Puntabulous

Let’s Talk About Television

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There are three shows in particular we need to discuss right now and in no particular order. First there was the Dollhouse finale. Why, oh why, must Dollhouse have gotten so amazing at the end? First season had a few more misses than hits, and the only thing really keeping me watching was the fact that is was Joss Whedon and the inevitability of cancellation. But something happened this season. Everything started to come together and the show became less and less about the weekly wacky adventures of Echo, and more about the overall story they were trying to tell. And dosh garn it, they were telling it really well! Back in the day, I didn’t even try and get my hands on Epitaph One, but after seeing the awesomness of the past few episodes, I went and watched it in preparation of the finale. And how was the finale? It was really, really good! And it makes me so sad that the show was canceled now, because it really could have been great through and through.

Next up is Legend of the Seeker. Why are you a fantasy lover and not watching this show?! It’s so ridiculously good and way better than it has any right being! The production values are way better than a lot of other primetime shows out there and the storytelling is incredible. They manage to keep things lively every week, while still moving the overall story for the season forward. And Cara, who is new this season, has quickly become my favorite character. She adds such a nice touch of spunk and sarcasm into the mix of Richard and Kahlan’s dogooderness (which is totally a word). And the show is so good I may or may not have teared up at one point during this past episode. Shut up, you would have too if you were watching!

And lastly there is Caprica. The show I really, really, really didn’t think needed to exist. I mean, how do you spin off from the awesomeness of Battlestar Galactica? I just didn’t think it could be done. Then the pilot movie was released on DVD and it was good, not great, but it quelled my fears a bit. But after seeing the first new episode of the series, I’m really digging it! And not just because of the awesome and super flashy opening credits, which I loved because shiny things distract me. But the show itself was really good and compelling! The adult characters of the two main families, the Graystones and the Adamas really didn’t do it for me in the pilot movie, but they were much better this time around, especially the character Amanda Graystone, who became much more interesting. And I love how they handled the Zoe/Cylon interchanging scenes. Very creepy, but also kinda sad at the same time. Oh, and I still love Serge the robot butler the best!

REVIEWS, TELEVISION | Craig | February 1, 2010 8:26 am

54 Comments

By Oz, February 1, 2010 @ 9:41 am

I think the case-of-the-week bullshit was forced on them by the network. The first season of Angel had that too.

I need to catch up on Caprica but I’m really not excited about it at all.
By Tam, February 1, 2010 @ 9:46 am

a) Never seen it.
b) We don’t get that channel or it was on at some weird time on high cable like 2:30 Saturday afternoon.
c) Not sure we get that up here.

Ummm. I’m really liking NCIS LA (despite too many random letters of the alphabet). That’s about it. Sigh. I only watch Supernatural every week, otherwise I watch reruns of crime shows or some space shows and retro cartoons. But hey, who doesn’t love the Flintstones?
By Milo, February 1, 2010 @ 10:04 am

Oh dear, not heard of any of those 3 programmes. Had you been talking about Mad Men, True Blood and Glee I would have been enraptured! Those are my 3 fave American imports at the moment.
By The Ryan with the Cupcake, February 1, 2010 @ 11:08 am

Now that I’ve caught up with 30 Rock and Ugly Betty, I might start watching Legend of the Seeker again.
By john, February 1, 2010 @ 11:34 am

I haven’t seen any of these shows. I am currently watching: Glee, Mad Men, Archer and Burn Notice. I am very much looking forward to the return of Doctor Who (which you would understand if you watched it too, hint hint.)
By jere, February 1, 2010 @ 11:43 am

As much as I loved BSG, I feel absolutely no pressure or desire to watch Caprica. None. Maybe if everyone is still enjoying it in a year I’ll look it up on DVD, but I’m happy with that universe being resolved and closed.

I agree completely about the other two shows.
By Polt, February 1, 2010 @ 1:19 pm

Never saw a single episode of any of these shows, which should come as a surprise to no one, as Craiggers and I just can’t seem to get our TV viewing coordinated. Well, except for Torchwood, should it ever come back and be worth watching. And for Glee, which is entirely MY fault for not getting into it sooner. Oh, and Craiggers, I hear there’s this show called ‘Doctor Who’ which all the kids say is really groovy and far out. You oughtta give it a try. Especially since it’s gonna start off with a new Doctor real soon.

And Tam, sing along with me: “Here we come on the run with a burger on a bun…” OR “There’s a place I know where the hipsters go called Bedrock…TWIS TWIST!”

Flintstones…classic….

HUGS….
By Tam, February 1, 2010 @ 2:09 pm

Polt: I love the burger on a bun song. There is some rap song out there my daughter and I were mocking on the weekend with the line “I’ll be your Fred Flintstone and make your bed rock”. *groan* Apparently that’s from a book called “100 Worst Pick-Up Lines Ever” or something to that effect.
By GoKitty, February 1, 2010 @ 2:34 pm

I guess I missed part 1 of Epitapth. Was that shown in the first season?
By Polt, February 1, 2010 @ 2:44 pm

Tam: Hmm, that line always seemed to work for me. Maybe the guys I pick up are more Neanderthalic than most.

HUGS…
By josh, February 1, 2010 @ 3:33 pm

Craiggerz, you seemed to forget to write about “American Idol” and the K. Perry vs. K. DioGuardi showdown!
By Enrico, February 1, 2010 @ 4:15 pm

I’m so sad Dollhouse is canceled! Knew it was coming (like UB, feat. me crying for days), but it’s still sad.
Avatar season 3 is amazing though. Yay!
By john, February 1, 2010 @ 5:41 pm

Polt & Tam: “Our burgers can’t be bead because we fry our own meat, fry, fry, fry, fry fry!” I’m also a huge fan of: “You’re gonna find out just what you done wrong. Gonna wake up in the mornin’ and I’ll be gone. Each and e’vry day of the week, I can’t eat my dinner and I can’t sleep. I love but, I ain’t gonna be your fool.” And who can forget “Let the sun shine in, face with a grin…”

I’m going to be singing all night now….
By Justin, February 1, 2010 @ 8:59 pm

Polt — *is* there a pick-up line that doesn’t work on you?

Craig & Jere — honestly. We’ve been over this before. How could you both not have been enraged and disappointed at how BSG turned out?

I haven’t seen any of Dollhouse. I’ll probably watch it all on DVD in one swell foop. Then I’ll be sad it was so short.

I have only ever seen one episode of Legend of the Seeker. I thought it was very good. It was the episode where they have to break into the castle and the old wizard guy pretends to be a puppet maker and he makes a doll for this slave girl and in the end he himself turns out to be a puppet. I agree it’s a good show, and I may watch it some day, and I am a fantasy fan, but between work and tweeting and commenting on blogs I’m falling behind on the shows I have TiVo’ed and DVRed!

Craig — I’m totally 100% in agreement with you on Caprica: the pilot was “ok”. The first episode (and opening credits) were far better. I still find it super-irritating that we’re supposed to believe that sullen-emo-goth-teen Zoe was a more brilliant computer AI genius than not only her father but all her father’s staff put together, but I’m enjoying the show. And did you catch the gay reference? It was so brief and subtle. But Adama’s brother is gay, or at least likes guys, and this is apparently so non-controversial that he just mentioned flirting with guys to his 11-year-old nephew. They didn’t get around to introducing gay characters until BSG almost ended, but they did it in episode 1 of Caprica. I’m please

And what is Polt saying? Are you NOT a fan of Doctor Who?!?!?!?!?!

?!?!?!?!?!
By Justin, February 1, 2010 @ 9:21 pm

Oh and I forgot to add:

I CAN’T WAIT FOR THE SEASON PREMIERE OF LOST TOMORROW!!!!!

YAYZZ!!

::happy dance::
By Chris D., February 1, 2010 @ 10:02 pm

My mother is watching Caprica (for the moment). That surprised me. I think that she only watches SciFi shows once in a while so that she can complain about not understanding SciFi shows.

You should consider watching the mini-series Spartacus on Starz ( http://www.starz.com/originals/spartacus ). There is some very graphic violence that is a bit over the top. There has also been some full frontal male nudity, and lots of bare breasts (of both genders), and some brief soft-core porny moments. It is an entertaining story with nifty looking CGI scenery. I have started watching it with my mother. I think there are something like 13 parts in all.
By Justin, February 1, 2010 @ 10:12 pm

Interesting recommendation about Spartacus, Chris. I’ve heard about the way-over-the-top violence, and that’s a bit off-putting to me. Plus I tend to be a colossal pedant about historical accuracy and the stuff the HBO series Rome did to screw up their history was like fingernails on a blackboard to me, and I suspect Spartacus to be just as bad (no, actually I suspect Spartacus to be a great deal worse: Rome was actually better-than-average in terms of historical accuracy).

I’ve heard there’s full-frontal nudity, too. I’m just not not sure I can take the lady bits. Your recommendation does have me somewhat intrigued, however.
By Chris D., February 1, 2010 @ 10:46 pm

I make no effort to couch for its historical accuracy, I had low expectations on that front. The violence does not bother me. Some of it is actually a bit silly. There are moments when they freeze the action, and yet continue to show CGI blood moving. That is just silly.

I don’t understand this business of gay men being repulsed by female nudity. While I am not sexually attracted to them, I do not find breasts and vaginas offensive. So long as they respect my personal space, I am OK with them. Perhaps some gay men have had bad experiences with female genitals? I just left them alone, and they left me alone.
By Polt, February 1, 2010 @ 10:46 pm

Justing: I was saying the pickup line worked FOR me, but you’re quite accurate anyway. If you’re cute, there’s very little you could say that would result in your NOT picking me up. Hell, guys have ‘picked me up’ without saying a word. They mighta not even spoke English, or been a deaf mute for all I knew! (two guys were in fact deaf, but definitely NOT mute!)

HUGS…
By Chris D., February 1, 2010 @ 10:48 pm

couch = vouch.
By Justin, February 1, 2010 @ 11:02 pm

Hahaha

Chris — I don’t find breasts or vaginas “offensive” — but I really really prefer not to look at them. I’ve slept with women and my best friend on earth is a woman but I’m sorry, I’m just happier never having to look at naked female lady bits. (And I knew you meant “vouch” — the “c” and “v” keys ARE right next to each other.)

Polt. Thank you for making me LOLIRL
By The Infamous Dr. Para, February 2, 2010 @ 8:29 am

Lost is on tonight, that is the only TV that matters atm.

As for things that are getting watched, my schedule and or DVR currently looks like this: The Simpsons/American Dad (I watch Family Guy here and there but it’s become so unfunny to me as of late,) Desperate Housewives, Brothers and Sisters, Frank the Entertainer: Basement Affair/Tough Love (I HEART Trash,) Brit version of Life on Mars, Intervention, Hoarders, Lost, The Good Wife, Modern Family, Cougar Town, and Medium. Throw in Glee and True Blood when they come back on and that’s pretty much it. It also is a nightmare catching up on most of the things I like as you can see I watch a lot of shows.
By Justin, February 2, 2010 @ 10:31 am

Goodness Jay (Para). Do I detect a bit of a THEME to your tv-watching habits? Let me see:

Desperate Housewives: shirtless guys, check.
Brothers and Sisters: shirtless guys, check
Cougar Town: shirtless guys, check
Glee: shirtless Matthew Morrison, check

I don’t know anything about Frank the Entertainer, Basement Affair, Intervention, Hoarders, or the Good Wife. Never even heard of most of those shows. I know OF the (original) version of Life on Mars, and I know that they also have done an American version but I’ve never seen any more than commercials. I’ve caught bits of episodes of Medium here and there. I’m a bad gay (in so many ways) so I still haven’t watched Glee, though I know it’s good, and I burned all the episodes off my (standard definition) TiVo onto DVD to watch later, but I think I’d rather watch it on DVD or in HD (not that I have a blue-ray player, but maybe they’ll re-run the show before the next season comes on, and I can catch it on my HD DVR again; alas my HD DVR filled up and all the Glee I had recorded there at one point in HD got lost). I’ve heard great things about Modern Family, but haven’t watched it.

As for what I do and do not watch:

1. I used to religiously watch the Simpsons, even after it stopped being good, which is many, many years ago (which occasional exceptions), but this season I’m so behind in my TV watching due to my twaddiction that I haven’t seen a SINGLE episode, not even in the Hallowe’en one. I think Hulu only keeps like 4 eps back, so the Hallowe’en one is probably gone by now.
2. I never got into Family Guy; I’ve seen bits of that and of American Dad. I know they’re good. But I do tend to resist new shows. I *DO* want to see the two 1-hour Star Wars spoofs that Craig has reviewed.
3. I have never seen more than the occasional episode of Desperate Housewives or Brothers and Sisters though the male shirtlessness has certainly caught my attention. Thankfully there is God’s Gift to the Gay Man SquareHippies that provides me with regular screencaps. Of that and of Cougar Town .
4. I ashamed to admit I watch both Smallville (or what I like to call “Stupidman” since Tom Welling is not only a colossally bad actor, even after 9 seasons — his only way to act is to shift his weight from one foot to the other and stare intently — but the writer’s portrayal of Clark Kent makes him such a dunce it’s impossible to imaginine him growing up to be Superman; nonetheless I got hooked years ago and it’s a guilty pleasure), *and* Supernatural. And no not just because Sam and Dean get shirtless now and then. The worst part about watching these shows is seeing the intolerable ads for 90210 and the other CW shows.
5. Speaking of CW, I still haven’t watched any Vampire Diaries, even though Ian Somerhalder is one of the most gorgeous men on earth, so gorgeous I can forgive him for being Smooth.
6. I watched BSG when it was on. I am still angry about that.
7. I got hooked on Stargate SG1 reruns in 2008 and watched the whole series on DVD, at least those that hadn’t been re-run on the scifi channel, and got to watch the Ben Browder episodes re-run in HD, which was suuuper nice. So I watched all of StarGate Atlantis to the end.
8. I watch Stargate Universe.
9. I watched the first season of Sanctuary because of Amanda Tapping but I haven’t been able to bring myself to watch Season 2.
10. I watch Eureka. *sigh* Yeah it’s kind of stupid.
11. I’m watching Caprica. Even though BSG broke my heart.
12. I watch Masterpiece Classic/Masterpiece Mystery if it’s going to be good, which is decreasingly often.
13. I watch Shameless — can’t remember if this is on Sundance or BBCAmerica. Talk about Trash. It’s about British “white trash” or what they call “Chavs” — people who live in tenements on the dole and are petty criminals, etc. The accents are *EXTREMELY* thick and even with my British background I have trouble with some of it and have to replay scenes to get it. It’s **FRIGGIN HILARIOUS** how bad the close captioning is: it’s obviously done in America and the people doing it are literally just GUESSING what they are saying and getting it totally wrong. I actually have been too busy (mostly with twitter, puntabagang blogs, etc.) to watch season 5 yet. But I’ve burnt it all onto DVD from my TiVo. It’s … quite explicitly sexual at times, even with simulated ejaculations on screen. British TV is way beyond American in how crude they can get.
14. I watch Doctor Who and Torchwood when they are available. I’m a little behind in my Doctor Who specials and haven’t seen Waters of Mars or the last David Tennant eps — looking forward to those. Shame they didn’t get broadcast in my area in HD.

I highly recommend a couple of other shows: Slings and Arrows, which was a 3-season Canadian show, one of the most brilliant and witty and original things ever done, loosely based on the real-life Stratford Ontario Shakespeare Festival. Just incredibly AWESOME TV. It’s on DVD.

And Footballers Wives: a kind of super-trashy, super-rude (sexually) version of Dynasty with nouveau rich white trash. I think all but the last season are available on DVD. The main character, Tanya Turner, makes Joan Collins look like Mary Poppins. That was a *GREAT* show.

Hm. That’s all I can think of…
By The Ryan with the Cupcake, February 2, 2010 @ 11:35 am

Justin: How could you forget that Glee = shirtless Mark Salling (Puck)?

I love Shameless. I’m current with the E4 showings. What season is on Sundance? A little preview: in this week’s episode, Carl’s girlfriend insists on backdoor equality.
By Justin, February 2, 2010 @ 12:15 pm

Sundance is doing season 5 and I haven’t watched any of it yet. By the end of season 4, things were focused a lot more on the McGuires, their one son who had been in prison had come out and had fallen in love with the girl who works in the bar (Sheila’s daughter) and I think they had finally slept together, and I don’t remember Carl having a girlfriend yet though I remember him walking in on his mother being … *ahem* … pleasured orally by her former girlfriend.

And yes, how COULD I forget shirtless Puck? I gotta watch that show
By Tam, February 2, 2010 @ 12:18 pm

Hey, I saw an episode of Jersey Shore. My daughter insisted on watching so she’d know what all the parodies are about. I think we both sat there slack-jawed, stunned at the sheer vapidity (is that a word?) and inanity of it all. Needless to say we won’t be watching any other episodes for fear the experience would render us near a vegetative state.
By Tam, February 2, 2010 @ 12:20 pm

“Carl’s girlfriend insists on backdoor equality.”

And well she should Ryan.
By The Ryan with the Cupcake, February 2, 2010 @ 12:24 pm

Justin: I believe that Carl meets his girlfriend in season six.

Karen (Sheila’s daughter) is my favorite person to describe how she fits in with the rest of the show. She was even (briefly) sexually involved with Ian.
By The Infamous Dr. Para, February 2, 2010 @ 12:58 pm

OMG … how did I accidentally leave my beloved Jersey Shore off the list, I mean, it is the single worst best thing on TV, it reminds me of the Real World only scummier and with more STD’s … you know, before the Real World got really shitty. I have much love for Jersey Shore, but tech it’s over for the season so I won’t be raving about it until season 2 begins.
By Matt, February 2, 2010 @ 1:34 pm

Speaking of Whedon, I’m currently on season 3 of Angel.
That show rocks!
By The Ryan with the Cupcake, February 3, 2010 @ 11:08 am

Justin: How is Stargate Universe? I stopped watching after the let’s fight over a plan without mentioning anything about it for half an hour/I’m going to cry about my ex-boyfriends for ten minutes straight episode.
By Justin, February 3, 2010 @ 12:32 pm

Yeah, so SGU is a mixed bag still. I’ve enjoyed some episodes more than others. The one you mention was … particularly bad. I’m still planning on giving it a chance when it comes back on.
By The Ryan with the Cupcake, February 3, 2010 @ 1:08 pm

Justin: I’d be willing to give it another chance if it gets better. Last night I gave Legend of the Seeker another chance last night based on Craig’s recommendation. I won’t do it with Lost just because I would have to rewatch the early episodes to refresh my memory, and I just don’t have time for it.

Speaking of Legend of the Seeker, I think Terry Goodkind has serious issues with torture.
By Craig, February 3, 2010 @ 1:11 pm

I still have all the SGUs on my DVR waiting to be watched.
By Justin, February 3, 2010 @ 1:28 pm

Aaaaaactually, Ryan, they had an hour-long recap of the entire first 5 seasons just before the premiere episode. It was a very comprehensive and efficient recap. It would have caught you up nicely.
By The Ryan with the Cupcake, February 3, 2010 @ 1:41 pm

Justin: Maybe I’ll just watch that.
By Justin, February 3, 2010 @ 2:03 pm

Craig — you realize you just volunteered to write up a review of SGU once they’ve BEEN watched

Ryan: yay! Then you can watch the season premiere and join with Dr. Para and myself in our LOSTversation . *I* enjoyed the season premiere. They managed come up with startling new ideas that I reallllly hadn’t expected, which is the way the show works! Have no idea how they’re going to tie it all up in the end (and unfortunately it’s another short season), but so far so good!!! ?.•.?.•.?.•.?
By Justin, February 3, 2010 @ 2:04 pm

(How annoying. Those stars show up as question marks for me — actually as dotless question marks. I wonder if that’s a WordPress + Unicode font issue…)
By M. Nicodemus, February 3, 2010 @ 2:05 pm

The Ryan with the Cupcake: I had the same thought when I read the books. I also think he has some serious issues about sex; he had several detailed violent and/or demeaning sex scenes in the books I read, but when there was an actual loving sexual encounter it was just mentioned in passing. Yet another reason I stopped reading his stuff.
By Justin, February 3, 2010 @ 3:37 pm

Clearly Craig now has to stand up for his beloved LotS show and defend it against M. Nico’s and Ryan’s slanders
By The Ryan with the Cupcake, February 3, 2010 @ 3:44 pm

Justin: I like the show for the most part. However, the show has more torture than any other show I have ever seen (although I’ve never seen 24), and I am under the impression that they toned it down from the books.
By Craig, February 3, 2010 @ 3:45 pm

Well I’ve never read the books themselves so I can’t defend them. There has been a bit of torture in the show, especially with the Mord-Sith, who are very sexy, so I can imagine it being much more graphic and sexual in the books. But as far as the show goes, it’s not bad, and the Mord-Sith are some of my favorite bad guys. And Cara, a good Mord-Sith, is one of my favorite characters!
By Craig, February 3, 2010 @ 3:46 pm

Oh yeah, the torture in this is nothing compared to 24. Maybe I’ve just been desensitized by Jack Bauer.
By M. Nicodemus, February 3, 2010 @ 3:58 pm

Justin: I can’t speak to the shows as I haven’t seen any of them, mostly because I had read a few of the books it was based on. However, since it has survived this long, and because Our Glorious Monkey King doth bequeath it with his sacred recommendation, I will have to add yet another show to my ever growing list to watch.
By Justin, February 3, 2010 @ 4:12 pm

“Glorious Monkey King”? Is this of recent coinage or is there some history here that I’ve missed in the backlog of unread puntabulous blog posts?
By The Ryan with the Cupcake, February 3, 2010 @ 8:06 pm

Justin: Nico has referred to Craig as our Mad Monkey King, and I named our shelved plans to kidnap Craig Operation Monkey King.
By Justin, February 3, 2010 @ 8:22 pm

Wow. Is that post at Avitable the very first ever assertion as to the hugeness of the Puntabuschlong? (And I love the way Enrico says his censor bar would be bigger.) Where have these blogs been all my life

And Craig has a black belt in karate? It’s scary enough that he’s a towering giant and has a member large enough to strangle somebody with, but his hands are lethal weapons too?

So I understand why the plans were shelved, but why WERE you going to kidnap Craig in the first place?
By M. Nicodemus, February 3, 2010 @ 9:38 pm

Justin: we, the humble commenters, have been, and always will be, the Dancing Monkeys of Puntabuland. Thus, the Majestic Michelle M. dubbed Craiggers Our Monkey Lord. Now, I am not sure exactly what the line of succession is, or how Craiggers ascended the ranks from Lord to King, but I think the less we know about that the better.
By The Ryan with the Cupcake, February 3, 2010 @ 9:44 pm

Justin: I think the question is why don’t you want to kidnap Craig?
By Justin, February 3, 2010 @ 9:57 pm

Ryan: oh, I do! But it sounded like there was a group of you, which would imply an awful lot of passing-around-of-the-Puntabuvictim. *I* wasn’t planning on sharing him. Apparently you and your fellow would-be kidnappers are faaarrrr more generous than I am.

M.Nico: so let me get this straight. Um, strike that. So let me try to square this circle. This is “puntabuland”, and we’re the Dancing Monkeys. So far so good. But (according to Tam in the very same post you referenced), this is *also* “The Starship Puntabulous” and everybody is a member of the crew. (Which makes sense: I remember having seen pictures of the Puntabulous crew wearing Star Trek uniforms in an earlier post I came across when I read through all the Super Viagra and Vagina Girl posts end-to-end.) Are there any other tropes? Or is it just “land” and “starship”? Oh, the mesmerizing complexities of Puntabullagory…
By Chris D., February 3, 2010 @ 10:24 pm

Justin: Just go back and read every post, and every comment from the last few years, and you will be fully up to speed on the nuances of Puntabuland. Perhaps one day someone will write a Puntabuprimer for newbies extolling the virtues of our fair Monkey Lord and his great big handsome Puntabuschlong.
By The Ryan with the Cupcake, February 3, 2010 @ 10:31 pm

Justin: The Starship Puntabulous science lab is working feverishly to come up with more tropes, lest anyone understand Puntabulous. I assigned them there as part of my duties at the OPS station. (I spent the past ten minutes figuring out what the person in that chair does.)
By Justin, February 3, 2010 @ 10:31 pm

Uh-oh. Craig’s been downgraded back to Lord.

Somebody really SHOULD write a Puntabuprimer.

By the way, Chris. I quoted you (or took your name in vain?) over on Josh’s blog.
By Justin, February 3, 2010 @ 10:33 pm

Ryan — doesn’t the person in the OPS station talk to the computer? Oh wait. That was Galaxy Quest. When Avatar’s Dr. Grace Augustine was a blonde.