Thursday, October 23, 2014

Between Love and Anger: Parenthood: "A Scale of Affection is Fluid"


Love, hurt, anger we all deal with emotions that just seems to hit us. Also that's what we've learned in this week's episode of "Parenthood."

Seems like Crosby has been taken away his bike privileges since Jasmine learned he had an accident a couple of weeks ago. Sometimes Crosby grown ass men are treated like a child.

Crosby gets to be with Zeek and take him to his physical therapy since Camille drives very slow and could get there probably a week or so. Soon Crosby gets back to pick Zeek up and sees his dad on the treadmill.

He watches his dad push himself until he saw him fall and soon left quietly and than just sat down and thought about what he saw with a worried look on his face.

As soon as Zeek came out, Crosby thought that he and him could go for a couple of day drink celebration. Crosby talked about how he's been treated like a child and how his and Adam's business isn't doing so well. Zeek see something wrong with Crosby.

Later Jasmine picks up Crosby and Zeek as Crosby is drunk. Both Jasmine and Zeek talked and agreed about how worried they are about Crosby.

Meanwhile, Adam and Kristina are dealing with Max and learning about love and relationship. I have to say this is one of my favorite story-lines of the season so far. Seeing Max liking a girl and learning about it by reading some of the weirdest books as he put it, know about relationships and dates.

Also when Max told his grandfather and Crosby while Adam was grilling burgers, the Braverman men talked about how to really pick up girls and some of the codes like stealing bases and such. Funnest scene of the episode.

Things don't look to good with Joel and Julia as Joel found how Julia is dating her college ex-boyfriend. Boy, I would too get upset if someone said baseball isn't America's past time which it is. And to that I do love basketball as well.

Seems like what goes around, comes around to Joel and what he did to Julia even though he didn't date and such. Now I would be worried to see how this will go since now Julia and her boyfriend seem now to be a thing.

And of course Amber spots or should I say bumped into someone at the coffee shop spilling coffee on the guy and soon they start to go out. Without telling him that she's pregnant after their first date, Amber finally did and he kind of cut the night pretty short as he was tired and had a busy day the next day.

Sounds like a total jerk.

This episode had a lot more light sided humor. A lot of fun but some seriousness such as Crosby and his actions. He seems to be taken his anger towards riding his bike and drinking. He needs help and I think I smell and intervention!!!!

Next week's episode is probably a good reason to spread the word about this show. Because as they said in the promo, this episode will show Parenthood at it's best. And I wouldn't bet anything that they won' t on that.

You can catch "Parenthood" Thursday nights at 10/9c on NBC


A Walk-down to Hell: Wednesday night dramas



Mysteries of Laura: "The Mystery of The Red Runaway"

This week's episode of "Mystery of Laura" tackles the world or should I say the world of fashion. When an employee of one of the biggest fashion designers in the world is gunned down Laura and the gang think that it's a hit on the fashion designer.

When Laura and the gang think that the fashion designer was suppose to be killed, they try and protect him during Fashion Week party where Laura was his date.

There was a scene when Laura was going to the party dress up like you know as Laura can dress up. But when the designer told her that she need to wear a dress, he brought his people to give her a makeover. It was like watch Pretty Woman

I thought it was very funny seeing Laura trying all these different outfits. When she finally got the right one, the kids were wow and well so was I with a beautiful red dress.

Later that night the designer was outside and talked to Laura and Billy about how he's just sad and shocked about his employee is dead. Soon he was shot in the arm.

As Laura digs deep she talks to one of the designer's employees, this one turned out to be nervous and eating when talking. Soon as Laura and Billy went back to the victim's apartment they notice a book that he had on his desk and how it wasn't one of those heavy books.

But also the book that was on the desk was a law book. The victim was part of fashion scam which lead all the way to the head designer. It turned out that he was the one who had him killed and was the head of the design scam of a hand bag.

With classic fashion jokes left and right, this episode was funny. I loved the scene of Laura trying out dresses like she was in Pretty Woman. Meredith was once again funny in this episode with her excitement of all the fashion designs, mostly the handbag.

You can catch "The Mysteries of Laura" Wednesday nights at 8/7c on NBC



Chicago PD: "An Honest Woman"

If there was one word to describe this week's episode of "Chicago PD" it would have to be epic thriller. From the beginning to the end it was one thing after another.

As Voight and his son's baby mama talk about her future and borrowing money. Voight had no problem at all. He goes downstairs and soon two guys comes down and beats the crap out of him.

After watching that I felt breathless seeing that going on. Voight beaten down.

As for the rest of the gang,we see Al really pissed off. Erin as she comes up, her friend who works for them, tells her that Voight hasn't been seen this morning at a meeting. Both Erin and Halstead go check up on Voight and see his house broken into. They check the house and see that he was gone and so was Olive too.

The gang comes and investigate the place finding clues and what not gone.  They do not report it to anyone but just kept it to themselves to investigate.

We soon see Voight handcuff to a radiator and badly beaten. The two guys ask him for the combination to his safe but he wouldn't give it. The big guy then pokes his side which was badly hurt soon they bring out Olive and put a bag over her head. He then gave them the numbers to open it.

Soon the gang comes in, Halstead and Ruzek go after but lost them. Voight looked so pissed that I never seen him so pissed off since he talked to Casey about his son's trouble.

Now the hunt is on and hell breaks loose at points end. One of the guys turns himself in and Voight drags him to his car and takes him on a little trip to an abandoned factory outside of Chicago. He takes him and tells him to walk.

He then grabs his gun, grabs his head and starts talking for him to spill it. The guy wanted something in return but Voight gave him one option and he took it.

The guy was to meet up with the big guy at the airport with Voight's money and stuff in the vault. They put a wire on the guy and goes undercover watching him met the big guy.

As soon as they met, they walk and soon the big guy kills him. Voight and the other chase him and the guy grabs a hostage. But he didn't see Halstead and Erin behind him, soon Voight grab the bag that had money but it wasn't want he was looking for. It was the other bag that the big guy had in his pocket which we learn that it had Voight's wife's wedding ring.

Soon Voight take the big guy to the same spot and soon brought him back to the station.

We soon see Voight and Justin talk and soon Voight gave his wife's wedding ring to his son to ask Olive for marriage.

I really felt this episode was one big drag race. It was written well enough to keep you on the edge of your seat, as it did with mine.

There was also a light side to it with the officers dealing with a girl who took a badge and using it to protect the kids and his sister at the park.

Next week's episode deals with this: undercover, no protection, no backup at all.

You can catch "Chicago PD" Wednesday nights at 10/9c on NBC.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Just Say It Don't Hide from It: Tuesday Night Comedies and Drama


Marry Me: "Move Me"


This week's episode of "Marry Me" deals with the pressure of change when your fiance moves in with you and that the fact that not talking about it will make you do some weird things.

As Jake is moving in with Anne with a little help from their friends, Anne sees a whole lot of stuff in her apartment. It gets a bit overwhelming for her and talks to her dads about it.

She then takes the advice of how she use to go to the bathroom and countdown to calm her down but apparently that didn't work so the next best place....her car.

Anne found peace and eventually not wanting to come back home. The girl had drapes in the car along with other things. Call it the mini RV car, as it came to me.

Soon Anne's friends and family come to her and tells her to go talk to Jake about it. She comes to the concussion that it's becoming a problem and just as she gets out of her car, she drops an empty bottle of wine and a cop is right there to see it.

Eventually, Anne gets out of it with again help from her friends and Jake. Soon Anne tells Jake the reason she's been acting like she's been. Soon they are back together watching a classic Real Housewives of Orange County but they are in the car in the garage.  

Tonight's episode was very funny. There are some bits that just made this show stand out with it's characters from Dennah, who freaked out that someone told her she looked 40 and took some advise from another friend, Gil, and got botox on her face, which the outcome was funny as she got nicknames from Anne, Gil and other.

Another is Gil, who apparently is dealing with his divorce by eating out the 24 hour buffet. He literally stays there for 29 hours there after just paying $8 for an all you can eat. Which by the way if there is a 24 hour buffet and you paid to eat their buffet you should have the right to stay as long as you want. I really don't see an issue with that at all, do you?

I can't wait to see more of "Marry Me" next week and the rest of the season.

You can catch "Marry Me" Tuesday nights at 9/8c on NBC.








About A Boy: "About A House for Sale"


To be honest, I was glad that this storyline was done with, because it was getting a bit boring. I kind of understand where this storyline was going if the show wasn't going to get picked up last season.

As Will has moved back for a couple of days to get things packed and shipped off to New York City, he promises Marcus to find him a best friend for him as his replacement. Also Will was going to help Fiona with her project. Will is literally not wanting to go back to NYC.

He soon tells his girlfriend that it will take a couple of days due to helping Marcus and Fiona. That didn't cut it but she understood what he was dealing with so she decides to come over help him pack his stuff and ride across the country back to NYC.

Soon Will was on command mode to find Marcus a best friend, looking at Andy and CJ and then doing a dating game style but that failed as they answered the questions wrong.

Then came a surprised that his girlfriend came a bit early and then after talking to her and telling her how he feels that he doesn't have no friends there in NY that it means something to him.

Marcus overhears them and decides that Andy will be his new best friend and soon asked him to find a good photo of Will so he put an ad for a 12 year old kid to be his new best friend, which was sweet but soon cops came and thought it was some kind of creepy.

But as soon as they had their last meal together Will makes a speech to Marcus about how he would never have a friend like him when he moves back to NYC. Soon as Will and his girlfriend left, she thinks about what happen that night and tells him that he should move back to San Francisco.

He didn't want to because he loves her but she tells him that the people that he left wasn't just some friends that they were his family and he needs to be with his family.

So Will is back at last. I really enjoyed this show last season and was worried about what will happen in season two with this storyline but now that that is all done now we can have some fun times with Will and Marcus.

You can catch "About A Boy" Tuesday nights at 9:30/8:30c on NBC









Chicago Fire: The Nuclear Option

This week's episode of "Chicago Fire" deals with...well relationships mostly. For the first time in my television viewing that a show can not have two people who are working to be in a relationship. I've seen doctors and federal agents but when it comes to firefighters that's a totally different story.

But anyway, we see Casey meeting hie niece that we haven't seen since like the first season,let alone his family. She tells him that she's been in a fight and that she doesn't want her mom to know about it. So she asked him to sign a paper for her. Apparently Casey's sister and niece aren't doing well.

So he talks to Dawson about it and later carries it on more when  they are at the firehouse, which pisses off Herrmann because relationships between two firefighters are out unless you work at different firehouses.

It mostly started when Casey took Dawson up with him to vent the roof but that soon turned to getting down and riding down until she gets stuck but was fixed seconds. Then carried on towards her working like waxing the car and putting stuff in the truck and not closing the door tight, but soon Herrmann learned that she was not shutting the door on purpose so he could get mad at her.

She wants him to teach her to tricks and the trade of being a firefighter and doesn't want Casey's help for it. Herrmann was happy and later told her that they will make a firefighter out of her.

So Casey goes to Ruzek for help to see what's going on with his sister's husband and later finds out that he's divorcing and not letting her have some of the money from his company and giving it to his lady. We find out later at the end that Casey wants to talk to him the next morning and deal with this situation. Casey does it Casey's way which I would have no problem with that at all. Listen to the guy dude!

Meanwhile, Cruz is just suffering from not driving the truck. As Firehouse 51 gets a call of an apartment fire, Cruz sees a man hurt and on the forth or fifth story, so he moves the ladder up close and goes up himself and saves him.

Boden talks to Cruz and tells him that he did a great job saving that guy. Later Boden talks to the chef about reinstate Cruz back to driving the truck but then talks to the higher people and soon Cruz gets his job back. All is all right with the world well with Cruz anyway.

As for Britt, dealing with her runaway now comeback fiance, she really doesn't want to be with him anymore and that she likes it here in Chicago, but the dude doesn't see it and doesn't get it at all.

Soon later that night, Britt comes home to see her door has been broken into and sees a mess around the house from a robbery but the robber was still there. He tried to get her but she knocked him down with a bat.

She then tells her ex-fiance that she's not moving back with him. She likes it here in Chicago and at House 51 and you know what I think we all do too, right?

This episode was once again amazing. The one thing that made it amazing is how great the cameras get theses awesome shots during the rescue scenes or when things are setting up like when Cruz was operating the ladder, that was just amazing scene.

I'm very much enjoy the character of Britt. She seems like someone we want to know more of and I have a bad feeling that her and Severide will hook up later. It's just a feeling it's not 100 percent thing for sure.

Next week's episode will battle with Casey and his brother-in-law, get ready for a rumble I guess. Also a rescue that really is a moment of life or death. I really get chills down my back when they show a scene and when it goes silence I get goosebumps.

You can catch "Chicago Fire" Tuesday nights at 10/9c on NBC


Monday, October 20, 2014

Sneaking and Worrying: The Blacklist "The Front"



In this week's episode of "The Blacklist" we have a lot more questions for Miss. Liz Keen than we have ever had before. The question is what is she hiding and has been moody too?

This week's case is a bit of a wow factor at a time when we got the Ebola thing happening right now. The Lizzie, the FBI and Red are dealing with a deadly virus that in one has a long history that has caused millions of people to die years ago.

The hunt is towards a group called "The Front." In some way it's like the Waco siege, a group that fights for it's political and religious rights.  Maddox Beck, the leader, is on the hunt for the virus that has been hidden in a painting.

Liz confronts the Beck as he's in a hazmat suit, she soon starts to worry and freezes in action, not pull the trigger to stop him instead she gets hit by the guy's man.

Soon the Beck takes the virus and puts it in a oxygen mask for his people to take and spread around the world. Taking one out and later the rest. Each go to their separate areas to go, with one of them going to the airport.


Liz and the gang make it there and search for the guy. Samar sees him and chase him down until he knocks her down and contracts the virus to her. He then holds a gun and shoots her in the stomach and that's where Liz shoots him. Samar then goes into another room trying to protect everyone from her and Liz goes in talking to her and trying to keep her alive.

Meanwhile when Red gets the news about Liz and Samar contracting the virus, he goes to the Beck and confronts him and his girl. He doesn't seem to worry about contracting the virus because the guy didn't really contracted the virus but he really did. Red got the antidote and gave it to the FBI helping the rest along with Samar and Liz.

There was a lovely scene with Red and Liz. He's in her hospital room and puts on a earpieces and plays a certain song and just holds her hand.

The most part of this episode was two things. Red is in search for a girl, maybe another daughter, we later see as he watched her as she's working at a food truck.

The other is about Liz. What is she hiding? Just what's behind that door that she wants to go in? Why was she at a doctor's house? Why was she thinking about clips and talking about babies with Samar? And why was she looking at the baby who came from the mother who died, who happens to be Beck's wife?

Could she be pregnant? Could she be hanging with Tom? She has been a bit moody around Red in this episode. But in the promo for next week they did say that her secret will be revealed.

Any thoughts?

You can catch "The Blacklist" Monday nights at 10/9c on NBC.


The Spirit of Jokes: Mulaney "Halloween"



It's Halloween on Mulaney and the gang is dealing with a spirit in Andre's bedroom for the last couple of days. Soon, Oscar comes over and informs everyone that a neighbor int he building has passed away...a couple of days ago.

Mulaney mentions that the neighbor gave him a book of jokes that he has written for him to use for his stand-up. And just to do something nice he had the idea to use those jokes in his stand up as a tribute to him. That didn't turn out the way he wanted it.

As soon has Mulaney was at work, Lou is given everyone till midnight on Halloween to a heads up that they might be fired unless they come up with some good material.

Mulaney worries and then Lou takes his book of jokes and then uses them in his monologue. It turned out to be a smashing hit.

Lou asked for Mulaney to give him more. In one airing of his game show, he did a whole show of doing jokes and not the game. This kind of made Mulaney feel bad and wants to tell Lou the truth but also doesn't want to get fired.

He then goes to his dead neighbor's apartment and look for more jokes there. At that time Jane is in wanting mode of getting the apartment that she is pretending to be the neighbor's wife/girlfriend but that didn't work out with the Landlord.

Later, Mulaney was getting desperate as Lou told him that he has until midnight to give him 100 jokes for next week's show or he's fired. So Mulaney goes to the wake and hears about how the guy was buried with a notebook that says jokes.

Mulaney goes down to the cemetery and see a group of kids watching horror films but then finds the grave. We later see Mulaney at studio set looking for Lou and tells him the truth. After he tells Lou, he gives him an idea for next week's show of how Lou can lip sync to Top 40 hits and Lou loved it.

While this was going on Andre was trying to catch the ghost haunting in his room, thinking that it was the neighbor who's haunting them. So Andre gets a video camera and records everything that's going on.

 Later both Andre, Mulaney and Motif are watching the video and see Andre doing other things.

I really thought it was a good Halloween episode. One of the best scenes was when Jane was singing about having the apartment even though there are issues with the place like temperature and cockroaches just to name a few. It was clever and funny.

Update: It is reported that FOX has reduced the order of episodes from 16 to 13 episodes. To some degree to other media this kinda means that the show will be cancelled. But it's FOX and they have other shows that have some close to the same numbers at the show.

You can catch "Mulaney" Sunday nights at 9:30/8:30c on FOX.

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Remembrance of American Classics


It was more than just an evening of dancing and singing. It was a remembrance of the American classics.

On Oct. 18, the Illinois Central College presented its Guest Artists series “Two on Tap” at the Performing Arts Center. It starred Melissa Giattino and Ron DeStefano, who danced to tap to hit songs from vaudeville to Broadway, and there was some comedy along, too.

 “It was like going back in time and reliving some of these classic hits that we don’t get to see perform anymore,” said Lisa Johnson of East Peoria.

The night's first performance was to tap dance to the song “I Got Rhythm.” They sang and danced during their performance and, along with that, talked to the audience, doing a bit of comedy as they danced to the music.

“It was like watching Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers,” said Johnson. “They showed class.”
Through the night, we learned a bit about the two stars. They each got to perform one song and dance number from which they performed years ago.

For one, DeStefano introduced a video of Giattino in the cast of 42nd Street performing at the Tony Awards. As the video was playing and saw the cast dancing, Giattino came out dancing along in a dark blue dress.

Another was when DeStefano only sang with no music to the tune of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” from the Broadway musical “Carousel.” Audience members were amazed and cheered for his performance.

But the night performance came to the second song near the end as Giattion and DeStefano performed the hit classic “Somewhere Over The Rainbow.” DeStefano and Giattion's voices brought the house down and had the audience on their feet for a good minute or two of cheers and applause.

To one audience member, that performance didn’t just bring her to her feet but also brought tears of joy. She said that Giattion's voice was unique when she reached that high note of the song.
She also mentioned that watching Giattino and DeStefano perform was something we don’t see anymore on television or in the movies and that they are restoring those classics.

I have to say that that performance also brought me to tears as well. This show wasn't just an act to make the audience happy but to give the audience a bit of what true American classic of songs and dance, the authentic style that we once watched back in the day but now somewhat seems no more.


Saturday, October 18, 2014

The Cutting Thrill of Edward Scissorhands

After watching the film “Edward Scissorhands” this week and going over it again, you see the different kind of ideals that they used in the film like color, texture and even costumes in the film that give it that sense to what Tim Burton is trying to use in the film.  
        I think in the film that the color was a bit equality of light and dark. The light colors going into the neighborhood that the Boggs was living. The colors seem to be of a 60’s-70’s suburban neighborhood with blended colors, such as lighted yellows and blues. It kind of made it look like it came from the 70’s era. And only the dark colors when we go into Edward’s home when he was running away from the neighbors after they thought that he was hurting Kevin. It seemed to be that even though it’s a comedy that there can be a mixed of color.
        The texture in the film looked somewhat real but when you watch it again there is some that really doesn’t quiet look real. When going into the castle where Mrs. Boggs first met Edward, the structure of the place didn’t look quite as real. The walls looked more of pastor walls than cement walls. The hole in the room where Edward sleeps, his bedroom or attic, the way it looked just didn’t quiet had that realness that you would kind of see from an old abandon building or castle.
        The costumes in the film had that 60’s to 70’s look that had such a light color to them. Most of the characters in the film, their costumes were mostly light expect for Edward, which he wore a dark suede outfit. I think that the dark outfit shows the side that the character is scary, yet someone who had been in the dark for so long, is quiet and shy. On the other side, like the costume for Peg Boggs, it was light and colorful. Her costumes showed warm and even caring. I guess to someone like Peg, not only her clothes showed the personal side she is but her attitude towards people.
        The makeup in the film, for the character of Edward there seemed to be a lot of makeup on him. The scares that he had from accidentally scratch his face or even when
Peg put on her stuff from Avon that was going to help him clear his face up from the scares and yet help his skin.
The film had some interesting costumes and set designs for a comedy that almost has that take of "Frankenstein" just a little bit. Some of the things looked real and others in the film a bit not. From what I saw in the film, I thought that it was pretty good from a standing point.