Sunday, December 28, 2008

Superman is a dick!


Yeah, yeah, I know this website isn't new or anything, but I absolutely love it! It's a great way to kill some time -- it's basically a collection of hundreds of Superman comic covers in which the Man of Steel displays some rather hilarious examples of downright douchebag-osity.

Again, the perfect time-killer.

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Thursday, December 25, 2008

Merry Christmas to all and to all an etc.

So we had some family over last night -- including my nephew Ryan -- and I learned a few things. For one, Ryan, like his uncle, is a big fan of television. He seemed especially fascinated by Hot Shots, Armageddon, and Casino Royale.

Speaking of Ryan, I surprised him today with a customized Build a Bear (a dog, actually). I took the liberty of filming my intense building experience for your enjoyment. So, enjoy! And Merry Christmas!

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Wednesday, December 24, 2008

A Case of the.... Prison Break - Episode 4-16

Okay, so THIS was the fall finale.

Actually, I really enjoyed this episode. While I’ve spent virtually the entire season complaining about Michael and his crew working with people who are categorically bad people, my absolute favorite scene of this episode was the fallout following the shootout at the Scylla exchange. Yes, I have repeatedly argued that T-Bag is an unredeemable, murderous psychopath, I thought it was great that he, of all people, fought for Gretchen’s life. When he’s finally written out of the show, I hope the writers have the cajones to do it in a fashion that won’t leave the audience saying, “You know what? He wasn’t that bad after all…” Nevertheless, these occasional brief moments of humanity work.

http://primetimepulse.com/2008/12/24/prison-break-episode-4-16-review/

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Tuesday, December 23, 2008

My weekend in San Diego


So I have returned from my long weekend in San Diego. Honestly, this trip couldn't have come at a better time. On top of getting away from the grind of every day life, I was also able to walk around in a t-shirt and drive with the sun roof open while New Jersey was hit with a major snow storm. Perfect weekend to get away from it all. I also got to enjoy the delicious offerings that you simply can't find in New Jersey (at least not my area) like Jack in the Box and In-n-Out Burger. Not to mention the amazing Mexican food. Yum, yum.

It was also great to catch up with some college friends that I don't get to see nearly enough. My friend's wedding was beautiful, made only better with the perfect weather. A lot of fun was had by all. One thing I did notice about California, though, is that everybody is a bit of a chatty Cathy. I rented a car, and the salesman there kept rattling on and on and on about anything. I don't mean to be offensive, because he was quite nice. I also figured he was trying to get me to pay more money for certain features. But then later on I went to a liquor store, and AFTER my purchase, the cashier began a rather long conversation with me about how, in a short while, you won't be able to use plastic bags any more.

Oh, and neither of my flights were delayed, so I guess I'm pretty lucky overall. Even luckier, actually, following today when JetBlue inexplicably sent me an apologetic e-mail and $25 voucher. Apology accepted!

I suppose the big question is whether I fulfilled my New Year's resolution and met Rachel Bilson. Unfortunately I did not, but it wasn't without an effort. Since I had a lot of free time, I did decide to drive to Los Angeles. I've never been there before, and since I don't foresee myself in the West coast again in the foreseeable future, I figured that I'd regret not even trying (I did tell myself that I'd turn around if there was traffic. Thankfully it didn't come to that). Hey, it was a pretty tall order, and I made some honest attempts to make it happen.

I only spent an hour enjoying the sights, but let me tell you one thing: Don't let television fool you, Los Angeles is a freakin' scary place. Granted, I wasn't in the nicest area, but I definitely would not have felt safe walking around there alone at night. It was dusk and I was uneasy. In fact, I almost got jumped! Really! I was walking on the sidewalk, with some guy about a quarter of a block ahead of me. I could tell that he wasn't "all there," so I purposely kept my distance. He started walking through a scaffold-esque tunnel that was constructed along the middle of the block, and as he got to the end I saw he kinda turn around, seeing me in the distance. He then scurried to the outside corner (where I would eventually walk through), clearly planning on surprising me when I exited. I smartly decided to walk onto the street instead. When he saw me on the street and realized he couldn't jump me, he disappointed left his hiding spot and sulked as he continued his away along the sidewalk. I can laugh about it now, but it was freakin' scary.

But I did buy a new pair of sunglasses there. And lets be honest: I really needed those.

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Monday, December 22, 2008

Back in the east coast

I just got back from California a couple of hours ago. I had every intention of posting an entry giving all the details of my long weekend, including whether I ran into Ms. Bilson, but to tell you the truth I'm struggling to stay awake (which is odd, since the time difference works in my favor).

So expect some stories tomorrow. Until then, watch this clip of my dad appearing on Fox Business this past Friday. Good stuff:

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Thursday, December 18, 2008

See you next Monday

So I'm off to San Diego tomorrow, hopefully meeting a special somebody, and will be back on Monday. Not many people know this, but I'm a bit of a Pac-Man fanatic. So, to entertain you in my absence, here's a clip from Robot Chicken that some of you might enjoy. See ya' later!

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Monday, December 15, 2008

It's time to do or die!

Regular blog visitors and loyal PrimeTimePulse readers should know two things about me: I'm in love with Rachel Bilson, and it is my 2008 New Year's resolution to meet her, and hopefully take a photograph with her.


This summer she was actually in New York City -- just twenty minutes away from my home -- and I attempted, but ultimately failed, to meet her (attempt #1 attempt #2). We now only have a few weeks left of 2008, leaving me just a small window to meet her.

Don't fret, though, loyal Case Workers! This weekend, I will be in California for one of my college friend's weddings. Yeah, yeah, I know....the state is rather huge, so simply being there doesn't guarantee I'll see her. But, with a great deal of time to spare (I arrive Friday and the wedding isn't until Sunday), you better be sure I'll try.

That being said, I've never actually done this whole celebrity search thing. Any (respectful) pointers?

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Sunday, December 14, 2008

Survivor: Gabon finale thoughts


The Survivor: Gabon reunion special is about to end, so I thought I would provide my initial thoughts on the finale, and the season in general. Since some of you may not have seen the episode yet, click the "Read More" link for my spoiler-laden thoughts.

First and foremost, I was absolutely, positively thrilled to see Bob win. I have been rooting for him since the beginning. My cousin, who goes to school in Massachusetts, has friends who actually know him. And from everything I've heard, he's as genuine and nice as he comes across on television. A very, very, very deserving winner, indeed.

Another reason why I really wanted Bob to win was because virtually every other competitor post-merge was extremely unlikeable. Kenny drove me particularly crazy. The guy was cocky to the supreme (which, thankfully, ended up being his downfall). He was also despicably conniving -- which isn't even that bad, except for the fact that he would mope, cry, and be bitter whenever anybody had the nerve to do something underhanded to him. i mean, how on earth is it Bob's problem that Kenny's game got messed up? And I STILL can't believe that he honestly expected other people to side with him after he had openly admitted that he would have voted Bob out had he given up his immunity idol. This guy drove me crazy.

A while back I wrote a whole column about how stupid Susie was for turning on her tribe -- where she had the numbers -- for another alliance in which she was clearly the low person on the totem pole. Well, I'm not too proud to admit that I was wrong. I don't think she deserved to make it to the final three, and I certainly don't think she deserved to get so close to actually winning, but her decisions certainly paid off. So, congratulations to her for that.

Sugar....hmmm, I really don't know how I feel about her. I totally disagreed with her behavior regarding Randy (who's an ass, but even so, the whole cookie thing was pretty messed up). And while I have nothing but complete compassion for her loss, the constant crying got to be a bit much after a while. That being said, she did play a huge role in helping Bob win it. And I absolutely loved her performance during tribal council. She just had this "I'm not going to win, so eff it" attitude. And it was great. She was unapologetic and told people how she felt (whereas the roles are usually reversed).

I also found Corrine pretty annoying, and her comment about Sugar's father was completely distasteful and inexcusable. I don't care if you have a very sarcastic sense of humor or if you've been around somebody for a long time, something like that should never, ever be said. It also annoyed me how she would talk about how stupid and easily manipulated her opposition is, as they systematically eliminate her alliance one by one.

One thing struck me about Randy during the reunion special: He is most certainly playing a "character." He had this angry, bitter face throughout the whole show, even at inappropriate moments, and he couldn't stop himself from laughing at certain points. He's definitely putting on a show.

Oh, one thing I hate about the reunion is that they don't reveal, afterwards, who every jury member voted for to win. I mean, the entire last portion of the finale is devoted to getting the jury to vote for you, and it definitely leaves a void when you don't find out.

And holy hell, how cute is Paloma?

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Other finales on TV!

So I haven't had a chance to discuss the season finale of one of my favorite new shows, and the series finale of a show I've been a long-time fan of.


Lets start with Boston Legal, which celebrated its final episode last Monday. I'll be honest, I haven't seen a single episode this season, but I've long considered myself a fan of the show. That being said, the past couple of years, the show has become almost unbearable with its FAR FAR FAR left leaning rants. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with characters expressing certain political beliefs, but it drives me crazy when the show's creator uses his characters as a mouthpiece in an inappropriate environment without offering the other side any rebuttal (something Family Guy is often guilty of, as well). I mean, Alan would go on and on and on about some current issue, and the opposing side would have nothing to say whatsoever. And don't think it's coincidental that the only conservative character -- Denny -- is the series' comic foil.

For that matter, Alan has slowly become one of my least favorite characters on television. And not in the good, Dr. House way. The characters on Boston Legal are constantly talking about what an amazing lawyer he is, but for the life of me he I don't understand how he ever wins any cases. His argument very rarely ever truly relates to the actual case matter, and he's completely disrespectful to those around him. Despite the writers' intent, he's not charming either.

Anyway, as for the finale itself, I thought it was a fitting way to cap off the series. Alan and Denny getting married was....um....interesting, but inoffensive. Shirley and Carl tying the knot seemed a bit out of place, though. Like I said, I haven't watched this season, but I never really bought into that relationship. But, whatever, it's fine. I also liked the feeling that things aren't ending, necessarily, but that they'll never quite be the same. The law firm has new owners, a new name, and the characters we have followed throughout the years will likely be moving on. I suppose it can best be described as a perfectly acceptable finale.

And then there's True Blood, easily one of my favorite shows of the past season. I think Heroes should take note of this HBO series, as it manages to make the "gimmick" interesting without solely relying on it to progress the story. Don't get me wrong, the show is most certainly about vampires living in society, but you still get the sense that this series could still exist relatively unscathed without this distinction. That was arguably the charm of the first season of Heroes, and it's something they've most definitely drifted from in the past two years.


Anyway, a while back my friend commented that he couldn't bring himself to care about the characters. I think he gave up on the show by the time that everybody was developed to the point that you did come to care about them. Through time, you came to realize that guys like Sam and Jason are flawed, but good at the core. Yes, Sam snapped at Sookie that one time, and people even considered the possibility that he was the killer. But by the end of the season, you came to understand that he's a really good guy that genuinely cares for this girl, even if the possibility of ending up with her is remote. And Jason is pretty much that dumbass friend everybody has. He makes one stupid mistake after another, and he's totally self destructive, but at the same time he truly cares about the people around him. And he would never really do anything to purposely harm somebody he cares for.


I also appreciated the whole side story of vampires having to deal with their own interpretation of laws and politics.

I'm still disappointed that I was spoiled regarding the identity of the killer, but even so, I really enjoyed the finale overall. I liked the way everything tied together (most notably with the flashback to Sam sniffing the dead girl's apartment). I will most definitely be watching again next season.

Oh, and congratulations to Anna Paquin for her Golden Globe nomination! There's something about that girl....

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Thursday, December 11, 2008

A Case of the.... Prison Break - Episode 4-13....Oops, make that 4-14

I'd like to thank one of the commenters for pointing out that I fudged up a bit with my Prison Break episode numbers. I've made the correct alterations for my blog, and expect PrimeTimePulse to make the proper revisions shortly.

Anyway, while I really enjoyed this week’s installment of Prison Break, I can’t help but feel like it was one of the weaker episodes of the season (although that’s hardly an insult). This definitely felt a bit like a “stalling” episode, acting more as a catalyst of what’s to come than something that is to be appreciated on its own merits.

http://primetimepulse.com/2008/12/10/prison-break-episode-4-13-review/

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Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Chock Full of Heroes

It's a full bag of Heroes discussion tonight. First and foremost, here's my review of this week's episode:

http://primetimepulse.com/2008/12/10/heroes-episode-3-12-review/

Alright, now some reader mail. Longtime reader Dan has a simple question:

Are you more nervous that Heroes will get cancelled soon now that Leno is going to be on in primetime five days a week?

Honestly, I don't see this having much impact on Heroes. First off, Leno's show is going to air during the 10:00 hour, so it shouldn't have any effect on Heroes' time slot. Along with that, you have to consider that Leno's show currently brings in about 5.4 million views -- about two million less than Heroes at the moment. And it's entirely possible that the primetime audience won't embrace Leno's show the way the typical late night crowd has. It's perhaps fair to say that Heroes is actually a safer bet in this scenario.

If it's a matter of budget and money, again I'm going to bring up the fact Heroes is still a strong performer for NBC. My Own Worst Enemy and presumably Lipstick Jungle -- two series in which the peacock has done quite a lot of campaigning for -- have already been canceled. ER, a staple and consistent performer for the network, won't return next season.

In fact, the one of the few shows already picked up is Knight Rider, which averages about 7.4 million viewers. A recent episode of Heroes brought in 7.8 million. Other popular series such as Chuck and My Name is Earl bring in about 4.4 and 6.6 million each, respectively.

That being said, I think Heroes would benefit greatly by trimming the fact and eliminating some of the excess weight. But more on that later...

Another reader sent me an e-mail with some interesting thoughts as well:
I didn't have a problem with Arthur showing up in the past, as he did take Peter's powers, including time travel. I also thought it was interesting that he took Hiro's power as well, hopefully eliminating their reliance on "seeing a horrible future, and having to stop it". The only problem I had was, how did he know where to go? But I am okay with that, since it's obvious he has mental powers, or perhaps he just read the comic book. Hiro's father must've figured that baby Claire had some sort of resilence to have survived the fire, making her an inherently good candidate.

I've enjoyed Sylar's journey back to the dark side. I thought the idea of the hunger was a good thing, but I also remember that during his journey to America with Maya and her brother, he was totally manipulative, and murderous while his power (and presumably, the hunger) was suppressed. I am sorry to see Elle get killed, but having a Sylar around will hopefully thin out some of the superfluous characters. I would put Ali Larter on the chopping block, the fire brother and sister (actually, I'd like to see him kill one, and not need the other).

One twist that I would like is for Arthur to not be Sylar's father, but Angela really is his mother.And one more thing about Sylar, they needed him to be kind of good in order to establishe that he doesn't need to kill in order to take powers, now it makes it so much more evil that he does. I am curious whether or not the light has now died with Arthur, or if maybe it will transfer to Peter (since he's standing right there.)

Oh and as far as people getting killed while their powers are suppressed, remember for the death to stick, it's got to be through the head destroying the brain (I don't recall where Future Peter got shot though)As to being injected and getting super-strength, I think that's the easiest thing to believe as the most probable result of a drug.

I'm a bit ashamed to admit that I completely overlooked the fact that Arthur took Peter's abilities, and that Peter could time travel. That does explain how he got there, but it doesn't explain how he knew to go there. Him reading the comic book doesn't really cut the mustard, either. Why not just go back a little further and kill little Claire and little Hiro?

But I do agree: With Hiro and Peter drained of their powers, and Arthur dead, none of the central characters can time travel anymore, which is a HUGE step forward in their constant "save the future" story arc.

I'm still not sure what to make of Sylar's journey. It seems like such a waste to essentially rewrite his character's history and make up new rules about his ability to make the audience sympathize with him, only for him to revert back to being a killer. Yes, the knowledge that Sylar doesn't have to kill somebody to acquire their abilities, but still chooses to, does add some depth to his murders, but we've already seen him kill a number of people without the benefit of gaining their powers.

Elle's death is slightly curious, only because the show seems to have no real problem killing off characters that are already interesting or haven't yet reached their potential. Consider that Isaac was killed two seasons ago yet the show STILL uses his character to advance the plot. Meanwhile, what has Parkman done of interest the past two years?

I forgot to mention this in the column, but I too have a feeling that we will discover that Angela is indeed Sylar's mother after all. I actually wouldn't mind this terribly, since I have enjoyed the new found bond between former enemies Peter and Sylar. This would certainly add a dynamic to their already volatile relationship.

I also considered the possibility that the light transferred to Peter, but I wouldn't be surprised if the light is gone and done with. As far as plot goes, the catalyst served its purpose and isn't really necessary anymore.

Anyway, that's it for this week. And remember one thing: Despite my criticisms here, this season is still miles upon miles beyond anything we saw on the show last year.

UPDATE: Read this very interesting interview with Bryan Fuller, the brains behind "Company Man," on what he will do to "fix" Heroes (interesting note: Season 4 is discussed as matter-of-fact)

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Saturday, December 6, 2008

Grandpa's 90th Birthday Tribute Video

This Christmas my grandpa turns 90 (yes, he's a Christmas baby) and tomorrow we will be throwing him a 90th birthday celebration. As part of the festivities, I made a video tribute to him, using some old photos (some dating back to the early to mid 1900's -- pretty cool). I thought I'd offer a sneak preview to my loyal blog visitors. How's THAT for a blog exclusive? Enjoy!

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Tuesday, December 2, 2008

A Case of the Mondays: TV Round Up!

I must confess, my loyal Case Workers, that I'm a bit surprised and disappointed with the results of my latest blog poll. Out of the 11 people that voted, 8 believe that Heroes will be canceled in the foreseeable future. Now, to me, "foreseeable future" means it's either getting axed this year, or won't finish a full season next year. Perhaps some of the people that voted have a more liberal definition, but that's how I see it.


I have to say, I just don't see the series being canceled. If it was on Fox -- which has a reputation for abruptly knocking off shows without truly giving them a chance -- or ABC -- which is on fire and can therefore sacrifice a series that isn't performing. But NBC? I just don't see it. What show do they have to fall back on? Besides which, the ratings have increased over the past two weeks.

A Case of the.... Heroes - Episode 3-11


A Case of the.... Prison Break - Episode 4-13

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Monday, December 1, 2008

An interesting contradiction

It's been a while since I've posted something non-wrestling related, so I thought I'd bring up an interesting contradiction I've observed recently.

In the recent Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe commercial (game looks awesome, by the way), Batman essentially notes that if one universe doesn't eliminate the other, they'll both be destroyed. Watch for yourself:



That's a fair enough stance, right? Except for the fact that in The Dark Knight, this very moral dilemma takes center stage (on a smaller scale, of course). In one of his sick games, Joker challenges that if two groups are told that if one doesn't kill the other, they'll both die, sooner or later one group will take the plunge and eliminate the other.

Batman, on the other hand, takes the more righteous approach, believing that people are inherently good and that the possibility of death or violence won't manipulate people into inflicting that same threat against others.

Yeah, yeah, I know that the video game version is on a much grander scale, but still...it's interesting that, of all people, Batman's the one saying, "We gotta do what we gotta do..."

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Thursday, November 27, 2008

WWE Slammy Awards

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody. So in a few weeks on Raw, WWE is bringing back the Slammy Awards. WWE.com recently announced the award categories, so I thought I would provide you with my predictions.


Superstar of the Year: This is surprisingly tough, as no Superstar necessary had a HUGE year, but I'm going to have to go with Chris Jericho. After a lackluster start, he had an amazing feud with Shawn Michaels, turned heel, completely reinvented his character, and won two World Championships. Not too shabby.
Match of the Year: It's sad that it's now the end of November, and not a single match jumps out at me as amazing. Nevertheless, I'm tempted to say the Shawn Michaels/Ric Flair retirement match from WrestleMania.
OMG Moment of the Year:
John Cena is the surprise 30th entrant in the Royal Rumble and wins the event.
Diva of the Year: Beth Phoenix will likely win, although I have to admit that my favorite at the moment is probably Kelly Kelly.
"DAMN!" Moment of the Year:
The difference between the "OMG" moment and "DAMN!" moment escapes me, but I guess I'll go with Jericho being inserted into the Championship Scramble match and winning the title.
Tag Team of the Year:
This one is relatively easy, as I think you have to go with John Morrison and The Miz.
Best Musical Performance:
I'm racking my brain trying to think of what performance took place that gave them the idea to even include this category. Didn't Edge sing to Vickie once? I'm guessing that wins, because I'm otherwise drawing a blank.
Best Finishing Maneuver:
I'm not sure why, but I can see the RKO winning this one.
Extreme Moment of the Year:
Nothing jumps out at me, but I guess I'll go with that John Cena/JBL street fight from a few months back.
Couple of the Year:
This is a toss up between "Glamarella" and Edge and Vickie. I give the slight edge (no pun intended) to Santino and Beth Phoenix
Breakout Star of the Year: Gotta go with Evan Bourne
Announcer of the Year:
I honestly would love to say Mick Foley, but I'm going to go with Jim Ross since nobody else has blown me away. Although I am fond of Matt Striker's unique style.
Best WWE.com Exclusive: The Dirt Sheet, of course (this is a gimme)
Best Impersonation: I'm guessing this is going to be the Charlie Haas category. If that's the case, I guess his Bret Hart one was pretty good (I like how he held the microphone at a downward angle, like the Hitman used to).

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Tuesday, November 25, 2008

A Case of the Mondays: TV Round Up!

A Case of the.... Heroes - Episode 3-10:

http://primetimepulse.com/2008/11/25/heroes-episode-3-10-review/

Some notes that I forgot to mention in the column - First, I loved the contrast between how HRG taught Claire to fight and how Meredith taught her to fight. HRG used Claire's psychological issues to strengthen her, and was undeniably proud when she succeeded. While it wasn't with mal intent, Meredith used Claire's psychosis to break her down, leaving her even more damaged than she was before.

Oh, and Ando + Hiro + Daphne + Parkman (the weak link in the equation) = comedy gold. I just love how Ando and Hiro explicitly refer to Daphne as "nemesis"....right to her face. These guys are great together (and giving Hiro amnesia allows the writers to conveniently dodge the issue as to why Hiro isn't scared to death of Parkman, given their interaction in the future).

A Case of the.... Prison Break - Episode 4-12:

http://primetimepulse.com/2008/11/26/prison-break-episode-4-11-review/

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Republi-Can I make a correction?

Longtime reader Dan had this to say in response to my 24: Redemption column, in which I wondered if female president Taylor is the first instance of a Republican commander-in-chief on 24:

Keeler ran against Palmer in season 3, so he and Logan must be Republicans.

Dan is spot-on correct. In fact, I half-remembered that, except that I got a little confused because season 4's Keeler was an honest, upstanding, honorable man. Season 3's version was conniving and underhanded, as he plotted with Palmer's ex-wife in order to blackmail him into dropping out of the election. Clearly, it was easy to forget that they're one in the same.

Anyway, Keeler ended up being hit with a missile while in Air Force One, and was possibly killed. Logan disgraced the nation and was forced to resign. Then he was stabbed by his ex-wife, and was possibly killed. Could the third time be the charm for the Republican party? Lets hope, for Ms. Taylor's sake.

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Monday, November 24, 2008

A Case of the.... 24: Redemption


After last season’s less than stellar performance, I’ve found myself very unenthusiastic about a show I once gushed over. When it was announced that the series would go nearly two years without a new episode, I was surprisingly complacent. In the past, the eight or nine month wait would feel unbearable. What could have possibly gone so awry?

I think at its core, 24 decided to do away with all those little things that made it so clever, unique, and charming, and soon became a parody of itself. It honestly did begin to resemble those stereotypical action flicks, where nonsensical twists and turns would take place in between illogical and unnecessary explosions. Along those same lines, the stories got progressively less intelligent. Another thing that set 24 apart from most other popular series was the show’s willingness to kill off main characters. And the writers would do a brilliant job knocking them off (who could ever forget George Mason’s sacrificial death, or Jack being forced to execute his boss Chappelle, or Teri Bauer’s unexpected murder?) By the end of season six, these supposedly major deaths had become forgettable and, again, nonsensical. It seemed more about shock value than anything else.

All of that being said, I thought 24: Redemption was absolutely fantastic.

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Saturday, November 22, 2008

Survivor Series predictions


One of my top three favorite wrestling Pay-Per-Views is this weekend -- Survivor Series -- and since I have my nephew's Christening tomorrow and a holiday party tonight, this will probably be my only chance to offer my predictions. Unfortunately I won't be able to catch the event (WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, and Survivor Series are the only three PPV's I even consider buying), which is too bad, because I'm glad they're actually providing some traditional elimination matches. Here are my predictions!

World Heavyweight Championship:
Chris Jericho (c) vs. John Cena

While I love the fact that Jericho is World Champion, and I'd hate to see his latest reign cut short, I really believe that John Cena NEEDS to win this match. Before his injury, Cena was jobbing out left and right. While traditional wrestling logic would indicate that Cena wins the match, but not the title, resulting in a chase for the gold, I really believe the smarter way to go would be for Cena to simply win the title.

Incidentally, in the latest edition of WWE Magazine, Cena promised he wouldn't do anything ridiculous to the World Heavyweight Championship should he ever win it. I suppose that remains to be seen, though.

Winner and new World Heavyweight Champion: John Cena

WWE Championship:
Triple H (c) vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Vladimir Kozlov

I'm SO tempted to say Jeff Hardy finally wins the gold, given how hard they're pushing him, but if Cena does win, I'm just not sure I see them changing both championships in one night. That being said, I think they risk hurting Hardy's credibility, as in the past year, he's earned, but lost, WWE Championship matches against Randy Orton and Triple H (numerous times). Will they finally pull the trigger? Sorry, but probably not tonight.

Winner and still WWE Champion: Triple H

Casket Match:
Undertaker vs. Big Show

I think this would be a perfect time to utilize my Edge return idea. Have all of La Familia attack Undertaker, only for Edge to return and make the save (a nice reverse allusion to his actions last year). I doubt it would happen, but I can still hope for it.

Winner: Undertaker

Traditional Survivor Series Match:
Team Batista (Batista, CM Punk, Kofi Kingston, Matt Hardy, and R-Truth) vs. Team Orton (Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, William Regal, Mark Henry, and Shelton Benjamin)

This is a tough one to predict. I think either Batista or Orton will walk away as the sole survivors of their respective teams. On the one hand, WWE apparently wants to keep Batista happy. On the other, if Cena wins the gold, it would make sense to try to make Orton look strong. Survivor Series has historically been Orton's "event," so I'll go with him.

Winner and sole survivor: Randy Orton

Traditional Survivor Series Match:
Team HBK (Shawn Michaels, Rey Mysterio, Cryme Tyme, and The Great Khali) vs. Team JBL (JBL, Kane, John Morrison, The Miz, and MVP)

Here's my first prediction: MVP gets eliminated less than a minute into the match, when he's unexpectedly hit with a Super Kick. Anyway, I see the faces winning this one, with Shawn Michaels and Rey Mysterio standing tall. Well, Mysterio will just be standing.

Winners: Shawn Michaels and Rey Mysterio

Traditional Survivor Series Match:
Raw Divas vs. Smackdown Divas

The Raw Divas are more "legitimate," which is too bad considering that Victoria and Natalya Neidhart are both more than capable, so I'm saying they win, with the enemies Mickie and Beth surviving together.

Winners: Beth Phoenix and Mickie James

Anyway, I think this has the potential to be a great show. It would have been nice to get one more traditional match, but oh well, three is better than none. Enjoy!

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Friday, November 21, 2008

Un-F'N-believable!



And I repeat: January cannot come soon enough!

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Thursday, November 20, 2008

A Case of the.... Smallville - Episode 8-10

To quote Chandler Bing, “Could that beginning BE any more Cloverfield-esque?”


So I have to apologize for my absence last week. Truth is, I didn’t know there was anything to be absent over. For whatever reason, my local WPIX affiliate didn’t air last week’s episode of Smallville. I figured that it wasn’t on, because the previous week’s episode (the one with Kara’s return) aired a preview for “Bride” (this week’s episode). Sounds like a conspiracy to me.

So anyway, let me just say “sorry” now, because certain things might be just a bit confusing. For example, apparently Chloe had amnesia (on Smallville? Never) and now no longer remembers that Clark has abilities. And Davis and Chloe kissed. That’s a pretty huge plot device, so I’m a bit disappointed that I missed it. Anyway, on with this week’s episode review….

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A Case of the.... Prison Break - Episode 4-11

So a week after my long rant about how nobody’s going ballistic about Prison Break possibly being cancelled (unlike Heroes, which brings in better ratings), rumors began circulating that this could be the series final season. This would be disappointing, of course, but you also have to consider that a show like Prison Break wasn’t meant to last ten years. Another year would be nice, because I do think there’s fuel left in the tank, but quite honestly, if this season ties itself up with a “happy ending,” it would quite possibly be the perfect way to conclude the series. The Company is taken down, Michael and his crew become completely free men, Michael can sail into the sunset with Sara, and those who didn’t survive either received their retribution, or died heroes. A very strong argument could be made that this is the right time for the show to call it quits.

Anyway, this week’s episode of Prison Break was another exhilarating one. I do have one major qualm, though: During the heist, why on EARTH would you send the guy who has repeatedly passed out and had seizures, who you know isn’t supposed to push himself physically or mentally, out on a wobbly, narrow plank to delicately sneak into a glass prison to nab their salvation? Yeah, yeah, I know he’s the star of the show, but it (a) took away from an otherwise incredible and flawless scene, (b) it made the rest of the team look incapable, and (c) it made Michael pretty unlikeable. I mean, is Michael so prideful and egotistical that he would risk the freedom of the rest of his team in order to be the big hero? That’s awfully selfish.

http://primetimepulse.com/2008/11/20/prison-break-episode-4-10/

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Wednesday, November 19, 2008

A Case of the.... Heroes - Episode 3-9


Starting backwards, let me just say that I absolutely loved the conclusion of the episode, with the two “teams” standing together behind their leader. On Angela’s side – the supposed “good guys” – you had Peter, Nathan, Claire, Parkman, and Daphne. Arthur’s team – the big baddies – comprised of Sylar, Elle, Tracy, Flint, and Knox. Then you have 10 year old Hiro in his 28 year old body (more on that later) and Ando, who will undoubtedly end up with the babyfaces. Ditto, I would assume, for HRG (who, actually, technically works for Angela as it is). And, of course, Sylar and Elle will ultimately end up with the heroes as well. On the other side of the coin, monster-in-training Mohinder is on Papa Petrelli’s payroll.

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Sunday, November 16, 2008

A final goodbye

On Halloween I sadly reported that a close friend of mine had died, likely taking his own life. Well, tragically, it does appear as if it was certainly a suicide. Today was his memorial service, which was beautiful and did a wonderful job of reminding me what an incredible person he was, and I thought I'd simply share the Irish blessing that appeared on the backside of his memorial card:

May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always
at your back,
May the sun shine warm
upon your face, and rains fall
soft upon your friends,
And, until we meet again,
May God hold you
in the hollow of His hand.

Also, if this tragic event taught me anything, it's that if you need help, you need to ask for it. And if you think somebody needs help, don't wait for them to ask.

God bless you, my friend. We all miss you.

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Friday, November 14, 2008

A Case of the.... Prison Break - Episode 4-10

In my Heroes column and on my blog, I’ve been discussing this – in my mind – completely unfounded belief that Heroes is on the verge of cancelation. People go on and on about how the ratings have gone down, but consider this: Is anybody out there proclaiming that Prison Break is a show in crisis? I mean, they’re on Fox, a station notorious for not giving their programs much of a chance before axing them. Fox also has a long line of hit shows to fall back on (which NBC does not). Perhaps most significant, this past week, Heroes LOST 330,000 while Prison Break gained 175,000 – yet Heroes STILL brought in over two million more viewers.

People are so dramatic when it comes to Heroes.

But this column isn’t devoted to Heroes, it’s about Prison Break. Last week I complimented the way Bellick’s death was handled, and that continued into this week. Sure, the St. Brad stuff got a little heavy handed at times (T-Bag fondly reminiscing about Bellick was perhaps the biggest stretch), but I thought it was an overall sweet way for his character to be remembered. I was especially pleased with the way Mahone refused to deliver the goods unless Bellick’s body was brought to his mother. And I liked Sucre’s feeling of responsibility to contact Mrs. Bellick.

http://primetimepulse.com/2008/11/12/prison-break-episode-4-9-review/

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Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Siriusly?


So today marked the death of XM Radio and the birth of Sirius XM. And while I didn't notice any significant difference regarding the music being played, one thing that jumped out at me is how much more talking there is. And that's a bad thing. With all due respect to any current and aspiring DJs out there, when I turn on the radio with the intent of listening to music, the LAST thing I want to hear is some guy telling me what I am about to listen to. Or what i just listened to. It's not even necessary, considering that the artist and song title now appears on the digital display. And I especially detest their lame attempt at humor. If you were funny, you'd be a stand-up comic. And if I wanted some commentary, I'd be listening to AM.

Anyway, one of my favorite things about XM was that, for the most part, the DJs simply played the music. Every now and then they'd make an inoffensive comment, which was fine, but overall they allowed people to listen to their tunes. But today, I was pretty taken aback by how many times the DJs interjected. It was actually getting to be a bit much.

Oh, and there were A LOT of promos as well. But I let that slide, figuring that they were simply trying to create some brand awareness.

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Tuesday, November 11, 2008

WWE Bound? Have faith in Christian

So the latest rumor going around is that TNA Superstar Christian Cage is set to make his return to World Wrestling Entertainment, just three years after taking a leap of faith and joining the distant #2 company, Total Nonstop Action. Truth be told, while it was a risk, Christian moving to TNA ended up being an enormously beneficial move. Undoubtedly, the Canadian Superstar's stock has risen exponentially following his tenure in Jeff Jarrett's playground. But, alas, THIS is the time for Christian to return home. At this point in time, TNA is far more overstocked in the main event scene than any of the three WWE Brands, which means -- logically speaking -- a move to WWE could place him higher on the overall pecking order.

So, assuming that he does return to "New York," what should be done with Christian? Here's what I would do....

I've long said that I believe Edge should return as a face. Don't get me wrong, I think he's the best heel in the company. And, at the moment, Smackdown has a lot more top faces than they do top heels. Despite this, a face turn would freshen up Edge's character dramatically. And I honestly believe that, if handled correctly, the fans would really get behind him. In an odd way, I actually think that the Edge-ster has been on hiatus a bit TOO long, to the extent that I don't think many fans even remember that he was at odds with his allies.

Nevertheless, I'd book Big Show vs. Undertaker for Survivor Series. At the end of the match, I'd have all of La Familia come in and start attacking the Dead Man. In the midst of a brutal, non-PG beat down, I'd have Edge's music play over the speakers. La Familia (with Vickie) would stand in the center of the ring, not sure what he would do. The announcers would naturally assume that he's there to join in on the attack. He'd grab a chair, indicate that he's going to beat down Taker, only to crack the chair Big Show over the head. He'd then Spear Chavo, and attempt to fight off his former Edge Heads. Taker would then rise to his feet, and the two Superstars would clear the ring. After briefly staring each other down, Edge would leave the ring (incidentally, this would also be a nice mirror image of what happened the year before).

Similar saves and attacks would happen over the next few weeks. Then, one week on Smackdown, La Familia could figure out some way to lure Undertaker from the arena. In that night's main event, lets say Edge vs. Chavo, La Familia can run out and start beating down on their former leader. Again, a brutal attack. As the fans chant for Undertaker, suddenly Christian's theme plays. The announcers are understandably confused as Christian's rushes down to the ring and clears the ring of the heels. As the show ends, Edge and Christian stand in the ring reunited.

Oh, and Tomko could fit into all of this pretty effectively as well. I could totally see Tomko matching up against Bam Neely.

But after the Undertaker/Edge/Christian vs. La Familia feud, what could be done with Christian? I'd actually move him to ECW, and make him the star of the show (sorry, Matt). Put the ECW Championship on him, and maybe even the WWE Championship on Edge. At the next draft, hopefully Christian will have fully established himself as a "Player," at which point he can be moved to one of the main brands.

Like I said, I truly do hope that Christian returns to WWE. This is the perfect time for him to do it.

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A Case of the.... Heroes - Episode 3-8


The episode kicked off with an awesome moment right off the bat. How cool was the “Villains” opening credits, instead of the usual “Heroes”? Very clever.

I was originally skeptical about this episode, I must admit. I thought to myself, “Didn’t we essentially see this episode in season one, when it was called “Six Months Ago”? But truth be told, this episode far exceeded my expectations, and it was quite possibly the most effective installment in regards to the whole heroes/villains story arc. While some of these “who’s good and who’s bad” twists and turns have felt forced, this episode did a wonderful job of actually explaining each character’s true spirit and motivation. I was highly impressed. And best of all, it didn’t feel the need to introduce every single character.

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Sunday, November 9, 2008

The 2008 Presidential Election: The final word


While some of what happened in the midst of this election left a bad taste in my mouth, in a way I feel like I got exactly what I was hoping for. I don't discuss politics often, but when I do, I almost always mention how much I detest the two party system. I think it makes sense in theory, but in practice it does far more bad than good. Yet this election saw Joe Lieberman -- who just two elections ago was on the Democratic ticket -- supporting the Republican candidate, and Colin Powell -- who was at one time a member of the current Republican administration -- backing the Democratic contender. Along with that, we saw many states that had typically been red emerge as blue (and to a much lesser extent, vice versa). Sure, this election was going to be historic no matter who won, but I don't think we should overlook the huge (albeit subtle) strides that were made that got us to this point.

This election also saw record number turn outs, with people who have never voted before voting. And that's never a bad thing.

I think in the grander scheme of things, Barack Obama was destined to win. And whether he as the superior candidate or not, I think one could make a strong argument that it's best that he did win. Of course, the election of an African American president is an enormous feat, but I think it's also important to recognize that the black vote did not win this election. On the contrary, a tremendous amount of people of all races, classes, and religions came together and showed an outpouring of support for this candidate. Sure, I'm only 27 years old, but I have never seen such enthusiasm behind one person (a HUGE contrast to John Kerry, whose entire campaign was "I'm not George W. Bush").

Unfortunately, though, this enthusiasm had a very negative effect on me. I have a lot of friends who felt very strongly about Obama, and I totally respect and admire their dedication. I also think that, for the most part, they respected the fact that I was still undecided about him (of course, the fact that I wasn't fawning over him was interpreted as me refusing to vote for him). But the media, on the other hand, really turned me off. At certain points, I was so disgusted with the absolute bias and favoritism shown towards Obama that I actually wanted him to lose.

This isn't an attack on Obama, but I honestly don't understand how anybody could argue that the media, as a whole, has an enormous liberal bias. Consider a few things. For example, Joe Biden made some extremely incriminating comments that insinuated rather strongly that if Obama were to win, our country would likely be threatened by force within the first six months of his term. That story was covered for about a night, on select networks. On the other hand, I am STILL reading articles discussing who picked up the bill for Sarah Palin's wardrobe. Really?

Then there's the whole Joe the Plumber thing. In my opinion, this man's comments REALLY showed a weakness in Obama's tax plan. Yes, McCain's camp did constantly try to alert people, quite erroneously so, that Obama will raise their taxes, but the fact remains that I honestly believe Obama's plan was the weaker of the two. Consider how many once successful chains went bankrupt within the last year or so. Under Obama's plan, most of the companies that have managed to survive will now be taxed MORE. That sounds like an awfully dangerous idea. Along with that, these companies aren't likely to just eat the loss. They're going to pass that cost down onto the consumers, which means there's a good chance that prices will rise. In our volatile economy, that could have disastrous results. And while it's true that many small businesses don't make $250,000 a year, the suppliers and distributors they purchase their materials from likely do. And, again, that cost is going to be passed down onto those small businesses.

Along with that, his "spread the wealth" comment, which some might say was a simple slip of the tongue, was enormously damning. A lot of people who are in that bracket that will see their taxes raised are there because of hard work, responsible saving/spending, and sacrifices. Why should they be "punished" because they had the good sense to save and spend responsibly? And why should they have to feel like they're "selfish" or "greedy" because they want to keep what they worked hard to earn? But instead of focusing on these very important issues, the media made it priority #1 to completely discredit and tarnish the reputation of Joe. Honestly, I could care less if he's a licensed plumber, or if his real name is Joe or Sam or Mary, or if he's paid his taxes (don't get me wrong, he should be fairly punished for any laws he had broken), but I do care about the issues stated above.

And while I honestly feel like my friends had intelligent, well thought out reasons to support Obama, I do feel like a LARGE number of people who were supporting him had no idea why they were. It baffles me how long this man got away with simply saying he wants "Change," without offering any elaboration whatsoever, only to have people eat it up. Honestly, people constantly criticize Giuliani for resorting to "9/11" in order to get a reaction, but for a long time Obama was doing the same thing.

There were also a lot of misconceptions about the man. People would go on and on about how he's an idealist and that he's running such a clean campaign, when the fact of the matter is that he spent just as much money as McCain on negative ads. And as I noted in a previous column, he had an army of very influential people -- the media, celebrities, etc. -- slinging the mud, so he really didn't have to.

A lot of people are now saying that if McCain had a stronger running mate, he would have done a lot better. This may be true, but I'm not entirely sure that's a fair comment. After all, McCain's campaign was probably most successful and most energized immediately after she was named his Vice President. To a certain extent, I feel like Palin, in the media's eyes, was the anti-Obama. While the media decided that they wanted everybody to absolutely love Obama, they equally decided that everyone should detest Palin (and no, I'm not saying that Palin is on the same level as Obama -- if the ticket actually was Obama vs. Palin, there's no doubt in my mind that I would vote Obama). Some of her mistakes were pretty inexcusable, but at the same time, she was in no way treated with the kid gloves that Obama often was.

With that rant out of the way, let me make one thing perfectly clear: I 100% support our new President, and I'm very excited about his term. He's obviously extremely intelligent and charismatic, and I wish him all the best. This is most certainly a historic moment in our time, and it's great to be alive to experience it.

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Saturday, November 8, 2008

Wow. Just....wow....

Check out the incredible official preview for the fifth season of Lost:



2009 can't come soon enough....

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Friday, November 7, 2008

A Case of the.... Smallville - Episode 8-8

This episode saw the very sweet reunion between Clark and his ever so beautiful cousin, Kara. Along with the lack of Lex, the other thing that has really irked me about this season is how Clark can mope about being alone, yet never once mention the fact that his cousin is, ya’ know, missing. That being said, I did think that their scenes together were rather touching, and I’m REALLY glad they didn’t kill her off. I thought both characters possessed a certain sense of maturity that was lacking during much of the previous season. I thought her comment about him always being close to her heart was especially sweet. I truly do hope this isn’t the last time we see Kara. And damn, she couldn’t teach him to fly before leaving?

http://primetimepulse.com/2008/11/07/smallville-episode-8-8-review/

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Thursday, November 6, 2008

Survivor annoyances

As per the etiquette discussed in my previous post, click the "Read More" link for my thoughts on tonight's episode of Survivor. There are some spoilers (if they're still considered that), 'natch.

While I completely understand that there's a lot of stuff going on that we the viewers don't see, and that there's a lot of information we're privy to that the competitors aren't, it absolutely drives me crazy when some of the players make completely asinine decisions.

Such was the case tonight, when Susie decides that she's going to jump ship. Let me get this straight: Instead of being part of the majority that always wins, you decide you want to be part of the minority that always loses? What sort of sense does that make?

And yes, I recognize that, in her eyes, she's the low person on the totem pole. But she still had a better chance of making it to the final six (which, of course, WE know never would have happened -- but she didn't) and hoping that she can survive based solely on immunity challenges and becoming the swing vote. I really don't know what her plan is, because even if they make it to the merge, they still won't have the numbers. Next time Fang loses, Matty's getting voted off. And if Koda loses again, they'd probably vote a tie anyway.

And you know what? She spent the entire season bitching and complaining about her status within the alliance, and they made it perfectly clear that this was the case because they were worried she would flip. And what does she do the first chance she gets? Flips.

But man, are things ever going to be awkward between Marcus and Crystal's cousin...

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When is a spoiler a spoiler?

Earlier today I was perusing the True Blood message board on IMDb.com when somebody very nonchalantly revealed the identity of the serial killer -- ya' know, the big mystery and central premise of the show -- in the midst of a discussion that was in no way related to that topic. This was a HUGE reveal -- one that could potentially very negatively impact my enjoyment of a show I have really been getting into.

The justification was that the show is based on a book series and that the identity of the killer was revealed in the books a long time ago.

This got me thinking: When is something considered a spoiler? For example, after an episode airs, is it appropriate to post what happened without any spoiler warning? Or is it proper etiquette to provide a "buffer" zone? If so, how long is appropriate?

Along with that, if something is revealed in a preview or commercial (such as the return of a character), is that fair game? I would think so, however I do know people who avoid watching previews like the plague, because they want to go in completely fresh.

And what if something is based on a novel? Even if it's a relatively well known book, should you respect the fact that not everybody may have read it?

Then there are classic movies. After almost 30 years, is it okay to talk openly about Darth Vader being Luke Skywalker's dad? And now that nearly a decade has passed, do we need to continue to hide the twist ending of Sixth Sense?

I tend to take a pretty conservative stance. You'll notice that I only post the introduction to my television reviews (you have to click a link to read the full column), and I typically don't openly discuss shows like Lost without any spoiler warnings until after the season has ended.

Like I said, the identity of the serial killer could easily tamper with my enjoyment of the show. While likely unintentional, it was still an inconsiderate and unnecessary thing to say. But I am curious, at what point does everybody consider something "fair game"? And when is it still a spoiler?

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Wednesday, November 5, 2008

A Case of the.... Prison Break - Episode 4-9

So the past few weeks I’ve been watching Prison Break with my dad, and any time they break into an office or secure area, he brings up that it was entirely too easy for them to break in, and nobody questions why they’re there. I gotta say, I think this is a perfect example of how we, as an audience, have unrealistic expectations for what should be happening. I work in an office, and I can’t tell you the amount of times that I walk past a room and see somebody that I’ve never seen before. And very rarely do I ever wonder who they are. And even fewer times do I bother to inquire. As a viewer, we are aware that these people don’t belong there and that they are up to something unsavory. But if we were actually in that situation, and we didn’t have that knowledge, I highly doubt that we’d even raise an eyebrow.

http://primetimepulse.com/2008/11/04/prison-break-episode-4-8-review/

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Tuesday, November 4, 2008

It's official (well, projected, actually): History has been made!


Well, it's official: For the first time in our nation's history, an African American will serve as President.

Whether you voted for him or not, you can't deny that this is a very exciting moment, one that will most certainly be deemed as "defining." And while it is often brought up that we've never had a black man as President, if you really think about it, it's pretty depressing how -- out of 43 previous presidents -- we really haven't drifted at all from the white Christian male prototype. If I'm not mistaken, there's only been one Catholic president. This really makes you comprehend how monumental this election has been.

You also have to be impressed by the fact that he toppled the ultra powerful Clinton family in the primaries, and dominated the otherwise very popular McCain in the actual election. No small feat.

I offer my sincere congratulation to our next President. There is much to be said about him and the entire election process -- which I will discuss in the upcoming days -- but I do plead one thing:

Please, please, PLEASE, for the love of God: Can we STFU about the whole "Change" thing, already? I mean, honestly.....enough already.

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Monday, November 3, 2008

VOTE! VOTE!!! VOTE!!!!


So after, like, a year of legitimate anticipation, the big day is finally upon us tomorrow. I've gone through a wide range of emotions in the past several months, but whether you're a Republican, Democrat, liberal, or conservative, it is absolutely essential that you go out and vote!

The logistics of the electoral vote makes it easy to feel like your vote doesn't really count, but if this election has shown anything, it's that very few states are an absolute "given." Therefore, possibly more than any other election, your vote truly can make a difference.

And, as always, it's important to make an informed decision. I encourage everybody to check out the Fact Checker at CNN.com (linked below), which provides factual information to verify or debunk some of the accusations aimed at each candidate:

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Sunday, November 2, 2008

A Case of the.... Smallville - Episode 8-7


So this episode of Smallville, appropriately titled “Identity,” contained lots of Clark and Lois interaction and Clark in a suit. At the end of this episode, I daresay that one could argue that “Superman” is alive and well. This was certainly the greatest leap they took for making that a reality. Sure, he may not exist yet in name, but Metropolis is now aware that there is some sort of red caped superhero coming to people’s rescue.

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Saturday, November 1, 2008

Join my office tour!

Lets lighten the mood a bit, shall we? For my birthday I bought the entire series of The Office, which I had been watching for the past couple of years, and suffice to say I've been getting really into the show. Anyway, I thought you guys would enjoy a little tour of my office (and by "office" I mean "cubicle").



Oh, and since I hate when people toot their own horn, I'm going to simply pat myself on the back on that home made opening Office sequence. I thought it was done quite well, actually. I especially love the water cooler part (and yes, that's the actual water cooler from my workplace).

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Friday, October 31, 2008

There's always another option

Happy Halloween, everybody. I was originally going to post a new edition of Top Ten Cases today, ranking the ten best horror films, but I received some troubling news today that made me reconsider.

At about 1:30 PM today one of my college friends called and reported that one of our close friends had died the day before, and it appears that it was likely a suicide. In respect to his family's privacy, and to not speculate further until anything is confirmed, that's all I'm going to say on that matter.

I will say this, though. It's easy to simply judge those that take their lives by saying they're weak or selfish. I disagree. I have nothing but compassion for somebody who feels so down and depressed that they can do something so drastic. That being said, it's an awful thing to do to those who love and care about you -- your family, your friends. There's always another option, and there ARE people out there that care.

Here is a link to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:

http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

Asking for help is often times scary. But it's well worth it. Rest in peace, my friend. God bless.

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Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Special Halloween Video!

With a very special (and rather adorable) guest star! Enjoy:

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A Case of the.... Heroes - Episode 3-7

Has anybody ever said to you, “Hey, did you ever notice that huge mole on Terry’s forehead?” Despite having never noticed Terry’s mole before, now every time you see him, that’s all you can see. I think Heroes is in a similar boat. There’s a very vocal group of people complaining about certain deficiencies. Fans read these complaints, and suddenly that’s all they can see. That’s why, overall, I try to steer clear of message boards. As a whole, the posters tend to be entirely too negative, and their negativity is contagious. I enjoy Heroes. For the most part, I really like most of the characters, and I’m interested in the story. In hindsight, yes, season two was an epic disappointment. But why would I judge this season based on last season’s less than stellar performance? The writers have made a concerted effort to remedy their mistakes, and while the writing hasn’t been perfect, it’s been (in my opinion) pretty fun and exciting.


http://primetimepulse.com/2008/10/28/heroes-episode-3-7-review/

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Tuesday, October 28, 2008

No f'n way!



I can't imagine this will be very good -- although, c'mon, tonight's 90210 was actually pretty damn good -- but count me in! In fact, if they get Michael Mancini back on TV, it'll go on my TiVo!

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Monday, October 27, 2008

A bit dramatic, don't you think?

So the latest edition of Entertainment Weekly proclaims that Heroes is a show in crisis, and needs to be saved. I mean, yeah, the ratings have admittedly dipped and many of the people who gushed over the show now seemingly don't have a nice thing to say about it, but isn't this just a TAD dramatic? It would be borderline suicidal for NBC to cancel the show, and I think they know it. While Heroes isn't one of the top 10 highest rated shows on TV right now (it may not even be top 15), it's the second highest rated drama on NBC. It's also among the highest rated shows in regards to the 18-49 year old demographic (the one that advertisers pay the most for). And while it may no longer be a ratings juggernaut, the series is still highly marketable and well known. I suppose that may not mean much if people aren't watching, but NBC would be hard pressed to find a new show that could match the overall exposure that Heroes receives. I'd be utterly shocked if this show is even near the verge of almost being cancelled.

And while there is a very vocal group of people panning the series they once loved -- and Nielson ratings have declined -- it's still the #1 top rated show on TV.com, beating out shows like House, Lost, Prison Break, Grey's Anatomy, and other popular or highly rated shows. Ditto for IMDb.com (which is surprising, considering how much the posters there tear it apart).

Honestly, I think a lot of the criticism aimed at this season has more to do with the bad taste last season left in the fans' mouth than anything they're seeing this season. That being said, the show REALLY needs a smack to the back of the head. While I have really enjoyed this season, there are some inherent flaws that the show hasn't addressed since the beginning of the series.

For example, let me lay out this story arc, and you tell me which season I am referring to (including this one): A character goes into the future, sees that something cataclysmic is going to happen, and returns to the past to attempt to prevent it. Along the way he hits some obstacles and makes some bumbling mistakes. Peter, meanwhile, puts his trust in the wrong person and comes to discover that HE is the person who will be responsible for the future devastation, only to be talked down by Nathan, who presumably dies in heroic fashion. In a somewhat unrelated story, Suresh does experiments while unknowingly working for the bad guys. HRG does some morally questionable things to ensure that his family remains safe, only for an angst-ridden Claire to begin to distrust him. While this is all happening, Angela Petrelli acts cryptic and all knowing, and has this "the ends justify the means" mentality.

So, which season did I just describe?

Even a show like Lost has gone through its fair share of slumps, but I honestly don't think you could use the same blanket description in reference to each season.

And this criticism isn't even necessarily about the repetitiveness, although that is a HUGE problem (as I have noted in my Special Heroes Special Report, why should we care about the heroes saving the future when we know that there's an equally crappy future waiting in the wings?) You also have to consider that the characters' growth has been so stunted that they can continuously fall into these same predicaments. All three seasons we've seen Hiro desperately want to go on a heroic quest, only to constantly watch him make idiotic mistakes along the way (and, as the EW column noted, did we honestly just see Hiro lose a destructive formula BECAUSE HE WAS BORED???) Peter is still that naive, all trusting guy that hitches his horse to the wrong wagon, necessitating an 11th hour save from big brother. And, for the love of God, how many times do we have to watch Claire trust, not trust, and then trust her father again? AND EACH YEAR THE TRUST ISSUE IS OVER THE SAME MATTER!!!! In the three years that this show has been on, Peter, Claire, Hiro, and all the rest haven't developed to the point that they no longer fall into the same trap time and time again.

Along with that, one of the strongest points of the first season -- its ensemble cast -- is now arguably its greatest weakness. What made season one so fun and exciting was that these individual characters each had a strong story, and it was genuinely enjoyable seeing them come to meet each other. It was this great feeling of everybody being connected. Some of the connections were strong, and others were loose. But in the end, they were all intertwined. I still get goosebumps when I think of the scene in which Peter and Claire first met. Or when all of the central characters were together in the finale at Kirby Plaza. They came from Texas, Vegas, Japan, India, and elsewhere....but they all ended up in New York City, and for different reasons.

That thrill is now gone. All of the characters basically know each other now, and most of the pairings have been exhausted. Yet the show seems so pathetically desperate to hold onto these characters/actors. I cannot think of a more boring, more useless character than Parkman. Yet he's still around. He seems like a nice guy, so why not give just write him off by giving him that happy ending he deserves? Ali Larter is fun to look at and a fine actress, but for whatever reason, she's just not meshing with this show. Her storyline is constantly the weak link of the season. It's time to let her loose. Maya.....holy hell, what more can be said about her? I truly hope she's dead (not only because she's a terrible character, but also because it adds a little weight to the deeds Mohinder has committed). And while I've actually really, really enjoyed Mohinder's dark turn this season, I also think he's at the point of no return. Kill him off by the end of the season (or volume, preferably). I also think that having him die as a man who tried to do noble, great things, but ultimately became obsessed with achieving grandeur -- to the point that it literally turned him into a monster -- can be very poignant.

Two characters that I will defend, though, are Nathan and Claire. Most (vocal) fans believe they've either run their course or are unbearably annoying. While I do think they need to grow a bit more (especially Claire), I also feel they are crucial to the overall story. And I think people fail to realize that Nathan has become one of the strongest characters on the show. Tim Kring has often said that this series, at its core, is about families, priarily the Petrellis and the Bennets. I think it would be a mistake to take away the two members that connect those families.

The thing I've come to realize is that the writers of Heroes are great storytellers, but only "good" writers. If anybody ever listened to any Chris Jericho interviews during his book tour, he explains that there was a ghost writer, but that he (Jericho) wrote every word of the book. As the former Undisputed Champion explains, he's perfectly capable of telling stories and putting words on paper, he just needed help with the overall structure. And I think that's one of the weaknesses of the Heroes writers: They're fully capable of writing, and they're great at telling stories, but they have a really tough time doing it in a cohesive, well paced, logical manner. Consider that season two was entirely too slow, season three has been on speed, and season one was a combination of both. This also explains why there are so many apparent plot holes and inconsistencies.

Let me offer a few comparisons: In my opinion, while the Heroes staff is great at story telling and only good at writing, I think the Smallville writing team is the opposite: they're great writers but only good at telling a story. And finally, I think a show like Lost does a phenomenal job at both. Ultimately, I think Heroes knows where it wants to go, but it has a lot of trouble getting there.


The good news in all of this, in my opinion, is that IF this season is successful -- and I think it definitely can be -- the skeptics will, for the most part, shut up. Like I said earlier, I think a lot of the negativity towards this season is more about last year than anything happening now. It's up to the writers to end this volume (and, ideally, season as a whole) on a high note, so that the next installment has the benefit of coming off of a strong ending.

Trust me, while Heroes may not be perfect, it's very far from the chopping block.

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Saturday, October 25, 2008

Cyber Sunday thoughts and predictions


This Sunday is Cyber Sunday, WWE's annual pay-per-view in which they offer their fans (no, I will not call them the "WWE Universe") the opportunity to vote for match stipulations, opponents, referees, and more.

I'm not one of those skeptical fans who continually argue that the voting is rigged -- I honestly believe that it's not -- but I must admit that I'm pretty disappointed with this year's selection. First off, the matches aren't all that interesting. Secondly, the text voting deal is EXCEPTIONALLY lame. And finally, the options are less than ideal. Lets take a look at the card:

WWE Championship Match: Triple H vs. ??? (fans vote for opponent: Jeff Hardy, Vladimir Kozlov, or both)

Wow....the options....

Who I would vote for: Jeff Hardy -- yes, we've seen this match a hundred times already, but it's the lesser of three evils.
Who I think will win: Probably Hardy, but the triple threat match is still a possibility.
Match result: Triple H retains

World Heavyweight Championship Match: Chris Jericho vs. Batista (fans vote for referee: Stone Cold Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, or Randy Orton)

Case in point regarding my introduction: How many times do we need to see this match? Worse yet, how many times do we have to see Batista in a World Championship match? Consider this: In the past, what, three years, we've seen Khali, Undertaker, Edge, CM Punk, and Chris Jericho as World Heavyweight Champions. And during each of those reigns, Batista was the #1 Contender. I really have no issues with Batista, but I could vomit if I see him in another World title match. For the life of me, I don't know why they didn't continue the Jericho/Punk feud (something new), instead of putting Batista in the same situation AGAIN and having Punk fall into oblivion.

Who I would vote for: I don't know, Austin I guess.
Who I think will win: Austin is the safest bet, but I think WWE might be underestimating the possibility that Michaels could win.
Match result: Jericho retains

ECW Championship Match: Matt Hardy vs. ??? (fans vote for opponent: Mark Henry, Finlay, or Evan Bourne)

It's surprising that the ECW Championship match is not only offering the best selection in its voting options, but it's also likely to offer the match of the night. Not bad for a title that is usually relegated to the opening match (although, in fairness, that could happen here).

Who I would vote for: Evan Bourne
Who I think will win: Probably Evan Bourne, although I could honestly see this going any of the three ways.
Match result: Hardy retains

Intercontinental Championship Match: Santino Marella vs. ??? (fans vote for opponent: Honky Tonk Man, Rowdy Roddy Piper, or Goldust)

This is an innocent comedy match. I'm actually looking forward to it, actually.

Who I would vote for: Honky Tonk Man
Who I think will win: Honky Tonk Man, given the whole "Honk-A-Meter" thing. But there is a SLIM chance Piper might come out on top.
Match result: Santino retains

Undertaker vs. Big Show (fans vote for stipulation: Knockout match, Last Man Standing, or I Quit match)

Alright, I'll ask: What exactly is the difference between a Knockout and Last Man Standing match? A Knockout match, presumably, would entail one competitor hitting the other, and keeping them down for 10 seconds. A Last Man Standing match, as we've seen, is when one Superstar is beaten to such oblivion that he cannot get back to his feet before the 10 count. This is what I mean when I say that they're offering you options without REALLY giving you any choices.

What I would vote for: An I Quit match, just because I know they'd never have Undertaker utter those words, and they don't want to castrate Big Show's monster giant character.
What I think will win: Knockout match, since that's what makes the most logical sense given the angle.
Match result: Undertaker wins, after using a foreign object to knock Big Show out. Which, essentially, makes it a Last Man Standing match. The IWC will complain.

Kane vs. Rey Mysterio (fans vote for stipulation: Falls Count Anywhere match, No Holds Barred match, 2-out-of-3 Falls match)

God, could you imagine if this match is 2-out-of-3 falls?

What I would vote for: Fall Count Anywhere
What I think will win: Falls Count Anywhere
Match Result: Mysterio wins, and hopefully both move on from this feud. Oh, and it'd be nice if Kane donned that mask again.

Fans pick the tag team match: CM Punk & Kofi Kingston vs. Ted DiBiase & Cody Rhodes, Jamie Noble & Mickie James vs. William Regal & Layla, or Cryme Tyme vs. John Morrison & The Miz

This one makes me scratch my head, because we've seen virtually all of these possible matches numerous times. I don't care how much they're trying to make us care about this Cryme Tyme/John Morrison & Miz WWE.com Word Up/Dirt Sheet feud, but I really don't.

What I would vote for: Punk & Kofi vs. DiBiase & Rhodes
Who I think will win: Probably Cryme Tyme vs. Morrison & Miz
Match Result: Morrison & Miz over Cryme Tyme, Punk & Kofi over DiBiase & Rhodes, and Regal & Layla over Noble & Mickie

United States Championship Match (Preview Match): Shelton Benjamin vs. ??? (fans vote for opponent: MVP, R-Truth, or Festus)

Festus? Really? He was the third competitor they thought of? Why not The Brian Kendrick? Or Khali?

Who I would vote for: MVP
Who I think will win: R-Truth
Match Result: A lot of me thinks that they'll do a title change here to raise the stakes of the whole concept. I hope not, though, because I like Shelton as the US Champion.

As you can see from my predictions, I don't imagine anything earth shattering happening at Cyber Sunday. And, while I actually really do like the concept, this year's installment is definitely the least exciting.

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