. This one makes that all the more glaring because no matter how pretty “Jar of Hearts” by Christina Perry was, the best thing about the live performance was Neil and Allison’s dancing.

So without delay, it was always going to be a rough week with so many of the dancers excelling or holding their own outside of their specialty. Ashley was a given, but Billy found himself there, I believe, because America hasn’t really seen much of his personality, and he’s yet to have a wholly endearing moment. Jose hadn’t made an emotional connection through a piece, and America craves a tear or two with their dance every once in awhile.

In terms of a deserving elimination, Billy gave us talent, heart and earnestness with his solo, yet Jose showed me no new tricks, nothing exciting and continues to transition from footwork to tricks too slowly. Of the two, I wouldn’t have chosen the latter. Of course, he seems like a sweet kid, but I want to see more push. Nigel, though, said the judges saw that push. He came out angrier and fighting in their eyes. Nigel pushed Billy to work outside of his comfort zone during solos, but in the end, it was Ashley, who with the doctor’s recommendation, had to leave the contest due to injury. Like Alex Wong, she’ll, at least, exit the competition leaving a nice legacy of some beautiful dancing. Unlike Alex, she will not get a ticket to Vegas next season. And sadly, another dancer bites the dust.

Going into next week, I can’t help but be behind Lauren and Kent, who were both dancers I wouldn’t have picked to reach the top but are making me forget those thoughts with each new performance. Both continue to show that they have the muscles, the acting chops, the looks and the heart to be America’s favorite dancer. But that’s just my opinion. Who are you rooting for?

For another take on this week’s episodes, read Ouch, Not Another One by Trisha Ziegenhorn.

Season 7, Episode 14 & 15: Top 7 Perform & 1 of 7 Voted Off (originally aired July 14 and July 15, 2010)

For more on So You Think You Can Dance, click here.

Photographs courtesy of Fox and IMDbPro

So You Think You Can Dance: Q&A with Ashley Galvan

Ashley sounds much the way she appeared on the show: perky, sweet, and upbeat. She sounded disappointed about having to leave due to her injury, but not as heartbroken as Alex Wong did during last week’s interview. Then again, his injury could devastate his entire career, not just sideline him from the competition.

One good question that was asked had to do with how Ashley felt about being relatively unknown when she joined the Top 11. She said she knew she hadn’t been shown too much during the Vegas week footage, but it was good for her to enter the spotlight gradually. She’s a shy person and takes time to warm up to other people in real life, so it worked for her on the show.

She was asked whether or not they’d invited her to return to Season 8 as they did Alex, and it sounds like the answer is no. Since Ashley has been asked to go on the So You Think You Can Dance tour and expects to recover from her fractured rib within the month, she will not be extended the invitation to return. She sounds fine with this, stating later in the interview that she’s looking to segue her exposure on the show into more dancing jobs as well as a foray into television and film.

Ashley has taken some acting classes to help her grow out of her natural shyness, and looks forward to continuing that learning process. Sounds like another one who’s interested in more time on the small and eventually silver screen. Then again, who isn’t?

She tells us her injury actually happened the third week into the show, during her rehearsals for that amazing Dee Caspary contemporary piece with Ade. Incidentally, she also pegged this as her favorite dance. During the piece they performed a difficult lift, and though she loved it and said it challenged her, it resulted in a bruised rib that hasn’t healed. This week, x-rays revealed it had fractured. The doctors ordered her on bedrest until it heals, but she hopes to be back in the audience in time for the finale.

When asked about her expectations for the show, she said she didn’t know what to expect but was impressed by how professionally they were handled and how clearly the expectations of the producers were communicated from day one. She didn’t know how rehearsals would go, how she would learn the routine, etc, but she had a great time.

Ashley, like every other eliminated dancer, credits the show with helping her grow as a dancer and as a person. She loved learning the different styles, and even stated that she learned so much in her own style of contemporary and jazz because she’d never worked with partners before. She said more than once how grateful she was to the show for opening up a whole other side of dance for her.

In addition, she also lauded the other cast members and all-stars, citing them as her favorite part of the experience of being a contestant on the show. She stated they were “very connected, a family, and we are there for one another…we feed off each other’s energy.” The worst part of leaving is not being able to spend time with them.

I asked a follow-up question, “You and Robert seem to have a good rapport. He’s been in the bottom three several times even though technically he’s made very few errors. What is it you think the viewers don’t get about him?”

Ashley: “We’re very close, like best friends. He has a great personality and he’s a great dancer. He’s always there for me. I have no idea what is missing between him and the viewers, but he hasn’t been in the bottom for a few weeks. I really, really hope he gets to continue.”

And for the romantics out there…is Ashley still in love?

Yes, she is. With her boyfriend, not any of the contestants on the show.

For more on So You Think You Can Dance, click here.

Photograph courtesy of Fox and IMDbPro

Burn Notice Review: Entry Point

You ever watch something on tv and think “Hey, that looks like fun. I bet I could do that. I wonder how you get into doing that stuff?” Well that’s what was going through my mind watching all of the interrogation scenes on Burn Notice, which comprised a good chunk of the episode. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I condone torturing people, but the basic concept of interrogation seems like a lot of fun.

You got a bad person chained up to a chair in a dark room, you have all the power, and your sole task is to play mind games and intimidate until you get what you want. I can’t imagine that not being a blast. Plus, Michael, Sam and Jesse (mostly Sam) have a little fridge full of beer right outside the interrogation room, so they can watch the festivities on the monitors while kicking back with a cold one. My kind of setup.

Now in case you forgot, the subject of all of this interrogation is cold-blooded killer (is that an oxymoron?) Kendra, who for convoluted reasons I’m comfortable saying I don’t understand in the least, is on Michael and Jesse’s Bad List. The problem is that this dame is bonkers up the kazoo, which she demonstrates by smashing her head repeatedly against the table to prove that she can take anything they might dish out to her. So the team has to change tactics. New plan: have Jesse play the sap that Kendra thinks she can manipulate, while Sam plays Jesse’s mean boss.

Fiona, meanwhile, brings Michael yet another case. There sure seems to have been an influx of really needy people in Miami since I lived there. This time, it’s a knock-off accessory designer named Buddy, who thinks his latest client is trying to kill him. I hate when that happens.

The job was to put a couple of pieces of onyx into a leather band for mysterious reasons. After Buddy did that, his client tried to kill him. He got his client’s phone calls triangulated via the (surprisingly) helpful phone company, so Michael and Fiona go to that location to scope things out. Except before they can enter the building, it explodes big time. Yikes.

Michael calls the fire department so that they can put out the raging inferno before all the evidence goes up in smoke. Of course, this then creates the problem of how Michael can get inside the burnt building and swipe whatever juicy evidence might be lying around. The solution? Michael poses as an arson investigator, relying on bureaucratic chain-of-command red tape issues to buy him just enough time to get in and get out.

To cut to the chase, Michael determines that the person who commissioned Buddy and then tried to permanently decommission him is trying to piece together a replica of some sword used by Alexander the Great. Michael also realizes that Alexander the Great is trying to be resurrected so that he can hunt down Oliver Stone and Colin Farrell for bastardizing his namesake in 2004. Yes, that’s a part of the episode. It’s in the subtext, trust me.

So now Michael and Fiona have to catch whatever thief it is that is trying to swap the real sword with the replica. They track down the real sword, and, posing as private security consultants, try to convince the owner that he is going to be robbed by someone in his own company. But the guy is prickly about the whole thing (aren’t they always?), so Michael and Fiona have to resort to nefarious means to flush out the thief.

A couple of remarkable explosions, some jumping and a really cool car disabling sequence ensue. Good episode, but once again, where is Maddie and where the hell is Vaughn?

Season 4, Episode 6: Entry Point (Originally aired July 15, 2010)

For more on Burn Notice, click here.

Thursdays at 9/8c on USA

Photographs courtesy of USA Network and Glenn Watson.

Rescue Me Review: Comeback

Episode 6.3 of Rescue Me contains the greatest conversation about Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and George Clooney in human history. Believe me. Nothing else comes close and nothing else ever will. And, believe it or not, said legendary conversation comes courtesy of idiot savants (minus the savants) Sean and Mike. I’m tempted to call it the highlight of the episode, but there is a lot more to choose from.

The story all centers around Tommy’s first day back on the job, and he doesn’t get a chance to ease back into it. The crew goes from call to call—35 in one tour—and Tommy has to contend with stupid civilians, Mick and Teddy making ominous threats, Janet constantly calling to talk with Franco instead of him, and his aching shoulder. But, contrary to what you might expect, Tommy doesn’t complain. In fact, he’s the only guy not complaining. “You guys are bitchin’ and whinin’ and moanin’ about being busy…why don’t you put in for a transfer to some house in Staten Island where you can sit around and…twitter and twatter and download deaf mute porn online…why don’t you run for Congress? Me? I’m happy being a firefighter again.” Enough said.

And I’ll tell you what, Tommy may have seemed out of line busting Franco’s chops in the season premiere for spending so much time at his house, but he was right. There’s something going on with Franco and Janet. They have their own little world, and Franco has his own obnoxious nickname for her. Even if nothing is going on, he’s crossing the line, the same line he beat the crap out of Tommy for crossing with Sheila in season one. Hypocrite much?

Speaking of Sheila, I think I may be sicker of her than ever. She has done nothing so far this season except come get in Tommy’s face and bitch and moan at him like a drugged out banshee to get Damian out of the firehouse. I wish she would just shut up and maybe jump out the window. Sheila, your son is 22-years-old and spent the last several of those years dealing with your crazy, mentally unbalanced Looney Tunes antics. Leave him alone, let him do his job and live his life. He shouldn’t have to keep paying for your warped psyche and abandonment issues. And neither should Tommy. As far as I’m concerned, he has done nothing to you that you didn’t deserve, and that you didn’t do tenfold to him first.

Am I the only person left who is on Tommy’s side, who has more sympathy and affection for him than anyone else on the show? I don’t know when he suddenly became an antihero in need of redemption. Let’s review: he’s not a mobster, he’s not an assassin, he’s not a serial rapist…he has spent his entire adult life in the pursuit of saving people. He lost his cousin and best friend on 9/11, his young son was run over by a drunk driver, and his eldest daughter hates him.

His wife once kidnapped his children and disappeared with them. She also had an affair with his dead cousin and his cop brother, who was subsequently gunned down. He learned that his father had a whole other secret family, and his secret brother turned out to be a pedophile who was also killed. Sheila once drugged him and tried to burn the new house down…with him in it. Then his uncle shot him twice and forced all of Tommy’s friends to watch him as he bled out. Honestly, hasn’t the guy suffered enough? The worst I could ever say about him is that he has a bit of a self-destructive streak and a drinking problem and made a bad judgment call ever getting involved with Sheila. Give. The. Guy. A. Break.

Big holy crap ender involving Lou. They better not kill him off, because honestly, they are running out of characters on this show. If they are going to kill anybody, it should be Mike, because the guy is a moron who hasn’t been remotely interesting since season two or maybe briefly in season four.

Season 6, Episode 3: Comeback (originally aired July 13, 2010)

For more on Rescue Me, click here.

Tuesdays at 10pm on FX

Photograph courtesy of FX

My Life on the D-List Review: Kathy Does DC

When one thinks of political activism, the name Kathy Griffin doesn’t usually come to mind but she used this week’s episode of My Life on the D-List to prove us all wrong! And I’m happy to report that she succeeded with flying colors.

At the outset of the episode Kathy is notified that she is to be honored by the Human Rights Campaign for her work in the gay community to fight against California’s Proposition 8. Initial discussions tout the possibility of the one and only Cher presenting Kathy’s award, but let’s get real – this is the D-List. She gets Lance Bass instead.

Before accepting her award Kathy meets with three members of the United States military who tell her of the struggles of serving in the military while trying to conceal their homosexuality. I think even the staunchest conservative could be moved by their stories of pain and fear, but I loved the moment when Kathy asks them what gives them hope and their response is, “People like you.” You could see that Kathy was personally very touched by the comment and is inspired enough to announce a rally against Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in Washington, DC.

Even though she isn’t quite sure how to organize a rally, Kathy hops on a plane with her team and heads to Washington in an admirable effort to make a change. Upon her arrival she gets a Sarah Palin-esque briefing on who is who in Congress from CNN reporters Dana Bash and John King. It is also about this time that it starts to become apparent that Kathy’s brand of humor isn’t exactly Washington style. For example, she asks them if they have any hookers or blow for her assistant, Tom. Dana and John were not even remotely amused. In fact, I wish I had a dollar for every awkward silence in this episode because she was going down in flames. Am I the only person in the District of Columbia who laughs anymore?!

Kathy’s next stop is at the HRC headquarters where she gets some media training, records a robocall, and gets prepped for her meetings with Congressmen Barney Frank and Jim Clyburn. Once again, neither of these fine men really get her sense of humor and the meetings end fairly awkwardly. Even Frank who is openly gay (Kathy’s target audience) gave her no love which caused Kathy to question his true gayness by saying, “I know it’s not Arizona but I want to see his papers.”

By far Kathy’s biggest faux pas though was during a phone interview with Roll Call where she referred to Clyburn as a big queen. Most normal people would recognize this as mirth but not so much the serious political reporter in question who turned Kathy’s comment into the leading line of the article and alluded that Kathy actually thought Clyburn was the queen of something. Not cool. So naturally Kathy caught some flack from her friends at the HRC and was forced to do something she rarely ever does – apologize for a joke. I felt her pain and was slightly embarrassed by my fellow DC residents for being so lame.

And yet beyond all of the errors in judgment the rally to take a stand against Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was a resounding success for Kathy. The turnout was large, Kathy got a text from Cher, and Lt. Dan Choi, an actively serving yet openly gay member of the armed forces, showed up to give a great speech about not giving up and carrying on the fight until they win. But in the end Kathy summed it up best when she asks, “If our own policies don’t inspire equality, what are we fighting for?” Amen, gurl.

Other Random Funny Moments From This Week:

• Maggie ponders if the HRC event will be a cash bar.
• Kathy mentions and then has to clarify the validity of Senator Scott Brown’s two prostitute daughters.
• Kathy’s vulgarity-laced response to Republican Senators position on repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
• Arianna Huffington is labeled as being the voice of a cartoon bear.
• “I’m bringing Chanel and dick jokes to Washington!” – Kathy

Season 6, Episode 5: Kathy Goes to Washington (originally aired on July 13, 2010)

For more on Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, click here.

Tuesdays at 9/8c on Bravo

Photographs courtesy of Bravo and William B. Plowman.

The Kids Are All Right Review: Portrait Of An American Family

The progressive family depicted at the center of The Kids Are All Right, director Lisa Cholodenko’s third feature film, could have been pigeonholed as an opportunity to comment on the social discord surrounding the topic of same-sex marriage in today’s cultural zeitgeist. Instead, Annette Bening’s Nic and Julianne Moore’s Jules are portrayed as two parental figures with similar relationship dynamics and issues any “normal” husband and wife would be assumed to experience after spending 20 years together and raising two teenage children. Faced with respective mid-life crises and their daughter leaving for college, Nic and Jules are at a relatively standard crossroads in their otherwise idyllic union most contemporary married couples can relate to. When an unforeseen monkey wrench in the form of Mark Ruffalo enters their modern Norman Rockwell existence, the chaos that ensues is painfully funny and hilariously honest, taking all focus away from potential clichés such as hyperbolic political dissent and unwarranted gender profiling. This forward-thinking approach and attention to character rather than controversy is the cornerstone of what makes The Kids Are All Right such a delightfully believable and entertaining film.

Nic and Jules are an upper middle class Los Angeles couple enjoying their liberal bourgeois lifestyle and raising two kids conceived from the same sperm donor. 18-year-old Joni (Alice In Wonderland’s Mia Wasikowska) is a classic overachiever preparing to leave the nest, while Laser (Josh Hutcherson) is 15 and spends much of his time running amok with his Cro-Magnon best friend, Clay (Eddie Hassell). Both kids are bright, well adjusted, and respond to their parents’ suggestions with typical unimpressed sarcasm and dutiful compliance. The women both fill their respective household duties with meticulous panache, with Bening’s Nic, a no-nonsense wine-swilling doctor, who clearly wears the figurative pants in the relationship and is sole breadwinner. Moore’s Jules is a laid-back, slightly flaky bohemian homemaker who never nailed down an actual career but tries to carve a new vocational path every few years or so. The structure of their parental roles is clearly illustrated in an early dinner scene where Nic is reminding Joni to finish overdue thank you notes. “If it were up to you,” Nic tells Jules, “they wouldn’t send thank you notes, they’d just send out ‘good vibes.’”

Unbeknownst to their moms, Laser and Joni have been secretly investigating the identity of their biological father: the aforementioned sperm donor neither Nic nor Jules has ever met. Joni is eventually given the contact information of the man in question, and she and Laser set up a clandestine meeting. The anonymous sperm donor turns out to be Paul (Ruffalo), a charmingly disheveled organic foods restaurateur with a nonchalant swagger Joni finds immediately intriguing. Laser exhibits careful skepticism at first, but a glimpse at Paul’s motorcycle begins to wear down his protective exterior. Soon, both kids are spending time with Paul without Nic or Jules’ knowledge, until a misdirected conversation about Laser’s extracurricular activities inadvertently causes him to spill the beans.

With the main characters’ personas, flaws and all, already drawn with clear focus thanks to the whip-smart script courtesy of Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg, the introduction of Paul to Nic and Jules is when the storyline is allowed to really flourish. While the kids have developed a burgeoning attachment to Paul and his cool-dude demeanor, the women’s reaction towards their new family member reflects an understandably dubious approach. Such revelations as Paul’s failure to graduate from college make way for a shamelessly patronizing line of inquiries (“Have you always known you wanted to be in the food services industry?” is Nic’s most glaring display of faux interest), and the women initially decide Paul seems “a bit full of himself.”

Their personal rapport with him, of course, soon evolve down drastically different paths. Nic’s steely desire to keep the structure of her well-functioning family intact goes into overdrive as Paul interrupts the flow of her household to a deepening degree. Jules, on the other hand, accepts an offer from Paul to cultivate the backyard behind his hillside bachelor pad (landscape design is her latest business venture), and their interaction takes an unexpected turn that threatens the solidity of both her partnership with Nic and her relationship with the kids.

What primarily makes The Kids Are All Right a successful film is Cholodenko’s marvelous attention to detail and the top-notch actors giving their characters a sense of purpose. When they do the things they do and say the things they say, the viewer doesn’t question their motives. The behavior of each character simply makes sense according to their finely tuned personalities. Bening, in particular, is a wonder to watch as a climactic scene involves a seething Nic drowning out outside noise as the audience hears nothing but the throbbing pulse inside her skull. The silently culminating rage Nic is experiencing is visible solely through her clenched jaw and unblinking stare. Cholodenko and Blumberg’s script particularly soars in scenes like this when it is realized that the plot advancement is as just as dependent on what the characters do say out loud as well as what they don’t. Plenty of awkward pauses in conversation and illustrative facial expressions provide a sense of relatability for the audience that a litany of dialogue couldn’t. By the time Jules reaches for Nic’s hand in the movie’s denouement, there isn’t anything left for either of them to say, and this gesture alone expresses more than words ever could.

The Kids Are All Right is a refreshingly astute character study that provides a welcome bright spot in an otherwise spectacularly dull summer movie season. While April’s Please Give showcased a slice of life in modern, liberal guilt-ridden Manhattan, The Kids Are All Right is almost that film’s bookend — a breezier, West Coast version where the privileged characters’ neuroses and witty banter are on a sunnier display, but provide an equal amount of social commentary about a specific subtext in today’s cultural climate. By focusing on the normality of Nic and Jules’ familial strife within an arguably unconventional framework, Cholodenko’s film speaks volumes about the integrity of family values within any parental configuration.

Photo by Suzanne Tenner – © 2010 Focus Features

The Bachelorette Review: Taxidermy Tea Party

If only she hadn’t gone into the basement.

This week Ali met with families in Florida, Massachusetts, Illinois and Creeptown USA. I feel like I am about to be harsh on Kirk, so let’s just get it out of the way.

Kirk: I will miss you. Kirk really was great and nice and cute and had a great back-story and cute ginger features, but I think Ali got freaked out on the hometown date. Even though she broke down and cried to the guys during the rose ceremony and tried to reassure Kirk that his family isn’t what threw her off, me thinks it had a little something to do with it. Kirk took Ali home to Green Bay, WI and first brought her to his dad’s house, who immediately took her into the basement. Oh boy. I think Ali handled her shock pretty well? She was kind enough to look in the freezer at the critters and Popsicles that Kirk’s dad collects, and then they had a lovely conversation amongst friends.

Then Kirk and Ali went to his mom’s house to meet the women in his life: granny, mom and sister. OK. Kirk’s mom may have shocked me more than the taxidermy. She looked like she was in a 1980s high school movie? I think she was wearing skinny jeans. And had highlights. And braces. And I think Ali stole her lipstick later for the rose ceremony. Without being a superficial ahole, I do think his mom was lovely too. She opened up about Kirk’s illness and showed Ali the livestrong band that she wore up until Kirk went to LA and she realized it broke off her wrist in the middle of the night (fate? night terrors?). Too bad Ali and Kirk aren’t going lovestrong. Ha. I thought they were adorable and compatible so I don’t really know what happened here. But then again I really didn’t want Ali to let any of the other boys go, soooo yeah. Another strike against gingers. Sorry, Kirk. Date me.

Roberto: I know that you are gorgeous and I know that I should love you, but I just can’t get that into you, Roberto. I mean, he is a baseball player, he is super cute, he speaks Spanish, he is pretty… he is Kiptyn. I’m calling it now that it probably comes down to Roberto and Chris, and something is just missing with Roberto. He is too perfect and I think Ali loves that, but he isn’t necessarily right for her. I hate that I’m taking this so seriously.

Chris: Marry me. I am in love. It’s official. Chris is a dreamboat and I almost can’t stand it. His dog is amazing, his house is amazing, his dad is amazing, his brothers and sisters-in-law are amazing (and apparently winos, yessss)…they couldn’t be better. Only two reservations: 1. How much does he really like Ali vs. how much does he want somebody to love? My heart broke when he talked about how his brothers got to show off their girls to their mom and he will never get to do that. But then again, he does seem to be rather into our little ragamuffin, soooo yeah. And 2. Where did he learn to kiss? I hurts my face every time I see him make out with Ali. Oh dear.

Frank: Who dressed you this week? Frank was looking rough but his family was bitchin. He was a brat on the boat and he overanalyzes everything and needs to chill out. I think Ali likes him the best because she seems the most insecure with him…but that might just be because he is sketchy. I think that if she had to pick someone right now, it would hands down be Frank, which pisses me off about how he is going to become a total assclown next week. Prediction (that I think I already wrote about, so oops sorry): Frank broke up with some chick a while ago, they have been on and off for years and he believed her to be his soul mate. Then he applied for the Bachelorette and was genuinely excited when he found out it was Ali because he had a crush on her from when his mom used to make him watch episodes with her, and he couldn’t get out of it because he lives at home. He got to LA, legit liked Ali, started getting weird possessive because he really liked Ali, then started getting freaky at home because he didn’t know who he liked more. Before the romantic getaway after hometowns, Frank is going to be an idiot and see the ex because his emotions are driving him nuts, and then he is going to be torn. This can go one of two ways. One: He makes out slash does more with the ex, but then realizes that he wants to be with Ali, but she is pissed about the betrayal. Or two: he realizes he wants to be with Chitown lady, and breaks up with Ali leaving her heartbroken and pulling out her extensions in Tahiti. Are they even going to Tahiti? Can’t remember, it’s a blur. But it won’t matter because it’s going to be an emotional train wreck.

So there we have it, we finally get to see the crazy ass episode we’ve had to watch previews for for about a month now. Prepare yourselves. I bet Chris Harrison has to step in.

Season 6, Episodes 8 (originally aired July 12, 2010)

For more on The Bachelorette, click here.

Mondays at 8/7c on ABC

Photographs courtesy of Rick Rockwell and ABC.

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