A Dair-y Valentines To You

For the first time in a long time, I'm really glad it's Valentine's day.  I've had a really horrible few days and there is something about being surrounded in messages of love that has actually been uplifting.  So much so, it seemed like a perfect day to return to the blog and share the sweetness.  I was going to post my favorite TV clip of all time, but I think I'll have to save that one for next year.  Because kids, Dair finally kind of happened last night.  And once I was able to momentarily pull myself out of my own gloom, I was happy to enjoy the awesomeness of this unexpected couple.  And now, I want you to enjoy it too.

A quick set-up:  Blair (back to her former amazingly scheming self) returns from her honeymoon of convenience to a mopey set of friends.  Since she figures she can't have love herself, she decides to set bestie Serena up with crush Dan even though he only has moon eyes for Blair.  This finally leads her to realize that he's been kind of great to her. 

 

Which finally leads him to ball up and go for it:

I love these two and I'm happy that this may finally start to become something more than a one sided love affair.  I'm also happy these clips give me something else to re-watch other than When Harry Met Sally for the billionth time. 

Happy Valentines Day y'all!

Glee, I Think I Didn't Hate You!

I didn't hate Glee!  I didn't hate Glee!  Here are some quick thoughts on last night's non-sucktastic episode.

-About five minutes in I knew this was written by Ian Brennan.  He is the only Glee writer who makes me laugh with the show and not at it.  Four for you Ian Brennan!

-Ricky Martin is adorable.  He should act more!  If he's not too busy being the new Gweneth,  I'm voting for a return to General Hospital, where he can bring in some viewers that James Franco didn't.

-Artie's joining in mooning over Ricky Martin and then his subsequent reaction made me laugh out loud. A fun, silly little moment.

-Finn, It's pronounced Adelphi with an I not an EEE.  You should learn that if you do end up going there.

-NeNe Leakes has been way more fun than I thought she would be.  I won't be mad if she sticks around.

-For some strange reason I'm not hating on Sam and Mercedes.  He has finally made her a character and not a caricature.  Maybe they should hook him up with Tina.  And Artie.

-The insanity of Will's number was ridiculous in a good (you know...intentional) way.  It brought me back to Popular.

-Brittany dances!  Where was that during the Michael Jackson show?

-Emma and Will were kind of cute.  They should play them more.  Although maybe they were kind of cute because they don't play them more.

-Sue's wanting a baby, Will's not being able to speak Spanish and the Finn/Rachel engagement are all crazy stupid but weren't overplayed so I could just ignore them and focus on the funny and the music.

Was this episode super meaningful?  No.  But that's kind of what I liked about it.  If the show would remember it's a comedy more, focus on the core characters, let the talent do what they do best I might not want to put a fork in my eye every week.  This was light and fun and totally fork free.

Glee, Stop Making Me Hate You.

Remember when I used to recap Glee talking about the things that sucked, were kind of meh and what I actually liked?  Yeah, it has become kind of impossible to do that.  The thing is, I really wanted to like last night's episode.  But I couldn't get over the big problems enough to enjoy the fun Michael Jackson music.  I hated that Quinn got into Yale.  I would have bought her getting into an out of state college, but a girl who spent the first half of the year skipping classes and was certain that she would never get out of her hometown is now Ivy league bound?  I.  Just.  Don't.  Buy.  It.  I hate that Blaine needed to be written out so How To Succeed could happen.  I really hated having to watch Kurt, Rachel and Finn sing to him bedside.  And man do I hate that we are still supposed to believe that The New Directions are awesome when they clearly aren't.

I didn't hate Grant Gustin.  Sebastian is a total douche, but I think Gustin is kind of killing it and is proving to be the delicious villain that Glee really needs.  I do hate that he and Santana had way too much chemistry in their sing off since they are both supposed to be gay and I now kind of ship them.  And speaking of the Sing off, I hate that they sent people out of the room to have it.  How the hell do you know who wins?  See, even the moments I like were tainted by things I hate.

I happen to be one of those people who loves most other Ryan Murphy things, so I believe firmly that Glee could be a good show if it wanted to be.  So please Glee.  Stop making me hate you.

Gossip Girl turns 100

I'll admit, Gossip Girl has kind of sucked lately.  So when I saw all the hullabaloo about the show's big 100th episode, I was prepared to be disappointed.  Sure there would be Blair's big wedding to Louis, but we all knew she wouldn't go through with it.  Of course, Chuck would show up and the two would run off together, leaving Dan to sulk while Serena dug her claws back into him again.  Georgina would reappear briefly to try to do something dastardly but would be foiled to disappear from our thoughts for about a year.    And the parents?  Well, they'd be pouty and boring.  Yup, we all knew how this shindig would go down.

Except none of that happened.  Not at all!

Instead, we got some pretty awesome moments.  Here are my top five favorite things about last night's Gossip Girl.

5) Parents to the Rescue
Lily and Rufus being the ones to catch Georgina trying to lay a trap for Louis was nice, but how awesome was the scene where Eleanore barged through Chuck's door, downed his scotch and told him that he was the thing missing at the wedding, basically instructing him to steal her daughter away?  It was kind of kick ass and served as a lovely balance to sweet Cyrus' glee at getting to co-walk Blair down the aisle.

4) Blair and Louis Get Married
When Gossip Girl send out a blast to the entire church of the video of Blair confessing her love to Chuck , it seemed clear that the royal wedding would not be.  Instead, they totally did it!  I was a little shocked that the show went there, until...

3) Louis Turned Evil
God, Louis has been one of the most boring TV characters of all time, hasn't he?  Dry and insecure, I could not see his value on this show and hated that they have kept him around this long.  And then?  After the wedding, scorned Louis reveals to Blair that he had to marry her to keep up appearances but they will have a loveless marriage where she will initially be his dancing monkey.  I though Louis' evil turn was kind of awesome and Hugo Becker rocked it (and somehow suddenly became hotter in like three seconds).  I'm totally up for keeping this version of the character around.  Good job show!

2) Blair Runs Off With Dan!
Oh my little shipper heart!  After Louis destroyed her notions of the romantic life they would lead, Blair made a phone call asking the recipient to take her away from the wedding.  While we saw Chuck speeding towards the hotel, we learned that it was actually Dan that Blair called.  He stole a car and drover her off to what I hope will be the beginning of an excellent adventure.

1) Georgina is Gossip Girl
Maybe shows little Pretty Little Liars have scorned me but I never thought we would learn Gossip Girl's identity.  So zooming in on typing hands and then out to narrating Georgina posting to the scandalous site was simply shocking.  It has crossed my mind that Georgina may be only the "new" Gossip Girl and that there is an original out there waiting to crack heads, but I'll take it either way.  It was a great moment and it made for great TV.

Four for you Gossip Girl!

Greater Than: Arias

I'm back folks!  Don't you just hate when real life gets in the way of blogging?  Work has been bananas but I'm going to try my very best to get on here as much as possible.  I still have a ton of theater reviews to put up and quite a few film ones as well (including two that I actually liked!).  I may not be an everyday blogger, but Popinions is going to live on damn it!

In other news....

Pretty Little Liars is on tonight.  Everyone that I know that watches this show is pretty realistic about the fact that it isn't good, yet they are completely addicted.  I call it the cotton candy of television.  I have also been catching up on Game Of Thrones.  Everyone that I know thinks that it is a pretty great show.  It's a beautifully shot and acted soap opera, but I love that kind of thing so I totally agree with them.

You might be wondering what these two vastly different shows have in common.  Well, they both have characters names Aria (Arya).  On Pretty Little Liars, Aria is the worst.  She has pretty much spent the entire run of the show throwing herself at an older (and kind of boring) man/her teacher in the most snoozeworthy way possible (Girl, Pacey Witter would be pissed at you).  She also dresses like a crazy person, which I think is supposed to make her artsy and interesting but really just makes her come off as someone who just escaped from the looney bin who had access to a really stocked 99 cents store.  On Game of Thrones Arya is awesome.  She's a little girl who is more badass than pretty much anyone else on the show.  She is good with a sword and quick with her tongue.  She is the one you really want to root for.

So it must be said:

Arya > Aria

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A Soap Love/Goodbye Letter

Dear One Life To Live,

Let me start by saying that I'm so sorry that it took me so long to say that I love you.  I guess I was a little embarrassed, you being a campy soap and all.  But the truth is, it is your ability to do embrace the genre with a self aware wink to the audience that has made me love you so.  I am a little heartbroken that you are ending and am going to miss you terribly.  But we've had a good ride, haven't we?

Truth be told, it wasn't love at first sight.  Not to sound slutty but I kind of just started seeing you because you were hanging around in the general vicinity of my other soaps.  I watched you all at the same time, on occasion flipping channels when your back was turned.  I was in high school then, and I guess one daytime drama just couldn't hold my interest for very long.  I barely remember those days.  I think you did a musical in prison.  That was fun.  But I had to experiment with other TV shows.  It just wasn't the time for us.

In college, we barely saw each other at all.  There was that brief fling when you had that AMC baby switching crossover (oh, how bold you were) and I was mildly entertained by the whole multiple personality thing, but my sleeping/school schedule then just wasn't conducive to the hours you wanted me to have to see you.  And so we lost touch.  I heard about you from time to time, on the Internet or from friends but to be honest I never thought we'd see each other again.

Then, when I started working something magical happened.  I had a TV in my office and you were on during my lunch hour.  So it began, casually as I suppose it often does.  I was having a thing with Days Of Our Lives at the time, but would catch you on occasion and soon once and a while turned into a few times a week.  I remember the moment it all changed.  It was Bo and Nora's wedding and you were spectacular.  You were over the top but you knew it and rocked that shit.  There was a bold confidence there that I was drawn to.  From that point on, you had my heart.  And for the past year I've looked forward to our lunchtime dates every single day.

I guess I knew that I was in love when Todd came back.  I always knew that you could rock the funny but never quite realized that you had some really layered characters that could make you kind of complex.  The anti-hero who had atypical reactions (the less likeable on paper, the more likeable in reality) stole my heart.   Couple that with your cliffhanger moments at the tag of each episode and that was it.  I was hooked.

This past week leading up to the finale has continued to enforce everything that I've loved about you.  The big jail break, bringing back old characters and shedding a light on the ones that we love, was brilliant.  And yesterday's penultimate episode was beautiful.  The ballsy soap within a soap thing has been entertaining thus far, but using Fraternity Row's finale to talk about all of the wonderful things that soaps accomplish and the true sorrow that the possible end of the genre brings was powerful.  And more importantly, it was true.  Soaps have connected generations (I started watching them in the womb) and have allowed people to grow up with characters.  The characters on them become your friends and family, the town your home.  I can't believe that we'll never see Llanview again.

I'm really going to miss this show.  I'm going to miss the ever wise Vicki and her feud with Dorian. I'll think fondly of Jess and Tess and all of her other personalities (except that strange high school one).  I'll long for the strength of the Cramer women, the sweetness of Bo and Nora (and the father-son nature of Bo and Rex) and the wackiness of Roxy.  I'll  smile when I remember the Ford brothers and their tendency to whip off their shirts at a moments notice.   And what will be life without the hysterical ramblings of lovable narcissist David Vickers or the cuteness of adorable namesake she-dog David Vickers?  Hell, I'll even miss Natalie and her crazy eyes.  And I'll really, really miss Todd.  (Until he shows up on General Hospital).

So Goodbye One Life.  Goodbye to your ballsy meta-rants, your musicals, your lovable shtick.  Goodbye to the DNA test result swaps, twins galore and teen parents.  Goodbye to the heart and soul you have brought to daytime television and the humor and smarts that you have done it with.  I'll miss you, but I'll always love you.  Because this is for keeps.

XOXO

Nikki

Bonnie and Clyde: A Theater Review

Man, there was a good run in my life where critics and I were pretty simpatico.  If they liked it, I liked it.  If they didn't, I knew exactly what they were talking about.  Lately?  I've become mystified by critics.  For the past year they have been loving up on films that I've thought were total shit.  And now?  It seems they've been hating on some theater that I completely adored.  It's official.  Critics, I'm breaking up with you.

This past week I saw the now closed Broadway production of Bonnie and Clyde.  I saw it twice.  I saw it twice to double check that I did in fact like it like it, and that my admiration wasn't just surprise because the critics had made my expectations so very low.  (Okay, I also saw it again because I had friends with broken knees and food poisoning.  But these are other stories for another time).  I can say with certainly now that my reaction was genuine.  And I've been determined to figure out what I saw in this show that the critics didn't.

A little background...Bonnie and Clyde is a musical about, you guessed it, the notorious Bonnie and Clyde.  She was a girl  with silver screen dreams of fame who met him, a dirt poor lifelong petty criminal on the eve of his escape from jail.  They almost immediately fell for him for each other, most likely because they were both hot and feisty.  When he is captured, she remains true and helps him to escape again.  The two go on the run robbing banks until Clyde one day is forced to pull the trigger.  Bonnie contemplates leaving Clyde, but she's far too in love with him, and the two begin their now notorious spree.  Meanwhile Clyde's brother Buck dreams of having the wealth his little bro does, but Buck's wife Blanche wants him to go straight and be a good Christian man.  Eventually he convinces her to go find Clyde with him and the two become members of the Barrow gang.  Eventually the police close in and Buck is killed while Blanche is arrested.  Bonnie and Clyde make it out alive, but not for long.  The loving couple gets into their car and rides off into the night, ready to be pumped full of lead.  It's the fitting ending to this tragic love story.

One problem that the critics seemed to have is that this particular interpretation of the characters does not correspond with how they personally thought they should be. They are stuck on the history or the depictions in the 1967 movie.  Maybe its because I'm not a fan of that film, but I was completely willing to accept these versions of the characters.  Bonnie being an ingenue works because it makes you think that with one different life choice, she just may have been a star.  And Buck and Blanche being the more comical and moral center of the show serves as a lovely counterpoint to out main couple.  I thought these characters, especially for a two act musical, were necessary ways to interpret the characters.

Another major issue for the critics seems to be the show's book.  I'll concede on a few points here.  I do feel that the second act becomes a series of Bonnie and Clyde fighting and bank robbing for a short while, and I'm not into ever seeing a different version of the same scene twice.  We know this couple isn't splitting up, so the stakes are pretty much non existent here as well.  Unfortunately, we also know how they die so its hard to build any real sense of tension in respect to their own lives when we know that Clyde will definitely make it out when someone pulls a gun on him during a robbery.  It's a tricky problem, and I don't think enough credit is given to how it it practically unsolvable.  The real tension should be the slow loss of our characters lives, and this is maybe where the book falters a bit.  They do try, but it never comes across the way it should.  Clyde, the only one who actually kills people, should struggle more with what he has done.  One major problem is that his first kill totally slipped by me.  I figured out that he was raped in prison because I've seen General Hospital, but when he beat the crap out of a pole I missed that it was supposed to be him killing his attacker.  Clyde's first kill should have a face, and while we don't need to see the act that brought him to the murder, we should see the crime itself.  Similarly after his second murder, the first time his gun goes off during a robbery, his slight moment of guilt turns into a scene where he is trying to get Bonnie not to leave him.  Perhaps more of an internal struggle would have made later kills display a loss of morality.  I'm not sure if fleshing out this loss of humanity would have appeased the critics more, but it is one of the only things that I can take fault with.

Some critics also felt that the show wasn't dark and dangerous enough.  I may have missed this because instead, the show is crazy sexy.  A lot of that would have to be scarified to make this the Sweeney Todd of West Dallas.  Seeing the aforementioned murder would perhaps help a little bit, but I'm not sure how else to keep the sultry nature of the show that I really think works for it, while upping the danger factor.  We see bloody murders.  Guns go off galore.  Do we want torture that didn't happen?  Fancier ways of killing people?  Even darker lighting?  As someone who likes to play in the dark, I thought the tone of the show was smokey enough.  It seemed like an odd thing to nitpick to me.

My biggest WTF moment with these reviews was the way in which the music was panned.  I'm actually totally new to Frank Wildhorn's work, so maybe having no preconceived notions helped me just appreciate the score.  But the critics really hated it.  And I LOVED it.  I found not one snoozer ("Whispering" from Spring Awakening, "Easy To Be Hard" from Hair) in the bunch and had several of the songs stuck in my head for days.  I continue to hum "Picture Show" and am crazy about "Raise A Little Hell".    Big group numbers like "Made In America" were just as moving as the big solo eleven O'clock song "Dyin' Ain't So Bad".  "Bonnie" is so simple and yet incredibly beautiful.  I'll admit that sometimes the lyrics can be clunky and the rhyme scheme can seem off, but  I love the actual instrumental arrangement of the show.  I'm thrilled that a cast recording was made this week and that I will be able to blast these songs in my car.

There is one area where the show got a little praise by critics, the one area where they were a little soft.  The performances got a decent amount of praise and it was well deserved.  I've loved Laura Osnes since I rooted for her since You're The One That I Want and she has continued to prove that she's the real deal.  Her voice is like butter, and she played Bonnie with a subtle sexuality and yet fresh feistiness that made you understand why Clyde could see her as both a lover and a partner.  Similarly, Jeremy Jordan knocked it out of the park with his portrayal of Clyde, who he somehow manages to make you like even though you shouldn't.  As much as it pains me to admit this, Jordan is the most talented of the twenty-something guys on Broadway right now.  His voice is kind of insane, and I would listen to him hit those high notes any day of the week.  Also, considering that he was unemployed for like, a day, I'm pretty sure those pipes are going to be on the Great White Way for quite a while.

While I knew Osnes and Jordan would do fine work, I was really impressed with Melissa van der  Schyff as Blanche and Claybourne Elder as Buck, who were new to me.  It's hard to play both the comedic second bananas and the moral and tragic center of the show and the two did it with ease.  I also felt that their relationship felt authentic, and I understood how much they meant to each other while still wanting the other to change.  I'm not sure if this show will be remembered at all come Tony time, but if it is I would love for these two to get some recognition.  Some praise also needs to go out to Kelsey Fowler, who plays young Bonnie.  I love the sound of her voice and I have a feeling that she will be the new young star of Broadway in a few years.

I'm not really sure why it happened, but I don't really think Bonnie And Clyde got a fair shake.  It's a bummer, because I think that given a little more time some word of mouth might have helped it quite a bit.  I'm glad that I got the chance to see it and am sorry if you didn't.  I don't know what's going on with the critics nowadays, but I hope they wake up.  They're missing some great stuff.

My Pop Culture Wishes For 2012

Well my little Popettes, we made it.  It's a whole new year!  I don't know about you, but I wasn't a big fan of 2011.  After a bunch of resolutions and some high hopes for change, I feel almost certain that 2012 has to be a better year.  And I'm hoping its a much better year in Pop Culture-land too.  Here is what I'm crossing my fingers to see in entertainment in the next twelve months:

Movies:

• Great films that are actually great films.  When the world raved about Like Crazy or The Descendants this year, I was hoping they would actually be good.  But I pretty much learned that the world had just been drinking the Kool Aid.  I hated almost every film that I was supposed to love, which left me with very little fulfillment at the cinema this past year.  I'm hoping that when the next little Sundance darling or Oscar film comes out, there is legitimate quality in every sense of the word and that I walk out of the theater with a little faith left in the people who make movies.
• Good sequels.  A lot of lighter fare from years past are bringing our favorite characters back this year for another go at the big screen.  I'm hoping that American Reunion is actually funny and doesn't just make us all feel old.  And after not being a fan of the second film, I have my fingers crossed that Men in Black III can restore the franchise to its former glory.
• James Cameron proves that a post 3D conversion can be done.  I mean, I was a twelve year old girl when Titanic came out, so there is no way that I'm not going to see the 3D version this year.  But I'm hoping Cameron actually makes it worth my while in a new and exciting way.
• Big blockbusters are also good films.  I really do have my doubts about The Hunger Games based on everything I have seen so far (most people I know do not share my concern) but I REALLY want it to be just as good as the source material.  Similarly The Amazing Spider-Man will do well at the box office, but due to my undying love of Andrew Garfield and general fondness for the rest of the cast I'd like it to be a critical success as well.  Can we get some quality moneymakers please?
• I'd like Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter to do well enough, but can it please not make Benjamin Walker a star?  Broadway would like him back please.
• Please don't ruin The Lorax.  This was always my favorite Suess book, probably because it is dreary and dark and a big warning about taking your natural resources for granted.  The film?  Looks peppy and colorful, adventurous and bright.  I hate it.  I'm hoping this is only really the first act of the film and that it in some way stays faithful to the soul of what The Lorax is about.
• Let there be too many choices for Christmas films this year.  After the slim pickings in 2011, I'd like a plethora of quality to choose from this year.  As long as Les Miserables or The Great Gatsby don't get postponed or panned, I have a feeling that this is the wish most likely to come true.

Music:

• We get some quality "best new artist" contenders who weren't manufactured by a record label.  It seems as though the one fun indie band seems to take the prize come awards season, so wouldn't it be great if we had several authentic and quality acts to choose from?
• Chris Brown's new album, Fortune is a disaster and he goes away forever, like he should have done ages ago.
• Justin Bieber proves that he has legitimate staying power by coming out with a song that the over 30 (or hell, even 20) set really likes.  This does not include doing Beatles covers with Stevie Wonder, Beibs.
• The late 90s/Early2000s has a comeback.  With the likes of Eve 6, Alanis Morissette, Third Eye Blind and The Cranberries all dropping albums this year we could have a fun little retro year that brings me back to Junior High.
• Green Day's new album is awesome.  I suspect this won't be hard.
• Actual new music tops the charts way more often than Glee covers do.

Theater:

• It becomes cool to be a theater geek.  I've been wishing for this every year since I was little, but with Glee and Book of Mormon and now the potential that Smash brings, 2012 is the year it can happen.
• Newsies gets better.  I saw the regional production of this show at The Papermill Playhouse and was a little disappointed.  Sure the concept is ripe for the stage but it needed a bigger ensemble and a little more showing coupled with a little less telling.  I'd like to see it made a little more polished before hitting Broadway this year.  Also, now that he's available, they should do this thing with Jeremy Jordan as Jack Kelly one again.  Just announce it already.
• Yank finally happens.  This show had so much buzz Off-Broadway but has yet to make the previously announced transition to the big stage.  Fingers crossed that this is the year as I have been dying to see this show.
• Death of A Salesman is actually good.  Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Linda Emond and Andrew Garfield in this classic Arthur Miller play directed by Mike Nichols.  There is no reason this should be anything short of brilliant.  So I really hope it is.
• Porgy And Bess proves Sondheim wrong.
• We get the next Rent/Spring Awakening/Next To Normal, a little rock musical that ends up being kind of epic and changes the way we think about theater.

Television:

• There is finally a network show that is both high in quality and gets decent ratings.  This is crazy, but I dare to dream.
• Smash is as good as everyone says it is.  Also, it stays true to producing a quality television show and doesn't get Glee-itis
• Mid season shows like Awake, G.C.B. and Don't Trust The Bitch In Apartment 23 leave the 2011-12 season with more hits than misses
• AMC goes back to making more shows like Mad Men and Breaking Bad and less like The Killing and The Walking Dead
• Season two of American Horror Story somehow proves all of us naysayers wrong
• Dan and Blair get together on Gossip Girl.  Plllleeeeeaaaasssseeeeeee.
• The powers that be gets over reality television and we are left with a lone few high quality competition shows and far less "let's follow rich people" shows.  In a related wish, The Kardashians go away for good.
• General Hospital does not get cancelled.  Instead, it reinvents itself and the daytime drama is saved.
• Parks and Recreation gets a lot of Emmy love.
• The Newsroom proves that you don't need a lot of money and crazy production value to be a hit show on HBO.  You just need Aaron Sorkin.  Also, the world does not fall too much in love with John Gallagher Jr. and steal him from the theater community.
• We get some new cute actors to love and adore.  Quality is great, but pretty is damn important too.

That's all folks!  What do you want to happen in the world of Film/Music/Theater/TV this year?

Best Shows of 2011

10. Gossip Girl
This spot should probably go to Justified.  Or Louie.  Or Boardwalk Empire.  Or Community.  But I haven't made it to any episodes of those shows yet so, yeah.  They don't get to be on the list.  (But you should watch Community.  Because every smart person I know loves it and I'm all for saving a cult favorite).  So instead, soapy teen drama Gossip Girl gets on this list.  Why?  Because somewhere between getting rid of the extraneous cast members and a few juicy story lines (pregnancy, fraud, possible death) this show became one of the few that I look forward to every week.  But really?  It's all about Dair.  It's no secret that I'm a fan of the magic of Dan and Blair and this year introduced the best non-couple to grace the CW, well, ever.  It's great to find two characters who spark when they're in scenes together, even if their relationship isn't romantic.  The very unique nature of these two characters and their journey from hatred to friends to the potential for something more someday earns it a spot on this list.

9. Parenthood
I'm a little ashamed to admit that I wasn't sold on the Parenthood pilot and had given up on it for a short while before diving back in this year on the recommendation of a friend.  Thank god I did.  The Braverman clan is showing week in and week out that complex but relatable characters are all you really need to make great drama.  From Adam and Christina having to explain to their son that he has Autism, to Julia and Joel's baby woes and struggle to adopt, the show reflects real life problems in a way that is both painfully true and somehow heartwarming.  With the other Jason Katims show off the air, I'm glad that Parenthood has shown that it is the go to show for the heart that television too often lacks.

8. Game Of Thrones
If you've been reading my posts these past few days, you know that I just started Game Of Thrones.  But it still makes it onto this list.  I'm sure that something awesome is just down the road that would bump it even further up, but right now it earns a spot on its beauty alone.  Seriously, has there ever been a more visually stunning thing on TV?  The look of GOT instantly transports you to a different time and place and yet the story is still amazingly easy to connect to.  For a show with a ton of history and a plethora of characters Game Of Thrones manages to explain everything with flair.  The large cast also allows everyone to have someone to root for and against, which gives it a much wider accessibility than one would think a fantasy show would have.  I'm pumped to finish Season One and can't wait to see what next year will bring.

7. Homeland
Homeland is one of those shows that you are kind of surprised that no one thought of before but are glad that someone finally did.  Full of tense nail biters, this show kept viewers on the edge of their seats.  I adored the cat and mouse game (but who was who?) between Carrie and Brody and her eventually falling for him was a twist I didn't see coming.  When Brody's mystery faded away I became a little less enamored but it was still one of the best shows of the year.  We also got some damn fine acting from Damian Lewis and Claire Danes and I officially have to stop making fun of my mother for her decades-long crush on Mandy Patinkin.  I'm curious to see how Homeland can keep up the pace of the first season and am dying to see these actors in action in the new year.

6. The Vampire Diaries
2011 was the year that I stopped apologizing for loving The Vampire Diaries and began to tell all naysayers that they were biased judgemental minds who needed to give this amazing drama a chance.  I HATE that the show has such a stupid title.  I wish it were called Mystic Falls.  Maybe then people would realize that it is one of the few shows on network television with complex character relationships, a rich history, huge twists and a faster pace than should work but somehow does.  This year brought us the juiciness of Stefan The Ripper, introduced the entire original family, taught us that Vampire/Werewolf hybrids can and do exist and wasn't afraid to kill off the few characters who didn't work (Please, take Bonnie next!)  It also brought us some sweet movement towards a potential Damon/Elena relationship and introduced (and ended) the hotness of a Tyler/Caroline coupling, the best Vamp/Wolf couple there's ever been.  And we got guardian (aka Giles) Alaric!  If you aren't watching The Vampire Diaries, get off your high horse and start.  You'll thank me for it.

5. Awkward
I was a hard core Daria fan back in the day and have been scouring MTV shows for some quality ever since.  Enter Awkward, the most unexpected enjoyable show of the year.  Both offbeat and quirky, Awkward opens with our protagonist getting a mystery letter that tells her to stop being so invisible which then causes her to accidentally spill some aspirin and pull a cord into a bathtub, making it seem as though she tried to kill herself.  From the mystery of who wrote the letter, to Jenna's awkward school, home and boy issues, this show entertained in every hysterical episode of the season.  It also introduced perhaps the only love triangle in recent memory where I was torn over which guy was best and introduced "behymen" into the TV lexicon.  It's a little show that made a big impression and showed that the girl underdog is still alive and well on MTV.

4.  American Horror Story
Let's ignore the ramifications of turning this into an anthology show and instead focus on what American Horror Story was for most of its season...and that was fun, campy horror fun.  From crazy creatures living in the basement to the Rubberman and the ghosts of the Murder House, AHS took the broken Harmon family for a crazy ride that ended in their subsequent deaths.  I loved watching Moira(s) toy with the men who entered the house, got a creepy thrill seeing Vivien consume raw brains and literally gasped when Addy was hit by a car.  But most importantly, American Horror Story introduced us to great characters Constance and Tate Langdon.  Watching Jessica Lange steamroll her way over other characters in a blaze of racist glory was a joy to watch, and Evan Peters' turn as the most charming serial murderer/rapist/emo boyfriend there's ever been showed that this boy is one to watch.  I looked forward to watching this weekly more than any other show this season and am grateful for the time I had I had with the gals and ghouls of the murder house.

3. Parks And Recreation
This show has single handedly restored my faith in the network sitcom.  That was a heavy task, and yet Parks and Recreation proved with ease that it is possible to be crazy funny without needing a taboo topic as a driving force.  This show relies on having great characters (and fantastic actors playing them) to propel its humor and its story into something special.  From watching April and Andy become the most shockingly cute married couple to Leslie's decision to run for office while hiding her relationship with worthy Ben, the show evolved yet stayed true to its core.   I never tire of Tom's crazy attempts to become a crazy successful business man, love poor put upon Jerry and have even come around to uber peppy Chris.  And if that's not enough I have three words for you.  Ron Fucking Swanson.  I also adore that Parks and Rec does comedy with heart as I like some tears with my laughter.  Congrats for being so awesome Parks And Recreation.  Li'l Sebastian would be proud.

2. Friday Night Lights
They say that all good things must come to an end.  Well this was a really good thing that came to an emotional yet wonderful end.    In it's final season, Friday Night Lights let our new players grow, letting Vince become one of the show's finest characters and Luke and Becky the cutest couple since Matt and Julie in season one.  It also brought back most of our favorites, from Street, Tyra and Landry to the emotional reappearance of Matt and the heartbreaking return of a changed Riggins from prison.  We got a lovely makeshift family unit with Billy, Mindy and Becky and struggled to watch the Taylors manage to keep theirs in a good place.  We also got to continue out love affair with the East Dillion Lions, taking us to our first successful State win since the first season.  Seeing where all of these characters ended up provided a sweet sense of closure (although I'm still super game for a movie) and left me bawling like a baby.  The lights may be out in Dillion but this season will not soon be forgotten.

1. Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad reminds me why I love television.  It makes you hold your breath and cover your eyes one minute and has you cheering the next.  This year brought us the epic breakup (and manipulative reconciliation) of Walt and Jesse, proved that Hank may just be smart enough to figure everything out and made Gus Fring into one of the best TV villains ever.  From Walt declaring to his wife that rather than cower when baddies come to the door, he is "the one who knocks" to Gus poisoning the cartel this season was filled with more bad ass moments than should be possible in 13 episodes.  The epic finale, in which Gus was finally defeated and Walt finally seemed to "break bad" just took the show to a whole new level.  What's great is that they could end Breaking Bad right now and it would completely work.  But I'm thrilled that we have some more time to keep those heart pounding moments a'comin.  Breaking Bad, I love you.  Never change.

Best Episodes of 2011

10. Game of Thrones: Baelor/Justified: Brother's Keeper/Community- Remedial Chaos Theory

So I know what you're thinking.  What do these shows have in common and why are they so far down on this list?  Well, I'm ashamed to admit this but I haven't seen them.  At least not yet.  They are all on my list and I was hoping to have gotten to Baelor by now (remaining unspoiled to the major death in this episode is a NIGHTMARE) but alas.  However every single one of these episodes seems to show up time and time again on other people's lists, so it seemed wrong to ignore them.  So, um, here are those episodes.  I hear they were really great.

9. The Good Wife: In Sickness

In my last post I mentioned the scene from this episode where Alicia told Peter that she knew about his affair with Kalinda and kicked him to the curb.  But this was only one part of what was definitely the best episode the show produced this year.  We got "Hell Hath No Fury Alicia", who pumped up her son's IPOD and set herself free.  The scene where Alicia broke it to her kids convinced me that Juliana Margulies in fact does deserve all of her awards and accolades, as she played both parental strength and a woman in despair simultaneously with ease.  Even the show's case of the week, normally the weak part of the series for me, was above par with the return of Martha Plimpton's rival lawyer who is always a joy to watch.  This was the episode the series had been building up to and it didn't disappoint.

8. The Challenge, Rivals: The Storm Before The Storm

Yes, I know this seems like a bat shit CRAZY choice.  But hear me out for a sec.  The Challenge has been a  severely guilty pleasure show for me ever since it was called The Real World Road Rules Challenge.  That was back when Road Rules actually existed.  But in the past few years it has become an insufferable show where a pack of misogynistic bullies and their harem teach all the newbies that they have to kiss their ass and take what comes to them or be belittled into submission.  This episode served up some justice, not once but twice.  First the so called "Mafia" of the show was forced into turning on itself in the game and had to vote against one of their own.  It was great to watch them scramble  Then later, after Wes and Paula picked on poor Cara Maria, they finally were served a healthy does of their own medicine when CMs teammate Laurel went after them.  Hard.  And they cowered like the weaklings they truly are.  I loved that it was a strong woman who brought these people down and loved that someone finally took a stand.  Yes, watching these brats get theirs filled me with glee and I'd gladly watch this episode any time I need a little boost of joy.

7. Awkward: Over My Dead Body

Awkward does high school comedy in a way that is both emotionally resonant and really freakin weird.  And if you know me, you know that I love the strange.  This episode managed to do a good job of continuing the action of the series (The Matty/Jenna/Jake triangle) set against the craziness of Jenna having to be "Dead Stacey" in the school play.  That's right, every year the school puts on a play where a couple dies due to drinking and driving, and according to Jenna's mom, being Dead Stacey is the biggest honor there is.  The climactic moment of the episode, where we get to see the crazy altered version of the play in which Tamara gets her chance to (silently) act and Jake tells Jenna that he like likes her amidst all the fake blood is kind of fantastic.  This episode also turned Matty from a serious caricature to hard core character by revealing his issues with his brother and fleshing him out as an actual person, not just Jenna's dream boy.  This episode was both compelling and fun and would be a great starter for those who haven't given Awkward the chance it deserves.

6. Homeland: Pilot

I seriously considered putting The Weekend as my favorite Homeland episode as son many others have done, but in the end I think being a great pilot is a harder task than being a well written episode that storytelling dictates HAD to happen.  The pilot established a lot of back story without seeming annoyingly expositional, which is a crazy difficult task.  It introduced us to our cast of characters in an authentic way where I felt like I knew them already by the end of the episode.  And the general set up, including the mystery surrounding Brody and his true intentions, made this a show that you had to keep watching.  

5. Parks and Recreation: The Fight

I had a lot of trouble with how to begin talking about The Fight because I can't really think of a part of it that I didn't love.  Clearly the fight between (a very drunk) Leslie and Ann was the driving force of the episode, and it was both hard to watch(in the best way possible) and crazy funny.  The snake juice plot line let all of our characters get wasted an reveal the wackiest part of themselves, we got some adorable movement in the Leslie/Ben department, Ann finally got a government job and the April/Andy role playing game was the stuff that pop cultural references are made of.  This episode let all of out characters come out and play in their finest form, and proved why this is the best comedy on TV.

4. The Vampire Diaries As I Lay Dying

TVD did some really great work this year, but I keep coming back to the season two ender because it was that freaking good.  First, we had our bad boy vamp dealing with his werewolf bite, and sad tortured Damon is the best kind of Damon.  This lead to the unexpectedly sweet Elena/Damon kiss that fans had been waiting for since the series began.  Then we had crazy shenanigans like Sheriff Forbes shooting Jeremy, and his subsequent coming back to life and seeing his dead girlfriends' ghosts.  Finally, good vamp Stefan traded his freedom for a cure for his brother and gave up his future and his love to become The Ripper once again.  Seeing our normally milktoast and drained male protagonist go back to killing was a sight to behold.  The image of baddie Stefan, wide eyed and covered in blood, stayed with me the whole summer long.  This episode delivered the goods and brilliantly set up season three.

3. Breaking Bad: Salud

If I was putting more than one episode per show on this list, there is a good chance that Breaking Bad would take up half of it.  But when forced to pick a single hour that had me from start to finish, and I knew that Salud stood a hair above the rest.  Walt's storyline used the weakness that he had for the majority of the season to its advantage, having him tell Walter Jr. the story of his own father's death and how he never wanted his son to see him that worn down.  We also got a nice demonstration of his paternal love for Jesse, first with him crying when thinking of the fight the two had the night before and later with him calling his son his partner's name.  Then we have the Mexico storyline, which had my heart racing the entire time.  Jesse showing the chemists how it was done (and making Meth more pure than Gail's) was fun and the climactic scene where Gus poisons the entire cartel (and himself) was an epic moment of bad-assery.  And hey, Jesse got to save the day!  Salud showed why Breaking Bad may be the best show on TV.

2. American Horror Story: Smoldering Children

If you were a crazy American Horror Story conspiracy theorist, chances are you realized that Violet was dead way before this episode where we finally found out for sure.  And yet somehow the reveal was still awesome (and truly the most "horrifying" that this show ever got).  Following her throughout this episode, from her fear of Tate after he beat the snot out of Ben (yay), to her discovery of her own demise and her semi acceptance was a crazy fun roller coaster of a ride.  We also got some good DeadTravis, Constance at her snarky best and the backstory as to how Larry got his burns.  Watching the Langdon family dinner from hell followed by post-drugged up but pre-school shooting Tate set Larry on fire was a thrill to watch.  Minimal Ben and Viv (who both got waaayyy better post mortem) and more of everyone else made this brilliantly paced episode the best of the series, and the most re-watchable one of the year.

1.Friday Night Lights: Always

I'm really glad that I watched Always, the final episode of Friday Night Lights, alone.  Because I cried.  I ugly cried hardcore the whole time.  I told this to people who had yet to see the episode who feared that I was spoiling something by telling them this.  But I wasn't.  There were no deaths, no crazy character losses.  I simply loved this show and these characters and was heartbroken that this was the last time I would see them.  All of the moments in this episode were special, from Matt proposing to Julie to Eric's heartfelt speech to Vince.  The final montage, where we saw the Riggins boys on their land, our East Dillion players in Dillion blue, Jess assistant coaching and Becky seeing Luke off to the army brought me to sobs and the shot of Eric with his new Philly players was one of the most beautiful moments of television of television ever.  And the final moment of the Taylors walking off while the lights, those ones usually up on Friday night, turned off one final time?  It left me a mess.  Tension and twists are always fun, but if an episode of television can move you as deeply as this one did?  It deserves to be number one.  Congrats Friday Night Lights.  You couldn't lose.

Best Scenes of 2011

SPOILER WARNING FOR EVERYTHING ON TV EVER IN 2011.  YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!


10. The Parks And Rec Staff Tell Leslie They Are Going To Help With Her Campaign
Perhaps the obvious choice this year from Parks And Recreation would be April and Andy's wedding.  And that was really great.  But my pick from the show is actually the last scene to air this year.  After Leslie's campaign team backed out following her "scandal" by dating Ben, it looked like she would have to give up her dream of running for office.  Instead, she walked into the offices with the entire department ready and committed to helping her win the race.  They each had a different job (Tom- Swagger coach, Andy- Security, sweeps, body man and javelin if need be, Donna-Transpo "aka rides in my Benz") and when Leslie remarked "I can't ask you to put your lives on hold" Ron rebutted with "Find one person here who you haven't helped by putting your life on hold".  As Leslie got choked up by the love and support of her friends, I found myself shedding a tear too.  What makes Parks and Recreation different is that it does funny with a ton of heart, and this moment was the epitome of what makes the show so special.

9. Adele Mash Up/Santana Slaps Finn
Ugh.  Yes, I know that I'm putting Glee on this list.  But I honestly couldn't stop thinking about this scene for days after it aired.  First, the Adele mash up was good.  Really freaking good.  I've hated pretty much every song that season three has had to offer, so this was a major standout.  In addition to sounding fantastic, it also was full of emotion and fittingly became a climactic point of the episode.  When the song ended and Santana slapped Finn, I cheered a little bit.  Because A) It was something I had wanted to do since season one and B) It was an actual complicated issue (Finn yanking Santana out of the closet after years of her torment) where Glee fell into a shade of gray for once.  I loved it, and damn it I'm done apologizing for it.

8. The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
The first of the many moments on this list involving ghosts, The Vampire Diaries was the first to start the trend of major moments involving the undead.  When poor forlorn Jeremy, who had just lost another person that he cared about, was brought back to life by girlfriend Bonnie it seemed as though he was destined to continue living a sad and unexciting life.  That night however, he wandered down the stairs and was greeted by not one, but both of his dead ex-girlfriends.  It was a great way to end the season with a bang and kept viewers guessing all summer long.

7. Carrie and Brody Come Face To Face
There are a lot of intense high pressure moments in Homeland and this...isn't one of them.  But I just love this scene outside of the vets support group where the two see each other for the first time since his briefing in the pilot.  There was a visible spark and undeniable chemistry between the two that on any other show would have been seen as a cute flirtatious moment.  But on Homeland?  You had to figure out who was playing who and just how much.  The cat and mouse game between Carrie and Brody took a different and exciting turn with this scene, and made the show an enjoyable mindfuck for a few episodes.  I love a scene with layers, and this one was practically an onion.

6. Everyone Shows Up For Kathy, Including The Dead And The Almost Dead
It seems that the best way to end a season this year was by throwing some old dead friends into the mix and you know what?  It always seems to work.  On the Big C, Cathy decided to run the New Years race in freezing weather to honor her dead friend.  Upon reaching the finish line, she sees her son, brother and doctor all cheering for her.  Then dead friends Lee and Marlene appear next to them.  Finally her husband Paul shows up and stands in the middle.  Cathy is psyched that "everybody came" but when her son points out that his dad isn't there she (and we) realize that Paul is actually standing on the side with the dead and not the living.  It was a lovely moment that ended with a brilliant way to introduce the potential death of Cathy's husband.

5. Good Wife No More
Alicia Florrick spent the first two seasons of The Good Wife being the dutiful, well, good wife.  She stood by her husband when he was found to have cheated with prostitutes, through his imprisonment and trial and finally through his campaign to get back his old seat.  But after he won, and she learned that he had slept with the woman who became her best friend, Alicia finally had enough.  In this amazing scene, she brought him to a brand new apartment and announced that it was where he would be living from now on.  She told him what she knew and refused to listen to his arguments.  When he asked what he could do to make it better, she told him "nothing".  After years of being the put upon wife, Alicia finally took a stand and proved that she was her own woman, and a force to be reckoned with.

4. Christina And Crosby's Fight 
I love a good argument and this one from Parenthood was the best of the year.  Christina and her brother in law Crosby had been building up a resentment towards each other for episodes for various reasons, without ever actually interacting.  When he showed up at her home, their pleasantries turned into a nasty fight.  When they finally finished screaming at each other he marched off, only to have her have to call him back...her water had broken.  It was great to watch these two have an evenly matched fight (in which both were right and wrong about various issues) and to watch them to have to so quickly drop all of their hatred to come together as a family.

3. Go Away Tate
I've already talked a bit about my love for this scene in my review of the episode, but as time goes on I find that I love it more and more.  What was great about this scene is that it is one that we had known had to happen eventually (Violet confronting Tate about all of his crimes) and yet it managed to live up to expectations.  First the timing of it, after Violet's mother had died, gave it more emotional weight than it would have carried as just a simple list of his sins.  Second, Tate's inability to still confess all, hoping in the moment that he could downplay his actions, was true to character and kept us all still guessing as well.  Third, her acknowledging that she still loved and forgave him but still adamant that he needed to be punished, made the whole thing much more complex and gut wrenching to watch.  Fourth, the reveal of Vivien, looking better in life than she ever had in death was a lovely button to the scene that gave Violet and us a little comfort.  And finally?  The actors knocked the thing out of the park.  American Horror Story did bloody and campy fun well, but this scene proved that it could kill at the dramatic as well.

2. Will You Take Me To Philadelphia With You Please?
It's hard to find a scene in the Friday Night Lights finale that wasn't amazing but this one stood out.  Throughout the years, Eric and Tami's relationship was the one solid unchanging part of the series.  In the finale, they both got job opportunities out of Dillion and it seemed that they were at an impasse, as she felt that it should finally be her turn.  When typically stubborn Eric broke and tracked her and Grace down at the mall and told her that he turned down his contract and asked if she would take him to Philly with her, my heart melted.  It was sweet, it was beautiful and it is exactly why people loved this show.  Full hearts indeed.

1. Jesse Pulls A Gun On Walt
Breaking Bad had A LOT of good scenes this year, and it is tough to ignore Jesse's speech to his NA group or Walt declaring "I am the one who knocks".  But truly, this scene was the climactic point to a very intense season.  After episodes of Gus turning Jesse against Walt, the two had finally parted ways.  When Jesse discovered that his ricin cigarette was missing and that the son of his girlfriend was ill, he was certain that Walt was responsible.  Jesse shows up at Walt's place and pulls a gun on him, but the tales turn and Walt managed to convince him that Gus was to blame.  There was so much to love about this.  First, the turn of them being against each other at the start to on the same team again at the end showed what a gifted team of writers this show has.  Second, the performances that each actor had to put in shows why these guys take home the big prizes.  And finally the fact that we later learned that Jesse was right and Walk managed to play him anyway, makes it even more fun to see on a repeat viewing.  That is the mark of a great scene and I'd gladly watch this one over and over again.

Top 10: Best New Characters of 2011

10. Lemon Breeland  Hart of Dixie
I almost didn't put Lemon on this list because A) She is on Hart of Dixie and B) It reveals that I have seen Hart of Dixie.  (Hey, I can't help it.  I keep waiting for it to turn into Gilmore Girls.  It hasn't).  In a show where all of the characters are huge annoying stereotypes and the lead is a winy gnat who couldn't be a believable doctor if doing so would actually save a life, Lemon stands out.  Played with an underlying subtlety by Jamie King, Lemon appeared at first to simply the rich southern belle who was engaged to the lovely lawyer that our lead wanted.  But as time went on, we learned a lot about Lemon.  She loves her fiancee but also loves the town's Mayor, was abandoned by her mother at a young age and has since bared the responsibility of helping to raise her sister and being the poster child for the town. She's a young southern Bree Van De Kamp, but with a secret soft side.  And she often can make Hart of Dixie almost bearable to watch.  Almost.

9. Lee Fallon The Big C

A lot of people don't like The Big C, and I suppose I can understand why Kathy's cancer journey doesn't appeal to everyone.  How one deals with illness is extremely personal, and many feel unable to relate to her particular journey.  It's why I'm so incredibly grateful that they introduced Lee this year, to provide a different perspective on being a person with the big C.  Lee was everything Cathy wasn't.  He was a young gay male who believed in a minimalist lifestyle, few attachments and the enjoyment of strong goals and a fine wine.  Typically blissful, he called Cathy on her shit and got angry when the occasion called for it .  Oh, and did I mention he was played by Hugh Dancy?  Yeah, that had a lot to do with why I liked him too.   Lee's death, though incredibly telegraphed, was truly sad to watch and I will miss his character terribly.  He was a great one season friend, and the show will be a little worse without him.

8. Caleb Rivers Pretty Little Liars
It's kind of strange that a year ago, Caleb was not a part of Pretty Little Liars.  But in fact, the town's resident bad boy didn't appear until January of this year, shaking up Hanna Marin's life as well as the show itself.  Prior to Caleb's entrance, PLL was a rarity in being a show for gals that had very few good male characters.  Once Caleb popped up on canvas all of that changed.  A poor foster kid who took money to get close to Hanna before actually falling for her, Caleb represented that sweet angst that made him ultra appealing to the opposite sex, and sent the show runners in a tailspin to recreate that magic with other male characters (Hence the recasting of Jason DiLaurentis).  Played with broody hope by Tyler Blackburn, Caleb and Hanna became THE storyline to watch.  Pretty Little Liars was a better show for having Caleb on their canvas. (For More Caleb, check out today's post by The Angst Report)

7. Carrie Mathison Homeland
As far as characters go, Carrie is a great one.  She's totally committed to her job in a way that forced her to wreck every relationship she has, is driven by both passion and insanity and believes so certainly that she is always right even when she knows that her mental illness means that she may not be.  She's a great manipulator of man, to the point where I'm not sure how often she even believes herself.  The one problem with Carrie is that all of the things that make her a great character can often also make her an unlikeable one.  She's fun to watch, but from time to time you kind of want to slap her across the face.  This is the only reason that she hasn't made it higher on my list when someone that she knows well has.  Being the protagonist gives you more weight to carry and that is her burden as well as blessing.  Still, I'm  still invested in what she may do next, which makes her ripe for this list.

6. Tyrion Laannister Game of Thrones

Confession time.  I've only just started Game of Thrones which is sad as I suspect it may end up doing much better on these lists as I make my way through the season.  Still, in the short time I've been with it there is no doubt in my mind that Tyrion is a fantastic character.  He's accepted his dwarfism and instead of letting it control his life chooses instead to own it.  Peter Dinklage manages to play the role as somehow being the wisest person in the room and yet also the one having the most fun.  There's a reason that Dinklage won the Emmy this year, and I think it is one of those moments where a great actor gets a juicy character and magic simply happens.

5. Rebekah The Vampire Diaries 
The Vampire Diaries does dudes well.  Nearly every male character on the show is filled with layers of angst, a greater meaning that drives them, a love (living or lost) that brings them meaning.  Female characters?  Yeah, not so much.  Caroline's great and the occasional visit from Katherine can be fun, but otherwise the girls on this show are a snooze.  Enter Rebekah, who should have sucked.  She was the temporarily sleeping sister to our main baddie Klaus (the weakest male on the show) who used to hook up with Stefan who we know only has eyes for Elena.  Then she showed up in town and instead of going all fun evil bad ass she joined the cheerleading squad.  Seriously.  But then, somewhere along the way, something changed.  We began to realize the baggage that Rebeka carried...a mother murdered (by her brother, we later found out), a family lost and an immortality devoid of any real connection.  She had everything stolen from her and just wanted a little bit of normalcy.  That's right.  Rebekah made girl angst possible.  While she's currently been neutralized and is ashing away with a stake in her back, I hope we see her again soon to bring some much needed awesomeness to the girls on TVD.


4. Constance Langdon American Horror Story
When I was in high school, I became a little bit obsessed with Blanche Dubois (I was a weird kid), the protagonist of A Streetcar Named Desire, who simply wanted youth, beauty and human connection.  A total liar, I was enthralled with the ways this aging southern blond could manipulate and entice until she finally cracked.  Ten years after first meeting Blanche, Constance Langdon popped up on my television. She's the epitome of the Tennessee Williams belle but with far more strength and determination.  Although she lead a tragic life (dead children, cheating husband, unsuccessful career), Constance refused to let anyone get in her way, sometimes choosing the wrong methods (murder, typically) to come out on top.  Played with brilliance by Jessica Lange, Constance is a character's character, and I have loved watching her steamroll over others week after week.  She will be missed but I have a feeling that the actor may get a little awards show love for making this character so much fun to watch.

3. Nolan Ross Revenge

Revenge is fun, but I don't seem to think that it's "Ohmygodthebestshowever" like many people that I know do.  I do, however, think Nolan Ross is the best new character on network television this year.  Not only does he provide the one real source of humor on the show, but he's also the smartest.  Couple that with him being the only true ally our lead had (if only she has willingly accepted it) and a true lonely little rich boy thing going on and he is utterly fascinating to watch.  He still remains a bit of a mystery (is he totally gay or just gay for blackmail?) which keeps him interesting.  Gabriel Mann has made Nolan the unexpected heart of the series and I can't wait to see what he does with him next.

2. Nicholas Brody Homeland
I wonder how Brody was first described to Damian Lewis when he got the part.  "You've been away from your wife and kids for eight years.  You were a prisoner of war.  You were savagely tortured.  You may or may not be a terrorist yourself".  How an actor can even begin to process how such a role should be played, I have no idea. But Lewis has done it with flying colors, making Brody one of the most compelling characters of the year.  He's fascinating to watch.  You don't want to trust him, but you do, you don't want to feel for him, but you do, you want to figure it all out, but you can't.  He's as complicated as complicated gets and so incredibly compelling to watch and  Lewis is simply killing it.  Television as a whole was better for having this unique character exist.

1. Tate Langdon American Horror Story

You know how you know you're a good character?  Set a man on fire.  Murder fifteen people in a school shooting.  Kill (and sodomize half of) a couple.  Rape your girlfriend's mother and get her pregnant with the Anti-Christ.  Now go on the internet.  If people still love you, are still making excuses for you?  You are a great fucking character.  Tate Langdon managed to be both American Horror Story's evil incarnate and it's teen heartthrob all at the same time.  He was hard to figure out (A psychopath?  Possessed?  Abused?) and fans had a ton of fun coming up with theories.  As the series went on, we seemed to find out more and more just how bad Tate was (yup, he's the notorious Rubberman) while the character simultaneously seemed to be falling in love and finding the one reason in life to finally be good.  Evan Peters proved to be an acting force by making the boy scary and dangerous while somehow also charismatic and sexy.  I fear that he will never properly be praised for his amazing work here, which is simply criminal.  Tate Langdon truly made American Horror Story what it was and made you rethink what made someone fascinating to watch.  He is by far and away the best character of the year and has set the bar for 2012 pretty damn high.

The Best Movie Of The Year?

For the rest of this week, I'm going to overload you with with TV top ten lists.  Although the year may not have started out that way, it kind of ended up being a great year for television.  For the rest of pop culture?  Yeah, not so much.  Sure theater had Book Of Mormon and music had some nice indie bands break through, but compared to the wealth of goodies on TV it just doesn't measure up.  And don't even get me started on film.

I hated almost everything I saw in the theaters this year.  The few films I didn't hate (Hanna, Hugo, maybe even X Men) ranged on the spectrum of "like", not even falling close to the "love" category.  There was only one film that had me feeling truly good about it when I walked out of the theater and I'm semi-ashamed to even bring it up out of fear that my film school friends would disown me.  But here it goes.  The best film of the year very well may be Crazy, Stupid Love.

Let's get the obvious out of the way for a minute.  Yes, it is a horrible title.  It says nothing about the movie and it doesn't mean anything.  Yes, the film is also a little oddly structured and perhaps a bit too long.  But I don't care.  Compared to the shit that has come out this year, it might as well be Citizen Kane.  It has great actors in somewhat complicated roles, it can be crazy funny and has provided the most effective twist in any medium this year.  Due to illness and a general lack of quality at the movies this year, my family stayed in for Christmas and watched this.  It was my third viewing.  I still laughed, still got embarrassed and worried for the characters, still rooted for everyone to make it right in the end.  If you ignore the now out of date jokes (one on Steve Jobs, the other on Ashton and Demi) it manages to hold up remarkably well.  It may be light and sweet, but it's a good little film.

A Little Christmas Music

It's almost Christmas Eve y'all!  I'm always a little bummed when the Christmas season comes to an end because it means that the new radio stations that popped up to celebrate the holiday 24/7 will be no more.  For a Jewish girl, I'm oddly attached to my Christmas music.  So before we big adieu to the season, here's a mini tribute to my top ten Christmas songs.


10. Linus And Lucy


This would have made it higher on the list if I actually felt it was a Christmas song.  The radio stations seem to, but I consider it more of a Charlie Brown thing.  Either way, I've always been obsessed with the  jazzy easiness of this song (if I ever learn to play the piano, THIS is what I want to learn to bang out).

9. Silent Night 

One of the slower songs of the holiday, Silent Night is that song that you play at the end of a movie when families have reunited, learned a lesson and finally understood the true meaning of Christmas.  It has a soul that resonates and is a quiet force.

8. Rockin Around The Christmas Tree

This song makes me think of Home Alone.  Home Alone makes me happy.  Thus, Rockin Around The Christmas Tree makes me happy.  Enough said.

7. White Christmas


White Christmas is one of my mothers favorite movies and as a kid we watched it every year.  When the song comes on, I'm reminded of my childhood and my mom so it resonates on a pretty personal level.  Also, who doesn't want a White Christmas?  It's a lovely little song from a lovely little film.

6. Jingle Bell Rock


Okay, so my attachment to this song is totally personal.  When my little brother was five, he was in a junior glee club that performed Jingle Bell Rock.  They sang the song and did an adorable little dance.  The problem was, my brother's pants were waaayyyy too big on him so as he did the moves, almost on cue, he would grab his belt loops and do a hike/jump thing every time the song said "rock".  It cracked us up and I can't help but lift my own pants every time this song comes on.  Seriously.  It was adorable.

5. Little Drummer Boy

This is one of those songs that I discovered late in life.  I guess because it tends to fall under a more religious umbrella, Little Drummer Boy is not something that we sang in school.  Maybe I like it because it still seems sort of new, but I tend to just think it is a really pretty song.

4. Santa Baby

The "sexy" Christmas song, Santa Baby is fun and playful and is that song that every female artist seems to want to cover.  I prefer the original Ertha Kitt cover, which somehow still has a little bit of a coy chasteness about it.  

3. Baby It's Cold Outside


There is a reason that everyone wants to do a duet of this and its because it is kind of awesome.  It's a fun back and forth (although I've never been certain that the person who thinks that they really can't stay actually wants to go) and is sweetly romantic.  I adore the version that Glee did last year with Kurt and Blaine, although any rendition will bring a smile to my face.

2. All I Want For Christmas is You


Truly the one successful Christmas song of modern times (sorry 'N SYNC), All I Want For Christmas Is You is just a good fun song that embraces the playfulness of Baby Its Cold Outside in a whole new way.  It always makes me think of Love Actually, but you have to give Mariah Carey props for being the original voice of this song.

1. Carol of the Bells


I simply love this.  I did it in Glee club man years ago and can appreciate the difficulty of the various parts and the swiftness of the tempo.   I adore that various orchestrations bring whole new directions and dimensions to the tune and feel that it is the one holiday song that has a certain sense of tension.  It's kind of the bad ass Christmas Song.  And for that, it gets the glory.