Dear Henry, Go Away

Ringer - "It’s Gonna Kill Me, But I’ll Do It"

Ringer, you sneaky show! Way to do something a little fun. The show is little more than a soap opera with more onscreen action and Sarah Michelle Gellar, but it got a lot better since the pilot. We don’t know how much that says, since we gave the pilot a C+, but it’s promising.

It’s certainly not what we would call an intelligent thriller. Those looking for that should head over to Showtime and watch Homeland. But this was probably our favorite episode so far. Most importantly, we still want to know what happens enough to keep watching. Now more than ever. This is only the fourth episode, after all.

Spoilers start here.

Gemma finds out that Siobhan had a sister! But that’s not all. Gemma heard Henry talking to Siobhan (really Bridget) about their love and love child. But THAT’S not all. Bridget had to tell Gemma that she was Bridget and not Siobhan! Dun dun dunnnnn. End of episode. Now we actually can’t wait to see what happens on this show next week.

Someone got slapped, Andrew’s accent gets cuter every week, there’s no terrible green screen in sight, Agent Machado is still on the trail and is getting closer, and we got some flashbacks of the sisterhood gone wrong.

The only boring thing at this point is Siobhan. She’s off whoring and trying to not get kicked out of her hotel. But “the plan’s back on.” It’s about time she does something besides sit around in Paris.

Episode Grade: B+

You give that skinny Garanimals-wearing asskisser everything!

Glee - "Asian F"

This episode had a lot of things we didn’t like and a few that we did, so there are mixed feelings. We’ll start with the good news, then rip into the bad.

The good: Mike Chang! He still really can’t sing, but his storyline was sweet. Doing something you love is even more important than being yourself, which is what this show usually tries to tell us to do. We enjoy the change of message from time-to-time. Mike’s mom was adorable, and yes, Asians are really that strict. But how are Mike and Tina still together? Relationships last like half a season on this show, but this couple that formed mostly because of abs is really going the distance….

Brittany’s dancing and number were pretty fun, and we liked its effect on Kurt. We also liked meeting Emma’s parents. We knew that they had to be a big ball of crazy to have raised a kid with so many issues, but we didn’t expect them to be really mean! Freaky deaky? Will should have slapped them, but he put his aforementioned new balls to use telling them off. Also, didn't Emma already explain how her OCD tendencies started?

We thought it was pretty funny that they were “ginger supremacists” though. And they didn’t like Carl, haha. But poor Emma. All the work she did seems to have gone down the tubes after seeing the source of her crazy. We liked that Mercedes has a boyfriend who builds her up and makes her realize that she’s not an Effie. Even though she really is an Effie. She looks and acts and sings like Effie. Some of that is definitely a compliment though.

The kids did “It’s All Over” from Dreamgirls, and it really fit with the episode well, even though we don’t particularly care for the song. We liked that the sweet tone and some focus on Will and Emma is back. This season is feeling a little more like season one. Thankfully, Sue had a small part in this episode. We wouldn’t normally say this, because Jane Lynch is awesome and at one point Sue made the show for us. But lately, the show doesn’t know what to do with the character and Sue just ends up making episodes a nonsensical mess.

The bad: Brittany S. Pierce realizes that a dumb blonde being president would probably be so much better than another guy! Why does girl power have to mean dissing guys? It wasn’t egregious here, but we still rolled our eyes. If you have to say it (Run the World (Girls)) then it must not be true.

Worst of all, Mercedes’ ego has returned. The show is making us hate her, and we don’t want to! Rachel and Mercedes have a sing-off with one of the most boring Broadway songs of all time, “Out Here On My Own” from Fame. The judges still can’t decide who gets Maria, so they double the performances and give both girls a chance to play the role. Most girls who actually love musical theater would be thrilled, but Mercedes turns it down, disses Rachel, and joins Shelby Corcoran’s new show choir. Silver lining? Maybe she can drown out Sugar Motta.

Spotlight, Cool, and Run the World (Girls) are all very mediocre songs undeserving of covers. We like that the songs are following the plot rather than the plot following the songs, but picking current mainstream songs that didn’t even top the charts makes for a bland episode. Bring back the classic rock!

Glee tried to recover with a Coldplay cover, going with the overused Fix You. The plot actually made it appropriate, with the whole Emma thing, and it was almost touching. Our problem with it? It sounded almost exactly like the original. When you cover a song, you need to make it your own. Doesn’t anyone listen to Simon Cowell? (The exception to this rule is the national anthem. So many people jazz it up, riff, change keys, and holler that it’s more original to sing it straight and just sing it really well, holding the notes out.) Also, this song was used so much better in So You Think You Can Dance.

But, anyway, Glee works well when it swaps the genders to songs. Not so much with Kurt, but with having a female voice on Journey or Blaine’s Teenage Dream. We already have the original songs, Glee. Give us the sequel to them. Add some instruments, new harmonies. Something. That’s why so many people love the mash-ups. We have a similar Fix You on our iPods, and it’s better. Lots of people think that song is really condescending and lame anyway. So, on the music front, we were unsatisfied.

Question: What was all the stuff with Mercedes feeling physically ill? Was she really just having an off day, or is that going to come up later? Please say the only other Christian girl on this show isn't getting pregnant too. That would just be too funny.

Episode Grade: B-

Suck It Up, Robin. We're currently sober and above our desks, and we've been single for YEARS. Also, what are you wearing?

How I Met Your Mother - “The Stinson Missile Crisis”
Neil Patrick Harris plays a straight man way more convincingly than he played a gay man. Anyway, this episode was really cute. Especially the Robin stuff. Not so much the Ted stuff. But, overall, we liked it.

Episode Grade: B+

Two Broke Girls - “And Strokes of Goodwill”
Some of the puns in this episode were just painful. It was ok when Samantha Jones on Sex and City did them, but we think Michael Patrick King should leave them with her. Although we liked this series at first, it needs to shake things up, add some characters, add a few storylines, and brush up on its jokes at this point in order to move forward. We’re still watching though, and one of us liked the episode. It’s going to get a full season to improve. That’s right: a full season was ordered.

Episode Grade: C+

Hart of Dixie - “Parades and Pariahs”
We couldn’t decide if we were going to watch a second episode of this show at first, but then we decided to buckle down and give it another try. After two episodes, we’ve realized that our schedules are too full for a show this mediocre. If we give it another chance, it will be after a full season has aired (if it even gets a full season), and we will watch it in the summer.

Episode grade: C-

New Show News

As a commenter pointed out/noticed before us, Up All Night and Whitney have been renewed. The Playboy Club has been cancelled. We are mostly happy with this news. Whitney isn't great, but it's not the worst new comedy this fall. We're looking at you, How to be a Gentleman.

This Show Is the Definition of Generic

Terra Nova - "Instinct"

We’re not digging this show right now. It’s too shallow and immature. It’s like every generic family action movie, except the whole family can’t watch it, because of content issues. We’re not sure who this is aimed at. We’re not attached to any of the character, and, worst of all, there is no real emotion involved in watching this show. Not fear, excitement, humor, sadness, joy. Nothing. There was almost curiosity last week with Taylor’s missing son and the equation, but that wasn’t touched upon this week. The show is centered on a family, but the family brings no believable interactions or power to the geeky premise.

A mystery alone can’t carry a show. Who is the audience for this? Teenage boys? Maybe. But it might be too sweet for them. This show is trying to please everyone, and we don’t think it’s pleasing anyone overmuch. This is a show that needs to figuring out what sort of reaction it wants from us, because light, fun, cute sci-fi that hardly makes sense isn’t going to elicit a strong reaction from anyone. This show desperately needs to take a risk, make someone unlikeable, shake things up, and get scarier. We are very disappointed and hope it improves. We were rooting for this one, because we are nerds.

Spoilers start here.

Some of Terra Nova’s men get a flat tire at night and then they get killed by little dinosaurs offscreen. Then we see the Shannon family, in the daytime, having a nice time in Terra Nova, settling in. Jim and Elizabeth start taking their clothes off (well, Jim’s shirt anyway), stand close to each other, and look at each other hungrily, but in a rated-G kind of way, so it creeped us out. Then a dinosaur screeches and ruins their good time. We would start to get annoyed with the dinos at this point. Jim goes out to scare the dino off and comes back to find Zoe in bed with her mom. We have already been annoyed with Zoe, who ruins everything but cannot be the target of wrath because she’s little.

Josh seems to have accepted his dad now. Elizabeth meets another science geek, Malcolm, and he’s an ex-boyfriend from college who still likes her! Dramaaaaa. Not really. Jim just calls Dr. Malcolm out for liking his wife and wishing Jim were still in prison, choking to death. Later, Jim and Elizabeth try to do it again and dinos screech. Jim and Josh go out to scare the dinos off, but the little flying things attack! One bites Jim’s hand. Nothing else. But these are the same things that killed the Terra Nova men.

Malcolm figures out that Terra Nova was built on these pterosaurs’ breeding ground, and now they want it back. Offscreen, Jim catches a couple of the pterosaurs so that his geeky wife and her possible boy toy could figure out how to recreate their pheromones and lure them to a new place to breed. Once they make the formula, Jim and Taylor take it and lure the birds away. We don’t see this either. We don’t see any of the action. It’s like an old sitcom where they can’t show the kids fight, just talk about the aftermath. We guess this is a way to save money, and after the pilot, they need to. But without dino action, what’s the point of this show?

Elizabeth and Jim finally get to do it. No one cares. The only plot-advancing thing we learn (that doesn’t involve romance) is that the Sixers have a mole in Terra Nova. Well, of course they do. That plot is a freebie, show. Every show has to have a mole at one time. 24 had, like, a thousand. Also, that was heavily implied in the pilot. Taylor tasked Jim with finding the mole with his “cop nose.”

Funniest lines this week? “Dad, how do you know if a guy likes you?” “You can’t. He doesn’t. You’re 16.”

Episode grade: C-

Which New Shows Will Probably Stay or Go

This is a really good online article about each new show's chances, in case you are getting hooked but don't want your heart broken.

http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/10/03/fall-tv-2011-schedule-cancelled-shows/

Pan Am Makes Us Glad Our Mothers Aren't Controlling

Pan Am - "We’ll Always Have Paris"
Now that Laura’s hair has been dyed blonde to distinguish her from her sister, she’s a dead ringer for Britt on Community, isn’t she? We enjoyed this episode more than the pilot, and the pilot was decent. This isn’t classic TV yet or anything, but it’s entertaining and fun.

Episode grade: B

The Good Wife - "The Death Zone"
Well, it was just cruel not to show us Alicia and Will’s Revolutionary War role playing. However, we will settle for Kalinda and Eli hooking up, because they are clearly made for each other. We wonder why we didn’t see it before. And please, they can’t fire Alicia.

Episode grade: B-

I Have No Idea What Hammertime Is

Dexter - "Those Kinds of Things"
This season of Dexter is going to dip into religion and what it means (or doesn’t mean) to Dexter. This is interesting to this blogger because, as a person with faith, Dexter made her brain go wild with these issues during the first season. It raised a lot of questions, such as: Where is the hope for people like Dexter? If you have no heart, how can you find God? Do people like Dexter have that ‘free will’ to choose God thing, or are they incapable, because they can’t feel remorse and can’t repent?

Of course, in answer to the last question, the show weirdly gave the sociopath some level of a conscience and more of a heart than most serial killers would have. But for the real-life killers, the question still stands. Religion doesn’t make this blogger uncomfortable at all. Not any single religion. Shoot, she will discuss and read about them all. But religion plus Dexter?

This blogger answered her own spiritual questions about people like Dexter a while ago (and if you want the detailed conclusions to that line of questioning, you can ask in the comments, if you are so inclined). But it will be very nice to see how the show broaches the topic, which is a ballsy move for this show. We love it. Let’s go there. If it all makes you uncomfortable, first, ask why. If the reason is solid, you might want to stay away from this show and these posts. If it's not reasonable for you to be uncomfortable, strap on a pair and dive in.

Dexter and Deb are trying to get Harrison in this exclusive Catholic school. Dexter tells a nun that he doesn’t believe in anything except a set of rules to keep him out of trouble, and Deb tells him that she thinks that’s kind of cold. Later, Dexter goes back and tells the nun that he wants Harrison to learn about faith, so the nun tells him that she will do her best to find a place for him. Dexter may think religion is all bull, and he has no fear of punishment in the afterlife (really, isn't being Dexter punishment enough?), but he wants Harrison to have the opportunity to be normal.

Dexter tries to talk to Angel about God and get some explanation. Angel tells Dexter that every person has a yearning for God and that there is a moral code inside everyone and that it all comes down to faith. Dexter decides this makes no sense. Knowing Dexter, a “the shadow proves the sunshine” approach might have resonated more with him. Dexter doesn’t know what it’s like to feel the good. But he knows the darkness and knows it is dark. He could focus on the contrast. (Speaking of that, this show is so good at showing the contrast between Dexter and regular, life-filled people. That's one of the reasons we like it.)

The main plot of the evening involved Dexter going to his 20-year high school reunion to kill one of his classmates who abused and killed his own wife, a girl who was nice to Dexter in high school. Dexter finds that his classmates remember him, like him, think he’s cute, and think he has a cool job. He’s surprised, because he thought he was invisible. A good-looking woman gives him a blow job. She was very aggressive. Dexter had to play touch football in order to nail his victim, and that was absolutely hilarious. It really IS amazing that Dexter didn’t kill anyone in high school.

Dexter noticed a Jesus tattoo on his victim, and his victim says something like, “Oh, as long as you ask for forgiveness, it’s fine.” Ok, show, you’re going to have to question religion a little better than that. Everyone with half a fair brain knows that sincerity/heart counts in that (assuming it’s real), and you can’t go through life with an “I’ve got a get-out-of-jail-free card” attitude. You have to actually love God and genuinely want to live in alignment with the way he saw things, or so we hear. If there's a God, he will know who is sincere and who is looking for loopholes in something as nice (and, arguably, fair) as grace. He's a hard guy to hoodwink.

If the show continues to skew more against religion making sense, we are going to defend religion this season. If the show goes against atheists and paints them as immoral or arrogant, we will defend the atheists. We've roomed with atheists and have them as friends. They were moral people. We are nothing if not devil's advocates, so we will take the side not represented by the show or comments.

So if you want to debate, discuss, agree, ream us, question, call us idiots, ask what we mean or think about something, or share your thoughts, this season, this show, and the comments of these posts are a great place to do it.

The best, and nastiest, part of the episode was probably when Colin Hanks sewed baby snakes into his victim’s body. Colin Hanks is so creepy, and he always has been. It’s about time he realized that and took this part. Harrison has a new nanny before we even got to figure out why his old one was so weird. Her name is Jamie and she is Angel’s little sister.

Laguerta and Angel have divorced (thank God), and Laguerta was promoted to Captain. She recommended Angel to take her old job. The two seem friendly. Quinn is about to propose to Deb, but a shooter in the restaurant stops him. Sorry Quinn haters. It looks like he and Deb might get more serious. But does anyone else think Deb will say no?

Episode Grade: B+

We Never Thought the Ricin Would End Up Getting to THAT Character

Breaking Bad- End Times

Walt (or was it Marie?) actually makes a smart decision and sends his family to Hank’s house to be protected by the DEA along with Hank and Marie. Walt is acting like the Walt of season one: accepting responsibility for his actions, not blaming others, not whining, and knowing that he deserves some consequences. So he sits with his gun in a patio chair next to his pool. He spins the gun, and for the first few spins, when it stops, it points at him. Did Bryan Cranston practice spinning the gun like that, or did they do multiple takes?

Hank gets one of his cop buddies to search Gus’ laundromat, but he doesn’t find anything. Saul is preparing to skip town, so he gives Jesse all of the money Jesse is owed. He also tells Jesse that Gus threatened Walt’s family. Soon after, Jesse receives a call from Andrea. Brock is in the hospital, gravely ill. That’s right. The ricin didn’t reach its intended victim. We didn’t realize this is what happened to Brock until we saw Jesse go outside the hospital to smoke. Then we were reminded.

The lesson here, clearly, is never to get close to Jesse Pinkman. First it was his girlfriend, then Gale, and now Brock. An occasional ass kicking is the least of Jesse’s worries. Jesse tells Andrea to tell the doctors that it’s ricin, then he drives to Walt’s house to shoot him. Jesse’s brain makes one of the most irrational leaps ever when he somehow decides that Walt poisoned Brock, since he knew about ricin. Walt, just as paranoid as Jesse, thinks that Gus stole Jesse’s ricin and poisoned Brock so that Jesse would suspect Walt and Jesse would kill Walt so that Gus wouldn’t have to and Jesse would keep cooking for him. IT’S BRILLIANT.

Only that doesn’t make much sense either. It’s much more likely that Brock found the cigarette and wanted to be a little rebel and try to smoke. It doesn't matter how Brock got the ricin. All that matters is that Jesse has remembered that Walt isn't all bad, and that Gus' men have put children in danger. We really don't think Gus had anything to do with Brock's poisoning. Walt is just freaking out because of all of Gus' schemes to turn Jesse this season. Walt and Jesse make a plan to kill Gus.

It is the end times. The judgment day. Gus and Jesse meet in the hospital chapel, and it’s clear that Jesse has to definitively choose sides, only he already has. Walt is outside, rigging Gus’ car with a homemade bomb (man, Walt is so cool sometimes) while Jesse distracts him. Gus walks back to his car in the parking garage, but then suddenly stops and starts looking around. Walt was watching nearby, waiting to hit the EXPLODE button. Gus decides against going to his car, turns around, and walks away.

Finale time next week guys! We’re so excited.

Episode grade: A-

Homeland - Pilot

Whoa, Showtime, where did that come from? We were expecting Homeland to be decent, but we really didn’t think it would be that good. We thought it would be quality, but boring, like Boardwalk Empire or something, but we are already totally hooked by this show.

There’s a warning for people who don’t like graphic sex scenes: There are two in this episode. The first one was just an excuse to show one of the most beautiful actresses on TV doing what we should have gotten to see her do with Malcolm Reynolds. The second one was harder to watch but necessary for character development/emotional impact/reality.

Speaking of that scene, all the acting is really great. The pacing is good. The drama is subtle and the episode was interesting. If the show improves or even stays at this quality, it will be the best fall show of the season.

(Spoilers start here)
Claire Danes plays a CIA officer named Carrie Mathison. Her job was to uncover terrorism plots in Iraq, until she got arrested for sneaking into a prison to get information. She was sent back to America with what an inmate whispered in her ear: An American POW has been turned by Al-Qaeda.

Later, Sergeant Nicholas Brody is found and rescued in Iraq after being missing for years. Since he’s the only POW in sight, Carrie wants to check him out. So she illegally wiretaps his house and interrogates him at a CIA debriefing that was supposed to be just a nice formality.

Carrie isn’t really sympathetic yet, but she’s interesting, and she just may be right about Brody. She suffers from some sort of secret mental disorder, and she’s been taking an anti-psychotic since her early 20s to manage it. Is she paranoid and crazy, or does she have a point? Also, she uses her sexuality to manipulate her superiors (unsuccessfully in this episode). She’s feeling guilty about not stopping 9/11, even though her superior tells her that “everyone missed signs that day.”

By the end of the episode, we don’t know if Brody has actually been turned, but we know he lied to Carrie about whether he had seen a famous Al-Qaeda operative. It also looks like he was forced to beat his fellow soldier to death, and he lied to the man’s wife about that. Psh, we would too. That doesn’t make him guilty of treason and plotting terrorism. But Carrie also thinks that his finger tapping on camera was code/a message. Maybe. Or it could be just a nervous tick. The show is going to have a fun time making both sides seem likely for a while.

A major subplot involves Brody’s wife, Jessica, and his two children, a boy and a girl. They all thought he was dead, so Jessica has been sleeping with Brody’s friend, Mike. Why is it always the husband’s friend. Ugh. We think Brody may suspect that they’ve been close. Jessica was about to move in with Mike when she got the news of her husband’s return. We like Jessica. She’s handling things decently, and it’s not like she knew Brody was alive.

Weirdly, during the sex scene and kissing and cookout and TV interviews and everything, we just kept wondering, “Doesn’t this guy want to lie on the couch, eat chips, watch TV, and recover? Why does his wife put on the sexy act on his first day back? It’s not like she wasn’t getting any. We wouldn’t want to put any pressure on him for at least a few days. How about some time to get settled before a bunch of people come over? How about a few days of sleep? How about some time to visit his mom’s grave?” Jeez.

Episode Grade: A, especially for a pilot

New Show: Boss

Boss
Starz, October 21 at 10 pm

Starring: Kelsey Grammer (Frasier, the best show ever, duh) and Connie Nielson (The Devil’s Advocate, Gladiator)

Plot: This is a political drama about a Chicago mayor (Grammer) who is diagnosed with a degenerative neurological disorder. He is both powerful and corrupt. He attempts to hide his condition from everyone except his doctor.

Why We Are Excited: The trailer looks interesting and there is plenty of potential in the premise and cast.

Why We Are Not Excited: Who on this show are we supposed to root for? And are we supposed to find Frasier to be evil and intimidating? Let's hope this role doesn't take him back to a dark place. Check out his bio/early family life and you'll know he has one. Also, the last couple of Starz shows have been things we hated.

Preview:


Anticipation Score: 5/10

Be sure to click on the "##Upcoming Shows## link in the cloud so you can stay apprised. And let us know if you think you will be watching any of them!

New Show: Hell on Wheels

Hell on Wheels
AMC, November 6

Starring: Common (American Gangster), Colm Meaney (Star Trek), Anson Mount (In Her Shoes, Crossroads) and a few relative unknowns

Plot: Cullen Bohannon (Mount) is a former Confederate soldier seeking revenge on the Union soldiers who murdered his wife.

Why We Are Excited: AMC is one of our most-trusted channels for original dramas, so you know we are going to give this more than a fair chance. Now that we are even into Mad Men, AMC can do no wrong. Our TVs have been missing a good Western. Overall, it looks pretty good.

Why We Are Not Excited: We were underwhelmed by the trailer, but maybe that just means that they didn’t show all of the good parts.

Preview:


Anticipation Score: 7.5/10

Be sure to click on the "##Upcoming Shows## link in the cloud so you can stay apprised. And let us know if you think you will be watching any of them!

New Show: Enlightened

Enlightened
HBO, Monday October 10

Starring: Laura Dern (Blue Velvet, October Sky) and Luke Wilson (Legally Blonde, Old School, The Royal Tenenbaums)

Plot: Amy Jellicoe (Laura Dern) is a self-destructive executive who has a public breakdown following a breakup. She goes to rehab and has a philosophical epiphany. She then tries to meditate, think positive, and shake up the system in order to get her life together.

Why We Are Excited: This looks like a more grounded, relatable version of Eat, Pray, Love. It definitely looks different and a little funny, without mocking hippies. It could be controversial.

Why We Are Not Excited: Luke Wilson tends to pick a lot of iffy projects. My Super Ex-Girlfriend, anyone? Also, this could be weird or offensive to some.

Preview:


Anticipation Score: 7/10

Be sure to click on the "##Upcoming Shows## link in the cloud so you can stay apprised. And let us know if you think you will be watching any of them!

The Big C, Season Two

Those Big C finales really deliver on the emotional front, don’t they? This season was a lot less bleak than last season. No one intentionally committed suicide, Kathy made progress in a clinical trial, it was funnier, and there was more Andrea. The show still had the heart and the tough subject, but it was easier and less depressing to watch. Parker Posey guest starring and Adam turning into a real human late in the game was the icing on the cake.

There were better and more cohesive plots this season too. It didn’t feel like the show was stalled just waiting for Kathy to die. There was less focus on cancer and more focus on characters, family, and comedy. Kathy became a fully-realized character this season too, rather than someone just doing and saying crazy things because she has cancer and can. This is the show we should have had in the first season. This has become our favorite Showtime program on right now, and we hope to see a third season, because that’s a weird way to end it. It has humor as good as Weeds without all the coldness. Sean has also become a good character this season, rather than just another wacko.

Major spoilers are hinted at here: So a huge character unexpectedly died in the finale. The way they did that was perfect/the way they told us that he was dead (and his sweet last words). He’s grated on us for a long time, but the show still managed to make his death sad. That was one of the most shocking TV twists we’ve seen in a while. But it was foreshadowed with the scale that showed that he had the health of a 67-year-old man. Then he started using drugs recreationally to cope. The twist was cool, because we really shouldn’t have been so blindsided. It was much better than Marlene’s death, which just felt unnecessary. Another good death was Lee’s. Marlene and the first season taught Kathy how (and how not) to live; Lee taught Kathy how to die.

Season grade: A

We Wish We Could Meet Our Parallel Universe Selves...Or Do We?

A Gifted Man - "In Case of All Hell Breaking Loose"

What kind of medical show really only has one doctor? How can we have multiple hookups and other drama? All we have here are cases. The weird thing is, this show makes you care anyway. We’re still liking it this week. The quality has stayed the same. It has a good tone and a strong central performance. It still needs to find itself in a lot of ways, but we hope it gets a chance to do it. Side note: We love his secretary. His sister and nephew were missing though. Episode grade: B

Fringe - "One Night in October"

Why wasn’t this the premiere? What an interesting case! The show pulled a Grey’s Anatomy when it related the case to Peter’s disappearance/the main characters’ own lives. Yup, Peter’s indelible. And he needs help? Hoo boy. We liked this one a lot.

Episode Grade: A-

New Show: American Horror Story

American Horror Story
FX. Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Starring: Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights), Dylan McDermott (The Practice, Dark Blue), Denis O’Hare (True Blood), and Jessica Lange (Tootsie, Frances)

Plot: A family moves into a haunted mansion

Why We Are Excited: It actually looks scary. Ryan Murphy has created cool stuff before. The advertisements make this look stylish. Finally, we love Connie Britton.

Why We Are Not Excited: Nip/Tuck was edgy and weird, but then it just got silly. Ryan needs to reign in some of his over-the-top sensibilities. We liked the first season of Nip/Tuck (it actually convinced us that we probably won’t ever want plastic surgery), but then it all went to hell.

Preview:


Anticipation Score: 9.5/10

Be sure to click on the "##Upcoming Shows## link in the cloud so you can stay apprised. And let us know if you think you will be watching any of them!

Don't Cancel Prime Suspect Yet, Please

Person of Interest - "Ghosts"
We were snoring a bit here. This is a definite procedural and it’s feeling like one. We hear that we will be getting a Mr. Finch flashback where we get to see some of the story behind the machine’s creation, and we can’t wait for that. It’s time for an overarching plot or mystery to emerge to keep us coming back week-to-week.

Episode grade: C+

Prime Suspect - "Carnivorous Sheep"
Yeah, this is a procedural too, but the case was more interesting than the Person of Interest one, and Maria Bello has a lot more charisma than Jim Caviezel. Too bad the ratings are down, because this episode was better than the pilot, and we liked the pilot. This is the new cop show/procedural to watch.

Episode grade: B+

The X-Factor
Simon says that they are looking for “more than just a voice.” It’s “something else.” So far, this seems like just an excuse to pick poor vocalists based on looks, personality, and bravado. That’s probably why the contestants continue to underwhelm. However, they were better Thursday night. New Jersey also brought us more entertaining rejects. We loved Simon’s attitude about the show Jersey Shore, saying that when he saw it, he knew that he had to bring his show to New Jersey because he loves the people there and their sense of humor. That’s a joyful, nonjudgmental attitude we didn’t think we’d hear from Simon after all the Jersey hate.

Our favorites were the 12-year-old who rapped “Stop Lookin At My Mom” and the last girl, the 16-year-old from Cape Coral, FL, who sang the Mary J. Blige song. The young ones are bringing it. (Ern’s siblings went to the same high school.) We also liked Kelly, the hairdresser for a nursing home, because she had a nice tone. We agreed with Simon about Carrie Fletcher. She was not distinctive, but she seems smart enough to fix that.

New Show: Homeland

Homeland
In case you haven't heard and don't want to miss it, this is on Showtime tomorrow night, but the pilot is already online. We haven’t watched it yet, but we will.

Starring: Claire Danes (My So-Called Life, Stardust, Romeo + Juliet), Damian Lewis (Life), Mandy Patinkin (Yentl, The Princess Bride), and Morena Baccarin (Firefly, Serenity, V).

Plot: Carrie Mathison, a paranoid, loose cannon CIA operations officer, is convinced that a former prisoner of war was turned by the enemy and poses a great risk to national security.

Why We Are Excited: Claire Danes isn’t bad. The reviews say that this is thrilling, edge-of-your-seat, and that it’s going to be hard for us to wait for the next episode. Some are calling it a smarter version of 24. People involved in 24 are also involved in this.

Why We Are Not Excited: We do not find Damian Lewis attractive. We like when guys are hot. But that’s really our only quibble at this point. One of us never got into 24.

Preview:


Anticipation Score: 9/10

Be sure to click on the "##Upcoming Shows## link in the cloud so you can stay apprised. And let us know if you think you will be watching any of them!

The Annies Should Have Made a Model "Something-That-Actually-Has-Power/Matters"

Parks and Recreation - “Ron and Tammys”

We can’t believe they killed the mustache completely! We know it will be back next week, since Tammy 1 is gone, but we were shocked. It was just so wrong….and risky. Tammy 1’s effect was even funnier than Tammy 2’s. Not only was the Ron-centric A plot hilarious, plots B and C were pretty good too, with Ben trying to save Tom’s business that gives iPads away for free and Ann realizing that she’s definitely over her ex.

Episode grade: A

Community - "Geography of Global Conflict"
We got to see both Britta and Annie devolve into their crazy past selves when they saw their “better” versions. We also saw yet another attempt to use the Chang character. He was best as a teacher, we think. And a Dungeons and Dragons player. This episode was mildly amusing, but not their best.

Episode grade: B

How to Be a Gentleman - "Pilot"
We almost changed the channel in the very beginning, because it was unbearable already, but then Rhys Darby (Flight of the Concords) and Mary Lynn Rajskub came on the screen as a married couple. We decided to stick around for them. We found ourselves wishing the show was about this couple. Instead, it was about a “gentleman” and a guy who is actually from the show Entourage and brought that attitude with him, only he’s less intelligent. The guy who is a gentleman might have worked if he were actually courteous, moral, and sweet.

Instead, he’s obnoxious, unattractive, unfunny, and speaks to his sister in a way that would get us slapped at the dinner table. Does anyone remember that stupid movie Kate and Leopold with Hugh Jackman and Meg Ryan? That’s the kind of gentleman that could have carried this show. The sincere hot one. Not this guy who is so obnoxious that four minutes into the show we were about to rip our ears off. His voice!!! We’d rather watch and listen to the so-called “rude” guy. The plot was weak, the jokes were weak, and there were multiple cameras and laugh tracks. We will never watch this again, and we hope that Rhys and Mary Lynn get off this show soon and get jobs that are worthy of them.

Episode grade: F

Why Do All the Students Keep So Much Loose Paper In Their Lockers At This School?

Secret Circle - "Loner"

We are really enjoying Dawn. Sure, she had a hand in the death of Cassie’s mom, but she’s really cool, together, and bad ass, not to mention she loves Faye. Charles told Diana that he is dating Dawn in order to explain why they spend so much time together. Dawn seems repulsed by the idea. Good for her. Charles is not her equal.

Sally doesn’t remember who pushed her onto the rocks, but she does remember seeing a mean look on Faye’s face right before she woke up. Henry really is dead. Charles helped Dawn move his body. The binding ceremony caused the Circle to lose their individual powers. They need two to tango now. With all six, they are at their strongest. Faye is upset, even though she is always with one of the Circle and could convince at least one of them to help her out.

A guy named Luke asks Cassie to the school dance shortly after meeting her. Note to guys: Unless you are super hot and charming, you should talk to the girl/at least pretend to get to know her about twice before you ask her out. Remember, third meeting is the charm. You don’t want to wait too long either. Lots of guys make that mistake. Cassie agreed to go with Luke though.

A man named Zachary who knew the Circle’s parents ran into Cassie and started questioning her about all the witchcraft. He says that her mother would never want her to live in this town and that he knows she’s a witch. Diana shows up and Cassie is able to push him away. He says, “It can’t happen again” ominously before he leaves. Later, he scares Faye at the abandoned house.

All the kids go to the dance and Cassie tells Luke that she had no friends at her old school. Way to be honest on a date, Cassie. Melissa is finally fed up with Nick being a jerk to her after he makes her feel like an idiot at the dance. No one is dancing, so Sally grabs Adam and Cassie, who are talking and forces them too in an obvious move on the show’s part to get them to share an awkward, yet romantic moment. Faye shows up at the dance and tells them that she was chased by Zachary.

Charles finds Zachary, who monologues a bit and gives us the following info: Amelia used to be friends with him and his girlfriend, Heather, but she pushed them away as she got deeper into magic. Then something really bad happened to Heather because of all the witchcraft. Zachary defeats Charlie in a fight, says he only needs to kill one of the Circle, and sets off to do that.

Cassie leaves her date alone for most of the dance, and Luke calls her on it and leaves. Faye tells Nick to treat Melissa better. Faye and her mother are our favorite characters, even if it is a touch annoying that Faye’s Australian accent creeps out OFTEN. Leeard was the first to notice this, and now it’s glaringly obvious to both of us.

Zachary arrives at the school and tries to kill Cassie in the hall, but the rest of the Circle shows up and knocks him out by tossing his body onto the ceiling and then onto the floor. Dawn shows up and they say, “Oh, he’s a vandal and he slipped on some papers.” Dawn pretends to believe this and says that she will take care of it. The kids leave the dance, and Nick asks Melissa if she wants to come over and watch a movie, rather than just pleasure him sexually. Faye looks on, sadly. She must love Nick a little. Or Melissa.

Diana and Cassie talk about Adam, and Cassie assures Diana that she won’t steal her boyfriend. Awesome Dawn puts Zachary in her trunk. She drives him far away, marks him like he’s Cain, and says that now she will be able to find him wherever he is. She says that if he ever even looks at any of the children again, she will find him and give him a fate worse than Heather’s.

This was another good episode, but it didn’t seem to further much, unless we see Zachary again/he’s important. One thing we don’t enjoy: How everyone on the CW has obvious full makeup on when they first wake up in bed. It looked like Diana had both fake eyelashes and lipgloss. They would still look pretty with a natural look, show. Elena Gilbert is another common culprit of this annoyance.

Episode Grade: B