Dear Damon and Carlton

You've lost me again (forgive the pun).

You had me after season 3's finale, I was hooked. You had me through the beginning of season 4, I had my questions but I was still on board. You began to lose me for a couple episodes in the middle there but I held on through the penultimate episode of the season. And there I was, ready to love you again as I went into tonight's 2 hour season 4 finale. and for the first time in Lost season finale history, you let me down.

I'm not saying that the episode was devoid of excellence. Desmond's reunion with Penny and his goodbyes to the castaways were lovely. He's one of my favourites (if not my favourite) castaway and I'll be very sad to see him sail off into the sunset and away from the show. But he's happy and he's alive and that's good enough for me. The callback to his early scene with Jack ("see you in another life brother") was wonderful. And Jin's death, though expected, still earned an emotional response (mostly a credit to the genius of Yun Jin Kim).

But that was it.

Sawyer jumping out of the helicopter was nice. But the second he got on the helicopter in the first place I predicted he'd whisper to Kate, kiss her, then jump. There are enough shows that don't surprise me, I don't need to add the usually enlightened Lost to that list.

As for the rest, I don't care: I don't care that Michael's dead. I don't care that Walt looks like he's 35. I don't care that the boat blew up. I don't care that Ben moved the island. I don't care that Ben can't return to the island. I don't care that he says the rest of them have to. I don't care that Kate wants nothing to do with Jack. I don't care that Hurley thinks he's playing chess with Mr. Eko. I don't care that corporate Sun is contacting Mr. Whidmore. I don't care that Sayid is shooting random people. I don't care that Jack is a junkie. I don't even care that it was Locke in the coffin or that he was using a different name. I simply don't care.

All Lost has become is plot. It is brilliantly constructed, nerds will be dissecting it for decades, go down in history alongside Star Wars kind of plot but it is still nothing but plot. And until you give me something other than strictly plot, I will continue not to care. I will continue to watch. But I will never care again, not like I did when Jin spoke his first words of English or when Charlie sacrificed himself to save Claire or when Jack first began to fall in love with Kate.

Give me something to care about and maybe I can learn to love you and your show again.

and then they all makeout

There is a grand tradition of Grey's Anatomy season finales. Addison's arrival left millions of viewers speechless and uncertain. Denny's death is remembered as one of the most emotional moments of television in years. Christina's wedding should have earned Sandra Oh an Emmy and sent Burke off on exactly the right note. So when last night's season finale rolled around I couldn't wait to see what brilliance Shonda and co. had prepared to throw my way. But after sitting through the 2 hour episode, however, all I was left with was the simple question "what was that?".

Firstly, there was no stunning moment of cliffhangery goodness. There was no Emmy-worthy emotion (except perhaps from Justin Chambers, who continues to be the most underrated actor on TV) and nothing that I really cared about. If Alex had broken down about Eva/Rebbecca last year I would have been invested but she'd grown so tiresome by the time Izzy finally sent her to the psych ward that I'd lost all interest and thus couldn't sympathize when Chambers delivered the performance of the night.

Secondly, Meredith and Derek are back together and we've been promised that they'll stay that way. But their final moments together of the season seemed so incredibly forced that I lost all interest. It takes a lot for me to invest in these 2 in the first place, but I had by the end of the episode, and then it got ruined by the over-romanticizing that went on instead of a subtler and sweeter coming together.

Thirdly, there are 2 friendships on this show (Meredith and Christina, Mark and Derek) that's all. If Meredith and Christina hadn't kicked off the show with a brilliant "you're my person" scene this rant would be way longer than it is but why can't anyone be friends? I understand Izzy and Alex, it was always about them in a way and it wasn't so much a romantic hookup as a comfort one- psychologically more complex, OK Shonda, I'm on bored. But what about George and Lexi? Once this thing plays out the man will have slept with more of the principle cast than anyone else, why can't he keep a friend? and Callie and Erika- a little more complicated. I'm fine with it, they have great chemistry and it's nice to get a homosexual couple on the show who are featured in more than 2 episodes. But I have the same issue with this storyline as I had when Willow was an all-of-a-sudden Lesbian on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. We've already witnessed Callie fall for "her McDreamy", George. If the seeds of her homosexuality had been planted a little sooner I'd be a little happier. But hey, Callie is a little more understandable than Willow because of her close friendship with Hahn, the questions brought up by Addison and the flames fed by Sloan. This is the last you will hear of me complaining about that slightly out-of-the-blue story line.

As for the week's cases, I found cement guy traumatizing. I was freaked out by the thought of it more than by any case we've seen so far. Lola was horrid and the kid would have been so much more sympathetic without her but the story line served its purpose I suppose. The other case was much more interesting. Meredith and Derek's 2 tumor patients and their love story were very endearing (even if completely predictable).

Oh, and good on Christina. Way to learn from Hahn's bad example and teach Lexi. A very good Christina episode in all.

So in the end we fade to black as everybody (Meredith, Derek, Alex, Izzy, Callie, Erika, Richard and Adele) makes out, Sloan is left alone and Lexi pictures George naked. Comparatively, not exactly their strongest ending to date.

A Veronica Moment

The Strategic Hissy Fit

A Light Chuckle

With Back to You cancelled and the genuinely hilarious Aliens in America gone I found myself panicking that I had no sitcoms left to watch. Yes How I Met Your Mother is still chugging along and the usually unfunny Office and Scrubs still exist. Samantha Who, Big Bang Theory and 30 Rock all claim a couple of laughs a week but gone are the days when a good sitcom could have you laughing out loud and wanting to watch it over again. In fact, I've gotten used to being slightly amused and settling for that when watching television comedy.

I got so used to not laughing at the TV that a couple weeks ago I turned on a sitcom, that I had accidentally taped on my PVR, while wearing a face mask that would crack if I smiled. Much to my surprise, it cracked. Lack of skin care benefit aside I was so excited that I hadn't been able to control my laughter that I started taping the sitcom whenever it was on. That sitcom was Rules of Engagement.

At first glance Rules of Engagement is nothing more than a 'Til Death meets sleazy single guy mashup. But it's not. I do advise you, however, to ignore David Spade entirely as he has not been funny since Just Shoot Me and seems to be simply the butt of "he's sleazy and short" jokes. The rest of the main cast, however, is hilarious. Oliver Hudson (known to audiences as Joey's hot and enigmatic boyfriend on Dawson's Creek) is apparently very funny. He mixes a sweet childishness and naivete with maturity so well that the engaged Adam is adorable and funny yet never over the top. He is idealistic, quirky and romantic and yet somehow believable. Adam's fun, open sweetness is foiled perfectly by cynical, emotionally stunted, sarcastic and cheap Jeff (as played by Patrick Warburton) whose marriage is comically perfect in all its flaws. Jeff's self centered and ambitious yet thoughtful and sentimental wife Audrey (Megyn Price) is his perfect match as they muddle their way through married life in their own dullset version of Mad About You. Patrick Warburton's comic timing is as close to perfect as you get. Bianca Kajlich (who's character Natasha dated Dawson while Oliver Hudson was romancing Joey) plays Jennifer, Adam's counterpart, well. She balances out his quirks with her own groundedness but somehow manages to keep away from the boring zone (a real danger for her type of character). And every once in awhile, Russell (Spade) makes a funny joke as well.

Completely underrated, Rules of Engagement may not be groundbreaking but it fills the void left by Back to You five times over. Give it a shot, it's certainly enough to break a face mask.

Freaks and Geeks

Here's the thing, Judd Apatow's high school comedy Freaks and Geeks is a good show. It's cited as one of the greats among the "brilliant but cancelled" elite, sparked a ton of young actors' Hollywood careers and is considered one of the most painfully accurate portrayals of high school life ever on television. It has real, honest and multi-dimensional characters and believable yet humorous story-lines.

But I don't really get it. Or at least I thought I didn't get it.

I didn't go to that school. I didn't know those kids. The stoners I knew sang tenor and spoke Latin. The geeks I knew published comic books and were on the improv comedy team. The religious kids I knew still knew the realities of the world instead of being completely sheltered by their faith. The drummers I knew all took lessons and I simply didn't know any mathletes.

But then I watched more. I started to see pieces of the Shakespeare quoting, squash playing, show tune singing, website designing freaks and geeks I knew in the kids on the show. and what's more... I started to see me.

When Sam was forced to adhere to the sibling code even though he knew Lindsay's party was a mistake, I completely understood. When Nick gave Lindsay a speech about how he lives for drumming, I saw one of my best friends. When Daniel proved to be a slightly nerdy nice guy beneath his sleazy exterior, I realized that I know at least 5 real-life Daniels. I saw my own parents when the Weirs helped out Nick, I saw my friends when Kim and Daniel fought and I saw my newly cool big brother when Barry Schweiber came home from college. And when Lindsay worried that her friends didn't inspire her I got a little concerned that Judd Apatow had been reading my diary. (yes I'm kidding. I do know that this show was made in 1999. I also do not even keep a diary. but you know what I mean).

But even after I began to relate to the characters I couldn't quite grasp what was so remarkable about this show. For every uniquely wonderful moment such as Ken falling for Tuba girl because she was sarcastic and mean and thus perfect for him, there was something that reminded me why I'm pretty consistently not an Apatow fan (like Lindsay ditching her mom to go drive around and smash pumpkins like a real rock and roll loser). Luckily I have a few friends who believe so strongly in this show that I was forced to watch it the entire way through. It turns out that once you wade through a lot of the "I'm an idiot teenager and thus must rebel" crap near the beginning, you're left with some really great episodes of TV. The Neal-centric episode when Barry returns and Daniel finds his way back to Kim was incredibly touching. Anything involving Ken and the Tuba Girl is magnificent. You've got to love Kim, Daniel, Ken and Nick for showing up to cheer Lindsay on at the mathlete scrimmage. Nothing says friendship like when Millie bails Lindsay out when she has to babysit when stoned even though she doesn't approve. What's better than Sam dumping the prettiest girl in school because she's boring? And few things can rival a good helping of "Carlos the Dwarf".

So while the first couple episodes and the last couple minutes simply made me wonder why a girl as smart as Lindsay can be such a moron (even at 15), Freaks and Geeks turned out to be a pleasant surprise. and while my love of Jason Segal didn't gain any ground from his turn as Nick, Seth Rogen's role as Ken earned him serious points that maybe just maybe may redeem him for Knocked Up.

How I Met Your Mother's season finale

Ladies and gentlemen, that is how it is done.

FRIENDSHIP: Barney can womanize, gamble, cheat and manipulate all he wants and will always remain a sympathetic character because the audience has always known (and he proved in this week's episode) that he would scale mountains for his friends.

and

LOVE: Neil Patrick Harris didn't say a word but HIMYM fans everywhere didn't need him too, his gaze said it all. Since they first bonded as bros in season 1, Robin has been the only person who made sense for Barney to fall for. She, and only she, has the power to melt him and his controlled "awesome"-ness. And with that one look from the incomparable NPH it's become clear to fans that she has.

We Interrupt this Broadcast to advise you...

to see Young at Heart, a new documentary (and Sundance hit) now playing in theatres.These rock and rolling seniors will make you laugh, cry and cheer as they sing their way into your heart (and the hearts of millions, including an audience of prisoners who give them a standing ovation after a performance in the film). There hasn't been a film that touched me as much as this one in many years and I think it's worth taking time off of TV talk to make sure you don't miss out on experiencing it too.

Found

Lost returned this week with an exceptional episode. Not only were the Oceanic 6 given their "we just got rescued" flashback which cleared up a lot of muddy plot but the episode was a return to the time when Lost wasn't just about the next big plot twist. Though always full of shocking developments and revelations (like last night's dynamite on the boat and Claire's mother revealing her paternity to Jack), at its roots, Lost was about character. The showrunners always took the time to show small, subtle character moments instead of just biding time between plot developments. This feature fell off a bit towards the middle of this season, and I've really missed it. Last night was a return to form. The touching moment when the Oceanic 6 greeted their families and Kate was left alone was extremely poignant. I almost cried when Sayid was reunited with Nadia and I literally jumped up and cheered when Sun stood up to her father. Last night Lost found its way back to being not only a thrilling mythology but an emotional character study as well.

Betty Babble

In honour of this week's fabulous installment of Ugly Betty here are my favourite quotes from the episode.

MARC:

"Mandy! You're going to be a reality TV star! It's what every pretty girl with no specific talent dreams of"

"Marc and Amanda, we're so funny together, everyone says so"

"If it isn't Miss Fancy Pants Celebrity back among the muggles... where's your posse? where's your hybrid? where's your inappropriately named baby?"

"I love this, you're back and Wilhemeaner than ever"


Justin:

"It's still the gym. It's like putting lipstick on a pig"


Gio:

"I don't want to be the rebound guy. I want to be the guy"

This Week on TV

For some reason all the TV worth watching is currently on either Sunday, Monday or Thursday. This means that I tend to watch things all at once. Thus, I will now write about them all at once.

I apologize for the lack of posting this week and hopefully can make up for it with one jumbo review.

Here we go.

SUNDAY

Desperate Housewives- is it sad that I can barely remember what happened in this episode? Kayla is severely creepy and I remain, as always, firmly on team Lynette though I understand why Tom is fooled by his seemingly sweet daughter. I'm already tired of Gabby and Carlos again though am kind of enjoying Justine Bateman's turn as the friendly tenant/coke dealer. As for the Mayfairs, I really don't like Dylan and anyone who couldn't tell that she wasn't the same kid as used to live on Wysteria Lane clearly was paying no attention at all. I'm slightly intrigued though also very bored. I'm also already bored of Susan's baby (who has been born about 30 seconds at this point). But hey, not only does Edie know the truth about Benjamin Hodge, she used it to blackmail Bree. This resulted in an always awesome strut down the lane as Bree told her friends the truth and the four ladies marched up to Edie, proclaiming that from that moment on, Edie doesn't exist. Overall an uninteresting episode with a few good moments.


Brothers & Sisters- meh. The wedding was sweet. Nora was Nora. I've come to terms with Justin and Rebbecca. I'm not sure how I feel about Sarah. I don't care about Sol. or Tommy. or Holly. or Ryan (the new twist of a long-lost brother) for that matter. I do, however, care a great deal about Kevin and Scotty and though their wedding was nothing in comparison to their engagement it still makes me smile to see them together and happy. This show, even when mediocre, is consistently one of the best shows out there.



MONDAY

Samantha Who?- Funny. Quite funny. Not my favourite episode but Samantha's first birthday party was entertaining and sweet. There were some great Andrea moments (Jennifer Esposito is fully in character even when she's in the back of a scene- watch her, she's hilarious), some awkward Dina stalkage bits and some really great moments for Sam's dad (who doesn't usually get much screen time).


Gossip Girl- The last few episodes of this show have really frustrated me (since Georgina arrived). I was totally behind Gossip Girl. It knew what it was and it did it well. The character motivations always made sense and the plots, though outrageous, were far from frustrating. But recently the main plot of this show has been driven entirely by the intelligent characters acting stupidly. If people would just tell Dan the truth ever once in awhile none of these problems would exist. The writers need to come up with storylines strong enough that the characters can be rational and intelligent and still have roadblocks instead of having to create them through idiocy. See Desperate Housewives' Bree this week; when confronted with a blackmailer she didn't shudder at what her friends would think were her secret revealed. Rather she strode right up to them and told them everything, thus reclaiming her power from Edie. Serena- stop worrying about stupid things, prioritize, stop making bad life decisions and tell your mother and your boyfriend the truth every once in awhile. Dan- don't be an idiot, why would you a) trust Georgina and b) believe that Serena would cheat on you. Nate- don't date Vanessa, I don't like her. This show aggravates me but I still really like most of the characters (even when they are acting like idiots) so I always enjoy this show. I just need them to get their stories back on track and get rid of Dawn, the world's most annoying person.


One Tree Hill- haha. It is comical that I still watch this but I can't stop now, I have to see what happens. All I can say is a) Hayley is dumb, she handles the Dan thing wrong every single week. b) though Brooke's storyline is completely predictable (I was literally saying the lines before they came) I still care somehow, and that doctor is way hotter than Ethan so I'm excited for that inevitable love story. I'm also slightly confused by/really liking that they are bringing Brooke and Lucas back together as friends taking care of the baby. That friendship never really recovered after their on and off screen breakup. c) I can't stand Mouth, he's the worst reporter EVER. d) I love Skills, end of story. e) Jamie's the cutest kid ever. f) What was with Nathan dragging Jamie up the hill like he was a horse? that was soooo strange. g) Dan is so going to kill that reverend. h) go away Lindsay and Lucas SMARTEN UP, you love Peyton, its not her fault Lindsay left. and most notably i) Peyton keeps getting stomped on. I don't even like her very much but she keeps taking hit after hit. First Brooke doesn't want her at the hospital then Lucas says he hates her (and that's not even including 2 dead mothers, an absentee father, a gunshot wound, a psycho stalker and definite sexual harassment in LA). OK maybe I had more to say than I thought.


Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother- do to some sort of stupid "breaking news" that centred around a man sitting in a truck for a very long time, the channel that these 2 shows were supposed to record on didn't air their entire Monday night lineup. Thank you very much man in truck.



THURSDAY

Ugly Betty- I loved this episode!!! This was exactly what the show needed- to get back to its roots. Wilhelmina's return to Mode was no disappointment after all the anticipation. I knew she'd get Alexis on her side in no time, it was perfect. It's fun to see her manipulate the media as well... and Larry King is always fun on these types of shows. Marc and Amanda were also reunited with Willy's return to Mode and they were back to their usual brilliance. Marc had so many fabulous one- liners I can't even remember them all. Michael Urie and Becky Newton's chemistry is irreplaceable and they've been apart too long. Amanda's reality show with her "father" Gene Simmons was hysterical!!! There was also some great Suarez household stuff (who wouldn't want "juice ala Hilda"?) and some really nice Betty/Gio moments as well. I admit I didn't like Gio at first but he's really grown on me and with his final line of "I don't want to be the rebound guy, I want to be the guy" I officially hopped on the Betty/Gio train. I love Chris Gorham but now is the time of Freddy Rodriguez. The true star of the episode though was Justin. Consistently one of my favourite characters, Justin really got to shine in this episode, showing off his fashion sense, sweetness and maturity as he worked the school dance and fed the flames of his mother's sparking romance with his gym coach. Mark Indelicato has impeccable comic timing and is one of the most underrated actors in this outstanding cast. What is all comes down to is a simple statement: Betty is Back.


Grey's Anatomy- The same cannot be said, however, of its ABC Thursday counterpart Grey's Anatomy. Though, since its post-strike return, Grey's has been better than ever, this week's installment fell short. First let me say that there is no way Meredith's therapist should be allowed to keep her licence, she's so far past the line that she can't even remember what it looked like. Derek and Mark had some great moments (though its hard to go wrong with Mark Sloan) and I even liked George (something I NEVER do) but I simply didn't care at all what happened in this episode. Unlike last week when there were multiple engaging and heartrending medical stories, this week bored me (even though the medical stories were, in many ways, tied more closely to the characters). I like Christina acknowledging Burke's absence and letting it get to her for the first time, I like Callie questioning her friendship with Hahn and her sexuality, I like George's quest to be recognized, I like Bailey's desperation for reconciliation in her marriage, I like Izzy's new found maturity, independence and strength, I like Alex's sweetness and commitment to helping Rebbecca. I like Mark's attempts at being a deeper human being and I even like Derek and Meredith attempting to come to terms with the kind of relationships they want in life. I like it all but for some reason, this week, it just didn't work.


The Office- halfway through last night's 4th season finale I turned to my friend sitting next to me and said "this is a REALLY good episode" and I jinxed it. The first half was great. Better than great, it was some of the best the show's been all season. I laughed out loud many times. I loved Phyllis planning the party, I loved Michael asking for the anti-gravity machine, I loved Pam asking how much potion he wanted with a straight face, I loved Pam getting accepted to design school, I loved her saying "perfect" in her talking head interview, I loved Jim planning to propose, I ADORED Holly thinking Kevin was mentally handicapped, I loved Michael falling in love with Holly, I loved the Holly is really perfect for Michael. I loved Toby wanting a picture with Pam, I loved Jim fighting back against Ryan, I loved Ryan getting arrested and Oscar saying that the true crime was the beard, I loved Creed trying to remember what he does for a living and accusing Holly of asking too many questions. And then it all stopped. Once that painful scene in the conference room started it all went downhill and my hysterical laughter turned to what has become the norm for any 4th season Office episode, annoyed sighs. There was WAY too much zany Michael and Andy idiotically proposing, thus preventing Jim from proposing was nothing but annoying. It broke my heart a little to see how sad Pam was that Jim didn't propose and though the final moment when it was revealed that Angela went back to Dwight was a nice touch, it had nothing on the previous 2 seasons of cliffhangers. This week The Office broke my heart by building me up and then letting me down really badly.


*Lost review to come separately

30 Rock: hahahahahahaha

This week's 30 Rock was yet another example of why this show is considered one of the best comedies to come around in a long time.

Jenna finally got some screen time this week when she made Kenneth a hilarious video essay to include in his application to be a page at the Beijing Olympics.

Tracey's quest to create the perfect porn video game was hysterical.

Jack attempting to get fired from his government job was great- a perfect opportunity for fun political jokes and Bush-bashing. Matthew Broderick is always great as well.

and Liz is pregnant... well not really, but she thought she was. This episode was the perfect exploration of Liz and Jack's friendship. With Jack not around the office anymore Liz realized how much she depends on him as a sounding board. And audiences got to see how much Jack really cares about Liz when he showed up at her doorstep to give her moral support without needing to be asked. The friendship between the two is central to the show and seeing them work together to adopt Liz a baby will be a ton of fun. I can't wait for more 30 Rock.

2 for 2

Grey's Anatomy was great for the second week in a row.

Some really great Sloan stuff, awesome Bailey-ness, some good Callie/Hahn, long-awaited spectacular Christina story (brilliant Sandra Oh acting and the writers finally acknowledge that Preston Burke was once a part of the show), an incredibly touching patient story, tolerable Mer-Der scenes, some great Alex stuff, an interesting Izzy conflict, non-corny voice over and a great episode theme.

Keep it up Shonda and Betsy!!!

My Favourite Mad About You Moment

Jamie's speech to Paul is the perfect representation of what makes this show so beautiful

Ross and Rachel's First Kiss

The beginning of everything and one of the best TV kisses there is.

Rachel and Ross- I Got Off The Plane

The final connection for TV's most famous couple.

Chandler and Monica get engaged

One of TV's most romantic moments ever!!!!! I apologize for the annoying subtitles, it was the only version available

Slings and Arrows Season 2

The New Burbage Festival puts on a production of Romeo and Juliet. Beautiful.

CJ and Josh Throwdown

To all of you who don't watch The West Wing because you think it can't possibly be funny- eat your words.

President Bartlett on Homosexuality

This scene is a perfect example of what makes The West Wing amazing. The Sorkin genius is simply inarguable.

Izzy and Denny

Ask anyone what their favourite moment of Grey's Anatomy is, more likely than not it will be this one.

Scrubs Musical -- Dr. Cox's Solo Rant

A Tribute to my love of Dr. Cox and the brilliance that was the Scrubs Musical episode.

Brothers And Sisters Pool Party

The Winner of The 2007 My TV Award for Best TV Moment

TV MOMENTS

In honor of this week's Brothers & Sisters Tivo Moment I've decided to post videos of some of my favourite scenes in TV history. Starting with the below post of the 2007 My TV Award winner for Best TV Moment, I will be periodically posting these videos. 

Keep your eyes open for more great TV moments to come. 

My Ode to Kevin and Scotty

Last night there was a Tivo scene. It was one of those scenes that you save forever on your PVR or your DVR or your Tivo or whatever fancy TV contraption you have. It was a scene that you play over and over again. It was a scene that makes you buy the DVD box set just so you can watch those moments again even if someone accidentally erases them from your PVR/DVR/Tivo. It was the final scene of last night's Brothers & Sisters on ABC at 10pm. 

It is no secret that Kevin Walker is my favourite character currently on TV. His heart of gold gets ripped to shreds every time he works up the courage to wear it on his sleeve and yet he continues to fight to break down his steel walls because he's terrified of being someone he doesn't want to be. He's cold and closed off, bad at relationships, paranoid, stiff, insecure, cowardly, and selfish. He's also loving and generous and brave. He would do anything for his family and wants little more than to be loved. Kevin Walker brings a humanity to the television landscape that is uniquely honest. He is a walking contradiction, and in being so he makes perfect sense. 

Early on in the series there entered a man. A man named Scotty. From their first confrontational encounter the chemistry between the two was palpable. Kevin hated what Scotty represented. Scotty pitied Kevin's insecurity and coldness. Naturally, they fell in love. Naturally, there were too many obstacles in the way of said love. Naturally, Scotty disappeared from Brothers & Sisters. 

Kevin had a series of boyfriend after Scotty and with each one he learned a little bit more about being the person he not only wanted to be but the person Scotty had always believed he could be. 

Flash forward to Season 2.

Scotty returns to the show. A stroke of fate, some may say, when the actor playing Kevin's then boyfriend Jason was cast in another show and a character was needed to fill his void. So Scotty returned. Just friends at first, Kevin and Scotty both began to see how the other had grown into a fuller and brighter version of their former self. Personal obstacles that had once stood in their way lessened with the maturity that time had wrought, and Kevin and Scotty tried again. 

 

Certainly not free of obstacles, flaws and fights, Kevin and Scotty's relationship took on the very qualities that they themselves possess as characters: honesty, beauty, humanity and love. They have petty arguments and random jealousies but revel in each others' imperfections. Kevin continues to misunderstand Scotty's romantic nature and make stupid mistakes. Scotty continues to overreact and be, on occasion, accusatory. They are perfectly human, they are perfectly flawed and they are perfectly perfect.  

And as for the Tivo scene? 

***SPOILER ALERT*** 

Kevin and Scotty are engaged! 

Kevin, after dealing with his hysterical family in the throws of some of their most dramatic hysterics yet, returns home to Scotty, who has replaced all the light bulbs with eco-friendly ones. Kevin, in his beautifully understated and incomparably romantic way just looks at Scotty and finally truly recognizes everything he wants in life. The rest is beautiful, heartrending, tear inspiring television history. 

Oops... I forgot one.

Contrary to popular opinion, I am, at times, fallible. One of these failures occurred a couple hours ago when I posted a list of my favourite TV opening credit sequences and failed to include one show that features an opening credit sequence that is both original and always entertaining. 

Weeds' theme song varies every week. Always the same song but sung in different genres, Weeds' theme song is hugely ironic as images of conformist suburbia take over the screen in juxtaposition. 

Like the show itself, Weeds' opening credit sequence is incredibly smart, always keeps the viewer guessing and definitely belongs on the list of the best TV opening credits. 

I apologize for my failing. 

Let the Credits Role

Let me take a moment to complain. 

Why do very few shows still allow time for an opening credits sequence? Once upon a time around 8:03pm every Thursday night, an entire continent would clap along as The Rembrants sang "Ill Be There For You"; it was pretty cool. 

Nowadays opening title sequences have been replaced with a 3 second logo and a couple chords of music (if lucky). I, for one, really miss a good old fashioned theme song. 

Thus, in memoriam of this dying breed, I present my list of TV's 21 greatest opening title sequences:

21) American Dreams- historical clips, show footage and the use of the song "My Generation" all blended together to make an engaging and reflective title sequence for the show. 

20) Joan of Arcadia- seriously... what if God WERE one of us? The images of historical figures through whom God worked coupled with the song made this sequence hugely thought provoking. 

19) The Simpsons- at this point is there any point in arguing with anything about this show? everything from their envelope pushing satire to their ever-changing open sequence has become the standard to which comedy is held. 

18) Friday Night Lights- I don't know why I like this one so much but the credit sequence for Friday Night Lights never fails to get me excited about watching the show, and isn't that really its main goal? 

17) Beverly Hills 90210- the theme song and infamous blue background cast spots are still the epitome of glamorous and hip a decade after the fashions of the show have gone out of style. 

16) The Cosby Show- dancing Huxtables: who could ask for anything more? This show changed its opening sequence multiple times but the one that featured each member of the Huxtable family dancing in his or her own style was one of the greatest opening sequences of all time.

15) Gilmore Girls- MOMMY!!!!!!!! I can't hear "Where You Lead" without the lovely images of Gilmore Girls' sweet opening titles filling my head... and then I miss my mommy. 

14) Big Bang Theory- The Barenaked Ladies sing a great theme song that reflects the nerdy nature of the show but refuses to make fun of it. It really works well. 

13) Golden Girls- this show may belong in the geriatric ward but its big heart and "thank you for being a friend" sentiments, showcased in the opening sequence, reach even the most cynical of young hearts. 

12) Dawson's Creek- the opening chords of "I Don't Wanna Wait" took on an entirely new meaning when this show hit it big and the song became synonymous with the lives of Capeside's entertaining youth. Watching the clips used in the first season's opening sequence, one can't help but wish they were in on the fun right alongside Dawson, Pacey, Joey and Jen. 

11) Buffy and Angel- these two shows have very similar opening titles so I think they both get to be included as one. Mixing tradition and rebellion in their music and images, both shows reflect their tone perfectly through their opening sequences. The clips they use are also pretty bad ass and there's nothing like one of those final "group charging off to save the world" shots. 

10) Cheers- "sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name". Classic. 

9) All in the Family- perhaps even more classic, however, are Archie and Edith Bunker sitting at the piano in their living room and singing "Those Were the Days". 

8) Family Guy- a comical throw back to the days of Archie and Edith, Family Guy takes a classic opening sequence and makes it sparkle with satire and sequins. 

7) Six Feet Under- with an eerie instrumental theme song and perfectly chosen morbidly beautiful images, the Six Feet Under opening sequence is somewhat unsettling yet artistically poignant and beautiful, just like the show. 

6) Popular- As the gorgeous cast assembles for a glamorous photo shoot, the lyrics "we hate supermodels... it's just that I'm tired of being compared" sell the satirical point of the show perfectly. Also, I just love that song by Kendall Payne. 

5) The West Wing- for some reason The West Wing theme song gets me every time. Maybe it's the way a Sorkin teaser transitions on a perfect upbeat into the swelling cords of the theme but I can't help but love the show even more every time I hear it. The images are also beautifully chosen and really reflect the majestic tone of the show. 

4) How I Met Your Mother- Though this credit sequence is very short, "Hey Beautiful" is a great theme song (from executive producers Carter Bays and Craig Thomas' band no less) and the photos they use make the characters seem like real friends and not posing actors. The credits really help to sell the central friendships of the show. 

3) Mad About You- star Paul Reiser wrote "Final Frontier" to represent the show as its theme song and it, coupled with the beautiful black and white still shots of Paul and Jamie, really does encapsulate the essence of the marriage at the centre of the show: fun, poignant, beautiful and full of love. 

2) Slings & Arrows- every season this Canadian gem came up with a new hysterical theme song that played on aspects of the Shakespeare play at the centre of the season. "Cheer Up Hamlet", "Mackers", and "A Walk in the Rain" still make me laugh every time I hear them. 

1) FRIENDS- the classic scenes of the friends dancing in the fountain to the tune of their iconic theme song "I'll Be There for You" became TV's most memorable opening sequence. To millions of fans, that song did and always will represent 10 seasons of big hearted hilarity.  

Grey's Anatomy conquers the small screen, yet falls short on the big one

This week's Grey's Anatomy was wonderful. I've been saying all season that what the show really needs in order to rekindle its flame is Addison Montgomery. The warmth, heart, comedy and wardrobe that Kate Walsh brings to the show is truly missed when she's off in spinoff land.This week (with Private Practice not set to return until the fall) Addison returned to Seattle Grace and her influence was immediately felt. Her joint surgery with Hahn and Sloan was, unlike most surgeries, actually engaging. Her influence on Izzy was exactly what Izzy needed. Her conversation with Bailey was heartbreaking. Her friendship with Callie was nice to see again. Her observation about Callie and Hahn was intriguing and her questioning Meredith in the bar at the end was perfect. Addison infused the show with the energy it had been lacking since her departure and brought Grey's back to its roots in more ways than one. 

As for the rest of the episode, it was nice to see the Izzy and George friendship back to the loveliness that it once

was. Even though they are having to deal with chain of command issues that are seemingly pulling them apart, Izzy and George's friendship is truly back on track from its pathetic dalliance in unfounded and chemistry-less "love". On a somewhat related note, I understand that it might be an interesting dynamic to explore having Hahn be interested in Callie romantically but in doing so the show is tearing apart another really great friendship. 

That said, Derek & Mark and Meredith & Christina arealready holding down that particular fort so it might be interesting to take Erica & Callie somewhere else. I also like that they are giving Meredith a long term medical project to focus on (her clinical trial on brain tumors), it might give the medical aspects of the show a slightly less procedural tone. I also like the direction they are taking with Christina and that they've begun to explore what's happened to Bailey since the hiatus began. 

Also: there was some truly exemplary comedy writing in this episode. 

Most notably: 

1) Mark Sloan comparing himself to God and obsessing over the skin flap he grew from the stem cells of the baby he was operating on

2) Addison asking about Derek's rebound girl while Rose is handing her surgical tools ("McRebound... what is the Mc thing over?")

3) Izzy Stevens: "I was so Gandhi I kicked Gandhi's ass"

4) Derek in the elevator with the rest of his love square (Addison, Meredith and Rose)

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST,  

5) Christina asking about people's feelings during lunch, trying to learn how to "speak girl". 

but what are they getting at with this whole 'Eva's pretending to be pregnant' thing?

AND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE INDUSTRY, 

The stars of Grey's Anatomy have been trying, and failing, to make cute romantic comedies. 

I saw Made of Honor (starring Patrick Dempsey) today and, like when I saw 27 Dresses (starring Katherine Heigl), I was expecting very little. And yet, somehow I was still disappointed. The movie was so bad that I could literally guess what line was coming next and the only real emotion I felt at the end of it was pity for the 3rd wheel (played by Kevin McKidd). Though 27 Dresses has many of the same problems (plus of few of its own that were unique), at least I didn't feel guilty at the end because some poor schlub was used as a plot device and then cast aside. It's a good thing this week's episode of Grey's was so good because Made of Honor just stripped Patrick Dempsey of all the credit he won for being in Enchanted.