New Dramas

Over the weekend, I watched three of the new Fall dramas via the Internet.  Any network not putting their progamming on-line is missing out.  Hear that NBC!  I'd have liked to see Harry's Law as I watched a few episodes last season and it conflicts with Modern Family but no, they can't put the whole thing on-line.

Anyway, I watched Revenge, Unforgettable (which I consistently forget the name of it) and a Gifted Man.

Revenge - ABC has hyped this to death like all their new shows but this is the only one where they put the first few minutes on-line so you could actually get a preview.  Combine that with a favorable review by my husband who typically watches just about everything new at least once and I decided to give it a try.  It was engaging and I'm surprised to add it to my watch list for the weekends.  Surprised because I really didn't think this had legs.  How much revenge can you take?  Plus it is set in the Hamptons and begins in September?  Still it seems to work for me. It isn't gory; she doesn't even kill off everyone.  She has other ways of getting her revenge which makes it far more interesting and her far less likely to get caught. I'm interested in the main characters backstory. Still, I can't see this lasting more than a couple of seasons, but it can still be a good drama.

Unforgettable - This was the one of the three I most thought I wanted to see.  I'd seen the 60 Minutes piece about people who remember every day of their lives.  This is totally bizarre especially when the character in the series starts telling someone what time the sun came up on a certain day.  I don't know what time the sun came up today!  Poppy Montgomery is very good in this role. She is sharp and yet vulnerable.  I love the interaction she has with a particular resident at the nursing home where she volunteers - good irony by the writers.  I'm just not sure the weekly stories are going to keep me coming back so it might get forgettable for me.

A Gifted Man - I was stunned to like this show!  Really stunned. First off, I don't care for ghost stories - good ghost or not.  I watched it Sunday when there was truly nothing else I wanted to see.  Yet the main character is not what I expected.  He seems like a pompous jerk and he is yet he has friends, he has family that loves him and he does indeed have a heart. His ex-wife - the ghost - is the kind of person you just want to be around so it is no wonder he doesn't want her to leave his life.  One wonders why he would have divorced her in the first place.  The patients were also very watchable.  The only downside to this drama is that it airs on Friday night which is where shows typically go to die. CBS has had tons of great dramas that either started out on Friday or were parked there where they lost their audiences - Early Edition, Picket Fences, and others I can't even remember now.  So I hope this one will survive its time slot to live on.

Priorities

Michael definitely needs to get his priorities straight if he is more interested in protecting the warehouse than getting Dante medical treatment.  Thank goodness Abby and Carly were there to set him straight or rather to take over.  Now can Shawn figure out Anthony planted drugs before they are discovered?  I'm thinking the police are already all over that warehouse.  Johnny is right; Anthony had definitely ended the peace.

Olivia called Sonny before she called Lulu apparently quite a bit before since Sonny and Kate had time to get to the hospital.  And they just thought that wedding went off without any gunshots.

It made for more drama to have Lulu waiting around for Dante but I do think Olivia should have called her more promptly.  So now Lulu looks like a young Laura?  Well, I didn't watch when Laura was on so I'll buy it. Who is at Windemere?  I had assumed it was Luke but a slashed portrait of his great love doesn't fit.

I'm anxious to see what deal Alexis has struck with Sonny and can someone say Menopause?  Those are hot flashes, Alexis!  I do hope they do a storyline on this.  Too many times these programs are too youth oriented.  ATWT did a very small bit on Lisa going through "the change" years ago but now they talk about everything so why not that.

Finally, I'm really disappointed in the return of James Franco. Yes, he is creepy but I want to see him do something besides plant funny little spy cameras and dance around with a dress.  He needs to interact with the cast.  I suppose they are dragging out his appearance. Maybe he will appear in Hawaii if we are invited along on Sam and Jason's honeymoon.

Kaboom!

First, I want to say to all the fans of All My Children.  I feel your pain.  I lost As the World Turns and I do know how you feel.  It is like a member of your extended family -sometimes more so because you spend 5 hours a week with the show and its characters.  I truly hope the show succeeds on-line.

Now onto General Hospital and the most disastrous but perfect non-wedding ever.  There was nothing about this wedding that was predictable except that Maxie was going to continue to be disappointed. You knew when she unzipped those garment bags that they wouldn't have the right contents in them.  Loved that the Quartermaines were present even though Spinelli apparently still can't even send an e-mail.  He had better recoup his technowizardry soon because he will surely need it.

I'm wondering how the package Carly left behind is going to fit into everything.  She seems to be the only one who was planning to arrive with a gift.  Will she or Michael go back and retrieve it and find Dante with a bullet hole in his chest or his back depending on who hits him. I'm betting it is Dante since Lulu is all dressed up and waiting to accept his proposal.  Clearly it isn't going as she planned.

So what is Franco up to?  I always am left wondering with this guy.  He can't be that far away as he was lurking around yesterday and stole the wedding dress.  Will he appear at the rehearsal in person?  Will he have something to do with the drug business?

I'm also assuming that Anthony will survive the shootout because he has to put Lisa back to work making trouble.  She is about to awaken.  Let's hope it is a short recovery.  Surely she isn't at GH. Someone would notice if she was getting more meds wouldn't they? Then again this is GH where drugs get stolen and security is non existent.

Jason and Sam may not get that Hawaiian honeymoon.  Shawn is probably not going to be enough to keep trouble away from the Corinthos organization for long what with Anthony, Johnny and Franco all gunning for them.

Fall 2011 Week 1 in Review

Wow, that sounds like an imposing title.  I just wanted to post my thoughts on the first week of the fall TV season.  Notice the week isn't over but it might as well be.  Friday and Saturday are dead TV nights.

So here's what I think of what I've watched so far:

Two and a Half Men.  Yes I was one of the 27 million viewers to see what the return without Sheen would be like. I thought the funeral with all the old girlfriends and Rose being at the heart of his demise to be well done.  Jon Cryer really got a chance to shine in this episode which he deserved.  However - and you knew there would be a however - the new version of the show is clearly going to be more of the same.  Personally, I think this show should have ended two seasons ago. The characters hadn't grown any.  If anything, they had all gotten worse!  No, I won't worry about watching this on Monday nights.

Two Broke Girls is the only new show I've seen so far.  The girls are well portrayed and interesting.  Unfortunately, the rest of the cast is a dud.  I don't expect this to last.

Modern Family - I've set a high bar for this show. It is the funniest thing on TV.  The first of the two episodes on Wednesday was a bit disappointing.  There were humorous spots but they seemed forced to me.  This may be because ABC had played some of them to death.  Now I do understand why Gloria kept singing when everyone else had stopped.

ABC does the worst series promotion of any network.    They run the same previews over and over.  They also don't take advantage of the web and offer a few minutes preview of new shows.  Placement of their previews is also questionable.

Now I feel better and back to Modern Family.  The second episode where Cam and Mitchell prepare to tell the family about adopting another baby is much better.  Very funny lines and one of those where it all comes together in the end.  They bring it all back to family.  I'll be watching next week for sure.

Big Bang Theory - Two hysterical episodes!  We both laughed so hard at Sheldon and the red chair!  I'm hoping Leonard's romance with Pria fizzles.  She was a good character for awhile but it is time for at least one of the girls to move on and she is the one I want to see swapped.  Amy and Bernadette are keepers for sure.  Nothing about this show is getting stale.  Clearly someone knows what they are doing.

Person of Interest - I lost interest in this supposedly 'highly anticipated' new show after about 30 minutes.  I finished it out but it will be the last one for me.  The main character is one of those invincible Rambo types who always has the skills he needs, always gets a break and never fails to clear a room of bad guys with his fists or conveniently place weapons.  The back story is weak and done to death - guys drops out of society after something happens to the women he loves.  Yawn.

Tonight is a rerun of Revenge so I might watch it.  I saw the first few minutes on-line - the only one of the new ABC shows to be presented that way.  It shows promise and my husband liked it.  However, again however, it seems more like a mini series to me.  Doesn't look like there would be enough here to make an ongoing series.  Still I may give it a try.

Wedding in a Chinese Restaurant

It sounds terribly corny. It was sweet and romantic.  I loved Jason and Sam's wedding!  And I loved the preemptive wedding idea because since everything is happening tomorrow night, we know there would have never been a ceremony.  Let's just hope none of our favorite of Port Charles perish in all the action!

I had to laugh at Maxie who seems to think all her plans are actually working???  Really, the guests haven't been invited, the flowers are in the wrong church, there is no music and that is without all the usual things that can go wrong for a wedding - particularly a Port Charles wedding.

I guess I was wrong in that Lulu is going to say "Yes" just in some special way.  Only problem is, she is planning it for the fateful tomorrow night.  Dante may be in suspense for awhile yet.

Marriages or not

Is Sam having second thoughts?  I doubt it, at least not about marrying Jason.  But she sure is giving him a scare.  Seeing the bride in her wedding dress before the wedding may or may not be bad luck but it is a sure sign in soap opera land that we will not see the wedding go off as planned.  I'm bettting she ditches all of Maxie's plans which aren't coming together all that well anyway. What is wrong with Maxie?  She can usually do anything.

It amazes me that Olivia is so quick to give everyone relationship and marriage advice when she has never been married.  Actually she has never had a committed relationship that I can tell.  Yet there she is telling Kate, Sonny, Dante, Carly and anyone else how to manage their marriages or relationships.  Poor Dante, I think he will be shot down on this one.

Ethan is getting more lovable by the day. Not helping his sister disappear and making a visit to Kristina in the same day!

Franco is just getting creepy.  Ok, he was always creepy but this is even more so. I hope this is his last visit to Port Charles.

Winners!

I feel like a jinx.  Usually when I watch an awards show, the people I want to win, don't.  But not last night.  I watched most of the first hour as that was the comedy portion and then my husband wanted the TV.  Everyone I wanted to in comedy win, did!  It was terrific.

Ty Burrell gave the best acceptance speech I've ever heard.  I loved that Melissa McCarthy was a surprise winner.  And Jim Parsons is just terrific.  Kind of feel sorry for Steve Carrell even though I don't watch his show.  But Parsons is just so good; he deserves another win.

Julia Margulies won again for the Good Wife which was well deserved.  I would have liked to see Alan Cummings get an Emmy for playing Eli. He has taken what I presume was to be a throw away character and turn him into a fan favorite.

Tonight, the new season resumes.  Thank goodness, reruns are over for at least a few weeks anyway!

Lurking Luke

Luke is back and is certainly getting an earful eavesdropping on his children.  He picked up that Lucky's using again, Lulu is unemployed but owns the unused Haunted Star, and Ethan is down on his luck with both cards and women.  He also knows that Lucky torched his old house.  He seemed proud of that one.  He also knows that Sibohan is gone but I'm not sure if he understands she is dead.  From his conversation with Skye he knows that Tracy is not as he left her.  I wonder what he will do with all this.  I would suspect some sort of grand entrance but then he is still clearly hurting from the hurt he caused everyone the night Jake died.

Oh, I hope Sam did pick a beautiful dress and wears it next week.  I saw a promo photo of the wedding with her in a black T-shirt.  She has the the worst clothes and at least this one day she deserves to look great.  At least Jason has the ring back so he can replace that nut hanging around Sam's neck.

Over the last few weeks, the characters have filled in my blanks of the past history of GH in their conversations. It has really helped bring me up to speed on some of Port Charles citizens.  One conversation I could do without is Olivia and Kate revisiting old times.  They had the same conversation two days in a row and I'd heard it all before.  I know the Olivia/Kate/Sonny history.  One can only assume this is to set up Sonny and Kate. Perhaps they will reconnect in the building Sonny bought in Bensonhurst - or not, as Kate wouldn't set foot there again.

There are so many storylines in the air right now I'm not sure what is happening next.  I've always liked how GH puts together many of these seemingly unrelated plots.  The phone call Lucky received today was interesting.  It implied that the fire - I assume it was the one Sonny spoke of - was in a warehouse tied to the bakery containing drugs.  Those are Anthony's drugs. Is he framing Sonny?  And what does Lisa have to do with anything.  Really, I wish they had written her off.  I don't even think Anthony could use the character effectively now.

Next week we will have a wedding or a build up to one.  Maxie had better get free, she still has a million things to do.  And someone should really rescue Elizabeth.  I don't think she is going to the at the top of Maximista's to-do list.

Looking forward to Fall

In this last week of reruns, the days are getting really short and the nights long and very boring.  I typically watch only one show per night - sometimes 2 half hour shows but they are enjoyable and break up the evening.  So I'm really looking forward to the return of:

Sunday - The Good Wife which is no doubt the best drama on television.  I hope it does great in the new time slot.  There is a catch up episode on-line though it doesn't cover nearly all that happened and doesn't really talk much about the one character that everyone does talk about - Calinda.  All the characters are interesting and have tons of depth to keep this one going a long time.

The Housewives are doing their final season and I'll probably catch it via the Internet on Tuesdays when there is nothing on in Primetime yet again.

Monday - Mike and Molly.  I was very surprised to like this show. It is more about their relationship than their weight though of course that does spark lots of jokes.  It is the supporting cast that often makes or breaks a sitcom and this is no exception.  The sister is hilarious!

Tuesday - as I said, nothing here except perhaps the new show Unforgettable but it doesn't come on until 10.

Wednesday - Modern Family!  What else?  TV's best sitcom.  My favorite of all time is Frasier and this one just might top it.

Thurday - Big Bang Theory - my husband's favorite sitcom.  I thought the addition of the girlfriends was a mistake but I was so wrong.  Bernadette, Amy and Pria added much needed friction and material to keep the character's growing.

Friday - dead as usual.  We typically watch PBS.

Saturday - ditto.

I will probably watch Two and a Half Men just to see what they have done with it.  If it is as vulgar as the previous version, I'll pass.  I'm done with How I Met Your Mother.  I didn't watch this last season. I so don't care who the Mother is anymore.

Unlikely Trio

Lucky, Dante, and the newly revived Spinelli are about to make an unlikely trio to rescue Elizabeth and Maxie.  I sure hope Sam loves this ring.

Why does everyone keep defending Sonny on the basis of losing his wonderful Brenda?  He and Brenda didn't spend 10 minutes (literally!) figuring out if they would work as a married couple so I have no sympathy for either of them.  Given how many women Sonny has been through since his first time round with Brenda I really don't think she is his great love anyway.  Will it be Kate again?

No shower sex with Dr. Drake, darn!  I guess when you are an old married couple, those scenes get cut.

Tracy dispenses good advice to Lulu again.  She really is a good stepmother.  With the Q clan back on the front burner, I wonder if Tracy's sons will reappear. I've only seen them in a few old YouTube clips so I'd like to find out more about Tracy's relationship or lack thereof with her children.  I always loved it when Brook Lynn called her "Granny."

And Tracy and Anthony sizzle.  I know he is a crazy and lethal old guy but I can't help but enjoy his scenes.

The new Kate

Kate is back with a new face and apparently the same personality.  I don't know why the change but I like having the character around again.  Wonder who she was talking to today.  I don't think it was the unseen Federico.  No, I'm wondering if it was Franco as he is rumored to be returning.  Kate was part of his original entre into Port Charles.  Having Kate back should give Olivia someone new to talk to and perhaps Sonny who desperately needs a change in tactics.

And Spinelli is back!  Physically he has been present but psychologically and emotionally, not.  Yet there is still something from his alter ego he needs to retrieve.  If only he can get that connection to the stars and perhaps save Elizabeth in the process.

I find it unbelievable that Anthony would put up with so much ineptitude from his flunkies.  He seems to have friends in all the right places and plenty of money.  He can't get better help?

Boy everyone is throwing Tracy under the bus. Luke!  You'd better get back to town to help your wife out of a big jam.  Maybe Tracy's past is why she put up with so much from Luke.

Did Carly call Shawn "honey" today or some other endearment?  Hopefully he is going to work security at the hospital.  They need it.

What't the hurry?

Kristina needs surgery, no question.  She can't go around with limited blood flow to her brain, but it isn't as though she is passing out every other minute.  Why can't Patrick take a break and then do her surgery another day.  I get that hospitals have to move patients along, but in this case, Sonny can certainly foot the bill for extending Kristina's stay no questions asked.

It is all getting set up for a disastrous surgery.  Jason just came through with flying colors unless of course like me you wanted him to get a little more of his memory back.  Sibohan's surgeries were perfect - if only hospitals had better security.  No one has apparently notified the security guards to keep Anthony out as he is there practically every day now.  We are due for a mistake in the OR and I don't mean Elizabeth zoning out.

Apparently Elizabeth won't be assisting on this surgery as she is going to be tied up.  I swear she is the stupidest woman.  She couldn't call Dante to follow the drug ring link or just wait until the guy took more drugs.

I thought the scene with Edward and Ethan was wonderful.  You knew that Edward knew who he was helping.  He wasn't going to put his company jet at Ethan's disposal for just anyone.  So is Skye staying or going?  If she stays, I hope she gets more of a storyline than every man in town swooning over her.  I like seeing her and Tracy fighting like family.

Poor Matt.  He is a brain surgeon who does life saving cancer research on the side and he is making excuses for his girlfriend because her job is so important?  I love Maxie but she never appreciates the men she has until they are gone.

First I'd just like to add a vote for Skye's beautiful ensemble today.  For one thing, it reminded me of a great read dress and black and cream scarf I used to wear in the '80's. My dress wasn't as fitted as hers but it was always a favorite.  Whoever came up with the idea of that little flap over the arm hole which hides often less than perfect arms on most of us is genius.  Skye is tipping the fashion balance of the show onto the positive side again.  Good thing with Diane away for awhile on another book tour.  She should have taken Spinelli with her.  Isn't he a walking ad for that book?

General Hospital has either great dressers or awful ones.  Maxie is so dead on most of the time and her assessment of Brenda was perfect - she was a fashion disappointment in every way.  Whoever styled her should be ousted.

Now to more important subjects.  Kristina suddenly has a serious surgery in her future.  I hope we are going somewhere with this and it isn't just another opportunity for Dr. Drake to show off his surgical skills.  There wasn't much build-up, almost no controversy over having the surgery and it seems certain she will be fine by the time of Sam and Jason's wedding in 2 weeks.  I don't see the point here.  Though it does give Ethan screen time which is always a bonus.

Loved Maxie and Lulu's talk today.  They so clearly nailed each other's problems.  I'm hoping Lulu does move back home with Maxie and we have more of their interaction.  Maybe Lulu will take her old job back.

I also liked what Jason said to Michael today though I fear he might as well have been talking to one of his monitors for all the good it is going to do.  Michael is determined to make his dad proud.  Speaking of Sonny, where is he?  Back in Bensonhurst or wherever that key he carries around fits?

Anti climatic

Jason is awake.  Good.  Jason recognizes Sam.  Better.  Jason remembers their wedding date.  Wonderful.

Jason is the same as he was?  Not so great.  What was the point?  I loved the fantasy scenes with all the women in his life wondering what if and it was pretty clear he would end up with Sam.  What I wanted though was him to remember some of what happened before his first accident so he could be drawn back into the Quartermaine's.  I think this was a popular wish so I think there are going to be some pretty unhappy viewers if something doesn't trigger Jason's recently cleared out brain to flash back to a Q event.

I want to be Olivia in my next life.  I want to look as gorgeous as she does and most importantly I want to be her sub the next shower scene.  Very hot and something tells me there is a hot topic in Memphis that Steve wants to avoid.  It is time we added some spice to their relationship that involves keeping them clothed and doesn't involve Steve's sister or Olivia's son.

Anthony is just everywhere these days and he sure can speed dial a phone.  Who says you lose dexterity or brain cells with age?  Everyone underestimates Anthony and I hope none or main characters end up regretting it.

Things that needed to be said

Since I seemed to have missed a couple of cues this week, I rewatched Wednesday's episode on-line.  What a great show, almost as good as Monday's episode with everyone daydreaming about Jason's life had he not been in the first accident.

On Wednesday, Alexis and Carly purged themselves of what they really felt about each other and their ex's Jax and Sonny.  I'm happy that Alexis realizes she can't protect Kristina - who is now 18, don't ya know? - from Sonny by forbidding her from seeing him.  Carly could learn something from that.  If I were Carly, I'd be terrified of how Sonny is manipulating Michael but she can't fix it.

Lucky is absolutely right in that Lulu doesn't give him the same benefit of the doubt she gives her Dad.  Why is that?  Does she really think Luke is just too far gone but Lucky can be saved.  She definitely has a higher standard of behaviour for her brother.  Dante is sure between a rock and a hard place or an addict cop and his sister who happens to be his girlfriend.  The guy just can not win.  The argument between Dante and Lulu was so good because they were both right.  I don't want to see them break up but I can see how that now is not the time to be moving forward.

Elizabeth, your ex-husband is waving a big red flag in front of your face and you aren't seeing it.  Lucky was quick to assume that Elizabeth would blame him for the missing drugs.  She has done nothing but defend him and believe in him.  This should be a huge clue for her that he is far too defensive.  She wants so bad to believe in him, to be the one person who does, that she refuses to see what is brimming right in front of her.

One thing that I don't think was ever revealed were the results of Sibohan's autopsy and if anything is going to be done about it.

One thing I learned  though from watching the episode is how Anthony was set-up or supposed to be set up if Patrick hadn't interrupted him on Thursday.

Unfortunately, Monday is a holiday for GH.  When I used to watch ATWT there were few holidays but we did miss episodes on Labor Day as they ran tennis tournaments that day and the following Friday as well.  So this year, I only miss one soap day.  Still there are plenty of cliffhangers.  Jason is waking up and Kristina is passed out. Lots of hospital time I'd say for next week.

What's that again?

Apparently I'm going to have to rewind and rewatch some stuff.  I must have blinked and missed a couple of things.  Where is Morgan going off to school and why?  I'm as confused as Robin over Jason's missing body.   Didn't they think Anthony would notice the bed was empty before he tried to smother it's contents with a pillow or whatever he was going to do?  I thought Ethan really did care about Kristina and was just afraid to admit it.  If so, he is an even better con than I thought.  How did Johnny get tied up in Skye's bed so fast?

So there are some things not flowing smoothly on the story telling front for me.  I haven't missed any episodes and I'm a bit lost.  The old joke with a soap was that you could miss a week and pick right back up, not here.

Still, these are minor complaints and I truly could have missed some clues.  On a positive note, I loved the long overdue argument between Alexis and Carly yesterday.

Some things never change, Kristina is about to have a crisis and Alexis is not on the scene.  I don't think Ethan is coming to her rescue this time either.  Why do all the single women in Port Charles wander around on those docks alone?

If flowers have feelings as Anthony seems convinced they do, his orchid is sure depressed from rejection.  No one wants him or his plant around and yet he laughs it off since of course, he is holding the cards.  Though one thing I did catch was Tracy accusing Skye of manufacturing evidence against her.  Could it be that is what Skye did?  She doesn't have real proof so she made some up and sold it to Anthony?  That would be very foolish.  Oh, gee, now I sound like Anthony.  Well, I don't talk to my plants.  Then again, they don't look nearly as nice as his.