Fringe (1.1)

Tuesday, September 9th, 2008 @ 8 PM
FOX
Fringe - Season 1, Episode # 1 - Pilot
Recap: http://fox.com/fringe/recaps/s1_e1.htm

Manatee: So Marmot, do you have a favorite new show thus far this season?

Marmot: I do… It's 90210. Just kidding. It's Fringe.

Manatee: You gave me a heart attack for a sec there.

Marmot: What if the cast of Fringe and 90210 swapped places?

Manatee: In a weird way, I think it would work. I already have a hard time buying Pacy as the genius on Fringe.

Marmot: I like his dad, though. He's like the science fictional Kramer.

Manatee: I have to agree. The performance is great, and really convincing. I like the comedic play between him and Olivia's assistant.

Marmot: Do FBI agents typically have assistants?

Manatee: I'm not too clear on that. I suppose she's not a 'personal assistant' and is more of a 'junior agent' if you will.

Marmot: Do you think she still has to roll calls?

Manatee: Probably. What did you like about the pilot? I enjoyed it, and I'm not that huge a fan of 'sci-fi.'

Marmot: Well first, I thought it was shot beautifully. Some of the shots were breathtaking. Overall, I really liked it. A little bit of X-Files, a little LOST and a great cast.

Manatee: I like that there is going to be a new case each week, but there is an overall larger scheme here. I'm interested to learn more about that company. Though I am a little sick of the thread in series about a large corporation taking over and controlling America. Not that I know that's the direction they are headed. But it feels that way.

Marmot: I'm a little confused on what this company does. I think they're supposed to be Microsoft, but bigger.

Manatee: Did you see their office? It's huge and white and spacious. And the woman had a fake crazy computerized hand. It's biazzro-land.

Marmot: That was one thing that bothered me. The show is somewhat based in psuedo-science, but a super-advanced robotic hand? That's pretty much fiction.

Manatee: That we know of... 'find the pattern.'

Marmot: Oh yeah, the pattern. I've heard that the answer to the whole show is in those things in all the promotional material. So the answer is Frog, Leaf,Apple.

Marmot: That was easy. What happens when you solve the pattern?

Marmot: I just did. It's frog, leaf, apple.

Manatee: Is the earth going to explode now?

Marmot: um.....yes. I think maybe they have to merge. Like the frog has to eat the apple?

Manatee: How long do you see a show like this lasting for? If it was purely procedural, like a Law & Order case each week, maybe it could last 19 years too. But this pattern thing seems to imply a natural end (at some point).

Marmot: How long do frogs live for?

Manatee: Roughly 14 years. But then again, some are only 2-3 years. Really it varies.

Marmot: I think that's going to decide how long the show continues. Well, consider the X-Files. It lasted 9 seasons on a mixed serial/episodic format.

Manatee: The series definitely is inviting a lot of discussion. I'm very curious about what is going on.

Marmot: Do you think that the guy from L O S T is in on it?

Manatee: Ben?

Marmot: No, Lance Reddick. He plays Matthew Abaddon on L O S T and the FBI agent that hates her on Fringe.

Manatee: Oh yeah, that guy. I knew he looked familiar. Well it's hard to say too much since you have not watched episode #2.

Marmot: Is it bad that I've watched more episodes of 90210 than Fringe?

Manatee: YES! What are you thinking?!

30 Rock (2.12)

Thursday, April 10th, 2008 at 8:30 PM

NBC

30 Rock, Season 2 - Episode 12 - "MILF Island"

NBC

Liz finds herself in a tight spot when the New York Post runs a story about Jack, including a quote from one of his TGS writers calling him a "Class-A Moron" who can "eat their poo." Liz is summoned into Jack's office, nervous about the story. But instead, she finds Jack on top of the moon because his creation "MILF Island" has become a hit for NBC. (NBC.com)

Marmot: So, first episode back from the strike, and it felt like it.

Manatee: It sure did, their writers were a little rusty.

Marmot: I thought it was interesting that it was such a "small" episode. Three or four sets, most of the scenes were just Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin, and no Jane Krakowski.

Manatee: I noticed Jane was missing from a lot of episodes in one span. I know she does theater too so that could be the reason she was missing. Not that I mind. I actually don't like her character at all on the show, and could do without.

Marmot: I always wonder about her contract. I know she's a series regular, but she's in about half the episodes. I'm kinda hit or miss on her. Last season she annoyed me, but the beginning of this season was good.

Manatee: I really did not even miss her till you brought it up. What did you think of "MILF Island?" At first, I thought it was a real commercial for a new NBC show!

Marmot: I know, it was so accurate to Survivor-style shows. I'm hoping that they put MILF Island on for the fall.

Manatee: It's funny NBC picked a CBS show to parody and then they put a Gladiator cut-out in the elevator!

Marmot: That's one things I love about 30 Rock, is that half-mocking approach they take towards NBC/GE. Like the "synergy" with the Gladiator cut-out. Is it a joke or is it serious? I can't tell.

Manatee: I do like that half-mocking attitude. Though Fox is more successful with the same approach... maybe because they have worse shows! Also, if my eye sight did not fail me last night, I believe Jerry Seinfeld was listed as an Exec Producer on MILF Island!

Marmot: I completely missed that. Did you see the Seinfeld-vision episode?

Manatee: Was that the Bee Movie PR Stunt?

Marmot: It was tied into it. They were inserting Seinfeld clips into all their shows, without Jerry's permission.

Manatee: Oh Yeah! That's right. Maybe just a little carry over from that episode. Also, did you hear the other reality show that came on after MILF Island... Dog Swap!

Marmot: I did catch that. What a great idea.

Manatee: Now all we need is a Marmot Swap!

New Amsterdam (1.6)

Monday, March 31st, 2008 at 9 PM

FOX

New Amsterdam, Season 1 - Episode 6 - "Legacy"

When police find a bullet-ridden body in an apartment in Chinatown, John and Eva are called to investigate. The deceased young man's striking similarity to Roosevelt, a lost son of John's from the early 1900s, prompts him to take a personal stance on the case. The search for the killer leads John to the Spoors, a violent crime family headed by Roosevelt's kin. The discovery makes John question the actions of his past and the reverberating consequences they have on those around him. (Fox.com)

Because there just wasn't anything funnier. (Fox)

Marmot: It's such a clumsy show.

Manatee: It really is. My first thought was how does his son from 1930 look exactly like this other kid, who he may or may not be related to?

Marmot: Indian magic, of course. It flows through his blood. I was really confused by the family in this one. The kid who died was the grandson of the old man in the wheelchair. John "Dutch" Amsterdam-York was supposedly the old man's grandfather. But I thought the brother of the victim said that his great-grandfather (Amsterdam) was a painter and left his family. So he should have said "great-great grandfather". Or did he and I just missed it because I was busy not paying attention?

Manatee: Hmm, I will have to draw a family tree for this one... which would require that I put in effort for this show. The wheelchair guy may have been their dad? Then the great-grandfather would have been correct.

Marmot: No I think the old man in the wheelchair was their grandfather. Whether it was the grandfather, great grandfather...it's just super-confusing. I think the show is going to exhaust its believability soon. I mean, how far can I guy run away from his family in 1913 without leaving New York?

Manatee: I think you are right. Also they need a better writer's asst or supervisor because too many mistakes are made, and their math sucks! It's great that the production designer made a "family tree" for Amsterdam, but how about one for the writers?

Marmot: I would like to think that they planned his whole life before they started writing, but I somehow doubt it.

Manatee: I'm sure each week they sat around and said what cool job can he have this week? Furniture maker? Artist? Doctor? and so on.

Marmot: Yeah, there's no consistency on this show.

Manatee: I know we have discussed the flashbacks in great detail before, but this week was particularly frustrating as it worked on 2 levels. How can 1 flashback relate to 2 different, totally unrelated issues in his life at once?! 1-The dead kid is his relative, and he must flashback to remember the Family Tree to relate to this week’s murder. 2- He also cheated on that son's mother and his new girlfriend wants to know if he cheated. How convenient that both unrelated issues in 2008 were in the same week in 1913! Also, if you were 400 years old, how good is your memory? My grandma's is not so good at 89. Nor can I always remember what happened a few years ago. How can he have such vivid memories from hundreds of years ago!? So much has happened to him, shouldn’t he have forgotten some stuff... like 1730-1790 or 1801-1815?

Marmot: Well, I have trouble remembering things that happened to me last week. Given that I am approximately 1/12 as old as he is (in marmot years), he should be forgetting on a 4th grade level. Wait, I think my math might be off.

Manatee: You could be a writer on the show then!

Marmot: I should be. Get me Dutchie Amsterdam on the line! Something else I really hate about this show is Blonde Sargeant. Are they sure that she's their boss and not some crazy woman who just showed up one day and started pretending to work there?

Manatee: I know - what was up with that "Partners are like married couples but without the sex" line? Why is she on this show?

Marmot: She's like that girl in an office who doesn't really work, but just walks around all day and makes a bunch of suggestive comments in an attempt to get someone to talk to her. Every office has one.

Manatee: I hate to ask? But which one of us is it in our office Marmot? Haha. What was up with the ending, where the Dr. Girlfriend just shows back up?

Marmot: Dr. Girlfriend is kind of an idiot. I would be frightened if she was my doctor.

Manatee: Never move to NYC, you run the risk of ending up in her ER.

Marmot: No kidding. First, her idea of a background check is Googling her boyfriend's name, then she doesn't consider that he might be 400 years old, even though that's what the show is about, then she straight up asks him if he's ever cheated before and just decides, "eh, what are the odds that he'll do it again?"

Manatee: Well, at least he isn't married!

Marmot: One last note about this show, and I think it's a big one. John Amsterdam is a boring character. A good character is flawed; they have internal problems that they struggle to fix. In most of his flashbacks, we learn things about him that make him inherently more interesting: he was an adulterer, murderer, coward, alcoholic - but all of these occur in the past, so the character we are watching - one who has atoned for his sins and is not literally waiting for death - is not very interesting.

Manatee: That's an outstanding point. I think you hit the nail on the head.

The Return of Jezebel James (Canceled)

Special report: The Return Demise of Jezebel James


Our Prayers have been answered! Hollywood Reporter is reporting:

"Fox drops 'Jezebel'"

Fox has pulled the low-rated sitcom The Return of Jezebel James from its schedule. The network yanked episodes off Friday nights, effective this week. Last Friday's 8:30 p.m. episode failed to improve on its time-period premiere, earning a 1.4 rating among adults 18 to 49. James was paired with repeats of " 'Til Death," which was also removed from the lineup. Instead, Fox will air repeats of Bones."

The Return of Jezebel James (1.1) & (1.2)

Friday, March 14th, 2008 at 8 & 8:30 PM

FOX

The Return of Jezebel James , Season 1 - Pilot & Episode #2 - "Frankenstein Baby"

The 2 most unlikeable Characters... ever (Fox)

Marmot: What did you think of Jezebel James?

Manatee: Here are my thought son TRoJJ: (I don't even know where to start!) I have never hated a show more, not even the Canterbury's Law pilot. Parker Posey does not belong on crappy sitcoms. She is way too talented; and she has never been worse than on this show. She belongs in edgier indie films. Nothing about this show was believable or honest. It was phony and way over the top. It was staged like a bad high school play. The sets looked like my 5 year old brother built them (if I had a 5 year old brother).

Marmot: How did Parker Posey get trapped in this show? Is she being punished for something? The whole cast is talented, really. Lauren Ambrose, Dianne Wiest... It's almost like they had all sold their soul to the devil, and he picked the same time to collect from them all.

Manatee: I agree. Their talents are wasted. Is it the writing? The directing?

Marmot: The writing is just...atrocious. Which is odd, since it was written by Amy Sherman-Palladino who wrote created Gilmore Girls. Not that I was a fan of that show, but it was on for 7 or so years, so it had to be somewhat decent, right?

Manatee: The writing was bad, the acting was insanely bad, production was bad (I think I spotted a camera in the shot once) and it did not change from the pilot to the 1st episode. It's just a terrible show. I really don't like sitcoms, which I guess is for another conversation, but I never understood why you can't have a sentimental moment, why is it cheesy and corny joke central?! Maybe Amy Sherman-Palladino should have redefined the "Sitcom" or else make it a single camera comedy, or something more in the vain of an Ugly Betty... you might have gotten more out of the actors.

Marmot: The actors and the characters. Those sisters are two of the most unlikeable people on television. I don't understand why, when Gilmore Girls was something different and interesting, she would regress to this formulaic, ancient multi-cam sitcom style. There are a couple of things different from the pilot to the second episode, though.

Manatee: Such as?

Marmot: One, Parker Posey inexplicably moved from her house, which had an extra bedroom to the World's Biggest Loft, which requires her soon-to-be pregnant sister to walk up and down a staircase with no railing to get to her bedroom. And two, Parker Posey dropped the Ed Grimley-style act for the second episode. The one that was so prevalent in that horrible, horrible scene in the doctor's office. Honestly, that should go down as one of the worst scenes ever to be shown on television.

Manatee: The OBGYN scene was bad... for being a big kids' book editor, I feel like she was lacking some smarts. She was pretty dumb, and not like lacking common sense... just stupid. I want to know what Fox is thinking this mid season? Why are they creating so many bad female characters? They have made a few now that either lack personality completely or they act like "a guy." Did we not learn anything from that movie "The Sweetest Thing" - girls who act like guys don't sell. It just does not work. Sarah is sleeping with a guy, comes up with all these "no strings" rules, is a great business person, has a nice loft, but is a complete moron! Why can't a woman be a strong woman?! Why do they need to have guy traits... totally unrealistic.

Marmot: I don't get her relationship with that guy either.

Manatee: He (Scott Cohen) is terrible! What bad delivery - a fish would be a better casting choice.

Marmot: What kind of a fish?

Manatee: You're asking me to be witty... hmmm, maybe an aholehole?

Marmot: That's a good one. It would be interesting if it was a goldfish, too. Not like the annoying one on American Dad, but a real one that had a memory span of 3 minutes. The worst thing about Jezebel James? It is the EXACT same plot as a Tina Fey/Amy Poehler movie coming out in April called Baby Mama. Except Jezebel James isn't funny.

Manatee: How do you think this show will effect the opening of that film?

Marmot: Approximately none.Does anyone even know this show exists? I think we're the only two people to watch it. Err, animals.

Manatee: Haha, I'm not sure what the ratings were, but it's not good when the network puts you on a Friday night. Who watches TV on Friday nights?!

Marmot: Old people. Kids. Us.

Manatee: Per Futon Critic’s reporting: "The Return of Jezebel James" (households: 2.2/4, #12, half-hour: N/A; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T10, half-hour: N/A), a second episode of "The Return of Jezebel James" (households: 2.3/4, #11, half-hour: N/A; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T10, half-hour: N/A)

Marmot: #12? As in its timeslot?</FONT>

Manatee: #12 on the night, # 1 was a night time "Price is Right" (CBS won the evening).

Marmot: There was a "Price is Right" special on? How does a show that I didn't even know was on beat this?

New Amsterdam (1.2)

Thursday, March 6th, 2008 at 9 PM

FOX

New Amsterdam, Season 1 - Episode #2 - "Golden Boy"

FOX

manatee: OK, let's move on to New Amsterdam, Fox's new hot show

marmot: What did you think of episode 2?

manatee: I think it was better than the pilot, how about you? It seemed like they had a little more time to think about the plot, put in a few twists, make the murder a little more interesting. Yet it still had that bad episode of "insert any cop/detective show" here feel.

marmot: It was very formulaic. Again, I feel that the detective aspect just bogs this show down. The most interesting thing is how he has managed to maintain a life for 400 years. His relationships, his children, etc. Who cares about ANOTHER detective in New York?

manatee: I do like learning about the other jobs he's had: Lawyer, writer, furniture maker

marmot: I agree. If there was more of that, and less of his present, I think the show would be way more interesting.

manatee: I also like how they slipped in his previous names... YORK! How original. Next he'll be Johnny Manhattan (it's ok writers, you can take that from me, I won't mind). But I did like that it addressed him forging a birth certificate. It explains why he is a handwriting expert, how he joined the army, and how he lives for 400 years. (PS: the math is a little fuzzy on the show).

marmot: That's the exact thing I was thinking last night. Was he Johnny Brooklyn at one point, too? Or Johnny Long Island?

manatee: Haha. What did you think about the twist with his buddy bartender being his son? Interesting dynamic. How would you feel if you grew old while your dad stayed young?! And how would you feel watching your son grow old and die?

marmot: I thought so, too. I wonder how many other kids he's had through the years. Maybe that's why he's named John Amsterdam/York, because everyone in the city is a descendant of him. I can tell you one fatal flaw with this show: just because you're old, doesn't mean you know everything. It's really obnoxious whenever he comments about anything. I feel sorry for his partner.

manatee: She does not really seem to mind. I think overall, shout outs need to go to the editor and the costume designer. I liked the editing on the show, and I thought the costumes were fun, a little more trendy than your normal cop show.

marmot: I think the show is really great, technically and I love the tone - it's quiet and moody. It's just the writing that's killing it. I wonder what sold FOX on another detective show when there's so many on the air. I guess anything to climb out of the ratings basement.

manatee: I agree. I wish we caught him at a time in his life when he is ready to change careers maybe. How long can you stay in one job before someone realizes you still look 30. Ten years maybe, fifteen? Too bad he was not in transition.

manatee: How did you feel about the flashback scenes last night?

marmot: Dumb. I like the idea of flashbacks, but the whole forbidden romance...her father seemed like he was just as bored with what was going on as I was.

manatee: Do you have any hopes or expectations for next week? Will you be watching next week?!

marmot: It's on again Monday? Ughhh. Thrice in one week is too much. I don't want to watch the adventures of Johnny Greenwich Village that much.