Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Privileged: That's (Maybe) All She Wrote


Privileged:
"All About the Brand New You!"

So, is this the last episode of Privileged ever? Kinda seems like it (especially since The CW keeps announcing new pilots that they are developing). If this is the last we see of Megan, Rose, Sage, etc., the show didn't exactly wrap everything up all nice and pretty for us (namely by ending with a cliffhanger of Megan in bed with a random Brit). But, honestly, how much do I care? Not a whole lot. If Megan and Charlie aren't going to get together, I don't have a whole lot of invested interest in the outcome of this show.

So let's do some bullets and let the chips fall where they may:
  • I hear Lily Allen!
  • Eew, Kathy Griffin. Seriously?
  • Marco: "Do doves remind you of Jesus?"
  • Hey, wait: are Megan, Sage, and Rose actually going to study?!
  • Sage: "Apparently Rose's quest to become independent has turned her into a middle aged divorcee."
  • Megan: "You decided to kill us and leave our bodies in the woods?"
  • Oh no, Rose is going on a wilderness expedition! Who does she think she is? John Locke?
  • Megan doesn't know what spelunking is? And she graduated from Harvard?
  • I hear more Lily Allen.
  • Rose is going to eat antelope? Eew.
  • Jo Jo: "I mean, fleece, Rose?"
  • Little Franco's looking cute. It looks like he got a hair cut.
  • Zach: "I could skip out on my Model UN trip, although, being Russia, I do get to wear the furry hat."
  • Rose's wilderness kick reminds me of the time Summer Roberts went to Brown and became a hippy.
  • Zach: "I just don't know if I'm ever going to be the kind of guy who can go number two in the woods."
  • Sage: "I can't wait to come tomorrow."
    Marco: "And I can't wait to see what you wear!"
  • Wow, for the first time ever, I'm agreeing with Will in an argument: I'm so over this too.
  • You could have had Charlie, Megan. I bet you feel stupid now.
  • I bet Marco's going to be disappointed with Sage's outfit. I know I am.
  • Both Marco and Keith walked down the aisle together with Marco's grandma? Doesn't Keith have any family? What happened to that BFF girl of his?
  • Did Marco get married on a school night?
  • Since when is Sage so gung-ho on being open-minded and exploring new things? Has she ever mentioned anything like this ever before? Up until this point, all I remember her ever saying is that she likes being rich and that she'd do anything for her sister. It seems like she developed a completely new personality for this episode.
  • Hey, this guy has an accent! I already like him better than Will.
  • Rose: "I am balls to the balls terrified!"
  • Do we really have to listen to Sage's report?
  • Ha! Wow, they're really going to end the show with Megan in bed with the random British dude? That's ok; she didn't really want Will back anyway (or at least she shouldn't want him back).
  • Oops. Once again, ladies and gentlemen, this is why you do not end a season of a struggling show with a cliffhanger.

(photo: cwtv.com)

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Kyle XY: The Epic Post


Kyle XY:
I've been slacking off on both writing blog posts and watching Kyle XY, but I'm going to remedy that right now with this epic Kyle XY post. Four episodes, one post!

"In the Company of Men"
Classic. Turns out Drunk Kyle is all kinds of hilarious. His inebriated state reminded me of the good old days when he was completely socially inept and said and did inappropriate things all the time.
  • Ugh--Josh trying to foist his porn magazines off on broken-hearted Kyle. Could Josh be any creepier?
  • I loved when Nicole walked in on Jessi preparing to wipe Amanda completely out of Kyle's memory via some kind of electroshock therapy a la Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind. Kyle was just sitting there looking so glum.
  • Foss! Goodness, I'd forgotten all about him.
  • Um, if they were trying to cheer Kyle up and get his mind off his breakup with Amanda, they probably shouldn't have taken him right to the coffeehouse where Amanda works. When Kyle isn't thinking for these people, they sure do act dumb.
  • Jessi has such a quick temper.
  • I'm glad Declan didn't let Josh drink. Josh is bad enough sober. And even if the bartenders don't check IDs, who would ever think Josh looks old enough to drink?
  • Kyle should be used to girls smiling at him by now. I mean, it must happen constantly.
  • Kyle: "I tried that once and I did not like it."
  • Kyle: "Ha ha, I don't get it."
  • Eew, Andy doesn't wear deodorant! Ok, now that I think about it, that doesn't surprise me.
  • Kyle: "I haven't thought about Amanda for 6 minutes and 43 seconds."
  • Dancing Kyle!!
  • It was so cute/funny when Kyle told the boys he loves them.
  • Hey, Jessi's right--the Latnok guy is too old for her.
  • I would have thought that Kyle could sing better than this. I mean, he is something of a musical genius after all.
  • Kyle's drunk antics were hilarious: arm wrestling, showing off his still impeccable motor skills, etc. Definitely went too far when he started showing off his ability to telepathically control electricity, however. That's something you should probably keep under your hat.
  • Kyle: "I have enjoyed bonding with you."
  • Kyle: "Oh, Mr. Grumpy!"
  • Girl: "You're like a magician or something!"
    Kyle: "Nope, I was born in a pod. I'm a science experiment."
  • Kyle: "You've been trying to call me what?"
  • Josh: "Oh man, now my butt smells like cabbage."
  • I hope Nicole shreds her old patient files instead of just leaving them loose in the garbage can. Especially Kyle's and Jessi's.
  • Kyle busting through the fence instead of going over it was hilarious.
  • So Kyle can alter the polarity of his liver.
  • Why is it so eerily dark and creepy right outside the coffee shop's entrance? Eesh.
  • Oh, Declan's pissy because of his ankle? Who knew? He looks like he's walking around ok to me...
  • Ok, I know I can be pretty harsh toward Josh, but I must give credit where credit is due: anyone who can use the phrase "Kyle's humongous ralph" in a sentence without dying of laughter is pretty impressive.
  • Cassidy: "She's a bit icy, isn't she?"
  • Yeah, Kyle, you have already lost Amanda, so you don't have anything to lose by telling her the truth about your past in the pod. I rarely agree with Declan, and even more rarely agree with both Declan and Josh, but they've got a point here.
  • Adam died?! Oh my. I've got to say that his initial reaction to hearing that news was hands down some of the best acting I've seen from Matt Dallas.
"Life Support"
The world's most sarcastic pregnant lady causes Kyle, Nicole and Josh to get into a car accident. For Kyle's next trick, he delivers a baby in the woods and then saves Nicole's life.
  • Nicole: "When someone you love dies, it can take a while to make sense of it all."
    Josh: "Yeah, especially since Baylin technically died twice."
  • Geez, Kyle, where are your heightened reflexes now? Can't he sense the presence of people and objects for miles? If Kyle ended up that far into the woods, I'd hate to see what would have happened if a normal person had been driving.
  • Can't Kyle just pull the whole car up the hill? He has super strength.
  • Hey, people, didn't we learn anything from the car accident that just happened? Don't stand in the middle of the street!
  • Ha, the feisty pregnant chick just called Kyle a "dumb little bunny."
  • Jessi: "You shouldn't wear this color; it looks better on me."
  • Josh: "Lucky for you, Kyle's an expert at wood births."
  • I think Kyle should run somewhere really, really fast and get help. He could be back before too much time has gone by.
  • Gretchen: "Really? You have ultrasound hands?"
  • Dude, Gretchen is having a quick labor. On TV shows, why is it that women who go into labor in the woods or in an elevator or somewhere that's not a hospital always have the baby so much faster than women who are in a hospital?
  • Ha, did Gretchen just call Josh "excitable sidekick"? She's good at making up funny nicknames.
  • Kyle's going to stimulate the baby with a little charge?! Kyle and Jessi really are putting this new electricity trick to a lot of use.
  • Gretchen: "I'm going to name him 'dumb little bunny' after you!"
  • Gretchen: "I hope he has an inny. Outy belly buttons are just weird."
    Josh: "Just be glad he has one."
  • Steven: "You're better than this."
    Lori: "Am I? Because I sort of thought I was the one who picked fights and then stood around like an idiot while everyone else solved the problem."
  • This doctor guy in charge doesn't wonder why he's never seen Kyle before?
  • Too bad we can't solve Nicole's health issues by just giving her an electrical shock. Kyle knows how to do that. Oh, hey, he is going to give it a try.
  • The Trager kids sure are beating up the equipment in the hospital waiting room.
  • Hmm, here's some more proof that Latnok is not evil: they blackmail a kid by withholding medicine that will save his mother's life until he agrees to join them. Yep, that's just all kinds of honorable.
  • O true Baylin, thy fluid is quick!
"Welcome to Latnok"
Kyle becomes the cutest boy to ride on a hoverboard since Harry Osborne (James Franco) in Spider-Man 3.
  • Amanda: "Even though we're not... it doesn't mean you have to give up smoothies. I'd still make you one if you wanted me to."
    Kyle: "Amanda, I still like smoothies."
  • Amanda: "How about lasagna?"
    Kyle: "A lasagna smoothie?"
  • Whoa, Jessi's rocking a strapless top!
  • Jessi: "What's the point of dumping you if she still wants to talk?"
  • Hey, Lori still plays the guitar. It's been awhile.
  • Lori: "I'm writing a song for my mom."
    Jessi: "Don't you want her to feel better?"
  • Lori: "Don't you have anything else you could be doing? Like magically lighting small animals on fire."
  • Jessi: "I need a favor."
    Lori: "And you've teed it up so successfully."
  • I thought Lori and Jessi were going to be nice to each other. This is not working out so well.
  • Nathanial Harrison is kind of hunky for a science genius.
  • Cassidy: "He thinks I'm an idiot because I have the IQ of a normal person. I don't take it personally--I've got better hair."
  • I'm not buying into this Latnok crap.
  • Wait, Lori's boyfriend cleared $180,000 last year? Holy crap, I take it back: Latnok's awesome. Ha.
  • Lori: "I could stand on the street corner with my guitar."
    Josh: "You'd do better without the guitar."
  • A hoverboard competition? How convenient! Are there really hoverboard competitions?
  • Josh: "I blackmailed them out of Lori."
    Andy: "What do you have on Lori?"
    Josh: "Nothing. I just inferred things. She's a very guilty person."
  • Eew, Josh is going to rent out Jessi's apartment as a sex house? Yuck.
  • Wow, Jessi is a disaster at keeping secrets. Disaster.
  • Why doesn't Josh tell his friends to cancel their appointments by calling his cell phone?
  • Wow, Lori caved. She's getting to be as bad as Jessi at keeping secrets.
  • Why in the hell would Nate be surprised that Kyle has a girlfriend? Look at Kyle, people!
  • Kyle is mad sexy when he's peeved.
  • Kyle's going to make a hoverboard out of stereo speakers?
  • Lori: "You know Kyle. Loves to have fun with science!"
  • Um, Kyle, let Jessi help. The more geniuses involved with this, the better.
  • I like how Kyle's wearing all these pads to ride the hoverboard when he could totally jump off the roof and land on the driveway and be just fine.
  • Wow, how did Jessi just buy magnets from an online supplier and have them already? They were shipped to her the same afternoon she bought them? Holy crap. I would not be too surprised if she's lying and she did really get them from Latnok. It's either that or she knows something about online shopping that I don't.
  • I still can't believe that there are hoverboard competitions.
  • Kyle's not wearing his crash pads.
  • Josh: "I hope that thing doesn't explode. 'Experimental' and 'prototype' are just synonyms for 'kaboom'."
  • $50,000 for that?
  • Sorry, Andy, I don't think Cleveland is worse than cancer. Having to move sucks, yes, but let's not be overly dramatic here. After all, there was a whole 30 Rock episode devoted to how awesome Cleveland is. We're all models west of the Allegheny.
  • Didn't Kyle wonder where the lasagna came from?
  • Wow, I know Kyle = extremely dense, but this takes the cake. After all this time, he seriously had no idea that Jessi didn't want him to be with Amanda and wanted him for herself? It's not like she ever even tried to pretend like that that's not how she felt.
"Chemistry 101"
Kyle and Jessi invent a kick-ass pheromone necklace that could make them even more money than that silly old hoverboard. And Kyle again makes the superhero's choice and decides that he can't let the girl in on his secrets.
  • Jessi: "...or it may have been ebola."
  • Josh: "What? Is it my fault Cleveland is so lame?"
  • Jessi's wearing another tube top. I guess she's found her signature look.
  • Wow, a scene with just Kyle, Amanda, and Nate is awkward. Not the most natural of actors, those three.
  • Kyle: "How could Amanda want to go out with such a...such a jerk!"
    Lori: "Kyle! Language, please!"
  • Nate is not that hot of a dirtbag. I've seen much hotter dirtbags.
  • Jessi: "Hey, we could throw an ice party! We could have everyone dress in white like at Diddy's parties."
  • Listening to Kyle and Jessi trying to figure out romantic relationships is painful. The party theme, however, is kind of brilliant.
  • Ooh, according the the mood ring, Jessi's in a really bad mood.
  • Yea! A hair pulling out (for DNA purposes) scene! Those are always fun. Brothers and Sisters had a really fun one when Kevin tried to pull out a strand of Rebecca's hair during a family dinner.
  • Did we know that Josh had a Cabbage Patch doll a la Dan Humphrey?
  • Lori: "Remove the competition. Eliminate her. I didn't mean that literally!"
  • Pheromone necklaces! Kyle and Jessi need to secure a patent on these things, pronto! It's genius.
  • Is it just me, or does Jessi shower more than everyone else in this family?
  • Jessi: "I don't want to be Downer Doug, Party Police."
    Kyle: "What's that?"
    Jessi: "That's what they call you."
    Kyle: "They do?
    Jessi: "Yes."
    Kyle: "Oh!"
  • Why is Kyle delegating doing research to Declan? Does that seem like a good idea? He did seem to do a pretty good job though, shockingly enough. Maybe post-basketball Declan can find employment as a private investigator or something.
  • Lori: "You need to sexify!"
  • Jessi: "Well, I definitely don't know how to do that."
  • Gasp! Jessi tampered with Amanda's pheromone necklace! I knew it was going to happen, but still I'm aghast. Kyle's totally going to be able to figure out what happened, isn't he? I guess not...
  • I'm not sure that Jessi's new look is any sexier than what she was wearing before, but whatever.
  • Mark: "I'm an embarrassing shade of lavender."
  • Oh, good, Declan needs some action.
  • Declan thinks he's about 80% good guy? That might be a little generous. Remember the time he found out he had a bum ankle and then got into a fight with the guy at the impound lot?
  • Amanda! Little hussy!
  • Lori: "Oh please, don't play all Martha Stewart pre-jail with me!"
  • Lori: "Kyle deserves a hell of a lot better than someone who would pull this kind of crap behind his back."
  • For being such a pervy kid, Josh's pheromones should do glow an awfully lovely color.
  • Jessi: "All he's ever done is love you with his whole heart."
  • Aww, Jessi, that was sweet. Maybe she's about 80% good guy too ;-)
  • Well, there goes Lori's class and poise beyond her years...
  • Who wouldn't love you, Andy? Um, I think that would be me. Have fun in Cleveland.
  • Oh, dear, Sarah didn't really leave by her own accord (and might be dead or held captive somewhere). Poor Jessi. She's having a rough night.
  • Ha ha ha, so Kyle, Jessi and Amanda are all soulmates. I'd suggest that we settle this whole matter with some sort of menage a trois, but that sounds too much like something Josh would say.
Sigh. I'm going to miss Kyle when he's gone (and everybody else--to varying degrees--too).

(photo: abcfamily.com)

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Quick Round-Up: 02/04

Random (interesting) stuff from the world of television:
  • I'm glad that I'm not the only one who thinks that Burn Notice's Fiona is 15 shades of awesome.
  • I know this Yale stuff has gotten stressful, but unless B has had some sort of lobotomy, there's no excuse for this behavior: Gossip Girl SPOILER.
  • Oh my poor sweet Kyle...
  • I don't know why I even tried to watch last week's SNL (hosted by Steve Martin), but I instantly regretted it. I mean, seriously, more MacGruber? Why, God, why? When Laser Cats is far and away the pre-Weekend Update highlight, we've got a serious problem. But, ultimately, I was glad I toughed it out, because during Weekend Update new-ish cast member Abby Elliott unleashed a stellar Angelina Jolie impersonation. As in, she was so good that I spent a few moments wondering if maybe that was the real Angelina after all. And subsequently I've spent a lot of moments wondering why SNL has kept this gem under their hats for so long. They had to have known that this impression was great--I would have used it in the first skit of the night. Or every skit until someone else could come up with something funnier than Laser Cats or whatever annoying character Kristen Wiig is playing.
  • I guess sometimes good does prevail over evil? Case in point: Greek SPOILER.
  • I don't know who this singer is, and the song is no "Womanizer" (ha!), but the video features Ryan Hansen as a back-up dancer clad in '80s fitness attire. And that is all you really need to know.
  • Lie To Me: My love for David Anders (my sweet Sark) has been well documented (by me). And I'm devoted: I stuck it out with Heroes (which was no easy task) until they decomposed/disintegrated him in front of my very eyes. But I just could not take last week's episode of Lie To Me in which DA guest starred. That show is insufferable with a capital "suffer." Granted, I was only trying to watch it during Lost's commercial breaks, but I couldn't even do that! The whole show is: the main investigators ask someone a question, the person answers, the main investigators proceed to verbally analyze every movement the person made while answering, repeat, repeat, repeat. There's only so much that you can take of: "You thrust your chin, which signifies defiance. Then you touched your neck, which signifies lying. Then you looked to the right, which signifies evasiveness. Then you patted your stomach, which signifies that you're hungry. Then you gave us the stink eye, which signifies that you think we're annoying. Etc." If anyone talked to you like that in real life, you'd seriously punch them in the face.
  • And I know I'm about a year behind on this (what's a girl without Showtime to do?), but the second series of The Tudors is rocking my world. There's a lot of good television airing right now, but The Tudors is all I want to watch. Oy, how I love Jonathan Rhys Myers! And Natalie Dormer's Anne Boleyn is all kinds of fantastic. I'm considerably distressed by the inevitability of poor Anne getting her head cut off; I want her to stick around forever.


(photos: usanetwork.com and Showtime)

Monday, February 2, 2009

Gossip Girl: Damages


Gossip Girl:
"Carnal Knowledge"


After a second season full of many awesome episodes of Gossip Girl, this one was just good. Or maybe even just ok. The main problems were these:
  • After Blair's speech about going into battle at the end of last week's episode, I really expected her to come up with a more impressive scheme to take down Miss Rachel Carr (New Teacher) than just posting a rumor on Gossip Girl. I could have come up with that--evil genius Blair Waldorf should be able to think up something so much better.
  • Yet again Dan and Serena invented some silly reason to break up. We've only seen that happen at least 10 times already...
  • I wonder when exactly I came to hate Dan Humphrey. He was absolutely my favorite part of the first two episodes of GG (remember The Wave? So cute). But now, I seriously detest everything about him.
  • Chuck should not be left muddling through his own random subplot. Yes, I love Chuck. Yes, I'd watch him do about anything. But, no, we don't need to test my limits. Give him something to do other than tracking down high class escorts/nannies that have connections to secret societies. Personally I don't really care about what Bart was up to.
  • Are we still pushing this Nate/Vanessa thing? It's time to abandon the sinking ship, folks.
  • And, why is it that when we see a lot of Jenny Humphrey, I want to see much, much less of her, but when she makes herself scarce, I seriously miss her?
All that said, any episode of Gossip Girl has it's share of awesome quotes. Here's a list of some of them mixed with some of my other thoughts on "Carnal Knowledge":
  • Since when does getting detention mean you have to pick up trash in the park? At Constance? Rich people allow this?
  • Dorota: "Miss Blair, your martyr act: no good."
  • Chuck! Why are you so hungover and slovenly today? I thought maybe we'd moved on from that. Guess not.
  • Ha, Nelly's the only one of the minions not mouthing off to Blair, yet Blair knocks her book on the ground.
  • No cell phone usage during school hours? These poor kids are going to die.
  • Hazel's withdraw symptoms are causing her to air text.
  • Dorota's spy sunglasses are hot.
  • Blair: "Nelly Yuki, get a grip!"
  • Why isn't Nate in school? Or Chuck? I mean I know that Vanessa is "home schooled" (which in her case means "not schooled at all"), but Nate and Chuck should be in school. I guess spring semester seniors at these schools really do get free passes like 14-year-old gymnasts...
  • Chuck is sporting a hot new haircut.
  • And Vanessa's sporting the neon-est of green pants ever. Eew.
  • Um, she was wearing a mask--how does Chuck know that she was "the most beautiful woman [he'd] ever seen"?
  • Oh, Blair just fell into this one. You barely even need to make something up here; Dan's practically feeling Miss Carr up in the middle of the hallway.
  • Dan: "I'm glad that you're not wearing that raccoon makeup anymore. You looked like one of The Incredibles."
  • Ha, I love that Jenny doesn't believe Dan when he tells her he's not hooking up with his teacher! She certainly has a low opinion of her brother.
  • It's impressive that everyone in school knows what's on Gossip Girl even though they don't have their cell phones.
  • Oh, come on! Annoying New Teacher (Rachel) is trying to ruin everything! Don't mess with Gossip Girl! Gossip Girl is an institution.
  • Nelly Yuki! I'm shocked and appalled. She sold Blair out at the drop of a hat. And I don't think I understand why--why does she think it's her record or Blair's? No one thought Nelly started the rumor, so why would her record be in jeopardy?
  • They're expelling Blair for starting a rumor?! That seems a little harsh.
  • Hmm, I love John Shea something awful, but I kind of wish Eleanor were around to help handle this situation. Harold is a little blind to Blair's faults.
  • Hahaha, Rufus thinks Dan's banging the teacher too!
  • Why does New Teacher (Rachel) find it so important to be Serena and Dan's "friend"? That's totally not her job; she's being paid to be their teacher.
  • Blair: "Dorota, give Handsome to a homeless man. Make sure he has kind eyes."
  • Whoa, no wonder New Teacher (Rachel) doesn't know about Gossip Girl, she still uses an old-school date book.
  • Chuck: "I'm late for my chiropractor. She's double-jointed. It makes the Kama Sutra feel new again."
  • No, New Teacher, Dan is NOT your friend. If you need friends in the city, find somewhere else (besides the school you work in) to meets some! She is really asking for trouble--hanging out after school in a cafe with the student she's rumored to be banging?
  • Holy moly! Dan, I don't care what is going on, never touch your teacher's face and/or hair!! Eew!
  • Yea Serena! Way to take that picture! (I hope the glass window doesn't cause any problems with the photo quality.)
  • I wonder if this secret society that Chuck's stumbled onto has anything to do with the secret society that Veronica Mars was investigating at the end of season 3? The Castle, I think they were called. Because if this subplot leads to a meeting between Chuck Bass and Veronica Mars, I will be wholeheartedly on board!
  • Oberlin will take Blair even though she's been expelled?
  • Blair: "Dorota, go get my dog back!"
  • There aren't a whole lot of parents at this meeting.
  • Why is New Teacher even at this meeting?
  • Blair: "I believe it's called exculpatory evidence. I love Damages!" Ha ha ha, I bet Blair watches Damages to get new ideas for schemes and blackmail.
  • Look, Serena, I don't care if he didn't kiss her--he shouldn't be touching her darn face!
  • Dan: "I told you nothing was going on!" Then why were you touching her darn face?
  • No, Dan, Miss Carr is the one should be punished. She is a professional; you are just a stupid, stupid kid.
  • Whoa, Miss Carr has a hell of a nice apartment considering she claims to be such a poor, sad sack.
  • Blair (to Handsome): "Ramon got you a Chanel beret."
  • Aww, I'm going to miss Handsome.
  • Oh, darn, Elle's gone missing. That's too bad.
  • Well, Miss Carr's not a teacher now so why shouldn't Dan sleep with her?... Argh! Humphrey, where is your strict moral code now?
  • And then of course Miss Carr's firing doesn't stick. Which sucks because I want this loser gone. Geez, why isn't there somebody with a camera phone hiding in Rachel's apartment?
  • Gossip Girl has developed quite the knack for introducing guest characters with several episode story arcs, who show up and seem ok at first but then rapidly become so unredeemably annoying that there's no choice but to ship them off ASAP. (Examples: Georgina Sparks, Lord Marcus, Agnes, Jack Bass, Aaron Rose, etc.)
(photo: cwtv.com)