Josie’s Best of 2009

If I just did a Best Shows of 2009 list, it would be Lost all the way down. I love it, I obsess about it, I theorize and ponder and squeal with every new episode. All else pales in comparison.

But there were some other, non-Lost moments on TV in 2009, and so I offer a highly personal and impressionist list of Best TV Stuff. (And yes, I know that “Best” means just one. But I don’t want to play favorites, so a few of these are ties.)


Best Show: Lost

Best Episode:
1. The Incident
2. The Incident (it deserves both spots)

Best Lines:
1. “Bloop” (Hurley, Lost, The Lie)
2. “Chuck me” (Casey, Chuck, Chuck vs. the Ring)

Best Actor/Actress:
1. Michael Emerson
2. Jorge Garcia
3. Elizabeth Mitchell
[4. Edited to add Enver Gojak--how could I forget him?]

Best Guest Star:
1. Scott Bakula on Chuck
2. The Man in Black on Lost

Best Score:
1. Fringe
2. Lost

Best Soundtrack:
1. Chuck
2. Glee

Best Surprise Couple:
1. Sawyer and Juliet (Lost)
2. Sayid and Ben (Lost)

Best Action Sequence: Gimme Some Truth (FlashForward)

Best Hand-to-Hand Combat: Sawyer and Jack (Lost, The Incident)

Best Sight Gag: Astrid and Walter in the tinfoil hats (Fringe, Of Human Action)

Best Sex Scene: Chuck and Sara (Chuck, Chuck vs. the Colonel)

Best (I certainly hope it isn’t a) Death Scene: Juliet (Lost, The Incident)

Best Surprise: The Vampire Diaries aren’t awful once you get past the first few episodes.

Best Canceled Show: The Unusuals and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (I’m not counting Dollhouse, since it will run a few more episodes on 2010)

Most Improved: Dollhouse (and TTSCC, too—it got really great at the end)

Worst Series Finale: Battlestar Galactica

Worst Pilot I Actually Bothered to Watch: The Forgotten

Stuff I Watched and Loved in 2009, even though it aired earlier: I finally watched Rome in 2009, and loved it. I really enjoyed the first season of True Blood, and I’m excited for the next season to come out on DVD. I’ve started watching Supernatural, and it’s pretty good so far (I’m still on Season One).

Best Book: Stephen King, Under the Dome

(Screencap courtesy of fringefiles.com. Thanks, guys!)

Serena's Top 9 of '09

Since 9 is my lucky number (my bday is 09-09), it seemed appropos to post my Top 9's of '09. I've got not one, but FIVE lists for you!

• Top 9 Glee Songs
• Top 9 Glee Moments/Quotes
• Top 9 Sue Sylvester Quotes
• 9 Jaw-Droppingly Good TV Moments
  
• 9 So-Bad-Its-Pointless Disappointments
  

Enjoy!

Top 9 Glee Songs:

9. "Defying Gravity" - Rachel and Kurt, 1.9 Wheels
8. "Poison" - Acafellas, 1.3 Acafellas
7. "Sweet Caroline" - Puck, 1.8 Mash Up
6. "Imagine" - Mercedes, Artie and Deaf Kids, 1.11 Hairology
5. "Proud Mary" - Tina, Mercedes and Artie, 1.9 Wheels
4. "Don't Rain On My Parade" - Rachel, 1.13 Sectionals
3. "Halo/Walking on Sunshine" and "It's My Life/Confessions" - Boys v. Girls, 1.6 Vitamin D
2. "Rehab" - Vocal Adrenaline, 1.1 Pilot
1. "Don't Stop Believin'" - Rachel, Finn and Crew, 1.1 Pilot

Top 9 Glee Moments/Quotes

9. The Mattress Commercial. As I said, one of the best performances on Glee so far, right up there with "Rehab" and "Don't Stop Believin'". I love it when the mattress store owner jumps! [1.12 Mattress]

8. Boys v. Girls Mashups. Ok, already mentioned in my Top 9 Songs, but Rachel and Finn on speed still crack me up. I listen to the mashups so much that when I heard "Halo" the other day, I got confused when it didn't cut over to "Walking On Sunshine". [1.6 Vitamin D]

7. Kurt: "Oh Bambi, I cried so hard when those hunters shot your mommy." [1.5 The Rhodes Not Taken]

6. Slushee Stalking. That opening scene with Kurt in a transparent pea coat and Mercedes screeching, "My weave!" is just awesome. [1.8 Mashup]

5. Ken Tanaka: "I had a monster case of athlete's foot a couple of years ago and got all my toenails removed. So if she steps on my feet during the dance, I might pass out." [1.8 Mashup]

4. Puck: "It was a message from God - Rachel was a hot Jew and the good lord wanted me to get into her pants." [1.8 Mashup]

3. Celibacy Club Motto: "It's all about the teasing, and not about the pleasing." [1.2 Showmance]

2. Rachel (when caught trying to throw up): "I tried, I guess I don't have the gag reflex."
Emma: "One day when you're older, that will turn into an advantage." [1.2 Showmance]

1. Josh Groban: "Josh Groban loves a blowsy alcoholic." [1.3 Acafellas]

Top 9 Sue Sylvester Quotes

9. "I'll often yell at homeless people 'Hey, how's that homelessness working out for you? Give not being homeless a try!'"

8. "If I have a pregnant girl doing a handspring into a double layout, the judges aren't going to be admiring her impeccable form, they're going to be wondering if the centrifugal force is going to make the baby's head start crowning."

7. "You're too busy chasing tail and loading your hair with enormous amounts of product! I mean, today it just looks like you put lard in it."

6. "All I want is just one day a year where I'm not visually assaulted by uglies or fatties."

5. "You sunk my battleship, Rod, and you sunk it hard."

4. "In fact, I like minorities so much, I'm thinking about moving to California to become one."

3. "When I heard Sandy wanted to write himself into a scene as Queen Cleopatra, I was aroused, then furious."

2. The Journal!

1. "Santana. Brittany. Wheels. Gay kid. Asian. Other Asian. Aretha, and Shaft."

9 Jaw-Droppingly Good TV Moments:

9. House and the Mental Hospital. So far, the season isn't nearly as good as previous ones - I think I like House better when he was unabashedly mean (and funny), Foreteen is a bore, wtf is up with Cuddy and Lucas, and what happened to Chase's fabulous hair??? But I cannot deny that the season premiere episodes, when House is stuck in the mental hospital, are some of the finest moments of the show. Stark, grim, hopeless, and gray, the hospital (and the episodes) seemed like another world, another show. Someone needs to give Andre Braugher a permanent show - he is superb.

8. Lost - When Juliet detonates the bomb. Lost is always a funny show for me - I never watch it during the season, I'm not obsessed crazy, and I don't try to figure things out ahead of time. Sometimes, it even feels like homework - I feel like I have to pay really careful attention, so that I don't miss a single, potentially important moment. But without question, last season's finale, ending with Juliet detonating the bomb, was one of the best pieces of television I've ever seen, and for once, I can't wait until the next season starts. Besides, the complexity of Juliet has forever ruined me from any other character Elizabeth Mitchell plays.

7. Chuck - "I know kung fu." I love Chuck with a vengeance - so much that I actually went to Subway during the "Save Chuck" campaign. And why wouldn't I? Season 2 was packed with great episodes, and awesome guest stars. (It's one of the few shows that actually use their guest stars as more than a plot stunt.) The good? Scott Bakula as Chuck's dad, Tricia Helfer sauntering in to Buy More as the stripper cop, Chevy Chase as evil Bill Gates, Sarah choosing Chuck over Bryce, just off the top of my head. The best? Chuck: "I know kung fu."

6. Battlestar Galactica - "The Oath" and "Blood on the Scales". Although the last 1/2 of the series was spotty, the double episodes "The Oath" and "Blood on the Scales" were good enough to make up for the entire season. We got a lethargic Starbuck back in bad-ass form, Lee out of his horrendous suit, and a glimpse of what made Bill Adama the Admiral he is today. This is Battlestar at its best: powerful, dramatic, and seat-of-your-pants gripping.

5. CSI. Yeah, yeah, I know. But there's a reason CSI made this particular list - a cheeky little episode that sent up sci-fi conventions, complete with BSG's Ellen and Boomer as guest stars. What cinched it was when a smarmy producer unveils his heavily anticipated remake of a cheesy sci-fi tv show - the male lead is overly sensitive and starts crying to show off his human weakness - and Ron Moore yells, "You suck!" Classic.

4. True Blood. Hot "I thought you were dead" sex. "Smite me, motherfucker!" Pam in a pink Chanel suit. And of course, Alexander Sarsgaard. I can't choose - could you?

3. Dollhouse, Season 2. If you'd told me this summer if Dollhouse would become one of my favorite shows, I'd have looked at you like you were wearing a paisley shirt with plaid pants. But the last 6 episodes that aired after Fox officially canceled the show have been frakking-un-believable.

With the addition of Daniel, Topher's redemption, Adele's downward spiral, and an even more sinister Dollhouse, this show is going out with more than just a bang. And the much-lambasted Eliza Dushku is giving one hell of a performance - we finally care about Echo and her past, and can see why she *is* something special.

The sad irony is that what makes the last episodes of Dollhouse so scary good - a heroine we root for, the action-packed plots, tight storytelling, characters with depth, and an intelligently crafted alternate universe - are the things even die-hard Whedon fans criticized the show for not having when it premiered. What a complete, 180 transformation. I'll be sad when it finally ends.

2. Glee - The Pilot. I tuned in because I'm a musical theatre geek; by the end of the Pilot, I was head over heels in love. Never before had there been a show like Glee, with its black humor, snarky satirization of high school, completely weird characters, and wonderfully inappropriate musical numbers. Like the McKinley kids, my jaw was on the floor after Vocal Adrenaline's performance of "Rehab" - without question, the best musical number of the show - but it was six misfits in red T-shirts, and their unbelievable rendition of "Don't Stop Believin'" that stole my heart.

1. Dexter - Season Finale. You'd think that Glee would be my number one show of the year. After all, I loved it so much that I forced myself down Billie's throat as a reviewer :-) But, wow - that ending. I was shocked, stunned, screaming at the tv, rushing onto Internet boards. Those last three minutes placed Dexter firmly at the top of my list this year.

It was an amazing ending to an amazing season - easily the best since the show's first season. John Lithgow better win an Emmy - never again will I be able to watch 3rd Rock from the Sun without getting the willies. I loved watching Dexter becoming more and more human, from his unexpected jealousy to uncharacteristically frantic chase of Trinity, out of fear for his family. And then - WHAM!

The ending shot was beautifully symmetrical, and opens the door for endless opportunities. For the last 4 seasons, we've seen Dexter slowly growing as a human being outside of his dark passenger; now that Trinity has killed his last tie to humanity, the regression will no doubt be swift and intense. Bravo to an outstanding season!

Honorable Mentions: I need to point out Victor from Dollhouse. Sure, he was incredible as the creepy serial killer let loose, and dead on as Topher #2. But it was his coed-at-a-club that I can't get out of my head. Absolutely brilliant!

9 So-Bad-Its-Pointless Disappointments:

9. The last few episodes of True Blood, Season 2. After a thrilling plotline with the Fellowship of the Sun, True Blood... just... lost... steam... A big part of it was the overly drawn out Maryanne story. Really, they should have spread the two plotlines evenly throughout the season, or focused on one after the other. Such a waste of Michelle Forbes, who is a fabulous actress, and seemed to be having so much fun with the role.

And uh, what was the point of the first 30 minutes of the Season 2 finale? I felt like I was watching people clean their house.

8. Heroes. Why isn't this show dead yet?

7. Fame, the movie. As everyone knows, I'm a die hard musical theatre geek, and the rising popularity of musicals and dance has my heart swelling. But Fame just plain sucked. Which in itself sucks, because one of the contestants from my favorite season of So You Think You Can Dance - Kherington - had a starring role.

6. So You Think You Can Dance. A bunch of must-see shows fell off my radar this year: Grey's Anatomy (too many cast members!), Gossip Girl (what happened to Blair's wardrobe??), for example. But the one which fell the furthest is SYTYCD, which went from being my complete obsession to not even on my TiVo list.

Up until this year, I couldn't get enough of it. I sought out all things SYTYCD - songs played on the show, the live tour, Tabitha and Napoleon's hip hop class, even watched Dancing with the Stars and some pretty bad dance movies out of loytalty to my dancers. But I think the turning point came in Season 5, when they cut Natalie inexplicably from Vegas try outs. The judges tried so hard to defend their decision that they kept referring to the Season 5 contestants as "the best dancers we've ever had", and I lost faith in their judgment.

Another nail in the coffin was Season 6. I initially loved the idea of having two rounds of SYTYCD per year, but one right after the other? It was too much. Even a 3 month break would have been better. But the judges were whizzing off from ranking Season 5 to Season 6 tryouts. I watched maybe one ep of Season 6, and I just took it off my TiVo.

5. V. Snore. Did I miss anything?

4. Terminator: Salvation. While not a bad movie, my expectation was sky high because of Christian Bale's presence. After all, he helped transformed the Batman franchise from a cheesy cariacature into a smart, dark tale of an antihero. Unfortunately, it was just another ho-hum action movie.

3. HawthoRNe. The only reason I even attempted to tune in is because I desperately needed my Michael Vartan fix. And hey, I've always liked Jada Pinkett Smith. But even Vartan's pretty face couldn't save this insipid mess - made all the worse because Showtime released their very own - and far superior - show around the same time, Nurse Jackie. Jada couldn't hold a candle next to the sharp, dysfunctional Edie Falco. After just one painful episode, Alexander Sarsgaard officially replaced Michael Vartan as The Love Of My Life.

2. Every other episode of Glee. *Sigh* I love this show, I really do. But I'm starting to think Glee is just a wee bit bipolar. It alternates weekly from frakking amazing to painfully disappointing. I feel like if you took every all the even numbered episodes, you'd have a near-perfect season.

I don't know, maybe it is because after a fantastic episode, I'm riding a high and have unrealistic expectations. But I've almost never watched a show where the quality vacillates so wildly from one extreme to the other - it's usually more of a trend, when a story arc, character development, or entire season goes bad. The only the exception is the last of half season of Battlestar Galactica. Which leads me to...

1. Battlestar Galactica - "No Exit" & "Daybreak". Jeez, people! I know you only have a handful of episodes to wrap up your epic story, but did you really need to have an entire hour of exposition to explain the Final 5 Cylons? Where is the fun of the reveal? It just felt like a completely cheap way of tying off one of the biggest, most fascinating mysteries in BSG history. Boo!

And the series finale. It's been months since I've seen it, and I just grow more and more disappointed every time I think about it. There were some clever moments in there, like at the end with Six and Gaius, but for the most part - huh? Let me count the ways in which it sucked: Starbuck. Bill abandoning his family. Ron Moore inserting himself at the end.

I know that a lot of shows start off great, and then slump in quality over the years until they are mercifully put out of their misery, but I did not expect this from BSG. Besides the fact that BSG is probably one of the most powerful, well written, intelligent, and well acted shows to ever grace the small screen, Moore had plenty of notice as to when the series was going to end. So he could have crafted a well thought out way to wrap up his masterpiece. Also, the first half of Season 4 wasn't bad at all. So, um, what happened?

Honorable Mention: Twilight-mania. Can someone explain to me why people find Edward Cullen swoon-worthy?

Happy 2010, everyone!

Best of 2009 - Sandy's take (drnanamom)

My favourite shows of 2009 were Dollhouse, Supernatural, Glee, Castle and Lie to Me. Intelligent television is hard to come by but I think this year gave us some interesting plot lines, moral debates and just plain fun.

Dollhouse

Dollhouse is my number one favourite. I just can't get enough of Joss Whedon. He has strong female characters, works with fabulous actors and isn't afraid to deal with dark issues. But I think my favourite thing about his work is that for his last few forays I have watched just because it was his work and for the first little while spent some time going - what the hell? I really don't get what he is trying to do here (really a space western? really a house full of love slaves?) but I hang on because it is Joss Whedon. Then he blows me away with fabulous writing, great plot twists and illuminations on some of the most pertinent questions of life. Who can you really trust? Who is a good guy/bad guy? How do you go up against what appears to be absolute power, especially how do you do that and win? Oh and he does all this and manages to be amusing and clever. Of course it's been cancelled but he'll be back with something even more interesting.

Supernatural

I won't say much about Supernatural because I am sure that Billie and others will cover it very well. Let's just say it is some of the best TV out there for a long time. Soooooo wish it wasn't over this year.

Fun Stuff

Glee and Castle are my fluff tv. They are smart, sharp and a whole lot of fun. Who says that fluff can't be intelligent tv. They aren’t sci-fi which is my passion but a girl just likes to be entertained sometimes.

Lie to Me

Finally, my favourite new show this year is Lie to Me. I am going to say intelligent one more time - sorry you should never overuse words when writing but it’s a theme here. Tim Roth is outstanding as a man who detects lies for a living. It is the observation of human behaviour that I love here. I spent many years of my life as a social worker and this is our stock in trade - not detecting lies, we mostly don't care - but observing people to help them find the truth about themselves. Again this show deals with moral issues. Why do we lie? What would happen if we couldn't lie? How do we face our own truths? I think it will be around for a while.

Torchwood

Torchwood wasn't on my original list but as soon as I read Billie's choices I knew I had to add it. I agree it started a little slow and it was a bit on the dark side but I thought it was 5 nights of superb television. Again, it was dealing with huge moral questions. What would you do if you could save your loved ones even if it was immoral and an abuse of power? As a parent it was a very emotional experience. I doubt given the choice that I would sacrifice my children or grandchild. In a less personal way “Children of Earth” illustrated how easily society crumbles, how power and oppression work to exploit the weak and what vapid excuses are used to justify our choices.

The Not So Great

As I've said before I think we have been spoiled by the great shows, particularly sci-fi that we have had in recent years so I have little patience for TV that just doesn’t try hard enough. I have stopped watching Heroes, Fringe and am on the fence about Flash Forward. I don't mind convoluted plots, if we are actually going to get somewhere, or the writing is really good, or even the acting is great. I don’t have the patience to stumble around with the writers in the hopes of ending up somewhere good (unless they are Joss Whedon-see above.

2009 Favorites -- Jess's Take

While not necessarily the best of what TV had to offer this year, here are the shows that I most looked forward to in 2009 and was least likely to let stack up on the DVR (in alphabetical order).


Battlestar Galactica. The back half of the final season largely couldn’t match what came before, and the finale did leave me vaguely disappointed, but the two-part mutiny episode was among the series’ best.

Burn Notice. Always a fun romp, with some surprising emotional turns. The second half of Season 2 was pretty engaging stuff (with fun guest turns by Tricia Helfer and Michael Shanks), and even though the first half of Season 3 felt a little adrift, the mid-season finale was fantastic and left me wanting more. My biggest surprise with the series this year: they somehow found a way to make me start liking Michael’s mother.

Chuck. An absolute treat every week. Funny and emotional with fantastic action and great guest stars. How can you not love a show that features ‘Mr. Roboto’ performed by “Sam Kinnison and an Indian lesbian” for impromptu wedding entertainment?

Friday Night Lights. Season 3 was right back in the emotional groove of Season 1, and even if some beats felt repetitive, the show still managed to move me. Plus, I just adore the relationship between Eric and Tami Taylor. Simply the best, most realistic portrayal of a loving marriage I've ever seen on television. Curse NBC for not airing Season 4 until next summer!

Glee. Sometimes a total mess, but one to which I eagerly looked forward every week. Capable of lifting my spirits on even the glummest day.

Lost. Season 5 took things to a whole new level by fully embracing the show's sci-fi core and taking us on a wild time-traveling ride. It made for a dizzying narrative at times, but the best of the season kept the heart of the show front and center --- the characters we’ve grown to love and hate.

Modern Family. A wonderful new comedy that mixes equal parts wackiness, snark, and heart. I still find myself smiling thinking about Cameron, dressed as Fizbo the Clown, forcing the jerky guy at the gas station to apologize to Mitchell: “I’m the ass-kicking clown that will twist you like a balloon animal. I will beat your head against this bumper until the airbags deploy. So apologize, to my boyfriend! Right! Now!” Followed by the wonderful little look of pride and pleasure on Mitchell’s face as they get back into the car and leave. Great stuff.

Supernatural. This year took the Brothers Winchester to even darker and more emotionally devastating territory and went so far as to unleash Lucifer and the Apocalypse. I can’t wait to see how this show wraps its five-year arc.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. At times, the back half of the second season became a little too inward focused, but it really ramped things up for the final run of episodes and went out on a high note.

Warehouse 13. A fun new series with quirky characters and bizzaro objects with mysterious powers. It missed the mark some weeks, but still a fun summer treat.

Honorable Mention – Stargate Universe. I wasn’t too sure about this one at first, but it managed to win me over with a more character-focused storytelling approach. It certainly has room for improvement (communication stones, be gone!), but by the mid-season break, we definitely found ourselves looking forward to this show each week in my household.

My favorite TV of 2009

It's the end of the year, and year-end "best of" lists are cluttering up the internet. So I thought I'd add to the clutter. Here are my favorite television shows of 2009.

Supernatural

I'm probably getting repetitive in my praise for Supernatural, but it deserves it. It started out five years ago as a horror movie/urban legend/two-guys-in-a-muscle-car-fighting-monsters sort of thing, a bit derivative of Buffy and X-Files by way of Ghostbusters. Somewhere along the way, it turned into my favorite currently running show, with top-notch writing, a complex mythology and a darkly comic style. The turn to the biblical shouldn't have worked, but it did -- because of the clever way they did it. Supernatural just keeps surprising me. It's the highlight of my television week, and I'm dreading the possibility that this season might be its last... even while acknowledging that the heaven-and-hell brother-against-brother arc is obviously coming to a close, and the series should honor its accomplishment by going out on a creative high.

Lost

It's no secret that my chief love is science fiction. In season five, Lost finally took the plunge into real sci-fi with a time travel plot that rocked, and a finale that actually explained a lot of its core mysteries while leaving us with a cliffhanger to beat all cliffhangers. It was so explosive, pun intended, that it got me re-watching the entire series and seeing some of it in a whole new way; for months I've been posting my "re-watch" notes on Lost Reviews, and on my Lost page. The sixth and final season of Lost is, along with Supernatural, at the top of my 2010 must-see TV list.

Dexter

This fall, the producers of Dexter surprised us all with the best season since its superlative first, featuring a suspenseful and even controversial finale that may have just re-set the direction of the series. Yes, the subject matter can be upsetting for wusses like me, but the quality of the drama on Dexter is consistently excellent and the focus is always on the story and the characters, not the violence or gore (or frankly, I wouldn't be watching it). Dexter's sister Deb is probably my favorite female character on television, and Jennifer Carpenter deserves an Emmy for this season. And the brilliant Michael C. Hall has done the impossible: he's made me care about a serial killer. Dexter himself is probably the most complicated, alienated, fascinating character on television. I'm looking forward to season five next fall in a great big way, even while accepting that it's certain to freak me out.

Torchwood: Children of Earth

Torchwood has always spoken to me more than its iconic parent show, Doctor Who (although I enjoy both). I love the character of immortal, omnisexual Captain Jack Harkness, who saves the Earth from aliens while hitting on nearly everyone he meets. This summer, producer Russell T. Davies blew us away with an outstanding five-episode mini-series, Torchwood: Children of Earth. It's the best Torchwood they've ever done, dramatic science fiction at its best. An announcement about renewal is approaching. I don't know if they can ever improve on Children of Earth, but I'll be tuning into BBC America to find out.

Honorable mention

Dollhouse just aired a string of the best episodes of the series. I'm glad it got a second season and had a chance to fulfill its potential before it ends next month. Please, Joss Whedon -- don't give up on series television. Please.

Glee is consistently entertaining and so much fun to watch. I always look forward to seeing it, and I'm so pleased that it's a hit. Usually when I love something quirky, it is promptly canceled. Not this time.

I thought I'd had enough of the Stargate franchise, but apparently not. Stargate Universe has taken a leaf out of the Battlestar book: it's grittier, darker, more dramatic and a lot more unpredictable than the two previous series...eses, SG1 and Atlantis. It's been one of the highlights of 2009 for me, and I'm looking forward to its return in... why do we have to wait for April?

True Blood blew away the ratings this summer with a vampire story for adults featuring an offbeat blend of sex, humor and gore. Season two didn't do everything I wanted it to do, but it was, with only one exception, the best thing I saw on the tube this summer. (The exception was Torchwood: Children of Earth.) Alexander Skarsgard's Eric is my new favorite vampire, and season three can't come soon enough for me.

Enough, already

Battlestar Galactica was a milestone in science fiction and deserved every accolade it ever received... so I hate to say it, but I was ready for it to end. Yes, the finale was brilliant, and I agree with critics who say that it was impossible to end the series in a way that would satisfy all of the fans, but I was also disappointed; I couldn't help it. And I'm also sorry to say that I'm not looking forward to Caprica. I found the pilot pretentious and boring, impossible to relate to. I hope the series is better than the pilot, but I can feel myself not even wanting to try it. (Yes, I'll try it, mostly for Jane Espenson's sake.)

FlashForward started out (literally) with a bang, and then disappointed me by fizzling out. I think Josie was right on the money when she pointed out that FlashForward doesn't know what it wants to be. Is it a mystery, science fiction, a police procedural, a medical show, a love story? Actually, it's become a mish-mosh. I so wanted FlashForward to succeed, but it's already pretty much lost me. It'll have another chance to win me over in the spring, and I hope the show runner shuffling will improve it. But it may be too late.

Speaking of too late (yes, I'm going to bitch about Heroes and Smallville again) after a terrific first season of origin story, Heroes made the unfortunate error of screwing with their characters and not thinking through the story consequences of their plotlines. Even though this fall has been its best in a long time, I just can't get excited about Heroes any more. And even though I'm still watching and there have been some good episodes and interesting developments, Smallville will never be the same for me after the loss of my two favorite characters. It's limping along, painfully prolonging the moment when Clark will come into his own way past the time when it logically should have happened. I've heard rumors that Heroes and Smallville may both be renewed. If they are, it'll be without me; I won't commit to watching after the end of this season, no matter what happens to them, and I won't write about them any more.

So what's your favorite show of 2009? What are you most looking forward to in 2010? And check back before New Year's Day -- some of my terrific guest writers will also be posting their faves.

Doctor Who: The End of Time (1)

The Narrator: “This was the day the Time Lords returned. For Gallifrey! For victory! For the end of time itself!”

With the exception of 2005's "The Christmas Invasion", Yuletide episodes have never been the show's strong suit. And after season three's "The Last of the Time Lords", I had visions of this year's offering being another gag laden, testosterone fuelled, face-off between the Doctor and the Master; high in festive cheer, but distinctly lacking in satisfying storytelling. How wrong I was. I was pleasantly surprised by this episode. It wasn't perfect... but the flaws were minor and the story telling epic. I even enjoyed the Master's return! How's that for a Christmas miracle?

Dollhouse: The Attic

Clyde: "This isn't a nightmare. This is the shape of things to come."

Wow. And it bears repeating. Wow.

Doctor Who: Journey's End (2)

Doctor: "Now then, where were we?"

The faces on Donna, Jack and Rose following the Doctor's aborted regeneration were hilarious. All that tension and upset, dissipated by the Doctor directing the excess regeneration energy into his severed hand, and reverting back to his usual, chirpy self. Not the best way of resolving the cliffhanger. But to be fair, barring actually having him regenerate, there was no credible way out. They did their best, bless 'em. But there was a slight whiff of cop-out in the air.

NewsFlash: Bryan Singer's BSG

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the X-Men, The Usual Suspects, and Valkyrie director discusses three exciting facts: he's slated to return to the X-Men franchise, is looking for a writer for a Battlestar Galactica movie (not one related to the TV show), and is pondering a movie called Excalibur, which I assume is about King Arthur. Perhaps because it is linked with the BSG news, I picture it as King Arthur in space.

Avatar

Since seeing Avatar on opening weekend, I’ve read a number of reviews and comments, most of which seem to fall either into the “This is the most awesome movie I’ve ever seen --- James Cameron is a god,” category or the “Who cares about the special effects when the plot was tired and the characters were one-dimensional” category. I didn’t find too many “somewhere in between” opinions (perhaps due to the general nature of commenting on the internet). It seems you either love the movie, or hate it. I’m actually somewhere in between. I didn’t think it was the greatest movie ever, and it wouldn’t make my list of all-time favorites, but I really enjoyed Avatar and it completely lived up to my expectations.

Warning: The rest of this review contains spoilers.

The film was certainly a visual masterpiece. I saw it in 2-D (because 3-D messes with my eyes and gives me headaches), but was astounded by the richness of the visual landscape and the seamlessness of the effects. Only once or twice during the 2.5 hours did I find the visual effects to be glaringly noticeable. The rest of the time, I was completely sucked into the world. I was particularly impressed with the Na’vi. They felt as “real” to me as the live actors, and that is no mean feat. As always, James Cameron is a master at pushing the technological envelope.

The story, on the other hand, was extremely predictable and often evoked moments and themes from movies past. Certainly the tale of the outsider being brought into an indigenous culture, finding himself more aligned with their beliefs, and then rising up against his own people (and, of course, falling in love with the chief’s beautiful daughter) has been done countless times. It’s no mystery why people are calling the movie “Dances with Aliens” or a re-imagining of the Pocahontas story. Even beyond that basic familiarity, some of the twists and turns were pretty obvious. As soon as Neytiri told the story of her ancestor riding the Great Leonopteryx and uniting the tribes, I knew we’d see Jake on the back of one at some point. And when they tried to transfer Grace’s life force to her avatar, it was painfully evident that this is what was in store for Jake before the movie’s end.

And yet, none of that familiarity or predictability bothered me. Every story doesn’t need to be a completely new tale. Many of the stories that resonate with audiences do so because they evoke classic themes and tales. Countless hero stories, romances, and adventure tales tread familiar paths, but so long as they are done well, with characters that engage the heart and mind, they can be perfectly entertaining. With Avatar James Cameron created a world and cast of characters that engaged and captivated me. It didn’t matter that many of the characters were rather one-dimensional or that I could see exactly where the story was headed --- I still enjoyed the ride. I liked Jake, was stirred by his love story with Neytiri, and fervently rooted for the evil Sky People to get crushed by their native foes. I was even moved to tears at times (not that it takes much with me), and could hear sniffling throughout the theater at several points. I was particularly affected by the destruction of the Mother Tree and the moment when Jake and Neytiri finally “see” each other with their own eyes.

Cameron has a gift for taking a really simple tale, centering it on characters that he makes you care about, then combining it with kick-ass visuals and action to create a satisfying whole. This is the expectation that I brought to Avatar, and I left the theater very satisfied.

Final Analysis: Avatar is both engaging and visually astounding. It may not break any new ground with its story-telling or present overly complex characters, but it is still an enjoyable experience and well worth the price of admission.

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Dollhouse: Stop-Loss

Priya: "Do you think that was our first kiss?"

I really wanted to see Victor's backstory before the end of this show, so thank you, Joss Whedon. Too bad this wasn't enough, since it's probably all we're going to get.

NewsFlash: New/Old Fringe Episode

SciFi Wire reports that FOX is airing a "missing" Fringe episode Monday, January 11th. The episode is rumored to be from the first season, but it's also rumored to be a weird attempt by FOX to quash the ratings for Heroes.

The synopsis makes the episode sound like a stand-alone, but I think there might be more to it: 01.11.10 looks more like binary than an air-date, and has some interesting numeric resonances with 02.02.2010. I will review it, of course, as well as the regularly-scheduled Fringes that begin on January 14th.

Doctor Who: The Stolen Earth (1)

Doctor: "I'm sorry. It's too late. I'm regenerating."

When I first saw the cliffhanger to this episode, I was totally blown away. When the credits rolled, I remember looking at my friend in bewilderment. Had they just stiffed us? Was the news that Tennant had signed on for five more episodes mere propaganda designed to disguise RTD's master plan? Was the Doctor really going to regenerate? And, more importantly... who was he going to regenerate into? This was way before we knew about Matt Smith. So, first time around, this episode was a real kick in the pants.

Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars

Doctor: “Is this it? My death? Is it time?”

This was a real landmark episode. In terms of quality, it was head and shoulders above "Planet of the Dead". It was beautifully plotted, featured terrifying monsters and was thick with complex adult themes. Tonight, the Doctor attempted to change the rules of the game. Instead of being hampered by the constant restrictions of being a Time Lord, he tried to use his abilities to change an event fixed in time. Unfortunately, it all went wrong. People died. And despite his best intentions, the tenth Doctor moved one step closer to his own destruction.

Doctor Who: Turn Left

Fortune Teller: "Turn right and never meet that man. Turn right and change the world."

Choices change lives. Even seemingly insignificant decisions can alter our lives irrevocably. Tonight, Donna was faced with a relatively small dilemma. Should she turn left? Or should she turn right? This episode explores the would-be consequences of her turning right.

Doctor Who: Midnight

Doctor: "Ah, I'll be fine. Taking a big space truck with a bunch of strangers across a diamond planet called Midnight... what could possibly go wrong?"

They did things slightly differently this year. Since 2006, each season of Who's contained what's lovingly referred to as the Doctor-lite episode. If it wasn't for the now traditional Christmas episode, there'd be no need. There'd be more than enough time to film all thirteen episodes. But, since Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without our festive edition of Who, concessions had to be made, and the Doctor-lite episode is one of those concessions.

Doctor Who: Forest of the Dead (2)

The Doctor: "Stay with me! You can do it! Stay with me! Come on!! You and me, one last time!"

Well, perhaps we didn't get all the answers we were looking for. But there was more than enough good stuff in tonight's episode to compensate; particularly if the hanging threads are picked up in a future episode. Each season of New Who (so far) has produced at least one stand-out story worthy of our praise. This was probably season four's.

Dexter: The Getaway

Trinity: "If I were you, I'd give up vigilantism. You're not very good at it."

What a shocker. I was expecting something big, but not this.

Doctor Who: Silence in the Library (1)

Doctor: "Spoilers!"

What is it with Steven Moffat and stories which play on our childhood fears? In season two we had monsters under the bed ("The Girl in the Fireplace"), in season three we had statues coming to life ("Blink"), and now, and arguably most terrifying of all, apparently there are things hiding in the shadows, after all -- the Vashta Nerada -- microscopic carnivorous creatures, which hide in the dark and prey on human flesh. Which isn't great news for adults, let alone children. Not that I'm complaining. This was a terrific episode.

There was a lot to like about this two-parter. I loved the concept of an empty library, on an ostensibly empty planet -- all seemingly existing inside the head of a little girl. When the Doctor and Donna first appeared, it was hard to tell whether the world they inhabited was real or not. And it was a nice change of pace to have the Doctor on the back-foot for a change. Usually, when it comes to knowing the future, he's ahead of the game. Yet, tonight he was streets behind River Song who, not only knew the future, but specifically knew his future; a situation which, understandably, bugged the crap out of him. Who is River Song? Why does she possess a souped-up sonic screwdriver and a diary with TARDIS style cover? How is it she seems to have a working knowledge of TARDIS protocol? And what is her relationship with the Doctor? Her flirty behaviour, and her calling him "pretty boy", all hint at something deeper than platonic friendship.

Song grabbing the Doctor's hand and telling him to "run" mirrored the Doctor's words back in season one episode, "Rose". Only this time it was Song in control, with the Doctor stumbling along in the dark (both literally and metaphorically). Furthermore, Song deflected his questions with consumate ease. She seemed only too aware of the dangers of knowing the future; particularly your own. Spoilers. But Song's diary must surely have been a temptation too far. Who could resist sneaking a quick peek?

But why has Song no recollection of Donna? Is Donna dead in the future; and, if so, how far in the future? Of course, it doesn't have to be that dramatic. Companions leave, too. Martha did. But Donna's determination of late to stay with the Doctor forever, seems to preclude that particular eventuality.

Equally puzzling is how Song recognised the Doctor in the first place. Since Tennant has just nine stories left, and none of them feature River Song, she can't possibly meet up with him until his next incarnation. Or did her comment about his face looking "younger" suggest that they do/did meet for the first time during Tennant's reign?

After this episode first aired, rumour was rife with regards Song's identity. Was she the Rani? Romana? The mysterious hand which picked up the Master's ring at the end of "The Last of the Time Lords?" Bernice Summerfield, a recurring 26th century archaeologist from the Doctor Who novels? There was even some speculation that she might be the Doctor's regenerated daughter -- which would explain her possessing a sonic screwdriver and travelling with him -- but not her flirtation, nor why she didn't recognise Donna.

A more likely explanation is that she's a future companion -- maybe even the Doctor's future wife. Is it possible, too, that she's a Time Lord? Hopefully, all will be revealed in the next instalment.

Bits and pieces:

-- What is it with the Doctor and gift shops?

-- Despite the Doctor's endless warnings to stay out of the shadows, if you keep an eye on the cast, they're always stood in some shadow or other. I guess it's hard to film an episode entirely without shadows.

-- The Doctor asking Song "Who are you?" was a humorous thematic reversal. The Doctor gets asked that self same question several times a season. So it was fun to hear him asking it, for once.

-- Another "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" from the Doctor.

-- "Emergency Program One", if memory serves me correct, is the same protocol which returned Rose to earth in "The Parting of the Ways".

Billie says...

I loved this one.

This is the sort of story that Doctor Who does best. Big, imaginative, fantastical and creepy, with sparkling dialogue as well as tantalizing tidbits about the Doctor himself thrown in. It was good enough that in the era of e-books and Google's world domination plan to replace the printed word that I could get right past the illogic of billions of printed books segregated on a planet where people can't easily get to them. I was waiting for the stereotypical little old lady librarian in a bun shushing people. Fortunately, no. Of course, there's always part two.

I particularly liked the little girl who wasn't a little girl, the pathos of the data ghosts, the skeletons in the space suits. And River Song is especially intriguing. She sounded like an important, long-term companion. She knew who the Doctor was -- but then again, she was expecting him. I think they left the idea open that she didn't know his current face ("you're younger than I've ever seen you"). This would cover the writers if we never do get to see River Song in any future adventure, right?

Quotes:

Doctor: "We're near the equator, so-- this must be biographies! I love biographies."
Donna: "Yeah, very you. Always a death at the end."
Doctor: "You need a good death. Without death, there'd only be comedies. Dying gives us size."

Doctor: "These books are from your future. If you read ahead, it will spoil all the surprises. Like peeping at the end."
Donna: "Isn't travelling with you one big spoiler?"
Doctor: "I try to keep you away from major plot developments. Which, to be honest, I seem to be very bad at."

Doctor: "Nice door skills, Donna."
Donna: "Yeah, well, you know, boyfriends. Sometimes you need the element of surprise."

Doctor: "Oh, you're not. Are you? Tell me you're not archaeologists."
River: "Got a problem with archaeologists?"
Doctor: "I'm a time traveler. I point and laugh at archaeologists."

Doctor: "Almost every species in the universe has an irrational fear of the dark, but they're wrong, because it's not irrational. It's Vashta Nerada."
Donna: "What's Vashta Nerada?"
Doctor: "It's what's in the dark. It's what's always in the dark."

Evangelista: "They don't want me. They think I'm stupid 'cause I'm pretty."
Donna: "Of course they don't. Nobody thinks that."
Evangelista: "No, they're right, though. I'm a moron, really. My dad said I had the IQ of plankton, and I was pleased."
Donna: "See? That's funny."
Evangelista: "No, I really was pleased."

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NewsFlash: Stargate Universe gets a second season

According to my favorite news source, Stargate Universe is getting a second season of twenty episodes to air next fall. The second half of the first season will begin airing in April and will hopefully help alleviate those summer television wasteland blues. Yay!

Sanctuary, which I don't watch and am less excited about, is getting a third season.

Glee: Sectionals

Ms. Hitchens: "What happened to that white guy with the Jheri curl?"

After waiting for what felt like an eternity, Sectionals finally came. Was it worth the wait? Certainly, there were some episodes this past Fall that felt unnecessary - not just filler material, but ones that brought down the overall quality of the show. But I would say that "Sectionals" provided a satisfying ending to the first half of one of the freshest, funniest shows I've ever seen, and has nicely left the rest of the season wide open.

Dollhouse: A Love Supreme

Echo: "He's ten times the man you are. And you're, like, forty guys."

Alpha! You're back. And you brought your knives!

Dollhouse: Meet Jane Doe

Echo: "There is a me. This is me."

So let's see. Our two romantic leads had very little in the way of romantic connection, so they removed them from the Dollhouse for three months and slapped them together.

Doctor Who: The Unicorn and the Wasp

Agatha: "Agatha Christie."
Donna: "What about her?"
Agatha: "That's me."

Agatha Christie's disappearance in 1926 is one of those weird events that we'll likely never get to the bottom of (despite many books telling us that they've got to the bottom of it.) “The Unicorn and the Wasp” was a fun attempt at explaining Agatha Christie's whereabouts during those eleven missing days. And, what with actual details being as scarce as hen's teeth -- and Agatha not bothering to elucidate in her autobiography – attributing her disappearance to a giant wasp seems like as good a solution as any. It's certainly more creative than a nervous breakdown or publicity stunt.

Fringe: Grey Matters

“We didn’t get any answers.”

Those are Olivia’s words to Broyles, and they felt like a shout-out to some of the fan frustration about the lack of solid answers to the many mysteries of Fringe. But as Broyles said, we did get some answers, although maybe not the ones we wanted. We also got some ret-conning, which we neither needed nor wanted. Well, I didn’t, anyway.

Doctor Who: The Doctor's Daughter

The Doctor: "You need to get yourself a better dictionary. When you do, look up 'genocide'. You'll find a little picture of me there, and the caption'll read, 'Over my dead body'."

This could have been a great episode. I loved the idea of the seven day war and the concept of two opposing armies, continuously being recreated, for the sole purpose of fighting a never ending war. I also liked the idea of the progenation machine taking the Doctor's diploid cells, splitting them into haploids and then recombining them to form Jenny; the Doctor's daughter. But the episode just wasn't long enough to do all of the plot elements justice. They should have either made it a two-parter, or shaved off some of the unnecessary plot divergences. It might have felt less rushed that way.

FlashForward: A561984

“The game’s not over.”

I know we’ve all be underwhelmed by FlashForward lately. ShowRunners being replaced like Spinal Tap drummers. Bizarre, emotional one-offs that do nothing to further the deepening mystery. Darling Dominic Monaghan only popping in to boost ratings. Poor Joseph Fiennes struggling with his accent and not even trying to act convincingly. And the causality-loop consciousness-shifting plot device that’s getting increasingly less coherent.

But, my FairWeather FlashForward Fans, I encourage you to give the show another shot. Take your time; we’re on hiatus until March. But this episode wasn’t too shabby, and the previews for the next batch look really exciting.

Dexter: Hello, Dexter Morgan

Dexter: "I need to be a good brother now so that I can be a good serial killer later."

This season's big theme has been Dexter realizing that he can't have a family and a secret life at the same time. He still hasn't internalized it, though; there he was, torn in six different directions, and he was still determined to frame that truck driver so he could kill Trinity himself. I kept wanting to bop him on the head and say, Dex, will you please just let Deb and Miami Metro have the guy? Oops. Too late.

Doctor Who: The Poison Sky (2)

Doctor: "Are you my Mummy?"

For all this season's faults, I couldn't take my eyes off Tennant tonight. His first season in charge was a patchy affair. The scripts alternated between brilliant and cack with tedious regularity. But at this juncture, he's in serious danger of toppling the mighty Tom Baker as my favourite Doctor. The dialogue was perfect. His delivery sublime. He totally inhabits the role now.

Stargate Universe: Justice

‘Justice’ was a pretty solid episode. Definitely a vast improvement over last week’s offering, and a good cliffhanger to leave us with until April. (Yes, April. According to what I’ve read, that’s when the second half of the season will start airing. Pretty normal cable scheduling.) I think what I liked best about this week’s episode was that they managed to effectively use the entire core cast. Some characters had more to do than others, but for once everyone had a contribution that felt like more than mere background dressing. Yea!

Dollhouse: The Left Hand

Topher: "Is it weird that I asked about your arm?"
Bennett: "Honestly, it's refreshing."

The entire episode was terrific. But Victor out-Tophering Topher was just perfect. Possibly my favorite scenes in the entire series.

Dollhouse: The Public Eye

Echo: "I think her bad guys are badder than my bad guys."

What an exceptionally cool episode, with an exceptionally cool twist. There wasn't a moment that I didn't like.

Fringe: Snakehead

“I didn’t know.”

Fringe hasn’t really been doing it for me lately. The individual episodes have been solid, but I don’t feel an “Oooh! Fringe is on tonight! What will happen this week?” twinge on Thursdays. It looks like this season is structured sandwich-style: mythology bread at the beginning and end of the season, and meaty stand-alones in the middle, with occasional mustardy dabbles of pseudo-arc like last week’s episode.

Glee: Mattress

“We here at Mattress Land believe that mattresses aren’t just for sleeping and fornicating anymore.”

Wow. Wow. There wasn't a single moment that I did not like in "Mattress". I cried, I laughed, I smiled, I screamed, and I absolutely cannot wait until next week's episode.

Doctor Who: The Sontaran Stratagem (1)

Donna: “He's too skinny for words. You give him a hug... you get a paper cut.”

A triple whammy of returning fixtures tonight. We had the Sontarans, UNIT, and the ever lovely Miss Jones. Helen Raynor certainly doesn't do things by halves. There was a big step up, too, in terms of story quality. “Daleks in Manhattan” and ”Evolution of the Daleks” (also penned by Raynor), were my least favourite episodes of season three. But this two-parter was actually pretty decent. The Sontarans haven't been in an episode of Who since 1985's “The Two Doctors”. So this was a timely, reasonably well scripted, return.

Doctor Who: Planet of the Ood

Solana: "And the comedy classic... Ood, you've dropped something."
Ood 3: "D'oh!"

Urgh! Moving on...

Heroes: The Fifth Stage

*sigh*

Back in season one, Nathan Petrelli was one of my favorite characters. He was so cool, so ambiguous, so difficult to figure out -- and yet, he was tremendous fun, too. ("Flying man!") Adrian Pasdar was awesome. I loved him.