An I Screen bonus

So, to make up for yesterday's late "Lost" posting, I've decided to include a bonus post this week. No, it's not about "Lost." It's actually a link to Bilge, a web show hosted by my friends Bill and Janice. Every week, the two them sit on their couch and talk about random pop culture things. Surprisingly, the show is really involved, as evidenced by the fairly intricate "Rock of Love" parody at the top of this week's episode. Eventually, it kind of devolves into an argument over who has the bigger scroll. But it's still funny. So, if you enjoy reality shows and absurdity, click here.

"Lost" recap: Better late than never

So, due to some personal projects I needed to complete, I had to delay this week's "Lost" recap. Which is a shame, because last night's episode, "Dead is Dead," was probably the season's best yet. It was like a sort of greatest hits; a potpourri of all the things I like best about "Lost." It had showcase moments for my two favorite cast members, Michael Emerson and Terry O'Quinn. It had a little more insight into the nature of the smoke monster. It had glimpses of Alex, perhaps the only character to bring out Ben's humanity. And it, thank God, finally let us know that the Hume family is OK, despite Ben's "promise" to Charles.
It was so unbelievably awesome, I don't even know where to start. How about the beginning?
* Not to brag, but I totally called that the man who rode up on the horse at the start of the episode was a young Charles Widmore. I don't know how I recognized him, because he didn't look like the teenage Widmore we saw earlier, nor does he really resemble Alan Dale, who plays old Charles. In fact, he looked like a reject from a Lord of the Rings movie. But I figured it had to be Charles. It was the only choice that made sense, given his disdain for Richard bringing little Ben into the camp. Also, there was the small matter of the accent. Dude didn't look like Widmore, but he sure sounded like him.
* This moment, by the way, was a nice start to an episode that gave us tantalizing hints about the relationship between Widmore and Ben. Despite his reluctance to have Ben in the camp, Charles is kind to the boy. How does their relationship become so acrimonious? Did it start with Ben's refusal to kill Alex? Did it start earlier? Did Widmore harbor the kind of jealousy toward Ben that Ben has for Locke? What's up with these guys, anyway?
* And, speaking of Locke, I don't always love when "Lost" repeats moments from previous episodes, but I can never watch that Ben-Locke "welcome back to the land of the living" moment too many times. The "holy crapballs" look on Michael Emerson's face, and the smooth serenity of Terry O'Quinn's voice are just perfect. Then, this episode builds on the moment, by that brilliant exchange in which Ben tells John that he knew he'd come back to life, and John calls him on it, pointing out how surprised Ben looks. "Surprised" being a euphemism for "incontinent." Ben then tells John that believing something and seeing it happen are two different things. Fair enough. But we can tell John doesn't believe him. Neither do we.
* John's obviously right not to believe Ben because, within moments Ben is manipulating Cesar into believing that John is a murderous island native. Poor Cesar. The moment he shook Ben's hand, you kind of knew he was a dead man.
* Back to the John-Ben dynamic. I really loved the evolution of that relationship throughout this episode. Previously, John's been somewhat deferential to Ben. Before dying, John was so eager to be "special" that he allowed himself to be manipulated by Ben so easily. But that doesn't seem to be the case anymore. Resurrection John is more confident. He has no far of calling BS on Ben's story about seeking judgment from Smoky about breaking the rules, guessing that the journey is really about letting Alex die. John also leads the way to the smoke monster, and rescues Ben from the temple pit after the moment of Smoky reckoning. John's coming into his own now, and Ben knows it. That's why he's plotting to kill John until the vision of Alex appears to him and warns against it.
* So, we get a clearer idea of how one summons Smoky -- and it looks like the same process one uses to unclog a drain. A little disappointing. But that cave is creepy. A lot of bloggers have mused on the etchings on the walls. I don't know enough to get into it my self, but I'll direct you to "Lost" guru Nikki Stafford's blog.
* Ok, I almost pulled a Ben-seeing-undead-Locke when Ben shot Desmond down at the pier. We knew Ben was gunning for Penny, but to see him striding toward his enemy's daughter only to be surprised by Desmond was a nice little shock. Ben's taunting of Charles was also suitably creepy. The whole sequence, broken up though it was, was just really unsettling. When Ben confronts a terrified Penny, and apologizes for involving her in the vendetta, it made my stomach roil. Yet there was a nice turn when Ben sees little Charlie, and can't go through with his murder of Penny.
* Speaking of which, this episode gives us a nice little wrinkle in the Ben Linus character. Turns out that this liar, manipulator and murderer has a soft spot for mothers and children. He can't kill baby Alex, or murder Penny in front of her little boy. He even spares Danielle, the mom of his stolen daughter, and tells her to avoid the whispers that signal the coming of Smoky. Why this sympathy for moms and kids? Maybe it has to do with the death of his own mom. Quite possibly, he attributes all his suffering to his mother's death while giving birth to him, and wishes not to bring the same pain upon other kids.
* By the way, the name of Pen and Des's boat is Our Mutual Friend -- named after the insufferably long (and somewhat boring) Charles Dickens novel that Des said he wanted to be the last book he ever read.
* This episode was clearly an emotional one. There was the revelation that Ben truly loved Alex, and felt great guilt over her death. There was that Smoky slideshow of the key events in Ben's relationship with Alex. There was the reunion of Locke and his murder; the tense moment with the Humes; the confrontation between Ben and ghost Alex. Yet this was maybe the funniest episode not to future Hurley. It was packed with great lines. For instance:
-Locke: I was hoping you and I could talk about the elephant in the room.
-Ben: I assume that you're referring to the fact that I killed you.
Or, after Locke complains that the smoke monster is slow to turn up after Ben's summoning:
-Ben: It's not a train, John. It doesn't run on a schedule.
Or this, from Lapidus, after John tells he and Sun that there's a reason that everything's happening:
- As long as the dead guy says there's a reason I guess everything's going to be just peachy.

*Ok, we need to discuss the weird aesthetic choices being made for our Ben this season. First, there was the pimp ensemble he wore in "He's Our You," then his weird pageboy in some of this episode's flashback seasons.
*Just what's going on on the beach? Why was Ilana asking about the shadow of the statue? What does it mean? Has she gone crazy with island sickness, like Danielle's crew? What's going on?
Well, that's it for this week. Next week on "Lost": Miles backstory! Woo-hoo!

"Southland" is killer drama

There are lots of ways you can describe NBC's new police drama "Southland." "ER" with cops. "Hill Street Blues" with curse words. "The Shield" with cops who aren't more dangerous than the criminals. All are fairly accurate.
The ensemble series is executive produced by "ER" producer John Wells, and features that medical drama's hectic pace and inside baseball feel. It also possesses the messy realism of Steven Bochco's classic "Hill Street" and aspires to the grittiness of Shawn Ryan's masterpiece "The Shield."
But all these comparisons do "Southland" a disservice. In fact, perhaps this is the best way to describe the series, which debuts this week in "ER's" 10 p.m. Thursday timeslot: it's just really good.
The show focuses on a group of patrol officers and detectives in Los Angeles. These range from rookie Ben Sherman (Ben McKenzie, last seen whaling people in the face on "The O.C.") to his seasoned trainer John Cooper (Michael Cudlitz) to steely but kind Detective Lydia Adams (Regina King, of "Ray" and "Jerry Maguire) to gang specialists Nate Moretta (Kevin Alejandro) and Sammy Bryant (Shawn Hatosy). Throughout the pilot, the officers work on a variety of cases: shootings; a missing child; a dead body found in a rather disgusting state.
None of it's terribly surprising, and the pilot sometimes over-reaches in an attempt to be "edgy" (there are a lot of bleeped out curse words, which is distracting). Still, the banter between the cops is believably loose and familiar, and the characters are relatable and compelling. That's largely due to the excellent cast.
McKenzie was a bit misused on "The O.C.," but gets a better shake, here. In his hands, Sherman is an instantly sympathetic character. Like "ER's" John Carter, Sherman is trying to get his bearings in a scary new profession. Also like Carter, Sherman comes from wealth and privilege, giving the character some interesting texture. McKenzie each wrinkle. In the scenes where he sits alongside Cooper in the squad car, there are so many conflicting emotions on McKenzie face -- anxiety, fear, shame and, most importantly, determination -- the viewer can't help but feel for this kid. In the episode's final moments, the character gets a quick lesson in the violence his job requires and we ache for him.
But, if McKenzie is good, the rest of the accomplished ensemble is even better. As Cooper, Cudlitz has the weathered air of a man who has been scraping scum of the streets of L.A. for far too long. Even his teasing of Sherman seems weary. It's the perfect note for this character: a man who takes pride in the fact that he knows his job so well, but who's starting to wonder if he's a bit too familiar with human suffering.
And King, an excellent character actress whom I've always admired, is perfect as a woman who has seen too much, but who hasn't gone dead inside because of it.
The rest of the cast includes such familiar faces as Tom Everett Scott, C. Thomas Howell and character actor Patrick Fischler (recently see as acerbic comedian Jimmy Barrett on "Mad Men" and bumbling security officer Phil on "Lost").
"Southland" isn't the most original drama to hit the airwaves, but it's smart, sensitive, well-acted and well-made. And, at a time when many believe TV drama to be on the downslide, isn't that accomplishment enough?
"Southland" premieres 10 p.m. Thursday on NBC.

"Rescue Me" fires up for a new season

Oh my God -- has it seriously been more than a year since FX aired an episode of its bracing comic drama "Rescue Me"?
Indeed it has. The show was absent from the airwaves all last year, due to the writers' strike. That means we've gone all this time without a glimpse of acerbic firefighter Tommy Gavin (Denis Leary) and his motley crew of colleagues, friends and lovers. This made me sad. Though I wasn't a huge fan of the show's fourth season (what was up with that plot about Sheila trying to steal Tommy's wife's baby?), the show is always worth watching.
It's one of the few series to combine over-the-top comedy with harrowing drama. And it's among the few shows to directly and frankly discuss the national tragedy of 9/11 from the perspective of people whose lives were changed by attacks in a heartbreaking way.
Thus, I'm pleased to announce that "Rescue Me" is finally back for its fifth season. Yay! The season starts Tuesday at 10 p.m., and consists of a whopping 22 episodes. I've seen the first eight, and can report that, so far, it's a vast improvement on the previous season.
For one thing, we get a lot more of what the show does best: long, candid, hilarious discussions among the guys in the firehouse about everything from male performance to...well, most of the conversations revolve around male performance. But there's some other stuff thrown in there, too.
Most notably, the characters have to face their 9/11 demons again, as a French journalist (Karina Lombard) visits the house to interview the guys for a coffee table book she's writing on the 10th anniversary of the attacks. This brings out interesting layers in the guys. Tommy, predictably, gets angry and self-destructive. Resident hunk Franco (Daniel Sunjata), less predictably, reveals himself to be a 9/11 conspiracy theorist. And the witty, lovelorn Lou (John Scurti) digs out his old poems in a clumsy attempt to seduce the attractive writer.
It's all funny, sad, and perfectly appropriate to this show and these characters.
In fact, the character arcs seem a bit clearer this season, too. Too often, the show has taken its characters on weird trajectories that don't suit them (remember Mikey the Probie's stint as a psycho stalker in season two? Unsettling). But, this season, everyone kind of behaves as they should. That's not to say the characters are flat and predictable. In fact, many of them develop some interesting wrinkles.
For instance, the house moron Sean (Steven Pasquale) confronts a major challenge in some later episodes that brings out welcome new layers in the character.
But the most interesting stuff, surprisingly, involves the show's female characters, which have long been its weak link. Too often, the women are either sex objects or shrill nags. The show's one layered female character, a firefighter played by Diane Farr, left in season two, and there's been a gap ever since.
Tommy's psycho on-again-off-again lover Sheila (Callie Thorne), the widow of Tommy's best friend Jimmy, started off as an interesting, believable character but eventually went over the top and became a rage-filled shrew. This season she finally goes into therapy and, though this seems like a joke at first, it leads Sheila to actually learn things about herself and her relationship with Tommy. Thorne, an excellent actress who has always transcended her material, is wonderful in the scenes when she finally realizes where all this rage comes from.
The show also does much better by Tommy's ex-wife Janet (Andrea Roth) this season. In fact, Roth (who, like Thorne, always operates at a level above what she's given) gets her best showcase to date in an episode in which she and Tommy go to visit their younger daughter at boarding school.
As it does every season, "Rescue Me" has scored some impressive guest stars this season, including Maura Tierney, who will show up later in the season (she wasn't in any of the episodes I saw). But the true revelation of the season is TV icon Michael J. Fox, who takes on an image-shattering role as Janet's boozing, angry self-destructive boyfriend, Dwight. Due to his brave, public battle with Parkinson's, Fox has become a beloved figure. As a sort of Tommy-on-crack, he tosses all that aside and reminds us that before he was noble and admirable, he was just really, really funny.
It's good to have "Rescue Me" back. And, if the rest of the season lives up these early episode, this year could be the series' best. Let's hope so.
"Rescue Me" airs Tuesday at 10 p.m. on FX

"Life on Mars" pours salt in fans' wounds

It's been several days since ABC aired the last episode of its unsuccessful freshman series "Life on Mars." In spite of its low ratings, the drama managed to attract a vocal cult of fans, including yours truly.
So you might have been wondering why it's taken me so long to write about my thoughts on the show's final episode, which finally provided an answer as to how Sam Tyler (Jason O'Mara) ended up in 1973. Well, let me tell you why: I've been busy processing my rage.
I hated that final episode so much, it literally left me speechless. I mean hated it. Hated it to the point where just thinking about it made me seethe. Hated it in a way that I have hated no other episode of a TV show. Words do not exist to express my complete and total dissatisfaction with that episode.
If you're still with me, allow me to explain exactly what I didn't like.
For those who haven't seen the show, a brief summary. "Life on Mars" was a remake of a British series about Sam, a modern cop who, following a car accident, ends up being transported to 1973. He's still a cop, but one who must live in an outdated world, working for bulldog-ish Lt. Gene Hunt (a hilarious Harvey Keitel) and toiling alongside colleagues like mustachioed misogynist Ray Carling (Michael Imperioli, also great fun), sweet innocent Chris Skelton (Jonathan Murphy) and spunky, marginalized policewoman Annie Norris (Gretchen Mol).
He tries to figure out how he ended up in this strange world, and how he can return to his old life.
During his time in the 1970s, Sam ran into figures from his own past, including his mom and dad. In this last episode, Sam had to rescue a younger version of himself from his violent jerk of a father. He succeeds, then realizes that he doesn't actually want to leave 1973. He likes the guys at the precinct, loves Annie, and is getting used to this life.
Let me clarify that I had no problem with any of this stuff. I always enjoyed the stories about Sam confronting his past, particularly the scenes between him and his mom. I loved Sam admitting he had feelings for Annie; loved him hugging Gene once he realized he wanted to stay in 1973. This was all fine.
It's what happened after he hugged Gene that pissed me off royally.
At that moment, the screen broke down, and we saw a flash of scenes from Sam's 1973 life flash by in blur. Then, Sam woke up, IN 2033!!
It turned out that he, Annie, Ray and Chris were all astronauts traveling to Mars (!) and, during their trip, their minds were occupied by some sort of fantasy. Sam chose to watch himself as a cop in 2008 -- but the transmission malfunctioned and he "traveled" to 1973 in the dream/hallucination. Oh, and Gene Hunt was actually the name of their mission -- not a person. The Gene in Sam's "fantasy" was based on Sam's dad, Major Tom (also played by Keitel), which I guess explains all the David Bowie references in earlier episodes.
To repeat: the last 5 to 10 minutes of this show explained that EVERYTHING that came before it was basically untrue. It pretty much negated the entire series, which made me so mad I could spit. Why did I invest time in this show, if it was all going to be undone in the final moments?
The twist might have been OK had it been well-executed, but it felt so corny and tacked on. Most likely, the writers and producers rushed to come up with a finish once they learned the show wouldn't be renewed.
For the record, this is not how the original British version ended. I haven't seen it, but I have read what happened in that ending and it sounds a million times better (no, I won't spoil it here, but feel free to look it up). I understand the desire of those involved with the American version to come up with something different, but was this really the best they could do?
Though the American "Life on Mars" wasn't the best show on TV, it was solidly entertaining. I loved O'Mara's performance as the befuddled Sam, and really connected with a lot of the characters. But this was just so awful, it flushes all the warm feelings I had about this show right down the toilet.
Great. Now I'm all angry again.
Thanks a lot, "Life on Mars"!

ER: "And in the End"

Tonight, after 15 seasons, NBC's iconic drama "ER" finally concluded its run.
Admittedly, I've had a bit of a sketchy history with "ER." I was a senior in high school when it debuted and, like many people, became a fan almost immediately. It was so raw and exciting, the way it worked to capture the frantic energy of a real hospital emergency room.
That first season, I watched it every week with my mother. It was our little ritual. When I went to college, I didn't watch a lot of TV, and sort of lost touch with the show. I'd catch an episode here and there. I remember sitting in my dorm room, watching the episode where George Clooney's Dr. Ross pulled a kid out of a storm drain, and finding it super-suspenseful. I remember a few years later, watching the episode where Dr. Carter and Kelli Martin's poor character got stabbed. I watched that whole season that Sherry Stringfield's Dr. Lewis returned (in fact, I might be the only person who liked that season).
But, mostly, "ER" wasn't an appointment show for me. It was decent, but I never considered it "must watch" after the first season. My attention waned even more as the original cast members began to depart: Stringfield, Clooney, Julianna Marguiles, Anthony Edwards, Eriq LaSalle and, finally, Noah Wyle. The plots got increasingly soap opera-y (I didn't see this episode, but apparently a regular cast member was killed by a helicopter? Crazy!)
Eventually, I stopped watching the show even casually.
However, I've been checking back in with it this season, particularly given he return of veteran cast members. I missed Edwards' return, but watched most of the Wyle episodes, and part of the Marguiles/Clooney return. Throughout it all, I realized something: "ER" was no longer the exceptional, ground-breaking show it was in its first year but, as broadcast TV dramas went, it wasn't bad. It was still energetic, with reasonably engaging characters. It was no longer edgy, but it was solid TV.
So, I made it a point to watch tonight's two-hour finale, which I found a rather fitting conclusion to this veteran show. We saw a lot of the old characters again, including LaSalle's Dr. Benton (his second appearance this year), Stringfield's Dr. Lewis (I think this was her first appearance this year, but I honestly don't know), Alex Kingston's Dr. Corday (I know she was on earlier this year) and Laura Innes's Dr. Weaver (again, no idea if she was on earlier this year). All the characters got fitting send offs. I particularly liked the familiar, if slightly awkward, final conversation between ex-lovers Benton and Corday. They act exactly like a pair of old flames might.
My favorite return, though, was the least flashy: that of Mark Greene's daughter, Rachel, who resurfaced as a would-be medical student looking to follow in dad's footsteps. Her appearance allowed Mark, who died several seasons ago, to get a fitting sendoff, which was nice.
But the return of old favorites wasn't the only thing I liked. I also enjoyed the parallels between the last episode and the first, like the new doctor, played by Alexis Bledel, who served largely the same role that Carter did in the pilot: the earnest, hard-working young doc who gets a quick lesson in the dark side of the medical profession. Plus it's always good to see Bledel (especially since her character was a bit Rory Gilmore-ish).
Overall, it was a nice, appropriate conclusion. I might not have been a big "ER" fan but, in weird way, I'll miss it.

"Lost" recap: So Doc Brown WAS crazy!

This week on "Lost" we learned a bunch of important things about time travel. First, if Ben is alive in the future, then it's impossible for Sayid to kill him in the past. Because, somehow this is the way things always were. Sayid always shot Ben. The Six always came back. The future island people always joined Dharma, blah blah blah. That means that, despite what Hurley believes (and what Doc Brown so convincingly told us in "Back to the Future"), Sayid shooting Ben doesn't mean that the people Ben brought back to the island will slowly start to evaporate with the help of poor, 1980s-era special effects.
We learned these very important facts during a conversation between the two great scientific minds of our times, Hurley and Miles. As always, the "Lost" folks found a way to make a subplot that was almost entirely exposition entertaining and informative at the same time. Basically, Hurley served as the audience proxy, desperately trying to get a handle on what it all meant. Miles was a stand in for the show's writers, trying to explain, and generally making Hurley feel like a moron. Until, of course, Hurley asked the same question we've been asking since the first time Ben brought Sayid a sandwich: how come Ben didn't recognize Sayid when the two met again years later?
Miles can't answer that. Luckily, the writers did answer it in last night's episode. Due to Jack's sudden decision to get all Locke-like and let the island sort things out for itself (more on that later), Mini Ben is at death's door. With the island's only surgeon flaking out on her, Juliet decides to go to The Others for help. Kate and Sawyer end up taking Ben to Richard Alpert, who tells them that, if he helps, Ben won't remember anything. But he'll also lose his innocence.
Ah. So that's how Ben became Ben. And it's why he doesn't recognize Sayid later. Does this mean we won't see Sayid on the island again? Or does it just mean Ben won't see him? I'm thinking he did recognize Kate and Sawyer. Maybe that's why he held them hostage later. I also think he recognized Juliet, which is why he became all obsessed with her.
Sigh.
In spite of all this head-spinning mumbo jumbo, this week's episode was, like last week's, basically a return to the season one format of using flashbacks to explain a character's actions. This week, we learned how Kate ended up on the plane. While her scene with Claire's mom was touching, I wasn't really that surprised by Kate's actions. Most careful viewers have guessed all along that Aaron is with Claire's mom. I was a bit surprised that Kate has gone to look for Claire. Apparently, her guilt about taking someone else's child -- and leaving Claire behind -- has gotten the better of her.
Anyway, here are some more thoughts on episode 11 of season five, "Whatever Happened, Happened."
* Is it just me, or does Horace make a really unconvincing Tommy Lee Jones? When he started calling for a hard target search of every Dharma station, jungle tree and polar bear cage (I'm a paraphrasing, of course), I kind of just wanted to laugh. Maybe it's the long flowing hair. At any rate, despite the best efforts of the Dharma-ites, Sayid is long gone. We don't see him for the whole episode.
* Once again, "Lost" takes a character that we should hate -- Ben's dad -- and makes him sympathetic. Roger is genuinely nice to Kate, and shows real remorse about his treatment of Ben. When he realizes that Ben stole his keys and helped Sayid escape, he's genuinely heartbroken, and I felt really bad for Roger. I know, I'm a sucker.
* What's up with Jack's new direction? Though it has been foreshadowed over the past few weeks, we finally saw Jack dump his old savior complex for good. He refuses to save Ben, pointing out that, according to Miles, it's impossible for Ben to die. Kate points out that maybe Ben lives because Jack saves him. Jack isn't having it. The island has a way of working things out, he says. Oh, he and Locke are SOOO going to be BFFs if they meet up again!
* Another nice moment in the Jack transformation: Kate says she liked the old Jack better. Jack reminds her that that isn't really true. Nice.
* The Kate flashbacks mostly bored me, but I was intrigued by a few things. When Kate takes Aaron to see Sawyer's mark/old flame/baby mama, Kate's singing "Catch a Falling Star." We know that that's what Christian used to sing to Claire when she was little. It's one of the two musical cues in this episode, the other being good ol' Patsy Cline, who always pops up in the Kate flashbacks. This time, it's Patsy singing "She's Got You" -- a great song, but, personally, I prefer the Dean Martin cover, "He's Got You."
* The other thing that intrigued me (Ok, mostly it kind of made me laugh) was that the woman who finds Aaron in the supermarket is clearly supposed to look like Claire. And she does look like Claire -- if Claire had been assembled by Picasso. Seriously -- didn't her face look sort of crooked or something? Odd.
* Even though I don't like Kate, it was sad to see the parting between her and Aaron. Moms (even fake moms) leaving kids behind always gets me.
* Back to the island. Why did that one Other tell Richard that Ellie and Charles wouldn't like him helping Ben? Has someone else undergone this same treatment with disastrous results? What happened?
* Nice transition from Richard and Ben entering the Others' secret hideaway to grown-up Ben waking up in the future and seeing a very much alive Locke at his bedside. I always coo about the perfect work by Michael Emerson and Terry O'Quinn, but come on -- they deserve it. The expressions on their faces in this scene are perfect. Ben totally looks like he's going to crap himself. Fantastic.
* As an aside, I just switched from satellite to cable a week ago (didn't want to. Had to. Long story.) and we have this crappy new DVR that always cuts shows off in the previews. So I only saw a little bit of what's ahead next week. Arrrgh!