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2008/2009 TV Round Up - The year of the FBI and The Wire alums

I have to say I probably wouldn’t have managed law school without my dvr. I finished my first year (more on that in a later post) and managed not only to keep up with most of my favorite shows but I took on some new ones. To see some of the shows I watch, check out my previous post.

I have to say I am disappointed that NBC’s Life was canceled. Not only is Det. Reese played by Sarah Sashi incredibly hot in her cop get up, Det. Crews played by Damian Lewis was one of the most dynamic and interesting characters a cop show has seen in a while. Ultimately I think this show played out too slowly for American audiences seeking instant gratification or at least a lot of flash bang to keep them interested.


Compared to my original list - see earlier post linked above - I only had a few minor mishaps. Mid-season my dvr crashed, thank you Comcast for continuing to give me refurbished pieces of crap. It recorded an episode of Trust Me in 1 minute installments until it deleted everything else and crashed. The two shows I was “saving”, or more realistically hadn’t had a chance to catch up on, were Lost and Gossip Girl. I’ll have to catch them over summer because I was pretty much SOL after losing half the season of both and wasn’t in the mood to watch it online nor did I have the time. I also did not take on the new show Cruso because I wasn’t that interested.

My favorite shows this year are all newbies:

First, my absolute favorite this year was J.J. Abrams’ Fringe. Not only does it star the amazingly beautiful and talented Anna Torv as Agent Dunham and Wire alum Lance Reddick (Det. Daniels) as Agent Broyles but Joshua Jackson makes his return to the small screen as Peter Bishop. Fringe aired on Fox with limited commercials in each episode keeping a fast pace and suspense high. Knowing next to nothing about science lets me buy into this show and really enjoy it. Fringe centers around an FBI task force set out to figure out the who/what/why of a bunch of recent attacks on citizens of the fringe science variety. This is a show worth watching from the beginning and the investment had an excellent payoff with an information and answer filled season finale. See a review here.



My lack of knowledge in the science arena also helped me enjoy CBS’s Eleventh Hour based on an English series of the same name. Dr. Hood, played by Rufus Sewell, is a consultant to the FBI with his own protective detail. Each episode is a new case for Dr. Hood to unravel and a chance for him and his protective detail Rachel Young, played by Marley Shelton, to get to know each other better. They forge a bond throughout the season that becomes brother/sister like by the end and I hope they continue to explore this dynamic.

I absolutely loved FX’s Son’s of Anarchy that aired in early fall. This show followed a motorcycle gang that could be modeled after the hells angels. They deal in arms but are good people and complicated characters. I can’t wait for its return.

The Beast, Patrick Swayze’s new project is gripping. Airing on A&E, both Swayze and newcomer Travis Fimmel delivered a gritty performance that could only be broadcast on cable. As undercover operatives for the FBI they live in the shadows and I can’t wait to go on their next adventure. This show also features Wire alum Larry Gilliard Jr. (D’Angelo Barksdale) as Ray.


One of the newest shows around, Southland, fills the slot of the departed ER. Female creator Ann Biderman has brought us a cop show we can really love. It reminds me a lot of NYPD Blue. The cop drama follows a group of 4 beat cops, a squad of detectives and 2 homicide detectives. The cinematography is excellent, it follows the beat cops on the calls they get, both bogus and life threatening. The newest member of the squad, officer Ben Sherman, is a standout character played by OC alum Ben McKenzie. The pacing is perfect. There is a good mix of politics, personal drama, cases, and street work to make this a great cop show with a viable future.

Keep a look out for Summer TV and post 1st yr. of law school debriefing...

Children's Books Become Movies - Money Makers?

I'm not sure if it is purposeful but certain types of movies all seem to get released around the same time. Most recently I remember a group of crime thrillers all released with in a month of each other: Pride and Glory, Body of Lies, and Righteous Kill.

Recently the box office has seen great success with children's movies: Chronicles of Narnia, Bridge to Terabithia, Nim's Island, and Race to Witch Mountain. Not to mention the monster hit that is Harry Potter.

Trend or not, I am SO excited for children's book turned film, Where the Wild Things Are:

Spring Break!

So I'm in D.C. for spring break, a much needed one I might add. Anyway, enjoy the awesomeness that is Portia De Rossi. How I miss Ally McBeal!

Marriage PSA
by whowantscandy

On a different note, go here for a thoughtful tribute of sorts to Natasha Richardson.

Scrabble Nation

(A sample of one of my crazier boards, so stacked a lot of tiles at the end were unplayable)

The Scrabble application on Facebook has a history. The concept was first brought to Facebook in the form of Scrabulous sometime around 2006, I believe. It swept Facebook for a good couple of months before Hasbro caught on and threatened to sue. Shortly thereafter Scrabulous disapeared and the next craze hit. Tetris maybe.

Recently, Hasbro released its sanctioned/sponsored version of Scrabble and it is probably a bigger hit than the first time around.

My entire section is obsessed, and for mostly novice players, law students are damn good.

I got my first BINGO (where you use all your tiles = 50 bonus points, for a 149 word score!)

"Patented" down the right side using two of the "double word" score tiles.

What an exciting play, fitting that it was a Property related term. Seriously though, I need to kick this scrabble addiction and refocus on my studies. Maybe after the next game :)