My Favorite Things of 2010

I've read around a thousand lists of "Best movies of the year," "Worst movies of the year," "Biggest breakout stars of the year," etc. I didn't want to do a cliche one like that, so instead I'll do a super creative list of things that made me happy this year. Enjoy, and feel free to yell at me for anything I missed. It's been a long year, after all, and I know I didn't remember everything.

"Inception" gives us a 2 for 1 gift
I thought I'd put the obvious one up front. We got a thrilling, summer popcorn movie combined with a thoughtful, mind-bending film rolled into one amazing time at the movies (or three, depending on how many times you saw it. I couldn't get enough!) "Inception" is one of my new favorite movies of all time. No other director can make blockbuster movies that are incredibly popular, incredibly smart, and incredibly original like Christopher Nolan.

The continual rise of AMC
I'm slowly falling in love with this channel. From top-notch original programming like "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad" to quality movies that aren't just whatever they could get the rights to and throw on the air, they live up to their slogan of "story matters here." I don't think "The Walking Dead" lived up to its fantastic premise, but AMC deserves all due credit for making an effort to have all-around quality programming.

BBC's "Sherlock"
From "Doctor Who" writer Steven Moffat, "Sherlock" had a lot of the charm and energy of Moffat's "Doctor Who" contributions. A modern updating of the Sherlock Holmes stories could have easily been a disgrace to Sherlock's history, but it turned out to be an extremely entertaining and smartly produced TV series. It's easily one of the best things I've watched this year and I can't wait for more episodes.

"Southland" lives
NBC couldn't hold on to it, but TNT knew better and kept this great cop drama on the air, even renewing it for another season to air soon. I don't like procedurals, but I do love lawyer and cop dramas when they're more sophisticated and realistic than the hundreds of "CSI"s and "Law & Order"s out there.

"Cougar Town" keeps getting better and better
I'm really hoping I won't be saying this still next year as it pains me to admit, but "Modern Family" seems to have peaked in its first year. But "Cougar Town" worked out its kinks, ditched the off-putting premise, and became a terrific sitcom that has the same silly yet smart comedy that show creator Bill Lawrence put in "Scrubs."

"Fringe" crosses over to the Other Side
I've raved about this show all over my blog, so I won't bother to reiterate my praise, even if it does completely deserve it. After all the highly advertised 'next big things' in SciFi that sputtered and died, it's nice to have one show around that nails the big narrative scope and intimate character development that all those other ones promised but couldn't deliver on.

Andrew Garfield
I had no idea whatsoever who this guy was when they announced him as the lead actor in the "Spiderman" reboot. I wasn't excited already because I thought the first two movies were very good. But after seeing him in "The Social Network," I couldn't wait to see more of him. Jesse Eisenberg plays it cold and distanced, but Andrew Garfield brings the emotional weight of the film. It excited me to uncover another tidbit of why I thought he looked so darn familiar. He had a lead role in the two-part "Doctor Who" episode "Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks." He definitely has my attention now!

"Toy Story 3"
So many people of my generation were terrified that our childhood memories of the first two movies would be retroactively tarnished by an awful addition to the franchise years later. Imagine our relief when the third movie was every bit as wonderful as the first two. Who knew three animated kid's movies could be so emotionally affecting and enjoyable by young and old equally. More than a success due to nostalgia alone, this third film earned all the praise it got.

"24" ends
I loved this show for a long time but the last few seasons went really downhill and it broke my heart. The character assassination of Tony Almeida was bad enough, but Katee Sackhoff's Dana Walsh storyline put the final nail in the coffin and it became crystal clear - "24"'s time had come and gone and it was time to go.

"Ugly Betty" ends on a high note
No one really noticed when "Ugly Betty" recovered from its creative slump and got back to its first season goodness. By then, the show was canceled and was wrapping things up. But unlike other shows that march slowly toward their death with dwindling writing quality, "Ugly Betty" avoided that bitter end and proved that it deserves a fond place in our memories.

"Avatar" gets shut out at the Oscars
As the Oscar season roles around again, people are disputing the validity of nominations for ten films or for blockbuster films. But if "Avatar" can be a frontrunner, then so can "Inception" and other great movies that also happened to be wildly popular. As much as I think blockbuster movies deserve recognition when they're good, movies should win Academy Awards for having the whole package. Brilliant visuals should win technical awards. Brilliant visuals plus superb writing and acting should win Best Picture.

"Breaking Bad" winning big at the Emmys
Speaking of the whole package, "Breaking Bad" definitely has it. As much as I've wanted "Dexter" to get some love for a while and as exquisite as "Mad Men" is, "Breaking Bad" is shockingly terrific. Shockingly in that it has shocking moments, not that I expected it to be bad. Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul absolutely earned those Emmy awards. Their performances are fearlessly genius and unparalleled in the television world.

"Billionaire" by Travie McCoy & Bruno Mars
I'll admit, I'm not an avid listener of Top 40 like I used to be, finding most of it to be overly autotuned and unoriginal. I don't like the state of pop music right now, I think American Idol alums only add to the generic singles, and rap/hip-hop has never been my favorite genre. (I don't say this to be an old timer at heart or a smug, arrogant hipster, I just like to be honest). But I really loved this song. So much of hip-hop that turns me off has to do with the Kanye West-type arrogance in the music. Social commentary and innovation, yes please. Giant egos going on and on about how awesomely badass and rich they are, no thank you. "Billionaire" came at a good time, when the economy was in a bad place and everyone could relate to this earnest song about the natural desire to have the freedom and joy that money can bring.

"Night Work" by the Scissor Sisters
Not nearly as popular in their native US as they should be, the Scissor Sisters released another album this year. The delightful new addition brought us more quality pop, heavily influenced by the best of disco and dance music. They also released the ridiculously upbeat song "Isn't It Strange," which got a place in the new "Shrek" movie. Still filthy, still gorgeous, I hope the Scissor Sisters keep putting out great music like they have this year.

"Kick-Ass" says 'yes' to violence and swearing
Is it base of me to say that I enjoyed the hell out of this movie? Is it immature of me to admit that I loved all the graphic violence? I don't care what anyone says, I had a great time watching this one and wish it had done better so we would get a sequel. It also got Mika to release another single specifically for this movie, so all things considered, this movie made me very happy this year.

Ben Affleck keeps directing
It looks like "Gone Baby Gone" was just the beginning. I don't care if Affleck ever acts again, but I can't wait to see what he does next behind the camera.

Mark Pellegrino scores some high-profile roles
Alright, Lucifer on "Supernatural" is definitely not a high-profile role. He was probably recognized mostly for his work as the abusive Paul Bennett on "Dexter." But he also got the role as the mysterious Jacob on "Lost." I may not have liked the direction "Lost" took towards the end, but Pellegrino was game to fill in the convoluted blanks in the story.

The pervasive use of "Sunshine (Adagio in D Minor)"
And I thought I'd put the bizarrely specific one last. I love this simple yet moving piece of music by composer John Murphy. It's showing up all over the place now, from episodes of "V" and "The Walking Dead" to the climax of "Kick-Ass" (which also used Murphy's "In the House, in a Heartbeat" from "28 Days Later.") I even heard it in a trailer for some Javier Bardem movie. It's quickly becoming the new go-to piece of music, much like the oft-used "Lux Aerterna" from "Requiem for a Dream."

Tvgirl's Christmas haul

Among other things, I got a lot of new DVDs this Christmas that have been on my wish list for a while now. I guess I should forget about resolutions for the new year, I'll be busy watching all my new movies and TV shows. Hope everyone is having a great time with friends and family this holiday season! I certainly am.

My Top 10: Best movie picks for Christmas

I've been torn on how to do a Christmas post. There are so many things I could write about but that makes it that much more difficult to decide on something. I initially wanted to do a Christmas movie viewing guide similar to my Halloween one, but my knowledge of Christmas movies is woefully slim compared to my knowledge of horror movies. Also, there are plenty of Christmas movies I've seen but do not like. So I settled for a compromise - an all-inclusive list of my favorite Christmas movies and everyone else's favorite Christmas movies. Contrary to my title of "top" 10, these aren't two lists of greatest or most popular movies by rank. It's a list of my favorite Christmas movies and then five more that are insanely popular that I don't like but everyone else does.

Their Top 5

5. "Love Actually"Why I don't love it: It would be cute if it was any one or two of those stories. But instead it's like watching the first five minutes and the last five minutes of twenty different movies. Too little time is dedicated to the most interesting storylines. And the big "All I Want for Christmas is You" number just feels like a desperate (albeit successful) effort to make it an event Christmas movie to watch every year. The pumped up, feel-good climax still doesn't make this movie very good. Although I have to admit, I love Rowan Atkinson in it as the gift wrapper at the jewelry counter.

4. Those animated TV specials ("Rudolph, The Red-nosed Reindeer," "The Year Without a Santa Claus," "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town," etc.)Why I don't love it: This is shallow, but stop motion animation freaks me out. Animated inanimate objects are unnatural and really really creepy.

3. "Elf"
Why I don't love it: I don't hate Will Ferrell, but the subgenre of comedies that revolve around grown men acting like children doesn't quite appeal to me. I don't hate this movie, it just doesn't do anything for me. It's one of those performances where I am painfully aware watching it that I'm supposed to think all the quirky antics are hilarious, if you know what I mean.

2. "It's a Wonderful Life"Why I don't love it: Before you freak out, I don't hate this movie. I don't even not like it. It's a very good movie. I just don't love it. It's a little too saccharine for me. And not that I have anything against this, but it's a pretty depressing movie for Christmas. Suicide isn't the most holiday-friendly topic. But I suppose I'm a hypocrite because I'm watching it as I type this. Blame it on my family. I am really enjoying the George Bailey-less Pottersville. Without George, the entire town becomes a Las Vegas-esque den of iniquity. It's almost like an episode of "The Twilight Zone."

1. "A Christmas Story"Why I don't love it: This one I hate. I started out sort of liking it and went to sort of disliking it and then to absolutely loathing it. Mainly because I've been forced to watch this movie every year, multiple times a Christmas season and I am sick of it. That 24 hour marathon of it on TBS doesn't help matters. I don't mind my family putting on "It's a Wonderful Life" because it means they aren't putting on "A Christmas Story." I want that bratty little kid to shoot his eye out or get his tongue stuck permanently to that flagpole. Much like "Home Alone" makes me glad not to have a huge family, this one makes me glad I didn't have to live in the 40s. I can't stand that whole family.

My Top 5

5. "Home Alone"Why I love it: It was written by John Hughes and the score was composed by John Williams. This is another one riddled with quotable moments and it made me so grateful to be from a relatively small family.

4. "Jingle All the Way"Why I love it: It gets lost amidst all the other classics and it's by no means a high quality movie, but it's a classic in my family. My siblings and I watched it every year as kids and still quote it regularly. Arnold Schwarzenegger goes on a hunt for the hot toy of the year, Turboman, and the ensuing chaos is relatable for anyone who has ever done holiday shopping. Phil Hartman is in it as well as the perfect neighbor with the hots for Arnold's wife while Arnold faces off against Sinbad as a crazy fellow father searching for a Turboman. It's not genius, but it's definitely an underrated Christmas movie.

3. "A Charlie Brown Christmas"
Why I love it: Sad sack Charlie Brown tries to get involved to cure his depression and gets schooled on what Christmas is all about. Despite its 'keep the Christ in Christmas' message, it's still a classic and enjoyable for everyone. It's from another time and has an innocence that makes it hard to resist. Also, there's a fun version done by the "Scrubs" cast that I just love.

2. "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas"
Why I love it: What kind of grinch doesn't love Dr. Seuss? There's rhyming and a sweet message that isn't as overtly religious as the Charlie Brown one. Just because we all give gifts at Christmas doesn't mean it's not about the family and friends we spend it with.

1. "Die Hard" Why I love it: I love action movies and this is the holy grail. One man takes on a whole lot of bad guys - at Christmas. Alan Rickman is perfection. I rather see him plotting the perfect robbery than cheating on his wife in "Love Actually." Nothing says Christmas like explosions and machine guns. Ho ho ho.

On DVD: "The Kids Are All Right" and "The Town"

Recently I had the opportunity to watch two movies I wasn't able to see in theaters. "The Kids Are All Right" and "The Town" just came out on DVD and both are likely to be recognized in some capacity in the coming awards season. "Inception" also came out on DVD recently and you can click here to read my review of it and "Toy Story 3." Read ahead for my reviews of the other two.

"The Kids Are All Right"I have to say I was very disappointed by this movie. I really wanted it to be a clever, unique comment on family and conflict. If not for the hype, I might have liked it better, but the way professional critics are going on about it you'd think it was a much smarter, more dynamic film that it is. The basic premise is that the son and daughter of two lesbians search out their biological father and complications ensue. It's not so much a family drama like I expected as most of the focus turns away from the children and onto the adults and the odd decisions they make. I'm not talking about the odd decision of lesbians to watch gay male porn, which thoroughly confused me until Julianne Moore's character hilariously explained it. I'm not talking about the odd decision to name their son 'Laser.' I'm talking about something so integral to the plot that I can't properly discuss the movie unless I spoil it, so SPOILER ALERT if that bothers you. Julianne Moore's character starts sleeping with Mark Ruffalo's character. There's some half-assed explanation like 'she hasn't felt appreciated,' but really, it just struck me as ridiculously unrealistic. It fed into the tired belief that all lesbians are straight women led astray who just need a rugged man to snap them back to normal. She seems to really enjoy sleeping with him, physically not just emotionally, and she initiates the act herself a few times. Cheating on her wife because she doesn't feel appreciated could make sense, but why she runs into the arms of the newly arrived sperm donor father is perplexing and the movie lost me at that point. The emotional resolution, the scene where Moore gets to really shine, is considerably less powerful when the issue it's resolving never made sense to me in the first place.

The acting across the board is really good, but I didn't think that any of it was particularly Academy Award worthy. Moore and Annette Bening get to shine towards the end, but the moments are so short that I don't think it's enough for a nomination. Are we just pleased when people can actually act in movies these days? Or do we expect these two actresses to be great so we praise their solid performances as revolutionary? I would much prefer to see the two younger stars get recognition for their roles. Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson were much better than I expected and it was that much better because they weren't late 20-something actors playing young kids. I wish the movie had kept the focus on them more. For all the pains the movie goes through to show that this family has problems like everyone else, the big speech that solves everything (except Ruffalo's misery) clears away the complex family issues it tried to set up. Hutcherson's Laser is underdeveloped and issues of parenting and role models take backseat to the affair between Moore and Ruffalo.

All in all, I have to agree with the few other people who felt the same way I did - if this movie was about a heterosexual couple with adopted children who seek out their bioDad, would it really have gotten all this attention? The film felt like pure Oscar bait. It seems to fit in with the tendency of professional critics around this time to praise indie movies with high profile actors playing alternative characters. I have to be honest, aside from the nonsensical plot "twist," the movie isn't awful. It's enjoyable at times, but it's just not sheer brilliance. But I really think that critics like to praise "edgy" performances and a lot of times they get a little self-important. They like to recommend "serious" movies. Watching this movie I just felt like I was watching an attempt to say "lesbian families aren't perfect, they're just like yours! That's the point!" No, most families (of any kind) aren't perfect, but I really think a lot of the message gets lost when the motivation of characters' actions leading to the Big Conflict are unclear and make little sense.

My grade: C

"The Town"I'll admit that this one had a bias in favor of it coming in because I love crime dramas. But I've never been a big fan of Ben Affleck in starring roles so it kind of balanced things out. This was another interesting experience because I was expecting a more fast-paced, action-filled thriller than what I got. It had plenty of action, but it was smarter and quieter in an intense way that I came to enjoy. I worry that some might be disappointed because it could be too little romance for the female crowd and too little action for the male crowd. I hate to put it in black-and-white terms like that, but it does tend to skew that way and there's no way I can deny that. I do have to point out that the trailer is very misleading as it is edited to a very large degree. Dialogue is switched around and dialogue is added that I never heard in the actual movie. But it's still a movie that's worth your time.

I'm going to point out my favorite thing first - Jon Hamm. He is so great at playing a bastard that I relished his might-have-been cheesy action lines. He pulls off great badass lines like "this is the 'not fucking around crew.' Find me something that looks like a print so I can grab one of these assholes and shake their tree because this 'not fucking around thing' is about to go both ways!" Jeremy Renner as Jem is also fantastic as the explosive partner-in-crime of Ben Affleck's Doug. He's a fascinating character and I wish they had spent a little more time on the relationship between him and Affleck's character. He also has my favorite moment in the movie, where Doug walks into the room and tells him "I need your help. I can't tell you what it is, you can never ask me about it later, and we're gonna hurt some people." Jem pauses for a second, then asks "whose car we gonna take?"

I also have to point out that while Ben Affleck is not my favorite actor, he's turning into a pretty good director. I hope he continues his career behind the camera. He handles the action scenes nicely and shoots Boston beautifully. That's my only concern about his future - how will he handle films outside of his turf? But I really did enjoy the action scenes here, especially the car chase with the police through narrow streets. Often when you get car chases like these they take place in European cities down narrow lanes so it was nice to see an American take. The robberies and the action pieces aren't huge, epic sequences. They're closed in, tightly directed, and they have a nice claustrophobic intensity to them where you feel like you're right there and about to get shot. Also, the heist crew isn't made of movie thieves who are high-tech criminal masterminds either. Like it's mentioned at the beginning of the movie, robbery is treated like another trade that these men have down pat.

SPOILER ALERT for the ending, because I'd like to address that as well. I was pleased with the ending, which didn't wrap everything up nicely in a bow. I was so afraid they were going to go cliche and have Claire run away with Doug where they would live off the money from the final heist in Florida. But no, Claire fights with her conscience and works with the FBI even after she realizes Doug isn't villain through-and-through but she also tries to warn him away from a trap. The ending isn't some fairy tale where she runs away with him for true love and all his criminal acts are forgiven because he has a heart of gold. The ending was melancholy but not completely depressing. I felt like these characters were actually adults. In lesser movies, especially romantic comedies, you get grown men and women acting like they're teenagers. But this movie has a more blurred sense of morality and takes a sober look at romance and I appreciated that. Especially after the bizarre romantic relationship in "The Kids Are All Right." I also enjoyed the mommy issues, which they didn't need to put in but it added some psychological depth to the characters and some insight into the blue-collar Boston lifestyle.

Overall, good movie. I would have liked a few more scenes between Renner and Affleck, but it was still well done. I enjoyed the more realistic, down-to-earth feel when I was expecting a bombastic, overblown action flick.

My grade: A

New "Fringe" promo takes on Death ("strawberry death!")

"Fringe" is being moved to Fridays, which should logically send a shudder of terror down the spine of anyone aware of FOX's track record with putting great genre shows in the infamous death-slot. But if you have to move a show to the death-slot, at least have the decency to make all the promos this fantastic. (I am very sorry about the cut-off, just follow the link on to YouTube. If anyone can help me condense the vids any more I'd be very appreciative).

"Torchwood" casts its new leads

All of a sudden, I've seen a lot of news about casting for the new Starz-produced season of "Torchwood," which has been titled "Torchwood: The New World." In addition to John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness and Eve Myles as Gwen Cooper, they're casting a slew of Americans. They aren't done casting parts, but the new announcements I'm aware of are:

Bill Pullman (the President from "Independence Day") playing "Oswald Jones, a dangerously clever convicted murderer who escapes his lifelong prison sentence on a technicality and quickly becomes a media sensation. Genuinely repentant yet boiling with lust and rage, Oswald gets caught up in a terrifying worldwide crisis."

Mekhi Phifer (Dr. Greg Pratt from "ER") playing "the third lead, Rex Matheson, a CIA agent, a fast-tracked high-flyer with a lethal sense of humor who starts to feel his mortality when his life is put in danger." I love this description from Wikipedia: "Initially, the character doesn't know what to make of 'Welsh women and World War 2 captains.'"

Arlene Tur (some chick from the TV show based on the movie "Crash") playing "a surgeon by the name of Vera Juarez."
First of all, I can't imagine I'm the only "Torchwood" fan who is a little ticked that Pullman's character's last name is Jones. Come on, Ianto Jones just died. I really hope they address the events in "Children of Earth" to some degree, since it ended on a decidedly depressing note. Jack left Gwen and planet Earth behind. Why is he back? How will Gwen react? Why aren't they in Cardiff anymore? Did a rift in time and space conveniently pop up in America? As long as they don't act like nothing ever happened, I'll be happy. One of the biggest reasons I didn't want an American remake of "Torchwood" is because I want continuity in my television shows. I know they will want to make it palatable for a new, American audience, but they really can't ignore the epic world-shaking events that took place in the last miniseries.

I was also irked by TV guru Michael Ausiello's recent Facebook update, "'Torchwood' scoop: Ianto fans are not going to like this. Producers are casting the role of Brad, a Washington D.C. bartender in his late 20s who hooks up with Jack for a 'mutually satisfying one-night stand.' Interested actors should be comfortable with 'intimate scenes between two men.'" Yeah, as an Ianto fan, I'm not thrilled. But Jack has always been the promiscuous type, so I'm not surprised. At least Starz is going to let Jack be Jack still. I think I'll just take that as a win and be quiet.

I'm actually getting pretty excited for this. Not just because it means more "Torchwood," but because they're casting some interesting people and they're not remaking the whole thing. Also, the name actors matched with the American production will hopefully mean more publicity in the US. I am a tad worried about Mekhi Phifer because I've only ever seen him in bland, slightly boring roles in mostly procedural shows. I rather see "Torchwood" go over-the-top and dynamic than reserved and bland. Even at its worst, and it has definitely had some lows, "Torchwood" has been a unique show that has never been ashamed of its tone and sexual audacity.

From the looks of things, the original people behind the show were closely involved in making sure the new "Torchwood" is still "Torchwood." The new season will last 10 episodes, and luckily it won't return to the monster-of-the-week format it had in its first two years. I much prefer shows that have a season-long storyline that rewards viewers who stay with it. If you dropped the show in the first two seasons, it might be time to get back into it. "Torchwood" has definitely improved itself over time and it looks like that trend is going to continue.

Thoughts on the Golden Globe nominations

I've never been all that interested in the Golden Globes, but they actually have some impact in the movie world. Movie nominations in the Globes gives you a decent idea of where the Oscar nominations are going. Not always, but if a critical favorite doesn't make it to the Globes, it doesn't bode well for the movie. One of my biggest problems with the Globes is that it comes so early that most movies being nominated haven't been seen by the general public. At least by Oscar time, critical faves are at least in the artsy theaters, but around this time? Many indie faves haven't even left New York and LA.

(For a complete list of the nominations, click here.)

Movies

• After the critical evisceration of "The Tourist," I was shocked to see it so represented in the nominations. With a 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, it's being called one of Johnny Depp's worst performances as well as a self-indulgent, self-important bore. I also wasn't aware that "The Tourist" was a Musical or Comedy.
  
  
• Surprised to see so little love for "The Town" or Ben Affleck. Say what you will about his acting, but as a director, I think he's pretty darn good.
  
  
• One of the other problems with the Globes when it comes to movies is their separation of films into Drama and Musical or Comedy. You might think that this gives lighter movies a fair chance, but really, it just means sub-par movies (like "Burlesque") sneak their way in. The more I think about it, the more I like the Oscars' new method of nominating ten movies for Best Picture. It allows them to recognize more than just the indie/critical favorites and acknowledge that sometimes blockbusters or comedies are just as deserving of the prize.
  
  
• I am dying to see "Black Swan." But like I said, that won't come to my hometown for a long time. And even then, it will be in the artsy theater downtown. And I don't even live out in the sticks, I'm in a relatively large city. I don't think my situation is that uncommon. A lot of people outside the biggest of the big cities struggle to find these critical favorites, and even then, how many people out there can go out with a group of friends who all want desperately to see some indie movie? It's not exactly surprising that I can't rally some friends or family to go see a movie like "127 Hours" on a Friday night. Nothing says a good time like a little amputation.
  
  
• Speaking of which, poor Danny Boyle himself gets no love for his intense new film. What a shame. From what I've seen of his previous films and what I've heard about "127 Hours," I would bet that he deserved some recognition.
  
  
• I'm thrilled to see Andrew Garfield nominated for "The Social Network," not that it's any surprise. Critics are in love with this movie and it's definitely a front-runner for the Oscars.
  
  
• Looking at the director nominations, this is going to be one thrilling Oscar race this year. As much as I love Christopher Nolan and "Inception," how could I say for one second that Darren Aronofsky or David Fincher don't deserve it? I do think Aaron Sorkin deserves the Screenplay win and I am expecting him to win the Oscar next year.
  
  
• I would love to see "Inception" at least win Best Original Score. I focus on the score of a movie more than the average person, and Hans Zimmer never fails to impress me.

Television

• I'm pretty upset that "The Walking Dead" got a Best TV Series nod for Drama over something like "Fringe." I've said plenty about both already, so I don't think I need to give my reasons here too.
  
  
• Still depressed that "Cougar Town" is snubbed, but not at all surprised. Critical love has been building slowly but steadily for that show all year and I had some hope it would sneak in there.
  
  
• Best Actor in a Drama series is the same exact thing as every year: Jon Hamm, Michael C Hall, Hugh Laurie, Bryan Cranston. The only new addition is Steve Buscemi for "Boardwalk Empire."
  
  
• I didn't realize until another site pointed it out for me, but "Lost" is nowhere to be seen. That makes me so happy. It got all the recognition it deserved when it was at the top of its game.
  
  
• I was really surprised to see Piper Perabo get a nod for "Covert Affairs." USA Network hasn't shown up a lot in awards shows, even lately. I never did pick up "Covert Affairs," but now I have to wonder - is it really that good, or is this another "Johnny Depp in 'The Tourist'" fluke? Could her spot really not have gone to Anna Torv, who stepped up her game this year on "Fringe?"

"Dexter" season finale - "Don't be sorry your darkness is gone"

"Dexter" ended its run Sunday night with "The Big One," an episode that wrapped up all the storylines very neatly. A little too neatly, I thought, but it was still a good season ender. Not having a cliffhanger is a return to the norm for this show, as some people are forgetting since Rita's death was really the only big shocking cliffhanger we've ever had on "Dexter."
Basically, Jordan captured Lumen, Dexter came after him, got caught briefly until he turned the tables and he and Lumen finally killed Jordan. Liddy's body was found in the van and Quinn was immediately put under suspicion because of Liddy's phone. Things with him worked out in the end as well as Dexter covered up the blood match on Quinn's shoe and Debra came back to him. Deb caught the vigilantes (sort of) at the scene and let them go. Lumen completed her mission and realized that her place was not with Dexter. No surprise there. The biggest pitfall you get with bigger name guest stars is you're painfully aware that they are guest stars, nothing more. Batista and LaGuerta decided to give it one more try. Astor and Cody are going to spend the summer with Dexter.

If I have one complaint, it's that this finale went a little too smoothly. Especially the Jordan confrontation, in my opinion. All this time, all this build-up, and they finally get the son of a bitch. And that's it. I didn't need some big tragedy or major twist, but it felt too easy. I would have liked maybe one more surprise to how that showdown went down. I was secretly thrilled that Jordan took Lumen to the old camp. I figured that one out last week, way before Dexter. (Okay, I'm sure lots of other people figured it out too.) But the horror fan in me was excited that the big rescue would take place at an abandoned campsite. The car crash seemed a bit excessive and perhaps it was there to create that extra tension I wanted? Really, it just made a plot hole of a giant piece of evidence with Dexter's blood in it. Not to mention it just felt like a retread of the time Dexter crashed his car a few seasons ago. Another thing that appealed to the geek in me was the fruit stand guy noticing the shifty Jordan with an obvious body in his trunk. ("Dammit, why is there always a fruit stand?!")

Debra was really the fascinating part of this episode, in my opinion. First of all, I have no idea how she made it this long as a cop living in Miami not knowing Spanish. Second, I enjoyed the moral dilemma she faced when she caught Dexter and Lumen at the camp. I went from thinking she would let them go to realizing she wouldn't to realizing she actually would. I really loved that scene and the frustration written on her face. "Maybe it's true some people deserve to die. But I'm a cop and I don't make that fucking decision. So I'm gonna call this in. In an hour this place is gonna be swarming with police. If I were you I'd be gone by then." I thought after all the time she spent watching the rape videos she would be mostly okay with her decision. But she really is a cop 100% and couldn't help but be bothered by her actions. As she said, decisions of life and death aren't hers to make. But how could she bring herself to arrest two people who were taking out such monsters that the cops wanted stopped anyway? Perhaps if she looked at things as simply as "killing is always wrong. No matter what." But as she thought later, "you think someone's a good cop, and then they...do something. I don't know, all I'm saying is nothing is as simple as it seems." She's certainly growing as a character. She wants so desperately to see things as black-and-white, right and wrong, but life just does not work that way at all. At least she gets to know that Jordan got his. Knowing that Trinity is out there on the run (as far as she knows) is bad enough already, no need to add to the list of "the ones who got away."

Dexter and Lumen had their requisite wrap-up, which was touching but inevitable. I was so nervous on that boat that she would jump off or get shot randomly or something bad would happen because it was such a beautiful moment. I was terrified she would commit suicide, leaving a note saying that the peace she felt after killing her tormentors didn't last. But no, the writers weren't unbelievably cruel. She and Dexter just acknowledged that her Dark Passenger was satisfied, but Dexter's never would be. They weren't the same, after all. I am happy that Dexter will have his kids over the summer though. I'm glad to see Astor and Cody back in his life and happy after all the turmoil. It would be too mean to leave Dexter alone again after all of this. I liked the touch that Astor's question to Dexter - if helping Lumen made him feel better about what happened to Rita - was left unanswered. Rita wasn't acknowledged as much as I think she should have been this season, but Lumen was the response to her death. Lumen was Dexter's grieving process. (On a random note, is it possible for two blond parents to have two brunette children? That stuck out to me all of a sudden at the end.)

We didn't get a big Quinn-Dexter confrontation either. I'm glad, but it seems strange that Quinn would just drop it, even if he knows Dexter helped him. Maybe they'll pick it up again next season or something.

I'll close out this entry with this finale's summing-up-the-season speech:
"You can’t do one thing to make up for another. That’s what Jordan Chase says. But he’s wrong, because we do that all the time. That is the way the world works. We try to make things right. Even me. Lumen said I gave her her life back, a reversal of my usual role. Well the fact is she gave me mine back too. And I’m left not with what she took from me but with what she brought. Eyes that saw me, finally, for who I really am. And this certainty that nothing - nothing - is set in stone. Not even darkness. While she was here she made me think for the briefest moment that I might even have a chance to be human. But wishes, of course, are for children."