Grey’s Anatomy: Family Ties

“Your heart is in your vagina.”  Now that I have your attention, let me tell you about the latest episode of Grey’s Anatomy.  The aforementioned quote was uttered by Meredith to Lexie after she finds out that Lexie and Alex are still sleeping together.  Nevermind wearing your heart on your sleeve; apparently Lexie’s heart is a little further south. Yikes.

This episode was full of surprises, namely the arrival of renowned surgeon Harper Avery, a man whose name is bestowed upon one of the most prestigious awards a doctor can receive.  The man is accompanied to the ER by his grandson, none other than resident pretty boy Jackson Avery, whom you may recall is one of the original Mercy Westers.  Obviously Jackson concealed his laudable lineage from his peers, preferring to own a reputation on his own merits.  Of course surgeons have super-sized egos, and Harper Avery’s ego is almost bigger than Seattle Grace.  After Cristina embarrasses herself in front of him the other residents stumble over themselves trying to please and impress the ailing genius.  Even Bailey and Webber succumb to his requests.  He insists that Richard Webber perform his procedure, and he demands to be kept awake for it.  He initially asked for Dr. Grey, but it was Ellis he was looking for rather than Meredith, who explains that her mother has passed away.  Richard ends up doing the surgery, and I’ve never seen anything so crazy.  The guy was literally barking instructions while they operated.  The only thing left for him to do was actually grab the scalpel and finish the job himself! Meredith was allowed in on the procedure because of her last name, and Jackson also assisted on his grandfather’s surgery.  It was Richard’s first day back as a surgeon working under Derek, and he would have preferred to ease back into surgery rather than roast on the hot seat under the glare of one of the most preeminent figures in American medicine.  Avery admires Webber’s testicular fortitude and praises him, while admonishing Derek’s reticence.  The surgery is successful, but when post-op complications arise Richard questions himself.  Derek takes charge, refusing to allow Avery to participate in the second surgery and reassuring Richard that he can handle the procedure.  He’s showing excellent judgment as Chief and eschewed competition in favor of friendship and loyalty to Richard.

Let me return to Lexie and the anatomical placement of her heart.  It seems no one can believe that sweet “Little Grey” can really handle a purely physical relationship with Alex.  Everyone thinks she is catching feelings for him, even Alex.  In the aftermath of their breakup both Mark and Lexie have been spreading the love around.  Lexie has Alex and Mark has the nursing staff.  Finally, Callie calls Mark on his crap and tells him that his daughter Sloan leaving can be the best thing that happened to him or the worst thing that happened to him.  The choice is his.  It looked like she made a breakthrough, but it’s all for naught when he sees Lexie’s post-coitus afterglow after a quickie with Alex.  Mark was just apologizing to Alex for kicking him out of surgeries when Lexie strolls out with her hair disheveled and skin glistening. Ouch.

Meanwhile Cristina makes up for her earlier stumble in front of Harper Avery by performing a totally kick-ass lung transplant with Teddy and Lexie.  Their patient was deemed undesirable by the Transplant Board, having only a remote chance of getting the organs he needed due to his bleak prognosis.  When a motorcycle crash victim cannot be saved, Owen and his team manage to keep his organs viable, and Cristina basically steals the patient’s lungs.  They were going to be discarded anyway, so it isn’t technically stealing, but it was definitely a risky move.  The transplant is successful, and it ends up being a good day all around at Seattle Grace.

I like the new dynamic between Richard and Derek.  Both of them are going to have to swallow their pride. Richard because he’s no longer Chief, and Derek because he doesn’t know nearly as much as Richard, as Harper Avery coolly pointed out. Another great episode!

For another opinion on this episode, check out Family Affairs by Allison Toner.

Season 6, Episodes 16: Perfect Little Accident (originally aired March 4, 2010)

For more Grey’s Anatomy, click here.

Thursdays 9/8c on ABC

Photographs courtesy of ABC and Eric McCandless.

Grey’s Anatomy: The Time Warp

I’m kind of an ’80s baby, and I grew up on television.  I remember those lame “flashback” episodes of my favorite sitcoms, where the writers wanted to take an episode off, but I guess they really couldn’t do it in the middle of the season.  So, the characters would reminisce about some past events, which just so happened to have been captured in previous episodes.  In order to advance the feeble new storyline, the writers would flashback to previous episodes, basically copying and pasting.  When I saw the commercial for this week’s episode of Grey’s Anatomy, I mistakenly thought their writers were using this same age-old trick.  I should have known better.  The episode did employ flashbacks, in the sense that characters thought back to earlier times, but the episode was more of a pre-quel, which was pretty cool.  We saw the depiction of things we knew about certain characters but had never seen, and I am impressed by the writer’s ability to keep this network staple so fresh.

Settling into his new role as Chief, Derek wants to revise a lecture series where residents tell interns about defining case studies they experienced while they were interns.  Can you imagine the fiercely independent and brilliant Miranda Bailey withering under a resident’s stare?  Bailey was once a lowly intern, a minnow amongst sharks.  While she may have been inexperienced, her keen intellect was always there and she eventually established herself as a gifted surgeon.  Richard mentored her and helped her shed the meek persona and evolve into Bailey the Great.

While Bailey’s words held a captive ear, Callie floundered in her account of a particularly difficult orthopedic surgery.  Alex assisted her on the risky surgery and helps her out filling in the details.  The most interesting storyline of Thursday’s episode, however, was the former Chief’s recollection of his early days at Seattle Grace with Meredith’s mother, Dr. Ellis Gray.  Richard recalled how he and Ellis grappled with discrimination and ignorance from their superiors.  Ellis was treated as a glorified candy striper and Richard was viewed as a charity case.  Together they diagnosed a patient with AIDS, which was dangerous in the early 1980s.  They treated him despite orders to the contrary from their Chief of Surgery.  Of course the patient eventually died, but their courage and compassion in continuing to care for him solidified their belief in medicine and strengthened their own bond.  It was surreal to witness their affair in the early stages, when we already know the damage their infidelity ultimately caused: a neglected child, one failed marriage, and two alcoholics (Richard and Meredith’s father).  It was a fascinating flashback, though I highly doubt a married white doctor and her black colleague would be getting in on the hospital back then.  The world was a little less tolerant at that time, as evidenced by the Chief’s refusal to perform surgery on an AIDS patient.  This climate does not lend itself to inter-racial dating; nevertheless Richard and Ellis appeared to have been in love with one another.  In a powerful scene, Ellis actually gives Richard the first drink that will push him into a 30 year battle with alcoholism.  Meredith’s mother may have been a brilliant doctor, but she wasn’t exactly Woman of the Year.

Fast forward to the present day.  The Chief considers an offer to return to Seattle Grace and work under Derek.  Bailey and the cute anesthesiologist get closer, and everyone else just sits back and listens.  This episode was creative and revealing, and I think the writers have added an extra element to already rich characters.  Best episode of the season.

For more on this episode, check out Defining Moments by Allison Toner.

Season 6, Episodes 15: The Time Warp (originally aired February 18, 2010)

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Thursdays 9/8c on ABC

Photographs courtesy of ABC and Ron Tom.

Grey’s Anatomy: State of Love and Trust

The latest episode of Grey’s Anatomy finds everyone far from their comfort zone.  While I love the ongoing storylines between characters, some of the most powerful scenes happen between Seattle Grace’s doctors and their patients.

Some doctors like Shepherd and Karev are generally cool under pressure.  Others are prone to panic, like Cristina.  You can add Bailey to the group who usually has everything under control, but even the grizzled vet can be rattled under the right circumstances.  While she is performing a routine surgery with Meredith’s assistance, the patient’s heart rate begins to dangerously accelerate.  The procedure was going well and the surgeons can’t figure out what’s wrong until Meredith notices that the patient regained consciousness.  Other than dying on the table, this has got to be the worst thing that could happen during surgery.  Eventually they close the patient up and hope she doesn’t remember what happened.  No such luck.  Not only does she recall every traumatic detail, she doesn’t want Bailey to touch her.  She remembers Bailey panicking and was terrified by her uncertainty.  Normally Bailey has a steady hand and a sure rapport with patients, but for once her presence is of no comfort.  She seems wounded by the realization that she can’t fix the situation, but is resigned to the patient’s wishes.  The woman requests that Meredith perform the follow-up procedure and flinches if Bailey so much as touches her.  Meredith is less experienced than Bailey but is capable of handling the surgery, which is ultimately successful.

Bailey isn’t the only one in unfamiliar territory.  Derek has been named interim Chief and is feeling his way while the Chief mulls his legacy at Seattle Grace.  He can either leave the hospital and the practice of medicine all-together by retiring or he can enter rehab and return to his job after his recovery.  While the hospital staff watches, Webber and Shepherd heatedly argue about his future and Derek’s loyalty.  Derek admits he wanted the Chief’s job but encourages him to take responsibility for the role his drinking has played in the whole situation.  While some struggle with new workplace dynamics, Alex shines in his pediatric rotation with Arizona.  He needs to work on his parental interaction, but overall he’s a rockstar.

Finally, we turn to Cristina and Little Grey, who are both madly in love with complicated characters.  I’d been slamming Mark for his hypocrisy about Lexie sleeping with Alex, but I understand now that he feels like Lexie abandoned him for doing the right thing by his child, which was a huge step for him.  Meanwhile Owen has been sexing Cristina into submission and completely avoiding Teddy.  He goes a step further by intentionally delaying her from responding to Teddy’s page while they are being intimate.  When she finally responds to the page it is too late; the complicated procedure has already been performed and she has missed a learning opportunity.  Realizing that she let Owen interfere with her professional advancement, Cristina shuts down.  Frustrated, he demands that she open up and questions her about Burke.  She tells Owen she loves him more than she loved Burke but that he took pieces of her that she couldn’t get back for a long time.  When she skipped Teddy’s surgery because of Owen it was like he was doing the same thing, and she will not surrender certain parts of herself again.

This was another great episode that advanced critical storylines in a positive direction.  I was also floored by the acting in the final scene with Owen and Cristina.  Sandra Oh was amazing in this episode.  Her performance conveyed vulnerability and sincerity.  Her character was supposed to cry, but instead of just breaking down she allowed the emotion to gain intensity slowly and naturally.  The tears gathered slowly and welled in her eyes for several moments before streaming down her face.  It was amazing, and this season is as promising as any before.

For more on this episode, check out Hail to the New Chief by Allison Toner.

Season 6, Episodes 13: State of Love and Trust (originally aired February 4, 2010)

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Thursdays 9/8c on ABC

Photographs courtesy of ABC and Adam Larkey.

Grey’s Anatomy: True Confessions

If confession is good for the soul, the gang at Seattle Grace should be in good stead with the Man Upstairs.  Last week I disapproved of all the bed-hopping, and this week the guilty parties have come clean.  Izzie and Alex seemed to be over.  I’m no fan of Izzie’s and thought she threw in the towel on her marriage.  Alex still shouldn’t have slept with Little Grey last week, but I don’t blame the guy for assuming his marriage was finito.  When Meredith warned Izzie last week that she was losing Alex, she was surprisingly spurred into action and returned pretty much acting as if nothing had happened.  She offered a quick apology for blaming Alex for getting fired, and thinks they can pick up where they left off.  She plans to find a position at a hospital in Tacoma and hopes she and Alex will remain together.  Accompanying her while she undergoes an MRI, he blurts out that he slept with someone else but doesn’t say who it is.  She says they will get through it and doesn’t miss a beat.  It’s great that she can forgive him so easily, but Alex has been in turmoil for the last few months, and she doesn’t seem to understand that.  Alex doesn’t seem to feel particularly guilty either, delivering his confession with a “let the chips fall where they may” attitude.

The biggest mess that’s been brewing is the way the Chief has become unglued at work while falling off the wagon.  Meredith had been keeping his secret but finally divulges it to Derek, who promptly says he’ll go to the Board with the news.  Meredith pleads with him to keep the secret because she shared it with him as a spouse, not a colleague.  “Post-it!” she yells, referencing the way they got married. What? “Post-it!” she repeats.  Derek relents, promising he’ll keep quiet but warns Meredith that the Chief’s judgment is suspect.  His erratic behavior hasn’t gone unnoticed by Bailey, who is shocked to learn that he is allowing Meredith to perform an extremely difficult surgical procedure for which she is not ready.  At the last minute Bailey intervenes, and Meredith’s willingness to knowingly bite off more than she can chew is further proof of the residents’ blind ambition…which leads me to the biggest Type A of all, Cristina.  When we last left her she was giving Owen away like yesterday’s lunch.  Teddy is still at the hospital finishing out her contract, but the fact remains that Cristina would rather be able to perform surgeries than be with the man she claims to love.  Feeling appropriately shamed by Teddy, she quizzes everyone else about which one they’d choose if they had to: your gift or your love?

Abandoning your passion was a recurring theme, continued by the storyline of an obese professional singer who would rather die than lose a lung to cancer, effectively ending his career.  The man’s partner bemoans how demeaning it is to “love a man who thinks so little of you.”  These words seem to strike a chord in Alex and play a part in his ultimate decision regarding Izzie.  Meredith finds out Izzie won’t get the job in Tacoma, one for which she wanted Derek to recommend her.  Derek tells her the hospital passed on Izzie, but that if he were named new Chief (after turning in Richard), his first act would be to reinstate Izzie.  Trying to protect her friend, Meredith tells Derek he can spill the beans.

The episode ends with the offending parties coming clean, but all is not well.  Alex explains to Izzie that he’s happy her health has returned to normal, but that he doesn’t want to be with her.  For the longest time he thought he wasn’t a good person, but now knows that he is, and it is because he is good that he deserves better than her treatment.  Bravo Alex!  I couldn’t have said it better myself.  When Mark and Lexie cross paths, he tells her about Sloan’s successful surgery and admits to sleeping with Addison while in L.A.  Lexie sighs with relief, assuming that his infidelity cancels out hers.  Not so fast.  In truly hypocritical fashion, Mark finds Lexie’s dalliance with Alex more distasteful, apparently because he was dealing with personal family business while she did the deed? So what? Both of you indulged in extra-curricular activities: it’s a wash.

I enjoyed this episode because certain characters received a much-needed reality check.  Selfish immaturity was stopped cold by Alex and Owen as well, who told Cristina she wasn’t getting rid of him that easily.  It’s nice to see some people preserve a love worth having, while others are freeing themselves of dead weight.  I can’t wait to see how the writers test the boundaries of love and friendship even more.

For another take on this episode, check out Surgery vs. Love by Allison Toner.

Season 6, Episodes 12: I Like You So Much Better When You’re Naked (originally aired January 21, 2010)

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Thursdays 9/8c on ABC

Photographs courtesy of ABC, Michael Desmond, and Scott Garfield.

Grey’s Anatomy: Blink

When we last saw the gang from Seattle Grace, the mid-point of Grey’s Anatomy ended with some nice little cliffhangers.  The Chief was off the wagon, Owen and Cristina appear to be back on track, McSteamy’s got a daughter, and Alex and Izzie’s marriage is on the thinnest of ice.

Mark is adjusting to his new role of father, but instead of a smiling little cherub to bounce on his knee, he must contend with a mouthy teenager.  Who’s pregnant with a baby in potential distress.  His daughter Sloan has been living with him and Lexie and the arrangement is taking some getting used to.  Despite his assertions to the contrary, Mark is in fact Sloan’s Dad, not just her father.  He gives her lunch money, coddles her unnecessarily in an effort to make up for lost time, and most tellingly: intervenes during her pre-natal surgery after calling Addison Shepherd in to save the day.  Sloan’s baby has amniotic bands wrapped around his developing legs and must have the tissue removed or risk losing the small limbs.  While Addison is performing the surgery she encounters a nasty bundle of blood vessels that makes it difficult to proceed.  Difficult for most surgeons is average risk for Addison, but Mark stops her.  He’s wearing his Daddy hat, not his Doctor one, and it shows.  Sloan ultimately decides to continue the surgery at a later date, but the medical scare brings her and Mark closer together.  She tearfully explains that she wants the surgery because her baby already has a “stupid slutty mom” and no father. He’s doesn’t need any more disadvantages, and that includes physical deformity.  In a moment of tenderness Mark tells her that she can live with him and he will help her be a mom.  That’s sweet, but he didn’t ask Lexie how she’d feel about the new living arrangement first.  Lexie understandably isn’t ready to play step-mom to a teenager and grandmother to her newborn, and Mark will choose his child over her, if pressed.  As he should.  And so their relationship ends as unceremoniously as it began.

Now comes for the WTF portion of the show.  Teddy has the hots for Owen, who is loyal to Cristina.  After confessing her feelings to him and being shot down, Teddy has tried to appear unfazed.  When she takes a tough approach with Cristina in the O.R., Owen questions whether her motives are vengeful or constructive.  It’s the latter, in case you were wondering.  But the cat’s out of the bag and Teddy admits to herself that it’s difficult to work with Owen and mentor Cristina under the circumstances.  She decides to leave Seattle Grace, and when Owen relays the info to Cristina, she chases Teddy down and babbles about giving her anything she wants so she’ll stay.  She’s spazzing out in tears, saying how if Teddy leaves she’ll die because Teddy believes in Cristina more than she believes in herself.  Boy, these Seattle Grace doctors are some real emotional basketcases! Spare me, Cristina! You’re crying because Teddy is leaving, really?? This is the woman who holds a burning flame for the man that you love, and you’re CRYING because she’s gonna leave? Cristina then inexplicably tells Teddy she can have Owen if she stays.  This is wrong on so many levels.  First of all, Owen is a human being and can not be bartered away.  Secondly, he actually tolerates Cristina. I don’t know if he got any medals for his time in Iraq, but maybe he can get one for that.  Lastly, Cristina is surrounded by several gifted surgeons, all of whom are more familiar with her than Teddy, yet she is the only one who “believes” in Cristina? Gimme a break.  If Shepherd is McDreamy, then we ought to dub Cristina “McDrama,” because she’s full of it. She doesn’t deserve Owen.

Oh but wait, there is a second part of the WTF portion of the show.  Alex understandably is done with Izzie’s crap.  Lexie is newly single…so yeah….they hooked up. *sigh*  I don’t know where this storyline is headed, but I don’t like it. Lexie is too much of a sweetheart to randomly sleep around with other docs at Seattle Grace, and even grisly Alex is too vulnerable for this right now.  I hope this ends up being a mistake that isn’t revisited.  Speaking of mistakes, Mark hooks up with Addison when he and Sloan go for her baby’s surgery.  Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice had crossover episodes last Thursday, and that’s what the Private Practice episode revealed.  I guess everyone needs to f*ck their pain away.  Neither Mark nor Lexie wasted any time bedding someone else.  I don’t want the show to devolve into a game of “musical beds,” because I think it’s too smart to be a second rate soap opera.  Hopefully Shonda Rhimes won’t let that happen.

For another take on this episode, check out Welcome Back by Allison Toner.

Season 6, Episodes 11: Blink (originally aired January 14, 2010)

For more Grey’s Anatomy, click here.

Thursdays 9/8c on ABC

Photographs courtesy of ABC, Adam Taylor, and Ron Tom

The Book of Eli

There are a few celebrities who have built up a reserve of good will with me.  This feeling of affection will occasionally override the common sense that would usually keep me away from what appears to be a bad movie.  Denzel Washington is one of those celebrities, and I thought The Book of Eli was one of those bad movies I’d be seeing only on “GP” because Washington’s star power would be on parade.  Well, I’m not going to say that I was completely wrong.  I maintain that the trailer for the film makes Washington look like a washed-up old man trying to relive his ass-kicking youth.  A Mad Max for today’s generation, and I wasn’t buying it.  However, The Book of Eli was not a bad movie at all, and I’d say it was fairly decent, earning a solid grade of B if I had to score it.

That being said, this is not a movie that will appeal to everyone.  I think Warner Bros was intentionally vague in its marketing of the movie because quite honestly, if people knew what it was all about, they might not show up in theaters.  Better to convince audiences that Washington’s character Eli is just a sword-wielding bad-ass then to tell them what his book is really about and why others are trying to take it from him.  Filmed by the Hughes Brothers (Menace II Society, From Hell), Eli is a bleak post-apocalyptic tale of a lone journeyman on a westward quest to fulfill a mission involving a mysterious book.

The movie is set roughly 30 years in the future, and the world is a desolate landscape inhabited by survivors of a catastrophic global event whereby the ozone layer, at least temporarily, allowed the sun’s rays to completely penetrate the Earth’s atmosphere.  Now here’s where it gets tricky.  It wasn’t clear to me whether or not this event was natural or man-made.  When the sun “came down” and burned everyone above ground, the powers-that-be elected to destroy all books and works of literature.  Ostensibly this was done to control any survivors and render them ignorant, but for what purpose?  I guess that’s not germane to the overall plot-line, but I think little nagging questions like that detract from the movie.  As Eli treks across the country he passes through various towns, encountering marauders and other bandits along the way.  I didn’t think Washington was young enough to convincingly deliver a beatdown in the fight scenes, but he proved me wrong.  His character was unflinchingly brutal, and methodical but just.  Any obstacle in his westward path was dispatched with ruthless efficiency.

Most of those obstacles involved some intervention from Gary Oldman’s character Carnegie, mayor of one of the shanty towns through which the nomadic Eli passes.  Because all books were destroyed in the apocalypse, they are a precious commodity in the futuristic world of Eli.  Most people cannot read, but older people like Eli and Carnegie have retained their knowledge.  When Carnegie finds out about Eli’s book, he will stop at nothing to have it.  What’s so special about the book? I’m not going to tell you.  What fun is a movie review that spoils the entire movie?

I liked the singular focus of Washington’s character, and the way he embodied a man equally capable of savagery and compassion.  The austere backdrop lent itself perfectly to the post-apocalyptic storyline.  Supporting actresses Jennifer Beals (Devil in a Blue Dress) and Mila Kunis (Extract) were serviceable in their roles of a mother and daughter under Carnegie’s thumb, desperate for a change in the status quo.  Certain aspects of the storyline were interesting, such as the value of commonplace items we take for granted now, like soap and water.  These items are at a premium in the movie, as humanity regressed to the Dark Ages in terms of amenities and even basic necessities.  What I didn’t like about the movie was a series of little things that eventually add up and become flaws.  If a character is locked in a cell with no apparent means of escape, I want to know how and why they are free ten minutes later.  They can’t just show up, with no explanation.  Stuff like that annoys me.  I also thought the ending was implausible, in terms of Eli’s final destination and how advanced it was in comparison to everything he encountered up to that point.  For those reasons, I give my tacit endorsement of the movie, but be forewarned: I never said it was perfect.

Why Do All the Good Shows Get Cancelled?

Have you ever wondered why all the good shows get cancelled?  Over the past few years I’ve been disappointed with the cancellation of both promising new shows, and some long-running TV series.  I think some shows reach their natural conclusion and simply run their course, like The Sopranos and Sex and the City.  Other shows are critically-acclaimed and still don’t survive, like The Wire and Arrested Development.  I never watched the latter show, but I recall the outcry when it was cancelled.  Are these fans just a vocal minority?  If a show is good enough to arouse such passion, why aren’t more people watching?

The Wire had a nice little run and garnered numerous accolades, including Emmy nominations and a Writers Guild Award.  Despite consistent praise from critics, the show received poor Nielsen ratings and remained overlooked by most of the viewing public.  Perhaps its depiction of urban blight didn’t resonate with the average viewer.  At least it hung around for five seasons and became a cult classic.  At the end of the day, networks want to protect their bottom line.  If viewership for a certain show is lacking, it stands to reason that the network may lose advertising dollars during that time slot.  Not only does the public have to support quality programming when they find it, but there should be some measure of equity when determining which American families receive Nielsen boxes to record their viewing preferences.  I’ve never been contacted to get a Nielsen box and don’t know anyone else who has been contacted. Do you?  Who’s getting these things?  I don’t suggest some grand conspiracy to get certain shows canned, but certainly there are some demographics that will prefer one type of television show over another.  I don’t suspect that The Wire was very popular viewing in say, Boise, Idaho, for example. I could be wrong.  Taste will always be subjective, but it’s a shame that the truly unique shows don’t last.

Last year ABC premiered a series called Life on Mars, a drama about a cop who is transported back in time to 1973.  The show was a trippy, atmospheric mix of science fiction and mystery with some humor thrown in.  I thought it was great but it never seemed to catch on with viewers, despite a strong cast including veteran actor Harvey Keitel and The Soprano’s Michael Imperioli.

Networks ostensibly want their shows to be successful, but some shows aren’t given a fighting chance.  If it starts out with a crappy time slot, your favorite show might not make it.  If it follows a flagship show, it might have a chance to piggyback off its success.  Take ABC’s Private Practice, for example.  It’s nowhere near as good as Grey’s Anatomy, but it follows the popular series and has to snag some leftover viewers by default. I asked why all the good shows get cancelled, but “good” is relative.  Critical acclaim and popularity don’t always co-exist.  If you’re a fan of a TV show and it’s on the ropes, spread the word. Encourage your friends and family to tune in.  Then again, if they don’t have Nielsen boxes, does it even matter? *sigh* Your last resort is to start a letter writing campaign to the network, a tactic that has proven successful in extending the life of some shows like CBS’ Jericho, if only temporarily.  If you get to that step though, chances are the network has already decided to axe the show.  I guess “good” shows get cancelled because the right people aren’t tuning in.  If you find an obscure gem of a show that you like, hopefully the masses catch on or you may find yourself wondering where all the good shows have gone.  No wonder we’re stuck with reality TV.

For more television reviews, click here.

Photographs courtesy of ABC, HBO, and IMDbPro.

ABC Strikes Gold With Flash Forward

Each fall we’re bombarded with previews of the networks’ new lineup.  Some shows look promising; others make me question some TV execs’ sanity.  I grew up on television, and although I watch significantly less TV than I used to, I still watch quite a bit.  In my humble opinion, CBS has the best procedural dramas (CSI, Criminal Minds, Cold Case), NBC has a good comedic lineup (30 Rock, The Office), and ABC pushes the envelope with high concept dramas (FlashForward, V) while maintaining an otherwise popular prime time schedule with mainstays like Grey’s Anatomy and Dancing With the Stars.  ABC has demonstrated a willingness to take risks with high concept shows in the past, like Life on Mars (which I loved), but those shows have ended up being canceled.  However, I think the network has a new hit on its hands with FlashForward, the best new show I’ve seen in a long time.

The most salient and impressive aspect of FlashForward is its premise.  The show follows a group of FBI agents as they investigate the cause of a global blackout that occurs in the series’ first episode.  I, like many other viewers, was immediately sucked in by the first episode.  Set in Los Angeles, the series opens with an otherwise ordinary day.  Then, at the exact same mid-morning time, everyone on the planet loses consciousness for exactly 2 minutes and 17 seconds.  During this period of unconsciousness, most people see a vision of their future, a memory of an event that will not happen for another 6 months.  When the world regains consciousness it looks as if there’s been a global terror attack.  Everyone is befuddled and frightened.  We’re talking about a global event, so there are millions of lives that were lost as people drove or flew or did anything that would otherwise require consciousness at the exact time of the blackout.  The Feds assemble a task force, which in turn sets up a website called Mosaic, where people can share stories of their visions and try to figure things out.  Some poor souls didn’t experience a “flash forward” or vision, which basically means that they don’t have a memory of a something that will happen in six months because they will be dead within that time period.  These folks deduce that fact, and are left walking around in limbo like zombies awaiting certain doom.

The best thing about FlashForward is the writing.  I was glued to my TV every Wednesday.  I think it’s easy for high concept shows that are premised on a singular event (like Lost) to become stale or outlandish, but FlashForward shows no sign of wearing thin.  As a matter of fact it has gotten even better.  As the characters deal with the aftermath of the blackout, they begin to create self-fulfilling prophecies as they behave in ways they normally wouldn’t in order to ensure that their future does or does not play out according to their vision.  One character saw the demise of her marriage in her flash forward.  Another one sees himself madly in love with a woman he’s never met.  Another character is gay but sees herself having a sonogram.  Perhaps most intriguing, one of the characters did not have a vision and is therefore a Dead Man Walking.  He discovers through Mosaic that he will be murdered, and he and his partner are consumed with finding his killer before it’s too late.  This show is simply fascinating.  I’m intrigued by shows and movies that explore concepts of fate and destiny, and I enjoy the thoughtful examination of human nature, the portrayal of hopeful faith and optimism for those who had joyful visions, and the ill-fated despair and resignation of those who had frightening flash forwards.  Some people will do anything to make their flash forward come to fruition; others are hell-bent on changing their future.

At the conclusion of the first half of the season, there are some questions that have been answered and many that remain.  One character has taken responsibility for the blackout, but other evidence points to different potential culprits.  My friends and I text each other endlessly throughout each episode, and I can’t stop raving about the show.  I’m not sure what the Nielsen ratings are like, but anecdotally I know that FlashForward has been a trending topic on Twitter and the masses seem to really love it.  I’ve converted my cousin to the show, and it’s not too late for you to bone up on it before it returns.  You can watch full episodes at abc.com and catch up on one of the best network series I’ve ever seen.

For more on FlashForward, click here.

FlashForward returns to ABC in March 2010

Photographs courtesy of ABC, Craig Sjodin

Dancing With the Stars Finale: Another Opinion

Finally! After 10 long weeks the field has been narrowed down to the final three.  Kelly, Mya, and Donny will each perform 3 dances in the season finale.  The first dance is a new individual solo, followed by a “mega-mix” portion, and then the freestyle.

ROUND 1

Kelly & Louis: Kelly is not my favorite contestant, but I admit that she has come a long way.  If Most Improved counts for anything, Kelly is tops.  Her segment begins with her recapping her performances over the season, from her magical Viennese Waltz to her forgettable Tango.  For the finale each judge will join one contestant in their rehearsal and provide some suggestions for improvement.  Carrie Ann joins Kelly and Louis, who need more passion in their Argentine Tango.  When it begins I can tell that Kelly has taken Carrie Ann’s advice to heart, because I noticed the chemistry between her and Louis right away.  The musical selection was fitting, and I thought it was a sexy little number.  I’ve never been a fan, but Kelly looked great.  The judges thought so too.  Len said she’s had little to no dance training and epitomizes what the show is about.  Bruno said she is a revelation and she mastered the intricacy and embellishment of the dance.  However, his praise was tempered by criticism of her form and he also said it lacked sensuality.  They each gave her an 8.

Mya & Dmitry:  She’s been consistently great and I don’t expect tonight to be any different.  They will dance the Paso Doble, and Len is the judge stopping by with a few pointers.  In her recap Mya said that Len affected her season more than anyone else.  I agree, and it’s a stroke of luck that he will be the one helping her.  He’s predictably stern but this can only help her.  They perform to “We Will Rock You,” an awful choice and the first in a series of disappointments in the season finale for Mya.  The dance is technically sound.  Mya has the requisite power and character, but the performance does nothing for me.  The judges were pleased though.  Bruno said she was fearless and flamboyant with a power for all to see, amazing.  Carrie Ann dubbed her Queen of the Paso Doble.  She said it was dynamic and hot, just what she wanted from her.  Len said that one of his all-time favorite Paso performances belonged to Mel B and Maks, and that Mya’s was right up there with them.  She gets a perfect score.  So far the pecking order remains intact.

Donny & Kym:  The man I love to hate, but his dancing has been consistent and solid.  He recalls his early criticism and his breakthrough Argentine Tango.  He says he must find the perfect balance between technique and performance.  Bruno, of course, is the judge who will coach Donny.  He starts off by telling Donny that he doesn’t want him to win because of who he is but rather how he does.  He tells Donny to cut the Vegas showroom act and get serious.  Donny falls in line and they end up with a fun, crowd-pleasing Cha Cha Cha.  Carrie Ann raved about Donny’s hips, but noted that he had a misstep.  Len said that people think the Cha Cha Cha is a fun party dance, but it’s actually pretty hard.  Bruno praised Donny’s professionalism and was impressed that he quietly withstood his criticism for over an hour during rehearsal.  They each give him a 9.

ROUND 2

The mega-mix round will have the contestants dancing in sync, performing three seamless dances in unison.  After the dance they will be ranked from first through third.  As you might expect, Mya is head and shoulders above the rest, with Donny close behind while Kelly brings up the rear.  Before the performance Kelly handicaps by saying how much better and more experienced Mya and Donny are.  She initially thought she’d be in the bottom but told herself that she has a shot too. The performance begins with a Waltz followed by a Latin dance, ending with the Jive.  Mya and Donny’s pro partner Kym are in sync but Kelly is not.  All of the contestants’ stamina is impressive.  Kelly looked really bad in the Jive.  The judges praised all of them, particularly Mya’s Latin dance, Kelly’s Waltz and Donny’s overall technique.  They told Donny that he was barely distinguishable from the professionals.  They predictably rank Kelly third with 26 points, Donny second with 28 points and Mya first with 30 points.

ROUND 3

Next it was time for the moment we’d all been waiting for: the freestyle.

Kelly & Louis:  She chooses Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” because it represents her journey and the obstacles she had to overcome.  She looked lovely but her freestyle was sloppy and she lost her footing, which resulted in her playing the remainder of the dance for laughs.  I wasn’t impressed, but the judges were.  Carrie Ann gushed and Len said he enjoyed it.  Bruno kept it a little more real and criticized her hold, but he also said that she embodied all the glitz and glamour of the disco era.  They each give her an 8, to a chorus of boos from the crowd.  Come on guys, she did actually fall.

Mya & Dmitry:  During rehearsal when they are brainstorming about choreography, Mya tells Dmitry that she wants to swing for the fences and make history with their dance.  He would rather do something audiences are familiar with, and has the horrible idea to perform a routine inspired by Hairspray.  What a lame idea.  Mya relents and they go with Dmitry’s stinker.  Mya could have pulled off almost any choreography, but Dmitry made the costly mistake of playing it safe.  None of the judges thought the dance showcased Mya adequately.  Carrie Ann said Hairspray is already a classic, and that their dance didn’t measure up.  Len said he kept waiting for something big to happen and it never did.  Bruno complimented her dance ability but said that he wanted more.  Despite their harsh criticism they gave her 9s.

Donny & Kym:  With Kelly and Mya turning in underwhelming performances, the stage was set for Donny to dance right on in and steal the competition, and that’s precisely what he did.  Donny’s strength has always been his showmanship and ability to connect with the crowd.  Free of the constraints of formal dancing, Donny and Kym performed a piece that allowed Donny to shine and charm the audience.  The judges raved, giving him a perfect score.

RESULTS SHOW

If you’ve watched previous seasons of the show you know that the finale is jam-packed with inane filler while we all await a winner.  I won’t begin to recap those shenanigans here.  The results were fair, though a bit unlucky.  Kelly was eliminated first, with the judges highlighting her growth.  The final two came down to Mya and Donny, and Mya was no match for his widespread appeal.  She also didn’t do herself any favors with her freestyle.  Even if she’d turned in an awesome freestyle I still think Donny would have won because he has a huge fanbase.  I thought Mya was the best dancer in the competition from the outset, and she made it to the end but faltered when it counted most.  I blame her partner for letting her down with his choreography.  Dmitry just isn’t a strong choreographer like Derek or Cheryl or some of the past pro dancers.  Kym, on the other hand, assessed her partner’s strengths and crafted a dance that highlighted them.  It was an entertaining season that featured some memorable performances, and talented celebrities.  I didn’t get the winner I wanted, but it was a great finale.

For another opinion on this episode, read Keshaunta Moton’s review here.

Season 9, Week 10: Episodes 20&21 (originally aired November 23&24, 2009)

For more on Dancing with the Stars, click here.

Competition Mondays at 8/7C, ABC

Elimination Tuesdays at 9/8C, ABC

Photographs courtesy of ABC, Adam Larkey

Grey’s Anatomy: Holidaze

This episode chronicles the doctors’ lives over the Thanksgiving-New Year’s Eve holiday stretch.  It begins with the Chief tacitly admitting that he’s fallen off the wagon to Meredith.  She busted him drinking last week, and he offers to mentor her this week as a passive way of buying her silence.  She gives no indication that she sees it that way, but his timing is questionable, in my opinion.

Everyone continues adjusting to the newest doctor, Teddy Altman.  She removes a patient’s heart until she can come up with a better treatment solution.  The woman was on a date when she became ill, and the guy decides to hang around and wait with her in the hospital, despite not knowing her well.  I thought that was very sweet and decent of him.  Cristina assures the patient that she’ll probably get a new heart around New Year’s Eve, because there are usually a lot of accidents, which leads to an abundance of organs.  That’s a macabre thought.

Family is a big part of the holiday season, and a few of our characters are in for a surprise.  Mark finds out he has an 18-year-old daughter named Sloan.  He ends up letting the girl move in, and doesn’t have the heart to give her the boot, especially after she tearfully admits that she’s pregnant and has no place to go.  Mark suspected he had a child, but had paid for an abortion for Sloan’s mother and never inquired further about the matter.  He probably feels guilty and that letting his daughter live with him for a few months is the least he can do.  Meanwhile Bailey’s father comes for a surprise visit.  Miranda has kept her divorce a secret from her family, and her father is very displeased when she confirms it.  He blames Miranda for the demise of her marriage and the dismantling of her son’s family structure.  He fails to see Miranda’s perspective and even calls her out about the situation in front of all of her friends around the dinner table.  She finally puts her father in his place and sticks up for herself, saying that her son is happy and so is she.

Things have been awkward between Teddy, Cristina and Owen.  Teddy admitted to Owen that she was in love with him in the past and wished he had chosen her when he became single.  He admitted that he had feelings for her at one point also.  Despite all of this Owen remains committed to Cristina, and the two share a devouring embrace, with Owen swallowing up any doubts before Cristina could express them.  So much for her hooking up with Dr. Avery.

This episode introduced new conflict and put others to rest.  It also laid the groundwork for an explosive revelation about the Chief’s alcoholism.  It’s nice to see that the series hasn’t stalled at the midway point, and I’ve come to expect nothing less than great storytelling from Shonda Rhimes.

For another take on this episode, check out ‘Tis the Season by Allison Toner.

Season 6, Episodes 10: Holidaze (originally aired November 19, 2009)

For more Grey’s Anatomy, click here.

Thursdays 9/8c on ABC

Photographs courtesy of ABC, Danny Feld

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