Goran Visnjic phoned it in tonight literally as we caught a too-quick glimpse of him and an aggravated and sadly hung-over Abby conversing about his extended stay in CroatiaDespite this painful separation Luka still looks as gorgeous as ever with his longer tousled hair We also had a chance to get reacquainted with two old favorites who are still making the ER rounds Arrogant resident-hating cardiologist Dr Kasen consulted on the unusual case of the young father-to-be suspected of self-inflicting a dangerous arrhythmia with amphetamines The always-wonderful Amy Aquino also reprised her role as obstetrician Dr Coburn who worked to save the mans baby while offering Abby counsel as she dealt with her fall from the wagon Was I the only one who was surprised to learn that Coburn was Abbys sponsor Was this established previouslyI have to say that despite Lukas absence it seems very uncharacteristic of Abby to be handling this situation so badly As a pa
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Reiko Aylesworth by Stephen Lovekin/WireImage.com; John Stamos by Steve Granitz/WireImage.com
One of my all-time favorite 24 heroines is being admitted to the ER. Sources confirm that Reiko Aylesworth — who kicked ass as CTU boss Michelle Dessler (until her inevitable death) — is joining the cast as County General's hot and hip new chaplain who starts a very intimate, ahem, prayer group with John Stamos' Gates. (For those of you who suck at innuendo, "intimate prayer group" is a double entendre for "steamy hospital sex.")And before you go ratting her out to God, Aylesworth's preacher woman is allowed to lead a normal life, and that includes wearing slutty regular clothes and having sex with dating whomever she wants. Are you as psyched as I am about Aylesworth's tube return? If so, post your cheers below!
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There’s a great line in the movie High Fidelity about how, when making a mix tape, you have to start out strong, but then you have to kick it up a notch with the second song. That must be what goes into a great series, too. What the writers have done is commendable. With each line, we discover more about our, “equal opportunity criminal organization.” For instance, it seems that Squatch is very devoted to his family (even if it’s only because his wife can bench-press 160 pounds), Gary has slept with 73 women and impregnated many of them (umm, congrats?), and Rockefeller is a Fonz fan. It’s brilliant, really, though so quickly paced, I had to keep pausing to write down everything I could want to quote — which was pretty much the whole freakin’ thing.I want to know what kind of budget the Knights have for those t-shirts, which (according to the theme song) “ain’t no cotton-poly blend.” Let us count: We have the Knights of Prosperity ...
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Per Variety, Reiko Aylesworth (24) and Steven Pasquale (Rescue Me) have grabbed the leads in Alien vs. Predator 2, to start filming next week in Vancouver.... Ron Howard is on board to direct a film adaptation of Frost/Nixon, a play currently earning raves on the West End about the famed 1977 television interviews between David Frost and Richard Nixon.... Per the Hollywood Reporter, Cate Blanchett is set to star in Cancer Vixen: A True Story, based on the memoir of Marisa Acocella Marchetto, a fashionista cartoonist for Glamour and the New Yorker.
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Question: Even though I was spoiled for my favorite character's demise on 24, it didn't make it any easier to watch it play out on screen. I personally would have liked it much better if Tony and Michelle would have not returned for Season 5 and had been allowed to have their happy ending, which is now cheapened along with previous seasons on DVD. My problem, mainly, is the way her character was disposed of so quickly, although most everyone will rave that the "shock value" is back. I just think that Palmer's death was shocking enough, while Michelle's was simply tacked on, making it gratuitous and excessive. Palmer's death will play out the rest of the season, and very well it should, considering he's a former president. I'm not looking forward to Michelle's death being swept under the rug, being forgotten by everyone except Tony — if and when he wakes up. The Michelle fans are a small but loyal minority, and although I personally know that Reiko Aylesworth has a wonderful career ...
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Question: Why would 24 kill off Michelle? I'm never watching again unless they bring her back and say they had to pretend she was dead in order to protect her.
Answer: "We ran out of story [for her]," says Howard Gordon. "She and Tony had been back and forth so many times and had finally settled on some happiness and, in true 24 fashion, the world of their jobs and of their work wind up turning a happily ever-after into a tragedy, which is, honestly, the only place for them to go." (BTW, I suspect there's no love lost between producers and Reiko Aylesworth. Just a gut feeling.)
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Question: Do the Emmys have some sort of mental block on 24? Don't get me wrong, it's great that it got nominated for best drama for the fourth time (as you can never take anything, even one as deserved as this, for granted at the Emmys). But why do the Emmys seem to snub the cast of 24 continuously, with the exception of Kiefer Sutherland? The show is so well-cast and performed and always gets raves for the acting, but the Emmys let so many great actors slip through the cracks. They've managed not to nominate Penny Johnson Jerald, Sarah Clarke, Xander Berkeley, Dennis Haysbert, Reiko Aylesworth and Carlos Bernard, and now they've decided to omit Shohreh Aghdashloo and Mary Lynn Rajskub among others. What are your thoughts?
Answer: My gut tells me it's more about genre than quality here. Sutherland gets his props each year for carrying the show with his quiet intensity, but the others somehow get lost, as if we're only watching this show for the thrill ride. This year in particular ...
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On last week's 24, Michelle Dessler's day went from bad to better to worse in mere minutes. Soon after learning that she was immune to that ghastly virus, the CTU pinup was kidnapped by Saunders' goons and nearly got her eyeball gutted. But you won't catch portrayer Reiko Aylesworth complaining.
"It's the best stuff that I've been given," gushes the 31-year-old actress, who prior to this season's outbreak had been relegated to 'round-the-clock desk duty. What's more, she adds: "It's been great to work on different sets!"
Viewers also seem to be enjoying the change of scenery following that midseason detour to Mexico. Ratings have spiked in recent weeks, with Tuesday's installment notching season-high numbers. Even the cast can feel a difference, Aylesworth says. "Ever since the virus broke there's been a renewed level of intensity and focus. Everyone has really stepped up."
And as the clock ticks to the May 25 finale, Aylesworth admits
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As 24's Agent Tony Almeida, Carlos Bernard is always embroiled in CTU intrigues. Especially since Tony's wife and co-worker Michelle (Reiko Aylesworth) is right there with him in the antiterrorist trenches. And now, she may be infected with the lethal virus, which means Tony's more torn than ever between his duty and dedication to his spouse.
"That's the underlying theme of this season for most of the characters," Bernard tells TV Guide Online. "How do you have a relationship and do a job like that? In the last few episodes of the season, a couple of us are really put to the test. Do you choose your job or relationship? Without telling you what happens, it's a tough decision."
Speaking of agonizing choices, Tony's missus recently made one: She ordered suicide capsules for the Chandler Hotel's virus victims, just in case they needed 'em. Yikes! "I don't think it's too extreme," he says. "I mean, if I was exposed to something as gruesome and pai
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