August, 2012
August 4th, 2012, 12:41 p.m. - Whatever the Canadian version of the Emmy is, Aislinn Paul should get one
Degrassi - "Closer to Free": They should have used "Closer to Fine" as the title, since that song is about searching for answers. But anyway, with all the cheesiness and unrealistic parts of Jenna's storyline, I appreciated that Becky and Luke's father was so nice and helpful to her. Pastors don't always get the best treatment on TV, but he came off looking a lot better than either of his children. I also appreciated Clare being able to laugh at herself in the wake of the whole "stuff Clare says" thing. She's neurotic, but she owns it. Rating: 3 guitar picks used in modern-day parables
Degrassi - "Waterfalls": Aislinn Paul played that scene in the car perfectly. And when Clare started screaming at Asher in the newsroom, I responded the way people have been responding to Olympic competitions: "Get it, girl." Sam Earle was also great in the scene where K.C.'s mom tells him his father wants to see him. Impressive acting in these episodes. My favorite part, though, was the French teacher making Maya, Tori, and Tristan translate their texts into French. Brilliant. Rating: 4 kisses on the ear
August 5th, 2012, 12:17 p.m. - Swing and a miss
26. The Art of Fielding (Chad Harbach)
Up next: Defending Jacob (William Landay)
August 10th, 2012, 6:34 p.m. - So K.C.'s gone? Just like that? Okay, then
Degrassi - "Rusty Cage": Last week I nominated Aislinn Paul for the Canadian version of the Emmy. This week I nominate Dylan Everett (Cam), who perfectly portrayed a mix of anxiety, fear, and sadness. All the other hockey players can go away. Cam can stay. Rating: 4 jugs of milk
Degrassi - "Never Ever": Imogen is 100 percent more palatable now. The writers finally toned down the quirkiness and made her a sympathetic, complex character. She's a completely different person now. In other news, I probably shouldn't have laughed at Becky's crush on Adam and her subsequent devastation at the realization that she likes a transgendered person, and yet... Rating: 4 trashed gardens
August 12th, 2012, 6:36 p.m. - A history of violence
27. Defending Jacob (William Landay)
Up next: Man Made (Joel Stein)
August 17th, 2012, 6:40 p.m. - Next time someone needs to punch Luke in the face, too
Degrassi - "Sabotage": My two favorite moments: 1) Katie and Clare high-fiving each other after the fight at the party. 2) Imogen yelling, "BOOM!" into the confetti cannon. Also, Dallas got punched in the face. Ha ha! Rating: 4 engagement rings from kids' meals
So You Think You Can Dance - 14 perform and four go home: This was a good idea on paper, but in practice...so much NO. Why would they give the dancers routines that forced the audience to compare them to beloved – and in some cases stronger – dancers? Why did they bring in guest judges who have never seen the show? They drove me crazy. The whole episode drove me crazy. I mean, I love Mia, too, but this was not the way to show it. Rating: 3 times I was convinced the guest judges don't know the names of any of the current competitors
Degrassi - "Scream": What an anticlimax. Of course, I'd convinced myself that Eli was going to be killed, so anything other than death would have to be an anticlimax. I can't believe there was no cliffhanger and no resolution to the hockey player/rest of school battle. Though now that I think of it, cliffhangers aren't this show's strong suit. Rating: 3 nude photos of Clare
August 19th, 2012, 12:14 p.m. - Stein makes a lot of gay jokes for a guy who admits to liking showtunes
28. Man Made (Joel Stein)
Up next: Ransom River (Meg Gardiner)
August 22nd, 2012, 10:16 p.m. - Introducing the world's most messed-up family
29. Ransom River (Meg Gardiner)
Up next: What in God's Name (Simon Rich)
August 25th, 2012, 12:31 p.m. - Go away, really annoying blonde
So You Think You Can Dance - Ten perform and two go home: The new format has definitely hurt the show. I feel like I know nothing about these people. Right now I'm rooting for Eliana and Will. I'm also rooting for Alex Wong to be an all-star every freaking week. Yay, Alex! Rating: 4 times I said, "Ooh, Spencer Liff!"
America's Next Top Model - "The Girl Who Makes the Grade": Hey, they went back to "The Girl Who..." titles! It must be a peace offering since they wiped everyone out except Kelly Cutrone. (Of all the people to keep on, Tyra went with HER? I don't get it.) So far I'm not too impressed, mostly because I can't tell anyone apart. The ones I remember are:
August 26th, 2012, 3:42 p.m. - Holy cow, this book was great
30. What in God's Name (Simon Rich)
Up next: The Dirty Secrets Club (Meg Gardiner)
Harbach writes great scenes, but I have to agree with what Lisa Lutz tweeted that David Hayward said in response to her opinion of the book (got that?): "So you wanted more art, less fielding."
There's a little too much going on here, but the pacing is good and I thought the dialogue was realistic. I would just like to introduce Landay to my good friend the apostrophe.
I guess the trend of writers using their lives as experiments isn't quite over, but that's okay. Stein does it right.
Yeah, I read it in less than four days. IT'S THAT AWESOME. I demand a sequel. Demand it!
And I think three more. So...we need some work done here. But at least they didn't cast that annoying cat imitator. Rating: 3 ten poorly written Internet comments from fans
In Rich's version of Heaven, God is a burned-out CEO who wants to destroy the world so he can focus on running an Asian fusion restaurant. (He also really, really likes Lynyrd Skynyrd.) Two angels ask Him to spare the world if they can get two humans to get together. It's a fun twist on a romantic comedy, with the angels playing matchmakers who can't directly influence their matches. And they have to fix them up before the apocalypse. Kind of makes Sleepless in Seattle look a little less urgent, doesn't it?