I missed the first season of American Idol. I never saw Kelly Clarkson win. I missed season two and three, too. Never saw the battle between Clay Aiken and the Velvet Teddy Bear. Never saw Fantasia sing anything.
But somewhere around season four, I fell in love with the show. I called in to vote; I downloaded songs. We even created brackets at work for who we thought would get voted out when. I remember screaming at my TV when Chris Daughtry was voted out, I was so distraught.
Here's a little flashback to the horror-filled results show when we said goodbye to Daughtry. My face looked a lot like Katherine McPhee's.
But then Simon Cowell left and it all just kind of went to pot. Everyone was too...nice. I don't tune in to American Idol to watch Jennifer Lopez' highlighted cheekbones glimmer. I want to see talented artists give helpful critiques so that competitors can actually grow. Simon may have been a dick in a tight T-shirt, but at least he gave good, constructive criticism.
When they brought on Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj there was no way I was tuning in. If I wanted to watch silly women sling jabs at each other I would watch some Real Housewives of Wherever! Now we are in season 13 of American Idol and I am once again excited about the show. What has renewed my interest? Two words: Hatchet Harry.
I'll admit I am a little biased because I have loved Harry Connick, Jr., ever since I met him as a teenager. Ah, the memories! He had just returned from his honeymoon with his wife, Jill Goodacre, and he was so tan his blue eyes just popped right out of his face. And that voice! Whew! Despite my love for Harry, the man, I can objectively say that he brings a new and much-needed vibe back to American Idol. He gives an honest critique. And, unlike Simon Cowell, Connick manages to do so nicely. See, Simon? It's not that hard! He tells teenage girls that they would be better served finding a song more appropriate for their age, instead of leering at them creepily, like one Mr. Steven Tyler did. He's not afraid to tell someone they are not good. Connick is there to separate the good from the great, even if that means telling people no and having Jennifer Lopez nickname him Hatchet Harry. But, "sometimes you gotta stop the bleedin," said Hatchet Harry. Connick is self deprecating and funny and is starting a sweet little bromance with Keith Urban that could rival the Adam Levine/Blake Shelton love going on over at The Voice. Check out the clip below for 1) a great audition, and 2) a peek at the humor Connick brings to the show.
I think Idol producers should be kissing his feet for breathing new life into a dying horse and I, for one, will be tuning back in this season! What did you think? Did you watch Hatchet Harry do his thing on American Idol? Will you be tuning in this season to see who is your next American Idol???
Ok, so I'm the last one to the party, I know. But I need to talk about Sunday's episode of Game of Thrones, "The Rains of Castamere." In fact, I hadn't really planned to blog about the show, but I am still upset about it. Those who haven't yet seen the episode, be forewarned, There Be Spoilers Ahead!
"Rains of Castamere" has been called the most brutal and devastating hour of television ever made. I've seen worse – Opie's death in Sons of Anarchy, The Walking Dead's barn scene in episode 7 of season 2... But this one is right up there. And it's certainly one of the most frustrating episodes of television I have ever witnessed. They play with you on soooo many occasions in this episode! Bran and his entourage? They hide out from a storm in an abandoned tower when who should ride by? Jon Snow and the Wildings! But is there a joyful reunion between brothers??? Noooooo! Because the Wildings want Jon to prove his loyalty to them by killing an innocent. But, Jon is an honorable man. Instead of killing the man, he turns his blade on the Wildings and a pretty decent sword fight ensues. Jon ends up leaving his brother, the Wildings, and one very pissed off Ygritte behind. **And now let's have a moment of silence as Ginny says goodbye to sexy time with Jon and Ygritte. Goodbye, sexy time. You will be missed. If one so-close-you-can-touch-it family reunion wasn't enough for you, then have another. Because Arya, who has been traveling with The Hound in hopes that her mother and brother would pay dearly for her safe return, is on her way to meet them! Sadly, this will not happen either because just when she is this-close to reaching her family, she and The Hound are turned away at the gate. Why? Well, that's when I get truly pissed off. The episode opens up with Robb asking his mother, Lady Catelyn, if she agrees with his plan to attack Casterly Rock. It's dangerous and it involves Robb asking for assistance from a man he has wronged, Walder Frey. See, Robb promised to marry one of Frey's many daughters but instead he fell in love with Talisa, a nurse among his armies and he married her instead. Catelyn is worried about her oldest son but she gives him her blessing and it is lovely to see these two getting along after all of their recent fighting. The Starks go to Frey and ask his forgiveness for Robb's broken promise. Frey's all, "Yeah, that's totes cool. After all, Robb, you married for love and what's more honorable than that? Have your uncle marry one of my ugly daughters and we're totally square." Ever the trusting soul, Robb's all, "Sweet! Let's do this!" And off they go! But not before Frey got all creepy, sexual harassing Talisa. They're at the wedding and Robb and Talisa are being all cute and stuff. She's pregnant and tells Robb that if it's a boy, they should name him Ned after Robb's father. Squee! But Ned Stark was brutally killed in season one and little Ned Junior meets a similar fate as one of the Freys suddenly comes up behind her and stabs her violently in the belly. As Robb kneels over her weeping, he is shot with multiple arrows and all of his men are locked in the room and their throats are slit. It's horrible! Horrible, I tell you!
Catelyn is watching all of this and begs for her son's life. she threatens to kill Frey's wife if Robb dies. Frey, ever the douche, just says he can get another. As Robb is stabbed multiple times, Catelyn screams, kills Frey's wife and then promptly has her own throat slit by one of Frey's men.
Thus ends one of the most infuriating hours of television I have ever watched.
I had George RR Martin's novels on my summer reading list, but now I'm asking myself if I really want to read them. What is up with Martin? He takes everyone good and honorable – Ned, Catelyn, sweet, trusting Robb, and murders them in horrible ways while weasly, cowardly little d-bags like Joffrey and his awful mother carry on without a care in the world! Who's next, Rickon??? (Don't say Jon Snow. Don't say Jon Snow. Don't say Jon Snow!)
Is this really a world I want to immerse myself into??? If you've read the novels, speak up; I want to hear from you! Are they worth my time? Or do I need to recommend a good psychiatrist for our friend Mr. Martin?
While I try to make up my mind, enjoy this Youtube video I found that aptly describes my reaction to Sunday's episode:
Tomorrow is Valentine's Day! As many of you head off to romantic evenings with your significant others, I, in true couch potato fashion, will be spending the evening with one of my TV boyfriends. After all, while it may be quite difficult to meet Mr. Right sitting in my living room working on homework, that's the lot I've chosen right now. No matter, I have a wealth of suitors to choose from right off my TV screen! But whom do I choose for the most romantic of holidays? Let's recap my Top 8 list of TV crushes!
1. Nick Miller from New Girl.
OK, so Nick is a bit of a slacker. And kind of a slob. Like I've never dated any of those before! He's that one. The curmudgeon of the group. The wisecracker, and as Nick himself would say about girls in pink robes, "Smart asses are my catnip." But despite his grouchy demeanor, deep inside he's just a softy, who loves his friends and appears to be quite the passionate kisser, as evidenced below. Can I get a link and an amen, ladies?
2. Jax Teller from Sons of Anarchy.*
We can't sum up everything I love about Jax in a paragraph. He would need an entire blog post unto himself. Believe me, there are times I think I could write one I'm so inspired by his ass character! He's wonderfully complicated!For starters, he's caught up in the uber-violent world of a gun-running motorcycle club. He totally holds his own among gang members, drug cartels and even members of the IRA, yet he comes home to his wife and sons and is completely gentle and loving. Sons of Anarchy is full of dichotomies like Jax's character and I love it. The cast is a gang of misogynist bikers who throw women away like used beer cans, yet the matriarch of the group, Jax's mother, Gemma, is revered like a queen. And trust, Jax loves his mother deeply – they are very close – but he is no momma's boy! What he is, is a reluctant leader, trying to navigate through very violent circumstances in order to make a better life for his family. He's a true anti-hero, in every sense of the word and I love him! *honorable mentions could and should go to many of the men in the Sons of Anarchy cast, including Opie, Chibs and Juice (not you, Clay, you suck!), but heart will always belong to Jax.
3. Matthew Crawley from Downton Abbey.
Oh, sweet Matthew! Through some strange, old-world English legalities middle-class lawyer Matthew, third cousin of Lord Grantham (who has only daughters), becomes heir to the sprawling estate Downton Abbey. Lady Mary, Lord Grantham's eldest daughter, is less than thrilled to have Matthew join the family and live at Downton. She'd much rather find a wealthy husband and have the money stay in the family. But damn that Matthew, he's just so charming it isn't long before stuffy Mary finds herself nursing feelings for him. Just in time for him to go off to fight in WWI and almost get himself killed! But our hero returns in a most romantic manner, sweeps Lady Mary off her feet and the two were married this season! I like to watch the episodes of Downton Abbey as they air here in America, but I have heard **spoiler alert** that my time with Matthew is at an end, as he will not make it past next week's season finale. **sniff, sniff** Poor Matthew. We'll always have Downton.
4. Daryl Dixon from, The Walking Dead.
What can I say about Daryl, except he kicks ass? There's something very attractive about a man who can keep you safe even when shit goes down, like the zombie apocalypse! And Daryl has things covered. With a crossbow, no less! Daryl's had a hard life. So when the world became over run with flesh eating zombies, he wasn't exactly sad to see the old way of things end! Daryl and his horrible brother, Merle, were raised by their alcoholic father. For years all they've had is each other so it's hard for him to let anyone else in. So much so that when his group of fellow survivors took over an old farmhouse, Daryl felt more comfortable sleeping in a tent outside. He's coming around slowly, but surely. He's bonded with battered wife Carol, and crazy Carl, the sheriff's son and only surviving child in the group. That is until Carl's sister is born. Daryl affectionately gives her the name Lil' Ass Kicker. Daryl usually has a serious demeanour, but occasionally makes wry comments and jokes to break the tension. Here's a nice little character study I found on Youtube to honor my TV boyfriend, Daryl.
5. Clark Kent from Smallville.
Anyone who knows me, knows I love Superman. For many, Christopher Reeve will always be Superman. That may be true, but for me, Tom Welling will always be Clark Kent. In Smallville, we meet Clark as a teenager, years before he becomes the Man of Steel. Instead he's just a normal (and seriously hot) high school boy, obsessed with the school's prettiest girl, Lana Lang. Inability to see the awesomeness that is his best friend Chloe aside, Clark is just too dreamy! He is strong and kind but also full of integrity and vulnerability. And did I mention the peepers on that boy/man? For ten years I watched his journey into superhero status and I loved every minute of it. How can I not want him to be my valentine? I mean, he's Superman! What's sexier than a man who can rush to Paris to bring you croissants, heat up your coffee with his X-ray vision and then fly you to the moon and back? Just don't ask him why he missed your birthday party. Again.
6. Damon Salvatore fromThe Vampire Diaries.
Why didn't I have this guy higher on my list again? Talk about an anti-hero! Damon will tell you forget hero period, he's the villain! Oh, but there is good in him. We see it whenever this vampire looks at Elena, the resident heroine on The Vampire Diaries and former girlfriend of Damon's brother, Stefan. Those who are friends with me on Facebook always know when I'm watching TVD because I will post a simple status update that reads, "I love you, Damon Salvatore." Because I do. What makes Damon so attractive is that for hundreds of years, he's done whatever he wants with no worries about the consequences. After all, he's a vampire! And he loves Elena dammit, even if it does make him a better person!Now, when confronted by an even more evil vampire, Klaus (yes, it's a show like that), Damon explains to Klaus why he'll never be loved. He says, "You do bad things for no reason. You do them to be a dick... if you're gonna be bad, be bad with purpose." That'swhat makes Damon so attractive. He's a bad boy with a purpose. It really makes it hard to hate him. And again, look at those eyes! Damon Salvatore, I love you.
7. Dean Winchester on Supernatural.
Ask anyone and they'll tell you Dean Winchester is a dick! He'd probably tell you that himself! But really, what do you want from a guy who allows himself no life, no love and no home? All he has is his car, his brother, and his ability to save the world from evil. Dean and his brother Sam (who is also hot and crush list-worthy) are hunters. They travel the US in their Chevy Impala saving the world from things that go bump in the night. Vampires, werewolves, angels of death, seven deadly sins, Lucifer himself? Yeah, they've fought that. And if he hadn't, Dean probably would not have made my list because, as I said, he's a bit of a dick. He's thoughtless and crass, slovenly and smug. He eats like a pig and belches like one too. He's also sarcastic, sometimes sweet and just generally sexy in a completely masculine way. Another anti-hero here. Dean has been hunting so long, he's become jaded and his shoulders are heavy with the weight of the world. He just needs a hug and I'm here to give him one.
8. Malcolm Reynolds on Firefly.
I mentioned Mal and Firefly in one of my last posts talking about shows that were canceled too soon. But here are four words that sum up why I love Captain Mal Reynolds so much:
Malcolm Reynolds = Han Solo
Yep. Mal shot first. Rakish, charming, a devil-may-care attitude, that's Mal! I'd like to plunder this smuggler's booty. But, beware! This captain is a gentleman in disguise. And that makes him even more swoon-worthy! I had to work really hard to whittle this list down to 8. Truth be told, I wanted it to be a top 5, but I'm a little bit of a TV whore who couldn't tie myself down to that few! There were countless more who almost made the cut: Both Ben and Noel from Felicity (I mean, really, is there a bad coice there? Either way you win!), Sawyer from Lost, Jim Halpert from The Office, Chandler Bing from Friends (In Janice's voice, "I love you, Chandlah Bing!"), oh! Doug Ross from ER, or McDreamy (Derrick) from Grey's Anatomy. Medical dramas provide plenty of eye candy! Did I miss anyone? Tell me, TV or not, who are you spending your Valentine's Day with? Whoever it is, I hope your day is beautiful!
Friday Night Lights, My beloved Veronica Mars, Pushing Daisies.... Arrested Development! What do all these shows have in common? For whatever reason we didn't watch them (I mean we the public. Not me, personally, of course. I watched all these bitches!) and they were cancelled.
All the shows listed above, however, ran for at least two seasons. So at least their networks gave them a chance. But there are shows out there that were never even given the chance... Shows that if perhaps the powers that be threw a little more money behind, could've really taken off. Shows that the cancellation of is nothing less than an egregious error, a blight on television history that cannot be rectified! I count down for you now:
The Top Five Shows That Were Cancelled Before Their Time!
5. Wonderfalls. I can't lie. This is the only show on this list that I did not watch as it aired. Why? Because I never heard of it! I think you really dropped the ball, advertising wise, Fox. Boo! But thanks to the wonderful invention of Netflix, I found this little gem and can include it in this list! Wonderfalls, created byBryan Fuller and executive produced by Tim Minear, tells the story of Jaye, a recent Brown University graduate who now works a dead-end job in a Niagra Falls gift shop where she is surrounded by inanimate objects that communicate with her. Sounds crazy, I know. But it's typical Bryan Fuller genius (he also created Pushing Daisies, Dead Like Me and the first – and best – season of Heroes) and the show was fabulous! Check out a classic scene below:
4. Undeclared. This is the show that actually inspired this list! I find that a story helps distract from the misery I am experiencing when at the gym. Instead of hip-hop or electronica- inspired playlists, I opt to stream comedies on my iPhone and Undeclared fits the bill perfectly! I've been watching it the past two weeks.
Created by the now revered Judd Apatow, Undeclared follows six freshman at an unnamed California university. The series features writing (and acting) by the uber-funny Seth Rogen, Apatow favorites Jay Baruchel and Jason Segel, and who is that playing English cutie Lloyd? Oh, that's right! It's the devastatingly sexy star of Sons of Anarchy (and my dreams), Charlie Hunnam! Every episode of this show has me laughing out loud – the one where Adam Sandler visits, or the one where Ron (Rogen) gets a free keg from the multi-cultural department and demands his roomies help him drink it all – but episode 6... Episode 6 had me cracking up on the elliptical yesterday! Marshall has a cold. He doesn't want to go to the school's health clinic though. He'd rather have the very pretty Rachel take care of him. But Ron knows he needs help. So he pulls Marshall from his bed under the guise of going to get fake IDs made from their student ID card, when the following hijinks occurs. You dropped the ball again, Fox. Dropped. The. Ball!
3. Freaks and Geeks. What can I say about this show that hasn't already been said? It's a critic's darling, yet nobody watched it! Why, people???
Freaks aired for one season on NBC before being dropped for low ratings. But I still to this day don't understand why no one watched it! Hello? James Franco, Jason Segel, Seth Rogen, Busy Phillips, JAMES FRANCO!!! The series made Time magazine's 100 Greatest Shows of All Time list, as well as TV Guide's Top Cult Shows Ever and Entertainment Weekly named it #13 among the best shows of the last 25 years! The show deserves every one of these accolades and more! Created by Paul Feig and Judd Apatow, the series focused on a bunch of teenagers growing up in the 80s. My crowd would've called them burnouts, but watch the show and you will fall in love with each and every one of them. Busy Phillips, anyone who watched one episode of this series knew you were bound for stardom! Feast your eyes on Freaks and Geeks!
2. Firefly. Many have theorized about why this series didn't catch on. I'm still flummoxed. Brought to us by the creator of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel and more recently Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog and The Avengers, Joss Whedon, Firefly is part science fiction, part western and all brilliant!
Set in the year 2517, Firefly follows the crew of starship Serenity, captained by the charming, yet crass, Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds. Mal and his first mate, Zoe, are veterans of the Browncoat Rebellion. They currently work as smugglers, trolling the galaxy looking for their next score. The series has a hard core following. They call themselves, of all things, Browncoats! Stop by Comic Con, Dragon Con, Anachro Con, any kind of con, and you're likely to find a Browncoat roaming the halls. In fact, Firefly fans are so vocal, they managed to make enough noise that Whedon got funding to finish up the story with the film, Serenity. Alas, their love was not enough to save the show and it was cancelled after just one season. To blame? What do you know...Fox! You suck, Fox!
I love all members of the Firefly cast, including Nathan Fillion as Mal (Swoon), Gina Torres as Zoe, the hilarious Alan Tudyk as Zoe's husband and Serenity pilot Wash, kick ass Summer Glau as River, the lovely Morena Baccarin as Inara, Chuck's awesome Adam Baldwin as Jayne and the uber-adorable and likable Jewel Staite as ship's mechanic Kaylee.
I couldn't find a good clip of Firefly to share, so you'll just have to take my word for it. It's fabulous. But it on Blu ray, yo!
1. My So-Called Life. I cannot think of my teen years without thinking of My So-Called Life, for nothing summed up what it felt like to be a teenager in the 90s like this show did. And few shows have achieved such cult status as this show either! ABC did this little show a real disservice but putting it on opposite ratings juggernaut, Friends. The show was doomed before it started.
Nevertheless, the show from the creators of Thirtysomething, never ceased to break new ground. I thank them for their offerings. We should all be thanking them for introducing us to Claire Danes, then 15 but already a little dramatic power house! Who could resist those longing looks she'd throw at high school cutie, Jordan Catalano (pretty, pretty Jared Leto)? I'm pretty sure that every woman my age fell in love with Jordan Catalano. Not because he was worthy but because Claire Danes loved him and she could make us feel anything.
I miss this show. I miss Jordan and Angela, Ricky and crazy Rayanne! Thanks to Netflix and Hulu, I can relive my youth any time I choose!
Who knows what would've happened to these shows if they aired today? TBS saved Cougar Town from extinction, as Direct TV did for Friday Night Lights. And Netflix is reviving Arrested Development this Spring! Alas, it's too late for these little gems. Thank goodness for the Internet, so brilliant series such as these, though may be gone, will never be forgotten!
Sunday was the Golden Globes – one of the few chances for Hollywood's golden stars of film to rub elbows with the unwashed masses from television. But seriously, how great was it to see Amy Poehler hobnobbing – even canoodling – with George Clooney???
This year was one of the best yet. Tina Fey and Poehler were way more beautiful and witty than the host from the past few years, Ricky Gervais! On top of being entertained, I learned a lot! Here's the scoop: 1. I need to see Silver Linings Playbook. Like, NEED to. I love Bradley Cooper. I love Jennifer Lawrence. Put them together and that's reason enough to go, in my book. But the Hollywood Foreign Press Association gave J.Law the award for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical over Meryl Streep, Maggie Smith, Judi Dench and Emily Blunt. Those are some serious names, y'all. And it's got me thinking she probably did a pretty good job. I gotta check it out! 2. Jodi Foster is cuckoo catchoo. Like, seriously. Not because she's a lesbian. Not because she thought it was witty to come out without really coming out. But because seems to be under the impression she can be an actress of her stature and still expect an amount of privacy. Jodi. you already have as much privacy as you're going to get. You want more? You may want to look into a new career. 3. The world needs to have more awards for Anne Hathaway. I love this woman. She is talented, she is beautiful and she can SING! I thought her speech was adorable and touching and I could watch her win shit all day long.
4. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner are adorable. I have loved Ben Affleck for years. I love that he's not afraid to make fun of himself. And he's a damn good director! I hate that he was not nominated for Best Director for the Oscars! If you ask me, both of them need to look good ol' Academy straight in the eyes and say, "Argo fuck yourselves!" See the movie. You'll get that one. Seriously. See the movie. It's great! 5. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are the bomb.com!
There were many highlights from the evening courtesy of these two, including Tina Fey asking Taylor Swift to stay away from Michael J. Fox's son because she needed some alone time to heal. As I saw on the Internet the other day, when is someone going to write a song about Taylor Swift titled, "Maybe it's Me"? Here's some other winner from the duo:
"When
it comes to torture, I trust the lady who spent three years married to James
Cameron" -- Poehler referring to Kathryn Bigelow, the director of the
movie "Zero Dark Thirty," a movie featuring the torture of terror detainees.
"I have not seen someone so totally alone and abandoned like that since
you were on stage with James Franco at the Oscars," Fey to Anne Hathaway
about the latter's performance in "Les Miserables."
The
way they introduced George Clooney: "This next presenter is so handsome he
makes young George Clooney look like garbage. Please welcome middle-aged George
Clooney."
Is it just me, or is TV not the same as it used to be? I heard a song on the radio today that made me think of the show the Wonder Years.
The Cast of the Wonder Years
Damn, I loved that show! Wonder Years was the story of Kevin Arnold, a boy growing up in the Vietnam War era. No matter how complicated life was around Kevin and his friends, they remained innocent and hopeful. Maybe it's just that I've grown up, but doesn't it seem like TV has lost its innocence? Or it is my perspective that's changed? I think back to some of my favorite shows growing up and they all had an air of innocence. Take The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. The entire premise of the show was about a kid sent to live with family in Beverly Hills because the town he grew up in (West Philadelphia born and raised) was too violent. You think if they remade that show today Will Smith's character wouldn't be so much more jaded? Speaking of Beverly Hills, another show I couldn't get enough of was Beverly Hills 90210. Sure the show tried to be cutting edge. I remember Brenda's pregnancy scare and Donna Martin's shocking speech about the importance of teaching kids about safe sex. But even the toughest subjects back then were handled differently than they are now. I checked out the 90210 remake for nostalgia's sake when it premiered. Within the first 15 minutes there was a shot of one of the character's receiving a blowjob in his car as his girlfriend walked through the parking lot. You'd never have caught Brandon or Kelly doing that! I know, I know, I've talked a lot about the kind of television that I watch. A lot of it is gory and violent and exactly what I am complaining about. However, most of my favorite shows – like American Horror Story, Sons of Anarchy and The Walking Dead – all air on cable TV, a vehicle for sex violence that didn't exist in the time I am speaking of.
Violence abounds in the very awesome Sons of Anarchy.
There's a time and place for violence. And in my opinion it's after 10 p.m. on cable networks. My question is, where is the love? The innocence? The sense of wonderment? Where is Kevin Arnold and the Wonder Years???
Last night I took a peek at ABC's new drama, Nashville.
What can I say? I'm not a country fan, but there was plenty for me to like, namely having the uber-awesome Connie Britton back on my TV! I have loved her since Friday Night Lights and, while I loved her in American Horror Story, I've missed her southern twang and her awesome "y'alls." Thank you Nashville, for giving those back to me. The show revolves around Rayna James (Britton), an aging country star whose current album isn't selling as well as she likes. Or as well as the record label would like. Now she's being asked to co-headline on a tour with Juliette Barnes, played by Hayden Panettiere (co-headlining is code for being an opening act, btw). Juliette is a young crossover artist with mass appeal. Picture her as kind of a slutty Taylor Swift and you're there. I've never really been a Panettiere fan and her turn as the conniving, spoiled Juliette is not helping matters at all. I was worried the show would be a TV version of Gwyneth Paltrow's Country Strong, where she plays a used-up country star trying to rebuild her career while staying clean, but up-and-comer Leighton Meester is dangerously close to eclipsing her fame.
There is some of that storyline at work here, but Nashville is about a lot more too. There's Juliette's junky mom who calls begging for money, thus reducing her daughter to tears. And then there's Rayna's power-hungry, hard-as-nails father played perfectly by Powers Booth. I took an instant dislike to this man. I am looking forward to seeing him get his comeuppance. And then there's her husband, forced to live in her shadow until her father convinces him to run for mayor. And her band leader, who is apparently a former lover.
It's a tangled web Rayna is caught up in and I could easily find myself getting hooked in as well. Nashville is soapy, but in the best way possible. And with music supervised by renowned producer T Bone Burnett (he's worked with BB King, Elton John, Tony Bennett and John Mellencamp to name a few), the show is sure to launch more than a few radio hits.
If Nashville holds up to everything the pilot promises, we'll be visiting these ladies for quite a while, and I, for one, am ready for the trip!
You may not know his name, but I'm betting you've seen his face. This is actor Mark Pellegrino.
He looks innocent enough. Even kind of cute! But he's that guy, the guy who always plays the bad guy! After seeing him in his most recent role as Jeremy on NBC's Revolution, I am asking myself – why is this guy always so evil? Can he really be that good at playing bad or could he actually be the devil himself? Let's examine the evidence.
Jeremy reveals Miles' secret past to his fellow travelers. Bad, Jeremy! Bad!
Paul Bennett, druggie and wife beater. All around bad dude.
When I first saw Pellegrino he was playing Paul Bennett, Rita's abusive and drug-addicted ex-husband on Dexter. Just look at him. Doesn't he just look slimy?
True, Dexter is a show about a serial killer working for Miami Police Department, but Dex isn't the bad guy, no sir! Dexter never smacked sweet Rita around like good ol' Paul, so make no mistake, Paul Bennett was the bad guy in town. As soon as Dexter caught wind that Paul might be on to his little late night mutilation hobby he had to go and, frankly, I didn't miss him.
Ex-convict and killer Dick Hickock. Baaaad dude.
Pellegrino has been around for a while - since 1987, according to IMDb. He's played all kinds of antagonists: a Fulcrum agent on Chuck, a criminal on The Closer, he even took a turn as some kind of nasty on Grimm. He's even taken his essence of evil onto the big screen, playing ex-con and murderer Dick Hickock in Capote.
Granted, Phillip Seymour Hoffman made Capote worth watching with his Oscar-winning performance, but Clifton Collins, Jr., and Pellegrino also shone in their takes on the cold-blooded murderers.
Bishop. Cop. Vampire. Nasty, nasty dude.
When next I saw Pellegrino it was as Bishop, head of a Boston vampire clan on SyFy series Being Human. Bishop was a nasty mo-fo. He may look like a lieutenant on the Boston Police Force, but he'd rather eat you than serve or protect you. He spends more time covering up the crimes his vampire brethren commit than solving any real cases. When he kidnaps Sam, one of our heroes and the nicest werewolf you ever will meet, he signs his death warrant. Good riddance, because Bishop is just pure evil. I mean, could a man get any worse?
Well how about the devil himself? That's right. Next Pellegrino played Lucifer on one of my favorite shows, Supernatural! The actual devil.
Ummmm, hello. This is Lucifer. Do I really have to explain how bad this dude is??? Bad, y'all!
Lucifer spent most of season 7 tormenting one of Supernatural's heroic Winchester brothers, Sam. Pellegrino was apparently in talks to play Castiel, the other Winchester, Dean's, fallen angel bestie, but casting agents saw the evil lurking in Pellegrino's eyes and decided to ask him to portray the Dark Lord himself.
The only time I've ever seen Mark Pellegrino play anything close to a good guy is when he played Jacob on Lost. And anyone who has watched Lost can tell you that, while Jacob was the protector of the island, it would be difficult to call him a "good guy."
Jacob on Lost. Even though he's good, he's still kind of bad.
For five seasons on Lost, Jacob was just a faceless character with an agenda just as hidden. We had no idea why he did the things he did, but Ben – definitely a bad guy – kept doing all of these terrible things like kidnapping our Losties, threatening to kill Kate, Sawyer and numerous others, and just creating general mayhem all because "Jacob told him to."
When we did meet Jacob, it was still kinda hard to like him. He seemed cold. And he had a nasty habit of showing up at bad times, to nudge characters in certain directions, sometimes by doing bad things, like distracting Sayid so he was too late to save his wife from the car crash that killed her.
The evidence is mounting up! Maybe we have been fooled for years and the actors we revere, the big names like Depp, Pacino, Nicholson and Hoffman are not the greatest actors the world has known, and instead Mark Pellegrino is the world's greatest actor, convincing us that he is not evil incarnate but just a regular guy. It could happen! Or is he maybe a dark force bent on destroying humanity like the characters he plays so well...
Could be. IMDb says he's a teacher and he's married with a kid. It's hard to imagine the devil being married with a kid. Even still, I won't be inviting this guy to dinner anytime soon. Frankly, he scares the shit outta me!
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