LOST: 3x22

LOST
3x22
Through the Looking Glass
(A Jack Episode)
SEASON 3 FINALE

*@$!

Wow. I mean, I knew... but... wow.

HOLY @%!* Moments...
1. Sayid snapping dude's neck with his legs.
2. Hurley running a man down with the van.
3. Sawyer killing YET another person.
4. Danielle and Alex, face to face.
5. Um... Kate and Jack. Off the island?!

That's right... THEY GOT OFF THE ISLAND!
Well, at least Jack and Kate did. I loved my happy, emotional, stirring, LOST music, all of the characters hugging when Jack made the call... only to see him broken, crying, and wishing to go back a few minutes later. We weren't given any clues, but I think it's been a while since their rescue. Sarah wasn't shocked to see Jack in the hospital and even said, "Are you drinking again," like they'd been through it all before. Kate's behavior, Jack's words... all lend me toward this conclusion - but what do I know? I'm just guessing. So why are they not happy to be home? Even though Kate doesn't look "terrible," she doesn't look happy. I'm thinking she's running from the pain, while Jack's taking it all on... pretty characteristic of them both.

As for Jack and Kate...
First off... he told her he loves her! Totally unselfishly and knowing she's been hookin' it up with someone else. That's my Jack. All the girls at our finale party were sort of melty from that one. ;) And can we talk about home free Kate not being a fugitive?? What's the deal with that? And having "him" wondering where she is. I'm sure everyone's mind immediately went to Sawyer - I think that's what they want us to think - which leads me to think it's someone else entirely. All that aside, it's obvious, even with all the dark, twisty angst, Jack and Kate still have some sort of connection. When he pulled her to him and said, "I'm sick of lying. We made a mistake," I saw the old Kate/Jack chemistry. She still cares, but she can't deal with him as he is now and whatever happened between them... which tells me, it's affecting her too. My husband said, "I'd think she'd be more concerned about him." As do I, which adds to my theory that it's been a while since they got off the island. Should be interesting to follow...

Let's talk about the Foxy...
See, now I told you up front, I'm a Jack Shepard fan. Why? Hmmm... let's see... did you watch with me tonight? Matthew Fox was AMAZING. I mean, I seriously hate seeing Dr. Giggles on a downward spiral, but he gave us some massive range. When he finally beat the hell out Henry, we were all cheering. And the tears and the caring and the leading... he was so strong as "island Jack," so the contrast of present Jack was a bit daunting to process. And I think that's why he needs to go back. Whatever happened during rescue, whatever secrets Jack and Kate are keeping... they have to be pretty big and pretty destructive to put Jack in the place he is - which, by the way, is completely lost!!! (seriously, he's still lost, even though he's home, I think I may have hit on something here) - back on dry land.

Charlie's big send-off...
Never my favorite character, but I was totally feeling the Charlie love tonight. He stepped it up and took it like a man. I mean, come on... shutting Desmond out of the hatch to save him (thank goodness!) and still having the forethought to pass along a VERY important nugget of info from Penny. We had lots of time to say goodbye, and I even hoped he'd pull through in the end, but when it came down to it, Charlie's character departed in an incredible tribute to the whole spirit of the show - these characters, these people, finding peace and overcoming their past. Seriously, though, the final shot of him in the water, crossing himself... wow.

So, what do we know?
1. Jack made contact with Naomi's boat and it's headed toward the island.

2. Penny knows Desmond's alive, so we can bet she'll have men on it ASAP.

3. Desmond knows Naomi's boat is NOT Penny's, so he can warn Jack and the LOSTies. Of course, since we know where Jack ended up, something obviously went down that Desmond couldn't stop.

4. Kate and Jack made it off the island.

5. Something happened between Jack's radio call and his post-island meeting with Kate - and it's shaken them to the core.

Things we don't know... (besides a lot)
1. How the HELL is Walt on the island?

2. What happened when Naomi's boat arrived?

3. Who was in the coffin?

4. Who made it off the island besides Jack and Kate?

5. Why does Jack want to go back?

Season 4?
There are so many directions they could go from here. Do they remain in the present and have flashbacks occur on the island, showing us how they were rescued and what happened in the process? Or are we still on the island in its time period, watching the future (I don't think it's this one, for the record)? Are the next three years about Jack, Kate and whoever else, getting back to the island, finding their redemption? Come the end, in May 2010, after everything I've read, I highly doubt our creators will leave us dissatisfied with the state of our heroes. It would be pretty upsetting to leave Jack as he is now, the fate of everyone else in the air. No, I think this show will end with an air of hope (the question is, how do they get there)... but good grief... who the hell could predict?

All I know is this:
1. LOST is amazing.
2. 8 months is unacceptable!!!

Veronica Mars: 3x19, 3x20

Veronica Mars

3x19
Weevils Wobble, But They Don't Go Down
&
3x20
The Bitch is Back
SERIES/SEASON 3 FINALE

Genius.

Kristen Bell is a TV goddess and the network shutting her down is really pissing me off. I loved every second "the bitch" was back and found myself thinking what an amazing season 4 we could have. Not a season set four years in the future, but one that picked up where we left off tonight. Jake Kane, people! Jake Kane was back and Veronica was in charge!

Instead, she walked off in the rain... completely unhappy, with nothing resolved.

I seriously think network television needs to rethink its renewal policy. Upfronts should be earlier in the season, giving creators, cast, crew, etc., time to round things out if they discover they won't be returning... if for no other reason than the fans and the people watching, waiting, following the action, getting attached to characters and storyline.

And all I had were questions...
What happened when the list was exposed? Do we see Weevil return to his old ways? Who won the sheriff's race? What happened to Keith? How was Veronica's internship? What about The Castle? The threats from its members?

Nevermind the completely shallow Logan and Veronica lover in me. Yeah, we got a smile and a glimmer of hope at the end... but how do they get back to something? And we knew months ago that Piz had a new show, so how did he exit Neptune? What about Mac? What about Wallace? What about Dick? How do you stop an exploding man... wait, wrong show. Seriously, HOW am I supposed to be okay with this?

Things that stood out tonight:

1. Dick's multiple personalities. From Dickster to crying in 60 seconds. I so love him for it. And seriously, he quoted The Office. This is one of life's great tragedies: we're canceling shows that quote The Office...? And how did I not see that Dick and Michael Scott are one in the same person?

2. Logan, Piz and Veronica at the beach. Awkwaaaard.

3. Weevil!

4. Logan channeling a little Aaron Echolls. At least he apologized to Piz.

5. Veronica. The Bitch was back and taking it on. Intelligent, cool and funny to boot.

I could say more, but it'll just depress me.

I need quotes to make me happy.

Veronica: She has the right to remain famished. (cracks up at herself)

Dick: Who you talkin’ to?
Logan: Parker.
Dick: Park ‘er? I don’t even know her.

Dick: This new wetsuit’s like a cheap motel. No ballroom.

Mac: I feel so bad for Wallace. He needs more thrust. (Dick laughs)
Logan: Don’t say it.
Dick: That’s what she said.

Veronica: I guess you’re all asking yourself why I called this meeting. What? That’s comedy gold.

Piz: I guess he was pissed about that thing that happened at the beach. I think he still likes you.

Veronica: Dick, get out here.
Dick: (in a small voice) What’s up, V?
Veronica: If you had to bet?
Dick: Look, from a guy’s perspective, the video just made your stock go up. You looked great. Enthusiasm? Always a plus.
Veronica: It’s like, you’re this giant, jackass piñata, begging for someone to be the candy out of you.

Veronica: After all these years, do you not instinctively fear me? Maybe you should write yourself a note.

Veronica: You are going to be sooo popular in hell.

Heroes, Chapter 23

Heroes
Chapter 23
How to Stop an Exploding Man
SEASON 1 FINALE

Okaaaaaaaaaaay.

I'm a little confused. But let's cut to the chase before we ponder the end.

First off, HELLO! We found out Mr. Bennett's name! That was rather exciting... Noah. I like it.

So, in general, I enjoyed the episode, but I wasn't exactly on the edge of my seat. Don't get me wrong, the idea of Nathan flying off with Peter hadn't come to mind (I'm not sure why... better yet, I'm not sure why Peter couldn't fly off on his own) and was a great twist on it all, but I still wasn't exactly... satisfied by the episode. I loved seeing all the heroes together in New York, and that Nikki got a good hit in on Sylar, but I think I'd put too much stock in this ending I kept hearing about... maybe someone else will have better insight than me... maybe I will if I think on it longer. This is just initial reaction...

That said, I do appreciate the book being closed, as it were, on Chapter 1. No wondering if the bomb went off or who it was going to be, but we were still left with plenty of questions (it wouldn't be a finale if we weren't), so I'll start there:

1. Where is Peter?

2. Is Nathan alive?

3. What about Parkman? (I could have told him Sylar was gonna shoot those things back at him!)

4. Where did sluggy Sylar go and HOW is he still alive?

5. If this part of the story is over, how do we keep all the Heroes crossing paths?

6. Does Mohinder (I've never discussed what a cutie he is) keep Molly or do DL and Nikki?

7. Why is Hiro in 1641 and why am I supposed to think that's so cool?

Honestly, the "first three minutes of season 2" the cast kept touting at Upfronts... sort of annoyed me. I mean, I love Hiro, but can't he just pop back out of there? And sorry, but I was a little more concerned about the fate of Peter (and his lovely, lovely hair - sorry, it's fabulous) and Nathan.

Still, I trust the show. It had a banner first season and got stronger as it went. I don't understand the impact of this "Generations" storyline and how it will impact the heroes as they are, but I suppose that's the point of a season - to expound on such things.

See, this is where the idea of patience comes in, and I happen to not have any.

Brothers and Sisters: 1x23

Brothers and Sisters
1x23
Matriarchy
SEASON 1 FINALE

I've said it once (like a broken record, I know), I'll say it again - I LOVE the Walkers! The final scene, with them all jumping into the swimming pool, was my absolute favorite. Seriously, if you need a fake family, let the Walkers adopt you!

Justin tried to wrench my little heart out, saying goodbye and not saying goodbye to everyone. The scene between him and Nora was lovely... and proved why Sally Field is Sally Field. I was glad he and Rebecca had a moment together and that she came clean to him. She actually seems genuinely sorry and more than a little damaged by her time in Chicago. Of course, we're left waiting for her to tell Sarah, but there's next season for that. I did want to kick Justin a little for sneaking out early, but the scene with Kitty and Nora at the airport was worth it. Now, I'm left wondering... how is he in the show next year?

Random, small notation: They've got to be setting Julia up for a bigger storyline next year. Depression or something from the looks of last night's episode.

And Robert's family is crazier than the Walkers, in a totally annoying way. Walker, 'jumping in the pool with all your clothes on' crazy, I can handle. McAlister crazy, I'm not so sure about. Good grief, I'd have gone ballistic when the tent fell! Plus, a family like that has to have some skeletons in its closet... especially when it comes to their golden boy. Should be very interesting to find out what they are.

Kevin kills me. And anytime he wants to take me to Wicked (with Dave), I'm ready. He's right, you can't NOT love that musical. Plus his gay standoff in the place Nora was renting, cracked me up. Probably because I see my boss say stuff like that ALL the time. And can't you see him walking around with a pitcher of margaritas... I love him completely for his superiority complex.

No resolution for Sarah and Joe. Understandable as there's a lot of ground to cover.

What else? Oh, oh! I loved the fight between Kitty and Nora over the party and moving out, etc. Rebecca's comment was priceless, "Wow. That was amazing." So true...

And I don't know what to think about this development for Saul, since he seemed to have the hots for Holly... maybe he's bisexual like Michael Scott's suit.

Guess we'll find out in SEASON 2!

Grey's Anatomy: 3x24

Grey's Anatomy
3x24
Burning Down the House
SEASON 3 FINALE

It comes in waves - disappointment.

You sit down on Thursday nights, the little red light on your TIVO promising another episode of a show you like enough to spend an hour of your evening involved in its fictional world. You get attached. You talk about the characters and the story and you think, "Wow, it's been a while since TV was smart... this show is upping the bar."

And then it stops. Grey's hasn't felt right to me since it came back from hiatus after Christmas... and I'd stop complaining and nix the side comments if I thought I was the only one. But I don't. Actually, I know I'm not. What I don't know, is where to begin dissecting my thoughts (and yes, it's sarcastic and I'm annoyed, so take my words with a grain of very frustrated salt)...

Meredith and Derek
Honestly, I don't understand the concept of constant upheaval. Shonda can rationalize this situation until she's blue in the face and I'll still maintain - there was no real period of happiness. No payoff. We, as an audience, watched this couple fight to be together for two seasons. Watched them hurt and cry and heal and still not be able to deny one another... then, before we've ever really seen them together, she's suddenly falling in the water and losing her mom and her fake mom and her dad and Derek doesn't know if he wants to be Chief or have Meredith and I'm sitting here thinking: "Um... what?" I'm sorry. I get that Meredith's damaged, but this is ridiculous. At this point, I could care less, and that's sad, because I think they're supposed to be that couple we always root for.

Burke and Christina
*sigh* Don't get me started on the cliche that was that entire marriage storyline. I think everyone could tell from a mile away that Burke was going to call off the wedding and "set her free," as it were. Sure, Sandra Oh's a great actress and the last scene was all a testament to her ability. I actually got that she was relieved and destroyed and completely unsure of what to do next... but on paper, I bet that scene read about as well as a Danielle Steele novel. And speaking of trashy romance novels and large amounts of romanticized CHEESE... can we talk about Burke's vows? Sorry, that may just be me. I'm NOT a romantic in that way. At all. I was totally goobed out.

George/Izzie/Callie
Huh? Callie wants a baby? Yeah, that will really be the glue to hold you and George together. NOT a good call. Bailey's not Chief Resident, Callie is? George failed the test? And really, I'm still sort of stunned that I'm supposed to believe Izzie and George are in love when they never so much as approached the topic before the slept together. I don't buy it...

The "race" for Chief
Such a cop out. Seriously...

Alex and Ava
I think everyone has mixed feelings here. I LOVE the idea of those two. I liked the Alex I saw with Ava, but again with the, "making a declaration, turning it down, ships passing in the night, I barely missed you as I ran back into the hospital," cliche.

Overall
Here's my issue. The show is getting preachy and theme-y and way too soap opera-esque. I get that it sort of was to begin with, but it was a much more quality version than it is right now and I'm KIND OF upset about that. Nevermind the lack of respect for marriage and the recycled storylines. And in relation to this episode specifically... is it possible we could have tied up at least ONE storyline without issue or questions?

And still...
I'll continue to watch, because I know shows go through slumps and pull themselves out, and Grey's deserves that I give it a fair chance. Things fluctuate, right? This time next year I could be singing a different tune...

The Office: 3x23

The Office

3x23
The Job
SEASON 3 FINALE

"It's a date."

One we have to wait FOUR months for! Holy. Crap. So... I can't say this was the funniest episode of the season (not that that's EVEN the point right now), but as usual, by tomorrow afternoon, I'll be laughing at things I never noticed tonight. Best thing, bar none, about The Office - it gets better with time! Good stuff friends, good stuff. Still, I realize a lot of other things happened besides the last talking head...

And I'll try (won't promise) to focus...

1. The cold open was really funny. Should've known Michael would get the day wrong, but you gotta love his confidence!

2. Dwight. I think, if you go back to my Safety Training blog, I mention how, "Dwight and Andy are SO going to love one another." And here we have them, painting the town - or the office - black in the season finale. Not sure it was all about love, what with Andy cleaning out Dwight's cup, but it was funny to watch. Especially the "interview."

3. Creed.

4. I don't even know WHAT to say about Jan. The boobs. The boobs. God, the boobs. The meltdown was sort of, tragically funny. I mean, my word, what is with that woman? And they've definitely created an interesting dynamic for next season. Michael looked super excited about Jan waiting at home for him in her stretch pants... wow. And props to all the smart speculators over at Office Tally. That's where I first heard rumbles that the "big" thing between Michael and Jan was her boob job. I should have figured the episode title had a little extra meaning.

5. RYAN? What? Sorta shocking. I'd love a count on the number of times this season someone has mentioned that the kid's made NO sales. Interesting. I saw a theory from someone who thinks it's possible Ryan got A corporate job, not THE corporate job. Who knows. Wallace said he was interviewing "low level" people, so maybe Ryan's MBA made up for his sales record. And I'm thinking Kelly won't take this break-up lying down.

6. Kevin and his "list."

7. Meredith wanting Jim to "turn around" and show off his sexy, hot haircut.

8. The Jim/Dwight Hell dream.

9. Pam's secret job in Dwight's regime.

Jim and Karen...

It must be discussed (and I never really have before, so this could be lengthy). The minute he came in with the haircut, I knew it was Karen's idea... as I'm sure almost everyone did. She's competing with something she can't understand and the reaction is to hold on tight... I think we all (at least I do) get that feeling, and the night in New York, the overcompensating, the conversation about moving together... were all her way of laying it out on the table. Interesting, though, how Jim never really answered her questions... As for Karen's "sudden" bitchiness toward Pam - I think it was natural, considering what happened at the beach, and she's taking every opportunity to get Jim out of Scranton, where she knows they can't co-exist with Pam. It pained me to watch them flit around New York, because it shows they do have a connection. Still, it all seemed so unnatural. So non-Office. But I think that was kind of the point. We needed a visual reminder of who Jim is, opposed to who she's wanting him to be. It makes me a little sad for Karen, because even though I never wanted them together, she is a great girl... just not for our Tuna. I honestly never really believed she knew the same Jim we do, and that's not her fault. (On a side note: did anyone else ever find her a bit dismissive of his feelings? Deflecting Jim's concerns over Dwight, telling him he has homeless hair, talking down to him as "Adult Jim," etc?) Overall point? If you have to change someone to be with them, probably not gonna work. Still, I do hope we find out what went down between the two of them come season premiere time... did they actually break up? (Obviously the did.) Do we get to see how it happened? What did he tell her?

PAM: The lady gets her own section tonight!

When our girl makes a decision, she's all in (just like Luke, *sniff*). And I'm love, love, LOVING it. No qualms discussing Jim, her feelings or standing up for herself - even if it's a little bitchy - to Karen. And it's not like Karen wasn't a little witchy herself (and I get it, I'd have been in protect mode, too, if the girl for my boyfriend, laid it all out there). Still, I was actually rooting for Pam in the Karen scene. Yeah, the beach wasn't her best choice in timing, but backing down would have taken away from it. She's sticking to her guns, making her desires known... and hey, that's what we've been waiting for all along, right? Best part... she's most concerned about Jim's happiness, not hers. Well, I mean, we all know she wants him and loves him (I'm sorry, even if we don't hear it 'til the last episode, she does. Did you see the look on her face at the end when she said, "Everybody loves him..."? MmmHmm. Pam loves him.) but she's trying to be okay if it doesn't go her way, 'cause she just wants him to be happy. Cliches and all. And lucky for her (and us), looks like they might finally have the timing right... *grin*

And speaking of good timing...

Wow, wow, wow, wow. I'm not gonna lie, when they showed Jim and Karen all cutesy in NYC, I got a little nervous. I should have known they'd take it down to the wire, but I was at a friend's house and we kept looking at each other during commercials saying, "What the crap is gonna happen?" Then... everything happened!

To start, I was just SO happy to see Jim and Pam smiling at each other during the haircut exchange and laughing in their way over Jan's "growth" later on. It's always been the little things with those two and tonight we FINALLY saw it returning again. I think one of the best scenes was Jim, alone in the corporate lobby, hearing someone else answer the Dunder-Mifflin phone. He gave up on New York a little, then.

And then, there's the note. Herein lies the beauty of Jim and Pam. She's supporting him and, at the same time, promising she remembers everything, and she just... knows. The yogurt lid from Office Olympics was a perfect choice. Loved it. And someone was hitting us hard with the symbolism when David asked Jim where he saw himself in 10 years and it cut to Jim and Pam at the beach. I'm a fan of that scene, her asking him to finally come back. What am I saying, I'm a fan of the last 10 minutes in general!

And then there's the talking head at the end... wow. So, Jim's obviously made a choice. (A good one, I think.) And Jenna was fantastic, the tears in her eyes and the goofy smile on her face. My friend and I both screamed, "WHAT!" And immediately rewound it to watch again. I think we ended up with the goofy smiles and the choked up feeling, just like Pam. So, so good.

Who knows what we'll pick up with in September. It makes sense to me (and this is just me), that after everything they've been through, whatever state Jim and Pam are in at the beginning of the year, they'll be taking it slow. I hope they are... I want to see some Season 2, flirty love. And it really doesn't seem realistic that they'd jump right into this thing. They have lots to sort out, lots to talk about (I'm still waiting on a good fight, honestly), but I'm okay with that. I'm okay with slow...

Because they finally got the timing right!