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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Picture this: you’re a fourteen year-old with a strained relationship with the parent of yours whose gender you share. They and your other parent are divorced, and its unclear just how much time you actually spend with said parent any longer. Lots of bad feelings and basis for intense therapy there. Oh, and you’re homosexual, an announcement that didn’t go over so well with this parent.

One day, this parent invites you to a salon, or to play some basketball, or whatever. Over the course of conversation, the purpose of this get-together is revealed — they’re surreptitiously gathering information on being your gender’s type of homosexual. Freaked out yet? Read the rest of this entry »

I got an Everybody Loves Raymond chill when Doug squared off against that mouthy Nature Scout on Weeds. What, she can’t share her cookie corner with the newest “You’re Pretty!” salesman? Rude.

It’s official: Celia’s now a drug dealer … is the show coming full circle, to end up with Celia marrying a Mexican drug-kingpin? Or might we luck out and get to see her slaughtered by someone like Guillermo (Guillermo Diaz), a fate that Nancy has thus far escaped? Maybe he’ll throw it in for free when he takes Pilar (Kate del Castillo) out.

And, I feel nothing for Dean (Andy Milder), who couldn’t be dumber for metaphorically getting back into bed with his shrew of an ex. Of course she was going to screw him! Wake up, sucker. What a waste, if that’s what they brought him back for. Hopefully he and Doug have plans for her … that is, after both of their penises heal. Read the rest of this entry »

You know spies — bunch of bitchy little girls. And this week in the ratings post, our favorite spies were beaten by some little girls. It was very close though, if that makes the shot to the ego a little easier to take for Sam and Michael. Those two were the headlines for what was a big week on cable. Also clocking in with records were True Blood, Warehouse 13, Kendra, Nurse Jackie, and Tori & Dean. Back on the networks, there weren’t really a lot of records to be had. Reality continued to rule with good outings from America’s Got Talent, Hell’s Kitchen, and So You Think You Can Dance. Read the rest of this entry »

Andy suckling Nancy, while seated on a toilet, went over the top and spilled into nothingness for me. No, I’m not a doomsayer, and I didn’t feel the downward pull of gravity tonight on Weeds, but some things are just a little too much.

And then Shane got shot. It’s clearly nothing more than a flesh wound, but the violence that Nancy invited into her family’s life has finally come home to roost. This is worse than Silas opening the cheese shop, or Shane getting shaken down by his teacher; Esteban’s presence in her front lawn got her son shot.

Will it a be a wake-up call? Read the rest of this entry »

(Season 3, Episodes 13-15)

I’ve got to say one thing for the Weeds folks: they keep you on your toes. I like how they seem to almost reboot the series at the end of every season. They change the dynamics enough to keep it interesting. After watching the season 3 finale, I have no idea what they’re going to do in season 4, or who is even still going to be around. While this season finale wasn’t quite the nail-biter that the last one was, I’m still really excited about digging into season 4.

(Season 3, Episode 13 “Risk”)

I talked last time about how surprising that batch of episodes was, and things just continue to get more and more weird in this one. Not only are Nancy and Conrad sleeping together, it appears as though they’re trying to have some sort of relationship. He made her a fruit plate. A fruit plate! If that’s not love, I don’t know what is. It can’t end well, because nothing ever will for Nancy; I just hope Conrad is the one who ends things. He’s too awesome to get hurt by her.

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The theme of this weeks episode of Weeds was a struggle for patriarchal claim to Nancy’s new baby. Yes, it’s Esteban’s kid (we’re assuming Nancy didn’t have multiple suitors at that point in time), but Nancy’s luck, and Esteban’s mysterious female backer, Pilar (Kate del Castillo), all dictate that it not be so. At least not on paper.

To where should Nancy turn? Why, to Andy, her brother-in-law, and gentleman-caller scorned; who else? Part of me wants to say that what pushed Andy to Nancy’s number one choice is their shared surname … is that too cynical of me?

The sad truth this season is, if it weren’t for Nancy’s user-y nature, Andy may have fled long ago. Her need to take advantage has kept him in the picture. Bad for him, but good for us. Read the rest of this entry »