Friday, June 29, 2012

It's Okay to Like More Than One Thing

Recently, I've been hearing a lot of people talking about what they can and can't like because of some sort of loyalty or image or something, and that makes me sad. Because one of the best things about books and movies and TV shows is that there are so many of them, and you can enjoy whichever you'd like at a given moment depending on your mood and tastes and whatever else. So why impose these limits? Why not just let yourself like . . . whatever? Funnily enough, these objections often fall into two groups that look opposite:

You can like things that are similar. Loyalty is good, but a lot of fans seem to have a weird sort of loyalty that doesn't actually help anyone. We hear it all the time: "I like one Sherlock Holmes adaptation, so we shouldn't even acknowledge that this other one exists." "I love vampire series A, so I can't like vampire series B." "I love this writer/producer/actor's other show, so I can't betray it by watching the new one." Now, if you're literally saying you can only buy one book and you'll buy your favorite author rather than a new one, of course! I understand that! Likewise, if the point is that you don't have time to watch any additional show, that's understandable. But assuming you're reading (via purchase or library or whatever) or watching multiple things in general, why rule things out because they have something in common with other things you like? That does not sound like a good way to find more things you like. I promise, no author I know wants you to demonstrate your loyalty by shunning other authors in their genre, or trying to shame fellow fans you see as disloyal. (Hint: They're probably reading other authors in their genre themselves. Because they like it.) I'm not, of course, saying that you have to like anything, but give it a try! Think about it this way: if many properties in a genre or subgenre are popular, that will help your favorite by getting more attention, marketing, etc. for things in that genre all around.

You can like things that are different. This is sort of the opposite issue: People so often say they won't try something because they watch HBO and it's on CW, or because they like YA books and it's labeled as adult fiction, or because something else about the marketing doesn't fit with their self-image. And, you know, maybe you won't like it! You like what you like! But if you hear about a book that grabs your attention, say, don't rule it out because it's shelved with adult books and you've decided that only YA books are any good. (Yes, really, I hear this a lot.) Try it from the library! It's free! What could it hurt? At worst, you'll read a little, decide you really don't like it, and set it aside, and you'll have invested a few minutes of your time into generating an informed opinion.

So basically . . . let yourself try things, and let yourself like what you like, for whatever reason, and don't worry about whether some outside set of criteria or rules of fandom say you "should" like it or not.

Morning Coffee (6/29/12)

FRIDAY. Finally.

People are saying they'll move to Canada to avoid universal health care. Good luck with that!

A beautiful piece of writing: Lena Dunham on Nora Ephron. Also: Nora Ephron's Hollywood ending.

Magic Mike comes out today! Check out Magic Mike: The Gathering cards, and the rules of magic in Magic Mike. Hee.

I honestly don't understand authors who want to limit the ways people can read.

Whoa! Brazil is letting some prisoners shorten their sentences by reading.

War on women: Afghanistan edition.

Slang: Older than you thought.

A Palestinian Village Tries to Protect a Terraced Ancient Wonder of Agriculture

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Trailer: Anna Karenina

Prettttty. Let's see if I can manage to read the book before the movie comes out.

Morning Coffee (6/28/12)

Muse is doing the official Olympic song.

The tower that holds Big Ben is being renamed Elizabeth Tower in honor of the Queen's Jubilee.

Perfect: Business phrases that need to go

What Finger-Counting Says About You and Your Brain is interesting, but at this point I automatically count with American Sign Language number signs, so . . . I guess that says something else.

10 Signs You're Watching an Aaron Sorkin Show

Rufus Sewell and Michelle Dockery starring in a British spy thriller? SURE.

The Education System That Pulled China Up May Now Be Holding It Back

Well, this is awful: Some guy deliberately molded his girlfriend's tastes to make them acceptable to him, and then of course was dismayed when she empathized with the dolls on Dollhouse.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Morning Coffee (6/27/12)

Sad news: Nora Ephron has died. The New Yorker has some of her greatest hits.

A good take on the Newsroom controversy: "If he wanted to, Sorkin could write an episode of The Newsroom where his crack reporters confirm that unicorns do exist and they really do have rainbows come out of their bottoms. He can also manipulate real events for dramatic effect and, yes, make his characters look like heroes. Sorkin likes heroes, if you’ve been paying attention at all."

Want an excuse to buy Oreos? Here you go.

Oooh, new women's Doctor Who shirts.

Amy Spalding on Being a Lady.

10 Rules of Blockbuster Movies that Hollywood Forgot

John Edwards and Rielle Hunter broke up, you know, sometime.

The (Cat) Newsroom

George Washington: Not against individual mandates.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

One Reason Why I Like The Newsroom...

Over the past few days, I've discussed the wildly polarized reaction to The Newsroom with several people, and I finally realized something - it's not that I think critics are wrong when they say Sorkin's portrayal of how the news is made is inaccurate or that his diagnosis of what's "wrong" with the news is off. It's that I can acknowledge that those are interesting and even important discussions to have, but while I'm actually watching the show, I can't really bring myself to care.

Really, the majority of shows I watch are about people doing their jobs - mostly lawyers, cops, and doctors. And I don't expect any of them to be particularly accurate. My differing levels of knowledge mean I notice inaccuracies more in some shows than others - my mom's a doctor, so I know enough about how hospitals work to know that virtually every hospital setting on TV is completely absurd - but that sort of thing doesn't really make or break a show for me. And in this particular case, it undoubtedly helps that I rarely watch cable news (except for BBC World Service, and Up With Chris Hayes), so I'm willing to accept that in the fictional world of The Newsroom, things work the way they say they do.

When it comes down to it, the subject matter of any show is not high on my list of criteria for watching. I watch shows that have writing I like and characters and character dynamics I find interesting. I particularly enjoy shows that revolve around groups of smart people who are very different or think they don't/won't like each other but who end up coming together to accomplish a goal. And given those criteria, I enjoyed every moment of The Newsroom pilot.

Morning Coffee (6/26/12)

Someone stole Jody Rosen's bike. Twitter found it.

Infinite Kittens

Ooh, interesting: Vintage aerial photography of Britain, now online.

Police have concluded that Dylan McDermott's mom was killed by her mobster boyfriend in 1967, but I'm basically just bringing it up because apparently it happened in the city of my birth.

Huh. Anglo-Saxon woman buried with cow.

Ever wonder about the elevator S button?

If you haven't seen the Aaron Sorkin supercut yet, here you go. Warning: May make you need to rewatch everything Sorkin's ever done.

Heh. Twitquistion: A Brave Media Member Is Forced to Answer for a Pro-Newsroom Tweet

This list of Sorkin's ten best episodes isn't exactly what I would have come up with, but I don't really object to any of the choices.

Friday, June 22, 2012

Morning Coffee (6/22/12)

Sorry for the sudden lack of a post yesterday. I woke up to a very sick cat - he's now in the hospital and on the mend, though he'll have to go back in for surgery next week.

Since I need to stop obsessing about that, let's look at the Duchess of Cambridge and her sister wearing pretty dresses to weddings.

The Yarn Harlot's post is by far the most reasonable thing I've read about the Ravelympics issue.

I thought there was something wrong with me because none of the previews for Brave looked good, but no, it sounds like it's actually just dreadful.

"I want to take this sentence, drag it out into the backyard, and beat it to death with a shovel."

CBS put out the best fake press release of all time.

Eighteenth century France has a message HBO needs to hear.

E.B. White was pretty awesome.

Good publicity or bad publicity? Depends.

Whoa: The statues of Easter Island could have “walked” into place.

Historical pictures of people in D.C. eating ice cream? Why not?

Awesome Books to Replace Your Favorite Cancelled TV Shows

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Morning Coffee (6/20/12)

It's going to be 96 out today. I disapprove.

Here is Josh Jackson wearing a robe and reclining against Gillian Jacobs, who is dressed as a tree. You're welcome.

Ooh, useful! If you can't afford to buy everything organic, here's a list of what conventional produce has the most and least pesticide residue.

New to Google Maps: British waterways as transportation routes.

Here is a cupcake tank.

I don't quite get what we're supposed to be outraged about: pre-summer camp waxing for teen girls sounds like a perfectly fine idea.

Here's a fun look inside Emmy mailers.

I actually only despise about half of these things.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Morning Coffee (6/18/12)

Oh, Monday again.

That "forest boy"? Totally a hoax.

Here's a great takedown of that Sally Quinn column:
"Once Washington was a happy place where a girl and her mother could be groped simultaneously in good fun by a white supremacist. Sadly, it has all been ruined by Kim Kardashian and Ezra Klein."
Disney's Snow Queen movie sounds promising.

Don't believe everything you read.

People are trying to clear the name of England's last convicted witch.

The 10 Geekiest Google Easter Eggs

Ooh! Cheese puff taste test.

Why Google Docs Thought 'Congresswoman' Was an Error

Friday, June 15, 2012

What Your Friday Needs: Corgis Cover "Call Me Maybe"



Via BuzzFeed

Morning Coffee (6/15/12)

FRIDAY. YAY.

Congratulations, Libba Bray! Can't wait to read/watch this.

Can "Call Me Maybe" explain the euro crisis? Sure, why not?

This is a bracket I'd like to see: "Picture a bracket-style Fictional Police Brood-Off in which all those moody cops populating the international television landscape would compete to see who could convey the most while saying the least."

Adorable polar bear cubs are adorable.

Progress: Turkey to introduce Kurdish as language in schools

Ann Rutherford, the actress who played Carreen in Gone with the Wind, has died at 94. Apparently this means the actress who played Melanie is the only one still alive. Aww.

Is this the Golden Age of trash culture?

Aww: WWII Veteran, 85, Graduates from College

Oh my gosh, look at the adorable nerd skirts!

Neandertals: Maybe artier than we thought.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

How the Emmys Work (Annual Repost)

It's that time again! This is copied/pasted from last year; I updated dates and links but not examples. But I think you'll get the idea.

The Emmy Awards nominating ballots were published recently, and there's been a lot of buzz and excitement among some fan communities about people and shows "getting on the ballot." I don't want to burst anyone's bubble, but since I'm No Fun At All and feel compelled to address People Being Wrong on the Internet, I will try to insert some sanity, or at least some facts, into the discussion. (Please note: I'm not an expert, and if I've gotten anything wrong, please tell me!)

What's a nominating ballot?

A nominating ballot is a list of all the people/shows/etc. who can be nominated in a category. They have not already been nominated.

How do you get on it?

You enter yourself, basically. I believe that as long as you pay the entry fee and meet the eligibility requirements (basically that you're on the right type of show for the category, and it aired in the right time frame in primetime on a station that's available in 50% of markets in the US), you get on the ballot. There's a caveat that they can consider entries on an individual basis if necessary, but this is not a selective thing. Being on the ballot does not mean that anyone but you/your publicist/your show/your network thinks you deserve an award.

How do we know it's not selective?

Did you SEE how many times The Cape appears on these ballots?

So Nathan Fillion/Ian Somerhalder/other actor I love being on the ballot doesn't mean he got nominated or won something?

Sorry, no.

So how DO you get nominated?

Members of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences get the ballots and vote on who should be nominated. Each member can vote for a certain number of entries within each category (usually five or six). All members can vote in the Best Program categories, and the other categories are voted on by their respective peer groups.

When do we find out who's actually nominated?

July 19.

And then what?

Then the Academy members vote again, among those nominations.

And the actual awards are given out . . .

September 23, right in time for all the presenters to plug their new fall shows.

Wait, what controls whether someone is on the ballot as a lead actor or supporting actor or guest actor?

To enter as a guest actor, you must be billed as a guest when the episode airs. Regulars on a show, however, decide themselves whether to enter as lead or supporting. (I say "themselves," but the show/network/studio has some influence in this decision.) So, for example, Rob Lowe entered as a lead actor for Parks and Rec, but Ian Somerhalder entered as a supporting actor for The Vampire Diaries.

Who would YOU nominate?

I'm glad you asked! Since there's nothing I love more than picking things from ridiculously long lists and being opinionated, I am working on a post about this very thing.

I hope that cleared things up a bit. Questions? Anything I missed? Hit the comments!

Morning Coffee (6/14/12)

Burn Notice is back tonight! Whee!

I'll admit I'm happy that "Call Me Maybe" finally hit number one. Also, here is Colin Powell singing it.

Henry Hill, the real person on whom Goodfellas is based, has died.

I'm rather fascinated by the forest boy.

Whoa: Game of Thrones cake.

Good news for fans of teen drama: Pretty Little Liars and The Lying Game will stream on Netflix.

Thank goodness: Dirty Dancing reboot postponed.

Headline of the day: Crime pays for bank robbers – until the fourth raid

Michelle Obama has posted some adorable family pictures on Pinterest.

Remember that Greek politician who physically attacked two female politicians on live TV? Now he's suing his victims.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Morning Coffee (6/13/12)

Happy Wednesday! It's cold and rainy and Dallas is coming back to TV tonight. So there's that.

The Olympics opening ceremonies are going to be awesome. Sheep! Cricket! The Glastonbury Tor!

Heartbreaking story of the day: Arranged Marriages Drive Many Iraqi Girls to Suicide

Talk about missing the point. Of, like, the entire concept of fiction.

Alyssa keeps making good points about how it's not in HBO's interests to let you have whatever you want however you want it: Cord Cutters and Time Shifters v. The Rest of the Country

I love this: Stately Sandwiches

The Awl has a good take on Gone with the Wind.

Sexposition, Spartacus, and the male gaze

I've liked some of David Carr's work in the past, but what he's saying about movie criticism is either deliberately obnoxious or mind-blowingly stupid, and either way, it makes me totally uninterested in reading anything else he writes ever.

Fun: The Childhood Homes of 20 Famous Authors

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Bunheads Pilot Review

In case you didn't see the link on Twitter: My Bunheads pilot review is now live at TheTelevixen.

Morning Coffee (6/12/12) & a Note

Last night I sort of hit a wall with how exhausted and overwhelmed I've been feeling, so I'm going to take a step back for a bit. I'll keep up with Morning Coffee, because I like compiling it and lots of you seem to like reading it, but other blogging may be spotty as I reassess. Thanks for understanding!

This resolution to figure out how to be more sane and less exhausted was partially prompted by this: Seriously, All of Us Really Need to Go the Fuck to Sleep

STOP THE PRESSES: A new Anne of Green Gables TV show? I am simultaneously really excited and really, really concerned.

Headline of the day: Priest given community service for ringing church bells

I hadn't heard much about sentiment analysis recently, but now there's this. Hrm.

Here Is the Annual Photo of Joe Biden Threatening Kids With a Water Gun

Good news for those of us who are big Olympics fans AND royal watchers: Zara Phillips will be competing.

I know it's not true, but I'd like to think that Coldplay is using these wristbands to attempt mind control or something.

Jezebel has a good take on the Melissa Stetten/Brian Presley issue.

Monday, June 11, 2012

What I Watched: Borgen & The Killing

Yes, I know, MORE OF THIS. I watched the Tony Awards - great job, NPH! - so I didn't even watch any of the Sunday shows.

Catching Up: Borgen - I'm almost done with the first season, so everything's getting complicated. I love the way Birgitte and her family are portrayed as real people with real problems, not overly perfect, but honestly trying to make things work because they love each other. And these episodes were so illuminating about Kasper's past - his big secret, that his father abused him, surprised me but makes perfect sense given everything else we've seen of Kasper, which really makes for the best kind of plot twist.

The Killing, "Numb (EP203)" - Honestly, at this point I'm into the parts about the cops and the politicians, but less into the scenes set with the Larsens. But I loved seeing Linden show up for Holder at the end, and I really hope they clear the air and start working together again soon.

On the list... Veep, Girls, Longmire, The Killing, Borgen, The Glades

Morning Coffee (6/11/12)

Ah, Monday. I HATE THIS WEATHER, by the way.

Aww. The Car Talk guys are retiring.

Here's the first official shot of the Doctor and his new companion.

Anyone need a birthday present for Buffy? Victorian vampire-slaying kit up for auction in Yorkshire.

In case you didn't already like Nathan Fillion enough: "Hello, my name is Nathan and I am a reader."

The myth of the presidential mandate

Conspiracy Theorist Edward Klein Concern-Trolls Hillary Clinton’s Weight

I'm fascinated by this green take on a traditional house in Vietnam.

Bing results will now include Encyclopaedia Britannica. So that's . . . something. But come on. It's still Bing.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

What I Watched: Borgen, The Killing, Fairly Legal

(Combining Friday and Saturday because I forgot to post this yesterday...)

Catching Up: Fairly Legal, "Ripple of Hope (EP208)" - Okay, this show is finally starting to hook me. Maybe. A little. I think. We'll see. Maybe I'll actually catch up by the finale.

The Killing, "Orpheus Descending (EP113)," "Reflections (EP201)," "My Lucky Day (EP202)" - I watched the season one finale and two-part season two premiere only a day apart, which I'm sure was a much less frustrating experience than actually watching the show as it aired. I didn't mind how season one ended because I knew it was coming, but I definitely understand why people were so angry, especially given the way it was marketed. At this point in season two, I really just want Holder and Linden to start working together again.

Borgen - I've been marathoning this so I can get through the whole first season before it expires. THIS SHOW IS SO GOOD. I would happily elect Birgitte Nyborg to any post I could.

On the list... Common Law, Fairly Legal

This week's TV news!

My Caffeine column is up at TheTelevixen, with all the news you need on premiere dates, casting, cancellations, etc.

Friday, June 8, 2012

Last Chance to Catch Up on Borgen!

I've mentioned Borgen a few times before, but the free viewing period for the first season is almost over, so I just want to urge you again to head over to the LinkTV site to watch it. It's a Danish political drama about an MP who, through a series of coincidences and clever political maneuvering, becomes the first female prime minister of Denmark. It also follows her family, some of her staff, and an up-and-coming young journalist with a secret. It's a quiet, thinky show, but completely riveting. Season two is playing on LinkTV now, and each episode is available online for two weeks as well. Give it a try!

What I Watched: Saving Hope Premiere, Breaking Pointe, & More

Live-ish: Saving Hope, "Pilot (EP101)" - You can read my take at TheTelevixen here. Basically, I wasn't wild about this pilot, but like the cast enough to give it at least a few more weeks.

Breaking Pointe, "Which Life Do You Want to Lead? (EP102)" - My favorite part of this was meeting the rest of Rex and Ronald's family, and actually, Rex and Ronald's relationship is my favorite thing about the show overall. And, okay, I know these are real people, but there are a lot of similar/confusing names: two Katies, Ronnie and Ronald, married couple Christopher and Christiana, and brothers Rex, Ronnie, and Ray with sisters Abigail and Angelica and parents Dean and Dina. Really?

Catching Up: Fairly Legal, "Teenage Wasteland (EP207)" - It was fun seeing a little more of Kate's past and what made her the way she is, and the actual case was one of their more interesting. But it occurred to me that although the premise of the show is that she's a really good mediator, a lot of the plots revolve around her totally messing things up and needing Lauren or Justin or Leo or Ben to save her, and I think that's a real weakness of the show.

The Killing, "Beau Soleil (EP112)" - I'm in a weird place with this show because I know I should be thinking "They're about to wrap things up at the end of the season!" but I know that's not the case. I'm still really enjoying it, and I was very happy to see Jack's dad. I'd love to know more about that relationship.

On the list... Rookie Blue

Morning Coffee (6/8/12)

IT'S FINALLY FRIDAY.

How to Survive Anything, Except Sexism

Fascinating, horrifying, and very well-done: The Horace Mann School’s Secret History of Sexual Abuse

Remember that Buddhist couple who stayed within a few feet of each other? They got divorced, she remarried, and her husband is dead under somewhat weird circumstances.

Okay, it's Friday, so the rest of these will be fun:

What your Friday needs: Joe Biden Dancing the Hora.

Early Theater of Shakespeare Is Unearthed in London

My friend Andy has The Father's Day Gift Guide Dad Wants You to Read.

Alyssa's doing a rewatch of The Wire, so I'm finally going to watch it.

Wait, what your Friday really needs: 50 Stills from Magic Mike.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

What I Watched: Royal Pains Premiere & More

Live-ish: Royal Pains, "After the Fireworks (EP401)" - This was a fine premiere, but didn't do much to answer the questions about the route this season will take. Although, honestly, my burning question is whether Jill is actually leaving. (I hope not!) I'm sure Hank and Evan will be fine eventually, and presumably this deus ex giant fire will make them realize they love each other or something.

Catching Up: Fairly Legal, "Gimme Shelter (EP205)" & "What They Seem (EP206)" - This show is improving, I think, especially with the interpersonal stuff involving Justin and Lauren, but I still don't like Kate much and that still makes it frustrating. I REALLY liked that Ben turned Kate down, though. That made the show more interesting, so we'll see how that goes. Also, seriously, did Justin's rival think there would be no repercussions to telling Kate's stepmother that he was going to air Kate's dirty laundry? Think things through, people!

The Killing, "Missing (EP111)" - The Rosie Larsen case was put on hold as Linden and Holder searched for Linden's son, and I loved the showcase this gave to Holder's dedication to Linden. Their dynamic is probably now my favorite faux-reluctant (but actually love each other) partnership/friendship on TV, and I hope that doesn't get messed up in the episodes I have yet to see.

Borgen, "Count to 90 (EP102)" - Still impressed with this. Just have to make sure I have time to catch up before it's taken offline. Birgitte's marriage may be my favorite part, though I'm half-expecting some Big Secret to come out and ruin things, since that's how TV marriages usually work. I'm less invested in Katrine's story so far, but it's still interesting, and I hope Kasper goes back to work for Birgitte, as I liked their dynamic.

Hawaii Five-0, "Pilot (EP101)" - A few of my friends are really into this show, so I figured I'd try to catch up over the summer. I think I saw the pilot when it originally aired, but I didn't remember much, so I started over. It was cute! Looking forward to seeing more.

On the list... White Heat, Necessary Roughness

Morning Coffee (6/7/12)

Why We Need Unions

Why It’s Wrong to House CeCe McDonald in a Men’s Prison

TCA Award nominations! Smash? Really?

If you've ever wanted an analysis of how often Coldplay songs talk about singing vs. how often Muse songs talk about the soul . . . well, here you go.

Miley Cyrus's engagement ring . . . isn't as awful as I expected?

The Great Wall of China: longer than you thought.

Could Cops Use Google to Prevent Murder?

This decade-long online hoax is fascinating.

Everyone makes mistakes, but the Romney campaign misspelling Reagan's name is too good to let go unmentioned.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Music Break: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

Herb Reed, the last surviving member of The Platters, passed away yesterday.

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Message

(This is basically instead of What I Watched today, because all I watched yesterday was Jubilee-related coverage and documentaries.)



A quick word about why I find this all so interesting: on an intellectual level, I find it fascinating to see how the royal family negotiates the intersection of history and modern celebrity, and on an emotional level, I care because I always have, because I grew up caring. My grandmother was a big royal-watcher, so I associate it with her. I didn't really watch much TV or listen to current music as a kid, so I think the way other people feel about actors and musicians they "grew up with" is roughly the way I feel about the members of the royal family.

Morning Coffee (6/6/12)

Today is the anniversary of D-Day, and some microscopic history was recently found.

Here are the nominees for the Critics' Choice Television Awards. Hmm. I'll post my picks soon.

Does the Queen do fashion?

It's a little after the fact now, but this Jubilee FAQ includes some fascinating trivia.

This is a fascinating retrospective of Tom Cruise's couch-jumping and the way it affected celebrity coverage.

'Vampire' skeletons unearthed in Bulgaria. Nina Dobrev, call your office.

I cannot BELIEVE that people think this Facebook DIY "privacy notice" nonsense would actually be meaningful.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Trailer: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

This looks good, but... not how I remember the book at ALL. Am I misremembering? It's possible.

What I Watched: White Heat, Veep, Girls

Live+7: White Heat, "The Personal Is Political (EP104)" - As this series continues, my feelings become more mixed: The huge time jumps let them visit different interesting periods of history, but make it hard to stay attached to the characters or even follow exactly what's going on with them. This week, I particularly loved Orla's support of Jay and his heartbreaking scene with his family.

Veep, "Full Disclosure (EP107)" - I wasn't as wild about this episode as I've been of some of the previous ones, but it was still solid and I'm still loving the show overall. I was really disappointed, though, that the pregnancy was dispensed with so quickly - I was hoping that they'd do something more interesting with that. Same with Ted, now that I think about it: I'd rather see the way they learned to negotiate the relationship rather than just have the quick joke of someone breaking up by proxy.

Girls, "Weirdos Need Girlfriends Too (EP108)" - Oh, Adam Adam Adam. I think Hannah and Adam's relationship is one of the most realistic I've seen on TV. The "angry guys" theme was well done. I also loved Marnie's wallowing (to Demi Lovato!) and her speech about how it's not fun being the uptight one. I'm really glad I've stuck with this show; it's been such an unexpected delight for me.

On the list... Teen Wolf, Lost Girl

Morning Coffee (6/5/12)

Happy Jubilee Day! I'm watching BBC America coverage right now.

Via my friend Amy, Jubilee nail polish!

I love this new Burn Notice key art.

Price Peterson recaps the MTV Movie Awards.

Good job, Arrow - the word "murder" always makes me more interested.

Meet the Romney Birthers

Tumblr of the day: A.O. Scott Zingers

Monday, June 4, 2012

What I Watched: Game of Thrones Finale, Borgen, & More

Live-ish: Game of Thrones, "Valar Morghulis (EP210)" - Well, that season finale seemed to come quickly. While I'm still liking the show, I thought this season was somewhat uneven - I loved everything taking place in King's Landing, but got impatient with most of the other stories, and that didn't happen when I read the book. (Dany, particularly, was one of my favorites in the books so far but is just not that interesting on the show.) And a few of the stories, especially Jon's, I found hard to follow even having read the books, so I'm not sure how people who are new to the story did with it. But the court intrigue is still great, and Tyrion is still the best, and I loved the moment between Sansa and Baelish, as they're two of my favorites. I'm going to try to read the rest of the books before season three starts, so we'll see if that helps my comprehension level.

Longmire, "Pilot (EP101)" - I really like this new procedural so far. Read my thoughts about it at TheTelevixen.

Live+7: Breaking Pointe, "Survival of the Fittest (EP101)" - I don't tend to watch reality TV, but I'm fascinated by ballet and by the lives of elite performers in general, so I really enjoyed this episode. So far, at least, the show is doing a good job of balancing ballet stuff with soapy relationship stuff. I'm definitely looking forward to more.

Catching Up: Borgen, "Decency in the Middle (EP101)" - This Danish political drama is available free on LinkTV for a limited time, and I definitely recommend you check it out. It focuses on Moderate politician Birgitte Nyborg, somewhat unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight, and her family, staff, and rivals, as well as TV reporter Katrine Fonsmark, and the way their personal and professional lives all intertwine. Birgitte and her husband are already my new favorite political couple on TV, and her spin doctor Kasper is intriguing as well. The writing is strong, the characters are complex and real, and it's making me want to learn about Danish politics. Highly recommended.

On the list... The Killing, Veep, Girls, Drop Dead Diva, The Glades

Morning Coffee (6/4/12)

Trying to get back into the swing of things on this rainy Monday...

I loved Anne Applebaum's take on the Jubilee.

Unfortunately, this is not particularly surprising: Vanderbilt Football Coach Will Not Hire Assistants Until He’s Seen What Their Wives Look Like.

Author Beth Revis has a great viewpoint on negative reviews.

This is a little old but I just came across it and it's interesting: Imported by Justin Bieber: Carly Rae Jepsen and Transnational Stardom

The Great Gatsby trailer: The My Little Pony version.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

What I Watched: Magic City Finale & Common Law

(I think I missed a What I Watched post at some point in the midst of my funeral-related traveling, but I assume you'll all find a way to go on without listening to me say yet again that I like Dyson and Sarah Linden's sweaters. I think the only particularly noteworthy thing I watched that day was the Cougar Town finale, and I'll have a separate post about that show up soonish as part of a new series.)

Live+7: Magic City, "Time and Tide (EP108)" - This finale was a little quieter than I expected, with no huge surprises, but the show stayed solid all season, even if the storylines were a little uneven and occasionally confusing. I probably won't spend a lot of time thinking about this show while it's off, but I'll definitely be happy to pick it up again when it comes back next year.

Common Law, "Soul Mates (EP103)" - I'm liking this better as we get to know Wes and Travis as more than just caricatures, though I'm definitely caring about Wes a lot more than Travis so far. The case of the week was fine, but I do wish they would do more to show just why these two detectives are amazing enough at their jobs to make it worth putting up with their nonsense.

TV News Roundup for June 3

Catch up on the week's news with my column at TheTelevixen. Enjoy!