A look back at the best and worst in the past week of TV, as well as a sneak peek at what’s to come.
Highlights
1. “Lost.” I had super high expectations for the season finale, and they were met. Surpassed, even. The introduction of Jacob and his evil counterpart made all the previous conflicts (Losties/Others, Hostiles/Dharma, Ben/Widmore) seem insignificant in comparison. And what’s it say when Juliet’s detonating an H-bomb (a freakin H-bomb!) on the island might have been the least interesting development in the episode? It’s going to be a long eight months.
2. “Amazing Race.” The season finale wasn’t particularly exciting, but it was satisfying. The good guys, Tammy & Victor, won, and the two other teams lost largely because of their season-long Achilles heels — Luke’s impatience and Jaime’s temper. A good ending to a better-than-usual season.
3. “30 Rock.” As it’s been all season long, it was the little things that made the season finale so brilliant. Frank Lucas High School (He was the gangster in “American Gangster”); Alan Alda’s line about the guy crying over a chicken — “Isn’t this supposed to be a comedy?” (That “MASH” episode still haunts me!); Rainstorm Katrina; the seventh hour of the “Today” show; and the star-studded “He Needs a Kidney” musical number, with everyone from Elvis Costello (aka Declan McManus, international art thief) to Michael McDonald to Moby. Gimmicky celebrity guest appearances usually don’t work; this one was perfect.
4. “South Park.” Technically it wasn’t new, but I finally saw “The Coon” episode. Oh my god, that had my girlfriend and me in stitches. Appalling, but hilarious. Cartman’s take as a Batman/Watchmen-type vigilante superhero was classic. It also inspired a weeklong catchphrase assault from my girlfriend, which somehow remains funny.
Lowlights
1. “Cold Case.” I watched it for the Pearl Jam songs, which didn’t really add much to the show. Sure, “Why Go” worked well with the alienation theme, but I don’t recall any other songs striking any chords. The episode itself was a mess. For starters, the previews gave away the ending — I knew right away it was all a dream while she was stuck in the sinking car. But the dream didn’t even make sense, and I was left going “whaaaa?” when it was over. Big twists and fake-outs are fine, but they’ve gotta be done right to be effective. Just look at “Lost.” I guessed the killer right away too; come on, they’re not going to waste a guest appearance by a Baldwin if he’s not going to play a crucial role in the plot!
2. Special effects in “Lost.” Let’s just assume all the extra money for that episode went for location shots in Hawaii. Because it sure didn’t go toward making that submarine look in any way realistic as it dove underwater. It’s odd how cheesy the effects can be on “Lost” — remember the awful Smoke Monster judging Ben in the temple a few weeks back? Doesn’t ABC shell out any money for one of its biggest shows? That just makes the special effects-on-a-budget achievements of “Battlestar Galactica” all that much more impressive.
3. “My Boys.” I hate to say it, but the writing has slipped a bit this season. This week’s whole subplot about whether or not Facebook was cool seemed about a year out of date. And are they really going to ignore the fact that Kenny and Stephanie slept together in last season’s finale? That bugs me.
Looking forward to. . . .
1. “Gossip Girl” (8 p.m. Monday, The CW). The season finale, and there’s time for one more big ol’ scandal before graduation. And maybe Evil Georgina will finally take down Poppy. I like this show way too much. I’ll miss it over the summer.
2. “Reaper” (8 p.m. Tuesday, The CW). In the season’s (and series’?) penultimate episode, Sam starts work at what looks like the devil’s corporate headquarters. Hey, why not? They’ve already ripped off “Buffy” characters and plots, why not “Angel’s” evil corporate law firm too?
3. “Saturday Night Live: Just Shorts” (9 p.m. Sunday, NBC). For three decades, the shorts have been the most consistently funny things on “SNL,” and this two-hour special will feature the best of the bunch. From “Mr. Bill” to “Male Synchronized Swimmers” to “Lazy Sunday,” this should be the “SNL” highlight of the year.
