Weeds: Mother Thinks the Birds are After Her (season premiere)
So, the Botwins are beach people now. The opening credits gave us one last look at Agrestic/Majestic before taking us to Ren Mar, Nancy’s new home. We spent a lot of time getting acquainted with some of Judah’s relatives, Lenny and Bubbie. I’m a little squeamish when it comes to serious health issues, so Bubbie already gives me the creeps. Weeds used Dean’s serious injury to get some laughs last season, and now we’re dealing with someone in a vegetative state. I’m repulsed, yet intrigued. Welcome back, Weeds!
With the exception of the pork pie hat, I’m liking Albert Brooks as Lenny so far. Nancy can wrap most men around her little finger, but she can’t win when it comes to her former father-in-law. It’s funny to watch Nancy deal with a man who doesn’t find her charming. Mary-Louise Parker and Albert Brooks already sold me on the strained relationship between Nancy and Lenny. Lenny wasn’t happy to see any of the Botwins, including his son and grandsons. Nancy knew that she had nowhere else to go, acknowledged Len’s hatred of her, and made the best of things. Now that the drug operation and Agrestic home are gone for good, I look forward to seeing the new Nancy. She’s doing a much better job of rolling with the punches.
The Botwin family reunion also gave us some insight into Andy’s past. So many aspects of his personality make sense now. With a neglectful father and a grandmother who might be a dog-killer, he had no chance of being normal. I enjoyed his moment of nostalgia with Nancy as they reminisced about Judah. Naturally it progressed into a conversation about wall stains, but it was still sweet. I’m glad that the writers have never forgotten about Judah and the family’s struggle with loss. Shane is extremely sensitive, and his conversation about the family photos was a great reminder of that. He may be a diabolical genius capable of destroying a teacher’s entire lesson plan, but he’s still a vulnerable kid.
That brings us to Isabelle, another kid who’s too smart for her own good. In a way she’s become the new leader of the gang in Nancy’s absence. She talked Sanjay, Doug, and Dean into naming Celia, and now Celia’s in serious trouble. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we get some scenes with Dean, Doug, and Isabelle sharing a “dude suite” while Agrestic is rebuilt. Several members of the gang were missing, however. I was prepared for Conrad and Heylia’s absence, but I can’t believe that they’re gone for good. The concept of a spin-off for those characters is encouraging, though. Ultimately, Nancy’s new life was never going to include all of the old faces. Her old operation is finished; she has a new job now.
It would be easy to regard Guillermo as U-Turn 2.0, but there are some significant differences. Yes, he’s the guy who made Nancy do that humiliating brick dance, but he’s definitely a step up from a drive-by. Nancy’s position in the Tres Seis gang doesn’t require her to do menial tasks. She’s going to be trafficking now, and that puts her in a higher pay grade. How long will it take for Nancy’s “rules” to fly out the window? When will she get her own business up and running again? Season four is off to a fantastic start.
My favorite quotes of the night:
- “The black guys never get arrested.” –Doug
- “You’re sitting in my mother’s living room eating German food and smelling like gas. She was at Auschwitz, for Christ’s sake. What kind of a monster are you?” –Lenny
- “Get real. It’s all downhill from 30 on.” –Shane, on accepting the aging process
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa Poster
Cinematical have received an exclusive poster for Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa.
The film, which stars the voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Sacha Baron Cohen and Jada Pinkett Smith, follows our animal friends as they hatch a plan to get back to New York; more specifically, Central Park. However, when they attempt to fly themselves out, the crew accidentally crash land in the wildest place of all — the vast plains of Africa itself. While there, they’ll get a better feel for their roots, as well as the difference between life in the concrete jungle and life on the world’s second largest continent. But with danger right around the corner, will this family reunion be cut short a little too soon? And will our heroes ever return home?
Will J.D. & Elliot End Up Together? Why Does Dr. Cox Hate Hugh Jackman? The Cast of Scrubs Is Talking!
It was like a family reunion at the Paley Center for Media last week when the cast of Scrubs met up for a farewell panel session with fans. “Look how skinny you are!” Donald Faison squealed while grabbing Zach Braff’s newly svelte midriff. “I've lost a few pounds,” Zach blushed. “I'm not afraid to admit it.”
Because of the writers' strike, Scrubs halted production last month, which means the entire cast had catching up to do. And it was the perfect climate for a tell-all with loyal viewers. “We’ll answer anything tonight,” executive producer Bill Lawrence exclaimed. “You wanna know who Zach’s dating?”
Sadly, he didn’t follow through on that particular tidbit, but we did learn quite a bit about what’s to come for our friends at Sacred Heart…Dig in for the scoop!
Carla and Turk Expecting? “Carla's definitely angling for more kids!” Judy Reyes shared excitedly. “Before [production] was cut off, she was actually scheming to that effect, in a way that Turk would respond to. I hope we get to finish that story. I can’t even imagine the lengths to which Carla will go to get pregnant again.”
J.D. Hearts Elliot Forever: “Half the audience wants them together, and half wants them apart. You can’t please everyone!” Zach insisted. But Bill Lawrence isn’t hearing any of it. He’s convinced he’s come up with the perfect way to resolve the Dorian-Reed saga before the series ends. Which way is young Braff leaning? “I'm a romantic,” he told me. “I want them to end up together. I like happy endings to love stories.”
The Jordan Show: With the writers on strike and scripted TV out of business, Bill Lawrence just may quell his boredom with a foray into reality programming. The star of his new series? Real-life wife Christa Miller, who plays Dr. Cox’s caustic spouse, Jordan: “We could do the Jordan spinoff without actually writing it. We could pretty much just film you running around at home,” he informed his better half. Her response? “Bill's new joke, when people ask if I’m anything like my character, is, ‘Christa is meaner than Jordan in real life.’ ” Oh, he kids!
Dr. Cox Will Destroy Hugh Jackman: Why is the man who played Wolverine so often the object of such venom in Perry’s weekly rants? “We just figured he would probably hate a guy that talented. He sings, he dances,” Bill Lawrence explained. “And he’s absolutely gorgeous,” added John C. McGinley. Of course, that’s not the answer Bill gave a group of Australian fans who demanded to know the reason for such bitter attacks on their beloved countryman. “I think Hugh Jackman is great,” he told them. “But John C. McGinley just hates him!”
The Todd Could Win a Grammy: “You crashed my Website,” Robert Maschio exclaimed when I saw him in the lobby. “After you wrote about "The Todd Song," so many people visited the site that it broke! They told me I exceeded the bandwidth for the day. We’re really excited about it. I had been plotting for months to do like a Beastie Boys-style rap. My brother's a musician, so he wrote the music, and I wrote the lyrics, and we’re just glad people seem to like it. Now, we’re talking about putting out a comedy-rap CD. We want to do like 10 songs.” Would they all be about the Todd’s penis? “I don't know,” he answered. “I think there are some copyright issues!”
Kelso Could Gain a Few: Is Kelso retiring? You’re damn right, Skippy! His farewell ep has already been shot and will air in January. But does he plan on staying outta sight, outta mind? “Well, you have to remember that Kelso won muffins for life!” Ken Jenkins joked about a recent storyline. “I wouldn’t bet on him going anywhere.”
The Janitor Ain't Getting Hitched: As you know, Neil Flynn has a love interest this season, and he’s thrilled: “It’s a nice gift from Bill. I think it shows that [the Janitor] is not a completely insane lunatic. They’re not going to get married or anything, but we’ll definitely see her again.” But will she spill the beans on the Janitor’s real name? “I still don’t know what it is,” Neil admitted. “I’m leaving that up to Bill. But I don’t think it’ll be anything crazy.” But it will be the end of an era. “When you know his name, you know it's over,” Mr. Lawrence shared. “That will be the end of the show.” So very SATC!
And Make No Mistake, the Show Will End: This is most definitely the last year. There will be no eleventh-hour renewal. But rest assured, the series will get its proper farewell, strike or no strike. Bill said they have not yet written the last six, but they’re already outlined, and he knows how it will all play out. “We're not going to leave a lot of loose ends undone. We're gonna wrap things up for all the fans that have stuck with us for seven years. I'm going to find a way. I imagine the [final season] DVD would actually sell a lot better if it includes a few unseen episodes. And if it doesn't make economic sense to do that, we'll shoot ‘em in my backyard and put 'em on YouTube.” Holla.
A Sacred Heart Spinoff? Reality-show jokes aside, Bill says there’s a chance: “We’ve had so much fun with these characters, and if there’s a way to keep it going, spin one of ‘em off, we’ll do it.”
—With reporting by Korbi Ghosh
Jericho: Sedition
(S02E06) “When do we leave?” - Jake Green
Is it just me or was it kind of funny that each of the wanted men had their addresses under their name? Are they really that hard to find? I couldn’t help imagining the soldiers busting down the wrong door. “Hey guys, this is 92 Washington LANE. Jake lives at 92 Washington DRIVE.” Although I am a fan of random trivia and now we know the address of many of the characters. By the way, while Jericho, may be a real city, 66812 is not an actual zip code.
We also found out that Goetz’s first name is actually John. Now I’m hoping that the man on the phone is named Stathis Borans.
I had a feeling that Beck was going to go all military eventually. Even though he seems like an honorable person, he is clearly not to be trifled with. I’m curious, however, what he plans on doing with Stanley. Unless he plans to make an example of him, what would be the point of prosecuting him?
I was pleased to see the Hawkins family reunion; too bad it seems short lived. I seriously doubt that Hawkins has a fake ID for every member of the family.
What a brilliant idea to have Grandpa Green return to chat with Jake during his torture. David Huddleston has played that kind of role as far back as I can remember and he is a master. Compare these scenes to the light-heartedness of his scenes last season and you’ll see that even though the stakes are extremely different, the acting style is almost exactly the same.
It was nice to see Pamela Reed finally return as well. I thought she had permanently taken up residence in San Francisco to be Eli Stone’s mom. It’s as if the Jericho writers finally realized, “Oh crap, we forgot that these people have families.”
I wasn’t too surprised by the military crackdown. Anyone could see that’s where the town was headed anyway. I didn’t expect Beck to be so lame and tell Jake that he was responsible for it, though. You’d think he’d at least have the balls to take responsibility the same way he took the town.
One thing that bothered me is how Mimi got from the hospital to the hideout without anyone following her. Surely Beck would have thought to have someone watch her just in case she tried to contact Stanley and the rest. Am I to believe that she slipped out unnoticed?
I know I am not the only one enjoying the comedy antics of Jimmy and Bill. Maybe when CBS brings down the ax a second time, these two wacky deputies will get their own spinoff. It’ll be like post-apocalyptic CHiPs.
I lost a little faith in Hawkins after the phone call. He had to know that the phone guy would give him up, so why didn’t he alter his plan? He didn’t really think he could drive all the way to Texas without being stopped did he? In any event, the conversation he had with the man on the phone was chilling. Even though it ended with Hawkins all alone in the middle of nowhere with no way to get back home, I still felt sorry for the phone guy. It also reminded me that just when you think things are black and white on the show, you get faced with a big wall of gray.