Thursday, June 10, 2010

If You Can Feel What I'm Feeling Then It's A Musical Masterpiece. If You Can Hear What I'm Dealing With Then That's Cool At Least.

Quick Hitters and Random Thoughts

--Heisenberg FTMFW! Ain’t no half-measures. Typical Breaking Bad with powerful scenes left and right. You knew we were in for a good one when “Windy” opened up the show. Nice little days in the life of a crack whore and oh what a glamorous life Wendy leads. Loved when Mike (Jonathan Banks) and Walt had their little sit down and Mike played story time. More on him in a second. Jesse and Walt had a beer and Jesse came up with the most thought out, clear headed revenge idea he’s ever had come out of that half-fried brain of his. He was even able to justify it, just not to Walt’s liking. This show is so good at presenting both sides of the conflict and leaving it up to you to decide what’s right and what’s wrong. Anytime Gus and Walt are in a scene it’s going to be good and adding Jesse in the trailer made it great. Jesse/Aaron Paul is so damn good in this role. There’s no way they kill him off right? Right? No series is more effective in the two-minute drill than Breaking Bad in its final two minutes every week. Outstanding! The finale on Sunday will be followed by a sneak peek of Rubicon, but I have a feeling I’ll have to watch that the next day because I’ll need to decompress for a bit after watching the season finale.

One of my favorite 80’s television series was Wiseguy with Ken Wahl and Jonathan Banks. First of all how can you come up with a better undercover name than Vinnie Terranova?! Second of all, Sonny Steelgrave. The first season of this show with Ray Sharkey/Sonny was some damn television. Jonathan Banks/Frank McPike was Vinnie’s handler and played that role as perfectly as he’s playing this one. For me this was one of the first shows that showed a lot of gray characters instead of starkly good or bad. Good stuff and I definitely need to revisit that 1987 first season sometime and see how it stands up.


--Two more episodes of Treme left in this season and it’s still just kinda there for me. I don’t particularly like it a lot. I don’t dislike it. I just don’t get much out of it, but there’s sure as sh** not much else on right now so I’ll make it the rest of the way. I do enjoy reading Dave Walker’s “Treme Explained” though.

--What would be the greatest paintball tournament to ever be involved in? If you answered one where you’re playing with the cast of The Wire then you’re right. Apparently Jamie Hector/Marlo is organizing a tournament for a charity. Signed up so far is the likes of Kima, Bodie, Snoop, Slim and a little someone named Omar. Holy sh**! Play paintball with Omar?! Are you f’n serious?! Is he going to whistle the whole time?!


--As someone who has Voltron in their Netflix Watch Instantly queue I’m not terribly excited about Voltron Force starting up on Nicktoons next year. And oh yay! “new recruits” are going to join Team Voltron.

--Because apparently it’s the thing to do now, Vanessa Marcil is going back to General Hospital.

Who gets Antonio Sabato Jr.?

--There are roundtables and then there’s the Hollywood Reporter’s recent roundtable with Neil Patrick Harris, Ed Helms, Ty Burrell, Ted Danson, Jim Parsons and Aziz Ansari. Love Ted Danson’s answer to what is his biggest criticism of his work:
“I need a seven-year space where I can genuinely look at it again. First time, I see my nose, my hair, my age, my something -- pure physical -- and I'm depressed. Second time, I go, ‘Hmm, I guess I'm not that bad.’ Third time, I notice there are other actors in the scene! (Laughs.)”

--If I had to wish a slow, painful, torture on anyone this week I’d go with Joran van der Sloot in a heartbeat. I’d let Jack Bauer do the torture and let him take van der Sloot to death’s door time and time again without ever letting him in.

--I thought I wouldn’t feel older than when Ken Griffey Jr. retired last week and then the Astros go and draft Delino Deshields Jr.

--Ummm, why is Real World still trying?
And even I think Jersey Shore is starting to get overexposed and I watched every last greasy minute of that trainwreck.


--Whoa, whoa, whoa there’s a Vanilla Cookies ‘n’ Cream from Blue Bell now?!

--Kim K. as the next Lara Croft?! Sure, why not?

Whatever happened to that guy?

--Who dares try to unmask La Parka?! This guy. We all know it’s Juventud Guerrera in there anyway. If Wikipedia has this correct, and I’m sure it does, once upon a time Konnan dropped a Najeh Davenport in Juventud’s gym bag. Sounds about right. But to do it just last year?! I mean Konnan was 45 years old, don’t you outgrow that sort of thing? And apparently once upon a time Konnan had hair because he once wrestled Jake the Snake Roberts in a hair vs. hair match. He actually won that. I need to find some Max Moon on YouTube because I don’t remember that gimmick he used in the WWF before he moved to WCW.

I do remember seeing him at the Dome before a show one time. He was just walking along the concourse and apparently I was the only guy who recognized him and no I didn’t ask to touch his hat or ask him to let me speak on this. I think it was the forgettable Nitro that Bam Bam Bigelow and maybe Tank Abbot, anyway, they took their fight to the outside and rolled in those grass embankments. Al Davis thinks WCW ran itself into the ground.


--Entertainment Weekly lists Glee’s Top 10 Performances this season. Pretty crappy list with "Safety Dance" at 6 and "Bad Romance" at 2. Predictably "Don’t Stop Believin'" is #1. I agree whole heartedly with everything Ken Tucker writes about Glee’s main problems – themes, lessons learned, and the female characters. Most accurate description of the second half of this season: “Glee has also become, I’m sorry to say, a bit strained, a tad self-congratulatory.”
Now having said all that, damn that was an outstanding finale along the lines of what we saw the first half of this season. The second half of the season suffered from the above-mentioned problems, but that finale was spot on. New Directions killed the Journey medley. Even Puck and Santana got a verse in the medley. Vocal Adrenaline killed "Bohemian Rhapsody." Hell, I was even down with “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” I’m glad New Directions didn’t win because the episode didn’t really need that it had so much of everything else in all its sappy, cheesy glory. As always lots of good Sue moments, but my personal favorite: "Your hair looks like briar patch. I keep expecting racist animated Disney characters to pop up and start singing songs about livin' on the bayou."
Oh and that dentist Emma is dating is going to be John Stamos.


--So how do you get to be one of the contestants on Next Food Network Star and you’re not able to semi-comfortably look at a camera and speak? I’m not even looking for coherent thought behind your words, just noise. Oh by the way this competition is over after only one week. Congratulations Aria.

--Now that Firefly is on Netflix Watch Instantly I can zip through it this summer. It’s also one of the retro shows that Alan Sepinwall is going to be going back and reviewing on a weekly basis. I’ve only watched the first two-hour pilot, but I’m liking where this is going and who isn’t in it? Nathan Fillion, Morena Baccarin (Diana in V, Roger Dodger), Adam Baldwin (Chuck, Platoon), Alan Tudyk (V and a helluva lot of other small roles), Gina Torres (24, The Shield), Ron Glass (Barney Miller), Summer Glau and the lovely and talented Christina Hendricks. So when this originally aired Fox didn’t air the pilot until the first season was over and the show was cancelled?! Um, shouldn’t pilots, oh I don’t know, air first? Man, Fox, I expect that crap from NBC, but you?


--I’m no baseball expert, but I think this Stephen Strasburg kid might be one to watch. Best part? Game was only 2 hours and 19 minutes. Stupidest part? A Nationals fan throwing Delwyn Young’s HR ball back on the field. Are you nuts? That’s the first and likely only home run Strasburg will ever give up!
Back to a real pitcher…Kenny F’n Powers comes back with Eastbound & Down on September 26th.

--Our Bad Timing Award of the Week goes to Mother Nature for being a bitch ass in North Carolina the other day. Richard Butler and his girl Bethany Lott were hiking up a mountain and Richard’s plan was to propose once they reached the top. Nice. However, Mother Nature decided to conjure up a lightning storm and yeah, hit the happy couple with a bolt. They were both knocked down, but only Richard got up. He tried CPR and eventually he found some help, but sadly Bethany passed away. Why you gotta be like that Mother Nature?

--I think I went once in New York and didn’t really care for it, but ESPN Zone restaurants are closing down.
/tear

--TV Squad had a nice interview with Walton Goggins including some talk about Shane’s final terribly sad scene on The Shield. Between Stanley Cup and NBA Finals I still haven’t watched Justified’s finale.

--A David Hasselhoff roast on Comedy Central?! What a layup? Please let K.I.T.T. get a turn.

--In New York Conan did some stuff with Colbert, Stewart and played with Vampire Weekend. Now in Nashville he’s doing something with Jack White. Somebody should give this guy a show.

--Another day, another set of ideas for what to do with the Dome. If you tear down the Dome the only thing that should go up in its place is Astroworld.

--Trump looking to add Lindsay Lohan to Celebrity Apprentice? I’d rather watch Bethenny Getting Married? Okay, not really I’d actually turn off the TV if those were my only two options and believe me turning off the TV is saying something.

--If I’m Michigan I’m not turning down any possible source of revenue so if some ecologist wants PINUS on their personalized license plate to honor the pinus strobus (white pine for my non-Latin speaking friends), which is the state’s tree, then take the money and run. Oh and it’s pronounced pie-nus, but you knew that already.

--Apparently Jimmy Fallon’s ratings have dropped 20% over the last year and NBC is freaking out. Example 1 of NBC’s stupidity is this quote from the NY Post:
“The Peacock Network is trying to boost Fallon's audience by booking appearances on his show by NBC and CNBC personalities, including Brian Williams, Rachel Maddow and Meredith Vieira.”
Yes because nothing draws ratings like CNBC “personalities.” Maybe it’s just me, but having an old, unfunny man who anyone under 40 thinks is a tool host the lead-in show for Fallon who is the complete opposite has something to do with this?

--Best part about Marcus Samuelsson winning Top Chef Masters? It means the next season of Top Chef begins next week.

--Congratulations to Oliver Luck who is on his way to his alma mater, West Virginia, to become the new AD there. I’m sure Mountaineers fans wish he was bringing Andrew with him. Thanks Oliver for everything you’ve done for the Dynamo. You put so much work into establishing a great organization and I thank you for your efforts. You were always quick to come on the air, make the players accessible and make the fans feel they’re a part of something special and the organization you’re leaving behind is a special one because of the hard work you put in.

--Anyone seen this Glenn Martin DDS show?

Questions, comments or if you already started drinking in preparation for U.S.A./England…

10 comments:

  1. Took a break from a 20 hour black jack stretch at NY/NY and ate at espnzone in vegas. meh. It was the first weekend of cfb season though so I was a bit distracted.

    I gave up on Treme but still have 6 unwatched episodes on the DVR. I am having to force myself to make it to the end of The Tudors. The show really fell off the cliff after the execution of Anne Boylen. Go figure. And now that Henry has run out of hot wives, I've run out of interest.

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  2. I was always only a sports gambler until I got hooked on blackjack a couple of years ago. Now the mere mention gives me the Vegas shakes.
    I'm sticking by Treme just because of David Simon, but unless things change I'm not following the second season.
    I watched The Tudors series premiere, but wasn't impressed. Full disclosure, I was completely hammered and hoping for the next Rome. Then I didn't have Showtime for a while so I never bothered with it.

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  3. I assume you've read The Smart Money by Michael Konik. If for some reason you haven't, do it.

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  4. My iphone and app of the month which this month is sporcle has completely eliminated my reading. Reason #1 for me to get an ipad.

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  5. Barry7:31 PM

    I'm down with Treme. It's good, not great, definitely watchable, but if David Simon wasn't involved, I wouldn't be so sure. Safety Dance was cool because the crew "Heavy Impact" from Americas Best Dance Crew were the back up dancers. Also, I notice not a lot of So You Think You Can Dance on your blog. That's a great show and two of my friends are in the top 10. Sometimes I get tired of Sue. It's also no surprise that the Glee finale was much better because Emma was more featured. She's a great part of the show.

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  6. Barry8:03 PM

    Further, the Lady Gaga episode of Glee was my least favorite of the series. The fact that it had 2 songs listed in the top 10 is atrocious. And Sue's vogue was crap. Props for getting Don't Rain on My Parade on there. That was a tour de force song for Rachel.

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  7. victor6:34 AM

    JUSTIFIED finale was strong... Show i just started watching and am really into is criminal minds.. check it out... keep up the good work on radio and blog ..makes the work day go by easier

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  8. Thanks. I'll get to Justified this wknd. I'll keep Criminal Minds in mind when I'm channel surfing this summer.

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  9. La Parka is the man, WCW really wasted him. While he was gone the promotion in Mexico, AAA, gave that gimmick to another guy. The real La Parka won the rights last weekend but before that in a match RLP when gonzo and started beating the crap out of the second one.
    Treme is done once the season ends. My big problem is that the premise of the show is that New Orleans was a paradise before the flood. When in actuality it was a toilet with a great bar.
    Never liked Firefly but I loved Serenity, go figure.

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  10. Wow, thx for the La Parka update. I alwys assumed there 12 La Parkas wrestling at same time. WCW was good for luchadores then screwed them up like they always did.
    Treme ain't cutting it, but I sure can't wait for Boardwalk Empire

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