REB #12: “She’s not going to have premarital sex until she’s married.”

– Bright Abbott on Everwood

If you don’t know me very well, you may not know this, but I watch TV like it’s my job; I watch entirely too much TV.

Which means that this past week has been amazing and yet stressful for me. On top of homework, class, and work, I now have to add a large pile of TV shows to my to do list. Thankfully, True Blood is over for the season, and Mad Men will be over next month. That’s two shows down for the season, at least 13-18 to go (depending on how you count them).

I wouldn’t have it any other way. 🙂

Sundays, I’m watching Brothers and Sisters (ABC) and Dexter(Showtime) – and, for a few more weeks, Mad Men (AMC), which I am relieved to say did a complete 180º, going from a terrible season 3 to an awesome season 4.

Mondays, I have nothing for now, but I plan to watch Lonestar (FOX) at some point, even though I’m 98% sure it’s going to be cancelled. I saw the pilot, and I really liked it. Anyway, in the spring, my Monday show will be The United States of Tara (Showtime).

Tuesdays, I’m watching Glee (FOX), Life Unexpected (The CW), and Parenthood (NBC). Unfortunately, the critically acclaimed Life Unexpected will probably be cancelled after its initial 13-episode second season order, due to low ratings. Parenthood didn’t exactly rock the ratings house either. In November, V (ABC) premiers, and if it stays in the same timeslot, it will air on Tuesdays; honestly, I don’t expect it to be renewed for a third season. I’ve seen the pilot to No Ordinary Family(ABC) and will likely be watching that as well, and I want to watch Raising Hope (FOX) at some point, but it’s going to have to wait.

Wednesdays, I have no commitments, but I am mildly interested in Undercovers (NBC). I might watch it when the season is over. Also, in the spring, Glee and Raising Hope will be switching to Wednesdays to make room for American Idol.

Thursdays, I’m watching The Vampire Diaries (The CW), 30 Rock (NBC), and The Office (NBC). I was actually impressed with The Office’s premier, as I did not like last season and fully expected this one to be terrible as well. They’ve got me for at least a few more episodes. Also on the potentially watch list is Nikita (The CW). I’ve seen the pilot, and for a CW remake, it was actually pretty good. And surprisingly strong in the ratings.

Fridays, I’m watching the final season of Smallville (The CW) – which started off amazing, by the way – as well as the shouldn’t-even-exist sixth season of Supernatural (The CW). It’s not that I didn’t want Supernatural to be renewed; it’s just that I wanted the producers/network to stick to the original five-year plan that the show’s creator had. This surprise renewal resulted in a bit of a cop-out for the season five ending, which should have been amazing but instead was a little too miraculous for my taste. That said, the premier left something to be desired, but I’ll continue watching out of loyalty and to see if it gets back to the high-quality episodes I know the show can produce. Anyway, in the spring, I’ll be watching the spinoff/second season of Spartacus: Blood and Sand (Starz). I’m so sad for Andy Whitfield and wish him the best in his cancer treatment. I hope he’ll be better in time for season three, but obviously, it’s not about the show. Best wishes, Andy. Get some rest. Take your time. ❤

*NOTE: This blog entry is syndicated from a blog I had to start for my Electronic Publishing class at U.B. this semester. I may or may not delete the extraneous blog when the class is over, but I thought I would at least give my readers the opportunity to read the contents of that blog indefinitely.

Announcing Twit TV?

With the official fall 2010 TV season just around the corner (FYI, some shows will start up in less than a month), I would like to try an experiment: I’ve been wanting to force myself to write/blog more often anyway, so one of my ideas is to start a regular section/tag of this blog called Twit TV in which I would weigh my favorite new show pilots (we’ll call these the “freshman shows,” since most people in the TV industry do anyway), choose one to follow for the whole season (or at least to the end of its run, if it happens to get canceled), and review/respond to each episode, highlighting my favorite and least favorite (if there are any) moments and why I like/dislike them. And so on.

I would also like to choose a veteran show to follow (one of which I’m already a dedicated viewer, anticipating the season premier), perhaps for comparison/contrast reasons, but whether I do that or not really depends on the shows I choose. They may not mesh well enough.

In any case, the meat of this idea is that I will be tweeting (via my personal account, RogerMarket) initial gut reactions as they happen while watching both shows (freshman and veteran)—hence the clever or not so clever “Twit” part of this blog series’ name—and other Twitter users can follow along and respond to my tweets as well as those of others, in addition to responding here on this blog, although I do get a lot of spam comments. I don’t accept spam comments, so if you do respond, make sure it pertains to the blog entry and the show, and if it does, I’ll accept it, unless, of course, I see a reason not to do so. Also, be advised that I can’t watch every show when it airs because I have class some nights, so the tweets may come a day or two late; I’ll try to write the blogs within a week, maybe less. This may be a huge commitment for an M.F.A. student at the University of Baltimore to make, but I’m going to try my best to do it.

By the way, if the freshman show I choose happens to be canceled early in the season, I may choose another freshman to continue the Twit TV series, or I may just choose another veteran show to follow and just have two; I haven’t decided yet. Suggestions?

Now, here are the shows I’m considering.

For freshman shows, I am interested in Lonestar (FOX), No Ordinary Family (ABC), Raising Hope (FOX), Undercovers (NBC), and Nikita (The CW). Nothing on CBS interests me. Out of these five, I’m most excited about Lonestar and No Ordinary Family (I’ve seen the pilot of the latter, and it’s pretty good; I’ve heard great things about Lonestar). Any thoughts on which freshman show I should pick?

For veteran shows, I am thinking about doing the tenth and final season of Smallville (The CW), the second season of Parenthood (NBC), the second season of Life Unexpected (The CW), or possibly the second season of The Vampire Diaries (The CW). As of this moment, I’m torn between Smallville and Parenthood. Any thoughts on which veteran show I should pick? Is anyone even reading this? Does anyone care?

I know that’s a lot of CW shows, but I don’t even want to think about tackling the monster that is Glee (FOX), a lot of my shows were canceled last season, and if I did The Office (NBC), I’m afraid it would be unenjoyable for all involved, as I’ve become quite disillusioned with that quickly declining show and would probably not find much to like anymore. I really didn’t like last season. Beyond that, the other bloggable shows that I watch are on cable and have irregular seasons (e.g., Mad Men, True Blood, Dexter, and Spartacus: Blood and Sand), so I couldn’t really blog about those. Maybe I could do one of them as a bonus at some point—next summer? We’ll see.

P.S. I’d like to do a book version of this series at some point, just at my own leisure.

Reviewing the Season Finale of Spartacus: Blood and Sand

Wow. When I first started watching this show, I never thought I’d say something like this, but…this finale is one of the best episodes of anything. Ever. Congrats, Steven DeKnight: You have a hit series.

***SPOILERS AHEAD, if you haven’t seen the episode yet***

This season finale was incredible. The moment we’ve all been waiting for. When Spartacus and Crixus would lead a rebellion against the ludus, killing nearly all the people who have deserved it all season: Batiatus, Lucretia, and even Numerius and his mom. I was happy to see Aurelia finally learn the truth (and believe it, of course) about her husband Varro’s death. One of the most satisfying moments of the episode was watching her kill Numerius for ordering Varro’s death. So emotional. I actually found myself cheering, as I also did when Crixus killed Lucretia and their unborn child and Spartacus killed Batiatus, revealing that he knew Batiatus ordered his (Spartacus’) wife dead.

I will say this now: I did not expect the rebellion to go so smoothly, to see all these people die.

And maybe it’s disturbing that all this death excited me so much. But I think it’s a testament to how wonderful the acting has been this season. All these evil characters have been so well portrayed and so filled-with-venom that it was a pleasure to see them finally silenced. And cheers to Ilythia for locking the doors of the ludus! It reminded me of when Angel locked a roomful of lawyers in with Darla and Drusilla to be slaughtered. DeKnight (the series’ creator) was clearly recalling his roots as a writer for Angel in this moment, granted he wasn’t on the staff at the time that episode was written. 😉

All this leads me to one question: What the heck is going to happen next season? All the slaves and gladiators have been freed, even Doctore. The Dominus and Domina are dead. The only villains left are Asher, Ilythia, and her husband. Perhaps a broader rebellion? Against Rome? That’s what Spartacus hinted at, in the final shot (which was perfect by the way: the entire slave staff of the ludus walking out the front gate, free at last).

In any case, it’s going to be amazing. Thank you, Starz, for having faith in this show, despite a rocky start; and thank you for renewing it for a second season. I look forward to seeing what happens next. For now, I’d like to read some history books, to find out what happened to the real Spartacus!

UPDATE: This episode now has a 9.9 rating on TV.com. It’s one of very few episodes, of anything, to get a 9.9 on that website. Congratulations to the crew! The first time I checked, it was in the lower 9s, then it jumped to 9.6, 9.7, 9.8, and finally, 9.9. Incredible!

UPDATE #2: Something has happened at TV.com, because all of the episode ratings are going down, for the entire show, yet it is still in the same overall ranking as it was a few days ago. Hmm. Either way, this was still a fantastic episode, and I can’t wait for season 2!

Grandma’s Spring Cookbook

Spring break is finally over, and I’m working like mad to finish my story for tonight’s Experimental Forms class. In fact, it’s almost done, but I only worry because I have to work until 3 p.m., and then I have Screenwriting at 5:30 p.m. I hope I have enough time to make the final edits I want to make.

The story is based on my grandma’s cookbook, which she wrote out, handwritten, for all her children; in December, my mom made my sister and me a copy for Christmas. It’s probably one of the most meaningful things in my possession. Without the Experimental Forms class, I might never have written this story. This is but one reason I am glad I chose the M.F.A. program I did.

Over break, I stayed in Baltimore (except for a couple of trips to the Bowie area). I worked on Monday and Tuesday (but only half-time), and I saw Justin on Monday night and Friday night. We saw Alice in Underland…er…Alice in Wonderland on Friday. In 3-D. It was a beautiful movie and a pretty good story, for the most part. I know some people expected more, but I was actually okay with what I got.

I watched The Office and 30 Rock the other day, online. I never have time to watch them when they air on Thursdays. Anyway, I found The Office funnier than it has been most of this season, even if there were a couple of cringeworthy moments (***SPOILER************Dwight choked Kevin? Seriously?************END SPOILER***).  There were a couple of good Michael scenes, which I was surprised about, because I haven’t liked Michael at all this season. There was also some “inconsistent” behavior and dialogue from some characters (I’m talking to you, Phyllis), but my Experimental Forms and Fiction teacher (he teaches both classes) makes a good point: People are inconsistent. So, I was mostly okay with it, especially when Phyllis called Michael “numbnuts,” and then immediately changed her tone. She knew that wasn’t her, and for that, I loved this moment. My favorite line of the episode: As Dwight stood in the middle of the local dump, he said, “This place has gone to hell.” How meta of him.

30 Rock was brilliant, as has been the case for a while now. Truth be told, I like it better than The Office, these days. I don’t have time to elaborate right now, though.

Last night, I watched the latest episode of Spartacus: Blood and Sand, and it was pretty good but not quite up to par with the best episodes of the season. Even so, for a show that started off in terrible shape, I’m impressed and delighted with how far it’s come.

Finally, I also continued a recent endeavor last night: re-watching the original FOX/SciFi series Sliders (1995 to 2000). I watched the season two opener before I went to bed last night, and I must say, it was one of my favorite episodes of the series and had perhaps one of the best endings of any series. Ever. Plus, I don’t remember having seen it before! I can’t believe I missed this the first time around, if that’s the case. Thank you Netflix for reconnecting me to Sliders!

I guess I’d better go now. Unfortunately, I’m finding that work is the most lucrative time to blog, for me. It forces me to write quickly. Maybe that takes away from content, but every once in a while, I’ll do a blog on my own time.

Those are the ones to wait for. Maybe next time…

Alla My Friendsnstuff

Last night, I went with Justin, Lori, and Danielle to see a play, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf. My roommate Kari was the assistant stage manager, and Kimberley Lynne, a mutual friend and fellow MFAer, was co-director. The stage itself was simple: a rainbow curtain hung on the right side, the girls all wore a solid-colored dress (i.e., a girl in red, a girl in green, etc.), and there was a scrim in the background with an African image on it, and it is lit from behind at one point to show a woman dancing in fog—she is supposed to be an Egyptian goddess. I thought it was pretty cool. The play is funny at times but kind of hard to follow because it’s mostly poetry. My favorite poem is called “Alla My Stuff.”

You can read it here.

Afterwards, we walked to Lori’s car, and she drove us down to Federal Hill, where we met up with Eli and a couple of her friends. Mike joined us later. Some of us ate, and then we went to a bar called Mother’s. It’s actually really cool inside! There are two sections: One is just a regular bar, and the other has a huge dance floor. We went to the area with the dance floor. It was loud but fun. However, the bouncers were jerks a couple of times. We took lots of pictures, laughed a lot, drank a little, and shouted over the music the whole time so we could talk to each other. Some of us danced. Lori, Danielle, Eli, and Savannah (Eli’s friend) did the Cupid Shuffle when it came on.

It’s a shame Kari, Wendy, and Tykia couldn’t have been there.

At 1:35 a.m., the lights started coming on for last call, and we all remarked that that seemed kind of early. Apparently, bars can only stay open until 2 a.m. in Maryland. The bouncers started telling everyone to leave. We left, but Eli made sure to call one of the bouncers a name on the way out, and then she almost got in a fight with a girl outside. Speaking of outside, there were cops everywhere and people walking all over the place. I guess Federal Hill is a popular bar area. Once we got Eli, Savannah, and Kenny a cab, Lori, Danielle, Justin, and I parted ways with Mike and went to Lori’s car so she could drop us all off at home.

Justin and I went to sleep and didn’t get out of bed until 3 p.m. When he left, I made eggs and toast because I hadn’t had it in a long time. Now, it’s about dinnertime. I need to use up the rest of my eggs before they go bad, so I’ll probably make something with eggs.

It was a fun night, but now I need to do a little TV catch-up (Smallville, Spartacus, and Nip/Tuck) and a little homework.

P.S. I bought the Ghostbusters t-shirt Justin is wearing in the picture below for him for his birthday, last month, and it was a big hit last night! Lori was with me when I bought it, so I knew she thought it was great, but also, the bartender loved it. She bought Justin a shot and took a picture of his shirt. Hahaha!