Monday, October 13, 2008

A Canadian Giving Thanks - Friday Night Lights, Ugly Betty, The Office, Privileged, Burn Notice, Greek and a LOT More!

It's Canadian Thanksgiving and while I have my usual things to thank for (family, great friends, fabulous life on a measly budget and you READERS! WOW, I still can't believe people (who are not my friends that I'm forcing to check my blog) are actually reading this! Thank you whoever you are! Thank you person from Clackamas, Oregon whoever you are! Strangely, I've actually BEEN to Clackamas County and what a gorgeous place!)), here's some of the things I'm thankful for on television.

Friday Night Lights - I Know You When - Ep. 301 - Season Premiere, Tami Knows Best - Ep. 302

Despite it being only on DirecTV until NBC airs it in 2009, Thank You anyways for having a new season of Friday Night Lights so that its out there... ahem...and for being one of the most BEAUTIFUL shows EVER (and I don't mean that on surface value (although yes, everything and everyone is real pretty too) but in a soul enriching way). Season 3 has so far been a return to Season 1 PERFECTION.

Thank you for the teary-moments of the week. The show still gets me every time. When Tyra asks for Tami's help in the Season Premiere, and when Matty is to become the help in Ep. 302.

Thank you for still having Gaius Charles returning as Brian "Smash" Williams if only to continue his story post-Panthers. Thank you for Eric still having faith in him.

Thank you for Adrianne Palicki who turned a one-note Tyra from the pilot into one of the most fascinating underdogs on television.

Thank you for the heartbreaking storyline of Matt Saracen taking care of his grandma and the his surprise visit this week. Not to mention his smile when Julie and Matty play nice again.

Thank you for making Tami Taylor the new principal of Dillon High and causing trouble right from the start when she decides to re-allocate the funds Buddy rounded up for a new Jumbotron towards academics.

Thank you for scenes with Landry and Matt again, for Tim Riggins just being on screen (and bonus points for Lyla pushing for his future) and thank you for Eric and Tami Taylor, the greatest parentals on TV.

Ugly Betty - Filing For The Enemy - Ep. 302, Crimes of Fashion - Ep. 303

Thank you for this:

Thank you for Vanessa Williams' Emmy-worthy performance as Wilhelmina, who has out-bitched them all this season, whilst still showing a tiny bit of her Gucci-black heart when Christina was broken.

Despite never really knowing what to do with Rebecca Romijn and throwing her to the fashion dogs by making her guilty of pushing Christina, Thank You for the nice twist of making her Daniel Jr.'s actual father. I did NOT see THAT one coming!

The Office - Business Ethics - Ep. 502

Thank You for Oscar nominee Amy Ryan having enough confidence for turning to TV post nomination and willing to go up against Michael at The Office.

Thank You for Meredith's lack of business ethics. How is it wrong to have sex for a discount and steaks? Doesn't that help Dundler Mifflin? Isn't it win win for everyone?

Thank You for the return of great episodes worthy of Season 2 greatness.

Survivor: Gabon - She Obviously Is Post-Op! - Ep. 1702, It Was Like Christmas Morning! - Ep. 1703

Thank You for now having the three hottest guys, Marcus, Charlie and Dan on the same team now. Thank You for Charlie's continuing crush on Marcus and the possibly train-wreck/cute bond to come.

Thank You for making it so easy to hate on Ken and co. Seriously, stupidest moves EVER.

Grey's Anatomy - Dream a Little Dream of Me: Part 2 - Ep. 502, Here Comes the Flood - Ep. 503

Thank you for being good again.

Thank you for mostly shutting up Meredith, despite finding a new patient to listen to all her whining.


Privileged - All About the Power Position - Ep. 104, All About Friends and Family - Ep. 105

Thank You for being the Best New Show of the season.

Thank you for bringing JoAnna Garcia and Michael Cassidy back to TV.

Thank you for making Lucy Hale actually likable and a complete opposite from her Bionic Woman days.

So You Think You Can Dance Canada

Thank You for whoever is sticking the videos on youtube so that people can watch the Top 20 dances online. (And Thank You Miles, Romina, Allie, Danny, Lisa, Francis, Lara, Nico, Arassay, Izaak, Vincent for a great first week!)

Burn Notice - Breaking and Entering, Turn and Burn, Trust Me, Comrades, Scatter Point, Bad Blood, Rough Seas, Double Booked, Good Soldier - Eps. 201-209

Thank You for renewing the show for Season 3.

Thank You for Jeffrey Donovan as Michael Westen and his hilarious facial expressions. Thank you for the moment Michael had to pretend to be a lab geek.

Thank You for another great season (with still more to come!) with more great individual cases as the over-arching story slowly builds little by little.

More on Greek, Grey's Anatomy, The Amazing Race, Brothers & Sisters, How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, Worst Week, Chuck, Project Runway and Pushing Daisies.

Greek - Pledge Allegiance - Ep. 205

Thank You for Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Greek guy (Michael Rady) for being on Greek. And getting his "nerd" Max to date Casey.

Thank You for actually writing Calvin and Michael's relationship in a serious light. And making their relationship foibles realistic, messy and touching.

Heroes

Thank You for having other people finally realizing it's totally sucking so that I don't have to force myself to follow the damn show anymore, thinking I'm missing out on anything good. Cause I'm not.

The Amazing Race - Do You Like American Candy? - Ep. 1302

Thank You for Nick being so cute AND being a nice guy (so far though I haven't watched last nights episode yet).

Desperate Housewives - We're So Happy You're So Happy - Ep. 502

Thank You for being funny and making us care again.

Brothers & Sisters - Book Burning - Ep. 302

Thank You for ridiculous and silly premises that somehow gather the Walkers together again into one room, and always with alcohol involved.

Chuck - Chuck versus the Seduction - Ep. 202

Thank You for bringing the show back despite that very few people are watching it. I am and I'm loving it still. Though less of Morgan still please.

Pushing Daisies - Circus, Circus - Ep. 202

Thank You for Ned and Chuck and Aunt Lily and Aunt Vivian and Emerson and Olive.

Thank You for some of the greatest dialogue and strangest stories around.

Thank You for casting a second cast member from Notes from the Underbelly Rachael Harris this season.

The Big Bang Theory - The Codpiece Topology - Ep. 201 - The Barbarian Sublimation - Ep. 202

Thank You for pairing up Jim Parson's Sheldon with Kaley Cuoco's Penny in the oddest and most surprisingly funny odd couples around. And not actually making them a couple.

How I Met Your Mother - I Heart NJ - Ep. 403

Thank You for bringing Sarah Chalke back.

Thank You for the frank discussion between the burbs vs the city. Even though I grew up in the burbs but love the city, I appreciated Stella and Marshall's thoughts.

Thank You for the nice twist on Robin's career (and the quick reaction shot from Barney).

Worst Week - The Bird - Ep. 102, The Monitor - Ep. 103

Thank You for casting Kyle Bornheimer who makes the whole premise actually work.

Project Runway - Season 5

Thank You for keeping Leanne in the finals. Thank You for keeping Kato (even though I didn't like the wedding dress either).

Thank You for keeping things interesting by having Kenley still in the race, because frankly, I thought Jerrell's stuff is sometimes FUGLY. Not always, but at least as much as Kenley's, if not more.

3 comments:

Esther said...

Happy Thanksgiving! And thank-you for all of your witty, insightful writing throughout the year.

bug said...

Thank you for your great blog. I think you and I have similar tastes, so you've introduced me to some tv shows I never would have started watching on my own. Which is ultimately bad in terms of time wastage, though.

Haven't seen any comments about Dexter. Started watching this season only, so it was great having 2 previous seasons to catch up on. Did you not like Dexter?

Also enjoy your reviews on theatre, ballet, opera, and other events in Toronto, since that is where I'm located.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Vance said...

I know I know! Dexter is next up on my list actually. the DVD is ready and cued up. Now I just need to find more time but I think I should have some soon!

There's still lots more I love, like Gossip Girl but there was no new ep last week to be thankful for. ha!