53 posts tagged “lost”

I think I got about four hours of sleep last night, so these might be interesting, and not in altogether good way, but rather a sleep-deprived, random, scattered way.

Anyway.

1.  I'm watching Regis and Kelly, and they've got this 11-year-old math genius. I'm all about fostering intelligence in one's kids and encouraging advanced education, etc. That's precisely why, if I have kids, I'm going to homeschool them. (Well that, and the fact that I don't want the liberal-choked teacher's unions to warp their brains.) However, I think the parents of kids such as this 11-year-old math whiz are doing them a great disservice by not teaching them social skills. I'm not saying they should be all pop-culturally oriented or whatever. However, they should be able to carry on a freaking conversation and be able to, I don't know, emote. Seriously. This kid was a robot. Jimmy Kimmel (guest-hosting) and Kelly were being friendly and funny and asking him different questions, and he barely responded. Never cracked a smile or really even changed expression. It was kind of pathetic.

2.  I watched Grey's Anatomy last night because I forgot to cancel my Season Pass and honestly, I can't believe that a couple weeks ago, I was absolutely raving about its post-strike return and yet last night was ridiculous and uneven and pandering and did I mention ridiculous? It's pretty sad when a show I used to revere for its characterization has painted normal, sweet, emotionally stable characters like Lexie and Rose as being somehow, I don't know, abnormal or, in Rose's case, almost villainous. Cristina behaved so out of character last night I almost didn't recognize her. Don't get me started on the stupid, unrealistic and insipid Callie-Hahn storyline. The writers ruined what was an awesome storyline -- and Emmy-worthy performance by Elizabeth Reaser -- when they took the Rebecca-Alex story down the  ill-fated soap opera path it's on. I'm so glad Reaser is getting her own show in The Ex List next season, and am even more excited that she'll be playing Esme Cullen in Twilight come December. Steve Betz and I commiserated on the decline of Grey's recently and he made a point that I whole-heartedly agree with: the decline started as soon as the writers started trying to tell the stories of too many characters. Sloane, Callie, the despicable Hahn, even the Chief and Bailey -- they're minor, supporting characters. Frankly, I could care less about their personal lives. Perhaps Steve's best point was that Bailey was always the rock and I loved her unshakable, "at work" mentality and how she was such a stabilizing force for the interns/residents. Now that isn't the case. I don't want to see her fall apart. Anyway, I find I just don't care about this show anymore. At all. And though there are no details forthcoming, if ABC president Steve MacPherson's comments (and the analysis of those comments) are to be believed, Shonda's planning some drastically different directions for the show next season that nobody is all that enthused about. I'm glad to be getting off the train before it derails.

3.  The Office finale was probably the best episode of its season, and maybe the best since "Casino Night." I loved it and didn't even notice that it was an hour -- and I'm one of those who believe super-sized episodes are too much of a good thing. The cold open was HILARIOUS, and my obsession love for Jim Halpert (and John Krasinski) has been heightened. If that is possible. (Is cloning really so immoral if it's used for good -- namely so that Cori and I can both have him?) I wasn't spoiled, but I figured that Jim and Pam wouldn't get engaged, only because we knew it was coming, and so how would it be a surprise or somehow shocking if it happened in the finale? I am so glad the writers have fixed Pam because as I've said before, my love for her has returned to Season 1 and 2 levels and I'm happy to forget Season 3 Pam. Also, how great is Amy Ryan as the very Michael-like Holly? I look forward to seeing more of her next season.

4.  The penultimate episode of Bones was beyond awesome. Best this season, and that's saying a lot, because Bones is one of those shows that -- almost non-traditionally -- has gotten better with each season. I am regularly amazed at how frakking funny David Boreanaz is. His comic timing is unbelievable. And it goes without saying that his chemistry with Emily Deschanel is fantastic. I am so excited that John Francis Daley has been brought on as a regular cast member instead of just recurring. It's so weird to see him all grown up after watching him as the tiny, adorable Sam Weir on Freaks and Geeks, and I now have a ginormous crush on him. He's so very Acronym-y.

5.  The first part of the House finale -- "House's Head" -- was phenomenal. As with Bones, best this season, even topping the awesome post-Super Bowl episode. Hugh Laurie is bound to get yet another Golden Globe and Emmy nomination for this performance alone, and gee, maybe he'll even win the Emmy this time. It's long past due. The man is brilliant. Also, as an unimportant aside, I can never call Thirteen by her real name. The first and last names don't go together. At all. And her first name is...weird. So yeah. Thirteen it is.

6.  No, I haven't watched the first part of Lost's three-part finale, because there's just the little matter of the four previous episodes I still have to watch. And I know, as always, I'm setting myself up to be spoiled -- and I already know a couple of things -- but I'm looking forward to diving face-first into, like, five (what better be) spectacular hours of the best show on television.

7.  If you didn't see my previous post, you must check out the bits of Fringe and Dollhouse that have leaked. They both look awesome -- especially Fringe -- and I expect Fringe alone to replace a woefully derailed Heroes as the sci-fi cult show of the moment. It could possibly reach Lost heights.

8.  And because I wouldn't be my obsessive self without a mention, I thought I'd post a yummy Edward Cullen picture. Because last night in my four hours of sleep, I dreamed that he turned me into a vampire. It was...lovely, and I definitely didn't want to wake up. Would that any boy (especially one this dreamy) look at me like this...

ETA: Dollhouse paired with 24? House paired with Fringe? Almost enough to stop me from rolling my eyes at the return of the show that WILL NOT DIE. (That would be Prison Break, in case you hadn't guessed.)

I'm sure I'm the only one that bothers putting in the time to compile stuff like this -- or even cares about it -- but whatever. It's my blog, and I want it available for easy reference.

Without further adieu, the network schedule for the 2008-09 fall TV season. Obviously, FOX hasn't had its turn at the Upfront presentations yet, so I'll be updating this with their schedule announcements tomorrow.

(all times CST; * denotes new show; red highlights indicates guaranteed Season Passes; green indicates shows almost certain to gain SP status; purple indicates shows on a trial basis)

(Yes, you're reading right -- I'm done with Grey's.)

Monday
ABC: Dancing With the Stars (7-8:30); Samantha Who? (8:30-9); Boston Legal (9-10)
CBS: The Big Bang Theory (7-7:30); How I Met Your Mother (7:30-8); Two and a Half Men (8-8:30); Worst Week* (8:30-9); CSI: Miami (9-10)
NBC: Chuck (7-8); Heroes (8-9); My Own Worst Enemy* (9-10)
FOX: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (7-8); Prison Break (8-9)
         [Midseason: Dollhouse (7-8); 24 (8-9)
CW: Gossip Girl (7-8); One Tree Hill (8-9)

Tuesday
ABC: Opportunity Knocks* (7-8); Dancing With the Stars (8-9); Eli Stone (9-10)
CBS: NCIS (7-8); The Mentalist* (8-9); Without a Trace (9-10)
NBC: The Biggest Loser: Families (7-8:30); Kath & Kim* (8:30-9); Law & Order: SVU (9-10)
FOX: House (7-8); Fringe (8-9)
CW: 90210* (7-8); Surviving the Filthy Rich* (8-9)

Wednesday
ABC: Pushing Daisies (7-8); Private Practice (8-9); Dirty Sexy Money (9-10)
CBS: The New Adventures of Old Christine (7-7:30); Project Gary* (7:30-8); Criminal Minds (8-9); CSI: NY (9-10)
NBC: Knight Rider* (7-8); Deal or No Deal (8-9); Lipstick Jungle (9-10)
FOX: Bones (7-8); Til Death (8-8:30); Do Not Disturb* (8:30-9)
CW: America's Next Top Model (7-8); Stylista* (8-9)

Thursday
ABC: Ugly Betty (7-8); Grey's Anatomy (8-9); Life on Mars* (9-10)
CBS: Survivor (7-8); CSI (8-9); Eleventh Hour* (9-10)
NBC: My Name is Earl (7-7:30); 30 Rock (7:30-8); The Office (8-8:30); SNL: Thursday Night Live* (8:30-9); ER (9-10)
FOX: Moment of Truth (7-8); Kitchen Nightmares (8-9)
CW: Smallville (7-8); Supernatural (8-9)

Friday
ABC: Wife Swap (7-8); Supernanny (8-9); 20/20 (9-10)
CBS: Ghost Whisperer (7-8); The Ex List* (8-9); Numb3rs (9-10)
NBC: Crusoe* (7-8); Deal or No Deal (8-9); Life (9-10)
FOX: Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader (7-8); Don't Forget the Lyrics (8-9)
CW: Everybody Hates Chris (7-7:30); The Game (7:30-8); Top Model repeats (8-9)

Sunday
ABC: Extreme Home Makeover (7-8); Desperate Housewives (8-9); Brothers & Sisters (9-10)
CBS: The Amazing Race (7-8); Cold Case (8-9); The Unit (9-10)
NBC: Football
FOX: The OT (7-7:30); The Simpsons (7:30-8); Family Guy (8-8:30); American Dad (8:30-9)
CW: rented to Media Rights Capital

Winter/Midseason plans:
ABC: Lost; According to Jim; Scrubs; The Bachelor
CBS: Rules of Engagement; Harper's Island*
NBC: Law and Order; Friday Night Lights; Medium; Office spin-off; Merlin*; Kings*
FOX: Dollhouse; 24; American Idol; Hell's Kitchen; Secret Millionaire; Sit Down, Shut Up; The Cleveland Show
CW: Reaper

Mondays used to be so sparse when it came to watching TV, especially after Prison Break became so ludicrous that I abandoned it. (Speaking of, the fact that they're bringing the supposedly-beheaded Sara back next season is kind of insulting to even semi-intelligent TV viewers everywhere.)

After a craptastic week and a weekend that saw lots of sleeping and lots of watching movies that make me somber (Atonement, Juno, Speak, In the Land of Women) and/or that are just plain depressing with no redemptive quality that I can think of, except for the Tracy/Chris storyline that was far, far too short (Into the Wild), I'm definitely looking forward to the return of the last of the shows affected by the writer's strike.

Except the schedule's been majorly shifted around.

Tomorrow alone brings brand-spanking-new episodes of Gossip Girl, Bones, and House, all three of which I watch, in addition to Dancing With the Stars (seriously, what is up with me and reality TV this season?) and Medium.

Tuesdays are less crowded now that House and Bones have jumped to Mondays -- other than American Idol, I watch NCIS and Women's Murder Club (which returns April 29).

Ditto with Wednesdays: just one non-Idol show in Criminal Minds.

Thursdays are jam-packed now that both Grey's and Lost have returned, because in addition to both of those, I still watch The Office, Scrubs, CSI and Without a Trace. Yeah. That's a lot of TV in one night. Thank God for TiVo (especially since Grey's, The Office and CSI are all on at the same time.)

I'm trying to get into Moonlight, which is on Fridays, but that's the only thing I watch that day after never being able to quite get into Ghost Whisperer and getting tired of Num3ers.

On Sundays is yet another (awesome) Bruckheimer criminal procedural in Cold Case. 

Even though I knew what was going to happen in last night's LOST episode, "Ji Yeon," the entire hour, I was hoping it wouldn't. And I definitely don't trust Michael Kevin. At all.

I love Juliet. And by extension, Elizabeth Mitchell.

Seriously? How could Entertainment Weekly even begin to imply that The X-Files was superior? I mean, I loved Mulder and Scully with the best of 'em, but the seasons after the movie bored me until I stopped watching altogether.

That, combined with the bogged-down-alien-government-conspiracy mess, plus the post-Mulder seasons, made the show easily mediocre. So far, Damon and Carlton have not, er, lost themselves in the story, and I am quite confident they will remain on target until the end.

I have always thought that Ben had a very creepy, very inappropriate crush on Juliet. Crush is probably too generous -- we're talking Glenn Close-like obsession. It makes total sense, now, that he'd send Goodwin to infiltrate the Tailies. It kind of had a King David-like flavor -- where David, obsessed with Bathsheba, sent her soldier husband to the forefront of a vicious battle knowing he'd be killed and Bathsheba would be his. (Of course, David was nowhere near the scary megalomaniac that Ben is.)

I've decided that Ben controls the voices in the jungle, and he somehow controls who "appears" to various people. That thought kind of clicked into place when Juliet goes to the Tempest, fully intending and prepared to kill Charlotte and Daniel on Ben's orders, and then discovers that they're actually trying to save everyone and that it's Ben who wants to wreak havoc and destruction. And then she tells Jack that Ben wanted her to do it, that he found a way to get her to do it -- namely, Harper. He knew that he could use Harper -- her image, her form, her subconscious? -- because of Juliet's guilt over having an affair with Goodwin. Ben always knows what everyone's weakness is, which is why I'm convinced that Ben is right where he wants to be. He's not really a prisoner, especially when it comes to Locke -- he has proven time and again that he can easily manipulate Locke into doing his bidding.

It's pretty obvious who his mole on the freighter is, although I'm definitely curious to find out just how he managed to execute this latest manipulation. Is Penny's father really the ruthless magnate Ben claims he is? I'm at least betting that he's after Ben and Ben alone, and that exploiting the island plays no part whatsoever in his motives. I'm pretty sure Ben is, once again, playing on Locke's worst fear -- and going back to his old life, and that he and his miracle legs will be exploited are his worst fears. So Ben lied to gain Locke's trust. Chilling.

Finally, there's Jack and Juliet. I love Jack. And I love Juliet. And I love Jack and Juliet. If he's not going to be making out with Kate, then I'm glad Juliet's around. For some reason I don't view her as the place-holder that Sawyer is. Jack and Kate are obviously going to ultimately be together -- I mean, the show's creators have acknowledged that they belong together. (But we've got another two seasons or however long, so they've got to drag out the sexual tension. Of course.) But in the mean time, Juliet's awesome and she gets Jack, and vice-versa.

Have I mentioned Elizabeth Mitchell is awesome? I cracked up at her "These people base-jumped out of a helicoptor -- let's give them the benefit of the doubt." (Although her explaining to Jack why she needed a therapist was the best.)

(By the way, Rebecca Mader is all kinds of awesome, too. She, Juliet, and Kate totally need to throw down and kick some ass. Hopefully Ben's. Or Locke's. 'Cause as you all know, I HATE HIM.)

Next week's mini-finale -- we have six long weeks before the batch of new episodes -- seems to indicate that Sun and Jin, or at least Sun, are among the Oceanic 6. And was that Kate jumping off the freighter with Aaron strapped to her chest? 'Cause that would make sense. Well, at least it would make sense as to why she ends up with Aaron in the future, but not where Claire went and why everyone's, you know, bailing.

I love this show, and "The Other Woman" was my favorite episode of the season and one of my favorites of the series. Shocker, the other Juliet-centric episode, "Not in Portland," is also up there.

I consider myself a fairly intelligent person -- not Einstein-like by any stretch of the imagination, but not a moron, either.

And yet LOST -- especially when the episodes are Desmond-centric -- sometimes usually makes me feel like I ride the short bus to school.

Therefore, I am resigning myself to yet more bullet points to recap "The Constant," which I finally watched this evening. (I had meant to watch it yesterday, but I couldn't put down a certain book.)

• The concept of time traveling -- or whatever it is that Desmond does -- definitely warps my brain.
• I love, love, love Juliet. She hasn't been utilized nearly enough this season.
• I hate John Locke. (And yes, I know, he wasn't even in this particular episode, but I felt it important to state.)
• Desmond and Penny's exchange at the end made me cry.
• The only thing that could've made this episode better was Jack and Kate full-on making out.
• I can't wait till next week, although I'm a bit sad that it seems Charlotte is a Big Bad.

Heh. I love Hurley.

Anyway, if anyone wonders why I'm quoting an episode of LOST from three weeks ago, well, that's 'cause I didn't watch "The Economist" and "Eggtown" until tonight. I still haven't watched "The Constant." I'd planned to watch all three, but it's almost midnight, and my head's already swimming from all the awesomeness jam-packed in just these two.

Because of the late hour, I doubt I'll be able to wax eloquent in any way, shape, manner or form, so I think I'll go with the tried-and-true bullet point option.

LOST 4x3, "The Economist": So Sayid sold his soul after all.
    "The day I start trusting [Ben] is the day I sell my soul." -- Sayid Jarrah

• Sayid is an assassin-for-hire for none other than the nefarious Benjamin Linus. Consider my mind frakking blown, even though Cori tipped me off in the comments a couple weeks ago. I didn't know just what context the Sayid-Ben association was, and so I was still flabbergasted. Basically Flash-Forward Sayid goes around knocking off fat cats on Ben's Big List of Evilness. We're led to believe that these victims are some sort of threat to the rest of the Islanders. Related to that mysterious Minkowski, maybe? Who knows? Conspiracies are fun. (And no, I don't believe that Sayid worked with Ben before the crash and that 815 was brought down on purpose.)
• I hate Locke. I've never, ever liked him, but beginning last season, I started despising him, and now I full-blown hate him. Plus, I think he's been drinking a little too much of Jacob's Kool-Aid and the dude is rapidly decompensating.
• The look on Sayid's face upon discovering Ben's secret Jason Bourne vault full of suits, passports, and money was awesome. By the way, the name on the passport with Ben's picture? Dean Moriarty -- both a character in Jack Kerouac's On the Road and Sherlock Holmes' nemesis.
• The Oceanic 6 update: Kate, Jack, Hurley, and Sayid.
• Daniel Faraday vs. Biblical Daniel: Yes, I'm obsessed devoted enough to look up stuff like this. After almost four years of witnessing Damon and Carlton's brilliant subtlety, I believe there is rarely any coincidence, especially in names and numbers. So. The numbers on Daniel's clocks and his name equal Daniel 2:45 and Daniel 3:16. Seemed like Biblical references to me, so out came my Bible. 3:16 refers to the story of Biblical Daniel's three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and how they were thrown in the fiery furnace after refusing to bow to King Nebuchadnezzar's graven image. They were divinely spared. 2:45 refers to Daniel being exalted by the King after interpreting a dream in which Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom is divided. (Hmmm...Locke vs. Jack vs. Ben, anyone?) Anyway, pretty cool stuff.
• Time discrepancies: Thanks to Daniel's payload-beacon experiment with the disembodied Regina (the R.C. on Naomi's bracelet, perhaps?), we -- and a freaked-out Daniel -- learn that apparently the Island Time is 31 minutes slower than that on the freighter.

LOST 4x4, "Eggtown": I frakking KNEW IT!
    "What I said in court -- I didn't mean it." -- Jack Shephard

• So. Upon watching the Season 3 finale, when Flash-Forward Kate tells Flash-Forward Jack that she has to get back, that "he's" expecting her, I think most people assumed it was Sawyer. I immediately thought, "what if it's her child?" I don't know that it was based on anything other than the fact I dislike Sawyer and want Kate with Jack, but still. I WAS RIGHT. I knew it.
• Um, however, I did NOT know that she's now Aaron's mom. What happened to Claire?
• Why doesn't Jack want to see Aaron? Does he know that Aaron's his nephew? Does it have something to do with whatever happened to Claire?
• Oceanic 6 update: Still just Jack, Kate, Sayid, and Hurley. Two left, since Aaron is NOT one of them. Which makes me wonder why -- and how -- Kate has him even more.
  
• From the looks of Aaron, who's rather large and can speak clearly, it seems as though the flash-forwards are roughly three, maybe four, years into the future.
• I love Kate-centric episodes. We see that Kate is re-arrested when she re-enters society and put on trial for first degree murder, arson, grand larceny, fraud, and grand theft auto. She is remanded to federal custody based on her flight risk, and if convicted, she could face life plus 80 years in prison. It is revealed that her dying mother is the prosecution's star witness.
• Jack -- looking all clean-shaven and hotter than normal -- testifies for the defense, and tells a ginormous lie about Flight 815's crash. I know he's lying and all, but it's still interesting that he states there were eight survivors. That's two less than the Oceanic 6. I wonder if that bears any relevance. I also wonder if the reason Jack has told the story so many times is merely for Kate's benefit, or if that's a decision they made together.
• Kate's mom opts not to testify after all, and Kate makes a deal with the DA for time served and 10 years of probation, provided she doesn't leave the state. That, at least partially, explains her adamant refusal to entertain Bearded, Drunk Jack's insistence that they return to the Island.
• Let me reiterate: I LOATHE JOHN LOCKE.
• What's the significance in the memory experiment Charlotte was conducting with Daniel? And what is the "work" she has to do, which was her stated reason for staying behind rather than accompanying Frank back to the freighter?
  
• Miles tries to extort Ben for $3.2 million.
• Crazy Locke shoves a live grenade in Miles' mouth and also banishes Kate for her role in helping Miles get an audience with Ben, who's locked in the basement under his, now John's, house.
• Miles reminds me of Jon from Jon and Kate + 8, just with black eyes.
• Have I mentioned lately that I love Jack and Kate together? They ooze sexual tension and chemistry and I love the way they look at each other. Seriously? Sawyer is such a place-holder.
• Frank's helicopter, carrying Desmond, Sayid, Frank, and Naomi's body has apparently vanished. Of course, this could be a lie on Regina's part, but she gave no indication she knew that Jack and Juliet were listening, so I assume she was being honest when she said that the 'copter hadn't arrived. Does this have anything to do with Daniel's strong caution that Frank fly according to the exact same bearings they used on their way to the Island?

I am loving this season. In fact, this might just be my favorite season, although I really, really loved last season as well. I'm planning to catch up on tonight's episode this weekend. I think my sister and I are going to see The Other Boleyn Girl tomorrow night.

Anywho, feel free to share thoughts on these past couple episodes, but please remember I haven't seen tonight's and really don't want to be spoiled. Respond accordingly!

In closing, (deep breath) I HATE JOHN LOCKE.

There. I feel better now.

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.

While I was working on my LOST blog from this morning, I had to find the post where I quoted Damon Lindelof and Matthew Fox. So I hit up my LOST tags and found 50 posts. I started reading through them, and I have to say, some of them -- particularly my more in-depth reviews and the (multiple) posts ridiculing all the LOST whiners -- are pretty good. Apparently not only do I write better than I think I do, but I also apparently understand LOST a lot better than I thought I did. Who knew?

Anyway, that led me to the realization that my blog is much better suited to the purpose for which it was originally intended after all: pop culture and (pretty much) nothing but pop culture. Oh, sure, I'll throw in some other stuff for good measure, but any personal stuff will be suitably tagged and filtered. I've realized over the past couple weeks that not everyone cares to read about my trials and tribulations, and for that, I offer up my profound apologies. I've rearranged my filters accordingly.

There. Now that that's out of the way, some TV musings.

House: I have thoroughly been enjoying this season of House. Do I wonder why Cameron and Chase have practically been relegated to the most far-reaching corners of the background? Occasionally, and usually only because I really do like Cameron and would like to see more of her. Chase (and certainly Foreman), I can do without. I far prefer Taub, Thirteen (for some reason I cannot call her "Remy"), and Kutner. If they could find a way to get Cam more involved, awesome. I hear that Katie and David (Jacobs and Shore, House PTB) still have a penchant for a House/Cameron hook-up, and that pleases me. Jen Morrison and Hugh Laurie have some fantastic chemistry.

The post-Super Bowl episode, "Frozen," was fantastic. I'm normally pretty ambivalent about Mira Sorvino, but I really liked her character. A lot. And I particularly liked how she had House's number from the beginning and how obviously attracted to and intrigued by her he was.

Someone who wrote into Matt Roush's twice-weekly Ask Matt column today complained that House was getting too formulaic. He, as usual, called said whiner beautifully by reminding her that, ahem, House is a formulaic show. Like CSI, Without a Trace, Criminal Minds, etc., the structure of each episode remains largely unchanged. What makes the show so fascinating -- and popular -- is the cast and the writing and, of course, Laurie himself. He, Lisa Edelstein (Cuddy), Morrison, and Olivia Wilde (Thirteen) are on the cover of last week's TV Guide, and Wilde is quoted as saying that when she looks into Laurie's blue eyes, she melts a little bit. If that's not the understatement of the year, I really don't know what is.

I am so looking forward to the 4-6 new (!) episodes that shall be returning in April/May.

On to one of television's newest offerings, Eli Stone.

I love this show. I cried 15 minutes into the pilot. Greg Berlanti's (Everwood, Brothers and Sisters) touch was immediately felt -- he manages to weave excellent storytelling with faith and heart and evokes a great deal of emotion in his writing. Matt Roush described the show as part Pushing Daisies (for its undeniable charm and whimsy) and part (much less silly) Ally McBeal. I have to whole-heartedly concur. Who knew a show would come along that can conceivably work George Michael into its concept? (All of its episodic titles are Michael/Wham song titles, and he makes several cameos.)

Jonny Lee Miller is awesome (and definitely an acronym), and it goes without saying that Victor Garber is a fantastically stellar addition to any cast.

I absolutely adore this show and am glad it landed a plum post-LOST time slot.

The writer's strike has made a few things abundantly clear to me: first of all, I didn't waste away like I originally thought. With a mixture of new episodes rationed by the networks and tuning into the new-to-me reruns of shows I'd lost track of, the past three months really haven't been all that painful.

Next? I definitely affirmed my abhorrence for reality television. Technically I suppose shows like The Amazing Race, Extreme Home Makeover, and American Idol (and Don't Forget the Lyrics, which is actually entertaining) qualify as reality TV, but when I think of that moniker, I think of god-awful programming like Who Wants to Sleep With My Wife* and How Many Despicable Caricatures Can We Cram Into One Household*, and anything with half-dressed women beating the crap out of people. Oh, and Donald Trump.

Finally, my reaction when LOST returned confirmed what I'd been suspecting all along: it is by far my favorite show on television. I have to say, it tops Veronica Mars. I know. Please don't throw anything at me. I figured this jaw-dropping revelation out because as much as I loved and adored and wanted to marry Rob Thomas for creating VM, and as much as I looked forward to it returning after each summer hiatus, the opening strains of its score never did move me to tears the way LOST's can -- and regularly does.

I've started over at Season 1 and I cannot get over the brilliance of this astounding, epic television series. The fact that Damon and Carlton (and JJ) can continually combine in-depth character studies with action and intrigue and mystery and passion and evoke the entire range of human emotions is utterly baffling to me.

I loathe certain characters, but not because they're poorly constructed. Sawyer and Locke are two of the most complex characters I've ever seen. I still loathe them, but they're incredibly interesting. Kate Austen is probably my favorite character this side of a certain teenaged blonde detective. I don't know if it has anything to do with the character herself, how Evangeline Lilly portrays her, or the fact that, minus the criminal past, I could be Kate, or all of the above, but there you go. I could write pages about Jack. And Juliet. And Ben.

And let's not even get me started on the beautiful mess that is Jack and Kate. The clip I included at the bottom of the post is so beautiful it makes me think, just for a moment, that love like this is actually possible. I've watched it a half-dozen times and get all tingly and teary-eyed every time. (I wonder if I could hire D&C to script my life...hell, I wonder if I could hire Evangeline Lilly to be me...)

It doesn't surprise me that viewing has tapered a bit since the first season, even though, contrary to certain haters' opinions, it continues to be one of the highest-rated and highest-viewed series on TV. The gawkers tuned in, and then their ADD led them to other less complicated fare. Like, you know, According to Jim. As Matthew Fox so succinctly put it regarding the whiners and complainers, "Good riddance. The people who rag on it...aren't strong enough fans, really. Those people are copping out."

Exactly, Matthew. Exactly.

I have viewed this show as a chess game from the minute we see Jack's eyes open in the series premiere. Apparently, Damon concurs: "In the first six moves, we've lost our queen and two bishops, and the audience is saying, 'They are the worst chess players in the world!' What they don't realize is that we're nine moves away from checkmating you. If we lose, we lose. But that's the play, and we're standing by it."

I wonder if Damon's wife would mind that I have a ginormous crush on her husband.

"The Beginning of the End" was a fantastic beginning to Season 4, and "Confirmed Dead" didn't disappoint one iota. The new characters are as intriguing as The Others were, and now that the strike is over, the news that D&C are striving to get eight additional episodes on the air before the end of the season is exhilarating.

* - Shows are actually not in existence, but they may as well be.