Another week, another week of me dropping the blogging ball. I said it the past two weeks and I’ll say it again: This week I hope to get back up to speed and start posting more regularly. (Geez, who knew unpacking from a move was so time-consuming?) Anyway, here’s a look back at the best and worst of TV in the past week (Feb. 27-March 5), and a peek at what’s coming up.
Highlights
1. “Lost” (ABC). Don’t mess with Sayid. Just . . . . don’t. It was a great action-packed episode. At first I thought Smokey’s attack on the temple was super cheesy, but after a minute I appreciated its super-cheesy awesomeness. My favorite theory of the week: The struggle between Jacob and Smokey isn’t good vs. evil, but life vs. death — both powerful natural forces that normally keep each other in check. Now that death has the edge, all hell’s breaking loose. Another good theory: The parallel timeline wasn’t created by the nuke, but by Smokey/UnLocke (I saw that name on Doc Jensen’s column on EW.com, and I love it. He also supplied the life vs. death theory, only way better than I just explained it). It’s a parallel universe where the Losties’ wishes came true (or at least those who accepted UnLocke’s deal). For example, Nadia’s still alive and Claire still has Aaron, fulfilling UnLocke followers Sayid and Claire’s deepest desires. Neither theory is perfect, but they’re worth pondering over.
2. “Burn Notice” (USA). A pretty darn good season finale. Shootouts, car chases, pretty explosions . . . . just what this series does best. Nice cliffhanger too, though I was a little confused as to why Michael got Guantanamoed for saving Management. Seems a little ungrateful.
3. “The Office” (NBC). Hey, a pleasant surprise! The baby came (after 19 hours, ha!) and it wasn’t too sappy a storyline. Pam was actually pretty funny as she went insane trying to hold off contractions until after midnight, and the Dwight-Angela contract was hilarious. Actually, everything Dwight was involved in was great, from his opening interview about feeling so, so alone to his makeshift kitchen remodeling. Here’s hoping the baby sparks new life into a show that’s been going stale.
Lowlights
1. “The Bachelor” (ABC). Two hours for that? Ugh. Jake, Jake, Jake, what were you thinking? My girlfriend had a couple of theories as to why he picked Vienna: He was looking for someone rough around the edges whom he could take on as a challenge to “fix,” and he wanted someone with similar emotional immaturity. Bingo. Gotta hand it to Tenley though, on the after-show she handled the whole thing with class. Can’t imagine Vienna would have reacted the same way.
2. “America Idol” (Fox). I didn’t actually see Tuesday’s episode, but I could hear it on a TV behind my desk in the newsroom, and what I heard was awful. Seemed like most of the women were totally off key, and the song selection was cringe-inducing. Whoever did that terrible version of “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer should have been ashamed. For several reasons.
3. “The 39 Steps” (PBS). It wasn’t terrible, but I was expecting more. Call it disappointing. Maybe it’s unfair to have such high expectations for a remake of the Hitchcock classic that inspired pretty much all chase movies, from “North by Northwest” to “The Fugitive” to “Bourne Identity,” but “The 39 Steps” seemed cold and lacked heart, and the plot played out with way too many convenient coincidences.
Looking forward to . . .
1. “Lost” (9 p.m., Tuesday, ABC). It’s a Ben-centric episode, which means it’ll be awesome in both timelines. (And did you see the fear on Ben’s face as he realized Sayid was evil and backed away from him? What makes Ben that scared?)
2. Academy Awards (5:30 p.m., Sunday, ABC). Live from Hollywood, watch “Avatar” take on “The Hurt Locker.” BTW, if your Netflix queue says “short wait” for “Hurt Locker,” it’s probably my fault. I’ve had the movie for about two months now, and I meant to watch it before the Oscars. Oops.
3. “White Collar” (10 p.m. Tuesday, USA). The season finale has Neal tracking down the mysterious music box. The second half of this season has been even more lightweight and trite than the first, but for whatever reason, I’m still digging it. Just goes to show, cast chemistry can make a series better than it should be.
