"Cougar Town" - a salute to the Cul-de-Sac Crew

"Cougar Town" has basically no plot these days. The name is misleading and pointless. The characters never go to work. We never see Ellie and Andy's infant son. Travis is home every weekend despite going away to college. There aren't really many romantic entanglements or new love interests. There's hardly ever more than one occasional guest star. The show is completely aware of its faults and unreal aspects. It's all about a bunch of adults who act like kids, except for the copious amounts of wine they drink every episode. And it's one of my favorite shows on television right now.It's just the definition of 'silly fun.' You want to hang out with these people. For them, adulthood means drinking wine and playing Penny Can or one of the other hundred games they make up. This most recent episode, "Lost Children," exemplified this basic core of the show - friends having a blast. They played one big grown-up version of hide-and-seek. In the process, they snooped around their friends' houses, encountered "Waiting for Superman" (which is not about Superman), and dealt with some conflicts along the way. "Cougar Town" isn't genius. It isn't meticulously crafted like "Arrested Development" or random and non sequitur heavy like "Family Guy" or "Scrubs," but instead it could follow "Seinfeld"'s motto - it's a show about nothing. But, like "Seinfeld" taught us, a show about nothing can be incredibly hilarious and entertaining. "Seinfeld" derived humor from everyday life and relatable humorous situations, while "Cougar Town" derives humor from a make-believe version of what we wish our lives were like.

"Cougar Town" is getting the solo love-fest this week because "Modern Family" was a repeat. I will point out that "Modern Family" has definitely had a creative upswing in the latter half of its second season. My fears were unfounded and the writing is top-notch and whip-smart again. That being said, "Cougar Town" isn't just the highlight of my Wednesday, it's the highlight of my week.

Best quotes:

This week's title: Do we have to do this joke forever? "Cougar Town"

Travis: "Mom, I'm trying to fix the TV, but I need to know what you did to break it."
Jules: "I just pushed one of the buttons on the remote and it went to black."
Travis: "Mmhmm. And then?"
Jules: "After it went black, I pushed about a hundred other buttons and then I plugged and replugged a bunch of wires."

Travis (about "Waiting for Superman"): "It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's a depressing expose about the failing public school system."

Barb: "You used to be one of us - stalking prey without mercy or shame."
Jules: "When are people going to understand? That's not who I am anymore. I mean, what do I have to do? Change my name?"
Barb: "You'll be back! The filth is strong within you!"

Everybody's 'trucker whoo'

Moving target Penny Can!

"Tossing copper" as new slang for Penny Can

Jules (on not being able to watch the documentary): "Damn it. I wanted to feel smart tonight. Smart and depressed about the world. Not dumb and happy like always."

Travis (talking about an article from his Psych class): "Adults can reduce their stress levels by embracing the activities they loved when they were little kids."
Grayson: "So we should all go hide in the shower and watch my babysitter pee?"
Jules: "No no no, this is good. I mean, not your thing. We're going to have to talk to a professional about that."

Laurie: "I love me some beef and bubbles. Oh! That should be our detective names! He's Beef, a grizzled ex-marine with a secret - he's a vegetarian. She's Bubbles, his plucky hot partner with a secret of her own - she's Beef's daughter. Together, they fight crime and each week, maybe they grow a little bit closer together."

Bobby: "We might as well watch this fake boring Superman documentary."
(later)
Bobby: "You know what's scarier than Lex Luthor? The decaying public education system that's cheating our young people out of a future."

Jules: "Now, you have an outside perspective of the Cul-de-Sac Crew. How do you see us?"
Travis: "Well, I see you guys as a bunch of old people with surprisingly good skin given the amount of wine and sun you take in."
Jules: "Yeah, I think the alcohol preserves us."

Grayson: "Hey, look, Travis' ironic t-shirt collection! 'Hey, I'm moody and sarcastic and I'm home for the tenth straight weekend because I don't understand how college works!'"

Ellie: "Look, when Andy's parents first moved here from Cuba they scraped up enough money to send him to prep school. So in walks this husky, balding 11 year old with a whole fried fish for lunch. He got terrorized by pretty boy D-bags like you named Wyatt or Deckland. And every time you tease him you remind him of those guys. Don't feed into it and you'll be fine."
Grayson: "No problem. Except for I just tied him to a tree, I gotta go get him."

Tom: "Why aren't you at college?"
Travis: "You know, Tom, I...don't...know."

Grayson: "Put my ice cream away and go get some wine and pillows and hide from Jules in the truck. I gotta go get Andy because I tied him to a tree."

Grayson: "Okay, so I probably shouldn't have tied you to a tree."
Andy: "Since I'm Cuban it's almost a hate crime."

Grayson: "Most of those cool guys, they're like me - divorced, struggling through life, peaked at 18..."
Andy: "Wow, you're a total loser."
Grayson: "What? No, I got Jules now."

Jules: "I swear to God, I will burn this whole Cul-de-Sac down!"

Bobby: "So ya'll bag on Sam once we left?"
Grayson: "What could we possibly say about her? We met her for like two seconds."
Bobby: "Well, that's all you're gonna get because she dumped me. Go ahead."
Ellie: "Bad hair, weird nose, thick neck."
Grayson: "She shook my hand with her fingertips. What are you, the Queen of France?"
Laurie: "Her face made me want to learn how to box."

Thoughts on the Academy Award nominations

This morning the Academy Award nominations were announced. While most of the nominees were expected, there were some surprises and snubs that the web is abuzz over. As always, the Golden Globes were a decent predictor of the Oscar noms, except for the sudden recognition of "True Grit," which was by-and-large snubbed by the Globes. I'm going to go through the nominations, giving my two cents worth. I don't normally like to do this, but I'll go ahead and predict who will win using bold type. In the editorial, I'll elaborate on who I think should win.(Sorry, but I'm skipping over documentaries and short films, foreign language film, Art Direction, Costumes, and Best Makeup. My knowledge of these categories is slim at best, so any comment on them would be fruitless on my part.)

Best Picture
127 Hours*(tie)
Black Swan*
The Fighter* (tie)
Inception
The Kids are All Right
The King's Speech*
The Social Network*
Toy Story 3*
True Grit
Winter's Bone

Nothing out of the ordinary here. Some are still quibbling over the ten nominee system for Best Picture, but this year I think it works well. There aren't a whole lot of fluff nominations that got in simply because there was more room. But if I had to pick just five, I would pick the ones I starred. I love "Inception," but it should be well served in other categories and if it really came down to it, I wouldn't include it in the top five. "127 Hours" and "The Fighter" are hard to choose between because, while I trust that they are both excellent movies, they are the only two on this list I haven't seen yet. I was considering leaving off "Toy Story 3," since it will win the Best Animated Film award, but in this case it should be in the running for the big one.

Best Actor
Javier Bardem, "Biutiful"
Jeff Bridges, "True Grit"
Jesse Eisenberg, "The Social Network"
Colin Firth, "The King's Speech"
James Franco, "127 Hours"

The race here is between Franco and Firth, but the Academy just loves Colin Firth. There's still some goodwill probably floating about after Firth didn't win for his superb performance in "A Single Man," which will most likely work in his favor.

Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale, "The Fighter
John Hawkes, "Winter's Bone"
Jeremy Renner, "The Town"
Mark Ruffalo, "The Kids Are All Right"
Geoffrey Rush, "The King's Speech"

I was surprised to see Hawkes get in there, although he was good in "Winter's Bone." I was also pleasantly surprised to see Renner score a nom, although I wish "The Town" had gotten more recognition overall. I am absolutely livid about Ruffalo getting in there over Andrew Garfield, who delivered one of the best performances of the year in "The Social Network." The scene towards the end where his character realizes just how much he got screwed over should have earned him a nomination. Ruffalo was fine, but what about his role screamed "best performance of the year?"

Best Actress
Annette Bening, "The Kids Are All Right"
Nicole Kidman, "Rabbit Hole"
Jennifer Lawrence, "Winter's Bone"
Natalie Portman, "Black Swan"
Michelle Williams, "Blue Valentine"

If all the hype doesn't carry her, this is a category where we could possibly see an upset. I think that's highly unlikely though, seeing as how Portman's performance speaks for itself, hype or not. This is a tough one though, since Williams and Lawrence have some good buzz behind them for their great performances. But if the Oscars are going to recognize a great juvenile performance this year, it's going to be Hailee Steinfeld's for "True Grit."

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, "The Fighter"
Helena Bonham Carter, "The King's Speech"
Melissa Leo, "The Fighter"
Hailee Steinfeld, "True Grit"
Jacki Weaver, "Animal Kingdom"

I don't understand how they can call Steinfeld a Supporting Actress, as she was the star of that movie, but she might not have gotten the nom otherwise. While she deserves the nom, I don't think she's going to get the win. I'm not super upset over Mila Kunis being left out for "Black Swan." I enjoyed that movie, but her role wasn't very meaty and she didn't actually have that much to do. Her performance has been a little overhyped, so while I'm surprised they didn't nominate her, I'm not disappointed.

Best Animated Film
How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Toy Story 3

I have to keep reminding myself that some foreign animated movie came out last year and they're not just nominating that Edward Norton magician movie years later. I'm curious how wide of a release "The Illusionist" received because I hadn't even heard of it until the Golden Globes. I'm surprised "Tangled" didn't get a nom. It's not like this category was overstuffed, they only nominated three movies! But this is the category will "Toy Story 3" will get its much-deserved award.

Best Cinematography
Black Swan
Inception
The King's Speech
The Social Network
True Grit

"True Grit," while not a great movie in my estimation, did look amazing. But I would love to see this one go to "Black Swan" and I think it will. Even if you hated that movie, you can't deny that the cinematography was fascinating. You could turn off the sound and just look at the movie and still enjoy it.

Best Director
Darren Aronofsky, "Black Swan"
Joel & Ethan Coen, "True Grit"
David Fincher, "The Social Network"
Tom Hooper, "The King's Speech"
David O. Russell, "The Fighter"

In my opinion, this was the most difficult category this year. You have hyped directors, talented directors, hyped and talented directors, and everything in between vying for a spot. I'm pretty peeved that Christopher Nolan got bumped from the category. So, "Inception" was one of the best movies, it was one of the most visually skilled, its screenplay was one of the best, but apparently the director had nothing to do with any of that? I really think the reason he got bumped was because his movie was the most popular, "popcorn," blockbuster movie to get nominated. When it comes down to it, the Academy will go for the "serious" or more "artsy" films every single time and Nolan fell prey to that. I agree with what I read on another site, that the Coen brothers could have made "True Grit" in their sleep. It was a solid movie, but nothing special. This is Fincher's to lose. It's the year of "The Social Network," a movie that performed well but also maintains its "serious" cred, and the Fincher/Sorkin team is a force to be reckoned with. Their combined buzz will lead them both to major wins on Oscar night.

Best Editing
127 Hours
Black Swan
The Fighter
The King's Speech
The Social Network

How "Inception" was not nominated here, I will never know. I can understand it losing out in the bigger categories, but it should win every technical award it can. That movie would have been crap if not for the brilliant editing, and how can anyone watch the cross-cutting between the dream-levels and not think to nominate it? "The Social Network" could possibly take this one as its hype will probably bleed over into other categories, but "Black Swan" should take it.

Best Score
"127 Hours," A.R. Rahman
"How to Train Your Dragon," John Powell
"Inception," Hans Zimmer
"The King's Speech," Alexandre Desplat
"The Social Network," Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

I'd love to see Hans Zimmer win, but I'd put money down that it's going to go to "The Social Network." And I won't be that heartbroken. "Inception" had a great soundtrack, but so did "The Social Network." Its win would absolutely not be undeserved. "Inception" has received some harsh criticism from the Internet after random viral sensations lampooned its main theme, but the score was more than just that small snippet pounding during the fight scenes that people remember the most.

Best Song
"Coming Home," Country Strong
"I See the Light," Tangled
"If I Rise," 127 Hours
"We Belong Together," Toy Story 3

"Toy Story 3" will win over the other animated nom here. The only possible competition could be from the song from "127 Hours," but once again, leftover goodwill from years past when Randy Newman didn't win for "You've Got a Friend in Me" will help him out.

Best Sound Editing
Inception
Toy Story 3
TRON: Legacy
True Grit
Unstoppable

Best Sound Mixing
Inception
The King's Speech
Salt
The Social Network
True Grit

Best Visual Effects
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1
Hereafter
Inception
Iron Man 2

I've already stated my opinions on "Inception" regarding the technical categories above, so I won't elaborate on these three categories. These will be the "Avatar" categories - where the Academy acknowledges the popular movie, but this is all it will get.

Best Original Screenplay
Another Year
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech

I'm torn here. The Globes really liked "The Kids Are All Right," but I just have a feeling that it's not going to have as much luck at the Oscars since it's sharing categories with Dramas, not just Comedies and Musicals. "The King's Speech" is tailor-made to be an Oscar darling, and you know what? It completely deserves it.

Best Adapted Screenplay
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone

Funny how sequels are considered Adapted Screenplays, huh? But this is another one where I would put down money (hell, I'd probably bet my life on this one) that Aaron Sorkin is going to go home with this award. He did a fantastic job, he deserves it, and he's going to win. No doubts here.

Remakes Galore: "Being Human" - the UK original vs. the US remake

"Being Human," at its core, is a show about a vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost trying to live normal lives despite their supernatural conditions. For any people uninitiated with one of or both of the versions, I'd like to outline the basic premise of each as of their first episodes.

First, we have the UK version. A pilot episode with different actors in most of the roles aired, but after the series was officially picked up, they recast basically everyone except the werewolf. I never saw that original pilot, so I can't comment on it. However, the new cast gels very nicely and two seasons have aired with a third in production. As of the beginning of the series, our cast of characters includes:Mitchell the vampire, as portrayed by Aidan Turner. Talents include being Irish and incredibly sexy as well as a vampire who gets to eat and go out in sunlight. In UK's version of the series, blood-drinking is treated more like an addiction than a nutritional necessity. Mitchell was turned sometime while serving in World War I. He has to deal with old alliances he wishes to rid himself of. Mainly, the vampires who turned him who also lead a secret, underground vampire community. He works as a hospital porter, which is British for 'orderly.'George the werewolf, as portrayed by Russell Tovey. Talents include being adorable, quirky, awkward, and having one hell of a "time of the month." Werewolf lore is pretty standard here. George has cut off ties with his previous life, afraid of hurting his loved ones. He works alongside Mitchell as a porter at the hospital as well, allowing them both flexibility in flying under the radar.Annie the ghost, as portrayed by Lenora Crichlow. Talents include a bubbly personality, being able to physically touch things and even move them telekinetically when upset enough. She is still mourning over the loss of her fiance, who also happens to be the landlord. She can be seen by other supernatural creatures at all times and occasionally can be seen by normal people if she's calm and collected. While she can cross the threshold and go short distances, she doesn't venture far from the house.

Next, we have the US remake. Despite what is plastered all over their advertising, Syfy's "Being Human" is absolutely, definitively, in no way an 'original series.' Like a lot of scifi shows, it's also Canadian by nature of where it's shot. Also, the lead actress is Canadian. So, really, it's a North American remake. Our cast with American accents includes:Aidan the vampire, as played by Sam Witwer. So far, our info about the new characters is limited, but Aidan seems to be much older than Mitchell. According to Wikipedia, he was turned during the Revolutionary War. 'Aidan' seemed like a very modern name to me, but Wikipedia also tells me that his full name is Ian Daniel McCollin. He can also go out in daylight, but blood is sustenance for him and therefore he can't abstain completely without dying. He works as a nurse in a hospital, which seems an odd profession for someone who apparently can't resist temptation when getting frisky with a girl but can hold it together helping with bleeding patients every day.Josh the werewolf, as played by Sam Huntington. He also left his family after getting 'the curse,' but has an unfortunate (and as-yet unresolved) run-in with his sister in the pilot. Also nerdy and awkward, he isn't getting along nicely with the ghostly roommate. He, too, works as a nurse in the hospital.Sally the ghost, as played by Meaghan Rath. She was in the pilot very little, but she seems to be a playful sort. I'm not sure how many people in this country ages 20-30 are named 'Sally' these days, but once again, I'm not going to split hairs over names. She can't physically touch anything, and even has problems staying visible sometimes. As of the pilot, she can't leave the house.

We also have two leaders in the vampire community, Herrick and Seth, in the UK original. In the US version, it's Bishop and some other guy. Bishop is played by cult fave Mark Pellegrino (Jacob on "Lost"). In the US version, there's also a nurse with an incredibly annoying voice. Like nails on a chalkboard, I swear.

Now, onto the editorial portion of this post. Instead of writing a review of just the US version, I'm going to compare and contrast the two shows, so spoiler alert! In preparation for writing this, I (of course) watched the American pilot that premiered this week, and I also rewatched the first episode of the UK series (what I consider the official first episode, not the rough pilot with the different cast). While having the same basic premise, they each start in different places. In the UK version, George, Annie, and Mitchell already know each other and live together. In the US version, Aidan and Josh know each other but the premiere episode follows them getting the house and meeting Sally. The US vampire also kills a girl in the beginning of the episode, but we don't see the girl's conversion into a vampire like we do in the UK version. The US pilot veers wildly into a different direction towards the end where Josh and his sister are trapped in a room together as he's about to transform. It's an intriguing cliffhanger, albeit a bit rushed. We barely know these characters and now they're placed in a very intense situation.

I am biased in favor of the UK version, just by nature of the fact that I watched it first and love it. I did my best to be objective with the new cast, but so far, I'm not very impressed. I felt like Aidan and Josh barely knew each other. In the UK version, you can tell Mitchell and George are friends. There's a visible camaraderie and rapport. Josh was my favorite of the new characters, but he can't quite pull off the lovable awkwardness that George can. So far, he comes across as whiny and he's kind of an ass with Sally ("you were supposed to marry whats-his-face, weren't you?"). I have to admit, I was a little perplexed at first when his sister was introduced, since I assumed that was his ex-fiance, like referenced in the UK version's first episode. Once I knew she was the sister, it made the lesbian thing a lot less confusing. I didn't mind the sister character, but I think she was shoehorned into the pilot when they could have held off on that for a few episodes. This is the US version, meaning we have more than 6 episodes to tell the story. No need to rush things. I don't want to make up my mind too early about Sally, since she was barely in the episode, but I didn't really like her. So far, she cannot pull off bubbly and endearing like Annie can. The perkiness was quite forced. Still, with barely any Sally and the tepid relationship between Aidan and Josh, the new cast doesn't have much chemistry that we can see yet. I really hope that changes.

I'm having big issues with Aidan as the vampire. Like other people have pointed out, he needs to smile more. He didn't get any fun lines like Mitchell's "I can actually talk to women without weeping or setting fire to myself." The UK series has a great sense of humor and the cast has excellent comedic timing. Humor was sorely lacking in the US remake. There was minimal friendly bickering and more irritating complaining that came entirely from Josh, which made it less fun. Watching the UK version again after the US one just cemented this for me. As I watched them both, I wrote down lines that stuck out to me. I ended up with more lines from the UK original. Look no further than the scene in each show where they meet the landlord/the ghost's fiance. The UK version of that scene is hilarious as well as touching. The US version is saddled with some awkward exposition and not much else.

But back to the actual character of Aidan, I didn't find him likable at all. That could come partially from the fact that Sam Witwer looks like the kind of guy I wouldn't want to find myself alone with in a dark alley. He's got the scary part down, but Mitchell had a dorky down-to-earthness despite being really hot. He didn't need to impress his date with being a know-it-all, quoting history or poetry or whatnot. And there's the ethical dilemma. Mitchell kills a girl, then we find out he turned her. He realizes again what monsters vampires are and, at the end of the episode, can't bring himself to turn another girl to save her from death. He learns the hard way that there are horrendous consequences for losing control. Aidan kills a girl, very briefly tries to abstain from blood, then quickly succumbs once Bishop leads him astray. He didn't get a grand moment like Mitchell's revelation with Lauren, where he realizes where his true allegiances lie. He didn't get a sympathetic moment like Mitchell's sad moment mourning the girl he got killed. His struggle to stay on the straight and narrow is painfully clear ("I'm not like [George], I don't have days off!") We learn Mitchell allowed himself to be turned to save other soldiers during the war. You know he has an innate good conscience. It's unclear what Aidan's motivations are for wanting to 'be human' without those moments.

The exposition with Sally the ghost also served to unintentionally distance Aidan from humans. He instantly knows all about ghost lore and it's kind of awkward. In the UK version, they gloss over how they find out about Annie's condition between worlds. Maybe Mitchell knew about it, maybe he didn't, but you don't hear him say "oh, yeah, you're not the first ghost I've run into." Another small moment I liked in the original is when George changes in their house. Mitchell, and eventually Annie, sit on the step outside, visibly uncomfortable and concerned. In that small moment, you can see how much they all genuinely care for each other. Aidan follows the American tradition of the stoic, calm and in control, aloof, authoritative vampire. Mitchell is vulnerable. We also get a glimpse into the reality of werewolves - not threatening the rest of the month while human, but they're damn terrifying when they change, even to vampires.

This brings me to the biggest problem of the US pilot: too much clunky exposition. The true test of the series will most likely be in the second episode where we leave that kind of dialogue that interrupts the pace and we're left with the characters and their troubles. The US remake was also a little too angst-heavy, as I mentioned regarding the lack of humor. The characters don't need to hash out all their deepest emotional problems in the first episode. Lastly, as I brought up, I'm afraid the US version is rushing things. While riveting, we didn't need that cliffhanger the first episode had. Let us get to know the characters first. Establish them as people we should care about first, then send them into tricky situations.

The special effects were fine, nothing spectacular, but slightly better than the original. Another thing I missed in the US version was any music. The first UK episode had some great music. It wasn't anything big, but I missed it (I also miss it on the DVD. If any Americans don't know what I'm talking about, the US release of the DVD doesn't have the songs that originally aired in the first episode. They didn't bother clearing the rights to the music, they just took it out. I'm a little bitter about it). There are times when I wish the US didn't feel the need to cast every part with someone super attractive. UK shows don't shy away from casting less than stunning, yet talented performers. Herrick looks like an average guy, which makes him that much more sinister. George is cute in a nerdy way, but still an average guy. UK casting helps increase a sense of realism. Also, it helps the hot vampire stand out even more when the rest of the cast doesn't look like models as well.

Overall, if you stuck it out till the end of this post, you can tell that I wasn't very impressed with the US remake. I kept an open mind and was willing to accept another version of the show. Why not have more of a good thing? But I have a feeling this is going to be just like the "Life on Mars" remake - trying to fix what isn't broken. The original is already so good, it's a small chance they're going to get it right again. But since this remake is on Syfy instead of a big network like ABC, it's probably going to survive much, much longer than the sad "Life on Mars" remake did. I'll tune in for a few more episodes and, if it gets better, I'll re-review it. Or, if it's still bad I'll do a season-in-review like I did with "The Walking Dead." Either way, I don't have high hopes. It looks like it could turn out to be a decent enough show, but I still recommend the UK original above this American one.

My Top 10: Fictional Eateries I want to visit

It's roughly mid-month, which means it's time for another bizarrely themed Top 10 list! This time I'm profiling some of my favorite imaginary restaurants and cafes from movies and television. Since I've missed out on some really popular shows, I like to refrain from saying "the greatest X of all time," instead substituting "my favorite X of all time." As always, I (futilely) encourage feedback, so you're always free to dispute my choices or offer your own.

10. Monk's from "Seinfeld"An absolutely iconic eatery in television history, this one ranks so low because the food looked like it sucked. But when Reggie's, the bizarro coffee shop, is your only other option, Monk's starts to look like five-star cuisine. If nothing else, I hear the Big Salad is good.

9. Java the Hut from "Veronica Mars" I admit it, this one gets a spot partly because of the awesome name. But it also had plenty of great music acts in addition to secret private investigator meetings. It has the perfect atmosphere of teen hangout mixed with film noir.

8. The Soup Nazi's place from "Seinfeld" Once you get past the delicate ordering procedure, it sounds like the soup is totally worth it. Word to the wise - if they forget to give you bread, just let it go.

7. Rick's Cafe Americain from "Casablanca"Of all the gin joints in all the world, this one is the definition of cool. Suave, classy, and full of intriguing people, Rick's Cafe is the place to be. Referencing any more of the famous quotes would be too easy, so I'll just say that this movie really never does get old...even as time goes by (too easy, but I can't resist).

6. Any diner from any gangster movieIt's basically a requirement for any major gangster, crime drama to have the characters discuss their plans in a diner. Tarantino particularly enjoys this trope, whether the characters openly discuss robbing a diner like in "Pulp Fiction" or they discuss the validity of tipping or the meaning of Madonna songs like in "Reservoir Dogs." So why would I want to visit those places? Because you're guaranteed some drama and shady patrons. The rest of my choices are pretty tame by comparison, so this is my one wild selection.

5. The Krusty Krab from "Spongebob Squarepants"The episode where Squidward tried his first Krabby Patty sealed the deal for me - I must have one. They may not be the most healthy food option under the sea, but they're good for your soul.

4. Coffee Bucks from "Scrubs" (or "Cougar Town") Bill Lawrence carried over his fictional coffee chain into "Cougar Town," but it was featured prominently in "Scrubs" first when Kelso put one in the hospital. You'd be guaranteed to run into everyone from Sacred Heart here. Just be sure that you don't pass on your coffee-drinking ways to your kids.

3. La Chocolaterie Maya from "Chocolat"This definitely places high on a list of 'movies not to watch while hungry.' As far as my sweet tooth goes, I would be fine if chocolate was the only candy I could eat for the rest of my life. Vienne knows all sorts of long-held secrets of chocolate preparation, so mix that in with the natural beauty of the French village and you've got one great hot spot for chocolate lovers.

2. Luke's Diner from "Gilmore Girls"
I just wish I could move to Stars Hollow for a few months. Luke makes the best cup of coffee in town, according to the local coffee experts Lorelai and Rory. He'll make you something unique (if he likes you) and handle orders with charm and patience. Not to mention there's always plenty of local character.

1. The Pie Hole from "Pushing Daises"I'm not even a big fan of pie, but if the Piemaker bakes it himself, I'll definitely make the exception. Unlike Keri Russell's inspired pies in "Waitress," the town in "Pushing Daisies" isn't nearly as depressing and the pies are far more magical. This place has the most local color of all since it's like stepping into a fantasy land. The show was best described as a 'forensic fairy tale' and, really, who wouldn't want to take a visit to that genre?

Honorable mention: Good Burger from "All That" and "Good Burger," The Drunken Clam from "Family Guy," Weston's from "Gilmore Girls," Independence Inn or Dragonfly Inn from "Gilmore Girls," any of "Chuck"'s random restaurants (Lou's sandwich place, the Orange Orange, Wienerlicious), Pizza Planet from the "Toy Story" movies, Sacred Heart Cafeteria from "Scrubs"

"Beyond Scared Straight" - the field trip from hell

This week, A&E's "Beyond Scared Straight" premiered. It's an updating of the old "Scared Straight" documentary from 1978 where young people "at risk" encounter actual prisoners and prisons. While the real life effectiveness of the high-profile original series was questionable, the premise is still riveting television and fits right in with A&E's brand of voyeuristic, tough love, self-help style reality shows. Their stable of reality shows ("Intervention," "Hoarders," etc) are the only ones I really watch because they actually are about reality. Also, the goal is to help someone in the end and you get to see some progress occasionally.A cynical viewer could scoff at the program along with the posturing kids on the screen, but the prisoners can try and get something into these flippant kids' heads - that it can happen to you. That there are people just like them that went down the same path. It's so hard to get through to adolescents that they aren't invincible and to break down that belief of "well, it can't happen to me." Even better, the premiere of "Beyond Scared Straight" focused on young girls rather than young men. Girls have the added dimension of thinking they are too pretty or too young to go to jail. Or that they won't be punished as severely solely because they are female. Although for a long time this was a true trend in incarceration rates, this has evened out between the genders in recent years.

While you might think it's harsh to send young kids into prisons, after spending five minutes with these girls you want them to have to spend a week in the prison just to be taught a lesson. You don't even need people screaming in your face, stick them in any prison for a few days and they'll quickly realize it's not fun. These are kids who act tough and love playing the bad girl, but really they're just acting out and rebelling like a lot of kids do at that age. They think they're hot shit and laugh and smirk while everyone around them freaks out about their behavior. While they're still young, I liked that they held the girls accountable for their actions and didn't villainize the parents while bemoaning the girls as unfortunate victims. Too often we place too much blame on the parents even when their children are in adolescence and at the age where they should be held accountable for their choices. Yes, they are minors and mentally not as rational as adults, but some responsibility should still be theirs. Parents can only do so much, as at a certain point, their child becomes a thinking being that can make their own choices and therefore should experience consequences.

In the end, we see the girls a month later and hear if they changed their ways or not. I'm glad they didn't pretend like every girl was changed by it as one particularly ornery chick continued acting out and entered Juvenile Hall. It's interesting to see the ones who do change, though, since they're at an age that is a critical period in offending. Once they get involved with the criminal justice system in some form, like with Juvie, it's tough to get them back on the right path. It's great to see some of them forming better, healthier coping mechanisms and outlets for their anger. I'll probably tune in for a few more sessions, but I imagine it will get repetitive as a series eventually. But for now, I enjoy seeing another A&E reality show that, while low-minded and appealing to the reality show voyeurs in all of us, tries to make a positive difference and have a message of change being possible no matter your affliction or position.

First look at "Spiderman" reboot

Being a girl and a proud nerd, I have to say that this picture is all kinds of awesome. (Grabbed from Entertainment Weekly, if you want to see it even bigger and better quality). Like I mentioned in a previous post, although I think the Sam Raimi movies are, for the most part, great movies, I am really looking forward to the reboot. I do hope they avoid going too into the recent dark "Batman" territory. "Batman" fits nicely into the gritty, post-modern superhero genre. But what I like about the first two "Spiderman" movies is how much fun they are. They're light, summer blockbuster, rip-roarin' good times at the theater. Also, "Spiderman" is still kind of a campy story. You still have the origin story about the spider bite and wacky weird villains. I would hate to see the new movie take a fun comic book premise and take it way too seriously when it absolutely does not have to.

Some people were apparently concerned about Andrew Garfield's ability to play a high schooler. I think he can definitely pull it off. Tobey Maguire wasn't exactly a kid when he took on the role. I liked Maguire just fine, but he was never my favorite part of those movies. Not to mention the fact that, unlike Maguire, Garfield is actually cute. Emma Stone is playing the new love interest. Once again, Kirsten Dunst was never my favorite part of the movies, but I didn't hate her. Between "The Social Network" and "Easy A," Garfield and Stone generated a lot of positive buzz in 2010. I'm more concerned about who will be writing and who will be directing. Director Marc Webb's big claim to fame is "(500) Days of Summer," but aside from that, he just has a ton of music videos on his resume. The people behind the screenplay are likewise pretty unknown. The previous "Spiderman" flicks had a screenwriter and a director with solid, well-known bodies of work behind them. Let's hope the newbies can prove themselves worthy of Spidey.

I guess the last big question for die-hard fans is this - to organically web-shoot or not to organically web-shoot? I'm a nerd in many ways but I'm no comic book nerd so I have no strong opinion one way or the other. I like the look of organic web-shooters, but if it's such a big deal, cede to the fanboys on this point.

In Theaters: "Black Swan"

The trailers: (see "True Grit" review)

The film: I've wanted to see this one for a while now and, to my surprise and delight, it got a wide release. "Black Swan" is not for sensitive or squeamish people. It's a very visceral film and contains more disturbing, gross-out images than Darren Aronofsky's previous ick flick "Requiem for a Dream." I loved that this movie actually leaves a mark on you when you watch it. The climactic final act completely had me (figuratively) on the edge of my seat. I particularly enjoyed the fact that the film never spells out for you what was part of main character Nina's madness and what was real. You're left at the end still questioning if her alternate Lily really was scheming for her position or was just an innocent fellow dancer caught up in Nina's spiral.

As far as the accusations of camp go, this is definitely a love-it-or-hate-it film. You either totally buy into it or you don't. Personally, I wholeheartedly believe that the movie perfectly straddles the line between drama and melodrama. The film is told entirely from Nina's point of view and therefore everything must be interpreted through her mind. If everything didn't take place through her eyes, then I could probably be convinced that this movie was overly melodramatic or cheesy. But you're seeing the events through the eyes of a naive, childlike, innocent young dancer who faces immense pressure from large, threatening figures who slowly manage to change her at her very core. I don't think this movie is high-minded trash or enjoyable camp. I think it's a movie that takes an uncomfortable, sometimes awkwardly funny, subject very seriously. I can see how many people would be turned off by it.

This is Nina's movie, and therefore it is Natalie Portman's movie and she more than rises to the occasion. You get to watch this woman go from admiring her icon from afar to changing who she is to be "perfect." The scene where Nina sits at retiring dancer Beth's mirror and picks up the lipstick is a perfect insight into who she is when her transformation begins. She is like a little girl, sheltered by her mother and pure in her passion. By the end, she has sacrificed the "sweet girl" she was to be the dynamic, sinister Black Swan. Her struggle to become the Black Swan is the most important thing to her. For her, the performance is her life and she is invested in every way imaginable to reaching the primal passion that Lily exudes so easily. It's about more than just performing the piece, it's about becoming it. "Lose yourself." Lily is "imprecise, but effortless. She's not faking it." The sexuality in the film, which may strike some as excessive, crass, or nothing but male fantasy is used to show Nina's dark maturation. Seduction is a big theme here.

I have to say that "Black Swan" did for "Swan Lake" what "Shakespeare in Love" did for "Romeo and Juliet" - it made me want to go out and see the original. Who says movies are low art? Both of these movies gave me a newfound appreciation and perspective on what I previously saw as old, stuffy productions irrelevant to the modern person. Okay, maybe that's a tad strong, but it gives me a new appreciation for ballet and theater.

I enjoy psychological thrillers and while "Black Swan" isn't the most subtle of examples, it's still a remarkable, fascinating film worth seeing.

My grade: A

ABC Wednesday - nutty neighbors, dopey doves, and product placement

"Modern Family" - Slow Down Your Neighbors"Modern Family" returned with a strong episode this week that revolved mainly around crazy (and crazy hot) neighbors. James Marsden guest starred as the hot tub intruder Barry while Claire fought to slow down a reckless speeder. Meanwhile, Jay tried to teach Gloria to overcome her fear and ride a bike. Each storyline was solid and had plenty of hilarious gems. Honestly, I can take or leave the stunt casting. But that being said, Marsden was still fun. And still smoking hot. I loved Mitchell and Cam's pre-credits sequence.

Best Quotes:

Cam: "Mitchell, there's a stranger in our hot tub!
Mitchell: "Who is it?"
Cam: "You do know what 'stranger' means, don't you?"
Mitchell: "Oh my god, how long has he been there?"
Cam: "I saw him exactly one second before you, you know everything I know."
Mitchell: "Okay, I'm calling 911."
Cam: "I'm getting my bat."
(They get a good look at 'the stranger')
Mitchell: "Maybe we're overreacting."
Cam: "Yeah, he could have a very good reason."
Mitchell: "We should at least say 'hello.'"
Cam: "It's only polite."

I have to say that they use Luke perfectly on this show. He's turning into my favorite Dunphy.
Luke (scoffing): "Police. Order a pizza and call the cops, we'll see who gets here first."

Phil: "'Luke, I am your father!' That's what I said to you when you were coming out of your mom's lady parts."

Claire trying to remember the car's license number while Phil wrote down an address was great. "Okay, 10-4. This could be my best year since 2006!"

Jay: "Two-thirds of my house can't do what a billion Chinese do."

Phil: "Bring it, Laura. You want to test me? I've been tested my whole life. They could never find anything."

Cam: "You do this every time we meet a new friend. They say one thing you don't like and you just write them off."
Mitchell: "I do not!"
Cam: "Oh really? What about 'But-Yet Rachel'?"
Mitchell: "'I'd love to go, but yet I don't feel like parking.' It's either 'but' or 'yet', not both!"
Cam: "You're lucky no one's kicked your butt, yet. What about Thomas? You wrote him off because he serves the salad after the meal. Which, by the way, is very common in Europe."
Mitchell: "What part of Europe is he from? Pretentious-stan?"
Cam: "Okay, fine, keep judging. Don't let anyone in. I could care less."
Mitchell: "I think you mean you couldn't care less because if you could care less it means that you care a little bit."
Cam: "All right. I'm going into the hot tub. If I stay in here one more minute my head is literally gonna explode."
Mitchell: "Well I hope not because if you mean literally-"
Cam: "-I don't feel safe in my own home!

Mitchell (about his tendency to roll his eyes): "I once saw a picture of myself at a friend's poetry slam, and all you could see were the whites of my eyes."

Jay: "We're riding bikes, we're not training police dogs."

Luke as a teacher was my favorite thing in this episode.
Luke (offering to teach Gloria to ride a bike): I never taught anyone anything. But my playdate canceled, so I was wide open.

Phil: "I wish I were one of those people who thrives on the danger of leading a double life - you know, Bruce Wayne, Peter Parker, Hannah Montana."

Phil: "Claire was furious. She said I betrayed her on every level. So, I called the florist, and I have ordered one dozen Mylar balloons. Good luck staying mad, honey!"


"Cougar Town" - No Reason to Cry
"Cougar Town" is still at the top of its game, silly and quirky as ever. I'm so happy to have the Cul-de-Sac Crew back! I loved the running gag of Andy and Ellie providing fake names to screw the other person over. At first I thought that they were a one-note couple, but they're really cute together. Especially when they're trying to escape "Jules' friend prison." The changing of the coffee sizes was fantastic as well and I knew instantly I had to include Laurie's entire speech for the quotes section. I wish the Emmys or someone official would recognize how awesome Busy Phillips is on this show.

I know the whole Diet Dr. Pepper product placement is going to ruffle feathers among people who go crazy over that sort of thing. To them I say 'get over it!' I rather a show do product placement like this than awkwardly make the characters suddenly all drink the same drink all the time. I thought it made perfect sense in context, for the character of Bobby as well as in the context of him wanting a sponsorship for his golfing. I loved Travis' little "is someone filming this?" comment as Bobby went on about Diet Dr. Pepper. I think people overreact anytime any real product is mentioned or shown in a positive light. I know I've gladly extolled the virtues of Coca Cola before and I don't find it unrealistic for a person to talk about a drink they love. If you can't just do the lingering shots of certain brand names on a show, then I prefer the writers try to be a little creative about it. I was never bothered by the "Chuck" Subway product placement because I know people who willingly rave about the place. Just be happy that primetime shows aren't nearly as awkward as soap operas are with their product placement.

Best Quotes:

Title this week was a long one! "New Year's Resolution: Embrace Our Stupid Title & Lose Six Pounds "Cougar Town" (We love it!)"

Jules: "It's so cool that you and Kirsten are staying for a movie."
Travis: "You said if I didn't, you wouldn't give me money for food."
Jules: "Just say 'you're welcome,' dude."

Jules: "Oh, sweetie, Grayson and I are a better couple than you."
Travis: "Well this sounds like a healthy road to go down with your mom."

Jules: "Grayson, pop quiz! What is my favorite food? What makes me really sad? Who's my celebrity crush?"
Grayson: "Veal, veal again, and Vince Vaughn."
Jules: "Nailed it!"
(Later)
Grayson: "How many did I really get right?"
Jules: "None, but you knew to lie and that's why we work!"

Bobby: "You see those guys over there? One of them just might be a Diet Dr. Pepper executive."
Travis: "Or just a doctor with the last name Pepper. I mean, the odds are about the same."

Tom (after the dove/frying pan collision): "Did someone have a pillow fight out here?...Whoa, there's a dead bird. And a real sad one right next to it."

Andy: "I know it sucks. But this is what happens when doves cry."

Travis: "My dad isn't just my dad. He's part of the Cul-de-Sac Crew. You meddle with one of them, the entire group responds. They're a collective consciousness, like the Children of the Corn."

Jules (after Grayson isn't appropriately sad about the dove dying): "If it was a person, would you still make jokes?"
Grayson: "Probably, because it meant they died sprinting into a frying pan."
Jules: "I bet that's how Bobby goes."

Bobby, while freaking out about the world, screws up his putt. "Will the Internet ever be safe again? Some experts say NO!" And I loved that all the next putt needed was a "DARFUR!" to get shaken. And later, "yeah baby! The world sucks but who cares!"

A perfect example of the difference between men in women in relationships:
Jules: "You get why murdering two animals would make me spiral right?"
Grayson: "I don't."
Jules: "Deep down, you're probably feeling just as sad as I am."
Grayson: "I'm not."
Jules: "You're gonna change someday."
Grayson: "I won't."

Grayson: "You know, I think you're a little emotional right now so I think the smart thing for us to do would be to just chill, not get into any deep conversations."
Jules: "Do you even think we're right for each other?"
Grayson: "Thanks for listening."

Grayson: "Put Big Carl down."
Jules: "No, he understands me!"

Kirsten: "Are we really at a dead lizard's funeral in your mom's yard?"
Travis: "You did this to us."

Grayson (to Jules): "You're an idiot. You're worried that we're not alike enough to be together. One of my favorite things about us is how different we are. It's the couples that are different that really work. I mean, look at these freaks (to Ellie and Andy). His favorite movie is "Die Hard." And she's a horrible person. I've been scared to say this, but all those ways that you're different from me...that's why I love you. I love you Jules."

And now, Laurie's crazy brilliant order at the coffee shop! You can tell they had so much fun with this one and Busy Phillips handles it wonderfully. (It's on Youtube, too, if you feel like watching it)
Laurie: "Oh hey Rache, now bear with me, I have to order for everyone. Okay, I'll have one Soy Largey, one teeny tiny, one teeny teeny tiny unleaded, one Plain Jane, extra yum, (what the hell make it a double yum), a Baby Joey, a Midnight with a Full Moon - hold the pumpkin, a medium coffee, I need a Heavy D in a travel mug please, two Crazy Ivans, a Sauron's Eye. Also I need a 'Damn!' and an iced 'Damn!', a Sneaky Pete, a double drip with a snip of whip, and a frap cap heavy on the (makes crushing sound). Oh, and let's see what's fresh...okay, well I'll take three raisin happy muffins, a French mustache, and, ick, a fart muffin - that is not for me. Oh, and I forgot to order my own coffee! Can I get a Taye Diggs, which is black and extra strong and smooth but also very sweet?" (Barista stands frozen in place) "Would it be easier if I just came back there and made it myself?"

In Theaters: "True Grit"

The trailers: I saw three movies in one day and I wasn't exactly taking notes, so I am not even going to attempt to list the upcoming releases I heard about. They were mostly forgettable though. Not surprising, since we're headed into the post-Holiday Death Valley that is the movie climate in the early new year.

The film: Several people I know saw "True Grit" recently and highly recommended it. Westerns aren't really my favorite type of movie, but I'll enjoy any type of movie if it's done well. The "3:10 to Yuma" remake is a fantastic movie and I would recommend it to most people, even those who don't care for Westerns. But in the case of "True Grit," I really do think there is a disconnect to some degree between the quality of the film versus my personal enjoyment of the film. For some movies, quality and personal entertainment don't match up. A movie's quality is very objective and can be analyzed the same way by everyone. But a movie's entertainment ability is very subjective and can differ from person to person. For example, I think "Blade Runner" is an excellent movie. However, I don't like it much and find it rather boring and morose. On the other side of things, I openly admit that I enjoy watching "Ace Ventura" movies. They aren't good movies by any stretch of the imagination, but through nostalgia and a (sometimes) juvenile sense of humor, I like them. Through this preface, you can probably infer by now that I didn't love "True Grit." The best word I can use is "underwhelming."

It was a good enough adaptation of a novel that was already adapted into what I hear is a good film. The cast, including Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon, is capable, although the only one who truly shines is the young Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross. She handles her role very well for her age and holds her own among bigger name stars. Josh Brolin, as much I love him, is in the movie for what felt like five minutes. Bridges and Damon are good, but really, do you expect anything less than that from them?

My biggest issue with the movie revolves around its pacing. It spends a great deal of time in town, establishing Mattie Ross as a headstrong, intelligent young woman. While I enjoyed the verbal wit and crisp writing, in retrospect I wish they had focused more on the journey than the build-up to the journey. She then manages to get the team together, lots of manly pissing matches ensue, they follow one or two leads to find Brolin's character before the trail goes cold, miraculously stumble upon him, and kill him in a very abrupt climax. I felt like the movie wanted to have a big emotional ending that it just didn't quite earn. Considering the subject matter, two big things that were missing were any sense of urgency and a sense of danger. But maybe this is supposed to be all about the characters, not their man-hunt. The characters all come to respect each other by the end, but I just didn't buy it. For a movie that is almost two hours long, it felt incredibly short to me. Also, aside from the snippets of humor, there wasn't much about it that was very Coen brothers-esque. Sure, the film is beautifully made as well, but once again, do you expect any less from the Coen brothers? Perhaps without the big name cast and the Coen brothers behind the scenes, this movie wouldn't have gotten nearly as much as buzz. Personally, I feel like you could have put entirely unknown actors in the roles and gotten the same exact movie.

A lot of this boils down to personal opinion, I suppose, since the majority of people out there loved "True Grit." I'm no professional, this is all just my humble opinion. And in my humble opinion, there's nothing special about this respectful and well-done yet dull adaptation.

My grade: C-

"Southland" hits its stride and finds stability on TNT

"Police officers often find themselves frustrated with the limitations of the legal system. Sometimes cops have to improvise."
After being mishandled by NBC and transferred to another network, the first season of "Southland" completely produced for cable premiered this Tuesday with a top-notch episode. If you haven't tuned in before, I don't think it's a problem jumping in now. You lose a little character development from the earlier episodes, but due to its procedural nature, there are no big ongoing storylines to be confused by.

My favorite description of the show I've read so far is by Entertainment Weekly, who called it a "procedural with the soul of a serial drama" when recommending it. The show also has a healthy dose of realism to it that you often don't get on network television. And I don't just mean that in reference to its grittiness. The scene where Lydia tells Russell about her new partner was a great example of one of the best things the show does - it takes small, everyday moments and focuses on them, as they are often the big moments in day to day life. I particularly enjoyed Ben and John trying to settle a sales dispute, the kind of mundane stuff that doesn't make headlines but does make up a good portion of street level police work.

This episode had some great writing as well, from "better live pussies than dead heroes" to "she needed a restraining order, not a hug." Another favorite of mine was from a neighborhood local being interviewed by the detectives regarding a murder, telling the detectives that "this isn't a fucking whodunit. Everyone in this neighborhood knows whodunit." The show isn't shy about the real life limitations of the legal system either, as the opening voiceover points out. When discussing the spate of murders of women, Lydia says, exasperated, that "if they were killing Muslims like this, everybody...they'd be protesting and trying to pass bills in Congress." Detectives Bryant and Moretta also struggle with the imperfections when finding out why some gangbangers walk free after gang raping a girl. Bryant asks why they were acquitted, to which Moretta explains "she was drunk."

I highly recommend "Southland," especially if you're like me and you're going through withdrawal. There seems to be a shortage of good TV right now as we're kind of in a transition period between great big TV dramas. Phenoms "Lost" and "24" ended this year and the next big thing hasn't been found yet. Meanwhile, the 2010 fall season is the weakest in recent memory for new shows. So if you need a new fix of quality TV, check into "Southland" on Tuesdays at 10 on TNT.

"V" returns, revitalized and ready to get back into action

I don't know if it's too late for "V" to recover from its rocky first season, but its return last night certainly bodes well. Maybe it's too late for it to catch on or be renewed, but I have high hopes for the direction of the rest of the season. Not that the show is anything amazing, but I don't think it's as campy or terrible as people say it is. It's enjoyable for what it is, and last night we got a lot of exposition and the pace picked up. Really, I'm just happy to have another SciFi show out there that is entertaining even if it's not outright enthralling.

It seems like forever, but things picked up right where they left off - Chad Decker discovering the truth about the Vs, Anna turning the sky red, etc. I think they really utilized each character to the right amount in this episode. Elizabeth Mitchell's Erica Evans is still a bit of a bore and the only moments where she gets to shine are when she talks with Anna. Outside of those scenes where she gets to be a headstrong mother and a steadfast resistance fighter on board the ship, she's rather dull and I'm glad they're expanding the cast. Like Erica, a lot of the other characters have this problem of being personality-less. They have designated roles but they aren't very realistic. And you know what? I'm okay with that. This isn't a deep show and some of the characters are entertaining even if they aren't very lifelike. Luckily, Father Jack got very little screentime and most of it actually centered around the Fifth Column storyline and therefore wasn't as useless as his time normally is. It makes me sad that he's such a bore as well since I loved Joel Gretsch on "The 4400." But I like that Chad Decker is in the know and has to grapple with his guilt as well as the pressure of acting like he knows nothing.

The one human character I liked the most is Hobbes, the British mercenary. Well, now I have another human to root for on this show - Bret Harrison's Sidney. I've missed him since "Reaper" ended. Hobbes' declaration to Sidney that he was now working for the Fifth Column was great - "and if you say no, we'll kill you. Relax, I'm kidding. Maybe."

But my favorite characters are still the Vs fighting on our side. Ryan returned, but luckily the rest of the group wasn't moronic and actually questioned why he escaped so easily and what his true motivations are. Joshua was revived, but due to amnesia problems it looks like that was just a quick stunt and he isn't really back. Or maybe they'll go daring and have him report to Anna that Lisa was acting strangely and the friend will turn into a foe. And then we'll get to see his true nature to sympathize with humans resurface and we'll actually get to see him struggle with his loyalties. But that's only in my dreams, if they decided to capitalize on their one awesome character. Aside from him, though, Lisa is turning into my favorite character. She's in the most precarious position and is dealing with the highest stakes. She is embracing her feelings for Tyler and trying to protect him but she has to follow her mother's orders as well. I wish Tyler wasn't such an oblivious horny moron though. But Lisa's big turn to actually helping the Fifth Column is a big deal and I find her to be the most intriguing character, morally. Unfortunately, the more Lisa grows the more obvious it is that Tyler is painfully underdeveloped. I have a feeling the actor doesn't have the chops to pull off much more, though. Like her daughter, Anna is also getting more interesting with her struggle with human emotions. I'm not sure why the human skin also endows them with emotions, but I like the drama it brings. Watching Anna deal with her emotions by becoming more of a cruel bitch was a neat inversion of what her daughter is doing. You can't just give peace a chance, Anna? Come on, all you need is love! Do you really have to populate Earth? There isn't another planet out there you can use?

Another thing I noticed about this episode was that is was really gruesome. Red rain, tearing apart V leaders, Tyler getting his face ripped off (alas, only in a dream sequence)? I think this show borders on cheese without going overboard and I'm really enjoying the balance. It's just cheesy enough without being campy, although it could use some lightening up as it gets a little too morose sometimes. Alien invasions aren't a day at the park, I know, but they can be serious and still riveting.

After watching "V" and seeing a promo for TNT's "Falling Skies," I really want a show where aliens actually do come in peace. They would be screwed because we would never believe them and it would probably end up as a "District 9" type situation, but I would like to see something different.

So I guess the new big development is the phosphorous in the red rain and its ties to V breeding. It's a very elaborate plan full of a lot of work just to breed more Vs, so I have a hard time believing that's all they want - to populate the Earth with Vs, or make humans give birth to Vs, or whatever. And apparently Erica had some phosphorous issues when she was pregnant, leading her to get a blood test with Sidney to learn more. I have a question that's been bugging me - how bad is it to just slice your hand open with a knife? Couldn't Erica have just taken blood the old fashioned way? Lots of movies and TV shows (like the first "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie for example) show characters slitting their palm to get blood. Does a wound there clot that easily? Wouldn't that hurt like crazy for a while? It just doesn't seem practical or healthy. And now that I've rambled on needlessly about something no one else thinks about, I'll sum things up again - I'm enjoying this show for what it is and hope the rest of the season is as enjoyable as this episode was.