['Tos]

Aw, I missed Illyria? Maybe their casting department went on an Angel and Everwood marathon during the strike or something. Whatever they did, I hope they keep doing it.

Belle & Sebastian

Yeah, either I killed that thread or everyone just coincidentally stopped posting after, heh. I've got to stop venturing out of this board. Something always happens.

Yay to the "Mary Jo" love! That's just a bloody enjoyable song.

My iTunes buy of the week (I also got a music card) was The Red Sparowes' two albums. Hilariously pretentious and long song titles ("Mechanical Sounds Cascaded Through the City Walls and Everyone Reveled In Their Ignorance") but some good ol' post-rock.

[everwoodfan52]

Brothers and Sisters

Why is it that Rebecca and Justin had more kissing scenes in this episode than Amy and Ephram had in 4 seasons of Everwood?!?

I love Nora. How neat would it be to have her for a mom. She's such a great mom and also such a great friend. I loved her line to her dead husband..."All you cared about was yourself and your penis!!" Priceless!

Tom and Justin were hilarious....loved the fight. It will be fun watching them pretend to like each other.

Kitty and Robert's life is turning into a soap opera. I can really do without Robert...don't care for him or what he adds to the show. It's really boring.

Sarah's new job looks intriguing.

I really felt sorry for Ryan's dad and wish that Nora never went over there to tell him about the affair. What good will it do now? Both parents are dead.

[Thief Of Love]

Yeah, either I killed that thread or everyone just coincidentally stopped posting after, heh.

Heh. I have no idea what happened there (well, one of the posters is actually away from FF for the time being, but the other isn't), but it's annoyed me on your behalf, hee.

Hey, now that you know B&S's general sound and all (and you have to post when you hear more, because I'd be really interested in your take on The Boy With the Arab Strap), is there anyone kind of similar you could recommend, with that '60s influence? I mean, besides actual artists from the '60s, because I'm pretty good there already, heh.

['Tos]

Brothers & Sisters

Start the parade, I actually liked it. Probably my favourite of the season. Lots of good family interaction, very minimal soap. Kitty/Nora's road trip (road trip's are this show's savior) was fantastic. They've got such a great bond. Nora going off to yell at Dead William was hilarious, especially when she said "You never loved anyone else but you and your stupid penis" (I think you got it right, Betty. Definitely got the biggest laugh out of me all ep). Very subtle, Nora. Hee. And I liked Robert and Kitty's final conversation at the end about the baby. All good from a Nora/Kitty standpoint tonight.

I also liked Sarah's story, and then going to the office and cutely sticking her tongue out at Tommy. Again, family emphasis. What a surprise, a show all about family actually having an episode about family is actually good.

Justin/Rebecca are still awful, but damn did Emily look hooot in the first scene with about as much skin as she's ever revealed on TV. And then their final scene, Emily looked all adorable too. Plus she got to have a scene with Kevin! *jumps for joy* Rebecca: "I know you're a bigger man" Kevin: "Actually I'm not. I'm small and petty". Hee! I've been asking for a scene between them for too long, and it was so worth it. More!

The soapiest part up until the end was Tommy and Kevin's slap fight ending with them choosing the worst moment to stumble into the addiction meeting. I can handle that. It's pretty tired comedy at this point, but as far as it's soapiness, it was based on a previously established story and it fit the tone of the show.

Unlike the ending. Why would they end a perfectly fine episode with yet another Ryan cliffhanger? Agghhh. *takes a deep breath* That's three episodes in a row, at least, of Ryan at the end. Unbelievable.

Why is it that Rebecca and Justin had more kissing scenes in this episode than Amy and Ephram had in 4 seasons of Everwood?!?

Because Justin and Rebecca thought they were related of course! Don't you know that's the secret to sexual chemistry according to Berlanti?

Belle & Sebastian

Hey, now that you know B&S's general sound and all (and you have to post when you hear more, because I'd be really interested in your take on The Boy With the Arab Strap), is there anyone kind of similar you could recommend, with that '60s influence? I mean, besides actual artists from the '60s, because I'm pretty good there already, heh.

I will definitely be posting more about what I think about them as I listen. It's fun. I did read a scathing, scathing review on The Boy With the Arab Strap, but also some good ones, so I'm looking forward to trying it out myself. Unless it's a complete departure from their sound with their level of experimentation (I'm really impressed with that thus far) I doubt I'll agree with much in the scathing review.

Hmm, as far as anyone similar. I'll have to give that some thought, but off the top of my head I can't really think of any. To be honest, I really only got into indy music with any seriousness in the last, oh, six to eight months, so to me Belle & Sebastian's sound is pretty unique for any new artists. Which may show how completely out of the loop I am currently on most indy music, heh, but I'm getting better. Slowlllly.

[everwoodfan52]

Chuck is not on tonight?

[BepperGirl]

Chuck is not on tonight.

However, Gossip Girl is/was.

No, I have not seen it yet.

Remind me to post my reactions for GG 2x08 and PD 2x04 and 2x05 when I'm not about to crash.

['Tos]

Aw, no Chuck? Bah.

Where's MAKRO by the way? I hope he liked last night's B&S. Or at least more than last week's. Which, I think, is pretty much guaranteed, heh.

[everwoodfan52]

I didn't watch Gossip Girl yet, either. I taped it because I thought that I was going to watch Chuck! Oh, well! I'm presently watching a special SNL...hilarious!!

[cowgirl08]

Booo!!! no chuck makes for a long week

[MAKRO]

BROTHERS & SISTERS

I was out of town for a few days and didn't watch the episode until this morning.

I don't consider myself a contrarian by nature, but I have to go against the popular flow on this one. I didn't like it much. A good portion of my opinion is strictly prejudicial as opposed to being based on, say, logic. Any episode which starts with Rebecca and Justin canoodling isn't going to be one of my favorites. I'm still so put off by this pairing that I only re-watched the scene five or six times to ogle Emily (instead of my usual fifteen or twenty). HOT!!! I swear, the girl gets more beautiful by the minute.

I'm not a Sarah fan, but I like her new storyline. I've often wondered about how her intense business life would affect her kids, so having her be able to work at home is nice. Now if the writers can just ignore the temptation to make her love-starved enough to sleep with one of her young bosses. Sarah-as-cougar is something I can do without.

I would have thought Kevin and Tommy, even as deeply embedded as they are in their self-absorbed universes, would have had just enough class to recognize how immense an accomplishment one year of sobriety was for Justin and held off their bitch slap until another time; perhaps at a full-family gathering. Watching Rebecca shame Kevin into going in the first place was a treat though.

Nora was effective when venting about William, but I was put off by her continued whining about the verbal beat-down Robert gave her recently and projecting that into him being another William. Every word Robert said in that scene was true. He may turn out to be another William, but he hasn't yet and Kitty's furious defence of him in spite of her own uneasiness was appropriate.

Please, please, please don't have Nora date Ryan's father. Dating the man whom your own husband betrayed would be too, too weird.

Highlights of the night:

1) Rebecca's bare back.
2) The lack of Holly.
3) Rebecca's bare back.

There is still time for this show to turn around, but it looks like there is lots more soap on the way.

CHUCK

Only six more days until Jealous Sarah!!

I even read a media column which said that Sarah is none too happy about the appearance of Chuck's ex. Yowser! There's nothing which clarifies your feelings for someone better than a good case of jealousy.

[The Crow]

That's true, especially if the person causing the jealousy is another hot woman.

Gossip Girl

Every time they make me go back to liking Dan, he says something like he did tonight and takes it all away. It's good to know that, although he was good enough to take Nate in when he was down, Dan isn't so good that he's willing to forget Nate's past to any extent and won't take the first opportunity to throw it back in Nate's face. I know that Nate should have gone about the Jenny thing better, but that didn't justify Dan's reaction.

Otherwise, this ep was pretty good. I loved Blair running all over town looking for the girl, and I loved the look of pure evil on her face when she saw the Dean's friend in the club. Blair can be so much fun sometimes.

One Tree Hill

As is typical with this show, Peyton held onto her stupid secret just long enough for Lucas to find out about it, probably pulling out some stupid complications in their relationship. Yawn. What else is new. Can't Schwann make this show without falling back on his tired old storylines? Judging by the Mouth/Gigi/Millicent storyline, I guess not.

I wish I had Mouth's woman troubles. Two hot ladies wanting me? Never a bad thing.

90210

I haven't watched this one in a while, but since I was depressed about how the election was gonna go, and every other station was showing the Obama debacle, I checked this one out. Pretty standard storyline, but at least I got to look at Silver.

Privileged

Well, it seems that Charlie has finally moved on from his Megan fixation. Good for him. If she's gonna be dumb enough to ignore him and continue to make time with the creepy neighbor then he deserves someone who actually likes him.

I don't like the turn that Megan's relationship with her boss has taken. Even though Megan was just trying to do the right thing by revealing what she knew, it seems that there is no way for their relationship to not be negatively impacted, at least for a while.

['Tos]

Dirty Sexy Money

Twists, turns, scandals, soap. Yeah, it's not exactly a deep show, heh. It was a lot of fun tonight, though. My favourite moment was Brian and Jeremy trying to leave the Darling mansion, and being caught by Tripp, and Jeremy's awful panicked lying, and Brian's equally awful, but calm, lying. That was just plain fun. A lot of fun comedy tonight. The brothers leaving after Tripp did, Brian and Brian Jr. playing the Wii, and..well that's all I can remember, but it was a funny episode until the last fifteen minutes or so.

I have no idea why Nick is acting all self-righteous with his wife about her lying when he's done it so often and has already chosen the Darlings over her so many times. Incredibly hypocritical. Well-acted, though.

And I really don't get the point of Simon and Karen. As much as everything else is so unbelievable on this show, that just makes no sense. She knows he was plotting against her, he knows she was plotting against her, and Karen suddenly believes him and trusts him? Wha?

Worst part of the episode was Simon's speech about family. WTF? That was just bizarre. "Imagine a family that doesn't use coercion or intimidation..". Uh, have you been in most families, Simon? Most aren't like the Darlings.

Anyway, I'm here for the fun and the random moments of some sense of a decent drama, but I actual prefer this to the soap on B&S, because this isn't masquerading as anything else. It's always been nothing more than a fun escape.

[Thief Of Love]

Belle & Sebastian

I did read a scathing, scathing review on The Boy With the Arab Strap, but also some good ones, so I'm looking forward to trying it out myself. Unless it's a complete departure from their sound with their level of experimentation (I'm really impressed with that thus far) I doubt I'll agree with much in the scathing review.

I wouldn't be surprised if the author of the scathing review was objecting to its being the first album on which Stuart didn't write and sing all the material -- four of the songs are by other members, and, granted, I think Stuart's songs on it are better than three of those ("Is It Wicked Not to Care?" by backup vocalist/cellist Isobel Campbell being the exception), but they still fit right in with the band's general sound. Well, there is one really oddball track, but you can find that one for yourself, heh. Anyhoo, the album's very much a continuation of the sound you've heard so far, but...prettier. A little more heavily orchestrated, which I love. Basically, given the songs you've singled out as favorites so far, you should dig TBWtAS.

To be honest, I really only got into indy music with any seriousness in the last, oh, six to eight months, so to me Belle & Sebastian's sound is pretty unique for any new artists.

I hear you on that. Heck, B&S were my big indie breakthrough band, so my knowledge so far is largely confined to them, former members, and acts with which they've worked. And much as I'm enjoying those artists, too, there's still something truly unique about B&S.

Yeah...with Mad Men gone this is pretty much the only subject I have left to discuss in this thread, heh. Anyone like to read nonfiction British history?

['Tos]

I figure a lot of us spent the FF hiatus doing TV/Internet/Music/Movie related things, so what did you do while FF was down?

I watched a lot of season two Buffy. Not a bad way to spend my time. And came up with an ideas for an essay, which has little to do with this thread, heh.

Chuck

Much better episode than the last two. First of all, I really liked Chuck's ex. And I liked her with Chuck, which really is a mark of good writing because I don't want anyone with him but Sarah. Still, I do think seeing him in a normal relationship would be interesting, plus good for Chuck. Maybe he needs someone first before he has the big relationship with Sarah. He needs his own Bryce. And just as temporarily on the show, hopefully. I also like that someone knows his secret, he can talk about it. That's a really interesting dynamic. Until the ex turns out to be a baddie, of course. Chuck has really grown into the spy aspects of his life (loved his confidence with the cops, that was just plain cool), and I'd like to see him grow more into be a relationship guy. He still has some issues there and why not work on them now before Sarah?

Yvonne had some excellent "eye acting" all night. I don't know what else to call it. I guess acting would suffice, heh, but it was all in the eyes, hence "eye acting". Loved seeing jealous Sarah. And Sarah + glasses + accent = unbelievably HAWT! I loved that they gave us a chance to hear her real accent.

Adam Baldwin in the wig. Poor guy. Lots of comedy here. The BuyMore was GREAT use of filler, semi-tying into the story, but mostly just being some awesome comedy. I can't remember anything right now, but, uh, it was a hilarious episode with some really good substance, and it's exactly why it's my favourite show right now.

[Thief Of Love]

Heh. Do we have to write a special "How I Spent My Fan Forum Hiatus" essay?

I did some writing on a story that's been bedeviling me for a few months; did some reading; watched basketball; dealt with some screwy computer issues; and listened to music that I talk about too much, heh. Yeah, not a very exciting [loooong] weekend for Thief.