Here’s a look back at the best and worst of TV in the past week (March 20-26), and a peek at what’s coming up.
Highlights
The dude is cool. (FX photo)
1. “Justified” (FX). What an outstanding second episode. Everything — the snappy dialogue, the likable bad guys, the jolt of unexpected violence — just oozed Elmore Leonard, the legendary novelist whose short story inspired the series (if you haven’t read any of Leonard’s books, do. Or go watch the movies “Out of Sight” or “Get Shorty”). Though less tense and more breezy than the pilot episode, this was a hugely entertaining hour of television. My favorite lines (there were many to choose from): Raylan: “Do you think they’re cousins?” Snarky sniper agent: “Maybe, maybe not. Either way she’s banging him.” And of course Dupree’s follow-up: “It’s not like we’re first cousins.” Second-best: Raylan, after getting locked in a storeroom and losing his badge, guns and hat to an escaped convict: “Well s—.” That just cracked me up. I’m loving this show.
2. “Lost” (ABC). The narrative was significantly different from most “Lost” episodes (which the possible exception of Desmond’s story in “The Constant”), but it was no less intriguing. We got a ton of information: How Richard got to the island, why he doesn’t age, and a lot more explanation of the game being played between Jacob and the Man In Black. It’s becoming clear that the crux of the series is basically an allegory on the meaning of life. Think of it like this: Jacob represents life, MIB represents death. Jacob’s contention is that humans, if given the choice, will do the right thing and live a fulfilling, meaningful life. MIB’s assertion is, no, they’ll act selfishly and do whatever satisfies their base needs and their life will ultimately be meaningless. So which will prove to be right? I can tell you this: After this series ends its run, my critical-thinking and analytical skills will probably atrophy.
3. “Breaking Bad” (AMC). I was a little surprised at how slowly the Season 3 premiere unfolded. But that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. After all that happened in the first two seasons, maybe an episode to pause and regroup was in order. I loved the cinematic quality of the episode, the epic wide shots of the desert, with the Two Hitmen of the Apocalypse making their way across northern Mexico and sneaking across the border with “Heisenberg” in their sights. Mysterious, chilling stuff.
Honorable mention: “No Reservations” (Travel) had an terrific episode set in Provence, with Tony Bourdain partaking in not just the local delicacies, but the local culture. His best episodes have a way of transporting you to a far-off place and delivering a real understanding for that region, and that goes far deeper than a mere travelogue or cooking show. You watch and you just . . . . get it. And after watching Monday’s episode, I felt like I “got” Provence, even though I’ve never been there. Part 2 of HBO’s “The Pacific” was great, but the intense combat got almost numbing. I know it’s a different story and a different type of war, but it’s hard not to compare “The Pacific” to “Band of Brothers.” And comparing the two, I liked “BoB’s” second episode more. And skipping over to comedies, the running joke about the Hurpes wine on “Cougar Town” cracked me up.
Lowlights
The dude is still uncool. (NBC photo)
1. “Chuck” (NBC). I liked the episode as a whole, and I get that it’s a lighter, more cartoonish take on the spy world than something like “Alias.” But I just hate their obsession with Chuck becoming a “real spy” (as in “Chuck, if you pass this test, you’ll be a real spy!”), and this episode crossed the line into cornball territory. Never mind the fact that Chuck should actually be referred to as an agent, not a spy, the show totally blows my suspension of disbelief whenever it uses the term “real spy.” It makes it sound like little kids are writing the dialogue. I also can’t stand the cheesy weekly video conferencing with Gen. Beckman (it’s sooo “Inspector Gadget”), and this week, the combination of video conference and “real spy” usage pushed me over the edge.
2. “How I Met Your Mother” (CBS). A decent enough episode, but wow, Lily came off as a complete nutcase diva with her birthday extravaganza. Her character isn’t usually so self-absorbed, and it was a little jarring. I did like the bit about Barney being unable to take a bad picture though. Wish I had that talent.
3.”The Office” and “30 Rock” (NBC). Specifically, “Date Mike” and Floyd’s evisceration of Liz Lemon. On “The Office,” Michael’s always annoying, but usually in an endearing way. His Date Mike persona, though, was just abrasive and annoying, and so unlikable that it was rough to watch. Michael really needs to stop watching so much VH1 and MTV dating shows, obviously. Speaking of dating, Whuck is with Dwight and Isabel? Why would a seemingly sane, intelligent, conventionally attractive woman be attracted to Dwight? Angela, I can see. Isabel? No way. That takes suspension of disbelief too far. Over on “30 Rock,” it was an otherwise very funny episode, as Liz’s ex-boyfriend Floyd DeBarber (get it?) was back in town to marry an ab model. But his drunken rant against Liz (“How are you single, Liz? There are so many guys out there who want to be poisoned and yelled at”) was just venomous and cringe-inducing. Liz isn’t Michael Scott, and I don’t like it when she gets railed on like that.
Looking forward to . . .
1. “Lost” (9 p.m. Tuesday, ABC). It’ll be a Sun and Jin-centric episode. Will they finally find each other after, errr, how many years has it been? The time travel really messes with things.
2. “Breaking Bad” (10 p.m., Sunday, AMC). I want to know what the deal is with those cartel hitmen. They seem . . . . intense. Plus, slimy lawyer Saul (“Better Call Saul!”) is back, and that’s always good news.
3. “Fringe” (9 p.m. Thursday, Fox). Back after a six-week hiatus, we’ll get the story of how Peter came to exist. In this dimension, at least. Sounds intriguing.
