Best Television Shows

Archive for the ‘TV Squad’ Category

Filed under: Reality-Free, Recaps, Fall TV

['Dexter' - 'My Bad']

America’s favorite serial killer ‘Dexter’ is back for a fifth season, and now he’s a widower in a grief-induced fog. The last time we saw Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), he had returned home from finally killing the Trinity Killer (so awesomely played by Emmy-winner John Lithgow) to find his baby Harrison sitting in a pool of blood, and his wife Rita (Julie Benz) murdered in the bathtub.

But how does a psychopath grieve? Apparently, he randomly and bloodily kills a belligerent scumbag at a boat gas station. Until Dexter unleashed his rage at the idiotic boater (Note to readers: Telling a guy who’s just admitted his wife just died “Your dead wife can suck my d–k” is likely to get your head bashed in), he had no idea how to show how upset he was with himself for being responsible for Rita’s death.

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Filed under: Recaps, Fall TV

['The Amazing Race' - 'They Don't Call It the Amazing Race for Nothin'!']

Teams ready? Let’s go! Just hearing the theme music for the show gets my adrenaline going. If there’s one reality show that folks tend to go on as much for the adventure as the possible winnings, it’s ‘The Amazing Race.’ As a result, I think the show often attracts a more interesting cast. They’re not all bartenders or models in their twenties. Phew!

Even as fans, we can vicariously take that whirlwind trip around the world and see sights we’d never see otherwise. Tonight, we start out in Gloucester, Mass. Not to fear, we didn’t stay there long.

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Filed under: Reality-Free, Recaps, Fall TV

['Desperate Housewives' - 'Remember Paul?']

“He was going to make sure they would never forget him again.” - Mary Alice, telling us why Paul moved back to Wisteria Lane

Last season ‘Desperate Housewives’ ended with two pretty huge cliffhangers: The return of Paul Young and the baby switch.

Since Paul had already set foot on Wisteria Lane at the end of last season, it was a given that we would quickly learn why he was back. Well, maybe not every tiny detail of his master plan, but at least the very broad basics.

One thing we didn’t except to be revealed at all in the premiere was the identity of the switched baby! The usual tactic would to have made reference to it but waited until November sweeps to drop the bomb. It’s a nice change in a TV series to actually already know an answer and see how the secret plays out.

A third bomb was dropped on Wisteria Lane in this special premiere: Wilhelmina Slater Renee Perry, played by Vanessa Williams. Catfight!

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Filed under: Reality-Free, Recaps, Fall TV

['The Simpsons' - 'Elementary School Musical']

Just think, if ‘The Simpsons’ were a person, he or she would be of college graduation age right now in this miserable economy. Fortunately, the premiere episode of the 22nd season was much better than the economy.

Granted, ‘The Simpsons’ has been around so long that it feels like there isn’t much else to say about the characters, but tonight’s episode gave us something new about Lisa and how trapped she feels in suburban mediocrity. In doing so, the episode also parodies the genre of shows nowadays that break into musical numbers (‘Glee,’ ‘High School Musical,’ ‘Camp Rock,’ and … yes … ‘Flight of the Conchords’).

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Filed under: TV Replay

It’s the first Road Block of ‘The Amazing Race’ season 17 (Sun., 8:30PM ET on CBS). Brook and Claire, best friends and Home Shopping co-hosts, are in England. Claire must “Defeat the Warrior” — i.e., use a giant sling-shot to volley watermelons at a knight’s armor. Knocking the armor down grants the right to move on. Easy enough, right?

Wrong. The sling-shot backfires, and the watermelon flies straight into her face. (And the program provides a slow-motion replay.) She doesn’t shed a tear but admits, “I can’t feel my face. I have the worst headache ever.” Brook breaks the bad news: “You have to finish.” Claire replies, “I can’t even see straight?!”

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Filed under: Reality-Free, Recaps, Fall TV

['Eastbound and Down' - 'Chapter 7']

We all need a little Kenny Powers in our lives, that one person who is such a raging jackass he makes our stupidest moments shine, and our lowest points inspirational by comparison. If there were nothing sad, evil, or blissfully arrogant and depraved in the world, we would have no concept of what it means to be happy, good, humble or respectful.

In a way, Kenny Powers is America: Ignorant with an unchecked sense of entitlement, boisterous with unwavering bravado, and the person everyone else wishes they had the balls to be. In season one, he had to swallow a lot of things: His pride, pills, his own medicine, presumably lots of microwaved burritos. Now he’s back for season two to see what comes out the other end.

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Filed under: TV Replay

As she kicked off her hosting duties of ‘Saturday Night Live’ (Sat., 11:30PM ET on NBC), Amy Poehler confessed to having stress dreams in the days when she was an ‘SNL’ staffer. Cast members past and present helpfully demonstrated with a dream sequence chock-full of celebrity cameos.

After run-ins with Fred Armisen and Kristen Wiig, Poehler was asked by Justin Timberlake if she wanted to rehearse their kissing scene. “Yes, I would love to,” she (of course!) replied.

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Filed under: TV Replay

Singer Katy Perry was very poor when she was growing up. She still remembers being so broke that she had to borrow clothes in order to go out at night. Which might help to explain her actions on the premiere of ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ (Sun., 7PM ET on ABC).

The goal tonight for Ty Pennington and his crew is to build a new house for seven young women. These girls are scholars who have been accepted into ‘Boys Hope Girls Hope’ — a Baltimore program that accepts gifted students who come from difficult backgrounds. The boys in the program already have their own housing, but due to the economic crisis in America, the girls have been waiting three years to get their own residence hall. Katy and other celebs show up to talk to the girls while their new home is being built.

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Filed under: Reality-Free, Recaps, Stay Tuned

['Mad Men' - 'Hands and Knees']

“There’s no reason. Nothing you can do.” — Lee Garner Jr.

When Sally Draper is the happiest person in an episode of ‘Mad Men,’ you know things have gone wrong.

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Filed under: TV Replay

Steve Joyce makes $3.5 million per year, and manages Choice Hotels, which franchises 6,000 hotels in 35 different countries. But during the season premiere of ‘Undercover Boss’ (Sun., 10PM ET on CBS), he has to give this all up, in order to make $8.35 an hour as a front desk clerk in one of his own hotels. That’s about 0.04% of his regular pay. Will Steve’s experience working in his own chain teach him anything?

Joyce meets Brandylin (pictured to the right), who is a desk clerk employed in a hotel in Indianapolis. While working alongside her, Joyce is shocked to learn what her job actually requires.

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