Reruns on Cable
Cancelled
Not Watching Anymore
Smallville
Arrival, 09/27/05
Thursday
Season 4
Review
Bound, 11/17/04
Show Ranking #14 of 25
Gone, 9/29/04
Crusade, 9/22/04
5th (and final) season in review; 3rd season in review
Is Chloe really dead?
Hereafter, 02/04/04
Delete, 01/28/04
Matt's Awards
Exodus Pt 2, 05/20/03
Calling pt 1, 05/13/03
Accelerate, 05/06/03
WB
WB lineup
Angel Renewed!
Witness, 04/29/03
Precipice, 04/22/03
Vistor, 04/15/03
Rosetta, 02/25/03
Fever, 02/18/03
Prodigal, 02/11/03
Rush, 02/04/03
Suspect, 01/28/03
Insurgence, 01/21/03
Visage, 01/14/03
News
Holiday Meanderings Part II, Tuesday
Skinwalkers, 11/26/02
Dichotic, 11/19/02
Ryan, 11/12/02
Marathon viewing of all the eps thru 11/13/02
Lineage, 11/05/02
Redux, 10/29/02
Redux, 10/29/02
Nocturne, 10/22/02
Red, 10/15/02
Red, 10/15/02
Duplicity, 10/08/02
Heat, 10/01/02
Vortex, 09/24/02
Heat, 10/01/02
Vortex, 09/24/02
Important Announcement
Insights
Tuesday Nights
Whining Part III, Tuesday
Matt's Awards
Tempest (Air Date 5/21/02)
Obscura (Air Date 5/14/02)
Crush (Air Date 5/7/02)
Drone (Air Date 4/30/02)
Review
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Smallville: Arrival, 09/27/05
Friday 09.30.2005
MattM || 07:40 AM
A surprisingly good start to this season opening a whole field of questions. Now that we have Lex, Brainic, Zod, Jor-El, and a newly powerless Clark. Although to me the number 1 questions has to be where is Zod. He sent his 2 minions after Clark but where is he? Brainic was on that ship they came out of but where is he? Is he still in the Phantom Zone and if they could escape he must have so that doesn't seem logical. I don't think he's Jor-El either because of the Fortress of Solitude. Nice to see Spike back at work although a little weird with his regular colored hair and no leather coat. I hope this portends a bounce back in this series that has been swimming with sharks but it at least it is off to a strong enough start that I will upgrade it to yellow and give it a wait and see for now.
2005-2006 Season, Alias, CSI, Everybody Hates Chris, Love, Inc., Reunion, Smallville, The Night Stalker, Without a Trace: Thursday
Thursday 08.11.2005
MattM || 07:18 AM
Thursday was once a strong hold for great shows. It was the must see night on TV. Now its the well lets see do we really want to subject ourselves to these shows night. The returning shows are Alias, Smallville, CSI, and Without a Trace. Alias has been swimming steadily with sharks after jumping the shark sometime around her dad not dying of radiation poison. The show, neglected by Abrams, is in desperate need of an overhaul but I know we won't get it. The biggest problem is the total lack of chemstry between Vaughn and Sydney. Since they broke up their chemstry has been more and more forced. Now he has to pretend she's having his baby. What would be great is Vaughn as the villian now that could save the show. They need desperatly to get rid of Sloan and Nadia too while they are it. Maybe have Vaughn kill her father now that would make for a great 6th season but I know this is a pipe dream and they don't have the guts to do it. Smallville is another show in serious decline. It makes me so mad at how they have screwed this show in the ground. I love Superman (although at heart I am a Batman fan) and they for the first time try to retell the Superman legend. They had a chance and they blew it. Much to often they ignore Lex but when they focus on him it usually winds up good. They turned Lana into this whiney person who most times I d like to strangle and they seem to have no idea what to do with Chloe. Although I haven't fully declared the series as jumped the shark but its definatly on the diving board and getting ready for the big jump and I fully expect it will this season. CSI will hopefully improve after that awful experiment of splitting the team up with out actually splitting the team up but what do they do about Katherine? Hello your promoted. HAHAHAHA just kidding! I don't know where they go from here but it might be intersting or in all likelyhood it will be stupid. This show has always been a tad overrated but now I don't know what they are going to do I just hope they get it righted because I do like this show. Without a Trace left us with the cliff hanger of who dies who lives. I vote Danny off the island because they just totally screwed up his character and the way they were handling it. I seriously doubt Martin is going. Vivian should definatly go away too. Still I just know how this is going to play out. They both somehow survive. Vivan comes back and the team reunites. Sam now at Martin's deathbed realizes she loves him and he has a miracle recovery. Tears fall, kleenex is needed, blah blah a wretched season follows.
Last year the effect of Lost reviving the near dead genre of sci-fi/horror shows has been stunning. This year could be the revival of sit-coms. Two strong shows on CBS as mentioned earlier and the another on UPN of all places. Chris Rock is one of the A-list comedians and a show narrated by him about his childhood I think has real promise to develop into a great sit-com. If CBS had any guts at all they would not have let this go to UPN. Although I think it is highly ironic it winds up here. After all it was Rock who called UPN the Under Paid Negros network. Of course the other new sitcom could set back sitcoms to extinction. Love Inc. aka the show that preemptively ran off Shannon Doughtery. So now they ran off a big name and they replace her with....Busy Phillips???? Ignoring that this is a huge rip off from Miss Match but to stick a no name in a lame plot sitcom? There is just no way on earth this could be good.
The new dramas start off with my other highly anticapted series in Night Stalker. I really like the concept and I have a feeling it is going to be good. Still I have my doubts about the actors in this series and their ability to handle it. Reunion is the other new series a show with the most orginal concept of telling the story of 20 different people at a reunion and how they got where they are in each episode. I just can't see how this works but maybe just maybe. Also what do they do about season 2? Another reunion? Surely they won't have the guts to do a revolving cast. Now that would be interesting.
Smallville: Season 4
Thursday 05.19.2005
MattM || 08:08 AM
I was ready to trash this series. This series was dead in the water. Then they blow out the whole season with an amazing finish. The fortress of solitude. A huge version of Clark's ship lands during a second meteor shower. The farm house blown to bits with Jason (presumed dead) and his parents (presumed alive maybe Jonathon dead but after Chloe's "death" I doubt it) inside. Then there is Lex. His father in some sort of weird comatase state from the stones which we now learn form together to make the crystal that forms the Fortress of Solitude. Lex clearly now in full on evil with just a glimmer of good left. Shaking down Lana and putting Chloe in danger but the safe......he doesn't remember what he did when he was split into two but apparently remembered enough to rig the safe with Kyrptonite. So many questions it leaves us with and a long summer to wait. The series to me is reborn and once again they have a chance to get out of the waters with sharks and save the series. Not all that convinced they can but WOW what a finale.
Smallville: Review
Sunday 02.20.2005
alice ttlg || 08:49 PM
I hate this Lois Lane. Have I mentioned how much I hate this Lois Lane? Argghhh, gag, retch, barf. I hate this Lois Lane.
I am so fed up with all the cutesy putdowns and over the top know it all crap from her. Then they throw in witchcraft, excuse me, Superman, Smallville you know? Not Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
And even Lois and witchcraft aside, this has been one of the most boring seasons ever, stupid, repetitious, boring, did I mention how much I hate this Lois Lane?, stupid, boring, repetitious... The Lassie episode is it for me. Color this season "how to annoy the hell out of me and finally make me stop watching this show". Damn shame they ruined what was a brilliant show in the first season, I hung in there as long as I could but I've had it up to here.
Smallville: Bound, 11/17/04
Saturday 11.20.2004
MattM || 11:29 AM
Finally, an episode that was worth watching. After a long string of what could only be called horrible episodes I was all ready to write it off to a bad streak.....then I saw the up coming episode called Kyrpto....KYRPTO???? THE DOG!!!! Oh god I don't even want to know. Do we really have to do this? There is part of the Superman mythos that is better left alone. Ok when are the Wonder Twins going to show up?
Smallville: Show Ranking #14 of 25
Wednesday 11.03.2004
MattM || 05:30 PM
Oh have the mighty have fallen. This used to be a top three shows and now its reduced itself to Freaky Friday episodes. I kept expecting the ever so trashy Lindsey Lohan to pop out at some point. I am so utterly disappointed in this series I may have to stop watching it. The Flash episode was a joke. The green gatorade was an even bigger joke. Then this garbage pops up? This show has now proven itself to be gutless in its cowardly and stupid way it didn't kill Chloe off and didn't kill Lionel off. It was a good way for both of them to go out and they didn't have the guts to do it. I love Superman and I loved this show but they need to find thier backbone and do something fast otherwise I am going to downgrade it to red and stop watching. The first season was great and so was the second season but third and now this season have been getting more and more disappointing.
Smallville: Gone, 9/29/04
Friday 10.01.2004
alice ttlg || 02:41 PM
This was slightly more interesting, some nice Lana stuff in it which severely clashed with the whole Lois Lane thing. I really that whole thing, bringing Lois in here, blecchh. Good to see Ben from Dark Angel playing Jason here. There were some good moments with Lex and his father but ultimately this show has gone so far off from what it was in the first and second seasons and into some mythology that I'm not familar with and not interested in that it's difficult for me to keep from being bored.
[alice watches trailer for next week's ep]
Gahhhhh! Kill me now! Gee, we need to get some big ratings so let's throw in Lana kissing another girl, that'll get the 18-24 males that we need to impress our advertisers.
Smallville: Crusade, 9/22/04
Saturday 09.25.2004
alice ttlg || 01:41 AM
On the other hand, while the new shows are turning out surprisingly well, the returning shows are not so hot. Smallville was getting bad last year and the pilot did nothing to change my opinion. Plus it's getting rather repetitious, end of season Clark disappears, beginning of next season Clark is evil, enough already.
The only interesting bit was being able to settle the bet - Matt, don't read any further until you've seen the ep...
...there be spoilers below...
Because I WON THE BET!!!! You should always listen to your older and wiser sister! Nobody ever really gets dead on TV.
Angel, Smallville: 5th (and final) season in review; 3rd season in review
Monday 06.07.2004
alice ttlg || 10:20 PM
I had pretty much the same reaction to both these shows in the last season so I'm reviewing them together. The short of it is that they mostly bored the heck out of me.
The long of it...
Angel The good: I really liked the very end of the last ep, that it didn't really end, they went on fighting against evil just like it started, ranks thinned a bit but still in the fight and not going anywhere. I like that there was no climatic fight where they triumphed over evil because I don't think that can really happen, evil will always be there, it'll just be something else for them to fight so this was good, Angel and the gang charging in to the fray. Watching the first few minutes of the ep, I had a thought that that would be a good end for the show and I'm really glad that's how Joss did it.
The bad: Most of the season, b-o-r-i-n-g. Nothing really sticks in my mind as being memorable, except near the end, before the show got cancelled, with Fred dying and Wesley taking care of her, broke my heart. I forget what else was happening in the ep where she actually died, but I really disliked it, I kept wanting them to go back to Fred and Wesley.
And Illyria, I liked her, odd, strange, off the wall and blue. She was cool and the last two eps, with Fred's parents coming to town and then in the last ep with Wesley dying, the best lines of all:
"Do you want me to lie to you now?"
"Yes."
Really great tragic romance/triangle, just like Joss knows how to do so well. I was glad to see make it to the end, although I really wanted Wes there too.
That was good stuff tho, the bad stuff, well, it wasn't really bad, it was just forgettable and so I forgot it. The end of the 4th season and the beginning of the 5th gave me hope, made me think the show was going to be really good but it never seemed to live up to it. The Angel/Spike stuff never really gelled and much as I love Spike and hated to see the character end with Buffy, the interaction of Angel and Spike just never really worked, it was one too many vampires with a soul. (Otoh, I wouldn't mind a Spike-centric TV movie leading into a Spike-centric series, James Marsters can do accents well, they could do wonderful flashbacks with him as well as current day stuff but without all the angst that sometimes dragged down Angel.)
Smallville The good: Ummm, errr, well, let's see.... guess not! The whole season was so forgettable, even the season finale and I really disliked the emphasis on the Clark/Lana/Clark/Chloe romances. The best of this show was in the first year, focusing on the back story of Clark and Lex who are such fierce enemies later in life. The second wandered away from that to focus on the romances, the third season did have a few bits and pieces of Clark and Lex but mostly it was more of the same - Clark: You're spying on me! How could you do that! I thought you were my friend! Lex: If you were my friend, you'd tell me the truth, you wouldn't lie to me! They don't speak for a few rounds, then they forgive and forget and then they start all over again. Once, twice, even thrice was good but I swear we've seen this argument between Clark and Lex at least a dozen times now, three or four times in just this last season.
B. O. R. I. N. G.
The bad: Well, all that stuff I said up there when I was trying to list the good stuff. If this show doesn't get better in a hurry next fall, I'll be putting a line thru it and moving on to something else, maybe reading a book or watching movies on DVD.
[Tiffaney adds] I happen to be a huge smallville fan. I really think the show is great. Not only because i get to watch the sexiest man (tom welling ) but because it's great to know how superman grew up. I find it interesting, i hope they keep the good work up tom and the whole gang. Love you guys. (January 4, 2005 11:30 AM)
Smallville: Is Chloe really dead?
Monday 06.07.2004
alice ttlg || 09:37 PM
We have another bet, ladies and gentlemen! Matt believes that Chloe really died in that explosion/fire and there's no way she's alive. I say what you see is not always what really happened, especially if it's a season finale!
We don't care if the actress has signed on for another season, we're waiting to see what really happened to the character Chloe. We'll settle the bet in the fall.
[Kira adds] I think she might be, even though I don't want her to be. Some people are saying Lois Lane comes "to investigate Chloe's death" (June 23, 2004 09:35 AM)
Smallville: Hereafter, 02/04/04
Wednesday 02.18.2004
MattM || 07:06 AM
This episode was not all that good pretty striaght forward things and then Jonathon Kent has a heart attack. I knew this was coming they built this up for awhile and I am sure it has something to do with Clarks real father (if that really was his real father and not Brainiac). Not really a whole lot to say but excuse me while I go hunt for the next episode ahhhh I hate cliff hangers.
[Kaitlin adds] So far, I have hated most of your comments, but then I read into them even more. And although I still STRONGLY disagree, you have looked at these things in a different way. The ONLY things that I agree with you on, is that I hate cliffhangers, and that James Marsters KICKS A$$!!! (July 7, 2004 11:55 PM)
[MattM adds] Well not to take away one of these things we agree on but my comment on cliffhangers was more a joke then serious. I have no real issues with cliffhanger unlike Alice who complains about them more then I do. Not sure where the James Marsters comment comes in. I loved him early on and then Spuffy love kicked in and I almost puked but they have redeemed the character later on to some degree. (July 9, 2004 07:50 AM)
Smallville: Delete, 01/28/04
Wednesday 02.18.2004
MattM || 07:01 AM
This year has been kind of a drag on the series but it really picked up with a whole slew of interesting things in this episode. The main plot line was good but it was the subtle small stuff that begins to get interesting. For one thing Brainwave? I knew that sounded familiar and then looked up to realize that is one of Superman's foe from the Golden Age whos son goes on to become a hero. Interesting use and would be interesting if Molly became Brainwave even if the orginal was a man. Also nice use of the Duke's of Hazard license plate on Martha Kent's email. Of course the biggie was Chloe saying her cousin is Lois Lane. I have long suspected that Lois Lane was Chloe or that Lois Lane takes on Chloe's charge after she is killed. Both would make perfect sense and it will be interesting to see if that plays out (if WB doesn't cancel this series after 5 seasons which it seems to like to do with everything but 7th Heaven). Also exactly how many times is that red truck going to be wrecked? No wonder they are going broke they keep having to fix that truck!! Then theres the Smallville Mascot that I have never seen completly but everytime I do I swear its wearing a pretty simliar costume to Superman. And oh yea nice use of its a bird by Adam. Ok the main point of this episode though is now we see that Lex is trying to get his memory back and I am betting he gets enough back to remember what his father did but not about Clark.
Alias, Angel, Boomtown, Buffy, Smallville, TV Awards: Matt's Awards
Sunday 06.01.2003
MattM || 12:09 AM
So here we are at end of a wretched TV season. Which I so correctly predicted. This season I would say is the worst ever but next year shapes up to be even worse. Every new show save Boomtown that was worth a damn got cancelled. Even Boomtown I give slim odds of making it past mid season of its second year. Returning shows went down in flames such as Friends, 24, all the L&Os (all they had been sliding badly for years), Enterprise, and on and on. This season SUCKED. On the bright side it sure makes handing out the awards pretty easy when you only have one choice instead of the myrid number of choices I had last year. So here we go:
Best New Show: Lets see the nominees are Boomtown.....John Doe oops that got cancelled uh how about Haunted oops no thats gone too.......lets see now uh um Firefly? nope never mind....uh ok Fastlane right? hahahahahahaha what that got cancelled to? Truely I think the second best new show might be 8 Simple Rules thats how pathetic this competition is for the award. Boomtown clearly wins this in a Regan/Mondale fashion. Novel idea a show that makes you think has gripping character development and solid dialogue mixed into good to great cases. No wonder its going to fail. Nice to Graham Yost no longer be the bus guy and really come into his own. The actors on this show did an awesome job on this show. There are no honorable mentions for this category as there is no other good new show that survived but honorable mention would have gone to John Doe if only FOX hadn't cancelled that.
Best Season For a Returning Show: Now this is a slightly more interesting field. Although most of the year shows sucked three really stood out. Smallville, Alias, and Angel. The award has to go to Alias. Last years winner of the Best New Show makes it for Best Returning Show because from start to finish (despiste my gripes) it was an excellent outstanding show. I don't think there is a bad actor on this show despite the fact that half of them came from Felicity (wonder when Keri Russell will turn up as the invincible secert agent who gets beaten when Garner cuts her hair off). I really was nervous about the direction of the show but they handled everything perfectly and kepts us guessing and on the edge of our seats the whole way. The ending shocker was by far the biggest surprise and most unforeseen twist any show could have put on us. Honorable Mention goes to Smallville which was shaky at times but by the end of the season had pulled it all together and was simply outstanding. Ditto for Angel but I think Smallville was just a little bit better.
Favorite New Lead: Well I was ready to do a shocker here and give it to Dominic Purcell but so much for that idea. So now I have to go to a show that really has two deserving people on it but in the end due to the finish about the baby I give it to Donnie Wahlberg. Nice to see the Earthy member of NKOTB make it. His performance although at times outshone by his co-stars from start to finish delivered a gripping and interesting character. The whole thing about his marriage and the baby was played perfectly by him. It was realistic it was fascinating and it was right on the mark. Honorable mention of course goes to his co-star Neil McDonough who was just as fascinating all year long. It was a real contrast to see one blowing up his family and one almost losing it but finding a way back home.
Favorite Returning Lead: This was a pretty weak field but much like Boomtown there was only one real performance that stood out for me. Sarah Michelle Geller in her farwell performance on Buffy. Having to play a dual role of a good and evil character was remarkable enough but also to show a heroine finally grow, take and fully accept her role, and most of all despite setbacks come out guns blazing in a heroic ending/beginning. Although her work has always been outstanding and this award is as much a nod to the last 6 years as it is for this year I think based purely on this year she still would have won it. She is an outstanding young actor that could play any part she wanted and shine. If only she would stop doing Scooby Doo movies. Honorable Mention does go to Jennifer Garner who is clearly establishing herself as one of the best actors on TV.
Favorite New Show Supporting Role: Another for John Doe but I guess not since the show is gone. So lets see....um well there isn't anyone on new shows I can give this too because John Forsythe was the only one in contention here. So I am going to have to make a huge reach here. The winner is Emily Procter. Yes she was consistenly in the shadows never given a chance to really show what she could do on CSI:Miami but the finale showed just how good she is and what she can bring to that show. Honorable mentions go to no one.
Favorite Returning Show Supporting Role: This one was pretty easy for me. Victor Garber from start to finish of Alias this season is what makes that show really work. He does such a fantastic job of playing a very conflicted man who can't let anything pierce his shield. I really believe that despite Garner's talents the show would not work if it were not for him. She might be the heart and soul but he is the backbone and strength of Alias. Honorable Mentions go to Nathan Fillion for his creepy Caleb, Gina Torres for giving us Shiny Happy People, and although its a streach to call her supporting because she is somewhere between leading and support I think Marg Helgenberger was outstanding this year as well.
Biggest Surprise of The TV Season: Was just how amazingly right I was when I called this year as being a horrible year for TV. I did not want to be right. I would have much preferred to be wrong but instead I was dead on. This season we lose Buffy, Firefly, John Doe, The Agency, Birds of Prey, Girls Club, Haunted, Miracles, and Mister Sterling. On top of that Sorkin leaves West Wing. Friends, ER, Third Watch, and 24 suffer huge drop offs from last year. Other shows didn't bounce back and got worse L&O all three of them, Boston Public, and The Practice. Networks execs are stupid and thats a given but the quality of writing is dipping dramatically. The sad thing is I expect next year to be even worse. I just hope this time I am really really really wrong.
Smallville: Exodus Pt 2, 05/20/03
Friday 05.23.2003
MattM || 04:23 AM
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Can we start next season oh say now? Ok I take it back this show isn't number 2 behind Alias its in a direct tie with Alias as the best show on TV. Such an uneven season that just pulled everything together in the home streach with fantastic twists and turns and things you never saw coming.
...there be spoilers below...
First to the Lex going Angel in the Deep Blue Sea on us. I really thought Helen was coming back to him until he got on that plane and the actress gave that perfect look and I knew she drugged him. I am not sure how she and every one else got off the plane although I am assuming it landed while he was out and everyone but one pilot who parchuted off got off the plane. Still hope you brought your swim trunks Lex!!! That was totally unexpected. They didn't do the cliche of her dying they went for betrayal and was done perfectly.
Second well we wonder about this whole baby thing and where it was going but to have Clark accidentally kill it was totally unexpected and to see Jonathan reject him in that moment of anger and hurt and fear was dead on. I loved Clark giving up on it and putting the red krpytonite on. It sets up next season wonderfully.
Third the voice. About 5 seconds it hit me that conspiracy theorists may not have been too far off. I don't believe its Dr. Zod no that is too weak but the whole world domination thing doesn't sound like his father but there is one person er thing that it does sound like. Brainiac. The krypton computer with all the memories of krypton stored and sent with Clark that becomes alive in Superman lore. I am still not sold on that idea but I think its a very interesting possiblity. The key when he first inserted it woke him up but somehow I doubt the explosion killed it especially since the voice at the end.
Fourth Pete and Lionel. Well its about time those two met. Cremed Corn though couldn't they give his family something better?
Fifth Chloe makes a deal with the devil aka Chole goes Evil Willow on us. Chloe would make for a great villian in all her hurt and anger at Lana and Clark and that is something that will take time to sort out.
Ok I am ready lets start the new season now!!!
Smallville: Calling pt 1, 05/13/03
Friday 05.23.2003
MattM || 03:17 AM
Ahhhhh what an awesome episode. Totally taken so many turns and twists this show definatly vaults to number 2 on my list of favorite shows and definatly is very close to being what I consider an elite show.
...there be spoilers below...
Overall there are so many things going on but the biggest surprise was Lex stealing Clark's blood from Helen and her breaking off the engagment even though she isn't sure he did it or not. I don't know why he would do it but I think there is something going on that we don't see just yet. I think he will win her back for a wedding next year but something bad is going to happen to her. I really like how they played the Lana/Clark relationship and finally bringing them together but Chloe seeing them is huge because now she will probably help Lionel by doing the investigative work on him. Clearly Lionel knows what is going on with him but just doesn't quite have all the pieces yet but he has most of them. Then the cellar after Lana leaves with the spaceship we finally are going to get some answers to not only the ship but what it means by "the day is coming for the last son to rule the third planet". Also very interesting choice of actor to do Jor-El's voice of Terrance Stamp who played Dr. Zod in Superman II which if your really into conspiracy theorists you could say that it is Zod pretending to be Jor-El? Hey it could explain the trying to make him evil but I tend to discount it. I really did love the ending of this episode it totally made the episode to see him going down in the cellar to the Superman theme. Ok I am off to go watch the finale 3 am or no 3 am.
Smallville: Accelerate, 05/06/03
Sunday 05.18.2003
MattM || 07:34 AM
This show to me has passed Boomtown now as the second best hour on television and even though this season has been somewhat rough the last few episodes have just been outstanding.
...there be spoilers below...
So now where do we go from here. I think at long last we see the Lana/Clark relationship finally take off although I think it lasts only through his senior year (next year). If I remember correctly they split when she goes off to college and it makes sense for her to want to get out of Smallville all together and see the world and I think thats where they are going. They have one great year together and then she leaves. Meanwhile Chloe who is getting awfully close to going off the deep end about Clark I think will get pushed into helping Lionel and his plans. I also like how we are really seeing what he is up to well at least a piece of it and him taking the caves away from Lex was just classic. Lex is all happy now and I tend think they will make it to the wedding and it will be next year when something really bad happens to her. I hope anyway. I think last year we ended and began with evil Lex taking over only to be saved by the good doctor and this year should end with happy good Lex and start that way only to lose her and we see the Lex we know he becomes start to really take shape.
2003-2004 Season, Charmed, Fearless, Smallville, Tarzan: WB
Tuesday 05.13.2003
MattM || 11:24 AM
Click the Spoilers Link below for my thoughts and comments on the 2003-2004 WB Fall Lineup:
...there be spoilers below...
Monday
7th Heaven & Everwood (aka Gilmore Guys) Both these I do not watch 7th Heaven is an average Walton-esque Family Drama and Gilmore Guys errr Everwood I have zero interest in.Tuesday
Gilmore Girls & Fearless Gilmore Girls although I am sure its top notch for his genre and its target audience I am not part of that audience and not something I watch. Fearless on the other hand um it sure has name people on it in the producing/writing department so I will give it a watch just for the heck of it but I dunno this concept of the y generation special unit with a girl who has no fear seems rather bad but I will give it one shot besides knowing Tuesdays at 8 track record it will probably be really good just because networks are determined to see how many VCRs I can run at 8 pm on Tuesdays.Wednesday
Smallville and Angel Another surprisingly smart move by a network this pairing gives WB a dynamic combo that gives a great alternative to NBCs strong lineup and should draw decent ratings.Thursday
Sit Com part I Very typical WB lineup nothing to interesting or noteworthy here. The only new sitcom Run of the House looks just very very run of the mill.Friday
Sit Com part II Same as Thursday nothing special in the new shows Like Family and All about the Andersons and the old shows are ok but nothing worth watching.Sunday
Charmed and Tarzen & Jane Charmed with any luck I will actually be watching by season start and hopefully it will have gotten better but at last check it seems to be on a downward slide. Tarzen & Jane just looks dumb. I mean Tarzan protecting New York?? NEW YORK!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA oh man I think they would have been better keeping Black Sash.[Whitney adds] Hey everyone well I guess I'll just comment on a couple of shows coming up this fall then. Well first of all for the whole Fearless show coming on this fall...i'm actually very excited to see it come to wb!! I think the wb is doing a very swell job with shows this fall but the only problem is that they don't keep the shows on there long enough to see or enjoy them. Well we will see how things work out with Fearless this fall...but I gotta tell you all...you have to actually read the Fearless books by Francine Pascual and then you'll understand why I'm suprised its becoming a show-good series thats why. I mean the whole idea of it is based of the books mostly. Angel I'm hoping this year it will be a little more edgier because last year went on the shaky side I would say. Hey I still miss Dark Angel? Anyone else? oh well. Gilmore Girls has to pick up a little more too...and have Loralai Gilmore actually get her own life...and try atleast to find a life of her own and not her daughters. Its cute but sometimes a little pathetic. Lately I watch that show just for the guys. Hmm...7th heaven let me see well that show has reallly changed from before. I find it kind of slow and weird now days...how is it that show is now all about Lucy Camden and her wining self and boyfriend? And they make Simon the little bad boy? What is this the brady bunch gone wrong? I mean don't get me wrong I love all these shows but lets hope for the best this fall! I looking foward to every single new show thats coming out this fall on the wb!!! YAY. Tarzan...haha...kinda funny:D but cuuute. Hey i want to check out that show with Eliza Dushku-Tru Calling! Hmm...everwood that show really is strange...its gotta get more edgier! Lets see how long and how well all the shows do hopefully before it gets aired off the wb! They really have to start putting more good shows on days other than mondays through tuesdays though! most of time you find all these shows you like but they're all on the same night! see yah everyone ;) (August 23, 2003 05:03 AM)
[MattM adds] Well thank you for your comment but two problems with the show Fearless. The first one being from everything that I had read it was going to be very different from the books. That they had changed the character quite dramatically if they had stayed true to the books then I might be a little more pumped about this show. However it is all rather moot at this point since we don't even know if it will make it to air since it is no longer on the schedule and has been tabled for a mid season replacement. Which usually means that even if it makes it to air its going to be bad. Hope I am wrong on both counts but experience tells me otherwise. I likewise miss Dark Angel too and FOX as usual jumped the cancel gun way to early on it. I am not sure if third season could have been good but I had hoped they would have given it a shot. 7th Heaven comments I can't say much since its not really a show I watch. Tarzan looks pretty awful but I'll give it a look. Tru Calling I can't shake this feeling that its going to be a bomb. I really hope not I think Eliza Dushku is terrific but the vibe I get is not a good one. If you do want to check out a good new show I recommend Nip/Tuck on FX. My early front runner for best new show. (August 23, 2003 11:57 AM)
2003-2004 Season, Fearless, Smallville, Tarzan: WB lineup
Tuesday 05.13.2003
alice ttlg || 11:06 AM
WB has their fall schedule up on their site, really only two new shows, Fearless and Tarzan & Jane, not much to talk about here.
...there be spoilers below...
Monday stays the same with 7th Heaven (I think it's been renewed for two more seasons) and Everwood. So far that leaves me nothing to watch between 7th Heaven and Third Watch on NBC at 9.
Tuesday has one new show after Gilmore Girls, called Fearless, about a crime fighting girl who lacks the ability to feel fear. Doesn't sound promising, although it's a fairly decent cast.
Wednesday is Smallville and Angel, a great lineup, I'll be sure to be glued to the TV every Wednesday from 7pm to 9pm!
Thursday and Friday is all sitcoms, I'll skip that, thank you and Saturday is local programming.
Sunday is the other new show, after Charmed, there's Tarzan & Jane. Looks like pure fluffy trash, but I'll probably give a try since there's nothing else at 8pm on Sundays for me. Mitch Pileggi is in it, he was Skinner in the X-Files, doesn't say what character he plays, maybe Tarzan's relative?
For mid-season replacements, they have the Gilmore Girls spin-off listed along with One Tree Hill, about two half brothers, one living on the wrong side of the tracks and one on the right side, several sitcoms and three reality shows.
[SiStaH wHiT adds] As for mondays-with 7th heaven and Everwood. Those two shows are moving kinda slow I guess. The show is so melo-dramatic seriously. Its all about Lucy nows days and her husband who can't act at all anyone else notice that? What happened to the days the show was about everyone but her? Like Mary and matt and everything else? And now they Simon the little bad trauma boy over there? Whats up with that? Tuesdays will be having either Fearless or One tree hill and I'm definitely glued to the tv on that nite:D I'm pretty excited for both of those shows. I think Chad Micheal Murray out of one tree hill totally rocks! Fearless I'm glad to see it actually become a real show. If any of you guys actually read the book series you'll actually feel like you're watching a tv show while reading it believe and you'll sometimes wish that you were watching it instead. So hopefully it has good ratings. I like the cast though! Hope it stays on WB. Angel lets hope it gets jucier and interesting this fall!!! Sundays are always interesting nights of lineups for shows. I've always loved Charmed but last years season wasn't as well as I expected but hey it won't keep me from watching it though! I'm going to have to actually watch this so called tarzan this fall- see how that actually is...i mean I don't know...the guy is cute and all...but the whole story behind it seems a bit strange. Okays then see yah laters everyone!! Email me if you peeps wanna talk about some ratings or just talk bout shows like the professionals. :D (August 23, 2003 05:16 AM)
Angel, Smallville: Angel Renewed!
Monday 05.12.2003
alice ttlg || 10:34 AM
Good news from SciFi Wire:
WB Renews Angel
The WB has renewed its vampire series Angel for a full fifth season, with former Buffy the Vampire Slayer cast member James Marsters joining the show as Spike, Variety reported. But cast member Charisma Carpenter, who plays Cordelia, is not expected to return as a series regular, the trade paper reported.
The Joss Whedon series will air on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT, with relocated hit Smallville as its lead-in, the trade paper reported. The WB also has an option for a sixth season.
Other Buffy regulars may also make guest appearances next season, while Whedon has vowed to write several scripts and direct episodes of the show, the trade paper reported. Jeffrey Bell and Tim Minear will be executive producers/showrunners.
Smallville: Witness, 04/29/03
Thursday 05.08.2003
MattM || 08:08 AM
...there be spoilers below...
A really good episode that was the first one that showed the greatness of last season from start to finish. I truely believe Lionel set this whole thing up to get a first hand view of Clark's powers and now he has Chloe as so far unsuspecting pawn to expose Clark. I really did like the way they dealt with Lana and her father and her step mom but the main story is Lionel and what is he up to exactly but you can see him working and even Chloe knows something is up but she just doesn't know what but the one mistake he is making is that I think he underestimates her.
Smallville: Precipice, 04/22/03
Friday 05.02.2003
MattM || 10:47 AM
...there be spoilers below...
After floundering around all year this episode was the one to see. I thought they were going for the real kill but its too early for that. They have worked Dr. Helen Bryce into the woman that can save Lex Luthor make him good and redeem all his badness. The one who knows his secerts. The one he truely loves. Well you know something bad REALLY bad is going to happen now. I love the set up because if you kind of follow what they are doing here and take it to another level and look at what the latest animated version of Superman/Justice League on Cartoon Network did with his charcter it really fits perfectly. Right now he is a struggle between good and evil in him. At the end of last year the evil was winning but along come Helen Bryce to save him. In her life she could have saved him but when she dies.....or perhaps is turned against him by his father the evil begins to win. In the animated version what they have for most of the time is evil Lex Luthor but not 100% he's still trying to be the pretense of legitmacy but when Kryptonite gives him an incurable disease he blames Superman and descinds into madness. It all fits in that kind of timeline. I love how they handled in this series but I can't wait to see how this all unfolds in the next season or perhaps at the end of this season but I doubt it. This smells of set up for next year.
Now Part II of this is Lana. Always the damsel in distress which up to now made no sense because Lana is supposed to be strong and able to take care of herself and now we see the fighter in her starting to emerge. As she rescues Clark and something I think we will see more and more of as she figures out his secert.
Smallville: Vistor, 04/15/03
Thursday 04.24.2003
MattM || 11:40 AM
A rather blah episode that didn't seem to have much point or reason to it. That being said there were some very minor and subtle things that were um interesting. First being Cyrus parents his story seems awfully simliar to the orginal Superman story where Clark is adopted by elderly parents. Then theres that quesition by Pete about Kyrotonite (which is also a first time its been called that) about weather thats spelled with a C or a K which was the quesition Lois (Margo Kidder) asked Superman (Christoper Reeves) in the first Superman movie. Lastly also was the switch from Metor Rocks to Metorites. Then most importantly though was Lana wanting to board her horse with Clark not with Lex have to wonder what that means exactly.
Smallville: Rosetta, 02/25/03
Sunday 03.02.2003
MattM || 06:02 AM
Finally we get back to the space ship and the mythology of Superman after ignoring it for so long. I admit I dreaded this episode because of Christopher Reeves. I was never a fan of his movies or his acting even before his accident. However after seeing it I understand why he was put there and it was a nice tip of the hat to him and his previsous work even if he added very little other then a means to help Clark put the puzzle of his past together. I also see the writers working here now. We have Clark feeling slightly pushed aside because of the baby and his parents feeling the same because of his search for his past. I some how get the feeling that baby won't ever come to be though. The secondary plot line of Chloe and Lana I thought was just dumb. They had a good thing going at first with Lana doing a Chloe and invading Chole's privacy but then Lana packing up? Where was she going to go? Also awww isn't that so cute and sweet your my sister Lana look I put you on my family tree. ICK. Also not sure I much cared for the brain overload thing although he certainly got what he deserved.
Smallville: Fever, 02/18/03
Wednesday 02.26.2003
MattM || 08:01 AM
An entirely predictable episode and a rather dumb reason for her to be hiding the key. Interesting how it became the key and not the disk when only Martha had seen it be the key. This whole episode was strange and then Lex wanting the good Doctor to move in. I really think they need to do something about the love triangle of Chloe/Lana/Clark by the end of the season because it is getting rather repetitive at this point. The whole running from the law scene was so over done and then the space ship and the great light healing only Clark and Martha (why didn't it cure everyone? Is it really that selective) seemed rather dumb. Then theres this baby....I don't know about second season on this show. It was great in the first season but I think its time I downgraded this show to a light green perhaps but I will wait until the Christopher Reeves episodes to see.
Smallville: Prodigal, 02/11/03
Tuesday 02.18.2003
MattM || 11:29 PM
Eh not to happy with this although I think this was just a set up episode. Lionel got his sight back and probably saw Clark do things. Not sure where they are taking it. I really wish Lana would get the stick out of her ass and get over it. I didn't really care for the Prodigal son thing too much. Just a very average episode.
Smallville: Rush, 02/04/03
Tuesday 02.11.2003
MattM || 11:18 PM
Another weird episode. I mean where were these creatures before? It seemed all geared toward getting the red krytonite involved again as well as the tease of Lana and Clark getting together. I mean come on she is being just a bit unfair and just a little to predictable on the "romance" angle. The idea is to slowly put them together then tear them apart and they are just rushing everything to fast.
Smallville: Suspect, 01/28/03
Thursday 02.06.2003
MattM || 12:25 AM
Ok I really liked this episode. Although I do wonder how many people knew it was the sheriff? I picked it up right away and I liked the fact that they didn't go with the obvisious suspect but went with a man who wasn't all bad but got in over his head. Also Lionel is really a great villian and seeing him twist people into things is amazing. I get the feeling that maybe he can see partially but definatly not all the way blind. Also anyone notice the red in Chloe's hair? Hmm someone is having fun with the manic panic. I still don't know exactly what they are trying to do with Henry Small but its interesting and I get the feeling it won't end well for Lana.
Smallville: Insurgence, 01/21/03
Monday 02.03.2003
MattM || 08:58 AM
Ok this was a weird episode. It was like somone hit the fast forward button on Lex's character and skipped him ahead by a couple of seasons. Then there was that whole Kent fight going on. Everything seemed totally out of charcter and then Martha is hiding the disk? Why? I am not really sure what to think of this episode but it seemed very forced and very poorly done. I think the only thing that was done right was the Lana and her father part where she learns her dad isn't the perfect man she wants him to be. Although she ll deny it and learn the hard way we begin to see the first glimpse of why her mother never told her. Still that just didn't balance it out with the rest of the episode. Having him jump off the Daily Planet was good idea but why not have him fly. Not well or in control but just for a minute have him suddenly go up instead of down. I did like the fact that he has a fear of height thats something that probably will be explained later I think. I guess Sam who we left in a concussed state last episode is still lying there I hope someone bothered to realize he's missing!!!
Smallville: Visage, 01/14/03
Saturday 01.25.2003
MattM || 04:01 PM
Wow what a great episode. This one had everything that makes this series great in it. From the action with the return of Tina to the personal struggles that Lana is enduring as well Lex battle his demons. After losing so many battles to his evil side it was nice to see Lex be a good guy at least for now. Lana they played perfectly and really brought her back in a very great way. Then showing Clark and her bonding once again was good to see. Then there was the space ship doing something strange yet again. I loved Tina and nothing like a little lesbian undertones to make a great scene haha those fan fics writers must be busying rewriting the Chloe/Lana scene. Is it just me or is it odd that our idealized version of small town America girl is a Canadian? Overall just a flawless episode that advance and reminded us all why this is one better hours on TV.
Smallville: News
Wednesday 01.08.2003
alice ttlg || 11:00 AM
From CNN:
Christopher Reeve, the now- paralyzed actor who soared to movie fame as Superman, will soon lend some guidance to a young Clark Kent in an upcoming episode of the WB television series "Smallville." WB spokesman Paul McGuire Monday confirmed a report by TV Guide that Reeve will guest star in February as a brilliant scientist who provides Clark with "revelatory insight into his superhero destiny." The episode with Reeve is slated to run during the key ratings "sweep" in late February, McGuire said.
Ick. I hate sweeps publicity stunts.
2002-2003 Season, 24, Buffy, Frasier, Haunted, Hidden Hills, Judging Amy, Smallville: Holiday Meanderings Part II, Tuesday
Sunday 12.08.2002
alice ttlg || 10:35 PM
Tuesday
Sitcoms: In-Laws, Just Shoot Me, Frasier, Hidden Hills. I thought I'd hate In-Laws and love Hidden Hills but the opposite happened, Hidden Hills got mired down in the voiceover and baby boomer introspection while In-Laws used some great comedic actors and a more current (and toned down) version of All in the Family. Life with Bonnie was so awful I couldn't stand to watch it after one ep although I did catch two more eps in reruns on the Family Channel but they were even worse. Damn shame, Bonnie Hunt is a great comedian but she needs the right part, she's better as a straight man than a lead. And Just Shoot Me, I used to love this show but they lost me at the beginning of the season, threw in new characters and I lost track of what was going on and then lost interest, it's jumped the shark very quickly this year, tired writing, recycled jokes, yuck. Buffy, started off slow this year, the first half dozen eps didn't have much an emotional impact for me (reminded me of the beginning of 4th season, her first year at college) but the Spike stuff is terrific (and no, Matt, I'm not talking about Spuffy love! that is gone for good, I think) and the plot is picking up nicely now. There's been a few missteps tho, Willow's line about killing Anya was really jarring, considering her killing Warren last year and Buffy just took it as a normal thing to say but it was really out of place. 8pm blockbusters, 24, Guardian and Smallville: 24's been so-so this year, lots of repetition and Kim drove me nuts last year already so she's three times as annoying this year. She gets my award for "Character you most want to bash with a baseball bat". Guardian...this show had a wonderful edge last year, Nick's relationship with his dad really fueled the show and that's mostly resolved now so some of the edge is gone. I'm really glad they didn't have Lulu take the easy way out and get a divorce right away but her long-suffering attitude about her creep of a husband is getting annoying. Smallville, good but it's having a slow start, not as edgy as last year, there's been some good eps and I do like Chloe and Lana living together but they need to give us something. After the first season finale, I was expecting them to reveal something about where he comes from and we got absolutely nothing, they need to give us something, doesn't have to be big, but Something! Haunted, lived down to my expectations of being atrocious (my brother and I really differ on this one! :)) 9pm leftovers, Judging Amy and NYPD Blue, Judging Amy has been good, dealt realistically (well, up till the very end) with a stalker, NYPD Blue has done a complete 180 from last year, going from really great to really yucky, turning into Andy the bigot cop beating up on suspects while John stands around watching and the Andy/Connie thing still grosses me out.[MattM adds] In regards to Haunted you never gave it chance it started out rocky but really kicked into gear about the third or fourth episode. Judging the show from one or two episodes was meaningless because that was before the show found its gear. (December 9, 2002 12:12 AM)
Smallville: Skinwalkers, 11/26/02
Saturday 12.07.2002
MattM || 04:52 AM
From really good television to really bad. I felt like I was watching a bad romance novel. Ignoring the stupid and extraordinaryily predictable plot this episode was just bad. Ok I like the indian story that explains why Clark was sent here and the ending with him giving Clark that bracelet was good but still just couldn't ignore the bad things the over romantic sappy crap that they built this episode around. Also anyone want to take bets on how long before Whitney turns up alive and in Smallville? I am just not sure what this series is trying to be right now nor do I think they even know.
Smallville: Dichotic, 11/19/02
Saturday 11.30.2002
MattM || 12:34 AM
I really wish I knew what they were gunning for with Lana and Chloe. I almost get this vibe that sometime next season Chloe is going to be killed off. Maybe its just me. I think this whole moving in together thing was really weird and now its forced Clark to shut them both out. As a side note what a cool villian power that was!! I like the doctor that Lex is dating but he doesn't have the best of luck so she will probably turn out evil eventually. Still a very solid episode for a very good series.
Smallville: Ryan, 11/12/02
Tuesday 11.19.2002
MattM || 03:52 AM
This plot was a weak one. It was predictable and a bit over done. Still I think this episode showed why this series is so good. Yes we all know the outcome but showing the little pieces that make Lex and that make Superman into what they are is just fascinating to watch. The road to darkness is a journey and Lex being warned to remember his own words was just perfect. Seeing how Superman deals with what will be the first of many people he can't save and how it starts to shape his beliefs and convictions is equally fascinating. Then theres this whole thing with Chloe and Lana moving in together? I totally hated that. Lana is a smart mature woman who has her own business why couldn't they just emancipate her or something along those lines. I know they passed it off as it taking too long but unless they have something up their sleeve I do not like the way this idea. Lastly, is the refugees. What is up with that. First the smoking man is mayor and then we have Ames White (Dark Angel) popping up too. Very weird.
Birds of Prey, Smallville: Marathon viewing of all the eps thru 11/13/02
Friday 11.15.2002
alice ttlg || 09:47 PM
Hmmm. It's good, but I just can't get real involved in it. Maybe it's cause I don't know these characters from reading the comics years ago. I mean, one of the reasons I really like Smallville is because I read the comics, I know where he and Lex end up, so this is a prequel, it's fascinating watching it develop, seeing the beginning, the journey to where they end up.
And speaking of prequels, Smallville does what Star Wars I and II so far have failed to do, we know what happens to Clark and Lex just like we know what happens to Anakin and Obi-wan but Smallville makes the journey fascinating whereas Star Wars just fell flat.
But back to Birds, I dunno, I just don't get drawn in here, maybe because it's after, rather than before, after Batman, after Batgirl was injured, after Catwoman, after she died. I don't know where these characters are going, or rather, I do, but it's boring. I know they'll battle evil and do good, all three of them, and Harley Quinn is already evil, there's no watching the journey to see how they get there cause they're already there. The only character with an edge is Reese, the revelation that he's Hawk's son grabbed my attention more than anything else so far. I don't know if it's enough to keep me watching tho.
Smallville: Lineage, 11/05/02
Wednesday 11.13.2002
MattM || 02:35 PM
Probably the most important thing to catch in this episode was how Lionel Luther blackmailed Clark's father into starting his foothold in the Smallville community. The quesition to me is if this is true and then on top of that he did bad things once he got that foothold why the hell is Martha working for him? That seems totally inconsistent with the story. I think the whole thing is some sort stupid ploy they have cooked up and I think it will be horrible. Also of note is how Chloe and Clark continue to play out a relationship like Lois and Clark do later coming together pulled apart and then coming together again. Overall this episode was just average.
Smallville: Redux, 10/29/02
Tuesday 11.05.2002
alice ttlg || 03:47 PM
Certainly not one of their best eps, I feel like it was mainly filler till we could get to sweeps and get into the heavy duty ratings winner eps. It was kind of a mish-mosh of odds and ends, Clark meeting his grandfather, Lana finding out about her mom and some other man, Lex driving round in his spiffy Porsche, the new principal, Clark deciding to go into journalism and oh yeah, a villain running around killing people. The only thing of note is that, best that I can recall, this was the first villain with supernatural powers that didn't spring from the meteor rocks, wasn't it? She'd been around for over a hundred years and all over the country so it wasn't the Smallville meteor rocks anyway. So that was a nice change, Clark didn't have to feel like it was his fault and she was basically just evil, she killed so she could selfishly stay a perpetual teenager.
Smallville: Redux, 10/29/02
Tuesday 11.05.2002
MattM || 08:13 AM
This had potential to be a decent episode but it just seemed forced in a lot of ways. They had three story lines and not enough time to properly do any of them. I like the new principal but christ, this guy has been in everything. The one thing that stood out was how Clark figures out he wants to be a journalist and what kind of rivalry this will set up with Chloe (as it does with Lois years later).
Smallville: Nocturne, 10/22/02
Sunday 10.27.2002
MattM || 12:13 AM
It is nice to see Bull getting some work. This show can be the TV actors rehab if it keeps this up. I think Byron was a bit overdone and this episode was not their best work but it was ok. I am just not sure what they are building here. Martha working for the senior Luther and the continued fallout with Lana. I know they are building to Lana figuring out his secret but what is up with the Martha working for Lionel thing? I don't know, this episode just seemed to lack the same punch as others have.
Smallville: Red, 10/15/02
Saturday 10.19.2002
MattM || 12:10 AM
Wow, what an episode. Still I think it's interesting about Red Kryptonite popping up. First, let's be clear the only time Red Kryptonite has made anyone evil is the Christopher Reeves movie, Superman III. Red Kryptonite is the wild card of Kryptonite. It has many effects and often random but at no time during the comics did it make him evil. Still I think they did that as a tip of the hat to the movies. That being said, this was a great episode with a lot of interesting things most importantly is the bringing to a head of the Lana/Clark relationship. It is clear that is going to be one thing they intend to focus on this year more than anything. I think the way it ended though, was a little weak but that was still ok. I think the character Pete is finally getting some overdue screen time and is doing a great job.
Smallville: Red, 10/15/02
Wednesday 10.16.2002
alice ttlg || 12:16 PM
This was the only thing I watched last night! And I am a sucker for bad boys! It's one of the reasons I like Lex so much and so this was cool, seeing Clark do the James Dean thing, loved that motorcyle and those sunglasses! It looks like they're carving out the role of protector for Pete, with him figuring out the red Kryptonite and helping to chase down Clark and using the green Kryptonite on him. The ending was good too, didn't just gloss over and write off everything he'd said or done as the effects of the red stuff.
Smallville: Duplicity, 10/08/02
Monday 10.14.2002
MattM || 12:19 AM
Sort of a down episode although I was a little surprised by him revealing himself to Pete, I think it made more sense for Lana to figure it out and I think she will eventually. I think the decision to show his powers to Pete was the writers' way of trying to give him a niche that he has so far lacked. I am not so sure about this blind father stuff and I think the actor is a little bit out of range. After so many good episodes, this was sort of expected though. I still wish they would do something with the space ship although I know that is coming.
Smallville: Heat, 10/01/02
Wednesday 10.09.2002
MattM || 03:22 PM
Oh great, they put a porn star in Smallville. Man, I need a high school where my biology teachers have starred in those epic porn movies, Emmanuelle 6 through 5,000 or whatever she starred in. I liked the episode (and yes even when my eyes weren't glued to porn starlet) and I thought it was well done and quite funny in how he discovers his heat vision. This is how you do a non-serious show when you need a break from serious stuff. If there is anyone out there who is missing this series, you need to start catching reruns and get caught up fast, you're missing one of the best hours (and as usual, ignored hours by the idiots at the Emmys) on TV.
Smallville: Vortex, 09/24/02
Monday 10.07.2002
MattM || 08:11 AM
This show is following a very simliar pattern and much like Buffy in its second season, it is time to move this show into elite status (for the record, West Wing and Buffy are my other two elite shows). Michael Rosenbaum is truly one of the best actors bar none on TV right now. The way he can show emotions without saying a word is remarkable. After killing the reporter, you can almost see the thoughts swirling in his head and the rush of power and evil in him begin to consume. You can see his humanity slowly being chipped away. The father and son dynamic is enough to watch this series all by itself but then watching Jonathan Kent and him go round and round is fascinating too. There are so many things to like about this series, from the writing to the directing to the acting. With all that being said, what is going to happen with that space ship?
Smallville: Heat, 10/01/02
Thursday 10.03.2002
alice ttlg || 04:41 PM
Ahhhh, to be a teenage boy and have a teacher like that walk in! This was a wonderful ep, a great nod to teenage boys and crushes on teachers and terrific stuff about Clark's libido awakened with real heat. And at the end, Lana sends off her Dear John video to Whitney and Chloe appears determined to move on but somehow I don't think it'll be that easy for Clark...
Smallville: Vortex, 09/24/02
Friday 09.27.2002
alice ttlg || 08:40 PM
Another wonderful season begun for this show! It was different than I expected, but better, Clark rescuing Lana and discovering he can fly, finding his dad and his dad surviving, I was really afraid they were going to kill him off and most of all, Lex killing the nasty reporter. Yes, the guy deserved to die and Lex was saving Clark's dad but still, Lex killed for the first time and you could see it in that moment, something changed for him.
At the beginning of the ep, he saw all the possibilities, all that he could gain from his father's death, both personally and financially, gain revenge on the man who'd tormented him always and gain control of his father's empire all in one swoop and instead he made the good choice, saved his dad, tried to do the right thing. Then he saved Jonathan's life, the man whose respect he desparately wants, who he regards as something of a father figure, and it was the good choice and yet, he killed a man. Like a lion or a shark tasting human flesh and becoming a man-eater, Lex has taken that first step and there's no turning back now.
And then his real father again condemned him for his choices, his actions to save his dad's life, his attempts to do what he thought his father would want. Even as I love watching Clark grow into his powers, begin his ascent into the light, into being a hero, I find Lex's descent into darkness even more fascinating because you can sense throughout the first season that Lex wants to do the right thing, he is drawn to Clark, he wants to be like Clark, he chooses not to fire employees even when his dad pushes him hard, he works hard to keep the plant running and make it profitable, he throws money around to undo the damage of Luthor Corp., but still he spirals downward, thru his own desire to gain knowledge and his desire to be powerful, to wrest control of his life away from his father. That ambiguity is fascinating!
But I do watch this show for Clark too! Seeing him learn about himself, each new power that comes along and learning, growing into who he will be, making choices to do the right thing, to be the hero along with all the normal teenage urges and crushes is fun to watch.
Smallville: Important Announcement
Tuesday 09.24.2002
alice ttlg || 06:16 PM
We interrupt this review for a very important announcement:
SMALLVILLE IS ON TONIGHT!
We now return you to your regularly scheduled reviews.
[MattM adds] Great, Smallville is on tonight but there is another show on also. Let's also get excited about Buffy being on tonight, something I am looking forward to just as much as Smallville. (September 25, 2002 08:05 AM)
Smallville: Insights
Thursday 09.19.2002
alice ttlg || 01:45 AM
"The relationship between Lex and Jonathan is really interesting," notes Schneider. "It's true Lex is going to turn out to be a bad guy, we know that but I have a feeling it's Jonathan's lack of acceptance that will ultimately cause that to happen even more so than Lex's terrible relationship with his own father. It's the audience and not Jonathan that gets to see that Lex's intentions are noble. That's the mark of good storytelling because it makes you, the viewer think 'If only Jonathan had stayed in the room a minute longer he would have seen that Lex really didn't mean it that way.'
"So the audience can understand both sides, whereas my character only knows so much. In his eyes he's 'protecting' Clark from Lex, which is important to him. Again I think it will be because of Jonathan that down the road Lex is going to say 'Ah, the heck with it,' and do something very bad. Of course that's pure speculation on my part. I'm filming a scene today with Michael Rosenbaum, and it's fascinating because you can tell that Lex's relationship with his father is such that he'd never let his needs be known. Michael always brings that right to the edge where you know that if Jonathan would just say to Lex, 'Tell me what's on your mind,' he would but my character never says that."
-- John Schneider In TV Zone, Sept 2002
Really quite an amazing insight into Lex's relationships with both his father and Jonathan.
2002-2003 Season, 24, 8 Simple Rules, Buffy, Haunted, Hidden Hills, Smallville: Tuesday Nights
Monday 09.09.2002
MattM || 05:19 AM
I am renaming this lemming night. You know, if one lemming goes over the cliff so does the other 100 or so. A total of 5 sitcoms debut on this night and who wants to take a bet that only 1 of them survives. The lonely drama debuts on UPN after Buffy, Haunted aka I see dead people, looks mediocre at best. A P.I. nearly dies and now he sees things. Party of Five alum Matt Fox stars in this and I will probably watch it once and laugh and turn it off. The 5 sitcoms are mostly laughable in the sense that they look so bad. Starting with 8 Simple Rules and the tired concept of two teen daughters and one younger son. The only thing that makes it at all worth taking a look is John Ritter who is a solid comedic actor. Life with Bonnie has some talent on with Bonnie Hunt and David Alan Grier in it but the concept seems kind of Full House-ish with her being the host of a local TV show and her family life etc etc. That being said I think if any of these has a shot, it is probably this one. Less then Perfect also carries a heavyweight in Andy Dick but yet he is not even the star of the show. The show centers around an office temp who deals with pushy co-workers. Not to sure how this will work but shows a little promise at least. In-Laws seems to have a very solid cast but the concept is so tired. Hidden Hills (saved for last for a reason) appears to be the worst of this lot. Although a somewhat novel concept in the adventures of suburbia, I somehow doubt it will last more then a show or two.
The returning shows on this night are what make this interesting. Buffy, of course, leads the way in what could be the final season although my hunch is there will be an 8th with SMG but then it will be turned over to Dawn. Unlike my sister, I actually have a little faith in Michelle T. (I am not even going to try to spell that name) although I have nothing to base this on except a hunch. I do look forward to see the aftermath of last season and where they go from here, although if Spuffy love returns this show is dead to me. Smallville is another show I can not wait for and I consistently hear rumors that one of Clark's parents is going to bite it and if so I think his father has to be the one to go. It makes the most sense casting and story wise. Although casting Martha Kent was an adventure for them. If you watch the first show when his parents truck is tipped over during the metor storm that is actually the orginal Martha Kent actoress in the car not current one. There is so many reasons though to look forward to this season from Lex and his father and the Clark/Chloe/Lana triangle and the space ship and the parents. I can not wait. Finally there is 24. I am totally unsure of what they are going to do with this show now. This could be really good even better then the somewhat uneven 1st season or really terrible.
2002-2003 Season, 24, Buffy, Frasier, Haunted, Hidden Hills, Judging Amy, Smallville: Whining Part III, Tuesday
Friday 09.06.2002
alice ttlg || 06:12 PM
Tuesday
Well, this used to be a night packed full of all kinds of really great shows, now it's sort of a jumbled mess and still too many things on at 8pm to tape all at once. Sitcoms: In-Laws, Just Shoot Me, Frasier, Hidden Hills on NBC and Life with Bonnie on ABC. In-Laws and Hidden Hills are just filler, Just Shoot Me is okay, Frasier is one of my two absolutely favorite sitcoms (the other being Friends) and I love Bonnie Hunt, so I'm hoping her show turns out good. Buffy, still one of the best shows around and it looks like they'll build up to a blockbuster ending with Faith showing up for five eps on Buffy and three eps on Angel near the end of the upcoming season. I don't know what happens after this year, I'm not that interested in "Dawn the Vampire Slayer", I would love to see "Faith the Vampire Slayer" but I doubt we'll get that, Eliza Dushku is more interested in movies right now (and getting bigger parts finally!) 8pm blockbusters, 24, Guardian and Smallville: This is VCR killer time! It'll be interesting to see what they do with 24, will they change the credits voiceover to something more reasonable? Or will it be "the second longest day of his life"? Guardian, this show just keeps getting better and better, I usually watch something else and tape this and watch a bunch of eps all at once and I always go "wow", lots of layers, lots of great people in the cast, Dabney Coleman is a more realistic version of Lionel Luther, the harsh father who lets out a bit of feeling every now and then and then goes back to pushing his son relentessly. Simon Baker walks a fine line, revealing just enough of his character's repressed emotions so that we know how much his father can and has hurt him over the years, then closing up again and showing that invulnerable facade that Nick hides behind. And Smallville, best superhero show around, all the standard comic book characters and story lines but with all the heart and youthful hormones necessary to bring it to life. Haunted, I dunno, this really looks atrocious but I will probably watch a few eps at least since it's on after Buffy. 9pm leftovers, Judging Amy and NYPD Blue, Amy's one of my favorite prime-time soaps, nice blend of soap and legal drama with Tyne Daly serving as a strong counterpoint to Amy's yuppie whinings. NYPD Blue, wow, such an improvement last year with the addition of Mark-Paul Gosselaer! I had pretty much given the show up for dead with Jimmy Smits and then Rick Schroder's disappointing run but last year turned everything around and it's almost as good as the first year! The new lieutenant played excellently by Esai Morales and the two new female characters, Charlotte Ross and Jacqueline Obradors have brought so much life to the show. I like Kim Delaney and I really miss Philly but I'm glad she's not coming back to NYPD Blue, her character had really run its course and to bring her back now would be a bad thing.24, Buffy, Dark Angel, Friends, Philly, Smallville, TV Awards, The Shield, Third Watch: Matt's Awards
Friday 06.07.2002
MattM || 01:05 AM
So here we are at the conclusion of a terrific television season with many, many highlights, something I don't have alot of hope for this coming season. So after watching all the shows (sorry, Witchblade, you're a summer series, see you next year), here are my own little Emmy awards. Personally, I think the Emmy judges wouldn't know good TV if it came up and bit them on the ass so, without further ado, here's my own categories and thoughts on this season.
Best New Show: This year this was hugely tough because of an influx of terrific new shows. Next year, I think, it will be tough to find one good one. This year, it came down to three shows: Alias, Smallville, and The Shield. I wrestled with this question in my mind for the last couple weeks, I feel so torn because I love each of those shows. However, in the end I give the award to The Shield, for the intrigue and characters and realism. This was a top notch show that reminds me of NYPD Blue in its first season. I think this show will grow into an elite show eventually. Honorable mention, though, I give to Alias for keeping us on the edge of our seats and guessing the whole way.
Best Season for a Returning Show: Another super tough decision that came down to two shows, Third Watch and Friends. In end, though I give it to Friends even if the last 5 minutes of the season finale killed me. Shows are not supposed to last 8 seasons and be this good yet Friends is a show that, with an unworkable formula, continues to defy the odds and norms. No show like this has ever worked before or since. Very few shows last 8 seasons without jumping the shark. Yet this was a steller season handling a pregancy that destroys all other shows and yet they made me laugh as hard as I did in the first few seasons. Honerable mention here goes to the most improved show Third Watch. The September 11th attack was horrible but may have actually given this show a new life. Always searching for its place, it finally did without overhyping or overdoing the attack. While Law and Order choose to ignore it, Third Watch played it just perfect and found itself.
Favorite New Lead: This one was pretty easy from start to finish. Jennifer Garner for her work as Sydney Bristow was fascinating to watch and terrific acting throughout a breakthrough season. Honorable Mention goes to Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer although the show sometimes lagged and his "longest day of my life" thing was overdone, his acting throughout was a consistently high level, his best work since the Lost Boys.
Favorite Returning Lead: If someone had told me I would have given this nod to Jennifer Aniston, I would have laughed. Yet despite her being my least favorite actor on the series her performance this year was truly nop notch. Through out Friends' history, it's always been a balance but this year she really made the show go. Never straying to far into baby stupidity, she played her character perfect and made me laugh more at her lines then anyone else's. "Horny bitch" and "Sluts R Us" are lines that will live forever in my head. Honorable mention here goes to Sarah Michelle Gellar for playing a lost and reluctantly brought back Buffy. Although the Spuffy love stuff made me recoil, the job she did was perfect and realistic of someone who just didn't want to be there.
Favorite New Supporting Role: This one was easy. No doubt at all that Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor wins here. At times, he stole the show. Still the season finale clinched this for him. Seeing the part of the good Lex die and the evil Lex grow and all done with no lines whatsoever was one of the best acting jobs of the season. He wins this one in a landslide. Honorable mention here goes to Sarah Lively as Nina Meyers who we all thought was so good and fooled us for the entire year.
Favorite Returning Supporting Role: This goes to one of my favorite characters on all of TV. Allison Janney gave yet another reason why I watch West Wing. Forget the men on this show, the women are fascinating to watch all by themselves. The press conferences and her job and then caring about a reporter who had ripped the Bartlett administration was absolutely awesome to watch. Honorable mention here goes to another Allison, this time Allison Hannigan on Buffy for the struggles of Willow and her dealing with addiction and loss and the dark side.
Lastly, before I wrap this up, I want to say farewell to series that should not have been cancelled. Fox once again shows just how truly stupid they are by canceling two great series in Titus and Dark Angel. Also, Philly should have been given more time although its last few shows were just average. Overall, a great season for TV but dark days are ahead.
[alicettlg adds] Wow, my brother can be amazingly detailed! :) Couple of thoughts to add, I'd have to give the award for best new show to Alias, The Shield just didn't do it for me like Alias, it had a good start tho, got some promising stuff and I look forward to the second season. Best returning show, I'd have to say Friends, too, Third Watch was very good and ER was right up there too but Friends did a great job all season. (and Matt, Seinfeld! Seinfeld! That's the other show like Friends that lasted a long time and was really about nothing, like Friends is about nothing.) I'd give honorable mention to favorite new supporting role to Michael Vartan for his role on Alias, with Nina a close third. But Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor was absolutely brilliant and that season finale! I'm more on pins and needles about what happens with Lex and his dad than I am about Clark saving Lana! And West Wing women being fascinating, you betcha! One of the few shows to write both male *and* female roles intelligently *and* to show women working alongside men, doing the same good job and wow, look at that, they're NOT all sleeping with each other! Ain't that amazing?!! :) (September 6, 2002 05:17 PM)
Smallville: Tempest (Air Date 5/21/02)
Sunday 05.26.2002
MattM || 12:56 PM
Just a totally awesome episode and so perfectly done. The Lex Luthor versus his father and the conclusion to that was simply incredible. Although we don't know for sure yet how it ends but I think we have a pretty good idea. Then Chloe and Clark getting so close and then him getting sucked away by Lana is perfectly done and truly represents how things are. Plus the tip of the hat and the thanks to Lifehouse for the the theme song was also a nice job. I loved the evil reporter but how the whole thing with his dad goes is really going to be my big question for next season. I think it's a real possiblity both get killed. Remember in most Superman lore it's about this time in his life when his father does die of a heartattack but because they made him so much younger then he is in the lore it makes sense for him to go out this way fighting to keep his son's secret. And what about the ship and it's coming to life. Ahhh, so many questions I hate off season sometimes but just more to look forward to.
Smallville: Obscura (Air Date 5/14/02)
Saturday 05.18.2002
MattM || 11:06 PM
A good episode with the monster of the week not having the power of the week. I also liked the subplot of Lex closing in on Clark's true origins. Still that being said I thought the episode failed with Chloe as they weakened her to this girl in distress which isn't true to her character. Obscura should have been better but it lacked something which I can't quite define.
Smallville: Crush (Air Date 5/7/02)
Saturday 05.11.2002
MattM || 12:43 PM
I am truly convinced the only reason why Chloe isn't Lois Lane is because it's too close to Lana Lang. The yo-yo effect is now in full swing and I love the job they are doing with creating a complex relationship between Clark and Lana and Clark and Chloe and showing his conflicting emotions between the two. The monster of the week thing was ordinary but the subplots were extraordinary. Overall, another fine episode for one of the best new shows on TV.
Smallville: Drone (Air Date 4/30/02)
Sunday 05.05.2002
MattM || 05:05 PM
This episode and Zero are clearly the two best of the season. Finally a glimpse to Lana Lang's darker side. More showing Clark evolving moving to towards being more proactive in things going around him instead of worrying about being found out. My sister complains about the two dimensionalness of Clark and she's right of course but she misses one point. Superman is very two dimensional always has been. He is perfect he is good there is no real darkness in him. The side characters around him are the ones you watch like Lex Luthor, Lana Lang, and Lois Lane (or Choloe in this series). They are the interesting ones Clark's only real struggles comes in beating the villian. I liked this episode because it put me on the edge of my seat ok so maybe my general dislike of Bees helped but still the subtly of this episode in showing Lana's dark side in showing Clark coming out of his shell was excellent. The show is much like Buffy was in the first season average to good but with the potental for greatness heres hoping it succeeds.
Smallville: Review
Friday 04.12.2002
alice ttlg || 04:20 PM
Well....it's got great music. I like this show, really I do. But. I just can't seem to get really excited about it. They do a great job with the characters, although it gets a bit heavy-handed at times showing some situation that Clark, "for all my abilities", can't fix, in other words, just being able to pick a car or stop bullets doesn't solve all the problems in the world. Okay, we get it. Please put down the baseball bat.
Lex gets more interesting stuff than Clark alot of the time. Is it just that bad guys are more interesting? That ambiguity giving them an edge over the hero? Michael Rosenbaum's portrayal of Lex has been terrific, catching all the little nuances, the look on his face when he apologizes to Clark for yet another bad thing that's really Lex's fault and Clark's reply that it's not Lex's fault is really amazing. Clark is both the best and worst friend that Lex could have, Clark is loyal to him and always willing to believe the best of Lex but that's Lex's downfall...because Lex is willing to believe when Clark says it's not Lex's fault (even tho it is). Lex takes that and makes it his own truth, letting himself believe it really isn't his fault, letting himself believe, even momentarily that he's that good guy Clark thinks he is.
Lana, on the other hand, is really getting annoying. They really need to let her be more than a two dimensional "nice girl". Chloe is far more interesting to watch, she's passionate, she's stubborn, she makes mistakes and she has real feelings.
But it's got great music....
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