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BROTHERS & SISTERS - TV watching made easy

Brothers & Sisters is another ABC show that I had not watched prior to entering the high-stakes, high-stress world of professional TV watching. I take my trade seriously, though, and have made every effort to get up to speed on the comings and goings and couplings and dinner parties of the Walker clan. I’ve put season one of the show in my Netflix queue and have burned through the season 2 shows available for viewing on ABC.com. In short, I am a dedicated professional and will soon consider myself an expert on Brothers & Sisters.

It would really suck if I put all this energy into Brothers & Sisters and just ended up hating it. I mean, I can’t be expected to love every ABC show, can I? (Just kidding boss! I love all ABC programming.)But I will admit there are some shows I love a little bit more than others. After all, they can’t all be Dance War. Happily, I sincerely like Brothers & Sisters, and I’m totally not just saying that.

The acting and writing on Brothers & Sisters is consistently top notch, and that’s reason enough to watch. Sally Field rules as Nora the meddling matriarch of the Walkers. Field has always had such a charming, easy manner in front of the camera and it’s nice to see an actress of her caliber getting to sort of anchor a show like this. I like her, I really like her.  Welsh actor Mathew Rys, who plays the driven Kevin Walker, is really compelling - as is Balthazar Getty, who plays Tommy. Whoever cast those guys deserves a raise, because they both always deliver strong performances and have really created three-dimensional characters.  This season we also have Rob Lowe as Senator McCallister full-time as well as veteran actors Steven Weber and Danny Glover. It’s an embarrassment of actorly riches, and yes, I know that “actorly” is not a real word. 

So anyway, I’m stoked to see more new Brothers & Sisters episodes now that the Writer’s Strike is over and the natural order is slowly being restored to the TV Universe. I only ask that they keep writing nuanced, subtle, character-driven episodes, and that none of the characters get hit by a bus or anything now that I’m getting used to them. Seriously, Brothers & Sisters must have one of the most solid and capable casts on television and it’d be a shame to lose even one of the current ensemble.

However, if they could somehow work Dance War’s Bruno Tonioli into the mix? That would be perfect. But then, my idea of “perfect” is not the same as everyone else’s.

--Dave Campbell

 

ELI STONE - One More Try

A lot of stuff happened in “One More Try,” this week’s Eli Stone episode, in both the storyline and format of the show.   Let’s get to it:

We got to see “old Eli,” the heartless attorney, revisit an old case that he won on behalf of a car manufacturer through some underhanded tactics. There’s a great court scene where Eli rips into this poor woman on the witness stand and then we cut to naïve junior attorney Maggie Dekker, who is totally teary-eyed and heartbroken. You can tell she just wants to cry, “Eli, no! This isn’t how it’s supposed to work! The law’s supposed to help people, Eli!” She’s so young and starry-eyed, that Maggie.

It had to happen sooner or later. Eli hallucinates an elaborate song and dance number in court, which makes him look barking mad and unfit to practice law. Next episode: a disbarment hearing! Will they call Eli’s brother up on the stand? If so, will he perjure himself to save his brother?

What else? It turns out Martin Posner, Jordan's smug right-hand man, is guilty of paying off a witness to keep his mouth shut. How does Eli know this? Because Patty used to go out with him five year ago! What did she ever see in the guy?  Eww.

Weirdly, actor Marc Vann appeared both on tonight's Eli Stone as a whistleblower who took Posner's bribe and fled to Hawaii, and on tonight's episode of Lost as the doctor onboard the freighter. 

The long-awaited sexual tension between Maggie and Eli Stone has apparently arrived. They had a moment in the doorway where she brushed some non-existent lint from his lapel and they shared a thing, some kind of love radar signal. We’ll see how this plays out – if he does like her, Eli’s going to have to not be so mean to her all the time.

It does look like the format of Eli Stone is changing, with more emphasis on the supporting cast. Keith Bennett from the previous episode joins the cast, as we knew he would, and Eli’s ex-fiance Taylor joins the firm as an associate.  Once again they had a second court case handled by supporting characters in addition to Eli’s main case. It’s not quite an ensemble piece, but they’re noticeably focusing on other characters more. It takes some of the weight off Eli while simultaneously opening up the opportunities to do lots of different kinds of stories.   I think this diffusion of  narrative focus is a natural part of the life cycle of a TV series.

My take on it is that the producers of Eli Stone are so confident they’re getting picked up again by ABC that they are laying the groundwork for several seasons worth of shows.  One can hope.

--Dave Campbell

MEN IN TREES - The Cash question

This week's episode "Charity Case" was the first new Men in Trees episode of 2008.  I checked.   I realized I had some catching up to do to get back up to speed with the show.  But thanks to the magic of the Internet and ABC.com's video episodes of the show, I took a trip to Men in Treesland and am now back and ready for new episodes.  I speak fluent Menintreese now.

Here are my broad and superficial opinions of the show:   Anne Heche looks great with long hair.  I really like Buzz, and Ben and Celia as characters.  There should be more snow, says the guy who has never been to Alaska.  I like the sometimes abrupt editing style of the show.  Sarah and Eric's relationship is great.  There should be more wolf invasions - every week, if possible.  And  John Amos, who plays Buzz, was in the classic sword & sorcery film The Beastmaster.  Just thought you'd like to know that. 

After all my viewing and reading, I have one unresolved question (aside from 'OMG is Jack OK?'):

What is up with Cash?

EDIT: You know, I've changed my mind about Cash.  I think he's a more nuanced character than I gave him credit for - perhaps I was blinded by the sheen coming off his well-defined pecs.  You know what changed my mind?  The episode from Season 1 where he takes Marin to see the guru - I thought he was really well written in that episode, which revealed a more, I don't know, contemplative side of Cash?  Still waters run deep, I think the saying goes.

The other thing that changed my mind is the whole failing kidney plotline, where Cash seems terrified (in a stoic way) of having a surgery and would rather pretend it doesn't exist.  I don't want to go into detail because this is a blog about ABC shows, not me, but that's the exact reaction I had to a serious medical condition, so Cash's response to the whole situation really rings true for me.

Long story short:  Cash is OK in my book, even if he is supernaturally good looking, which makes me a little jealous...

--Dave Campbell

 

SQUEEGEES - Now on ABC.com

Squeegees is an ABC online web series about a crew of goofy high-rise window washers that combines the acrobatic beauty of Cirque de Soleil with the lowbrow humor of a teen sex comedy.  It's also a strangely hard title to spell, BTW.

Okay, come to think of it there’s little in the way of acrobatic beauty but the window washers do spin madly around in their harnesses until they vomit – that’s gotta count for something. 

The latest project in the Handsome Donkey web comedy production line, Squeegees is packaged in short, easily digestible webisodes which can be seen here on ABC.com. They’re punchy five minute mini-sitcoms that emphasize the virtues of slapstick, nudity, bodily fluids, voyeurism, and drinking on the job. In other words, they are just packed with American goodness. 

I recommend watching the second episode, which has funnier gags than the first one and features an appearance by the Squeegees’ rival window washers, the Machachi Brothers. I want to see a window-washing rumble between the rival crews, a Sam Raimi-style squeegee showdown while dangling over forty stories of pure nothing. Make that happen, Handsome Donkey, and I will forever sing your praise.

-- Dave Campbell

 

WIFE SWAP - The Ultimate Episode

At one point while watching the Sutton/Myers episode of Wife Swap, I thought to myself, “this will be recognized in the annals of history as the ultimate Wife Swap episode.” 

It had the four things you need for a perfect Wife Swap episode.

•  Polar-opposite families.  On the one hand, we have Karen Sutton, married to Kentucky coal miner Tommy Sutton, whose views on women are several centuries out of date. Karen cooks and cleans and caters to Tommy and her three ungrateful daughters. “Karen is kind of like a maid,” Tommy said. “She’s a free maid. I don’t have to pay for this maid.” He really said that, I didn’t make that up. On the other hand, we have Samantha Myers, a professional woman in Illinois  whose ghost hunting family all possesses psychic abilities. I didn’t make that up, either. Sam’s not the warmest mom. She’s cold and logical and doesn’t really shower her quirky kids with maternal love.  And she hunts ghosts.

• Major conflict. The Myers family totally made Karen feel like an ignorant hillbilly, particularly Andrew, 19, who was extra-mean and condescending to her. The whole ghost hunting thing didn’t sit well with Karen either. As she so eloquently summed up her thoughts about the family, “These guys are 110% capital-F-R-E-A-K-S. Freaks!” The demanding Sutton family was equally inhospitable to Sam Myers. When Sam delivers Tommy’s breakfast late, the dude threw his entire breakfast in the trash rather than eat it, just to spite her. Can we all agree that’s a darn rude thing to do, and possibly psychotic?

• Totally unreasonable rules.  It wouldn’t be Wife Swap unless some of the visiting wife’s rules were totally crazy. In an effort to stop the gratuitously verbose Myers family from using big words, Karen’s rule stated that if the kids used a fancy big word that she didn’t know, she would write that word on their foreheads with a marker. In what reality is that a good idea? As you might imagine, that rule didn’t go over well. In the Sutton household, Sam made Tommy wear a blonde wig as he and his stepdaughter role-played each other in order to mend their strained relationship. At first I thought Sam was just doing this to humiliate Tommy, but it actually worked! They had a breakthrough and there were tears and hugs and everything. Tommy took off the wig at some point, which was kind of a shame. 

• Real change. I’ve often wondered if the whole Wife Swap experience made any fundamental change to the families involved, but this one was different. I really felt like this one might have a more lasting impact on the Myers and Sutton family. Tommy magically transformed from a brash chauvinist to a teary-eyed supportive husband.  The ungrateful Sutton girls became a little more grateful. The Spock-like Myers clan began to see value in warmth and kindness. I don’t know, it seems like the changes will last.

As you can see, the Sutton/Myers episode clearly has the crucial elements needed. In the distant future, cultural historians in sparkly spandex suits will regard this episode as the ultimate Wife Swap achievement. 

If I had to choose one Wife Swap episode to load on to a deep space probe and shoot into space, where it could possibly be found and seen by aliens? It would be this one. 

--Dave Campbell

SUPERNANNY - Superbummer!

Jo visited the Tafoya family home in Arizona, where parents Holly and Jimmy had their hands full with three rowdy boys ranging from two to seven. The kids rampaged through the house, screeching and fighting like a troop of baboons. The Tafoya parenting style seemed ineffective if not downright harmful; mom had a laissez-faire attitude towards supervising the young boys and dad was just a fountain of anger around the kids. The Tafoyas needed a Supernanny intervention, stat.

During the observation day, Jo usually lurks in the background shaking her head disapprovingly at poor parenting or bugging her eyes out at some particularly heinous naughtiness. This time she actually had to intervene when Tyler, 5, rode his pedal cart out on to the street while mom was inside the house. Jo was outraged and took Holly to task for her lack of supervision. Holly clearly didn’t feel like it was a big deal at all, and she pointed out that “it’s not a busy street.” That one got a major eye-bug from Jo. She then tagged along while Tyler and James, 7, visited a neighbor’s house to play some good ol’ fashioned pornographically violent video games. I’m actually not sure what they were playing since the titles were blurred out, but it was rated “M” stuff and judging from Jo’s reaction, it was something like Torture Wagon III. Jo capped off a depressing observation day by witnessing a family dinner of chicken, potatoes, and smacking hosted by Angry Yelling Dad. It was a downer.

Jo laid into Holly and Jimmy at the parent meeting, as I was hoping. She took mom to task for lack of responsible supervision and harangued dad for lack of basic niceness towards his kids. Seriously, the guy was just angry and mean-spirited. However, I have to give the guy credit, he did seem motivated and sincere about changing his relationship with his kids. Holly on the other hand… 

Holly wasn’t really on board the Supernanny Express. She went along with the exercises and tried to implement some of Jo’s techniques, but it just seemed like – how can I phrase this diplomatically? – Holly’s value system didn’t seem compatible with Jo’s value system. They just weren’t on the same page about core issues like supervision, violent media, safety, discipline, and the North American Free Trade Agreement. Actually, I'm checking my notes here, and no, NAFTA didn’t come up.  But if it did I’m sure Jo and Holly would have disagreed about it.  

One of the things that did come up was whether it was appropriate to pump liquid hand soap into your kid’s mouth if he uses bad language. Guess where Jo falls on that side of the issue?  You guessed it - not a fan of squirting chemicals into childrens' mouths.  Holly had more of a pro-hand soap position, as you might imagine. Jo reamed her out for that one. “Are you insane?” she asked, shocked. It was probably a rhetorical question, but Holly got upset and walked out of the parent meeting. Eventually Holly returned but man, she didn’t seem happy about it. 

The show ended on its usual hopeful note, showing the Tafoya family frolicking together happily, but I don’t know if I’m convinced. I think there might be some problems there that might require more than a few weeks of Supernanny to address. Did anyone else get that vibe?  Hopefully I am wrong; I often am. 

On a completely unrelated note: I was really taken with the little pedal cars (seen right) that the little boys were dangerously driving around in the street whilst unsupervised.  Don’t get me wrong, I was concerned about the kids and all, but their little pedal cars were so cool. I would have loved one of those when I was a kid. I looked it up on Amazon and was disappointed to find that they don’t make them in my size. Maybe that’s the real reason I feel bummed out after watching this week’s Supernanny.
 

--Dave Campbell

ACCORDING TO JIM - Baby on board

Finally, sitcom-reality catches up with, er, reality-reality in this week’s episode of According to Jim, wherein Cheryl pops the big news on Jim: she’s pregnant.  Big time. 

This works out nicely because in real life, Courtney Thorne-Smith (aka Cheryl) was pregnant while filming all of this season’s episodes. She gave birth in January to a baby boy, BTW, so congrats to her and her husband. 

It’s been interesting the lengths that the producers of According to Jim have gone to hide Thorne-Smith’s pregnancy. In the fifth episode of the season they shipped Cheryl off to Florida to take care of her ailing mother, effectively reducing her presence on the show while she was visibly pregnant. Cheryl still checked in on the phone and stuff, but on the occasions when they did film her, they took pains not to show her baby belly. She was seated behind a table or lying in bed with the sheets pulled up, stuff like that. For this week’s episode, the ninth of the season, they showed Cheryl in one scene on a laptop during a video-conference with Jim (just a head shot) and in another scene they blocked out her lower torso with a crib and boxes. I was beginning to wonder if they were going to work Thorne-Smith’s real pregnancy into the show or just try to make it through the whole season without even addressing it.

There’s been a long history of hiding an actress’ pregnancy on weekly television shows, so According to Jim is in good company. Seinfeld’s Julia Louis-Dreyfuss and The X-Files’ Gillian Anderson both opted for the “long coat” approach to disguising their pregnancy and were, if memory serves, written out of their shows for a while. I seem to recall The Cosby Show’s Phylicia Rashad carrying a lot of pillows and standing behind couches a lot. There are loads of more examples; daytime soaps have to deal with situations like this all the time. 

Ultimately, all show-runners must deal with the question: do we write the pregnancy into the show or not? Of course, the precedent for incorporating real-life pregnancy into the constructed reality of TV was set back in The Day by Lucille Ball – just one of the many ways she was a pioneer for women in TV. Her situation was doubly challenging because in 1953 they couldn’t even use the word “pregnant” on I Love Lucy – instead Lucy was “expecting.” Or as Desi pronounced it, “spectin.” 

We’ve come a long way culturally in the decades since then, but biology and the mandates of a weekly TV shooting schedule remain. The producers of According to Jim solved their particular problem in this week’s episode, “Goodwill Hunting,” when Cheryl finally announced that she was pregnant - with twins no less! I’m glad they’re dropping the visual trickery, but now I’m just curious how they’re going to explain the rapid growth of her belly – maybe pull a LOST move and skip ahead in time? I’m not clear on how she could go from first trimester to a big mamma belly in one week’s time.  

But perhaps I’m over-thinking the whole thing…
 

--Dave Campbell

DANCING WITH THE STARS - Five celebrities who will not appear this season

Every season the producers of ABC's hit show Dancing with the Stars consider a wide range of possible celebrity dancers for the show, then narrow it down to just twelve contestants.  This year we here at Live from L.A. got a rare glimpse into the decision making process when we discovered who was not making the final roster, and why.  (If that isn't a set-up for comedy goodness, I don't know what is.  Note to outraged fans and litigious agents:  this is satire, don't hate or sue me.)

Let's take a look:

Dog the Bounty Hunter

Everyone’s favorite mullet-sporting bounty hunter was removed from consideration when he refused to consider removing his trademark utility belt while dancing. The belt, which contains such items as handcuffs, pepper spray, and shark repellent, is a crucial tool in Dog’s never-ending hunt for bail skippers, and he felt that he needed to wear it on the off chance that he happened to see a fugitive in the studio audience while doing the foxtrot. Dancing with the Stars producers were uncomfortable with the ideas of both the utility belt and of him leaping into the crowd to make an arrest, so he didn’t make the cut.  Dog’s aversion to deodorant products may have been a factor as well.

Michal Buffer, the “Let’s get ready to rumble!” guy

An early favorite of Dancing with the Stars producers, professional boxing ring announcer Michael Buffer certainly looks elegant in a tuxedo and has a natural grace and poise. So why wasn’t he selected this season? Apparently Buffer, whose famous catchphrase is a federally registered trademark, has a standard contract that stipulates he calls out “Let’s get ready to ruuuumble!” every sixty seconds of screen time. It was felt this might disrupt the flow of some of the dance numbers and become incredibly annoying as the weeks passed.

I just don't understand their reasoning on this one.

 

Gary Busey

Film actor Gary Busey was rejected from consideration due to the fact that he is Gary Busey.

 

 

Dee Snider

Former lead singer of Eighties metal band Twisted Sister, Dee Snider was a novel choice for this season of Dancing with the Stars. Snider’s agent insisted that he perform every dance number in hideous make-up while wearing his old stage costume, which nixed the deal. Producers were primarily concerned about the safety of Snider’s dance partner, who could be blinded by his unruly locks of frizzy blond hair or crushed by the singer’s platform boots, although there was also some concern about children watching the show being emotionally scarred by the terrifying sight of Snider doing the samba.

 

Barney the Dinosaur

Barney the purple dinosaur was an early choice for producers, but the beloved children’s television star didn’t work out. After some trial runs it was discovered that Barney has a relatively limited range of motion that would prevent him from performing more challenging dance moves and that he just wouldn’t dance unless the music in question had lyrics that included the words “friend,” “love,” or “sharing.”

The Academy Award Breakdown

Take it from me, the Oscars are not as fun to watch when one is tormented by a stomach flu.

I spent most of the evening watching my toilet bowl instead of my widescreen, and when the award for Best Sound Editing finally rolled around I had a hard time mustering my usual enthusiasm. Thankfully, that’s why DVRs were invented. 

But perhaps I am oversharing. 

 Here’s the official Live from L.A. post-Oscar breakdown, delivered so late as to be almost totally irrelevant: 

Best Acceptance Speech:  Best Supporting Actress Tilda Swanton’s speech was cheeky and brief (both virtues), but Best Actress Marion Cotillard, who won for La Vie En Rose knocked it out of the park with a teary, heartfelt acceptance speech. Cotillard seemed stunned and grateful to be up on stage – it was sweet. “It is true there are some angels in this city,” she said. She gets extra points for sincerity and enthusiasm.

Biggest surprise:  Wha---? Daniel Day-Lewis is British?  I seriously did not know that, I thought he was just really a wizard at accents. I guess I need to visit IMDB more often… 

Best John Stewart line: "Democrats do have an historic race going. Hillary Clinton vs Barack Obama. Normally, when you see a black man or a woman president an asteroid is about to hit the Statue of Liberty. How will we know it's the future? Silver unitards, that can't be all?" 

Most Overrused Element: Wow, there were a ton of movie clips and montages this year, weren’t there? I know that’s par for the course, but it just seems like they padded the show a little bit.

Best Red Carpet Host: You gotta love Regis Philbin, The Reege.  Or is it The Rege?  I don't know how to spell it, but even Jack Nicholson calls him The Rege.  There can be only one Regis Philbin.

Most Awkward Red Carpet Moment: Gary Busey Ambush!  Poor Jennifer Garner, she was molested on the red carpet by wildman Gary Busey, who kissed her not once but twice on the neck, and then lurked just off camera while she gamely tried to answer questions.  Yikes.

Biggest Oversight:  Of course, Heath Ledger was featured in the customary video montage of deceased film luminaries, but no Brad Renfro? I know he wasn’t as big of a deal as Ledger, but Renfro, who appeared in Apt Pupil and Ghost World, deserved a spot up there.

Most Out of Context Musical Performance:  Amy Adams looked awfully lonely up there singing the “Happy Working Song” from Enchanted on a vast, cold stage the size of an aircraft hanger. If there was ever a song that needed some visual context in the form of props, costumes, dancers, or sets, it was this one. I’m sure the producers of the Oscars were reluctant to repeat the infamous Snow White/Rob Lowe musical number from 1989 ceremony, but they should have taken a chance. Amy Adams is hella-cute, though, isn’t she?

Second Best Acceptance Speech:  One of the co-winners for Best Original Song, Marketa Irglova, didn’t even get a chance to speak before the orchestra swelled up and cut her off. I hate when that happens.  It seems that her partner Glen Hansard went on a little too long for the time-conscious ceremony, although he gave an eloquent speech himself. In a gentlemanly gesture, John Stewart brought Irglova back out on stage so she could give her speech. “Enjoy your moment,” he said, and Irglova, who won for the song “Falling Slowly” from the indie film Once, gave a fantastic speech.about the power of hope and dreams. Nicely done. 

LOST - Eggs, Babies, and a Grenade

 

I feel like a total sucker.  A tool, even.

This week’s LOST episode “Eggtown” had me guessing and second-guessing the identity of Kate’s son in the Oceanic Six timeline. Was it Jack’s kid? Or Sawyer’s? Or maybe Hurley’s? Don’t laugh, it could happen. They had me right up until the last second. Holy crap, it’s Aaron? I’m sure more LOST-savvy folks out there saw that one coming a mile away, but it caught me flat-footed. 

So that means that Aaron is one of the Oceanic Six, in addition to Jack, Hurley, Kate, Sayid, and Dead Person in Coffin. But what does that mean for Claire? Nothing good, methinks. 

This was a Kate-centric episode. In Island Time we followed her efforts to get some information from Miles, who was being held captive by Locke.  Kate wanted to know what Miles, and by extension the freighter folk, know about her. In the Oceanic Six timeline we followed her trial and got a glimpse of her life after the island. Man, the Oceanic Six must have gotten a huge settlement from the airline because she’s got a swanky house, a nanny, and a sleek wardrobe. 

Some stuff stuck out in the flash-forward scenes surrounding Kate’s trial for fraud, arson, assault on a federal officer, assault with a deadly weapon, grand larceny, grand theft auto, and murder in the first degree (phew).  Let’s do bullet points, those are fun:

•  That female district attorney seemed fishy. Did you catch those sidelong glances she was shooting at Kate? It wasn’t just because she was jealous because Kate looked fabulous. And when the district attorney gal couldn’t get a conviction and they were negotiating terms, didn’t her insistence that Kate was not allowed to leave the state seem odd? I mean, if she’s going to be on parole for ten years anyway, why throw that in? I think the D.A. was a Dharma operative or something.

• Jack’s testimony.  At last we learn the story that the Oceanic Six told the rest of the world: there were only eight survivors of the crash initially, and that Kate was a hero and saved the lives of the six that ultimately lived. So that’s the lie that Bearded Jack was so distraught about last season. 

• Aaron.  What was the story with Kate’s attorney wanting Aaron to testify at the trial? He said that putting him on the stand would generate sympathy, but why? Is there something wrong with the kid? What would the attorney expect the kid to say? I didn’t get that part, but again, see paragraph 2. I’m not that bright. And why was Jack so uptight about the thought of seeing Aaron? 

Okay, back to the Island Timeline. A number of noteworthy developments this episode, and therefore… more bullet points!

• Where’s the helicopter? We learned that the helicopter hadn’t yet arrived at the freighter. More space-time kookiness, no doubt. Maybe Lapidus didn’t follow Faraday’s advice about maintaining the exact same bearing they used when approaching the island. How far away is this freighter,anyway? Is it over the horizon?  On the other side of the island? You’d think somebody could climb a palm tree and spot it, but apparently not. 

• Miles, who I hate.    The bit with the grenade in Miles' mouth provided me with some petty schadenfreude. That's one way to keep his mouth shut.  I thought that his attempted extortion of Ben was interesting. The sum Miles required for telling his mysterious employer that Ben was dead was strangely specific - $3.2 million dollars. Perhaps Miles has been using his psychic ghost-whispery mojo to determine the location of a cache of exactly $3.2 million dollars on the island that Ben knows about, just as he found that hidden money in “Confirmed Dead.” 

  Maybe there's a couple of Samsonites stuffed with cash in a Hatch someplace.

• Sawyer - not smooth. Speaking of keeping one’s mouth shut, Sawyer seems to have a knack for saying the wrong things at the right time. For future reference, Sawyer, when a woman you’re involved with tells you they’re not pregnant, the proper response is not a relieved, “WHOOO!” complete with triumphant fist-pumping. I’m exaggerating, but that was the effect. His smart mouth earned him a well-deserved Mark V Backhand from Kate. Not just a slap, a full-on backhand with a sound effect and everything.  Sawyer subconsciously self-sabotages himself due to intimacy/self-esteem issues, and should seek counseling. 

• Dan Faraday’s memory. Dan and Charlotte played a simple memory game with Dharma playing cards, which Dan was not very good at. This shoots down my theory that “Daniel Faraday” was an alias that he adopted, because in a previous episode he seemed to pause before saying his name, as if her were trying to remember. It seems like Dan has memory issues, and has been described as a “head case.” What exactly is his problem? 

All in all, another solid episode in a solid season. It answered some questions, raised many others, and moved the plot forward, or perhaps sideways. One never can tell with LOST. Particularly if you’re me. 

-- Dave Campbell