Fresh Loaf

ONE EPISODE LEFT: Some much to say, so little time

There’s a theory regarding the pleasures of delayed gratification via online shopping. It starts with the small thrill of buying something over the internet. It’s not yet tactile, but you know it’s coming. Depending on your shipping methods, you’re either waiting at the mailbox every day or have semi-forget about the package altogether. Either way, when that box comes, it’s a little bit birthday and a little bit Christmas. Online videos have even been posted of people carefully and deliberately opening their packages, savoring each moment before their present to themselves is revealed.

Richard Alpert is this week’s wrapping paper for Darlton’s gift that’s been carefully unveiled in small parts for several seasons now. Though “Follow the Leader” was initially rumored to be the Richard backstory episode Lostphiles have been waiting at the proverbial mailbox for, it wasn’t quite so obvious. We did see Richard (looking like a true GQ gentlemen in all spaces and places) throughout time, but it was time we’re already familiar with. The episode was Richard-centric insofar as his (never-aging) presence coherently linked our two Lostie camps.

I have to say, for being some kind of “adviser” who’s had the job for “a very, very, very long time,” Richard appears constantly perplexed. Does the island tell him anything? And who are all those Others anyway? Where did they come from? Next week’s episode appears to promise answers to some of these questions — after all, Darlton said this was going to be the last season of sci-fi business. If so, there’s a lot of island mythology that will need to be sewn up before we delve head first into the Quadrangle. (The Quadrangle is the current preferred term for the Jack-Kate-Sawyer-Juliet mess.) Though Faraday’s death last week shocked and appalled, rumor has it that wasn’t the “major” death this season. Will one of the Quad-dwellers die off?

Continue reading “The Televangelist: ‘Lost’ episode 15″

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That’s right a brand new and improved Movies & TV page! We combined all the best parts of our other sections into a comprehensive one-stop-shop for all things Movies & TV. There’s a blog feed with all of the latest Movies & TV content from Culture Surfing (”Lost,” “24,” etc.), a search engine for movie showtimes, recent reviews, links to interesting stories around the web, Film Clips, movie trailers, and a whole section dedicated to those Hollywood Products that you love!

Check it out at clatl.com/movies_tv and leave any comments you have over on our A&E blog Culture Surfing.

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YOU CAN CHANGE: Your own diaper

Ah yes, the long awaited Miles episode! I usually complain about needless backstory episodes (cough, Jack’s tattoos, cough) that don’t push the narrative forward enough, but “Some Like it Hoth” was a crowd pleaser, and I thereby refuse to judge it harshly. Miles the Swindler Ghost Whisperer held court this week as we sprinted through his life story: toddler Miles in a single-parent low-rent household; punk Miles uneasy with his gifts and searching for answers; and adult Miles, exploiting the grieving for cash and about to be recruited by Widmore. Finally, we learned that Dr. “Douchebag” Chang is Miles’ “Douchebag” Dad. Fellow watchers inform me that the rumor of Chang as Miles’ father has been around for some time, but since I apparently missed that boat my mouth was suitably agape at the thought. Of course, Miles has had three years to get used to the idea since, “on the third day here I was in line in the cafeteria and my mom got into the line behind me. That was my first clue.”

At first gander, “Some Like it Hoth” feels chock full of island lore, but for most “Lost” devotees the reveals weren’t anything new. Hey, there’s the Hatch! Hey, Kate’s messing something up! Hey, everyone on the island has Daddy issues! We saw the beginnings of study regarding the island’s electromagnetism (thanks to an unfortunate Dharma Denizen’s filling being yanked through his brain. It’s not a plane but … it will be). We don’t know what Chang is learning from the bodies (or what he’s doing with them when he’s done), but we do know something even stranger: he loves country music.

Continue reading “The Televangelist: ‘Lost’ episode 13″

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CHICKS WITH GUNS: Friday night’s Lux Interior Benefit at Graveyard Tavern

Lux Interior benefit Cramps the Graveyard’s style (The Graveyard was transformed into a virtual shrine to Lux, the late Cramps frontman.)

Hollywood Product: I Love You, Man (This flick partners Paul Rudd and Jason Segel in what is surely not another dirty bromance comedy … right?)

The Televangelist: ‘Lost’ episode 9 (It’s back! And so the speculation can resume — all is once again right in the world.)

Why is Rush suddenly living in the cinematic limelight? (Curt can’t seem to fathom why there’s a sudden resurgence of Rush. The Canadian band, not Limbaugh.)

The Buddy System: Rock/animation spectacle at WonderRoot (”…a strange, colorful world where cats can fly and bunnies divide asexually like amoebas” — acid flashback or artistic rock band? You be the judge.)

Read more from Culture Surfing.

(Photo by Morgan Copper)

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YOU HEARD RIGHT: I'm in charge now.

Namaste, recruits! After a long two weeks “Lost” was back last night in an episode lacking in focus but full of small, fan-pleasing moments. To begin at the beginning: We returned to the plane crash, this time from the point of view of the other Others (Planies?), who mysteriously include Sun. After not quite crash-landing on the island, Lapidus gives a half-hearted attempt to organize the passengers, but allows Caesar to play that role as he follows Sun who’s following a shifty Ben.

Turns out, the plane landed on one of the satellite islands — one where our Losties were held hostage in season three. Ben, Lapidus and a newly badass Sun take a boat to the island proper, which is not in 1977 where the Oceanic Four landed, but in present day. After a cameo appearance by Old Smokey, Christian Shepherd emerges from the shadows to reveal that the folks they seek are actually in the past.

One plot down, several to go. As mentioned, last night’s episode didn’t set its sights on one character arc in particular, instead keeping a wide scope on all the new groupings. Whereas the Sun-Ben-Lapidus plot might have taken up an entire episode of its own in seasons past, last night it was barely a footnote in this filler-sode. I say filler not in a “Jack’s Tattoos” way, but in that it literally filled in some gaps in island mythology (specifically Dharma-related). In doing so, it also uncovered the further significance of characters from the past (including Radinsky and, holy horrors, Ethan!), tying it in with our main characters’ present. As the cinematography showcased the island’s dramatic and varied scenery, so too did the plot take us to all all the hills and valleys of our characters new situations.

Continue reading “The Televangelist: ‘Lost’ episode 9″

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I WILL REMEMBER YOU: Will you remember me?

Everyone else is leaving Dillon, so why not us? Street and Riggins headed for the Big Apple so Street can pursue his dreams. The trip came fully equipped with a fish-out-of-water sequence that had some surprising laughs. Of course, The City is not what MTV has trained the boys to expect (What did they expect? How old is Street now, 19?  And he doesn’t even have a college degree?). Plus, Jason’s sudden desire to become a sports agent was quickly snuffed out.

As the agent points out, this isn’t Dillon, where knowing the boosters is enough to get you a job. But it’s a small world after all, and Jason’s former Panthers teammate-gone-pro ends up being the wedge that opens the door for him after Jason pulls his sweet, terribly sincere, linguistic magic on him. Even though “the applicants for the entry level positions are all Harvard alum,” Jason Street is special. He does have a gift, and since the first episode of “Friday Night Lights” we’ve watched him struggle to find himself and his new identity beyond Jason-Street-high-school-star, and it looks like he’s finally succeeded.

Of course, the Riggins-Street bromance is tested as Tim contemplates the reality of Street’s east coast move. With Riggins’ pain comes much comedy gold, until the heartstring-tugging last scene. But as Riggins himself says, “OK … drop the violin.” There was plenty of other Dillon action this week, however, that actually took place in Dillon.

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NO SHIRT, NO SHOES: At your service

What if the Dharma years of “Lost” had its own spin-off? The U.S. version of “Life on Mars” may not have worked out, but the ’70s were so far out man why not try again, can you dig? This week’s episode felt so out of time and so far removed from where we’ve been the past few weeks (with the Last Days of Bentham and the O6 Reunion Tour), it was nice that the episode was still peppered with familiar tidbits from the future past: the sonic fence, Horace, Richard, Dharma Merlot.

Three years forward and 30 years back, the island has stopped skipping and those on it find themselves in the land of Dharma. As Faraday explains, “The record is spinning again, we’re just not on the song we want.” The Misfits (Sawyer, Juliet, Jin, the Ghost Whisperer Miles, Faraday) immediately cause trouble by offing two Hostiles in the midst of an afternoon picnic that ends up as a mini-massacre. Though James “I used to lie for a living” Sawyer/LaFleur schmoozes his way into Dharma’s good graces (and also Horace’s … remember him?), Richard comes back to ask about his lost men, assuming Horace and company have broken the truce. Sawyer, using his time-traveling knowledge of Locke and the Jughead, convinces Richard that he’s not his enemy … but also not his friend. One would think Richard would be a little more interested in these revelations, but as far as we know, all he wants is slain Dharma employee Paul’s body to do who knows what with. OK then.

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STEP RIGHT UP: To be continually disappointed

Twists! Turns! Shocks! Drama! Until this season, “The Bachelor” train had blissfully passed me by without note.  Sure I knew one or two girls who’d been on the show in the past, but not well enough to really care deeply about how it turned out. On a whim I flipped to the show a few months ago and — unfortunately for my pretentious television taste — never looked back.  The show’s high drama is addicting, and like the early rounds of “American Idol,” (another show I avoid) is full of crazies for the first few episodes. But what made this season of “The Bachelor” stand out was the Bachelor himself. Seattle resident Jason Mesnick may not be the most handsome or amazing guy in the world, but he’s divorced with a young son to whom he’s devoted, which gives the show a new and very genuine twist. The gimmick worked for ABC: The show’s drawn unexpectedly high ratings. As families in America become more complex, perhaps Mesnick’s situation resonated with viewers in a way that past boy-meets-girl romance shows have not.

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LET'S MAKE MEMORIES: As only Tim Riggins can

As “Friday Night Lights” reaches mid-season, it becomes clear that most of the show’s narrative arcs and resolutions this time around are contained and resolved within a mere episode or two. There were always side stories and longing glances and relationship talks in earlier seasons, but they were overshadowed by something bigger, overarching: the aftermath of Jason Street, the state playoffs, whether or not Coach Eric Taylor can make it in Dillon. Perhaps it’s the knowledge that this season may be the show’s last that has the writers tying up lose ends and saying bon voyage to past characters by way of college or careers. (Smash is gone; Street’s gearing up to go; and it looks like even Tyra and Riggins will be making it to a post-high school education on their own terms.) Regardless, the relationships among our core Dillon denizens remain compelling and often unlike anything else on TV, no matter how small the scale.

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TRUST ME: I haven't even tried to kill you.

In the first season of “Lost” I was absolutely on Team Jack. I would have followed him to the caves and lived there as Adam and Eve no problem. Locke, on the other hand, I despised. “Lost” has always been keen at creating divisions and factions and then subverting them.  Over the course of the show, Jack grew less and less likable whereas the once creepy John Locke became an unlikely hero and possibly (if fan theories are to be believed) the very soul of the island.

Last night we were treated to a Locke-centric episode written by Darlton and helmed by frequent lost director Jack Bender. The premise was a game of catch-up in the form of a whirlwind journey through “Jeremy Benthem’s” experiences that were teased last season. Locke is back in the dreaded wheelchair after finding himself in sunny Tunisia, home of island refugees courtesy of Frozen Donkey Wheel Tours, where Charles Widmore is on hand to offer his services and make us believe, once again, that he’s somehow the good guy and Ben is more or less Shiva. If that’s true, then why does Widmore have an assistant named Abaddon (a Hebrew word which translates loosely to “Satan”)?

Lt Daniels Abaddon (played by “Wire” alum Lance Reddick) has been a fan favorite minor character for years.  His name, unexplained presence, and connection to the island have provided him a short but frequently visited Lostpedia page. Given all that, his treatment in this episode seemed particularly unfair and infuriating. First he’s relegated to Driving Mr. Locke and is later unceremoniously executed before we get any deeper sense of his importance. R.I.P. Abaddon. We hardly knew ye.

The main thrust of the episode came in the form of a chess match of manipulation between Charles Widmore and Ben, with Locke as the pawn. We got an Oceanic Six roll call (minus Sun), and saw Locke’s failed (for the nonce) attempts at convincing them to go back to the island, where it appears Locke will eventually be resurrected.

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1. Our complete Oscar predictions, even ‘Documentary Short’ (It undoubtedly was Fresh Loaf’s gusto for “The Conscience of Nhem En’s” that pushed this blog post over the top.)

2. Upcoming AJC cuts to be ’substantial’ (Tragic and unfair, but not really a surprise.)

3. The Televangelist: ‘Lost’ episode 6 (What happened Ben? What happened to Aaron? What happened to Kate’s unconvincing attempt to abide by the law?)

4. Georgia has the Bible Belt blues (The Christian Coaltion relied on teetotaling teenagers to threaten our chance to buy beer on Sundays. Meanies.)

5. Madea Goes to Jail, locks out critics (Tyler Perry is predictably cagey about his newest project.)

(Photo by Ishika Mohan)

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I CAN READ: Because my mother taught me

Merry Lostnesday! Thanks again to Curt Holman for filling in for me last week when I actually happened to be on a remote island without TV or internet but plenty of crazy. I caught up with the latest episode only hours before this one, and boy howdy, I rejoiced. This has to be my favorite season so far, if only because of the payoffs to theories and setups from the past. I might even go so far as to declare last week’s episode the best one since the Constant (gasp!)

In a recent Entertainment Weekly article, producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof (known as Darlton from here on out) said our current season 5 was going to be an all-out sci-fi fest (holler!), but that the final season would go back to focusing on the relationships among the characters, a la season 1 (so enjoy this while you can). They also promised the long-awaited Richard back story, a resolution to the “what-the?” regarding the freaky four-toed statue, and of course, more Smokey. For now though, we travel back to L.A. with the Oceanic 6 (minus Aaron) leaving on a jet plane.

After about 20 episodes of dallying (or so it felt), the O6 finally made its way to the island. At the episode’s onset we learned a little bit about the island’s movements and some of its rules. (Why did they all have to go back? To recreate the original plane trip as best as possible to crash again, of course). Sayid is now a fugitive. Hurley shows up out of federal prison, (one would assume, yet with Charlie’s guitar?) and has no trouble getting through airport security. Kate was moody (shouting at Jack, “Don’t ever ask me about Aaron again!” Where is that tyke? And don’t worry Kate, this is “Lost”— no one asks obvious questions). Even Ben shows up at the last possible moment, looking worse for wear, facing no inquiring about his copious injuries (courtesy of Sayid?). The Oceanic Six and Friends are far from the only passengers on the plane, but as far as what’s going to happen to “the others” when the plane crashes, as Ben puts it, “who cares?” The show finally got around to killing off Frogurt and the remaining Red Shirts. The last thing we need is for this plane to be carrying some more Nikkis and Paulos or Tailies 2.0.

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NUMBER TWO: Somehow doesn't quite have the same ring to it

One thing I’ve always respected “Friday Night Lights” for is the character of Jason Street. In the pilot, which was based on a true-life situation witnessed by producer Peter Berg, star quarterback Jason Street takes a bad hit in a big game and ends up paralyzed. But the show never ignored him or cast him into the wings (or had him miraculously walk again, egads). As the show’s grown, Street has naturally drifted to the sidelines, as it were, as he becomes less and less a part of Dillon. But “FNL” never shied away from telling the story of a young man who lost his only considered path in life, and the resulting struggles.

Street makes his first appearance of the season this week taking care of the baby he fathered with the waitress Erin. It seems he, his crotchety roommate, and his baby-mama all have an amicable relationship, although Jason yearns for more. It feels like ages since Street was involved with Lyla and the Riggins love triangle, and like Smash, he’s likely to use his greater talents to get out of Dillon pretty soon. Unlike Smash, however, (who was still able to rely on his athletics in the end), Street is an excellent example of what hard work and a passion for life can give you even when you think you’ve lost it all.

OK, enough of the mushy stuff. It was good to see some football action this week. According to Saracen later in the episode, the Dillon Panthers are 3-1. It’s doubtful they’ll play all the games necessary in reality to go to the state playoffs (and we know they will, especially behind JD-Peyton-Manning-McCoy), but I still applaud the effort in at least keeping up the pretense that there’s a football team around which the show is supposed to revolve.

Speaking of defense, some of our other Dillon residents learned this week of the good that can come out of letting down one’s defenses.

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Usually The Televangelist handles the weekly “Lost” recaps, but she disappeared in a flash of white light while paddling on the Zodiac boat, so I’ll be stepping in for last night’s episode, which has the charming title “This Place is Death.” To temper your disappointment, here’s a funny clip that proves that “Lost” almost aired in the 1960s, but was retooled as a comedy and titled “Gilligan’s Island.”

As luck would have it, “This Place is Death” put the spotlight on one of my favorite characters, someone who’s been MIA for months but made a strong return to form last night. I’m talking about, of course, the smoke monster.

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SERIOUSLY: I am sick of hearing about this Jumbotron!

Though we’ve yet to hear the Dillon Panther’s pre-game chorus of “Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose!” this season, the principles of the phrase were on full display this week. The episode played out as a series of vignettes about battles: choosing them, winning and losing them, and the art of them.

Let’s begin with that juggernaut Jumbotron. On the advice of one Katie McCoy, Tami sets out to “kinda stalk” the school board president in hopes of swaying him in her direction — a tactic already employed by the ever-enterprising Buddy Garrity on the links at the country club. Despite letting her hair down and wearing a summery tank top (I’ve never seen a principal look like that!), Tami’s attempts to woo fell flat as her passions about the Jumbotron funds being more useful to hire back teachers and gain supplies turned her into what Katie McCoy would call “the angry woman nobody likes.” Tami knows here her battle is lost, but Coach Taylor offers some soothing and wise words: “Because you stood up for what you believe in, in that sense you won. At the very least make them feel guilty!”

Then we have the knee-injury-battling Smash Williams, whose narrative arc seems to be coming to a close.  I always thought it a shame that Smash’s character was written so one-dimensionally, even though he showed off some personality while hanging out at Landry’s house when Landry started waxing poetic about his failed relationship with Tyra. Smash says jokingly to Saracen, “Let’s go. It’s getting sad and weird in here and I need to keep my mood up.” Now that Jason Street is gone (though his name is still mentioned in passing, leading me to believe we’ve not seen the last of him), Smash has become Coach Taylor’s pet project. His attentions and support finally paid off this week, with Smash given a chance at a walk-on practice at Texas A&M, proving he still has what it takes to be a winner in all respects. In an emotional final scene, Smash gives a big smile as he moves on to the next stage in his life — one outside of Dillon that includes college — the same dream shared, but not often achieved, by so many of his peers.

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INVASION OF THE BABY SNATCHERS: Kate already has too many men in her life anyway.

After three action-packed, mind-blowing episodes, “Lost” slowed down the pace tremendously this week, despite the desperate tremolo of violins priming us for high drama.  We launched immediately into a refresher course on Jateyer 101 (that would be the Jack-Kate-Sawyer triangle of love).  For those who’d forgotten, Kate totally does love Jack! Except that whole thing with Sawyer … and Sawyer still loves Kate, yada yada, bored with it. As Miles would say, “Hooray, everything’s back to normal … now what?”

Did anyone else get the uncomfortable late season 2/early season 3 feeling of useless filler in this episode? Claire’s mom turned out to be a giant red herring whose only purpose might be to show that there’s a lawyer in LA who’s very busy with island-related happenings.

Now that I’m watching “Lost” on a week-by-week basis, I maintain my assertion that the show is a dish best served in generous proportions. Still, “Lost” being “Lost,” there were plenty of redeeming moments. For one, even after being in a coma for 42 hours, International Badass Sayid is at the the ready to “handle” his attackers. The number 42 cropped up a few times in this episode — the sort of winky, layered nuance fans enjoy — along with Brian K. Vaughn’s (who co-wrote the episode) particular brand of ironic humor. Take this gem from Locke for instance, “I want [the Oceanic Six] to come back, even if it kills me.”  Yeah, about that … (more…)

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BAD BOY: "I'm going to blindside them with a blog!"

Thanks to the writer’s strike, a plethora of our favorite shows went on hiatus for longer than a fickle public was willing to allow. Shows such as “Eli Stone” and “Pushing Daisies” never recovered from their lost audiences, and “Friday Night Lights” never finished season two. NBC.com, in addition to having all “FNL” episodes on tap from the first two seasons as well as current episodes, is now offering “bonus scenes to help catch viewers up on events that occurred during season two’s “lost” episodes (such as Smash’s injury and Lyla and Tim’s relationship).

Why bring this up? Even as big a fan as I am of the show, I started realizing this week how many plot points I’d forgotten. I wondered if the time between last season and this one was enough to dull my appreciation of the show, or whether the show itself lacks a certain emotional punch. Each episode so far this season has run at a languid pace more attune to a hot Texas afternoon rather than that of a compelling drama. I have come to appreciate, however, the realness of the dialogue. (more…)

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DR. STRANGELOVE: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Dismantled a Bomb

For those of you who missed last week’s episode, this was the best part. Speaking of, there was a definite lack of the Oceanic Six this week, and I can’t say I minded. Instead, we were treated to happenings on the island, plus an update on everyone’s favorite time-traveling sailor, Desmond.

As far as big reveals go, there were quite a few. One, we learn (as most of us suspected) that the angry, volatile, rude British lad from last week was indeed a young Charles Widmore. His connection to the island remains a tantalizing series of questions (How did he get there? What’s his beef with Ben?), but in “Lost” terms it was pretty fast disclosure. I think Curt Holman pointed out in a blog comment last week that Charles Widmore has, until now, remained a pretty standard villain — I’m hoping that as more as his past is uncovered that’ll change.

As a foil to Widmore’s central casting characterization, we should all hail fearless leader Faraday! Faraday remains one of the best and most entrancing parts of “Lost” these days. For one, nothing about his past has ever fallen the way of “Does Sun’s baby belong to Jin?” or “How Jack got his tattoos.” Instead, Faraday’s past is inextricably linked to the island in a way that only he and his husky, sexy whisper-voice can understand fully at this point. Later, in the Annals of Romance, Faraday finally tells Charlotte indirectly that he loves her, and it seems she’s warming up to that skinny tie and the physicist who wears it … until she passes out possibly dies from Time Travel Sickness, that is.

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TEAM EFFORT: "Hey y'all … (a newly humble) Smash is back!"

Three of the most lauded aspects of “Friday Night Lights” were on display last Friday with a bunch of fuzzy filler in between. We’ll start with Coach and Mrs. Coach’s relationship  — one of the best, healthiest and most realistic on television — which has always been the glue that holds “FNL” together. There have been one-off times of trial before, but this week we saw some more subtle cracks that might turn into bigger foundational issues (although not too big since this is likely “FNL’s” last season). The hot button? That darn tootin’ Jumbotron. Tami sensibly wants to reallocate the Jumbotron funds to serve the school: for teachers, books, and things she didn’t even realize were on the chopping block, like chalk and soap.  Buddy Garrity and the evil boosters have other ideas, and as Coach Taylor points out, “What Buddy and the boosters want, Buddy and the boosters will get.”

Dillon has always been portrayed as a small, bottom-of-the-barrel, last-leg kind of town, but clearly there are some heretofore unmentioned ritzy suburbs around. Not only do the funds for the Jumbotron appear out of nowhere (and show us there must be some people with money besides Buddy), but also Lyla, in her attempts to civilize the sexy beast that is Tim “Yes I use Google” Riggins, joins her father and some wealthy coevals at a posh restaurant for lunch. Just how posh? They actually serve squab, and not in the way certain places in Texas might serve, say, squirrel.

After the jump, “A vote for Tyra is a vote for hotness!”
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CALL WAITING: “I’m kinda alive … I’ll have to call you back.”

Oh boy, oh boy, where to begin? Season 5 picks up exactly where season 4 left off, with Jack and Ben looking at who everyone and their mother now knows is Jeremy Bentham John Locke. I wish I could pinpoint a specific theme of tonight’s episode, but it wasn’t about getting one’s bearings so much as losing them completely. Just as many of us speculated, Ben (looking particularly reptilian this week, no?) “moved” the island out of time. As Faraday explains it, “like a record spinning on a turntable, except now it’s off its rotation and skipping.” Uh-oh!

As if that wasn’t disorienting enough, tonight’s updates on our heroes were no less confusing. It seems everyone’s favorite felon Kate is on the run again — this time taking Aaron with her — and meeting up with Sun who has some suspicious “unfinished business.” Hurley, too, is on the run thanks to International Badass Sayid, who “rescued” him from Santa Rosa, killing a few folks along the way. And I’m pretty sure Ben (and new BFF Jack) are keeping Locke’s body in a meat freezer for the nonce. Back on the island, Juliet, Sawyer, Bernard, Rose and “Frogurt” (RIP), plus the Freighties, wandered around through space and time and were eventually attacked by some flaming arrows and … hang on, let me catch my breath.

Holy nosebleed … put on your conspiracy caps and grab your constants!

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"Are you ready for Friday night?" (Photo courtesy Abc.com)

For the 95 percent of “Friday Night Lights” fans who don’t have DirectTV, the show’s return to NBC has been met with a collective sigh of relief. As the college and pro football seasons sadly slip away, the first sight of Coach and Mrs. Coach accompanied by the familiar Explosions in the Sky theme was a reward unto itself. But the third season’s opener was not about warm welcomes so much as hard truths. Like the start of season two, we find our favorite Dillon denizens going through plenty of changes and thrust into new and unfamiliar situations. Of note: Tyra and Landry broke up; Riggins, the token looks-28-and-takes-weeks-off-school-yet-is-still-18-and-enrolled-year-old, is up to his old drunken tricks; Mrs. Coach is now principal Taylor; and Smash Williams finds himself at a crossroads after knee surgery. (more…)

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WE'RE BAAAAACK: The new season of 'Lost' starts Wed., Jan. 21.

Hey Losties, Freighties, Tailies and Dharma groupies — Lost is back!  Last night’s episode was just a series recap, but we’ll get to that in a moment.

Let’s begin by being thankful we can finally kick the methadone of Fringe and get down and dirty with the real thing in Lost.  I was a latecomer to the show, catching a rogue episode (”The Constant”) that made me fly through the first three seasons in time to catch up for the season four finale. Even though I feel like it was only yesterday that I watched Ben crank that Frozen Donkey Wheel, tonight’s Pop Up Video-style recap reminded me of a few more arcane plot points, such as Farady’s treacheries, Keamy-the-undead, and several references to Richard’s ageless eyeliner visage. Other captions weren’t so helpful, such as this gem:

Jin (to Sun): “I told you I’d get you off the island.”
Caption: Jin told Sun he would get her off the island. (more…)

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