Slanty Shanty

Friday Night Lights, 4x09, “The Lights in Carroll Park”

2010-07-08T23:50:00.000-07:00

Episode Title: The Lights in Carroll Park
Writers: Patrick Massett and John Zinman
Director: Christopher Misiano
Originally Aired: 07/02/2010
Grade: B+

While this season has been relatively strong as a whole, I think this episode was a bit of a fumble. Both of the major storylines here have some major issues that are difficult for me to ignore.

I’m glad that the Carroll Park storyline was a positive experience in the end, but the way it all began was pretty contrived. As I’ve mentioned before, if the eastern side of Dillon is so plagued with violence, why did no one mention it in the first two seasons of the show? And the fact that the kid got shot within a minute of Coach entering the park for the first time is just as ridiculous and contrived as the miraculous appearance of the other side of Dillon.

I also wasn’t sure why Coach Taylor needed to be working on the park issue and helping Vince get a job in the same episode. I’ve been frustrated before with his occasional blind spots when it comes to the problems his players experience, so having him go all out to help his players on two fronts in the same episode seemed too “Saint Coach” for my taste.

It could be argued that Luke was a bit too saintly about Becky’s pregnancy, as well, but I think his reaction was well within the bounds of his established characterization as a level-headed, even-keeled sort of guy.

I was initially pretty confused by Becky’s pregnancy test results, though, because I never realized that Becky had sex with Luke a few episodes ago. I was thinking, “Uhhh… what? Did she and Tim sleep together offscreen? Is that what’s going on? Because that would suck.” I’m glad that wasn’t the case, but Becky and Luke having post-carwash sex almost feels like a retcon. I assumed there was some fooling around, sure, but it didn’t even occur to me that they went that far with it. Where does the “almost” come in? I suppose in retrospect, her bizarre near-hysterical rejection of Luke after that night makes more sense knowing that they had sex, especially if it was her first time.

Still, at the time, I just assumed she was angry with herself for being weak enough to make out with someone else when she was supposed to be saving herself for her precious Tim Riggins. I didn’t pick up on the “Psst, this is our (way too subtle) way of telling you that Luke and Becky went all the way” nuance in my initial viewings of the relevant episodes, and from what I’ve read around the interwebs, I’m not alone in that. It’s possible that the writers were trying to be coy so they could surprise viewers later, but on this kind of family-oriented show, finding out a month after the fact that two teens had sex isn’t exactly an exciting, “Surprise, we fooled you!” moment.

And considering the way the writers handled Luke and Becky, should I assume that Jess and Landry slept together in this episode? What about Julie and Ryan?

Overall, I’d deem this episode a misfire, but I’m relatively confident that the show will redeem itself with the next episode.

Other Stuff

-I’m happy that nothing terrible came of Glenn kissing Tami. I couldn’t imagine that ridiculous moment sending the Taylors into a tailspin, but sometimes you can never be sure… In any case, the results were largely positive, with Eric having funny moments with both of them and reconnecting with Tami.

-So the McCoys are getting a divorce and J.D. is acting out, but it’s all happening off-screen? I’m going to assume this will become a relevant part of the story soon, because otherwise, I’m not sure why I needed to know what’s going on with the show’s cartoony villains. Were we seeing a contrite Joe McCoy on the verge of redemption, or was this just a brief intermission from his usual douchebaggery?

-Have we ever seen Becky at school before this episode? When she was waiting for Luke, it struck me as odd because I couldn’t remember ever seeing her there. Most of the other characters interact with several other major players, but she’s just off in her own corner of Dillon, pining over Tim Riggins and being neglected by her mom.

-At least Becky’s pregnancy means the possibility of a relationship with Tim is off the table. Or does it? I’ve always believed that Tim’s greatest desire is to have a loving family, so I’m tiny bit afraid that he’s going to offer to marry Becky and raise the kid with her. Then again, I’m pretty sure Kitsch is leaving the show (if he hasn’t already—I know I read a blurb about it, but I can’t find it now), so if Becky is staying on for next season, that probably wouldn’t work.

True Blood, 3x03, “It Hurts Me Too”

2010-07-03T17:08:00.000-07:00

Episode Title: It Hurts Me Too
Writer: Alexander Woo
Director: Michael Lehmann
Originally Aired: 06/27/2010
Grade: B-

I said last week that I wasn’t looking forward to this episode, but I wasn’t expecting it to be quite this bad, either. I didn’t hate the entire hour from start to finish, but there were a lot of really stupid, over-the-top moments.

The Bad

-The opening scene was incredibly dumb. If Eric knows that weres on V are extremely volatile and dangerous, why did he take a bullet right in front of one? Oh right, because they needed to interrogate the were, so Eric couldn’t take the chance of Sookie killing him. But really, Sookie is an idiot—what are the chances she could actually kill the thing with one shot? And yet it was obvious from the CGI that the wolf was going to jump right into that bullet. So basically, Sookie was a good shot and/or the werewolf was really stupid because the plot needed them to be, then Eric ended up ripping the guy’s throat out with little fanfare anyway.

-I also don’t understand Eric telling Sookie that these weres on V could be trouble even for him, yet Bill took on four of them at once in the previous episode and came away unscathed. We know Eric is an older, stronger vampire than Bill by nearly a millennium, so either Eric was lying or exaggerating, the writers didn’t catch the discrepancy, or the there’s a valid reason for the discrepancy and the writers dropped the ball on conveying it to the audience. I came up with a few fanwanks, but most of them don't hold up because when it comes to badassery, Eric being 1000-ish years old should trump Bill having just fed.

-Also, if Eric wants into Sookie’s panties so badly, why did he send the hottest werewolf in the entire world, a.k.a. Alcide, to be her bodyguard? I realize the guy’s dad is indebted to Eric, but unless this is somehow part of Operation: Woo Sookie, Eric has still stacked the deck against himself. I guess Eric might be well aware of the possibility of a Sookie/Alcide hookup but care more about protecting Sookie than boinking her, in which case, awwwww. (I can’t decide if I’m being sarcastic or not…)

-Speaking of Alcide, what exactly was the plan at Lou Pine’s? Because it didn’t seem like they had one. They couldn’t come up with anything on the drive over? Or did Alcide just assume Sookie actually had a brain and was capable of coming up with her own plan, since she’s affiliated with Eric? If that’s the case, I hope he learned his lesson… (And though I adore Eric Northman, I think “Lou Pine’s” is a better pun than “Fangtasia.”)

-Ugh at most of Tara’s storyline here. She did seem more relaxed post-coital, which was nice to see, until Mott started asking questions and she remembered her shitty life. Tantric vampire sex and more mind control are probably the last things Tara needs. In fact, she needs a little more compassion from the writers and a little less “Let’s torture Tara some more because it makes for such fabulous DRAMAAAAA!” Did the writers even make the connection between Maryann’s mind control of Tara and Mott’s? Does it mean anything? Is it going anywhere?

-I’m really tired of the Bill/Lorena flashbacks, but I was actually empathizing with Bill’s past experiences. I understood how those memories, combined with his conversations with Edgington and the presence of Lorena, might influence him to concede to the King’s wishes in order to keep Sookie safe. Then Bill tried to rape Lorena, failed because you can’t rape the willing, and twisted her head around backwards mid-coitus. I loathe Lorena, but I was more horrified by that than I was by anything I’ve ever seen Eric do, including ripping Royce apart with his bare hands. I’m sure Eric has done worse that I haven’t seen, but that’s just it—I haven’t seen it. So in addition to being annoyed and grossed out, I instinctively want Bill nowhere near Sookie ever again. Which is probably exactly what the writers intended, and the obviousness of it annoys me all the more.

-They were doing so well with the past couple of episodes, but in this episode alone: puppetry with a decapitated and rotting head, Arlene is pregnant with a serial killer’s baby, Tara is mind-controlled yet AGAIN, and Bill and Lorena have the most unnecessarily brutal hate sex I’ve ever seen on television. And those are just the highlights! Two lovely episodes followed by this sensationalist trash makes the show feel incredibly uneven.

The Good

-While I thought the action itself was on the dumb side, I once again enjoyed Eric and Sookie’s scenes together. I talked last season about how Sookie is becoming increasingly interested in the vamp world, and Eric doesn’t try to hide that part of himself from her the way Bill does. We definitely saw that dynamic here. Sookie was clearly stunned by Eric ripping that werewolf’s throat out on Gran’s antique rug, but she also didn’t look away, nor did Eric act ashamed or try to hide his bloody face from her. (He was also significantly less brooding in this episode, which I appreciated.)

-I was happy that Sookie paid for Eggs’ funeral (presumably with the money Eric paid her for the Dallas trip), and that Tara had worked through enough of her shit to forgive Sookie. The downside is that the two of them have spent so much time apart since the first season that scenes like this feel like lip service, although that’s probably another casualty of the show’s condensed timeline.

-Tara and Jason’s conversation at Merlotte’s was incredibly sweet, until he (and I) remembered that he killed her boyfriend. And while I’m bummed that Jason’s well-intentioned killing is standing in the way of he and Tara reconnecting, I’m glad to see that their conversation seemed to help Jason realize that becoming a deputy isn’t a great idea right now.

-I also enjoyed the scene in which Eric gifted Lafayette with a car (the ho-yay, it is divine), but I have a bad feeling about what Eric’s up to. Lafayette suddenly owning a luxury sports car is going to raise some eyebrows, and I really hope one of them doesn’t belong to the Magister.

-I’m tentatively placing Sam’s family storyline in the “good column” because it hasn't annoyed me yet. This episode further reinforced my view of them as the True Blood version of the Sackville-Bagginses. It’s pretty obvious that they followed Sam back to Bon Temps in order to check out Sam’s “cushy” life and case the bar. It’s also pretty clear, from the way Mama Mickens calls both her son and her husband “boys” and bosses Joe Lee around despite his apparent temper, that she’s the mastermind of their cons. I’m guessing that Tommy will be torn between feeling contempt for the clueless mark and feeling gross about taking advantage of the only family member who gives a damn about him (as evidenced by Sam scolding Joe Lee for allowing Tommy’s underage drinking).

Other Stuff

-I got a kick out of Sookie trying to doe-eye Eric into agreeing to come to her rescue in Mississippi. It could have come off as gross user behavior, sort of like accepting a gift or a favor from someone you don’t even like, but she seems to have given up on hating his guts post-Godric, so it didn’t annoy me nearly as much as it could have.

-I sort of love the idea of Jessica working at Merlotte’s, but maybe it’s too fanfic-y to actually happen.

-Fans were pretty thrilled by Sheriff Dearborn’s quitting speech, but if Bud Dearborn is no longer Sheriff, is William Sanderson even still on the show?

-Re: Alcide’s ex, I have seen Alcide, and I have seen Cooter. Cooter is actually somewhat handsome, but still, any woman who prefers him to Alcide must be a V junkie.

Quotes

Pam: “Did you call the hypothetical hardware store and buy a theoretical chainsaw?”

Terry: “It’s not you, it’s me? If I had a nickel for every time a… I’d have fifteen cents.”

Friday Night Lights, 4x08, “The Toilet Bowl”

2010-07-01T22:21:00.000-07:00

Episode Title: The Toilet Bowl
Writer: Derek Santos Olson
Director: Michael Waxman
Originally Aired: 06/25/2010
Grade: A-

I realize it’s significant that Luke blew through three weeks worth of pain meds in a week and then obtained more through shady means, but I’m still in total denial that Luke’s going to get addicted to the hillbilly heroin. Between seeing the injury itself, seeing the pain he was in at practice, and seeing the pounding he took in that game, my focus was more on the fact that the pain meds allowed him to take a beating that his body was in no shape to handle. I hope he hasn’t permanently injured himself, because I can certainly see that leading to drug dependency. I have family members who have been down that road, and it ruined their lives, so I’m not particularly enthusiastic about seeing this sweet, honest, hard-working, upstanding fictional kid turning into a cranky pill-popper.

I’m also struggling to understand the history between Jess and Vince. There are several conversations that back up the idea that they’ve dated before: Vince’s comment a few episodes ago about Jess pretending she doesn’t think about him; her dad’s reaction to Vince patronizing his BBQ shack; even Vince’s mom’s insistence that Jess come to dinner came off like she missed their breakup in her junkie haze. Jess also told Vince in “A Sort of Homecoming” that she knows he treats girls as expendable objects, which also seems to back up the idea that they’ve dated, but his response that he can only treat girls how they allow themselves to be treated doesn’t make much sense to me in that context. I know boys are dumb, but that’s basically saying, “Well then you should have let me treat you like crap, dummy.”

My guess is that he liked her as they were growing up together, she wouldn’t give him the time of day, but she finally caved and went on a couple of dates with him. Then Jess either saw him out with another girl, or someone shared a nasty story with her about one of Vince's exes or past hookups. She briefly gave him a chance, and that was that. Until we find out otherwise, that’s my theory. I think Jess has chemistry with both Vince and Landry, so I’m a bit conflicted, but she might actually have more in common with Landry, from what I’ve seen. She and Vince may share similar backgrounds, but I see her and Landry having more to say to each other.

Vince’s mom broke my heart again. Her rambling at dinner wasn’t so much self-absorbed as desperate, because she really wanted to impress Jess. I’m unclear on whether her shaky hands were due to withdrawals or anxiety, but it was a nice touch either way, and I like the ambiguity.

I really wish Becky would stop kissing Tim (and see the cuteness that is Luke Cafferty, while she’s at it), but I was unexpectedly charmed by her acting as chauffer and toilet-fixing assistant and life coach to Tim. It came off as more sweet than pathetic, because she was returning the support he’s given her over the past couple of months.

I already know that bad things happen when the Riggins brothers dabble in crime, so I’m not looking forward to the payoff on that storyline. Does Tim really think he’s going to be able to fork over $37,000, with no discernible employment other than working at an auto-body shop, and not raise any suspicions? He does, doesn’t he?

Other Stuff

-I’m glad that baby Gracie isn’t a source of conflict on the show. There was some friction with Julie resenting her in the early going, but now she’s just sort of… there, doing her weird baby thing, and no one’s making a big deal about her, ever.

-Calvin’s attitude toward Vince’s new good boy routine did nothing to diminish my suspicion that he narced on Vince about having a gun, but he did get pretty into cheering Vince on at the game.

-Aimee Teegarden was wonderful in Julie’s college interview. All that babbling about Capote was clearly phony and forced, but when she started to talk about Dillon, she perked up and sincerely believed in what she was saying.

Quotes

Landry: “Actually, the date was rescheduled because of conflicts, and that might be a good thing because Thursday is more of, like a… sexual night anyways.”

Devin: “So we’re just gonna go through the whole psychoanalytic breakdown…?”

Landry: “By 7 PM on Thursday, your brain has basically clicked in that it’s pretty much the weekend. But Wednesday is closer to Monday, and no one’s getting busy on Monday.”

Devin: “Get busy?”

Landry: “Every now and then, people wanna get busy!”

True Blood, 3x02, “Beautifully Broken”

2010-06-27T16:45:00.000-07:00

Episode Title: Beautifully Broken
Writer: Raelle Tucker
Director: Scott Winant
Originally Aired: 06/20/2010
Grade: A+

I can’t even remember the last time I enjoyed an episode of True Blood this much! Every single established character was in this one, and they all had something interesting and/or fun to do. The funny moments didn’t fall flat, the sweet moments weren’t too saccharine, some moments were both funny and sweet (especially anything involving Terry), suspense and gore abounded, and the screen time was once again finely balanced. Sometimes I wonder if Raelle Tucker works harder than some of the other writers to achieve these levels of perfection, or if it just comes naturally to her.

The introduction of Russell Edgington, the vampire King of Louisiana, was fabulous. I couldn’t help but snicker at him galloping up on a white horse in what looked like an English fox-hunting getup, but I was snickering a good way. This, along with the courtly-with-an-edge musical track, was the perfect level of campiness. And yet despite the campiness, and despite the King’s genteel persona, he has a dark undercurrent. I definitely wouldn’t mess with this guy.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the three-course dinner at the King’s estate, during which Edgington’s effete Greek houseboy served up “chilled, carbonated blood” with a “citrus-y finish,” “warm blood bisque infused with rose petals,” and blood gelato. The idea that vampires would want to add a little variety to their unchanging diet was a nice detail, though these tame, domesticated blood dishes grossed me out more than any of the gory vampire feeding scenes ever have.

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at Sookie asking Eric, “You think I’m that stupid?” when he told her that her reckless pursuit of Bill would put her in danger. I certainly think she’s that stupid, and I feel justified in that opinion considering that the first things she did after Eric’s warning to be careful and keep the werewolf info on the downlow was to a) run off into the woods after the seriously creepy guy who was obviously a were, and b) clue both Terry and Jason in to the existence of werewolves (though they both handled it pretty calmly). The other annoying Sookie-ism of the episode: bestowing a precious kiss on Terry’s cheek.

I have a hard time taking this new vulnerable Eric at face-value. He seemed to slip up and let down his guard around Sookie several times, and while I understand that her support and sensitivity re: Godric meant a lot (plus the blood bond connection, whatever that’s worth), but it still feels like too much too soon. I think of Eric as a very controlled, cautious person, for the most part, so it’s hard for me to accept that his awkward pauses, near-reveals, and softened expressions aren’t part of a manipulative attempt to woo Sookie into boinking him. He also feels more like Sookie’s dream version of him, but I’ll wait a bit longer and see how that pans out before I offer up any criticism.

I may be a bit weirded out by vulnerable Eric, but I did enjoy his flirty porch scene with Sookie. For one thing, I thought Paquin and Skarsgård finally had some chemistry. For another, I loved the eleven minutes of missing time in their conversation. He told her to invite him in, she refused and put him off by flashing her engagement ring, then we were whisked off to another scene. When we finally came back to Sookie and Eric eleven minutes later, they were still on the porch arguing about marriage! Hee, they’re both so stubborn.

We also met a new vampire named Franklin Mott in this episode, and I’m guessing he’s a spy for Edgington, as well as responsible for Jessica’s missing dead body. The scene with Mott pawing through Bill’s personal papers threw me off, because the room he went into was to the left of the front door. I didn’t even know there was a room there because we’ve never seen that side of the house before, so I had to rewind and look again to figure out that it was Bill’s house.* If I remember correctly, the Queen heavily implied last season that she sent Bill to Bon Temps to keep an eye on Sookie, and the fact that Mott found a hidden file on Sookie in Bill’s house certainly backs that up.

*(Minor nitpick, but I also thought the already-lit kerosene lamps in that room were odd. I can’t imagine Jessica having any interest in lighting that room, so I have to fanwank that Bill lit the lamps before he left for his date with Sookie in the finale, and Jessica just hasn’t bothered to put them out in the day or two since then. If they are indeed kerosene lamps, she may not even know how.)

Sam’s blood family is like the Southern redneck shapeshifter version of the Sackville-Bagginses. They seem nicer on the surface, but they’re definitely just as trashy. I’m betting they’re also expert manipulators, and thus just as greedy as the Sackville-Bagginses under the surface. Maybe Tommy won’t turn out to be as much of an ass as Lotho, at least, although it did look like he might have tried to lure Sam to his death.

I don’t really blame Tucker for this, but I’m incredibly tired of the world of shit Tara’s life has become, and the way that affects her behavior. She’s always sad, depressed, or mean, and it’s getting old. I really liked her in the first season, but the girl hasn’t had a real reason to even smile since then. Now it looks like they’re going to hook her up with Edgington’s Brit spy vamp, who is most likely bad news. If she absolutely must have a love interest, or a sex interest, or whatever, can’t he at least have some semblance of decency and/or a personality? I’d even accept Jason at this point, even if he did kill her last boyfriend.

Or even better, leave her single for a while and let her find some happiness simply from reconnecting with Lafayette and rebuilding her identity. Tara was in transition for most of last season, and Ball has said that this season is about identity, so I’m really hoping that she’ll finally have the time and energy to work on healing and grounding herself this season. I hope Lafayette’s love and determination helps her do so, and that’s a storyline I’d like to see, because it might balance out some of the other craziness.

And speaking of craziness, Alfre Woodard was perfect as Lafayette’s institutionalized mother, Ruby Jean. Between the accent and the affect, the character could have easily come off as too cartoonish and over-the-top, but Woodard dialed back the batshit crazy and emphasized the character’s sincerity. I was happy to see Kevin Alejandro as her nurse, too, and I’m assuming they will both be back.

Overall, this was a wonderful episode, from beginning to end, big moments to little moments. I don’t have high hopes for next week, though, because I find that Alexander Woo’s scripts tend to focus heavily on the show’s campy/trashy/over-the-top aspects and rarely have much in the way of subtlety. At least I have the introduction of that ginormous hunk of manbeef Alcide to look forward to!

Other Stuff

-Hee at Jessica’s googy-eyed glance at Eric before being dragged away by Pam. Yes, he is dreamy.

-I loved Tucker’s meta teasing in having Jessica call Bill “Beel” and having Sookie imitate Bill’s “Sookeh” pronunciation of her name.

-We’re supposed to assume that Edgington was the head of the Nazi werewolf crew in Eric’s flashback, yes? Considering that the werewolf Eric and Godric killed in the ‘40s said that her leader was a vamp, and that Edgington is in charge of the branded werewolves in the present, I don’t think the writers are tossing us a red herring.

-I can’t help but agree with Edgington’s assessment of Sophie-Anne’s incompetence, at least so far. Although to be fair, we still don’t know why she sent Bill after Sookie or why she’s having Eric distribute vampire blood. Maybe she’ll be proven a brilliant mastermind in the end.

-I wonder if Jason stabbing his burger with the handle of his fork was a Ryan Kwanten ad-lib? Poor Jason, he’s such a fuck-up that he can’t even stab his food with the right end of the fork.

-Terry’s list of reasons why Arlene should trust him around her kids was one of those aforementioned funny and sweet moments. He has a baby armadillo named Felix who sleeps under his bed? LOVE!

-I have no idea what to make of Jason seeing that strange girl near the meth lab, but she’s probably going to be his new love interest, and considering the way his last few romances went, I’m not dying to find out what’s up…

Friday Night Lights, 4x07, “In the Bag”

2010-06-25T16:38:00.000-07:00

Episode Title: In the Bag
Writer: Ron Fitzgerald
Director: Stephen Kay
Originally Aired: 06/18/2010
Grade: A

I’m starting off with a bit of a retrospective: I didn’t notice until this episode that the Matt’s storyline with Sherman was dropped at the end of the third episode. The last time we saw the guy, Matt had come to confront a piss drunk Sherman about his little talk with Julie, and ended up being dumbfounded by his lovely, symbolically perfect sculpture. I actually assumed that we’d still get some interaction between those two, with Matt coming back to talk to a sober Sherman, but in retrospect, their final scene is a lovely ending to that relationship. Matt is intelligent and thoughtful enough to at least intuitively understand how that sculpture represents Sherman’s world view, and that’s what Matt needed to learn from him—your life and your art are unavoidably intertwined.

As for Julie, her breakdown on stage at the “Smackdown” was poignant without veering too far into “only-on-TV” melodrama. I can somewhat understand why Matt hasn’t called her (because he’ll miss her and want to come running back), but there’s no way Julie understands that yet. She just feels abandoned, and his refusal to call makes her wonder if he ever loved her at all. I would think that the always-wise Tami might have some understanding of Matt’s motivations and try to help Julie understand, for the sake of making her feel better, but I’m not a mom. Maybe Julie just needs to wallow in her pain for a bit longer before she can listen to a rational explanation of Matt’s seemingly heartless behavior.

Landry seemed to imply that Matt hadn’t called him, either. That might have been a show Landry was putting on for Julie’s benefit, but Matt and Landry have been besties since they were five, so talking to Landry could carry just as much emotional weight for Matt as talking to Julie. Girlfriend of three years vs. best friend of thirteen years? They’ve both got plenty of motivation to feel hurt and betrayed, and I hope the writers continue to give us some glimpses into them supporting each other. I really enjoyed seeing them interact so much, especially since Landry was one of the reasons Julie gave for wanting to transfer to East Dillon.

I was also happy to see Julie pay Matt’s grandma a visit, even if it took on a bittersweet note. I hope that’s not the last we’ll see of Grandma and Shelby.

I wasn’t sure whether Tami’s Blue Ribbon school storyline was intended to show her being welcomed back into the fold, or whether the people doing the congratulating and celebrating were never pissed at her in the first place. Was it someone from the school board who chastised her before, when she was trying to discuss the school library? And these were just the teachers and administrators who never blamed her at all? It’s too bad I’ve been deleting the episodes after my second-viewing!

I’m assuming the point of Glenn kissing Tami was to show us (again!) that she’s cool under pressure, because surely she’s not going to embark on a steamy affair with Glenn. The scene with the two of them talking about it the next day, on the school stage, out in the open for anyone to see and overhear, was really odd. I was so uncomfortable, wondering who could be listening. (Glenn’s dialogue, however, was hilariously perfect. Hee, “mouth-raped.”)

There’s no way the strippers’ baby shower/kegger/fundraiser was legal, especially with all the underage drinking (including a drunken 19-year-old Tim serving the booze), but it’s not implausible that they might have gotten away with it.

The stuff with Tim, Becky, and Becky’s dad was pretty straightforward—Tim over-identified, saw his own father in Becky’s, and now he totally relates to her daddy issues on a conscious level. I wasn’t exactly riveted by that storyline, but the scene at the end with Tim naming the dog was like some kind of divine intervention, with the dog yawning at “Julian” and perking up at “Skeeter.” I wonder if Kitsch and “Skeeter” miraculously ad-libbed that, or if the dog was following training cues of some kind. Although now that I think about it, maybe it was just good editing? I can’t remember if Tim’s lines and the dog’s reactions were in the same shot, or if there were cuts. Whatever the case, it was perfect. Tim’s so charismatic that he even has good chemistry with dogs!

The most jarring aspect of this episode was Luke’s storyline vs. Vince’s storyline. In my experience, a town is either the sort of place where kids have to miss school to help their parents on the farm, or it’s the sort of place where a kid can see three of his friends gunned down on the way home from school over a ten year period. In moderately sized cities with surrounding farming areas—places like Nashville, Sacramento, Austin—I could see both things happening, but I’ve always been under the impression that Dillon was a pretty small town, and not particularly prone to excessive violence outside of drunken redneck squabbles and domestic abuse.

This East Dillon storyline came out of nowhere, doubled the size of Dillon, and added gang violence, and none of those things are far from my mind when it comes to Vince’s storyline. When he tells coach about his hard-knock life, I think two things. 1) Since when is Dillon the kind of town where people get shot going to and from school? 2) If East Dillon is troubled by such violence, why had not a single character even so much as mentioned that side of town until midway through the third season (or whenever that redistricting storyline began)? The writing is still sharp, the acting is still top notch, but the way they set up the season abruptly changed viewers’ understanding of Dillon in a pretty extreme way, and that feels contrived.

I was also confused about what actually happened with Vince’s gun storyline. When the cops initially came to search the locker, I assumed the “tip” was called in by one of the McCoys or some other Panther-ite as a racist power-tripping prank, and that interpretation was supported when Vince did not, in fact, have a gun in his locker. Then it turned out that he did have a gun, and I’m not sure if it was just a coincidence—a prank turned into a classic trickster move where an action with negative intent ends up with a positive outcome—or whether someone Vince knew narced on him.

The only person we’ve seen Vince interact with who might do that is Angry Necklace Guy (as he’s commonly referred to on the interwebs, although I think his name is actually Calvin). He’s seemed be both missing Vince’s friendship and resenting Vince’s second chance at life, but only the resentment part could have motivated the betrayal, because getting Vince tossed into juvie wouldn’t exactly get him his friend back. In any case, someone called that in to the police, and surely the writers had some idea who did it when they came up with it, so maybe we’ll find out in a later episode.

Other Stuff

-Seeing Becky try to adopt a shelter dog, I feel pretty validated in my interpretation of her as a “lost puppy” type.

-Vince’s sobered-up mom kind of broke my heart. She’s seems to be a capable and thoughtful person without the substance abuse, and the actress was so good that I found myself rooting for the character despite her sparse screen time.

-Between ooh-ing and ah-ing over Luke’s leftover French fries and helping Luke and his dad build the fence, Tink just hit a new level of awesome.

Quotes

Glenn: “I practically raped you.”

Tami: “No you didn’t.”

Glenn: “No, not literally, but like, with my mouth. It’s like I mouth-raped you.”

True Blood, 3x01, “Bad Blood”

2010-06-20T13:29:00.000-07:00

Episode Title: Bad Blood
Writer: Brian Buckner
Director: Daniel Minahan
Originally Aired: 06/13/2010
Grade: A-

I have to admit that my thorough enjoyment of the first season of The Vampire Diaries really dampened my enthusiasm for the return of True Blood. I went into the third season premiere with pretty low expectations, but I ended up pleasantly surprised. Sookie is less annoying, Bill is sexier, Eric is still Eric, the werewolves are actually wolves, and Maryann is gone (though the aftershocks are definitely still wreaking havoc in Bon Temps). I also thought the screentime felt pretty equally parceled out amongst the cast, which I hope can continue.

I’ll start where the episode does, with Sookie. She was surprisingly, and admirably, restrained while talking to Kenya about Bill’s disappearance. I expected her to be downright hysterical, but she was really rather calm (for Sookie, anyway). She’s continuing to adjust to the craziness that is her life, and my eardrums are grateful. I also liked the classic Sookie hair toss and flounce after Jessica told Sookie there’s a head ‘possum under Bill’s house. I’ve always said I was fine with her having flaws but wanted it toned down—have her act like a twat once per episode, not three times per episode, y’know? This episode felt like they got that balance right, for the most part.

Bill was sexier in general in this episode, but Sam’s sexy blood bond dream with Bill was awesome. Stupid me, I was actually sitting there thinking, “What’s up with all this weird hoyay? Does Bill have a bisexual streak that we’re only just now finding out about?” Most vampire fictions have some homoerotic kink to them by nature, but this was undeniably blatant, so I probably should have known it was a dream. Then again, I think about 50% of the casting info and minor spoilers for this season involve homosexual relationships or experiences, so I’m not too terribly embarrassed to have fallen for it. And damn, Stephen Moyer really, really went for it.

I also found it interesting that this episode drew parallels between Bill and past villains. We see Bill clawing his way out of the earth, followed a few minutes later by a backlit silhouette shot reminiscent of our first glimpse of Maryann in maenad form in “Scratches.” Bill preying on the old woman was also reminiscent of the flashback to Lorena turning Bill, except Bill was playing both himself and Lorena this time. He was much kinder than Lorena could ever dream of being, but I do wonder if the writers are trying foreshadow an exceptionally dark Bill arc this season. Whatever they have planned, I’m looking forward to it, because Bill is already ten times more interesting out on his own, away from Sookie. (And the same is potentially true of Sookie, although I’ll be satisfied if she can just remain likable.)

I’m curious to know what was up with Pam’s insincere effort to stop Sookie from stomping into the Fangtasia basement looking for Eric. Did she really want a glimpse of naked Yvette that badly? Does she feel threatened by Eric and Sookie’s growing closeness, and thus hoped that seeing Eric jackhammering away at a silicon-enhanced dancer* would repel Sookie? Did she just want to see Sookie’s reaction, either to gauge it or because she thought it would be funny? Or were Eric and Pam working a plan?

I can imagine Eric sensing through the blood bond that an upset Sookie might be paying him a visit and thus setting up the little vamp sex display. Overloading Sookie with that imagery is kind of genius, because it keeps her at a distance emotionally, but also forcefully inserts his sexual presence into her waking thoughts (he's already in her sexy dreams, thanks to their blood bond). Personally, I think getting fucked at warp speed for six hours sounds incredibly boring, and I doubt Sookie found it attractive, per se, but still. You don’t witness that and not think about it later. I also think that scene supports what I thought the writers were doing last season with her mushy Eric dreams—her DreamEric isn’t RealEric, at least not yet, in any sort of tangible way.

I’m also intrigued by why Eric got so upset about Bill’s kidnapping. Was his blood bond with Sookie making him feel hysterical and crabby about it? Was he simply devastated that someone stole his favorite squeaky toy? Was he afraid of what the Queen might do if she finds out?

*(Considering that Yvette was introduced in one of the pre-season minisodes, and that Eric even bothered telling Sookie her name, I'm wondering if there's more to her than meets the eye. Eric, Pam, and even Queen Sophie-Anne were all enamored of her as soon as they laid eyes on her, which reminds me of Sookie's seemingly magical ability to attract supernaturals.)

And speaking of the Queen, she’s even more annoying this season. Both times we’ve seen her, she was putting on an act, but she’s a terrible actress. Which kind of makes Evan Rachel Wood seem like a terrible actress, but I don’t think she is. It usually takes a good actor to pull off a character who is a bad actor. Still, my ears almost bled at, “An act of self-loathing. So shameful. That whoever is responsible. Should fall on his own stake.” Sophie-Anne’s bad acting doesn’t endear her to me, because she’s a spoiled, petulant, pretentious, overly-dramatic twat. She’s kind of like early Blair Waldorf as a vampire queen, with all her worst qualities magnified by super-strength and political power.

A few other bits and pieces:

Everything with Jason and Andy was hilarious, as usual, especially Andy crawling in through Jason’s window to throw off anyone tailing him. Of course, I expect that storyline to get increasingly darker, but then again, maybe it won't.

On the one hand, I’m sad about Jessica’s first kill, but on the other hand, it was such an inevitability that I’m not exactly worked up over it. She’ll probably dwell on it enough for the both of us, so why bother?

Lettie Mae was her usual misguided, dense, self-absorbed self, seeing Tara’s devastation as a way to bind her daughter to her, and putting all her faith in the healing power of Jesus rather than dealing with reality.

And finally, using real wolves for the transformed werewolves was a fabulous idea. I love my Buffy and Being Human, but I’m not fond of the hybrid man-wolf creature. I much prefer the True Blood/Twilight take. Yes, I just complimented Twilight, although I think True Blood comes out on top because these werewolves actually look real. Because they are.

Overall, this was a good start to the season, and I hope they can keep it up. (Knowing this show, that sounds like a bad pun. It was unintentional, I swear!)

Friday Night Lights, 4x06, “Stay”

2010-06-19T15:09:00.000-07:00

Episode Title: Stay
Writer: Bridget Carpenter
Director: Patrick Norris
Originally Aired: 06/11/2010
Grade: A-

I wasn’t exactly unhappy to see Lyla back—most of my dislike faded in the third season—but her reappearance seemed somewhat pointless. I already knew that she and Tim love each other, and I also knew that she can’t accept Tim’s lack of ambition. On the plus side, I thought that Lyla riding the bull, aside from being entertaining, was also a nice metaphor for the way they’re both living their lives. Tim is back in Dillon doing the same old thing, afraid to take a risk and try to enter a new phase in his life, and there’s Lyla “riding the bull,” i.e. going off to college, trying to make a new start.

Lyla was also very mellow and non-judgmental about the presence of Becky; she seemed to believe Tim that there was nothing going on there. In a similar vein, I was afraid Becky was going to try to come between Lyla and Tim, but she just hero-worshipped Lyla. Tim telling Becky to shut up could be construed as mean, but a) it was well-deserved, b) he added “please” to it, and c) she seemed to handle it fine, sheepishly realizing that her yammering wasn’t helping Tim feel any better. It gave them a nice moment to just be silent in the night together.

I thought Becky and Luke would be awkward the next time they saw each other, but I didn’t think she'd be such a snot! To his credit, though, he handled that rejection much more calmly than I thought he would. The normal reaction in that type of situation is to either look hurt and run off to lick your wounds, or lash out at the person who rejected you, but he chose neither. There was some mild anger there, probably to mask hurt feelings, but ultimately, he made her feel like an idiot by being perfectly honest.

The biggest storyline here was the quietly devastating breakup of Matt and Julie, and I didn’t expect to be quite so moved by it. I completely understand Tami’s anxiety and anger, but I think Julie running off with Matt was the right thing to do. Julie and Matt were in a serious relationship and obviously getting to the point where they had to decide whether to transition to a full-on adult relationship that could transcend its “high school first love” beginnings or let each other go. They needed to get away together and play at being grown-ups to achieve that, needed to see what it was like to be Matt and Julie away from Dillon, without all those Dillon memories and Dillon people, to imagine starting a life together somewhere else. They even dealt with a conflict completely on their own, without being able to ask friends or family for advice.

I share some of Sepinwell’s reservations about the way Matt’s exit from the show was written, but the relationship itself was handled well, and as usual, Gilford and Teegarden hit it out of the park. Few shows can take such a quiet and subdued scene—with Matt trying not to let on that he’s leaving, and Julie not being fooled in the least, and both of them sharing a tender unspoken goodbye—and make me feel it to the point of tears.

My only gripe is that Matt seemingly left without saying goodbye to his grandmother. I’m sure it would have been incredibly difficult for him, and the farewell between Matt and Julie was emotionally heavy enough that I can understand why the writer didn’t want to pile on more angst. Still, it’s hard to accept that Matt would leave without saying goodbye, and Grandma Saracen deserves better. I wonder if Julie will pay her a few visits in the remainder of the season? I’d be sad if she just disappeared into oblivion now that Matt’s gone.

Other Stuff

-I don’t blame Jess for slapping Landry. He made a move on her with that kiss, and then basically took it back and told her he was hung up on another girl! Definitely a slap-worthy offense.

-I was touched by CT saying that he trusted Matt and knew Julie was safe.

-As pointed out elsewhere, the use of Bob Dylan as Matt was driving away from Dillon was a lovely callback to the scene in the pilot where Jason Street tells Coach that Matt listens to Bob Dylan.

Glee, 1x22, “Journey”

2010-06-17T15:20:00.000-07:00

Episode Title: Journey
Writer: Brad Falchuck
Director: Brad Falchuk
Originally Aired: 06/08/2010
Grade: A-

The season finale wasn’t as bad as I expected given the poor quality of the previous two episodes, but it also didn’t do much to make me excited for next season. I’m thrilled that they managed to pull most of the plots together and tell a straightforward, coherent story, but that doesn’t erase the fact that most of the post-hiatus material that came before it sucked.

I understand, and even enjoy, the show’s absurdity well enough to suspend disbelief about Sue being a judge despite working for one of the participating schools. I could even deal with Quinn conveniently (and quickly!) delivering her baby during Vocal Adrenaline’s performance of “Bohemian Rhapsody.” And yet, when it came to Shelby adopting little Beth, I had to fanwank that she actually started the adoption process at least a couple of episodes ago.

I also had a hard time believing that the club was able to pull the Journey medley out of thin air at the last minute, and that’s the show’s biggest structural flaw. The club spent most of the season trying to find the right songs for sectionals and regionals, only to throw it all out the window at the last minute both times and put on a great performance of songs they’d barely even rehearsed. I think the Journey medley, and the show’s title, means that the writers think that these characters have been on a journey, both individually and collectively, but the characterizations and storylines have been so slapdash that it doesn’t really feel like it. Between that and the fact that most of the songs they practiced weren’t ultimately used in competition, I ended up feeling like most of the season was a waste of time. This entire story could have been told more effectively in 13 episodes, and maybe that sort of restriction would have done Murphy’s ADD storytelling tendencies some good.

The episodes twists were also pretty predictable. I knew Sue would do something to save the glee club, because what would she do without her nemesis? She’d be so bored! I also picked up that Quinn holding Beth was supposed to recall Shelby’s story about not getting to hold Rachel when she was born, so the adoption wasn’t exactly surprising.

Most of the things I did like in this episode were minor (except the Quinn part, which is major):

-I loved the shot of Will dorkily rockin’ out on the sidelines to “Don’t Stop Believin.’”

-I was thrilled to see Quinn finally push that baby out into the world. She hasn’t always been the nicest person, and she’s been somewhat neglected post-hiatus, but she’s one of the few characters whose growth felt both tangible and somewhat believable to me. She had a pretty rough transition from girl to woman, and I grew to like her in spite of her flaws. While I don’t think everything’s going to be sunshine and roses for Quinn now that Beth has been born and adopted, I’m glad that she can finally reclaim her body and her sexuality.

-Puck’s reaction to watching the birth of his daughter was perfect—horror, disbelief, respect, joy, and wonder, all in one singular expression. Nicely-played, Mark Salling. Seeing Quinn give birth to their child seems to have helped him view Quinn in a new light. She’s not just a pretty incubator for this offspring anymore, but a fierce, beautiful woman who deserves his respect. Of course, this is Puck, and any “growth” he experiences is always canceled out by the writers’ next harebrained idea for him. I’m not holding my breath.

Ultimately, as fun as the musical numbers and one-liners are, I thrive on character, and none of these characters got enough development to truly satisfy me. Most of the characterization and plotting is half-assed and feels dictated by the music, rather than the other way around. Some viewers may not care about this at all, or be able to overlook it, but overall, it’s not working for me. I had such high hopes for this show when it premiered (though many of the flaws I noted there are still in evidence 21 episodes later, which actually surprised me), but while Chuck took three seasons to wear out its welcome, Glee managed to do it in one season. Re-watching the episodes feels like a chore, and the blogs just turn into rants about what I don’t like. I’m not sure if I’ll be watching the show next season, but I do know I won’t be blogging about it either way, at least not consistently. When it comes to Glee (and Chuck, for that matter), from now on I’m sticking to that old adage, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.”

Friday Night Lights, 4x05, “The Son”

2010-06-16T14:14:00.000-07:00

Episode Title: The Son
Writer: Rolin Jones
Director: Allison Liddi
Originally Aired: 06/04/2010
Grade: A+

I’m going to get the negative stuff out of the way early:

As lovely as this episode was, my biggest gripe with the season as a whole is the way the writers are handling J.D. McCoy. He’s gone from a nuanced and relatively likable character to a one-note “obligatory psychotic jackass” (™ Veronica Mars). We saw the seeds of that transformation planted when Coach Taylor sent Matt in to replace J.D. at state, but the actual transformation took place entirely offscreen, which makes most of his storyline in the third season feel pointless. This feels like what would happen if the sequel to Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog focused entirely on Captain Hammer, with Dr. Horrible just popping up from time to time as a one-note nemesis. Why did we need to see his character development in detail if it was just going to be completely dropped later? Sumpter’s doing well with the straightforward villain role, but it still feels like a waste of a good character and actor. I hope he goes back to being a nuanced main character next season, because aside from the above issue, daddy McCoy as the villain is sufficient. I don’t think the show needs two of them, and from the same family, to boot.

Now on to the good:

When it comes to this show, I think only Tim Riggins could turn a one night stand into a dysfunctional family in which the one night stand’s daughter sees him as both a daddy replacement and an object of lust. I don’t find it difficult to believe at all, though. Lust aside, he’s done it before with Bo, and while that could make his relationship with Becky feel like a plot retread, I think it’s more like a character trait—Tim has a soft spot for lost puppy types. It also makes sense in the context of Tim’s current life circumstances. Tim is lonely. Lyla is gone. Billy is starting his own family and doesn’t have room for Tim. He doesn’t have football anymore, for the most part. No one else seems to need or want him right now, and as annoying as she is, Becky’s neediness makes Tim feel useful.

The bulk of the episode consisted of exploring Matt’s grieving process, but I’m going to try not to dwell on it. It was beautifully written and acted, nuanced in all the right ways, and painfully accurate. Tim’s suggestion that Matt should see his father’s body might not have been such a terrible one if Henry Saracen’s face had been intact, but Tim didn’t have any way of knowing that (although the funeral director did, and him not telling Matt is the one sticking point for me in this storyline). Stepping on an IED doesn’t necessarily mean having one’s face blown off, so it seems perfectly logical to me that Matt questioning whether that’s really his father in the casket would lead to Tim suggesting that he achieve some peace of mind by seeing for himself. Confirming that it was indeed his father mangled body in the casket probably would have been better than spending the next few years wondering if they’d correctly identified his father. The fact that Matt was denied that closure and peace of mind because his father’s face was completely gone, rendering the body unidentifiable to him, is both horrifying and heartbreaking.

Zach Gilford has always deserved an Emmy nomination, and this was some of his best work, so I hope the Emmy voters can pull their heads out of their asses long enough to acknowledge Gilford’s talent and hard work. It would be beyond ridiculous to see an actor who was repeatedly snubbed as a main cast member receive a nomination as a guest star, but I’ll take what I can get.

Other Stuff

-The best thing about the opening game sequence was Jess grinning and shrieking on the sidelines. Seriously, her face was killing me.

-What was up with Coach Taylor reverting to calling Landry “Lance” again when he asked him to lead a prayer for the Saracens? He called him Landry earlier in the season, so we know he figured out his mistake at some point, and that was definitely an inappropriate time for a joke.

-Matt having drawings of hands stuck all over his bedroom wall was a lovely bit of continuity, and of course he would take Sherman literally enough to practice drawing hands over and over.

-Becky, honey, you need a boyfriend and a father figure, not both in one package. At least she and Luke were adorable in their thirty seconds of screen time together.

-Speaking of Becky, Madison Burge is still doing really well with adding some nuance to her role. When her mother yelled, “Do you have any idea what you’re doing to this girl?” into her cell phone at Becky’s dad, Becky’s expression conveyed not just embarrassment at her mother making a spectacle of their family dysfunction, but also resigned disgust at her mother’s hypocrisy.

Glee, 1x20, “Funk”

2010-06-15T21:49:00.000-07:00

Episode Title: Funk
Writer: Ian Brennan
Director: Elodie Keene
Originally Aired: 06/01/2010
Grade: D

The previous, out-of-order episode had me feeling pretty frustrated with Glee, and this episode did nothing to change that feeling. Aside from Vocal Adrenaline’s “Another One Bites the Dust,” I couldn’t even find anything to like.

Jesse’s defection back to Vocal Adrenaline came out of nowhere, and that can’t really be blamed on the episode switcheroo. In fact, airing in the correct order might have made his about-face feel even more abrupt. This episode was supposed to come right on the heels of “Dream On,” in which Jesse and Rachel reunited after her music video debacle. Jesse spent most of that episode being a supportive boyfriend and even told Shelby that he liked Rachel and didn’t want her to get hurt. I saw absolutely no signs in “Dream On” that he was completely full of shit and on the verge of going back to his old team. Even the plot structure indicates that Jesse would have to stick around, since Shelby said that Rachel had to come to her, and he might need to lean on Rachel some more to make that happen. It’s no wonder so many viewers were completely baffled by Jesse not only going back to Vocal Adrenaline, but also going along with bullying Rachel.

Even his “I loved you” before cracking an egg on her head made little sense because Groff’s delivery was accusatory, as if Rachel had done something to deserve his betrayal, except that she hadn’t (maybe just a rare bad acting choice from Groff, but the director should have caught it). If this had come immediately after the music video incident, it might have made more sense. It’s like the writers had their plot points written down on Post-Its stuck to the wall, and some of them fell off and were stuck back on in the wrong order.

There’s also the fact that switching the episodes means that chronologically-speaking, the Vocal Adrenaline kids knew Rachel was their coach’s daughter when they harassed New Directions and pelted Rachel with eggs. She seemed like a pretty intimidating coach from what we saw, so I can’t imagine that her students would risk crossing her like that. And of course, anything in “Theatricality” that involved Jesse had to be cut for continuity, which might have cost us a few lines, or even a scene, that would retroactively shed some light on Jesse’s sudden about-face. I can only hope that the DVDs have both episodes intact and in the correct order. I probably won’t buy them myself, but I’m sure anyone who’s still a fan of the show would appreciate it.

Aside from the afore-mentioned “Another One Bites the Dust,” even the music was pretty unimpressive. New Directions best number was “Good Vibrations,” which is just sad. The Beck song was okay for sentimental reasons, but it sounded just like the original. And Quinn’s performance, like most of this episode, didn’t even make sense. What was the point of the pregnant girls? First of all, Quinn could have carried the “anger” in that song perfectly well without trying to make some bizarre statement about unfairly ostracized and angry pregnant teenagers, and second of all, the direction made it seem like they were trying to sensualize the pregnant female body using fake baby bumps. Maybe it was supposed to be absurdly, ironically funny, but I was rolling my eyes through the whole thing.

Friday Night Lights, 4x04, “A Sort of Homecoming”

2010-06-14T23:09:00.000-07:00

Episode Title: A Sort of Homecoming
Writer: Etan Frankel
Director: Chris Misiano
Originally Aired: 05/28/2010
Grade: A-

This episode was a bit slow, but it still had some great moments.

I’m happy that Landry gained some confidence from dating Tyra. He didn’t even hesitate to plant that kiss on Jess. I also don’t normally associate the word “hot” with Landry Clarke, but that kiss was kind of hot…

I wondered why Julie meeting Coach Staub at the Taylor home seemed so significant. Then she saw him at the gay bar. Ohhhhh. I like that he’s a spazzy football fanatic who happens to be gay.

From what I recall of the third season finale, Matt decided to stay in Dillon to take care of his grandmother, and that’s even what he tells Riggins early in the episode. It’s easy to view him later telling Riggins that he stayed for Julie as a retcon, but maybe it’s not that simple. I’m sure that Julie played into his decision to stay, and now that he’s realizing that she’s going to leave Dillon, her role in his decision feel even bigger in retrospect. Besides, it’s not like Matt would ever say, to anyone who would judge him, that he was staying for Julie. He’s much too cautious and much too proud to show his hand like that. But Tim isn’t really in Matt’s “judgment sphere,” so he can admit it to him.

Still, I can also see past the above fanwank and agree with Alan Sepinwell that Matt’s motivation for staying was rewritten in order to make it easier to write his character out of the show. They could have killed off his grandmother to accomplish that without changing his reason for staying, but given how much heartbreak Matt has already had in his life, I can see how they’d rather go with something else. I’m sure his father’s death will be a huge blow to him, but he wasn’t as close with him as he is with his grandmother, so I can see his father’s death and Julie’s imminent departure propelling him forward.

Other Stuff

-Matt Lauria and Michael B. Jordan are both great as Luke and Vince, but the storyline about them overcoming their dislike for one another was too predictable to hold my interest.

-I’d never heard that acoustic cover of Massive Attack’s “Teardrop” before, but it piqued my interest. I’m a sucker for quiet, intricate acoustic guitar work, so José González was right up my alley.