Summer is coming to a close, which means two things. Many of the brilliant summer shows that cable gave us this year are over or close to, and its time for the fall premiers. Two of my favorite Virgin Diaries posts also found some closure, as Buffy finished high school, and Veronica just finished.

Defying Gravity

“Do you guys ever get, like really bad cramping when you clench your butt checks together like that?” — Wass

Greek

“He was a nerd but he was hot … it was just so confusing.” — Random ZBZ sister to Casey, about Max

“I had to fake a nosebleed to get out of there.” — Dale to Calvin, on how he supposedly escaped from Sheila at the party

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I’ve heard that Season 5 of Weeds is not only dark, but bleak. I totally buy it, because the end of season 4 definitely sets the tone. We’ve got skin being sanded off of a person, betrayal, probable murder, kidnapping, and faux-suicide. So, you know, it’s definitely awesome that they keep on putting Mary-Louise Parker in the Comedy category at the Emmys.

That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the end of the season — I definitely did, and can’t wait to delve into season 5. It looks as though Weeds will be going through another reboot, and I’m interested to see where the show takes us next. My one request is this: while the title sequence that they used this season is clever, I definitely miss the original song. Bring it back! Read the rest of this entry »

Wow. Honestly, I didn’t even see that crescendo building, and then, bam! There was Shane, smashing Pilar in the head with a croquet mallet, knocking her lifeless body into the pool. I guess the golf club beat down scene was included in the “previously on Weeds” for a reason.

Still … wow. There’s actually been a very subterranean evolution going on in Shane, even as he’s appeared to change dramatically on a superficial level. I was watching him at Esteban’s fundraiser — Silas sitting there, looking like the Abercrombie & Fitch model that he’s grown into, Shane looking like the young version of a serial killer to be profiled on a future episode of Criminal Minds. I realize I can say that now and not be called on it, but the truth is that, particularly due to the stark contrast between the Botwin boys, I did take significant note of how crazy Shane was starting to look.

Apparently, I didn’t even know the half of it. Read the rest of this entry »

Highlights of the Week

• Rescue Me totally redeemed itself in this, its longest season ever. After 22 solid episodes, where we saw the Gavin clan fall completely off the wagon. Is Teddy’s wife a goner? And what about Janet/Sheila/Tommy? That can’t end well. (Tue. 10pm, FX)
• With the fall season fast approaching, FOX is hedging their bets that So You Think You Can Dance will perform as well there as it does in the summer. To get you pumped up, this week they’re offering “The Best Of…” (Wed. 8pm, FOX)
• Season 3/Chapter 5 of Greek kicks off this week by bringing us “The Day After.” Casey’s rejected, Max is gone and what’s Rusty to do? (Mon. 9pm, ABC Family)
• HBO’s new comedy, Bored to Death, actually looks pretty good. It’s about a writer who becomes a P.I. and stars Jason Schwartzman, Ted Danson and Zach Galifianakis. The cast is enough for me to check it out. This week, they’re sneak-peeking it with a “Making Of” special. (Tue. 10:45pm)
• The story of Ruby’s weight-loss journey has inspired millions. This week, we say goodbye to her second season as she speaks at a summer weight-loss camp for kids. Her finale is followed by Too Fat for 15, which looks at a kid struggling at 450 pounds. (Sun. 8pm, Style)

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(Season 4, Episodes 10-11)

We’re hurtling toward the season 4 finale, and Nancy is going all out. She’s on drugs and ignoring her kids, who are sleeping with older women, selling drugs in sandwiches, and having threesomes. While she seems to be hell-bent on destruction, other characters are trying to improve their lives.

Dean comes back and helps Celia into a much needed intervention, while Sanjay and Clinique return to help out with the maternity store. Doug is trying to find love, and Andy is having deep thoughts about where he wants his life to go. Even though Nancy seems to be hurtling toward disaster, maybe everyone else will be okay.

Just kidding. She’s totally going to take everyone down with her. Read the rest of this entry »

Although, I have to say, I would hope it would be a sight better than the bomb the duo, plus Isabelle, dropped on Celia in this past episode of Weeds. Talk about failing to meet expectations — I expected something really awesome from the pair, only to be woefully disappointed by the little sting operation they ran.

First of all, if we’re talking just getting even, with no regard for scale or scope, I suppose scaring her to death and getting her weed succeeded somewhat. But, Celia ripped Silas and Doug off for some grade A, medical-quality weed, buds grown with love by Silas, and known far and wide as some of the finest herb around. In exchange, Doug and Dean got some crap Mexican hash — if I had to guess — and they did it with about as little Doug as we’ve seen this season. Not worth it. Read the rest of this entry »

(Season 4, Episodes 7-9)

Well, we’re halfway through season 4, and I’m freaking out: I’m almost out of episodes! What am I going to do? This batch of episodes saw Nancy re-enter the drug dealing business after her brief hiatus, and we were given a glimpse of some familiar faces, just to have them cruelly snatched away. In episode 7, Sanjay, Lupita, et al. make a return, but are noticeably absent from the next two episodes.

In their place, we have Esteban, the crazy mayor of Tijuana/drug kingpin who gets shot at a lot and has dug a tunnel from Mexico to the U.S. I understand that this hole needs to stay secret, but I feel kind of bad for Andy and Doug, who are shuttling Mexicans across the border the old-fashioned way, instead of just shuttling them into the back room of Nancy’s maternity store.

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