Interesting episode title and interesting episode. And by interesting I mean excellent, as usual.I like that we spent some serious time with Olive this week. I know many of you love her, and tonight we got a little glimpse into Olive’s past. Since she’s so short — 4' 11" to be exact — it would make sense that she was a jockey in a former life. She’s one of the sport’s best and brightest until a tragic accident brings her career to an end. When Olive’s jockey friends start going to that big racetrack in the sky, Olive knows she needs Emerson’s help to discover what’s really going on. She’s afraid the ghost of John Joseph Jacobs (Hamish Linklater) is returning to kill every jockey who crossed the finish line in the race that cost him his life. Turns out his witchy (with a b) mother (Barbara Barrie) has been impersonating him — on a horse that breathes fire, no less — to revenge the earnings and glory her son lost in that race...
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Question: Can you please explain to me why Two and a Half Men garnered as many Emmy nods as it did? I tried watching an episode and couldn't even make it through the full 30 minutes! I mean no offense to Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, Holland Taylor or Conchata Ferrell, but are we supposed to believe that all four turned in Emmy-worthy performances? I can see why the show has viewers (it's an easy, no-thinking-required program), but all the Emmy attention has me totally perplexed. The show is like macaroni and cheese: comforting and dependable, but you don't give it a gold ribbon. I guess I'm lashing out because Gilmore Girls was consistently ignored, while shows I see as dreck receive accolades. So, Matt, if you could please enlighten me about this issue, I'd really appreciate it — it's just not healthy to be this angry about a TV show.
Answer: This one doesn't bother me so much. I think there should be room on the list for at least one traditionally produced comedy (as in: filmed
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I love Hamish Linklater and find him irresistibly adorable, so any time he’s on screen is a joy. Tonight’s episode was particularly enjoyable for me (and fellow Matthew fans), because we got to see him outside of Christine’s world and in his own social environment. We also got to see Christine in Matthew’s social environment. The result was a fresh look at this quirky brother-sister relationship, and Christine’s epiphany that maybe she didn’t focus enough on her brother. The episode started with Christine and Matthew at Red Lobster. Christine is working early hours at the gym, so her “clock” is off. Matthew admits he’s not hungry because he ate lunch earlier. When Christine questions him about it, he looks around and announces that it’s 4:30 in the afternoon, and he’s not sure they’re even open. (Helpful hint: eating at Red Lobster at 4:30 does, in fact, avoid the crowds and long waits, even if it makes you feel slightly ag...
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Some random TV thoughts:Each week since its overly somber premiere, ABC's Brothers & Sisters has improved, slowly becoming a more entertaining, if not yet compelling, family drama. The most recent episode, involving a series of eventful dates for most of the major characters, had a mostly deft light touch, showing (I think) the influence of Everwood's Greg Berlanti on the creative direction of the show.It's becoming a more suitable companion for Desperate Housewives, which also has improved from last season's doldrums. Housewives is still far from perfect, but give me some Edie Britt bitchiness, a little manipulative scheming from Bree and several mysterious twists (why was Mike Delfino's phone number etched in ink on the season's mystery corpse?), and I'm relatively satisfied. I can even get past the tiresome Gabby-Carlos feuding and Nora meddling in the indifferently plotted Lynette-Tom story line. (Did you notice, by the way, a walk-on by Who Wants to Be a Superhero's Major V...
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