Galivant (This Word Does Not Pertain to the Post, I Just Like Typing It)

[Music] Old 97s - Lonely Holiday

You know, being the always-interesting, world-beating go-getter that I am, this post is going to be about TV. Namely, it's about the fall lineup of shows. I've got five that I've seen that are worth mentioning, three from Fox (I'm as surprised as you are) and two from NBC. From Fox, we've got House, Standoff and Justice, and from NBC, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and Heroes.

House is the only returning show that I've been watching, and for good reason. Because it's awesome. Hugh Laurie's brutally honest, unapologetic bastard is just so much fun to watch. It's like mixing Sherlock Holmes and ER, but in a "you got chocolate in my peanut butter" kinda way. Cameron, Cutty, Wilson, Foreman and Chase are all back, and that goddamned cliffhanger from the end of season 2 is finally resolved. Not much else to say about it.

I just happened to catch Standoff, as it airs right after House on Tuesdays. I thought I might as well give it a chance, because the cast was intriguing. You've got Ron Livingston, who just seems like your affable, laid-back everyman. Rosemarie Dewit is awfully cute, and has a good chemistry going with Ron. And you've also got Zoe from Firefly....I mean, Gina Torres. I thought that the premise was interesting, with two hostage negotiators trying to balance their relationship and their job, and it seems to be working out pretty well so far.

Justice is a show that I'm still a little torn about. Think of it as Law and Order, but from the defense's point of view and with a generous dash of CSI in there. The defense is a group of high-powered lawyers from LA, which is a point that I feel is a bit of a detriment to the show. They're "high powered" in that they just seem sleazy. It's how they work, yes, but when you don't have a single person that seems relatable or even mildly sympathetic, it makes it hard to care one way or another about the characters. Anyhow, the plot is simple: they take the case, try and piece together enough of the crime to build a defense on, and then take it to court to defend. Some of the tactics I found cringe-worthy, if only because they're so blatantly manipulative that people don't even recognize them. Howeveer, then comes the hook. After the trial ends, the verdict has been handed down and the case laid to rest, we are treated to a view of the crime itself. After all the fingerpointing, analyzing and posturing, we cut through the bullshit and get to see what actually happened. It's a very cool addition to the show, because there are usually some surprises in store. Also, I mentioned CSI earlier (due to Jerry Bruckheimer's executive producing credits on both), and the comparison stands in two distinct ways: investigations and characterization. The law firm has a small forensics team that will do some investigating for them, complete with fingerprints and DNA and all of that jazz. And much like CSI, the characterization is an afterthought. They do try to set up some backstories and internal conflicts, but they're going to have to try a bit harder to make any of them stick. Interesting show, but still kinda iffy.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is one that I'd been hearing good things about. Actually, I thought I had missed it, but David happened to have recorded it last night, and I got to see it tonight. I'll lay this out there: I'm not sure I like Aaron Sorkin. I tried watching SportsNight back in the day, and I just found it dreadfully boring. Might not now, but I haven't ever gone back and watched it. As for this show, I'm seeing why people are so positive about it. The show takes place behind the scenes at a Saturday Night Live-style sketch comedy show whose director just got publicly and messily canned, and whose writing team is a couple of juvenile dipshits. Enter Matt and Danny, who had been fired from the show four years back and made a name for themselves as a writer/director combo when they are asked to return and take over the show. Awkward relationships are encountered, pasts are dug up and the pair ultimately take the job. The first episode was really good, with some very well-played drama and a good bit of subtle humor. The interplay between the characters is what is going to be key to this show, and Matthew Perry looks set to run away with all of his scenes. I'm really liking what I've seen so far. Hope they keep it up.

Finally, we have Heroes. It doesn't actually air until next Monday, but I managed to find a copy of the pilot floating around this webiverse of ours. All I can say is...wow. A show about people with superpowers that doesn't involve spandex or goofy names. It's about normal people discovering that they possess extraordinary powers. The mother who has a "Mr. Hyde" side that expresses itself in her reflection. The young man who think he can fly. The painter who paints future events when he's high. The cheerleader from Odessa who's indestructible. The Japanese comic book geek who can bend space and time. And the Indian geneticist who has come to New York to further his father's research into these people. And that's just the characters they've introduced in the pilot. A lot of the first episode is exploratory, with the chaaracters either just discovering their powers or testing them out. My favorites so far are the cheerleader and the Japanese man. The cheerleader's scene are kinda gruesome, since she essentially tries to kill herself several times and fails. I never thought I would see a young girl push two broken ribs back into her side on network TV, but hey, times change, right? The Japanese man is great mainly because he's so energetic. He found out that he's special in a society that demands conformity, and he's just so excited. His excitement is made even funnier by both his bemused but apathetic friend, and the fact that his name is Hiro, meaning that the writers can use the term "superhero" (or "SuperHiro," to be more precise) without being sued (Marvel and DC hold a joint trademark of that word/phrase, which is pretty damn retarded, but a necessary thing in their eyes). I'm very excited about this show, and I can't wait for the second episode.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. One last show to add to the list: SciFi Channel's Battlestar Galactica. I've been working my way through the first two seasons of this show, and it is extremely good. I should mention that I have no knowledge of the original show, nor have I had any interest in the original show. However, the new version is just great. The main story? Man created a robotic race called the Cylons. They evolved and didn't care much for their lot as man's servants. Cylons rebel. Humanity fights them off. Cylons retreat and evolve some more, even becoming indistiguishable from humans. Cylons attack again, nuking the human colonies and driving the remnants of humanity into space (roughly 50,000). The civilian fleet is led by the Battlestar Galactica, an aging warship that was set to be decommissioned, but is mankind's best hope against the Cylons (aging = no networked computers = Cylons can't hack in and shut their shit down). The situation is even so dire that the President of the colonies has died, and the title has fallen to the 43rd person in the line of succession, who happens to be the Secretary of Education. The fleet then just roams around trying to survive, find supplies and maybe even a place to live. The characters are very lovable and sympathetic, but all flawed in their own way. It's late, and I'm running out of words, but it's just a very well-written and addictive show.

So yeah, like I said, go-getting and globe-trotting and other hyphenated phrases. But yeah, something good on TV that isn't the Venture Brothers. Still loves me some o' that show, but it's only half an hour a week. I need more. Anyhow, I bid thee good morrow, gentle readers. For now, I sleep.

I'm the President....YEEEAAHHH!!!!

Metal Wolf Chaos - Digest movie

Man, leave it to the Japanese to come up with a great idea for a game. A military coup has deposed the President, and he uses a giant mecha to fight back. I mean, shit, how patriotic is that? Too bad it's only up for import. (Link found via VGCats)