Anyone else downright thrilled at the idea of a Michael-free OFFICE? Not for nothing, but I wouldn’t mind if he took Dwight with him as well. For years, I’ve felt as if their over-the-top antics are the weakest element of a show that often borders on brilliance when it plays the Dunder-Miflin staff as loveable drones as opposed to unrelatable oddballs. Give us more Angela, Pam, Jim, Oscar, Meredith, Kevin, Stanley, Creed and Oscar. You know all that money they’ve been paying Steve Carell and Rainn Wilson? Give it to Kathy Bates and have her gruff-but-charming Jo make the Scranton branch her base of operations.
I suspect a lot of people walked away from HAPPY TOWN feeling, well, unhappy, but I absolutely loved it. Yes, there were elements that I could have lived without, and yes, it felt a little too TWIN PEAKS-y at times, but that said, I can’t wait for the next episode. Sam Neill’s Merritt Grieves was creepy as all get out, and Lauren German’s Henley came off as the perfect “outsider” through whose eyes we could explore the odd goings-on in Haplin. But my favorite part had to be “the widows”, if only ’cause I’m a sucker for spry little old ladies. Watching them flirt with Merritt was, as my grandma would have said, a hoot-and-a-half. But what the hell was with the overly-loud music during the first 10 minutes? At some points, the dialogue could barely be heard! It was interesting that the show chose to practically backburner some of its biggest names — including Amy Acker and Steven Weber — in the pilot, but in a way, doing so prevented viewer’s attention from being distracted from the quirkier townsfolk being played by less familiar faces. HAPPY TOWN is a place I definitely wouldn’t wanna live, but I’m looking forward to weekly visits!
More and more, V is becoming a show that I really want to enjoy… but can’t because of its annoying storytelling. For example, if Anna thought that Val’s baby could lead to the destruction of the aliens, why would she send a single soldier to track the mom-to-be? Doesn’t so important a mission seem worthy of sending maybe a couple more emissaries? It’s beyond time to expand the canvas here and step up the threat level supposedly posed by the Visitors. Meanwhile, I had to laugh — which I’m guessing isn’t the response the writers wanted us to have — when Anna told the doctors gathered from the other ships that the hybrid baby was a threate because, in essence, it might (gasp!) unleash the love. Corny much?
It looks like May and June are going to be must-watch months for DAYS OF OUR LIVES. The soap — which has really been on the rebound over the past year — has several major plots unfolding, including the mystery of what’s behind Hope’s extremely bizarre behavior. But longtime fans — including those who stopped watching over the years — will no doubt want to tune back in for the show’s highly-anticipated tribute to Frances Reid, who played beloved matriarch Alice Horton from episode one until her death last year. Instead of a single-episode tribute, the show will spend several weeks building up to the character’s funeral. During that time, a host of beloved faces from the past will return to pay their respects.