Thursday Thoughts- The League Drafts Keyshawn

30 Rock
It's getting harder and harder for me to think of 22 minute showings as full episodes. It's like little excerpts of 30 Rock, they go by so fast. Not long enough to get into it. Then again maybe it's just because the main storyline of 30 Rock is never about Tracy. Sure he got his moments of hilarity in, but I'm less and less impressed with Liz Lemon as time goes by. The Liz/Jack stories usually don't do it for me, and it again was the low point this week.

On the flip side, I loved Liz's quote mid-ep of "All anyone wants is to sit in peace and eat a sandwich." As believable as that sounds, I'm assuming JJ was screaming at the television when she said it. You see JJ hates sandwiches. One of the many arguments during our Florida trip this summer had to do with this fact. I argued the point that JJ merely hated cold cuts, because technically hamburgers are sandwiches. And he agreed that he didn't have a problem with other meats on certain rolls. These are all sandwiches, just because they don't have cold cuts doesn't mean they aren't still sandwiches.

Great cameo by my man Jimmy Fallon this week. I used to hate this guy on Saturday Night Live, but ever since he started his late night show, I've started to love him. I enjoyed him here tonight, even though he wasn't funny at all.

The League
Ok so maybe I was expecting a little too much. The comedy here was extremely brutal at times. Why do some writers/creators think that just plain dirty is funny. There's a certain way to make dirty jokes funny, and The League didn't do it well here.

So I take back a lot of the stuff I said about The Hangover. Don't get me wrong, it still is very overrated and not really that funny, but I understand why a lot of people thought it was now. Seeing something that is extremely similar to your life DOES improve it immensely. Although many of the jokes didn't really land in this pilot, the fact that they dealt with fantasy football made them much more enjoyable for me.

Many of the little fantasy draft jokes were great, notably the dude mispronouncing Darren Sproleeeese, and the other dude picking Keyshawn Johnson (Keyshawn on the board!). But there were two moments that were actually very funny.

The first was when the commissioner made it so a potato sack race by some kids would determine the draft order. As the one guy's little kid crossed the finish line, he picked her up and started screaming to the heavens "Adrian Peterson! First pick of the draft!! I love this kid!" The next moment was when that same guy and the one who's wife is in charge of his team settle on a draft pick swap. Both being lawyers, they're with the criminal in holding. The prosecutor goes, "Your client is going to be spending the next ten years behind bars, unless we swap picks." The defense attorney proclaims to his concerned defendant, "You're going to jail for five years, and I just lost Adrian Peterson."

Community
A couple quick notes...Abed's Batman was incredible, especially with the way they ended the ep. Also I bet T-time was loving the Beastmaster shout out.

Survivor Samoa- Week 7

From the looks of the previews for next week, Foa Foa will be heading into the merge with an extreme lack of numbers. Is this something Russell can overcome? I hope so for entertainment value, but hope not because I have my final three team-members on the Galu side of things.

I am really starting to hate Jeff Probey Probst in all aspects. Now it is his ridiculous commentary during the challenges that I can not stand.

Oh it's Galu with a point...now Foa Foa comes back with a score! This is a really tight match! It's much tougher than it looks!

Give me a break. I can see the scoreboard on the screen Probst. And we know that it is a difficult task. You don't have to remind us every five seconds.

Fantasy Results

The Technotronics

W. Russell (Foa Foa)-W7 (22)= 22
B. Russell (Galu)-
Monica (Galu)- W7 (22), Reward (4)= 26
Liz (Foa Foa)- Votes (-16)= -16
Natalie (Foa Foa)- W7 (22)= 22
Week 7= 54
Total=340





Sweet Niblets


Erik (Galu)- W7 (22), Reward (4), Im (8)= 34
Ben (Foa Foa)-
Ashley (Foa Foa)-
Kelly (Galu)- W7 (22), Im (8)= 30
Shambo (Galu)- W7 (22), Im (8), Leader (10)= 40
Week 7= 104
Total= 282





Canon Controversy

John (Galu)- W7 (22), Reward (4)= 26
Jaison (Foa Foa)- W7 (22), Votes (-4)= 18
Mike (Foa Foa)-
Dave (Galu)- W7 (22), Im (8)= 30
Betsy (Foa Foa)-
Week 7= 74
Total= 247






Freecell Makes Me Wanna

Mick (Foa Foa)- W7 (22)= 22
Brett (Galu)- W7 (22), Reward (4), Im (8)= 34
Marissa (Foa Foa)-
Laura (Galu)- W7 (22), Reward (4)= 26
Yasmin (Galu)-
Week 7= 82
Total= 244

Wednesday Wisdom- East Dillon Hoosiers

Friday Night Lights
There was no way that I was going to wait until the summer before watching the fourth season of FNL, so I'll be doing my best to keep up with the DirecTV showings this fall and winter.

The whole East Dillon/West Dillon aspect that ended the third season and is now a major focal point of the fourth season is just such a great way to go. There are so many new avenues that the story writers can go. The best is that they can go through all of the tales you get from an underdog story. Whether it's Hoosiers, Mighty Ducks, or Little Giants, so many great sports movies start with a down on his luck coach and a God awful team. That is exactly what we have at East Dillon high. You could never have the Dillon Panthers go through what the Lions are about to endure, because Dillon High was the premier high school football team in Texas.

Right before Coach Taylor and the Lions had their first game, they had a truly great Hoosiers moment. He booted a player from the locker room and then asked if anyone else wanted out? And what happened? Same as in Hoosiers. A few more walked out the door. East Dillon was now down to 18 players and eventually forfeited their first week's game because of it. So much drama. So much excitement.

The last thing I'll touch on is the ridiculous evolution of JD McCoy from the beginning of last season to this season's premier. He was so unassuming to start. Didn't drink. Didn't date. Worked his butt off and never said boo. Tim Riggins got a hold of him for one evening last year and now he's a RAGING PSYCHO. He's getting hammered and picking fights with Saracen! I don't mind this transformation at all. It's actually seems really realistic. He earned a bit of the spotlight and is really trying to take advantage of it. Great start to the season.

Just Around the Corner- V and The League

A couple of new shows that I will be tuning in for are about to start up. Tonight, Thursday, The League premiers on FX at 10:30 p.m. On Tuesday V will premier on ABC at 8:00 p.m.

The League
The League is a new sitcom about fantasy football. Yes an idea that T-time came up with a long time ago, a tv show about guys in a fantasy football league is actually going to happen. Jonathan Toomey of TV Squad had this to say after watching tonight's first episode...

The pilot focuses largely on the tight-knit group of friends who comprise the league and how their everyday lives create complications when trying to figure out who to start at quarterback this week.

Sounds fantastic to me. Add to it that Jeff Schaffer, formerly of Curb Your Enthusiasm is one of the co-creators, and I am more excited than maybe I should be. If they don't come through with this, it will be a shame. There will be no room for a second fantasy football tv show in the future.

V
V is the new action/drama on ABC about aliens that come to Earth and hence are called The Visitors. From the previews it seems that they will look like humans, which makes it easier to watch/make. V stars Lost's Elizabeth Mitchell, Like Mike's Morris Chestnut and Double Dragon's Scott Wolf. Yeah that's right, I used Like Mike and Double Dragon!

Are they trying to take over the planet? Are they just trying to co-exist? It intrigues me...how bout you?

Monday Musings- Scott Free Redemption

One Tree Hill
Maybe it was because I was in the middle of a fantasy basketball draft at the time, but the first half of this episode might have been the worst and most boring thing of all time. It's positive effect might have been that it made the second half of the ep seem unbelievable to me. Starting with the beginning of Dan's show and the climax of the Clay story with his girlfriend, it still turned out to be the best episode of the season. Kudos to James Lafferty, who directed this gem.

As they began to show the audience more and more this time on Dan's show, Scott Free Redemption, I realized that it looks like the set of Who Wants to be a Millionaire (or at least the old Millionaire attraction at MGM). This really is the new Dan Scott we're seeing in action. His present wife, Rachel, might still be a scumbag, but I truly believe he is taking his redemption completely serious. Most of the viewers were probably thinking that he was just out to get Nathan again, and this lie detector test was a real jerk move. Little did we know that Dan was out to save the day once again, as he turned this slew into a liar on national television. Everyone is happy, yet Dan still murdered Keith. It will never be ok for him.

Again it was probably because of my fantasy draft, but I did not pick up on Clay's ex-girlfriend being a figment of his imagination until the paramedics put the white sheet over her. I may be an idiot, but I'm just saying that I was surprised and completely moved by it. Not only is this more of the background that I've been looking for from the new characters, but I liked this ex-gf so much that it is no wonder Clay acts like a jerk all the time. Here's the thing though...did they have to have her drink Cool-Aid and die? That was a coincidence right? They weren't saying that she was actually drinking the Cool-Aid, as in she was in a cult and killed herself right? She did collapse almost instantly after all. Either way, Clay's emotions through the entire ep were fantastic.

Sunday Speculations- Larry Doesn't Slide In

Mad Men
It's taken almost three full seasons (if you want to call the silly cable 12 episode stints full), but I'm finally into Mad Men. The past two episodes have gotten me completely involved with the two important characters of the show. Maybe that is it. Maybe it's that many of the plot lines in the first two seasons dealt with the garbage that was Peggy Olsen and Pete Campbell. For the past two episodes I can't remember seeing those two lamos for more than a combined five minutes.

Donald and Betty Draper are fantastic characters. And after Betty found Dick's secret at the end of last week's ep, I was thoroughly intrigued about what would happen next. They did not disappoint me this week. As Betty gets more and more confident in herself, I like her more and more. Instead of hiding what she knows, and burying it, like she would have done in season one, she confronted Don and dug for some answers. Don, as vulnerable have we have yet to see him, showed true sadness. Was he sad that the jig was up? Or was he upset about all that he put Betty through. When he called Suzanne and told her he won't be around any time soon, was that him turning a corner and trying to be a more honest man? Or was it just another break from his impurities because he recently got caught in a much bigger lie?

Now that Betsy knows most of what Don went through in his childhood and early life, it seemed as if she had a warmer mood towards him. Although she was angry with him, she wasn't the cold, shoulder-turner she was any other time she found out about something he did wrong. Where do they go from here? I'm excited to find out.

Curb Your Enthusiasm
A small let down from last week's fantastic Denise Handicap, but I still laughed throughout. Biggest downfall...Richard Lewis. This guy hasn't done anything funny since Prince John in Robin Hood: Men In Tights (You changed your name to Latrine? It's a good change, it's a good change!). The Jerry/Larry dynamic was fantastic, especially because it's nice to finally have someone that thinks similarly to LD. The two of them just agreeing about the stupid little stuff that Larry is usually on his own about was fantastic. When they both wouldn't move in to let Richard sit down in the booth at lunch, it was great. Of course they both want the luxury suite of sitting in the booth by himself, but each tries to come up with a dumb reason that it is beneficial that Richard sits with the other.

Ok. I know it has to be absurd, but no one in their right mind would ever think about dressing like that at work. With a gigantic pouch or not, you don't have a bare midriff in the workplace.

Poolies Watch- Corey Matthews Award

For last year's Corey Matthews Award there was a solid five pack of nominees that were in the running. Jack and Tracy from 30 Rock, Michael and Dwight from Office and of course LD. So far this year, I have two guys that are in the upper echelon of the category. Every time Larry David or Tracy Jordan are on screen, I'm laughing hysterically. This fact gives Curb the edge since LD is on screen the entire show.

Leading the Pack
Larry David- Curb Your Enthusiasm
Tracy Jordan- 30 Rock

Next we have a sturdy group of dudes that performed well a season ago, but aren't knocking me out of the park so far this season. I like Dwight the best of the three, but with the increase of love in the Modern Family guys, some spots could begin to fall with these three.

Steady Locks
Dwight Schrute- The Office
Jack Donaghy- 30 Rock
Michael Scott- The Office

The next five guys are currently holding my final nomination spots. Some are in more concrete a spot than others. Gary Brooks is the most likely to fall to the wayside if he doesn't step his game up. All five of these guys are in their first or second season. The Modern Family boys are extremely impressive in their first season. Kenny Powers may be at the top of the heap, if and when Eastbound comes on the air this year.

In For Now
Chad Dylan Cooper- Sonny With a Chance
Gary Brooks- Gary Unmarried
Jay Pritchett- Modern Family
Kenny Powers- Eastbound & Down
Phil Dunphy- Modern Family

Here are the five dudes that have a shot of breaking into the nomination pool. Well except for Jim, he's not gonna get a spot. He hasn't been funny in a while. Puddy v. -2.0 is solid but never great. I think I like Haverford's blatantly obvious comedy the best of the group. Although I love Joel McHale on The Soup, he's not all that hilarious in Community. Don't get me wrong, I love his character, just not that funny so far. And then there is the problem I have with comparing cartoon characters to actual people. Peter Griffin gets the short end of the stick on that one. He deserves better.

Outside Looking In
Jeff Bingham- Rules of Engagement
Jeff Winger- Community
Jim Halpert- The Office
Peter Griffin- Family Guy
Tom Haverford- Parks & Recreation

Who else deserves some love?

Thursday Thoughts- Mean Pam Beesly

Flash Forward
First things first...Is it me or is it completely unnecessary to have this chick, Janis Hawk, be gay. Well if it is the only way that they could find to bring Theresa from The O.C. onto the show then I guess the gratuitous kissing scenes can stay. What a fantastic couple they are.

One of the major questions plaguing the realism of Flash was "why are they the only ones dealing with the investigation of the flashes?" I know that The Dude is the one who had the flash about the investigation but you would think that every section of every agency would be looking into it. Well this week's episode answered that question thoroughly. A lot of places were doing their own investigation and therefore a hearing was held in Washington to see who got funding to continue their investigation. That makes sense. Obviously, in the end, their LA branch of the FBI received the funding, but not for the reasons you would have assumed.

All in all, with all of the court room drama, it was a pretty lackluster episode. What made it all worth while was the fire fight scene with the 'Like a Rolling Stone' cover playing. The song and the action were so inconsistent that it gave the scene a great feeling. It was very similar to the opening scene of last week's episode when the bus was crashing into the lake. Great stuff.


The Office
Angry and mean Pam is much better than nice and lame Pam. When she is truly angry and gets hurtful towards others, it's truly gold. We need people to absolutely destroy her more often. Normal Pam is usually in the running for character I love to hate, but if this is the Pam we get more often, she could be up there for best female characters.

Pam- "I could give a f*ck about your happiness, stop dating my mother!"