Updated: Can I Hear a Booooooo – Veronica Mars off the air for 8 weeks to make room for Pussycat Dolls reality show

Updated: I have to echo Yoni’s comment on my blog with a boo for Veronica Mars for making its final 5 episodes self-contained. The best part about the show is its ability to balance the big arcs with the character moments and the mysteries of the week. All this does is upset the balance.

So let me make sure I understand, the CW is a new network that hasn’t been able to successfully launch a new series yet. Most of its shows are nearing the end of their runs or are way past it (yes I’m talking about you 7th Heaven). But instead of taking a risk and investing in a show that has the potential to be a long term asset, it puts on a reality show looking for a new Pussycat Doll. At least if it was for something good I could handle Veronica taking a hiatus but for something that is at best a one hit wonder (light on the wonder) I think the CW is out to lunch.

Here’s the link to the article discussing the change and the possibility of Gilmore Girls being renewed for another season. What’s that smell – oh yeah, another former good show way being pushed way past its expiry date.

Gilmore Girls – Season 7, Episode 8

Tonight’s Gilmore Girls was much improved over the last few weeks.  First of all Lorelai was much less annoying.  Lauren Graham is so great at conveying emotion and balancing the drama and the comedy that Gilmore Girls is famous for that when the scales tip too much in favour of banter over substance it really hurts the show.  Every scene with her tonight was pitch perfect as she tells Rory about her marriage to Christopher and adjusts to a new life as a married woman.  No shock that she’s keeping the Gilmore name.

Just to weigh in on the Christopher vs. Luke debate, I’m going to have to side with Christopher.  As we saw throughout last season, her and Luke have no chemistry.  Tonight also reaffirmed that they are great as friends when he calls her for advice on April and she goes right to the hospital to make sure they’re okay.  I also am coming around to liking Luke the dad and think the show is doing a good job of mirroring the Lorelai-Rory relationship through Luke and April.

The Logan-Rory fight was done really well and I have to give Logan credit for giving it to Rory and exposing her hypocracy and tendency to judge everyone.  I’m similarly glad that they got back together in the end even if Rory is moving out.   As an aside it really bothered me trying to figure out where I knew the editor Rory was speaking with at the party from.  It finally hit me – he was Paulie G in the unfortunately overlooked HBO show The Comeback.

I’m not sure how this whole Lorelai-Luke-Christopher thing will be resolved but I’m going to have to guess that if this is the last season Lorelai will probably end of Luke.  Given where they are now in the story though I don’t think this is going to be as simple as just changing direction.  Maybe it will be a Dallas dream.

Avi’s Episode Rating: B+

Capsule TV Reviews: ER, Gilmore Girls, Six Degrees

ER – Season 13, Episode 3

I surprised even myself with the positive review I gave ER for the first 2 episodes a few weeks ago. This is a show that without a doubt has been past its prime for many years already. Although I enjoyed those first episodes I was definitely reluctant to say that the show was having a resurgence. After the third episode, I am almost ready to go out on a limb and say that this show is once again Must See Viewing. John Mahoney should already be pulling out his tux for the Emmy nod he surely deserves for his role as a gay, female impersonator whose lover is dying.  Besides being a showcase for Mahoney’s considerable acting skills, it also gave us an introduction to John Stamos’s new medical intern character whose know-it-all and laissez faire attitude immediately brings him into conflict with Pratt and has disasterous consequences for his patient.  I ended the episode already looking forward to next week.  What more could you want from a show that is more than 13 years old.

Avi’s Episode Rating: A-

Gilmore Girls – Season 6, Episode 2

This was the episode.

To be frank, I was coming close to giving up on this show.  Last season there wasn’t much to like about any of the characters or the stories they were immersed in and the actors just looked bored.  After a first episode that started to clean up the mess that was left at the end of last season, I was still on the fence.  It was good but seemed like it was trying a bit too hard.  Last week, however, had everything that makes this show great.  The dialogue was dead on for the characters and for the first time in a long time the actors actually looked like they enjoyed saying it.  From the opening scene of Luke punching out Christopher to his continuing declarations about how “fine” he is to his heartwrenching scenes with Lorelai where he states out loud his realization that they were never right for each other, I actually cared about Luke for the first time since they got engaged.  The scene with Rory and Lorelai where Rory finds out why the wedding got called off was so well played by both actors that it made the reconciliation at the end of the episode appropriate and real at the same time.  It wasn’t all serious.  Kirk opening up a diner across from Luke’s and Lane’s honeymoon adventure gave the episode the tonal balance it needed.  I hope this season continues to build on this fantastic episode.

Avi’s episode rating: A

Six Degrees – Episodes 2 & 3

This show has 1 more week with me and then it’s being dropped.  I wrote in my review of the first episode about my belief that people do cross paths with each other in ways that don’t become significant until a much later date.  This show, however, is not really about that, despite its title.   Instead it’s a show that is trying too hard to create overlaps that are more like 2 degrees of separation than six degrees.  The result is storylines that are contrived and unsubtle in how they intersect.  I look forward to seeing these generally talented actors, Campbell Scott in particular is excellent, in far better material in the future.  As I read over what I just wrote, I’m not even sure it’s going to get even another viewing.  Keep an eye out on the sidebar.  This should be on my dropped show list by next Friday.

Avi’s episodes rating: C

Gilmore Girls – Season 6, Episode 1

A lot of message board discussion has surrounded the creators of the show leaving and whether the new showrunner would be able to maintain the trademark dialogue that makes Gilmore Girls what it is.  My response is: Good Riddence.  I’m sorry that they didn’t get enough money to keep them interested in the show they created but let’s face it: Last year sucked.  Further leaving the new showrunners with the ending last season of Lorelai sleeping with Christopher (something I think wasn’t in line with the characters) was just mean.

I liked this episode.  If I didn’t know that there was new blood on the show I wouldn’t have thought twice about it.  The discussion about racquetball, the traffic camera and the whole rocket/ Twilight Zone gift was well  in line with the show’s roots.   I even think Lorelai’s attitude to Luke throughout the show clearly came through as a guilty person who doesn’t want to deal with the hard truth of what she did.  Luke’s return at the end of the show and Lorelai’s blunt statement about her sleeping with Christopher is sure to push the show in interesting directions.

Avi’s Episode Grade: B+