"Friday Night Lights" is back in the game

No. I will not do it.
I simply won't.
I refuse to follow the lead of every other TV writer/blogger who has written about the renewal of NBC's excellent, yet low-rated drama "Friday Night Lights." I absolutely won't make some sort of clever play on the series' motto "Clear Eyes, Full Hearts Can't Lose" in this piece. That would be cliched and hackneyed. I am above that.
However, I will say that I was absolutely thrilled when NBC and DirecTV announced this week that they'd be picking up "FNL" for not one, but two more seasons. Though I was a late comer to the series, I've loved it ever since I started watching it during the middle of season one. It's remarkable for a number of reasons. One, it's among the few shows to capture the way that real teenagers speak and act. Yes, there are unrealistic moments, like Landry committing murder in season two (nope, still not over that) and Street getting a job with a high-powered sports agency just by wanting it really badly. But there are moments that make up for all that, like the one this season when Tyra finally realized how bad Cowboy Cash was for her. It was dark and painful and scary -- just as it would be for a real teenager.
Two, the show portrays possibly the most realistic marriage on TV, between Coach Taylor (played flawlessly by Kyle Chandler) and "Mrs. Coach" Tami Taylor (an equally excellent Connie Britton). Yes, they fight. But, unlike most TV couples, they are genuinely loving and affectionate.
Three, "FNL" gives us possibly the most realistic teenage girl on TV right now in Julie Taylor (Aimee Teagarden, in yet another of the show's pitch perfect performances). She's sometimes a spoiled brat, but so are a lot of teenaged girls. Julie is constantly trying to find her place in the world, even if it means butting heads with her parents (the scenes among Britton, Chandler and Teagarden are among the show's best).
Four, Tim Riggins. Need I say more?
True, Riggins, Matt and a lot of the show's other main characters are set to graduate at the end of this season, which -- along with the show's poor ratings -- made a fourth season seem unlikely. Having already seen the third season in its entirety on DirecTV last year (it's currently airing on NBC), I can confirm that many characters' arcs seem to be coming to an end. But the season finale does set up some juicy story lines for potential new seasons.
So I'm looking forward to those two new seasons. After all, clear eyes, full hearts...oh damn.

"Lost" recap: You heartless bastards

Note: This post contains MAJOR spoilers about last night's episode of "Lost." If you didn't see it, please don't read this. If you fail to heed this warning, and get spoiled don't come crying to me about it.

It's an age-old question: What if you had a chance to go back in time and meet someone who was responsible for the deaths of millions of people (Adolf Hitler, say or Osama bin Laden) when he or she was only a child? Would you have the heart to murder this individual, possibly saving the lives of many? Or would you be halted in your mission by the fact that this person -- as vicious as he or she would grow up to be -- was still an innocent child? Could you really murder one child, even if you knew it could benefit humanity as a whole?
It's a fascinating problem, and one that was confronted head-on in last night's episode of "Lost." Sayid, still held prisoner by the Dharma folks, meets a 12-year-old Benjamin Linus, who befriends him, thinking Sayid is one of the "hostiles," whom he hopes will offer him salvation from his abusive dad.
Sayid, previously thinking his return to the island was pointless, realizes (or believes) that he's found his purpose: he must kill young Ben, before he becomes older Ben and is responsible for the deaths of many people.
When this possibility was raised in last week's episode, I thought it would be debated for a couple of weeks. I thought Sayid would weigh the pros and cons -- maybe discuss it with someone who would talk him out of it. I thought it might come down to a moment where Sayid had a chance to kill young Ben, and simply couldn't do it.
I thought wrong.
Last night's episode ended with Ben helping Sayid escape from Dharma jail (with the help of flaming bus -- clearly, the mad genius Ben we all know and love is already forming inside that tiny head) and the two of them running into the jungle. Jin finds them, signals for Sawyer, and you think -- that's it. Sayid's not going to do it. But no. He knocks out Jin and turns around and shoots Ben! A 12-year-old kid!
I couldn't believe it. "Lost" has done some crazy crap over the years, but this is the first time I was actually speechless. Seriously. When it happened, the only sound I was capable of was a long, strange noise that sounded like "GAHHHHH!" My husband, meanwhile, did manage a complete sentence "What the @$#*??!!" he gasped.
Not sure if Ben is dead, but if he is, I'm both awed and appalled. Killing a kid is a rough move, but, in doing it, "Lost" has shown itself to be truly raw and uncompromising.
Still, can Sayid really kill young Ben? Hasn't Faraday said repeatedly that there are rules to changing the past -- i.e. you can't do it unless you're an unshaven Scot with a romantic soul? So maybe Ben is alive -- and now thinks that he's invulnerable. Oof. Too much!
Anyway, here are some other thoughts on episode 10 of season five, "He's Our You."
* Before their fateful confrontation, there's a lot of care to draw parallels between Ben an Sayid. Both were raised by hard men who turned them into killers. Ben, it seems, embraced this transformation, but Sayid keeps trying to be someone else. As Ilana later tells Sayid, this is impossible. When you're good at what you do, she says, there's always someone who won't want you to change. Of course, for Sayid, that someone is Ben.
* The early scene with Sayid, his brother and the chicken is the first time we see Sayid as a child. And, of course, it showcases the two qualities we've come to associate most with Sayid: viciousness and bravery. Also, we see early signs of his compassion, as he steps in to protect his brother. A nice, quietly unsettling moment.
* The episode takes its title from Sawyer's line about Oldham, the torturer that "LaFleur," Horace, and the increasingly unhinged Radzinsky take Sayid to. Oldham, of course, was played by William Sanderson, one of the most versatile character actors working today. His roles include sleazy innkeeper E.B. Farnum in "Deadwood," the seemingly good-natured sheriff on "True Blood," and, of course, Larry, on "Newhart." Embarrassingly, despite his impressive filmography, every time I see Sanderson, all I can think is "Hi. I'm Larry. This my brother, Darryl. And this is my other brother, Darryl." Sigh. I know. I'm an idiot.
* By the way, the torture of Sayid by Oldham wasn't nearly as graphic as some of the things we've seen Sayid do over the years but, in a way, that whole psychotropic sugar cube was even creepier than Sayid's technique. And Sayid's drugged out ramblings were perfectly delivered by the ever-reliable Naveen Andrews.
* Loved the close call in that scene, by the way:
-"Ask Sawyer."
-"Who's Sawyer?"
- "Who cares?!"
I hope LaFleur buys Radzinsky a fruit basket for unintentionally saving his ass.
* Jack was convinced that coming to the island was a good thing, but I believe he's quickly learning that Sawyer and the others don't need his help. In fact, Juliet and Sawyer seem more annoyed by the Six's return than happy. I'm sure that feeling will only intensify when they learn what Sayid did.
* Hurley once again proves his odd knack for understanding the emotions of others, quickly and correctly figuring out that Sawyer and Juliet are a couple, and calmly assuming that everyone else has done the same.
* And can I just say that I love Chef Hurley? "Try the dipping sauces. They really bring out the ham." I do want to try the dipping sauces! I do!
* Also loved the gentle standoff between Juliet and Kate. Juliet tells Kate it's better that she found out about the Juliet-Sawyer thing from Hurley. Juliet says she didn't know how to tell Kate without sounding like she was telling her to stay away. The subtext? "Seriously, bitch -- stay away."
* Ok, we have to talk about the outfit Ben wears when he tells Sayid his assassination vacation is over. What was WITH that? Was he wearing a fedora? Who knew Ben even owned a pimp ensemble?
* So, now we know how Sayid ended up on the plane. The question is, was Ilana really working for Ben and didn't know it? And is it somehow important for HER to be on the island, too? And what about Kate and Hurley? Kate tells Sawyer that she knew why she came back to the island, then promptly shuts up.
D'oh!

Sunday night recap

So, last night was a big one in the world of TV: three HBO series concluded their seasons (or, in at least one case, possibly concluded for good) and a much-hyped death on "Desperate Housewives" finally took place (I think -- more on that later).
Below is a brief summary of my thoughts on last night's episodes of "Big Love," "Flight of the Conchords," "Eastbound and Down" and "Desperate Housewives." Don't read any further if you haven't seen the episodes.
* Big Love: The recently concluded third season of this absorbing drama about a polygamous family living in Utah was perhaps the show's best yet. There were a lot of amazing twists, such as Sarah's pregnancy and miscarriage, Kathy's death, and the Nicki's betrayal and banishment. Last night's finale wasn't quite as good as some of the episodes leading up to it, but it was still a solid offering. We learned that, not only did Nicki have a daughter from her previous marriage, but that abandoning that child might have been the root cause of a lot of her emotional problems. Chloe Sevigny has had a knockout season, but last night she delivered some of her best work, both when finally seeing her now-teenaged daughter, and when confessing her sin to Barb. It's hard to find the tenderness and decency in a character like Nicki, but Sevigny does it week after week. Give her an Emmy, now.
Also noteworthy was the death of Roman Grant. Yes, I know the show has faked us out with supposed character "deaths" before, but Roman looked pretty dead to me. While I'll miss Harry Dean Stanton's work, his character's death will surely set in motion a delicious power struggle at Juniper Creek. Also, Joey's decision to kill him illustrated the difference between him and Bill. Bill's biggest problem is that he makes things too complicated, attempting to juggle too many things at once: wives, business ventures, diabolical schemes. He, of course, set in motion an elaborate plan to bust Roman for Kathy's murder (it did seem to be successful, but just barely). Joey's approach to dealing with Roman was more direct: he simply killed the man. What will happen next? I don't know, but I'm dying to find out.
* Flight of the Conchords: While the songs in the second season of HBO's whimsical musical comedy weren't as good as those in the first season, the show was still consistently funny. Last night's finale was no exception. We finally got a closer look at the Mel-Doug marriage; Murray wrote a musical and Dave dressed as the statue of liberty. Oh, and we saw Bret and Jemaine tending sheep back home in their native land after being deported. It definitely felt like a series finale and, indeed, HBO hasn't yet renewed the show for a third season. But I hope it continues. It's one of the few really pleasurable shows on TV, and, if Bret and Jemaine were to depart my life, I'd sorely miss them. At the very least, could we get a spin-off about Doug and Murray's consulate co-worker Greg? It could be called "The Saddest Men in the World," and feature a harp-based theme song.
* Eastbound and Down: Let me say this: if nothing else, this broad, raunchy sitcom about Kenny Powers (Danny McBride) a disgraced former ballplayer had the good sense to revive the deliciously cheesy Kenny Rogers ballad "Love will Turn You Around," using it in not one, but two episodes. Still, I'm really conflicted about it. On the one hand, every single episode made me laugh out loud at least once. On the other, it had a tendency to go overboard too often. For instance, Kenny hitting his former rival in the face with a ball during a pitching contest was funny. The fact that the pitch knocked the guy's eye out, and that we saw his pulsing, disembodied eyeball on the ground? Not so funny. I also couldn't get my head around the fact that Kenny was hired to teach kids. He's so vulgar that, in real life, a mob of angry parents would have called for his head after one day. But, vulgarity aside, the show did one thing right: it made me like Kenny. Yes, he was an obnoxious jerk but he showed enough moments of genuine affection -- toward his family, his former girlfriend and even his goofy boss/romantic rival Principal Cutler -- that I bought him as a human being. The big reason behind Kenny's humanity is McBride, who has proven not just that he's funny, but also that he's a pretty good actor. He lets us see glimpses the wounded pride behind Kenny's bravado, never more so that in the final scene in last night's finale, as Kenny drove toward Tampa and a major league job that never existed, burning with shame.
Like "Conchords," "Eastbound" hasn't yet been picked up for another season, but I'd kind of like to see more of it, and of Kenny Powers.
* Desperate Housewives: Oh my God, Edie -- just die already!
Look, I love Nicolette Sheridan's sassy, smart and slutty "Housewives" character as much as anyone, but the wait for Edie's departure has been interminable. First, let me say that I find it RIDICULOUS that the show went so public about Sheridan's departure. So many publications have reported that Edie will die, the season has turned into a death march for the poor girl. And what was with the multiple deaths last night? First, she's strangled by Dave. Then she runs off and gets in an accident. THEN she's electrocuted...or so it seems, until we see her fingers wriggle. GRRR! Could we draw this out any more? At first, I thought the show was going to pull a fast one and kill Orson instead, which would have been great. But no. Sigh. This season started off so well, but this storyline (the whole Dave storyline, in fact) is making me nuts. Stop dragging us along! Just give Edie the graceful exit she deserves and be done with it.

Lost recap: "Oh...what?"

The words uttered by one Hugo Reyes during last night's episode of "Lost" kind of sum up the feelings of many fans about the show. It seems like just when we kinda know what's going on, BAM! The whole damn thing changes, and we're back in the 70s, wearing jumpsuits and being told that we're best suited for janitorial work.
Still, this week's episode was pretty awesome. We learned that Amy/Michelle's baby is named Ethan -- presumably the same survivor-infiltrating, Claire-napping Ethan we all know and love. There was a reunion of on-islanders and off-islanders. We got to see Jin go all bad cop on Sayid. Sun walloped Ben with an oar (which was so rule-some, I can't even begin to go into it. Sun is fierce!). And, of course, we were once again treated to the sight of a young Ben, bearing a sandwich for poor caged up Sayid. Clearly, with so much awesomeness floating around, this episode defies a straightforward recap. So, I'm just going to sum up some of the highlights of the ninth episode of season 9, "Namaste."
* We see a little more of the Ajira 316 incident, in which Jack, Kate, Hurley and Sayid traveled in time, while the rest of the poor souls aboard crashed (I'm heretofore referring to this incident as the flash-crash). Before things get hinky in the cockpit, there's an odd exchange between Lapidus and his co-pilot. Odd because Hurley is apparently the only member of the Oceanic 6 that the co-pilot recognizes. I know Hurley is instantly recognizable, but he seriously didn't recognize any of the others, even after noticing Hurley on the plane? Also, it's odd that he only recognized Hurley as a survivor, not as a lottery winner (as the convenience store woman did) or as the suspect in a recent string of homicides. I doubt this means anything. I just think it's odd.
* After the flash, as Lapidus attempts to land the plane, he sees a runway on the island. In her blog posting, Lost guru Nikki Stafford surmises that this is what Kate, Sawyer and the other prisoners are building while they're held hostage in season three. So, did the Others know the crash was coming? Odd.
* Just as everyone predicted, Sawyer-Kate-Hurley-Sayid traveled to 1977 Dharma-land, and Sun-Lapidus-Ben-Locke's body crashed in the present. Why? Why did they separate? And what is poor Jin going to do when he finds out what happened?
* The reunion between Sawyer and Jack, Kate, and Hurley was great, particularly Hurley lifting Sawyer off the ground and saying he misses Sawyer's nicknames. Also, Sawyer's explanation of where they are, along with Hurley's aforementioned reaction, were also pretty good.
* Interesting mindgames being played by Sawyer and Juliet when the three-of-six start registering as Dharma recruits. First, the mysterious Dr. Chang tells Jack that his aptitude test shows he's best suited for janitorial work. I'm guessing that was a set-up by Sawyer (however, if that really is what Jack is best suited for, it would explain a lot). In other manipulation news, Kate's name isn't on the sub manifest. Just when it looks like she's toast, Juliet pops up with a last-minute "rescue." Oh sure, Juliet. Like we don't know that you're the one who left Kate's name off the list in the first place, as a warning to Freckles not to mess with your man.
* The song playing when the recruits arrive is "Ride, Captain, Ride," a song my ex-boyfriend used to refer to as "Fly, Fatass, Fly." So now, every time I hear it, I have "Mallrats" flashbacks.
* How great would it have been if one of the foods served at the cookout presided over by "Mad Men's" Jimmy Barrett had been Utz potato chips? Alas, it was not.
* Sayid's discovery and capture by Jin was a pretty amazing moment, and showed Jin relying on the skills he learned as a mob enforcer. He goes from gentle Jin one moment to raging badass in the presence of Radzinsky. Good work by Daniel Dae Kim.
* I don't remember Radzinsky being mentioned before, but, apparently, he was in the hatch before Desmond arrived at the island. Again, I refer you to Nikki Stafford.
* The Muppet Show is playing on one of the screens in the Flame. I didn't notice at first, but my husband pointed it out. I took a closer look and there, sure enough, were Statler and Waldorf.
* Again, where is Faraday? When Jack asks Sawyer if Faraday is with them, Sawyer replies "Not anymore." !!!! Then where is he, Flower Boy?!
* Loved the exchange between Sawyer and Jack in Sawyer's house. Though I thought Sawyer was a little unfair (in those early days after the crash, Jack had little choice but to react. Also, no one else stepped up), it was insightful and in-character. The best part, though, is when Sawyer tells Jack it must be a relief to not be leader anymore and JACK AGREES! I'm not quite sure how to read that moment, but I think it's sincere. Look at all the damage that Jack has done to himself and others by always having to be in charge. Maybe he is grateful not be the one at the wheel anymore. Maybe he's actually happy to have no real responsibilities other than floor mopping and toilet scrubbing.
* I've already mentioned the naming of Ethan, one of the episode's two big gasp moments. The other was when we see the child bringing food to Sayid in Dharma jail. Of course, it was immediately obvious who the kid was, particularly since they didn't show you his face until the episode's last few moments (why would they do that if the kid's identity wasn't significant?). Still, it was a nice twist, particularly given Sayid's veiled look of horror when he realizes this is mini-Ben.
* Overall, a strong showing, if not quite as great as the Locke-focused and Sawyer-focused episodes. But still good, with lots of nice twists. Next week: Looks like all hell busts loose. Woo hoo!

Gossip Girl is back...sort of

The CW soap "Gossip Girl" returns to the air at 8 p.m. Monday after a long absence. That's probably a mixed blessing to the many of you who have found this season a bit uneven. Personally, I agree there's been a lot to loathe this season (yes, Aaron Rose and Agnes the Skanky Model, I'm talking to you), but I'm still on board, due mainly to the often hilarious dialogue and some brilliantly sleazy storylines, such as Dan and Serena sharing a sibling and Lily's legitimately horrifying near-rape by Chuck's creepy uncle. And, of course, there's the ceaseless brilliance of Leighton Meester's performance as Blair Waldorf. Even in the worst GG episodes, the Blair stuff always shines.
But, I'm thinking that the two new episodes will perk up some of you who have been moaning that the show is losing its sheen. I've seen them and, while there's nothing quite as awesome as Chuck showing up drunk to his dad's funeral and calling his stepmom a whore, they're both pretty decent. First of all, it looks like two much-hated storylines are coming to a close (I won't spoil you by saying which ones, but I will predict that many of you will be pleased). Also, we see Blair fall apart a bit, which I think we can agree is always good for the show, as our Queen B is never quite so lovable -- and so vicious -- as when she's backed into a corner. And, best of all, in this Monday's episode, we see Nelly Yuki in a fat suit. Yes, you read that correctly. I won't reveal why exactly (quick hint: It has to do with why Blair is dressed like a Victorian widow in the above photo), but suffice it to say that that image alone makes the episode worth watching.
I know many "Gossip Girl" fans are worried about an upcoming reunion between two characters (no, I won't say which ones), but that reunion starts in next week's episode and, so far, I'm hating it a lot less than I thought I would.
Overall, the new episodes are fun and give me hope for the rest of the season.
"Gossip Girl" airs Monday at 8 p.m.

McShane rules in "Kings"...but can't quite save it

Often, I wake up in the middle of the night missing Al Swearengen. I do. I miss his gravelly voice, his ruthlessness tinged with vulnerability, and the way he masterfully manipulated profanity, decorating his speech with curse words with the carefully precision of a housewife placing throw pillows meticulously on a sofa. Yet Al, great as he was, would have been nothing without Ian McShane, who played him for three years on the HBO drama "Deadwood." The burly actor portrayed Al's violence, rage and surprising moments of tenderness with such grace, power and conviction that, when I heard the actor was returning to television, I got all giddy.
Alas, Silas Benjamin, the character McShane plays on the bizarre new NBC drama "Kings" is no Al Swearengen. And the show, which premieres at 8 p.m. Sunday on NBC with a two-hour pilot, is no "Deadwood."
It's not that "Kings" is bad, exactly, it's just...strange. It's based on the story of King David, and tells of an alternate reality in which King Silas Benjamin (McShane) rules over his country, which I think is located somewhere in America (but I can't be sure). This nation is at war with another nation and soldiers fighting in that war include Benjamin's son Jack (Sebastian Stan) and the humble but brilliant David Shepherd (Christopher Egan). David is heroic in battle, and becomes the darling of King Benjamin, who sees him as a surrogate for his own disappointing son. I got sort of confused by all the details of the scenario, but I absorbed enough to know that "Kings" is pretty ambitious in its goals. It seems to be making comments about monarchy, the influence of corporations on war, the sacrifices men (and women) make for power, and a whole bunch of stuff.
I admire the show's vision, and some elements of the production, including its sweeping photography, and the performance of McShane, who never disappoints. But there's something so stilted about the pilot. In fact, I might have actually liked the show better had it been a little worse. There are moments when it seems to be just this side of campy, with some truly pulpy dialogue ("War asks the heart to freeze at room temperature"), some fairly corny imagery (wait until you see the last shot of the pilot) and enough latent homoerotic tension to fill eight gladiator movies (what is UP with the way Eamonn Walker's character stares at David?). If it had gone just a little bit further in that direction, it might be more fun and enjoyable.
Though NBC sent me the pilot and two more episodes, I only had time to watch the pilot. So, perhaps "Kings" improves and finds its rhythm later on. But, right now, the show has little going for it, other McShane's performance. And even that made me keep thinking that I'd rather be watching "Deadwood."
"Kings" premieres 8 p.m. Sunday on NBC.

"24" and the silent clock of doom

The following post contains a MAJOR spoiler about last night's episode of "24." If you haven't seen the episode yet, please avert your eyes.
I guess you don't know what you've got 'till it's gone.
Last night, the time clock on "24," which is always silent following the death of a major character, went quiet yet again. This time, its victim was none other that Bill Buchanan (James Morrison), former CTU director and leader of this season's rag tag band of disgraced former government employees. Poor Bill threw himself in the line of some explosives to help derail a terrorist attack -- and to keep Jack Bauer from plunging into the dynamite himself.
Sigh.
You know, I've been pretty hard on old Bill, mocking how, despite constant reassurances from everyone in his life that he's great at his job, he is ALWAYS getting people killed. And yeah, I've poked a little fun at his newly suave look this season, with the stubble, and the long-ish hair and the cat burglar turtleneck. But you know, I'll miss him. I'm not sure why, but this is the magic of "24." We can rail against it, say it's right-wing propaganda, say that its plots are ridiculous and its characters are cardboard cutouts -- yet, on the last score at least, we're wrong. I'm surprised by how much I care about many of the characters on "24." And, while Bill's death isn't up there with Teri's or Michelle's or even poor Edgar's, it was sad nonetheless. So goodbye, Bill Buchanan. "24" fans will mourn your death -- even as we hope it allows us a chance to find out just what happened to your wife, Karen Hayes, who hasn't been mentioned at all this season.
Seriously, where is she?