A Tale of Two Swords...

Oh, my goodness, I don't think I've ever had such a sword-filled Monday evening.

First there was How I Met Your Mother. The friends found a nude painting of Marshall that Lily had painted when they were in college. Although there was another storyline in which Ted was trying to fire his ex-boss Hammond Druthers, the painting was the true fun instigator of the episode.

When they "told" Marshall about finding the painting, the hints revolved around "I have a new dart." New dart, of course, is nude art. Yeah, it's a bit sophomoric, but funny nonetheless. Barney talked Lily into painting him nude; Lily and Marshall demanded money. In the end, Barney got the Ken Treatment. Little Barney never showed. But, his stance with the sword leads me into...

...Heroes!

Here's a quick bullet-point update on last night's Heroes (not necessarily in the order of occurrence) followed by some of my thoughts (feel free to share your own thoughts or ideas):

• Niki/Jessica is in jail. She turned all Jessica on the guards and eventually ended up in the good ol' padded cell.
• Micah still wants his Mom, D.L. isn't so sure.
• Matt Parkman, the mind-reading cop, teamed with his FBI buddy to raid HRG's (Mr. Bennett's) paper company in search of Sylar.
• Either HRG or The Haitian blocked their thoughts from Matt and the raid was a bust.
• Claire met up with The Haitian wanting him to restore Zach's memories of her. We find he can only erase memories, not restore them.
• Hiro, Ando, Isaac, Simone, and Nathan all met up at Isaac's studio.
• Peter was comatose at the beginning of the show, probably due to absorbing so many powers from his Sylar encounter, as well as with others.
• Sprague, the radioactive-hands dude, is in a shack in the desert.
• Sylar is indeed still alive and still a captive of Mr. Bennett and Company. He's not doing so well and there's huge cockroach crawling around in his "room." I'm talking one of those really huge ones like a Madagascar hissing cockroach or something.
• Mr. Bennett met up with Suresh in NYC and they both lamented over Eden. Suresh is leery of him.
• Hiro and Ando found the sword Hiro sought in a museum. Hiro slowed down time all around him to steal it only to find it was a replica, not a real sword at all. And, not only that, but a replica donated by the notorious Mr. Linderman. The incident showed that Hiro's encounter with the dinosaur took place in the museum, not back in time.
• Claire either tried to jolt Zach's memory or create a new knowledge of her powers by re-enacting the falls from the building videotape - "this is my first attempt."
• Peter's coma and fever broke and he ran from the hospital (really ticking off his mother).
• Peter started roaming the streets of Manhattan trying to make arrangements to fly to Las Vegas to a desert area as he's sure he'll be combusting soon.
• As he walked along, he spotted the newest hero - an invisible man (played by Christopher Eccleston of Dr. Who fame). Like Jessica of Jessica/Niki, he wasn't using his powers for good. He was pickpocketing and stealing. They struggle, Peter's eyes light up once more.

Okay, those were the basics of this episode, "Godsend."

First, I want to know more about the mysterious, yet notorious, Mr. Linderman. I'm beginning to get the feeling he may be Mr. Bennett's boss, but I could be off-base. Also, the sword replica. As you see in the photo of it, it bears the same design as the tattoos on Jessica and Matt Parkman (other places, too). What's the significance? It looks like the mangling of a Japanese character or perhaps the mix of two.

Remember the business card Mr. Bennett passed to Matt during the raid? Well, I went to the URL they listed for Primatech Paper - "Paper, People, Performance. Primatech, since 1962." There are a few things about this... first, if you call the toll free phone number on the card and then ask for the hiring department, you'll be given a code to open the application on the site. I did so and completed my application. I got a brief note back telling me they were reviewing my qualifications. On the phone they said they were looking for "motivated people with abilities to fit our needs." Huh, you don't say. On the application there's a place to sign up for newsletters or text messages. I signed up for the email newsletters.

The second thing about Primatech I'm wondering is the date. 1962. Is there any significance to that? Could it have been the year Suresh's Dad started his research? Or, perhaps the year that HRG (Horn-Rimmed Glasses, now known as Mr. Bennett) was born? I don't know. I can't recall any specific references to that year.

As for the characters, I'm so loving Hiro! I even like Ando; he plays so well off of Hiro. I'm glad that Nathan is perhaps not a bad guy, but bad gal Jessica can go far away. I'm not thrilled with that whole storyline although I enjoy Micah and D.L. I wish that Eden had stayed around instead of Jessica/Nikki, though. I'm hoping that Claire (whom I enjoy) can get Zach's memory back or rebuild the knowledge - I like Zach although he seems to be non-gay now. (That was a brouhaha before the hiatus!)

What will the new hero bring to the mix? Other than his invisibility, that is. He was shocked that Peter could see him. Now, if Peter hooks up with him, he can be invisible, too.

Peter Petrelli - Peter Parker -- coincidence or not? With great power comes great responsibility.

I'm looking forward to next week's show as the story is...
.... to be continued.

TV Newsy Bits - Monday, January 22, 2007

Did you know that today is Blue Monday, supposedly the most depressing day of the year? Well, it's not for me as Heroes returns this evening!



In TV Newsy Bits I found peeking about the big bad Internet:

• TMZ has the scoop on the cast for the spring edition of Dancing With the Stars. What? No Fergie?
• The New York Daily News has reported that Simon Cowell apologized for referring to Kenneth Briggs as a "bush baby" during the Seattle American Idol auditions. Well, kind of, sort of apologized. I was just happy they weren't overly cruel to Jonathan Jayne in that bit - Kenneth seems to be made of tougher stuff.
• Actor Ron Carey, remembered fondly by me for his role as Officer-wannabe-Detective Levitt in Barney Miller, passed away at the age of 71. Rest in peace, Mr. Carey - you brought some smiles into my life.
• Paula Abdul denies ever being drunk. Ever, I say. At the same time, Randy Jackson claims there's "nothing" in the Coke cups. Then what's up with her? And, if the cups are indeed empty, why are they sipping from them? Oh, wait, he admits there's Coke in them. Never mind.
• BuddyTV has an exclusive interview with Michelle "I Quit" Sorro who left The Apprentice: L.A. last night.
• It's been reported (and is old news at this point, but I haven't mentioned it until now) that the soap opera Passions will be ending in order for The Today Show to run another hour. Now, I don't watch Passions (soaps are on my never watch list), but I think that's a bit too much for The Today Show. It's interesting at times, but four hours?

Whatever Will I Watch on TV Tonight?

The cold weather may make me want to stay inside my warm apartment and, as luck has it, some of my favorite television shows return tonight and others have new episodes slated. Oh, TV life is good sometimes, isn't it?

For me, tonight's huge draw is the return of Heroes. Yes! We're talking 9 PM on NBC in most viewing areas. Tonight's episode is entitled "Godsend" and the blurb on the listings is: "Nathan seeks Simone's help to save comatose Peter; Hiro and Ando go in search of the sword in Isaac's painting; Jessica struggles with Niki's decision to turn herself in to the police; a new hero makes a shocking debut." Ack! Peter's comatose? We saw the promos where he seems to combust, but...! Oh, I'll be watching this one and I'm so psyched that it's returning.

But I'm getting ahead of myself here. The 8 PM ET/PT time slot is also all new shows, or new episodes, I should say. CBS will have me for the new episodes of How I Met Your Mother and The Class, the first one being my "must watch" show while the latter is more because it's there and follows HIMYM. NBC is airing a new Deal or No Deal (a show which has never interested me) while ABC has a new Wife Swap (a show I've watched now and then). FOX has a new episode of Prison Break in the slot. Everybody Hates Chris is also new this week on the CW Network.

In the 9 PM ET/PT slot, against Heroes, there's a new 24 on FOX; new epsiodes of Two and a Half Men and the New Adventures of Old Christine on CBS; and Supernanny on ABC. I can bet the last one will be trailing in the ratings.

The 10 PM ET/PT time slot is my down time as far as major network television goes. CBS has a new episode of C.S.I.: Miami, but that's the one show of the franchise I just can't get into due to my dislike of David Caruso's "acting" skills. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (NBC) and What About Brian (ABC) are both new episodes, but once again, shows I have tried and don't care to watch. But, if any are your cup of tea, they're new this week. I'll probably watch The Sopranos over on A&E. I'm still catching up with that show as I don't get HBO with my cable television package.

What will you be watching tonight?

You Asked?

Sometimes folks ask questions or email me questions (about television, of course). Well, sometimes I get asked other questions, but let's stick to TV, please! Here are a few questions I've been asked lately and my answers to the best of my research and/or knowledge.

Has Cash Cab been canceled?

There is no official notice on the website that the show has been canceled although it has indeed been removed from the current schedule. The show's website page still exists with no mention of cancelation. It went from being shown in the early evenings (Discovery Channel) to a kiss-of-death slot in the mornings at 9 and 9:30. The show had been in reruns until last week and it just doesn't exist this week in television listings. The message forum for the show has conflicting information. On host Ben Bailey's website page, he mentions canceling some comedy shows on February 1-3 for Cash Cab filming. Since that section of his website is updated, we can only hope the show is just on a hiatus until new episodes are in the can. And, of course, I hope it's brought back to the early evening slot.

What the heck is going on at WCBS2 News in New York City?

I've posted a few articles about the changes in the news staff - WCBS-TV (NYC), Darn You! last spring and more recently WCBS News Wishes Another to the Cornfield? In addition to the names listed, also wished to the cornfield recently were tech editor Brett Larson (last seen in December) and news anchor Reid Lamberty. Rumors have it that Cindy Hsu's contract is ending soon and she too will be banished from the Magic Kingdom. The missing already include Roz Abrams, Mario Bosquez, Vanessa Alfano, Audrey Puente, Shon Gables and more. Don't ask me why... that WCBS2 would have to answer.

'The Apprentice: L.A.' - Ep. 3 -or- "You can't fire me. I quit."

You know, this season isn't doing too much to redeem itself. Yes, I know this is only the third episode. I believe some key factors are coming into play which could very well spell out the end to the Trump era in reality television. The move to Los Angeles puts the focus on many minutes of surfing and palms. Why so much? Once you've seen the two guys lugging the surfboards, need it be shown each week? Maybe if it tied in with the show itself, it would be okay. Yeah, put them in Carey's pink skimpy suit. That's the ticket.

The new "twist" with the losing team living in tents, albeit fancier than in my own camping days, is wearing thin on both the candidates and me as a viewer. Oh, let them go rough it in an EconoLodge or Motel 6. I'm sick of hearing them fuss and Michelle is right - it's not what she signed up for when she applied. These folks didn't sign up to be on a pampered Survivor. They want to be corporate leaders. Whoever came up with the tent bit should be fired, I say. Perhaps it wouldn't be too bad if the same team didn't lose every week, but that's been the case so far. It's knocking their morale down and annoying me. Make it stop.

And, my last rant before I talk a bit about what happened in tonight's episode - I miss Carolyn and George. With nepotism ruling, Trumpette and Trumpling (Ivanka and Donald, Jr.), the show has changed from mature professionals judging tasks to kids born with silver spoons in their mouths working for Daddy and passing judgment on folks who may know more than them about life in corporate settings. Yes, I'm sure they're both bright kids and even good kids. Nonetheless, they're Trump's kids working for him and now on television. How would they be doing in another job working for anyone else? Oh, well, they have job security, I guess.

Tonight's show had a twist within the twist, if you can follow that. Last week's winning team (Kinetic with Heidi as permanent Project Manager as long as the wins keep happening) didn't take part in tonight's task. Instead, they got massages and spent the day in luxury at the Loew's Hotel in Santa Monica.

The losing team, Arrow, was split into two separate teams. Although Aaron jumped to be the Project Manager for one team, Trump pretty much put Michelle on the spot for the second slot. She reluctantly accepted and chose Tim, Nicole, and Frank to be on her team. Since Aaron was the second to make his first pick, he ended up with a three-person team instead of four. His team included himself, James, and Stefani.

I actually liked this week's task more than the first two tasks. The teams had to come up with a Starline double-decker bus tour and it was the customers who would fill out surveys at the end to decide the winner. Now, I've never taken a tour bus like this, but I see the Big Apple Tour Buses all the time. I know they're popular and, with the right stuff to get the tourists, they're probably a lot of fun.

Once again, it was obvious that one team "got it" and the other team was doomed to failure. In this case, it was Aaron's team who really delved into the task. They came up with the idea of Laker Girls and "Famous Places, Beautiful Faces" thanks to a bit overly-enthusiastic James. But, they did it. They lined up the talent, researched an existing tour to see what tourists liked or not, and then spent more time fact-checking for along their route.

Michelle's team just wasted time. Michelle and Tim drove around Los Angeles trying to come up with a route that way. How foolish is that method, I ask? They're not familiar with the territory and didn't have a clue. My own thought would be to Google "Hollywood Landmarks" or something similar, then plan the route from there... not waste time driving around looking for landmarks. (Yes, I'm rolling my eyes here.) The friction between Michelle and her team members continued. Their theme was "The Lives of the Rich and Famous" but they would have done better with "Seedy Sections of Hollywood."

The big event came and even though James was a bit out there and may necessitate me to rename him Excitable Boy instead of Frank, they did well. Ivanka actually smiled. Over at Michelle's bus, it was a disaster. They didn't have facts, their microphones were constant feedback, and all went downhill from there.

In the boardroom, the Arrow team divided faced Trump and the TrumpKids. Both sides seemed to think they did pretty well until Trump focused on Michelle's team. Frank got in one "at the end of the day" during the session. (Remember, I'm keeping count.) Trump got the whole team pretty much tanking Michelle before they even announced the results of the customer surveys.

Not unexpectedly, Aaron's team received an 82% approval rate while Michelle's team only earned a 58%. Sympathy votes must have pushed them that high. Their tour was a disaster.

Before things could go any further, Michelle quit. Yes, the second in the history of the series to drop out. In Season 3, Verna Felton quit saying she was tired. In Michelle's case, while she doesn't rock my world as a candidate, I think she has a valid point. She didn't sign up to live in a tent and play Survivor in Beverly Hills. That has never been how the show worked in the past and the candidates were not told of the changes before coming aboard. No matter how much Trump tries to gloss over things, quitting is a smart move, I think. If she faced the boardroom, she surely would have been fired. She had nothing to lose but her dignity as the show continued. I say kudos to her for quitting, kudos!

I myself am pondering quitting if this show continues to follow this path. What would Trump say about me? Nyah, he's not the boss of me!

Dollar bills, y'all...