Monday - 1/19/09

So the best laid plans of mice and men, huh? I had planned on starting tonight's recap with The Big Bang Theory, but for whatever reason, my DVR didn't record the program, so I will be unable to discuss. I did still manage to get in a House, a 24 and HIMYM, so there is that.

House started the evening with its first new episode of the new year, and the first episode since it moved to Monday nights. I must say that I found House by accident at the end of the first season, and I like it for different reasons than I normally like shows. For me, House is a character study, and not necessarily a plot-driven series (though they have moved closer to a serial-type story in the last two seasons). Tonight's episode followed the same pattern that they all follow, and there was a patient that had an undiagnosable, untreatable illness that was progressing at an alarming rate. In this instance, the patient had unbearable pain that was likened unto House's chronic pain. They had many theories, and it wasn't until something happened in House's life outside of the hospital that he was able to figure out that it had to do with the patients testicles (always a welcome story resolution device...testicles, I mean). The episode seemed to set up Cameron's future dilemma for more stories because Cuddy offered her her position while she spends time caring for her new baby (a lot of "her"s in that sentence, but the first her is for Cameron, and the second two are for Cuddy). They have also furthered the "Foreteen" storyline, and set up the idea that Foreman is going to taint (heh) the clinical trial he is doing to get Thirteen from a placebo onto the drugs. Again, I enjoy the show because of the character study, so it was fun to delve into the another storyline where House is driven more by a desire to cure what ails him rather than the patient.

House was followed with 30 minutes of hilarity on How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM). Let me start this review by saying that everyone should watch this show. It is funny the way that Friends was funny in its prime. It has colorful characters who, while at times do things that are unrealistic because it is a sitcom, have depth of character development. The writers also pay the proper amount of respect to the continuity that has developed over the 3+ seasons that it has been on the air. Tonight's episode featured Barney and Ted tending to McLarens (the Central Perk on this show), Lilly trying to get beer to satisfy a tradition that she and Marshall have, and Marshall and Robin interacting trying to fulfill his side of the tradition. Barney and Ted's storyline was a humorous nod towards Cocktail, all the way to the bottle-flipping and the Beach Boys singing Kokomo, all while they were trying to bed two college chicks and Barney was trying to get Party-School Bingo (sleep with a girl from the 25 biggest party colleges in the US per Playboy's list...get five schools in a row, and get bingo...Awesome). Lilly brought back an old favorite character, Rajib (sic?), and Marshall and Robin had some excellent robot talk. Again, a brilliant show, and I highly recommend it to all.

24 was 24. It is escapist TV at is best and worst. The writer's tend to make whatever "needs" to happen, happen so that they can further the story, and they are unable to make it happen in an organic way. Por ejemplo, NSA picks up a conversation that we heard earlier in the episode, and relays it to the FBI...but they were only able to get bits and pieces of the conversation...so they conveniently left out the sentence about there being a mole in the FBI. That way, they are able to create the drama of the FBI boss knowing that his agent is going to be killed, but also continue the suspense of having an unknown mole in the FBI. And how about the federal government in the 24 world needs to outsource their background checks...every season there is a mole in some form of government agency. This season, the White House has someone on the take, the FBI has someone on the take, the Secret Service has at least 2 people on the take...I mean come on!! And has anyone else noticed that the characters on the show always talk in time increments: "We will have to make a decision on whether to pull our troops within the hour," "How long until SWAT arrives? 15 minutes?" And they are always looking at their watches. If I looked at my watch that much, people would talk about it...that is all I am saying. All that said, I still love watching Jack Bauer kick ass...I still think he is the only person that is capable of stopping Tim Tebow next season...someone better start recruiting him!!

I was unable to get to Superstars of Dance, but my brother promises me that it was hilarious tonight, so I promise I will follow-up sometime this week when I get a chance to watch. Until then, enjoy your TV!!