The Great Debate

So, Sigourney Weaver is God. Or, at least, His fiduciary. She made an interesting appearance on the season premiere of Eli Stone. It’s a curious show—I’m not a spiritual person by any stretch of the imagination, and I usually find shows with a “greater power” subtext cloying. However, I like this program. Have since day one, and haven’t found any reason to change my mind. I like his brother, I like the oriental guy who talks like an immigrant when other people are around and like a surfer when they aren’t. I think Maggie is as cute as a button. I’m even growing to like his ex-fiancee and her father. Instead of making a deal with the devil in this episode, he looked in the other direction. Now that more people are on board with his visions, it remains to be seen what direction the season will take.

Boston Legal got off its butt and rocked this week. A murder case involving one of Alan’s old flames (maybe the old flame) and her husband, a cold, emotionless philanderer played by the actor who was Bayliss on Homicide: Life on the Streets. All other office intrigue was pushed aside for this one case. No comic relief from Jerry or anyone else. They mined the hell out of the vibrating sensor joke, and I laughed every time it went off. And the murder case was very well plotted. Once it was all explained at the end, how perjury wasn’t attached, for example, I nodded in appreciation of a job well done.

The debate was far better than the previous one, though not nearly as entertaining as the VP debate. Obama looked cool and confident; McCain looked desperate. The moderator did an excellent job of keeping them on task and on time, and he engaged them in a way I haven’t seen before. The pundits said that McCain needed to get under Obama’s skin to pull out a win, and he didn’t. Obama was cool, calm and collected. Presidential, I dare say. I’m a little annoyed by the ongoing repetition of the Same. Old. Messages. but I thought it went well for the Senator from Illinois.

One of the Times columnists this morning joked that Joe the Plumber will probably have a web site and a reality TV show by the end of the week. At least I think he was joking…