24: Day 7 | 3:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m.

Wow! And I thought last week felt like an old episode of “24”! This felt like a really really deep version of something from Season 1. Let’s get started before my brain melts with nostalgia.

Debrief

• Jack, Renee, Bill and Matobo met with President Taylor. They told her that Bill had found that there were people around her that were corrupt and were thwarting every chance she took to invade Sangala. Matobo left to consult with his people about the incoming invasion.

• Dubaku called President Taylor and told her that Henry is being held captive and that if troops were not pulled out of Sangala by 4:00 p.m. (the end of the episode, conveniently enough) that he would kill Henry. Taylor said she couldn’t pull the troops out because of her husband when hundreds died earlier in the day from the same decision. Jack pledged to do all he could to find Henry before 4:00.

• Jack and Renee met with Larry. He agreed to help them, but had reservations about working with Jack.

• They identified that Agent Vossler was brought in to help kidnap and kill Henry Taylor. Jack found him and got Henry’s location before he had to kill Vossler in self-defense. Renee has been extremely affected by the psychological torture that she had to perform on Vossler’s family.

• Bill and Ethan put together a body double for Matobo to buy Jack and Renee more time. Think of the last fifteen minutes of “Hairspray” but replace the giant hairspray can with a limo. Dubaku kills the body double and orders Henry to be killed.

• Dubaku’s girlfriend, Marika’s sister, Rosa knows that Dubaku is living a lie and has threatened to expose him to the authorities if he doesn’t break up with her immediately.

• Jack and Renee invaded the location where Henry was being held and killed all of Dubaku’s henchmen, but not before Henry was shot in the abdomen.

Agent Philboy’s Assessment

Sorry for the long debrief section, but I feel like a lot went on tonight. But, that’s not the reason this was my favorite episode of the season.

This was the deepest episode of “24” I think we’ve ever seen. When I was younger, and the show had just started, I think I would have been bored by a lot of this episode. But, now, as a senior in college, and in a year where I devoured the book “24 and Philosophy,” the discussions that took place between characters in this episode were as exhilarating as the car chases and shootouts.

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SMALVILLE: Requiem

Hey GMMRers! It’s that time again for another recap of our beloved Smallville. Before I plunge into the highlights – the CW has announced a change in their schedule. Smallville will be taking a break and after the episode this past Thursday they won’t be returning until March 5th. Yes another hiatus. So off to this week’s highlights of Smallville’s episode titled Requiem. This week’s storyline featured DC comic’s villain, the Toyman, played by Chris Gauthier. This is also Kristen Kreuk’s last appearance on Smallville.

In this week’s episode the Luthor Corp board all die after Lex recruits the Toyman to do his bidding. Unfortunately for Lex, Tess is on a trip and Oliver manages to walk away. Cutting their bed breaking sessions short Clark and Lana fly in to investigate who’s behind the explosion after Chloe gives them the news.

During their look around what’s left of the boardroom at Luthor Corp Lana learns that she has the capability to absorb Kryptonite. They also discover a chip that belongs to Queen Industries. Oliver is up to something and Clark and Lana plan to uncover what he’s hiding.

Meanwhile The Toyman is plotting another revenge scheme that involves blowing up the Daily Planet now that he has failed to kill his two targets. Oliver has previous interactions with the Toyman who is really Oliver’s former employee that loves to put bombs in toys. Oliver asks Chloe to do some investigating of her own without Clark’s knowledge. Oliver wants to finish off Lex without Clark getting in the way.

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DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES: Mama Spent Money When She Had None

Desperate Housewives is back this week and the ladies have money on the brain.

Carlos has managed to pay off the credit card debt that he and Gabby have rung up over the years and to celebrate he wants to take Gabby out to a fancy dinner. She wants to wear the red dress she wore when he proposed but can’t fit into it. That’s when she hears about the extreme boot camp that Edie used to lose five pounds in one day. She quickly joins and we’re treated to a hilarious as well as heart- warming subplot. The camp is so over the top that it’s perfect for the ladies of Wisteria Lane. There’s a contract to be signed and a former Israeli soldier as the instructor. And, of course, in typical Gabby fashion she quits after only one class. But that isn’t about to stop crazy instructor; he brings the boot camp to Gabby. And that’s where the heart- warming comes in: Edie tells Gabby that the women have come over to her house to support her since they know how much it would mean for her to fit into her dress. Gabby rejoins and manages to look great in her dress. She realizes, however, that things aren’t exactly how they used to be; she’s a much better person now.

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Heroes | 9pm on NBC

Matt’s paintings of prophetic images reveal the tragic fate of someone close to him; Sylar encounters a young outcast (Dan Byrd) with information and an ability of his own.

24 | 9pm on Fox

Jack and the team go to the White House for a meeting with President Taylor; Dubaku threatens the first family.

THE SIMPSONS Poster Contest

In honor of THE SIMPSONS 20th Anniversary, unleash your yellow and design a poster for THE SIMPSONS that celebrates the Best. 20 Years. Ever!

You could win a trip to L.A., an invitation to THE SIMPSONS Season 21 premiere party, and your winning entry could become part of THE SIMPSONS marketing campaign for the Fall 2009 season!

If you are a SIMPSONS fan with an ounce of artistic talent then this is the ultimate contest for you. Win and become part of THE SIMPSONS history forever.

For more information and to enter, click here: http://www.thesimpsons.com/postercontest/

Jim Parsons – Eulogy Punch-Up Artist

Jim Parsons, star of THE BIG BANG THEORY and one of the funniest men on TV today, stars in this dark comedy short from FunnyorDie.com.

Sheldon Cooper…are you in there.

Eulogy Punch-Up Artist w/ Jim Parsons – watch more funny videos

This is the video I was talking about in the latest TV Talk Podcast.

SUPERNATURAL: Sex and Violence

Well, like the title says, this episode had some sex (go Sam – Dean’s not the only one who has a way with the ladies) and lots of violence. This was another really interesting and entertaining episode of SPN, and though the baddie of the week is gone, its effects are going to be felt for a long time by both Sam and Dean and by us fans. There were a couple of really interesting twists that I didn’t see coming at all, a murder scene that was the least graphic in the show’s history, yet was the hardest for me to deal with, and some set-up for what is shaping up to be an epic battle that will pit the Winchesters against one another towards the end of the season.

Dean and Sam are in town because of a string of domestic murders – husbands have been killing their wives in gruesome ways despite happy marriages. These were some pretty tough scenes to watch, but one in particular was so brutal I had to turn the sound down, and you couldn’t even see anything. I’ll get to that in a bit. After some research on the men involved, the brothers determine that they have all been frequenting the same strip club. Thanks to a quickly formed alliance with the (young, attractive, female) county coroner, they are also privy to information that shows a high level of a certain hormone was present in each of the men’s blood that can’t be explained. Sam concludes that they’re dealing with a siren, a figure of Greek mythology that would lure fishermen to the shores with her songs only to cause them to crash violently into the rocks.

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FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Hello Goodbye

I feel like I owe you all an apology.  We are now a handful of episodes into this season of FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS and we haven’t talked about it much here on GMMR.  See I’ve had the pleasure of seeing the entire season of FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS and as a result it’s sometimes difficult for me to talk about the show and not be influenced by future events.  I avoid talking about it because I’m afraid I’m going give something away and spoil you all.  But I’ll try to do better by you starting this week, deal?

Last night’s episode was one of my favorite of the entire season.  Every episode of FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS is special in its own way, but “Hello Goodbye” was particularly emotional as we said farewell to Brian “Smash” Williams.  But it wasn’t just Smash’s goodbye that pulled at the heartstrings.  True emotion resonated in every scene of last night’s episode, and in the end I was left a wasted version of myself.  Yes, the show is that good.

(Watch the full episode of “Hello Goodbye”)

There is no way I could do any justice by recapping the intensity of the entire ep, so I thought maybe I could just share a few of my very favorite scenes with you.

If you are reading this post and you’ve never seen FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, I beg you to watch a few of these clips or the whole episode (posted above) and see what you have been missing.  I understand that everyone has different tastes and not everyone enjoys the same shows that I do, but I have yet to find one single person who has given FNL a fair try that does not see what a special program it is.

With that…a few of my favorite moments from “Hello Goodbye”

“You’re a molder of men”
Tami and Eric demonstrate why they are the best twosome on television today in a scene that on the surface is about football, but really is more about Eric’s passion for his players to succeed in life.  Tami and Eric Taylor serve as the foundation for Dillon, and as this scene demonstrates, there really is no couple better suited for the job.

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BONES: The Hero in the Hold

Well, I stand corrected. Booth loves Brennan. I know last time I said I thought maybe he was over her, but…I was wrong. Of course he didn’t tell her (what’s so hard about that?), but didn’t you just have the feeling at the beginning of the episode that it was going to be THE NIGHT!?!?

Stupid gravedigger.

The Case:
On a night where Brennan is going to be honored as a supreme scientist, Booth is captured by the gravedigger. If you remember from season two, this guy’s (or actually gal’s) modus operandi is to use a stun gun, then capture a person, force them into a closed space and then call in for a ransom. Except this time, the ransom was evidence, stolen by Hodgins. But what is the best course of action? Hand over the evidence and save Booth? Or try and both capture the Gravedigger AND save Booth? It’s Brennan’s conundrum.

The Squints:

• Sweets: Sweets was fine this episode, although a little cold, it seemed. But he wasn’t over analyzing all of Brennan’s minute actions, so I was fine with that.

• Cam: I thought Cam would be a little more worried about Booth. They’re close, and while she often is a controlling force on the team, I didn’t sense her urgency. That could have been a nice moment for her, but instead she just followed. Ah, oh well. It’s not her fault the writer’s give her NOTHING!

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AMERICA’S BEST DANCE CREW: Whack Track Challenge

Last night the remaining crews shimmied and shook to some of the worst (and by worst I mean BEST) dance crazes of the 90’s.  It wasn’t the strongest night of the show, but I don’t think the challenge was particularly inspired. And why oh why was no one given NSync’s “Bye Bye Bye” moves? That would have been classic!

If I were judging last night’s content, my top “y’all” would have gone to Strikers All Stars.  Y’alls take on MC Hammer’s 2 Legit 2 Quit was strong and full of energy.  Y’alls tore it up.  (Ok I’m done with the y’alls now…y’all here).

But with Strikers getting my 1st place finish last night, which crew came in second?  That would be my boys in Quest crew.  As always I loved their choreography and performance but I felt it was a little more scattered than it had been in week’s past.  That being said, Hok’s upside down fakeout at the beginning was awesome!

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30 ROCK: Generalissimo

Given the dismal state of NBC these days, it’s not tough to imagine a future in which all roles will eventually be played by Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey. Which is okay by me, and if they can find a way to throw Jon Hamm in there, too, I will certainly not be complaining. All Fey and Baldwin need to do is sit around and talk to each other, and Hamm can stroll in and smile every so often and say something totally benign yet inherently sexy, and then at some point he and Baldwin can have a hair contest while Fey tosses cheese curls at them. Ratings will surge!

Anyway, they got off to a solid start last night because, while the mechanics of the “Generalissimo” storyline were clunky, the payoff was so fabulous it didn’t matter. Watching Alec Baldwin’s obvious glee in playing Jack Donaghy as a gay Spanish soap star—complete with pancake makeup, pencil-thin mustache, eyeliner, and guitar—was worth all of the tedious machinations of his never ending non-romance with Elisa. But it is ending at some point, right? It has to. His relationships are only interesting when they carry a note of danger (as with ex-wife Isabella Rossellini and the money-hungry, bird-boned Emily Mortimer) or outright hostility (Edie Falco’s C.C.). There’s nothing all that funny or even dramatic about him dating a nice, sexy nurse, and there’s no counterweight to the character; her presence illuminates nothing about him, so it doesn’t feel like it’ll actually break his heart when it ends. But I for one would like it to end. Soon.

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THE OFFICE: Lecture Circuit (Part I)

Attention Dwight Schurte and Jim Halpert – my birthday is March 21st.  That gives you over a full month to plan my party.  My chocolate ice cream cake better be covered in 24 candles (one for each year of my life) and my orange and purple balloons best be fully inflated. Got it?  Good.

Last night’s episode of THE OFFICE had a great mix of cringeworthy moments and old school office antics, which made for a very fun episode – one of the stronger ones this season in my opinion. For the most part the humor in last night’s episode came from the Dunder Mifflinites playing off each other. Whether it was Stanley, Andy and Creed coming together to land Andy his new m’lady; Jim and Dwight trying to make right by Kelly; or Pam and Michael teaming up on their road trip, it all, for the most part, just worked.

I’m actually happy that we’re going to see more of these storylines play out in next week’s episode. I’m not holding my breath for the appearance of Holly in Nashua, but you never know.

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Flip Mino HD Camera – Do You Have One?

Sorry for the interruption in TV talk, but I had a question that I thought I would throw out to all of you. I have not one but two Flip cameras and I love them. I hardly leave home without them. You never know when you’re going to want to have a camcorder ready to go, right?

See?

Lately I’ve heard a lot of buzz about the Flip Mino HD camera. I like the idea of having a better quality video especially since the picture quality is lost when you upload the videos to YouTube and other type of video servers.

So my question is…do YOU have a Flip HD camera? Is the picture quality that much better? Is it worth it for me to go out and buy one? If you have any HD vid samples you can share with me it would be awesome.

Thanks!
Kath

The TV Talk Podcast: Episode #35

TV Talk Podcast with GMMR and Ducky returns with a ton of chatter about our favorite shows.

Chuck scored with a 3-D Superbowl episode, Gossip Girl sends Blair over the deep end, Heroes returns with some promise and the double punch of Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother once again make us laugh our asses off. Privileged said good bye to our boy Charlie, The Biggest Loser sent one pissed off contestant home and Fringe got prickly. Idol finally hits Hollywood week and America’s Best Dance Crew got all “It’s Britney Bitch” on us.

The Office got super-sized for the Super Bowl but did it score a home run, er… ABC falsely promotes a Grey’s/Private Practice crossover and Supernatural went back to the future. Battlestar Galactica got frakkin crazy while Friday Night Lights taught us how the other half lives. SNL scores a really hot but really random host and of course, Two Idiots Talk Lost!

As a bonus, it’s game time so get ready to play along at home.

Podcast #35: Listen now: [audio:http://cdn1.libsyn.com/duckyxdale/TVTalkPodcast35.mp3]

Chime in on your thoughts on this latest podcast. Leave your comments here so Dan and I can respond back. And for general TV Talk comments, please share the love (or hate) over at our iTunes page.

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• Interested in catching up on our past podcasts? Head on over to the podcast page where you can listen to all of our previous episodes.

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