Inexplicable Gilmore Girls Review: Comings and Goings to Start Season Four

I never remember her name, but Tanna is my fave minor S4 role.

Warning: Spoilers follow for episodes 1 through 6 for season four of Gilmore Girls, although I have watched half of the season as of this writing.

Season four of the ole Gilmore Girls begins with some bombshells. First, we yada yada past all of the gals’ European vacation and start with them returning to the states. But somewhat surprisingly, Rory wrote down the wrong date for when she was starting Yale! Oh no! (By the way, this is RIDICULOUS. Even I knew what day I was starting college, and I was about 1/100^th the student Rory Gilmore is.)

So, it’s a mad scramble by her and Lorelai to get ready for that first day. They make it, but not without psychologically torturing Luke some more, by repeatedly borrowing his truck even though it’s implied Lorelai can’t drive a stick. Lorelai and Luke later have an incredibly awkward movie night that strictly has “no touching!” like a god damn Arrested Development scene. Oh, and by the way, they didn't get the guy a gift even though he's probably done $5,000 worth of free repair work over the years at their home.

Also, spoiler alert – Lorelai goes on a shopping spree for Rory’s dorm room, and then buys her a bunch of takeout food when she’s feeling homesick. This will surprise all of y’all, but later in the season, Lorelai has money troubles! Shocking! As Karen noted while we were watching in earlier seasons, there is a bit of Sex and the City going on in the show, in that the characters are either frivolous with money or there usually isn’t an acknowledgement of how expensive things are.

However, that’ll be an issue later in the season. For now, the most ridiculous thing in the first six episodes is Rory being invited to Dean’s wedding! Dean is sometimes portrayed as being clueless, and when he gets wasted, he’s openly pining for Rory. But I think even he’s not so dense as to realize that inviting his most recent ex-girlfriend to his wedding is a poor idea. Then again, he is one of history’s greatest monsters.

The most surprising thing in the first six is not Paris Gellar being Rory’s roommate. I mean, Paris is straight fire, so they couldn’t cut her from the show, and it’s easy to figure that out once you see Rory moving in. Rory’s initials are on the door, along with PG, so I knew right away that Paris was going to be there.

No, it’s surprising that Paris is making time with an old man! It’s Michael York, a.k.a. Professor Asher Fleming. However, I know him much better from two vastly different roles – Basil Exposition from the Austin Powers films, and a creepy socialite serial killer Bernard Fremont from Law and Order: Criminal Intent. An aside – York’s portrayal of Fremont in “Slither” is probably one of the most famous Criminal Intent episode, and I had no idea it was based on a real guy. Yikes.

By the way, I like Rory’s other two roommates. Female Doogie Howser (Tanna) and Super Athlete (don't actually remember her name) are both interesting, but still nerdy contrasts, from Rory and Paris. I mean, they all go to Yale still. I do think that’s one aspect the show gets correct, is that everyone at college is actually kind of nerdy and socially awkward. Unsurprisingly, Rory seems way more popular at college than she ever did at Chilton or with the kids of Stars Hollow. (And, fun fact: Tanna is actually a year older than me in real life.)

Anyway, because I have watched a bunch of season four episodes already, some storylines are blurring in my head. Also, I have the knowledge that some things aren’t a big deal – like Rory’s bad date with a classmate – and some things are – like Sooki being too obsessed with her baby and not helping with the inn. I’ll get into those things more in my next entry though, which will (likely!) be tomorrow.

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Inexplicable TV Review: The People vs. O.J. Simpson (and Travolta and Cuba)

Note: Spoilers follow for *snickers* the O.J. Simpson trial.

The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story is way better than it should be, which I feel like is the main note of every review on the subject. So, why should I be any different? I had the same concerns, given the subject matter, and the fact that John Travolta, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Ryan Murphy (Glee) were heavily involved.

However, I should have had a tiny bit more faith because of some of the other people in starring roles, namely, Courtney B. Vance as Johnnie Cochran and Sarah Paulson as Marcia Clark. They do an incredible job elevating what could be hammy roles into something much better, in stark contrast to Travolta as Robert Shapiro. The other acting issue is Cuba Gooding Jr. as Simpson. He gets better as the series goes on, with the highlight being the vapid fakeness he displays in a post-trial party, but he lacks the physicality of OJ. The Juice was 6’1” and 212, according to the Googles, whereas Cuba is 5’10” and 172.

I first saw Vance in this little indie television series, Law and Order: Criminal Intent. He played assistant district attorney Ron Carver for the first five seasons, and made 111 appearances in the series’ 10-season run, tied for third behind only Eames (Kathryn Erbe) and Goren (Vincent D’Onofrio). The whole time, he was basically playing a more-reserved Cochran, and he was one of the highlights of Criminal Intent. So, if you like this OJ mini-series, you definitely need to circle back to check out Criminal Intent.

Paulson has been putting in decent TV and movie work since the late 1990s, although I first encountered her during one of her many appearances on The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson. (They joke about how often she guests during this interview, and god, it makes me miss Craig. “I’ve been vegan for three weeks, except on Saturday, I had a steak.”) She’s incredible as Marcia Clark, making you feel for a woman as she essentially gets her personal and professional lives shredded during the length of the trial.

If the show has “heroes,” then they’d be Clark, Cochrane and, surprisingly, Robert Kardashian as played by David Schwimmer. While Ross from Friends does get whiny at points, he does a good job of playing a genuine friend of Simpson that gradually decays as he learns more facts. The series got flack for scenes that include the Kardashian children, but it’s pretty hard not to draw a line from Robert’s central role in the Simpson trial to the family’s later playing of the media and celebrity status like a fiddle.

Other good performances on the prosecution / judge side: Sterling K. Brown as the conflicted Chris Darden, Kenneth Choi as Lance Ito, Bruce Greenwood as Gil Garcetti. At various points, all three get overwhelmed by the defense Dream Team and media coverage. For the defense team, obviously Vance and Travolta get top billing, but Nathan Lane is a great third wheel as folksy F. Lee Bailey. The cast is rounded out by “oh hey, that person!” stunt and cameo casting – Malcolm-Jamal Warner as A.C., Larry King as himself, Connie Britton as Faye Resnick, Jordana Brewster as Denise Brown, Selma Blair as Kris Jenner.

While this first season was incredible, I’m worried about the show’s second season already, which is supposed to be about New Orleans before, during and after Hurricane Katrina. This one is supposed to be heavier with Ryan Murphy’s contributions, and he can be incredibly hit-or-miss for me. It just feels like the show is setting itself for a fall like Serial or True Detective season two, by biting off more than it can chew.

On small style changes and Criminal Intent

Since I'm running late tonight, y'all get a two-for-one entry! Try to hide your burgeoning affection and appreciation for this. Well, unless you're a classy, attractive lady. (hey. callll me.)

- As you may or may not have noticed, I am trying my best to get this blog in line with the features you see on most other publications. Last night, I took the plunge and added the Link Within widget to my blog. Now, all of you new readers will be able to read glorious past entries that I've done, such as surveying the late night scene, and asking Comedy Central not to suck, and about lions and dogs with sweaters in Rhode Island.

(I wonder if me writing about Linked Within will cause my blog to explode though, like a supernova caving in upon itself. It's a risk I'm willing to take.)

- In completely unrelated news, I'm kind of digging Law and Order: Criminal Intent, even though the show no longer has Bobby Goren and Eames (a.k.a. the nice lady from The Mighty Ducks 2). Those two had always been the standout characters of the show to me, followed closely by Captain James Deakins and Assistant District Attorney Ron Carver.

However, the new detectives are pretty solid and provide a new dynamic for the show. There is a bit of blatant sexual tension and flirting between Zach Nichols (Jeff Goldblum) and Serena Stevens (the foxy Saffron Burrows), which is refreshing, considering that most Law and Order shows just tease romance or portray it as an impossibility (Eames and Goren, or Benson and Stabler). Having Nichols and Stevens hook up would take the show in a bit of a new direction, which I would enjoy, as long as it didn't become the sole focus. (Special Victims Unit became unwatchable to me when it started to become more about the detective's back stories.)

Is Criminal Intent as good as the first five seasons, which had Goren, Eames, Deakins and Carver? No, but it's still good in a different way. It remains focused on weird criminals and detective stories, in grisly details, as opposed to the law quirks of the main show or the technical mumbo jumbo of a CSI or NCIS.

Coping with the loss of a loved one: Law and Order

According to multiple media outlets, including the lovely Blast magazine of Boston that I sometimes contribute to, and Deadline, Law and Order will not be renewed by NBC for a 21st season. As a result, it will not edge out Gunsmoke as the longest running drama on network television, which makes me sad.

Has Law and Order fallen on tough times recently? Yes. Like Saturday Night Live, it doesn't seem to attract the same talent that it once did. While I don't mind Jeremy Sisto and Anthony Anderson, I would put Jerry Orbach, Jesse Martin, Paul Sorvino, Chris Noth and Benjamin Bratt in front of them, in roughly that order.

In terms of the district attorney side, Waterston isn't as compelling as the DA as opposed to a courtroom prosecutor, and there has been a similar talent drain among the upper levels - Captain Cragen is now a linchpin on Special Victims Unit, and Paul Robinette and Steven Hill aren't walking through that door, as Rick Pitino would say.

I consider the current pairing equivalent to some of the show's more flawed yet interesting characters, like Nina Cassady (the foxy Milena Govich), Serena Southerlyn (Elisabeth Rohm), Abbie Carmichael (another stone cold fox, Angie Harmon) and Joe Fontana (Dennis Farina). Then again, I'm one of the 10 people alive who still favors Michael Moriarty as Ben Stone to Sam Waterston, unless they're selling robot insurance, so what do I know?

I will still have old episodes of Law and Order to keep me company on TNT, and there are rumors that they will try to keep running new episodes over there. If so, then I say huzzah! Although it sometimes feels dated, I much prefer the original to Special Victims Unit, which is far too wrapped up in its own characters' drama at times, and while I love Criminal Intent, it really is more of a classic detective show as opposed to a police and court procedural. Also, what exactly is NBC's thinking on this? While the show has disappointed in the ratings, so has everything NBC has done

The photo of the old Law and Order cast comes, inexplicably, from this site on Georgia Bulldog sports.

The chaos Law and Order inflicts on my life

Carmichael and Borgia - Good times, good times.

Law and Order is too good sometimes, which is more of a problem than you would think. I'm not alone in saying this, I'm sure, but once I start watching an episode, I almost always have to watch it to the end. It matters little who the cast is made up of; all the episodes are great.

(For the record though, my all-star lineup would be Ben Stone, Abbie Carmichael or Borgia, and Briscoe and Green. I preferred Stone's somewhat snide, even temperament to McCoy's bluster, Abbie and Borgia are stone cold foxes who are still good actresses, and the Briscoe-Green duo was by far the best the show ever had.)

The issue is that once I start watching an episode, I almost always have to finish. I've been late for countless things because I've just HAD to see how a certain episode finishes. The problem is compounded for Criminal Intent, my favorite of the Law and Order spin-offs, but even Special Victims Unit, my least favorite, can ensnare my attention at times.

And the worst thing is when you're watching the first half of a Law and Order, and following along intently, in rapt attention, on the edge of your seat... And then within 30 seconds of a scene starting, you realize you caught the last 30 minutes of this episode at a previous point, so now you have to find something else to watch for the last 30 minutes, until the next episode comes on. aaaahhhhhh.

I'm still waiting for a 24-hour Law and Order network, because 1) there are enough episodes to do it and 2) I think others are as obsessed with the show as I am. Heck, if you needed to fill out the programming schedule, throw in some shows that are like Law and Order without quite being it. Like detective shows! Matlock and Columbo would be great on my Law and Order channel. I realize there is a “mystery” channel that has Matlock on it already, but the rest of its offerings are things like Murder She Wrote and Diagnosis Murder, the sub par mystery shows.