Question: After witnessing the amazing Lost finale, I've tried to think of other season finales that have left me totally shocked and awestruck, but none came to mind. I think it may be the best season ender of any show I've ever seen. I can't think of another season finale that was this well produced, plotted, acted and structured. Well, the Season 1 finale of Battlestar Galactica comes to mind, but even that one still doesn't compare to the masterpiece that was Lost's Season 3 finale. Can you think of any other season finale that so delivered on every single level?
Answer: If there's justice, that awesome season finale will clinch Lost a spot in this year's top five Emmy nominees. I agree it's a landmark episode, but I resist answering these sorts of "Can you think of any other?" questions because I'll always leave out something significant. Still, the first thing that came to mind was the first-season finale of 24, which ended on the stroke of midnight as Jack's wife died in his
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It's been a month since we were last treated with a new episode. Was it worth the wait? For the most part, I'd say yes. These Marcia Cross-less episodes show just how pivotal both the actress and the character of Bree are to the show. But I think you'll agree that the consolation prize is pretty nice: No Bree = more Edie! Nicollette Sheridan rarely gets a chance to truly shine like she did tonight. That scene toward the end, with Edie undressing in front of Carlos, was one of Nicollette's best moments ever. It reminded me of her classic strip croquet scene from years ago on Knots Landing. She still has a rockin' bod. I loved Edie slowly shedding her clothing, literally and figuratively giving Carlos the naked truth, admitting that her breasts aren't as perky as they once were and that she has a C-section scar. Yes, Edie has her faults — like not being the best mother and using her son Travers as "sex bait" — but I'm glad Carlos gave her a chance (good move with the flowers...
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Alfre Woodard, Desperate Housewives
Question: There has been a lot of talk about the supposed drop in quality of Desperate Housewives this season. I still find it highly enjoyable to watch, and I would argue that a breakout first season is very difficult to match, although some shows do pull it off. (Lost comes to mind.) My question, though, is about the presence of mystery or suspense on the show. The Mary Alice story line was part of what made the first season great, with its mix of drama and comedy. However, the part I have least enjoyed about the show this season is the mystery involving Alfre Woodard's character (and what a shame that such a superb actress has been so underused). Do you think Desperate Housewives needs to have a mystery as part of its show, or can it get back to the appeal of the first season based on the lives of the five main women alone?
Answer: Excellent question. One also posed by Jenny, who put it this way: "I am a very inconsistent (at best) viewer of Desperate Housewives, but from what I have
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Gordon Thomson, Dynasty
Are you as psyched as I am for Dynasty Reunion: Catfights & Caviar, which airs May 2 on CBS? Just like the Dallas and Knots Landing reunions, this one gathers cast members from Aaron Spelling's nighttime soap to reminisce about their sudsy adventures in the '80s. In search of scoopage, TVGuide.com rang up Gordon Thomson, who played Dynasty devil Adam Carrington, in addition to his daytime gigs on Ryan's Hope, Santa Barbara and Sunset Beach. This cheeky, candid Canadian did not disappoint!
TVGuide.com: How's your TV mother, Joan Collins?
Gordon Thomson: I've known Joan on and off for 24 years and I've never seen her happier. She's in great form. [Collins' fifth husband] Percy Gibson is the best thing that ever happened to her. It's a great match. They're frisky and lovely together. They're mutually nuts about each other.
TVGuide.com: I love h
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Ever since The Young and the Restless wrapped the Tom Fisher murder case, Ted Shackelford — aka Genoa City prosecutor Will Bardwell — has been MIA. No worries, though. The Knots Landing grad returns when Will is needed to tackle legal issues that arise from Jabot Cosmetics selling tainted moisturizer.
Side note: Since
Y&R and
The Bold and the Beautiful both tape at L.A.'s CBS Television City, Shackelford is sure to run into
Patrick Duffy, who played his brother on
Dallas. It's Gary and Bobby, together again! (Just to refresh your memory, Duffy has been
cast as Brooke's father on
B&B.)
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Jerry Douglas and Christian LeBlanc, The Young and the Restless
In today's episode of The Young and the Restless, John Abbott gets a seven-year prison sentence for shooting the vile Tom Fisher (Roscoe Born). Daytime vet Jerry Douglas last airs on March 1, when the Abbott patriarch heads off to the slammer. Is this the bitter end for John? Not necessarily. Here, TVGuide.com gets the soap dish from the man himself.
TVGuide.com: You've had more airtime in this tale than you've had in years! I prefer to watch a pro like you over the teen rookies any day.
Jerry Douglas: Thank you. Even if I die tomorrow, I have had one of the greatest story lines an actor can ask for. I don't need more. If there's more coming, that's great. I think the work we've done will make them write more for John Abbott. I really want you to watch what happens in the da
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Rebecca Budig, All My Children and Ted Shackleford, The Young and the Restless
Seeing Ted Shackleford in CBS' recent Knots Landing reunion reminded me of how much I miss him. Fortunately, the Eye network has invited my fave nighttime soap hunk to take a dip in the daytime suds!
Shackleford begins a short-term stint on The Young and the Restless on Feb. 2 as prosecutor Will Bardwell. He'll throw the book at Ashley Abbott (Eileen Davidson) for the recent shooting murder of Tom Fisher (Roscoe Born). Of course, viewers know Ashley's just covering for the real culprit: her ailing dad, John (Jerry Douglas), who doesn't remember gunning down the creep who menaced his family.
Let's hope Shackleford's verdict on daytime soap work is more favorable than that of his Knots costar Joan Van Ark, who bailed on her gig as Y&R's Gloria back in '04. Yeah, you know I couldn't resist going there. (Keep reading for more Res
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Question: OK, I know you were disappointed with the new season of Desperate Housewives (I was, too) but don't you think that the last three episodes were the best of the season? I especially loved the last one (Jan. 8). The interaction between characters who usually don't share scenes (Gaby-Tom and Lynette-Carlos) was brilliant. And it was great to see (at last) Andrew sharing (hot) kisses with his boyfriend. I was afraid ABC wouldn't let them do this (I can't remember which big networks aired the first kiss between two men or two women). I hope our Wisteria ladies are back for good!
Answer: Got quite a bit of mail, all positive, after last Sunday's comeback episode, and it really was a comeback. Even Susan, arranging the bowling party for Zach and Mike, came off as much less of a ditz than usual. And Bree's conflict with Andrew is certainly juicy, going a lot farther than I ever remember things happening on Knots Landing. All in all, a very fun and saucy hour and a sign that things are
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Question: I have seen Desperate Housewives compared to quite a few other past shows but never to the one that I think it most resembles: Picket Fences. What is your opinion about that comparison?
Answer: An interesting idea, but I still think Knots Landing is the closest to a true precursor of what Desperate Housewives seeks to parody. Picket Fences did have elements of soap opera and satire in its often-twisted depiction of the dark undercurrents of society and family life, but it seemed to me more a comment on Americana than of actual suburbia and, being a David E. Kelley show, tended to resolve most stories in the courtroom (RIP, Ray Walston). Desperate Housewives' look and tone is beholden to the classic soap format, and Picket Fences was much harder to pigeonhole ...
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