Gossip Girl (2.1 & 2.2)

Monday, September 1st & 8th, 2008 @ 8 PM

CW

Gossip Girl - Season 2 - Episodes #1 & #2

"Summer, Kind of Wonderful"

#1: As the summer draws to a close in the Hamptons, Serena (Blake Lively)and Nate (Chace Crawford) have everyone fooled into thinking they are a couple to cover up the fact that Nate has been hooking up with a married older woman (guest star Amick) and Serena has been secretly mourning her break-up with Dan (Penn Badgley). Blair (Leighton Meester) returns from abroad with a hot guy on her arm (guest star Patrick Heusinger), making a very jealous Chuck (Ed Westwick) question his decision to leave Blair stranded at the heliport. Dan has spent the summer assisting a famous author (guest star McInerney), but decides to head to the Hamptons to see how things stand with Serena after a summer spent apart. While interning for Eleanor Waldorf's company, Jenny (Taylor Momsen) sneaks an invite to a much-coveted Hamptons' White Party at which Eric (Connor Paolo) introduces her to socialite Tinsley Mortimer. Matthew Settle also stars. J. Miller Tobin directed the episode written by Joshua Safran. (CWtv.com)

"Never Been Marcused"

#2: Blair (Leighton Meester) is over the moon that she is dating royalty and has every intention of becoming a royal herself, but a scheming Chuck (Ed Westwick) has other plans for Blair and hew new love, Marcus (guest star Patrick Heusinger). Serena (Blake Lively) and Dan (Penn Badgley) agree to keep their recent hook-ups a secret from their friends and family until they figure out what all this means for their relationship. Meanwhile, Nate (Chace Crawford) learns the downside to having an affair with a hot older woman, Catherine (guest star Madchen Amick), who also happens to be married. Taylor Momsen, Jessica Szohr and Matthew Settle also star. Michael Fields directed the episode written by executive producer Stephanie Savage. (CWtv.com)

Hey Gossip Girl fans!

Marmot and Manatee Here.

Marmot: What a lame summer for television. There were almost no new shows worth watching. Swingtown was boring and the only new show I really liked was The Middleman. Which has been canceled.

Manatee: Agreed. In Plain Sight was disappointing.? It was a summer of crap. The question is will the fall be any better?

Marmot: YES. Because Gossip Girl is back!

Manatee: I'm not so sure Marmot. I'm feeling a little down on GG this season so far.

Marmot: For me, the more ridiculous the show is, the better. And this season is REE DICK YOU LUSS

Manatee: I find it just plain ol' annoying... A NNOY ING!

Marmot: For instance...SPOTTED: Chuck Bass in a Riddler costume. (see above)

Manatee: I'd have to admit, that probably was the highlight! WHO CARES MOMENT: Jenny and her fashion career. The drama does not seem like it's really gotten going yet this season.

Marmot: OVERHEARD: 29-Year-Old Dad name dropping Tanya Donnelly (formally of the band Belly). Does anyone who likes this show know who she is? Why not just make up a name?

Manatee: Maybe she needs the publicity?

Marmot: She should start composing music for TV shows like Liz Phair has.

Manatee: FOR REAL: Thoughts on S and Dan getting back together?

Marmot: Who cares? Serena looks like she was supposed to be on 90210. The original 90210. And Dan looks like Jon Mayer, which makes me hate him.

Manatee: I think this will become a Ross - Rachel thing. Together, not together, supposed to be together, just hooking up, pregnant, not together, together, and so forth.

Marmot: Will Dan wear an armadillo costume?

Manatee: One can only hope. Then he will be a real rival to Chuck's attire

Marmot: I wish Chuck would start wearing more animal costumes.

Manatee: Such as?

Marmot: Giraffe.

Manatee: Hippo.

Marmot: Do you think that Nate's new milf-capade is actually a con artist, conspiring with Blair's new boyfriend? Because I do.

Manatee: I kind of had that notion at first as well. But she did give Nate a large stack of cash.? What would she get out of that?

Marmot: Nate didn't look at it. Maybe it's Monopoly money? Or, it takes money to make money.

Manatee: Interesting. But since the FBI seized Nate' s family's money, not sure where she is headed unless it's for Blair and Nate is a fun side trip. Also, what was up with Chuck's loan to Nate's mom? Can a 16 year old do that?

Marmot: Of course he can. He's Chuck Bass.

90210 (1.1, 1.2, 1.3)

Tuesday, September 2nd & 9th, 2008 @ 8 PM

CW

90210 - Season 1 - Pilot & Episodes #2-3

"We're Not In Kansas Anymore" & "Jet Set"

Harry Wilson (Rob Estes, "Women's Murder Club"), new principal of West Beverly Hills High School, returns from Kansas to his childhood home of Beverly Hills with his wife Debbie (Lori Loughlin, "In Case of Emergency"), their daughter Annie (Shenae Grimes, "Degrassi: The Next Generation") and adopted son Dixon, (Tristan Wilds, "The Wire") to care for Harry's mother, former television star Tabitha Wilson (Jessica Walter, "Arrested Development"). On their first day at West Bev, Annie and Dixon encounter Ethan (Dustin Milligan, "Runaway"), the star lacrosse player she met a few summers ago; Naomi (AnnaLynne McCord, "Nip/Tuck"), the spoiled rich girl whose sole focus is her Sweet Sixteen party; Silver (Jessica Stroup, "Prom Night"), the free-spirited girl who later gossips about Annie on her blog, and Navid (Michael Steger, "Criminal Minds"), editor of Blaze News. When Naomi fails to complete an assignment, English teacher Ryan Matthews (Ryan Eggold, "Dirt") and guidance counselor Kelly Taylor (special guest star Jennie Garth, "Beverly Hills, 90210"), bring the problem to Harry, who quickly realizes that keeping secrets about his past is going to be impossible. Dixon impresses his peers when he tries out for the lacrosse team, but has to deal with jealous teammates who will stop at nothing to sabotage him. Annie misses the deadline to audition for the spring musical but sparks fly when she meets the leading actor Ty (guest star Adam Gregory), one of
the most popular students on campus. Ty impresses Annie by flying her to San Francisco for dinner in his private jet, but Annie fails to mention her plans to her parents. Special guest star Shannen Doherty reprises her role as Brenda Walsh. Mark Piznarski directed the first episode, written by Rob Thomas and Gabe Sachs & Jeff Judah (#101). Wendey Stanzler directed the second episode, written by Gabe Sachs & Jeff Judah (#102). (Cwtv.com)

"Lucky Strike"

Annie (Shenae Grimes) and Dixon's (Tristan Wilds) Friday night plans come to a screeching halt when they learn that Harry (Rob Estes) and Debbie (Lori Loughlin) have planned a family bowling night. When Ethan (Dustin Milligan), Navid (Michael Steger) and Silver (Jessica Stroup) show up at the bowling alley, Harry and Debbie realize they have lost control of their family outing but encourage their kids to spend time with their friends. Ty (guest star Adam Gregory) shows up at the bowling alley, causing Annie to choose between spending time with him or Ethan. Naomi (AnnaLynne McCord) deals with a disappointing evening with her father and destroys a gift from him in a violent rage. Dixon discovers Silver asleep in her car, prompting Kelly (guest star Jennie Garth) to confront their mother Jackie (guest star Ann Gillespie, "Beverly Hills, 90210") about the repercussions of her alcoholic behavior. Jessica Walter also stars. Mark Piznarski directed the episode written by Jill Gordon. (Cwtv.com)

Hi 90210-ers!

Manatee here with some thoughts on the last 3 hours of the new '90210.'

First off, the acting on this new series, SUCKS! Whoever cast this show does not deserve to work in this town again. The girls are all anorexic looking, they make me want to eat 24/7 so I never look that bad. But not only is this a horribly unattractive cast, they cannot act well at all. Annie's excitement about her flight to San Fran was atrocious. I don't buy Rob Estes as the dad. He looks about 5 years older than his adopted son. And his struggle "dad vs. principal' is a lousy one. I also think that between the 3 hours already aired, there are no controversies worth watching. The writers introduce issues in the first 10 minutes that get resolved by minute number 58. Do the writers need a refresher course in drama and character arcs?

For example, in 'Lucky Strike," Silver has this whole dilemma with her 'abusive' mom. By the end, the problem seems to be fixed. Why wouldn't she hide her problem a little more from her friends. And why would that Women's Shelter turn away a minor that has an abusive mother. Sure Silver has a roof over her head to go back to, but I think a social worker should report something like that. Not to mention, as a principal, I think Harry needs to report the problem to a law official not just Silver's sister. Are the writer's writing like every episode is their last? I can't really blame them with TV's cancellation policy and track record, but come on, give us some time to get into the stories.

Additionally, Naomi learns her father is having an affair (duh! Saw that one coming...) and she is torn apart. When she works up the courage to tell her mother (about 3 minutes later, wow what a struggle!) her mom already knows and is okay with her husband's cheating ways! Oh Beverly Hills. I see where this is going. Naomi's mom will realize that not every husband cheats on his wife and will want to rekindle her love with Harry. Watch out lady from Full House, you're in for a cat fight.

The only semi-interesting mystery that arose was Kelly's 4 year old son. As a former 90210 fan, I knew that Kelly married Dylan but that was about circa 1999. She also dated Brandon, but the math doesn't quite work out. Everyone keeps referring to Sammy's father as 'him.' What's the big secret?! It's so obviously Steve. Kelly's clue gave that away (Note, she did date everyone on the show except David but that would have been a difficult sell - incest - in the 90's on Fox prime time). And then the kid has blond curly hair (like Steve's SOS pad)! Cat's out of the bag without you spelling it out, writers.

However, I can't help but feel this story is of little intrigue to anyone who is under the age of 25 right now. I know we discussed alittle bit about this spinoff concept vs. remake. I wish they left this as more of a straight remake and took out the Brenda, Kelly, etc. characters. I was young when the original came out, and perhaps seeing a revamped Peach Pit or Kelly in WBHS brings a little nostalgia ''round, but to a new generation of pre-teens yearning to stay up late to finish this 2 hour premiere, they couldn't care less about Kelly and her son or Brenda and her acting. They probably didn't go to CBS.com to catch up on the original series.

That being said, is this new series as edgy as the original? Is it a product of me being older? It felt a little flat to me. The drama was very false and manufactured. The problems seem pretty unrealistic in a Gossip Girl way, but not as entertaining or enveloped in escapism as the aforementioned. This is a big mansion, huge private jet kind of show - an LA Gossip Girl, but just without all the fun and glamor of last year's hit.

Swingtown (1.10)

Friday, August 8th @ 10 PM CBS Swingtown - Season 1, Episode #10 - "Running on Empty"

Bruce and Susan go to the cabin to reconnect with each other and their children, but their weekend ends with Laurie running away and Susan realizing that she has feelings for Roger. Janet and Roger see a therapist and Tom and Trina resume swinging. (CBS.com)

Marmot: Swingtown is lame.

Manatee: It's so ridiculous. I don't think any of the writers have families because they have no idea what it is like to be a part of family drama. It's so forced and completely absurd.

Marmot: Bruce and Susan are terrible, terrible parents. So are Roger and Janet, actually. I haven't seen them interact with their son since the pilot. Actually, when you think about it, the only people I would trust with a child are Tom and Trina, which is kind of ironic.

Manatee: That is funny. They might see an orgy or 2 but at least they'd have food and something of normal parental love. This show has become boring. Do you think CBS said,” tone it down,” or was it a flawed premise to begin with?

Marmot: I'm pretty sure it's the toning down. I think all the sponsors got scared away. There was an ad for Time Life Books or something similar during the last episode. In prime time television!

Manatee: I don't think there is anyway this show is coming back for a season 2, and frankly, I'm not that disappointed.

Marmot: Me either. The only thing I'm interested in is to see if Roger and Susan get together.

Manatee: Well, the previews for next Friday night show Roger kissing Susan! Whether they screw over their respective partners and get together, I'm not sure... but it looks like Roger is taking the plunge.

Marmot: Holy crap! It's only episode 10! Where is this show going?

Manatee: I think there are only 12 total anyhow, so they probably feel the pressure of wrapping it up. These days so many shows don't come back that you almost feel like every season finale needs to be a series finale.

Marmot: I think writings staffs need to plan on telling as complete a story as possible in their initial order. There's nothing worse than being a fan of a show and the proverbial rug gets pulled out from under you.

Manatee: Where would you like to see the next 2 episodes go?

Marmot: I'd like to see Roger and Susan hook up and live happily ever after, Bruce go back to Pirates of the Caribbean where he belongs, Janet go to live with Tom and Trina for the rest of their lives and the daughter given a nose.

Special Report: Flashpoint vs. Swingtown

Special Report: How would win in a fight, Sgt. Gregory Parker or Trina Decker?
Someone at CBS has been reading Manatee & Marmot Destroy TV: The Blog. Check out Variety's article on the switch involving Swingtown and new comer Flashpoint. (We know a good show when we see it)

What do you think about the switch and what does it mean for the future of Swingtown? Comment below.

'Swingtown' swaps time slots; 'Flashpoint' takes over Thursday spot

Apparently flashing is in – and swinging is out – at CBS.

Eye net has swapped time periods for racy '70s drama “Swingtown” and more traditional cop drama “Flashpoint,” effective this week.

“Flashpoint,” a Canadian co-production, has been handed the more desirable post-“CSI” slot on Thursday nights at 10 p.m. “Swingtown,” meanwhile, will take over “Flashpoint’s” Friday 10 p.m. slot.

The Toronto-based “Flashpoint” has been a Friday ratings winner for both CBS abd CTV the past two weeks. Since its July 11 premiere, the show has averaged 7.6 million viewers on CBS. Its two telecasts have also averaged a 1.7 rating and 6 share.

North of the border, just over 900,000 Canadians tuned into episode 2 last Friday, more than double the next closest 10 p.m. competitor.

“Flashpoint,” from Pink Sky Entertainment and Avamar Entertainment in association with the CTV and CBS Paramount stars Enrico Colantoni and former Canuck rock star Hugh Dillon as members of an elite police squad and is the first Canuck series since “Due South” to air on “reverse” simulcast in the U.S.

“Swingtown,” meanwhile, has earned decent critical reviews but has struggled to find a ratings groove. Show has averaged 6.5 million viewers and a 2.2 rating/7 share among adults 18-49.

They've Cut out the Middleman

Special Report: The Middleman


We brought it up awhile ago when ABC Family changed the time from 8 pm to 7 pm/10 pm showings of The Middleman. Then Brenda Hampton's series, Secret Life of the American Teenager, got an additional order, ie: more episodes. Now, you're hearing it here first: Middleman has been terminated. Instead of the original 12 episodes, they will produce just 11. You only have 6 more episodes in which to say goodbye. Goodbye Middleman. Goodbye Wendy. Farewell and so long.

Flashpoint (1.2)

Friday, July 18th @ 10 PM CBS "Flashpoint" - Season 1, Episode #2 - "First in Line"

A desperate father turns a policeman's gun on a surgical team, demanding a heart transplant for his dying daughter.

Manatee: The Strategic Response Unit did not disappoint again this week (for the most part). I love how the episode opens into the action and then backs up. Though I'm sure there is a more creative way of telling the story, I enjoy the lack of a slow or boring teaser / set up. Show me the good stuff in the first 30 seconds. Again this week, the story was very emotional, and the performances were great. You really get a sense of what each character is going through. If you didn't feel for the father (Jack Swanson played by Henry Czerny) then you don't have a heart. The show deals with very intense situations in a very delicate and thoughtful way. The story makes you look inside - what would you do if you were in this position? Would you just say ok and go home with your dying kid? How hard would you fight? How unfair can life be? These are questions that, hopefully, you don't have to deal with now and never will. But it's a real test of character to think about yourself in these shoes and to answer honestly.

The fact that the drama revolves around this ensemble cast is also working for it. On a show like In Plain Sight, for example, each week's procedural story reflects Mary's personal issues, ie: her father's gambling issues, her love life, and so on. Here, with so many team members to choose from each week, we can relate personally to a different character. This week it was Elliot, ie: Sgt. Gregory Parker (Enrico Colantoni). His performance was excellent proving that just because you are a master hostage negotiator doesn't mean you lack feeling (though he did break the rule of not getting personal). The show is more believable with various characters to engage with each week.

My only concern with the episode was the ending where the patient (spoiler alert!) agreed to give the little girl (Phoebe Swanson played by Jordan Todosey) the heart at literally the last second. By giving up the heart in the last moments of the show it negates all the action preceding it. Why didn't he just give up the organ to the little girl in the first place? Wouldn't he want to keep the peace and the jeopardy that someone innocent in the hospital could die? Or was he just too selfish until he had an hour to think about it? Why not speak up sooner? There are two ways this would have worked better:

1- The little girl died while the team was still negotiating with the father. Tragic ending, I know, but at least the last 40 minutes of action aren't eliminated by one single sentence (which we don't even hear).

or 2- Keep the same ending but show the patient struggling with this negotiation as you do the other characters. If you were an older man, and people were arguing with guns over a heart for you or a young girl, what would you say? Maybe he should have struggled with the decision first, been a cocky bastard and wanted the heart. But then as he sees the little girl and the father's struggle maybe he starts to melt, maybe he tried to intervene but was not able to. It would have been more dramatic to see some struggle instead of an 11th hour decision to let the girl have her heart.

Aside from that small flaw, I still think the episode overall is some decently entertaining summer programming. How do you think this show compares to the short lived series Stand Off on Fox? That was also about hostage negotiators but seemed less dramatic and emotional, and more about stuff blowing up. I'll admit I was not much of an avid viewer of the show, so leave us your comments if you want to chime in.

Fear Itself (1.6)

Thursday, July 17th @ 10 PM NBC Fear Itself - Season 1 (aka: the only season), Episode 6 - "New Year's Day"

"Predicable and Cliche: Two Words that best describe what show?"

A young woman wakes up in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by horrifying zombies. She must fight the murderous creatures at every turn, right up until the shocking, horrifying end. (NBC.com)

Manatee: I never thought it was possible to f-up a zombie movie till last night.

Marmot: That was terrible. Terrible. The zombie equation is simple: zombies + people trying to survive = entertainment. That's all you have to do. But when you complicate it so that it looks like this: (Z+P)/F X T = garbage.

Manatee: There was nothing good about this episode. In fact it was so bad, I think a brainless zombie wrote it.

Marmot: That equation was (Zombie+People trying to survive) divided by Flashbacks times Twist, by the way. And a zombie probably did write it. Maybe that 12 year old zombie that popped up at the end.

Manatee: I feel like they could have come up with a better twist than they did. But that aside, did the writers know anything about zombies, or have their assistants research zombies?

Marmot: I don't think so. With monsters and such, there are certain liberties you can take - vampires don't always have to be afraid of the cross, werewolves don't always have to be killed by a silver bullet - but zombies can't have emotions. That's the whole point to being a zombie.

Manatee: Exactly. Do zombies target people they hated as humans and enact revenge? And what was up with the "happy Zombie couple" at the end? Do zombies have relationships in zombie world?

Marmot: No! Zombies just want to eat brains. That's all they do. In some movies, like Land of the Dead, they've gotten a little smarter, but they definitely don't understand concepts like affection and revenge.

Manatee: From the limited research I did on Wikipedia, I learned that they rarely have speech or free will, and have limited to no memory of their previous life. I'm all about reinventing the wheel or taking a little creative license but Zombies are a cult classic and it's just wrong to mess it up this much.

Marmot: I couldn't figure out when exactly she became a zombie.

Manatee: My guess, after Kevin (the kid) bit Eddie, he went into her room and bit her and the spider. Because if you notice the night before her pet spider was dead at 4:30 AM, he was alive. Zombie Spider! But if she OD-ed and was dead (Eddie was performing CPR), then Kevin bit her, would she become a Zombie? I'm not sure on that rule. Like with Vampires, you bite a human who is alive and turn them. If she was already dead, and a zombie ate her, would she turn? Or maybe she was barely alive. That's my thought. Why it took her 2 hours to wake up from her zombie slumber, I don't know. Denial maybe?

Marmot: I don't think zombies feed on dead people. Maybe if it thought she wasn’t dead, it would, but usually zombies like the hunt. They're like tigers in that sense.

Manatee: Well someone bit her while she was down.

Marmot: Coming back to the twist in this episode - the reason twists in Shyamalan movies work is that you plant clues for it throughout the movie/episode. GIANT SPOILER ALERT - You believe that Bruce Willis is dead, because when you look back, it was plainly obvious. He was shot, no one could see him but Haley Joel Osment, etc. But in this, there was no evidence for her being a zombie anywhere until we were just told that she was one. That would be like watching all of Men in Black and then at the end Will Smith pulls off a mask and he's an alien.

Manatee: Enough with the Fear Itself twists! You don't need a twist to be good. But what's also of interest to me is that in these shows (specifically this one but also other horror projects) the characters have NEVER seen a horror movie before. Hello, pick up a weapon, or two! Looking back, she was already a Zombie but still, it's like the horror and thriller genre do not exist in their world. I know we're prepared for Z-Day.

Marmot: Wait a second. If she was a zombie, how was she able to carry around a flashlight?

Manatee: Or use a cell phone, or drive a car, or barricade a door?

Marmot: And you're right. We've been preparing for Z-Day for years, and most of that knowledge is applicable to other apocalyptic events.

Manatee: Very useful information indeed. Why do we punish ourselves with such horrendous writing? That dialogue was atrocious. Especially the bar scenes with Helen and James.

Marmot: What the hell were they even talking about? In fact, what the hell was anyone talking about? People kept telling her she was different than anyone else - was she already a zombie? Has she been a zombie her whole life?

Manatee: Maybe that's the case. That's why everyone around her is always dying. And why the old man blamed her for the whole mess.

Marmot: What a stupid episode. I don't think we should watch this show anymore, it's making us stupider.

Manatee: There is nothing talented about this show. I hate to say the DP and Editor are talentless hacks, because I assume that those crappy creative look choices are made by the bad producers on the show and are not a reflection of the crews’ talent. But then again, the look stinks so bad maybe the production value is just so low (and Canadian) you have little choice over the look.

If you like this series, comment below! We always welcome opposite opinions.