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May 28, 2006

Best Line of the Year

In my roundup of this year's season finales, I forgot to include my pick for the best line of dialogue I've heard all year, chosen for its wit, its weight and its simplicity. So here it is, the best line of the year, spoken by Locke during the season finale of "Lost" after his refusal to push the button in the hatch almost caused the world to end:
"I was wrong."
Yeah, no kidding baldie.

Posted by amanda on 1:42 PM | Comments (0)

May 26, 2006

The Season is Over -- Let the Dissection Begin

Ok, so this week was pretty much the last hurrah for the regular TV season. There was a slew of season finales, almost all of them two hours long. Many were good. Some were shocking. Others were downright perplexing.
Here, for your reading pleasure, are my thoughts on the finales of some of my favorite shows.

Alias: I'm starting with the "Alias" finale because it was not just a season finale, but the series finale. Ok, first let us bow our heads (and silently curse Ben Affleck) as we honor the passing of this fun, if occassionallly ridiculous, spy drama.
All right, now on to the analysis. In the final chapter of the story of superagent Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner), all of the show's mysteries were solved.
Is Syd's mom, Irina, really evil? Yes, yes she is.
What did that crazy Rambaldi device do? It provided eternal life.
Can Vaughn actually step up and be a man in a crisis? Surprisingly, yes, as he rescued Syd from a icy death and kept freelance terrorist Sark from destroying the world. Sure, he later let Sark get away, but come on - it's Vaughn. He's constantly getting beaten up by women. If he gets one terrorist not to kill people, that's a huge victory.
The ending should have satisfied fans of the series, as it finally meted out punishment to Irina (who died after falling through a glass roof) and Sloane (granted eternal life, he was then trapped under a big ol' rock in a cave hundreds of feet underground).
Sadly, Syd's solid, stoic, noble dad Jack (one of my favorite characters on TV) died protecting his daughter. But, at least it provided the fine Victor Garber, who plays Jack, with some wonderful final scenes.
All in all, job well done, people of "Alias." We shall miss you.
"24": Well, I'm just going to come right out and say it. I was stunned by the "24" season finale. STUNNED. Well, not so much by the fall of evil President Logan. That was expected, as was Jack's cold-blooded murder of Christopher Henderson. And no, I'm not even talking about the episode's final twist, in which Jack was kidnapped by the Chinese whom he wronged last season.
That kind of thing always happens to Jack.
No, here's the biggest shocker from the (admittedly excellent) season finale: Computer geek Chloe used to be married! To some sauve English dude! Huh?
Oh you wacky "24" scribes! What will you think of next?
"Lost": Ow. "Lost," you make my head hurt. Sure, your season finale revealed that the button in the hatch does indeed serve a purpose. And you resolved some of our questions about former hatch-dweller Desmond. And sure, it was nice to see Walt again. But,in true "Lost" fashion, you raised so many perplexing questions, and had so many cliffhangers that next season can't come fast enough.
Were Locke, Eko, and/or Desmond killed in the explosion in the hatch? What's going to happen to the castaways who were captured by the Others? Will Walt and Michael really reach safety? What role does Desmond's sweetie, Penny, (glimpsed in the episode's final scenes) play in this whole scenario? And who are the gosh-darned "Others"?
I'll say it again -- ow.
"Desperate Housewives": Ladies, I've spent the entire season defending you. When people said you were played out, I chalked it up to sophomore-season backlash, held my head high and tried to keep loving you.
But the final episodes just eroded all my goodwill by rehashing old plotlines. Gabby and Carlos's marriage is threatened by infedility -- again. Mike's life is on the line because of a creepy presence from his past -- again. Bree has attracted the eye of a psycho -- again.
Oh, "Housewives" -- how could you betray me like this? Maybe it's good that I won't see you for the next months. It will give me time to work through this feelings of hurt and betrayal. Consider it a trial separation, with the possibility of a divorce.

Posted by amanda on 2:40 PM | Comments (0)

May 9, 2006

Best...Episode...Ever

Note: For those who didn't see the season finale of "Veronica Mars," you may want to wait to read this until you see the episode. And seriously, what's wrong with you?

Oh my God -- the second season finale of my beloved "Veronica Mars" was so dang amazing, it's reduced me to a babbling mess. The first season finale was one of the best episodes of television I've ever seen, but this one left it in the dust.
First, there was that touching dream sequence. Now, normally, I hate dream sequences. But this one was done perfectly -- resurrecting Lily and bringing back Veronica's mom seemed not creepy, but poignant. Ditto for that whole Wallace-Veronica interaction. And, the sequence was only a couple of minutes long, so it didn't get boring or too surreal. Ya hear that, "Sopranos" writers?
Then, there was the graduation. The exchange between Veronica and the principal was great, as was the surprise applause for graduating Veronica. And let me just say that if anyone starts producing "Weevil Navarro Graduates" t-shirts, put me down for one.
But, of course, the best part was the resolution of this season's mystery. Actually, I mean mysteries. We found out that the same person was orchestrating everything, and it was unexpected, but totally believable.
And how great was it that Logan rescued Veronica?
Sure, the final moments with Kendall and Keith and the briefcase were a little too "Pulp Fiction" for my taste, but I'm willing to let it go.
Seriously. Best...episode...ever!!!

Posted by amanda on 11:14 PM | Comments (0)

May 1, 2006

Last Chance

Tuesday night is the season finale of FX's drama "Thief." Sadly, it is also likely the series finale for this brand new show.

I read a Los Angeles Times article today stating that the show's ratings and buzz have both been low, and it probably won't have a second season. That's a shame, because "Thief" starring Andre Braugher is terrific. It's smart, gritty and vastly entertaining, with an excellent lead performance by Braugher as the title character.
The show's plot center on his gang of thieves as they executed a huge heist of government money from an airplane. In addition to planning the high-pressure job, Nick had to deal with the sudden death of his beloved wife. He also was saddled with caring for his resentful 14-year-old stepdaughter, Tami (the wonderful Mae Whitman, who valiantly goes toe-to-toe with Braugher in all their scenes).
"Thief" beautifully balanced suspense with family drama, particularly in last week's episode, when Tami ran away at the same time Nick and his crew were conducting their robbery.
The final episode, which I've seen, is equally deft. It shows the aftermath of the heist, and the growing bond between Nick and Tami. It also showcases some nice work by the show's supporting cast, particularly Clifton Collins Jr. as Jack, a soft-spoken, religious member of Nick's crew.
It's not surprising that the show hasn't done well. It's perhaps a bit too slow and quiet for most people's tastes, and the characters are somewhat unsympathetic. But for those who appreciate good acting and strong storytelling it was a gift.
I'll be sad to see it go.

Posted by amanda on 3:57 PM | Comments (0)