40 posts tagged “heroes”

I wonder if she's regretting turning down the role of Charlotte on LOST -- you know, the role that was created with her in mind.

Elle is cool and all, and she certainly was the highlight in a rather scattered, uneven season of Heroes, but I already love Charlotte, and let's face it -- the writers (and the character development, and the plot arcs) on LOST are far superior to those on Heroes.

Plus there's living in Hawaii.

Rebecca Mader is a great addition to the cast, however, and when I'm watching her, I tend to forget that the role was originally intended for a 5-1, blonde American.

The newbies are interesting, but this season I am doing no speculating, and my vow at the conclusion of last season to sit back and enjoy the ride, sans spoilers, is still intact.

That being said, I leave you this little q&a with Mader. (No spoilers to be found.)

LOST Newbie to Kristen Bell: "Thanks for turning down Charlotte!"
From the Ausiello Report.

When do you have to report back on set?
Rebecca Mader: I have a feeling we'll be going back into production in about a month. But no one's called me yet.

What have you done during your downtime?
Mader: I moved. I got a new apartment. I went home to London and spent time with my family. And now I'm really bored and ready to go back to work. [Laughs]

Was it frustrating to have to stop in the middle of the season like that?
Mader: Yeah. I wasn't ready to stop working. I was having the time of my life.

Was that the general feeling among the cast?
Mader: I think some of the other kids were like, "Whatever...." But I think because I was new, and this is new and exciting for me, I didn't really want to stop.

Is everyone being nice to you?
Mader: They're so cool. They're such wickedly funny, cool people. They were very welcoming. It was really easy for me to slip in. They get my silly, stupid sense of humor. The downtime is really, really enjoyable.

Are friends and family pestering you to reveal to them the mysteries to Lost?
Mader: All the time, yeah. They think I'm lying when I tell them I don't know what's going to happen. They're like, "I hate you! You're so well trained! That's not fair — we're friends! I promise I won't tell anyone!" I'm like, "I don't have the answer. I really don't. I swear on my dog's life I don't have the answer." They don't believe me.

But you do know what you shot. Is it hard to keep that stuff secret?
Mader: It is hard, because there are a couple of really, really good episodes coming up. Charlotte does some really juicy stuff.

So... what is your primary reason for being on the island?
Mader: I look in the mirror and ask myself that question every day: "Who am I?" [Laughs]

How long until we get an answer to that question?
Mader: I don't know how they're going to play it out. I want to know. I want to go back to work and find out so I can tell you.

Yes, please call me.
Mader: I will.

There was a bit of a media frenzy over the summer surrounding the casting of your role — due, in large part, to Kristen Bell turning it down. Did you follow all that?
Mader: [Laughs] I didn't know when I was going through the whole audition process. It wasn't until after I got the job that I heard those rumors. Friends of mine would say, "Kristen Bell was up for your part and turned it down." And I'm like, "Did she?"

It's odd, because you wouldn't think you and Kristen Bell would be going after the same roles.
Mader: [Laughs] Never in a million years. We look nothing alike at all. It's pretty funny.

When you went in to audition, were you aware that the character was supposed to be...
Mader: ...Blonde and small? [Laughs]

Yeah. And have an American accent?
Mader: I do American accents all the time. I played an American attorney on Justice. I'm always ready to bust that out if it needs to be done. When I prepared the audition piece in my head, I was ready to go either way. So when I met Damon and Carlton, I went in speaking my own accent and they were like, "We like it this way."

Were you ever tempted to send Kristen a big bouquet of flowers?
Mader: [Laughs] I was going to do a Kiss-o-Gram or something. [Singing] "Thank you, Kristen... for turning it down."

Have you heard anything about a potential romance for Charlotte?
Mader: I've been trying to figure out who I want that to be.

Maybe Sawyer?
Mader: That's what my friends are hoping. But I don't know.

I'll plant that seed with Damon and Carlton.
Mader: Please do. Say the fans are really asking for it.

ETA: Well, crap. If I have LOST on the list, then I have to put Veronica Mars on the list. It just feels like VM's been gone a lot longer. Naturally, it ties with LOST.

So Kristin just posted her Top 10 shows of 2007 and because I am nothing if not a stalker follower (seriously, isn't there some saying out there about imitation being the best form of flattery or something?), I thought I'd post my list as well.

Except...it's really a lot harder than I expected. For one, we are in total agreement about our top show -- okay, it's #2 for her, but I don't have Showtime and when I did, found Dexter to be way too bloody for my taste -- but the little dilemma is that it hasn't aired this season. Technically, it did air in 2007, but if that's the case, then I'd have to move shows like Grey's Anatomy and Heroes higher, because they rocked the last half of last season. Not so much the first part of this season.

What to do, what to do...

Screw it, it's Damon and Carlton.

Okay, now that that dilemma's been settled, here's how I decided: obviously writing was the first factor taken into consideration. I mean, The Hills might be entertaining, but a) it's, er, "reality," and b) there's just not a lot of substance there. The second factor was the entertainment value, from the glitz and glamor and sophistication of Gossip Girl to the bonus of staring at John Krasinski for half an hour on Thursday nights. And finally, I took into consideration when I watched it. For example, Pushing Daisies is better written than Chuck, but I'd watch Chuck live or at least the night it aired every single week and sometimes PD got pushed off onto another day.

Finally, remember that these are my top 10 shows. I understand that there are some stellar shows out there, such as Battlestar Galactica and Brothers and Sisters, to name a couple, but somewhere along the way -- in the middle of Season 3, actually -- I lost track of BSG and I still have to finish Season 1 of B&S. And so I'm going with shows I watched regularly this year.

Top 10 Shows of 2007
10. Grey's Anatomy: Um, seriously? What happened this season? If it weren't for the excellence of last season -- say what you'd like, but last season was why this show stands out in my mind and hasn't been cast aside as just another Desperate Housewives -- Grey's wouldn't make the list at all. I swear, Izzie -- and the whole ridiculousness that was Izzie and George -- nearly ruined the entire show. If it weren't for the last two-parter, and more importantly, the awesomeness that is Bailey, I probably would've banished my Season Pass for good.
9. Heroes: That's right, it's at No. 9, when last year it probably would've been at No. 3 or 4. I just couldn't bring myself to care through most of this season, and the characters I didn't care about seemed to multiply. Also? Am I seriously the only one who just wants to yawn whenever Peter Petrelli is on the screen? Or, at the very least, shake him and implore him to use another expression -- or any expression at all? Still, the last three or four episodes, plus Matt's dad's power, plus Kristen Bell was enough for Heroes to remain as both a Season Pass and a candidate on my Best Of list.
8. Friday Night Lights: Writing-, acting-, and quality-wise, this show should be nearer the top. It really is one of the best shows on television. But the others above it scored higher in the other two categories, especially since I've only watched the first two episodes of this season and have been saving the rest to catch up on later.
7. House: Talk about night and day. I was so bored with last season -- and annoyed with the deterioration of the ducklings, primarily Cameron -- that I bailed with about four or five episodes to go. (And I still have no desire to see them.) I almost didn't tune in this season, but I am so glad I did. I loved the Survivor-style approach to House's finding his new team. It was fresh, it was entertaining, and hey, we were spared Foreman's glowering for most of the season. (I still wish he'd fall off a building and disappear forever.) Plus? Olivia Wilde is an excellent addition to the cast. I just hope Thirteen's real name is not what's circulating.
6. Gossip Girl: That's right, I'm ranking GG above the rest because it gets points in the entertainment and "When Jen Watches" categories. GG is fun and glamorous and...well, fun. Plus, it's well-written, well-acted, has a killer soundtrack, and there's even a surprising amount of substance and profundity underneath the glitz. (And before you roll your eyes, Kristin, Michael Ausiello, and Matt Roush have consistently talked about how much they enjoy it, too -- and it made Kristin's Top 10 list. I always suspected my taste was more in sync with hers.)
5. Criminal Minds: Usually I don't rank procedurals because of the very nature of the show, but I have to say, CM is not your usual procedural. There's a surprising amount of character insight and emotional payoff, and when combined with the angle -- delving into the minds of the most aberrant serial offenders -- and the execution, you get one excellent hour of television. I actually don't understand Matt Roush's hatred for this show. It's no darker than Dexter, which he loves.
4. The Office: Okay, so, it was definitely proven that The Office is better in a half-hour format this season, but what can you say about this show except that it is side-splittingly funny, even when you're squinting at the clock on your DVD player and wondering when the hour is going to end. And finally we get back the Pam from Seasons 1 and 2 and I could squee over Jim and Pam again instead of wondering when she'd been replaced by a cyborg. (Which is what I thought for much of last season.) And like I said above, 30 minutes of John Krasinski? Bonus points galore.
3. Pushing Daisies: Oh, Ned, you stole my heart from the first second you were on-screen. What a delightful, whimsical, and charming hour of television. This show from Bryan Fuller easily wins the Best New TV Show award. It is smart, funny, endearing and bittersweet, with an engaging and unique concept and one of the best ensemble casts I've seen.
2. Chuck: This is where my rating system comes into play. As I said, Chuck might not have been the best-written show on TV this season (although it came pretty close) but the premise and its execution, the exceptionally stellar cast -- most specifically the charmingly adorable Zachary Levi -- and the fact that you had a show that infused action with both heart and wit made this one of the few hours I scheduled around, TiVo be damned.
1. Veronica Mars: That's right, I have two No. 1s. Anyone got a problem with that? I can't talk much about it, because I think I've finally (finally!) gotten a handle on the Veronica-Mars-is-canceled depression I had going on there for a while, but like LOST, this is one of the best shows I've ever seen. Ever. And yes, I'm including Seasons 2 and 3, because as I have said an infinite amount of times, while Seasons 2 and 3 as a whole didn't compare to Season 1, their worst episodes were still better than 99.9% of what was on TV. Plus? Two words. Kristen. Bell.
1. LOST: It is simply the most sophisticated, complex, gripping, and intriguing television show I have ever seen. I actually pity the viewers who bailed, because obviously this is not a show for the attention deficit-inclined, and they missed out on seeing how some of those seemingly -- and frustratingly -- random details fit into the complexity that is the LOST mythology. And if that's not enough, the frakking flash-forward in the finale alone was mind-blowing enough to land it at the top of the pile.

There you have it. My choices are actually largely in keeping with the real columnists -- or at least the Big 3 -- with the obvious exception that I don't have Showtime or HBO (nor do I like The Wire or Dexter), find Ugly Betty a bit too campy for my taste (although their general consensus is that UB was off its game this season as well), and can count on one hand (with two fingers left over) the times I've laughed while watching 30 Rock.

I hope this frakking strike ends soon.

At this point, I can't honestly say that the following statement is completely objective, but here goes: Kristen Bell saved Heroes from utter mediocrity this season.

Yeah, yeah, that needs to be taken with a grain -- or a shaker -- of salt based on my ginormous Veronica Mars-induced girl crush on her, but it can't be that far off base. Before Elle appeared on the scene, I seriously yawned my way through most of the episodes. Claire was getting on my last nerve, Peter was his usual moping, one-expressioned self, Maya, Alejandro, Niki, Micah, and Micah's whole New Orleans clan were boring, Hiro's story got more tiresome the longer he was in feudal Japan, etc., etc., etc.

The arc with Matt's dad was pretty interesting, but Elle -- well, she was easily the most interesting character of the bunch. At least this season.

And it goes without saying -- at least, it goes without saying by me -- that Kristen Bell's ability to turn Elle into a multi-dimensional, all-shades-of-grey, sympathetic sociopath was nothing short of genius.

Need some proof? (I don't know what it is about Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, but their stuff sure seem suited for Heroes videos. I *love* this song.)

Seriously.

As many of you know, I've been kind of ambivalent about Heroes this season. Don't get me wrong, it's still among my top 10 favorite shows -- and even top, oh, six or so -- but this season started out rather sluggishly. Tim Kring & Co. do what a lot of writers do, in that they tried to incorporate too many characters and ended up not doing much with any of them. As a result, the story-telling was often uneven and, in the case of Nikki and Paolo Maya and Alejandro, really, really boring. (And hey, Nikki and Paolo ultimately factored into LOST in a really cool way, so I'd say they're less ridonkulous than the Exxon Valdez Wonder Twins.)

From her first appearance, however, Kristen Bell has stolen the show. I was curious as to how she'd play a villain, and in true KB fashion, she painted what could've been a one-dimensional, albeit fun, villain with varying shades of grey and made us feel for her, conniving sociopath or not. What a tragedy she's lived through, tortured at the hands of her "father." And wow, KB played that realization to a tee this evening when Noah revealed the truth to Elle. I teared up.

I loved her throw-down with Sylar (and I finally think the dude is hot, so Cori and Erin can quit nagging me), and even at the end, when Mohinder tells her she's saved their lives, she could've been arrogant or genuinely pleased, and KB chose to interject a bit of a pathetic quality into her emotion. Brilliant.

I'm so glad she's sticking around.

The deaths weren't as shocking as I expected them to be, with the exception of Nathan, and even that was kind of inevitable when he was talking about the press conference and then we see the blinking red light of the video camera. I was surprised to see that apparently Angela Petrelli is still a heinous bitch...who else could she be in collusion with, though, except for Bob?

I'm not too torn apart to see Niki go. Also? I was kind of hoping Maya would stay dead, and that maybe that annoying little girl (and yes, if I'm being honest, Mohinder) would've caught a ricochet as well.

Great "finale." Let's hope the AMPTP and WGA come to an agreement soon so we can get on with Volume III, "Villains," already. I've never seen a more ominous can of spinach.

In other Monday TV news, I am heart-broken that we won't get any more Chuck will after the new year, and even then, if there's no strike agreement, there are only two episodes left. My thoughts summed up:

1) The scene where Chuck confronts Sarah about "The Incident" was heart-wrenching. Well-played by both YS and ZL.
2) I want to learn how to pin an alarm clock to the wall with a knife.
3) Casey's love affair with his Crown Vic was hysterical.
4) Mistletoe is for kissing, not dancing. (I, er, would not have made the same mistake.)
5) Did I mention I'm really going to miss this show?

I'm off to watch Life.

The first email Matt Roush includes in today's Ask Matt had me nodding along in still-sleepy agreement. (I've only been awake for about seven minutes.)

It's what I've been thinking since the new TV season started. I'm going to lump Grey's Anatomy in with Heroes, though. Seriously. What is going on there? I have been mostly uninterested since the season premiere. I'm not giving up on either of them, of course, and especially with Grey's -- there are still flashes of the old excellence. I think the writers are pandering to the internet masses. I, for one, loved last season. Sure, it was a bit somber, but come on -- you can't have spent all that time developing these oh-so-horribly-flawed characters and continue to have them be happy-go-lucky and cheery. At some point, Meredith was going in the water, whether it was figuratively or literally. Even the dream sequence episode was welcome to me because it elicited such awesome performances from the rest of the cast.

But the internet masses complained, Shonda said this season would be funnier and fluffier, and now we're teetering on a season with no substance. I stopped watching Desperate Housewives because of its lack of substance, and Grey's is threatening to follow in its footsteps. I compare DH and Grey's kind of like I compare Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill. To borrow Penn Badgley's description of GG, I prefer a little trash and a lot of substance. DH and OTH are a lot of trash and very little substance, and now Grey's is is quickly losing its substance.

I can't stand Erica Hahn's character. The actor (whose name I can't even bother to remember) has a voice that's like nails on a chalkboard, and her accusation that Richard was being discriminatory -- and her inevitable bullying of him including her in the whole gentleman's evening -- had me rolling my eyes. She's treating Cristina like she, herself, is an intern rather than the mature, gifted surgeon she supposedly is. (Also? From telling C that she reminded her of herself and was so gifted, blah, blah last season to this now-disdainful attitude? Ridiculous.)

The writers totally wasted Elizabeth Reaser's return, and this season it seems Alex has returned to his one-dimensional days and now has stooped to Izzie's indefensible, unsympathetic philandering ways. Whatever.

I'll still watch, for a while, but it's no longer appointment TV for me. (Case in point: it took me five days to watch last week's episode.) Also? I burn episodes of shows I love onto DVD to view later. Grey's used to qualify, but now I delete it out of the TiVo after I'm done watching the week's offering.

On to Heroes: Like Matt's viewer said, I really wish Kristen Bell had moved to Hawaii, because at least there, her talents would've been used. Also as Matt said, I'm not done with Heroes, and I'm definitely not giving up on it, but it has been so scattered and yawn-worthy so far. I guess this is how some of the flaky LOST detractors felt about it, but again, as the viewer stated, I don't think there is any comparison between the two shows: LOST always gave the impression that D&C were painstakingly setting up the chess pieces. Heroes just seems -- right now, at least -- like the writers have ADD.

(Ha: and I loved the complaint about Milo Ventimiglia. I have always felt that way about him, even back during his Gilmore Girls stint.)

I used to really, really look forward to Monday and Thursday evenings, and now, the only reason I anticipate Mondays is because of Chuck. What a remarkable, funny, charming hour of television at its best.

From Ask Matt:

Well, crap. There has been talk about this for a while now, but I haven't posted about it, simply because I just hoped it wouldn't happen, that the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers would pull its collective head out of its ass and reach an agreement with the Writers' Guild of America.

No such luck.

As of this evening, the WGA will begin striking. It could last as short as five days or as long as five months, which is how long the strike in '88 lasted.

What does that mean for us, the viewers? Well, come January, the scripts will run out and will be replaced by reality and news programming.

At this point, LOST could be the only show sitting pretty -- it's been stockpiling scripts since June, and currently there are approximately 17 in reserve. Heroes also may not fare as badly, since Tim Kring & Co. have decided to divide the series into volumes this season and the first volume will end in December. They will probably hold the second volume until after the strike ends.

It especially sucks for guys like Joss Whedon, whose brand-spanking-new show Dollhouse, which had been catapulting forward with lightning speed and could've seen the light of day as early as January, will come to a screeching halt, and Josh Schwartz, whose Chuck and Gossip Girl have been rapidly gaining momentum. GG lost an Entertainment Weekly cover because when the issue hits stands, it might not be on the air, and Chuck won't hear about a full-season pickup until after the strike ends.

Both guys fully support the writers, though, as do I -- the writers do all the work and get the short end of the stick every time. They are the most under-appreciated in the business and they don't see any of the profits from DVD sales or internet sales such as online viewing or sales through iTunes, where there are no upfront costs.

Without the writers, the actors have nothing to act, the directors have nothing to direct, the producers have nothing to produce, etc. It affects the boom guys, the camera guys, hair and makeup, assistant peons, janitors at studios, craft service, and the families of all the above.

Here's hoping the producers put a kibosh on their greed soon and realize that nobody wants to see Farmer Wants a Wife and My Dad is Better Than Your Dad, which, sadly, are two of a whole crap pile of what's planned for strike air time.

When all else fails and you can't think of an appropriate post title, just use a random-yet-fun line from a Good Charlotte song...

So, I haven't posted here very regularly lately. Originally I was going to wait till next weekend so anyone who wanted to could post scavenger hunt items, but I suppose I've gotten all that I'm going to get. Maybe I'll just shuffle around my filters and post the pictures for only those who commented with suggestions to see.

Anyway, I'm just checking in with some awesome TV tidbits before it's off to watch tonight's delicious episode of Chuck sans commercial interruption. I fraktastically adore this show. It is beyond amazing and Zachary Levi just makes me feel all warm and tingly inside.

1) Gossip Girl has moved to #1 on my TiVo list. Seriously. It might not actually be the best show on TV, but it is the one I absolutely without fail must watch every week and usually watch more than once. Following GG are Pushing Daisies and Chuck. Grey's has dropped to fourth, followed by, in order, Heroes, The Office, House, Bones, Friday Night Lights, Scrubs and Criminal Intent. Everything else I was watching has been punted because it either sucked (Private Practice), didn't hold my attention past the first episode (Journeyman, Women's Murder Club), or I really like but have no time for and will thus catch up on over the summer (How I Met Your Mother, Samantha Who, Dirty Sexy Money).

2) Looks like the Heroes PTB love Kristen Bell as much as those of us with intelligence do -- word on the street is that they are all working to make her a regular instead of giving her just a 13-episode arc.

3) Woohoo! Kal Penn and especially Olivia Wilde are indeed sticking around as two of House's newest ducklings. The third is that balding plastic surgeon guy. I kind of wish it was the Mormon dude House calls Big Love, 'cause I like him. I'm just happy that Cutthroat Bitch (House's nickname, not mine) was canned.

4) This week's Office episode introduces the Dunder Mifflin Utica branch, Karen's back (I loooovvve Rashida Jones), and Joss Whedon directs.

5) Kristin Chenoweth and Ellen Greene singing "Birdhouse in Your Soul" in last week's Pushing Daisies was simply divine. I love this show more and more every week.

6) Matt Roush published my email to him. (Scroll to the bottom -- it's the last one. If you haven't yet caught up on Season 2 of Friday Night Lights and plan to, don't read the included comment from another viewer because not only is she smoking crack and has no idea what good TV is, but it will also spoil you.)

To quote, er, Captain Awesome, last night's TV was....awesome.

Well, actually I was kind of bored by both Chuck and Heroes, but I'll take Zachary Levi and Kristen Bell on a weekly basis any way I can get them. (And KB's scenes were great.)

I have a theory as to how Elle's connected to Noah and Claire, but it's so bizarre and not supported by any spoilers except that KB said they were connected in some way, so I'm not going to talk about it, because I'm sure it's wrong, and then I'll look dumb. But it's really intriguing if it's accurate.

I really wish Mohinder would go away, and that he'd take Niki, Micah, and Paolo and Nikki Alejandro and Maya with him.

I'm so glad House and Bones are back tonight.

Because tonight's "Fight or Flight" episode of Heroes marks the auspicious debut of the probably-bad-but- nevertheless-enigmatic-and-utterly-fascinating Elle, I thought I'd change up the theme of my blog for the day.

Enjoy.

So I logged on to post about last night's TV. I mean, we got an hour-long episode of The Office that was actually good for the entire hour for a change, and I don't think I once looked at the clock and wondered why it was still on. And then Grey's was great, as usual, in that Callie ROCKED.

That's what I was going to talk about.

And then SOMEONE (a former neighbor that I won't mention) had to go and post about Kristen Bell being overrated and how she supposedly sucked on Heroes, which I suspect is just some kind of mean joke, because this person doesn't read any type of spoilers, nor did this person watch Veronica Mars, and I just didn't feel like praising Jim and Pam and bashing Izzie anymore.

Fact of the matter is, I have never seen a critic who had nothing but praise for KB, even if they didn't like Veronica Mars. Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse frakking created a role on LOST for her. She dropped one hint to the Heroes writers and was cast a week later. So anyone who thinks she's overrated, well, you're pretty much in the minority. The very small minority.

I know you all kind of laugh among yourselves about how much I talk about KB and all that, and that's fine, you can have your little fun. It's not weird, or obsessive, or anything but a heterosexual girl crush (which I suppose is redundant, since girl crushes are heterosexual), and Cori and I might use the word "stalk" in some form in a lot of our emails, but I am firmly against stalking. Even someone as delicious as John Krasinski or Lee Pace. Or Zachary Levi. Especially if he's wearing that red t-shirt from last week's Chuck.

Okay. I think I'm ready to go back to Thursday again.

The Office: I am firmly in agreement with, oh, I don't know, everyone about how NBC's arrogance really affected the first four episodes of this show. "Ooo, we think we're awesome. Ooo, we think we need to super-size our comedies to show everyone just how awesome we are." Yeah, I didn't like the super-sized episodes of Friends, and three of the four super-sized episodes of The Office should've ended at the half-hour mark. Those were some excellent episodes... until they kept going. However, last night's finished the trend very well. I enjoyed it immensely. Jim and Pam were so cute, although can someone tell me how following them to a beet farm is really vital for a documentary on the interworkings of an office? (Semantics, really, because of course, I like seeing everyone out of the office, but still...) Jenna Fischer was really on her game last night, which is a relief, because last season I might've yawned every time she was on screen.

Grey's Anatomy: Wow, I so didn't feel even remotely bad for Izzie. I nearly stood up and cheered when Callie coldly and succinctly put her in her place when Izzie had the audacity to attempt to apologize. She wasn't apologizing for any other reason than to make herself feel better. Once again, Izzie demonstrated her immaturity and selfishness -- her little performance in the cafeteria? What is this, junior high in the trailer park? -- but this time, Callie called her on it. Actually, at this point, I don't care if George and Izzie get together. They completely deserve each other. (And on another note, I was glad to hear Katherine Heigl call her character 'horrible' and say she hated her a little bit right now.)

What, I wonder, comes after neck-punching?

Hearing Richard Gilmore say "seriously" and "oh, crap" and "'sup" made me laugh. Hard. Edward Hermann is fabulous, and he will always be Grandpa Gilmore to me. I think Norman adds a bit of lightness, but also, despite the fact that he's an intern and basically incompetent, he still brings a bit of sageness and wisdom. That was evident in how he related with Meredith, even as she was trying to yell at him.

What Derek said to Meredith was amazing. And still, I couldn't get past how smug he looks. I suppose I'll just have to reconcile the fact that no matter what Patrick Dempsey does or says, he's always going to look arrogant. Maybe that'll make me like Derek better. I have to say, though, that there comes a point, Meredith, where you need to get over yourself. Derek's not going to wait forever.

I liked how he was with Lexie and how he is basically the only one who is treating her kindly. Meredith and Cristina have decided to join Izzie in wallowing at the junior high level. At the end of the day, Lexie is an intern who is trying to do her best in a new situation while trying to hold herself together the best way she knows how. Meredith should recognize her as a kindred spirit in that regard, but I suppose the constant pouting gets in the way.

Law and Order: Criminal Intent was good, too, and wow, I'm never going to the dentist again. Also, I squeed a bit when I saw Amy Acker. I wish someone would wise up and give her an actual TV series or something because I miss her.