Down to the final three on Big Brother. I was sad to see Britney go. In the early few weeks I thought she was an annoying spoiled brat, but she grew on me over the summer. She’s so animated and expressive, especially in the diary room. It all came down to the final POV, and if either she or Lane had won, she might have gone further, but Hayden pulled off an impressive win and status quo reigned.
I liked the conceit of this week’s Rubicon: an FBI lockdown while they tried to ferret out a suspected leak. For one thing it meant that the team had to work without access to documents and computers, using simple brainpower, and they actually made progress. Reminded me of the NCIS episode where the power was off citywide and they had to return to forgotten technology to solve crimes. The other aspect of the lockdown was the polygraph tests. Tanya couldn’t even say her name without it looking like she was lying, whereas Kale Ingram said, “I have a resting heart rate of 46. I’m always relaxed.” Lots of truths and half truths emerged from their lie detector tests. The mysterious disappearing and reappearing bug in Will’s office—what to make of that?
I think last week’s Mad Men was one of the best episodes to date. Poor Peggy had to fend off two drunks, not just one, and she handled them both admirably. Both she and Don had a good cry, and they bonded and connected. Don’s the only one who knows Peggy’s secret, but she still doesn’t know his, although he probably told her more about himself in that episode than ever before. My favorite exchange took place in a greasy spoon. Peggy looks up at the photo on the wall and asks today’s subject line. “That’s a roach,” Don says, before they depart for “some place darker.” Does this represent Don’s rebound? Hard to say. Such things shouldn’t happen too easily.
A good, solid penultimate episode of The Closer, too. They find unique ways to trip people up each week. Last week, it was rough justice for a murderer who fast-talked his way into an immunity deal. This week, Brenda conned a guy into lying to the FBI, which is a crime where lying to the police is not. He wasn’t the bad guy, but she was able to leverage him to catch the real killer. Clever. And we finally learn a little something about Maura Isles’s past in Rizzoli and Isles. I wonder who spilled the beans at the end.
Sons of Anarchy is back. At first I thought the premiere episode was a good, solid refresher. Recapture the tone, bring us back up to date, that sort of thing. Then, all of a sudden, boom! The last five minutes ripped it all to shreds. A character I despised at first and then grew to begrudgingly respect took it on the chin. And now it looks like Chief Wayne isn’t going to get a chance to retire any time soon. And Jacob Hale looks like he’s going to be a growing presence — not a nice guy. And two-finger Chucky’s run of bad luck continues. And Hal Holbrook! It’s such a good show. Two gangs shoot at each other in hot pursuit and end up shaking hands when the leader of one gang hears what happened to the bright star’s son in the other. Fantastic writing all around, and impressive use of music during those final five minutes, too. It’s off to a great start.
I posted a new review to Onyx last night: Star Island by Carl Hiaasen. Still working my way through The Devil’s Company by David Liss. Haven’t had as much time to read as I’d like because I prepping for a critique group meeting this weekend. Our first meeting, which I hope to have something to write about next week—perhaps at Storytellers Unplugged.
Lots of buzz over the announced plans for a Dark Tower adaptation. It’s a hybrid of theatrical movies and TV series. Here’s the gist of it: “Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and Akiva Goldsman are planning for the first film in the trilogy to be immediately followed by a television series that will bridge the second film. After the second film, the television series will pick up allowing viewers to explore the adventures of the protagonist as a young man as a bridge to the third film and beyond.” It’s an interesting approach.
