You now have just over a week to go and read Watchmen before the movie is release on March 6th. I've been excited for this since the trailer first ran before The Dark Knight back in July. I've checked, and I couldn't be more stoked now. Here some clips from the movie that have been released so far (the last one combining 10 shorter clips together):
Yeah, couldn't be more stoked. I've checked the scenes against the novel (because, let's face it, I'm a geek), and I am impressed. But I'm not one of people that think any deviation from the source material is automatically a bad thing; I understand that things change when a property is adapted from one medium to another, so I can accept changes as long as they make sense. Example- clip 6 (of the 10 shown in movie four) shows Deisberg talking to Veidt about the Comedian's death. In the novel, its Rorschach that talks to Veidt. Why the change? Don't know, but as long as the same information is conveyed in the scene, it doesn't really matter. Also, I don't mind that they've decided to actually use the name "Watchmen" in the movie; nothing changes in the story by doing so, you eliminate any potential confusion among the non-graphic novel crowd about why the movie's called Watchmen and "Watchmen" is never mentioned, and it sounds better than "Crime Busters" anyway.
I've read that there are 3 cuts of the film- the theatrical cut (155 minutes), a director's cut (around three hours), and a special extended cut (pushing three and a half, which, I would guess, includes the Tales of the Black Freighter story cut into the film). I can't wait until the 6th. Let's hope that the greatest comic book ever made into a movie can also be the greatest comic book movie ever.
(Man, that last line was terrible. Sorry).
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
The Remakes Have To Stop
You can file this under "worst idea ever":
Gore Verbinski to direct 'Clue'
They're going to remake Clue, to which I ask, "WHY?!?!?" What possible reason would you have to remake a movie as good as Clue? Its hysterical and seriously, one of my favorite movies of all time. Its never not funny, and insanely quotable. If you haven't seen Clue, I suggest you do so before its destroyed by the remake.
Gore Verbinski to direct 'Clue'
They're going to remake Clue, to which I ask, "WHY?!?!?" What possible reason would you have to remake a movie as good as Clue? Its hysterical and seriously, one of my favorite movies of all time. Its never not funny, and insanely quotable. If you haven't seen Clue, I suggest you do so before its destroyed by the remake.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Weekly TV Thoughts: 02/15 - 02/21
Another week with a lot of things to watch, especially at the end of the week, some of which won't be chronicled here (Conan O'Brien's final show on Friday, UFC 95 on Saturday). And I'll start this week off with the Academy Awards tonight (where Heath Ledger will win for Best Supporting Actor, despite my earlier prediction).
-Heroes, Monday: Man, this episode sucked. Seriously, everything they did wrong in the past few seasons they did wrong in this episode. Hiro and Ando go to India to stop a wedding. WHY? So they could get a fax from Rebel telling them that they have to back to L.A. to save Parkman. They went to India so they could get a fax. Terrible. Sylar and Luke on a buddy roadtrip? Whatever. Claire saving Alex and Aquaboy? Okay, actually not that bad. I like the set up of Claire going on the run and actually having a reason to go on the run. But the episode was quasi-saved by the final moments, where Peter, Mohinder, and Parkman drug HRG and take him away to interrogate him via mind reading in the next episode, which has to be better than this episode was.
-24, Monday: Okay, so I was wrong on the FBI mole. Turns out, it was Hillinger, a.k.a. Billy Walsh from Entourage. He was an early suspect for mole when he was caught logging onto the system to check his wife's flight status; nothing beats a cover story that also happens to be true to throw off the scent of treason. Still though, I insist that the blonde FBI chick will be important by the end of the day. Maybe she'll be the one to blow the whistle on Hillinger. The Chloe-Janis showdown was a little underwhelming; hopefully that gets better as Janis continues to distrust Chloe in the coming episodes. Perhaps in a situation where they're forced to work together.
-Lost, Wednesday: And just like that, the Oceanic 6 is back on the island. It was only a matter of time, and I really glad they didn't drag it out over the length of the season; that would've been stupid. Instead, everyone got on board Ajira Flight 316 from L.A. to Guam and passed over the most likely location of the island, as determined by the Lamppost Station (nice Narnia reference). Loved all the call backs in this episode, from Jack waking up in the jungle to the O6 having to to recreate as best they can the circumstances of the original crash. Hurley with the guitar? Charlie. Sayid in handcuffs escorted by a fed? Kate. Sun with her husband's wedding ring, worrying about her husband? Rose. Ben running onto the plane at the last moment? Hurley. All with Lapidus as the pilot, where he should have been the first time (line of the night went to Frank after he saw all of the O6 sitting in Business Class, "We're not going to Guam, are we?"). I think the seccond best line, and probably the most telling one, came from Kate, when she said to Jack, "We're here, but we're not together" (or something to that effect). That speaks to all the questions that still remain about the O6- why were they they all there on the flight? You knew Jack and Ben would be there, and Sun was pretty much a lock since she's desperate to find Jin. But Kate? What changed her mind? Where's Aaron and why doesn't she want to talk about it? My guess is that Aaron was taken from her and that forced Kate back to the island. Why/how was Hurley there? He seemed pretty content in not going back and not doing anything Ben wanted him to do (he seemed shocked to see Ben on the plane), so what changed his mind? It was clear that Sayid had no intention of going back, so him being under arrest seemed to make sense. But why? And why was he being transported back to Guam? Does it stem from when he was killing people for Ben? Did he even know that they others would be on the flight? And what about the two other people with them in Business Class- the fed with Sayid and the guy from Three Kings (seriously, do you know the actor from anywhere else)? I think they get sent to the island with the O6; is it a case of wrong place wrong time, or are they part of the plan as well? And what about Lapidus? Does he go back too? I hope so, because he's a cool character. As for Jack, Hurley, and Kate seeing Jin pull up in a Dharma bus wearing a Dharma jumpsuit, I think its clear when the O6 have landed. This should be awesome, with plenty of headache inducing time travel goodness.
-Dollhouse, Friday: A much better episode than last week's. In fact, I think it would have been best for the show if they had gone with a 2-hour premiere, showing these two episodes back-to-back on one night. The story would've had made more sense from the start and I think more viewers would be into the show. As it is now, I don't know if enough stuck around after the pilot to see this week's show. By giving a mini history of the Dollhouse and Alpha, and by tying Alpha to Agent Ballard, the series is building a nice serial base from which to work. And as Echo starts to remember things she shouldn't, the series should really start to pick up. I have to say, I'm still excited for this show.
-Battlestar Galactica, Friday: Cylon melodrama! Clearly, this episode was about forcing the idea onto everyone that their society cannot be humans and Cylons but instead simply society. Tigh had the best line when he said that human-human is too weak and Cylon-Cylon is too weak; that division is how all of this started in the first place. I guess the Cylon compound being used to fix Galactica is just a thinly-veiled methaphor for the integration of the whole fleet. I think killing Caprica Six's baby was also done just to further illustrate the point; the only future is the human-Cylon hybrid (a.k.a. Hera), nothing else will work. Adama has come around to the idea of integrating the Cylons, and it appears that Lee and Roslin are coming around as well. But I htink Baltar is right, the fleet as a whole isn't ready. Not yet. Which brings us back to Baltar and his now assult rifle-weilding harem- that can't end well. We'll see, but next week it looks like we'll get some Starbuck answers, which is good seeing as there are only 4 episodes left. Can't hold anything back now.
-Bracket Buster games, Saturday: Praise be to the guy that thought this would be a good idea. Take a bunch of good, mid-major conference teams, pair them up, and give them a chance to show what they can do on a big stage. Paying attention on this day can help you when trying to pick those first round upset come March Madness. This is one of my favorite days of the college basketball year.
-Taking Chance, HBO, Saturday: And now, something a little serious. I saw ads for this a while back, and I didn’t know when it would actually be airing. I'm glad I caught it. If you have a chance to watch it at some point, I suggest you do. When I first heard about the movie, I went and read the original story written by Lt. Col. Michael Strobl (which you can find here- I recommend reading it). I know a Marine that was killed in Afghanistan and its good to know the level of care that was given to him when he returned home. Semper fi.
-Heroes, Monday: Man, this episode sucked. Seriously, everything they did wrong in the past few seasons they did wrong in this episode. Hiro and Ando go to India to stop a wedding. WHY? So they could get a fax from Rebel telling them that they have to back to L.A. to save Parkman. They went to India so they could get a fax. Terrible. Sylar and Luke on a buddy roadtrip? Whatever. Claire saving Alex and Aquaboy? Okay, actually not that bad. I like the set up of Claire going on the run and actually having a reason to go on the run. But the episode was quasi-saved by the final moments, where Peter, Mohinder, and Parkman drug HRG and take him away to interrogate him via mind reading in the next episode, which has to be better than this episode was.
-24, Monday: Okay, so I was wrong on the FBI mole. Turns out, it was Hillinger, a.k.a. Billy Walsh from Entourage. He was an early suspect for mole when he was caught logging onto the system to check his wife's flight status; nothing beats a cover story that also happens to be true to throw off the scent of treason. Still though, I insist that the blonde FBI chick will be important by the end of the day. Maybe she'll be the one to blow the whistle on Hillinger. The Chloe-Janis showdown was a little underwhelming; hopefully that gets better as Janis continues to distrust Chloe in the coming episodes. Perhaps in a situation where they're forced to work together.
-Lost, Wednesday: And just like that, the Oceanic 6 is back on the island. It was only a matter of time, and I really glad they didn't drag it out over the length of the season; that would've been stupid. Instead, everyone got on board Ajira Flight 316 from L.A. to Guam and passed over the most likely location of the island, as determined by the Lamppost Station (nice Narnia reference). Loved all the call backs in this episode, from Jack waking up in the jungle to the O6 having to to recreate as best they can the circumstances of the original crash. Hurley with the guitar? Charlie. Sayid in handcuffs escorted by a fed? Kate. Sun with her husband's wedding ring, worrying about her husband? Rose. Ben running onto the plane at the last moment? Hurley. All with Lapidus as the pilot, where he should have been the first time (line of the night went to Frank after he saw all of the O6 sitting in Business Class, "We're not going to Guam, are we?"). I think the seccond best line, and probably the most telling one, came from Kate, when she said to Jack, "We're here, but we're not together" (or something to that effect). That speaks to all the questions that still remain about the O6- why were they they all there on the flight? You knew Jack and Ben would be there, and Sun was pretty much a lock since she's desperate to find Jin. But Kate? What changed her mind? Where's Aaron and why doesn't she want to talk about it? My guess is that Aaron was taken from her and that forced Kate back to the island. Why/how was Hurley there? He seemed pretty content in not going back and not doing anything Ben wanted him to do (he seemed shocked to see Ben on the plane), so what changed his mind? It was clear that Sayid had no intention of going back, so him being under arrest seemed to make sense. But why? And why was he being transported back to Guam? Does it stem from when he was killing people for Ben? Did he even know that they others would be on the flight? And what about the two other people with them in Business Class- the fed with Sayid and the guy from Three Kings (seriously, do you know the actor from anywhere else)? I think they get sent to the island with the O6; is it a case of wrong place wrong time, or are they part of the plan as well? And what about Lapidus? Does he go back too? I hope so, because he's a cool character. As for Jack, Hurley, and Kate seeing Jin pull up in a Dharma bus wearing a Dharma jumpsuit, I think its clear when the O6 have landed. This should be awesome, with plenty of headache inducing time travel goodness.
-Dollhouse, Friday: A much better episode than last week's. In fact, I think it would have been best for the show if they had gone with a 2-hour premiere, showing these two episodes back-to-back on one night. The story would've had made more sense from the start and I think more viewers would be into the show. As it is now, I don't know if enough stuck around after the pilot to see this week's show. By giving a mini history of the Dollhouse and Alpha, and by tying Alpha to Agent Ballard, the series is building a nice serial base from which to work. And as Echo starts to remember things she shouldn't, the series should really start to pick up. I have to say, I'm still excited for this show.
-Battlestar Galactica, Friday: Cylon melodrama! Clearly, this episode was about forcing the idea onto everyone that their society cannot be humans and Cylons but instead simply society. Tigh had the best line when he said that human-human is too weak and Cylon-Cylon is too weak; that division is how all of this started in the first place. I guess the Cylon compound being used to fix Galactica is just a thinly-veiled methaphor for the integration of the whole fleet. I think killing Caprica Six's baby was also done just to further illustrate the point; the only future is the human-Cylon hybrid (a.k.a. Hera), nothing else will work. Adama has come around to the idea of integrating the Cylons, and it appears that Lee and Roslin are coming around as well. But I htink Baltar is right, the fleet as a whole isn't ready. Not yet. Which brings us back to Baltar and his now assult rifle-weilding harem- that can't end well. We'll see, but next week it looks like we'll get some Starbuck answers, which is good seeing as there are only 4 episodes left. Can't hold anything back now.
-Bracket Buster games, Saturday: Praise be to the guy that thought this would be a good idea. Take a bunch of good, mid-major conference teams, pair them up, and give them a chance to show what they can do on a big stage. Paying attention on this day can help you when trying to pick those first round upset come March Madness. This is one of my favorite days of the college basketball year.
-Taking Chance, HBO, Saturday: And now, something a little serious. I saw ads for this a while back, and I didn’t know when it would actually be airing. I'm glad I caught it. If you have a chance to watch it at some point, I suggest you do. When I first heard about the movie, I went and read the original story written by Lt. Col. Michael Strobl (which you can find here- I recommend reading it). I know a Marine that was killed in Afghanistan and its good to know the level of care that was given to him when he returned home. Semper fi.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Know Anyone Who'd Be Up For This?
Funeral Home Now Offering Elder-Purple Casket
The idea of a themed-casket or urn is nothing new, and while I may find it a little off, I have no problem if something like this is included in someone's final wishes. How they wish to go is how they wish to go, be it in a Detroit Tigers urn or an Elder casket. Quite frankly, I'm a little surprised that something like this is just now been made available, especially considering the Elder fan base. I would have thought someone would have thought this up years ago. Which brings me to my favorite part of this article:
"[Funeral Director Terry Deters] noted Elder's deep roots in the community. "Generations of families have proudly gone to this school," Deters said. He's a 1975 graduate of St. Xavier High School. But, his dad and his brothers went to Elder. His son, Taylor, belongs to the class of 2009."
So in a family of Elder grads who run a funeral home just blocks from Elder High School itself, its the one St. X grad that steps up and says, hey, there might be a market for this sort of thing. There's a deeper meaning in that somewhere. I think its that Elder grads are kind of crazy. Yeah, that's it.
The idea of a themed-casket or urn is nothing new, and while I may find it a little off, I have no problem if something like this is included in someone's final wishes. How they wish to go is how they wish to go, be it in a Detroit Tigers urn or an Elder casket. Quite frankly, I'm a little surprised that something like this is just now been made available, especially considering the Elder fan base. I would have thought someone would have thought this up years ago. Which brings me to my favorite part of this article:
"[Funeral Director Terry Deters] noted Elder's deep roots in the community. "Generations of families have proudly gone to this school," Deters said. He's a 1975 graduate of St. Xavier High School. But, his dad and his brothers went to Elder. His son, Taylor, belongs to the class of 2009."
So in a family of Elder grads who run a funeral home just blocks from Elder High School itself, its the one St. X grad that steps up and says, hey, there might be a market for this sort of thing. There's a deeper meaning in that somewhere. I think its that Elder grads are kind of crazy. Yeah, that's it.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Seriously?
The Cabin Cuddler
How hard is it to use a fucking blanket? I manage to successfully use one all the time sitting on the couch in my basement and I do so without incident; why the hell can't other people? Are blankets really that complicated, or am I just smarter than other people?
How hard is it to use a fucking blanket? I manage to successfully use one all the time sitting on the couch in my basement and I do so without incident; why the hell can't other people? Are blankets really that complicated, or am I just smarter than other people?
Early Baseball Thoughts
Spring training games start next week, so its time to talk baseball. Not necessarily predictions, but just some things that are on my mind.
-Alex Rodriguez: Unlike Bonds, McGwire, and Clemons, I think A-Rod still has a shot at the Hall of Fame. Why? Two main reasons- one, because he actually admitted to using PHD's. Sure, his "apology" and his "press conference" were total shams, and there are a lot of holes in his story, but at the very least, he admitted to knowingly taking a banned substance (though that term has to be applied cautiously since before 2004, there weren't any banned substances in baseball, with the possible exeption of cocaine). It clear A-Rod isn't telling the whole truth, but since we'll never get the whole truth, his crisis-managment-spun story will have to do. The other reason I think he still has a chance to Cooperstown is because he's still got a lot of baseball left in him. All of the other Hall of Fame calliber players connected to PED's are retired, but A-Rod's in a unique (for now) position to play his way back into Hall consideration. And I say "for now" because we don't know the names of the other 103 players that tested positive back in 2003. Perhaps there are other Hall-worthy names on that list, perhaps not. Either way, now that A-Rod's name is out there, I think the other names should be released as well. As much as I don't like A-Rod, I do think it is unfair that he's the only one being targeted when there are 103 other players as guilty as he is. But back to the point- with 9 years left on his contract, A-Rod has a lot of time to distance himself from this. He'll never get rid of it, but the longer he plays, assuming he continues to play at his current level of production, the better chance he has of reducing the stain. I wonder what it'll be like when he passes Bonds on the home run list (because let's face it, A-Rod's hitting 800); maybe that'll be a barometer as to his Hall of Fame chances.
-Ken Griffey, Jr.: So Griffey's heading back to Seattle. Its a one-year deal, which means only one thing- 2009 will be Junior's last year in baseball. He'll platoon in left, hit some DH, and hopefully sell some more tickets at SafeCo, because this move does absolutely nothing in helping the M's win some more games this year. Listen, I'm a big Griffey fan- I think I've made that clear- but let's be serious; the M's are a wreak and they aren't going anyway anytime soon. He had a chance to sign with Atlanta, where he would have been closer to his home and a good chance to win (the two factors that lead him to Cincinnati back in 2000). Instead he chose exact opposite, and I think I'm okay with that. So he chose to take a victory lap instead of trying for a ring. Good for him Let him retire a Mariner and ensure that he'll be an M's cap on his plaque in Cooperstown (as if there was any doubt to that).
-The Reds: As I mentioned previously, I think the Reds can eke out an above .500 record (note: as predicted, a number of those predictions have already been proven to be wrong). Its a young team with a lot of potential and hopefully that can translate into wins. But there are still some concerns with this team. Is Chris Dickerson really the answer in left? Is Ramon Hernandez really the answer behind the plate? The team wanted to get a big right-handed bat and didn't; do they have enough offense to compete? Can Alex Gonzalez be trusted to stay healthy? Dusty's said that Phillips will start the year batting cleanup; I guess that would make the lineup Taveras, Dickerson (or whoever's in left), Bruce, Phillips, Votto, Encarnacion, Gonzalez, Hernandez. Is that a contending lineup? I don't know. Harang, Volquez, Arroyo, and Cueto seem to be set in the rotation, but who's in the fifth slot? Will it be Homer Bailey or Micah Owings? Those two seem to be the leading candidates. Bailey's got the hype and potential and Owings probably the best hitting pitcher in the game right now. If Homer can live up to the all the hype then I'd say he's a no-brainer for the fifth spot. But he's done nothing but struggle in his major league career, so there really isn't any reason to be optimistic about him. If Bailey does make the rotation, what do you do with Owings? Make him a reliever/pinch hitter? Maybe the Reds should flip him Rick Ankiel style and put him out in left. He'd probably have a higher average than whoever they platoon out there.
Despite the medicore outlook for the Reds, I'm never not excited for baseball season. And given that I don't follow the NBA and Virginia won't even be making the NIT field, its pretty much all I've got to look forward to right now (well, that and college lacrosse- go Hoos!).
-Alex Rodriguez: Unlike Bonds, McGwire, and Clemons, I think A-Rod still has a shot at the Hall of Fame. Why? Two main reasons- one, because he actually admitted to using PHD's. Sure, his "apology" and his "press conference" were total shams, and there are a lot of holes in his story, but at the very least, he admitted to knowingly taking a banned substance (though that term has to be applied cautiously since before 2004, there weren't any banned substances in baseball, with the possible exeption of cocaine). It clear A-Rod isn't telling the whole truth, but since we'll never get the whole truth, his crisis-managment-spun story will have to do. The other reason I think he still has a chance to Cooperstown is because he's still got a lot of baseball left in him. All of the other Hall of Fame calliber players connected to PED's are retired, but A-Rod's in a unique (for now) position to play his way back into Hall consideration. And I say "for now" because we don't know the names of the other 103 players that tested positive back in 2003. Perhaps there are other Hall-worthy names on that list, perhaps not. Either way, now that A-Rod's name is out there, I think the other names should be released as well. As much as I don't like A-Rod, I do think it is unfair that he's the only one being targeted when there are 103 other players as guilty as he is. But back to the point- with 9 years left on his contract, A-Rod has a lot of time to distance himself from this. He'll never get rid of it, but the longer he plays, assuming he continues to play at his current level of production, the better chance he has of reducing the stain. I wonder what it'll be like when he passes Bonds on the home run list (because let's face it, A-Rod's hitting 800); maybe that'll be a barometer as to his Hall of Fame chances.
-Ken Griffey, Jr.: So Griffey's heading back to Seattle. Its a one-year deal, which means only one thing- 2009 will be Junior's last year in baseball. He'll platoon in left, hit some DH, and hopefully sell some more tickets at SafeCo, because this move does absolutely nothing in helping the M's win some more games this year. Listen, I'm a big Griffey fan- I think I've made that clear- but let's be serious; the M's are a wreak and they aren't going anyway anytime soon. He had a chance to sign with Atlanta, where he would have been closer to his home and a good chance to win (the two factors that lead him to Cincinnati back in 2000). Instead he chose exact opposite, and I think I'm okay with that. So he chose to take a victory lap instead of trying for a ring. Good for him Let him retire a Mariner and ensure that he'll be an M's cap on his plaque in Cooperstown (as if there was any doubt to that).
-The Reds: As I mentioned previously, I think the Reds can eke out an above .500 record (note: as predicted, a number of those predictions have already been proven to be wrong). Its a young team with a lot of potential and hopefully that can translate into wins. But there are still some concerns with this team. Is Chris Dickerson really the answer in left? Is Ramon Hernandez really the answer behind the plate? The team wanted to get a big right-handed bat and didn't; do they have enough offense to compete? Can Alex Gonzalez be trusted to stay healthy? Dusty's said that Phillips will start the year batting cleanup; I guess that would make the lineup Taveras, Dickerson (or whoever's in left), Bruce, Phillips, Votto, Encarnacion, Gonzalez, Hernandez. Is that a contending lineup? I don't know. Harang, Volquez, Arroyo, and Cueto seem to be set in the rotation, but who's in the fifth slot? Will it be Homer Bailey or Micah Owings? Those two seem to be the leading candidates. Bailey's got the hype and potential and Owings probably the best hitting pitcher in the game right now. If Homer can live up to the all the hype then I'd say he's a no-brainer for the fifth spot. But he's done nothing but struggle in his major league career, so there really isn't any reason to be optimistic about him. If Bailey does make the rotation, what do you do with Owings? Make him a reliever/pinch hitter? Maybe the Reds should flip him Rick Ankiel style and put him out in left. He'd probably have a higher average than whoever they platoon out there.
Despite the medicore outlook for the Reds, I'm never not excited for baseball season. And given that I don't follow the NBA and Virginia won't even be making the NIT field, its pretty much all I've got to look forward to right now (well, that and college lacrosse- go Hoos!).
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Best Week Ever
All-you-can-eat ribs at Montgomery Inn.
The Boathouse is 20 years old, so from February 22-26 Montgomery Inn is offering all-you-can-eat ribs for $19.89 at all 3 locations, Saratoga Chips included. This sounds phenomenal. Puddin', you in?
The Boathouse is 20 years old, so from February 22-26 Montgomery Inn is offering all-you-can-eat ribs for $19.89 at all 3 locations, Saratoga Chips included. This sounds phenomenal. Puddin', you in?
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Weekly TV Thoughts: 02/08 - 02/14
Late update this week; I spent the weekend at my grandma's house, and the best internet connection I could find was at Dunkin' Donuts. So this had to wait until I got back home.
-Heroes, Monday: Why does no one understand Claire? Is just just because she's a teenager? After everything that's happened so far in the story, why would anyone assume that all Claire would want is a "normal" life? Why do people (namely her dads, HRG and Nathan) continue to be shocked when she does something against their wishes? Don't you think they would've figured it out by now? They really need to explain what's going on with Parkman, because not only does this trance allow him to draw the future, but it leads him to the tools so he can draw the future. I don't mind having the future-seeing paintings on the show; I do mind having the power just randomly show up in Matt. Other things that bother me- why doesn't someone just out Nathan? How hard would it be for one of the captured people to shout out, "Hey, guess what, Nathan Patrelli can fly!" to the Hunter and his cronies? Put Nathan under suspicion and undermine his authority. What Peter should've done during his escape was pick up Nathan as he flew away and dropped him, forcing Nathan to reveal his ability. But that just would've been to easy. Also don't like how Sylar picked up his new sidekick. He was only in that house because it was down the street from where he just was, and lo and behold, the kid in the house has a power! But wait, why didn't Sylar sense Luke's ability when he first met him? Oh, right, because it didn't fit the story. Anyway, the things I did like- loved Peter's pep talk about having to be on the run now. Very inspiring, and should make for some good story in the upcoming episodes. Also like the introduction of the "Rebel" character on Claire's phone. I guess the hot interweb rumor right now is that "Rebel" is Micah, which would be AWESOME. That would be a great way to reintroduce that character. In fact, I think I'd be disappointed now if its NOT Micah.
-24, Monday: Mole update- I really think its the blonde FBI chick that has the hots for Rhys Coiro's character. Otherwise, why is she even on screen? At first, I thought Agent Moss was just a whiny bitch, but now I think he's there to be a foil for Agent Walker, specifically showing her transition from by-the-book (Agent Moss) to whatever's-necessary (Jack Bauer). I loved her, "Maybe I will get out. Tomorrow." I don't get the Dubaku girlfriend storyline; was it just so he would be out of the cellar when Jack and Renee stormed in? Because if so, that's weak sauce. I hope that plays out into something more substantial. And of course Mr. Taylor got shot during the rescue attempt. Nothing's ever easy for Jack.
-Lost, Wednesday: Welcome back to the show, Smoke Monster! Loved seeing the demise of Rousseau's crew after hearing about 4 season's ago. Everyone goes down into the temple (sans Rousseau) to go after the Smoke Monster, and they come back up with "the sickness" (which I always likened more to a mental sickness, as opposed to a physical one). So given what they showed, everyone was dead BEFORE Rousseau gave birth to Alex; how did that work exactly? Well, anyway, welcome back to the main group, Jin. The more I see Miles, the more I think he's awesome. "He's Korean. I'm from Encino." Love it. The island is making jumps sooner and sooner, and we welcome Sawyer to the nose bleed club. It also causes Charlotte to go terminal, which leaves her spewing random facts and thoughts from her life. She knows about getting to the wheel through the well (which of course, comes in handy when Locke and company jump right as they reach the Orchid). She also rambles about being born on the island, leaving with her mother, and then being told the island never existed. She also said that a strange man told her that she could never return to the island otherwise she would die, and that strange man was Faraday. Wat? LOTS of questions there. Interesting conversation Locke had with Christian Shepherd, who really does appear to be the island's information guide. It seems that everything Locke was supposed to do off island is now being done by Ben, presumably because Locke is currently dead. And what was with Christian telling Locke that he couldn't help him up? What it just a metaphor for Locke having to do this on his own, or could he actually not help him up? Afterall, Christian was able to hold baby Aaron when he lured away Claire last season. Hrm. Meanwhile, back in L.A., Ben's only managed to get Sun and Jack to come with him to see Eloise Hawking. What about the rest of the O6? Can they come along at a later date? Why was it so important to get all of them together again if its okay that only some of them go back? Don't kow. And welcome to the merging storylines, Desmond! I find it VERY interesting that Ben didn't know that Ms. Hawking was Faraday's mother (well, at least he's expression seemed to indicate that he didn't know). Surely that will have greater significance down the line.
-Dollhouse, Friday: Have to admit, I was a little underwhelmed with this premiere, but I'm writing the show off based on just one episode. But it very slow through the majority of the episode. Looking at the show's construct, I wonder how they'll be able to keep up the "new personalities each week" formula. Unless she's solving a crime or something each week, the personaility changes alone will not keep this show afloat. The saving grace was the last scene, where they introduced the rogue Active, Alpha. If he can merge stories with the FBI agent looking for the Dollhouse (aka, Helo from BSG), that could make for a nice serialized storyline. I've read that Echo will start to become more self aware herself, which would also make for good story. Hopefully these two things can add some life to the show before its too late (which, given its a Fox show on Friday night, is probably nearer than it should be).
-Battlestar Galactica, Friday: Wow. A whole episode of exposition, dropping A LOT of information. Let me see if I have this straight: thousands of years ago, humanity started on Kobol. Humans made Cylons. Humans left Kobol to settle the 12 Colonies; the Cylons left to settle Earth, the mythical 13th Colony. On the way, they built (what was now called) the “Temple of the Five”. The Cylons get to Earth, settle, and then build Centurions. Ellen, Saul, Anders, Tyrol, and Tory all work in a lab, developing resurrection technology. The Centurions rebel, war breaks out, they nuke Earth. The Five die and resurrect on a ship in orbit around Earth. They then leave to return to the 12 Colonies to warn them about creating Centurions. The trip takes thousands of years. In that time, the humans have already created Centurions, having forgotten about the Cylons that were created on Kobol a thousand years earlier. These Centurions rebel, and the First Cylon War starts. The Five finally reach the Colonies, broker peace with the Centurions, and end the war. The Five agree to give them resurrection technology. The Cylons go away, and no one hears from them in 40 years. In that time, the Five create the 8 models of humanoid Cylons; they start with number 1, Cavil/John. In time, Cavil/John begins to rebel against his creators and starts rejecting the idea that he should be more human. He locks away the Five and reprograms them to live among humans without any knowledge of their true nature so they could experience what they were trying to do to the other models. He makes it so if they were to die, they would resurrect on his Basestar and immediate remember who/what they are. He killed the 7 line out of jealously. He tweaked the programming of the other models to be more inline with his anti-humanity thinking. Then, the Second Cylon War begins, and that's brings us to the start of the show. The one huge hole I see in that history is Tigh- if the Five came and ended the first war, how did Adama know Tigh *during* the war? And how did Tigh age? That timeline doesn’t make any sense. But other than that, I like how they managed to weave through the “its all happened before, and will all happen again.” Can’t wait to see it all ends up.
-Heroes, Monday: Why does no one understand Claire? Is just just because she's a teenager? After everything that's happened so far in the story, why would anyone assume that all Claire would want is a "normal" life? Why do people (namely her dads, HRG and Nathan) continue to be shocked when she does something against their wishes? Don't you think they would've figured it out by now? They really need to explain what's going on with Parkman, because not only does this trance allow him to draw the future, but it leads him to the tools so he can draw the future. I don't mind having the future-seeing paintings on the show; I do mind having the power just randomly show up in Matt. Other things that bother me- why doesn't someone just out Nathan? How hard would it be for one of the captured people to shout out, "Hey, guess what, Nathan Patrelli can fly!" to the Hunter and his cronies? Put Nathan under suspicion and undermine his authority. What Peter should've done during his escape was pick up Nathan as he flew away and dropped him, forcing Nathan to reveal his ability. But that just would've been to easy. Also don't like how Sylar picked up his new sidekick. He was only in that house because it was down the street from where he just was, and lo and behold, the kid in the house has a power! But wait, why didn't Sylar sense Luke's ability when he first met him? Oh, right, because it didn't fit the story. Anyway, the things I did like- loved Peter's pep talk about having to be on the run now. Very inspiring, and should make for some good story in the upcoming episodes. Also like the introduction of the "Rebel" character on Claire's phone. I guess the hot interweb rumor right now is that "Rebel" is Micah, which would be AWESOME. That would be a great way to reintroduce that character. In fact, I think I'd be disappointed now if its NOT Micah.
-24, Monday: Mole update- I really think its the blonde FBI chick that has the hots for Rhys Coiro's character. Otherwise, why is she even on screen? At first, I thought Agent Moss was just a whiny bitch, but now I think he's there to be a foil for Agent Walker, specifically showing her transition from by-the-book (Agent Moss) to whatever's-necessary (Jack Bauer). I loved her, "Maybe I will get out. Tomorrow." I don't get the Dubaku girlfriend storyline; was it just so he would be out of the cellar when Jack and Renee stormed in? Because if so, that's weak sauce. I hope that plays out into something more substantial. And of course Mr. Taylor got shot during the rescue attempt. Nothing's ever easy for Jack.
-Lost, Wednesday: Welcome back to the show, Smoke Monster! Loved seeing the demise of Rousseau's crew after hearing about 4 season's ago. Everyone goes down into the temple (sans Rousseau) to go after the Smoke Monster, and they come back up with "the sickness" (which I always likened more to a mental sickness, as opposed to a physical one). So given what they showed, everyone was dead BEFORE Rousseau gave birth to Alex; how did that work exactly? Well, anyway, welcome back to the main group, Jin. The more I see Miles, the more I think he's awesome. "He's Korean. I'm from Encino." Love it. The island is making jumps sooner and sooner, and we welcome Sawyer to the nose bleed club. It also causes Charlotte to go terminal, which leaves her spewing random facts and thoughts from her life. She knows about getting to the wheel through the well (which of course, comes in handy when Locke and company jump right as they reach the Orchid). She also rambles about being born on the island, leaving with her mother, and then being told the island never existed. She also said that a strange man told her that she could never return to the island otherwise she would die, and that strange man was Faraday. Wat? LOTS of questions there. Interesting conversation Locke had with Christian Shepherd, who really does appear to be the island's information guide. It seems that everything Locke was supposed to do off island is now being done by Ben, presumably because Locke is currently dead. And what was with Christian telling Locke that he couldn't help him up? What it just a metaphor for Locke having to do this on his own, or could he actually not help him up? Afterall, Christian was able to hold baby Aaron when he lured away Claire last season. Hrm. Meanwhile, back in L.A., Ben's only managed to get Sun and Jack to come with him to see Eloise Hawking. What about the rest of the O6? Can they come along at a later date? Why was it so important to get all of them together again if its okay that only some of them go back? Don't kow. And welcome to the merging storylines, Desmond! I find it VERY interesting that Ben didn't know that Ms. Hawking was Faraday's mother (well, at least he's expression seemed to indicate that he didn't know). Surely that will have greater significance down the line.
-Dollhouse, Friday: Have to admit, I was a little underwhelmed with this premiere, but I'm writing the show off based on just one episode. But it very slow through the majority of the episode. Looking at the show's construct, I wonder how they'll be able to keep up the "new personalities each week" formula. Unless she's solving a crime or something each week, the personaility changes alone will not keep this show afloat. The saving grace was the last scene, where they introduced the rogue Active, Alpha. If he can merge stories with the FBI agent looking for the Dollhouse (aka, Helo from BSG), that could make for a nice serialized storyline. I've read that Echo will start to become more self aware herself, which would also make for good story. Hopefully these two things can add some life to the show before its too late (which, given its a Fox show on Friday night, is probably nearer than it should be).
-Battlestar Galactica, Friday: Wow. A whole episode of exposition, dropping A LOT of information. Let me see if I have this straight: thousands of years ago, humanity started on Kobol. Humans made Cylons. Humans left Kobol to settle the 12 Colonies; the Cylons left to settle Earth, the mythical 13th Colony. On the way, they built (what was now called) the “Temple of the Five”. The Cylons get to Earth, settle, and then build Centurions. Ellen, Saul, Anders, Tyrol, and Tory all work in a lab, developing resurrection technology. The Centurions rebel, war breaks out, they nuke Earth. The Five die and resurrect on a ship in orbit around Earth. They then leave to return to the 12 Colonies to warn them about creating Centurions. The trip takes thousands of years. In that time, the humans have already created Centurions, having forgotten about the Cylons that were created on Kobol a thousand years earlier. These Centurions rebel, and the First Cylon War starts. The Five finally reach the Colonies, broker peace with the Centurions, and end the war. The Five agree to give them resurrection technology. The Cylons go away, and no one hears from them in 40 years. In that time, the Five create the 8 models of humanoid Cylons; they start with number 1, Cavil/John. In time, Cavil/John begins to rebel against his creators and starts rejecting the idea that he should be more human. He locks away the Five and reprograms them to live among humans without any knowledge of their true nature so they could experience what they were trying to do to the other models. He makes it so if they were to die, they would resurrect on his Basestar and immediate remember who/what they are. He killed the 7 line out of jealously. He tweaked the programming of the other models to be more inline with his anti-humanity thinking. Then, the Second Cylon War begins, and that's brings us to the start of the show. The one huge hole I see in that history is Tigh- if the Five came and ended the first war, how did Adama know Tigh *during* the war? And how did Tigh age? That timeline doesn’t make any sense. But other than that, I like how they managed to weave through the “its all happened before, and will all happen again.” Can’t wait to see it all ends up.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Weekly TV Thoughts: 02/01 - 02/07
After a great weekend of sports television (Penn-St. Pierre, Federer-Nadal, that Super Bowl thing), there was another solid week of scripted TV, which saw the return of a couple of shows that had still been on winter hiatus.
-Chuck, Monday: I love this show, and I'm glad its finally back on the air. Pound for pound, Chuck might be the most entertaining show on television (mixing great story, great characters, drama, suspense, action, and comedy). Its also an incredibly geeky show, which is another reason I love it. I mean, what other show could seamlessly blend a semi-meta Lost crossover (Dominic Monaghan guest starring as a rock star), a This Is Spinal Tap reference (“Hello Cleveland!”), a Shawshank Redemption allusion (the playing of Mozart when talking about freedom, Zihuatanejo), and an ex-NFL player cameo (Jerome Bettis… fucking Steelers) into a single episode? Great show, terribly underrated. Now, to the issue of the episode being in 3D; didn't hate it, but definitely didn't love it. Yeah, sure, it was kinda neat, but it was also very off-putting because it seemed that some scenes were shot in 3D (the action scenes, Big Mike eating the donut, Yvonne Strahovski crawling on the bed.... the link is for those of you who don't know who Yvonne Strahovski is), and some weren't. Watching a non-3D scene with the 3D glasses on just gives you a headache. So unless the whole thing is in 3D (and they do something about the glasses), I don't think its an idea that's going to take off.
-Heroes, Monday: Another show making its return this week, with Heroes starting a new volume and trying trying to reboot the show. They even went so far as to recreate the Peter/Mohinder cab ride from the pilot; I thought that was a nice, if not heavy-handed, touch. I like them setting up all the main characters to work together right from the start instead of stringing it out throughout the season. They've made that mistake in the past (multiple times), so its good to see them trying something different. Having a lot of characters in your story isn't a problem; having too many stories in your story is. As to this specific episode, I don't like how they've all of a sudden given Parkman the ability to draw the future; they better be a good explaination for that one, otherwise its silly. I do like that Sylar's storyline (the hunt to find his biological father) isn't separate from the main storyline (the government rounding up people with abilities); he's on the hunt, but he's also still being hunted. I also like that he's too powerful to be captured because that's the way it should be. Overall, I like the direction and I hope they can keep it up.
-24, Monday: Question- how many times can you storm the enemy compound and kill everyone there expect the one guy you need to? I think its happened to Jack Bauer at leat a dozen times. Also, how many hostage situations can you encounter in a day? In this hour, they just replaced one (the Sangalan Prime Minister) with another (the First Gentleman…. man, that sounds stupid). I'm glad the CIP device storyline is over as well, because you can only hold that threat of danger so many times before it just gets ridiculous. Still waiting for Jon Voight to enter the picture. And what's going on with Tony- he seemed awful hesitant to go to the govenment in anyway. Is he just afraid of having to anwser for his crimes, or is he still hiding something? My guess is that when the day's over, Tony either runs or *actually* dies in some act of redemption for him. Still not certain about who's the mole the President's circle; I'm sticking with the Chief of Staff until things become clearer.
-Lost, Wednesday: I think its interesting that they showed it was Kate's idea to make Aaron her son, and that was done *before* they all decided to lie about the island. It wasn't something they needed to say, but its good information that adds to the character. Staying off island, I guess it should've have been obvious that it was Ben behind the Kate-Aaron paternity test; what better way to get Kate on the run and potentially back to the island than to threaten her family? Nefarious, evil... just the thing Ben's capable of. Speaking of evil, Sun falls squarely into that category. Babysitting Aaron and also planning a hit (either Jack or Ben... or both; it was kind of unclear). The showdown they previewed for next week should be cool, especially with some many of the characters in one scene again. Which leave Hurley, who's currently in lockup. According to Ben's lawyer, Hurley's stay in jail shouldn't be that long, and I hope that's the case, because otherwise, the "Hurley in jail" storyline becomes a roadblock for the sake of being a roadblock. Okay, now to what's happening *on* the island. I love how they jumped back to a time when the survivors were already on the island. It made for nice character scenes with Locke and Sawyer and Sawyer and Juliet. The nosebleed thing intrigues me. At this point, we have no reason to doubt anything Faraday's says about the island. That may change later, but as of now, I'm believing whatever he says. Given that, plus the spread of the nosebleeds, it means that Miles has been on the island before, and spent a significant amount of time there, less than Charlotte, but more than Juliet. One popluar rumor is that Miles is the son of Pierre Chang (the guy in all the orientation videos) and was the child in the crib that we saw at the start of this season. Another perfect example of Chekhov's gun- why bother showing that Dr. Chang has a son if it weren't going to be important later? I thought the introduction of the second airline was nice- Ajira Airways. Another interweb theory suggests that Ajira is the airline that the Oceanic 6 takes to get back to the island, and that the people chasing/firing at Locke and company in the ocean was the Oceanic 6 themselves (or perhaps the people they came with). That one's pretty crazy, but I like it. It explains why the boat was beached right there, right at their camp (the O6 was looking for them) and it sets up the possibility of seeing that same scene again, but from the a point of view (like the did with the Jin/Sun flashbacks back in the first season; they seem to like to do that). And finally, speaking of Jin, he is indeed alive, which is good to see (well, I knew he wasn't off the show, but you never know with Lost; you can be dead and not actually be dead, so I'm glad that Jin is neither and is just alive). And as soon as the survivors recognized the wreakage as being French, you had to know that it would belong to Rousseau and her crew. But from the promos, it doesn't look like Jin will be spending much time with them and will quickly meet up with the rest of the survivors. I like how they are using the time jumping as a way to show the history of the island, instead of just having to tell it. I really hope they jump back to when the Black Rock crashed on the island; that would be cool. But one can only guess where they'll jump next.
-Battestar Galactica, Friday: Man, what an intense hour. I knew the mutiny/revolution wouldn't last that long, but I honestly didn't think it was be over in this episode. I thought this episode would end with a showdown between the two sides, to be decided next week, but I was wrong. Adama retook command without much incident because, as they showed throughout the episode, the revolution was losing traction. Gaeta clearly didn't have the chops for it, and Kelly went so far as to switch sides. Good to see Kelly come to his senses; the scene with him and Tyrol was nice in that it seemed horribly awkward and out of place give the circumstances. But given the positions these guys used to hold and how much time they would have spent working on the launch deck, it makes sense that they would be friends and that Kelly would be reluctant to pull the trigger. The only person that seemed all in with the revolution was (not surprising) Tom Zarek, but even I was shocked that he would have the entire quorum (save Lee) murdered right there on Colonial One. That was nuts. It so great to see Starback back to being Starbuck, and I am really intrigued by what's going to happen with Anders now that he's been shot. That scene showed that Kara still cares for him and that Romo Lampkin isn't a total selfish bastard. We also got to see Baltar in a rare moment of actual self awareness, which was surprising (though the fact that he was in bed with a 6 at the time wasn't). The one thing that bothered me a little was where the hell did Adama get so many followers so quickly? Were there just that many people against the mutiny? It just seemed like a little weird. Also, what exactly did Tyrol see in the engine room? Was that crack in the hull? Well, whatever it is, I'm sure its not a good thing. And finally, the promo for next week, where we get back to the final Cylon storyline. It showed Ellen in a resurrection tub- what the fuck? You can't tell me that the Final Five resurrect the same way as the other 7 do, that just wouldn't make any sense. Was that just another red herring (like seeing Adama get executed)? Man, I can't wait to find out.
-Chuck, Monday: I love this show, and I'm glad its finally back on the air. Pound for pound, Chuck might be the most entertaining show on television (mixing great story, great characters, drama, suspense, action, and comedy). Its also an incredibly geeky show, which is another reason I love it. I mean, what other show could seamlessly blend a semi-meta Lost crossover (Dominic Monaghan guest starring as a rock star), a This Is Spinal Tap reference (“Hello Cleveland!”), a Shawshank Redemption allusion (the playing of Mozart when talking about freedom, Zihuatanejo), and an ex-NFL player cameo (Jerome Bettis… fucking Steelers) into a single episode? Great show, terribly underrated. Now, to the issue of the episode being in 3D; didn't hate it, but definitely didn't love it. Yeah, sure, it was kinda neat, but it was also very off-putting because it seemed that some scenes were shot in 3D (the action scenes, Big Mike eating the donut, Yvonne Strahovski crawling on the bed.... the link is for those of you who don't know who Yvonne Strahovski is), and some weren't. Watching a non-3D scene with the 3D glasses on just gives you a headache. So unless the whole thing is in 3D (and they do something about the glasses), I don't think its an idea that's going to take off.
-Heroes, Monday: Another show making its return this week, with Heroes starting a new volume and trying trying to reboot the show. They even went so far as to recreate the Peter/Mohinder cab ride from the pilot; I thought that was a nice, if not heavy-handed, touch. I like them setting up all the main characters to work together right from the start instead of stringing it out throughout the season. They've made that mistake in the past (multiple times), so its good to see them trying something different. Having a lot of characters in your story isn't a problem; having too many stories in your story is. As to this specific episode, I don't like how they've all of a sudden given Parkman the ability to draw the future; they better be a good explaination for that one, otherwise its silly. I do like that Sylar's storyline (the hunt to find his biological father) isn't separate from the main storyline (the government rounding up people with abilities); he's on the hunt, but he's also still being hunted. I also like that he's too powerful to be captured because that's the way it should be. Overall, I like the direction and I hope they can keep it up.
-24, Monday: Question- how many times can you storm the enemy compound and kill everyone there expect the one guy you need to? I think its happened to Jack Bauer at leat a dozen times. Also, how many hostage situations can you encounter in a day? In this hour, they just replaced one (the Sangalan Prime Minister) with another (the First Gentleman…. man, that sounds stupid). I'm glad the CIP device storyline is over as well, because you can only hold that threat of danger so many times before it just gets ridiculous. Still waiting for Jon Voight to enter the picture. And what's going on with Tony- he seemed awful hesitant to go to the govenment in anyway. Is he just afraid of having to anwser for his crimes, or is he still hiding something? My guess is that when the day's over, Tony either runs or *actually* dies in some act of redemption for him. Still not certain about who's the mole the President's circle; I'm sticking with the Chief of Staff until things become clearer.
-Lost, Wednesday: I think its interesting that they showed it was Kate's idea to make Aaron her son, and that was done *before* they all decided to lie about the island. It wasn't something they needed to say, but its good information that adds to the character. Staying off island, I guess it should've have been obvious that it was Ben behind the Kate-Aaron paternity test; what better way to get Kate on the run and potentially back to the island than to threaten her family? Nefarious, evil... just the thing Ben's capable of. Speaking of evil, Sun falls squarely into that category. Babysitting Aaron and also planning a hit (either Jack or Ben... or both; it was kind of unclear). The showdown they previewed for next week should be cool, especially with some many of the characters in one scene again. Which leave Hurley, who's currently in lockup. According to Ben's lawyer, Hurley's stay in jail shouldn't be that long, and I hope that's the case, because otherwise, the "Hurley in jail" storyline becomes a roadblock for the sake of being a roadblock. Okay, now to what's happening *on* the island. I love how they jumped back to a time when the survivors were already on the island. It made for nice character scenes with Locke and Sawyer and Sawyer and Juliet. The nosebleed thing intrigues me. At this point, we have no reason to doubt anything Faraday's says about the island. That may change later, but as of now, I'm believing whatever he says. Given that, plus the spread of the nosebleeds, it means that Miles has been on the island before, and spent a significant amount of time there, less than Charlotte, but more than Juliet. One popluar rumor is that Miles is the son of Pierre Chang (the guy in all the orientation videos) and was the child in the crib that we saw at the start of this season. Another perfect example of Chekhov's gun- why bother showing that Dr. Chang has a son if it weren't going to be important later? I thought the introduction of the second airline was nice- Ajira Airways. Another interweb theory suggests that Ajira is the airline that the Oceanic 6 takes to get back to the island, and that the people chasing/firing at Locke and company in the ocean was the Oceanic 6 themselves (or perhaps the people they came with). That one's pretty crazy, but I like it. It explains why the boat was beached right there, right at their camp (the O6 was looking for them) and it sets up the possibility of seeing that same scene again, but from the a point of view (like the did with the Jin/Sun flashbacks back in the first season; they seem to like to do that). And finally, speaking of Jin, he is indeed alive, which is good to see (well, I knew he wasn't off the show, but you never know with Lost; you can be dead and not actually be dead, so I'm glad that Jin is neither and is just alive). And as soon as the survivors recognized the wreakage as being French, you had to know that it would belong to Rousseau and her crew. But from the promos, it doesn't look like Jin will be spending much time with them and will quickly meet up with the rest of the survivors. I like how they are using the time jumping as a way to show the history of the island, instead of just having to tell it. I really hope they jump back to when the Black Rock crashed on the island; that would be cool. But one can only guess where they'll jump next.
-Battestar Galactica, Friday: Man, what an intense hour. I knew the mutiny/revolution wouldn't last that long, but I honestly didn't think it was be over in this episode. I thought this episode would end with a showdown between the two sides, to be decided next week, but I was wrong. Adama retook command without much incident because, as they showed throughout the episode, the revolution was losing traction. Gaeta clearly didn't have the chops for it, and Kelly went so far as to switch sides. Good to see Kelly come to his senses; the scene with him and Tyrol was nice in that it seemed horribly awkward and out of place give the circumstances. But given the positions these guys used to hold and how much time they would have spent working on the launch deck, it makes sense that they would be friends and that Kelly would be reluctant to pull the trigger. The only person that seemed all in with the revolution was (not surprising) Tom Zarek, but even I was shocked that he would have the entire quorum (save Lee) murdered right there on Colonial One. That was nuts. It so great to see Starback back to being Starbuck, and I am really intrigued by what's going to happen with Anders now that he's been shot. That scene showed that Kara still cares for him and that Romo Lampkin isn't a total selfish bastard. We also got to see Baltar in a rare moment of actual self awareness, which was surprising (though the fact that he was in bed with a 6 at the time wasn't). The one thing that bothered me a little was where the hell did Adama get so many followers so quickly? Were there just that many people against the mutiny? It just seemed like a little weird. Also, what exactly did Tyrol see in the engine room? Was that crack in the hull? Well, whatever it is, I'm sure its not a good thing. And finally, the promo for next week, where we get back to the final Cylon storyline. It showed Ellen in a resurrection tub- what the fuck? You can't tell me that the Final Five resurrect the same way as the other 7 do, that just wouldn't make any sense. Was that just another red herring (like seeing Adama get executed)? Man, I can't wait to find out.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
And Now For Something Completely Different
From Friday's Attack of the Show on G4:
I was one of the 60,000+ who signed the petition. I think it was well worth it.
I was one of the 60,000+ who signed the petition. I think it was well worth it.
Final Super Bowl Thoughts (For Real)
Okay, after a day to digest Super Bowl XLIII, I have a few final thoughts on the game, aside from just "Fuck the Steelers."
First, check out how EA did with their Madden simulation of the game. Insanely close on the final score and the stats for Roethlisberger and Holmes.
Second, even with the loss, Kurt Warner may still have punched his ticket to Canton with his performance on Sunday. Even though his Super Bowl record is now 1-2, think about those Super Bowls:
-Super Bowl XXXIV- a record 414 passing yards, game MVP, and one of the most exciting finishes in Super Bowl history (the Titans Kevin Dyson comes 1-yard short of the potential game-tying touchdown as time expires); win.
-Super Bowl XXXVI- a third-best all-time 365 passing yards, a 14-point 4th quarter comeback, and one of the most exciting finishes in Super Bowl history (Adam Vinatieri's game-winning field goal as time expired); loss.
-Super Bowl XLIII- a second-best all-time 377 passing yards, leading a 14-point 4th quarter comeback (16, with the safety), and one of the most exciting finishes in Super Bowl history (Santonio Holmes tip-toe touchdown catch with 0:35 seconds left); loss.
Any list of the top 10 greatest Super Bowls ever includes those 3 games, and yes, I think that matters in Warner's HOF consideration. Warner also has 2 league MVP's (1999 and 2001; could be argued he deserved it this year as well) and the great human interest story (undrafted out of college, bagging groceries, NFL Europe, Arena League, Super Bowl champion). While his team didn't win every Super Bowl he was in, he played big in every one of them. Sure, he had some dark years as a backup, but I think that only adds to his career; former starter and league MVP, reduced to holding a clipboard, regains the starting job and leads his team (a historically bad on, at that) to their first ever Super Bowl.
There's talk that Kurt Warner's played his last game in the NFL. If that's the case, I think he makes it to Canton in 5 years.
Third, even though Ben Roethlisberger is now 2-0 in Super Bowls, I don't think he's looking at an easy ride into footbal immortaility. Yes, two Super Bowl championships is a ridiculous accomplishment, especially at his age, but I think that he never wins another championship (please God, let him not win another championship), he'll always be overshadowed. Think about his Super Bowls, and what do you remember?
-Super Bowl XL- You remember horrible officiating, a long touchdown pass to Hines Ward on a trick play.... thrown by Antwaan Randle El, and a historically bad performace by Roethlisberger. The Steelers won inspite of Ben's pathetic performace (and with the aid of the officials). Hines Ward is your MVP.
-Super Bowl XLIII- You'll remember the James Harrision touchdown, the Arizona comeback, and the Santonio Holmes touchdown, with Holmes as your MVP.
The default Super Bowl MVP is the winning team's quarterback. If there isn't a clear MVP, it goes to him, that's just the way it is. Roethlisberger's started and won two Super Bowls and was MVP in neither of them. The only other quarterback to do that (as far as I can tell) is Bob Griese, and he's got another career milestone on his record to cancel that one out (something about a perfect season). Yes, you could argue that Roethlisberger deserved the MVP award on Sunday, but that fact is he didn't get it, and no one remembers the also-rans in the Super Bowl MVP race.
If his career ended right now (please God, let his career end right now), I think Roethlisberger would be remembered as a guy who got lucky and played above himself because he was surrounded by much greater players. These Steelers teams will be remembered for winning with their defense, and while he did lead them down the field for the winning score, it won't be remember for Roethlisberger methodically moving his team down the field, picking apart the defense and managing the clock, like Montana, Elway, or even Brady. It took a defender falling down on a play and a spectacular catch on the touchdown to make it happen. Its not fair, but I think he'll be seen as a player that was carried by his team, and not the other way around. I don't see him that way (I remember telling Steelers fans back in 2004 that they got the steal of the draft by taking him 11th), but that's how I think history will judge him.
And finally, the similarities between Sunday's game and Super Bowl XXIII, ranked the #1 Super Bowl of all time back in 2006. I've seen a lot of people compare the endings of two games, and even heard Roethlisberger reference it during a post-game interview with ESPN (he said that in the huddle before the final drive, he did not point out John Candy in the stands, which is exactly what Joe Montana had down 20 years prior). Bengals fans remember this one all too well- Cincinnati up 16-13, 3:10 on the clock, and San Francisco pinned on their own 8 yard line. Then Joe Montana became Joe Montana and lead the Niners 92-yards down the field, hitting John Taylor in the endzone with 0:35 seconds left in the game (damn it). For comparision, the Steelers had 2:37 to go 77 yards, and the Holmes touchdown came with 0:34 seconds left. But like a mentioned above, I don't think Super Bowl XLIII will be remembered for that final drive like Super Bowl XXIII was; the final play will be remember, but not the whole drive. Just how it is.
Okay, that's it, I'm done with football for now. Time for March Madness and baseball. When do pitchers and catchers report?
First, check out how EA did with their Madden simulation of the game. Insanely close on the final score and the stats for Roethlisberger and Holmes.
Second, even with the loss, Kurt Warner may still have punched his ticket to Canton with his performance on Sunday. Even though his Super Bowl record is now 1-2, think about those Super Bowls:
-Super Bowl XXXIV- a record 414 passing yards, game MVP, and one of the most exciting finishes in Super Bowl history (the Titans Kevin Dyson comes 1-yard short of the potential game-tying touchdown as time expires); win.
-Super Bowl XXXVI- a third-best all-time 365 passing yards, a 14-point 4th quarter comeback, and one of the most exciting finishes in Super Bowl history (Adam Vinatieri's game-winning field goal as time expired); loss.
-Super Bowl XLIII- a second-best all-time 377 passing yards, leading a 14-point 4th quarter comeback (16, with the safety), and one of the most exciting finishes in Super Bowl history (Santonio Holmes tip-toe touchdown catch with 0:35 seconds left); loss.
Any list of the top 10 greatest Super Bowls ever includes those 3 games, and yes, I think that matters in Warner's HOF consideration. Warner also has 2 league MVP's (1999 and 2001; could be argued he deserved it this year as well) and the great human interest story (undrafted out of college, bagging groceries, NFL Europe, Arena League, Super Bowl champion). While his team didn't win every Super Bowl he was in, he played big in every one of them. Sure, he had some dark years as a backup, but I think that only adds to his career; former starter and league MVP, reduced to holding a clipboard, regains the starting job and leads his team (a historically bad on, at that) to their first ever Super Bowl.
There's talk that Kurt Warner's played his last game in the NFL. If that's the case, I think he makes it to Canton in 5 years.
Third, even though Ben Roethlisberger is now 2-0 in Super Bowls, I don't think he's looking at an easy ride into footbal immortaility. Yes, two Super Bowl championships is a ridiculous accomplishment, especially at his age, but I think that he never wins another championship (please God, let him not win another championship), he'll always be overshadowed. Think about his Super Bowls, and what do you remember?
-Super Bowl XL- You remember horrible officiating, a long touchdown pass to Hines Ward on a trick play.... thrown by Antwaan Randle El, and a historically bad performace by Roethlisberger. The Steelers won inspite of Ben's pathetic performace (and with the aid of the officials). Hines Ward is your MVP.
-Super Bowl XLIII- You'll remember the James Harrision touchdown, the Arizona comeback, and the Santonio Holmes touchdown, with Holmes as your MVP.
The default Super Bowl MVP is the winning team's quarterback. If there isn't a clear MVP, it goes to him, that's just the way it is. Roethlisberger's started and won two Super Bowls and was MVP in neither of them. The only other quarterback to do that (as far as I can tell) is Bob Griese, and he's got another career milestone on his record to cancel that one out (something about a perfect season). Yes, you could argue that Roethlisberger deserved the MVP award on Sunday, but that fact is he didn't get it, and no one remembers the also-rans in the Super Bowl MVP race.
If his career ended right now (please God, let his career end right now), I think Roethlisberger would be remembered as a guy who got lucky and played above himself because he was surrounded by much greater players. These Steelers teams will be remembered for winning with their defense, and while he did lead them down the field for the winning score, it won't be remember for Roethlisberger methodically moving his team down the field, picking apart the defense and managing the clock, like Montana, Elway, or even Brady. It took a defender falling down on a play and a spectacular catch on the touchdown to make it happen. Its not fair, but I think he'll be seen as a player that was carried by his team, and not the other way around. I don't see him that way (I remember telling Steelers fans back in 2004 that they got the steal of the draft by taking him 11th), but that's how I think history will judge him.
And finally, the similarities between Sunday's game and Super Bowl XXIII, ranked the #1 Super Bowl of all time back in 2006. I've seen a lot of people compare the endings of two games, and even heard Roethlisberger reference it during a post-game interview with ESPN (he said that in the huddle before the final drive, he did not point out John Candy in the stands, which is exactly what Joe Montana had down 20 years prior). Bengals fans remember this one all too well- Cincinnati up 16-13, 3:10 on the clock, and San Francisco pinned on their own 8 yard line. Then Joe Montana became Joe Montana and lead the Niners 92-yards down the field, hitting John Taylor in the endzone with 0:35 seconds left in the game (damn it). For comparision, the Steelers had 2:37 to go 77 yards, and the Holmes touchdown came with 0:34 seconds left. But like a mentioned above, I don't think Super Bowl XLIII will be remembered for that final drive like Super Bowl XXIII was; the final play will be remember, but not the whole drive. Just how it is.
Okay, that's it, I'm done with football for now. Time for March Madness and baseball. When do pitchers and catchers report?
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Super Bowl XLIII LIve Blog Mega-Post
Okay, so here's me trying my hand at live blogging an event. And what better event to do that than the Super Bowl. Naturally, most of this is just mindless crap. But then again, what isn't on this site?
Pre-Game
6:00 Just turned to the Super Bowl coverage because I there was no way I could’ve made it through 5 hours of the pregame show. Half hour I can stand. Let’s see how this turns out.
6:06 Do we really need to see the players walk out of the locker room? Enter the field, okay, but waiting in the tunnel?
6:08 Dr. Foreman is in the house. Anyone seen Thirteen?
6:09 Here come the Steelers. Fuck the Steelers.
6:10 Was that me, or did the Cardinals just get a louder reception? Or was that because there were just a lot of boos mixed in?
6:13 No noteworthy commercials yet. Maybe they start when the actual game starts.
6:15 Okay, nothing against Walter Payton, but why give this award out now? Timing seems odd. Prop bet alert: Shots of Brenda Warner- 1.
6:16 Uh, a musical performance just for the sake of having a musical performance? Was Faith Hill guaranteed a performance since she sings the Sunday Night Football intro song?
6:18 And the people on the Lost DVD said that a water landing was impossible with a plane. Pfft. There's your proof.
6:21 Not a bad National Anthem. Looks like it was pre-recorded, and there’s nothing wrong with that. One thing- if you’re going to sing it in 4/4, stay in 4/4, don’t jump back into 3/4. Consistency is key. Prop bet alert: six planes in the flyover.
6:22 HOLY MOTHERFUCKING SHIT, G.I. JOE!!!!!!!!!
6:24 Been hearing Joe Cocker's Feelin' Alright all over the place recently. Love the song, so I’m not complaining, but its sudden appearance and use everywhere is kinda odd.
6:27 General Petraeus doesn’t have anything else better to be doing tonight, huh? Yeah, didn’t think so.
6:28 Prop bet alert: Heads, Arizona wins the toss, defers until the second half.
First Quarter
6:32 Kickoff… finally. Now, who’s playing again?
6:33 Fuck Hines Ward. Maybe put a guy on him? Maybe? Fuck Hines Ward.
6:38 Arizona should challenge that one; Ben’s knee might have been down. Many prop bets hinge on this call (outcome of first score and first challenge).
6:42 Refs get the call right, and many prop bets are paid off. Dr. Foreman pussies out and tries the field goal. Wuss.
6:44 Liked the Bob Dylan/Will.I.Am mashup. Gina Carano was in it, so I know Puddin’ LOVED it. That will be his favorite commercial of the night, hands down.
6:48 Prop bet alert: first penalty, holding on the Cardinals.
6:52 Early commercial returns- lots of Bud Light, lots of movie trailers. Very stoked for Springsteen’s halftime show.
6:54 Tackling seems to be a problem for the Arizona defense. This could be a problem down the line for them.
6:59 it’s a shame that Heath Miller plays for Pittsburgh, because I’m forced to hate him when I’d otherwise be one of his biggest fans.
7:00 How would Mike Tomlin know that Roethlisberger isn’t the same guy he was three years ago? Mike Tomlin wasn’t in Pittsburgh three years ago.
Second Quarter
7:04 Relatively quick first quarter. Only two penalties, one score, and one challenge.
7:08 Bill Simmons’s head just exploded; Gary Russell just scored a touchdown.
7:11 Hard hitting analysis- Arizona’s going to need to possess the ball some if they want to be in this game.
7:12 How long do you think Budweiser will keep milking the Clydesdale thing? Apparently forever.
7:13 HOLY MOTHER FUCKING SHIT, STAR TREK!!!!!!!!
7:18 Hmm, I’m guessing Fitzgerald and Boldin each have 3 guys covering them. James, Hightower, Arrington, Pope, and Breaston all better be ready to set up. Boldin and Fitzgerald probably won’t get a lot of chances, so they’ll need to make them count when they do.
7:20 Kinda like that.
7:21 So, did anyone have Gary Russell and Ben Patrick scoring the first two touchdowns of the game, because you just made a lot of money.
7:25 Great, a montage of Kurt Warner falling down. I'm sure he loves that.
7:27 Rodgers-Cromartie will get an interception by the end of the game. Put it on the board.
7:31 Nice return. And great job on the cutback by 52 NOT blocking in the back.
7:35 More talking babies? Seriously? Boo for recycled ad campaigns.
7:36 Fuck Dick LeBeau. He was 12-33 as the head coach of the Bengals, which translate to “epic fail.”
7:41 HELL YEAH!!!! Prop bet alert: first turnover, Roethlisberger interception.
7:42 Teleflora.com…. um…. yeah.
7:46 Great play by Hightower. Richmond represent!
7:48 Welcome to the game, Larry Fitzgerald!
7:50 First and goal at the 2, 0:18 left in the half; that should be 3 shots at the end zone, 2 if you want to leave time for a field goal try. I’d look at the jump ball to one of the big two receivers.
7:51 No. Fucking. Way.
7:52 Please God, he was down. Please God, he was down. Please God, his elbow was down.
7:55 FUCK.
Halftime
7:56 My final call for Bruce’s set list is The Rising, Badlands, My Lucky Day, Born To Run.
8:00 Thoughts on 3D- I’ve always found 3D a bit hokey, but I might be okay with this new INTRU3D because its not just about things flying out of the screen toward you, like it used to be. The focus now seems to be more on creating a sense of depth INTO the screen, which is a little less silly than people reaching out and touching you. We’ll see how I feel about it on Monday after watching an entire episode of Chuck in 3D.
8:06 So John Elway can fly. Explains the “Helicopter Play.”
8:07 The Boss! Yeah, it should’ve been obvious that Tenth Avenue Freeze Out was going to be on the set list when it reported that Bruce stole Conan’s horn section from Late Night.
8:10 Puts Born To Run in the two hole. I really thought he’d close with this one. In fact, more people trying to guess the setlist also thought this one would come at the end. Shows you what we know. One for two on songs, missed the order here.
8:14 Damn. I thought Working On A Dream would be too mellow of a song for the halftime show. It is the title track of the new album and all, but I still thought he’d go with something more upbeat, like My Lucky Day. I didn’t count on him trotting out the gospel choir. That was the trump card.
8:16 Glory Days, with revised football-centric lyrics. I had Glory Days on the list earlier in the week, but I dropped it in favor of Badlands. Oh well.
8:20 Bruce haters be damned, I glad Springsteen played the Super Bowl. Could have done without the ref gag, though, but the back and forth with Van Zant (“Hey Stevie, what time is it?) is a typical concert thing, so they just worked it into their normal routine.
Third Quarter
8:28 Arizona has to score on this opening drive, otherwise I think they’re done.
8:34 Why haven't the Cards challenged down the field. The underneath stuff is fine, but you’ve got to try downfield.
8:36 Fuck. Let that not be a fumble.
8:39 Thank God. However, having to punt is still bad news for the Cardinals.
8:42 I was just thinking, “Man, the Cardinals could sure use Rod Tidwell.”
8:47 Wow, don’t know about that roughing the passer call. It wasn’t excessively late, he didn’t lead with the helmet; I don’t like it.
8:53 Are fucking kidding me? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!?!?! Running into the holder? Are you a fucking idiot? Touchdown here and the game is over.
8:56 Hmm…. hold them to another field goal try. Still bad, but not completely atastrophic.
8:57 HOLY MOTHERFUCKING SHIT, TRANSFORMERS!!!!!!
8:58 I wanna punch a koala. Where do I apply for that job?
9:02 Prop bet alert: Shots of Brenda Warner- 2. Has Madden made any references to food items yet? I haven’t really been paying attention.
9:04 Al Michaels just mentioned what I wrote 30 minutes ago. You have to at least try to go downfield and give you’re best players a chance to make a play.
Fourth Quarter
9:07 YES! The 1-second High Light commercial! Love it!
9:08 The penalties are killing the Cardinals. So is their unwillingness to try the deep ball. It’s the last game of the year; you can’t hold anything back now.
9:15 Man, is that the first sack of Roethlisberger of the game? About time, but its probably too little too late.
9:17 Seriously, Tory Polumalu as Mean Joe Green? That's sacrilege. He talks like Mike Tyson.
9:18 Okay, Ed McMahon + MC Hammer + Tax Problems = Awesome.
9:22 Well, well, well… quick score here, and maybe the game’s not over. Yet.
9:25 Would you look at that? Jump ball to Fitzgerald, touchdown. Man, that would’ve been a great play call at the end of the first half. Instead, it was a 100-yard TAINT for the Steelers. Prop bet alert: Shots of Brenda Warner- 3
9:29 Stay away from the silly penalties, get a stop, and maybe the bus isn’t heading back to Arizona just yet.
9:31 Sacks are good. To quote the Columbia Band: Scrotum! Scrotum! Quarterback sack!
9:32 Great 3 and out for Arizona. NOW, we have a game. C’mon Warner, you can punch your ticket to Canton right here, right now.
9:33 MacGrubber? Not funny. MacGrubber featuring Richard Dean Anderson? A little funny (funnier, at least). Not as good as his Mastercard commercial a few years back.
9:36 Still trying the running game. Interesting. I guess you want to keep the defense honest. I don't like it, though. Throw the damn ball.
9:38 Prop bet alert: Shots of Brenda Warner- 4
9:40 Excellent coverage-if you can, always try and catch the ball BEFORE it hits the ground; if it hits the ground, you have no idea where it will bounce. And James Harrison is a punk bitch. Fuck James Harrison.
9:43 DAMN, that was close. Might have been a safety.
9:44 NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
9:45 YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyone bet on a safety in the game? Because you just got paid.
9:46 Okay Warner, you’ve got ANOTHER chance to punch your ticket to Canton. Make it happen.
9:48 Larry Fitzgerald is a man. If the game ends like this, Fitzgerald is your MVP. Sorry, Kurt.
9:50 Now, Cardinals defense, what are you made of? Time to man up.
9:53 Ooh, almost made a mistake there with rushing a play before the 2 minute warning. A pick there would’ve been nice.
9:59 That was a touchdown right there, and Holmes would have been your MVP.
10:00 Shit. NOW, Holmes is your MVP. Fuck.
10:05 For a THIRD time tonight, Warner, you have a chance to get into Canton. Time to channel your inner Doug Flutie.
10:09 Fuck. I hate the Steelers. Santonio Holmes if your MVP and I don’t think its close. Fucking Buckeyes. Oh well, that was a damn good game. Better than last year’s Super Bowl? I don’t know. But it was damn good game.
10:10 Final prop bet alert: Color of Gatorade dumped on winning coach- lemon-lime/yellow. Well, okay, no, I guess there’s still the bet on who the game MVP thanks first. But I’m turning it off now.
Final thoughts on Super Bowl XLIII: fuck the Steelers. There, that’s it. Okay, not really. I really thought going down 20-7 was the end for the Cardinals. But they battled back and put themselves in a position to win the game, and they deserve a hell of a lot of credit for that. If anyone still questions whether Larry Fitzgerald is the best receiver in the game, they’re a moron. There, now that's it.
And fuck the Steelers.
Pre-Game
6:00 Just turned to the Super Bowl coverage because I there was no way I could’ve made it through 5 hours of the pregame show. Half hour I can stand. Let’s see how this turns out.
6:06 Do we really need to see the players walk out of the locker room? Enter the field, okay, but waiting in the tunnel?
6:08 Dr. Foreman is in the house. Anyone seen Thirteen?
6:09 Here come the Steelers. Fuck the Steelers.
6:10 Was that me, or did the Cardinals just get a louder reception? Or was that because there were just a lot of boos mixed in?
6:13 No noteworthy commercials yet. Maybe they start when the actual game starts.
6:15 Okay, nothing against Walter Payton, but why give this award out now? Timing seems odd. Prop bet alert: Shots of Brenda Warner- 1.
6:16 Uh, a musical performance just for the sake of having a musical performance? Was Faith Hill guaranteed a performance since she sings the Sunday Night Football intro song?
6:18 And the people on the Lost DVD said that a water landing was impossible with a plane. Pfft. There's your proof.
6:21 Not a bad National Anthem. Looks like it was pre-recorded, and there’s nothing wrong with that. One thing- if you’re going to sing it in 4/4, stay in 4/4, don’t jump back into 3/4. Consistency is key. Prop bet alert: six planes in the flyover.
6:22 HOLY MOTHERFUCKING SHIT, G.I. JOE!!!!!!!!!
6:24 Been hearing Joe Cocker's Feelin' Alright all over the place recently. Love the song, so I’m not complaining, but its sudden appearance and use everywhere is kinda odd.
6:27 General Petraeus doesn’t have anything else better to be doing tonight, huh? Yeah, didn’t think so.
6:28 Prop bet alert: Heads, Arizona wins the toss, defers until the second half.
First Quarter
6:32 Kickoff… finally. Now, who’s playing again?
6:33 Fuck Hines Ward. Maybe put a guy on him? Maybe? Fuck Hines Ward.
6:38 Arizona should challenge that one; Ben’s knee might have been down. Many prop bets hinge on this call (outcome of first score and first challenge).
6:42 Refs get the call right, and many prop bets are paid off. Dr. Foreman pussies out and tries the field goal. Wuss.
6:44 Liked the Bob Dylan/Will.I.Am mashup. Gina Carano was in it, so I know Puddin’ LOVED it. That will be his favorite commercial of the night, hands down.
6:48 Prop bet alert: first penalty, holding on the Cardinals.
6:52 Early commercial returns- lots of Bud Light, lots of movie trailers. Very stoked for Springsteen’s halftime show.
6:54 Tackling seems to be a problem for the Arizona defense. This could be a problem down the line for them.
6:59 it’s a shame that Heath Miller plays for Pittsburgh, because I’m forced to hate him when I’d otherwise be one of his biggest fans.
7:00 How would Mike Tomlin know that Roethlisberger isn’t the same guy he was three years ago? Mike Tomlin wasn’t in Pittsburgh three years ago.
Second Quarter
7:04 Relatively quick first quarter. Only two penalties, one score, and one challenge.
7:08 Bill Simmons’s head just exploded; Gary Russell just scored a touchdown.
7:11 Hard hitting analysis- Arizona’s going to need to possess the ball some if they want to be in this game.
7:12 How long do you think Budweiser will keep milking the Clydesdale thing? Apparently forever.
7:13 HOLY MOTHER FUCKING SHIT, STAR TREK!!!!!!!!
7:18 Hmm, I’m guessing Fitzgerald and Boldin each have 3 guys covering them. James, Hightower, Arrington, Pope, and Breaston all better be ready to set up. Boldin and Fitzgerald probably won’t get a lot of chances, so they’ll need to make them count when they do.
7:20 Kinda like that.
7:21 So, did anyone have Gary Russell and Ben Patrick scoring the first two touchdowns of the game, because you just made a lot of money.
7:25 Great, a montage of Kurt Warner falling down. I'm sure he loves that.
7:27 Rodgers-Cromartie will get an interception by the end of the game. Put it on the board.
7:31 Nice return. And great job on the cutback by 52 NOT blocking in the back.
7:35 More talking babies? Seriously? Boo for recycled ad campaigns.
7:36 Fuck Dick LeBeau. He was 12-33 as the head coach of the Bengals, which translate to “epic fail.”
7:41 HELL YEAH!!!! Prop bet alert: first turnover, Roethlisberger interception.
7:42 Teleflora.com…. um…. yeah.
7:46 Great play by Hightower. Richmond represent!
7:48 Welcome to the game, Larry Fitzgerald!
7:50 First and goal at the 2, 0:18 left in the half; that should be 3 shots at the end zone, 2 if you want to leave time for a field goal try. I’d look at the jump ball to one of the big two receivers.
7:51 No. Fucking. Way.
7:52 Please God, he was down. Please God, he was down. Please God, his elbow was down.
7:55 FUCK.
Halftime
7:56 My final call for Bruce’s set list is The Rising, Badlands, My Lucky Day, Born To Run.
8:00 Thoughts on 3D- I’ve always found 3D a bit hokey, but I might be okay with this new INTRU3D because its not just about things flying out of the screen toward you, like it used to be. The focus now seems to be more on creating a sense of depth INTO the screen, which is a little less silly than people reaching out and touching you. We’ll see how I feel about it on Monday after watching an entire episode of Chuck in 3D.
8:06 So John Elway can fly. Explains the “Helicopter Play.”
8:07 The Boss! Yeah, it should’ve been obvious that Tenth Avenue Freeze Out was going to be on the set list when it reported that Bruce stole Conan’s horn section from Late Night.
8:10 Puts Born To Run in the two hole. I really thought he’d close with this one. In fact, more people trying to guess the setlist also thought this one would come at the end. Shows you what we know. One for two on songs, missed the order here.
8:14 Damn. I thought Working On A Dream would be too mellow of a song for the halftime show. It is the title track of the new album and all, but I still thought he’d go with something more upbeat, like My Lucky Day. I didn’t count on him trotting out the gospel choir. That was the trump card.
8:16 Glory Days, with revised football-centric lyrics. I had Glory Days on the list earlier in the week, but I dropped it in favor of Badlands. Oh well.
8:20 Bruce haters be damned, I glad Springsteen played the Super Bowl. Could have done without the ref gag, though, but the back and forth with Van Zant (“Hey Stevie, what time is it?) is a typical concert thing, so they just worked it into their normal routine.
Third Quarter
8:28 Arizona has to score on this opening drive, otherwise I think they’re done.
8:34 Why haven't the Cards challenged down the field. The underneath stuff is fine, but you’ve got to try downfield.
8:36 Fuck. Let that not be a fumble.
8:39 Thank God. However, having to punt is still bad news for the Cardinals.
8:42 I was just thinking, “Man, the Cardinals could sure use Rod Tidwell.”
8:47 Wow, don’t know about that roughing the passer call. It wasn’t excessively late, he didn’t lead with the helmet; I don’t like it.
8:53 Are fucking kidding me? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!?!?! Running into the holder? Are you a fucking idiot? Touchdown here and the game is over.
8:56 Hmm…. hold them to another field goal try. Still bad, but not completely atastrophic.
8:57 HOLY MOTHERFUCKING SHIT, TRANSFORMERS!!!!!!
8:58 I wanna punch a koala. Where do I apply for that job?
9:02 Prop bet alert: Shots of Brenda Warner- 2. Has Madden made any references to food items yet? I haven’t really been paying attention.
9:04 Al Michaels just mentioned what I wrote 30 minutes ago. You have to at least try to go downfield and give you’re best players a chance to make a play.
Fourth Quarter
9:07 YES! The 1-second High Light commercial! Love it!
9:08 The penalties are killing the Cardinals. So is their unwillingness to try the deep ball. It’s the last game of the year; you can’t hold anything back now.
9:15 Man, is that the first sack of Roethlisberger of the game? About time, but its probably too little too late.
9:17 Seriously, Tory Polumalu as Mean Joe Green? That's sacrilege. He talks like Mike Tyson.
9:18 Okay, Ed McMahon + MC Hammer + Tax Problems = Awesome.
9:22 Well, well, well… quick score here, and maybe the game’s not over. Yet.
9:25 Would you look at that? Jump ball to Fitzgerald, touchdown. Man, that would’ve been a great play call at the end of the first half. Instead, it was a 100-yard TAINT for the Steelers. Prop bet alert: Shots of Brenda Warner- 3
9:29 Stay away from the silly penalties, get a stop, and maybe the bus isn’t heading back to Arizona just yet.
9:31 Sacks are good. To quote the Columbia Band: Scrotum! Scrotum! Quarterback sack!
9:32 Great 3 and out for Arizona. NOW, we have a game. C’mon Warner, you can punch your ticket to Canton right here, right now.
9:33 MacGrubber? Not funny. MacGrubber featuring Richard Dean Anderson? A little funny (funnier, at least). Not as good as his Mastercard commercial a few years back.
9:36 Still trying the running game. Interesting. I guess you want to keep the defense honest. I don't like it, though. Throw the damn ball.
9:38 Prop bet alert: Shots of Brenda Warner- 4
9:40 Excellent coverage-if you can, always try and catch the ball BEFORE it hits the ground; if it hits the ground, you have no idea where it will bounce. And James Harrison is a punk bitch. Fuck James Harrison.
9:43 DAMN, that was close. Might have been a safety.
9:44 NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
9:45 YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyone bet on a safety in the game? Because you just got paid.
9:46 Okay Warner, you’ve got ANOTHER chance to punch your ticket to Canton. Make it happen.
9:48 Larry Fitzgerald is a man. If the game ends like this, Fitzgerald is your MVP. Sorry, Kurt.
9:50 Now, Cardinals defense, what are you made of? Time to man up.
9:53 Ooh, almost made a mistake there with rushing a play before the 2 minute warning. A pick there would’ve been nice.
9:59 That was a touchdown right there, and Holmes would have been your MVP.
10:00 Shit. NOW, Holmes is your MVP. Fuck.
10:05 For a THIRD time tonight, Warner, you have a chance to get into Canton. Time to channel your inner Doug Flutie.
10:09 Fuck. I hate the Steelers. Santonio Holmes if your MVP and I don’t think its close. Fucking Buckeyes. Oh well, that was a damn good game. Better than last year’s Super Bowl? I don’t know. But it was damn good game.
10:10 Final prop bet alert: Color of Gatorade dumped on winning coach- lemon-lime/yellow. Well, okay, no, I guess there’s still the bet on who the game MVP thanks first. But I’m turning it off now.
Final thoughts on Super Bowl XLIII: fuck the Steelers. There, that’s it. Okay, not really. I really thought going down 20-7 was the end for the Cardinals. But they battled back and put themselves in a position to win the game, and they deserve a hell of a lot of credit for that. If anyone still questions whether Larry Fitzgerald is the best receiver in the game, they’re a moron. There, now that's it.
And fuck the Steelers.
Weekly TV Thoughts: 01/25 - 01/31
This is going up ass early on Sunday because I just got back from watching the Penn-St. Pierre fight at Puddin's house and decided to try and stay up and watch the Australian Open Men's Final between Nadal and Federer live. Its never not a good match when those two meet, especially for a grand slam title, so I figure it'd be worth staying up for. Plus, it would allow me too sleep through the morning/afternoon and thereby miss the 9+ hours of Super Bowl pregame crap. Anyway, to the week that was in TV:
-24, Monday: American lives versus Sangalan lives; which would you choose? As I watched this episode, I couldn't help but be reminded of an epsisode of The West Wing. Working with a similar plot, minus the domestic terrorist threat, President Bartlet is contemplating US involvment in a civil war that is tearing apart the country of Equitorial Kundu (think Rwanda circa 1994). Its on the eve of his second inaurgural, and while working on the speech, Bartlet asks Will Bailey, "Why is a Kudanese life worth less to me than an American life?” The question was rhetorical, but Will responded anyway with, “I don’t know, but it is.” This leads Bartlet to introduce what becomes known as "The Bartlet Doctrine", which states that American forces will intervene wherever there are humanitarian interests at stake. I think it would have been awesome if President Taylor had dropped the “Bartlet Doctrine” in her reasoning for sending troops to Sangala; afterall, it wouldn’t have been the first time these two shows have referenced each other. Once, during a crisis, President Bartlet gave the order to “mobilize CTU”, and at the beginning of this season, a suspect’s lawyers were from the law firm of Gage Whitney Pace, which was is a fictional firm used on The West Wing (and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, for that matter; Aaron Sorkin likes to reuse things). Yeah, that's the kind of junk I just know.
-Fringe, Tuesday: For I second there, I thought I was watching The Ring. Watch creepy video, see hallucinations, die. Seriously folks, how many times do you need to hear it- DON'T CLICK ON POP-UPS!! Sheesh.
-Lost, Wednesday: Man, where to begin? So Charles Widmore was once on the island. That explains A LOT. His knowledge about the island and his desire to find it again... its all starting to make sense. I guess the next big question with Widmore is why he left the island in the first place. Was it his choice or was he forced to do so? We get some answers on Charles Widmore and all it does it create more questions. Well done, Lost. Next, I loved the connection they made with Locke and Richard Alpert, explaining why Alpert came to see Locke as a child. I guess it was the compass that Locke was expected to pick during Alpert's little test. Now, the H-bomb. I've read that its supposed to play a big role in the story this season, so I wonder what that is. One theory out there is that the bomb gets buried in the location that would eventually become the Dharma Swan Station. Did pushing the button every 108 minutes keep the bomb from exploding? No idea, but stranger coincidences have happened. Which brings me to the last major point of the episode- the introduction of a new character named Ellie. Lots of chatter on the interwebs about her. Check it- Faraday says that she reminds him of someone he knew. The obvious choice given in this episode as to whom he is refering to is Theresa, the girl Faraday incapaticated by messing with her brain. But that, like communism, was just a red herring. So who was Faraday refering to? The rumor de jour is that Faraday was talking about his mother, who has already been rumored to be Mrs. Hawking, the lady Desmond met in the jewelry story and Ben met in the church. Her full name is Eloise Hawking. Ellie, Eloise.... its just too much of a coincidence to be a coincidence, thus I'm thinking its probably true. It would also explain why Mrs. Hawking knows so much about the island; she, like Charles Widmore, was also once living on the island. Nothing is ever incidental on Lost; everything has a meaning, everything is tied to something. I've just come to assume that everything on Lost is a Chekhov Gun.
-Psych, Friday: Just one quick note- I love that they name-checked The Mentalist this week. It reminded me of when Scrubs name-dropped Grey's Anatomy in an episode ("Its like they took our lives and put them on TV!"). The Mentalist is basically Psych plus serious.
-Battlestar Galactica, Friday: Has any character fallen as far as Feliz Gaeta? No on on the show as taking a larger fall from grace than Gaeta; at one time, he was one of the most virtuous members of the crew, always, in the end, doing what was right. But then came Baltar's trial, where he purjured himself on the stand to try and enact some revenge on Baltar. It was a low, despicable move by Gaeta, but little did we know then that it wouldn't be the worst thing he was capable of; he can now add mutiny and treason to his list of wrongs. The guy lost a leg during the last mutiny attempt- we're supposed to feel sympathy torward him; and yet I doubt there's a single BSG fan who doesn't want to see Gaeta die a slow, horrible, painful death. At this point, that's all he deserves. Loved seeing Adama and Tigh go all Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid at the end of the episode. From next week's promo, its clear that Adama lives, but you hear Zarek say that Tigh was killed. Again, like communism, I think this another red herring; he's just trying to convice the Cylons and Roslin that Tigh's dead. I think my favorite part of this episode was Starbuck's reaction to the mutiny. She's all business- no talk, no discussion, you're either with Adama or a traitor, and if you're a traitor, you die. Plain, simple, to the point. I hope its Starbuck that eventally takes down Gaeta. That would be fitting.
Final note- while I've been writing this, I've been listening to the 90's Music Choice channel, which is easily the greatest music channel available. A small sample of the songs I've heard while writing this post: Losing My Religion, REM, Free Fallin', Tom Petty (which, oddly enough, came out in 1989), Baby Got Back, Sir Mix-A-Lot, Black Velvet, Alannah Myles, Linger, The Cranberries, One Week, Barenaked Ladies... I should watch/listen to this channel more often.
-24, Monday: American lives versus Sangalan lives; which would you choose? As I watched this episode, I couldn't help but be reminded of an epsisode of The West Wing. Working with a similar plot, minus the domestic terrorist threat, President Bartlet is contemplating US involvment in a civil war that is tearing apart the country of Equitorial Kundu (think Rwanda circa 1994). Its on the eve of his second inaurgural, and while working on the speech, Bartlet asks Will Bailey, "Why is a Kudanese life worth less to me than an American life?” The question was rhetorical, but Will responded anyway with, “I don’t know, but it is.” This leads Bartlet to introduce what becomes known as "The Bartlet Doctrine", which states that American forces will intervene wherever there are humanitarian interests at stake. I think it would have been awesome if President Taylor had dropped the “Bartlet Doctrine” in her reasoning for sending troops to Sangala; afterall, it wouldn’t have been the first time these two shows have referenced each other. Once, during a crisis, President Bartlet gave the order to “mobilize CTU”, and at the beginning of this season, a suspect’s lawyers were from the law firm of Gage Whitney Pace, which was is a fictional firm used on The West Wing (and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, for that matter; Aaron Sorkin likes to reuse things). Yeah, that's the kind of junk I just know.
-Fringe, Tuesday: For I second there, I thought I was watching The Ring. Watch creepy video, see hallucinations, die. Seriously folks, how many times do you need to hear it- DON'T CLICK ON POP-UPS!! Sheesh.
-Lost, Wednesday: Man, where to begin? So Charles Widmore was once on the island. That explains A LOT. His knowledge about the island and his desire to find it again... its all starting to make sense. I guess the next big question with Widmore is why he left the island in the first place. Was it his choice or was he forced to do so? We get some answers on Charles Widmore and all it does it create more questions. Well done, Lost. Next, I loved the connection they made with Locke and Richard Alpert, explaining why Alpert came to see Locke as a child. I guess it was the compass that Locke was expected to pick during Alpert's little test. Now, the H-bomb. I've read that its supposed to play a big role in the story this season, so I wonder what that is. One theory out there is that the bomb gets buried in the location that would eventually become the Dharma Swan Station. Did pushing the button every 108 minutes keep the bomb from exploding? No idea, but stranger coincidences have happened. Which brings me to the last major point of the episode- the introduction of a new character named Ellie. Lots of chatter on the interwebs about her. Check it- Faraday says that she reminds him of someone he knew. The obvious choice given in this episode as to whom he is refering to is Theresa, the girl Faraday incapaticated by messing with her brain. But that, like communism, was just a red herring. So who was Faraday refering to? The rumor de jour is that Faraday was talking about his mother, who has already been rumored to be Mrs. Hawking, the lady Desmond met in the jewelry story and Ben met in the church. Her full name is Eloise Hawking. Ellie, Eloise.... its just too much of a coincidence to be a coincidence, thus I'm thinking its probably true. It would also explain why Mrs. Hawking knows so much about the island; she, like Charles Widmore, was also once living on the island. Nothing is ever incidental on Lost; everything has a meaning, everything is tied to something. I've just come to assume that everything on Lost is a Chekhov Gun.
-Psych, Friday: Just one quick note- I love that they name-checked The Mentalist this week. It reminded me of when Scrubs name-dropped Grey's Anatomy in an episode ("Its like they took our lives and put them on TV!"). The Mentalist is basically Psych plus serious.
-Battlestar Galactica, Friday: Has any character fallen as far as Feliz Gaeta? No on on the show as taking a larger fall from grace than Gaeta; at one time, he was one of the most virtuous members of the crew, always, in the end, doing what was right. But then came Baltar's trial, where he purjured himself on the stand to try and enact some revenge on Baltar. It was a low, despicable move by Gaeta, but little did we know then that it wouldn't be the worst thing he was capable of; he can now add mutiny and treason to his list of wrongs. The guy lost a leg during the last mutiny attempt- we're supposed to feel sympathy torward him; and yet I doubt there's a single BSG fan who doesn't want to see Gaeta die a slow, horrible, painful death. At this point, that's all he deserves. Loved seeing Adama and Tigh go all Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid at the end of the episode. From next week's promo, its clear that Adama lives, but you hear Zarek say that Tigh was killed. Again, like communism, I think this another red herring; he's just trying to convice the Cylons and Roslin that Tigh's dead. I think my favorite part of this episode was Starbuck's reaction to the mutiny. She's all business- no talk, no discussion, you're either with Adama or a traitor, and if you're a traitor, you die. Plain, simple, to the point. I hope its Starbuck that eventally takes down Gaeta. That would be fitting.
Final note- while I've been writing this, I've been listening to the 90's Music Choice channel, which is easily the greatest music channel available. A small sample of the songs I've heard while writing this post: Losing My Religion, REM, Free Fallin', Tom Petty (which, oddly enough, came out in 1989), Baby Got Back, Sir Mix-A-Lot, Black Velvet, Alannah Myles, Linger, The Cranberries, One Week, Barenaked Ladies... I should watch/listen to this channel more often.
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