Would You Buy Mulch From This Man? Jack Donaghy, Yes; Jack Bauer, No.

If you saw 30 Rock last night, then you saw not only the best episode of the season, but a quintessential example of everything that makes this show great when it clicks. The story was terrific - what a great idea to take someone who thought she was a dork in high school and have it turn out that she was the snob; it actually made me consider reassessing my own high school experience - the dialogue was quick and more natural than it has been this season, and the characters finally had room to be themselves after three weeks of making room for the the guest stars. As soon as last night's episode was over I wanted to watch it again.

Unfortunately, I can't say the same for 24:Redemption, which I finally got around to watching over the weekend, and afterwards found myself wishing I had instead spent the time raking up yet another pile of leaves. Note: there are no more leaves left, but I would have found some to rake if it meant I could have missed this piece of junk.

The first 45 minutes were downright boring, I had no interest in the plot regarding the fake African country's coup, the pseudo-attempt at understanding Jack's motives, or the palace intrigue going on at the White House - is it just me or do you find it tiresome that every administration in the 24 universe is filled with some sort of MacBeth/Lex Luthor-wanna-be megalomaniac?

This show has relied on the same formula for too long and that's what killed seasons 5 and 6. So I was happy to see some promising developments in the preview for the upcoming season. I like the idea of CTU having been disbanded and Jack working in a new environment. I was happy that is until they introduced Tony Almeida as the new season's arch-villain. We saw the man die on the CTU medical center table in season 5. So unless President Logan spun a frozen donkey wheel and moved CTU back in time, this premise is ridiculous. As is the fact that I will probably still tune in to watch the season premiere.

Emmy Reading This Correctly?

I'm not sure anything I've watched during the past season toyed with my emotions the way reading this year's list of Emmy nominees did earlier today. It was like my brain was playing Twister with me, calling out one new color after another before I could possibly get my left hand on green.

First there was anticipation: would Lost - after last year's snub - get its due this year with a nomination for Outstanding Drama? Then there was curiosity: there's an Outstanding Choreography category? That was followed by a sense of 'who knew?': there's an Outstanding Commercial category. Next there was self-doubt: "Am I reading this correctly? I must have missed the mentions of Planet Earth." (I did, it picked up 7 nominations). Then the fireworks began, starting with a feeling of satisfaction: 10 nominations for 30 Rock, 9 for The Office; which quickly turned into tempered indignation: Lost getting only 4 nods, but in the right categories and for the right reasons; and finally downright contempt when, after I finished the list, I realized Elizabeth Mitchell's name was nowhere to be found.

Now, I'm grounded enough to know that none of this is really that important. After all, more often than not its nothing more than self-congratulatory Hollywood nonsense. But the same could be said of any industry's awards. Does anyone outside the field really care who the best plumbing supplier in greater Montpelier is in any given year? No, but the pipe pushers in Vermont do, and while I don't get to see how good those guys are at hawking hose I do spend an inordinate amount of time watching television. I have some favorite shows - and guilty pleasures - as well as some absolute must-not-watchers (Grey's Anatomy) and I am able to recognize quality work when it is put in front of me. In that context, I don't feel so ridiculous in my reactions to this morning's announcement.

A second look at the nominees reveals some well deserved recognition as well as some head-scratchers. Among the highlights and lowlights:

It was great to see both Michael Emerson and Terry O'Quinn (Ben and Locke respectively) of Lost get nods for Outstanding Actor, albeit in the supporting category. I think a case could be made for either or both of them to have landed a lead spot, perhaps taking Keifer Sutherland's place in that category. While Sutherland's work is usually pretty compelling, this iteration of 24 left him very little to work with and he felt like more of a supporting character in the last two-thirds of the season.

It was good to see Heroes get some respect - 8 nominations including Outstanding Drama - though it may be a little undeserved. A good show, but very uneven in it's first season, it started to coalesce into something greater than its parts just before it completely imploded with a disastrously disappointing finale. I agree with the suggestions that this nomination may be lip service to those of us who like serialized dramas. Mark Harris has a great article about this and other aspects of the nominating process at EW.com.

Top Chef is in the running for Outstanding Reality Competition, though it will have trouble against perennial favorite The Amazing Race and another Bravo standout, Project Runway.

Alec Baldwin is up against Steve Carell in the Lead Actor - Comedy category. Though I love Carell's continually oblivious performance, Baldwin was a major reason the audience kept watching 30 Rock until the show eventually found its footing and established itself as the best new comedy of the season.

Not to drift too close to fanboydom, but most of my discontent stems from how Lost was treated by those who do the nominating. It was a stellar season (yes, from start to finish) and the second best ep of the season, "Through the Looking Glass", rightly received nominations for writing and directing. How the series didn't make the cut for Outstanding Drama however boggles one's mind, especially in light of the fact that the season finale was quite possibly two of the best hours of primetime television I have ever seen. I like Heroes, but Lost is a far better enterprise. Though maybe both should be in the final list, at the expense of the glorified soap opera that is Grey's Anatomy.

Additionally, I am gobsmacked that Elizabeth Mitchell's portrayal of Juliet on the series was completely overlooked. She should have at least gotten a nod for Supporting Actress if not Lead. Her work was simply fantastic. In each episode she appeared she was asked to play a range of emotions in order to conceal the fact that she is at least a triple agent whose sole allegiance in the end is probably only to herself. I can't imagine anyone who voted for this category seeing any of her performances and not putting her at the top of the list. It's criminal to say the least.

At least, as viewers, we have the next two months to regain our composure. At which time the polka dotted plastic rug will reappear to remind us that the voting process makes no sense, and more often than not seems to be based more on soundbites and hype (read Harris's article) rather than merit. Well, merit wins the technical categories, but we don't get to see those. They apparently don't make good television. Oh the irony!

Season Finale Highlights and Lowlights

Lots of big doin's in the past week. Here are some of the highlights (and lowlights):

The Simpsons - The finale actually consisted of two unrelated episodes, the second being the series' 400th. The first episode however was my favorite of the two. I love The Simpsons, but I rarely watch the episodes in their first run anymore; I either wait for syndication or the DVDs. However, when I saw they were doing a 24 parody I couldn't pass. This ep was spot on (did I see Jack with his man bag?) and so good in fact that I want more Simpson's episodes in this style. The second episode was good too, if for no other reason than Homer's letting us know that he learned from Fox news that "Mexican gays are sneaking across the border and unplugging our brain-dead ladies". Looking forward to the movie this summer.

The Office - A classic episode, and a great way to end a great season. Michael's going nowhere, Jim's got a date with Pam, and Ryan will now be Michael's boss. His exchange with Kelly after his phone call from corporate was fantastic. As was the barely noticeable comment from CFO David Wallace that the corporate HR guy is kind of a jerk. The table has been set for what should be a hilarious fourth season. My only concern is that NBC has apparently ordered thirty episodes for next season. That's 1/3 more the funny; it may be hard to pull off.

24 - This episode was better than most of it's predecessors this season, but still indicative of the unevenness of this sixth season. It was good to see the return of Jack's man bag, but his final confrontation with his father was a bit of a let down. Plus wasn't it just super-convenient that Audrey's house was only a four minute walk from the spot where Jack jumped off the helo? Lots of stories about the producers hearing our frustration and making some significant changes for Jack's next long day. Let's hope they're true.

Lost - Thank goodness for DVRs. I don't think I would have remained mentally stable (relatively, of course) if I had to wait through each commercial break of what was an especially intense and simultaneously uplifting and browbeating two hours of television. The game has definitely changed, and I didn't really see it coming until Jack was alone in his pad with countless maps of the South Pacific. The only other clue I picked up in my initial watching was how new his cell phone looked, but I thought maybe that was just a prop dept. mistake. What a great episode: action, emotional engagement, a good number of loose ends tied up, and several more laid out. I can't wait to see how the show will reconcile its "new" format with the need to tie up all the other loose ends that still exist. Who's funeral do you think it was nobody showed up for?

Smallville - A little uneven, like the rest of the season. Lana's death was a (self-planned) setup telegraphed by the unnecessary delivery van that passed in front of her right before the explosion. I was really hoping Lois was actually dead and Chloe was going to take over her identity for some reason. I'll be sad if Chloe is really dead, cause the actress is much more likable than the chick who plays Lois. The appearance of the Martian Manhunter and Bizarro was cool, but could have been much better executed. This show never allows for more than five minutes an episode for its climactic scenes, and it usually results in a bit of a letdown, just like...

Heroes - I loved the final episode, right up until the last scene with Nathan jetting Peter off to safely explode in the atmosphere. I don't really care if Nathan's dead, but if they really killed off Peter I may stop watching; it's like killing off Superman in a Justice League scenario. The two episodes leading up to the final had a lot of build up to what was billed as a spectacular confrontation. Well, there was a confrontation, but it wasn't very spectacular, and it lasted less than three minutes. Peter used none of his powers to stop Sylar, instead absorbing Nikki's strength to knock him around until Hiro showed up to deliver the fatal blow. This begs another question. Why couldn't Peter just fly himself away? Why did he need Nathan? Hiro's eventual landing in Ancient Japan is interesting, but like a lot of other viewers I felt a little insulted by how weak a job was done of wrapping things up. This show had a good first season, but I think a lot of that was based on faith. I kept watching, even though I wasn't totally connected with any of the characters, for the promise of what the show could be. It seemed like in the last few episodes it might live up to that potential, but then at the last minute it tripped. I just hope in can pick itself up for season two.

"24" aka "As The Clock Ticks"

While watching 24 last night I couldn't help but wonder if the writing staff had walked out and been replaced by soap opera writers. Are you kidding me with that heart-to-heart between the Veep and Karen? The only thing missing was some weepy violin music playing softly in the background. But that wasn't the only homage to daytime serials in this episode. Marilyn's question to Jack - "Did he say anything else?" - regarding Papa Bauer's abduction demand for Josh confirmed in my mind that the boy is actually Jack 2.0; a fact I'm sure Jack will find out only once his spawn has died at the hands of his dear old, China-loving, seriously-in-need-of-a-trim Grandad.

It's a shame really, because last night's episode started off pretty good; even in spite of the fact that the writers actually want us faithful viewers to believe that a building as secure as CTU could be breached through a sewer grate in what appears to be the building's utility closet. It was good to see Jack and The Ricker force a showdown with Cheng, and even better to see Morris gain some redemption through his helping Jack and Nadia take out their captors. Those instances were fleeting however, and not enough to make up for the ridiculousness of the aforementioned scenes or that of the White House Chief of Staff running a covert field-op.

When will this day ever end? Oh yeah, that's right, next week.

Of Amazing Races, Bogus Award Shows, and Other Random Viewing Experiences

YIELD TO THE POWER OF THE AMAZING RACE
I'm a newcomer to The Amazing Race, but I'm hooked. I like this show because it doesn't get caught up in all the usual reality show melodrama; well, at least it doesn't most of the time. Eric and Danielle got yielded again this week, a perfectly legal tactic used by one team to slow another team down. As the two stood stewing and spewing, I sat scratching my head as to why they, and Eric in particular, took it so personally. It's almost as if he thinks all the teams are in this together. Dude, it's a competition, of course people are going to do what they can to win. It's like considering someone a traitor because they skipped you in "Uno". Does this guy sit at a poker table and cry foul when the other players don't show him their cards?


ONLY IN TV-LAND
In the past I've mocked the whole idea of the TV-Land awards as just another ridiculous self-congratulatory way to drum up viewers. However, this year I figured I should at least try to watch since I started blogging about television and all. Wow! I didn't even make it past Kelly Ripa's monologue.


STUPID AGENT MAN
Again last night 24 went the Alias route of making the hero(es) do stupid things in order to fill a plot hole or try to cover bad writing. Luckily, though the whole night wasn't a loss, and in a way it would have been interesting if the whole season focused on the "fallout" of the day's events. Have the nuke go off during the premier, catch the guy by hour five and spend the rest of the day cleaning up the mess.


HEROIC RESTRAINT
Last night I chose to watch 24 instead of Heroes. I did record it though so I hope to watch tonight. The couple seconds I did see however looked pretty fantastic.

When Good Shows Go Bad and Others Just Get Better

I feel like I've been writing a lot about 24 and Lost recently. Well, the trend continues. This week's ep of 24, while different, was not necessarily better than what we've been given since Jack took out Curtis early in the day (this season's high water mark in my opinion). This season's failures were made even clearer to me this morning when I happened to catch the tail-end of a season five episode in syndication. The five minutes I saw of that ep were better than anything that has happened in the last five weeks of season six. My main gripe is in the thin writing, especially as it regards character motivation. I'm just not buying Jack's commitment to Audrey, especially in light of the fact that in the past he has been willing to sacrifice literally anyone in order to protect his country. A point he made crystal clear to The Ricker in this week's waning seconds. I know JB thinks he loves Audrey and all, but where is the Jack that would have told Cheng to go scratch and then went off to find his recently widowed sister in-law?

In my last post I was also complaining about the lack of resolution with somewhat significant characters and story lines. My brother in-law forwarded me the following post from the Ask Ausiello column of TVGuide.com:

Question: Is President Logan dead on 24? The last time we saw him was in the ambulance after Martha stabbed him, and now no one mentions him at all! — Shannon Blake

Ausiello: It appears Logan is going the way of those Russian mobsters on The Sopranos. A 24 source says the ex-prez will not be seen or heard from again this season.

Are you kidding me? Talk about thin writing. What then was the point of even bringing him back in this season? His role in the crisis eventually meant nothing and now we're left to wonder about the former Mrs. Logan too. I suppose then that it's safe to assume will never see Jack's pappy again either which is just utterly ridiculous. I think I might just go to sleep and forget this day ever happened.

Lost, on the other hand, continues to be in peak form. Last night's ep "Catch-22" was solid and while not necessarily mythologically revealing, I think it was a neat way to address that final scene from the season two finale. Remember? Penelope got that phone call in the middle of the night from two researchers, at what we can only assume was the North Pole, who told her they found something. Well, according to the producers the island was visible for an instant when Desmond turned the fail safe key and the sky went purple. So obviously, in the couple weeks since that happened Penelope has sent someone to search for her beloved Des. It's a really cool way to tie things together in my opinion. If you want a great recap of last night's ep check out Jeff Jensen's at ew.com

My favorite moment last night (besides the picture of the old lady on the priest's desk) was Desmond's reaction after Hurley mentioned the parachutist was still breathing, it was really touching when you consider that Des still thought Penny would be under the helmet. The only thing I can't figure out is what he thought she was coming for. Did he expect her to get everyone home, or was he just happy to have her there and they could finally be together outside the reach of her father?

In stark contrast to 24, Lost is a show is defined by it's characters. Fortunately, for its first few seasons 24 had strong enough stories to make up for the fact that every character is very one-dimensional and basically expendable. Now that they are having trouble with plots this becomes even more apparent.

While some might argue that Lost's mystery is it's heart, I would respectfully disagree. The mystery is merely the conduit for understanding the personalities of the castaways, and to those who are tired of flashbacks: THEY ARE ESSENTIAL TO THE SHOW'S SUCCESS. They are a really cool way to show us the characters' motivations for their actions on the island as well as being a supremely economical and fascinating form of character development.

Daylight Savings Time, CTU Style

Some interesting developments in this week's episode of 24. (If you haven't seen it yet, come back later.) This episode was your basic run-of-the-mill season finale. The tone, the action, the happy ending twists, and even the dramatic music as Jack once again saved the day. The only problem? By my calculations there are still six hours left.

It's actually a rather smart, non-plot twist by the show's producers. Wrapping up a going-nowhere-anyway story in order to move on to bigger and badder things may help stem the tide of negative criticism and go a ways towards restoring the show's reputation. Though that doesn't seem promising when you consider the set-up for the remaining hours. In the series' most ridiculous coincidence to date, Scary-Chinese-Diplomat-Man calls just at the moment The Ricker is gazing in wonderment at Jack's one man handy work. (BTW: is it just me or was Fayed's death a little bit of a rip-off of both the first Die Hard and Lethal Weapon 2?)

Anyway, the rest of the season will obviously deal with Jack's going rogue to get Audrey out of the hands of SCDM as well as the repercussions of the attempted presidential assassination. My only gripe, Jack's dad is still gone and now has seemingly nothing to do with the events to come. Plus, last we saw Logan he was flatlining in the back of the ambulance. Will the day end with Jack spitting on his grave, or will we be left to assume Logan's fate for ourselves?

One can only hope the producers have a better vision for the early morning hours than they did for the rest of day. I still can't make sense of Gradenko chopping his own hand off, betraying the only person who can provide him some sort of medical attention, only to die from blood loss stumbling under the boardwalk, where the moonlit surf literally adds salt to his wounds. At least next week's preview looks good. I love Jack telling Pres. Whispers-a-lot that he owes him. Gee, you think?

News and Notes

Some interesting tidbits from around the web:

--3o Rock was picked up for a second season this week. That's good news. I hope they do the same with Andy Barker, P. I.

--KITT from Knight Rider is for sale. Well one of them anyway; turns out there were at least four. Unfortunately, the model for sale doesn't come with turbo boost or an OnStar connection to William Daniels.

--Comedy Central is offering online stand-up classes. I wish I could think of something funny to say.

--This year's Peabody awards for excellence in broadcasting were announced. I was excited to see the best...cooking...show...ever, Good Eats, get an award. To quote the Peabody judges: "rarely has science been taught on TV in such an entertaining – and appetizing – manner as it is in Alton Brown's goofy, tirelessly inventive series."

--After yet another thoroughly stupid episode of 24, I find myself wondering why I'm still so excited for Monday nights. Dalton Ross from EW has a theory here. USA Today's Robert Bianco just wishes this day would end already.

--Some interesting people are in the running for Bob Barker's microphone. I'm not sure it matters who gets it, I don't think the show will last long without him.

--Finally, news that Comcast is adding the YES Network to it's offerings in Connecticut. Meanwhile, six miles away, I'm stuck with NESN and the #$%^&*@ Red Sox.

Return of "The Ricker"

At long last The Ricker has made it to CTU's HQ, replacing the recently departed Curtis as head of field ops. While he didn't reprise the Brooklyn accent he affected on NYPD Blue (which for some reason I expected), The Ricker was all business, barking orders and strangling employees who didn't immediately do as told. It was good to see Jack again, even if it wasn't really him, and I have to wonder, as EW did in it's profile of 24 a few issues ago if we aren't seeing the the beginning of a torch hand-off. Will Bauer bite it before this day ends?

Anyway, back to The Ricker - who I will probably never refer to by his character's actual name. He must be made of Kevlar since he was the only member of the SWAT team not wearing any protective gear. Though I suppose Jack usually does the same thing. Apparently, being leader doesn't include leading by example in the safety department.

Other than the new blood at CTU the most memorable moment of last night's episode was Martha Logan stabbing her husband in the chest, and then later asking why she was in handcuffs. All this however pales in comparison to what I thought, quite frankly, was the best line of the night: Aaron Pierce answering the phone and saying the words, "Martha Logan's Bungalow". Maybe it was because it was so late, or perhaps it was the juxtaposition of such a phrase in the midst of a rather intense episode, but that line was "gold Jerry, gold!"

Mr. Buchanan, Can I Go Home Early Today?

Check out Ken Tucker's review of this week's ep of 24 and tell me if you don't kind of agree with him that this season is a little spotty. My major gripe this week concerns how we are expected to believe in these characters when they do stupid things. For example, Jack knows that everyone in the consulate is waiting outside the doors, he spoke with them for goodness sake. Regardless, after he gets his info he walks right into their waiting arms, no gun drawn, no thought of maybe going out the back. The good news is he was able to convince one of the Russians to call CTU. Inexplicably however, this guy has to change rooms to make the phone call on his cell phone, thereby leaving himself open to be killed by a co-conspirator of the ambassador. Seriously?! These techniques they are using to stretch out the plot are getting a little thin. Maybe we could make this season a half day.


Other News

Newsweek recently ran an article making the argument that TV is better than the movies. I can't necessarily disagree, though one comment by NBC President Kevin Reilly made me laugh. He made the comment that "desperation breeds inspiration" as if most of what is on TV right now is inspired. While I grant him that there are some really unique shows on now, probably more than in the past, the grim reality is that there are vastly more relying on outdated, tired formulas; and for every unique, creative show that succeeds, there is an exponential amount of copycats. He should have said desperation breeds imitation.

It's probably more coincidence than anything, but I like to think the producers of Smallville read my post that lambasted the creative direction of the show. The last two or three episodes have actually gotten me back into rooting for the series. Lana's realization that Clark has powers was a breath of fresh air, and I can't wait to see what Chloe's meteor freak ability is.

Another Day, Another Overthrow

I came across this quote within an article about a miniseries on BBC America and I found myself (surprisingly) agreeing with it:

Viewers already are on their sixth trek down this road on 24, a show that, after a great seasonal start, seems to be plunging off the conspiracy deep end. (Another attempt to overthrow the president? Doesn't anyone in the Palmer family know how to staff a White House?)

Last week I remember remarking, while watching Lennox and Reed plan what can only be an assassination plot, that 24 has gone to this well once too often. The political intrigue of last season was the basis of the plot and therefore mesmerizing, not only because the President was involved in allowing a terrorist attack to happen, but also because he was basically a puppet. But after a whole season of political infighting and undermining the show needs to find a different focus. Hopefully they will resolve this storyline quickly and focus on what is really the captivating theme of this season: Jack fighting his family and his demons.

Found? (Part I)

After a long, mild winter Lost finally returns this Wednesday in it's new time slot (10pm). By most accounts the episode is worth the wait. The "What to Watch" section in this week's "Entertainment Weekly" describes the episode as "good...really good...first season what's-in-the-hatch good". TV Gal over at zap2it.com makes the same claim, and with such a great finish to the last ep in Nov - "Kate, Dammit, Run!"- how could picking up where we left off not be equally as good. By the way, over at ABC Lost's site you can watch some previews of the upcoming episode and season (Tip: Be patient. There are a number of previews, but there are short ads between each).

In related news, USA Today has a piece about the show's return, it's prospects for increasing it's ratings, and whether it really is at a creative crossroads. My answer to that last question is no; the show is as good as it has ever been. The problem, in my opinion, lies with the instant-gratification portion of the audience who are unwilling or unable to wait out a mystery. Isn't that the point?

Finally, the Washington Post has a rather extensive article on the number of shows taking relatively lengthy hiatuses (hiati??) this season, including Lost. Are such breaks good for these series? I would say yes. Why not have every serialized drama run their seasons like 24? I can wait a year between seasons if I know I don't have to sit through weeks of reruns. And right now I can't think of anything better than knowing that I have sixteen straight weeks of Lost coming my way.