Season 1 of Game of Thrones is over and I’m already going through withdrawal. From the fierce opening with the Night’s Watchmen facing the White Walkers to the closing moments of dragon birth, this season has been ten episodes of television magic. The season finale proved to be nothing short of awe inspiring, but before we get into that I have a few thoughts on something that has been bothering me for the last week.

Now, I know a lot of fans are whining that Drogo and Ned Stark are dead. They’ll complain that you can’t kill off main characters! You can’t get rid of actors that are the main draw for fans! Rubbish, I say. Although I haven’t read the book series, I understand that the producers of the show are following the basic framework and I applaud this. If you go off that path you radically alter what happens down the line and then you can’t really call it Game of Thrones. It bothers me that so many people don’t understand (or respect) creative vision. They think that shows should conform to their tastes and expectations. Not so, folks. Don’t you want to be surprised by plot twists? Don’t you want to be amazed by clever dialogue and character moments that you would never think of? I know you want to be comforted by consistency in what you watch, but if that’s the case, go watch American Idol or something with a set formula. Game of Thrones is just not that kind of show.

With that said, I’ll go on record by saying that this episode‘s final moments left my jaw on the floor somewhere behind the couch. I haven’t been this excited and saddened by a finale since Charlie Pace bit the big one. It was just that good. I could on and on with a detailed recap, but those of you who care have already seen this episode. So I’ll leave you with a few questions and observations.

-          As Lord Commander Jeor Mormont leads the men of the Night’s Watch to war with the forces of ice and death beyond the wall, his son Jorah stands by as dragons are reborn in a funeral pyre. This closes out the season with a poetic link to name of the book series, ‘A Song of Ice and Fire.’

-          And what of those dragons? Danaeris Stormborn of the House Targaryen now has powerful creatures that haven’t been seen alive in over 300 years. As powerful and ruthless as Khal Drogo and his Dothraki warriors were, I doubt they could hold a candle to the might of three fully grown dragons. Does Dany use them to go to war with the citizenry of Westeros?

-          Speaking of Westeros, it seems that if Dany does make her move, it’ll be relatively easy to best her enemies. As the Starks war with the Lannisters and young Joffrey Baratheon puts the hurt on anyone who even looks unfaithful, Robb Stark is hailed as King of the North. What does this mean for House Stark? Do they rescue Arya and Sansa and head back to their new kingdom? Or does Robb press the issue and make a play for Kings Landing and the Iron Throne?

-          The Sisters Stark find themselves in quite interesting circumstances. Sansa is set to marry the man boy who murdered her father. Arya is off to Castle Black under the protection of the Night’s Watch. Does Sansa go through with possibly the worst marriage ever or does she finally assert herself by standing up for her family? And will we see the first Sister of the Night’s Watch in young Arya?

-          Tyrion is set to be the Hand of the King? Has the Imp found legitimacy in the eyes of his father? Time will tell. I’m just glad that the Starks have Jaime in custody. Seeing Catelyn bash his face with a rock had me smiling ear to ear. Take that, pretty man!

-          I don’t see a happy future for the men of the Night’s Watch beyond the wall. Maybe Lord Commander Mormont has bitten of f a bit more than he can chew. It’s been said on numerous occasions that the Watch is somewhat of a joke. It doesn’t resemble the elite defense force it originally began as. Will this ragtag band of criminals, misfits and noblemen be able to best the White Walkers in battle? My heart says yes and every other part of me says no. Good luck boys.

Well, that’s all for me. I hope you all enjoyed Season 1 because I know I did. Unfortunately, waiting till Spring 2012 is going to be painful.

Winter is coming.

It’s been a while since I’ve written about Game of Thrones, but don’t take that as a sign of disinterest. Each successive episode has intrigued me more and more. George R.R. Martin has created one hell of a world, full of characters, creatures and locations on par with Tolkien and the early Marvel Universe. From Jon Snow to Khal Drogo, the characters of a Game of Thrones have, thus far, been extremely compelling. That’s no small feat considering that most characters on television are ciphers, acting mainly to further the plot. In the latest episode, aptly titled ‘You Win or You Die’, all of the major (and some minor) characters get their moment to shine. It seems that this episode was a mediation on Murphy’s Law. When everything that can go wrong does go wrong, what can be done? Well, if you go by this episode, not much. So let’s do the bad luck rundown.

The episode opens with one of the most interesting scenes of the entire series. Tywin Lannister, Patriarch of House Lannister, chastises his son, Jaime ‘Kingslayer’ Lannister for his stupidity. While he shouldn’t have attacked Ned Stark outright, he is chastised for not finishing him off when he had the opportunity. Jaime is humbled when his feather rips into him. “I need you to become the man you were always meant to be” barks Tywin. He further chastises Jaime for being a ‘glorified bodyguard’ to Robert Baratheon. It’s a clever scene that shows just what it takes to humble the supremely smarmy Kingslayer. All of this is done while Tywin skins some sort of deer or elk. And don’t think the symbolism was lost on me, as I noted that the sigil for the House Baratheon is none other than a Stag. The Lannister/Stark feud continues with a quiet showdown between Cersei and Eddard. The much implied secret of Cerseis offspring is finally spoken aloud. Joffrey and his siblings are not the children of King Robert, but the products of the incestuous relationship between twins Jaime and Cersei. It’s interesting that the Lannisters should hide this as Cersei openly speaks of the history of House Targaryen. It’s seems that they too turned to incest in order to assure a pure bloodline. It’s an interesting reveal considering that both houses are characterized by their fair skin and blonde hair, not to mention their scheming. She states that she and Jaime shared a womb. “We came into this world together. We belong together.” she flatly intoned to a stone-faced Eddard. Regardless, Ned Stark levels a weighty threat to Lady Lannister. Pack it up and vacate Kings Landing or else. Cersei will have none of that. She stands her ground, not letting Lord Stark see any fear in her eyes. It’s scary to see her unwavering devotion to her brother/lover. The most loving and devoted relationship of the series seems to be predicated on incest. That’s a frightening thought.

Littlefinger gets his chance to shine in a darkly Shakesperean monologue that would not be out of place being uttered by Iago or Thor’s dastardly brother, Loki. The mysterious Petyr Baelish ruminates on his relationship with Catelyn Stark and the humiliation he suffered at the hands of her then lover, Brandon Stark. He then speaks of how she then moved on to Eddard. All the while, she thought of him a just a boy. As the two whores in his employ ravish eachother, he smiles and declares.“I learned that I’ll never win, not that way. That’s their game, their rules.” As he seats himself, he turns to the camera and states “I’m not going to fight them, I’m going to fuck them.” Littlefinger says this with such a malevolent nonchalance that upon first viewing I was struck with how darkly charismatic he is. But his further proclamation sealed the deal of his status as a villain: “That’s what I know, that’s what I am. And only by admitting what we are can we get what we want.” The fact that we don’t really know what he wants is disconcerting, but by episodes end it’s obvious that he isn’t embarking upon a quest for revenge for any noble purpose.

Robert Baratheon and Ned Stark take center stage after the drunken king is gored by a boar. That’s right, a boar. As the king lies in bed, The Hand of the King enters to speak with his longtime friend. At the behest of the king, Ned transcribes the last will and testament of King Robert Baratheon. When Robert states that the throne should be given to his ‘son’ Geoffrey, Ned cleverly replaces his name with ‘rightful heir.’ It’s a change that goes unnoticed by the dying king and was a twist that probably made many viewers breath a heavy sigh of relief. Robert then rescinds his command to assassinate Danaeris Targaryen, but it’s a bit to late as the assassin has already been dispatched to Dothraki territory. It’s interesting that Robert would change his mind. To some it might seem like a noble gesture, but I don’t see it that way. It only serves to confirm that he was a supremely selfish king. He doesn’t have to worry about the Seven Kingdoms being conquered so what does it matter if he does the noble thing? This made me hold out hope that the drunken king would survive. Unfortunately, he succumbs to his injuries and Geoffrey ascends to the throne. Cue worried face. But we’ll get back to that later.

“The stallion who mounts the world has no need for iron chairs.” These are the first words hear out of the mouth of the mighty Khal Drogo during this episode. As his dutiful Kalisi Danaeris braids his hair, they go back and forth about why they should storm Westeros. He balks at her need to cross the ‘poison waters’ on ‘wooden horses.’ She counters with the need for a throne for a King or Queen to sit upon. The beast of a man smiles, kneels in front of her and states, “A king does not need a chair to sit upon. He only needs a horse.” This was a wonderful scene that illustrated the relationship that now exists between Drogo and Danaeris. What was once a relationship that was characterized solely by marital rape is now one of respect, dialogue and true love. Danaeris wants to go back to Westeros and her husband hears her out. Furthermore, it is a sign of the vast differences between the Dothraki and the civilization of Westeros. Despite their savagery, the Dorthraki want nothing more than to ride and be free. They are active and truly engage with the nature. They have no need to be cloistered in cold, dank castles and want nothing to do with a sedentary lifestyle spent on ‘an iron chair.’ This mindset changes when Danaeris goes to the market and meets a nervous wine salesman. As the Khalisi speaks with the flustered spirit peddler, he runs back to his reserve and provides her with a special cask of wine. As he provides Danaeris with a cask, Ser Jorah Mormont steps in and asks the salesman to take a sip. He grows nervous and tries to run. Quickly captured by the Dothraki bodyguards, the main is obviously the assassin sent to kill the Khalisi. A death via poisoned wine is notable if only because of the role that wine played in the death of Robert Baratheon in this episode.

As Drogo arrives, he sizes up the would-be murderer of his wife and proceeds to unleash his fury in a speech that can only be described as Winston Churchill as a Silverback. “To my son, the stallion who will mount the world, I will also pledge a gift,” begins Drogo, “I will give him the iron chair…that his mother’s father sat upon.” As he begins to circle the room, he gesticulates wildly. His muscles tighten and he declares,” I will kill the men in the iron suits and tear down their stone houses. I will rape their women, take their children as slaves and bring their broken gods back to Vaes Dothrak.” It seems that the trigger to Drogo’s baser instincts was tripped. For all the brutish behavior and the manner in which Viseryis Targaryen mocked the Dothraki people as savages, it seems that it takes quite a bit to push them towards murder and pillaging. I guess when you try to kill someone’s wife, you set yourself up to get your ass kicked.

At Castle Black, Jon Snow is on the observation point on the Wall when he sees his uncle’s horse riding back. Missing from the horse is his actual uncle, Benjen Stark. Whereabouts unknown, Jon is unable to do much as he will be inducted into the Night’s Watch in a matter of hours. Upon the address of the recruits by Lord Commander Mormont (relative of Ser Jorah Mormont?) the watchmen to be are told that they will be broken into three distinct groups: Stewards, Builders and Rangers. There is no doubt that Jon Snow, with his fighting ability and general rugged upbringing would make the perfect ranger. He knows it, his fellow recruits know it and even his superiors silently acknowledge it. But it’s not to be as he is chosen as a Steward for the Lord Commander himself. Why would they ignore his gifts and make him a glorified errand boy? Why would they make a member of a royal bloodline into a servant. Jon Snow displays some rather undignified behavior at this revelation. For all his nobility and fighting vigor, he is, for all intents and purposes, still a boy. But one of his friends sets his head straight and reminds him that what such a position will make him privy to all the goings on of the Watch. He is being put in a position to learn all about the Order and how to run it. Is Jon being groomed for command? Could the bastard become Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch?

The episode ends with Ned Stark teaming with Littlefinger to wrest control of the Iron Throne from Joffrey, the Incest King. As Ned hands the Last Will and Testament of Robert Baratheon to the honorable Ser Barristan Selmy, the knight reads it aloud. Cersei Lannister scoffs and tears the paper in two. She orders Ned to bow and she will allow him to go home to Winterfell. Ned defies the queen and orders the forces under his command to take her and the royal family into custody. The soldiers stand at the ready and then kill what remains of Stark’s personal security detail. Hell breaks loose in the chamber and a limping Ned tries to draw his sword and turn towards the battle. Before he can engage, a blade is at his neck and Littlefinger is over his shoulder. “I did tell you not to trust me.” says the scheming eunuch. Cut to black.

More than anything this episode showed that, despite his honor and skill on the battlefield, Ned Stark is not very good at the Game of Thrones. Even with his enemy in front of him, he couldn’t see the others around him. It seems that the Lion has bested the Wolf, but the Dragon sails to engulf Westeros with it’s flame. But did anyone forget about the first episode? Do you remember the Starks constantly saying, “Winter is coming.”? Do you remember the White Walkers? Well, I do. While the people of Westeros fight amongst themselves, a greater threat moves their way. As I see it, the Dothraki are the least of their worries.

What do you think?

In the land of network television, the month of May can mean only one thing. Say it with me kids, ‘Season Finale!’ Good or bad, season finales are always an interesting proposition. The fact that a creative team attempts to encapsulate an entire season of plot lines into one episode is impressive. Unfortunately, the 44-minute format seems to best even the most skilled and determined productions. Keeping this in mind, the 2010-2011 gave us a quite a few duds but also managed to squeak out some interesting season-enders.

Castle

I can honestly say that Castle is one of the most fun hours currently on network television. It’s an engaging police procedural infused with a very healthy dose of humor. The cast has a genuine dramatic and comedic chemistry AND Nathan Fillion is aces as the title character. So far, the series-long mystery of the murder of Beckett’s mother has been the least interesting aspect of the show. The fact that Stana Katic, while beautiful, is the least compelling actor on the cast has hamstrung that part of the show. Making the vengeance subplot seem meaningful has been difficult until this season’s stellar finale.

The revelation of Captain Montgomery as a part of the Beckett Conspiracy was a stunning twist. To see brothers-in-arms, Esposito and Ryan, nearly come to blows over said revelation was heartbreaking. But, more than anything, the Last Stand of Roy Montgomery was by far the highlight of the season. Yes, he made some mistakes, but in the end he stood by Beckett and Co. The closing moments of the episode were a clever way to lead into next season, but nothing beats the passing of a flawed hero like Captain Montgomery.

House

I won’t mince words, I was very disappointed by House. The finale lacked cohesion. It began with a fascinating premise of a performance artist using House as her latest endeavor. Art imitates life…as a mystery? It would have been a fitting way to end a season that seemed to meander after a strong start. What bothers me the most is that it could have ended on a high note with last week’s brutal episode. Houses attempt to perform surgery on himself to remove tumors in his leg was a brilliant metaphor for his general situation. Try as he might, House won’t ever be able to fix himself unless he acknowledges and accepts the unconditional (and imperfect) love of his make-shift family.

To see the season end with a ridiculously staged car stunt was a letdown. Were the producers going for a ‘cathartic release’-moment? Maybe simple loss of self-control? No, it felt like David Shore and his writing staff have run out of ideas. House has faced down every challenge possible and still stands. He’s been shot, committed (to Cuddy and an asylum) and survived a bus crash. In the end, he snaps and lashes out like an emotional teen? No, it may just be my opinion, but this is where the character development has gone off the rails. The procedural aspect of the show has grown stale, but House has remained a vibrant and fascinating character. This completely undoes all of the character-building of the last seven seasons. I’ll tune in for next seasons premier, but the creative team has a hell of a challenge if they want me to continue watching this train wreck.

The Office

“There is no such thing as a product. Don’t ever think there is. There is only sex. Everything is sex.”

Fringe

Yes, I have gone on record as saying that this was one of the most lackluster television seasons on record. Yes, our fearless Editor-in Chief went so far as to declare, ‘I honestly have nothing to say about this shit ass season.’ Yes, Fringe was relegated to the Friday Night Death Slot. But I will unleash a resound and defiant ‘NO!’ to anyone who tells me that Fringe is not one of the best shows on network television.

The finale answered a lot of questions while giving us one major mystery to solve. Where/When/How is Peter Bishop? When the two universes merged, Peter ceased to be. How? Why? Was this a story point put into place just in case the show didn’t get a fourth season pick-up? Was it a way to leave things open ended or, through judicious editing, tidily end the series? Who knows? Regardless, it was one hell of a ride. Sharp writing. Clever concepts. Stellar acting. Beautiful, simple direction.

It’s not LOST but it’s as close to it as possible.

The Mentalist

Patrick Jane vs Red John

From the outset of the series, the relationship between the wily CBI consultant and the super villain-like serial killer was superbly engaging material. But the season finale gave us a concrete image of Red John besides his creepy calling card. As he stood revealed, he wasn’t a deformed, escaped metal patient. He wasn’t a slick, Patrick Bateman-style murderer. He wasn’t even a physically imposing bruiser in the vein of Sabretooth. No, Red John looked like any middle-aged white guy you might see walking down the street.

Jane set the trap and Red John fell for it. But the tables were turned with Red John subtly brandishing a revolver full of hollow points. Words were exchanged. Promises were made. Taunts were bandied about. Finally, Jane got confirmation that the man who stood before him truly was the killer of his wife and children…and then he shot him. I was slack-jawed. I remember Jane proclaiming his need for vengeance but I never thought he’d go through with it. Regardless, it’s a game changer. I know that term gets bandied about a lot, but this turn of events turns the status quo on its head and spins it around.

So, what were your favorite finale moments?

The verdict has been in for some time for a lot of shows, but this week brought about a spate of surprising (and not so surprising) cancellations.

It’s not surprising to see a lot of these shows on the chopping block. Across the board, this was one of the weakest television seasons of the last ten years. But quality doesn’t seem to be the sole reason for cancellation. Mr. Sunshine, the Chicago Code and Lie to Me were solid, if unspectacular, shows that were well-written and full of decent performances. Unfortunately they just couldn’t beat crap like Hawaii Five-O, which actually pulls down very solid numbers.

But the majority of the programs on this list were just plain terrible. Outsourced? Mad Love? Running Wilde? Law & Order: LA? This is a veritable cornucopia of horrible television. I went on record earlier this season in saying that L&O: LA was a major disappointment. It was a pale imitation of everything that made the original Law & Order, and subsequent spinoffs, fun and engaging television.

But if broadcast television is still full of garbage, what does that mean? Well, it’s obvious that America loves trash. Jersey Shore does monster numbers in the ratings while Fringe teeters on the edge of cancellation. FYI, Fringe was picked up for a fourth season; so rest easy, fellow nerds. It’s obvious that the viewing tastes of the nation are in the toilet but, more importantly, it’s been widely acknowledged that the ratings system is flawed.

Broadcast television is still beholden to the antiquated Nielsen Ratings system and fails to adequately acknowledge digital downloads and online streaming. Even after finding ways to monetize content from the internet, the networks still cling to an old and severely outdated system. But it doesn’t matter, because there is no way that we can affect any change. Watch your shows. Just don’t get too attached to them.

Here is the rundown as of 5/15. Rest in Peace.

ABC                                                                              

Detroit 1-8-7              
Mr. Sunshine                                                                 
My Generation
No Ordinary Family
Off the Map                                                                   
The Whole Truth
Brothers & Sisters

CBS

Chaos
The Defenders
$#*! My Dad Says
Live to Dance
Mad Love
Medium

FOX

Breaking In                                                                    
The Chicago Code                                                         
Human Target                                                                
Lie to Me
Lone Star                                                                       
The Good Guys
Running Wilde
Traffic Light

NBC

Chase
The Event
The Cape
Law & Order: LA
Life Unexpected
Outsourced
Perfect Couples

CW

Smallville (planned final season)

On the other side of the dead list are the shows that didn’t get picked up for the 2011-2012 season. Chief among them (for me anyway) are Wonder Woman and Precinct 17. I was following the development of each show for very different reasons and was surprised that both failed to get a pick-up for the upcoming season.

The Good:

Wonder Woman not getting picked up is a positive thing…for all of us. Aside from having TV writing god, David E. Kelley, on board ; this series radiated an aura of bad television.

Adrianne Palicki being cast as WW was the first sign of a misunderstanding of the property. Filling the supporting cast with the likes of Justin Bruening and Elizabeth Hurley continued the spiral towards the land of mediocre viewing.

Upon seeing the costume design for the show and Palicki in action as Wonder Woman, it was obvious that this show was destined to NOT get a season pick-up. Be thankful for all of this. Very, very thankful.

The Bad:

Precint 17 was the brainchild of Battlestar Galactica mastermind, Ronald D. Moore. It was described as a police procedural set in a fantasy world. Think of a magical version of Fringe or, for the Harry Potter set, Aurors: The Series.

It would have reunited Moore with former BSG vets Jamie ‘Lee Adama’ Bamber, Tricia ‘Six’ Helfer and James ‘Gaius Baltar’ Callis. Toss in Kristen Kreuk of Smallville fame and you have quite an interesting series.

Unfortunately, the networks weren’t impressed with the pilot and the project was killed. No BSG reunion and no magic cops. Alas, I should be thankful I still have Fringe to watch.

Later, folks.

Well, I didn’t expect that. A season spent jumping between universes ends with a trip forward in time. This is exactly what I love about Fringe. Like its predecessors, LOST and Battlestar Galactica, Fringe is not afraid to take risks in its storytelling. They look danger in the face and say, ‘Whatever, dude!’ And with that we begin our look back at ‘The Day We Died’.

First off, there seemed to be a great deal of symmetry to this episode. The cold open with the End of Dayers started things with a literal bang. But where did that bang take place? From the look of it, none other than the opera house where Team Cortexiphan made their heroic incursion into Earth-2 during Fringe’s second season. This makes sense because there would be an interdimensional ‘soft spot’ due to the aforementioned Earth-2 incursion.

As the title sequence began, it was immediately obvious that something was different. Gone was the cold blue of our world or the blood red of the other universe. In their place was a silver/grey color scheme that hinted at the dire situation faced by the citizens of the future.  It also seems that Fringe science has advanced, as the list of topics was beyond most anything I am familiar with.

- Cellular Rejuvenation                              - Chaos Structure                                    

- Thought Extraction                                  – Dual Maternity

-  Cryptozoology                                              – Clonal Transplantation

- Neural Partitioning                                    – Biosuspension

- Brain Porting                                                  – Water

- Temporal Plasticity                                   - Hope

The fact that water and hope are on a list with these Fringe sciences is particularly disheartening, even in such a bleak future. Considering that water from the ecosystem is being lost to the myriad wormholes that seem to regularly pop up, it’s  no surprise that scientists would be searching for a way to artificially create it. But to see hope up there with areas of fringe science that are so far beyond what is currently being contemplated is scary. Has the world fallen into such decay that hope is no longer a fundamental of life? Have things worsened so much that the world has turned to science to manufacture hope? If so, it’s a future that even heroes like Peter, Broyles, Olivia and Walter would be hard pressed save.

As we catch up with the future, we were treated to a very young Agent Dunham, a Peter who’s hairline is very reminiscent of his fathers and an Olivia Dunham that bears a striking resemblance to the Bourne Supremacy’s Pamela Landy. Unfortunately, we also get to see a bionic-eyed Senator Broyles and a broken down Walter Bishop.

I was actually heart-broken to see a Walter who was, once again, imprisoned for the catastropically negative results of his experimentation. The gentle Dr. Bishop sported a UnaBomber-esqe beard and physical markers of someone who suffered a stroke. It seemed that the years had not been kind to Walter. His release from prison after 15 years mirrored his earlier release from the asylum in Season 1, only this time he is greeted with open arms by his son.

While Walter was freed to help save the world, it seemed that Walternate had escaped his worlds destruction and was hastening the degradation of our world. But what of his world? Well, apparently Peter had chosen to use the machine to eradicate it in favor of his adopted world. But much like many well-intentioned decisions, it backfired. It seems that Earths 1 & 2 were ‘inextricably linked’ and the lost of one universe completely upset the balance in the other. Let this be a lesson to all: Never destroy an alternate universe! But we’ll get back to that later.

As the episode progressed, we witnessed a showdown between father and son and a version of Olivia that was so confident in herself that she had mastered her psychic powers.  Unfortunately, we also witnessed Walters’s heart-felt embrace of Olivia and the murder of the aforementioned Director Dunham at the hands of Walternate. Symmetry, remember?

In the end, it came down to father and son. Walter and Peter discussed the reasons for their current predicament and Walter dropped the seasons nuclear warhead-sized reveal. Remember the ‘First People’? The ancient, advanced precursor race to humanity that created the machine? Well,  strictly speaking, there are no First People. It seems that Walter is the creator of the machine and that he is also responsible for sending it back through time to give Peter the chance save both worlds.

So, don’t I feel like an idiot? My earlier column went on and on about the amazing First People and their crazy primordial tech. In the end, the First People weren’t an advanced people from the past, but the last generation of a dying alternate future. Leave it to Fringe to pull the sci-fi version of a rope-a-dope on us. As I alluded to earlier, the answer to a problem between two universes was time travel. Go figure.

The finale closes with Peter not choosing either world for destruction. Instead, he chooses a path that no one (character or viewer) would have thought of: He chooses to create a bridge between the two worlds. Utilizing the machine, he creates a dimensional de-militarized zone for Walternate, Walter, the Olivias and the rest of those involved to worked together to save both worlds.

Alas, it’s not without some type of unexpected result: Peter winks out of existence and no one seems to notice. Outside, the Observers stand united and discuss how Peter never existed. Never existed?! This was Fringe pulling a ‘Move the Island’ from the playbook. Many of us didn’t think the show would make it past this season, but a renewal for Season 4 opens up myriad impossibilities, not the least of which will be the Search for Peter. It’s somewhat obvious that no one seems to ever remember  Peter existing, but once they start to examine their respective worlds, there is no doubt that they will begin to question things. Confused? Well, if he never existed, why are the two worlds at war? Why did Walter journey to the other side? Who is the father of Fauxlivia’s child? Inconsistencies will lead both sides to realize that something is off.

With that said, this season was the best yet and I look forward to the next.

Peter is forgotten, but not gone.

Later, folks.

How is it that HBO is so successful in putting out original programming? While the networks struggle to put out quality television, the venerable Home Box Office rarely suffers a misfire. In the last ten years, network television has given us ten (and I’m being generous) outstanding series. That’s ten shows across five networks. In ten years, HBO has given us The Sopranos, Flight of the Conchords, Carnivale, The Wire, Six Feet Under, Treme, Deadwood, Rome, Big Love and countless mini-series. With that said, I’m amazed that HBO has succeeded in putting out another astonishingly good series in Game of Thrones.

The first episode is a beautiful example of how to set up a series. From the beautiful opening credit sequence to the jaw-dropping closing seconds, everything serves to inform the viewer about where the show is going. The set-up is simple enough: King Robert Baratheon visits his old friend, Lord Eddard Stark, to ask him to become his right hand man. Across the sea, the exiled heir to the throne plots his return by essentially selling his sister to the ruler of a nomadic tribe that he plans to use as his army. What ensues is the clash and scheming of four families.

Houses Lannister, Stark, Baratheon and Targaryen are as different as can be; shades on a spectrum of political scheming. Jaime, Cersei and Tyrion Lannister embody deceit and treachery of the highest order, not to mention practitioners or rather peculiar sexual acts. For all of his imperfections, King Robert Baratheon is a man who wants to do the right thing but seems to give in to his baser instincts and the political & familial pressures around him. Eddard ‘Ned’ Stark strikes an imposing figure as the head of a large and incredibly noble family. Sure, they have their issues, but it seems that one thing a Stark is incapable of is denying their duty. Finally, the Targaryens are not so much siblings as a glorified pimp and his unwilling whore.

All of this is wrapped in a setting that feels like Lord of the Rings 1,000 years after all of the magic and mythical creatures have faded into nothing. Dire Wolves? Dragon Eggs? The Nights Watch? The Wall? All of these things have an epic and mythic air to them and hint at larger goings on. There is no doubt that, beneath the cold, political and family politics of this show, lies a fantasy epic of massive proportions.

But it all starts with character. The bastards (literal or otherwise) Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister stand out among a cast of fascinating characters. They are the black sheep of their noble houses and have dealt with their lots in life in different ways. The Stark Bastard, Jon Snow, has externalized his issues by being the best sibling he can be. He is deadly serious and a doting brother who looks over all of his half-siblings. The dwarfish Tyrion Lannister is a diminutive badass who holds his own in the intellectual arena to make up for his physical shortcomings. Each leaves for the mythic ‘Wall of the North.’ Their reasons? Snow has chosen to defend his people as part of the ancient order of the Nights Watch while Lannister simply wants to climb to the top of the wall and piss off the side. Make no mistake, these are two very different men who, despite their differences, yearn for acceptance by their families.

Only two episodes in and Game of Thrones has me on the edge of my seat. It combines the magic and myth of Tolkien with the drama and political scheming of the West Wing. I think that’s quite the combination.
See you all next week.

Okay, y’all. Before I delve into the detailed epic-ness of last night’s episode of Glee (there’s so much to say!), will someone please explain to me why every time I’m not a huge fan of the musical numbers, the plot line blows me away? I mean, just ONCE I would like to be wowed by both aspects of the show. I especially hated The Warbler’s rendition “Animal”. Totally irrelevant to the plot, and totally un-sexy, which is saying a lot because Darren Criss (Blaine) is to die for. I literally D.I.E. for him.

With that said, I am loving the Sexual Education in High Schools theme. Once again, the writers of Glee have touched upon a very hot button, politicized topic. What was the lesson learned? Through Holly Holiday‘s overtly sexual classes versus Emma’s ‘celibacy’ club meetings, it’s evident that NEITHER approach works. Which leads me directly into the best and most balanced form of Sex Ed exemplified by Burt’s discussion with Kurt: THE MOST EFFECTIVE FORM OF SEXUAL EDUCATION IS PARENTS DISCUSSING EVERYTHING WITH THEIR CHILDREN.

We have children learning about sex through media like music videos a la Gwyneth Paltrow’s rendition of Joan Jett’s “Do You Wanna Touch”, which is totally over the top and unrealistic. Yet we also have children receiving an “abstinence-only” education, which is also totally over the top, and unrealistic (a la the Celibacy Club’s rendition of Afternoon Delight, which I was totally screaming at. I mean, what irony?? LMAO).

Burt Hummel’s discussion with Kurt was totally on point and completely heart-wrenching for about a million reasons. First, what parent do you know to actually go to the clinic to pick up literature about sex and have an open discussion about the topic?? My mom spoke to me about sex, but there were no pamphlets involved. I just got a copy of “Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret” by Judy Blume and that was that. Secondly, and most IMPORTANTLY (and what brought me to tears the first of two times during the episode) we were shown a single-father discussing safe-sex in a homosexual relationship. I mean, I’m really not sure if everyone realizes how profound/progressive that was.

There were some parts of the conversation, which I found problematic. My friend Tos agrees here:

As for Kurt and Burt’s conversation. they are my favorite scenes on this show hands down. It’s the reason Chris Colfer won a Golden Globe and the reason Mike O’Malley is the best “father” on network television right now. Their chemistry as a father/son on screen is unmatched. I loved the conversation, especially Burt’s line about not throwing yourself around like you don’t matter, but I did feel like Burt got a good chunk wrong. He did some gender stereotyping, by stating there are a lot more emotions involved for women. This wasn’t the talk that Kurt needed.

Gender stereotypes involved or not, the baby steps taken by televising this sort of conversation gives me hope for the future of gender-equality in this country. Which brings us to Santana and her deep confusion about her feelings for Brittany.

……………

The above was a moment of silence in appreciation and acknowledgment for Naya Rivera‘s performance (Santana Lopez) last night. Is she a bisexual? Is she a lesbian? The point is, it really doesn’t matter. What Santana finally admitted was her love for her friend. Whether it was her attraction to a male or her attraction to a female is completely beside the point. She doesn’t need to be labeled. Whether or not the show completely jumped the shark with Santana’s storyline remains to be seen (My friend Kimberlee really wants to know what they’re going to do with her now. Is she going to go back to being the bitchy queen of the school? Is she going to explore her feelings for women further with someone else? Also, why couldn’t Brittany just break-up with Artie? Who knows). What is evident from this episode is that Naya Rivera can act her ass off, and I’m happy she finally got some character development.

Santana’s performance of Landslide with Holly Holiday and Brittany was the only musical number I really enjoyed this episode. Although the rendition was way too close to the Dixie Chicks version, and as Tos says, Holly really should have just let the girls perform the song themselves.

Can we all just discuss for a moment how well the show portrays the tortured/confused souls of high school students everywhere? I love it. I wonder what high school would have been like for me if there was a show on the air like Glee. Hey all my high school readers, what do you guys think? Does Glee give you something to relate to?

Although the episode had a very serious overtone, I was dying laughing thanks to Brittany’s inability to understand where babies come from

“I don’t need to go doctor, I can just look outside my window and see that a bird built a nest outside my window and is getting ready to drop a baby off.”

and Lauren Zices’ new desire to become famous by starring in a sex tape

“Well Puckerman, it’s your lucky day…remember I told you I had a master plan? Here it is, can you think of a celebrity who released a tape of their intimate relations that DIDN’T make them more famous?…Rachel Barry wants to be a famous singer…I just wanna be famous. Doing that number for Glee club was my first step toward being a star. I wanna be like a Kardashian. I want a TV show AND a fragrance. It’ll be called Zices, and the slogan will be, ‘You just got Ziced’.”

Overall, I give the episode an A+ for plot line and character development, and a C- for musical numbers. Sigh. Let’s get both up to an A+ for regionals, please?

I’ve been watching Southland religiously since its debut on NBC. From the outset, it’s been one of the most well-written and beautifully acted shows on television. Unfortunately, I’ve been struggling to adequately sum up my feelings on the tone and direction of Season 3. This isn’t to say that this season has been bad. In fact, I’ve been blown away. Upon finishing this week’s installment, I can sum up this season in one word: suffering.

As this season opens, I noticed that this season had shifted its cast a bit and shaken off some of character detritus of seasons past. Gone are the extra detectives and patrolmen/women and present are streamlined sets of partners. The breakdown is simple: Cooper/Sherman, Bryant/Moretta and Adams/Ochoa. These are the seasons players. Now back to the suffering.

It all begins fairly inconspicuously. Detective Adams is dealing with her new (and rather difficult) partner, Josie Ochoa. Their two polar opposite personalities clash about nearly everything: how to treat victims, how to prioritize cases and even where to eat lunch. Cooper and Sherman continue their mentor/student relationship with all the usual verbal jabs and crazy calls from citizens.  Bryant and Moretta move through their lives seemingly as the happiest of the three groups of partners. Despite their previous marital issues, Bryant and his wife are expecting their first child while Moretta continues his charmed life. All of this is simply the calm before the storm.

While the detectives and officers go about their duties, personal hardship continues to mount. Cooper’s back problems begin to worsen and, as his reliance on painkillers continues to grow, his usually professional demeanor and moral code begins to degrade. Sherman has to deal with the recently released rapist of his mother and draws some unwanted attention from his superiors. These two partners continue to support each other but the cracks start to show.

While Bryant and Moretta investigate a case, Bryant raves about how he’s going to treat his child and how he plans on naming it after his father, Wayne. All seems perfect until Bryant finds out that his wife has cheated on him with her art teacher. He loses it and ends up on his partners couch. His wife has kicked him out of his own house and isn’t even sure the child is his. It’s a standard plot twist that is used to great effect and is sold on the strong performance by Shawn Hatosy. Unfortunately, it’s not the only suffering that will befall the duo. On the way home after hard day on the job, Moretta and Bryant encounter some gang members who apparently threw a beer bottle at their car. Bryant urges Moretta to let it go, but he chooses to stop and jaw a bit. It’s a tense standoff that seemingly ends with Bryant and Moretta walking away…until one of the gangbangers takes a pipe to Moretta’s skull. As his partner goes down, Bryant struggles to keep his attackers at bay. Moretta lies there, lifeless. Just like that, he’s gone, and Bryant sinks further into despair.

Fast forward through the season and we see Adams falsely accused of leaking pictures to the press. Cooper loses it and gets so hopped up on pills that he is rendered completely useless on a daily patrol. In the absence of his partner, Bryant attempts to imitate the natural toughness that made Moretta such a great cop. He loses it and eventually nearly kills the suspect from a lineup who he believes to be his partner’s killer. And to top it all off, Adams finds out that her former partner, Russel, is the reason for her difficulties with the department.

Suffering has made this season stand out from the previous two. Season 3 has explored the causes of these characters’ suffering, rightful or not.  Each character has either  succumbed to or bested the suffering inflicted upon them by criminals, friends and even themselves. I’d be dishonest if I even tried to sell you on this show being a feel good romp through the world of police. This  show is completely and utterly the epitome of dark and mature story-telling.

In the world of Southland, there aren’t usually happy endings. There are only different degrees of suffering and how people deal with it. To paraphrase one of my favorite sayings, ‘There’s no justice, there’s just us.’

All of these months of hiatus from blogging from the world of television came about because of my lack of inspiration. This came to a screeching HALT tonight after Glee rocked my world.

First and foremost, can we briefly discuss the fact that although I usually am not a fan of Valentine’s Day…I LOVED the love song theme of this episode? They gave us P.Y.T. by MJ, Firework by Katy Perry, Fat Bottom Girls by Queen, and When I Get You Alone by Robin Thicke. I was literally SCREAMING for each and every single number for a whole bunch of different reasons. The cast gets an A+ for performance execution and vocals for this week.

Now, lets talk plot line. Sigh. I really don’t like this new cocky version of Finn. I also am not sure if I appreciate the fact that now Finn is trying to get Quinn to cheat on Sam (as she pointed out) while simultaneously crucifying Rachel for doing the same to him. Lame. Finn, you’re a loser right now. Like I said on Twitter though, cute homage to Peanuts with the kissing booth, but we’d much prefer a kissing booth with Blaine. Step your game up, Finn.

I adore the relationship between Lauren and Puck. How hilarious are they? Lauren totally is a bad ass, and Puck’s bad boy swag has me swooning every time he opens his mouth (yes, I have a thing for bad boys…it’s one of my flaws…shut up).

If you haven’t already heard I am Santana’s biggest fan. She’s beautiful, talented and sassy…but getting infected with mono to pass it to Quinn/Finn? That’s just gross on so many levels. I guess we’re lucky though that it wasn’t an STD. But wait, this is network television…that would have only happened if this were an HBO show. Regardless, Santana never f
ails to be a huge beeyotch on a consistent basis…which is another reason I love her. I don’t, however, appreciate the Latina stereotypes she perpetuates…but that’s for another blog post.

I’ve also ranted before about how much I hate Artie. He went up a few ranks in my book because he sang P.Y.T. My favorite Michael Jackson song OF ALL time. Where is his plotline though? As a matter of fact, where are all the others’ plot lines? I want/need more of Brittnay S. Pierce in my life. I want to find out more about Mercedes. The show totally uses them for their performance chops and forgets about them during plot lines.

Rachel. Oh, Rachel. You are annoying as all hell. Like I explained to my friend Tos, Lea Michele is TRUE glamor definition, but Rachel needs to sit down before I kill her. Lea BELTED it out for Firework. Just like Darren Criss annihilated Teenage Dream, Lea killed another Katy Perry song, allowing me to draw the following conclusion: Katy Perry’s repertoire should be split evenly among Lea Michele, Darren Criss….and Kelly Clarkson (like my friend Calvin once pointed out, causing a light bulb to go on in my brain). Think about this conclusion please, and get back to me with your thoughts.

I approve of Rachel taking some time to embrace being single. Sometimes, a girl just has to embrace the single life and use it as a time to better herself and her career. I am proud of her for not begging. Finn ain’t worth it, honey.

That leaves us (plot-wise) with the relationship between Kurt and Blaine. Swoon. I love them together. I am ecstatic about how Glee producers/writers are allowing their plot to slowly thicken. It’s about time we have a realistic gay couple on network television without slutting them out. I am a total fangirl for Blaine (Darren Criss), and Kurt is absolutely adorable and likable as a character. This is the TV couple to root for in 2011. I thought Kurt was going to die and crawl into a little hole of rejection after Blaine’s serenade in the Gap. Kurt totally took the understanding high road and used it as a way to relate and empathize with Blaine. Bravo. I love, love, love them.

As a future hairdresser, I want to point out how amazingly different Brittnay (Heather Morris) looks with her hair down. So much better, right? Also, did you all know she danced with Beyonce during her I Am tour? She is the “Single Lady” on Beyonce’s left, puttin a ring on it like no other white girl can. She’s got the moves and the looks.

You guys may have noticed I didn’t write about Sunday night’s episode. Well, that’s because I thought it was horrible. Completely, and utterly forced. I don’t know much about much…but I am PRETTY positive that episode was filmed as an afterthought. Think about it…there was no relevancy to the linear plot line of the show. And it was annoyingly infused with Football/Cheerleader drama. Also, did you guys like how Bills, Bills, Bills (Destiny’s Child) sung by the Warblers had nothing to do with the entire episode?? I’d like to forget Sunday night’s Glee episode, and chalk it up to Ryan Murphy and the rest of the Glee geniuses having to cow tow to Fox executives to pull in post Super Bowl ratings. I’m calling a do over.

Did you all see the previews to next week’s installment? Justin Bieber? Really? Like Tos pointed out, the show has officially began to JUMP THE SHARK. How far are the Glee execs going to go to appease every version of payola? Payola meaning….I know you HAD to recognize that the Biebster is being included next week because of his Never Say Never release? I can’t. More about this next week.

With all of that said, welcome back to the site, y’all! You better come back for more next week with Glee…and stay tuned for more TV. Because I Have A Degree In This (like my friend Kimberlee says) and ‘afores I ends you (like Santana said tonight).

xoxo,

- F

…By the way, be sure to follow me on Twitter (@TheFaithShow) to get second by second commentary and to discuss all Glee episodes live!

The moment all us Gleeks having been waiting for is upon us! The Return of Glee to Television this Sunday! And what a way to return with a post-superbowl extravaganza. Now we all know Glee doesn’t do anything small, so be prepared for some awesome numbers and choreography this Sunday! But what about the rest of the season? What should we expect for the latter half of Season 2? More auto-tune? More Gay? More Blaine? YES, YES, and YES I say. But there’s much to look forward to. So here is a preview (both confirmed and rumored) of what’s in store for the kids at Mckinley High!

Old Relationships:

As Finn and Rachel continue their split up drama, will some old love interests come back into both their lives? Quite possible. We will see the return of Puckleberry (Puck and Rachel) as well as a possible revisit of Finn and Quinn? Uh Oh. Where does that leave Ken…er, I mean Sam? Let’s also hope that no babies are involved this time, please. Also, let’s watch for the return of a character that was much loved last season and is now public enemy No. 1 this season. Which leads me to…

Redemption:

Jesse St. James. Yes. The bitch is back folks. Jonathan Groff has been confirmed as a guest star for a couple of episodes of Glee this spring. Will he back to torture the Glee kids and Rachel? Or is it (as I think it is) his redemption song? Let’s face it, what ended up happening to Jesse’s story at the end of season 1 was jaw-dropping, with the egg smash heard round the world. But because Jonathan Groff is so beloved in both the Glee Universe and the Broadway Universe, he must return! And I think he will be back to finally make amends with Rachel for what he did. There may be a twist here and there and another fling for Rachel here and there, but in the end this will be Jonathan’s proper send-off from Glee that was taken from him by the writers last season.

And speaking of redemption, I think we should also expect some more redemption of Rachel Berry. Let’s face it, Rachel has become so disgusting this season. With her crying, selfishness, delusions of grandeur, and cheating. But at the end of the day, Rachel is the lead actress and heroine of the story. I think we will see a redemption arc with her story where she finally grows up for real. And I think the person who will help her with this will be the one she hurt first this season, Sunshine Corazon (Charice). It won’t come easy. Be prepared for a MOTHER-F@#%ING SING OFF, BITCHES! And of course every redemption story needs a happy ending, so let’s be ready for Rachel and Finn to be back together by the time spring rolls around.

The Kurt Hummel Show:

Like it or not, Kurt is now a major player on Glee. Chris Colfer’s Golden Globe award solidified that. So be ready for more Kurt-centric episodes. Most likely all these episodes will wrap up his bullying arc and hopefully lead to his return to William Mckinley High where he truly belongs. There is much unfinished business to explore with his tormentor, Dave Karofsky. I don’t mind these Kurt episodes, because it means MORE DARREN CRISS! Which is a great thing. This half-season we will be seeing alot of Blaine as he solidifies his part in the Glee World as he prepares to move into a featured cast member for season 3 and not just a guest star as he will be for the rest of this season.

Love is in the Air:

And speaking of Kurt and Blaine, CAN THEY KISS ALREADY?! Although I’m very happy the way the writers are slowly developing their relationship, we better see some nookie by the middle of the season. They can’t continue to tease us like this! Kurt and Blaine are the Power Couple of the LGBT teen revolution that is currently happening in pop culture. We will definitely be seeing alot more of their story this season.

But what about Artie/Brittany and Tina/Mike Chang? Will their relationships flourish or fizzle? Are Artie and Tina still meant to be? And when will Mercedes finally get a love interest? AND FOR THAT MATTER WHEN WILL MERCEDES HAVE HER OWN STORYLINE THAT DOESN’T INVOLVE BEING HEAVY? Also, I would love to see the show explore Santana and Brittany’s bisexuality more. Let’s hope the writers explore all the Glee characters this half-season.

Guest Stars Galore:

LOTS OF CONFIRMED AND RUMORED GUEST STARS! Katie Couric, Charice, Cheyenne Jackson, Jonathan Groff, Kristin Chenoweth, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Anne Hathaway just to name a few. EXCITING STUFF!

The Faculty:

Will Sue Sylvester finally find true love and bring down the Glee kids once and for all? Does it even matter what happens anymore with Sue? Whenever she is on-screen the world stops. Jane Lynch commands that much power on the show.

What about Will and Emma? Can they rekindle their flame or is Emma destined to spend her life with Uncle Jesse? Let’s just say, be prepared for Will to play the field more with other ladies and of course his ex-wife Terri will have a BIG impact this season to make his life miserable.

Actual Glee Competion:

Ryan Murphy promised Gleeks that the season finale would be at nationals in New York. So does this mean that the kids will finally win Regionals? Where does that leave the Warblers and Vocal Adrenaline? And where will that leave Blaine? And how are they gonna get all the way to a nationals storyline in 14 episodes? Let’s hope they can do it. I’m just excited for all the music that will be coming up! Gaga, Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, etc.

And that’s what you shouldn’t miss…on…GLEE!