Monsters of Television

“The world must be your oyster.”

As with the previous post, I open with an apology for no post about last week’s episode. But last week’s episode wasn’t all that great, so I don’t feel too bad about it. And I also did a podcast with Cory Barker that discusses the episode and the season thus far (it’s the second half the podcast, in case you don’t watch or like Community), so I feel that kind of makes up for not posting anything about it.

On the upside, the adorably named “Marthas And Caitlins” is a good enough episode that I’m willing to fight through my intense sinus headache I’m experiencing today to write up a few hundred words for you. I mean, if Dylan Baker can make the time to stop by, I can I at least tell you about all the fun I had watching him. Read more »

“It’s not polite but it’s fair.”

First my apologies for no review last week. Between covering the penultimate episode of Breaking Bad and various obstacles (including a dropped sandwich (it was a very long day)) and socializing, I didn’t get around to “The Death Zone” until Saturday afternoon, and by then I didn’t see much point in writing about the episode. I did enjoy that episode, found the case of the week interesting, and while it could’ve used more Eddie Izzard (what couldn’t?), I was overall pretty happy with it.

Second: Dallas Roberts!

Third: Lisa Edelstein!

Fourth: Isiah Whitlock, Jr.!

Swoon. Read more »

“You seem different.”

Well hello there, The Good Wife. I’ve missed you. I’ve missed you all the more because this fall season, so far, in case you haven’t heard, has been kind of the pits. Sure, I kind of like Revenge (it has potential) and while I’m not really keen on what many of the new comedies have been doing with their second episodes, I’m still willing to roll with them a bit longer. But nothing has really grabbed me this season so far.

But you, you my dear, you grab me.

I’m so glad you’re back. Please don’t even leave me again. Or become awful. Mainly the latter. I don’t think I could bear it. Read more »

“It’s nothing. I’m over-worrying it.“

That wasn’t so bad, was it? Okay, yes, I wasn’t thrilled with the plot development at the end, but at least the promos allowed that rage to happen before watching the episode, and the sequence was remarkably well-filmed, so it does soften the blow a bit.

On the whole, the episode is pretty strong. Unlike the previous two episodes, the episodes feels nicely balanced. The lack of the political subplot has allowed the show’s soapier elements to come forward, and not necessarily in the best possible ways. Here, however, the political subplot comes in to fill some gaps, and thus gives the episode a nice sense of closure (even if I still have some niggling plot threads dangling). Read more »

This is a minor break from our regular scheduled programming, but something insanely funny just happened, and I felt that it needed to be shared.

It started off innocently enough, as news of The Good Wife‘s schedule shift to Sundays at 9pm prompted this tweet from Myles McNutt:

And then….things just got weird between me and Jace Lacob of The Daily Beast and Televisionary. Read more »

“If you love someone, don’t you set them free?“

I’ve found myself struggling to write something about this episode. It’s not that there’s nothing to say, there is, but part of me is just not sure how to say any of it (this could be fatigue from due to coming up on the end of the television season and what has become a very long week). The episode is decidedly sticky, and I’ve enjoyed more an actual discussion of the episode than I feel I’d enjoy writing a review.

Some of this is simply that the episode does beg for a discussion, not a monologue, about how everything plays out. One woman I follow on Twitter finds the affair, assuming she means between Peter and Kalinda  and the fall out, to be “chick lit“, and a betrayal of the show’s complex characters and stories.

I’m not entirely convinced that this is the case (I’m not sure the “chick lit” even applies here). Because as Karen noted, “For me, cheating is most painful for how it makes you look foolish: wounded pride is dangerous.” And she’s right. Alicia is very dangerous right now (just ask Jackie), but she’s also in a very dangerous place as the season moves into its last episode. Read more »

“We don’t lie here. We…don’t lie to each other. But when people want to hurt us, it’s sometimes all right not to tell them the truth.”

This is the kitchen of conflict and resolution. Mostly conflict. Resolution that one time.

Slight calm before the storm, eh?

This is a tricky episode to dig into because, well, the case of the week kind of gets in the way a little bit narratively but works really excellently thematically. All I really wanted was a close examination of Alicia’s grief and sense of betrayal. A more obvious episode to present, yes, with more emotional confrontations between her and Peter, but that’s not how this show really works.

That it didn’t hit my expectation doesn’t mean the episode is a wash, as both tracks of the show actually work well on their own, and Alicia’s personal life directly plays into her boost in confidence in court, so there’s isn’t a total sense of separation between the two stories. And there’s really stellar acting the entire hour from Margulies as she hits pretty much every excellent note, and the script gives her space to do that.

But the big showdown (as it were), the big emotional scene, I guess, is next week. And I am so primed for that.

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“Because I will Tritter tangent forever.”

After a brief hiatus (has it been two months already?), we have a brand new podcast. We talk about all kinds of stuff like the NBC Thursday Night lineup (natch), our varied interest in Game of Thrones, the return of Thirteen to House (and why she’s important even if people hate her character), and all veritable sundry of other items. It’s really pretty good. You should get on that. Also, notice how Nick hates it when anyone gets together on a show. Does he hate love? Is he a robot? Who are we to say? It’s half the fun. Enjoy our sing-song voices.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

“Leela.”

Way to take away all the hope, show.

I mean, yeah, we knew it was coming eventually (it had to!), so it’s not that much of a surprise but I have to tell I was pretty devastated at the end of the episode. I wasn’t crying or anything, but given how the season has been building on Alicia’s accomplishments at work, how she’s been able to make decisions for herself, slowly rebuild her marriage,  and on and on and then to have it taken away (Undermined? Tainted?) by the man with the talking lion phone (notice the lack of comedy Andrew had this week?), I was pretty depressed with the end of the episode.

And will continue to be depressed until May 3. Which is one the next new episode is.

Is it May 3 yet? Read more »

“I’m just trying to ascertain the extent of your humiliation.“

After last week’s just off episode, it was nice to see the show come back with something that clicked along better. I don’t know what it was about last week, the songwriting serial killer or the choppy transitions between scenes, but nothing really worked for me. And it wasn’t like the episode was trying something new (like a musical episode or something (though The Good Wife should TOTALLY do a musical episode)), but it just didn’t feel like an episode of The Good Wife.

“Wrongful Termination” did feel like an episode of The Good Wife, and a very good one. Not good enough to help me through my writer’s block, but enough that I’m willing to try and eke out a post on it. So this may be briefer and less in-depth than my usual thoughts. Apologies in advance.

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