EricMontreal22

But surely a few could come back in the future--shoudln't they leave the option open for some? Like Gina Torres at least? I didn't mean Anna though, her death set up the whole brother drinks blood thing, and I think she was used as much as needed.

Amello!

I don't think it was intentional whatsoever--the lend scenes seem to show we were meant to side with Kurt (the strange thing is they even had him briefly defend Finn when his dad started his tirade). I agree with BadZoe completely that if Finn had just been visiting or something and jumped the gun it woulda been more understandable. I actually, as much as I hate how Murphy writes this stuff, don't think they were implying Rachel's dads were less than good parents whatsoever--that's one argument I won't agree with. While it's true they sucked at sewing, that's the only thing we've ever heard negative about them (well except that they're kinda stage parents but Rachel seems to thrive on that, and her mom is obviously no better).

I thought that too. But did you just start watching? In the early episodes they went on about her gay dads *constantly* (though we've yet to see them--I heard they're apparently waiting for some "big names"). Speaking of, we've had Molly Shanon now on as that ex junkie teacher about three times, and each time she gets about... one line. Are they holding out for some big story? Why is she even there?

Interestingly, apparently Ian was the one who needed the most work to really get his character--everyone talks about how craptastic his audition was. And I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels that way with the instant deaths. They bring in often interesting actors to do interesting characters and its gotten to the point now where I'd be surprised if one LASTED more than 2 eps. At first the fact nearly anyone is capable of being killed does give the show an edge--now it would be more surprising to have someone stick around... I get JP's point, and liked how it was done with Vicki, but I think the fact that now we have grown into thinking anyone WILL die is defeating the purpose.

WOAH, hold your horses. I've been a fan of a lot of UPN/WB programming (not so much CW so far), with Buffy and Veronica Mars topping my list. I didn't mean to imply that all--I read the first novel as a teenager (yes, before Twilight hit--my sis had them) and I remember it being AWFUL. If I think Alan Ball has taken Charlaine Harris' average, fun but slight Vampire novels and made a feast of them with True Blood, then in their way Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec had even less decent material to pull from for their show. The books are just awesomely crappy writing. Sorry I wasn't clear. That said, while I am a fan of much of his work, the fact Kevin Williamson hasn't had a great track record with tv shows (though I did find Wasteland and Glory Days guilty pleasures--even Hidden Palms), did make me think maybe this wouldn't be the surefire hit people thought. I was clearly wrong.

Yeah, that was exactly my point (we're back to agreeing!). As Carl said, it was the wrong place to bring up the valid (and well acted0 speech of the father about the use of the F word, etc, etc, because it missed a lot of what was actually going on.

I admit, I liked the finale (it wasn't anything brilliant, but I enjoyed it) the way I felt about the show in general--it was fun, the moody tone sucked me in, and, as backhanded as this sounds, I thought it was far better than it had any right to be (since they're alwasy compare, it's not even slightly a True Blood, but it sure is more interesting than Twilight). I did think one problem was how quickly every side character seemed to get killed off--we'd have a potentially interesting character introduced and he'd be killed off the next week. So how long till we see the Mayor's son transform into a werewolf, BTW? Is it mandatory that every vampire project midway through introduces werewolves? Still I liked that they didn't hammer the point that that's what he was too obviously.

To be kinda fair, Murphy showed hostility towards EVERYONE in Nip/YuckTuck. But, it's true because of the lack of GLBT characters shown, and the shock value he often used them for (rapists without penises, I'm not sure if that counts, but things like that), it did especially stand out. (His mess of a movie adaptation of Running with Scissors also could be used as an example here, though the original "memoirs" have a lot of that anyway). I do think that Kurt is meant to be seen as strong and sympathetic (and, some of this episode aside, he hasn't been shown as mean spirited like he was in some early episodes), and I doubt there was a *conscious* intention to make him look bad and Finn not. But yes, I agree with a lot of what you're saying. All this stuff, frankly, stinks of the problems Murphy has as a writer (along with the problems mentioned like repeated plots, character inconsistencies, dropped stories, etc). I would welcome his "co creators" having more of a say, if only to see if someone else can sort this out--Murphy tends to just get worse and worse, so...

Kurt being so extreme doesn't really bug me--we seem to have enough "masculine" gay guys on TV (well not enough, but a fair amount) that one so flamboyant doesn't bug me. I do agree though that he can be a bit nasty, though I think the actor tries his best to underplay this--but that's a Ryan Murphy problem in general. I hated that we got a rehash of him and his dad a couple of episodes back, but this one at least showed his dad past that. That said, despite saying "faggy", both me and my friend felt that Finn had every right to be upset--he was suddenly forced to move, with NO warning, into the same room with the kid he goes to school with and has alwasy been nice to, who constantly is practically coming on to him--so zero privacy--while dealing with his mom finding a new man on top of it. Any teenager in that situation would blow up... At least Kurt isn' tcompletely unsympathetic, nor is he asexual I guyess as most feminine gays like him woul dbe in the past. Still, I get what you're saying. Anyway, I DID, surprisingly, really like the Poker Face duet and even found it touching even if this mother plot has happened way too quickly (after half an episode Idina Menzel's character already decides she doesn't want in her life?).

That's how I think too--about the current airing soaps. It kinda looks like a higher budget (not too much higher tho ) Dark Shadows from a superficial POV... Interesting, Sam Hall scripted. Speaking of Dark Shadows I'm finally down the second box set (I started with the Beginning episodes and it's just now starting to get legitimately supernatural)

New UK synth duo I'm loving http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn8tBgI1BVQ

Goldfrapp's second single from their brilliantly 80s Head's Up. Love the Richard X production, the song, and the video with its tributes to 80s heavy metal bands, Olivia Newton John and Xanadu, and that weird 80s space lesbian vampire movie, Lifeforce (!)

I took a break at episode 80, but I think am ready to get back into it. My problem is I have a hard time not watching ti all night long till the sun comes up--it's an outstandingly done soap.

Boo, Boyle. I agree, despite the high price per episode, it'll squeak by four seasons. I don't think the tween audience will really peak with it till mid/late next year honestly, especially with the cheezetastic tour doing so well, etc. All My Shadows--I do agree and while I watch it regularly, I'm aware of its flaws and basically stay out of the myriad of facebook YAY Glee posts I get so not to make ennemeies of my friends. That said--there's nothing wrong with a show being something of a (large cult) phenoimenon and riding that wave out--i think the idea that for a show to be good it should last 5+ years is vastly outdated and just not a reality anymore, especially for theyounger generations.

HA very good point that I completely forgot. Still, it did seem like interest in Glee oddly grew in the break (unlike shows like Fast Forward, etc etc)

Makes sense--this is one of the only examples this year that I can think of (well maybe Vampire Diaries too? not sure) where the long hiatus between the Fall and Spring new episodes actually clearly worked to the show's advantage ratings wise. Part of the reason may have been Fox was smart and released the Fall "mini season" on DVD during the break, and started out their merchandising behemouth of concert tickets, cds, etc.

To be fair, I think, much like Popular (and let's be honest, Nip/Tuck too) Ryan Murphy sees the grouping of such broad steoretypes as part of the very point--he probably sees it as subversive. I'm not sure it is, but... I've actually largely prefered this second half, over the Fall, though I agree the stories have been even worse so I'm not sure why (maybe the musical numbers overall) and I think they use music FAR better than High School Musical did but I do get your point (and agree with your point about the stereotypes just playing the stereotypes, not breaking the mold). Cop Rock had the problem of its setting, but (and I recently watched the full series) it also was just really badly done. Of course Glee is smart to use established songs, it's VERY hard to get decent original songs cranked out quickly enough to have 3-5 each week and Cop Rock's songs SUCKED, but the way they staged them also makes Glee's more clumsy looking numbers (I'm talking about the ones sung "in the real world"--not the ones sung on stage), look like brilliance. It was just very very poorly executed, despite a big budget and people behind the scenes. Glee obviously works very very hard, and deserves some credit for that. (Contrarywise, that does make their laziness in other areas all the more annoying)

A *lot* of adults like and watch it though. But I agree with a lot of it (Mercedes! That's the Black girl's name lol). It is annoying that Kurt's coming out to his dad story has essentially been repeated in *three* episodes now, pointlessly!. And don't worry, the backlash about ti not being a groundbreaking show has already appened. I do think it deserves props for somehow managing to make the music work--something that Cop Rock, Hull High (anyone else rememeber that? lol), Rags to Riches, etc, etc, simply never could achieve.

I see it lasting a more or less solid three years (or at LEAST two) and crumbling in the fourth. I think one problem is, as Jack said, the cracks are showing (as they always seem to with Ryan Murphy shows, though usually after one full season). Given all the time constraints, etc, etc, while I recognize that they're cheezy, the part that wins people over (including me) are the musical numbers--and I do wonder if they'll start to run out of inspiration for them after two years. It's super cynical to say, but I can't help feeling that's inevitable. The fact that they're already repeating so many plots (and can't possibly repeat this neverending "road to sectionals/reagionals" story next year) isn't good, but maybe a new writer or some other new element can help things out. I guess I should just enjoy the ride for what it is, while it's enjoyable (like I said, despite often rolling my eyes while watching, or being shocked by how unrecognizable a character is from the week before, I *do* enjoy it, lol). Oh, Jack, Quinn lives with Puck. It was just a couple of throwaway lines, but she mentioned how Puck's mom doesn't let her eat bacon, and how she wanted Puck to date... umm black girl (God it's not a great sign that I still don't know half the names, is it lol) in that episode a few weeks back, so that he'd watch over her less and be home less. I actually think Nip/Tuck started to fall apart during Season 2 when it became so relentlessly gothic--and that's when the characters really started to be so inconsistant and make so little sense, but I know many loved that season best (I guess it wasn't as over the top as the one with the serial rapist/killer who had no penis--not to mention the last few years where I only saw some episodes but found it just so mean spirited in its outrageousness I couldn't get any fun from it)

I thought this Joss Whedon directed episode was, surprisingly, the weakest since last Fall. The Neil Patrick Harris story was way too similar to past ones we've had, the Rachel's mom story was interesting but oddly was the least featured one--it was basically the C story when it shoulda been the A. We've already seen stuff with Artie (who comes off as needlessly mean to his girlfriend over and over to me) wanting to dance and being sad he's in a chair, it was shamaltzy and disappointing. I don't watch the show for the stories--they're repetitive and, true to Ryan Murphy's past tv writing (especially Nip/Tuck) the characters change personalities at the drop of a hat just to allow whatever new plot is happening that week. I do watch for the songs, and for the fun I still get out of the show, despite my concerns, and eye rolling. That said, I actually think this Spring "season" has been better overall than the Fall, if less surprising. This New Yorker review is IMHO pretty spot on, though she may like it a bit more than I do (and I think the production numbers often are, considering the time they have, better staged than she does)--but I agree about the often odd changes in tone, etc, and about why it's still a fun watch, nevertheless. http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/television/2010/05/10/100510crte_television_franklin

Yep. It aired recently here in Canada on Drive Inn Classics (a digital station I never got) Nice to see you back here, Drew!

I can't quite decide if I find this band genius or just one obnoxious gimmick, but they're starting to make strides in the UK charts (their gimmick, like the punk band Me First and the Gimme Gimmes is to remake modern hits as rockabilly/Elvis type rock songs). One problem is they're a German band, which is fine but every once and a while a word they mispronounce betrays that they're not from the US as implied. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WflwF29Dko

LOVE Hot Chip (who are oddly also rumoured to be behind the track I posted)

I think this is gonna become my fave dance tune of the Summer, and I suspect a breakthrough hit in the UK (though of course never in the US), by the mysterious UK new duo Monarchy (they did an excellent Gaga mix of Dance in the Dark), who rumour says is a team up of Stuart Price and Starmith. The video is awesome too, though I hate that they interupt the music with sound effects--a music video nono in my books (and it's the radio edit which cuts the great last part when the beat comes back in)