Another LOST, another trek from one side of the island to another. Last night’s outing did offer up some answers (specifically about Jack seeing his dad’s ghost way back in episode three) and some pretty major plot movement, which was great, especially seeing as there are still 4,324,561 questions to answer and only four episodes remaining. Can’t say I understand what that promo last week with the whole Willy Wonka trippy voiceover had to do with the episode that aired aside from the fact that Sawyer and company wound up on a boat for a while (and that was the means of conveyance Wonka and his guests were on during that whole sequence which, frankly, freaked me the hell out as a kid. Come on, I know I can’t be the only one!) The Sun/Jin reunion was lovely… this show does that kind of emotional thing so beautifully.
I’m having a little trouble getting fully into V, and I finally figured out why: It’s those damn invaders we saw at the end of the midseason cliffhanger who have since gone totally missing. They kind of represent for me what’s not working about the show, and that’s the overall feeling that there are about 10 aliens and 10 members of the resistance. There are 20-something ships hovering over cities, and yet the only time we see those is in little clips glimpsed when Anna is addressing the world. The show should have, from the start, opened up the canvas and introduced us to characters from around the world — both on other ships and in the resistance — who could, over time, come together in exciting ways. Instead, it feels as if the fate of the entire world has come down to whether or not Anna’s daughter can achieve… um, some goal involving Erica’s daughter. Wanna rachet up the excitement? Let’s show a Visitor munching on someone — I vote for Valerie, mainly because Lourdes Benedicto and her alter ego just kinda bore me — and get this party started!
How amazing was the DAMAGES finale? I’ll admit, I believed Tom’s death was going to turn out to be some kind of elaborate hoax right up until Joe gave him that fatal swirlie. Jeez, what a way to go! (Note to self: When it comes time to do the Best & Worst Of The Year, poor Tom definitely gets a nod for “Most Undignified Death of 2010”.) From the first season, I suspected Ellen was going to turn out to be Patty’s daughter. Then, when we learned Patty had been pregnant in 1972, I assumed she hadn’t actually had a daughter, but rather a son, Tom. I should have known both of those scenarios were far too expected for my favorite twisted drama. It’s looking unlikely that this amazing show will get a fourth season, and that’s a shame. But man, did it go out on a high.
When telemundo’s EL CLON (THE CLONE) started, I couldn’t have been more excited. The idea of a story that not only dealt with the concept of cloning but the cultural diffrences between America-born Muslims and those raised in a stricter Moroccan environment fascinated me. The network’s other big telenovela offering, DONDE ESTA ELISA? (WHERE IS ELISA?) — about the impact of a teenager’s disappearance on her extended family — seemed like a one-note concept that would bore me quickly. Flash forward a month or two and hear me say something I haven’t said since reversing my position on SUPERNATURAL: Man, was I wrong. EL CLON has turned into a yawn-inducing mess that makes little sense while ELISA proved from the beginning to be a wildly-gripping soap that America’s dramas could definitely learn a thing or two from. The biggest problem with CLON is that it’s characters are — not to put too fine a point on it — moronic. Years go by and yet they don’t grow or change. Christina has been yearning for Leonardo from day one despite being dumped by him over and over again, while leads Jade (the stunningly gorgeous Sandra Echeverria) and Lucas pine and whine to the point of being annoying. Being the addictive personality I am, I’ll continue watching CLON… but I’ll bitch about it every step of the way. As for ELISA, the sudsy drama has expanded to cover not only the teen’s disappearance, but a woman whose husband is having a secret affair with her gay best friend, a major business rocked by scandal and the lead investigator falling in love with Elisa’s married mom (played by the riviting Sonya Smith). Thank god for subtitles, as I don’t speak more than four words of Spanish despite the best efforts of my high school teachers. If you’re looking for a new fix, give ELISA a try. It’s fairly easy to figure out who’s who, and it’s kinda nice knowing that in another 14 or so weeks, it’ll all come to an end as per the telenovela format.