Here are my predictions for tomorrow’s Golden Globes, in the major Movies and Television categories. Glaring omissions include Deadwood, Matthew Fox and Michael Emerson (Lost), and Matt Damon (who deserved to be nominated far more than Mark Wahlberg in The Departed).

 

MOVIES

 

BEST PICTURE – DRAMA

Babel

Bobby

The Departed (will win)

Little Children (should win)

The Queen

 

BEST PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Borat

The Devil Wears Prada

Dreamgirls (will win)

Little Miss Sunshine (should win)

Thank You For Smoking

 

BEST ACTRESS – DRAMA

Penélope Cruz – Volver

Judi Dench – Notes On A Scandal

Maggie Gyllenhaal – sherrybaby

Helen Mirren – The Queen (will win)

Kate Winslet – Little Children (should win)

 

BEST ACTRESS – COMEDY

Annette Bening – Running With Scissors (should win)

Toni Collette – Little Miss Sunshine

Beyoncé Knowles – Dreamgirls

Meryl Streep – The Devil Wears Prada (will win)

Renée Zellweger – Miss Potter

 

BEST ACTOR – DRAMA

Leonardo DiCaprio – Blood Diamond

Leonardo DiCaprio – The Departed (should win)

Peter O’Toole – Venus

Will Smith – The Pursuit of Happyness

Forest Whitaker – The Last King of Scotland (will win)

 

BEST ACTOR – COMEDY

Sacha Cohen – Borat (dark horse to steal category)

Johnny Depp – Pirates of The Caribbean 2 (will win)

Aaron Eckhart – Thank You for Smoking (should win)

Chiwetel Ejiofor – Kinky Boots

Will Ferrell – Stranger Than Fiction

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Adriana Barraza – Babel

Cate Blanchett – Notes On a Scandal

Emily Blunt – The Devil Wears Prada

Jennifer Hudson – Dreamgirls (will win & should win)

Rinko Kikuchi – Babel

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Ben Affleck – Hollywoodland (dark horse to steal category)

Eddie Murphy – Dreamgirls (should win)

Jack Nicholson – The Departed (will win)

Brad Pitt – Babel

Mark Wahlberg – The Departed

 

BEST ANIMATED FILM

Cars (will win & should win)

Happy Feet

Monster House

 

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Apocalypto

Letters From Iwo Jima (will win)

The Lives Of Others

Pan’s Labyrinth

Volver (should win)

 

BEST DIRECTOR

Clint Eastwood – Flags Of Our Fathers

Clint Eastwood – Letters from Iwo Jima (will win)

Stephen Frears – The Queen

Alejandro Iñárritu – Babel

Martin Scorsese – The Departed (should win)

 

BEST SCREENPLAY

Babel

The Departed (will win)

Little Children (should win)

Notes On A Scandal

The Queen

 

TELEVISION

 

BEST TV SERIES – DRAMA

24

Big Love

Grey’s Anatomy

Heroes (will win & deserves it)

Lost (should win)

 

BEST TV SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Desperate Housewives

Entourage

The Office (will win & should win)

Ugly Betty
Weeds

 

BEST ACTRESS – DRAMA

Patricia Arquette – Medium

Edie Falco – The Sopranos (will win & should win)

Evangeline Lilly – Lost

Ellen Pompeo – Grey’s Anatomy (seriously?! yikes)

Kyra Sedgwick – The Closer (dark horse to steal category)

 

BEST ACTOR – DRAMA

Patrick Dempsey – Grey’s Anatomy

Michael C. Hall – Dexter (should win)

Hugh Laurie – House

Bill Paxton – Big Love

Kiefer Sutherland – 24 (will win)

 

BEST ACTRESS – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Marcia Cross – Desperate Housewives

America Ferrera – Ugly Betty (will win)

Felicity Huffman – Desperate Housewives

Julia Louis-Dreyfus – The New Adventures of Old Christine

Mary-Louise Parker – Weeds (should win)

 

BEST ACTOR – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Alec Baldwin – 30 Rock (dark horse to steal category)

Zach Braff – Scrubs

Steve Carell – The Office (will win & should win)

Jason Lee – My Name Is Earl

Tony Shalhoub – Monk (no one watches; he shouldn’t keep winning)

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – TV OR MINI SERIES

Emily Blunt – Gideon’s Daughter

Toni Collette – Tsunami

Katherine Heigl – Grey’s Anatomy (will win & should win for Denny’s death episode)

Sarah Paulson – Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

Elizabeth Perkins – Weeds

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – TV OR MINI SERIES

Thomas Haden Church – Broken Trail

Jeremy Irons – Elizabeth I

Justin Kirk – Weeds

Masi Oka – Heroes (will win & should win)

Jeremy Piven – Entourage

Read More

I have returned, like Superman. Without the tights and glory.

 

TV

 

For those of you who need a fix during the hiatus, I highly recommend that you visit the following website, which lists the Top 50 Lost Loose Ends:

http://tv.ign.com/articles/745/745595p1.html.

 

ABC has prematurely yanked both Six Degrees and The Nine out of their primetime lineup, even though several finished episodes have yet to air.  It is not clear whether either show has been canceled, but both are currently available to watch free of charge on ABC.com.  Rumor has it that Six Degrees is being retooled to focus more on Campbell Scott and Bridget Moynahan, which I hope is not the case; I am far more interested in the direction that Erika Christensen and Jay Hernandez are headed.

 

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip received a much-appreciate reprieve, being picked up for another season. I am still baffled by the widespread criticism of this show. It satisfies many of the attributes I look for in quality television programming: a smart script, a fast pace, a terrific cast and an addictive nature (i.e. Mondays are easier knowing that this show awaits my eyes and ears that night).

 

Heroes continues to rock. If you love it as much as I do, you should read the Producer’s blog (http://gregbeeman.blogspot.com/) and listen to The 10^th Wonder Podcast on iTunes (http://www.thetenthwonder.com/).

 

MUSIC

 

Angels & Airwaves – “The Adventure”

This is the only song I own and love from this band, which is an offshoot of Blink-182. I’m addicted to this track, which reminds me of my favorite Blink song, “I Miss You.”

 

Gwen Stefani – “Wind it Up”

Have you seen this video? Anyone who can seamlessly intertwine The Sound of Music with contemporary pop earns huge points in my book.

 

iTunes Originals

I love that iTunes offers acoustic versions of songs from some of my favorite artists, like Death Cab for Cutie, Aimee Mann and Liz Phair.  Look for ‘iTunes Originals’ in the iTunes Music Store, in a box on the left side.

 

Imogen Heap

Her dreamy, ethereal music is unique and I really like it, but it is not for everyone. Her song “Hide and Seek” (on both The Last Kiss and The OC soundtracks) has been oversaturated in the TV and film promo departments, but when you hear it you will understand why. Heap also put out an album under the name Frou Frou, which produced a mild hit with “Let Go,” which some of you may recognize from the excellent Garden State soundtrack. My favorite track from Heap’s last CD: “Goodnight and Go.”

 

John Legend – “Save Room”

Close your eyes and imagine a young Stevie Wonder with contemporary R&B flavor. John Legend is your man.  

 

Nellie McKay & k.d. lang – “We Had it Right”

A quirky little ditty. Sounds like what Fiona Apple might if she smiled.

 

Nelly Furtado – “Maneater”

So not Hall & Oates. Another track you just can’t get out of your head.

 

Oakenfold featuring Brittany Murphy – “Faster Kill Pussycat”

Yes, the actress. And no, it doesn’t suck. As a matter of fact, it’s a perfect treadmill song.

 

Pete Yorn

Turn off John Mayer and tune in to this guy. I promise it will be a vast improvement.

 

Phoenix

I discovered this French pop band on the Six Feet Under soundtrack. Though they are known more for being The Band with the Lead Singer Who Dates Sophia Coppola, I really like their sound. Check out “Consolation Prizes.”

 

Pink – I’m Not Dead

Current guilty pleasure. This CD is pure pop; catchy and well produced, not to mention quite autobiographical (in true Pink style).

 

Scissor Sisters – “I Don’t Feel Like Dancin”

Elton John has been singing their praises for some time, and they finally have my attention. This song is so much fun – it even includes spaceship laser sound effects shooting through the chorus. Awesome. They are my new ABBA.

 

Shiny Toy Guns – “Stripped”

Depeche Mode ruled my world as a teenager, and I just saw them live for the first time this year, so they’ve been on heavy rotation in my iPod lately. There have been many attempts to cover their songs, but this particular one is my favorite of the bunch.

 

Timbaland

The man is golden right now. As producer, co-writer and contributing vocalist, he plays a major role in two of my favorite hits from 2006: “Promiscuous Girl” (Nelly Furtado) and “SexyBack” (Justin Timberlake). I am a huge fan of his collaborations with Missy Elliott as well. I’m not so sure I’d buy any of his solo efforts, but the name alone persuades me to buy a song on iTunes more often than not.

Read More

Although everyone will assume that the title of this episode, “I Do,” refers to Kate’s marriage flashback, I prefer to think of it as the two words that Kate didn’t say when Sawyer asked if she really loved him.

 

Something tells me that there aren’t two islands after all. How else do Kate and Sawyer return to their beach? Was Ben pulling another con on Sawyer by showing him an island across the way that just resembled the one he was taken from?

 

Was Kate telling Jack that she can’t run to escape because she believes they’re on a separate island? By the way, notice that she said “I” can’t leave you behind, not “we.” So much for her ‘we’re a team’ assertions to Sawyer earlier that day…

 

What kind of walkie-talkies would work that many miles away, from island to island? Jack is assuming that the Hydra Hatch he’s in is on the same island as the other Hatches…which I believe to be true.

 

If Juliet really wanted to help Jack, as her video suggested, why not tell him in the operating room that Kate and Sawyer can’t run because they’re stuck on another island? Oh yeah, because they’re not!

 

Jack made Ben promise to get him off the island, not get him ‘home’ or to a specific locale. So if they really are on a different island, Ben could just take him from Other Island back to the main one where they crashed. Doh! Jack should have been more specific.

 

Are Kate and Jack working as a team right now – are their actions a part of their own secret plan? Remember that look they exchanged right before the bags went over their heads in the Season 2 finale. I have a feeling that they created an emergency plan together after realizing that Michael was leading them into a trap in that episode. The question is – is Sawyer in on it too?

 

So the Others didn’t have the proper medical technology to save one of their own (Colleen) just days earlier, but happened to have everything necessary and ready for Jack to perform a complicated surgery on Ben? If they didn’t have the defibrillator paddles to try and revive Colleen, what were they planning to use should the same situation arise during Ben’s procedure?

 

Last season in Claire’s flashback, she was in a Medical Hatch on the main island, surrounded by a team of doctors. When she returned to it later, they found that it had been abandoned. So where are those doctors now? Were they just Others in costume? Was Ethan pretending to be one too? He was seen administering the vaccine to Claire’s pregnant belly. And was Juliet among them that day? She is the fertility doctor after all.  So where are these doctors now that their leader is in need?  I don’t believe they were real physicians, and I also think that the Medical Hatch was a temporary set up just for Claire; that they didn’t bring her back to the Hydra hospital on their supposedly separate island for some reason.

 

Was Kate following orders when she slept with Sawyer? Was it all part of the master plan for those two weeks, as outlined on the beach by Ben during breakfast in Episode 1 of this season? Kate didn’t answer Sawyer when he asked if she loved him…because I don’t think she actually does. Her actions over these last few episodes speak volumes about her true feelings for Jack. She wouldn’t run away after escaping from her cage…without Jack. And she keeps telling Sawyer that they’re a team, that they all live together or die alone. Poor Sawyer thinks she is acting out of love and concern for him, and is oblivious to both Kate’s deal with Ben and the cameras watching their every move.

 

I think Ben and/or Juliet purposefully left Jack’s door unlocked so he would discover Kate and Sawyer together on the monitors; they knew Jack would change his mind and operate on Ben after seeing for himself that Kate has feelings for Sawyer.  Jack knew that Sawyer would be killed if he didn’t operate, so he did it for Kate.

 

Ben certainly didn’t seem surprised to see Jack out of captivity, nor did he seem concerned with the fact that Jack had a gun. Did Jack surrender the gun after agreeing to the surgery?

 

Crazy Theory: We know how the Others are obsessed with/fascinated by children, and that Juliet is a fertility doctor. So did Kate’s deal with Ben include a demand to procreate with Sawyer or Jack? Kate and Sawyer were being watched and they certainly weren’t stopped – even with their cage door broken wide open. Why else feature a pregnancy test storyline in Kate’s flashback during the same episode…

 

Why would Ben ask about Alex, of all people, right before going under anesthesia? She must be more important than we thought. We know that she is Rousseau’s daughter, ‘taken’ when she was just a baby. Did Ben raise her as her own? Is that why she seems to have more freedom to roam than the other Others?

 

Juliet lied to Ben when he asked if Alex had asked for him. She ordered Alex to be returned ‘home’ after disrupting the work camp with her slingshot. So ‘home’ isn’t Other Village? Does she live back on the main island with the other kidnapped children?

 

Juliet’s loyalty to Ben is questionable, and Pickett couldn’t wait to go after Sawyer once Ben was under the knife. So why was Tom (Zeke) the only Other to stay behind and follow Jack’s orders? Perhaps because Tom and Ben are a couple. Think about it…there is zero sexual chemistry between Ben and Juliet (just a palpable power struggle), and Tom has said that Kate isn’t his type. Frankly, if he was a straight man with a pulse, Kate would be his type.   

 

Ben’s last words before going under were “see you on the other side.” The other side of the island perhaps? Or was that supposed to be a variation of Desmond’s ‘see you in another life, brother’ statement?

 

I’m still curious as to why the island’s miraculous healing powers did not affect or heal Ben, as they did Locke, Rose and Jin.

 

Was the phrase on Eko’s stick an actual message for Locke? Remember, Locke is the only one who saw the map on the hatch blast door and has a pretty good idea where all six Hatches are. Perhaps Eko’s engraving will lead Locke to the North to find Jack, Kate and Sawyer.

 

So…is Kate still technically married? We know she abandoned her husband, but that’s about it. The fact that she married a police officer adds credence to my theory that she’s much more likely to pick Jack the Doctor over Sawyer the Criminal. Remember, the crash and the island are a fresh start for her, so why side with the one who constantly reminds you of your less than stellar past?  

 

Pickett is overheard saying that Jack wasn’t on ‘Jacob’s list.’ This is the first time we’ve heard that name on the show. Is Jacob the infamous ‘Him?’ According to the Bible (which I had to research online – it’s not my forte), Jacob is the name of Benjamin’s father and Jacob has a twin brother. Interesting thoughts to ponder for the next few months…

 

* Here is what we can expect after the hiatus, when Lost returns for 16 straight episodes beginning February 7 (Warning: Spoilerish – Do Not Read If You Don’t Want To Know Anything About The Rest of This Season):

 

The first episode is a Juliet flashback. It seems she did not spend her entire life on the island like Ben did.

 

The second episode is a Desmond flashback, and Charlie makes an appearance. We will also finally find out what happened to the kidnapped Tail Section children of Flight 815, as well as the disappearance of flight attendant Cindy.

 

At some point in the season, we will be told how Locke wound up in the wheelchair and the story behind Jack’s tattoos.

 

We will see Penny Widmore again (Desmond’s ex).

Read More

To be perfectly honest, this was my least favorite episode of Lost…ever. I am not thrilled with how the new characters are being introduced; their integration among the other survivors on the beach is awkward and not at all organic.  The only highlight for me last night was Juliet’s video. But don’t get me started with the freaking black smoke or Eko…

 

First and foremost, I have been the recipient of 2 MRIs and several sets of spinal x-rays during the last few months because of back pain. So I am quite familiar with the location of the L4-L5 lumbar spine, which is in your lower back. Last week when Jack noticed the x-rays in the Hatch, he noted that the tumor was located there. But last night, he focused on the neck. I think Jack is testing Ben, plying him with questions about pain and symptoms in the wrong location to see if he has a medical background or the tumor is indeed his.

 

Assuming the x-rays are Ben’s…we don’t know when they were taken. We know that the Others have a hospital in their Hydra Hatch, with broken and missing equipment, so it’s very possible that those x-rays are old. Has the island healed Ben too? Jack is not aware that Locke used to be in a wheelchair or that Rose had cancer before the crash, so he wouldn’t assume that Ben is healed. Although…perhaps only the island where the plane crashed has healing powers, and not the island where the Others live.

 

I don’t buy Ben’s new honesty act for one minute. He is a master manipulator, not a normal guy who would open up to Jack about his actual game plan. I think he was thrilled that Jack thought the x-rays were his, but it might backfire given Jack’s line of questioning about the tumor. I still don’t think the x-rays are Ben’s; I think he is toying with Jack, testing his ethics and moral fiber. I also still believe that the Others weren’t surprised to see the plane crash, that it wasn’t a miracle or coincidence that a spinal surgeon fell out of the sky to heal Ben. And frankly, if the Others do have contact with the outside world, why on earth wouldn’t Ben leave for medical treatment, to save his own life?

 

And what is with Jack’s lack of bargaining skills? Obviously Kate made a deal with the devil over breakfast with Ben about these two weeks, but Jack operated on Colleen and will probably choose to operate on Ben without so much as a ‘what do I get out of it?’ Remember that they supposedly have a file all about Jack’s life, so perhaps the x-rays and video were a set up, and Jack’s reaction is part of yet another big social and psychological experiment.

 

Juliet’s loyalty is also questionable. How did she make those large cue cards, then film & edit together a video tape, all without Ben finding out? He seems to appear in every single place she does, so that seems sketchy. Is she working in conjunction with Ben?

 

If Ben does have said tumor, he would die soon anyway.  Why involve Jack?

 

Also, wasn’t Juliet wearing the same outfit in the video that she had on in Episode 1 of this season? If so, the tape was premeditative, made in anticipation of the very scenario that unfolded last night.

 

To be honest, I don’t think Juliet looks much like Jack’s ex, Sarah, either in real life or on the show. Did they honestly think that putting a blonde woman in close contact with Jack would result in any additional insight into him?

What was with the matching white outfits for Colleen’s funeral? Now we’re to believe there are cult-like characteristics of the Others?

 

Regarding the mysterious man with the eye patch seen on one of the Pearl Station monitors…don’t forget that Eko found a glass eye in an abandoned Hatch last season.

 

Eye Patch Man seemed to know that he was being watched, and thus he covered up or broke the camera. How did he know that someone was in the Pearl Station, watching him?

 

They seem to be killing off Tail Section survivors, so is Bernard next? And what the heck ever happened to Cindy, the flight attendant who disappeared during last season? No one has been concerned about her life or fate since it happened.

 

Sayid was seen back at the beach, so where were Sun and Jin?

 

Did Eko tell Locke that he was next, or that ‘they’ were? It certainly seemed like Eko whispered more than just that one statement before dying, and I wouldn’t put it past Locke to keep that information close to the vest until using it to his advantage at a later date.

 

We now know for sure that Eko was building a church on the island. He was told he owed his brother one after killing the men in Yemi’s church. So will Charlie or someone else continue building his church now?

 

Does Eko have a connection to Charlie, who lived in London?

 

Is it a coincidence that there were vaccines being delivered to Eko’s village and Dharma vaccines on the island?

 

Why was Eko able to confront the Smoke Monster last season but it killed him this time? Is it because he refused to repent for his sins?

 

Apparently the producers want us to now believe that the Black Smoke Monster is a veritable shape shifting Ghost of Christmas Past, appearing as a manifestation of the survivors’ pasts. Clearly the Smoke took the form of Yemi last night.  Since Locke looked into the eye of the Monster, saw a bright white light and survived, does that mean he really is a ‘good’ person and the Others truly are interested in him?

 

What happened to Desmond’s newly acquired psychic skills? Did he know that Eko was going to die? And how did Desmond know that the computer in the Hatch could be used for something other than entering the numbers? He must have tried at some point. Did he have contact with the Others, like Michael did when he thought he was instant messaging with Walt?

 

Wasn’t Locke on a mission just two episodes ago to save Eko?  Why bother having him save Eko from the polar bear cave, only to kill him a short time later?

 

Regarding my overall thoughts about this episode, as both Locke and Eko have said on various occasions…I’m going to have to watch that again.

Read More

Very early yesterday morning I received a Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injection (otherwise known as a ‘walking epidural’) in my lower back to help reduce the inflammation of nerves that have made the last few months of my life very annoying. It was a non-surgical procedure, although it did require an IV and anesthesia. Apparently I’m more gregarious than usual right before going under; I remember rambling on to the kind medical staff about the World Series, wild turkeys roaming our suburb, and how much I love those Claritin RediTabs for immediate allergy relief.

 

A brief synopsis of right before and immediately following the procedure:

 

Me: “Do you buy medicine in bulk from Costco too? Hey, I feel kind of funny. Did you add drugs….”
And: scene. I’m out cold. Cut to 20 minutes later. I am behind a hideous, outdated pastel curtain in another room. Somehow they managed to turn me over so that I was lying on my back when I awoke, and for that I feel sorry for the nursing staff in retrospect. I’m sore and stiff, and feel like I’ve been run over by an 18-wheeler, but look forward to ‘roid rage. I mean recovery. Unfortunately, all of my best laid plans to finally win the office Halloween costume contest will have to be put on hold until next year due to my physical inability to actually wear my clever homemade costume. Sigh.  

 

Long story short, because I am limited to sitting and sleeping for a week and have some time on my hands, I thought I’d blog about the random topics that have been on my mind.

 

AMERICAN DREAMZ

I had higher expectations for this movie, a blatant American Idol parody that didn’t fair too well at the box office. Given that it was written and directed by Paul Weitz (About a Boy, In Good Company) and featured Hugh Grant channeling Simon Cowell, I thought it had great promise. But the dialogue and flow were disappointing, and the transparent Bush and Cheney caricatures were entirely too campy. The saving grace is Mandy Moore; she really is an underrated comedic actress (see: Saved).

 

DEADWOOD/LOST CONNECTIONS

Was anyone else disconcerted by the sudden appearance of Trixie from Deadwood appearing as an Other on Lost? Although her role was short lived, I have to admit that it was difficult for me to imagine her as anything other than a sassy prostitute. It was also nice to see Kim Dickens (Joanie Stubbs on Deadwood) again as Sawyer’s conned ex, Cassidy. I’m sure that Liz Sarnoff, who was a writer on Deadwood and has written several of Lost’s best episodes, had something to do with their casting.

 

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

At first it bothered me that the series is filmed exactly like the movie, pseudo-documentary style. But the acting is stellar, starting with the surprisingly compelling Kyle Chandler. He is putting his Georgia accent to good use, and his strong but flawed character is the centerpiece of the entire show. I also love Connie Britton, who not only plays Chandler’s wife in the series, but also filled the role as the coach’s wife in the film. I hear rumors that this show is on the brink for next season, as viewership is low despite critical raves. So if you haven’t jumped on the Friday Night Lights bandwagon yet, hop on now.

 

HEROES

Tied for my favorite new show of the season (with Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip). I love how each episode is a cliffhanger that does not acutally leave you waiting around all season for answers; resolution begins at the very beginning of the next show.  I continue to think of Hayden Panettiere (who plays indestructible cheerleader Claire), as Ally McBeal’s daughter, but her character is fascinating and my favorite to follow among the many storylines. It is also fun to see Jack Coleman again (Steven Carrington from Dynasty), this time as a mysterious and menacing man who happens to be Claire’s father. And if there were an award for smarmy, Adrian Pasdar (a.k.a. Mr. Dixie Chick – his wife is Natalie Maines) would be the clear winner. We don’t even know if he is good or bad, but it sure is easy to dislike him on this show.

 

LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN

Let me first state that I am not a Josh Hartnett fan. I’ve never really understood his appeal nor have I enjoyed any of his performances in previous films. He is tolerable in this one, primarily because he is surrounded by a strong supporting cast that includes Lucy Liu, Morgan Freeman, Ben Kingsley and Bruce Willis. The movie attempts to intermingle aspects of The Usual Suspects with Pulp Fiction, but isn’t as good as either. I enjoyed the ostentatious set design more than the overall story and film, to be quite honest.

 

THE OFFICE ON MYSPACE

If you’re on MySpace and a fan of The Office, I highly recommend adding the cast as your ‘friends.’ Many of the actors post pages as their characters, and offer entertaining insights and tidbits behind the scenes of both episodes of the series and real life experiences (i.e. attending the Emmys and winning Outstanding Comedy Series in 2006). They’ve also been known to write you back if they have time. I read their often hilarious MySpace blogs (usually written while actually on set and at their desks), and my personal favorites include Pam (Jenna Fischer), Angela (Angela Martin), Meredith (Kate Flannery), and Kevin (Brian Baumgartner).  Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) has a hysterical blog on NBC.com but is not on MySpace.

 

Side Note: Most of the episodes of The Office are produced and written by three of the actors on the show (Mindy Kaling – Kelly, Paul Lieberstein – Toby, and BJ Novak – Ryan the Temp). I love that.

 

PARTY OF FIVE ON ABC?

So we have both Matthew Fox (Charlie from Party of Five) and Scott Wolf (Bailey from Party of Five) gracing our living rooms once again. And they’re both playing doctors (Fox on Lost, Wolf on The Nine). The network might as well add Neve Campbell to the cast of Grey’s Anatomy and Lacey Chabert to Brothers & Sisters just so we can all enjoy the Salinger clan once again.  

 

Side Notes: Tamara Taylor, who was Matthew Fox’s girlfriend for a season on Party of Five, plays Walt’s mom on Lost. And talk about six true degrees of separation in casting and directing – Daniel Attias has directed episodes of Party of Five, Deadwood and Lost. It’s a small world after all.

 

PROJECT RUNWAY

The finale was kind of anticlimactic and I thought Uli deserved to win. Clearly I am not in the fashion world, but as a woman and consumer, I was much more drawn to both her line and Laura’s. Michael appeared to fizzle out toward the end, but something tells me he’ll do just fine with his talent and popularity. In my opinion, very few women outside of the fashion and music industries would choose to wear one of Jeffrey’s pieces; Uli and Laura created clothing that have much broader appeal to everyday women.  

 

SCRUBS V. GREY’S ANATOMY

Why, why, why?! I was thrilled to hear that Scrubs is finally returning. But NBC has scheduled it opposite Grey’s Anatomy. Yes, they’re both doctor shows, one that is really funny and one that is fairly dramatic with moments of levity. It is very frustrating that networks fail to realize that these two shows have a lot of the same audience and want to watch both shows. If NBC is really trying to bring back Must See TV comedy on Thursday nights, they should put Scrubs at 8pm, followed by The Office at 8:30pm. Place Twenty Good Years out to pasture instead at 9pm, so that Scrubs won’t have to face the juggernaut that is Grey’s. Not every household in America has TiVo or the capability to tape one show and watch another at the same time. I am pissed, so I can only imagine how Zach Braff and co. feel.

Read More

I don’t know about you, but last night’s episode was easily my favorite of Season Three thus far.  We were fed more information than usual and I loved the intensity. I present to you, in no particular order, my random, long-winded and perhaps outrageously impossible theories and questions of the week:

 

* I now believe there are two very distinct groups of Others. The first are the Hostiles who live on the island where the plane crashed; the ones who steal children and walk without leaving footsteps. Kelvin referred to them in the Season Two finale. The second group are the ones who claim to be ‘good;’ Others living on a separate island in a Stepford community who seem to have taken control of the abandoned Dharma Initiative experiments…or at least are using the leftover equipment.

 

* So if the good Others really have contact with the outside world, why do they still use a VCR and outdated computers and television monitors? Why haven’t they received updated technology and medical supplies, such as new defibrillator paddles for resuscitating patients? Were the very modern washer and dryer in Desmond’s hatch meant for the Others and the drop landed on the wrong island? Nothing else in his hatch seemed to be from the last few decades.  

 

* If the Dharma Initiative is indeed defunct or was abandoned, why would Dharma food and supplies continue to be delivered to the island(s)? If the Others are in touch with the real world, couldn’t they request normal, unbranded goods?

 

* Did Juliet grow up on the island, as Ben claims to have? If so, how did she receive her medical training? Manuals and videos from the outside world?

 

* Pickett and (the now deceased) Colleen were the only obvious couple among the Others’ village. Were they trying to have children, using Juliet’s fertility services? Are the Others angrier than ever now because Colleen was one of their last hopes for carrying a child? Are all of the Others barren?

 

* Are the Hostile Others kidnapping children in order to keep them from the good Others? Are the two groups of Others unfriendly adversaries? Why didn’t the Hostiles take Walt when they had the chance? Why would the good Others use costumes and dress like their less stylish Other counterparts when confronting the Losties on their island…to appear more intimidating and less normal than they really are?

 

* Juliet’s assertion that she makes decisions separately from Ben reminded me of the time last season when Ben (as Henry Gale) was toying with Locke’s emotions, after which Locke revealed that he and Jack made decisions together.

 

* Juliet said she’s not used to death, and yet Ethan, Goodwin and various other Others have died recently…

 

* The good Others aren’t killers, as they have stated many times. Almost all deaths have been at the hands of the Losties: Sun shot Collen, Ana Lucia shot Shannon and also killed Goodwin, Kate shot an Other who was following the group in last season’s finale, Michael shot Libby and Ana Lucia, Charlie shot Ethan, and Eko killed a few Others during their first attempt to kidnap the tail section kids. The only Other who has killed anyone so far was Goodwin, who killed Nathan when Ana Lucia suspected he was the Other who wasn’t on their flight.

 

* If indeed there are two islands, don’t you wonder how is it that the Losties never see or hear boats in the dead silence of night? As I’ve said all along, I believe there is a vast underground transportation system that was built and utilized by the Dharma folks. If it was deep enough beneath the ocean (similar to the BART tunnel under the Bay Bridge between San Francisco and Oakland), that would explain how the Others travel back and forth quickly and stealthily. Don’t forget – Ben made reference to Alcatraz last night, a small island not far from the underground subway tunnel of the Bay Area. A train system of sorts might also explain the metallic ‘monster’ noises heard on the Lostie’s island (I believe we were given a clue in the Pilot episode, when Rose said the ‘monster’ sounded familiar, that she was from the Bronx). Also, last night the Others said that the ‘sub’ had returned with Colleen. While most will take that to mean that they travel via an actual submarine, I choose to think that they’re referring to the subway. I’d like someone to tell me where they would disembark from a submarine on their small island, let alone why they’re always dry.

 

* I think that the boat Ben gave Michael to sail away on was the Others’ only one, that Ben really wanted Desmond’s sailboat as a backup to the underground system (it’s also much quieter than the motor boat was).

 

* If Sawyer and Michael sailed in circles on the broken raft and wound up back on their island, how did Michael and Walt avoid the same situation? Were Ben’s specific directions, the set of coordinates to get them home, the only true way out? Is this the same portal that allows the supply transportation in?

 

* So if the bear cages are on Other Island, how did the polar bears (and black horse, etc.) get over to the main island?

 

* In Claire’s flashback last season, the medical hatch where she was taken and returned to is on the main island…not on Other Island. So how do you explain the clearly designated medical facility where Jack operated on Collen last night?  Stepford Hospital?

 

* Kate repeated the exact phrase that Jack first uttered last season: live together, die alone (which also happened to be the title of the Season Two finale).

 

* There were some similarities between the interactions of Jack and Juliet & Kate and Sawyer last night, all of whom established feelings in very blunt ways. Kate admitted that she didn’t actually love Sawyer, and Jack told Juliet he didn’t care about her.

 

* We know that Desmond was able to predict the weather due to his recently acquired psychic powers, but what was the purpose of his homemade antenna? Is he trying to capture electricity for something, or just to prove to himself that the lightning was coming?

 

* Desmond predicted the rain before it began, much like Locke did in Season One…

 

* If the island has healing properties (see: Locke’s legs, Rose’s cancer, Jin’s procreative abilities), why wouldn’t it affect/heal the tumor that Jack saw on the x-rays? Everyone is assuming that the x-rays were of Ben’s back, but I think they’re Locke’s!! Think about it…the Others have medical charts and inside knowledge about the Losties, Ben (as Henry Gale) told Locke last season that he was coming for him specifically, and the Others are clearly fascinated with special human circumstances (i.e. Walt). Also, Ben’s behavior has not been demonstrative of an ill man; he was dropped from a net suspended high in a tree, sustained extensive beatings, went on a long hike without so much as a drop of sweat, and threw Sawyer’s tough ass around with great ease.

 

* How much of what Kate is seeing and doing part of the difficult two weeks that Ben warned her about? Was Sawyer’s pacemaker experiment part of it? What about her lack of escape, regardless of the opportunity?

 

* If the Others really know so much about the Losties, why would Ben ask how much Sawyer weighs?

 

* While standing above Sawyer with the needle, the Others referenced ‘the movie.’ Clearly they were talking about the infamous Pulp Fiction scene with Uma Thurman. Was that one of the VHS cassettes included in a supply drop from the outside world?

 

* It’s not a coincidence that we find out Sawyer has a daughter in the same episode that Juliet reveals her background in fertility. Totally Out There Theories of the Week: Sawyer’s ex, Cassidy, got pregnant using fertility drugs and Juliet was her doctor. At some point in time. AND… we’ll meet young Clementine on the island in the near future.

Read More