Enjoy The Company of Eli Stone While You Still Can

Eli Stone - Grace - Ep. 202, Unwritten - Ep. 203, Should I Stay Or Should I Go - Ep. 204, The Humanitarian - Ep. 205, Happy Birthday Nate - Ep. 206, Help - Ep. 207

Okay, so I just realized I haven't written about Eli Stone since the premiere and I guess buzz around this show is at a minimal which is probably why ABC has already cancelled it. Still, I kept following because it was a very good show with the bones to be a very great show, much like Greg Berlanti's other shows (Everwood, Brothers & Sisters). Eli Stone started with a strong cast and quirky premise and is finally reaching a point where it's both entertaining and emotionally gratifying. And just as we get one last episode for the year tonight (at 10pm on ABC/AChannel), and only 3 more new episodes in the new year. Sadly, Eli Stone is going to join Berlanti's Jack & Bobby in shows with so much potential that got cancelled just as they were getting really great. Ugh.

Plus, no more new musical numbers or seeing Jonny Lee Miller's bemused face. So sad.

And Victor Garber is unemployed again? That just ain't right.

No more musical guest stars or stars trying a musical number. Okay, Katie Holmes wasn't perfect but she wasn't all that bad.

And finally, with Jordan kicking out his partners (the always awesome Katey Segal AND Tom Amandes!) and Eli becoming a partner in the new law firm specializing in doing good, things finally seem to be sorting out with the logistics of the law firm storyline, with Matt Dowd AND Maggie at the rival firm.

And with Eli helping break apart Maggie with her fiance (and us knowing they will end up together in the far future), and with Taylor having Matt's baby, things are finally getting interesting. Even Keith is getting a decent storyline now that Patti set him up with her daughter Angie (Taraji P. Hensen), who isn't as goody-two-shoes as she seems.

PLUS the revelations thing and the father (Tom Cavanagh) revelations in his secret diary that Dr. Frank thankfully saved, is making the whole "speaking to god" somehow intriguing and interesting without getting all religiously creepy. Plus I like the bond Eli has with brother Nathan.

I think the case that brought it all together was with the kid (Marshall Allman, LJ from Prison Break) trying to emancipate from his controlling father (Steven Culp, Desperate Housewives) after his father won a case for his son to enter an experimental study.

Maybe cause I have a thing for Marshall Allman and I think Culp is another one of those actors that should always be employed, but I loved this show for using them to culminate every major plotline and character into one major story that finally helped define the shows new direction.

I mean, the show was already at its best for amazing casting with its regulars AND guest stars (famous or not), but the show finally seems to be finding itself and figuring out what makes the show work.

But alas, now we will only have 4 more episodes to enjoy it all. Come on ABC. Reconsider please.

More After the Jump...

WTF?

Maybe it's a good thing I'm behind in my TV blogging because after hearing about the results from SYTYCD Canada last night, and that ABC is cancelling Pushing Daisies, Eli Stone and (slightly less surprsingly) Dirty Sexy Money, I'm hopping mad.

Seriously Canada. WTF? ARASSAY??? and VINCENT??? with Lisa in the bottom 2 as well?

And Pushing Daisies? I think I'm going to cry.

More After the Jump...

Homo Erotic - Gossip Girl, Desperate Housewives, Brothers & Sisters, The Amazing Race, Eli Stone and More

Either I'm reading way too much into these shows (partly on purpose) or I need to go out on a date again. And soon.

Gossip Girl - New Haven Can Wait - Ep. 206

Even though I don't buy Serena's vengeful war with Blair, it sure is a LOT of fun to watch.

Even though I don't understand why Chuck is THAT mad at Dan (oh please, pissed a bit maybe, but using his life as fodder for a story seems small compared to other things he's done) but it sure is a LOT of fun to watch Chuck's vengeful techniques. So I loved it even more when poor-lil-rich-boy Nate starts siding with Dan after pretending to be in the wanna-be-writer's shoes during their day at Yale. (Plus big bonus points for lying about his identity to get into Krysta Rodriguez' pants)

I've been waiting for more Nate/Dan bonding...


Desperate Housewives - Kids Ain't Like Everybody Else - Ep. 503

All the new kids sure are cute (even Juanita) but boy has Andrew (Shawn Pyfrom) grown into a handsome fellow. I know. It's really 4 months pretending to be 5 years but hot is hot. And funny is funny especially when Gaby goes to battle with Andrew over a car sale gone bad.

Actually, anything with Gaby is funny and loving her defensive mother routine after Juanita bullies MJ and she does battle with Susan.

Meanwhile, was it me or was Jackson and Mike's little playfight almost reminiscent of Gale Harold's Queer as Folk days? There seemed to be a bit too much twinkle in each of the boys eyes.

Not to mention Dave's attempt to bond with Tom with their new garage band. So that's what guys do in their garages in the burbs... it's a perfect set up. Keep the women out with the noise, keep their privacy, unless there's a Mrs. McCluskey around.

More on Brothers & Sisters, Chuck, The Amazing Race, Eli Stone, How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, Samantha Who? and Worst Week after the jump:

Brothers & Sisters - Tug of War - Ep. 303

Let's just ignore the downer Justin war stories OR his still-icky relationship with not-my-sister-Rebecca and concentrate on the joys of the show:

Seriously, the show keeps stringing us along with the evercute Kevin and Scotty as they buy their time with other lame non-family-gathering-drinking-stories. The show tries to do serious, but unless it involves the whole family (preferably with alcohol), it never seems to work and they still never know what to do with those characters (Justin, Tommy, Saul, Holly)

Kevin is urged to stay in the closet by X-Files man (so you know he can't be good) at work to try to land a big client and he does. As much as I love the always championing Scotty, I can't say I would have done it differently than Kevin in that situation. I know. Weak. But understandable in our sad society.

Sad also is the constant annoyance of Holly on the Walkers and never knowing what to do with Saul and sometimes Sarah, so maybe their quitting Ojai foods might bring the family together (minus Tommy) and form a new company that will keep the family together (and thus more bickering and hilarious fights). Cheers to that!


Chuck - Chuck Versus the Break-Up - Ep. 203

Bryce is back to annoy the heck out of Chuck and to come between him and Sarah but alas, Bryce isn't the problem. Sarah's secret life is. It was painful to watch Chuck eventually break-up with Sarah.

You gotta love Captain Awesome's positive thinking though. Or other stuff...

Bryce's sunglasses was a nice gift too. Genius!


The Amazing Race - Did You Push My Sports Bra Off the Ledge? - Ep. 1303

How darling is Dallas? What a good son! Always cheering on his mom and being such a good boy. Plus how hot did he look in that ridiculous wrestling outfit? He looked liked a friggin' superhero!

Seems like the divorcees are hating Nick and Starr but from the footage, seems like they and everyone else is really hating Starr for being Starr and Nick for being her perfect, cute, rational brother. Between his already adorable manner AND playing attempted peace maker, can you love the boy any more?

And he doesn't even look that bad in spandex!


The Big Bang Theory - The Griffin Equivalency - Ep. 203

I know why I love Jim Parsons as Sheldon. He's like a younger Rowan Atkinson matching creepy (and hilarious) smile for creepy (and hilarious) smile to Atkinson's Mr. Bean. With a slightly sexier receding hairline.


How I Met Your Mother - Intervention - Ep. 404

I missed these clues but I also missed the total cohesiveness of it all. Or something. Enjoyed the episode that gave all the characters something funny to do, with some funny reveals (Robin's Canadian drunkeness, Barney's fire tricks, Marshall's hat, Lily's British accent) but I didn't think it was one of those "best" episodes that this show can do so well.

Still, Barney at 80 was still hot. Or actually, Neil Patrick Harris as old Barney is hot.


Worst Week - The Truck - Ep. 104

I really don't know how much more humiliation and looks of disappointment from the future in-laws Kyle Bornheimer's Sam (or us viewers) can take but boy, Kyle is super adorable with his looks of guilt/horror.

And as obvious as the joke was, I still laughed out loud when the truck caught on fire.

But Bornheimer's Sam and Erinn Hayes' Melanie have a super sweet chemistry together that I do want to see them prevail their parent's disappointing eye and see them through the pregnancy.


Eli Stone - The Path - Ep. 201 - Season Premiere

Jonny Lee Miller is back as Eli Stone! Back with the singing and dancing in a lawyer show with a lot of heart and soul and other psychological speak (now with guest star Sigourney Weaver as said psychiatrist).

Plus I love that the show has somehow sneaked in musical numbers into the show without needing to be labeled the "musical" show.

Eli is back and recovering from his brain surgery but now we discover brother Nate (Matt Letscher) is having similar visions. Nice twist. Not to mention the even bigger re-twist with Eli.

Oh yeah, and as a great little show Eli Stone is and its fabulous cast (Victor Garber! Loretta Devine! Tom Amandes! etc.), don't forget about the man hotness on the show! Letscher, Miller, Sam Jaegar (in keeping with the post theme. Ha, I had to sneak it in there somewhere).

Samantha Who? - So I Think I Can Dance - Ep. 201 - Season Premiere

No man hotness this week (with minimal Barry Watson time) but Sam chooses to dance with her mother in a dance competition to beat Cybil Sheppard (who wouldn't) and be the second female-female team (thanks to the new lesbians in the neighbourhood).

You gotta give Christina Applegate some respect here.

From her great dancing in flashbacks to her AWKWARD dancing now, the girl has got some physical talent and comedic timing in spades. Gotta love those jazz hands!

More After the Jump...

Yup, They're One Of Us! - Canada Day Edition

Happy Canada Day!

In honour of our home and nation land, here's my favorite Canadians on TV because you know we are slowly taking over Hollywood (hehe) and that as a rule, there must be one Canadian on each show for it to be good. (Well, okay, the Australians and British are slowly taking over that rule but at least we are keeping it in the commonwealth). Though actually, looking below, seems like ABC is actually employing the most Canadians (as well as the Gays). I knew there was a reason why ABC is now my favorite network!

Sandra Oh as Christina Yang in Grey's Anatomy

Emily Vancamp as Rebecca in Brothers & Sisters

Luke MacFarlane as Scotty in Brothers & Sisters (who also made the Pride Edition! Gay AND Canadian!)

Taylor Kitsch as Tim Riggins in Friday Night Lights

Cobie Smulders as Robin Scherbatsky in How I Met Your Mother

Joshua Jackson as Peter Bishop in the upcoming Fringe

Donald Sutherland as Tripp Darling in Dirty Sexy Money

Evangeline Lilly as Kate Austen in Lost

Sarah Chalke as Dr. Elliot Reid in Scrubs

Victor Garber as Jordan Wethersby in Eli Stone

James Tupper as Jack Slattery in Men In Trees

Some Other Canucks:

Plus Half the cast of Men In Trees including Sarah Strange, Suleka Matthews, Timothy Webber, Ty Olsson, Nicholas Lea and Currie Graham
Natasha Henstridge as Taylor Wethersby in Eli Stone
William Shatner as Denny Crane in Boston Legal
Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer in 24
Kristin Kreuk as Lana Lang in Smallville
Vik Sahay as Lester in Chuck
Jeremy Ratchford as Nick Vera in Cold Case
Tyler Labine as Bert 'Sock' Wysocki in Reaper
Missy Peregrym as Andi in Reaper
David Cubitt as Detective Lee Scanlon in Medium
Tricia Helfer as Number Six in Battlestar Galactica
Grace Park as Lt. Sharon 'Boomer' Valerii in Battlestar Galactica

Did I miss anybody?

More After the Jump...

Give And (Don't) Let Die - Eli Stone, Oprah's Big Give, My Name Is Earl

Eli Stone - Patience - Ep. 111 , Waiting for That Day - Ep. 112,  Soul Free - Ep. 113

Oprah's Big Give - Season 1 including the Finale

My Name Is Earl - I Won't Die with a Little Help from My Friends - Ep. 414, I Won't Die with a Little Help from My Friends: Part 2 - Ep. 415, Stole a Motorcycle - Ep 416, No Heads and a Duffle Bag - Ep. 417

I finally caught up with Eli Stone, Oprah's Big Give and My Name Is Earl this weekend and now I feel like I need to do some good again and help the world. Sigh, I used to be such a giver...

Eli Stone had its season finale (lets hope it's season and not series finale and rumour has it that we should have faith that it will be back, because I'm starting to love this show and it's almost ready to move into the 4 star category for me so ABC better give us some more and not let this show die) and the last 3 episodes over the last 2 weeks ended with quite the emotional bang. An earthquake that destroyed the Golden Gate Bridge (and proved Eli right and not crazy) AND his surgery? And Jordan actually having a heart? As Joey Russo would say, Whoa!

Loved Katey Segal as Marci Klein, the other name in the firm, who tries to oust Jordan when Jordan backs the charitable Eli. It's Jack Bristow meets Peg Bundy! And the TV icons continue to collide on Eli Stone! I'm just not sure she will be back after she tried to oust Jordan, when the earthquake that crazy Eli predicted actually happened. Especially since the finale barely touched on the fact that the Golden Gate Bridge just collapsed and San Francisco had the big one, you would think the repercussions would be bigger and life doesn't just go on so that Eli can have his brain surgery and we get another momentous episode. I'm going to blame the fact that Eli Stone the show only got a 13 episode first season and they needed to compress the stories, but still, it felt a bit like story whiplash.

At least they are building on the characters for the great cast they have (and the great guest stars that filter through), which is why I loved the show to begin with. I'm really loving Sam Jeager's Matt Down more and more, especially after the gay chimpanzee case, and while I'm still unsure of Natasha Henstridge, she's growing on me. Still, I'm sad they've pretty much written off Laura Benanti as Eli's possible future girlfriend but it's a nice peak into the future when Eli envisions his own rally with Maggie and his baby by his side.

Loved the final moment with George Michael as kinda-God and everyone else singing (again) in praise of Eli! Hallelujah to that!

Oprah's Big Give had it's finale as well and damn if I did not love the structured charity giveaway/excuse for Oprah to continue branding. I guess it helped that the right final 3 made it to the end.

Though is it me or did 2 of the cutest contestants make it to the end? How convenient for the shows producers that younguns Brandi, 23, and Cameron, 22, made it through all the episodes? I'm not complaining. I'm just saying. I'm part of that shallow demographic. Stick a cute face on a charity and I will definitely give. (Why do you think the panda is the WWF's mascot?)

Love Brandi as she's always so positive and gung ho (as opposed to Rachael who just clashed with everyone else) and love Cameron because I'm extremely jealous of his accomplishments and the fact that he's cute as a button he keeps coming up with great ideas and just going for it and seems pretty genuine and genuinely charming. His toll booth experienced re-invigorated an old project I was working on and reminding me that I should probably renew that project and complete it or take it to the next step.

Alas, Stephen won the overall Big Give (and the surprise $1 Million) but as the corny line says, everyone is a winner (with the runner ups getting $100k and everyone else gets $30k) including the viewers for feeling like they've done something good just by watching the show (oh, that's not the charity? I actually have to go out and do something? Oh, alright...!)

Finally, My Name Is Earl returns from the strike out of jail, in a coma, and back to the kind-hearted beneath the white trash exterior it originally was and not Prison Break: The Comedy. In fact, we've seen Earl through his mind in the coma as he sees the world as a traditional TV sitcom (with Alyssa Milano's Billie as Earl's imagined wife!).

I like that the rest of the gang has taken it upon them to continue Earl's list while he's in a coma. It gets to combine Earl's white trashy humour back with the good-natured intentions of the new and better Earl. The flashback's still give us enough of the hilariously bad Earl, Randy and Joy but the show feels both fresh and comfortably predictable at the same time which is actually nice for now. Let's hope they give us more of that.

More After the Jump...

Mismatched But Still Enjoyable - Miss Match and Eli Stone

Miss Guided - High School Musical - Ep. 106, Frenemies - Ep. 107
Eli Stone - Heartbeat - Ep. 110

No musical sequence on Eli Stone this week, but there was one in Miss Guided! And yet both totally worked! Though oddly following one another and I'm not sure how well they actually match together (with a repeat of Lost in between that I skipped). Still, I enjoyed both shows tonight and hope both get renewals for the next TV season.

Usually, the best part of Eli Stone is the fact that it has practically turned into the TV musical but this week we went all emotionally dramatic as Eli started having visions as Nathan, his own brother, and started seeing Nate's world on the day their father (Tom Cavanagh) died. I loved that Nate (a previously underused Matt Letscher (above), which I had just mentioned last week) and Eli got to spend more time together as Nate was getting sued for a medical decision he made years back (and that might have been affected by their own fathers alcoholism).

I'm also learning to love the Matt Dowd (Sam Jeager) character and loved that his little tryst with Taylor leaked out to daddy Jordan, who still scares me like Jack Bristow (yet knowing he's a song and dance man kinda throws me all off, which is the wonders of Victor Garber).

Back at high school on Miss Guided, Becky convinces Vice-Principal Bruce to let her take over the high school musical.

They perform Miss Saigon. [blank stare]. Becky gives the lead to one of her favorite students in need of guidance, over the clearly talented student that always gets the lead, and then Becky's choice chickens out, forcing Becky to perform as the lead.

The picture says it all:

And all:

And all:

And all:

Okay. That just sealed the deal for me. I love this show. I love Judy Greer and Kristoffer Polaha.

Now I'm going to miss them. I really home they bring Miss Guided back for another season, since ABC just burned off all 7 episodes ordered for the first season, with the finale finishing last night. And Miss Guided ends just as Becky figures out that newly divorced Lisa is NOT nice and in full competition for the affections of Tim. I like when Judy Greer says the word "frenemies". It's refreshing somehow.

While Chris Parnell got to show off a bit more as acting principal as Principal Huffy leaves the school (as a way to keep himself more liked than the bossy Bruce, brilliant), it was really Earl Billings that took the cake, with a single monotone line reading about why he's a great Principal: because he's "dead on the inside".

More After the Jump...

Eli Stone - The Stone Angel

Eli Stone - Heal the Pain - Ep. 107, Praying for Time - Ep. 108, I Want Your Sex - Ep. 109

I've been trying to write a combined post of Eli Stone, Lipstick Jungle and Men In Trees, but it's coming out in bullet points so I'm just going to break them apart. Plus, about the only thing I have to say about Lipstick Jungle at this point (though it DID get slightly better) is that it was worth watching purely for Robert Buckley (Maybe NSFW). And Matt Lauria (as Lindsay Price's well dressed assistant). And Kerry Butler. Essentially, all the side characters and Broadway people they kept casting in guest/side roles.

And Men In Trees deserves it's own post. It's not perfect, and they are sure throwing in a LOT of doozies (like Buzz being Patrick's father wasn't enough, now Jane's parents are little people?) but they've written such enjoyable characters that I just love the show.

Which brings us to Eli Stone, where I like the characters more than the actual storylines, or particularly the lawyer cases, I enjoy the personal stuff when they actually get to it. I said it right from the start, that to differentiate themselves from every other law show (and avoiding in becoming a David Kelley show (take your pick, The Practice, Ally McBeal, Boston Legal, all shows I enjoyed but have now been done)). That being said, a few of the cases, have gotten better and more interesting, and I like how Eli's cases are an unveiled attempt to link it to some theme of the week coinciding with his visions and musical numbers of the week.

And how did Eli Stone sneak onto television to become essentially a musical TV show without massive (negative) attention?

The interesting thing about Eli Stone is, that it's somehow morphed into a musical show that works (in fact, they are the best part of the show) without being labeled the musical show (which killed Cop Rock and Viva Laughlin on arrival). Yet here we watch Eli Stone week after week and I look forward to the kooky musical numbers. I guess it helps that they are usually visions which make them somewhat logical in the plot.

Plus, usually there's only one number per episode to now completely throw off non-musical lovers, though last night, we got TWO! Plus a concert appearance by George Michael!

George Michael! Who finally appears for real in front of Eli (and not just a concert), and real enough so that Eli could touch him to make sure he's for real! Cute! Even cuter, watching Jordan get excited about meeting George Michael. Victor Garber rocks! (and sings! Doing another number this week! Man I wished I saw him in Damn Yankees on Broadway)

I actually liked the "I Want Your Sex" case where George Michael helps a about-to-be expelled student who uses his infamous song to disrupt an abstinence/sex education assembly. Since I like to provoke buttons that way (I did the whole condom with a cucumber show-and-tell dance number for an HIV project with the same guitar-playing-religion teacher back in the day. He was furious, but my project was rock solid so I got an A!).

I also liked the case with the judge suing his own abondoned kid for a transplant. Nice. The one with Eli trying to save the town was nice if a little overstretched, but allowed for some nice interplay with Loretta Devine's Patti. I didn't care for the baseball case, and it didn't help that the baseball player being accused was played by a former cast member of The Practice which just solidified the whole lawyer show thing. The ending was a nice twist though.

Meanwhile, they did allow Sam Jeager to stretch a bit as Matt Dowd, and I loved that they built him up to be a sweeter-than-you-thought guy, only to know instinctively that it was all a game for him. Except, he does seem sweet. He's just a playa yo! (I TOTALLY know guys like that) So I like how that character is starting to flesh out, I just wish they did it with someone other than Taylor.

Laura Benanti (who got raves in Gypsy that opened on Broadway last night! Man, Benanti had a good Thursday!) was finally back as Beth Keller, Eli's "first" and someone he seems to have a connection with, especially important now that he's dumped Taylor and made rules against dating Maggie (below with Eli, which thank god, that was so wrong to begin with even though I knew they were going to go there). Shockingly, she's been secretly dating Eli's brother Nathan (the charming if slightly underused Matt Letscher). I actually didn't see that one coming.

I'm surprised that they are really going full on about Eli seeing his visions as directions from God. I don't care who his visions are from, just as long as he keeps doing good, they keep singing, and I keep liking the characters. And Jonny Lee Miller keeps staying adorable.

His look when he discovers he's still singing in the real world as everyone stares on gets me every week!

More After the Jump...