TV review: "White Collar" on USA

I probably wouldn't have watched this show if it weren't for Matthew Bomer. Sure, USA has been advertising the hell out of it, but they do that for everything--but I've been less than impressed with some (Royal Pains, In Plain Sight, The Starter Wife). But I recognized Matthew Bomer from Tru Calling, and of course Willie Garson from Sex and the City. So I set my DVR and watched it.

Matthew Bomer is Neil Caffrey, a convicted felon, who escapes from prison at the start. He then steals a car with ease and makes his way to New York City. He doesn't get far, though; the FBI agent who originally caught him, Peter Burke, finds him again in the deserted apartment of his girlfriend. Caffrey goes back to jail, but ends up being temporarily released into Burke's custody, in order to help Burke and the FBI catch a forger they call "The Dutchman".

This really was a just about perfectly balanced premier. We got history, but not too much. We got hints of the future, hints of mystery, but not enough to be obnoxious and frustrating. The character interaction was authentic and often amusing; Caffrey and Burke have a good rapport. The storyline of catching the other forger was interesting, and also believable. The story had clever twists, and there were some interesting camera angles and zooms, but there was none of the over-the-top, Ocean's 11-type style that ended up turning me off of TNT's Leverage. I'm really glad I did watch this; I think it's going to be a great series.

And of course, the adorableness that is Matt Bomer doesn't hurt.

If you missed it, it'll be re-running on USA all week.

TV commentary: House M.D. episode 3, "The Tyrant"

I don't know that I can really maintain a weekly review/commentary of the series, but I just had to say something about this one! If you haven't seen it, stop reading, because I'm not going to shy away from spoilers.

In case anybody needs reminding, this is the episode where James Earl Jones plays an African dictator the team treats. House is still on the sidelines, as he doesn't have his medical license back yet; and I think that has a lot to do with why it ended as it did, because holy shit! Chase killed a guy! I am amazed. I didn't think Cameron would do it, even though she was so angry about treating him. And I didn't think Chase would, because he's, well, he's been such a pansy in the past!

Honestly, if House had been truly involved and invested in the case, I think things would've gone differently. I think House would've been savvy to Chase's actions if he'd been there every step of the way, instead of shoved to the sidelines. It's just another instance of Foreman falling short--he's an arrogant ass, and he's not half as smart as he thinks he is. He may solve the odd medical problem, but he doesn't have the innate understanding of other people nor the observant nature of House.

What would House have done, had he been in charge of the patient's care? He's implied in the past that he's helped terminal patients die; but I don't think he would kill the tyrant. I think he'd debate with him, and perhaps House's peculiar but spot-on logic would have swayed him. Even if it didn't, I think House would have treated him and sent him on his way--because despite his bullying of patients, and his denouncing of most as idiots, he also has respect for the free will of individuals, so long as they accept responsibility. House wouldn't condone the slaughter of an ethnic group, but he wouldn't think it was his responsibility to prevent either. He may take a ridiculous amount of responsibility upon himself, for his own decisions; but he won't accept the burden of others' choices.

So now Chase is a murderer, Foreman is an accomplice, and next week the hospital has to submit a report of the president's case. Can scleroderma be disproved after death? Will Cuddy spot something hinky with the files? Spoilers have been let out that Cameron will be leaving the show--something which shocks me--and that it has something to do with this episode. Will she leave her husband and Princeton Plainsboro when she finds out what Chase has done? Or will she take the fall for him and leave because of that? Gah!

This was just an amazing episode overall. I loved seeing House's old team together again, although it felt a bit stilted with Foreman in charge. Chase's sarcastic coffee cup salute was awesome and made me laugh. Cameron, with her "insane moral compass", was excellent at once again giving the ethical dilemma while not resolving it.

Wilson, who I usually love, made me want to slap him. His best friend just had a mental breakdown and spent months in the psych ward, and he's kicking him out of his stable, safe environment over a goddamn fountain? What a jerk! Of course, in many ways Wilson has always been a jerk--after all, who does House go to when he wants to manipulate a patient?

And House, of course, was still struggling with the aftereffects of his breakdown. I miss his sarcastic witticisms, which seem dulled by his attempt to change. Change is healthy, of course, but the strain of holding his tongue when dealing with the jerk downstairs was obvious. I hope that next week shows a return of House to the center stage--Foreman is obviously not capable of running the department, and after all, the show is called House.

The stand-out of this episode was really Jesse Spencer, though. His internal conflict, his approach to the patient and its evolution, and his confrontation with Foreman .... absolutely amazing. I hope he has more chances to season to do such great work.

TV review: Joss Whedon's "Dollhouse"

This is the third show this year I've started watching just because of a particular actor (the other two being Leverage and Trust Me); this is also the second show since Buffy I've started watching because of Eliza Dushku. Unfortunately, I have a bad feeling that Dollhouse might go the same way as Tru Calling thanks to the ass clowns at Fox.

(I mean, seriously--they keep bullcrap like The Sarah Connor Chronicles and axe interesting shows like New Amsterdam? Futurama? Firefly? Arrested Development? Titus? I guess I should just be grateful they haven't axed my most beloved House. Or Bones. I would cry.)

Anyway.

Dollhouse opens with Eliza Dushku's unnamed character agitatedly talking with a calm, sort of generically sophisticated woman. We don't hear names, or really find out what's happened; but the gist of it is that Eliza's done something bad, something for which there are consequences, and the other woman is blackmailing her--or in her words, offering her a "clean slate".

Suddenly, cut to a two-person motorcycle race through city streets. Huh? Oh, there's her ass in leather--that explains the need for this sequence. It ends in a restaurant--literally, motorcycles in the building--and Eliza starts playfully flirting/accusing her racing partner of cheating. They go to dance, and we get another cheap cash-in on Eliza's looks: several minutes of her dancing in a white dress so short you get glimpses of buttcheek.

Eliza suddenly gets a vacant look on her face and wanders out on to the street to a van, where a man asks if she's ready for her "treatment". She hops in and off they go. The guy she left behind watches and makes a cryptic comment to his friend about Cinderella leaving before her coach turns in to a pumpkin--whatever's going on, he apparently knows about it.

We now learn that her name is "Echo", as she prattles on about her date and her weekend with the aforementioned guy. Everybody around her plays along, until she sits down in typical-looking mind control device, where blue lights flash around her head and she seems to be in pain. We see a quick rewind of the dancing, the racing, and things before all the way back to a mother figure above a crib. Echo opens her eyes and innocently asks if she fell asleep before sort of vaguely wandering off--a good bit of acting on Eliza Dushku's part.

The man who delivered her for "treatment" and the one who administered it talk briefly, and we learn that Echo's "imprint" has been erased, and that she doesn't remember anything ... and that all this is illegal.

And that's all before the opening credits roll.

I really want to like this show, because I think Joss Whedon is great and I love Eliza Dushku. And I do think it's interesting, although the premier was really heavy-handed--in addition to laying down the basics of "evil group wiping the minds of beautiful young women (and men, it's implied) to make money and MIND CONTROL OMG", they introduce an FBI agent searching for the "Dollhouse", and they allude to a rogue "active" like Echo. Oh, and they hint that Echo is remembering things despite her imprints being wiped, and they send her on a kidnap negotiation mission that's complicated enough on its own. I think if they left out of FBI agent and the rogue active, it wouldn't have been so overwhelming.

Like all Joss Whedon's shows, Dollhouse has a particular look and atmosphere. It's certainly got its share of creepy moments, and obviously is going to be a great platform for a couple of things: Eliza Dushku looking hot and kicking ass in various guises, and the sort of social/human nature commentary Buffy and Angel and everything else Whedon is known for. It'll be interesting to see if a good balance can be struck between those two things.

Although Fox's marketing of the show makes me think it's going to learn toward the sexual, cheap thrills side. I really could've done without the "OMG, look how sexy and amazing we are" interludes with Dushku and Summer Glau. I know sex sells, but I hope this show is given a chance to expand beyond that. I'll keep watching and see how it goes. I'll also keep watching for more familiar faces--it was nice to see Amy Acker again!

TV review: Nip/Tuck

Without spoiling storylines, it's hard to fully express how absolutely insane this show is. It's a soap opera on crack with occasional lucid periods. It's absolutely a drama, absolutely outside the realms of reality--but with enough touches of the mundane to make it swallowable. It's depressing sometimes, exploring the vulnerabilities of peoples' lives and neurosis, and then there are touches of humor (usually morbid) that make me laugh out loud. It's touching, and horrifying, and uplifting, and hilarious, and suspenseful, and I absolutely fucking love it.

To give a basic rundown: Nip/Tuck follows the lives of two plastic surgeons and their families. Christian Troy (played by McMahon) is hot and knows it. He's a man-whore, an arrogant jerk, a womanizer, and generally an asshole. Sean McNamara (played by Dylan Walsh) is married with two kids, is vaguely miserable, and is the kinder, gentler member of McNamara/Troy, their plastic surgery business. The contrast between their two lifestyles is made immediately apparent: Christian picks up a model in a bar and takes her home, where he snorts coke off her body and has crazy hot monkey sex with her. Interspersed into that scene are shots of Sean at home in bed with his wife, lethargically humping while she stares at the ceiling.

Of course, that static shot of their lives is only the surface--through the course of four seasons, we've learned that Christian has a lot of secrets he hides from with sex, and Sean has a lot of issues he represses. They both envy what the other has, and make various attempts to live each other's lives with varying degrees of success, and often spectacular failures. This is not a happily-ever-after show.

In addition to the frequent and gratuitous sex, there are graphic surgery scenes in every episode--definitely not for the squeamish. I think that's the thing that turns most people off the show; when I mention it, people either love it or say they can't stand surgery scenes. But the fact is, the surgery scenes are an underscore, a way of drawing to attention to the bloody, painful, ridiculous lengths people go to for beauty. And although each episode is named for the patient being operated on, the storylines are rarely about the patients. They're there, but always in relation to how they affect Sean or Christian.

One important thing with Nip/Tuck: start from the beginning. If you come in anywhere else, you'll be confused. You'll also not have as good an appreciation for the characters and their motivations--one of the things that makes this a great show is the fact that the characters don't make their choices in a vacuum. Their actions make sense in light of their past (for the most part--nothing's perfect). When Christian blatantly, intentionally fucks up a relationship, we understand why even though we think he's a stupid ass. If you're new to the show, you'll see the superficial motivations for things, but not the finer points.

For all the T&A, flashy production, and bloody surgery scenes, Nip/Tuck is a thought-provoking show. Fast-forward through the surgery scenes if you have to, but give it a try.

SNL: Still not very funny.

I haven't watched Saturday Night Live regularly in years, because I found it more awkward and annoying than amusing. I like classic SNL skits -- DA BEARS -- and a few of the more recent ones, but generally I wonder how the show is even still on.

But I gave it another try tonight, because Hugh Laurie was hosting and I think he's totally adorable. Sadly, I was disappointed. The only times I cracked a smile were at Laurie's charming expressions. I giggled twice during one skit with him. Other than that, I was just not impressed.

There have been a few moments in the last 8-10 years that were hilarious; there was a particularly funny skit with Jessica Simpson that had me rolling on the floor laughing. When the get it right, they really get it right (It's my dick in a box!). Sometimes the political parodies are to die for. But generally speaking, I feel like Saturday Night Live is only still on because it's been on so long.