Posted by yeahandalso on Jan 6, 2010 in
yeahandtv 
Best Drama: Lost
Lost has been an enigma since it debuted and has always had fans guessing whether or not this is a series that is going somewhere or a series where the writers are making it up as the go along. Season 5 of Lost, the second to last season, proved beyond any doubt that the writers know what they are doing. This year we saw some of the island’s biggest mysteries solves and yet still new questions were raised each week. Introducing rapid time travel, nuclear bombs and some wicked 70’s time travel season 5 of Lost proved to be everything that a view could hope for and more. Each week more questions were answered and new questions asked leading up to a finale of anatomic proportions, literally. I watched each week with baited breath and could not be more thrilled to see how everything ends in 2010, the final season.
Runner Up: Mad Men
Mad Men is always the sexiest and most intellectually stimulating hour of television. Season 3 manages to move all the most interesting plots forward and still dangles the ever elusive revelation of just who is Don Drapper in front of us. We saw our beloved Sterling Cooper bought and sold, believing that all hpe may be lost only for an 11th hour finale as triumphant as anything else on television. The is we saw Pete and Peggy come into their own and Don question his very existence. Even Betty Drapper, the epitome of subservient housewife, come into her own as full fledged woman. And don’t even get me started on the infamous lawnmower incident!
Honorable Mention: Dexter
If I had made a best of 2008 list there is now question that Dexter would have ranked as the best drama of the year. Unfortunately this year I was only able to watch a few episodes. From what I have seen our favorite serial killer is perhaps in better form than ever before, but I can’t honestly pick it without watching all it had to offer. From what I have seen John Lithgow is sublimely creepy as the Trinity Killer and Dexter is adjusting to the perils of fatherhood with aplomb! Throw in a love triangle for Deborah and an Angel/Laguerta affair and things have so far shaped up to be awesome.
Honorable Mention: Dollhouse
Joss Whendon is a God! There is really no arguing with that, Joss is perhaps the single greatest thing to happen to America television in the last twenty years. Dollhouse struggled at the beginning, with the Fox network trying to push this fledgling series into an episode/issue of the week thriller. But anybody who knows Joss’s work, Buffy, Angel Firefly, know that is not his strong point. Joss’s talent is in long form character and plot development unparalleled by anyone else. Dollhouse started out weak, but continued to get better and better until the sadists at Fox network cancelled it. While the first few eps, airing early 2009 were not the best the back half of season 2 has been nothing sort of amazing. Dollhouse is one of the darkest, most morally complex series ever create and I am devastated that all we are left with is a series finale next month.
Posted by yeahandalso on Jan 5, 2010 in
yeahandtv 
So I decided to take the Golden Globes approach this year and lump comedy and musicals together into one category, thanks to a lovely new show that stole my heart. I still find it somewhat difficult to compare, apples to oranges and what not. Below are my picks for the best of television comedy 2009.
Best Comedy Series: Community
It is so rare that a freshman comedy can knock one out of the park the way community has this year. Usually comedies need a bit of time to find their footing and know what works, but Community defied all odds and right out of the gate was a hilarious show. After an uncompromisingly funny pilot, Community managed to follow-up with Spanish 101, a brilliant episode that builds to a crescendo of ridiculousness that is unparalleled this year, the scene of Jeff (Joel McHale) and Pierce (Chevy Chase) giving their presentation was glorious. Though nothing can outdo the battle royale of their Christmas episode, Introduction to Religion that saw the characters divided over their conflicting religious beliefs uniting to take on a team of bullies. And also, Community has made Allison Brie go from being “Pete Campbell’s wife n Mad Men” to one of my favorite performers of the year.
Runner up: Party Down
Party Down is the funniest show that nobody is watching. A group of wannabe actors, writers and comedians in Hollywood making their living as cater waiters. Each episode brings a new party for them to deal with, some are huge public affairs others private gathering but all are great settings for comedy.
Honorable Mention: Glee
Glee is maybe my favorite new series of the year overall, but like other great “comedies” like Desperate Housewives calling Glee a comedy doesn’t always feel right. Especially given evidence that the AV Club reviewer even called it the saddest show on television. The show is deeply sad, but also joyful, energetic and heart-warming.
Honorable Mention: Parks and Recreation
If you told me a year ago that I wouldn’t consider 30 Rock or Weeds the top comedy of the year I would have called you crazy, but with the new series mentioned above coming out and Parks and Recreation improving so much it is true. This year has seen Parks and Recreation gone from being a pathetic imitation of The Office to being genuinely funnier than 30 Rock or it’s inspiration is truly amazing. But with excellent episodes like “Ron and Tammy” and “Hunting Trip” Parks and Recreation make the first hour of NBC comedy the real must see TV and the second hour a nice, amusing consolation prize.
Posted by yeahandalso on Jan 4, 2010 in
Gossip Girl,
tv review,
yeahandtv 
The departed starts with a crash and ends with a bang. Serena and Tripp are driving in the car, an icy distance between them that wasn’t present when we last saw our beloved S and the young congressman. The car soon skids out of control and the story cuts back to the events leading up to it starting twelve hours earlier. Serena and Tripp are enjoying their country getaway when he slinks of under false pretences to talk with his wife Maureen and Serena must rely on Nate for help turning on the heat and scoring pot alone in the cottage.
Meanwhile back at the Lily and Rufus’s place Lily con’s him into attending a meeting for their co-op. The meeting turns out to be some sort of ladies who luncheon event where hints are dropped that those in attendance are the trophy wives and leads to some insecurity in Rufus. It feels a little too sudden to be plotting out the demise of the Lily/Rufus marriage, but the only thing this show loves more than break-neck speed plots in red herrings so we’ll have to give this one a bit more time before any real judgments are made.
Eric is foolishly continuing his path to take on Jenny, and still aided by Homely Girl from the cotillion, which is still the most annoying plot. Eric has nothing to gain from taking down Jenny and Homely girl doesn’t really have a reason to be against Jenny either, since there is no way either one of them are next in line to be the Queen B I don’t really see why they keep bothering with this. I did love Jenny’s power move of gifting the coveted bags that Eric tried to have the little Vanessa look-a-like wear to one-up her. Even more brilliant is the revelation that she is getting the money for the designer goods by working for the Ambassador’s drug dealing son. I can’t wait to see where this ends up.
The other main plot of this week was Chuck trying to out do his father while having emotionally draining talks with his ghost. I must admit, I did think during the first segment that Bart had maybe faked his death and that this wasn’t in Chuck head….but it does seem that one Bass at least faked death as Laura (Mulholland Drive) Harrington shows up at the end to leave Chuck’s mom’s favorite flowers on his dad’s grave. You don’t cast an actress her caliber in a role if you don’t intend it to be a back from the grave new character. Sidebar, isn’t it funny how different things ended up for Laura Harrington vs. Naomi Watts? I remember back when Mulholland Drive came out, they were both poised to go onto bigger and better things but now eight years later one is an A list actress and the other a CW guest star.
As the past meets up with the present Serena has been offered the role of Tripp’s mistress by the crafty Maureen, only to reject it and demand he take her home thus causing the pre-credits car wreck. It was touching, if not over-kill that every character decided to go to the hospital that wasn’t even in their own county let alone still in the city limits. Personally if I get in an accident one friend and one former boyfriend is all I want on the scene, but Serena never does anything small and that’s why he love her (that and boobs of course). Nate is now finally getting his chance to be with Serena and I’ve wanted that coupling for quite some time.
And also, Dan almost hooked up with an actress friend of Vanessa’s but then didn’t but then did tell Vanessa he loved her. I do at least liked that she seamed to care as much about his declaration as I did…yawn.