TV Geek Army.com

Showtime for Showville [TV show alerts for week of May 19, 2013]

2013-05-20 00:35:30

AMC has a deservedly impeccable reputation when it comes to producing dramatic series (let's face it: even on its most infuriating and dreary day, The Killing is better than most shows on TV), but the jury is still out on its reality fare.

While I'm a big fan of Kevin Smith (his podcast with longtime pal, co-star, and sidekick Jason Mewes is hysterical), I find his Comic Book Men reality show (about dudes hanging out and geeking out with respect to all things comics) to be pleasant but not compelling viewing. And really the same thing is true for Small Town Security, a show that feels like it should be quirkier and more interesting than it actually is. And in terms of reality competition series on AMC, I found the short lived The Pitch to be far more infuriating than The Killing could ever hope to be.

And now we have Showville (see premiere details below), which "…centers around a small town talent show featuring local acts, who get the chance of a lifetime to be in the spotlight." Can it hope to put AMC on the reality show map in the same way that dramas like Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and The Walking Dead have made it the king of scripted fare? Based on this trailer, I'm guessing not… but who knows, it could be good for a few kicks.

PREMIERES
An early rollout of summer series continues. Not much to be ecstatic about here, quite frankly, though if you're a Gordon Ramsay fan you'll applaud his determination to show up with a new episode of one series or another every night of the year.

Sunday
North America, Discovery – 9:00
Life Below Zero, NatGeo – 10:00

Monday
The Goodwin Games, FOX – 8:30
James May's Man Lab, BBC America – 10:00
Motive, ABC – 10:00
Classic Car Rescue, Discovery – 10:00

Tuesday
Extreme Moms, Lifetime – 9:00
Bad Girls All Star Battle, Oxygen – 9:00

Wednesday
MasterChef – FOX, 8:00

Thursday
Save Me, NBC – 8:00
Does Someone Have to Go? – 9:00
Showville, AMC – 9:00
Rookie Blue, ABC – 10:00
Top 20 Funniest, truTV – 10:00
Faked Out, Travel – 10:00

FINALES
Many broadcast networks close up shop until the fall (or forever more). I'm actually and oddly looking forward to the All-Star Celebrity Apprentice finale, if only because both finalists, Penn Jilette and Trace Adkins, are legitimately strong contenders and worth rooting for to bring a boatload of cash home to their respective charities.

Sunday
Call the Midwife, PBS – 8:00
The Simpsons, FOX – 8:00
All-Star Celebrity Apprentice, NBC – 9:00
Family Guy, FOX – 9:00
Married to Medicine, Bravo – 9:00

Monday
Rules of Engagement, CBS – 8:30
Mike & Molly, CBS – 9:30
Hawaii Five-O, CBS – 10:00
Bates Motel, A&E – 10:00
Rectify, Sundance – 10:00
The Big C: Hereafter, CBS – 10:00

Tuesday
Dancing With the Stars – 9:00
The Game, BET – 10:00

Wednesday
The Middle, ABC – 8:00
Criminal Minds, CBS – 9:00
Modern Family, ABC – 9:00
Law & Order: SVU, NBC – 9:00
Chicago Fire, NBC – 10:00
Nashville, NBC – 10:00

HOT
Sunday night continues to be the night that my TV week centers around – new episodes of Mad Men and Game of Thrones on one night is an embarrassment of riches. Hannibal on Thursdays is getting really good too. Really really hope it gets picked up for a second season. Do something right for once, NBC execs!

Sunday
Game of Thrones, HBO – 9:00
Family Guy, FOX – 9:00
Mad Men, AMC – 10:00
Veep, HBO – 10:00
The Borgias, Showtime – 10:00

Monday
Bates Motel, A&E – 10:00
Rectify, Sundance – 10:00

Tuesday
Deadliest Catch, Discovery – 9:00
Awkward., MTV – 10:00
Tosh.O, Comedy Central – 10:00
Girl Code, MTV – 10:30

Wednesday
MythBusters, Discovery – 9:00
Modern Family, ABC – 9:00

Thursday
Showville, AMC – 9:00
Hannibal, NBC – 10:00

Note: All times listed are EST/PST.

Questions, thoughts, ideas, or want to join the TV Geek Army? Write to us: jointhemovement—at—tvgeekarmy—dot—com.

Breaking Amish: Brave New World, "Nothing To Lose": and everything to gain

2013-05-15 14:32:26

Quick Take: Breaking Amish: Brave New World, "Nothing To Lose"
Another round of fake reality?

Review: Breaking Amish: Brave New World, "Nothing To Lose"
(S0101) The show that had many people wondering whether or not it was staged or real is back for another go round on TLC. This time the four ex-Amish and one ex-Mennonite are completely immersed in the English world and some of them are realizing that the grass isn't always greener on the other side.

After bouncing around a few states Jeremiah now calls Florida home with his girlfriend Kim after following a lead for construction work - by the end of the episode though they are no longer together. Kate has remained in New York and is living her dream of becoming a model. Sabrina is still a bit of a mess and is living in the basement of a church with a gun at her side while her boyfriend is in jail for assaulting someone. Abe and Rebecca are still married and living in an apartment in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania not far from his Amish family.

Abe's sister does try to make her way into their inner circle but Rebecca immediately squashes her plans. Her overreaction leads her to have a panic attack that renders her unable to breathe. Although she is smoking a cigarette while she is going through this attack so I don't know how legit that whole scene really was. I guess Rebecca is more comfortable being her true self after her skeletons were exposed. She actually admitted on camera that she does have a daughter that lives with her and Abe. Although I doubt she will be making her television debut anytime soon.

So, what brings these five back together? Jeremiah comes up with the brilliant idea that they should all get together in Florida. He initially invites Abe & Rebecca down after Abe tells him that he and Rebecca have essentially been excommunicated from the Amish community and he is unable to find work. Didn't he know that that was what was going to happen to them once they decided to leave the community? What made him think that his situation would be any different and he would be the exception to the rule? One thing I found confusing was Abe's mother so willing to be on camera this season saying how her son missed being part of the Amish community. If she was such a stickler for playing by the Amish rules shouldn't she by shying away from the cameras?

This season will document how these brave souls will be road-tripping down to Florida in a rented RV making stops along the way... Including in our nation's capital where they will have a few comments to make about the famous monuments in reference to their previous Amish lifestyle. Like they say, you can take the boy out of the city but you can't take the city out of the boy.

While I still question the legitimacy of the reality of this show it does offer up an entertaining hour of television nonetheless.

Quitting time at The Office [TV show alerts for week of May 12, 2013]

2013-05-13 02:01:09

I guess you know you're a TV geek when you force yourself to grapple with such conundrums as: do I care about The Office series finale?

The answer, sadly, is that I don't. Not really, anyway. I'll probably check in on the final episode (see details below), but I'm firmly in the camp of those who think that The Office was very much ready to close up shop as soon as Michael Scott (Steve Carell) bid his adieu. And doesn't that seem like a long time ago now?

PREMIERES
Not very many premieres to look forward to this week, though So You Think You Can Dance? portends the onset of the summer reality show onslaught from the broadcast networks.

Sunday
Long Island Medium, TLC – 9:00
Breaking Amish: Brave New World, TLC – 10:00
XOX Betsey Johnson, Style – 8:00
Resale Royalty, Style – 9:00
Family Tree, HBO – 10:30

Tuesday
So You Think You Can Dance?, ABC – 8:00

FINALES
Tons of season finales though as we're hitting late Spring and the end of the run of the "traditional" (old school?) television season structure.

Sunday
Survivor: Caramoan, CBS – 8:00
Once Upon a Time, ABC – 8:00
Bob's Burgers, FOX – 9:00
Revenge, ABC – 9:00
American Dad, FOX – 9:30

Monday
How I Met Your Mother, CBS – 8:00
2 Broke Girls, CBS – 9:00
90210, CW – 8:00
Castle, ABC – 10:00

Tuesday
NCIS, CBS – 8:00
NCIS: Los Angeles – 9:00
New Girl, FOX – 9:00
The Mindy Project, FOX – 9:30
World's Worst Tenants, Spike – 10:00
Golden Boy, CBS – 10:00

Wednesday
Arrow, CW – 8:00
Supernatural, CW – 9:00
CSI, CBS – 10:00
Deep South Paranormal, Syfy – 10:00

Thursday
American Idol, FOX – 8:00
The Vampire Diaries, CW – 8:00
The Big Bang Theory, CBS – 8:00
Elementary, CBS – 9:00
The Office, NBC – 9:00
Grey's Anatomy, ABC – 9:00
Beauty and the Beast, CW – 9:00
Scandal, ABC – 10:00

Friday
Undercover Boss, CBS – 8:00
Nikita, CW – 8:00
Shark Tank, ABC – 9:00

Saturday
Doctor Who, BBC America – 8:00
Saturday Night Live, NBC – 11:30

HOT
Mad Men's "For Immediate Release" from last week was scary good after a few episodes that had left some wondering if the already iconic show is beginning to fade in its sixth season. Guess what? It's not.

Sunday
Game of Thrones, HBO – 9:00
Family Guy, FOX – 9:00
Mad Men, AMC – 10:00
Veep, HBO – 10:00
The Borgias, Showtime – 10:00

Monday
How I Met Your Mother, CBS – 8:00
Bates Motel, A&E – 10:00
Rectify, Sundance – 10:00

Tuesday
Deadliest Catch, Discovery – 9:00
Awkward., MTV – 10:00
Tosh.O, Comedy Central – 10:00
Girl Code, MTV – 10:30

Wednesday
Supernatural, CW – 9:00
MythBusters, Discovery – 9:00

Thursday
American Idol, FOX – 8:00
The Big Bang Theory, CBS – 8:00
Hannibal, NBC – 10:00

Friday
Da Vinci's Demons, Starz – 9:00

Saturday
Doctor Who, BBC America – 8:00
Orphan Black, BBC America – 9:00
Saturday Night Live, NBC – 11:30

Note: All times listed are EST/PST.

The Office's Top 10 episodes of all time

2013-05-12 11:19:07

The two hour series finale of The Office is airing this week and I have already started to wonder, what am I going to do on Thursday nights without the employees of Dunder Mifflin to keep me entertained? For the past nine seasons, The Office has been one of the best comedies on TV. These characters will be missed, but I am looking forward to seeing what the finale has in store for them.

In honor of this great show, I have put together a list of ten of the best episodes and as an Office fan since the beginning it was hard to narrow down my favorite out of almost two hundred. There have been countless laugh out loud, cringe worthy, tear inducing, face palm and heartfelt moments on this show, but for me these define The Office.

10. Diversity Day, season 1, episode 2: ‘Diversity Day’ stands out among the lackluster first season episodes and was the first glimpse into Michael’s awful leadership skills. A diversity consultant is brought to the office after a Chris Rock impression of Michael’s gets complained about to corporate. When Michael finds out the whole thing was about him, he is embarrassed and decides to run his own diversity training session. “Let’s go around and everybody, name a race you are attracted to sexually,” is his starting point and by the end of the lesson he gets slapped in the face by Kelly. It is comedy gold when the employees have to tape note cards, with the names of ethnic groups on them, to their foreheads and try to guess what their race is based on stereotypes.

9. The Job, season 3, episode 23: This was one of the best season finales that the show had throughout the years. When a position opens up at corporate, Michael, Jim and Karen travel to new York for interviews. Michael is conflicted when it is revealed to be Jan’s job that is becoming available, Jim realizes that Pam has always been there for him and Dwight has a taste of what it would be like to be the regional manager. I love Pam’s expression when Jim comes back to ask her out to dinner and the twist of Ryan being offered the position at corporate.

8. Threat Level Midnight, season 7, episode 17: Way back in season 2 was when we first learned about Michael’s movie script of Threat Level Midnight.It started with a table read by the employees when Pam came upon the script and by season seven it had turned into a full movie, being made over the course of a few years, with cameos from Jan, Karen and Roy. This episode felt like a little tribute to Michael before he left Dunder Mifflin for good a few episodes later.

7. Traveling Salesman, season 3, episode 14: ‘Traveling Salesman’ is one of the episodes that displays how great the chemistry is between the cast. It starts off with the sales staff teaming up for sales calls in an Amazing Race way during which Andy tries to turn Michael against Dwight after learning Dwight had previously gone to Jan how bad of a boss Michael is, Karen learns about Jim’s feelings for Pam from Phyllis and Jim and Dwight’s team skills are shown to be amazing even though they always don’t get along. Dwight ends up choosing Angela over Dunder Mifflin when he drives to New York to turn in the important tax forms that she forgot to mail. After Andy finds Dwight’s toll stub, Michael thinks Dwight betrayed him to corporate, leading Dwight to quit. Jim and Dwight together are always great moments and I still laugh pretty hard when Jim slaps Dwight in the face.

6. Christmas Party, season 2, episode 10: Most of the Office Christmas parties are dysfunctional and hilarious and this is where it all started. Leave it up to Michael to screw it everything up by having a Yankee Swap instead when after buying Ryan an iPod, even though there was a $20 limit, he gets upset when he opens his gift of oven mitts handmade by Phyllis. His answer to all the problems is to buy booze for everyone and later gets flashed by a drunk Meredith. This was also an episode to show how Jim really felt about Pam when he gets her for secret Santa and gives her a gift with all their inside jokes included. And that note that Jim almost gave Pam about his feelings finally made its way to her during this final season! Those two have definitely come a long way.

5. Goodbye Michael, season 7, episode 22: As everyone is preparing for a last day at the office with Michael, he in turn decides not to tell everyone he is leaving a day early to avoid any drama. He has subtle goodbyes with everyone and by the end can barely hold it together. One of the best moments of the episode is when Pam realizes that Michael left for good and found him at the airport to say goodbye. This episode is so great because you can see the real emotions in the goodbyes he has with his co workers. Steve Carell had a great run on this show, creating one of the most memorable characters on TV and this was a great send off for him.

4. The Injury, season 2, episode 12: After Michael grills his foot with a George Foreman grill, Dwight races to save him but ends up crashing his car and gets a concussion. It is Pam who discovers this after she gets suspicious when Dwight starts acting like her friend. Michael thinks his injury is more severe and even brings in the building landlord, who is in a wheelchair, to teach the office some compassion towards disabled people but mostly towards his hurt foot. This episode was one of the handfuls where Dwight proves how much he cares for Michael. Although Michael is always reluctant to admit he cares for Dwight in return, he does end up being there for him. Their moments together in this episode are great, but so are the Dwight-Pam moments in between.

3. Fun Run, season 4, episode 1 & 2: ‘Fun Run’ is easily one of the funniest episodes and has one of the funniest cold opens of the show starting off with Michael saying how great his life is and then hitting Meredith with his car. When Meredith learns she has rabies, Michael decides to have a charity run to find a cure for it. It is the little moments that make this episode so great from Michael eating fettuccini alfredo before the run, Dwight using a real gun to start the race, Andy having to tape his nipples so they don’t chafe and Oscar, Creed and Stanley taking a cab to the finish line after a round of beers at a nearby tavern. Also, two relationship milestones happen with Angela breaking up with Dwight after he mercy kills her sick cat and Jim and Pam are revealed to be dating.

2. Niagara, season 6, episode 4 & 5: For the first three seasons Jim and Pam, JAM, were the will they/won’t they couple of the show. In season four their relationship finally took off and by season six they were getting married and going to have a baby. It may be Jim and Pam’s big day, but all the little stories surrounding it make the episode fantastic including Dwight’s wooing of a bridesmaid, Kevin losing his shoes, Michael and the gang dancing down the aisle (an Office tribute to this real wedding video) much to Pam’s chagrin and Pam having to drive Andy to the hospital after he tears his scrotum, while having a dace off with Erin, because she is the only sober one to do it. Of course there are the sweet moments between the couple with Jim cutting his tie for Pam after her veil rips and when they really get married on the Maid of the Mist at the falls. And who knew that it would be Jim, not Michael, to spill Pam’s pregnancy secret. This episode had a good balance of comedy and heart.

1. Dinner Party, season 4, episode 9: ‘Dinner Party’ is awkwardness at its best, displaying how discomfort can be a good recipe for comedy. Michael and Jan invite Jim, Pam, Andy and Angela over for a couple’s dinner with Dwight crashing due to jealousy, but what ensues is a look into Jan and Michael’s dysfunctional home life. The dinner is a mess as Jan’s crazy side really comes out as it is revealed she won’t let Michael sleep in the same bed with her and she has an obsession with making candles. It is kind of sad to see how unhappy Michael is, but you can’t help but laugh when they angrily call each other babe.

Parks and Recreation: why is everyone so mean to Jerry?

2013-05-08 12:09:18

In the last few months, I’ve joined the bandwagon that is Parks and Recreation. Sure I was late to the game, but that doesn’t mean I love it any less. Leslie exhausts me, Ron Swanson makes me giggle uncontrollably, and I desperately want April to insult me; it seems like a great way to start the day. And while I’ve learned to never let Tom borrow my credit card (or Donna for that matter), there’s still one glaring issue that irks me every time I watch the show: why is everyone so mean to Garry/Jerry Gergich?

They can’t even get the guy’s name right!

Sure he’s a little clumsy, but his niceness more than makes up for whatever soup he may have spilled on his button-down shirt. He’s not even the annoying kind of nice, just genuinely caring, friendly, and selfless toward others, despite whatever insults they berate him with. Even Leslie, the woman how sticks up for everyone/is excited about everything, constantly interrupts him, sends him on pointless trips, and forgets to bring him vacation souvenirs. (Hypocrite alert, Miss Knope.)

These ongoing insult/odd-man-out jokes aren’t funny, in fact, it’s plain awkward. Like the time they:

* Created a “Jerry filter” to avoid his emails

* Started a collection, donating money each time they laugh at Garry/Jerry … then went out to a fancy dinner with the funds.

* Failed to notify him that a virus emergency was a drill, not the real thing.

* Insulted his intricate and skilled artwork.

* Gave him a heart attack.

* Made fun of him for having said heart attack.

Garry/Jerry is just a nice family guy – who landed Christie Brinkley – and constantly gets crapped on.

So what gives? Why is this still a running gag? It may have been funny once, NBC, but now, five seasons in, the viewers are wondering what this guy ever did wrong. And why doesn’t Garry/Jerry zing anyone back? The constant insults would be easier to take if they weren’t so one-sided.

The Gergich family may be a little weird, but aside from their patriarch, they’re a bunch of hot blondes. If public schools taught us anything, it’s that beautiful people are allowed to be weird – it’s the main premise of every geek-to-chic movie ever. Yet Garry/Jerry catches enough teasing and mockery for his entire model-esque brood.

It’s also worth noting that seniority means nothing in the Parks and Rec Department. Garry/Jerry, before his retirement, was the longest-serving employee in P and R. Sure he was still one of the lowest ranking, but do years of service count for nothing anymore?

Enough with the insulting Gergich gags already, NBC. We just want to see this nice man live his life. Why not try a little anti-bullying material, and giving Garry a little respect?

Family Tools, "Pilot": parental acceptance

2013-05-07 21:24:21

Quick Take: Family Tools, "Pilot"
The fun of returning home.

Review: Family Tools, "Pilot"
(S0101) I was actually pleasantly surprised by Family Tools, a new ABC comedy. From the commercials I thought it would be corny and boring, but, decided to tune in while waiting for a new episode of Modern Family to begin and it turned out to be a fast-paced comedy with quick-witted humor.

The show opens and Tony (JK Simmons) is on the floor experiencing chest pains while his sister-in-law Terry (Leah Remini) is keeping the EMT's at bay outside until he agrees to retire from his business -- Mr. Jiffy Fix. Meanwhile Terry's tool inept but altruistic son Jack (Kyle Bornheimer) is returning home after receiving a text from his dad saying he needs him. Of course it was his Aunt Terry who actually sent him that text. We soon learn that Jack was recently thrown out of seminary school for trying to make the bible shorter and less preachy. Is he serious? He also failed at being in the Army after shooting his lieutenant in the foot and also at the police academy for shooting himself in the foot. Of course he goes for a third time while working on a deck by shooting himself in the foot with a nail gun.

The best dynamic was between Jack and Darren (Edi Gathegi) -- Terry's longtime right-hand man who Jack would like to fire but Terry says no. Darren doesn't feel like he needs to listen to or respect Jack and what ensues is the two of them trying to out-do the other one with all sorts of quips. Darren actually buys a puppy under the ruse of repairing their strained relationship... Seriously, it was just their first day together. Jack gets his revenge though when he realizes that flirting with Darren's sister Stitch (Danielle Nicolet) - who continuously flirts with him - strikes a chord with him and he milks it for all it's worth. This show definitely has an interesting cast of characters that could either end up sinking or swimming, but, overall they all have a good heart.

While I did enjoy the show there were a few things that did bother me. While everyone plays their parts extremely well I am finding it hard to believe that Leah Remini is JK Simmons sister-in-law. It just seems a little off-beat too that she would move in to care for her dead sister's husband - maybe a little more to their backstory would have been helpful - and the dynamic between them seems more like husband and wife than brother-in-law and sister-in-law. If it were the former though the dynamics of the show wouldn't work as well I suppose. It's funnier that Jack's aunt is the one sending him texts as his father than it being his mother. That's just too typical. Also, when the episode opens Tony didn't want his son home and especially didn't want him to take over the family business, but, by the end of the episode he is completely accepting of him and redecorating the basement as his bedroom so he can feel comfortable. I guess I would have like the relationship to be repaired over the course of a few episodes as opposed to immediately in the first one. I guess the idea is to build on their repaired relationship throughout the season now. Oh, and the names Tony and Terry as the "matriarch" and "patriarch" is just too cutesy for my taste.

I doubt this is going to be ABC's next "Modern Family" but I prefer watching this as a lead-in to it than The Neighbors which lasted one episode too long in my opinion.

The Americans, "The Colonel": smoke screens

2013-05-02 09:54:43

Quick Take: The Americans, "The Colonel"
You never know who you are dealing with.

Review: The Americans, "The Colonel"
(S0113) I’ll admit for the better part of the season finale of The Americans I was wondering where it was all going. But, when the action started it was well worth the wait. It seemed that a few of the characters were out for two things, redemption and retribution.

At the end of last week’s episode Nina confessed to her superior, Arkady, that she was the mole and this week we learned her fate. Luckily for her Arkady has seen something in her and instead of sending her back to Moscow, where she would have been spared execution, he allows her to remain in American and continue her liaisons with Beeman. But, instead of “working” for Beeman she’s now working for the betterment of Moscow and must report all of their meetings to Arkady. It’s not long before her loyalty is tested. She meets with Beeman and he is overjoyed telling her that she should wait at the apartment for him that her exfiltration is only hours away. She immediately realizes that something is amiss and that one of the KGB missions of the day must be a set-up and reports back to Arkady. Since there is no time to verbally warn Philip and Elizabeth he opts to spray paint marks on a few cars and have them drive around the area in hopes of someone seeing it. For a moment I honestly thought that Nina wouldn’t tell Arkady since the idea of escaping her convoluted life must have been freeing to her, but, it appears that she is steadfast in her loyalty to Moscow and wants to redeem herself in their eyes.

Elizabeth and Philip spent the better part of the hour debating who would take what mission. There were two things that needed to be completed – A meeting with an American Colonel who was going to provide them with information and the retrieval of Weinberger recordings. Elizabeth is convinced that the meeting with the Colonel is a set-up and tells Philip to make plans for him and the children to be away just in case since she is the one meeting with him. Of course we already know that the set-up is the retrieval of the Weinberger recordings which the FBI has traced to a trunk of a car parked on a random street in the DC area.

Since Elizabeth and Philip never accounted for Weinberger’s housekeeper to divulge the location of the bug to the FBI they could have never thought that a simple retrieval could be a set-up. As such, at the last minute Philip switches things up and takes the meeting with the Colonel himself sending Elizabeth to retrieve the recordings. I just have to say that while Philip kept telling Elizabeth that if anyone should be caught it should be him since the kids needed her it was definitely deeper than that. He truly loves Elizabeth and didn’t want anything bad to happen to her. He knows that she is tough, but as we have seen all season he has become Americanized in many ways and as such has adopted the philosophy that the man should always take care of the woman. When Philip goes to meet with the Colonel Grannie is watching them and it’s a good thing to since she sees one of the marked cars and jumps into action crashing the meeting and saying it’s a set-up. It’s not long before Philip realizes that the set-up is actually Elizabeth’s mission and he races to get to her.

Thankfully he makes it to her before she reaches the car – she was within feet of it. Of course this tips off the FBI who has had the car under heavy surveillance and they spring into action trying to trap them. Elizabeth and Philip get away and sneak into a parking garage where they shed their disguises and hotwire another car and escape. I found it hard to believe that none of the FBI or police cars that were in pursuit of them never thought to check the parking garage, but, that’s due to the magic of perfect writing I suppose. Unfortunately Elizabeth has been shot. At a makeshift operating room in a warehouse, with Grannie overseeing, a doctor removes the bullet and while Grannie insists that Philip returns to his children he refuses to leave Elizabeth’s side. He calls Beeman and asks him to watch the children and makes up a story that he and Elizabeth are on their way to visit an ailing aunt of Elizabeth’s. It seems that Elizabeth and Philip have finally realized what we have known all along… They work better as a team as opposed to individuals. When Elizabeth regains consciousness for a few moments she asks him in Russian to come home and he agrees. I wonder though if they had followed orders as instructed would Elizabeth have rushed to save Philip from being caught by the FBI.

And let’s not forget about Grannie. While she will be reassigned per Elizabeth and Philip’s request, she did prove that she is a force to be reckoned with. Since Elizabeth failed to take her bait and kill Patterson as retribution for the murder of a KGB General she took matters into her own hands. She goes to Patterson’s apartment in disguise under the rue that she’s locked out of her niece’s apartment in the same building. Once inside his apartment she shoots him with a Taser gun, injects him with something to temporarily paralyze him and then makes a small incision on his jugular vein that will make him slowly bleed out and die. Talk about brutal! She was right when she told Elizabeth that she has no idea who she is.

Other tidbits to look forward to next season… It seems that Paige is realizing that something is amiss with her mom. She doubted her story of folding laundry in the middle of the night and checks on said laundry a few days later but you can tell she’s looking for something more. She’s the one that Elizabeth early on said was soft so it would be ironic if she’s the one who ultimately discovers her parents’ true identity. Then there is Martha. I couldn’t help but laugh at her when she arrives home and puts on her wedding ring and dances around her apartment. How can anyone be so gullible? How will Clark end that sham of a marriage without raising any suspicion? And, will Beeman finally crash and burn? His wife for all intents and purposes is pretty much done with him –he offered her a trip to Jamaica and she refused- which will only drive him further into the arms of Nina who he failed when he couldn’t grant her the exfiltration he promised – due to Nina herself of course. At this point he kind of reminds me a hamster running in a wheel – he’s going round and round but getting nowhere. Will Nina be able to turn him like Arkady wants?

Welcome back, Vinny Guadagnino [TV show alerts for the week of April 28, 2013]

2013-04-29 00:48:22

I've long felt that Vinny Guadagnino and Pauly DelVecchio (AKA Pauly D) were the two most marketable talents to come out of the Jersey Shore franchise, which was why I was a bit disappointed that Pauly's mostly watchable reality spin-off show, The Pauly D Project, was not renewed after its debut season whereas the mostly snooze-y Snooki & Jwoww is still going strong.

Nonetheless, we now have Vinny's intriguing new "homespun" talk show, The Show With Vinny, to look forward to. The idea is that Vinny will hang out with and interview celebrities at his Staten Island home while some of the flamboyant characters we've come to know via Jersey Shore visits – such as Vin's dotingest Italian mom ever and the slightly creepy/mostly wacky Uncle Nino – create a unique and colorful backdrop.

I'm curious to see how it will play out. Really I think it remains to be seen whether or not Vinny can pull off being a legitimate talk show host, and that will prove out if his latest reality show venture has any legs.

PREMIERES

WTF podcast fans, take note! Comedian and podcasting phenom Marc Maron is debuting a Louie-esque show on IFC, Friday night at 10:00.

Monday
Red, White and New, Travel - 10:00
The Big C: Hereafter - 10:00

Tuesday
Airport 24/7: Miami, Travel - 9:00
Weird or What?, Syfy - 9:00
Inside Amy Schumer, Comedy Central - 10:30
The Little Couple, TLC - 10:00

Wednesday
Family Tools, ABC - 8:30
The Big Brain Theory: Pure Genius, Discovery - 10:00

Thursday
The Show With Vinny, MTV - 10:00
Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous, MTV - 10:30

Friday
Maron, IFC - 10:00
Clipped!, Animal Planet - 10:00
Alien Earths: Revealed, NatGeo - 9:00
The Half Hour, Comedy Central - 11:00 & 11:30

Saturday
Twisted & Listed, TLC - 10:00

FINALES
Dead drop on this: if you are a fan of great television, you will be glued to your television Wednesday night for The Americans' first season finale.

Sunday
The Good Wife, CBS - 9:00
Vikings, History - 10:00

Monday
Bones, Fox - 8:00
The Following, Fox - 9:00

Wednesday
The Americans, FX - 10:00

Thursday
Parks and Recreation, NBC - 9:30
Wife Swap, ABC - 8:00
BrandX With Russell Brand, FX - 11:00

Friday
Happy Endings, ABC - 8:00 & 8:30

Saturday
Cops, Fox - 8:00

HOT
What do we mean by hot? We use a mix of social buzz, critical praise, and our own demented yet wildly astute on the television landscape. Are we missing anything you deem most hot? Let us know in the comments, please!

Sunday
Family Guy, Fox - 9:00
All-Star Celebrity Apprentice, NBC - 9:00
Game of Thrones, HBO - 9:00
Mr. Selfridge, PBS - 9:00
Veep, HBO - 10:00
Mad Men, AMC - 10:00

Monday
The Voice, NBC - 8:00
How I Met Your Mother - 8:00
Bates Motel - 10:00
Rectify, Sundance - 9:00 & 10:00

Tuesday
The Voice, NBC - 8:00
Deadliest Catch, Discovery - 9:00
Grimm, NBC - 10:00
Awkward., MTV - 10:00
Girl Code, MTV - 10:30
Tosh.0, Comedy Central - 10:00

Wednesday
Supernatural, CW - 9:00
Modern Family, ABC - 9:00
The Americans, FX - 10:00
The Soup, E! - 10:00

Thursday
The Big Bang Theory, CBS - 8:00
Gigolos, Showtime - 8:00
American Idol, Fox - 8:00
Parks and Recreation, NBC - 9:30
Hannibal, NBC - 10:00
Glee, Fox - 9:00

Friday
Vegas, CBS - 8:00
Da Vinci's Demons, Starz - 9:00
Maron, IFC - 10:00
Real Time With Bill Maher, HBO - 10:00

Saturday
Doctor Who, BBC America - 8:00
Orphan Black, BBC America - 9:00
Saturday Night Live, NBC - 11:30

Note: All times listed are EST/PST.

The Americans "The Oath": broken promises

2013-04-25 09:12:55

Quick Take: The Americans "The Oath"
Doing what is right versus what is promised.

Review: The Americans "The Oath"
(S0112) I must say I was hoping for a little more action in this week’s episode of The Americans being that it was the one prior to next week’s season finale, but where they lacked in action they made up for with a few bombshells.

The biggest shock of the episode came from Nina. Early on in the episode she takes an oath from her superior saying that will be protect Russia and be loyal to the Soviet Party. It must have difficult for her to take that oath knowing that she’s actually betraying her motherland by being in bed – pun intended – with Agent Beeman. As usual they meet up at their safe house and during their rendezvous she questions him again on Vladimir’s untimely death and is bold enough to ask him if he was responsible for it. He hesitates for a moment before saying exactly what any women would want to hear, that he would never do anything to hurt her. I am by no means implying that this is poor writing or anything; I think it’s exactly what a person like Beeman would say in a situation like that. One thing the writers are doing superbly well though is having Beeman underestimate Nina and what she is willing to do to get what she wants. No matter what, her allegiance is always going to be to Russia regardless of what Beeman sells her, it’s where she is from and her family is still there.

I am not sure if taking the oath or knowing that Beeman flat out lied to her face is what sets her off, but, at the end of the episode Nina walks into her superior’s office and confesses to him that she is the mole. That she is the one who has been working with the FBI and goes even further to say that the agent she is working with is her lover. He’s taken aback as to why she would be confessing and in no uncertain terms she tells him that she wants to be a KGB officer - definitely didn’t see that coming. That is going to make the relationship between her and Beeman priceless as I am sure she will continue to see him all the while betraying him by feeding him false information. I’ve always said he should have known better than to get involved with her knowing how she got to the position she is now at. She had no qualms using sex to get what she needed at work so why should it be any different when it comes to him.

Something else I didn’t see coming was the marriage between Clark (Philip) and Martha. I guess having multiple identities definitely comes in handy when you need to betray someone by taking a relationship to the next level. He only proposes to her so that he can convince her to plant a bug in her superior’s office – Agent Gaad. Of course she obliges and a few days later they are getting married and Elizabeth and Grannie are in disguise posing as Clark’s family members. I honestly found that quite hilarious. Especially with Elizabeth who is actually moved by the marriage vows – the second oath of the episode. She reminisces with Philip and wonders if their relationship would have been different if they had truly gotten married and exchanged vows. I guess she feels that if they had promised something to one another it would have been harder for their marriage to veer off path. I honestly don’t think that would have mattered. It’s not like their work would allow them to truly honor their marriage vows. In a way I feel sorry for Elizabeth because it’s so obvious that she wants to be truly married to Philip but she has no idea how to be his partner in work and life. She sees everything as black and white with no gray area in between and that has left her longing for someone that she could so easily have.

While one bug was being planted another one was discovered as the Weinberger’s housekeeper began to have second thoughts about assisting the KGB with planting it. From what we are supposed to gather a church sermon forces her to confess. Are we to assume that this is the first time she’s been to church since she assisted Elizabeth and Philip or was this the sermon that made her feel like she had to redeem herself? You would think that this could very well be the near end for Elizabeth and Philip as Patterson – the man Elizabeth attempted to kill last week – and the housekeeper have both assisted in sketches of them. Fortunately for Elizabeth and Philip they are good at wearing disguises and neither sets of drawings offer any solid leads as to they are. All the FBI can conclude is that it’s a Caucasian male and female who are working together. During a meeting they are at odds as to whether the couple who threatened the housekeeper and Patterson are one in the same. The FBI decides to leave the bug where it is but it’s only a matter of time before Elizabeth and Philip know that the FBI are setting them up since - thanks to Martha - there is now a bug in Agent Gaad’s office.

I am hoping that the lulls and game-changers from this week’s episode will mean an explosive season finale next week; the previews definitely alluded to it.

Mad Men: a new coup at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce?

2013-04-22 15:43:03

A friend asked me recently what I thought about the new season of Mad Men. I said something to the effect of, "It's good. It's always good… but it's dense. There's a lot going on, and it takes me some time after each new episode to absorb everything that's going on."

One of the things going on early in Season Six is a pervading feeling of dissatisfaction. This has always been an ongoing theme in Mad Men, of course, but as we enter the chaotic last years of the 1960s, the sense of near-breaking-point frustration amongst longtime characters has been palpable.

This lead me to conjure up a scenario in which a number of non-partners at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce break off – "Shut the Door. Have a Seat"-style – to form their own firm.

Its name? I dub it: Cosgrove, Crane, and Ginsberg.

The more I think about it, the more realistic this scenario seems. Before I get to the specifics though, let me just state loud and clear that Matthew Weiner and crew are most expert at subverting our expectations, typically to maximum dramatic impact and entertainment value, so obviously everything that follows is speculative.

Now then, consider that Harry Crane (Rich Sommer) went nuclear in "To Have and to Hold" this week when Joan (Christina Hendricks) attempted to fire his secretary, Scarlett, without consulting him first. This lead Harry to demand a partnership, which culminated in an almost quaint throwback scene in which Harry kicked off his shoes to have an audience with Bert Cooper (Robert Morse) and Roger Sterling (John Slattery). He did not get his partnership, however, and seemed barely satisfied with the bonus he was given (the entire commission for his Joe Namath on Broadway project), which was equivalent to more than his yearly salary.

Kenny Cosgrove (Aaron Staton) has evolved quite a bit from his happy-go-lucky days of the early '60s. We've seen him slowly get bitter and jaded. And consider that his sideline in fiction writing was snatched away from him by Roger last season (Dave Algonquin, we miss thee well). He even flat out told Roger later that he wasn't interested in a partnership in the very firm he works for in the wake of what Joan was asked to do to attain that position (i.e. sleep with Herb of Jaguar fame/infamy). And recall too that Kenny and Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser) have never been on the best of terms.

So we have Harry and Kenny, two veterans of the advertising industry with a hefty amount of experience and contacts. Harry has built up a television/media empire of sorts within SCDP and holds all of the cards in terms of his entertainment and Hollywood contacts. And Kenny in effect has the key connection at Dow Chemical by way of his father-in-law, Ed Baxter (played by the great Ray Wise). While Ed was originally not interested in moving his business to SCDP merely because of Ken's presence there, I can imagine a different tune being sung were Kenny to become a founding partner at a new firm that bears the Cosgrove name.

Harry and Kenny also are on friendly terms and have known each other for years. Kenny has static with Pete and Roger with good reason (and Paul Kinsey briefly back in Season One for hating on his success in publishing a short story in the Atlantic Monthly), and might be in a mood to jump ship. So if he were able to steal a few choice accounts, including Dow, we might have the makings of a new firm.

The missing piece is the creative genius. And as we saw last season, young Michael Ginsberg (Ben Feldman) was often able to run circles around Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) and even Don Draper (Jon Hamm) himself without breaking much of a sweat. Stan Rizzo (Jay R. Ferguson) doesn't fit the bill, not least because he seems to be blissfully happy holing up in his "private" office smoking pot and giggling hysterically about wanting to order dinner.

For bonus points, it would be massive fun if another old favorite or two (Sal Romano? Kurt and Smitty? Hildy and Lois?) were brought into this new entity.

And finally, as great as it was to see Don's SCDP and Peggy's CCG go at it over Heinz Ketchup this week, imagine the stakes and drama involved if we threw a new and renegade Cosgrove, Crane, and Ginsberg into the mix?

The Bachelor: bloopers special coming this summer

2013-04-21 09:26:45

Fans may be bummed that Bachelor Pad will not be returning this summer, but a bloopers episode will be coming to TV very soon. The Bachelor’s Funniest Moments will air May 21 on ABC and will feature goofs and mess ups from the past seventeen (!) seasons of the Bachelor and the eight seasons of the Bachelorette. Usually a blooper reel is shown during the After the Final Rose episode when a season is over, but it always seems like they are short and you know that there are more mishaps than they show.

No word on why Bachelor Pad is not airing or whether it has been cancelled for good, but the Bachelorette will still be airing a new season. Desiree Hartsock, Sean Lowe’s fourth runner-up, will be handing out the roses this time. Hartsock was a fan favorite during Lowe’s season, but a tense moment between Lowe and her brother made her hometown date awkward and she was sent home. Hartsock was chosen before Lowe’s season was over and she was revealed as the Bachelorette on the After the Final Rose special back in March. Her season began filming soon after the announcement was made. Look for Hartsock’s journey to start May 27 on ABC.

The Americans, "Covert War": eye for an eye

2013-04-18 09:57:10

Quick Take: The Americans, "Covert War"
We should always think before we jump.

Review: The Americans, "Covert War"
(S0111) This week the women of The Americans took center stage in getting what they want. Elizabeth, Grannie, Martha, Nina, and even Beeman’s wallflower wife Sandra had no plans of going quietly into that good night.

The relationship between Elizabeth and Grannie continues to be a complicated one, with Grannie continuously trying to outsmart Elizabeth, but Elizabeth being too swift for her. Elizabeth learns from Grannie that three KGB Generals were killed in Moscow, one of them being a General that Elizabeth was close with. She takes the news hard and while Grannie tells her than no action will be taken against him she does drop the name of the CIA member responsible for ordering the assassinations, Richard Patterson.

Elizabeth takes it upon herself then to track and kill him. After stalking him she learns that his moves are erratic and that his only weakness is women. She reports back to Philip and while he wasn’t initially on board to help her he ultimately shows up to do so. Things are going well as she is able to lure him in to a bathroom bar to have sex with her but as she pulls out a syringe to inject him he fights back. He’s no match for her though and Philip assists her with getting him out of the bathroom through a conveniently located window adjacent to an alley. Elizabeth has Patterson where she wants him. Blindfolded in a warehouse with a gun pointed to his head but she’s unable to pull the trigger when he begins to talk and reason comes over her. Philip offers to finish the job but she says no and admits that her actions were out of control.

When Elizabeth later meets with Grannie she tells her that she didn’t do as Grannie wanted, that Patterson was still alive. Grannie is a bit shocked and tells her that she wanted retribution for the General they both loved, but, Elizabeth isn’t buying it. Elizabeth refuses to be anyone’s pawn - that was the key word that Patterson used against her that made her see clearly. I am sure that she has a renewed focus as to what she must accomplish now.

Martha has definitely let Clark – Philip in disguise of course - know that she’s in it for the long haul where their sham of a relationship is concerned. She invites him over under the pretense that there is some sort of emergency so that he can meet her parents. After spending a decent amount of time with them he excuses himself and leaves assuring Martha that it was okay and he didn’t mind the surprise. How long can he keep this going? You can’t help but feel sorry for Martha in a way. She’s totally being played and taken advantage of and she has no inkling of it whatsoever. She’s definitely wearing some sort of goggles I am just not sure which one those are yet. How can she be so gullible to believe Clark’s story of his position within the government? Doesn’t she have the ability to verify it with some snooping of her own?

And then there is Sandra and Nina - two women for one man, Beeman. Following a girls’ night with Elizabeth that consisted of one too many Harvey Wallbanger’s Sandra finally gets off the wall she’s been leaning on for weeks and confronts her husband on the affair she is sure he’s having. She tells him that she’s essentially been spying on him by calling headquarters and learning that he leaves work hours earlier than when he finally arrives home. There’s not much that Beeman can say in to response to that. Although he tries and all he sounds like is a blubbering mess. And what makes him this blubbering mess that isn’t able to defend himself, his totally inappropriate affair with the woman who was only supposed to be his Russian informant, Nina. Nina has done well for herself -- she’s now a Senior Lieutenant and is occupying the office that her superior once had before being shipped back to Russia with a little help from her and Beeman. In her new position she learns of the bug that Elizabeth and Philip put in Casper Weinberger’s office earlier this season.

Her first assignment is to listen in on the tapes to learn what is being said about the assassination of the three KGB Generals in Russia. I am sure she will use those tapes to her own advantage to find out what happened to her dear friend Vladimir as Beeman continues to be evasive as to what really happened to him. When they meet at their safe spot she once again asks him and he continues to dance around the subject. When Beeman tells her that he has to end the sexual part of their relationship because his wife is aware of his transgressions she plays him so well. She tells him that all she has now is fear and him since she cannot return home to Russia. She begins to dress and he comes up behind her and she has a look on her face that lets it be known that her intentions are to take advantage of him. It’s priceless. I wonder if she already knows the fate that Vladimir met at the hands of Beeman from listening to the tapes and she’s now going to use it to her advantage against Beeman.

One other thing to note, there was a glimmer of hope for Elizabeth and Philip to rekindle their “marriage.” Elizabeth goes to visit him to say thank-you for helping her with Patterson and there is a misunderstanding in their communication. Philip is packing to leave the hotel and Elizabeth thinks he’s coming home to her and the kids and he tells her that he has rented an apartment. Her pride gets the best of her and she cannot just break down and tell him to come home. Don’t they realize that they work better as a united team as opposed to team who lives separate personal lives?

Only one episode left until the season finale and I cannot wait to see what the cliffhanger will leave us guessing about until Season Two premieres.

Hannibal: 5 Things You Need to Know for the Season [Interview]

2013-04-11 16:27:00

If you’re a fan of TV creator/writer Bryan Fuller than you are well aware that his storytelling tastes run eclectic, character-centric, darkly humorous and almost always explore some facet of death. Fuller’s shows Dead Like Me, Wonderfalls, Pushing Daisies and now Hannibal, NBC’s dark take on novelist Thomas Harris’ iconic cannibal killer, all focus on how death creates major challenges for the living in unique ways. Some have been ahead of their time and lasted briefly, like Wonderfalls and Pushing Daisies, but Dead Like Me and now Hannibal – if the solid ratings for the pilot suggest - seem to have captured the audience’s own morbid curiosity with the topic and Fuller’s take on it.

In a recent conference call with reporters, Fuller talked with us about his death predilections saying, “There’s a very dark comedy at the heart of the Hannibal Lecter character as a man who refers to his victims as free range rude. There's a wit about it. And for me my obsession with death is primarily an obsession with life and death; just the punctuation of that sentence.”

A prequel to all of the Harris novel adaptations done for film, Hannibal will explore the origin relationship of the good doctor (Mads Mikkelsen) and Will Graham (Hugh Dancy), a brilliant FBI profiler who in this story has a form of Aspergers that gives him empathetic insight into a killer’s motivations. With 13 episodes already in the can, Fuller and Hugh Dancy tease us with some important things to know as we embark on their dark journey.

Fuller on Thomas Harris’ involvement in Hannibal

“Thomas Harris, who [executive producer] Martha De Laurentiishas a very close relationship with, and I as a fan of his work, were very eager to have a conversation to get his feedback on the scripts because we were really trying to honor the world that he created and the tone of the characters that he crafted. He very wisely said, “I want to be an audience member and I don't want to critique or be critical because invariably I would be. If you ask my opinion, then you would have to take it or not take it and then there would be conflict or not conflict. The best way to maintain the dignity of the relationship is to be in the audience and then advise you after the first season if I saw fit.”

Dancy on his initial concerns with joining Hannibal:

“I read the first script - the script of the first episode that is. I wondered to myself again as I think most people would well why do this? A lot of fascinating questions seemed to be raised in that script. And I wanted to know where they were going to go and sat down with Bryan and also Martha De Laurentiis, and he potentially answered all those questions for me and painted a picture of not just this season that we just finished developing but potential future seasons. I realized that he had an enormous and expansive imagining of this world and his characters. And really from the point of that conversation on with those I was hooked.”

Dancy on Will’s two main influences – Dr. Lecter and Dr. Crawford (Laurence Fishburne)

“I think it is interesting that he's got these two mentors of a sort, the angel and devil on his shoulder. But it's actually a little bit more complicated and interesting than that because I think certainly Hannibal perhaps even more than Jack feels that he has Will's best interest at heart. Whether Will would agree with what Hannibal thinks are in his best interest is a different matter.”

Fuller on his stable of familiar guest star faces coming this season

“it was fun for me creatively and it was also just an opportunity to work with people that I adore and enjoy not only their company but their craft. With Ellen Muth (George on Dead Like Me), there was actually an opportunity to deconstruct our previous collaboration in a very unexpected way. I mean her character has the same name and is a reinterpretation of that character and in fashion that was sort of the Mulholland driving of Dead Like Me. And Molly Shannon is a trained dramatic actress so it was fun to see her in a dramatic role. She is infectious as a human being and as a spirit. So I was just excited to be able to work with her and also see her do something that she doesn't usually do.”

Fuller on the authentic cuisine of Lecter’s victim meals

“As someone who loves adventurous eating, the idea of working with [chef] Jose Andres as our culinary consultant on the show was one that I had very early on in the process, almost before I had even written the script. Once I got the job and sort of pitched my take to Martha De Laurentiis and got her stamp of approval to proceed, one of the first calls I made to my agent was how do I get in contact with Jose Andres because I want the food world of Hannibal Lecter to be very specific and distinct and respectful to someone as a chef. I asked how do I get in contact with Jose Andres? And they're like well we actually represent him and he just got the James Beard award and he's having a reception next Wednesday. Why don't you come as my date and so I did. And I was introduced to Jose and said, “I'm working on this Hannibal Lecter project. And he was like, "Oh, Hannibal!” He was so enthusiastic and the lungs in the pilot, those were his ideas. One of the things that I thought was really interesting about his approach to cannibalism was my question of what can you eat on the human body? He said, "Everything. You can eat everything. You can grind the bones into gelatin to use in Jell-O molds" and had very specific suggestions on what body parts to use and how to prepare them in a way that had no judgment whatsoever in terms of this is a human being as opposed to a pig or a cow or a duck. I have great respect for that because as an animal lover and as somebody who mainly eats fish and rice, I appreciated that he was treating human beings as equally as animals without any kind of preciousness.”

The Americans, "Only You": choosing your destiny

2013-04-11 08:42:05

Quick Take: The Americans, "Only You"
Do svidaniya, Gregory.

Review: The Americans, "Only You"
(S0110) The fallout from Amador’s death took center stage this week on The Americans. We learn that a ring he always wore was not on him when his body was discovered. The FBI launches a massive search to locate it as they believe it will offer insight as to who is responsible for his death. Meanwhile, off camera Clark pays Martha a visit and learns of the missing ring, which we the viewer’s learn when Philip goes to tell Elizabeth. She in turn reaches out to Gregory to give him a heads up as he was responsible for disposing of the car and body. I honestly thought from last week’s episode that Philip and Elizabeth were responsible for dumping Amador’s body. Since we haven’t heard from Gregory for quite a few episodes I thought he was long gone, but, apparently not.

The FBI soon gets a hit on the ring from a pawn shop which leads them back to a salvage yard and a worker there who was a little reluctant to speak at first but soon enough is looking through mug shots to pick out the “drug dealer” who he normally takes cars from no questions asked. It should be noted that Amador’s ring wasn’t an oversight by anyone; Amador himself hid it in the trunk of the car in hopes that someone would find it when Philip (disguised as Clark) threw him in there last week. The so-called drug dealers are actually KGB operatives, more precisely Americans who were recruited by KGB officers and these specifically are part of Gregory’s group.

Agent Beeman immediately recognizes the person the man picks out from the mug shots as being someone who foiled an earlier mission of the FBI’s when they were trying to capture the wife of a dead KGB officer – Curtis. It’s not long before Curtis is in custody and singing like a canary and giving up Gregory’s name. I have to say that I love how everything is tied together. Nothing happens by chance with the writing for this show, every tidbit is put in for a reason and sooner or later it is touched on again. While a character may have made an appearance three or four episodes earlier his storyline doesn’t end there and everything comes full circle.

While all this is happening Elizabeth reaches out to Gregory to forewarn him of what’s going on. But, it’s too little too late as Grannie (Claudia) tells Elizabeth and Philip that he must be moved to a safe house and ultimately shipped off to Moscow for their own and his own protection. Of course, his protection is the latter in the order of importance there. Grannie is concerned that Gregory might start singing as well and Elizabeth assures her that he would never do so as he has already made the greatest sacrifice possible - turning on his own country - whereas Philip isn’t all that sure about Gregory’s allegiance. Obviously this argument between Elizabeth and Philip is less to do with whether or not they trust Gregory and more so about the issues that continue to plague them and also Philip’s recent discovery that Gregory played the third wheel in his marriage to Elizabeth for many years.

Moving Gregory to a safe house enables the KGB to enter his apartment and frame him for Amador’s death. This happens off screen and we learn of it when Grannie tells Gregory his only option is to move to Moscow because they have already planted the evidence in his apartment that will implicate him. While she is telling him this tidbit of information the FBI is already searching his apartment and discovers the evidence. I was actually a little shocked by this though. I would think that the KGB would always protect their own but they were quick to put Gregory out to hang. Did they do so because they did not trust him and thought he could turn on them as he did on America? Or, were they thinking that they could force his arm into going to Moscow?

Either way, the plan was foiled. Gregory felt that he had completed his mission and while he pleaded to go to Los Angeles, even asking Elizabeth to run away with him, it wasn’t to be. He wanted to go out on his own terms and was able to convince Elizabeth not to shoot him. I wonder if she would have been able to do so since he was her first recruit and she obviously loved him dearly. Elizabeth was then able to convince Philip not to shoot him either and just to let him go meet his fate - which he did during a shoot-out with the police. I think it’s poignant to note that after Gregory’s death we see that on Beeman’s desk he has a picture of Gregory soon after being gunned down. Beeman obviously feels that he has scored some sort of victory but he is so clueless to what the truth is. The picture may also serve as some sort of reassurance to him that killing Vladimir last week was justified.

A few other tidbits about this episode worth mentioning… In the beginning of the episode Beeman pays Philip a visit at the motel he’s staying at and is obviously drunk and torn up about Amador’s murder. He gives few details to Philip but vows to find the men who did do it. If he only knew he was staring into the eye of the tiger. And while Beeman may be ruthless and harsh at times it’s evident that his unjust killing of Vladimir last week is weighing heavy on him, especially if he has taken Nina’s words to heart regarding him. When she pleads with him to find out what really happened she herself is also staring into the eye of the tiger. While Beeman and Philip are two men with two very different missions this week they were one in the same.

Mad Men, "The Doorway": 17 mind-altering and far out observations

2013-04-09 04:19:36

Mad Men's "two-hour movie" of a sixth season premiere was a whole lot of story to take in just as we're finally getting to The '60s part of the 1960s.

Here are 17 mind-altering and far out observations about "The Doorway."

The last time we saw Burt Peterson (Michael Gaston) was back in the Season Three premiere, "Out of Town," when he was wildly shoveling objects off secretaries' desks and telling everyone to go straight to hell. (A tie-in with Don Draper reading Inferno in an early scene perhaps? Well, probably not.)

The look that Peggy's boyfriend Abe Drexler (Charlie Hofheimer) is now sporting reminds me of one of the dudes that Jenny from Forrest Gump does heroin with during her darkest drug-fueled days.

Could Roger Sterling be the most entertaining and biggest blowhard character in the history of the television at the same time? I'm going to lean toward a "yes" and further state that John Slattery is a revelation week in and week out amidst a cast lousy with talent.

Stan Rizzo (Jay R. Ferguson) now looks like he could be a roadie for Stillwater circa Almost Famous.

Michael Ginsberg (Ben Feldman) looks like he's about 18 months out on being ready to appear in the Beastie Boys' video for "Sabotage."

It's far too easy to peg Harry Crane (Rich Sommer) as a symbolic member of the Scooby Gang... because that's what he's looking like at this point. Not the Buffy the Vampire version by the way, the real deal. I'm looking forward to a Mystery Van sighting at this point.

Marijuana gets named drop as dope and reefer at various points during the episode, but Don (Jon Hamm) gets the prize for saying that it smells like inspiration... but more than anything it's amazing that it's sort of okay for people to openly smoke dope/reefer in the office during the workday.

There are several overt reasons to think that Don's drinking may be seriously catching up with him (being carried home by Pete and Kenny reminds of the "legendary" Freddy Rumsen stories ). But a subtle yet telling one comes from his interaction with Bob, the hyper ambitious and sycophantic accounts man. Bob mentions in passing that Don had discussed his familiarity with Pennsylvania with him at a Christmas party, and Don now barely remembers that he knows the guy at all. (Don talking about his past with anyone is something that he still only does in the rarest of circumstances.)

Anytime Mona Sterling (Talia Balsam) shows up on Mad Men it's good thing. And she even gets to one up Roger for once with a fantastic one-liner: "Go soothe yourself."

Even though Betty Francis (January Jones) doesn't get treated incredibly well during her field trip to St. Marks Place in New York City's East Village, it's nice to hearken back to a time where squatters might address a woman stopping by with a "ma'am."

Speaking of Betty, it's nice to see her having a greater role in the early going, and acting stranger (taunting husband Henry about wanting to "rape" the 15-year old girl, Sandy, staying with them) and more unfathomable (going out of her way to try and help the very same Sandy that she appeared to be wildly and inappropriately jealous of) than ever.

Don and Megan showing off pictures of their business trip/vacation to Hawaii reminds of Don's brilliant pitch to Kodak in Season One's "The Wheel."

Over the course of two-plus seasons, Stan has grown on me, and Peggy (Elizabeth Moss) too it seems, and it's a pleasure to see them gossiping like old friends over the phone.

Speaking of Peggy, one of the glorious revelations of the new season is to see that she'll maintain a major role. And this may even be an ingenious way for Matthew Wiener and crew to inject more advertising and office-related drama into the proceedings.

I'm sure we'll see more of Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser) in the episodes ahead, but for now his sideburns are a little bit longer and his attitude a little more condescending and smarmy (which is saying something).

Kenny Cosgrove (Aaron Staton) doesn't get to do a lot either, but we see him continuing in the direction of looking out for himself – as opposed to being the happy go lucky sort that he was during early seasons – by taking credit for the food that Ambitious Bob sends over to Roger's mother's wake.

On a final note, there was an unsettling and insistent shadow of gloom and death imagery throughout much of the episode. And that meshed with Don's ongoing existential ennui, brought to the surface in "The Doorway" by discovering that he had accidentally switched military-issue lighters with a G.I. who was about to go off to fight in the quagmire of Vietnam.

The word "oblivion" kept coming to mind, and that directly ties to the symbolism of Don's "friend" Dr. Rosen (Brian Markinson) saying that, "people will pay anything to alleviate their anxiety." Don's pitch to Royal Hawaiian expertly taps into the raw human desire to escape displeasure and pain, but it doesn't go over very well at all as a pitch to sell a dream vacation.

Could Don Draper be slipping in more ways than one? As he says to Silvia (Linda Cardellini), the good doctor's wife and his latest mistress (apparently Don's long awaited answer to the beautiful woman's question, "Are you alone?" at the end of Season Five was something to the effect of, "Hell yes."), "I don't want to do this anymore."

He could be talking about a lot of different things at this point.

What did you think of "The Doorway"? Let us know!

A symbiotic relationship: TV shows and musical guest appearances

2013-04-05 18:07:31

It's a time honored edition for TV shows to bring in high wattage celebrities in an attempt to up ratings, particularly during sweeps. Musicians and bands are a way to also insert some hipster and youthful cred while shaking up the status quo.

For example, Saturday Night Live drove huge numbers when a gentleman by the name of Justin Timberlake came to town. And ratings also went up when Miley Cyrus appeared on Two and a Half Men and for Britney Spears' guest spot on How I Met Your Mother.

The musicians aren't in it for charitable purposes of course. As the old school model of selling concert tickets to promote records has flipped to selling cheap downloads or flat out giving away music to promote non-stop touring schedules, bands and solo artists can't do enough to promote themselves these days – and even look at guest appearances and advertising deals as a real and valuable revenue stream these days. (In other words, the old school notion of "selling out" has vastly shifted for most mainstream artists). And the connection between appearing on a wide distribution platform like television and prompting viewers to pop online to buy tickets to a local show featuring a band like Mumford and Sons can prove to be a powerful connection.

Justin Bieber’s appearance on Saturday Night Live brought tremendous ratings (though were not as high as Timberlake’s), allowing a large audience to see the young star both act and sing. Image reparation can also factor in, with pop icons with "high maintenance" images making appearances around the dial (see: Spears, Britney; Sheen, Charlie) in an effort to turn the page for past indiscretions or embarrassing moments.

Exposure to new fans though seems to be the main drive for musicians to appear on television. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is legendary for bringing in up-and-coming artists while the Scooby gang hung out or strategized anti-vamp strategies at The Bronze, for example, while Eminem – an artist with a self-enforced "bad boy" reputation – played into his image with tongue-in-cheek bravado during a cameo on Entourage.

With reality shows, it's even easier to "slip in" musical appearances for cross-promotional purposes. For example, you can queue the music up during romantic one-on-one dates on The Bachelor/Bachelorette, when you can be sure a best-selling artist will serenade the couple.

In closing I must point you to one of my all time favorite band appearances on television: Aerosmith stopping by Wayne's World on Saturday Night Live. It's the band at its comeback best with Mike Myers and Dana Carvey in absolute top form. To quote Garth: "I can't believe they're actually here."

And check out Tom Hanks as the roadie dude!

The Americans "Safe House": irony of all ironies

2013-04-04 08:19:01

Quick Take: The Americans "Safe House"
One decision changes everything.

Review: The Americans "Safe House"
(S0109) "Safe House" is one of the best episodes of The Americans' first season. One minor decision sets into motion a chain of events that will continue to have repercussions for some time to come.

Picking up where events left off in the last episode (which aired two weeks ago), Philip and Elizabeth have decided to separate and tell Paige and Henry, who for good reason do not take the news well. You cannot help but feel sorry for them as the rug has been ripped out right under them. They have no clue who their parents truly are so they cannot even begin to understand the complexities behind their decision. They just think their parents fight sometimes but it is not enough of a reason as they see it for them to separate. Of course I’m not counting this relationship down and out yet. They are always going to need one another whether they are together or not as is evident from the events of this week’s episode.

Philip goes to visit Martha under the alias of Clark and agrees to spend the night with her. He usually leaves soon after their tryst but since he has no one to go home to Philip agrees to stay. The following morning as Martha is getting ready to leave for work she lets it slip that the FBI is planning on killing a KGB agent but doesn’t know who as retribution for the deaths of three FBI agents and a scientist. Right after she leaves Philip is not far behind. As he is about to get into his car he is confronted by Agent Amador. I was shocked at Amador’s boldness. While he was sort of stalking Martha at the end of the last episode I didn’t think he would take it this far. I am not sure if he’s confronting Philip because he’s suspicious of him or because he is jealous that Martha continues to reject his advances but yet spends time with Philip. Philip tries to get away from him but a scuffle breaks out and when Amador pulls out a knife Philip maneuvers him in a way that Amador stabs himself. He stuffs him in his trunk and takes him to a secure location where Elizabeth soon arrives. Like, I said, they will always have to depend on one another.

Meanwhile, Agent Beeman goes into a tailspin when he cannot locate Amador and is convinced that the KGB has kidnapped him. I always thought that Beeman could be a little fanatic but this week his actions definitely proved it. He can turn on someone with a drop of a dime and can be just as ruthless as he views the KGB as being. Although he’s been having an affair with Nina, when he goes to meet her to pump her for information regarding Amador he rejects her advances and becomes belligerent with her in asking her to find out what has happened to him. He’s a man of a mission and becomes obsessed with the notion that the KGB is involved in Amador’s disappearance; if he only knew the irony behind that truth.

At first Beeman did not want any part in the plan to abduct and assassinate the KGB agent, who happens to be Rezidentura director Arkady, but, once Amador disappears he is all in. Unfortunately for the FBI Arkady does not go out on his usual run – which is how they planned on grabbing him – but an aide of his, Vladimir, does go and Beeman orders for him to be picked up instead even though they were supposed to abort the mission. Beeman is convinced that this man must know something.

Elizabeth and Philip continue to interrogate a dying Amador for information. He finally gives the name of the KGB agent the FBI planned on killing only after asking what time it is as he knows there is nothing they can do at that point since he believes the mission has been completed. Elizabeth calls Arkady and confirms that he is still alive. She tells Philip and they decide to use stronger force against Amador, but, their decision is a mute one as Amador has already died. They end up dumping his body in a lot and Beeman’s boss vows to use all agents to uncover the truth behind what happened to Amador. That isn’t enough for Beeman though and he takes matters into his own hands. After gaining the trust of Vladimir, who ends up confessing that he is KGB, Beeman shoots him from behind in the head after telling the man he would get him something to drink. I was totally not expecting that and couldn’t believe it. Something in Beeman has snapped and he is as ruthless as one can possibly be now. It’s a whole new side of him that has been lurking to come out.

The irony in the whole thing is that while Beeman believes that the KGB kidnapped Amador and then killed him in fact it was Amador’s own actions that landed him in the hands of the KGB – Philip and Elizabeth. It is a total mind game that has completely changed the way things will play out in the future. If Philip had not spent the night at Martha’s then things would have been so different. It is little nuances like these that makes this show one so enjoyable to watch.

What makes a TV show "good" versus "great"?

2013-04-02 17:04:08

Between end of year lists and ongoing chatter amongst television critics and viewers alike, there has been and always will be an endless dialog about what are the “best” (and occasionally, “worst”) shows on TV.

I’ve become more interested over time about what makes a show “great” versus merely “good,” and the ways in which good, very good, and great shows as a group have come to raise the bar on television quality overall.

One of the reasons for this is that I’ll often see shows casually compared to the likes of Breaking Bad or Mad Men. Doing so is fine, but I do think it’s important to realize that in many cases this is akin to comparing a Harlequin romance novel to Crime and Punishment or On the Road or The Stand while making some kind of theoretically serious argument. In other words: it’s apples and orangutans.

The Not Good
Before I get to the best, let’s talk about the rest. And to be clear, most shows are not very good, which is why television tends to get falsely labeled by many casual viewers (and some curmudgeonly critics) as a medium in which “nothing good is on.” But while let’s say 85%+ of primetime content on the hundreds of channels available (even leaving aside the burgeoning amount of high quality serialized content available on Netflix, Hulu, web-exclusive series, and so on) is not “good,” that leaves an astonishing amount of shows that are at least good.

The Competent (but not really good)
There are a great many shows on broadcast networks that have sky high production value and talented casts. There’s absolutely nothing “wrong” with these shows, but they’re not really very interesting either. Casual viewers can tune in and tune out without missing much, and there’s typically a tidy wrap on plot elements by the end of each episode. Sitcoms in this category are broad and comfortable, with jokes that you can see coming from many a mile away as the crow flies.

I don’t even think that I need to name any names here. If you’re reading this, you’re likely already coming up with a list of your examples.

Competent but not good shows often see high ratings. But in aggregate those ratings have been slipping for years as aggressive and ambitious cable networks have been sniping away with superior or simply catered programming to pull away segmented audiences.

The Good
Good TV shows are ones that I would roughly define as “worth watching.” Obviously, what’s “good” for me may not be so for you or others, but these are shows where I can make an argument that there’s something intriguing or compelling going on that pulls it out of the pack. They may also have some problems or be inconsistent from time to time, but not enough so to stop you from watching.

Good shows get into your DVR rotation and while you may not run to the set on the night a new episode airs, you’re likely to watch it later in the week or a few episodes back-to-back during a solid catch-up TV session.

Good TV show examples:

Boston’s Finest

The Ultimate Fighter

Vegas

House of Lies

Workaholics

Cougar Town

Catfish: The TV Show

Bar Rescue

The Very Good
You’ll find most very good shows on TV critics’ best shows of the year lists. They are strikingly unique and make us feel honored and blessed in that we get to be entertained by them. Louie and Girls is a dynamite tandem that pushes the bounds for what “comedy” even means on television. And meanwhile Game of Thrones and Downton Abbey are clearly and objectively superior to most costume dramas that you’d pay to see at a movie theater. And then Southland and Justified are finding new creative depths within well explored genre territory (cop shows, crime dramas).

We do our very able best to watch very good shows on the night they air, and then we often discuss them with friends and co-workers. They take up the vast majority of bandwidth that critics use to slice and dice what’s going on across the dial. They are, as I say, very good indeed.

Does that mean they will be remembered much 25 or 50 years from now? That’s hard to say, but in any event they represent an elite group of shows that continue to raise the bar for the medium.

Very good TV show examples:

Justified

The Americans

Louie

Game of Thrones

Southland

Suits

Girls

Downton Abbey

Quick addendum regarding The Americans: yes, in its first season it very good. The chilly and exciting Cold War-era spy drama from FX is by far the best new television show I’ve seen in months.

The Great
I use “great” very sparingly. Great means “all-time great,” and I think the “confusing” thing (and, well, great thing) about this era is that we are living through an age in which television is pumping out more all-time great shows than ever before.

That being said, in my view there are two “still active” shows that are clearly great right now: Mad Men and Breaking Bad. This pair of AMC dramas, extremely different in focus yet sharing a dedication to deeply fascinating characters and wildly absorbing stories, sets the bar in 2013 for which all others must follow. Of course, in some ways it’s not truly possible to declare a show as “great” using this definition until it has finished its run, but I believe these two shows are so iconic and deeply entrenched in popular culture and the national zeitgeist to make an early proclamation (even if some may cry, sacrilege!).

Now, one of the things that fascinates me the most about watching television and discovering new shows is looking for signs or flashes of “very goodness” or even greatness.

Stephen King’s fabulous memoir-meets-instruction manual, On Writing, talks about how writers who are merely competent can work their tails off to become good, and the same for naturally good writers to eventually become very good. But in his view the few and rare towering greats occupy a territory all their own, an impenetrable fortress (heaven?) that we mere mortals can never attain.

I think that may be true for TV as well. Mad Men and Breaking Bad were out of the park smash hits of dizzying dramatic joy right out of the box. And the same goes for The Sopranos, the granddaddy of this Golden Age. I can sit through the pilots for each of these shows again and again and get something new out of them while still enjoying every moment.

Even still, I do think very good shows can show flashes of greatness while good shows can often get their acts together to become very good over time. Game of Thrones and Downton Abbey come to mind in terms of very good shows that are occasionally great. And Justified bounces around a bit between good and very good before going wham¸ slapping you upside the head pistol whip-like with a short and bright explosion of great. And meanwhile a Southland or Suit s will simply consistently produce a special and very good product week in and week out.

I also think that “at least good” shows that don’t fit cleanly into a categorical “box” tend to get a lot of critical attention. For example, The Walking Dead is often a very good show, though it is plagued from time to time with basic issues of pacing, plot, and character development (perhaps brought on in part by the constant shuffling of its creative team). Therefore, it’s ripe territory for critical pontification as opposed to, let’s say, a Season Eight/Episode 17 dissertation on CSI: Somewhere.

It’s also interesting to note that the “better” a show tends to be generally regarded as overall, the higher standards it tends to be held to. Thus, many critics were largely disappointed by The Walking Dead’s season finale, “Welcome to the Tombs,” with comparisons to the brilliant “Clear” from earlier in the season. And this is also why I often chuckle my way through episodic reviews of Mad Men or Breaking Bad, in which critics will hold these shows to an impossibly high standard, particularly when viewed without yet having seen the big picture of a seasonal arc play out.

The Falloff
On a final note, almost all shows – even the best – see a falloff in quality over time. The truly all time greats fight this off, which is what helps to place them in that small group of all-time classics (The Wire’s five-season run is probably a series that ended at precisely the right time, for example).

But that doesn’t stop us from getting a little sad when once good or very good shows display signs of slippage. The Office was once very good for a number of seasons before sliding into, we might say, comfortably competent territory. Contrast this though with Community’s very good run with flashes of zany greatness over two seasons before a descent into some shell of its former self in the post-Dan Harmon era.

How do you define a good, very good, or great TV show? Let us know!

The Walking Dead, “Welcome to the Tombs”: kill or die, die then kill

2013-04-01 14:00:00

Quick Take: The Walking Dead, “Welcome to the Tombs”
“You kill, or you die.” – The Governor

Review: The Walking Dead, “Welcome to the Tombs”
(S0316) The previews that heralded last night’s finale weren’t just misleading; they were insulting to anyone who’s read a single frame from the graphic novels. Promises of total war, situations that would test the mettle and loyalty of the people we thought we knew, and of course, zombies. We barely even got zombies.

The Governor’s assault on the prison was like watching a ten-year-old play Call of Duty for the first time. Even though there’s nothing on the screen, they fire everything they’ve got at nothing in particular. At least five explosions later, the Governor decides it’s a good time to start being stealthy - you know, in case the baby was still asleep. They don’t make it far into the prison though, ultimately fleeing from booby-trapped corridors, and Glenn and Maggie outfitted in riot gear. (I guess we’re just ignoring their poorly-timed, poorly-executed engagement from last week?)

The timeframe for the Governor’s assault also coincides with the amount of time Andrea has to escape from her bindings and kill zombie-Milton. Milton refuses to kill Andrea, so the Governor stabs him and leaves him with her, knowing he will kill her anyways once he turns. After the passing of her sister and coming to terms with the world that demands that she “kill or die,” Andrea discards any and all character development she’s gone through, adopting the fool’s hope that she could save everyone without anyone else dying.

Andrea spends most of her screen-time staring at Milton, wondering whether or not he’s dead. Instead of establishing a suspenseful pause, the scene becomes painfully stupid from its overuse, and comically obvious in how it ends. Andrea has flirted with her own demise in every finale so far: first in the CDC, then again when she’s left behind at the farm. Instead of doing something important with these two reprieves, the writers turned Andrea into Lori, at least insofar as she drew out simple problems with obvious solutions until the audience rejoiced in her death.

Unfortunately, Andrea and Milton are the only important casualties in the finale. The Governor, rather predictably, guns down his entire army after they flee from the prison, and then just drives away without a word.

The rest of the episode redefines the word “anticlimax.” When Rick, Darryl, and Michonne find a survivor who tells them about the Governor’s mass-execution, they depart for Woodbury to patch things up with Tyrese and his sister, to say their goodbyes to Andrea, and to bring the refugees back to the prison. No cliffhanger, no set-up for next season, just an armored-busload of old people and children that a handful of capable people have to take care of now.

It’s a shame that the writers have decided to mostly abandon the source material. The graphic novels are a proven success, both commercial and critical – the show is literally already written for them. Instead, they’ve tried making the story unpredictable, undermining the merits afforded by their creative license precisely by taking such liberties, resulting in a show more deserving of the Talking Dead title than the talk-show which proceeds it.

Mad Men (madness): what's the Draper residence worth in 2013?

2013-03-31 16:01:07

While strolling around my beautiful southern California city just outside of Los Angeles, I happened to happen by an iconic structure: that is, the house the Drapers lived in for the first three seasons of Mad Men (and Betty, Henry Francis, and the kids lived in through the end of Season Four).

Perhaps this field trip was in part prompted by "Mad Men madness" taking hold, a condition marked by seeking activities to distract ourselves while the final days and hours tick by before a new season of the AMC series premieres (Season Six debuts on April 7th at 10/9c). Or maybe I just needed to get out of my own house for a spell on a beautiful Saturday and I just dropped in – as the classically trippy Kenny Rogers and the First Edition song intones – to see what condition the Draper house's condition is in. And as you can see, the house looks fantastic and besides a different color on the front door continues to be instantly recognizable.

When I got home, the madness took hold a little bit deeper and I decided to look into how much the fictional home of the Drapers in the early 1960s is worth in the real world of 2013. And it turns out to be a cool $1.5 million. It's important to note I suppose for Mad Men fanatics with who happen to have a goodly pile of cash lying around that the house does not appear to be for sale. It's all to the good, I suppose, as I am not personally in a position to purchase it at present!

According to Zillow, It turns out at the height of the real estate boom in 2006 the Draper house was worth well in excess of $2 million before "bottoming out" to $1.1 million at the nadir of the current market in late 2011.

But just like Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce – if I may pardon your patience in stretching out a Mad Men (madness) metaphor – the Draper house's value is proving resilient and is on the rise once again.

On a final note: I specifically used the term "Draper residence" in the title as that's what anyone answering the phone – Betty, Sally, Carla (did we ever see Don actually answer an inbound call on his own?) – would use to address a caller.