Bleeding Fiction

This is Stef's favorite new show of the season. I do like the way that we learn something new about Bobby's presidency each week, and how it was influenced by his decisions as a kid. In the past few episodes, the "future documentary" footage has dropped some neat bombshells right before the Exec Producer credit at the end of the show.

I too have left the West Wing, and for me, this seems to capture some of that idealism from the first few seasons. Still, my pick of the new season has to be Lost.

Dear God, you missed the West Wing? I think it was the jumping the shark episode. I'm not even sure I can tell you anything about it. It's too huge. They're cruising toward a possible re-invention of the series as a conservative Republican fantasy with Alan Alda as president. Alan Alda?!?!? Anyway, I think this episode was the first nail in the coffin for the current cast (appropriate metaphor).

Oddly enough, I feel the same way about Smallville that you feel about West Wing. I almost skipped it last night, but John Glover and Tom Welling were just too good. I am getting very very tired of the constant personality shifting and the inexplicable solutions to each show though. Give it a rest.

Fear me for the Ogre has come. Hi!!!!! Anyway. Smallville too has bothered me a lot lately, but what is most frustrating is I love where the end of these episodes leave us in terms of the characters, but FIND A NEW WAY TO GET THERE. I too watched Jack and Bobby, though I think they make it very clear which one becomes the Pres. It was pretty interesting, it had a very Everwood kind of feel to it. Oh well.

What I actually come on to say was merely this: the MLB has finally given atheists the proof they have needed to convince non-atheists they are right. Wallow in sin and depravity, my friends, it is darkness at the end of the tunnel (and the end of the season).

I don't know if West Wing has jumped the shark just yet. I think if they came up with a constitutional ammendment to extend the amount of terms the president can serve that might throw it over the edge.

Well, I've obviously been a little cheesed at the West Wing since last season, which I wasn't very happy with. I knew about the Alan Alda thing, and I knew that they were bringing Jimmy Smitts in, too. I'd hoped they'd let the show die a good death after the Bartlett administration, but such does not seem to be the case, and that's a shame.

I'm pretty with Ogre on the Smallville thing, too. It's not that I dislike the show. It continues to be entertaining and engaging, the references are clever and I really want to know where the show is going. But at the same time, they do keep doing the same sorts of things over and over again, and they have this thing where a problem either drags on for waaay too long (the Clark/Lana thing, or lack thereof) or goes by waaay to quickly (last night's episode - it would've been interesting to see Clark and Lionel switch bodies for longer than 40 minutes).

You think, though, Ogre, that they make it clear which one becomes Pres? Hhm. Maybe I'm just not as observant.

Mr. Summerer, please tell me about this "Lost" show of yours...

Lost? These people crash on an island and are being hunted! ...I think. Supposedly very good, but still lacking Lauren Graham and Kristen Kreuk.

As far as Jack and Bobby, it may not have been clear in this particular episode, but I think I gleaned some information unintentionally from the commercials I am forced to sit through while watching The Gilmore.

Btw, remind me, I found out what the Doomsday Singularity entails today, I must inform you of it later.

Doomsday Singularity protocol has been breached. Unauthorized datastream detected. All teams, prepare for sterilization operations.

Re: Jack and Bobby, they revealed at the end of the pilot that Bobby becomes president. From then on, they pretty much assume that you know that.

Lost is a fascinating show that unfortunately airs at the same time as Smallville. A group of survivors from a plane crash try to survive on a mysterious deserted island. Most of the characters are not who they seem to be, and in each episode we learn more about a particular character's backstory through flashbacks to their life before the crash. One of the hobbits from LOTR is in it (as the bassist for the British metal band Driveshaft). Oh, did I mention that this tropical island has wild boars, polar bears, mysterious ghosts, and some sort of man-eating giant beast hiding in the forest?

Yeah, I like.

Hhm. That's a little disappointing to me, that Jack & Bobby thing. I think I was more entertained not knowing. Ah, well.

As for Lost... I get a very, very Earth 2 vibe out of the way you describe the show. Now, don't get my wrong. I liked Earth 2. I admit this is due largely to the pressence of Rebecca Gayheart and Clancey Brown (who has an awesome resume), but nevertheless I did like the show. It is a pity that it's opposite Smallville though. Ah, well.

Forgive the delayed response. Everyone here has been depressed as hell over the World Series. At least now the Red Sox fans will finally stop whining about The Curse.

Okay: first, Lost is awesome. Totally. Completely. The episode with the backstory on Locke (Terry O'Quinn) was so wonderfully freaked out it made the series a must-see. I myself was not a big fan of Earth 2; Tim Curry just follows in the background but still seems over the top. Right with you on Clancy Brown, though. Did you see "Carnivale"? Freeeeeeaky.

Brief rundown of other stuff:

CSI:NY -- No. No more. No more forensics procedurals. I'm getting burned out by epithelials and DNA swabs. Although they chose my second-favorite Who song, "Baba O'Reily," as the theme song, and it has Lieutenant Dan, but there are now two CSIs too many, three if you count Navy NCIS. Make it stop. If I hear one more token black character talk about a hairline fracture of something or see blood or semen stains sprayed so that they glow in the dark, I am going to leave blood spatter on Jerry Bruckheimer's carpet.

West Wing: Jumped the shark when they announced that V.P. Hoynes was having an affair. I rolled my eyes so much during that hideous arc I think I gave myself astigmatism.

Smallville: I tape it, because I watch Lost. But I only watch the taped episode if it has something to do with the master plot arc or is heavy on John Glover. Otherwise it's lame retreads of Buffy "metaphor for teen angst" episodes.

Jack & Bobby: Not bad. I like it. Not very West Wingish. Christine Lahti is a bit tough to take, but I do like the unfolding future storyline and the fact that the brunette is going to go crazy at some point in the future is enough reason to watch. I'll watch it and tape WW.

Okay. That about sums it up for me. Now I'm going to go get re-drunk.

Re: Lost. Polar bears??? I was under the impression it was a tropical island. (Then again, I have not watched the show.)

Re: Smallville. I told you guys you should've watched Ron "Tater Salad" White.

Baseball is... not a subject to bring up with me right now. I saw a guy with a Red Sox shirt on the other day. I don't remember anything that happened after that, but there are red stains under my fingernails...

I saw a little bit of Carnivale, and loved it, because Clancey is cool. Due to the way it was scheduled, I could never watch it regularly, though.

Unfortunately, the way my television and other entertainment media are set up right now, I can't tape something and watch something different at the same time. I'll fix this soon, I hope, but in the meantime I choose familiarity over novelty. Smallville I still enjoy, even when I find it frustrating, so Lost will go, and West Wing I hold too much nostalgia for to give up on quite yet. We'll see, though. If it continues to get worse and I keep seeing good ads for Jack & Bobby...