Pushing Daisies and the rest of my Wednesday shows

Dirty Sexy Money

Not even bringing ratings into the discussion, Dirty Sexy Money was hurt a lot by the writers’ strike. This year it seems like a faded copy of what it was last year. It’s not fun and campy and witty anymore, but boring and predictable and annoying.

I don’t dislike it, but it’s just not as fun as it was last year. Everything with Nick and his wife is painful. Jeremy has gone from usually amusing to always irritating. I still like Brian, but I wish he was still a priest and was more antagonistic toward Nick. However, I don’t really mind his storyline with his wife and “Gustav.” They got rid of the best character on the show (Carmelita), and the main reason she was the best character is because she made Patrick interesting.

Well, I suppose it’s all a moo point now anyway (a cow’s opinion), because the show has been canned. At least we’ll (supposedly) finally find out who truly did murder Dutch. I hope it’s not Tripp; that seems too obvious. I do hope that it’s Simon, because while I do like Blair Underwood, Simon is too much with the smiles and the shiny chest and the irrational anger.

Interesting side note that I discovered a few weeks ago while watching: although I think that Peter Krause is a decent actor, I always hate the characters he plays. Casey on Sports Night, Nate on Six Feet Under and now Nick. I might start off liking him, but he quickly deteriorates into someone who I enjoy only when he’s failing.


Friday Night Lights

I’m not up-to-date on FNL – I’ve been trying to watch online because I don’t have DirectTV, but I really do not like watching TV shows on my computer. However, I have seen the first seven (I think) episodes and from what I’ve seen, it’s back to the FNL of season one.

That’s not to say season two was bad, but it wasn’t the near perfection that season one was. Everything with Coach and Tami is still fantastic. (It always has been.) Saracen is back to being Saracen. Less Landry on the football field and more of him being dorky, awkward Landry. I actually like Lyla, and I’ve never liked Lyla. The new kid on the Panthers is sympathetic and relatable – even though he’s competing against Saracen and I should really hate him, I don’t. Buddy Garrity is still Buddy Garrity and is always worth a few laughs per episode. Billy Riggins is actually becoming a character instead of a set piece. Smash’s exit was handled wonderfully, and Gaius Charles deserves to find a great job somewhere that will really showcase his abilities. I haven’t seen Jason Street’s last episode yet, but Scott Porter continues his believability and general excellence.

Of course, all the acting is above par. Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton behave like they’re really married. Zach Gilford and Aimee Teegarden have the second best chemistry on the show (behind Chandler and Britton). Even when I don’t quite understand her character’s motives, Adrienne Palicki makes Tyra believable.

And it’s not just the main characters, Grandma Saracen, Herc, Buddy, Billy, Tyra’s mom and sister. I think I’m going to miss Smash’s mom more than I’m gonna miss him. Every single scene Liz Mikel was in was awesome, whether she was laughing, crying, yelling or lecturing.

It’s the show that brought tears to my eyes every week in its first year and I can’t wait until it’s rebroadcast on NBC so I can watch it (and tear up) all over again.


Pushing Daisies

I wrote a whole lot about Daisies yesterday, so in an effort not to repeat myself, I’m just going to say that the cast of this show has risen to Whedonesque proportions in my eyes, and I will follow them anywhere. So Lee Pace, Anna Friel, Kristin Chenoweth, Chi McBride, Ellen Greene and Swoozie Kurtz…I’m on you like I’m on Alyson Hannigan and Nathan Fillion.

Also, I think I will damn America one last time:

Damn you, you ungrateful TV watchers! I hope all your favorite shows are cancelled (as long as I don’t watch them too).

I still have ‘Eternal Flame’ stuck in my head. Blërg.


Sons of Anarchy

I am way behind on this show. It’s another one of those “pretty good” shows. Decently made and acted and entertaining enough, but not something I have to see every week or would miss if it was gone.

I really like both Charlie Hunnam and Katey Sagal; they’re the best reasons to watch. Having just (fairly) recently watched all of Undeclared on DVD, it’s pretty amusing to me that Lloyd and Jax are played by the same actor. (I know it’s been like 10 years since Undeclared, but still…) And Katey Sagal is always good, whether here, on The Shield, Eli Stone or Lost. She is Peggy Bundy no more.

When I was discussing the show with my brother a few weeks ago, he mentioned that every episode has that one moment. And he’s right – whether it’s burning off a tattoo or finding a creative space to hide guns, the show always gets you with that moment, and it’s almost worth watching just for that.