Morning Coffee (7/18/19)

House Holds Barr and Ross in Contempt Over Census Dispute

House votes to kill impeachment resolution against Trump, avoiding a direct vote on whether to oust the president

“Send her back!” Trump’s attacks on Ilhan Omar — and the response to them — represent a new low

Report: In attempt to separate family, border agent forced 3-year-old to choose between parents

This is horrifying: Migrants Inside ICE's Only Transgender Unit Decry Conditions

‘El Chapo’ Guzmán Sentenced to Life in Prison, Ending Notorious Criminal Career

Oxford University finally elects a woman as its Professor of Poetry

It sounds like MULTIPLE people behaved badly here, but I am horrifying by her behavior regardless of whether it's really why she got fired: Why Did a Progressive Pastor at an Important New York Church Get Fired?

What even: 'Gossip Girl' Update Lands Straight-to-Series Order at HBO Max

‘West Side Story’: Fox Releases First Look At Updated “Anita” From Reboot

Afternoon Tea (10/25/17)

Gossip Girl's Prophetic Relationship With Technology

Before There Was Bieber, the Monkees’ ‘Daydream Believer’ Took the Teen World by Storm

Sarah Koenig on the Popularity of Serial and the ‘Dark’ Reaction of Some of Its Fanatic Fans

Jo Nesbø’s 10 Favorite Books

In Memory Training Smackdown, One Method Dominates

Afternoon Tea (9/14/17)

I don't usually read comics but I'm going to try this one: Rainbow Rowell on her love of Runaways and the joys of comic collaboration

Ha: The Twelve Tiers of Fall Television!

The convoluted world of best-seller lists, explained

How the Unflappable Fred Astaire Survived the Fifties

Everything Serena Ever Wore on “Gossip Girl”

Morning Coffee (9/1/17)

Happy September! You may have noticed that things look a little different around here this morning! I thought it was time for a change. I've got a few other changes in the pipeline too, so check back this afternoon to read all about it!

But first some Friday happy links...

Isabel Allende is going to be on Jane the Virgin!

This made me want to do a rewatch immediately: When Gossip Girl Ruled the World

Aaaah, Sesame Street made "Despacito" except about Rubber Duckie!!

From the Fug Girls: Queen Elizabeth Plots Some Twists For the Next Season of the Royal Family, TV's Longest-Running Soap Opera

!! Inside the Massive New Bookshop That Could Be the World’s Biggest

Hahaha: Things I Have Googled Trying to Guesstimate Men’s Heights from Their Tinder Photos

Sue Grafton from A to Z

Ooh fun: 20 Back to School Romance Novels

LET'S GO: New York’s fanciest – the city's increasingly dazzling ice-creams

The Search for the World’s Most Enchanting Greenhouses

Morning Coffee (5/4/17)

Last night Twitter was full of rumors that someone had died, because Buckingham Palace called an emergency staff meeting, so I'm relieved to find the news is no more tragic than the retirement of a very elderly man: Prince Philip to step down from carrying out royal engagements

This is (among the reasons) why Trump being buddy-buddy with Russia is a big deal: Chechnya’s Anti-Gay Pogrom

U.N. Documents Syrian War Crimes, but Prosecution Moves Slowly

Sigh. Of course he is: Trump Is Expected to Relax Tax Rules on Churches Endorsing Political Candidates

The US Department of Justice is literally prosecuting a woman for laughing at Jeff Sessions

I'd forgotten about this but OF COURSE: Ivanka Trump Was In Gossip Girl Because Of Course She Was

How Ingrained Is Sexism in Silicon Valley? Ask the Women Trying to Get Funding

America's First Offshore Wind Farm Shutters Diesel Power Plant

Off with their heads: 3D scans reveal Lord Nelson and PM Pitt's secrets

Oh, interesting: Amazon expands its literary horizons, making big imprint in translation niche

Morning Coffee (1/12/16)

Thanks to my newest Patreon patron, Jack! That puts me over halfway to my first goal. (I realized Patreon only shows the next goal, not the whole list; maybe I'll put them in a post here so you guys can see what I've set up?)

It's Charles Perrault's birthday and the fairy tale Google doodles are ADORABLE.

Sean Penn interviewed El Chapo. Which one of them got played?

This is a great, juicy overview: One year, two races: Inside the Republican Party’s bizarre, tumultuous 2015

The Nation He Built is a readable, comprehensive overview of President Obama's domestic policy achievements.

I have this scar! (The "This is something they'll live with for the rest of their lives" quote is interesting because that's CLEARLY TRUE and yet it's sort of surprising how little I think about it at this point. Though wait, I DID describe it to a friend last week, so maybe it comes up more than I think it does.)

What Goes Through Your Mind: On Nice Parties and Casual Racism

Insane read of the day: The Celebrity Surgeon Who Used Love, Money, and the Pope to Scam an NBC News Producer

As someone who spent the first few seasons of Gossip Girl telling anyone who would listen about the COMPLEX LITERARY PARALLELS but was disappointed in it by the end, I really enjoyed this: Gossip Girl went from being in on the joke to being the punchline (And as I read it I was astonished at how many of their crazy plotlines I had blocked out of my brain. Remember the Hilary Duff threesome???)

I appreciate that this piece on mail-order brides mentions Sarah, Plain and Tall.

Men Who Have Finally ‘Found Their Sound’ In Western Art History

Morning Coffee (3/19/15)

Let's bring back "Pecksniffian."

Hysteria and Teenage Girls

Fascinating: Hunting for Random: The Quest to Find Numbers That Keep Your Data Safe

This Is What It Looks Like When 152 Black Cats Audition for a Movie

There were a lot of waffles on Gossip Girl.

15 Once-Popular Baby Names On The Verge Of Extinction

9 Historical Mysteries Solved By Astronomy

Too Many Men

Morning Coffee (3/7/14)

Happy Friday!

Penguin sweaters: separating fact from fiction

Those of you who, like me, love both Gossip Girl and word games will want to click this link.

I love everything about this: Tony Goldwyn (Fitz from Scandal) is playing Warren Jeffs in a Lifetime movie.

I am dubious about this but hoping for hilarrible: E!'s first scripted show will be a fictional version of the British royal family, starring Elizabeth Hurley.

I took the Guardian's Which BBC Channel Are You? quiz, which in and of itself is a ridiculous statement, and got BBC 4, which I assume surprises no one.

How the New York Times Resurrected the Monocle, Over and Over Again, for the Last 112 Years

Stylish Illustrations Celebrate the Interior Designs of Classic Films

Which Baby-Sitter Are You?

The End of Gossip Girl

(Series finale spoilers starting in the second paragraph.)

Gossip Girl ended this week, and . . . I'm sadder about it than I expected. Yes, the show got completely ridiculous, in a bad way rather than a fun way, in later seasons. And yes, some of its plotlines (especially the treatment of Chuck and Blair's relationship) were incredibly problematic. But it used to actually be really good - I swear - and the retrospective preceding the finale was so warm and fuzzy, and it probably had more literary references than another other show on TV. And really, when a show has been part of your life for so long, it's sad when it goes away, even if it's had its ups and downs.

I saw the finale late last night, and I still haven't decided exactly how I feel about it. First, let's get this out of the way: The things that were terrible (again, specifically Chuck and Blair's relationship, but also a lot of other people) remained terrible. I held out hope for way too long that the writers were deliberately portraying an abusive relationship and were going to do something with that eventually, but . . . nope. So. Yes. The way that ended was awful. I'm not necessarily thrilled about MOST of the endings, except maybe for Nate's. (As I've been saying for a while, I love how seriously he takes Being An Adult.) The whole Sort Of Murder Thing was also ridiculous and overwrought, even for this show. And don't even get me started on Ivy and William and all the layers of THAT mess.

But what I'm somewhat conflicted about - but mostly like - is the Gossip Girl reveal. (Though I completely loved the cameo-filled sequence of people reacting to it - hands down my favorite part of the finale.) I absolutely wish that the writers had had a plan (or at least the identity) from the beginning, because at this point, there was literally no solution that would have worked perfectly. But I think that given the corner they'd painted themselves into, Dan was the best option. And the fact that he'd constructed this entire thing as a ploy to get Serena is kind of brilliant. As my friend Marisa Roffman remarked, "[the reveal]'s so ridiculous that it actually circles back to awesome." Dan says in his confession that the Upper East Side is like something out of Fitzgerald, and he himself is clearly Gatsby, with the Gossip Girl blog as the virtual equivalent of Gatsby's parties. I love that. (I would have loved it more if the ending had been more similar to Gatbsy's ending instead of "and they all lived happily ever after.") Even though there are some continuity errors, the fact that the solution basically works and simultaneously reframes the entire series is pretty great. It made me want to rewatch the series from the beginning, which, in a way, is the best thing for a finale to do.

xoxo!

What I Watched: Gossip Girl

Almost everything was off because of the debate last night!

Gossip Girl, "Dirty Rotten Scandals (EP603)" - Oh, this show. I don't even know what to say anymore. It continues to have its moments, but both Rufus's plot and the Serena/Nate plot are just so icky. Blair's fashion thing at least got slightly more interesting this week, but really? After everything, what we're supposed to care about in regards to Blair in the last few episodes is her mother's business? I'm just not quite buying it. At this point, my favorite character might be Nate, who, aside from the weirdness of dating his ex's boyfriend's daughter (and he's the one for whom this situation is least weird, I think), has turned out to be actually the most rational and decent among the group, I think.

What I Watched: Castle, Gossip Girl, & More

HIMYM, "Who Wants to Be a Godparent (EP804)" - I actually really liked this episode, not because I thought it was funny but because I thought it was emotionally real and touching, and um, obviously I have Comedy Issues. And goodness, those children playing Marvin were ADORABLE.

Gossip Girl, "High Infidelity (EP602)" - I am completely bored by Blair's fashion storyline, but liked much of the rest of this. Georgina is delightfully evil, and I kind of love the idea that Dan has been so disillusioned that he just wants to burn everything down. The Chuck/Lily/Bart dynamic always gets me. And of COURSE Serena and Nate are dating a father and daughter. And no one sees any real problem with this. Dear Matt Camden: DO NOT TAKE PARENTING ADVICE FROM SERENA.

Castle, "Murder He Wrote (EP504)" - Castle and Beckett take a trip to the Hamptons, and this episode basically felt like fanfic, but I mean that in the best possible way, I swear. They are somehow still adorable together without being TOO perfect or the relationship being too easy/flawless. I love the way Ryan figured out about the relationship, and I can't wait to see what he does with that information.

Copper, "A Day to Give Thanks (EP109)" - It's Thanksgiving but Corcoran is NOT FEELING VERY THANKFUL because he found his wife but she's insane or drugged or something and may or may not have murdered their daughter. So that's all fun. And hey, John Wilkes Booth shows up, so that won't possibly end badly.

What I Watched: Bones, Castle, HIMYM, Gossip Girl

HIMYM, "Nannies (EP803)" - This was a cute episode, and the nanny stuff was all funny and in character. (And I'm always happy when we get to see Marvin a lot.) And the rest of the episode did a good job of laying the groundwork for the upcoming breakups, though I'm a little concerned that we're in for another round of Robin and Ted before either of them actually make any progress.

Bones, "The Tiger in the Tale (EP804)" - This was . . . not my favorite episode. The case itself was, I don't know, fine I guess, but I didn't enjoy the rest. The stuff about Brennan running for president was just silly, and this was one of those times when they suddenly wanted us to believe that she had literally no idea how the world works. Since they kept messing with Sweets and Daisy, I'm just as happy that they went ahead and broke them up, but it wasn't done very well. And the conflict between Hodgins and Angela just seemed manufactured and out of the blue.

Gossip Girl, "Gone Maybe Gone (EP601)" - Oh, I don't know. At this point I'm trying to think about this as little as possible and just enjoy what I can from the last handful of episodes. I hate what they've done to a lot of the characters, but there were several really funny lines in this premiere. And Barry Watson was an interesting addition.

Castle, "Secret's Safe with Me (EP503)" - This was a fun episode - I liked the case, and the relationship stuff is still adorable but believable. I was happy to see Martha and Alexis back, and the scene with Alexis and Castle at the end made me cry. It was nice to see the human side of Gates, too. Overall, this felt like an episode from the early seasons, with the added bonus of Castle and Beckett being together.

Morning Coffee (9/18/12)

Confession: I didn't hate The Mob Doctor.

This very honest interview with Penn Badgley is incredible.

Delightful: The 25 Magic Words of American Television. I may have mentally written most of a pilot for Mob Cupcake after reading that.

Searching Scotland for the Ultimate Barrel of Whisky

In which Rupert Everett is infuriatingly horrible about gay parents.

Interesting read: Angela Merkel's austerity postergirl, the thrifty Swabian housewife

A must-read about the conservative search for voter fraud

Huh, it turns out the Cutty Sark restoration is controversial.

What I Watched: Gossip Girl Finale, Cougar Town & More

Live-ish: Cougar Town, "Square One (EP312)" & "It'll All Work Out (EP313)" - The show's been doing a really good job recently of dealing with serious issues and major life changes while keeping things funny. They're being more thorough than I'd feared about the changes Jules and Grayson's marriage will bring, and I also like that they're finally dealing with Stan a bit. The second episode's cold open about not knowing if they'll be back in the fall was amazingly meta. And at this point, if they don't get Travis and Laurie together eventually I may set something on fire.

The L.A. Complex, "Other Side of the Door (EP104)" - I know I say this every week, but this show just keeps getting better, and why aren't more of you watching? The soapy stuff is fun, of course, but the characters all have a surprising amount of depth. Raquel is particularly fascinating, and Tariq and Kal's relationship is quickly becoming one of my favorites on TV. (Are there any other black gay couples on network TV? I can't think of any, offhand.) The show is much better than I expected, and if the CW doesn't pick it up beyond the first six episodes, I hope the rest at least hits Netflix eventually.

Live+7: Gossip Girl, "The Return of the Ring (EP524)" - I was dreading watching this finale because of all the outrage I'd heard about it, but . . . I was not outraged. I might even have liked it. I'm going to think about it a little more and write a separate post, but basically: even when the characters were making decisions I didn't like, I thought they were acting in character, and that's what matters to me. And they've done an interesting reset - I loved the echoes of the pilot, and especially the Campbell Apartment - and I'm curious to see how that plays out in the final season.

Catching up: Gossip Girl, "Raiders of the Lost Art (EP522)" & "The Fugitives (EP523)" - I am writing this before I watch the finale, to get my real reaction (even though my finale reaction is above this in the post). I actually mostly enjoyed these two episodes, since they revolved around a) scheming and b) Chuck's abandonment issues, which have always been my two favorite parts of the show. At the same time, though, I'm worried about Dan and Blair, because they are obviously better for each other than Chuck and Blair are. I don't know. And Bart is back! I fear that spells doom for poor Rufus. And Blair's diary... sigh.

Missing, "A Busy Solitude (EP106)" - Either this show is getting better or my expectations are dropping, and I'm honestly not sure which. Of course, the show has not been renewed beyond this 10-episode season, so the question is academic at this point. This episode got Becca and her son into almost the same place again, but what I really want is for them to find Paul, who by this point has been set up to be by far the most interesting person in the family.

What I Watched: Bones & HIMYM Finales & More

Live-ish: Bones, "The Past in the Present (EP713)" - WOW. I didn't have any particular expectations going into this finale, and I was blown away. The tension throughout the episode was marvelous, and almost all the characters had wonderful, heart-breaking moments. I did find myself hoping that they were going to pull a Roger Ackroyd and have Brennan actually be the killer after all, but I suppose that's unlikely. Regardless, I can't wait to see where they take things next season, and what the dynamic is like with Booth and Brennan in different places rather than directly working together (though I expect that won't last long).

How I Met Your Mother, "The Magician's Code: Part 1 & 2 (EP723-724)" - This was another finale that made me really excited for next season. I'll have a post about it up in an hour or so.

Live+7: Sherlock, "The Hounds of Baskerville (EP202)" - I didn't like this episode quite as much as the last one, but it was still a lot of fun, and Sherlock's self-awareness and comments about how he doesn't have friends - by which he meant he just had one friend - were heart-breaking. I will now start saying "I need to go to my mind palace" at every opportunity.

Catching up: Gossip Girl, "Salon of the Dead (EP520)" & "Despicable B (EP521)" - I've been fairly spoiled on the rest of the season, so catching up at this point is like watching a train wreck in slow motion. That said, I continued to enjoy the Dan/Blair stuff in these episodes (while it lasts...), but I'm worried about Rufus and Lily and wish the whole inheritance mess was just gone. Though I wouldn't necessarily mind keeping Lola, I guess.

How I Met Your Mother, "Good Crazy (EP722)" - This was a cute episode that served as a nice bridge to the finale, with everyone going a little crazy in the face of major changes. I especially liked the bits with Ted and Robin, and Ted's realization that a friendship like that is worth keeping even if it means dealing with some pain.

On the list: Gossip Girl, Lost Girl

What I Watched: Vampire Diaries & Secret Circle Finales & More

I was home sick yesterday, and after sleeping for half the day it meant I managed to catch up on some things . . .

Live-ish: The Vampire Diaries, "The Departed (EP322)" - I wasn't as blown away by this finale as I have been in previous years, but I thought it was good, and I'm THRILLED with what it set up for next season. I know a lot of people are upset about some things that happened, and I understand why, but this is definitely a time when I think my viewing experience is improved by not having a horse in the shipper race for this show. I particularly loved Jeremy and Matt in this episode, and I'm so glad that neither of them were killed off. Snarky Damon is my favorite Damon, and I can't wait to see what happens now that Elena will remember everything.

The Secret Circle, "Family (EP122)" - This finale was very strong, and led me to write the phrase "Witch Hitler Casanova" for the first time in my life, and this show has improved so much overall that I will be very sad if it doesn't come back next season. The finale set up some REALLY interesting ideas for where they could go with it.

Awake, "Say Hello to My Little Friend (EP111)" - THIS SHOW. Why is no one watching this show? I know everyone else was crying over vampires and witches, but this was the episode last night that really got to me. Jason Isaacs is astonishingly good, and I will never listen to "Bohemian Rhapsody" the same way again.

Community, "Curriculum Unavailable (EP319)" - I usually love Community's moments of darkness, but I watched this episode after the previous three shows mentioned last night, and I was perhaps a little too tired and drained for it. But still, it was very good, and I love when they "remember" things they never showed us (as in the "clip show") because the idea of characters having whole lives we don't see is one that knocks us off balance in an interesting way.

Live+7: Revenge, "Legacy (EP120)" - This flashback episode was fun, but it didn't necessarily do a whole lot to advance the plot or keep up any sort of momentum. Update: Nolan is still the bestest.

Veep, "Catherine (EP103)" - I'm enjoying this show more with each episode, and I thought newcomer Sarah Sutherland did an amazing job as the sort of uber-Ellie Bartlet. I hope she's back in future episodes, and I hope her interesting chemistry with Jonah is explored.

White Heat, "The Past Is a Foreign Country (EP101)" - Loved it. Quick Pilot Thoughts post will be up later today.

Catching up: Gossip Girl, "It Girl, Interrupted (EP519)" - I'm not sure how I got so far behind on this show, given that I think Dan and Blair is the best thing to happen to it in a long time. And I loved Nate actually scheming semi-successfully in this episode. Nate Archibald: Serious Businessman is such a thoroughly delightful surprise this season.

How I Met Your Mother, "Now We Are Even (EP721)" - I know exactly how I got behind on this one - Bones moved into its timeslot. Anyway, I liked this episode and especially the way it handled the Ted/Robin friction, but I am becoming ever more worried that on Monday we will discover that Barney is marrying someone other than Robin, and that is UNACCEPTABLE.

On the list: Scandal, Missing

Gossip Girl Review: The King & Queen of Overthinking

I'll admit I'm a little gobsmacked, both by how entirely Gossip Girl has convinced me to buy into the Dan/Blair relationship and by how obvious it all seems in retrospect. But first, about the events of last night's "Con-Heir:" Of course after planning for weeks and thinking about it for weeks/months/years and making it into this big huge Thing, of course the sex was going to be bad the first time. And of course Blair would go to Dorota, because she literally has no one else she can be honest with, and of course Dan would go to Nate, and see it as a plus for this conversation that Nate had also slept with Blair. (Random: This scene made me wonder if Dan knows Blair actually slept with Chuck first, not Nate.) But the real issue is just that they're overthinking things, as they both always do. Blair's always trying to make her life into the movie in her head, and Dan literally makes his life into novels, and it makes perfect sense that they'd have to get drunk to get out of their own heads enough to actually enjoy each other. This tendency to overthink is one of the reasons why they're so compatible, but also will be one of their big challenges in making their relationship work.

I know everything's always screwball comedies and old movies with them, but what I kept actually thinking last night was that they were both awfully proud and awfully prejudiced and had to get over that to realize they loved each other. But once they did, it's just so obvious that they work. They're the most bookish characters on the show, and certainly have a lot more to talk about to each other than pretty much anyone else. For Dan, Blair is basically a combination of the best parts of Serena and Vanessa - she has Serena's mystique and worldliness but actually shares his intellectual interests the way Vanessa did. (Without, you know, being the worst the way Vanessa was.)

And for Blair . . . oh, Blair. She's supposed to be the big schemer, but at least some of that is a response to the way she's been used as property and as a pawn her whole life. When she was sixteen, her boyfriend was ready to propose because his father wanted her mother's business. A few years later, another boyfriend traded her to his uncle for a hotel. A few years after that, her husband announced at their wedding that he would either use her as breeding stock or ruin her family. Of course what she needs is Dan, the man who has an unquestioned place in her social world but who makes a big show of wanting nothing to do with it. Blair may claim to hate his Brooklyn loft, but knowing that he's not using her as a tool in the unending econo-social power struggle of the Upper East Side must be a relief. Dan claims to hate the UES and Blair claims to love it, but underneath that they both have love/hate relationships with that world, and it should be interesting to see how that plays out.

(There's also the fact that Blair keeps dating Lily's stepsons; as she was growing up as Serena's best friend, Blair must have had Lily as the model of a mother both [somewhat] more involved and [much] less demanding than her own.)

Other observations:
1) I love Businessman Nate, and the way the show has handled his evolution into a really decent adult.
2) Jack Bass is one of those delightful love-to-hate-him villains, and I wish he'd be around more.
3) I can barely bring myself to follow, never mind care about, the Lola/Ivy/inheritance/whatever plotline, but at least it's not as horrifically annoying as some of the show's past distractions. If we can't just alternate between Nate having business meetings and Dan and Blair bantering/having sex in elevators, then fine, Lola/Ivy it is.
4) They remembered Chuck has a mother! Good job, show!

Gossip Girl Reality Check: "Yes, Then Zero"

The Gossip Girl premiere was good overall, but I have ISSUES. Read about them after the break!

The Problem of Chuck Bass

There's an issue that has been cropping up more and more recently when I discuss TV: the blurring distinction between liking a character or plotline as a fictional device and actually liking or approving of them as though they were real people or situations. When I say I like something on TV, I almost always mean it in the former section, and often get shocked and appalled reactions. "But he's an awful person!" No, he's an awful fictional character, and there's a difference.

This sort of discussion most often comes up in regard to Chuck Bass, and since Gossip Girl comes back tonight, I thought it was a good time to talk about it. (Most of the exact arguments about Chuck also happen about Damon Salvatore of The Vampire Diaries, so you can pretty much assume everything I'm saying goes for both of them, with some obvious differences, i.e. Damon's penchant for killing everyone.) Chuck is one of my favorite characters. He lies and cheats and tries to run the world and also makes grand gestures for his friends and can be the most vulnerable person imaginable. He's incredibly complex, and that's why he's my favorite: by "favorite" I usually mean "most interesting," and by "most interesting" I usually mean "most complex." There are girls who say they want to date Chuck or Damon, and that's disturbing, but it's completely possible to like them as characters without liking them as people.

Similarly, the issue of Chuck and Blair's relationship is a divisive one among Gossip Girl fans: some think it's an epic love story and want more of it, and others think it's abusive and should be shunned by all fans. But here, again, we're conflating finding something interesting as a plot with approving of it on an ethical level. It makes no sense to me to say that abusive relationships shouldn't be shown on TV. (And, um, if we make that rule, what about all the murder-based shows?) If Blair were my friend, I would do everything I could to keep her the heck away from him. You know, if they were real people. But they're not, and I think there's definitely a place on TV for compelling portrayals of both the attractions and dangers of abusive relationships.*

At heart, this probably just comes down to people watching TV in different ways and for different reasons. I was just discussing a different show with a friend, and she said she didn't like a certain thing that happened. I was shocked until she told me it was because she thought the main character had made a bad decision. Oh! Yes, I completely agreed that the character had done something wrong; I was just excited because I thought it would lead to interesting conflict on the show. Neither of us were right or wrong, and we weren't even necessarily disagreeing, just talking about different things. So when you discuss TV this season, make sure people know what you're saying when you say the word "like."

* There's some question as to whether the people who write the show see the relationship as abusive, and I agree that that could raise some additional issues, but I still don't think it would necessarily make this an awful story to put on TV.

Tonight's TV Premiere Reminders: 9/26/11

For these first few weeks of fall TV, I'll have quick posts up at 9am each day reminding you of which shows start that night, with times and channels and maybe a quick thought or two. Remember, you can see my whole fall TV spreadsheet here. (All times Eastern.)

8:00 p.m.:
Gossip Girl season 5 premiere, CW
This show isn't as good as it was in the first two seasons anymore, but it's still surprisingly good, and possibly the most literary show on TV.

Terra Nova series premiere, FOX
Time travel! Dinosaurs! I was skeptical about this premise, but I saw the first hour of the two-hour premiere and really liked it.

9:00 p.m.:
Hart of Dixie series premiere, CW
The pilot of this drama about a big-city drama in a small Southern town is really cute - I think it will end up being one of my favorite new shows. Plus, Tim Matheson always helps.

9:30 p.m.:
Mike and Molly season 2 premiere, CBS
I love Melissa McCarthy, but I have no interest in this.