All the Small Things, episode five.

From tv.com: Edgar, Binsey's brother, dies and this comes as a shock to all his friends. However, there is an even bigger bombshell coming up. Esther and Jake find themselves thrown together again when Binsey asks for their help in achieving Edgar's rather unusual final request. Jake decides to be honest with Esther, both about his past and his feelings for her.

That was so sad. Finally, the Tonkses get to be more than bad guys. Poor Ethel. I loved her scene with Jake in the church. And poor Binsey. But that whole thing would have been more effective if we'd met the brother earlier...The funeral and Edgar's send-off were a hoot, though. A choral version of "Nothing Compares 2 U?" In church? Sweet. I loved the choir singing "Love Hurts" by the fire!

I knew Jake was an alcoholic! :( That was so brave of him, bringing Esther to his AA meeting. Bad Esther, for being so cold to him after he 'fesses up. He's been sober for six years, for crying out loud! Line that annoyed me- "There is no us." Stupid Esther. Like you haven't been flirting with Jake all along. Seducing him with "shit-hot" cranberry muffins! Tsk, tsk. I loved the kiss (and her smile after leaving him)...but was stunned that Esther treated him so badly.

So Layla is Jake's sister. Well, I knew that from the spoilers, but it still wasn't that big of a bombshell. The picture of the two of them that she hides from Michael was so cute! They must of have been close at one point.

Michael/Layla- ugh. Layla tries to work her charms on the boys, but is rather insensitive to Kyle. Michael starts to see what he's missing. If that means Esther takes him back next week I WILL BARF AND THROW THINGS!

Worried about next week- what is Layla going to do to Jake? What did he do in his past that could cause so much trouble? (Obviously something to do with Father Daniel). Some sister she is. No wonder Jake tries to stay away from her.

I honestly don't care which choir wins the competition. I'd love to see Michael get humiliated, but Esther's winning would be so clichéd. And there had better not be a "happy family reunion" (another cliché that is annoying). One episode to tie everything up? Not possible. And I want to see Esther and Jake together!

I'll miss this show. I hope it gets a second series, but it's a bit doubtful.

A couple of screencaps I did:

Thoughtful Jake- thinking about Esther's muffins, or Esther naked?



The kiss!



Jake and his guitar. Bit of a Brothers of the Head flashback for Bryan Dick! (Yes, he really plays. I still can't understand why he doesn't get to sing on this show- he's good!)

Excellent!

After the final episode airs, All the Small Things will be on DVD!

http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/9225838/All-The-Small-Things/Product.html

£12.99. With the current exchange rate, that's roughly $18.00 U.S. (not counting shipping).

Only for Region 2 players, but I have a multi-region player. :D :D :D And just about any player can be hacked to play any DVD.

No extras, though. A making-of special and cast commentaries would have been nice. :(

House and 24, April 27th.

"House Divided" from tv.com: A deaf 14-year old wrestler suffers from hearing problems during a match, but his mother refuses to okay cochlear implants. Meanwhile, House's insomnia proves a curse... and a blessing.

House's insomnia causes him to hallucinate Amber, which makes for some interesting head conversations! Meanwhile, House barges in on Wilson's planning for Chase's bachelor party. Wooooooo! Very interesting case and ethical dilemma (deaf culture vs. implants). And House is obviously having a hard time dealing with the loss of Kutner.

24- 3:00 a.m.-4:00 a.m.

Argh! I hate Tony. I want Jack to kill him DEAD!! Great stuff tonight, because it marks the return of CTU!

Tomorrow is episode five of All the Small Things. I don't want this show to end. :(

Thank you for being a friend...

:( Bea Arthur has died at the age of 86. I watched The Golden Girls religiously when I was in high school and college. Dorothy was my favorite of the girls, along with her mom Sophia (Estelle Getty, who passed away last year). At least they're together again! "Goodnight, Pussycat."

I was too young to watch Maude when it was originally on, but caught it in re-runs when I was older. Ms. Arthur really had a knack for playing strong, independent women. She will be missed.


http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/04/25/bea.arthur.obit/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Oh, dear!

Jay Leno had to be hospitalized for apparent food poisoning yesterday!

http://www.imdb.com/news/ni0758230/

Hope he makes a speedy recovery. It's so rare that he takes off for anything other than vacation time!

Small Things, episode 4.

From t.v.com: Olive and Jimmy come closer thanks to the shared plot of surreptitiously entering Esther's choir into a competition. Esther's singing in the competition makes Jake hint he has feelings for her, but she believes Layla is trying to ruin her budding liaison. Georgia is unhappy when she overhears her father and his girlfriend talking about having a new baby.

I think this was the best one yet. I loved the song Esther's group did for the competition- What's My Age Again? by Blink-182 (Esther's son Kyle is a Blink fanatic, and picked the song). The Layla/Michael relationship takes a scary turn...Michael is beginning to see he's made a mistake, and daughter Georgia puts both of them down. Layla and Jake's relationship is still murky, but clearly there is something bad connecting both of them.

Olive and her biker friends save the day when Layla tries to keep the choir from making it to the heats. So cute! Phoebe gets the solo and steals the show a bit. The rehearsal was funny- "This bitch or that bitch?"

Best scene in my humble opinion- Esther and Michael's conversation of the glow he just now noticed...that she probably had all along but he was too dumb to notice.

So Layla had her own business and has money to burn, apparently. And Jake used to be a pro snowboarder! Very interesting...

Cute couples/possible couples abound in this episode- Olive/Jimmy, Kyle/Grace, and Jake/Esther. Esther starts to notice that Jake has feelings for her, and she seems stunned.

Great lines in this too:

Jake: "So what's your idea of heaven?" Esther: "I'll give it some thought and get back to you."

Jake to Layla: "I will always love you, but I will never forgive you." Ouch. I've seen the spoilers for the final two episodes, so I know what their true relationship is- but the way this scene was set up it could be either ex-lovers or estranged siblings.

Ah, my One True Pairing for this show...Esther and Jake. He sure likes her muffins. *snerk*

Linky to the choir singing What's My Age Again. It's hilarious. I just love Phoebe!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Qg1Rl9Z61c&feature=player_embedded

I took her out it was a Friday night
I wore cologne to get the feeling right
We started making out and she took off my pants
But then I turned on the TV

And that's about the time that she walked away from me
Nobody likes you when you're 23
And are still more amused by TV shows
What the hell is ADD?
My friends say I should act my age
What's my age again?

The series will be available on DVD in the UK only on May 6.

24- argh!

Bad Tony! Poor Jack. The look on his face when he realized Tony was with the bad guys all along...ouch. Can't wait to see their final confrontation.

Meanwhile, a cute picture from episode 3 of All the Small Things...ah, Jake. If all curates and vicars looked like him, Britain would have no trouble getting people to go to church!



Hopefully, I'll have episode four tomorrow.

(thanks to my pal q at live journal for the capture!)

Well, that was stupid of me.

Law and Order: Criminal Intent premiered last night, and I knew it, made plans to watch it, and I MISSED IT ANYWAY! I can't figure out how my brain works sometimes. I hope I don't miss the repeat!

Killing time before 24 tonight (no House). Might re-watch some of my T.V. shows on my computer. My area is under a tornado watch and severe thunderstorm warning right now. I hope I don't lose power. I missed three episodes of Lost last year because of tornados!

I'm all caught up with Lost. It's weird, but still starting to make some sense.

Looking forward to the next All the Small Things...the description from tv.com: "Esther's singing in the competition makes Jake hint he has feelings for her, but she believes Layla is trying to ruin her budding liaison." Jake/Esther fans rejoice! Hooray for older gals/younger guys! Beware of Layla the bunny boiler!!!

*pssst* ATST episode 3

All the Small Things on you tube. Hope it stays up for a while.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aup1g0Ar1nQ&feature=channel_page

Episode 3 description: "Sofija and Nemanja decide to get married and everyone is excited. However, things become bitter when they disagree with Gilbert and Ethel. Sofija is keen to do what they can to make up but Nemanja won't allow himself to be bullied. Esther and Jake work on the new church community space and Kyle gets to know Grace better. "

I loved this episode! People are finally standing up to the awful Gilbert and Ethel Tonks. Even the nasty Lulu backs away from them. Gilbert sure earns his nickname of "Jabba".

Shame on Georgia for ignoring Esther's calls. That's a terrible way to treat her mum!

The wedding was sweet. Sofija is a good character. I loved that she made her own dress! (damn that was quick!)

Michael is finally starting to see what he's lost in Esther. Now he's stuck with "bunny boiler" Layla! Loser. She wants his kids now, too? Yuck. Esther better fight for her kids hard- Layla has claws and dirty tricks (a puppy? Sheesh)...

Just two cute pictures- Jake knows how to party, and sweep the ladies off their feet. My favorite moment so far- Jake and Esther dance, and jealous Michael storms off. Win!

House and 24, April 13.

House- "Saviors"

From tv.com: "Cameron and Chase are going on vacation when they meet an enviromentalist who collapses in the middle of a protest. They postpone their vacation and ask House to take on the case."

House has lost his "mojo". That was interesting. The episode spends time on Wilson essentially kicking House's ass to get him back on track (as House says, "You manipulative bitch!"). House/Wilson bantering can save just about any episode! Once again, the POTW didn't really hold my interest (he was an asshole), but it was nice to have Cameron and Chase back in the action (plus they get engaged!). Everyone is still dealing with Kutner's suicide. :(

24- 1:00 a.m.- 2:00 a.m.

All I have to say about this episode is: TONY, WHAT THE F***! Damn it, I guess he's going to be a bad guy after all. :( The evil Hodges/Starkwood bioweapon missle complex is taken out (BOOM!), but Tony steals some of the bioweapon, passes it on to a Starkwood escapee, and kills Agent Moss (whom I was starting to like)? What is going on there? Meanwhile, Jack continues to deteriorate from the weapon (MOOOOO!), and his daughter Kim pays him a visit. Ugh. There are only four more hours left this season- what more can they possibly do? One thing is for sure: Jack and Tony will have to have a final face-off, and obviously, only Jack is going to come out of it alive.

I rate this episode "Excellent", because it was exciting, and I was not expecting Evil!Tony at the end.

Episode 3 of All the Small Things airs today...I hope I don't have to wait too long to see it. I'm liking it more and more.

Now I just need time to watch all of these...

The Reader is out on DVD tomorrow, and Frost/Nixon is out next Tuesday. Then I will have all of the 2008 films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar! I picked up Doubt and Slumdog Millionaire last week.



I don't think I'll get to the movie theater again until Star Trek opens in May! If I have time, I'll go see Monsters vs. Aliens this weekend.

Just a cute screen capture!

From the second episode of All the Small Things...Jake, the cutest curate in the history of the Church of England!

I am really liking this show.

Episode 2...

...of All the Small Things. This one had a lot more of Bryan Dick in it! Jake is an interesting character, and I can't wait to see what's coming. What in his past does Layla hold over him, and why can't she let go (even though she's sleeping with someone else)? He seems to be a kind, compassionate man who really wants to make a difference. And no matter what mistakes he made in his past (Layla?), he's determined to overcome them.

Loved that Esther finally stood up for herself, and started a new choir. Michael is a dick. I'd love to see her finally divorce him. Maybe then he'd grow up a bit.

Next week, Esther and Jake seem to flirt. Hmmmm....well, if her husband can mess around with a younger woman, why can't she have a younger man? A man of the cloth! Rrrrrrowwwwwrrr!

The show is a little uncomfortable for me at times. There are people like the awful, bigotted Mr. and Mrs. Tonks in my church (there's a Mrs. Tonks in my choir, unfortunately), and the whole thing of forcing people who can't sing out of the choir is something my own choir has had to deal with. Not that we'd ever do that, but we'd encourage the not-so-good singers to work on it and sing whatever is easiest for them.

Well, I'll miss Kutner...

...but Kal Penn has a cool new job at the White House! Details at Entertainment Weekly:

http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/04/house-exclusive.html

I still think that was a crappy end for Kutner. But it will make things interesting for the rest of House's season.

House: Simple Explanation; and other notes.

Oh, man, I can't believe what happened tonight. KUTNER! He killed himself. :( That came from nowhere. And House can't figure it out. This is going to make for some good drama the rest of the season.

Didn't care much for the Patients of the Week, though one was played by Meatloaf!

I'll miss Kal Penn. He never does seem to stick around long on television!

On 24 tonight, Jack begins to suffer the effects of the "mad cow-type" bio weapon he was exposed to. "Drop the gun mooooo! I mean, now!"

Other T.V. notes- I have seen the first episode of All the Small Things. Not bad. Not great, but entertaining, and I'll stick with it for the six episodes. And of course, Bryan Dick is awesome. I can't wait to see what his character, the rogue curate Jake, is all about. But wow, he looks good:



More please!

Hmmm, the current season of House isn't even finished, but the DVD set is available for pre-order already! That cover art seems so wrong.



Oh, yeah. ER ended its fifteen-season run last week. Did I watch? Nope. It had its great moments, but the last few seasons were such a mixed bag that it was hard for me to care. I'll catch the finale in re-runs.

Holy crap!

Guiding Light is going off the air in September, after 72 years! Wow. The oldest of all the soap operas (along with As the World Turns) was cancelled. I guess soaps are dying, if even the old reliables are going down. Days of Our Lives is leaving the air, too, I think.

http://news-briefs.ew.com/2009/04/guiding-light-d.html

My mom and sister liked GL and ATWT, I was more into DOOL in college. I never watch soaps anymore. But still, it's sad to see one of the giants leave the air- it's almost like Pan Am going bankrupt (or any other big company that seemed to be around forever).

Why I wish I lived in the UK...

I wouldn't have to wait for British television shows to air on PBS. Bryan Dick just did an episode of Lewis- and it won't air in the U.S. until 2010. (Fortunately, I do have other sources. *evil grin*)

*sigh* He's gorgeous in this still from the episode "The Quality of Mercy". And he has this long hair in All the Small Things, too, I hear!



Other T.V. stuff- 24 and House were both great on Monday. The House episode "Locked In" was one of the best of the season. Mos Def was the Patient of the Week, and he was fabulous.